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Trump goes on offensive over Biden and Ukraine as Schiff ponders impeachment Trump goes on offensive over Biden and Ukraine as Schiff ponders impeachment
(about 2 hours later)
Trumpworld went on the offensive on Sunday, over what the president and his allies claim is corruption involving Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine. Trump aides and allies went on the offensive on Sunday, over what the president claims is un-investigated corruption involving Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine.
Ukraine furore confirms Giuliani as Trump's most off-kilter advocateUkraine furore confirms Giuliani as Trump's most off-kilter advocate
In return, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee said the president’s reported conduct in the matter may make impeachment “the only remedy that is coequal to the evil”.In return, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee said the president’s reported conduct in the matter may make impeachment “the only remedy that is coequal to the evil”.
Trump’s reported pressuring of the Ukrainian president to investigate claims about Biden, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, has clouded the White House in scandal. On Saturday, Biden accused Trump of an “overwhelming abuse of power”. Trump’s reported pressuring of the Ukrainian president to investigate claims about Biden, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, has clouded the White House in scandal.
Leaving the White House for Texas and Ohio before continuing to New York and the United Nations General Assembly, Trump denied wrongdoing and told reporters he was “not looking to hurt Biden, but he did a very dishonest thing”. On Saturday, Biden, who has denied all wrongdoing, accused Trump of an “overwhelming abuse of power”.
On Sunday, leaving the White House for Texas and Ohio before continuing to New York and the United Nations, Trump denied wrongdoing and told reporters he was “not looking to hurt Biden, but he did a very dishonest thing”.
Aides and allies attacked more fiercely.Aides and allies attacked more fiercely.
We may have crossed the Rubicon
“Swamp media says Biden corruption disproven,” Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor now Trump’s personal attorney, wrote on Twitter. “Typical lie.”“Swamp media says Biden corruption disproven,” Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor now Trump’s personal attorney, wrote on Twitter. “Typical lie.”
The claims about Ukraine concern Hunter Biden’s work for a gas company in the country and a visit by the then vice-president in March 2016, in which he pressed for the firing of the country’s top prosecutor, an aim of the US, its allies, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The claims about Ukraine concern Hunter Biden’s work for a gas company in the country and a visit by the then vice-president in March 2016, in which he pressed for the firing of the country’s top prosecutor.
An investigation into the company for which Hunter Biden worked was dormant at the time. In May 2019, the Ukraine prosecutor general told Bloomberg, “We do not see any wrongdoing” by the Bidens. “You don’t get to approve a prosecutor in a foreign country unless something fishy is going on,” Giuliani claimed on Fox News Sunday.
Giuliani, who has admitted seeking to pressure Ukrainian authorities to investigate the Bidens, claimed on Sunday: “Three Ukrainian prosecutors on tape saying case fixed and dismissed because of Biden pressure. Tapes available to the Swamp media. But there is much more proof. Witnesses, documents, millions in circuitous wire transfers … more to come.” The firing of Viktor Shokin was in fact an aim of the US, its allies, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, regarding his failure to combat corruption.
An investigation into the company for which Hunter Biden worked was dormant at the time of the vice-president’s visit. In May 2019, the Ukraine prosecutor general told Bloomberg, “We do not see any wrongdoing” by the Bidens.
In a disjointed interview with Fox News Sunday, Giuliani also tried to link the former vice-president to investigations into a company run by the billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a hate figure on the right; to the production of a notorious dossier of opposition research on Trump by Fusion GPS; and to “the $1.5bn that the Biden family took out of China while that guy was negotiating for us”, all claims made without offering evidence.
“This will be a lot bigger than Spiro Agnew,” Giuliani said, perhaps ill-advisedly referring to Richard Nixon’s vice-president who resigned in 1973, amid the Watergate scandal that would bring down the president, after being indicted for taking bribes.
Giuliani has admitted seeking to pressure Ukrainian authorities to investigate.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that in a 25 July call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump asked eight times for the Bidens to be investigated.The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that in a 25 July call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump asked eight times for the Bidens to be investigated.
The call is reportedly the subject of an intelligence services whistleblower complaint which the White House is refusing to release to Congress.The call is reportedly the subject of an intelligence services whistleblower complaint which the White House is refusing to release to Congress.
It has been suggested that Trump may have threatened to withhold US military aid to Ukraine if it did not accede to his demands. About a month after the call, $250m in military assistance to a country fighting Russian-backed separatists was delayed. The aid was released this month, after the existence of the whistleblower complaint became public. It has been suggested that Trump may have threatened to withhold US military aid to Ukraine if it did not accede to his demands.
