At his private club in Bedminster, New Jersey, former president Donald Trump dined Sunday night with a close political ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
Greene brought up an issue of considerable interest to Trump – the push by House Republicans to impeach his likely opponent in next year’s election.
“I did brief him on the strategy that I want to see laid out with impeachment,” Greene said in a brief phone interview.
The dinner came just two nights before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced his decision Tuesday to order the opening of an impeachment inquiry into president Joe Biden, under intense pressure from his right flank.
Over the past several months, Trump has kept a close watch on House Republicans’ momentum toward impeaching Biden. Trump has talked regularly by phone with members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and other congressional Republicans who pushed for impeachment, according to a person close to Trump who was not authorized to publicly discuss the conversations. Trump has encouraged the effort both privately and publicly.
Greene would not say what Trump said.
While Biden’s son Hunter Biden is under investigation by a special counsel who is expected to lodge a gun charge against him soon and could also charge him with failure to file his tax returns on time, Republicans have not shown that Joe Biden committed any crimes.
Trump has also spoken weekly over the past month to Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking House Republican, according to a person familiar with the conversations who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. During those conversations, Stefanik also briefed Trump on the impeachment inquiry strategy, this person said.
The former president thanked Stefanik for publicly backing the impeachment inquiry in July, the person added. Stefanik, who talked to Trump again Tuesday after McCarthy ordered the impeachment inquiry, had been the first member of House Republican leadership to publicly call for taking the first step in the process of impeaching Biden.
A person familiar with Trump’s thinking said that the former president has not been twisting McCarthy’s arm. Trump has been far more aggressive in pushing several members to wipe his own impeachment record clean, the person said.
When asked for comment, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, pointed to Trump’s public statements about impeaching Biden.
Greene brought up an issue of considerable interest to Trump – the push by House Republicans to impeach his likely opponent in next year’s election.
“I did brief him on the strategy that I want to see laid out with impeachment,” Greene said in a brief phone interview.
The dinner came just two nights before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced his decision Tuesday to order the opening of an impeachment inquiry into president Joe Biden, under intense pressure from his right flank.
Over the past several months, Trump has kept a close watch on House Republicans’ momentum toward impeaching Biden. Trump has talked regularly by phone with members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and other congressional Republicans who pushed for impeachment, according to a person close to Trump who was not authorized to publicly discuss the conversations. Trump has encouraged the effort both privately and publicly.
Greene would not say what Trump said.
While Biden’s son Hunter Biden is under investigation by a special counsel who is expected to lodge a gun charge against him soon and could also charge him with failure to file his tax returns on time, Republicans have not shown that Joe Biden committed any crimes.
Trump has also spoken weekly over the past month to Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking House Republican, according to a person familiar with the conversations who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. During those conversations, Stefanik also briefed Trump on the impeachment inquiry strategy, this person said.
The former president thanked Stefanik for publicly backing the impeachment inquiry in July, the person added. Stefanik, who talked to Trump again Tuesday after McCarthy ordered the impeachment inquiry, had been the first member of House Republican leadership to publicly call for taking the first step in the process of impeaching Biden.
A person familiar with Trump’s thinking said that the former president has not been twisting McCarthy’s arm. Trump has been far more aggressive in pushing several members to wipe his own impeachment record clean, the person said.
When asked for comment, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, pointed to Trump’s public statements about impeaching Biden.
About The Author
