Today's politics recap
- Joe Biden made a trip to New York to discuss his administration’s efforts to reduce violent crime and gun violence. “The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said during a meeting at NYPD headquarters. “It’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors.” Ahead of Biden’s trip, the White House also outlined its plan to crack down on interstate gun-trafficking, which has led to the presence of more firearms in Northeast cities like New York.
- Some progressive activists have expressed fear that the White House’s efforts to reduce crime could encourage unjust policing tactics. “What we need from the President is a comprehensive plan to end gun violence and one that doesn’t rely on introducing even more violence by adding to bloated police departments,” said Alexis Confer, executive director of the gun control group March For Our Lives.
- US officials claim they have evidence of a Russian plan to make a “very graphic” fake video of a Ukrainian attack as a pretext for an invasion. “We don’t know definitively that this is the route they are going to take, but we know that this is an option under consideration,” the deputy national security adviser, Jonathan Finer, told MSNBC. The Pentagon’s spokesperson said the plan is believed to have the backing of the Kremlin.
- The US military carried out a special forces raid last night that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. In a speech this morning, Biden said that Qurayshi detonated a bomb, killing himself and several family members, to avoid being captured by US troops. “Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you,” Biden said.
– Joan E Greve
A number of California politicians are facing scrutiny after posing for photos – sans-mask – with LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Johnson posed with California governor Gavin Newsom, LA mayor Eric Garcetti and San Francisco mayor London Breed at the NFC championship game over the weekend.
Hanging out at SoFi Stadium today! pic.twitter.com/XfotiRLGz9
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 31, 2022
Public health rules require attendees of large-scale events to wear masks as California grapples with the Omicron variant-fueled surge in Covid-19 infections. Even as the number of new infections in the state taper down, public health experts recommend wearing face masks in indoor and crowded settings to slow the spread of the virus.
The SoFi Stadium, where the game took place this weekend, also requires attendees to keep their masks on unless they are eating or drinking.
Garcetti, who has been nominated to serve as the US ambassador to India, defended himself - asserting at a news conference: “When people ask for a photograph, I hold my breath.”
“There is a zero percent chance of infection from that,” he said.
Newsom meanwhile, said he had his mask on him - just off frame, and not on his face. “You’ll see in the photo that I did take ... in my left hand’s the mask,” he said at a news conference. “The rest of the time I wore it, as we all should.”
Updated
Two judges on the reality show The Masked Singer walked off after the contestant singing and dancing beneath a disguise was revealed to be Rudy Giuliani.
Last week, during a taping of the first episode of the seventh season, judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke walked off the stage when the former New York City mayor and former attorney to Donald Trump removed his elaborate headpiece and costume, for which the show is known, to reveal himself.
Fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained on stage. According to Deadline, which first reported the incident, they “bantered with Giuliani … for pressing what is widely derided as a baseless claim” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.
Jeong and Thicke eventually returned.
In 2020, Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and another controversial political figure, made a similar reveal on the show. Palin said she appeared as a “walking middle finger to the haters out there in the world where I could do whatever I wanted to do”, prompting shock and criticism of the show.
In 2019, Trump’s controversial former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, appeared on Dancing with the Stars. Tom Bergeron, the show’s host, responded to the ensuing criticism by saying the competition aimed to offer “joyful respite from our exhausting political climate” free from “party affiliations”.
A California county is on track to be run by a militia-aligned group, reports the Guardian’s Dani Anguiano:
A retired police chief and self-described Reagan Republican with decades of public service, Leonard Moty checked all the boxes to represent his community in one of California’s most conservative counties.
But on Tuesday, voters ousted Moty, handing control of the Shasta county board of supervisors to a group aligned with local militia members. The election followed nearly two years of threats and increasing hostility toward the longtime supervisor and his moderate colleagues in response to pandemic health restrictions.
While it’s not yet clear who will replace Moty, the two candidates in the lead attended a celebration on Tuesday with members of an area militia group, the Sacramento Bee reported.
The recall is a win for the ultra-conservative movement in Shasta county, which has fought against moderate Republican officials and sought to gain a foothold in local government in this rural part of northern California.
It also highlights a phenomenon that extends far beyond the region, as experts warn the pandemic and eroding trust in US institutions has fueled extremism in local politics and hostility against officials that could reshape governments from school boards to county supervisors to Congress.
“I think it’s going to be a change in our politics. I think we’re going to shift more to the alt-right side of things,” Moty said on Wednesday. “I really thought my community would step up to the plate and they didn’t and that’s very discouraging.”
Located more than two hours from California’s more densely populated state capital, Sacramento, Shasta county has long been a conservative bastion and home to a thriving State of Jefferson movement, which advocates for secession from California and the formation of a new state. But it was also the sort of place where people could work through their differences to achieve common goals, said Moty, who had served as a supervisor since 2009.
After the pandemic took hold in 2020 and the governor instituted lockdown measures, however, many residents were outraged by the restrictions and what they viewed as the failure of county officials to stand up to the state government. Shasta county was among the least restrictive in California, Moty said, but residents unhappy about state rules and mask requirements began showing up in meetings in large numbers.
Read more:
Biden spoke with the family of New York police officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera ahead of his visit to the city, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, “to express his heartfelt condolences for their loss”.
The officers were killed last month after they were fired upon while responding to a 911. officer shot and killed the suspect. Another officer shot and killed the suspect.
Here’s more on the president’s visit:
Today so far
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:
- Joe Biden made a trip to New York to discuss his administration’s efforts to reduce violent crime and gun violence. “The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said during a meeting at NYPD headquarters. “It’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors.” Ahead of Biden’s trip, the White House also outlined its plan to crack down on interstate gun-trafficking, which has led to the presence of more firearms in Northeast cities like New York.
- Some progressive activists have expressed fear that the White House’s efforts to reduce crime could encourage unjust policing tactics. “What we need from the President is a comprehensive plan to end gun violence and one that doesn’t rely on introducing even more violence by adding to bloated police departments,” said Alexis Confer, executive director of the gun control group March For Our Lives.
- US officials claim they have evidence of a Russian plan to make a “very graphic” fake video of a Ukrainian attack as a pretext for an invasion. “We don’t know definitively that this is the route they are going to take, but we know that this is an option under consideration,” the deputy national security adviser, Jonathan Finer, told MSNBC. The Pentagon’s spokesperson said the plan is believed to have the backing of the Kremlin.
- The US military carried out a special forces raid last night that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. In a speech this morning, Biden said that Qurayshi detonated a bomb, killing himself and several family members, to avoid being captured by US troops. “Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you,” Biden said.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, became similarly defensive earlier today when a reporter pressed for more details about the deaths of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and his family members.
Joe Biden said that Qurayshi detonated a bomb to avoid capture by the US troops who carried out a special forces raid last night, and the explosion killed the Islamic State leader and several of his family members.
NPR reporter Ayesha Rascoe asked Psaki whether the White House would present evidence to substantiate Biden’s claims that a suicide bomb killed Qurayshi and his family.
“Obviously, these events just happened overnight. And so, I’m going to let the Department of Defense do a final assessment, which I’m certain they will provide additional detail on once it’s finalized,” Psaki said.
Rascoe continued to press the issue, telling Psaki, “The US has not always been straightforward about what happens with civilians. And, I mean, that is a fact.”
The US military initially described a Kabul drone attack carried out last year as a “righteous strike,” but Pentagon leaders were later forced to admit that the attack had actually killed 10 civilians and no Islamic State combatants.
“The president made clear from the beginning, at every point in this process, that doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties was his priority and his preference,” Psaki said.
“Given these events just happened less than 24 hours ago, we’re going to give [the Pentagon] time to make a final assessment. And they’ll provide every detail they can.”
The State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, clashed with a reporter at his press briefing after the journalist demanded evidence to substantiate US claims of Russia’s plans to stage an attack to justify an invasion of Ukraine.
“You’ve made an allegation that they might do that. Have they actually done it?” AP reporter Matt Lee asked Price.
“What we know, Matt, is what I just said, that they have engaged in this activity,” Price said. “We told you a few weeks ago that we have information indicating Russia also has already pre-positioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine. So that, Matt, to your question is an action that Russia has already taken.”
Reporter: “It’s an action that you say they have taken, but you have shown no evidence to confirm that. [...] This is like - crisis actors? Really? This is like Alex Jones territory you’re getting into now.”
— The Hill (@thehill) February 3, 2022
Must-watch exchange between @APDiploWriter Matt Lee and @StateDeptSpox. pic.twitter.com/RPIPb2zwf5
Lee pointed out that the administration has not presented evidence to support the allegation of a planned false-flag operation either, and he pressed for concrete proof of Russia’s schemes in Ukraine.
Specifically on the allegation of a planned fake video to justify an invasion, Lee said, “This is like - crisis actors? Really? This is like Alex Jones territory you’re getting into now.”
Pointing to his decades of experience covering US foreign policy, Lee noted that the Pentagon has previously made wrong assertions about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the potential of Kabul falling to the Taliban.
Price became defensive, telling Lee, “If you doubt the credibility of the US government, of the British government, of other governments and want to, you know, find solace in information that the Russians are putting out, that is for you to do.”
Russia plans ‘very graphic’ fake video as pretext for Ukraine invasion, US claims
The Guardian’s Julian Borger and Shaun Walker report:
US officials claim they have evidence of a Russian plan to make a “very graphic” fake video of a Ukrainian attack as a pretext for an invasion.
The alleged plot would involve using corpses, footage of blown-up buildings, fake Ukrainian military hardware, Turkish-made drones and actors playing the part of Russian-speaking mourners.
“We don’t know definitively that this is the route they are going to take, but we know that this is an option under consideration,” the deputy national security adviser, Jonathan Finer, told MSNBC, adding that the video “would involve actors playing mourners for people who are killed in an event that they would have created themselves”.
Finer added: “That would involve the deployment of corpses to represent bodies purportedly killed, of people purportedly killed in an incident like this.”
The Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, said the video would have purported to show a Ukrainian attack on Russian territory or Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine and would be “very graphic”. He added that the US believed that the plan had the backing of the Kremlin.
“Our experience is that very little of this nature is not approved at the highest levels of the Russian government,” Kirby said.
Trump Israel ambassador spills beans on embarrassing meeting
Meeting then-Israeli president Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem in May 2017, Donald Trump stunned advisers by criticising the then-prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for being unwilling to seek peace while Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, was “desperate” for a deal.
The comment “knocked everyone off their chairs”, David Friedman, Trump’s ambassador to Israel, writes in a new book.
“Although the meeting was private and off the record, we all envisioned a headline tomorrow that Trump had praised Abbas and criticised Netanyahu – the worst possible dynamic for the president’s popularity or for the prospects of the peace process.
“Fortunately, and incredibly, the event wasn’t leaked.”
Friedman now describes the incident, and how he says he changed Trump’s mind, in Sledgehammer: How Breaking with the Past Brought Peace to the Middle East, a memoir which will be published next week by Broadside Books, a conservative imprint of HarperCollins. The Guardian obtained a copy.
Friedman’s description of Trump’s private meeting with Rivlin – and behaviour Friedman says would have been embarrassing had it been leaked – could prove embarrassing itself.
Trump has been repeatedly burned by books on his time in power, even those written by loyalists like Friedman.
In December, the Guardian was first to report that Mark Meadows, Trump’s last chief of staff, described how the president tested positive for Covid-19 before his first debate with Joe Biden – and how the result was covered up.
Full story:
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a member of the House Democratic leadership team, described gun violence as a “national challenge” that has uniquely impacted New York.
There are currently more than 300 million guns circulating in the US, and Jeffries said some of those firearms are “weapons of war” that serve no purpose other than harming people.
“They’re not used to hunt deer. They’re used to hunt human beings. That’s not acceptable,” Jeffries said during the president’s meeting at NYPD headquarters. “Many of those guns too easily fall into the hands of violent individuals.”
The congressman called for “an all hands on deck approach” to limit the flow of guns into New York and reduce the number of shootings across the city.
“You can knock us down but never knock us out, and together we will get this done,” Jeffries said.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was also present for Joe Biden’s event at NYPD headquarters, and she emphasized the need to crack down on gun-trafficking.
Gillibrad noted there are currently no federal laws making it illegal to cross state lines with a vehicle full of weapons, which can then be sold to anyone with no oversight.
“We have to change that. It’s really pretty simple. We have to keep these illegal guns off of our streets, out of the hands of those who could not buy them legally,” Gillibrand said.
“We have to work hand in glove across federal, state and local government lines. We have to pass the common sense gun reforms that the president talked about.”
Gillibrand has worked for years to pass a bill that would establish gun-trafficking as a federal crime and make it easier to hold those involved in gun-trafficking accountable.
“We cannot have more stories of four-year-olds dying on park benches in Brooklyn,” Gillibrand said. “We cannot have more stories of moms and their movement, speaking out [and] begging leaders to do what’s right. We can do this, and we will.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was committed to stopping the flow of illegal firearms into the state from other regions with looser gun laws.
The Democratic governor noted that 80% of guns in New York are coming from other states illegally, and she pledged that her team would crack down on that pipeline.
“That is the message,” Hochul said at the community meeting with Joe Biden at NYPD headquarters.
“We have the resources. We have the will. We have the desire to get this done because our citizens are calling on us to protect them, so they can feel safe once again in this great city and this incredible state.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams said he and Joe Biden see eye to eye when it comes to ensuring public safety and justice in US cities, noting that he has been called “the Biden of Brooklyn”.
Adams, a Democrat, demanded a robust response to gun violence that would be similar to how the nation responded to terrorism after the September 11 attacks.
“The president is here because he knows what the American people want: justice, safety and prosperity. And they deserve every bit of it,” Adams said.
“Our most important mission is protecting the people of this city and this country, making sure they have what they need to live their lives.”
'The answer is not to defund the police' – Biden
Joe Biden is speaking in New York City now about gun violence and has already walked into the heart of a controversial topic by saying that when trying to reduce crime and make cities safer: “The answer is not to defund the police.”
The US president said that $350m of additional funding will be put into cutting crime, but he is not calling for police departments to be shrunk or closed down and the funds diverted into social services, which will further frustrate progressives.
Biden has been accompanied to New York by US attorney general Merrick Garland and is meeting the Big Apple’s new Democratic mayor, former police officer Eric Adams, and the relatively new state governor, Democrat Kathy Hochul, who succeeded Andrew Cuomo when he resigned last summer.
They are at New York Police Department headquarters in lower Manhattan - a strong message to send from the get-go.
Biden said: “Mayor Adams, you and I agree, the answer [to crime] is not to abandon our streets. That’s not the answer, the answer is to come together..police and communities building trust and making us all safer. The answer is not to defund the police it’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding, to be partners, to be protectors and...to know the community.”
President Biden on #GunViolence: "The answer is not to defund the police." pic.twitter.com/3OgttOZyFp
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 3, 2022
Updated
Joe Biden considering executive order to implement police reform - White House
Joe Biden is considering implementing police reform in the US by executive order, the White House said, as the US president arrived in New York to meet the new mayor, Eric Adams, to discuss gun violence.
In the wake of failure by Congress to pass police reform legislation introduced after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man crushed to death by a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, the US president is exploring other avenues to reform, White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Biden is talking now at New York Police Department headquarters in the Big Apple.
Eric Adams took office on January 1 and is a former police officer. Biden said the answer to policing is not to remove funding from law enforcement. He said streets need more cops and more public safety and the administration intends to put more funds into both.
This will outrage those progressives who want to defund police departments and switch funding to better social services such as educational and mental health services.
Updated
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said moments ago that the tense stand-off situation between Russia and Ukraine is ‘deadly serious’.
The California Democrat is giving a briefing and added that it is important that the US impose sanctions on Russia if president Vladimir Putin’s forces strike neighbor Ukraine and that she wanted the US Congress to “move quickly” on legislation introducing such sanctions.
Last month Senate Democrats on unveiled a bill to impose sweeping sanctions on top Russian government and military officials, including Putin, and key banking institutions if Moscow engages in hostilities against Ukraine, Reuters reported at the time.
The proposed legislation, backed by the White House, includes provisions to help bolster Ukraine’s security and encourages the United States to “consider all available and appropriate measures” to ensure the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline - a “tool of malign influence of the Russian Federation” - does not become operational.
“This legislation makes it absolutely clear that the U.S. Senate will not stand idly by as the Kremlin threatens a re-invasion of Ukraine,” Senator Robert Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who unveiled the bill, said in a statement.
Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border and Washington is trying to dissuade Moscow from re-invading the country.
The bill, first reported by the Washington Post, would also target companies in Russia that offer secure messaging systems, such as SWIFT, which banks use to exchange key information with other financial institutions.
More than two dozen Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have endorsed the bill, a Menendez spokesperson said.
The bill would “trigger severe costs to Russia’s economy” if Russia goes ahead with an invasion, a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council said.
Updated
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Joe Biden is traveling to New York for meetings on reducing violent crime and gun violence. Biden is traveling with Attorney General Merrick Garland, and the president will be joined by New York Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul as they meet with community leaders to discuss strategies to combat gun violence.
-
A US military operation in northern Syria resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. In a speech this morning, Biden confirmed that a special forces raid targeting Qurayshi was carried out last night. The US president said that Qurayshi detonated a bomb, killing himself and several family members, to avoid being captured.
- US officials have uncovered the Kremlin’s plans to stage an attack and use it as justification to invade Ukraine, according to multiple reports. The news comes one day after the White House announced that more than 3,000 US military personnel would be deployed to Germany, Poland and Romania in response to Russia’s troop buildup along Ukraine’s borders.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Russia plans staged attack to justify invasion of Ukraine – reports
US officials have uncovered the Kremlin’s plans to stage an attack, blame it on Ukrainian forces and use the violence as justification for an invasion, according to multiple reports.
The Washington Post reports:
The details of the plan have been declassified by U.S. intelligence and are expected to be revealed Thursday by the Biden administration, said four people familiar with the matter. The administration last month warned that the Russian government had sent operatives into eastern Ukraine, possibly in preparation for sabotage operations.
The alleged operation the United States plans to expose would involve broadcasting images of civilian casualties in eastern Ukraine — and potentially over the border in Russia — to a wide audience to drum up outrage against the Ukrainian government and create a pretext for invasion, two of the people said. It was unclear if the casualties would be real or faked, one U.S. official said.
The people familiar with the plan said it was formulated by Russian security services and is in the advanced stages of preparation.
The news comes one day after the White House announced that more than 3,000 US military personnel would be deployed to Germany, Poland and Romania in response to Russia’s troop buildup along Ukraine’s borders.
Updated
House speaker Nancy Pelosi applauded Joe Biden for overseeing the US military operation that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
“Last night, America delivered justice to the leader of ISIS and struck a serious blow to this terrorist group,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“Our entire nation is grateful for the patriotism and dedication of our military personnel and intelligence community. On behalf of the Congress, I salute President Biden’s strong leadership to keep our nation safe and secure.”
Last night, America delivered justice to the leader of ISIS and struck a serious blow to this terrorist group. Our entire nation is grateful for the patriotism and dedication of our military personnel and intelligence community.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 3, 2022
In his remarks this morning, Biden confirmed that Qurayshi detonated a bomb, killing himself and several family members, to avoid being captured by US troops.
Pelosi said that Qurayshi’s death represented “a strong step forward in the fight against ISIS,” but she emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant to combat terrorism.
“Congress remains ironclad in our commitment to our national security, and we will continue to work closely with the Administration to protect the American people,” Pelosi said.
However, Joe Biden’s plans to crack down on violent crime are attracting some criticism from progressive groups who argue his policies could encourage unjust policing tactics.
The gun control group March for Our Lives has released a statement criticizing Biden’s latest proposal as an insufficient, piecemeal approach to curbing gun violence that could contribute to mass incarceration.
“What we need from the President is a comprehensive plan to end gun violence and one that doesn’t rely on introducing even more violence by adding to bloated police departments,” said Alexis Confer, executive director of March For Our Lives.
“We’ve been asking for a year now: What is your plan? How will the agencies work together? What are your benchmarks? Once again the President has outlined steps, but not a plan, and we need him to finally commit to formulating a plan and appointing a cabinet-level director to be laser-focused on carrying it out and ending gun violence.”
In New York, Joe Biden and the attorney general, Merrick Garland, will join Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul for a Gun Violence Strategies Partnership meeting at NYPD Headquarters.
The president will then visit a public school in Queens to “discuss community violence intervention programs with local leaders,” according to his official schedule.
Biden and Garland are expected to tout the administration’s renewed efforts to combat gun violence, including adding more personnel to help curb the flow of illegal guns from the South to Northeast cities like New York.
@POTUS will be joining a meeting of New York City’s Gun Violence Strategic Partnership – a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials who work together to take repeat gun violence offenders and weapons off our streets.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 3, 2022
Joe Biden’s departure to New York has been delayed because of his speech on the US military’s raid targeting Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
The president has left the White House for Joint Base Andrews, and he is now expected to arrive at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport in about an hour.
Once he arrives, he will meet with New York Mayor Eric Adams and the state’s governor, Kathy Hochul, to discuss ways to reduce violent crime and gun violence in cities. Stay tuned.
Isis leader detonated bomb to avoid US capture, Biden says
Joe Biden commended the US military for carrying out its mission in northern Syria last night to eliminate Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
“Last night, operating on my orders, United States military forces successfully removed a major terrorist threat to the world: the global leader of Isis,” Biden said.
“Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you.”
According to the US president, the Pentagon chose to carry out a special forces raid to minimize civilian casualties, but the Islamic State leader then chose to detonate a bomb to avoid being apprehended.
“As our troops approached to capture the terrorist, in a final act of desperate cowardice, with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself up -- not just with a vest but to blow up that third floor -- rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed, taking several members of his family with him,” Biden said.
The Guardian’s Oliver Holmes has more updates and analysis on our other live blog:
Updated
Joe Biden will soon deliver remarks on a US counter-terrorism mission in northern Syria, which resulted in the death of a top Islamic State leader.
“Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces in northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place,” Biden said in a statement released this morning.
“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi—the leader of ISIS.”
For more details on the mission and Biden’s remarks, follow the Guardian’s other live blog:
Updated
Joe Biden delivered remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast this morning, and he urged the lawmakers present to embrace unity, even as Washington remains bitterly divided over politics.
“Unity is elusive, but it’s really actually necessary,” Biden said on Capitol Hill. “Unity doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything, but unity is where enough of us believe in a core of basic things -- the common good, the general welfare, a faith in the United States of America.”
President Biden on @LeaderMcConnell: "Mitch, I don't want to hurt your reputation, but we really are friends...You’ve always done exactly what you’ve said. You’re a man of your word. And you’re a man of honor. Thank you for being my friend." pic.twitter.com/UTxt72sh83
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 3, 2022
The president also acknowledged Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, describing him as a “man of honor” despite their many disagreements on policy proposals.
“Mitch, I don’t want to hurt your reputation, but we really are friends,” Biden said. “You’ve always done exactly what you’ve said. You’re a man of your word. And you’re a man of honor. Thank you for being my friend.”
Joe Biden has repeatedly urged local governments to use their Covid-19 relief money to hire more police officers and invest in crime reduction strategies such as violence interrupters and summer camps.
Hosting Biden and Merrick Garland in New York is the city’s newly-elected mayor, Eric Adams, a former police captain.
Together, Biden, Garland and Adams will meet with law enforcement officials at the NYPD headquarters in Manhattan, before heading to Queens, where they will meet with violence interrupters.
The stops will highlight their “comprehensive approach to gun violence,” a plan that includes “smart policing community policing strategies and community violence interventions,” according to a senior administration official.
Asked during the Wednesday briefing why Biden was visiting New York, a White House official said: “The president is going to New York City because it is a community where they continue, like many other cities across the country, to experience a spike in gun violence as a result of the pandemic.”
White House outlines plans to crack down on illegal guns and violent crime
The Biden administration on Thursday announced it was redoubling its efforts to combat a scourge of violent crime ahead of the president’s visit to New York, where gun violence is spiking anew.
The Department of Justice is planning to announce new efforts to crack down on illegal guns and violent crime – measures that expand on a plan the administration already unveiled last summer.
According to White House officials, the department will launch a national “ghost gun” enforcement initiative that aims to better train prosecutors to investigate crimes involving unserialized firearms.
“As part of this new initiative, the department will train a national cadre of prosecutors on enforcement issues that are specific to the use of ghost guns and crimes,” one senior administration official told reporters, previewing the announcement on Wednesday. “These specialists will serve as a resource in every district across the country.”
As part of the new push, Attorney General Merrick Garland planned to direct US attorneys to prioritize prosecutions of people who illegally sold guns used in violent crimes.
The department will also expand its efforts to stem the flow of illegal guns along the so-called “Iron Pipeline,” a route along which firearms are trafficked into north-eastern cities, often from southern states with more lax gun laws.
Biden to travel to New York to discuss gun violence and violent crime
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Joe Biden will travel to New York today to meet with the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, and discuss his administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence and violent crime.
The president’s trip comes two weeks after a fatal shooting in Harlem, which resulted in the deaths of two New York police officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora.
In New York, Biden will be joined by the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, and the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, will also participate in the president’s meetings with community violence intervention leaders.
The trip appears to be part of the White House’s broader efforts to push back against Republicans’ claims that Biden is “soft on crime,” as many US cities combat an alarming rise in homicides.
Asked about Biden’s position on the rise in violent crime, White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that last year’s coronavirus relief package included more funding for Community Oriented Policing Services programs.
“So if those facts are uncomfortable, I’m sorry for people who feel they need to be critical, but the President has been a longtime advocate of addressing crime,” Psaki said Monday. “He’s never been for defunding the police.”
Biden will soon depart for New York, so stay tuned.
