"There was no quid pro quo" was a phrase frequently employed by Donald Trump and his supporters in reference to the Trump–Ukraine scandal during the first impeachment of Donald Trump, denying that a quid pro quo extortion attempt had taken place.
"[3][4][5] Trump first publicly used the term on September 22, 2019, speaking to reporters about his phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"[7] On October 17, 2019, Mick Mulvaney, then-White House Chief of Staff, said in a press meeting: "Let me be clear, there was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election.
"[8] Some newspapers, including NBC[3] and CNN,[6] have characterized Trump's use of the phrase as a means of sidetracking the charges actually levied against him: abuse of power.
A quid pro quo was established early in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump.