President Trump is poised to release a transcript of his "other call" with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky — a conversation he claimed Wednesday will be shown to be "a perfect one" because "great lawyers" like Fox News' Gregg Jarrett and Mark Levin told him so.
The White House previously released a reconstructed record of a July call between Trump and Zelensky, in which Trump pressured the Ukrainian president for "a favor" in a possible quid pro quo tied to the release of military aid. Trump has adamantly maintained that the conversation was "appropriate," and he believes that releasing a second, earlier transcript of an April call between the leaders will prove their exchanges have been innocent all along. "You'll read the second call, and you'll tell me if there's anything wrong with it," Trump said during a press conference at Joint Base Andrews over the weekend.
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But those "great lawyers" might not exactly be the most reliable counsels. Levin is described by Media Matters as "one of ... Trump's staunchest defenders," having once claimed there "hasn't even been a hint of scandal" during his presidency, while the media watchdog branded Jarrett "one of [Fox News'] loudest shills." Watch Trump's answer below. Jeva Lange
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