WH Adviser Sayegh: Routine For Presidents to Hold Up Foreign Aid

Holding up foreign aid from countries is a routine matter for presidents, as they have an obligation to review countries to be sure they are adhering to "certain standards and concerns that the United States has," Tony Sayegh, a former Treasury spokesman who is now handling communications for the White House during the impeachment matter, argued Monday. 

"It's very routine for the Office of Management and Budget to have conversations with the agencies about foreign aid," Sayegh told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo. "In this particular case, it was Ukraine...we have created this impression that somehow holding up foreign aid is a wrongdoing. That's not true. We hold it up many times."

In the case of Ukraine, there is a "history of corruption," said Sayegh, and for President Donald Trump to ask that blank checks not be sent is his "obligation."

Meanwhile, support is dropping for impeachment, said Sayegh. 

"Where you've seen the drop most significantly is among independent voters who have reviewed the evidence, reviewed how (Intelligence Committee Chairman) Adam Schiff has conducted the hearing and have determined what the evidence shows," he said. "The president did nothing wrong, did nothing impeachable. The one thing we do know is that from the start this has not been a fair process, there has not been due process."

Sayegh also noted that Republicans are united in both the House and the Senate, and insisted that Trump has been "transparent, been honest throughout the whole process as far as releasing the transcript. He wanted nothing."

He added that Democrats have made a "miscalculation" on impeachment, and have the choice of whether to double down on the matter or to listen to the American people they work on matters such as lowering drug prices, immigration, and more.

Meanwhile, the White House welcomes a trial in the Senate, said Sayegh.

"The president did nothing wrong," he said. "We have other witnesses we need to introduce to this conversation. We need to establish an actual factual record."

• Fiona Hill, David Holmes Cap Intense Week in Impeachment Inquiry
• Trump Directed Ukraine Quid Pro Quo, Key Witness Says