https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/us/politics/trump-ukraine-military-aid.html<snip to end>
Still, White House officials did not expect anything to change, especially since Mr. Trump had repeatedly rejected the advice of his national security team.
But then, just as suddenly as the hold was imposed, it was lifted. Mr. Trump, apparently unwilling to wage a public battle, told Mr. Portman he would let the money go.
White House aides rushed to notify their counterparts at the Pentagon and elsewhere. The freeze had been lifted. The money could be spent. Get it out the door, they were told.
The debate would now begin as to why the hold was lifted, with Democrats confident they knew the answer.
“I have no doubt about why the president allowed the assistance to go forward,†said Representative Eliot L. Engel, Democrat of New York and the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “He got caught.â€
Pretty good story from the NYTs. Puts a lot of facts and pieces together in a tight narrative. Worth the read if you still have one of your five free articles left this month. What shined through the story for me was how difficult it is to follow the policies of President Trump.
Sun Tzu said: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame."
