Ukraine transcript offers little vindication for Trump, but no smoking gun for Democrats

Published September 25, 2019 4:08pm ET



Details of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky show that Trump put undue pressure on Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden. But it hardly rises to an impeachable offense.

That’s my takeaway from the transcript released by the White House on Wednesday, detailing a July 25 phone conversation between Trump and Zelensky. The call cuts to the heart of Democratic Party suggestions that Trump exerted pressure on Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden’s Ukrainian business dealings as part of a quid pro quo, in return for the unblocking of nearly $400 million in U.S. aid.

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