The Republican Party has worked hard to gaslight Americans into a state of confusion as to whether there’s an impeachable offense, or if there was even a scandal to begin with. It’s frankly embarrassing that Americans are so easily confused by this scandal, even given the size and scope of it, but let’s not mince words. There is a scandal, and it very much is impeachable.

It is still crucial that Americans understand exactly what’s going on, so, let’s go through the  Trump-Ukraine Scandal in as simple terms as is possible, and hope to GOD that people figure it out…

1) Where was the “Quid pro Quo“?

In the July 25th, 2019 phone call between Donald Trump asked Ukrainian President Zelensky, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate both the 2016 election interference and the Bidens (vis a vis Burisma, a natural gas company in Ukraine). We know this because the transcript that Trump himself ordered released shows that he brought both of these things up during the call with Zelenksy. We also know this because Vindman and Williams both testified that this is, in fact, what was said during the state call.

2) What was the “Quid” (the “this” being offered)?

The quid was two part. First, it was the military aid that was approved by Congress but then held up at Trump’s order until mid-September, a date that will become important in a moment. The quid was also a White House meeting that did not occur until late September (September 25th), again, a date that will become important in a moment.

We know exactly what the quid was because of testimony from Holmes, Taylor, Kent, Morrison, Sondland, and Hill, all of whom worked in the Ukraine policy theater and were involved in the aid going to Ukraine, as well as monitoring corruption in Ukraine. They testified that the withholding of aid and the meeting in the White House were all being held at Trump’s orders.

3) What was the “Quo” (the “that” being asked for)?

The quo was, as testified by Vindman, Yovanovitch, Williams, Taylor, Kent, Morrison, Holmes, and Sondland, was an investigation into the conspiracy theory regarding Crowdstryke (mentioned by Trump on the July 25th call) and 2016 election interference by the Ukrainians against Trump. The quo was also, as testified by Vindman, Wililams, Taylor, Kent, Morrison, Sondland, Holmes, and Hill, the announcement of an investigation into Burisma and the Bidens (as mentioned by Trump on the July 25th call with Zelensky).

4) What was the “pro” (the “for” being transacted)?

Taylor, Kent, Holmes, Hill, Morrison, and Sondland all testified that the things that Trump held as quid (the military aid that was held up by Trump and the White House meeting that was also held up by Trump) were completely contingent upon the Ukrainians delivering what Trump demanded (an investigation into the conspiracy theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 elections and a public announcement of an investigation into the Bidens, vis a vis Burisma). As Sondland said, if these things were not contingent, they would have just happened. We know, therefor, that they were contingent, because they did not happen… until…

5) But didn’t Trump eventually release the aid and grant Zelensky a White House state visit anyway?

Now the dates brought up earlier (mid-September 2019 for the funds being released and late September 2019 for the White House meeting) become important. Remember, the whistleblower complaint was filed with IGIC Atkinson in August 2019. IGIC Atkinson reviewed the complaint, found it both “credible” and of “urgent concern” and, on August 22nd, delivered it to Acting DNI Macguire, a Trump political appointee, to review and deliver to Congress.

However, instead of delivering the whistleblower complaint to Congress, acting DNI Macguire sat on it, even though he was required by standing policy to deliver it to Congress within 7 days of receiving it. During this time, he informed the president that a whistleblower complaint existed but was sitting under his desk, undelivered to Congress.

Macguire’s dereliction of duty forced IGIC Atkinson to notify Congress, on September 9th, 2019, that the whistleblower complaint existed and that it was in the possession of the Acting DNI Macquire, who had failed to deliver it to Congress. He informed Congress that he would continue to try to get the whistleblower complaint released.

On September 11th, 2019, two days after Atkinson notified Congress that the Trump Administration was trying to bury the whistleblower complaint, Trump finally released the $391 million in military aid to Ukraine. The Trump administration also granted a White House meeting for Zelensky, which happened on September 25th, 2019, two weeks after the whistleblower complaint had been delivered to acting DNI MacGuire.

From July 25th, 2019 until September 11th, 2019, the Trump administration illegally withheld a) military aid to Ukraine and b) a White House meeting with Zelensky in order to pressure the Ukrainian government into announcing a bogus investigation into a conspiracy theory of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election and another bogus investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, a political rival of Donald Trump.

If this is still somehow confusing to you, then you may be a Trump supporter. Please, stop voting.

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