Evening Summary
Kari Paul here, logging off for the weekend! Here is a summary of the key events of the last few hours:
- In a court filing on Friday, the Trump administration said it does not want the Supreme Court to hear its appeal of the Affordable Care Act any time soon, to give lower courts time to make rulings on it.
- Bernie Sanders is leading the latest polls in Iowa, with 20% of the vote. Warren follows close behind at 17%.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her decision on Friday not to pay dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
- Two parents who were separated from their children as a result of zero-tolerance immigration policies have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration alleging child abuse over family separations.
Lawsuit against Trump administration alleges child abuse over family separations
Two parents whose children were separated from them as a result of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” border policies are suing the federal government for $12m, claiming the children were subject to abuse and neglect while in federal custody.
“The United States government tore these families apart pursuant to a cruel and unconstitutional policy: The government intended to inflict terror and harm on these small children and their fathers, as a means of deterring others from seeking to enter the United States”, said the lawsuit, which was filed Friday in U.S. District Court of Arizona.
The families bringing the lawsuit said they were fleeing violence in Guatemala when they were detained in 2018 after crossing into the US border from Mexico. From the Hill:
According to the lawsuit, the fathers were separated from their children for more than two months, and the federal government gave little, if any, information regarding the location and safety of the children.
The families “suffered, and continue to suffer, physical, mental, and emotional harm,” the lawsuit states. More than a year after they were reunited, the lawsuit says the children exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
One of the plaintiffs, who is referred to in the lawsuit by the pseudonym Abel, described his ordeal in a statement released by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“We came looking for safety, and instead, we were caged like animals. [My son] was taken from me and I had no idea what was happening to him. When I learned that he was abused by other boys, I was sick with grief. No one deserves this cruelty,” Abel said.
Hollywood stars including activist and actor Jane Fonda and Joaquin Phoenix gathered at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Friday to demand action on climate change alongside other protesters.
“The climate crisis makes our nation and all nations less secure,” said Fonda.
She referenced fires in Australia, which have ravaged tens of thousands of square miles of bushland and caused at least 27 deaths.
The action Friday is part of Fonda’s ongoing climate crisis protest series in DC, which is in its 14th week and have been attended by everyone from Ted Danson to Iain Armitage.
Updated
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her decision on Friday not to pay dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), saying she donates “quite a bit” to fellow democrats in other ways.
“DCCC made clear that they will blacklist any org that helps progressive candidates like me”, the New York representative wrote on Twitter. “I can choose not to fund that kind of exclusion”.
Fox News reported Ocasio-Cortez was withholding $250,000 in dues from the DCCC. The group reported it raised $14.4m in Decemberto elect Democratic candidates.
Updated
The number of Canadian passengers killed in the Ukrainian Airlines crash in Iran has been revised from 63 to 57, the Canada foreign minister announced on Friday.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday, killing 176 people total. Security officials believe it was shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile on accident.
Bernie Sanders leads in Iowa, according to new polls
Bernie Sanders is now in the lead candidate in Iowa as the Feb. 3 caucus vote there quickly approaches.
New numbers out on Friday from Selzer & Co. showed the Vermont senator in the lead for the first time in the state, surging up five points to 20%.
Meanwhile, 17% of likely Democratic caucus voters cited Senator Elizabeth Warren as their first choice, 16% cited Pete Buttigieg, and 15% chose Joe Biden.
“There’s no denying that this is a good poll for Bernie Sanders”, pollster J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll said according to the Des Moines Register. “He leads, but it’s not an uncontested lead. He’s got a firmer grip on his supporters than the rest of his compatriots.”
In a court filing on Friday, the Trump administration said it does not want the Supreme Court to hear its appeal of the Affordable Care Act any time soon.
That’s because the key issue at the heart of the case - how much of the law should remain in effect - is still being litigated, CNN reports.
“As the case comes to this Court, no lower-court ruling exists on severability or the appropriate remedy. Far from being urgently needed, this Court’s review thus would be premature,” the filing stated.
The Supreme Court generally does not hear cases unless they have made their way through lower courts first, but if a majority votes it can be expedited.
Singer Mandy Moore will join Pete Buttigieg at an Ames, Iowa town hall event on January 13, the campaign announced on Friday.
Moore is perhaps best known for her 1999 hit Candy and is reigniting her career in recent months after coming forward with sexual harassment allegations against her ex husband Ryan Adams, whom she said prevented her from recording music.
The pop star said in November she backs Buttigieg, saying “he is overwhelmingly qualified” and “brilliant”.
“He’s my boy”, she said of the former South Bend mayor.
Buttigieg is making a number of appearances in the state ahead of the caucuses there on Feb. 3.
Updated
Hello, Kari Paul on the West Coast here, taking over the blog for the next few hours. Stay tuned for updates.
Afternoon in Washington
It’s been a steady news day in Washington dominated by the “two Is” – impeachment and Iran. But there was plenty else to follow, even some Megxit news.
- Pelosi announced she would hold a vote to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week after nearly a month-long standoff between the chambers over next steps.
- The White House announced a fresh wave of sanctions against Iran, targeting key sectors – construction, manufacturing, textiles and mining – and eight top officials. The administration says the sanctions will “cut off billions of support to the Iranian regime.”
- Author and spiritual guru Marianne Williamson ended her campaign for president, conceding that she did not have enough support to win the Democratic nomination.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed Trump’s assertion that the US was justified in killing Suleimani because of an “imminent threat” to American embassies and interests.
- Republican senator Susan Collins says she is quietly working with colleagues to pave the way for witnesses in the chamber’s impeachment trial, which could begin as early as next week.
- Trump is reportedly considering expanding his controversial travel ban to include additional countries, the Associated Press reports.
Happy Friday.
Steve King is on the floor of the House talking about how white nationalism isn’t real and the Democrats are funded by George Soros pic.twitter.com/b7P3zGCHUD
— Alex Thomas (@AlexThomasDC) January 10, 2020
Texas to stop accepting new refugees in 2020
Texas governor Greg Abbott, a staunch ally of the president, said the state will no participate in the federal refugee resettlement program citing security concerns.
Texas is the first state to reject refugees under the president’s new executive order requiring written consent before refugees are resettled in the state.
In a letter to Pompeo released on Friday, Abbott wrote that Texas “has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system.”
The state has long led the nation in refugee resettlement, a fact Abbott cites in the letter.
Texas, he wrote, has done “more than its share.”
Texas congressman Joaquin Castro, a Democrat, called the move “disgraceful” and accused Abbot of “bigotry and xenophobia”.
This is a disgraceful move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. He has completely submitted to bigotry and xenophobia. https://t.co/gbmtHWksId
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 10, 2020
Updated
Trump on #Megxit: 'I just have such respect for the Queen'
Trump apparently covered a prolific number of topics in his sit down interview with Ingraham, which is due to air tonight. Among them, he was asked to weigh in on the “rouge royals” – namely, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – whose decision to step away from House Windsor stunned Buckingham Palace and divided the country, nay, the world.
In the interview, Trump appears torn. But his thoughts are with the Queen.
“I think it’s sad. I do. She’s a great woman. She’s never made a mistake, if you look. She’s had, like, a flawless time,” he said. “I just have such respect for the Queen. I don’t think this should be happening to her.”
Report: US unsuccessfully targeted second Iranian military official
The New York Times is reporting that the US failed an attempt to strike a top Iranian military official on the same day it killed Suleimani.
Citing American officials, the Times writes:
The unsuccessful airstrike in Yemen was aimed at Abdul Reza Shahlai, an official with Iran’s Quds Force, a potent paramilitary organization. He was known as a key financier for Iran’s proxy wars.
President Trump approved the strike against Mr. Shahlai at the same time as he authorized the strike against General Suleimani, although it is unclear if the American attack in Yemen occurred at precisely the same time.
The report is yet another indication that the public’s understanding of a military strike that brought the US to the edge of war with Iran is far from complete. The administration is facing mounting questions about its justification for carrying out the drone strike, which triggered a retaliatory attack from Iran earlier this week.
Read the whole story here.
Report: White House considers expanding travel ban
The White House is considering expanding the travel ban to additional countries, according to new reporting by the Associated Press.
It is unclear which countries the White House is considering because the names are blacked out in a document outlining the proposal, the AP reports, citing four adminstration officials involved in the deliberations.
The ban, which restricts travel from five majority-Muslim nations, is one of Trump’s most controversial immigration policies. Its introduction caused chaos at US airports and sparked nationwide protests during his first days as president. The suggested changes are not finalized.
The ban has gone through various iterations amid rounds of contentious legal battles. In June 2018, the Supreme Court upheld a pared-down version of the ban by a 5-4 vote that ruled the proclamation was “squarely within the scope of Presidential authority.”
Read the full story here.
It’s become something of a tradition for Democrats to shower their formal rivals with well wishes and compliments as they exit the race.
But for all the love Williamson shared during her campaign, almost none of the presidential candidates have marked her departure.
Except for congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a veteran running for the White House on an antiwar platform. She thanked Williamson for her friendship and wished her “aloha”.
.@marwilliamson Marianne Williamson, my deepest respect and aloha to you and all who have been supporting you. I'll always treasure our friendship. May God's love and blessings always be upon you. Mahalo! Aloha.
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) January 10, 2020
Updated
The Trump administration is known for many things. Accuracy is not one of them.
In the latest example of a White House official bending history to defend the president’s actions, spokesman Hogan Gidley accused the Obama administration of killing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. In fact, he was killed by Libyan rebels in 2011.
last week the Vice President said there were 12 hijackers on 9/11. In fact, there were 19. This week, White House spokesman says the US killed Gaddafi, whose capture and grim end at the hands of an angry Libyan mob is on very available video. https://t.co/J1mhUfmjUy
— Devlin Barrett (@DevlinBarrett) January 10, 2020
Also, Obama consulted Congress before killing Osama bin Laden.
1.) Obama didn't kill Gaddafi. He was killed by a mob. 2.) The Obama administration consulted members of Congress in advance of killing bin Laden. Republican Mike Rogers said he was talking to the CIA four months before the operation. https://t.co/VpIBnQQDJg https://t.co/uBJvuoBLt7
— Shane Harris (@shaneharris) January 10, 2020
And here’s a former National Security Council spokesman under Obama, Tommy Vietor, with a fact check.
Hey Hogan, long time no see. Bin Laden and Awlaki were senior, operational Al Qaeda leaders. Congress authorized war against AQ back in 2001. Gaddafi was killed by members of the NTC - not by US forces. But wrt imminence - you have agency here. Release the intelligence. Prove it.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) January 10, 2020
Updated
In a forthcoming interview with conservative Fox host Laura Ingraham, Trump “reveals” that Suleimani was plotting to bomb “four embassies” probably including the US’ embassy in Baghdad.
Trump also tells Ingraham that he will likely invoke executive privilege to prevent his former national security adviser from testifying in a Senate impeachment trial.
Trump to Fox News' Laura Ingraham on what his administration says is Soleimani's threat to US embassies:
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) January 10, 2020
"I can reveal that I think it would've been four embassies"
"We we will tell you that it was probably going to be the embassy in Baghdad"
h/t @justinsink
Trump, in another excerpt from Ingraham interview, says "I think you have to for the sake of the office" when asked if he will invoke executive privilege to block John Bolton from testifying to the Senate during an impeachment trial
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) January 10, 2020
Susan Collins working to allow witnesses at Senate impeachment trial
US senator Susan Collins, who is facing a tough re-election race in Maine this cycle, is working with a “fairly small group” of Republican senators to allow witnesses to be called in the chamber’s impeachment trial against Donald Trump, according to the Bangor Daily News.
The trial could start as early as next week, after Nancy Pelosi announced that she would send the articles of impeachment to the Senate in the coming days.
Collins has said she would be open to calling witnesses even though Mitch McConnell is against it. But the Republicans have a slim majority, and just four defections and full Democratic support could compel witness testimony.
The issue is a key sticking point in the impasse between the House and the Senate, with Pelosi demanding commitments from McConnell that he will pursue new evidence that has emerged since the House impeached Trump. McConnell has balked at the House’s request and refused to make any such concessions.
McConnell, meanwhile, said he has enough votes to pass a framework for the trial that would leave questions about witnesses and requesting documents until the end. McConnell has pledged “total cooperation” with the White House, and he and safe Republican senators have already vowed to acquit Trump.
Updated
"Bridgegate" to reach Scotus next week
“This is not going to end well.”
Those words spoken by a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official in the summer of 2013 could hardly have been more prophetic.
The plot to create gridlock near the busy George Washington Bridge, which connects upper Manhattan with New Jersey, that September in order to punish a mayor for not endorsing Republican then-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie left a trail of wreckage in its wake, The Associated Press writes.
The scandal, dubbed “Bridgegate,” derailed Christie’s 2016 presidential bid and led to criminal convictions for two of his top aides.
Now, the US Supreme Court will decide if prosecutors misapplied the law at the outset.
The court will hear arguments next week on whether to throw out the fraud and conspiracy convictions of Bridget Kelly, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, a top Christie appointee to the Port Authority, the operator of New York-area bridges, tunnels, airports and ports.
The court’s decision, expected this spring, could have a far-reaching impact on how public corruption investigations are handled, similar to rulings in recent years involving former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling and former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Those decisions restricted the government’s latitude in bringing corruption cases.
Both Bridgegate defendants are free on bail. Kelly was weeks from beginning a 13-month sentence last year when the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. Baroni had begun serving his 18-month sentence but was released from prison after the court granted certification.
Kelly, author of the infamous “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email, has contended she was a scapegoat for people higher up in the Christie administration.
Christie wasn’t charged and denied knowing about the plan. Kelly and Baroni contradicted this in court
Three dedicated toll lanes from Fort Lee in New Jersey to the bridge, a major artery, were reduced to one on several mornings, causing massive traffic jams.
Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, who has been at a standstill with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the articles of impeachment, had this to say in response to the news that she will send them next week: “About time.”
From colleague Jason Donner. McConnell on Pelosi saying she will send the articles of impeachment soon. Responds "About time."
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2020
New decade, same Russian interference in US presidential elections?
Bloomberg is reporting today that US intelligence and law enforcement officials are “assessing whether Russia is trying to undermine Joe Biden in its ongoing disinformation efforts with the former vice president still the front-runner in the race to challenge President Donald Trump.”
US officials have already sounded the alarm on Russia’s continued meddling in US elections and warned that their operations this year will likely be more sophisticated than in 2016 or 2018.
According to Bloomberg, which cites two officials familiar with the matter: “Part of the inquiry is to determine whether Russia is trying to weaken Biden by promoting controversy over his past involvement in U.S. policy toward Ukraine while his son worked for an energy company there.”
The House impeached Trump last year on charges of abuse of power over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to open politically-motivated investigations into Biden and his family.
The Kremlin strategy, if proven, would be similar to its operation carried out against Hillary Clinton in 2016, which US intelligence services determined to be a sophisticated meddling campaign designed to help elect Trump.
Read the full story here.
Author Marianne Williamson ends 2020 bid
The stars never aligned for bestselling author and spiritual guru Marianne Williamson, who ran for president on a platform that preached the politics of love (appropriately the title of her latest book).
A politics of conscience is still yet possible. And yes….love will prevail.https://t.co/BqTKQFI338
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) January 10, 2020
“I ran for president to help forge another direction for our country,” Williamson wrote in an email to supporters. “I wanted to discuss things i felt needed to be discussed that otherwise were not. I feel that we have done that.”
Williamson said the political reality was such that her campaign would “not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now” and she did not want to stand in the way of a progressive candidate winning the nomination.
Her dark horse presidential campaign championed reparations and a Department of Peace. She once vowed to “harness love for political purposes” to cast away the fear that Donald Trump has unleashed on an America roiled by violence, addiction and pain.
But Williamson languished at less than 1% in polls and had not qualified for a debate since July.
The development had been expected after she laid off her entire 2020 campaign staff two weeks ago due to financial concerns.
Williamson had a few standout moments during the first Democratic debate, quirky performances that both inspired an influx of campaign donations and countless parodies and online memes.
“A politics of conscience is still yet possible,” she said on Twitter. “And yes….love will prevail.”
Updated
Republican Congressman Doug Collins, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, has apologized for accusing Democrats of being “in love” with terrorists.
“Let me be clear,” he wrote on Twitter. “I do not believe Democrats are in love with terrorists, and I apologize for what I said earlier this week.”
As someone who served in Iraq in 2008, I witnessed firsthand the brutal death of countless soldiers who were torn to shreds by this vicious terrorist. Soleimani was nothing less than an evil mastermind who viciously killed and wounded thousands of Americans. (3/5)
— Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) January 10, 2020
I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress and with my fellow citizens to keep all Americans safe. (5/5)
— Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) January 10, 2020
The comments were sharply condemned by Democrats, including US senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs fighting in the Iraq war.
“I’m not going to dignify that with a response. I left parts of my body in Iraq fighting terrorists,” Duckworth said on CNN. “I don’t need to justify myself to anyone.”
Updated
More than 300 days have passed since the last formal briefing from the White House press secretary. But on the rare occasion when a briefing does occur, they tend to take on a distinctly Trumpian quality. Today was such an occasion, our Washington Bureau chief, David Smith, reports from the James S Brady Press Briefing Room.
There was standing room only on Friday for the appearance of Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, and Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, announcing a fresh round of sanctions on Iran.
One reporter asked Pompeo the very good question about why, after Donald Trump has spent the past three years denigrating and attacking the US intelligence community and disputing its findings, he (and we) should suddenly take their word that a Qasem Suleimani-inspired attack on US interests had been “imminent”.
The secretary replied: “As the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, I watched him rely on the capable men and women who are delivering exquisite information to the executive branch. I watched the president have confidence in that information.
“We all challenge their work. We have to make sure we get it right. The intelligence community is not flawless. We get it wrong. In this case, the intelligence community got it fundamentally right.”
For his part, Mnuchin repeated the Trumpian talking point that the Iran nuclear deal provided Iran with $150 billion in funds it then used to fund terrorism. The advocacy group National Security Action has described this as “a despicable lie”, pointing out that US and its partners provided sanctions relief to Iran and the vast majority of its unfrozen funds went to domestic needs including debt servicing.
Pelosi to deliver articles of impeachment to Senate next week
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that the next step of the impeachment of Donald Trump will take place next week.
She will deliver the articles of impeachment against the president to the US Senate some time next week, which should trigger Trump’s trial there.
“I have asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler to be prepared to bring to the Floor next week a resolution to appoint managers and transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate,” Pelosi said in a letter to House Democrats.
In the letter, she outlined the “compelling evidence” that has emerged since the House voted to impeach the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
According to Pelosi, that evidence includes a report that a top Office of Management and Budget aide asked the Department of Defense to “hold off” on sending military aid to Ukraine less than two hours after Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president and the announcement from former National Security Advisor John Bolton that he would comply with a subpoena compelling his testimony.
Updated
Sanctions to hit Iranian metal and mining industries
The US’s additional sanctions on Iran, just announced, in retaliation for its missile attack on US forces in Iraq this week are intended further to tighten the screws on the Iranian economy if Tehran continues to engage in what America regards as terrorist acts.
The targets include Iran’s manufacturing, mining and textile sectors as well as senior Iranian officials whom Washington said were involved in the January 8 attack on military bases in Iraq housing US troops, Reuters writes. On a list are 17 Iranian metals producers and mining companies and a network of Iranian industrial entities located in China and the Seychelles, and a vessel used to moved Iranian metal.
The Iranian missiles fired into Iraq earlier this week (which also allegedly and possibly accidentally, brought down a Ukrainian flight leaving Tehran) followed the assassination by the US of top Iranian general Qassem Suleimani last week, in Iraq, as he was being driven from the airport in Baghdad. That was the most dramatic action in a tit-for-tat US-Iran crisis that blew up at the close of 2019.
Reaction so far is mixed.
If we didn't have these sanctions in place, Iran would have the space in which to give up its terror activities. https://t.co/uNsoUC69xJ
— Cheryl Rofer (@CherylRofer) January 10, 2020
And details are not yet comprehensive.
Full list of newest #Iran sanctions 👇 https://t.co/wNU7Vn8Q9R
— Dog (@IntelDoge) January 10, 2020
Trump administration announces new economic sanctions against Iran
“We are announcing additional sanctions against the Iranian regime,” Mnuchin said at a White House news conference on Friday.
The fresh wave of economic sanctions is in response to Iran’s launch of missiles against US troops in Iraq this week, which was in response to a drone strike that killed the top Iranian commander.
The sanctions were widely anticipated after Trump vowed to hit Iran with them in a speech earlier this week. They will target senior government officials and key sectors of Iran’s economy.
Updated
Pompeo: Intel suggested 'imminent threat' against US embassies
“We had specific information on an imminent threat, and that threat included US embassies. Period. Full stop,” secretary of state Mike Pompeo said at a White House press briefing with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Friday.
“We would have been culpably negligent if we had not recommended” the strike against Suleimani, he added.
Pompeo said this analysis was “completely consistent” with his earlier comments that the US did not know precisely “when” or “where” the “imminent” attacks were planned. He also insisted that these new details about a possible threat to US embassies, which Trump first disclosed at a rally on Thursday night, were shared with lawmakers during a classified briefing earlier this week.
He also said Iraq’s prime minster mischaracterized their conversation on US troop withdrawal from the region. “We are happy to continue the conversations with the Iraqis on what the rights structure is,” he said.
Pompeo also endorsed mounting evidence that the Ukrainian passenger jet was accidentally shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile.
Mnuchin said the US was prepared to issue waivers for Americans to be allowed to assist with the investigation of a plane crash in Tehran.
Updated
The Trump administration has spurned a request by the Iraqi prime minister to begin planning for the withdrawl of American troops from the country.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi asked US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to begin putting together an exit stratgey on a call Thursday night, according to the prime minister’s office.
He also told Pompeo that recent US strikes in Iraq were an unacceptable breach of Iraqi sovereignty and in violation of the bilateral agreements,” according to the statement.
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus called the US a “force for good” in Iraq and ruled out any discussion of a troop withdrawl in a statement.
“At this time, any delegation sent to Iraq would be dedicated to discussing how to best recommit to our strategic partnership—not to discuss troop withdrawal, but our right, appropriate force posture in the Middle East,” she said.
“America is a force for good in the Middle East,” Ortagus said. “Our military presence in Iraq is to continue the fight against ISIS and as the Secretary has said, we are committed to protecting Americans, Iraqis, and our coalition partners.”
Iraq’s parliament passed a resolution Sunday to remove US troops after the death of Suleimani, who was killed alongside senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad’s airport.
Meanwhile, Pompeo has been on Fox News defending the strike that killed Suleimani.
“There is no doubt that there were a series of imminent attacks being plotted by Qassem Suleimani,” he said. “We don’t know precisely when and we don’t know precisely where, but it was real.”
Trump has been on something of a spree retweeting and sharing flattering commentary about the state of the economy, the strike on Suleimani and his newly-confirmed administrator for the Small Business Administration.
“11,000 points gained in the Dow in the 3 years since the Election of President Trump. Today it may hit 29,000. That has NEVER happened before in that time frame. That has added 12.8 Trillion Dollars to the VALUE of American Business.” @Varneyco @FoxNews The best is yet to come!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2020
He has also conspicuously retweeted posts from vulnerable Republican senators – and occassional critics of the president – who are facing pressure from constituents to support his impeachment, including Susan Collins and Cory Gardner.
Nancy Pelosi has said she would send the articles of impeachment to the Senate when she is ready. She is apparently not ready.
@SpeakerPelosi speaks: No vote on articles today. "I'll be communicating with my members and perhaps we'll see that."
— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) January 10, 2020
The House has to vote to name impeachment managers before the articles can be sent over to the Senate. At the moment, the House voting schedule does NOT include a vote on naming the impeachment managers before lawmakers leave town for the weekend, according to Democratic sources
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 10, 2020
Updated
NBC News is reporting that Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg will bequeath his impressive campaign apparatus, including an “army of some 500 staffers”, to the eventual 2020 nominee, whether that person is him or not.
The effort reflects the billionaire’s commitment to defeating Donald Trump even if he is not the one to do it.
“Bloomberg’s vast tech operation will also be redirected to help the eventual nominee, as Democrats struggle to compete with the vaunted digital operation built by Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale. Hawkfish, a digital company started by Bloomberg that’s carrying out his $100 million online ad campaign, will be retained through Election Day to help defeat President Donald Trump, the [campaign officials] said.
Awaiting another nominee would be a shadow field operation across the country that’s currently unparalleled in size by any of the other candidates in the presidential race. The roughly 500 staff Bloomberg has committed to paying through November include those in battleground states like Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as in Arizona.
Read more about the plan here.
Updated
Bernie Sanders met his doppelgänger, the comedian Larry David, on the set of NBC’s Today show this morning.
Bern Your Enthusiasm. pic.twitter.com/PpUPGek8Gy
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 10, 2020
David complained that a Sanders victory in 2020 would be “great for the country, terrible for me”.
“I’m getting you a good job for four years and you’re complaining,” Sanders quipped.
In a nearly nine-minute interview, Sanders cast doubt on Trump’s claim that Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, who was killed last week in a targeted air strike, was planning to bomb US embassies.
“I sat in [an] intelligence briefing – a classified briefing – the day before and not one word of that was mentioned. Is it true? I don’t know ... The difficulty that we have – and I don’t meant to be rude here – is that we have a president who is a pathological liar. Could be true? I guess it could be. Is it likely to be true? Probably not.”
Updated
Capitol Hill on tense impeachment watch
Good morning, US politics watchers, it’s another tense day in Washington as all on Capitol Hill hold their breath over the impeachment process. And the 2020 race is heating up. Stay tuned. For news on the US jobs figures, please follow our business blog, here, and for minute-by-minute developments in the US-Iran crisis, we have a blog out of our London HQ, here.
Here’s what’s we’re watching in US politics today:
- It’s almost a month since the House voted on the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump - and Nancy Pelosi immediately put the next step on hold and has refused to deliver the articles (AKA congressional charges) to the US Senate, which triggers the trial of the president. She says “soon”, but when is soon? We’re on the lookout.
- A new national Reuters/Ipsos poll has Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders out ahead of the rest in the field for the 2020 Democratic party nomination to take on Donald Trump in the November election. Elizabeth Warren is third, but some way back.
- It’s the last Democratic debate before the first voting for the nominee, with candidates taking the stage in Des Moines, Iowa, next Tuesday just a few short weeks before the Iowa caucuses on 3 February. Shockingly, billionaire outsider Tom Steyer last night made the cut for the debate.
