GOP lawmaker says Trump’s statements on Ukraine call ‘misguided foreign policy’

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) used part of his speaking time at Thursday’s House impeachment hearing to criticize President Trump’s comments in his July phone call with the Ukrainian president.

Hurd, who is retiring at the end of his term, said that while he had not heard any “evidence” that supported the impeachment of Trump, he did see some of Trump’s comments to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “misguided foreign policy.”

The Texas Republican specifically criticized Trump’s use of the phrase “do us a favor” in reference to the 2016 election and mentioning the Bidens in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky, a conversation that is at the heart of the chamber’s impeachment inquiry.

“I believe both statements are inappropriate, misguided foreign policy, and it certainly is not how an executive currently or in the future should handle such a call,” Hurd said during his five minutes of questioning time.

Republican Rep. Hurd says Pres. Trump’s demand for Ukraine to ‘do us a favor’ was ‘inappropriate, misguided foreign policy’ pic.twitter.com/u4P3OW9g4W

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 21, 2019

Hurd maintained, however, that he had not heard any “evidence” that would support impeaching Trump.

“An impeachable offense should be compelling, overwhelmingly clear, and unambiguous, and it’s not something to be rushed or taken lightly,” Hurd said. “I have not heard evidence proving the president committed bribery or extortion.”

Hurd, who announced in August that he would retire from Congress at the end of his current term, added that he “rejected” the belief that not supporting impeachment did not mean he was not concerned about Ukrainian policymaking issues.

More than 220 House Democrats support the impeachment inquiry into Trump, though no House Republican has come out in favor of it.