character, complete newcomer, standup comic, sitcom actor, also a businessman but a newcomer, totally outside politics, sweeps the parliament elections, talks about making a deal with russia, fascinating character. we re getting somewhere. i interviewed the previous president three times. then it gets very, very close and i get there in early september for a conference i happen to be going to and i said can i meet him to seal the deal? that s the september 13th meeting that apparently the u.s. embassy was frightened he was going to give the interview that day and do the second half of the quid pro quo, announce the investigations into biden and burisma. they had not confirmed it with us they were still playing, you know. but it looked very good. we were getting down to the logistics, when will he do it, new york, around the time of the u.n. general assembly, which was ten days later. and then the whistle-blower story breaks.
they had not confirmed it with us they were still playing, you know. but it looked very good. we were getting down to the logistics, when will he do it, new york, around the time of the u.n. general assembly, which was ten days later. and then the whistle-blower story breaks. the whistle-blower story breaks to congress two days before i get to kiev because the republicans on the committee presumably told them. the aid was released the day i get there. when you talked to ukrainian official, they were delighted but a little puzzled and weren t sure what was happening. thinking back they were probably thinking do we still have to do the quid pro quo? we got the aid, are we now meant to deliver? then when it blew open, the washington post reported it, they went radio silent and said there s no interview. i think it s what the kids call ghosting. just for a while.