European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland delivered an explosive opening statement during President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry that included his revelation that “everyone” knew “Trump’s desires and requirements” on Ukraine ... and an A$AP Rocky mention?
During Wednesday’s hearing, Sondland explained that he believed there was a quid pro quo at play between Ukraine and Trump, meaning that Ukrainians had to respond to Trump’s requests to get a White House call or meeting.
As if the testimony weren’t enough of a bombshell, about two thirds of the way through, Sondland mentioned a popular rapper by name and sent social media into a tailspin.
Sondland described a call he had with Trump on July 26, 2019. The ambassador was in Kyiv at the time and stated that he and the president did not discuss any classified information at that time.
In clarifying what the call entailed, Sondland said: “Other witnesses have recently shared their recollection of overhearing this call. For the most part, I have no reason to doubt their accounts. It is true that the president speaks loudly at times. And it’s also true, I think we primarily discussed A$AP Rocky. It is true that the President likes to use colorful language.”
The ambassador goes on to say that the call did not strike him as “significant.”
Naturally, hearing a name like A$AP Rocky ― the artist behind hits like “F**kin’ Problems” and “Live Fast” ― during an impeachment inquiry is a bit ... jarring.
The rapper was detained in Sweden after being charged with assault in July. At the time, Trump “offered to personally vouch for [Rocky’s] bail,” though Sweden has no bail system.
On Wednesday, Sondland doubled down on the mention of the 31-year-old artist and said later in his testimony that his memory of the July 26 call with Trump was triggered by someone’s reference to A$AP Rocky. He claimed that discussing the rapper was the “primary purpose of the call.”
Here’s what the peanut gallery, AKA Twitter, had to say about the mentions:
