Trump ordered aid frozen; more Democrats want impeachment

[bostonangler]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ordered his staff to freeze nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine a few days before a phone call in which he pressured the Eastern European nation's leader to investigate the family of political rival Joe Biden, a revelation that comes as more Democrats move toward impeachment proceedings.

Trump's order was first reported by The Washington Post and was confirmed to The Associated Press by two people familiar with but not authorized to discuss private conversations. They spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Late Monday, an influential group of freshmen Democrats who served in the military and national security before winning office said Trump's actions cut to the core of the country's defenses. Their views, as centrist lawmakers from previously Republican-held districts where Trump has been popular, hold sway with party leadership.

At issue is a summer phone call with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump is said to have pushed for investigations into Biden. In the days before that call, Trump ordered the aid to Ukraine frozen.

Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has denied that any requests for help in procuring damaging information about Biden were tied to the aid freeze.

The United States began providing military aid to the government of Ukraine shortly after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. With Ukraine's new president still grappling with separatist rebels in the east, the aid has long been viewed as a measure of Washington's determination to push back against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Democrats, and some Republicans, have urged the White House to be open about Trump's actions, which are at the center of a whistleblower complaint. But with no new information from the administration forthcoming, more than a dozen Democrats, including some in House leadership, added their names to those calling for impeachment proceedings.

The sudden rush of activity shows the extent to which Trump's call to the foreign leader, and his subsequent comments about the conversation, are raising further questions about whether the president improperly used his office to pressure another country as a way of helping his own reelection prospects.

"These allegations are stunning, both in the national security threat they pose and the potential corruption they represent," wrote the seven freshmen, who include a former Navy pilot, soldiers, officers and intelligence analysts.

"We do not arrive at this conclusion lightly," the lawmakers wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. The lawmakers include Reps. Gil Cisneros of California, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Elaine Luria of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

"These new allegations are a threat to all we have sworn to protect. We must preserve the checks and balances envisioned by the Founders and restore the trust of the American people in our government. And that is what we intend to do."

Congress on Monday pressed for full disclosure of a whistleblower's complaint about Trump and pushed the White House to release a transcript of Trump's call with the Ukraine president.

The president has acknowledged the phone call. On Monday, he said he didn't want to give money to Ukraine — if there were corruption issues.

"It's very important to talk about corruption," Trump told reporters as he opened meetings at the United Nations. "If you don't talk about corruption, why would you give money to a country that you think is, is corrupt?"

Later Monday, Trump denied telling the Ukraine president that his country would only get U.S. aid if it investigated Biden's son. "I didn't do it," he said.

The fresh calls for impeachment proceedings come as House Democrats are heading into a closed-door meeting Tuesday with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi and her leadership team on the various oversight committees are considering bringing forward a resolution that will put the House on the record on this matter, according to a Democratic leadership aide unauthorized to discuss the private talks. The aide was granted anonymity.

Still, Democrats remained divided on moving forward with an effort to impeach Trump. Pelosi has resisted calls for impeachment and is sticking with her position that Congress must not start formal proceedings unless the American public demands it.

However, Pelosi said Sunday that unless the administration provides more information to Congress by the scheduled Thursday hearing at the intelligence committee, its officials "will be entering a grave new chapter of lawlessness which will take us into a whole new stage of investigation."

Trump has sought, without evidence, to implicate Biden and his son Hunter in the kind of corruption that has long plagued Ukraine. Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the same time his father was leading the Obama administration's diplomatic dealings with Kyiv. Though the timing raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice president or his son.

The matter is under new scrutiny following the whistleblower's mid-August complaint, which followed Trump's July 25 call with Ukraine's president. The person who filed the complaint did not have firsthand knowledge of the call, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Lawmakers are demanding details of the complaint, but the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused to share that information, citing presidential privilege. He is set to testify Thursday before the House.

"Let's see the transcript," said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, about Trump's call with the Ukraine president.

The chairmen of the House intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Government Reform committees are threatening to subpoena Secretary of State Mike Pompeo if he does not produce information about whether Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, inappropriately tried to influence the Ukraine government for political gain.

Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called on Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to investigate the whistleblower's complaint. In a letter to McConnell, he said that the Republicans' "see no evil, hear no evil" attitude toward the president's actions "is unacceptable and must change."

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida doesn't think Trump's actions are grounds for impeachment, but said he wouldn't have called a foreign leader to discuss a rival.

"I don't think he should have raised the topic of Joe Biden with the Ukraine president," Rubio said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday the matter is best left behind closed doors in the classified setting of the intelligence committee, though he did push into the spotlight his own role in securing the Ukraine aid.

McConnell said he had been "personally pressuring" the Trump administration this summer in calls to Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to release the U.S. aid money.

Trump said Monday he may, or may not, release details or a transcript of the call but has stressed that foreign leaders should feel free to speak frankly with an American president without fear that the details of their conversations will later be disclosed.

