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Trump–Ukraine scandal facts for kids

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A request by U.S. President Trump (right) to Ukrainian President Zelensky (left) to investigate Joe Biden and his son sparked the controversy.

The Trump–Ukraine scandal was a major political event in the United States that happened in 2019. It involved concerns about whether U.S. President Donald Trump asked a foreign country for help in an American election.

In October 2019, an anonymous person, called a "whistleblower," reported a concern. They said that President Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had asked the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate Joe Biden. At the time, Joe Biden was a candidate for president in the 2020 Democratic Party elections. They also asked about Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.

The whistleblower's report suggested that this request was linked to U.S. military aid for Ukraine. This raised worries that President Trump was asking another country to get involved in the 2020 presidential election in the United States.

What is an Impeachment Inquiry?

This situation led to an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. An impeachment inquiry is when the U.S. House of Representatives investigates if a president has done something wrong enough to be removed from office. It's like a formal investigation.

Because of this investigation, the U.S. House of Representatives formally impeached President Trump on December 18, 2019. To "impeach" means to accuse a public official of wrongdoing.

However, after the House impeached him, the case went to the Senate. The Senate then voted on the charges. The Senate decided to clear President Trump of the charges, meaning he was not removed from office.

Images for kids

  • Volodymyr Zelensky Official portrait

    Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky

  • Volodymyr Zelensky 2019 presidential inauguration 45 (cropped)

    Former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry with Zelensky at Zelensky's inauguration, May 2019

  • Marie L. Yovanovitch

    Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine

  • U.S. Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis greets the National Security Advisor-designate John R. Bolton at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C

    John Bolton (left) with then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in March 2018.

  • George Kent US State Dept

    George Kent is Deputy Assistant Secretary in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the U.S. Department of State, overseeing policy towards Ukraine.

  • US delegation at inauguration of Volodymyr Zelensky, May 20, 2019

    Gordon Sondland (far right) at the inauguration of Volodymyr Zelensky on May 20, 2019

  • Pence and US delegation meets with Zelensky in Warsaw

    Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. delegation meet with President Zelensky in Warsaw on September 1, 2019

  • Volodymyr Zelensky 2019 presidential inauguration 37

    Ukrainian President Zelensky with Kurt Volker and Rick Perry, May 2019

  • George Stephanopoulos crop

    George Stephanopoulos

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Controversia Trump-Ucrania para niños

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