House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffPelosi, Democrats unveil bills to rein in alleged White House abuses of power Chris Matthews ripped for complimenting Trump's 'true presidential behavior' on Ginsburg Trump casts doubt on Ginsburg statement, wonders if it was written by Schiff, Pelosi or Schumer MORE (D-Calif.) decried what he described as an "epidemic of cowardice" in the GOP, slamming Republicans for not speaking out against President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE.

Schiff, who frequently criticizes Trump and is locked in a dispute with the administration over investigations into the White House, said the president has split from GOP orthodoxy on a host of issues.

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“I think what we knew, implicitly, was that courage is contagious,” Schiff said during a question-and-answer session with Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer on Thursday that was reported by Politico.

“But what we didn’t realize is that cowardice is also contagious. I think there’s been an epidemic of cowardice in the GOP. This president doesn’t stand for anything that the Republican Party said it stood for.”

Schiff said that Republican lawmakers have privately spoken with him to “express their deep concerns and worries” about the president's administration and offer some encouragement for his committee's probe into the president.

"But I’m, frankly, exhausted by the private misgivings,” Schiff said. “People need to speak out.”

Schiff did praise Rep. Justin Amash Justin AmashInternal Democratic poll shows tight race in contest to replace Amash Centrist Democrats 'strongly considering' discharge petition on GOP PPP bill On The Trail: How Nancy Pelosi could improbably become president MORE (R-Mich.), who this month said that Trump committed impeachable offenses.