[ad_1]
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin found himself in a rhetorical trap on Sunday when CNN's Jake Tapper stuck the head of the Treasury as he defended President Donald Trump's efforts to pressure the Ukrainian president to to investigate the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
When he appeared on State of the UnionTapper immediately told Mnuchin that it was or was not usual to push foreign leaders to push foreign leaders to investigate their political rivals, recalling that Biden claimed he had not spoken to his son about his trade relations.
"I did not hear that and I think you are speculating on what the president said," said the Trump official. "I would say these are confidential discussions between two foreign leaders, but I think the biggest problem is that Biden came out this weekend saying that he's never had a discussion with his son . His son came out and said that he had had business discussions with his father, so I think the real problem is not what the president said, but what the son Biden did. "
Mnuchin then repeatedly rejected information about the president's pressure campaign for Ukraine to consider his political opponent as "speculation", while saying that it was a "terrible precedent" for the Congress to be able to examine the whistleblower. complaint because "conversations between world leaders are supposed to be confidential".
Tapper, meanwhile, continued to harass Mnuchin about it despite Trump's attempts at escape from the cabinet before confronting him with a hypothetical situation.
"Let me finish by asking if, for example, President Obama had put pressure on a foreign leader, Putin or the President of Ukraine, someone would have said," I want you to examine Donald Trump Jr., or that you examine Eric Trump. "International businessmen, both, do not you find that inappropriate?" Asked Tapper.
"I will not speculate on that," said Mnuchin. "What I find inappropriate is the fact that Vice President Biden – at the time – his son had very important business relations in Ukraine. I think it's a concern, and for me it may be the question that should be investigated further. "
CNN 's anchor, however, said he did not understand Mnuchin' s response, as it would seem to be acceptable that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump do business worldwide and that it 's not acceptable. Ivanka Trump agrees that copyright is approved everywhere. Around the world, while President Trump is president and Joe Biden is vice president, his son should not be able to do business. "
While Mnuchin insisted that he did not want to "go into more detail," Tapper retorted, "You are setting a precedent that the president is violating."
"Again, I think there is a significant difference in what you say, agree," Mnuchin said. "What I was saying between Biden's relationship with his son with the Ukrainian oligarch and the potential trade relations that the Trump organization had before his presidency."
The CNN host, for his part, made sure to end the conversation on this issue by pointing out that "the Ukrainian prosecutor has stated that there is no evidence of misconduct" by Joe Biden or his son .
[ad_2]
Source link