I heard Ambassador Sondland greet the President and explain that he was calling from  
Kyiv. I heard President Trump then clarify that Ambassador Sondland was in Ukraine.  
Ambassador Sondland replied, yes, he was in Ukraine

During the lunch, Ambassador Sondland said that he was going to call President Trump
to give him an update. Ambassador Sondland placed a call on his mobile phone, and I heard
him announce himself several times, along the lines of “Gordan Sondland holding for the
President.” It appeared that he was being transferred through several layers of switchboards
and assistants. I then noticed Ambassador Sondland’s demeanor change, and understood that
he had been connected to President Trump. While Ambassador Sondland’s phone was not on
speakerphone, I could hear the President’s voice through the earpiece of the phone. The
President’s voice was very loud and recognizable, and Ambassador Sondland held the phone
away from his ear for a period of time, presumably because of the loud volume.
I heard Ambassador Sondland greet the President and explain that he was calling from
Kyiv. I heard President Trump then clarify that Ambassador Sondland was in Ukraine.
Ambassador Sondland replied, yes, he was in Ukraine, and went on to state that President
Zelenskyy “loves your ass.” I then heard President Trump ask, “So, he’s gonna do the
investigation?” Ambassador Sondland replied that “he’s gonna do it,” adding that President
Zelenskyy will do “anything you ask him to.” Even though I did not take notes of these
statements, I have a clear recollection that these statements were made. I believe that my
colleagues who were sitting at the table also knew that Ambassador Sondland was speaking
with the President.
 
The conversation then shifted to Ambassador Sondland’s efforts, on behalf of the
President, to assist a rapper who was jailed in Sweden, and I could only hear Ambassador
Sondland’s side of that part of the conversation. Ambassador Sondland told the President that
the rapper was “kind of f----d there,” and “should have pled guilty.” He recommended that the
President “wait until after the sentencing or it will make it worse,” adding that the President
should “let him get sentenced, play the racism card, give him a ticker-tape when he comes
home.” Ambassador Sondland further told the President that Sweden “should have released
him on your word,” but that “you can tell the Kardashians you tried.”
After the call ended, Ambassador Sondland remarked that the President was in a bad
mood, as Ambassador Sondland stated was often the case early in the morning. I then took the
opportunity to ask Ambassador Sondland for his candid impression of the President’s views on  
Ukraine. In particular, I asked Ambassador Sondland if it was true that the President did not
“give a s--t about Ukraine.” Ambassador Sondland agreed that the President did not “give a s--t
about Ukraine.” I asked why not, and Ambassador Sondland stated that the President only
cares about “big stuff.” I noted that there was “big stuff” going on in Ukraine, like a war with
Russia, and Ambassador Sondland replied that he meant “big stuff” that benefits the President,
like the “Biden investigation” that Mr. Giuliani was pushing. The conversation then moved on
to other topics.

Buttigieg is surging in early state polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. Could Pete take the heat? For the most part, he did.

Buttigieg is surging in early state polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. Could Pete take the heat? For the most part, he did.

The conversation then shifted to Ambassador Sondland’s efforts, on behalf of the  
President, to assist a rapper who was jailed in Sweden, and I could only hear Ambassador  
Sondland’s side of that part of the conversation. Ambassador Sondland told the President that  
the rapper was “kind of f----d there,” and “should have pled guilty.” He recommended that the  
President “wait until after the sentencing or it will make it worse,” adding that the President  
should “let him get sentenced, play the racism card, give him a ticker-tape when he comes  
home.” Ambassador Sondland further told the President that Sweden “should have released  
him on your word,” but that “you can tell the Kardashians you tried.”

In particular, I asked Ambassador Sondland if it was true that the President did not
“give a s--t about Ukraine.” Ambassador Sondland agreed that the President did not “give a s--t
about Ukraine.” I asked why not, and Ambassador Sondland stated that the President only
cares about “big stuff.” I noted that there was “big stuff” going on in Ukraine, like a war with
Russia, and Ambassador Sondland replied that he meant “big stuff” that benefits the President,
like the “Biden investigation” that Mr. Giuliani was pushing. The conversation then moved on
to other topics.

Sam Stein @samstein
 
Mere moments after Fiona Hill warns about Republicans insisting that Ukraine was the country doing the election interference, Trump’s campaign sends the following email

Sam Stein @samstein
 
Mere moments after Fiona Hill warns about Republicans insisting that Ukraine was the country doing the election interference, Trump’s campaign sends the following email