Trump says there was 'no pressure' on Ukraine to investigate Bidens
President Trump on Wednesday denied putting any pressure on Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son during a meeting with the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.
“You know there was no pressure,” Trump told reporters.
He added that the situation had caused his poll numbers to “go up,” though it was unclear exactly what numbers he was referring to.
When Zelensky was asked about the situation, he said that he did not want to be involved in the democratic elections in the U.S.
“We had, I think, a good phone call,” Zelensky said. “I think you read it that nobody pushed me.”
Trump pushed the narrative that the mention of Biden’s son, Hunter, was related to malfeasance, adding that Zelensky was elected on the basis of stopping corruption in the country.
“When Biden’s son walks away with millions of dollars from Ukraine … that’s corruption,” Trump said. “I think it’s a horrible thing.”
The meeting followed the release of a transcript of a July phone call between the two world leaders on Wednesday, which led some to believe that President Trump attempted to push President Zelensky to look into the business dealings of 2020 rival Joe Biden’s son.
He also appears to have referenced American aid to the country, at a time when the U.S. was withholding military assistance.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday announced a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump over the controversy. Democrats want to see a copy of the whistleblower complaint, which was filed in August and is said to allege that Trump tried to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens.