Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Login

Login

Please fill in your credentials to login.

Don't have an account? Register Sign up now.

Posted: 2019-12-10T17:53:49Z | Updated: 2019-12-10T21:59:59Z

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is defending an infamous press conference performance in which he acknowledged a quid pro quo between President Donald Trump and Ukraine and claimed that the U.S. does that all the time.

On Tuesday, Mulvaney attempted to shift his past remarks at a Wall Street Journal event, stating that he meant politics and foreign policy are intertwined.

Politics can and should influence foreign policy, he told associate editor John Bussey. You may have one foreign policy youre running on, I may have a different one. Whoever wins gets to set that foreign policy.

Foreign policy should not be decided by \"technocrats who are not accountable to voters,\" Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney says at #WSJCEOCouncil. \"Politics can and should influence foreign policy.\" https://t.co/XESC5I0ruF pic.twitter.com/muRIfDy9RR

Capital Journal (@WSJPolitics) December 10, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Capital Journal","author_url":"https://twitter.com/WSJPolitics","cache_age":86400,"description":"Foreign policy should not be decided by \"technocrats who are not accountable to voters,\" Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney says at #WSJCEOCouncil. \"Politics can and should influence foreign policy.\" https://t.co/XESC5I0ruF pic.twitter.com/muRIfDy9RR Capital Journal (@WSJPolitics) December 10, 2019\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":360,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELb4xB-WsAMgX9B.jpg","thumbnail_width":640,"title":"Capital Journal on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/WSJPolitics/status/1204425346319175680","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5defc416e4b00563b8587d36","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/mick-mulvaney-politics-should-influence-foreign-policy_n_5defc416e4b00563b8587d36","entryTagsList":"white-house,ukraine,mick-mulvaney,quid-pro-quo","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/1d9dd2a1-cf09-4d22-afb8-4b7998f7333d/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":3},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5defc416e4b00563b8587d36","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"White House","slug":"white-house","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/white-house","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/white-house","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/white-house"},"relegenceId":3698131,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"White House","slug":"white-house","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/white-house"},{"name":"Ukraine","slug":"ukraine","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/ukraine","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/ukraine","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/ukraine"},"relegenceId":3696312,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Ukraine","slug":"ukraine","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/ukraine"},{"name":"mick mulvaney","slug":"mick-mulvaney","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/mick-mulvaney","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/mick-mulvaney","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/mick-mulvaney"},"relegenceId":4942062,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Mick Mulvaney","slug":"mick-mulvaney","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/mick-mulvaney"},{"name":"Quid pro quo","slug":"quid-pro-quo","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/quid-pro-quo","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/quid-pro-quo","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/quid-pro-quo"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/quid-pro-quo"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Foreign policy should not be decided by "technocrats who are not accountable to voters," Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney says at #WSJCEOCouncil . "Politics can and should influence foreign policy." https://t.co/XESC5I0ruF pic.twitter.com/muRIfDy9RR

Capital Journal (@WSJPolitics) December 10, 2019

Only thats not the extent of what was conveyed during Mulvaneys October briefing . While addressing reporters, he said that American military aid to Ukraine was held up over the summer because Trump was concerned about whether it would be properly spent, and corruption that related to the [Democratic National Committee] server. The latter point references a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine perpetrated the 2016 hacking of Democratic Party emails. The U.S. intelligence community has made clear that it believes Russia was responsible.

When ABC News Jonathan Karl noted that he had described a quid pro quo, Mulvaney said, We do that all the time with foreign policy.

Get over it, he added. Theres going to be political influence in foreign policy. ... That is going to happen. Elections have consequences.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost

Mulvaney walked back the remarks in a subsequent statement, asserting, There was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election.

The matter has become the focal point of House Democrats impeachment inquiry of Trump, which was spurred by a whistleblower complaint about his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A rough transcript of the discussion shows Trump pressed Zelensky repeatedly to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son based on unsubstantiated corruption allegations while the nearly $400 million in funds was being temporarily withheld.

On Tuesday, Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced articles of impeachment against Trump for abuse of power in soliciting a probe of his political rival, and for obstructing Congress investigation of the matter.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost