Will Wednesday bring answers to the Ukraine controversy? President Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he has authorized release of "the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript of my phone conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine." He added that it will prove the call was "totally appropriate." Critics will be looking to see if Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden's son Hunter, using US financial aid as his leverage. Earlier Tuesday, Trump confirmed reports that he held up American aid before his call to Zelensky, but he said it had nothing to do with the Bidens. Instead, he said it was because he felt other nations weren't contributing enough to Ukraine. "I'd withhold again and I'll continue to withhold until such time as Europe and other nations contribute to Ukraine because they're not doing it," said Trump, per the Washington Post.
As for the controversy, "when you see the call, when you see the readout of the call, which I assume you'll see at some point, you'll understand that call was perfect," Trump told reporters Tuesday morning at the UN, per the New York Times. The president said the $391 million aid package to Ukraine was eventually unfrozen, which shows he did nothing wrong. He also shrugged off Democrats' momentum toward impeachment. "I'm leading in the polls and they have no idea how to stop me," he said. (The Times and the Post point out that Trump actually trails in most polls.) "The only way they can try is through impeachment." Later Tuesday, after Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry would indeed be launched, Trump tweeted, "Secretary of State Pompeo recieved [sic] permission from Ukraine Government to release the transcript of the telephone call I had with their President. They don’t know either what the big deal is. A total Witch Hunt Scam by the Democrats!" But CNN reports Zelensky said Tuesday that his conversations with Trump are "private and confidential." (More President Trump stories.)
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