Trump campaign: Impeachment rallies base
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump faces a critical vote on his impeachment Friday, his top political advisers said the process had already begun to reap benefits for his re-election campaign.
“This lit up our base, lit up the people that are supporters of the president. They’re frustrated, they’re upset, and that motivates voters,” campaign manager Brad Parscale told reporters during a briefing Thursday. “They have ignited a flame underneath them.”
Parscale — who prefaced his remarks by saying he did not believe Trump deserved to be impeached — said that “every metric” he tracks, from fundraising to voter sentiment to volunteer recruitment, shows a political benefit for the president.
“That has put money in our bank, it has added volunteers to our field program,” he said. “It’s filled up the rallies easier.”
The characterization of Trump’s expected impeachment as a political upside stands in stark contrast to the tone struck this week by many Democratic lawmakers, who have said repeatedly that they are “sad” and “somber” that Trump’s alleged misconduct with Ukraine has forced such a constitutional sanction. Some Democrats representing districts won by Trump have expressed concern about political blowback, while others have expressed confidence that voting for impeachment was their constitutional duty and more important than politics.
Parscale made his impeachment comments during a briefing by several senior campaign officials about the state of Trump’s re-election bid. The officials — most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal campaign strategy — sought to project an air of confidence in Trump’s re-election chances, using an elaborate slide show to explain why the president was strongly positioned to be elected to a second term.
The briefing did not reference impeachment until a question-and-answer period that followed a presentation about the state of Trump’s re-election effort.
During that presentation, campaign officials argued that Trump’s fundraising, record of accomplishments and more professional political apparatus give him a better chance to win than he had in 2016.
Despite approval numbers that have remained underwater throughout his presidency, campaign officials said he would win in part because many voters who had an unfavorable view of the president would likely vote for him because of his policies and the state of the economy.
“The Republican Party used to be the wine and cheese party,” one official said. “Now it’s the beer and blue jeans party.”
GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Trump has been able to retain support from standard conservatives by embracing traditional Republican policies, while also reaching out to new voters.
“I think he has actually expanded the party,” she said. “But he’s retained a lot of the core elements of the party, that’s why so many Republicans support him.”
Parscale said the impeachment process is helping in the effort to grow the president’s base, including by swaying independent voters to Trump’s side. He cited internal polling that he has shared online about the unpopularity of impeachment in swing congressional districts.
His remarks echoed Trump’s claims that impeachment was helping him politically. At a rally on Tuesday, Trump said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif., had made a mistake by pursuing impeachment.
“Our poll numbers have gone through the roof because of her stupid impeachment,” Trump said.
In fact, Trump’s overall approval rating has barely budged since the launch of the impeachment inquiry, remaining in the low 40s.
Since public hearings began, support and opposition for Trump’s impeachment and removal from office has been split, 47 percent to 45 percent according to a Washington Post average.
Both parties are largely united in their opinions, according to the Post average: 87 percent of Republicans were opposed to impeachment and removal, and 86 percent of Democrats are in favor.