Trump: No cooperating with congressional inquiry

WASHINGTON — As House Democrats ramp up their post-mueller investigations into President Donald Trump, his strategy for responding is simple: Resist on every legal front.

“We’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Trump declared on Wednesday. And if House members go all the way and try to impeach him, he said, he will “head to the Supreme Court” for help.

Trump said his White House would refuse to cooperate with further congressional investigation.

“I thought after two years we’d be finished with it. No, now the House goes and starts subpoenaing,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.

“Look, these aren’t, like, impartial people,” he said. “The Democrats are trying to win 2020.”

“The only way they can luck out is by constantly going after me on nonsense,” Trump said. “But they should be really focused on legislation.”

The Democrats, while debating whether to proceed down a path toward impeachment, have ratcheted up their own probes. The White House, in turn, has moved to stop them, laying the groundwork for what could be months of legal and political battles.

“We’re going to evaluate each request as they come, but we are not going to allow for congressional harassment,” said Trump attorney Jay Sekulow. “And in that context, when appropriate, we will respond appropriately — which will include litigation when necessary.”

House Democrats are hardly surprised by Trump’s stance.

A fierce internal debate has erupted over whether to pursue impeachment, a course that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has counseled against. But her party’s lawmakers have already signaled they will vote to hold reluctant witnesses in contempt of Congress and are preparing to eventually go to court to force testimony and cooperation.

Democrats also argue that by refusing to cooperate with Congress, Trump is obstructing additional investigations.