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Reuters President Donald Trump slammed what he called Democrats’ “kangaroo court” as the impeachment inquiry proceeded.
President Donald Trump took a fresh slap at the impeachment inquiry against him, defending his administration’s decision to direct the U.S. ambassador to the European Union not to testify before House lawmakers.
‘KANGAROO COURT’
After the State Department ordered Ambassador Gordon Sondland not to appear before lawmakers on Tuesday, Trump tweeted that he’d “love” to send him to talk to members of Congress.
“But unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised kangaroo court, where Republican’s rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public to see,” Trump wrote.
Sondland was scheduled to testify behind closed doors regarding his role in Trump’s effort to press Ukraine for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
Read: EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland barred from testifying in impeachment inquiry.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who is leading Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, called the blocking of Sondland’s testimony and a refusal to turn over documents “additional, strong evidence” of obstruction. Schiff, a California Democrat, has previously noted that obstruction of justice was one of the impeachment articles faced by former President Richard Nixon.
SYRIA POLICY DEFENSE
Amid bipartisan criticism, Trump defended his withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria and said the U.S. has not abandoned the Kurds.
Critics of Trump’s move have said the U.S. has done just that. “This decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and turn Syria over to Russia, Iran, & Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican. He said he would call for Turkey’s suspension from NATO and introduce sanctions against Ankara if the Turks attack Kurdish forces.
Now read: Lindsey Graham says Trump’s Syria decision is ‘a disaster.’
Trump on Monday threatened to “destroy and obliterate” Turkey’s economy if the country takes what he called “off limits” actions. Tuesday, he said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would visit the U.S. “as my guest” on Nov. 13. The Turkish lira TRYUSD, +0.0858% fell more than 2% against the dollar on Monday after Trump’s threat.
