Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:34 am
While talking to reporters before he departed for Florida, Trump made a veiled threat and told Ukraine’s president to investigate the Bidens.
Trump said, “I would think that if they were honest about it, they would start a major investigation into the Bidens. It’s a very simple answer. They should investigate the Bidens. Because how does a company that’s newly formed and all these companies if you look — by the way, likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens. Because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine. I would say that president Zelinsky if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens.
Video:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Trump just threatened Ukraine's president and demanded that he investigate the Bidens. pic.twitter.com/QAmmt1Uvna
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 3, 2019
There is no way that the government of Ukraine can view Trump’s comments as anything other than a threat.
Trump is the bank robber pointing a gun at the teller and saying, “If it were me, I’d hand over the money.”
The looming reality of impeachment has only made Trump more desperate. The president isn’t stopping the behavior that he could potentially be impeached for. He is doubling down.
Ukraine isn’t going to investigate Joe Biden, because Rudy Giuliani’s conspiracy theory has already been debunked both in Ukraine and the United States. There is nothing to the conspiracy theory. Never in the history of the modern presidency has a president pressured a foreign government to investigate a political opponent.
Democrats are already acting with urgency on impeachment, and they may need to move their timeline up even more because Trump is escalating his illegal behavior.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
