WASHINGTON – House Republicans are using the powers of their majority to carry out Donald Trump’s quest for revenge against his political adversaries, reinforcing the accused former president’s 2024 campaign message that he is a victim of a vast conspiracy of “villains” to be. downcast
The battle to avenge Trump began on the first day of the new Congress, and has turned nearly six months into the Republican majority, led by Trump’s staunchest allies in the conference and usually getting a hand from Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican of Calif.
They are fighting forerase” their dismissals. They have punished their most outspoken Democratic critics. They are investigating the law enforcement agencies that accused Trump. They created a “weapon” panel that channels their complaints.
Republicans in the swing district are in a bind between the desires of their pro-Trump Republican base and Trump-skeptic independents.
“I take Trump at his word that he will seek retribution,” said David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who is now a vocal Trump critic. “But what we’ve learned is: If you have a Republican Congress, that Congress will probably do what it can to make sure Trump has the executive authority to seek retribution.”
‘Expulsion’ of dismissals
In the latest move to prop up Trump, top Republicans are pushing to remove his two impeachments: one in 2019 for abuse of power by pressuring the Ukrainian president to investigate his campaign rival Joe Biden and another in 2021 for inciting the insurrection of January 6.
The resolutions, which could be passed with a majority vote in the House, would amount to a symbolic vote in favor of Trump with no legal or practical impact. Trump was acquitted both times for lack of Republican votes in the Senate to convict.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, RNY, the No. 3 member of the GOP leadership, who has labeled herself an “ultra MAGA,” blasted the two impeachments as a “false smear against not only President Trump’s name, but millions of patriots everywhere.” the country.” She introduceefrom the kingsolutions with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who said the goal was to “clear President Trump’s good name.”
McCarthy has supported the removal effort.
“The trials should never have happened,” McCarthy said Friday. “When they accuse someone of something and you’re found innocent, you should clear the record.”
The shutdown push comes after House Republicans voted to impeach Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a vocal Trump critic who argued that the vote shows that “the crazy extreme MAGA people are now in charge.” the House of Representatives”. In January, McCarthy ousted Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., a Trump impeachment partner, from the Intelligence Committee.
“McCarthy has turned Congress into the biggest law firm in Washington, representing just one client, Donald Trump,” Swalwell said. “His defense of the impeached former president knows no bounds, but it comes at the cost of sidelining the legislative priorities of our constituents.”
“An allegiance to” Donald Trump
Jolly, who narrowly lost his Florida swing district in 2016, said the House GOP’s quest for revenge on Trump is the product of several interconnected dynamics.
“One is a loyalty and protection to Donald Trump. The second is that there is a real belief among some members, especially the newer members, that the Biden family is a crime family. They really believe that,” he said. “And then, finally, the feeble stature of Kevin McCarthy, who is unable to stop any of these impulses, because the political reality is that he needs the caucuses of those who seek retribution.”
Jolly, who has left the GOP, said that by avenging Trump, the House is “tilting the balance” of the 2024 election. “It’s an expression of where the House caucus is in the presidential primaries that they are willing to very openly and specifically help Donald Trump.” He added that Republicans in swing districts tend to follow them because they know “they’re not going to withstand this overwhelming push by the Republicans,” so they pick their battles elsewhere.
Republicans opened the new Congress by creating a subcommittee on the “weaponization” of the federal government, lending credence to Trump’s narrative of a “deep state” conspiracy. The panel is led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, an outspoken Trump supporter and McCarthy ally who also chairs the powerful Judiciary Committee.
“Maybe instead of endless attacks on President Trump, maybe the country would be better off if we found out how the whole false narrative between Trump and Russia started,” Jordan said last week at a Judiciary Committee hearing with John Durham testifying . , the special counsel appointed by the Trump administration to investigate the origins of the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.
“Free America from these bad guys”
Much of Trump’s defense effort in the House, including on the weapons panel, has focused on the argument that the justice system is treating Trump unfairly and differently than his political opponents. Jordan called it a “double standard.” (Some former prosecutors argue that Trump is being treated more leniently, not harshly, in the investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving office.)
This spring, House Republicans launched an investigation into New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg over his impeachment of Trump. And more recently, they have set their sights on Attorney General Merrick Garland, with McCarthy threatens to open an impeachment inquiry. Republicans cite the Justice Department’s handling of the plea agreement of Hunter Biden, the president’s son, on criminal charges. The focus on Garland comes after special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump on 37 counts related to his illegal possession of classified material and his refusal to return it. (Trump has pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges.)
Caught in the middle of the Trump-GOP revenge campaign are politically vulnerable House Republicans, including 18 lawmakers from districts that Biden won in 2020. They need strong support from pro-Trump Republican voters at home to win the primaries, but they also need Trump’s support. -skeptical independents to keep their seats in the general election.
In the narrow majority of the Chamber, their votes are necessary to approve measures. Sometimes that means giving them ramps to sell at home: The resolution that created the special “armaments” panel, for example, doesn’t name Trump. Other times, it leads to haggling: Schiff’s resolution of censure was amended to remove a provision that would have fined him $16 million for winning holdouts like Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., who represents a swing district around the hudson valley
The House Republican efforts align with Trump’s campaign vows to retaliate against his perceived political enemies if he is elected in 2024 to return to the White House.
“We’re going to take down the deep state. We’re going to kick out the warmongers from our government. We’re going to kick out the globalists. We’re going to kick out the communists and the Marxists and the fascists. And we’re going to throw out the sick political class that hates our country,” Trump said Sunday in a speech at the state of michigan. “We will defeat the fake media and defeat corrupt Joe Biden. We will rid America of these evil people once and for all.”
