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Trump Says Won't Send Lawyer to Impeachment Hearing

Steve Herman

   WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President Donald Trump says he will not be sending a
   lawyer to Wednesday's House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing
   "because the whole thing is a hoax."

   Committee Chairman Democrat Jerrold Nadler invited Trump and his
   counsel to attend the committee's first hearing as the impeachment
   inquiry moves into its next phase.

   "It's an absolute disgrace what they're doing to our country," said
   Trump, before boarding the Marine One helicopter on the White House
   South Lawn Monday.

   Trump also criticized Democrats for holding the hearing at the time he
   will be attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's leaders'
   summit in London.

   "This is the one of the most important journeys that we make as
   president," said Trump.

   He also pointed to fresh comments by Ukrainian President Volodmyr
   Zelenskiy claiming that he never spoke with the U.S. president "from
   the position of a quid pro quo."

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