What DID happen in Ukraine with the Bidens?
I try to read the Times every day for 40+ years.
We voted for Obama and Clinton but why is this such a mystery?
19
I can't wade through the thousands of comments. But I wonder if anyone is thinking how this current flap could impact on Biden's being nominated next year? Doesn't' it put a question mark over Biden's head?
8
@XYZ. The whole purpose. Get dirt on the candidates most likely to win. Can’t call him a socialist, so find something else. But the real issue is abuse of power. Very unAmerican
37
This is merely the latest in a series of treasonous conduct by Trump, beginning with "Russia if you're out there" followed by Trump's closed door session in the White House with Russian operatives, then by Trump's taking the word of Putin over his intelligence agencies, and now the extortion phone call (give me dirt on Biden's son and we'll release the aid to you we had promised). With all this and Trump's flagrantly obstructive behaviors (telling Comey to go easy on Flynn, directing McGahn to fire Mueller, blocking Congress's access to requested records) Pelosi continues to look at polling to determine the feasibility of impeaching Trump, who more than Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton has committed the most impeachable offenses.
32
This kind of behavior is Trump's and many Republican's Standard Operating Procedure. The Wall & Hurricane Dorian are just diversions.
18
The fact that the GOP takes no issue with the fact that the President asks another country's leader for help on his reelection campaign obviously means that they will also be ok if a future Democratic president does the same! Or am I missing something?
29
And yet after all he's done, Trump's approval rating is still between 43% (Gallup Thursday) to 52% (Rasmussen Reports Friday). How can this be accounted for?
15
I have a feeling this is not what’s really going on!!! The media may be helping Trump lie!!!
Think about it!
They said Bolton was a war hawk, but as soon as he left there was an attack on Saudi Arabia supposedly, and now troops are going!!!
Was Bolton really the hawk????
The whistleblower may, in fact, be about Saudi Arabia and Iran and the war they may be about to start, perhaps, with a lie, like Iraq!!!!
UKraine may be a side show to distract from what’s really happening!!!!
Now that they’ve sent troops, it really starts!!!
The troops might somehow be attacked and before you know it Trump has his war to help with reelection!!!
The media may not be telling the truth what’s really going on!!!
5
I challenge everyone here to go look at fox.com and the comments under the headline story about Biden. Nearly 100% are discussing the massive corruption of Biden. The GOP cult rhetoric has already shifted to completely deflect Trump's actual corruption toward a JB red herring. It's sickening. They are a cult of personality, and they are dangerous. Nobody on the right has even noticed that Donald "allegedly" bribed, extorted and criminally conspired, nor did they notice the absolute abuse of power. We/the people who continue to care to live in a democracy, have to face the rise of American fascism, call it out, cut it out, and then educate, educate, educate. For now, we must fight, and not as dems, we must fight like our ancestors fought the Nazis. Because, let's be honest, this is the very same concoction of racism, nationalism, fear, hate and deceit. We, must be fearless, and we must win.
44
We will never knows the truth. This administration, the liars, will cover all up--and Guliani will keep talking (talk about mentally diminished)! And Mr. Trump will keep lying! No point in guessing. No point impeaching. HE wins again. Someone below said--'he is laughing al the way to the bank.' I agree.
8
Who's fault is it that trump is challenging Biden's integrity , while Joe Biden fails to drive home the facts about trump's endless debauchery ?
7
Donald Trump is a phony patriot. The Mueller Report laid out how he willingly sought to benefit from foreign interference in our elections. When he got away with that, he admitted on TV that he saw nothing wrong with “passively” accepting such help. Now he uses American taxpayer dollars to coerce such foreign help.
His supporters bleat about the highly speculative crimes of the Biden family. Yet Donald Trump commits worse right in front of their eyes and rubs their noses into it. And they worship him? Why? Be cause of a tax cut?
Republicans please spare me the patronizing thanks for my service. Act like patriots instead.
24
We believe in you Trump. A true American hero!
6
I call on Congress, specifically the US House of Representatives to make up a list of crimes that are purported and known and start investigating.
We as a nation would never call a President a liar until 2016. I remember that moment. But the way in which norms and mores have been shifted if not broken has to stop. If we get another year yet alone 5 years we will have a full fledged dictatorship.
Someone will say the Senate whistled while the country went to Hades by ignoramuses in the countryside controlled by propaganda and their own anger.
Everyone has an opinion but not everyone can actually think. If you think you think, you don't!
7
President Trump should fear that the Ukraine prosecutors or perhaps the Russian GRU will release recordings and documents from recent phone calls as well as a full accounting of Hunter Biden's activity in Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Efforts to tar President Obama or Vice President Biden will backfire simply because it shows the predatory nature of Mr. Trump. Mr. Giuliani is no longer credible at this point. The Democrats must either impeach or shut up about it. If they do impeach the senate will not have a trial and that will be damaging for them. All of this stinks and Americans are tired of it. It may well be Mr. Trump will get the boot by a fed up and exhausted country.
14
The other headlines are all about Iran and military threats and chest thumping.
These are dangerous, unstable times. We cannot have a dangerous, unstable man as President. He needs to be impeached ASAP. I have no idea what Pelosi is doing.
9
@Kurt. He can be impeached, but the Senate, even if Mitch allows a trial, will not convict
7
This article drips with the “both sides” fallacy and has no given credence to ideas that should have none.
5
Sage advice from a US President with much higher standing in the annals of history than our current, faux president:
"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." ~ Abraham Lincoln
13
Mr. Trump is anti-democracy, anti-rule of law and anti-American. He needs to be removed from office immediately before the death-spiral he's set America on gets any deeper or do we want more of his "Make America Hate" programs? Show anti-American Trump the door.
13
We are dealing with a criminal organization with the power of the Executive Branch of the United States government. Support it if you will but to deny this reality at this point is academically dishonest.
11
Name me another president in our nation's history anywhere nearly as destructive of our Constitution and country as Trump. Zero. Not even Nixon, Buchanan, Polk or other miscreant presidents.
18
Seems to me that Trump simply keeps baiting the democrats, creating fake opportunities and a forever moving target, which keeps him in the news and hurts our chances to take back the White House.
Focus on how his policies, ideas and fake patriotism are hurting us now and in the future. We have a war to win. This war is for our children and our future.
10
Good thinking. And skip the mundane triviliaties, such as breaking Federal law and violating the Constitution.
I wonder when folks’re going to get it through their heads that Trump’s not a thinker, planner or plotter. He simply grows towards what he wants, and leaves it to the rest of us to fill in the blanks.
5
Impeach. Plain and simple.
Americans should not have to stand for any more.
13
Correct me if I am wrong but I heard a Ukrainian official say they these charges had already been investigated and they were found to be baseless. Trump now seems to want the Ukrainians to make up something for his political benefit. That is not just morally repugnant it is also illegal. As far as Giuliani is concerned, he should, in my opinion, be disbarred for trying to suborn perjury. How has the United States come to place where such behavior as this from our President is in any way acceptable?
14
In 2020, vote every Republican out of office. From president down to dog catcher.
Nearly all of the decent Republicans (such as Will Hurd) have already jumped ship and announced their retirements. With a just couple of exceptions, only the Trump loyalists and court jesters are left.
Volunteer. Donate. And VOTE!
22
Let's just ignore the fact that Joe Biden's "corruption" has been thoroughly investigated and there is nothing there.
If Hunter Biden was involved in corrupt dealings in Ukraine, the investigation would begin in the US, not Ukraine.
As a Democrat, I am all for investigating both Bidens...right after we get done investigating why Trump attempted to extort Ukraine using military aid already approved by Congress in order to force an investigation of his political rival.
Heck, we can even hold a joint trial!
The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump may well be guilty of violating federal bribery statutes.
That is a FAR more serious charge than corruption charges against a private citizen, but if we are insisting on false equivalency, then let's start investigating everyone!
10
I started writing something and it was coming out all garbled and I think it’s because I’m finally speechless. If I were Zelensky, I would refuse to meet with him alone.
12
What will.it take for Congress to take action and remove this man from office? I'm not suggesting war with Iran but am strongly of the opinion that had decisive action been taken earlier over Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf - such as a surgical strike on an Iranian military installation - would have sent an unmistakable message to the hard liners calling the shots. Trump's capricious abandonment of the Iranian nuclear deal was a call that illustrated and defined his complete lack of competence in dealing with dangerous and hostile foreign adversaries. What unnecessary peril he has placed not only the USA, but the safety and well-being of the entire planet in.
12
As happened with the Bernie supporters against Hillary in 2016, it is very disheartening to see a number of Warren supporters on here openly cheering on Trump as a way of knocking Biden out of the race.
Of course this is the nothing but the old Leninist principle applied against the liberals of 1917, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
It just goes to show how masterfully Trump has played this situation to hammer Biden and his family and drive a wedge between Democratic liberals and moderates as in 2016.
Trump's strategy is obviously to run Biden out of the race before any primary votes are cast, as he easily did with Jeb Bush in 2016, in order to run against the weaker candidate Warren (no way she carries PA or MI).
7
“Masterfully.” “Strategy.”
That’s hilarious.
7
Judging by the comments, many readers are directing their outrage towards leadership in the Democratic party. This only plays into trump's hands -- it creates the very divisiveness that helped him in 2016. Democrats aren't the problem here -- we must not lose sight of that. House and Senate Democrats are the only ones trying to minimize and limit the damage that Trump's corruption is causing. I'd like nothing more than to see trump impeached -- I believe the process of impeachment is just as important as the outcome. But I also understand the position that Democrats like Pelosi are in. With Barr's justice department acting like Trump's personal lawyer, and trump's Republican lackeys trying to protect and enable trump at all costs to the country, Democrats are between a rock and a hard place. Still, they're the only ones trying to keep a check on this out-of-control administration. To do that, they need leverage, and that's up to us, the voters. It's up to us to march, to make calls, to write letters, to knock on doors, to help with voter registration, to donate to Democratic candidates, etc. It'll be up to us to vote blue in 2020 (no matter who), up and down the ticket, in numbers too large to manipulate. If there was ever a time that Democrats need to stand united, now is that time.
8
AG Barr has got to go preferably tomorrow.
9
Sounds a lot worse than Watergate - if this is verified, he has to be impeached or we are now a banana republic and GOP delenda est
11
Let's be clear. As pointed out in Raw Story's "What Fresh Hell", this controversy is not about Trump extorting Ukraine to investigate Biden, but rather about Trump extorting Ukraine to FABRICATE a scandal that would damage Biden's chances of becoming president.
The mainstream media, which is what I and any sane citizen should rely on for the best, most neutral reportage available in a relatively open and free society like the U.S. (never perfect, but always striving for the objectivity that's completely absent from all the media sources that deride and dismiss the MSM as hopelessly "liberal", and then turn around and shape the news to tell a narrative in pursuit of a political agenda, which the MSM generally speaking, as business model, does not do) ...
... the MSM has been reporting this as Trump illegally seeking dirt on Biden that might possibly be out there, despite the FACT that Biden's interactions with Ukraine in said matter have already been thoroughly investigated, exonerating him of any untoward activity.
So this is about Trump trying to get a foreign country to fabricate dirt on a presidential candidate in the upcoming 2020 election.
13
As per Bob Woodward's book Fear, Trump always looks for ways to leverage what he wants from others. The allegations that "The Great Divider" wanted to use US aid as a leverage tool to obtain political help is far from appropriate and far from not being in the president's bag of tricks. Given what's known--and this article helps little--all those who stand for doing the right thing have to get the information on this whistleblower's complaint into the public sphere.
19
Trump is proving himself to be as honest as any other Republican I've ever met.
16
Not sure why Speaker Pelosi is not smelling the smoke from this dumpster fire. She made an oath to the constitution - not to the political winds.
27
Trump is scared! (He ought to be)
13
The NYT should run stories about the graft and corruption of the prosecutor that Biden demanded be fired in the Ukraine, Viktor Shokin. The entire EU, people of Ukraine and the US wanted this corrupt prosecutor gone because he failed to charge anyone, especially high officials with egregious crimes. Even Shokin’s own deputy quit because of the corruption in the prosecutor’s office. Biden did the world a service and the Ukrainian’s backed him 100%.
17
@Bob
Yes, they wanted him gone because he had failed to charge anyone. Then when he started to charge people/companies, they fired him.
And by the way, the prosecutor they have now is investigating again the Bursima founders (i.e. the guys who gave Hunter the bogus job). Without Trump's prodding.
Let's stop pretending that a private gas company run by Ukranian oligarchs and registered in Cyrpus for tax evasion reasons is running a clean ship and totally above board.
6
It is a next attack on President Trump. His extremely difficult yet efficient work on many fronts make Democrats look for his every possible misstep that would make him vulnerable for the 2020 election. His attempt to balance the trade with China and others and bring some strategic industries back to the US might become a historical achievement. It is especially important with China that had been growing on the US market for last thirty years at the same time not showing any sign of democratization or rather it had showed reverse trends (unlimited term limits for the China’s first secretary, situation in Hong Kong, etc.). Meantime, as a reslt of huge trade imbalances with China and others, the US middle class had observed the lack of US jobs and their standard of living declining. This is very obvious that being a regime, in small steps China has been building their influence all over the world. They have all kind of espionage in many countries that was recently uncovered by the NYT article that described how Chinese trolls work through LinkedIn in US and Western Europe. As a result of Trump’s tariffs mowing many industries even to such countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. would make our future world safer. All of it seems to be twisted or belittled by the Democrats as well by the left wing press who look for President's possible missteps.
4
@KDz There is a difference between missteps and lies. Trump lies constantly and is only looking to line his own pockets. You don't seriously believe this man, do you?
23
@KdZ No, you can’t divert and smokescreen this one. Trump admits he committed a crime. He illegally withheld Congressional-mandated aid from Ukraine to pressure the President of Ukraine to produce dirt on Biden. He told the Ukrainian head of state to work with his personal lawyer (not the justice dept). He goes down.
Jail is too good for him.
8
@KDz Trump lies many times daily; which is easily verified. That alone is enough to make him unfit for office. Americans pay the Tariffs; then pay them twice with Trump's Socialist $28 Billion bail out of "Patriot Farmers"; my tax Dollars supporting Trump supporters.
3
Where are the Democrats? Allowing a House Judiciary committee to be turned into a joke by Lewandowski? Impotently allowing Trump to break the law (again) as he withholds the whistleblower complaint from congress? Refusing to lead the nation on impeachment by Pelosi?
My god, the country needs them to step up and LEAD.
23
For someone who campaigned on putting "America First", Mr. Trump sure spends an inordinate amount of time messing around with the internal affairs of other nations.
18
Does anyone not believe that this venal, evil man did indeed attempt to coerce the head of another country to dig dirt on an opponent, whilst holding hostage the aid package allocated by Congress until he was sure of compliance. Of course he did, it’s a pattern of behavior and he will keep on pushing the bar until he is stopped; until someone in Congress grows a spine and remembers their oath of office and does their job. When did a ‘subpoena ’ become merely a suggestion? No one on the other side of the aisle believes in the rule of law, not even the Attorney General. We witnessed this first hand when President Obama’s candidate for the Supreme court was denied a hearing, Moscow Mitch running out the clock, thus allowing the ’mob boss’ now masquerading as the President of the United States, himself a sexual predator, to nominate and have confirmed to the highest court in the land, two justices, the most recent a man of highly dubious moral character. Nancy Pelosi’s inability to move her caucus on any of these issues is beyond depressing.
18
Oh, the times we live in ....Clear obfuscation by the administration v. calls for disclosure from congress.
I agree with calling for Transparency : To “drain the swamp” the call transcripts should be released publicly. If only disclosure would lead to accountability!
Is the Fox guarding the hen house ? Obviously if there was no wrongdoing , why is there such panicked push back ?
Shinning light and opening the shutters to disinfect to would be very applicable in today’s White House
Is light , transparency , congressional and public scrutiny our sole recourse until elections?, since the the Fox still has thumbs at the ready...
7
All members of Congress must read Seth Abramson's alarming book, "Proof of Conspiracy."
I've always been a big supporter of Israel, but the alliance established in 2015 between Netanyahu-led Israel, MBS in Saudi Arabia, MBZ in the UAE, el-Sisi in Egypt, Bahrain, and Russia, with Russia and Israel providing psy-ops to put Trump in the White House is what's behind this entire, insane departure by our country from the norms of our democratic heritage.
A deal was struck in 2015 aboard a yacht in the Red Sea between the leaders of the aforementioned countries, facilitated by George Nadar, an American citizen and thrice-busted purveyor of child pornography (he has yet to pay for it; like Epstein, he should have been sentenced to 15-20 years, but the only sentence he's ever received was 6 months in a halfway house, from which he was allowed to continue conducting business for his Middle Eastern clients).
Nadar's a Middle East expert whom MBZ relies upon to facilitate the furtherance of his and MBS' ruthless policies, the central thrust of which is to neutralize their arch-nemesis, Iran.
It was their conspiracy that got Trump elected, and certain principals of Trump's campaign were definitely involved, albeit, with enough barely plausible deniability to make it difficult for serious charges to stick. But Flynn, Manafort, Stone, Popoudopolis, Stone, Page, Nader, Junior, and the president were all involved.
Abramson connects dots the Special Counsel could not. Read it!
7
Trump is obviously desperate. He's read the polls and throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. He is a dirty fighter. He has told over 3,000 lies and the Republicans and some of the country still believe him. I would not believe him if his tongue was notarized. He would be a terrible president, degrading our country every time he opens his mouth. I hope this is the end of the Republican party. They have been sliding down hill since Nixon. Who they idolize.
10
@Sharon Conway, he’s told over 12,000 lies.
6
I support Trump on this issue.
I don't care that Ukraine was asked to investigate Biden. I just don't care.
38
@Louis Anthes Yeah, but he wasn't "asking". He was withholding US aid in order to blackmail Ukraine to do get dirt or create dirt, on his political opponent, or else. You really think that's "ok"?
113
@Louis Anthes
It's illegal. Enough said.
88
@Louis Anthes
Saying that you support Trump, and not caring, is redundant.
165
Trump broke very serious US laws during these phone calls: Extortion and Solicitation.
Trump pressured Ukraine president 8X during one phone call with the promise of money.
Trump promised $250,000,000 US dollars if Ukraine leader would deliver investigation information.
Extortion and Solicitation is what the whistleblower alerted to his chain of command IG boss.
WSJ reported there is a recording and transcript of Trump's call.
US Law states crimes have been committed when:
1) Extortion of a foreign leader by a US government person for political or personal gain.
2) Solicitation of a foreign government in a US election.
3) Solicitation of a foreign government to investigate a political opponent that violates the civil liberties of a US citizen.
15
Shouldn't this be an even bigger story than the issue of Russian interference in 2016?
Here, we have concrete evidence and direct connection. This seems to me to be more of a mirror to Watergate but this time involving a foreign power.
17
Biden is not blameless in all this.
Why would a Vice President take his grown up son on AirForce 2 to China and Ukraine except to use the power of his office and visit to provide benefits to his son indirectly. Biden was complicit in this.
This shows how corrupt each politician is, whether it is Biden or Trump. They are all the same. There is no lesser (d)evil.
I am definitely not going to vote if Biden is the nominee.
8
@Surdy, somehow i think you will stick with the Trump crime family and not vote for any Democrat.
13
@bill
No, not really. Or should I say never. I am a Democrat.
3
@Surdy
There is no equivalence between Biden and Trump.
None at all.
8
Just when we thought we’d seen everything! We’ll all get through this!
2
Remember John Kerry getting swift-boated? He should have stopped his entire campaign and said: No. You can say whatever you want about me politically, but you can not say this.
The Dems should do the same. Just because "Biden" and "Ukraine" have appeared in the same sentence does not mean something untoward is involved any more than the fact that Kerry served in Vietnam meant he somehow served less than honorably. Nothing happened with Biden's son in Ukraine as has been demonstrated time and time again. And the Dems must stand together to say as much.
Besides, even if it had, Trump is here showing zero regard for office and country, again a showing bottomless willingness to put himself above his job.
8
Apparently this president has enough free time and nothing else to worry about than to find a country he feels comfortable he can harass and tell them how to run their country.
Given that he is doing such a bang-up job with this one, its no wonder that they are willing to take his advice.
9
Why would any smart American believe anything that comes out of his tweets or the mouth of the worst president in American history? Over 12,000 documented lies so far and the number goes up every day! Impeach and remove this stain on our democracy!!!
15
Biden’s corruption is the point! He is totally unsuited for the office of President as would any other old doddering has been. Biden is even worse though, as he has used his office to steer literally billions his son’s way.
The Chinese, the Ukrainians... who else? The amounts are staggering and now the mask is off. The Democrats are so utterly corrupt. The Clintons. The Bidens. Trump continues to kick the biscuit wheels off their gravy train. God bless him!!!
7
@Arthur Taylor, God bless him? They say you can't prove a negative but the very existence of Trump (and the mosquito) proves there is no God.
4
@bill. You keep believing that, Bill, but the 2016 election, the Mueller investigation, the entirety of the current Democratic field, the clownishness of Nadler, the gift of the Squad... they all add up to irrefutable proof that God does, in fact, exist.
1
@Arthur Taylor
Trump is the most corrupt President in our history. A man of no integrity. World champion liar. That about covers it.
7
Mr. Trump and his people have found new "Obama was born in Kenya" and "Hillary Clinton's emails" and the NY Times is enabling them: the man is a liar, plain and simple!!
10
If Pelosi doesn’t move to impeach if/when Congress confirms this I will be convinced she will end her career.
Principles must come before politics.
9
All fake news. Just as Access Hollywood is fake- that voice was similar to Donald's but I believe him when he says it is not genuine. Since Mr Trump believes everybody else's denials I think it only fair that we extend him the benefit of any doubt.
Just as the 2016 election would have been 100% fake if he had lost. But since he won it was not fake even though the popular vote was obviously fake. There is a common theme here: everything is unfair when it concerns Donald. So unfair. Except for winning the election with less votes; that was not unfair.
7
Even though he already admitted it?? Seriously?
3
@Tiffany
He’s joking Tiffany.
5
Why does the US have foreign aid? Why is the money not used to say feed poor US kids, or a to pay for universal Pre-K?
The simple answer is to exert influence over foreign, often corrupt, and in most cases corruptable governments.
The naive notion that said influence is good for America is well naive. Most influence is exerted on behalf of defense contractors and multi-national companies.
Both Democrat and Republican administrations have used the taxpayes' money to advance their party's goals. Nothing new here.
If the taxpayers must do charity, let it begin at home!
6
Samantha Powers, President Obama’s Ambassador to the UN, said recently on Bill Mahr’s show that the country needs to restore it’s public institutions because it’s democracy is the ‘ENVY’ of the world.
Breaking News: It WAS the envy, maybe, sometime long ago.
These days we (the world) just use it for laughs.
13
The Vietnam War draft dodger and he Republican Party consistently and persistently refuse to disappoint. Trampling upon federal constitutional and statutory rights by blithely invoking national security or just plain old down right in your face refusal because "I said so," the American electorate are now squarely confronted with irrefutable and incontrovertible evidence of the actions of a desperate autocratic occupying the West Wing to direct a foreign power to criminally investigate an American citizen for political advantage and private monetary benefit. The GOP clamours for every bit of political benefit when they even remotely sense the Democrats are allegedly up to political sabotage. Inexplicably, when the Vietnam war draft dodger engages in activities that are beyond the pale of governing and tantamount to running a continuing criminal enterprise as Don Vito Corleone, the time is now for a change in leadership. Scandal plagued from Day One, eventually the past is now catching up with the republicans and their Christ-like figure. Quoting Malcolm X from a statement given in November 1963: "The chickens are finally coming home to roost. Chickens coming home to roost always made me happy." So is the present occasion. Playing Russian roulette with America's safety to destroy a political rival and further solidify the extreme conservative brand to pander and satiate less than educated Caucasians and disproportionately blue collar white workers is the goal. Race matters.
9
I think we all should know everything that Ukraine knows about all of our presidential candidates.
They probably have quite a lot of previously unrevealed information about Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine dating back a decade or more. I would expect that they have information about Hunter Biden's dealings as well. Let's hear it all, see it all in complete detail.
Furthermore, I would bet that Ukrainian laws have been broken by foreign nationals currently running for president of the United States. The United States has on occasion indicted foreign nationals that have broken our laws including heads of state. Ukraine should indict any and all foreign nationals currently running for President of the United States that have broken Ukrainian law.
If we're going to believe anything that Ukraine alleges about any of our presidential candidates, then we have to believe everything they allege about all of our presidential candidates.
I don't believe that Trump and his family really want to go there.
7
Warren fan here so I hope both Trump and Biden go down.
3
@Michelle
Try to see the big picture. This is not helpful.
3
The media, led by the New York Times, has already given Trump a pass for this. The real story to them is the Biden corruption, for which there is zero evidence. They are given cover by Nancy Pelosi, who will continue to do nothing. Democrats have already demonstrated that they are rank amateurs at running investigations. This story is over except for assessing the damage done to Joe Biden.
9
Where did I hear this ? No man is above the law .
7
Republican Senate Hero’s? Where are the true Republican patriots? Do they even exist?
9
I love it.
Trump softens up Biden so
Sanders or Warren can drop him.
Then Sanders or Warren can KO Trump in the 8th round.
7
There is no better proof that America's leadership is finally over. When America replaced the courageous brilliant, honest scientist Jimmy Carter with a corporate shill and totally corrupt Ronald Reagan I was devastated. We will never know how many lives Carter may have saved as he lead technical crews into a failing nuclear reactor in Chalk River Ontario.
This story about an America hate monger President with little command of what the world expects of an American President. Trump character and judgement is no longer questionable he is a man of low degree.
Volodymyr Zelensky is for all the lies spread by America's media is still a man we will look to if we survive the final death throes of Pax Americana.
Zelensky has an incredible biography, he has been under the public microscope since childhood when his genius and talent first gave him the public's attention.Zelenky is brilliant, brave, educated and wise and dedicated much of his life to fight corruption, fight for democracy, and fight cynicism.
America every day seems to show it deserves its Kakistocracy.The Ukrainian Pale of Settlement is starting to show the country it might have been if it had a chance to escape Russia's orbit centuries ago. As a disclaimer my maternal ancestors fled Ukraine and the Pale of Settlement over a century and a half ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelensky
The world needs more Zelenskys and unfortunately that is not what we will get from the USA.
8
Yes, but he didn't kill anyone on 5th avenue. Not yet! So, what's the ruckus?
Hey everyone...what will it take?
15
Just keep repeating Biden...Ukraine... over and over and 50% of the country will believe something nefarious is going on with Biden and Ukraine.
Truth died in 2017
12
How long do we have to put up with this traitor in the White House?
17
This story’s title is a journalistic disgrace. The whole story is based on the flimsy “according to someone familiar with the conversation.” Could be Biden’s Mom, anyone. Yet the title describes the events as hard fact. Then I go to Reuter’s website, and THEY have Zelensky’s aide directly say there was no interference in these convos.
3
Well to echo the Democrats--who spent 40 million on the Mueller report which was a big dud--what is Biden worried about if we look into what he and his son did in the Ukraine?
3
Sitting presidents in the Republican era appear completely lawless and unaccountable. Isn't asking foreign governments for dirt on your political opponents illegal? Why bother? Just make up lies, have your propaganda arm, Fox News, publicize your lies and ad hominem attacks, and when it looks like you're going to lose anyway, fix the ballot machines so they don't work, and carry on with parades, rallies, hawking your hats and hotels, and doing absolutely nothing for the taxpayers footing the bill.
10
This is a typical Roy Cohn move: accuse your opponent of some dastardly deed, without any basis whatsoever, then the media pant after the charges and claim that there is "something to them" when in fact there is nothing. As some of the letters here show, people are eager to seize on any vicious rumor, inflate it and pass it on just to have something to say. Biden was hardly the only Western official who urged Ukraine to get rid of their enormously corrupt prosecutor--so his son's situation, nothing of which has ever been proved to be crooked in any way, had nothing to do with it.
Manafort worked for the Ukraine powers that be while this prosecutor was at work persecuting political enemies of Yanukovych. Has anyone thought to ask if trying to set his sights on Hunter was simply to try to smear Biden's efforts--which were supported by many Western nations?
7
It's time to start counting votes in the Senate. The Democrats have 47 votes, so that leaves 20 Republicans to get to the 67 votes (two-thirds) needed to get rid of Mr. Trump.
Based on how far many Republicans have fallen into the abyss of Trumplandia, this is a tough row to hoe.
Here is my partial list, ranked by likelihood to vote to convict Mr. Trump after impeachment (given more clear evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors than has been publicly revealed today):
=> Likely (7 votes):
Collins (R-ME)
Murkowsi (R-AK)
Gardner (R-CO)
Romney (R-UT)
McSally (R-AZ)
Alexander (retiring) (R-TN)
Toomey (R-PA)
=> Possible (13 votes):
Burr (R-NC)
Sasse (R-NE)
Isakson (retiring) (R-GA)
Roberts (retiring) (R-KS)
Grassley (R-IA)
Ernst (R-IA)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Paul (R-KY)
Johnson (R-WI)
Scott (R-SC)
Lee (R-UT)
Portman (R-OH)
=> Remotely possible (4 votes):
Cruz (R-TX)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Moran (R-KS)
8
This seems to sum up the president's focus:
'He asks not what he can do for America but what can his grip on America’s presidency do for him'
https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1175359855076548608
Trump may block $250 million in aid to Ukraine
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-ukraine/trump-may-block-250-million-in-aid-to-ukraine-officials-idUSKCN1VJ1T8
3
Hard to believe but all the good liberals and The Times are throwing focus on Trump, Ukraine, impeach, blah. blah, blah while the neo libs and their evangelist counterparts are starting a war with Iran for MBS and Bibi and their respective followers, unbelievable.
2
Absolutely pathetic! And now this president forces our nation to take on that light in front of the entire world. Are there any sentient, thinking, responsible Republicans in office or voting any more? Absolutely pathetic!
2
Trump is stupid. All these impeachable offenses to hurt Biden? Biden hasn’t even won the primary yet. I’m not voting for him over Warren or Harris.
2
I’m thinking it.
If I wrote what I was thinking,
the NYT moderators would never allow it to be published.
But I can think it.
I’m thinking unspeakable thoughts.
5
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business-efforts-of-biden-brother-and-son-prompt-new-questions-over-influence-peddling
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/02/joe-biden-investigation-hunter-brother-hedge-fund-money-2020-campaign-227407
1
Isn't ignoring the crimes of a country that attacks our elections, a high crime?
The fact that the Trump campaign allowed Russia to influence US citizens with impunity, and fully knowing that it would help Trump is all the evidence you need to decide that this man, whether Republican or Democrat, should not be president.
6
The allegation that Mr. Trump has attempted to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election by trying to extort the Ukrainian government to "smear" Mr. Biden is, for me, the final straw in the panoply of impeachable offenses committed by this president.
While I have enormous respect for Speaker Pelosi, her concerns regarding maintaining a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives MUST now yield to the responsibility of all Americans to preserve our democracy.
If not now, when? If the House of Representatives fails to take action NOW to impeach this president, there will be no "when" and our democratic form of government may well fail.
155
@Patricia Fredrick Pointing fingers at Democratic leadership plays into trump's hands -- it creates the very divisiveness that helped him in 2016. I agree that impeachment is more than warranted at this point. I believe the process of impeachment is just as important as the outcome. But I also understand the position Democrats like Pelosi are in. With Barr's justice department now acting like Trump's personal lawyer, and trump's Republican lackeys trying to protect and enable trump at all costs to the country, Democrats are between a rock and a hard place. Still, House and Senate Democrats the only ones trying to minimize and limit the damage that Trump's corruption causes to our country on a daily basis. They're the only ones trying to keep a check on this out-of-control administration.
Democrats aren't the problem here -- we must not lose sight of that. If there was ever a time that Democrats need to be united, now is that time.
12
The establishment Democrats are getting desperate to discredit Trump for what needed to happen long time ago. The wrongdoings of the Biden family in Ukraine are now finally going to come out. The corruption and silent takeover of Ukrainian government cannot be overlooked anymore. Joe Biden has put a price on the US government’s aid to Ukraine: if they wanted the money they needed to put Hunter Biden in executive position controlling Ukrainian gas and oil. It is as simple as that.
3
Okay. So let’s release the whistleblower’s complaint, and if its not legitimate then we can investigate Biden. Does that work for you? Heck, start investigation of Biden right after releasing the complaint, thats fine too. There’s absolutely no reason for the White House to withhold the complaint if Trump isn’t lying.
Agree?
9
The so-called president can end this alleged "witch hunt" by releasing the transcript of the call in question. Based on his comments and tweets, that transcript should totally exonerate him.
The ball's in his court. Release the transcript and let the American People decide.
5
Next Trump move to distract from "whistleblower gate" -- striking Iran in the middle of the night and tweeting about it before dawn so we all wake up to 24/7 coverage of the US at war with Iran.
3
Yeah... and boy do I wish you’re joking. But it’s no joke.
5
I really wish the NYTimes would focus more on Joseph Maguire.
This speculation about Trump, if wrong in some tiny aspect, could blow up in their face AND, right now, we're dragging Ukraine's and Hunter Biden's name through the muck.
Look, the acting DNI has, seemingly, violated the law and his duty to protect this country from enemies, foreign and domestic. This seems like a big deal. Can we stick with that for a little bit. Please?
I mean in the Census case, the Supreme Court essentially said that Wilbur Ross lied in front of Congress, but the NY Times and others started haring off of stories about citizenship questions and Executive Orders. I feel like, if we had focused a little more on the perjury, maybe Ross wouldn't have been around to order NOAA to lie about the weather (yet another law broken)
I know everyone wants to break the big story, but start with the small stuff.
1
Maguire isnt calling shots though, he’s only an acting director, and the JD (Barr) told him to hold the complaint. So it’s Barr to subpoena, and if he stonewalls then send him to jail until he decides protecting Trump isn’t his top priority anymore.
3
You have to admit, the funniest TV event of the week was Giuliani, hand up to his elbow in the cookie jar, flat-out lying about having done any of this and swearing that trump hadn’t either, and then bragging about how he did it for Trump maybe thirty seconds later, and then capping the whole weird performance off by yelling that he’d never said he hadn’t and anyway the whole thing was perfectly kosher but Joe Biden was a criminal for doing it.
6
Trump is not a good person, he is a basely selfish human being who has no conscience. He is an every day untrustworthy person of the kind we all know and keep at a distance if we can.
The problem as a society that we must address are our Republican brethren who enable this character to use our public institutions for his own base wants.
6
Bingo. Trump is a symptom, a wake up call. If nothing changes the next GOP candidate will be even worse.
3
trump has no ethical boundaries but to 40% of the electorate this doesn't matter. Perhaps we are a rotting civilization with no where to go but extinction
4
So will Trump's dear friend Nancy Pelosi finally go ahead with impeachment? Thought not. Impeach Pelosi, then impeach Trump.
1
A new “high” crime. Time for Pelosi to press the Impeachment button! The Nation will be riveted to the television on this new charge and the Administration won’t be able to ignore Congressional subpoena’s. Does Pelosi have the courage to press the charge?!
1
Republicans should stay this silent more often.
2
I can’t tell you how much pleasure it gives me to see Trump on the run. He is afraid of Joe and for good reason. Joe’s the only who can beat him. I bet Giuliani is the person who told the Ukrainians that Trump would withhold funds if they didn’t phony up an investigation. To their credit, the Ukrainians refused. Who knew Giuliani would end up a bag man.
3
The US is officially a Banana Republic.
Our tin pot dictator gives away military aid to anybody who helps him.
If you are a foreign country, just give Trump a nice patch of land for a hotel and/or a golf course and you can get anything you want.
F-16, F-35...
4
How many times can this corrupt Fake President cry "wolf" before his equally despicable, Republican Congressional yes-men start to part company with their puppeteer? When will these political embarrassments wake up from their partisan stupor and start acting responsibly, honestly and, especially, patriotically? Do they actually believe that they have a future with the criminal in the White House?
2
Good grief! Its now the Witch vs. Witch show. Both should take a long walk off a short pier. Please America! Give us something we can hope for.
3
History will record that the American public failed to act when their government was taken over by conmen, racist thugs and criminals. Look at Hong Kong, or, for that matter, the civil rights or anti-Vietnam protests in the US. Americans need to be peacefully marching in DC and saying 'enough'. When did Americans become so apathetic and spineless? Getting angry on the Internet isn't enough.
4
If the Democratic Party, that I worked for to elect President Obama, that I became a poll watcher for in 2018, that I’ve contributed more money and time to than I even care to remember - if that party still refuses to step up to the challenge of impeaching a lawless President after this, then I can’t support them any longer.
They must take a stand now.
131
@retired physicist Your outrage towards the Democratic party is misdirected, and plays right into trump's greedy little hands.
Anyone who's been paying attention would know that House & Senate Democrats are the only ones trying to minimize and limit the damage that Trump's corruption causes to our country on a daily basis. I agree that impeachment is more than warranted at this point. I also understand the position that Democrats like Pelosi are in. With Barr's justice department now acting like Trump's personal lawyer, and trump's Republican lackeys trying to protect and enable trump at all costs to the country, Democrats are between a rock and a hard place.
Democrats aren't the problem here -- we can't lose sight of that. They're the only ones trying to keep a check on this out-of-control administration. The responsibility is on us, the voters, to vote blue in 2020, up and down the ticket, in numbers too large to manipulate.
10
The FBI knows that criminals follow patterns, and they have specialists dedicated to bringing criminals to justice based on interpreting what those patterns are.
Take a look at Trump's main pattern. He regularly abuses the government to exact revenge on those who defy him.
The latest example of this is misusing the EPA, to attack California's homeless problem, after CA defied Trump regarding his edict for downgraded automobile pollution standards.
So when hundreds of millions of dollars of military are suddenly withheld from Ukraine, it seems pretty obvious what really happened here. The aid was pulled because Ukraine defied Trump's "request" to go after the Biden - for Trump's personal benefit.
Actions speak louder than Trump's lies.
That whistleblower report is true, and there's plenty for Trump to be worried about.
Trumps pattern.
This is serious stuff, and the American people have every right to know the truth.
13
From day 1 Trump has only looked out for himself. He knows nothing about sacrafice, loyalty to one's country or patriotism. He has crossed the line over and over, however what he has done now is criminal. Time for action by Congress and the American people. He must go and soon.
6
When Donald Trump decides to "Swift Boat" somebody, at least give him credit I suppose for being a bit less willing to deny his desire to fight and play dirty. George W. Bush and his family are all like a bunch of silk stalkings filled with mud, always trying to look so courtly and statesmanlike when they were and are among the dirtiest fighters around.
And I'm writing this as somebody who doesn't care much for Donald Trump. Obviously trying to extort the president of Ukraine to make him investigate the son of the man who could be Donald Trump's opponent in the 2020 presidential election is impeachable behavior. But honestly, I think "impeachable" became a largely meaningless term after Bill Clinton was impeached for ludicrous reasons in 1998 and the Pelosi-Reid team that took over Congress for the Democrats in 2007 immediately declined to pursue impeachment against George W. Bush even though he had committed truly impeachable offenses (e.g. starting a major war against Iraq under false pretenses).
I think of Donald Trump as a lid-ripper, for better or for worse. He's ripped the lid off and shown just how dirty, corrupt and nasty politics can be in what is supposed to be a democracy like the United States. If Trump's presidency doesn't end up providing the groundwork for some serious institutional reforms in American politics in the future, the country is finished.
The GOP is already finished. They're going to nominate Trump next summer for president. Enough said.
5
He’s a lid ripper for the worse because he cries like a baby when any lids are ripped off of his businesses. He fights tooth and nail to keep his operations secret but from the little bit I’ve seen, our so called corrupt government is a shining city on the hill when compared to the Trump organization. Giving Trump credit for ripping off the lid would be akin to giving David Berkowitz credit for delivering mail.
4
The public and the Bidens deserve the full truth now.
2
Trump has succeeded magnificently with his ploy of putting the Ukraine matter front and center in the media universe.
And of course the media took the bait. The both-sides ism and the false equivalency have already started ("Both Trump and Biden have Ukraine issues").
Predictably the NYT and Washington Post are now each running stories giving credence to Trump's accusations, saying that Biden does indeed have a Ukraine problem, even though the fact-checkers have all stated that there is nothing to this story.
And of course this is 2016 all over again, just substitute Ukraine for emails and Biden for Hillary. If the Hillary coverage cycle holds true, we will next see investigative reports on the "troubling" accusations, followed by the "shadow and clouds" pundit columns, as in "The Ukraine matter casts a shadow/cloud over the Biden candidacy and raises troubling questions about his honesty and trustworthiness."
Let's hope the media does its job this time and doesn't fall into the false equivalency/"both sides do it" trap as it did in 2016. So far, Trump is playing the media like a violin.
5
Trump is America's Criminal-In-Chief.
11
Trump’s efforts to influence Ukraine are an evidence for his abuse of power. He was using his office to try to force a foreign country to take actions to help him win next year. The Ukrainians were desperate for the millions in stalled military aid from the US, and President Zelensky was seeking a high-priority meeting with Trump.
It was a quid pro quo – Trump would withhold substantial foreign aid to Ukraine if Kiev didn’t provide damaging information concerning his political opponent, Joe Biden, and he pressed Zelensky to reopen a corruption investigation involving Joe’s son, Hunter Biden.
That Trump was willing to attract further legal scrutiny just months after Mueller wrapped up his investigation, by inviting yet another foreign government to assist him in his reelection campaign, shows that he doesn’t want to learn a lesson. After all, he partly brought the Mueller inquiry upon himself by inviting Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails in July 2016.
Rudi Giuliani went even further by soliciting help of a foreign government for Trump’s reelection, although it was illegal. He planned to travel to Kiev to Meet Zelensky. Instead he travelled to Madrid in August, where he met a top Ukrainian official whom he strongly urged to reopen the investigation into the Bidens.
Imagine what else Trump would be doing should he stay another four years in office.
6
So, what does Trump have to do before the Democrats wake up and do what they were elected to Congress to do? He is at the point where he knows he can get away with anything, without penalty, definitely not a good thing. Lets get things rolling Nancy Pelosi before its too late, 2020 is just around the corner.
5
Is Joe Biden a politician? Absolutely. Did his son profit by Joe’s actions in the Ukraine? Possibly. But, Trump telling the Ukrainian President to investigate the Bidens or he will withhold aid is beyond either action. He’s using the power of his office for his own political gain, not for the interest of the United States. This is or should be a criminal action. He’s using the Presidency for his own purposes and his toady Nosferatu Giuliani does his master’s bidding. At least when he’s out of his coffin.
8
Quid pro quo is clear in Biden’s case—Ukraine drops prosecution of Biden’s son and Ukraine gets a big chunk of money. Until there is evidence of a quid pro quo in Trump case, there is nothing to see. If there is, then both of them should go down.
1
1. Trump’s refusal to hand over the whistleblower’s report breaks the law.
2. There’s no evidence that Joe Biden, or his son, did a blessed thing illegal.
7
Joe Biden got rid of a prosecutor that the entire international community thought was a Putin puppet. Hunter Biden was director of a company owned by a Russian oligarch. One of the troubling things about this Ukrainian prosecutor was that he was not pursuing cases related to that same Russian oligarch. Explain to me how getting rid of a Russian stooge who refused to look into companies owned by a Russian, who owned Hunter’s gas company, helped Hunter? It makes no sense.
2
@ehillesum Trump lies 20 times daily; not Biden. Trump is Guilty. Period
5
"Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani have pressed for an investigation of the Bidens for weeks, after reports this year in The New York Times and elsewhere examined whether a Ukrainian energy company sought to buy influence in Washington ...."
Yes, the "failing" New York Times reported this news, as did The New Yorker, undoubtedly considered by Trump to be another source of "failing fake news".
So why are Giuliani and Trump choosing to believe the "fake news" this time? And how are they able to simultaneously ignore articles in these same publications that report, for example, on climate change?
The New Yorker published an in-depth story in July entitled "Will Hunter Bid Jeopardize His Father's Campaign?" What Trump likes to call "Fake News" (restraining himself, I suppose, from capitalizing the whole phrase) has been proactive in providing detailed articles on this subject.
The sleazy attempt to equate Trump's actions and Biden's son's business activities can only work on the willfully ignorant.
5
We Americans have long known, but rather not think about it, that US politicians of both parties are in government for the money. Foreign governments know that, too. Nothing new that Biden’s offspring, just like Trump’s take economic advantage of their father’s position. Also there is nothing new foreign governments do all US asks for the bribes we euphemistically call “Foreign Aid”. The problem is that we don’t hold those US scoundrels accountable for their greed and wanton abuse of their positions. Time to get rid of those opportunistic parasites and their greedy relatives. But it will only happen when US voters elect decent people, not demagogues, like Trump and Biden.
2
Calling Nancy Pelosi..
Is he "worth it" yet?
Time to defend the people and the Constitution of this country is long past.
Do your duty and impeach this threat to our Democrocy. Your leaning into complicit territory if you continue to refuse to use the tools you have to defend us against a criminal who sits in the WH. I don't care want his name is. He is being allowed to abuse his power with no consequences. At what point will you find the will to fight for us?
4
The full circumstances are not exactly clear but to the extent it boomerangs to Biden it will help Warren and, of course, Trump, who would much prefer to run against an anti-Wall Street candidate.
3
It is obvious enough that William Barr and Mitch McConnell did this country a grave disservice by enabling Donald Trump and insuring that he survived the Mueller investigation.
It may well turn out that they’ve done a horrible disservice to the Republican Party and its political goals as well. Allowing Trump to skate through scandal after wretched scandal has emboldened a man who was already very certain that rules and laws do not apply to him.
Trump appears to be emboldened to the point of committing outright treason on a recorded phone conversation. He immediately boasted that of course he knows better than to have done so, he’s fully aware that many people listen in on such conversations. When Trump asserts one thing, it’s a safe bet that the opposite is true.
Yet another horrible scandal with barely a year to go to the 2020 election carries grievous consequences for the GOP. Their candidate is already behind by double digits both in national polls and in the key states he won by narrow margins in 2016. Trump is battling to keep his tax returns from being revealed, a recession may be looming, his trade war has been a disaster, his personal conduct repulsive.
Barr and McConnell keep on loading cannonballs into a loose cannon. The man behind the cannon might just have fired one right though the bottom of the ship. It’s far too late to find another candidate. Barr and McConnell and the whole GOP will have to sink to the bottom with the good ship Trump.
8
Trump's conduct is a deja vu of Richard Nixon turning the apparatus of government (including the the FBI) into a political weapon to investigate people on his "enemies list."
It was wrong then. It is wrong now.
7
As an international businessman if I do something that can be construed as a bribe I go to jail and do not pass go. Trump has violated similar laws and is no more immune to prosecution and jail than I would be.
8
First of all...this is the utmost impeachable offense we have seen from Donald Trump yet. Even worse, Nancy Pelosi CONTINUES to defy the will of the people and refuses to protect the Constitution. This is an all-out crisis. Why this news isn’t making people take to the streets is beyond me. However, out of this story two things should be crystal clear: 1. If impeachment doesn’t happen now (like it should have MONTHS ago) then it will not, and the 25th amendment is MEANINGLESS. 2. This will, and should also hurt Joe Biden
2
I take it that you don’t know that a) Pelosi ain’t got the votes to impeach, b) impeachment doesn’t remove Trump from office, and c) that most of Trump’s Cabinet and Moscow Mitch would have to sign off on invokong the 25th Amendment.
Here’s what I’m pretty sure of: you did not vote.
3
I think AG Bar needs to read about what happened to AG Mitchell. It just might be that Bar winds up behind bars.
7
This is the stuff of third world flunky despots
Real Banana Republic
Just what you'd expect from a loser like trump
16
is there nothing that will galvanize and unify the citizens of this country against the madness? one of Trump's greatest achievements is that he believes that the complacency and divisions will never
9
There is not a single rational excuse for continuing to support Trump who risks our national security for his own personal reasons.
12
I hope Biden goes down with Trump. It would reveal just how viable Warren, Sanders, Harris, et al, truly are, and just how wrong the media arbiters are (as there were in 2016), with their annointments of "electability."
7
Sure, and what was the young Biden doing on a Ukrainian energy producing board of directors except selling his father's influence.
If Trump's family is not to get rich off of government service, why the pass on Biden?
5
The Obamas went from 1M to 30M on that office...why not!
2
Mountain or molehill? Do the Democrats really want to scream for impeachment over everything the president does that they disagree with politically? Seems that way. What a way to run a country.
5
Has it occurred to anyone the whistleblower was actually targeting Joe Biden rather than Donald Trump, knowing that (when goaded) Trump would very publicly dredge up the Hunter Biden situation and force the US media to pay attention at long last. This could all the work of one of the rival Democratic candidates looking to knock Joe Biden from his front runner perch.
22
@Richard: As William of Ockham said, in the 14th century:
"Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem." (More or less, "Don't multiply entities unnecessarily.")
It's a principle in the philosophy of science that you may have heard about as "Occam's Razor." It's somewhat like the well-known UN Navy design principle: KISS.
It's possible that what you suggest is true, but such speculation is pretty farfetched, considering what we know at the moment.
8
@Richard
if the situation is what you say it is (and it isn't), then you use the rule of law and current institutions that investigate this sort of things, such as the Justice Dept and FBI. You don't send your fixer (rudy) to shakedown a foreign power by holding their Congressionally approved funds hostage so you can dirt on a political opponent.
14
@Richard
When there is so much material in the open? I’d say that’s a big stretch.
The winner, if there is one here, is Elizabeth Warren. Trump clearly abused his power, but it appears that Biden did, too. This story is going to hurt Biden as much as it does Trump.
8
@J.S.
Exactly, which is why the smart money is on Elizabeth Warren's team "leaking" this.
Like with the Justin Trudeau blackface thing, this isn't an opposition attack. If it was, they would have leaked the photos much earlier, to prevent him from winning in the first place. Chrystia wants his spot so bad she can taste it, and he won't leave.
Does anyone remember "NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION" ?
14
I am intrigued by “part of” in this article. It may be that the Ukraine calls were not in fact the serious allegations here.
They’re trying to start a war with Iran. Could it be that part of it is an attempt to again start a war by lying about an Iranian attack?
A lot of the players here seem to be war hawks who have sought or indeed cultivated conflict with Iran from the start of this administration.
It may well be that the other stuff in this is even worse than Ukraine!!!
5
The real corruption is Biden's son getting paid vast sums of money for a job he admitted he had no qualifications for while his father was put in charge of Ukraine US relations by Obama, and when being investigated by the Ukranian prosecutor about what these payments were for, having his Dad threaten to withhold US aid to Ukraine if they don't drop the case and fire the prosecutor, which Joe Biden bragged about on video!
11
@Thomas
Well... that and the President of the United States withholding foreign aid in order to induce a foreign power to provide illegal electoral benefit by wrongfully trashing a political opponent.
8
Except that is a total false interpretation of what happened
@Mike
Except it isn't, because the Ukraine government confirmed it to be true.
5
So Trump, is resorting to black mail and uses our Military and tax dollars, like he is running an old fashion protection racket. How low can he go?
The real problem Trump has with his plan of digging up dirt on Hunter Biden, is that Hunter Biden is not running for President. Few people in this country care what Hunter may have or may not have done in the past, except for his base. Plus few people will believe any information the Ukraine may or not provide under COERCION. The real crime is asking for their assistance and abusing your power as President to black mailing them to get it. Your "personal laywer Guiliani" should know that and have provided you better counsel, instead of working to make that happen. Btw, Guiliani is no Roy Cohn. He's a IDIOT.
However, WE THE PEOPLE, do care about what Trump has done, in the past, while in office, and may possibly do in the future. Trump, when you lie constantly, it shows you are not trustworthy. As Lincoln said "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citezens you can never regain their respect and esteem. You may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people, all of the time." Polls show you can only fool about 36% of the people all of the time. The rest of us are more motivated than ever to see TRUMP loose the next election.
10
Nancy Pelosi, do your job! If you think that only the GOP will be blamed for allowing this to continue, you are sadly mistaken.
Perhaps Jerald Nadler isn’t up to the job. I hate to say that, but the jerky, uncoordinated performance by the Judiciary Committee during hearings these past several months creates this question. They need a field general to bring focus to their efforts. Someone like Val Deming.
In 2020, if I haven’t seen significant action by the House, I will seriously question the importance of voting for Democrats going forward. If they don’t become part of the solution, they are clearly part of the problem.
13
The Hunter Biden Ukrainian natural gas deal pales in comparison to the Biden family 2013 deal with the Chinese.
Biden and his Republican-Lite Pelosi Schumer democrat partners are simply an extension of the Hillary (Boss Tweed) modern-day iteration of the infamous Tammany Hall political machine of the 1850's.
The solution is Bernie or Elizabeth.
Excerpt and link -
"A private equity firm managed by the son of former Vice President Joe Biden struck a deal with China's state-owned bank in 2013 at the same time that Biden was in the country to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Hunter Biden, who arrived in China aboard Air Force Two alongside the vice president and the rest of the U.S. delegation, was at the time in control of Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC., a private equity firm that would go on to strike a deal with the state-owned Bank of China to create a $1 billion joint investment fund.
In excerpts from his upcoming book, "Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends," Breitbart News senior editor-at-large Peter Schweizer writes that the China deal was part of a trend of high-stakes deals between the sons' investment firm - under the Rosemont entities umbrella - and foreign governments that were also in the middle of striking deals with the Obama administration."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/378629-breitbart-editor-biden-and-kerrys-sons-inked-deal-with-chinese%3famp
8
Thee’s really only two possible explanations for anybody claiming to be a leftist to attack Joe Biden using Breitbart as evidence: either they’re a bot, or they’re thick as a whale omelet.
5
@Mel Farrell
Sorry, Mel, but your comment looses all credibility when you site Breitbart News as your source.
6
Has Trump and Barr told Ukrainian President Zelensky who to hire as a new Ukrainian Prosecutor yet since Yuriy Lutsenko, the current prosecutor general, said that neither Hunter Biden nor Burisma were now the focus of an investigation?
7
Nations. Political Parties. Persons. Integrity. Honesty. Truth.
"Everything that Trump touches dies".
Quote made by Republican strategist, Rick Wilson.
12
Candidate trump promised to investigate " crooked Hillary ".
So what happened to that investigation?
There never was one.
Next up, Joe Biden.
8
Why hasn’t Giuliani been disbarred? Attorneys in AZ have been disbarred for far less ethical violations than his.
19
The living nightmare of Donald Trump will end only if each and every one of us use the only power we have to bring it to a stop - VOTE HIM OUT IN 2020!
15
Trump's homework this weekend is to know the identity of the whistleblower and begin the tweet campaign of obscenities and threats.
Sean Hannity's homework this weekend is to layout a toxic and fatal expose on the whistleblower for next week's storylines.
It's the 'Mueller Crime Boss Syndicate' all over again.
6
Trump gets away with saying stupid things and having people believe them for several reasons. First, most people don't listen that closely and don't analyze what they are hearing. Second, Trump's base, which consists of 1/3 or less of the voting public, wants to believe everything he says. The power of belief is greater than the power of simple logic.
The techniques Trump users are not that dissimilar to the old traveling salesman who would come to people's houses trying to convince them to buy something, whether they needed it or not. Just keep talking. Wear the person down, then close in for the kill (the sale). It is not all that clever and has been seen a million times in various scam artists who make their living by fooling people.
Why does Trump think he can get away with almost anything? Because his whole career was founded on getting away with phony sales pitches that everything would be "the greatest", "the best anyone has ever seen", so great "no one could believe how great it was". He has spent his whole life selling hot air and he thinks he can sell us on anything.
Republican politicians are studying Trump and they admire his enormous capacity to lie with a straight face and have people buy the lies.
10
Pelosi is complicit at this point. The fact that the Democrats haven’t been able to hold the most corrupt administration accountable shows either total incompetence or complicity of leadership. Either way the leadership of the opposition party is now guilty of treason too for its total failure of protecting our republic.
11
When Trump was suspected of not only being aware of but enabling Russian meddling in the 2016 election, he cried out "But Hillary!"
Now when Trump is caught outright manipulation of the Ukraine to investigate a political rival, he cries out "But Biden!"
Enough of this pathetic deflection attempt. FBI found nothing compelling enough to prosecute with Hillary, and there won't be anything enough to prosecute with Biden. TRUMP is the real criminal here. It's like the arsonist who blames another theater patron for starting a fire, all the while he's holding a book of matches.
15
Trump is meeting with President Zelensky at the UNGA on September 25. As one counterintelligence expert has pointed out, if on July 25 Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden, and there was either an implicit or explicit link to military aid for Ukraine, that's a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 201.
If this is what happened, Trump has, in effect, placed himself at Zelensky's mercy, since the Ukrainian President will now have the same kind of hold over him that Vladimir Putin does.
That Donny is some diplomat. When is he going to learn that behaving like a Mafia don doesn't work when you are President?
13
@James when it stops working.
2
Please Speaker Pelosi, give the green light to impeach this man. If treason and extortion are not high crimes, what crimes meet the threshold of impeachable offenses? We have a mob boss sitting in the White House. If the Democrats don't launch impeachment proceedings they deserve to lose the presidency, the House, and the Senate.
189
@nzierler If the democrats try to impeach Trump we will be assured to have four more years of him as they CANNOT convict him! The republican controlled senate will find him not guilty no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary.
3
@jj Refusing to impeach Trump because the Republican controlled Senate has his back is a decision that shows the Democrats' cowardice and politicizing a legal matter. Impeachment is not supposed to be political. It is designed to check unbridled power of the executive branch. Pelosi is willing to abandon a constitutional law requiring the House to impeach a president for crimes and misdemeanors. Does any sane person believe Trump has committed no crimes or misdemeanors?
7
@nzierler If they impeach him--then the Senate throws it out and let's Trump have a pass. Then, if Trump loses the 2020 election--there will be no option to indict him. I for one want to see this man, his swamp and grifter family locked up.
8
i think we can finally say, "trump is done, put a fork in him."
9
@ralph
Yes, done and dusted; he suspects his despicable reign is over, unfortunately he will create chaos on his way out.
As to Biden, he is done as well, as are the corrupt Republican-Lite Pelosi Schumer democrats.
Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders will be the nominee and 46th President.
1
Now Trump has been caught red handed with an offense that is not only impeachable, but could be criminal. If Obama did this, the Republicans would've been screaming for blood. But in this case, they're protecting a POTUS who breaks the law with impunity. It's beyond belief. The outright corruption.
Trump didn't just change the GOP. He has taken the US Constitution and is strangling it. It's about to run out of breath. Where are the heroes who will apprehend Trump and save our Republic? We cannot wait for a 2020 election. This is a paramount emergency for all Americans.
14
Trump has learned that he can't ask his own FBI to delve into Biden's background for weaknesses to exploit, so he's simply tasking other governments to do same. Before Mueller, the president's imagined powers extended to the Department of Justice, which housed his personal attorneys, prosecutors and federal bureau of bodyguards. What good were they if not to investigate, jail and banish his foes. But Russia taught Trump that foreign leaders could take on the task because they were not governed by our pesky laws and some were all to willing to do his bidding, for an eventual price. (But who cares about the costs? He stiffs everyone on his bills.)
There's only one question now. Who is there to show him he's wrong, to enforce the existing laws that make all his evil re-election intentions a vicious violation of both our Constitution and every fair-play, electoral tradition?
5
Two wrongs don't make a right. Look what they did is not a legal defense against your own crimes.
There are no good guys in this story.
The difference now — Trump should be impeached because he clearly is holding funds from the pentagon hostage in order to get a foreign government to attack his political opponents and swing the coming election in his favor. If left alone by Pelosi and the House, this will become status quo for american presidents — use hired goons abroad, direct policy for your own benefit. That is not how a democracy can be sustained. Impeachment must begin.
Meanwhile clearly Hunter Biden receiving high paying jobs from companies in the Ukraine and China which he was not qualified for, after traveling with his VP father to those countries is a smoking gun. I would be dumbstruck if their was a legitimate reason other than influence pedaling or bribery behind such a hire. The case should be investigated by the appropriate law enforcement entity — not Trump's private lawyer Rudy Guiliani.
If the Dems let this drop because the Biden family is one of theirs then they are no better than Trump. Keep Biden at arms length from the House Democrats until and if an investigation clears him and his son. At the same time impeach Trump. Because again this is all about the rule of law and it has to apply to both parties but more urgently to a sitting president breaking the law.
8
@Arthur
It reminds me of a mud-slinging election in Germany a few years ago where a headline read "Ex-Nazi calls Ex-Nazi an Ex-Nazi".
5
Hello, whistle-blower. Please send to Congress a duplicate of your complaint. Thank you.
17
Yeah, that crazy Schiff...always gets bothered when the President defies the law and tries to suppress a report on his irresponsible behavior.
9
@AACNY
And the DNI said he would not follow the law.
4
@Robert
Isn't Schiff the same guy who went on tv numerous times to say that he had seen clear evidence of collusion with the Russians before the Mueller report came out?
And then proceeded NOT to tell Mueller about this evidence?
It is so obvious that this is "Hillary's emails" all over again, and your reporters are falling for it. Journalistic malpractice. You learned nothing in the past 3 years, absolutely nada. Disgusting.
8
I have no proof, but I guarantee that the same technique was used to get Justice Kennedy to resign.
12
Donald Trump probably could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and Mitch McConnell and our republican senators would most likely let him get away with it. Since the day he stood before millions of people and took the oath of office he has been in WAY over his head. He is not at ALL equipped to handle running this country. He entered the office of the Presidency with no idea what the constitution stands for, and has run the country in a manner reflecting that. He doesn’t care about what is truly important, he doesn’t want to be briefed daily on intelligence matters that are crucial to keeping us safe, he stated that “he alone could fix” every problem himself, and as a result, is one of the most dangerous, narcissistic, entitled, and stupid, presidents we have ever had. I suffer from Trump Fatigue and am convinced that he will remain in place until he is voted out. It’s sadly that simple. Mitch McConnell and the republican senate will continue to protect him simply so they can get re-elected, and we Americans have to sit back and watch it play out. He will get away with anything simply because the shameful men and women in our government refuse to do the right thing. I personally don’t care about what Biden’s son did or did not do because Biden’s son is not running for president. I know what oppo-research is, and as usual, Trump allegedly crossed yet another line and has successfully filled another news cycle with his disregard for our country. Sad. Really sad.
14
Trump's regime, along with his filth-driven rhetoric, is not what my father fought for when he was w/the 101st Airborne, Yankee Infantry Div. during World War II. This is what he fought against.
Were he alive to see what my mother - currently residing in South Carolina - had to go through in 2016 just to be able to vote there, he would wonder what country this is.
We all need to get out the vote as well as protect our right TO vote. Each state restricting a citizen's right to vote needs to answer for it.
We also need to see more exposition of Trump's other activities currently under investigation. Interview the people he has defrauded, not all of them signed an NDA. Interview those he's abused and discriminated against.
Interview former casino workers. Cite fines he was issued prior to filing for bankruptcy. If people did not get paid, interview them. Research ALL of his violations of the emoluments clause. Expose All of his business dealings in Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China; & his sweatshops overseas - including China and Mexico, detailing how their low wages and horrid working conditions.
NY's lawsuits vs. Trump, both past and present - including findings Re Fred and Donald when the DOJ investigated their discrimination practices.
EXPOSE each states restrictive voter laws. Interview citizens who could not vote due to the new restrictions AND the quote GOP members' loathsome arrogance and disdain toward those citizens.
NOW while there's still a free press.
19
Good for President Trump if true. Corruption in foreign countries by Americans regardless of whether they are a Biden should not be tolerated and should be brought to light and investigated. When Joe Biden mentions shenanigans while campaigning, hopefully the American voters will recall the Biden ones.
35
@Bill C. This allegation has already been investigated by the Ukrainian authorities and no basis was found for charges. Trump is trying to force the Ukrainians to investigate a closed case to help himself politically, and implicitly holding military aid to Ukraine hostage. That's a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 201.
94
There is far more to indicate corruption on the part of Trump than any speculation about Biden.
84
@Andy Makar
The allegations of "corruption" in a foreign country were investigated. The prosecutor in Ukraine removed by an international effort because of HIS corruption. The allegations against Hunter Biden dismissed. This strikes me as utter desperation, a Hail Mary from the far end of the parking lot. Bribe or coerce a foreign government into digging for dirt on a political opponent. If this is not an impeachable offense, nothing is.
55
Why isn't the Left criticizing the obvious corruption of Joe Biden?
Isn't that the bigger story here?
I'm speaking as a Bernie Sanders supporter.
The big story here is the corruption of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, ie, the establishment.
By ignoring Biden's corruption (and before that, Hillary's) mainstream Democrats are losing all credibility to the vast majority of this country. The entire Republican Party plus about half the Democratic voters.
47
>>> "Why isn't the Left criticizing the obvious corruption of Joe Biden? Isn't that the bigger story here?"
Well, first, the *obvious* corruption is that of Hunter Biden. His father may be involved, but we don't have evidence of that.
As for your second question: No, the apparent corruption of a president weaponizing foreign policy for personal gain is pretty much as big as a corruption story can get, in this country.
83
@Labrador
Because this is not a US government inquiry, it is Trump's personnel inquiry, telling Ukraine to work his his personal attorney, not with Barr the attorney general...
So, if Trump actually did threaten to withhold US military aid unless Ukraine cooperated with is personnel attorney to aid Trump's reelection attempt then that is using Federal military aid to further his private agenda
60
@Douglas absolutely - every bit as serious as a sitting Vice President weaponising US foreign policy to get the head prosecutor of a sovereign state fired for looking into his son’s corrupt business dealings. So I agree the Biden corruption story is a big deal. Let’s give it the same attention the Mueller inquiry got.
2
Time to impeach
11
Just impeach him already smh
11
Trump asked Ukraine to investigate the Biden's because the US media would not and won't. The US media is the shame of our nation and a colossal disgrace.
5
Trump asked for an investigation or he would hold up military aid. That is more corrupt than anything Biden is doing.
The GOP will scream corruption at any perceived Democrat misstep And then tolerates 100 times that by their own
10
Since Trump and Giuliani are so concerned about corruption, I suggest they look in the mirror.
12
Just remember that when Trump opens his mouth it is the best indication that he's about to utter one or more lies, untruths or exaggerations. We have generally been conditioned to believe that if there is wrongdoing that it is done secretly, discreetly and quietly and never in plain sight. Trump has shown us many times now that you can do it openly and thereby implying it could not have been illegal, corrupt and/or ethically wrong. When the substance of the whistleblower complaint become fully disclosed, we will again see that Trump acted illegally and lied.
9
It is a disgrace to our Flag and our Country that the GOP continues to enable this unethical, immoral , cowardly sociopath and his associates. It is shameful to those who fought for our Country against Fascists , against Terrorists that we have this "leader" who supports and enables fascists, extremists, domestic terrorists. But President Bone Spur is the ultimate con man.
13
As usual, Giuliani can't keep his story straight.
10
Benghazi, e-mails has been replaced by Biden's son. It doesn't matter whether or not it is true. Just say it enough and there many dumb enough to believe it.
10
why can't congress ask the head of the Ukraine what was said by thetrump? did thetrump say if you don't do it your country not get US support or funds?
6
@AACNY
Unless the DNI and Barr continue to hold their breath.
4
Trump governs as though he wants to lose the election, and then tries to win the election by cheating.
Sad!
Of course, he dyes his hair and eyebrows blonde and sprays his face with tanning makeup.
9
Trump is a wimp and thug. He thinks if he attacks Joe Biden via his son, Trump will diminish Biden's popularity. It is a lie Trump tells himself. Biden and the Democrats need to bring to the public attention all the corruption Trump and his sons have done getting the financial support from other nations for their own pockets and public office candidacy and once in office. Looks very much like Donald Trump is selling out to Vladimir Putin who wants to overtake and run the United States!
9
I guess the Russians won the cold war after all
9
Is this not the definition of treason and conspiring with a foreign power in attempt to rig the 2020 election??
172
@Eric
Treason is the only crime actually defined in the Constitution.
Article III
Section 3.
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.
7
Eric, Ukraine is not our enemy, and we are not at war. So no, this is not treason. And if talking to a foreign leader in an attempt to win an election is a crime, then every president running for re-election is a criminal.
3
@Eric Short answer, no.
However conspiring with a foreign power or with anyone else for that matter, is considered a crime if it can be proven to defraud the US government; fraud in this case includes the impairment and/or interference with the functioning of any of it's departments.
10
Trump and his administration are like the movie Groundhog Day. We all adjust our reactions to it a little bit each day but the same corruption begins anew with every sunrise.
No one should be surprised if Trump was soliciting the help of a foreign leader in efforts to harm his political opponents because he has a documented history of doing that and is on record saying this kind of stuff is OK, it's just oppo research don't you know.
We should not tolerate it though, none of us.
But some of us in positions of power to change the trajectory from within the Senate are more outraged by the public discovery of the corruption then the actual corruption.
98
If the conversation was appropriate & in the interest of the United States, and NOT Trump, then releasing the transcript should be the most obvious solution to assuage questions raised by the whistle blower and others. So, release it then, Trump.
1112
@Kathryn Aguilar He'll release the transcript. Right after he releases his tax returns.
83
@Kathryn Aguilar
The transcripts are under audit.
53
@Kathryn Aguilar Trump has serious mental health problems that makes him think he can do no wrong. He is grossly unfit for office. Unfortunately Moscow Mitch is simply trying to use the situation to his advantage for as long as possible.
52
I think we all know what Biden did for his son. But, it was another era no different than the Clinton era so it needs to be judged in that context. It was wrong but the bigger problem is Trump trying to dig it up. Yes, the Biden incident was not obsessed over by our media, which is why Joe laid it all out there years later, but again it was a different time and has no relevance here. Back then it was understood politicians can get some side gigs going to help themselves or family members, it was one of the perks, otherwise how do you cash in.
4
Hopefully this is sarcasm.
9
@DJ: Agreed, Biden was absolutely right in threatening to withhold aid to Ukraine unless they fired the prosecutor investigating his son for corrupt activities. And he was fired, proving Biden’s got clout - and strong family values. Biden will make a great President.
4
Here is an expert on Ukraine and Russia, Anders Åslund,
who knows both prosecutors personally that were in office during the time Biden's son worked for the Ukrainian energy company.
He makes it clear that this whole thing is a farce and has no substance to it at all. There is no there there. Read his whole thread of Tweets on this
"Simple facts about the Trump Ukraine affair:
1. Viktor Shokin was prosecutor general from February 2015 to March 2016. He was considered close to President Poroshenko & was considered utterly corrupt. He did not prosecute any high-level person."
https://twitter.com/anders_aslund/status/1175203002870849536?s=20
12
@LibertyLover
I wish the NY Times would tell this side of the story, instead of "both-sides-ing" it to death and making it look like this conspiracy theory has merit.
6
And Eric Holder failed to prosecute anyone involved in the financial meltdown of 2008. Should other countries have pressed for his resignation?
2
What law, exactly, was Holder spozed to prosecute them under?
2
So let me see if I have this right. The unnamed whistle-blower complaint alleges that Trump used leverage in Ukraine (for political gain) to find out about the Biden's use of leverage for personal gain (that would be a son's leverage of his father's position as VP) . Yes, "Give me a lever long enough and I can move the world".
5
I can't believe our House of Representatives and Senate continue to allow Trump remain in office. It is time for for the 25th!
4
@Nathan Here is the problem: Pence and his evangelical base want a theocracy.
Please Vote.
6
Trump won’t be caught because the republicans today aren’t made like the republicans of the 1970s. The only thing we can do is to vote him out of office with a very convincing 300 electoral votes. Anything less will trigger a recount with the republican SCOTUS as the arbitrator.
6
IF Trump did what we all assume he did because it is so like him Trump should be held responsible.
But I like to make another point: what was the Biden-Family thinking when son Hunter accepted a board position in a Ukrainian gas company? A privately held company in a business environment known to be corrupt.
It may all have been legally correct and son Hunter likely has done nothing wrong. BUT in my humble view The Bidens lagged political instinct and even worse: ethical judgement.
And for that reason Mr Biden is not electable.
1
I am not giving up on our government. When enough proof comes out as seems to be happening with the Ukraine story then things will move forward. The Republicans who know but were reluctant to step forward will be forced to move on impeachment. The conservative Dems will either be forced to join in on the impeachment hearings and vote for it, or they will not run in 2020.
4
What Trump is doing asking a foreign leader to investigate an American citizen is third world behavior. What is disturbing is that he is asking the investigation to be done against a political rival son. When are we gong back to be America again? I guess it will be after the results of the first Tuesday of 2020 when he is no longer president.
2
The major question is how many other foreign leaders has Trump contacted to do illegal things against Americans and to help Trump? If history repeats, this is not an isolated incident.
"The only thing new in this world is the history we do not know." Harry Truman.
5
Trump’s latest actions in denying the Ukraine promised (and Congressionally approved) military aid can be viewed of further proof of Trump working in conjunction with Putting to advance Russian goals. Only this time Trump attempted to extract personal political gains as part of a side deal typical of our ever self-dealing President. Trump has been resistant to apply sanctions, as voted on by Congress, on Russia. Why would anyone think Trump would send arms to defend Ukraine from the Russia. It would be an anathema for Trump to supply aid to the Ukraine in an attempt to thwart Russia aggression and plans for absorbing that country. Trump never intended to send military aid but saw the potential of gaining possibly damaging information against political opponent. After the demanded investigation of Biden's son would be completed, and the hopefully damaging material obtained- what use would Trump have for the Ukraine. Taking a page out of Trump's playbook, the Ukraine would fail in the face of the military threat from Russia as well as from Moscow based political machinations in Ukrainian politics. And with the fall of the current Ukrainian government, Trump’s involvement would die along with Ukraine's attempt for a democracy.
2
What whistle blower? The story about Giuliani going over there at Trump/Putin's request to get something on Biden/puppetize the new and very popular President of the Ukraine is not a secret. It isn't even news; or new. It's called RICO. You can look it up or, even better, ask Giuliani about it. Seriously, what happened to Rudy Giuliani? Never mind. Now it's time to quote a line from Bill Clinton's campaign song: "Yesterday's Gone." OUT. All of them. Biden too. I am eager to see what President Zelensky will do. May the next generation of world leaders be as wonderful as he seems.
3
Somewhere, the ghost of Richard Nixon is watching ALL of this and thinking,"Wow, this Trump guy is trying to get away with things I would never consider"
I remember the moral outrage around Watergate, and Trump has done so much more to hurt this country. Yet the only people with a sense of outrage are the 65% of Americans who aren't hard core Republicans. Where's the outrage today, GOP?
160
Now we have Pence implicated, finally.
Consider this: Pence is the evangelical dream President, who will not hesitate one moment to use every trick he has learnt serving in this Administration to advance a theocracy.
Trump/Pence must be voted out.
7
The President has absolutely no moral compass. Can the American system of government overcome this, or is it fatally flawed?
6
Then entire thing sickens me, and what sickens me most, is we are left, once again with picking up the bill, while many of us work hard to mitigate the wind against our own children’s back - college unaffordable, childcare unavailable or unaffordable, and the dangers of medical expenses dangle above our heads like Damocles’s sword. I’m hoping Trump just bet the wrong candidate.
6
Trump’s response is yet another coverup. It’s obstruction, clearly in violation of the law. Pelosi’s calculus on impeachment should simply be what percent of the population will continue to support a President who acts like a dictator.
6
As a Democrat somewhere slightly to the left of center, I have been siding with Nancy Pelosi that we need more evidence to start the trump impeachment process.
My patience has now run out with the Ukraine outrage. For a sitting president to solicit a foreign government to find dirt on his political appointment is blatantly impeachable! I no longer want to hear Democrats in Congress avoid the problem by talking about following the rule of law. It's time to impeach!
8
Seems that Republicans better have a backup candidate.
2
"Republicans were largely silent about Mr. Trump’s calls for a foreign investigation of his political rival."
And this is a major reason why the president does what he does and is able to get away with what he does.
Their silence makes them complicit to the acts of this man.
These folks continue to endorse and support their leader via their silence.
These aren't a few rotten apples in a barrel. The entire orchard is rotten.
Just how valid would a pardon be if it came from an impeached president?
8
When do “we the people” come into focus to the those who control our Government. Because our safety and security do not seem to matter to the Trump Administration or the Congress.
When do the Democrats start having those people who subpoenaed and make a mockery of the hearings held in contempt?
So long as the Republicans and Democrats continue to allow Trump and his sycophants to flaunt our laws, the Constitution and human decency, they will continue to sell our country to the highest bidder. Right now that bidder appears to be Trump.
As Trump has proven our system is rigged
7
The exercise in futility the other day when Lewandowski gave congress the political middle finger pretty much said it all. Subpoenas are of no effect. Making nice is useless. Our representatives of the people in the senate are MIA. Now we have the scene being set to use foreign cyber espionage and an avalanche of lies to steal another election.
Lot of hand wringing going on among the Democratic hopefuls of course. Nevertheless, the president apparently feels free to seize the power that once belonged to congress to enlist the help of foreign heads of state in his criminal endeavors.
Impeachment is a joke--congress cannot even get the documents and evidence to bring that. And if they did, Moscow Mitch would need to side with his puppetmaster, Putin. We no longer have an FBI nor a Department of Justice (justice is becoming an archaic term) now that the AG is firmly in Trump's pocket.
Personally I think it is over. Say goodbye to self governance folks.
8
I’m as anti-Trump as they come and his dealings here are certainly questionable but he has created one positive outcome: Biden is done. That kind of old school conflict of interest politics engaged in by he and his son must be cast into a bygone era. Warren is not tainted by this kind of conduct. It is ironic that it takes someone of Trump’s clearly corrupt ilk to bring it to light. Dems can not win with a tainted candidate like Biden.
4
The only way to get to the truth about Trump's many violations of the Constitution and his obstruction of justice is through the impeachment process. Pelosi was correct when she said we are facing a Constitutional crisis. Trump and his lackeys have stonewalled each request for documents and testimony the House has legitimately requested. Trump's perpetual claim of "executive privilege" is absurd based on any legal precedent, justifiable intention, or qualification.
Trump wants to demonstrate to his devoted fans that he is indeed above the law. Democrats must pull out all the stops and begin the impeachment process. Trump cannot by any means prove as often required that he is withholding information as a matter of national security.
Republicans have already openly defiled the Constitution when Moscow Mitch denied Obama his right to nominate a Supreme Court Justice. We know for certain that the Republican Senate will back the illegal actions of Trump to the bitter end.
Trump is daring Pelosi to impeach because him that is his classic "so sue me" defense. Trump has no credibility with anyone but his rabid fans who will never vote for any Democrat, not ever. That the Senate will never convict Trump is obvious and irrelevant - no president has ever been convicted under impeachment proceedings.
Pelosi must do the right thing and call Trump's bluff by impeaching him. No man is above the law. Force is the only response Trump is capable of understanding. Use it!
6
trump's gunslinging for absolute power has poisoned his presidency. His influence, corrupting all points in government with temporary appointments to rule without checks and balances. trump continues to alienate allies for personal gain and secret meeting with adversaries is "The Red Flag" while congress continues their incompetence. Our trojan horse was voted into the WH in 2017.
5
If Trump sincerely believes an investigation of Biden's son's foreign business activities are legitimate, then surely he would agree to investigate Jared, Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanja's foreign business activities. He would of course further welcome inquiries into his own. Let the investigations begin.
8
Release the call transcript so that Americans can judge it for themselves.
7
Just the fact that Trump is suppressing a valid whistleblowing complaint is enough. Anything else is moot at this point. What he is doing is, once again, criminal obstruction of justice. If he doesn't hand over those transcripts immediately, we need to bring impeachment charges against him. Everyone is sick of him getting away with crimes against the United States of America.
8
This is a serious breach of ethics and law, so Giulini has been brought forth again to distract and defuse as all court jesters have always done. HOWEVER, the president has just deployed American forces [a few] to Saudi Arabia in regards to the drone oil field incidents. Is it possible that POTUS is interested in our being involved in a war that would secure his reelection? Since he has been constantly challenging Iran, I have wondered if this was his goal from the time he pulled out of the Iran agreement. Keep your eyes and ears on what he says and what he does, and what is not a headline, but an underpinning
of his clear and present danger to us. HIS REELECTION.
6
The damage that Trump and his followers are doing to our norms and standards are deliberate and destructive.
The desire for power in order to achieve the greater good is admirable, however, to need power for self-gratification is abominable. Trump's interests are only for himself to the detriment of all.
The most important question is: what motivates those who enable Trump and his ilk? spite? power? money & fame?
Unfortunately, those among us who suffer from cognitive dissonant will keep accepting Trump's lies, double talk, and forever shifting goal posts.
It's time for the majority of Americans to take charge and re-establish rule of law, morality and decency.
6
Pelosi needs to get the impeachment process underway and full speed ahead. Democrats have played nice for much too long. When faced with blatant corruption of the highest magnitude, and even our legal system partly corrupted by Trump's henchmen, there isn't much time left to put a halt to the downfall of our democracy. It's CODE RED time Nancy Pelosi and all Democrats! There are Republicans (not Trumpers) who will support calling this lawless administration to account. Get it done now and save America.
6
"Mr. Maguire and his general counsel decided against providing the complaint to Congress after consulting with Pat A. Cipollone, the White House counsel, according to a person familiar with the move."
"...after consulting with...the White House counsel..."
Obstruction? Us?
If Trump meets with Zelensky, there must be a reliable witness there to let us all know what they discussed. Zelensky seems to be an admirably honest person. That is demonstrably not true of Trump.
5
Finally, I agree with Trump on something! Biden’s twisted family saga is disconcerting. It is one of the many reasons I will not vote for him. This is a repeat of the last election with Trump and “crooked” Hilary. Democrats are handing Trump the election if they nominate Biden.
7
How much more corruption, indecency, and injustice can this man inflict before he is removed? He will leave a stain over the presidency that will take decades to cleanse.
10
I'm sure Mitch McConnell has been all over this trying to get to the truth.
9
Trump and Giuliani , Americas Horse and Pony act. Where is our shame much less the outrage.
I feel as a country we need reminding that this behavior apart from being illegal,is Not OK, nor is it normal.
I would urge every American to write to their Congress person demanding that they take action, nothing short of our Democracy is at stake.
9
"Give an inch, take a mile."
This apt saying captures President Trump's behavior as well as any other characterization, and it is natural for humans to get what they can get when they can; so I understand the president's overreach.
The president was given "an inch" by the American people when some of them voted for the President even though it was in the public record that he assaulted women and provided real estate opportunities for people with ill-gotten gains.
He was further given "an inch" when President Barack Obama, failed to warn the American public that President Trump has some seriously questionable business practices and connections to Russian mobsters; but this was classified "counter-intelliogence" so I guess his hands were tied.
The Bob Mueller Report gave "an inch" to the President by playing along with William Barr to allow the Report to be spun by the White House counter-narrative: "no collusion..." all the while a president can be impeached for civil, and not just criminal, infractions of the law.
And now, the President has taken "a mile" by brazenly posing a quid pro quo to the Ukrainians if they investigate the Bidens.
However, the President has taken his "mile" way back when he held private meeting with Mr. Putin and destroyed the translator's notes.
Our country should be done with Mr. Trump; impeach now! Vote November 2020.
6
Seems the total European nations and the USA asked for the Ukraine prosecutor to be removed for his many corruption charges. Biden was not the guy to ask for this. Actually, if you wanted a guy to not investigate you the prosecutor was the guy.
Trump was willing to remove military protection from Ukraine for his own political needs. This, after he tried earlier to remove Russian sanctions. Putin is tired of winning!
If this is true it will be very difficult for the repubs to not act against Trump. If true it is an example of how stupid or out of touch Trump is to get involved with a foreign government a day after the mueller report.
61
@RichardHead wrong. It will be VERY easy for the Republicans to just sit on their hands. again. Why? Because Nancy Pelosi is feckless. SHE HAS TO GO !!!!!
3
@RichardHead This wa left out of the NYT's article "The total European nations and the USA asked for the Ukraine prosecutor to be removed for his many corruption charges."
3
Hmmm....I guestion any truth to it if the WSJ is the paper that broke the stroy. WSJ is so pro trump. Remember the WSJ just so happened to be on the oil tanker when it was hit last fall.
there has to be a tape? a transcript? air it out.
we need an impeachment march on washington, people need to vent their outrage.
3
I’m losing patience with the paper’s overly cautious language when referring to Trump. First they refuse to call lies “lies.”
Now in its coverage of this scandal, wherein the facts are already known, they talk about a “dispute as to whether” Trump abused his power. There’s no “whether “ here—the facts show a clear pattern of corruption, even before we know the details of the complaint. Why the hedging?
Likewise, I hate the use of the phrase “freewheeling style” when referring to Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders in which he bullies, is inappropriate and unethical and downright corrupt. These euphemisms are contributing to the perception that there’s a real debate about whether he’s doing illegal things. There isn’t. The only debate is about when the laws will be enforced and by whom.
I expect better of you, NYT.
6
That’s funny...I’m losing patience with people who wanna be spoonfed, and didn’t bother to vote.
@Omerta101
The NYT is not a law enforcement agency.
2
Correct. Their business is exposing the facts fearlessly. The facts don’t require sanitizing after they’ve been established. I’m a subscriber who considers the Times the best newspaper in the world, hence my high standards.
2
Behind smoke screens of endless nauseating lies, obstructions, and petty law delays. This un elected, electoral college appointment, continues to Make America, and the world, wretch.
Putin is doing very well with his puppet.
While green house gas, fossil fuel industry honchos, and other greed heads shower him with money, he grosses good people out, doing his obscene rumba to entertain republican gullibles and howlers.
The American voters 'outright' rejected him by 3,000,000 ballots in favor of Mrs Clinton. 10,000,000 ballots overall if counting votes that went to all other candidates.
7
I have no words anymore except for the one, despair.
5
It’s obvious that this guy thinks he’s a mob boss.
Where is Elliot Ness when we need him?
7
Ukrainian issues factor too much into the never-ending Trump saga. What’s going on here?
1
We are well past WHETHER Trump should be impeached. I concede it is unlikely, and even if he is, that the Senate would convict. But at LEAST the process will cost the GOP a couple of House and Senate members. That's no small thing. It will NOT cost the Democrats.
So it seems Trump will be on the ballot in November 2020. And when Trump refuses to leave office in January 2021, we should be ready with the Federal Marshals and handcuffs.
I don't worry that Trump will probably enjoy the spectacle. I certainly will.
Mark this on your calendars:
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?msg=2021%20Presidential%20Inauguration&p0=263&ud=1&year=2021&month=1&day=20&hour=0&min=0&sec=0&fromtheme=generic
5
Debilitating narcissism aside, Trump is incompetent to be president because he sees everything as a business deal, and, he's a terrible businessman. This specific example clearly shows he's treating foreign powers as business entities that he can partner with to raid, topple, pressure, pick your vowel an enemy "business" aka Joe Biden, into submission. Clearly he's threatened by Biden, so dig up some dirt! Who cares that there are rules against that when it comes to government service.
9
We have reached the point that if Congressional Republicans don't investigate Trump's corrupt efforts then they should either resign or be charged with high treason.
9
For Democrats to make this a major campaign issue amounts to crashing the Biden campaign, kamikaze-style, in hopes of taking out Trump's in the process. They well know that Biden's campaign won't survive the antiseptic of sunlight on his kid's grifting ways.
5
Trump, per usual, is off target. He has risked his presidency in order to smear Biden's son in a futile attempt to help him in 2020. It is Elizabeth Warren he needs to worry about, she is the one who is going to thump him in that general election if this last bit of treason and treachery doesn't oust him before that.
3
Oh that scamp, Donny, what's he up to today? Conspiring with foreign powers to defeat rival candidates? Oh, we're gonna have to discipline him at some point...what, we have to run off to the Hamptons? Donny, we have to go now, be a good boy.
3
So now, whatever false accusation that Trump makes against Democratic candidates can "cut two ways," according to the Times' adjacent article.
5
Has anyone considered this is trump’s way of hurting Biden in Iowa because he fears Biden most?
Biden is only top contender who negates trump planned strategy of calling Dems socialists who will take your money and give it to other people. True or not it is trump’s best chance to win.
Important to notice how much reporting is softening on trump and now saying no proof of stated quid pro quo like no proof of conspiracy with Russia in 2016 while more comments are now questioning Biden as Democratic nominee.
This is all so Roy Cohn
6
Apparently Nixon was right: if the President does it, it's not illegal. The difference between then and now? Today's Republican Senators have more fear of Trump's political power in primaries than they do love for their country.
37
Why aren't we all in D.C. protesting rather than sitting behind our computers? We need an Obama (or someone like him) to organize us. I'm too old to do it, but I guess I still could.
27
That fine Episcopalian gentleman, Robert Muller, clearly blew it with his lengthy investigation: no looking very deeply at the bankrupt Trump's sources of funding, or his taxes, or his campaign chief's giving polling data to the Russians, etc. So now, Trump thinks he is in the clear.
28
I'm not buying it. Trump's real goal in holding up funds to the Ukraine was to pay tribute to his patron in Moscow. Trump knows there's no 'there there' with respect to Biden's son, and even if there were, reflection on Biden himself would be fairly attenuated.
I smell a red herring. We don't know what the truth is yet; we may never know. But you can bet that it's a whole lot worse than what we're being led to believe.
32
So I don’t quite understand Biden’s involvement. Maybe we should investigate that too, fine, but Trump should go now. If Biden needs to step down that ok by me too.
13
And Biden's Healthcare plan is to defer to the wisdom and righteousness of corporate America.
Who will be on those boards?
A related travesty is linguistic.
Russian and Ukrainian mega rich are called "oligarchs"--from a Greek etymon "rule of a few" but implying "rule of the rich", since the rich can't stand out if they are a multitude.
American mega rich are referred by their wealth-- "billionaires"etc. -obscuring or hiding their political power.
Economic power is inherently political/economic, since it must be the product of property tax and labor law which it works to create. In both oligarchic Russia and oligarchic America it's rule BY and FOR the mega rich. It's only rule OF the common people (contrary to Lincoln).
But American oligarchy is camouflaged by the smokescreens of "democracy' and "freedom". Common people do not rule in the USA. And "freedom" there means "free from government FOR the people"--creating oligarchy. Now employing Biden and son.
8
"Who will be on those boards"? Then you proceed to tell us.
Assume much?
2
This is a bipartisan cesspit of corruption.
Trump's apparent efforts to weaponize US aid to Ukraine to pry loose negative information on Biden's family has to be the clearest impeachable offense (that we know about) to date. Nancy Pelosi should stop dithering right now.
On the other hand, those of us who have been watching Ukraine carefully since before the US-assisted coup have long known that Hunter Biden's involvement with Burisma is deeply suspect. He was retained, for handsome compensation, as an advise on regulatory issues related to natural gas production and transportation, a field in which he was not even close to qualified -- or even particularly knowledgeable, as far as can be determined. The relationship was established at a time when his father was both US VP and the Obama administration's point man on Ukraine.
There are, pretty obviously, no clean hands in this mess.
18
He was basically hired to do PR, ace.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/may/07/viral-image/fact-checking-joe-biden-hunter-biden-and-ukraine/
I haven’t been following this that closely. Even before this latest crisis in his crisis-riddled Presidency, I knew that Trump is incapable of even thinking about anything but his own brand; and that there’s no bar to low he won’t try to slither under it if by doing so we can bolster his own brand.
But, speaking of low bars, I do have a question. Has anyone else noticed that A. G. Barr has been awfully quiet about this?
11
In addition to illegally using his office to seek political advantage, this is another indication that Trump may well be beholden to Moscow. Certainly, his actions would support Russian aggressive.
13
That makes no sense. Pressuring Ukraine to investigate potentially corrupt arrangements with Hunter Biden is wrong for obvious reasons, but there's no basis for simply assuming that it has anything to do with Russia.
Of course, much of America is conditioned to assume that almost everything evil is somehow related to Russia and the fact that it is irrational to do so makes no difference at all.
Democrats need to hold in contempt and ARREST those Trump enablers who stonewall Congress, period. Grow a spine already!
19
The problem is any contempt charges by Congress would have to be enforced and prosecuted by the Justice Dept. Barr won't bother. Then what could Pelosi do?
3
As a former journalist I would suggest a more accurate headline would have included "reported to", "alleged" or "according to unnamed sources" The article clarifies the headline, but that does not rectify it, and what may or may not be fact, and, if not, comes closer to libel than good reporting.
6
You don't know what The Times has that is confidential. Their information may have even corroborated by a new "Deep Throat" in addition to others. People make so many assumptions in these comments.
A defense of libel is truth. Additionally per the 1964 Sullivan Case, the bar for public officials to sue for libel is EXTREMELY high and next to impossible to adjudicate. Any decent former journalist knows that.
1
Since you’re a reporter, I bet you’d be the guy to ask: why’d they repeatedly use a phrase like, “according to,” and what’s the actual definition of libel?
Oh, and for extra credit...shouldn’t a reporter be more interested in whether the story’s true than attacking the newspaper?
This is what a Mafia-led country looks like. Corruption and self-dealing in all matters of the state. Trump presides over a disgusting fall into the abyss.
15
I think that Democrats would be happy that wrong-doing by the Biden’s is investigated before the Democrat primaries. Trump is doing them a favor.
11
@Richard Wright The Bidens’ potential wrongdoing should be investigated by the FBI, not by Donald Trump, especially when it involves conflation with his own political fortunes.
2
I am.
Donald Trump is, by far, the most corrupt and the most incompetent US President ever. Shame on us for allowing this grifter into the White House. It is to our lasting shame.
24
Trump is a criminal. We need to do everything that we can to get this man his cohorts out of power and face the repercussions of their actions. That starts with impeachment. What other option do we have !!!
14
Enough. Impeach. Immediately.
20
Considering how frequently Trump and Giuliani lie, you would think they'd be more skillful at it.
1442
@jg
They don't care that people know they are lying.
Their followers don't care if they are lying.
Republicans don't care about the lies.
That is why this is so dangerous.
Anti-heroes, lacking in heroic qualities, acting out of self-interest, defying conventional ethical codes, morals, laws and norms. Fans and followers live vicariously through that behavior and worship them for it. The more egregious they are the more applause, praise, defense and undying love they receive.
Terrifying and fascinating.
109
@angel98
Yes! And because there haven’t been consequences, they get bolder and bolder.
64
@jg
It’s worked for them so far.
Vote every republican out a d primary every democrat that helps protect these thugs.
48
For two and a half years I watched silently as the country I served in the USMC seems to be relinquishing its democracy to Donald Trump.
By my tally, we have a House of Rep that refuses to impeach, a Senate that wouldn’t convict, a Justice Dept that won't indict, an FBI that refuses to investigate, witnesses who refuse to testify, an IG who is afraid to blow the whistle, and a Supreme Court that won't compel.
Perhaps the most disgraceful act belongs to former Sec of Defense and USMC Gen Mattis who QUIT rather than call for the 25th amendment.
Hmmmm.. for 5 years I was taught Marines don't QUIT. We serve the country, not corrupt politicians.
Bottom line? The wily con man Trump is free to run the country as it suits his real estate business.
Based on past performance, the 2020 election will be “postponed” due to a concocted, national emergency leaving no way out of this emerging oligarchy.
Incredibly, 36% still support Trump. I guess democracy has become obsolete.
3465
@John Harris Jr. my respectful advice is that we all better start learning Russian after Trump turns the US over to Putin.
68
@John Harris Jr.
36% is a minority - Democracy isn't obsolete. But the voters sure have a lot of cleanup to do. Democracy is messy sometimes.
131
@John Harris Jr.
the question i keep asking -- and no news source seems interested in finding out -- is why this slavish allowance of dear leader's depradations by, well...everyone.
Do none of those agencies/institutions want to preserve their own power? Do none of them have self-esteem?
The point of a three-sided government was that each would jealously guard their powers against the others. That seems to have gone by the boards here ... everyone is afraid of dear leader, or is invested in helping him along.
Why?
318
What if the whistle blower story is a plant so we will talk about Biden’s son and sow doubt about some potential scandal there? Seems like a Roy Cohn sort of play.
12
W/ Trump using his official power as POTUS in conducting foreign policy to target Joe Biden, we may have his most explicit attempt to make govt into his own personal political tool for hurting his political enemies, part of a trend with him/GOP I note here https://realcontextnews.com/trump-gop-destroying-the-pillars-of-democracy/
16
A veritable Geek tragedy: The sins of the son’s are visited on the father. VP Biden’s campaign can diffuse this quickly with a “60 Minutes” interview with Hunter Biden fessing up to his missteps - if any - and asking forgiveness, followed by a hard attack on Trump and his many, many “beautiful”, “tremendously” illegal violations.
The public will be with the VP. Mr. Biden’s real challenge is his belief that running as a “centrist” will be successful. It won’t. Trump’s corruption just proves it. Sheldon Adelson and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross - Trump fund raisers both - also represent the Democratic establishment. The country needs decoupling from this corrupt culture and a restructuring of the system.
11
Can someone please explain why Trump and Giuliani have not been arrested and charged with any number (or all) of the violations they have so apparently committed? Precedent is no excuse as I see it; the rule of law must dominate. We are deep in the heart of a world-shaking national crisis that imperils the entire American government structure and the worldwide balance of power. This is not a time for niceties; we are in the midst of an existential disaster, and Democrats can be sure that Republicans will neither play nice nor, most likely, play by the rules.
17
I find it amazing that this president seems to think that when he conflates his re-election mudslinging with U.S. Foreign Policy, that he is serving the country. I can think of a word beginning with "TR" and and ending with "N" that describes this kind of behavior. Trump needs to remember that while the wheels of justice turn very slowly, they also turn in an extremely fine manner in which ultimately nothing escapes proper scrutiny. Adam Schiff continues to be one of my heroes for his refusal to bow to partisan pressure in his handling of this and similar matters.
15
By not impeaching Trump, the Democrats essentially give political cover to Trump and the GOP. After all, all this can't be that important if Trump is not impeached. I think the greatness of this country has ended which is ironic since Trump's slogan was Make America Great Again.
12
A note to Speaker Pelosi:
Please lead. I understand your concern that impeachment could threaten new purple-state members, and that the Senate is unlikely to convict---so it is on you to make the case to the American people.
If these news stories are further substantiated, it is imperative that you begin impeachment hearings immediately. And that you and other Democratic members explain to voters exactly what is at stake if Trump is allowed to continue his assault on the Constitution.
Trump's lawlessness is open, blatant and increasing. It's up to you to stop him. Let Republicans worry about explaining why they support him.
18
This is the scandal that can take Trump and Biden out of any real contention for the Presidency in 2020. Ironically, both Democrats and Republicans can pursue this one.
12
1. Rudolph Giuliani, hereinafter RG, is not a government official.
2. RG is a private citizen of the United States and cannot represent it in or before a foreign government.
3. RG is a personal attorney for Trump.
4. RG did not act in the capacity of an attorney in this matter nor does he have any claim to immunity, nor did he act on behalf of the United States.
5. RG attempted to suborn a foreign government.
6. RG attempted to cause a foreign government to initiate a criminal investigation of one or possibly two U.S. Citizens.
7. RG represented himself as representing the president of the United States outside any governmental channel and solely for the political benefit of the president.
8. In all these actions RG violated U.S. statutes, including the Logan Act.
9. RG is therefore subject to indictment, prosecution, conviction and imprisonment by the United States of America.
10. This criminal charge should proceed forthwith.
25
Giuliani is Trump's personal lawyer and should be called to testify before Congress. It is my understanding that "executive privilege " applies only to State related confidences between the President and his advisors.
12
Donald may know who the whistle blower is or he may just assume that they are "partisan" because they are reporting his possible criminal activity. The idea that the person may be a courageous individual doing what they know is right would never occur to him. In his view, the person is just a rat. I hope they will be protected.
7
The whistleblower was smart enough to follow the rules; to protect himself perhaps but to also add credibility to his reporting. Running to the press would have diminished the strength and severity of the charges.
1
The USA is in trouble, and we citizens are the trouble.
We don't want to look below the surface of politicians for the party we favor.
We only want to look below the surface of politicians for the party we don't favor.
"We have seen the enemy and he is us!"
7
We choose truth over facts.
Well the truth and the facts are the same here , Biden has profited from China and the Ukraine like no other .
Total FRAUD.
2
Well, I guess this speaks to the question of Trump eliciting Russian interference in the 2016 election. If it worked then, why not do it again in 2020?
13
Biden is too much like Trump to beat him.
This episode makes both candidates look corrupt. Why is the son of a U.S. vice president on the board of a Ukrainian company, while that Vice President is involving himself in the INTERNAL affairs of that country? Why is Trump asking foreign governments for help in U.S. elections. Biden's corruption will be used to hide Trump's treason.
Republicans will call Bernie a socialist. They will call Biden a "corrupt, socialist, plagiarist."
Biden has a tenuous hold on the truth, touches people inappropriately, and has a long history of helping global banks over U.S. workers.
We need a contrast with Trump to win, not mini-Trump.
Biden is literally "lesser evil." Everyone knows that lesser evil is still evil. Anyone willing to vote for lesser evil is willing to vote for greater evil.
The left is not going to hold their nose to vote for a Democrat, if that Democrat says vote for "lesser evil" so we can find "common ground" with a Party full of white supremacist terrorist sympathisers, who want to shred the Constitution.
If Democrats nominate Biden, turnout will go down more and Trump will win.
This is a base election. Bring out the base to overwhelm the electoral college and get 60 votes in the center.
Declaring that you can't do that before the election is called surrender. The left and moderates are all sick of the corporate center surrendering on our behalf.
Stay out of the way, or FIGHT TO WIN!
8
Many in our country saw nothing wrong in Trump asking the Russians to produce Hillary's missing emails even when our intelligence agencies pointed out that soon afterwards the Russians hackers increased their activities. That same group feels it's okay to pressure another country's leader to investigate the son of a political rival. When is this tyrant going to be stopped?
14
Ive been against impeachment... until now. We need to impeach. Sure, the senate wont convict and it’ll therefore be largely symbolic. So let it be: let it serve as a record for the history books. Let it show who in the Republican senate stood against their own country and supported autocratic rule.
22
Trump didn't just "ask" for an investigation.
He threatened to withhold U.S. to Ukraine if they didn't do what he said.
Big man, small stick.
11
The issue in this situation and all the others is the GOP senators turning a blind eye. Pick a topic. All the same. Equal to taking back the white house, is taking back the senate. Which can be done & should be of equal priority. They are one in the same. I don't care if it's Bernie or Warren, if McConnell is in charge nothing will get done, no judgeships approved, etc.........Democrats better field strong center left candidates in Ga. (both), Texas, MT, and NC. These are winnable races in addition to those that the Dems have a strong chance to flip as it stands now.
5
Trump got away with it the first time while the whole country watched with mouths agape. Why wouldn't he do it again? He's been embolden , if that's possible without causing his already huge head to explode. Heaven forbid!
8
The President (or more precisely, his enablers) will say that foreign policy matters are uniquely entrusted to the executive branch, so everyone should sit quietly and not bother to ask questions about this. But can someone please explain to me how a President asking a foreign country to investigate the President's political rival is a bona fide "foreign policy" matter? I'm sure if Obama asked a foreign country to dig up dirt on Trump (under the threat of withholding benefits) Republicans would shrug it off and say 'just a President exercising his executive branch prerogatives." Yeah, right.
7
There must be more involved then Trump, because I don’t think he has the sole power to withhold aid?
4
How many more high crimes and misdemeanors does Congress have to know about before it acts on the scoundrel sitting in the White House. Trump's behavior is obscene and should be stopped.
5
US aid to Ukraine to battle Russia is a dangerous provocation to war, no? That approach sure seems to be a revitalization of the Cold War mentality.
Why is that not a central focus of the story?
Because it would put Trump in a favorable light.
Once again, progressives are being manipulated by the Democratic DNC establishment.
1
@Bill Wolfe - Focus on this Palace intrigue makes debate over Biden' role in disastrous US policy in Ukraine & NATO - a revival of the Cold War - impossible.
Just what the "deep state" (AKA "military industrial complex" - a phrase created by former General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, certainly no peacenik - wants.
In the 2016 election, a previous presidential candidate used a foreign intelligence official to investigate her political rival, and the Obama administration also asked foreign governments to help spy on the candidate, along with the U. S. Intelligence community, including the F.B.I.
The precedent had already been set, thanks to President Obama, Hillary Clinton and the DNC.
1
This is what you call a test of our democracy. I wonder what the republicans will do? I’m guessing nothing.
5
Where is all the Republican outrage about this incident? Are the GOP senators and Reps hiding in their offices, afraid to walk down the halls for Congress, afraid of being stopped by the media for their feelings on this? Why are they not speaking out about this?
The GOP is in moral decay. This country has been in total chaos since 1/20/17. Every week is a new chaotic event created by Trump. Rudy G makes sure he gets his conspiracies theories out there before most of us citizens even know what is going on. He wants us to “look over there, not over here”.
Trump got away with his stunts in 2016 in regards to Russian interference in our election. He is trying to do it again.
6
It is baffling that the current view is the need for smarts in the coming debate and election. Elizabeth Warren no doubt with a tome of information and history would put her at the very front of the pact. However, Trump who knew nothing and knows even less won the nomination for the Republicans. His ugly take no prisoners and laws be dammed approach cannot be overcome with what may be considered common sense or even smarts. If Trump is not severely damaged by an investigation into the universe of many “ills” by an impeachment inquiry he would be able to do it all over again, with outside help of course.
6
This is a tipping point. He gets away with this, and the new quote will have to be “There’s no law west of the Anacostia, and no God west of 14th Street”.
6
"Mr. Trump also repeatedly told the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, to talk with his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, who had been urging the government in Kiev to investigate Mr. Biden and his family, according to two other people briefed on the call."
This President allegedly requesting a foreign leader to talk to his consigliere (Giuliani who went on Fox News and alluded to Comey's restart of Hillary email investigation 10 days before 2016 election) - YEAH, I TOTALLY BELIEVE this President improperly used the power of his office to conspire with foreign leader to lend credibility to the next Giuliani smear campaign to be again hosted by Fox News.
NOR AM I SURPRISED that Freedom Caucus Founder and Sycophant for the New York Trump Family is already labeling this as Fake News. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio: “It’s not like we haven’t seen this movie before. Democrats come out, they’re all spun up, Adam Schiff makes all kinds of statements, and then when the facts come out -- Whoa, different story! This seems to be the same kind of deal."
The People may have a champion from the Republican ranks. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, a member of the House Intelligence Committee:
“(Subpoenaing the president's phone records is) certainly on the table. When I say that I want to protect congressional oversight, I really mean that.”
3
Where is the straw that breaks the camel's back? When does the GOP and FOX News decide to stop enabling a man who clearly is destroying the very fabric that supports their way of life? How can his donors, you know who you are, continue to give this man cover. What will it take? Just examining who Trump surrounds himself with should be caution enough to imply we are headed down the wrong trail.
4
Enough is enough is enough. Trump should resign now and congress must impeach.
8
@Hugh Jazz Yea, maybe he can strike a deal where he steps down and gets immunity for all his crimes. That would be a disaster for the future of the country. OK, not likely, thanks heaven.
Of course Trump is involved in an illegal attempt to dig up dirt on the Bidens. But, the dirt on them is real. It was not like the Ukraine was picked at random by Hunter to ply his “skills”. Nor was his working for MBNA right out of law school.
After four years of Trump we really do not need another family that uses political power for their personal enrichment. Go home Joe.
4
I was showing a first time visitor around DC yesterday, and as we immersed ourselves in the history and architecture of this national gem, I could not help but be repulsed by the thought of Trump, McConnell and others in this administration sullying our Capital. Their unworthiness is nauseating, a slap in the face to Americans devoted to our constitution and our way of life. It is heartbreaking and angering in equal parts.
6
Whatever you think Trump has done illegally, triple it and you may begin to approach the truth.
8
How does this not qualify as “high crimes and misdemeanors”?
4
Putting pressure on a foreign power to inflict damage on a political rival is the definition of treason. Not only does Trump need to be impeached, he needs to be locked up for the rest of his rotten life.
7
"Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said that when Congress added the funds for 2019, Zelensky was an unknown among U.S. lawmakers. “It was entirely reasonable,” he said, “that the United States spend a couple of months getting to know him, figure out if he was pro-Russian or pro-Western.”
"In a statement Thursday, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said he called Trump on Wednesday night and asked him to release the security funds for Ukraine, thanking him for doing so and calling Zelensky “a strong ally of the United States.”... WaPo, Sept. 12, 2019. See: "Trump, facing another bipartisan rebuke, frees aid for Ukraine to battle Russian separatists."
What a tangled white priviledge mess we have here! Ousted Russian Oligarch hiring a college lobbyist who just happens to be son of American Vice President, for complicated oil and gas pipeline across fiefdom rich fossil-fuel pipeline territory. Harvesting plunder is always complicated and requires careful staffing with who's who of "influentials". Just ask Manafort. What a playland for the rich and connected to sponge up the wealth and pontificate about freedom simultaneously.
I suppose the best we can hope for is that fast shootin', loose cannon, criminal, stunted, uninformed, mafia-esque, chaos whisperer Trump, inadvertently takes out himself and Biden too. A two for one might be best for all.
7
When Pence was in Poland recently, and asked about his discussion with Zelensky, and whether he can assure Ukraine that the hold-up of money has absolutely nothing to do with efforts, including by Rudy Giuliani, to try to dig up dirt on the Biden family, this is what Pence said:
“But as President Trump had me make clear, we have great concerns about issues of corruption. And, fortunately, President Zelensky was elected decisively on an anti-corruption message....and I also told him that I would carry back to President Trump the progress that he and his administration in Ukraine are making on dealing with corruption in their country.”
The code word “corruption” is used to imply indirectly for an investigation into Biden, which Trump had asked for repeatedly, indicating that Biden was “corrupt”. Since when does Trump care about corruption in any foreign country, much less his own?
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-vice-president-pence-president-duda-poland-joint-press-conference-warsaw-poland/
7
You don’t need an investigation to know Bidens used US policy to Ukraine in order to gain wealth for his family.
5
The message that Trump sends to this and future generations: You can steal, collude, be corrupt, rape, assault, imprison children, undermine, destroy the air, land and water, shred the Constitution, ignore federal and state laws, profit illegally, break the emoluments clause, laugh while lackeys go to prison, force underlings to break the law for you, and pay off porn stars, and get away with it all. No one cares, people will talk endlessly about it on TV, write billions of words about it in newspapers, magazines and online, debate the destruction of Democracy ad nauseam, and any and all of his monstrous misdeeds will be forgiven. Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
8
To borrow from a quip that famously characterized Trump’s media savvy private lawyer: Every sentence out of Biden’s mouth should be a noun and a verb and “Trump’s corruption.”
Lets practice, shall we?
Q, “Vice President Biden, as you know, this morning the President tweeted that Ukraine-gate is ‘the biggest scandal since Benedict Arnold stormed the airports at Gettysburg. What do you say to that?’”
A, “I say ‘gimme a break, because it’s a bunch of malarky, and the American people know it. They know that Trump is the most corrupt person ever to get anywhere near the presidency. They’re much smarter than Trump thinks they are. They know that what happened here was that President Trump manipulated our country’s foreign policy to falsely smear me instead of doing the job the American people hired him to do. They know that he’s getting rich off of their money - off of every hard working person in the country - while trying to take away their healthcare. Trying to take away protections for people with preexisting conditions. Trying to kick people’s kids off of their parents policies the day they turn 18.
And when he meets with foreign leaders, he trying to get business for his hotels instead of focusing on protecting the country. He isn’t thinking about what will make our families safe, he’s thinking about how he can use his office to line his pockets..”
There. Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?
8
So that's "coordination" to influence the election, right? What Mueller was looking for.
3
Of course there won’t be explicit “quid pro quo”. Criminals do not operate that way. Mere mentioning of what Trump wants, during any discussion of the military aid, does the trick. Other side knows exactly what it means.
Zelensky: Mr President, we need your help in getting American military help urgently.
Trump: I know, I know, but there is one thing that bothers me greatly, I think Biden’s son business in Ukraine could be investigated.
Is that explicit “quid pro quo”? No! But is it clear enough for Zelensky to get the message? You bet!
2
“Someone ought to look into Joe Biden,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Friday in response to a question about his call with Mr. Zelensky.
Doesn’t this sound exactly like what Trump said in asking Russia to investigate Hillary’s emails?
4
What a waste of time reporting on this is. Trump and crew are obviously suffering from psychopathy. They don't care. They will ignore these accusations and investigations and will just appeal and counter sue until the bitter end, which will most likely be when the new president is inaugurated. Oh, and there will be no "lame duck" presidency with him. He will issue new executive orders and revoke those o f former presidents until the last possible second.
No, the only way to put this to an end is to impeach him. Short of that, prepare for the worst.
9
This is another example of how the wealthy Republican oligarths of this country support him and don't care what he says so long as his political agenda is pro-business. Avoid, deny, deflect anything negative.
Then there are his supporters. The folks in the swing states who voted for him: statistically you believe anything he says (regardless of how back-and-forth his position), accept his fear tactics (especially on immigrants), laugh at his name-calling (grateful it's not directed at you!), addicted to his trade bail-outs, enjoy having an authoritarian mob-boss in charge, and exclusively watch Fox News as your only news source. How did Trump figure out how to get that combination to win? He has a friend in Russia who unleashed information at just the right time to help him deny, deflect, and get nastier.
4
“'Someone ought to look into Joe Biden,' Mr. Trump told reporters."
Virtually every time he opens his mouth, Donald Trump debases the Presidency and demonstrates his unfitness to hold it. However, this remark should not be lost in the deluge. This is the President of the United States, without a shred of evidence, tossing off an accusation that a political rival is corrupt.
Don't the words of a President matter any more? Our system is a balance, and I fear that it won't work at all if the players, the President first and foremost, don't act with a baseline of responsibility and decency.
6
"itself the subject of an internal administration dispute over whether to hand it over to Congress, as generally required by law"....
come on NYT, this is a black and white issue. Intelligence community whistle blower complaints are required by law to go to Congress....it is the law.
5
Ultimately, Trump's overreach with the Ukrainian president should spell the beginning to the end of Trump as president.
We can no longer give legitimacy to Trump, continuing as if what he does is 'normal, ratioinal, intuitive behavior.
We must put an end to the normalization of Trump's behavior, all that "Trump being Trump nonsense' we've witnessed for close to three years.
And it has to start with the Republican Party taking responsibility for their inaction, their allowing Trump to run the White House as if he's working from Trump Tower or Mar a Lago.
Their sycophantal behavior will continue to mirror what Europe witnessed during 1930's Europe, their taking a blind eye attitude and bootstepping behind a leader simply to allow them to keep their jobs.
But, because what they are a part of clearly stands in the crosshairs of History, they will forever wear it as their legacy, and into eternity, and one their party and family members will forever be tasked to explain away in humiliating embarrassment.
5
Trump will sell america to china and russia to win an election. He will hack, use propaganda, cheat, assume absolute power indefinitely, and use any other means to keep power. He controls the senate, supreme court, lower courts, cia and fbi. They are all Trump and GOP arms. The 2020 election is going to be very ugly with a lot of mudslinging, lies, misinformation, false and negative ads, halloween characters screaming ‘lock him(or her) up’ from trump and his supporters. They will use mexicans, muslims and colored people as scapegoats. His gop supporters dont care about democracy, corruption on racism. Some of them are racist, and others enable racism
3
I'm particularly impressed with how well the Times manages to cover this story about Trump while managing to wall off the underlying Biden corruption inquiry with a fleeting acknowledgment of Hunter Biden's "interest" buried deep in the article, brushed off with no further examination by Biden's bare assertion that the allegations about his son are baseless. Well, all right, then. Move along. Nothing here to see.
3
@hmi, did you read the stories that already came out about Biden? This is old news. He wasn't working unilaterally on this, and his son was not the only reason to request the removal of that prosecutor, who was unpopular even among Ukrainians for *not bringing enough* corruption charges. So yeah, real convenient for Biden. Definitely could have sworn off anything Ukrainian related, just because of the optics. Still doesn't excuse Trump.
1
When, Pelosi, do you think this man’s crimes will amount to enough for you to start the impeachment process? If not this con man then when would you ever consider impeachment?
5
As a Republican, I think Trump did what he often does: act foolishly. If a Democrat did this, I'd be just as disappointed and hammer him or her for it. Trump can not be trusted. He continues to demonstrate he doesn't have the integrity to be POTUS. This is sleazy third-world stuff.
7
That this president is corrupt and should be impeached is beyond question is not news. On the other hand, the words lobbying, Ukraine, Biden in the same sentence doesn’t look good either and strongly suggests that the Bidens are nothing but corporate lackeys.
3
Congress is the "emperor (or co-equal branch) with no clothes." Until Congress puts Maguire - or someone of his ilk in jail for contempt - nothing will happen. I am sure there are some WDC jails that would gladly assist.
4
Seems Bob Mueller had every right to hunt for witches in the White House. And as it turns out there is a witch residing in the Oval Office in the person of Donald J. Trump. Let us hope this whistleblower comes forward, partisan or not, and testifies in public in front of Congress. And maybe someone in a position of authority will grow a spine and provide the documents so light will be shed on this corrupt administration.
5
To: Nancy Pelosi:
Dear Mrs. Speaker;
Please stop sitting on your hands and do something with the Democratic Congressional majority WE gave you and start impeachment hearings.
Signed,
Your Boss- the American people.
11
Isn’t this Trump’s personal collusion with Russia and Russian interference with our elections, all rolled into one? Which of “the base” - or whomever it is that’s keeping this suicide pact between the House and Senate going -could still argue otherwise?
2
Steele Dossier, anyone?
2
Democrats please relax. Trump has got the coming election wrapped up and he knows it. Everyday there is a new "Trump Scandal" presented to the readership of this newspaper and like clockwork the howling starts. You need to stop the noise and start thinking about what you want and put some focused effort into how to get it. You weren't there four years ago and you certainly aren't even close now. Counting on Trump to do your job for you has been a suckers game and if I may say the fundamental reason you're still on the outside looking in.
2
In any other era this President would be removed by impeachment.
5
DON'T HAVE TO USE MY 1500 NYT TYPING STROKES ON THIS ONE:
Another tip-of-the iceberg-scandal that Trump and his administration have to stonewall. Rudolph William Louis Giuliani's CNN Performance was the main tip off for this one. My pipe dream: It's only a matter of time before the walls come tumblin' down."
4
In his interview with George Stephanopolous recently, our president told us he would accept dirt (he calls it opposition research) on a political rival proffered by a foreign country [improper].
More recently, we learn his henchman, Rudy Giuliani, interceded with Ukraine to seek dirt on Joe Biden's son Hunter [very improper].
Now it seems we have a whistleblower who reported the president called President Zelensky of Ukraine and repeatedly asked him to investigate Joe Biden's son Hunter [improper and illegal]
Arguably tomorrow's news may report our president not only called Mr. Zelensky but extorted him over $250 million due his country to investigate Hunter Biden [criminally wrong; another high crime justifying impeachment--the "promise"]
Sadly, it seems I can make one recommendation. Walkers in lower Manhattan need to divert to Madison or 6th Avenue and stay off of 5th Avenue. There is a high probability of a maniacal presidential gunslinger lying in wait on 5th Avenue.
House Democrats: enough is enough. Impeach him now.
6
This is the genius behind Trump's installation of all these "acting" dept. heads.
I'll bet each one of these acting heads have been instructed to inform Barr of any and all information that comes to them---so Barr can suppress it with his contorted view of the law.
"Acting" heads evidently mean "acting" to cover for Trump.
4
Let’s get real folks. Joe Biden should have shut his son Hunter down long ago and his skate through life on my dad’s name and connections, certainly the minute he accepted the VP nomination. He didn’t and to this day hasn’t. Shame on him.
And what, everybody can whistleblow on Trump every day but the minute he whistle blows...and rightly so in this case...everybody goes boo hoo. C’mon folks, take the blinders off and look at what the real problem is...political insiders gaining advantage in all aspects of life due only to their name and family connections. Talk about what’s broke in Washington...
6
All the Republicans who support this corrupt and treasonous President need to push back the rocks sealing their whited sepulchers (emphasis on whited) and view the devastation he is in the process of delivering, both to America and the world at large.
3
@Cheryl C.
The problem is that they welcome the devastation as they believe such a "disruption" will favor their bigoted, xenophobic, sexist, racist world view and they will emerge victorious and "take back" what they perceive to be "their" country. When you are so wedded to hatred of the other and you sneer at social progress, dishonesty and treachery seem also to be part of your skewed value system. The Brits are in the grip of the same inclination to destroy. Trumpsters will enjoy following the off the cliff.
2
President Trump presses a foreign leader to investigate a matter involving Biden (with no evidence of a quid pro quo). Impeach him! VP Biden threatens to withhold money from that same country unless it's President fires one of his country's prosecutors who, by the way, is investigating Biden's son. (I'd call that a quid pro quo) and have no problem with that. True the Times covered the story but hardly pressed the matter as it would have if Trump had been involved. What's the matter? Can't old Honest Joe take a little investigating? Democrats would do well to keep their powder dry until the full story emerges...for once.
2
@Madalyn973, the issue has been investigated. Perhaps more will come out, but you're making an assumption that the only reason Biden had to demand the firing was for his son, rather than that the prosecutor was already under fire for *not bringing in enough corruption cases. Biden wasn't working unilaterally on this, even many Ukrainians wanted the guy gone. You also assume there was no quid pro quo for Trump, but more may come out there as well. He didn't say anything about aid in the one phone call where he repeatedly asked a foreign goverment to find dirt on his political rival, but what other contacts were made? The fact is the aid was held up-- why?
1
He’ll get away with it. Why should this be any different from the plethora of scandals and crimes that he’s perpetrated to date?
6
This is extortion. This is using the power of the US Government for personal, political purposes. If true, this is the very definition of a high crime. It makes Nixon look like a choir boy. It is not rational for our system to operate as though the president is above the law and that the only mechanism to address this is to persuade the Republicans, who are profiting handsomely from the corruption, to remove their golden goose. There is no resolution. Only more problems, more corruption, and more insoluble conundrums.
4
Of course trump knew Giuliani asked for an investigation as did trump. Trump thinks he can do whatever he wants. Maguire must hand over the report. The republicans are gutting our Democracy and are as corrupt as any third world dictatorship.
7
Dear reader, it's easy to call Speaker Pelosi's San Francisco office and leave a message advising her that the time for impeachment is here. In fact you can even mark it urgent.
5
Just because Trump is corrupt, it doesn’t mean Biden isn’t. His dealings with the Ukraine should be investigated.
4
@Slacker
Why, Biden might even roll back the Ukraine’s environmental progress and hand them right over to the petro fuel companies.
1
@Slacker--If Trump has evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or anyone else, he should present it to the proper authorities and let them decide whether to investigate or not. But, to insist on an investigation simply because Trump thinks there should one is improper use of his office. Trump doesn't get to decide who gets investigated. Especially when it's a political rival and Trump has a personal stake in the outcome.
5
@Slacker
They have been investigated by Ukraine, and there was nothing there.
3
Key to this situation is the great power imbalance between the Ukraine and the USA. Repeated pressure for an investigation of Biden's son would inevitably be perceived by the Ukraine as a quid pro quo request due to their need for USA financial assistance. Its pitiful just how easily the USA can dangle and twist assistance to the less powerful. So much for the shining city on the hill.
5
What about the "promise" mentioned in earlier reports?
1
What more do the Democrats need to formally impeach this disgraceful, and dangerous POTUS? How the GOP continues to remain silent as this fool and his cohorts continue to erode our democratic values and our institutions demonstrates their pathetic lack of courage to do what is right for the country. Rather they reman more concerned with their political survival. Trump has destroyed the Grand Old Party and they have stood by and watched it happen. If they had and guts and common sense, they would through their support behind Bill Weld and bring back some respectability to their party.
6
For 50 years I've never once expected much from Donald Trump or Rudy Giuliani. If anything I expected a little more from the 63 million Americans who voted for Trump. But..... Life is a learning experience and while some of us try to grow emotionally and intellectually and be kinder to each other, there's a large percentage of human beings who are more than happy to remain neanderthal.
11
Prepare for the tweets...The world's next BIGGEST witch hunt is about to begin.
5
What do you think of a candidate who cannot run and win on his or her own merit? Trump is just that kind of guy. He has nothing to show for himself so he attacks others.
Not only is Trump a liar, he's the consummate failure.
13
@franz fripplfrappl Every time someone assets that Trump is ineffectual I cringe. He has done more to damage our institutions and the environment than any president in history.
3
How many days more do we feel shame for electing to the Presidecy Donald Trump?
I need to count them.
I need to include the period the election to Jan. 22.
Then send him back to .... Oh God, that would be NYC.
Can we bar him from NYC borders?
Jerry
5
It is almost certainly true that Trump has, once again, betrayed the presidency and the country. No rational person can believe he is fit for the office. What is beyond comprehension here is that Hunter Biden and his father would engage is such an astounding act of political stupidity. Given what was happening in Ukraine and the fact that Joe Biden was the sitting vice president, their business activity there was positively Clntonian in its utter disregard of ethics, morality and common sense.
4
If it is in the best interest of the country what should keep the POTUS from exposing any wrongdoing? There are certainly no lengths to which Democrats and the NYT will go to expose the POTUS by lying, misstating, and misleading. I could personally be a “whistle blower” for such antics.
2
Trump is clearly abusing power. Add to impeachment charges, butvas dem who supports Biden it is a tad fishy his son was lobbying forcUkraine while he was in office...
2
Your preview folks, of the 2020 election.
9
I just can't get over Trump's love for Russia. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
8
Trump’s misdemeanors aside, I actually would be interested in knowing what exactly happened with Biden’s son and how it was connected with our expansionist push into the Ukraine, by meddling with elections there and trying to tie that country closer to the EU and Nato. I vividly remember Victoria Nuland dropping the f- bomb against the EU in that context, so obviously there was some business at stake. This is what compelled the Russians to annex Crimea and was the beginning of the war and the sanctions. But then of course Russia wanted to influence our elections as well.
3
This is the stuff of fascism. If Trump gets his way, we'll have a one party state, with him at the top, calling all the shots, while working with foreign powers to smear his opponents.
6
Trump - as is Giuliani and much of the Republican Congress - is flying under false colors.....Patriotism, oaths of office all ignored, thrown out the window......
Greed, pure and simple greed has seduced an entire political party......
AND
If left unchecked will destroy our country, our democracy.........
It's not that hard to see or understand - it's staring us, America squarely in the face with this President and his presidency........
As is said, " speak now - America - or forever hold your peace".......
America, the warnings are everywhere - ignore them at freedom's peril............
4
Why can't this clown just do his job and not engage in constant schemes and conspiracies?
I blame the voters who fell for his nonsense, they put us all in danger.
9
Somehow this feels like a smoke screen and a scam. The House is coming after trump. He has basically vetoed new gun regs with very little publicity. He is going after California in various ways. NY city is coming after his tax returns. Bibi has lost the Israeli election--or at least not won. And climate marches are now front and center. What are all the talking heads and pundits discussing?? Why some mysterious whistle blower revealing a typically dumb, nefarious trumpish thing. He's such a bore but you can't even believe his glaring snafus!!
1
Giuliani has been an obvious fraud since 9/11. Let’s hope this latest meretricious (look it up Rudy) display finally sinks him.
4
Enough already. Impeach!
Speaker Pelosi, if you do nothing you will tarnish your reputation forever and be remembered as the person who enabled Trump and failed to stand up for the law.
5
@JS27
Let's wait for the facts.
1
It's either treason or blackmail, or both. Congress needs to investigate this to find out if the reports are true.
Either one would demand impeachment and prison.
2
Trump is the very model of a modern major general nuisance.
1
Democrats were complicit in this nightmare. Formal impeachment inquiry should have been initiated upon completion of the Mueller report. No one cared if the Republican Senate tossed it out. Voting against impeachment would have saved Republicans from being challenged in primaries, but it would have been political suicide in the long run. The entire country wanted protection. The Democrats could have displayed an intent to protect the people, while pointing at the Republican cowardice. Pelosi instead chose to be a coward too. She blatantly manipulated her "base" (which is about 80% of Democrat voters who wanted at least an inquiry) while protecting this national security threat that is our president. This enabling behavior led to even more aggressive disregard for the law. We are in a crisis because this president feels very powerful--no one stands up to him and Pelosi is protecting him. She disgraced her party and our country. She needs to be voted out.
3
Dear Nancy,
Impeach.
Before it's too late.
Sincerely,
The United States of America
9
I am so sick of Pelosi's whining about Trump's crimes as if it isn't her constititional duty to stop him. Lead, follow or get out of the way. Her constant sniveling without taking any action is getting old. If you can't do your job, Nancy, RESIGN.
5
The GOP is determined to gin up another faux scandal, much as they did to Clinton with their endless, bogus "Benghazi" investigations. (Remember their flopped Uranium One "scandal"?)
With dissembling, incompetent clowns like Trump and Giuliani at the helm, their chances of selling "Ukrainium" to the thinking majority are less than zero.
2
This is impeachable.
3
I think this is where Congress as an institution should assert itself. While the House AND Senate should be alarmed that the administration is not turning over complaints to be investigated. While the political alignment of the chambers has lead to predicable responses, the institutional role of Congress and the Executive is what suffers when politics trumps constitutional, legal, and normative duties.
This is also setting future precedent; if the administration continues on the current trajectory, then the likelihood that future administrations will act in a similar manner only increases. Congress, as a whole, can and should begin to enact punitive measures to ensure compliance with federal law and norms.
2
Absolutely NOTHING to see here folks, I repeat, NOTHING!!! Guiliani is NOT Trump's personal lawyer, & he did NOT travel to the Ukraine to ask the govenrment to investigate a Democratic presidential candidate's son. Trump did NOT call the leader of the Ukraine to ask them to do the same..........except that's what they actually did.
2
wow. talk about the easily fooled.
It’s against the law to extort a country, and to do so to affect the outcome of an election. Trump knew from internal polling he couldn’t beat Biden so he extorted the leader of a foreign country to open a sham investigation in exchange for US military aid. THAT is the story but the willfully ignorant, like you, continue to be distracted by hyperbole and lies.
I’m sure the American people would be very interested to know if Joe Biden abused his power as Vice President to protect his son from a corruption investigation in the Ukraine. The New York Times’ own Ken Vogel has already reported on this highly questionable behavior by Biden and more needs to be known.
4
@XLER, blackmailing Ukraine would be an illegal way to find out.
3
Unfit for office.
3
Don't believe it, if Rudy is out there selling this Ukraine deal it's a lie. I think they want us to believe it was a slimy think for the Crazy to do but it's not a crime and so slap slap your hands and move on. The issue with Biden and Ukraine is not news to most people. I hope we don't fall for this fake and stop looking for the truth.
1
Any feeble attempt to cover up anything these people do is out the door. Now we’re at the, “yeah, we did it, what are you going to do about it”. And the answer...NOTHING!
3
Elect a clown,
expect a circus.
Welcome to the big top.
3
Quite simply, under what theory could this part of the conversation be subject to executive privilege? William Barr apparently believes the president is above all laws. Mr. Barr will likely face his own reckoning when the DOJ is delivered from his lawless hands.
3
Fortunately for Joe Biden he can use his trailing off sentences to respond to any renewed further questioning of he and his son the new attention to that subject this story will bring on. Starting to answer however incomplete at least shows a good faith attempt. Between Kamala, Julian and Adam, Dems look like they’re really out to get Joe.
2
Allegations are not facts.
I completely believe that Trump could have done these things.
But so far, these are allegations, not facts. The NYT headline presents them as facts, and this is not correct.
Do your job, NYT.
3
Trump thought it was such a damning scandal that Biden may have used inappropriate diplomatic pressure on Ukraine to help his son that Trump used inappropriate diplomatic pressure on Ukraine to help himself.
8
And behind the scene egging Trump on is his good friend Putin. You remember the Russians don't you? The ones who invaded Ukraine and took the Crimea? The folks who provided the missiles and support to shoot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17? You remember the secret meeting Trump held with Putin with no one but the translator in the room?
"Just following orders, nothing to see here"—Trump
4
In 2016 he sought and exploited Putin’s help in “winning” an election. (“Russia, if you’re listening...”)
Earlier this year he admitted in an interview with George Stephanopoulos that he would again welcome illicit foreign help to win an election.
And now he is alleged by credible sources within the intelligence community — and by his own somewhat demented attorney — to have tried it again.
How much clearer can the picture be? A man who spent his life cheating everyone from contractors to wives to “Trump University” students is cheating yet again.
Impeach, remove, indict, convict, imprison. Save our republic.
6
I know that I may be a little late to the ball with this question, but, given the timeline of events, has the Times or any other media attempted to contact Dan Coats to ask him if *he* is the “whistleblower” in question?
1
Whether or not someone in Ukraine finds dirt on Biden’s son, Trump will pay them to say they did.
2
This whole thing is part of Trump's payoff to Putin. One of Putin's biggest fears is that Ukraine will become a normal member of the European community instead of a vassal state to Russia, as it was in USSR times. Trump owes Putin, and Trump fears Putin because of the compromising information that Putin possesses with high probability. If Trump can weaken the US support of Ukraine by any sort of means, Putin will feel the 'useful idiot' is performing his function and paying his extortion demands.
3
Surely even the NYTimes will investigate how Hunter got that contract with the Ukraine energy company. Could it possibly be because his father was VP in charge of relations with the Ukraine? Why was he paid $83,000 PER MONTH? He knew nothing about the Ukraine or energy. Biden sold his influence.
5
@Jackson, it has been investigated. I read about these allegations months ago. Perhaps more will come out. But surely anyone concerned about Biden using his influence should be concerned about Trump doing the same, and potentially worse? What if Trump actually held up aid? Blackmail is worse than selling influence!
2
@Leonard
Except Trump didn't hold up aid. Ukraine already got more aid and arms than Obama ever gave them.
On the other hand, Biden is on record holding up aid. And the Ukraine government confirmed it.
I recently read someone thinks 1,000,000 people should surround the White House and demand that Trump resign. I like that. And I would make it 1,000,001.
