Dustcan 
Here’s the stink: Congress already approved to send the aid. There was supposed to be no strings attached; Trump however abused his position by unilaterally withholding aid until, and I quote, “I would like you to do us a favor though”. For the record that was a quote from the rough transcript that the White House thought would exonerate Trump. Who knows how damaging the real thing must be, particularly since the White House is fighting tooth and nail to hide it. The aid, which again was supposed to have been given with no other provisions, had been held up for months by the point Trump made the call and then started going all ‘Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’.
It needs pointing out again that it doesn’t matter whether there was a quid pro quo or not. Trump broke the law by asking for foreign aid against his political opponent, period. The fact that he usurped another branch of Goverment’s power to do so and threatened an ally nation’s security to do so only makes it worse.
@Patachu
If you really want to look at this from a transactional perspective then here it is: Ukraine is our ally. Russia, despite Trump’s squeeing over his Putin-sempai, is our enemy. Russia is bearing down on Ukraine, so us giving them nominal assistance in the form of money helps stem Russian expansion/aggression without us having to fight them directly.
So to summarize there’s an unspoken two-fold trade: they get America’s assistance and we get to prove on an international stage that an alliance with us means something as well as counter, however indirectly, one of our opponents. Trump personally added another, spoken requirement - one that was outside his station’s privilege, benefited only himself, and both at the expense of America’s constitutional sovereignty.
Dogs
@Background Pony #9B61
a quid pro quo is when you give something to someone but want or expect something in return. In Trump’s case, it was giving Ukraine a military aid, to strengthen their border with Russia (yes the same russia that got an impeachment procedure last year) and seemed to ask a little something in return, a favor. It is not clearly mentioned, but there was nothing factual, not a deal, not begging or asking Zelensly anything, just asking for a service or making a suggestion.
Here’s the stink: Congress already approved to send the aid. There was supposed to be no strings attached; Trump however abused his position by unilaterally withholding aid until, and I quote, “I would like you to do us a favor though”. For the record that was a quote from the rough transcript that the White House thought would exonerate Trump. Who knows how damaging the real thing must be, particularly since the White House is fighting tooth and nail to hide it. The aid, which again was supposed to have been given with no other provisions, had been held up for months by the point Trump made the call and then started going all ‘Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’.
It needs pointing out again that it doesn’t matter whether there was a quid pro quo or not. Trump broke the law by asking for foreign aid against his political opponent, period. The fact that he usurped another branch of Goverment’s power to do so and threatened an ally nation’s security to do so only makes it worse.
@Patachu
@Derpy Whooves
Yes indeed. But hey nothing’s free. Again, you don’t ask someone something and expect nothing, not even a little help in return. Would you?
If you really want to look at this from a transactional perspective then here it is: Ukraine is our ally. Russia, despite Trump’s squeeing over his Putin-sempai, is our enemy. Russia is bearing down on Ukraine, so us giving them nominal assistance in the form of money helps stem Russian expansion/aggression without us having to fight them directly.
So to summarize there’s an unspoken two-fold trade: they get America’s assistance and we get to prove on an international stage that an alliance with us means something as well as counter, however indirectly, one of our opponents. Trump personally added another, spoken requirement - one that was outside his station’s privilege, benefited only himself, and both at the expense of America’s constitutional sovereignty.
