Speaking to a press gaggle on the White House lawn this Friday, President Trump claimed he "hardly knows" the Portland hotelier who Trump himself selected to be the US Ambassador to the EU after he donated $1 million to Trump's 2016 inauguration.
The man in question, Gordon Sondland, revised his House testimony this week to clarify that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky knew the US was going to withhold military aid until his country agreed to investigate a company that employed Hunter Biden, son of Trump's political rival, Joe Biden.
Video of Trump making the claim spread rapidly on social media, and observers and reporters made sure to point out that the idea Trump hardly knows Sondland is highly unlikely.
"Gordon Sondland, a major donor and now ambassador to European Union and who spoke to Trump multiple times in recent months," CNN's Manu Raju tweeted. "After Sondland revised his testimony describing quid pro quo for Ukraine military aide, Trump says today: 'Let me just tell you I hardly know the gentleman.'"
Also chiming in was journalist Judd Legum.
"Sondland gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and Trump rewarded him by making him Ambassador to the EU He is also not dead He is still Trump’s Ambassador to the EU," Legum tweeted.
In a subsequent tweet, Legum pointed out that a month ago, "Trump appeared to know Sondland quite well, calling him 'a really good man and great American,'" citing a tweet Trump fired off on October 8.
Others on Twitter were clearly hip to the fact that Trump doesn't seem to be telling the truth:
