Trump teases release of transcript of first Ukraine call

President Trump said he would release the transcript of his first call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, describing it as more important than his second call with the leader that is at the center of the House impeachment inquiry.  

“In order to continue being the most Transparent President in history, I will be releasing sometime this week the Transcript of the first, and therefore most important, phone call I had with the President of Ukraine,” Trump tweeted Monday evening. “I am sure you will find it tantalizing!”

{mosads}Trump indicated last week that he was open to publicly releasing a transcript of his April call with Zelensky, telling reporters over the weekend it could be done Tuesday. 

“They want to have a transcript of the other call, the second call, and I’m willing to provide that,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday. “You’ll read the second call, and you’ll tell me if there’s anything wrong with it.” 

Trump spoke with Zelensky for the first time shortly after he was elected president of Ukraine in April.

The call preceded the July 25 phone conversation during which Trump asked Zelensky to pursue investigations into the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee server as well as former Vice President Joe Biden and his son’s business dealings in Ukraine. The White House released a rough transcript of that conversation in September. It is at the center of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. 

House Democrats are investigating whether Trump abused his office to press for investigations that could benefit him politically. Trump has maintained he did nothing wrong on the call, describing it as “perfect.” 

“Read the Transcript. It is PERFECT!” the president tweeted earlier Monday.

The release of Trump’s first call with Ukraine is likely to grab attention during a critical week for the White House and House Democrats as the impeachment hearings go public. 

House Democrats have scheduled U.S. diplomat William Taylor for public testimony on Wednesday.