The roots of the current Ukraine scandal can be traced back to the start of Trump’s presidency

Trump insists he is innocent of wrongdoing, but how the president set up his administration has helped lead to the current scandal, writes Chris Stevenson

Trump with his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani (Peter Foley/EPA)

Donald Trump promised a presidency unlike any other and a decent argument to be made that he has offered just that – but he is now reaping the dubious rewards of his freewheeling nature.

Painting himself as being outside the Washington establishment, Trump’s administration was set up in that manner: unguarded and scattergun conversations with world leaders; infighting among White House factions that left leaks a distinct possibility; and a president that could change policy at the drop of a hat.

The Ukraine allegations – almost three years into Trump’s presidency and following at least one other major invention into his conduct, the Mueller inquiry – are a direct result of that early set-up, and a refusal to follow established White House norms.