Mr. Mulvaney later tried to reverse his comments, saying that “there was absolutely no quid pro quo.” Read his conflicting statements.

His initial remarks, which undercut a popular Republican talking point about Ukraine, came during a briefing that our White House correspondent Maggie Haberman called “jaw-dropping by any metric.”

Mr. Mulvaney also announced that Mr. Trump would host a Group of 7 meeting next year at the Trump National Doral near Miami, prompting questions about a conflict of interest.

Another angle: Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, told House investigators on Thursday that Mr. Trump had delegated Ukraine policy to his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, a directive that Mr. Sondland said he disagreed with but nonetheless followed .

Related: Rick Perry, the energy secretary who has become entangled in the Ukraine affair, said he would resign.