GOP Rep. Turner to Volker: You ‘Took Apart’ the Democrats’ ‘Entire Case’ for Impeaching Trump

Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) indicated during Tuesday evening’s impeachment hearing that former diplomat Kurt Volker essentially “took apart” the Democrats’ “entire case” for impeaching President Trump after confirming that neither Trump nor Ukrainian officials indicated the existence of a looming threat to withhold aid contingent on an investigation into Burisma, the Bidens, or the 2016 elections.

Turner took a moment during Tuesday evening’s hearing to blast the hearsay evidence that Democrats have largely relied on – and used – as a basis for their entire impeachment inquiry:

A lot of people talking about their perceptions, their beliefs – their feelings even – what they heard and their understandings and their thoughts. Ambassador Taylor, Mr. Kent, Ambassador Yovanovitch, and Lieutenant Colonel Vindman had conversations with each other and with other people and all had a whole bunch of hearsay.

But I can assure you this boils down to just one thing. This is an impeachment inquiry concerning the President of the United States, so the only thing that matters – besides all these people talking to each other and all their feels and all of their thoughts and understandings – it really only comes down to, what did the President of the United States intend, what did he say, and what did the Ukrainians understand or hear.

Turner noted that Volker is one of the first people they have had in the open public testimonies who has had conversations with both parties.

“So I get to ask you. You had a meeting with the President of the United States, and you believe that the policy issues he raised concerning Ukraine were valid, correct?”

“Yes,” Volker said.

“Did the President of the United States ever say to you that he was not going to allow aid from the United States to go to the Ukraine unless there were investigations into Burisma, the Bidens, or the 2016 elections?” Turner asked.

“No, he did not,” Volker said.

Turner then asked:

Did the Ukrainians ever tell you that they understood that they would not get a meeting with the President of the United States, a phone call with the President of the United States, military aid, or foreign aid from the United States unless they undertook investigations of Burisma, the Bidens, or the 2016 elections?

“No, they did not,” Volker said.

Turner noted that Volker’s answers essentially dismantled the Democrats’ entire case for impeaching Trump.

“Pretty much, Ambassador Volker, you just like took apart their entire case,” Turner said.