Among a trove of encrypted texts that Mr. Volker turned over to Congress last week, this message is brief and informal. It is also a textbook example of a quid pro quo, one intended to advance not American foreign policy goals but Donald Trump’s re-election. Democrats say Mr. Trump’s extortion attempt is undeniable, and even a few Republican lawmakers have expressed discomfort. But most members of the president’s party have stuck by him, insisting that a direct connection is not clear. It is an exchange so explicit that even Mr. Trump’s fiercest apologists cannot wish it away.

Source: New York Times October 08, 2019 00:11 UTC