Vice President Mike Pence refused to say on Sunday whether he knew of the deal between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that top diplomats had described in their testimonies in the House impeachment investigation.
CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan asked Pence no less than four times if he was aware that, according to the diplomats, Trump dangled nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine and a White House meeting in exchange for the Ukrainian government opening investigations in 2020 candidate Joe Biden and the DNC’s server in Ukraine.
Pence refused to answer each time.
“Well, I can only tell you what I know,” he told Brennan when she first asked. “And what I know is that the transcript of the President’s call with President Zelensky shows that there was no quid pro quo. He did nothing wrong.”
“But were you aware of that deal that they are giving details of and sworn under oath existed?” Brennan asked.
“I can also tell you that all of my interactions with President Zelensky, we focused entirely on President Zelensky’s agenda to bring about reforms to end corruption in Ukraine and to bring together the European community to provide greater support for Ukraine,” Pence responded, ignoring her question and repeating Trump’s defense that Zelensky said he did not feel pressured to submit to Trump’s demands.
The CBS host tried again: “But did you have the knowledge of the deal that these U.S. officials have described under oath?”
Pence barreled over her with claims that his “interaction on this issue” with Trump and Zelensky focused on Russia’s invasion of Crimea, corruption, and the need for European countries to “step up.”
“I haven’t gotten a clear answer on that from you on that though, sir,” Brennan commented before making one last attempt to get Pence to address the question.
“But are you saying that you did not ever hear of such a deal?” she asked. “Is that what I understand you’re describing?”
“I’m telling you that all of my interactions with the president, all of my conversations with President Zelensky, were entirely focused on issues of importance to the American people, ending corruption, enlisting more European support and supporting Ukraine in a way that would restore its territorial integrity and stand by Ukraine for its sovereignty,” the vice president replied.
Watch Pence below:
Pence dodges when asked about diplomats' testimonies that Ukraine military aid and meeting with Trump relied on Ukraine investigating the Bidens pic.twitter.com/YUPUaNkb3R
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) October 27, 2019
Pence keeps dodging when CBS anchor Margaret Brennan presses him on the diplomats' testimonies in the impeachment inquiry. pic.twitter.com/BnChHiMEzz
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) October 27, 2019
