Trump asked Ukraine president to look into Biden: call summary
As House Democrats move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, the White House Wednesday released the summary of the president's July 25th call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The five page document shows that Trump repeatedly asked Zelenskiy to investigate whether former Vice President Joe Biden shut down an investigation into a company where his son worked.
In the call summary, Trump tells Zelenskiy that:
"The United States has been very very good to Ukraine."
Zelenskiy thanks him for his support in the area of defense, and says Ukraine is ready to buy more weapons from the US.
Trump responds: "I would like you to do us a favor, though" and goes on to list investigations he'd like to see.
Trump: "There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. … Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it... It sounds horrible to me."
Also in the call - the president mentioned that Ukrainian officials could work with his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and his attorney general, William Barr.
Trump: "I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have.Attorney General Barr call and we will get to the bottom of it. I'm sure you will figure it out."
In response, on Wednesday House Judiciary Committee chairman called on Attorney General Barr to recuse himself from any probes on this very issue.
House intelligence Chair Adam Schiff said he was shocked the White House would put something this damning out.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) HOUSE INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN ADAM SCHIFF, SAYING:
"This is how a mafia boss talks. What you have you done for us? We've done so much for you. But there's not much reciprocity. I have a favor I want to ask. What is that favor? Of course, the favor is to investigate his political rival."
Trump on Wednesday defended the call.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:
"There was no pressure...The way you had that built up, that call, it was going to be the call from hell. It turned out to be a nothing call."
Lindsey Graham also wasn't impressed.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, SAYING:
"From my point of view, to impeach any president over a phone call like this is insane."
But Republican Senator Mitt Romney had a different take.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) SENATOR MITT ROMNEY, SAYING:
"If the president of the United States asks or presses the leader of a foreign country to carry out an investigation of a political nature…that's troubling."
It was revelations that Trump asked a foreign country to help probe his political rival, and may have halted military aid as leverage, that prompted many House members this week to come out in favor of impeachment.
The call is reportedly featured in a whistleblower complaint that Trump's acting Director of National Intelligence, on the advice of the Justice Department, headed by William Barr, has refused to hand over to Congress.
That was the final straw for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: "The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the constitution…therefore today, I'm announcing the House of Representatives moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry."
The White House Wednesday said it would release the whistleblower's complaint.
But even if the House ultimately voted to impeach Trump, it's unlikely to end in his removal from office. Republicans hold a slim majority in the Senate, where two-thirds majority would need to vote to convict.
