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Some thoughts on the MemCon of the Trump/Zelensky conversation and what it means. 1/
After some small talk, Trump opens the conversation by saying twice US has been “very, very good” to Ukraine. He then notes that the relationship is “not reciprocal.” 2/?
Zelensky acknowledges the imbalance of the relationship but nonetheless asks for another favor: To buy more “Javellins from the United States for defense purposes.” 3/
Trump’s immediate response: “I would like you to do a favor for us, though." He asks for Ukraine’s help in investigating alleged 2016 Dem corruption & asks Zelensky to work w/US AG Bill Barr. Trump: “Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible.” 4/?
Zelensky, not surprisingly, agrees to help. He then mentions a meeting one of his top aides had with Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney. 5/?
Zelensky invites Giuliani to visit Ukraine and assures Trump that he can count on Zelensky’s team. “I just wanted to assure you once again that you have nobody but friends around us.” 6/?
Zelensky acknowledges the link between Trump’s personal request and its importance to keeping strong bilateral relations. “We are great friends, and you Mr. President have friends in our country so we can continue our strategic partnership.” 7/?
Trump then raises the Biden investigation & pushes Zelensky to work with Giuliani. POTUS, again co-mingling the personal/political w/bilateral relations, tells Zelensky to work w/both Giuliani & Barr. “I will ask [Giuliani] to call you along with the Attorney General." 8/?
Zelensky gives Trump what wants: A pledge of cooperation on the investigations. Zelensky says new prosecutor will be “100 percent my person, my candidate," and promises that he/she “will look into the situation, specifically the company that you mentioned on this issue.” 9/?
Trump praises Ukraine and predicts good things for the Ukrainian economy before saying twice more that he’ll have Giuliani and Barr call for cooperation on the investigations. 10/?
Zelensky thanks POTUS for his invitation to Washington, notes that he stayed at Trump Tower on a recent trip to NYC, and pledges that he will be “very serious about the case and will work on the investigation.” 11/?
The involvement of Giuliani is crucial. He’s the president’s personal lawyer & a political adviser/spokesman. Last spring, Giuliani said he’d press for investigations in Ukraine that would “be very, very helpful to my client, and may turn out to be helpful to my government.” 12/?
The point of Giuliani’s work was, in his own words, to help his client – Trump. The fact that it might help the US government more generally was an afterthought. 13/?
Is it a quid pro quo? Trump never directly says that he is tying continued US support for Ukraine to cooperation on these investigations. 14/?
But he leads the call with a complaint that the US-Ukraine relationship is not “reciprocal,” then asks directly for help on the investigations as a “favor,” and links his personal interests to US policy on Ukraine. 15/?
Trump has said the call was “absolutely perfect” and “beautiful.” Is this typical of his calls w/foreign leaders? 16/?
Not surprisingly, some GOP elected officials have echoed POTUS, pretending that this behavior both normal and appropriate. It’s not. Trump sought to use a foreign power to target a political opponent. Being transparent about that fact ought not make it any less shocking. 17/?
The transcript is far more damning that I’d expected, once the WH agreed to put it out. The WH gamble was that they could convince GOPers/conservatives that the further evidence of wrongdoing it includes isn’t evidence of wrongdoing. 18/?
They may be right. 19/?
A post-script: Yes, the Hunter Biden sinecure with Burisma is gross. It’s the kind of greasy influence trading that explains why so many Americans don’t trust Washington. It’s not the same as what Trump has done. fin
