A long-awaited American political extravaganza began last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. Two high-ranking U.S. diplomats, Ambassador William B. Taylor, Jr. and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George P. Kent, testified under oath in an impeachment hearing at the Intelligence Committee.
U.S. President Donald Trump, as always, tried to ignore this lethal revolt by a group of defiant career diplomats. He might call it fake news, a witch hunt or an attempt by the "deep state" to destroy his administration. Trump supporters believe that he is fighting day and night against the vested interests of the secret establishment in Washington.
The U.S. mainstream media were literally in frenzy of excitement. Although the witnesses' testimonies didn't indicate any smoking gun, CNN televised the entire hearing all day long. By contrast in Tokyo, the Japanese media were rather sober and didn't seem to understand why Trump's phone call to Kiev really matters.