Trump Working, Not Watching First Open Impeachment Hearing on Wednesday - White House

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump is not watching the first public impeachment hearings before the House Intelligence Committee, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said on Wednesday according to a press pool report.

"He's in the Oval [Office] in meetings," Grisham said as quoted by the pool report. "Not watching. He's working."

However, the pool report pointed out that no Marine is standing guard outside the West Wing of the White House as is customary when the US president is in the Oval office.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian affairs George Kent and acting US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor are testifying on Wednesday as part of the first public hearings of the House impeachment inquiry of Trump.

In September, US House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into a whistleblower complaint that claimed Trump might have abused the power of office by allegedly pressuring Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a July 25 phone call to investigate potential corrupt activities by former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The Bidens have said Trump’s allegations are unfounded.

Trump released the transcript of the telephone call with Zelenskyy, said the conversation was "perfect" and characterized the impeachment inquiry as yet another political witch hunt by Democrats to reverse the result of the 2016 presidential election.