The telephone call was July 25, 2019. (click here) At the time this article was published Trump was concerned, even rattled by the fact the former Vice President Biden was running. Three months later, the day after the Former Director Mueller testified, Trump had already and secretly ended the military funding to Ukraine, and made a phone call to demand an announcement of the investigation of Joe and Hunter Biden. There is no doubt the evidence to Trump's lawlessness.
April 25, 2019
By David Jackson and Sean Rossman
President Donald Trump "welcomed" former Vice President Joe Biden (click here) to the 2020 presidential election Thursday by insulting his intelligence and promising a "nasty" race for the White House.
Taunting his opponent as "Sleepy Joe," Trump tweeted: "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!"
Biden laughed off the tweet, telling reporters during a visit to a restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware: "Everybody knows Donald Trump."
Later Thursday, Trump told Fox News that he didn't know who would end up becoming the Democratic nominee for president but said Biden was a name that people knew. But, he added on Biden's candidacy, "He's not the brightest lightbulb in the group."...
The Pentagon doesn't play politics with the USA national defense. The military used ESTABLISHED policy to implore the help of the new DOD Secretary. They did not go public to embarrass Trump to insure politics was served.
The only person playing politics in July 2019 when it comes to Ukraine was Trump.
February 5, 2020
By Vivian Salama
Washington - Days before the July 2019 (click here) call between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, US officials were still working to expedite the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles to the country, according to emails and other internal documents reviewed by CNN.
The new information underscores how the July 18th decision to hold the military aid stunned officials, who had already assessed Ukraine deserved to receive it and were preparing a Javelin missile order as well. The decision reverberated across the government for weeks. Officials grew so concerned over the deferrals by the Office of Management and Budget that they noted the aid was at "serious risk," and questioned if the move was illegal.
In an email to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who was in his first week on the job, a top Defense official communicated his concern over Trump's "reported view that the US should cease providing security assistance" to Ukraine and its impact on national security.
Defense officials hoped Esper might be able to persuade the President to drop the hold, and included their rationale in briefing notes provided to him for an August meeting at the White House....
February 5, 2020
By Kenneth P. Vogel
...As the Senate moved toward acquitting President Trump on Wednesday, even some Republicans stopped trying to defend his actions or dispute the evidence, focusing instead on the idea that his conduct did not deserve removal from office, especially in an election year.
Mr. Trump’s “behavior was shameful and wrong,” and “his personal interests do not take precedence over those of this great nation,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said on Monday. She went on to declare that she would nonetheless vote to acquit.
Mr. Trump’s public statements, plus testimony and documents introduced during the impeachment process and revelations independent from the congressional inquiry, establish a narrative of the president’s involvement in the effort led by Rudolph W. Giuliani, his personal lawyer, to persuade Ukraine to publicly commit to investigating two topics....
It is all politics, not USA policy this scheme. Guiliani had absolutely no government credentials, but, was not only given access to anyone in the Trump administration. It is unbelievable. Trump comes up with someone that will rearrange history to suit Trump's campaign and everyone along the way, except, it would seem, the newly elected Ukraine officials.
...But a review of thousands of documents and dozens of interviews reveals how Mr. Trump developed a bitter grudge against Ukraine and then became personally involved in pressuring its leaders. Evidence of Mr. Trump’s role comes from a variety of sources....
...Mr. Trump and Mr. Pompeo “relied on” Mr. Giuliani’s claims in their decision to oust Ms. Yovanovitch, Mr. Giuliani said.
In early May, Mr. Trump asked John R. Bolton, his national security adviser at the time, to call Mr. Zelensky to ensure he would meet with Mr. Giuliani, according to Mr. Bolton’s unpublished book manuscript. Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani denied Mr. Bolton’s account.
When Mr. Giuliani failed in his efforts to meet with Mr. Zelensky to press for the investigations, Mr. Trump enlisted an ad hoc team to work with Mr. Giuliani. The team included Gordon D. Sondland, the United States ambassador to the European Union; Kurt D. Volker, then the State Department’s special envoy for Ukraine; and Rick Perry, then the energy secretary....
To make this more interesting, Trump himself has stated over and over that he has been far more generous to Ukraine than Obama ever was.
He bragged about it. He bragged about it within the contents of this impeachment inquiry.
For two years, a Biden investigation or the word CORRUPTION never entered the vapors of the Trump administration in regard to Ukraine UNTIL the Former Vice President announced his candidacy.
It is completely obvious the lawlessness of Trump and his subsequent lies. He is quick on his feet, isn't he? It takes him no time to come up with believable lies.
They aren't benign lies. Trump's lies are costing the USA it's international esteem.
February 4, 2020
By Lucian Kim
...Ivan Yakovina, (click here) a political commentator in Kyiv, says Ukraine's political class has become disillusioned with the United States....
...While Tregub welcomed the opportunity to speak with Pompeo, she says the U.S. can do more to support civil society beyond providing financial assistance.
"This is not a safe environment for anti-corruption campaigners," she says. "The U.S. should continuously show that it supports agents of change. One visit is just a start but definitely not enough."
Gumenyuk, whose TV channel depends on funding from foreign governments, says Ukraine's reliance on U.S. assistance makes it awkward to criticize the Trump administration for its transactional approach to foreign policy.
"America is not an adversary — but maybe no longer a friend," Gumenyuk says. "You'd want to have the U.S. be a more trustworthy partner."...
