Donald Trump has raged at his ex-national security adviser John Bolton, saying the Ukraine claims made in his forthcoming new memoir are “nonsense” and declaring he would have started “World War Six” if he had not been removed from office last September as the Republican effort to discredit him continues.
A new poll by Quinnipiac University has meanwhile found that 75 per cent of Americans want to hear from Mr Bolton at the president’s Senate impeachment trial as GOP majority leader Mitch McConnell is forced to admit he does not currently have the votes to stop Democrats calling new witnesses to speak out.
And, as fallout has continued to come in from Mr Bolton's apparent book, a letter was released showing that the White House attempted to stop it from being published before the leaked manuscript, arguing that it contains classified information (others have pointed out that Mr Bolton has a long history handling US classified information, so it may be questionable that he would actually include such information in a book write-up).
President Trump delivered his latest Keep America Great rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, last night after unveiling his highly controversial two-state solution to bring peace to the Middle East at the White House, which was cheered by Israel but met with angry protests by Palestinians.
During the ongoing impeachment efforts on Wednesday, Mr Trump's lawyers argued that because the president believes it to be in the country's best interest to win re-election, he could not have done anything wrong by encouraging an investigation into his rival by a foreign government.
And, Lev Parnas showed up at the US Capitol demanding that he be called as a witness in the Senate.
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Trump, Rudy Giuliani rage at John Bolton as 75 per cent of voters want testimony
Donald Trump has raged at his ex-national security adviser John Bolton, saying the Ukraine claims made in his forthcoming new memoir are “nonsense” while his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, called the ousted foreign policy hawk “a backstabber” as the Republican effort to discredit him continues.
Kentucky senator Rand Paul suggested on Tuesday that Bolton is "disgruntled" and seeking to make money off his White House service - an argument also made by the president on Twitter, which Democrats have since argued was the moment Trump ceded his hopes of blocking Bolton's appearance as a witness by attacking him directly.
Another GOP senator, John Cornyn of Texas, also tried to dismiss the significance of Bolton's claim in the draft of The Room Where It Happened that the president explicitly told him the decision to withhold military aid to Kiev was tied to the country's president announcing a corruption investigation into Joe Biden. "I don't think it sheds any new light on the facts," he said.
Pouring valuable scorn on all of this was Fox News's legal expert Andrew Napolitano, who pointed out that Bolton was "a conservative icon until two days ago".
A new poll by Quinnipiac University has meanwhile found that 75 per cent of Americans want to hear from Mr Bolton at the president’s Senate impeachment trial:
Mitch McConnell admits he does not have votes to block witnesses
The overwhelming public backing for new impeachment witnesses - not just Bolton but other key figures believed to be in the know like acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, his aide Rob Blair and budget official Michael Duffey - leaves Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell in a bind.
Yesterday, he was forced to admit he does not currently have the votes to stop the Democrats issuing fresh subpoenas, indicating that at least four GOP senators are prepared to defect on the issue to back the opposition cause and give them a majority.
Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Lamar Alexander are believed to be the quartet in question.
McConnell's opposite number - Chuck Schumer - told CNN yesterday that there could be as many as a dozen GOP defectors if they dare to defy their leader in the chamber:
Alex Woodward has more on this.
Defence rests at Senate impeachment trial
The president's legal team completed its defence of him in the Senate on Tuesday, wrapping in just 90 minutes as counsel Pat Cipollone stressed the need to "end the era of impeachment", arguing it "should end now, as quickly as possible" without the extension that new witnesses would mean.
Attorneys Jay Sekulow and Alan Derschowitz used their time to join in the attempt to shoot down the significance of Bolton.
Impeachment "is not a game of leaks and unsourced manuscripts," Sekulow said.
Speaking afterwards, Oklahoma GOP senator James Lankford floated the idea - backed by South Carolina's Lindsey Graham - to subpoena Bolton's book manuscript so senators can see the evidence themselves in private.
Schumer called the proposal "absurd" and noted that it would prevent the former aide from testifying in public.
Other Republicans, including Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, have suggested a trade that would bring in Bolton or another Democratic witness in exchange for one sought by the GOP side such as Hunter Biden or even Joe Biden.
"We're not bargaining with them," Schumer said. "We want four witnesses... then the truth will come out."
With opening arguments over, the case now moves to the written question phase, with senators on both sides getting 16 hours to pose them to the House managers and defence team via presiding chief justice John Roberts. A vote on witnesses is expected as soon as Friday.
Republicans were warned yesterday that even if they agreed to call Bolton to testify, the White House would seek to block him, a response certain to spark a lengthy court battle over executive privilege and national security.
Here's John T Bennett's report from Washington.
President serves up smears, bogus claims at New Jersey rally
President Trump delivered his latest Keep America Great rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, last night, a location picked as a thank you to Democratic defector Jeff Van Drew after he rebelled against his party over the impeachment vote in December and came out as a Republican.
The president's speech was noticeably shorter than usual and he barely mentioned impeachment (he saved that for Twitter, calling it "just another political CON JOB") but he did find time to accuse the Obama administration of "chosing not to" address the Aids virus while taking credit for its Veteran's Choice healthcare legislation.
He also sought to whip up hysteria about sanctuary cities and undocumented migrants, saying they amount to communities full of "dangerous predators", and revived bogus claims about Mexico paying for his border wall and introducing a middle-income tax cut, something he had also pledged before the 2018 Midterms that has yet to materialise.
During Fox's broadcast from Wildwood, the network cut away as Trump flubbed his lines but not before audible laughter was heard from the studio.
An interesting gaffe given the president's attack on his favourite broadcaster just yesterday ("What the hell has happened to Fox News?" he asked, after griping about them having the audacity to interview a Democrat, senator Chris Van Hollen).
Here's Alex Woodward again.
Trump fans camp overnight in freezing cold for New Jersey rally
Say what you like about the president but no matter how boorish his behaviour or nakedly obvious his corruption, he continues to inspire huge loyalty among his base.
This was the scene at the Wildwood Convention Center last night.
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(Seth Wenig/AP)
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(Stephanie Keith/Reuters)
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Alex Woodward has this on the wretched souls who camped out overnight in freezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of their orange icon.
Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu unveil vision for two-state solution in Middle East
All this and we haven't had time to address the Trumpster's "Vision for Peace" in the Middle East, which he unveiled at the White House yesterday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the president's conceptual map, Jerusalem would be under total Israeli control, which would deny Palestinians their aspiration to have the whole of east Jerusalem as their capital. “But that’s no big deal,” Trump joked as he unveiled it, “because I already did that for you."
“We will never ask Israel to compromise its security,” he continued. “Can’t do that.”
The 181-page document the pair presented carves out a Palestinian state in Gaza and parts of the West Bank but would allow Israel to annex the Jordan Valley and nearly all of its settlements in the occupied territory.
Here's Bel Trew and John T Bennett to dig into the details.
Palestinian leaders vehemently reject Trump’s long-awaited peace plan
The reaction among Palestianians to the president's self-described "win-win" solution to secure a "new dawn" for the region was very much what you'd expect, with its leadership calling the plan "the slap of the century".
"I say to Trump and Netanyahu: Jerusalem is not for sale; all our rights are not for sale and are not for bargain. And your deal, the conspiracy, will not pass,” Mahmoud Abbas said in a televised address from Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Meanwhile, in Gaza City, crowds shouting, “Trump is a fool, Palestine is not for sale!” waved Palestinian flags while they burnt pictures of him and Netanyahu.
Bel Trew, Ahmed Aboudouh and John T Bennett have this.
Trump resumes attack on John Bolton: 'If I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now'
The president is out of bed and picking up his assault on his ex-national security adviser some gusto:
Trump has since retweeted several earlier attacks on Bolton and added this, which is, in his own words, "nonsense".
He himself ordered members of his administration not to co-operate with the House investigation and new evidence has continued to come to light since the investigative stage of the process was completed.
He's clearly very angry this morning.
Chris Riotta has the latest.
Joe Biden: Trump is 'scared to death I'll be the nominee'
Here's Clark Mindock with the latest on the Democratic 2020 race, where the front-runner has seized on comments made by Iowa's Republican senator Joni Ernst - questioning the impeachment trial's knock-on effect on his credibility - to make the case for his candidacy ahead of next week's state caucus.
Here's Clark Mindock with the latest on the Democratic 2020 race, where the front-runner has seized on comments made by Iowa's Republican senator Joni Ernst - questioning the impeachment trial's knock-on effect on his credibility - to make the case for his candidacy ahead of next week's state caucus.
Bernie Sanders pledges to overturn 'every single one' of Trump's immigration policies
Biden's primary opposition has also been speaking out, promising to reverse the president's anti-immigration measures, singling out his "racist and disgusting Muslim ban" as a particularly toxic example.
Chris Riotta has this one.
Michael Bloomberg ridiculed for shaking dog by the nose
Doing rather less well on the campaign trail was the billionaire media tycoon and former mayor of New York, who made a fool of himself in Burlington, Vermont, when he grabbed a canine by the snout.
It wasn't even his first offence.
Chelsea Ritschel is here to explain.
Jerry Nadler calls for John Kelly witness testimony as Derschowitz attack on Trump resurfaces
A few more impeachment bits and pieces to round up.
- Democratic trial manager and House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler appeared on MSNBC last night to propose that the president's ex-chief of staff John Kelly might also make a fine impeachment witnesses.
Kelly gave a lecture in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday and responded to a question on the day's events from his audience: "If John Bolton says that in the book, I believe John Bolton.... Every single time I was with him. He always gave the president the unvarnished truth.”
“That would seem to indicate that he has knowledge of what Bolton's testifying to,” Nadler suggested in an interview with Ari Melber.
- In comments to The Clinton Foundation in 2016 during the eleciton campaign, Trump lawyer Alan Derschowitz called his new boss corrupt and warned that such behaviour would continue should he win the White House, according to CNN.
"When you compare that to what Trump has done with Trump University, with so many other things, I think there's no comparison between who has engaged in more corruption and who is more likely to continue that if elected President of the United States," Dershowitz is reported to have said.
"So I think what we're doing is we're comparing, we're saying, look, neither candidate is anywhere close to perfect, let's vote for the less bad candidate."
- Joseph Bondy, a lawyer for indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, has said that his client is currently unable to attend the Senate trial because of his GPS ankle monitor.
- And finally, Mitt Romney was admonished for bringing his own chocolate milk to yesterday's session in violation of the rules, a moment captured by sketch artist Art Lien.
His communications director Liz Johnson told The New York Times he just loves the stuff.
Trump to sign new North American trade pact at White House today - but key Democrats not invited
Trump will sign a new North American trade agreement on Wednesday in an outdoor ceremony at the White House to be attended by about 400 guests - but not the key Democrats who helped secure congressional passage of the deal.
Guests invited to the South Lawn signing include lawmakers from around the country, workers, farmers, and CEOs, as well as officials from Mexico and Canada, a White House official said.
Not invited were House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal and other Democrats who negotiated for months to expand the pact's labor, environmental and enforcement provisions and ensure the approval of the Democratically-controlled House.
Trump had made renegotiating the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) a major campaign issue in 2016, and plans to tout its replacement at events in coming weeks as he campaigns for a second term in office.
"Along with members of Congress, state and local leaders, and workers from across the country, including farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs, President Trump will celebrate another promise made, promise kept to the American people when he signs the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)," White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
"USMCA rebalances trade in North America, replaces the job-killing NAFTA, ends the outsourcing of American jobs, and invests in the American worker," he said.
The USMCA must still be ratified by Canada before it can take effect. The US Senate this month overwhelmingly approved the legislation, sending the measure to Trump for him to sign into law. The Mexican parliament has already approved the deal.
Congressional aides said it could take several months before the trade accord is implemented, since the three countries must show they are meeting its obligations before the clock starts ticking on an effective date.
The USMCA includes tougher rules on labour and automotive content but leaves $1.2trn (£922bn) in annual US-Mexico-Canada trade flows largely unchanged.
Reuters
'You did a good job on her': President praises Mike Pompeo for haranguing female reporter
One of the uglier moments from Trump's press conference with Bibi Netanyahu yesterday came when he mentioned his secretary of state and the latter was given a standing ovation, to the president's obvious envy.
"That reporter couldn't have done too good job on you yesterday. I think you did a good job on her actually," the president joked, alluding to Pompeo screaming obscenities at NPR journalist Mary Louise Kelly over the weekend.
Maya Oppenheim has this.
Jared Kushner on media victory lap over Middle East peace proposal
The president's son-in-law has been on a media blitz since yesterday's announcement, which he played a role in crafting...
...and this morning both he and Netanyahu were on Fox and Friends, championing their "deal" and putting pressure on the Palestinian leadership to accept it.
John Bolton in GOP crosshairs after report on his book released
John Bolton has long been an almost revered figure among the war thirsty members of the Republican Party, but a Sunday report by the New York Times on his upcoming book that directly ties the president to an order to withhold #391 million in aid to Ukraine as leverage is straining that relationship.
Bolton has denied coordinating the leak, but has nevertheless been slammed for the passages that have fueled Democrats' calls for new witnesses in the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate.
"John Bolton, himself, has been reduced to a tool for the radical Dems and the deep state," said Fox Business personality Lou Dobbs on Sunday.
Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary for the White House, likewise attacked her "friend" for the book manuscript: "How much does it cost to sell out potentially national security in your country?"
House Democrats unveil major infrastructure effort
Just as Donald Trump is set to sign the USMCA, Democrats have announced a $760 billion framework to fund infrastructure in the US for five years.
The framework would invest in infrastructure projects like highways, rail, airports and expanding broadcast access across the country.
The effort comes after Democrats attempted to work with the president on a $2 trillion plan last year, in an attempt that failed as lawmakers disagreed on how to pay for the plan, and as the president became frustrated with investigations into his actions.
The unveiled effort likely signals that Democrats hope to make infrastructure a top priority for Democrats running in 2020, and to move on from what sometimes seems like a singular focus on impeachment.
Trump's latest tweets
In the past hour, Trump has tweeted a few times to talk about impeachment, Iraq and then impeachment again. According to the White House schedule released publicly, he's gearing up to sign the USMCA trade agreement on the South Lawn (he does not mention that in his tweets).
The first:
The second:
The third:
The fourth:
Donald Trump signing the USMCA
The president is flanked on one side by Mike Pence, and some gentlemen wearing hard hats and suits.
He's now thanking a list of Republican senators who he views as instrumental in the passage of the USMCA.
