Pompeo, Esper, and Bolton Tried to Convince Trump to Release Ukraine Aid: NYT

Soon after it became public knowledge that President Trump had frozen military aid to Ukraine, his national security team intervened and tried to convince the president to reverse his decision, The New York Times reported Sunday. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down with Trump in August at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office to present their individual cases for releasing the aid to Ukraine. “This is in America’s interest,” Bolton said, according to a Times source. Esper reportedly added, “This defense relationship, we have gotten some really good benefits from it,” notably military equipment manufactured in the United States. Trump reportedly responded with, “Ukraine is a corrupt country,” adding, “We are pissing away our money.” Trump was the third president to be impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for withholding essential money from Ukraine in order to pressure the country to dig up dirt on his political rivals for his own personal and political gain.