total nonsense. i am a democrat. is this all we have?
its ridiculous.
we should be discussing issues and not playing into Trump.
Trump will win because of this.
Democrats are distracted.
5
Am I missing something, or is all this hearsay and supposition by someone who admits they were not present (and doesn’t know who was) during the call? In any case, if we are going to act on hearsay, why isn’t anyone talking about the allegations against the DNC and their conduct during the 2016 election? I thought we dealt in facts.
222
@Larry
Whabboutism isn’t going to work here Larry.
967
I suspect it will all be investigated—the floodgates will open. But, if the Ukraine conspired with the DNC to put Mrs. Clinton in the WH in 2016, they failed; which makes me wonder who was working with whom?
174
@Larry Trump has detailed the entire call as well as the intent in his own words. Trump corroborated the whistle blower with the transcript.
775
Why be so upset about Ukraine? Is it really about protecting Biden. If the Dems plan impeachment hearings. we need to find out exactly what Biden and son did in Ukraine. Long before Impeachment there were books and articles written, including the NYT, about Biden and sone actions in Ukraine.
Or read this NYT article from 2015 https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/corruption-ukraine-joe-biden-son-hunter-biden-ties.html
How do you think Poroshenko got to be President of Ukraine if not for US interference. We actually made one of the candidates drop out so Poroshenko would be elected. We persuaded the popular Vitaly Klitschko to withdraw from the election as it appeared he was more popular than our candidate. Poroshenko.
Why all the upset now????
Lotta people going to jail on this one. Beginning with AG Barr.
9
Ah, what a tangled web we weave, yada, yada…
5
Just stand back and look at your front page. And look at all the main stream media cover stories. They are all op eds, not news.
the whistleblower claim is hearsay and left wing media articles
The so called whistle blower is a biased op ed writer. The mafia scenario is the new narrative followed by all media and Schiff's parody is a perfect example.
i don't know how the republicans can fight the dems, their left arm MSM. Throw in left wing academia.
Will be interesting how much freedom the MSM will have under a socialist government. actually they will be the same arm they are now.
1
Anyone who cares about the truth needs to see the actual transcript of the Zelensky phone call, not the doctored one released earlier.
Anyone who declares Trump innocent before see the actual transcript is not interested in the truth.
OPEN THE SERVER NOW!!!
7
isn't it hilarious that once again, a possible corruption of a Democrat comes to light, and before we know exactly what it's all about, democrats and liberals say things like "if Biden did wrong, its wrong, absolutely and should be dealt with" But it turns out that ONCE AGAIN Trump is lying and spinning the narrative as Biden and his son did absolutely nothing wrong. Hunter was NEVER being investigated and Joe Biden (and countless others) wanted this Prosecutor General fired for being corrupt and NOT bringing prosecutions of elite corruption and for hindering other corruption investigations. So Trump, Fox News and all the supporters of our grifter president are WRONG and LYING yet again! This is embarrassing for you all. But I guess it must agitate you dishonest folks when people actually do things and fight for good and not self serving corruption. You lie and you lose....again. Shame on you.
2
Cut the sensationalist background music over the video. It unnecessarily editorializes.
3
This is a huge hoax. The whistle blower never heard the conversation firsthand. The whistle blower basically is reporting secondhand information - outrageous! This is an abomination. The attempts to nullify President Trump's presidency are disgusting, treasonous, and petty. The country cannot survive if the media, including the NYT, and democrats, continue to act like a bunch of TMZ sorority girls. As a black man in Georgia, I will be encouraging all the people in my circle, black males and females, to vote for Donald Trump and the Republican slate in 2020.
2
This morning I heard that the Kremlin has issued a statement hoping that none of the recordings of trump’s phone calls with Putin will ever be released. If that statement doesn’t thoroughly chill us, we have truly become numbed by trump’s presidency. Indeed, the statement suggests that trump may have said even more damning and security-compromising things to Putin than he said to Zelensky. A dangerous man occupies the White House. We need him gone.
7
From another article in today's paper:
"As it happened, Mr. Trump canceled his trip to Warsaw to monitor Hurricane Dorian, which was bearing down on the East Coast. Instead, he sent Mr. Pence, who met with Mr. Zelensky."
The vice president took an oath to uphold the Constitution, so investigators also need to be asking: What did Mr. Pence know , and when did he know it?
45
@DD Good observation
5
Exactly where is the swamp trump was going to clean up?
It seems to emanate from the cesspool wherever trump stands. I do not think trump understands what an oath of office means. He's lived a privileged life, he's been sworn to testify in court but he's never taken an oath to defend anything, except himself! When trump's self-preservation conflicts with his obligations of his Potus office ONLY trump can win. The rest of us are left 'holding the bag' wondering where our democracy went.
2
It’s a shame that the White House officials who moved the transcript onto a secure system didn’t have the commonsense to know that they were being complicit in the crime the president has committed. The crime is betrayal of the country by the head of state. Let’s hope that the law takes its course and these officials also get punished along with the president. The longer this president stays in office, the more irreparable the damage he does to the nation’s security becomes.
The most disgusting part of the whole episode is that the man who brought presidential activities to the level of mafia operations is calling the patriots who revealed them “spies” and their patriotic act “treason.” And he has issued a cheap threat that they be punished the same way the United States “used to do in the old days.” Obviously, the punishment he is suggesting is death.
No, Mr. President, such cheap threats might have worked for you in your days as a real estate businessman. It won’t work in government. We are a nation of laws. While the patriotic duty those working under you have performed is protected by law, the betrayal you have committed is not. Be prepared for the punishment that is awaiting you.
5
trump is a mobster. He has spent his life lying, stealing and threatening and has brought this to the WH. Sadly, Fox News, who talked about Bengazi yesterday!, has already convinced it's viewers that the man who is openly stealing from the taxpayer, living a lazy life of extreme luxury, is the peoples' friend. trump will milk this for all it's 'unfairness' and cry like a baby because that's what sociopaths do. The Ukrainian president will of course say he wasn't pressured as he knows any other response will bring on the thugs. Sadly, trump can run for re-election as the GOP will more than likely stick by him in order to continue on the gravy train. It just breaks my heart. And please remember, IVANKA HAS A TRADEMARK FOR VOTING MACHINES. Welcome to the mob, baby.
4
I think our President is doing a great job and I wholeheartedly support his earnest efforts to replace our outmoded Democracy with his stylish Wallocracy.
Wow. This is it. We got Trump right where we want him. Impeachment, baby, he’s done!
No he’s not. This seals the deal for a Trump landslide victory. The American people have seen these deep state scams for 3 yrs now. The playbook hasn’t changed, only the players.
There is no “whistleblower”. This guy is a deep state Democrat hack. This “report” was written by lawyers, to him. And I guess they were counting on Trump refusing to release the transcript of the phone call, because the transcript....which is hard objective fact...doesn’t match the 3rd party heresay report. The phone call was benign. The phony report was written by Robert Ludlum.
4
beyond time for the multiple criminals in the administration to be removed and jailed. get a little courage stooges.
1
“I’d appreciate it if you could do a little favor for us...”
My call was perfect, heh heh heh...
2
Disgraceful, Trump and his enablers
2
Transcripts for Pence contacts with Ukraine, please....
2
Didn't Obama tell Joe not to run?
2
New meme ... Warren = Biden
The Media takes facts and arranges them to suit the agenda.
So far, the Media has not been very creative, pulling the Old "Nixon Watergate" Recipe out of the Propaganda Cookbook.
...
Lets take the same facts and give them a different background...and you will be shocked at how well they fit.
....
Nations generally cooperate with each other for criminal investigations. USA and Ukraine, are, in fact, allies........
Govt Leaders talk to one another in cooperation hopefully leading to an advantage for both.
It has long been suspected that Joe Biden, yes, may have committed crimes in his recent efforts to influence Ukraine....perhaps a little backsheesh in order to gain Govt Contracts for his son, Hunter Biden.
It seems perfectly reasonable to me for the President of the USA to ask the President of Ukraine to assist FBI SEC, whoever in an investigation(looking for dirt, if you will) of Joe Biden.
TheNYTs is misleading you. And we are being prodded to destroy our unique system of Govt......this is not good.
1
Out of the mouths of babes and with respect to the actions of this Administration and its Republican enablers and its propaganda mouthpiece:
How dare you!
2
So Trump commits treason and then tries to cover it up?
3
Trump says this CIA officer is a spy.
Uh... you think so?
3
"It reaches all the way to the White House." Time for Woodward and Bernstein to get back into business!
4
The question now becomes how little respect for the rule of law do the trump loyalists in Congress have? How little respect for the constitution? How little respect for the rights of the American people who they swore an oath to protect? At this point, how little respect do they even have for themselves?
2
Nothing that has happened during this presidency is normal or acceptable and yet he stays put in office, lowering the bar with each passing day. This latest episode is shocking - but I thought Access Hollywood tape was shocking too. The question is, is this guy's base and party still okay with him leading them? I'm so sad to see that the White House under this administration is no different from any other evil dictatorship. I'm not an American but this is heart wrenching to witness.
1
Impeachment will not be effective in dealing with the dark, dark tragedy called Trump. We all need to own Trump. He is the perfect example of one who believes that freedom is doing what we personally desire. That is not what freedom is in a cultural, sociological, or political sense. Freedom is a collective effort to insure that all receive their basic civil and human rights. It means that if anyone can be excluded, I can be excluded, and so my task is to make sure that no one is excluded. This moves the dynamic from the personal and tribal to something more universal. You can hear both the left and right howl at this suggestion. What? Little me is not the point? No, it is not just about you. If not impeachment, then what? It may seem idealistic in the sense of not being practical, but what could be more practical than seeing your self as part of something greater than this little personal self? We all need to find those who are different than us in their beliefs, and find what is common ground wherein we all may stand. This is after all what we have asked our elected leaders to do. Now that is not enough. So for example, stop watching media for even a few hours during the day, and find others you think differently from and find something you both can agree upon. Unless and until we do this, we will be struggling with the Trumps of this world; find your inner Trump, and fire him immediately. He can no longer serve any useful purpose. Strive for a more 'perfect union.'
1
certainly Trump tried to not make public communication with a
foreign head of state. How do you think any President could conduct business with foreign leader if these communications would become public?
Wow, does this complaint have legs!! If that business partner and close friend of Pompeo's State Department official was listening in the now infamous conversation is because Pompeo knew of the real reason for the call and wanted to be kept informed of progress. I mean, this is as sloppy as Nixon's Watergate office bugging attempt. I could even envision at some point in the future new evidence coming forward on Trump's team involvement in the Russian interference of 2016..
3
One thing is really bugging me. The call between Trump and Zelenskiy supposedly lasted over half an hour. But the transcript released by the White House is only 5 pages, which amounts to ten minutes of conversation, at most.
And so it must be heavily redacted.
Seems to that the first order of business of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence should be to obtain the full recording of the call.
There must be an awful lot of yummi in that recording...
1
Just imagine the other conversations that are beyond the reach of congress and democracy. Didn’t he and his minions take an oath that requires them to “... defend and protect the constitution of the United States...”? Or was it an oath to protect oneself interests?
2
Who is Ulrich Brechbul, and I know he’s a friend and former business partner of Micke Pompeo, that he would be listening in to a phone call between the American and Ukrainian Presidents? From what I understand, this is highly unusual.
Someone also needs to look into this.
2
What happens when impeachment-related lawsuits reach the Supreme Court and it rules 5-4 in partisan ways to support Trump?
The innocuous calls with Mexico and Australia heads of state illegal leaks convinced me that there is such a thing as Deep State even if it is just a culture and sense of entitlement and not a conspiracy in a traditional sense.
Trump’s damaging these cherished institutions one used to trust without much thought is not the worse aspect of Trump, it is the silver lining of his presidency.
Two thoughts are possible at the same time. Trump is awful, and the resistance is corrupt and outright criminal.
Trump will be gone sooner or later but the Comey crowd is permanent.
1
There is NO coverup: the White House released transcript of the call.
The reason for the "lockdown" was because Trump's recent phone calls with Australia and Mexico were also eavesdropped and leaked.
Since when is it a crime to investigate corruption by a Vice President and his son?
If you can't investigate corruption by a Vice president simply because he is running against you, then the VP gets a free ride.
It is scary that the intelligence community wants to run our country. They eavesdrop on the president, and if they do not like him/her, they trie to ruin the president. Next, the intelligence community will eavesdrop on our personal phone calls, and if they don't approve of what we say, they will kick our door down and shoot us.
By the way, the Whistleblower complaint can be listened to on SoundCloud.
1
An official with the highest security clearance should review this "secure server" to see what else has been stashed away.
1
According to Politico 43% want impeachment, 43% don't. The don'ts are shameful. What will it take for them to see what Trump is doing to this country? He has committed treason and admitted to it. I fear for the future of this country.
1
Hey Trump supporters, answer these questions:
Why is the White House attempting to hide things if there is nothing to hide?
Why is Trump calling the whistleblower a spy who should be severely punished if what the whistleblower revealed is a big nothingburger?
How is this a partisan attack if Trump's own people are seriously concerned by his actions?
Come on, we're waiting....
4
The Acting Director of National Intelligence defends the integrity of the whistle blower as a CIA officer focused in European and Ukrainian intelligence matters, and we see Trump actually withholding release of the aid package for military defense against Russia, an officially declared cyber enemy of the U.S., until the Ukranian president delivers investigative information via Trump's scam artists on Vice-President Biden, now his political rival who openly and officially organized the firing of Putin's right hand man in the Ukranian assembly, allowing Ukraine to use the U.S. aid package to defend themselves against bombing from the Russian Air Force under orders from Putin.
This is none other than Trump's treasonous collusion with a declared cyber enemy of the United States and his repeated petition for a foreign government to meddle in our country's democracy. And yet, Trump's sycophants in the U.S. Congress see no wrong doing. They are living in a fantasy land. Pinch me please, because their remarks have to be a modern version straight out of Hans Christain Andersen's, "The Emperor's Clothes"!!
2
The GOP spent 2 years trying to blame HRC for an attack on an embassy... and another 1 year and called the FBI about using the wrong email server yet no problem conspiring with T45 using foreign agents to steal an election. Give me a break!
1
A few questions about long term implications: Will the actions of Congress on this case set long-term precedence? Is it wise for Congress, when any employee of the US government in any agency, expert or not, brings a complaint, to immediately initiate impeachment proceedings? Is it possible that US Federal experts, who might be very precise and professional in their work, be tainted with their own biases? Will this bode well for the American public in the long term? Will we see future scenarios play out over a long period of time and across multiple administrations with multiple whistle-blower revelations? Will we become even more deeply divided as a nation?
@Todo Verde: Everyone has biases. One must be honest to oneself about one's own biases to be objective.
1
@Todo Verde - Don't hurt yourself reaching like that. This wasn't just any old complaint.
2
This line, from the DNI director, could have been plucked from the Mueller testimony.: Whether to investigate further “is on the shoulders of the legislative branch and this committee". Committee members prod for opinions, and while those on the hot seat surely have their opinions, they would not poison their testimony with them. Trump would jump all over that.
Trump raised $13 million after the impeachment announcement. What is wrong with this country? Are Patriots dead and buried? Don't they care that Trump is a blot on our Constitution? I fear for the future of our country.
11
The notion that this is a partisan attack is silly. Democrats are not so dumb as to not understand that if Trump is removed from office, we get Pence and not a Democratic president. How does this advance the Dems? In some ways Pence is even scarier. No, this is not political football. It's about doing the right thing.
9
Note to Rudy G: in his troubled mind, he thinks that because you are not part of the government and not paid directly by him, he has plausible deniability and can pin the whole thing on you.
He has no problem imagining you in the cell next to Cohen. (Neither do I. On that one thing we agree.)
Unfortunately for him, a whole room full of people heard him extorting a foreign leader for political gain; and that Pandora's box, now part of the record, can't be closed. Despite Barr's best efforts at containment. So all three of you stand to go down with the ship.
PS. Placing Emergency Command Center inside the WTC in the wake of the 1996 bombing. Really bad plan.
6
@Ben K: Giuliani impersonates a diplomat now.
Why cover up if you've got nothing to hide?
GUILTY.
9
This is very scary on many levels. A President who has no sense of the difference from right from wrong. A Republican Party that defends this behavior has lost its way. As a registered Republican it is disheartening. Partisan politics has created a me first kind of world view. Country first ..please. With the commitment of a John McCain, George H W Bush, or John Kennedy or George McGovern...all war heroes in my book we need to reevaluate the concept that we need to act for the common good. Whether it be healthcare, taxes or foreign policy it is about country not party.
17
McCain kept Lindsey Graham on the up and up. With McCain gone, Graham is completely lost to the dark side of politics over principle.
4
Another lid long registered Republican here; Couldn't have said it better. I now feel like I have no party. John McCain and his daughter are my Hero and Heroine.
1
Of course we now know this is wrong. There was no attempt to lock down. This call was treated like all others the past two years at the White House. After leaks to two early phone calls the intelligence staffers began securing the call logs in a different place. When the democrats wrote up this complaint they are trying to pass off on the American people they didn't know this fact...so this detail in their complaint is wrong.
1
First, Pompeo must be aware of much more than he admits about Trump’s withholding obligated funds from Ukraine as a political bargaining ploy in interacting with the novice Zelensky. This goes with “loyalty pledge” to Trump where oath of office for the sake of the Constitution takes a backseat. Second, the issue regarding Maguire is not about his integrity, it’s about his competence to deal effectively with a very challenging political matter that he failed at, regrettably including for himself personally. In this regard, it’s interesting what happens to honorable people, such as Adm. Maguire, after becoming associated with Trump. For example, take Kelly, Mattis, McMaster. And then, in remarkable contrast as regards honor, we have Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, apparently now standing in for his previous “fixer,” Michael Cohen, who is serving a prison sentence for his long service for Trump. Anytime he, Giuliani, is involved, it’s a dead give-away, something’s up.
7
The whistle-blower incident goes to show the stunning incompetence of the man. He holds the most powerful political office in the USA. He has legions of workers. But he is not a massive organization manager. He is a micro-manager of a family and close friends’ company. As a micro-manager, he inserted himself into the center of a poorly planned foray. Except for one thing, the incident is laughable. He makes the situation very dangerous,
4
A stained dress and a third-rate burglary look downright quaint compared to the current situation.
My, how far we've fallen.
8
The "secret server" is this administration's "tape recordings".
AG Barr is repeating the actions of the Wategate AG, John Mitchell, who did time for his fealty to Nixon.
Giuliani is this administration's Charles Colson.
Pompeo and Mulvany are in similar positions to Erlichman and Haldeman, who also did time.
Trump is a dead man walking in terms of his presidency. Stick a fork in him. He is done.
11
There's a saying..."People with nothing to hide hide nothing." Obviously Trump [and his henchmen] have MUCH to hide.
7
Minor point, but I'm jolted every time I see Stephanie Grisham's name, like who the heck is that? She's got to be the most press-shy press secretary ever. Does she just hide in her office?
5
If a President can go after citizen Joe Biden with his secret police and the power of the federal government then he can go after Citizen You. He can call your local police chief because he does not like one of your Facebook posts and tell him to investigate you and send one of his thugs over to talk to your police chief and help him out.
8
The whistle-blower repeatedly cites “White House officials.” These officials need to come forth and share as much information as they know with Congress if they are truly concerned about the President’s actions. Until then, these allegations alone will not suffice as there is a lot of ambiguity.
Furthermore, the MSM keeps using the word “cover-up” even though the transcript was eventually released. If they really wanted a cover-up, they would have destroyed the records of these phone calls in the same manner Clinton’s e-mails were deleted.
Lastly, the notion that Trump’s only interest in the matter is for personal political advantage does not make sense considering that Biden is a weak candidate and never posed a real threat to Trump’s re-election. Making Biden sink in the polls and allowing Warren, who in my opinion is a far more dangerous opponent to Trump, to become the Democratic Party’s nominee would not be an easy path to re-election by any stretch of the imagination. Democrats knows this and might explain why Pelosi jumped the shark before reading the transcript and the whistle-blower complaint. It is far more strategically convenient to get Biden out of the way while they still can, while simultaneously pursuing an agenda they have been trying to pursue since losing the 2016 election. Pelosi was not showing restraint, she was simply being patient.
Whatever the outcome, these are truly dark days for American politics.
2
This is an tellectually bankrupt defense. Biden is leading Trump in the polls. And of all the corruption in the world, why was Trump so interested in this one matter?
3
Trump's Ukraine call was perfect? Release the full transcript.
Trump's financial dealings are legitimate? Release tax returns.
Trump's bigly smart? Release his college grades.
It's like watching a six year old who blatantly lies and thinks there's no way anyone could figure out the lie.
19
Can we demand original phone records, instead working with this While House “reconstructed” one? If there are national security concerns, FBI can reconstruct it, not White House. This is the most important thing in the whole event. Without it, impeachment for sure goes no where.
3
WHen this is over, we need to build a statue of the WB.
6
History will recall that House Democrats stood up to fascism.
14
@Doug Lowenthal
Carved on the cave wall.
Donald J. Trump-endless scandals and corruption in 3 years and counting.
Obama- Zero in 8 years.
17
Trump is correct. We used to hang traitors. Strange that he would bring this up since it now applies to him.
18
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Shame on us all Americans if we let Trump fool us twice.
12
NYT on “Trump’s Efforts to Push UkraineToward a Biden Inquiry: A Timeline”.
Here you are missing the picture of Putin and the story in this narrative.
More than conceal to defeat Biden, its about Trump rigging an election playing proxy's Putin to give him Ukraine as well.
You ought to investigate, include and report that too.
5
So, our dear leader is not only pressuring foreign leaders to get himself re-elected, but he is also misclassifying his records to cover up his actions and is openly threatening our diplomats and intelligence officers with execution for exposing him. This does not surprise me. Remember, this is the guy who campaigned saying he could shoot someone in broad daylight and get away with it. Republicans, stop putting partisanship above country!
12
Why hide a nothing burger in an inacessible vault? Why all the unsolicited explanations? Just like a petty thief trying to talk his way out of a crime. It shows the guilty mind.
Some of the explanations stretch the mind. These are his own staff and they clearly see that a line had been crossed many times. Only the fool would believe this is a partisan witch hunt. Nixon 2.0. We the coverup already. The smoking gun was yesterday.
11
@albert
It's accessible to the people who have high enough clearance and reason to access it.
Why put nothing there? For the same reason his conversations with Mexico and Australia were leaked - conversations that were also "nothing burgers" but were leaked anyway as if they had some news value.
When the Obama administration had their diplomatic cables leaked, extremely embarrassing commentary came out of people who were supposed to know better as career diplomats. Yet that wasn't deemed "newsworthy", just an outrageous attack on their ability to do their job.
Well, the pendulum swings both ways. When it's far more profitable to leak to the media than to do your job, information becomes more scarce.
“White House officials moved a transcript of the July 25 call with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, onto a secure, classified system in order to conceal actions by Mr. Trump”
No doubt the reaction from the right will be “But what about her emails!!!”
8
I find it interesting that when Bill Clinton was being impeached that Graham and Nadler were on opposite positions, Graham wanted Clintons blood, and Nadler called it a nothing burger. Its now Nadler looking for trump blood and Graham calling it a nothing burger. I know and understand what Clinton did was wrong and action was warranted. But in comparison Clinton's behavior was on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 3 or 4, while trump's is a 10+. I mean of all the past Presidents whether you voted for them or not, had morals, manners, could speak well, didn't alienate our true allies, understood they weren't the smartest person in the room and did rely on the opinions of others in there respective fields. Certainly never claimed they were smarter than our Generals. None of them patted themselves on the back and claimed they were the best President this country ever had. I get the ego part, they all had it, but trump takes it to an unbearable level.
10
So now we progress to testimony by Mr. Barr and Mr. Mulvaney. Even more likely would be the complicity of Mr. Pence in this cover up given his hauntingly consistent presence at the side of Mr. Trump. He should also be called to testify and should leave with Trump if we get to the point of Mr. Trump being found unfit for office.
11
Ukrainegate sounds very similar to the Watergate cover-up attempts by Nixon and his staff. The staffers who attempted to cover up Trump’s abuse of power are just as guilty. They put party loyalty ahead of national interest.i look forward to seeing all of them being questioned during impeachment proceedings.
Why did Elwood throw the whistleblower under the bus by alerting the White House of the urgent complaint? She should be fired. The whistleblower must be protected at all costs.
Even if Trump ultimately profits from the impeachment in the House, the Dems finally said, enough is enough. It is the absolute right move to prioritize the integrity of our elections and to stop every foreign power from thinking they have a free pass to interfere in our elections by finding dirt on Democrats.
King Trump May reign victorious in the end,
but this is no time for political expediency. I am grateful to the whistleblower for stepping forward and to the Dems who will be on the right side of history.
Cries of witch hunt and fake news are getting old. I fantasize about seeing Trump walk towards a waiting helicopter in disgrace a la Nixon, but I will settle for hearing the truth about one of the most corrupt administrations in our history.
11
Doesn't the NSA record all foreign calls?
Why aren't presidential calls recorded?
Why is trump still in office?
12
After reading the mixture of opinions in these comments, and they, the opinions are as per usual all over the map, I can see Jack Nicholson saying “ You can’t handle the truth” Pretty much sums it up here. We have a president who has never in his entire life been held accountable for a single act. An almost child like person who loves any attention and makes it all up the on the fly. Then you have old GOP politicians who are turning a blind eye to all that is the trump entertainment presidency because they are getting rich beyond their wildest dreams. From where I am viewing Trump Presidency Season 3 my concern for the country, our country is wondering what America will look like after Trump Presidency Show is cancelled either through 2020 elections or the criminal mobster president is in prison. Stay tuned to the nasty finale whenever that will be. I guarantee the end of this Presidency will be ugly.
18
It is both amusing and disgusting to see people defend Trump for what is clearly a crime.
No pressure? No, of course not, it is just that we might withhold the means for a country to defend itself from Russia, which has already invaded it.
No quid pro quo? Well except asking them to do Trump a "favor" for his own political gain so that they can continue to exist as a country.
How can any sane person rush to defend Trump, who practically screams that he is a criminal every time he opens his mouth?
The US has clearly lost its way.
15
We had Tories during our Revolution which we miraculously, won over the most powerful for country of its era. Take heart from our own history and remain true to America’s core values...trump will be out of the picture soon enough, and the real work of the country can begin which will require capability, creativity, courage, self-sacrifice, honesty and determination to tackle and successfully complete it. Get ready to “roll up your sleeves” everyone!
Consciousness of guilt, I heard a lawyer say on TV.
7
Consciousness of guilt.
11
Pence is part of this. He’s trying to lay low, but he knew. Investigate!
11
I keep hearing that the transcript does not contain a direct quid pro quo, but it does. Here is the relevant bit:
Zelenskyy:
“We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps. specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.”
Trump:
“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 you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say Crowdstrike... “
The key word is “though”, the tenth word in Trump’s response to the statement that Ukraine was almost ready to buy Javelin missiles. “Though” makes clear that the willingness of Trump to supply missiles was conditional on Ukraine doing “a favour”.
9
Originating sources, please.
1
All the President’s Men:Ukragate, the sequel. Starring a new cast.
5
Nonesuch Nunes, a nefarious nullity.
13
Once upon a time, Republicans were proud of their patriotism, their law-and-order stance, their solid take on matters. I might have disagreed with their policies but I could respect their opinions; reasonable people can disagree.
Now, there is no “other opinion” as to the wrongness of trump’s acts. His shameful personal life - infidelity, revolving bankruptcy, his latest mail-order bride - spoke to his contempt for rules and law and rightness long before he ever sought the presidency. The GOP was wrong to let this clown worm his way into their machine. The failure of the Old Guard to drum this loser from their ranks will be their Party’s everlasting shame, maybe its downfall. Trump and his grasping sycophantic clan are a stain on our nation. He’s got to go.
11
Lock them ALL up! We have got to set and example, a deterrent, so that this never happens again!
8
The White House's characterization of the whistleblower's finely detailed and well-organized 9-page complaint as “nothing more than a collection of thirdhand accounts of events and cobbled-together press clippings--all of which shows nothing improper.” is wrong.
It shows gross abuse of power, more than once, involving the President, William Barr and Rudolph Giuliani.
(How did Giuliani become authorized to meddle in State Dept. affairs? How did Bill Barr and Giuliani become nothing more than fixers?)
But even better, it provides names of eye-witnesses who can be interviewed and validate the whistleblower.
WH Press Secretary Grisham said the president had been open and transparent about the July 25 and released a reconstructed transcript. “That is because he has nothing to hide."
If he has nothing to hide, why is the political, not intelligence, conversation between Trump and Zelensky now hidden away on a server used only for top secret intelligence matters?
Trump's team served up a collection of selected notes from those who may, or may not have, paid much attention to the call.
And both documents are damning.
Subpoena the real transcript off the top secret server, then impeach.
105
@Lilou You do realize the intelligence officers at the White House for the past two years...under direct supervision of Langley...moved this call and all others to a more secure server. Sorry to disappoint, but this call followed the same routine as all others the past two years.
3
@Tom Sorry but you are very mistaken. Yes, it's kept there, but the tape was not considered Top Secret. It's just the usual chit chat (larded with lots of very damming information to Trump) from all Presidents. And if he’s done this for the last 2 years, in the end he can be impeached for covering up the original crimes. People ALWAYS get caught by the coverup.
4
@Tom--yes, during the Trump years. In other administrations, conversations regarding only top secret intelligence matters, not political phone calls, were moved to that server.
1
Joe Biden is a private citizen like you and me. If the president can create a secret police force and use the power of the government to go after him, then he can do it to you. He could call up your local police chief and tell them to investigate you because he did not like your Facebook post and send Rudy or someone else to talk to him. This is why it is a constitutional issue. Joe is an American citizen just like you. If Trump can do it to Joe he can do it to you.
8
Trump asked for foreign interference last 2016 and got it.
"Russia, if you're listening..."
That time, it was out in the open and Trump was able to pass it off as a joke.
Trump asked once again for foreign interference in the coming 2020 election knowing that he will never get reelected without foreign help.
The thing this time is that it was a series of covert calls followed by a cover up.
Which beggars the Q: if Trump and his lackeys Rudy Giuliani and William Barr are doing nothing wrong, why go all the troubles of covering up these calls?
Aside from the upcoming impeachment, the other good thing to come from this is that we now know where the translator's notes during the Putin - Trump meeting are hidden.
12
What else is stored on the "lock-down" computer? What other lawlessness is concealed on the secure server? Did someone in the White House stay up all night deleting files? Subpoena that server before it's destroyed.
7
After reading the whistleblower's complaint, tell me again how the version of the phone call which was released is actually verbatim?
Trump's apparent insistence that there is nothing of substance in the phone call makes me feel as if it was doctored. He's corrupted every part of our government so nothing is off the table now.
7
It is shocking to know all of this is going on and to think...how much of this cover up does Pence know about? Can almost bet he knows enough to be compromised. We could be looking at a Pelosi presidency.
8
To me Trump’s various requests to Ukraine’s President to conduct a corruption investigation against Biden Jr./Sr., is in and of itself not the only issue here. The most reprehensible danger lies in the fact that Giulini and Trump are already publicly charging the Bidens as being Guilty of corruption.
So what they in fact indirectly are requesting is that the Ukrainian Prosecuter CONFIRM Trump in having his investigation officially finding the Bidens Guilty of corruption.
And..., if the official findings do not support this, the Ukrainians can expect Trump to charge Them with a corrupt coverup, and thereby no longer worthy of US support.
That’s the web Ukraine is caught in!
8
What makes this scandal different from the Mueller investigation is the independent witnesses that will testify. These people are government workers who are not in the WH so Trump can’t ask them to be silent. This will change the opinions of Americans and Republicans in Congress will have to rethink their positions.
10
Say what they will about the Democrats, it’s Republicans who broke the law and Republicans who need to fix their party. Circling the wagons around the President doesn’t inspire confidence that they care about the constitution or the country.
17
Trump’s gains a lot in the current political scenery with Republicans ignoring the facts revealed.
He will again claim vindication based on the votes of a deeply partizan Senate. The Democrat's need for 20 Republican votes in the Senate will never materialize despite the clear facts of wrongdoings and evidence against this Administration.
I believe now this is what they, the Republicans want, impeachment. They see Trump loosing bad in front of any of the Democrats nominees and they rely on the impeachment pro ess to give a boost to Trump.
My take only.
Joe Biden's son Hunter gets a very lucrative position from Ukraine while Joe Biden is the sitting vice-president in the Obama Administration while at the same time Ukraine is waiting for the Obama Administration to approve a billion dollar loan. That's not influence peddling? 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 for trying to get to the bottom of what may be criminal conduct?
8
@MIKEinNYC
It is interesting how no one cared about Hunter Biden's work prior to Trump trying to use the Ukraine to influence the next election. It was five years ago and everyone knew about it.
But now:
Jared Kushner got a bailout on 666 park avenue...need to get to the bottom of that pay for play conduct.
9
@MIKEinNYC - You're missing quite a bit, including all of the ways the Trump spawn have inserted themselves into our government.
6
@ mike in nyc
Yes let us say all of that is correct. But why does it matter to Trump? I’m sure there are Americans who are doing corrupt things in other countries all over the world but why is this one on Trump’s radar?
It is because Joe Biden is a front runner in the 2020 election. So it is obvious from the transcript that Donald Trump is attempting to shake down the president of the Ukraine to get dirt on a political rival.
And since, per White House lawyers and William Barr’s DOJ, the president can’t be investigated, the only recourse is impeachment, and that’s why the Founding fathers gave Congress this right.
1
When is a political era itself a criminal act? When you are talking about Donnie Trump-They have everything to hide, literally everything they have done from day one.
The biggest crime in history- The Trump administration. Thankfully we have Bill Barr the virtuous to keep our democracy safe.
7
Trump conflates his personal issues with those of the nation. They're not one and the same. Using the word "treason" is laughable because the complaint is about him abusing his power not about someone going rogue against the state. Sure if he were Kim in North Korea then the state and Kim are one and the same I attest. That's not the case here. Also no surprise that a CIA agent is making the case against Trump. He demoralized the CIA. He took Putin's words over theirs. He went to the CIA headquarters and stood in front a memorial for CIA members who gave their lives to the service and dishonored the agency. Surprise, Surprise? Not really. I read that President Nixon once met a group of students protesters early one morning by the Lincoln Memorial at the height of the Vietnam War. In response to a question by one young lady he mentioned five entities that a president has no control over. The CIA was one of those five. The Mafia, the Federal Reserve, Wall Street, and the Military Industrial Complex were the others.
8
Reality Check american people would like more action an alot lest talk about what he said or she said. Millions of jobs pay liiving wage still being exported out country yearly.The daily reports from white house an medai about trumps where abouts isnt what feeds american familys.Our beautifull country was once shinning hope to rest of the people who go with out human rights.
2
"Mr. Pompeo said that to the best of his knowledge, “each of the actions that were taken by State Department officials was entirely appropriate.”
This one statement by Mike Pompeo just shows you how far down the rabbit hole the people in this administration have fallen.
Clearly Trump, the Republican party and those YES Men and Women he surrounds himself with in his administration are a threat to the very democracy they claim to serve... They All need to be held accountable by the American people for their treason.
13
The media should use the terminology used to report Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal server for official email. The public gets that. 45 didn’t “lockdown” files; he offloaded files to a secret server. When witnesses are questioned about this, the Democrats should pull out the 11 hour Clinton testimony and use the same questions the Republicans asked her, noting the name of the Representative who asked the original question. The Republican hypocrisy must be called out.
18
"Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary, described it as nothing more than a collection of third-hand accounts of events and cobbled-together press clippings — all of which shows nothing improper.”
Anyone else recall press secretary Ron Ziegler calling Watergate "a third rate burglary"?
16
I echo Pelosi's statement that this is no time for joy. No one should celebrate the downfall of a corrupt president but equally important is no one should ignore his treacherous abuse of power. The House members have no choice but to impeach Trump. Senate members must have no choice but to vote for his removal. There is no gray area here. Trump is a serial abuser of the oath of office he took on January 20, 2017.
19
Christmas list 2019
1. Trump finds a country with no U.S. extradition treaty allowing
him to live there.
2. He goes to that country
3. Trump resigns from Presidency
Merry Christmas America
15
@Mike Brown
4. That far off country will never have internet.
1
Under the corrupt Trump administration the White House has virtually been turned into a dark secret chamber of intrigues and conspiracies that flies in the face of the US democracy and its liberal ethos. Not surprisingly it raises serious concerns about the security of the Whistle-blower who unearthed the Trump-Ukraine saga of secret dealings.
11
Trump has been in the public eye all his life. This is his way to knock Biden out of the race. He is in full control. Six more years.
1
@CurtisDickinson - Nope. He might knock out Biden but Mango Mussolini is going down.
The news here is not that Mr. Trump is corrupt. The news is that the Republicans are complicit.
14
This will continue to get more ridiculous. Trump is going to win the next election if the Dems keep up this impeachment nonsense. The GOP controls the information stream and it will not give up anything that will come close to a smoking gun.
THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH VOTES TO IMPEACH. It really is that simple and the GOP propaganda will take full advantage of the Dems wasting time while the GOP is taking care of business. And it will work.
1
@glennmr. Is this all it’s about - who wins elections in 2020?
Is it worth the damage to the fabric of your society and the country’s reputation?
Trump will be gone in 5 and a half years at most and probably buried and forgotten shortly after. How long will it take to restore decency and democracy after he’s gone?
Will this brief period of ugliness have been worth defending?
2
@Skell
If he is gone in a year and a half, it will be easier to restore decency. The fact is that Trump can do too much damage in the courts and with government regulations if re-elected--and it will be long-term damage.
The impeachment process is long and will be obfuscated at every turn. Focusing on the issues will get Trump ousted.
Which may or not may be true, and given the phone calls with Mexico and Australia that were leaked seems entirely possible, in fact it’s prudent
What’s amazing here is one CIA agent can bring the entire business of government to a grinding halt, and now Congress is taking another two weeks off?
We would all be better off if they got together twice a year. It’s a disgrace
3
When are we going to get a full word for word transcript and not a (I am sure strategically redacted) summary of what was said on this phone call with the Ukraine president? Why are we settling for what I am sure is a cleaned up version of what was discussed...I don't understand this at all. This is more than just a matter of executive privilege now.
5
The image accompanying this article showing Trump flipping the bird to the press says it all.
8
@Polaris - He's not, as there is more than one finger raised. But it almost looks like he's going "bang bang".
1
Trump knows that if he is removed from office, or if he doesn't win re-election, a great many skeletons will tumble out of his closet as the social eye turns toward him. His business empire may possibly collapse, and he could go to prison (doubt it with the skewed Justice Dept. and SCOTUS, but you never know...).
And, wow, remember when working for the Justice Department was an honorable and prestigious position?
Get ready to watch the man start to dangerously flail at a whole new level. Gird your loins, America! Meanwhile, the Senators still signing Trump's worthless checks will also have their day of reckoning. Moscow Mitch is no dummy. He sees the writing on the wall and may turn.
6
It's unbelievable that Trump threatened the death penalty to White House officials who would be key witnesses in impeachment hearings. This was an extremely toxic thing to suggest, and in my mind is more egregious than the whistleblower report! This isn't a game, or a reality TV show. This is real. And Trump is a ruthless and demented man. I don't like to use the word "evil" because it brings to mind a litany of biblical trappings, but he is the biggest gathering rod for "dark forces" (Marianne Williamson).
8
Poor Ukraine. Their existence is under constant attack by Russia and they get to deal with Trump, who is supposed to be their supporter and ally.
3
What Trump is hiding in “ Locked Down” safe? It is something as Nixon’s tape . We want to know everything . We want total transparency . Do not Bring Mueller again. Giuliani is the main culprit here. He is acting like Mafia soldier for the boss Don.
5
Draft the Articles of Impeachment by the end of October? Is there no sense of urgency in the House?
Drafting these is the single most important legislative responsibility to be accomplished. Put everything else on hold. Cancel recesses. Work weekends. Get to work!
18
Two questions:
1) Can Giuliani be subpoened to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, or does he enjoy certain legal protections by virtue of being Trump's personal, private lawyer? I should think the Committee would find a goldmine in Giuliani given that he's nearly as cocky and incautious as Trump is.
2) Why isn't the Committee issuing warnings that any attempts by the White House to prevent other whistleblowers from coming forward would be subject to criminal prosecution and the Committee's rigorous investigation? All the Committee needs is a first-hand source to testify and this mudslide could quickly turn into an avalanche.
13
Has Giuliano aged beyond his expiration date?
He and Lindsey Graham seem to have lost their marbles.
4
@Gub
Maybe what Trump has is contagious.
If there was a legitimate reason for withholding the military funding it would have been mentioned in the phone call between the two decision-makers that transpired only days after Trump ordered the funds withheld. Trump has already told us that he is a stable genius who knows not to incriminate himself on a tapped phone line....stable genius. Remember he’s far smarter than any of us because his daddy gave him millions. If you believe that conversation is not evidence of quid pro quo, you too are a stable genius.
8
Sorry to disappoint you folks, but I suspect this scandal (along with all the others we've seen over the last three years) are completely irrelevant to most of your president's supporters. This won't change anybody's mind.
Mr. Trump speaks "truth" to his tribe - about race, guns, abortion, religion, condescending elites, biased media, etc. That's what they desperately need and want to hear. All the rest is just noise. The same goes for those who oppose him.
Until the people and institutions of the United States truly start addressing the fundamental divisions in your republic, these tribal "truths" will continue to dog every president, regardless of party.
8
Sounds like you're making a case for impeachment. Not sure why you're sorry about it, though. Please stop pedaling false duality, btw. One side is guilty of ignoring truth and reason, therefore, both sides are guilty...? Doesn't add up. Never has. There can be no reasonable debate unless everyone at the table is willing to value truth. There's no meeting the other side half way as long as Trump loyalists continue to poison the well.
3
@R.S.
I guess my question is... why ARE they ignoring the truth? There must be some fundamental reasons why Mr Trump's supporters are susceptible to and readily accept his messages and perspective. It's those fundamental issues that need to be addressed. Otherwise, you're just treating the symptom, not the disease.
Congress needs to subpoena everything in that vault, or at least the transcripts of every conversation President Trump has had that made his aids so nervous they had to buried it. Hard to believe this clear pattern of soliciting foreign countries for his political gain is isolated to one country and phone call. I bet there are several Illegal transcripts locked away.
12
If a candidate for president is suspected of corruption with good reason why is it a crime to unearth that corruption and report it to the general public. This is just madness to presume that Trump should be in jeopardy due to the obvious corruption of Joe Biden. Why is Joe Biden being protected by corporate media and the elites within his own party?
4
How would you feel if it was a Democrat in the White House doing this to a republican opponent? Somehow I think you’d be singing a different tune.
1
The crime is enlisting/extorting the help of a foreign government to dig up the dirt for your campaign. Also, to cover it up.
3
@tmauel: Slanderous conspiracy theories about Democrats don’t cut it anymore. Trump broke the law and that’s a fact.
3
Investigating possible corruption in a foreign country (country which is receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer money) and alleged ties with the DNC to influence the election in 2016 is in the best interest of our institutions, election process, and our Democracy. It is not a partisan issue. It is an investigation with the sole purpose to precisely prevent what the current President is accused of doing. We have now entered a dangerous new era of politics. An era where foreign nations may try to interfere for an outcome that is consistent with their own national interests. As if lobbyists and corporate donations was not enough, we will now have to deal with nations who might try to interfere in our elections even if such interference was unsolicited.
After two grueling years dealing with Russian collusion allegations, do Democrats really believe Trump who be stupid enough to deliberately seek interference for his own personal benefit knowing there are records and witnesses to these conversations, knowing there have been more leaks during this administration than any other in recent history, and that he probably has enemies near him at every corner just waiting for him to slip on thin ice. This might explain why he specifically wanted Giuliani to look into it, as each passing day it seems that his circle of trust gets smaller and smaller. The legality of such decision is a separate matter, but ultimately, Giuliani needs to come before Congress.
1
@Christopher R.: Slanderous conspiracy theories and made-up allegations about Democrats are getting boring. They are the instruments of cons and demagogues who have nothing else to offer. Trump broke the law and Giuliani and Barr need to be investigated too.
4
@Anna
Interesting that allegations concerning Democrats are always "conspiracy theories." You can't have it both ways.
I agree however that all relevant parties should be investigated, including Biden. Absence of evidence does not equate innocence.
I absolutely believe Trump is that stupid, yes, and you should, too. He is the embodiment of the seven deadly sins, and he has yet to be held to account. Naturally, he's cocky and continues to push the limits of corruption.
Regarding your first point, curtailing foreign corruption in the general sense is good and worthy. Digging up dirt on your rival and using government money as leverage to do so is, well... as clear an example of corruption as it gets. No one relishes the fact that the President of the United States is as corrupt as a third world despot, but that's just where we are. We each have a choice: Be loyal to your country, or be loyal to Trump. Pick one.
2
I hope the next (Democratic) president gives the whistleblower a very high decoration for bravery and service.
12
What a huge mistake. What a colossal waste of time. No matter how strong and incontrovertible the evidence proves to be, the Senate will not render a guilty verdict. Trump's minions in the administration and across the whole country know this. In fact, Trump's controllers are probably laughing up their sleeves right now because the impeachment process will do nothing but arm them with such powerful political nukes that Trump's re-election and the march toward nativist Fascism will be incontrovertibly assured.
Of course it's too late to back out now. What an ignominious closing chapter for the Republic.
2
It doesn’t matter!! It’s much more important to hold him accountable than squash this for political gain on the Dem side. How would that be any different than what Trump’s doing?
1
Nancy agreed with you before. (And me as well) But this is too egregious to do nothing.
@Baba This one-sided “holding to account” is the problem! Mueller only looked into how the R’s behaved with Russia—not the whole DNC-HC arrangement with Steele and how the FBI launched the collusion delusion,
Democrats see a witch, and Republicans see a witch hunt.
This is Mueller investigation 2.0. This is Kavanaugh 2.0. With one key difference. Those didn’t slow Trump down and you could argue that they only pushed the Republicans farther into the corner.
This means our starting point for this high profile battle is different, and the expectation on the left is that we actually get an impeachment vote this time. It’s ironic, because it seems like as we get closer to the election, the cries for impeachment are also getting louder and more frenzied.
What’s driving this? Is it a subconscious feeling on the left that Biden can’t beat Trump? Is it an innate understanding that if Warren is the nominee she’ll lose even more dramatically, which will be a clear rejection of progressivism that will be far more damaging than a Trump win, but compounded by a Trump win? Is it a desire to look away from the normal political process of the primary because there are too many options, most are boring, and the front runners are kind of hopeless?
Or is the answer simpler and more systemic? Is impeachment fever just another sign of the Great Awokenimg on the left, where attitudinal changes and priorities are being set by a social media and outrage based news cycle?
For the lower IQ progressives who will inevitably answer the above with “but he’s a witch!” thanks for playing. You’re being as predictable as always and these questions weren’t for you.
For everyone else, what do you think?
1
If any president of any party pulled this stunt, he/she should be impeached! I say that as a Democrat desperate for a win in 2020! Not pursuing impeachment would be political expediency. I’m not OK with that. Principles matter. Democrats have to stop participating in the abusive relationship that Trump has created with the entire country, which is afraid of him!!
1
I find it fascinating that "because it's the right thing to do" didn't even enter into your calculus. Does a police officer who sees a crime try to second guess how the trial is going to go before even putting on the handcuffs? No. They enforce the law because it's their job. Pelosi is just doing her job (finally).
Trump holds the world record for having to use the most lawyers for personal defense in one lifetime.
3
And then there was one. Just one person, the whistleblower, who had access to the telephone call transcripts and/or was listening in on the call who took action to protect our country. Just one out of the dozens of people who were aware of this incident. Why are U.S. citizens so afraid to do what is right? Shameful.
6
From the whistleblower complaint:
According to White House officials I spoke with, this was “not the first time” under this Administration that a Presidential transcript was placed into this codeword-level system solely for the purpose of protecting politically sensitive—rather than national security sensitive—information.
Yeah, we are going to need all of those transcripts.
11
So add another obstruction of justice charge to the complaint.
This is what happens when an entitled rich kid grows up with a silver spoon and the best lawyers - he quickly learns rules and laws are for the little people.
But now he's actually under scrutiny and on public display, so his previously-private behavior cannot be hidden behind a wall of lawyers and litigation threats. He's actually come up against something far more powerful than himself. Not that he actually was that rich or powerful. He shuffled the paper to make himself look rich, but his house of cards has no solid foundation.
Which then leads to the question:
Why on earth would Trump want to be President anyway?
It makes NO SENSE whatsoever for this self-appointed "rich elite" to trade his sordid life of selfish, carnal consumption, for one in the public eye. He had EVERYTHING he wanted: enough money to do as he pleased, a trophy wife, and ample access to prostitutes worldwide, many of whom could provide "special" services involving the urinary tract.
Why would he trade all this freedom for unending public scrutiny?
THE RUSSIANS! They had him over a barrel. His business dealings were such a mess, he lost access to legitimate forms of cash. He HAD to get money elsewhere. And who best to provide cash? Russian Oligarchs with so much illegal money they needed to legitimize.
"Become President, or die. You AND your entire family! We'll get you elected." was the ultimatum he received.
7
Trump has been given a very long leash. When this happens, dogs believe themselves to be masters. It's time to rein him in, folks. Anyone, Democrat, Republican or Undecided, who does not suffer from some type of neuropathology or personality disorder with whom this Beast could possibly resonate should see his swift removal from office as paramount for the future of our nation.
4
"Russia - if you're listening. . . ."
That Trump would solicit the aid of a hostile, foreign government in order to advance his own personal political interests, in violation of U.S. law, was known well before the election of 2016, which is why the Electoral College should never have validated the election of Donald J. Trump to the office of President of the United States of America. The results of that election and the occupation of the highest elected office in this nation by this traitor and miscreant are a blot on this nation's history that will never be erased. Trump needs to be removed from office and replaced by someone who will faithfully execute his oath of office and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from enemies, foreign and domestic.
5
Let see how many Republicans remain when the Trump-Giuliani ship going down; but then, they have hitched their fate to Trump Inc. for 3 years, especially those who are corrupted to the core, they have no other alternatives really
4
@Bos: There are many Republican Senators agnostic on the whistle blower’s findings already and suspending their judgment about Trump “until more is known”, or “until I have read all the evidence”, etc., These may well hitch their wagons behind Romney who has already formulated stronger concerns, if the Trump stink gets too bad. Romney has a strong base in Utah, unlike Trump, and nationally he is well-respected, so he’d be an ideal Republican candidate, even more so if he runs with Haley or Kasich.
THE CALLS MADE TO THE UKRAINE Can be validated from White House phone logs. The senior white house officials who, apparently following Trump's orders, attempted to deprive the public of information about the illegal calls is yet another criminal conspiracy that Trump generated. If he completed as much work of We The People as he did in profiting personally from his properties and attempting to bully foreign leaders into breaking US law, he might have some credibility as a leader. So far he's only proved that he can bluff, fake, threaten, rant, rave and LIE!
2
What is missing from this dialogue is yet again our president because of a lack of judgement has our country embroiled again in matters that provide evidence that he did not think about the good will of the country, abiding by the laws established to maintain our democracy, but again took actions to only serve himself. How many times have we seen this take place and how long can we as Americans allow this to continue to occur. An inquiry is needed. No one is above the established laws of this country. Lawlessness cannot be condoned. The eyes of the world are watching how we as a country ensure that our democracy stands.
5
My question is: how would the majority of Americans vote now?
Trump was considered a joke by many in 2016 and yet he was elected as President.
How many of his supporters have changed their mind?
4
Not many. And that is truly terrifying.....
3
@Anna: Biden was winning with 2-digit numbers over Trump before the whistleblower complaint became public, that was the reason for Trump’s Ukraine “dirt on the Bidens” solicitation to begin with.
1
Anyone from New York, anyone living near Atlantic City, anyone who read the business section, anyone who listened to Howard Stern, anyone who read the NY Post knew that Donald was a joke and a crook. A laughable sideshow. Nixon fooled his way into the Whitehouse too, but there was so much more public evidence about Trump.
2
It’s important to understand that the president’s actions represent a clear Constitutional violation and therefore necessitate a motion towards impeachment at this time. This is an altogether separate issue from the myriad political considerations concerning whether or not to impeach. From a viewpoint predicated entirely on political strategy, impeachment in autumn of 2019, leading up to the election year with so much already against Trump, is unequivocally a bad idea. Even if the motion passes in the House it will almost certainly fail in the Senate, and that failure will galvanize Trump and his base (and simultaneously weaken the position of the left) to the point of basically guaranteeing a second Trump term. But again, there isn’t really a choice, given the empirical evidence of the egregious violation of the office. And so it would seem that this is arguably the most brilliant of Trump’s evil deeds—to force a doomed motion toward impeachment that will inevitably guarantee his reelection. As has been said countless times, the best way to get rid of this tyrant is to vote him out of office in the general election in 2020 (and let the multitude of pending and future lawsuits plague him and his family the rest of their wretched lives).
2
He will not be re-elected. He has made a vast swath of the nation furious. His comparatively small group of die-hard supporters don’t have a chance of getting him re-elected in 2020. And every single day, Trump’s words and actions compound the likelihood of that outcome.
3
Trump's abuse of power is found in his and Giuliani's words, the whistleblower only told everyone where to look, necessary because it had been hidden on a more secure server by the White house - as they had done before because of the political content of Trump's conversations. The key words being "as they had done before", which means that this inquiry needs to see what else has been hidden on those more secure servers. Ironically It is Trump's recorded words that will convict him just as the Nixon tapes convicted Nixon.
2
I think it is time to revisit what should have been done about the thoroughly discredited Steele Dossier (that was partially paid for by the DNC) and the use made of it before the FISA Court, the conduct of the Obama Administration in "monitoring" the Trump Campaign for nonexistent collusion with the Russians, and, maybe, even what should have been done about the Secretary of State's private email server and hold all this to the same standards the Democrats are applying to Trump.
For many of us, however, we are getting totally weary of the Democrat's refusal to come to grips with the reality that their candidate lost the election. Trying to get rid of Trump by any means possible has become a disabling obsession for the Democrats, and is wasting valuable time, energy, and resources and will produce no result that could not be better accomplished through the ballot box in the next election. Unless, of course, the Democrats are afraid that the cannot beat Trump, and he will be reelected.
2
"Ms. Pelosi did not offer a specific timeline for work on the inquiry, which could slow as lawmakers leave Washington this weekend for a two-week recess."
A 2 week recess, really Dems? You can't recognize the critical nature of the next 2 weeks? To keep the message focused and the pressure on?
This will turn over the mic in Washington exclusively to Trump for the next 2 weeks. And, by the time your precious "recess" is over, all the air will be out of this balloon.
3
The complaint alleges a lot considering the person wasn’t even there.
1
That might be a problem if the White House, in a vain attempt at offering exculpatory evidence, hadn’t put out notes confirming everything the whistleblower alleged in the complaint.
2
Even here in Austria, everybody I am talking to is really shocked about the mafia-style foreign politics operations this administration is resorting to.
And despite the fact that you won’t find a lot of Trump fans in Austria and the whole of Europe, we do not gloat, we are not in the mood for schadenfreude, but instead we are mostly deeply saddened by this demise of democratic culture in a country that was an ideal of democracy and equality of opportunity.
Your country is on a dangerous path in the direction of authoritarianism, plutocracy and unhinged nationalism, which leads to problems in globalized world and will cause serious ecological damage as well.
I just do not see that these Republicans will someday put responsibility before power, accountability before ideology, civility before the usage of force.
We had such a time in Europe - and fifteen years later we had WW2.
Our hope as Europeans is that the US of A return soon to being a beacon for freedom, human rights and responsible policies again.
10
Republicans marching in lockstep straight for the cliff- although it would be comforting to see some Republicans with courage put country first, a part of me hopes they just keep marching...
4
I would like to know the Truth about Hunter Biden, becasue it will help me to decide which Democrat I will be voting for in the Primary.
I'm concerned about getting the best possible Democratic candidate to kick our defective President out. Even though Trump was clearly, as he saw it, working to his own advantage; as I see it, he was, unwittingly (happens a lot to him) working to my advantage.
The notion that Hunter Biden, who was getting paid 50,000 a month, to work for a company in an industry he knew nothing about, has already been cleared, strongly suggests that the person running those "investigations" was his own father.
Where was "independent" Mueller?
1
@Peter Zenger: Don’t believe the conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden. His education and experience made him eminently qualified for the position. It quite likely helped that his last name was Biden, but the facts point out he was not in any way helped by his father, on the contrary. There are many qualified Democrats to vote for in the primary, personally I prefer Warren, but if Biden would have been your pick, don’t make Trump and Fox News make the choice for you.
1
@Peter Zenger: Don’t believe the conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden. His education and experience made him eminently qualified for the position. It quite likely helped that his last name was Biden, but the facts point out he was not in any way helped by his father, on the contrary. There are many qualified Democrats to vote for in the primary, personally I prefer Warren, but if Biden would have been your pick, don’t make Trump and Fox News make the choice for you.
I wonder if this will be a relatively contained matter, or will it have tentacles that leads to many other transgressions.
Or, will other issues arise separately, such as other campaign crimes, emoluments, kickbacks, unsettled markers, tax fraud, wire fraud, witness tampering, espionage, other?
2
This is exactly the problem with the Trump Administration and today’s Republicans: when they see Trump do something “deeply disturbing,” their immediate response is not to sound the alarm and address the problem for the good of the nation, but to cover it up.
Republicans in Washington are loyal to Donald Trump; they are not loyal to the United States of America.
4
All of this trouble because an unfit man was illegally elected as president due to foreign interference.
Our American electoral college is deeply flawed when it allows just anyone to be elected.
The American dream that anyone can grow up to be president is a dangerous myth that must be refuted.
A modification of the presidential election guidelines could be a requirement that each candidate have previous national elected experience as congressman or senator.
This would screen out unfit candidates with no public track record of emotional stability or no federal electoral experience.
The president is a federal level executive and should have an understanding of federal laws.
2
Trump's main strength is that he doesn't know what illegal conduct is. He honestly feels that he has done nothing wrong and thus his statements of self defense are sincere. This in turn is communicated to his base who likewise honestly don't see what's wrong and seriously believe that the Democrats and the media are in a conspiracy against him. Lastly, Republicans in Congress see that their constituents can't be convinced that the president has engaged in wrongdoing so they don't risk antagonizing them although they know perfectly well that their leader's actions are criminal. So it is going to be a major uphill battle to get the Senate to convict after impeachment.
1
The structure of the President Trump's request to the President of Ukraine is that of a kickback. This raises the question as to whether there was an attempt by the President to have foreign aid money skimmed off and routed to his personal businesses. The implications go beyond high crimes and misdemeanors. It is shocking to say the least. This question needs to be looked at by the Congressional investigating committees.
3
trump releasing a transcript of his conversation with the Ukrainian president is just like Nixon releasing transcripts of the Watergate WH house tapes (with expletives removed) thinking that that would suffice as a surrogate for the actual tapes. Turns out there was a world of difference between the transcript and the actual audio which was critical. That difference when it surfaced eventually saw Nixon’s hitherto stalwart GOP support collapse forcing him to resign.
1
If Benedict Trump was behind "locking down" the call record, I'm thinking the House can add obstruction of justice to the mix.
2
Loyalty should be encouraged and rewarded. Isn't William Barr showing loyalty by working diligently and tirelessly to help Trump get re-elected. After all, it was Trump who appointed Barr. It's not as though Barr is trying to help Pelosi get re-elected.
1
During previosu election campaign, Trump boasted that he had no political background, that he had a clean record and therefore a honest guy to hold the post of POTUS. Now he is behaving like a seasoned politician, viz., hold the post using any method at your disposal. What a fall!
This issue has to be thoroughly investigated and truth should be brought out. If Trump has made a mistake, he should certainly be impeached. The very spirit and essense of democracy has been taken for a ride.
1
People have a right to confront their accusers.
What is the name of the whistle-blower in this case? Who are we talking about?
3
@MIKEinNYC: Not if the illegal actions of Trump can be independently verified. There’s whistle blower protection for good reason.
2
1. Trump and his campaign colluded with Russia, no question.
2. Trump is aware the Steele dossier is genuine and it's existence looms ominously even more than the Mueller investigation.
3. Trump will continue to lie and assess blame on Obama long after Mueller has uncovered collusion and obstruction.
There are two crimes here. One, the deliberate manipulation of the electoral process
and second, the deliberate cover up of the manipulation.
1
@John Townsend: Add to that the unfounded withholding of military aid appropriated by Congress to help fend of incursions by Russia, a known US adversary who already had interfered in the 2016 elections to Trump’s benefit, into Ukraine. That borders on treason. It sure doesn’t sit well with Democrats but also not with the many Republicans in Congress who supported those appropriations.
Some on this comment board are claiming this is all heresay but I find that argument bizarre and easily disproven. A reconstructed transcript of Trump’s call clearly shows that the president pressured a foreign country to investigate a political rival and hence undermine the US democratic process. Even Trump’s own lawyer admits that he did so. The intelligence officer is simply corroborating
3
Here we go again. A CIA operative acting on second hand information and hearsay to try to take down this president and overturn an election. Now there's a suggestion that the "whistleblower's" letter may have been drafted by a law professor and Democrat congressional staffers. The continued efforts of intelligence agencies and an unhinged Democratic Party to overrule the will of the American voters are a far greater threat to democracy than anything Trump has done.
1
How have Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham responded to this? They are arguably the most influential republicans outside of Trump.
27
The key socio-political question here is whether Trump has, prior to this incident, already dragged “the new normal” so far down into the gutter (“I can issue myself a self-pardon”) that he will get away with this egregious betrayal of his responsibilities within a democracy.
Nixon’s crime was also based on a conspiracy to ruin a political opponent, but Nixon did not go so far as to de-facto blackmail a foreign power that is desperate for international assistance in its military struggle with Russia..
42
He can’t “self-pardon” his way out of impeachment and removal from office and once out of office any pardons he issues could be challenged in court. Additionally, he will be susceptible to charges by New York State.
4
@David Adams. Where do you imagine blackmail? There was no quid pro quo.
@Jackson
Hardball tactics 101:
Trump halted funds ahead of his call in which he asked for a favor, expecting Zelensky to call back when the regularly scheduled transfer of funds did not materialize, at which point Trump would have asked for an update on progress made on the attempt to incriminate the Bidens.
Congress independently got wind that funds had been halted and forced the resumption of these, thwarting the completion of the full blackmail playbook in this sequence.
3
The server that has the documents will provide logs of who logged in when and stored files. Those who stored the files are now easily leveraged as participants in a cover up. They will sing their way out of jail.
28
@WoeIsUs
If they haven't already destroyed all evidence of their actions. What's to stop them at this point?
1
@WoeIsUs I wonder too if each user has their own private key/passcode? And, does more than one person have to be there to enter the data, using their own private key?
In any case, I imagine there is a very sophisticated log system.
2
@WoeIsUs. How can there be a “coverup” when the transcript was released immediately? That’s the world’s worst coverup.
1
Tried to read as many comments as I could but with 2,500 that's a Herculean task.
I hope some reader commentators are noting the following. This is NOT the end of Trump, because he and the Dems know that the Senate will quash this. Then Trump will use this moment to whip his base into a frenzy--I think he's incapable of real fear, because you have to have the remnants of a conscience to recognize that you're breaking the law. He has no conscience at all, so he treats the presidency as another version of his CEO position. So all he's going to do is use it as propaganda.
Rather, the real point here is that impeachment proceedings (which will be stymied by the Senate) will be a bid to unify the Dem. party's middle of the road and "leftist" wings. So this is about party consolidation. This is why Pelosi is on board. As the leader of the party, she totally understands how to mine an issue for maximum effect. This is not meant as a criticism. As a registered Democrat I appreciate greatly her ability to play the game.
38
As an independent- I demand that the so called leaders of both sides would STOP playing games & START doing their jobs improving this country. I do not appreciate this gamesmanship.
All of you are complicit is wasting my money. Fix & rebuild our roads, rails, bridges, and tunnels. Eliminate the wasteful spending. Start with Medicare for all of Congress. End congressional pensions. Add term limits. Work from there.
4
@rose: Nope. Although I agree with much of your analysis, and I admire Pelosi for the same reasons as you do, it misses the real point: Trump solicited, and very likely pressured, a foreign government to find dirt on a political opponent and his son, a US civilian. He and his aides then tried to cover it up. That's breaking campaign finance law and obstruction of justice. He withheld, without explanation, congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to combat Russian incursions, using it as a lever to make Ukraine doing his bidding on the Bidens (he still hasn't explained why, but the timing and things he said point very much in that direction). Since Russia is an adversary to the USA, that compromises national security and borders on treason. That should be enough to not only unite Democrats behind the Constitution, however they might diverge on policy, but also Republicans. Giuliani is also very much implicated, as is Barr. No surprise that Republican lawmakers are not exactly uniting in defense of Trump, but dodge the question with: "I haven't read all of the documents yet", "i'll wait until the facts have come out", etc.,... Trump is in trouble, maybe not with his supporters yet, but surely with congressional Republicans.
@roseI admire your persistence and stamina to read so many of comments, it must’ve been very enlightening. There are a few really bad comments on here. Are you going to post a synthesized summary?
I share your fear. I’ve tried to game-out all the possible outcomes and I end up with him resigning, Pence takes office (if he’s not also brought down), then Pence pardons him, then Pence loses? Or Madam Speaker! Hmm?
Can we have caretaker Presidents in the Stated? like maybe Ellen? Wouldn't it be great if we could enlist BO again, just to fix the mess and then exit at the end of t’s term? I guess not.
My mom is retired/free. She’s be great. You’d all like her. Smart, tough, funny, caring but a little strange.
(Sigh)
I'm relieved that Nancy Pelosi has finally decided to begin formal impeachment hearings, but I feel it is a mistake to only focus on the dealings with Ukraine. Her rationale is that it's easy for regular people to understand. I find that rather condescending, but the real problem with it is that if the focus is narrowed to one single offense then it will be easier for the rightwing spin machine to manufacture "alternative facts" and a misleading narrative regarding the situation. They are already at it with a psyops and disinformation campaign to confuse people and muddy the waters, not unlike Bill Barr's misleading "summary" of the Mueller report.
Trump has committed a vast array of impeachable offenses throughout his tenure. Why not bring articles of impeachment for his top ten most flagrant abuses of power? That way if the Ukraine scandal gets "Billy Barr'ed" to death then at least there will be other provable offenses that support impeachment.
20
@Douglas
I understand your point and I agree. However, I think I heard a commentator say last night that if one of the items of impeachable offenses failed, then the whole thing is out the window. So, if that's really true, then it would be necessary to be ultra cautious in making the charges.
Maybe some of the other readers could clarify this.
5
@DouglasMaybe lead with the main event, but work-up/ cue all the other charges so they’re ready to use/list at the ready.
2
I wonder why all the people that had first hand knowledge of the allegations made by the whistleblower didn’t file a whistleblower complaint.
29
@dave
This article is enlightening. Describes the efforts the Trump administration went to to make sure they could identify anyone who knew anything.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/effort-to-shield-trumps-call-with-ukrainian-leader-was-part-of-broader-secrecy-effort/2019/09/26/dc3a482c-e076-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html
1
Because the fate of whistleblowers in the US is career ending snd life threatening. There is no real protection. It’s like falling. On a land mine to save your fellow soldiers.
2
President Pelosi announced today that she would not seek election herself, but would be supporting the Sanders-Warren ticket in 2020....
14
@robKusner
I’d rather see her resign so that her VP, HRC, could assume the presidency.
1
Like Sean Connery's famous line to Kevin Costner in The Untouchables, "what are you prepared to do to win"? This is a terrific question for Democrats. What are Democrats prepared to do to win the government back?
Republicans have a systemic electoral advantage, decades of gerrymandering to distort electoral results, blatant voter suppression, stolen court seats, and a treason-level of ignoring and actively defending corrupt activities by Trump. Plus they have their own media bubble and 60 million voters who gave up on facts and reason long ago in favour of outright spite, trolling, and political vandalism.
So what are Democrats prepared to do to get their country back? Because what they are doing presently is clearly way too little, and way too late. Republicans are eating Dems for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they show no signs of stopping.
20
When Democrats are prepared to put their country and fellow citizens first, I’ll consider voting for a Democrat again. I’m a two time Obama voter and donor. I’m an upper income white male, a sole “breadwinner” who supports a family on my income. I work in STEM and have a graduate degree and am at the right end of the bell curve on the IQ scale. I usually keep quiet about politics in public, because I live in a very progressive part of town.
But here’s what I see in today’s Democratic Party. They prioritize the rights of migrants over citizens. They think white supremacy is a larger threat than Islamist terror. They think cops are worse than criminals. And they think putting American industry ahead of industry in the developing world is gauche. They think our history is shameful. They think capitalism is inferior to socialism. And now even the white ones amongst them have more preferable feelings towards other groups than their own, and according to recent surveys they actively dislike their fellow white Americans merely for being white. They’re the only group now to have a marked out group preference like this.
America First is a rejection of all of the above, and when the Democrats are prepared to put their fellow citizens first, even above self-indulgent political drama like an impeachment that won’t go anywhere, then I might vote and support a Democrat again. Others might too, and the Dems might win.
But 2020 doesn’t look to be the year. They still have work to do.
@Casey Pivot to the center on immigration, and hit the bricks...
Are the Republicans who are trying to block the revelations also subject to criminal charges, removal or some other form of censure? It seems to me they should be as they are just as responsible for the cover up. As a citizen I would like to know what recourse we have to protect ourselves from such corrupt governance in the Congress given that many of these people are gerrymandered into office.
20
This is all going WAY over the heads of the folks meeting at the bowling alley, the farmers gatherings at the local co-op, the golfers on the fairways, the congregations going to their churches out here in Trumpistan.
But Dem management is fully aware this effort no matter how it goes will not draw a single vote to their column in 2020.
7
This is not going over the heads of bowlers, farmers, golfers and church goers. Americans can discern partisan politics. Donald Trump is his own worst enemy so he is not worth defending. Americans, however, are mindful that while Washington is fully immersed in yet another tempest in a teapot, the important work on behalf of the American people continues to go unattended. And they will vote accordingly.
@ tell a good story. Make it short, focused and snappy. Good storytelling can solve a lot of problems.
It’s not rocket science. Rather it’s relatively simple to understand. Trump is seeking the aid of a foreign government once again in order to skew an election in his favor. And it’s a cop out to suggest that the local farmers, golfers and bowlers are incapable of understanding the issues at hand and the impeachment process. In fact, it’s their duty as an Americans to educate themselves in this regard.
3
What concerns me as much as Trump’s behavior here is the painting of the CIA, once again, as white knights.
Remember that we are talking about the agency that operates its own extrajudicial killing drones; the agency that delivered pallets of cash in the first days of the Afghanistan war (and god knows how many other conflicts); that was responsible for MKULTRA; and torturing foreign nationals in black sites all around the world.
If we come out of this the way we need to, I’m concerned that the CIA will take on even more hallowed status, emboldened to continue operating outside the rule of law and morality.
So here we are, caught between a rock and a hard place, a country bereft of moral leadership.
7
@Jonas Kaye It gives me pause as well, but I suspect this is a one-off situation....Exceptional extenuating circumstances, only to be repeated in extreme cases – i.e. a threat to national security. (I hope.)
Americans are entangled in their own corrupt politics.
They have the highest violent crime per capita of all the industrialized world by 8 times superior to Europe. they have the highest incarceration rate per capita, also 8 times more than Europe.
They consume twice as much energy as europeans , per capita. double the carbon foot print of Europe, 3 times more than France.
They plague the world by using and selling pesticides and fertilizers that destroy the planet , the soils, the water sources.
They use 3 times more plastic than in Europe and have developed that fashion of living that has put plastic everywhere in the food chain, from oceans, to the blood of our children.
They cannot organize a health care system. Their education is tainted by corruption and puts such burden on students that they cannot envision the future . And that education is of so bad quality that it leads to lack of conceptualization to understand all these problems.
And then they show to the world the most pathetic spectacle of not being able to resolve the danger of anti democratic forces not only causing antagonism inside their own frontiers but risking the whole security of the world.
Bravo the New World ! New World that was supposed to be better than the Old World. You have accomplished the worse, in every field of human life and ecology.
26
@JPH best comment of the 2500+ in this thread. I also believe the New World is a failed experiment.
1
In gratitude, I'm naming my next rescued pet 'Whistle.'
24
There are so many questions about this. For example, I did hear Giuliani say the day before yesterday that he got a read out of the so-call phone call transcript before it was even released to Congress.
Why would a non goverment individual would have aceess to this information (at a time in which Trump was blocking Congress to have the same )? Does he even have Security Clearance?
The more we learn about it, the more outrageous this seems. One cannot avoid concluding, after reviewing the documents, that Trump, Barr, Giuliani are simply corrupt, repugnant liers without any respect for our country.
32
So a reality tv personality and a comedian both become presidents. Who would a thunk? Then they get on the phone to congratulate each other. What could go wrong? Watch all fun run amuck!
20
Thank you, Whistleblower.
14
It is a massive white house cover up.A bunch of trump's aides should be put behind bars for this.
15
This is a 21st century version of the erased tapes.
13
Too bad we don’t treat Trump the same way we used to do in the old days when we were smart with [traitors] and treason, right?
23
You almost got it right: it was the Democrats contacting Ukraine just last year begging for help against the Republicans in the 2018 election.
Another problematic error: the leaker/ whistleblower was wrong on a crucial point: Counselor of the United States Department of State Ulrich Brechbuhl was not on the phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky despite what the leaker claimed.
4
And you know this because....?
Your speculation is worthless attempts at spin doctoring. The oversight role of Congress will bring relevant facts to light and it's not looking good for trump. Innocent? We'll see. Seems pretty clear why he's threatening witnesses like a mob boss.
2
Trump's crime is such that it should immediately disqualify him from being a 2020 presidential candidate. Once you've openly solicited help from a foreign country for your own political gains, you have effectively "cheated" and are therefore kicked out of the race permanently.
Cheaters are Losers. Perhaps that should be the eventual Democratic 2020 presidential nominee's campaign slogan.
14
@MSPWEHO
At what point do you engage the 25th, and/or just take command of the White House and detain the man, especially if he’s a threat to national security. We can only hope there are decent people around him who will watch him carefully, but what if he goes absolutely mad and starts breaking the good China?
"The whistle-blower — a C.I.A. officer who once worked at the White House —".
Mr. Shear should not have revealed this information.
His choice to do so place the whistle-blower in danger.
7
How is this whistleblower in danger ? Dozens of persons know his identity. I am sure the Russians already have his name as does MI-6.
No collusion, no obstruction, eh Mr. President? It's so outrageous stupid it's hard to describe, but I liken him to a drug dealer, whose case is thrown out on a technicality, but tries to sell a dime bag to the judge before leaving the courthouse. What were people who voted for him thinking??
12
When Republicans say there's no quid pro quo, reporters should ask them: "Is there collusion?"
16
The statute forbids an American to solicit a thing of value from a foreign person or entity in connection with an American election. Quid pro quo is irrelevant, as is collusion. So is “pressure”.
The issue: does the phrase “do us a favor” constitute a solicitation. Pretty simple case.
15
@L osservatore All of your replies always blame the Clintons to try to distract from Trump. The Clintons are not the president. Trump is. Stay awake.
2
Is there anyone else who hears the term whistleblower’s complaint and it reminds them of the title of a song, poem, movie etc.? I keep trying to remember the reference and it’s driving me crazy. Please help.
1
If Trump isn't removed, the U.S. is essentially done. There's no democracy, no Constitution, no rule of law. We're finished if such blatant lawbreaking and potential treason, from a President, no less, goes unpunished.
38
I agree wholeheartedly. If Trump and those who empower him get out of this and he is re-elected then the American republic is toast, your democracy is lost, and you will deserve everything you get.
As an outsider looking in, the damage he does every day is unfortunately not just confined to the US. The steep descent into fascism is contagious and we can see it impacting other western democracies already - and don’t get me started on the long term damage to the world economy etc. The other very real danger is that Trump and GOP may take us all down on their way out.
17
Thank you for the brilliant reporting, New York Times.
Americans are well-served when they see quality reporting, expertise at the service of the public interest & in defense of our democracy.
Some people are trying to set themselves up as dictators. Others are eager to be in on the action, to profit & gain extra powers for themselves.
If we have made any gains since the desultory grandeur of Ancient Rome, with its slaves, gladiatorial mayhem & extreme cruelty, it has been because ordinary human beings banded together to assert the power of their superior numbers in order to insist upon universal freedoms & universal human rights.
Apparently, some never got the memo. It is mighty strange that at this late date, in 2019, we still have to issue reminders from the true force on the planet -- the People -- that laws are to be obeyed, truth told, powers wielded circumspectly, and the patience of the average taxpayer who foots the bill for all these self-aggrandizing bozos not to be tested.
Roy Cohn did a bad thing teaching the derelict Trump to act as if laws & accountability did not exist. Pompeo has done a bad thing abusing his position to assist in lawbreaking.
One year ago today, 27 Sept, Christine Blasey Ford testified. A great deal has happened over the course of the last 365 days. The battle for our democracy is still raging. It has many heroes. No one who comes forward to help the truth be known & laws upheld is wasting their time.
We, The People, will defend you.
24
Remember Putin's Trump announced a few months ago that he would accept "opposition research" from a foreign government and would not report the contact to the FBI? When was the exact date of that - before or after the Ukraine telephone call? And then under pressure, he reversed himself and said he would not accept such a help and would report the contact to the FBI after all.
Putin's puppet has never understood the job of a president which is to serve the people and the office of the presidency. He turned it around and made the office, and in fact, the entire USA to serve his ego and his greed. Maybe only behind serving Putin? Perhaps Putin does have something on this guy after all?
22
I kind of see Trump as the antithesis of Jimmy Carter. Both one term presidents, leaving office for completely opposite reasons.
And, just as Carter has spent the rest of his life as probably the most considerate and decent former president in history, Trump, I can imagine, will be the Nixon that will not shut up, will never bow down, and will spend the rest of his narcissistic days telling the world how great a president he was, and how he never really got the chance to make America great again.
Anyone who thinks that the cancer that is Donald J Trump will disappear after 2020 is sorely mistaken. He may well be at his very worst post presidency.
24
He’ll swipe Hannity and start the unfair and unbalanced news channel.
6
@Jack Lee, DT could go to prison for any number of his crimes. He won't have a personal phone in prison.
11
Hopefully he will be prison. How many phone calls do they allow US felons?
1
I understand Civics is not taught in high school anymore which is a plus for Trump and the Republican Party.
20
I think this is exactly why Jared was trying to get a back channel into Moscow.
14
I just don’t understand why the Republicans stick with Trump. Is he really their only shot at keeping the White House? He has no morals and he’s woefully unprepared for the office. Even if this Ukraine issue isn’t enough to get him out there’s just been so much turmoil around his Administration. Wouldn’t it be better if Republicans just said, “step aside Trump, we have other, more committed (and probably saner) people who can run.” Anyone—Mitt? Mark? A peanut butter sandwich?
15
@Ann
He's a human shield
Does all the dirty work and will take all the blame, leaving them unscathed "victims" of his tyrannical rule
8
Mitch McConnell much the same role. He takes the heat for the entire Senate. The Senate while it is majority Republican upholds the objectives of the moneyed elite. The other 50 red state senators get re-elected while the Kentuckian gets the blame.
2
NY Times please provide a timeline of the Ukraine story from the very very beginning. From 2-3 years before Biden’s trip to Ukraine to today.
This Biden-corruption story is being distorted by republicans and should be straightened out.
11
Deep Throat comes
to mind.
2
A small point, to be sure, but is it necessary to continually identify Hunter Biden as Joe Biden’s younger son when he is now Biden’s only son?
8
Anyone who has ever lost a child could tell you why.
@Laura I'm not sure it would have been necessary even when his brother was alive. As an oldest child I know that my siblings did not always care for being referred to as 'Joan's little sister' or Joan's little brother' — sometimes even instead of their names.
Walter Shaub tweets that the New York Times is busy trying to “out” the whistleblower. If this is true, how unethical and immoral.
3
Time for the anonymous op-ed author who penned last year’s piece titled, “I am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration” to write a follow up
18
I see today he just limited the amount of refugees allowed into the US.
This traitor should not be allowed to enact any executive decisions which effects our great country- which he doesn’t deserve.
He needs to be on lockdown with all Executive privileges suspended.
16
Walter Shaub tweets that the New York Times is busy trying to “out” the whistleblower. If this is true, how unethical and immoral.
3
Is there any way to impeach the entire administration?
13
Mr. Zelensky obviously read his copy of “Rolling Donald Trump (for Dummies)” before that phone call:
"We did win big and we worked hard for this. We worked a lot but I would like to confess to you that I had an opportunity to learn from you. We used quite a few of your skills and knowledge and were able to use it as an example for our elections.”
“We are trying to work hard because we wanted to drain the swamp here in our country….You are a great teacher for us and in that.”
"Actually last time I traveled to the United States, I stayed in New York near Central Park and I stayed at the Trump Tower.”
"...it might be a very good idea for you to travel to Ukraine. We can either take my plane and go to Ukraine or we can take your plane, which is probably much better than mine.”
I'm guessing it was this skillful flattery that convinced Mr. Trump that his counterpart would be cool with the military aid/Biden investigation quid pro quo. So, immediately after Mr. Zelensky alluded to the aid, Mr. Trump made the pitch. Read the transcript for yourself:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/25/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-transcript-call/index.html
7
As a US Navy veteran, never in my life did I think I would see a US Navy Seal do a Sergeant Schultz impersonation! “I know nothing!” Another heartbreaking example of how former GOP strategist Rick Wilson was correct when he wrote “Everything Trump Touches Dies.” Even the reputation of a US Navy Seal Admiral!
19
If the GOP is stupid enough to allow this cheating President to be their demise, then so be it. Let’s just add the GOP to the trash heap of World History for its complicity to a President that solicited a foreign government to help him win a Presidential Election. And anyone who excuses the Trump behavior, is a danger to our democracy and unworthy to participate in our republic which requires morality and integrity if it is to be respected.
12
Alright, You have to get this word out; I may have figured out the name game significance of the name "Putin". "Put In". Is it "Putt" in, or something worse?
2
The whistle blower is a Trump hater.
Like Strzok and Page .. whose texts showed they had a knowledge of law.
Like Steele .. whose dossier reflected a good command of English language.
But did Mueller find their "evidence" credible?
Why is this Trump hater any different?
2
@Bhaskar, hmmm, because Trump's response confirmed the whistle blower's complaint?
13
No impeachment, trump should be charged with treason.
11
@Paulie
it isn't treason. literally. look it up.
This from a man who squealed "Lock Her Up".
22
@GUANNA
And couldn't even do that
Can;t keep a promise ...
4
When is the official vote? Why is Pelosi backing away from an official vote when the press and the Democrats in the House desperately want a official vote for the record? That was what was done for Nixon And Clinton.
4
She’s waiting on Trump’s promised tax returns and NAFTA rewrite. Oh, and the North Korea beautiful deal, the Javanka Mideast Peace, Infrastructure Week, the Space Force...
10
The only recommendation I can think of is that for
all those commenters who think this is media inspired
deep state manipulation, read together both
the July 25 "reconstructed transcript" and the whistle blower
letter. Then look at the time line of events that the Times
put up earlier in the evening.
What conclusions do you then draw? That is, with that context and evidence in hand, what is a plausible interpretation
that you can make that is consistent with this material?
I would also encourage each and every Senator to do exactly the same thing.
Then, for the senators, I would also ask an additional small favor. Think about what a distinguished former member of your institution, Sam Ervin, might have replied having digested both the timeline of events, the "reconstructed transcript", and the letter.
16
Watching the hearing, today, Acting Director McGuire "seems" like a decent person trying to do the right thing.
However, his insistent efforts to claim The President was not in his Intel division and, therefore, he had to follow protocol as laid out by that "mysterious" body OLC, Office of Legal Counsel, fell very flat. Then, giving the complaint to the DOJ, a possible subject of the complaint,was more icing on the cake.
It is the same as taking the chickens to the foxes. No matter how you parse it and spin and wrap it in 30 something years of commendable service, Director McGuire's judgment is suspect. Furthermore, if I, as a soldier had to follow his command, I would be on hyper alert.
To conclude, after watching 4 hours of the hearing, I would say Mr. McGuire, you should have taken that "credible" whistleblower's complaint straight to Congress. Even if the law had not been as specific as it was, YOU should have marched it right over. You have no excuse.
37
@Blanche White
I totally agree with you.
16
@Blanche White agreed, he looked very uncomfortable trying to look comfortable during that testimony. He looked like he couldn’t be bothered, but at the same time was nervous, squirming about. Something was amiss. I wanted to like him, and I still try to, but I can’t get away from his odd body behavior.
2
@Blanche White
It’s discouraging to think he represents the cream of the crop. A timid toady who seemed skeered of his own shadow.
3
The House should also ask the translator what was in the notes Trump took away and why did Trump tell the translator not to tell anybody what he and Putin talked about. Trump is hiding something said during his meeting with Putin.
31
We are not only facing a seemingly intractable divide between Democrats and Republicans, but when listening to the words used by the right: "information warfare" it provides a stark reminder of how entrenched they are in their opposition to ANYTHING from the center or left of the spectrum. That they are willing to excuse not only law breaking from Trump, but open collusion with a foreign nation to interfere in our elections, shows that they have allegiance only to their tribe/party.
We've become the Dis-United States of America.
19
The bottom line is that
Trump risked his presidency to get dirt on Biden because his political advisors are convinced Trump can easily defeat Elizabeth Warren in the general election and not Biden.
Getting political dirt on Biden would enormously help Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary races.
Trump desperately wants Warren to win the Democratic nomination and not Biden.
Democrats who want to defeat Trump in 2020 should seriously consider it is not Elizabeth Warren that Trump is afraid to face in the debates and at the ballot box in 2020.
It is Joe Biden that Trump does not want to face in he debates and
election of 2020.
11
Why do conservatives seem to be drawn to wearing round frame glasses? It seems universal in the decades of leadership. I'm just curious as to why.
8
A senior government official attempting to hide potentially embarrassing or incriminating evidence in a secret server, away from the usual channels, to keep it from further scrutiny - where have I heard this story before?
9
@brian, never. Clinton did no such thing, and you know it. A separate email server has no relevance to hiding criminal behavior in the White House. Trump needs to be removed, tried and convicted.
11
@Osito Well, yes, in fact Clinton did use a secret email server to hide some of her government work, that's not in dispute. But yes I agree, big difference between her actions and a president's actions - I just find it ironic and hypocritical for Trump and the GOP to be downplaying all of this.
Watch out for the expected diversion from Trump. It will have to be big to work.
17
@joyce
He’ll probably start a war with Iran to divert our attention. trump is BEYOND evil!
12
There is a song that goes something about if you play with a snake dont cry when the snake bites. It was after all a snake. It is telling how there are some who are prepared to look the other way when their President displays his contempt for his office so openly. How bad will that bite need to be before they understand just how dangerous he is.
12
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 Obama 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 here?
What is the problem with encouraging the investigation of wrongdoing?
9
@MIKEinNYC
Private citizen
( crying laughter emojis )
4
And there you have it—the sort of willful ignorance that allows a transparent criminal to get elected to the presidency in the first place. Trump will he gone someday. But will be left with the same zombie populace.
13
Advise everyone everywhere not to harm Trump physically, or a monster will be created. This can be handled politically. Thank you.
3
Why be so upset over Trump interfering in the election. This US interferes all the time in other countries elections. We put Petro Poroshenko in office, At one time we even interfered in Russian elections fo make sure Boris Yeltsin got reelected. And how about all the Latin and Central American elections we have interfered in. Do you remember when we deposed the duly elected President of Iran to put the Shah back on the throne.
9
Well, I remember when your heroes wouldn’t let black folk vote in this country, certainly. Otherwise, I kinda thought you lot thought that we were better than the average.
Hey...is this one of those nihilism, “more substance in our hatreds/Than in our loves,” thingies that Charlie Sykes wrote the great op-ed on a couple hears back?
Because boy howdy, did HE nail Teump and Trumpists. America, they couldn’t care less about.
2
Nobody is going anywhere except Biden. The Democrats need to get behind Warren. And Warren needs to talk to Jamie Dimon and promise she won't touch the banks or Wall Street. If she convince Jamie she will make it to the Oval. Start practicing your pitch Elizabeth.
1
It would be a mistake for pelosi to drag impeachment out over months. The GOP would be wise to removal quickly so they run a nontoxic candidate in 2020.
6
Looks like a Romney-Warren race here.
Trump is going lame duck, will be more focused on his image and impeachment than re election and with 13 months to go, will face a primary challenge.
Biden’s campaign will accelerate in its loss to Warren’s. Biden unfortunately will be tarred with these Ukraine allegations however absurd they are.
13 months to go.
5
Yes its hearsay none of that matters to the Democrats though. They run from one thing to the next trying to nullify an election they though they had in the bag. The idea that this Hunter Biden and his dad did nothing wrong defies logic. Hunter Biden was not paid 50000 a month for years for his expertise in the Ukrainian oil business. Rather this was sleazy influence peddling. If the Dems think the majority of voters will accept this was all on the up they are very dumb or they want to clear the deck for Warren to get the nomination.
4
Note: the National Security Advisor at the time, John Bolton, was gone a month later. I wonder if he was there for the call, and the later coverup, realized the danger, and headed for the exits.
14
@Lenny Kelly
Good point!
2
Exit to where ? He was there when it happened. Leaving the scene afterwards is fleeing, not a free pass.
3
“Senior White House officials tried to ‘lock down’ a record of President Trump’s call with the leader of Ukraine in an attempted cover-up.”
And Pelosi would agree with this Nixonian statement: "This is a cover-up!"
6
It looks like Donald Trump cannot come out of this mess even if his friend Kim Ju Un helps with Nuclearization in Korean Peninsula leading Trump sharing a Nobel Prize with Kim.
1
Trump's connections before becoming President were the NYPD and the CIA. Investigate fully, the brazen rainy day murder of Californian Brendan Lincoln Woodard under a scaffold near Columbus Circle several years ago before Trump ran for office. A published photo of the gunman in a hooded raincoat had a facial profile similar to Eric Holder, but he was shorter.
I’m sure Trump and his many minions will double down and use their giant propaganda machine to turn the narrative to ‘corrupt Biden’ and ‘traitor Democrats’. I wish it were not so. It is the end of democracy really. The Republicans only care about power and ‘winning’.
7
We need to see the other transcripts improperly hidden.
12
I am sick and tired of the smoke and mirror denials of Trump, the G.O.P. , and the entire Republican base over their total denial of the facts. The words and actions of Trump and his sycophants are there for the whole world to see and read. The Mafia like language of Trump`s obvious attempted extortion of the Ukraine President reads like a Godfather script. "Make him an offer he can`t. refuse. Give us dirt on the Biden`s and you get the $400 Million aid you need to fight (my buddy) Putin. Or you are going to be defenseless very soon." If the Democrats do not Impeach over this outrageous behavior; why would future Presidents not feel emboldened and encouraged to resort in this kind of international shakedown in the future. This whistle-blower; whoever it might be; may have been one of the most patriotic and courageous acts the U.S. has seen in a very long time. Nothing much at stake here except possibly democracy and the Constitution itself. No wonder Trump is having yet another meltdown. As Joe Friday would say,"Just the facts ma`am; just the facts. The facts are damning; and even Trump cannot escape them this time.
17
@Greg Hodges
Agreed!
Except IF Congress allows trump to slither his way out of this one, he’ll declare himself “ president for life” like his Chinese buddy Zhi Ping; and when trump is tired of the presidency, he’ll turn the reins over to his favorite child, Ivanka!
4
Imagine what he has discussed w Putin, taking the interpreter’s notes and forbidding him/her from speaking about it (btw can he do that? “Forbid” the interpreter from speaking about it? Hope that person blows a whistle soon too geesh)
But really. This is nuts. We either become a banana republic or we get the guy out soon.
14
@Expat
Congress definitely needs to curtail the executive powers of the president.
This is a Wake up call for our country. Hope we do the right thing.
9
I think the leaker/whistleblower never once heard any smidgen of the actual conversation. This is all rumor on top of hearsay, exactly like the never-verified Steele dossier sworn to be accurate by 4 or 5 DoJ clowns destined for a pententiary near you.
3
This is no surprise. It took him a while, but he managed to fire, scare off or push out anyone who could guide or constrain him in any way. He basically stopped working and spent all his time watching tv, tweeting and golfing. It will be interesting to see if there are any calls to Putin hidden in that "top secret" server, and they will probably contain his assurance that Vlad has nothing to worry about. He, Trump, will con this new Ukrainian president into securing his re-election and taking the 2016 Russian election hacking charge and pinning it on the Ukraine. Our government has been run like Trump, Inc. for some time, so there is no telling what they will find in his little hidey hole......I just hope it's enough to send him packing. Just make sure he pays back the taxpayers for all his vacations before he leaves.
13
Donald J. Trump just can’t help himself. Rather than back off, he issues another impeachable offense by intimidation of legal witnesses (Whistleblower), in insinuating that spy’s in earlier days were dealt with harshly by execution. We heard the tape and now viewed the cell phone video. We know what he meant and he wasn’t joking. This is why he isn’t fit to be President. Doesn’t know when to shut up. That’s what you get from an individual who thinks in his own mind that he is Mr. Wonderful and can con himself out of anything. You have to do much better than that in your next installment of As The “Trump Distraction Syndrome” Turns. Try harder not to incriminate yourself even further, Sir.
Your still in check, but soon to be Checkmate, Mr. President.
Good Riddance!
12
I’m much more concerned about the fact that Joe Biden’s son got paid $50,000 PER MONTH sitting on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while VP Joe Biden acted as the Obama administration point man vis a vis Ukraine.
‘Conflict of interest’ is an understatement!
4
@Susanna, you're more concerned about a random person's former job then the fact that the President of the United States blatantly committed treason? You're more concerned about nepotism (like there's no nepotism in Trump's family) than Trump committing high crimes and misdemeanors?
12
@Osito
That’s why trump loves the poorly educated.
Elections have consequences
4
Impeachment is too good for Trump. Instead I think we should, to borrow his own words, do what we “used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason”.
61
@Bob Hawthorne
You are too kind.
Impeachment needs to be followed by a lifetime of subsidized housing, maybe in the same prison Epstein was in but with total and real surveillance ... including a remote camera in the Oval Office and one locked to the ankle of the Senate Majority Leader McConnell - just, you know, as reminders.
18
It's time for the identity of the whistle-blower to be revealed. Right now some anonymous person is causing all of this travail. Let's find out who we're talking about.
4
@MIKEinNYC The President just publicly threatened the whistle blower today!! Of course he/she shouldn't be revealed!
13
So there haven’t been enough death threats against this person yet from Donald Trump and his supporters? You want them to actually know who to target?
12
No@MIKEinNYC No, it isn't. This is a person who followed the law and is entitled to its protection. The NYT has been grossly irresponsible in publishing ANY details about his or her identity.
When a Trump appointee publicly acknowledges that the whistleblower's complaint is credible, that's all you need to know.
It the whistleblower's decision whether to reveal his or her identity. Not yours. And not the NYT's.
11
We need to know if Trump is compromised by Putin and has been taking actions to favor Putin's foreign policy objectives simply by hinting at what he would like Trump to do. Trump was mentored by RoY Cohn mob lawyer and knows how to be devious as the "feds ' are always listening and watching so he must be careful in carrying out Putin's wishes. Trump knows if Putin were to reveal what he knows about Trump and Russian mobster dealings Trump would be finished as president ,loose his fortune and face possible prison. Trump would do anything to stay in power as we see with the Ukraine call and the Helsinki act of sticking by Putin vs our own intel agencies. Roy Cohn would be so proud of the monster he created and AG Barr has filled his sordid shoes.
14
I read the complaint and it absolves President Trump and he has nothing to worry about.
By the way, does anyone know whether prisoners are allowed to issue tweets?
6
I find all this so interesting.
All the Russian interference and now this? Russia annexing Crimea and warring with Ukraine and now Trump is selling arms and practically begging them fix his enemies because now everyone is looking at Russia? Playing both sides? Vladimir won’t be too happy, unless this is all part of his dastardly plan. Let’s face it, Trumps not smart enough. Just enough to botch the whole thing.
3
Did Trump ask Ukraine president to frame Joe biden and his son? the answer is NO. Trump has right to ask for help with corruption investigation? of course He has the right. Trump is not above the law so does Joe Biden and his son. Let's bring them all out under the sun, that's fair and only acceptable to most people.
3
Sure. Let all of them pay for their misdeeds. That includes Trump.
4
@Jim
To ask a foreign government for help in a Fed election is a felony. So, no, Trump does not have the right to break campaign law.
8
@ Jim
Have you bothered to read anything at all about what happened in the Ukraine?
The Biden accusations were ajudicated. No crime involved.
The European Union, the IMF, the United States goverment, the anticorruption reformers in Ukraine, and others, all wanted the Ukrainian prosecutor replaced because he was corrupt.
You have been gaslighted by don the con, Vladimir’s puppet.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rferl.org/amp/30181445.html
Trump described his call with the Ukranian president as "Perfect".
