I will begin by swearing you in.

The impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump

entered a new public phase this week

with live televised hearings from Capitol Hill.

House investigators have spent more than a

month questioning witnesses behind closed

doors in a secure facility well under the capital.

But on Wednesday, the curtain was lifted

and hearings began to take place for members

of Congress and the world.

Two career diplomats gave evidence on Wednesday.

Bill Taylor, he's the top US diplomat in Ukraine right now,

and George Kent, who's a senior State Department official.

A lot is riding on these live televised hearings

as Democrats seek to convince the American public

that President Trump is not fit for office.

Back in the '70s, televised hearings

were key to building the case against Richard Nixon, who

ultimately resigned before he could be removed from office.

At this stage, the public is sharply divided on

whether or not President Trump should

be impeached and removed.

Right now, the latest polls show that just over half

of Americans think that he should be impeached,

but less than half think that he should actually

be removed from office following a Senate trial.

On Wednesday, Bill Taylor revealed

that one of his staffers had overheard a conversation

that Mr Trump had had on the phone with Gordon Sondland.

Gordon Sondland is the US ambassador to the EU,

and he's been a central figure in the impeachment inquiry so

far.

Last Friday, a member of my staff

told me of events that occurred on July 26th.

While Ambassador Volker and I visited the front,

as a member of my staff accompanied

Ambassador Sondland, Ambassador Sondland met with Mr Yermak.

Following that meeting, in the presence

of my staff at a restaurant, Mr Sondland called President Trump

and told him of his meetings in Kyiv.

The member of my staff could hear President Trump

on the phone asking Ambassador Sondland

about the investigations.

Ambassador Sondland told President Trump

the Ukrainians were ready to move forward.

Following the call with President Trump,

the member of my staff asked Ambassador Sondland

what President Trump thought about Ukraine.

Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more

about the investigations of Biden, which

Giuliani was pressing for.

On Friday, Maria Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador

to Ukraine, appeared on Capitol Hill as well.

She has accused the president of leading a co-ordinated campaign

against her that led to her removal

from that post in May of this year.

Right now, it's hard to tell whether public opinion has

shifted off the back of these public hearings,

but it is clear that they're getting

under the president's skin.

On Friday, while Marie Yovanovitch was testifying,

the president tweeted attacks against her.

Trump said on Twitter: "Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch

went turned bad."

I mean, I can't speak to what the president is trying to do,

but I think the effect is to be intimidating.

Well, I want to let you know, ambassador, that some of us

here take witness intimidation very, very seriously.

It's been a busy week, but it's only the beginning.

At least eight witnesses are scheduled

to testify in more live hearings next week.

They're going to include Alexander Vindman, the US

Army officer and National Security Council

member, and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU.