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Trump Inaccurately Calls Whistleblower of Zelensky Phone Call a ‘Spy’ and Traitor in Private Meeting

WASHINGTON INFORMER — While the Mueller investigation dragged on for the first two years of President Trump’s time in office, it turned up nothing damning enough to warrant impeachment. But a phone call Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just two months ago and a whistleblower complaint regarding it have even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who had previously held out on supporting a formal impeachment inquiry — changing her mind.

Published

7 years ago

September 29, 2019

Oakland Post

President Donald Trump (Photo by: Gage Skidmore | Wiki Commons)

By Olivia Riggio, Special to The Informer via DiversityInc

While the Mueller investigation dragged on for the first two years of President Trump’s time in office, it turned up nothing damning enough to warrant impeachment. But a phone call Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just two months ago and a whistleblower complaint regarding it have even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who had previously held out on supporting a formal impeachment inquiry — changing her mind.

“He gave us no choice,” she said Friday on NBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Amid the chaos of the inquiry, Bloomberg obtained a video of Trump denouncing the whistleblower who exposed the possible crime as “close to a spy” during a closed-door meeting with U.S. diplomats.

“Who’s the person that gave the whistleblower the information?” he said. “‘Cause that’s close to a spy. You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart to spies and treasoners [sic] right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now.”

Trump was referencing the history of spies and traitors being executed for being disloyal to their country. Ironically, Trump’s impeachment inquiry is based on the question of whether he violated U.S. law by conspiring with another country.

The rough, unofficial transcript of the July 25 call reveals Trump asking Zelensky to dig up dirt on Democratic Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, presumably to sabotage his campaign. The dirt involves allegations that Biden improperly intervened in Ukraine to protect his son, Hunter Biden, who was on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian private gas company that was under scrutiny for possible abuse of power and unlawful enrichment — before Hunter Biden had even joined.

There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great,” the memorandum of the telephone conversation cites Trump saying. “Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you ·can look into it … It sounds horrible to me.”

Trump asking this “favor” of Zelensky calls into question his adherence to the integrity of U.S. elections. It is illegal for foreigners to contribute to U.S. political campaigns or for American politicians to solicit support from foreigners. An investigation into Biden by Ukraine could constitute a non-monetary contribution.

In the same “Morning Joe” interview, Pelosi said Trump’s conversation with Zelensky made him disloyal to the Oath of Office.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, said his panel would begin an investigation of Trump’s actions involving Ukraine.

However, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement saying the whistleblower’s complaint “shows nothing improper” and Trump “has nothing to hide.”

In reality, Trump calling a whistleblower a “spy” or traitor is inaccurate. Whistleblowers expose illegal or unethical information within an organization, while spies give classified information to foreign governments. Treason, in the words of the Constitution itself, “shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in Open Court.”

The Whistleblower Protection Act protects federal employees and applicants who legally reveal information about corruption. The act prevents the whistleblowers from facing retaliation. In the case of this complaint, the whistleblower is presumed to be a CIA analyst. The language of the complaint seems to be written by someone who is familiar with legal jargon and protocol.

The whistleblower themself explains how they were not a direct witness but became aware of it through others.

“It is routine for U.S. officials with responsibility for a particular regional or functional portfolio to share such information with one another in order to inform policymaking and analysis,” the complaint says.

Based on the information currently known, the whistleblower did not do anything illegal. Trump may have.

In the words of The Bulwark’s Benjamin Parker in his piece, “Memo to Trump: The Whistleblower Is Not a Spy”:

“If it’s classified information, and you give it to authorities authorized to view classified information (such as the intelligence community inspector general), and those authorities give it to the congressional committees who are authorized to view classified information, and this all happens according to the letter-slash-spirit of the law governing whistleblowers in the intelligence community, and then later the president decides to declassify the information because he doesn’t understand exactly how politically damaging it is, that’s not spying.”

This post originally appeared in The Washington Informer.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY