Ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said on Sunday that it was “inappropriate” for President Donald Trump to ask the Ukrainian president to investigate 2020 candidate Joe Biden during their phone call.
“I believe it’s inappropriate for a president to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival,” Thornberry told ABC News’ “This Week” host Martha Raddatz.
Breaking with Trump and his allies on whether the President has a right to have Biden’s son investigated, Thornberry said that if there’s a political rival with a family member who seems to be involved in questionable activity, “just leave them alone.”
However, “I do not believe it was impeachable,” the Texas Republican said, making the bizarre argument that the public has gotten used to Trump publicly making the kind of comments heard in his call with Ukraine.
“There’s not really anything the President said in that phone call that’s different from what he says in public all the time,” Thornberry said. “So, is there some sort of abuse of power that rises to that threshold that is different than the American people have been hearing for three years? I don’t hear that.”
Thornberry is one of six Texas Republicans who’ve announced that they will not be running for reelection in 2020.
Watch the Republican lawmaker below:
GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry: I believe it was "inappropriate" for Trump to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival, but "not impeachable." pic.twitter.com/JAJqIawF1V
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 10, 2019
GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry argues Trump's call with Ukraine isn't an impeachable act because "there's not anything that the President said in that phone call that's different than he says in public all the time." pic.twitter.com/VgY4gZT9yY
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 10, 2019
