It certainly isn’t news to international relations scholars that democratic leaders consider domestic politics when making foreign policy.
But Trump asking a foreign leader for help investigating a political rival crossed the line into using secret government communications and relations for personal gain. The resulting whistleblower complaint and political pressure pushed Trump to release a rough transcript of his July 25 phone call with Zelenskiy, setting off the impeachment inquiry.
Taylor’s testimony clarified the picture of a separate channel for Ukraine policy that evaded the normal diplomatic and bureaucratic processes. Separate channels aren’t new, although the historical record shows some familiar patterns.
brookings
