Thread by @ericuman

This WaPo story has so many revelations, it deserves its own thread.

Obviously, the top-line takeaway: Trump ordered aid to be held just days before he put squeeze on Ukraine's prez to investigate Biden.

But there's way more, like the *WH lied about it*

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

Trump himself ordered the Ukraine aid withheld. But that's not what the administration told Congress. Instead, officials told Congress that the aid was on hold bc of "an interagency process."

Trump decided to withhold Ukraine aid bc of what one official described as his concerns about “a lot of corruption in Ukraine.” 😉

Helpful context:

"No administration has withheld funds as long and as mysteriously as the Trump administration "

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

The WH kept telling Congress the aid was on its way, but it actually wasn't being sent.

So the WH was telling agencies not to spend money that Congress had authorized. Which got Congress wondering whether, you know, that's legal.

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

And now the NYT is reporting it.

Goodnight.

May God bless all journalists.

nytimes.com/2019/09/23/us/…

The WaPo has yet another must read:

-this went on for months.
-WH officials tried to stop the call
-Rudy plotted to punish those who helped convict Manafort
-including the US ambassador, who Rudy got fired.
-even WH officials thought it was FUBAR

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

Just one bit among many about how nuts this all is:

National Security Council officials—the people charged with overseeing US foreign policy — couldn’t figure out who was making US foreign policy.

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

We’ve seen this before. The Trump admin ignores policy apparatus and instead does foreign policy by buddy connex.

For ex, the prez elect had an early call w/ Vietnam. The State Dept was cut out. The call was set up by Marc Kasowitz, who has biz there

propublica.org/article/trump-…

I’m very much reminded by what @ilyamarritz said in latest Trump Inc:

We still use the same words as before—like “administration,” with experts making policies based on goals.

But that’s not the way it works anymore.

wnycstudios.org/podcasts/trump…