Sen. Cory Booker, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Wednesday refused to criticize fellow candidate Vice President Joe Biden, saying that President Donald Trump's alleged actions with Ukraine are much more serious.
"It's like saying, here's a firecracker over here. Pay no attention to the nuclear bomb going off," the New Jersey Democrat told Fox News' "Fox and Friends," adding that the impeachment of a president is a "very sad" occasion.
"A president of the United States of America, in order to pursue his own personal benefit, withholds aid from an ally under attack," said Booker, noting that House members have had to take this step because it can't get cooperation or answers from the Trump administration.
He added that allegations that Trump pushed the Ukranian government to investigate Biden's son, Hunter, and his connections with a Ukranian energy firm, and Biden himself, over pushing to get the prosecutor general in charge of investigating the energy firm and payments it had made to the younger Biden.
"Where are we coming in as a nation when both Republicans and Democrats see an ally, Ukraine, under attack and a president of the United States withholds that aid in order to go after a political opponent?" said Booker. "I think that was a bridge too far for people."
Booker said he's been to Ukraine and seen the effects of war on the Russian neighbor.
"We need the leverage, through an impeachment inquiry, to be able to better get to the truth," he said. When they started with (Richard) Nixon they didn't know the truth yet. The public was mostly on the side of Nixon until the truth started coming out."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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