Live political reporting continues on Mondays blog:
Summary
- Administration officials said the freeze on Ukraine’s military aid was done under “clear direction” from Donald Trump according to newly unredacted emails showed administration officials.
- The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the intelligence committee chair, Adam Schiff, called for a “fair” Senate trial and emphasized the importance of the newly revealed documents that appear to incriminate the president.
- Several 2020 presidential candidates released their fourth-quarter fundraising information. Joe Biden said he raised $22.7m in the final three months of 2019, falling short of Bernie Sanders (who raised $34.5m) and Pete Buttigieg (who raised $24.7m).
- More than 200 members of Congress asked the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v Wade, which legalized abortion in 1973.
- Julián Castro dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary, and Marianne Williamson reportedly laid off her campaign staff nationally.
Updated
Elizabeth Warren unveils plan to boost employment and voting, housing and civil rights protection for people with disabilites
Warren released a sweeping plan that, among other things, would raise the hourly minimum wage to $15 and end a program that allows employers to pay disabled workers much less.
“Building economic security for people with disabilities means rewriting the rules of the economy to foster inclusivity, value their labor and end labor market discrimination and exploitation,” the 2020 presidential candidate said in a statement.
As a senator, Warren asked the US labor department to end a program that allows employers to seek waivers to pay employees with disabilities $7.25 an hour, and sometimes as little as 33 cents.
The board plan also promises to make more schools accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and make tech work for people with disabilities by funding research to develop “affordable and life-changing supports for people with disabilities”.
Updated
Hillary Clinton has taken on a new role as a chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast.
For the former US secretary of state, senator and first lady, the role will be mostly ceremonial.
As Chancellor @HillaryClinton will have three main roles:
— Queen's University Belfast 🎓 (@QUBelfast) January 2, 2020
1.Presiding at degree congregations.
2.Ambassador.
3.Advisor, available to the @QUBVChancellor and senior management as a sounding board and to provide counsel and guidance.
More: https://t.co/6NlonwYmXK #LoveQUB pic.twitter.com/iJKuJl4bic
Clinton and her husband the former president have strong ties to the university in Northern Ireland.
From the Washington Post:
The school awarded Hillary Clinton an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in October 2018 and has established a “Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Peace and Reconciliation,” which the university describes as a full scholarship awarded each year to an “exceptional female student from the USA who wishes to pursue study in a field related to politics, conflict transformation or human rights.”
In 2011, it also established the William J Clinton Leadership Institute, which offers courses for current and aspiring business leaders.
Updated
Tulsi Gabbard, who kicked off her new year by surfing New Hampshire’s frigid waters, made less of a splash with her fundraising announcement. Gabbard reportedly raised $3.4m in the fourth quarter of 2019 – about 10% of Bernie Sanders’ $34.5m. It’s unlikely that Gabbard will meet the fundraising requirements to qualify for the next 2020 Democratic primary debates.
It seems she can command the waves, but can she conquer the New Hampshire primary?
Updated
A fake video edited so it appears that Joe Biden is making racist remarks has gained more than a million views on social media, according to the AP.
In the edited clip, which was less than 20 seconds long, Biden says, “Our culture is not imported from some African nation or some Asian nation.” Social media users paired the video with comments like “It’s almost like Joe Biden is a Racist.” Posts with the video surfaced across social media platforms on Wednesday.
The clip, which pulled ABC News coverage of Biden speaking on 30 December in New Hampshire, was distorted out of context. The 2020 Democratic candidate, in discussing the culture on college campuses of violence against women, said “Folks, this is about changing the culture, our culture, our culture, it’s not imported from some African nation or some Asian nation. It is our English jurisprudential culture, our European culture that says it is all right.”
Biden also spoke about the need to change an entrenched “cultural problem” that dates back to English common law, and back to the 1300s when men beat their wives without any legal repercussions.
In a separate speech in March, Biden said: “It’s an English jurisprudential culture, a white man’s culture... It’s got to change.”
Fake videos are now easier than ever to create and disseminate.
Updated
Adam Schiff, the head of the House intelligence committee who helped lead the impeachment against Trump has responded to information revealed in newly unredacted emails about the freeze on military aid to Ukraine.
As part of our impeachment inquiry, the House subpoenaed these very documents. From their deeply incriminating character, we can now see why they were concealed: They directly corroborate witnesses who testified that military aid to Ukraine was withheld at the direction of the President and that the White House was informed doing so may violate the law. The Administration did not want Congress to find out why.
Like House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Schiff reiterated the need for a fair Senate trial that takes into account these new documents. “If [the documents] are not produced, the Senate and the American people must ask, what else is the President hiding?” Schiff said in a statement.
Evening summary
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Newly unredacted emails showed administration officials saying the freeze on Ukraine’s military aid was a “clear direction” from Trump, prompting renewed calls from Democratic lawmakers to have some of the president’s advisers testify about alleged efforts to pressure Kyiv to investigate Joe Biden.
- The Republican senator Josh Hawley said he would introduce a measure Monday to dismiss the impeachment case for “lack of prosecution”, although it’s unclear whether such a proposal would succeed.
- Joe Biden said he raised $22.7m in the final three months of 2019, marking the Democratic presidential candidate’s best quarter yet but still falling short of the totals posted by Bernie Sanders ($34.5m) and Pete Buttigieg ($24.7m).
- Julián Castro dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary, while Marianne Williamson is laying off her campaign staff nationally, indicating the field will likely continue to narrow in the final month before the Iowa caucuses.
- The FDA said it would ban certain e-cigarette flavors popular with younger users of the products, but the regulation allows for large exceptions that will prove beneficial for the industry’s manufacturers.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
House speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted to news of the newly unredacted emails about the freeze on military aid to Ukraine, arguing the messages demonstrate the need to have a “fair trial” in the Senate.
Trump engaged in unprecedented, total obstruction of Congress, hiding these emails, all other documents, and his top aides from the American people.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 2, 2020
His excuse was a phony complaint about the House process.
What’s the excuse now? Why won’t Trump & McConnell allow a fair trial? https://t.co/S3ZlEJMMDB
One of the emails obtained by Just Security includes a message from a senior budget official telling a Pentagon staffer, “Clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold.”
Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer are pressing majority leader Mitch McConnell to call White House officials to testify about the aid freeze in the impeachment trial, but the House speaker has not yet transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
Gowdy says he will not join Trump's legal team
Trey Gowdy has said he will not join Trump’s legal team, ending months of speculation about whether the former Republican congressman would help the president secure an acquittal in a Senate impeachment trial.
“The president has good lawyers and more importantly good facts,” Gowdy told McClatchy. “He does not need another lawyer added to his team. He needs the trial to begin and end.”
Gowdy said when he left Congress last year that he was done with politics and would focus on private sector work in his home state of South Carolina, but he then appeared ready to join Trump’s team back in October.
However, Gowdy changed his thinking when it became clear he would have to give up his law firm and his Fox News contributor contract to take on the new role.
Although he will not become one of the president’s lawyers, Gowdy played golf with Trump over the weekend, indicating he will continue to offer advice to Trump as the Senate moves toward an impeachment trial.
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign manager stressed that January has to be the campaign’s “best fundraising month to date,” even as the campaign announced that it had a solid fundraising quarter.
In a memo distributed to Democratic donors and obtained by The Guardian, campaign manager Greg Schultz hailed the campaign’s recent $22.7 million haul, noting that it was a 50 percent increase over the last quarter.
But in the two-page memo Schultz also stressed it’s “absolutely critical that January is our best fundraising month to date, so we can continue to make strategic investments throughout the country and perform well in the early states.”
The memo and Schultz’s appeal come as Biden, the Democratic frontrunner, continues to find himself in the middle of the fact on fundraising in yet another quarter and just before voting begins in the early primary states.
Only a few of the more than two dozen Democratic candidates have released their fundraising numbers so far but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, two of Biden’s chief rivals in the Democratic primary, have outraised him.
Still, Schultz, in the memo, hailed the campaign’s most recent fundraising numbers as a positive sign for Biden. “Thanks to the hard work of many, we’re thrilled to announce that the fourth quarter was our best to date, raising $22.7 million, a 50% growth from last quarter. In addition, 57% of our donors were new this quarter, highlighting the new support our campaign is gaining daily,” Schultz wrote.
“In what is typically a difficult time of the year to raise money, the Vice President’s growing momentum translated directly into strong performances in both online and offline revenue, ensuring that we have the resources we need to enter the next critical phase of this campaign.”
Schultz added that Donald Trump’s repeated criticism at Biden has actually given the campaign a fundraising boost. “In fact, Trump’s attacks have majorly backfired, providing our campaign a fundraising boost and reminding Democratic primary voters what we have been saying all along — Trump does not want Biden to be the nominee because he knows Biden will flat out beat him in November,” Schultz wrote.
“He is so desperate to avoid the electoral defeat he would face against Biden that he got himself impeached soliciting a foreign government in the effort. During impeachment our average digital revenue per day more than doubled, up by 121%, where it was in the weeks preceding impeachment.”
The campaign would always be competing with other candidates on fundraising in the primary, Schultz said, alluding to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders, who both transferred money from their Senate accounts to their presidential campaigns.
“Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden will be spending the vast majority of their time in the coming months where they are most effective — talking with voters in the early states,” Schultz concluded.
“And, because we didn’t transfer tens of millions of dollars from other campaign accounts like our opponents, we will always be playing from behind in the cash race. It is absolutely critical that January is our best fundraising month to date, so we can continue to make strategic investments throughout the country and perform well in the early states.”
Although Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson is laying off her staff nationally, the self-help author apparently has no plans to call it quits.
According to one of her now-former advisers, Williamson will forge ahead with her longshot bid without any asssistance from staffers in the early voting states.
Is Williamson dropping out? "To the contrary," Hodes told me, adding his understanding is that she plans to continue on, just sans staff.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) January 2, 2020
Senate Republican plans to introduce motion to dismiss impeachment case
The president’s congressional allies appear to be zeroing in on a new talking point to undermine the Senate impeachment trial.
As House speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to avoid transmitting the articles of impeachment, Republican lawmakers are arguing the delay indicates the case is not as “urgent” as Democrats previously claimed.
Senate Republican Josh Hawley said that he intends to introduce a measure Monday to dismiss the impeachment case for “lack of prosecution.”
Dems said impeachment was URGENT. Now they don’t want to have a trial, because they have no evidence. In real world, if prosecution doesn’t proceed with case, it gets dismissed. So on Monday, I will introduce measure to dismiss this bogus impeachment for lack of prosecution
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 2, 2020
Updated
Williamson reportedly lays off campaign staff
Marianne Williamson, the self-help author and Democratic presidential candidate who captured the Internet’s fascination with her early debate performances, has reportedly laid off her campaign staff nationally.
The ABC affiliate WMUR reports:
The spiritual author and lecturer joined the race in January 2019 and campaigned aggressively throughout the year, making many visits to New Hampshire. The sources told WMUR she remains a candidate but has drastically scaled back her campaign.
As of Tuesday, the sources said, Williamson’s campaign, in fact, had no staffers on board.
At its height, the sources said, Williamson employed about 45 staffers in the four early voting states as well as her central campaign headquarters. She had two staff members in New Hampshire – including former U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes, who was a senior campaign adviser and New Hampshire state director.
Hodes is no longer employed by the campaign, according to the sources. Also no longer with Williamson as of Thursday is national campaign manager Patricia Ewing.
The news comes hours after Julián Castro announced he was dropping out of the Democratic presidential primary, leaving 14 candidates in the race with a month to go until the Iowa caucuses.
Congressman Mark Meadows, one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, criticized his Democratic colleagues as House leadership continues to delay transmitting the articles of impeachment against the president.
There are plenty of indicators that this impeachment exercise from House Democrats is completely unserious, but perhaps none more than this. A key part of their argument was “this is urgent”—and yet here we are, 15 days later, and they still haven’t transmitted their own articles
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) January 2, 2020
It’s still unclear when a Senate impeachment trial might begin or what procedures will be adopted, but Mitch McConnell may address those issues tomorrow, when the majority leader is expected to speak on the Senate floor.
But McConnell has dismissed any notion that Democrats’ refusal to transmit the articles will have any effect on trial procedures.
Joe Biden appears to have changed the tagline for his Iowa bus tour, abandoning the “No Malarkey” slogan and adopting “Battle for the Soul of the Nation.”
The “No Malarkey” slogan -- which was a play on the Biden-ism, “That’s a bunch of malarkey!” from the 2012 campaign -- had been mocked as confusing and uninspiring.
No more “No Malarkey.” The new Biden bus wrap touts the “Battle for the Soul of the Nation.” (As seen from a press van trailing the bus.) pic.twitter.com/X02Jvx06EL
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) January 2, 2020
The former vice president will be in Iowa through Sunday, hosting community events and kicking off phone banks across the first caucus state.
Schumer calls newly unredacted emails a 'devastating blow' to Trump's allies on impeachment
The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a tweet that newly unredacted emails about the freeze on Ukraine’s military aid are a “a devastating blow to Senator McConnell’s push to have a trial without the documents and witnesses we’ve requested”.
The newly-revealed unredacted emails are a devastating blow to Senator McConnell’s push to have a trial without the documents and witnesses we’ve requested.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 2, 2020
The American people deserve a fair trial that gets to the truth, not a rigged process that enables a cover-up. pic.twitter.com/z851ch0mjE
Schumer argued the emails underscored the need to have Trump administration officials – including the acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and former national security adviser John Bolton – testify in a Senate impeachment trial about efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden as the aid was held up.
Just Security reported on the emails earlier today:
‘Clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold.’
This is what Michael Duffey, associate director of national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), told Elaine McCusker, the acting Pentagon comptroller, in an Aug. 30 email, which has only been made available in redacted form until now. It is one of many documents the Trump administration is trying to keep from the public, despite congressional oversight efforts and court orders in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation. ...What is clear is that it all came down to the president and what he wanted; no one else appears to have supported his position. Although the pretext for the hold was that some sort of policy review was taking place, the emails make no mention of that actually happening. Instead, officials were anxiously waiting for the president to be convinced that the hold was a bad idea.
Updated
Biden falls short of Sanders and Buttigieg on fundraising
Joe Biden said he raised $22.7 million during the final three months of 2019, his best quarter yet but short of the totals posted by Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg.
I'm excited to share that we raised $22.7 million this last quarter — our biggest quarter so far this campaign! Thank you to everyone who chipped in what you could — your support means the world to me. You truly are the heart of our campaign. pic.twitter.com/L53z9YbLsX
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 2, 2020
Sanders announced this morning that he raised $34.5 million last quarter, and Buttigieg said yesterday that he hit $24.7 million.
Of the four candidates leading the polls, the only Democratic contender who has not yet released fundraising numbers is Elizabeth Warren, but the Massachsuetts senator told supporters Friday that she had only raised $17 million at that point.
More than 200 members of Congress, including 39 Republican senators, have signed on to an amicus brief calling on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark case that established a woman’s right to access abortion.
39 Republican senators sign amicus brief asking SCOTUS to consider overturning *Roe v. Wade & Casey.*
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) January 2, 2020
Brief calls the right to abortion in Roe unworkable.https://t.co/wtJbew38fc via @GregStohr pic.twitter.com/PULQhUCcKF
The brief comes two months before the court is scheduled to hear arguments in a case concerning a Louisiana law restricting access to abortion.
FDA to ban some vaping flavors popular with young users
The Trump administration has announced plans to ban some vaping flavors popular with younger users of the products, but the regulation will include large exemptions that will benefit manufacturers.
The AP reports:
The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will prohibit fruit, candy, mint and dessert flavors from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes that are popular with high school students. But menthol and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes will be allowed to remain on the market.
The flavor ban will also entirely exempt large, tank-based vaping devices, which are primarily sold in vape shops that cater to adult smokers.
Together, the two exemptions represent a significant retreat from President Donald Trump’s original plan announced four months ago, which would have banned all vaping flavors — including menthol — from all types of e-cigarettes. The new policy will preserve a significant portion of the multibillion-dollar vaping market. And the changes are likely to please both the largest e-cigarette manufacturer, Juul Labs, and thousands of vape shop owners who sell the tank-based systems, which allow users to mix customized flavors.
Afternoon summary
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Julián Castro dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary, leaving the race without any Latino candidates.
- Trump raised $46m during the final quarter of 2019, an impressive haul that the president’s reelection campaign partly credited to anger over last month’s impeachment.
- Bernie Sanders said he raised $34.5m over the last three months, the largest single-quarter total of any Democratic presidential candidate during this cycle so far.
The blog will have much more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
Key impeachment witness leaves post in Ukraine
Bill Taylor, the acting US ambassador to Ukraine who became a key witness in the impeachment inquiry, has offiicially left the post.
CNN reports:
In his six months as charges d’affaires in Kiev, Taylor twice testified as part of the House probe into President Donald Trump, providing damning testimony about an alleged quid pro quo with Ukraine. He also remained a vocal advocate of maintaining US support for the country, especially amid ongoing Russian aggression
In a farewell message posted on New Year’s Eve, Taylor stressed the US’ ‘strong support’ for Ukraine and voiced optimism about the country.
‘The time since June has been a great one, it’s an exciting time to be in Ukraine,’ Taylor said. ‘This has been a great time for me to be here and it’s going to be a great time going forward.’
The embassy announced Thursday that Deputy Chief of Mission Kristina Kvien had taken over the role of charge d’affaires.
Bernie Sanders’ impressive fundraising haul during the last quarter of 2019 underscored how much money billionaire Michael Bloomberg is spending on advertising, as a Politico reporter noted.
An easy way to contextualize just how much Mike Bloomberg is spending in the primary: Bernie Sanders raised an absolutely bonkers $34.5 million in the fourth quarter. But Bloomberg is spending more than that on TV ads alone — $36 million, per @Ad_Analytics — from Jan. 1-8
— Zach Montellaro (@ZachMontellaro) January 2, 2020
Bloomberg only entered the race in late November, but he has already managed to hit fifth place in a number of national polls.
The former New York mayor has decided to skip campaigning in the four early-voting states, instead focusing on Super Tuesday states like California. Bloomberg has already spent more than $100 million advertising in states that will begin voting in early March.
Trump campaign credits impeachment for $46m fundraising total
The president’s reelection campaign announced this morning that Trump raised an impressive $46m during the last quarter of 2019, finishing the year with more than $100m in cash on hand.
Trump’s campaign manager credited the president’s impeachment last month with supercharging grassroot donations. “Democrats and the media have been in a sham impeachment frenzy and the president’s campaign only got bigger and stronger with our best fundraising quarter this cycle,” Brad Parscale said in a statement.
Biggest number in Trump fundraising haul is $102.7M💰cash-on-hand.
— Brad Parscale - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@parscale) January 2, 2020
Most ever by a re-election at this point.
Plus, since Trump Victory funds our massive field program thru RNC, the President’s campaign will be flush with cash to execute the game plan & expand the map.#Winning
Democrats have also financially benefitted from impeachment, raking in millions of dollars after House speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the formal launch of the inquiry in late September.
But the president’s massive fundraising operation, in combination with the resources of the Republican National Committee and conservative Pacs, will make him a formidable opponent for the eventual Democratic presidential nominee.
Updated
Hours after Bernie Sanders announced he raised $35 million last quarter, the presidential candidate’s campaign manager said he would not accept big-dollar donations if he won the nomination.
.@ryanobles asks Bernie Sanders campaign manager @fshakir if Sanders would shift to accept all $$, not just grassroots donations, in a general election. "We will not change a damn thing," Shakir says.
— Rebecca Buck (@RebeccaBuck) January 2, 2020
Sanders has touted his grassroots support, noting the average donaton during the last quarter of 2019 was $18.53. His impressive haul marrked the largest single-quarter fundraising total of any Democratic presidential candidate during this cycle.
One of his opponents, Elizabeth Warren, has similarly said she would forgo big-money fundraisers if she won the nomination, but she clarified she would headline open-press events for the Democratic National Committee.
Republican senator Chuck Grassley just sent this snarky tweet about the president, aimed at “whoever keeps watch” on Trump at the White House.
Whoever keeps watch on @realDonaldTrump at WH have the economist there especially Navarro read WSJ oped by Henninger This is what I’ve been preaching to the President for two yrs./President wld benefit fr reading it / IN TURN USA BENEFITS
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) January 2, 2020
The Iowa Republican specifically advised Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, to read a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed from conservative commentator Daniel Henninger.
In the piece, Henninger cites the upheaveals of the “Roaring 20’s” to call for “another wave of creative thought—about politics, culture, education and morality.”
Trump is still at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago and has no events on his public schedule, so the president is spending another day at Trump International Golf Club.
.@realDonaldTrump arrives at his golf club in Florida on the second day of the new year. pic.twitter.com/CdXD6SFWPw
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) January 2, 2020
Trump has repeatedly visited his golf club since arriving in Florida for the holidays, but he lashed out against the media for covering his trip there on New Year’s Eve, hours after pro-Iran protesters stormed the US embassy in Iraq.
The Fake News said I played golf today, and I did NOT! I had meeting in various locations, while closely monitoring the U.S. Embassy situation in Iraq, which I am still doing. The Corrupt Lamestream Media knew this but, not surprisingly, failed to report or correct!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
Andrew Yang, the only non-white candidate to qualify for the last Democratic presidential debate, congratulated Julián Castro on running a “tremendous race” after the former husing secretary dropped out of the primary.
Congrats Julián on having run a tremendous race that elevated the right issues. Too many Americans feel left out and left behind. I know you will continue to fight for them. 🥊🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/PcrNVaEGYK
— Andrew Yang🧢 (@AndrewYang) January 2, 2020
Yang qualified for the December debate on the last day to do so and became the only candidate of color on the Los Angeles stage.
Reacting to the mostly white debate stage, Castro’s team had complained that candidates of color were being stifled in the race and called for “more systematic, wholesale change to the process so that our primaries are a little more reflective of our party and our country’s diversity.”
One of the issues that Julián Castro highlighted in the final months of his campaign was whether the mostly white states of Iowa and New Hampshire should continue to vote first in presidential primaries.
I was asked today in Iowa about the order of our primaries. I appreciate how seriously Iowa & New Hampshire take their role as first-in-the-nation.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) November 11, 2019
But we’ve changed in the 50 years since order was established—and I believe it’s time our primaries reflect our nation’s diversity. pic.twitter.com/mY0EvnhXNr
“I actually believe that we do need to change the order of the states,” Castro said in November. “I don’t believe we’re the same country we were in 1972. That’s when Iowa first held its caucus first, and by the time we have the next presidential election in 2024, it’ll have been more than 50 years since 1972. Our country’s changed a lot in those 50 years.”
Castro applauded the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire for carefully vetting presidential candidates, but he added that the states were “not reflective of the United States as a whole, certainly not reflective of the Democratic Party, and I believe that other states should have their chance.”
Castro’s team has also argued that the early-voting status of Iowa and New Hampshire incentivized the media to focus on white, working-class voters who swung to Trump in 2016, instead of covering the voters of color who make up a key portion of the Democratic base.
Democratic presidential candidates thanked Julián Castro for “proposing bold and progressive plans” and “sticking up for underrepresented communities” after the former housing secretary suspended his White House bid.
Thank you @JulianCastro for being a powerful voice, for proposing bold and progressive plans, and for using your campaign to help people who need it now. You made this race stronger—and you will continue to be a leader in our party and our country for many years to come. pic.twitter.com/SWlsDC9HcS
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 2, 2020
I’m going to miss seeing my friend @JulianCastro on the trail. Thank you, Julián, for bringing your ideas and leadership to this race—your voice and campaign were invaluable in sticking up for underrepresented communities and pushing the field forward. pic.twitter.com/qVaMi9X6gd
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 2, 2020
Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who is often named as a potential running mate for the party’s eventual nominee, said the country owed Castro “a debt of gratitude” for how he helped to shape the race.
America owes @JulianCastro a debt of gratitude for lifting issues that too often remain hidden in the shadows of our discourse. Thank you for running a principled race & for getting in the arena. https://t.co/ywbUDx5n3B
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) January 2, 2020
With Julián Castro’s departure, 14 candidates remain in the Democratic presidential primary, with a month to go until the Iowa caucuses.
Considering the quick turnaround before the January 14 debate and the possibility of a Senate impeachment trial, it seems likely that other candidates will drop out before Iowans start casting their votes.
January is always a brutal month for presidential candidates, but this year is even more so. With very few available polls before the qualifying deadline for the next debate and a looming impeachment trial that will affect all senators running— very little room for error here.
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) January 2, 2020
Julián Castro has now tweeted out the four-minute video announcing his decision to drop out of the Democratic presidential primary, which recaps how the candidate helped to shape the conversation on issues like immigration and criminal justice reform.
It’s with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 2, 2020
I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. I’m going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts—I hope you’ll join me in that fight. pic.twitter.com/jXQLJa3AdC
“I’m so proud of the campaign we’ve run together. We’ve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people, and given a voice to those who are often forgotten,” Castro said in the video.
“But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isn’t our time. ... So today it’s with a heavy heart and with profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president. To all who have been inspired by our campaign, especially our young people, keep reaching for your dreams—and keep fighting for what you believe in. ¡Ganaremos un día!”
There has been speculation for months over whether (or, more likely, when) Julián Castro would drop out of the Democratic presidential primary.
After narrowly meeting a late October goal to raise $800,000, Castro laid off staff in the early voting states of New Hampshire and South Carolina, while offering support to staffers looking for jobs with other campaigns.
The former housing secretary also failed to qualify for the past two debates, which prompted criticism from his team that the qualification requirements had shut out candidates of color.
Julián Castro drops out of Democratic presidential race
Julián Castro, the only Latino candidate in the Democratic presidential primary, is dropping out of the race after failing to qualify for recent debates and struggling to attract donations or supporters.
The New York Times reports:
Throughout his campaign, Mr. Castro, 45, a native of San Antonio who spent five years as its mayor, portrayed himself as an unapologetic liberal who was shaped by his humble beginnings and had been overlooked by the press. Though he created some memorable moments as he championed progressive policy and challenged his rivals on the campaign trail, Mr. Castro was unable to break into the upper tier of a crowded primary field. His exit is the latest departure of a candidate of color from a field that began as the most racially diverse ever in a Democratic primary.
‘I’ve determined that it simply isn’t our time,’ Mr. Castro said in a nearly four-minute video message released by his campaign, which included a montage from his year on the trail, including visits to the border and a homeless encampment in Oakland. ‘Today it’s with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president.’
Iowa congresswoman Abby Finkenauer endorses Biden
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, a freshman House Democrat who represents an Iowa district that swung from supporting Barack Obama in 2012 to backing Donald Trump in 2016, has announced she is endorsing Joe Biden’s presidential bid.
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer endorses @JoeBiden in the Iowa Caucus, one of the last big Iowa names to endorse. Finkenauer’s #IA01 is a very blue-collar district that Biden’s message speaks to. Finkenauer was a part of his 2008 caucus campaign while a student pic.twitter.com/t4Fd7geWuC
— Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) January 2, 2020
“We need a President who reflects those same values and will make America’s working families their top priority. Joe Biden’s character, record, and commitment to rebuilding the backbone of the country — the middle class — is what Iowa and this country needs,” Finkenauer said in an email released by Biden’s campaign.
The Biden team’s email describes Finkenauer as “one of the most coveted endorsements in Iowa and nationally.” The 31-year-old lawmaker was one of the first two congresswomen elected in Iowa, which hosts the first caucuses in the Democratic primary race, and her 2018 victory was heralded as “the most authentic roadmap for Democratic success in the heartland.”
Finkenauer is engaged to Elizabeth Warren’s Iowa political director, Daniel Wasta, but the congresswoman has previously made clear that connection would not weigh on her eventual endorsement.
Sanders raises record $34.5m in fourth quarter
Good morning, live blog readers!
It is looking like a very happy new year for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The Vermont senator’s campaign announced this morning that he raised $34.5m in the last quarter of 2019, the largest single-quarter haul in the Democratic primary race to date.
Sanders’ campaign said it received more than 1.8m donations, with contributions averaging $18.53. Since launching his campaign, Sanders has received more than 5 million individual donations.
“Bernie Sanders is closing the year with the most donations of any candidate in history at this point in a presidential campaign,” Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir said. “You build a grassroots movement to beat Donald Trump and create a political revolution one $18 donation at a time, and that’s exactly why Bernie is going to win.”
Sanders’ fundraising total far outpaces those of his opponents who have already announced their fourth-quarter numbers. Pete Buttigieg said yesterday that he raised a respectable $24.5m, and Andrew Yang announced this morning that he hit $16.5m.
Elizabeth Warren has not yet announced her fourth-quarter results, but the Massachusetts senator warned her supporters last week that she had only raised $17m so far. The figure marked a signficicant drop from previous quarters and sparked concerns of dimming enthusiasm among her supporters.
But even Sanders’ impressive haul is eclipsed by the fundraising machine powering Trump’s reelection bid. The president’s campaign announced today that it raised $46m last quarter, demonstrating the financial hurdles the eventual Democratic nominee will face.
Here’s what else the blog is keeping its eye on:
- Trump is still at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, and has no events on his public schedule.
- Both chambers of Congress remain out of session.
- Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Joe Biden and Tom Steyer are campaigning in Iowa today, with one month to go until the caucuses.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
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