
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler refused to say Monday what the next steps are in the Democrats' impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump but it's likely they will move on to drafting articles of impeachment as they wrap up their 10-week investigation into the president.

'I'm not prepared to say anything further about the schedule of the committee beyond today's hearing,' Nadler said as lawmakers wrapped up a nearly nine-hour day of arguments and witness questioning.

It's possible the panel could vote on formal articles of impeachment by the end of this week, which would allow the House to hold a final vote on the matter before the end of the year.

Nadler closed the hearing by saying President Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

'I am struck by the fact my Republican colleagues have offered no serious scrutiny of the evidence at hand. They talked about everything else but talked about no substantive word in the president's defense. I suspect because at base, there is nothing to offer. Undermining our own national security and elections, there is a remedy, and that remedy is impeachment. The facts are clear, the danger to our democracy is clear and our duty is clear. President Trump violated his oath to the American people and placed his own private interests ahead of our national security and constitutes a threat to our election and government. It is impeachable. This committee will conclude accordingly,' he said.

Even Republicans conceded the inquiry is about to be wrapped in the House where the Democrat-controlled legislature is expected to vote for impeachment.

'This will undoubtedly be our last hearing because they have no desire to hear from the minority,' said Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, in his closing statement.

The charges against President Trump are likely to focus on two areas - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Monday's chaotic impeachment hearing allowed Democrats to lay out their findings in their investigation and Republicans to present their counter argument.

Democrats sought to show how the president pressured a foreign country to interfere in next year's election to his benefit and tried to obstruct Congress' investigation of his actions.

Republicans argued Democrats were trying to over turn the 2016 election and demanded to know why Hunter Biden and Adam Schiff were testifying.

The hearing was the final chance for both sides to put on a show - with Democrats making the case for impeachment and Republicans using every opportunity possible to disrupt the proceedings.

It was the last public hearing scheduled in the impeachment matter and it started out with a bang when a protester launched a verbal attack on Nadler.

'Jerry Nadler is committing treason,' the protester stood up and shouted in the first five minutes of the hearing.

Owen Shroyer of the conservative website Info Wars, filming himself with his iPhone, stood up in the audience to declare that 'Trump is innocent.'

'You can kick me out of this hearing,' he said as U.S. Capitol Police promptly removed him from the room and Nadler gaveled the hearing back into order.

'Jerry Nadler and the Democratic Party are committing treason in this country. We voted for Donald Trump and they're trying to remove him because they don't like him,' Shroyer shouted.

Shroyer was a backer of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory – a debunked theory that that connected several U.S. pizza places and high-ranking officials of the Democratic Party with an alleged human trafficking and child sex ring. One of the establishments sucked into the conspiracy was Comet Ping Pong in Washington D.C. Shroyer targeted East Side Pies, a group of pizza restaurants in Austin, Texas, with similar fake claims.

He also pushed an unproven claim in August of 2018 that an energy wave being fired out of Antarctica – possibly shot by John Kerry – was being used to split hurricanes in half.

Nadler quickly tried to restore order after the initial disruption.

'I shouldn't have to remind everyone present that the audience is here to observe, not to demonstrate, not to indicate agreement or disagreement with any witness or any member of the committee. The audience is here to observe only. And we will maintain decorum in the hearing room,' Nadler said.

The chairman's gavel got quite the workout during the hearing as Republicans launched objection after objection, causing delays and requesting procedural votes to disrupt the Democrats' attempt to make the public case against Trump.

Democrats pushed to keep the focus on Trump's actions in regards to the Ukraine and argued the president was a 'clear and present danger' to the country.

'President Trump's persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security,' argued Daniel Goldman, the Democratic lawyer for the House Intelligence Committee, who testified before lawmakers.

Owen Shroyer of the conservative website Info Wars interrupted the start of Monday's impeachment hearing to defend President Trump

Filming himself, Owen Shroyer said 'Jerry Nadler committed treason.' The InfoWars host later tweeted '#freeowenshroyer' from his own account,suggesting he was free to tweet

Chairman Jerry Nadler gaveled the hearing back to order after protester interrupted

Packed hearing: The House Judiciary Committee is meeting for the impeachment hearing in one of the largest of Capitol Hill's hearing rooms, a testament to interest in the session

Battling: Chairman, Democrat Jerry Nadler, and ranking member, Republican Doug Collins, are at odds over how to proceed

Disruption: Several Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, a favorite defender of the president, offered multiple objections at the start of Monday's hearing

Republicans, meanwhile, objected to both the hearing's existence and to the way Democrats led their impeachment investigation.

'Democrats denied us witnesses. Democrats voted down subpoenas we sought to issue from both documents and testimony, and I note Democrats never brought to a committee vote any of the subpoenas that were issued. They were all tabled. Democrats directed witnesses not to answer our questions, and these sorts of action delegitimize the inquiry and do not give the witnesses or the president confidence that the inquiry is fair. Second, the president or any potential witness to this impeachment inquiry should be allowed to raise defenses without it being used as an adverse inference against him,' said Republican attorney Sean Castor, who led the GOP's counter argument.

Republicans pushed Nadler from the start of the hearing with one after another GOP lawmaker talking over one another to object to the proceeding and barreling over Nadler, who banged his gavel repeatedly and demanded order.

At one point, Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of President Trump's biggest defenders on Capitol Hill, was yelling at Nadler.

'Is this when we hear staff and the members dealt out of the whole hearing for the next four hours you will try to overturn the result of an election with unelected people,' Gaetz said as Nadler interrupted him: 'This hearing will be considered in an orderly fashion. The gentleman will not yell out and he will not attempt to disrupt the proceedings.'

GOP want Adam Schiff and Hunter Biden

Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, led the defense of the president by complaining that House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who the GOP dubbed the 'star witness,' was not there.

Several Republicans have objected that it's congressional staff - who led the impeachment investigation efforts - who are testifying on Monday.

Republicans wanted Schiff to be at the witness table and posted a large sign reading 'Where's Adam?' on an easel behind them. They later added a sign of a milk carton with Schiff's photo on it.

Collins charged Democrats are impeaching Trump 'because they can't get over the fact Donald Trump is president of the United States and they don't have a candidate that they think can beat him. It's all political. And as we have talked about before, this is a show. Unfortunately, today, the witness who is supposed to be the star witness, chose to take a pass and let a staff answer for him.'

House Republicans have wanted to get Schiff to testify under oath so they can unearth what he knows about the so-called whistleblower - the individual who first raised concerns over President Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Nadler shot down in their request in a letter to Collins on Monday and also said the committee doesn't need to hear from the whistle-blower, whose revelation of the details of Trump's call with the president of the Ukraine started the impeachment inquiry.

'With respect to your requests that the Committee obtain testimony from Chairman Schiff as well as '[t]he anonymous whistleblower whose complaint initiated this ‘impeachment inquiry,’' the Committee has previously tabled motions with regard to these matters at its December 4, 2019 hearing, and I see no reason to reconsider those requests. Moreover, the Intelligence Committee report has adduced independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely upon the whistleblower in any way and Intelligence committee counsel will be testifying as provided for by H. Res. 660, and thus there is no need for Chairman Schiff,' Nadler wrote.

And Goldman argued in his testimony Republicans had a chance to call witnesses.

'They got three witnesses and were allowed to call their own witnesses for the depositions. They chose not to do that. The only witness they chose was Chairman Schiff, who is not a fact witness,' he said

Democrats aren't budging on their refusal to have House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (left) and Hunter Biden (right) testify at an impeachment hearing. Schiff, in particular, was called for Monday when Democratic lawyers went through his committee's report

Republicans wanted Adam Schiff to testify and presented a 'Missing' sign in the hearing room

GOP Congressman Jim Jordan sits before a 'Where's Adam?' sign

Collins accused Daniel Goldman, the top Democratic lawyer on the House Intelligence panel, of trying to protect his boss, Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff.

Collins argued of Goldman's reluctance to engage him in a verbal back-and-forth: 'Goldman chooses not to answer, because he doesn't want to incriminate himself or the chairman or anyone else.'

Collins also pointed out Goldman doesn't wear the round circular lapel pin that is worn by members of Congress - a clear put down of Goldman as staff and not an elected lawmaker.

'You're here without a pin because your chairman will not testify. That says all we need to hear. He doesn't stand behind his report so he sends you,' he said.

And Gaetz interrupted him to shout at Goldman: 'The implication is that we want Schiff in that chair, and not you. The person who wrote the report should come and present it. You weren't elected by anybody and you're here giving this testimony.'

At that point Nadler stepped in and banged his gavel: 'The gentleman does not have the time, and can be warned before. You cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee.'

Each of the 41 lawmakers on the committee got five minutes to question the legal counsels for the Intelligence Committee.

Republicans used their time to attack the investigation and Goldman's role in it.

Republicans also objected when Barry Berke, who gave the Democrats' opening argument when the hearing began, led the questioning of witnesses later in the hearing.

'This is not appropriate to have a witness be questioned on somebody that was a witness when he was,' GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert objected.

'How much money did you have to give to be able to do that?,' Gohmert asked, referring to the fact Berke is a longtime Democratic donor.

Nadler banged his gavel repeatedly.

'The gentleman will not cast aspersions on members of the staff or committee,' he ruled.

'The gentleman has been designated by me to do this,' he said of Berke.

But Republicans didn't give up.

'He's badgering the witness,' complained Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner of Berke's questioning of Castor.

'The gentleman will continue,' Nadler said, banging his gavel.

'Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order that he's badgering the witness, because he's doing that,' Sensenbrenner said.

'I will say that sharp cross examination of a witness is not badgering the witness,' Nadler responded.

Later Republicans objected yet again to Nadler's leadership of the committee.

'You need to call balls and strikes,' Collins told him.

Nadler banged his gavel again and ordered questioning to continue.

'Bang it harder, it still doesn't mean you're doing it right,' Collins responded.

Collins later tore into Goldman when it was his turn to ask questions, repeatedly pressing him on how many subpoenas were issued and who were targets.

'I am going to go on record and tell you I'm not going to reveal how we conducted this investigation,' Goldman told him.

'That's the whole problem,' Collins said, adding: 'I'm done with you for right now. You're not answering the question, you're not being honest about this answer, because you know who it is, you're just not answering.'

Each lawmaker got five minutes to question the witnesses and Republicans used their time to rail against the Democrats' investigation of the president.

Republicans attacked Democratic lawyer Daniel Goldman, who's the top counsel on the House Intelligence Committee

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, attacked Goldman for his donations to Democrats

Rep. Jim Jordan, Republican of California, argued the whistle-blower shoud testify

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, another prominent Trump defender on Capitol Hill, brought up another long-time GOP compliant – that the whistle-blower has not testified.

'We needed to talk to the guy who started it all. Who these more than half a dozen people were who formed the basis of his complain the and we never got to. Adam Schiff's staff got to, Adam Schiff knows who he is, we don't get to know the original people, the six people who formed the basis of this entire thing we've been going through now for three months,' Jordan said.

Democrats have countered that multiple witnesses have confirmed the whistle-blower's account, making that person's testimony unnecessary. And Schiff has said repeatedly while a few members of his staff did speak to the whistle-blower he does not know the person's identity.

Republicans have said they want to hear from both Hunter and Joe Biden as part of the impeachment proceedings.

Democrats charge that Trump held up nearly $400 million in military aid and an Oval Office meeting to pressure Zelensky to announce he was opening up an investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden.

Rep. Steve Chabot complained about how Hunter Biden's was making money from Burisma with 'no identifiable expertise.'

'Yet the Democrats won't let us present witnesses on that,' Chabot said.

