He reveals top level security information seemingly without any vetting or forethought.
His daughter and son-in-law have top level security clearances so they can do what? Obtain better deals for 666 Park Avenue?
He specifically asked for Ukraine to co-operate with his personal attorney about an issue of importance only to his campaign.
He's stealing money from legit military programs to build a useless wall no one else wants, and one that no one needs.
And he demeans every issue and every person who is not an overt Trump-boot licking toady.
Get him outa there!
28
Anything and everything Trump says is a lie.
“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch 22
21
A very nice phone call indeed:
-- a little bit of racketeering under the guise of a reciprical relationship;
-- a little bit of unofficial/offical meddling by the Trump consigliere, once the legitimate ambassador was pushed out of the way;
-- a little bit of forgetting that the Department of Justice isn't DJT's private law firm and enforcement organization....
Ah, the man who would be Henry 8th/Caligula, and Nero in one glorious being, to be possibly undone by a maneuver (putting a hold on the missile system delivery to get cooperation)....something that would probably not have happened if there were still adults at the White House, instead of toadies.
Al Capone was undone by his taxes; this call is simply the latest of DJT's brazen contempt for the law and the responsibility of governing.
11
One doesn't have to nitpik the words or the order in which they were spoken to come to the rather obvious conclusion that the whole scene smacked of a quid-pro-quo. And what if Trump simply said out of the blue, and with nothing to do with granting military aid, - "Can you do me a favor and investigate Biden?" That alone is sufficient. A solicitation from a foreign leader to help him smear a political rival. Yes Senator Lindsey Graham - hypocrite of the month - that is enough to impeach Trump because of a phone call. Throw this bum out. I mention Graham because CNN replayed his passionate speech in 1988 when he said impeachment was about cleaning out the corruption from the presidency - talking about Bill Clinton at the time over his sexual dalliance with Monica Lewinski, a far cry from Trump's behavior. John McCain would roll over in his grave at the duplicity of his former false friend.
12
This person is a disgrace to the office he unfortunately holds.
He's very insecure and now must be very nervous. He has ramped up his name calling, because that's his forte. He may consider his misdeeds a joke and fake news, when in reality he's the one who is a joke. What he did looks like treason.
10
US president solicited information from a foreign leader to interfere with 2020 election
White House tried to cover up transcripts.
NOT a joke.
4
Because of Trump's lies and the GOP's lies by supporting those said lies, freedom of the press means that there is a new responsibility of the press: Stop responding to Trump's twisted tweets and going along with the GOP talking points. Just relay the truth at every turn and provide all the facts.
4
The president seems incapable of distinguishing between himself and the country, his beliefs and the facts, his actions as a candidate and his duties as a sitting president. He will never admit to doing anything wrong because there is no separation in his mind between any of these things.
5
Just remember Mr. POTUS: YOU work for US. You are a civil servant of the people of the United States of America and YOU will be held accountable. Unfortunately, The only party right now that is willing to hold you accountable is the Democratic party. PERIOD.
6
Trump may not have overtly withheld aid, but actions speak louder than words.
If he is not guilty of using the situation to wound Biden’s candidacy, why does he keep blathering about all the corruption (effectively inverting Biden’s role in ousting the corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor) and going back to his favorite tropes about Speaker Pelosi being beholden to the socialist left wing of her party (whatever that is)?
This whole mess smells rotten and Trump’s behaviors are not those of someone who didn’t try to manipulate circumstances behind the scene, and then try to cover up.
The House is doing its job by delving as deeply as they can, and given every Americans interest in the situation, the details need to be fully explained ASAP.
To do otherwise may fatally harm our electoral process.
2
https://medium.com/@teresadlonghawkes/break-out-the-beer-and-popcorn-f7060070ecf4
This is political drama at its most belligerent. Nevertheless, I have faith that a preponderance of US voters will not be interested in re-electing a President with Mr. Trump's track record, regardless of the fact that the two halves of this country are genuinely at each other's throats for a boatload of reasons.
2
Trump is setting this all up - destroying Biden so he can run against Warren. From New Hampshire. Perfect.
2
in this light ("Although there was no explicit quid pro quo in the conversation, Mr. Trump raised the matter immediately after Mr. Zelensky spoke of his country’s need for more help from the United States.") chairman schiff's statement to "ally" ukraine was past extortionate it was a threat, more like biden's (on film in his own words! )than the hearsay transcript, cobbled from "sources," of trumps's phone call...
note to the dems who keep embarrassing those of us who were in the game when the party was the voice of the people, of labor's struggle, civil rights, anti-HUAC (now revived for use against anyone in h'wood who speaks out for trump's policies or, worse, against the shameless personal attacks by lapdog media and desperate celebs)...no place to hide if you hand trump a second term.
I’ll go out on a limb here and posit that when Zalinsky can speak freely, Trump’s true fealty will be revealed in all its vainglory. It’s not that the Ukrainian Prime Minister has a better intelligence agency, it’s that he has the intelligence to see Putin for who he is, and Trump for what he is, and has been since before the election. I give the reader a scene from the Clinton/Trump debate wherein Trump reflexively and intensely cries in triplicate,” no your the puppet”. It didn’t require an intelligence agency to infer that Trump was projecting, and was obviously the puppet.
4
Trump promised his supporters a bunch of stuff: ban Muslims, end ObamaCare, build a Wall, get out of Afghanistan. And he has not delivered (although McConnell did get a win with his tax cut for the Republican donor class). Rather than sit around with his insubstantial record and a lukewarm economy he can now use the impeachment drama to whip his base into the frenzy. A year out from the election is good timing. This is a win for Trump and a blunder by the Dems.
1
It occurs to me that “It’s a joke,” is the very line that the Comedian went out the window on.
2
Trump thinks this is a joke?
Well, we'll see who has the last laugh.
5
Yes, it’s been a joke since Trump was elected into office . He’s a bad joke to the country and the world!
7
For his country's survival, the Ukrainian president could falsify a case to please Trump. Taken to a logical conclusion, Trump would honor an extradition request and have the Bidens sent to the Ukraine for prosecution.
Everyone should watch Sean Hannity on Fox News this morning. He addresses the impeachment and Ukraine issue like only he can. It is extremely painful to watch, but a real eye opener to what millions of Americans are tuned in too and apparently believing. Also, I will definitely be avoiding Chevron gas stations from now on for advertising on his show!
8
The only joke in this scenario is Trump.
7
Few Republicans in either the House or Senate will break with the President regardless of what wrong doing is uncovered. They are weak and afraid of the President and his smear machine.
But, by impeaching the President in the House and forcing a trial in the Senate, the House will force every Republican to vote yes or no on whether they approve of the President's illegal acts. That vote will become the central issue in many a Republican's election bid in 2020. With the impeachment and trial of Trump, the House is making certain that while Republicans can remain silent, they are going to be forced to take position that their voters and challengers will have before them in the next election.
In sum, this process is about revealing the integrity of the Republican Party and its elected officials in Congress through this forthcoming vote.
9
Politicians of both parties want to avoid categorizing things as quid pro quos. It is the absence of such that allow them to accept "gifts" without calling it bribery.
Ask Robert McDonnell.
Several legal scholars have suggested that the Senate is not even required by the Constitution to hold an impeachment trial. It has the power to do so but not the duty, just like the House has the power to consider impeachment but not the duty to do so. There are Senate rules that would require a trial but those can be amended. Maybe a better solution would be for Sen. McConnell to craft a form of summary judgment procedure and that would allow the Senate to dismiss the inevitable impeachment charges on summary judgment without the spectacle of a “trial.”
2
Is this investigation and possibly an impeachment inquiry a joke? The people who will determine the answer is the American people. This will come on Election Day in 2020. We will have to wait until then to determine this outcome.
1
The ‘impeachment’ drive against Trump will be: 1) unsuccessful and 2) accelerate Trump’s plans for war on Iran. The President will use the conflict with Iran to distract the American public from the severe social and economic problems facing the country.
2
Trump is worried that Democrats won't pursue bipartisan efforts for gun control because they are distracted by impeachment? If Trump seriously wants bipartisan action on gun control he might talk to the Republicans who oppose gun control every step of the way.
1
Leaving aside the question of impeachment, if you weigh the motives Trump would have in asking his counterpart to investigate Biden the overwhelming common sense comes down on the side of pro quid quo. If nothing else political power corrupts people, this the founders knew (they reflected on their own corruption) so they established checks and balances, oversight etc. It could be that Trump thought he was doing "what they all do," as Nixon argued back in the day but it doesn't matter. It may be true but if you get caught, in a functioning civil society, you are toast. You would have to believe that Trump gave lots of grave thought about the possible acts of Biden some years ago, that he has that sort of conscience to believe it was a harmless, noble request. If Trump were still a real estate guy and someone gave him illegal information about a rival real estate guy do you think he would use it? I do. This will play out however it will and it is very worrisome given the extreme partisanship in this country. I've been driving through the West in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, etc, listening to talk radio and they are very loyal to Trump. They believe in the "deep state" and conspiracies. I remember after Watergate this country was ungovernable, surly, and very demoralized. It destroyed Carter, a good, decent, intelligent guy and delivered Reagan.
2
If the Democrats really want to impeach Trump they need to go to the floor of the House and actually call for a vote.
Do they have the backbone for that or not?
It seems that Republicans are perfectly happy with a leader that flouts the laws of our country so long as it helps him remain in power.
4
So Joseph Maguire is saying that the FBI is not authorized to investigate the Ukraine Issue, that it's a matter to be determined by the Chair (Schiff) and the committee since the DOJ has denied it should investigate.
So not only should POTUS be impeached but so should Barr for blocking an investigation into the issue the whistle blower has brought forward. Only Congress can now investigate. They are claiming it's not election interference but rather a matter of releasing confidential information. This is crazy.
3
It’s not a joke that Trump sought foreign interference in our elections. Twice. There’s something going on that’s much more troubling and it’s pathological.
2
Has Congress secured the recording of the call or the verbatim transcript? If it was destroyed, then destruction of evidence and obstruction should be added to the impeachment inquiry.
Let's not have another "Rosemary Woods mistake".
9
@Kingfish52
Evidently it was moved to a different records system than they usually are, which isn't suspicious at all.
2
Opposing Pres. Trump and condemning many of his policies and actions does not require belonging to any group, whether or not such group is formally organized, nor does it require membership in any particular political party: On the contrary, opposing Mr. Trump is a singularly individual choice that can be exercised in the privacy of the voting booth.
Moreover, even choosing to oppose Mr. Trump by participating actively in political groups does not - in and of itself - carry any stigma of "radicalism", since the great majority of people participate in opposition in a relaively passive manner, using such means as making campaign contributions, writing letters to editors of newspapers and journals, etc.
The politcal activities of Mr.Trump's opponents stand in clear contrast to Mr. Trump's own disreputable (and probably unlawful) efforts to obtain endorsements of his presidency from leaders of foreign countries in order to buttress his bid for re-election in 2020.
4
Sure Trump tried to get help from Ukraine for his re-election. That is awful on its face. More egregious to me his continued attempt to punish rivals, both past and present, despite investigations that found no fault. Additionally he continues to discount the intelligence community’s conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections and would love to put the blame on Ukraine. The only reason to do this is to absolve the Russians and possibly remove sanctions. This further demonstrates how much he is beholden to Putin. Trump should be removed from office because his loyalties are not to the United States.
8
The old trump two-step. Pretty hard to dance when you keep shooting yourself in the foot though. So sad - too bad.
3
The real sad fact about Trump is that he cannot tell the difference between an enemy of the state and a perceived enemy of trump. Oh, and the fact that he is an immoral liar who was emotionally stunted back in his youth.
What's the threshold for wrong-doing with Trump, physical harm? He sure has an affinity for breaking laws and conspiracies.
5
What a farce.
The Obama administration actually opens a falsely predicated clandestine investigation of a presidential candidate and then leaks the presence of the investigation, and that's just fine with everyone.
Trump suggests another look at a prior justly predicated investigation, and that's not just fine.
If nothing else this exercise will highlight the monumental hypocrisy of the Democrats and their lap dogs in the media business.
Anyone who believes that Biden's claim that this was unrelated to family business in the Ukraine:
“I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money.”
may also want to invest in the Louisiana-Indiana Tunnel Project.
3
@Objectivist “The Obama administration actually opens a falsely predicated clandestine investigation of a presidential candidate and then leaks the presence of the investigation, and that's just fine with everyone.”
This is actually false.
4
Sorry: I tried to read your whole adjective-larded screed, but that first para’s wailywailying about how that dern-burn Obamas done forced the FBI to take notice of what Trump was publicly bragging about got me laughing so hard I couldn’t see very well.
Pro tip by way of Joe Friday, though—the more adjectives, the less objectivity.
4
Once you accept that both parties work for the same bosses, the Pelosi investigation is no mistake. It's another distraction from the real DNC opposition candidates who could beat Trump and challenge Wall St and the MIC.
This game is even better than Russiagate, in that it involves Biden, the DNC's main candidate. If he can be tarnished, Trump "exonerated" and, most importantly, Warren, Sanders and Gabbard sidelined, then clean Trump wins against dirty Biden. Victory for the rulers.
3
Joseph McGuire, the Acting DNI, was a key conspirator in the White House cover up. He had no right to ignore the Whistle Blower statute by sending the complaint to the DOJ (the corrupt operation led by AG William Barr) instead of sending it to the House Intelligence Committee within the 7-day period as clearly required by the law!
Acting DNI McGuire SAYS the right thing "Nobody is above the law", then he ignores the law and allows a massive cover up. It's a conspiracy and should be treated as such by Democrats and all honest Republicans (assuming there are any honest Republicans left... "Honest Republican" is now something of an oxymoron in a party that now clearly belongs to the Liar in Chief.
Since Bill Barr is intimately involved in this entire matter -- as the complaint alleges and as we see from the summary of the Trump-Ukraine phone conversation -- he should recuse himself. Of course, he does not. We know what happened tot he last Trump AG who recused himself.
This administration and now the entire Republican Party are so corrupt that the US is in grave danger of slipping into a dictatorship!
6
Do show Congress Committees behind doors the entire transcript of the call and explain why you hid it, so we can all laugh.
2
“Mr. Trump urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to work with Attorney General William P. Barr and Rudolph W. Giuliani, on corruption investigations.”
What an odd couple are Barr & Giuliani: Barr is secretive and denies everything, while Giuliani is open and doesn’t deny most things. Barr is tight-lipped & devious, while Giuliani is a blabbermouth!
4
Keep it up, Democrats. You are ruining the country while guaranteeing President Trump's re-election.
2
I suspect the country is being ruined now by all the unlawful actions of Trump. The problems that have been cause won't be reversable for a number of years at least.
3
@Tony Wicher Trump is trying to get a foreign country who was invaded and needs our help, to arrest and jail a former vice president and his son for political purposes.
2
Trump thinks and talks like a Mafioso, not the POTUS. He does not have to give a direct order for what he wants done to be understood. Finally he will be held to account after trashing every norm for the office he holds.
He has lied and cheated, colluded with adversaries, disrespected allies, cozied up to dictators, attacked the press for doing their jobs, suborned perjury, allowed children to be separated from their parents and be caged, remained in control of his business and finances instead of putting them in a blind trust, enriched himself and his family in this position and at the expense of the American people, spent most of his time watching television and tweeting, spent millions visiting his resorts and so much more.
He considers himself to be above the law. Subpoenas can be ignored. Truth is malleable to suit oneself. Unflattering news is false news. The DOJ is to protect him as his personal law firm, rather than uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. Barr is his Roy Cohn. He has unleashed the worst instincts of people in normalizing bigotry and hatred and ignorance.
We can only hope that this is the beginning of the unravelling of the entire misbegotten Trump enterprise, just as the Watergate break-in was for Nixon. He will soon come to understand that this is no joke. A perp walk might be too much to expect, but his early retirement to Mar A Lago may be cut short by criminal indictments when not in office. A special place in hell awaits him too.
5
Methinks the Teflon Don and his crime family are in trouble.
4
My whole life I have been hearing Americans claim that their country is "exceptional". Fair enough, in some ways from my perspective America has proven to be "exceptional" and I have historically had great respect for my American brethren. As a Canadian I would lose my respect for America should it allow any president to use foreign policy to extort a foreign country into destroying his/her political opponent and woud tarnish any attributes I consider "exceptional"!
86
@Bosox rule
Well, I always thought that Canada was a better and more conscientious place with better politics and politicians than the U.S. until I found out they selling $13 BILLION worth of arms to the Saudis and all that glitters isn't gold around Justin Trudeau.
I guess "exceptional" is overrated.
5
@Bosox rule
The US IS exceptional. The US is exceptionally undemocratic, exceptional in its social and economic inequality, exceptionally racist, exceptional in its hypocrisy, exceptionally violent with more guns than people and many of those guns are weapons of war, with the largest military industrial complex in the history of Planet Earth, and the US is exceptionally arrogant!
The US has also destroyed nearly all of its neighbors. From the 60-year-plus embargo of Cuba to the drug lust and guns supplied to Mexico and Central and South America, the only neighboring country to escape the ravages of US guns and drug lust is Canada.
Make no mistake, if poppies would grow in the snow, Canada would become overrun with US guns and drug cartels as well. The cold Canadian climate has saved you from the violence, drugs and guns which are the biggest exports from the USA.
17
The meeting with Zelensky on September 2nd that included Giuliani, Bolton, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry must be investigated. Would anyone be surprised if, in addition to military aid and a weapons deal, an oil deal was also being used to extort Zelensky to manufacture some dirt on the Biden family?
7
The meeting with Zelensky on September 2nd that included Giuliani, Bolton, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry must be investigated. Would anyone be surprised if, in addition to military aid and a weapons deal, an oil deal was also being used to extort Zelensky to manufacture some dirt on the Biden family?
5
Though the GOP would like us to believe this is some big joke, I for one find nothing funny about Trump being caught once again seeking foreign assistance for his political benefit.
Members of the GOP will now begin to fall into four camps, the self-preserving, the patriots, the willfully ignorant, and the corrupt. The self-preserving and the patriots will begin to break away from the president. The willfully ignorant and the corrupt will continue to call this a "nothing burger."
The only way this joke might bring me a chuckle is if the punchline includes at least three members of this administration in orange jumpsuits.
9
Good for President Trump. Someone had to do it. Seems like you are going after the wrong culprit.
2
If you look at the accompanying picture you can see that Mike Pompeo isn't smiling, something must really be wrong because he always has a perpetual grin on his face.
4
If this is a joke, we need a new gag writer. There is nothing remotely funny about this.
3
This isn't a faux reality TV show where you get to write the script Donald. You are going down along with Guiliani and Barr. Lock them up!
11
Whether impeachment proceedings against Trump are successful or not is irrelevant. Trump has to be brought to heal for these actions.
7
I respect the WSJ's reporting, but their editorial staff are myopic to a fault. In today's edition, Daniel Henninger notes:
"The anti-Trump obsession has created a degree of political bitterness and polarization that is killing the possibility of normal governance."
I have to wonder where he's been for 3 years. Our political standoff is due solely to "anti-Trump obsession!" It has nothing at all to do with 1) Trump's hatred for half the citizens of the country, 2) McConnell's failure to act on any bipartisan legislation, or 3) a Republican party who has no interest in serving the interests of the nation?
Is there any retrospection by the authors of such statements? Are they so removed from "the man in the street" that they can afford their sanctimonious views, knowing there will be no consequences for them, at least?
I can do no more than bark at the moon right now.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-fight-with-the-globalists-11569452919?mod=hp_opin_pos_3#comments_sector
6
So an impeachment inquiry may be a big joke, but I sure don’t see the big T laughing. Quite, quite the opposite. He can imply that it’s funny, but I don’t see amusement on his part. I’d call it the beginning of fear.
3
The whistle blower and his own prior statements put Trump into a bind. So the WH releases a reconstruction of the phone call. Consider that the cooler heads on staff in the administration are only going to release something that they know they can spin in Trump's favor. In this case it's a weak spin, but it's what they got. The gist of the problem is still there, however. And that is that the potus asked, as a favor, a foreign leader to investigate a political rival and American citizen. Trump did that! That's wrong! That asking - for that favor, is an impeachable offense.
4
I can only speak for myself, but I am not jumping up and down on a table, wearing an ugly lamp shade and rejoicing over the findings and facts of this whistle blower's complaint.
Truth be told, I am physically ill to my stomach that not once, but twice in my life, I am bearing witness to such dark, dangerous, and sinister days in our nation's capital.
The unfolding scenario is the stuff I'd read in a Tom Clancy novel rather than in the New York Times. I still find myself asking out loud - what in the world???
I always thought the 88+ environmental policies Trump was rolling back were destructive enough. I always felt he loved money and power more than the environment, but I'm finding that he hates democracy and this country even more than that.
When Trump and his cronies are removed from power, and they WILL be removed from power, what I will feel deep in my heart will be a sense of relief and that this country has dodged a bullet - this time.
My biggest fear is that Trump will not be the last of his ilk who will try again, down to the road, to derail this country and our rich sense of democracy.
Thank you to the whistle blower for being a real and true American hero.
10
@Marge Keller
I share your feelings of physical illness, and add to that my own spiritual and physiological illness as well ever since 11/9/16. Actually before this date as the election process was underway, I was developing these ilnesses.
But fear not.
He may well be the last of this ilk as we head towards the demise of our sustainable planet, largely in part to people of his ilk who not only deny the peril of our climate changes to our planet, but in his case actually rolling back ANY protections THAT WERE IN PLACE.
Don’t worry, you won’t be here, I am 65 hope I won’t be here and anyone born now won’t make it to 30 years old with out some serious suffering from the conditions both earthly and economically that will be going on.
Damage done.
4
Trump's contempt for Constitutional Law, his unquenchable desire for self-aggrandizement coupled with his ability to corrupt and marshal the most base fears and prejudices of the public ... poses the Most Clear and Present Internal Danger to American Democracy in our History.
8
One thing this series of events is not is a joke. That we have a president of this country who tosses words around so lightly, when his presidency is rightfully being questioned-- says everything we need to know about the decline of our nation. Was Watergate a "joke?" Was the Iran-Contra investigation a "joke?" Was the impeachment of Bill Clinton a "joke?" Was GW lying to the American people to take us into a needless war a "joke?" Was the 9-hour inquisition of Hillary about a senseless murder of a diplomat a "joke?" None of this is a joke, whatever party you belong to, whatever your view of any of the items above. This is all the serious business of governing, and a president who calls such proceedings a "joke" is unqualified for office-- however this turns out.
4
If the President of the United States believes, or even says that the call for impeachment "is a joke" he/she should not be president for one more day! We have suffered enough during the past 2 years and 8 months with not one day that does not start and end with "jokes"/lies/hypocrisy/mean-spirited actions from a man who became president through the manipulation of social media in a few voting districts in our country. Please Congress - impeach (House) and find him guilty (Senate) as soon as possible!
4
It is incredible that Trump passes off foreign interference in our national elective process as nothing. That is the desperation the president feels to get re-elected at any cost. This debasement of the rule of law by our nihilist president is Nixonesque. We know what happened to Nixon.
3
45th will find out very soon if its a joke or realty, when GOP Senators abandons him and shows him the door during Impeachment hearing in Senate. We have Rule of Law no body can play with.
4
The Republicans in the House Intelligence Committee should be ashamed of their ignorant, rabid, lying and subversive attempt to corrupt a very vital function of their own body.
Subjecting this nation to the outrageous partisan politics of these angry rodents is a national, and Republican, disgrace. Nunes and his "boys" (they do not deserve the designation of "men") do not merit the honor of representing their constituents - they are only interested in maintaining their, and Trump's, power and subversion.
Taken alone, the whistleblower document and attendant crimes is more than enough to call for removal from office of an out-of-control criminal executive and his henchmen. I urge ALL AMERICANS to look objectively at what has transpired and, with even the slightest degree of common sense, clearly determine that a serious crime has been committed. Ignore the hyperbole of the Republican sycophants in Congress and LOOK AT THE FACTS OF THE ISSUE. Disregard meaningless semantics and LOOK AT THIS AND OTHER CRIMES.
A valid complaint about Presidential lawlessness has been filed. It requires action. That is what Congressional Oversight is for! Trump cannot be allowed to weigh in on his own crimes - he will, as we see, only lie and obstruct.
6
This president, inserted by the GOPers with help from putin IS A JOKE.
Finally, donald steps into some really deep S and his russian buddy or the turtle man will not be able to help him get out of it.
Short of russian troops invading the West Coast which trump is probably talking to putin about right now.
6
Yes a joke and a witch hunt. Typical Trump banter for the press.
Remember lie, lie, lie deny, deny ,deny Trump's Mantra.
2
The Ukraine call came the day after Fox News reported that Biden was leading trump by 10 points in a hypothetical match-up.
3
The ONLY JOKE here is Donald TRUMP.
2
@Jack
And that “joke” is on the whole world.
Kissing this planet goodbye thanks to the short fingered vulgarian climate polices.
1
Hey Donny, time to go back to NY - not sure NY will ever welcome a traitor back... especially one who is a national threat and most New Yorkers despise this man... maybe he should move to scotland where he is building golf homes or to Riyadh so he can hang out with his butcher friend
4
Why did the NYT state it had the FULL conversation when it is a reconstruction of part of the conversation? See headlines even today. You are degenerating into FOX News. Congress should require a full reconstruction of the entire 30 minutes if not an actual transcript. What has been revealed is damning enough. Let's see what else happened behind the curtains/
6
Trump thinks this is a joke. I'm not laughing.
91
@Scott Vampola
My favorite comment because you summed up everything in two simple sentences. Bravo
10
Re: "...Trump thinks this is a joke. I'm not laughing..." {@Scott Vampola}
I'm NOT laughing, either!
But I WILL BE smiling, in November, 2020, when I AGAIN vote, across the board, to remove / replace...
'Republicans'!
9
@Scott Vampola Neither is he.
5
"It's a joke." Spoken like a true sociopath/narcissist.
8
" 'I would like you to do us a favor though,' Mr. Trump responded, ..."
The word "though" says it all. This sentence means one thing and one thing alone. You'll get your military hardware but not for free. You'll have to do some favors for me. That's an explicit quid pro quo.
Trump: "That's a nice country, Zelensky. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it. Like not getting the guns. And we all know what my BFF in Moscow is like."
Ukraine is fighting for its life against Russia-backed paramilitaries. Zelensky desperately needs the military equipment. He had no choice but to agree to interfere in our elections.
407
I think it very strange that in the 21st century we are unable to record an accurate conversation between two world leaders. To know what was said in a very important conversation we need to rely on an inaccurate "Reconstruction" by parties connected to the contraversy.
60
@Photomette
Ukraine has the recording, maybe we should ask them for the real transcript.
6
@Photomette
Read the whistleblower's report. Possibly they put the transcripts of this phone call on a stand alone computer for sensitive top secret information. You have to have a special code to get in. This conversation was only politically sensitive not national security sensitive. This is big time deep state, if it happened.
11
@Photomette From what I read the complete transcript is available. However it has now been locked away in an off-line server for National Security purposes. Congress should accept nothing less that the complete transcript. It will clearly show the extent tRump's efforts to have Ukraine interfere in the election.
7
The impeachment process, 2019-style.
The Donald resigns.
President Pence pardons him for all offenses committed while in office.
Pence appoints Ivanka as Vice-President.
1
@jalexander
Now THAT’S a really really really BAD “joke”.
1
The most powerful person in the world asking a president of a third rate country that is dependent on American support asking a favor.
Yes Sir!
There is no need for a stated quid pro quo. It is in the very nature of the relationship.
5
@Ed, true. It is in the act of asking the question, engaging in such a conversation-- where the corruption lies.
2
Which is the third rate country?
4
It seems that Trump's lack of familiarity with the English language and careless informality in its use have once again placed him in the center of a serious and divisive controversy. Let us hope that we can both access and parse the facts and underlying truths of these disturbing revelations and, rationally and without passion or prejudice, determine the best way forward. It may well turn out that he who must be obeyed has committed another act of corruption and criminality that demands appropriate action of either I,peach meant or censure. Clearly this is a man unconstrained by norms or tradition and perhaps even the law. We will see what is ultimately revealed. One thing that we should now all understand is that our Constitution and federal election laws anticipate participants in government will exhibit a certain level of honor and integrity. Had they anticipated dealing with office aspirants and office holders Lola king those basic qualities they perhaps should have been drafted differently and more explicitly prohibited such actions as we now must investigate.
2
Why is everyone referring to the "transcript" of the call. It was NOT a verbatim transcript. It was something slapped together under pressure to release.
Read the whistle-blower complaint. The real word-for-word is stashed in a server usually reserved for higher level matters.
4
This impending impeachment inquiry is about the President’s misuse of his Office. It is also a test of the resolve of Senate Republicans to either continue unfettered loyalty to their party’s de facto leader or rise to the demands of their high office. The choice is clear and stark. In many ways there exists ample cover for them to vote affirmatively on the articles of impeachment. The Republican Party recovered quite well after the impeachment of then-President Nixon enduring only one anemic Democrat in the Oval Office followed by 12 years of control. Like Mr. Nixon, Mr. Trump will continue to castigate the media at length, misdirect and obfuscate, but will face the reckoning of his own self-interests. If we are fortunate Mr. Trump, too, will resign.
Clearly, should the allegations hold true, Republicans stand to lose the confidence of the American citizens and will have a severely weakened president. It is my fervent hope that there are 20 Republicans that have the veracity to see the President has done lasting damage to the Office and their Party. Having personally witnessed the impending impeachment of Mr. Nixon and indictment of his co-conspirators this process is not a pleasant nor lightly undertaken exercise and not “a joke” as the president has asserted. While distasteful in all regards these hears, articles and surrounding process demonstrates that our Constitution is unassailable and steadfast to the law.
2
So President Trump decided that the Bread Basket of Europe could supply him with grist for his re-election. This is what happens when a country elects a businessman to the highest office in the land; personal profit is seen as the greatest goal. Not surprising however since the presidency has been held hostage to the "business of America" since Commodore Perry confronted the Shogun with his armada.
Democrats have a true choice in the forthcoming election. Choose wisely.
3
I seem to recall that St. Ronny and his campaign staff interferred with then President Jimmy Carter's efforts to free the hostages held in Iran. There was no accountability to the Reagan campaign or administration.
6
The “October Surprise”!
@retiree
Read up on “What Does William Barr Have to Do With Iran Contra?”
What Adam Schiff just did is more than a joke, it is despicable. Check the transcript of the hearing this morning and decide for yourself if what Schiff did in pretending to read from the Transcript but instead reading a complete lie was—as he later tried to claim, parody. Pelosi must be fuming and she should be. It was not done as parody—it was a cynical attempt to mislead the public.
2
You’re arguing that Schiff was, “despicable,” because he cited the transcript assembled by Trump’s people?
Good grief.
Not since Newt complained bitterly that reporters, “lied about me by quoting me accurately,” have I seen anything this hysterical. TDS acting up again?
6
@Robert. Watch the news. Schiff lied—what he pretended to be reading was not in the transcript—it was false and it was not a parody. Watch the video!
1
"It's a joke." Trump believes this.
He has led a life of entitlement. Fred gave him fortunes which he dissipated. He went back to Fred and got more. He even tried to get his father to sign a codicil to give the full inheritance. (Fred did reject it.)
Trump took $1 billion write offs for tax purposes, after getting bankruptcy relief. Entitlement. Trump tried to use military and other appropriations to build his wall. Entitlement. Trump has been accused of unwanted sexual advances. According to the Hollywood Access tapes: Entitlement.
Trump uses the Office of the President to enrich the Trump holdings: Entitlement.
Trump grossly inflated his asset valuations when applying for loans with Deutsche Bank in violation of law because he was Entitled.
Now he wants to use the Office of the President to have a foreign nation to investigate a political opponent.
Of course Trump declares the accusation of wrongdoing a joke. After all he is Entitled.
5
Such a joke that that all records of the call were hidden in the system for national security.
3
As noted in the article, Mafia bosses didn't have to voice explicit threats, their targets were well aware of the possible consequences of not submitting to extortion. Mr. Trump is the second Republican President of this century who came to power on the basis of a flawed and close election, went on to rule as if he had won a wide mandate and then manipulated foreign affairs to get re-elected. If one chooses to act like a tyrant, one may expect to be treated like a tyrant.
4
Trump is about to be held accountable for his actions quite possibly for the first time in his miserable life. I for one welcome it.
12
Trump is the "joke" and we, the American people, will get the last laugh!
5
A joke? Hey, man, this isn’t going to turn out like the raid on Area 51. We’re not going to give up on the investigation. You can’t make us. Mr. president, we CAN’T give up on this. You are not going to just say there’s nothing there, then we give up. Is that okay, SIR?
2
No one has the ability to read a person's mind but I find it totally implausible that Trump actually believed his conversation with Zelensky was completely aboveboard. And if he does believe that, at the very least we have a president who is delusional and detached from an understanding of doing the right thing. That in itself demonstrates this man is unfit to hold this office.
101
Hmm. I read the transcript and while I may not like the tone or content (hard to parse without oral emphasis, frankly), I'm not quite understanding how this conversation warrants impeachment.
I am losing what little faith I had in American politics. Don't trust either side at this point.
Trump will win again. i think this impeachment effort makes the dems situation worse.
29
@Err..a bit of truth
"Don't trust either side at this point."
Straight out of the demagogue's playbook. Did you read the White House talking points on impeachment published in the NYT this morning?
Frankly your opinion and conclusions say more about your judgement than American politics.
61
@Err..a bit of truth We are not debating the situation of Trump or the dems, as you say, but the situation of the USA as a nation. It seems that you are unable to make the difference .
43
@Err..a bit of truth, I know how you feel. I pick up the newspaper, glance at the headlines then put it aside for I don’t have the patience to plow through the long stories it wants to tell depending on who owns it.
4
I hope all Dems are aware that the Wall is being built and should be finished at the end of 2020. Video of the construction is on the President’s twitter feed. So it must be true.
Do you think you can get the articles passed by November 2020? If not the point is moot. Passing articles of Impeachment is a futile gesture as these charges will be rejected by the Republican Senate. Meanwhile the Wall is being built, so that will end our illegal immigration problem and all patriotic Americans will be happy.
3
@John Murray Your comment has a genuine 'Alice through the Looking Glass' feel to it!
6
@John Murray, What is your definition of finished? It appears that about 700 miles of old existing fencing has been replaced with 1300 miles still to go.
4
I think the President has every right to ask questions about the job given by lobbyists in Ukraine to a son of Mr. Joe Biden. After all, the Democrats have also been inquiring whether Trump tried to build a Trump tower in Kyiv and Moscow.
I agree with trump in that many airports and buildings being built in many European countries are being built with american money by NATO in all 29 countries of Europe are being built with money given as grant by america from a loan of 1 trillion dollars. I think Europe should give money to Ukraine instead of America, now that America's national debt is 22 trillion dollars. A grant/ gift of one trillion dollars to Ukraine should make ukraine tax - free for its inhabitants for about 5 years.
8
As one reader commented yesterday on this topic, just another nothing burger. All of the allegations against Donald J. Trump since and, even before he took office, have been just that: nothing burgers.
What is a nothing burger, you ask, well it's like the "impossible" burger currently sold at Burger King made entirely from plant products and no meat. We need to run that old Wendy's ad in which the old lady would ask "where's the beef?"
So, Congressional Democrats, where's the beef? Your effort to impeach President Trump will go nowhere. Just another colossal waste of time, which serves only to divide America. Its time to get over the fact that Hillary Rodham Clinton lost. Get over it. Move one. Try your luck again in 2020 and then sit back and enjoy four more years of Trump. Thank you.
36
@Southern Boy Right, absolutely. He has never lied or gone bankrupt, has always paid his fair share of taxes, and the list goes on .... to the horizon and beyond.
27
@Southern Boy
A bright light in a dark tunnel. Thank you. I couldn't have put it better myself.
2
When Trump and his ilk get over that he was preceded by Obama, a competent statesman, perhaps anyone still hung up on HRC losing will give that up. They are few and far between.
Life goes on. Or with Trump’s pulling out of the Paris accord and pulling off the brakes on pollution controls, maybe it won’t. I happen to like life - one of quality - for myself and for future generations.
11
“Ms. Pelosi does not seem ready to test the resolve of her members, though, ....” Why not? She knows the President is right and did nothing wrong!
12
How do think that TD did nothing wrong?
7
Because she follows the law and tried to make a decision that is in the best interest of the country rather than her political career. This clearly is not going to make her rich or the most popular political figure as this process has no winner. She is making the decision based on following the rules and what is actually right to do.
1
The democrats have nothing and seem to have no political sense. Tulsi Gabbard at least understands they have shot themselves in both feet. How will they impeach Trump with the republicans in control of the senate, which votes on impeachment? The voting class consists almost entirely of mindless zombies who don't understand the two parties play them for fools. None of them have read Shakespeare, or if they have they don't understand the truth in his description of the world as a stage.
3
You posted exactly this yesterday.
So again, lemme recommend Greenblatt’s “Tyrant.”
Because I’ve read Willy the Shake, and he’s read way more—and we both know that Melancholy Jacques’ little speech isn’t remotely the right cite here. Try “King John,” or maybe “Richard III.”
1
Bla, Bla, Bla. He was simply encouraging the Ukraines to investigate someone who may have been corrupted by the previous corrupt Ukraine government. They should investigate Pelosi for obstruction of justice.
26
@ST
He was using a private lawyer to do private investigation for him and him alone. The American government was not involved in the Ukraine gas company and all of this HAS been investigated.
18
I recommend that you read both the published details of the telephone call and the transcript before parroting Fox News talking points and dismissing these very wrong deeds by Trump and his entourage. I was a young adult when Nixon and his Watergate dealings were being investigated. What Trump and colleagues did in these instances is much more serious than what Nixon did. Furthermore, Nixon actually accomplished some good things for our country during his presidency. I cannot think of one good thing Trump has done for the U.S. since January 2017. All he has done is pad his own pockets with our tax money.
22
@ST Unable and/or unwilling to distinguish right from wrong; caught the fever from the swamp.
11
"Mr. Trump insisted that he did nothing wrong and was once again the victim of 'a total hoax.'”
Mr. Trump is a victim of his own total incompetence.
854
And dishonesty. And greed.
56
@Gary He is the victim of truth, something he abhors.
55
No he is not a Victim. He is a crook. Big time. Playing with taxpayers money for his personal gain. Should be staying NY with real estate. Why come in Public Platform
in Washington DC?
54
Those who complain that Speaker Pelosi should not have launched an impeachment inquiry are ignoring the fact that within 48 hours (a) the White House released an incriminating memo of the call between Trump and Zelensky, (b) the Justice Dept. released the whistleblower complaint to Congress, (c) Congress released the complaint to the public, (d) Maguire is testifying, (e) the whistleblower has agreed to testify.
We’ve seen more action out of Washington in the past 48 hours than in the past 2.5 years.
133
President Trump released the transcript of his conversation between the president of Ukraine and himself willingly. Will the Democrats now demand every conversation between President Trump and foreign leaders? What about our security and their security? Will foreign leaders now hesitate to speak to our leaders if they feel the possibility of conversations being made public? We need the cooperation of foreign leaders but now it may be compromised. We are heading down a slippery slope which is very,dangerous.
2
What does Hunter think of all of this?
1
What is more important, winning an election or defending the Constitution and the Rule of Law?
It may come down to one or the other.
3
Hopefully it isn't premature to say, it was only a question of time before Trump's undoing. His persistent lawlessness n disrespect for the law was too obvious. He could be wired that way as he used to conduct his business dealings by cheating or expecting to gain back favores in return for concluding deals to the disadvantage of many, leaving them no choice but acquiesce. He was never suited to become president In the first place which was even evident to him and many of us. Firing anyone who refuses to comply with his wishes are reminiscence of his tv show, the apprentice. . The cunning ways in which he vetted people to serve his needs however grievous they are ,allows him to continue to ignore the law along with the GOP support hoping they help cover up his misdeeds. Gratefully he hasn't counted on a whistle blower's temerity to report to expose the magnitude of his corruption. My only hope his that recent attempt to conceal and avert the law will be ample reason to get rid of him once and for all.
5
This was a conspiracy to defraud the election centered on Trump, Giuliani and Barr. All three should go to jail.
13
Trump may have already succeeded in fatally damaging Biden’s candidacy. Before this, how many voters knew that Biden’s son was profiting off his father’s name?
2
Why did Giuliani, who is a private citizen, & the president ‘s personal lawyer, get access to the “transcript” of the phone call before the Congress?
8
"You don't even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic. Yet this body determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your roll. Impeachment is about clensing the office. Impeachment is about resotring honor and integrity to the office."
-Lindsey Graham, 1999
5
Lets see.... Hunter Biden doesn’t speak Ukrainian, doesn’t know beans about gas production and the Ukrainians are willing to pay him $50,000 a month to sit on a board. I, on the other hand, am of Ukrainian descent, know several curse words in Ukrainian and have been known to pass gas. I should be offered at least as much as Hunter. Oh, wait... my father isn’t VP.... never mind... obviously no influence peddling going on here.
7
This so called whistleblower (aka known as a Democrat in disguise) needs to shed the whistle and come forward rather than hide behind this moniker.
4
Trump’s conversation with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy detailed in the five-page rough transcript was a devastating evidence of power abuse.
He pressed Zelensky to work with his own lawyer, Rudy Giuliani and the AG William Barr. Such a demand merits an investigation, because Trump was seeking to involve the US attorney general in a private affair, working with a foreign government to dig dirt on his potential election rival, Joe Biden.
When Zelensky thanked the US for its military support and said he was almost ready to buy more American weapons, Trump replied “I would like you to do us a favor, though” and went on discuss possible joint investigations.
Anyone with common sense can figure out that it was a clear “quid pro quo.” He abused his power for his own personal interest - withholding aid to Ukraine, pressing Kiev to investigate Biden, and boosting his own re-election chances etc.
8
Ivanka takes $50k/mo board seat on company in country that one month earlier her father is named to look after. Nothing to see, right?
7
It's a joke?
Well, here's the punchline:
"You're fired."
8
Nice Ukraine you have there, it would be sad if anything happened to it. By the way, I have a favor to ask.
5
The media is depending on folks not reading the transcript, just like nobody read the Mueller report. Read it. Trump said "favor" with regard to a Crowdstrike server regarding the Mueller report. After a lengthy couple paragraphs about that, THEN Trump mentioned Bidens son. The "favor" was never about Biden. It was about the Crowdstrike server.
"Favor" is easy for folks to understand, thats why the media is using that - but thats not what he said. Its as plain as day when you read it.
My goodness, this media is so corrupt, and takes the public for fools.
5
Do this quickly, democrats! His trial is now, right now. The evidence is here, the admission of guilt is here. Don't wait until next year. Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Pelosi - quick - before the master of manipulation manipulates all of us again. Quick!!!
2
I read the complaint letter of the whistleblower. Half a dozen people told him what was said during phone calls Presdent Trump had with the President of Ukraine. So he was not there during the calls. It is all hearsay. I hope the Democrats kmow what they are doing . Are they being set up? Trump will clean the floor with them during impeachment hearings.
12
@Yanni. Potential witnesses, most of them probably Intel professional officers like the whistleblower. Remember, it was not the Democrats who initiated this, but if Trump has committed an unlawful act against the Constitution he needs to pay for it. The same applies to the two sidekicks in crime, Barr, who should resign, and Giuliani, who should face charges...
29
@Yanni the complaint was based on hearsay, and that's fine, because Congress can now call the firsthand witnesses to give evidence. In any case we have the reconstructed transcript at this point, along with contemporaneous facts like the withholding of funds, public statements of the President, and travels of Giuliani, all of which are direct evidence.
21
@Yanni - second hand, I agree - and completely accurate insofar as it reflects the memo released yesterday. The fact that it is accurate underscores the reliability of the other issues - such as the move of the transcript from one storage device to another, much more difficult to access. which is not typical for such calls That smells bad.
12
“Conflicting interpretations of the call?” I don’t think conflicting interpretations are possible. It’s awfully clear.
2
Mr. Zelensky is probably a very good man.... but now, he's sullied too. Like everyone that our president comes in contact with. " the united states has been very, very good to Ukraine, I wouldn't say it's been reciprocal necessarily." Explain this statement to me..
3
Talk about jokes -- in his attempt to discredit Director Maguire, Devin Nunes just insinuated that it doesn't matter that Trump might have done something wrong, the fault is with Maguire (and/or some Deep State spooks) for leaking privileged communications of the President.
3
First it was Russian involvement then collusion and then obstruction by President Trump and the Republicans. These all failed to be true. They have spoken of impeachment since the first day of President Trump's presidency to no avail. Now they are going after our president with accusations that he forced the Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter Biden for wrongdoing in his country. That is false and this is just another witch hunt that will result in the same outcome as the others against President. This will also be false and just a waste of time and taxpayer money.
3
And is't it time we investigated trump's children and their role in the government? Why do we put up with this nepotism concerning children as ill qualified as the president is to hold their positions? And yes, for those of you who think there isn't an impeachable offense here, bribery is an impeachable offense and so is treason.
8
Since media doesn't post the actual law, see below. We, the people, can read the law, read the transcript, and make our minds all by ourselves. (Mine is that Trump broke the law).
52 USC 30121: Contributions and donations by foreign nationals. Text contains those laws in effect on September 25, 2019 Prohibition: It shall be unlawful for-
(1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make-
(A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election;
(B) a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or
(C) an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 30104(f)(3) of this title); or
(2) a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national.
1
Funny to hear Trump supporters splitting hairs at every accusation. Trump puts his interests over the country's as a matter of course and everyone knows it. It shouldn't be hard for Dems to rustle up a few examples. Draw em out of a hat for petes sake.
5
Bribery is an impeachable offense. And I think we can prove treason, also, by a reasonable standard, but we don't have to to impeach him - he has bribed. Some here seem to suggest we continue to sit by while he gathers more power and that is what he wants. he likes to intimidate and bully. Please dems, try to have as much gumption as the republicans and support the decent and qualified Biden as strongly as they support the indecent and unqualified Trump.
5
For me, I am so tired of hearing what the Democrats should or should not do; yet, it is the Republicans who are putting up every obstacle to stop any meaningful investigation of this administration.
Far worse is that just less than 40% of the people of this country still support this greedy, uncaring, hateful, destructive administration!
10
Has anyone watched the series "The Man In The White Castle", I can now imagine our country separated into sections--the devotees, the haters and the people who are truly Americans who love our diversity and cherish our freedoms and our democracy and you would be given the right to choose which section to live in.
5
@Yolanda
It's "The Man in the High Castle", based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, and it was written as dystopian fiction. Let's keep it that way.
1
pretty sure that show that you're referring to is "the man in the high castle" not "...white castle" but, seeing as it's Trump that we're talking about, "white castle" is more apropos
3
@r barrett
Bravo!
1
Everyone with any common sense knows that most Republicans in Congress detest Trump, and only kiss his behind out of fear of losing power.
If they were to band together they could be rid of him...a mutiny if you will.
I pray for it every day.
7
How can these two-faced GOPers live with themselves every day?
They should resign if they can’t obey their oath of office and stand up to this blatantly lawless tyrant.
Resignation would at least save their dignity and restore their honor.
They can always wait out Trump and run for office again.
4
Imagine you made this call at work, to a new executive of another company, to whom you have spoken only once or twice before.
When I perform this thought experiment, the thuggery in Trump’s conduct becomes obvious, menacing, and clumsy.
7
Everyone seems focused on the Biden part, but he requested that Ukraine assist in the “Crowdstrike” and “Server” matter, which is highly likely a reference to the “missing” DNC server Trump often mentions.
This is literally a modern day Watergate. Just instead of breaking into a hotel room to get records and intel of his opposition party, he’s asking them to steal the DNC server, which has records and intel. Not really all that different
Then throw in making up a prosecution of your opponent on top of it.
5
After reading the portion of the whitleblower's complaint that has been made public, it's clear there is more to this complaint than the July 25th phone call. There a hint that this matter also involves Russia, Putin and prior unusual patterns of administration behavior.
5
I’ve been wondering how Trump appeases his
BFF Putin when Trump is supplying money and arms for Ukraine to defend itself from a Russian invasion.
So Ukraine better slow walk the “Biden investigation” because as soon as that is over, Trump will talk Congress into swiftly ending all Ukraine support.
I imagine President Putin is getting antsy and planning to have a few strong words with Trump about asking for their help.
1
Trump said that he did nothing wrong - but if Democrats did the same thing, they should be impeached.
4
@Jim
Six Benghazi investigations on Hillary did not get the results they wanted, so the GOP ginned up a seventh.
6
There is no such thing as a reconstructed transcript. The document released by the administration is a work of fiction like every word ever spoken by Donald Trump before, or since his debut in politics. It should be a felony criminal offense for any elected official to lie to the public, just as it is a felony offense for a citizen to lie to the FBI or Congress. How many Trump collaborators are currently in prison for this exact offense?
3
the only good thing about Trump getting away with so much before is that he can't even see how much trouble he's in now - resign.
4
I can already see the wistful excuse making of the Democrats when this latest ploy fails. It’s already mentioned in many of the comments:
The two thirds vote in the Senate needs to be changed. Banish the entire body for being so undemocratic. Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi need to be believed. Hunter’s name is being dragged through the mud. Trump doesn’t play fair. His base stinks, etc., etc.
It’s all part of the grieving process. First there is denial, then acceptance, and finally the corpse is laid out.
3
The whistleblower is stating information that is third hand and not facts he heard himself. This is suspect. Why not hear from the person who actually heard the telephone conversation himself/herself. This to me is a "joke."
2
I first read of Joe and Hunter’s lucrative dealings last year as detailed in Peter Schweitzer’s book “Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends.” I was astonished by how brazen the appearance of corruption was. Joe and Hunter ride to China together on Air Force Two. Joe negotiates with the Chinese government, Hunter negotiates with a Chinese government controlled bank. They ride back home together and Hunter soon secures A BILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS in Chinese money for his hedge fund.
How could Joe allow this? How can we be fine with this? The same thing happens with Ukraine. Joe even brags about it. You’re telling me that this is OK? That Trump has no business exposing this blatant corruption because he’s running against Biden? Trump would be derelict in his duty if he did not ask for an investigation.
Clinton was corrupt, Biden was corrupt. Yet both are front runners for the Democratic nomination. What does that say? Trump is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. It’s his job to investigate this kind of thing.
Moreover, there is ZERO difference between this and the Obama administration’s investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016. To say otherwise is hypocrisy beyond the pale.
5
This is about Biden. Pelosi and Dems want the dirt on Biden to come out now before primaries, not AFTER Biden wins the primaries and faces Trump so it can be used against him. Looks like Warren will get the nomination.
2
Amazing. Lampert of Sears, a man whose actions have irked me for years, is left unmolested yet the attacks against Trump continue with reckless abandon. I have no issues with Trump being removed from office. It's the aftermath I dread. The business as usual scenario. More Lamperts, more vote buying by the Democrats, more tax and spend initiatives that will mostly impact the middle classes through "compromise," more costly foreign intervention and the list goes on and on. The Left has destroyed our last miserable shred of hope of making this country great again (conveniently turned into a racist narrative by the white Elite) and now what? You all have turned democracy into circus and what's the point of it? China has done far better with their hybrid form of governance. Perhaps a benevolent dictatorship will make the middle classes a viable entity once again.
1
here is a better joke: Trump is removed from office after he is not reelected and Pence does not have time to pardon him. And no matter how much penance Pence is not pardoned either by a successor. He should be relegated to whatever place in history Spiro Agnew is.
3
As we continue to connect the dots on the Trump presidency and the absolutely brazen and flagrant disregard for the rule of law - Trump’s behavior as chief executive is also shadowed by his corrupt business practices in both tax evasion and money laundering. As Trump crashes so do his protections and soon enough we will witness not just the most disgraced president behind bars but his entire empire shattered and bankrupt. It is truly a historical moment and hopefully in the catharsis we can vote the other GOP toadies out of office and set this country back to its leadership position in the world and do some good work in this very difficult environment we live in both literally and figuratively.
3
In the past, I've referred to him as 'The Temporary White House Occupant'. After this, he may be more temporary than I thought.
4
Andy Borowitz of the New Yorker got it right with his (supposed to be satirical but really is not) Jan., 2018 piece titled: "Trump Fears Next Election Will Be Decided by Americans."
6
Trump continues to label this entire situation as a "joke".
Well, we'll see who's laughing and standing in the end.
5
Oh, please.
That isn't what the transcript says. Read it.
Trump asks for Zelenskyy to get to the bottom of what happened with the investigation into the Ukrainian company that was hacking into US computers and to look into what happened when Joe Biden stopped the investigation of his son's company. These are legitimate law enforcement issues and Trump is responsible for enforcing the law.
Go look at the video of Biden bragging that he personally threatened Ukraine with withholding aid, and said dared to call Obama to back him up, if they did not stop the investigation into his son's company.
By his own admission, Biden committed a crime. Trump is merely asking for that Ukraine look into it and share the information with the Attorney General so Barr could decide what to do with it.
How low have half the people in the country gone when they ignore a blatant admission of a crime by a vice president, and persecute a president trying to find out the facts? We have become Alice in Wonderland.
3
@Son of the American Revolution
I love this response! You tell us that we should read the transcript, which it is not a transcript, it is a "recreation of the call", and then you interpret the entire recreation. Trump is running on a Crowdstrike conspiracy in which he believes there is a server in the Ukraine that will prove that the DNC fabricated the entire Russia story. Biden did not stop the prosecutor from investigating his son's company Biden's son did not own the company), Biden and the many European countries were concerned about the general corruption of the prosecutor in Ukraine. You know, the place where Manafort made a lot of money. Trump has no reason to send his personal lawyer to another country to investigate an American citizen. If Biden did something wrong, well, we have a DOJ that can investigate it. Funny how Trump references William Barr, but yet Barr has not recollection of ever talking to Trump about this investigation. Trump is only interested in winning reelection. Its as simple as that. Funny how you reference the American Revolution. It would be really beneficial if you read the Declaration of Independence. You can learn a lot about authoritarian societies and how we fought to stop a king from doing whatever he wants.
2
As you note, President Trump asked for a "favor" as soon as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned more military aid in purchasing Javelin missiles. That's about as "explicit" as you can get in saying to a man already desperate and under intense pressure to obtain that life-saving aid that "I'll give you that aid if you start a corruption investigation of Vice President Joe Biden and His son, Hunter." But, "explicit" or not; "pressure" or not; it's still a crime. Actually, it's two crimes--extortion an asking a foreign country for aid i getting "dirt" on a political opponent for his re-election. And, it's even worse since the President offers up Attorney General, William Barr, as his agent in the conspiracy, exposing him, as Nixon's Attorney General, John Mitchell, to participating in a crime and jail time. And, this is just one conversation into what former F.B.I Director, James Comey, seemed more like a mob operation.
3
Has anybody interviewed Hunter? What does he think of all of this?
1
I think a useful metric for how much of a joke this all is might be the the significant uptick in the rate at which White House aids are hiring personal lawyers.
3
This is a person who has never taken responsibility for anything in his 70 years on this earth, why would he start now?
6
Failed businessman. So many bankruptcies that he needed to be rescued by Putin and the oligarchs. He never wanted or expected to win the office for which he is so clearly unfit. He merely wanted to burnish his brand. Unprincipled. Unethical. Uninterested in reading, listening, or learning. In his bitter self-absorption, he would harm the planet out of spite for his vastly superior predecessor. He is a stain on the nation. His impeachment and removal from office is but the beginning of the healing of our broken nation.
9
@MHW
And the approval of the Electoral College majority of Americans.
1
Any politician who fails to see a quid pro quo in this statement is hopelessly corrupt. But I guess I knew that already about our elected officials.
4
It didn't matter that Zelensky was not yet aware that the aid had been frozen. Donald wasn't expecting Zelensky to start investigating Biden that very moment. Zelensky would learn of the aid freeze soon enough, while mulling over Donald's "favor." And anyone thinking that the requested favor was not tied in any way to American support of Ukraine should note the word "though." Donald didn't just toss in the request as an unrelated aside. Zelensky says he'll need more aid to combat Russian-backed separatists, and Donald responds, "I would like you to do us a favor, though." That "though" weighs a ton.
4
If Trump thinks that this memo of his conversation exonerates him, what else has he been saying and to whom?
3
Trump has just given a new meaning to the word "favor".
He has managed to muddy that word for all time.
2
It's sad, but instructive, to see the total lack of ethics, civic-mindedness and conscience displayed by Trump, and his cult.
He's so sociopathic that he sees nothing wrong with living a lifetime of breaking every rule he could get away with breaking.
Whether it was breaking his marriage vows, running a scam "university," stiffing hundreds of contractors, promising to release his tax returns, and on and on, this man doesn't have any interest in doing what's right.
He used withholding of Congressionally-allocated funds as an extortion tool to prod a foreign leader to help him win reelection. Clearly wrong, clearly impeachable.
Those of you who still defend Trump are revealing deep character flaws in yourselves.
6
Trump colluded with Russia for help in cheating in the last election which is high treason and now high treason asking Ukraine officials to find bad evidence against Mr Bidens son. Mr Trump needs to resign or be removed from office. No one is above the law. If he gets away with this we have a serious broken system . The GOP to support criminal activity for a President speaks volume. Lock them all up.
3
Dems going down BIG TIME on November 3, 2020. Every loyal republican will vote to defend President Donald J Trump.
3
A five page summary of a thirty minute phone call, prepared by trump loyalists, and it's *still* incriminating.
I'd feel sorry for the loyalists defending this traitorous criminal, blinded as they are by his cult-leader "personality," unable to distinguish right from wrong, but it's their choice. They're making a conscious choice of wrong over right.
3
@Jodi
I agree. However, fast may not be the best way because we’ll end up with the wooden, far right VP as POTUS instead & “mother” as the FLOTUS. Better still, is death by a thousand cuts, with each House committee uncovering all the lies and wrong-doing, revealing the whole mob-inspired network and systemic undermining of our democracy before the voting populous. This is about his presidency and the LEGAL reasons Trump should not be re-elected. We the People cannot take four more years of his lies, criminal behavior, and idiocy, nor his trashing of our values and the country’s clean air, water and environment. He is selling us down the river for his own personal enrichment. Let’s get to work to reveal all that he has done against us and in our name.
1
In private:
"The next prosecutor general will be 100 percent my person, my candidate,” Mr. Zelensky assured the president. “He or she will look into the situation.”
Translation: "I'm a crime-boss, too. I also control the Ukraine DOJ."
In public:
“We have independent country and independent general security, and I can’t push anyone,” Mr. Zelensky said in halting English, referring to the prosecutor general. “So I didn’t call somebody or the new general security. I didn’t ask him; I didn’t push him.”
Translation: " I can't be trusted to tell the truth, I will say anything that is necessary to get out of a jam."
2
As Max Boot wrote in The Washington Post: “Trump is explicitly tying U.S. military aid to Ukraine to Ukraine’s willingness ‘to do us a favor.’ He then makes clear that the ‘us’ he is referring to is not the United States of America. It is the Trump campaign.”
That’s all you need to know.
Now watch fox and friends and the republicans try to white wash, spin, deny, reword, and what ever else they can to to satisfy their under educated base who don’t know that the USA has a constitution and those laws are ABOVE any president, his AG and cohorts, NOT the other way around.
4
is there really anybody out there that believes that this man and his team didn't contact Russia for help in the 2016 election?
2
By now I think we all need a detailed timeline of events starting with the date that congress passed the Ukraine funding. It's beginning to get complicated since more details accumulate daily...Has the Times published such? If so, could someone provide its url?
In particular, there's the issue of when mulvaney was
directed to hold up the money (400 million) relative to the
two calls, and how that fits with giulani's visit to the country.
I'd also hope that the actual phone call transcript, not the one
constructed and released by WH, does not get lost in all
the excitement. Its precise and complete text is as
important to the House procedure as is the whistleblower's
complete complaint. And this should be provided
for both calls since two were apparently made.
When was, if ever, Ukraine informed that the 400 million was not going to be sent?
The natural logic of the extortion scheme would be to exploit the interest of Ukraine for the money. The effectiveness of
the request made during the first (?) phone call is contingent
upon their being in the position of wanting something
from trump, and therefore being in the position of feeling
that if they cooperated with the request it would help
get the money.
Holding up the money without telling them is important
to create a sense of indeterminacy about what has happened
to it. After/during the call it then becomes clearer that helping
out with the request, a "little cooperation", would facilitate getting the $$.
1
This is a loser issue for the Democrats. This will cause them to lose many seats in hotly contested areas. In the end Nancy will get the votes she needs to go forward and the Senate will vote against it just like they did with Clinton.
Trump will emerge stronger and the Democrats will realize the grim truth that they've ensured 4 more years.
Nancy capitulated to the extreme voices in the party and its going to cost her. There is nothing in the transcripts which Trump released before Nancy even read them that remotely deserves an impeachment inquiry. Its more of the same attempts we've seen the last 3 years to overturn the election.
Another casualty will be Biden. His chances of getting the nomination are now toast and Warren will have some "splainin" to do because she jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else.
3
Biden is corrupt.
We can not rely again on the lesser of two evils strategy in restoring our national soul.
We have a last chance to clean house and save the future with the most ethical politician in recent history.
May we not blow this.
2
@Lilly
"e can not rely again on the lesser of two evils strategy in restoring our national soul."
Then it's a good thing nobody is doing that in this case. Donald Trump is not ethical.
2
It is pure mafia like extortion and bribery. Trump is getting away with more serious crimes of breaking the laws of the country. The Republican lawmakers are without backbone and corrupt. They will defend him anyway. He will not loose even one of his supporter even he shoots somebody on the 5th avenue in Manhattan ( Trump claimed). He told that his supporters are blind and naïve.
1
We all don’t know exactly how this turns out and if this latest stink is the ‘big one that does him in.” We know some think it’s a mistake to impeach. Some will always support him and look at these angry comments in the “failed New York Times” as more “fake news.” It’s been ugly, will get uglier but I believe this will be settled in due course.
One thing is absolutely certain. In the long game, this will be the biggest test of our democracy since the Civil War, forget about Nixon.
This will break him and his presidency and the history books will write of this very dark blot on American democracy. Like Nixon, it will look just plain awful in the rear view mirror. There’s something rotten in the United States. But we’ll get over it and through it and be better once the rot is removed.
1
This will so backfire on democrats it’s not even funny. It appears they are willing to sacrifice Biden, because his involvement in this situation just stinks and looks much worse than what Trump may or may not have implied. Apparently Biden’s son got this lucrative contract with no suitable background whatsoever ? Just as Ukraine was awaiting aid? And daddy helped to kill the prosecution? The voters will see it for what it is. Ukrainian government kick backs to Hunter. Ukraine is one of the most corrupt places on earth. Their elites are pocketing this “aid” and “sharing” via a lucrative contract is something out of their playbook. Nobody here paid any attention to that story until last week and it was all forgotten. Now it’s front and center and we can all be sure the Republicans will make Biden the focus of it. This is looking good for Warren.
2
I will have to agree with Trump on this one. This impeachment inquiry is a JOKE!. It is hypocritical of how Democrats ignore the root cause of Trumps Ukraine inquiry about Biden but nearly faint at the fact a simple question was asked (which by the way is the responsibility of the president). I am happy to know that the same low level of evidence is required to start these proceedings because when a Democrat finally gets back to the oval office the repubs can just impeach him/her for just not liking them.
Way to go Democrats!!
2
Republicans, do you really believe your defense of Trump? Let’s say your daughter’s coach calls her and says what a great coach he’s been and dangles a great scholarship but also says can you do me a favor and go out with my nephew and says it eight times. Then the scholarship is mysteriously delayed for weeks for no reason. What would you think? Be honest.
1
Joe and Hunter Biden should welcome an investigation so that they can be exonerated from this Ukraine and China matter.
This should happen as soon as possible
1
The only way the GOP can gain from the latest Trump criminal act and obstruction of justice is to run Mitt Romney in every state primary to defeat a Trump run in 2020. He has been fully vetted; is honest and principled and understands Putin is an enemy not to be coddled.
46
@Robert
NOT TRUMP 2020
3
@Robert I confess, Mitt Romney looked a lot better to me last night than he did at any time while he was running for President. Now if only there were some way for him to live down or fully renounce his past as a vulture capitalist money grubber-job destroyer...
On my way home the bus driver was suggesting that Condoleezza Rice should toss her hat in for the Republican primary race. Which would totally upend things so far for both parties, I have to agree.
4
Trump's strategy vis a vis Zerlensky was to gin up negative information about Biden and his son in order to besmirch Biden's perceived integrity. If such could be manufactured, there would be two positive outcomes in Trump's view. First and most obviously, if Biden became the Democratic nominee, questions about Biden would weaken Biden's credibility and enhance Trump's electability. Second, questions about Biden's integrity could actually prevent him from becoming the Democratic nominee. In that event, the Democratic nominee would be chosen from among the more progressive Democratic candidates. Any of the progressives have agendas that currently are currently less palatable to the broad voting public and thus an easier opponent to defeat. In either scenario, negative information about Biden is a simple, "winning" strategy for Trump.
2
It’s foolish how Republican voters and elected officials rationalize the putting down of the whistle blower. Here is an individual who believes our President is engaged in criminal activity and has betrayed national security and his oath of office. And how do Republicans respond? They assert that a whistle blower cannot be credible if of a certain political party and/or profession. And their serious. It goes to show the depths Republicans will go to shield “their President” (mine by default) from charges of criminal activity, all because Trump’s followers will vote for him, regardless. Shame on America.
3
What this all boils down to is that trump is offering the hard work of US taxpayers in exchange for whatever trump thinks is expedient for his short-term, private gain. How a swindler like this is not behind bars just shows how corrupt the US Department of Injustice has become, and how craven every republican senator is who still supports him. The USA is no civilized nation. It's a violent free-for-all of greed driven liars, thieves and sociopaths trying to one-up each other.
3
This country didn’t deserve this chaos and humiliation in front of the entire world.
Trump and his entire administration must go.
7
We know this much today.
Trump is horrible at running cover-up operations.
8
@John Adams
And we know Conservatives will accept anything Trump says.
4
Trump thinks our impeachment process “a big joke.” Our Constitution a joke! How we respond to this existential attack will determine our future as a nation.
7
This is no joke. Maybe the presdient thinks laws are jokes? Maybe he thinks our nation and its constitution is a joke.
No joke.
5
I find it interesting that the first Republican to break from the pack was Romney, who described what Trump did by using the safe word 'troubling '. It would appear that Romney is salivating at the thought that he just might get another chance to become president. He hopes to relieve the pain of his failure to win the Republican nomination in 2008 and his father's loss in the 1968 election. The country needs a new direction, and Republicans are completely out of touch with the world we live in.
4
Amazing and appalling. Just reading that call summary is shocking enough. No wonder the whistleblower freaked out and decided to put his/her career on the line.
Republican voters wont care. I still remember them dismissing Watergate -- even after the tapes and Nixon's resignation. "It's no worse than anything the rest of them are doing" was the sort of thing you heard from Republicans back then. I'm equally sure the Republicans on the Supreme Court won't care, either. As we know, Trump's white glove poodle Barr is all in for him.
Democrats must make things as clear as possible and not get bogged down in legalese and minutia. And while it's probably a good call to stick to Ukraine, I still think there's plenty to be revealed about the Trump/Saudi dealings. Perhaps something even smellier, and more clearly understood by average voters.
7
There was suspicious activity that occurred between the Ukraine government and Hunter Biden. He received vast sums of money in a questionable manner. Mr. Biden and Joe Biden should have been investigated and President Trump raised his concerns with the Ukrainian president. The leader also was concerned about this activity and wanted to rid his country of corruption and move on. The leader was not forced into doing anything untoward and President Trump only suggested an investigation.
The Democrats would have behaved in the exact same manner if they had suspicions about a political Republican member. Hillary Clinton had Ukraine investigate Donald Trump in 2016 with little mention from the media. Is there bias against President Trump. I will let the American public decide.
4
@KMW
Nice repetition of Trump's talking points.
Then there is the vast repository of reporting on the Biden/Ukraine situation, should one be curious enough to investigate.
2
@KMW
H.Biden's "activity" re Ukraine is not suspicious and he did nothing wrong. If you read Hunter Biden's resume it makes perfect sense that he was asked by Berisma Holdings to join their board--he had extensive legal and international business experience and years of US government experience in the US Commerce Dept under GW Bush. He left the lobbying company that he formed in the early 2000s when his father was elected VP in 2008. The false messaging from the Right that H.Biden was paid handsomely by Berisma Holdings yet he had no experience. THAT is supicious and nothing is farther from the truth. The whole story they are trafficking in that H. Biden, his career and alleged influence peddling vis a vis his father's public position is pure nonsense. If it were a crime for the son or daughter of a US politician to work in business then about 4/5s of all politicians and their families in The US should be investigated including Ivanka Trump and Jerrod Kushner--two cases of nepotism and influence peddling is ever there were one. The behavior of smearing H. Biden and Joe Biden for Donald Trump's political gain is suspicious. As for HRC having Ukraine investigate Trump in 2016....that too has been debunked, besides HRC was not in government in 2016. As a private citizen she was free to investigate Trump so long as she didn't involve Ukraine--and there is zero evidence that she involved them. If you have that evidence please publish it.
1
Another day, another scandal. I think Americans might be getting used to it so trump could get re-elected.
2
Trump asked a foreign government to help him eliminate a political rival. Very simple and very illegal. The fact that he froze the aid package days before the request clearly shows he was using it as leverage. The Ukraine President readily agreed to help him. Not funny, and not a joke. End of story.
12
-Do me this personal favor or I won't deliver the goods my Congress authorized for you - you know, the money to defend yourselves against the Russians. -
I think that's a fair summary the conversation we are considering, right?
Since when does any US government official have (within the scope of his legally allowable activity) the power to do this?
Never before, and NOT NOW either.
5
So Trump is cozying up to Ukraine to convince their new president to make amends with Putin?
Trump, the right, independents and moderate democrats say it's a joke. The radical left is all in. We shall see.
1
RepublicAnts Talking Point # 1:
1. Dismiss all accusations of Trumps lawlessness and his repeated violations of the Constitution by Trump as Dems just being upset about losing the 2016 election.
1
"I thought we won." Donald still doesn't understand. Whether any POTUS, any particular party, or any administration "wins" is not the goal. The country--and our constitution--hang in the balance. Protecting and upholding our democracy is the only "win" that matters. Donald and his ego matter not at all.
2
"I didn't do it"
"I didn't do it"
"I didn't do it"
Donald Trump exposing his 5 year old inner self yesterday at a press conference.
Give him a permanent time out.
7
The question to ask Republicans is NOT what is wrong with Trump's conversations with the Ukrainians; rather, it is what is right with it?!
2
Trump withheld the payments to Ukraine until after he secured Zelentsky's pledge to do the investigation. This isn't a quid pro quo situation, it's a transaction.
3
It’s a flagrant violation of the US Constitution and grounds for impeachment.
1
Donald Trump has a long history of abusing the legal system to get what he wants. Just ask anyone who did business with him in New York or New Jersey. He has been getting away with this for decades and probably does not even understand that it is wrong.
3
Personally, I think they did the morally right thing by calling for this impeachment inquiry. Strategically - not so much. The political atmosphere in the U.S. has turned into one that favors the corrupt, unethical and power hungry. Trump and his sycophants in the Republican party will stoop to anything to turn this around in their favor and use it against the Democrats. Add to that the fact that there doesn't seem to be any Republican with enough guts to challenge him for the nomination for the candidacy for the next election, and that the Democratic candidates are polarized and can't seem to find a compromise that will gain them more votes from the average citizen. A recipe for four more years of corruption and insanity led by a con man reality t.v. personality. My suggestion is to halt the inquiry, stating that they are investigating serious"new information" that has come to light. Don't have to say what it is or where it came from. Just let it hang until closer to the election. Bluff long enough to keep Trump on edge, which will likely result in more unbalanced behavior on his part. And Democrats, get your act together. Stop promoting things like free university for all, free health care with no private options and open borders. Won't get you the mainstream white vote. Sometimes you have to compromise your ideals to reach your ultimate goals.
2
@Ann
I agree with you. What you're saying is wise.
It is so frustrating though, that Trump has stolen the limelight for years now, quelling any innovation in all areas, from border control, tackling climate change and hammering out health care.
There are so many timely issues to work on. It will be fantastic when folks can actually sit down and work together to solve these much more important issues than Trump and friend's bad behavior.
Ditto on stopping talk about free stuff!
Stick to cleaning up the corruption and rescinding the Trump Tax Cuts For The Rich.
The one who pressed and blackmailed Ukraine was Biden, who, according to his own speech at the Council of Foreign Relations said that the US will withhold 1 billion in loan guarantees unless the Ukrainian president fired the prosecutor who was investigating his son's company.
By comparison, Trump was gracious, he never pressed the issue as the headline wrongly states, he framed it as a favor.
While the Biden conversation with the former Ukrainian president was very confrontational (according to the video), Trump's conversation was friendly and gracious (according to the transcript and the words of the new Ukrainian president).
Both speeches are in the public record and can be easily compared by Biden's most ardent supporters.
4
"Mr. Trump insisted that he did nothing wrong and was once again the victim of “a total hoax.”"
Donald Trump cannot withstand prolonged scrutiny. His business life was a rolling series of scams with ever changing marks. At times some managed to make a splash and get some measure of restitution, as with Trump's multiple bankruptcies and the settlement on the fraudulent Trump University, but these were isolated events. As president, Trump's activity is watched constantly. To be sure, he seeks out the spotlight with unrivaled passion, but his intrinsic dishonesty betrays him as president because his statements are always tested. He has lied with such frequency and abandon that no thinking person would ever simply take his word, about anything.
Consider what Donald Trump is most ferocious about and you begin to perceive his greatest weakness. Trump fights hardest when blocking access to evidence about himself. His taxes, his school grades, his business dealings. When the thing that scares you most is the truth, being president of the United States can prove challenging. I hope Congress can pierce the wall of secrecy Trump must erect to hide the truth. The country and the world deserve it, but more importantly the very concept of justice demands it.
3
Trump now says that this whole thing is a hoax/witch hunt. No, there is proof thanks to the foresight of a whistle-blower.
What happened in a meeting between Trump and Putin when nobody was listening? Trump cannot be trusted. 12,000+ lies have been given since his inauguration.
Jul 18, 2017 · Trump and Putin Held a Second, Undisclosed, Private Conversation. A White House official said there was nothing unusual about it. And in two tweets late Tuesday, Mr. Trump derided news reports about it as "sick." He said the dinner was not a secret, since all of the world leaders at the summit meeting and their spouses had been invited by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. "Press knew!" he tweeted.
3
I"m sure Trump sees nothing wrong with what he's done because it's simply business as usual for Donald. His behavior hasn't changed, his job has, and what passed for "ethics" under his old rules is now illegal.
It becomes more evident every day; Trump is not the smartest guy in the room.
4
@Jim In Tucson
It's been evident for the last 35 years.
1
When Trump said this is a joke, impeachment for this?; I think what he was saying "what about all the other things I've done and I wasn't impeached" Sort of like Al Capone getting convicted for tax evasion.
5
It strikes me that Trump is getting exactly what he wants from the Ukraine revelations and the Democrats' decision to launch an impeachment inquiry, namely 1) rallying his base and possibly even right-leaning independents leading up to the 2020 elections and 2) knocking Biden out of the running by associating him with the smarmy business dealings of his son. That leaves the Dems in the unenviable position of trying to match Republican voter motivation (particularly in the important swing districts) with a candidate (Warren?) and platform that will likely be all too easily branded as "socialist". Not a pleasant prospect.
The only solution for the Democrats is to press full steam on the impeachment front in the hopes that incontrovertible evidence of Trump's wrongdoings mounts to such a level that even Trump's Republican enablers in the Senate can no longer sustain their cowardly support of their Fearless Leader.
41
What does Hunter think of all of this?
3
@ABC
As ever, the argument against impeachment is not "he didn't engage in impeachable acts" but "the political calculus might be bad." Well, what's worse is to set a precedent that the President can do as he likes as long as his party controls the Senate.
2
@ABC
Any Democrat or anyone who runs for any office as a Democrat will be called a "SOCIALIST" by Trump and his Republican lemmings. He will call ANY and ALL Democratic candidates "socialist" even if they are the biggest capitalists on planet Earth!
Because, to Trump, to Faux Noise (the propaganda wing of the corrupt Republican Party), and to corrupt Republicans, facts and truth no longer matter.
If Democrats don't learn how to counteract Trump, Faux Noise and dishonest, corrupt Republicans effectively and resoundingly then they will continue to lose election after election!
3
The Democrats need to focus on clear, simple messaging. They need to brand this thing and continue to control the narrative. Do not let Trump and the Republicans minimize and deflect. Do not let the likes of Barr pre-spin the corrupt enormity of this by trying to dismiss a heavily edited memo of one phone call as "no quid pro quo." Keep at it. Put it cleanly and repeat it. And for God's sake, let the staff attorneys do the questioning in every single hearing. Democratic House members, are you listening? Stop trying to have your individual moments and focus on the big picture. History awaits.
95
@Amelia
All really good points!
8
@Amelia you have to admit that adam schiff is killing it though, he's not letting anyone get away with anything.
9
"No Quid pro Quo" is the new "No Collusion." Not sure whether it will hit home as much with Trump's base through. Also, Lindsey Graham's appraisal of these events is taken as a neutral assessment by no one. Goes to show how he's not going to recover from the height of Sycophancy - ever.
4
@Chris His base doesn't even know what is meant by Quid pro Quo
2
If there's nothing to these allegations, as many commentors seem to believe, then why, in the days following the phone call, did senior White House officials and lawyers direct that the transcript of the call be "locked down." Why did White House lawyers direct that the electronic transcript of the call be removed from the computer system where such transcripts are usually kept and moved to an electronic system where classified documents of a highly sensitive nature were kept? These activities indicate that White House officials understood the gravity of what had been said on the call.
But, apparently New York Times readers and Trump supporters know better than White House officials, and believe there is nothing concerning in the calls. In this case, I am going with the belief of the White House. If there was nothing to the calls, the White House would not have made the effort to conceal the transcript.
6
For Democratic primary voters, whether Joe Biden gets his son no show jobs in places like the Ukraine is a relevant issue. As his employment there, and how it happened, is largely wound up in Ukrainian corruption of its past regime, it is difficult to find the real truth on this matter without Ukrainian cooperation.
Biden has decided to take an evasive posture on this, characterizing any investigation of his son's employment as an attack on his family. No Joe, its to shed light on whether you had any role in Hunter landing his no show job, for which he was handsomely paid, but had no qualifications or duties.
Joe has said the only important issue in the 2020 election is to get rid of Trump. Not true. Replacing one corrupt leader with another gains us nothing. It would seem to me, in the short run, Democratic primary voters deserve knowledge of what underlies this whole controversy.
5
@RM
The irony is so striking, when Jared and the Trump sons in the positions they are in.
2
Biden has no chance of winning the nomination.
1
No quid pro quo is necessary to indicate that Trump improperly used the office of President to seek foreign assistance for personal benefit in a US election. Senator Graham and others merely mention the absence of "quid pro quo" as a distraction.
But one word in Trump's key sentence indicates he was making an exchange. When Zelensky said he needed more weapons, Trump responded: "I would like you to do us a favor, though,”.
That "though" indicates Trump was asking for Zelensky's help in return for the weapons.
2
Trump had the look of a cornered man yesterday, fear threatened to burst right out of here, Trump is not a man who has to fight many real fights, and he has never shown, nor had to show real courage. When called by his country to defend it, he found a doctor who found bone spurs. He has always found people who make his problems go away. These are always the people who always make the biggest mistakes, and once caught they panic.
There is an old saying, and I paraphrase:"When troubles come, they come not as single spies, but in battalions."
This is the beginning of the great unraveling, not just for Trump but for all those who have spent the last three years defending all his mistakes and missteps. people like Trump have a way of taking everybody down with them.
6
Rather than dredging Trumps conversations looking for some gaff, of which there are plenty, to slam him with I might suggest we have conversations about addressing say the obscene degree of inequality(the highest in over fifty years according to recent census bureau figures[Tuesday reported in AP])that exists in America today and who knows maybe even a conversation about what can be done to alleviate that inequality, if that is we Democrat’s are remotely interested in winning the next election.
1
Why do I get the sense that this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg as far as Trump recruiting foreign leaders to help him win in 2020? Maybe this is one reason he's shown such favor for our adversaries, despots, and strongmen; he knows they will help him and leaders of our democratic allies will not.
6
The transcript of the call can't be trusted. It was provided by the White House, not exactly known for employing the most trustworthy of people. We know Trump loves a "fake" document--whether photos or weather maps. Or, how about the time he posed for photos surrounded by stacks folders full of blank paper to show how busy he was? We need some kind of independent verification of the transcript to be sure it's a true representation of what was said. We cannot be certain at this point that what we have read is the conversation as it really occurred.
2
It is amazing to me that Trump and his family get away with connections to Russia and he feels emboldened enough to try to get another foreign government to help him in the next election. I read the Mueller report and Trump wouldn't sit down for an interview and his written answers showed that the "stable genius with one of the greatest memories of all time" couldn't recall may aspects of what happened. Don Jr. also wouldn't sit for an interview. The "no collusion, no obstruction" claim is not verified because we didn't get answers from the major players who were involved.
Now, we have another situation of the president looking for help from foreign powers to help him in an election. I honestly thought the "recreation of the call" would be nothing, only to find out it is something. Do we really believe the president was working on behalf of our country when he is sending his personal lawyer out to push for investigations against American citizens in foreign countries? Do we really believe that the hold on funds to Ukraine wasn't a power play for the president? The Ukrainian president needs us and Trump knows this. Do we really believe, after reading the "recreation of the phone call" that Trump wasn't interested in information from the Russians in 2016? Republicans will continue to put their heads in the sand while our Constitution goes up in flames.
1
The problem with, "Don't impeach, let the voters decide in 2020," is that the abuse of power in question is directly aimed at interfering with that very election.
8
Whatever the outcome of this episode will be it is hard to see Biden as a viable candidate for president now. What was he doing messing around in the Ukraine? Imagine the uproar if one of their politicians, or one from any other country for that matter, was doing something similar in the U.S. At the same time a close relative was getting paid a large sum of money by a Ukrainian company the justification for which, beyond being Biden's relative, is very unclear. At the very least Biden has demonstrated extremely poor judgement.
The U.S., and the world, needs a straight arrow like Bernie to be president to help deal with the world's many problems rather than star in big soap opera which would be my characterization of the current situation.
4
I’m reading that the media are manipulating and in some cases telling flat out lies. The truth no longer matters to the political elite, it’s spinning the facts to manipulate the gullible masses who need something to believe in. To them the truth is an inconvenience that’s getting in the way of a years long effort to get rid of someone who isn’t like them. They cannot win. What has this country descended into?
4
I know, Fox “news” is so despicable!
2
Republicans continue to be the party of No. They should be questioning Trump to get to the bottom of this. Instead they sit quietly and those who aren't sitting quietly are questioning Democrats more than they are Trump.
When will we start putting country first? After all this is what Trump campaigned on. Maybe what he really wanted to say is "put party first".
2
Trump blindsides Ukraine by withholding $250 million dollars.
President of Ukraine: I would also like to thank you for your great support in the area of defense.
Trump: I would like you to do us a favor though.
Trump mentions Rudy Giuliani several times for Ukraine to meet with him to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
Ukraine complies with Trump’s “favor” and is rewarded with an extra $140 million, for a total of $390 million dollars.
Trump and his lackeys then obstruct by attempting to stifle a whistleblower.
Now you don’t need to sift through 400 pages of redacted Mueller Report to explicitly understand that Donald J. Trump is a lying criminal.
85
The biggest question: how frequently does this kind of thing go on in the Trump administration? Once or twice? Monthly, weekly, daily, several times a day? Or just on the day of his daughter’s wedding? Don Trump has bamboozled about a third of Americans into kissing his ring, another third or so see him for the lying crook he is. Our fate hangs on getting the remaining voters’ attention away from the distractions of bare survival, of bread and circuses, of alienation, and on getting everyone back into the fold to defend our country from its enemies both foreign and domestic.
3
@Mark. Don’t forget Biden admitted to holding up one billion to get the prosecutor fired so poor little Hunter wouldn’t be investigated. And this happens to be on video from January 2018.
2
And Trump is the punchline. The movement to impeach is a message for all of posterity as much as it is the right course of action now. The history books will eventually tell of an incompetent, venal, pathological, compulsive liar from reality TV who prayed upon the worst instincts of Americans and got caught in his own web. America has a responsibility to do the right thing even if it may not be acknowledged as such until the long game is played out.
79
@Red Tree Hill
Well said.
4
Here's the thing. If Mr. Trump thinks all of this is a "joke", what further proof is needed that we have someone in the White House who has business being there.
This is what happens when an uninformed American electorate with the need for entertainment votes for a person who belongs on a TV reality show and not in the Oval Office.
For the past two and a half years, we have watched this president break rule after rule to achieve his own personal goals with wild abandon, regardless of the consequences and the U.S. Constitution -- even going so far as to reach out to a foreign government to help secure his political position.
Abraham Lincoln once correctly stated:
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
We've seen the results of Mr. Trump's test.
And if it's a joke, it's on him.
62
The question is not whether the president of the United States asked the president of the Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, the candidate our president sees as his number one rival in the next election. That is clear beyond cavil. The question is whether asking for foreign election help is okay with the GOP Senate.
At the end of the trial that is sure to come, each Senator will have to answer that, out loud in front of the American people and in front of the rest of the world. Their answers will tell us all whether our republican democracy is a sacred trust, to be protected against foreign interference--or whether it is up for grabs by any and every foreign power who sees it in their best interest to help the current president secure another term.
Even more importantly, those answers will ultimately be a referendum on America's national security. A president who seeks and then receives foreign election help will by definition be beholden to that foreign power. How can we ever be truly safe if the person in the Oval Office owes his election to a foreign head of state--one who may ask for his own favor some day?
53
Even the five families sometimes went to the mattresses.
There's that old adage, "With friends like that, who needs enemies?"
I think a similar sense surrounds this scenario:
If personally requesting a foreign power to investigate not only an American citizen, but one who could be the president's rival in an election, then "favors" like this would only benefit HIM and not the U.S.
Thanks but no thanks President Trump.
I wonder how many other "Trump favors" are floating around out there?
156
@Marge Keller
Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel along with Vladimir Putin and Russia hacked and meddled in the 2016 Presidential campaign and election on behalf of Donald Trump. They are both prepared to be back bigger and better in 2020 with the same goal.
Neither leader nor nation are American allies or friends.
13
@Marge Keller
Yes, and the Ukrainian President knew to reassure Trump that of course he stayed at a Trump Hotel
19
@Lynn
Nothing says reassure like a night at the Trump No-tell Motel.
10
After W and Trump, neutering the Electoral College should be a top priority.
Fifteen states have already passed laws that their electoral college members will vote in line with the national popular vote regardless of the state popular vote.
When the Democrats get the presidency and Congress again, they need to make this a required provision in order for states to receive federal funds: that no state going against democracy can receive these funds.
39
How about simply abolishing the electoral college!
2
But wouldn't that be, you know, unconstitutional? Or just easier than actually amending the Constitution?
This whole thing is going to turn out terribly for the Democrats. Trump is the master of, if nothing else, leveraging media attention of any kind to his advantage. This whole situation is pure gold for him.
Whether it’s by mobilizing his base to turn out again, or spurring more apathy in national level politics, or both, this will secure his presidency in 2020. Please, though - Prove me wrong.
19
@Scott
Study the history of the Nixon impeachment, and you'll see that this could very well follow the same trajectory.
28
@Scott It does not matter how this turns out or how Trump will take advantage of it. We still need to do what is right.
4
@Scott
Do the Right Thing. Defend the Constitution. Let the chips fall where they may.
2
It is curious that our Republican government does not consider Trump's threat to withhold military aid a national security concern, even though it is needed to protect Ukraine from Russian expansionism. Once upon a time Republicans thought differently about national security.
51
@Sherry
Joe and Hunter Biden should welcome an investigation so that they can be exonerated from this Ukraine and China matter
7
@Sherry:"It is curious that our Republican government does not consider Trump's threat to withhold military aid a national security concern, even though it is needed to protect Ukraine from Russian expansionism. "
This was a standard tactic used in the Cold War. Heaven help a government that was labeled "corrupt" by leftists. They were deemed unworthy of any aid required to fight off the Soviet Union and its proxies in the Cold War.
@Sherry I read the transcript and there were no threats, just calling up a favor for all the help that the US has already bestowed on Ukraine lately.
2
This is the clear, operative sentence: "I would like you to do us a favor, though." The quid pro quo issue is a distraction like so much else. But that's all his base will hear. Thank you Lindsey Graham, Stephen Miller, McConnel and the rest. And, truly, thank you Mitt Romney for standing your ground. This is really the democracy we want to export to the world?
22
@slk
Export democracy? How? There's no State Dept money or personnel to do that anymore and Trump has sided with brutal dictators instead.
1
@slk
You ask, "Is this really the democracy we want to export to the world?"
better to ask " why is it that son many countries don't want our democracy?"
Same reason they don't want our healthcare, our cars, our diet and our sports.
You work out why for yourself.
2
@slk Don't you know? It's not really a crime unless you use the phrase "I'd like you to commit a crime." That's why it's so hard to prosecute drug dealers: they don't use the phrase "I'm selling these illegal drugs, which is a crime."
1
What we need, for the Trump supporters, Fox News watchers and others, is a clear and thorough explanation of why what Trump has done is troubling or wrong. Why national security is jeopardized, what-- if all presidents and elected officials did this kind of thing--our country would look like, etc. etc.
24
@Kim
As a point of reference, Nixon's popularity immediately after he resigned was about 33% support for him. Trump will never go lower than that, regardless of what he did.
8
@Kim
Clear and thorough explanations have no effect on Trump supporters. Surely you have learned that by now.
1
Read “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” to see that, long before Trump was even born this has always been the way... and that this third has always had revivalist evangelical Protestantism as its core. Trump is the one we have now, and his megaphone is bigger than most, but he is singing the same old populist, nationalist, basically anarchist song that’s been popular since the Whiskey Rebellion.
1
The 2020 campaign drum is hurting my ears. Nancy Pelosi drew the first blood on Trump, I am sure Trump will fight back.
But I would never suspect that a telephone call or calls could be enough as evidence to impeach a sitting president. No deeds to support the claim, and impeachment will never fly through the congress and senate. The procedural and legal complexities will deter any reasonable human being. It is wasting time and money on this kind of unnecessary legal tangles.
12
@Usok Trump told a foreign country's president that he should dig up dirt on Trump's perceived rival for the 2020 election. While doing so, Trump quite obviously implied that current and future aid to Ukraine could be dependent on whether they "play ball" with the president's requests.
That seems like more than enough information to impeach a sitting president, regardless of whether it was conveyed to Zelensky by phone or carrier pigeon.
5
@Usok
It is illegal to use the office as a public official to ask for personal favors for personal gain, particularly those that will aid in your reelection. It’s quite clear.
5
@Usok I would suppose you aren't old enough to remember the impeachment hearings that investigated Nixon. The public was only 17% in support of impeachment when they started. In the course of end, the wrong-doing was so obvious, that his own party's elders eased him out. Apparently he struck a deal with his hand-picked VP Gerald Ford to pardon him. Like Nixon, Trump will fight tooth and nail to keep the truth from the American people. The hearings will not stop with what we learned the last couple of days. This President will not serve out his term.
5
If Trump thinks it is fine for him to have made this request, how may times has he made similar requests with foreign and domestic leaders and how many times will he do so in the future? No one can assume this is an isolated incident.
It is abuse, plain and simple. That Lindsay Graham refers to this event as a "nothing burger" shows the extent to which Republicans are enabling and endorsing Trump's abuses that go to the very heart of our freedoms and democracy.
50
Michael Cohen said it best. Trump does not need to give an explicit order. He speaks in codes that are understood. Bringing up a favor right after holding up millions of dollars is similar to how a Mafioso would converse. I'm holding up this amount of money and if you don't understand I need this then your legs would be broken along with your ribs.
Its' hilarious that most Republican politicians see nothing there and pretend there must be a clear quid pro quo. That's nonsensical. Even if money held up were not involved the simple act of asking a president of a country to investigate your political opponent is a big red flag. And the way we know that is true is insert Barack Obama for Donald Trump into the equation. Pretend we are talking about President Obama as a sitting president. We know Republicans would never say the nonsense they are now saying. And they know it. They are all lying to themselves. And to people with common sense. It's as if none of them took civics class in high school as I did. Maybe NYC schools are the only ones that teach civics, at least when I went to school here.
"Few Republicans broke with Mr. Trump on Wednesday. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah called the record of Mr. Trump’s phone call “deeply troubling,” but most others who spoke publicly said it revealed no impeachable action."
Mitt Romney can break with Trump because he's a Mormon and not an Evangelist. They have very different values. And also Romney is a rich man so he got nothing to lose.
41
@Wayne Well, most members of the Senate and administration are rich men so there's that. And most are not truly religious. So there's that. And then they're greedy cowards. And that's the main thing.
2
The absence of an underlying crime should be a matter of concern for Democrats as they push for impeachment.
While the constitution doesn't require criminal conduct the last two impeachments, Nixon and Clinton had them.
With Nixon it was being part of a conspiracy to cover up white house involvement in the break in. And with Clinton it was his perjury in a civil case.
Ultimately Clinton was not removed because the senate decided that while he has lied he did so in a matter that had no bearing on his conduct as president.
The allegation that Trump has gotten foreign governments involved in our elections is frankly pretty thin.
Every sitting president tries to manipulate foreign policy so as to achieve some accomplishment on the eve of his election. These manipulation are minor, usually moving up matters that were already under consideration.
Is digging up dirt worse? Maybe. But when the GOP was Obama's opposition party they circumvented policy and had Netanyahu speak before congress, basically to excoriate Obama on his efforts to negotiate the nuclear deal with Iran.
While Netanyahu didn't actually endorse Romeny, he made it clear that a GOP candidate would be preferable to Obama.
Was this "foreign interference" in our elections? It was clearly done to influence public opinion. And while perfectly legal, so was Trump's favor sought from Ukraine.
The Dems need to go back to the Mueller report and hope that there is more there, there.
4
@Drspock
As discussed in detail-- activities do not have to necessarily be criminal to warrant impeachment. Would also suggest a re-reading of the Mueller report to understand the concerning connections with Russian influences.
11
Drspock - There is much more there that will become apparent during the inquiry. There is, for example, a second whistle-blower complaint involving an attempt to interfere with the IRS. In the Trump administration, there is so much smoke Congress is certain to find a raging fire equal to that of the Nixon White House.
3
I do not feel enough of a Constitutional scholar to know whether you are right or wrong, but this is exactly the kind of story I think the New York Times should write: have an expert explain if in fact there is any "there there" with this. I'm not one to generally make the argument that if someone else has done it, it's ok, and I'm certainly no fan of Mr Trump, but I do wonder just how common this sort of thing is (and always has been) and whether our Constitution or any other law of the land does in fact clearly prohibit it. Does anyone really think that politics is done cleanly and without a ton of backdoor hustling, whether Democrats or Republicans are running the show? Again, this doesn't excuse Trump or make this whole thing right, but politics is and always has been operated by way of wheeling and dealing. The whole world order is a giant club of people in power (mostly men) scratching each other's backs. So the real question is, how are we going to change that?
1
I know I’m stating the obvious but I finally understand that Trump does not have a moral compass. He has lived his entire life without the normal guardrails. He accepts common morality only if he is subject to intense reconditioning, whether from associates or from media.
18
@LC2018
Totally.
You're guaranteed to win at Monopoly (for instance) when you cheat, if no one sees you steal the money when they get up and go get a drink.
All Trump has ever cared about is winning, at any cost.
But the game he's in now effects so many people's lives, not just in the USA but worldwide. He's ruined so many people's lives already with rhetoric alone. He doesn't care.
His head has been wired toward lying and cheating for too many years. Trump will never change and the only option is for someone to stand up to him and make him stop.
1
The President simply can't stop himself from seeking political advantage in any situation where he perceives a leverage opportunity. In a just world, his own ego and words will lead to his downfall.
13
This feels like a conspiracy, not just a case of extortion.
Trump fired the American ambassador to Ukraine, Tells Mick Mulvaney to hold off on remitting needed military aid to Ukraine, makes discussion of Biden a condition of a phone call with Trump and then when Ukraine asks for anti-tank missiles, Trump reminds that the U.S. has been a very good friend to Ukraine but its not been reciprocated fully and then asks for a personal favor. All this while a whiste blower details how normal record keeping and security protocols are not being followed when it comes to Ukraine contacts.
It looks like this was plotted and planned an extortion and that Trump abused the powers of his office to not work for the interests of the American people but for his own personal agenda. He needs to be impeached.
Nixon covered up a watergate break-in he didn't initiate it. Trump planned to get dirt on his political rival through a foreign country subverting a promised aid request as a means to that end.
41
Senators Sasse and Romney have come out publicly that this incident is deeply troubling. I may be a cockeyed optimist but I am encouraged that their sentiments will influence fellow Republican senators when they deliver the verdict on a treasonous president. It will be a defining moment for the GOP.
15
Trump supporters who call this impeachment inquiry a “nothing burger” clearly have no concern for the thousands who have died in Ukraine due to Russian aggression. The thought that Trump tried to leverage military aid to this struggling ally of ours for personal gain is reprehensible. The fact that so many Americans either don’t understand or don’t care deeply saddens me.
33
@SanPride
So why did the Obama-BIden administration give blankets not military aid to Ukraine?
1
This time Trump asked Ukraine to get information about Biden to help campaign against him. Didn't he also ask Russia for help in finding Clinton's 30,0000 emails in 2016? Asking for help is no more insidious than gerrymandering, and gerrymandering is legal. The word is opposition research. ......... Trying to quash the whistleblower report that Barr did is far closer to a crime than asking for help. Only one of these three things may be illegal. Sadly, there is so much frustration in seeing this person violate norms, ethics, rules, and fundamental principles of governing that the Democrats in the House were not able to think, and they moved forward without having enough facts. Yes, what is going on in the White House is troubling, yes it may be inappropriate, but it probably isn't illegal. In addition, Biden is not yet Trump's official opponent. Sadly, this case may already be closed.
2
@JBonn
It is illegal to seek campaign help from a foreign government.
1
@JBonn You're joking, right? Asking for help?? Trump didn't go to the library and ask for assistance on his math homework. He called the president of a foreign country and let him know that unless the Ukraine played ball and ginned up some dirt on his 2020 rival, they could kiss their much-needed financial aid goodbye.
1
While Trump is being impeached, can his hotels be checked out as welt?. It would seem they have become back channels for foreign leaders to visit, and spend money given to Trump. My guess is there are hundreds of listening devices in that place. I would like to see it torn down...
15
I really don’t understand what’s left to investigate. trump asked a foreign power to interfere in our elections, quid pro quo or not. The law says that solicitation of foreign aid, defined as “a thing of value” is illegal. It would be hard for anyone, trump lover or not, to argue that asking the President of a foreign country to dig up dirt on your political opponent is asking for a thing of value. It seems open and shut, what am I missing?
32
It depends on your definition of dirt. If the political opponent is corrupt he needs to be taken down. Why should we turn a blind eye to corruption of any kind.
@Confused Of course, Biden and the Dems don't understand this but the fact that Hunter Biden was given this lucrative no-show job in the Ukraine while his father was in a position of influence was dirt enough. Why would Trump need any more to incriminate them?
2
@pete I agree that if they actually had the "dirt on Biden" they wouldn't need any more info. So if that's a fact, why break the law to ask for what you already have? Sounds silly to me, but he did it. You just can't argue with that, trump said he did it.
1
Yeah, for sure. And still there is nothing; absolutely nothing there. The Biden affair has been floating around when Joe was still vp - except at the time, the Republicans were trying to damage Obama by ventilating it.
How things change.
Or, how things never change.
Politics - especially American Presidential ones - are dirty to the core.
6
@waldo
Things don't look so rosy north of our border, either.
Trump says the impeachment threat is a joke but even he doesn’t believe his lie this time and certainly I don’t.
I do believe the transcript of his treasonous calls to the Ukraine.
I do believe the involvement of Barr, Pence and Giuliani’s in this heinous betrayal of our country.
I do look forward to Trump’s impeachment and the exposure of the Republican owned Senate’s corruption.
21
Despite his professed allegiance to nationalism, Mr Trump cooperates with any and all nations if it benefits his re-election campaign!
9
Of course he says he hasn’t done anything wrong. Has he ever admitted doing anything wrong? Might he be the most perfect human being ever created in the history of the world?
6
He says the stock market will crash.
How long before he threatens violence from his base?
13
Of course President Zelensky would say no one pushed him. President Zelensky has no way of knowing if Donald Trump has secret information he hasn’t shared with Vladimir Putin yet.
3
Impeachment proceedings do not mean that the rest of Congress cannot pursue other important issues such as climate change and fun controls. Multitasking is something that most Americans do every day and expect their leaders to be able to do the same.
9
Shocked (but am I really?) that not a single Republican (except Romney who will probably waffle by the end of the week) has even censored or criticized Trump asking Ukraine to investigate and meddle in our internal affairs. It is deeply shameful and troubling. The party of Lincoln, y’all.
9
Am I the only one who is surprised 45 doesn't use a burner phone?
10
@LocalDog How do you know he doesn’t?
1
As usual, Donald Trump is projecting when he calls his impeachment a joke. He's the joke. Everyone who works for him in the White House knows he's a joke. They prop him up ala the Emperor's New Clothes because holding onto power is the most important thing to Republicans. To them, it's not the United States of America, it's the United States of Republicans. They will lie, cheat, swindle and even support the most corrupt man in America as long as they are able to retain power. The transcript of Trump's call to the President of Ukraine is non-ambiguous. He very clearly says "....I need a favor, though...'' The most important word in that passage is "though" which stipulates that something is conditional: the money earmarked for Ukrainian defense. Speaker Pelosi has all the evidence she needs, but we all know there's so much more.
34
President Clinton lied about an affair and that was enough for impeachment. trump has disregarded every norm of the presidency. He has asked foreign countries for help in both elections. He has treated children as non-humans. He has ignored the First Amendment and Article One of the Constitution.
Lying is a major policy of his. Impeachment is the right choice. The republicans in the Senate are disgraceful in their enabling of trump. Shame on anyone who believes trump should remain in office.
24
@MLE53
Can you imagine how it would be if the GOP was not the Party of Responsibility and Principle and Rule of Law?
1
Another colossal waste of time brought to you by the Democrats; another endless and overly complicated series of investigations that will go nowhere as Trump has more than enough gray areas to play in. Another fruitless wild goose chase so that the Democrats will go into the election with a complicated mess of legaleze. Ironically Trump wins by this whole fiasco as these complicated messages will neither persuade nor motivate anti-Trump voters to vote. The simplicity of MAGA will win again. Score another one for the C- student in the back of the class over the bright eyed and bushy tailed B+ students with their hands eagerly up in the front.
6
@Jason McDonald The "simplicity" of Trump is what will spell his ultimate downfall over the coming months. The President of the United States has to play by a very different set of rules than a corrupt NY playboy/reality personality/serial bankrupter who is living large off inherited money. Trump, unfortunately, has always been too simple to figure that out.
1
This is like going to the first wood shop class in high school and the teacher is missing fingers.
2
The unasked question in this matter is simply: Why is the United States under both Obama and Trump committed to providing lethal weaponry to a nation on Russia’s doorstep? How would we react if Russia was providing weapons to Mexico?
3
@Michael Collins
If the u.s. had illegally invaded Mexico and tried to take it, then yes, I might understand.
1
@Michael Collins Because Russia invaded and annexed part of the Ukraine.
1
Better late than never on impeachment. I am not an avid consumer of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the rest who have brainwashed millions of my fellow citizens into thinking that the world is flat, climate change is a hoax, and Trump is our dear leader and second coming of Jesus. Mueller laid out a case but it was muddled and deflected by Barr in a blizzard of sound bite news rendering the report an ineffective tool to support impeachment on its own. The fact that this Ukraine shake down call happened in July and we are finally hearing about it now shows how far Trump and his lemmings are willing to cover up his messes. The man pressured career NOAA meteorologists that his sharpie pen was better than their educations and computer models. Our dear leader has to go via the ballot box, and then off to jail where he belongs for the rest of his life. After that the fairness doctrine must be re-instated so we can pop the ideological bubbles and try living in the same reality. Then we might have a chance of saving this world from ourselves.
11
The 5 page call record took me just over nine minutes to read out loud at a reasonable pace. The time log says it spanned thirty minutes. Does anyone know if Zelensky spoke through a translator? If not, the document is missing 2/3 of the word count.
14
As Scott Adams noted on twitter yesterday...
"A good rule of thumb is that the people who do NOT see something are usually right. Because imagination can add things, but rarely remove things."
4
@Jack
Scott Adams has obviously lived a pampered life in America. All over the world, at various times, the fields and ditches and wells and barns and chimneys have been full of things that people did not see. Even when the smell was thick in their nostrils.
Donald Trump never gives anything unless he gets something. That's the way he rolls and that's the way he's always rolled. The essential difference between what he did with Putin and what he attempted to do with Zelensky is that he was candidate Trump in 2016. As President Trump his attempt to use a foreign country to help his election chances is treason, plain and simple. Once the impeachment proceedings reach the Senate the Republicans will have to answer why they exonerated a treasonous president. Do they really want to have that as their legacy? It's time they come to grips with the fact that their party leader's interests lie with himself, not the country.
5
A grandiose narcissist thrives on attention. Even criticism keeps the focus on the narcissist. Perhaps we could get back to the issues and move the country forward together.
1
Please do something, anything!
I am fed up with our Democrat "representatives" tiptoeing around and trying not to upset anyone. The Republicans could care less as long as they are in power.
President "..." is a destructive force that can only tear things apart, but, does not know how to fix anything.
1
@3Rivers
Something is being done. An impeachment inquiry has been called. There are protocols and rules of law to follow; it doesn't happen overnight. The Watergate investigations took nearly two years and resulted in Nixon's resignation.
All eyes will be on the Republican senators once the impeachment proceedings reach them. Will they have the courage and sensibility to place country over party or continue to give cover to the most corrupt and devious man ever to occupy the White House? Absolutely no question that had Obama done what Trump did, every Republican senator would have voted for removal.
6
This is not a nothing burger. This is a triple Big Mac that will take down Trump, Pence, and Barr and since Trump is always vengeful I am sure a few senators will be snared as well.
10
Biden was video recorded bragging about his ability to stop Ukraine from getting funds unless their government did exactly what he wanted. And that was to stop a prosecutor from digging into the business affairs of Biden's son Hunter, and his business associates. Watch the video if you have any doubts. Very clear to me what Joe's intention was. That should be the focus and every law abiding citizen needs to understand that this action by Biden was more than just an abuse of power. Do you think Joe could stop this foreign prosecutor if he wasn't the VP of the U.S.? Could any reader do so? Of course not.
7
Life in prison with no pardon or parole for the entire Trump cabal in all three branches of our government as well as his family, especially Kushner. Make them pay for their incarceration.
4
Yeah and victims of mob extortion aren’t going to blame the mob in earshot of the mob boss either.
6
Trump supporters are in a relationship that they are blind to, similar to an abusive relationship. They will only see this when they get out of it and some good distance from it.
For some reason they think they need a (strong) man like Trump. Fox, social media and evangelical churches have stirred the pot of fear in them for too many years putting them in victim mode.
When people begin to see that the divide between democrats and republicans is making them more vulnerable, I hope they will zero in on what's dividing them. It is no longer politics. It is an toxic president and a divisive media and evangelical culture.
8
What I find so pathetic is the way that Trump believes he is so nice and so totally innocent for actions he engages in which are objectively aimed at getting a foreign leader to smear a political rival. He gets up there and is so vicious towards dems and the Press, while feeling so so sorry for himself, because he's such a nice guy. Donald Trump is not now, nor ever has been a nice guy. He spends well over half his time behaving in an incredibly nasty way toward anyone that dares disagree with him. Yet, in his own mind he believes others have been so unfair to him. Apparently, his parents who sent him away to military school because he was so impossible to deal with, never sat him down and gave him the basic lesson that "life is not fair". For a guy who inherited hundreds of millions of dollars (many of which were via tax evasion schemes), it is remarkable how often he throws a pity party for himself at how unfair people are with him. Poor Donnie. He attacks, slashes, rips and tears at others and when that doesn't get him his way he collapses into a heap of feeling sorry for himself. The guy has never grown up, his mentality is still that of a child. He has a fixed delusion that he can do no wrong and that he has the "right" to do anything he wants. Anyone who stands in his way is therefore horrible. His phone call was so "nice", Lindsay Graham reinforced his delusion.
The forking phone call was not nice, not even close. Give me a break, it was extortion.
7
Where do you get this "repeatedly" stuff. Trump mentioned it once. Here it is:
"There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it."
So Joe Biden s son Hunter gets a very lucrative position from Ukraine while Joe Biden is the sitting vice-president in the Obama administration and at the same time Ukraine is waiting for the Administration to approve a billion dollar loan. That's not worth looking into? And this guy Biden, who apparantly peddled his influence, wants our trust and our votes? And somehow Trump is the wrongdoer?
10
@MIKEinNYC -- " "There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it."
Soliciting the help of a forign government to help dig dirt on a political opponent. Financial aid had already been stopped by Trump and now he's asking for a " favor" which is against the law.
Biden and his son are irrelevant. BTW your story about Biden doesn't hold water since there was wide spread agreement that the prosecutor had to go.
But facts don't matter to Trump and his supporters.
To all those "willingly uneducated" trump supporters, *this* is what Collusion looks like.
27
If Republicans and whoever takes over be it Pence or anyone else were smart and actually cared about our nation they would refuse to pardon him and let him also face the full fury of our courts and penal system. Don't allow him the privilege of a cell phone nor any other device to tweet out his outrages, just let him rot in a prison cell alone with extremely limited visitation.
Of course there will be no smart people to do that so if he's removed from office the clap trap will continue until and probably long after his ultimate demise.
9
In 1974 I wrote to the Congressman Rev. Robert Drinnan saying that the transcripts are not enough only the tapes will satisfy. Change that today and make that the transcripts are not enough only a open door hearing with the Whistle blower testifying to the House Judiciary Committee will satisfy.
That way there is no denial by the Republicans to the public after we the public have heard his testimony.
11
The most loyal ally of the USA, Norway, is regularly receiving threatening letters from the US to support its politics. Nothing is gained by its unqualified loyalty in supporting weapons programs, wars and trade. The reward of being the 20th nation to be invited after a new president takes office and the pictures taken, overshadows all concern for Norway itself. The behavior is the same towards Russia. Macron and Merkel seem to be among the few leaders who have some sense of decency as national leaders. As to the prime minister of Ukraine, I have lots of sympathy, because his dilemmas are sizeable in lieu of the constant threats by stronger powers.
11
Of course Trump insisted he did nothing wrong because the man doesn't have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Is that what we want in a leader?
24
Imagine the founding fathers gave us tools that allow us to persevere the republic, only for us to be unable to use them.
We certainly should perform our duties to not disappoint their efforts and preserve their hard work, for us and future generations.
9
Trump must either resign or be impeached. Let the Senate GOP go on record supporting this meta-Nixonian level of criminality, some might flip as more evidence comes out, but the importance of indictment in the House of Representatives is crucial.
12
"The United States has been very, very good to Ukraine,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s reciprocal necessarily.”
Ukraine isn't exactly in a position to offer reciprocity, but remarks like this show Donald's expectations. That's what he's never understood about foreign aid and why he thinks we are getting ripped off by our allies. Everything is transactional with him and some kind of quid pro quo is an inherent part of what he considers deal making. He couldn't care less about Ukraine and can't understand why we should support them precisely because in his view there's nothing in it for us. The only thing they can offer is what he what he was asking for: personal political favors or in this case, a hit job. He truly does talk, act and think like a crime boss: "Now you owe your Don a service..."
15
@Rick I like this analysis, Rick, but I want to clarify one thing.
1. The only Quid Pro Quo DJT looks at is whether it benefits him personally. Getting something that benefits the US, if it could potentially hurt his relationship with Putin, doesn't count.
We don't elect a president to benefit him personally. He has an obligation to the country and he is failing at it, big time, because he only thinks about himself.
6
People should stop for a moment and realize that the Vice President of the United States does not get to decide which foreign officials should be subject to investigation, sanction or removal from office. The Vice President of the United States does not get to decide which countries the United States will withhold aid from. Mr. Biden was involved in this matter under the direction of the Administration and in support of the international community. The goal of the Administration and the international community was the removal of this individual and the Vice President was authorized to use the withholding of a loan guarantee to acheive that goal, which he successfully did. The president is being disgracefully dishonest in his comments on this matter.
13
@BillFNYC
Nice spin, won't fly. Trump will be impeached by the House for his criminal corruption of the office of President for personal gain.
1
Seems as though at MSNBC, Nicolle Wallace, a former G.W.Bush Republican aid, that promoted W.M.D.,cut into President Trump's speech on MSNBC to call him a liar.
I think the public had a right to hear the President of the United States giving a press conference to the United States.
“We hate to do this, really,” the anchor Nicolle Wallace said as video of Mr. Trump, mid sentence, was shoved to the side of viewers’ screens. “But the president isn’t telling the truth.”
She then proceeded to tell us why Biden didn't do anything wrong, her point of view.
What is happening to this country? When was it ever protocol to prevent the voice of a President from being heard? We are losing our rights, even our most liberal, Democratic broadcast will control this election.
To whom do we turn?
5
@s.whether. For this presidency he’s heard plenty. If he wants to act with impunity to destroy protocol then we must act act accordingly. He deserves no less.
Democrats wouldn’t get so antsy over Trump investigating Biden.
No, it’s something else, something more drastic for them.
Trump mentioned Hillary’s emails and server in his call. That’s it.
There’s something in those emails far more destructive to the party’s very existence.
It’s all the more reason to get to the bottom of this. Trump and Barr may have rattled something deeply sinister here.
6
@Bhaskar
No they haven't. The emails mention is nothing more than another attempt by Trump to provide cover for the Russians by arguing that someone else hacked the DNC.
3
@Bhaskar
One of the reasons you see the pathetic grasping at straws and the crescendo of wacky fake story after wacky fake story is that they know the IG's report and Durham's investigation are going to come out.
The only prayer they have really had, given the massive extent of their corruption of the last election and failed coup, is to try and take Trump down first.
And they couldn't do it.
It's too late.
Now they are just reinforcing their foolishness, and pretending the American people don't notice.
1
Trump is doing what he has perfected:creating the message. He will focus on the simple phrase, quid pro quo. Since it is not explicit he has created deniability. He did this with the no collusion. Despite being guilty of a variety of other improprieties he was able to create an important message: I didn't collude. Now, despite the fact that he is clearly suggesting that the leader of a foreign nation dig up some dirt on his political opponent he can state that he didn't explicitly ask him to do so. Simple, just the way his base and most Republican's like it.
2
because the quid pro quo is made in such vague gangster-like innuendo it will be easy to muddy the waters. and that's all that's needed. the Democrats are in a no win situation with trump. nothing will ultimately come off this given trump's complete control over the Senate, so it will look like Democrats have wasted everyone's time once again, but they can't ignore trump's abuse of office. meanwhile gun control, health care, the environment and other issues are tabled. sigh
2
American people deserve to hear the actual and full recording of the telephone conversation of all the telephone call Trump made to ALL the Ukrainian officials including several to the new comedian turn politician and the president. Then only America would be able to find the truth. If its a "joke" then we all deserve to laugh at the joke, its our, taxpayers, money.
5
As usual, you can take what Trump says and know that the opposite is true. This is not a joke or a witch hunt. It's a reckoning that may very well determine the future of our democracy and our country. That's not hyperbole; it's the reality of this crisis approaching its apex.
Speaker Pelosi and others indicate they're leaning toward the impeachment action being focused almost exclusively on this extortion effort by Trump. I think this is a huge strategic mistake as well as a betrayal of the country’s interests. There are numerous offenses by Trump before and after he took office. Many of them are every bit as serious as this Ukraine situation, including obstruction of justice and self-dealing activities. I urge House Dems to present a clear and concise list of major offenses that are each high crimes and misdemeanors. Then I want to see Democratic leadership send out two or three spokespeople who can best articulate the offenses and make a compelling case to the American people. Pelosi is not such a person, unfortunately.
Some believe the American people are too simple-minded and incapable of comprehending a list of serious offenses with evidence for each charge. But if the electorate lacks the intelligence and critical thinking to understand the impeachable conduct of Trump, if they cannot devote some time to reviewing the case when our nation is facing such a crisis, we as a democracy and a country will not survive. The Dems must now make that case.
5
@TRJ your point here is very well taken, I'm also hoping that Ukrainegate is only the key that unlocks the door to so many other offenses Trumpelstilskin has commited: as you mention, the 10 Mueller obstructions of justice, and his emoluments violations- just as, if not moreso, serious breaches of the Constitution. Like a typical criminal, he deflects his guilt onto others, via lying; and I also agree with you that Pelosi is not the person to redirect his confusing messages.
There was collusion. A President violates his oath of office by extorting collusion from foreign powers to join his political attacks upon the sons and daughters of his political opponents.
6
Trump believes this was OK because he saw his father live this way and he spent his life living this way. For him this is the same as going bankrupt and stiffing all the investors or just not paying people that worked for him. He has no problem throwing people under the bus to win. As always he walked a fine line with the law and this time I believe he fell off.
8
Now you know why the Republicans were so adamant about staking the Supreme Court and denying President Obama's very moderate and qualified court pick, Merrick Garland.
Believe me, they will use that court to defend this monster in the White House now. And that there will be the nail in the coffin of our now struggling democracy.
7
Americans like the Brits and Ukrainians have kids too.
I genuflect to the rule of law.
I am open to rational evidenced based debate.
My struggles with faith as an Irish Catholic concerning kindness, justice and truth are private.
The starting points are truth, justice and kindness.
Truth is the specie of transactions whether with God, the Democrats or booking a cab.
Contaminating truth is called heresy by Christians.
Contaminated data is excluded by scientists.
Misdiagnosing is anathema to medical practitioners.
Lying under oath is perjury to lawyers.
Lying to voters and the Queen by Mr Johnson an acolyte of Mr Trump has been found to be unlawful by the UK supreme court.
He is not prepared to admit to Parliament that he lied, just like Mr Trump has lied to Congress. but not in Congress.
Lying to Parliament at Parliament has serious consequences which Mr Johnson knows.
At best he may asked to resign by the Queen.
Imprisonment is a possibility.
Mr Trump is cushioned by a class of people unknown to me.
Protection of the political party seems more paramount than protection of nation.
Laws and truth are basic both sides of the Atlantic.
Politicians who create invective rather than evidence based and just policies tinged with compassion have a life span of the next election.
Truth is neutral and is the basis of ethics.
Some how truth seems to some how pop up.
Whac-A-Mole is frustrating but designed for control freaks who need therapy.
2
How inspiring that Trump feels so passionately about corruption in Ukraine that he would send his minion to investigate! And it’s heartening to learn that Trump’s determination to root out corruption is so strong that he would enlist the newly elected president of the Ukraine in his crusade! I’m sure Trump has had countless conversations with Vladimir Putin and other world leaders over the corruption that is rampant in their countries . . . at least in those countries where relatives of his political opponents reside.
5
Here's a cynical, but possible, outcome of all this. Trump is impeached by the House, but the Senate refuses to take him to task. In the process, Democratic frontrunner Biden is trashed because of his son's Ukrainian mischief. Elizabeth Warren passes a beaten-down Biden in the polls and becomes the Democratic nominee. Then come November 2020, Trump beats Warren, who does not have Biden's wide appeal, for a second term. If this happens, Pelosi and the Democratic leadership should resign en masse.
3
Trump as a business man does not see asking for a "favor" as extortion, but in relations between nations it is.
This is why having a business man as president is the wrong thing.
Every single day he does something that shows he's the wrong type of person to be in that job.
11
....or is the joke that an unqualified reality TV host with no understanding of right or wrong somehow swindled 46% of the electorate into making him President of the United States?
83
Never mind the outcome. Bring on more investigations and hearings. He wants the spotlight? Focus on his decades of criminality for all of he Country to hear. There’s plenty of material. The presidency is no place for a corrupt incompetent.
48
Didn't take long for quid pro quo to be bandied about just like the word collusion. They are gifts of a wide umbrella for the Administration to sit under while technicallities of the recklessness and nefarious deeds are chewed like cow cuds until they dissolve. By their admissions plenty members of Congress never read the Muellar report which we assumed would be required reading, probably most staff neglected to take the time. The redacted phone call isn't as taxing and elementary with only one conclusion after reading do us a favor.
8
Trump is known for stiffing his contractors.
Now, he's stiffing the American taxpayers by using our money to extort foreign leaders for his own personal gain.
If that's not an impeachable offense, I don't know what is.
29
No quid pro quo, Senator Graham? Nothing there, Sen. Ernst? Well, the transcript says:
“The United States has been very very good to Ukraine. I wouldn’t say that it’s reciprocal necessarily because things are happening that are not good but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine.” Trump told Zelensky menacingly.
Zelensky responded that Ukraine wanted to buy more antitank missiles from the U.S.
Trump then said: “I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like to have the Attorney General call you or your people and I would like you to get to the bottom of it. Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible.”
The 'it' Trump referred to was a theory that DNC's 2016 email server wound up in Ukraine - to support Trump's argument that Russia didn't hack DNC nor help him win in 2016.
Trump then said: "There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it... It sounds horrible to me.”
Not once did Trump talk about removing corruption in Ukraine or seek any foreign policy objective.
Trump browbeat a nation's leader to get dirt on his opponent during a presidential campaign, while withholding appropriated military aid to that nation.
40
Call me naive, but I thought American elections should only involve The United States of America, NOT the USSR, NOT the Ukraine SSR, NOT North Korea, NOT Saudi Arabia, NOT China ( you get were I’m going with this).
As a veteran this latest outrageous action by Mr. Trump, et al, disgusts me.
31
of course he doesn't see anything wrong, he has ZERO MORALS and has never been punish for anything he done wrong even as a child (even though he still acts like a child) that's the real problem, mommy and daddy never taught little Donald about doing the right thing or teaching him anything.
18
Trump says, “It’s a joke” and Republicans agree. He won the election so, as Trump has said, under Article II of the Constitution, he can do anything he wants. We are all employees of Trump, Inc., so shut up and get back to working in the greatest economy in the history of the world. But stay off of Fifth Ave. because Trump can shoot you and not lose a vote. When it is time to vote, it appears Trump can do anything he wants to insure his re-election. There is nothing Trump could do that would convince too many people we need a change in leadership.
8
Quid pro quo... no info., no dough. Why on earth would Trump make this call other than for nefarious reasons. The genial, ever cooperative and generous POTUS helping the Ukraine which is embroiled in conflict with his pal Putin? Vintage conniving, omnipotent and arrogant Trump, and now comes the justifiable consequence and response from Speaker Pelosi who reminds him he is beholden to the Constitution and not above the law.
13
@Horseshoe Crab
Donald is a walking quid pro quo. To him, it's an inherent part of "deal making". In his view, Ukraine only had one thing to offer in return: a hit on an opponent.
3
My analysis: Why the vast majority of Trump supporters still back him
I think that the reason why the Trump supporters still support him, and perhaps even especially right now, is because they have always wanted someone who is a bully and who is not a nice guy. They LIKE what he attempted to do with the President of the Ukraine! He was attempting to use coercion, his signature technique! Remember Trump's bully-mocking of the disabled NYT reporter during the rally? The left seems to forget the fact that the right LOVES the thug traits in Trump. People in the left keep saying "How could people in the right keep denying what Trump has done?" My answer to that is that if you listen to people in the right, they have no problems with what Trump has been doing. They think he's "strong" and "capable ".And they know he has been making dishonest but often effective claims. Love it! Now Trump is focusing on Biden and gaslighting him, saying that his son and he have done something illegal with a large sum of money, and that it's all tied up with a foreign country. The base? They don't really care if this claim isn't true! What they care is if this tactic is effective!
I do think that they will turn away from Trump, in vast numbers, if he starts to fumble and look like what he despises the most in a person, "weak". I think they will show their real loyalties which are not to Donald Trump, but to anybody who is willing to shove their way through life to get what they want.
13
@Martha: Martha, you have a pretty good analysis going for most of your comment. And it's very well written.
But first, a clarification: I think it's less of a bully personal that Trump supporters relish, but more of someone who just speaks off the cuff and isn't constantly running things by the speechwriters. Someone who clearly isn't held within the box of D.C. establishment and observing all the usual steps of the dance.
Yes, there are many times when he could choose not to pick a fight with a foe and rather just let a comment or action "drop". Maybe a tiny bit less drama.
But I think that the loyalty of supporters will prevail b/c he has kept his word on not just being a typical D.C. politician.....I might be wrong.
Trump said "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters". I hope his voters have the moral character and integrity to finally prove him wrong.
8
@Mike B
"I hope his voters have the moral character and integrity to finally prove him wrong."
Given their reaction to this matter and multiple previous matters, I'm afraid that they don't. They think this is how the world should be run.
2
Congress, please, do not let this one investigation of Trump's corruption deter you from continuing the investigation of Trump and all his corrupt financial ties to Putin and Russian oligarchs and his corrupt tax practices.
Trump never made a vow that he kept. He is a serial abuser of women, the truth, executive power and the peoples' trust.
10
"Mr. Trump also pressed Mr. Zelensky to open an investigation of Mr. Biden and his younger son, Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, asserting that the former vice president forced the dismissal of a Ukrainian prosecutor to benefit the company’s owner. Neither claim has been borne out by evidence, but both held the potential to benefit the president politically."
Biden claimed on video that he would with hold load guarantees if the prosecutor investigating the company his son worked for was not fired before he left the country. Please watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA--dj2-CY
@John. Nope. Joe Biden spoke in general terms about firing a corrupt prosecutor who was inept in investigating corruption. If Biden’s son was corrupt (which he wasn’t), he had more to fear from the solid prosecutor succeeding the corrupt one who was fired on the urging of his father (and the EU).
@Anna
He specifically mentioned withholding loan gaurantees if the prosecuter was not fired before he left in 6 hours.
I have heard the prosecutor was investigating a company that Biden's son worked for.
William Barr, Attorney General of the Department of Injustice.
10
Who remembers Trump talking about sure I’d take foreign intel? I think that’s the only time in his whole life he actually told the truth.... Even after he found out it was an impeachable offense, he still went through with trying to force Ukraine into election meddling.
Here’s the real kicker- Trump withheld Ukraine’s military aide.... money Ukraine was/is using to fight .... any guesses? Russia
Tell me again how Trump isn’t a Russian asset... The intel community & all the generals do NOT trust Trump. They run ops & don’t tell him or tell him after the fact & leave out critical details.
Impeachment has been long overdue. For those of you concerned it’s going to make Trump win- 1) Impeachment will NOT be settled before 2020. 2) Ds are planning on winning everything - both chambers & the WH.
Clinton’s impeachment took SIX YEARS. By the time Senate gets to vote, Moscow Mitch will have been long fired. But more importantly, impeachment is about timing & strategy.
Anyone apprehensive about impeachment needs to start considering their morals & beliefs. Trump trying to get another country to election meddle is unprecedented & extremely illegal. Maybe it’s time to start standing up for what you believe in? If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
11
I feel exactly what I felt when I was sixteen, that hot summer of 1974 when I watched with a delighted wonder as my very personally hated (I feared the Draft and 'Nam until I was nearly fifteen) headed toward and then took the Big Fall: this is the end of P3, the Mouth.
The wonder of it is that it was his own combination of insanely delusional, meglomaniacal self-confidence; extreme credulity in the face of the most bizarrely incredible conspiracy stories; and his own endless, narcissistic need to control the public portrait of himself that led him into the most unbelievably blatant abuse of power.
This should actually be the whole ball game; say goodbye to the Mouth, to P3 (Putin's Puppet President) and say hello, to President "What, me worry?" 'Can't sit down with a woman without a chaperone;' Pense.
2
I feel exactly what I felt when I was sixteen, that hot summer of 1974 when I watched with a delighted wonder as my very personally hated (I feared the Draft and 'Nam until I was nearly fifteen) headed toward and then took the Big Fall: this is the end of P3, the Mouth.
The wonder of it is that it was his own combination of insanely delusional, meglomaniacal self-confidence; extreme credulity in the face of the most bizarrely incredible conspiracy stories; and his own endless, narcissistic need to control the public portrait of himself that led him into the most unbelievably blatant abuse of power.
This should actually be the whole ball game; say goodbye to the Mouth, to P3 (Putin's Puppet President) and say hello, to President "What, me worry?" 'Can't sit down with a woman without a chaperone;' Pense.
Republicans are trying to exonerate Trump because there was no clear quid pro quo between him and Ukraine revealed in the released documents. But the investigation of possible collusion between Trump and the Russians never required Trump to offer Russia something in return for them helping him win the election. All that was argued about was whether Trump asked Russia to help, something Trump has already admitted to already in this case.
9
What choice do American voters have? We have "rule of law" but the Senate leader says they will not even hear arguments for impeachment. Someone isn't innocent or guilty until they have had their "day in court". The President states he doesn't recognize the Speaker of the House. These are not contestants for a reality game show or MVP. They were elected to represent American voters and to fairly and with integrity represent us. That includes disagreement and ideological differences. If you have been accused of violating the office you were elected to man or woman up and hear it out.
7
Gerald Adler has lost my vote. Play the ball not the man. We overseas Americans have been subject to double taxation with the passage of the affordable care act thanks in part to Adler. And we overseas Americans must report our bank accounts financial crimes and enforcement bureau as if we are suspects in financial crimes for merely living overseas. More Americans have been giving up their citizenship than any other time in the history of our country thanks to Gerald Adler.
2
@Larry Somewhere in the world, Gerald Adler may be waking up, having his coffee, and reading the Times. He will be surprised to discover that he has lost your vote, when in fact he never had it to begin with.
Meanwhile, Jerrold Nadler in Washington, D.C., is probably having a good chuckle this morning, sure glad he's not that poor Gerald Adler fella.
3
Trump insists he did noting wrong because he does not know right from wrong, especially with regard to what is right and wrong when you have such power as president. He does not belong in this office.
17
There was quid pro quo. Trump asked for a favor after stating how good the United States was to the Ukraine. Zelensky agreed to open up an investigation and contact Giuliani. Aid was held up until the whistleblower complaint came out probably awaiting the result of the pending investigations.
15
Yes this will fire up Trump's base. But they are already fired up and I don't see a single voter who is on the fence about him moving into the Trump column because of this. Those voters are on the fence because of this kind of behavior from Trump, more behavior of this kind won't draw them to him. It changes nothing about how many people will vote for him.
It may change things for Joe Biden however. It is creepy that he got his son placed on the board of Burisma Holdings. It plays into the narrative of "everyone does it", exactly what Trump voters will argue. It's worth remembering that Obama had none of these kinds of scandals. And you can bet it wasn't for lack of trying on the part of Republicans to find dirt on him. Not everyone does it.
12
@Johnny: Obama didn’t have adult children that he could not order what jobs to take or not to take. Biden even asked his son if he should be taking that job, but he cannot prevent an adult child from doing something that’s within the limits of what’s legally allowed. Heck, a parent cannot even prevent a child from doing something illegal. Does that incriminate the parent in any way?
2
Ignorance of America's laws are no excuse for Trump or anyone else. Trump of all people should have the best legal counsel money can buy. No one to blame but himself. Stupidity should not reign supreme in America.
20
The House Democrats need to continue the Work of the People. They need to get the message out that while Impeachment activities go on, meaningful legislation passed by the House piles up in the Senate due to inaction on the part of Moscow Mitch.
The law that Trump broke and which started Impeachment proceedings was written as a result of bipartisan effort. If there is any justice, ALL of the original authors still remaining in the House, should support Impeachment.
49
@Robert No meaningful legislation has been passed in Congress for years, so what leads you to believe any will, with the bi-partisan circus going on?
@Robert
If Democrats were really concerned about the "work of the people", they wouldnt have went down this road of impeaching the President over a stupid phone call - for something Trump didnt do, but Biden admitted to on National TV.
This will consume the agenda of the Congress for months. Any meaningful legislation will now be put on the back burner.
Trump, a man I despise, using our tax dollars to influence his possible re-election is not a joke.
206
@Chop wood, Carry water
Thank you.
Another "fiscal conservative" at their usual "work".
1
Political corruption in epidemic in Washington. A favor for the American people to look into whether a sitting V.P. used foreign aid to influence the actions of another government. Was it in the interests of the American people or self enrichment. Getting paid 50 thousand a month for a job one has no knowledge of is pretty good work if you can get it. The President is also the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the U.S. He can ask any leader of any country about legal matters. He is stepping on the toes of the ingrained and very deep corruption that is Washington, D.C. and the evil doers don't like it.
27
@hiasakite You write "He can ask any leader of any country about legal matters. He is stepping on the toes of the ingrained and very deep corruption that is Washington, D.C. and the evil doers don't like it."
By evildoers I take it that you are referring to people like me as well--those who don't like someone who has upended the Constitution. By your remark I'm assuming you're a trump fan.
6
@hiasakite
If Biden and his son did anything criminal, they ought to be prosecuted. If the President did anything criminal, since he can't be prosecuted—according to DOJ—then he ought to be impeached.
4
@hiasakite Trump did not care about looking into Putin interfering in our election; he did not care about looking into the Saudi prince' involvement in chopping up a WaPo journalist, and he does not care about his children flying around the globe making deals that are probably influenced by their relationship to the POTUS, and he does not care about encouraging his hotels to be used for government business. Ergo, it is not logical for you to conclude that in this case, Trump was motivated by his concern about past nepotism.
1
Everything he does is wrong
67
Does anyone else feel like this is a bad first draft of a Soprano's episode?
82
The Democrats have forgotten that the Republicans control the Senate and that without a positive Senate vote the "impeachment" is dead on arrival.
16
@Eduard C Hanganu
That makes the republicans wrong,not the democrats. trump is guilty of many things and deserves to be removed from office. The republicans are not doing their job. They must be called out and removed from office as well. Impeachment is the correct path for this awful “man”.
164
@Eduard C Hanganu
Impeachment is the process, not the conclusion. The facts support impeachment. We'll see where they lead. It's up to the senate to do its job but just because they may not do so is no reason for the house to give up on its job.
15
@Eduard C Hanganu
Before the Senate vote there will be a trial. We cannot predict what will come out from it, so this skepticism might be premature.
Besides, in this case they really had virtually no choice. What he did was unacceptable.
8
The astonishing, but hardly surprising, thing is that nowhere in the Times or elsewhere in the MSM does anyone question Biden's seriously disturbing activities vis a vis Ukraine during his term as Vice President. Likewise one sees no questioning of Hillary Clinton's giveaway of American uranium to Russia at a fire sale price during her tenure as Secretary of State. is anyone dumb enough to believe the Biden junior got a $50 thousand dollar a month consulting contract because he had some unique expertise? Does anyone believe that Russia's huge 'contribution' to the Clinton Foundation had nothing to do with the her giving away the uranium? Even if Trump's conversation was unconventional - which it wasn't – shouldn't we be grateful that he is indeed keeping his campaign promises which included, first and foremost, clearing the swamp?
32
@JJ Gross
No, we should not.
We might discuss the merit of the policies be implements and have a conversation about them, no matter whether we agree or disagree. That's fair.
But asking a foreign goverment to make an investigation in order to damage a political opponent, and using aids coming from taxpayers money as a leverage, is a completely different playing field.
We should all be shocked by what he did, including his supporters.
13
@JJ Gross
Trump withheld 400 million in aid to Ukraine in order to coerce Ukraine's newly elected president to dig up dirt on Trump's political rival.
You call that clearing the swamp?
Do your homework. The fear of a president engaging with a foreign government to interfere in our political process is exactly why the impeachment process was written into the constitution.
10
@JJ Gross
Sure, if you ignore the many ways Trump Inc, and especially his children have been feeding off the presidential teat. And then, there's this whole undermining-of-our-institutions thing...
9
Regardless of the role of the Biden’s in this, Trump subverted the Constitution by eliciting help from a foreign power to influence the outcome of the election.
It is a crime.
Ironically, Trump May have had other choices to investigate that would have been perfectly legal had the evidence risen to an appropriate level. It didn’t.
46
Having lots of mixed feelings about this, but I do think Biden will be the primary casualty in the end. Perhaps that was the original intention of releasing the transcript.
32
It may be appropriate that Biden face the consequences of unethical actions.
How do politicians like Clinton and Biden become multimillionaires for ‘public service’?
Money from book sales, like Sanders did, is ethical. Everything else is influence pedaling and should be against the law, and brought to light.
Like disentangling from the brutal dictatorship of China being essential, investigating Biden is important, but not the way he is doing it.
Unethical politicians who amass great wealth through ‘public service’ should be outed and corruption dealt with properly.
Biden is one of those unethical politicians.
We need someone of actual integrity to heal the national soul.
Not someone who claims to be a Progressive only when it benefits her own political aspirations, either...
We are told by the administration and every pundit and Congress person on the right, that all of the inquiries Congress has started have found nothing improper in the President's actions. They tell us that this newest offense is just business as usual. What they don't mention is that the President, the Senate, the Attorney General, and most of the Federal leadership is stonewalling every singe investigation into the President's activities. If this man is innocent, why isn't the administration honoring subpoenas issued by House committees? And I hate to bring it up again, but where the heck are his tax records? What is Donald Trump hiding, and why is he hiding it?
94
@Patrick Stevens Right on!
This man continues to unravel in front of our eyes.
88
@mjbarr And nothing will happen. He will not unravel and he will survive. Under normal circumstances the president would have dropped out of the race and would have been dead on arrival, months before the 2016 election. We are not living under normal circumstances these days. How many times in the last 3 years have the pundits say he was finished?
Many unravelings have happened to Trump before and he has survived. He will this time. Impeachement is a last, desperate effort by the democrats to affect the outcome of the 2020 election. The democrats still have not gotten over the fact and accepted that Trump beat them and that he is the president.
2
What if, like disentangling from the brutal dictatorship of China, exposing the corruption of Biden is necessary for the good of the country?
Because it is right.
Like everything he has done though, his way of doing it is wrong and maximally destructive.
But, exposing Biden as a wealth accumulating, corrupt ‘public servant’ who has the gentile shtick down, but it simply hides the sickly rot better.
We need a president of integrity in the White House. One who isn’t running for their own personal gain, but ours and our children’s sake.
2
So many far more important issues we should be dealing with,health care, climate change, the wealthy robbing the country blind.... As bad as Trump is Pence would be worse. This is nothing more than a distraction for the bought off cowards on both sides of the aisle.
10
@MDM Nothing of would have happened, anyway, given the Republican's pre-existing blocking of resolution of any of your stated issues.
Two of the issues you reference (health care, climate) have been on the table a long time and Republican's have not only blocked progressed, but also have gone backwards.
The same for an issue you didn't cite, sensible gun control, that has surfaced again and again with some hopeful promises by the president at the outset followed by nothing.
7
@MDM
trump’s unfit for office. He has committed inexcusable offenses. We have many issues that need to be addressed. But first we must remove the major obstacles, trump and his administration. They are destroying this country’s character and our ability to address our real problems.
3
@MDM One small step at a time: A New Day Is Dawning!
Unfortunately, this Ukraine issue is not a smoking gun that would lead "concerned" Republicans to abandon Trump. It is still not apparent that the collective misdeeds are sufficient to convince borderline Democrats to even vote for an indictment. It is still highly unlikely that there would be enough Republicans to convict him unless there is a more massive increase in misdeeds uncovered.
9
@Mister Ed
WAIT until MORE comes out.
This isn't over by a long shot.
After watching the most recent debacle, reading the accusations, transcript of the phone call, and the interpretations there of. I can state with horror that this is the saddest time for America that I have experienced in my 65 years. My belief in our government and the media has reached a new low,
I am embarrassed to say that I am an American. Clearly impeachment investigation is at the very least premature and at it’s worst a political stunt of cataclysmic proportions. In their blind hatred of our president the democrats and and by extension their supporter in this this process, much of the media, have reached a new low from which recovery is no longer possible in my eyes.
My bigger problem is that as I can no longer believe in our media. Where can I go for reasonable reporting of news and even cursory investigation or Interpretation. It seems nowhere to me. God help us.
20
Totally agree. The press shamefully and blatantly loves feasting on blood. They live for this. I wish I knew where I could new the news: all facts and no opinion. Keep that in the op ed pages so it can be ignored by most of us.
1
@Dave
In your eyes, sure. YOUR eyes.
You can't seem to fathom that Trump has everything to do with the way people treat him.
1
@Dave That's why I posted the actual law in my note above (and again below). We, the public, don't need the media spinmeisters to make up our minds. But I agree it's hard to get the facts. So read the law, read the transcript, decide:
52 USC 30121: Contributions and donations by foreign nationals; Text contains those laws in effect on September 25, 2019; (a) Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for-
(1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make-
(A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election;
(B) a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or
(C) an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 30104(f)(3) of this title); or
2) a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national.
Both Trump and Biden stink on this. Trump deserves to be impeached, without a doubt. Biden is no innocent. We can and must do better.
15
Joe Biden was V.P., Hunter, a private citizen. What we are talking about is the President of the United States trying to strong arm another nation into doing his dirty work.
3
So you actually believe the lesser of two evils is still the best we can do?
That resulted in your candidate losing, remember?
Larry, Heidi is suggesting looking at both sides of the story. She’s not looking for your pity but rather that we explore what’s happening with an open mind.
1
At some point, I guess, if you're a Republican, you have to ask if you're going to demean yourself by continuing to defend Trump.
61
They already have.The question is: is there any decency, honesty and dignity left on them to crawl back from the abyss Trump has taken them?
4
@Cornflower Rhys
They have already asked themselves that, and the answer, evidently, is: Yes, absolutely.
2
Every time Trump says something is a hoax. It is the opposite. See Climate Change. Every time Trump says he did nothing wrong. It is the opposite. See his self admitted sexual assault history. Every time Trump say's something is a "witch hunt". The only witches we find dwell within him, his team and his extended circle.
Worst president ever and getting worse.
72
Trump’s inability to understand his own bad behavior is not surprising. That is why he released the memo. He thinks he has done nothing wrong. He has done this before in plain sight after all without consequences “Russia if you are listening...”
What it is surprising, it is the Republican attitude toward Trump’s bad behavior.
It is that, not only they let him get away with shooting someone in 5th avenue, it is that they actively help him to cover.
After witnessing the killing go down, they tell the police that:
1 They cannot be sure Trump did it....
2 There were many other menacing people walking around who could have possibly done it ....
3 The victim brought it on himself as they saw him acting “strange” before the event ....
Sadly they really are acting as co-conspirators!
39
What we are dealing with is a "reconstruction" and not an actual transcript and no explicit "quid pro quo".
Would this be sufficient to indict and convict anyone in a court of law? The indictment part is probably not difficult but conviction might be a different matter.
The Dems needs more to move this ahead and there may well be more.
4
No collusion? Well, folks, here’s your collusion - soliciting a foreign power’s assistance to affect an election. You don’t need a quid pro quo.
857
@ExPat
So what?
Saint Robert S. Mueller, III concluded and opined that while there was plenty of Trump campaign collusion with the Russians in order to get Trump elected President there was no criminal legal conspiracy nor collaboration nor coordination nor cooperation with the Russians.
1
@ExPat Foreign leaders ask the help of each other to investigate high-level cases of corruption all the time. You don't insinuate that once somebody runs for office he and his family should NOT be scrutinized if there are questions about their integrity. This is less than what Obama and Hillary did when they started the Russia investigation on Trump.
1
@ExPat
trump even got the indian president modi to compaign for him. modi the hindu nationalist, was asking for indian americans to vote for him. modi who has destroyed the very secular fabric of india and undermined human rights throughout india.
10
Call me paranoid but Trump met with Putin on June 28th. The next 2 things that happened were Coats being pushed out and the funds being withheld...
714
Perhaps astute is a better word choice.
75
@Shumeyko You're not being paranoid. At this point, I wouldn't put anything past trump.
90
@Shumeyko My thought as well and one I'm sure that weighed heavily with Zelensky,.As usual the President was trying to get something for nothing
66
While on the campaign trail in 1968 Richard Nixon contacted then Vietnam President Nguyen van Thieu and asked him to reject then President Johnson’s initiatives to negotiate a peace deal, arguing that he would get Vietnam a better deal once he was elected president. Thieu rejected Johnson’s terms and the war went on for several additional years. I know someone who died as an American soldier during those additional years - and as a direct result of Nixon’s political maneuvers.
If you support President Trump’s dealings in the Ukraine, I suggest that you ask yourself whether you would be willing to die for them. I knew someone who did in an analogous situation.
1130
@DRK I too know too many. I served with a few.
To this day I have little trust in a president that misleads the country for his own benefit, as Nixon did and as Trump is doing.
203
That story is rarely told and is significant. I believe the conversation was caught on a cia wiretap that they could not reveal. Not quite the same scenario but I feel trump and Nixon have many similar traits both positive and negative and may meet a similar fate.
122
@DRK
Don't forget the October Surprise in 1980.
53
If it were indeed a joke, the President would be unlikely to appreciate the punch line.
15
FWIW, the House will impeach, the GOP Senate will not convict, Trump wins 2020, democracy ends in the U.S.
10
Wrong. This won’t even be close to over by election. Clinton’s impeachment took SIX YEARS. Impeachment, like the rest of court proceedings, take forever to investigate & go to court/trial.
1
@Ellwood Nonnemacher The first three things you've listed are indeed very likely to occur/
What is likely to happen in Trump's second term is a recession - as has occurred under every GOP president since Nixon. The GOP will then be swept from office and the Democrats will once again right the country, with the GOP opposing every move every step of the way. This should sound familiar.
The GOP propaganda machine will then swing into top gear and convince the gullible American public that the recovery did not occur. Dems will then be tossed from office so the cycle can begin anew.
History, at least in the US, repeats itself with startling regularity.
17
Is the Obama administration enlisting US intelligence agencies to spy on the Trump campaign and trying to prevent him from becoming president a high crime or a misdemeanor?
Is the Clinton campaign enlisting former British intelligence agent Christopher Steel to put together a phony dossier using his Russian connections a high crime or a misdemeanor?
Is the Democratic Party's refusal to accept the results of the 2016 election and continuously harrassing and trying to drive President Trump from office a high crime or a misdemeanor?
Just wondering.
11
@dgbu
Keep wondering while you read the facts as they come out. Yes, there really are still facts.
22
@dgbu
Sounds like the GOP to me
16
@dgbu - belive me, if Obama did anything wrong, both Republican controlled chambers would have gone after him with every thing they had. They had nothing. And Hillary was not president.
37
The standard is the President used his power to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival, to hopefully give the President an electoral advantage.
Second the administration refused to release the whistleblower report to Congress as indicated by law.
Quid pro quo is not the standard.
30
If trump thinks it's a joke, then why isn't he laughing?
23
A shame the transcript shows no quid pro quo. Maybe favors can become a new crime in the Federal Register like collusion everyone wants it to be.
4
"The Call" may go down in history as being the final undoing for this corrupt president.
More concerning to me are those private meetings with Putin, the subjects of which are still a mystery, even to Trump's own loyalists as well as the entire intelligence community.
What Trump doesn't appreciate is that Putin holds an even larger whistle, one which he is free to blow at his own discretion.
28
If these events are not an impeachable offense, as the GOP says they’re not, the show me when in our country’s history our president used another country to do his bidding for personal gain? They continue to be the most despicable party that has no soul and certainly no patriotism.
44
Why does nobody ever talk about American (Biden,Trump etc) "meddling"in Ukraine's democracy?One is always only talking about "meddling"the other way around.
Is America's democracy more important to safeguard against meddling by outside powers than other democracies against American "armtwisting"?
5
@kienhuishenk
Irrelevant, because most americans are complicit and either support it or literally don't care. The people who do care are called pacifists, un american, or traitors. That is the price of maintaining an empire.
You must remember this is a domestic US issue and won't be solved from without, but from within.
7
We are (finally) in a situation, the archetypal 'man on the street' can understand. If an elecetd mayor tells a construction company owner that she will only build the new high school if his son lands a job there (leaving better qualified applicants left cap in hand)- that is abuse of office plain and simple. Witholding aid for dirt on a political opponent falls into the same category of easy to understand.
14
If coercion of a foreign government to help Trump get re-elected isn't an impeachable offense, nothing is.
And however the Senate votes, it will be useful to get Republicans on the record before the 2020 election. If they will help a thoroughly corrupt crook and gangster to remain in office, the public should see that decision made with full clarity.
27
The articles of impeachment should be long. The Ukraine extortion call is merely the latest in a series of "high crimes and misdemeanors" Mr. Trump has committed. Everyone knows and feels it, including his supporters. Mr. Trump seems incapable of passing an 8th grade American history test, so it isn't surprising he has shown little respect for his constitutional oath. His manifest actions are a stain on the presidency. If Congress turns its head or fails to impeach, it will have failed its duty to the American people. And, it likely will, as the light of impeachment reveals our craven politicians scampering like cockroaches looking for cover.
18
This is quite scary. Trump (tm) seems to be unraveling in front of our eyes. Listen to his words and irate non-sequiturs. This is Trump (tm) unhinged. At this pace, we will quickly see lower level (former) sycophants come out of the closet to save their own hides. A gold plated Nixonian fall. We are watching Ubu Roi.
It’s scary because this seems to be moving quickly. And, if Pence has been involved, as Trump (tm) referenced in his press conference, there Is a scenario where We have a temporary Pelosi presidency. That’s scary, not because she’s a Dem, but because the US will go into shock from the political whiplash. How will Trump (tm) followers respond? What will the alt right do? What is truly left of our executive branch? It’s the biggest Trump(tm) bankruptcy yet. This is a joke. It’s on all of us.
20
To put this into perspective, think of how the framers would view the Trump presidency. There's no doubt they would view Trump as a classless, uneducated oaf who is doing everything he can to undermine the "experiment" they had crafted.
If Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton or Madison observed Trump's day-to-day antics, they would have been on the impeachment bandwagon months ago, long before the whistleblower report.
21
Democrats have been trying to impeach Trump since he defeated Hillary Clinton. they have been searching for something/anything to use as the reason - This phone call is not a valid reason and most Americans believe that they should use the election to remove Trump - This ploy will cost democrats control of the house - Cowardly move by Pelosi to be steamrolled by AOC
12
@Jim Smith
Not so...they've had many reasons to impeach for a while now, Pelosi was just waiting for the (inevitable) capstone to remove this utterly corrupt joke of a POTUS.
20
"It's a joke" Trump said "Impeachment for that?"
Given all that he's done without sanction, it probably does seem like a joke to him.
26
I am deeply grateful to the courageous whistleblower and deeply ashamed that the United States has a president who acts like a mobster for his own political gain and tries to extort a foreign to fabricate dirt on a political opponent.
What now? Barr and his Justice Department are corrupt. Lindsey Graham and other Republican senators parrot the White House tanking points in a continuous string of nonsense.
Have there been other extortion or bribery attempts by Trump with foreign leaders for the gain of himself or his family?
Many knew about this call that has been "reconstructed", which could mean drastic surgery on both the words and content. Two others came forward and were squashed by the Justice Department.
White House personnel for months have been complicit. Giuliani, a private citizen, was acting as Trump's bagman with a foreign power.
Where have all the patriots gone? Only four have been mentioned and they were all disregarded, their warnings unheeded, and their truths spurned by Barr's Justice Department.
Impeachment inquiries will produce further detail and evidence. Godspeed to Congressional Democrats, but where are any patriotic honorable Republicans?
24
The quid pro quo is obvious but why does that matter? The President pressured a foreign country to investigate his chief political rival and his son (on baseless grounds). Trump is working to encourage foreign interference in our election by creating a false narrative about the person he sees as his chief opponent. If successful, the narrative would both reflect poorly on Biden while also suggesting (again falsely) that this sort of corrupting pressure is normal. A similar false narrative won him an election in 2016, and he's marshaled taxpayer resources and our foreign policy apparatus to enrich himself personally and politically.
And, by the way, for months he flagrantly ignored the law by withholding $400 million in aid that Congress mandated be paid to support Ukraine's defense against Russia.
This is corruption of the office of the President. It appears to be par for the course for this president but here he's been caught and he's admitted it, as has Giuliani. We must, finally, stand up for the rule of law and put a stop to this abuse of our country and our laws, as well as those who so readily provide him cover for the lawlessness.
47
Impeachment, although within reason, will almost certainly give Trump the election in 2020. His supporters expect, and likely want, this behavior from him. His haters need no more reason to support anyone but him. The very few people who are undecided, if they are paying any attention, see this as Trump regrettably being Trump, and the Dems keeping their promise to throw up as many roadblocks as they can. Impeachment, unfortunately, will be seen as coming at the expense of getting things done (infrastructure) that might possibly pass through Congress. At the same time a Dem candidate that undecideds would find most palatable will be dragged through the mud. And a Dem very few undecideds would vote for will benefit.
4
Given Trump's shady business past and amorality, is it any surprise he and sycophant GOP would do the same to our democracy? Trump & Co. are just taking advantage.
Under similar circumstances, Nixon never would have resigned and Sen. Joe McCarthy would have further divided the country. Our country has lost its moral compass.
20
Playing Trump's game on his terms is never going to succeed. Yeah, he wants, desperately wants, a knock-down-drag-out fight with Pelosi and the House.
Here is the reality: Trump made all sorts and kinds of promises and has not delivered for 99% of Americans. He plays "the victim" but in reality, his own worst enemy is himself. He has never developed any form of self control - the kind of problem that most of us either solve or it gets us into serious trouble.
The Democrats need to focus on what this nation needs and how they plan to create consensus to address the real problems of the nation. This is the place where all of Trump's bombast fails him because all he can do is praise himself.
The nation has problems and despite the hype, Trump is minor compared to the other real problems this nation has to resolve. It is hard to say "ignore him" but in reality, that is the most effective way. Focus on the future and solutions, not on problems or Trump.
2
Remember everyone, Trump is going to win again on immigration. People will vote for regardless because he is the lesser of two evils on immigration. This will be the deciding factor in the election.
6
@Spoonriver That and Medicare for All.
5
@SpoonriverThe lesser of two evils? How does one choose between Nero and Caligula?
Trump supporters don’t want “jobs,” they want handouts, which Trump gives them (farmers, coal miners, shuttered factory workers) in exchange for their support. And the rest of us have to pay for it, while Trump supporters sit around at the bar whinging and moaning about immigrants who actually want to, and do, work.
Trump has been at the center of a variety of controversial events since his theft of the presidency of the USA.
It's important to remember how he openly solicited help from his good friend Putin to fix the election on his behalf. That in itself should have been grounds to dismiss Trump as a candidate for the presidency.
The man has no morals and clearly is incapable of feeling compassion for anyone but himself. He lies with impunity and simply can not be trusted. Leaders from around the world see this clearly. Historically, he is, by all measure, absolutely the worst president to have ever held the office.
If there has ever been anyone more deserving of impeachment and rejection, it is Donald J. Trump, our "Liar-in-Chief".
65
Trump's downfalls will be the rule of law over lawlessness.
He will be brought down just like Charles II of England nearly 500 years ago.
12
@ron kendricks Sorry Ron, it was Charles I who asserted the divine rights of kings and lost the English Civil War against the English and Scotish Parliments. He would not agree to a constitutional monarchy and the hot heads in Parliment had him executed, and renamed England from Kingdom to Commonwealth.
Oliver Cromwell, who's New Model Army had defeated Charles' forces, pleaded to spare his life, but was unsuccessful. After Cromwell died of natural causes, Charles II was brought in as the Restored Monarch, but nobody mistook him any sort of divinity.
It's not the impeachment inquiry but the very presence of the discredited Trump as the US president and his continuation in that augist office that is a big joke with the US.
20
I have no doubt this is a joke to Trump. So is social security, medicare, gun violence, prescription drug costs... etc., etc. I could go on for hours. These are all jokes to Donald because he is unaffected by them. These are the people's problems and Donald cares about the 320 million of us as much as the tenants he harassed in his apartment buildings.
The NYT should publish ways we can help Trump supporters see reality. This spectacle would end sooner if the number of Trump supporters fall radically. America needs to work on Climate Change so every day wasted on removing this malignant narcissist from office allows Climate Change to get worse.
43
I am no constitutional lawyer, but if the President of the United States asks the President of another sovereign nation to investigate an American citizen, that surely is a gross abuse of presidential power. But here Trump is willing to send the country's attorney general and his personal lawyer to help a foreign country - a double whammy of an abuse of power. It's all in black-and-white for the nation to see. What more do we need for impeachment?
68
@Uday Lama What more do we need for impeachment? We need BOTH parties in the Senate to do their job.
1
The phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors” doesn’t do full justice to Trump.
I think that if the Framers had included the words “evil and nutty President,” the justification for his impeachment would be a lot clearer now.
26
Does anyone else think that too much power is now available to the president of the US? Any president? Our current dark chapter has convinced me that this power must be diminished, removed, cancelled or changed. The system was acceptable when a Jefferson or Lincoln rose to the top. When a George W. or Donald Trump can rise to that same high office...you've got a serious, serious problem. It's ironic that when the nation started out, the average home might only have a bible and the collected works of Shakespeare in the house. Now, we have all the info in the world, literally in the palm of our hand and yet...Trump. This does not build one's faith in the intelligence or future of humanity. Bigly sad.
29
@h king
Yes. I never realized how bad it was. I also since I was young always found the President position unsatisfactory. Something just doesn’t feel right about it.
With the amount of people we have we truly need more representatives. We have far to few. We should know our representatives on some level personally.
And political engagement should be encouraged and nurtured in our society. It’s our community and we should come together and meet each other.
People who break bread together and at least have a sense of each other are less likely to be as polarized. It’s far easier on the vacuum of the internet to speak evil but more difficult when facing the person.
I know without a doubt that most gun owners I know if they experienced the people who have suffered from the shootings would probably consider giving up theirs guns. There is no connection because of our modern acquisition society and metric driven workaholics. We must do more in society than just work and survive.
5
@h king
Since WWII Congress has ceded too much power to the Presidency for Cold War snap decisions - never thinking there would be jokes in office.
Now (particularly the Senate) cedes power to the president* because they are terrified of being primaried by his base.
I further think that the Senate having the ability to change its rules to allow a bare minority of a skewed representation to allow confirmation for lifetime Supremes is crazy, and ensures partisainship instead of cooperation/compromise the founders expected.
4
Could this genesis of an autocracy in the United States which is supported by global oligarchs, corporate captains and others (DOJ?) - on "the take," play out into a full-on civil war pitting those who will protect and support Trump to the ends of the earth, with those who defend democracy?
Absurd - Right?
4
I would like more coverage on why, when Joe Biden was Vice-President he bragged he had gotten a prosecutor in a foreign country fired by withholding $1 billion in loan guarantees if they didn't fire the prosecutor investigating the company that his son was contracted to work for at $50k a month. To me, that is equally as troubling as Trump pressuring a foreign leader to investigate his rival.
11
@FXQ
The position of Vice President has little to no power. He is a spare. He is the B team. Do you really think that if he had done what you are accusing him of the Republican Party and their puppet masters would have kept it a secret?We had countless investigations on Benghazi. This country and the world needs the American people to stop and think. If you distrust the American media so much, look elsewhere. The BBC and NPR news are good. The website allsides.com can help you determine bias. Please note that news is separate from opinion pieces on the site. You need to be able to differentiate between the two. The Pew Research Center has a short quiz that might help. An educated populace is required for a functioning democracy. It is easy to get misled. We all need to double check sources.
7
@FXQ
If you are not more troubled by the illegal acts of the current president than by already disproven allegations against a former vice president you are the problem. You are the one hurting our lives. Not the media, not the democrats, not Pelosi, not Chuck Schumer, not the whistle blowers. It is you, the person supporting a criminal administration, a would be autocrat and a recalcitrant republican party. Trump and his behavior is not a virtue no matter how much you want to believe it is simply because he hates the same people you hate.
15
@FXQ
Biden, and all European governments, wanted the prosecutor replaced because he would not investigate. He notoriously started but did not continue investigations.by replacing the prosecutor, the investigation continued. In hunter Biden's case, he was cleared. Other cases ended differently
2
Ukraine gave up its nuclear arms with the understanding the US would protect it against Russian aggression. Now the US makes that aid conditional upon assisting Trump in his reelection. If Ukraine complies, will they make enemies of the democrats? If they don't comply, will they be defenseless against the Russians? And why should any country trust the US ever again?
31
Zelensky said there was no pressure. Sure thing. No pressure at all to agree with the mob boss who's holding the sale of weapons to protect his country from Russia over his head. As if Zelensky had a choice to say anything different.
31
Unfortunately, Impeachment although cathartic for the dems May have just given Trump his re-election in 2020. The undecided/independent who probably assume all politicians are corrupt, so think Trump is no different, will see this as unjust and more importantly, the dems have given Trump a cover for a (likely) faltering economy next year... he will clearly blame any economic downturn on impeachment, and Fox and Hannity will hammer that until his re-election is confirmed
6
@Peter H The constitution requires Congress do their job, and unfortunately this whistle-blower complaint-- even the little bit that has leaked out so far-- requires action.
6
@Peter H while I assume most politicians are corrupt, as an independent, I cannot fail to see that Trump takes everything to a new level.
4
“It’s a joke,” Mr. Trump said. “Impeachment for that?”
Yes, Donald, impeachment for that. Then prosecution.
45
If Trump’s right and it’s all a joke, how come nobody’s laughing - right or left?
28
If there is concern about how conversation records are handled, how can you base an impeachment procedure on a transcript, i.e. on a document that can be very easily manipulated? Changing the position of a comma is enough to completely alter the meaning of a conversation. This explains why, in the courts, telephone conversations need to be carefully listened to and transcribed by independent experts. Sometimes understanding a word that was initially labeled "incomprehensible" can make the difference between a "guilty" and a "not guilty". If you want the truth, you have to listen to the phone call.
6
@Alfredo
Hey Alfredo, where did you get the idea that the impeachment would be based upon a transcript? I simply don't have the strength to keep trying to explain simple things to every recalcitrant Trump supporter or right wing apologists or whomever. I would like to take each one and shake them by the collar, slap their faces a few times and see if that wakes them up but I suppose we will just rid ourselves of this right wing episode and forget about the people that supported it. Life is too short and precious.
7
Don’t forget,
Twenty-five years ago, Ukraine possessed the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal. It had inherited 175 long-range missiles and more than 1,800 warheads after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Following two years of talks been the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced a breakthrough on January 10, 1994. Ukraine had agreed to remove all nuclear weapons from its soil in exchange for assurances that Russia would respect its sovereignty.
25
@New World In other words, no one will ever trust America again. When something so fundamental as the survival of a nation can be held hostage until Donald gets a campaign issue, confidence in the United States goes to zero.
You can be certain this message is resonating in N. Korea and Iran.
8
@Maryanne L
Were you under the impression that until this latests Trump debacle the Iranians trusted America and Trump?
1
@New World
Ah! Those were the days! What happened? (Trump happened.)
3
In order for the democrats to get the public behind impeachment they must clearly and forcefully debunk the conspiracy theories regarding Biden, his son and the former prosecutor. Until they do, his republican supporters will cling to the notion that the president was merely trying to fight corruption. If they don't, we're back to parsing statements and ambiguous evidence which will lead to a failed impeachment and 4 more years of this man.
19
@Stephen
Those claims have been debunked. Just be aware that there is a segment of the American population that will never accept the facts and will continually move the goal posts. Forget Biden and his son, its irrelevant to Trumps violation of the Constitution and impending impeachment.
6
In any case, the Senate will, almost certainly, do nothing, so it will be 3 or 5 months of noise, and then nothing.
He probably will be officially « impeached », but so was Bill Clinton.
3
@David Martin
Trump broke the law. Giuliani and Trump admitted it. What was Pelosi supposed to do?
I’m looking forward to Trumps impeachment.
17
@David Martin
Impeachment is a vote in the house. If the vote is to impeach, there's a trial in the senate. after that there's a vote to convict.
that's how it works in the US congress.
4
All the conversations with the president of Ukraine, the totality of the whistleblower’s response reported to the inspector general. Submit all, no less, let us judge.
8
The population of the United States is approximately 330 million people. Setting aside the people who still support him, it’s quite possible Donald Trump is the most hated man in the country... and probably the most hated man in our country’s -entire- history.
48
It will be great to watch the republicans twist themselves into a logic pretzel trying to justify or rationalize away obvious lies and crime. They got a lot of practice defending and justifying the crimes and lies of George W Bush. It seems to have become a feature of the republicans of the 21st century.
25
@MC
I disagree. I’m looking forward to seeing moderate Republicans join their Democrat colleagues in throwing the bum out.
12
Liars never believe they are lying....it's part of the anti-social and narcissistic profile. They lie with total conviction because they are the first person they convinced. That's what makes them so persuasive. And they will fight and argue to the end that what they a re lying about is true.
The thought process goes something like this: It can't be a lie, because I am the one saying it. And "People are saying..." when it's really just one person, himself.
12
Trump has been slipping and sliding out of his own messes for years, but he might not find it a joke when thirty Senate Republicans vote along with Democrats to have him removed from office. Then SDNY can dismantle his little NY empire.
15
If Trump is admitting he asked a foreign power to interfere with US elections, what’s in the full transcript? Looks a lot like Nixon and Mitchell all over again. Barr should have known better than to get involved with Trump. Is it foolishness or arrogance that will be his undoing?
21
The funny thing is, for Trump to be so insistent, he probably was briefed by intelligence services spying on the world about some not kosher thing having happened there.
But really, why the medias in general gobbles a text composed by the white house without questioning it is just mind blowing.
It's the Barr letter all over again, letting Trump cronies defining the discussion passively.
3
Donald Trump: the only president fighting corruption while practising it.
Sounds like a Mad Magazine election add parody.
19
End Trump. Take him down. Let the GOP Senate try to defend him, which will result in the loss of that august body to the Democrats. End this travesty. Repair the damage to the Constitution and to the government.
19
It is incredible to hear McConnell and most republicans say to impeach Trump over this would be "insane", "there's no there, there, ect. Are they continuing to gaslight the nation in service of Trump, or being supremely gaslighted by Trump...I really believe some of them, including Graham, are under this sociopath's spell for real, along with 40 percent of the country. I believe though this is the straw that finally broke the camel's back. Even if the senate does not convict, the hearings will be sobering and hopefully recover a sense of normalcy in who we are and what we accept from our president. All of the talk of the Democrats being reckless right now is a load of garbage. They had to launch an inquiry based on this no matter how it turns out...America was founded on principles, and to ignore that in the face of this clear cut abuse of power would signal the end of those principles.
19
@Kirk
The word is normality.
Normalcy was "invented" by Warren Harding, the Trump of the 1920's.
1
@Kirk The level of scrutiny Trump is under may rein in future madness. Trump thought he could continue his reign of terror forever, but Nancy finally had enough.
My guess is Susan Collins will be the first serious crack in the "Trump crime syndicate" dike. On occasion, she's demonstrated some decency.
@Grandma Jolly
Nope, she’s all in. I would count on no help from the other side. The only hope is that the evidence is so overwhelming that it mobilizes the American people to vote or pressure their representatives to do the right thing. I’m talking protests in the streets. The moderate republicans are no more.
1
I do not think the author is reading the same transcript I am. Seriously, the cavalier disregard of the good of the country by the media and Democrats pursuing windmills of allegations against this President has reached the laughable, easy to disregard stage. Like it or not, he is doing a great job both domestically and internationally, putting the proper emphasis on the general welfare of America as the touchstone for actions. Yes, it’s different in many ways but the results speak for themselves.
Moreover, it’s the Democrats that have sought foreign help in influencing United States elections with prime example being Hillary Clinton’s foreign bought and paid for smear of the President that in some incredible way became the basis for investigating Trump. Then there is the correspondence we just learned about from several Democrat senators threatening Ukraine with withholding US aide if it didn’t do service to their political agenda, not to be outdone by the clear political influence of VP Biden n rescuing his son in a crooked Ukraine deal.
Americans get it, the Democrats have one set of rules for themselves, another for everyone else. And they are willing to put their political hatred of President Trump over addressing the good of the Nation on every issue of the day.
8
@Truthbeknown Dear Texas, if you look for any actual gains, Trump has produced none. He's proven to the world that America's word means nothing which means no other nation will ever let go of their nuclear bombs. To the contrary, Trump is "coming for" my social security, your health care, polluting the waterways OUR children drink, and gross failure to address Climate Change. Please Texas, open your eyes and accept the fact you were fooled.
5
@Truthbeknown
General welfare ?
Do you call decimating environmental protections, giving tax breaks to the rich ,more expensive healthcare , adding 1.5 trillion to national debt ,, ignoring climate change good for the general welfare,? Trump has alienated our European allies and cozies up to the worst dictators on the planet.
He is a criminal, not a patriot.
23
"Striking while the iron's hot"—
Means canceling the House's upcoming two-week break.
It's that important.
[And Republicans should also want to deal with this as quickly as possible, especially with their primaries coming up.]
If Republican senators agree, Trump could be rather quickly gone. Even like a Nixon scenario, where he was told they had the votes and resigned.
7
@srwdm Ordinarily, the Nixon arrangement would work, but Trump has committed too many state crimes which he cannot be pardoned for. No, on this deal, all of the chips are on the table. The instant the felon is out of office, jail time is all but guaranteed for him the rot that surrounds him.
2
He will get away with it. His sycophants in congress and the senate and judiciary will see to that. All one can do is vote and pray another "selection" is avoided a' la 2000 or thanks to the Electoral College of 2016.
Even if he loses I do not envy his successor. The mess that he has made of the executive cabinets, the restoration of the reputation of the United States asa world leader, the diplomatic repairs at both home and abroad are enormous.
Yet I'm optimistic. More people that could not vote before now can do so. The Cubs have returned to being almost theres and wait 'till next years. All seem to be getting back on track...knock on wood.
6
If the clincher is quid pro quo or no, how much more quid can your pro be when someone says “Hey, can we have more javelins and you say “I have a favor to ask.” It seems totally irrelevant that the Ukrainian President didn’t know aid had been delayed. Trump delayed aid even though it was approved and clearly planned to pressure the president.
We all know Trump doesn’t give a hoot about corruption. He was clearly asking for his own benefit. And Trump’s garbled blathering about the DNC server is just him pushing a conspiracy that Russia was not involved in our election interference. That alone should be impeachable. Here we are still with Trump defending Russia. The question is why?
13
What were these men, Manafort and Biden Jr. doing in the Ukraine in the first place? In a country that just recently gained independence, a country trying to shake off the Soviet-era culture of corruption, a country actually trying define it's borders? They were there trying to make a quick buck! Now even the US president is caught trying to take advantage of the inexperienced novice head of state. I wish it could be said that greed, cynicism and hypocrisy have reached a new low, but unfortunately this is just business as usual.
6
@Hames
1991 isn't really recent.
2
Did Trump throw Pence, Barr and Giuliani under the bus? According to what he said he implicated all three. So if we impeach him, shouldn't all three of them also be held accountable for being his accomplices. And if we apply RICO then the entire Republican party is guilty. And since the conspiracy started prior to his taking office that would make his entire presidency null and void, which then should reopen two supreme court seats.
The final irony would be that madame Pelosi would then become our first woman President. I wonder if this would give Moscow Mitch a heart attack?
15
A quid pro quo is not required. Trump solicited a foreign power to affect our election. AGAIN!
19
Classic Trumpian false bravado.
Trump knows that he is facing non-stop tv coverage of his corruption. The GOP is whistling past the graveyard if they think this could possibly help them.
Trump is toast. The real question is how much time he is looking at in prison for the Stormy Daniels stunt.
My real question is whether the disbarable William Barr will also get impeached.
Giuliani is going to get disbarred for sure. For crying out loud, that dotard needs to be institutionalized before he bites somebody.
We're soon going to have the BEST Federal Prison because it will contain all of Trump's Best People.
21
What would Mark Twain have to say?
Whatever we say MT offered this,
" A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation."
Let's all try to have and wish others peace and patience and not the opposite. Its not really us against them. One rotten apple doesn't have to spoil the bunch. You just have to toss it out.
7
The joke is Donald Trump. He can say he did not do anything wrong as much as he wants, but that does not make it so. He will continue to lie as long as he thinks there are voters who believe him. Perhaps the real damage he has done to this country is that he has made a mockery of the truth and honesty.
15
@Doug - - Yeah, those six million jobs for poorer sworkers were a real attack on the people of the United States, right, Doug?
Or have you just realized you'll never defeat Trump in a fair election fight?
3
@L osservatore
What six million jobs?
All I've seen are plant closing.
Documents please.
6
@L osservatore
Trump was defeated in a gerrymandered election. By three million votes. But you conveniently forgot that.
5
It’s not hard tobelieve that if trump is willing to go this far to get dirt on an opponent then imagine what he has done to get dirt on allies. How many republicans does he have under his thumb?
12
I may be paranoid, and guilty of reading too many spy novels, but does no one else see see the fine hand of Vladimir Putin in all of this?
In one scandal he throws two inimical nations into chaos and disarray: the US and Ukraine, rendering them devoid of power.
No one?
8
"Although there was no explicit quid pro quo in the conversation" How do you figure? The conversation goes directly from "We would like to get some more missiles" to "We'd like a favor first ... investigate Biden".
Seems pretty cut and dry.
8
Trump is using this as part of his campaign. Democrats are working to get him re-elected.
We now live in a post truth, anti-freedom country. Conservatives have choked democracy to death, we need to stop lying to ourselves. Our federal government has been paralyzed for decades - when was the last time a budget was passed? Conservatives have figured out how to make every process a nightmare, and have also figured out to make sure that even when they lose, they never actually lose.
Why even bother trying at this point? No punishment of any type will ever happen to any republican for their crimes, ever. They own the system and now they are going to strangle the country into submission, as they have already fashioned every state they control into a banana republic. They are just going national with it now.
6
Is it a joke, a hoax or a witch hunt? I also recall it being called presidential harassment.
But isn't presidential harassment when the president calls another president and harasses them about investigating rival political opponents and dangling millions of dollars of military aid?
Back at band camp, Barr should also be swiftly removed from his position of power.
Then we can start re-building this ruined country.
10
It occurs to me that our predatory president has predated himself into an impeachment inquiry. About time. For the life of me, I cannot understand how "we" have put up with his corruption and disrespect for almost everybody outside of his family and William Barr.
The joke since 2016 has been on us. Thank goodness the tide is turning! I cannot wait until the United States of America no longer has to tolerate a nasty, ill-tempered toddler who is more a mob boss than a president!
8
No quid pro quo? But Donald said "though."
As Javelins are important to Volodymyr, an investigation is to Donald. It is a verbal equation. This weapon on one side, that investigation on the other. Is not one for the other?
3
Trump's behavior can be explained by the fact that he is owned by Putin and the Russian mafia. Trump sold his soul to the Russians in order to rescue his failed business empire. I hope the impeachment inquiry will investigate his business dealings with the Russians. He is guilty not just of abuse of power and obstruction of justice, but of treason.
11
This is an extremely joyless, unhappy individual.
It must be tiresome after a lifetime of projecting, spinning, triangulating and ultimately crushing people for morose pleasure.
Tiresome and unoriginal. He looks worn out.
7
Reality Check most criminals have one thing common there only sorry they got caught.
7
Why in heaven's name is the President of Ukraine told to liaise with Trump's personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani?
I, for one, am not a big fan of impeachment because it will only fail in the Senate, thus enabling Trump even more. But injecting Giuliani into that conversation certainly does seem to be a smoking gun.
12
So extreme and all-consuming Trump's narcissism - so tolerated and reinforced his self-serving conduct by his hate-filled base, the Republican Party and even his own family - that it was inevitable he would continue violating the law and the American constitution until those responsible for executive oversight were forced to act.
When a witness stepped forward with credible evidence of high crimes, congress was alerted and the House leader had to overcome her earlier resistance to the impeachment option. There had been ample evidence of impeachable conduct over the past three years but Pelosi was understandably reluctant to plunge America into yet another disruptive, divisive effort to oust a president.
How revealing that Trump's attempt to recruit a foreign government to assist his re-election campaign should come just one day after Mueller's appearance before congress. So vapid and unconvincing Mueller's testimony that Trump was emboldened enough to go to the well one more time.
Like a moth to the flame, Trump was destined for meltdown because of his own arrogance and belief that he was untouchable. He's now calling impeachment a joke. Let's see if he's still laughing a couple of months from now.
8
From what I understand: As VP, Biden encouraged the Ukrainian's to dismiss their prosecutor, because that individual was not investigating or prosecuting corruption cases. One of the cases that prosecutor was not pursuing was against a Ukrainian energy company. Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of that company.
So Trump is accusing Joe Biden of corruption, for encourage the Ukraine to replace their prosecutor with someone who WOULD potentially investigate the company his son was involved with.
Once again, Trump proves his own ineptitude in a myriad of ways. Not the least of which is to accuse an innocent person of the wrong doing he himself is committing. Anything he accuses someone else of doing, it's guaranteed he is doing just that but on a bigger scale. (For example: golfing...)
Impeachment is not enough to end this Trumpian nightmare we are living through.
7
I'm looking forward to watching the Republicans squirm as they try to explain why Trump's actions are less impeachable than Bill Clinton's.
10
25th Amendment.....Section 4. This would be a quicker means of removing Trump than a lengthy and ultimately unsure impeachment process. His wild, disjointed statements yesterday in response to his latest wild disjointed misbehavior would alone be sufficient grounds for questioning his sanity (or tenuous grasp thereof). He will soon be screaming for General Steiner from his latest Trump property...an underground bunker.
5
The left is truly insane. Trump asked Ukraine to investigate potential corruption that involved Biden. That the investigation could benefit him politically does not make the request illegal. It is certainly unseemly as we would expect politicians to only ask for things that 100 percent benefit the people. Reality is that politicians look out for themselves to some degree. Small favors are the currency of trade in politics. To criminalize this is a joke. He didn't try to bribe Ukraine. What then is the crime? The left cannot accept it lost the 2016 election still. It's maniacal focus on that will cause then to lose 3020 as a result.
6
@Elliot: Spin it all you want, but the president of the USA asking a foreign head of state to investigate a political opponent for frivolous charges is illegal and an impeachable offense. Get over it.
15
@Anna As a supporter of Bill Clinton(and Hillary Clinton) in the last election, who does not like Trump I say that this is not even close to being an impeachable offense. The democrats need to get over the belief that somehow there is always foreign interference else Hillary would have won.
1
@Vaz Dubey: The law is the law.
1
It should not be lost an anyone that if President Obama did this, Trump and Republicans would be howling at the moon for his head on a platter. We should be ashamed of ourselves for not having the same courage as the protesters in Hong Kong to actually DO SOMETHING about this blatant corruption.
15
After reading the memo that reconstructs the conversation, I was struck by how much Zelensky sounds like trump. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if trump “Sharpied” this and rewrote some of this himself, complete with misspellings (eg. “their” instead of “there”). You tell me.
Some examples from Zelensky:
- (summarized) I’ve surrounded myself with the best people.
- “That I can assure you”
8
I am still skeptical on the senate republicans ability to look past party lines & properly impeach him for the crimes he has committed against our democracy.
3
So Congress-approved aid for national security purposes to protect Ukaine is frozen by Trump unless Mr. Zelensky agrees to investigate Biden Jr? The very same type of threat Trump used against Palestinians, zero'ing out aid and passports unless representatives agreed to son-in-law Kushner's so-called M.E. peace plan? The very same type of threat Trump waged against Qatar, blockading the country hosting the largest U.S. military base in the M.E., after a Qatari billionaire failed to come through with a "loan" to sure up Kushner's Manhattan real estate? The same threat used against central American countries--with Trump zeroing out Congress-approved U.S. aid? Same for Mexico, at least threat part? Same for China? Why does it take going after a candidate for the Presidency to show that these are capricious vindictive criminal acts? Trump is weaponizing U.S. policies and aid.
6
Yes, we should have a full inquiry including getting the transcripts of conversations Joe Biden had trying to get the Ukrainians to stop their investigation into his son. Biden threatened to withhold a billion dollars from them. This is not going to end well for Biden and I think this really is the left in the Democratic Party trying to get rid of Biden as a candidate.
2
If only Democrats showed the same persistence and devoted as much time, effort, and resources on issues like gun control, healthcare reform, and the student loan debt crisis. The divisive political environment in Congress helped Trump get elected in 2016. The American people are tired of political tribalism and hence leaned towards an outsider even though Trump was a flawed candidate. While there is no dispute that the Russians interfered by weaponizing information during the 2016 elections, at the end of the day it was the American people, not the Kremlin, who went to the ballot box.
Trump’s inexperience as a politician is evident, and while that does not excuse him for his faults, I believe he is trying his best for our country. And in case anyone is wondering, no I did not vote for Trump, I am just trying to be objective. Our country is more divided than ever and at the end of the day it is Vladimir Putin who is laughing, watching how our once respected Democracy has degenerated into a circus-like spectacle on the brink of civil war.
I am truly concerned for the future of our country.
“A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.”
- Ariel Durant
4
@Christopher R.
Check the Republican held senate. Many of the things you want are languishing there.
Colossal mistake by the Democrats. Without the Senate required majority he cannot be impeached. This will only polarize the nation even more to NO ONE's benefit.
4
Go ahead. Try to prove intent. And don’t assume that it was to help win the election even though that might well be its effect. By that measure even the Democratic impeachment inquiry is motivated by the elections, Consider other possibilities like getting even with the Dems or giving tit for tat for dragging out Russia-gate for so long. I couldn’t think of a worthier candidate for cold revenge than Adam Schiff, the very one who peddled Russian collusion because he had all that evidence which supposedly was “more than circumstantial.” Now this. We await the whistle blower. There are so many possibilities. Go ahead. The burden’s not on Trump but on you.
Even if articles of impeachment pass the House, they’re not going to be passed by the Senate. Once again Democrats are wasting the Nation’s time and money. They are also ensuring Trump’s re-election in November 2020.
3
@John Murray So what should they do? Look away from obvious illegal acts?
Republicans voted to remove Obamacare 7 times under Obama, knowing fully well they will not succeed. That never stopped them.
1
@Nikola Tasev
These are not illegal acts. This continuing drama is merely the result of hysterical Democrats refusing to accept the results of the 2016 election.
3
In the telephone conversation Donald Trump initiated with Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelensky, the style of bribery or extortion employed by President Trump resembled that used by a crime boss to avoid later accountability.
The five features of the conversation were (1) the reminder of Ukraine’s outstanding debt to America without suggesting that the call was a collection call, (2) the expression of a continuing affection for Ukraine and hints of further aid, (3) the concern spoken about a mutual enemy in Joe Biden, (4) the reference to an exchange of “favors” between friends and (5) a verification that Trump had never asked for something which, in fact, he had indeed requested earlier in the conversation.
This episode was typical of the way Donald Trump has tried to maintain deniability when enlisting the help of someone to perform an unpleasant task. See, for example, the sworn testimony of Trump’s fixer, Michael Cohen.
There are many, many ways in which Donald Trump regularly embarrasses America.
3
Trump supporters may also continue to support him because their 'news' source has been strongly pushing the Biden story. It's been fascinating, in a horrifying sort of way, to see their contorsions to support Trump and smear Biden. For those fanatics who only get their news from Fox, this will simply seem be another attack on their great leader.
8
I find it a remarkable occurrence that, by blocking $391 million in aid to Ukraine, Trump helped both himself and Putin.
2
@Not Again
By "remarkable" do you mean "surprise?"
Why would that be?
1
This headlines is misleading. So i read the transcript again. The favor is directly associated with Crowdstrike’s corruption and not Biden’s quid pro quo demands or the cronyism.
Nevertheless, I consider it somewhat unethical but not high crimes. I think there is plenty of overreach by the DNC for a political impeachment and coup.
I’m with the 57 per cent who are against impeachment.
4
Impeachment hurt the republicans in the 90’s because it was at its core, at that time, about the president’s private sex life.
This is the real deal, quit pro quo with a foreign power using tax payer money to incentivize an investigation into the family of a political rival.
I’m a Bay Area native who is no fan of Pelosi but I gotta say: she is doing the right thing. Thank you, Madam speaker.
5
The comment Mr. Trump made today on television about Speaker Pelosi was shameful. At the end of his U.N. press conference, the sentence before "She's lost her way" was far worse:
"She's not the speaker of the house any more, as far as I'm concerned."
To essentially delegitimize one third of our government and another constitutional officer --in front of the world -- may not be as irresponsible as his behavior, as shown by the call transcript. But it certainly shows that he still doesn't get what the problem is about domestic electoral politics mixing so directly with foreign relations.
Compare how former Rep. Charles Rangell responded when the late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela insulted then-Pres. Bush in a General Assembly speech. Mr. Rangell said, "You don't come into my district and stand in the U.N. and insult my president. It's beyond politics at home."
4
As you fret over how so many Americans can believe anything that comes out of Trump’s mouth, remember that the electoral college overturned the will of the majority, which voted for Clinton.
The electoral college is the true enemy of democracy. Another Trump will come along, and with the help of the electoral college can thrust America into a similar nightmare.
One person. One vote.
5
As a Biden supporter, I am very saddened by these developments. People will say, "Here we go again" and desert him to avoid another Hillary Clinton-like manufactured scandal. This is unfortunate. Let's not forget that despite all the things that led to her defeat, where would America be today if Clinton had been President? Judges chosen by experience, not allegiance. No withdrawal from the Paris Accords, or weakening of the ACA. No corporate give aways. Lower deficits. No unilateralism. No war games with Iran. Think about it. In short, despite the Republicans' continuous assault on her, she would have been a good steward of America. Ibid Biden. I fear the Democrats move to Warren will not end well. She was one of the first cheerleaders of impeachment, and the verdict on that process and the division it will sow, will now most heavily fall on her. We will need a healer when this is all over, and Warren is a utopian idealist, not a healer. Biden is a healer. When this storm breaks, and it will be a very bad storm, in who's house will you seek comfort?
@Karen
Our does not need Hillary2.0.
Biden's quest for the Presidency is quixotic and his ethics apparently compromised. No more entitlement in the Democratic Party!
Sadly, I see the same disbelief and rationalization from Republicans as I did after the Mueller Report. Why trump has such a hold on them I'll never understand. Hopefully, as even a trickle of Republican leaders express concern and curiosity to find out more, my neighbors will open their minds.
What are the odds of that happening?
4
It's very simple. Any US President that thinks "it's a joke" to be impeached for blocking earmarked funds and then asking for favors - at home or abroad - is unfit for Office. US Senators and Representatives, regardless of Party, who stand behind, fund and rely on the US military to uphold "American Values"around the world take notice.
That would be greatly appreciated. Because then maybe I could start to fly the American flag in my Schrebergarten without having it torn down by my neighbors when my back is turned.
4
I think many are overthinking the phone call.
Rudy, whom Trump trusts, sold him on conspiracy theories. Trump loves conspiracies that prove he is valid or the true winner.
The people in the admin who have observed his obsessions did not want him on a call because he has no impulse control. This outcome was totally predictable, but just like weather predictions, he cannot let it go or inhibit the impulse to go for it.
The real question is the mental competence of someone who choses Rudy as his advisor, is oblivious to outcomes and obsesses about conspiracies.
3
I think what will break the republican wall of support for Trump is the fact that they are supposed to be diverting attention away from the whistleblower report but the only material they have to work with are two old conspiracy theories that have been thoroughly debunked. As outrage grows over Trump’s actions, they will have to increase their gaslighting with Hunter Biden and “the server” proportionally and at some point they will crack.
4
I don't want my 2020 elections interfered with. His own party won't rein him in, so somebody had to step up to the plate. I'm glad some of our elected representatives did.
4
@pointofdiscovery
Don't forget the blower of the whistle for heaven's sake.
1
So to sum up, there wasn't an explicit threat, but the aid package was held up at the president's behest.
Will that be enough?
1
@Andrew: An explicit threat or a quid pro quo is not necessary for Trump’s request to Zelensky to be illegal and an impeachable offense.
3
At what point do people finally say that this is not about political party, this is no longer about loving or hating Trump, no longer about who is on what side of the issues? When does it finally become an issue about caring about the stability of a democracy and all there is yet to come in the future of this country? When do people stop looking at who, and start looking at right and wrong, honor and dishonor?
2
While Lindsay Graham insists there was no quid pro quo. The crime of Conspiracy does not require any quid pro quo as an element. It just requires an agreement to commit the crime, and at least one step towards its commission. Like perhaps, sending your lawyer to another country to lay the groundwork?
4
I love the the way left and their media allies see nothing wrong with Hunter Biden who after being kicked out of the Navy four months later is put on the board of a Ukrainian oil company with pay at the rate of 50000 a month. He of course is an expert in that industry, well maybe not. Could he have been hired to peddle influence with his Dad the VP of the US who was also in charge of US relations with Ukraine, well just maybe. Should Joe have known this was a serious conflict of interest, we’ll probably.
Then Hunter flies with his dad into China and low and behold gets a billion and half dollars for his investment of which he experience. Could the Chinese have wanted Hunter Biden for his expertise probably not. Maybe they wanted to buy influence maybe just maybe.
4
@dave
You miss the point, but it's typical.
Go after Hunter and Joe Biden for whatever it is you think they did.
Go after Trump who has used his position as president to influence a foreign country to prosecute an American citizen, candidate or not.
Both issues can run concurrently; they are not mutually exclusive.
President? Elizabeth Warren will be fine, thank you.
6
@dave: Conspiracy theories don’t have any weight. Trump’s proven illegal actions as president of the USA do. He should resign.
3
@dave
Yes dave, ironically and perversely, Trump and the whistleblower did the Nation a favor. They spotlighted the Bidens' sins while exposing The Trump's.
The Nation needs neither Donald nor Joe.
Difficult to overstate the significance of the action your congress takes over the next few months and what your electorate chooses next November: is America the country Americans like to believe it is, or the country your friends fear and your foes believe it is.
6
Yes the “reconstruction” of the conversation released to the public appears, like the Muller report is not exact words , as usual , but made to favor Trump and to win over his supporters.
I also want to say that a little faith has been restored in humanity for the “whistle blower” this took courage and patriotism. I’m reminded of Nelson Mandela and a quote that those close to this administration will all need in the upcoming months .”Courage is not the absence of fear , but the triumph over it “ may many more find the courage to fight for our country .
34
There is one important reason to investigate Trump for possible impeachable offense(s): to try to stop him from using (again) his dirty tricks in the 2020 elections.
103
Hey, isn’t it time for some Trump jokes?
I have some in mind, but none are suitable for a family magazine.
20
Barr is an active conspirator in the plot against Biden, named many times in the call.
Yet we're told the call was judged to be not a criminal matter ... by Barr's Justice Dept.
The whistleblower report was judged (in obvious breach of clear law) to be none of Congress' business ... by Barr's Justice Dept.
Barr didn't even pretend to recuse himself from these decisions. It must be great to be your own prosecutor, able to drop charges against yourself and even (try to) bury them.
We've all grown used to foxes guarding the henhouse during this horrible administration. But this particular fox has chicken feathers visibly sticking out of his mouth.
519
@OD
You managed to get a chuckle out of me with this visual at a time when I'm not much in the mood for humor. Thanks for that!
27
@OD Ideally the US will make it through this without, say, becoming Trump Kingdom, or breaking up. Ideally lawmakers will look at some of these holes in a 200 year old document and figure out how to plug them.
12
@OD
Maybe the wrong person is going to be impeached. Maybe it's Barr that should be impeached. It might be far easier to get a conviction against him, and in the end have the same political affect on Trump and his Republican cronies.
7
Is it not a joke to him? Best case: he resigns in a huff and Pence pardons him for everything. Rich people don't face consequences in the real world.
46
@Randall
However, New York is investigating Trump's finances for possible criminal offenses. Pence could pardon only a federal crime. I doubt Trump will resign. If he isn't President anymore, he may be prosecuted for criminal offenses.
5
No pardon is needed. There is no crime...there is no arm twisting or pressure.
1
@Randall
pence realizes that if he pardons, then his political ambitions for the future are nullified
3
TRUMP IS CAPABLE ONLY OF 4 STRATEGIES: 1) Food fights. 2)
Never Admit Guilt. 3) Attack accusers. 4) Turn the tables. Research done with video games shows that a rogue troll will always win against players that use logical strategies. Trump's call to Nancy Pelosi says it all! He asked her, Can we do anything about this situation? Her answer: Yes! You can start obeying the law! Trump feels entitled to special treatment due to the fact that he's such a stable genius. And he's proud of it! Laws don't apply to him. Because he's the president. A sitting president no less! Who cannot be prosecuted for anything while president. His bogus attorney general, Bill Barr, who acts only as Trump's personal attorney, will stop at nothing to enable Trump to continue breaking the law. I wonder what motivates Barr to want to destroy the US? Is it the fact that his father had hired Jeffrey Epstein to be an untrained math teacher? Meanwhile, we're treated to Trump's ridicule--his dismissive statements, that the charges brought against him are the worst presidential harassment in the history of the planet. Mattis knew whereof he spoke when he said that Trump has neither the intellect nor the temperament for the job of president. The GOPpers are all in a thrall with Trump, attacking the Democrats for attempting to restore the rule of law to the US government. Trump is the most dangerous when he persuades people that he is above the law, so that they will enable him!
91
@John Jones Trump goes beyond narcissistic. IMHO he is a serious sociopath with a psychopathic tendency as displayed by his incitement to violence and pleasure when his supporters yell racist/violent slogans supported, not by facts, but by fear/hatred of the “other”
Today's memo release looks to have been a modified limited clustershag.
And cue the bagpipes, Barr's on deck.
23
Put yourself in the Ukranian Presidents shoes. Threatened with the glum prospect of having a one on one with Rudy, wouldn't you give into trump's demands?
34
Impeachment isn't enough. America's true patriots should be crafting multiple strategies to tear this administration to the ground and wipe everything it has done away. Impeachment may or may not happen and may or may not be fruitful if it does. There has to be more, much more. We are confronting an unprecedented challenge and should meet it head on. Stop waffling: Of course he colluded with Russia. Of course he's a racist, and a rapist. Of course this was a quid pro quo. Stop talking about it, stop dividing the Democratic Party, come together, and take him down!!!
195
@Joe Thank you for saying that, I couldn't agree more! We do need to quit waffling immediately before these confederates take everything and destroy this country. Do democrats really want to live in the country these people are creating? No health care plan, no infrastructure plan, destroying the environment, massive debts for no reason, and out of control lying and corruption. Democrats do need to come together 110% and put an end to this!
12
Where is Kellyanne Conway? She always has an answer to the most egregious lies of her master Donald Trump. Where are you Kelly? We need your spin/lies or we are going to think Trump is an emperor without clothes. Please, I don’t want reality to settle in.
37
@S. Gregory
Her forced smile wore off so she ordered a new one from Amazon, but they're out of stock; seems quite a lot were snapped up over the last few days.
Reject attack. Admit nothing. Deny everything. Lie, lie, lie. Distract, distract, distract. Make counter-accusations. Blame the Dems. Call them names. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat...
98
It’s about sowing confusion so that the American people don’t know what to believe.
Hence no effective action, no change.
Not only the voter confused but so is the Democrat leadership. They don’t know how to proceed.
Trump is the winner. David best Goliath with unconventional means and Trump has defeated the US also with unconventional means.
Only only hope is Anthony Scaramucci.
3
“Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus!” The joke’s on you now, Donald John Trump. Sometimes even the president of the United States must have to stand naked, and despite all that has gone before, you still just do not understand, do you, Mr. Trump?
55
Of course he understands. He continues as president and will be re-elected.
1
@Yuri Pelham
How very unfortunate.
No, the "joke" is this presidency.
But seriously, it's only natural to be astonished that Trump supporters are actually trying to defend him, but don't forget, they stuck with him when he volunteered he sexually assaults women; they stuck with him when he praised neo-Nazis and white supremacists after they rioted, attacked African Americans and murdered a young woman in Charlottesville; they stuck with him when he blamed the Pittsburgh synagogue for the worst anti-Semitic massacre in modern American history (committed by a right-winger) while on his way to one of his little pep rallies, the same day it happened; and they stuck with him when he publicly took the side of a hostile foreign power, on foreign soil, over United States law enforcement. Oh and they also took his side when he insulted a Gold Star family and a war hero, despite that when he had the chance to serve, Donald Trump ran away and hid. There are more examples but I don't have all evening to type.
Expecting Trump supporters to abandon him just because he committed treason is just being unreasonable.
120
@Cousin Greg
Trump supporters have done all the things you describe. Do you really think that calling his conversation with Zelensky "treason" is the best way to make them see the light?
Making a request of a foreign leader for a "favor" that involves investigating a political opponent should be unacceptable to those who want to preserve our democracy and defend the integrity of our elections. It may not meet the definition of "treason" nor be a criminal violation of our campaign finance laws, but that should not make it more acceptable.
Please please, may it be quick, an impreachment!! I only hope an anarchy doesn’t implode with Trump supporters
13
@Karin
.. Trump isn't going anywhere.. There is very little chance that 2/3 of Senate vote to remove Trump..
.-- The only way to oust Trump is for Dems to win in 2020..
Seems as though Trump used Barr --made mention of him in the phone call --to confer legitimacy on Giuliani's task.
Trump knew he was being listened to, and wanted it to appear as though his quest for campaign dirt had a lawful sheen.
19
This week prior to Pelosi's unilateral command issued to the House to begin an impeachment inquiry, the Quinnipiac University poll and the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll reported a majority opposed impeachment.
Quinnipiac says 57% are opposed and 37% are in favor.
POLITICO/Morning Consult says 49% are opposed and 36% are in favor.
So, if after all the fervid media jawboning over the Ukraine telephone transcript, a poll were taken tomorrow morning, do you suppose those numbers would change? I hardly think so.
But, for the Democrats' power gambit to pay off those numbers must flip. Good luck with that.
3
@GWB
Polls change. Stay tuned. As the bow dips below the surface and rolling debris on the decks speaks to the certainty of the moment, the numbers will change. We've already seen some republicans donning women's clothing and getting into the lifeboats.
2
@GWB
Following the constitution is not the same thing as polling a largely uninformed and ill equipped electorate. But thanks for the well wishes.
3
@GWB
Preserving and protecting the Constitution supercedes opinion polls.
4
If the matter was strictly about US interests, why was there even a suggestion to have Trump's private lawyer (Giuliani) involved?
Trump may truly believe he did nothing wrong, which would then make him an even more dangerous occupant of the White House than if he had done this knowing it was wrong.
42
Food for thought: who stands to benefit from Trump withholding funds from the Ukraine? A moment of weakness could be capitalized on by the right party.
7
Draw
this
out.
Patience, coolness, reserve, reason have all fled Trump's camp. Next to go will be political allies, money from the big donors, influential voters and media conservatives who have an ounce of pride left. Trump has demanded that he and he alone be the Republican Party; well, let him and let them decide just what future they have being poisoned down to the marrow by a man who wants to turn them against fact, law, the Constitution, and make himself their sole reason to live.
Take as long with this as possible. Deliberation will work against him. The target isn't just Trump, it's the entire hollow, toxic, sold-out Republican Party.
82
@Next Conservatism
.. you're dreaming.-- 2/3 of Senate won't vote to remove Trump.. He'll be front & center in the 2020 election.. Dems are gonna have to beat him at the ballot box... ---Can they?
@Next Conservatism We need people like you and several other commentators to speak these thoughts out loud. I am so glad to see this righteous outrage being so deeply and beautifully expressed. It is good to know that there are many of us who profoundly respect the rule of law and the constitution and love of country.
1
Last summer? This summer? Wouldn't last summer be 2018. I went to the beach this summer. I went to the beach last summer. The president had a phone call this summer.
1
The best thing Trump and the Republicans can do right now is make a deal with Speaker Pelosi and the New York DA.
Otherwise all their dirty laundry will be hung out for the world to see.
None of this will end well for Trump, his family or the Republicans.
27
I disagree, reluctantly for in the end whenever it seems like he is done for, he prevails. Houdini would admire his skill. “I was the number one escape artist” he was heard to say “but Trump has trumped me”. Records are meant to be broken.
When I put this in perspective I see three things:
Biden’s son surreptitiously being paid $50K per month in Ukraine for little or nothing while his father occupies the second highest office in the land.
The second thing I see is a POTUS who promised to drain the swamp doing exactly that: tracking down those who are guilty of corruption. Just why should Trump be blamed for wrongdoing? The country will be better off by knowing if there was malfeasance on the part of Biden. After all, isn’t he being considered for President?
Lastly, I see Democrats going berserk because the country is safe, prosperous, experiencing full employment and giving the President decent marks for his performance.
Am I missing something?
13
Well, if by "draining the swamp" you mean filling it with corruption followed my multiple arrests? As for the economy, it's not stable and a majority of the "growth" is actually deficit spending. It will collapse, it's just a matter of when....
6
@Confusedg
Yeah, I think you're missing quite a bit. An awful lot, actually. But life is a forced march and things get revealed along the way. Or denied.
4
@Confusedg Yep, you're definitely missing something. A lot of somethings, actually. But it's okay, we understand.
3
Sometimes, most of the time, or some other time time, or maybe none of the times:
It is time to do the right thing.
Now is the time to do the right thing.
Now is the time to gather your wits, come together and raise your voices, use your bodies and do the right thing.
Looking on as a member of the international community that has been impacted by the chaos that your POTUS and his regime have unleashed, it is past time to the right thing. That impact upon the rest of us will only get worse every day.
If you cannot, or will not defend your rule of law, or your institutions, or your ideal from fear of some sort of short term political failure as you try to do so, then you denigrate and abrogate your history.
Best wishes.
32
People who still go to church should go on strike. No attendance, no offerings, no watching their favorite TV preacher and reduce viewership. I have been on strike since he took office and worship at home. Maybe then Trump's base will at least support removing Pence's running mate.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the whistle-blower who had the courage to come forward. Without this service we would know nothing of this attempt to undermine the 2020 election.
Trump has been caught red handed colluding with a foreign government to throw the election in his favor.
69
But he is a slippery critter and cannot be caught or captured. He always escapes. He’s an escape artist par excellence. So dear American citizen put your emotions aside and sit back and observe as if you were watching a magic show.
Place a magician in a straight jacket, then place him in a trunk. Lock the trunk. Wrap the trunk in chains and wrap all that with tape. Place that trunk in a bigger trunk and wrap that . Drop all that into the deepest part of the Pacific.
Somehow that magician escapes and so will Trump. There’s no way to explain how the magician escapes but with Trump it’s easy.
There is no rule of law in the US. It’s that simple. There was when Nixon was president. He knew it, yielded, and exited with a smile and a wave goodbye.
1
This is all going to get very ugly. Republicans are staying quiet for selfish reasons to "save" their job and party. As the heat is turned up on Trump he is now "outing" Biden for improprieties. The president of the US is privy to as much information as probably any person in the world. Don't think he won't use it against McConnell or others in his own party once they start to turn. I tell my kids that if they are faced with a decision in life and have a CHoice, CHoose CHaracter. We are all going to suffer from electing this petty child with no moral strength, honor or character.
30
Democratic candidates and voters need to show the Trump mobsters that their smear on Joe Biden won't work. Hold an American Patriots Rally with all the candidates onstage linking arms and fill the biggest auditorium you can find with flag-waving, blue-hatted Democrats. This calls for a massive display of unity to save our democracy.
19
Please, Trump minions, do not make excuses for how he uses language differently, is not a politician, not versed in the ways of Washington.. Enough already.
Sometimes you have to call a thing what it is. I think Trump thought he could placate Pelosi with his faux-transparency and she proved, once again, that she is a smart woman.
I doubt she took this step with any glee.. Look at how long she has fought back Dems pushing for impeachment.
We shall see where this all leads..
We are in for a bumpy and headline grabbing breaking news fall and .. Winter. Is. Coming.
24
I wonder if any scenario exists where the GOP would go beyond 'Stick It To The Dem's" as their sole strategic reaction?
What would it be? Does it exist? I stopped searching for this answer during the campaign when the candidate was ridiculing and denigrating reporter Sege Kovaleski's disability - GOP went along with it as Trump lied and said he wasn't aware of Sege's disability.
That was a long time ago. So what's left? Is Trump correct? Can he literally shoot someone in public and walk?
Just a Canadian observer here, but that phone call beyond incriminating is sadly comedic - look how far America is now sank under this broken man.
So, once again - what will it take? Maybe the answer is that Trump is the GOP.
That is certainly now my belief.
35
Why is there such immense focus on a transcript that was doctored? If there is an opportunity to omit chunks of the conversation, then I assume there is room to omit statements like, “I need you to do this for me so that the US can do more for you (like financial aid) .” If a transcript was reconstructed, but pieces of the transcript were left out, then we are left once again with an opaque version of the facts.
22
Trump thinks the impeachment hearings are a joke. Lots of Americans disagree. Trump sees himself as the mafia like boss of the US. Most of us do not want such a president. We would like a president who follows the law and who protects the civil liberties of all Americans.
Trump's mafia style of governing is not legal and is not wanted by most Americans. I look forward to the day in which Mr. Trump is finally stopped by "America's Swift Sword" comes down on him.
18
Trump is now "governing by extortion" just how the mob operates. It's happening here, right now in front of us. Last week Trump told CA to lower its pollution standards or else federal highway funds will be cut off.
Pelosi knows what a threat trump is to our democracy. She also knows that he will only get worse and more out of control. When Trump flagrantly breaks our laws and ignores the Constitution it is time to remove him. Pelosi said it perfectly, NO IS ABOVE THE LAW!
26
I disagree. The fact is that he is above the law. He proves it day after day month after month and year after year and will be re-elected. Trump is invincible.
another thought for all- if trump is reelected will he further anything positive for the US? recession is coming. National Debt way to high. endless threats of war...he is wasting our time and money. its a good business decision to fire trump.
15
Ukraine rely's on the technical, military and moral support from America to keep itself a free country, not under the thumb of Russia. Russia has stolen Crimea and is occupying eastern Ukraine. When Trump tells the leader that Ukraine has not been "reciprocal" towards the US what could he mean. Ukraine has nothing of substance that they can give to us. Trump knows this. So he puts a hold on the aid. Then in his talk after the defense assistance is requested Trump asks for his "favor", dirt on Biden. How much more explicit does one have to be. Disgusting behaviour by our President
30
Trump is careless because he is used to getting away with disreputable acts.
33
Trump's entire presidency is a disinformation campaign. It must be some sort of great strategy, since it's been the pillar of every dictator and despot for thousands of years.
No obvious antidote, aside from the truth.
29
Could we have an "un-restructured" transcript of the call please, or the audio recording itself? Given this administration, it's hard to believe they didn't tinker with the version that was released.
20
Trump won't think it's a joke when he's being questioned by Prosecutors about his finance, his traitorous behavior, and his criminal behavior.
America will have the last laugh when he's ushered out of the White House permanently, whether by impeachment or losing the next election.
13
If the Democratic House passes Articles of Impeachment this unholy mess lands in the Republican Senate’s lap. I keep reading how Republican senate leaders don’t want the problem. But I also heard a pundit say tonight that at least thirty Republican senators would vote to convict him today — right now — were it a secret ballot simply because they loathe Trump.
Of course it isn’t a secret ballot — or a secret anything, for that matter — so they must choose: either hide in the shadows and cower, or stand in their supposed “American Exceptionalism” and be counted; do the right thing by God and Country and expel the beast.
What an incredible opportunity, probably their one and only real chance to reach or return to greatness — to rise, or return, to being great men and women, escape being in the abject thrall of a stupid, corrupt and vicious wannabe tyrant. Their one and only chance to be the strong, farsighted political leaders they believe themselves to be, leaders willing to elevate the American nation’s well-being, the American people’s long term interests, over more short-term parochial concerns. Elevate Country over self-seeking and self-interest, over naked partisanship; career even.
But will they rise to the challenge?
23
Surreal, really. Trump has an impeachment investigation ordered because of a conversation with the leader of Ukraine, and within 24 hours of the order, Trump is having a person-person interview with that Ukrainian leader on US soil!
How the two of them joked and laughed publicly made us all uneasy. Trump in his usual chair position, tilted forward, with his hands touching each other at knee length before him, always, as if to cover parts of his body. Zelensky sitting next to Trump, smiling, and then answering questions in his home language, after forcing a few laughs with Donald.
Trump is just used to making deals. His whole life has been one big deal. Three women in his life with the marriage deal. Casino and Apprentice hotel deals. Trump University deals. The Manafort deal. The Cohen deal. The Bolton deal. The long list of government service employee deals as they’d come and go,
So, hey, how about a Ukraine deal? Just ask Zelensky to contact the US Attorney General, William Barr, and make a deal with him, never mind any morality or presidential loyalty to United States. Just make the deal!
Well, Republicans - what kind of deal has Donald Trump made with you? Certainly there must be one, either made or brewing.
It’s a manipulation, easy come easy go. Our democracy has been put on the deal platform. The citizens have been pawns in the deals. Tax deals, promise deals, deals for a better future?
But remember, every deal can go bad...and it has.
27
@MIMA-
Trump is a weak man — bad negotiator, short-sighted, tactical and not-steategic, and venal. Ukraine’s new president needs much more military aid, including potent weapons, than Trump’s Administration was willing to provide. Now that Trump has severely damaged himself domestically, weakening his position even further, should the new Ukrainian president fudge the details of Trump’s attempted shakedown in return for receiving more assistance, don’t be surprised.
Do the world a favor, make this your best deal ever. Impeachment. And make it fast.......
51
@Jodi
AGREE!
5
He’s so flipping guilty. Must we go through the kabuki? Can’t we just impeach him already?
Please, Republicans, just give your tribalism a rest for awhile and admit what we all know to be true: Trump is a disgrace. He’s mentally unbalanced. He’s corrupt. And he’s a danger to our nation. Impeach!
258
Do you understand the definition of the adverb “though”?
How can you say “Although there was no explicit quid pro quo in the conversation”.
Oxford definition: “however (indicating that a factor qualifies or imposes restrictions on what was said previously).”
A few days after Trump blocked $390 million of aid, President of Ukraine says “specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins [anti tank missiles which would slow down a Russian invasion] from the United States for defense purposes.”
Trump immediately and abruptly says: “I would like you to do us a favor THOUGH...”
How is that not an explicit quid pro quo?
Why isn’t the headline “President Trump seeks favor in exchange for anti tank missiles”?
190
@M The Ukraine is ready to buy more weapons from the US with the money they got from the US which goes to the Military Industrial Complex. It's a twofer for DJT
3
Trump's goose is cooked, stick a fork in him. The voice quality he had during his UN speech was that of a man who knows the jig is just about up. Oh, he and the GOP dead enders will rant and rave and deflect but in the end, it will be the end.
73
Representative Schiff said: “Like any mafia boss, the president didn’t need to say, ‘That’s a nice country you have — it would be a shame if something happened to it.’”
And the president didn’t need to say this from his favorite movie The Godfather: “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
28
Why is everyone ignoring that President Zelenskyy brought up Rudy Giuliani’s name FIRST!
Read the 3rd page of the transcript .... it’s the part that was not highlighted for some reason.
7
@Asher It has been reported that Trump made a call to Zelenskyy in April, in which Trump initially brought up Guiliani. There is a lot of prior context to this more recent call.
2
@Asher
Sure and who then includes AG Baar & the intent to leverage the pressure with the legal Batman & Robin Show.
Oh for God's sake, Trump lies about the weather!!! Then obsesses about it for 6 days (nothing else requiring POTUS attention)! Even this limited, redacted convo "transcript" is beyond incriminating. Dem's: I'm a lifelong Independent, so no ideological commitment to either party, but let's end this travesty, NOW!!
66
Liars lying about the lies they told to cover up the lies still to come..
I wonder how many Republicabs are privately thinking of this may just be the straw that broke the camel's back, that was already burdened with previous sketchy behavior.
How many will put country before party.
How many would have accepted ANY of this behavior from Obama.
It just might be the beginning of Don is Done, and Dump Trump.
I am sure Mike Pence already has his swearing in suit and tie ready to go.
By the way, have we heard from him?
34
@Mamma's child The question is “ Who’s Mike Spence”. He needs to go down with Trump as well.
7
republicans colluded with a foreign government to win an election at least 3 times before (trump last time, Reagan in '80, and Nixon in '68). Trump is like, "hey, I'm just being a good republican!"
20
How precisely did they do this, please? Be specific; provide evidence.
I’m tired of self-proclaimed lefties acting just like Trump.
1
@Robert
It's been well-documented that candidate/private citizen Richard Nixon got the South Vietnamese to temporarily kerfuffle the Paris peace accords right before the 1968 election. LBJ was aware of it and decided it was in the country's best interests to keep it from the public.
1
Imagine what alarming things a verified transcript of a trump shakedown would say, if this appalling threat is only the boiled down Whitehouse prepared memo version. Will they take a page out of Nixon's book and doctor the tapes? Or will we actually get the truth this time?
20
Think through this again. We've heard this before.
Trump thinks it's a joke.
He thinks it's a hoax . . . a witch-hunt.
. . . "Russia, if you are listening . . ." --- was not a joke.
Sure, no planned collusion, but clearly "obstruction of justice" --- everything is obvious and "out in the open."
What comes easy for this fraud and con-man? ----
Belittle everything and most everyone who calls him out for his chronic dishonesty.
We've seen and heard this narrative before.
"No pressure." No collusion.
It's no big deal. Let Trump be Trump.
No --- we'll wait to hear what the whistleblower has to say.
It's urgent. It's serious. It's not a joke.
The line has been crossed too many times.
The con-man needs to be removed for the mental-health and well-being of the planet.
All TRUST has been lost with everything Trump says --- and with everyone who enters his circle of toxic brew.
REPEAT:
The con-man needs to be removed for the mental-health and well-being of the planet.
52
Why is no one making anything of the fact that what was released this morning was a “reconstructed transcript” of the call? Given that those doing the reconstructing have a deeply-vested interest in protecting Trump, how can we be expected to believe that this obviously white-washed transcript accurately reflects what was actually said? We need to hear what the whistle-blower says - surely what Trump actually said on the call was way worse than what was released today.
39
@Poque De Beers
No telling what's hidden behind those curious ellipses, numbered one, two and three.
4
It’s interesting that this impeachment issue has overwhelmed media coverage of climate change - Greta Thunberg, the latest UN meetings, and the report on oceans’ acidity and rising temperatures. All buried under endless reporting on Trump’s obvious perfidy.
May I suggest that Trump doesn’t even understand he’s the plaything of Koch Inc. and other fossil fuel plutocrats? They will drop him like a hot potato as soon as the media figures this out. We might dump Trump and mitigate a global crisis at the same time, if responsible journalists will see and report on a double or triple con of the public.
17
Trump called the Director of the FBI "a headcase" to the Russian Ambassador.
He stood on the world stage and agreed with Putin over our own intelligence agencies.
He disparaged our allies; France, Germany, Canada while praising North Korea, the Philippines, and Russia.
He attacked the FBI, the CIA, and invented a "deep state" conspiracy.
He asked a foreign government to investigate an American citizen and political opponent.
He has undermined NATO, Britain, and the EU.
Who does he work for?
269
@jim morrissette Bravo! Nailed it.
11
@jim morrissette
Trump "works for" Mitch who works for the oligarchs of the nation.
5
The context of the conversation is also very important. Ukraine is very dependent on the United States' military aid. So when President Trump asks President Zelensky to "do him a favor", it's a pretty strong request considering the source and the relationship between the countries. They discuss during the call the essential role and the fact that Ukraine isn't happy with aid from Europe. I would view Zelensky as being very willing to comply with favors or requests, and Trump doesn't have to exactly order him around.
35
I am really tired to read too many bad news about Trump everyday since he became our president. Enough i enough. We should all go to vote to get rid of him in 2020. I always supported democrat candidates since president Truman. I wish we will have an outstanding democrat candidate in 2020 but not Biden or Harris. I hope Senator Warren will be nominated. She will be a great first female president. It's about time to have a first lady president in America. So many great lady leaders in Europe and Asia but not in the U.S.? Too many male chauvinist?
31
-I'm not sure what I've heard so far merits removing the President from office.. and i dislike Trump. Certainly Trump's actions require some sort of censure or punishment...but is removal from office the appropriate response to Trump's actions?
... I think Dems still need to get more info & build a strong case through an impeachment inquiry... and then let's see how to proceed.
3
"Mr. Zelensky, a former comedian with no prior political experience"
Prior experience is better than the experience you haven't had yet.
3
Don't get me wrong, Trump is a disgrace to an office that has been disgraced often enough before him, but is everyone quite sure the Ukrainian transcript qualifies as a "Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors" (Art. II, sect. 4)? I'm a "far left" Democrat (e.g. a Warren/Sanders guy) and I'm not sure.
Hardly a "joke," but the Democrats had better know they are doing. Everyone understands I hope that the Senate will never convict; comparisons to Nixon or even to Clinton are spurious--Nixon obstructed justice (on tape) and Clinton lied under oath. These are in fact "high crimes" in the American legal system; smarmy political shenanigans such as Trump's aren't.
Trump--yes, yes, he's odious--did something no president should do, but the lapse, in terms of Trumpian ethical lapses, is relatively minor. Far worse is how he has profited personally from his office, but no one has suggested impeachment for filling Trump Hotels and Resorts with GOP lapdogs.
The Democrats should focus on the election, and maybe--for a change--on governing. Don't allow Trump to steal the narrative; don't take your eye off of health care (see the Times articles of the last few days on this horror), don't keep saying how bad Trump is--we get it--just win the election!
16
@G. O. Trump is breaking the law and his oath of office. Blatantly. Recorded in full view. Yes this is enough.
2
@G. O. It is not minor, it is major and impeachable. Mueller spent almost two years investigating the very same allegation and Trump is now on record pressuring Ukraine to give him dirt on a political opponent and interfere in our democracy- that is a betrayal of the office and the public trust. He is putting his interests ahead of the interests of our country. Also the context- Russia is our adversary and invaded Ukraine and took territory yet Trump seems to view Ukraine as a tool for him to advance his political interests. Move quickly with impeachment, let the republican senators go on record with where they stand and move on to the election.
2
@ GO
He is soliciting the help of a foreign leader to effect the results of our next election. And he has done it before.
He is an existential threat to our country. This blight on our democracy cannot wait until 2020.
2
“We have independent country and independent general security, and I can’t push anyone,” Mr. Zelensky said in halting English, referring to the prosecutor general. “So I didn’t call somebody or the new general security. I didn’t ask him; I didn’t push him.” He wasn't talking about the U.S. then.
How low can we go?
2
So Zelensky wasn't even aware that the aid was frozen at the time of the call? If this case wasn't completely dead in the water when we found out that the aid wasn't mentioned on the call, now it is. The only interesting part is now trying to figure out what Hunter Biden (dishonorably-discharged D.C. lobbyist) did for this Putin-friendly Ukrainian oil/natural gas company that was worth paying him twice as much as the U.S. board members for the largest companies get, while his father was a vice-president in charge of dealing with Ukraine.
8
@Jim I am curious as to whether you realize that it's illegal to attempt to kill someone, even if you don't succeed?
15
This how the Dems lose 2020 in the House, Senate and the Executive branch.
1. Impeachment proceedings over a de minimis issue.
2. Open borders.
3. Free healthcare for illegal aliens.
4. Reparations.
5. Nonsensical "gun control" that collectively punishes law-abiding citizens.
6. Identity politics above national unity.
Say "Hello" to Trump 2020.
18
If democrats didn’t do #1, the other 5 reasons wouldn’t get DJT re-elected? Only because of impeachment he will be re-elected? You would’ve voted Democrat if not for impeachment?
Take several seats
9
@JDK
The majority in in the House don’t see impeachment as a political calculation. Hand wringing is past. Trump is making them impeach. It’s a question of duty, an ethical directive. That is what Republicans are blind to. Bill Clinton’s impeachment was a political calculation. Trump’s impeachment is a constitutional mandate. Onward with courage they go. Godspeed.
15
Facts please.....these impeachment proceedings will be explosive. Democrats do not want open borders....so stop perpetuating that nonsense.....they do want a health care that covers all US residents and doesn’t cost an arm & a leg. About time that you changed your tv viewing habits and stopping listening to distorted propaganda and straight out lies.
23
Barr is at it again with this non-transcript “transcript” conveniently released by the White House just a day before the whistleblower complaints are made public. I would bet Barr had the line “not a verbatim transcript” added to the document after he doctored it to paint the conversation in the best light possible.
Barr fooled us the first time with his deceptive Mueller report “summary” - Let’s not be gullible round two
53
We've got Vito Corleone in the White House, only with fewer scruples. This man is a clear and present danger to our country, our democracy, and our planet.
54
So, it’s okay for Democratic senators to encourage Ukraine to investigate Trump, but it’s not okay for the president to allegedly encourage Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden?
- Washington Post, today
6
@Dr. John
You should read the details more closely. The Democratic senators asked that Ukraine should act independently with respect to the Mueller investigation and not let their cooperation be tainted by fear of the wrath of Trump. Seriously.
That really is already criminal. You may like the guy but you can not argue that he is doing serious damage to our country.
We will all lose in the end if he goes unchecked.
6
@Sean McC
What is the statute?
What is the crime?
"Mr. Trump insisted that he did nothing wrong and was once again the victim of “a total hoax.”
I could list many other actions by DJT where he insisted that he did nothing wrong, but sadly the New York Times caps me at 1500 characters. For starters:
Trump University
The bankruptcy of Trump Casino Atlantic City (will someone
please tell me how anyone can go bankrupt running a
casino, for god's sake?
Meetings and phone calls with Vladimir Putin before the
election
Stormy Daniels
Oh, lordy, the list could go on and on and on.
20
Once again, it’s a “hoax” and “witch hunt” despite the liquor cabinet being wide open and spilled booze soaking the carpet. What a marvelous, albeit horrific, lesson in narcissistic personality disorder this “presidency” has been.
23
It does not matter at all that he thinks he did nothing wrong. We all know that the fate of our nation, our democracy and our future foes not belong in the hands of a psychopathic amoral/immoral liar. This three year old nightmare needs to end. Enough is enough already.
28
He is a three-year-old nightmare. Except that’s rude because my three-year-old niece is awesome.
3
What is the reference to Biden's son all about? It's hard to find the details.
4
@Laurie
That's because it isn't a real thing. It is just another Trump lie.
19
@Robert Biden was recorded on video tape threatening to withhold $1 billion in US aid from Ukraine if a prosecutor investigating his son wasn't fired. I suggest you watch the tape.
3
@Laurie
Ukraine was battling oligarch type corruption in the years after their independence. As a part of VP Biden’s role, he was helping the government work on anti-corruption initiatives. While Biden was VP, Hunter was asked to be on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Hunter’s past is checkered, but no accusations about the appointment to the board as anything other than being privileged.
As part of the anti-corruption crackdown, VP Biden demanded that multiple people be fired, including a prosecutor. By all verifiable reports, the corruption was well known by the Obama administration & ambassador, so Biden’s demands were not a surprise to the Ukrainian government.
There is no evidence that the fired prosecutor was investigating Hunter or that he was any kind of a target. There is evidence that this was all part of Putin’s disruption of Ukrainian politics as part of the Crimea takeover.
Yet, it doesn’t make for quick explanations or sound clips, so Faux just stirs the pot.
1
Trump’s call sounds exactly like a mob boss shakedown.
Impeachment doesn’t go far enough.
Corruption is rampant in the Trump White House. Barr and Giuliani are aiding and abetting the corruption. This corruption has got to be stopped.
51
I heard Trump mention Pence’s conversation with Ukraine during the press conference this afternoon. I want him swept out too. Eventually the Republicans turned on Nixon, so I’m hoping that the whistleblower complaint is so bad that the current Republicans will do the same and force Trump to resign and take the rest of the trash with him when he goes.
20
“It’s a joke,” Mr. Trump said. Well, I don't get it. There's nothing funny about selling out America.
George Bernard Shaw said, "My way of joking is to tell the truth. It is the funniest joke in the world." If true, than Trump is the punchline.
26
Trump thinks it's a joke.
He thinks it's a hoax . . . a witch-hunt.
. . . "Russia, if you are listening . . ." was not a joke.
Sure, no planned collusion, but clearly "obstruction of justice" --- everything is obvious and "out in the open."
What comes easy for this fraud and con-man? ----
Belittle everything and most everyone who calls him out for his dishonesty.
We've seen and heard this narrative before.
"No pressure." No collusion.
It's no big deal. Let Trump be Trump.
No --- we'll wait to hear what the whistleblower has to say.
It's urgent. It's serious. It's not joke.
The line has been crossed too many times.
The con-man needs to be removed for the health of the planet.
20