Why releasing the Ukraine call transcript could backfire on Trump

Many opponents of the Trump administration fear that the White House will be able to take control of the Ukraine scandal narrative by releasing the transcript of the July phone call between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelensky. Although Trump has claimed it's a complete, unredacted transcript, others aren't so sure.

That's led to an outcry for the release of the whistleblower complaint which sparked the entire saga and led to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) formally opening an impeachment inquiry. It's believed the complaint holds additional information that goes beyond what will be in the transcript.

While that may be true, New York Times columnist David Leonhardt thinks the Democrats should actually try to use the transcript to their advantage instead of just clamoring for more info. He points out that the White House allegedly trying to control the contents of the transcript could actually be grounds for a more fervent impeachment inquiry. Tim O'Donnell

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up