McConnell Was ‘Not Given An Explanation’ For Trump Delaying Ukraine Aid

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to members of the media after a weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon on February 5, 2019. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday that the Trump administration didn’t tell him why it had delayed almost $400 million in aid for Ukraine in July, about a week before President Donald Trump reportedly tried to get the Ukrainian government to investigate 2020 rival Joe Biden.

McConnell told reporters that he has “no idea what precipitated the delay.”

“I was not given an explanation,” the Republican leader said after a journalist asked if the Trump administration had given him a reason for withholding the aid. “Fortunately, it finally happened, and I’m glad about that.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he had delayed giving the funds Congress had allocated to Ukraine because he wanted “other countries to put up money.”

He denied that the delay was connected to his call with the president of Ukraine, during which Trump reportedly pressured him to investigate Biden.

Watch the video of McConnell on C-Span here (McConnell’s comments about Ukraine aid begin at the 10:50 timestamp).

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for pwmesq pwmesq says:

    Mitch is dangling a foot off the Trump Train platform. Seeing how the air feels through his rotten, corrupt toes.

  2. It’s hard to know what’s happening when you have your fingers in your ears while repeating, “I know nothing, I see nothing” eh, Mitch?

  3. It’s a smart play by McConnell. By stating he was not given a reason he doesn’t run the risk of having whatever reason was given (and I’m sure there was on) being a lie. Of course he now has to figure out how to shield his vulnerable 2020 senators (again) from a vote from hell, but one day at a time I suppose.

    I hope all the judges were worth it, Mitch.

  4. Avatar for jrw jrw says:

    Plausible deniability, eh MM?

  5. Moscow Mitch’s reptilian DNA is the source of his survival instincts. Pence and Trump’s other toadies are too stupid to recognize the necessity of an escape hatch when it comes to all things Trump, lol.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

48 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ajm Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for blandsten Avatar for clemmers Avatar for kilgoretrout Avatar for trnc Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for sagrilarus Avatar for drriddle Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for hquain Avatar for longtimeobserver Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for 1american Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for thinski Avatar for aiddon Avatar for davidn Avatar for dominic Avatar for lanabill Avatar for dogmaalsocatma Avatar for aoc2024

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: