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Editor's note: Rocío Vélez is a lawyer with more than 15 years of experience in international marketing, business development and environmental affairs advocate. Republican Strategist Graduated from the Pontifical University of Puerto Rico with a postgraduate degree in History and Politics from Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
(CNN Spanish) - In the midst of public hearings in Congress and the investigation of President Trump's potential political trial, led by Democrats in the House of Representatives, new questions arise this week about the landscape and what we can expect. Once this phase of hearings and testimonies culminates, where is the leadership of the Democratic Party heading?
In the first public hearing of the process of political trial against President Trump testified the person in charge of US affairs in Ukraine, William Taylor and George Kent. Both have worked with administrations of the two political parties and have an impeccable public service sheet. After more than several hours of statements and questions by the intelligence commission led by the representative Adam Shiff, the only revealing and not part of what had emerged in the media was the disclosure by William Taylor, that one of his team members told him that he had heard a call in which President Trump asked the ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sonland about the investigations that Ukrainian officials should carry out and that were related to the elections of 2016. This, in reference to the allegations of the Democrats to carry out the investigation, alluding to the fact that President Trump retained monetary and military aid to Ukraine in exchange for ex-president Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, being investigated.
Both sides have weaknesses in their arguments. On the one hand, the Democrats present a case of political trial based on the conversations reported by several people and - none of them, direct witness to the events - and calls through official channels between Ukraine and the White House. In response, Republicans emphasize that aid to Ukraine was distributed and exceeds all military or economic aid granted in more than a decade. Republicans also insist that no investigation has been conducted with former Vice President Biden or the 2016 campaign.
It should be noted that Trump's claim that the conversation between the two dignitaries was a "perfect call," is his Achilles heel. The advisers of the president of the USA and its defenders in the media run into a giant wall at that phrase. The most sensible thing would have been to admit that both the transcription of the call, and the way in which the complaint was filed, respond to a genuine interest in addressing corruption issues in Ukraine. And continue to explain in the media forums that these were the reasons why the disbursements were delayed and that the president was wrong to use the phrase "do me a favor."
- Look: Trump, under new investigation in a key week for the political trial process
The truth is that we are now facing a scenario that, instead of the "perfect call," presents a "perfect storm." After this period of public hearings passes and the leader of the House, Nancy Pelosi, continues to allege by different means that President Trump committed acts of bribery or abuse of power, the Chamber will vote on the articles of the political trial before Start the Christmas break. In the House they already have the votes to prosecute the president. Then, the Senate will address the case as a formal trial, but only if it has two-thirds of the votes. Senate Republicans have already warned that they will vote against any act that seeks to dismiss the president, given the claims presented in this case. The strategy of the ruling party would be to extend any possible vote in the Senate until February 2020, when the Democratic presidential primaries with Iowa and New Hampshire have already begun.
It will be nothing pleasant for presidential candidates who occupy seats in the Senate such as Warren, Sanders, Harris and Booker, having to leave their respective campaigns to come to the capital to cast their vote for a political trial that does not have the backing of the Most of your colleagues.
And as if that were not enough, to the dozens of aspiring Democratic presidents, the nominations of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick have been added. It remains to be seen if any of these two, in addition to the constant mention in the public hearings of potential conflicts of interest in Ukraine by Biden and his son Hunter, can undermine the figure of the former vice president and deflate the popularity among the more moderate voters of the base of the Democratic Party.
Donald Trump political trial