Donald Trump: Whistleblower allegations 'just another political hack job'
Joe Biden reacts to reports that President Trump urged the president of Ukraine to look into his son's business dealings there.
Saturday 21 September 2019 13:28, UK
Donald Trump has described allegations by an intelligence whistleblower as "just another political hack job".
The complaint, which his administration has refused to let Congress see, remains shrouded in mystery but is "serious" and "urgent," the government's intelligence watchdog said.
A number of US news outlets claim the allegations involve the Republican president's communications with a foreign leader while others say it involved "multiple acts".
A report in the Wall Street Journal claims the US president repeatedly pressured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son.
However, Mr Trump has dismissed the matter, insisting he did nothing wrong.
"I have conversations with many leaders. It's always appropriate," he told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
"At the highest level always appropriate. And anything I do, I fight for this country."
Mr Trump was asked if he discussed Mr Biden during the call with President Zelenskiy, and he answered: "It doesn't matter what I discussed."
He then urged the media "to look into" Mr Biden's background with Ukraine.
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Mr Biden said Mr Trump should release the transcript of his 25 July phone call with President Zelenskiy "so that the American people can judge for themselves".
He said that if the reports were true "then there is truly no bottom to President Trump's willingness to abuse his power and abase our country".
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the whistleblower's complaint raises "grave, urgent concerns for our national security".
The intelligence community's inspector general appeared before the House Intelligence committee behind closed doors on Thursday but declined, under administration orders, to reveal the substance of the complaint.
However, he did say the matter involves the "most significant" responsibilities of intelligence leadership.
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff has vowed to mount an extensive investigation into the scandal.
"Come hell or high water, that's what we're going to do."