Gordon Sondland Says He Was Wrong About Trump
If you remember the Donald Trump impeachment, Gordon Sondland, a former ambassador and donor for Trump, testified against Donald Trump.
Now, Sondland is eating some crow, saying he was “wrong” about Trump, in what has to be a crushing blow to Democrats.
Crushing Blow
As is usually the case, Gordon Sondland was appointed as an ambassador after having donated heavily to the Republicans and Donald Trump in particular.
This is a part of politics I have never been able to stomach, but it is just part of the game.
After Trump became president, he rewarded Sondland by appointing him the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, and I am sure it was a decision that Trump regretted during his impeachment hearings, as Sondland testified against Trump in the proceedings.
The most damaging part of that testimony was regarding the alleged quid pro quo with Ukraine. Sondland testified:
“I know that members of this Committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’ As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.
“Mr. Giuliani conveyed to Secretary Perry, Ambassador Volker, and others that President Trump wanted a public statement from President Zelensky committing to investigations of Burisma and the 2016 election. Mr. Giuliani expressed those requests directly to the Ukrainians. Mr. Giuliani also expressed those requests directly to us. We all understood that these prerequisites for the White House call and White House meeting reflected President Trump’s desires and requirements.”
Change of Heart
Sondland has since had a change of heart regarding Trump, going on TV to eat a little crow. Here is a recent interview with Sondland on Fox News, where he explained how and why his opinion changed about Trump…
Sondland also wrote an op-ed on Fox News, where, in part, he stated:
“As the twentieth U.S. ambassador to the European Union, I know and worked closely with Trump. He’s a showman who likes to shock. That’s obvious. What might be less obvious is that he’s also a swift and thoughtful decision maker.
“He doesn’t hem and haw or, like his opponent, need a script to stay on message. And unlike the other side, Trump cares about fostering our country’s meritocracy, not mediocrity. He believes competition, not socialism, is best for our society.”
He concluded, “That’s why, even with all of Trump’s idiosyncrasies and inflammatory style, he is the best option for America. His policies are right. The team will be great. And given the choice, there is no other choice.”
Trump Momentum
I think Sondland’s characterization of Trump is what most moderate Republicans believe. They want Trump to be more likable because they really do like his policies. Trump was clearly going to beat Joe Biden, and all the momentum is now in Trump’s corner after trailing Harris big after she initially entered the election. To that point, the last three national polls now have Trump ahead of Harris, which is something I never thought I would see. We are close to making a call here, and I expect to have a report up on Monday as to exactly how I see this election play out, so stay tuned!