A downbeat Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed as a “joke” the grounds laid out for the impeachment inquiry into him, as Democrats stood firm in accusing the US president of a “mafia-style shakedown” of his Ukrainian counterpart.
Trump denied claims he abused his office by repeatedly urging President Volodymyr Zelensky to probe his rival Joe Biden — as confirmed in a call transcript released by the White House.
The next explosive episode in the rapidly unfolding impeachment drama is set for Thursday, when acting director of national intelligence Joseph McGuire testifies on Capitol Hill.
“They are getting hit hard on this witch hunt because when they look at the information, it’s a joke,” said the president, who struck an uncharacteristically subdued tone at his first news conference since Democrats launched an official impeachment inquiry.
“Impeachment for that? When you have a wonderful meeting or you have a wonderful phone conversation?”
A more defiant Trump had earlier insisted he exerted “no pressure” on Kiev — a claim echoed by Zelensky, who appeared side-by-side with the US leader at a long-planned meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
But the publication of the transcript sent new shockwaves through Washington, including within the ranks of Trump’s Republican Party, with Senator Mitt Romney calling it “deeply troubling.”
Two competing narratives immediately took hold.
Trump and his allies claimed the July 25 call contained no evidence of a quid pro quo pressuring Zelensky to probe the president’s top Democratic rival for the White House.
Democrats meanwhile held it up as a smoking gun.
“This is how a mafia boss talks,” charged senior lawmaker Adam Schiff.
“‘What have you done for us? We’ve done so much for you but there’s not much reciprocity. I have a favour to ask you.’”
“And what is that favour? Of course, the favour is to investigate his political rival, to investigate the Bidens.”
The call summary — which is not a verbatim transcript — shows Trump saying US Attorney General Bill Barr and the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani would be in touch about probing the Ukraine-related activities of Biden and his son.
