One of the trademarks of this slimeball is the way he tosses back at his accusers the admission that yes, they’re right, he is what they’ve accused him of being–“a right-wing nut job,” among other things, and no only what are they going to do about it, but since I’ve defiantly proclaimed it, you can no longer call me out on it.
That’s the game he was playing when he brazenly announced that yes, there was a quid pro quo between Trump and Zelensky, and yes, that was how this White House does business as a rule–and get over it.
It was only when all hell broke loose that Mulvaney tried to retract it, modifying his usual methodology.