Demanding Transcript of Trump Call With Xi, Warren Slams President for Selling Out People of Hong Kong 'Behind Closed Doors'

Authored by commondreams.org and submitted by maxwellhill
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren demanded the full transcript of President Donald Trump's June phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping following reports Thursday night that Trump raised the Massachusetts senator's "political prospects" during the conversation and vowed to stay silent on the ongoing anti-Beijing protests in Hong Kong.

"Trump can say what he wants about me, but it's outrageous that any president would sell out the people of Hong Kong behind closed doors," Warren, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, tweeted Thursday. "The public must see the transcript of Trump's call with Xi. And we need a leader who will stand up for our values."

Trump can say what he wants about me, but it's outrageous that any president would sell out the people of Hong Kong behind closed doors. The public must see the transcript of Trump's call with Xi. And we need a leader who will stand up for our values. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) October 3, 2019

Warren's tweet came shortly after CNN reported that Trump invoked both Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden during a June 18 call with Xi.

"Trump raised Biden's political prospects as well as those of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who by then had started rising in the polls," CNN reported, citing two anonymous individuals familiar with the conversation. "In that call, Trump also told Xi he would remain quiet on Hong Kong protests as trade talks progressed."

"The White House record of that call," according to CNN, "was later stored in the highly secured electronic system used to house a now-infamous phone call with Ukraine's [resident and which helped spark a whistleblower complaint that's led Democrats to open an impeachment inquiry into Trump."

CNN's story was published just hours after Trump publicly asked China to investigate Biden and his son Hunter.

"China should start an investigation into the Bidens," Trump told reporters gathered outside the White House on Thursday.

The president's remarks sparked immediate outrage, with lawmakers and progressive critics accusing Trump of openly asking a foreign government to interfere in U.S. domestic politics.

"Just because he does it in the open does not make his abuse of power OK," tweeted Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). "A democracy that fails its duty to address a lawless leader is no longer a democracy."

MrBae on October 4th, 2019 at 18:37 UTC »

Why keep using “Slam”? There are other cool phrases, like 360 no scope or stone cold stunner that are readily available.

_durian_ on October 4th, 2019 at 16:15 UTC »

I want to see the transcript with the Saudis too. I bet there's something in there about Jamal Khashoggi.

Daugust34 on October 4th, 2019 at 15:55 UTC »

Then everyone knows what is going on?