The GOP is standing firm in the wake of Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s Wednesday testimony, particularly highlighting his admission that he never heard President Trump tell him that aid to Ukraine was contingent on an investigation into the Bidens.
Sondland testified on Wednesday that Trump “never told me directly that the aid was conditioned” on the investigations and did not recall Trump “ever talking to me about any security assistance, ever.” He told Democrat counsel Daniel Goldman that no one told him aid was tied to anything, adding, “I was presuming it was.”
“No quid pro quo … that’s all I got from President Trump,” Sondland repeated during the testimony.
Moreover, Sondland said in his opening statement that “no one shared any concerns” with him regarding Trump’s July 25 call with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at the relevant time.
Republicans across the board are standing firm in their stance that the partisan impeachment inquiry is a bust.
“Case closed ⇨ Ambassador Sondland just testified under oath that he NEVER heard the president say there were conditions on aid to Ukraine,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said. “Democrats’ smear campaign is falling apart”:
Case closed ⇨ Ambassador Sondland just testified under oath that he NEVER heard the president say there were conditions on aid to Ukraine.
Democrats' smear campaign is falling apart.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 20, 2019
“Sondland SPECULATED why there was a hold on aid & shared his GUESS re linkage; a reminder why the depo transcript of Mark Sandy from OMB should’ve been released by now,” Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) said.
“Inconvenient truth: POTUS told Sondland ‘no quid pro quo’ & the aid was released w/out any new investigations,” he added:
Sondland SPECULATED why there was a hold on aid & shared his GUESS re linkage; a reminder why the depo transcript of Mark Sandy from OMB should’ve been released by now.
Inconvenient truth: POTUS told Sondland “no quid pro quo” & the aid was released w/out any new investigations.— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) November 20, 2019
“Gordon Sondland was clear: ‘I’ve never heard from President Trump that the aid (to Ukraine) was conditioned on the investigations,” Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) said.
“So what did @realDonaldTrump say when Sondland DID talk to him?” he continued. “Sondland, quoting POTUS: ‘I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo'”:
Gordon Sondland was clear: "I've never heard from President Trump that the aid (to Ukraine) was conditioned on the investigations."
So what did @realDonaldTrump say when Sondland DID talk to him?
Sondland, quoting POTUS: "I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo." pic.twitter.com/ZuaCybXJj1
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019
The most important quote out of this hearing so far:
Sondland: "I've never heard from President Trump that the aid was conditioned on the investigations." He reached this conclusion on his own.
So, in short, yet another witness who can't testify to the Democrats' accusations.
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019
“Sondland confirms that President Trump told him: ‘No quid pro quo,'” GOP strategist Arthur Schwartz noted:
Sondland confirms that President Trump told him: “ ” pic.twitter.com/gECdwcd3TN
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) November 20, 2019
“Ambassador Gordon Sondland — one of the few witnesses who have actually spoken with @realDonaldTrump — confirms that the President never put any conditions on the aid to Ukraine,” Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) said.
“The impeachment hoax continues to unravel, day by day, minute by minute,” Hice added alongside the hashtag #DemsGotNothing:
Ambassador Gordon Sondland — one of the few witnesses who have actually spoken with @realDonaldTrump — confirms that the President never put any conditions on the aid to Ukraine.
The impeachment hoax continues to unravel, day by day, minute by minute.#DemsGotNothing https://t.co/k4Ay6EHN5P
— Rep. Jody Hice (@CongressmanHice) November 20, 2019
More:
Q: Did @realDonaldTrump ever tell you personally about any pre-conditions for anything?
Sondland: No.
Q: Any pre-conditions for the aid to be released?
Sondland: No.
Q: Any pre-conditions for a White House meeting?
Sondland: Personally, No. pic.twitter.com/adl8qbBNNd
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) November 20, 2019
SONDLAND testifies that the President told him that he doesn't want anything, no quid pro quo. President Trump only wanted Sondland to tell President Zelensky to do the right thing.
And President Trump wanted to make sure that Zelensky was committed to rooting out corruption.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019
Schiff keeps fishing and coming up with nothing. #ShamImpeachment https://t.co/3pvvbDpCvD
— Rep. Bob Gibbs (@RepBobGibbs) November 20, 2019
:
Q: Did President Trump ever tell you personally about any pre-conditions for anything?
Sondland: No.
Q: Pre-conditions for the aid to be released?
Sondland: No.
Q: Pre-conditions for a White House meeting?
Sondland: Personally, No. https://t.co/qJE0roOhPI
— Oversight Committee Republicans (@GOPoversight) November 20, 2019
"No one told me directly that the aid was tied to anything. I was presuming it was." #impeachmenthearing pic.twitter.com/ccpWPphCHm
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 20, 2019
Schiff is trying get the witness to testify he heard something from the President that he did not say & no matter how hard Schiff tried, it didn’t work. The President didn’t tell him that and he had to repeatedly say that. It’s #SameSchiffDifferentDay #Shampeachment
— Rep Rick Crawford (@RepRickCrawford) November 20, 2019
WATCH:
Ambassador Sondland: "I did not hear from President Trump that the aid would be held up until the statement was made. I did not hear those words." pic.twitter.com/7j5ssQjqoK
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) November 20, 2019
Ambassador Sondland just testified President Trump wanted NOTHING from Ukraine, NO quid pro quo. @realDonaldTrump is right about the Democrats' impeachment sham, "it's all over!" pic.twitter.com/DZPs2YNFdK
— Trump War Room (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TrumpWarRoom) November 20, 2019
“I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement of elections”
"So you never heard those specific words?"
"Correct. Never heard those words."
"Well, let's move ahead"
To where? To move the goalposts!pic.twitter.com/rkmVSd1bc1
— Elizabeth Harrington (@LizRNC) November 20, 2019
Democrat and media hyperventilating aside, this is key from Ambassador Sondland:
❌POTUS never asked for preconditions for anything
❌No preconditions for aid to be released to Ukraine
❌No preconditions for a White House meeting
No quid pro quo.
pic.twitter.com/Rmpg9GJi6G— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) November 20, 2019
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