Republicans attack Democratic staff lawyer

Collins also ripped into Goldman for running a 'smear campaign' against Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, referring to Democrats identifying Nunes from the call logs obtained from the subpoenas for phone records.

'The problem I have with that, is you could have easily done congressperson one or congressperson two, reporter one, reporter two, if they did not actually contribute to your report, it's nothing but a drive by, that's the problem I have here,' Collins said.

'The Schiff report became a partisan smear against other members we don't like,' he added.

Gaetz, in his five minutes of questioning, used his time to question Goldman's credentials, pointing out he has donated to Democrats in the past.

'Have you given over $100,000,' he asked. 'I just want the number.'

'I don't know the number,' Goldman responded.

'Do you think you could give more money you would be able to ask questions and answer them like Mr. Berke did?' Gaetz asked.

When Goldman remained silent, Gaetz said: 'I guess it is something you're still pondering.'

Gaetz then asked Goldman, who joined the Intelligence Committee last year, if he had ever tweeted about the president.

'I have made a number of tweets in my private capacity before I came to this job when I was working in the media, yes,' Goldman said. Goldman was an MSNBC legal analyst before he took the job in Congress.

Collins argued Democrats deliberately targeted Nunes.

'We're going to put it in the report, not because we think Devin Nunes is a part of this, but because he had a phone call with someone we're investigating. It's a drive by, and it's beneath you and beneath this Congress. And that is why I have such a problem with this,' he said.

Hands across the aisle: Republican staff attorney Steve Castor, left, and Democratic staff attorney Barry Berke, right, shake hands before they testify as the House Judiciary Committee

Battling over the founder: Democratic attorney Barry Berke highlighted the words of James Madison during debates over the wording of the Constitution

Republican talking points: Stephen Castor, the Republicans' staff attorney from the House Intelligence Committee, showed some of his evidence - including how Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, could not recall many key episodes or claims

President's words: What Donald Trump said is at the center of the hearing, with what he said about Ukraine probing the Bidens being shown during the Democrats' opening statement

Sworn in: The Republican and Democratic staff counsels Stephen Castor and Daniel Goldman take the oath before testifying

President Trump has blasted Democrats for pursuing an impeachment 'witch hunt' and shows no sign of relenting in his all-out public defense

Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, charged Democrats with wanting to overturn the 2016 election

Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, sat in the audience during the Judiciary hearing

Trump has said his July 25 call with Zelensky was perfect and Republicans have defended the president as a victim of Democrats who want to over turn the 2016 election.

The president was active on Twitter as the hearing played out on television screens across the nation.

'Witch hunt,' he wrote, using his favorite derogatory term for the probe.

'The Do Nothing Democrats are a disgrace!,' he added.

But Democrats argued Trump tried to use his office for personal, political gain.

'When the elections are threatened by enemies foreign or domestic, we cannot wait until the next election to address the threat. We surely agree that no public official, including and especially the president of the United States, should use his public office for private gain. And we agree that no president may put himself before the country,' Nadler said in his opening statement.

Monday's hearing came after the House Intelligence Committee formally submitted its report on its impeachment investigation.

The evidence was presented by congressional staff.

Barry Berke of the Judiciary committee Democrats kicked off the hearing with an opening statement laying out the Democratic case against the president while Stephen Castor, the led GOP attorney on the intelligence panel, led the case for the Republicans.

'It is clear in the scheme to pressure Ukraine, to investigate a political rival, the person at the center of that scheme was President Donald Trump,' Berke said.

Daniel Goldman, the Democratic counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, then presented the evidence for impeachment, and Castor offered the Republicans' counter argument.

'To impeach a president who 63 million people voted for over eight lines in a call transcript is baloney. Democrats seek to impeach President Trump not because of evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors but because they disagree with his policies,' Castor said.

Ahead of Monday's hearing, Nadler sent a letter to the White House late Sunday officially forwarding the House Intelligence committee's report, along with additional evidence supporting impeachment.

It also invited White House officials to review sensitive materials in a classified setting.

