LAS VEGAS (AP) — GOP Rep. Mark Amodei’s comment seemed harmless enough. Asked what he thought of the Democrats’ impeachment probe into President Donald Trump, the Nevada Republican gave reporters a vague dodge: “Let’s put it through the process and see what happens.”

Within about an hour, Amodei was on phone calls with his party’s leaders and the White House, explaining himself. No, he did not intend to be the first Republican to endorse the investigation, he told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, as his Facebook page exploded with angry Republicans.

Amodei’s episode stemming from a phone call with reporters last Friday is something of a cautionary tale for Republicans as they try to answer questions about impeachment, Trump’s behavior and the rocky road ahead. In the highly charged partisan environment, even nods to bipartisanship or process can sound like betrayal.  

“I’m a big fan of oversight, so let’s let the committees get to work and see where it goes,” Amodei said in the call.

Amodei is a moderate who sometimes makes a point of striking a nonpartisan tone. But he’s also the chair of Trump’s campaign in the state. His apparent endorsement of the Democrats’ investigation quickly became a headline. His Facebook page filled up with people calling him a “traitor” and “RINO” (Republican in name only) who should be voted out of office — along with some scattered praise from those across the aisle.

Related: Donald Trump faces impeachment inquiry 

18 PHOTOSDonald Trump faces impeachment inquirySee GalleryDonald Trump faces impeachment inquiry(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on September 24, 2019 showsUS Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, on September 24, 2019 and US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, September 20, 2019. – Amid mounting allegations of abuse of power by the US President, Pelosi announced the start of a formal impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives, the first step in a process that could ultimately lead to Trump’s removal from office. (Photos by Mandel NGAN and SAUL LOEB / AFP)(Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN,SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., reads a statement announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., steps away from a podium after reading a statement announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)U.S. President Donald Trump reacts to audience applause after his address to the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to address the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)WASHINGTON, DC – September 24: Surrounded by journalists, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-CA) emerges from a meeting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, before the delivers a speech concerning a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Tuesday September 24, 2019. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)Members of the White House press corps – holding in the Trump Bar at Trump Tower – watch U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) live on television as she announces an impeachment investigation of U.S. President Donald Trump in New York City, New York, U.S. September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstU.S. President Donald Trump ATTENDS a bilateral meeting with Iraq’s President Barham Salih on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York City, New York, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks to news reporters following an impeachment proceeding announcement, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Tom BrennerU.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) walks through a House corridor following an Impeachment Proceeding announcement, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Tom BrennerU.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL.) speaks to news reporters following an Impeachment Proceeding announcement, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Tom BrennerTHE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON — Episode 1125 — Pictured: Host Jimmy Fallon as Donald Trump during the “Trump U.N. Speech” Cold Open on September 24, 2019 — (Photo by: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)Protesters with “Kremlin Annex” call to impeach President Donald Trump in Lafayette Square Park in front of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 24:U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to the media in response to an announcement by Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at the Capitol Building September 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry today after allegations that President Donald Trump sought to pressure the president of Ukraine to investigate leading Democratic presidential contender, former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, which was the subject of a reported whistle-blower complaint that the Trump administration has withheld from Congress.(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 24:Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) walks with her press secretary, Connor Joseph, to a House Democratic caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol where formal impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald Trump were announced by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi September 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. Spanberger is one of seven freshman members of the House with national intelligence or military backgrounds who recently spoke out in an opinion piece calling for an investigation of Trump. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 24:Reporters and congressional staff members wait outside a House Democratic caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol where formal impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald Trump were announced by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi September 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry after allegations that President Donald Trump sought to pressure the president of Ukraine to investigate leading Democratic presidential contender, former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, which was the subject of a reported whistle-blower complaint that the Trump administration has withheld from Congress. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 24: Reporters crowd around Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., as he leaves the House Democrats caucus meeting in the Capitol on impeachment of President Trump on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 24: Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, arrives for the House Democrats caucus meeting in the Capitol on impeachment of President Trump on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Up Next

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The backlash is one gauge of the pressure rank-and-file Republicans face. House GOP leaders have aggressively defended Trump against accusations that he abused his power when he asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden and his son. They’ve tried to shift the focus to Biden and dismiss the president’s request as unimportant. Over the weekend, several of those defenses resulted in viral videos of Republicans dodging questions and uncomfortable interviews. Trump, meanwhile, has gone to new levels of outrage, suggesting the people leading the probe should be arrested and charged with treason.

For Republicans seeking to appear measured and who may need anti-Trump voters to win their elections, the safest move may be to keep the mess at a distance.

Amodei is not considered in danger in his northern Nevada district, which encompasses Reno and a swath of rural towns. Republicans make up 4 in every 10 voters in the district, while Democrats count every 3 voters out of 10. Last year, Amodei easily defeated a primary challenge from tea party favorite Sharron Angle and a general election challenge from former Obama administration official Clint Koble.

Still, the congressman has at times struggled to break from the president. In 2017, he initially opposed Republican plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, saying the plan would gut Medicaid funding for the state. He later decided to support the plan, saying that upon further research and conversations, he concluded that deep cuts would be avoided.

In his meandering remarks to reporters on Friday, Amodei said he does not think “at this point in time” that the president committed an impeachable offense but did not come down hard on the Democrats’ probe.

A whistleblower complaint that touched off the controversy should be processed by “all the committees that have a dog in that fight for oversight,” Amodei said.

His remarks in some ways echoed the name game Democrats played for months before the Ukraine scandal broke. Democrats claimed they had effectively launched an impeachment probe by conducting oversight investigations into Trump on a host of matters, even though none of those investigations carried the impeachment label. The argument was aimed at appeasing progressives in the party who wanted them to be more aggressive. On Friday, Amodei seemed to adopt that view, backing an investigation, just not an impeachment investigation.

The comments quickly prompted the congressman’s phone call with McCarthy, as well as calls with No. 2 GOP House leader Steve Scalise and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

Amodei issued a statement attempting to clarify his remarks, although he did not succeed. “In no way, shape or form did I indicate support for impeachment,” he said. But he also said that the first news article that said he “supports the House’s inquiry into whether President Donald Trump should be impeached” is “absolutely an accurate statement.”

In a weekend interview with conservative Breitbart News, Amodei declared that he does not support the impeachment inquiry — but again reiterated that he felt the initial news article was fair and accurate.

Amodei’s spokeswoman Logan Tucker said Amodei is “a process guy that doesn’t get into ‘inside-the-beltway’ word semantics. From any logical standpoint, “inquiry”, “process”, and “fact finding” are interchangeable.”

She noted the congressman voted twice last week in favor of a resolution officially disapproving of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to open an impeachment inquiry.

On the calls from party leaders she noted, “Everyone in leadership and in the administration that Mark has talked to heard him out.”

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Associated Press writer Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.

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