the media mogul christopher ruddy of newsmax has known donald trump well for the last 20 years.e's accused democrats of playing politics with impeachment. after this week, how much trouble is donald trump actually in? chris ruddy, welcome to hardtalk. you didn't want this impeachment inquiry, you said it was just political game—playing by the democrats. as the enquiry has developed, do you now accept it is a necessary process for american politics to be going through? well, i think we should respect the process, but we should also call it for what it is which is a bit of a charade. usually in a case like this you would first gather evidence and decide whether an impeachment process is really proper. nancy pelosi triggered, pulled the trigger on impeachment without looking at the whistleblower complaint, without interviewing any of the witnesses, without ever seeing the president's transcript with president zelensky. some of that information has come out since then but i think it's been preordained that it is going to be an impeachment and that's, i think, bad for the country, an

he said, similarto supporters, the chief executive of newsmax.ithin his discretion to do. it doesn't amount toa high discretion to do. it doesn't amount to a high crime and misdemeanour as defined by the us constitution. therefore it is not unimpeachable offence. is that how the republicans are going to be defending the president in the coming hours? the argument has come time and time again from republicans that as far as they are concerned, the president was right to try and push for an investigation into potential corruption in ukraine. even if that wasn't —— was any foreign country, evenif wasn't —— was any foreign country, even if it involved a potential political rival. president trump has made unfounded allegations of corruption against a company and are specifically against hunter biden who was a board member of the company. those are unsubstantiated allegations and no evidence has been presented. it was an argument from republicans that he wanted to investigate corruption. what we are seeing in this testimony and this hearing, they have

want to presume that i'm here today speaking on his behalf i can only speak on behalf of chris ruddy newsmax the company i represent and chris i really think he's not taking it seriously. well i think he believes that the best way to deal with this is how he's dealt with other controversies to be very reactive and to comment and respond every time there's a criticism with him doing it and he's had quite a bit of success doing that in the behind i think it's a mistake this is in this in this particular case you think it's a mistake really from your comment right because it is sort of like before you've been alleged to have committed something now you're actually on trial you know there's an old saying that you should never be your own lawyer and that you'd be a fool to be your own lawyer and i think there's a case here that and i think the president's gotten a lot of bad legal advice from from a number of people in fact if you look at this ukrainian thing a lot of it starts because his legal counsel at the time rudy giuliani told him to push this issue of corruption investigating the biden so

bring up hunter biden, and interview him and try to at least get that part of the story into the newsmax while they try to beat back with the democrats have which is power to release things when they want. >> right. the democrats have been controlling the narrative which is why i was referring back to the cross-examination, that the president and the republicans on the hill have sort of been demanding and urging witches to get this in the public light so we can do some cross-examining and maybe bring up hunter biden and other issues. while the transcript are getting all the attention today it's a "wall street journal" story that people should pay attention to. "the wall street journal" has gotten documents suggesting that hunter biden may have been used to try to help burisma, the energy company in the ukraine to get a meeting. we don't know if such meetings happened, or if there was any influence peddling going on behind the scenes, we don't have basic answers to, a, what what did hunter biden do to get some $81,000 per month from burisma while his father, the president of the united st

he would've been damaged, i don't know but has definitely brought awareness to make jonathan from newsmax thank you. the libertarian party is pretty established around the country can there be a possible libertarian candidate i was trying not to bring him up. >> brother question is that that is the 23rd republican to resign or hold another office. are you worried about other retirees popping up. >> so the combined average of the republican favorability of those 23 seats that have retired i think we will retain most of those and 17 others will be battleground we need a smaller number to flip the house 19 that's a smaller threshold than pelosi had in 2018 and we have identified 8 million disengages that did not show up at the 28 team midterms so you look where the president one when he is on the ballot he will help with those candidates also that recruitment arm of the and rcc has done a phenomenal job. >> like wesley hunt in the houston texas there's a lot of big recruits that's much less than 2018. so that being said we want to win back the house putting the groundwork in place to do that

john from newsmax, to your right. two brief questions -- should donald trump be impeached or do you just want to defeat him next time? second, you have a postscript on republicans, they are big talking points -- the big talking points this morning about ever electing the first-ever black attorney kentucky, a proud from supporter, and a woman in the city, and in nra member. it brings no joy to me, speaker pelosi, it brings no joy to anyone. no one runs for office on a platform of, i want to impeach the president. i wants to help people. but when someone takes an oath, they take an oath to uphold and support the constitution of the united states. this is a straightforward abuse of power case. what we saw yesterday with the relief of ambassador sondland, that was a smoking gun, plain and simple. i spent over 10 years of my life as a prosecutor. if i had witnesses like ambassador taylor, ambassador ivanka that should -- ambassador yvanovic, these witnesses are unassailable on this president's effort to focus on the whistl

linda: john gizzi from newsmax. to brief questions, mr. chairman. should donald trump be impeached, or do you just want to defeat him next time? ,econd, you have a post script republicans, their big talking points this morning about electing the first black attorney general in kentucky, a strong trump supporter, and the first woman attorney general of mississippi, a very proud nra member. mr. perez: the impeachment brings no joy to me, brings no joy to speaker pelosi and a brings no joy to anybody. nobody runs for office on a platform of, i want to impeach the president. but we do run for office, and they take an oath to uphold the constitution of the laws of the united states. and this is a straightforward abuse of power case. with theaw yesterday d,lease of ambassador sondlan that was a smoking gun, plainly and simply. i have spent over 10 years of my life as a prosecutor. had witnesses like ambassador taylor, ambassador avich, the colonel, a war hero, purple heart recipient, these witnesses are unassailable. and this president's effort to focus o

. >> john from newsmax read i'm sorry, john, i got you mid bite. >> thank you, madam chairman. i just thought of this but number one when you talk about a third-party candidate the libertarian party is already pretty established around the country and you have a possible libertarian candidate from your own state -- >> i was not going to bring them up but -- yeah. >> my other question is us. congressman peter king of new york recently became the 23rd republican to announce he is either retiring, resigning before running for another office. and this is unusually high at this point before an election. are you worried about other retirees popping up and including one from your home state of michigan? >> the combined average of the revolve again favor ability or the plex 14 over those 22, 23 seeds that have retired i'm not concerned about the retirement because i think will retain most of those seats and some of these others will be battlegrounds and remember we needed a smaller number to flip at the house and it's a smaller threshold than nancy pelosi in 2018 and we also had identi

. >> john from newsmax read i'm sorry, john, i got you mid bite. >> thank you, madam chairman. i just thought of this but number one when you talk about a third-party candidate the libertarian party is already pretty established around the country and you have a possible libertarian candidate from your own state -- >> i was not going to bring them up but -- yeah. >> my other question is us. congressman peter king of new york recently became the 23rd republican to announce he is either retiring, resigning before running for another office. and this is unusually high at this point before an election. are you worried about other retirees popping up and including one from your home state of michigan? >> the combined average of the revolve again favor ability or the plex 14 over those 22, 23 seeds that have retired i'm not concerned about the retirement because i think will retain most of those seats and some of these others will be battlegrounds and remember we needed a smaller number to flip at the house and it's a smaller threshold than nancy pelosi in 2018 and we also had identi

want to presume that i'm here today speaking on his behalf i can only speak on behalf of chris ruddy newsmax the company i represent and chris i really think he's not taking it seriously. well i think he believes that the best way to deal with this is how he's dealt with other controversies to be very reactive and to comment and respond every time there's a criticism with him doing it and he's had quite a bit of success doing that in the behind i think it's a mistake this is in this in this particular case you think it's a mistake to leave from your comment because it is sort of like before you've been alleged to have committed something now you're actually on trial you know there's an old saying that you should never be your own lawyer and that you'd be a fool to be your own lawyer and i think there's a case here that and i think the president's gotten a lot of bad legal advice from from a number of people in fact if you look at this ukrainian thing a lot of it starts because his legal counsel at the time rudy giuliani told him to push this issue of corruption investigating the biden so it

want to presume that i'm here today speaking on his behalf i can only speak on behalf of chris ruddy newsmax the company i represent and i really think he's not taking it seriously. well i think he believes that the best way to deal with this is how he's dealt with other controversies to be very reactive and to comment and respond every time there's a criticism with him doing it and he's had quite a bit of success doing that in the behind i think it's a mistake this is in this in this particular case you think it's a mistake really from your comment right because it is sort of like before you've been alleged to have committed something now you're actually on trial you know there's an old saying that you should never be your own lawyer and that you'd be a fool to be your own lawyer and i think there's a case here that and i think the president's gotten a lot of bad legal advice from from a number of people in fact if you look at this ukrainian thing a lot of it starts because his legal counsel at the time rudy giuliani told him to push this issue of corruption investigating the button so it c

want to presume that i'm here today speaking on his behalf i can only speak on behalf of chris ruddy newsmax the company i represent and you know chris i really think he's not taking it seriously. well i think he believes that the best way to deal with this is how he's dealt with other controversies to be very reactive and to comment and respond every time there's a criticism with him doing it and he's had quite a bit of success doing that in the behind i think it's a mistake this is in this in this particular case you think it's a mistake really from your comment right because it is sort of like before you've been alleged to have committed something now you're actually on trial you know there's an old saying that you should never be your own lawyer and that you'd be a fool to be your own lawyer and i think there's a case here that and i think the president's gotten a lot of bad legal advice from from a number of people in fact if you look at this ukrainian thing a lot of it starts because his legal counsel at the time rudy giuliani told him to push this issue of corruption investigating the