Trump urges GOP to fight for him | TheHill – The Hill

President TrumpDonald John TrumpZuckerberg launches public defense of Facebook as attacks mount Trump leaning toward keeping a couple hundred troops in eastern Syria: report Warren says making Israel aid conditional on settlement building is ‘on the table’ MORE delivered a pointed message Monday to Republicans beginning to break from their White House ally amid Democrats’ escalating impeachment investigation: Fight harder for me.

“Republicans have to get tougher and fight,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “We have some that are great fighters, but they have to get tougher and fight because the Democrats are trying to hurt the Republican Party for the election.”

Trump has been growing more and more irritated by criticism from members of his own party on a trio of foreign policy issues: Democrats’ impeachment probe focused on Ukraine, his decision to pull troops out of Syria and his announcement that the next Group of Seven conference would be held at his Doral golf resort in Florida.

On the first two, Trump has remained defiant. On the third, the president on Saturday made the rare move of reversing course in response to outcry — both public and private — from some of the same Republicans who have typically defended him.

The GOP opposition came from multiple fronts.

On Fox News, the president’s go-to news outlet, legal analysts, including former Judge Andrew NapolitanoAndrew Peter NapolitanoPelosi promotes video of Fox News legal analyst slamming Trump’s Doral location for G-7 meeting Fox News legal analyst: Trump’s move to host G-7 at Doral resort ‘direct’ and ‘profound’ violation of Constitution Fox News legal analyst: Hunter Biden’s work overseas ‘looks bad, but none of it is criminal’ MORE, charged the president with flagrant violations of the constitutional ban on accepting foreign gifts.

Those criticisms were echoed by a handful of centrist Republicans who voiced public concerns that the Doral decision, if not illegal, created unflattering perceptions that the president was using the office to boost his business interests.

Privately, a group of moderate Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Fred UptonFrederick (Fred) Stephen UptonGOP group calls out five House Republicans to speak up on Ukraine House passes bill to revamp medical screenings for migrants at border Energy efficiency cannot be a partisan issue for Washington MORE (Mich.) and Pete KingPeter (Pete) Thomas KingGOP lawmakers offer new election security measure GOP lawmakers blast Trump’s Syria decision as ‘grave mistake,’ ‘disaster in the making’ Here are the Democrats who aren’t co-sponsoring an assault weapons ban MORE (N.Y.), huddled with Mick MulvaneyJohn (Mick) Michael MulvaneyWhite House officials work to tamp down controversies after a tumultuous week Sunday shows — Mulvaney seeks to tamp down firestorm over quid pro quo comments, Doral decision Mulvaney says he thinks Trump knows people thought Doral decision looked ‘lousy’ MORE at Camp David over the weekend, warning Trump’s acting chief of staff of the poor optics and potential political backlash of hosting the meeting at the Trump resort.

Other GOP lawmakers texted and called White House officials to object to the move, sources said.

“A bunch of us weighed in who otherwise are normally supportive. I think it hit their attention because it wasn’t the typical anti-Trump crowd,” said one moderate House Republican who reached out to express concerns to the White House.

“Even if there was no profiting, the appearance of impropriety caused major heartburn,” the GOP lawmaker added. “Many of us viewed it as an unforced error even though I believe Trump when he says he was trying to limit costs and go to a secure location.”

The pushback arrives as Trump has become increasingly isolated on a handful of issues churning headlines this month — and creating new headaches for the president and his allies on Capitol Hill.

Last week, after Trump pulled U.S. troops from northern Syria, House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on a resolution rebuking the decision. The absence of U.S. forces had led to an immediate invasion by Turkish troops that threatened to obliterate the Kurdish rebels who have fought against ISIS on behalf of the United States for years. Almost 130 Republicans voted with Democrats to condemn the move — joining prominent Senate critics like Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTurkey sanctions face possible wall in GOP Senate Fox’s Wallace says ‘well-connected’ Republican told him there’s a 20 percent chance GOP will vote for impeachment White House staggers after tumultuous 48 hours MORE (R-Ky.) and Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyRomney appears to confirm name of secret Twitter account Graham: ‘Stupid’ for Trump to ask China to investigate Biden Turkey sanctions face possible wall in GOP Senate MORE (R-Utah) — and many are still pressing Trump to reverse the decision.

The Kurds “stood with us in the fight against ISIS; they took 10,000 deaths, at least,” Rep. Adam KinzingerAdam Daniel KinzingerLawmakers from both sides of the aisle mourn Cummings GOP congressman slams Trump over report that US bombed former anti-ISIS coalition headquarters Kinzinger challenges Trump’s defense chief on Syria in closed-door meeting MORE (R-Ill.), an Iraq War veteran, told CNN on Monday. He also dressed down Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperTrump: ‘We have secured the Oil. Bringing soldiers home!’ Amash rips Trump over move to send troops from Syria to Iraq Defense chief says US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq MORE about the Syria pullout in a closed-door GOP meeting last week.

“To leave just so quickly without a negotiated solution, it obviously was disheartening to a lot of us,” he said.

On Ukraine, the president has also seen a recent erosion of GOP support, fueled by Mulvaney’s remarks Thursday — since retracted — indicating that Trump had sought a quid pro quo leveraging U.S. military aid to Ukraine in return for political favors. Those dealings have become the focus of the Democrats’ month-old impeachment inquiry into the president, and several Republicans haven’t ruled out the possibility that they’d vote for impeachment articles, if the process evolves that far.

Both Kinzinger and Rep. Francis RooneyLaurence (Francis) Francis RooneyVulnerable senators hold the key to Trump’s fate White House staggers after tumultuous 48 hours Florida GOP Rep. Rooney says he won’t seek reelection MORE (R-Fla.), who represents a deeply conservative district which Trump carried by 20 points in 2016, are now leaving open the possibility of joining the Democrats’ impeachment push. A third Republican, a moderate, also told The Hill he can’t rule out backing impeachment until he sees all the evidence of the Ukraine probe.

“Whatever might have been gray and unclear before is certainly quite clear right now that the actions were related to getting … Ukraine to do some of these things,” Rooney, a former ambassador under former President George W. Bush, told CNN over the weekend.

Rooney is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, one of the three panels leading the’ impeachment inquiry. As part of that effort, the committees have deposed a series of witnesses — both inside and outside the administration — with firsthand knowledge of Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukrainian leaders.

Most Republicans participating in those depositions have remained fiercely faithful to Trump, saying the president has done nothing wrong and accusing Democrats of conducting a counterfeit impeachment process that denies the public a window into the proceedings.

In fact, Trump’s House Freedom Caucus allies on Monday night forced a vote on a resolution to censure Democrats’ point person on impeachment, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffTrump lashes out at Pelosi as she visits Jordan to discuss Syria Trump’s insult-comic act enters danger zone  White House staggers after tumultuous 48 hours MORE (D-Calif.).

“This is about impeaching the president of the United States 13 months before an election because they’re afraid that he’s going to win in 2020,” former Freedom Caucus Chairman Jim JordanJames (Jim) Daniel JordanTrump embarks on Twitter spree amid impeachment inquiry, Syria outrage Testimony from GOP diplomat complicates Trump defense The Hill’s Morning Report – Tempers boil over at the White House MORE (Ohio), the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told Fox on Monday. “That’s what this is about.”

Despite the fact that GOP leaders are rallying behind Trump, at Monday’s Cabinet meeting the president — famous for demanding loyalty — decried what he views as treachery within the GOP ranks as the impeachment drum grows louder. Trump lamented that Democrats don’t have the same problem, even though they’ve fought high-profile battles over impeachment and returning Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTurkey sanctions face possible wall in GOP Senate Trump lashes out at Pelosi as she visits Jordan to discuss Syria Thomas D’Alesandro III, brother of Nancy Pelosi, dies at 90 MORE (D-Calif.) to the Speaker’s office during the past 12 months.

“The two things they have: They’re vicious and they stick together,” Trump said of Democrats. “They don’t have Mitt Romney in their midst. They don’t have people like that.”

Brett Samuels contributed.