The House Intelligence Committee will hold its seventh public hearing on Thursday as part of their impeachment inquiry against President Trump with testimonies from Fiona Hill, a former National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia, and David Holmes, counselor for political affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.

**Follow live updates on this event from Breitbart News. All times in eastern.**

4:18 P.M. — Schiff brings the hearing to a close: “That says to me this president thinks he is above the law, beyond accountability. And in my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes he is above the law. We are better than that. Adjourned.”

Schiff delivers closing statement for today's impeachment hearing: "There is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes they are above the law…We are better than that!" https://t.co/cPja558vhl pic.twitter.com/EUjBdvAVlJ — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 21, 2019

4:12 P.M. — Schiff attempts to argue that it’s “absurd” for Republicans to point out that witnesses’ evidence is based on “hearsay.”

4:09 P.M. — Biggs once against fact-checks Schiff in real-time after the California Democrat falsely claims that Republicans dispute Russian interference in the 2016 election:

Adam Schiff can't help but to mislead Americans yet again in his closing statement for today's impeachment hearing. Republicans DO NOT believe that Russia did not interfere with the 2016 election. We DO believe that @realDonaldTrump

did not collude w/ Russian interference. pic.twitter.com/SoP6JGlycu — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

4:05 P.M. — Schiff: “The Three Amigos, two of whom never made the connection between Burisma and Biden, it took Tim Morrison ten seconds on Google to figure that out.”

4:02 P.M. — Schiff: “My [Republican] colleagues sought to use you to besmirch the reputation of Lt. Col. Vindman. He heard the same quid pro quo you did. So why are they smearing him? They don’t question the facts. It’s just gratuitous.”

4:01 P.M. — Schiff begins his closing statement: “Dr. Hill, you were criticized several times by my colleagues for your opening statement. I’m glad you didn’t back down from it. You’re much more diplomatic than I am Anyone watching these proceedings would have the same impression that you evidently had.”

4:00 P.M. —

The Democrats closed out their witness lineup today with one witness who claims he partially overheard a vague call in a restaurant, and another who pointed back to a witness (Sondland) that already debunked his own claims yesterday. This is not serious. Let's back to work. — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 21, 2019

3:58 P.M. — Nunes notes Pelosi “made clear today” the USMCA won’t be enacted into law, says he hopes Schiff will “clarify” how much longer lawmakers will spend on this “impeachment crusade”

3:56 P.M. — Nunes: “What you’ve seen in the room over the last few weeks is a show trial.”

3:52 P.M. — Nunes begins delivers his closing statement’:

NUNES: The timeline will illustrate the attacks this administration has faced. Says (roughly): He was subjected to a smear campaign to paint him as a Russian asset and efforts to impeach him. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 21, 2019

3:48 P.M. — Hill compares what is described as conspiracies theories about Soros to the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”

3:47 P.M. — Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) asks about remarks made by Roger Stone in which he accused her of being a “globalist leftist Soros insider.”

Hill rejects the allegations and replies: “I think my coal mining family would be very surprised to hear these things about me.”

She served as a member of Soros’s Open Society Institute Central Eurasia Project Advisory Board between 2000-2006.

3:40 P.M. — Hill asserts “It is not credible to me that [Sondland] was oblivious” that Burisma meant Biden with regard to investigations.

3:37 P.M. — Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY) apologizes to Hill for what he describes as an “epic mansplaining” from Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).

3:30 P.M. — Jordan highlights the past partisan activities of the so-called “whistleblower,” says the CIA analyst “worked with Joe Biden.”

3:24 P.M. — Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA) asks Holmes if Russia would occupy Ukraine if it could. Holmes replies yes, adding “without Ukraine, Russia’s just a country, but with it, it’s an empire.”

3:22 P.M. — Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) tells Holmes he should not have conveyed details regarding the Trump-Sondland telephone call with officials. Holmes replies: I think it was Gordon Sondland who showed indiscretion by having that conversation over a public phone line.”

