sam vinograd is back with us, also elaina plott. want you to listen to this exchange again because it's another press on the lack of firsthand, direct orders, if you will, from the president to launch an investigation. and that is the point that republicans are sticking on, and they do have a point that that has not been testified to, at least as of yet. listen to this exchange. >> regardless of what you call it, whether it's a quid pro quo, bribery, extortion, abuse of power of the office of the presidency, the fact of the matter, as you understood it, is that security assistance and the white house meeting were not going to be provided unless ukraine initiated these two investigations that would benefit donald trump's re-election. is that what you understood the facts to be? >> mr. goldman, what i can do here for you today is tell you what i heard from people. and in this case it was what i heard from ambassador sondland. he described conditions for the security assistance and the white house meeting in those terms. that is it was

philip bump, elaina plott. >>> republicans defending the president.he right direction but then they were undercut in two big ways by the president himself and that's the closing argument. the state of play, next. me. yeah? so what do you see? i see an unbelievable opportunity. i see best-in-class platforms and education. i see award-winning service, and a trade desk full of experts, available to answer your toughest questions. and i see it with zero commissions on online trades. i like what you're seeing. it's beautiful, isn't it? yeah. td ameritrade now offers zero commissions on online trades. ♪ when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. try new pepto liquicaps for fast relief and ultra-coating. nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. get powerful relief with new pepto bismol liquicaps. they have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to they use stamps.com print discounted postage for any letter any package any time right from your computer all the amazing services of the post office