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AP Fact Check: Distortion in Trump's Impeachment Defense

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - In his first formal response to impeachment charges,
   President Donald Trump misrepresented the testimony of a key witness
   who described an exchange of favors in the Ukraine matter.

   The claim marked a week of frequent exaggeration and distortion by the
   president heading into the opening statements of his impeachment trial.

   Just as his tax cuts are far from the biggest in history, the economy
   isn't the best ever and his election victory in 2016 was no landslide
   of historic proportions, Trump's two trade deals don't stand atop the
   field of presidential endeavors. One is a partial settlement of trade
   grievances with China; the other is a refresh of what past presidents
   created for North America.

   Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential contenders weren't immune from
   misrepresentation in their final debate before the first votes of the
   2020 campaign, in Iowa.

   A look at the claims:

   Impeachment

   Trump, via attorneys: "Individuals who have stated for the record that
   they spoke to the President about the subject actually exonerate him.
   Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland stated that when he
   asked the President what he wanted from Ukraine, the President said: `I
   want nothing. I want no quid pro quo."' -- response to impeachment
   charges filed Saturday.

   The Facts: That assertion omits key context on what Sondland told House
   investigators.

   As one of the officials most deeply involved in trying to get Ukraine
   to do Trump's bidding, Sondland testified that there was indeed a quid
   pro quo in the matter and "everyone was in the loop." Specifically,
   Sondland said it was understood that Ukraine's new president would only
   get a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office if he publicly pledged to
   investigate the Bidens and the Democrats.

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