Mega-Thread: Impeachment Proceedings & Inquiry of Trump

[Pendulous]

Is it true that Trump has just stated that "the whistleblower providing written answers to questions is not good enough"?

Is this guy really lacking self-awareness to that extent? Or is this an attempt at ironic humour?

Uh... so first of all I'd like to introduce you to this guy named Donald Trump.

He does this thing, kind of a lot.

[Xeones]

Is it true that Trump has just stated that "the whistleblower providing written answers to questions is not good enough"?

Is this guy really lacking self-awareness to that extent? Or is this an attempt at ironic humour?

He just wants to know who the guy is to retaliate against him. Reality is once his identity is out his life is legitimately in danger from some mentally ill individuals.

Reality is his answers are completely irrelevant since it's all second hand.

[Waniou]

He just wants to know who the guy is to retaliate against him. Reality is once his identity is out his life is legitimately in danger from some mentally ill individuals.

Reality is his answers are completely irrelevant since it's all second hand.

I mean, it's not only that. Trump's whole way of boosting himself is by putting other people down. While a reasonable amount of his campaigning to be president was things like the wall and whatever, I would say an even bigger part was "Crooked Hillary" and I forgot whatever other nicknames he had for other candidates were. He can't attack other people's positions on things, he only ever seems to want to go after the person and if the whistleblower is anonymous, he has nothing to attack.

[Beefhammer]

Uh... so first of all I'd like to introduce you to this guy named Donald Trump.

He does this thing, kind of a lot.

It's typical GOP bull shit. Claim the other side isn't doing a thing. When the other sid dies the thing, they bitch that it was done too late, wasn't good enough, or they should have done more. It's like people on this forum with Blizzard. They butch about Blizzard not doing something, then when they do it they bitch about it.

[Ripster42]

What kind of corruption is "insanely minor?"

Asking support staff to pick up your dry cleaning.

Trying to read them but incognito mode doesn't work anymore on Chrome or Edge to view them. They keep asking to subscribe.

AFAIK, that only works with WP stories. Never worked for me with NYT articles.

[Grapemask]

Fox News has really taken a dark turn lately. They are currently pretending no transcripts have been released. Not even one reference to them yet in the Fox News apparatus. We've seen this before with minor stuff, but this is a pretty major deal to brush under the rug.

[Breccia]

"Despite what my previous lawyer said," Parnas says, "of course I will comply with a subpoena."

Yeah, one of the two Russian/Ukrainians that helped Giuliani that were indicted recently has done an about-face. It might have something to do with Trump saying he doesn't know the guy, suggesting there would be no pardon.

We are willing to comply with the subpoena to the extent that it does not violate any appropriate privilege that Mr. Parnas may properly invoke.

Mr. Parnas was very upset by President Trump’s plainly false statement that he did not know him.

-- Parvas' new lawyer

[Grapemask]

I found one buried clip called "Republicans blast Democrats' handling of impeachment inquiry as Schiff releases transcripts".

Yeah, what's interesting is that articles on the transcript actually exist, but they are not being linked on any page of Fox News's website near as I can tell. I have two articles about it that I got through webcrawlers last night, but I can't find a reference to them on any page of Fox. It's a pretty blatant and vile editorial decision.

[Cthulhu 2020]

"Despite what my previous lawyer said," Parnas says, "of course I will comply with a subpoena."

Yeah, one of the two Russian/Ukrainians that helped Giuliani that were indicted recently has done an about-face. It might have something to do with Trump saying he doesn't know the guy, suggesting there would be no pardon.


-- Parvas' new lawyer

I remember early in Trump's presidency, when Trump was demanding loyalty and not giving any loyalty back to anyone unless they were actively licking his boots while shining his shaft, many of us said that Trump's lack of return loyalty would bite him in the ass.

It seems that's come true many times over.

[Clone]

I mean, it's not only that. Trump's whole way of boosting himself is by putting other people down. While a reasonable amount of his campaigning to be president was things like the wall and whatever, I would say an even bigger part was "Crooked Hillary" and I forgot whatever other nicknames he had for other candidates were. He can't attack other people's positions on things, he only ever seems to want to go after the person and if the whistleblower is anonymous, he has nothing to attack.

