Very important point that gets glossed over all the time. Forget about quid pro quo or exchange. It’s a federal crime even to ASK “(“solicit,” in the statute itself) for foreign election aid.

— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) January 24, 2020

The ask itself was a crime. It’s a federal felony. Trump broke the law with the ask.

No wonder Trump sought to bury the transcript on a secret classified server instead of letting the transcript see the light of day by those who’d normally view the information. He and his cronies knew it was evidence of crime, and by attempting to bury it on the secret server, committed additional felonies (obstruction, etc).