Transcript of Call Between Trump and Ukrainian President

 

The White House press secretary released an unclassified transcript of President Trump’s July phone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. To draw your own conclusions, you can read it here or below at Fox News’ Scribd account.

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  1. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Analysis by John Hinderocker

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/09/transcript-shows-no-wrongdoing-by-president-trump.php

    But, as they say, read it yourself.

     

    • #1
  2. Ralphie Inactive
    Ralphie
    @Ralphie

    Pretty easy to read. Didn’t see any big juicy tidbit, but was kind of taken by surprise at the seemingly warm regard each had for the other, and shared dislike of the EU’s lack of help and leftover political entities leftover loyalties.

    The news made it sound like Trump was hammering Zelensky on Biden, but I didn’t see that. 

    • #2
  3. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    I must have missed the implied threat or quid pro quo bit.

    The President asked that a criminal injustice be investigated. I wouldn’t care if it was an investigation into someone who owed him money. If it’s a legitimate case of criminality or corruption, it is not unethical to request the investigation be pursued.

    It would be different if Biden’s misstep was merely a breach of frivolous regulation in a hyper-regulatory society. Trump’s not asking Biden’s son be investigated for tearing the tag off a mattress.

    • #3
  4. Max Ledoux Coolidge
    Max Ledoux
    @Max

    All Trump said was ask if Zelenskyy could look into it “if that’s possible.” No demand. No threat. No quid pro quo. And I don’t think it would be a problem if he had, either, by the way.

    • #4
  5. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    Analysis by John Hinderocker

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/09/transcript-shows-no-wrongdoing-by-president-trump.php

    But, as they say, read it yourself.

     

    This might explain why Democrats are moving toward impeachment now. 

    If Ukraine really does have the long-sought DNC server (why? I have no idea), it could shed light on the 2016 email intrusion.

    • #5
  6. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Can you say nothingburger? I know you can boys and girls. Except Democrats. They will never admit this nothingburger is a nothingburger. Instead they are telling themselves with all this – well, you know – there’s gotta be a pony in there somewhere.

     

    • #6
  7. D.A. Venters Inactive
    D.A. Venters
    @DAVenters

    As everyone more or less expected, the transcript is fairly inconclusive. Everyone will see what they want to see, and have some basis for their conclusions.

    • #7
  8. Ralphie Inactive
    Ralphie
    @Ralphie

    If Hunter Biden had taken a job suited to his abilities and divorced from anything his father would be in a position to influence, this wouldn’t be an issue today. Chicken and egg.  To say no eyebrows raised upon Hunter’s good fortune would be like no one noticed what Harvey Weinstein was doing.   As usual in scandal involving liberals, everyone knew at the time it was a questionable appointment, I am sure.

    • #8
  9. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Can you say nothingburger?

    There’s not even a bun.

    • #9
  10. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    Max Ledoux (View Comment):

    All Trump said was ask if Zelenskyy could look into it “if that’s possible.” No demand. No threat. No quid pro quo. And I don’t think it would be a problem if he had, either, by the way.

    He would almost have been negligent if he hadn’t asked. BTW, out here on the Left Coast I heard that CNN’s commentator said it read “like a Mob shakedown”, though the source isn’t all that reliable 

    • #10
  11. JamesSalerno Inactive
    JamesSalerno
    @JamesSalerno

    “Or we can take your plane [Mr. Trump], which is probably much better than mine.”

    I got a kick out of that. Other than that, I don’t see anything here. But I’m sure we’ll be told what to think about it for weeks on end.

    • #11
  12. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    Ralphie (View Comment):

    Pretty easy to read. Didn’t see any big juicy tidbit, but was kind of taken by surprise at the seemingly warm regard each had for the other, and shared dislike of the EU’s lack of help and leftover political entities leftover loyalties.

    The news made it sound like Trump was hammering Zelensky on Biden, but I didn’t see that.

    After listening to Fox this morning, I read the transcript and was expecting something big but I didn’t see it either.  Won’t stop the non-stop nattering for the next 4 weeks so I am planning on not watching the news for a while.

    • #12
  13. DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Can you say nothingburger?

    Actually, there is a somethingburger, but the guilty parties are Biden, Durbin, Menendez, et al.

    Definitely not the President.

    • #13
  14. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader (View Comment):

    Actually, there is a somethingburger, but the guilty parties are Biden, Durbin, Menendez, et al.

    Definitely not the President.

    My son Pipeliner thinks the thing was leaked by Democrats intent on taking Joe Biden out of the race. He may have a point.

    • #14
  15. Michael Brehm Lincoln
    Michael Brehm
    @MichaelBrehm

    Django (View Comment):

    Max Ledoux (View Comment):

    All Trump said was ask if Zelenskyy could look into it “if that’s possible.” No demand. No threat. No quid pro quo. And I don’t think it would be a problem if he had, either, by the way.

    He would almost have been negligent if he hadn’t asked. BTW, out here on the Left Coast I heard that CNN’s commentator said it read “like a Mob shakedown”, though the source isn’t all that reliable

    That would be the likely approach they take when attempting to fashion this into a smoking gun: “Sure the transcript says nothing overtly coercive, the threat was made implicit in the tone the president took with Zelensky which isn’t recorded in the transcript.”

    • #15
  16. Ed G. Member
    Ed G.
    @EdG

    D.A. Venters (View Comment):

    As everyone more or less expected, the transcript is fairly inconclusive. Everyone will see what they want to see, and have some basis for their conclusions.

    No, not everyone will find some basis for their conclusions. What basis is there for finding an improper request let alone some high-crime-and-misdemeanor-quid-pro-quo?

    • #16
  17. DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader (View Comment):

    Actually, there is a somethingburger, but the guilty parties are Biden, Durbin, Menendez, et al.

    Definitely not the President.

    My son Pipeliner thinks the thing was leaked by Democrats intent on taking Joe Biden out of the race. He may have a point.

    It’s more than that.

     

    Projection. It’s always projection with these people. They’re guilty of what they accuse the President of doing.

    • #17
  18. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Ed G. (View Comment):
    What basis is there for finding an improper request let alone some high-crime-and-misdemeanor-quid-pro-quo?

    Orange man bad? Isn’t that enough?

    • #18
  19. Jim George Member
    Jim George
    @JimGeorge

    D.A. Venters (View Comment):

    As everyone more or less expected, the transcript is fairly inconclusive. Everyone will see what they want to see, and have some basis for their conclusions.

    While I agree with part of your statement, I must, with respect, dissent from the part in which you suggest that the Democrats will have “some basis for their conclusions”, as I have studied this earth-shaking, mind-bending, end of the Trump Presidency, transcript carefully enough to know that there is not a single shred of even a hint of “criminality” in one single word of this conversation. As a matter of fact, I saw one commentator observe that it would have been shirking the duty of his office if the President had not brought up this sordid bit of blackmail (Biden-mail?) resulting in his ne’er do well son getting a truly obscene amount of money — for, what, other than being the son of the Vice-President of the United States?

    JamesSalerno (View Comment):

    “Or we can take your plane [Mr. Trump], which is probably much better than mine.”

    I got a kick out of that. Other than that, I don’t see anything here. But I’m sure we’ll be told what to think about it for weeks on end.

    I also got a good chuckle out of that one; a nice part of a very collegial, very mutually respectful conversation, adjectives which would never spring to the mind in describing current Democrat ranting and raving.

    Django (View Comment):

    Max Ledoux (View Comment):

    All Trump said was ask if Zelenskyy could look into it “if that’s possible.” No demand. No threat. No quid pro quo. And I don’t think it would be a problem if he had, either, by the way.

    He would almost have been negligent if he hadn’t asked. BTW, out here on the Left Coast I heard that CNN’s commentator said it read “like a Mob shakedown”, though the source isn’t all that reliable

    Which description is Exhibit A in corroboration of my characterization of the current Democrat Party’s mode of “dialogue” as, quite simply, ranting and raving! 

