THE MEETING AND WE WEREN’T GOING TO GET ANYTHING UNLESS WE TALKED
ABOUT THE BIDEN INVESTIGATION.
>> THIS WAS ALL RELEASED TO THE
WHITE HOUSE. BACK UP. SOURCES
TELL NBC NEWS THAT THE
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT AT THE
CENTER OF THE UKRAINE SCANDAL
HAS BEEN DECLASSIFIED WITH
MINIMAL REDACTIONS AND IS
EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. NOW, TO THE 30-MINUTE JULY 25th
PHONE CALL THAT SPARKED THE
CONTROVERSY.
CONTROVERSY. THE MEMO RELEASED BY THE WHITE
HOUSE SHOWS PRESIDENT TRUMP
DISCUSSING JOE BIDEN AND ASKING
HIS UKRAINIAN COUNTERPART FOR A
FAVOR.
FAVOR. IT BEGINS WITH THE PRESIDENT
CONGRATULATING UKRAINIAN
CONGRATULATING UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKY ON HIS
PARTY’S RECENT PARLIAMENTARY WIN
AND ZELENSKY DISCUSSING THE
REFORMS HE’S MAKING.
PRESIDENT TRUMP THEN TALKS ABOUT
HOW MUCH THE UNITED STATES DOES
FOR UKRAINE.
FOR UKRAINE. ZELENSKY AGREED AND THEN SAID,
QUOTE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT SUPPORT
IN THE AREA OF DEFENSE.
WE ARE READY TO CONTINUE TO
COOPERATE FOR THE NEXT STEPS,
SPECIFICALLY WE ARE ALMOST READY
TO BUY MORE JAVELINS FROM THE
UNITED STATES FOR DEFENSE
PURPOSES.
PURPOSES. TRUMP IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS
SAYING, QUOTE, I WOULD LIKE YOU
DO US A FAVOR, THOUGH, BECAUSE
OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN THROUGH A
LOT AND UKRAINE KNOWS A LOT
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO FIND OUT
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS WHOLE
SITUATION WITH UKRAINE.
THEY SAY CROWD STRIKE.
CROWD STRIKE IS THE NAME OF THE
CYBER AGRICULTURE COMPANY THAT
INVESTIGATED THE DNC SERVE HACK
IN 2016.
IN 2016. TRUMP CONTINUES WERE YOU HAVE
YOUR SERVE, HE THEY SAY UKRAINE
HAS IT, THERE ARE A LOT OF
THINGS THAT WENT ON, THE WHOLE
SITUATION.
SITUATION. I THINK YOU’RE SURROUNDING
YOURSELF WITH SOME OF THE SAME
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL CALL YOU OR
YOUR PEOPLE AND I WOULD LIKE YOU
TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
THE PRESIDENT THEN BRINGS UP
ROBERT MUELLER’S TESTIMONY
BEFORE CONGRESS THE DAY BEFORE,
QUOTE, AS YOU SAW YESTERDAY THAT
WHOLE NONSENSE ENDED WITH A VERY
POOR PERFORMANCE BY A MAN NAMED
ROBERT MUELLER.
ROBERT MUELLER. AN INCOMPETENT PERFORMANCE BUT
THEY SAY A LOT OF IT STARTED
WITH UKRAINE.
WITH UKRAINE. WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, IT’S VERY
IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO IT, IF
THAT’S POSSIBLE.
THAT’S POSSIBLE. ZELENSKY FOLLOWS YES, IT’S VERY
IMPORTANT FOR ME AND EVERYTHING
THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED EARLIER.
FOR ME, AS A PRESIDENT, IT’S
VERY IMPORTANT AND WE ARE OPEN
FOR ANY FUTURE COOPERATION.
>> NOW, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
THERE, ROBERT, THE PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY THEN STARTS TALKING
ABOUT GIULIANI. WE KNOW HE’S
BEEN CALLING, HE’S GOING TO COME
OVER, AND HE SAYS WITHOUT DONALD
TRUMP EVEN TALKING YOU ABOUT
BIDEN, HE LOOKS PAST CROWD
SOURCE, HE LOOKS PAST ALL THE
OTHER SMOKE SCREENS, RIGHT?
BECAUSE THOSE WERE ALL -- THAT
WAS JUST A SMOKE SCREEN BEFORE
THE ASK COMES IN.
