Ex-Republican rails against GOP-led Congress inaction on Trump 'betraying his oath of office' by 'not protecting the country'

In wake of The New York Times report that President Donald Trump had raw data that Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian attack, conservatives on the CNN panel were stumped.

Former Republican Max Boot and former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) joined CNN's Don Lemon and Dan Bash in being stunned with the latest development in the Russia scandal.

"Don, there have been so many crazy, offensive things that have occurred in the Trump administration," Began Boot after listening to Sarah Huckabee Sanders' press briefing Wednesday. Sanders revealed that Trump was entertaining the idea that he would hand over former Ambassador Michael McFoul to the Russians for interrogation.

Boot went on to call it maybe the "craziest and most offensive" thing they have done in office yet.

"It boggles the mind that Vladimir Putin makes this absurd request to basically allow his agents to harass and persecute a former U.S. Ambassador to Russia who has served this country honestly and instead of saying, 'Go jump in a lake,' Donald Trump apparently says, 'we'll consider this request.' Seriously? This is yet more evidence that he is not doing his duty as commander in chief. He's betraying his oath of office, not protecting his country. This is so crazy, I can't even begin to say how crazy this is."

Bash agreed, noting, "there are not enough synonyms of 'crazy' to explain how crazy this is."

Former Rep. Dent said that there was strong push-back in wake of the joint press conference with Putin on Monday, but Republicans in Congress have since gone limp.

"We saw all these walk-backs or all these people going on mop duty to try to clean it up, only making things worse," Dent continued. "I can't explain it. I think it's a time like this that Republicans need to stand up and defend western values, defend NATO, defend the international order, and certainly push back on Vladimir Putin who is trying to undermine American power and influence anywhere he can around the world. What's so hard about this?"

Watch the full segment below: