Impeachment Update: Trump Call Transcript Omits Key Points: Envoy

White House Ukraine Expert Sought to Correct Transcript of Trump Call

Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, told House impeachment investigators Tuesday the White House transcript of a July call between President Trump and Ukraine’s president omitted crucial words and phrases, and that his attempts to include them failed, according to three people familiar with the testimony. The
omissions, Vindman said, included Mr. Trump’s assertion that there were recordings of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. discussing Ukraine corruption, and an explicit mention by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, of Burisma Holdings, the energy company
whose board employed Mr. Biden’s son Hunter.

The New York Times

Two Volatile White House Meetings With Ukraine Officials Becoming Central To Inquiry

In a pair of volatile meetings on July 10, senior White House officials, including then-national security adviser John Bolton, were confronted with the outlines of a scheme they had previously only suspected: President Donald Trump was seeking to use the power of his office to pressure Ukraine to deliver damaging information on former vice president Joe Biden and his son.

The Washington Post

Republicans Defend Vindman From Attacks On His Patriotism

Republican leaders are stepping up to defend Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman against vicious attacks from President Donald Trump's allies. Republicans may quibble with the substance of Vindman’s testimony as they try to protect Trump from the fast-moving impeachment inquiry. But congressional GOP leaders say it’s out of bounds to question Vindman’s patriotism and allegiance to the United States, as some conservative pundits did on Monday night.

Politico

Bolton Expressed Concerns About Giuliani in Ukraine, Adviser to Testify

Then-National Security Advisor John Bolton warned U.S. diplomats in June that Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, could pose an obstacle to improving the White House's relations with Ukraine, according to prepared testimony from Christopher Anderson, who served as State Department special adviser for Ukraine.

Wall Street Journal