Trump sees dangerous cracks in Hill GOP support

Cracks are showing between President Donald Trump’s base and GOP officials, who are rattled by his Syria exit and the ensuing resignation of his Defense Secretary, James Mattis. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A series of recent events is alienating congressional allies Trump would need in an impeachment fight.

President Donald Trump faces a dangerous erosion of support among rank-and-file Republicans thanks to a series of jarring recent moves that have alienated even some close GOP allies.

From his defense of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince over the murder of a dissident journalist to his abrupt decision to pull American troops out of Syria to his demand for a government shutdown, Trump has been angering friendly lawmakers, leading some who typically kept their disagreements to themselves to speak up.

The trend could prove perilous for the president after Democrats assume control of the House in January. Should the House vote to impeach Trump, he will have to rely on an increasingly exasperated Senate GOP conference to prevent him from being thrown out of office.

View the complete December 21 article by Eliana Johnson and Burgess Everett on the Politico website here.