WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and his administration fumed Wednesday as the House prepared to vote to impeach him, and they prepared in turn for “war” over the move. Aides and allies said the anger stems from Trump’s fear that impeachment will stain his legacy.
“SUCH ATROCIOUS LIES BY THE RADICAL LEFT, DO NOTHING DEMOCRATS. THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA, AND AN ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!” Trump wrote, shortly after the White House said in a statement that he was “working all day” but might “catch some of the proceedings between meetings.”
“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG! A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts. This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!” Trump wrote in another, one of more than 30 tweets and retweets from his account by early afternoon on Wednesday.
“We are all mad,” a White House official told NBC News, describing the president’s reaction as one of “disbelief” that the process had reached this point, and his team as being “angry this is happening.” But officials were quick to add that the president is ready for the fight ahead, describing the White House as battle-tested at this point.
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Trump made his feelings on impeachment clear in Tuesday’s six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accusing Democrats of a “coup” — a document officials said he was likely to draw from in appearances later in the day.
Despite the president’s statement Tuesday that he did not plan to watch the impeachment debate, a senior administration official acknowledged as Wednesday began that Trump was likely to keep tabs on the proceedings.
While there are tangible political perks to be had — namely the fundraising dollars the campaign said it was expecting in the wake of the vote — aides and allies have long said that Trump is keenly aware of the stain impeachment leaves on his presidency.
Senior campaign officials said they expected donors to contribute in blockbuster numbers on Wednesday and Thursday, in response to both the impeachment debate and campaign appeals with subject lines such as “Impeachment War.”
And they expressed satisfaction with the solid House Republican opposition to impeachment, denying it the bipartisan label attached to similar action in the past.
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The White House planned to respond in real time to the impeachment proceedings throughout the day, a senior administration official said as debate began. Trump campaign officials said the president was well positioned to go to battle with his critics following progress on a trade deal with China, a new North American trade agreement and paid family leave for government employees.
Trump himself did not plan to add any events to his schedule to address the vote, but he is set to address a campaign rally in Michigan later Wednesday, around the time the historic House vote was expected to take place. The timing could create a unique opportunity for the president to respond in the moment in a made-for-TV, split-screen rebuttal.
But the president’s most in-depth rebuttal was anticipated to take place later in the evening at the rally, where he was expected to draw from his letter to Pelosi in his remarks to supporters, with Vice President Mike Pence in attendance.
