Including a conversation with a member of leadership before to Tuesday’s declaration authorising a formal impeachment inquiry, Donald Trump has been quietly supporting the House GOP’s drive to impeach President Joe Biden.
Former President George W. Bush had weekly phone calls with Elise Stefanik, the chair of the Republican Conference in the House and the first member of that party’s leadership to publicly advocate impeachment. Two sources familiar with the matter said the two spoke on Tuesday, the same day House Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated Republicans would be pursuing the inquiry.
Stefanik is one of Trump’s staunchest supporters. She supported his rumoured presidential run before he ever announced it, and she has been suggested as Trump’s running mate if he wins the Republican nomination.
Sunday night, Trump dined with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga), a supporter of both Trump and McCarthy, at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Under the condition of anonymity, a participant in the discussion said that impeachment was discussed at the gathering.
There was silence from a Trump spokeswoman. The ex-president has not been quiet about his opinion that Vice President Biden ought to be impeached. On Truth Social he commented towards the end of last month, “Either IMPEACH the BUM or fade into OBLIVION.” THOSE GUYS DID THIS TO US.
His continued sway as the party’s likely presidential nominee is evidenced by the depth of his private involvement in pressing House Republicans to press on with the process. This might lead to more accusations from the Biden camp that the real goal of the impeachment process is to “bloody him up” before the election.
During his presidency, Trump was impeached twice by a Democratically controlled House; the first time was for Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol riot and the second time was for his pressure campaign against Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to probe Biden.
Trump is scheduled to have an interview with Megyn Kelly taped on Wednesday when he is in Washington.