Republicans

From the military blog Task & Purpose: On Sunday, the official Twitter account of Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), a decorated Army staff sergeant and freshman congressman from Florida’s 18th district, posted what was probably intended as a simple birthday message to the U.S. Navy featuring an imposing warship contrasted against a vanilla sky. Unfortunately, the unlucky staffer who likely produced …

From the right wing Washington Examiner: A Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee was ejected from a closed-door impeachment hearing. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida tried to enter a hearing Monday in which lawmakers from three different committees are interviewing President Trump’s former top aide on Russia, Fiona Hill. Gaetz said he believed he should be allowed to attend …

Politico reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham signaled on Sunday that President Donald Trump’s partnering with Congress to stop Turkish aggression in Syria would be “a game changer.”  “I applaud his decision to work with Congress to stop Turkeys [sic] aggression in Syria through crippling economic sanctions,” he tweeted, saying he had spoken to the president. “This decision by President Trump will …

The Hill reports: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) response to a town hall question about same-sex marriage earlier this week. On Warren’s response, Rubio tweeted Saturday, “Vividly captures the condescension of elites & their incessant ridicule of Americans with traditional values. It elicits glee among celebrities & blue check brigade.” “But for the millions sick of …

Politico reports: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan publicly expressed support for the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, joining a small but growing number of Republicans breaking from the party’s mostly unwavering support of the president. “I think we do need an inquiry because we have to get to the bottom of it,” Hogan said in a segment on PBS’ Firing …

Politico reports: Retiring Republican Rep. John Shimkus is ending his support for President Donald Trump after this week‘s withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Syria-Turkey border, calling the move “despicable.” The Illinois Republican told St. Louis radio station KMOX on Thursday that after he learned about the withdrawal, he told his own chief of staff to “pull my name off …

Phoenix’s NBC News affiliate reports: Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) said House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into President Trump was a “serious matter” but decried the “partisan bickering,” while adding the Senate Intelligence Committee would take the matter more seriously. “Every senator voted for the Senate Intelligence Committee to look into the matter in a bipartisan way,” she told 12 News KPNX. …

Politico reports: Turkey’s incursion into Syria on Wednesday is prompting fresh bipartisan condemnation of President Donald Trump’s moves and more congressional threats to hamstring Turkey economically, with some Republicans calling the situation “sickening” and a “terrible mistake” by the president. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), otherwise reliable allies of Trump, both lambasted the president on Wednesday …

Iowa Starting Line reports: Three times in a row today, Sen. Joni Ernst dodged questions about whether it’s appropriate for a president to ask a foreign power to investigate a political rival. After a round of questions from a CNN reporter looking for a “yes” or “no” answer from Ernst, the senator walked away and talked with a few Iowans …

Axios reports: In an interview with Axios on Tuesday night, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) condemned President Trump in his harshest language yet for deciding to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria, suggesting Trump is violating his oath of office by allowing Turkey to move in and attack the Kurds. Driving the news: Graham said Trump is making the biggest mistake …

Because of course he does: Senator Rand Paul appeared on Fox News today to express support for the president’s move. Neil Cavuto said, “A lot of people in your own party — Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, Nikki Haley, and on and on and on — say this is a tragedy, it’s a bad move, it emboldens our enemies.” …

CBS News reports: A long list of Republicans — including several top allies of President Donald Trump — lined up in vehement opposition Monday to the president’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from the northern border of Syria and allow a Turkish operation there. The announcement marked a major blow to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which the …

Another faint crack in the dam. The Columbus Dispatch reports: While he still says impeachment is too extreme, Sen. Rob Portman readily acknowledged today that President Donald Trump should not have asked the Ukraine or China for help investigating former Vice President Joe Biden. The Ohio Republican also disputed Trump’s characterization of an ousted Ukrainian as an aggressive battler of …

The Washington Post reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell publicly rebuked President Trump’s plan to withdraw U.S. troops from northeast Syria, saying that a supermajority in the Senate disagreed with the president’s abrupt announcement. “I urge the President to exercise American leadership to keep together our multinational coalition to defeat ISIS and prevent significant conflict between our NATO ally Turkey …

Mediaite reports: One of President Donald Trump’s most reliable defenders in the Senate blasted him Monday morning over his “shortsighted and irresponsible” decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Northern Syria — paving the way for a Turkish military operation.  Appearing on Fox & Friends, a program which long been on a shortlist of the president’s favorites, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) …

Politico reports: Senate Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Sunday expressed skepticism President Trump was “serious” when he called for the Chinese government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. “I doubt the China comment was serious …the president loves to go out on the White House driveway, he loves to bait the press to see what …

NBC News reports: Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s recent calls for China and Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden in a combative “Meet the Press” interview Sunday morning where he accused Democrats and the media of trying to sabotage the Trump administration. “Let me tell you why I’m pretty sympathetic with what President Trump …

ABC News reports: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Sunday repeatedly refused to say whether he believed it was inappropriate for President Trump to call for Chinese authorities to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. “You really think he was serious about thinking China’s going to investigate the Biden family? I think he’s getting the press all …

The Hill reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) reelection campaign is seizing on the fight over impeachment, pledging in Facebook ads that he will lead Republican efforts to stop President Trump from being removed from office. “Nancy Pelosi’s in the clutches of a left wing mob. They finally convinced her to impeach the president. All of you know your …

CNBC reports: Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said Friday that President Donald Trump’s explanation for asking foreign countries investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son “strains credulity.” The rebuke from Romney, one of the only Republicans in Congress to criticize Trump’s calls for Ukraine and China to investigate his potential opponent in the 2020 election, follows Trump’s …