8
So Trump pressed for an inquiry into a single individual who happens to be Joe Biden's son. Is Biden junior the US citizen that Trump should be focussed on in the Ukraine? Not Manafort of course. Not his ilk. Not other US citizens engaged in shady dealings abroad. Just Biden junior.
This is as transparent as glass. Corrupt. Abuse of power. Deeply wrong. Impeachable.
4
According to the GOP and Trump's base, I guess he can shoot someone on 5th ave and nobody cares!!!
How sad, disgraceful, and demoralizing for the country he say he loves so much.
He has to be stopped!!!
3
I have to ask: Does a wide swath of Americans really care about this story? Having little doubt that Trump continues to operate under a cloud of malfeasance: when this story leads off The Times online news, concerning proving the criminal intent of one single phone call per his standard m.o. of corruption, this continues to contribute to the sense of divide in our country.
1
You’re implying that by publishing the story that the NYT is dividing the country. Should they ignore it? This president is dividing the country with his illegal acts and disrespect for the constitution.
3
I wish all you dems could organize and call for a general strike,
2
So this means that DJT knows the identity of the whistleblower? And that the person is a Democrat? Even if the person is a Democrat, does that mean, according to DJT, that the person is acting on behalf of their party, not on behalf of their nation to protect the nation from harm by reporting waste, fraud, abuse or unlawful conduct?
So now, according to DJT, every single person working in the intelligence community needs to be in one Republican Party?
And the IG, Michael K. Atkinson, is a Republican placed in office by DJT and Atkinson called the report “urgent”. How is this partisan?
3
Funny how the Republicans were so anti-Russian till trump, isn't it? I guess you can fool a some of the people all of the time. Very sad and very scary to have a dictator wannabe as president.
4
Why is he still President*?
4
The war in Ukraine has been dragging on for years. 12000 people are dead. Eastern Ukraine is occupied by Putin-controlled “separatists”. People have no water, no food, no medicines. Putin has taken Crimea - an action the likes of which has not been seen in Europe since Hitler dismembered Czechoslovakia. And the Republicans and Democrats were equally silent. My “liberal” friends on FB slavishly repeated Putin’s line that Ukraine was ruled by “fascists”. So now you are waking up? Trump is blackmailing Ukraine by withholding weapons. Democrats only show interest in this war-ravaged country when it helps their electoral interests. Shame on both sides!
2
There is not now, nor will there apparently be, any consequence to Trump’s criminal behavior. With his lackeys in place at Justice and DNI, John Dillinger has been handed the keys to the bank. AG William Barr? Tom Hagen to Trump’s Vito Corleone. Congress? The punch line to a really bad joke. House democrats can’t get anyone of consequence to comply with their subpoenas and when someone, other than John Dean, does appear, we get the Lewandowski/Petrangelo show. “We’ll sue”! Really? Without a guarantee of expedited rulings from Trump judges, you’ll get a decision in late 2020 and, it will be decided against you. Two things the founders (and Jesus) knew nothing about when they wrote the constitution...the AR15 and Donald (By god) Trump!
3
The Times, the Post and the WSJ are all bending over backward to be "fair and balanced" in their reporting of this extortionate abuse of power by Trump. They are allowing Trump to set the terms of the discussion -- as usual -- by tweeting that Biden is "the real story." (In fact, it's a nothingburger in comparison.)
Trump's ability to obfuscate, and the House Democrats' impotence in response, is sad to see in light of an impeachable offense.
7
How is it that Trump never seems to have authorized any of his bootlickers such as Giuliani, Manafort, Michael Cohen, and on down the long line-- and that they acted autonomously to support him with dubious, clandestine actions abroad, without his knowledge? Here's a guy who is a bona-fide dictator-- but lets people do things for him that he has no idea about?
If anyone believes Trump is not culpable and treasonous, I have got a Russian dupe to sell you as your next fake president!
5
I am now convinced that an impeachment is absolutely necessary.
If Trump is given an inch, he will take a mile.
So he needs to start understanding that there are consequences to unethical, unsafe, illegal, deceptive, exploitative, and amoral behavior. In his past it is clear he got away with anything.
Impeach now before he does something worse.
6
"And Hunter Biden had an interest in the outcome: He sat on the board of an energy company that had been in the sights of the ousted prosecutor general." This apparently is reporter Ken Vogel's beat, and it is alarmingly misleading. As was widely reported in the European press, Shokin, the thoroughly corrupt prosecutor in question, had in fact been blocking investigations into Burisma – the company Hunter Biden was on the board of – and those investigations then proceeded after Shokin's ouster. There is no "there" to the Hunter Biden story, and the Times does a disservice to its readers to intimate otherwise.
5
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Surely there is not a single member of the Trump administration who is without sin. Not even the holier than holy Mike Pence.
3
Every American should hear the conversation/s of Trump’s with Zelensky or whoever.
Let’s get the cards on the table.
4
This is not a zero-sum proposition: Biden may well have engaged in inappropriate armtwisting of the Ukrainian government to get rid of the meddlesome prosecutor. And, if the current reports prove to be true, the President has committed what may well be an[other][impeachable offense. In my ideal world, the status quo corruption of Biden --i.e. the kind that seems to be OK in Washington-- and the thug foreign policy of Donald Trump should result in the ouster of both these figures from our political lives.
4
“He’s not a war hero,” said Trump. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
I'll like you a lot better when you get captured.
11
American voters along with the president should be concerned with Biden and his son's highly suspicious role in Ukraine. Our president, after all, is the chief enforcer of our constitution and laws. He can speak confidentially with any world leader he deems necessary. Remember Obama's message to Putin through Putin's president---"Tell Vladimir I will be more flexible after my re-election".
1
From an earlier NY Times article we learned that "Hunter Biden was a Yale-educated lawyer who had served on the boards of Amtrak and a number of nonprofit organizations and think tanks, but lacked any experience in Ukraine and just months earlier had been discharged from the Navy Reserve after testing positive for cocaine". He would be paid as much as $50,000 per month in some months for his work for the company, Burisma Holdings".
Those are strange "qualifications" for a newly elected a Board member of a company being investigated for corruption. Of course being the son of a vice president of the United States charged with dispensing $1 billion American loan guarantees and determining who gets to investigate who came with certain benefits.
2
Are we ought to think that the rest of the lobbyists have any better qualifications other than access to American politicians?
1
@Nka
Last time we checked, lobbyists are not sitting Vice Presidents or elected members of the Senate.
1
Concealment = consciousnesses of guilt.
1
Democrats need to stop pretending America is still in a state of normal.
They need to impeach now or get locked up by the kangaroo system being put in place by Republicans.
5
This thing smells like a trap for the Dems. I don't think trump is smart enough to have laid it, but others in his crime family might have (think Roy Cohen type), and he loves this kind of seedy swamp fight. The Dems should continue to investigate this behind the scenes, but stop crowing about it. If this blows up, they'll have no credibility going forward investigating the trump.
2
How can Trump and Giuliani talk about cover up's and corruption with a straight face, they are masters of it.
5
We all know about Trump and Giuliani but until this story broke I did not know that Biden's son earned millions via association with a Ukrainian energy company.
As usual this news will be water off Trump's back but not so with Biden.
I suggest the DNC, Speaker Pelosi, the'Squad'. Nadler etc. and the Dem POTUS candidates get their act together and stop all the Congressional hearings that will go nowhere.
Instead, pass legislation on the issues and forward them to Mitch while running hard and united for Dem control of the Senate and Whitehouse.
We are all tangled up in the weeds and that is where Trump and his masters want us. Focus on real legislation and winning big in 2020.
4
Biden didn't run against Trump in 2016 because his son Beau had recently died of brain cancer. Now Trump's trying to knock him out of this election by shaming another son. For God's sake, is there any point where Trump's tactics become too indecent to be tolerated?
7
A year ago Greta Thunberg went on strike against inaction on the climate crisis and started a movement. Where is the Greta Thunberg to start a movement to address our Trump crisis?
6
"Mr. Giuliani has said he was acting on his own, though his comments on Thursday seemed to draw a closer connection to Mr. Trump."
We've all heard this story from Giuliani before.
This impeachment process is going to be the longest impeachment effort in the history of the nation. But we must impeach trump. We cannot let trump's behavior become the norm in U.S. politics.
If trump gets away with this, he'll not have issued so much as an apology for his recalcitrant behavior. His supporters love him for that, but we cannot sacrifice our democracy to fascism.
4
It continues to amaze me how people read what they want to. Many people here are condemning Trump because they want to. They need to be enlightened. Blackmail and pressure occurs with every administration, regardless of the label of republican or democrat. Every person in politics, candidate or president or otherwise engages in this behavior. Condemn both sides
It's astonishing that Republicans won't stand up against Trump. Yes, doing so most likely would end their political careers; but so what? I doubt any of them would starve. They could get jobs with law firms, advertising firms or become lobbyists. So what is it really about Trump that scares them into abject cowardice? Could it be that many of them are taking money from foreign powers or have connections to Jason Epstein or are terribly compromised in some other way - and Trump's gang has the goods on them?
On a more encouraging note, even the right-wing Washington Examiner says Trump should be removed from office if he indeed tried to extort a political favor from the Ukraine's leader.
4
Mr. Trump and his personal attorney Giuliani are trying to browbeat the new Ukrainian President and his staff into “investigating” a corruption claim against the son of the man who just happens to be the frontline contender for the Democratic nomination.
How convenient.
Mr. Trump’s animosity towards Ukraine (as outlined by the accompanying article by Mr. Vogel) dovetails nicely with Russian animosity.
How convenient.
Odd how the Hunter Biden conspiracy theory has been floating around since 2015. Yet the Republicans in Congress never saw fit to investigate. Nor did the Trump Administration’s bought and paid for DOJ. Until Mr. Biden announced his candidacy.
How convenient.
When Ukraine is in the picture, so is Russia.
4
@Rita
What authority has the Congress to investigate a private Ukrainian company, not involved in America except by way of a board member being American?
If this "conspiracy" started in 2015, then maybe somebody should have told that to Biden. Maybe then he wouldn't have bragged about doing the exact thing this conspiracy is accusing him of.
If Trump has animosity towards Ukraine, he sure has an interesting way to show it, by giving them far more missiles and aid than Obama ever did.
1
And the cessation of US aid just so happens to aid Vlad Putin - how nice for him, the ultimate winner of all of Trump's missteps.
3
This is height of disingenuity and chutzpah ! Mr.Trump himself and his own children are taking advantage of the presidency by seeking business deals in foreign countries, and also using their family owned hotel business to enrich themselves by encouraging foreign governments to use them in a pay to play fashion, as well as regularly charging our own government for his frequent travels to his hotels for golfing and vacations.
3
It sounds that Mr. Biden and his children are doing precisely the same thing.
Trump was looking to gain election assistance from a foreign country. That sounds like a felony violation of American election laws. He apparently could gun somebody down on Fifth Avenue and get away with it. Some great government.
3
Trump says the whistle blower's accusation is "ridiculous." But he will not allow Congress to have the material evidence that would, if he is telling the truth, conclusively prove his claim to innocence. Why? He could settle the entire controversy in a flash, by supporting, rather than thwarting, the normal procedures for providing Congress with the exculpating evidence that it has a Constitutional right and duty to see? His resistance, flouting precedent, contemptuously disregarding the laws of this nation and the institutional checks and balances that make our democracy work, raises suspicions that, once again, he is lying, concealing his guilt, and acting as if he is above the law. The whistle blower's claim is a very serious one. If the evidence proves to be true, Trump and his team have once again solicited the help of a foreign government for the sake of his re-election. And not only that! If the claim is true, he has, for his own personal gain, manipulated American foreign policy in a way that is contrary to our national interest. One more piece of evidence that Putin has Trump under his thumb. High time the Democrats formally started the impeachment process in order to get at the truth in this matter and in all the other matters still unresolved in regard to Trump's comportment. Otherwise, the Democrats will be judged by history as complicit in enabling Trump to be above the law. What danger to our democracy could be greater than that?
2
First clarion call; America First. The :Trump First, now the only focal point , get re-elected at all cost, even by smearing Democratic candidates by bringing in foreign countries...
1
Just imagine if Hillary Clinton or Obama had committed just one of these atrocities. Imagine how the Republicans would have called for the end of the world if they were not taken away in handcuffs. Imagine how they would have said sitting presidents certainly can be indicted if they are Democrats. We're in deep trouble.
4
@Kate McLeod
Er, Obama did. That's kind of the whole problem.
Crimes are being committed by this administration every day in front of all our eyes, but the Justice Department does nothing. Clearly, Mr. Trump and Mr. Barr had an "agreement" before Barr was nominated to be the nation's chief law enforcement official:
If Trump or his people do anything, it cannot be a crime. I just hope that the next administration reaches back to try each and every one of these criminals, beginning with Mr. Trump.
4
Too many unbelievable things to name with this guy. The outrage hits just keep coming. But his "law and order" followers? His "patriot" followers? Do they really approve of American foreign policy being decided by Russia and Ukraine? Our military decisions being made by Saudi Arabia? SERIOUSLY?
11
I fear the real result coming out of all this is the message it sends to countries around tbe world. Trump has hung out a sign that says "Open for business. Secret awards, favors, and expedited payments for anyone who has dirt on my political oponents." The 2020 election will be overrun with corruption and foreign interference.
13
@Claire
I fear no result from this - this will fade as the next egregious, impeachable act arises, where there will be no consequences, no effects, no clear explanation, just an almost free ride for this faux president.
The things he does are scary. The fact that he gets away with them is scarier still.
1
Trump-like cheep politicians are a dime a dozen.
There will be more like Trump in the future.
“A sitting president cannot be indicted”
This is the first law, or whatever it is, that needs to be amended.
8
President Trump and Giuliani want an investigation of a Ukrainian energy company, trying to buy influence by hiring VP Biden’s son. Yet we are not allowed to question the usage of Trump properties by heads of state, anyone wanting to do business with this administration, or our tax dollars funding military layovers.
They want an investigation of VP Biden stopping a Ukrainian inquiry into corruption affecting that energy company, evidently using aid to Ukraine as the leverage- yet that is exactly what this alleged, questionable, phone call by ...someone... was doing? Oh right, Giuliani wanted to start an inquiry, not stop one- for political purposes.
In the interest of investigating corruption in countries affecting the U.S., how many trips to Guatemala has Giuliani made- to restart those UN-backed corruption investigations? And why suddenly have we cut off aid to the Afghan government, citing corruption- at the same time our troops are allied with that government? Increasing the danger for our military.
And now, we are sending troops to Saudi Arabia- that stalwart champion of clean government- and never mind any business ties, unknown telephone calls, agreements with that country.
And Republicans wont sign on with Sen Warren’s clean government legislation. And Democrats won’t impeach. Unbelievable.
10
Isn't anyone else curious about how Trump's ties to Putin could be involved in the delay in delivering military assistance/equipment to the newly-elected Zelensky Ukrainian administration, which just came into office following decades of corruption in previous Ukrainian administrations? For V.P. Pence to express concern about Ukrainian corruption is a joke. Not because there wasn't Ukrainian corruption, but because of who was complaining of corruption. Ukrainian corruption was just the subterfuge to give "legitimacy" to the corrupt Trump trying to taint a Biden family member. How crude!
5
So, I woke up this morning and I notice the comment tide has turned to outrage over Hunter Biden's perceived privilege rather outrage over Donald Trump's extrajudicial abuse of power, just as I predicted. I must be clairvoyant.
Not that it will mean much, but to those commenters weeping with sympathy over poor Donald Trump having to contend with so much 'unfairness' and 'meanness' directed toward him, you might want to read "Behind the Whistle-Blower Case, a Long-Held Trump Grudge Toward Ukraine" in this newspaper. Additionally, Hunter Biden's biography has been extensively covered over the years for anyone who has followed the news over an extended period.
I've been trying to think of a metaphor for Mr. Trump. I thought 'snake,' but no, but that wasn't quite right. How about eel? (I realize some people are going to say eels are a delicacy; not me.) For me eels are bait and it's impossible to contain them. They seem to possess some kind of magic for escaping the bait box. Somehow or another you think you've got them, you reach in, and the box is empty. They're slippery and for not having a particularly high brain function, their actions appear almost cunning.
I guess it's that survival instinct. Like Donald Trump's political survival instinct. And to think he refers to other people as animals. He's not even warm-blooded. And neither are the rest of his fellow swimmers in the Republican eel pot.
Time to cut bait in 2020.
12
Mission accomplished for Trump!
As his Tweets this morning indicate (and thanks to the ever-compliant media who took the bait for the ratings and page clicks), this was a giant ploy by Trump to push the whole Biden/Ukraine matter to the top of the media food chain.
"Ukraine" will now be Biden's "email scandal", the convenient, rhetorical shorthand device that will be used by Trump, the Democratic primary opponents and the mainstream news media to impugn Biden's character, as they did Hillary's with the emails in 2016.
Instead of "but the emails!", it will now be "but Ukraine!" dogging Biden for the rest of the campaign, no matter whether there is any truth to the matter or not.
Look for the big gun investigative reporters to now start pawing through Biden's past on this and force him to issue endless responses to the whole matter, not just for himself, but for his family as well, which I guess is now fair game in 21st century campaigning.
Joe Biden is a decent, honorable man. He didn't need to run again and see his name dragged through the mud like this, but I think he sincerely felt that he was the only one who could stop Trump from being reelected.
And sorry, Warren supporters, while I could certainly vote for her and she may well win a national plurality of votes, there is simply no way she is going to win Ohio, PA, MI and WI.
3
@John M, you wrote "there is simply no way she is going to win Ohio, PA, MI and WI."
I ask, why will she not win OH, PA, MI, and WI?
1
This is clearly implicitly quid quo pro. Trumps’s actions showed the intent is there. Impeachable.
6
I like Mark Shields on "The News Hour" (PBS and be quiet you Republicans, you who call PBS "fake news" ) and one thing this man, who has watched the Congress and elections in action extremely close up, for decades, in the thick of it, warns about an impeachment: Only a couple of months ago, he called impeachment it "suicidal" because of the delicacy of the upcoming Presidential election in 2020. I always heeded his warning, and Nancy Pelosi says it more obliquely, but NOW, I am really wondering if we are going to win 2020, and if we have not impeached, what the heck are we going to do with a law breaker in office, a person who does not uphold the Constitution of the United States? Like many of you out there, I am scared. I am on the fence, even now, about impeachment, fearing it will fan the fires of the right and somehow persuade the fence sitters to believe them, that Trump is good for the United States.
4
The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.
2
@graygrandma must like her Lau Tzu! never a better time to read those words.
You refer to "an apparently blatant mixture of foreign policy with his 2020 re-election campaign."
Don't we want to investigate if there is a collusion by a thespian president of a foreign country and the US? Of course, we need to get to the bottom of all of this. The POTUS has an obligation to initiate an inquiry.
Or, do we have different norms for the proverbial goose and the gander?
3
I am betting that Sue Gordon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, until she resigned, is the "partisan person."
2
Every day the Dems don't push forward quickly to impeach him, he will continue to grab additional power and skirt laws on the books. Time for Pelosi to allow Congress free reign to do what is necessary to save the Country. Time to put the courts in to overtime action.
9
Of course the "Whistle Blower" was "Partisan". He is someone who is "partisan in favor of Moral leadership in the White House as opposed to the corrupt behavior which is meant only to support Donald Trump's partisan self-serving ego.
8
There is no doubt that Trump is corrupt. Whether or not he held the funding for Ukraine hostage until they agreed to a Biden investigation is not the main point. That is only one instance of malfeasance. The real crux of the matter is what the overall pattern has been of similar corruption and self-dealing that Trump has been guilty of while in office. Indications are that there has been a continuing stream of incidents where Trump has engaged in illegal, unscrupulous behavior which has threatened our national security. This screams for his impeachment and removal from office.
This one incident might be the spark that lights the powder keg of Congressional action toward that. Yes, the Democrats need to act, and act now. But if the Republicans want to survive as a major political party in these times of changing demographics, they need to wake up and do something about Trump. Get him out of office, Republicans. You have to take the lead in the Senate for that. Do it, or watch your party fall apart for all time.
Frankly, if the GOP does fall apart because of this, then they will have earned that. And it would be good for the country to be rid of the recalcitrant, regressive, extremist kow-towing to Trump we've been suffering from the right.
It's your choice, Republicans. Think of coming together with true patriots for the salvation of our country, or think about what your next job will be, because it most certainly won't be in Congress.
12
We have a problem with journalism in America and Trump has managed to reveal its soft underbelly. What is it? We don't have the language to fully describe and convey the outrages Trump commits on a daily basis. Ordinary, credulous journalism simply is not up to the task.
Trump has blundered deep into impeachment territory trying to use a foreign nation, and the power of the US government, to help his campaign to stay in the White House. This should either be the lead news fact or at least a secondary lead to these stories. The critics of Trump should now have equal space in newspapers and news programs rather than quoting Trump's lame excuses. Instead, the Trump view of Trump's actions dominates news coverage.
Does anyone recall a few days ago he said he would never do something that has now been confirmed he did? Both Trump and his "lawyer" have come close to admitting the whole thing.
The language of reporting is a hobbled language of moderation. When dealing with people in ultimate positions of power, the desire to crouch stories carefully becomes paramount. Thus, Trump has been able to runaway with the news media and confuse significant portions of the public a lot of the time.
Has Trump committed an impeachable offense? Obviously, this is not a question reporters can settle but it is the main question going forward. Trump is murdering the Constitution, giving the finger to ordinary procedure and daring anyone to catch him and call him to judgement. Daring.
6
Trump is using the United States military aid budget for his own “partisan” purposes.
Congress should have the President of Ukraine testify.
Impeach.
Indict.
Imprison.
10
I'm betting that recently resigned DNI Dan Coats is the "whistle blower".
2
“President Trump told reporters that he did not know who was behind the whistle-blower complaint against him, adding, ‘I just hear it’s a partisan person.’”
How can he know, and not know, who’s the whistle-blower? Answer, It’s Orwellian doublethink: “These contradictions are not accidental; they are deliberate exercises in doublethink.”
8
This will all be so ironic if Biden isn't the nominee.
3
Where is Nancy Pelosi? Why isn't she doing her constitutional duty to start a real impeachment inquiry on this criminal? What will it take? She is losing the support of Democrats by holding out and reinforcing the view that Democrats are weak. And I must, as a Democrat, disappointingly agree....This president has committed so many criminal acts, including this one, and Nancy Pelosi refuses to do her job. The Democrats are now responsible - they are allowing this to continue against the will of the people who voted for a Democatic congress in order to stop this criminality.
7
Let’s not forget this exchange in the Oval Office between ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and Trump:
Stephanopoulos: Your campaign this time around, if foreigners, if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on opponents, should they accept it or should they call the FBI?
President Trump: I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen, there’s nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, “we have information on your opponent.” Oh, I think I’d want to hear it.
Stephanopoulos: You want that kind of interference in our elections?
President Trump: It’s not an interference, they have information. I think I’d take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI. If I thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, they come up with oppo research. Oh, let’s call the FBI. The FBI doesn’t have enough agents to take care of it, but you go and talk honestly to congressmen, they all do it, they always have. And that’s the way it is. It’s called oppo research.
2
Looking in from the outside, I see another story getting ahead of itself. The important take away at this time is getting an accurate analysis of the Whistleblower (WB) complaint, and the underlying evidence supporting or disputing the WB claim.
Again, Trump may have used Mob Boss type speak, and never explicitly offered a bribe or a threat to obtain his desired outcome. If the evidence only produces "implied" references, this incident will not move the Politcal needle. But it will move the Stress needle on both sides.
3
If it really turns out that President Trump attempted to use his ability to block delivery of military aid to an ally as leverage to force an investigation of a political foe and then attempted to use the power of his office to prevent congress and the public from learning about his actions, then I agree with the chorus of voices calling for impeachment.
There is no other choice, whatever the political risk. Our nation's foreign policy and its military aid budget can't become part of the president's reelection campaign war-chest.
Trump has repeatedly placed his own interests ahead of our country's. The dems must now demonstrate that they are willing to put the country's interests ahead of their own and impeach him for it.
5
For everybody saying the republicans are spineless about this and other presidential behaviors, I suggest the democrats are too. Democrats have decided that impeachment is politically risky, whereas exposing and promoting dissent over all of Trump’s wrongdoings is a solid political move. This is a disingenuous position. If what he’s done is illegal then he needs to be impeached and Mike Pence be sworn in. The Democrats then need to run against Pence.
We all know they aren’t going to do that, though, for fear that impeachment will spur a backlash from fence-sitters. They don’t want to lose votes, just as the republicans don’t. The system is broken and as a result Trump really is free to do as he likes. In addition, the likelihood is slim of a post-presidential humiliating trial that so many democrats hope for because the same political calculus described above will still hold sway.
Pelosi’s support for putting into law that a president can be indicted without impeachment is a solution, but it is one that further erodes Congress’ power. Our legislative branch has been oddly eager to give away its power for years.
3
Trump has brought to life so many childhood parables to life in the 21st century. The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The Emperor’s New Clothes. If his defenders cannot even understand the lessons of childhood stories then our society is truly regressing.
3
"For Democrats who want to examine the whistle-blower complaint — itself the subject of an internal administration dispute over whether to hand it over to Congress, as is generally required by law "
Where is the right's outrage over this ? They are adamant about separating families of those "breaking the law".
3
I don't think the media and the public understand what's happened here. The Trump administration by leaking selected information, such as what was discussed with Ukraine and Giuliani explaining on CNN that it was ok to do it, has reduced any pressure on the whistle blower complaint being provided to congress. That they can convince the media and public what's in the complaint and yet never have to provide it under the law. All while smearing Biden.
1
If the story is true as described, this is classic quid pro quo. I understand that the Senate is very unlikely to remove Trump from office, but I really think the House Democrats have an ethical obligation to initiate impeachment proceedings if the evidence supports the way the story has been described. If bribery isn't impeachable, what exactly is?
7
Private U.S. citizens can have business dealings with other countries, even other country’s governments. However, our government officials cannot extort, by withholding foreign aid already ear-marked, for quid pro quo favors such as obtaining damaging information for political purposes.
6
Sorry state our country is in. Used to be, despite all the party infighting, once consensus was reached in Congress, in international matters we largely went out to enemies and allies alike with something akin to a united front - sometimes more aligned than others, but we were the USA, and here was our position.
Now we have a president who defiles the notion we are one nation indivisible, and uses the office WE gave him the opportunity to represent to promote his political and business ambitions via subterfuge and blackmail.
I was with Speaker Pelosi in taking a measured approach, but this sinister misuse of the office of President has gone too far, and Trump ought to be impeached to stop him in his tracks.
7
So, most of the comments focus on Trump's conduct. Fine. But what about the Bidens? What are the odds that Hunter Biden would have ended up on the board of an electrical utility in the Ukraine, if his father weren't vice president? What were Hunter's qualifications for such a position? What was his compensation? Way out of proportion to any qualifications, I'm guessing. Raises the issue of Biden selling out the office of Vice President. Apparently these situations are so common in Washington that nobody cares.
6
My suspicions run deep that this is not the whole story. As repulsive as it is, we already knew that Trump had sought the assistance of the Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden. I feel that this part of the whistleblowers complaint is being intentionally leaked to throw a bone to the media and mollify the public. There's more to this complaint than just the Ukraine incident and that's what Trump's consigliere (who laughingly wears the title of AG), William Barr, is attempting to keep from the Congress. The Congress must be relentless in its demand that the complaint be released and examined so that the whole truth will out.
5
He’ll skate away from this like he does with everything.
He’ll lie and whine and grift his way into a second and third term.
If you think those last two words make that sentence impossible, just look at everything he and the republicans have done already and tell me you think the system of “checks and balances” exists anymore.
The democrats will flail about promising action yet none will come and whatever vestiges of a democracy we had will evaporate.
We have allowed wealth and the twin evils of corporate personhood and foreign influence to capture and eviscerate democracy.
Now we only can sit and watch as this nation sheds the thin veneer of rule of law and becomes a full plutocracy.
10
Probably came from a Republican, someone who understands how important it is to keep the White House and Senate so they can keep their judges rolling in. A Republican who wants Trump off the ticket for fear he can't win.
Someone in Pence's camp.
5
Trump says: “I just hear it’s a partisan person.” That may be, but it is NOT obvious to everyone. There are still some patriotic Americans in the federal government.
Far more important is the following. Trump's reason for trying to smear Biden is that Trump knows that Biden will win an election against Trump in Nov 2020, and Trump knows that if he is out of office, he will be liable for obstruction of justice, money laundering and cooperating with Putin's underlings.
5
the real crime is that Trump does not see anything wrong with his mixing of his presidential responsibilities with his personal election campaign. Its just business as usual even though it shatters every rule in the leadership rule book and compromises our relationship with the world.
7
So know 45 is using my tax $ for extortion? And it seems like by doing that I've inadvertently donated to his campaign. WOW
7
Has Trump ever called the Ukraine to ask help investigating the possible wrong-doing a private citizens not connected to a political opponent? For that matter, has he ever asked any country at any time for any such assistance investigating anyone other than the son of his likely opponent entering an election year?
No? Well, then all those folks willfully closing their eyes and covering their ears to try as hard as their imagination can labor to conjure up some kind of good faith explanation should probably stop. No one outside the bubble believes it as anything but the most transparent fig leaf of a rationalization (and that’s saying something given the last three years).
7
Look... sooner or later you really have to come up with the goods. Too many "sources say..." stories. Let's see these sources, hear the phone call, etc. Otherwise it seems like patent medicine hair re-growth formula testimony. But then anyone who actually tries the formula discovers their hair never grows back.
Continuously doing this stuff risks an undermining of credibility.
2
@HL Mencken's ghost
Witness intimidation and blocking any official testimony is working in delaying investigations and preventing information getting out.
Look, the the information that is out so far, and the criminal pattern of this president and his cronies is the “goods”..
@CarolinaJoe Allegations are not evidence, and seein' cuss words or slurs in your alphabet soup are not the reveal of criminal patterns. When all these stories come from outlets whose bread and butter are the ad-pool targeted people who merely don't like the guy and along with their coffee need some villainy to gnash their teeth at in the morning news, then that particular measure of journalistic integrity becomes an issue meriting circumspection.
Look, I should know. Back when I was on my beat me and the fellas over lunch and beers would coordinate our concocted goods for the next day's edition. Sure, I know, you're thinking "well that's easy for some ghost to say" but it takes a bit of doing getting ectoplasm to work a keyboard, and why would I bother if I really didn't care? Tougher still when it's not all my own ephemeral ectoplasm, I borrowed a lot of it from Thomas Hardy.
I don't care about political calculations. This is about principles. The man needs to be impeached.
5
It is extremely difficult to believe that Trump was begging Zelensky to restore the alleged anti-corruption activities that the very corrupt Shokin had begun under the previous Ukrainian leader. Only the tapes and transcripts of the conversation will tell.
But if Trump's principle focus was on Shokin's specific investigation of Hunter Biden, then it seems impossible for anyone to argue that Trump was not engaged in serious criminal activity that requires his removal from office.
And if Trump decides to defy the Judiciary and the Legislative Branch to shield those tapes and transcripts from discovery, that alone justifies his removal from office. Hunch tells me that this case is going to proceed along the lines of famous gangland prosecutions.
3
Must read WAPO Op-Ed by Mr. Kellyanne and Neil Kaytal -nails the necessity and basis for impeachment.
The most important reason, however, is the impact on our Democracy by not pursuing impeachment. Assumed norms and obligations will be rejected, and the Presidency will be transformed into an above the law, above the other branches of government, above oversight, autocratic ruler whose actions cannot be contained. Trump has built his political career on intimidating his opponents into inaction, flagrantly displaying his defiance of conduct assumed appropriate for the office he holds. He is in our faces with lies, conflicts of interest, conspiracy theories, self dealing, ignorance and bigotry. Failure to hold him accountable has led him to escalate his malfeasance. Worse than merely feeding Trump’s criminal mind, acquiescence to his increasingly belligerent acts not does not merely desensitize the public, it molds their opinion: if Congress does not act, Trump be within his rights.
Let’s assume the compliant GOP Senate will acquit an impeached Trump. ( the case against him may be so compelling that some of his apparently faithful may finally revolt). Does the probable acquittal mean that Trump is not a danger? That he does not deserve to be removed from office? History will be the final judge as to whether the Democrats lost the case, but saved our Democracy by their effort.
They may also win the voters; but otherwise they may very well lose them. Demagoguery is effective.
5
Trump casually hints that one of his political rivals should be "looked into" without giving any details or evidence. Just enough to make people start to doubt. This is the same as his "some people say..." comments, where he tries to imply that it's not just him making allegations, and it's not just his opinion he's about to give. These underhanded tactics are part and parcel of the Trump brand. Trump has brought our already tainted political process to a new low. The problem is that it's doubtful Democrats have what it takes to bring Trump down. Taking the high road is not the way to do it, but Democrats are just not good at slogging their way through a sewer, which is where they have to be willing to go to find and defeat Trump. Trump knows this and he will wallow in the muck for as long as he can. It's where he feels at home and it's where his supporters know they can always find him.
7
The abuse of our constitution, laws, and ethics by this president are NOT slowing down. One would think that after having been exposed, he would cool it for awhile. Not this guy! If anything, he is picking up the pace of abuse and becoming MORE egregious. And the damage he is doing to our democracy and international relations is becoming harder and harder to repair after he's gone.
Because of that, I have shifted my opinion - I now favor impeachment. The earlier the better. And don't worry about the Senate acquitting him. Any senators that vote against impeachment, will have targets on their back for their next election.
4
And this too shall pass, and Trump will once again remain unscathed. Every week, sometimes every day, for the past two and a half years, it's another assault on our democracy. Who to blame? Well, the vast majority of comments here will blame the GOP for turning a blind eye to their President. Instead, I focus on our lack of strong, bold, Democratic leadership. Specifically, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer who have largely been complacent these past two and a half years. Strong, bold leadership, even when in the minority, can make a difference. When have you ever heard Chuck Schumer stand up to Mitch McConnell publicly and boldly? Imagine how differently the Democratic Senate would be run if Elizabeth Warren were Senate Minority Leader. She's tough, she's smart, she's bold, she's articulate... she would never have let McConnell get away with half of what he has without speaking out. Democrats need different leadership, and I fear November 2020 is too far away to wait.
10
Will there be a retraction if this story proves as phony as the Trump-Russian collusion?
6
The mainstream media is absolutely determined to bring this president down. It is exhausting.
5
Hey Republican Senator’s when will you get moral strength and serve your country as true patriots?
3
Donald is all in, having decided that for him 2020 may well come down to winning the presidency or facing a jail sentence with no veep to pardon him.
Latest fitting example cum Paraphrase synthesis: "Whether or not I brought up eight times their stopping Biden with Ukraine president (aka foreign government) doesn't matter, and besides he and his family need to be looked into.
Rudy is his tool, hungry for the lights, taking the heat and ridicule, distracting the issues and getting public messages out over and over in front of any press and Congressional impact.
It's chips all in, or busted.
3
Note to WaPo and Pelosi
A “sharp warning” on a matter of a serious name national security breach is pretty dull unleash it is spelt I-M-P-E-A-C-H
3
Pelosi and Schumer are asleep at the wheel. Trump defines treason.
6
Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred. Period.
11
Compared to Trump's bottomless corruption, Richard Nixon was just an amateur.
19
Why not make Mexico pay for the Ukrainian investigation?
6
If this is not an impeachable offense I do not know what is!
12
What’s with this “generally the law”
Is that the new standard in America?
If you don’t feel like following the law and your rich or powerful...it’s just a suggestion....how nice
12
This is an impeachable offense.
6
@Harris, just like all those kids marching yesterday to halt climate climate change mattered too.
This is treason. Why is congress sitting on its hands?
13
@Jim Anderson Unfortunately, Congress has been neutered. Nancy Pelosi is not in favor of impeachment, and even if the Dems moved forward on such an action, it would not even garner enough votes in the House to pass. The U.S. system of government has been wounded, maybe even mortally wounded. Certainly its flaws have been exposed in that there are no real checks and balances for a rogue, treasonous administration.
1
I recall that Trump publicly said that he would accept help against his political oppontfrom any foreign government “why wouldn’t he?”. Strange how Manafort, H Biden, and how many other Americans are tied to the Ukraine. The cesspool of politics and the Trump campaign. How did Mueller get it so wrong? Thanks
6
Trump's ties with Russia becomes more apparent with nearly every news cycle. During his nomination, Paul Manafort with Trump's blessing dropped support for Ukraine and any talk of further sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine from the part platform. And now Trump is taking a page from his ally, Putin's, playbook. He, Trump, is now interfering in another country's politics for his own personal gain. It would be in the Ukraine's best interests to cooperate with any forthcoming Congressional investigation if any should take place and put the blame where it really belongs, at the feet of Trump and Gulliani. It the Ukraine does not, they can expect a response similar to those that Putin would employ, namely a change in government in the form of a military backed coup. After all, Trump has his mentor in Putin.
7
Will this ever end? How?
6
Boy, Repub’s are really defensive according to comments to this story. What are they so afraid of?
6
So, what can anyone do about this?
Its a disgrace
7
Trump is barking up the wrong tree to smear Biden when there is a reasonable probability that Warren will be the democrat nominee.
But, Trump behaves like a tinpot dictator doing what he did.
It is an abuse of power to say the least. Very sleazy.
Let us remember this is part of a pattern.....
And it ain't just Trump....
10
If you were President and you learned that the former VP’s son had tried to bribe a foreign government leader, would you demand an investigation?
4
@logodos
Not based on a conspiracy theory that has long have been debunked. And I certainly wouldn't do it after the VP became my biggest opponent for re-election, because, you know, it might look like I'm abusing my power and interfering in foreign policy to sway an election. It might look like that, because what's exactly what it is.
2
@logodos
It wasn't Hunter who did the bribing. Joe has a history of "helping" his family members get jobs, per the Politico investigation. Board appointments to companies that lobbied Joe, an appointment to a government job by Bill Clinton, investment partnerships with Theresa Heinz's kid, etc.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/02/joe-biden-investigation-hunter-brother-hedge-fund-money-2020-campaign-227407
Ukraine understood that to receive US aid, they necessarily must provide something in return to their benefactors.
In this case, it was $116K/month private sector do-nothing job from a bunch of Ukrainian oligarchs, and overlooking the corruption of said company.
It's really easy to get away with all sorts of things if you register your private Ukrainian gas company in Cyprus and have an American on the board of directors to make it look legit.
Trump may be the engineer of the Treason Train, but Rudy Giuliani is the conductor.
9
The worst president in American history is an outright criminal in so many ways! I just watched two Republican senators line up behind their criminal President!
15
Here we go again...NYT "both-sidesing" Trump's claim that Biden pressured Ukraine to benefit his sone, and instead of saying the claims were ridiculous, quotes Joe Biden as saying they have no merit. We've seen this movie before with Hilary's emails.
17
@Mfez
There is no "both-sidesing" Trump's claim.
Joe Biden admitted to the very thing that Trump is accusing him of to the Council of Foreign Relations last January.
1
we have a criminal administration.
6
More from the banana republic.
5
rewind a bit.
Summer 2016.
Dirt on Hilary
Kremlin, if you're listening ...
These people are not stupid. They KNOW full well what they are doing (again) is tantamount to treason.
But they do not care.
So much for loyalty, love of country, or duty to office. None of it matters to them.
16
This is the tip of a a very big iceberg. It's ugly and treasonous. The Trump Titanic is about to go down..
7
What a total mess.
3
Is there no tipping point with this crook?
9
Asking a foreign country to interfere in a US election is treason.
12
im starting to think that trump is getting a cut of all the profit the media is making off of him...another scandalous story that wont go anywhere
8
Trump’s modus operandi is and has always been treason for his own gain. He is a criminal to his core. He will take everyone down with him unless he is stopped.
14
Trump repeatedly pressed the Ukranian President president to investigate Biden's son. Who does Trump think he is? This is not the Mafia.
5
Dang! Isn’t this treasonous? What the heck will it take for the leadership of the Dems to get going on impeachment? No one thinks he’ll be impeached but ALL of his and his administration’s devious tricks will be aired,exposed for all to see. People can choose to vote for an immoral traitor after the facts are out there. If we can’t get Pelosi and Schumer to act, maybe we can call on their impeachment too! Congress needs to do it’s job and protect this country now!
5
Trump to Ukraine: "No aid for you unless you investigate Biden."
Illegal, treasonous, a high crime. Impeachment is without question essential. Do it now!
21
Elect a clown like Trump, expect a circus.
12
It is a disgrace for Guiliani and Trump to trash the reputation of a fallen military veteran, who was exposed to countless toxins during his service to our nation in war.
When is our fallen department of justice, and our courts going to defend the Constitution and our nation from such riff-raff?
5
Nancy, you are to blame. For yout cowardice, Trump will stop at nothing now.
6
Time to begin impeachment proceedings is now. This POTUS is so bereft of any moral values that he is incapable of knowing when he is doing the wrong thing. The job of POTUS should not be based on political vendettas. This behavior is bad for the Presidency and bad for the country. Trump is just a Queens real estate man who is incapable of rising to the office of POTUS and never should have been allowed to enter the Oval Office. Surely this kind of corruption is not what we want anywhere in our government. Sleaze is sleaze, even if the sleazebag is the POTUS. Throw the bum out of office!
6
There
Is
Nothing
Normal
About
This
Presidency
15
Giuliani trying his hardest to play the role of Roy Cohn.
6
Trump and Giuliani, what a pair of loose cannons. You can easily draw your own conclusions about what was inferred or dangled in exchange for the promised aid to Ukraine by these two loudmouths who shoot from the hip. Funny how the aid was miraculously released this week once this became known.
I hope the Teflon has worn off these two clowns.
5
Now troops are going into Saudi Arabia. “Wag the Dog”
7
Apparently, Donald Trump can do anything he would like, be it illegal, immoral, un-presidential, and the American people permit it with no concerns. Let alone criminal actions. He's free to be the antagonistic jerk that he is. He's brutal. He's corrupt. He's unfit for office, be it local or national. And yet, voters do not care. What does this say about America? How does the remainder of the world think of us now? It is disgusting to me, and it should be to all of you!
14
Hey GOP! How does it feel to help desecrate our democracy? Where do I start? Let me begin with the brave men and women who die and fight on a daily basis and their families who sacrifice beyond? How can you allow this unstable genius to go on? And the town crier Rudy? Please!!! When will you even attempt to bring us UP from this pigpen? Never it seems. ANYONE BUT, 2020.
8
Another day, another bombshell and the same old, tired comment from Pelosi! So sick of it...and now he’s going to deploy troops to help his Saudi buddies. Yeah, right
8
“Mr. Trump used the powers of his office and United States foreign policy in an effort to seek damaging information about a political rival.”
NYT, unfortunately you will have to spell out for trump supporters why that is not only a bad thing to do, but a crime. Thank you.
10
Nancy: It's time to I.M.P.E.A.C.H.
11
Our great nation has been sold to Donald J. Trump and his buddy Putin. Are all you Trump supporters now happy? Is this how we Make America Great Again?
8
I have one word--impeach!
8
One crime after another...
7
I thought Mexico was gonna pay for the wall?
9
I honestly don’t see anything wrong here
4
If you don’t see anything wrong, you’re not paying attention. You can’t represent all Americans when you’re using your power to investigate one. Especially when that person is running against you. He’s leveraging US influence abroad to take down a political enemy, in his official capacity as President, that’s abuse of power.
1
This makes the possibility that Trump conspired with Russia look ever so much more likely.
Here he is abusing the power of his office to try and extort a foreign government into digging up dirt on a rival's son; meanwhile much-needed aid to protect Ukraine from the guy who subverted our last election is withheld.
Please people. Let's get rid of this plague on America. Vote for Democrats from dog catcher to POTUS.
12
A POTUS seeking the help of a tin pot dictator to dig up dirt on a political rival is indicative of a nation in trouble.
19
Trump trumps Nixon. Worst ever because he is a traitor. At least Nixon thought he was working for the benefit of the Inited States.
10
So we got him, right?? It's all over, right? ... lol
7
When will Nancy and the dems get enough backbone to start impeachment. Make a statement .....let it officially be known for the record that we don’t agree with this criminal. We will look back and wonder why this was never done. Sticking her head in the sand.
Stand up to the bully and his gang of co-conspirators.
9
I just don't get it. Republicans will do nothing. They don't want to loose their old white base. they would rather the country burn to ground than for that to happen. After all what other demographic category do they dominate in?
14
How can anyone still believe that Trump is anything but a sleazy fraud. He is so morally corrupt that he doesn't even know when he is doing something morally reprehensible. How anyone can still believe that this sleazebag is anything but seriously harmful to the entire country? Trump should make us all wonder what happened to the "Christian" values that America is supposed to be based on? Trump is the greatest tragedy that has befallen our country since the Civil War.
20
@RLW. With the way things are going we may be on the verge of another civil war
1
Republicans? Anyone home?
12
File articles of impeachment NOW.
16