Ambassador Taylor Delivers Damaging New Evidence Against Trump

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13: Top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine William B. Taylor Jr. testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill November 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. In the first public impeachment hearings in more than two decades, House Democrats are trying to build a case that President Donald Trump committed extortion, bribery or coercion by trying to enlist Ukraine to investigate his political rival in exchange for military aide and a White House meeting that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky sought with Trump. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

On the first day of the public impeachment hearing, acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor added new information to his previous testimony that can only be described as devastating to Donald Trump.

In his opening statement, Taylor spoke of a meeting the day after Trump’s now-infamous phone call with the president of Ukraine. At that meeting in Kyiv, Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland spoke with President Trump by phone. An aide to Taylor could overhear Trump on the phone call. Trump was asking Sondland about the status of the “investigations.”

According to The Washington Post:

“Taylor said that after the call, the aide asked Sondland what Trump thought about Ukraine and Sondland said that Trump cares “more about the investigations of Biden” that the president’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, “was pressing for.”

Taylor said he had not provided this account to impeachment investigators during his Oct. 22 deposition because his staff member only told him about the episode last Friday.“

NEW Taylor-"In the presence of my staff at a restaurant on July 26, Sondland called Trump and told him of his meetings in Kyiv. A member of my staff could hear Trump on the phone asking about ‘the investigations.’ Sondland told Trump the Ukrainians were ready to move forward.”
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) November 13, 2019

New Taylor testimony bombshell: July 26: Day after Trump/Zelensky call. Taylor’s staff member with Sondland overhears Trump on phone. Trump asks about “the investigations.” Sondland says Ukraine ready to move forward.
Confirms Trump’s intent. He’s at the center of The Shakedown.
— Steven J. Harper (@StevenJHarper1) November 13, 2019