And although Portman confirmed that Trump cited a lack of help from European nations as a reason for holding up aid authorized by Congress for Ukraine, the senator said he never heard that assertion until he spoke to the president personally Sept. 11. Earlier conversations with the secretary of defense and other Trump administration turned up no reason for the hold-up, Portman said.
Democrats have launched an impeachment inquiry into whether Trump delayed the $250 million in U.S. aid until the Ukrainian president probed the Bidens and a discredited conspiracy theory about the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Portman also expressed dismay that Trump offered the services of U.S. Attorney General William Barr and the president’s personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, to help the Ukrainians in the twin probes.
While impeachment is not merited, Portman said a bipartisan group such as the Senate Intelligence Committee could look into the allegations surrounding Trump.
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