Article snippet: The White House on Thursday appeared self-assured after Speaker MORE was all but inevitable in the House, with administration officials signaling they relish the looming fight in a Senate trial. The president and his allies have spent weeks hammering the same narrative about the House impeachment inquiry, dismissing it as a partisan “sham” that failed to produce evidence of wrongdoing. The White House has refused to turn over documents, blocked witnesses and declined offers to participate. House Democrats have threatened to draft articles of impeachment accusing Trump of obstruction for defying congressional subpoenas. Those close to the White House say its refusal to participate has worked to Trump’s advantage, pointing to teetering support for impeachment among independents as proof. And they argue that participating in the Judiciary Committee hearings would lend legitimacy to what the White House has derided as a partisan and “illegitimate” process. “The situation in the House is a foregone conclusion and the process has been stacked against the president — why legitimize that by playing their game? Any success would be marginal and wouldn’t alter the outcome,” said one former White House official. Another former White House official echoed that sentiment, saying it would be “bad politics” for the White House to participate in the House process because it is controlled by the Democrats. “The reason why Democrats want the White House to participate is bec... Link to the full article to read more