pbs--2020-01-21--Documents: Extremist group wanted Virginia gun rights rally to start a 'civil war'

COLLEGE PARK , Md .
( AP ) — A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war , federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday .
Former Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Jordan Mathews also videotaped himself advocating for killing people , poisoning water supplies and derailing trains , a prosecutor wrote in urging a judge in Maryland to keep Mathews and two other members of The Base detained in federal custody .
But the 27-year-old Canadian national didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening when he and two other group members talked about attending the Richmond rally in the days leading up to Monday ’ s event , which attracted tens of thousands of people and ended peacefully .
Last month , a closed-circuit television camera and microphone installed by investigators in a Delaware home captured Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a “ boundless ” opportunity .
“ And the thing is you ’ ve got tons of guys who … should be radicalized enough to know that all you got ta do is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia can spiral out to ( expletive ) full blown civil war , ” he said .
Mathews and fellow group member Brian Mark Lemley Jr. , 33 , of Elkton , Maryland , discussed the planning of violence at the Richmond rally , according to prosecutors .
Lemley talked about using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to ambush unsuspecting civilians and police officers , prosecutors said .
“ I need to claim my first victim , ” Lemley said on Dec. 23 , according to Tuesday ’ s detention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be literally hunting people , ” Mathews said , according to prosecutors .
“ You could provide overwatch while I get close to do what needs to be done to certain things.
” Lemley talked about ambushing a police officer to steal the officer ’ s weapons and tactical gear , saying , “ If there ’ s like a PoPo cruiser parked on the street and he doesn ’ t have backup , I can execute him at a whim and just take his stuff , ” according to prosecutors .
FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garfield Bilbrough IV , 19 , of Denton , Maryland last Thursday as part of a broader investigation of The Base .
Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men linked to the group .
Detention hearings for Mathews and Bilbrough are scheduled for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt , Maryland .
Their attorneys didn ’ t immediately respond to the memo filed Tuesday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom .
Mathews and Lemley are charged with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ harboring aliens.
” Bilbrough ’ s attorney , Robert Bonsib , said last Thursday that he was “ underwhelmed ” by a prosecutor ’ s arguments for keeping his client detained .
Bilbrough was the only one of the three men not facing a firearms-related charge .
“ I think this 19-year-old man should be released , ” Bonsib told reporters .
Lawyers for Mathews and Lemley declined to comment after last Thursday ’ s hearings .
Mathews , who was a combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve , illegally crossed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting by the Winnipeg Free Press led to his identification as a member of The Base .
Investigators believe Bilbrough and Lemley , who was a “ cavalry scout ” in the U.S. Army , drove from Maryland to Michigan to pick up Mathews and bring him to the Mid-Atlantic region , authorities said .
On Jan. 5 , Mathews and Lemley returned to the Delaware home from a gun range in Maryland and began packing rations and other material that investigators believe they planned to use during and after the Virginia rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ containers with food and supplies before Mathews remarked about needing to bring a gas mask , investigators said .
Lemley also said he thought they ’ d have food to last between three and five months and that it “ might be enough til the war is over , ” according to the filing .
Lemley had also discussed loading the truck “ for the war , ” the documents said .
Authorities said Lemley had also bought a 4-foot ( 1-meter ) metal antenna to attach to his truck to get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia confrontations .
A day before their arrests , Lemley told Mathews that “ there can not be no trust among a group of murderers , ” the detention memo says .
“ I can not trust you to keep my murdering secrets .
Not under threat of 30 years in jail and torture .
Why should I trust you ?
” Lemley asked .
“ You realize that they ’ re just going to call us terrorists , ” Mathews said minutes later .
As federal agents moved in to arrest Lemley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smashed cellphones and dropped the pieces in a toilet , a prosecutor said .
Bilbrough was arrested in Maryland .
Prosecutors say Bilbrough has repeatedly expressed an interest in traveling to Ukraine to fight alongside “ nationalists ” for several months .
U.S. and Canadian authorities had been searching for Mathews after his truck was found in September near the border between the two countries .
The Canadian military ’ s intelligence unit was investigating Mathews for “ possible racist extremist activities ” for several months , according to the Canadian Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of The Base and other white supremacist groups have frequently posted online messages advocating for “ accelerationism , ” a fringe philosophy in which far-right extremists “ have assigned to their desire to hasten the collapse of society as we know it.
” Last Friday , Georgia authorities announced that they arrested three members of The Base on charges they conspired to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group .
The arrests came after an undercover FBI agent infiltrated the group and participated in shooting drills in the mountains of northern Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Separately last Friday , the Justice Department charged a Wisconsin man who they say was also a member of The Base .
That man is accused of spray- painting swastikas , the group ’ s symbol and anti-Semitic words on a synagogue in Racine , Wisconsin , in September .
Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo in Washington , D.C. , contributed to this report .

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday.
Former Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Jordan Mathews also videotaped himself advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains, a prosecutor wrote in urging a judge in Maryland to keep Mathews and two other members of The Base detained in federal custody.
But the 27-year-old Canadian national didn’t know investigators were watching and listening when he and two other group members talked about attending the Richmond rally in the days leading up to Monday’s event, which attracted tens of thousands of people and ended peacefully.
Last month, a closed-circuit television camera and microphone installed by investigators in a Delaware home captured Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a “boundless” opportunity.
“And the thing is you’ve got tons of guys who … should be radicalized enough to know that all you gotta do is start making things go wrong and if Virginia can spiral out to (expletive) full blown civil war,” he said.
Mathews and fellow group member Brian Mark Lemley Jr., 33, of Elkton, Maryland, discussed the planning of violence at the Richmond rally, according to prosecutors. Lemley talked about using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to ambush unsuspecting civilians and police officers, prosecutors said.
“I need to claim my first victim,” Lemley said on Dec. 23, according to Tuesday’s detention memo.
“We could essentially like be literally hunting people,” Mathews said, according to prosecutors. “You could provide overwatch while I get close to do what needs to be done to certain things.”
Lemley talked about ambushing a police officer to steal the officer’s weapons and tactical gear, saying, “If there’s like a PoPo cruiser parked on the street and he doesn’t have backup, I can execute him at a whim and just take his stuff,” according to prosecutors.
FBI agents arrested Mathews, Lemley and William Garfield Bilbrough IV, 19, of Denton, Maryland last Thursday as part of a broader investigation of The Base. Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men linked to the group.
Detention hearings for Mathews and Bilbrough are scheduled for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland. Their attorneys didn’t immediately respond to the memo filed Tuesday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom.
Mathews and Lemley are charged with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony. Bilbrough is charged with “transporting and harboring aliens.”
Bilbrough’s attorney, Robert Bonsib, said last Thursday that he was “underwhelmed” by a prosecutor’s arguments for keeping his client detained. Bilbrough was the only one of the three men not facing a firearms-related charge.
“I think this 19-year-old man should be released,” Bonsib told reporters.
Lawyers for Mathews and Lemley declined to comment after last Thursday’s hearings.
Mathews, who was a combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve, illegally crossed the U.S. border near Minnesota in August after reporting by the Winnipeg Free Press led to his identification as a member of The Base.
Investigators believe Bilbrough and Lemley, who was a “cavalry scout” in the U.S. Army, drove from Maryland to Michigan to pick up Mathews and bring him to the Mid-Atlantic region, authorities said.
On Jan. 5, Mathews and Lemley returned to the Delaware home from a gun range in Maryland and began packing rations and other material that investigators believe they planned to use during and after the Virginia rally, court documents said.
They packed containers with food and supplies before Mathews remarked about needing to bring a gas mask, investigators said. Lemley also said he thought they’d have food to last between three and five months and that it “might be enough til the war is over,” according to the filing.
Lemley had also discussed loading the truck “for the war,” the documents said. Authorities said Lemley had also bought a 4-foot (1-meter) metal antenna to attach to his truck to get a better radio signal to communicate after any Virginia confrontations.
A day before their arrests, Lemley told Mathews that “there cannot be no trust among a group of murderers,” the detention memo says.
“I cannot trust you to keep my murdering secrets. Not under threat of 30 years in jail and torture. Why should I trust you?” Lemley asked.
“You realize that they’re just going to call us terrorists,” Mathews said minutes later.
As federal agents moved in to arrest Lemley and Matthews on Thursday, the men smashed cellphones and dropped the pieces in a toilet, a prosecutor said.
Bilbrough was arrested in Maryland. Prosecutors say Bilbrough has repeatedly expressed an interest in traveling to Ukraine to fight alongside “nationalists” for several months.
U.S. and Canadian authorities had been searching for Mathews after his truck was found in September near the border between the two countries. The Canadian military’s intelligence unit was investigating Mathews for “possible racist extremist activities” for several months, according to the Canadian Department of National Defence.
The Anti-Defamation League said members of The Base and other white supremacist groups have frequently posted online messages advocating for “accelerationism,” a fringe philosophy in which far-right extremists “have assigned to their desire to hasten the collapse of society as we know it.”
Last Friday, Georgia authorities announced that they arrested three members of The Base on charges they conspired to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group. The arrests came after an undercover FBI agent infiltrated the group and participated in shooting drills in the mountains of northern Georgia, according to a police affidavit.
Separately last Friday, the Justice Department charged a Wisconsin man who they say was also a member of The Base. That man is accused of spray- painting swastikas, the group’s symbol and anti-Semitic words on a synagogue in Racine, Wisconsin, in September.
Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-01-21--WATCH LIVE: Trump impeachment trial

WATCH LIVE: Trump impeachment trial -- January 22

House Democrats are expected to give their opening arguments Wednesday in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ to resume at 12:30 p.m .
ET .
Watch live in the video player .
@ @ @ @ @ swing after the Senate debated the resolution that will govern the trial ’ s procedures @ @ @ @ @ who will serve as the “ prosecutors ” in the impeachment trial–will have 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ to present their case .
The White House will then have the same amount of @ @ @ @ @ .
All 100 U.S. senators are considering two articles of impeachment–abuse of power and obstruction @ @ @ @ @ House approved the articles along party lines in December and impeached the president .
READ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump impeachment trial

House Democrats are expected to give their opening arguments Wednesday in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
The impeachment trial is expected to resume at 12:30 p.m. ET. Watch live in the video player.
The trial is in full swing after the Senate debated the resolution that will govern the trial’s procedures.
The House managers–seven Democrats who will serve as the “prosecutors” in the impeachment trial–will have 24 hours broken up over three days to present their case. The White House will then have the same amount of time to present its defense.
All 100 U.S. senators are considering two articles of impeachment–abuse of power and obstruction of Congress–against Trump. The House approved the articles along party lines in December and impeached the president.
READ MORE: Your guide to the Trump impeachment trial


pbs--2020-01-21--WATCH: McConnell backs off impeachment limits

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly eased his restrictive proposed rules for President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , backing off the condensed two-day schedule to add a third for opening arguments after protests from senators , including Republicans .
The trial quickly burst into a partisan fight at the Capitol as the president ’ s lawyers opened arguments Tuesday in support of McConnell ’ s plan .
Democrats objected loudly to McConnell ’ s initially proposed rules , and some Republicans made their concerns known in private at a GOP lunch .
Without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an amended proposal after meeting behind closed doors with his senators as the trial opened .
The handwritten changes would add the extra day and allow House evidence to be included in the record .
There is still deep disagreement about calling additional witnesses .
“ It ’ s time to start with this trial , ” said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone , the president ’ s lead lawyer in brief remarks as the proceedings opened in public .
“ It ’ s a fair process , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Your guide to the Trump impeachment trial Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session , senators having taken an oath last week to do “ impartial justice ” as jurors .
House prosecutors were on one side , Trump ’ s team on the other , in the well of the Senate as senators sat silent at their desks .
Senators were stunned by McConnell ’ s shift , and aides offered no immediate answers .
But a spokeswoman for Republican Sen. Susan Collins said that she and others had raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes as significant improvements , said spokeswoman Annie Clark .
The turnaround was a swift lesson as the White House ’ s wishes run into the reality of the Senate .
The White House wanted a session crammed into a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night , according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it in public .
“ READ THE TRANSCRIPTS !
” the president tweeted from miles away , as he returned to his hotel at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Switzerland .
That ’ s the transcript of his phone call in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiya for “ a favor.
” The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Trump , though he repeatedly describes it as “ perfect.
” Democrats had warned that the rules package from Trump ’ s ally , the Senate GOP leader , could force midnight sessions that would keep most Americans in the dark and create a sham proceeding .
“ This is not a process for a fair trial , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Ca.
, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution , told reporters .
He called it a “ cover-up.
” Schiff opened his arguments before the Senate playing a video of Trump calling for more witnesses to testify .
Schiff noted the sudden change in proposed rules , made moments before he spoke .
“ The facts will come out in the end , ” Schiff said .
“ The question is , will it come out in time ?
” McConnell said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive a level playing field , ” contrasting it with the House impeachment inquiry .
The rare impeachment trial , unfolding in an election year , is testing whether Trump ’ s actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House .
Just weeks before the first Democratic primary contests , four senators who are also presidential candidates were off the campaign trail , seated as jurors .
“ My focus is going to be on impeachment , ” Sen. Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic nomination , told reporters .
He said his supporters would keep working “ to defeat the most dangerous president in American history.
” The Democrats say the prospect of middle-of-the-night proceedings , without allowing new witnesses or even the voluminous House records of the trial , would leave the public without crucial information about Trump ’ s political pressure campaign on Ukraine and the White House ’ s obstruction of the House impeachment probe .
Rep. Jerry Nadler , the Judiciary Committee Chairman also leading the House team , said : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country where you wouldn ’ t admit relative witnesses.
” Trump ’ s legal team doesn ’ t dispute Trump ’ s actions — that he called the Ukraine president and asked for a “ favor ” during a July 25 phone call .
In fact , the lawyers included the rough transcript of Trump ’ s conversation as part of its 110-page trial brief submitted ahead of the proceedings .
Instead the lawyers for the president , led Cipollone and a TV-famous legal team including Alan Dershowitz , say the two charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to impeachable offenses and Trump committed no crime .
Legal scholars have long insisted the framers of the Constitution provided impeachment as a remedy for “ other high crimes and misdemeanors , ” a particularly broad definition that doesn ’ t mean simply specific criminal acts .
Democrats in prosecuting the case against the president point in particular to a General Accountability Office report that found the White House violated federal law by stalling money to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress .
House Democrats , responding Tuesday to arguments by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s legal filing confirmed that “ his misconduct is indefensible.
” They wrote , “ President Trump ’ s lengthy brief to the Senate is heavy on rhetoric and procedural grievances , but entirely lacks a legitimate defense of his misconduct.
” The president would “ rather discuss anything other than what he actually did , ” the Democrats wrote .
Roberts administered the oath to one remaining senator , James Inhofe , who was attending a family medical issue in Oklahoma last week when the other senators vowed the oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , the House Democratic managers overseeing the impeachment case asked Cipollone , the president ’ s lead lawyer at the trial , to disclose any “ first-hand knowledge ” he has of the charges against Trump .
They said evidence gathered so far indicates that Cipollone is a “ material witness ” to the allegations at hand .
House Democrats impeached the Republican president last month on two charges : abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the country to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperate with their investigation .
No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate .
With its 53-47 Republican majority , the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds voted needed for conviction .
Even if it did , the White House team argues it would be an “ ‘ unconstitutional conviction ” because the articles of impeachment were too broad .
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman , Mary Clare Jalonick , Alan Fram , Andrew Taylor , Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama in Washington and David Pitt in Des @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
• Read the full articles of impeachment against Trump • Should Trump be removed ?
Poll shows Americans are divided equally • WATCH : House votes to impeach Trump after hours of debate • ‘ Here ’ s the Deal ’ with impeachment .
Subscribe to our newsletter

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly eased his restrictive proposed rules for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, backing off the condensed two-day schedule to add a third for opening arguments after protests from senators, including Republicans.
The trial quickly burst into a partisan fight at the Capitol as the president’s lawyers opened arguments Tuesday in support of McConnell’s plan. Democrats objected loudly to McConnell’s initially proposed rules, and some Republicans made their concerns known in private at a GOP lunch.
Without comment, the Republican leader quietly submitted an amended proposal after meeting behind closed doors with his senators as the trial opened. The handwritten changes would add the extra day and allow House evidence to be included in the record. There is still deep disagreement about calling additional witnesses.
“It’s time to start with this trial,” said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the president’s lead lawyer in brief remarks as the proceedings opened in public.
“It’s a fair process,” he said. “There is absolutely no case.”
MORE: Your guide to the Trump impeachment trial
Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session, senators having taken an oath last week to do “impartial justice” as jurors. House prosecutors were on one side, Trump’s team on the other, in the well of the Senate as senators sat silent at their desks.
Senators were stunned by McConnell’s shift, and aides offered no immediate answers.
But a spokeswoman for Republican Sen. Susan Collins said that she and others had raised concerns. The Maine senator sees the changes as significant improvements, said spokeswoman Annie Clark.
The turnaround was a swift lesson as the White House’s wishes run into the reality of the Senate. The White House wanted a session crammed into a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night, according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it in public.
“READ THE TRANSCRIPTS!” the president tweeted from miles away, as he returned to his hotel at a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland. That’s the transcript of his phone call in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiya for “a favor.” The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Trump, though he repeatedly describes it as “perfect.”
Democrats had warned that the rules package from Trump’s ally, the Senate GOP leader, could force midnight sessions that would keep most Americans in the dark and create a sham proceeding.
“This is not a process for a fair trial, this is the process for a rigged trial” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told reporters. He called it a “cover-up.”
Schiff opened his arguments before the Senate playing a video of Trump calling for more witnesses to testify. Schiff noted the sudden change in proposed rules, made moments before he spoke.
“The facts will come out in the end,” Schiff said. “The question is, will it come out in time?”
McConnell said, “The president’s lawyers will finally receive a level playing field,” contrasting it with the House impeachment inquiry.
The rare impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trump’s actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House.
Just weeks before the first Democratic primary contests, four senators who are also presidential candidates were off the campaign trail, seated as jurors.
“My focus is going to be on impeachment,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent running for the Democratic nomination, told reporters. He said his supporters would keep working “to defeat the most dangerous president in American history.”
The Democrats say the prospect of middle-of-the-night proceedings, without allowing new witnesses or even the voluminous House records of the trial, would leave the public without crucial information about Trump’s political pressure campaign on Ukraine and the White House’s obstruction of the House impeachment probe.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Judiciary Committee Chairman also leading the House team, said: “There’s no trial in this country where you wouldn’t admit relative witnesses.”
Trump’s legal team doesn’t dispute Trump’s actions — that he called the Ukraine president and asked for a “favor” during a July 25 phone call. In fact, the lawyers included the rough transcript of Trump’s conversation as part of its 110-page trial brief submitted ahead of the proceedings.
Instead the lawyers for the president, led Cipollone and a TV-famous legal team including Alan Dershowitz, say the two charges against the president don’t amount to impeachable offenses and Trump committed no crime.
Legal scholars have long insisted the framers of the Constitution provided impeachment as a remedy for “other high crimes and misdemeanors,” a particularly broad definition that doesn’t mean simply specific criminal acts.
Democrats in prosecuting the case against the president point in particular to a General Accountability Office report that found the White House violated federal law by stalling money to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress.
House Democrats, responding Tuesday to arguments by Trump’s legal team, said the president’s legal filing confirmed that “his misconduct is indefensible.”
They wrote, “President Trump’s lengthy brief to the Senate is heavy on rhetoric and procedural grievances, but entirely lacks a legitimate defense of his misconduct.” The president would “rather discuss anything other than what he actually did,” the Democrats wrote.
Roberts administered the oath to one remaining senator, James Inhofe, who was attending a family medical issue in Oklahoma last week when the other senators vowed the oath and signed the oath book.
Also Tuesday, the House Democratic managers overseeing the impeachment case asked Cipollone, the president’s lead lawyer at the trial, to disclose any “first-hand knowledge” he has of the charges against Trump. They said evidence gathered so far indicates that Cipollone is a “material witness” to the allegations at hand.
House Democrats impeached the Republican president last month on two charges: abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the country to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, and obstruction of Congress by refusing to cooperate with their investigation.
No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds voted needed for conviction. Even if it did, the White House team argues it would be an “‘unconstitutional conviction” because the articles of impeachment were too broad.
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Mary Clare Jalonick, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama in Washington and David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.
Read more


pbs--2020-01-21--WATCH: Democrats denounce McConnell's impeachment trial rules as a 'cover-up'

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial quickly burst into a partisan fight Tuesday as proceedings began unfolding at the Capitol .
Democrats objected strongly to rules proposed by the Republican leader for compressed arguments and a speedy trial .
Even before Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled in the session , Democrats warned that the rules package from Trump ’ s ally , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , could force midnight sessions that would keep most Americans in the dark and create a sham proceeding .
“ This is not a process for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a rigged trial ” Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Ca.
, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution , told reporters .
He called it a “ cover-up.
” The first test was coming midday as the Senate prepared to open and the senators begin to debate and vote on McConnell ’ s proposed rules .
Republican senators , who hold the majority , are falling in line behind his plan .
“ Sure it will be a fair trial when you ’ ve got 24 hours of arguments on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iowa told state reporters on a conference call .
The rare impeachment trial , unfolding in an election year , is testing whether Trump ’ s actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict his White House .
Trump himself , in Davos , Switzerland , for an economic conference , denounced the proceedings as “ a total hoax , ” as he does daily , and said , “ I ’ m sure it ’ s going to work out fine.
” With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the nation deeply divided just weeks before the first Democratic primary contests , four senators who are also presidential candidates will be off the campaign trail , seated as jurors .
The Democrats say the prospect of middle-of-the-night proceedings , without allowing new witnesses or even the voluminous House records of the trial , will leave the public without crucial information about Trump ’ s political pressure campaign on Ukraine and the White House ’ s obstruction of the House impeachment probe .
“ The McConnell rules seem to be designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said the Senate Democratic leader , Chuck Schumer .
He vowed to call for a series of votes to amend the rules and demand testimony and documents , but it seemed unlikely Republicans would break from the party to join Democrats .
“ This is a historic moment , ” Schumer said .
“ The eyes of America are watching .
Republican senators must rise to the occasion.
” If the senators agree to McConnell ’ s proposal for speedy trial and acquittal , Schiff said , “ It will not prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove the Senate guilty of working with the president to obstruct the truth from coming out.
” ‘ Rep. Jerry Nadler , the Judiciary Committee Chairman also leading the House team , said : “ There ’ s no trial in this country where you wouldn ’ t admit relative witnesses.
” MORE : Your guide to the Trump impeachment trial McConnell had promised to set rules similar to the last impeachment trial , of President Bill Clinton in 1999 , but his resolution diverged in key ways .
On the night before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calendar as Trump ’ s lawyers argued for swift rejection of the “ flimsy ” charges in a trial that never should have happened .
“ All of this is a dangerous perversion of the Constitution that the Senate should swiftly and roundly condemn , ” the president ’ s lawyers wrote in their first full filing Monday .
“ The articles should be rejected and the president should immediately be acquitted.
” Trump ’ s legal team doesn ’ t dispute Trump ’ s actions — that he called the Ukraine president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a July 25 phone call .
In fact , the lawyers included the rough transcript of Trump ’ s conversation as part of its 110-page trial brief submitted ahead of the proceedings .
Instead the lawyers for the president , led by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and a TV-famous legal team including Alan Dershowitz , say the two charges against the president don ’ t amount to impeachable offenses and Trump committed no crime .
Legal scholars have long insisted the framers of the Constitution provided impeachment as a remedy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a particularly broad definition that doesn ’ t mean simply specific criminal acts .
Democrats in prosecuting the case against the president point in particular to a General Accountability Office report that found the White House violated federal law by stalling money to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress .
The first several days of the trial are expected to be tangled in procedural motions playing out on the Senate floor and behind closed doors .
Senators must refrain from speaking during the trial proceedings .
Like Trump , House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proceedings , leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Poland and Israel to commemorate the 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz at the end of World War II .
She issued a statement Tuesday denouncing McConnell ’ s proposed ground rules as a “ sham ” because of the compressed schedule and lack of guarantee that witnesses will be called or that evidence gathered by the House would be admitted in the Senate trial .
“ The Senate GOP Leader has chosen a cover-up for the President , rather than honor his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Also Tuesday , the House Democratic managers overseeing the impeachment case asked Cipollone , the president ’ s lead lawyer at the trial , to disclose any “ first-hand knowledge ” he has of the charges against Trump .
They said evidence gathered so far indicates that Cipollone is a “ material witness ” to the allegations at hand .
House Democrats impeached the Republican president last month on two charges : abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the country to investigate Democratic rival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by refusing to cooperate with their investigation .
The Constitution gives the House the sole power to impeach a president and the Senate the final verdict by convening as the impeachment court for a trial .
The president late Monday named eight House Republicans , some of his fiercest defenders , to a special team tasked with rallying support beyond the Senate chamber in the court of public opinion .
Four TV monitors were set up inside the Senate chamber to show testimony , exhibits and potentially tweets or other social media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter but unauthorized to discuss it on the record .
House managers practiced their opening arguments well into the night .
No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate .
With its 53-47 Republican majority , the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds voted needed for conviction .
Even if it did , the White House team argues it would be an “ ‘ unconstitutional conviction ” because the articles of impeachment were too broad .
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman in Washington and David Pitt in Des @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
• Read the full articles of impeachment against Trump • Should Trump be removed ?
Poll shows Americans are divided equally • WATCH : House votes to impeach Trump after hours of debate • ‘ Here ’ s the Deal ’ with impeachment .
Subscribe to our newsletter

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial quickly burst into a partisan fight Tuesday as proceedings began unfolding at the Capitol. Democrats objected strongly to rules proposed by the Republican leader for compressed arguments and a speedy trial.
Even before Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled in the session, Democrats warned that the rules package from Trump’s ally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, could force midnight sessions that would keep most Americans in the dark and create a sham proceeding.
“This is not a process for a fair trial, this is the process for a rigged trial” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Ca., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told reporters. He called it a “cover-up.”
The first test was coming midday as the Senate prepared to open and the senators begin to debate and vote on McConnell’s proposed rules.
Republican senators, who hold the majority, are falling in line behind his plan.
“Sure it will be a fair trial when you’ve got 24 hours of arguments on both sides,” Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa told state reporters on a conference call.
The rare impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trump’s actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict his White House.
Trump himself, in Davos, Switzerland, for an economic conference, denounced the proceedings as “a total hoax,” as he does daily, and said, “I’m sure it’s going to work out fine.”
With Trump’s presidency on the line, and the nation deeply divided just weeks before the first Democratic primary contests, four senators who are also presidential candidates will be off the campaign trail, seated as jurors.
The Democrats say the prospect of middle-of-the-night proceedings, without allowing new witnesses or even the voluminous House records of the trial, will leave the public without crucial information about Trump’s political pressure campaign on Ukraine and the White House’s obstruction of the House impeachment probe.
The McConnell rules seem to be designed by President Trump for President Trump.
“The McConnell rules seem to be designed by President Trump for President Trump,” said the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer. He vowed to call for a series of votes to amend the rules and demand testimony and documents, but it seemed unlikely Republicans would break from the party to join Democrats.
“This is a historic moment,” Schumer said. “The eyes of America are watching. Republican senators must rise to the occasion.”
If the senators agree to McConnell’s proposal for speedy trial and acquittal, Schiff said, “It will not prove the president innocent, it will only prove the Senate guilty of working with the president to obstruct the truth from coming out.”‘
Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Judiciary Committee Chairman also leading the House team, said: “There’s no trial in this country where you wouldn’t admit relative witnesses.”
MORE: Your guide to the Trump impeachment trial
McConnell had promised to set rules similar to the last impeachment trial, of President Bill Clinton in 1999, but his resolution diverged in key ways. On the night before the trial, he offered a compressed calendar as Trump’s lawyers argued for swift rejection of the “flimsy” charges in a trial that never should have happened.
“All of this is a dangerous perversion of the Constitution that the Senate should swiftly and roundly condemn,” the president’s lawyers wrote in their first full filing Monday. “The articles should be rejected and the president should immediately be acquitted.”
Trump’s legal team doesn’t dispute Trump’s actions — that he called the Ukraine president and asked for a “favor” during a July 25 phone call. In fact, the lawyers included the rough transcript of Trump’s conversation as part of its 110-page trial brief submitted ahead of the proceedings.
Instead the lawyers for the president, led by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and a TV-famous legal team including Alan Dershowitz, say the two charges against the president don’t amount to impeachable offenses and Trump committed no crime.
Legal scholars have long insisted the framers of the Constitution provided impeachment as a remedy for “other high crimes and misdemeanors,” a particularly broad definition that doesn’t mean simply specific criminal acts.
Democrats in prosecuting the case against the president point in particular to a General Accountability Office report that found the White House violated federal law by stalling money to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress.
The first several days of the trial are expected to be tangled in procedural motions playing out on the Senate floor and behind closed doors. Senators must refrain from speaking during the trial proceedings.
Like Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will also be away for the proceedings, leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Poland and Israel to commemorate the 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz at the end of World War II.
She issued a statement Tuesday denouncing McConnell’s proposed ground rules as a “sham” because of the compressed schedule and lack of guarantee that witnesses will be called or that evidence gathered by the House would be admitted in the Senate trial.
“The Senate GOP Leader has chosen a cover-up for the President, rather than honor his oath to the Constitution,” Pelosi said.
Also Tuesday, the House Democratic managers overseeing the impeachment case asked Cipollone, the president’s lead lawyer at the trial, to disclose any “first-hand knowledge” he has of the charges against Trump. They said evidence gathered so far indicates that Cipollone is a “material witness” to the allegations at hand.
House Democrats impeached the Republican president last month on two charges: abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the country to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, and obstruction of Congress by refusing to cooperate with their investigation.
The Constitution gives the House the sole power to impeach a president and the Senate the final verdict by convening as the impeachment court for a trial.
The president late Monday named eight House Republicans, some of his fiercest defenders, to a special team tasked with rallying support beyond the Senate chamber in the court of public opinion.
Four TV monitors were set up inside the Senate chamber to show testimony, exhibits and potentially tweets or other social media, according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it on the record. House managers practiced their opening arguments well into the night.
No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds voted needed for conviction. Even if it did, the White House team argues it would be an “‘unconstitutional conviction” because the articles of impeachment were too broad.
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman in Washington and David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.
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pbs--2020-01-21--AP Fact Check: Trump spreads distortion at Davos

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump spread distorted information about the U.S. economy and his administration ’ s involvement with historically black colleges in a preening performance Tuesday at the Davos economic conference in the Swiss Alps .
TRUMP , on historically black colleges and universities : “ I saved HBCUs .
We saved them .
They were going out and we saved them.
” Trump signed a law in December restoring money that lapsed for several months when Congress failed to reauthorize some $ 255 million in financing on time .
The money came back because Senate education leaders reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had entangled financing for black schools .
Neither the lapse nor the restoration was directly tied in any way to the Trump administration .
The Trump administration generally has supported historically black colleges , as previous administrations have done , and it ’ s true that such schools have faced financial struggles and some have closed .
The Trump administration has expanded access to federal support for black schools with religious affiliations and in 2018 forgave federal loans given to several of them after hurricanes Katrina and Rita .
But this segment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not its savior .
TRUMP : “ We have the greatest economy we ’ ve ever had in the history of our country .
And I ’ m in Europe today because we ’ re bringing a lot of other companies into our country with thousands of jobs — millions of jobs , in many cases .
” THE FACTS : His persistent depiction of the U.S. economy as the greatest ever is false .
As for jobs pouring into the country , investment by foreign companies has slumped under Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for International Investment , a Washington-based association that represents foreign businesses .
Foreign companies directly invested $ 268 billion into the U.S. economy in 2018 , a decrease of nearly $ 220 billion from its record-breaking level in 2016 when Barack Obama was still president .
On the broader picture , economic growth under Trump is not nearly the greatest ever .
In the late 1990s , growth topped 4 % for four straight years , a level it has not reached on an annual basis under Trump .
Growth reached 7.2 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 under Obama — and hasn ’ t hit historically high growth rates .
The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low of 3.5 % , but the proportion of Americans with a job was higher in the late 1990s .
Wages were rising at a faster pace back then , too .
This much is true : The Obama-Trump years have yielded the longest economic expansion in U.S. history .
But not the greatest .
TRUMP : “ Just last week alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade deals — the agreement with China and the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement — the two biggest trade deals ever made.
” THE FACTS : No , there have been larger trade deals .
For instance , 123 countries signed the Uruguay Round agreement that liberalized trade and produced the World Trade Organization in 1994 .
The organization ’ s initial membership accounted for more than 90 % of global economic output , the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found , and that was before China joined the organization .
Also bigger : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North America with Pacific Rim countries in freer trade .
Trump took the U.S. out after the deal was negotiated and before the U.S. ratified it .
The European Union , with its liberalized trade regimen , was itself formed from a giant deal .
The China deal leaves tariffs in place on about $ 360 billion in imports from China and pushes substantial remaining disputes ahead to a second phase of negotiations .
Trump ’ s U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement is much larger , though it ’ s an update of the long-standing North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidents George H.W .
Bush and Bill Clinton .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump spread distorted information about the U.S. economy and his administration’s involvement with historically black colleges in a preening performance Tuesday at the Davos economic conference in the Swiss Alps.
A sampling of his remarks:
TRUMP, on historically black colleges and universities: “I saved HBCUs. We saved them. They were going out and we saved them.”
THE FACTS: That’s a big stretch.
Trump signed a law in December restoring money that lapsed for several months when Congress failed to reauthorize some $255 million in financing on time. The money came back because Senate education leaders reached a compromise on a broader dispute that had entangled financing for black schools.
Neither the lapse nor the restoration was directly tied in any way to the Trump administration.
The Trump administration generally has supported historically black colleges, as previous administrations have done, and it’s true that such schools have faced financial struggles and some have closed. The Trump administration has expanded access to federal support for black schools with religious affiliations and in 2018 forgave federal loans given to several of them after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
But this segment of university education was not vanishing and Trump is not its savior.
TRUMP: “We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had in the history of our country. And I’m in Europe today because we’re bringing a lot of other companies into our country with thousands of jobs — millions of jobs, in many cases. ”
THE FACTS: His persistent depiction of the U.S. economy as the greatest ever is false. As for jobs pouring into the country, investment by foreign companies has slumped under Trump, according to a report by the Organization for International Investment, a Washington-based association that represents foreign businesses.
Foreign companies directly invested $268 billion into the U.S. economy in 2018, a decrease of nearly $220 billion from its record-breaking level in 2016 when Barack Obama was still president.
On the broader picture, economic growth under Trump is not nearly the greatest ever.
In the late 1990s, growth topped 4% for four straight years, a level it has not reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth reached 7.2% in 1984. The economy grew 2.9% in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 under Obama — and hasn’t hit historically high growth rates.
The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low of 3.5%, but the proportion of Americans with a job was higher in the late 1990s. Wages were rising at a faster pace back then, too.
This much is true: The Obama-Trump years have yielded the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. But not the greatest.
TRUMP: “Just last week alone, the United States concluded two extraordinary trade deals — the agreement with China and the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement — the two biggest trade deals ever made.”
THE FACTS: No, there have been larger trade deals.
For instance, 123 countries signed the Uruguay Round agreement that liberalized trade and produced the World Trade Organization in 1994. The organization’s initial membership accounted for more than 90% of global economic output, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found, and that was before China joined the organization.
Also bigger: the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have joined North America with Pacific Rim countries in freer trade. Trump took the U.S. out after the deal was negotiated and before the U.S. ratified it. The European Union, with its liberalized trade regimen, was itself formed from a giant deal.
The China deal leaves tariffs in place on about $360 billion in imports from China and pushes substantial remaining disputes ahead to a second phase of negotiations. Trump’s U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement is much larger, though it’s an update of the long-standing North American Free Trade Agreement worked out by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.


pbs--2020-01-21--'Nobody likes him,' Hillary Clinton says of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Hillary Clinton says “ nobody likes ” her former presidential rival Bernie Sanders , even as the Vermont senator remains entrenched among the front-runners in the Democratic race , with the Iowa caucus beginning in less than two weeks .
In an interview with “ The Hollywood Reporter ” published Tuesday , Clinton was asked about a comment she makes in an upcoming documentary where she says Sanders was “ in Congress for years ” but , “ Nobody likes him , nobody wants to work with him , he got nothing done.
” Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to say she ’ d endorse him this cycle if he wins the party ’ s nomination , adding : “ It ’ s not only him , it ’ s the culture around him .
It ’ s his leadership team .
It ’ s his prominent supporters.
” Sanders ’ campaign said Tuesday it didn ’ t have a comment about Clinton ’ s remarks .
Her comments may ultimately energize Sanders loyalists who believed the Democratic establishment rigged the 2016 primary in her favor .
That could be especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucuses looming on Feb. 3 .
Many polls show Sanders among the leaders with former Vice President Joe Biden , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
But Clinton also blamed Sanders ’ supporters for fostering a culture of sexism in politics — a charge that is especially sensitive now , given that Sanders ’ top progressive rival in the 2020 race , Warren , has accused him of suggesting a woman couldn ’ t win the White House during a private meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has denied that , but Warren refused to shake his outstretched hand after a debate last week in Iowa and both candidates accused the other of calling them “ a liar.
” Warren has steadfastly denied to comment further , but the 78-year-old Sanders said Sunday that while sexism was a problem for candidates , so were other factors , like advanced age — touching off another online firestorm .
In the interview , Clinton attacked a cadre of online Sanders supporters known generally as the “ Bernie Bros , ” many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 2016 campaign for their “ relentless attacks on lots of his competitors , particularly the women .
And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture.
” Clinton further suggested that Sanders was “ very much supporting it ” and said , “ I don ’ t think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it , but you either don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing or you ’ re just giving them a wink.
” “ I think that that ’ s a pattern that people should take into account when they make their decisions , ” Clinton said .
His feud with Warren has overshadowed a series of clashes between Sanders and another 2020 rival , Biden , for an op-ed penned by one of the senator ’ s supporters suggesting that the former vice president was corrupt .
“ It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Sanders told CBS .
The op-ed , published in “ The Guardian ” newspaper by Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout , claims Biden “ has perfected the art of taking big contributions , then representing his corporate donors at the cost of middle- and working-class Americans .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton says “nobody likes” her former presidential rival Bernie Sanders, even as the Vermont senator remains entrenched among the front-runners in the Democratic race, with the Iowa caucus beginning in less than two weeks.
In an interview with “The Hollywood Reporter” published Tuesday, Clinton was asked about a comment she makes in an upcoming documentary where she says Sanders was “in Congress for years” but, “Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done.”
Clinton replied that the criticism still holds and refused to say she’d endorse him this cycle if he wins the party’s nomination, adding: “It’s not only him, it’s the culture around him. It’s his leadership team. It’s his prominent supporters.”
Sanders’ campaign said Tuesday it didn’t have a comment about Clinton’s remarks.
Her comments may ultimately energize Sanders loyalists who believed the Democratic establishment rigged the 2016 primary in her favor.
Her comments may ultimately energize Sanders loyalists who believed the Democratic establishment rigged the 2016 primary in her favor. That could be especially helpful with this cycle’s Iowa caucuses looming on Feb. 3. Many polls show Sanders among the leaders with former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
But Clinton also blamed Sanders’ supporters for fostering a culture of sexism in politics — a charge that is especially sensitive now, given that Sanders’ top progressive rival in the 2020 race, Warren, has accused him of suggesting a woman couldn’t win the White House during a private meeting between the two in 2018.
Sanders has denied that, but Warren refused to shake his outstretched hand after a debate last week in Iowa and both candidates accused the other of calling them “a liar.” Warren has steadfastly denied to comment further, but the 78-year-old Sanders said Sunday that while sexism was a problem for candidates, so were other factors, like advanced age — touching off another online firestorm.
In the interview, Clinton attacked a cadre of online Sanders supporters known generally as the “Bernie Bros,” many of whom were sharply critical of Clinton’s 2016 campaign for their “relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture.”
Clinton further suggested that Sanders was “very much supporting it” and said, “I don’t think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it, but you either don’t know what your campaign and supporters are doing or you’re just giving them a wink.”
“I think that that’s a pattern that people should take into account when they make their decisions,” Clinton said.
His feud with Warren has overshadowed a series of clashes between Sanders and another 2020 rival, Biden, for an op-ed penned by one of the senator’s supporters suggesting that the former vice president was corrupt.
“It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And I’m sorry that that op-ed appeared,” Sanders told CBS.
The op-ed, published in “The Guardian” newspaper by Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout, claims Biden “has perfected the art of taking big contributions, then representing his corporate donors at the cost of middle- and working-class Americans.”


pbs--2020-01-21--WATCH LIVE: Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate

The Senate reconvenes Tuesday for the Republican-led trial of President Donald Trump , who last year became the third president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives .
The Senate will come to session at 12:30 p.m .
ET on Tuesday .
Watch live in our player above .
Seven Democrats have been named as managers to prosecute the House ’ s case , including Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York .
White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Jay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead in arguing the president ’ s case .
On Friday , Trump added two members to his legal team : Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr .
Both nationally known attorneys and regular pundits on Fox News , Dershowitz has a background in constitutional law , while Starr is famous for having led the investigation into former President Bill Clinton .
On Thursday , after the House managers formally delivered the two articles of impeachment to the Senate , Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in to preside over the trial , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New evidence has been released related to Lev Parnas , an associate of Trump ’ s lawyer Rudy Giuliani , whose activities related to Ukraine have been under scrutiny in the impeachment inquiry .
READ MORE : See all the new impeachment evidence relating to Lev Parnas The two articles of impeachment put forward by the House charges the president with abuse of presidential power and obstruction of Congress , for his actions related to the withholding of military aid for Ukraine and his request for an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted President Donald Trump on two impeachment charges Wednesday amid Republican complaints about what they called a rushed process and Democratic claims that Trump is a threat to democracy. The historic, three-week trial proceeded largely along partisan lines, with just one senator — Republican Mitt Romney of Utah — breaking with his party. Below, read some takeaways from just the third impeachment trial of a president in U.S. history.
Watch senators’ speeches from Tuesday, Feb. 4
Watch closing arguments and senators’ speeches from Monday, Feb. 3
Watch the debate and vote on witnesses on Friday, Jan. 31
Watch senators’ questioning from Thursday, Jan. 30
Watch senators’ questioning from Wednesday, Jan. 29
Watch the Trump team’s arguments from Tuesday, Jan. 28
Watch the Trump team’s arguments from Monday, Jan. 27
Watch the Trump team’s arguments from Saturday, Jan. 25
Watch House manager’s arguments from Friday, Jan. 24
Watch House manager’s arguments from Thursday, Jan. 23
Watch House manager’s arguments from Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the impeachment trial
Watch Tuesday’s Senate debate on the impeachment trial rules
Trump’s iron grip on GOP
Some Republican senators expressed reservations about Trump’s conduct; some even went so far as to say that House Democrats successfully made their case against him. Nonetheless, Trump’s acquittal was never truly in doubt in the Senate. Even Republicans who disapproved of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine — the heart of the House impeachment charges — said his conduct did not merit making him the first president ever removed from office.
In ways unimaginable when he was first elected as a political newcomer, Trump has come to utterly dominate the GOP. Republican lawmakers bow to his overwhelming popularity with the party’s base. “It’s not a party of ideas or ideology anymore. It’s a cult of personality,” tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Republicans insisted they were acting in the interests of their constituents and their conscience, and they reacted with outrage when Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment manager, cited a media report claiming that a person close to Trump had warned Republicans their “head will be on a pike” if they voted against the president.
Trump has already shown his power to cast out dissident Republicans. Former Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona decided not to run for reelection rather than face voters after clashing with Trump.
McConnell delivers — again
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. R-Ky., again proved himself Trump’s most important ally. He led a drive to deny Democrats any opportunity to call witnesses before the Senate and worked closely with the White House in shepherding the case to acquittal, fulfilling a pledge he made before the trial to “take my cues from the president’s lawyers.”
McConnell slammed House Democrats’ drive to impeach Trump as “the most rushed, least fair and least thorough” in history. He said the two impeachment charges against Trump — that he abused his power and obstructed Congress’ ensuing investigation — are “constitutionally incoherent” and don’t “even approach a case for the first presidential removal in American history.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York accused McConnell and his GOP colleagues of sweeping Trump’s misconduct under the rug. “The administration, its top people and Senate Republicans are all hiding the truth,” Schumer said, adding that Trump tried to “blackmail a foreign country to interfere in our elections.”
Proven, but not impeachable
Republicans voted to acquit Trump, but many wanted to be on record as frowning on his conduct. Perhaps the most prominent example was retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who voted against hearing from witnesses but called out Trump’s actions as “inappropriate.”
Other Republicans followed suit, insisting that their votes against witnesses or in favor of acquittal should not be interpreted as approval of his actions.
“I do not believe that the House has met its burden of showing that the president’s conduct — however flawed — warrants the extreme step of immediate removal from office,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
“Our country is already too deeply divided and we should be working to heal wounds, not create new ones. It is better to let the people decide,” added Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
Romney stands alone
In an unlikely twist, Romney, the GOP’s unsuccessful 2012 presidential nominee, was the only Republican senator to break ranks in the impeachment trial and favor removing Trump from office. The well-mannered, patrician Romney stood alone in his vote to oust a Republican president who seldom hides his contempt for the senator and the establishment Romney symbolizes.
Romney’s support for removing Trump on a charge of abuse of power also denied Trump’s campaign a frequent talking point of asserting that he had full support of Republicans in the House and Senate during a strictly partisan drive to remove him.
Romney voted to acquit Trump on the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress, joining his 52 GOP colleagues.
Romney, a Mormon, cited his religious faith and the significance of the impeachment oath taken by senators to render “impartial justice” on impeachment. “The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme, so egregious, that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor,” Romney said in a floor speech. “Yes, he did.”
GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana called Romney’s vote “very disappointing,” adding: “I strongly disagree. But he has to speak for what he believes.”
Democrats united
Throughout the trial, the votes of at least three Democrats were uncertain. Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Doug Jones were all considered possible votes to acquit Trump. Manchin even floated censuring Trump instead of removing him from office, though the idea did not gain much traction. In the end, all 47 Democrats voted to find Trump guilty on both articles of impeachment.
Manchin, a former governor and a rare Democrat holding office in the nation’s most pro-Trump state, said he could explain his vote for removal based on the evidence that was presented. “There was no other conclusion that I could come to, as much as I knew how divisive it would be, as difficult as it would be,” Manchin said. “It’s based on, could I go home … and face my family, my friends and the good Lord that I swore to?”
Jones, whose seat in ruby-red Alabama is in jeopardy, said impeachment has been partisan from the beginning and the country needs to figure out how to move forward together. A former federal prosecutor, Jones won a special Senate election in 2018. He said he had not thought about how his votes to convict Trump might affect his reelection chances, saying simply he was comfortable with his decision.
Sinema said in a statement that she was upholding her duty to the Constitution and putting the interests of the country ahead of partisan politics or personal interest.
“The facts are clear; security aid was withheld from Ukraine in an attempt to benefit the president’s political campaign. While White House attorneys claim this behavior is not serious, it is dangerous to the fundamental principles of American democracy to use the power of the federal government for personal or political gain,” she said.
White House lawyers also failed to assure the American people that future national security decisions will be made free from personal interests, Sinema said. “That should be gravely concerning to all of us.”
Revelations not over
The end of the Senate impeachment trial won’t bring an end to revelations about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. There are books to be written and documents being withheld by the administration that could ultimately become public.
Former national security adviser John Bolton writes in a book due out next month that Trump tied the suspension of military aid to Ukraine to investigations that Trump wanted, just as House prosecutors alleged. The Justice Department disclosed in a court filing last weekend that it has 24 emails related to Ukraine that it has not produced.
Additional disclosures are possible from witnesses who testified in the House impeachment inquiry and may feel emboldened to share even more now that the president has been acquitted. Or witnesses unknown to the public could step forward.
Democrats are fighting to release grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and for the testimony of ex-White House lawyer Don McGahn.
That was quick
Whether rushed or not, the impeachment was the fastest impeachment ever. The House voted to impeach Trump a week before Christmas, less than three months after Pelosi launched the impeachment inquiry.
After a four-week delay while Democrats pressed for rules changes to extend the trial, House Democrats carried the formal articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate in mid-January.
Three weeks later, the Senate voted to acquit Trump without new testimony or subpoenas.
Let voters decide
Many senators who voted to acquit Trump said they were disappointed in his conduct or disapproved of it, but that it was up to voters to decide Trump’s fate in November.
Alexander said House prosecutors had proved the charges against the president, but said they didn’t rise to an impeachable offense.
“The question is not whether the president did it,” but whether the Senate should decide what to do about it, Alexander said last week in becoming the decisive vote against witnesses and documents. “I believe the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called the president’s actions “shameful and wrong.” But she said the proper response to Trump’s behavior was “not to disenfranchise nearly 63 million Americans” — who voted for Trump in 2016 — by removing him from the ballot.
Foreign interference permissable?
An already ill-defined area of law may be even murkier for 2020 campaigns, thanks to an answer on foreign election interference from deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin.
Democrats pressed Trump’s legal team to acknowledge that foreign election interference is not only wrong but also illegal. Asked if Trump agreed that foreign involvement in an American election is against the law, Philbin pointed out that the law only covers foreign campaign contributions or other so-called things of value. The Justice Department concluded for that reason that Trump’s call with Ukraine’s leader didn’t violate campaign finance laws.
Democrats called Philbin’s statement shocking. “The single most important lesson that we learned from 2016 was that nobody should seek or welcome foreign interference in our elections,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., an impeachment manager. “But now we have this president and his counsel essentially saying it is OK.”
Legal arguments are political
Trump’s lawyers, including retired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and former independent counsel Ken Starr, presented a variety of arguments to senators. They said Trump never made military aid contingent on investigations. They painted him as beset by biased investigators and asserted that even if he did what he was accused of, it still wasn’t impeachable.
In the end, though, the argument that appeared to resonate most with senators was inherently political: impeaching a president in an election year, the argument went, invites chaos and instability, upends the will of the voters and opens the door to future presidents being tossed from office on partisan whims.
“They are asking you to tear up all of the ballots across this country, on your own initiative — take that decision away from the American people,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone said.
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pbs--2020-01-21--WATCH: Trump addresses World Economic Forum at Davos

DAVOS , Switzerland ( AP ) — President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday that he ’ s led a “ spectacular ” turnaround of the U.S. economy and urged the world to invest in America , but had little to say about climate change issues that are a focus of this year ’ s gathering of top business and political leaders in the Swiss Alps .
Trump addressed the annual World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , hours before his historic impeachment trial was to reconvene in the U.S. Senate in Washington .
The two-day visit will test Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being impeached with a desire to project leadership on the world stage .
He reminded the audience that when he spoke here two years ago , early in his presidency , “ I told you that we had launched the great American comeback.
” “ Today I ’ m proud to declare the United States is in the midst of an economic boom , the likes of which the world has never seen before , ” the president said .
American economist Kenneth Rogoff said some , but not all of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. economy are true .
But he noted that the economy wasn ’ t doing badly when he took office .
“ It ’ s been a good 10 years and his three years probably better than expected , ” Rogoff said , adding that he thought Trump was careful to keep his comments about climate change to a minimum to avoid getting booed .
Climate issues are a main theme at the forum and the phrase “ Act on Climate ” was written in the snow at the landing zone where Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Davos .
Late last year , the Trump administration began pulling the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement signed by nearly 200 nations .
Under the deal , each country sets goals to curb emissions of heat-trapping gasses that lead to climate change .
Trump has called the Paris accord an unfair economic burden to the U.S. economy .
Trump ’ s speech was received in virtual silence from the audience apart from a brief flurry of applause when Trump said the U.S. would join a World Economic Forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Climate activists Greta Thunberg doubled down on her criticism that world and business leaders aren ’ t taking the threat of global warming seriously , dismissing some of the measures bandied about by governments and companies , such as setting long-term targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and planting billions of new trees to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere .
“ Planting trees is good of course but it ’ s nowhere near enough , ” Thunberg said .
Trump ’ s participation at the forum provided another conspicuous split-screen moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hall to deliver his speech , Trump called the trial “ disgraceful ” and part of “ the witch hunt that ’ s been going on for years.
” Asked whether Trump would watch the impeachment trial from Davos , White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said , “ He has a full day here in Davos , but will be briefed by staff periodically.
” Trump spent nearly all of his approximately 30-minute speech talking about how the U.S. economy has performed under his leadership .
“ America is thriving .
America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning again like never before , ” Trump said before talking about a newly signed trade deal with China and a pending trade agreement with Mexico and Canada .
He also spoke of record low unemployment , stock market gains and millions of people removed from the welfare rolls .
Trump ’ s speech was criticized by the Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz for failing to address the climate emergency beyond a commitment that the U.S. will join the initiative to plant a trillion trees worldwide .
“ He managed to say absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Meanwhile we ’ re going to roast.
” Trump ’ s appearance at the forum ends Wednesday when he travels back to a Washington , which is consumed by the impeachment trial .
The Democratic-controlled House impeached the Republican president last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after it was revealed that he had pressed Ukraine ’ s president to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden , a Democrat and a Trump political rival .
Trump withheld foreign aid that Congress had approved for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an Oval Office meeting as leverage .
Trump denies any wrongdoing and argues that Democrats want to remove him from office because they know they can ’ t deny him reelection in November .
Trump would be forced to leave office if convicted , but the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to acquit him .
The White House has not named any of the business leaders Trump is set to meet with .
But he is scheduled to hold talks Tuesday and Wednesday with the leaders of Iraq , Pakistan , Switzerland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as the forum ’ s founder , the White House said .
Trump also will have his first meeting with the new European Commission president , Ursula von der Leyen , the first woman to hold the position .
Associated press writers Jamey Keaten and Pans Pylas in Davos contributed to this report .

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday that he’s led a “spectacular” turnaround of the U.S. economy and urged the world to invest in America, but had little to say about climate change issues that are a focus of this year’s gathering of top business and political leaders in the Swiss Alps.
Trump addressed the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, hours before his historic impeachment trial was to reconvene in the U.S. Senate in Washington. The two-day visit will test Trump’s ability to balance his anger over being impeached with a desire to project leadership on the world stage.
He reminded the audience that when he spoke here two years ago, early in his presidency, “I told you that we had launched the great American comeback.”
“Today I’m proud to declare the United States is in the midst of an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen before,” the president said.
American economist Kenneth Rogoff said some, but not all of Trump’s claims regarding the strength of the U.S. economy are true. But he noted that the economy wasn’t doing badly when he took office. “It’s been a good 10 years and his three years probably better than expected,” Rogoff said, adding that he thought Trump was careful to keep his comments about climate change to a minimum to avoid getting booed.
Climate issues are a main theme at the forum and the phrase “Act on Climate” was written in the snow at the landing zone where Trump’s Marine One helicopter set down in Davos.
Late last year, the Trump administration began pulling the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement signed by nearly 200 nations. Under the deal, each country sets goals to curb emissions of heat-trapping gasses that lead to climate change. Trump has called the Paris accord an unfair economic burden to the U.S. economy.
Trump’s speech was received in virtual silence from the audience apart from a brief flurry of applause when Trump said the U.S. would join a World Economic Forum initiative to plant 1 trillion trees worldwide.
Climate activists Greta Thunberg doubled down on her criticism that world and business leaders aren’t taking the threat of global warming seriously, dismissing some of the measures bandied about by governments and companies, such as setting long-term targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and planting billions of new trees to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“Planting trees is good of course but it’s nowhere near enough,” Thunberg said.
Trump’s participation at the forum provided another conspicuous split-screen moment in his presidency. Before entering the hall to deliver his speech, Trump called the trial “disgraceful” and part of “the witch hunt that’s been going on for years.”
Asked whether Trump would watch the impeachment trial from Davos, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said, “He has a full day here in Davos, but will be briefed by staff periodically.”
Trump spent nearly all of his approximately 30-minute speech talking about how the U.S. economy has performed under his leadership.
“America is thriving. America is flourishing and yes, America is winning again like never before,” Trump said before talking about a newly signed trade deal with China and a pending trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. He also spoke of record low unemployment, stock market gains and millions of people removed from the welfare rolls.
Trump’s speech was criticized by the Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz for failing to address the climate emergency beyond a commitment that the U.S. will join the initiative to plant a trillion trees worldwide.
“He managed to say absolutely zero on climate change,” Stiglitz said. “Meanwhile we’re going to roast.”
Trump’s appearance at the forum ends Wednesday when he travels back to a Washington, which is consumed by the impeachment trial.
The Democratic-controlled House impeached the Republican president last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after it was revealed that he had pressed Ukraine’s president to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat and a Trump political rival. Trump withheld foreign aid that Congress had approved for the Eastern European nation and dangled the prospect of an Oval Office meeting as leverage.
Trump denies any wrongdoing and argues that Democrats want to remove him from office because they know they can’t deny him reelection in November. Trump would be forced to leave office if convicted, but the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to acquit him.
The White House has not named any of the business leaders Trump is set to meet with. But he is scheduled to hold talks Tuesday and Wednesday with the leaders of Iraq, Pakistan, Switzerland and Iraq’s self-governing Kurdish region, as well as the forum’s founder, the White House said. Trump also will have his first meeting with the new European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, the first woman to hold the position.
Associated press writers Jamey Keaten and Pans Pylas in Davos contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-01-21--American voters worry they can't spot misleading information, poll finds

Four years after Russia launched a cyber campaign to disrupt and influence the 2016 presidential campaign , about a third of Americans say misleading stories on social media pose the biggest threat to the safety of U.S. elections , and half think President Donald Trump encourages election interference , according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll .
And while a majority of Americans say spotting the difference between fact and false information on social media is difficult and gotten harder since 2016 , few feel confident that technology companies will prevent the misuse of social media to influence the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot ?
The new survey from PBS NewsHour , NPR and Marist Poll found that 59 percent of Americans say it is hard to identify false information — intentionally misleading and inaccurate stories portrayed as truth — on social media .
Another 37 percent disagreed , saying it is easy to spot .
Furthermore , with the 2020 presidential campaign about to pick up in earnest , more than half of U.S. adults said discerning these fake or deceptive stories has become increasingly difficult over the last four years .
That sentiment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 55 percent of independents and a slightly lower proportion of Republicans at 44 percent .
Misinformation is evolving on different platforms and messages are becoming more nuanced and images more realistic .
“ Deep fake ” videos , while relatively rare in the false information ecosystem , have been identified as an emerging threat against people ’ s sense of what is real and what is not .
The fact that Americans are aware of the threat of misinformation is important , said Brendan Nyhan , a political scientist at Dartmouth College who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ networks .
But it is “ unreasonable ” to expect an average person to fact-check “ off the top of their head ” every piece of information whizzing past them as they scroll through their social media feeds , he said .
“ Everyday people don ’ t follow politics very closely , ” he said .
“ Fact-checking is very difficult work.
” Misinformation can be dangerous .
Months before the 2016 election of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump , misleading stories were used to manufacture rage among unsuspecting users on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theory about then- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton inspired a man to travel from North Carolina to a pizzeria in Washington , D.C. , with an AR-15 assault rifle , expecting to confront a child sex ring .
Research has shown that false information travels faster than the truth on social media .
In 2018 , a study from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology said misinformation moved six times faster than the truth on Twitter .
Researchers analyzed 126,000 cascades of tweets , shared by 3 million people more than 4.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used six independent fact-checkers to sort tweets as true or false .
Their results suggested human Twitter-users trafficked inaccurate stories more frequently than bots , or computer-operated social media accounts that share content .
Who does the public see as truth ’ s gatekeeper ?
Thirty-nine percent of Americans say the news media is responsible for vetting misleading information .
Another 18 percent say companies like Facebook , Twitter or Google are responsible .
And 15 percent say the government ’ s primary job is to reduce the public ’ s exposure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough ?
Seventy-five percent of U.S. adults have little confidence in Facebook , Twitter , Google and YouTube to stop the spread of misinformation .
Only 5 percent of survey-takers said they felt “ very confident ” these companies would prevent the viral spread of false narratives .
The public lacks confidence in major social media companies despite tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter having promised to take steps to prevent election interference on their platforms .
In April 2018 , Facebook founder and chairman Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress about election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet ’ s most popular social media platforms with 2.38 billion monthly users , has said it will do a better job of removing misleading political ads ahead of the 2020 presidential election .
Twitter said it will ban political ads altogether .
Americans are skeptical that social media companies will honor these promises , said Cameron Hickey , who has researched the role misinformation plays in people ’ s media consumption habits for Harvard University ’ s Shorenstein Center for Media , Politics and Public Policy .
Americans also “ know platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the spread of misinformation , Hickey said .
In May 2018 , Facebook created a political ad archive to identify and investigate potentially problematic ads , Hickey said , but that automated system is not flawless .
In 2020 , 35 percent of U.S. adults say misleading information is the biggest threat to keeping the nation ’ s elections safe and accurate .
That sentiment was held by 39 percent of independent voters , followed by 31 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats .
While misinformation ranked as the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressing to members of the two main parties .
Republicans were significantly more likely to suspect voter fraud as a threat than Democrats or Independents , while Democrats were more likely to be wary of voter suppression than Republicans or independents .
Roughly half of Americans — 51 percent — say they think the president himself is encouraging election interference .
Another 39 percent say they think he is making the nation ’ s systems safer and an additional 10 percent say they are unsure .
More than a third of U.S. adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country will tamper with votes to try to alter 2020 election results .
Their suspicions are manifesting elsewhere in real time .
In October , Trump asked China to investigate former vice president and 2020 contender , Joe Biden and his son , Hunter .
And as Congress launches a Senate trial following Trump ’ s House impeachment to explore his dealings with Ukraine , the Associated Press reported that Russian military agents hacked into Burisma Holdings in November .
Hunter Biden served on the Ukrainian gas company ’ s board .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to find , the timing may be tied to digging up political dirt on Trump ’ s rival in this year ’ s race for the White House .
PBS NewsHour , NPR and Marist conducted a survey Jan. 7-12 that polled 1,259 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points and 1,064 registered voters with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points .

Four years after Russia launched a cyber campaign to disrupt and influence the 2016 presidential campaign, about a third of Americans say misleading stories on social media pose the biggest threat to the safety of U.S. elections, and half think President Donald Trump encourages election interference, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll.
And while a majority of Americans say spotting the difference between fact and false information on social media is difficult and gotten harder since 2016, few feel confident that technology companies will prevent the misuse of social media to influence the 2020 elections.
Is misinformation getting harder to spot?
The new survey from PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist Poll found that 59 percent of Americans say it is hard to identify false information — intentionally misleading and inaccurate stories portrayed as truth — on social media. Another 37 percent disagreed, saying it is easy to spot.
Furthermore, with the 2020 presidential campaign about to pick up in earnest, more than half of U.S. adults said discerning these fake or deceptive stories has become increasingly difficult over the last four years. That sentiment was shared by 58 percent of Democrats, 55 percent of independents and a slightly lower proportion of Republicans at 44 percent.
Misinformation is evolving on different platforms and messages are becoming more nuanced and images more realistic. “Deep fake” videos, while relatively rare in the false information ecosystem, have been identified as an emerging threat against people’s sense of what is real and what is not.
The fact that Americans are aware of the threat of misinformation is important, said Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth College who studies false information, persuasion and social networks. But it is “unreasonable” to expect an average person to fact-check “off the top of their head” every piece of information whizzing past them as they scroll through their social media feeds, he said.
“Everyday people don’t follow politics very closely,” he said. “Fact-checking is very difficult work.”
Misinformation can be dangerous. Months before the 2016 election of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, misleading stories were used to manufacture rage among unsuspecting users on social media. In one instance, a false conspiracy theory about then- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton inspired a man to travel from North Carolina to a pizzeria in Washington, D.C., with an AR-15 assault rifle, expecting to confront a child sex ring.
Research has shown that false information travels faster than the truth on social media. In 2018, a study from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology said misinformation moved six times faster than the truth on Twitter. Researchers analyzed 126,000 cascades of tweets, shared by 3 million people more than 4.5 million times between 2006 and 2017, and used six independent fact-checkers to sort tweets as true or false. Their results suggested human Twitter-users trafficked inaccurate stories more frequently than bots, or computer-operated social media accounts that share content.
Who does the public see as truth’s gatekeeper? Thirty-nine percent of Americans say the news media is responsible for vetting misleading information. Another 18 percent say companies like Facebook, Twitter or Google are responsible. And 15 percent say the government’s primary job is to reduce the public’s exposure to misinformation.
Are social media companies doing enough?
Seventy-five percent of U.S. adults have little confidence in Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube to stop the spread of misinformation. Only 5 percent of survey-takers said they felt “very confident” these companies would prevent the viral spread of false narratives.
The public lacks confidence in major social media companies despite tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter having promised to take steps to prevent election interference on their platforms. In April 2018, Facebook founder and chairman Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress about election security. Facebook, one of the planet’s most popular social media platforms with 2.38 billion monthly users, has said it will do a better job of removing misleading political ads ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Twitter said it will ban political ads altogether.
Americans are skeptical that social media companies will honor these promises, said Cameron Hickey, who has researched the role misinformation plays in people’s media consumption habits for Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy. Americans also “know platforms aren’t doing enough to stop” the spread of misinformation, Hickey said. In May 2018, Facebook created a political ad archive to identify and investigate potentially problematic ads, Hickey said, but that automated system is not flawless.
In 2020, 35 percent of U.S. adults say misleading information is the biggest threat to keeping the nation’s elections safe and accurate. That sentiment was held by 39 percent of independent voters, followed by 31 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats.
While misinformation ranked as the top threat, other voting-related issues seemed more pressing to members of the two main parties. Republicans were significantly more likely to suspect voter fraud as a threat than Democrats or Independents, while Democrats were more likely to be wary of voter suppression than Republicans or independents.
Roughly half of Americans — 51 percent — say they think the president himself is encouraging election interference. Another 39 percent say they think he is making the nation’s systems safer and an additional 10 percent say they are unsure. More than a third of U.S. adults think it is likely that a foreign country will tamper with votes to try to alter 2020 election results.
Their suspicions are manifesting elsewhere in real time. In October, Trump asked China to investigate former vice president and 2020 contender, Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. And as Congress launches a Senate trial following Trump’s House impeachment to explore his dealings with Ukraine, the Associated Press reported that Russian military agents hacked into Burisma Holdings in November. Hunter Biden served on the Ukrainian gas company’s board. While it remains unclear what the Russian hackers wanted to find, the timing may be tied to digging up political dirt on Trump’s rival in this year’s race for the White House.
PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist conducted a survey Jan. 7-12 that polled 1,259 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points and 1,064 registered voters with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.