President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he intends to release the transcript of his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that has sparked Democratic calls for impeachment.
“I am currently at the United Nations representing our Country, but have authorized the release tomorrow of the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript of my phone conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine,” the president tweeted.
I am currently at the United Nations representing our Country, but have authorized the release tomorrow of the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript of my phone conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2019
He continued, “You will see it was a very friendly and totally appropriate call. No pressure and, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo! This is nothing more than a continuation of the Greatest and most Destructive Witch Hunt of all time!”
….You will see it was a very friendly and totally appropriate call. No pressure and, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo! This is nothing more than a continuation of the Greatest and most Destructive Witch Hunt of all time!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2019
Democrats have accused the president of abusing the powers of his office by asking Ukraine to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, for alleged corruption. Trump admitted that he asked Ukraine to investigate Biden, but pointed to Biden’s pressuring of Ukraine to fire a top prosecutor that was looking into his son’s business ties.
Trump also denied that he withheld hundreds of millions in aid from Ukraine until they agreed to investigate Biden, instead arguing that he did so because he wanted to pressure European countries into paying their fair share.
The president first floated the idea of releasing the call transcript on Monday, but expressed concerns that doing so could imperil future classified conversations with foreign leaders. (RELATED: Trump Floats Releasing Transcript Of Disputed Call With Ukraine)