President Trump is continuing to lash out at House Democrats for opening an impeachment inquiry after he pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on Twitter, “I am coming to the conclusion that what is taking place is not an impeachment, it is a COUP.” Earlier today Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged he was on the July call when Trump spoke to the Ukrainian president. On Tuesday Pompeo vowed to block five current and former State Department officials from being questioned as part of the House’s impeachment inquiry. Pompeo accused House Democrats of attempting to “intimidate, bully, and treat improperly” State Department officials. However, the Trump administration’s former special envoy for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, who resigned last week, is expected to testify in private on Thursday. Meanwhile, the State Department’s inspector general is heading to Capitol Hill today to give what’s been described as an “urgent” briefing to staffers from several House and Senate committees.
