President Trump and his aides are privately worried that impeachment investigations will stifle administration work, such as efforts to procure a North American trade deal, even as they publicly gird for a fight, according to multiple insiders. But operatives on his reelection campaign see an opportunity to mobilize the base, setting up a divide between them and White House aides trying to head off damage.
Trump’s confidants charge that the Democrats are acting in bad faith and trying to stymie the president’s chances to advance some policies before the campaign shoves everything else aside. Trump himself unsuccessfully tried to prevent Nancy Pelosi announcing an “impeachment inquiry” by offering to release the transcript of his contentious call with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, according to two White House sources.
“He thought there was a possibility she would back down,” said a source familiar with White House thinking. Instead, Pelosi ramped up her rhetoric, announcing on Tuesday evening that she was pursuing an “impeachment inquiry”.
“There’s no timetable for a vote on this. Pelosi is doing it to frustrate the White House and to shore up support for Joe Biden against Elizabeth Warren’s surge,” said a senior campaign adviser.
“The president has made clear that he wants to get things and doesn’t want this kind of thing getting in the way.”
He added that Trump was confident his new North American trade deal — the USMCA — would be passed if Democrats agreed to a vote, but he now fears no time would be found.
Pelosi’s statement Tuesday launching an impeachment inquiry was seized upon by the Trump 2020 reelection campaign, which immediately sent fundraising messages to supporters announcing an “official impeachment defense task force.”
It was followed up a day later with a rallying call to Trump supporters from Brad Parscale, the Trump 2020 campaign manager, insisting that the impeachment push would play into their hands.
“The facts prove the president did nothing wrong,” he said. “This is just another hoax from the Democrats and the media, contributing to the landslide reelection of President Trump in 2020.”
A pro-Trump super PAC is already weaponizing the issue, with a 60-second attack ad listing the allegations against Biden.
Great America PAC has spent $100,000 to air the video on Fox News this week and next. It ends with the line, “House Democrats should investigate one of their own.”
Two-thirds of likely voters believe Democrats should work with Republicans rather than focus on impeachment, according to the latest figures released by John McLaughlin, the president’s pollster. Less than a third wanted them to pursue impeachment, according to the survey, though the poll was taken before the latest controversy erupted.
But rather than worrying about his legacy or chafing at the distraction of more inquiries, Trump was relishing the fight, said a former administration official who now works for the reelection effort.
He played down the president’s private fears and irritation.
“This is what a New Yorker does: The pastrami has too much fat; the cross-town traffic is killing me. They complain,” he said. “But he doesn’t really give a stuff about it.”
A slew of Republicans on Capitol Hill have come forward to publicly support the president.
However, some are privately voicing caution.
“We’ll find out after the recess,” said a senior Republican source. “If everyone goes home and this is what they’re hearing about — instead of jobs, government funding — that’s when we’ll know if the dam is going to burst.”
Congress leaves for recess on Sept. 30 and is due to return on Oct. 15.
