The White House went on offense against House Intel Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the midst EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s public testimony Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, the White House railed against Schiff shortly after he called Sondland’s testimony “among the most significant evidence to date” in the ongoing impeachment inquiry.
The EU ambassador testified that he was pursuing President Trump’s priorities when he pushed Ukraine for a public commitment to pursue the politicized investigations Trump wanted.
During a break in Sondland’s testimony, Schiff told reporters that “the knowledge of this scheme, this conditioning of the White House meeting, of the security assistance to get the deliver the President wanted — these two political investigations that he believed would help his campaign — was a basic quid pro quo.”
Shifty Schiff thinks he hasn’t gotten enough camera time. So during a brief break, he’s doing a press conference.
New hoax. Same swamp.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 20, 2019
The White House then retweeted press secretary Stephanie Grisham, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA).
“There is a stark difference between truth & opinion.Truth derives sustenance from facts, whereas opinion is a judgment influenced by prejudices…Deception was on full display Tues during the House Intel Committee impeachment hearing”#ImpeachmentCircus? https://t.co/lVUyTGGKbK
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 20, 2019
The most important quote out of this hearing so far:
Sondland: "I've never heard from President Trump that the aid was conditioned on the investigations." He reached this conclusion on his own.
So, in short, yet another witness who can't testify to the Democrats' accusations.
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019
? BREAKING → Ambassador Sondland: “I don’t recall President Trump ever talking to me about any security assistance. Ever.”
End this sham. pic.twitter.com/tsmQTO1fMX
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) November 20, 2019
The White House hasn’t gone after Sondland personally yet. But a day earlier, during Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s testimony, the official White House Twitter account attacked Vindman while he was testifying. Vindman, a Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, is a current employee of the White House.
According to a Washington Post report Wednesday, the White House attempted to get access to Sondland’s explosive opening statement days before his public hearing, but was denied access by Sondland’s lawyers.
