Trump news: Republicans attempt to stonewall impeachment hearing as witnesses outline damning evidence to remove president

Donald Trump has claimed victory after Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz released his report claiming that the FBI did not pursue a politically motivated investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign — but that agents did tend to favour damaging evidence over exculpatory evidence as the investigation continued.

The report was released as House Judiciary Committee presented and reviewed the evidence accumulated so far in the impeachment inquiry, with charges against the president expected to be drawn up by the end of the week ahead of a potential pre-Christmas vote in the House of Representatives.

During the hearing, Democrats sought to impress upon the American people that the evidence against Mr Trump was nearly undeniable.

Republicans, meanwhile, did their best to throw the hearing off the traicks and raise as many distractions as possible.

The president is meanwhile under fire for hosting pardoned war criminals - army first lieutenant Clint Lorance and major Mathew Golsteyn - at a Florida Republican Party fundraising dinner over the weekend.

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