Prosecutor’s-eye view of Trump transcript, abridged but verbatim and in sequence:
1. The set-up:
TRUMP “[W]e do a lot for Ukraine. ... [T]he United States has been very very good to Ukraine. I wouldn’t say it’s reciprocal ... but the United States has been very good to Ukraine.”
ZELENSKY “Yes you are absolutely right.”
TRUMP “[W]e do a lot for Ukraine. ... [T]he United States has been very very good to Ukraine. I wouldn’t say it’s reciprocal ... but the United States has been very good to Ukraine.”
ZELENSKY “Yes you are absolutely right.”
2. The proposal:
TRUMP “I would like you to do us a favor though.... I would like to have the Attorney General call you.... I would like [Giuliani] to call you. I will ask him to call you along with the Attorney General.”
TRUMP “I would like you to do us a favor though.... I would like to have the Attorney General call you.... I would like [Giuliani] to call you. I will ask him to call you along with the Attorney General.”
2. cont.
ZELENSKY “We are willing to open a new page of cooperation. [W]e will meet once [Giuliani] comes to Ukraine. ... [Y]ou have nobody but friends around us.”
ZELENSKY “We are willing to open a new page of cooperation. [W]e will meet once [Giuliani] comes to Ukraine. ... [Y]ou have nobody but friends around us.”
3. The topic:
TRUMP “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution... whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it... it sounds horrible to me.”
TRUMP “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution... whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it... it sounds horrible to me.”
3. cont.
ZELENSKY “[T]he next prosecutor general will be 100% my person, my candidate. ... [I]f you have any additional information that you can provide to us, it would be very helpful to the investigation...”
ZELENSKY “[T]he next prosecutor general will be 100% my person, my candidate. ... [I]f you have any additional information that you can provide to us, it would be very helpful to the investigation...”
4. The wrap-up:
TRUMP “I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have Attorney General Barr call and we will get to the bottom of it.”
TRUMP “I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have Attorney General Barr call and we will get to the bottom of it.”
4. cont.
ZELENSKY “I stayed at the Trump Hotel. .... [W]e will be very serious about the case and the investigation.”
TRUMP “I will tell Rudy and Attorney General Barr to call.”
ZELENSKY “I stayed at the Trump Hotel. .... [W]e will be very serious about the case and the investigation.”
TRUMP “I will tell Rudy and Attorney General Barr to call.”
Sounds like a mob transcript. ‘We’re very good to you, you not so much to us, so I need a favor, I need you to work with my guys, to go after Biden, so work with my guys who will call.’ Does it get more obvious?