AND THEN HE GOES, WE’RE GOING TO
HELP YOU WITH, QUOTE, THAT
INVESTIGATION, THE GIULIANI
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. AND THAT’S WHEN TRUMP SAYS, OH,
YES, YOU NEED TO TALK NOT ONLY
TO GIULIANI, BUT YOU NEED TO
TALK TO THE UNITED STATES
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND YOU NEED TO
WORK TOGETHER IN SMEARING MY
DOMESTIC POLITICAL RIVAL.
>> IT’S BEEN FASCINATING AS A
REPORTER TO COVER PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY UP CLOSE. I WAS WITH
HIM IN WARSAW JUST A FEW WEEKS
AGO WHEN HE MET WITH VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE.
PRESIDENT PENCE. YOU SEE THE DELEGATION
NAVIGATING ALL THESE DYNAMICS
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BEWILDERMENT
ON THEIR FACE WHEN YOU PULL SOME
OF THE OFFICIALS ASIDE ABOUT
WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH
HERE.
HERE. IS RUDY GIULIANI A
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION?
ADMINISTRATION? YOU SEE A PRESIDENT OPERATING IN
HIS OWN NATIONAL INTERESTS. HE
NEEDS THESE WEAPONS TO DEAL WITH
THE RUSSIA ISSUE IN CRIMEA.
HE’S TRYING TO NAVIGATE AN ISSUE
HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND BUT HE’S
NOT GOING TOTALLY OFF COURSE
BECAUSE HE NEEDS THE FUNDS.
BUT HE’S NOT SURE WHEN HE MEETS
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AS HE DID
IN NEW YORK OR VICE PRESIDENT
PENCE IN WARSAW, WHAT DO THESE
PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR?
SO AGAIN AND AGAIN HE KEEPS
TRYING TO BE CAREFUL BUT SAY
HE’LL NOD TOWARD BROAD THEMES OF
CORRUPTION.
CORRUPTION. WE’LL WORK WITH YOU ON COW
CORRUPTION BUT HE DOESN’T WANT
TO GET PULLED INTO THAT RIP
TIDE.
TIDE. >> WILLIE, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR
EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND, IT WAS
PUBLIC RECORD, IT WAS REPORTED
INFORMATION THAT IN JULY AND
AUGUST THEY WERE DESPERATE TO
GET THE WEAPONS.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> THAT CONGRESS HAD APPROVED.
THAT DONALD TRUMP STRANGELY
ENOUGH DECIDED JUST TO FREEZE.
AND ALSO TO GET A CALL AND A
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES TO SHOW HIS
PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY THE UNITED
STATES WOULD BE A TRUSTED ALLY
IN THEIR BATTLE AGAINST PUTIN’S
I GRESSION
I GRESSION AGGRESSION.
AGGRESSION. >> THAT’S WHY THERE WAS NO
EXPLICIT QUID PRO QUO IN THE
SUMMARY OF THE PHONE CALL
DOESN’T HOLD UP. WE KNOW WHAT
WAS AT STAKE FOR THE UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT HE HAD BEEN HA
RANGED BY THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT AND THIS
ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THIS
QUESTION OF JOE BIDEN AND THE
QUESTION OF UKRAINE.
FROM THE MOMENT HE WON HIS
ELECTION IN APRIL WHERE HE GOT A
PHONE CALL FROM THE PRESIDENT,
THAT FIRST PHONE CALL ACCORDING
TO THE "NEW YORK TIMES,"
CONGRATULATIONS NOW GET TO WORK
ON CORRUPTION.
ON CORRUPTION. FROM THAT POINT HE WAS PUT IN
TOUCH WITH MR. GIULIANI WHO HAS
BEEN PURSUING THIS LINE ABOUT
BIDEN EVER SINCE.
>> THAT’S RIGHT, WILLIE.
I THINK THE TRANSCRIPT IS NOT
ONLY A SMOKING GUN, IT’S A
SMOKING JAVELIN.
SMOKING JAVELIN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEFENSIVE
WEAPONS THAT THE UKRAINIANS
NEEDED IN ORDER TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES, IT HARKENS BACK TO
THE MOVIE WHERE THEY PROVIDE
STINGER MISSILES TO EJECT THE
SOVIETS FROM AFGHANISTAN?
THAT TURNED THE TIDE ULTIMATELY
OF THE WAR.
THAT’S WHAT WAS AT STAKE.
THAT’S WHAT WAS SO DESPERATELY
NEEDED BY THE UKRAINIAN
LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. AND HERE PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
SAYING IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO A
DEFENSIVE SYSTEM HE’S SAYING I
NEED YOU DO ME A FAVOR.
I’M ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT THINK
THAT’S AN EXPLICIT QUID PRO QUO,
ALTHOUGH I DON’T THINK THAT
HOUSE DEMOCRATS NEED TO HANG THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ON THAT.
I THINK MERELY SOLICITING
POLITICAL HELP FROM A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT THAT IS ENOUGH.
>> SO CHRIS CHRISTIE YESTERDAY,
BEFORE GEORGE STEP NO LOUS ASKED
HIM TO SPEAK, QUID PRO QUO --
>> HOW BAD DO THIS BE?
>> HOW BAD COULD THIS BE?
CHRIS CHRISTIE SAID I THINK THE
DEMOCRATS MAY BE OVERPLAYING IT.
IT WOULD ONLY BE SERIOUS IF THE
PRESIDENT SAID SOMETHING LIKE, I
NEED YOU DO ME A FAVOR.
>> IT DIDN’T AGE WELL.
>> WHOOPS. AND CHRIS A FORMER
PROSECUTOR KNOWS THAT’S THE SORT
OF --
OF -- >> HE KNOWS.
>> THIS IS NOT A CLOSE CALL. YOU
ACTUALLY SEE AT SOME POINT WHICH
PEOPLE -- WHO’S SO DEEPLY IN IT
FOR DONALD TRUMP THAT THEY
ACTUALLY THERE’S NOTHING TRUMP
WILL EVER DO THAT WILL MAKE THEM
WORRY ABOUT THIS COUNTRY.
I WANT TO ASK YOU REALLY
QUICKLY, BENJAMIN, ABOUT LAST
NIGHT, THE WHISTLEBLOWER
COMPLAINT COMES OUT.
WERE YOU SURPRISED NOT ONLY BY
BEN SASSE’S REACTION BUT BY
REACTION FROM OTHER REPUBLICANS
ON THE HILL AND THEIR STAFF
QUIETLY WORRIED SAYING, THIS IS
WORSE THAN EVEN THE MEMO THAT
THEY RELEASED EARLIER IN THE
DAY?
DAY? >> RIGHT. SO BEFORE THAT
HAPPENED, WE RELEASED A PIECE ON
LAW FAIR THAT SAID REMEMBER THAT
THIS MEMO/TRANSCRIPT IS ONLY ONE
PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
AND THE BROADER WINDOW THAT IT
OPENS UP IS UNDOUBTEDLY MUCH
WORSE THAN THE TEXT OF THE MEMO
ITSELF.
ITSELF. BECAUSE THIS IS ONLY ONE
INTERACTION IN WHAT IS ACTUALLY
A LONG PATTERN THAT TAKES PLACE
OVER THE SUMMER BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENT, GIULIANI, THE
UKRAINIANS, THE STATE
DEPARTMENT, RIGHT?
DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT
PIECES OF THIS PUZZLE.
THE WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT
OUTLINES APPARENTLY A MUCH
BROADER ARRAY OF ACTIVITY.
SO I’M NOT TERRIBLY SURPRISED
THAT IF YOU FIND THE TRANSCRIPT
OR THE MEMO DISTURBING, WHEN YOU
SEE THE WHOLE PATTERN LAID OUT,
IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND, AGAIN, AS WE WERE ALL
REMINDED EVERY 1.3 SECONDS ON
TWITTER YESTERDAY WHAT THE WHITE
HOUSE RELEASED.
HOUSE RELEASED. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WAS NOT A TRANSCRIPT. THANK
YOU FOR THAT REMINDER EVERY 1.3
SECONDS.
SECONDS. THAT’S THE BEST THE WHITE HOUSE
HAD TO OFFER, AND IT WAS NOT
GOOD.
GOOD. REPUBLICANS IN THE MORNING WERE
SHOCKED THAT THE WHITE HOUSE