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Republicans Planning Vigorous Defense Against Trump Impeachment

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - Republican supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump are
   planning a vigorous defense of him as public congressional impeachment
   hearings start Wednesday that target his presidency.

   Trump administration officials are bracing for hours of testimony from
   two U.S. State Department officials -- William Taylor, the current top
   American diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, who oversees Ukraine
   affairs. Both officials have said that Trump pressed Ukrainian
   President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open investigations of one of Trump's
   chief 2020 Democratic challengers, former Vice President Joe Biden,
   before he would release $391 million in military aid Kyiv wanted to
   help fight pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country.

   But Republicans, according to memos circulating to party members Monday
   night and Tuesday, plan to sharply question the two officials'
   understanding of Trump's intent in dealing with Ukraine and insist that
   Trump had a "deep-seated, genuine and reasonable skepticism" about
   corruption in Ukraine and that his withholding aid was "entirely
   reasonable."

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