Rep. Will Hurd, Texas Republican, on Friday criticized President Trump’s suggestion a day earlier that China should investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and his son.
“I think it’s terrible - it’s something that I wouldn’t have done,” Mr. Hurd said on CNN’s “New Day.”
He also said Mr. Trump’s wishing China “congratulations on 70 years of communism via tweet” is something he wouldn’t do, either.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump had said: “China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened [in] China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine.”
Mr. Trump’s allies have raised questions recently about Hunter Biden, Mr. Biden’s son, and his role on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
Author Peter Schweizer has also written about a trip the Bidens made to China in 2013 that preceded a billion-dollar deal Hunter Biden’s firm struck with a Chinese bank.
“China is an adversary. China right now has a million ethnic minorities - the Uighurs basically in prison camps,” Mr. Hurd said. “Also, we’re in a tight and complex trade negotiation with China now, and so you’re potentially giving them something to hold over your head.”
Mr. Hurd, who is not seeking re-election next year, said he also expects China will manipulate its currency or try to do something to affect global markets ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections.
“I think that is something that a president of the United States shouldn’t be doing,” he said.
He also said he’s not comfortable with newly released text messages that show American and Ukrainian officials discussing the notion of withholding military aid for Ukraine for political purposes - an issue that’s at the heart of House Democrats’ newly formalized impeachment inquiry.
“I think some of these things are indeed damning,” he said. “However, I want to make sure we get through this entire investigation before coming to some kind of conclusions. I think this is serious stuff, these are serious matters, this has long-term implications on our foreign policy.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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