Like any Trump scandal, the sheer number of names and variables involved in the president’s campaign of influence in Ukraine doesn’t exactly cater to simplicity. To help keep track of who thinks it’s okay for Trump to demand personal favors from foreign leaders and who’s already copped to the quid pro quo in Ukraine, Intelligencer is providing a daily rundown of the impeachment hearings’ most important characters. Week two quickens the pace of the proceedings, with four witnesses testifying on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, and two on Thursday.
Today’s Witness
Jennifer Williams.
Who?
A State Department official and special adviser to Mike Pence on European and Russian affairs, Williams was in the White House Situation Room listening to the July 25 call in which Trump pressured President Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden. She also reviewed a transcript of Trump’s April call with Zelensky, in which he pledged to root out “corruption,” a word that Trump has frequently used when referring to the business dealings of Hunter Biden.
Who Is She According to Team Trump?
Along with impeachment inquiry witnesses like Alexander Vindman and Bill Taylor, the president has cast Williams as a “never Trumper” despite there being no evidence that the foreign-service officer criticized the president during the election. The president also took a moment of his commitment-free Sunday to dig at impeachment witnesses — again.
Level of Devotion to Trump
Considering her status as an adviser to the vice-president, Williams might have slightly higher potential loyalty points than previous witnesses — though her status as a career State official and Trump’s berating of her on Twitter may be dampening that possibility of support. “She is the most professional person in this building,” one White House official told CNN.
Her Bombshell Revelation
The president has claimed that Democrats are relying on “second- and third-hand” information in their attempt to prove that he abused his executive power by withholding military aid in Ukraine. Williams, who heard the call in real time, will serve as one of the witnesses who will counter that shoddy defense. Williams will also testify as to the content of the July 25 call, which she described as “unusual and inappropriate.”
