Democrats hope to wrap up impeachment proceedings in the inquiry into Donald Trump before the holiday break, but a number of factors remain in limbo. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the speed with which Democrats conclude their inquiry was dependent on "the flow of evidence and facts" and would be left up to the committees of jurisdiction.
The addition of last-minute witnesses such as David Holmes, the U.S. diplomat who came forward about a call he witnessed directly implicating Donald Trump, is a reminder that new evidence might still emerge. Additionally, Trump's blabberfests, such as his 53-minute interview on Fox News Friday morning, continue to hold the prospect of sinking him further into jeopardy.
Another wild card is a ruling expected Monday on whether former White House counsel Don McGahn will be ordered to comply with a congressional subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee. Testimony from McGahn, who was absolutely central to the Mueller report, could provide fodder for another article of impeachment against Trump. The ruling might also have implications for compelling testimony from high-level Trump administration officials such as former national security adviser John Bolton.
Pelosi, however, made clear Thursday that Democrats would not pin their impeachment timeline to the slow grind of the judicial branch. "We cannot be at the mercy of the courts," she said. "We can't wait for that because, again, it's a technique. It's obstruction of justice, obstruction of Congress. So we cannot let their further obstruction of Congress be an impediment to our honoring our oath of office."
Amid all this uncertainty, Pelosi will sit for a live town hall event on CNN, on Dec. 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Here's where you can catch it:
The town hall will air exclusively on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN.com's homepage, across mobile devices via CNN's apps for iOS and Android, via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Android TV, SiriusXM Channels 116, 454, 795 and the Westwood One Radio Network.
Whatever loose ends remain, Pelosi was clear on Thursday that the evidence against Trump is overwhelming and that Democrats have “no choice but to act."
"The President has used his office for his own personal gain, and in doing so, undermined the national security of the United States by withholding military assistance to Ukraine to the benefit of the Russians," Pelosi charged, adding that Trump’s actions were also undermining the integrity of U.S. elections. "We’ll go where the facts take us."