When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attempted to distance himself from questions about his phone call with President Trump, the American President summed up his answer for him: “In other words, no pressure,” Trump said, after Zelensky gave a timid response, suggesting he didn’t want to get involved in the United States’ election process.
Thus kicked off an off-the-rocker pool spray with reporters on Wednesday afternoon, in which Trump took the time to scratch each of his favorite conspiracy theory itches in front of Zelensky and U.S. and foreign reporters.
“I want him to do whatever he can,” Trump said in response to a question about Trump allegedly pressuring Zelensky to dig up dirt on Joe Biden.
Trump then launched into a diatribe about Biden’s son and the fabricated allegations about a multi-million dollar deal with the Ukrainian government.
Trump finishes Zelensky's thought for him: "In other words, no pressure" pic.twitter.com/JlZicXwohb
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) September 25, 2019
Trump threw his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who’s led the charge on the slipshod accusations against Hunter Biden, under the bus. When asked why he thought it was appropriate to ask his personal attorney to conduct government business, Trump said “You have to ask Rudy.”
“I will tell you this. That Rudy’s looking to also find out where the phony witch hunt started, how it started. We had a Russian witch hunt, turned out to be two and a half years of phony nonsense,” he said. “Rudy Giuliani is a great lawyer, he was a great mayor, he’s highly respected. I’ve watched the passion he’d had on television over the last few days. Incredible what he’s done — he wants to find out where did this Russian witch hunt you people helped perpetrate. Where did it start? How come it started? It’s all nonsense.”
Trump says "ask Rudy" about Giuliani's involvement in Ukraine scandal pic.twitter.com/tXMgepoqfW
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) September 25, 2019
Trump was then asked about a right-wing conspiracy that Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails are in Ukraine. Trump appeared thrilled to bash his favorite political bunching bag in front of a clearly uncomfortable Zelensky.
“Boy that was a nice question,” he said. “I liked that question, because frankly I think that one of the great crimes committed is Hillary Clinton deleting 33,000 emails after Congress sent her a subpoena. Think of that. You can’t even do that in a civil case. You can’t get rid of evidence like that. She deleted 33,000 emails after — not before — after receiving the subpoena from the U.S. Congress.”
He then mocked Clinton for what he believes is her justification for the deleted emails.
“Then she said, as I remember it, that ‘oh, they had to do with the wedding and yoga. She does a lot of yoga, right?” he said.
Trump mocks Clinton over yoga pic.twitter.com/QPo1YAtyBR
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) September 25, 2019
Trump continued to harp on the fabricated allegations against Biden’s son, before pivoting to tell Zelensky that he hopes the Ukrainian president and Russian President Vladimir Putin can “solve your problem.” Zelensky did not respond.
Trump ended the pool spray with Zelensky by targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a predictable jab given her announcement of an impeachment inquiry on Tuesday. He ended the conversation by declaring Pelosi was “no longer speaker of the House.” She still is.
Trump: Pelosi is no longer Speaker of the House pic.twitter.com/5byk2wBoH0
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) September 25, 2019
