The Steve Scaffidi Show
“Where’s the impeachable offense here?”
Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson asked that question on WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi Show about what he claimed were legitimate concerns President Trump had about corruption in Ukraine before allowing defense funding for the nation which Russia has attacked in recent years.
All this comes in a time when reports of a “quid pro quo” or “shakedown” of Ukrainan president Volodymyr Zelensky for political gain are leading to possible impeachment of the President.
“I’ve been doing everything I can to support the courageous people of Ukraine that came out. Over 100 of them were slaughtered by the Vladimir Putin-supported regime. These individuals want what we have. They want greater freedom. They would like a government with a whole lot less corruption. I’ve been certainly supportive and promoting support,” said Johnson on WTMJ.
The Democratic-led investigation centers on whether Trump improperly pushed Ukraine officials to investigate Trump’s Democratic political rival, Joe Biden, and Democratic activities in the 2016 election.
“Congress unanimously approved $300 million of lethal defensive weaponry back under the Obama administration which President Obama did not provide,” added Johnson.
AP says that President Obama gave $850 million in aid to Ukraine, including military equipment and training. It did not include Javelin anti-tank missiles.
“President Trump did (provide aid),” Johnson explained.
“He had some serious reservations about the level of corruption, and ‘Why aren’t you stepping up to the plate? Why do we always have to fund these things when they’re not doing an adequate job of funding?’ Those are legitimate concerns President Trump had. That’s what he expressed to me was the reason he was not allowing the current (level) of lethal defensive weaponry to flow. In the end, he released it.”
Diplomats have testified that there was a relationship between funding for Ukraine and efforts to assist the President’s re-election in 2020.
In a lengthy opening statement earlier this month to House investigators obtained by The Associated Press, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor described Trump’s demand that “everything” Zelenskiy wanted, including vital aid to counter Russia, hinged on making a public vow that Ukraine would investigate Democrats going back to the 2016 U.S. election as well as a company linked to the family of Trump’s potential 2020 Democratic rival.
In his interview with WTMJ, Johnson also denounced the idea of calling Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman unpatriotic after his testimony about omissions to the summary of a conversation between Presidents Trump and Zelensky.
“They’re inappropriate. Anybody who puts themselves into uniform, puts themselves into harm’s way, particularly then someone who has suffered a battlefield injury, that’s my definition of a patriot. I’ve never questioned (their) patriotism,” said Johnson.