Section: TPM (USA)
Trump Is Mad At Barr For Pressuring Him To Release Ukraine Call Transcript
In the early days of the unfolding Ukraine scandal, before the White House released its version of President Trump’s infamous call with the president of Ukraine, Attorney General Bill Barr privately urged Trump to allow for its release, The New York Times reported. At the time, Barr told Trump releasing a version of the transcript would...
Mulvaney Was Subpoenaed Thursday Evening. WH Already Says He Won’t Appear
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed on Thursday evening to appear before congressional investigators on Friday morning, Axios was first to report. “Mr. Mulvaney has the opportunity to uphold his oath to the nation and Constitution by testifying tomorrow under oath about matters of keen national importance,” an official...
CNN: Pence Aide Testifies That Trump-Zelensky Call Was Abnormal
The political nature of the now-infamous July call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly stuck out to an aide to Vice President Mike Pence. Two sources familiar with the closed-door Thursday testimony of Pence aide Jennifer Williams told CNN that she found the conversation between Trump and Zelensky to be...
Report: Mulvaney And Cipollone In Disagreement Over Impeachment Response
The impeachment inquiry that is now barreling toward its public phase is tearing two of President Trump’s senior aides apart. According to a Bloomberg report Thursday, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone are in disagreement over who should be put in charge of Trump’s impeachment inquiry response....
Congress’ Investigative Office Probing Whether Ukraine Aide Holdup Violated Law
A congressional watchdog office is looking into whether President Donald Trump improperly upheld a nine-figure aid package to Ukraine, despite Congress having already approved the money. The Government Accountability Office is investigating the White House’s hold on the aid, a spokesperson confirmed to The Wall Street Journal on Thursday....
House Inquiry Releases Testimony Of State Dept. Official George Kent
The House Impeachment inquiry on Thursday released a transcript of the testimony of George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs. Reports emerged after Kent’s testimony last month that he was told to “lay low” after criticizing Rudy Giuliani’s involvement in Ukraine policy. Read Kent’s...
WH Official Who Sat In On Ukraine Meetings To Depart NSC
A National Security Council official who attended Ukraine-related meetings that are now being probed by the House in an impeachment inquiry will leave the White House this Friday, Politico reported. The report did not give a specific reason for Earl Matthews’ exit, but an NSC spokesperson praised Matthews and told Politico that “we have no...
Some Thoughts on Describing the President’s Crimes
Here are some basic thoughts about what happened in this story, what matters and how to describe it. The President used extortion to cheat in the 2020 presidential election. He used military aid dollars meant to aid an ally against his Russian patrons in order to force Ukraine to intervene in the 2020 elections, in order to remain in office by...
Pompeo Denies Former Adviser’s Claim He Stopped Statement Supporting Yovanovitch
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday narrowly denied the testimony of a top aide of his who resigned partially out of frustration that the State Department wasn’t willing to publicly support a diplomat who President Donald Trump had attacked. Michael McKinley had spent decades as a diplomat when Pompeo asked him to be a senior adviser...
This Week: Trump Hotel Spikes Prices Ahead Of Republican Senators’ Retreat
Republican senators are holding their annual retreat at a conspicuous D.C. landmark today and tomorrow: The Trump International Hotel. It’s going to cost them. The President, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and several other senators are taking part in the event, which is hosted by their official campaign arm, the National...
