Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Republicans to reject President Donald Trump's call for the GOP to "finally take control" of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
"You never thought you'd hear a president say something like this. Frankly, you never thought you'd hear such silence from the other side of the aisle when he does. Republican lawmakers ought to shout down that kind of appeal," Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said Thursday, The Hill reported.
Trump's comment "should send shivers down our spines," Schumer said, referring to a Wednesday tweet from the president:
Schumer said that he believed Republicans and some in the conservative media have tried to wage a "right-wing smear campaign" to discredit the Russia investigation, the Hill reported.
"In my judgment, at least, for partisan reasons, Republicans in Congress and some in some parts of the media, the conservative parts of the media, have sought to undermine the Russia investigation in countless ways," he said.
The senator also was critical of Trump Tuesday, when he said that if the government is forced to shut down over funding a border wall, Trump would be blamed.
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