The Trump administration has ordered U.S. Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, to not appear for a deposition with House investigators, despite a warning from the House that any attempt to interfere would be seen as obstruction and a potentially impeachable offense. Washington Post National Political Reporter Robert Costa, former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg, and former NSC Senior Director for Counterterrorism Joshua Geltzer about what this means for the investigation and why the administration was willing to take this risk. Aired on 10/8/19.
» Subscribe to MSNBC:
MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, Meet the Press Daily, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, Hardball, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and more.
Connect with MSNBC Online
Visit msnbc.com:
Subscribe to MSNBC Newsletter:
Find MSNBC on Facebook:
Follow MSNBC on Twitter:
Follow MSNBC on Instagram:
Trump Admin Blocks Gordon Sondland From Ukraine Deposition | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC
You know it’s bad when Republicans realize it’s less impactful to commit Obstruction of Justice and add another Impeachable offense, rather than allow people to testify.
Jesus Christ the entire GOP is corrupt AF and standing against America at this point in History.
@Walt Schmidt It’s already a formal inquiry. And yes, what Trump is currently doing constitutes Obstruction of Justice.
@J N Actually, they voted for Hillary, as much as I dislike her. If you recall, Trump only won through the antiquated electoral college, and even then it took help from foreign nations, the same thing he’s trying to do again now.
Trump has broken the law, betrayed America, and proven he’s unfit. This is why even Fox News polls are showing 58% of the country wants Trump impeached and removed. This is 20%+ higher support for Impeachment than the public ever reached when we attempted to Impeach Nixon and Clinton.
@William Bailey Well William, this is our country too. We outnumber Republicans and the Independents are on board with Impeachment. Heck, we are now up to 30% of Republicans in support of impeachment.
So brush the sand out of your vagina and stand with America instead of against us.
@Jeremy Backup Trump won like you are suppose to win according to the law of the land. The same laws that give you freedom of speech and little rights like that, you know? Fool.
@Jeremy Backup If you want to impeach him tell the speaker to bring the vote to the floor. Let America laugh at fools like you when the impeachment goes nowhere.
Welp here we go, time to build an obstruction case on top of everything else.
obstruction is the frosting between the layers of the cake.
@RedondoBeach2 Weld will not win obviously, but he might make some voters rethink their obstinate devotion to Trump.
@Patrick Kennedy Yeah, let’s all vote for the “joker” again…..
Joe Biden won’t get away with it.
@David Lafleche He won’t have to…relax…
It’s like they have no clue that this is incriminating…
They know it is. And they do care. But this is what’s scary. They made the calculation that pulling Sondland and the fallout it may bring is actually *less* incriminating than letting him speak. That’s what’s scary.
Paul Wilson
I’m dying to hear you explain this one….
@Neilh 2105 the Senate is actually not okay with him. They may very well realize now that he’s more cancerous than not and abandon him.
Well get on with it or go pound sand.
Stop litigating and start arresting.
@D B LOL
Yes !! Trump is in big trouble for quid pro quo…try searching “getting Ukranian prosecutor fired”. Biden is bragging about this !!! Trump is going down !!!
@Len Ovo Yup that Prosecutor was not going after Corruption and the European Union wanted to get rid of him…
@Tidbit oh yes they can. They can find them in contempt and order the Sergeant in Arms to go and place them under ARREST and have them confined in the Congressional jail until they comply.
Detain them without trial under the patriot act.
He did obstruct justice in front of everyone. Dems need to get it done, get Putin’s puppet out of that office now!
@M Willis What his fake news is, is probably pretty accurate. What’s questionable is what you’re listening, reading that prompts your opinion. There is no fault in leaning to vote for Trump. Many will. It’s just interesting in hearing how you ignore all the stupidity and still support him. Are you just pro-life or pro guns?
@M Willis Yeah, we’ve all watched what you call ‘the boss’…..LOL!
Joe Biden won’t get away with this!
@M Willis base slave, thy words are blunt, and so art thou.
@easy money you prattle something too wildly.
They pulled the plug so they don’t commit perjury… like before… people went to jail for lying!
