Section: TPM (USA)
WaPo: Trump Admin Withheld Restoration Of Ukraine’s Trade Privileges Along With Aid
The Trump administration’s United States Trade Representative reportedly withheld his recommendation to reinstate some of Ukraine’s trade privileges with the U.S. in late August, the same time when President Donald Trump had frozen military aid to Ukraine. According to the Washington Post’s Thursday report, Robert E. Lighthizer...
Graham: I’m Not Saying Trump Is Totally Innocent, But Impeachment Is Still Bogus
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) won’t exactly exonerate President Trump for his Ukraine quid pro quo, but that doesn’t mean he finds the House’s impeachment inquiry valid. According to CNN, Graham expressed uncertainty over what will come out of the impeachment inquiry following a lunch at the White House Thursday. “I don’t...
WH Trade Adviser Refuses To Say If Biden Came Up During Talks With China
White House National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro wouldn’t say whether 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter have come up during trade talks with China. At a CNN event Thursday, when reporter Jim Sciutto asked Navarro if the Trump administration has ever mentioned politically motivated investigations into Hunter...
Conservatives Rally Around Mulvaney, Urge Trump To Make CoS Role Permanent
Conservatives are showing their support for acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney following his disastrous press conference last week during which he admitted President Trump’s Ukraine quid pro quo. According to a Politico report Thursday, a group of prominent conservatives — which include Ginni Thomas of Liberty Consulting, Tim Chapman of...
Lawyers For Oligarch Source Of Pro-Trump Docs Also Represent Journo Who Pubbed Them
The pro-Trump lawyer couple that helped Rudy Giuliani look for political dirt in Ukraine is also representing the conservative journalist that first published some of that dirt, Politico reported Thursday. John Solomon, until recently an op-ed columnist and executive vice president at The Hill, has been represented by Joe diGenova and Victoria...
Pompeo Dismisses Impeachment-Related Questions In Kansas
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he isn’t sweating the House’s impeachment inquiry. In an interview with The Wichita Eagle Thursday, Pompeo said that he doesn’t think that the impeachment inquiry has damaged his image or leadership at the State Department. “I don’t think about that stuff. I work hard,” Pompeo said. “I...
Gaetz: Holding Military Aid For Political Favor Is Inappropriate But That’s Not What Trump Did
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said on Thursday that it wouldn’t be appropriate to attempt to link military aid to help with an election campaign, but insisted that President Donald Trump did not do so with Ukraine. When MSNBC host Hallie Jackson asked Gaetz, “Is it okay for any politician to trade military aid for political favors?” the Florida...
Sondland Disputes Key Claims In Diplomat’s Testimony About Ukraine Dealings
The Trump-appointed ambassador who played a direct role in the President Trump’s Ukraine pressure campaign “does not recall” conversations where he allegedly linked a White House hold on aid to the country to demands it announce investigations into Trump’s political rivals. An attorney for the U.S. ambassador to the European Union...
Of Course Trump Loved The House GOP’s SCIF-Storming Stunt
The House Republicans’ Wednesday stunt of storming the secure room where an impeachment inquiry-related testimony was being held seems to have won President Trump’s approval. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told “Fox & Friends” hosts Thursday morning that the President was “very supportive” of the Republicans’...
CNN: Parnas and Fruman Claimed They Were Traveling To Vienna For A Hannity-Shokin Interview
Two associates of Rudy Giuliani’s arrested for a campaign finance conspiracy earlier this month were on their way to help with a planned interview between Fox News’ Sean Hannity and former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, they told others. CNN reported the reason for Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman’s trip on Wednesday, citing four...
