The Republican National committee said on Friday that it “wholeheartedly” backs Trump as he faces an impeachment probe from House Democrats.
The party’s governing body voted to express solidarity with Trump, condemning what it calls a “nakedly partisan impeachment investigation.”
Trump has sought to align his plight with the entire Republican party and keep GOP lawmakers by his side, telling reporters Friday, “This isn’t a takedown of the president. It’s a takedown of the Republicans.”
The RNC executive committee voted unanimously by phone to approve the resolution. It states that the committee “now more than ever wholeheartedly supports President Trump and his administration in making America great again.” Traditionally, the party approves resolutions at its twice-annual meetings.
“Today, members of the RNC Executive Committee unanimously passed a resolution of support for our president and the Graham-McConnell resolution condemning the unprecedented actions of House Democrats,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “However baseless this inquiry may be, if House Democrats are intent on pursuing their political vendetta against President Trump, he should at least be afforded the same due process as every other American.”
That’s it from me this week. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to grant the House judiciary committee access to grand jury material that was redacted from special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, marking a key legal victory for congressional Democrats. However, the Trump administration will almost certainly appeal the ruling.
- Two White House budget officials who have refused to testify in the impeachment inquiry were subpoenaed, along with a top aide to secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
- John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, is reportedly in talks to sit for a deposition in the impeachment inquiry.
- The funeral for the late congressman Elijah Cummings was held in Baltimore, where a number of prominent Democrats – including Barack Obama – delivered eulogies.
- Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, was heard discussing his need for money and bashing Joe Biden in two separate butt-dial messages left for an NBC News reporter.
- Hours before the butt-dial report was published, Trump defended Giuliani as “one of the greatest crimefighters and corruption-fighters,” while dismissing longtime diplomat Bill Taylor as a “never-Trumper.” Taylor testified earlier this week that he was told Ukrainian military assistance was held up to pressure officials there to publicly announce investigations into Biden and the 2016 election.
Kari will have more on all of the news of the day, so stay tuned.
The executive director of the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington celebrated the ruling on the Mueller grand jury material as a victory for checks and balances.
Noah Bookbinder
(@NoahBookbinder)Huge news that a federal court has affirmed the right of Congress to perform oversight investigations and a meaningful impeachment inquiry and therefore to obtain Mueller grand jury materials. Vital for checks and balances. https://t.co/iE82jBjidd
However, the editor-in-chief of the Lawfare blog immediately warned those cheering the ruling that the Justice Department will almost certainly appeal.
Benjamin Wittes
(@benjaminwittes)Don’t get too excited, folks, about Chief Judge Howell’s opinion on grand jury information and the Mueller report. There’s this thing, you see, called the DC Circuit Court of Appeals…
Judge Beryl Howell specifically cited the White House’s refusal to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry as a reason why the Justice Department should allow the House judiciary committee access to the Mueller grand jury materials.
Josh Gorestein
(@joshgerstein)Cipollone letter comes back to bite in judge’s decision to grant House access to Mueller grand jury materials. Judge calls it stonewalling https://t.co/o9BlCFE2XG pic.twitter.com/BLD9BFTrsQ
In a letter written earlier this month announcing the White House would not cooperate with the investigation, lawyer Pat Cipollone told senior House Democrats: “As you know, you have designed and implemented your inquiry in a manner that violates fundamental fairness and constitutionally mandated due process. …
“In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the Executive Branch, and all future occupants of the Office of the Presidency, President Trump and his Administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry under these circumstances.”
In her ruling, judge Beryl Howell specifically addressed some Republicans’ argument that the impeachment inquiry is illegitimate because the House never held a formal vote to launch it.
Howell wrote that this argument, which has been adopted by the White House, “has no textual support in the U.S. Constitution [or] the governing rules of the House.”
Andrew Desiderio
(@AndrewDesiderio)Howell’s ruling has an entire section outlining the determination that an official vote is not required for an impeachment inquiry.
She says the argument that a vote is required “has no textual support in the U.S. Constitution” or “the governing rules of the House.” pic.twitter.com/bTH8must7A
Judge Beryl Howell wrote in her ruling granting the House judiciary committee access to the Mueller grand jury materials that Congress is “the appropriate body to resume where the Special Counsel left off.”
Andrew Desiderio
(@AndrewDesiderio)Still going through the 75-page opinion, but House Dems could not have asked for a better ruling from Judge Howell.
Howell says “impeachment factored into” Mueller’s analysis and that Congress is “the appropriate body to resume where the Special Counsel left off.” https://t.co/3Ck55UgmQ0
The Justice Department will almost certainly attempt to appeal the judge’s decision, but her sweeping defense of congressional oversight could still put Trump and his allies in a difficult position.
Judge affirms legitimacy of impeachment inquiry
In her ruling ordering the Justice Department to turn over the Mueller grand jury information to the House judiciary committee, Judge Beryl Howell also crucially concluded that House Democrats are in the midst of an impeachment inquiry.
Kyle Cheney
(@kyledcheney)The key quote from Howell: “Even in cases of presidential impeachment, a House resolution has never, in fact, been
required to begin an impeachment inquiry.”
This ruling could thus undercut arguments from the White House and some of Trump’s congressional allies that the inquiry is illegitimate because no formal vote was held to launch the investigation.
Updated
The judge, Beryl Howell, wrote in her ruling that the House judiciary committee should gain access to “[a]ll portions of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Report on the Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election that were redacted pursuant to” grand jury restrictions.
Howell also gave the Justice Department an Oct. 30 deadline to turn over “any underlying transcripts or exhibits referenced in the portions of the Mueller Report that were redacted.”
House Democrats have been fighting for months to gain more access to the information Mueller learned in the course of his investigation.
Judge grants House Democrats access to unredacted Mueller report
A federal judge has just ruled that the Justice Department must grant the House judiciary committee access to the grand jury material redacted from special counsel Robert Mueller’s report by Wednesday.
Kyle Cheney
(@kyledcheney)BREAKING (!): Judge rules the House is entitled to Mueller grand jury material. Huge win for Judiciary Committee / Dems. pic.twitter.com/ahru9pUl1y
The ruling marks a major win for House Democrats, who have fought to gain more access to the information Mueller obtained through the course of his investigation.
The focus of the impeachment inquiry has obviously now shifted to the Ukraine controversy, but the grand jury material could potentially provide evidence for the articles of impeachment that House Democrats are expected to eventually file.
