The White House does not plan to organize a “war room” to respond to an impeachment inquiry like the strategy used by the Clinton administration, President Trump’s attorney Jay Sekulow told Axios.
“We have just handled a major investigation that was multifaceted and multi-jurisdictional,” Sekulow told the publication.
{mosads}“There was no war room. We responded as appropriate. We won that battle,” he added, referencing former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, in which Mueller determined he could not exonerate Trump on potential obstruction of justice or establish that members of the Trump campaign “conspired or coordinated with the Russian government” on election meddling.
The impeachment inquiry, which will concern allegations Trump pressured Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son under threat of withholding military aid, will “be handled the same way,” Sekulow said.
“Solid teams are in place both inside the White House and outside,” he told Axios. “I am confident that we will meet any issues with Congress.”
Attorney Lanny Davis, a key player in the Clinton administration’s “war room” in 1998 and 1999, told Axios it was a mistake not to develop a separate strategy for impeachment, noting that Clinton’s incorporated about 12 people, including multiple lawyers.
“Without facts, good or bad, you can’t effectively defend against impeachment,” Davis, an opinion contributor for The Hill, told Axios.
Trump has largely continued to speak for himself through Twitter, as is often the case during controversies involving his administration including the Mueller investigation, frequently quoting his allies’ and surrogates’ Fox News appearances, including a Texas pastor who said impeachment of the president could lead to civil war.