Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., has called the impeachment probe into President Donald Trump a "charade," a "clown show," and a "cocktail that is" House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff's "favorite drink to get America drunk on."
Naturally, there's an occupant in the Oval Office who's taken notice of his strong words. And, in turn, a once little-known, 39-year-old lawmaker representing eastern Long Island has become one of the president's point men in battling impeachment, teaming up with fellow anti-impeachment crusaders such as House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
"For me, it's just about getting facts out there and getting the rest of the story out there. Adam Schiff isn't going to do that for my constituents," Zeldin told NBC News in an interview when asked about the risk of going all in on Trump's defense. "And I have a lot of constituents who oppose this impeachment inquiry. Most of the calls my office receives are from people who are opposed to this impeachment inquiry. This isn't an issue, obviously, that's going to unite a country."
"As a matter of fact, an impeachment inquiry like this rips the country in half," he continued. "So I'm not expecting unanimous calls to come into my office in opposition to the impeachment inquiry. We hear from people who oppose the president. And quite frankly, many of those people have opposed the president since the day he was elected and sworn into office."
In the seven impeachment deposition transcripts released so far, no Republican has spoken more than Zeldin, who is referenced more than 550 times, according to an NBC News tally. His attempts to steer the depositions away from Trump's conduct and toward a host of tangential matters— including the Biden family, a conspiracy theory about the 2016 election, and even the witnesses' own credibility — have driven counsel for multiple witnesses to their wit's end.
"With all respect, congressman, we've now been here for eight and a half hours and Ambassador Sondland has not declined to answer a single question posed by any member or any counsel member," Robert Luskin, the attorney for the ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, told Zeldin last month after the Long Island lawmaker asked over and over about the merits of asking Ukraine to probe the Bidens' ties to a Ukrainian gas company. "You've asked this question now three different times. I know you're unhappy with his answer, but if we stay until 7:30, he's not going to change his answer."
Zeldin was indefatigable. He pressed Sondland again on why it would have been okay for Trump to want Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, tearing into the ambassador over his earlier answers.
"[M]ore questions I don't think are going to assist you any further," Luskin said. "I think you've asked it about as many times as you can."
In return for Zeldin's pertinacity, Trump has shown appreciation by tweeting or retweeting the New York lawmaker's commentary on the investigation nearly two dozen times since the inquiry was launched in late September, including nine times in the early morning hours Saturday. Previously, the president had promoted Zeldin on Twitter only once to endorse his 2018 re-election bid.
