As the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff oversaw the investigation of the Ukraine scandal that led directly to Wednesday’s upcoming impeachment vote. In this role, he inevitably drew the fire of Republicans and Trump defenders across the country, who conjured up repeated attacks on the process and Schiff’s credibility in an attempt to divert criticism from the president and to undermine the investigation’s damning revelations.
One moment that particularly outraged Trump defenders occurred when Schiff gave a mock-performance of Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Schiff exaggerated the facts and gave his own interpretation of the exchange, making clear that he was engaging in something of a “parody” of the president’s conduct. But Trump and Republicans have seized on the moment and accused the chair of lying, continually bringing up the remarks to malign the process. Continue reading