Trump news: President gives rambling speech at UN after Ukraine call memo released, as Senate receives whistleblower complaint
Document shows president asked Ukrainian leader to talk to Giuliani about investigation
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump’s tumultuous day began with the release of a memo describing a phone call which could end his presidency, and ended with a weary rambling speech characterised by boasts, false claims and self pity.
If the president thought releasing the partial transcript would silence his critics, as he seemed to hope, he could not have been more wrong.
While his supporters claimed the memo exonerated him, his opponents insisted that it was even more damning than they had feared.
The call showed him asking his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Joe Biden, who could face Mr Trump in next year’s presidential election, immediately after discussing the military aid Kiev needs to protect itself against a Russian-backed insurgency.
They also talked disparagingly about the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was recalled after apparently falling foul of the president’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Mr Trump apparently told the Ukrainian president: “Well, she’s going to go through some things.”
After appearing at an awkward media conference with the Ukrainian president himself on the edges of the UN general assembly, Mr Trump addressed the press himself.
In a low-energy performance, he insisted that the accusations against him were a Democrat “hoax” timed to embarrass him in front of the world’s leaders, boasted about his accomplishments, accused Mr Biden and his son of being corrupt and assured a Venezuelan journalist that he was watching developments in her country closely.
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Here are some snap reactions to the release of the memorandum document.
One key question from the document is how much it has been edited.
As the Washington Post’s Annie Linskey notes, a 30 minute conversation has appeared to have been condescended to just five pages.
There has also been a bit of confusion about the difference between a memorandum and a transcript.
Here’s Merriam-Webster to clear that up:
The document released today is a memorandum, not a transcript.
It is unclear if Mr Trump understands the difference between the two words.
If Mr Trump thought this document would shut down the Ukraine scandal, he was very wrong.
Democrats are saying the memo is “far worse” than they expected.
Even Republican senator Mitt Romney has said he found the document “deeply troubling”.
This exchange from the Mueller Report hearing in May between Kamala Harris and attorney general William Barr could be very important now.
Mr Trump has commented on the release of the memorandum.
He is claiming that the document shows he did nothing wrong.
This is interesting – Representative Matt Gaetz has just told NBC News that Republicans were invited to the White House to look at the Ukraine call memo and plan talking points this morning…
House speaker Nancy Pelosi has also commented on the release of the document.
She said Mr Trump’s behaviour “cannot stand”.
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