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PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday the upcoming midterm elections will be a referendum on impeaching the president.
"I say this not in my role as a lawyer but as a concerned citizen and Republican," he said. "This election is going to be about impeachment or no impeachment."
Giuliani made the comment while endorsing Eddie Edwards, who is seeking the Republican nomination in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, who isn't seeking re-election in November.
"If Democrats get control of the House, do you think they're going to treat President Trump fairly?" Giuliani asked the crowd, some of whom shouted "No!" in response.
"I don't think they will either," he said.
The House overwhelmingly blocked two impeachment efforts last winter brought by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas. In December, he based his resolution on claims that Trump had associated his presidency with causes rooted in bigotry and racism, including Trump's blaming both sides for deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He tried again in January, saying Trump had incited "hate and hostility" by reportedly using a vulgarity to describe African countries.
Democrats opposing the effort said then it was premature to act before special counsel Robert Mueller completes an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
But Giuliani said if Democrats hold the majority in the House, there won't be enough votes to prevent impeachment proceedings.
"When you look at some of them on television — 'Traitor. He's a traitor, he's this, he's that.' — You get the sense that there isn't a fair-minded, large enough group of people there that we can trust not to take this country down this terrible road."
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