Daily Update | September 27, 2019
Kyle Skinner // 9/27/19 //
The acting Director of National Security testified yesterday morning for three hours, defending his handling of the whistleblower’s report, which was publicly released. President Trump apparently threatened the whistleblower by comparing him or her to a spy. The administration has reached an asylum deal with Honduras that could result in immigrants being stuck in one of the world’s most violent countries.
IMPEACHMENT
The acting Director of National Security testified yesterday morning for three hours, defending his handling of the whistleblower’s report (WaPo).
- The House Intelligence Committee has released a lightly redacted copy of the complaint (Lawfare).
- The White House has released the contents of the phone call (Lawfare).
- Katie Mettler and Carol D. Leonnig explain the process of revision that produced the near-verbatim transcript of Trump’s call with the President of Ukraine (WaPo).
- In addition to concerns about the phone call itself, the whistleblower was apparently also concerned about steps taken by the White House to hide the call (NYT, Just Security, WaPo).
- Intelligence leaders asked the DOJ to investigate the Trump phone call-- and they decided not to investigate further (WaPo).
- Giuliani’s role has come under closer scrutiny as a result of the memorandum (WaPo).
- President Trump has called the whistleblower “almost a spy” (LA Times).
- Ned Foley argues that Trump should be removed from office but that he should be allowed to run again in 2020 (Politico).
IMMIGRATION
The rate of immigration to the U.S. has slowed to a trickle (NYT).
The administration has reached an asylum deal with Honduras that could result in immigrants being stuck in one of the world’s most violent countries (Immigration Prof Blog, WaPo).