PHONE CALL INVOLVING PRESIDENT TRUMP. OUR TEAM HAS IT
COVERED AND WE BEGIN
WITH PETER ALEXANDER.
>> Reporter: TONIGHT,
HISTORY ON THE HILL AS
HOUSE DEMOCRATS MAKE
THEIR CASE AGAINST
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE
FIRST PUBLIC
IMPEACHMENT HEARING IN
20 YEARS.
>> IS THIS WHAT
AMERICANS SHOULD NOW
EXPECT FROM THEIR
PRESIDENT?
IF THIS IS NOT
IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,
WHAT IS?
>> Reporter: DEMOCRATS
RELYING ON TWO TOP
CAREER DIPLOMATS TO
SPELL OUT A QUID
PRO QUO.
MUCH OF THE FOCUS ON
THE JULY PHONE CALL
WHERE PRESIDENT TRUMP
ASKED UKRAINE’S
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY FOR
INVESTIGATIONS INTO
THE BIDENS AND THE
2016 ELECTION.
BUT TONIGHT, TAYLOR
REVEALED ANOTHER
CONVERSATION INVOLVING
PRESIDENT TRUMP THE
NEXT DAY THAT HE SAYS
A STAFFER RECENTLY
TOLD HIM ABOUT WITH
TRUMP DONOR TURNED
DIPLOMAT, GORDON
SONDLAND.
>> A MEMBER OF MY
STAFF COULD HEAR
PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THE
PHONE ASKING
AMBASSADOR SUNONDLAND
ABOUT THE
INVESTIGATIONS.
MR. SONDLAND TOLD
TRUMP THE UKRAINIANS
WERE READY TO MOVE
FORWARD.
FOLLOWING THE CALL A
MEMBER OF MY STAFF
ASKED AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP
THOUGHT ABOUT UKRAINE.
SONDLAND SAID MR.
TRUMP CARES MORE ABOUT
THE INVESTIGATIONS OF
BIDEN.
>> Reporter: IT’S A
CALL SONDLAND NEVER
MENTIONED IN HIS
TESTIMONY GETTING TO
THE HEART OF
DEMOCRATS’ ARGUMENT
MILITARY ALD TO UID TO A
WHITE HOUSE MEETING
WERE BEING WITH HELD
UNTIL UKRAINE
ANNOUNCED THE
INVESTIGATION INTO THE
PRESIDENT’S POLITICAL
RIVAL.
>> NEITHER OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS WAS IN
THE U.S. NATIONAL
INTEREST.
BOTH HOWEVER, WERE IN
DONALD TRUMP’S
PERSONAL INTEREST.
>> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
FOREIGN AID
CONDITIONED ON THE
PERSONAL OR POLITICAL
INTERESTS OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES?
>> NO, MR. GOLDMAN, I
HAVE NOT.
>> Reporter: THE
HEARING TESTY AT
TIMES.
>> YOU MR. CHAIRMAN
MISACT TERIZED THE
CALL.
>> WILL SUSPEND.
>> Reporter: WITH
RECOULD BEENSRE
REPUBLICANS DENOUNCING
IT AS A PARTISAN SHAM.
>> I’D LIKE TO
CONGRATULATE YOU FOR
PASSING THE DEMOCRAT
STAR CHAMBER ADDITIONS
HELD FOR THE LAST
WEEKS IN THE BASEMENT
OF THE CAPITOL.
IT SEEMS YOU AGREED
WHITING OR UNWITTINGLY
TO PARTICIPATE IN A
DRAMA, BUT THE MAIN
PERFORMANCE, THE
RUSSIA HOAX HAS ENDED
AND YOU’VE BEEN CAST
IN THE LOW RENT
UKRAINIAN SEQUEL.
>> Reporter: TAYLOR
GOING BACK ONE WEEK
BEFORE THAT JULY PHONE
CALL RECALLING A VIDEO
CONFERENCE WHERE HE
SAYS HE SAT IN
ASTONISHMENT WHEN AN
UNIDENTIFIED BUDGET
OFFICE STAFFER SAID
THE AID TO UKRAINE WAS
FROZEN WITHOUT
EXPLAINING WHY.
>> ALL THE STAFF
PERSON SAID WAS THAT
THE DIRECTIVE HAD COME
FROM THE PRESIDENT TO
THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO
OMB.
IN AN INSTANT, I
REALIZED THAT ONE OF
THE KEY PILLARS OF OUR
STRONG SUPPORT FOR
UKRAINE WAS
THREATENED.
>> Reporter: WEEKS
AFTER THAT CALL,
TAYLOR RECOUNTING THIS
CONVERSATION WITH
GORDON SONDLAND.
>> AM BASKETBALLBASSADOR SONDLA
TOLD ME THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP TOLD HIM THAT HE
WANTS PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY TO STATE
PUBLICLY UKRAINE WILL
INVESTIGATE AN ALLEGED
UKRAINIAN INTERFERENCE
IN THE 2016 ELECTION.
AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
SAID EVERYTHING WAS
DEPENDENT ON SUCH AN
ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDING
SECURITY ASSISTANCE.
HE SAID THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WANTED PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY IN A PUBLIC
BOX BY MAKING A PUBLIC
STATEMENT ABOUT
ORDERING SUCH
INVESTIGATIONS.
>> Reporter: SENIOR
STATE DEPARTMENT
OFFICIAL GEORGE KENT
QUESTIONING THE ROLE
OF THE PRESIDENT’S
PERSONAL LAWYER, RUDY
GUN
GIULIANI.
GUN GIULIANI. >> HIS EFFORTS TO GIN
UP INVESTIGATIONS WERE
AFFECTING
INVESTIGATION WITH
UKRAINE LEVERAGING THE
DESIRE FOR A WHITE
HOUSE MEETING.
>> Reporter:
REPUBLICANS DEFENDED
THE PRESIDENT.
>> WHERE IS THE
IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE IN
THAT CALL?
>> Reporter: SAYING HE
COULD NOT BE
THREATENING TO WITH
HOLD MILITARY AID
BECAUSE TAYLOR
TESTIFIED UKRAINE DID
NOT KNOW AID WAS BEING
WITH HELD UNTIL WEEKS
AFTER THE JULY CALL
AND THAT ULTIMATELY,
THE AID WAS GIVEN TO
UKRAINE WITHOUT THE
INVESTIGATIONS
PRESIDENT TRUMP
REQUESTED.
>> WERE YOU WRONG WHEN
YOU SAID YOU HAD A
CLEAR UNDERSTANDING
THAT PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY HAD TO COMMIT
TO AN INVESTIGATION OF
BIDENS BEFORE THE AID
GOT RELEASED AND THE
AID GOT RELEASED AND
HE DIDN’T COMMIT TO AN
INVESTIGATION.
>> I WAS NOT WRONG
ABOUT WHAT I TOLD YOU,
WHICH IS WHAT I HEARD.
THAT’S ALL I’VE SAID.
I’VE TOLD YOU WHAT I
HEARD.
>> AND THAT’S THE
POINT.
WHAT YOU HEARD DID NOT
HAPPEN.
IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
YOU DIDN’T LISTEN ON
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CALL
AND PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY’S CALL.
>> I DID NOT.
>> YOU NEVER TALKED
WITH CHIEF OF STAFF
MULVANEY.
>> THAT’S CORRECT.
>> THIS IS WHAT I
CAN’T BELIEVE.
YOU’RE THEIR STAR
WITNESS.
>> THE PUSH TO
INVESTIGATE HUNTER
BIDEN GIVEN A JOB WITH
THE UKRAINIAN COMPANY
WHILE JOE BIDEN WAS
VICE PRESIDENT.
SOMETHING KENT
QUESTIONED BACK IN
2015.
>> I RAISED MY CONCERN
THAT HUNTER BIDEN’S
STATUS AS A BOARD
MEMBER WOULD CREATE
THE PER ZEPGS OFCEPTION OF
CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I DID NOT WITNESS AN
EFFORT TO SHIELD FROM
SCRUTINY.
>> Reporter: SAYING
THEY WERE NOT SEEKING
THE SPOTLIGHT AND PUSH
K BAG FROM THE EARLY
MORNING ATTACK FROM
MR. TRUMP THAT THEY
ARE NEVER TRUMPERS.
>> MR. KENT, ARE YOU A
NEVER TRUMPER?
>> I’M A CAREER
PROFESSIONAL THAT
SERVES WHATEVER
PRESIDENT IS DULY
ELECTED FOR THREE
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS
AND TWO DEMOCRATS.
>> ARE YOU A NEVER
TRUMPER?
>> NO, SIR.
>> Reporter: THE
QUESTION TONIGHT, WILL
ANY OF THIS SWAY
DIVIDED AMERICANS
TESTIFYING FRIDAY, THE