Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 15 (August 2019 - December 2019)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 2 (2000s)
Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 15 (August 2019 - December 2019)
“President Donald J. Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zalensky Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, at the InterContinental New York Barclay in New York City. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)” under public domain by The White House.
From August to December 2019, the events surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange continued to intersect with political controversies and international relations. During this period, the focus shifted towards a scandal involving President Trump and his interactions with Ukraine. Here is a summary of the key events:
In September, an anonymous whistleblower complaint about President Trump's interactions with Ukraine was blocked from immediate disclosure by the administration, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
News broke that Trump suggested to Ukraine's president that he should investigate Joe Biden and his son. This revelation sparked a political firestorm and led to intense scrutiny of Biden's ties to Ukraine and Trump's motives.
As the controversy unfolded, Democrats in Congress called for the release of the transcript of Trump's conversation with Ukraine's president. The delay in US aid to Ukraine also came under scrutiny, with questions arising about the potential quid pro quo involving the release of aid and investigations into Biden.
Facing mounting pressure, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry into President Trump. This decision marked a significant escalation in the political battle between the Democrats and the Trump administration.
Facebook faced criticism for its policy of not fact-checking politicians on the site, drawing attention to the role of social media in disseminating political information.
Further revelations emerged, including a memo suggesting that Trump urged Ukraine's leader to investigate the Bidens. Legal experts debated whether Trump's actions could potentially violate campaign finance laws.
The impeachment investigation gained momentum, with key witnesses testifying about the alleged quid pro quo between Trump and Ukraine. The hearings uncovered several examples supporting the quid pro quo allegations, fueling the Democrats' case for impeachment.
On the international front, tensions rose between Russia and NATO, with French President Emmanuel Macron declaring that the NATO alliance was experiencing "brain death." Security officials also warned about a top-secret Russian unit seeking to destabilize Europe.
In November, GOP strategist Roger Stone, known for his connection to WikiLeaks, was convicted on multiple counts of obstruction, witness tampering, and false statements. Stone's conviction shed light on his efforts to protect Trump during the Mueller investigation.
More evidence emerged suggesting that Trump directed the quid pro quo with Ukraine, further implicating him in the scandal. Media outlets provided analysis and fact-checking of the evidence presented.
Throughout this period, discussions surrounding Russia's influence and interference in US politics persisted, with presidential candidates sharing their stances on the issue.
As the year drew to a close, concerns were raised about Trump's use of a personal cellphone, potentially compromising the security of his communications. Articles explored the implications of Trump's impeachment and the impact of false beliefs on conservative thinking.
The events surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange remained intertwined with larger political narratives, highlighting the complex intersections of international relations, technology, and transparency in the digital age.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on June 5, 2023
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Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6 (2022+)
Sources for Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 15 (August 2019 - December 2019):
Administration blocks ‘urgent’ whistleblower disclosure – AP News September 20, 2019
Trump suggests he raised the Bidens with Ukraine’s president – AP News September 23, 2019
The story behind Biden’s son, Ukraine and Trump’s claims – AP News September 23, 2019
AP explains: The delay in US aid to Ukraine – AP News September 23, 2019
Trump says transcript of Ukraine conversation to be released – AP News September 24, 2019
Furor over Trump puts Ukraine’s leader in a tough spot – AP News September 24, 2019
Trump ordered aid frozen; more Democrats want impeachment – AP News September 24, 2019
Trump’s Ukraine episode crossed ‘red line’ for Dem freshmen – AP News September 24, 2019
Pelosi orders impeachment probe: ‘No one is above the law’ – AP News September 24, 2019
Impeachment a rarely used path for upending a president – AP News September 24, 2019
Facebook says it isn’t fact checking politicians on the site – AP News September 25, 2019
Memo: Trump prodded Ukraine leader to investigate Bidens – AP News September 25, 2019
How Trump’s Ukraine call could violate campaign finance laws – AP News September 25, 2019
Pelosi, Trump and impeachment: How the speaker got to ‘yes’ – AP News September 25, 2019
AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s thin rationale on Ukraine aid – AP News September 25, 2019
Washington plunges into Trump impeachment investigation – AP News September 26, 2019
Russia says Trump can’t release phone calls without Kremlin permission – NBC News September 30, 2019
Email Leak Exposes Trump Tower Russian’s Dirty Lobbying Operations – Daily Beast October 4, 2019
Warren escalates Facebook fight with ad targeting Zuckerberg – AP News October 14, 2019
Twitter bans political ads ahead of 2020 election – AP News October 30, 2019
The pressure is now on Facebook to ban political ads, too – AP News October 31, 2019
Nato alliance experiencing brain death, says Macron – BBC November 7, 2019
The 2 quid pro quos at the heart of the impeachment inquiry – Vox November 12, 2019
Trump’s View of Ukraine as Corrupt Took Shape Early – The Wall Street Journal November 16, 2019
Trump directed Ukraine quid pro quo, key witness says – AP News November 20, 2019
Ukraine: The quid pro quo evidence so far – Washington Post November 20, 2019
2020 presidential candidates on Russia – BallotPedia November 27, 2019
The False Romance of Russia – The Atlantic December 12. 2019
What Does Tucker Carlson Believe? – The Atlantic December 15, 2019