Trump tweets attacks on Romney as Pompeo defends president, saying "it doesn't bother me a lick"
House Democrats are taking their impeachment inquiry straight to the White House. CBS News has obtained a copy of their subpoena demanding a long list of documents about President Trump's dealings with Ukraine. The deadline to respond is October 18.
This comes as The New York Times reports a possible second whistleblower may come forward.
Mr. Trump is under pressure as House Democrats hit the White House with a subpoena and demanded a slew of documents from Vice President Mike Pence.
In a statement, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said "this subpoena changes nothing" and she called the impeachment inquiry a "kangaroo court."
"China should start an investigation into the Bidens," Mr. Trump said Friday.
Mr. Trump claims asking foreign governments to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter is not about politics.
"I don't care about Biden's campaign, but I do care about corruption," Mr. Trump said on Friday.
The impeachment inquiry centers on a whistleblower report of a phone call in which Mr. Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens for corruption. Hunter Biden worked for a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president, but there is no evidence of any wrongdoing. Biden is firing back at Mr. Trump
"This guy — like all bullies — is a coward. He does not want to run against me," Biden said Saturday.
The New York Times now reports a second intelligence official may come forward with more first hand knowledge of the president's dealings with Ukraine.
"You know when this came out it, was quid pro quo. Well there was none," Mr. Trump said Friday.
Mr. Trump insists he did not withhold $391 million dollars worth of military aid to Ukraine to pressure them to investigate Biden. But text messages provided to Congress this week show his own diplomats thought he did. In one message last month, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, wrote, "I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign."
Traveling in Greece on Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo downplayed all of it.
"Look, nations do this," Pompeo said. "Nations work together and they say, 'boy, goodness gracious, if you can help me with X, we'll help you achieve Y.' It doesn't bother me a lick."
Mr. Trump spent his day golfing, but also went after Senator Mitt Romney on Twitter, calling him a "pompous ass." On Friday, Romney called the president's actions on Biden "wrong" and "appalling."
CBS News has learned the White House is shrinking the size of the National Security Council. This will happen largely through attrition. But there is speculation that the president is doing this in part to cut down on leaks.
