On Twitter, President Trump accused the unknown person of not knowing 'the correct facts' about Mr. Trump's conversations with the leader of Ukraine, as Democrats demanded that Republicans speak out about the matter.
"The Republican Senate’s “see no evil, hear no evil” attitude toward such a serious national security concern is unacceptable and must change," said Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer.
In New York, President Trump said the matter wasn't worrying him.
Asked how seriously he is taking talk of impeachment, Pres. Trump says "not at all seriously."
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 23, 2019
"We had a perfect phone call with the president of Ukraine," he adds, amid increasing scrutiny following whistleblower complaint. https://t.co/pNrFReI0Zv pic.twitter.com/1OSEMYCt52
Democrats see it much differently - and are demanding answers.
"It's time for the Trump Administration to come clean," said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).
"The administration needs to stop stonewalling and turn over the whistleblower complaint now, as required by law," said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).
"If they refuse, President Trump should be impeached immediately," DeGette added.
Under federal law, the complaint from the unidentified whistleblower should have already been turned over to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees - but the Acting Director of National Intelligence has failed to do that.
Current law does include the possibility where the whistleblower could go directly to the Congress with the information.
The Intel Community’s inspector general, who was appointed by Trump, found the concern raised by the whistleblower to be “urgent” and “credible.” Today, Trump suggests the whistleblower is betraying the US https://t.co/tcjFHqcYgB
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 23, 2019
The Acting Director of National Intelligence must appear before the Intelligence Cmte, turn over the whistleblower’s complaint, allow him or her to speak to Congress, and to whatever extent possible release the transcript of Trump's call with Ukraine. https://t.co/Su7mGbdrcV
— Rep. Mike Levin (@RepMikeLevin) September 23, 2019
Most Republicans in Congress have said little about the latest Trump controversy; one of the few was Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).
"If the President asked or pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate his political rival, either directly or through his personal attorney, it would be troubling in the extreme," Romney wrote on Twitter.
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