The acting White House chief of staff admitted to a quid pro quo over Ukraine funding Thursday, but GOP members of Congress are still fighting against impeachment.
Republican lawmakers continue to dismiss the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump's attempt to pressure foreign countries to dig up dirt on his political opponents even after a key player in the controversy effectively admitted to it.
On Thursday afternoon, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announced the Trump administration had selected Trump's own Trump National Doral Miami golf club to host an upcoming G-7 summit. Moments after announcing this likely violation of the constitution's emoluments clause, he was asked about his role in the Trump Ukraine scandal.
After confirming that the administration withheld security aid to Ukraine in a quid pro quo to get its government to investigate a conspiracy theory relating to the Democratic National Committee, Mulvaney conceded that quid pro quos are common in the Trump administration's foreign policy and told reporters to "get over it."
Minutes after this admission, some of Trump's fiercest defenders made it clear that this admission had not changed their views.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) tweeted that she was "proud" to oppose the "political circus" of the impeachment inquiry. "I got your back @realdonaldtrump," she pledged. She also included a video of clips of Fox News and radio appearances in which she mocked the allegations against Trump and the investigative process.
Proud to stand for the rule of law as @HouseDemocrats continue a political circus and obstruct basic due process rights.
I got your back @realdonaldtrump. pic.twitter.com/1eFOnkNqVX
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 17, 2019
Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) tweeted that the process has "no transparency" and "is taking place behind closed doors."
"If there were any basis to the claims,"he added, "it would be in public." Mulvaney's comments were carried live on national television.
The partisan impeachment process has no transparency, no vote, and is taking place behind closed doors. If there were any basis to the claims it would be in public. https://t.co/kTd2gPhSz5
— Trent Kelly (@RepTrentKelly) October 17, 2019
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) noted that he had introduced a resolution demanding "transparency" for the process. "Impeachment is too serious to be done behind closed doors," he argued.
Yesterday, I introduced H.Res. 633 to demand transparency from @SpeakerPelosi in her impeachment inquiry against @POTUS. The American people deserves an open & transparent process. Impeachment is too serious to be done behind closed doors.
— Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) October 17, 2019
Blackburn, Brooks, and Kelly did not immediately respond to inquiries about their thoughts on Mulvaney's admissions.
Meanwhile, at least two Republican senators told HuffPo that they had no problem with Trump profiteering from his presidency for the G-7 summit. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told the publication, "Show me where there is a violation of law. I'm not sure that there is." Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said, "Anything that draws a major event like that to Florida is not something I would discourage."
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
