Republicans accuse Trump of being open to foreign opponents

Shortly after Donald Trump sparked his last controversy, Lindsey Graham addressed the president asking him to rethink his willingness to use the foreign opposition's search against his political opponents.

"The law is pretty clear. You can not take anything away from the value of a foreign government, "Graham told Trump. He said, "I did not say it. "I said," Sitting and talking to someone is not a crime, but it's probably not a good idea. … "I do not agree with you."

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When asked if Graham's comment had reached the president, the Republican from South Carolina replied, "He understands where I come from.

As a close ally of Trump, Graham's exchange sounded the alarm that the oldest Republicans said he would probably accept foreign dirt if it was offered and possibly go to the FBI, if I imagined that there was a problem.

Many Senate Republicans are now eager to dissociate themselves from Trump's willingness to use foreign opposition research against his political opponents, even as Trump was still digging on Twitter Thursday.

Although Senators stated that offering campaign materials to their opponents was simply a way of life in politics, they flatly refused to subscribe to Trump's comments.

"Accept the work of a foreign government or the efforts of a foreign government to try to influence the election of one candidate or another? It just strikes at the heart of our democracy, "said Senator Mitt Romney (Utah) in an interview. "It's false, it's antithetical to our democratic principles."

"I was just surprised that he was not saying that he would hand it over immediately to the FBI or the DOJ," added Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), A key supporters of election security legislation. "International conversations are going to happen all the time, there is no way to avoid that … but the natural thing is to be able to return it"

Several senators seeking re-election promised to call the FBI immediately if they received such information.

"You must report it to the authorities. As a rule, it's a part of, as in the case of Russia, it's an effort to disrupt our elections, "said Senator Thom Tillis (RN.C.), who must be re-elected and Strive to stay close to Trump during a primary challenge. "My first call would be to the FBI, my second call would be someone to corroborate the information."

Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), One of the most vulnerable senators of the 2020 round, said that the "foreign opposition" should be delivered to the FBI, in all clarity ". And Senator Joni Ernst, another ballot holder next year, also put the day between her and Trump.

"I would not trust information from another country. I would not do it, "said the Republican of Iowa. "I can not speak for him, but I would not want him. I will certainly alert the authorities. "

Even so, most of them did not call Trump by name, despite some private anger provoked by the president's comments. Republicans seemed to regard the blizzard as a temporary storm that will pass, given Trump's penchant for changing media rhetoric.

After a long break, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that "any advice I have for the president, I will give him privately."

"The opposition research is obviously at the root of Russia's active measurement campaign," said Cornyn. "We are all concerned about the role that foreign countries play in our elections, both in the campaigns and the dissension of Americans on social media. I would simply prefer that the Americans participate in the American elections. "

The Democrats enlightened Trump's comments Thursday, while uttering harsh words for their GOP colleagues. The party is furious at Senate Leader Mitch McConnell's refusal to pass a bill to crack down on electoral interference. Minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Relaunched his attempts on Thursday to pass the bipartisan bill.

"Let's count how many of them stand up and say he's wrong," said Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Trump's Senate Whip. "You can usually do it with one hand."

Yet Republicans were clearly upset that Trump knocked out what they saw as a soft bullet in an interview with ABC on the very subject that fueled the report of former special adviser Robert Mueller. The interview disrupted what would have been a quiet day on Capitol Hill as the debate over Trump's comments consumed Washington.

After Trump said, "There is nothing wrong with listening to" a foreign government dirtying an opponent, some Republicans said it was a slippery slope between accepting such information and doing something illegal.

"You never want to take money from abroad, it's illegal. And the next route to money is information, "said Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). "So, if you take information from someone abroad and that person is involved in your campaign, you run the risk of inviting foreign money into your campaign. "

Some Republicans in the House, including minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Have attempted to defend Trump and have accused Democrats of taking inappropriate action.

But no senator questioned for this story would totally support Trump up. The President of the Armed Forces Services of the Senate, Jim Inhofe (R-Okla), was shown the closest, insisting that not only would he refuse such information, but that Trump would also refuse, despite the comments from the president.

Otherwise, the defense was rare.

"I believe the appropriate answer if the president or any other federal presidential candidate is approached by a hostile government (…) with an offer of assistance is: call the FBI," said the senator Susan Collins (R-Maine).

"I would not do it and I would encourage everyone else not to do it," said Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

James Arkin contributed to this report.