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If Donald Trump thought he could intimidate House Democrats with a blustering and error-filled letter announcing his intent to stonewall the impeachment inquiry process, he miscalculated. The impeachment inquiry is moving along, with Democrats ready to pick up steam now that the recess and Jewish High Holy Days are done.
New subpoenas are expected as soon as Thursday for witness testimony and records related to Trump's Ukraine deal, the deal he continues to confess to at every opportunity. Part of that effort is forcing the administration to answer Congress’ demands with refusals, which can be piled onto the obstruction charges in impeachment. But the conspiracy is so wide-ranging, House members don't have to rely just on administration officials. Reports The New York Times, "Democrats also still see other meaningful avenues for gathering evidence that go around the Trump administration's defiance, including questioning private citizens, former officials, career diplomats near retirement and the whistle-blowers whose revelations fueled the inquiry."
One of the questions they're grappling with, however, is the timeline for impeachment and how deeply they can delve into the quagmire. The more threads they pull, the more they find out, but at the same time, Trump’s public and repeated confessions, as well as his obstruction, give them plenty to work with. "Every new piece of information has corroborated the basic facts, which are devastating for the president," one Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney continued, "How many smoking guns are we going to get? The president's own words incriminate him. Every supporting document we have seen further supports the devastating facts we are learning more about every day." A second, Rep. Jim Himes, added, "There is another risk, which is you don't get to the bottom of the story. […] Was Rudy Giuliani running his own State Department? What other people were pressured to go along with this?"
Sunlight being the best disinfectant, they must continue tugging at threads until the entire enterprise is exposed. A full and open series of hearings, public whenever possible, is called for. The more the American public learns, the stronger support for impeachment and even removal grows. Even Fox News polling has found that, much to Trump's rage. The political danger for Democrats pushing impeachment shrinks on a daily basis.