Trump Supports Full Transparency on ‘So-Called Whistleblower,’ He Says
In his first news conference since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) launched a formal impeachment inquiry against him, President Donald Trump said he fully supports transparency on “so-called whistle-blower” information—and that includes information on Joe Biden and his son.
Speaking in New York Wednesday, Trump said never pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I didn’t threaten anybody,” Trump said, calling the phone call “very innocent.”
The White House released a memo Wednesday morning on Trump’s July 25 call with Zelensky that shows Trump repeatedly pushing him to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter.
“If you are a Democrat, you have automatic protection,” Trump said of Biden. “I used to get great press until I ran for politics.”
Trump also railed against the media during the news conference, saying everything he accomplished this week at the U.N. General Assembly—like meeting with more than a dozen world leaders this week—has been cast aside, as the news has been primarily focused on “nonsense.”
Asked by a reporter if he was ready for a long impeachment process ahead, Trump responded, “I thought we won, I thought it was dead,” referring to the Mueller investigation.
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—What is CrowdStrike? Trump mentioned the company in his Ukraine call
—What the latest polling tells us about public support for impeachment
—These are the key players in the Trump impeachment inquiry
—How impeachment momentum massively shifted among democrats
—The 25 most powerful women in politics
Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter.