Trump doubles down on debunked Ukraine conspiracy theory

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is still promoting a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, a day after a former White House security adviser called it a “fictional narrative.”

Trump called in to “Fox & Friends” on Friday and said he was trying to root out corruption in the Eastern European nation when he withheld aid over the summer. Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine’s president is at the center of the House impeachment probe, which is looking into Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to investigate political rivals as he held back nearly $400 million.

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Trump said, “There was no quid pro quo,” contradicting testimony by impeachment witnesses.

On Thursday, a former White House Russia analyst said the debunked theory that Ukraine was behind election interference played into Russia’s hands.