Christopher Ruddy: How the Impeachment Process Affects Trump

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Am I correct that this, in your view, and you’ve called it, you know, an existential crisis in the past, but should this be a president’s worst nightmare?

CHRIS RUDDY, CEO, NEWSMAX: It’s certainly the worst labeling you can get. I don’t think this president likes to be remembered as an impeached president. But he is also facing the most partisan Congress, probably the most polarized political scene any president has ever seen. And I think that the fact that not one Republican, Christiane, is supporting this impeachment is very telling. And that one Democrat, Congressman Van Drew of New Jersey, is actually leaving the Democratic Party. I think the symbolism of that is so powerful. And so, I think this president — I just saw him last week at the White House on Wednesday.

AMANPOUR: Which was the White House Hanukkah party?

RUDDY: Yes.

AMANPOUR: Yes.

RUDDY: And he asked me to meet him privately before the party, and I did chat with him briefly. And I had seen him over Thanksgiving. So, we’ve got — I have a good feel of where he thinks this impeachment thing is going. I don’t think he’s bothered by it. I don’t think — you know, some people think, you know, he’s bothered like he’s disturbed, he’s angry, he’s worried. Donald Trump deals with thousands of crises as a businessman through his life and I think he’s very used to walking on fire and not feeling it.

AMANPOUR: So, I’m interested by that because, you know, I started by saying, is this — it’s a president’s worst nightmare. Would it be for him? So, in other words, does he not mind so much about the black mark of impeachment? Does he care more about the sort of get free, you know, card of the Senate process? What is he looking at? Because he’s — you know, it’s all going to come tumbling down soon.

RUDDY: Well, I think like any political figure, he’s looking at the election coming up at 2020. I think — and he and I have talked about this. He sees it as a political act because they didn’t have a candidate to run against him, that he has tremendous record. As you know, the economy is probably the best in 50 years. Certainly, unemployment, which is a key factor in elections. I mean, it’s best for everyone, even blacks and Hispanics. Everybody is enjoying the ride now. Professor Lichtman, Allan Lichtman, was on CNN six months ago. He’s influential in Democratic circles. And he told CNN that unless the Democrats impeach the president, they would not have any chance of defeating him. And Lichtman had called every election since 1984. I think he was — I was told was very influential in Democratic circles for moving in this impeachment.