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Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts) Fri Jan 24, 2020, 03:18 PM Jan 2020

Greg Sargent: Damning new audio of Trump illuminates scandal's back alleys

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/24/damning-new-audio-trump-illuminates-scandals-back-alleys/

Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post )

By Greg Sargent
Opinion writer

Jan. 24, 2020 at 2:03 p.m. EST

Given that President Trump got elected president of the United States shortly after a video surfaced showing him boasting of committing sexual assault with impunity, you might be forgiven for thinking that damning new audio of Trump that’s directly relevant to the Ukraine scandal might not end up mattering much.

But this new scoop from ABC News is remarkable, and raises questions about what’s going on in this scandal’s subterranean passageways that might not be evident at first:

A recording reviewed by ABC News appears to capture President Donald Trump telling associates he wanted the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch fired while speaking at a small gathering that included Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman -- two former business associates of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani who have since been indicted in New York.

The recording appears to contradict statements by Trump and support the narrative that has been offered by Parnas during broadcast interviews in recent days. Sources familiar with the recording said the recording was made during an intimate April 30, 2018, dinner at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Trump has said repeatedly he does not know Parnas, a Soviet-born American who has emerged as a wild card in Trump’s impeachment trial, especially in the days since Trump was impeached.

“Get rid of her!” is what the voice that appears to be President Trump’s is heard saying. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. Okay? Do it.”

Most superficially, this contradicts Trump’s repeated denials that he knew Parnas, who was recently charged with campaign finance crimes and has since flipped, spilling potentially incriminating new information on Trump’s Ukraine scheme.

As a side note, it’s worth noting here that when Trump claims not to know an associate who has just been busted for wrongdoing -- which happens rather often -- what he’s really doing is telling the world, and the rest of the gang, that this person is now dead to him.

</snip>

Unless this turns out to be a story about the way Trump phrases orders to others (tough gangster talk), what he said, and who he said it to, is pretty damning. And Frightening.

5 replies

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Greg Sargent: Damning new audio of Trump illuminates scandal's back alleys (Original Post) Dennis Donovan Jan 2020 OP

This and the recent head on the pike . . . Iliyah Jan 2020 #1

Don't forget the assassanation of Qasom Soleimani, afterwards dewsgirl Jan 2020 #3

at first this timeline seemed weird, because it was before Burisma and Hunter Biden etc renate Jan 2020 #2

K&R for visibility crickets Jan 2020 #4

There's only one way to "get her out tomorrow". Cracklin Charlie Jan 2020 #5

Iliyah

(25,111 posts)

1. This and the recent head on the pike . . .

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Fri Jan 24, 2020, 03:24 PM

Jan 2020

there is a violent pattern.

Oh and don't forget Virginia protest where he encouraged violence, and don't forget the KKK rallies too, beside, bullying . .

dewsgirl

(14,961 posts)

3. Don't forget the assassanation of Qasom Soleimani, afterwards

Reply to Iliyah (Reply #1)

Fri Jan 24, 2020, 03:43 PM

Jan 2020

he said, "we took him out."

renate

(13,776 posts)

2. at first this timeline seemed weird, because it was before Burisma and Hunter Biden etc

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Fri Jan 24, 2020, 03:33 PM

Jan 2020

But then I found this on Reddit in r/politics; thanks to u/reverendrambo:

(snip)

Lutsenko froze the four Ukranian investigations into Manafort in April 2018, and I think in return he wanted Yavanovich removed.

(snip)

it shows that trump was trying to gain favor in Ukraine since during the Mueller investigation. He was angling for anything that could appear to discredit the findings that Russia interfered for his benefit. That's what the entire "crowdstrike" server request was all about on the July 25 call.

Additionally, Paul Manafort was indicted for money laundering through the former Ukrainian prime minister Viktor Yanukovuch. He also worked with Konstantin Kilimnick to get Ukraine closer to Russia (in addition to sharing voter data). Trump would want to do whatever he could to throw cold water on these connections

https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/etcfsn/take_her_out_recording_appears_to_capture_trump/ffffck8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

So it's not just about wanting her removed because she wasn't going along with his Burisma crap. It goes back way further and it's related to Russia (of course).

crickets

(25,988 posts)

4. K&R for visibility

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Fri Jan 24, 2020, 04:16 PM

Jan 2020

Cracklin Charlie

(12,904 posts)

5. There's only one way to "get her out tomorrow".

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Fri Jan 24, 2020, 04:30 PM

Jan 2020

And he would need non-official associates to accomplish the task.

What more is needed? Anyone voting to acquit is voting to abet criminal behavior. Behavior that can, and will (if acquitted), be used on them and their family.

He already threatened to cut off their heads.

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