Donald Trump: “I just met with the Queen of England (U.K.), the Prince of Whales, the P.M. of the United Kingdom, the P.M. of Ireland, the President of France and the President of Poland.” (Doug Mills/New York Times)

Republican legislators join Democrats in criticism of Donald Trump’s declaration that he will take “information” on an election opponent from Russia or another foreign government.

Trump said in a TV interview on Wednesday that he saw no reason to contact the FBI unless there was “something wrong”: “It’s not an interference. They have information — I think I’d take it.”

He labeled any material provided by a foreign power as “opposition research” and rejected the statements of FBI Director Christopher Wray that politicians should contact the agency: “The FBI director is wrong, because frankly it doesn’t happen like that in life.”

Trump’s campaign had numerous contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 Presidential election, including over e-mails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and staff around Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

TrumpWatch, Day 874: Trump — I’ll Take Russian Information on Election Opponent

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally, said he spoke with Trump on Thursday about the issue: “If a public official is approached by a foreign government offering anything of value, the answer is no — whether it be money, opposition research.”

Sen. Joni Ernst echoed, “I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t accept material like that.”

She rejected Trump’s comment that politicians take such information all the time: “No, we don’t. Let’s stop there. No we don’t.”

On the Democratic side, Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, noted, “The President has either learned nothing from the last two years or picked up exactly the wrong lesson that he can accept gleefully foreign assistance again and escape the punishment of the law.”

Presidential candidates added to the criticism. Former Vice President Joe Biden said a President should not “abet those who seek to undermine democracy”. Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey each called Trump’s comments “disgraceful”, and Sen. Kamala Harris of California said Trump was “a national security threat”.

GOP Still Protects Trump — But Objections Grow

Still, Republicans on Capitol Hill continued to provide cover for Trump.

Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pushed legislation requiring candidates to report any effort by foreign governments to influence elections. But when Sen. Mark Warner , the topDemocrat on the Intelligence Committee, sought passage by unanimous consent in the Senate, GOP colleagues blocked the effort.

There was a notable shift in the House, where Democratic Rep. and Presidential candidate Eric Swalwell said he would now support impeachment hearing against Trump. A majority of Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee now publicly back the process.

Trump tried to defend himself on Thursday by equating the taking of election information from foreign entities, including from Russia, with his Presidential meetings with world leaders — including the UK’s “Prince of Whales”:

The unique explanation did not convince some Republican legislators.

“Certainly, absolutely not,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski. “Just say no. Turn it [the information] over,” said Sen. Cory Gardner. “I would go immediately to the authorities, period,” Sen. Thom Tillis emphasized.

The Democrats’ Schiff summarized:

The message he seems to be sending now is as long as a foreign power wants to help his campaign, they can count on him having the good discretion not to alert his F.B.I. about it. It is just dangerous, appalling, unethical, unpatriotic — you name it.”