Ukraine scandal

Key Events

1. The July 25, 2019 phone call
   
   
   
   • Trump called Zelensky, requesting investigations into the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory about 2016 U.S. election interference.
   
   
   • A whistleblower complaint raised concerns about abuse of power and potential quid pro quo: withholding military aid in exchange for a political investigation.
   
   
   
   


2. Withholding military aid
   
   
   
   • Trump temporarily blocked $391 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine, raising concerns that it was leveraged for personal political benefit.
   
   
   
   


3. Congressional inquiry & obstruction
   
   
   
   • When Congress launched an investigation, the Trump administration limited witnesses and documents, which led to allegations of obstruction of Congress.
   
   
   • Several administration officials testified under subpoena despite resistance from the White House.

Impeachment

• Articles of Impeachment (December 2019):
  
  
  
  1. Abuse of power – Using the office to solicit foreign interference in a U.S. election.
  
  
  2. Obstruction of Congress – Defying subpoenas and refusing to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.
  
  


• House of Representatives: Passed both articles of impeachment (Party-line vote: mostly Democrats in favor, Republicans opposed).


• Senate trial: February 2020
  
  
  
  • Trump was acquitted on both charges, largely along party lines.
  
  
  • No Republican senators voted to convict, so he remained in office.
  
  
  
  

Significance

• This was the first time Trump was impeached, highlighting the tension between executive power and congressional oversight.


• It set precedent for legal and political debates around foreign interference and presidential accountability.


• The scandal also intensified partisan divisions ahead of the 2020 election.