Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.:

It's absolutely devastating.

Within moments of Zelensky asking the president for more help for increased weaponry to fight Russia, the president asks Zelensky to investigate one of the president's political opponents, Joe Biden, and makes some vague suggestion that President — that Vice President Biden was bragging about getting a prosecutor — or stopping a prosecution in Ukraine, which is fundamentally not true.

There's no way to come away from that phone call without the impression that a priority of the president's is to take part in his political campaign for reelection in the United States.

And, of course, this phone call doesn't stand on its own. Rudy Giuliani's name is brought up several times. And we know that Giuliani and perhaps others were repeatedly trying to get the Ukrainians to open up these investigations to politically destroy one of the president's rivals.

I don't think we have ever seen anything like it. You are not allowed to trade away the credibility of the United States in order to score political points or destroy your political rivals.

And I think it underscores the need for the inquiry the House began yesterday.