3:19 P.M. —

🚨 Fiona Hill says, while sitting next to Putin at an event once, the she heard the Russian president directly say "he saw American fracking as a great threat to Russian interests” 🚨 — Ali Dukakis (@ajdukakis) November 21, 2019

3:15 P.M. —

both Fiona Hill and David Holmes answer "a very bad precedent" when Rep @JoaquinCastrotx asks them what sort of precedent does it set when an American President asks a foreign government to investigate a political rival — Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) November 21, 2019

3:10 P.M. — Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) says that while he “disagree[s] with sort of bungling of foreign policy” of President Trump, “an impeachable offense should be overwhelming,” and he hasn’t “heard evidence of the President’s bribery.”

3:08 P.M. —

Rep. Stefanik blasts Dems’ handling of impeachment process: “reeks of political desperation”https://t.co/QlnusJwZ7w pic.twitter.com/7hezbOpV1Q — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 21, 2019

3:02 P.M. —

.@RepStefanik makes the point Trump did meet with Zelensky. Diplomat David Holmes makes clear that meeting was not in the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/6nWUZ5yeVD — WNYT NewsChannel 13 (@WNYT) November 21, 2019

2:47 P.M. —

“We have gone from quid pro quo to bribery to extortion, seven weeks of hearings, 16 secret closed door sessions, 12 public hearings, now of which you are the last, hundreds of hours of testimony.” –@RepChrisStewart pic.twitter.com/ywR8KuDd0O — GOP (@GOP) November 21, 2019

2:46 P.M. —

GOP UT Sen Chris Stewart says the House impeachment process "is the warm-up band" before the main act: The Senate trial. He calls the House "warm-up band" the "Sioux City Crooners." — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 21, 2019

2:41 P.M. —

Fiona Hill verifies the story about a classmate lighting her pigtail on fire during a test. She snuffed it out and finished the test. Hill says she tells that story because it had very unfortunate consequences. Her mom gave her a bowl cut. "I looked like Richard the Third" — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) November 21, 2019

2:36 P.M. —

Rep. Wenstrup says that he’s seen hatred in action when Rep. Scalise was shot so it’s a shame the Democrats are engaging in a coup. — GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) November 21, 2019

2:30 P.M. — Hill on Yovanovitch: “Frankly, she was an easy target as a woman.”

2:28 P.M. — Meadows, Biggs, and other Republican lawmakers are in the house:

While Trump campaign has its own impeachment war room to defend the president, in many ways this group of GOP members in the hearing room has made themselves the Cap Hill impeachment version, live tweeting as they seek to defend the president and counter Dem arguments. pic.twitter.com/x3wZmIQMPO — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 21, 2019

2:27 P.M. — Not a good look for Holmes from earlier:

This was David Holmes' face while Jim Jordan questioned him pic.twitter.com/V3kDI5f32Z — Colin Jones (@colinjones) November 21, 2019

2:24 P.M. — Hill says people have attempted to dox her by posting her address to social media.

2:20 P.M. — Hill: “I honestly don’t know what the definition of a Never Trumper is.”

2:11 P.M. — Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) is now quizzing Holmes:

.@RepRatcliffe: "What did you hear President Trump say about @asvpxrocky?" Holmes: "I did not hear what President Trump said about ASAP Rocky." — Ben Siegel (@benyc) November 21, 2019

2:11 P.M. — Meadows cuts through the fog of Hill’s testimony: “For those seizing on the Fiona Hill comment about Sondland and a “domestic political operation” – you do realize we just heard from Sondland yesterday, who admitted @realDonaldTrump never asked him for a political quid pro quo, ever, and it was all his evidence-free assumption”

2:04 P.M. — Hill quips “I must have missed them,” when Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) reads her President Trump’s tweets.

2:02 P.M. —

.@Jim_Jordan, David Holmes and @repadamschiff spar mid-testimony: SCHIFF: "Mr. Jordan you may not like the witness' answer, but — "

JORDAN: "There wasn't an answer — this is filibuster."https://t.co/DK0UMQylhS pic.twitter.com/C2YAW7pF2A — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) November 21, 2019

2:01 P.M. —

HOLMES: "Did I go through every word in the call? No." "It was obvious what the president was pressing for." Amb. Taylor was not in that call…He was involved in a number of other interactions that outlined same conclusion. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 21, 2019

1:58 P.M. — Jordan is now pressing Holmes:

Jordan now pressing Holmes on why Bill Taylor did not remember this July 26 call between Trump/Sondland. Goes down list of Taylor's conversations. HOLMES: Immediately when I went back to embassy on 26, told deputy chief of mission, but says Taylor was on front lines. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 21, 2019

1:54 P.M. — Hill tells Schiff that she believes “It was clear that Burisma was code for the Bidens.”

Fiona Hill: "It was clear that Burisma was code for the Bidens because Giuliani was laying it out there. I could see why Col. Vindman was alarmed and he said 'this is inappropriate, we're the National Security Council, we can't be involved in this" https://t.co/6y079tinvn pic.twitter.com/JWoQUkN52f — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 21, 2019

1:50 P.M. —

FIONA HILL asked about being a UK born naturalized citizen "This for me really does make America great" that America is a nation of immigrants and she says criticism of Soviet born Col Vindman "dual loyalty" is "deeply unfair" — Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) November 21, 2019

1:43 P.M. — Hill denies questioning Vindman’s judgment, but concedes she thought he lacked the political chops to handle what she describes as a “highly politically charged situation” regarding Ukraine.

1:37 P.M. —

Fiona Hill says Sondland was not coordinating with the National Security Council because "he was involved in a "domestic political errand" while she was involved in national security — Tim Mak (@timkmak) November 21, 2019

1:35 P.M. — Hill says “I admit I was a bit rude” to Sondland when she asked him about his role in U.S. affairs with Ukraine.

“I have to say that when women show anger it’s not always fully appreciated,” she adds.

1:25 P.M. — Hill says “it’s perfectly logical that Ambassador Sondland would play some kind of role” in the U.S.’s dealings with Ukraine.

1:22 P.M. — White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issues a statement dismissing Hill and Holmes’s testimonies:

“As has been the case throughout the Democrats’ impeachment sham, today’s witnesses rely heavily on their own presumptions, assumptions and opinions. These two witnesses, just like the rest, have no personal or direct knowledge regarding why U.S. aid was temporarily withheld. The Democrats’ are clearly being motivated by a sick hatred for President Trump and their rabid desire to overturn the 2016 election. The American people deserve better.”

1:21 P.M. —

Nunes takes back over questioning; asks Holmes about Leshenko and if Holmes is aware that he provided information to Nellie Ohr. Holmes says yes to the first, no to the second. Nunes asks if Holmes is aware of the black ledger & that it’s not credible. Holmes says yes and no. + — GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) November 21, 2019

1:19 P.M. — Hill acknowledges she wasn’t initially in support of providing aid to Ukraine due to their military’s lack of experience with sophisticated weaponry. She co-wrote an opinion-editorial about why for the Washington Post in 2015.

1:18 P.M. —

"I was not," Fiona Hill tells GOP counsel when asked if she was "encouraged" that U.S.-Ukraine policy was "headed in the right direction" when she left the White House. Hill says she was "very concerned" about the removal of Amb. Marie Yovanovitch https://t.co/Q5w6PVVxew pic.twitter.com/oFCrvEZUN6 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 21, 2019

1:16 P.M. —

HILL believed that Obama's decision NOT to provide lethal defensive weapons was made on a political basis – to not provoke the Russians. Interagency consensus was to provide this aid at the time. No whistlebower complaint against Obama for disregarding interagency consensus. pic.twitter.com/71qXqVv6ai — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

1:14 P.M. — Hill says President Trump has the absolute right to remove an ambassador whenever he wants.

1:13 P.M. —

"We had no directive. We had not been told this." FIONA HILL testifies that she was told by Amb Sondland that he was given a Ukraine portfolio "It was the president who put him in charge of this." — Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) November 21, 2019

1:06 P.M. — Exchange between Nunes and Hill on who paid for the dossier:

Nunes: did you know who paid for the dossier? Hill: not at the time. Nunes: now? Hill: DNC. Nunes: so the Clinton campaign? Hill: I don’t know about that. — GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) November 21, 2019

1:05 P.M. —Hill confirms Christopher Steele, the author of the discredited Trump dossier, was previously a counterpart of hers.

Nunes verifies that Christopher Steele was Hill’s counterpart in the past and that she occasionally met with him though not in 2016 that she recalls. Nunes also verifies that Hill was shown a copy of the Steele dossier the day before it was published in Buzzfeed. — GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) November 21, 2019

1:04 P.M. — The hearing has resumed. Nunes is asking Hill if she knows former DNC contractor Alexandra Chalupa, Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, Justice Department Bruce Ohr and his wife Nellie Ohr.

12:37 P.M. —

Today’s hearing does NOT advance the Democrats’ flailing impeachment sham. Rather, Americans have again been treated to diplomats who’ve expressed frustration that POTUS didn’t share the same policy ideals they did on Ukraine. This couldn’t be further from impeachment-worthy. pic.twitter.com/Yeo5UglXSm — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

11:53 A.M. — This is CNN:

CNN’s Cuomo trying to prove you can hear a conversation on another person’s cell phone (while on speaker, mind you) is the most ill-advised thing we’ve witnessed on live TV since Marcia Clark had OJ try the gloves on. Check with this video out: https://t.co/EK3GYVtnce — Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) November 21, 2019

11:48 A.M. — Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is far from impressed with Holmes:

A 40 minute opening statement from a guy who overheard a phone call that was “a couple minutes.” THIS is the Democrats’ last ditch effort? Talk about desperate. — Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) November 21, 2019

11:35 A.M. — Pelosi: “The evidence is clear that the President has used his office for his own personal gain and in doing so undermined the national security of the United States by withholding military assistance to Ukraine to the benefit of the Russians.”

11:30 A.M. — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is pressed on the partisan nature of the impeachment inquiry, responds with the claim: “Republicans are in denial about the facts. if they don’t want to honor their oath of office, I don’t think we should be characterized as partisan.”

11:23 A.M. — Good question via Mark Levin:

If Fiona Hill believes the Russians are behind a disinformation campaign against Ukraine in 2016, and actually has evidence, why wasn’t she a key witness during the Russia collusion investigation? — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 21, 2019

11:15 A.M. — President Trump’s re-election campaign sends out an email blast pushing back against Hill and Schiff’s dismissal of Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 election: There’s a simple reason Adam Schiff wants to deny Ukraine interfered in U.S. politics: He was willing to collude with them. Ukraine’s interference in the 2016 election against Donald Trump was well documented in multiple mainstream news reports. No one denies Russia’s interference—in fact, Republicans authored a report on it.

Democrats must answer three key questions: 1. Separate from the fact that Russia was behind the hacking of the DNC, do you maintain that Ukraine did absolutely nothing to influence America’s 2016 election? 2. Do you believe U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation is legitimate? DOJ has said he is “exploring the extent to which” Ukraine played a role in the 2016 election. 3. Should Ukraine cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice in its investigation?

11:08 A.M. —

These hearings are one career bureaucrat after another saying (without evidence) they "believed" there was a political quid pro quo – while officials in the room say it never happened, and it didn't come up once in 6 U.S./Ukraine meetings. This is a monumental waste of time. — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 21, 2019

11:04 A.M. — The hearing is now in recess.

Fiona Hill departs as committee recesses for House floor votes pic.twitter.com/nBlBmyAvdU — Bart Jansen (@ganjansen) November 21, 2019

11:00 A.M. — Hill says former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s description of a “drug deal that Mulvaney and Sondland were cooking up”: “I took it to mean investigations for a meeting.”

10:54 A.M. — Hill says that President Trump believed NSC official Kash Patel headed up Ukraine affairs, not Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, and could have given the president information without her knowledge.

Democrats are going after Kash Patel who is suing @Politico for defamation after they claimed he was falsely representing himself as Ukraine expert, false information likely leaked to them by @RepAdamSchiff. They want to hurt Patel for exposing the Russia hoax #ImpeachmentInquiry — Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) November 21, 2019

10:49 A.M. — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) once again calls for Schiff to allow the so-called “whistleblower” and Hunter Biden to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry hearings.

Chairman Adam Schiff has repeatedly denied fundamental fairness and due process throughout the course of this sham impeachment. RT if you agree that he should stop blocking important witnesses from testifying. pic.twitter.com/TyFWxpzFwm — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 21, 2019

10:48 A.M. — Hill says Giuliani made “incendiary remarks” on television and pushes reports that she claims would “come back to haunt us.”

10:47 A.M. —

Fiona Hill says John Bolton called Giuliani a "hand grenade that was going to blow everyone up," adding he meant Giuliani was pushing "issues and ideas that would probably come back to haunt us. And, in fact, It think that that's where we are today." https://t.co/3BHb2I9OBT pic.twitter.com/Cx5K3DU1at — ABC News (@ABC) November 21, 2019

10:43 A.M. —

Fiona Hill, when asked about her opening statement's remarks on Ukraine interference, says: Yes, the reference is to Crowdstrike and the server. Q: And there is no basis for these allegations? "That's correct," Hill replied. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 21, 2019

10:40 A.M. — Homes is coming off as increasingly partial to Yovanovich’s views on Ukraine than those of President Trump.

For the umpteenth time, Holmes mentions the recall of Ambassador Voyanovitch. He seems more devoted to her than to his responsibility regarding policy prerogatives. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

10:39 A.M. — Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) weighs in on today’s hearings:

A notable theme in these hearings: some career officials seem to act as though their job is to decide America’s foreign policy It’s the President who sets policy—not unelected bureaucrats. POTUS believes every dollar we send abroad should be questioned. And most Americans agree. — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 21, 2019

10:38 A.M. — Hill of the Trump-Zelensky call: “I found this particular call’s subject matter and the way that it was conducted, surprising.”

10:36 A.M. — Holmes says of the Trump-Sondland call: “I’ve never seen anything like this in my foreign service career.”

10:34 A.M. — Holmes says Sondland “sort of winced” when President Trump came on the phone and “held the phone away from his ear.”

“It was quite loud when the president came on, quite distinctive,” he adds.

10:29 A.M. — Holmes claims Ukrainians still feel under pressure from President Trump: “They’re being very careful.” Zelenksy has repeatedly said he felt no pressure to probe into allegations of corruption against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, during the July 25th call with the president.

10:26 A.M. — Biggs fact-checks Hill on Russian meddling efforts:

Dr. Hill simply misstating facts when she says that members of committee believe Russia did not attack our 2016 election. Everyone agreed that Russia interfered. Is she incapable of understanding broad and sweeping statements of agreement that Russia interfered? — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

10:25 A.M. —

"Right now, Russia's security services and their proxies have geared up to repeat their interference in the 2020 election," Ex-NSC Russia expert Fiona Hill warns. "We are running out of time to stop them." https://t.co/4VGKJo6hyC pic.twitter.com/EPN2jNsdlR — Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) November 21, 2019

10:22 A.M. — Hill tells Schiff of Russian meddling campaigns: “I just want to again emphasize as we discuss all of these issues, not to give them more fodder that they can use against us in 2020.”

10:20 A.M. — This is true, from Biggs:

“My clear impression.” Those are the words Holmes uses. He is stating an opinion that is speculative, rather than evidence. We’re 12 witnesses into this public impeachment round, and we are still interviewing witnesses with nothing but speculation to offer Adam Schiff. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

10:17 A.M. — President Trump quotes Ken Starr’s analysis on impeachment:

…..President Trump said the Ukraine President should just do the right thing (No Quid Pro Quo). You shouldn’t charge, but you cannot convict, a sitting president on the basis of conflicting and ambiguous evidence, and destabilize the American Government.” Thank you Ken! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2019

10:17 A.M. — Hill: “When we are consumed by partisan rancor, we cannot combat these external forces as they seek to divide us against each another, degrade our institutions, and destroy the faith of the American people in our democracy.”

10:16 A.M. —

Fox is told that both Holmes and HIll are testifying under subpoena today — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 21, 2019

10:15 A.M. — Hill claims of reports stating Ukraine meddled in 2016 elections: “This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves.”

10:14 A.M. — Hill: “I grew up poor with a very distinctive working-class accent. In England in the 1980s and 1990s, this would have impeded my professional advancement. This background has never set me back in America.”

10:13 A.M. — Hill begins her opening statement, says: “I have no interest in advancing the outcome of your inquiry in any particular direction, except toward the truth.”

10:09 A.M. — Holmes ends his opening statement by lecturing the Trump administration over its policy toward Ukraine, stating the country deserves better. Reminder: President Trump approved the sale of 210 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 37 launchers to Ukraine in March 2018 — something the Obama administration did not do.

David Holmes concludes by reminding there is "a hot war on Ukrainian territory against Russian aggression…this week alone..two Ukrainian soldiers were killed….Ukrainians cherish their bipartisan support..They deserve better." — Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) November 21, 2019

10:08 A.M. — Holmes: “Ukrainians want to hear a clear and unambiguous reaffirmation that our long-standing, bipartisan policy of strong support for Ukraine remains unchanged and that we fully back it at the highest levels.”

10:03 A.M. —

Holmes says the CNN interview was widely understood among the players to be the key to releasing the aid. "Everyone thought there was going to be an interview, and that the Ukrainians believed they had to do it," Holmes says. — Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) November 21, 2019

10:01 A.M. — Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) rips Holmes’s testimony, says he sounds like a “discontented deep-state bureaucrat.”

Holmes sounds like a discontented deep-state bureaucrat: “I was deeply disappointed to see the President raised none of what I understood to be our inter-agency agreed-upon foreign policy priorities in Ukraine.” David Holmes does not set foreign policy priorities. POTUS does. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

10:00 A.M. — Holmes: “Between meetings on August 27th, I heard Ambassador Bolton express to Ambassador Taylor and National Security Council Senior Director Tim Morrison his frustration about Mr. Giuliani’s influence with the President, making clear there was nothing he could do about it.”

9:58 A.M. — Holmes: “Ambassador Sondland told the President he should let A$AP Rocky get sentenced, then play the ‘race card’ and give him a ticker-tape parade when he gets home, you can tell the Kardashians you tried.”

9:56 A.M. — Holmes continues on Sondland’s call with President Trump: “[He] went on to state that President Zelenskyy ‘loves your ass.’ I then heard President Trump ask, ‘So, he’s gonna do the investigation?’ Ambassador Sondland replied that ‘he’s gonna do it,’ adding that President Zelenskyy will do ‘anything you ask him to.'”

9:54 A.M. — Holmes says of President Trump’s call with Sondland: “The President’s voice was very loud and recognizable, and Ambassador Sondland held the phone away from his ear for a period of time, presumably because of the loud volume.”

9:52 A.M. — Holmes: “I was deeply disappointed to see that the President raised none of what I understood to be our inter-agency agreed-upon foreign policy priorities in Ukraine and instead raised the Biden/Burisma investigation and referred to the theory about Crowdstrike.”

9:49 A.M. — Holmes: “On June 28, while President Trump was still not moving forward on a meeting with President Zelenskiy, he met with Russian President Putin at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, sending a further signal of lack of support for Ukraine.” Strange framing from Holmes considering President Trump approved the sale of 210 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 37 launchers to Ukraine in March 2018 — something the Obama administration resisted.

9:48 A.M. — Holmes’s use of the term “Three Amigos” — a reference to Sondland, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and former Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker — is not going unnoticed:

Not a good look for Holmes to be referring to the “Three Amigos” makes him seem political. Discredits his testimony. — Jorge Guajardo (@jorge_guajardo) November 21, 2019

9:43 A.M. — Holmes claims U.S. Ambassador to E.U. Gordan Sondland once said: “Dammit Rudy. Every time Rudy gets involved he goes and f—s everything up.”

David Holmes: "At one point…someone wondered aloud why Mr. Giuliani was so active in the media with respect to Ukraine. My recollection is that Amb. Sondland stated, 'Dammit Rudy, every time Rudy gets involved he goes and effs everything up.'" https://t.co/gSTHH3B0K5 pic.twitter.com/5dgBPhbg8W — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 21, 2019

9:40 A.M. — Holmes: “The barrage of allegations directed at Ambassador Yovanovitch, a career ambassador, is unlike anything I have seen in my professional career.”

U.S. diplomat in Ukraine David Holmes: "The barrage of allegations directed at Amb. Yovanovitch, a career ambassador, is unlike anything I have seen in my professional career." https://t.co/i5y2bsRk2A pic.twitter.com/20YuU6kUES — ABC News (@ABC) November 21, 2019

9:37 A.M. — Holmes: “Mr. Lutsenko made a series of unsupported allegations against Ambassador Yovanovitch, mostly suggesting that Ambassador Yovanovitch improperly used the Embassy to advance the political interests of the Democratic Party.”

9:36 A.M. — Holmes: “As the impeachment inquiry has progressed, I have followed press reports and reviewed the statements of Ambassador Taylor and Ambassador Yovanovitch. Based on my experience in Ukraine, my recollection is generally consistent with their testimony.”

9:35 A.M. — Holmes: “I am an apolitical foreign policy professional, and my job is to focus on the politics of the country in which I serve so that we can better understand the local landscape and better advance U.S. national interests there.”

9:34 A.M. — Holmes begins his opening statement: “Beginning in March 2019, our support for Ukrainian democratic resistance to Russian aggression … became overshadowed by a political agenda being promoted by [Rudy Giuliani] and a cadre of officials operating with a direct channel to the White House.”

David Holmes, political counselor at the U.S. embassy in Ukraine, delivers opening statement: "Since you determined that I may have something of value … and issued a subpoena, it is my obligation to appear and to tell you what I know." https://t.co/RhUcjJ3ncc pic.twitter.com/EGhoTtJ6ph — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 21, 2019

9:33 A.M. — Read Holmes’s opening statement below:

Opening statement of US diplomat in Kiev David Holmes: https://t.co/yt7gR55Evk — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 21, 2019

9:32 A.M. — Hill and Holmes are being sworn in.

WATCH: Foreign service officer David Holmes and former NSC official Dr. Fiona Hill are sworn in by House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) ahead of testimony https://t.co/hsjAHbktuj pic.twitter.com/kDHxIKSr1n — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 21, 2019

9:30 A.M. — Conservative radio host Mark Levin offers analysis on Schiff’s strategy for the impeachment hearings:

2. The reason he set the rules to give him and his chief counsel the first 45-minutes of every hearing, is again to set the narrative for the media, which dutifully regurgitate what comes of it. — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 21, 2019

3. And the reason Schiff takes a "short break" after his 45-minute period is completed is so he can hold forth with the press outside the committee room, once again setting the narrative that the media dutifully regurgitate. — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 21, 2019

9:29 A.M. — Nunes on impeachment: “I sincerely hope the Democrats end this affair as quickly as possible so our nation can begin to heal.”

Rep. Devin Nunes criticizes Democrats in opening statement on fifth day of impeachment hearings: "I sincerely hope the Democrats end this affair as quickly as possible so our nation can begin to heal" https://t.co/K3If2EJAG7 pic.twitter.com/VHh0EqgMJ6 — Deena Zeina Zaru 👩🏻‍💻 (@Deena_Zaru) November 21, 2019

9:23 A.M. — Nunes: “Ladies and gentlemen, unless the Democrats once again scramble their kangaroo court rules, today’s hearing marks the merciful end of this spectacle in the Impeachment Committee, formerly known as the Intelligence Committee.”

🔥🔥🔥 from @RepDevinNunes today ➡️ "I once again urge Americans to continue to consider the credibility of the Democrats on this committee who are now hurling these charges. For the last three years, it's not President Trump who got caught; it's the Democrats who got caught." pic.twitter.com/PZnPttL3KC — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2019

9:21 A.M. — Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) says in his opening statement that President Trump is being accused of committing “thought crimes.”

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) gives opening statement: "It's clear why the Democrats have been forced onto this carousel of accusations" https://t.co/OVa306iBP7 pic.twitter.com/oj8XYgZxMW — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 21, 2019

9:18 A.M. — President Trump urges Americans to read the pair of transcripts of his telephone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Read the two Transcripts of Ukrainian calls! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2019

9:18 A.M. — Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) fact-checks Schiff in real-time:

Schiff just said in his latest opening statement parody that the President demanded an investigation of Joe Biden in return for US $. This is a lie. Unfortunately we now expect nothing less from this total Schiff Show. — Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) November 21, 2019

9:16 A.M. — Schiff”s still going.

Schiff: "Another concern that arose for Dr. Hill was the discovery of a potential NSC back channel in Ukraine. Hill learned that an NSC staff member who didn't work on Ukraine may have been providing Ukraine-related information to Pres. Trump that Dr. Hill was not made aware of." pic.twitter.com/7wpUNYTX3L — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 21, 2019

9:13 A.M. — More of Schiff’s opening remarks:

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): "As Amb. Sondland would later tell foreign service officer David Holmes after speaking to the president, Trump didn't 'give a s*** about Ukraine.' He cares about big stuff that benefits him like the Biden investigation that Giuliani was pushing." pic.twitter.com/01sWF4KOR3 — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 21, 2019

9:09 A.M. — Schiff is delivering his opening statement: “In conditioning a meeting with Zelensky and then military aid on securing an investigation of his rival, Trump put his personal and political interests above those of the United States.”

HAPPENING NOW: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff delivers opening statement https://t.co/OVa306iBP7 pic.twitter.com/NJcWNQLmOT — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 21, 2019

9:06 A.M. — Hill and Holmes have arrived for their testimony.

Fiona Hill and David Holmes arrive for Day 5 of the public impeachment inquiry hearings. #NexstarDC pic.twitter.com/0tgabHfPrN — Jessi Turnure (@JessiTurnure) November 21, 2019

8:59 A.M. — This is the scene from inside the hearing room moments before Hill and Holmes testify.

8:43 A.M. — Holmes joins Hill in arriving on Capitol Hill for their testimony.

David Holmes, counselor for political affairs at the US Embassy in Ukraine, arrives on Capitol Hill ahead of his public testimony as part of the impeachment hearing.https://t.co/XTZyHAE4x3 pic.twitter.com/rEWEgKw9VY — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) November 21, 2019

8:34 A.M. — Hill arrives on Capitol Hill for her testimony.

Dr. Fiona Hill, Trump's former top Russia adviser, arrives on Capitol Hill ahead of her public testimony as part of the impeachment hearing.https://t.co/XTZyHAE4x3 pic.twitter.com/xVbN05d6tw — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) November 21, 2019

8:15 A.M. — President Trump laces into House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) ahead of today’s hearing:

I never in my wildest dreams thought my name would in any way be associated with the ugly word, Impeachment! The calls (Transcripts) were PERFECT, there was NOTHING said that was wrong. No pressure on Ukraine. Great corruption & dishonesty by Schiff on the other side! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2019

…..But we are winning big, and they will soon be on our turf. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2019

8:03 A.M. — Hill expected to tell congressional investigators that partisan politics propagated a “fictional” narrative regarding Ukraine. “I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimize an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a U.S. adversary, and that Ukraine — not Russia — attacked us in 2016,” she is expected to say in her opening statement.