GOP’r Drinks Trump’s Kool-Aid – Ukraine Scandal No Biggie

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The Republicans have been silent when it comes to Donald Trump’s activities putting mob moves on the new Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky. Not all are quiet, though. This senator has been embarrassingly outspoken in the U.S. president’s defense.

Senator Ron Johnson (R-W) chairs the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. In an interview with WTMJ, the senator said that he talked to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr (Vladimir) Zelensky. He claimed Zelensky never felt pressured to do a favor in order to receive military aid in the amount of $391 million. Johnson said:

‘First of all, I have first-hand knowledge because I went to Ukraine, sat down with President Zelensky, talked to President Trump prior to that because I was trying to get the President to release the funding. President Trump was very consistent in that conversation, since that conversation, but even prior to that, in terms of his rationale.’

b606e61f-screen-shot-2019-09-30-at-3.09.42-pm GOP'r Drinks Trump's Kool-Aid - Ukraine Scandal No Biggie Corruption Crime Domestic Policy Donald Trump Election 2020 Featured Foreign Policy Impeachment Investigation National Security Politics Top Stories

Then, Johnson added information about Zelensky:

‘I mean in what he stated for me is that he is concerned about corruption. When I relay that President Zelensky, that’s why he ran and won with a huge mandate in Ukraine (to) defeat corruption in Ukraine, so he’s totally in agreement with President Trump that you have to be concerned about corruption in Ukraine.’

Johnson said that Trump has long been concerned our European partners have not been contributing their fair share:

‘ Ukraine’s in their backyard, not ours. Those are the reasons President Trump relayed to me in our phone conversation on August 31st before I went to meet with President Zelensky. It was the first topic President Zelensky raised. But he certainly did not say in any way, shape, or form he felt under pressure or that there was any type of if you do this, I’ll do that. Nothing could be further from the truth.’

1ef1397e-screen-shot-2019-09-30-at-3.10.09-pm GOP'r Drinks Trump's Kool-Aid - Ukraine Scandal No Biggie Corruption Crime Domestic Policy Donald Trump Election 2020 Featured Foreign Policy Impeachment Investigation National Security Politics Top Stories Johnson blamed the Democrats and “most members of the media” for putting the worst spin on the phone call:

‘He’s a New York business guy, he’s different than a Wisconsinite. When he says it’s a beautiful phone call, I take a look at that, that it’s a pretty gracious phone call.’

The Wisconsin senator said he was “very sympathetic with the president:”

”By the way, there’s nothing wrong (and I’m very sympathetic with the President), how this whole Russian collusion narrative gets spun up. He’s been through two and a half, three years, of you know what as POTUS. He kind of liked to understand ‘what happened here?” And everyone says well there’s no evidence, all of these things have been debunked.’

Then, the senator diverted to Secretary Hillary Clinton:

‘Well I am Chairman of Homeland Security and Government Affairs, the central oversight committee.  I have all kinds of questions, dating back to Hilary Clinton’s email scandal, all the way through the FBI’s handling of that, as well as the Russian collusion, and now this with the whistleblower.’

2ca70ec5-screen-shot-2019-09-30-at-3.10.21-pm GOP'r Drinks Trump's Kool-Aid - Ukraine Scandal No Biggie Corruption Crime Domestic Policy Donald Trump Election 2020 Featured Foreign Policy Impeachment Investigation National Security Politics Top Stories

Host Steve Scaffidi asked whether the senator was “concerned that this sitting President mentioned the name of a possible political opponent in a call with a foreign leader?” Johnson replied:

Again I understand where he was coming from. He was listing a host of issues. He was concerned about Ukrainian corruption and there’s all kinds of questions that are not answered. And by the way, I know right now the press is going after a reporter called John Solomon with the Hill as some kind of conspiracy theorist.’

Then, Johnson recommended people “look at this from a different perspective:”

‘John Solomon has a bunch of solid sources and he’s raising all kinds of additional questions. People just need to keep an open mind. I have a lot of questions that are not answered….I think people need to take a look at this from a different perspective.’

What about Russia? Johnson responded:

‘We heard President Putin say, I sure hope that my conversation with President Trump aren’t leaked. No head of state is going to want those candid conversations leaked to the public and shouldn’t.’

Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.