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JUDY WOODRUFF: The next stage of
the impeachment process against
President Trump is at hand.

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Word came today that the
presentation of evidence
will take place on
Monday, with the formal

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crafting of articles
of impeachment to
follow immediately.

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Congressional correspondent Lisa
Desjardins begins our coverage.

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LISA DESJARDINS: At a Capitol
podium reserved for the most
formal or profound moments, the

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speaker of the House
made her announcement.

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REP.

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NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The
facts are uncontested.

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The president abused his power
for his own personal political
benefit, at the expense

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of our national security.

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Sadly, but with confidence and
humility, with allegiance to
our founders and heart a full

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of love for America, today, I am
asking our chairman to proceed
with articles of impeachment.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Speaker Pelosi
said the president's actions
have left lawmakers no choice.

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But hours after returning
from a NATO summit in Europe,
President Trump had a few words

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about impeachment.

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DONALD TRUMP, President
of the United States:
It's a big, fat hoax.

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LISA DESJARDINS: He was
more verbal on Twitter,
writing earlier in the
day: "If you are going

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to impeach me, do it now,
fast," saying he wants to
move to a Senate trial.

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And on the Senate floor, a key
player in any future trial,
Senate Majority Leader Mitch

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McConnell, joined the
president in lashing out
at Democrats' process.

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SEN.

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MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): American
families deserve better than
this partisan paralysis,

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where Democrats literally
obsess over impeachment and
obstruct everything else.

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LISA DESJARDINS: House
Republican Leader Kevin
McCarthy said Democrats
have not proven their

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case.

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REP.

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KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): That
this is so divisive, you need
something overwhelming, you need

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something compelling, and it
doesn't meet the criteria.

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The party means more to
them than the country.

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LISA DESJARDINS:
Republicans have pushed
the idea that Democrats
are acting out of anger.

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That led to another
remarkable moment today.

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As Speaker Pelosi left her
weekly news conference,
a reporter asked if she
hates the president.

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REP.

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NANCY PELOSI: I
don't hate anybody.

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QUESTION: Representative
Collins -- reason I asked...

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REP.

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NANCY PELOSI: I don't -- I was
raised in a Catholic house.

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We don't hate anybody,
not anybody in the world.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Pelosi stopped
in her tracks and firmly said
impeachment is not personal.

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REP.

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NANCY PELOSI: This is about
the Constitution of the United
States and the facts that lead

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to the president's violation
of his oath of office.

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And, as a Catholic, I resent,
your using the word hate in
a sentence that addresses me.

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So, don't mess with me when
it comes to words like that.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Partisan
lines and powerful sentiments
will keep mounting.

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Next, the House Judiciary
Committee plans a hearing Monday
to look at the evidence for

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impeachment and the 300-page
report about that evidence
from the House Intelligence

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Committee.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: And now to help
walk us through what's next for
Congress and its impeachment

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inquiry, Lisa joins me.

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So, Lisa, as you said, they're
holding this hearing on Monday.

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How is it going to be different?

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What do we expect?

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LISA DESJARDINS:
Let's talk about this.

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This could be the most
substantial hearing that we see
before articles of impeachment

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come out.

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So, let's talk about this.

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First, this is what we're
going to see, presentation
of the Democrats'
impeachment report from

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the House Intelligence
Committee.

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There will be witnesses who will
be staff counsel, Republican
and Democratic counsel.

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We don't know yet how
many or exactly who.

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And both sides, Republicans and
Democrats, will both be able
to question those witnesses.

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Essentially, Judy, it's as
if a prosecuting team, the
counsel for the Democrats, will

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present their evidence that
charges should be brought,
impeachment charges, and then

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the defense team, the Republican
counsel, will try and present
their arguments that,

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no, there's not enough
evidence for impeachment.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: So, do we know
-- they're going to move ahead,
so do we know the timing of

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when the full House would vote?

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LISA DESJARDINS: No, we don't.

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But I am told that
the announcement today
doesn't change the
timing, that they still

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seem to be on track for
a possible committee
vote on articles of
impeachment as soon as

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next week and a possible full
House vote the following week.

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I don't know that it is set in
stone yet, but that seems to
be the track that they remain

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on.

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One big question of course,
Judy, is still whether the
president will participate.

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If he decides to -- and he has
until tomorrow night to make
that decision, per Democrats'

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deadline -- that will change
the timeline, because he can
try and ask for witnesses,

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all of those things.

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Will he want to participate?

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I spoke to Kevin McCarthy,
just asked him personally,
will the president participate?

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McCarthy doesn't usually
say yes or no, doesn't
give clear answers about
the president often.

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He indicated to me he
doesn't think the president
should participate.

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To me, that's a strong
signal that the president
is leaning toward no.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: So perhaps
he's recommending it?

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LISA DESJARDINS:
He didn't say that.

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I know he's talking
to the president.

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So I don't know who's
recommending what, but
he's certainly gauging
the temperature at

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the White House very closely.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: What
about the Democrats?

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How unified are they on this?

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We assume Republicans
are still all against it.

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But what about that?

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LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

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So, if you talk to Democrats,
the most interesting group, of
course, are those moderates.

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There are 31 Democrats
who are in districts
that the president won.

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I spoke to several of
those offices today.

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And where they're at is, they
are waiting to see exactly
what is in these articles of

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impeachment.

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Multiple offices told me it
is very possible that they
could vote yes on some articles

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of impeachment, those moderate
Democrats, and no on other
articles of impeachment when

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they hit the House floor.

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Nancy Pelosi needs 218 votes
for any article of impeachment.

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We will have to see how they
draft them to see if she will
get those votes on all of

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the articles that they present.

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Republicans I'm watching
closely too, we will see.

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If public opinion changes,
some Republican votes
could peel off as well.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: But what
she needs is a simple
majority at the House?

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LISA DESJARDINS: That's correct.

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At this point, the standard
in the Senate is much higher.

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But, at this point,
it's a simple majority.

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Lisa Desjardins, thank you.

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LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.