Impeachment inquiry hearing with former US Ambassador to Ukraine

David Holmes, the aide to diplomat Bill Taylor who overheard President Trump’s conversation with European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland, said that Sondland told the President that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would do “anything you ask him to,” and that he confirmed the Ukrainians were going to “do the investigation."

Holmes explained that Sondland placed the call to Trump, and he could hear Trump because the call was so loud in the restaurant where they were with two others.

“While Ambassador Sondland’s phone was not on speakerphone, I could hear the President’s voice through the earpiece of the phone. The President’s voice was very loud and recognizable, and Ambassador Sondland held the phone away from his ear for a period of time, presumably because of the loud volume,” Holmes testified.

Holmes also confirmed Taylor's testimony about the President’s thoughts on Ukraine, saying he asked Sondland “if it was true that the President did not ‘give a s—t about Ukraine.'” 

Holmes said Sondland responded Trump only cares about “big stuff.” When Holmes said that the Ukraine war was big, Sondland responded "'big stuff' that benefits the President, like the Biden investigation that Mr. Giuliani was pushing,” Holmes said.

WATCH MORE:

President Trump's week was filled with equal parts history and bad news.

And the start of televised impeachment inquiry hearings — alleging Trump's abuse of power — were not the only headache for the chief executive this week. His longtime political adviser Roger Stone was found guilty on five counts of lying to Congress, one of witness tampering and one of obstructing a congressional committee proceeding. 

The President was also handed another loss when an appeals court ruled Congress can seek his tax returns. And another court ruled he cannot sue New York state in Washington, D.C.'s federal court to stop the release of his tax returns.

The tax return issue has now been elevated to the nation's highest court: On Wednesday, Trump asked the Supreme Court to block a subpoena for his tax returns. 

Meanwhile, Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani faces mounting questions about his role in the conversations and actions that led to the impeachment probe.

This week's first two rounds of public testimony highlighted Giuliani's central role — which Giuliani says was done as part of his legal defense of Trump. Giuliani has been largely silent about the situation, though he is apparently planning to release a podcast with his thoughts on the impeachment process as things continue to heat up.

A US diplomat told lawmakers behind closed doors that he did overhear the July 26 phone conversation between President Trump and Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and that on the call Trump asked Sondland if Ukraine was going to do the investigation, according to two sources familiar with the testimony. 

Sondland replied that they were going to do it, the sources said. 

David Holmes, the counselor for political affairs at the US Embassy in Ukraine, was able to hear the call because Sondland held the phone away from his ear due to how loud Trump was talking, the sources said. 

Holmes also confirmed there were others at the table at the restaurant where he heard the call, according to the sources. 

Asked about Holmes' testimony, Rep. Gerry Connolly told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he was going to be "careful about what I just heard in closed session, but... I would say that the adverb used 'allegedly' is not accurate. It is not alleged. It happened. And it is a matter public record that Mr. Holmes heard this conversation and recognized the President's voice loud and clear." 

Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, told reporters at least two more witnesses overheard a conversation between President Trump and US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

Lieu said the two witnesses are in addition to David Holmes, an aide to diplomat Bill Taylor who is testifying behind closed doors this evening about the conversation.

We we know: According to Taylor, who testified Wednesday, Holmes overheard Trump ask Sondland about the status of "investigations" during a cellphone conversation in a Kiev restaurant.

The conversation between Trump and Sondland took place the day after Trump spoke with the Ukrainian president by phone in July, Taylor testified.

Taylor did not name Holmes, but sources tell CNN that he is the member of the embassy staff Taylor was referencing.

In today's episode of "The Daily DC: Impeachment Watch" podcast, CNN National Security Analyst Sam Vinograd looks at:

Vinograd is joined today by CNN senior reporter Vicky Ward and CNN's global affairs analyst Max Boot.

Listen to the podcast here.

Former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch's testimony today marked the second day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump

Let us catch you up on the biggest takeaways:

WATCH:

Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee said "it's possible" that the House will include witness intimidation in the articles of impeachment.

Earlier today, while ex-ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was testifying before the House Intelligence Committee, President Trump tweeted attacks against her. Committee Chairman Adam Schiff suggested it was witness intimidation, and when he asked Yovanovitch about the tweets, she said they were "very intimidating."

"The President is clearly engaged in a number of activities to try to obstruct this investigation, including now potentially intimidating a witness," Kildee said

He continued:

Before heading into diplomat David Holmes' closed-door deposition, Rep. Mark Meadows said he wants specifics about a call Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in the country, mentioned during his testimony.

According to Taylor's testimony, Holmes overheard President Trump ask the US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland about the status of "investigations" during a cellphone conversation in a Kiev restaurant. Taylor did not name Holmes, but sources tell CNN that he is the member of the embassy staff Taylor was referencing.

Meadows said he specifically wants to learn more about how much others were actually able to hear on call.

Meadows said he wasn’t opposed to Holmes testifying publicly but didn’t know what the deposition would entail.

He also defended Trump on his call to Sondland.

GOP lawmakers dodged the question when asked whether it was OK for Rudy Giuliani to mount a smear campaign against former ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.

Rep. Jim Jordan, who has been an active participant in the impeachment hearings, went silent at one point when asked.

Some context: Yovanovitch, who was unexpectedly removed from her position as ambassador to Ukraine by President Trump, testified that she was accused, without evidence, by Rudy Giuliani and others of trying to undermine the President and blocking efforts to investigate Democrats like former Vice President Joe Biden.

WATCH HERE: