Biden Impeachment Hearing Descends Into Chaos: 'You're Out of Order'

The Republican-led House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden has officially kicked off, and within the first couple of hours, proceedings descended into chaos as lawmakers began yelling at one another.

Democratic Representative Dan Goldman, a member of the House Oversight Committee, repeatedly asked Chairman James Comer to allow him to introduce the testimony of a key witness during Thursday's hearing, but was shut down by Comer who called on Republican Representative Byron Donalds instead.

After Goldman called Comer out, the Kentucky Republican responded by telling him, "You'll have five minutes." When Goldman pushed back, Comer began shouting at him, "You're out of order!"

"You're out of order Mr. Goldman. When [it is] your time...you'll be recognized," Comer said.

Members of the committee continued to speak over one another as Goldman tried to establish if the testimony from Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden's, would be introduced into the hearing.

"You keep speaking about no evidence, why don't you all just listen?" Comer said.

"I'm trying to introduce evidence!" Goldman hit back at the chairman.

Comer chuckled before telling the New York representative, "You've already had your share of evidence."

The House Oversight Committee held its first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into Biden on Thursday, elevating the Republican attacks on the president and their claims that Biden benefitted from his son Hunter's foreign business dealings. There has not been any public evidence to date that suggests Biden personally received any money. The panel has vowed to continue the inquiry even if the government shuts down on Saturday due to Congress's failure to pass a spending bill.

Thursday's hearing included testimony from three witnesses—forensic accounting expert Bruce Dubinsky, former assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice Tax Division Eileen O'Connor and legal commentator and professor Jonathan Turley.

"This week, the House Oversight Committee will present evidence uncovered to date and hear from legal and financial experts about crimes the Bidens may have committed as they brought in millions at the expense of U.S. interests," Comer said in a statement announcing the hearing.

But the remarks from committee witnesses seemed to undercut what Republicans had teased.

"I am not here today to even suggest that there was corruption, fraud or wrongdoing," Dubinsky told lawmakers. "More information needs to be gathered before I can make such an assessment."

"I want to emphasize what it is that we're here today for. This is a question of an impeachment inquiry. It is not a vote on articles of impeachment," Turley said. "In fact, I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment. That is something that an inquiry has to establish. But I also do believe that the House has passed the threshold for an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Biden."

Goldman made another attempt to introduce Archer's testimony but was ignored by Comer before the chairman outright objected to allowing the evidence to the record.

Instead, Comer said it was Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly's turn to speak, and when Goldman asked again if it was introduced, Comer told Connolly, "Mr. Goldman is taking your time."

"Yeah, you're taking time away from me unfairly—Distract, deflect, dissemble," the Virginia Democrat said. "I think this hearing's all about, 'Look over here, not over there.'"

Update 09/28/23, 12:44 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.