- The Washington Times - Sunday, September 29, 2019

CNN host Jake Tapper sparred Sunday with Rep. Jim Jordan over the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into President Trump, defending former Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s son and his dealings with Ukraine.

Mr. Tapper told the Ohio Republican that the transcript of a White House call with Ukraine’s president shows that Mr. Trump withheld aid to Ukraine and requested a probe into Mr. Biden and his son over a $50,000-per-month payment in connection to a Ukrainian energy company.

“I can’t believe that that’s OK with you,” Mr. Tapper told the lawmaker.

The transcript, which came to light as part of a whistleblower complaint, has been the subject of an impeachment inquiry into the president, formally launched last week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

House Democrats assert that the president was pressuring a foreign government to investigate his political rival.

Mr. Jordan asserted there was wrongdoing on behalf of the Bidens and their financial dealings with Ukraine while Mr. Biden was vice president.

But the CNN host pushed back, saying those charges were unfounded.

Mr. Jordan suggested that Mr. Biden tried to stop an investigation into his son and the company by demanding a Ukrainian prosecutor be fired.

“The Ukrainian prosecutor said there is no evidence of wrongdoing,” Mr. Tapper said.

Mr. Jordan said Mr. Tapper was playing “gymnastics” to defend the Bidens and House Democrats.

Mr. Jordan, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, also defended the call between Mr. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying “there’s nothing there.”

“The transcript gives you no reason to impeach this president,” he said.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a Democratic presidential candidate, joined the CNN host after Mr. Jordan’s interview, saying he was “offended” by the attacks Republicans are launching at Mr. Biden in defense of the president and this is a “Trump scandal.”

• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.

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