Lindsey Graham calls the Ukraine transcript 'very appropriate.' Mitt Romney says it's 'deeply troubling.'
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) thinks the transcript of President Trump's Ukraine call is a giant nothingburger. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) disagrees.
After the White House released the memorandum of Trump's call with Ukraine's president, in which he pressed for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, Romney told reporters that "what we've seen from the transcript itself is deeply troubling," per CBS News' Alan He. Romney wouldn't say whether he believes the House impeachment inquiry is appropriate.
Graham went the opposite direction, rallying behind Trump by tweeting that the transcript is "a nothing (non-quid pro quo) burger." The South Carolina senator also told reporters, "From my point of view, to impeach any president over a phone call like this would be insane," adding that Ukraine's president "did not feel threatened" and "felt fine with what happened" and that what Trump said was "very appropriate."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), meanwhile, sides with Graham, in a statement saying "there was absolutely no quid pro quo" on the call.
At the same time, Democrats doubled down on their calls for impeachment, arguing there was an implicit quid pro quo on the call, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeting, "The president of the United States has betrayed our country. That's not a political statement — it's a harsh reality, and we must act." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The Week’s big New Year’s Day quiz 2026Quiz of the Year How much do you remember about 2025’s headlines? Put yourself to the test with our bumper quiz of the year
-
Is tanking ruining sports?Today's Big Question The NBA and the NFL want teams to compete to win. What happens if they decide not to?
-
‘Netflix needs to not just swallow HBO but also emulate it’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
