What Went Down During Gordon Sondland’s Testimony

Sondland, a direct participant in the Ukraine policy, has basically confirmed the outlines of the narrative we knew from press accounts and other witnesses: the president’s personal lawyer was directing government officials, at the president’s behest, to tie U.S. policy that might benefit Ukraine to Ukraine announcing investigations that would damage Biden.

Well, my takeaway is that this isn’t great for Trump. Sondland said there was a quid pro quo. He said that Trump directed them to do what Giuliani said in all Ukraine matters — and that seems significant. Sondland says that Trump himself never told Sondland directly that he needed investigations in order to release aid, but the fact that he was ordered to follow Giuliani’s lead and that Giuliani was pushing for these investigations as a condition for the release of the aid … well, doesn’t that basically mean Trump was pushing for those things, with Giuliani as his mouthpiece?

Fox News chyron: “SONDLAND: PRESIDENT TRUMP NEVER TOLD ME DIRECTLY THAT AID WAS TIED TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF INVESTIGATIONS”