Trump impeachment inquiry: five takeaways from Sondland's testimony

Tom McCarthy in New York

Here are five key takeaways from the fourth day of public impeachment hearings against Donald Trump:

1 Boom!

That’s the exploding sound that Trump’s defense made with testimony by Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union. Sondland contradicted Trump’s defense on every point: there was a quid pro quo with Ukraine, Sondland said: “We followed the president’s orders.”

Everybody knew about it, Sondland said; the president himself directed it through his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Sondland said; and indeed, US military aid and a White House meeting were conditioned on an announcement of investigations of Joe Biden and 2016 election tampering.

Related: Ukraine knew of stalled aid far earlier than White House claims, official testifies

2 The quotable Sondland

“Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’ As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.” – Sondland

3 Trump’s rage

In brief remarks to reporters before boarding his helicopter, an angry Trump, wielding handwritten notes and yelling over the sound of whirring rotors, said: “I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo.” Surprisingly, he turned out to have been reading from his notes, which were written in all caps in black Sharpie marker and photographed by media.

4 Republican confusion

Republican members of the intelligence committee seemed surprised at Sondland’s testimony and at a loss for how to cross-examine him. Before Sondland spoke, Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the committee, warned him “You are here to be smeared” – but after some apparent recalibration, the most hostile questioning came from Republicans.

5 Impeachment looms

Even staunch Republicans predicted game over for Trump. “We now know that the president in fact committed the crime of bribery,” said Kenneth Starr, the prosecutor in the Bill Clinton impeachment. “I think articles of impeachment are being drawn up if they haven’t already been drawn up.”