GOP embraces Trump as never before with anti-impeachment

House Republicans’ unbroken opposition to impeachment is ir most unapologetic embrace of President Donald Trump yet, binding m to a president whose loyalty from his party’s core conservative voters is matched only by his opponents’ loathing for him.

Just three months ago, initial revelations of a phone call in which Trump tried squeezing Ukraine’s new president to anunce an investigation into Democrats gave a handful of Republicans pause. By Wednesday, Democratic-led House neared a vote to impeach Trump over expected unanimous GOP opposition, a moment spotlighting his hold on congressional Republicans and raising questions about vote’s political impact.

“Trump is strong as a tank with Republicans,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry of rth Carolina, a member of House GOP leership. He said that along with what he called Democrats’ weak evidence against Trump and unfair impeachment process, “ combination of three make this one of easier votes we’ll cast.”

In short-term, it was moderate Democrats from swing districts who seemed most at risk. Nearly all were expected to back impeachment, which could cost some ir careers in next vember’s congressional elections. most vulnerable include several of 31 Democrats representing districts Trump won in 2016, many of whom are freshmen.

“Today may be only consequential vote y ever cast, because y won’t be back,” said Rep. Mark Meows, R-N.C., one of Trump’s staunchest defenders.

But Trump’s Republican critics and Democrats said House GOP’s solid backing inextricably bound Republican lawmakers to Trump and would ultimately inflict a damaging blow.

“You can play to base and excite base and turn an election here and re, but that’s t a long-term strategy. Demographics will take care of that” as anti-Trump younger, diverse voters join electorate, said former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who declined to seek reelection last year after clashing with Trump for years. “re will be a time when we Republicans wake up from this and say, ’We did this for this man?’”

“I don’t think Republican Party nationally really exists anymore. It is w Trump party,” said Rep. Kurt Schrer, D-Ore. “When he goes at some point, it will be interesting to see how y define mselves, what y stand for.”

In Trump’s past pivotal fights — including his failed effort to repeal former President Barack Obama’s health care law — congressional Republicans strongly rallied behind him, but re were small but significant numbers of defectors.

A handful of Republican lawmakers h expressed concern when word of Trump’s pressuring Ukraine first emerged in September. While stopping short of abandoning him, several initially took a middle-ground position, saying y wanted to learn more about what happened.

Wednesday’s expected unanimous GOP vote was coming after party leers held numerous impeachment briefings for lawmakers. Those sessions were aimed at making sure y were “getting information to people,” said . 2 House GOP leer Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., said early on that he wanted to learn more about what happened with Ukraine. After saying he was open to impeachment — and anuncing his retirement next day — he said Wednesday he was opposing impeachment after “agonizing over it” and deciding re was insufficient evidence to justify Trump’s removal.

Rooney said that Wednesday’s vote furr aligns his party to Trump.

“And that’s t necessarily Republican Party that I’ve been part of and been a funder for, for many years,” he said. “This is a different era that we’re in for Republicans, and I don’t kw where it’s going to go.”

With impeachment vote coming just 11 months before next presidential and congressional elections, Republicans said y believed it was Democrats who would be hurt.

“Pelosi has me this party of impeachment,” Scalise said of Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. ”Clearly this has been a personal vendetta y’ve been carrying out to please ir most rical base.”

“What we’re defining ourselves as is defenders of Constitution,” said Rep. Lynn Cheney, R-Wyo., ar member of House GOP leership. Asked if it was risky for GOP to unanimously align itself with Trump, she said, “re is absolutely zero peril for Republican Party to align itself with Constitution.’’

One freshman Democrat from a closely divided district is Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who is supporting impeachment.

“It’s about presidency and I think it’s about upholding rule of law,” she said when asked how GOP’s solid support for Trump would affect that party’s reputation. “So ir conscience and ir oaths are ir own to consider.”

Peter Wehner, a Republican who served in White House under GOP Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, said Republican vote against impeaching Trump would only strengn “absolute helock” he has on his party.

“For some period of time, brand is going to be Trump brand, which is divisive, misogynistic and unethical,” Wehner said. “ trouble for Republicans is that brand, searing impression it’s going to leave, is going to be most vivid for rising generation of voters.”