The word us has become a talking point in Donald Trump’s explanation concerning his July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine.
On Wednesday night Trump used Twitter to attempt to “reframe” his phone conversation with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The phone call is the center of the Democrat’s impeachment inquiry.
Trump now claims that he was not asking Zelensky to help him by investigating his political rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter but was instead asking him to help America.
“When I said, in my phone call to the President of Ukraine, ‘I would like you to do US a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it.’ With the word ‘us,’ I am referring to the United States, our Country,” Trump tweeted.
….”I would like to have the Attorney General (of the United States) call you or your people…..” This, based on what I have seen, is their big point – and it is no point at a all (except for a big win for me!). The Democrats should apologize to the American people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2019
Trump’s tweet seems to show his mounting fear and frustration with the impeachment process. It is expected that Democrats will wrap up its public hearings by the end of December.
The House Judiciary Committee began public impeachment hearings on Wednesday. Even while Trump was in London for the NATO Summit he could not leave the impeachment inquiry behind him. He even spoke about the impeachment proceedings as he spoke to world leaders.
During Trump’s controversial phone call with Zelensky Trump asked the Ukranian president to “do us a favor.” Trump wanted Ukraine to cooperate with Attorney General William Barr and launch an investigation into the Biden family that would benefit Trump politically. Despite Trump’s new claim that he was asking Zelensky to help America and not him personally House Democrats and numerous Trump administration officials found it was “personally politically driven.”
Trump has repeatedly called his phone call with Zelensky “perfect.” He and several members of his team continue to argue that the favor was part of an anti-corruption investigation.
In the past, Trump has also stated that he would not be opposed to receiving opposition research from a foreign entity, despite the fact that accepting foreign aid in elections is an illegal act.
In its newly released report, the House Intelligence Committee found that Trump not only abused his influence over Ukraine but also attempted to obstruct justice by refusing to allow Trump administration officials to testify.
Trump continues to claim that Democrats came up with no “concrete evidence” and he would mock House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff by calling him a “deranged human being” during the NATO summit.
“The Democrats should apologize to the American people!” Trump added to his tweet on Wednesday.
