Wow ! Trump was already toast. But now, after today's testimony, he is burnt toast.
Today from the Associated Press;In response to:
Diplomat provides House with 'disturbing' account on Ukraine
Associated Press LISA MASCARO, MARY CLARE JALONICK and LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press 7 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. Ambassador William Taylor provided lawmakers Tuesday with a vivid, detailed and what some lawmakers called "disturbing" account of the way President Donald Trump wanted to put the new Ukraine president "in a public box" by demanding a quid pro quo at the center of the impeachment probe.
In a lengthy opening statement to House investigators, Taylor described the way Trump's demand that "everything" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wanted, including vital military aid to counter Russia, hinged on making a public vow that he would investigate Democrats going back to the 2016 U.S. election as well as a company linked to the family of Trump's potential 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Taylor testified that what he discovered in Kyiv was the Trump administration's back channel to foreign policy, led by the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a "weird combination" of "ultimately alarming circumstances" that threaten to erode the United States' relationship with a budding Eastern European ally.
Lawmakers emerging after hours of the private deposition said Taylor relayed a "disturbing" account, including establishing a "direct line" to the quid pro quo at the center of the impeachment probe .
Lawmakers said Taylor recalled events that filled in gaps from the testimony of other witnesses, particularly Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who testified last week and whose statements now are being called into question by Taylor's account. They said Taylor kept records of conversations and documents.
"The testimony is very disturbing," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., used the same word. Asked why, he said, "Because it's becoming more distinct."
Taylor's appearance was among the most watched because of a text message, released by House investigators earlier in the probe, in which he called Trump's attempt to hold back military aid to Ukraine "crazy."
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said Taylor "drew a straight line" with documents, timelines and individual conversations in his records.
"I do not know how you would listen to today's testimony from Ambassador Taylor and come to any other (conclusion) except that the president abused his power and withheld foreign aid," she said.
Lawmakers did not discuss other details of the closed-door session, which was expected to continue into the evening. Taylor declined to comment as he entered the deposition. He was the latest diplomat with concerns to testify. Like the others, he was subpoenaed to appear.
But the career civil servant's delivery was credible and consistent, people said, as he answered hours of questions from Democrats and Republicans, drawing silence in the room as lawmakers exchanged glances.
Taylor laid out the quid pro quo of the White House's decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless the new president, Zelenskiy, agreed to Trump's requests to investigate Democrats, according to a person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the private testimony.
In a July phone call, Trump told Zelenskiy he wanted "a favor," which the White House later acknowledged in a rough transcript of the conversation was Trump's desire for Ukraine to investigate the Democratic National Committee's email hack in 2016 as well as a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, with ties to Biden's family.
Taylor told lawmakers that another diplomat on the string of text messages, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Sondland, was aware of the demands and later admitted he made a mistake....
Diplomat provides House with 'disturbing' account on Ukraine
Associated Press LISA MASCARO, MARY CLARE JALONICK and LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press 7 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. Ambassador William Taylor provided lawmakers Tuesday with a vivid, detailed and what some lawmakers called "disturbing" account of the way President Donald Trump wanted to put the new Ukraine president "in a public box" by demanding a quid pro quo at the center of the impeachment probe.
In a lengthy opening statement to House investigators, Taylor described the way Trump's demand that "everything" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wanted, including vital military aid to counter Russia, hinged on making a public vow that he would investigate Democrats going back to the 2016 U.S. election as well as a company linked to the family of Trump's potential 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Taylor testified that what he discovered in Kyiv was the Trump administration's back channel to foreign policy, led by the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a "weird combination" of "ultimately alarming circumstances" that threaten to erode the United States' relationship with a budding Eastern European ally.
Lawmakers emerging after hours of the private deposition said Taylor relayed a "disturbing" account, including establishing a "direct line" to the quid pro quo at the center of the impeachment probe .
Lawmakers said Taylor recalled events that filled in gaps from the testimony of other witnesses, particularly Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who testified last week and whose statements now are being called into question by Taylor's account. They said Taylor kept records of conversations and documents.
"The testimony is very disturbing," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., used the same word. Asked why, he said, "Because it's becoming more distinct."
Taylor's appearance was among the most watched because of a text message, released by House investigators earlier in the probe, in which he called Trump's attempt to hold back military aid to Ukraine "crazy."
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said Taylor "drew a straight line" with documents, timelines and individual conversations in his records.
"I do not know how you would listen to today's testimony from Ambassador Taylor and come to any other (conclusion) except that the president abused his power and withheld foreign aid," she said.
Lawmakers did not discuss other details of the closed-door session, which was expected to continue into the evening. Taylor declined to comment as he entered the deposition. He was the latest diplomat with concerns to testify. Like the others, he was subpoenaed to appear.
But the career civil servant's delivery was credible and consistent, people said, as he answered hours of questions from Democrats and Republicans, drawing silence in the room as lawmakers exchanged glances.
Taylor laid out the quid pro quo of the White House's decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless the new president, Zelenskiy, agreed to Trump's requests to investigate Democrats, according to a person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the private testimony.
In a July phone call, Trump told Zelenskiy he wanted "a favor," which the White House later acknowledged in a rough transcript of the conversation was Trump's desire for Ukraine to investigate the Democratic National Committee's email hack in 2016 as well as a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, with ties to Biden's family.
Taylor told lawmakers that another diplomat on the string of text messages, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Sondland, was aware of the demands and later admitted he made a mistake....
Comments (54)
But you know the Trumpers will ignore this...
Trump is entitled to expect Ukrainian cooperation when it comes to 2016 election interference
Unhinged lunatics were demanding transparency and cooperation when it came to Muellers fabricated witch hunt, remember? Democrats are simply going on the attack and trying to sell a narrative because they're terrified of what's coming with Barr/Durham investigations. And terrified they should be. Because the truth will come out for all to see. That Democrats were guilty of everything they were accusing Trump of all along
TICK. TOCK.
...was aware of the demands and later admitted he made a mistake that the aid hinged on agreeing to Trump's requests, the person said.
The account calls into question the testimony from Sondland, a wealthy businessman who donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration, who told Congress last week he did not fully remember some details of the events. Sondland may be asked to return to Congress after he testified that, among other things, he was initially unaware that the gas company was tied to the Bidens.
Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., said Taylor, a career civil servant, had a better recall of details than Sondland.
Taylor, a retired diplomat, had been chosen to run the Ukraine embassy after the administration abruptly ousted Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
In a series of text messages released earlier this month by impeachment investigators, Taylor appeared to be alarmed by Trump's efforts to withhold U.S. military assistance to Ukraine that had already been approved by Congress.
"I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign," Taylor wrote in excerpts of the text messages released by the impeachment investigators.
He has stood by that observation in his private remarks to investigators, according to a person familiar with his testimony who was spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss it.
Taylor's description of Trump's position is in sharp contrast to how the president has characterized it. Trump has said many times that there was no quid pro quo, though his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, contradicted that last week. Mulvaney later tried to walk back his remarks.
Taylor, a former Army officer, had been serving as executive vice president at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a nonpartisan think tank founded by Congress, when he was appointed to run the embassy in Kyiv. He had served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009.
"He's the epitome of a seasoned statesman," said John Shmorhun, an American who heads the agricultural company AgroGeneration.
Before retiring from government service, Taylor was involved in diplomatic efforts surrounding several major international conflicts. He served in Jerusalem as U.S. envoy to the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers. He oversaw reconstruction in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, and from Kabul coordinated U.S. and international assistance to Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003.
He arrived in Kyiv a month after the inauguration of Ukraine's new president, prepared to steer the embassy through the transition.
After Trump's phone conversation with Zelenskiy, Taylor exchanged text messages with two of Trump's point men on Ukraine as they were trying to get Zelenskiy to commit to the investigations before setting a date for a coveted White House visit.
In a text message to Sondland on Sept. 1, Taylor bluntly questioned Trump's motives: "Are we now saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations?" Sondland instructed Taylor to call him. A week later in texts to Sondland and U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, Taylor expressed increased concern and referred to the arrangement as "crazy."
Taylor also texted that not giving the military aid to Ukraine would be his "nightmare" scenario because it would send the wrong message to both Kyiv and Moscow: "The Russians love it. (And I quit)."
U.S. diplomats based at the Kyiv Embassy have refused to speak with journalists, reflecting the sensitivity of the impeachment inquiry. The embassy press office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
I have hope...
Shifty Schiff's Star chamber proceedings aren't going down well with the majority of citizens
Trump has lost the battle to discredit impeachment
By Jennifer Rubin
October 22, 2019 at 11:30 AM EDT
The latest CNN poll finds that by a 50-to-43 percent margin, Americans favor impeachment and removal of President Trump, a new high in the CNN poll.
