House GOP launches defense plan to shield Trump from looming Democrat investigations

By Fox News · Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House GOP leadership is giving Republican lawmakers a new playbook to go up against an expected barrage of Democrat-led investigations in the new Congress. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote a letter to the current chairs of House committees on Thursday warning them to "maximize our remaining days in power to prepare for what is coming" with instructions on how to brace for those expected probes. A source sent a copy of that letter to Fox News Digital. "House Democrats have signaled they intend to impeach President Trump , but they will not stop there. They will weaponize every single gavel to appease their radical base," Scalise said. "They will use their oversight authorities to harass the President, his family, cabinet officials, and they will seek to destroy our allies. You all will be a key line of defense in this fight." The guidance includes three key points: "taking inventory" of current and likely future investigative efforts by Democrats while they are in the minority, identifying who is on Democrats' target list, and reviewing how recent Supreme Court rulings as well as a Department of Justice (DOJ) memo on executive privilege could factor into future investigations. ‘LAWYER UP’: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS WASTE NO TIME IN SETTING SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE AFTER MIDTERM SWEEP Democrats' targets could include "administration officials, programs and authorities, and external allies, including conservative partners and industry leaders," Scalise said. He added that his staff would meet with the relevant committees and others to further prepare. "Please let me know if there are any additional tools or support you need from me as you undertake this important effort," Scalise wrote. "I have full confidence that we will be effective in our efforts to fight back as a team." DEMOCRAT SEIZE HOUSE CONTROL IN STUNNING BLUE TSUNAMI, VOW RETRIBUTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN Democrats have si…