WATCH: Trump’s skepticism of bureaucracy led to Ukraine policy decisions, Rep. Cline says

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., indicated in his questioning during a Dec. 9 House Judiciary Committee hearing that President Donald Trump’s dislike of the traditional bureaucratic system used in U.S. foreign policy likely played into his decision to task nontraditional U.S. officials with leading Ukraine policy. “I think the president is skeptical of the interagency bureaucracy,” GOP counsel Stephen Castor said in response to Cline’s questions. The hearing was part of the impeachment investigation into Trump. The probe has centered on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked the president of Ukraine to investigate former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. The impeachment inquiry has revealed that several other U.S. officials, including former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, played key roles in U.S. policy toward Ukraine.

For more on who’s who in the Trump impeachment inquiry, read: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/whos-who-in-the-trump-impeachment-inquiry

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