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© Thomson Reuters 2020.Democrats accuse Trump at impeachment trial of corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine
By Susan Cornwell and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
99 Comments
JJ Jetplane
The world doesn't elect public office positions in the U.S. Republicans are more afraid of alienating a voter base at the start of an election year than run a truly unbiased trial.
Yubaru
We are witnessing the downfall of what was supposed to be a democratic country!
Chip Star
Moscow, Leningrad, and the rest of the GOP support Donny’s corruption as long as it helps the GOP remain in power.
stormcrow
With all of the clear evidence about Trump's wrongdoings (or crimes), it's amazing that all of the Republican senators are bending over backwards, heads buried in the sand and ignoring what Trump has done and continues to do. Very, very disturbing.
This ain't the same Republican party that my grandparents once knew and supported.
SuperLib
Great. So the world knows Trump is for sale
vanityofvanities
Americans are not wise people. As the second term election is coming closer, they are still arguing qualifiction of the president they chose. Stupid!
FizzBit
Democrats launch first salvo at Trump trial; warn that world is laughing.
Still waiting for CNN to have one report on the Dems impeachment trial announcement of a war between Ukraine and Russia.
Blacklabel
Story time with Adam Schiff. Everyone but hardcore Dens have already turned the channel back to Judge Judy and their game shows.
thanks to the Trump economy, most people are at work right now. Plus Dem complaints about wanting 3 days instead of 2 now means they get Saturday instead of Monday. Oops!
non party
" Democrats launch first salvo at Trump trial; warn that world is watching""
Then lets move this trial to the basement of the House as Democrats did under the leadership of great honorable reverent majasty Schiff.... .... And conduct a secret trail and voting only by the majority.
bass4funk
What an loser. First of all the world doesn’t get to choose or have a say on anything concerning impeachment and this guy is so full of....he and the other clowns had all the chance to pursue in getting the witnesses they wanted, yes, it would have taken some time, but they were the ones that tried to shove this through like a sausage on a Denny’s breakfast platter and because they failed (once again) they demand that McConnell continues the work they botched. Thank God, McConnell is not putting up with these shenanigans.
Again, they demand that Bolton testify, if that’s the case, the GOP want the Biden’s to testify, if they don’t agree to that, Bolton won’t go near the stand. The Dems don’t control the process or outcome of this. But now you have a bunch of Dems that grumble about calling the Biden’s, either both sides give in or no one gets what they want, simple.
Chip Star
Thats. It what’s being argued, which demonstrates who isn’t smart.
Chip Star
You're posting debunked conspiracy theories, which isn’t a surprise.
You watch CNN? That stuff is trash.
bass4funk
That goes both ways, the Democrats know that they can’t win on this farce, but they need to bring some pound of flesh to their constituents in this election year.
Chip Star
You constantly make claims devoid of evidence.
Donny magically changed the working hours of employees in the US to 9-5?
Chip Star
Wow. You pulled out the “I know you are, but what am I?” defense in your very first post. Hilarious.
How long until you get this thread disabled?
Blacklabel
Working 9 to 5 what a way to make a living.....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_to5(Dolly_Parton_song)
a song and a movie. do you think anyone working night shift is watching this nonsense instead of sleeping?
the world is watching! No, the USA isn’t even watching. 16% in a new poll are unaware the articles were even finally sent.
Blacklabel
It’s not a “cover up” if you didn’t bother to subpoena someone or something when you could have.
Where’s Hunter? schiff talked about him yesterday. Where’s the transcript of IG Michael Atkinson? Was never released from the basement.
FizzBit
I can just hear the angst in your writing. The desperation must be terrifying especially when you start with the “conspiracy theories” labels.
Then read it for yourself, unless you suspect I’ve happened across a fake Council on Foreign Relations website.
https://www.cfr.org/event/foreign-affairs-issue-launch-former-vice-president-joe-biden
stormcrow
"thanks to the Trump economy, most people are at work right now."
But what does that have to do with Trump playing games with Ukraine's (and our) national security by withholding much needed weaponry?
BTW, regarding the economy, I still think Trump is basically riding on Obama's coattails and that Trump could never have gotten this far economically without being fortunate enough to have followed Obama. Imagine the economic struggle Trump would have had had he followed Bush II.
bass4funk
Not me, Schiff.
No, but Dems want to hold on to their seats as much as Republicans do, that’s how you get elected, you play to your base.
Sorry, but Dems have no room to say anything about witnesses, they had their chance, they blew it and they think they can tell the independent Senate to do their job for them? These people need to stop smoking.
Chip Star
Using Wikipedia as a source . . .
Here you are, citing polls again. Hilarious.
FizzBit
hahaha
Now look who’s peddling conspiracy theories
Prove it
garfield1275
Yeah, the whole world is watching and laughing. Welcome to the rigged impeachment ceremony. Majority of the senate are republicans. Does anyone still believe that the president would be impeached?!!
Strangerland
The world is watching, but we aren't silly enough to believe that Trump is anything less than poison to the US.
He's sort of a laughing stock, except that it's gone beyond that.
Strangerland
Whereas the news in the five countries I've been to over the past few weeks have all been showing this impeachment stuff. I'd garner that the world is actually more aware of what is actually happening in the US than most Americans are, as we aren't being fed the news through your binary feeding tube. We're free-range news purveyors. Not living in your bubble.
And I assure you, the world IS watching.
PTownsend
Corrupt schemes are expected from those who are corrupt and have been corrupt throughout their lives. Gifted US$400,000,000. by his daddy and he remained corrupt?
I never watch it. Not because I think it's a ghoul that will haunt me - like it does the global alt rightists, but because I think it's way too one sided in its approach to presenting info. Which is fine because I value having a free, for-profit press. And I still have the freedom to read #chan/Cap'n Dan's blog/RT/Breitbart.
rcch
the world is watching yes, and unlike many American people, people in Europe and other countries are not ignorant and like to know what,s going on in the world. but there,s one thing, i believe the world doesn,t give a d-mn about this. yes, breaking news: the world is not just US.
Strangerland
Wow, you don't even realize he's being impeached.
Can someone who is current with what is happening please comment instead?
CrazyJoe
Today's Borowitz Report:
lmao!
Also, all criminals want to be acquitted quickly, doesn't mean they're not guilty. Half the people in prison "didn't do it."
stormcrow
Trump to Zelensky phone call about U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch: 7/25/2019
"Well, she's (Yovanovitch) going to to through some things."
Trump sounds a lot like Tony Soprano here, doesn't he? And this our president? What a disgraceful man to have holding the highest office in the land.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
You are. Let's post the whole conversation, not just the parts you chose:
BIDEN: The answer is yes, I think it was a wise decision. But then again, I was pushing that for two years before we left, so. And the reason is I think the more you up the ante, the cost to Russia for their aggression—I mean, as you all know, and you know this better than anybody, you know, the one big lie going on about Ukraine back in—and the rest of Russia is that no Russian soldiers are engaged. They’re not dying. No body bags are coming home, et cetera. Because there’s overwhelming opposition on the part of the body politic in Russia for engagement in Ukraine in a military sense.
DoI think they’re—I think the Donbas has potential to be able to be solved, but it takes two things. One of those things is missing now. And that is I’m desperately concerned about the backsliding on the part of Kiev in terms of corruption. They made—I mean, I’ll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn’t.
So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I’m not going to—or, we’re not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You’re not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars. I said, you’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.
Well, there’s still—so they made some genuine substantial changes institutionally and with people. But one of the three institutions, there’s now some backsliding.
bass4funk
Yes, speaking. So he’s impeached and? He’s not going to be removed or convicted. Relax. Lol
Chip Star
You want us to relax when the GOP endorses Donny’s corruption and puts party before country?
Conservatives sure are patriotic. (Sarcasm.)
bass4funk
Well, we definitely won’t relax while the Democrats try to put their party before the country.
Chip Star
It’s always painful obvious when you have no substantive reply because you just start repeating the poster to whom you are replying but replace Republicans with Democrats. You just have to get the last word in. Lol!
Blacklabel
I don’t mind this. We get 3 full days next Monday to Wednesday to force the media to cover and fact check every single thing we have said that they have been hiding and covering up.
im sure they will find something “more important” when that time comes though.
Chip Star
Utterly incorrect. The dems will have ensured the rule of law. Don’t let reality prevent you from pushing Trumpophile talking points though.
Trumpophiles never miss a chance to push a conspiracy theory.
Chip Star
If you don’t mind this, why have you constantly been here screeching about how unfair and unnecessary this all is?
Blacklabel
because us getting our 3 days doesn’t justify Schiff and Nadler lying their way through their 3. But their lying is helpful to our cause too.
CLAIM: If President Donald Trump really cared about corruption in Ukraine, he would have raised it before. But he never did.
VERDICT: False. Trump raised it specifically — even lecturing the former Ukrainian president about it in 2017.
Chip Star
Trumpophiles are all over the place.
Good thing Nadler and Schiff weren’t lying, which we know because Donny’s own people corroborated Nadler’s and Schiff’s statements.
