As the formal impeachment inquiry in the Democratic majority House proceeds, one thing has become clear — most Republicans value their political positions too much to budge from supporting President Donald Trump even when he freely indulges in brazen self-dealing from the Oval Office. Those to condemn Trump asking foreign governments for dirt on political opponents have been few and far between. This weekend, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) posted a rebuke of these complicit Republicans on Twitter, essentially demanding that they do something.
Alongside a link to a piece from The New York Times‘ editorial board about the subject, Schiff wrote:
‘In 1950, a courageous Republican Senator asked whether her party would rely on a strategy of “fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.” As the New York Times writes, that question has presented itself again. How will today’s GOP answer?’
In 1950, a courageous Republican Senator asked whether her party would rely on a strategy of “fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.”
As the New York Times writes, that question has presented itself again.
How will today’s GOP answer?https://t.co/OS7dauVzeR
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) October 20, 2019
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) posted the same link this weekend alongside a similar call to action.
She shared:
‘Republicans face a simple question: is the president allowed to pressure a foreign country into interfering in our elections? History will remember their answer, or their silence. #TruthExposed’
Republicans face a simple question: is the president allowed to pressure a foreign country into interfering in our elections?
History will remember their answer, or their silence. #TruthExposed https://t.co/ps02g1AlYL
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 20, 2019
So far, the majority of Republican responses to the situation have been silence. When confronted recently with the question of whether it was okay for a president to ask for foreign election assistance, Senators Cory Gardner of Colorado and Joni Ernst of Iowa both refused to directly answer, opting to point to a Senate Republican-led investigation as the real authority on this basic matter.
Meanwhile, Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida both insisted the president was joking, at least in one instance when he called for foreign election help. Based on the intensity with which he’s kept up his calls for the foreign election help, though — it’s pretty clear that he was not joking.
Check out Twitter’s response below…
