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Fox News Exclusive: White House to release document showing intel community watchdog found whistleblower had ‘political bias,’ official says
A senior Trump administration official told Fox News late Tuesday that the administration will release a document showing the intelligence community inspector general found the whistleblower who leveled an explosive accusation against President Trump concerning his talks with Ukraine had “political bias” in favor of “a rival candidate” of the president. The official did not identify the name of the rival candidate.
Separately, a senior administration official told Fox News the White House has been working as quickly as it can to release to Congress the whistleblower complaint involving President Trump’s conversations with the leader of Ukraine, as long as it’s legally possible. The news came just hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated a formal impeachment inquiry by alleging that the administration was hiding the complaint. Other top Democrats had previously said such an inquiry was already underway.
The senior administration official told Fox News that the White House had nothing to hide, that there has been no wrongdoing, and that the White House’s general position has been that it will make everything possible available to Congress or the public regarding Trump’s conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the complaint to the intelligence community’s inspector general.
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News this week that the whistleblower had no firsthand knowledge of Trump’s July call with Zelensky. Trump vowed earlier Tuesday to release a “complete” transcript of the call by Wednesday. Click here for more on our top story.
Giuliani, Republicans: Democrats’ formal impeachment inquiry of Trump will backfire
One of the biggest questions is whether House Democrats’ formal impeachment inquiry of President Trump will backfire. Democrats have suggested Trump, in his call with Zelensky, tried to convince the Ukraine government into investigating potential 2020 presidential election opponent Joe Biden, his son Hunter and the Biden family’s business dealings. The president, Democrats have suggested, had $400 million in aid to Ukraine frozen to pressure officials into pursuing the Biden investigation. The Trump administration says the decision to freeze funding came more than a week before his call with Zelensky and that it was based on concerns about broader Ukraine corruption.
The contents of the call, as well as the whistleblower complaint, could throw cold water on Democrats’ explosive suggestions. A senior administration official told Fox News there are a “few words” in the transcript that will raise eyebrows, but it is nowhere near as inflammatory as Democrats have suggested. Joe Biden has acknowledged on camera that, when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, while Shokin was investigating the natural gas firm Burisma Holdings — where Hunter Biden was on the board. Shokin himself had separately been accused of corruption.
Plus, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani — who has long publicly called for Ukraine to investigate Biden’s dealings in Ukraine — posted a series of messages on Twitter suggesting Democrats have a bigger problem on their hands with corruption involving “high level members of the Obama cabinet” and “multi-million and billion dollar pay-for-play.” “Slimy Joe is not alone,” Giuliani tweeted. Click on the video above to see Giuliani’s appearance on “The Ingraham Angle.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens to speakers at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Meanwhile, Trump is set to meet with Zelensky on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. The visit was previously scheduled, unrelated to the whistleblower allegation, although the two leaders are expected to face questions about the matter from reporters.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
GOP lawmaker introduces resolution to remove Nadler as Judiciary panel chairman over impeachment probe
A Republican congressman introduced a resolution on Tuesday calling for the ouster of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., from his panel post for pursuing impeachment proceedings against President Trump. The proceedings were formally backed late Tuesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, said in a release that Nadler has acted against the will of the House of Representatives, which never gave his committee explicit authorization to begin impeachment proceedings. The body voted 332-95 in July to table an impeachment resolution from Rep. Al Green, D-Texas.
Fox News Exclusive: Iran President Rouhani downplays chance of Trump UN meeting, says president took trust away from relationship
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani all but closed the door on potentially meeting with President Trump this week, and blamed the commander-in-chief for damaging relations between the two countries, in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace on Tuesday. Rouhani, in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, was asked if there was any chance the two leaders would speak to each other this week.
“Why would we bump into one another?” the Iranian leader told Wallace. “If we seek to pursue higher goals to benefit both countries, both people, it must be planned, and talks must be based on those plans. But prior to that, we must create mutual trust and that is something that Mr. Trump took away from this framework.” Rouhani is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday. Click here to read more about the interview.
A worker pickets outside a General Motors facility in Langhorne, Pa.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
UAW’s strike against GM enters day 10 and neither side reportedly can agree on this key issue
The United Auto Workers’ strike against General Motors is entering day 10, and while there are various issues being discussed, there is one point the two sides argue about the most. Temporary workers have been the top request among union members, according to the Detroit Free Press. Temp workers are union members doing the same work as permanent employees but get half the pay and far fewer benefits. The union wants those workers to get a path to being permanent and as temps, get pay and benefits that more closely match their permanent counterparts.
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TODAY’S MUST-READS
Peter Schweizer: Biden Ukraine dealings – Seven essential facts.
Documentary director says he’s turned over alleged confession in ‘Making a Murderer’ case.
Woman who mistook wasabi for avocado hospitalized with ‘broken heart syndrome,’ report says
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
US-Japan trade deal on track
WeWork CEO Adam Neumann resigns.
Nissan recalls 1.3 million vehicles. What drivers need to know.
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on “This Day in History.”
SOME PARTING WORDS
Sean Hannity explains how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats have made the country less safe with their “partisan witch hunt” of President Trump.
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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News’ Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing on Thursday morning.
