President Trump should have waited til next friday t go on his firing spree. It would be the anniversary of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre. The Vindman brothers Eugene and Alexander will remain in the military but they have both been removed from the National Security Council. (NSC) Gordon Sondland was the ambassador to the European Union.
Sondland made the following statement to announce his departure:
“I was advised today that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as United States ambassador to the European Union. I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve, to Secretary Pompeo for his consistent support, and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union. I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here has been the highlight of my career.”
The Democrats insist that Sondland had said as a fact that President Trump was looking for a quid pro quo, but that’s not what he said. What he said was that he presumed that Trump wanted a quid pro quo but admitted that the president never told him he wanted one.
Sonland, who testified in Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, initially he said during his testimony that there was a quid pro quo involving withholding aid to Ukraine for the announcement of an investigation into Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Later, Sondland later admitted that what he had stated was just his assumption.
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ADAM SCHIFF: And you’ve also testified that your understanding — it became your clear understanding that the military assistance was also being withheld, pending Zelensky announcing these investigations. Correct?
SONDLAND: That was my presumption, my personal presumption, based on the facts at the time. Nothing was moving.
OP COUNSEL STEVE CASTOR: I want to turn back to your – your opener on Page 5, under – when – when you talk about in the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid, I later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a public statement from Ukraine committing to the investigations. Correct?
SONDLAND: Correct.
CASTOR: And you acknowledged that this is speculation, right?
SONDLAND: It was a presumption.