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Führer Trump’s Impeachment Inquiry Thread. Update: The Senate completes the coverup


NYT: Trump Privately Frets Over Impeachment Despite Boasting About Senate Trial

Behind the scenes, President Trump is fuming over the Senate impeachment trial that he boasts about looking forward to.

According to a New York Times report Friday, the closer the House gets to voting to impeach the President, the more Trump goes back and forth between self-pity and combativeness, especially in the form of his tweets. On Thursday, his Twitter account was especially furious, setting a new record for activity.

Despite his supposed eagerness for the Senate impeachment trial — which he’s convinced would help him on the 2020 campaign trail — advisers told the Times that deep down inside Trump does not wish to be impeached because he sees it as a personal humiliation.

Ardent Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told the Times that Trump “doesn’t like what’s happening” but that “he’s resolved himself” that impeachment is imminent.

“He thinks it’s unfair,” Graham said. “But I think he’s resolved himself that they’re going to do it, they’re out to get him. I think he’s more determined now to win than ever.”

Advisers told the Times that Republicans rising to Trump’s defense has improved the President’s mood in the past few weeks by energizing him to defend himself in tweets and retweets while also going after his enemies.

The Times noted, however, that Trump’s preference for the Senate trial to be a spectacle — which would include calling witnesses — may put him at odds with Senate Republicans who would rather get it over with as soon as possible. On Thursday, Graham doubled down on his stance that “we want to deep-six this thing” in a Fox News interview.

Graham told the Times that in a Wednesday night phone call he warned Trump against seeking payback after the impeachment process ends.

“I just told him we know how impeachment ends, then after that your fate’s in your own hands,” Graham said. “Get back to being President and have a good story to tell.”
 

Trump Wouldn’t Mind Long Senate Trial So Whistleblower Can Be Exposed As ‘Fraud’


President Trump on Friday claimed he didn’t have a preference about the length or details of the impending Senate impeachment trial, but offered that he wouldn’t mind if it was a “long” process because he wants to see the whistleblower exposed.

“I’ll do whatever I want, look we did nothing wrong, so I’ll do long or short. I’ve heard Mitch (McConnell), I’ve heard Lindsey (Graham), I think they are pretty much in agreement on some concept,” he said. “I’ll do whatever they want to do, it doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t mind the long process because I’d like to see the whistleblower, who is a fraud. The whistleblower wrote a false report and I really blew it up when I released the transcript of the call.”

Republicans have changed their tune on impeachment in recent days, pushing for the House to quickly impeach Trump so the Senate can conduct what the GOP feels would be a fair trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) already openly admitted on Fox News Thursday night that the Senate’s approach to any impeachment trial would directly mirror whatever tactic the White House wants his chamber to take.



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Facing Angry Local Dems, Anti-Impeachment Rep. May Switch To GOP

Facing opposition from Democrats in his district, a freshman congressman is considering a switch to the Republican Party, several outlets reported Saturday.



Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) was one of two Democrats to vote against the formal impeachment inquiry launched in October, and last week he announced his intention to vote against impeachment itself.

According to several reports, Van Drew’s reelection campaign has seen support for him slipping among Democrats in his district. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Van Drew had met with Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.

A Van Drew campaign poll conducted Dec. 7-10 showed that just 24% of likely Democratic voters supported the congressman’s reelection, and that 58% wanted another Democrat nominated for the seat, the Post reported.

Politico and The New York Times reported the same Van Drew campaign poll, which also reportedly showed that 71% of Democratic primary voters would be less likely to support Van Drew if he voted against impeachment.

Van Drew won his seat in New Jersey’s middle-of-the-road 2nd District in 2018 after 12-term congressman Frank Lobiondo, a Republican, announced his retirement. Barack Obama won the district twice, in 2008 and 2012, before Donald Trump picked it up in 2016.

In a recent letter to Van Drew, Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman warned against not supporting the impeachment.

“A ‘no’ vote on impeachment will suppress Democratic turnout down-ballot, which my organization cannot sustain,” Suleiman wrote. “We cannot afford to have Democrats sit on their hands in a presidential year when we usually perform well.”

Responding to the news of Van Drew’s planned switch, Suleiman told Politico that the congressman was a “coward” who “took the easy way out.”

The congressman has spoken with Trump advisers about a White House event to announce the news either before or after this coming week’s impeachment vote, the Times reported citing unnamed sources. Politico similarly reported that Trump and Van Drew are expected to hold an event this week, according to unnamed sources.

In recent weeks, Van Drew has denied that he is switching parties. A spokesperson for his office did not return requests for comment Saturday.
 

 
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