Michael McFaul summarize the impeachment hearings
A good summary of the impeachment hearings, from former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul:
Missed the impeachment hearings over the last 2 weeks? Well, I watched almost every word (doing commentary for @NBCNews & @MSNBC ) so you didn't have to. My quick takeaways in one thread. 1.
Most people had never heard of these witnesses before. I knew most of them: Ambs Taylor, Volker, Yovanovitch, Lt. Col. Vindman, David Holmes, and Dr. Fiona Hill. Ive known Bill, Masha & Fiona for 3 decades. So it was weird watching them; none of them wanted to be there. 2.
The story now is crystal clear. After 2 weeks, none of the basic facts were ever seriously disputed. 3.
Let's start with President Trump and Ukraine. Trump has never cared about Ukrainian sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, or the war with Russia. He made that clear as a candidate. He has been consistent in that view. Trump seeks Putin's favor. Appeasing Putin = dissing Ukraine.4
Trump, however, will use any means necessary to win reelection, including asking foreign governments to help him. He said as much to @GStephanopoulos on camera. He saw an opportunity in Ukraine. He first deputized Guiliani to explore it. 5.
Several months ago, Giuliani began to court Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuri Lutsenko with the goal of opening investigations into Burisma/Biden. The aim was clear -- find/fabricate dirt on VP Biden, at the time the leading Democratic candidate in the 2020 election. 6.
Giuliani also wanted Lutsenko to investigate "Ukrainian meddling" in the 2016 US presidential election. The goal -- deflect attention from the ACTUAL Russian intervention in 2016 & thereby strengthen legitimacy of Trump victory in 2016. 7.
Lutsenko despised US Amb Yovanovitch. In this first quid pro quo, Giuliani got Yovanovitch fired in return for Lutsenko's agreement to open these investigations. (Giuliani's & his 2 sidekicks may have had other motivations in play -- more to come on that) 8.
But then electoral politics in Ukraine intervened. Zelensky was elected president, and Lutsenko's boss, Poroshenko, lost. Lutsenko eventually lost his position. Giuliani's first play failed. 9.
A new , inexperienced president in Ukraine, however, offered a new opportunity to create leverage for Trump/Giuliani. Zelensky, even more than Poroshenko, desperately needed a meeting with Trump to signal his close ties with the US. 10.
Trump took advantage, demanding investigations into Burisma/Biden and "Ukraine 2016 meddling" in return for an Oval office bilateral meeting with Zelensky. He drafted new actors -- the 3 amigos -- to work with Guiliani and achieve these "deliverables" for 2020. 11.
In his call to Zelensnky on July 25th, Trump bluntly asked for a "favor" -- opening these investigations. In other words, Trump was asking a foreign government to help his reelection campaign. 12.
Trump then upped the ante and froze U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. 13.
Zelensky was ready to acquiesce to this quid pro quo, or what Amb Bolton called a "drug deal." He even arranged to announce the opening of these investigations on Zakaria's CNN show. 13.
But then the whistleblower stepped in. Trump panicked, released the aid, and then said (on September 9th) he didn't want anything from Ukraine anymore. 14
Trump used his public office -- the most sacred office in our country -- to try to pursue his private electoral interests. That's the definition of corruption. 15.
To achieved these "deliverables", Trump even went so far as to withhold military assistance to a US partner at war with Russia. (14,000 people have died). Imagine FDR withholding military assistance to the UK in 1940 to pressure Churchill to help him win reelection. 16.
Trump even asked a foreign govt to investigate a private American citizen, even though there is zero evidence of any wrongdoing by Hunter Biden.(Trump never expressed any interest in anti-corruption in Ukraine generally; nor did he use proper channels to pursue.) 17.
Trump and team only stopped running the extortion/coercion/"drug deal" play after they were caught. (And most witnesses only came forward to testify after the whistleblower exposed this abuse of power) Had they not been exposed, the quid pro quo would have occurred. 18.
What did I get wrong? 19.
And if you tuned in to @NBCNews or @MSNBC during the last two weeks, thanks for watching ! (Sorry for typos) 20. END THREAD.
