U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., before his departure to Alabama and New York, November 9, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas Reuters

President Donald Trump sought to shift focus toward the economy Friday as impeachment hearings against him went public for a second day.

He repeated the unfounded claim that Democrats wanted the US to enter a downturn.

Trump has argued that a strong economy should undermine the impeachment inquiry against him.

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President Donald Trump sought to shift focus toward the economy Friday as impeachment hearings against him went public for a second day, repeating the baseless claim that Democrats wanted the US to enter a downturn.

„Another Record Stock Market, 21 times this year, despite an ongoing, & totally unfounded, Witch Hunt, & a Democrat Party that would love to see a nice, big, juicy recession,“ Trump wrote on Twitter, without elaborating. „In actuality, the potential for the United States is unlimited. We will power through the Do Nothing Dems!“

Democrats and Republicans have pushed dueling narratives on impeachment hearings that came into public view for the first time this week. The House of Representatives launched an inquiry into President Donald Trump in September after a whistleblower report said he solicited foreign help to look for information to damage 2020 political rivals.

Several key witnesses are set to testify before the House Intelligence Committee in the coming days as lawmakers investigate military aid that was withheld from Ukraine around the same time that Trump pushed its president to look into the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.

Trump has repeatedly argued that a strong economy should undermine the impeachment inquiry against him.

„How do you impeach a President who has created the greatest Economy in the history of our Country,“ Trump wrote on Twitter in September.

Hiring and consumer spending have held up better than expected this year, but concerns about the decade-long expansion have emerged in recent months. Trump has attempted to shift blame for those troubles away from his trade war, which economists said has raised prices and stalled investment around the globe.

When a key recession signal flashed in August, Trump blamed Democrats, the Federal Reserve and journalists without evidence.

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