    As a Democrat (you read that right!) said on Tucker Carlson last night, Pelosi has aimed the Titanic which is now the Democrat Party on collision course with a gigantic iceberg — please don’t interrupt them while they are destroying themselves! 

    Sincerely, Jim

    • #19
  20. Ed G. Member
    Ed G.
    @EdG

    DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Thought Leader (View Comment):

    Actually, there is a somethingburger, but the guilty parties are Biden, Durbin, Menendez, et al.

    Definitely not the President.

    My son Pipeliner thinks the thing was leaked by Democrats intent on taking Joe Biden out of the race. He may have a point.

    It’s more than that.

    Projection. It’s always projection with these people. They’re guilty of what they accuse the President of doing.

    I used to think that was hyperbole. Not anymore. Always projection is more and more simply an accurate description.

    • #20
  21. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Jim George (View Comment):
    As a Democrat (you read that right!) said on Tucker Carlson last night, Pelosi has aimed the Titanic which is now the Democrat Party on collision course with a gigantic iceberg — please don’t interrupt them while they are destroying themselves! 

    We don’t want the Titanic hitting the iceberg head on. If it hit the iceberg head on it would maintain enough watertight integrity to get back to port. We need for them to turn away from the iceberg at the last minute, so they have a grazing scrape that opens up the side of the whole ship.

    • #21
  22. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I was promised a smoking gun! Where’s the smoking gun?

    No gun. No smoke. Now they are insisting that we get the “whistleblower’s” original report. The “whistleblower” that was not there!

    • #22
  23. JamesSalerno Inactive
    JamesSalerno
    @JamesSalerno

    I would tell the Democrats to go blow their own whistles. Why do we need some random’s opinion on this phone call when the entire conversation is right there for us to read?

    It’s pretty easy to see what the Dems want. Release the actual transcript first, then release the opinion piece later. Let people forget about the transcript after a week, then when we get the whistleblower report, we can have CNN and NYT run interference and write (create) the new narrative.

    • #23
  24. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I see no way forward on the impeachment inquiry without the testimony of Greta Thunberg.

    But she doesn’t know anything about the Ukraine situation!

    She doesn’t know anything about climate change either, except what the scare merchants have planted in her mind. She knows at least as much as Adam “I have seen the evidence” Schiff.

    • #24
  25. Ed G. Member
    Ed G.
    @EdG

    Percival (View Comment):

    I was promised a smoking gun! Where’s the smoking gun?

    No gun. No smoke. Now they are insisting that we get the “whistleblower’s” original report. The “whistleblower” that was not there!

    The smoking gun is there, but it’s not what they were promising. The smoking gun is the term “whistleblower”. What makes one a whistleblower instead of a leaker or a biased and paid poo-slinger for that matter? Narrative is all the difference.

    MSM – this is why no one likes you anymore. No, not even the rabid masses lapping up your hoaxes. They don’t like you either, but you’re the only game in town and they’re thirsty thirsty people what with carrying around their torches and pitchforks for so long.

    • #25
  26. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Ohmygod.  Really?  That’s it?  More egg for the MSM.

    • #26
  27. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I’m calling ‘dibs’: if the transcript differs from the whistleblower’s complaint, they will claim the transcript has been falsified.

    • #27
  28. Hugh Member
    Hugh
    @Hugh

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    Ohmygod. Really? That’s it? More egg for the MSM.

    Well sadly there is enough information to selectively edit a few outrages..  I wonder how the Bulwark is handling this?

    (wanders over to have a look-see)

    Oh, not well.

    • #28
  29. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Percival (View Comment):

    I’m calling ‘dibs’: if the transcript differs from the whistleblower’s complaint, they will claim the transcript has been falsified.

    Don’t we already know that the whistle blower wasn’t even witness to the call?

    • #29
  30. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    As Will Rogers said, “All I know is what I read on-line”, or something like that. Did some Demo senators actually ask Ukraine to investigate Trump? 

    … and the rest of the image below 

    • #30
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