WASHINGTON – Michigan’s Republican members of Congress were silent Thursday as President Donald Trump urged China — a nation several of them have criticized sharply in the past — to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Democrats in the U.S. House have already called for an impeachment inquiry to begin after Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 call to investigate Biden, a top Democratic candidate for president in 2020, and his son, Hunter, who had been on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Thursday, Trump said, “China should start an investigation into the Bidens,” a suggestion that is remarkable considering that the two nations are rivals on the world stage, have fought in armed conflicts against one another and are currently battling over trade and tariffs.
It is against the law to solicit a foreign national or government for something of value to a political campaign in the U.S.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly suggested that Biden, as vice president, may have done something wrong because his son had business ties at different times in Ukraine and China. But there has been no evidence to support those claims.
Trump also has not made any public suggestions that investigations into other potential acts of corruption be investigated outside of those that may have political benefits to him. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, also has business ties in China, having received trademark protections from the government there.
The Free Press asked Michigan’s six Republican members of the U.S. House — Reps. Jack Bergman of Watersmeet, Bill Huizenga of Zeeland, John Moolenaar of Midland, Fred Upton of St. Joseph, Paul Mitchell of Dryden and Tim Walberg of Tipton — whether they thought the president’s request regarding China was appropriate and if so, why.
None of their offices responded to the Free Press, even though in the past they have argued for tougher stances on trade and military readiness to combat China, a communist nation which several of them have called a “bad actor” on the world stage.
All of Michigan’s Democratic members of the U.S. House and independent Rep. Justin Amash of Cascade Township have backed an impeachment inquiry based on the Ukrainian request, which came through a whistleblower’s complaint but was confirmed in a summary of the call released by the White House.
Last week, the Free Press asked every member of the state’s delegation where they stood on the impeachment inquiry and got no response from Mitchell, Walberg or Huizenga, though Huizenga on Twitter had earlier called it “a craven” political move by Democrats.
Bergman, meanwhile, called it a “charade” and Moolenaar said it showed House Democrats were “bending to the socialist wing of their party at the expense of getting important work done for the American people.”
While Mitchell didn’t respond to either Free Press request, he did say last week on Twitter that he was in support of the whistleblower’s report being referred to the relevant committees. Upton, meanwhile, has said while he doesn’t support impeachment, there are “legitimate” questions to be raised about Trump’s Ukraine call.
Read more:
Elissa Slotkin, Debbie Dingell move forward on impeachment
Perilous times for Trump: By 45%-38%, Americans support impeaching him over Ukraine allegations, poll finds
Contact Todd Spangler: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.