Trump rewards lawmakers who backed him during impeachment

The House Republicans who took a leading role defending President-elect Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020 are reaping the benefits.

Of the eight GOP lawmakers who were part of Trump’s team to push back on allegations he withheld aid to Ukraine for political reasons, three are set to join his Cabinet; one is Speaker of the House and a staunch ally; and one became Trump’s chief of staff in his first administration.

The political arc of the eight lawmakers underscores the degree to which Trump prizes and rewards loyalty, which is on display as he forms his Cabinet for a second administration.

“He's showing that he remembers who stuck with him, and he wants an administration that’s really going to put America first, and he’s not going to have kind of pushback from the establishment on what he wants to achieve,” said Dan Eberhart, a Republican donor.

Trump in January 2020 announced eight House Republicans would be part of his impeachment defense team. Those lawmakers took a central role in pushing back on Democrats making the case that the then-president withheld aid from Ukraine for political purposes as part of a quid pro quo.

The lawmakers were Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio), John Ratcliffe (Texas), Mike Johnson (La.), Mark Meadows (N.C.), Debbie Lesko (Ariz.), Lee Zeldin (N.Y.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and Doug Collins (Ga.).

The role was particularly transformative for Stefanik’s political trajectory.

The young congresswoman, then 35, like many Republicans at the time had initially kept her distance from Trump in 2016 and 2017.

But she took a combative approach to countering then-Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) during hearings on the impeachment, leading Trump to post on social media of Stefanik: “A new Republican Star is born.”

Her fierce defense of Trump endured through his denial of the 2020 election results, his second impeachment, his numerous indictments and his conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Former Rep. Zeldin is a somewhat surprising pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency because of his relative lack of experience dealing with environmental issues. His defense of Trump during impeachment was a key moment in his political rise.

Zeldin left the House to run for governor in 2022, and while he was unsuccessful, his bid was hailed for making the race in the blue state closer than expected.

Before that run, he gained prominence for being one of the most vocal members defending Trump during his first impeachment. An NBC News analysis found that he spoke or was referenced during impeachment-related depositions more than any other lawmaker.

Ratcliffe was tapped shortly after the impeachment trial ended to serve as director of national intelligence. The Texan held the position through the end of Trump’s first term.

Ratcliffe has held a role at the influential America First Policy Institute, and on Tuesday Trump announced the former congressman was his pick to serve as CIA director.

Meadows had burnished his pro-Trump credentials as chair of the House Freedom Caucus during the first two years of his term. He left the House a few weeks after the impeachment trial ended to serve as Trump’s chief of staff, seeing his loyalty rewarded with a top job in the White House.

Meadows is not expected to return for the second Trump administration and is battling criminal charges in Georgia related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Johnson and Jordan are not in the mix for jobs in the Trump administration, but their strong defense of Trump during that first impeachment set the stage for their political ascensions in the House.

Jordan, who was temporarily appointed to the Intelligence Committee in 2019 to help combat the impeachment hearings, is now the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee — becoming the face of a number of GOP investigations after making a name for himself defending Trump.

Johnson’s support for Trump may have also been a plus for him as he skyrocketed to the Speakership after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted last year. While Trump did not endorse Johnson, the former president loomed over the race. Trump’s disapproval of Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) helped sink Emmer’s Speakership bid within hours.

Johnson maintained his pro-Trump stature well beyond the impeachment trial. He led an amicus brief challenging President Biden’s victory in 2020, an action in support of Trump’s denial of the result.

Since becoming Speaker, Johnson and Trump have remained close. Johnson says they talk frequently, and Trump heaped praise on Johnson during his election night victory speech, saying the Speaker is “doing a terrific job.”

Collins ran an unsuccessful campaign for Senate in 2020, finishing third in a nonpartisan primary. He provided counsel to Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election as Trump sought to challenge Georgia’s election results.

Lesko, meanwhile, is retiring from Congress at the end of her current term. She won a seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last week. Trump endorsed her for the job in a social media post, specifically referring to her work during his two impeachment proceedings and calling her a “great friend of MAGA.”

One Trump ally said they would not be surprised if Trump was taking into account how certain members defended him during his impeachment trials.

“He’s looking for loyalists who understand America First and moving fast in terms of getting things done,” the Trump ally told The Hill.

Trump, who has rapidly announced several top administration jobs since winning last week’s presidential election, has for months made clear he would approach filling out his Cabinet differently than he did four years ago, with loyalty being a key factor.

“I spent four years. I know people better than anybody in the history of Washington. I know the good, the bad, the dumb, the smart. I know the weak, I know the loyal,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in August.

“Loyalty is very interesting,” he continued. “That’s something you never really know, but learn about. And that’s a little bit of a hit and miss, frankly. A little bit of a hit and miss.”