Republicans reportedly plan to argue that President Trump’s “state of mind” was exculpatory as Congress prepares for public impeachment hearings.
An 18-page staff memo was given to committee members Monday night in preparation for the testimony, according to Axios. The document points out that Republicans will discuss Trump’s state of mind at the time of his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“To appropriately understand the events in question — and most importantly, assess the President’s state of mind during his interaction with President Zelensky — context is necessary,” the memo reads.
It concludes that “the evidence gathered does not establish an impeachable offense.”
Republican Sen. John Kennedy recently broached the matter when he said, “To me, it all turns on intent, motive … Did the president have a culpable state of mind?”
Public impeachment testimony will begin on Wednesday with William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. Taylor told House investigators during his closed-door testimony that there appeared to be a direct tie between the United States withholding military aid and President Trump pushing for the country to investigate the Bidens and the 2016 presidential election.
The whistleblower complaint at the center of the impeachment effort alleges that Trump may have improperly pressured Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s ties to a Ukrainian energy company.
