Trump challenger Weld renews calls for his resignation after comments on political opponent

Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld (R), who is challenging President Trump for the 2020 GOP nomination, renewed his calls for Trump to resign after Trump said he might not call the FBI if a foreign power offered damaging information on a political opponent.

“Under no circumstance should any candidate accept or use information about a political opponent gained from a foreign power – especially one who seeks the destruction of our democracy like Russia or China – to influence the outcome of an American election,” Weld tweeted.

“This latest statement again proves we have a president with no respect for the rule of law and lacking a basic sense of right and wrong. Mr. President, resign. For once in your life put the good of the country first. America deserves better.”

Mr. President, resign. For once in your life put the good of the country first. America deserves better. -BW 4/4

— Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) June 13, 2019

Trump raised eyebrows Wednesday evening after ABC News released a clip of an interview in which he refused to commit to informing the FBI if a foreign power offered him dirt on his opponent in 2020. 

{mosads}”I think maybe you do both,” Trump said when asked whether he would call the FBI or listen if Russia, China or another foreign government contacted his campaign. 

“I think you might want to listen. There’s nothing wrong with listening,” he added. “It’s not an interference. They have information. I think I’d take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI.”

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s two-year probe into Russia’s election meddling in 2016 did not find proof that Trump’s campaign conspired with Moscow but uncovered “numerous links” and conversations between Trump campaign officials and Russia.

Weld has emerged as a vocal critic of the president, saying in April that Trump has “lost the capacity to govern” and saying in May that Trump “would rather be a king than a president who had to work to earn and preserve the trust of the American people.”