President Trump said Monday that Republicans need to “get tougher” as he faces the “dirty” game of impeachment.

Mr. Trump, in an interview with Fox News personality Sean Hannity, said Democrats have poor policy positions but know how to wage a bare-knuckle fight.

“I think they’re lousy politicians. But you don’t have the Mitt Romneys of the world, they stick together,” he said, referring to the Utah Republican who’s been critical of his Syrian policy in recent days.

Mr. Trump argued House Republicans who dogged President Obama at every turn were actually quite dovish, citing the Fast and Furious “gun-walking” scandal and political targeting of conservatives at the IRS during the prior administration.

“They didn’t impeach them, they never even thought of impeaching him,” Mr. Trump said.

Democrats have called a steady stream of witnesses in their impeachment inquiry, which focuses on Mr. Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On the call, Mr. Trump asked for cooperation in investigating a 2020 rival — former Vice President Joseph R. Biden — and his son, Hunter, and questions around a Democratic National Committee server from 2016.

Mr. Trump says dozens of centrists who helped the Democrats retake the House in 2018 will regret pursuing impeachment, which he called a “dirty, disgusting word.”

“I don’t think those people want to see this,” he said of vulnerable Democrats. “It wasn’t even a big deal … this was a conversation, it was so perfect.”

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.