The chaotic truth about Trump's White House? There is no impeachment strategy

Yes, the president still has his Twitter feed. But nothing less than full-blown crisis PR will provide the plan that Trump now needs

When it has come to scandals, Donald Trump has always been able to tweet his way around them. His supporters are all that matter, it is they who will bring him a second term in the White House the president believes.

The problem with that is that with public impeachment hearings set to get underway soon, a narrative that the White House has struggled to control will likely only slip further from their grasp. Trump remains bullish, he told reporters on Sunday that the public at large "don't want to hear about impeachment" with the only ones wanting to see it on the news are the "fake media and the Democrats".

So far, so very Trump. But the foundation of the president's confidence is not quite as strong as it was during the Robert Mueller inquiry and any other troubles Trump has faced during his presidency. From the White House, to Republicans, to the administration as a whole - the chickens are coming home to roost. Trump has spent years hiring and firing, with little regard for filling some important posts across the State Department and other areas of his administration.

The president will say it is part of his appeal, acting decisively to clear dead wood. In reality it has left an administration increasingly reliant on key staff, with little succession planning and not much of a cushion to fall back upon. Trump has relied on Republican proxies to get across his message, many of whom have chosen to go silent as the number of administration officials testifying to Congress continues to grow.

Inside the White House, key personnel and departments have proven to be nowhere near as strong as the president needs them to be. Trump's legal team has been essentially peripheral since an attempt in early October, to advise House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, that the White House would not cooperate with the impeachment inquiry. The eight-page letter, written by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, was torn apart by experts as poorly argued (in the most optimistic of readings). Over at the State Department, Mike Pompeo also may a show of resisting - before being forced to hand over documents. From a legal standpoint, things have been quiet since.

When it comes to battling the media, Stephanie Grisham, who leads the White House communications team, has fallen back on repeating that Trump has done nothing wrong. “The president has done nothing wrong, and the Democrats know it,” Ms Grisham said after Thursday’s vote to set the rules for public hearings. “Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats’ unhinged obsession with this illegitimate impeachment proceeding does not hurt President Trump; it hurts the American people.” However, Trump's Twitter feed does a better job of broadcasting that particular stance.

Ms Grisham is not even using the full set of tools at her disposal. Trump has long since abandoned the idea of the daily press briefing from the White House. One of a number of traditions that has fallen by the wayside during the incumbency of the 45th president. But even if it was not entirely the purpose it was supposed to be used for, team Trump is missing a trick by not reinstating them. Surely a pulpit from which to drum home the Trump message every 24 hours is exactly one of the things that the president needs right now?

Actually, what the White House needs is someone to take on what is now just crisis PR. Reportedly senior adviser Jared Kushner - the president's son-in-law - is one of those in charge of shaping the White House impeachment strategy. But, not unlike the grand Middle East peace plan that Kushner is supposed to be formulating, there appears to be little strategy. Yes Trump knows he can rely on his base. But that may not be enough in 2020 if Democrats continue to build up a head of steam regarding the impeachment investigation.

The White House has a problem, but appears in no hurry to try and fix it.