i’m going to share a series of reactions i’ve gotten today from Republican lawmakers, aides and strategists to this question I posed on background:
“do you think Sondland testimony changes GOP willingness to defend Trump in any material way - House or Senate or voters?”
“do you think Sondland testimony changes GOP willingness to defend Trump in any material way - House or Senate or voters?”
strategist #1
“materially? No. Not a moral or personal judgment, but I don’t believe this changes GOP case. goes under the category of ceding ground
“where this leads is Bye-Bye Giuliani. GOP quietly wants and knows it must happen to move beyond this
“public opinion unchanged”
“materially? No. Not a moral or personal judgment, but I don’t believe this changes GOP case. goes under the category of ceding ground
“where this leads is Bye-Bye Giuliani. GOP quietly wants and knows it must happen to move beyond this
“public opinion unchanged”
strategist #2
“Not in a way that helps Ds. They had a window for messaging and it closed about 3 weeks ago.
“The numbers are all moving the other way now. Watch Fox News and see what most Rs are hearing tonight.”
“Not in a way that helps Ds. They had a window for messaging and it closed about 3 weeks ago.
“The numbers are all moving the other way now. Watch Fox News and see what most Rs are hearing tonight.”
strategist #3
“Based only on my long history in the House and everything I’ve seen over the last 3 months, hard no.”
“Based only on my long history in the House and everything I’ve seen over the last 3 months, hard no.”
aide #1
“I promise you I haven’t seen more than 30 seconds of that all week”
“I promise you I haven’t seen more than 30 seconds of that all week”
strategist #4
“I honestly don’t think so.
“I thought it could until he said, ‘No one told me the aid was tied to anything. I was presuming it was.’
“He just contradicted all of (his opening statement) in the last fifteen minutes.”
“I honestly don’t think so.
“I thought it could until he said, ‘No one told me the aid was tied to anything. I was presuming it was.’
“He just contradicted all of (his opening statement) in the last fifteen minutes.”
lawmaker #1
“Up until today, and what I know so far from today, I don’t see impeachment.
“And that is what I hear even from the more moderate Rs. We still have more testimony coming, as you know.
“Do I think he should have been more careful with his words? yes I do.”
“Up until today, and what I know so far from today, I don’t see impeachment.
“And that is what I hear even from the more moderate Rs. We still have more testimony coming, as you know.
“Do I think he should have been more careful with his words? yes I do.”
lawmaker #2
I think Sondland was net negative for POTUS and his allies but not devastating.
I think Sondland was net negative for POTUS and his allies but not devastating.
strategist #5
“No, because they're still committed to their backstop story, which is that the aid was ultimately released and that the delay was tied to an already present concern about corruption in Ukraine, regardless of how thinly sourced that story is.”
“No, because they're still committed to their backstop story, which is that the aid was ultimately released and that the delay was tied to an already present concern about corruption in Ukraine, regardless of how thinly sourced that story is.”
strategist #6
“more difficult, but I don't think so yet. Senate will keep dodging. No way anyone defects on the House side right now.
“Both sides will keep watching polls. We'll see if today moves anything. i suspect it will but not by a significant margin”
“more difficult, but I don't think so yet. Senate will keep dodging. No way anyone defects on the House side right now.
“Both sides will keep watching polls. We'll see if today moves anything. i suspect it will but not by a significant margin”
lawmaker #3
“No. I think the attitude is, so what?
“Sondland did his best to protect the President. over half the Dems were for Impeachment before the whistleblower. people see what they want
This is still too complicated for average person to understand. But follow the polls”
“No. I think the attitude is, so what?
“Sondland did his best to protect the President. over half the Dems were for Impeachment before the whistleblower. people see what they want
This is still too complicated for average person to understand. But follow the polls”
