President Donald Trump says he spoke to Ukraine's new president about his summer election and the fact that "we don't want our people, like Vice President Biden and his son" contributing to corruption already happening in Ukraine.
Trump appeared Sunday to stop short of acknowledging that he discussed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Biden's son, Hunter, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during a July 25 telephone conversation that's the basis of a whistleblower complaint against Trump.
A person familiar with the matter has told The Associated Press that Trump urged Zelenskiy to investigate Hunter Biden, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. The person wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
President Donald Trump talks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, as he prepares to board Marine One for the short trip to Andrews Air Force Base. Trump is traveling to Texas and Ohio before heading to New York for the upcoming United Nations General assembly. (AP PhotoSusan Walsh)
The White House didn't immediately respond to a request to clarify Trump's remarks.
Trump answered several questions about the conversation with Zelenskiy as the president left the White House for Texas.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced Monday he will run for reelection this year, squelching speculation that the 82-year-old progressive icon might retire at a time when the Democratic Party is anxious about the advancing age of its top leaders.
Hailing from a Democratic stronghold, Sanders' decision virtually guarantees that he will return to Washington for a fourth Senate term. And his announcement comes at a critical moment for Democrats as the party navigates a growing divide over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Sanders has criticized President Joe Biden's handling of the U.S. relationship with Israel even as he's hailed much of Biden's domestic agenda ahead of what could be a tough reelection fight for Biden against presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Sanders said he wants the war in Gaza ended immediately, massive humanitarian aid to follow and no more money sent to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We are living in a complicated and difficult political moment," Sanders told The Associated Press on Monday. “I very strongly disagree with Biden in terms of the war in Gaza.”
At home, he said, the presidential election is between Biden and Trump, “and Donald Trump is in my view the most dangerous president, has been the most dangerous president in American history.”
With the prospect of Trump's possible return to the White House, Sanders framed his bid to return to the Senate as being driven by concerns about the future of democracy in the U.S. In an announcement video, he said that in many ways the 2024 election “is the most consequential election in our lifetimes.”
“Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy, or will we move to an authoritarian form of government?” he said. He questioned whether the country will reverse what he called “the unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality” and if it can create a government that works for all, and not continue with a political system dominated by wealthy campaign contributors.
Known for his liberal politics and crusty demeanor, Sanders has been famously consistent over his 40 years in politics, championing better health care paid for by the government, higher taxes for the wealthy, less military intervention and major solutions for climate change. He has also spent his career trying to hold corporate executives to account, something that he’s had more power to do as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Sanders is an independent. He was a Democratic congressman for 16 years and still caucuses with the Democrats.
He sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020. He said a year ago that he would forgo another presidential bid and endorse Biden’s reelection this year.
“I have been, and will be if re-elected, in a strong position to provide the kind of help that Vermonters need in these difficult times,” Sanders said in a review of his positions as chairman of the important Senate panel and a member of the chamber's Democratic leadership team, as well as a senior member of various other committees.
AP writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed from Washington.
FILE - Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., smiles as he addresses Unite Here Local 11 workers holding a rally, April 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. Sanders is running for re-election. The 82-year-old, from Vermont, announced Monday, May 6, that he's seeking his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
FILE - Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. Sanders is running for re-election. The 82-year-old, from Vermont, announced Monday, May 6, that he's seeking his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
