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

US President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable on empowering families with education choice in the Cabinet Room at the White House on December 9, 2019 in Washington,DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Ph... US President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable on empowering families with education choice in the Cabinet Room at the White House on December 9, 2019 in Washington,DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

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.”

Read the New York Times’ report here.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Graham told the Times that in a Wednesday night phone call he warned Trump against seeking payback after the impeachment process ends.
    yea sure dump will take his advise on that:rofl::rofl::rofl:

  2. “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.”

    Isn’t this some enabling of the mentally challenged? Graham is actively out their advising the President to go to his safe space=Lala land.

  3. personal humiliation

    One more time it is all about him.

    What about how humiliated we ALL are that Fat Donny is the so called ‘Leader of the Free World’?

    Why do you think even Boris was laughing at you at NATO?

    He may survive the Senate, but I just wish Trump had the capacity to realize how fucked up he is and what is doing to US.

  4. Advisers told the Times that deep down inside Trump does not wish to be impeached because he sees it as a personal humiliation.

  5. People who are this mentally ill…ah screw it. He’s got enablers, hanger-ons, and coattails grabbers, and they all need Trump to be their useful idiot.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

109 more replies

Participants

Avatar for kenneth_thomas Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for eggrollian Avatar for clemmers Avatar for cervantes Avatar for navamske Avatar for sandyh Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for lastroth Avatar for newrobotoverlord Avatar for dickweed Avatar for darrtown Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for texastwostep Avatar for rondo Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for brian512 Avatar for grack Avatar for rhs1963 Avatar for horathb Avatar for emiliano4 Avatar for AM_PM

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: