President Donald Trump is already planning his victory lap for his presumed acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial.
The president and his aides haven't agreed on a plan yet, and it's not clear that new revelations from John Bolton's upcoming book will force Republican senators to agree to witness testimony, but they're discussing how he should celebrate once the trial ends, reported Politico.
“The president is giving a lot of thought to where he goes when he is acquitted and vindicated,” a senior administration official told the website. “This isn’t a one-and-done moment. This will be a sustained exit from a long dreary impeachment process and a great reset to 2020 — not just the 2020 reelection but the 2020 domestic and international arena.”
If moderate Republicans agree to hear witness testimony, that could extend the trial into next week -- when the Iowa caucus and the State of the Union address will take place.
That would complicate the White House's plan to use the State of the Union address to move past impeachment.
The White House hopes to drown out impeachment news this week with "counter-programming," but the Bolton revelations complicate those efforts.
Trump will sign a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, meet with top Israeli leaders, unveil a Middle East peace plan and hold a campaign rally in New Jersey in an effort to appear presidential instead of consumed with his impeachment.
But a glance at his Twitter feed shows it's never far from his mind.
