We now know the truth: President Trump asked the leader of Ukraine to investigate the man who was widely seen as his strongest potential opponent during a phone call in which he noted that “we do a lot for Ukraine.” He threw an invite for a White House visit into the bargain.
Let's say this as simply and clearly as possible. Trump was using the inducement of American taxpayer dollars to get a foreign power to intervene in our politics on his behalf. That he didn't specifically mention aid in the readout of one phone call the White House released Wednesday doesn't change the message he was sending.