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

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

crafting of articles
of impeachment to
follow immediately.

Congressional correspondent Lisa
Desjardins begins our coverage.

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

speaker of the House
made her announcement.

REP.

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

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

of our national security.

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

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

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

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

about impeachment.

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

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

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

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

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

SEN.

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

where Democrats literally
obsess over impeachment and
obstruct everything else.

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

case.

REP.

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

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

The party means more to
them than the country.

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

That led to another
remarkable moment today.

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

REP.

NANCY PELOSI: I
don't hate anybody.

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

REP.

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

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

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

REP.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Committee.

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

inquiry, Lisa joins me.

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

How is it going to be different?

What do we expect?

LISA DESJARDINS:
Let's talk about this.

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

come out.

So, let's talk about this.

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

the House Intelligence
Committee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

no, there's not enough
evidence for impeachment.

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

when the full House would vote?

LISA DESJARDINS: No, we don't.

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

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

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

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

on.

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

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

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

all of those things.

Will he want to participate?

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

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

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

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

JUDY WOODRUFF: So perhaps
he's recommending it?

LISA DESJARDINS:
He didn't say that.

I know he's talking
to the president.

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

the White House very closely.

JUDY WOODRUFF: What
about the Democrats?

How unified are they on this?

We assume Republicans
are still all against it.

But what about that?

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

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

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

I spoke to several of
those offices today.

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

impeachment.

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

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

they hit the House floor.

Nancy Pelosi needs 218 votes
for any article of impeachment.

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

the articles that they present.

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

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

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

LISA DESJARDINS: That's correct.

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

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

Lisa Desjardins, thank you.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.