一位寻求共和党2020年总统候选人的前共和党国会议员周四在众议院致信共和党人，敦促他们“将国家置于政党之上”，并推动弹唐纳德·特朗普总统。
前代表乔·沃尔什（Joe Walsh）从2011年至2013年代表伊利诺伊州第八届国会选区，在将其寄给国会共和党人后，在其竞选网站上发布了这封信。
在这封信中，沃尔什鼓励众议院的共和党人支持南希·佩洛西上个月发起的弹劾程序，此前有人指控总统要求乌克兰领导人对特朗普的政治竞争对手乔·拜登及其儿子亨特进行调查，这是举报人的投诉。
沃尔什在信中写道：“特朗普总统告诉一位外国领导人，要挖出他的政治对手。” “这对任何国会议员-共和党，民主党或独立党都是不能接受的。”
那些支持弹劾的人称，乌克兰总统的要求等于要求外国干预美国大选。他说，他相信他的共和党同胞不能良心宽恕这种行为。
他写道：“请，我的朋友们，为这次弹劾调查大声疾呼。” “大声疾呼，以支持深入讨论。加入民主党，因为这是正确的事。毫无疑问，特朗普总统要求乌克兰对乔·拜登进行调查。作为国会议员，你必须谴责那。”
他在信结尾处要求接受者恪守誓言，并优先考虑成为忠实的美国人，而不是成为忠实的共和党人。
沃尔什（Walsh）正式宣布，他将在8月25日竞选特朗普参加2020年共和党总统候选人提名。“我们再也不能忍受唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）四年了，”他当天发推文说：“这就是我竞选总统的原因。 ”
在他的公告中，他继续写道：“这并非易事，但勇敢绝非易事。但我们可以做到这一点。”
尽管他反对特朗普，但沃尔什仍然认为自己是保守派，并在一些问题上保持保守观点。他于2010年当选为极右翼茶党运动的议员。根据《商业内幕》（Business Insider）发表的沃尔什（Walsh）分析，他说他相信一男一女之间的“传统”婚姻。此外，他是亲以色列的人，也是《第二修正案》的坚决拥护者，甚至自称为“大枪手”。
然而，他也表达了可能被认为与其他一些保守派不合时宜的观点。例如，在4月，沃尔什（Walsh）反对特朗普提议的禁止在美军中服役的变性人的提议。他在4月12日发布的推文中说： “符合军方严格标准的任何人-同性恋，异性恋或跨性别者-都应免费服役。”
他还说，他相信人类活动已经影响了气候变化，并据《商业内幕》报道批评其他共和党人，因为他认为他们没有对气候危机采取最终行动。
沃尔什在争夺特朗普预期的2020年共和党提名方面面临艰巨的战斗。即使在与乌克兰总统的对话引起争议并呼吁弹劾之际，最近的民意测验也将总统目前的支持率评估为今年的最高点。
REPUBLICAN JOE WALSH IMPLORES CONGRESSIONAL GOP TO SUPPORT TRUMP IMPEACHMENT: 'PUT COUNTRY OVER PARTY'
A former Republican congressman seeking his party's presidential nomination in 2020 sent a letter to Republicans in the House of Representatives on Thursday, urging them to "put country over party" and push for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Former Representative Joe Walsh, who represented the 8th Congressional District of Illinois from 2011 to 2013, published the letter on his campaign website after sending it to congressional Republicans.
In the letter, Walsh encouraged Republicans in the House to support the impeachment proceedings begun by Nancy Pelosi last month following a whistleblower complaint alleging the president had asked the leader of Ukraine to investigate Trump's political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
"President Trump told a foreign leader to dig up dirt on his political opponent," Walsh wrote in the letter. "This can't be acceptable to any Member of Congress—Republican, Democrat, or Independent."
Those in favor of impeachment claim the president's request of the Ukrainian president amounted to asking a foreign country to meddle in American elections, Walsh wrote. He said he believed his fellow Republicans could not condone this behavior in good conscience.
"Please, my friends, speak out in support of this impeachment inquiry," he wrote. "Speak out in support of getting to the bottom of this. Join the Democrats on this one—because it's the right thing to do. There is no disputing that President Trump asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. As Members of Congress, you must condemn that."
He concluded his letter by asking the recipients to uphold their oaths and prioritize being faithful Americans over being faithful Republicans.
Walsh officially announced that he would be running against Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination on August 25. "We can't take four more years of Donald Trump," he tweeted that day, "And that's why I'm running for President."
In his announcement, he went on to write, "It won't be easy, but bravery is never easy. But together, we can do it."
His opposition to Trump notwithstanding, Walsh identifies as conservative and maintains conservative viewpoints on several issues. He was elected to Congress in 2010 as an affiliate of the far-right Tea Party movement. According to an analysis of Walsh published by Business Insider, he has said that he believes in "traditional" marriage between one man and one woman. Further, he is pro-Israel and a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, going as far as to call himself a "big gun guy."
Yet he has also expressed opinions that could be considered out-of-step with those of some other conservatives. For example in April, Walsh came out in opposition to Trump's proposed ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military. "Anyone - gay, straight, or transgender - who meets the military's tough standards should be free to serve," he tweeted on April 12.
He has also said that he believes human activity has affected climate change and criticized other Republicans for what he sees as their lack of definitive action on the climate crisis, according to Business Insider.
Walsh faces an uphill battle in contesting Trump's expected 2020 Republican nomination. Even amid the controversy about the conversation with the Ukrainian president and calls for impeachment, recent polls have measured the president's current approval rating at its highest point this year.
