The president distorted the facts on congressional subpoenas, trade, Syria and more during a busy day of public appearances.
Flurry of Trump Falsehoods
Issues: Ukraine
The Democratic Letter to Ukraine
In May 2018, three Democratic senators wrote to the Ukrainian prosecutor general, asking about a report that he had frozen four Ukrainian investigations involving Paul Manafort to avoid angering President Donald Trump. Republicans have called the letter a “threat” to withhold support for aid to Ukraine, saying it’s similar to what critics have charged Trump did.
Misleading Narrative About a Supposed ‘Ukrainian Arms Dealer’
An online story says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff “are both connected to a Ukrainian arms dealer” through a 2013 fundraiser. But the supposed “Ukrainian arms dealer” owns a California company that primarily develops airships, including for the U.S. government. He has donated to both parties — not just the Democrats.
Fact: Trump TV Ad Misleads on Biden and Ukraine
With its candidate the subject of an impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has gone on the offensive with a TV ad that claims to present the “facts” about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Ukraine. In fact, the ad relies on speculation and unsupported accusations to mislead viewers.
Schiff Wrong on Whistleblower Contact
Rep. Adam Schiff, chair of the House intelligence committee, wrongly implied that his committee had no contact with the whistleblower before receiving the complaint. Schiff claimed, “We have not spoken directly with the whistleblower,” when the whistleblower had in fact reached out to a committee aide before filing a complaint.
Video: False Whistleblower Rule Claim
In this fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper scrutinizes a false claim — made by President Donald Trump and Rep. Jim Jordan — that rules were recently changed to allow an intelligence community whistleblower to file the Aug. 12 complaint.
Trump’s Inaccurate Claims About His ‘Perfect’ Call
President Trump’s request that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, has triggered an impeachment inquiry. Since then, the president has made a series of inaccurate claims about his phone call with Zelensky, which he calls “perfect.”
Schiff’s ‘Parody’ and Trump’s Response
President Donald Trump has suggested that Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, should be arrested for “treason” and charged with “lying to Congress” for mischaracterizing Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
No Hearsay Rule Change for Whistleblowers
President Donald Trump and some of his defenders have advanced a bogus theory that whistleblower rules were changed to allow a complaint alleging misconduct by the president to be forwarded to Congress based only on secondhand information.
The Whistleblower Complaint Timeline
Here we list some of the key dates in the fast-moving, still-unfolding story on the whistleblower complaint, and the subsequent impeachment inquiry and the impeachment of President Donald Trump.