‘Our Silence Could Doom the Republic’: Democrats Start Sounding Alarms After Bombshell Trump-Ukraine Report
The new reporting that President Donald Trump repeatedly pressed the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s son is setting off alarm bells for Democrats in Congress.
Most notably thus far is Senator Chris Murphy saying that if the reporting is accurate, Congress needs to act because “our silence could doom the republic”:
We all need to think hard about what to do. Republicans need to put country, not party, first.
If the President, in his official capacity, asked a foreign government to dig up dirt on a political opponent, Congress cannot let that stand. Our silence could doom the republic.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 20, 2019
To ask a foreign leader to interfere in a presidential election – right after a year long investigation into potential foreign interference in a presidential election – would be pretty extraordinary. Even for these times.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 20, 2019
On phone w/ @ChrisMurphyCT as WSJ story broke. His immediate reaction when I read him the lede: “If it’s true that the president requested that the president of Ukraine interfere in an American election, we are in really dangerous, brand new territory.”https://t.co/Pt2kIxD2N0
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 20, 2019
Former vice president Biden himself dismissively hit the president in response:
Responding to Trump comments that Biden’s activities in Ukraine should be probed, Biden told media: “Not one single credible outlet has given any credibility to his assertions — not one single one. And so i have no comment except the president should start to uhh, be president.”
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) September 20, 2019
A few others Democrats in Congress are expressing alarm, including 2020 candidates Cory Booker and Tim Ryan:
This story is stunning and should be shaking Washington right now—Donald Trump’s moral vandalism disqualifies him from being president. As I’ve said before, it’s time for impeachment proceedings. https://t.co/DSiv1kjxz1
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 20, 2019
We want all the facts. Congress needs to hold hearings and investigate this immediately. https://t.co/RE9Qjnevb6
— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) September 20, 2019
Colleagues in Congress: if this isn’t impeachable abuse of power, what is? I’m sick of the parsing, dithering & political overcalculating. We are verging on tragic fecklessness. Time to do our job! https://t.co/27GZEpgJJi
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) September 20, 2019
If this turns out to be true, that Trump asked a country relying on us for military aid to investigate his political opponents, well, I wonder if my @GOP colleagues will put country before party.
Spoiler alert: no https://t.co/MDfig4XTNv
— Jim Himes (@jahimes) September 20, 2019
Trump is afraid he can’t win elections wo/ foreign help. His corruption is boundless. And I see gop members of Congress are openly defending this banana republicanism. #ImpeachmentInquiryNowhttps://t.co/JF2jJdorX3
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) September 20, 2019
[photo via Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images]
