Susan Collins: Trump made 'big mistake' in asking China to probe Biden
Susan Collins on Saturday became the latest Republican senator to criticize President Donald Trump for calling on foreign countries to investigate a political rival, saying he made a "big mistake."
“I thought the president made a big mistake by asking China to get involved in investigating a political opponent,” Collins said at a press gaggle in her home state of Maine, according to the Bangor Daily News. “It’s completely inappropriate.”
Collins is the third Republican senator to voice criticism of Trump for the ongoing Ukraine scandal at the heart of the House's impeachment proceedings, joining Mitt Romney and Ben Sasse.
During a press gaggle on Thursday, Trump called on China to investigate political rival and presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden.
"Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens. Because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine," Trump said.
Saying that the House likely will pass articles of impeachment on Trump, Collins said she would not comment "on the evidence on both sides coming forth every day."
“Should the articles of impeachment come to the Senate — and right now I’m going to guess that they will — I will be acting as a juror as I did in the Clinton impeachment trial,” Collins said.
Collins also joined in Republican criticism of House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff's description of the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the testimony of acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire last week.
Collins said Schiff “misrepresented and misled people about what was in the transcript in the call."
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine