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00:00TOM: WE ARE CONSIDERING THE FOURTH IMPEACHMENT AFTER ANDREW JOHNSON. LINDSAY JOHNSON IS THE SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW. IT IS GREAT TO HAVE A DISTANCE PERSPECTIVE OF LONDON AS WE LOOK AT THIS HISTORIC MOMENT FROM WASHINGTON. WHAT IS ORIGINAL FOR OUR GLOBAL AUDIENCE IS UNLIKE OTHERS WHERE THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE LEADS, WE HAVE SIX COMMITTEES INVOLVED. HOW LONG WILL THAT CHARADE LAST BEFORE WE GET SERIOUS AND GET TO A FOCUSED JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING? LINDSEY: WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AS PART ONE, INFORMAL INVESTIGATIONS BEING CONDUCTED BY VARIOUS COMMITTEES. WITH NANCY PELOSI'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO UNDERTAKE A MORE FORMAL IMPEACHMENT PROCESS, THE UMBRELLA WILL COME TO FALL QUICKLY UNDER THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. UNLIKE DURING THE BILL CLINTON IMPEACHMENT PROCESS, DEMOCRATS HAVE NOT DECIDED TO TAKE AN INITIAL VOTE IN TABLING THE PROCESS. THAT GIVES THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY TO INVESTIGATE. TOM: IS IT AN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS, INVESTIGATION, INQUIRY, AND LESS THEY TAKE A VOTE? LINDSAY: THE CRUCIAL VOTE WILL COME AT THE END OF THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS. THERE IS NO NEED FOR THEM TO COMMENCE WITH AN INITIAL VOTE. WHEN THEY GET TO THE END OF THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS, WHETHER THEY HAVE A HOUSE MAJORITY TO SAY YES, THEY WANT TO INDICT THE PRESIDENT AND HAVE THE SENATE CONSIDER A TRIAL FOR INDUCTION. -- CONVICTION. FRANCINE: WHAT DO THEY NEED TO FIND, A SMOKING GUN OR SOMETHING LESS EVIDENT? LINDSAY: THEY HAVE RELEASED THE TRANSCRIPT AND PRINT QUOTE QUOTE WAS NOT IN THE TRANSFER -- QUID PRO QUO WAS NOT IN THE TRANSCRIPT. IT WAS AN EFFORT TO INFLUENCE THE PRESIDENT TO LOOK INTO JOSEPH BIDEN AND HIS SON. WE ARE HEARING OVERNIGHT THAT HOUSE DEMOCRATS NOW HAVE A MAJORITY WILLING TO VOTE TOWARDS IMPEACHMENT, BUT REPUBLICANS REMAIN QUITE UNITED BEHIND TRUMP. MITCH MCCONNELL SAYS IT IS

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Republicans Are ‘Quite United’ Behind Trump: Chatham House

Lindsay Newman, senior research fellow with the U.S. and Americas Programme at Chatham House, discusses the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. She speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)

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