During the deposition stage of the investigation, Trump and his allies have offered false and misleading claims that we have debunked over the past few weeks. Here’s a guide to some of the most significant claims. (We also gave Four Pinocchios to Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) for misleading reporters about the committee’s prior contact with the whistleblower who first alleged Trump has been “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.”)
Everyone does ‘quid pro quo’
“I have news for everybody: Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy.”
— White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, speaking to reporters, Oct. 17
“They’re accusing President Trump of the same thing Joe Biden did, threatening the aid.”
— Sen. Rand Paul, interview on “Meet the Press,” Nov. 10
The key issue is whether Trump, saying “do us a favor” in a July 25 phone call, pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate a potential rival in the 2020 election, former vice president Joe Biden. Trump and his defenders have asserted this kind of “quid pro quo” is the normal give and take that takes place between governments.