That's why I hope he stays anonymous.

[Resurgo]

Fox News has really taken a dark turn lately. They are currently pretending no transcripts have been released. Not even one reference to them yet in the Fox News apparatus. We've seen this before with minor stuff, but this is a pretty major deal to brush under the rug.

I'm going to hilarously requote @Breccia's prescient example:

FOX News Reporter: Mr. Anchor, I found this story. This is important and you need to say it on the air.
FOX News Anchor: Oh, no can do, Bob. If I tell our audience, that's hearsay.
FOX News Reporter: But everyone else is covering it! Look, there it is on CNN, ABC, NBC, Reuters, BBC --
FOX News Anchor: I know, but, hands tied.

[Flarelaine]

A thread warning has been issued to concentrate the discussion on the impeachment and related events. This was done to keep bad faith actors from disrupting the thread; however, random potshots at Republicans, unconnected Trump antics or Trump's other (non-federal) lawsuits also qualify as offtopic. Try the shitshow thread for those.

[Paranoid Android]

Question: "The whistleblower laws protect the whistleblower. You know it's illegal to out a whistleblower?"

Sen. @RandPaul
: "Actually, you see you've got that wrong."

Video embedded.

Fun watching Rand Paul talk in circles. As stated he is scared to out the name, since he is a coward. In the end if you hear him blubbering about he worked for Biden then Hunter Biden son getting paid. Of course makes no sense why his name should be outed. Just had to hit the talking points.

[Edge-]

In today's edition of: What I really meant was...

Gordon Sondland.

Gordon Sondland, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, reversed himself in new testimony to House impeachment investigators, saying he does believe Ukraine military aid was contingent upon the launch of politically motivated probes.

In his revised statement, Sondland said he now remembers telling a top Ukrainian official on Sept. 1 that hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the beleaguered U.S. ally would “likely” be held up unless the government announced investigations of Trump’s political rivals.

[omerome]

Why are the resident's people so bad at remembering things?

[Edge-]

Why are the resident's people so bad at remembering things?

This isn't remotely new for Republicans.

[Belize]

In today's edition of: What I really meant was...

Gordon Sondland.

It's almost as if new, credible testimony contradicted when Sondland originally said, and threats of being charged with lying to Congress suddenly jolted his memory.

Hmmm...

[Fahrenheit]

It's almost as if new, credible testimony contradicted when Sondland originally said, and threats of being charged with lying to Congress suddenly jolted his memory.

Hmmm...

Sondland a couple weeks ago: "I don't recall if there was an explicit quid-pro-quo"
Sondland now: "Their absolutely was an explicit quid-pro-quo, in fact, I'm the one that delivered the threat"

Shocked Pikachu face.

[Zaydin]

In today's edition of: What I really meant was...

Gordon Sondland.

I imagine House Dems confronted Sondland with proof that he lied to them and gave him two options: Either revise his testimony or be charged with perjury. And then remind him that Trump didn't help the last guy convicted of lying to Congress for him.

[cubby]

In today's edition of: What I really meant was...

Gordon Sondland, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, reversed himself in new testimony to House impeachment investigators, saying he does believe Ukraine military aid was contingent upon the launch of politically motivated probes.

In his revised statement, Sondland said he now remembers telling a top Ukrainian official on Sept. 1 that hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the beleaguered U.S. ally would “likely” be held up unless the government announced investigations of Trump’s political rivals.

Gordon Sondland.

So confirming (again) that quid pro quo happened, and is now considered fact, I wonder what the formal Articles of Impeachment will include? And I wonder what it will take to break the GOP Senate to finally do the right thing.

- - - Updated - - -

I imagine House Dems confronted Sondland with proof that he lied to them and gave him two options: Either revise his testimony or be charged with perjury. And then remind him that Trump didn't help the last guy convicted of lying to Congress for him.

I wouldn't be surprised. Nancy is running this perfectly.