The Trump administration responded to Democrats’ push for impeachment over a phone call that President Donald Trump had with Ukraine by announcing that the administration will be releasing the whistleblower complaint and the Inspector General report to Congress and will let the whistleblower testify in front of Congress.
“The White House is preparing to release to Congress by the end of the week both the whistleblower complaint and the Inspector General report that are at the center of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry,” Politico reported. “The move shows the level of seriousness with which the administration is now approaching the House’s new impeachment proceedings.”
The Washington Times reported that the administration “reportedly has dropped its objection to Congressional Democrats getting testimony from the whistleblower whose leak started the Ukraine phone-call issue.”
The move comes after Trump announced on Tuesday that he is going to release on Wednesday the full unredacted transcript of his phone call with Ukraine.
“I am currently at the United Nations representing our Country, but have authorized the release tomorrow of the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript of my phone conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine,” Trump tweeted. “You will see it was a very friendly and totally appropriate call. No pressure and, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo! This is nothing more than a continuation of the Greatest and most Destructive Witch Hunt of all time!”
Trump responded to the developments from Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the Democrats plan to push ahead with impeachment in a series of tweets noting that Democrats have not even seen the transcript of the call.
“Such an important day at the United Nations, so much work and so much success, and the Democrats purposely had to ruin and demean it with more breaking news Witch Hunt garbage,” Trump tweeted. “So bad for our Country!”
“They never even saw the transcript of the call,” Trump added. “A total Witch Hunt!”
“Pelosi, Nadler, Schiff and, of course, Maxine Waters!” Trump continued. “Can you believe this?”
Trump added: “Secretary of State Pompeo recieved 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!”
Trump also tweeted out a campaign video highlighting the Democrats’ repeated push for impeachment over the last 2-plus years.
The tweets from Trump come after Pelosi said: “For the past several months, we have been investigating in our committees and litigating in the courts so the House can gather all the relevant facts and consider whether to exercise its full article one powers, including a constitutional power of the utmost gravity approval of articles of impeachment. And this week, the President has admitted to asking the president of Ukraine to take actions which would benefit him politically. The actions of the Trump presidency revealed dishonorable fact of the President’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security, and betrayal of the integrity of our elections.”
“Therefore today, I’m announcing the House of Representatives moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry,” Pelosi continued. “I’m directing our six committees to proceed with their investigations under that umbrella of impeachment inquiry. The President must be held accountable. No one is above the law.”
This report has been updated to include additional information.