President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a joint news conference this afternoon at the White House following a day filled with public testimonies in the impeachment inquiry.
Here are some of the big takeaways from the news conference:
- Trump slams the impeachment inquiry: Trump called the impeachment probe "a sham" that "shouldn't be allowed."
- Ukraine controversy: Trump said he knows nothing about new information revealed in today's public impeachment hearing that places him closer to the center of a Ukraine pressure campaign. Trump, speaking at the White House, said he doesn’t recall a phone conversation with Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, in which Trump is said to have asked about “the investigations" into Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
- Another transcript: Trump said he's releasing a transcript of a second call with his Ukrainian counterpart tomorrow. The President has been promising to release the transcript of his call with the Ukrainian president all week. The call took place in April before the July conversation which is at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.
- Ceasefire in Syria: Trump addressed the ongoing conflict in Syria, claiming "Turkey will continue to uphold what it's supposed to uphold."
- Armenian genocide: Erdogan addressed a recent House resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide, suggesting that the legislation was bolstered by individuals sympathetic to the Kurdish forces who Turks regard as terrorists. The resolution recognized the genocide of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians during World War I, a move the Turkish government has long opposed.