The testimony is crystal clear. Trump's Russia adviser was "shocked" by the phone call at the center of the controversy. His Ukraine expert said there was "no ambiguity" about the quid pro quo. Attention now shifts to Mick Mulvaney and Rudy Giuliani, who are both implicated at the center of it all. Meanwhile, Trump tries to distance himself from another damning witness. CNN political director David Chalian dives into the week's final set of transcripts with CNN political correspondent Abby Phili...
Nov 08, 2019•20 min
The impeachment inquiry is getting more transparent. Congressman Adam Schiff said the public will hear directly from key witnesses starting next week. And today, his committee released the transcript of diplomat Bill Taylor's revelatory testimony. Meanwhile, Democrats won key elections in Kentucky and Virginia - does that threaten GOP support of the president? CNN political director David Chalian gauges the political winds with CNN political analyst Amanda Carpenter. Plus, CNN reporter Daniel Da...
Nov 06, 2019•20 min
The President's friends might wind up hurting him. In freshly released transcripts, diplomat Kurt Volker and Ambassador Gordon Sondland - a former Trump donor - paint a damning picture of the Trump administration's Ukraine dealings. At the center of it all is Rudy Giuliani and his efforts to get dirt on the Bidens. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul wants the media to reveal the identity of the whistleblower and Trump shows no signs of backing down. CNN political director David Chalian discusses the e...
Nov 05, 2019•23 min
Key witnesses blew off their scheduled testimony today, but Democrats filled the void by releasing transcripts of their depositions with former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and former senior diplomat Michael McKinley. Among the many revelations is the bizarre involvement of Sean Hannity in getting Yovanovitch fired. Meanwhile, Kellyanne Conway dodges a clear question on quid pro quo, and President Trump defies whistleblower protections. CNN political director David Chalian previews...
Nov 04, 2019•21 min
Democrats can't knock Trump off his game. His support among GOP lawmakers remains rock solid. Republican voters love him. And now a key witness in the impeachment inquiry says he saw nothing wrong with the Trump-Zelensky phone call. Are Democrats fighting a losing battle by trying to impeach Trump? And will they pay a price in 2020? CNN senior reporter Vicky Ward guest hosts and discusses Trump's resilience and potential weaknesses with S.E. Cupp, the host of 'SE Cupp Unfiltered,' and CNN legal ...
Nov 01, 2019•22 min
Another day, another set of revelations emerging from closed-door Congressional depositions as two active State Department officials shed light on Rudy Giuliani's shadow diplomacy with Ukraine. Where is Mike Pompeo as his staffers speak out? Meanwhile, new details emerge about Lt. Colonel Vindman's testimony, including his attempt to have the Trump-Zelensky rough transcript edited. Guest host Marshall Cohen, a CNN reporter and producer, talks through the latest impeachment inquiry developments w...
Oct 30, 2019•20 min
Congress hasn't heard from anyone on the July 25th phone call between Presidents Trump and Zelensky - until now. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testifies to investigators on the Hill as a GOP member attacks the Purple Heart recipient's patriotism. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi finally decides to hold a vote formalizing the impeachment inquiry. What are the political implications? CNN political director David Chalian examines the latest developments with CNN reporter/producer Marshall Cohen. Plus, impeachm...
Oct 29, 2019•22 min
In the wake of two dozen Republicans disrupting the latest impeachment testimony, Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a resolution condemning the House impeachment process. This resolution, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was announced before two OMB and State department officials were issued subpoenas. CNN political director David Chalian is joined by CNN national security analyst Jeremy Herb to discuss the latest impeachment headlines, while Republican strategist and CNN pol...
Oct 25, 2019•20 min
Chaos has overcome the impeachment inquiry. Hours after two dozen Republicans disrupted the latest testimony, a GOP congressman vowed to continue a 'proactive' defense of the president. Will the aggressive strategy pay off or will it ostracize voters? Plus, CNN legal analyst Elie Honig explains that President Trump's Ukraine dealings may exceed impeachable acts - he may have committed crimes. CNN national correspondent Athena Jones guest hosts with analysis from Harry Enten, senior writer and an...
Oct 24, 2019•21 min
The top American diplomat in Ukraine dropped a bombshell in Congress yesterday. Bill Taylor's revelatory testimony about the Trump administration's "highly irregular" policy-making apparatus had the GOP scrambling - so much so that CNN political contributor Matt Lewis now thinks the Senate might convict Trump on impeachment charges. Lewis joins CNN political director David Chalian and CNN political correspondent Sara Murray to discuss a chaotic 24 hours in Washington, D.C.To learn more about how...
Oct 23, 2019•21 min
Americans are split on impeachment. The overwhelming majority of Democrats want Trump removed from office, while the vast majority of Republicans are standing by the president. How will this partisan divide impact the 2020 election? And if Democrats overplay their hand, will they turn off moderates and independents? CNN political director David Chalian gets a GOP point of view from former Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Mike Shields. Plus, CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Ze...
Oct 22, 2019•21 min
Bill Taylor was worried about a quid pro quo. Now, the career diplomat is set to testify in front of Congress. What might he reveal about the Trump administration's dealings in Ukraine? Plus, as the scope of the impeachment inquiry keeps growing, the timeline becomes ever murkier. CNN political director David Chalian talks through the latest impeachment developments - including Rudy Giuliani's role at the center of it all - with CNN senior writer Zach Wolf and Washington Post reporter Shane Harr...
Oct 21, 2019•21 min
Trump says the whistleblower has been discredited, but the facts tell a different story. Facts also oppose the conspiracy theory floated by Mick Mulvaney yesterday, and his comments provoked a rare rebuke from the Department of Justice. Guest host and CNN Senior Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson talk through the latest impeachment developments with CNN's senior justice correspondent Evan Perez and CNN reporter Daniel Dale.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com...
