Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted today that President Trump’sappeals to Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Bidenare “wrong and appalling.”
“When the only American citizen President Trump singles out for China’s investigation is his political opponent in the midst of the Democratic nomination process, it strains credulity to suggest that it is anything other than politically motivated,” wrote Romney.
“By all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling, “Romney continued.
Romney is one of few Congressional Republicans who have criticized the President’s actions.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump said that Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, took out “a billion and a half dollars out of China.”
“Biden is corrupt, his son is corrupt,” Trump said. “His son takes out billions of dollars, billions, and he has no experience.”
Trump has repeatedlyaccusedboth Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, of corruption involving China and Ukraine. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden or his son Hunter.
Here’s what we know aboutHunter Biden and China:Accordingto the New York Times, Biden’s son Hunter has a 10% interest in BHR Partners, a private-equity fund that the Chinese government-owned Bank of China has invested in.
As of May 2019, both The New York Times and the Washington Post reported that Hunter had not received any money from the fund or in connection with his role as an unpaid advisory board member.
(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP / Getty Images)President Trump was asked if the White House will comply with the House’s impeachment inquiry. He said he wasn’t sure.
“That’s up to the lawyers,” Trump told reporters.
Some background on this:House Democrats have saidthey plan to subpoena the White House today for a host of documents aspart of the impeachment inquiry. They have warned the White House and Trump’s administration against interfering with the probe.
So what can the House do if officials refuse to comply with the subpoenas?CNN legal analyst Elie Honig says there are three traditional legal avenues – and all of them problematic.
- The House theoretically has its own inherent enforcement power, but that has essentially gonedormantafter nearly a century of non-use . The House does not have a police force capable of making arrests – thesergeant-at-armsis primarily a security force – or a functioningjail facility.
- The House can refer a contempt case for criminal prosecution. But that referral would go to Attorney General William Barr’s Justice Department, and it is very unlikely he would bring criminal charges given his establishedpatternof protecting Trump and those around him.
- The House can file a civil lawsuit in court. But this will take months to resolve, and the House simply does not have the luxury of time to litigate.
Reporters outside the White House asked Trump if he thought the House would vote to impeach him.
“So the Democrats. Unfortunately they have the votes,” Trump said.
He added that he thought House members “could vote easily” to impeach him “even though most of them, many of them don’t believe they should do it. “
Earlier today, CNN reported that Tr ump will send letter to Pelosi demanding a full house vote on impeachment before the White House turns over documents.
Trump suggested he believes that if a vote to impeach him happens in the House, and the matter is turned over to the Senate for a potential impeachment trial, then the Senate will side with him.
Trump said his administration has “a great relationship in the Senate” and he believes “the senators look at this as a hoax.”
More on this:More than half the US House of Representatives have now said they support animpeachment investigationinto President Trump.
President Trump insisted he’s only interested in rooting out corruption, not punishing his political rivals.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said his efforts involving foreign governments were not meant to investigate campaigns. He added that he didn’t care about politics.
“Everything, to me, is about corruption,” Trump said. “I don’t care about Biden’s campaign, but I do care about corruption.”
Trump has repeatedly accused 2020 Democratic front runner Joe Biden and his son of corruption. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.
Asked whether he wouldcomply with Democratic subpoenas, Trump said he didn’t know. He said the decision would be up to lawyers.
President Trump said there was no quid pro quo in his dealings with Ukraine , despitetext messagesbetween US diplomats showing Trump’s pressure on the country.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked about the text messages. He claimed he didn’t know the ambassadors involved in the messaging.
He repeated there was no quid pro quo, but said he would continue asking foreign countries for help investigating corruption.
On Thursday, the Presidentpublicly calledfor Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.
Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson is testifying today behind close doors with the House Intelligence Committee.
Here’s what you need to know about the little-known Trump appointee thrust into the spotlight:
His background:Atkinsonworkedfor the Justice Department for 15 years before President Trump appointed him to the position of inspector general of the intelligence community in 2018. The position was only created in 2010, and Atkinson is the second individual to hold it.
He has a reputation as a straight-shooter:When Atkinson alerted lawmakers to an explosivewhistleblower complaintDetailing allegations about President Trump’s conduct, many said his reputation and credibility caused them to take his concerns seriously – even some who areskepticalof the complaint. Atkinson is known as a serious professional and a career non-partisan whose integrity has lent credibility to the complaint.
Why is he testifying?At the end of August, two weeks after Atkinson received the whistleblower’s complaint about Trump’s July phone call, he notified his superior, acting Director of National IntelligenceJoseph Maguire. Atkinson believed it to be a credible complaint and found it worthy to be handled by the intelligence community and referred to Congress under the law.
But instead of routing to Congress, the whistleblower’s allegation wound its way across the Justice Department. From there, the Office of Legal Counsel eventually determined that the whistleblower’s complaint shouldn’t be considered of“urgent concern”and require disclosure to Congress.
President Trump, asked about hissummer phone call with China’s Xi Jinping, said his conversations with foreign leaders are “appropriate.”
“When I speak to a foreign leader, I speak in an appropriate manner, “he said.
Speaking to Reporters at the White House, Trump said a China trade deal would not be tied to his suggestion that China investigate the Bidens.
Trump said the two were not related.
(Evan Vucci / AP) **********************President Trump says he ‘ ll be issuing a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in response toDemocrats’ request for
Trump is speaking at the White House ahead of his departure to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Earlier, CNN reported that White House lawyers were drafting a letter saying they could not be compelled to produce documents until the full House vot es to open an impeachment inquiry.
Trump repeated his claims that he’s being treated unfairly, and says he has an obligation and duty to root out corruption.
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