second, the gop argues both presidents have said there was no pressure. nobody push it push me. reporter: before zelensky took office a source told cnn that he and his aids had a meeting in which they discussed the pressure they were already feeling to open investigations that the trump administration wanted. and there was $400 million in aid on the line. third, when the president spoke on july 25th, republicans say the ukraine government was not aware the aid was being held up but it wasn t just about aid. the ukrainians wanted a white house meeting as well and it was made clear in multiple conversations with the president s team before that call they would not get it unless they launched investigations. finally they argue the aid was released and the ukrainians got the meeting without ukraine launching investigations. when the aid was released, was there anything that was ever given to this president or the american people on behalf of any connection to releasing that aid
coverage white house in crisis: the impeachment inquiry. tonight a dleerer picture of how long president trump and his allies put the squeeze on ukraine to carry out investigations linked to the president s political rivals. trump and his team have maintained that they didn t pressure the president of ukraine. they cite the ukrainian president himself. we spoke about many things. and so i think and you that nobody push it. pushed me. in other words. no pressure. there was no pressure. no nothing. the most important reaction. is from president zelensky himself. who said i didn t feel pushed. i didn t feel pressure. president zelensky said there was no pressure. so they re hanging it on president zelensky. so it is important to notice this, zelensky needs trump and his american aid. what he says publicly doesn t
complaint, which has just been declassified. ainsley: okay. kevin corke joins us live from the white house as president trump is calling for transparency. yesterday during the day the telephone conversation was released. it was declassified. and now the whistleblower complaint. something totally different, right, kevin? yeah. that s exactly right. remember, we don t know who the whistleblower is and it has been suggested, as you probably know this whistleblower is a partisan. now for the president s part, he is frankly laid this whole thing out in six words. no pressure, no quid pro quo. so, we heard him sort of reiterate that message yesterday in new york at the u.n. the transcript, he said, proved it. it was backed up yesterday by the ukraine president himself. we h i think, good phone call. it was normal. we spoke about many things and so i think and you read it, that nobody push it. in other words, no pressure.
we spoke about many things and i think, and you read it, that nobody push it pushed me, yes. there was no pressure. pressure is irrelevant. the only legal point that matters is that donald trump very clearly asked president zelenskiy for help in trying to harm a candidate running for president against donald trump. that is now an irrefutable fact, and it is a fact big enough to get donald trump impeached. joining our discussion now, is ambassador wendy sherman in the obama administration. she is an msnbc global affairs contributor. ben rhodes, nbc political analyst. ben, let me start with you. you ve been on these calls. yes. you ve been one of the number of people listening when it was president obama. you ve read these documents. this is my first. i ve never read one of these before today. it s my first. i imagine your hands shaking holding this in your hands today. yeah, i mean, lawrence, i
president trump and president zelenskiy discussed their now public phone call with reporters today at the united nations. we had i think good phone call. it was normal. we spoke about many things and i think, and you read it, that nobody push it pushed me, yes. there was no pressure. pressure is irrelevant. the only legal point that matters is that donald trump very clearly asked president zelenskiy for help in trying to harm a candidate running for president against donald trump. that is now an irrefutable fact, and it is a fact big enough to get donald trump impeached. joining our discussion now is ambassador wendy sherman in the obama administration. as under-secretary of state in the obama administration. she is an msnbc global affairs contributor. ben rhodes, nbc political