Thread by @kyledcheney

“Trump gave the instruction, Mr. Bolton wrote, during an Oval Office conversation in early May that included ... Mick Mulvaney... Rudolph W. Giuliani and the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone.” nytimes.com/2020/01/31/us/… via @NYTimes

As we wrote last week, Democrats demanded Cipollone disclose any firsthand facts he had at the outset of the trial. politico.com/news/2020/01/2…

IMPORTANT: The timeframe of this discussion lines up with Rudy’s letter to Zelensky requesting a mid-May meeting, which was revealed in Parnas evidence. Rudy said he wanted to convey a request on Trump’s behalf.

The difference: Democrats have long believed that Cipollone was a fact witness to the obstruction charge.

Now there's an allegation he was a fact witness to the abuse of power / Ukraine charge.

politico.com/news/2020/01/2…

NEW: Trump denies Bolton account in NYT:

“I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, to meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened."

GRAHAM quickly downplays impact of new NYT revelation.

"It wouldn’t change my view if he said what was in the New York Times article," Graham says.

NEW: The new NYT revelation suggests Trump tasked his top aides with ensuring Giuliani got access to Zelensky in May. Trump put out a statement denying this occurred.

Story w/ @AndrewDesiderio

politico.com/news/2020/01/3…

@AndrewDesiderio Former chief of staff KELLY says today that a Senate trial without witnesses is a jobn "half done."

nj.com/politics/2020/…