Trump "really thinks" that it is normal to accept the dirt of foreign governments on political opponents

Former Republican governor of New Jersey Chris Christie said on Sunday that he thought President Donald Trump "really thinks" that it is normal for politicians to accept negative information about political opponents emanating from governments or foreign officials, pointing out that the president comes from the business world.

"I think that's what he really thinks," said Christie Sunday morning, who briefly chaired Trump's presidential transition team. during a round table on ABC News & # 39; This week. "I mean, one of the things you need to understand about Donald Trump is that most of the time, when he is moved as he was in this interview, and you can see many times that he was moved, he absolutely says what he thinks. "

"He really thinks people are taking this dirt out of foreign governments all the time," added the former governor. "He's a guy who's never been involved in politics before." He's been involved in the business. "Things that could happen in business might be acceptable, when you're a public officer who's ready. oath, this is not acceptable.This is not to explain away from his statement, it is to help people out there understand why would he [say that]. "

Christie went on to say that Trump's controversial remarks last week were false.

"Let's be clear, you can not take this information from a foreign agent, it's against the law," he said.

The president was the subject of intense controversy last week after telling George Stephanopoulos of ABC News in an interview: "It's not [foreign election] interference "to accept" "information" about a political opponent from a foreign agent. "I think I would take it," said Trump. He also asserted that such a decision would be normal in Washington.

"When you speak honestly to members of Congress, they all do it, they always do it, and it's like that, what's called oppo research," he said. He insists. The president also said that the FBI director, Christopher Wray, whom he had named, "wrongly" to say that politicians should address directly to the office if they are ever presented with a offer from a foreign power.

Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have quickly criticized the president and disagree with him.

"No congressional member who wants to respect our oath of office would ever take this information," Katherine Clark, a Democrat from the 5th district of Massachusetts, told CNN.

Others, like Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, called on Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings following the president's remarks.

"A foreign government attacked our 2016 elections to support Trump, an aide Trump hailed." Trump obstructed the investigation. "Now, he said he'd do it again. to dismiss Donald Trump, "announced tweeted the presidential candidate of 2020.

Republican Senator Mitt Romney said that accepting information about political opponents from foreign powers would be "totally unthinkable" and "strike at the very heart of our democracy." He said that he had never been approached with such filth, but that he would have contacted the FBI immediately.

Although many Republicans have avoided making the President's remarks heard, GOP representative Adam Kinzinger admitted on CNN Saturday that "in private" they "agreed" and that the comments were wrong. .

Trump tried to revisit the controversial comments, saying Fox and friends On Friday, he would "look into this issue" if he was receiving negative information about a political rival emanating from a foreign government, then informing the FBI.

"Of course, you have to look at it, because if you do not examine it, you will not know it's bad, but of course you give it to the FBI or you report it to the prosecutor general or to someone like that., "he said.