'This president is a national security threat': 2020 Democrats sound the alarm after Trump says he would be open to accepting dirt on his political foes from foreign powers

• President Donald Trump's willingness to accept damaging information against his political opponents from foreign powers rankled Democrats running in the 2020 US presidential election.
• Here's what Trump's Democratic opponents said of his comments.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump's willingness to accept damaging information against his political opponents from foreign adversaries rankled Democrats running in the 2020 US presidential election.

In an ABC News interview, Trump said he would consider not going to the FBI if he obtained information against a political opponent from countries like Russia. Trump said the act should not be categorized as election interference and claimed members of Congress "all do it."

"Oh, I think I'd want to hear it," Trump said. "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."

"I've seen a lot of things over my life," Trump added. "I don't think in my whole life I've ever called the FBI. In my whole life. You don't call the FBI. You throw somebody out of your office."

Trump's statement contradicts the advice given by FBI director Christopher Wray during a congressional hearing in May. Wray advised that lawmakers should contact the FBI if they were contacted by a country that intended to influence US elections.

"My view is that if any public official or member of any campaign is contacted by any nation state or anybody acting on behalf of a nation state about influencing or interfering with our election, then that's something the FBI would want to know about," Wray said at the time.

After ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos informed Trump of Wray's views, Trump said tersely, "The FBI director is wrong."

Here's what Trump's Democratic opponents said of his comments: