President Trump said Thursday that he would read the transcript of the July 25 phone call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the American people “perhaps as a fireside chat on live television,” so that they would hear that it was a “good call.” “This is over a phone call that is a good call,” Trump told the Washington Examiner. “At some point, I’m going to sit down, perhaps as a fireside chat on live television, and I will read the transcript of the call, because people have to hear it. When you read it, it’s a straight call.” The July 25 call is at the heart of the impeachment inquiry, which entered a new stage as the House of Representatives voted to formalize the process just hours before Trump’s comments. Trump also told the Examiner he would not cooperate with the proceedings following the House vote. “You are setting a terrible precedent for other presidents,” he said after he was asked if he would honor document requests and subpoenas.
