Washington, Nov 22 (AFP) President Donald Trump went beyond anything done by disgraced predecessor Richard Nixon in withholding military aid from Ukraine to demand dirt on a potential 2020 rival, the Democratic chair of the House impeachment panel alleged Thursday.

"What we've seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters," House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said in a reference to the Watergate scandal.

"What we're talking about here is the withholding of recognition (for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy) in that White House meeting, the withholding of military aid to an ally at war," Schiff said.

"This is beyond anything Nixon did."

Trump is threatened with impeachment by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives for pushing Zelensky to investigate Democrat Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. (AFP)

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