Trump reportedly told allies that he's worried impeachment will ruin his resume
- President Donald Trump told his close allies and confidants that he's worried about how a possible impeachment will look on his resume, Axios reported Sunday.
- Sources told Axios that in a call to House Republicans on Friday, Trump said impeachment is a "bad thing to have on your resume."
- Sources who have discussed impeachment with the president told Axios that Trump believes the inquiry could actually help him drum up support before 2020 and win back the House. But other sources close to the president told Axios that Trump cares most about his legacy and does not want to be impeached.
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President Donald Trump reportedly told his close allies and confidants that he's worried about how a possible impeachment will look on his resume.
House Democrats announced the launch of a formal impeachment inquiry last month in response to a whistleblower complaint which centers on a July 25 phone conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the US president repeatedly pressed his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son ahead of the 2020 election.
A source that participated in a phone call between Trump and House Republicans on Friday told Axios that Trump said impeachment is a "bad thing to have on your resume." Two other sources confirmed Trump's comments, with one stating that it was something along the lines of "you don't want it [impeachment] on your resume."
Trump appeared to put a positive spin on the impeachment process, remarking that "it's going to make [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] speaker," the sources added. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi beat out McCarthy in January to become House Speaker.
Sources who have discussed impeachment with the president told Axios that Trump believes the inquiry could actually help him drum up support before 2020 and win back the House. But other sources close to the president told Axios that Trump cares most about his legacy and does not want to be impeached.
McCarthy on Thursday asked Pelosi in a letter to suspend the impeachment inquiry until she presents a clearer indication of how she will proceed with the move. Pelosi responded by saying that there was "no requirement under the Constitution, under House Rules, or House precedent that the whole House vote before proceeding with an impeachment inquiry."
McCarthy has been a vocal critic of the impeachment inquiry and suggested on Sunday that Democrats have only put forward impeachment because they "don't want to face [Trump] again in 2020."
On the same call with House Republicans, Trump also reportedly said that he made the phone call to Ukraine's Zelensky at the suggestion of Energy Secretary Rick Perry.