Gordon Sondland won't confirm or deny key details of Trump phone call at Kyiv restaurant
United States Ambassador to the European Gordon Sondland apparently remembers everything but the Bidens.
During his public impeachment testimony Wednesday, Sondland addressed previous private testimony from David Holmes, an official from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, in which Holmes said he overheard Trump loudly ask Sondland over the phone in July at a restaurant in Kyiv if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "going to do the investigation."
In Sondland's prepared opening statement, he said he remembered the phone call but didn't find it significant at the time (Holmes did not feel the same way) and that he and Trump were primarily discussing A$AP Rocky and his legal troubles in Sweden. Sondland did say he considered most of Holmes' recollection accurate and didn't directly challenge any part of his testimony, but he was adamant that he at least doesn't remember mentioning former Vice President Joe Biden or his son, Hunter, during or after the call with Trump. Holmes, on the other hand, testified that after the call Sondland told him that Trump doesn't care about Ukraine except for "big stuff" like investigating the Bidens.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During Wednesday's questioning, Sondland said he doesn't think he would have said something like that, though he couldn't recall anything specifically refuting Holmes' claims.
Sondland said he "would have been more surprised if" Trump hadn't mentioned investigations, but he claimed that at the time he was not operating under the assumption that the investigations were referring to the Bidens, which he is aware of now. Though some observers aren't buying that excuse. Tim O'Donnell
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 1, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - broken eggs, contagious lies, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 humorously unhealthy cartoons about RFK Jr.
Cartoons Artists take on medical innovation, disease spreading, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Brodet (fish stew) recipe
The Week Recommends This hearty dish is best accompanied by a bowl of polenta
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico start Feb. 1
Speed Read The tariffs imposed on America's neighbors could drive up US prices and invite retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames diversity, Democrats for DC air tragedy
Speed Read The president suggested that efforts to recruit more diverse air traffic controllers contributed to the deadly air crash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freeze
Speed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Gov for government use
Speed Read The artificial intelligence research company has launched a new version of its chatbot tailored for the US government
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.
Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
GOP senator reneged on voting against Hegseth
Speed Read North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump sparks chaos with spending, aid freezes
Speed Read A sudden freeze on federal grants and loans by President Donald Trump's administration has created widespread confusion
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump feuds with Colombia on deportee flights
Speed Read Colombia has backed off from a trade war with the U.S., reaching an agreement on accepting deported migrants following tariff threats from President Donald Trump
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published