In light of news that State Department officials actively pressed Ukraine to announce a probe into former Vice President Joe Biden in exchange for a White House visit, President Trump is, once again, proclaiming his innocence.

After House Democrats released explosive text messages that show two U.S. ambassadors helped draft the exact language of a potential investigation announcement, Trump claimed his pressure campaign had “NOTHING” to do with politics or his political opponent and everything to do with “CORRUPTION.”

As President I have an obligation to end CORRUPTION, even if that means requesting the help of a foreign country or countries. It is done all the time. This has NOTHING to do with politics or a political campaign against the Bidens. This does have to do with their corruption! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2019

This isn’t about a Campaign, this is about Corruption on a massive scale! https://t.co/DOCvfM8eqi — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2019

Trump’s been hiding behind this excuse for some time, even though he has repeatedly openly admitted that he wants Ukraine and China to investigate the Bidens, while simultaneously arguing that he never pressured Ukraine to take on the probe. The new texts provide the fullest picture yet of the extent to which Trump administration officials worked with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to pressure the Ukrainian government to look into Biden, one of Trump’s top political rivals in 2020.

The messages also reveal a sense of alarm from the Ukrainian government in late August after Trump withheld nearly $400 million in military aid from Ukraine. Trump has claimed he temporarily blocked the funds to force European countries to contribute more to Ukraine’s defense, but he made the decision just one week before the now-infamous call with Ukraine when he asked President Volodymyr Zelensky for a “favor” after Zelensky brought up the prospect of more weapons.