President Donald Trump denied he tried to make a “quid pro quo” arrangement with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky over investigating the Bidens.He made the comments while reading from his talking points, which were clearly written in giant letters with a Sharpie marker.”I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing. This is the final word from the Pres of the U.S.,” the notes say.Follow along our live coverage of the hearing here.Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.President Donald Trump told reporters on the White House lawn Wednesday that he didn’t make any requests from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and that there was no “quid pro quo” for Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in exchange for military aid.He dismissed today’s impeachment testimony from Gordon Sondland, his handpicked ambassador to the European Union who also donated $1 million to his inauguration fund. In October, Trump called Sondland “a really good man and great American.””I don’t know him very well. I haven’t spoken to him very much. This is not a man I know well,” Trump said of Sondland. “Seems like a nice guy, though.”
US President Donald Trump reads from his notes as he talks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, November 20, 2019, en route to Austin, Texas.
JOSHUA LOTT/AFP via Getty Images
In fact, the White House-produced memo of Trump’s call with Zelensky — which Trump frequently insists everyone read — show that Trump asks Zelensky to do him a “favor” and speak to his attorney general about investigating the Bidens. Five witnesses in the impeachment inquiry so far have testified under oath that Trump wanted the investigation in exchange for military aid, which Trump also discussed in the call, as part of a “quid pro quo.”Trump made the comments about Sondland while reading from notes written in giant Sharpie lettering on Air Force One stationary.”I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing. This is the final word from the Pres of the U.S.,” the notes say.—Sam Stein (@samstein) November 20, 2019He also appeared to hold a piece of paper with a single tweet printed out on it, where a Reuters White House correspondent cites Sondland saying that aid for Ukraine — already authorized by Congress — would be released only on the condition that Ukraine investigated the Bidens.—Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) November 20, 2019Trump reportedly has poor eyesight but refuses to wear glasses in public. According to the New York Times, he doesn’t tweet in front of other people because he doesn’t want them to see him with his glasses on.