But, but, but, they did everything BEAUTIFULLY. PERFECTLY. Why ever would they obstruct? I guess they’re just modest and are trying to “hide their light under a bushel basket.”
You Idiots cant be this stupid. He blatantly Obstructed because if they try to impeach him Republicans will simply subpoena Joe and Hunter Biden as well as everyone else. The Democrats cant let that happen because all the lies and corruption get exposed in the hearing. Bahahaha please tell me your not so stupid you dont see this is a joke. Trump just slapped them in the face and said impeach me please. But like every other time they wont because then you Idiots that get fake news will learn the truth.
Time to add obstruction to the impeachment documents.
@Utha Just something for you to look into. Why are Democrats so against fossil fuels but they have kids getting ritch sitting on the boards of Gas & Oil companies in Ukraine ( Biden & Pelosi) Republican Mitt Romney is even tied up in Ukraine. It’s not Just Democrats the whole establishment is corrupt.
@firststrike502 I never once denied there was shady money in the Government, lobbyists and interest groups are paying politicians for their favor all the time and it is wrong. It should be illegal and they need to answer the constituent why they aren’t representing them as they should. What I take huge objection to is Trump is making literally hundreds of millions (if not billions) from him being President, he is (as you admit) openly obstructing justice, stonewalling and he is doing this because he knows that the Republican majority Senate will not vote to convict him. They are part of the corruption, and I might add the MAJORITY of the corruption currently in Government. Then there’s the issue with what Trump is doing and what he is failing to do. He is screwing foreign relations for years, if not decades to come, the trust in America is at it’s weakest in over a century and he is cozying up to foreign foes. People ask why he is doing this? What interests does he have with them to go this far? It doesn’t take too much thinking to determine it all leads to one place, Russia. It is fairly obvious he has been getting money from them in return for political favors. Trump wants to do business in Moscow, he owes them money, and he is politically naive. You only need to look at how viciously Trump is defending his tax returns, getting people to break the law for him to protect his interests, tying everything up in court. Why, if he is innocent, is he doing this? He knows his tax returns would be kept from the public, it’s not our business if he is innocent. But he is behaving like a criminal who is guilty and that in itself is driving most of us to get him out of the Presidency so he can be tried like a regular citizen. We don’t need someone like that, who should be a model citizen, in the Presidency. But I can get that all from the MSM and I know when they are gas-lighting and not being completely honest. What you need to realize is that much of the news being presented these days is more opinion than just dry facts, because this is what generates revenue.
The problem, though, with your argument is your sourcing, BNL state Schiff said the whistleblower was getting death threats, and that the tweet was deleted. Do they have a copy of that tweet? Or are we to just believe what they say?
@firststrike502 I think we are starting to reach some common ground. Yes, I believe there is corruption on both sides, but seeing we have to choose a side, I choose the lesser of two evils. I also believe there are candidates on the left that want to clean up the corruption. Whether they can achieve that or become part of the corruption is yet to be seen, but we can’t allow someone that is clearly corrupt to continue.
As for Biden’s and Pelosi’s sons, they are adults and entitled to their own beliefs and their own careers. To clear up any misunderstanding though, Pelosi’s son Paul Jnr was working in a manner to reduce emissions and work in a cleaner more sustainable way. Just because they work for an Oil & Gas company doesn’t mean they advocate raping and pillaging the land of resources and are climate deniers.
@Utha Enjoyed the back and forth. We simply disagree on certain issues and maybe even agree on a few. That being said have a great night. My bedtime EST.
@firststrike502 Yep, you too. No one can ever agree on everything, what a boring world we’d live in if that were the case. Good night.
Crooks do this blocking
Make America great again lock him up
*What is Little Donny Fail-Fail hiding, hmmm? Must be something bad.*
Gop is dead. Gop remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?
Sethrich Nietzsche
Gordon Sondland must have been holding Donny’s tax returns under his arms…
If so, he’s a hero.
trump obviously thinks ” checks and balances ” means checks from Russian oligarchs to balance his account.
Jeff Cooper
Ohhh! Burn! Nice!
If there is nothing to hide let him testify. It’s so simple.
@Drew Oliver Based on what? What will Republicans subpoenaing people do?
Ok. I accuse you of kidnapping puppies and killing them. I demand that you testify despite having no evidence. That is what is going on here.
@Drew Oliver Democrats have nothing to hide unlike Trump and Giuliani. Trump is only trying to flip the aspect of corruption over onto his accusers as usual. It is lame and unsubstantiated and has no basis in fact. As usual, Trump’s hope is that enough people will be fooled to take it as fact and vote accordingly. And that’s it.
Joe Biden must be held accountable for his crimes.
All the people obstructing should be indicted and charged with obstruction
@Crystal Giddens Oh well,, if it is on Youtube, then it MUST be true! LMAO
The people preventing others from testify should be put in jail then others will come forward to testify in front of Congress as Trump is acting like a guilty person with all this blocking others from testify.
And arrest and incarceration should immediately follow those indictments!!
downhillskier7 all they have to do is start issuing arrest warrants for failure to show for official congressional procedure
Joe Biden will not get away with that!
totally nothing to hide
what a sham the admin is
SECRET SERVERS OFFICIALS REFUSING TO TESTIFY. THIS SURE LOOKS GUILTY. GUILTY GUILTY. IMPEACH THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN HISTORY!!!!!!!
Weren’t they mad at Hillary for doing that?
Choices:
1. testify and tell the truth
2. Refuse to testify and face obstruction charges.
Looks like the truth is worse than obstructing justice.
That shows consciousness of guilt to most people.
@Leo
no, the democrats are the ones trying to wreck the democracy by over turning a legal election & disenfranchising 65 million American voters.
yer on the wrong side of history here, Leo…..the democrats are the bad guys. Trump is the good guy here…..wise up. next time it could be your president.
@Ronnie Jackson
guilty of what, Ronnie? seriously, i keep asking & no one can tell me. you dont have the foggiest idea, do you?
anyway, only a jury in a court of law can find someone guilty —- until then they are assumed to be NOT guilty.
at least that how it works in the USA…..the democrats dont like that but let’s hope they dont get their way…surely you aren’t in favor of the Russian model of guilty until proven innocent…..are you? huh?
btw, he cooperated fully with the Mueller investigation hoax. i think he learned from that to not cooperate with a bogus “inquiry” in search of a crime.
would you?
@Jenn smith WTF are you talking about , this is the last thing the Democratic party wants to do , but Trump’s forcing the issue with blantent 3rd world coruput acts (extortion of a country desperately fending off V. Putin ) etc….& Trump as the good guy ??? When has he ever been that ?
The “Billionaire” who hides his taxes. The “Patriot ” who dodged the draft. The “Philanthropist” who defrauded a charity. The “Genius ” who hides his college grades. The “business man ” who bankruptes casinos. The “Innocent Man” who obstructs justice and won’t allow people to testify.
I may be wrong but I think the original quote was about ducks. Publicans are a noble breed, dispensing real ale in quaint pubs. I like your mixed metaphors though, fake sheep deluded by evangelicals in baptism rituals muddying waters.(A great guitarist) Alternative facts – spot on.
Pure Poetry.
Len Ovo if you search a bit further you find that Biden wasn’t acting alone on this and there is more to it. He was not alone on this, other democrats AND republicans signed to back this move which actually was to remove all corrupt Ukrainian officials before any money was handed over. Not only that, the prosecutor you’re talking about had stalled on his investigation because he was unable to find anything wrong up to this point
Perry Walton , you have made an accurate account of Trumps fraudulent hypocrisy based on fact
It should be placed on a Billboard in Time’s Square 24/7 Trump is Guilty of Treason It Is The Beginning Of An Historical End
@Kesi Lame are dollar bills how you measure a successful life? really? inherited wealth? behind every great fortune is a great crime. can’t remember who said it, but it’s proven to be true so often, I have no doubts.
Ah yes, our glorious president. Corruption, obstruction, lies and cover-up. Every minute. Every day.