The White House is actively exploring a way to give President Donald Trump’s staunchest House allies a public role in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial, according to five sources familiar with the matter, as the president looks to mount an aggressive defense in the upper chamber.
One idea under consideration is to allow a collection of House Republicans — who would be fresh off defending Trump in the House — to present a minority report on the Ukraine affair and make their case on the Senate floor, similar to the role Democratic impeachment managers are expected to play in the trial. The idea has been under discussion for several weeks, according to one GOP member familiar with the talks.
Some of the names in the mix include Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Mark Meadows of North Carolina, two of Trump‘s closest allies, as well as Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas, a former prosecutor who sits on both the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees.