Donald Trump blasts impeachment leader 'a sick man' after new video raises further questions over Ukraine

Donald Trump is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate
AP
Ewan Somerville26 January 2020

Donald Trump blasted the man leading his impeachment as a “sick man” after video emerged which appears to capture him ordering the removal of a US envoy to the Ukraine.

In a twitter storm, in which he posted 12 updates on Saturday morning, the US president said: "Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man. He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!"

Mr Schiff, the Intelligence committee chairman is spearheading Mr Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate which began on Tuesday, where he is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

It came as a tape from April 2018 surfaced on Saturday purporting to show the president saying “get rid of her,” in a discussion with Washington donors about the former US ambassador to Ukraine Mario Yovanovitch.

Adam Schiff was the focus of a Trump Twitter storm over impeachment proceedings
Getty Images

The content had previously been reported and the footage was leaked by an attorney of Lev Parnas, a US businessman present at the dinner. Mr Trump claims he has never met Mr Parnas, who worked for his personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani.

The president has not yet commented on the footage, which has fuelled his opponents who cite the mystery around her dismissal as ambassador to Kyiv in May 2019.

A new video claims to show Mr Trump ordering Mario Yovanovitch be fired as Ukraine ambassador
Getty Images

On Sunday he attacked Democrat Mr Schiff over him misquoting a phone exchange between the US and Ukranian leaders on July 25, which is central to efforts to remove Mr Trump from office.

“The Impeachment Hoax is a massive election interference the likes of which has never been seen before,” he said in another tweet.

“In just two hours the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats have seen their phony case absolutely shredded. Shifty is now exposed for illegally making up my phone call, & more!”

Mr Trump’s lawyers began their defence in the Senate impeachment trial on Saturday, claiming that the Democrats are attempting to derail his 2020 election effort.

He is accused of withholding military aid from Ukraine as leverage to pressure its president Volodymyr Zelensky to probe Joe Biden, his rival in the White House race.

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