(CNN) On Thursday, standing in front of the White House, President Donald Trump urged two foreign powers to look into his political rivals.

Here's the full quote:

"Well I would think that if [the Ukrainians] were honest about it, they'd start a major investigation into the Bidens. It's a very simple answer. They should investigate the Bidens. Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine. So, I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens."

That Trump statement comes hard on the release of the transcript of a July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump repeatedly reminds Zelensky of all the US has done for Ukraine before asking him to look into debunked corruption allegations surrounding former vice president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

Trump's behavior, while hugely unorthodox, erratic and unpresidential -- isn't actually all that surprising. This is who he is -- and is reflective of the sort of campaign he ran for president and how he has acted once in the office. What is surprising, or shocking might be the better word for it, is the fact that Republican elected officials seem willing to not just condone this sort of behavior but even defend it.

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