Pelosi accuses Republicans of tolerating Trump's unethical behavior for 'money'

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Speaker Pelosi reportedly tells House Democrats she wants to see President Trump in prison

Pelosi facing pressure to pursue impeachment; reaction from former Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee and Rep. Tom McClintock.

"Appalled" by President Trump's comments on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called out Republicans for refusing to hold him accountable and suggested they did so in order to make money.

"What is it about the Republicans in Congress? How much more can they bear of the president's unethical behavior that they think that they are honoring their oath of office?" she asked during a press briefing on Thursday.

"And I believe these are all connected. I think it's all about money," she told reporters. She seemed to use as proof Republicans' reluctance to take up legislation on health care, paychecks, and have "cleaner government."

"What is it about [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell, [R-Ky.], and the Republicans in Congress that they do not want to respond to what is so popular across the board in our country," she said.

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Pelosi also suggested that Republicans' monetary interests traced back to the president's decision to sell nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia as well as declare a national emergency in order to bypass Congress on the issue. "Follow the money," she said with her finger raised.

She wasn't the only one to criticize Republicans' response to Trump. After indicated to ABC's George Stephanopoulos he would be willing to listen to foreign opposition research without telling the FBI, MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski blasted GOP leaders for not challenging him.

She specifically called out House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who reportedly echoed Trump's claim that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., didn't notify the FBI when he talked with a Russian operative.

While speaking on Thursday, Pelosi also said that "everybody in the country should be totally appalled by what the president said last night."

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Trump has defended his comments, claiming that Democratic senators like Schiff didn't call the FBI and that he would lose trust if he informed law enforcement about his conversations with foreign sources.

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"How ridiculous! I would never be trusted again," he said. Trump went on to pivot the discussion to his claims that the former administration spied on his campaign. "This is the biggest & worst political scandal in the history of the United States of America. Sad!" he exclaimed.

Pelosi made her Thursday comments as her party pressed for more information surrounding the Russia investigation. Also on Thursday, Schiff issued subpoenas for documents and testimony from Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn and his former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates.