memeorandum: Sondland says he told Pence that Ukraine military aid appeared conditioned on political investigations (Rosalind S. Helderman/Washington Post)

3:05 PM ET, November 20, 2019

Top Items:

Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:

Sondland Kept Pompeo Informed on Ukraine Pressure Campaign — The diplomat at the center of the impeachment inquiry looped in the secretary of state at key moments as American officials pushed for investigations sought by President Trump. — WASHINGTON — Gordon D. Sondland …

Discussion: Vox, TIME, CNN, Vanity Fair, Hullabaloo, The Week, The American Independent, Talking Points Memo, Common Dreams, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., Mediaite, Roll Call, Raw Story and Just Security

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:

'It doesn't matter': House Republicans embrace ‘quid pro quo’ — After saying they could not accept a quid pro quo, House Republicans say it no longer matters if President Trump tied $400 million in military aid earmarked for Ukraine to Kyiv agreeing to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Discussion: Raw Story and The American Independent

The Daily Beast:

Gordon Sondland Trashes Giuliani, Says 'We Followed the President's Orders' — “We weren't happy with the president's directive to talk with Rudy,” he said. “We did not want to involve Mr. Giuliani.” — U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told House impeachment investigators Wednesday …

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press, Washington Post, Axios, The Hill, Breitbart, CNN, Raw Story, Townhall, Contemptor and POLITICUSUSA

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Impeachment hearings live updates: Trump lashes out as Sondland acknowledges there was a ‘quid pro quo’ — President Trump lashed out anew at the Democrat-lead impeachment inquiry Wednesday as Gordon Sondland, the most significant witnesses to date, acknowledged there was a “quid pro quo” …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Law & Crime and Political Wire

Quint Forgey / Politico:

'I don't know him very well': Trump fights back against Sondland's testimony — Clutching handwritten notes scrawled with a Sharpie, President Donald Trump on Wednesday fought back against bombshell impeachment testimony from Gordon Sondland that tied the president even closer …

Discussion: Axios, Politico, Breitbart, One America News Network and The Hill

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:

The Spectacular Failure of the Trump Wranglers — Kurt Volker and many others tried to manage the President. Impeachment is the result. — On Tuesday, nearly seven hours into the marathon third day of public impeachment hearings, Kurt Volker tried to explain to the House Intelligence Committee …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Post, NBC News, Raw Story and Mother Jones

Aaron C. Davis / Washington Post:

Sondland acknowledges there was a ‘quid pro quo’ involving Ukraine — Ambassador Gordon Sondland testified Wednesday more bluntly than he had before that President Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, sought to condition a White House invite for Ukraine's new president to demands …

Discussion: Jewish Insider, Axios, The Root, Talking Points Memo, Law & Crime, Fox News, Breitbart, Metro.co.uk, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

The other knife Gordon Sondland stuck in Trump's back — President Trump's defense of his interactions with Ukraine hinges on the idea that he was fervently concerned about corruption in that country, so much so that he prioritized corruption investigations during his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25.

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:

Sondland says he told Pence that Ukraine military aid appeared conditioned on political investigations — Vice President Pence was informed just before meeting with the president of Ukraine in September that a U.S. ambassador believed that stalled military aid to Ukraine would likely …

Discussion: Redstate, Hot Air and Political Wire

Peter Baker / New York Times:

A White House Now ‘Cannibalizing Itself’ — “On July 25th, along with several of my colleagues, I listened to a call between President Trump and President Zelensky, the content of which has since been publicly reported. I found the July 25th phone call unusual because in contrast …

Discussion: Press Watch, CNN and KBJR 6

Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:

Ken Starr: GOP Senators Might Consider Having to ‘Make a Trip’ to the White House After Sondland's Testimony — Moments before Wednesday's impeachment hearings and right after U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland's opening statement was released, Fox News contributor Ken Starr wondered …

Discussion: Breitbart, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Hill, The Daily Beast and Joe.My.God.

ABC News:
Trump impeachment hearings live updates: Gordon Sondland testifies

Discussion: Vox, Metro.co.uk, Joe.My.God., The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Gateway Pundit, IJR, Breitbart, The Week and Raw Story

Andrew Desiderio / Politico:
‘The answer is yes’: Sondland affirms ‘quid pro quo’ in Ukraine dealings

Discussion: Associated Press, Dem Primary Tracker 2020, TheBlaze, Axios, The Dispatch, Outside the Beltway, Politico, New Republic and Washington Post

Josh Lederman / NBC News:
Sondland testimony targets Trump, Pompeo and confirms deal with Ukraine

Discussion: CBS News, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, Joe.My.God. and Political Wire

Emily Tillett / CBS News:
Pence denies Gordon Sondland's claims that he knew of Ukraine dealings

Discussion: The Nation and Political Wire

NBC News:
‘I was shocked,’ Sondland says about claim he was involved in ‘drug deal’ with Ukraine

Discussion: Vox

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Sondland's testimony will expose Trump's use of crime-boss language

Discussion: New York Times and ABC News

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Impeachment's trench warfare

Discussion: Washington Post, HuffPost and Joe.My.God.

New York Times:
Read Gordon Sondland's Opening Statement

Discussion: The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, HuffPost, The Mahablog and TheBlaze

Tobias Hoonhout / National Review:
Pence Denies Discussing Ukraine Investigations with Sondland or Zelensky

Discussion: Washington Post

Associated Press:
The Latest: Was there a quid pro quo? Envoy says ‘yes’

Discussion: Twitchy, The Daily Beast, Columbian and KTLA

Andrew O'Reilly / Fox News:
Pence office denies Sondland claim on Ukraine warning: ‘Never happened’

Discussion: PEN, IJR and The Hill

Chris Cillizza / CNN:
How Republicans' star impeachment witness turned on them

Discussion: Washington Post and Daily Kos

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Republicans should have thought twice before calling Volker and Morrison

Discussion: Occupy Democrats and Vox

Yahoo News:

FBI seeks interview with CIA whistleblower — WASHINGTON — The FBI recently sought to question the CIA whistleblower who filed a complaint over President Trump's July 25 Ukraine call — a move that came after a vigorous internal debate within the bureau over how to respond to some of the issues raised …

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story and Daily Kos

NBC News:
FBI seeks to interview the whistleblower

Discussion: IJR

Salvador Rizzo / Washington Post:
Schiff's claim that the whistleblower has a ‘statutory right’ to anonymity

Discussion: Redstate, Breitbart, The Hill, Just Security and IJR

Wall Street Journal: FBI Seeks Interview With Ukraine Whistleblower

Andrew O'Reilly / Fox News:
Republicans seek to subpoena Hunter Biden, Ukraine whistleblower, DNC files

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit

Christopher Dickey / The Daily Beast:

Nikki Haley Used System for Unclassified Material to Send ‘Confidential’ Information — Newly released emails suggest that in 2017 the then-ambassador lost her password for classified communication and so used a different system. — North Korea had just tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable …

Discussion: One America News Network and Raw Story

Ari Feldman / The Forward:

Alexander Vindman's Family Under 24-Hour Security Monitoring After Twitter Targeting By Trump — The Army has placed Alexander Vindman, an expert on Ukraine and a central figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, and his family under 24-hour security monitoring …

Discussion: Task & Purpose, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, No More Mister Nice Blog, PEN, Redstate, Salon, New York Magazine, The Week, Raw Story and The Atlantic

The Daily Beast:
Trump White House Blasts Out Anti-Vindman Talking Points to Surrogates

Discussion: Breitbart, PEN, Joe.My.God., Politico, Talking Points Memo, Deseret News, CNN, Los Angeles Times and Raw Story

Andrew Clevenger / Roll Call:
What to wear? Republicans flag Vindman's sartorial choice

Discussion: Althouse

Ady Barkan / The Nation:

Why I'm Endorsing Elizabeth Warren — Elizabeth or Bernie? It's a difficult and wonderful choice to have. — I have spent my entire career at the messy and vital intersection of movement-building, electoral politics, and governance. And for the past three years, I've done that work under …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, The Hill, Common Dreams and CNN

Mayor Wayne Messam:

I am Suspending My 2020 Presidential Campaign But I'm Not Finished Yet — I am Suspending My 2020 Presidential Campaign But I'm Not Finished Yet — I launched my 2020 Presidential Campaign eight months ago back in March as the son of Jamaican Immigrant parents.

Discussion: CNN, New York Times, Vox, Bloomberg, HuffPost, Florida Politics and Washington Times

Chantal Da Silva / Newsweek:

Trump Regularly 'Can't Remember What He's Said or Been Told,' White House Insider Says — President Donald Trump regularly struggles to “remember what he's said or been told,” an anonymous senior government official behind a new exposé on the inner workings of the White House has claimed.

Discussion: Political Wire

Amanda Terkel / HuffPost:

There Are Two Rhodes Scholars Running For President. Only One Gets Mentioned. — Media outlets mention that Pete Buttigieg was a Rhodes scholar far more often than they mention that Cory Booker was one too. — A major part of Pete Buttigieg's appeal is his brain.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight and Slate

Akela Lacy / The Intercept:
As President, Pete Buttigieg Wants to Give 25 Percent of Federal Contracts to Minorities.

Discussion: National Review, The Week, HuffPost and Washington Post

Baltimore Sun:

Former Baltimore Mayor Pugh indicted on 11 counts of fraud, tax evasion in ‘Healthy Holly’ book scandal — Federal prosecutors have charged former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh with 11 counts of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy in what they allege was a corrupt scheme involving her sales of a self-published children's book series.

Discussion: Political Wire, CityLab, The Root, New York Post, Joe.My.God. and Sara A. Carter