The mayor wants the House to instead censure Trump for his alleged misdeeds in connection with Ukraine, arguing there's no way Trump foes in the Republican-controlled Senate will achieve the two-thirds supermajority required to remove the Republican president from office.

"Maybe they want me to toe the line better so that I say only nice things about our congressman? I don't know," McDermott said. "I wonder if Congressman Pete treats all of his mayors that way, or if I'm just special?

"I have a great relationship with almost every elected official in Northwest Indiana — Republican and Democrat. I've made it a priority of mine to have a good relationship with all of the elected officials, and the only one that I really haven't gotten a chance to know in the 15 years I've been mayor is Pete Visclosky. For some reason he wants nothing to do with me or my city."

In any case, McDermott insisted that no matter what Visclosky does it won't silence him.

"If I don't think the congressman is doing something that's in the best interests of the Region, I'm going to say it, out loud. And if that means I get (open records) requests filed against me by my congressman, then so be it. But it is definitely intimidation," McDermott said.