Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Trump says he blocked ambassador's testimony and attacks 'kangaroo court'

Trump says he blocked ambassador's testimony and attacks 'kangaroo court'

Gordon Sondland was due to testify on Ukraine as House intelligence chair Schiff says Trump admission provides evidence of obstruction
Donald Trump said he prevented the US ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, from testifying to congressional impeachment hearings, calling them a “kangaroo court”.

Democrats leading the impeachment investigation said Sondland’s lawyers were called by a state department official after midnight, leaving a voicemail message ordering him not to attend Tuesday’s hearings.

The late night call came after Sondland handed over WhatsApp messages and other communications from his personal devices to the state department, which was refusing to provide them to the House committees holding the impeachment hearings.

“Ambassador Sondland’s testimony and documents are vital, and that is precisely why the administration is now blocking his testimony and withholding his documents,” the chairs of the House intelligence, oversight and foreign affairs committees said in a written statement

“We consider this interference to be obstruction of the impeachment inquiry,” the statement said, adding that the committees would be issuing subpoenas to Sondland for his testimony and documents.

Sondland had been due to testify voluntarily on his communications with Ukrainian officials, US diplomats, the president and the president’s lawyer, about the time of Trump’s 25 July phone call with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelinskiy. At issue is the question of whether Trump abused his office by using its power to his own political advantage, by pushing a Ukrainian investigation of Joe Biden, a likely opponent in the 2020 election.

Sondland’s attorney, Robert Luskin, said his client had been eager to answer questions from the House committees, but had been instructed by the state department early on Tuesday not to attend.

Later in the morning, Trump went on Twitter to say he ordered Sondland to be blocked.

“I would love to send Ambassador Sondland, a really good man and great American, to testify, but unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised kangaroo court, where Republicans’ rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public to see,” the president tweeted.

Republicans are pushing for equal rights as the minority party to issue subpoenas, and the White House has said it will not respond to subpoenas until such rights are granted.

“Ambassador Sondland is profoundly disappointed that he will not be able to testify today,” Luskin’s statement read, adding that he had travelled to Washington from Brussels to prepare for his testimony.

Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, said Sondland was “an important witness”, adding: “We will consider this act today … as well as withholding information … to be further acts of obstruction.”

“The American people have the right to know if the president is acting in their interests, in the nation’s interest, and not in his narrow personal, political interests,” Schiff told reporters after the presidential tweets. “Indeed, the American people have a need to know.”

Luskin, Sondland’s lawyer, said the ambassador “believes strongly that he acted at all times in the best interests of the United States, and he stands ready to answer the committee’s questions fully and truthfully.

He added: “Ambassador Sondland hopes that the issues raised by the state department that preclude his testimony will be resolved promptly. He stands ready to testify on short notice, whenever he is permitted to appear.”

In his morning tweets, Trump pointed to a text message Sondland had sent to the acting US ambassador in Ukraine (which Trump misidentified as a tweet), in which Sondland said: “I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The president has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind.”

However, Sondland’s previous text exchanges with US officials, released by the House committees, made clear that Zelenskiy would not get a coveted White House visit unless he launched the investigations Trump was demanding.

Ukraine is not in the European Union, but Sondland was dispatched to work alongside the Ukraine special envoy Kurt Volker, apparently in the capacity as a direct emissary of the president, to persuade Ukraine to co-operate.

The two men also consulted Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, who was working on the Ukraine matter.

Volker resigned his post before testifying to the House committees last week.

The White House appears to have calculated that Sondland’s testimony might be more damaging than facing the wrath of the House over his absence. Sondland, a wealthy Oregon hotelier, was named ambassador to the EU last year after donating $1m to Trump’s inauguration fund.

Congress is on recess but committees investigating the president continue to work.

A new Washington Post/Schar School poll released on Tuesday showed 58% support for the impeachment inquiry and 49% support for moving to impeach the president and attempting to remove him from office.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×