Trump Says He Doesn't Know Sondland 'Very Well'. In October, He Had Called him a Great American

Donald Trump sought Wednesday to distance himself from US envoy Gordon Sondland, after he told an impeachment hearing he had followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal with Ukraine.

"I don't know him very well. I have not spoken to him much," Trump told reporters at the White House, before reading from notes which he said showed that he wanted "nothing" from Kiev.

In an October 8 tweet, Trump had described his ambassador to the European Union as "a really good man and great American."