Oct 18, 2019•19 min
Is Gordon Sondland a Trump loyalist or an independent thinker? Sondland, the US ambassador to the E.U., took to Capitol Hill today and seemed to defy GOP talking points. Meanwhile, over at the White House, Mick Mulvaney denied that the suspension of Ukrainian aid had anything to do with Biden. Instead, he claimed the aid was tied to Ukrainian help with a Department of Justice investigation into 2016 election interference. And for now, Nancy Pelosi resists setting an impeachment timeline. CNN pol...
Oct 17, 2019•21 min
The GOP is largely sticking by Trump, but they're calling him out on the withdrawal of troops in Syria. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is calling for Trump's impeachment and two Giuliani associates have been arrested for their roles in the Ukraine scandal. CNN political director David Chalian talks over the latest impeachment developments with CNN's chief political correspondent, Dana Bash. Dan Caldwell, a Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Pepperdine University, provides historical perspecti...
Oct 10, 2019•20 min
Will a White House insider turn on Trump? Special guest and former Nixon White House counsel John Dean thinks so as he compares the current impeachment drama to the Watergate era. CNN's law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell fills in as guest host. He's joined by Dean and CNN's senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson to talk through the impeachment headlines of the day, including new public polling, a high-profile addition to the Trump defense team, and the White House's scathing letter de...
Oct 09, 2019•20 min
The Trump administration says it's done playing nice. On Tuesday morning, the State Department blocked the congressional testimony of Gordon Sondland, the US Ambassador to the E.U. and a key figure in relations with Ukraine. Democrats say the move to silence Sondland amounts to evidence of obstruction. Meanwhile, according to a new poll, the majority of Americans support the impeachment inquiry. CNN political director David Chalian and CNN law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell talk through the i...
Oct 08, 2019•19 min
President Trump may soon have a new antagonist: a second whistleblower with direct knowledge of the administration's Ukrainian dealings. Meanwhile, cracks emerge in the president's GOP support. CNN political director David Chalian and national correspondent Athena Jones are joined by national security analyst Sam Vinograd to talk through the latest headlines and examine if Trump put America at risk.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your...
Oct 07, 2019•20 min
In the first deposition of the impeachment inquiry, former United States Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker handed over text messages that revealed extensive coordination between Trump administration officials and the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate the genesis of the 2016 hack into the DNC and an energy company that employed Joe Biden's son. CNN Political Director David Chalian is joined by Athena Jones and Maggie Haberman.To lea...
Oct 04, 2019•21 min
President Trump once again invites a foreign country, this time China in addition to Ukraine, to investigate the Biden family. CNN's David Chalian analyses Trump's strategy in doing so, and the impact this could have on his efforts to defend himself against a potential impeachment.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 03, 2019•10 min
After refusing to reveal all he knew about the July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now unequivocally admits to not only being aware of phone call, but to having been on it himself. CNN's David Chalian analyses what these new developments mean for both the House Democrats pursuing impeachment and President Trump as he mounts his defense.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more ab...
Oct 02, 2019•12 min
Amidst the iterative headlines and all the partisan noise surrounding the impeachment inquiry, CNN's David Chalian explains how the most potentially damaging information against the president is already in the public domain - because he and his team released it for all to see. President Trump explicitly asked a foreign leader to investigate a political opponent of his in the current presidential campaign. Everything else is window dressing.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, v...
Oct 01, 2019•11 min
As the impeachment process unfolds, will Donald Trump find his footing as he tries to fight back? How might this affect vulnerable members of Congress as they consider their constituents at home? CNN's David Chalian analyzes where the political chips may fall.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 27, 2019•17 min
As we get closer to seeing third quarter fundraising numbers and the fourth debate, CNN's David Chalian analyzes the shifts in strategy employed by the various candidates, and what it means for the various campaigns moving forward in the battle for the democratic nomination.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 20, 2019•15 min
With a debate around the corner, CNN's David Chalian dives into a new CNN poll that shows Joe Biden continuing to hold his place in the lead, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in a heated battle for second place as Warren makes gains on electability.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 11, 2019•9 min
Voters in North Carolina's 9th District head to the polls today to re-do their 2018 midterm vote after voting fraud caused that election to never be certified. CNN's Political Director David Chalian offers insight on what to look for in this closely watched and hotly contested special election in a district that Trump won in 2016.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 10, 2019•10 min
With a bevy of new polls, both national and from early states, on the 2020 Democratic presidential race, CNN's Political Director David Chalian dives into the numbers and provides an update on themes of the race, including the continuing steady rise of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden's strong hold on the electability question.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 09, 2019•12 min
After one night of 10 different 2020 Democratic candidates and seven hours worth of town hall events on the climate crisis, CNN's Political Director David Chalian revisits the groundbreaking evening and discusses some of the night's most memorable and most important moments.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 05, 2019•20 min
With Labor Day in the rearview, the 2020 Democratic candidates turn to the fall campaign as the Iowa Caucus draws ever closer. CNN's Political Director David Chalian gives an update on the race, with former Vice President Joe Biden maintaining his steady lead despite a new gaffe, and reminds listeners to pay closer attention to developments in Iowa, rather than the national horse race polling.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad ch...
Sep 03, 2019•17 min
CNN's Political Director David Chalian checks in from San Francisco where the DNC is hosting their summer meeting. He highlights the remarks of Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, who is bowing out of the Democratic presidential campaign, and fellow presidential candidate Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, who strongly criticized the DNC's debate qualifications.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...
Aug 23, 2019•9 min
