Shortly after the White House released the Ukraine call transcript, most 2020 Democratic hopefuls had reacted, not only by doubling down on impeachment cries, but also pushing claims that Trump committed treason and is a mobster.
They admit it: Trump pressured the Ukrainian president to work with the U.S. Attorney General to investigate a political opponent. He must be impeached. pic.twitter.com/JCjTbaQI8w
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 25, 2019
This "transcript" itself is a smoking gun. If this is the version of events the president's team thinks is most favorable, he is in very deep jeopardy. We need to see the full whistleblower complaint and the administration needs to follow the law. Now. https://t.co/b56nLZZpRi
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 25, 2019
This confirms what we already knew: President Trump asked a foreign power to investigate a political rival. He’s unfit for office and needs to be impeached. https://t.co/2px07X8N7K
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 25, 2019
Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in the modern history of this country.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 25, 2019
This is how an incompetent mobster does business. https://t.co/KXXLLOUGwG
— Steve Bullock (@GovernorBullock) September 25, 2019
This is the smoking gun.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) September 25, 2019
Donald Trump pressured a foreign government to work with his Justice Department to investigate a political opponent.
Congress should cancel recess and begin impeachment proceedings immediately. #TrumpImpeachment pic.twitter.com/yUC0fJW40l
This is damning. Trump is a mob boss.
— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) September 25, 2019
But the Administration is not off the hook, Congress needs the full whistleblower complaint. https://t.co/tsPohgDqi7
There it is. He did it. Donald Trump is a traitor. https://t.co/KcJrK0eQLy
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) September 25, 2019
We said he’s been corrupting the office since the beginning. Today the White House agreed.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 25, 2019
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 25, 2019
Generally speaking you should only ask someone to do something you would do yourself.
— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) September 25, 2019
After the transcript's release, Trump said Democrats should be the ones to apologize, arguing that the call was "perfect" and that he "got them by surprise."
Will the Democrats apologize after seeing what was said on the call with the Ukrainian President? They should, a perfect call - got them by surprise!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2019
As many have pointed out, the transcript does not prove what Democrats had claimed it would.
The transcript shows that Trump mentioned Biden and his son only once, and that there was zero discussion whatsoever of connecting financial aid to an investigation of Hunter Biden’s controversial Ukrainian energy business or the prosecutor who was fired while investigating it.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 25, 2019
The transcript also shows that Zelensky told Trump that Zelensky wanted Giuliani to travel to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 25, 2019
The reality of this phone call is the exact opposite of what Democrats and their media allies have been claiming without evidence for the last week.
-No quid pro quo
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) September 25, 2019
-No talk of withholding military aid
-Trump asked Ukraine to look into the firing of a prosecutor, who Biden bragged about firing under threat of withholding $1 billion in loan securities
-Trump concern over Ukraine election interferencehttps://t.co/gUOxRLyCpS