Sen. Ron Johnson
Ronald (Ron) Harold JohnsonGOP divided over impeachment trial strategy White House releases rough transcript of early Trump-Ukraine call minutes before impeachment hearing Johnson opens door to subpoenaing whistleblower, Schiff, Bidens MORE (R-Wis.) said the whistleblower who spurred the House impeachment inquiry “exposed things that didn’t need to be exposed.”
Johnson said the allegations the whistleblower laid out in the formal complaint set a precedent that will weaken presidential power.
“You know, it’s going to be very difficult for future presidents to have a candid conversation with a world leader because now we’ve set the precedent of leaking transcripts. The weakening of executive privilege is not good,” Johnson said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“If the whistleblower’s goal is to improve President Trump
Donald John TrumpGOP divided over impeachment trial strategy Official testifies that Bolton had ‘one-on-one meeting’ with Trump over Ukraine aid Louisiana governor wins re-election MORE‘s relationship with Ukraine, he utterly failed,” Johnson said.
WATCH: @SenRonJohnson says the whistleblower complaint “exposed things that didn’t need to be exposed.” #MTP
“If the whistleblower’s goal is to improve our relationship with Ukraine, he utterly — or she — utterly failed.” pic.twitter.com/b9XDMBpDVs
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 17, 2019
Johnson, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who traveled to Ukraine as part of a bipartisan team to deliver the aid, dismissed the allegation at the center of the impeachment inquiry that Trump withheld the aid as a way to pressure Ukrainian officials to launch investigations that would benefit him in the 2020 election.
“When I was in Ukraine with Sen. [Chris] Murphy [D-Conn.], one of the things I was trying to make clear as we left that meeting — let’s try to minimize this. Let’s talk. This is a timing difference,” Johnson said.
“This would’ve been far better off if we had just taken care of this behind the scenes,” he added.
Murphy, also speaking to “Meet the Press” on Sunday, said there was an “extortion campaign” but added that he was unaware it was happening when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in September.
“The president was trying to use the power of his office to influence the upcoming election,” Murphy said.
Republicans have long criticized the way House Democrats are conducting the impeachment inquiry.
House Republicans have asked for the whistleblower to testify. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett SchiffGOP divided over impeachment trial strategy READ: Top NSC aide Tim Morrison’s closed-door impeachment inquiry testimony Top NSC aide puts Sondland at front lines of Ukraine campaign, speaking for Trump MORE (D-Calif.) has denied their request and is not allowing questions during the impeachment hearings that would lead witnesses to identify the whistleblower.