1. The President has broad Constitutional authority to conduct the foreign policy of the United States.66 2. President Trump was likely skeptical of the established national security apparatus as a result of continual leaks and resistance from the federal bureaucracy.67 3. The President has the constitutional authority to remove Ambassador Yovanovitch.68 4. Ambassador Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and Secretary Perry were all senior U.S. government officers with official interests in Ukraine policy.69 5. Referencing Ukrainian corruption, President Trump told Ambassador Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and Secretary Perry to talk to Mayor Giuliani.70 6. At the Ukrainian government’s request, Ambassador Volker connected them with Mayor Giuliani to change his impression about the Zelensky regime.73 7. The Ukrainian government understood that Mayor Giuliani was not speaking on behalf of President Trump.74 8. Ambassador Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and Secretary Perry kept the National Security Council and the State Department informed about their actions.75 9. Although some in the U.S. foreign policy establishment bristled, the roles of Ambassador Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and Secretary Perry and their interactions with Mayor Giuliani did not violate the law or harm national security.76 E. President Trump is not wrong to raise questions about Hunter Biden’s role with Burisma or Ukrainian government officials’ efforts to influence the 2016 campaign.78 1. It is appropriate for Ukraine to investigate allegations of corruption in its country.78 2. There are legitimate concerns surrounding Hunter Biden’s position on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma during his father’s term as Vice President of the United States.80 3. There are legitimate questions about the extent to which Ukrainian government officials worked to oppose President Trump’s candidacy in the 2016 election.85 F. The anonymous whistleblower who served as the basis for the impeachment inquiry has no firsthand knowledge of events and a bias against President Trump.90 1. The anonymous whistleblower acknowledged having no firsthand knowledge of the events in question.90 2. Press reports suggest that the anonymous whistleblower acknowledged having a professional relationship with former Vice President Biden.91 3. The anonymous whistleblower secretly communicated with Chairman Schiff or his staff.92 II. The evidence does not establish that President Trump engaged in a cover-up of his interactions with Ukrainian President Zelensky.95 A. President Trump declassified and released publicly the summary of his July 25 phone call with President Zelensky.95 B. President Trump released a redacted version of the classified anonymous whistleblower complaint.96
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