A remarkable 45 percent strongly think Trump should be impeached and removed. Support for impeachment mirrors Trump’s support (or lack thereof) among various cross-sections of the electorate. Independents favor impeachment 50 to 42 percent, women by 56-to-36 percent margin and college graduates by a 56-to-37 percent spread (white college graduates favor impeachment and removal 51 to 42 percent). In a perfect distillation of Trump’s standing in general, “26% of white men without college degrees favor impeachment and removal, but ... more than doubles to 54% among white women who hold four-year degrees.”
Moreover, “50% say the things that Trump has said publicly about his handling of US relations with Ukraine are mostly false. Fewer, 44%, think the President is mostly telling the truth about it
I hope you are sitting down when the next poll comes out.
The testimonies will become public, after they have interviewed all.
There are both Republicans and Democrats there for the testimonies.
It's not like it's a Democrat only thing. It's just for the committees only
at this point. No one else can barge in.
The public will get to see the Senate Trial. I sure hope Trump testifies.
If so, they can add a bunch more lies to the charges. He can't help lying. It's what he does more than any other president.
Indeed, more than any other candidate.
our dear precious Republic has withstood far worse
Lets see how they change moving forward.
We'll know alot more Nov. 4, '20.
With today's testimony it's evident, that Trump is done.
It's just an expression.
I'm not renting.
And very rarely ever have.
m - excellent. Ownership is an effective way to build equity. Indeed, more owners save more money in the value of their homes, than they save in any other way. Plus, there
are excellent tax breaks when one sells. Unfortunately, like wages, the value of homes has not risen significantly under Trump. But, after he is out of office, they may return to the usual doubling in value about every 10 years.
House impeaches.
'Publican Senate convicts/removes - but does NOT disqualify.
People re-elect.
2nd term re-impeachment becomes politically nearly impossible.
This is getting crazy
That impeach/remove/re-elect scheme is plausible.
Senate 'Publicans agree to remove, but not disqualify.
Impeachment is laid to rest & The Don becomes a virtually untouchable SUPER-POTUS
'Crats would have found the ultimate(!) sword on which to fall
Did you hear how he explained away the reasons for an impeachment hearing?
Para-phrasing, he said the whistle-blower complaint did not match the transcript. The whistle-blower is gone, there was no quid pro quo, everyone is a liar, etc. ect...
He did a good job to let Turkey and the Kurds fight.
Now Turkey and Russia will share the land and they will both help to get him re-elected and there is nothing the foolish Americans can do about it, after all they are not so smart.
'Publicans storm the Impeachment Inquiry Room -
The GOP stunt, led by House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), comes as Trump has demanded that Republicans “get tough and fight” for him in the impeachment probe. But Republicans have struggled to defend Trump on the substance of the allegations against him, and have instead focused on hammering Democrats over what they see as an illegitimate impeachment process.
The Republican effort came one day after Democrats secured some of their most explosive findings in the impeachment probe. Yet GOP lawmakers — at least for the first half of the day — successfully changed the conversation; instead of being pressed for reaction to Taylor’s testimony, they were fielding questions from reporters about the drama unfolding inside the secure facility.
Republicans knew they would be turned away from the closed-door deposition; only members who sit on the authorized committees are permitted to sit in on the sessions. Scores of Republicans who sit on the three panels leading the inquiry have been participating in the witness interviews.
Another person in the room said Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) was “getting in the faces of and shouting at Democrats.”
“It was tense,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Later Wednesday, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote a letter to the House’s sergeant-at-arms demanding that he “take action” against the GOP lawmakers who breached security inside the SCIF.
But the GOP has been girding for a showdown with Democrats over the inquiry, which they believe is being conducted unfairly. Democrats expressed frustration with the stunt on Wednesday, saying it put a scheduled deposition on hold.
“They basically ran over a member of the staff” to get in the room, said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). “They just came into the room and started shouting about the president. Literally some of them were just screaming … saying that the process is wrong.”
One Republican who has been able to attend the proceedings, Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah, acknowledged that the closed-door nature of the impeachment proceedings are consistent with the House’s procedures.
You haven't seen THAT in the MSM, have ya?
Yeah. Me neither.
Why can't this wait until the next election and let the people decide his fate.
This isn't about voting. It's about crimes & justice.
So.
It's been claimed earlier on this blog he'll be out by next Spring - let us say May 1.
Pence warms the seat in the Oval Office while his boss hits the campaign trail.
It could happen.
I'm NOT making that up