Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) read from a fake transcript of President Donald Trump's July phone conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his opening statement at a House hearing on Thursday.
Schiff said he used his own rendition of the phone call to emphasize "in sum and in character what the president was trying to communicate with the president of Ukraine." The White House released a memo of notes taken during the call on Wednesday as Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire prepared to testify before the House Intelligence Committee. Schiff offered his own version of Trump's response as the "essence" of his words:
We have been very good to your country, very good. No other country has done as much as we have. But you know what? I don't see much reciprocity here. I hear what you want. I have a favor I want from you, though. I'm going to say this only seven times so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it. On this and on that. I'm going to put you in touch with people, not just any people, I am going to put you in touch with the attorney general of the United States, my attorney general, Bill Barr. He's got the whole weight of the American law enforcement behind him. And I'm going to put you in touch with Rudy. You are going to love him, trust me. You know what I'm asking. So I'm only going to say this a few more times, in a few more ways. And by the way, don't call me again. I will call you when you have done what I asked.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) mocked Schiff for putting words in Trump's mouth.
"I'm not going to improvise for parody purposes, like the chairman of this committee did, I'm going to quote it directly," she said while asking Maguire questions about the transcript.
Rep. Stefanik throws shade at Schiff for his fake opening remarkshttps://t.co/6ILVFbVIKz pic.twitter.com/W9lYQsifHJ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 26, 2019
Maguire appeared before the committee as House Democrats pursue impeachment against President Trump stemming from a whistleblower complaint about his phone call with the Ukrainian president.