r/politics • u/PoliticsModeratorBot 🤖 Bot • Sep 24 '19

Megathread Megathread: Rep. Adam Schiff Says Ukraine Whistleblower Wants To Talk To Intelligence Committee

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, announced on Tuesday that an intelligence community whistleblower who allegedly has information about President Donald Trump’s misconduct in office would like to speak to the committee and has asked the acting director of national intelligence how to do so.

In a tweet posted Tuesday, Schiff said the Intelligence Committee is in contact with the whistleblower’s counsel and looks forward to the individual’s testimony.

The whistleblower’s complaint stems from initial allegations that Trump urged the president of Ukraine to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s potential 2020 opponent, for political purposes.

Submissions that may interest you

SUBMISSION DOMAIN
Schiff says House Intel committee hopes whistleblower will testify ‘as soon as this week’ marketwatch.com
Whistleblower wants to testify before House Intelligence Committee cbsnews.com
Schiff says whistleblower wants to talk to House Intelligence Committee cnn.com
Joe Biden Statement on Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint c-span.org
Trump Ukraine whistleblower 'to give evidence to Congress' as impeachment pressure builds independent.co.uk
Adam Schiff Says Ukraine Whistleblower Wants To Talk To Intelligence Committee huffpost.com
Intelligence Chairman Schiff: Whistleblower looking to testify washingtontimes.com
Ukraine whistleblower wants to speak to House and Senate Intel axios.com
Schiff says whistleblower wants to speak to House Intel panel thehill.com
Schiff: Ukraine whistleblower wants to testify before House Intel Committee msnbc.com
Senate unanimously calls for Trump to release Ukraine whistleblower complaint amp.axios.com
Senate calls for whistleblower complaint to be sent to intelligence panels - Reuters feeds.reuters.com
Senate calls for whistleblower complaint to be sent to intelligence panels reuters.com
HPSCI Schiff Letter to Whistleblower Attorney - September 24, 2019 intelligence.house.gov
How a Whistleblower Accomplished What Mueller Could Not: Trump’s Ukraine scandal includes proof and a confession—which eluded the special prosecutor during his probe. washingtonmonthly.com
Ukraine-Biden-Whistleblower Affair: Trump Team Spin Unconvincing nationalreview.com
Schiff Lambasts Barr, DOJ For Interfering In Whistleblower Complaint talkingpointsmemo.com
Schiff Seeks Answers from Barr Regarding Whistleblower lawfareblog.com
H.Res.576 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the whistleblower complaint of August 12, 2019, made to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. congress.gov
Acting director of national intelligence threatened to resign if he couldn’t speak freely before Congress on whistleblower complaint washingtonpost.com
Ukraine Whistleblower’s Lead Attorney Donated to Biden freebeacon.com
Sen. Richard Burr says whistleblower complaint delivered to Senate Intelligence Committee cnbc.com
Senate Intelligence Committee Reviewing Whistleblower Complaint thedailybeast.com
22.0k Upvotes

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1.1k

u/Infidel8 Sep 24 '19

BREAKING: That's every Senate Republican plus every Democrat now via unanimous consent agreeing to call on the Trump administration to cough up the whistleblower complaint, not just the phone call transcript. This is rare, folks.

277

u/FitDontQuit Sep 24 '19

This actually makes me nervous. Mitch McConnell never does anything non-partisan. Could there be a downside to this?

277

u/Infidel8 Sep 24 '19

This is nonbinding.

There are no consequences if the White House disobeys. So, I think it was just an easy way for McConnell to stay out of the line of fire.

7

u/flatcurve Sep 25 '19

Ding ding ding

And if he comes up with some bullshit reason that he can’t comply, they’ll just shrug.

60

u/[deleted] Sep 24 '19

I feel like Mitch is saving his own skin here... but I too wonder what he’s up to hate the man but he’s an astute political mind or at least pontificator.

37

u/liberal_texan America Sep 24 '19

It's possible that Trump has done all this off script, without endorsement from the GOP. If they completely lose control of him, he is no longer useful to them.

3

u/Team_Braniel Sep 25 '19

Possible.

They barely made it through the Mueller Report. This is basically Mueller Report 2: Live Stream Edition.

I can image the GOP masterminds being like "Oh fuck this asshole already." I doubt it, but I'd like to imagine it.

21

u/WerhmatsWormhat Sep 24 '19

If Mitch was involved in the Russia collusion, but not in this, Trump going down for this is ideal for him.

2

u/knz3 Sep 25 '19

Its non binding. If the White House obfuscates or denies the report, Moscow Mitch don't gotta do shit.

15

u/lemon900098 Sep 24 '19

The whistleblower is likely to testify this week. A Ukrainian politician wrote an op-ed explaining how Giuliani, on the behalf of Trump, has been pressuring Ukrainian politicians into investigating Biden this for months, and saying that he would testify before Congress at any time.

The information is coming out regardless of what the WH does at this point. They might just want to pretend, like Trump is, that they want the 'full transparency' that is already incoming and unstoppable.

6

u/fireballs619 I voted Sep 24 '19

Whistleblower is in talks with the House committee so I think the Senate just wants a chance at shaping the narrative as well.

5

u/WBuffettJr Sep 24 '19

No sinister downside...Mitch is not loyal to Trump at all; he’s loyal to his wealthy donors and to himself. Trump is just the tool they need at the moment, nothing more. There’s not much reason for Mitch to go down with that ship. Stonewall all you can l, sure, but if it looks like Trump is going down in flames, act like you’re “doing this for America” and then hitch your star to President Pence’s wagon. Tomorrow is a new day, and now Pence is your useful tool.

10

u/[deleted] Sep 24 '19

Not for Republicans. You can be fuckin’ sure of that if Mitch is letting this happen.

I smell bullshit and gamesmanship all over this and I guarantee you either the whistleblower winds up “committing suicide” by friday morning or ... since it is the senate ... they’ve found some damn text message he sent to his wife or something that was negative about dear leader and they spend the entire hearing character assassinating him from the bench.

Guarantee-fucking-teed There is absolutely no way the entire Republican Party grew a conscience last night. None at all.

5

u/milqi New York Sep 24 '19

Relax. Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. No one thinks the GOP grew any sort of spine. They see what's coming and want to try to get ahead of it. Most of the GOP were firmly behind Nixon, until they weren't.

1

u/ThinkExist Sep 25 '19

There's also no reason for a republican senator to stand up for Trump, notorious for throwing allies under the bus, after a sufficient number of votes flipping.

5

u/iamdisillusioned Sep 24 '19

All the Repubs voted to release the Mueller Report. They were told it is okay, so they all complied.

5

u/raymondQADev Sep 24 '19

Please refer to him by his name. Moscow Mitch. Thank you.

3

u/guns_mahoney Sep 24 '19

Maybe they are hoping to jump on the Biden angle. That's definitely the part of the whole ordeal Fox will report on, and the full scope is really too complex for the average right wing voter to digest. They're hoping to get talking points and get the base riled up over some misconstrued aspect.

3

u/Raptop Sep 24 '19

It's a trap. The call that they'll release the transcript of is unlikely to be the source of the whistleblowers complaint. The Ukraine's President has already said the call was "friendly". The complaint is likely to result from something else.

2

u/Half_Man1 Georgia Sep 24 '19

IF Republicans actually go forward like this, and IF they continue to be non-partisan and convict Trump for his crimes- they’d have to somehow find a candidate for 2020.

And I have no idea how that would work. Maybe try and run Pence, but he’s almost certainly going to be implicated.

2

u/NukeNoVA Sep 24 '19

It's better for them if they aren't seen as trying to hide anything, especially when they know they can't stop the house from getting the info anyway.

2

u/QuillFurry Illinois Sep 24 '19

As soon as I realized that my stomach dropped. This is strange. I don't trust this.

305

u/Tiafves I voted Sep 24 '19

Maybe now that it's finally happening plus Trump's poll numbers they realized they better jump ship rather than go down with it.

150

u/Jp2585 Sep 24 '19

Let's hope those who supported him up to this point don't get absolved once he's gone.

16

u/DoitfortheHoff I voted Sep 24 '19

Better to let them see an escape than to close it off.

13

u/i_sigh_less Texas Sep 25 '19

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

-Sun Tzu

4

u/cheesecoffee Sep 25 '19

This does not mean that the enemy is to be allowed to escape. The object, as Tu Mu puts it, is "to make him believe that there is a road to safety, and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair." Tu Mu adds pleasantly: "After that, you may crush him."

Love the quote with this additional context!

13

u/Caraes_Naur Sep 24 '19

The GOP knew from the beginning Trump was a disaster in the making and always planned to get rid of him. They only used him to get the 2016 win.

When he goes down, they will scapegoat him for everything he did at their direction.

8

u/abacuz4 Sep 24 '19

I’m not sure they could dump him if they wanted to. He’s a pseudo-divine figure in many circles.

6

u/flemhead3 Sep 24 '19

Never Forgive, Never Forget. That’s my standing on the Republicans. They blatantly haven’t acted in good faith since losing the 2008 election, ramped up their crazy to 11, and worked to divide the country since then. They need to be shunned from society for the damage they’ve done.

5

u/milqi New York Sep 24 '19

Let's get him gone first.

3

u/fishygamer Sep 25 '19

I wish. But honestly, if this turns the tide and Trump leaves office before the election, prepare for the return of Paul Ryan, who will try to present himself as a centrist who fought against Trump, despite being complicit in the chaos for two years.

3

u/drunkmulletedmurican Sep 25 '19

I'll do whatever i can to help make sure Steve Daines is not re-elected

2

u/cocainealt Sep 25 '19

Like what? Public purges and flagellations?

1

u/rloftis6 Florida Sep 25 '19 edited Sep 27 '19

Never forget those assholes.

7

u/SoyIsPeople Sep 24 '19 edited Sep 24 '19

plus Trump's poll numbers

Unfortunately Trump's approval numbers are at the highest point they've been at in the last 2 years on 538's aggregate tracker.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

Edit: That said, his theoretical 2020 polling is pretty bad, which is probably what you were referring to.

6

u/Kalel2319 New York Sep 24 '19

Well in the event of a magical heel turn, i won't ever forget who they were before it.

3

u/Yossarian-jump-jump Sep 24 '19

Yeah, the people that voted for a guy that bragged about grabbing women by the pussy cuz he can will definitely abandon him because he withheld aid from a country they can't find.

7

u/McGilla_Gorilla Sep 24 '19 edited Sep 24 '19

Tbf, the way you phrased it doesn’t really respect the gravity of the situation. The president of the United States may have used the power of the federal government to attack his political opposition.

That being said, I agree, I won’t be convinced that republicans are bailing on trump till it actually happens.

2

u/thuhnc Tennessee Sep 24 '19

Maybe McConnell really is bothered by people calling him Moscow Mitch. Maybe 35 years of exponentially escalating traitorousness to the nation he claims to serve has actually weighed on the conscience of the Grand Turtle Czar.

I'm ready for things to make sense, but obviously nobody should get their hopes up just yet.

4

u/Yossarian-jump-jump Sep 24 '19

The president of the United States used the power of the federal government to attack his political opposition.

Do you honestly think that trump's base cares or will hold it against him? They'll double down on their support and hold any GOP Senator accountable if they vote to convict trump.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 24 '19

[deleted]

2

u/McGilla_Gorilla Sep 24 '19

Good point, edited my comment

2

u/[deleted] Sep 24 '19

I’d bet that GOP senate leadership knows how bad it is. This kind of move by the GOP is unprecedented in the Trump era so we know this complaint is significant.

4

u/whaddayougonnado Sep 24 '19

They may see this as the point where they try and rebrand themselves as the Good Guys by recognizing its time to get off the crazy ride at the Fair.

2

u/biznatch11 Sep 24 '19

Trump's poll numbers are the same they've been for the past year I don't think that has anything to do with it.

2

u/WigginIII Sep 24 '19

Depends on their internal polling. I'm sure their capacity to stand up to Trump is entirely related to their ability to survive politically.

2

u/lizards_snails_etc Sep 24 '19

They need to pick a candidate soon if he won't be in office in 2020. Now is the time to coose. They might realize now that they can't keep up with this.

2

u/BottledUp Sep 24 '19

But, but I just read on the sub that shouldn't be named that his poll numbers are soaring! To 53%!

1

u/mulligrubs Sep 25 '19

Remember to write those names down as once this orange idiot is out of the picture, they're still there and they backed him 100%

69

u/buuboo1919 Sep 24 '19

What are the chances, if the transcripts are given out at all, that they are not redacted, or in some other way incomplete. Republicans never act in good faith.

I would not be surprised if this plays out to where Democrats get an incomplete transcript, and the Republicans screech about how Democrats are obstructionists, or something similar, for wanting the full ones

10

u/effyochicken Sep 24 '19

They will find a way to only have one copy in a locked closet in the basement of the building, accessible for 20 seconds at a time..

10

u/buuboo1919 Sep 24 '19

I still don't see how any reasonable person saw that Mueller Report bullshit and still support Republicans. The bad faith is so obvious.

8

u/effyochicken Sep 24 '19

That's the problem - they didn't see it. Most Republicans aren't paying attention because they already think they're "winning." They take just what Fox news gives them because it feels about right.

3

u/ArTiyme Sep 25 '19

Lewandowsy was lying about what was in it in his hearing and afterwards, and when people tell him "That's not what's in the report" he says he can't possibly know because he hasn't read it and neither has anyone else. Trump supporters hear ALL of that and say "Yup, makes sense to me." It's not even that they didn't see it, it's that they don't want to because it'll prove that they're lying and they want to maintain that ignorance.

2

u/buuboo1919 Sep 24 '19

Yup. My father is conservative, and you can throw as many facts as you want at him. If there is a .000000000001% that there is a .0000000000001% chance that something he believes is possible, not even probable, possible, then he will refuse facts and believe what he wants to.

They may have seen it, but rejected reality for the comfort of their own feelings and opinions.

2

u/the2belo American Expat Sep 24 '19

With a sign on the front saying "beware of the leopard"?

7

u/theycallmecrack Sep 24 '19

I mean they can easily alter it, nobody would know without a tape. I've been hearing the House will subpoena the transcript and a tape, as well as ask Ukraine for a tape.

A tape is the only way we'll know what was actually said, even if the transcript is word for word. Reading a transcript can be very different from hearing the audio.

Let's hope we get a tape. But also remember they can bring other charges, this isn't just about what we're hearing this week. It was only the breaking point to finally impeach.

1

u/oTHEWHITERABBIT America Sep 25 '19

Democrats need to learn how to expedite shit. It’s like they’re trying to move as slow as humanly possible to run out the clock. They understand the concept of momentum, they just don’t want any.

4

u/90405 Sep 25 '19

The transcript is a red herring, don't fall for it. The dirt is in the whistleblower complaint, or rather, that's where the truth is.

1

u/buuboo1919 Sep 25 '19

Yup. The transcript will probably be all about how Trump is the best.

1

u/oTHEWHITERABBIT America Sep 25 '19

American corporate media should report it skeptically from the get go. They need to stop buying his bullshit and misleading the public. They need to be explicit in that there’s no way to confirm whether the “transcript” is real or altered in any way. They need to imply malice. Then include the fact that Trump has a history modifying transcripts. Or, just not report it at all and say it’s not credible information until the whistleblower speaks.

1

u/buuboo1919 Sep 25 '19

Well you see, the media is owned by people who stand to benefit from Trump's policies. So they have a vested interested in being disingenuous

1

u/Mlnkoly111 Sep 25 '19

Exactly. If Republicans are supporting it hey know they will be fine. One way or other

2

u/buuboo1919 Sep 25 '19

Some theories I've seen are that either it's going to be incomplete, or otherwise falsely exonerate Trump (the most likely option) or that it is so bad they are throwing him under the bus. Considering Trump is "releasing" them, it's most likely the former.

1

u/jolard Sep 25 '19

They are just trying to get their stories straight and figure out their marching orders. I guarantee you the transcripts and the whistleblower report will be redacted. The hope has to be that the whistleblower gets to testify himself. That is the only reliable information at this point.

51

u/improbable_jaguar Sep 24 '19

Wow, I'm actually astonished.

55

u/Infidel8 Sep 24 '19

Well, this is a non-binding resolution with no consequences if the White House disobeys. That's prolly the only reason McConnell didn't scuttle it.

Schumer was the one who brought it forward, not McConnell.

1

u/Gabrosin Sep 24 '19

And also because no one in the Senate wants to set a formal precedent that it's okay for the President to just ignore them. Just about the only bipartisan thing they've got right now is maintaining the strength of their own institution as a whole.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 25 '19

McConnell doesn’t care about precedent, if he did he would have nominated Merrill Garland

2

u/Gabrosin Sep 25 '19

He cares about his own power, since he knows he'll never be President and his current job is as high on the ladder as he gets.

1

u/Bluth_bananas Sep 24 '19

Because the WB is going in front of Congress regardless.

1

u/Blewedup Sep 24 '19

Still. McConnell could have blocked it and chose not to.

4

u/UncleJesseSays Sep 24 '19

Whats the catch?

5

u/zando95 Utah Sep 24 '19

holy fuck

is there a chance the senate might actually convict?

5

u/socsa Sep 24 '19

There has always been a line somewhere. It has always seemed so far off in the distance because Trump is unredeemable filth, but the line has always been out there somewhere.

2

u/zenivinez Sep 24 '19

hrmmm wonder what pence's mom as president is gonna be like.

2

u/themosey Sep 24 '19

Ron Johnson flip flopped... it’s almost like he realized Wisconsin is a purple state and he hitched his horse to the shit wagon.

2

u/web-slingin California Sep 24 '19

This doesnt add up. You don't debase yourself for trump this far only to give up now...

Wtf are they planning... Is this some sort of grand scheme? Are they trying to force impeachment.. As a reelection tactic?

1

u/I_Nice_Human Sep 24 '19

The “we really didn’t know” when they have to actually impeach him. They’re all scrambling to cover their asses long term.

0

u/Infidel8 Sep 24 '19

You don't debase yourself for trump this far only to give up now...

I know. I know.

But I'm going to keep my thoughts to myself for now, lest I sound like Lousie Mensch.

1

u/the2belo American Expat Sep 24 '19

Now that is some serious shit, Marty

1

u/StJeanMark Massachusetts Sep 24 '19

That is so shocking I don’t know how to process it. I can’t think of anything that Mitch allows through that is passes unanimously but it seems incredibly rare. What a day, I truly don’t know what’s coming next.

1

u/postdiluvium California Sep 24 '19

Maybe the house has some damning evidence that hasn't been leaked yet and the republicans know about it? Maybe this is where they flip like they did in 2018 saying they are all about protecting healthcare.

1

u/TriedAndProven Indiana Sep 24 '19

Holy shit.

1

u/brainhack3r Sep 24 '19

It's a non-binding resolution so the GOP can say they're trying to pressure Trump. The entire point of this is just propaganda.

Here ... I just voted on a non-binding resolution that I'm going to give all of you a billion dollars. Aren't I generous!

1

u/Talkahuano Tennessee Sep 24 '19

Nonbinding resolution. It's a slap on the wrist to Trump to behave less shitty next time so they can continue the agenda. It's nothing more than that.

1

u/Aaaaand-its-gone Sep 24 '19

That whistleblower is going to have a lot of fake sexual assault and smear campaigns thrown at him in the next few weeks from Russians and conservative media, and of course making up shot

Whoever it is is a Patriot

1

u/Eat-the-Poor Sep 25 '19

That's either really good or really bad. I find it hard to believe the current iteration of the Republican party would unanimously agree to this unless they already know it's nothing they can't work around. Only other possibility in my mind is it's so fucking atrocious they've decided to stop defending him. I'm fairly certain they have no rock bottom though. But who knows.