GOP raises approximately $1M on day of impeachment announcement

Republicans raised more than $1 million on Tuesday as a Democratic impeachment inquiry dominated headlines.

A Republican National Committee (RNC) official told The Hill that the RNC, President Trump’s reelection campaign and a joint fundraising committee began efforts at 2 p.m. and had netted $1 million at 8 p.m., a few hours after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced a formal impeachment inquiry. 

The fundraising haul was first reported by Politico.

{mosads}The news outlet noted that Trump will benefit from most of the donations, adding that some efforts targeted Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who represents a district won by Trump in 2016 and who supports the impeachment inquiry. 

RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel tweeted that the group’s efforts aimed at Slotkin raised over $350,000. 

“We will absolutely hold House Democrats accountable for this.@realDonaldTrump won Elissa Slotkin’s district in Michigan, yet she’s backing this baseless impeachment inquiry,” she wrote. 

We will absolutely hold House Democrats accountable for this.@realDonaldTrump won Elissa Slotkin’s district in Michigan, yet she’s backing this baseless impeachment inquiry.

In less than 6 hours, our anti-Slotkin effort alone raised over $350,000.https://t.co/qJBJY3Rb1b

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) September 25, 2019

The Trump campaign and RNC sent a series of emails encouraging supporters to donate. According to Politico, conservatives were invited to join the “Official Impeachment Defense Task Force,” which was described as a group of “only President Trump’s most LOYAL supporters, the ones committed to fighting for him, re-electing him, and taking back the House.”

One email reportedly encouraged people do donate by telling them to “be a leader in defending the president against these baseless and disgusting attacks.”

Pelosi late Tuesday announced an impeachment inquiry into Trump after reports that he had pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son after withholding aid from the country. 

Trump had admitted to bringing up Biden during the July call but denied pushing for an investigation into the former vice president. He has also said he withheld aid because he wanted other countries to give more to help Ukraine. 

He has slammed the inquiry as a “witch hunt” and denied wrongdoing. 

Pelosi’s announcement followed a wave of support for impeachment proceedings from House Democrats following the Ukraine revelations.