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| Trump Defends Phone Call as Impeachment Inquiry Opens: Live Updates | Trump Defends Phone Call as Impeachment Inquiry Opens: Live Updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President Trump released a reconstruction on Wednesday of a July 25 call he had with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, in which he encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart to contact Attorney General William P. Barr about investigating a political rival. Mr. Trump has defiantly denied saying anything inappropriate on the call, but the reconstructed transcript shows he clearly referred by name to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., a leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and encouraged Mr. Zelensky to reach out to Mr. Barr. | President Trump released a reconstruction on Wednesday of a July 25 call he had with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, in which he encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart to contact Attorney General William P. Barr about investigating a political rival. Mr. Trump has defiantly denied saying anything inappropriate on the call, but the reconstructed transcript shows he clearly referred by name to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., a leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and encouraged Mr. Zelensky to reach out to Mr. Barr. |
| “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great.” | “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great.” |
| Before the release, he declared on Twitter that Democrats had fallen into his trap, and that the release of the call would exonerate him — and make them look foolish. | Before the release, he declared on Twitter that Democrats had fallen into his trap, and that the release of the call would exonerate him — and make them look foolish. |
| The reconstructed transcript’s release and content ensured a day of intense scrutiny. “Period. Full stop. That is lawless,” Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic Caucus chairman, said of Mr. Trump’s request to Mr. Zelensky. “That undermines our national security. That is an abuse of power. That is unpatriotic.” Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, marveled that the attorney general has now been pulled in. | The reconstructed transcript’s release and content ensured a day of intense scrutiny. “Period. Full stop. That is lawless,” Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic Caucus chairman, said of Mr. Trump’s request to Mr. Zelensky. “That undermines our national security. That is an abuse of power. That is unpatriotic.” Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, marveled that the attorney general has now been pulled in. |
| Republicans stuck to their position that Mr. Trump did not offer Mr. Zelensky any inducements nor did he threaten him, so his demand for a Biden inquiry was not improper. “From a quid pro quo aspect, there’s nothing there,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. | Republicans stuck to their position that Mr. Trump did not offer Mr. Zelensky any inducements nor did he threaten him, so his demand for a Biden inquiry was not improper. “From a quid pro quo aspect, there’s nothing there,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. |
| The release did not go far enough for many Democrats, who have demanded to see the full complaint about Mr. Trump’s actions lodged by a whistle-blower, which has not been shared with Congress. | The release did not go far enough for many Democrats, who have demanded to see the full complaint about Mr. Trump’s actions lodged by a whistle-blower, which has not been shared with Congress. |
| White House officials were continuing to work on a deal that would allow the whistle-blower to testify before Congress about those concerns, according to people briefed on the effort. The deal could also include the release of a redacted version of the complaint, which formed the basis of a report by the inspector general for the intelligence community, people familiar with the situation said. | White House officials were continuing to work on a deal that would allow the whistle-blower to testify before Congress about those concerns, according to people briefed on the effort. The deal could also include the release of a redacted version of the complaint, which formed the basis of a report by the inspector general for the intelligence community, people familiar with the situation said. |
| Mr. Trump insisted that the reconstruction of the call showed that he did not exert pressure on his counterpart to investigate a political rival. | Mr. Trump insisted that the reconstruction of the call showed that he did not exert pressure on his counterpart to investigate a political rival. |
| “It was going to be the call from hell. It turned out to be a nothing call, other than a lot of people said, ‘I never knew you could be so nice,’” he said during a brief encounter with reporters in New York City as he attended a meeting of Latin American leaders to discuss Venezuela. | “It was going to be the call from hell. It turned out to be a nothing call, other than a lot of people said, ‘I never knew you could be so nice,’” he said during a brief encounter with reporters in New York City as he attended a meeting of Latin American leaders to discuss Venezuela. |
| Mr. Trump blamed “corrupt reporting” and said that Democrats should be impeached for actions they took related to Ukraine. | Mr. Trump blamed “corrupt reporting” and said that Democrats should be impeached for actions they took related to Ukraine. |
| “If you noticed, the stock market went up when they saw the nonsense,” he said. “All of a sudden the stock market went down substantially yesterday when they saw a charge. After they read the charge the stock market went up substantially.” | “If you noticed, the stock market went up when they saw the nonsense,” he said. “All of a sudden the stock market went down substantially yesterday when they saw a charge. After they read the charge the stock market went up substantially.” |
| Markets actually dropped when the call script was released at 10 a.m., but regained ground quickly, with the S&P 500 up about 0.21 percent in early morning trading. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 posted its biggest one-day decline in a month. | Markets actually dropped when the call script was released at 10 a.m., but regained ground quickly, with the S&P 500 up about 0.21 percent in early morning trading. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 posted its biggest one-day decline in a month. |
| The president bragged about the nation’s economy, saying that “we have created the greatest economy in the history of our country, the greatest economy in the world.” | The president bragged about the nation’s economy, saying that “we have created the greatest economy in the history of our country, the greatest economy in the world.” |
| He called the latest Democratic maneuver “the single greatest witch hunt in American history — probably in history, but in American history. It’s a disgraceful thing.” | He called the latest Democratic maneuver “the single greatest witch hunt in American history — probably in history, but in American history. It’s a disgraceful thing.” |
| Democrats were giving no ground. Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus, cited the reconstructed transcript and said Mr. Trump’s decision to ask the Ukrainian president for a favor amounted to a crime in and of itself. | Democrats were giving no ground. Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus, cited the reconstructed transcript and said Mr. Trump’s decision to ask the Ukrainian president for a favor amounted to a crime in and of itself. |
| “The crime is when you ask for that favor, when you inject politics into foreign policy,” Ms. Clark said. “The initial reading shows that not only was Rudolph Giuliani brought in, but the Department of Justice, Attorney General Barr. That is exactly the crime we were concerned about, blurring those lines between the political, our national security, and the official role of the president.” | “The crime is when you ask for that favor, when you inject politics into foreign policy,” Ms. Clark said. “The initial reading shows that not only was Rudolph Giuliani brought in, but the Department of Justice, Attorney General Barr. That is exactly the crime we were concerned about, blurring those lines between the political, our national security, and the official role of the president.” |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not hold back in her condemnation of Mr. Trump’s behavior as she indicated that the release of the phone call reconstruction would only fuel the impeachment inquiry. | |
| In a midday statement, Ms. Pelosi said: | |
| “The release of the notes of the call by the White House confirms that the President engaged in behavior that undermines the integrity of our elections, the dignity of the office he holds and our national security. The President has tried to make lawlessness a virtue in America and now is exporting it abroad. | |
| “I respect the responsibility of the President to engage with foreign leaders as part of his job. It is not part of his job to use taxpayer money to shake down other countries for the benefit of his campaign. Either the President does not know the weight of his words or he does not care about ethics or his constitutional responsibilities.” | |
| She also made it clear that Mr. Barr would now be part of the multipronged House investigation that could yield articles of impeachment. “The transcript and the Justice Department’s acting in a rogue fashion in being complicit in the President’s lawlessness confirm the need for an impeachment inquiry,” she wrote. “Clearly, the Congress must act.” | |
| House Republican leaders tried to instead turn attention toward Ms. Pelosi, accusing her of playing politics with the speakership and endangering the safety of the country by working to undermine Mr. Trump’s ability to deal with foreign leaders. | |
| “I just watched the speaker yesterday demean the office of the speakership,” Representative Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader, told reporters Wednesday, calling it “a dark day for the rule of law” and “a dark day for national security.” | “I just watched the speaker yesterday demean the office of the speakership,” Representative Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader, told reporters Wednesday, calling it “a dark day for the rule of law” and “a dark day for national security.” |
| That fit the script that the White House had provided. Talking points to congressional offices on Wednesday, entitled “What You Need to Know,” argued “what the president actually talked about” during the phone call with Mr. Zelensky was “entirely proper.” | That fit the script that the White House had provided. Talking points to congressional offices on Wednesday, entitled “What You Need to Know,” argued “what the president actually talked about” during the phone call with Mr. Zelensky was “entirely proper.” |
| “The real scandal here is that leaks about a secondhand account of the president’s confidential telephone call with a foreign leader triggered a media frenzy of false accusations against the president and forced the president to release the transcript,” the talking points read. | “The real scandal here is that leaks about a secondhand account of the president’s confidential telephone call with a foreign leader triggered a media frenzy of false accusations against the president and forced the president to release the transcript,” the talking points read. |
| One by one at a morning news conference, the leaders echoed the White House’s words. Mr. McCarthy said Mr. Trump should not have had to release the reconstructed transcript, which was released as they spoke. The leaders zipped out of the news conference, not having seen it. | |
| “The House Democrats have been careening from impeachment theory to impeachment theory, they’ve careened from target to target,” said Representative Liz Cheney, the No. 3 Republican. She accused Ms. Pelosi of “trying to weaken the president, trying to weaken his hand as he’s dealing with crucial issues of national security.” | “The House Democrats have been careening from impeachment theory to impeachment theory, they’ve careened from target to target,” said Representative Liz Cheney, the No. 3 Republican. She accused Ms. Pelosi of “trying to weaken the president, trying to weaken his hand as he’s dealing with crucial issues of national security.” |
| Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, was one of the few exceptions. He pointedly did not suggest Ms. Pelosi had gone too far: “She’s able to do what she feels is right. That’s up to her.” | Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, was one of the few exceptions. He pointedly did not suggest Ms. Pelosi had gone too far: “She’s able to do what she feels is right. That’s up to her.” |
| And he expressed deep concern for what he had read in the call reconstruction. | And he expressed deep concern for what he had read in the call reconstruction. |
| “Clearly what we’ve seen in the transcript is deeply troubling,” he told reporters. | |
| The words released by the White House recounting Mr. Trump’s conversation with Mr. Zelensky look like a transcript, but the document is marked, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, and it warns that it is not a verbatim account. Instead, it was “developed with assistance from voice recognition software along with experts and note takers listening.” | |
| Because The New York Times cannot know what exactly was said, we have chosen to call the document a reconstructed transcript. | |
| Regarding the impeachment inquiry, Ms. Pelosi privately told fellow Democrats on Tuesday that she wanted “this to be done expeditiously — expeditiously.” And she charged six committee chairs to put together their best impeachment evidence and transmit it to the Judiciary Committee. | |
| But on Wednesday morning, there were more questions than answers among Democrats about what actually comes next and how quickly. | |
| “The process will come,” said Representative Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, but other lawmakers said the House needed to urgently set its course to maintain momentum and ensure that their case against Mr. Trump does not meander off course. | |
| “There is an understanding that all justice should be swift and sure, and that this has to happen deliberately but relatively quickly,” said Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut. | |
| The first challenge is that the House is scheduled to depart for a two-week recess on Friday. House leaders do not plan to cancel it, but said that the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees would remain active. | The first challenge is that the House is scheduled to depart for a two-week recess on Friday. House leaders do not plan to cancel it, but said that the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees would remain active. |
| There was also already some early disagreement about the breadth of the case the House should build. Ms. Pelosi’s instructions to the six committees to pull together evidence suggested that she was envisioning articles of impeachment beyond just the president’s dealings with Ukraine. | |
| But some moderate Democrats, whose support for an inquiry was key to Tuesday’s announcement, expressed reservations. Representative Mikie Sherrill, who represents a swing district in New Jersey, said Democrats had not made its case to voters on obstruction of justice or other offenses, and should narrow the impeachment case to the Ukraine matter. | But some moderate Democrats, whose support for an inquiry was key to Tuesday’s announcement, expressed reservations. Representative Mikie Sherrill, who represents a swing district in New Jersey, said Democrats had not made its case to voters on obstruction of justice or other offenses, and should narrow the impeachment case to the Ukraine matter. |
| The planned vote on Wednesday afternoon is on a resolution condemning the administration for withholding the whistle-blower complaint and demanding that Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, promptly furnish it. | |
| The resolution also demands that Mr. Maguire ensure that the whistle-blower is protected from retribution and chastises the president for comments disparaging the whistle-blower in recent days. | The resolution also demands that Mr. Maguire ensure that the whistle-blower is protected from retribution and chastises the president for comments disparaging the whistle-blower in recent days. |
| The vote is symbolic, but Democratic leaders want to put lawmakers in both parties on record to highlight their case. Sharing the complaint with Congress is already required by law, Democrats assert. | The vote is symbolic, but Democratic leaders want to put lawmakers in both parties on record to highlight their case. Sharing the complaint with Congress is already required by law, Democrats assert. |
| “This is not a partisan matter; it’s about the integrity of our democracy, respect for the rule of law and defending our Constitution,” Ms. Pelosi and Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, her No. 2, said in a statement on Tuesday. “We hope that all members of the House — Democrats and Republicans alike — will join in upholding the rule of law and oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution as representatives of the American people.” | |
| Even after the release of the reconstructed transcript, leading Republicans said Democrats were overreacting. Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, declared that there was nothing there. | Even after the release of the reconstructed transcript, leading Republicans said Democrats were overreacting. Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, declared that there was nothing there. |
| “The transcript between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky reveals that Democrats have again leapt to conclusions before looking at the facts. There was no quid pro quo and nothing to justify the clamor House Democrats caused yesterday. The real danger here is that Democrats keep using baseless accusations in hopes of crippling a successful presidency.” | “The transcript between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky reveals that Democrats have again leapt to conclusions before looking at the facts. There was no quid pro quo and nothing to justify the clamor House Democrats caused yesterday. The real danger here is that Democrats keep using baseless accusations in hopes of crippling a successful presidency.” |
| In late July, as Congress was heading off for its long summer break, the House Judiciary Committee filed an extraordinary legal brief as Democrats sought information on potential presidential malfeasance. It declared an impeachment inquiry had begun: | In late July, as Congress was heading off for its long summer break, the House Judiciary Committee filed an extraordinary legal brief as Democrats sought information on potential presidential malfeasance. It declared an impeachment inquiry had begun: |
| “The House must have access to all the relevant facts and consider whether to exercise all its full Article I powers, including a constitutional power of the utmost gravity — approval of articles of impeachment.” | “The House must have access to all the relevant facts and consider whether to exercise all its full Article I powers, including a constitutional power of the utmost gravity — approval of articles of impeachment.” |
| So what changed when Speaker Pelosi declared on Tuesday that the House was indeed launching an impeachment inquiry? Not a lot. | So what changed when Speaker Pelosi declared on Tuesday that the House was indeed launching an impeachment inquiry? Not a lot. |
| Ms. Pelosi’s words gave the inquiry momentum and political potency. But the investigations that she was empowering six committees to pursue they have been pursuing for months. And unlike the impeachment processes that were initiated against Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, the one begun against Mr. Trump — either in July or on Tuesday — was not launched by a vote in the full House. Republicans such as Mr. Collins are goading Democratic leaders to hold that vote, to put moderate Democrats representing Republican-leaning districts on record supporting the inquiry. | Ms. Pelosi’s words gave the inquiry momentum and political potency. But the investigations that she was empowering six committees to pursue they have been pursuing for months. And unlike the impeachment processes that were initiated against Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, the one begun against Mr. Trump — either in July or on Tuesday — was not launched by a vote in the full House. Republicans such as Mr. Collins are goading Democratic leaders to hold that vote, to put moderate Democrats representing Republican-leaning districts on record supporting the inquiry. |
| That could still happen. For now, however, Ms. Pelosi seems content to put her weight behind a declaration already made by her Judiciary Committee chairman nearly two months ago. | That could still happen. For now, however, Ms. Pelosi seems content to put her weight behind a declaration already made by her Judiciary Committee chairman nearly two months ago. |
| The political fallout from revelations about Mr. Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president, Mr. Zelensky, came as the two men were scheduled to meet in person on Wednesday afternoon on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. | The political fallout from revelations about Mr. Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president, Mr. Zelensky, came as the two men were scheduled to meet in person on Wednesday afternoon on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. |
| Mr. Zelensky, speaking before the United Nations on Wednesday morning, made no mention of Mr. Trump or American military aid. On Tuesday night, Mr. Zelensky released a statement saying he planned to invite Mr. Trump to Ukraine. “I expect us to have awesome relations with the United States,” he said in the statement. | Mr. Zelensky, speaking before the United Nations on Wednesday morning, made no mention of Mr. Trump or American military aid. On Tuesday night, Mr. Zelensky released a statement saying he planned to invite Mr. Trump to Ukraine. “I expect us to have awesome relations with the United States,” he said in the statement. |
| In an interview on Tuesday with Voice of America, Mr. Zelensky said that he expected the conversation on Wednesday afternoon to be “very warm” and that he respected Mr. Trump. “We just want the U.S. to always support Ukraine and Ukraine’s course in its fight against aggression and war,” Mr. Zelensky said. “It seems to me that it is so.” | In an interview on Tuesday with Voice of America, Mr. Zelensky said that he expected the conversation on Wednesday afternoon to be “very warm” and that he respected Mr. Trump. “We just want the U.S. to always support Ukraine and Ukraine’s course in its fight against aggression and war,” Mr. Zelensky said. “It seems to me that it is so.” |
| Mr. Trump will face reporters in a formal news conference Wednesday afternoon, providing a high-profile forum for questions about his role in the telephone call with Ukraine’s president that is at the center of the Democratic impeachment effort. | Mr. Trump will face reporters in a formal news conference Wednesday afternoon, providing a high-profile forum for questions about his role in the telephone call with Ukraine’s president that is at the center of the Democratic impeachment effort. |
| Presidents historically hold a formal news conference at the end of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Often, such events are a president’s primary opportunity to shape the perception of their actions during the meetings with world leaders. | Presidents historically hold a formal news conference at the end of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Often, such events are a president’s primary opportunity to shape the perception of their actions during the meetings with world leaders. |
| In Mr. Trump’s case, the news conference is likely to be one of many opportunities for the president to make his views known. He typically will respond to questions from reporters throughout the day, before and after bilateral discussions with world leaders. And, of course, the president started tweeting his thoughts about the Democrats first thing Wednesday morning. | In Mr. Trump’s case, the news conference is likely to be one of many opportunities for the president to make his views known. He typically will respond to questions from reporters throughout the day, before and after bilateral discussions with world leaders. And, of course, the president started tweeting his thoughts about the Democrats first thing Wednesday morning. |
| Nicholas Fandos, Catie Edmondson, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Emily Cochrane contributed reporting from Washington and Michael Crowley from New York. | Nicholas Fandos, Catie Edmondson, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Emily Cochrane contributed reporting from Washington and Michael Crowley from New York. |