Ensnarled in an impeachment investigation over his request for Ukraine to investigate a chief political rival, President Donald Trump on Thursday called on another nation to probe former Vice President Joe Biden: China.
"China should start an investigation into the Bidens, Trump said in remarks to reporters outside the White House. Trump said he hadn't directly asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to investigate Biden and his son Hunter but said it's "certainly something we could start thinking about.
Trump and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani have also tried to raise suspicions about Hunter Biden's business dealings in China, leaning on the writings of conservative author Peter Schweizer. But there is no evidence that the former vice president benefited financially from his son's business relationships.
Trump's requests for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to dig up dirt on Biden, as well as Giuliani's conduct, are at the center of an intelligence community whistleblower complaint that sparked the House Democratic impeachment probe last week.
The president's reference to China came unprompted in an unrelated question about the July 25 Ukraine call and moments after he was asked about trade negotiations with China to end a year-long trade war that has been a drag on both nation's economies.
"I have a lot of options on China, but if they don't do what we want, we have tremendous, tremendous power, Trump said.
He later alleged without evidence that China had a sweetheart deal on trade with the US because of the Bidens.
You know what they call that, Trump said. They call that a payoff."