Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Critics Demand Probe Into Soybean Exec’s Trump Admin Gig


BREAKING NEWS: House condemns Trump for stalling whistleblower complaint


Senator Sasse (R-NE) after reading the whistleblower complaint: "...Republicans ought not to be rushing to circle the wagons to say there’s no there there when there’s obviously lots that’s very troubling there..."


House Intel Chair Schiff: "What adds another layer of depravity is the fact that the president of the United States then invokes the attorney general of the United States as well as his personal lawyer as emissaries."


Ben Sasse: “American elections should be for Americans. And the idea that we would have foreign nation-states coming into the American electoral process, or the information surrounding an election, is really, really bad.”


Eric Swalwell, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, has read the whistleblower complaint. He tells CNN the complaint "is a five-alarm concern for me." The complaint was "laid out in a professional way" and gives the Committee further evidence to seek other witnesses.


CONFIRMED: Pelosi is in the House’s secure rooms where the Intel Committee has been reviewing the whistleblower complaint.


House Intel Chair Rep. Adam Schiff speaks after reviewing the whistleblower complaint


Schiff, continued: “It is an urgent matter. And there was simply no basis to keep this from the committee. The idea that DOJ would have intervened to prevent it from getting to Congress throws the leadership of that department further into ill-repute.”


These are crimes against humanity.


Rep. Mike Quigley, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, has just read the whistleblower's complaint. He tells CNN that it is "extraordinarily detailed" and "very, very well done." It is "deeply disturbing" & "reinforces the concerns" of what they had previously learned.


Trump dodges question on the propriety of his call with Ukraine's leader


Just a reminder: there is no 87 dimensional chess. He's just batshit crazy and a corrupt, pathologically lying criminal.


No one tell him any different for 14 months


“What we’re looking for is corruption,” Trump says when asked why it’s appropriate to press a foreign leader to investigate an American citizen


Oh, lawdy - it's finally happening!@NicolleDWallace just cut into a live Trump presser to say he's lying.


that look when POTUS urges you to get together with the leader of a country that illegally invaded yours and is still occupying your territory


Breaking on @MSNBC: @NicolleDWallace reports that the Senate Intelligence Committee is in possession of the whistleblower complaint.


President Trump holds a press conference, one day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry.


Woah, the ICIG also referred the whistleblower complaint to the FBI (!!!) for criminal investigation separately.


NUNES confirms that House Intel Committee will see whistleblower complaint at 4 pm today.


Trump's intelligence chief threatened to quit if White House forced him to stonewall Congress on whistleblower, officials say


Anyone wanting information on the prosecutor who Trump said was “fired” in Ukraine may want to read the actual facts.


Senate passes measure blocking Pres. Trump from using emergency powers to raid budget for military construction projects to pay for his proposed border fence. 11 Republicans voted to rebuke the president, though the measure is doomed to be vetoed.


"One Republican senator told me if it was a secret vote, 30 Republican senators would vote to impeach Trump." – Mike Murphy, fmr. senior adviser to Mitt Romney and John McCain


Now we know why Bill Barr refused to answer this question.


A federal judge has rejected Roger Stone's request to suppress all evidence gathered through 18 search warrants at his November trial, finding that DOJ properly obtained court approvals before charging Stone with lying to Congress and witness tampering


WATCH: Matt Gaetz suddenly clams up after accidentally revealing Trump gave GOP lawmakers a sneak peek at Ukraine call


JUST IN: The U.S. Senate voted to terminate President Trump's national emergency declaration. The vote of 54-41 prevents the White House from transferring military funding towards the southern border wall.


BREAKING: The Senate has voted 54-41 to terminate President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border and to stop the diversion of military funds to pay for a wall along the border.



"I would like you to do us a favor...” "Nice country you got there. Be a shame if something happened to it."


Why did a 28 minute call result in a five minute transcript?


When you accidentally send the email meant for @mattgaetz to the Democrats instead. Lol.


Got some GOP/#MAGA family, friends etc? Send them this. Fox News' Judge Napolitano: 1 What President Trump has admitted (solicitation of Ukraine for dirt) is a crime 2 Giuliani's acts would be "same crime" 3 “bribery is absolutely an impeachable offense”


Wow. Turns out Tulsi is following Trump Putin talking points


JUST IN: House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff says Ukraine call transcript "reflect a conversation far more damning than I or many others had imagined." "What those notes reflect is a classic mafia-like shakedown of a foreign leader."


He asks Romney, what do you do beyond being troubled by it? ROMNEY: “Well there’s a process that the House is pursuing, the Senate is also looking at the testimony of the whistleblower so there is an evaluation of gathering more facts.”


A new U.N. report spells out catastrophe for the globe if we don’t act on climate change. Our oceans are getting warmer and sea level is rising. This threatens both food supplies and housing. We must recognize the severity of this report and start taking action immediately.


Nancy Pelosi Tells Donald Trump: ‘You Have Come Into My Wheelhouse’ @SpeakerPelosi was once the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. She is drawing on that experience as she opens an #impeachment inquiry into President Trump


Chairman Schiff: "The fact that the President of the U.S. would invoke the Attorney General sends a further message to the Ukrainian president that this is not just me asking, this is not just Rudy Giuliani asking, this is the U.S. government asking."


Cindy McCain says GOP no longer the 'party that my husband and I belonged to'


Rep. Adam Schiff thanks whistleblower: "This single courageous individual may have had the effect of forcing the White House to provide Ukraine with this funding."


Here's a screenshot of the White House asking House Democrats to please disregard the talking points on Trump/Ukraine they just emailed them


"Several Senate Republicans were stunned Wednesday and questioned the White House’s judgment after it released a rough transcript...One Senate Republican, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said the transcript’s release was a 'huge mistake'”


Hmmm… The White House just sent its talking points on Ukraine to House Democrats. Here are some screenshots, per source.


. @SenKamalaHarris : Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested you open an investigation into anyone? BARR: ..... ah ..... HARRIS: Seems like something you should be able to answer BARR: I don't know .......


Does Rudy Giuliani have a security clearance?


We don’t care about a single call you made. We care about Congress getting the entire transmittal the ICIG sent to the ADNI. All of it. That’s what the law requires. You heard @SpeakerPelsosi, Donald. You are not above the laws.


Wow. Trump not only asked Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son, he asked Zelensky to work with AG Barr on it.


Is this not typical mobster talk? "The United States has been very ·very good to Ukraine. I wouldn't say that it's reciprocal necessarily because things are happening that are not good but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine... I would like you to do us a favor."


AG Barr, according to WH transcript, was being enlisted to help Ukraine open a case on Trump’s political opponent. He’s also now in charge of evaluating a criminal referral to DOJ on whether Trump’s behavior violated campaign finance laws. Time for Special Counsel 2.0


If this "transcript" is supposed exoneration of Trump, can't imagine what the inculpatory evidence looks like Bottom of p2--Ukraine Pres says Ukraine ready to buy more Javelins (weapons). Very next line: "I would like you to do a favor THOUGH" & then goes into his Biden request


The President dragged the Attorney General into this mess. At a minimum, AG Barr must recuse himself until we get to the bottom of this matter.


Barr and Pompeo have a lot of questions to answer, pronto


No wonder Barr squashed the whistleblower complaint, he’s part of crime not just the coverup!!


Trump tells Zelenskyy *multiple times* that AG Barr will contact him about the investigation into Biden. Barr hasn't just been covering for Trump. He's been an active participant and needs to recuse from anything related to this. BILL BARR's conduct needs to be investigated.


This is highly impeachable on its face, and remember, it's Trump's doctored, white-washed transcript. The full truth on this scandal must be god-awful


In re Bill Barr: “There is a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution, and a lot of people want to find out about that,” Trump said to Zelensky. “So whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great.”


BREAKING: Memo shows President Trump repeatedly prodded Ukraine president to work with lawyer Rudy Giuliani, AG William Barr to investigate Joe Biden.


ICYMI: n lurid sidelight to Epstein scandal, Alan Dershowitz asks judge to dismiss defamation case


#BREAKING: New @QuinnipiacPoll shows that @realDonaldTrump has 40% approval among voters. While @SenWarren is now leading the pack of democratic hopefuls for 2020 with 27% of support from voters. @JoeBiden has slipped to 25%


Perhaps a good day to remember this piece from July on Giuliani's Ukrainian "helpers" on pursuing Biden story, one of whom has mafia ties in Odessa -- where the troll farm supporting Russian disinfo on MAGA themes that @JuddLegum exposed today is based:


“Sure, I did some light treason for Mr. Trump, but only because his Secretary of State asked me to” is some wild shit, man


Lorenzo strengthens to a hurricane far out over the Atlantic; is expected to become a major hurricane


Lawyers for Donald Trump are trying to convince a judge that the president can’t be investigated for a crime


Is it Christmas? Because the gifts just keep coming today! Transcript Reveals Pence Knew About And Participated In Trump's Apparent Ukraine Extortion Plo


Trump's Children Cause Outrage at UN After Seen Sitting in Area Reserved for the Handicapped


Trump hired Emmet Flood — Bill Clinton’s impeachment lawyer. If this straw man is the best they can do, impeachment won’t take long at all.


US and over 12 Latin American countries agree to investigate and arrest associates and officials of the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro who are suspected of crimes like drug trafficking, money laundering and financing terrorism.


Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign is putting resources into Maine, where it hopes to help unseat Sen. Susan Collins in one of the most high-profile Senate races of this cycle


Zelenskiy says "Russian aggression" holding back Ukraine's development, which is impossible to sustain "under the sounds of gunshots and explosions."


Donald Trump has edited official transcripts before — here are 4 examples


BREAKING: Body of Danske Bank’s former Estonian chief found


Here’s my report from May on the early recall of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich. These details are newly relevant today


Italian authorities have closed roads and ordered the evacuation of huts on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, following warnings that part of a glacier could collapse at any moment


The Trump Organisation’s plans for ‘Trump Estate’, a new village of 500 houses next to its inaugural Scottish golf resort, has been recommended for approval at a meeting of @Aberdeenshire tomorrow. 21,639 people have objected to the plans. 3 (three) have supported it.


Analysis: What you need to know about the impeachment inquiry into Trump


Facebook sends a clear signal with its agreement to buy a brain computing startup: heightened regulatory scrutiny won’t slow down its pace of acquisitions


This is remarkable. Giuliani holding up his phone he says proves that he was sent by State Dept. to Ukraine. Looks to me like he’s warning others involved not to throw him under the bus (too late) because he’s got evidence & will use it.


From the party that brought you wind cancer and five celled organisms being human people....


Mitch McConnell says "we're going to find out what happened" about a whistleblower's complaint regarding Pres. Trump and said he expects the Senate Intel Committee will conduct a "responsible, rather apolitical, at least bipartisan" probe of the matter.


A new UN report warns that the Earth's oceans are rising and warming at an ever-faster rate due to the effects of climate change


Trust in Danske Bank has collapsed, says its new chief executive


The traitors are easy to spot


WATCH: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears to sleep during Trump’s United Nations speech


I'm old enough to remember when Trump changed weather maps with a Sharpie and then forced government workers to cover for him, so I'm going to take this transcript with an appropriately sized grain of salt.


Trump reaching out to Pelosi to try to “figure this out” regarding the potentially explosive whistleblower complaint (which would be a violation of law) shows: 1) How bad it must be; and 2) How Trump views rule of law as something to be ignored so long as he can cut a deal.


Former head of Danske Bank in Estonia found dead - police


It’s not about the transcript of a call. Don’t let President Trump or Republican officials distract you with a straw man. It’s about his continuing abuse of the office of the presidency.


NEW: Don Jr met with Lev Parnas in May. Parnas has been tasked by Giuliani to help with the Ukraine meddling.


MSNBC was saying that this inquiry may also include Pompeo, Barr, Mulvaney and others. I hope so, the Don and his mob need to be dealt with.


Trump's attempt to pressure the leader of Ukraine followed a months-long fight inside the admin that sidelined national security officials and empowered political loyalists — including Giuliani — to exploit the U.S. relationship with Kiev, WaPo reports


The WP reports that sr American officials worked for weeks to stall a Trump-Zelensky meeting or call, fearing that Trump would use it to press his counterpart for political dirt. This was a slow-motion crisis on the inside before it burst into the open.


BREAKING: The Senate will vote TOMORROW at 12:15 PM ET on a resolution to terminate the president’s national emergency declaration for a border wall. Call your Senator now to end the president’s assault on the Constitution’s separation of powers:


Rudy Giuliani: "I never talked to a Ukrainian official until the state department called me and asked me to do it"


British lawmakers returning to the House of Commons following a Supreme Court ruling that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had acted illegally by suspending Parliament.


What did you do to get impeached? Johnson: I fired an officer. Nixon: I ordered a break-in. Clinton: I lied about an affair. trump: I extorted a foreign nation by threatening to withhold 400 mill in aid unless they smeared a political rival. Which one's not like the others?


If GOP Senator John Kennedy’s stuttering, stammering performance in this Chuck Todd interview is a preview of how Senate Republicans will defend Trump during impeachment they are in deep, deep trouble when it comes to holding their majority.


"After President Trump was caught on camera telling a reporter she “never” thinks, the White House moved to retroactively alter the president’s attack at a Monday afternoon press conference by changing a word in the official transcript."


Thousands of student protesters have taken to the streets of Indonesia to oppose a controversial draft criminal code that would make consensual sex outside of marriage illegal


This article is amazing. Scores of witnesses to the highjacking of the U.S.'s Ukraine policy by Giuliani. He is going to need a very good lawyer because he's going to be testifying a fair amount.


More damning evidence “An awful lot of people” including senior officials “worked behind the scenes to hold off a Trump meeting or call with Ukrainian President...out of concern that Trump would use the conversation to press Kiev for damaging info on” Biden.


All you (and Trump) should know about impeachment


Don’t let a @WhiteHouse “transcript” edit history. @realDonaldTrump ADMITTED to asking a foreign government for help in his election. We. Don’t. Need. More.


Lots of CYA now: "some senior officials worked behind the scenes to hold off a Trump meeting or call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky out of concern that Trump would use the conversation to press Kiev for damaging information on ... Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter."


This is a big mistake -- terrible precedent, as no foreign leaders in future will speak candidly with the president on any future calls. Dont release Trump-Zelensky or Trump-Putin transcripts of calls. Instead, release whistleblower's complaint to Congress, as required by law.


White House is threatening to shut down all major legislation after House Democrats announced an impeachment inquiry


This isn’t just another spat. Trump compromised our security for his gain.


BOOM!! As of 8:55 pm ET, 200 House members support the impeachment inquiry! That’s only 18 short of the 218 votes needed to impeach Trump!


U.S. officials described an atmosphere of intense pressure inside the NSC and other departments since the existence of the whistleblower complaint became known. One official described the climate as verging on “bloodletting.”h


These idiots. *rubs temples* What the law requires is that they transmit a complete copy of the complaint—which is presumably chock full of classified information—to the intelligence committees of both houses of Congress. Not redact it. Not release it. Send it to Congress


House Dems pushed toward impeachment: "We couldn't stand on the sidelines"


Alan Dershowitz says he plans to call Victoria's Secret mogul Les Wexner to testify in the defamation suit brought by Virginia Giuffre. Dershowitz claims Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, is conspiring to extort Wexner.


Opinion | In Ukraine, Trump’s allies are corrupt oligarchs and Russian stooges


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party now has one less seat than Benny Gantz's Blue and White party


He is a rogue president at this point. These actions are unacceptable. If the Senate Republicans fail to remove him from office, his temptation to test the boundaries will push the US to a point of no return.


Past 24 hours in the war zone Russian-led forces launch 27 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors, also using heavy artillery and mortars banned by Minsk. 1 Ukrainian soldier killed, 2 wounded.


In Dec.2016 I went to Ukraine &met with soldiers & widows of those killed by Russian snipers w/Senators McCain & Graham. Ukraine very much needed U.S. support to stand up to Russia: This isn’t just another spat. Trump compromised our security for his gain.


So much for Trump’s purported concern with corruption in countries receiving US aid.


Trump claims he will release transcript of call with Ukraine's President


Rudy Giuliani just threatened to sue a Fox News guest for libel and then snapped, “Shut up, moron.”


Rudy Giuliani on Fox News saying that Biden might have committed a crime while simultaneously admitting to committing a crime is :chef's kiss:


“The President actually said to Nancy Pelosi, ‘Hey, can we do something about this whistleblower complaint, can we work something out.’ And she said ‘Yes, you can tell your people to obey the law.’ So she quickly swatted that down."


For the 4th time in history, the US House of Representatives has opened an #impeachment inquiry. Sept 25 2019 @washingtonpost front page


There is no way that Zelensky will admit , standing next to Trump, that the Trump administration pressured him to reopen an investigation of VP Biden’s son


Trump-adjacent legal cases take intriguing turns


Trump impeachment inquiry will 'move very quickly': Rep. Waters


Trump admin racing to get ahead of Ukraine whistleblower story


Trump Ukraine solicitation forces Pelosi's hand on impeachment


U.S. Ambassador Roped Into Rudy’s Quest to Smear Biden