Mick Mulvaney's mess

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VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE FRI, OCT 18, 2019 CNBC POLITICS EDITOR'S NOTE Hello readers,   The Trump impeachment saga took another shocking, confounding turn this week. This time it was courtesy of acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.   Mulvaney, a former budget-hawk GOP congressman, has emerged as one of the top figures in Trump's dealings with Ukraine, which have led to an impeachment probe in the Democratic-controlled House. On Thursday, Trump sent Mulvaney before the media to announce that the June G-7 summit would be held at the president's Doral resort in Miami – which opened a whole other can of ethics worms for the White House – but then came questions about Ukraine.   The White House's line on the whole affair was that there was no "quid pro quo" at all when it came to Trump's requests of the former Soviet nation's president. Mulvaney, mixing it up with the media, threw that out the window. When a reporter told him that withholding aid to get Ukraine to give something in return was actually a quid pro quo, Mulvaney responded: "We do that all the time."   But that wasn't all. Mulvaney linked the withholding of aid to an investigation into whether Ukraine tried to help Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. "Did he also mention to me in passing the corruption related to the DNC server? Absolutely," Mulvaney said about a conversation with Trump. "No question about that. But that's it, and that's why we held up the money."   Mulvaney walked it back hours later, after the Justice Department and one of Trump's personal lawyers distanced themselves from his comments.    "Let me be clear, there was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election," Mulvaney said in a statement late Thursday. However, given the kind of staff turnover we've seen in Trump's White House, and the rapidly gathering momentum of the impeachment probe, it might have been too late.   Thanks for reading. Have a nice weekend.   Have friends or colleagues who might like this newsletter? They can sign up here. For more on the intersection of business and politics, sign up for the weekly Capital Exchange newsletter here.   Check out CNBC Select, which provides high-quality personal finance advice through product reviews, tips and best-of lists so users can choose the right financial products for their lives. Mike Calia @Michael_Calia KEY STORIES  Mulvaney tries to walk back claim that there was a Trump-Ukraine quid pro quo The White House chief of staff had said that Trump's withholding of aid this summer was due in part because the president wanted Ukraine to investigate whether elements in that country had somehow interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Joe Biden's cash problems squeeze donors and fundraisers with early primaries on the horizon "It's all going to count in the fourth quarter. If he doesn't have strong numbers, he's f---ing done," said one fundraiser who is helping Biden behind the scenes. Trump Doral resort to host G-7 summit — sparking yet another ethics fight for the White House White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney insists that President Trump will not profit from the summit meeting. Turkey agrees to pause attacks in northern Syria for five days as Kurds retreat Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that the United States and Turkey had agreed on a five-day Turkish cease-fire in Syria, days after the country's forces launched an offensive in northern Syria. Trump says Energy Secretary Rick Perry will step down at the end of the year Perry had become embroiled in the controversy over Trump's Ukraine dealings, which have led to an impeachment inquiry. Boris Johnson's Brexit deal faces narrow defeat on Saturday, analysts warn British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he is "very confident" the House of Commons will support his Brexit deal on Saturday. A look back at Elijah Cummings' legacy – a black political trailblazer who took on Trump Elijah Cummings, who represented major parts of Baltimore and its outskirts since 1996, was seen as an advocate for cutting prescription drug prices, fighting addiction, strengthening gun control and reforming the criminal justice system. Elizabeth Warren's real 'beef with billionaires' Warren's plans came under fire earlier this week in the most recent Democratic debate as her rivals started treating her like a frontrunner.       Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2019 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS