Biden decries reports about Trump, Ukraine's president

Former Vice President Joe Biden. Photo / Greg Bowker

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday decried reports that President Donald Trump urged the president of Ukraine to look into his son's business dealings there.

Biden said in a statement that if the reports are true, "Then there is truly no bottom to President Trump's willingness to abuse his power and abase our country."

The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said Trump should release the transcript of his July phone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy "so that the American people can judge for themselves."

Biden released the statement after news organisations reported Trump had urged Zelenskiy to probe the activities of Biden's son Hunter, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. The Democratic front-runner's campaign later sent out a fundraising letter urging potential donors, "Don't let the President get away with this gross abuse of power."

Former Vice President Joe Biden. Photo / Greg Bowker

Trump said there was nothing inappropriate in his contacts with foreign leaders.

At least two of Biden's rivals called on fellow Democrats in the House to push forward on impeachment of Trump. Despite multiple congressional investigations into the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has resisted calls for impeachment from many members of her caucus, arguing such a step would be divisive and could backfire against the party in 2020.

Elizabeth Warren said that posture makes Congress complicit in Trump's outreach to Ukraine.

"A president is sitting in the Oval Office, right now, who continues to commit crimes," Warren tweeted. "He continues because he knows his Justice Department won't act and believes Congress won't either. Today's news confirmed he thinks he's above the law. If we do nothing, he'll be right."

Julián Castro, the former housing secretary, said Trump "needs to be impeached.

President Donald Trump. Photo / AP

"I love these House Democrats — my brother is one of them," he added. "But it's time for them to do something. It's time for them to act." Castro's brother Joaquin represents Texas in the House.

Cory Booker didn't call for impeachment but said the allegations were "sobering and serious stuff" that should be "rocking Washington right now." He declined to call them treason.

"I want to see this investigated," he said. "What we know already, if it is true, constitutes at the very least serious misconduct."

-AP