About a month after the call, $250m in military assistance to a country fighting Russian-backed separatists was delayed. The aid was released this month, after the existence of the whistleblower complaint became public.
Chris Murphy, a Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday: “The timing is obviously incredibly suspicious.”Chris Murphy, a Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday: “The timing is obviously incredibly suspicious.”
Trump has denied such a move and on Friday the Ukrainian foreign minister said the aid was not discussed in the July call, which he characterised as “long and friendly”. I do think if Vice-President Biden behaved inappropriately …we need to get to the bottom of that
But Trump has not denied asking Zelinskiy about Biden and Ukraine. On Sunday he said his conversation with the Ukrainian leader was “perfect” and there was “no quid pro quo”. Trump has denied such a move. On Friday the Ukrainian foreign minister said the aid was not discussed in the July call, which he characterised as “long and friendly”.
But Trump has not denied asking Zelinskiy to investigate the Bidens. On Sunday he said his conversation with the Ukrainian leader was “perfect” and there was “no quid pro quo”.
The former vice-president, who in Iowa on Saturday said “Trump is using this because he knows I’ll beat him like a drum”, has called for the transcript of the call to be released. So have allies of Trump.The former vice-president, who in Iowa on Saturday said “Trump is using this because he knows I’ll beat him like a drum”, has called for the transcript of the call to be released. So have allies of Trump.
It is not certain that the call is the subject of the whistleblower complaint, which Trump’s acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused, against legal precedent, to release to Congress. It is not certain the call is the subject of the whistleblower complaint. Against legal precedent, Trump’s acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused to release the complaint to Congress.
But Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday: “Clearly [Trump] is afraid of the public seeing such things.” Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday: “Clearly [Trump] is afraid of the public seeing such things.”
On the same show, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said even showing the complaint to leaders in Congress “would be a terrible precedent”, as conversations between world leaders should be confidential and not released after “political complaints”. Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNN and NBC showing the complaint to Congress “would be a terrible precedent”, as conversations between world leaders should be confidential and not released after “political complaints”.
Mnuchin repeatedly said he did not know what was said on the call between Trump and Zelinskiy, a line followed by secretary of state Mike Pompeo in appearances on ABC’s This Week and CBS’s Face the Nation. Mnuchin repeatedly said he did not know what was said on the call between Trump and Zelinskiy.
Schiff made unusually strong remarks about the prospects of Trump being impeached over the Ukraine issue, as it meant “We may have crossed the Rubicon”. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo went further, telling ABC’s This Week: “I do think if Vice-President Biden behaved inappropriately, if he was protecting his son and intervened with the Ukrainian leadership in a way that was corrupt, I do think we need to get to the bottom of that.”
Of Giuliani’s admitted behaviour, he said “betraying your country … is one thing when it’s done by the court jester, another thing when by the man who would be king.” How Trump could lose the popular vote again – and hold the White House
House Democrats are already exploring impeachment proceedings over Trump’s links to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Schiff cited Senate Republican opposition to impeachment as one reason still to go slow, but said Democrats needed to establish public support. Schiff made unusually strong remarks about the prospects of Trump being impeached over the Ukraine issue, as reports of the president’s behaviour meant “We may have crossed the Rubicon”.
Of Giuliani, he said: “Betraying your country … is one thing when it’s done by the court jester, another thing when by the man who would be king.”
House Democrats are already exploring impeachment proceedings over Trump’s links to Russia and Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election.
Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014, backs separatists in the Donbass region of Ukraine. The Washington Post cited a former senior US official as saying Trump thought military aid to Ukraine “was pointless and just aggravating the Russians”.
“The president’s position basically is, we should recognise the fact that the Russians should be our friends, and who cares about the Ukrainians?”
Schiff cited Senate Republican opposition to impeachment as one reason for House Democrats still to go slow, and said his party needed to establish public support.
Trump and Zelinskiy are due to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.Trump and Zelinskiy are due to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
In his tweets, Giuliani linked to a 2015 New York Times report about Hunter Biden and Ukraine and promised to “lay out some of the evidence of Ukraine corruption” on Fox News Sunday.
Trump seemed likely to be watching. On Saturday night, he repeated a Fox analyst’s suggestion that the whistleblower may have been “an American spy … spying on our own president”.
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Trump administrationTrump administration
US politicsUS politics
Joe BidenJoe Biden
US elections 2020US elections 2020
UkraineUkraine
US foreign policyUS foreign policy
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