“Absolutely, I asked the president multiple times. ‘Mr. President, we think it is in the United States and in Ukraine’s best interest that you and the President of Ukraine have conversations and discuss the options that are there,'” Perry said Monday. “So absolutely yes.”
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.
A separate whistleblower complaint alleged the President abused his official powers “to solicit interference” from Ukraine in the upcoming 2020 election, and that the White House took steps to cover it up. Trump has denied doing anything improper.
On Friday, Perry said on the Christian Broadcasting Network that Joe Biden’s name did not come up in during the many conversations that he had with Trump.
“Not once, as God is my witness, not once was a Biden name — not the former Vice President, not his son — ever mentioned,” he said at the time.
The New York Times and The Washington Post reported Friday that Perry plans to leave his post by December, though no official announcement has been made. Perry denied those reports Monday.
“Absolutely no. I’m here. I’m serving. They’ve been writing the story that I’m leaving the Department of Energy for nine months now,” he said.
CNN’s Lauren Kent and Nina dos Santos reported from Vilnius, Lithuania, and Zahid Mahmood in London. Kevin Bohn and Devan Cole contributed to this report from Washington
