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At Louisiana Rally, Trump Lashes Out at Impeachment Inquiry, Pelosi At Louisiana Rally, Trump Lashes Out at Impeachment Inquiry, Pelosi
(about 2 hours later)
LAKE CHARLES, La. — President Trump used foul language, fierce political attacks and personal grievance to light up his supporters at a rally here Friday night, turning up the volume on his re-election campaign rhetoric for the second day in a row. LAKE CHARLES, La. — President Trump left a dizzying trail of developments behind him in Washington on Friday evening, swapping the confines of the capital for a fiery rally where he used foul language, fierce political attacks and personal grievances to light up his supporters for the second day in a row.
The president lashed out at the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, saying that the top Democrat in Congress “hates this country” and lashing out at her decision to begin an impeachment inquiry into his efforts to get foreign countries to dig up damaging information on his rivals. The president lashed out at the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, saying that the top Democrat in Congress “hates this country” and ridiculing her decision to begin an impeachment inquiry into his efforts to get foreign countries to dig up damaging information on his rivals.
To the delight of thousands who repeatedly roared their approval, Mr. Trump denounced the impeachment inquiry and condemned what he called the “unholy alliance of corrupt Democrat politicians, deep-state bureaucrats and the fake news media.”To the delight of thousands who repeatedly roared their approval, Mr. Trump denounced the impeachment inquiry and condemned what he called the “unholy alliance of corrupt Democrat politicians, deep-state bureaucrats and the fake news media.”
“The radical Democrats’ policies are crazy. Their politicians are corrupt. Their candidates are terrible,” Mr. Trump said to huge applause. “And they know they can’t win on Election Day so they’re pursuing an illegal, invalid and unconstitutional bullshit impeachment.”“The radical Democrats’ policies are crazy. Their politicians are corrupt. Their candidates are terrible,” Mr. Trump said to huge applause. “And they know they can’t win on Election Day so they’re pursuing an illegal, invalid and unconstitutional bullshit impeachment.”
Regarding Ms. Pelosi, he said, “She hates the country. Nancy Pelosi hates the United States of America, because she wouldn’t be doing this.” Regarding Ms. Pelosi, he said: “She hates the country. Nancy Pelosi hates the United States of America, because she wouldn’t be doing this.”
Mr. Trump’s latest political rally came only a day after he appeared in front of supporters in Minneapolis to deliver a profanity-laced screed against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and called his younger son, Hunter, a “loser.” Mr. Trump only briefly returned to Washington, where an impeachment inquiry surrounding his efforts to pressure the Ukrainian president to uncover damaging information about the Bidens is rapidly moving forward. Mr. Trump’s latest political rally came only a day after he appeared in front of supporters in Minneapolis to deliver a profanity-laced screed against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and called his younger son, Hunter, “a loser.” Mr. Trump only briefly returned to Washington, where an impeachment inquiry surrounding his efforts to pressure the Ukrainian president to uncover damaging information about the Bidens is rapidly moving forward.
In a head-spinning 24 hours before departing for Louisiana, Mr. Trump announced a preliminary deal with China that will forestall a tariff increase, and the Pentagon announced it would send additional troops to Saudi Arabia — a decision Mr. Trump said was made because the Saudis had “agreed to pay us for everything.” A federal appeals court also ruled Friday that the president’s financial team must turn over eight years of Mr. Trump’s financial information to a House committee. In a head-spinning 24 hours before departing for Louisiana, Mr. Trump announced a preliminary deal with China that will forestall a tariff increase, and the Pentagon announced it would send additional troops to Saudi Arabia — a decision, Mr. Trump said before departing Washington, was made because the Saudis had “agreed to pay us for everything.”
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the president’s financial team must turn over eight years of Mr. Trump’s financial information to a House committee. Separately, judges in three states ruled against the administration’s efforts to withhold green cards from immigrants who receive public assistance.
And in a closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill, Marie L. Yovanovitch, the former American ambassador to Ukraine, offered a scathing assessment of the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy, adding that she believed Mr. Trump had personally pushed for her removal for months.And in a closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill, Marie L. Yovanovitch, the former American ambassador to Ukraine, offered a scathing assessment of the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy, adding that she believed Mr. Trump had personally pushed for her removal for months.
Asked about Ms. Yovanovitch’s testimony before he left Washington, Mr. Trump said that Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, “didn’t speak favorably” about her during the July 25 phone call that has formed the basis of the impeachment inquiry.Asked about Ms. Yovanovitch’s testimony before he left Washington, Mr. Trump said that Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, “didn’t speak favorably” about her during the July 25 phone call that has formed the basis of the impeachment inquiry.
Amid it all, Mr. Trump left again for the campaign trail, which he has long employed as a useful conduit for his most provocative language, particularly when he feels the confines of Washington closing in. After deciding to give a Louisiana-based Little League team an impromptu ride back home on Air Force One, he announced the departure of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of homeland security who has publicly grown frustrated in recent weeks, from the road. And the president came to this southwestern corner of the state prepared to defend himself. Amid it all, Mr. Trump left again for the campaign trail, which he has long employed as a useful conduit for his most provocative language, particularly when he feels the confines of Washington closing in.
For days, he has also been dropping messages on Twitter meant to test his political influence over local races ahead of Saturday’s primary election, largely following the same attack-style playbook he deployed last month in a close North Carolina race. Upon landing, he announced the departure of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of homeland security who had publicly expressed frustration with the job in recent weeks. Once the president took the stage in this southwestern corner of the state, he defended himself against those pursuing impeachment, singling out Ms. Pelosi and Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
On Friday, he urged his supporters to vote for one of two Republican candidates running to replace John Bel Edwards, the state’s Democratic governor. The president accused Mr. Edwards of a poor track record on cutting taxes and lowering car insurance costs, and said the governor “is suspect on your 2nd Amendment!” Mr. Schiff’s decision during a committee hearing to liken the president’s remarks in the July 25 call to a mobster issuing a veiled threat drew the president’s ire on Friday, as it had for weeks.
At the rally, the president was not expected to endorse either of the Republican candidates — Ralph Abraham, a third-term congressman, and Eddie Rispone, a Baton Rouge businessman — with the goal of simply keeping Mr. Edwards from earning the majority of the vote and avoiding a runoff. “He made it up: It was fiction,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t know, congressman, are you immune from something like that? That should be a crime.”
“Both Republicans can gang up on him to do that,” a Trump campaign official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to not describe internal deliberations. Throughout the rally, Mr. Trump seemed to abruptly switch emotional channels. He toggled between lashing out at Democrats to acting out an imagined back-and-forth between two former F.B.I. officials, Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, in order to mock them for exchanging unflattering text messages about Mr. Trump during his candidacy. He also paused at one point to interview Little League ballplayers about their pitching speeds.
At the rally, Mr. Trump directed his supporters to vote. Eventually, he circled back to his original purpose for the visit: testing his political influence over local races ahead of Saturday’s primary election, largely following the same attack-style playbook he deployed last month in a close North Carolina race.
Earlier on Friday, Mr. Trump urged his supporters to vote for one of two Republican candidates running to replace John Bel Edwards, the state’s Democratic governor.
At the rally, the president said that Mr. Edwards was “100 percent going to drop the Second Amendment” and sought to cast the centrist governor in the same light as other popular target at his rallies, including Ms. Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader.
Mr. Trump was joined by Mr. Edward’s Republican challengers — Ralph Abraham, a third-term congressman, and Eddie Rispone, a Baton Rouge businessman — but did not endorse either. The goal on Saturday, he said, was to keep Mr. Edwards from earning the majority of the vote and avoiding a runoff.
“I need you to send the radical Democrat establishment a loud and clear message,” Mr. Trump told the crowd. “You are going to fire your Democratic governor. He’s done a lousy job.”“I need you to send the radical Democrat establishment a loud and clear message,” Mr. Trump told the crowd. “You are going to fire your Democratic governor. He’s done a lousy job.”
But Mr. Edwards is popular, with recent polls showing that he is likely to draw about 47 percent of the vote. Keeping with a tradition of Louisiana Democrats, he is largely a centrist, and earlier this year pleased conservatives when he signed a restrictive law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. But Mr. Edwards remains the leader in the race, with recent polls showing that he is likely to draw about 47 percent of the vote. Keeping with a tradition of Louisiana Democrats, he is largely a centrist, and earlier this year pleased conservatives when he signed a restrictive law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
He is also practiced at the art of political survival in other deep-red territories: Last year, he was the only Democratic lawmaker to attend the first state dinner of the Trump administration, an event that honored Emmanuel Macron, the president of France. He is also practiced at the art of political survival in deep-red territories: Last year, he was the only Democratic lawmaker to attend the first state dinner of the Trump administration, an event that honored Emmanuel Macron, the president of France.
On Friday, the governor responded to the president on Twitter by defending his track record on the Second Amendment, and saying that he looked forward to working with Mr. Trump during his second term.On Friday, the governor responded to the president on Twitter by defending his track record on the Second Amendment, and saying that he looked forward to working with Mr. Trump during his second term.
The particulars of the governor’s record — or any of the other more pressing news matters of the day — did not seem to concern Mr. Trump as he spoke for nearly an hour and a half.
As news broke that Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers, was under investigation over whether he broke foreign lobbying laws in his work with Ukraine, the president was speaking about the importance of voter identification laws, and telling his supporters how much he loved them.
Michael D. Shear contributed reporting from Washington.Michael D. Shear contributed reporting from Washington.