Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry of Trump

[Rewind]

Speaking today with CNN's Erin Burnett, Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley had harsh words for Trump's lawyers and their defense strategy: "They're telling Democrats, 'You have the burden of proof but we're not allowing you access to witnesses. You have the burden of proof but we're not allowing you access to documents.' This is something that goes on in Russia. This is not something that goes on in the United States of America. Democrats are pushing for the truth. Trump's lawyers are pushing for a cover-up."

Exactly. Welcome to Trumpworld, the topsy-turvy land of delusions where wrong is right, bad is good, down is up and the Constitution was made to be broken.

[Rewind]

Despite holding meetings with them and posing for pictures with them, the Liar-In-Chief continues to insist he doesn't know Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the Russian-born (and now indicted) Rudy Giuliani associates who assisted Trump with his Ukraine-aid-in-exchange-for-dirt-on-Joe-Biden scheme and pushed for the ouster of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who objected to Trump's scheme. Parnas' attorney has released an 84-minute recording, made by Fruman during a 2018 dinner, of Trump, Parnas and Fruman discussing getting rid of Yovanovitch and questioning how long Ukraine would last without US aid in a fight with Russia. But Trump doesn't know the two men. He says so. And anyway, Donald Trump is always concerned with the best interests.......of Donald Trump.

Recording shows Trump talking with indicted businessmen he has said he doesn't know

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/25/polit...dor/index.html

[Rewind]

Neither federal law nor the Constitution allow a United States President to overturn an act of Congress – but King Donald the First is above the law and above the Constitution. He withheld Congressionally-approved aid to Ukraine and dangled it as a bribe in an attempt to coerce Ukraine into digging up dirt on the Bidens. King Donald abused the power of his office by using American assets for his own political gain. He wanted a foreign country to help him win the 2020 election by cheating. King Donald's lawyers, who obviously do not care about federal law or the Constitution, see absoutely nothing wrong with Trump's actions. At least they say there's nothing wrong with Trump's actions. That's what Trump is paying them to say. His lawyers, same as Congressional Republicans, have sold their souls to Donald Trump.

Trump tied Ukraine aid to investigations he sought, according to unpublished book by John Bolton

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ays/ar-BBZlMfy

[Rewind]

Presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed to "drain the swamp" in Washington DC. That is one of the few promises he actually kept – but then he quickly refilled the swamp with his own cadre of crooks, creeps, crazies, cronies, crackpots and criminals. He also started making shady deals to benefit his biggest donors. This is what happens when the Electoral College gives us a President who lost the popular vote and who loves money almost as much as he loves himself.

Trump-Parnas-Fruman recording shows that the swamp has not been drained

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ned/ar-BBZm6ir

[Rewind]

A majority of Americans want to hear from Bolton. Democrats want to hear from Bolton. Republicans do not want to hear from Bolton. If he winds up testifying that Trump abused his power by withholding Congressionally-approved aid and soliciting election interference from a foreign country, Senate Republicans will likely.......oh, who are we kidding? They've sold their souls to Donald Trump and will unanimously vote for acquittal. Bolton's testimony won't change a thing.

Bolton bombshell undercuts Trump's impeachment defense
The President ordered his national security adviser to keep military aid to Ukraine frozen in a bid to coerce political favors.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/polit...ial/index.html

Fact check: Trump falsely claims Democrats never asked John Bolton to testify

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/polit...eck/index.html

[Rewind]

"I did nothing wrong." Yes you did. "The phone call was perfect." No it wasn't. "There was no quid pro quo." Yes there was. Pressure is mounting on Senate Republicans to allow former national security adviser John Bolton and other witnesses to testify during Trump's impeachment trial. And how are Trump's lawyers defending him today? They aren't. They're continuing to attack Joe and Hunter Biden, who are not on trial and who have never been accused of wrongdoing.

Analysis: 3 ways Bolton's bombshells contradict Trump's defense

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/polit...nse/index.html

[Rewind]

Bolton says Trump told him about the quid-pro-quo offer of Ukraine military aid in exchange for dirt on the Bidens. Trump says he did not have such a conversation with Bolton. One of those two men is lying. Which one could it be? Hint: He has orange skin and has told more than 16,000 lies since he's been in office.

John Bolton just shattered Trump's defense in the impeachment trial and squeezed Senate Republicans into a corner
Business Insider, Jan 27 2020

Former national security adviser John Bolton proved over the weekend why he's President Donald Trump's worst nightmare as Trump battles a snowballing Senate impeachment trial. An unpublished manuscript of Bolton's upcoming book claims Trump personally told him last year that he would withhold military aid from Ukraine until it launched a politically motivated investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden. The revelation shatters Trump's biggest defense in the impeachment inquiry: that there are no firsthand witnesses who can directly confirm that he engaged in a quid pro quo regarding Ukraine. It also boxes in Republican Senators who have been against calling new witnesses in Trump's trial. Trump disputed Bolton's reported claim, tweeting that he had no such conversation with the former national security adviser. But Bolton is said to be a meticulous note-taker, significantly bolstering his credibility as a firsthand witness.

https://www.businessinsider.com/john...achment-2020-1

[Rewind]

Toomey suggests Republicans could allow Democrats to subpoena John Bolton to testify in exchange for Republicans being allowed to subpoena Hunter Biden. MSNBC's Chris Hayes today pointed out that Republicans controlled both the House and Senate from 2015 to 2019 and during that time they never called for an investigation of Joe Biden, Hunter Biden or Ukraine natural gas company Burisma. Why, Hayes, asked, are Republicans now claiming there was wrongdoing, even though the Bidens were never charged with any wrongdoing? Why are Republicans now demanding investigations? And why would a President, who is sworn to protect Americans, ask a foreign country to investigate United States citizens? King Donald the First is the most crooked, corrupt, dishonest, amoral, unethical, self-serving person who has ever lived. Two hundred eighty-one days till Election Day.

Republican Senator Patrick Toomey discusses a 'one-for-one' witness deal in Trump impeachment amid Bolton revelations

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...say/ar-BBZnTdg

[Rewind]

Rather than be the "impartial juror" that he swore to be, Mitch McConnell has been working with the White House, a.k.a. The Swamp, to coordinate Trump's defense. Now we learn McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney and other Republican Senators have gotten huge campaign contributions from three of the attorneys defending Trump. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave....."

Senators overseeing impeachment trial got large campaign donations from Trump legal team members

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/202...om-trump-team/

[Rewind]

To help out Xi Jinping and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, King Donald the First tried to influence Justice Department investigations of companies in China and Turkey. He refused to say anything negative about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. And if Trump Tower Moscow had been built, Trump would have given the penthouse suite, free of charge, to his BFF Vladimir Putin. Trump loves dictators. How can he not? He is one.

New York Times: Bolton wrote he was concerned about Trump granting favors to autocratic leaders

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/polit...ina/index.html