Zelenski announced his candidacy for the 2019 presidential election on the night of December 31, 2018, overshadowing President Petró Poroshenko's New Year's Eve end-of-year speech on TV channel 1+1.

All part of testimony Tuesday in the murder trial of William Zelenski in Waupaca County. Zelenski is facing a first-degree intentional homicide charge for the death of 18-year-old Ryelee Manente.