One of President Donald Trump’s defense lawyers described Rudy Giuliani as “just a minor player” in Ukraine matters that resulted in the president being impeached. But the evidence suggests otherwise.
Giuliani Was Not a ‘Minor Player’ in Ukraine
Security Assistance and the July 25 Phone Call
Democrats and the White House legal team have made competing arguments about whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned U.S. security aid to his country in his July 25 phone call with President Donald Trump. The fact is, it’s unclear what Zelensky was referring to when he thanked Trump “for your great support in the area of defense.”
Trump’s False Tweet on Bolton
President Donald Trump falsely claimed in a tweet that the House Democrats “never even asked John Bolton to testify” in their impeachment inquiry. The Democrats asked, but Bolton refused to voluntarily appear.
False Claim Ukraine Got Aid ‘Before Schedule’
President Donald Trump, who last year froze hundreds of millions of dollars in security aid for Ukraine, claimed “they got all” of it “long before schedule.” That’s false. Congress had to grant an extension to ensure the government could spend all of that aid for Ukraine.
Biden vs. Sanders on Social Security and Medicare
Sen. Bernie Sanders says former Vice President Joe Biden has a long history of supporting cuts to Social Security. Biden says the opposite is true. We sort through some of the competing claims.
False and Misleading Claims at Impeachment Trial
White House lawyers distorted the facts on the impeachment process and other issues during the Jan. 21 Senate trial.
Nadler’s Russia Claim
Rep. Nadler went too far when he claimed that President Trump “worked with the Russians to try to rig the 2016 election.” The special counsel investigation identified “multiple contacts” between the Trump campaign and those tied to the Russian government, but it “did not establish … coordination” between the two.
Initial Reports of No Injuries from Iran’s Attack Were Inaccurate
Despite repeated statements from President Donald Trump that “no one was hurt” in Iran’s missile attack on two military bases in Iraq, the Pentagon now says 11 U.S. service members were treated for concussion symptoms.
Trump Yanks Steyer Quote Out of Context
President Donald Trump used a truncated quote from Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer to falsely suggest that Steyer thinks “Democrats are going to destroy the economy in 15 minutes if they get in control.” That was Steyer paraphrasing Trump.
Trump Administration’s Shifting Statements on Soleimani’s Death
This is our timeline of what Trump administration officials have said about the intelligence assessments behind the U.S. operation to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.