PBS News Hour - Politics

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said the allegations about President Trump's actions on Ukraine suggest the possibility of "very serious betrayal," and an attempt to "besmirch the reputation" of Democratic rival Joe Biden. Booker joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the necessity of a sober impeachment investigation and how he met a key, self-imposed fundraising goal of $1.7 million to stay in the 2020 race.

Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and NPR's Tamara Keith join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's news, including House Democrats' push for a formal impeachment investigation into President Trump, how talk of impeachment is dominating the 2020 campaign trail, and what the pace of whistleblower developments means for public opinion.

The modern-day False Claims Act protects whistleblowers who point out fraud and abuse in government. John Phillips, who helped author the law, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the rights whistleblowers have. Phillips is a founding partner at the law firm Phillips and Cohen and a former ambassador to Italy under the Obama administration.

It has been a historic week for President Trump and Congress, with startling revelations about an intelligence community whistleblower's complaint against the president ultimately leading to the launch of a House impeachment inquiry. Yamiche Alcindor reports on the whirlwind of events and joins Judy Woodruff to discuss who besides Trump might be involved and how fast the investigation is moving.

South Carolina's primary marks an early and critical test of support from black voters, which is why 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have already held more than 400 events in the Palmetto State. Yamiche Alcindor reports on how the contenders are working to win over voters of color.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's political news, including the details of the phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's decision to open an impeachment inquiry into the matter and potential 2020 political reaction to impeachment.

It was an explosive day on Capitol Hill, as a redacted version of the whistleblower letter was released publicly, and the acting director of national intelligence testified before the House Intelligence Committee about his handling of it. Lisa Desjardins reports on what the whistleblower complaint describes, the role of Congress and how President Trump is responding to the developments.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire testified in front of the House Intelligence Committee Thursday regarding an intelligence community whistleblower's complaint about President Trump's interactions with a foreign leader. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his concerns that Trump tried to cover up misconduct.

A memorandum of notes from President Trump's July phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy documents that Trump asked Zelensky for "a favor" by investigating the business dealings of Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden's son. Kellyanne Conway, counselor to Trump, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why she doesn't think Trump did anything wrong.

Amid a political swirl over his interactions with the Ukrainian president, President Trump is denying the July phone call between the two leaders included anything improper. But behind the scenes, Trump is "lashing out" in frustration that details of that call were communicated to the person who filed the whistleblower complaint. Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest.