thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--Progressives Are Desperate To Stop The Fight Between Elizabeth Warren And Bernie Sanders

The fight between the two progressive New England senators was the second in as many days and seemed to effectively end a truce that had held since the earliest days of the presidential race .
It followed a dustup over a Politico story showing a Sanders campaign script for volunteers casting Warren as the candidate of the “ affluent ” who would bring “ no new bases into the Democratic Party.
” Both campaigns have largely declined to officially elaborate on the escalating disputes , which come three weeks ahead of the all-important Iowa caucuses and just one night ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Des Moines Register/CNN poll of the caucuses , released Friday , showed Sanders leading the contest , with Warren , former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg closely behind .
While the battle is relatively tame by the standard of past presidential primaries — neither Warren nor Sanders has attacked the other with paid media or incorporated critiques into their stump speeches — the possibility of a broader clash between them has alarmed many progressive organizations , who fear the fight ’ s only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think there ’ s a view among some people in the progressive community that Joe Biden will be very easy to beat , ” said Sean McElwee , the co-founder of Data For Progress and an occasional adviser to Warren .
“ But Joe Biden is like the final boss in a video game , and the progressive candidates are rapidly eroding their health bar by fighting each other.
” “ There are only two candidates who are ready to fight for Medicare for All and the Green New Deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders .
And we need them working together , ” said Charles Chamberlain , the group ’ s chair .
“ Don ’ t let the corporate wing or Donald Trump divide us.
” Chamberlain suggested the two campaigns should work together to quickly end the dispute : “ Just like this thing can blow up out of nowhere , they can put it out very quickly , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t see Biden and Buttigieg fighting each other right now .
They understand that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a number of reasons , the dispute is unlikely to end anytime soon .
While Warren ’ s statement seeming sought to downplay the rift , saying she had “ no interest in discussing this private meeting any further because Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences on punditry , ” Tuesday night ’ s moderators from CNN and the Des Moines Register are likely to probe .
And Sanders ’ allies appear divided on whether or not to accept the seeming olive branch .
Larry Cohen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has suggested that both Sanders and Warren should stay in the race as long as possible to maximize the number of delegates committed to a progressive candidate at the Democratic national convention .
He was hopeful both candidates could bury the hatchet And even beyond the likelihood of a debate showdown , the staying power of each campaign means the two senators can no longer hope the other will gently fade into irrelevance .
During Warren ’ s long and steady gains over the summer and early fall , Sanders ’ numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hope she could consolidate the left .
Warren ’ s subsequent dip in polling provided Sanders ’ team with the hope she would be obscure by the time the first votes were cast , but her resiliency has left both campaigns with little choice but to battle for left-leaning dominance .
Polling indicates both could pick up a majority of the other ’ s voters if they can manage to land a knock-out punch .
In a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday , Biden led the field with 25 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % and Warren at 16 % , with every other candidate receiving less than one-tenth of the vote .
But when asked who their second choice was , 52 % of Warren supporters said Sanders and 57 % of Sanders supporters said Warren .
Biden , comparatively , would pick up 12 % of Warren supporters and 11 % of Sanders supporters .
And both campaigns have accumulated a year ’ s worth of grievances from the truce period .
As far back as June , the Sanders campaign would occasionally cast Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing of the Democratic primary , ” with aides going even farther .
And in recent days , the Warren campaign has aggressively played up her ability to unite the Democratic Party ― implicitly arguing that baggage from Sanders ’ 2016 campaign against Clinton will prevent him from doing the same .
Warren herself invoked the “ factionalism ” that resulted from the 2016 race when responding to Sanders ’ volunteer script .
“ Caucusgoers , they see that she ’ s run a positive campaign , they see that she hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said California Rep. Katie Porter ( D ) , a Warren backer and Iowa native who was attending a house party for the campaign in Cedar Rapids .
“ That is important to unifying the party .
We ’ re not going to win by dividing against each other ― we have to stand together .
And stand together and then grow those who stand with us .
”

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa ― Tensions between the presidential campaigns of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two leading progressive candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, are at an all-time high after the two candidates’ accounts of a 2018 meeting sharply diverged.
In a Monday night statement, Warren confirmed a CNN report that Sanders had told her in a late 2018 meeting that a woman could not win the presidency. “I thought a woman could win; he disagreed,” she said.
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The Sanders campaign has steadfastly denied the Vermonter said anything of the sort.
“It is a lie. Bernie Sanders has always stood for women and women’s rights,” Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir told CNN.
The fight between the two progressive New England senators was the second in as many days and seemed to effectively end a truce that had held since the earliest days of the presidential race. It followed a dustup over a Politico story showing a Sanders campaign script for volunteers casting Warren as the candidate of the “affluent” who would bring “no new bases into the Democratic Party.”
Both campaigns have largely declined to officially elaborate on the escalating disputes, which come three weeks ahead of the all-important Iowa caucuses and just one night ahead of a debate in Des Moines. A Des Moines Register/CNN poll of the caucuses, released Friday, showed Sanders leading the contest, with Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg closely behind.
While the battle is relatively tame by the standard of past presidential primaries — neither Warren nor Sanders has attacked the other with paid media or incorporated critiques into their stump speeches — the possibility of a broader clash between them has alarmed many progressive organizations, who fear the fight’s only beneficiary would be the more moderate Biden.
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“Joe Biden is like the final boss in a video game, and the progressive candidates are rapidly eroding their health bar by fighting each other.” - Sean McElwee, co-founder of Data For Progress
Biden’s lead in national polling ― and especially his strong standing with Black voters ― has made him the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
“I think there’s a view among some people in the progressive community that Joe Biden will be very easy to beat,” said Sean McElwee, the co-founder of Data For Progress and an occasional adviser to Warren. “But Joe Biden is like the final boss in a video game, and the progressive candidates are rapidly eroding their health bar by fighting each other.”
Democracy for America, another progressive group, has been scrambling to get the two campaigns to lower the temperature, with little apparent success so far.
“There are only two candidates who are ready to fight for Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, and those are Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. And we need them working together,” said Charles Chamberlain, the group’s chair. “Don’t let the corporate wing or Donald Trump divide us.”
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Chamberlain suggested the two campaigns should work together to quickly end the dispute: “Just like this thing can blow up out of nowhere, they can put it out very quickly,” he said. “We don’t see Biden and Buttigieg fighting each other right now. They understand that’s not in their best interest.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden would likely welcome a fight between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at Tuesday night’s debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Mike Blake / Reuters
But for a number of reasons, the dispute is unlikely to end anytime soon. While Warren’s statement seeming sought to downplay the rift, saying she had “no interest in discussing this private meeting any further because Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences on punditry,” Tuesday night’s moderators from CNN and the Des Moines Register are likely to probe. And Sanders’ allies appear divided on whether or not to accept the seeming olive branch.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a group that has long functioned as Warren’s unofficial political arm, suggested in a statement on Monday night that “that a back-and-forth about this private meeting is counter-productive for progressives.”
“In this pivotal moment of the campaign, progressives must work together to defeat Donald Trump and prevent a less-electable establishment candidate like Joe Biden from getting the nomination,” said Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, the group’s co-founders.
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Larry Cohen, the chair of the Sanders-backed Our Revolution, has suggested that both Sanders and Warren should stay in the race as long as possible to maximize the number of delegates committed to a progressive candidate at the Democratic national convention. He was hopeful both candidates could bury the hatchet
“Elizabeth Warren’s statement points to that, not some continuing rift,” he said Monday night, suggesting that the two campaigns should engage in some public display of unity: “I think something like that would be helpful.”
Other Sanders allies were less forgiving.
“Shame on you,” Rose DeMoro, the former head of National Nurses United and a prominent Sanders backer, tweeted at Warren, saying Sanders “was a feminist when you were a Republican.” (Warren was a registered Republican until the mid-1990s.)
And even beyond the likelihood of a debate showdown, the staying power of each campaign means the two senators can no longer hope the other will gently fade into irrelevance. During Warren’s long and steady gains over the summer and early fall, Sanders’ numbers barely nudged, providing her campaign with the hope she could consolidate the left. Warren’s subsequent dip in polling provided Sanders’ team with the hope she would be obscure by the time the first votes were cast, but her resiliency has left both campaigns with little choice but to battle for left-leaning dominance.
“Just like this thing can blow up out of nowhere, they can put it out very quickly.” - Charles Chamberlain, Democracy for America
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Polling indicates both could pick up a majority of the other’s voters if they can manage to land a knock-out punch. In a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday, Biden led the field with 25% of the vote, followed by Sanders at 19% and Warren at 16%, with every other candidate receiving less than one-tenth of the vote. But when asked who their second choice was, 52% of Warren supporters said Sanders and 57% of Sanders supporters said Warren. Biden, comparatively, would pick up 12% of Warren supporters and 11% of Sanders supporters.
And both campaigns have accumulated a year’s worth of grievances from the truce period. As far back as June, the Sanders campaign would occasionally cast Warren as a member of the “corporate wing of the Democratic primary,” with aides going even farther. And in recent days, the Warren campaign has aggressively played up her ability to unite the Democratic Party ― implicitly arguing that baggage from Sanders’ 2016 campaign against Clinton will prevent him from doing the same. Warren herself invoked the “factionalism” that resulted from the 2016 race when responding to Sanders’ volunteer script.
Warren allies have begun citing her traditional refusal to attack other Democrats as a reason she could unite the party while Sanders ― who has attacked Biden near-constantly since the race’s beginning ― could not.
“Caucusgoers, they see that she’s run a positive campaign, they see that she hasn’t been attacking other candidates,” said California Rep. Katie Porter (D), a Warren backer and Iowa native who was attending a house party for the campaign in Cedar Rapids. “That is important to unifying the party. We’re not going to win by dividing against each other ― we have to stand together. And stand together and then grow those who stand with us.”
Attendees at the party ― which took place before the CNN report on Sanders’ comments ― largely said they hoped Warren and Sanders would keep the peace.
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“It’s a really touchy one because Bernie supporters can be Warren supporters in a heartbeat, and I don’t think you win them over by going after him,” said former state Sen. Steve Sovern (D), who hosted the house party with Porter and had backed Sanders in 2016. “And there’s not much to go after him on except for age or crankiness and stuff that are personality traits. I think she’s just got to wait it out.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-14--Russians Reportedly Hacked Ukrainian Firm At Center Of Trump Impeachment Scandal

Russian hackers from the same military intelligence unit that Area 1 said was behind the operation targeting Burisma have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary Clinton ’ s campaign during the 2016 presidential race .
It was not clear what the hackers were looking for or may have obtained , said Area 1′s CEO , Oren Falkowitz , who called the findings “ incontrovertible ” and posted an eight-page report .
But the timing of the operation suggests that the Russian agents could be searching for material that damaging to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in December for abusing the power of his office by enlisting the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden , a political rival , ahead of the 2020 election .
A second charge accused Trump of obstructing a congressional investigation into the matter .
“ Our report doesn ’ t make any claims as to what the intent of the hackers were , what they might have been looking for , what they are going to do with their success .
We just point out that this is a campaign that ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former National Security Agency offensive hacker whose company ’ s clients include candidates for U.S. federal elected offices .
In an earlier interview , he told The Associated Press that top candidates for the U.S. presidency and House and Senate races in 2020 have in the past few months each been targeted by about a thousand phishing emails .
Russian hackers from the same military intelligence unit that Area 1 said was behind the operation targeting Burisma have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race .
Area 1 discovered the phishing campaign by the Russian military intelligence unit , known as the GRU , on New Year ’ s Eve , said Falkowitz , who would not discuss whom he notified prior to going public .
He said he followed the industry standard process of responsible disclosure , which would include notifying Burisma .
In the report , he said the GRU agents used fake , lookalike domains in the phishing campaign that were designed to mimic the sites of real Burisma subsidiaries .
Falkowitz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ techniques and procedures that GRU agents had used repeatedly in other phishing operations , matching “ several patterns that lots of independent researchers agree mimic this particular Russian actor.
” Area 1 says it has been tracking the Russian agents for several years .
The discovery ’ s timing — just weeks before presidential primaries begin in the United States — highlights the need to protect political campaigns from targeted phishing attacks , which are behind 95 percent of all information breaches , said Falkowitz .
“ This is a real specific , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ To discover it and potentially get out in front of it is a significant departure from what ’ s typical in the cyber security community , where someone just tells you , yeah , you ’ re dead.
” In phishing , an attacker uses a targeted email to lure a target to a fake site that resembles a familiar one .
There , unwitting victims enter their usernames and passwords , which the hackers then harvest .
Phished credentials allow attackers both to rifle through a victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that person .

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BOSTON (AP) — A U.S. cybersecurity company says Russian military agents have successfully hacked the Ukrainian gas company at the center of the scandal that led to President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
Russian agents launched a phishing campaign in early November to steal the login credentials of employees of Burisma Holdings, the gas company, according to Area 1 Security, a Silicon Valley company that specializes in e-mail security.
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Hunter Biden, son of former U.S. vice president and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, previously served on Burisma’s board.
Russian hackers from the same military intelligence unit that Area 1 said was behind the operation targeting Burisma have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 presidential race. spyarm via Getty Images
It was not clear what the hackers were looking for or may have obtained, said Area 1′s CEO, Oren Falkowitz, who called the findings “incontrovertible” and posted an eight-page report. But the timing of the operation suggests that the Russian agents could be searching for material that damaging to the Bidens.
The House of Representatives impeached Trump in December for abusing the power of his office by enlisting the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden, a political rival, ahead of the 2020 election. A second charge accused Trump of obstructing a congressional investigation into the matter.
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“Our report doesn’t make any claims as to what the intent of the hackers were, what they might have been looking for, what they are going to do with their success. We just point out that this is a campaign that’s going on,” said Falkowitz, a former National Security Agency offensive hacker whose company’s clients include candidates for U.S. federal elected offices. In an earlier interview, he told The Associated Press that top candidates for the U.S. presidency and House and Senate races in 2020 have in the past few months each been targeted by about a thousand phishing emails.
Falkowitz did not name the candidates. Nor would he name any clients.
Russian hackers from the same military intelligence unit that Area 1 said was behind the operation targeting Burisma have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 presidential race.
Stolen emails were released online at the time by Russian agents and WikiLeaks in an effort to favor Trump, special counsel Robert Mueller determined in his investigation.
Area 1 discovered the phishing campaign by the Russian military intelligence unit, known as the GRU, on New Year’s Eve, said Falkowitz, who would not discuss whom he notified prior to going public. He said he followed the industry standard process of responsible disclosure, which would include notifying Burisma.
In the report, he said the GRU agents used fake, lookalike domains in the phishing campaign that were designed to mimic the sites of real Burisma subsidiaries.
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Falkowitz said the operation targeting Burisma involved tactics, techniques and procedures that GRU agents had used repeatedly in other phishing operations, matching “several patterns that lots of independent researchers agree mimic this particular Russian actor.” Area 1 says it has been tracking the Russian agents for several years.
The discovery’s timing — just weeks before presidential primaries begin in the United States — highlights the need to protect political campaigns from targeted phishing attacks, which are behind 95 percent of all information breaches, said Falkowitz.
“This is a real specific, timely case that has real implications,” he said. “To discover it and potentially get out in front of it is a significant departure from what’s typical in the cyber security community, where someone just tells you, yeah, you’re dead.”
In phishing, an attacker uses a targeted email to lure a target to a fake site that resembles a familiar one. There, unwitting victims enter their usernames and passwords, which the hackers then harvest. Phished credentials allow attackers both to rifle through a victim’s stored email and masquerade as that person.
Area 1 said its researchers connected the phishing campaign targeting Burisma to an effort earlier last year that targeted Kvartal 95, a media organiza tion founded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
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In this case, the Russian military agents, from a group security researchers call “Fancy Bear,” peppered Burisma employees with emails designed to look like internal messages.
In order to detect phishing attacks, Area 1 maintains a global network of sensors designed to sniff out and block them before they reach their targets.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-14--European Nations Trigger Dispute Mechanism Over Iran's Failure To Follow Nuclear Deal

LONDON ( AP ) — Britain , France and Germany say they are triggering a dispute mechanism that is part @ @ @ @ @ Iran over its failure to live up to terms of the pact .
The leaders @ @ @ @ @ in a statement Tuesday that they ’ ve been “ left with no choice , @ @ @ @ @ , but to register today our concerns that Iran is not meeting its commitments.″ The @ @ @ @ @ this matter to the Joint Commission under the Dispute Resolution Mechanism , as set out @ @ @ @ @ .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement that the three European countries @ @ @ @ @ the growing Iranian violations of the nuclear agreement unanswered.
” “ Our goal is clear @ @ @ @ @ the accord and come to a diplomatic solution within the agreement , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ this together with all partners in the agreement .
We call on Iran to participate @ @ @ @ @ that is now beginning .
”

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LONDON (AP) — Britain, France and Germany say they are triggering a dispute mechanism that is part of the nuclear deal with Iran over its failure to live up to terms of the pact.
The leaders of the three nations say in a statement Tuesday that they’ve been “left with no choice, given Iran’s actions, but to register today our concerns that Iran is not meeting its commitments.″
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The group says it referring “this matter to the Joint Commission under the Dispute Resolution Mechanism, as set out” in the nuclear deal.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement that the three European countries “could no longer leave the growing Iranian violations of the nuclear agreement unanswered.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-14--New York Times Editorial Board Debunks Donald Trump’s ‘Transparent President’ Boast

The New York Times editorial board tore apart Donald Trump ’ s baseless old boast about being one of the most transparent U.S. presidents of all time in an editorial published Monday .
The newspaper ’ s board wrote in the editorial ― titled “ You Call That Transparency , Mr. President ?
” — that “ this is true only if you measure transparency by the president ’ s tweets , which are too often characterized by incoherence and dishonesty.
” “ By every other metric , Mr. Trump is a master of muddiness , ” the paper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s family has landed on the U.S. taxpayer .
The editorial noted Trump ’ s ongoing battles to keep his personal finances out of public view and his orders that his administration stonewall the impeachment inquiry into his Ukraine misconduct .
“ The president clearly believes that he should not have to answer to anyone for anything , be it his stiff-arming of Congress , his ‘ discussions ’ with Ukraine or the cost of his golf habit , ” the editorial concluded .
“ He is wrong.
” “ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s evasions , Americans deserve to know how much they are paying for his family ’ s highflying lifestyle , ” it said .
“ And they deserve to know before they cast their votes in November .
”

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The New York Times editorial board tore apart Donald Trump’s baseless old boast about being one of the most transparent U.S. presidents of all time in an editorial published Monday.
The newspaper’s board wrote in the editorial ― titled “You Call That Transparency, Mr. President?” — that “this is true only if you measure transparency by the president’s tweets, which are too often characterized by incoherence and dishonesty.”
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“By every other metric, Mr. Trump is a master of muddiness,” the paper said in the article centered on the costs Trump’s family has landed on the U.S. taxpayer.
The editorial noted Trump’s ongoing battles to keep his personal finances out of public view and his orders that his administration stonewall the impeachment inquiry into his Ukraine misconduct.
The last formal White House press briefing was held in March 2019.
“The president clearly believes that he should not have to answer to anyone for anything, be it his stiff-arming of Congress, his ‘discussions’ with Ukraine or the cost of his golf habit,” the editorial concluded. “He is wrong.”
“As with so many of Mr. Trump’s evasions, Americans deserve to know how much they are paying for his family’s highflying lifestyle,” it said. “And they deserve to know before they cast their votes in November.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--Trump Planning To Take $7.2 Billion More From Pentagon For Border Wall: Report

President Donald Trump is planning to divert an additional $ 7.2 billion from the Department of Defense in order to fund his wall along the southern border with Mexico , The Washington Post reported Monday .
The Post obtained internal figures showing the White House plans .
If they go forward , it would be the second time the president has ordered that funds allocated to the Pentagon by Congress be diverted for wall construction , effectively bypassing lawmakers in an attempt to unilaterally deliver on a campaign promise .
Trump has vowed to build 450 miles of new wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of galvanizing his political base before the next election .
Trump declared a national emergency last February in order to build his much-touted border wall , saying the White House planned to divert $ 3.6 billion in funds from Pentagon construction projects to help pay for it .
The proposal drew widespread fury from Congress and a spate of lawsuits .
The Supreme Court , however , said in July that Trump had the authority to use the money for the wall , and subsequent challenges have been knocked back by the courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit lifted an injunction from a lower court and said the diversion of Pentagon funds could go forward .
The Pentagon said in September the initial funding diversion would delay or suspend 127 military construction projects both in the U.S. and overseas .
“ This is a victory for the rule of law , ” Stephanie Grisham , the White House press secretary , said in a statement at the time .
“ We are committed to keeping our borders secure , and we will finish the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 450 miles of new wall by the 2020 election in order to galvanize his base and deliver on his campaign promises .
The Post noted that the latest plans would bring the total figure for border funding past $ 18 billion if they go forward , enough for about 885 miles of fencing .
The federal government has built about 100 miles of new barriers as of last week , which Homeland Security officials have touted as a “ milestone ” for the country .
“ This would not have been possible without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership , ” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said at an event to celebrate the completion of the 100th mile in Arizona last week .
“ The new border wall system is an undeniable impediment to human smugglers , drug traffickers and other criminals who have exploited our lack of effective border infrastructure to smuggle drugs , people and illegal contraband into our country.
” The president has remained determined to see hundreds of miles of the border barrier built before the end of the year , an effort to deliver on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Democratic lawmakers who claim such barriers are ineffective and expensive .
Congress has tried twice to pass resolutions meant to end Trump ’ s declaration of a national emergency , but the president has vetoed both efforts .
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has vowed to vote through such measures every six months , as allowed by law .
Trump ’ s son-in-law Jared Kushner was tapped in November to become the point person on issues related to the wall , adding to an already huge portfolio of White House responsibilities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kushner holds regular meetings with Cabinet-level officials and has wide authority to allocate resources in order to get the structure built .

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President Donald Trump is planning to divert an additional $7.2 billion from the Department of Defense in order to fund his wall along the southern border with Mexico, The Washington Post reported Monday.
The Post obtained internal figures showing the White House plans. If they go forward, it would be the second time the president has ordered that funds allocated to the Pentagon by Congress be diverted for wall construction, effectively bypassing lawmakers in an attempt to unilaterally deliver on a campaign promise. Trump has vowed to build 450 miles of new wall by the end of 2020 in hopes of galvanizing his political base before the next election.
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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump declared a national emergency last February in order to build his much-touted border wall, saying the White House planned to divert $3.6 billion in funds from Pentagon construction projects to help pay for it. The proposal drew widespread fury from Congress and a spate of lawsuits. The Supreme Court, however, said in July that Trump had the authority to use the money for the wall, and subsequent challenges have been knocked back by the courts.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit lifted an injunction from a lower court and said the diversion of Pentagon funds could go forward. The Pentagon said in September the initial funding diversion would delay or suspend 127 military construction projects both in the U.S. and overseas.
“This is a victory for the rule of law,” Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary, said in a statement at the time. “We are committed to keeping our borders secure, and we will finish the wall.”
President Trump hopes to complete 450 miles of new wall by the 2020 election in order to galvanize his base and deliver on his campaign promises. Eric Gay/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The Post noted that the latest plans would bring the total figure for border funding past $18 billion if they go forward, enough for about 885 miles of fencing.
The federal government has built about 100 miles of new barriers as of last week, which Homeland Security officials have touted as a “milestone” for the country.
“This would not have been possible without the President’s steadfast determination and leadership,” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said at an event to celebrate the completion of the 100th mile in Arizona last week. “The new border wall system is an undeniable impediment to human smugglers, drug traffickers and other criminals who have exploited our lack of effective border infrastructure to smuggle drugs, people and illegal contraband into our country.”
The president has remained determined to see hundreds of miles of the border barrier built before the end of the year, an effort to deliver on a campaign promise that has stoked fury among Democratic lawmakers who claim such barriers are ineffective and expensive.
Congress has tried twice to pass resolutions meant to end Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, but the president has vetoed both efforts. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has vowed to vote through such measures every six months, as allowed by law.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-14--Seth Meyers: Donald Trump Is Using George W. Bush’s Iraq Tactics On Iran

They claimed definitively that ( former Iraqi President ) Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and that he had @ @ @ @ @ carried out 9/11 .
They manipulated intelligence and concocted all kinds of lies about that @ @ @ @ @ and catastrophic war that destabilized the region and the world and they were adamant and @ @ @ @

They claimed definitively that (former Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and that he had ties to the terrorists who carried out 9/11. They manipulated intelligence and concocted all kinds of lies about that intelligence to justify an immoral and catastrophic war that destabilized the region and the world and they were adamant and unequivocal about it.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-14--The World’s Oceans Were The Hottest In Recorded History In 2019

An international team of researchers analyzed temperature data from sources around the globe and issued a dramatic warning that climate change is already deeply affecting what ’ s seen as the storage facility for any excess heat generated by a warming world .
Hotter oceans are threatening marine biodiversity and the planet ’ s fisheries .
They ’ re melting land and sea ice at a breakneck pace and fueling more severe storms and flooding .
“ It is critical to understand how fast things are changing , ” John Abraham , a professor at the University of St. Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a news release Monday .
“ The key to answering this question is in the oceans — that ’ s where the vast majority of heat ends up .
If you want to understand global warming , you have to measure ocean warming.
” The news follows a string of troubling environmental news : Last week , European researchers said 2019 was the second-hottest year on record , and the 2010s had officially become the hottest decade ever recorded .
And in September , the United Nations ’ climate change body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ice sheets were changing in “ unprecedented ” and shocking ways that could soon affect hundreds of millions of people living in low-lying or coastal areas .
The latest research relies heavily on a state-of-the-art network of more than 3,800 floats that measure sea temperatures , a project known as Argo .
The devices are deployed around the globe .
Michael Mann , a professor at Penn State University and another author of the study , told The Guardian the data didn ’ t just measure 2019 as the hottest year but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in ocean temperatures in the entire decade .
Mann called the finding a “ sobering reminder that human-caused heating of our planet continues unabated.
” The oceans are one of the largest bellwethers of climate change : More than 90 % of the planet ’ s excess heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions is absorbed by them .
“ The ocean heating is irrefutable , and a key measure of the Earth ’ s energy imbalance : the excess GHGs in the air trap more heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warming , ” the authors wrote .
“ More than 90 % of the heat accumulates in the ocean because of its large heat capacity , and the remaining heating manifests as atmospheric warming , a drying and warming landmass , and melting of land and sea ice.
” Coral reefs , in particular , have been hit hard by warming ocean temperatures .
Australia ’ s Great Barrier Reef was devastated by a series of back-to-back mass bleaching events that left large swaths of the structure dying or dead .
Researchers said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooked by hot water .
Researchers and activists have called on world leaders to address the climate crisis in recent years , and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said at the body ’ s climate summit last month that the planet was at a “ critical juncture ” to limit greenhouse gas emissions .
But the 2019 meeting was largely a failure , and no new deals to avert catastrophe were adopted .
The authors of the ocean temperature study note that , even should the world dramatically scale back the burning of fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from warming more than 2 degrees Celsius — the level at which scientists say we must stay beneath to avoid catastrophic consequences — the oceans will likely keep changing .

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The planet’s oceans were the warmest in recorded history in 2019, according to a new analysis published Monday.
An international team of researchers analyzed temperature data from sources around the globe and issued a dramatic warning that climate change is already deeply affecting what’s seen as the storage facility for any excess heat generated by a warming world. Hotter oceans are threatening marine biodiversity and the planet’s fisheries. They’re melting land and sea ice at a breakneck pace and fueling more severe storms and flooding.
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“It is critical to understand how fast things are changing,” John Abraham, a professor at the University of St. Thomas and a co-author of the paper, said in a news release Monday. “The key to answering this question is in the oceans — that’s where the vast majority of heat ends up. If you want to understand global warming, you have to measure ocean warming.”
The study was published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.
The news follows a string of troubling environmental news: Last week, European researchers said 2019 was the second-hottest year on record, and the 2010s had officially become the hottest decade ever recorded. And in September, the United Nations’ climate change body found that the planet’s oceans and ice sheets were changing in “unprecedented” and shocking ways that could soon affect hundreds of millions of people living in low-lying or coastal areas.
The latest research relies heavily on a state-of-the-art network of more than 3,800 floats that measure sea temperatures, a project known as Argo. The devices are deployed around the globe.
This photo provided by NOAA Corps shows an Argo float being deployed to capture ocean temperature data. Lt. Elizabeth Crapo/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Associated Press
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Michael Mann, a professor at Penn State University and another author of the study, told The Guardian the data didn’t just measure 2019 as the hottest year but also found the “largest single-year increase” in ocean temperatures in the entire decade. Mann called the finding a “sobering reminder that human-caused heating of our planet continues unabated.”
The oceans are one of the largest bellwethers of climate change: More than 90% of the planet’s excess heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is absorbed by them.
“The ocean heating is irrefutable, and a key measure of the Earth’s energy imbalance: the excess GHGs in the air trap more heat inside the climate system and drives global warming,” the authors wrote. “More than 90% of the heat accumulates in the ocean because of its large heat capacity, and the remaining heating manifests as atmospheric warming, a drying and warming landmass, and melting of land and sea ice.”
The paper notes that warmer waters “significantly affect sea life,” particular the planet’s coral reefs and temperature-sensitive organisms.
Coral reefs, in particular, have been hit hard by warming ocean temperatures. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was devastated by a series of back-to-back mass bleaching events that left large swaths of the structure dying or dead. Researchers said at the time the reef was effectively cooked by hot water.
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Researchers and activists have called on world leaders to address the climate crisis in recent years, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said at the body’s climate summit last month that the planet was at a “critical juncture” to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But the 2019 meeting was largely a failure, and no new deals to avert catastrophe were adopted.
The authors of the ocean temperature study note that, even should the world dramatically scale back the burning of fossil fuels in order to keep the planet from warming more than 2 degrees Celsius — the level at which scientists say we must stay beneath to avoid catastrophic consequences — the oceans will likely keep changing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--U.S. Citizen Dies In Egyptian Custody After Years Of Pleading For Trump's Help

Mustafa Kassem , an American father of two who spent more than six years locked up in Egypt , died on Monday while still in custody , a reminder of how the U.S. struggles to balance its ties to repressive regimes with its stated commitments to human rights and its own citizens ― often with deadly consequences .
Kassem , who had been on a liquids-only hunger strike , was 54 .
His advocates told HuffPost they never felt fully supported by Washington , which funnels more than $ 1 billion to Egypt each year , or American officials on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who in 2017 loudly celebrated his role in securing the release of one American detained by Cairo , never publicly responded to entreaties from Kassem to help in even small ways .
He instead has counted Egypt as a close partner , and last year called its autocratic leader “ my favorite dictator.
” “ I have seen you defend other Americans .
I ask you , why not me ?
” Kassem wrote to Trump on Sept. 12 , 2018 , in a message his attorney sent to the White House and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks for the space and time to grieve and to come to terms with their loss , ” the group said in a statement , adding that it will have further comment at a later time .
Sen. Patrick Leahy ( D-Vt. ) called Kassem ’ s death as a prisoner “ a monumental , unforgiveable travesty.
” Leahy , one of a handful of U.S. lawmakers who spent years advocating for Kassem , added in a statement , “ It could easily have been prevented .
...
It is high time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recognize that we can not continue to reward such reprehensible conduct.
” “ We send our sincere condolences to Mr. Kassem ’ s wife and family at this painful time , ” David Schenker , a top State Department Middle East official , said to reporters Monday afternoon .
“ I ’ ll continue to raise our serious concerns over human rights and Americans detained in Egypt at every opportunity , as will the entire team at the Department of State.
” An Egyptian court sentenced Kassem , a New York resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mass trial with 700 other people on Sept. 8 , 2018 , for allegedly being part of a protest that President Abdel Fatteh el-Sisi ’ s government considered linked to terrorism .
Kassem and his family consistently denied that he was part of any wrongdoing .
Kassem had diabetes and had largely been on the liquid-only hunger strike since his conviction .
Last summer , family members said he was becoming significantly weaker and expressed fear that he might die behind bars , pointing to the example of former Egyptian president Mohamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance last June after years in detention .
Egyptian authorities first arrested Kassem on Aug. 14 , 2013 , when he was on his way home from exchanging money during a day of street protests , according to his family and his letters to Trump .
His relatives maintained that he was not part of the demonstrations and that he was treated especially poorly because he had his U.S. passport with him and was treated as a spy .
El-Sisi , who re-established military-dominated rule in Cairo after a brief democratic interlude run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its broadest wave of repression in the nation ’ s recent history .
His prisons now hold upward of 60,000 people and security forces have cracked down on journalists and minority communities like the LGBTQ population .
President Barack Obama ’ s administration was aware of Americans ensnared in the crackdowns , who numbered 20 in total by 2017 .
His team worked on freeing activist Aya Hijazi ( who was ultimately released under Trump ) and learned of Kassem and others in 2016 , former White House aide Andrew Miller told HuffPost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 20 , 2017 , supporters of three of the imprisoned U.S. citizens ― Kassem , Ahmed Etiwy and Ahmed Hassan ― went public with their cases in hopes that the new president would help their loved ones as part of his “ America First ” approach to foreign policy .
Yet Trump also said he did not think it was America ’ s role to push other governments on such matters , and he showed a fondness for strongmen like el-Sisi , Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea dictator Kim Jong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not be helpful beyond ensuring he did not die , his brother-in-law told HuffPost in 2017 .
The State Department initially declined to acknowledge his and similar cases publicly , but did so in a 2017 message to concerned lawmakers that was shared with HuffPost ; the department said it was monitoring the situation closely .
In January 2018 , Vice President Mike Pence took note of the imprisonment of Kassem and Etiwy during remarks on a trip to Egypt ― a watershed moment that was followed by Etiwy ’ s release @ @ @

Mustafa Kassem, an American father of two who spent more than six years locked up in Egypt, died on Monday while still in custody, a reminder of how the U.S. struggles to balance its ties to repressive regimes with its stated commitments to human rights and its own citizens ― often with deadly consequences.
Kassem, who had been on a liquids-only hunger strike, was 54. His advocates told HuffPost they never felt fully supported by Washington, which funnels more than $1 billion to Egypt each year, or American officials on the ground.
President Donald Trump, who in 2017 loudly celebrated his role in securing the release of one American detained by Cairo, never publicly responded to entreaties from Kassem to help in even small ways. He instead has counted Egypt as a close partner, and last year called its autocratic leader “my favorite dictator.”
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“I have seen you defend other Americans. I ask you, why not me?” Kassem wrote to Trump on Sept. 12, 2018, in a message his attorney sent to the White House and shared with HuffPost.
The nonprofit representing Kassem, Pretrial Rights International, confirmed his death.
“The family asks for the space and time to grieve and to come to terms with their loss,” the group said in a statement, adding that it will have further comment at a later time.
“For shame, Egypt,” Amy Hawthorne, the research director at the Project on Middle East Democracy and a former State Department official, wrote on Twitter.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called Kassem’s death as a prisoner “a monumental, unforgiveable travesty.” Leahy, one of a handful of U.S. lawmakers who spent years advocating for Kassem, added in a statement, “It could easily have been prevented. ... It is high time that the Congress, and the White House, recognize that we cannot continue to reward such reprehensible conduct.”
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“We send our sincere condolences to Mr. Kassem’s wife and family at this painful time,” David Schenker, a top State Department Middle East official, said to reporters Monday afternoon. “I’ll continue to raise our serious concerns over human rights and Americans detained in Egypt at every opportunity, as will the entire team at the Department of State.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Kassem’s death.
An Egyptian court sentenced Kassem, a New York resident, to 15 years in prison in a mass trial with 700 other people on Sept. 8, 2018, for allegedly being part of a protest that President Abdel Fatteh el-Sisi’s government considered linked to terrorism. Kassem and his family consistently denied that he was part of any wrongdoing.
Kassem had diabetes and had largely been on the liquid-only hunger strike since his conviction. Last summer, family members said he was becoming significantly weaker and expressed fear that he might die behind bars, pointing to the example of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who died during a courtroom appearance last June after years in detention.
Kassem stopped accepting liquids on Thursday and was then transferred to a hospital, where he died in the afternoon local time, per Pretrial Rights International.
Egyptian authorities first arrested Kassem on Aug. 14, 2013, when he was on his way home from exchanging money during a day of street protests, according to his family and his letters to Trump. His relatives maintained that he was not part of the demonstrations and that he was treated especially poorly because he had his U.S. passport with him and was treated as a spy.
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El-Sisi, who re-established military-dominated rule in Cairo after a brief democratic interlude run by Morsi, has subjected Egypt to its broadest wave of repression in the nation’s recent history. His prisons now hold upward of 60,000 people and security forces have cracked down on journalists and minority communities like the LGBTQ population.
President Barack Obama’s administration was aware of Americans ensnared in the crackdowns, who numbered 20 in total by 2017. His team worked on freeing activist Aya Hijazi (who was ultimately released under Trump) and learned of Kassem and others in 2016, former White House aide Andrew Miller told HuffPost.
American diplomats typically advise families of citizens detained abroad to keep the government informed but avoid public campaigning that could jeopardize backchannel attempts to secure their release.
After Trump took office in on Jan. 20, 2017, supporters of three of the imprisoned U.S. citizens ― Kassem, Ahmed Etiwy and Ahmed Hassan ― went public with their cases in hopes that the new president would help their loved ones as part of his “America First” approach to foreign policy. Yet Trump also said he did not think it was America’s role to push other governments on such matters, and he showed a fondness for strongmen like el-Sisi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un.
U.S. diplomats told Kassem they could not be helpful beyond ensuring he did not die, his brother-in-law told HuffPost in 2017. The State Department initially declined to acknowledge his and similar cases publicly, but did so in a 2017 message to concerned lawmakers that was shared with HuffPost; the department said it was monitoring the situation closely. In January 2018, Vice President Mike Pence took note of the imprisonment of Kassem and Etiwy during remarks on a trip to Egypt ― a watershed moment that was followed by Etiwy’s release that May.
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But Egypt’s clampdown continued to affect Americans under Trump’s watch. The country detained two more U.S. citizens in 2018 and 2019 ― Khaled Hassan and Reem Mohamed Desouky ― and arrested two green card holders in 2017, placing them in solitary confinement.
“A citizen who believed his American passport would protect him out there in the world is now dying in an Egyptian prison,” Kassem’s brother-in-law wrote in The New York Times in 2018. “A short phone call or a tweet from President Trump could save an American’s life.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-14--Democrats Gear Up For High-Stakes Debate In Iowa

The seventh debate in the race to find a November challenger to President Donald Trump will be the last face-to-face encounter among the candidates before Iowa ’ s caucuses on Feb. 3 , giving the contenders a final high-profile chance to make their case to voters .
It comes as opinion polls in recent days show an extremely tight race among four candidates - former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden , U.S .
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend , Indiana .
Joining the four in the debate are U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steyer .
With surveys showing a virtual tie in Iowa and a largely undecided electorate , all candidates will face mounting pressure to make an impression , raising expectations for a contentious evening .
“ I envision a much more aggressive debate than we have seen in the past , primarily because the stakes have gotten higher as the calendar has gotten shorter , ” said Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis , who worked on John Edwards ’ past White House campaign .
It is the first debate since a U.S. air strike killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy concerns and sparking clashes among Democrats , particularly Biden and Sanders , over the role of U.S. military interventions .
That dispute is almost certain to rise again .
Sanders , a longtime antiwar advocate who voted in 2002 against authorizing the Iraq invasion , has repeatedly criticized Biden for his vote as a U.S. senator to authorize the war .
Biden , a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , has touted his security credentials .
The campaigns of Sanders and Warren , progressive allies and friends who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the weekend over a report that some Sanders campaign volunteers were instructed to describe Warren as a candidate of the elite when talking to voters .
In a further sign of growing tensions between the two , Warren pushed back on Monday against Sanders ’ denial of a CNN report that he told her in a 2018 meeting he did not believe a woman could beat Trump in the 2020 election .
The Iowa debate also comes just days before the expected start of a Senate trial to determine if Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden .
Three of the Democrats in the debate who serve in the Senate - Sanders , Warren and Klobuchar - will sit as jurors in the impeachment trial , giving them an elevated role in the process .
The debate stage will be the least crowded since the debates began in June , with the Democratic National Committee ’ s toughened polling and fundraising requirements to qualify eliminating other candidates .
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang , an Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s seven-candidate debate , did not make the cut this time , leaving an all-white field of debaters in a party that prides itself on its diversity .
The withdrawal from the race on Monday of U.S .
Senator Cory Booker , an African American , leaves only one black candidate , former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick , in what had once been the most diverse field of presidential contenders in U.S. history .
The uncrowded stage should help some candidates connect with more voters , giving them a bigger spotlight and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Buttigieg and Klobuchar all need a win or a top-tier showing in Iowa to propel them into the next contests in New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina .
Some of the biggest strongholds for Biden and Sanders are in later early voting states - South Carolina for Biden and New Hampshire for Sanders - giving them more of a shot to recover from a poorer-than-expected showing .
But a decisive win in Iowa could allow either of them to take control of the race .
“ For the candidates who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this might be your last chance .
It ’ s now or never , ” said Kelly Dietrich , a Democratic strategist who runs a national training program for political candidates and staff .
The Iowa debate will be the first of four to be held in slightly more than a month as the first four states kick off the voting in February .
The next debate will be Feb. 7 in New Hampshire , followed by debates on Feb. 19 in Nevada and Feb. 25 in South Carolina .

The seventh debate in the race to find a November challenger to President Donald Trump will be the last face-to-face encounter among the candidates before Iowa’s caucuses on Feb. 3, giving the contenders a final high-profile chance to make their case to voters.
It comes as opinion polls in recent days show an extremely tight race among four candidates - former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana.
Joining the four in the debate are U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and billionaire activist Tom Steyer.
With surveys showing a virtual tie in Iowa and a largely undecided electorate, all candidates will face mounting pressure to make an impression, raising expectations for a contentious evening.
“I envision a much more aggressive debate than we have seen in the past, primarily because the stakes have gotten higher as the calendar has gotten shorter,” said Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis, who worked on John Edwards’ past White House campaign.
It is the first debate since a U.S. air strike killed an Iranian military commander, elevating foreign policy concerns and sparking clashes among Democrats, particularly Biden and Sanders, over the role of U.S. military interventions. That dispute is almost certain to rise again.
Sanders, a longtime antiwar advocate who voted in 2002 against authorizing the Iraq invasion, has repeatedly criticized Biden for his vote as a U.S. senator to authorize the war. Biden, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has touted his security credentials.
The campaigns of Sanders and Warren, progressive allies and friends who have refrained from attacking each other, clashed over the weekend over a report that some Sanders campaign volunteers were instructed to describe Warren as a candidate of the elite when talking to voters.
In a further sign of growing tensions between the two, Warren pushed back on Monday against Sanders’ denial of a CNN report that he told her in a 2018 meeting he did not believe a woman could beat Trump in the 2020 election.
The Iowa debate also comes just days before the expected start of a Senate trial to determine if Trump should be removed from office, on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden.
Three of the Democrats in the debate who serve in the Senate - Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar - will sit as jurors in the impeachment trial, giving them an elevated role in the process.
ALL-WHITE DEBATE STAGE
The debate stage will be the least crowded since the debates began in June, with the Democratic National Committee’s toughened polling and fundraising requirements to qualify eliminating other candidates.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, an Asian American who participated in last month’s seven-candidate debate, did not make the cut this time, leaving an all-white field of debaters in a party that prides itself on its diversity.
The withdrawal from the race on Monday of U.S. Senator Cory Booker, an African American, leaves only one black candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, in what had once been the most diverse field of presidential contenders in U.S. history.
The uncrowded stage should help some candidates connect with more voters, giving them a bigger spotlight and more time to explain their views.
Warren, Buttigieg and Klobuchar all need a win or a top-tier showing in Iowa to propel them into the next contests in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Some of the biggest strongholds for Biden and Sanders are in later early voting states - South Carolina for Biden and New Hampshire for Sanders - giving them more of a shot to recover from a poorer-than-expected showing. But a decisive win in Iowa could allow either of them to take control of the race.
“For the candidates who are putting all their chips in Iowa, this might be your last chance. It’s now or never,” said Kelly Dietrich, a Democratic strategist who runs a national training program for political candidates and staff.
The Iowa debate will be the first of four to be held in slightly more than a month as the first four states kick off the voting in February. The next debate will be Feb. 7 in New Hampshire, followed by debates on Feb. 19 in Nevada and Feb. 25 in South Carolina.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--Stephanie Grisham Peddles Outrageous Defense Of Trump’s Anti-Muslim Retweet

The outrage only intensified when White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham delivered a stunning defense of the president ’ s Islamophobic retweet later that day in which she accused Democrats of “ almost taking the side of terrorists.
” The tweet , sent Monday morning by Twitter user @ D0wn_Under before Trump shared it with his nearly 71 million followers hours later , featured the manipulated image along with the caption : “ The corrupted Dems trying their best to come to the Ayatollah ’ s rescue.
” Pelosi , Schumer and other Democrats , as well as some Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 3 drone assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani without first consulting Congress or having specific evidence to show the Iranians planned an imminent attack against Americans .
“ When # hate & division are on the rise , this is the opposite of what we need from the President , ” Greenblatt wrote .
“ An apology is in order ASAP.
” It 's outrageous that @ realDonaldTrump elevated such repulsive anti-Muslim bigotry .
# Islamophobia is offensive & unbecoming of any leader , let alone @ POTUS .
When # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is the opposite of what we need from the President .
An apology is in order ASAP .
pic.twitter.com/dv1rEzynpW — Jonathan Greenblatt ( @ JGreenblattADL ) January 13 , 2020 “ I think the president is making clear that the Democrats have been parroting Iranian talking points and almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill the Americans , ” Grisham told host Harris Faulkner .
She continued : “ I think the president was making the point that the Democrats seem to hate him so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on the side of countries and leadership of countries who want to kill Americans.
” Faulkner , failing to push back on Grisham ’ s suggestion that Democrats are terrorist sympathizers , responded that Trump ’ s recent tweet in Farsi in support of Iranian protesters was reportedly the “ leading Persian tweet in Twitter ’ s history.
” “ So followed by this retweet , you can understand why people are concerned , ” she told Grisham , who went on to praise Trump ’ s leadership on Iran policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats who should be on the side of this president and rejoicing that a terrorist was killed , ” she said .
Stephanie Grisham defends Trump retweet of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer doctored image : '' I think the president is making clear that the Democrats have been parroting Iranian talking points and almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill the Americans . ''
pic.twitter.com/NvgE035Z8q — JM Rieger ( @ RiegerReport ) January 13 , 2020 Grisham , already facing criticism this week for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefings are simply looking for “ a moment ” rather than information , echoed comments made by Rep. Doug Collins ( R-Ga. ) last week .
It was not immediately clear who @ D0wn_Under is and whether the user has any connection to Trump or the White House .
The account has not been verified by Twitter and the user ’ s profile picture appears to be a headshot of Italian professional motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi .
Grisham ’ s abhorrent defense of Trump ’ s retweet follows her eyebrow-raising response to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials urging the Trump administration to hold regular press briefings .
Grisham shrugged off the letter as “ groupthink ” and said reporters who want more press briefings are seeking “ a moment ” rather than information .

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President Donald Trump drew heated backlash on Monday after he retweeted an image doctored to show House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wearing Muslim garb in front of the Iranian flag.
The outrage only intensified when White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham delivered a stunning defense of the president’s Islamophobic retweet later that day in which she accused Democrats of “almost taking the side of terrorists.”
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The tweet, sent Monday morning by Twitter user @D0wn_Under before Trump shared it with his nearly 71 million followers hours later, featured the manipulated image along with the caption: “The corrupted Dems trying their best to come to the Ayatollah’s rescue.”
Pelosi, Schumer and other Democrats, as well as some Republicans, have criticized Trump for authorizing the Jan. 3 drone assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani without first consulting Congress or having specific evidence to show the Iranians planned an imminent attack against Americans.
The retweet faced immediate scrutiny on Twitter, including from Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who bashed Trump for elevating “such repulsive anti-Muslim bigotry.”
“When #hate & division are on the rise, this is the opposite of what we need from the President,” Greenblatt wrote. “An apology is in order ASAP.”
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It's outrageous that @realDonaldTrump elevated such repulsive anti-Muslim bigotry. #Islamophobia is offensive & unbecoming of any leader, let alone @POTUS. When #hate & division are on the rise, this is the opposite of what we need from the President. An apology is in order ASAP. pic.twitter.com/dv1rEzynpW — Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) January 13, 2020
Asked about the tweet and subsequent fallout during an appearance on Fox News, Grisham doubled down on Trump’s dangerous claims.
“I think the president is making clear that the Democrats have been parroting Iranian talking points and almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill the Americans,” Grisham told host Harris Faulkner.
She continued: “I think the president was making the point that the Democrats seem to hate him so much that they’re willing to be on the side of countries and leadership of countries who want to kill Americans.”
Faulkner, failing to push back on Grisham’s suggestion that Democrats are terrorist sympathizers, responded that Trump’s recent tweet in Farsi in support of Iranian protesters was reportedly the “leading Persian tweet in Twitter’s history.”
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“So followed by this retweet, you can understand why people are concerned,” she told Grisham, who went on to praise Trump’s leadership on Iran policy.
“If anything, it’s the Democrats who should be on the side of this president and rejoicing that a terrorist was killed,” she said.
Stephanie Grisham defends Trump retweet of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer doctored image:
"I think the president is making clear that the Democrats have been parroting Iranian talking points and almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill the Americans." pic.twitter.com/NvgE035Z8q — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) January 13, 2020
Grisham, already facing criticism this week for her claim that reporters who want regular press briefings are simply looking for “a moment” rather than information, echoed comments made by Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) last week.
Collins, during an interview with Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, had accused Democrats critical of Trump’s military action in Iran of being “in love with terrorists.”
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He apologized for his remarks on Twitter later following backlash.
It was not immediately clear who @D0wn_Under is and whether the user has any connection to Trump or the White House. The account has not been verified by Twitter and the user’s profile picture appears to be a headshot of Italian professional motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi.
Neither Grisham nor Twitter user @D0wn_Under immediately responded to HuffPost’s request for comment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--Elizabeth Warren Says Bernie Sanders Told Her A Woman Couldn’t Win In 2020

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday evening that Sen. Bernie Sanders told her during a private meeting in 2018 that he didn ’ t think a woman could win the 2020 presidential election .
“ Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate , ” the Massachusetts senator said in a statement about their meeting .
“ I thought a woman could win ; he disagreed.
” Warren went on to say that she didn ’ t plan to discuss the meeting again and emphasized that she and Sanders have “ far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Warren ’ s revelation came hours after CNN published a report about Sanders ’ comments cited to anonymous sources with knowledge of the conversation .
The report was based on accounts from two people Warren spoke with soon after her December 2018 sit-down with Sanders and two other people familiar with the meeting , which the two senators held to discuss the possibility that they would both be running for the Democratic presidential nomination .
After Warren told the Vermont independent she believed that broad support from female voters would make her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sanders reportedly responded that he did not believe a woman could win .
“ It is ludicrous to believe that at the same meeting where Elizabeth Warren told me she was going to run for president , I would tell her that a woman couldn ’ t win , ” he said .
“ It ’ s sad that , three weeks before the Iowa caucus and a year after that private conversation , staff who weren ’ t in the room are lying about what happened .
What I did say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sexist , a racist and a liar who would weaponize whatever he could .
Do I believe a woman can win in 2020 ?
Of course !
After all , Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 3 million votes in 2016.
” Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren reportedly made a pact not to disparage each other on the campaign trail .
The report comes amid rising tension between the two candidates ’ campaigns .
On Saturday , Politico published some of the scripts that Sanders ’ campaign apparently gave volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who support her are highly-educated , more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what ” and that “ she ’ s bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party .
”

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday evening that Sen. Bernie Sanders told her during a private meeting in 2018 that he didn’t think a woman could win the 2020 presidential election.
“Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate,” the Massachusetts senator said in a statement about their meeting. “I thought a woman could win; he disagreed.”
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Warren went on to say that she didn’t plan to discuss the meeting again and emphasized that she and Sanders have “far more in common than our differences on punditry.”
Warren’s revelation came hours after CNN published a report about Sanders’ comments cited to anonymous sources with knowledge of the conversation. The report was based on accounts from two people Warren spoke with soon after her December 2018 sit-down with Sanders and two other people familiar with the meeting, which the two senators held to discuss the possibility that they would both be running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
After Warren told the Vermont independent she believed that broad support from female voters would make her a strong competitor against President Donald Trump, Sanders reportedly responded that he did not believe a woman could win.
Hours after the initial report, Warren supported CNN’s account of the conversation in a statement.
In response to a great deal of questions we’ve had today, below is a statement from Elizabeth Warren: pic.twitter.com/PdBCHJQCJE — Kristen Orthman (@KristenOrthman) January 14, 2020
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Earlier on Monday, Sanders had issued a strong rebuke of how CNN’s sources characterized his remarks.
“It is ludicrous to believe that at the same meeting where Elizabeth Warren told me she was going to run for president, I would tell her that a woman couldn’t win,” he said. “It’s sad that, three weeks before the Iowa caucus and a year after that private conversation, staff who weren’t in the room are lying about what happened. What I did say that night was that Donald Trump is a sexist, a racist and a liar who would weaponize whatever he could. Do I believe a woman can win in 2020? Of course! After all, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 3 million votes in 2016.”
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren reportedly made a pact not to disparage each other on the campaign trail. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The report comes amid rising tension between the two candidates’ campaigns. On Saturday, Politico published some of the scripts that Sanders’ campaign apparently gave volunteers. Talking points included claims that “people who support her are highly-educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what” and that “she’s bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--Texas Catholic Bishops Denounce Governor's Decision To End Refugee Resettlement

“ It denies people who are fleeing persecution , including religious persecution , from being able to bring their gifts and talents to our state and contribute to the general common good of all Texans , ” the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops wrote in their statement .
“ The refugees who have already resettled in Texas have made our communities even more vibrant.
” Abbott ’ s decision could have a crucial impact on refugee resettlement during a period when Trump has already slashed refugee admissions to historically low levels .
During the federal government ’ s 2019 fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Texas resettled more new refugees than any other state , according to the Pew Research Center .
And since the 2002 fiscal year , Texas has resettled about 88,300 refugees , second only to California .
“ At this time , the state and non-profit organizations have a responsibility to dedicate available resources to those who are already here , including refugees , migrants , and the homeless ― indeed all Texans , ” Abbott wrote in his letter .
As a Catholic , Abbott has cited his faith to support anti-abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue of refugees , the governor ’ s stance sharply diverges from the official positions of his church ― and the example set by Pope Francis .
The pope has long been a vocal advocate for refugees and has called on the nations of the world to take in as many refugees as possible .
In December , Francis gave 33 refugees from Afghanistan , Cameroon and Togo a chance to build new lives in Italy .
Their resettlement was financed by the Holy See and by the Community of Sant ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t the first time Abbott has tried to stop refugees from coming to Texas .
After terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 , the governor and other Texas Republican officials tried to prevent the Obama administration from sending Syrian refugees to their state .
Abbott claimed that Syrian refugees posed a security threat because “ any one of [ them ] could be connected to terrorism.
” Back then , he told the San Antonio Express-News that while individual Christians have a biblical responsibility to be charitable , the government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect the “ safety and security of its people.
” “ These refugees are people who have followed the legal vetting process in the United States and that President Trump has approved , ” Olson said in a statement on Friday .
“ They have been screened and identified by the federal immigration administration and scheduled to arrive this year.
” Most new refugees have a family member or friend in the U.S. that they hope to unite with , news site Crux reports .
Abbott ’ s decision means that for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be able to initially settle near loved ones in Texas ― although they could move to Texas after first being received by another state .
In response to HuffPost ’ s questions , John Wittman , a spokesman for Abbott , did not address the governor ’ s apparent break with Catholic teaching .
He emphasized that Abbott ’ s decision won ’ t prevent refugees from coming to the U.S. or stop refugees from moving to Texas after initially settling in another state .
“ The refugee issue is not especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholics are notorious for rejecting their leaders ’ guidance when it comes to morally-tinged political issues , whether that guidance tries to push them leftward or rightward , ” he said in an email .
“ Thus , you find large numbers of Catholics ( especially less devout ones ) who support legal abortion , gay marriage , the death penalty , and restrictive immigration policies , despite church teachings to the contrary .
”

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The Roman Catholic bishops of Texas are roundly criticizing Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent decision to end the official resettlement of refugees in Texas.
The Republican governor, who identifies as Catholic, announced Friday that Texas will be taking advantage of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order allowing individual states to refuse to participate in the federal refugee resettlement program.
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The 16 Catholic bishops based in Texas quickly responded with a joint statement calling Abbott’s decision “misguided.”
“It denies people who are fleeing persecution, including religious persecution, from being able to bring their gifts and talents to our state and contribute to the general common good of all Texans,” the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops wrote in their statement. “The refugees who have already resettled in Texas have made our communities even more vibrant.”
“As Catholics, an essential aspect of our faith is to welcome the stranger and care for the alien,” the bishops added.
Gov. Greg Abbott, seen here greeting President Donald Trump in May 2018, appears to share Trump's concerns about refugees. Joshua Roberts / Reuters
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Abbott’s decision could have a crucial impact on refugee resettlement during a period when Trump has already slashed refugee admissions to historically low levels. During the federal government’s 2019 fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30, Texas resettled more new refugees than any other state, according to the Pew Research Center. And since the 2002 fiscal year, Texas has resettled about 88,300 refugees, second only to California.
Abbott said Friday that Texas has done “more than its share” in assisting the refugee resettlement process.
“At this time, the state and non-profit organizations have a responsibility to dedicate available resources to those who are already here, including refugees, migrants, and the homeless ― indeed all Texans,” Abbott wrote in his letter.
As a Catholic, Abbott has cited his faith to support anti-abortion and other conservative policies. But on the issue of refugees, the governor’s stance sharply diverges from the official positions of his church ― and the example set by Pope Francis.
The pope has long been a vocal advocate for refugees and has called on the nations of the world to take in as many refugees as possible. In December, Francis gave 33 refugees from Afghanistan, Cameroon and Togo a chance to build new lives in Italy. Their resettlement was financed by the Holy See and by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic charity.
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Pope Francis delivers a speech at the Vatican on Dec. 19, 2019, during an audience with refugees who'd arrived from the Greek island of Lesbos. ANSA/ETTORE FERRARI/Pool via REUTERS
American Catholic groups have been heavily involved in refugee resettlement. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is one of nine volunteer agencies that contract with the federal government to resettle refugees.
This isn’t the first time Abbott has tried to stop refugees from coming to Texas. After terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015, the governor and other Texas Republican officials tried to prevent the Obama administration from sending Syrian refugees to their state. Abbott claimed that Syrian refugees posed a security threat because “any one of [them] could be connected to terrorism.”
Back then, he told the San Antonio Express-News that while individual Christians have a biblical responsibility to be charitable, the government has a different biblically mandated task ― to protect the “safety and security of its people.”
Bishop Michael Olson, who leads the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, suggested last week that security isn’t an issue with these new refugees.
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“These refugees are people who have followed the legal vetting process in the United States and that President Trump has approved,” Olson said in a statement on Friday. “They have been screened and identified by the federal immigration administration and scheduled to arrive this year.”
Most new refugees have a family member or friend in the U.S. that they hope to unite with, news site Crux reports. Abbott’s decision means that for the next fiscal year, refugees won’t be able to initially settle near loved ones in Texas ― although they could move to Texas after first being received by another state.
In response to HuffPost’s questions, John Wittman, a spokesman for Abbott, did not address the governor’s apparent break with Catholic teaching. He emphasized that Abbott’s decision won’t prevent refugees from coming to the U.S. or stop refugees from moving to Texas after initially settling in another state.
“No one seeking refugee status in the United States will be denied that status because of the Texas decision,” Wittman said.
Matthew Wilson, a scholar at Dallas’ Southern Methodist University who is studying the political behavior of American Catholics, told HuffPost that he doesn’t think Abbott will pay a political price among Catholic voters for this decision.
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“The refugee issue is not especially central for most voters, and American Catholics are notorious for rejecting their leaders’ guidance when it comes to morally-tinged political issues, whether that guidance tries to push them leftward or rightward,” he said in an email. “Thus, you find large numbers of Catholics (especially less devout ones) who support legal abortion, gay marriage, the death penalty, and restrictive immigration policies, despite church teachings to the contrary.”
El Paso, Texas, Bishop Mark Seitz (center) participates in a Nov. 4, 2017, mass attended by hundreds of Mexican and U.S. Catholics, held in memory of migrants killed by crossing the Rio Bravo in their attempt to reach the United States. AFP Contributor via Getty Images
Under Trump’s executive order, issued in September of last year, the administration requires resettlement agencies to obtain written consent from state and local officials before resettling refugees. Texas is the first state to say no. Forty-two other states have agreed to continue welcoming refugees, according to the Associated Press.
Three faith-based refugee resettlement agencies have requested a preliminary injunction that would stop the Trump administration from enforcing the executive order. (The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is not a plaintiff in that case.) A federal judge in Maryland is expected to issue a decision on that matter this week.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-13--Rudy Giuliani Desperately Wants To Join Trump's Impeachment Defense Team

Giuliani , who has acted as Trump ’ s attorney for free since early 2018 , has been “ working Trump hard ” to be included among the lawyers who will defend him on the floor of the Senate , according to an informal adviser close to the White House who spoke on condition of anonymity .
The White House declined to comment on Giuliani .
A second informal adviser said Giuliani has not really been aggressively lobbying , but has made it known that he is “ available ” to offer his services .
“ They said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the adviser said , also on condition of anonymity .
The former New York City mayor has , however , made it clear in recent public statements that he would enjoy arguing Trump ’ s case before the Senate .
“ I ’ d try the case .
I ’ d love to try the case , ” Giuliani told reporters at Trump ’ s New Year ’ s Eve party for paying guests at his Palm Beach resort .
“ I don ’ t know if anybody would have the courage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you give me the case , I will prosecute it as a racketeering case.
” And Saturday night , Giuliani told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro he would ask for the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss the case against Trump , which , in his view , would have the effect of expunging the impeachment from Trump ’ s record .
“ I would say if it ’ s nonconstitutional , it ’ s null and void , ” he said .
Top White House aide Kellyanne Conway told reporters Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by White House counsel Pat Cipollone , his two deputies and Jay Sekulow , another of Trump ’ s personal lawyers .
She was noncommittal on the possibility of any others joining the team .
Giuliani , a onetime federal prosecutor , bought into the false story that Russia had not helped Trump win the 2016 election , but rather it was Ukraine framing Russia with fake evidence .
Giuliani was making that story a centerpiece of his planned rebuttal to special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s report .
Mueller found last spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and welcomed election help from Russia but did not engage in a criminal conspiracy to obtain it .
The special counsel did not recommend any specific actions by Congress against Trump , and the White House never released Giuliani ’ s response .
Giuliani nonetheless continued pushing the theory to Trump — particularly the element that former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter Biden had somehow been involved and that an investigation into the younger Biden ’ s job with a Ukrainian energy company could hurt his father ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring , Trump and his top advisers believed Biden presented the most potent threat against Trump ’ s reelection .
“ Go talk to Rudy , ” recalled Gordon Sondland , the U.S. ambassador to the European Union who had become Trump ’ s point person in charge of Ukraine after the president , at Giuliani ’ s urging , recalled the ambassador to Ukraine back to Washington .
Trump even personally referred the new Ukrainian president to Giuliani in their July 25 phone call .
“ I will have Mr. Giuliani give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a rough transcript released by the White House .
“ Rudy very much knows what ’ s happening , and he is a very capable guy .
If you could speak to him that would be great.
” Trump was impeached last month for trying to coerce Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into opening investigations into the Bidens and the election conspiracy theory , using $ 391 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine as leverage .
Trump had ordered the aid withheld but released it after learning that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his conduct and that it was likely to reach Congress .
Former NSC staffer Fiona Hill testified during the impeachment proceedings that the conspiracy theory was actually Russian disinformation designed to obscure the country ’ s responsibility for helping Trump win .
“ This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves , ” she said .
Trump ’ s own former homeland security adviser , Tom Bossert , called the theory baseless in an interview with ABC News .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely debunked , ” he said in September .
“ I don ’ t want to be glib about this matter , but last year , retired former Senator Judd Gregg wrote in The Hill magazine Five Ways or Three Ways to Impeach Oneself and the third way was to hire Rudy Giuliani .
”

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WASHINGTON — Rudy Giuliani, whose advocacy of a debunked conspiracy theory ultimately led to President Donald Trump’s impeachment, is lobbying to join the president’s defense team in the Senate trial but has so far been rebuffed.
Giuliani, who has acted as Trump’s attorney for free since early 2018, has been “working Trump hard” to be included among the lawyers who will defend him on the floor of the Senate, according to an informal adviser close to the White House who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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The White House declined to comment on Giuliani. A second informal adviser said Giuliani has not really been aggressively lobbying, but has made it known that he is “available” to offer his services. “They said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’” the adviser said, also on condition of anonymity.
Giuliani did not respond to HuffPost’s queries on the matter.
The former New York City mayor has, however, made it clear in recent public statements that he would enjoy arguing Trump’s case before the Senate. “I’d try the case. I’d love to try the case,” Giuliani told reporters at Trump’s New Year’s Eve party for paying guests at his Palm Beach resort. “I don’t know if anybody would have the courage to give me the case. But if you give me the case, I will prosecute it as a racketeering case.”
And Saturday night, Giuliani told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro he would ask for the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss the case against Trump, which, in his view, would have the effect of expunging the impeachment from Trump’s record. “I would say if it’s nonconstitutional, it’s null and void,” he said.
Trump responded by posting a tweet of the interview with the statement: “Thank you Rudy!”
Top White House aide Kellyanne Conway told reporters Friday that Trump’s case would be handled by White House counsel Pat Cipollone, his two deputies and Jay Sekulow, another of Trump’s personal lawyers. She was noncommittal on the possibility of any others joining the team.
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“I’d try the case. I’d love to try the case,” Rudy Giuliani told reporters of President Trump's Senate impeachment trial. JIM WATSON via Getty Images
Giuliani, a onetime federal prosecutor, bought into the false story that Russia had not helped Trump win the 2016 election, but rather it was Ukraine framing Russia with fake evidence. Giuliani was making that story a centerpiece of his planned rebuttal to special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
Mueller found last spring that Trump’s campaign had expected and welcomed election help from Russia but did not engage in a criminal conspiracy to obtain it. The special counsel did not recommend any specific actions by Congress against Trump, and the White House never released Giuliani’s response.
Giuliani nonetheless continued pushing the theory to Trump — particularly the element that former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden had somehow been involved and that an investigation into the younger Biden’s job with a Ukrainian energy company could hurt his father’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Last spring, Trump and his top advisers believed Biden presented the most potent threat against Trump’s reelection.
According to testimony by State Department and National Security Council officials during impeachment proceedings in the House, Trump responded by referring them to Giuliani when questions arose about his Ukraine policy.
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“Go talk to Rudy,” recalled Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union who had become Trump’s point person in charge of Ukraine after the president, at Giuliani’s urging, recalled the ambassador to Ukraine back to Washington.
Trump even personally referred the new Ukrainian president to Giuliani in their July 25 phone call. “I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call,” Trump said, according to a rough transcript released by the White House. “Rudy very much knows what’s happening, and he is a very capable guy. If you could speak to him that would be great.”
Trump was impeached last month for trying to coerce Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into opening investigations into the Bidens and the election conspiracy theory, using $391 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine as leverage. Trump had ordered the aid withheld but released it after learning that a whistleblower had filed a formal complaint about his conduct and that it was likely to reach Congress.
Trump’s upcoming trial for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress notwithstanding, he has continued to push the conspiracy theory — a theory so convoluted that conservative radio host Glenn Beck needed two chalkboards to explain it all.
Former NSC staffer Fiona Hill testified during the impeachment proceedings that the conspiracy theory was actually Russian disinformation designed to obscure the country’s responsibility for helping Trump win. “This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves,” she said.
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