Section: TPM (USA)
It’s Official: Jim Jordan Temporarily Moves To House Intelligence Committee
It’s happening: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has temporarily assigned Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to the House Intelligence Committee as the impeachment inquiry enters its public phase. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) will temporarily step aside to make Jordan’s move effective. An aide told CNN Friday that there is currently no...
Ambassador’ing Is Hard, But Gordon Sondland Was A ‘Comical’ Bumbler
When he wasn’t pushing Ukraine to open investigations that would benefit President Donald Trump’s reelection chances, EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland was breaching security protocols, showing up unprepared at diplomatic events, and generally making a bit of a mess. That’s according to former National Security Council senior...
Bolton’s Lawyer Dangles That He Knows About Unreported Ukraine Meetings
After former National Security Adviser John Bolton skipped out on his scheduled testimony Thursday, his lawyer said that his client knows about “many relevant meetings and conversations” that are still unreported. According to the New York Times, Bolton’s team is riding his former deputy Charles Kupperman’s coattails, the latter of...
READ: Impeachment Inquiry Releases Testimony Of Former NSC Official Fiona Hill
The House committees leading the impeachment inquiry on Friday released a transcript of the closed-door testimony of Dr. Fiona Hill, the former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council. Hill reportedly testified that then-National Security Adviser John Bolton referred to Trump’s pressure campaign on...
READ: Impeachment Inquiry Releases Testimony Of NSC Official Alexander Vindman
The House committees leading the impeachment inquiry on Friday released a transcript of the closed-door testimony of Alexander Vindman, a lieutenant colonel in the Army and director of European affairs on the National Security Council. As the top Ukraine expert in NSC, Vindman had a unique view into the President Trump’s Ukraine gambit, and...
Ivanka Trump Disagrees With Her Father On Exposing Whistleblower Identity
Ivanka Trump isn’t on the same page as her father when it comes to his crusade to unmask the whistleblower. In an interview with the Associated Press Friday during a three-day visit to Morocco, the senior Trump adviser and first daughter said that unlike her father, she finds the identity of the whistleblower whose complaint sparked the...
EXCLUSIVE: Indicted Giuliani Pals Were Expected In Kyiv When Arrested
Rudy Giuliani’s indicted pals were scheduled to be in Kyiv last month when they were arrested at Washington-Dulles International Airport, TPM has confirmed with their Ukraine lawyer. It was previously known that Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman had one-way tickets to Vienna via Frankfurt when they were arrested by the FBI on Oct. 9 on campaign...
Trump Follows GOP Allies’ Lead, Turning On Aides With Damning Testimonies
House Republicans have noticeably shifted their messaging in recent days to attempt to shield President Trump from a swelling body of evidence against him by subtly suggesting that key deputies involved in the Ukraine saga may have acted on their own. And Trump is clearly ripping a page from their playbook. According to the Washington Post, the...
A Bit of Backstory
President Trump made a big show last hour that he may be willing to release a transcript of a “second” call with President Zelensky of Ukraine. He said Congress is “clamoring” for it and he may agree to release it. Just to explain the backstory: This appears to be the brief congratulatory call Trump made to Zelensky in April after he was elected...
Trump Pledges To Release Transcript Of An Earlier Call With Ukraine President
While claiming that he’s not concerned about the ongoing impeachment inquiry testimonies so far, President Trump on Friday reiterated his argument that the now-infamous July call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “perfect” while also railing against the media for now focusing on a second call with the foreign...