Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said President Donald Trump's request for a favor from the leader of Ukraine is an “abuse of power.”
The former Republican governor of Pennsylvania made his comments on Tuesday during a forum in Harrisburg. They were detailed in a report by PennLive.
“I am disappointed and troubled by the very fact that my president – and he is my president – would ask a foreign leader of a troubled country who’s been besieged by an enemy of the United States, to do him a political favor,” said Ridge. “As far as I’m concerned, it is abuse of power.”
One of two articles of impeachment announced by Democrats on Tuesday cites abuse of power. They say Trump put his political interests above the nation when he asked Ukraine to probe his rivals, including Democrat Joe Biden and then withheld $400 million in military aid,
Ridge said he is leaving it up to Congress as to whether Trump should be impeached.
But he is undecided on who he will support in the 2020 presidential race.
“I’m going to wait and see what the Democrats do before I make my final decision.,” he said. “People know how I feel about Trump so obviously I will be looking for an alternative. If not, as I’ve said to folks before, I wrote in the names of two Republican governors before because I love govs.”
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