I am happy to finally agree with something he said. I'd describe it more as "a self-inflicted unforced error", but if it helps end this national nightmare, "perfect" sounds about right.
34
Next step, ...Trump play book : After all else fails create a diversion... Watch for a military response to Assad regime using chlorine in MAY attack . Trump team has been holding that in back pocket until needed . Our brave military will be used to create a diversion for the president .
14
I think perhaps the media or the forces behind it trying to make Trump win the election.
1. Intentional misrepresentation of the transcript :do me a favor followed by ” ...” and Biden. Why not list other 500 words following do me a favor which sight completely different issues! Surely all know that people aren’t dumb and such misrepresentations will be revealed.
2. Nothing illegal or inappropriate in the conversation IFF in fact there was a buyout by Biden team of crooked Ukrainian legal team.
3. What about 2016 dealings by DNC?
All this was revealed and now not only will the Democrats will not impeach Trump, completely ludicrous given lack of evidence or support in the Senate. I think the forces behind it giving all the rope needed to Democrats to lose not only the election but the House.
Dear Democrats: focus on issues:
Medicare for all, environment and economy. Do not waist time on issues you can’t win!
5
@RS
Funny how it was Hillary Clinton who was committing all the crimes right up until the very day that Biden declared his candidacy. And when it looked like he had a good chance of being nominee, Trump suddenly became concerned with "corruption" in the Ukraine. Of course, it wasn't like Trump was concerned enough to actually have professionals investigate since he had the FBI at his beck and call. Nope, he needed his personal lawyer/fixer Rudy Giuliani who was going to get the dirt that he ordered the Ukraine to find if they wanted their foreign aid.
No one who loves this country would say "let's ignore when the President commits a crime."
7
@RS
Dems need to borrow from the Republican playbook: the end justifies the means.
1
What we probably need to understand is that there very likely may be crimes being committed especially for now to cover up these accusations!!! Like literally right now!!!
If they’re going to do any more wrong, they’re probably doing it RIGHT NOW, as these stories break!!!!! They may be doing even more coverup! I would bet they’re, given how Trump believes he’s above the law and he’s wronged!!! And people around him clearly love being in their jobs etc, and they may be politically supportive!! So even as we read this, I would bet there’s wrong being done specifically related to these exposures, or even other things!!! And this just about things we know about from this allegation!! It says they’ve done this before with that security network etc etc!! This is a sophisticated and emboldened and willing network that views itself as above the law!!!
9
We no longer need to contemplate Trumps behavior.
We no longer tolerate abuse.
Stand firm. Stay focused.
Justice prevails.
16
Why have we heard no opining from the usual Constitutional scholars of the left? Because they know that this does not come close to justifying impeachment under the Constitution.
4
I adore it when Trumpists wawl and cry about the Constitution almost as much as when I see them screech about fair play, due process, evidence and the rule of law.
14
This whistle blower's complaint, unlike the 448-page Mueller Report, is actually readable by busy people like me, and is masterfully organized, written and documented. It is powerfully persuasive and, thanks to its brevity, far more dangerous to Trump than the Mueller Report, which defeated itself by its length, among other things. Why the Trump White House thought it was exculpatory and allowed its release dumfounds me. It and we truly seem to live in alternative universes.
21
Do any of you out there think that the Republican Senate will vote to impeach Trump ? If it even gets that far ? Anyone ? I didn't think so. So, given that, what have the Democrats accomplished ? Is this going to endear them to the voters of the battleground states that they HAVE to win ? Didn't think so either. This is going to cost the Democrats the '20 election.
2
"They told me that there was already a “discussion ongoing” with White House lawyers about how to treat the call because of the likelihood, in the officials’ retelling, that they had witnessed the President abuse his office for personal gain."
The impeachment proceedings will need more than "they told me" and "they had witnessed". And someone else repeating the same stories is not corroboration.
2
Clearly, this country and its people cannot tolerate this lawlessness. Congress really has no choice but to impeach Trump.
24
It is bizarre watching the president's staff, enablers and congressional acolytes fall all over themselves to minimize the seriousness of his alleged malfeasance in light of White House exacting efforts to bury the evidence.
26
Bottom line: the president asked a foreign country to dig up dirt on his political opponent while withholding military aide. What the president did is illegal. It doesn't matter if there was pressure or if he was holding back military aide to extort the foreign leader (even though it seems obvious that was the case), it is still illegal to even ask a foreign country for dirt on a political opponent, and an impeachable offense.
20
This follows the same pattern as the Kavanaugh debacle last week. There are plenty hearsay but no crime. That ran out of steam in a few days. How long will this last? One day, they accuse him of treason. No ones convinced, then next day they claim coverup. Will this last to the end of October?
Most of the TV news personalities are going along with it but some of the ones who remain pro's don't seem too convinced. They read the copy but and recite the condemnations, but their facial expressions say it's just smoke.
2
This guy just never learns, but he's really not to blame. We Americans are the real problem. We don't demand better from our Senators and Representatives in Congress. We allow them to not answer their phones, to not clear their voicemail boxes, to not read their mail - digital or hard copy. We allow them to accept funds from lobbyists and we allow them to threaten our very existence. This is all our fault. We, the American people, need to take responsibility for what is happening to this country. Trump is a symptom. The longer we sit by and moan "oh woe is me" the longer this will go on, moving us closer and closer to a breaking point. At the rate we're going, this country will not survive. We'll be lucky if we make it to the next election.
7
What is contained in the report may be 100% correct, may be 0% correct, or somewhere in between. It deserves to be fully investigated. What is so disappointing but so expected is how it is being treated as gospel on one side and as nothing but lies by the other before any verification of the information has been done. This is what we have devolved to.
I fear that the legacy of the Trump administration and of the reaction (and possible ascendancy to power) of the far left will be the destruction of our nation as the foundation put in place by our founding fathers is reduced to rubble. For all its shortcomings, for all the mistakes made, for all the lives lost, for all its issues with discrimination, inequality, and biases, it still created the greatest nation on earth for the past 100 years that created the most opportunity for the most people.
1
Just listened to the recording. Trump just said, "In the old days, we treated spies differently than we do now." (I'm assuming death?) He called the whistle blower a spy. Then everybody laughed. This is the President suggesting death for a government employee for doing their job. Not really funny to me.
24
The current events provide an optional way to highlight the importance and value of the Mueller report findings: 1) The Trump organization was willing to accept election interference aid from foreign countries/individuals. 2) The Trump org. was found to obstruct the investigation. This is identical to the Ukraine scenario. 1) seek aid 2) hide evidence. With the impeachment inquiry it is important for the house to investigate the conversations Trump had with Putin (have the stenographer testify).
It is not explained enough that only because the Russians didn't have dirt on Hilary did the Trump tower meeting not turn into a blazing gun, rather than the still very smoky gun it ended up being.
The republican party claims to be the party of law and order, but it seems that the general public is not allowing the Democrats to show that it has always been the reverse.
The republican party impeached Clinton for lying about an extramarital affair. If Biden were to win the presidency and the house were to fall in the hands of the republicans, they would immediately start impeachment inquiries.
You have to believe in the process. Just like we nowl look back and agree that Nixon broke the law and him resigning was correct.
14
@Richard - - - While Barack Obama spent tens of millions of legal fees preventing Americans from learning the details, the actual commications between Obama and the Iranian junta before and after he sent the,m $130 billion and the ransom payment for the seized U.S. servicemen will be a huge atory no matter how long it takes the truth to emerge.
A HUGE difference between liberal Richard Nixon and Bill and Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama is that Nixon clearly ended up backed into a corner trying to protect a handful of people, while the shenanigans done to help our country's enemies by bad leaders of recent years were fully intended from the first step.
To the whistleblower: Your courage is considerable and your fealty to doing what's right commendable. Thank you. Your road ahead will be fraught...
18
The volume of disinformation is overwhelming. I expect Trump to escape conviction and our country to be more polarized then ever.
Biden will become more marginal as a candidate.
I fear the impeachment inquiry may backfire for the Democrats.
5
What? And allow the criminal at the White House get away with his corrupt behavior? No. The GOP might decide not to vote for the impeachment but the’ll have to deal with us in 2020.
8
Would be nice if there was another whistleblower within the next few days to get Republicans leaders to realize that Trumps days are limited and to publicly state that he should no longer be their president.
15
The Democrats should have stayed calm and let the People speak with their votes in November 2020. Cooler heads would have prevailed.
7
I adore seeing Trumpists go off about cooler heads. It’s like watching hummingbirds militate for having an attention span.
5
Does anyone think it is possible that this whistleblower complaint which is obviously extremely well written and outlined - could be written by John Bolton or perhaps former DNI Dan Coats? Am I crazy or does anyone believe this may indeed be the whistleblower?
6
John Brennan has my vote on this one. The Whistleblower got lots of help (a team). It is beautifully composed.
1
The whistle blower didn't write the report released today. That was the IC IG.
6
Republicans’ argument that there was no quid pro quo here because Trump did make an explicit threat is nonsensical. This type of message is conveyed through implicit means; the meaning is very clear in this case. Just have Rudy go on more talk shows to muddy up the waters.
11
Today, I read the very minimal release of Trump's conversation with the Ukrainian president, read the whistleblower's testimony, watched the hearing with DNI Maguire, and listened to the audio of Trump today making veiled threats about the "spies" and what their punishment should be. Any legislator who is unable to see this as "high crimes and misdemeanors" is not fit to represent the American people or the United States.
32
As has been said many times, "It's not the crime it's the cover-up." This time we have both.
16
Do any of the senior GOP Trump enablers ever worry how history will remember them?
17
No. That is a Canadian thing.
5
Looking beyond today with the assumption that it is just a matter of time before Trump is gone I wonder who in his sycophant party will survive, and how. The 2000 election could be a real mess, whether coward #1 stays or goes. Will they have that famous 'meeting' in time to find another candidate? As Pence keeps parroting Trump at some point does he realize he's blown his chances? Maybe HE is the one organizing that meeting? Who does he call, what sort of risk is he taking? Or does he skulk around, trying to find some grey area to hide in. There is none ...
Maybe they'll all just quit, call in those debts owed them which come at the expense of the public, but hey, that's just a detail. Open a chevy dealership, a bank, sporting goods, burger joint ... sell guns, forgetfulness, denial, false hopes, wistfully looking forward to a long sad twilight.
As far as Trump's 35%; sorry, you've been used. You have problems, much like the test of the country, and we need to work together.
6
The whole thing sounds like Bribery and Corruption to me.
9
I know Biden is in trouble. Don't gloat.
1
Wait! Are we using our top-est security servers to store transcripts of DJT's more embarrassing conversations?
Yikes, and is there enough room on that cloud?
10
At this point, nothing the left says matters. I'm better off under Trump. Landslide, 2020.
3
@Kimberly Sanders
Read a little. Please.
You have been gaslighted by don the con, Vladimir’s puppet.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rferl.org/amp/30181445.html
The whistleblower was told by somebody, who heard from somebody else, who heard from yet somebody else, that Trump might have said something to the Ukrainian president about Joe Biden’s son’s highly questionable Ukrainian business interests.
Another fail. The Democratic Party just can’t get no satisfaction.
6
Mob/Strong man NYC real estate tactics bumps up against the US Separation of Powers model. Government for the people by the people... there is no King or Queen
9
I had to go to work this morning. But, before I did, I had the privilege to listen to opening statements in this hearing... I left the house and hit the road, incredibly upset, after witnessing the opening statement of Trump troll Devin Nunes, talking about nude photographs, and writing off Trump's treasonous acts as business as usual, and condemning the motivations and concerns of upright representatives as unwarranted attacks.
It was beyond disgraceful, without facts or any other form of legitimacy. (But no doubt supported by Fox Nooz and AM hate radio)
Why are liars like Trump, Graham, McConnell, Barr, and Nunes let off the hook for their lies?
How do Russian assets like Nunes get to positions where they can pollute OUR congress and ruin our democracy?
We have deep problems to solve in America...
believe it starts with a huge segment of seriously under-educated voting populace. When we take the White House and Congress back in 2020, that has to be our number one priority. Ignorance is America's number one enemy.
31
The only way this will pan out in the name of justice is for the whistleblower to come out of the shadows, make himself known, and make public the information he has. Remember when Nixon stonewalled the news media and twisted the arms of politicians and judges and cited “executive privilege” to hide what he wanted hidden. He succeeded —until one local judge, not a federal judge, not an appellate judge, but one city judge, said NO, I'm not going to do what the president tells me to do I'm going to do what the Constutution tells me to do. And this turned the tide. You know what happened to that city judge? He became Time magazine's Man of the Year. His name was John Sirica.
9
If Mr. Maguire is so concerned about his integrity, perhaps he should behave as though he has some.
10
Where is Sam Ervin, now that we need him?
5
Hasn't been Trump's "modus operandi" for the past 56 years.....?
A gaslighter. Trump and his pre-emptive strike tactics to plan secret meetings with their lovers, to discredit other people, to keep them off balance, and have you question the reality in order to get “revenge” or gain control over people or situations.....
11
I wonder if there is a recording and or transcripts on the Ukrainian end? It would be interesting if some intrepid reporter got their hands on that.
4
The Ukraines know a little sum'n thing about intrigue; They have a complete non filtered transcript of the the conversation.
5
It’s amazing when people will not see what is right in front of their faces. Oh it’s hearsay - no, he admitted what he did. You not only don’t believe learned people talking common sense, but with the person who said them. He asked for a favor, he admitted that. So didn’t his all over the place personal lawyer. So jump up and down all you want. Trump was doing what he always has done his whole life. He was doing the deal. You do something for me and I’ll do something for you. He sells our country for such a cheap price. With our tax dollars. Remember that. Next time he uses our country to payroll a slimy deal.
9
DJT--draining the "Swamp" by pumping swamp water and swamp creatures onto his own ship.
Gawd, those of you who support Trump are beyond blind.
13
It occurs to me that if the current crop of Republicans were in the Senate in 1973, Nixon would have never left office. Back then, guys like Howard Baker had real integrity and backbone. McConnell, Portman, Graham, Cotton, Cornyn, et al, not so much.
91
Mitt Romney may well be the most crucial politician in the country right now. The only way I can see the senate removing Trump from office is if they follow his lead.
33
@Autumn
Romney has shown no real backbone yet. Withhold your judgment of him--"the most crucial politician in the country right now"--until he is asked to vote for or against impeachment. That circumstance will reveal whether he is a genuine profile in courage.
From what I've observed of Mr. Romney over the years, he's a good-looking man in a suit, but he has most often turned toward whatever direction the wind is blowing.
33
@Autumn
Who would follow romney?
Just another weak son of a smart successful man like trump.
That's all the GOP offers - aristocrats
6
@Autumn Romney does and says whatever is personally expedient for himself in the moment. Trump says whatever he is THINKING which is quite different. Romney’s closest peer is fellow second-place finisher Hillary Clinton. They are “polished” protectors of status quo elites like us. They do or say whatever seems convenient to protect people like us.
3
Republican senators need to quickly go to Trump and tell him they have the votes to remove him.
If he refuses to resign, the articles of impeachment need to be expeditiously assembled, presented to the Senate, and Mr. Trump escorted from the White House.
42
Srdumb No such Republicans exist. Thankfully. This will be like Clinton. So much sizzle in the House and then in one afternoon, the Senate dispenses with the matter and the President pops the cork on the White House Lawn.
3
"I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the ability of persons located, in whole or in part, outside the United States to interfere in or undermine public confidence in United States elections, including through the unauthorized accessing of election and campaign infrastructure or the covert distribution of propaganda and disinformation, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."
So, even Donald Trump agrees that the actions of Donald Trump constitute a threat to national security.
10
I think this is the way Trump has done business his entire adult life. He doesn't see anything wrong with it. Whatever he can do to gain advantage he considers smart business. If there's any problems, the lawyers handle it. Probably the most shocked person of all when told he can't do that in politics, was Donald Trump.
59
@JimmySerious
Its ruining the whole darn show for him isn't it?
2
All Republican elected officials and their supporters need only ask themselves one question: what would they say if Obama had done this? Or Hillary Clinton?
41
Carl Bernstein said on CNN that he thinks the Complaint is the work of several people at high level - as perhaps was also the case with 'Anonymous'.
I hope the Deep State actually works.
27
@Martin Frightening - a group of partisan people who apparently got numerous facts wrong as now being shown by Rudi's communication timeline with Ukraine and State Dept. They want to undermine an election yet they do not have any problem with corruption from Biden. Probably they are also the beneficiaries of that corruption which is why they remain anonymous.
2
@Dan
I think that's what psychologists call Projection:
You imagine others' actions to be a mirror of your own, but you're really just admitting your own mistakes in an inverted form, in an attempt to foist them off on someone else.
Bit of a giveaway.
“Russia, if you’re listening,” find Clinton's emails. Mueller carefully documented Trump's collusion with Russia.
So we've already known, for a few years ago, what Trump was and is capable of doing.
This situation therefore isn’t a surprise. What’s a surprise is how quickly Trump's scheme has unraveled and that he's so tone deaf he thought releasing the evidence of his wrong-doing would exonerate him.
26
This is Trump shooting himself on Fifth Avenue. Whereas Pelosi was reluctant and slow moving, the gravity of this threat to our democracy finally put the issue above politics enough. The dire report on the grave situation with our climate, our oceans, comes low on front pages this day but we really need to unseat this president for reasons such as having to move on mitigating and dealing with climate change. Climate issues are not impeachable legally. So there must be Someone up there. We need to unseat this disaster of a president.
20
This should be be thoroughly investigated for the good of the nation.
12
Efforts need to be made to determine whether Pence was involved, what he knew and when he knew it. He needs to go as well
38
@expat
Republic Senators will never allow Speaker Pelosi to become President.
There seems to be a lot of senior Govt officials and White House staffs who have been roped in by Trump to break the law, including one private individual by the name of Rudy Giuliani. They scrambled to hide a criminal act. Otherwise why do it ? Have they committed a crime by their action of hiding the crime or an incriminating act ?
20
Question.
Could Trump and the Republicans have started an investigation into Biden and corruption themselves as soon as they saw the Fox News release in March 2019? If so why choose this avenue?
4
@Pablo
There was no corruption to investigate regarding Vice President Biden.
6
Funny how President Trump didn't like the contemporaneous memos of others calling him out, claiming they were untrue and skewed the facts. but now that we are discussing one of his administration's contemporaneous memos of his phone call with Mr. Zelensky, it is beautiful and truthful. What charlatan.
14
Trump only understands quid pro quo as a matter to benefit himself. As he had previously admitted that he would personally accept foreign help on political matters, what line is there from directly asking for it?
Giuliani has demonstrated time and again the absence of morality, as he acts as Trump's hired gun to dig up dirt on opponents while burying Trump's dirt. Though his buffoonish act will put him in a cell with Trump's last personal attorney when he gets thrown under the bus.
Impeachment will only occur once Giuliani falls.
11
Does anyone else find it ironic that the man who wanted to "lock her up" is having transcripts of his conversations removed from a server for political purposes?
45
Trump never surprises. The charlatan president’s nihilism is breathtaking. He has consistently flouted the constitution and and shown nothing but disrespect for the rule of law of the nation. Impeachment is necessary and the tools to do it are present.
20
The complaint is extraordinary. Immediately, we know Barr, and Giuliani as his personal lawyer, must recuse themselves. We need to know if Giuliani has any legal grounds to insert himself in US diplomatic relations and any activities involved. Barr himself may need to be investigated if he met with Ukrainian officials to investigate the Bidens. Did the state dept really prompt Giuliani, and if yes, who? Giuliani volunteered his cell phone on Fox News. They should subpoena him for that evidence and see how cooperative he is or isn’t. And the use of government servers to bury all this, will need to be investigated. As for Trump, just stop. You’re not good enough at politics to do the job. Please resign ASAP.
11
An informant tells an intelligence officer that certain bad actors are going to hijack a plane and crash-fly it into the White House. What should said intelligence officer do: A. Nothing, because it is hearsay? B. Nothing, then blame Obama because somehow it was his fault? C. Suggest an investigation of Joe Biden for whatever reasons, soto curry favor with DJT?
10
It is like watching a moth heading towards the blue light with a deadly zap. And, you can see the inevitability of the moth’s demise.
9
Now I am very suspicious of all the “Executive Time” spent in the White House residence, and all the meetings held at his golf clubs. Out of sight, out of view, he is conducting our nation’s business on the phone and in private meetings, and I suspect lying about it (not sure if he ever tells the truth). At first I thought he was eating Toaster Strudel, tweeting, and watching TV til noon, but it now appears otherwise, and he and his staff are hiding the memos and records of these conversations. I hope his handlers continue “to let Trump be Trump”. He may be the highest rate show on TV. Again. Soon.
13
What is most terrifying to me about this President is how little value he has for others.
This President appears willing and ready to sacrifice the entire country of Ukraine for the sake of misinformation of another human whom he sees as a dangerous rival in a future USA election.
Such a grotesque form of misanthropic behavior as demonstrated by Trump towards Ukraine cannot be allowed to go unchecked.
The degeneracy needs to end now.
24
@ Truth is True
Well said.
The Presidency of the United States of America in total freefall. Taking the Nation with it.
Incredible.
Despicable.
Horrifying.
Irresponsible.
Criminal.
Hard to see a way forward as a unified nation, I am certainly not ready to engage any Republican. There are very few, if any, Rebulicans that I could trust.
And not that I trust all Democrats, either. But they are trying to uphold our Constitution and our Laws.
And understand, very cleary, that Obama was my first democratic vote since I started voting in 1976.
I cannot see myself ever voting Republican again.
MB
27
Impeach both trump and pence. The disgrace they have brought on our country may never be repaired. The MAJORITY of Americans expect nothing less.
13
Mexico wants the Wall to be built : To prevent The Donald from crossing over and landing in its territory. Who can blame them?
15
After the Mueller investigation, you would think Trump would stop asking foreign countries to illegally meddle in our elections. But instead he doubled down on his crimes. Biggest traitor in US history. Impeachment isn't even enough to punish this man; he has no morals, no principles and no allegiance to this country nor respect for our laws and constitution. Worst pres in US history. He should pay dearly for the damage he has caused this country and other countries. Let the hearings begin.
22
It's time to resign Mr. Trump, it's time.
17
If this is such an existential threat to the republic, if the constitution has somehow been shredded in a phone call, why is Nancy Pelosi and Congress going on a two week vacation?
7
@Chris. But, the staffs, which do the real work, won't be away.
1
The Democrats should be considering how their actions against Trump could empower corruption in Ukraine or elsewhere, because they’re making Zelensky look like a victim of bribery by our president.
2
@ Mark
No, Zelensky is a victim of extortion by the leader of the most powerful country in the world. He is a victim, not a perpetrator.
His country has been invaded by Putin. He needs US military aide.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rferl.org/amp/30181445.html
3
Fortunately, the Democrats realize their first duty is to ensure that corruption is not the standard practice of OUR government. Ukraine is going to have to take a backseat on that.
1
Trump has concluded he can’t win in 2020. He’s self-impeached not to rally his base, he had them already.
Rather, he is willing to force impeachment to gamble that he may be able to peel off those Americans who abhor impeachment and who might hold it against the Democratic candidate. Trump knows there are no crimes he can’t commit because he knows the Senate will never convict him. Certain of this, his 2020 theme will be Democrats in power achieved a false impeachment.
Trump switched to the self-impeachment track after the backlash of his racist “go home” campaign theme caused a drop in his approval ratings.
Be logical, he hasn’t built the wall, Iran isn’t renegotiating, the economy is problematic, he’s still in Afghanistan, Syria, he’s had no legislative accomplishment save for the disastrous tax break and he’s run up a trillion plus in debt. Oh and that trade war idiocy. Trump needs the impeachment and non-conviction to have something to run on.
Trump planned and wants to be impeached. This is a sleazy campaign tactic by the sleaziest candidate in history.
3
What is Dan Coat's role in this story? He and his deputy, Sue Gordon sure resigned in a hurry.
4
Can we put 2 and 2 together?
April 2018 Andrew Guiliani, Rudy Guiliani’s son, joined Trump’s legal team
Feb 2019 Tyler McGaughey, William Barr’s son in law, joined Trump’s legal team
From the complaint:
“The White House officials who told me this information were deeply disturbed by what had transpired in the phone call. They told me that there was already a “discussion ongoing” with WHITE HOUSE LAWYERS about how to treat the call because of the likelihood, in the officials’ retelling, that they had witnessed the President abuse his office for personal gain.
In the days following the phone call, I learned from multiple U.S. officials that senior White House officials had intervened to “lock down” all records of the phone call, especially the official word-for-word transcript of the call that was produced—as is customary—by the White House Situation Room. This set of actions underscored to me that White House officials understood the gravity of what had transpired in the call.
White House officials told me that they were “directed” by WHITE HOUSE LAWYERS to remove the electronic transcript from the computer system in which such transcripts are typically stored for coordination, finalization, and distribution to Cabinet-level officials.”
6
Once again, evening after evening, I am seeing posters imply that Hunter Biden at $50k a month was somehow overpaid and/or "inexperienced."
First, Hunter Biden graduated with a law degree from Yale. Second, Hunter had years of experience as a lawyer, lobbyist and a banker who also became involved in venture capitalism. Third, Hunter was also on other Boards prior to the energy company in Ukraine.
Gheeze folks, $600k is not a lot of money for an experienced lawyer who graduated from Yale in 1996. By the time he was on the Burisma Board in 2014, Hunter had 18 years of experience after law school. Posters here act like he was some school boy with a paper route that was suddenly put on a board because his dad was V.P. Do you people read?
17
No kidding that’s a Silicon Valley low exec salary.
Please vote this man out. I want a president I don’t think about every day
17
Worse, the reason is the leakers surrounding Trump. If he had a small cabal like Prez O had, he would not need a super secure server. The docs were not destroyed. They were secured for posterity.
1
Trump runs the White House and the country like the crime boss that he is. He is aided and abetted by his crime family lieutenants - Mulvaney, Pompeo, Ross and McConnell.
13
As far as the "Whistler" she or he is a very strong American. Uptmost respect.
10
I’m actually looking forward to President Pence.
12
@Covfefe. Pence may be implicated as well. Pelosi could be the first female president we get. Now that would be a shock to the Republican psyche.
19
He may very well go down too. And Barr and who knows who else. Lindsey would be nice. And McConnell. The cover up was vast.
2
@Covfefe, I hope he’s out with Trump. As a woman still in her child-bearing years, I’d rather not see Gilead come to fruition.
3
The “whistler” actually didn’t see a thing... or hear a thing...so as far as we know, it was Hillary Clinton. Shame on Pelosi. She jumped the gun without the facts. In her eagerness to despise this president, she just handed him a re-election. We would do well to remember that...
12
CIA officer is patriot; like Nathan Hale himself willing to risk all for his country. Public servants/politicians must always answer to the people - we are America, not Soviets.
12
@Kimbo
Did you say "eagerness to despise"?
She's been anything but eager, dragging her feet on impeachment, until the tidal wave was overwhelming.
15
@Kimbo
So you're saying without this move by Pelosi he was going to lose ?
Care to elaborate ?
Sounds like you're saying that based on his record he's not worth re-electing
Ok then
Glad you're on the record. I think you'll find most Americans actually agree his record is pretty awful
Thanks !!
9
Rudy G said Trump will be seen as a hero. Rudy has lost all credibility as far as I am concerned. Rudy is mentioned dozens of times in the whistleblower complaint. So naturally he is trying to save himself. He is no longer America's Mayor. He is Trump's sycophant. A disgusting display of servility by a man who was once considered a fine man. Except for his divorce. That is another story.
51
Few who really knew him consider him a fine man. Just ask his ex-wives.
17
@Sharon Conway
Indeed Rudy oversaw the remarkable transformation of NYC ...What happened to this man?
Which divorce?
I think many of us are tired of this horror story day after day with the Trump Administration. Had he done things right, many would have given him the benefit of the doubt; however, each day we are fed so many lies that we don't know anymore how to recognize the truth when Trump speaks. I watched the Hearings today and thought the Dems asked good questions which only solidified the feeling that extreme unlawfulness was committed. I praise the Whistleblower who has had more courage than all of the GOP Legislators.
I am also perturbed by the recent revelations that the Trump Administration aided in the jailing of a NYTimes Reporter in Egypt. It is quite scary to see our Democracy deteriorate in only three years. Three years when no "Great Deals" were realized, but chaos reigns here and internationally.
71
Maguire said that since the whistleblower's complaint did not involve a member of the Intelligence community, he did not feel that it was his responsibility to deal with it. This is an important element of the justification of his subsequent behavior. the question I have, however, is fundamental to the mission of the IC. The danger to the country's security may come from many sources. It may come from politics, the military, the economic, the technological AND from the corruption, abusiveness, self-dealing of members of government, no matter from which sector of the administration. Hence, there is no area that can be excused from the purview of the IC. If the IC earned from a wwhistleblower that members of the military, for example, were plotting a coup, would Maguire say that the matter was not of urgent interest for his department?
28
As Schiff's blunt analysis demonstrated, McGuire was acting on process with zero consideration of the underlying premise of the Whistleblower law. His primary concern was protecting the presidency, when it should have been protecting the American public from the toxic criminal behavior of this President and his henchmen.
12
@Frank Casa
Yes, it would not be within his authority to deal with that.
That's why individual agencies have their own Inspector General, and their own processes to deal with whistle-blower complaints.
If you work for the IRS and have an issue, you're not going to go to the NIH and expect them to deal with your whistleblower issue.
3
The fact that the President of the US was asking a foreign leader to work with his personal lawyer should say it all.... Giuliani is a private citizen and he does Trump's bidding as Michael Cohen use to do. There is no way trump should suggest to a foreign leader who is dependent on America's financial help, that they work with his personal lawyer to get dirt on a potential opponent. This is an egregious abuse of power. Enough is enough....
50
What is difference between corruption in plain sight and the hidden corruption of behind the scene gigs of millions for inexperienced children of VPs? We need to quadruple the budget to prosecute corruption be it on left or right and be it in plain sight or conceded through sleights of hand.
7
@Michael, agreed. The stinky part of the Trump corruption is that he and his gangsters and minions are very savvy about the game's various players. The Clintons and Bidens are not innocent (my fingers are very tightly crossed on the Obamas). And I would love to see an investigation of the tax forms on Mike Pence, Lindsey Graham, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell and spouse, etc.
2
This treachery must end. Trump has consistently demonstrated his unfitness for office for over two years. Though I wasn't present in Charlottesville in August 2017 I still remember the horror I felt when Trump used his false equivalency claiming there were very fine people on both sides in the horrible clash that day.
In Trump's worldview support for him is fine no matter who supports him and what he achieves with said support. Thus the newest scandal with his call involving Ukraine. The ends will justify any means.
Trump is an individual who has never experienced truly stinging consequences arising from his amoral conduct. It's as if the arc of his whole life was forever bending towards the darkness of deceit that America is now essentially cast into due to his occupancy of the Oval Office.
The media can call him President Trump all they want but it's character, humility and genuine compassion that make for a good leader. Trump offers none of these. Thus I call him an occupant of the Oval Office.
IMPEACH this fraudulent "leader" and human being. And then let's get to the business of ensuring Mitch McConnell and his ilk never again serve in the US Senate.
Trump has made the USA a pariah state within the international community. Anyone who drives around with a Proud to be American bumper sticker these days should get an evaluation at an accredited health care facility.
49
Having just read an article regarding this situation in the WSJ, and then reading the comments there, it's incredibly amazing the dichotomy in this nation. I would say over 90% of the comments on the WSJ call this "fake news", "here say", it will help Trump get re-elected, raising Benghazi and Clinton, claiming the Democrats are corrupt, but not Donald Trump. Trump has done absolutely nothing wrong in the eyes of those commenting in that publication. His supporters will go down with him to bottom of whatever sewer pit is waiting for this guy - they will not abandon him, and they will not accept that anything he does is wrong. This in my mind is a serious, serious issue - a significant segment of the American public will support a corrupt President who clearly has used his office to solicit assistance from foreign powers to damage his political opponents. What does that say about us as a people, and about the Republican Party who is willing to allow this type of behavior in order to maintain power? The core issue is that we have a situation where corruption is becoming normalized. Our democracy is in grave peril. Perhaps the readers of the Journal think corruption isn't bad for business - it's the only explanation I can come up with.
50
@dairyfarmersdaughter
This is so ironic—some of what WSJ commenters call “fake news” was actually broken by WSJ.
11
@dairyfarmersdaughter - it is my personal belief that those Trump supporters posting in the WSJ simply cannot admit that they were hornswaggled by the great Trump!
10
@dairyfarmersdaughter
What it tells you about this country is that there is going to be a second Civil War if Trump get's re-elected. Certain states (California, New York, and others) aren't going along for the ride with this guy for another four years, I can tell you that right now. It may not be immediate violence, but there will be people in the streets- I guarantee it.
8
Last election cycle members of the Trump campaign at least entertained Russian interference in the US election. This time around the POTUS is actively encouraging Russians enemy Ukraine to interfere. It’s Russian roulette.
19
I get that some folks were sick of 'same ol', same ol'.
I get that people had legitimate concerns over treatment of middle east affairs.
I understand that some folks believe abortion is a sin.
But is Donald Trump really the answer, and how can you good people, with deeply held conservative beliefs still support a man that, if left to his own devices, would end this country - whether knowingly or unwittingly?
Or maybe that's the point. Maybe this is the last gasp of the fringe evangelical right hoping that the incompetence of this bungling keystone chump will hasten the apocalypse. Maybe that's why Pence is there, too.
I am completely confounded how this wonderful country could (fake) "elect" a "man" like this, and let him break every norm of decency that has stood for nearly 300 years in this magnificent experiment of a nation.
We are not us anymore. We are not good anymore. Trump didn't do this alone, pure evil in the world has foisted this upon us.
But we can end this. We can end this presidency.
42
You forget that the majority of hard core evangelical/conservative Trump supporters don't care about the world ending because a) they get a free pass with their 'rapture' and 2) the destruction of things plays into their self-hate/need for salvation.
4
Hiding government records of illegal activity. Those people (The Donald, who did the call, and the staff, who did the hiding.) should be held accoutable. Correct? And then there's: Rudy. If he is in fact The Donald's "personal" lawyer, then that means he's not on the Federal payroll. I thought it is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. Correct?
31
And Trump's white-nationalist supporters complain about "internationalism"?? What do they think Trump is doing if not that? Psychological projection at play with those.
19
I am a democrat and I will go further than Mr. Brooks has in his article on this site.
This will give Trump the 2020 Election.
My fellow democrats have shown we have nothing more than petty causes and will do anything to show their hatred of Trump. Its a huge mistake.
What we need are the best candidate making the best arguments. What we dont need is mudslinging.
Not only that if Judge RBG dies over the next 5 years Trump will ruin the Supreme Court for our entire lifetime.
My fellow democrats are making a huge huge mistake.
4
@Paul Schejtman
"I think he's awful but now that he's being investigated I kinda sort like him"
- Nobody
Please. This line of reasoning is going nowhere, and the "lifelong Democrat" routine was exposed 4 years ago
7
You are certainly entitled to your opinion but I disagree. Trump needs to be called on this. It is not petty and I don't know how you can even classify this as such. Trump asked a foreign government to dig up dirt on a political opponent. What is so petty about that? Imagine if this had been Obama that engaged in this behavior. Right.... I thought so.
7
@Paul Schejtman
1) I heartily disagree.
2) It’s a question of morality. Impeachment is the right thing to do.
7
Congressional hearings are one thing, but this is a distortion and abuse of the equal power of the 3 branches of government. These are not checks and balances... these are Legislators making themselves judge and jury.
The legislative branch have arrogated to themselves certain unintended and illegitimate broad sweeping powers; these venal know-nothings have slowly acquired the authoritarian role of America’s inquisitors.
The growing Imbalance of Powers is disturbing. As Congress with increasing frequency abuses its power, we Americans are becoming accustomed and inured to the abuse.
2
The only one abusing their power is Trump. But nice try.
8
@Bracket
It is the executive branch that is mad with power.
The legislative branch long ago gave up most of its Constitutional power -- the War Powers Act and National Emergencies Act among many examples.
With Mr. Trump, we are witnessing the chickens coming home to roost.
3
I love that you are trying to equate the The House and it’s investigation as something untoward. You do realize that in the impeachment process the Congress acts as a grand jury and sends their recommendation to the Senate who has a trial?! Maybe Google it.
3
We the People need more information.
Subpoena list:
-- Rudy Giuliani
-- William Barr
-- All 'senior White House staff' involved in deciding to "lock down" the notes memo.
There is also the question of what other calls are "locked down", and what they reveal about illegal White House requests for "favors".
Notice how few are astonished that this has happened, that this White House and this president have been so craven and self-serving as to attempt this solicitation of foreign interference in a United States election. Nobody is surprised, except perhaps that Trump has been caught out at it. I feel like I did in high school watching the Watergate scandal unfold, day by day that summer.
15
@Jim Brokaw
I remember my father telling me to sit down and listen to the hearings because they were historic.
It wasn't until rump that I knew I'd probably see them again.
Hopefully young individuals are told to "sit down" and listen, because they will see the occupant of the oval office held accountable for soliciting a foreign country to aid his re-election. And those corrupt individuals surrounding him held accountable as well.
6
The Democrats' Pyrrhic victory: President Pence until January 2029.
Not my first choice, but I don't have much of a problem with it.
Many thanks for all your help going forward.
@P&L It’s more likely that Pence will go down with Trump as it looks like he was involved. Pelosi, who is 3rd in line for the presidency might soon be our first female president. Get used to the thought. :)
7
@P&L Pence believes this is a Christian nation and no other religions need apply. If you don't mind living under a theocracy he will be fine. I don't want to live like that. Separation of church and state and all that. Trump chose him for that reason. Trump thinks ahead. So should you.
5
@P&L
Mike Pence is incapable of winning a national election.
3
Yesterday, before this complaint became public, PA Republican Senator Pat Toomey proclaimed that none of Trump's conduct rose to the level of an impeachable offense because there was no quid pro. Today, I called Senator Toomey's Erie, PA office and left a message (because, of course, no one would deign to answer the phone for a lowly constituent). I asked whether he would feel the same way if this were conduct by President Obama? I suspect he wouldn't be so eager to excuse this treasonous behavior then. I concluded my message by warning that history will frown on him and his complicit Republican senators. If any of you feel the same way, I urge you to contact your Republican senators, too. Only when the tide of public opinion shifts will there be any accountability for this attempt to invite foreign interference in our election (again).
29
Reading reports and transcripts, trump uses language open to interpretation, as all dons do. Adoring fans see nothing wrong with the, perhaps, rambling (talks just like us...?) conversation. When did the president demand Ukraine help expose those corrupt Biden’s in return for anything? Just a nice coupla presidents chatting. Those of us who have followed the drooping trajectory of his behavior, see a different conversation; it’s life imitating film noir/gangster movies. All language is euphemistic. The language of New York property developers with his fingers in gambling and hospitality. He has trouble speaking coherently until he lapses into his preferred language where “threat” and “fear” are central concepts and components. I’m a pretty normal person; I don’t talk like that.
13
What can Trump do to (1) help Russia and (2) help his 2020 election campaign?
I know! How about (1) withholding military aid needed by the Ukraine to fend off Russian military aggression or (2) bully Ukraine to find and/or manufacture political dirt on Vice President Biden and his son if they want U.S. aid?
23
Thank you. I can’t figure out why most people don’t mention Russia’s interest in withholding aid to Ukraine.
1
Ka-ching, now you’re onto Sony...
As people take to the streets in Hong Kong to try and retain and gain some freedoms; we are allowing this gangster president and his co-conspirators in Moscow, the Senate and the DOJ to diminish ours.
57
Trump has abused the powers of his office. He has violated his oath of office. His executive privilege powers should be eliminated. Everything that entails, particularly witnesses testifying, should be allowed.
33
What makes something as ridiculous as an underlings second guessing a leaders choices important and punishable to the Presidency? While not punishable on things like invading Iraq, Libya, bombing Kosovo, etc....
Feels like we are part of a narcissistic empire, busy navel gazing, without real leadership while our debt bubble balloons, gun violence, etc...
5
Because Trump has abused his power and thus violated his oath of office, his executive privilege powers should be
8
It should be kept in mind that Trump's actions and statements about Ukraine as revealed by the whistleblower are part of a larger, long-running attempt by the Trump administration to manipulate events in Ukraine to try to turn large parts of that country over to Russia, and at the very least to prevent it from being able to join NATO, which Russia opposes. Remember the disgraced "peace plan" that was proposed early on in 2017 by some people in the Trump administration, which involved Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, Felix Sater, and others in Trump's now legally-disgraced rogue's gallery? One of that plan's goals was to make a deal between Ukraine and Russia that would result in Russia's withdrawal of troops in exchange for concessions from Ukraine, including a vote in Ukraine on whether to "rent" Crimea to Russia for 50 to 100 years, thus rubber-stamping Russia's takeover of Crimea, removal of US sanctions against Russia for that invasion, and other nonsense that would have weakened Ukraine for further whittling away by Russia.
So this is about more awful actions than Trump extorting Ukraine by withholding Congressionally-approved military aid from it, as bad as that alone is. That extortion is part of a larger attempt to compromise Ukraine to benefit Russia, and it'll be interesting to see what role Zelensky plays in this.
Here's the NYT's article on this, from Feb 20178:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/us/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-russia.html
24
I know that these Committee Members need their 5 minutes of fame, and I respect Sen. Schiff as as intelligent, well spoken person, but the Democrats on the Intelligence committee approached this all wrong... Here's my take...
"Sir, do you believe the that the document released today is factual and truthful" "Yes"
"Sir, in your opinion, is the individual that brought forth the complaint is apolitical and has done so in good faith in regards to protecting the interests of the US Gov't?" "Yes"
"Sir, in your opinion, does the document and complaint in question reach the bar in regards to reporting it to the Inspector General and as such, required action by said individual?" "Yes"
"At this point, the Democrats of this Committee defer their time to our Republican colleges...."
...and let them devolve..... I'm a middle class guy, and even I saw that....
8
Do the White House officials who helped cover up this abuse of power go to prison along with the President, or are they released into the community to infect others?
24
@RobbieP They all deserve to go to jails; including the 4 lawyers involved in this cover up.The Congress will follow the blood trail up to the secret server and the 2 diplomats involved at State; what else will be find, this is very hard to tell.Putin should be very happy of the Trump's hard work...
13
After reading this I don't know how Trump can win New York or California.
10
@P&L How Trump can stay in office!
@P&L
I don't know how he can win the vote of anyone with a pulse.
How can Republicans continue to be in denial when presented with the bald faced criminal facts on the part of President Trump?
Now, this President and his administration are hunting for the spies, saying they will "punish" them. Chilling. It sounds like what is going on in China right now.
Republicans are okay with this lawless president. When and how will this end? Punishing whistle blowers as spies? Our president, his men and women and the Republicans do not care about us and the United States of America.
28
The Gutless Obtuse Pariahs are jumping up and down, turning blue from the gyrations and convulsions as they try to wrest the spotlight from their "leader" and talk about how it's the very downfall of our nation. It's entertaining.
Of course, the GOP wrote the book on how to bring people in front of endless committees and endless investigations on the same topic, all to the same fruitless (for them) conclusion: no crime, no nothing. Of course, that did not prevent the GOP from trying over and over. What they lack is skill and know how, and having an actual crime to prosecute. The Dems won't have any of those handicaps, as trump was born to be impeached. It is his destiny.
trump is the expert when it comes to obstruction and perversion of justice, time and time again. It is his modus operandi, his forte, his very essence down to his "bones."
So the GOP can complain all they want. I'm happy to watch them twist in the wind as they try to frame this to their benefit, wagging their fingers and clucking their tongues about how the Dems are "going to pay in 2020." As we go through this process, it will become more and more clear that trump really put his foot deep in the muck this time, and, like Nixon, will simply dig his hole deeper and deeper as this moves forward.
26
This international conspiracy, yes, conspiracy, is about Oil and Natural gas. Ukraine has been a focus for decades. Zelensky is a puppet too. Correlate Trump's calls to Zelensky as well as Putin. Russian natural gas flows through Turkey and Ukraine.
10
As a former intelligence officer, I can tell you that I would never have speculated in my analyses about the motivations of individuals on the basis of secondhand information. It is unprofessional and would not have been tolerated. That said, I do not think that the President was attempting to influence the election - he was acting on a grudge, a much more powerful motivator for this individual.
5
@Jonathan; whatever the motive, his action is an impeachable offence.
20
Isn’t most of information used by an intelligence project leader second hand? No single person can be everywhere relevant to the scope. Different field folks gather different elements and the lead makes a decision on information provided by field folks - second hand to him/her.
The call memorandum and the whistleblowers complaint are just the very start of this investigation. The evidence at hand shows that the House has many potential witnesses to interview from the White House and NSC staffers, the OMB as well as the State and Defense Departments.
Let the House interview the witnesses to the call and the staffers first. Those interviews will undoubtedly lead to others involved or with knowledge. Those at the top of this ugly scheme (Mulvaney, Guilani et al) will probably be last on the proverbial hot seat.
Self interest, deniability, and a handy escape route is never far from the minds of guys like Guilani, Mulvaney and Pompeo. Regardless, I'd recommend that Rudy, Mick and Mike seek out the counsel of a couple really sharp attorneys if they've not already done so. This trio and others will need one when sitting in from of Congress under oath.
One final note about whistleblowers; I'll bet there will be others that agree to tell their stories as well. Old adage in criminal investigations-best to be first on the bus. Last ones often find the seats are full and the routes to immunity gone.
Bottom line for me-we've just seen the tip of the iceberg at this point. Churchill famously said following a British victory in 1942 that it was "not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning." That's where we seem to be today.
16
I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. This scandal is much bigger than anyone realizes. Pence will be dragged into it, too.
29
@Marc Trump makes sure he is...he offers to the Congress a verbatim of Pence's call to Ukraine
The complaint is clearly the work of a number of authors, meticulously edited. It will be interesting to find out who these folks are.
6
@Johnny M
I'm not sure why you say it is "clearly the work of a number of authors"? I would have "meticulously edited" any report I was submitting that had national security implications and implications for myself and my family.
This has become an Axis and Allies story and both Hunter and President Trump were on the right side.
1
Republican enablers say "We have seen this movie before" when confronted by the new Whistleblower complaints against Trump.
So, why does Trump provide so many of these "High crimes and misdemeanors" sequels"?
Trump wants to "investigate" the Bidens but why no investigations into Eric, Don Junior and Ivanka Trump or Jared and their business dealings with foreign nations??
16
If the GOP can deny the reality of climate change, they can be counted on to deny the reality of this situation as well.
19
Trump, et al. may not be able to wiggle out of this one. Finally.
21
I don't think Trump followers care about the sanctity of our democracy. They work from a very desperate place of survival at all costs. Maybe the fact they have no interest in democracy should make us question what is going wrong with civics education.
19
You just know that when they get access to that super-secret server, they're going to find a ton of evidence of illegal, nasty stuff that Trump's staff felt they needed to hide from the public. Classification is specifically not intended to prevent embarrassment; it's only for nat-sec. So the staff is going to be in the hot-seat, too.
16
@JimBob Those people should go to jail
None of this could happen without a lot of very scary people in support of Trump. I hope they can be identified and meet the fate they deserve.
22
Please, President Bush, President Obama,
PLEASE, say something. This is our Democracy.
17
Gail Collins sums up the Ukraine-Biden issue nicely:
"The saga Giuliani’s peddling is that when Joe Biden was vice president, he got a top Ukraine prosecutor tossed out of office for investigating Hunter Biden’s business deals in that country. Actually, most of the Western world had loathed said prosecutor for his corruption. But Trump definitely likes Rudy’s story better.
Especially the part about Biden’s kid making large chunks of money from jobs he would never have gotten if his father had been, say, a high school principal in Ohio. We will pause here to recall that Eric and Donald Trump Jr. make their living by running around collecting millions in hotel business from Republican supporters. Rudy Giuliani’s son is serving as a public liaison assistant to President Trump. Moving forward."
18
@HEK
Giuliani's son went to Duke and played golf.
Duke is a great university. I grew up in Durham, and my father works for Duke. Most Duke students are fine people.
But Duke also has a dark underbelly culture that attracts sociopaths (who couldn't get into Ivy League schools, but had the money). Stephen Miller is a prime example. Richard Nixon is another sociopathic Duke alum of note. (To their credit, Duke turned down the Nixon presidential library in the 1980s.)
6
Perhaps Adam Schiff should learn a few things of the law before attempting to get the answer he wants to frame President Trump from someone testifying so he doesn’t make himself look ignorant, especially when he is leading one of the expeditions.
Shouldn’t he or his staff known that any concerns that may fall in the realm of Executive Privilege by law, the Whitehouse counsel would review the information first, but Schiff thought he had a “gotcha” moment when he asked Joe Maguire about the sequence of when the information was brought to the Whitehouse and Schiff interrupts Maguire saying something like “So you brought the information to the perpetrators first” , which Maguire told Schiff it is the law.
1
@MDCooks8 -- you are not correct. It is written into the Whistleblower laws that executive privilege shall not apply. I am not sure what will be done about those claiming executive privilege but it is not allowed in this instance.
6
The law is not clear on this, but Schiff astutely and correctly pointed out that McGuire's actions in this case could have allowed Barr/Trump to make it all disappear (=coverup=illegal). The effect would make the President unanswerable to the law. The law says the complaint 'shall' go to Congress.
2
I am grateful to be an American. I spent a week in Washington D.C. as a 15 year old after winning an essay contest created by Senator Fulbright. I met Richard Nixon and Spirow Agnew during that “Close Up” experience.
I get goosebumps when I hear the National Anthem. I am an American History buff and have read many biographies of our founders. I am a lawyer who practices in federal court because I love our nation, I respect its traditions, and I want to see our laws uniformly enforced.
It has been very difficult to watch Mr. Trump, Mr. Barr, and many other weak people in his Administration shame and disgrace this powerful nation by self-dealing while spewing lies and attacking others. It is maddening to hear the phony baloney Senators support the wrongdoing of this damaged, misguided misfit in our Oval Office.
I pray that we will heal as a nation and that these bad eggs will be properly disposed of. I pray that the slime and stench of these marauding interlopers will be washed out of our Capital. The impeachment proceedings are a good start.
23
The Biden camp might not like what comes out in an impeachment investigation.
Why aren’t Democrats outraged by Joe Biden, while he was VP, trying to get the Ukrainian prosecutor general dismissed, Victor Shoki, who was investigating the Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, on whose board Hunter Biden sits.
I don't know what he's making now, but Hunter was making as much as $50,000/month, not to mention that $1.8 billion in US aid to the company disappeared during Hunter's tenure on the board (which he joined in 2014), while his father was VP.
Sounds like this NEEDS some investigating. It sounds worse than what people are so upset about with the President.
Perhaps, the President was correct to talk to the Ukrainian officials to get a real investigation started.
6
@Raz
"Sounds like this NEEDS some investigating."
It was investigated. The Bidens did nothing illegal.
Furthermore, Joe Biden's demand to fire the corrupt Ukranian prosecutor was the official position of the U.S. government and our allies. And, if anything, would have hurt his son's business interests.
Mr. Trump, on the other hand, attempted to extort Ukraine to be corrupt, in support of his campaign, for his personal interests. And his leverage was our taxpayer money, duly approved by Congress for Ukraine.
Apples and oranges.
14
@Raz If he was correct then why the cover up and the secret server?
4
The Ukrainian prosecuter in question was reviled across Europe and North America as being corrupt. It was formal Obama administration policy. Biden didn't make the policy.
3
Rudolph Giuliani likely oversaw the case surrounding my life when he and I were both back in NY. It's the coal thing.
1
The Biden camp might not like what comes out in an impeachment investigation.
Why aren’t Democrats outraged by Joe Biden, while he was VP, trying to get the Ukrainian prosecutor general dismissed, Victor Shoki, who was investigating the Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, on whose board Hunter Biden sits.
I don't know what he's making now, but Hunter was making as much as $50,000/month, not to mention that $1.8 billion in US aid to the company disappeared during Hunter's tenure on the board (which he joined in 2014), while his father was VP.
Sounds like this NEEDS some investigating. It sounds worse than what people are so upset about with the President.
Perhaps, the President was correct to talk to the Ukrainian officials to get a real investigation started.
1
I find it interesting, the Democrats assume they'll win the White House if they impeach the President.
I don't even see the Democrats winning if Trump resigns from office and walks along a red carpet unfurled on the South Lawn before giving his goodbyes and climbing the steps of the presidential helicopter.
I can easily see Pence in the White House until January 2029.
He's very healthy.
1
@P&L
Physically healthy, perhaps but his mind is clearly another matter. Still, better than Trump where body and mind are both gone to pot.
1
@P&L, we democrats don't assume anything. Whether we win the white house or not, this president is corrupt and needs to go. Even I will take Pence over Trump.
Is this the time for Trump to grant himself a full "Presidential Pardon" for any and all crimes, discovered and undiscovered, past, present, and future?
10
Giuliani and Barr should be disbarred.
49
It makes me uneasy that the WB is conveying second hand information, not communication that he overheard himself. Having said that though, the president has conveniently dug his own hole by admitting that he encouraged the Ukrainian president to hand over dirt on the Bidens, all of which is corroborated by Giuliani. Who's stupider? Trump and Giuliani or the Republicans who continue to support and side with DT? Trump is acting like the ruffian at school who is turned in to the principal by the nerdy kid. How does the rough neck kid dare to get mad when his delinquent behavior is found out just because he never believed any of the nerds around him would dare to tell on him.
7
Presumably he read the transcript, which speaks for itself, as well as other supporting documents. Those documents may have required the US government to take action (ie support Trump’s crusade against Biden).
3
@Odehyah Gough-Israel
"It makes me uneasy that the WB is conveying second hand information"
The whistleblower confirmed this information from multiple primary sources. Congress can identify them, and call them as witnesses under oath.
8
If I had asked someone to kill my neighbor, regardless if they said yes or no, I would be guilty of attempted murder. Trump is guilty, QED !
18
@Mike
And if your neighbor had also asked someone to kill you, that would make you no less guilty of trying to kill your neighbor.
This is the point that Mr. Trump and his sycophants are missing in their "both sides" talking points.
8
@MidtownATL
The problem with that argument is that the neighbor didn't get charged with attempted murder, and was in fact hailed a hero for wanting a bad person gone.
Rudy should be disbarred.
34
All this hoopla ... just because Trump's forecast of a "RED TSUNAMI" in 2018 was about as accurate as his forecast for Hurricane Dorian pounding Alabama!
8
trump and Louis the 14th, I am the state. No Donald you are not and what's good for you may not be good for the nation which employs you. We the People own the White House and the government and if you spit in the face of the Constitution and the rule of law our Founders have a remedy. But it requires patriots to impeach you and patriots to convict and remove you. The question is whether there are 15 or 20 of your stooges in the Senate that for once and the first time in their lives will put nation, our nation over and above party loyalty when the freedom and security of the American people are at stake., keeping in mind that your vote against our democracy will follow you as a coward for the rest of your lives. Especially when the new president is a Democrat.
22
In addition to putin's russia, mbs' SA, Netenyahu, the emirates, etc., trump wants to enlist more countries to help him win the 2020 election...and this is just the countries, not even counting the russian mafiya, the mafia, etc.
12
Headline says it all “alleged” that’s it, everything is alleged, hear say. Schiff can sell you the Brooklyn bridge and you would gladly buy it.
3
And when the detective from your local PD investigates a murder, don't they write up reports of what other people told them, including what was said in those people's presence?
But in this way you are right: Republicans and all Americans should demand that the ear-witnesses attest, under oath and under penalty of perjury or worse, to what they heard and, if applicable, what they saw. And the AG, DOJ, and WH including Trump should not impede them in any way from doing so.
8
@Jerry Davenport You think this is where it ends, Jerry? Think again. People will be put under oath, and face a crime if they lie. Stay tuned.
10
@Jerry Davenport Maybe you should read more than the headline.
11
@Larry
See no evil, hear no evil. As for thinking...THE GOP?..it's all twist 'n' shout, distort 'n' pout, every one of 'em hopin' for a nice high-level appointment to be tossed their way by the GOP's free lunch and all-time ticket puncher, Donald hisself.
Wanna be an atty general? Donald'll see to it IF you lick his toes until they gleam, AND don't forget to coo over his uh-hem political "prowess" which is shameful enough.
But what they all overlook is just what their descendents are going to have to live with all their lives: hearing over and over again how their dads had to kiss and purr to get them bone fragments and what it did to the nation. Why, it will be for them like having had Jefferson Davis as a father, he the rebel who had the onus of having to flee Richmond to avoid the advancing Union forces, his own tail last seen hippity hopping off into the Ol' South and eventual imprisonment...
6
Can someone help me find the article on Biden and His Son and their scandal with China and Ukraine? Why has congress not opened an investigation into this as well?????
3
It walks like a criminal... talks like a criminal... It is a criminal!
13
The retirees in Florida have just jumped the Democrat's ship.
3
Hmmm, I think a whole lot of retirees in FL, AZ and elsewhere may be regretting their GOP/Trump vote.
11
So back up the paddy wagon to the White House door. Haul the grifter and his collaborators/sympathizers/spineless cohorts and family members to the pokey. No more chances, no more slack and exception.
13
Republicans are afraid of Donald Trump.
Trump has a very nasty history and he deals like a mob boss.
Nobody, except Democrats, is willing to risk Trump's rage.
22
Yes. I still haven't forgiven the 2016 Republican candidates for cowing to Trump and dropping out of the race. Out of cowardice or lack of genuine patriotism they handed the nomination to Trump on his demanded golden platter
4
Turns out Tony Soprano wasn't knocked off after all . He went into the Witness Protection Program and thanks to Mr Schiff and The Democrats he's been found right under our noses living in DC playing the President. A job well done.
8
I wonder if congressional Republicans will ever grow spines - or brains for that matter. What Trump has done is clearly in violation of our laws.
17
Maybe we will get lucky and watch the pumpkins head explode in anger and frustration that he got caught. Seriously, this will be a test of who and what America stands for. It will be messy and there will be a lot of walking through the weeds to the truth. But if America sees itself as a country that stands by the rule of law then show the rest of the world that is who you are, otherwise this President has made a mockery of you and everything you stand for.
16
This is the best time for the true patriotic Republican Party members to stand up and take their Party back from the villain and his collaborators.
Welcome back for the old GOP!
11
I hope the people of Ukraine are paying close attention so that they may realize they elected a sap as president.
5
Eh? Putin's Russia probably had/has a hand in their elections, too.
If he (via his military and proxies) can shoot down a commercial airliner full of passengers and crew flying over Ukraine, and steel Crimea from the Ukrainians, what makes you think he can't plant a stooge in their capital?
3
Because he won't slander Trump's political opponents?
2
@Stevenz
Unfortunately, he may not be wrong that kissing up to Trump is the best bet for his country, at least for their near future. They may be trying to counter his love for Putin.
1
How odd that the transcript of Trump's "beautiful, perfect, really nice" phone call with Ukraine's president Zelensky had to be "locked down" with all records of the call. The Republican described "nothing to see here" call had to be hidden. Typical Trumpian mob-like corruption and sycophant enabling.
21
What was released yesterday is not a transcript which is a verbatim recording of speaking. A “memorandum of telephone call” was released yesterday: a reconstruction of what was said in a conversation by people listening to it somewhere in the White House. According to the whistle blower’s complaint (https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2019/09/24/whistleblower-complaint/assets/amp.html), an actual transcript was put on a separate server for highly classified information.
8
Russia, release the emails!
2
If only Michael Cohen was available to deliver a payoff to the whistleblower.
7
@Psst
Except that the whistleblower is better than that, or so most of us hope.
1
Now let’s play the game of “What if Obama did it?” Hannity would have an apoplectic heart attack on air, Lindsay Graham and co. would have demanded immediate impeachment hearings...but why even bother to bring it up?
17
When Trump leaves the White House as did Nixon in a US helicopter, please make sure Trump returns the helicopter.
24
The democrats and the press all have their motives to play up this "regular" political call which other politicians do all the time. The Ukranian president himself said there was no pressure, but of course, US media and the democrats won't have it that way. They want power, all of it, for themselves, in aeternam.
2
If it was such a "regular " call, the WH would not have made such an effort to suppress it.
8
Since it happens all the time can you name some other instances where a POTUS asked a foreign leader to investigate one of their rivals? I know of no incidence of that until now.
7
@Pierre Dupin Yeah, Pierre, I am sure the Ukrainian president didn't feel any pressure to agree with Trump, the guy holding the purse strings to have a billion in military aid. Join the real world, please.
6
Bear in mind that we are dealing with a president who exhibits strong symptoms of a sociopath. We should assume him capable of trying anything.
14
Just as I’ve been saying .. tick tock, tick tock.
4
Nixon: "I am not a crook!"
Trump: "I am a crook! So what?"
40
Best comment yet!
3
How can you tell when President Trump is lying?
His lips are moving.
14
That classified server must have some amazing conversations on it. I'm sure the Ukraine one was one of many. Go forth Schiff and let us know.
11
I'm fascinated with the phrase in the Whistleblower's letter, alleging not one attempt at soliciting foreign interference, but many ('among others'). Let it roll on, and Dems, pls deal with the offender (and his cronies) the way a real justice dept. and real criminal prosecutors do. No theatrics, and don't let the enablers Kelleyanne the process.
7
It's not just a White House/executive cover-up. It's the entire Republican party. The Republican senators are all part of it. Maybe they are not at the core of the basic plot, but crimes that this gang of crooks continue to commit is made possible by the shade provided by these cowards. It is wrong to violate the oath, and it is a sin to lie, cheat and cover your eyes in the face of such unconstitutional behaviors.
And holding them accountable is not without practical repercussions. In coming weeks and months, direct pressure must be applied to these also "deeply disturbing" obfuscations that continue to emanate from the Republican Congress because they will be the deciders in this at the end. By turning a blind eye to Trump, they put our election in jeopardy and risk our safety. We saw it this morning in the hearings and in the interviews afterwards. It's really about time to start firing back.
7
It’s fascinating to watch my fellow Democrats jump all over this while completely ignoring the implications of Mr. Biden’s actions, apparently having used his position as VP to protect his son’s Ukrainian business interests. Hypocrisy?
2
This article is about Trump. Most people are capable of having more than one thought at a time.
8
Me. Biden is not currently in office. You are free to vote for another candidate in the primary if you wish. Try, just try to stay focused on the fact that the sitting President was asking for favors from a foreign power in an attempt to squash a political rival. What do you think he was referring to when he asked for said favors? Whether Mr. Biden is guilty of a crime here is irrelevant and not germane to the impeachment question as it pertains to President Trump.
6
So, in order to douse your obviously least-favorite Dem candidate for President, you're willing to pull attention away from Trump et al current and ongoing wrong-doing?
Those are some odd priorities you have....
2
The mother of all cover-ups begins.
2
I see quid, I see pro... but what is seriously lacking is the pro....
Trumps strategy is brilliant. They delay immediate public release. Then release in dribs and drabs along with spin. Then when the public is finally informed, like with Mueller report, they are desensitized.
This too will get nowhere.
Pundits think this is so straightforward public with understand but they won’t get how serious this is. Imagine that.
Even I experienced this while watching the ineffectual hearing today.
Just looks like two spouses bickering over the mundane.
1
@Yuri Pelham
Wait until Rudy's there. Must see tv.
One takeaway that many people may miss in all the salacious headlines is that there remains within the Trump administration a number of people who still love this country enough to at least try to protect the Constitution that makes this country successfully unique.
I hope that the press, in its zest for “breaking news” will protect the identity of the whistleblower so that she/he can be assured that the risk they took to protect our constitution will be repaid with attempts to protect him/her through the laws that allowed her/him to come forward.
I appreciate the reporting, but I do fear for this person.
11
@rmward1
My guess is that there are very few CIA personnel assigned to the WH that would have access to this type of information. I would assume that that person's identity is already widely known within the top levels. His/her only protection might be to become publicly known (probably resulting in intense harassment for him/herself and their family). This person is truly a hero.
I'm very sad that I will now witness my third (almost, if you count Nixon) impeachment hearings in my lifetime and I'm in my 60s.
I don't expect McConnell's republicans to remove the president from office, but I do hope that the Democratic process, led by Nancy Pelosi, is unimpeachable, and that the result is Trump's failure at the polls in 2020, which would be the best definitive result.
5
I cannot fathom any GOP Senator who really heard the facts voting to acquit the president. A vote to acquit gives the go-ahead to every foreign government to provide its own reelection help, and then, when a newly reelected president least expects it, to demand its own favor in return.
But the again, this is not the Republican Party I once knew. As best I can tell, the principled lions of the party are long gone. And the only ones left are those whose only concern is the defense of their man. If American institutions, our election integrity, even republican democracy itself are lost in the process, they’re nonetheless good to go.
Cry, the beloved country.
4
If Trump did try to shut things down temporarily (maybe thinking that the U.S. would be subject to foreign relations approbations for improprieties), so what? If so, it was the right thing to stop, look and listen.
It might have been wiser for Speaker Pelosi to read the conversation transcription, and to read the whistleblower complaint too, before caving. Stop, look and listen is not a bad approach. Speaker Pelosi may soon learn that lesson even in older age.
AOC appears unlikely to learn that lesson at any polticially viable foreseeable age. AOC and Pelosi seem to have dug their political graves at this point. Things can change, of course, but this looks bad for them and their political friends.
1
This whole thing is making me very curious about just who it was that contributed to his beggar's tour through California last week... I'd like to know who it was that contributed $15 million to his campaign, and whether they'd like any of it back. I'd like to know so I can boycott their products.
11
This is Bolton's chance to get even, if he has the courage.
6
Too bad that Cohen is in jail. Otherwise Trump could have directed him to write some checks to members of Congress and fix the issue.
7
What I find fascinating is that the people who deride the whistleblower complaint as bogus because it is based on unsubstantiated information seem to be the same people who are willing to accept any statements put forward by Donald Trump as absolute truth, despite his verified record of exaggerations, misstatements, and outright lies throughout his presidency. What am I missing here?
16
Somehow, we had better "secure" Trump in the White House because I think he will pull of an escape to another country.
Please don't let this happen.
1
I am incredulous, frustrated and deeply troubled not by the actions of Donald Trump (past it), but by the inaction and misinformation coming from Republican party leadership. There is nothing more sinister or anti-American than to frame these facts as underwhelming, partisan, or unimportant. IMO, their sheepishness, and willingness to mislead their constituents, will do cataclysmic damage to our republic.
8
I can only imagine what he's done that we don't know. He mocks our democracy every single day.
8
Ah yes, the highly classified J (for jail) file. I'm looking forward to more revelations of its contents, soon to come.
4
Stick a fork in him. He's done.
Blatant abuse of the power of the presidency, and covering up the transcript of the phone call by classifying it well above what it merited demonstrates that the participants understood how inappropriate and damaging it would be if the contents became widely known. "consciousness of guilt"
7
The records have now been "locked down". It would surprise no one if these records were to disappear. In addition, Trump has stated, “I want to know who’s the person who gave the whistle-blower the information because that’s close to a spy,” Mr. Trump said. “You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now.” It seems clear that he is giving a very loud dog whistle (maybe a trumpet) to his supporters to encourage them to make sure that the whistle blower also needs to disappear.
6
This is a whole lot of nothing. An administration that has leakers and resisters is wise to protect information that the Adam Schiffs of the world will manipulate it—as he despicably did today. They protected it, they did not hide it. More importantly, we have the transcript of the call and that is the beginning and end of the matter. And that shows nothing that justifies impeachment unless you believe that a civil infraction justifies prison time. Sadly, as Justin Trudeau and many others realize, that is what the left considers justice. All the more reason to resist the left.
1
When Washington took the oath of office as our first President, he was concerned about all the power residing in the top person, which is why he considered himself an administrator, rather than a "top dog", after private gain.
Where is that spirit now??
2
Looking ahead, Trump's downfall is certain, therefore, communicate with the military to remind them they serve all Americans and not just one man, nor are they to take up arms against their own people. The C.I.A. is to be focused on for creating the current atmosphere, I suspect, to allow Trump to appear to be justified in resorting to military strength to hide behind. Trump is an appointed President. The C.I.A. will not back down.
2
Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. He was paid in excess of $50,000 per month. His father was Vice President.
I oppose government officials enriching themselves, or their family members, off their office. It is corruption.
I think this is a trap and the Democrats are walking right into it. I think the appointment of Hunter Biden to the board of that Ukrainian gas company is corruption. I think many Americans will ask themselves: why is Trump being impeached for fighting corruption?
4
@willt26 Many people serve on boards and are paid lots of money. Many politicians give speeches and are paid large sums. If Hunter Biden is guilty of corruption, so is everyone else who does the same thing.
4
I’ve read both the transcript of “the call” and the complaint and all I’ve read is here say. second hand accounts and opinion.
Ukraine got its aid. Congress received information they weren’t legally required to receive. Its hard for me to believe that leaders don’t routinely ask for this kind of cooperation all the time. ’I’ll wait to see if the dems have anything more to offer to make a decision regarding Trump... and I’m curious about what Hunter Biden was up to in Ukraine as well.... however its probably all a big nothing as well.
Enough already.
1
It would be very interesting to see what other Trump's conversation transcripts are stored at this highly classified stand -alone server.
The purpose of storing such less secret information on this server is obvious, hide politically explosive information from the President's own staff, congressmen and of course the public.
18
@Servus
Relevant members of congress have access to this server. It became somewhat "famous" when Diane Feinstein used it to investigate allegations of torture and black sites.
2
In addition to the "lock down" of the transcript, there is a systematic ongoing coverup.
The AG Wm. Barr DoJ has concluded that the Whistleblower law does not apply - removing any investigation from the IG's jurisdiction - and directed the FBI not to investigate as well.
This is far worse than Nixon seeking to fire the special prosecutor.
24
The Attorney General is not God, nor should he have or exercise the power of a demigod or king, or king-maker. Nor should the President or Vice President or Moscow Mitch.
3
@Bill Wolfe This is the most serious challenge to the Constitution and pur democracy in our country's history.
If Trump survives this, we are officially a banana republic.
7
I lived through the Watergate hearings. Today felt like déjà vu.
13
@Montessahall - Nixon and his cronies were more professional:)
6
I, for one, trust our President.
He has an unblemished record of truth telling and deep interest in well being of other countries.
I am sure that Ukrainians are thankful for the President taking such personal interest in the level of corruption in Ukraine. He cares so deeply, that he selflessly sent his best man - Rudy Guliani - to help Ukrainians overcome this problem.
And his level of concern was so great that he held up the military aid until Ukraine had figured out its issues with corruption.
And his interest in fair and balanced elections here lead him to look after Joe Biden. He didn't want old and frail Joe to be blinded by his no good son Hunter. That's how much Mr Trump cares. Because he would rather make sure that it's a fair contest of ideas.
Truly, Mr. Trump is the best president ever. We are blessed to have him and his family in charge.
14
@Yuri Vizitei
Be careful, you're liable to find yourself being quoted by Trump as one of his "supporters, one of my many, many fine supporters in The New York Times."
9
An unblemished record of truth-telling?
4
@Yuri Vizitei I love irony. You could be a comedian.
1
Someone needs to ask Republicans to explain by what authority Giuliani, Trumps "Personal attorney" is meeting with foreign officials asking for help with investigations.
if this was a legitimate investigation into some wrong-doing by a past administration official, why is the Justice Department not leading this?
Giuliani is Trumps Bag Man. That right there is the "tell" that this is all about using the power of your office to try and force a foreign official to meddle in our political process. That is worse than Nixon.
This should be cut and dry.
13
Indeed! Isn't Giuliani guilty of improperly or illegally conducting the United States' foreign policy/relations as a private citizen? Is anyone (or any American) off the street allowed to go to meet with foreign government officials and make or break commitments, give and receive diplomatic instructions, etc. on behalf of We The People of the United States of America?
For that matter, did Rudy Giuliani register here in the USA or in any other country as a foreign agent? Why or why not?
And since the Queen of England knighted Giuliani some years back, and he accepted and bowed to the Queen, doesn't that fact, by definition, make him a foreign agent or at least a person with officially- and publicly-recognized dual loyalties?
3
Upon reading the report posted (and I'll admit that I don't have a full grasp of the timeline leading up to the July 25th call), does it not seem possible given the evidence and activity of those involved from the US to Ukraine that Trump, Barr, and Giuliani were working this scheme much, much earlier?
In looking at the accounts of their activity and the statements made from Ukraine before, during and direclty after their election, It reads as if the Trump team had skin in the game (and a coordinated plan to attack Biden) with President Zelenskyy's opponent, specifically with the former Prosecutor General Lutsenko acting as an operative before the election in Ukraine. Perhaps they expected the opponent to win and then have full cooperation of the Ukrainian government to play out their charade of "Guilty Bindens" ahead of the elections. This would be a much, much bigger "conspiracy" than Trump merely tripping over his mouth on a call.
...and one would hope, something the Republican partisan cartel surely couldn't ignore....that is one would hope....
8
This is increasingly looking like it is the end of the Trump administration. The crimes are too easy to comprehend to be spun. The Trump administration released a transcript corroborating everything because they are that clueless and/or brazen. The House is going to dig deeper into this and almost assuredly uncover even more crimes.
Kudos for taking voting for someone who merged the worst attributes of two past Republican presidents (decreasing mental faculties with Reagan, impeachable offenses with Reagan), Republicans. It speaks volumes as to where your loyalties lie; your party and anyone with an (R) next to their name on the ballot.
9
Out of all the problematic issues related to the whistle blower complaint, what concerns me most is that Mr. Trump genuinely appears to think that there is nothing wrong with his actions and genuinely believes that coercing a foreign head of state to seek damaging information on a political rival is the normal course of business.
I don't think that Mr. Trump believes that he did anything wrong or unethical.
Mr. Trump's infantile moral development is the most concerning of all that has transpired.
16
I read the complaint. I am shocked but not surprised. Trump and "his Roy Cohn" have a total disregard for the values of our country and continue to push the border.
The thing I don't get however is how people continue to defend this behavior. What is wrong with this country that we cannot agree and just say this is wrong and that we need to do something about it?
15
Mr. Trump seems to like a good party. There's a doozy on the horizon!
2
Add to this, congressional Republicans either could care less or actually defend this deplorable behavior. Congressional Republicans have no soul. Their duty to uphold and defend the United States Constitution is greatly diminished if not gone altogether.
9
Why should this stick to Trump when nothing else has? He said in his 2016 campaign that he could shoot someone in the street and still win the presidency. So far, that's proved just about true. Will anything sink him? Why will this be the thing that does?
1
The Times and other mainstream media need to determine how Giuliani was paid for his efforts as a go-between in the Trump-Ukraine controversy. If he’s being paid by the U.S. government, he needs to testify before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. If he’s being compensated by Trump personally, then that speaks volumes about how Trump executes his foreign policy — using rogue agents and a checkbook. What a disaster this administration is; I hope we can recover from this monstrous mess brought to us by the Trump crime family et al.
13
Now now don’t get to excited. Remember what happened to the obvious criminal collusion with Russia.
1
Why does the name Rosemary Woods come to mind when it is time to produce these recorded telephone conversations?
6
The most interesting aspect of this is the fact that the whole situation is miscategorized.
This is not an impeachment matter. This is a 25th amendment matter.
What person with a modicum of common sense would conduct that conversation in that manner?
I mean, seriously, would you ever say this on that call?
The speech pattern is also clearly of an impaired person. His responses do not track the questions or conversation. He is preoccupied with one thing - Biden. He clearly still does not get what he did wrong.
Would you criminally prosecute an aging shoplifter with dementia?
6
It is amazing that trump didn’t recognize he was referring to himself when he reference what they did to traitors in former times. In the interest of justice hopefully he will soon find out and have lots of quiet time to think about it
8
While this has not been a focus, the idea that US military aide was withheld from Ukraine, prior to Trump's call, making the country more vulnerable to attacks by Putin, puts the US Government squarely in line with Russia. Withholding military aide makes the country at risk to Russian invasion. The whistleblower states that there is an objective to put Ukraine as the source of US election interference, rather than Russia. This military aide is approved by Congress, and in the interests of the US and other allies, to prevent invasion. Ukraine has been at the center of the Trump conversation since the Republican Party Platform Change leading up to Trump's election. Paul Manafort.
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-support
Trump is Putin's concubine.
10
I think the actions of McGuire deserve much closer examination than he received this afternoon.
He got a complaint clearly flagged by the inspector general about the White House.
What did he do?
He ran it back precisely to the same people/ place about which the complaint had been made!
This should be troubling at the very least!!!!
Essentially it’s as if somebody reported a possible a crime to the police, and what does the police do, the police officer rans precisely to the person being reported and accused, and asks them whether they might not have privilege and essentially a way to close it down!!
Why on earth would he do that!!??
The explanation he’s given is quite clever, but I think is untruthful!!!! Too many coincidences!!!
I believe he just lied to Congress!!
This should be very troubling in the extreme.
In fact, ironically enough, Mr. McGuire’s actions may have only served to exacerbate the very problem he seemed to be trying to help cover up!!
His actions need greater scrutiny!!!
I think he needs to be much much better scrutinized!!
The more you think about what he did in running it back to the White House the more suspicious his true motives appear.
8
If our Prime Minister had done the same thing in Australia his own party would have dumped him.
15
@Paul in Australia
That's what we Americans used to think, before January 2017.
4
And of course, now the coverup.
8
Context for Trump release of the edited reconstruction of his call to President Zelensky in Nixon's modified limited hangout - from wikipedia
PRESIDENT: You think, you think we want to, want to go this route now? And the — let it hang out, so to speak?
DEAN: Well, it's, it isn't really that —
HALDEMAN: It's a limited hang out.
DEAN: It's a limited hang out.
EHRLICHMAN: It's a modified limited hang out.
PRESIDENT: Well, it's only the questions of the thing hanging out publicly or privately
3
Impeach the President! Every and any member of Congress has the resources to make the right choice now - it's unforgivable to let this man continue to wreck our great country!
12
"In an attempt to “lock down” all records of the call, in particular its “official word-for-word transcript,” White House lawyers told officials to move the transcript into a separate system reserved for classified information that is especially sensitive, actions that the whistle-blower suggested showed that those involved “understood the gravity of what had transpired in the call,” according to the complaint."
I wonder if there are hackers out there who can find out what's in this "locked down server."
China, if you are watching these hijinks maybe your crack hacking team can find out what's in there. Maybe the transcripts from Trump's private meetings with Putin are also there. Get your name mentioned in the Impeachment...
4
Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the actual full transcript of Trump's call with the president of Ukraine.
8
They have the transcript already I’m sure. Probably on the call with their hands over the speaker.
Republicans are complaining this is hearsay. They are not DEMANDING the facts come to light. Wonder why not?
43
Why didn't any of the other people privy to the phone call and circumstances surrounding it step up for and act to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America?
Perhaps those who personally alerted the Whistle Blower and encouraged him to blow the whistle in this case deserve some sort of forbearance, but the other people should face the music along with the apparent slimy-deal-maker in Chief.
20
Maybe someone among the people decided s/he was willing to fall on the sword for the rest.
4
"Should be able to stop this, maybe through the courts."
He does not get it. He has no understanding of our government or the huge trouble he is in.
Forget for the moment the trouble he faces later in NYS, he could be impeached and face charges of treason.
Could he really be that limited?
18
He is in no trouble. It is the US that is in trouble. We are defenseless.
2
But if removed from office by other than election, Pence would just pull a Gerald Ford by immediately ad possibly continually pardoning Trump and his fellow law breakers.
1
@ROI
He can't pardon him for state charges.
"Home made president" ( as opposed to professionally made. )
1
Wouldn’t it be ironic if what ends the Trump presidency is a server with classified information on it.
56
Bravo [hand clap emoji]
4
@KW
I would even say divine justice.
those who were involved in "locking down" or hiding what was clearly a breach of the law must be..I repeat..must be prosecuted.
Because they work in the WhiteHouse...the people's house, they cannot escape the breaking the law.
Jail them all....
34
First, the House Intelligence Committee must corroborate and then demand the secreted transcripts of Trump's conversation w/Zelentsky and other leaders, in particular, Putin. Page 4 of the complaint refers to Trump's Aug 9th statement to the press: "I think [President Zelentskyy] is going to make a deal with President Putin and he will be invited to the White House...."
Could it be that Putin and Trump were working together to leverage Zelentsky?
15
Unless, possibly, someone has committed high treason against the United States of America (and not just hurt the ego of the person who is then President), isn't it the duty of the President, via his Department of State and other offices, to guard the human and civil rights of American citizen ex pats?
3
The Trump Titanic is finally taking on water. How many will go down?
14
Republicans are moving the deck chairs around as we speak.
sure sounds like that locked down word for word transcript is the smoking gun
9
Everybody is looking at the trees. Nobody can see the forest. The Ukrainians never investigated Biden’s son. If they had we would know. And after all, why would they investigate how anybody got on the board of a private corporation. If somebody used influence to get on the board of GM, nobody would care but GM. And even if Ukrainian investigators got involved, nobody would talk — it’s none of the government’s business.
Our President made a futile, ridiculous demand. And the demand has been treated as ridiculous. There is the forest. This is a 25th Amendment matter, not an impeachment. Insane demand, insane efforts to pressure the Ukrainian President. We don’t need an impeachment panel. Just bring the Ukrainian President before Congress and have him testify, as he surely will, that it was clear to him that Trump is crazy.
3
This is all going to go nowhere because the basis of the official inter-sovereign communication, as reported, was rather to enforce international law standards including in the Hague's forum, over corruption behavior by the former VP, accompanied by primary--not hearsay--evidence that can easily survive adversarial contestation including appeal. The DNC and Biden are desperate to reinterpret the event as part of a pro forma affirmative criminal defense. They will not prevail technically as primary evidence is overwhelming while their accusation is predicated entirely in hearsay, unverified and unidentified (read crafted) witness identity, or is vaguely circumstantial at best. Moreover, the Times is unfortunately front-running this story without fact checking, investigation, and other verifiable data. That in itself is utterly diminutive of the accusation integrity.
5
@Matt Andersson Trump is not a sovereign and it has already gone somewhere. It will go a lot further, if not to a conviction in the Senate.
5
@Matt Andersson You think this ends here, Matt? Think again. People will have to testify under oath, and penalty of a crime, about what happened. That's not hearsay. Stay tuned.
2
This is hilarious!
Behold the complaint that "puts the nation at grave risk" as Adam Schiff whines:
"...over the past four months, more than half a dozen U.S. officials have informed me of various facts related to this effort," says the whistleblower, referring to soliciting foreign interference in American elections.
"I was not a direct witness to most of the events described. However, I found my colleagues' accounts of these events to be credible because, in almost all cases, multiple officials recounted fact patterns that were consistent with one another."
---
1) Got that? "I WAS NOT A DIRECT WITNESS TO MOST (meaning any) OF THE EVENTS DESCRIBED. HOWEVER..."
This does not even rise to the level of Hearsay. Recounting what several other people heard from yet more people - and claiming it strikes this person as credible? He finds it believable because... he believes it?
That is the fallacy of logic called BEGGING THE QUESTION.
"I like eating meat because eating meat is something I like."
Any lawyer with minimal trial experience would mop up the floor with a shaky witness like this.
Trump sure knows how to set up these useful idiots...
2) ALL corporate media is operating under the unfounded assumption that anything involving Biden is... INTERFERING WITH THE 2020 ELECTION. They seem to know that he will be the nominee. How? Is the fix in? Again?
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
7
@Rev. E. M. Camarena, PhD
The IG obtained corroboration from most, if not all, of the persons who could be identified as having first-hand knowledge before proceeding further. (There are, of course, serious legal consequences for lying to an IG.) Thus, what Schiff said is of little interest.
And so long as Biden's chances of being the nominee are greater than zero, any attempt to alter those chances using government resources constitutes interfering with the election.
2
Then why did they hide the transcript and record of the call if it was all so “perfect”? There was no national security issue in the call. And the did not proved the direct transcript, but a recollection of what was said. If there is nothing there, then there is no reason to hide or restrict access to it.
7
@Rev. E. M. Camarena, PhD What is hilarious is that you yourself do not deign to comment on the White House's damning notes regarding the phone call. And I suppose you think that if multiple sources were to corroborate the WH's own detailing of Trump's quid pro quo -- that would somehow still be hearsay? How do you figure?
Further -- enough with 'the corporate media,' already. The GOP's focus is supposed to be "jobs, jobs, jobs," but somehow being a reporter -- a profession that takes training, education, and yes, ethics -- is suddenly treated as a joke. Why? Oh, right: because the business of the fourth estate is to investigate injustice, and the GOP has nowhere to hide. Hence, their constant spin of lies and conspiracy theories. It's shameful and embarrassing.
And we've got plenty of corruption now, thanks to Trump. I'm not laughing -- This President has sold America out, and he must be subject to the law of the land. No one is above the law: especially a has-been reality show host, inexplicably given a pass by those who have elevated him to cult status.
8
Let me see if I have this straight:
"The Don" called up the leader of Ukraine and basically said, nice little country you have here and if you help me maybe you can keep it.
Then he said " if you can find dirt on my competition maybe I can help you with your problem"
Then he told him what sought of dirt he wanted him to find some based on an alternate reality and some made up by some crazy people at his Social Club.
Then he said he would send his trusted adviser Rudy the Chin to help them find the dirt he was looking for.
Then Bill "The Lawyer" Barr said he had nothing to do with it, commenting to an aide "He likes the Don but he ain't doing Hard Time for him".
Then "The Don" said he needed the information and there was nothing wrong asking for it because he wanted to fight corruption because he knows corruption, besides he wanted to stay Boss of all Bosses.
Do I have this straight and why isn't Marlon Brando playing the role, he is a much better actor.
23
@Hal
Alas, Brando is deceased.
1
and still a better actor and thank you for noticing!
3
There is a big 'ol NOTHING BURGER served up by the NYTs today. It's oddly the same burger they've been serving up for approximately 2 years with a little different seasoning. Schiff is an obvious perplexing "nerdy" kind of guy. He was probably beaten up in school as a boy and tried to reconcile his lack of self respect through the safety of verbal attacks. He lacks honor, respect, and integrity. His "weasel-like" expressions and repetitive assertions of hearsay is more than frustrating and perhaps that's his real goal. To be as frustrating as possible.
5
There are still people who maintain that Nixon was framed. Your prerogative.
6
@DED Too bad that you resort to name-calling regarding Adam Schiff. Why is that? Because he has a desire to uphold the law of the land? You can't say the same for Trump. And you can't possibly believe that Trump could have ended today's hearing with more than word-salad, rather than Schiff's eloquent words concerning democracy.
Nerdy? No. Patriotic and educated? Oh, yes! And for that, you froth to defend a demagogue like Trump -- he will be in the dustbin of history. And what will you do then?
8
The old “ALL CAPS” defense. Excellent strategy.
Now Trump knows that half a dozen of his aids have been talking. Watch as he completely loses his mind, feeling surrounded by “spies”.
18
Where is Martha Mitchell when you need her?
7
@Barbara Loutos
Where is Martha Mitchell when you need her?
The part of Martha Mitchell is being played by George T. Conway III.
4
More repugnant than what Trump has done and continues doing: watching and hearing Republicans defend Trump. Have no conservative or Republican citizen any shame, honor, dignity left? Beyond disgraceful.
23
Just FYI, the three most popular, most read articles in the NYT today?
1. Eddy Murphy
2. Kid-Friendly Apartments
3. UFO Research
That tells you something about just how interested folks are in the exploding story out of the White House. Nancy Pelosi best pay attention.
6
@doug
The top 9 articles in the States are on Trump's impeachment.
I think Nancy is on it.
4
@doug
There are over 1900 comments and counting. That includes your comment, so for you to talk about lack of interest is ironic, to say the least.
4
@rella and kay: please do go to the NYT website and check out the "most popular" section to see what people are reading today. It's a real revelation.
President Trump and his minions repeatedly complain of a “witch hunt”.
What if there are real witches to be found and exposed?
5
When the Dems fail to translate these whistleblower accusations into an impeachable offense, they will again appear desperate and foolish. Voters on both sides are getting fed up without this nonsense.
4
Susanna. Don’t speak for anyone, we are fed up with trump. His lies and behavior are abhorrent considering the position in which he occupies. It’s about time he goes. There’s finally enough to Nab the Teflon Don.
7
Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them?
8
@al
Give it time. Their revelations didn't all break within days of the first Watergate reporting.
Can Congress now request transcripts of all conversations with foreign leaders in that secret vault?
6
Trump is not just divisive, incompetent and destructively narcissist; above all else, he is a criminal.
Rudy Giuliani …. well, did you read the details of the whistle-blower allegations? Why is this guy not in prison already?
Can the president dish out impunity to outright criminals if they happen to work for his benefit?
I just can't believe these people are doing this to the United States! When did we become an autocracy?!
13
The Whistle blower’s life could be in mortal danger
8
Wait. You mean the guy that said during a speech he hoped the Russians were listening and would hack Hillary's emails? Shocked! Shocked am I!
11
"No one, none of us, is above the law", but Republucan senators always put Trump above the law. If soliciting foreign leaders to interference our election is nothingburger, Blagovjevich is innocent. Blagovjevich never sell Obama's senator seat; he just made several phone calls.
6
Sadly revealing of bias and lack of dedication to legal impartiality is the critics of this impeachment investigation who like to point out that the whistle-blower had no direct knowledge of these events, and yet fail to take note of the next line of the complaint:
"However, I found my colleagues’ accounts of these events to be credible because, in almost all cases, multiple officials recounted fact patterns that were consistent with one another. "
8
That complaint was superbly crafted and revealed great thought and caution. I cannot believe Trump will evade the consequences of that document. He cannot even claim the telephone discussion and preceding events was of little importance (today’s WSJ described it as a “fizzle”) because he went to extreme, and highly irregular lengths to cover his tracks and betray his guilt.
The whistleblower complaint should be required reading for anyone interested in tight, clear legal draftsmanship recording criminal activity.
I really believe Trump’s time has come. The challenge going forward is to contain any damage he can try to do until his departure.
19
It seems a lot of the analysis is missing that many senate Republicans, in voting to convict Trump during an impeachment proceeding, would be voting for an opportunity to run for president in 2020. Not an entirely uninteresting prospect for many of them!
1
Is the Ukraine really so important to our national interest (more so than our own infrastructure and education?) that we give them $400 million for military aid? My guess is that is a drop in the bucket to what Russia would spend to take the Ukraine if it actually wanted it.
2
President Trump did not need to commit interference with the 2020 election and I do not believe this constituted any. He would have beaten Joe Biden in the presidential election now and closer to 2020 if he had remained in the race. Mr. Biden would probably not be the Democrat presidential candidate because his poll numbers have been falling. He has been committing gaffes and slip ups that would not sit well with the American people.
I do not think President Trump will be impeached and will fare better now than before. The American people will not tolerate impeachment hearings that last for months. Nothing is getting done and the people will not be very forgiving.
3
@KMW
If that's the case, why are so many people saying that the impeachment is "why he'll win"
Can't have it both ways
2
Just watch and learn. The law is coming
3
I am a college ethics professor, so I propose the following scenario: Imagine that I call a student who is waiting on me to write a crucially important letter of recommendation upon which his safety might depend, and I tell him that I haven't written it yet, but I probably will eventually. Then I ask him to do me the favor of digging up some dirt on my bitter rival for the position of dean, whose child might be corrupt. I imagine that if the university heard about this through a trusted source, I would get fired, even though I have tenure. It wouldn't even matter whether my rival's child was in fact corrupt, since I am abusing my power by asking for the favor. I assume any parent whose child told them about my behavior would want me fired.
13
@Austin
Given that nobody with real power at any university was fired over the bribery scandal, your concern rings hollow.
You would not get fired, and tenured professors who have done much worse are not in fact fired.
1
@Viv In other words, jail time is worse than getting fired. And jail time will almost certainly get you fired.
@Viv The coach of the volleyball team at my university was fired, and the parents went to court and were found guilty.
It appears that Mr. Trump was offering aid to a foreign government in exchange for dirt on Biden in connection with the 2020 election and then there was an attempt to cover it up. If this is the case then after putting aside all the parsing of the language of this statute or that statute and all the attempts to characterize this behavior as something other than what it is it is more than clear that Mr. Trump should not be allowed to complete his term.
4
“I am shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment”.
7
It’s all noise. All that matters is whether this gambit by Pelosi and Schiff help or hurt the GOP in next year’s election cycle. That should be the endgame. I’m sure Trump intended to quid pro quo that discussion, but frankly I don’t care. All I care about is him not getting another 4 years, and I’m not convinced that phone call is anything close to a silver bullet. As long as we don’t point to this latest chapter as the fuel that propelled Trump’s 2020 campaign, I’m good, but no one can say for certain that this situation won’t help Trump in the end. That’s what worries me.
1
Lock him up | It's not Hillary who will wind up in jail. It's Trump and his two stooges, Rudy and Barr-and deservedly so.
This was an elaborate scheme to discredit Biden
and the Democrats. Not just one phone call but a devious plan exposed after many months of attempted implementation.
As this process unfolds the Republicans will realize that Trump is unfit for re-election as he is unfit to continue in office.
6
The President of the United States used the power of his office pressure a foreign government to investigate his chief political rival.
Those facts are not in dispute.
If that is not sufficient evidence for the impeachment and removal of a sitting President, then none swill ever exist.
13
Mr. Pompeo needs to be issued a subpoena to appear before Schiff's House Intel. Committee in an effort to discover his knowledge and role in the "Ukraine Gate" election cover up scandal.
Most likely he will attempt to stonewall the House Committee and use executive privilege and refuse to answer questions about his knowledge and role in the cover up.
From what we know now about the Ukraine call and cover up, Mr. Pompeo as well as Mr. Barr should resign from their positions.
5
From my reading of his telephone conversation with President Zelensky, it sounds like a shake-down that must be Standard Operating Procedure for Trump. Trump really acts like a tyrant. What I can't figure is why so many Americans find that acceptable or even commendable ?
10
Is this president this so capable of destroying every sense of Honor in those around him. Mr. Pompeo is a West Point graduate. Does he not remember the Honor Code of this great institution? His apparent complicity and support of this Administration is very troubling and dishonorable to those who have sacrificed so much in the service of our country.
8
The President by releasing the “transcript” waived any right to claim privilege. Once waived,it opens the door to all related matters. The President can’t get it back. So, let’s see what’s in the secret vault. I bet it answers all the questions.
7
Now that Nancy Pelosi's alarm clock has finally woken her up, maybe she will stand aside and allow the process that should have started ten months ago proceed unimpeded.
1
@King Philip, His majesty
Actually, I think the more focused (and documented evidence) of the WB complaint might help to gather more support than the more abstract concept of obstruction of justice.
Whistle-Blower is so boring a name. To make it more memorable how about 'deep throat' ? No, wait that has already been used.
3
So what if it is hearsay -- the whistleblower names multiple sources who actually heard the phonecalls -- surely that is worth investigating. The complaint is not some made up hypothetical opinion -- it is backed up by the reconstituted transcript released by the WH. So to answer your question -- yes you are missing something heren- common sense and basic logic.
4
Absolutely inevitable that Trump would lose out to his own ego. A mismatch. His presidency is doomed. It is his fault, not ours, nobody else's. The only question and suspense: How long will it take congressional Republicans to do the right thing? How much damage are they willing to inflict on our nation and their own party, and for how long?
5
Lock-down = cover up.
Throw them all in jail starting with Trump.
Yes, since we are Democrats, we will follow the law and the Constitution and provide due process and justice.
But let’s also not be weak in the face of Trump, his administration, Republicans, Trump TV and radio and media propaganda, lies and cheating - the only way they know how to win.
We are fighting a mob, autocrat, dictator set of tactics - win by any means and at any cost, scorched earth group. No lie is too small or too big.
It will not be easy. It will be brutally difficult.
But we are fighting for our democracy, for the soul of this country.
8
How is TRUMP able to still...TODAY...be president? Where is the 25th Amendment team? Shouldn't this be invoked NOW.
This has gone much too far. Trump must go NOW--today.
11
The President 1) held up Congressionally allocated funds totaling between $200M and $400M for a desperate ally for months until 2) a "favor" was agreed to, which favor would be investigation of the president's rival. The process was to be overseen by Guiliani and Barr. Indeed, G. flew to Madrid to meet with Ukrainian officials. Was there also pressure to keep some Poroshenko people on?
3) When some WH officials noticed the severity of the phone call, they moved to hide the transcript in a more secret server, one normally reserved for communications on National Security, and expunge the earlier storage and presentation of the transcript.
4) Did I mention Barr? The DOJ head is in this, too. What's his job description?
At least this time we have some political reaction. I hope it sticks. We can't keep this man around. He's done too many things like this, which may be why this one was especially brazen.
4
What a day.
We no longer need the Mueller Report.
In just this one phone call, Trump:
- undermined national security by threatening an ally that we need to contain Putin’s expansionist ambitions.
- did so by trying to commit extortion
- violated campaign finance laws
His staff subsequently, with his blessing
- tried to cover it up by burying the audio transcript in a classified server (reprise of Nixon’s tape)
And today he
- tampered with witnesses, by threatening the lives of whistleblowers.
That’s 5, five, FIVE impeachable offenses right there, some are criminal offenses.
Please, Nancy, let’s get this done and over with!!!
13