A FEW WEEKS AGO WHERE HE MET WITH THE NEW UNIKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. WHAT DID YOU HEAR, WHAT WAS YOUR
TAKE AWAY?
TAKE AWAY? >> WELL, I STARTED TO GET VISITS
TO MY OFFICE AND CALLS IN THE
SPRING RIGHT AFTER PRESIDENT
ZELINGSKY HAD BEEN SWORN IN
AFTER A RESWROUPDING ELECTION
VICTORY WITH CONCERNS THAT RUDY
GIULIANI HAD BEGUN TO PRESSURE
ZELINSKY AND HIS TEAM TO LAUNCH
THESE INVESTIGATIONS INTO VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
PRESIDENT BIDEN. AND ZELINSKY HAS NEVER HAD
ELECTIVE OFFICE BEFORE DID WANT
UNDERSTAND WHETHER THESE WERE
OFFICIAL REQUESTS FROM A U.S.
GOVERNMENT OR WHETHER THEY WERE
REQUESTS HE SHOULD IGNORE.
AND SO PART OF THE REASON WHY I
EVENTUALLY MADE THE REASON TO GO
AND SEE FOR MYSELF WAS BECAUSE I
THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR
SOMEBODY FROM THE UNITED STATES
CONGRESS TO RAISE WITH HIM THE
CONCERN ABOUT THE DAMAGE THAT
COULD BE DONE TO THE U.S.
UKRAINIAN RELATIONSHIP IF HE
CEDED TO THE POLITICAL REQUESTS.
WHEN I RAISED THIS CONCERN WITH
HIM THIS WAS NOW THREE WEEKS
AGO, HE WAS VERY READY FOR MY
QUESTION AND HE ASSURED ME AT
THE TIME HE HAD NO INTEREST IN
INTERFERING IN THE U.S. ELECTION
IN 2020.
IN 2020. THAT WAS AT A TIME WE DID NOT
KNOW THE PRESIDENT HAD RAISED
THESE ISSUES WITH HIM DIRECTLY,
SO I LEFT CONFIDENT THAT, YOU
KNOW, PERHAPS THIS MATTER WAS
BEHIND US.
BEHIND US. WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHY
GIULIANI WAS STILL AT IT.
NOW WE KNOW THAT HE IN FACT WAS
HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> THERE’S A PARALLEL STORY THAT
HAPPENS HERE WHICH IS THE
MYSTERY OF THE STALLED AID.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
COME OUT I THINK IN THE
REPORTING OVER THE LAST FEW
WEEKS AND IN SOME WAYS HIDING IN
PLAIN SIGHT IS THIS WASN’T A
SECRET ON CAPITOL HILL.
THE PRESIDENT BLOCKING THIS AID
WAS BECOMING A BIGGER AND BIGGER
DEAL TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES.
>> AND IT HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE
NORMAL CHANNELS.
NORMAL CHANNELS. FROM EVERYTHING WE’VE HEARD,
THIS WAS A DECISION MADE VERY
PERSONALLY BY THE PRESIDENT,
THAT HE HAD STRONG FEELINGS
ABOUT THE NEED TO WITH HOLD THIS
AID FROM UKRAINE, IT SURPRISED
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WHEN
IT CAME OUT, SO IT WAS
INEXPLICABLE AND ADAM SCHIFF
MADE THE RIGHT POINT WHICH
WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN UNCOVER
DIRECTEDS OF A QUID PRO QUO, IT
DOESN’T MATTER.
DOESN’T MATTER. THE VERY FACT THESE TWO THINGS
ARE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME
CEPT A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE
UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT THAT THEY
WANTED TO GET RIGHT WITH THE
PRESIDENT, THEY HAD A SURPRISE
WITHDRAWAL OF AID AND A STANDING
REQUEST FROM THE PRESIDENT THAT
THEY WERE NOT ACCEDING TO.
IT WOULD JUST BE COMMON SENSE
FOR THE UKRAINIANS TO COME TO
THE CONCLUSION THAT IF THEY DID
WHAT THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKING
WITH RESPECT TO GETTING INVOLVED
IN THE 2020 ELECTION, THEN MAYBE
THAT AID WOULD BE UNLOCKED.
>> WHAT CHANGED, WHAT ABOUT THIS
SET OF FACTS AT LEAST AS THE
PRESIDENT HAS LARGELY KIND OF
STIPULATED TO IN HIS OWN WEIRD
ADULT AND ROUNDABOUT WAY, WHAT
ABOUT THEM MAKES YOU FEEL
IMPEACHMENT, THE VERY HIGH
CONSTITUTIONAL BAR OF THIS BRICK
GLASS PROVISION OF THIS IS
WARRANTED?
WARRANTED? >> I HAD NOT RECOMMENDED
IMPEACHMENT AS YOU KNOW UP UNTIL
NOW IN PART BECAUSE MY
CONSTITUENTS THOUGHT IF WE WERE
REALLY RELITIGATING THE PAST
MAYBE THE 2020 ELECTION WAS THE
RIGHT PLACE TO MAKE THOSE
DECISIONS.
DECISIONS. NOW WE’RE TALK ABOUT A PRESIDENT
WHO IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO
POTENTIALLY STEAL THE UPCOMING
ELECTION.
ELECTION. AND THAT IF HE WERE TO CONTINUE
TO BELIEVE HE HAD IMPUNITY FOR
USING HIS OFFICE AS A MEANS TO
TRY TO INTERFERE AND IMPACT AND
MANIPULATE THE 2020 ELECTION,
THEN THERE’S NO END TO THE WAYS
IN WHICH HE WOULD TRY TO
AGGRESSIVELY MANIPULATE OTHERS
TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS UPCOMING
ELECTION.
ELECTION. AND SO TO ME BECAUSE WE ARE NOW
TRYING TO PROTECT AN UPCOMING
ELECTION IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO DRAW A LINE IN THE
SAND TO TELL HIM IF YOU’RE
THINKING OF DOING THIS THROUGH
OTHER MEANS WE’RE WATCHING AND
WE’RE WILLING TO TAKE ACTION.
>> SO YOU SEE THIS AS SOME KIND
OF DETRPT, SOME RESTRAINT ON THE
PRESIDENT’S BEHAVIOR?
PRESIDENT’S BEHAVIOR? >> YES, I THINK THIS IS
PROPHYLACTIC IN SOME WAYS.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU’RE ULTIMATELY
GOING TO GET 67 VOTES IPTHE
SENATE THE PRESIDENT IS NOW ON
NOTICE IF YOU’RE GOING TATRY TO
USE THE AWESOME POW AT YOUR
DISPOSAL EITHER THROUGH YOUR
DOMESTIC POWERS OR THROUGH
FOREIGN POLICY TO TRY TO -- TO
TRY TO MANIPULATE OTHERS TO
INTERFERE IN THE 2020 ELECTION,
THERE’S GOING TO BE CONSEQUENCES
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. AND I THINK HE WAS JUST GETTING
TO THE POINT WHERE HE FELT THERE
WAS NO CHECK ON HIM AND THIS AT
LEAST PROVIDES THAT NOTICE OF A
REAL CHECK.
REAL CHECK. >> ONE OF THE SORT OF MOST
SURPRISING MOMENTS TODAY WAS
THAT UNANIMOUS CONCEPT
RESOLUTION, NONBINDING WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE SENATE TODAY.
YOU WERE TWEETING ABOUT IT AND
MITCH McCONNELL COULD HAVE
OBJECTED BECAUSE IT WAS A
UNANIMOUS COP CEPT AND ONE
SENATOR COULD OBJECT TO IT, AND
IT WAS NONBINDING AND
RECOMMENDAL
RECOMMENDAL RECOMMENDALLED THE
RECOMMENDALLED THE WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT BE
FURNISHED TO THE SENATE.
>> MANY OF THEM WERE
STEADFASTEDLY DEFENDING THE
DECISION TO NOT PRESSURE THE
PRESIDENT TO BRING FORWARD THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT, SO
PRIVATELY A LOT OF SENATE
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE CLOSE ALLIES
OF THE PRESIDENT WERE TELLING ME
THEY THOUGHT IT WAS JUSTIFIED TO
KEEP THE WHISTLE-BLOWER
COMPLAINT OUT THE HANDS OF
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. SO IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME
THERE WAS A PIVOT AT SOME POINT
TODAY.
TODAY. THERE WAS A PIVOT BY LEADERSHIP
AND THAT CLEARLY WAS NOT BECAUSE
THERE WAS A UNANIMITY AMONGST
SENATE REPUBLICANS IN MAKING
THAT RECOMMENDATION.
THAT RECOMMENDATION. IT MAY SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY
DIDN’T WANT TO MAKE SENATORS WHO
WERE UP FOR RE-ELECTION IN TO20
ANSWER FOR THEIR CAUCUS’
PARTICIPATION IN A COVER UP.
MAYBE BECAUSE IT’S THEY KNOW
WHAT’S IN THAT WHISTLE-BLOWER
COMPLAINT AND THEY DID WANT WANT
TO BE SEEN AS TRYING TO KEEP IT