Trump is reportedly counting on Mitch McConnell to get him through impeachment inquiry


As the House's impeachment inquiry continues, President Trump is leaning on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), sometimes calling him as often as three times a day, a person with knowledge of the conversations told CNN.
Trump has been telling McConnell he needs to get Republican lawmakers to publicly support him, and those who are not loyal enough will be put on blast, CNN reports. McConnell has told a few Republicans about the calls, but has been mostly silent on the matter, the person said. During one phone call, though, McConnell made it clear to Trump that if the House votes to impeach, he will have to go through with a trial in the Senate, CNN reports. A McConnell spokesman called the story "false."
The White House on Tuesday said it will not cooperate with the inquiry, calling it "illegitimate." Several aides told CNN they believe Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading the impeachment strategy efforts. During private conversations with friends, Trump is constantly going back and forth on the the impeachment matter, people close to Trump said. Sometimes he says impeachment would give him a boost, but a beat later he frets that it will tarnish his legacy. Read more at CNN.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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