Romney says he has seen no evidence Ukraine interfered in 2016

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) broke with some of his Republican colleagues on Tuesday, telling reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday he has seen "no evidence" Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election.

"I saw no evidence from our intelligence community, nor from the representatives today from the Department of State, that there is any evidence of any kind that suggests that Ukraine interfered in our elections. We have ample evidence that Russia interfered in our elections."

Why it matters: Some Republicans in Congress — most notably Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) — have renewed claims recently that Ukraine meddled in the election, seeking to justify President Trump's campaign to pressure Ukraine's government to announce an investigation.

• However, it's the overwhelming consensus of the intelligence community that it was Russia, not Ukraine, who systematically interfered in the 2016 election.
• Intelligence officials recently briefed senators that the alternative narrative about Ukraine has been propagated by Russian intelligence services. That briefing was consistent with the impeachment testimony of former White House adviser Fiona Hill.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who sits on the Senate Intelligence Community, also said on CNN Tuesday: "I bet I sat through 25 hearings, briefings, meetings, probably more on the question of what happened in 2016. In none of those meetings was there ever a hint, a breath, a suggestion, a word that somehow Ukraine was involved."

Go deeper:

• GOP Sen. Richard Burr: "Ukraine was for Hillary Clinton"
• Sen. John Kennedy doubles down on claims of Ukrainian interference
• Ukraine's Zelensky says Trump should not have blocked aid: "We're at war"