This Is Normal! Trump Claims Foreign Political Pressure Campaigns Happen ‘All The Time’

President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing the White House for the G7 summit on June 8, 2018. (Photo credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In light of news that State Department officials actively pressed Ukraine to announce a probe into former Vice President Joe Biden in exchange for a White House visit, President Trump is, once again, proclaiming his innocence.

After House Democrats released explosive text messages that show two U.S. ambassadors helped draft the exact language of a potential investigation announcement, Trump claimed his pressure campaign had “NOTHING” to do with politics or his political opponent and everything to do with “CORRUPTION.”

Trump’s been hiding behind this excuse for some time, even though he has repeatedly openly admitted that he wants Ukraine and China to investigate the Bidens, while simultaneously arguing that he never pressured Ukraine to take on the probe. The new texts provide the fullest picture yet of the extent to which Trump administration officials worked with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to pressure the Ukrainian government to look into Biden, one of Trump’s top political rivals in 2020.

The messages also reveal a sense of alarm from the Ukrainian government in late August after Trump withheld nearly $400 million in military aid from Ukraine. Trump has claimed he temporarily blocked the funds to force European countries to contribute more to Ukraine’s defense, but he made the decision just one week before the now-infamous call with Ukraine when he asked President Volodymyr Zelensky for a “favor” after Zelensky brought up the prospect of more weapons.

Latest News
105
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. I believe that Trump has no idea of how a democracy is suppose to look and work. All of this is because deals in “transactions”.

  2. AAhhhh! It’s going to be a crazy-ass day, and I won’t be able to keep up…again.

    On the bright side – I have off today, and there’s a 1.5L bottle of Cabernet on my kitchen table!

  3. To heck with just believing it. It’s now a verifiable fact.

  4. Avatar for ANNFFL ANNFFL says:

    I have to say his phrasing makes his crimes sound righteous.

  5. Will that be enough? Does Uber Eats also deliver alcohol? Do you have enough nibbles to keep you going?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

99 more replies

Participants

Avatar for paulw Avatar for ghost Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for cervantes Avatar for thepsyker Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for lastroth Avatar for topchap Avatar for benthere Avatar for civik Avatar for tena Avatar for jinnj Avatar for jtx Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for jquas2sunset Avatar for kelaine Avatar for skeptical Avatar for timorwig Avatar for opaquesquid Avatar for rucleare Avatar for ANNFFL Avatar for faydout Avatar for kovie

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: