Impeachment hearings: Donald Trump cared more about Biden investigations than Ukraine, top diplomat William Taylor reveals
- Taylor says staff member overheard phone call in which US president asked diplomat Gordon Sondland about probe of political rival
- ‘Future of presidency’ at stake amid process to determine whether Trump should be removed from office
The drama unfolded in a hearing of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in which two career US diplomats – William Taylor and George Kent – voiced alarm over the Republican president and those around him pressuring Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit Trump politically.
One revelation in particular drew attention, showing Trump’s keen interest in Ukraine investigating political rival Joe Biden.
Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which the Republican president asked about these investigations and Sondland told him that the Ukrainians were ready to proceed.
Following the call – which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine’s president during a phone call to conduct these investigations – the staff member asked Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, said Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine.
“Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for,” Taylor testified, referring to Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.