Hunter Biden was hired by the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings in April 2014, two months after Ukraine's Russia-friendly former president was ousted by protesters and as Biden's father was heavily involved in U.S. efforts to support the new pro-Western government. The move immediately raised concerns that the Ukrainian firm, whose owner was a political ally of the ousted president, was seeking to gain influence with the Obama administration.

Trump and Zelenskiy plan to meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/schumer-wants-senate-investigate-trump-143913961.html

 

 

Get that orange suit ready... This guy thinks he is a king. Sadly he looks like the court jester more and more everyday.

B/A

[coorslite21]

Wrong again....and delusion as well....

 

So Ukraine has a newly elected leader......there is a scheduled payment to the Ukaine....$323 million$...?

 

So Trumps says let's hold off on that payment before we know where this guy us headed.....he ran on an anti corruption platform....let's just confirm we're not giving the money to another third world leader that will grab it for him self........isn't  that a logical approach?

 

Ukaine was paid....

 

Additionally this whistle blower story is falling apart......kind of the same old.... a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another friend....on and on it goes....the MSM runs with the totally nonfactual....unverifiable stuff....

 

This is what US politics has become......pathetic.     CL

[bostonangler]

1 minute ago, coorslite21 said:

Wrong again....and delusion as well....

 

So Ukraine has a newly elected leader......there is a scheduled payment to the Ukaine....$323 million$...?

 

So Trumps says let's hold off on that payment before we know where this guy us headed.....he ran on an anti corruption platform....let's just confirm we're not giving the money to another third world leader that will grab it for him self........isn't  that a logical approach?

 

Ukaine was paid....

 

Additionally this whistle blower story is falling apart......kind of the same old.... a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another friend....on and on it goes....the MSM runs with the totally nonfactual....unverifiable stuff....

 

This is what US politics has become......pathetic.     CL

 

You know I believe allocating funds is a congressional thing. I don't think one person should have to power to give or take away... Personally I don't think we should give money to any sovereign nation, but that's just me.

 

B/A

[MyLadiesDaddy]

I actually wish they would impeach him. They have no clue what that mistake will do.

[coorslite21]

I'm going to pull the RT card out here....yes media giant Russia today from April 3rd, 2019.....5 months ahead of the US MSM on the story....and more factual........of course you could spin this as Russia trying to influence this next election....5 minute video....second half on Bidens son.....    CL

Unfortunately.......real news....

 

 

 

[cranman]

7 minutes ago, bostonangler said:

 

You know I believe allocating funds is a congressional thing. I don't think one person should have to power to give or take away... Personally I don't think we should give money to any sovereign nation, but that's just me.

 

B/A

In all fairness he didn't take it away.  It was put on hold.  The phone call conversation is hearsay and not actually heard by the whistle blower.  I don't usually get to involved in something like this but facts are being distorted.  Where is the person that actually heard the phone call?  Did Ukraine get its money?

[caddieman]

1 minute ago, cranman said:

In all fairness he didn't take it away.  It was put on hold.  The phone call conversation is hearsay and not actually heard by the whistle blower.  I don't usually get to involved in something like this but facts are being distorted.  Where is the person that actually heard the phone call?  Did Ukraine get its money?

You know Trump said he talked to Ukraine about Old Joe......right

[yota691]

 

[md11fr8dawg]

Yeah, let's get our panties all in a Wad because of something someone allegedly heard (no proof) and money that Trump held back and then eventually released to Ukraine. Better than Obummer end running Congress and flying pallets full of CASH into our bestest buddy Iran. Oh yeah, nothing to see there, but that Trump guy, need to keep a close eye on him, because he is up to something and needs to be impeached!!!

[cranman]

I can talk about any person to anybody.  No crime there. Maybe frowned upon.  Like I said, the conversation reported is hearsay and not being reported by the original source.  Why is that?   All this hearsay and secondhand info gets tiring.  It gets distorted, made up and added on to,  Like the telephone game.  The original source needs to man up, step up and be heard.  Not hide behind someone else gullible enough to be the voice of second hand information.

 

How would you like a conversation of yours to be reported by someone who heard the content of your conversation by someone else and distorted it?  It doesn't make sense and just pi$$es people off.

[coorslite21]

Expect a comment from Zelinskiy tomorrow....of course the MSM will call him a liar....they are under water on a story once again.....CL

[Karsten]

3 hours ago, bostonangler said:

 

You know I believe allocating funds is a congressional thing. I don't think one person should have to power to give or take away... Personally I don't think we should give money to any sovereign nation, but that's just me.

 

B/A

Sorta like obama did sending billions of dollars to Iran tin the dead of the night without Congress knowing anything or any Congressional Approval.

 

Got It.

 

Karsten

[8th ID]

1 hour ago, Karsten said:

Sorta like obama did sending billions of dollars to Iran tin the dead of the night without Congress knowing anything or any Congressional Approval.

 

Got It.

 

Karsten

RIGHT!!! Congress didn't approve that nor would they have! The way I see it, one muslim gave it to a terrorist nation so they could carry out their ill will against the nation he despised as the leader of it.

[coorslite21]

3 hours ago, coorslite21 said:

Expect a comment from Zelinskiy tomorrow....of course the MSM will call him a liar....they are under water on a story once again.....CL

 

Trump says he will release transcript of Ukraine call
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-says-didn-t-ukraine-191441132.html

 

 

 

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he’ll release the transcript of a July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, seeking to defuse a ballooning controversy over allegations he sought foreign help to smear a political rival.

Trump acknowledged earlier Tuesday that he had ordered a halt to U.S. military aid to Ukraine, claiming he was frustrated that Europe wasn’t also contributing to the country’s fight with Russia-backed separatists. The July 25 call with Zelenskiy is the focus of a congressional investigation into whether Trump pressured Ukraine to re-open an investigation linked to the family of former Vice Presient Joe Biden in exchange for restoring the aid.

Trump said he’ll release a complete, unredacted transcript of the call on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks pared declines after Trump tweeted the news.

The call is also part of a mysterious whistle-blower complaint from an unidentified intelligence official. Congressional Democrats have demanded a copy of the complaint, but the acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused. Trump didn’t address the complaint in his tweets.

[Shabibilicious]

4 minutes ago, coorslite21 said:

 

Trump says he will release transcript of Ukraine call
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-says-didn-t-ukraine-191441132.html

 

 

 

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he’ll release the transcript of a July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, seeking to defuse a ballooning controversy over allegations he sought foreign help to smear a political rival.

Trump acknowledged earlier Tuesday that he had ordered a halt to U.S. military aid to Ukraine, claiming he was frustrated that Europe wasn’t also contributing to the country’s fight with Russia-backed separatists. The July 25 call with Zelenskiy is the focus of a congressional investigation into whether Trump pressured Ukraine to re-open an investigation linked to the family of former Vice Presient Joe Biden in exchange for restoring the aid.

Trump said he’ll release a complete, unredacted transcript of the call on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks pared declines after Trump tweeted the news.

The call is also part of a mysterious whistle-blower complaint from an unidentified intelligence official. Congressional Democrats have demanded a copy of the complaint, but the acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused. Trump didn’t address the complaint in his tweets.

 

Awesome, let's see the transcript......Fingers crossed that it's legit and hasn't been tampered with during the stonewalling of it's release.

 

GO RV, then BV

[coorslite21]

8 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Awesome, let's see the transcript......Fingers crossed that it's legit and hasn't been tampered with during the stonewalling of it's release.

 

GO RV, then BV

Yes....and the Senate has summoned the whistleblower to testify in front of them before Friday.....bipartisan effort at that......   CL

[caddieman]

Fox News just said Trump broke the law!..........That’s right people The Trump channel just said he broke the law.

[coorslite21]

2 minutes ago, caddieman said:

Fox News just said Trump broke the law!..........That’s right people The Trump channel just said he broke the law.

 

Probably always best to let the courts decide who's broken the law.....   CL

[caddieman]

Just now, coorslite21 said:

 

Probably always best to let the courts decide who's broken the law.....   CL

The guy that was on is a Fed Judge.

[coorslite21]

10 minutes ago, caddieman said:

The guy that was on is a Fed Judge.

Not sure who you mean....if he's on FOX he's not active.....the only one I know of there is Napolotano..(sp).....he was a State Judge in NJ for 8 years.....last in 95........I think he farms now....and of course TV.......   CL

[caddieman]

1 minute ago, coorslite21 said:

Not sure who you mean....if he's on FOX he's not active.....the only one I know of there is Napolotano..(sp).....he was a State Judge in NJ for 8 years.....last in 95........I think he farms now....and of course TV.......   CL

Yep that was him CL

[Karsten]

1 hour ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Awesome, let's see the transcript......Fingers crossed that it's legit and hasn't been tampered with during the stonewalling of it's release.

 

GO RV, then BV

 

Sorta like obama and all his Sealed Records, Doctored up birth Certificate Full of Terminology that was even used way back then like African American rather than *****. Of how about it being typed in a Font that did Exist until 2 or 3 decades later and the invention of the Computer and Laser Jet Printers.....Or the layering of the Document to alter someone else's Birth Certificate........Time Travel I bet.

 

 

Just how long did obama Stonewall the American People on his Birth Certificate?

 

Karsten

Edited September 24, 2019 by Karsten

[caddieman]

27 minutes ago, Karsten said:

 

Sorta like obama and all his Sealed Records, Doctored up birth Certificate Full of Terminology that was even used way back then like African American rather than *****. Of how about it being typed in a Font that did Exist until 2 or 3 decades later and the invention of the Computer and Laser Jet Printers.....Or the layering of the Document to alter someone else's Birth Certificate........Time Travel I bet.

 

 

Just how long did obama Stonewall the American People on his Birth Certificate?

 

Karsten

Wrong

 

[markb57]

African is NOT a race....

[Karsten]

47 minutes ago, markb57 said:

African is NOT a race....

Nor was that term used back then as a Race in America.......They were Colored or *****.

 

Karsten