# The Trump Impeachment Inquiry **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 24, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771 "2019-09-24T20:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/321 "2019-09-25T19:05:08Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > AFAICT President Trump never “mentioned it on a call” that he was withholding aid until Ukraine did what he wanted. Careful, there’s no more trenches to fall back on. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/322 "2019-09-25T19:05:12Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > This from the same people who took a sharpie to a weather map. > > Just reminding. Valid point. It was unclear from the story I saw whether the person being quoted was a political appointee or not. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/323 "2019-09-25T19:07:44Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > AFAICT President Trump never “mentioned it on a call” that he was withholding aid until Ukraine did what he wanted. Certainly nothing like “If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money.” Please tell me you understand at least that much. This is naive. Trump was personally withholding the money. They both knew this. Then when Zelensky explained that he needed the military aid, Trump said “I would like you to do us a favor though…,” before requesting various things. I predict it’ll be about 3 days before you change to arguing that it is OK for Trump to strong-arm foreign leaders into investigating his political opponents. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/324 "2019-09-25T19:17:39Z")
It’s been a day of hilarity watching republicans scream [Nothing To See Here!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNOrp_83RU) Obama would have been impeached for doing the same thing, and any right winger claiming otherwise is lying through their teeth. Just like Ghoulie Colludiani. Sorry fellas, it’s finally time for that orange turd to get flushed. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/325 "2019-09-25T19:23:16Z")
Was “nothingburger” one of the talking points the White House e-mailed? Because I’m seeing it everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/326 "2019-09-25T19:23:47Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > This is naive. Trump was personally withholding the money. They both knew this. Then when Zelensky explained that he needed the military aid, Trump said “I would like you to do us a favor though…,” before requesting various things. > > I predict it’ll be about 3 days before you change to arguing that it is OK for Trump to strong-arm foreign leaders into investigating his political opponents. I believe the next[talking point from the whitehouse](https://twitter.com/grantstern/status/1176897793144872961) was “just another example of the deep state, media and Democrats damaging our national security” Expect that one to be trotted out soon. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/327 "2019-09-25T19:26:16Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > It’s been a day of hilarity watching republicans scream [Nothing To See Here!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNOrp_83RU) > > Obama would have been impeached for doing the same thing, and any right winger claiming otherwise is lying through their teeth. Just like Ghoulie Colludiani. Sorry fellas, it’s finally time for that orange turd to get flushed. Obama _could_ have been impeached for bombing American citizens…Republicans chose not to do so cause they love the precedent. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/328 "2019-09-25T19:28:59Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > This is naive. Trump was personally withholding the money. They both knew this. Then when Zelensky explained that he needed the military aid, Trump said “I would like you to do us a favor though…,” before requesting various things. … What’s your cite for Zelensky knowing that President Trump was “personally withholding the money”? For that matter, I don’t think the subject of Ukraine waiting for / expecting money from the USA even came up on that call, did it? The not-quite-a-transcript says: > [@](#): > > 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. Prior to that he was talking about enforcing sanctions. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/329 "2019-09-25T19:34:56Z")
That’s literally it. You quoted it yourself. Good job finding it. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/330 "2019-09-25T19:35:57Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > What’s your cite for Zelensky knowing that President Trump was “personally withholding the money”? Other than the fact that he didn’t have the money that our Legislature voted for them to have:rolleyes: Or are you saying that he wasn’t aware that we had voted for that aid, and that it would have been a surprise when it was delivered? Like a publisher’s clearing house van showing up kind of thing? You can’t possibly by buying this crap your trying to sell us can you? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/331 "2019-09-25T19:41:38Z")
The White House accidentally emailed its Ukraine talking points to Nancy Pelosi > **[The White House accidentally emailed its Ukraine talking points to Nancy Pelosi](https://theweek.com/speedreads/867641/white-house-accidentally-emailed-ukraine-talking-points-nancy-pelosi)** oops. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/332 "2019-09-25T19:43:16Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I believe the next[talking point from the whitehouse](https://twitter.com/grantstern/status/1176897793144872961) was “just another example of the deep state, media and Democrats damaging our national security” > > Expect that one to be trotted out soon. They’re \*already \*trying “The one who needs to be investigated is Biden!”. All part of the “no u” campaign. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/333 "2019-09-25T19:44:39Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > The White House accidentally emailed its Ukraine talking points to Nancy Pelosi… > oops. And since then have found, through trial and error, that “quid pro quo” isn’t really catching on, and have opted to focus on “aid not specifically mentioned”. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/334 "2019-09-25T19:48:07Z")
Trump’s base doesn’t understand them fancy-school-learnin’ words! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/335 "2019-09-25T19:54:15Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > What’s your cite for Zelensky knowing that President Trump was “personally withholding the money”? > > For that matter, I don’t think the subject of Ukraine waiting for / expecting money from the USA even came up on that call, did it? The not-quite-a-transcript says: > > Prior to that he was talking about enforcing sanctions. > [@steronz](#): > > That’s literally it. You quoted it yourself. Good job finding it. [“Have you watched ‘The Wire’, sir?”](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWire/comments/cius4f/have_you_watched_the_wire_sir/) ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/336 "2019-09-25T19:57:22Z")
David French lays it out pretty clearly in The National Review. > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs for travel to Louisiana from the White House in Washington, D.C., May 14, 2019. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) > I haven’t been a litigator since 2015. I haven’t conducted a proper cross-examination since 2014. But if I couldn’t walk a witness, judge, and jury through the transcript of Donald Trump’s call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and demonstrate that a quid pro quo was more likely than not, then I should just hang up my suit and retire in disgrace. Far from being “scattershot” — as my esteemed colleague Kyle Smith declares — the actual sequence is extremely tight, and the asks are very clear. > > \ > > First, right near the beginning of the call, President Trump signals his displeasure with Ukraine. He notes that while the United States has been “very good” to Ukraine, he “wouldn’t say” that Ukraine has been “reciprocal” to the United States. There’s nothing subtle about this statement. It’s plain that Trump wants something from Ukraine. French lays out where he thinks Trump’s demands are acceptable and where they jump over to corrupt. He makes the quid pro quo argument clearly. It’s a good read. It’s short. > **[The Trump–Ukraine Transcript Contains Evidence of a Quid Pro Quo | National...](https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-trump-ukraine-transcript-contains-evidence-of-a-quid-pro-quo/amp/?__twitter_impression=true)** > > It shows one abuse of power and suggests another. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/337 "2019-09-25T20:00:15Z")
Surely you’re not expecting us to believe a Liberal rag like the _National Review_, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/338 "2019-09-25T20:06:39Z")
The _National Review_ is no longer a magazine. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/339 "2019-09-25T20:09:37Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Can’t link to cite, but a WH official has claimed there were no redactions and the ellipses indicate that the speaker’s voice trailed off at those points. If it’s true that for the amount of words spoken as quoted in the partial transcript, either the conversation went v-e-r-y slowly, or large parts of it were just left out completely, then I could possibly believe what the WH official is claiming about the ellipses. But that wouldn’t explain the WH saying there are no redactions. Again, if the first part is true. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/340 "2019-09-25T20:11:23Z")
Does the Ukrainian President speak English? If the conversation was conducted via translators, that could explain the discrepancy between the number of words spoken and the time it took. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=18)