Along with “Fake News Media,” among President Trump’s favorite phrases is “Witch Hunt.” So what better theme for a Trump campaign Halloween party?
On Wednesday, the Trump campaign held a “Witch Hunt Party” in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania featuring social media stars Diamond and Silk, two of Trump’s most vocal supporters, Bloomberg’s Mario Parker reports.
The event was hosted by American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp and his wife, former White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp, and held at the Spooky Nook Sports recreation center in Manheim, Parker notes.
In a picture Parker posted online, event attendees Joyce Bollini and Cynthia Lane can be seen sporting their “Good Witches Love Trump” shirts.
From the Trump campaign’s “Halloween Witch Hunt” event in battleground state Pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/lfCXoZyQMK
— Mario Parker (@MarioDParker) October 31, 2019
“I think it’s been a witch hunt. The whole Russia collusion and anything before it and anything after it,” Lane told Parker. “It’s the swamp versus him. It’s the elite, the deep state.”
With reports about his campaign’s aptly themed Halloween party circulating, Trump slammed the Democrats’ “witch hunt” again on Thursday morning.
“The Impeachment Hoax is hurting our Stock Market. The Do Nothing Democrats don’t care!” Trump tweeted Thursday morning, adding in a follow-up post: “The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!”
The Impeachment Hoax is hurting our Stock Market. The Do Nothing Democrats don’t care!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019
The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019
Trump’s tweets came just before the House Democrats finally held their much-anticipation vote to formally proceed with their impeachment inquiry, a vote that passed along party lines.
The resolution, as The Daily Wires Emily Zanotti explains, “puts Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in charge of the full inquiry, and gives Schiff the power to order subpoenas and compel testimony.” While Republicans can issue their own subpoenas and present their own testimony, “any rebuttal witnesses, or witnesses presented in defense of the President, must be approved by Schiff, the operating chair of the investigation.” All witness requests must be submitted to Chairman Schiff for approval in order to, as the resolution puts it, “allow for a full evaluation of minority witness requests, the ranking minority member may submit to the chair, in writing, any requests for witness testimony relevant to the investigation described in the first section of this resolution within 72 hours after notice is given.”
All but two Democrats in the House of Representatives — Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) — voted for the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Almost all of the Republicans voted against; three not casting a vote. Former Republican turned-Independent Justin Amash (MI) voted with the Democrats. The vote count ended up 232 for and 194 against.
Van Drew issued a statement Thursday following his nay vote explaining his rationale for refusing to hold the party line. “Today, I voted Nay on H.Res. 660,” he said in a statement reported by McClatchy. “Without bipartisan support I believe this inquiry will further divide the country tearing it apart at the seams and will ultimately fail in the Senate. However, now that the vote has taken place and we are moving forward I will be making a judgment call based on all the evidence presented by these investigations. My hope is that we are still able to get some work done to help the American people like infrastructure, veteran’s benefits, environmental protections, immigration reform, reducing prescription drug cost, and strengthening Social Security.”
The Democrats’ impeachment inquiry was prompted by a whistleblower complaint filed by a yet-to-be-revealed CIA agent who was reportedly detailed to the White House. The complaint accuses Trump of abusing his power to dig up dirt on a political opponent by asking Ukraine’s president to “look into” accusations of corruption involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.