WASHINGTON (AA): U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out Monday at HouseIntelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, questioning if thehigh-profile Democrat should be arrested for treason.
“Rep. Adam Schiff illegally made up a FAKE & terrible statement, pretendedit to be mine as the most important part of my call to the UkrainianPresident, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people,” Trumpsaid on Twitter. “It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call.Arrest for Treason?”
Trump’s attack renewed his calls of potential “treason” against Schiff fromthe weekend. At issue is Schiff’s embellishment of the details during ahearing last week regarding a July 25 telephonecall Trump held withUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Schiff has defended his remarks by saying they were intended as parody.
During the call, Trump repeatedly asked Zelensky to investigate former VicePresident Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over unsubstantiated claims ofcorruption. The elder Biden is the leading Democratic nominee heading intonext November’s presidential election, making him a clear political rivalto the president.
Trump has repeatedly maintained the call was “perfect” and denied any sortof wrongdoing. The president has acknowledged the call and freezing aid toUkraine just days before, but denied he held up funding to pressureZelensky, insisting there was no “quid pro quo” — a favor or advantagegranted or expected in return for something.
Trump additionally continued to heap criticism on the whistleblower whosecomplaint brought the story to light, and kickstarted an ongoingcongressional impeachment investigation.
“The Whistleblower knew almost nothing, its 2ND HAND description of thecall is a fraud!” Trump said.
The individual, whose identity has remained unknown to this point, said inthe nine-page complaint he or she received information from “multiple U.S.government officials” alleging Trump was “using the power of his office tosolicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.”
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That included requests to have Zelensky investigate the Bidens during theJuly 25 telephone call.
During the call, Zelensky brings up a potential arms purchase from theU.S., which Trump then responds to by asking for a favor.
“I would like you to do us a favor,” Trump said.
“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped theprosecution, and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whateveryou can do with the Attorney General would be great,” he said. “I will haveMr. Giuliani give you a call, and I am also going to have Attorney GeneralBarr call, and we will get to the bottom of it. I’m sure you will figure itout.”
Trump was referring to his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
The whistleblower is expected to testify “very soon,” Schiff said Sunday,noting it will be done in a way to protect his or her identity.
Mark Zaid, a lawyer for the individual, said discussions are continuing “tocoordinate & finalize logistics but no date/time has yet been set.”
