Drag queen makes unexpected but iconic appearance at Trump impeachment hearing

As the House impeachment inquiry staged its first public hearings on the Ukraine scandal embroiling Donald Trump on Wednesday, Capitol Hill found itself flooded with eager spectators queueing for a front row seat.

Political junkies vied with passing tourists for the chance to gain entry to the Longworth Office Building in DC to see congressional investigators grill acting US ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor and State Department official George Kent on their experiences of the administration's "highly irregular" approach to diplomatic relations with Eastern Europe.

An anonymous CIA whistleblower has accused President Trump of threatening to withhold almost $400m (£312m) in American military aid to Ukraine unless Volodymyr Zelensky's government announced an anti-corruption probe into Trump's domestic rival Joe Biden, currently leading the Democratic field to challenge him at the polls in 2020.

Taylor and Kent offered clear, dispassionate testimony on the role Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, played in pressuring Ukraine to announce its Biden investigation - based on unfounded right-wing conspiracy theories against the former vice president and his son Hunter - and made it abundantly clear they believed a "quid pro quo" was on the table as Trump withheld much-needed foreign aid approved by Congress for personal political advantage.

While Kent, in particular, was nattily dressed in a bowtie and waistcoat, neither man could hope to hold the spotlight - even on this most dramatic of days in Washington - when onlookers like Pissi Myles were in attendance.

Myles, a drag performer from Asbury Park, New Jersey, cut quite a dash in an enormous blonde wig and retro red leather mini dress.

A past winner of Philly Drag Wars and Miss Fish NYC, according to her website, Myles is a regular performer at the Fire Island Pines summer resort and hosts his own podcast, My Spooky Family.

He was appearing at the inquiry on behalf of a new startup app called Happs, brandishing a selfie stick to record his observations straight to camera and standing out from the crowd of comparatively drab lawyers and representatives in grey office attire.

Myles' business partner and husband, David Ayllon, explained their attendance with an amused shrug:

They scouted him out at his Barracuda show on Sunday... I do know they were looking for a comedian who could improv on the spot and deliver the news in a fun way.

Interviewed by NBC News, Myles himself commented:

It’s a crazy day in Washington! I’m flipping my wig over the high-energy proceedings today.

Tensions are high, and the bar for who’s allowed in the Longworth House is very, very low.

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