Chip Star
Okay. You’re not expecting the rest of us to believe this demonstrates that Donny wasn’t abusing his office when he tried to get Ukrainian help with his re-election campaign, are you?
Blacklabel
Nope just proof of one of the many untruths spoken by Schiff and Nadler yesterday and today.
schiff yakking about quid pro quo again. Which became “bribery” later. All witnesses said there was no bribery and it’s absent from the articles. So why is he taking about it as if it were true?
None of this story matches the articles that were sent with the supposed “overwhelming” evidence.
PTownsend
I agree. With Trump and others like Moscow Mitch, Leningrad Lindsey G, Rubio, Cruz and others in the DC Oblast you never know what all they've been hiding and which of their corrupt dealings will be uncovered, perhaps by the free press. One more reason to be glad a free press is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Serrano
Democrats accused President Donald Trump at the start of his impeachment trial on Wednesday of a corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine to help him get re-elected
First off, there was no pressure. Even Zelensky, the other guy on the call, said there was no pressure.
Second, Trump didn't make the call to help him get reelected. Even if the Democrats are dumb enough to nominate Sleepy Joe Biden, Trump doesn't need any help from Ukraine to beat him like a drum. He made the call to congratulate Zelensky, who ran as the anti-corruption candidate, on his election victory and ask him to look into corruption. He can't help it if Sleepy Joe and his son are involved in the corruption.
Pelosi ( with a smile on her face ) "He will be impeached forever." ( thought this impeachment was supposed to be solemn and prayerful.
He'll be acquitted forever and serve two terms and continue to get things done for the American people.
ArtistAtLarge
Trump admitted to obstruction in his speech at Davos.
PTownsend
With an asterisk beside his name signifying 'impeached'. Forever.
Blacklabel
Isn’t everything forever once it’s over? Kind of over the top dramatics on all of this.
I think it’s perfectly fine that a partisan Dem house impeached him and then the Senate tries the case they claim proves his guilt and acquits. I could make the argument that means the House was wrong.
if you are charged and go to court and found not guilty, then that’s it. Not guilty. Impeachment forever, whatever.
Chip Star
You forgot to label the senate as partisan. Very I think it’s perfectly fine that a partisan Dem house impeached him and then the Senate tries the case they claim proves his guilt and acquits. I could make the argument that means the House was wrong.
False equivalency. A jury would never include people that have announced their bias for the defendant.
SuperLib
So don't believe "the democrats." Believe Mulvaney. Or Trump's own call. Or the diplomats who testified. Plenty of evidence not narrated by Democrats.
On your side you have a documented scammer, a man who stole from charities, and insulted a teenage girl with aspergers. He's been sued for fraud. And lost. Multiple times.
Would you like me to believe that giving this man more power and carte blanche changed him for the better? He went from scum to honorable man when you voted for him? Like, do you say to yourself, "I bet the new Trump really hates what the old Trump did."?
No, you don't. Because you know your guy is scum. It's all about revenge for a lot of Republicans....and throwing an unapologetic scumbag at Democrats is all you care about. History will remember the time America elected a low class loser for President and that's all.
SuperLib
Oh, boy. It's the "Trump is awesome so his actions can't be analyzed with conventional wisdom" line of thinking. The same thing happened when everyone laughed at him at the UN and Trump fans came here to say they were laughing at something else.
No one, and I mean no one, thinks Trump was countering corruption in Ukraine. He's Donald Trump. He is corruption and it's been proven many times. You can set that aside but I won't. He did it to himself.
I've asked this to you so I'll ask others: Did the diplomats simply misunderstand Trump's actions as quid pro quo? All of them? And Mulvaney. Bass thinks Trump is guilty but it doesn't rise to impeachment. Black thinks what I wrote above. How about you?
Did they all just get it wrong?
Wolfpack
Schiff wants to “fight the Russians over there so he won’t have to fight them in America.” He really said that. Trumps’s lawyers should just give Schiff their time for Trumps defense.
Wolfpack
I’d take that with two the conservative Supreme Court justices and several hundred other lower court justices. Plus the impeachment has consolidated Trumps base. When the impeachment is over and the president is exonerated, where do the Dems go from there? Another impeachment hearing? What do they say this summer when former officials from the Obama administration start getting indicted?
lincolnman
The Trumpers here are doing the same thing as the President's lawyers did in the Senate yesterday - whine....
I couldn't believe what big whiners these guys were. The Dems laid out fact by fact, statement by statement, video by video, of the corrupt shakedown and the whole Repub cabal that knew about it. And all they could respond with was a pathetic whine...
No wonder Donnie is melting down over at Davos - not only are all the other leaders laughing at him, he has to see his clown lawyers fumble and bumble...
Hey Donnie - better get Crazy Rudy in there - he'll say you're innocent, then change that in 30 seconds to guilty...
Oh, that's right, he's under federal investigation for 8 offenses...as are his two Ukraine business associates.
Maybe you can call Cohen? Nah, he's in jail. How about Stone? Nope, at Club Fed...
Hey Donnie, Better call Saul...
Blacklabel
The fun part is that because Schiff leaked everything he had already this is like a movie we’ve already seen several times.
but for our side, people have never heard our defense. They have no idea what we have to rebut all of Schiffs basement dwellers. Like schiff though he had a text about “mr z” and claimed it was Zelensky- it wasn’t.
Blacklabel
Does this apply to all the Dems who announced they support impeachment before the phone call? How about all the 2020 Dems who are running for trumps job? Set the example for recusal that we can follow.
SuperLib
The diplomats are not basement dwellers.
bass4funk
Oh, yeah they were and it seems like their plan is failing...again. So now what’s next for them when this is all over? Downing a few...a lot at the Cheers bar?
plasticmonkey
"Honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material."
--King Donny XIV
I'm waiting to see how Trump cultists will take this admission of guilt and obstruction.
bass4funk
How? He seemed very calm or was that some fancy conservative editing skill?
I’m sure he’s laughing back at them as well. Lol
Which will prove to be another nothing Burger again.
.
Blacklabel
If Dems had been smart you would have:
had all your outspoken rabid Trumps haters who have public statements for impeachment prior to the phone call recuse themselves. Including Schiff.
still would had enough votes and would also have the moral ground to demand the Senate so the same.
But none of your people wanted to be the one to admit they decided years ago to impeach. they just wanted a Nancy pen and didn’t want to miss the celebration.
yamada1043
As a registered Independent I do not have an axe to grind with either Democrats or Republicans on this issue.
However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind readers that the current occupant of the White House was a registered Democrat most if his adult life. Therefore, he could have been elected to the presidency as a Democrat and would have acted in exactly the same way as he has since November 8, 2016, with one major exception: he would have disparaged and insulted Republicans and embraced Democrats. Moreover, we would have been impeached by the Republicans for exactly the same reasons
This is part and parcel of the hypocrisy of politics in the United States of America (U.S./USA).
Blacklabel
I wouldn’t personally know. But I imagine it would be something like this:
saying the biased jurors on your side can stay (why?) but everyone on the opposite side needs to recuse for bias. Something like that.
Blacklabel
Nah they would have just screwed him
-and- Bernie.
Hillary would have then destroyed Jeb Bush and our world would be a total mess. But lots of truth in your post.
SuperLib
And we waited until 10 months before the election to do it? Makes no sense at all. Pelosi spent time squashing calls for impeachment, not rushing into it, and certainly not at this point. The entire concept is ridiculous.
Oh, and didn't McConnell say he would do everything he can to make Obama a one term president? What should we make of that, something sinister?
Wakarimasen
World is indeed watching. bit if a farce. Most countries in the world would view his "misdeeds" as pretty lame.
kyushubill
Yawn, you're getting repetitive and boring. You need some new lines brah.
Serrano
If the world is actually watching, it's because they are either laughing or horror struck. The US is no longer a country, it is a cartoon.
Please don't lump in all of the U.S. with the looney tunes Democrats.
This just in - oh my...
Tucker: Schiff relishes his turn in the spotlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw0iSi0anCA
bass4funk
Yeah, good luck because unlike CNN or msnbc FNC doesn’t have a collective body of lemmings with the same mindset. Check the ratings.
Yes, it makes absolutely perfect sense.
On the surface it would seem so, but Pelosi was under serious pressure from her socialist new wing of the party to impeach this president people like AOC and the squad were pushing her and even challenging her position, she needed to keep the party together, so she caved and that’s why she went for it because she was about to have a mutiny on our hands within our own party.
Based on his disastrous policies, particularly when it came to economics and entitlements yes he did, but with Trump the thing is they just don’t like him and nobody impeach Obama when Republicans could have. but unlike Democrats they knew exactly what impeachment can do and the Dems are finding that out right now.
ulysses
Schiff was brilliant, factual, logical, dignified and compelling!!
Donny's lawyers got mauled!!!!
Jimizo
Trump is going absolutely nuts on Twitter.
Whining like a baby.
Serrano
Schiff was brilliant, factual, logical, dignified and compelling!!
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!
ulysses
Dumb donny's supporters at their finest!!!
ROFL
Serrano
Oh my...
Dems lost impeachment case during opening statement: Former US attorney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ait9CHSWpo
Sneezy
So 84% are. 84 is more than 16. Why are Trump cultists incapable of counting?
ulysses
Better stop embarrassing yourself , and no wonder this guy is an ex attorney!!!
This probably looks better on Dumb Donny's supporters.
Serrano
I'm starting to think the Democrats aren't taking Hillary's loss very well.
SuperLib
Can you make up a reason why Obama would be impeached? Make up anything you’d like, just don’t get too emotional.
bass4funk
so about the same equal amounts of Republicans that don’t want him removed, so once again the party is split down party lines, thank God for the Senate can’t wait for this to be over soon so that he can get back to work. Seems like Schiff is coming unglued and everyone’s bored to death....again.
Sneezy
Could you explain what this word salad has to do with what I asked?
Blacklabel
The 1980s want their “fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them here!” red dawn jingle.
Go wolverines!
Wakarimasen
I still struggle with the notion that withholding aid from Ukraine is some major national security issue. And that it was done to somehow get dirt on Biden (the facts and information were already out there). And that DT was already looking at the 2020 election in that context. and that All of this somehow means that 2020 won't be a fair election. Really stretching it.
Schiff was his usual oily self.
Serrano
At the turkey pardoning event in the Rose Garden -
“It seems the Democrats are accusing me of being too soft on turkey,” Trump told guests. But he told the turkeys, “Unlike previous witnesses, you and I have actually met."
Andrew Crisp
Doesn't matter what the Democrats say or think, this waste of money isn't gonna achieve anything, Trump wont be impeached, Trump will win the next election.
Jimizo
He has been impeached.
ulysses
SerranoToday 01:18 pm JST
Focusing on the wrong bird here, Donny’s goose is cooked.
ROFL
ulysses
George Conway''Republican senators need to look themselves in the mirror and think of what its going to be like 5 years from now, 10 years, what their legacies are going to be''.
When these neutered cowards look themselves in the mirror, I bet they don't like what they see and feel ashamed of themselves.
lincolnman
I don't know, why don't you ask Fox News...
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-record-breaking-number-tweets-one-day-presidency-amid-senate-impeachment-trial
Laughing at his own clown lawyers? Yep, that may explain things...
Really? So Parnas is now a hero?
Trump talking to turkeys - add that to the Alzhiemer's symptoms...
WilliB
I watched this Schiff guy bloviating for half an hour on Youtube yesterday and thought it was pathetic. Then I turn on CNN this morning, and the pointing heads are all praising the great performance. Living in parallel universe! At this point, I am not surprised anymore.
lincolnman
Says the guy who peppers each of his posts with "but Hillary"....even after three years....
Since she lives in your head 24/7, tell her I said hi....
Oh, I think they already have their reason - at least according to Fox News...
He had the audacity to wear a tan suit....
Headlines abounded — “Yes we Tan!” and “The audacity of taupe” — Fox News’ Lou Dobbs went so far as to call it “un-presidential” and tried to surmise Obama was sending some sort of hidden message, possibly to our enemies, via the suit color.
I'm surprised the far-right crazies didn't try to impeach him for that...they would have if Putin and the IRA would have suggested it...
Slickdrifter
Ten of just watched U.S. Representative Adam Schiff preset his case in its entirety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueFXaltzIEE
Nine of us could care less.
One of us is passionate on the issues and biased. Yes I admit it.
7 and 3.
Not guilty and U.S. Representative Adam Schiff's case does not hold any weight and was poorly delivered and presented.
There will be no removal of this sitting President I predict.
I call for Pelosi, Schiff, Nader and the Democratic managers to forthwith resign their office for trying to overturn an duly elected President of the United States of America. This is a sham to oust him from office without due process. Resignations!
This case needs to be thrown out and the Senate and the Congress needs to get back to work for America and the American people. Home and abroad.
bass4funk
Tweets and being calm have nothing to do with anything
More like busting up at Nadler and Schiff, we all were. Lol
He’s in the Michael Cohen hero category
ulysses
Not surprised the nutters feel this way.
As long as the neutered GOP senators remain neutered he might not.
One who was elected by a minority and has lied his way through the presidency. If there was any President who deserves impeachment its dumb donny .
Donny should resign and his criminal gang including Rudy should go to prison.
bass4funk
Thank God for neutering.
Can’t wait (when we have a Democrat President) for the GOP to impeach him or her.
I said the same thing in 1998 but my request went unheard.