President Trump and his lawyers declined to participate in Monday's hearing but the White House has been on the defensive as the investigation phase into the president heads toward its conclusion.

'Impeachment Hearing Hoax,' is what the president called it in a tweet on Sunday..

After Berke laid out Democrats point-by-point argument about why the president committed impeachable offenses, Republican Congressman Mike Johnson objected to his testimony.

'The witness has used language which impugns the motives of the president and suggests he's disloyal to his country and those words should be stricken from the record and taken down,' he argued.

Nadler shut down his request.

'The topic of the hearing is the president's misconduct, so none of us should find it surprising that we are hearing testimony that is critical of the president. I do not find that the witness's comments were disorderly. I find they are pertinent to the subject matter of this hearing,' he said.

Castor charged Democrats were 'obsessed' with impeaching Trump when he laid out the defense of the president.

Trump and his allies acknowledge he likely will be impeached in the Democratic-controlled House, but they also expect acquittal next year in the Senate, where Republicans have the majority.

In response, the president's team is focusing their attention elsewhere, including Monday's release of a long-awaited Justice Department report into the 2016 Russia investigation.

President Trump tweeted his thoughts on the hearing on Monday

'I.G. report out tomorrow. That will be the big story!,' the president tweeted Sunday.

Additionally, Trump is heading out this week for campaign rallies as he turns his focus to the 2020 election.

With the vote in the Democratic controlled House all but a foregone conclusion, the White House has shifted its focus to the Senate.

A vote to convict the president requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats. It is unlikely that any Republican senators would cross party lines and vote to remove Trump from office.

DEMOCRATS SET OUT THEIR CASE

Democrats focused their case on the words and actions of President Trump and members of his administration.

'We are here today because Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit,' said Daniel Goldman, the Democratic lawyer for the House Intelligence Committee, who led the party's probe of the president.

'President Trump's persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security,' he said.

Their argument focuses on four central points: 1) Trump used his office to pressure the president of the Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election for Trump's benefit; 2) Trump with held an Oval Office meeting and $391 million in military aid to increase that pressure; 3) Trump's conduct poses an imminent threat to our national security; and 4) Trump tried to obstruct the investigation.

Barry Berke, an attorney for the Democrats, said there was 'significant proof' of wrongdoing on the part of Trump as he laid out the evidence collected by the House Intelligence Committee in a 10-week investigation, using bullet points projected onto screens in the hearing room to back up his report.

'First, the evidence is overwhelming that the president abused his power by pressuring Ukraine and its new president to investigate a political opponent. The evidence is overwhelming that the president abused his power by ramping up that pressure, by conditioning a wanted white house meeting and a needed military aid that had been approved in order to get that president to investigate a political rival. It is clear and overwhelming in abusing that power the president betrayed the national interest putting his own political prospects over the national security of our country. It is clear that the president risked corrupting our elections by inviting foreign interference to knock out an adversary to help his prospects in re-election,' he said, outling the Democrats main points against the president.

'It is clear in the scheme to pressure Ukraine, to investigate a political rival, the person at the center of that scheme was President Donald Trump,' Berke said.

Berke played videos of testimony by senior U.S. officials involved with Ukraine – including top U.S. diplomat in Kiev Bill Taylor, Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, former deputy National Security Adviser Fiona Hill and State Department staffer David Holmes - supporting the charges, and a video of Trump claiming he has 'the right to do whatever I want as president.'

Daniel Goldman, Majority Counsel on House Intelligence, led Democratic testimony

House Judiciary Committee staff lawyer Barry Berke made the Democrats' opening argument

And he charged the president 'put his political reelection interests over the nation's national security and the integrity of its elections.'

He also accused the president of obstruction of justice.

'The reason we have not heard from all the witnesses or documents is because president trump himself has obstructed the investigation. He's directed his most senior aides who are involved in some of these events not to come testify, to defy subpoenas. He has told every one of his agencies with records that could be relevant not to produce those records to us to try to obstruct our investigation,' he said.

Goldman also pushed the obstruction charge.

'When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress, ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony. To date, the investigating committees have received no documents from the trump administration pursuant to our subpoenas. Were it not for courageous public servants doing their duty and honoring their oath to this country and coming forward and testifying, the president's scheme might still be concealed today,' he said.

And Berke acknowledge Republican criticism Democrats were pushing impeachment because of the upcoming 2020 election.

'Of course we have an election coming up,' he said.

'That's not a reason to postpone this discussion. That's a reason we must have this discussion, to make sure it is not interfered with - to make sure this president doesn't do it, to make sure future presidents do not do it.'

REPUBLICANS SAY TRUMP DID NOTHING WRONG

Republican attorney Stephen Castor was charged with making the case for President Trump. He claimed Democrats were attacking the president for policies they do not agree with.

And he called evidence from the transcript of a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky 'baloney.'

'To impeach a president who 63 million people voted for over eight lines in a call transcript is baloney. Democrats seek to impeach President Trump not because of evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors but because they disagree with his policies,' he said.

'Democrats are obsessed with impeaching the president,' he charged.

'The Democrats went searching for a set of facts on which to impeach the president, the emoluments clause, the president's business and financial records, the Mueller report, allegations of obstruction before landing on the Ukraine phone call. The impeachment inquiry is clearly an orchestrated effort to up end our political system,' Castor said.

He criticized Democrats for holding a 'rushed process' in their investigation of President Trump, which was formally launched in September and expected to conclude by the end of the year.

'The artificial and arbitrary political deadline by which Democrats are determined to finish impeachment by Christmas leads to a rushed process. And missed opportunities to obtain relevant information,' he argued.

Republican staff attorney Steve Castor led the GOP counter argument

And he argued President Trump did not obstruct justice.

'This record also does not support a conclusion that President Trump obstructed Congress during the impeachment inquiry. For many of the procedural defects I touched on earlier. Additionally, as a factual matter, the only direct testimony the investigation has obtained about the president's reaction to the inquiry is from Ambassador Sondland who testified president trump told him to cooperate and tell the truth. President trump also declassified and released the summaries of his two phone calls with the President Zelensky. President Trump has said that he would like witnesses to testify but he's been forced to resist the unfair and abusive process,' he said.

He also pointed to a September 9th phone call between Trump and Sondland as proof the president wasn't hiding anything.

'Ambassador Sondland asked the president, what do you want from Ukraine? President Trump responded, 'I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. I want Zelensky to do the right thing.' In addition, senior Ukrainian government officials denied any awareness of a linkage to U.S. Security assistance and investigations. These denials are persuasive, because if there was, in fact, an orchestrated scheme to pressure Ukraine by withholding security assistance, one would think the pause on security assistance would have been clearly communicated to the Ukrainians,' he argued.

Additionally, Castor argued President Trump was right to be concerned about Hunter Biden's role on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. Hunter Biden resigned that seat earlier this year after joining the board in 2014, when his father Joe Biden was vice president.

'There is a legitimate basis for President Trump to have concern about Hunter Biden's role on Burisma's board,' he said, pointing out that deputy assistant secretary of state George Kent testified that some officials were concerned and brought up the matter with Biden's staff.

And Castor brought up an unproven theory from Trump allies that it was the Ukraine – and not Russia – that interfered in the 2016 election.

'The prospect that some senior Ukrainian officials worked against President Trump in the run-up to the 2016 election draws an even more visceral reaction from most Democrats. Let me say very, very clearly that election interference is not binary. I'm not saying that it was Ukraine and not Russia. I'm saying that both countries can work to influence an election,' he said.

Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, led the defense of the president with the charge that Democrats are impeaching Trump 'because they can't get over the fact Donald Trump is president of the United States and they don't have a candidate that they think can beat him. It's all political. And as we have talked about before, this is a show. Unfortunately, today, the witness who is supposed to be the star witness, chose to take a pass and let a staff answer for him.'