bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Fact Checking the Associated Press’ Impeachment Fact Check

During the throes of the Senate impeachment trial , the Associated Press has published a fact check that claims President Trump is giving a “ false account ” and making “ distorted statements ” about “ the circumstances that got him impeached.
” This AP article is riddled with unsubstantiated assertions , gross mischaracterizations , and blatant falsehoods .
Furthermore , dozens of news outlets are carrying the AP story , thus multiplying the reach of its misinformation .
In an article titled “ Trump ’ s False Account of Ukraine Episode , ” AP reporters Calvin Woodward and Hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated motive for releasing the transcript of his July 25th phone call with President Zelensky is “ demonstrably untrue ” and “ easily refuted by the calendar.
” This is because Trump said that if he “ didn ’ t release ” the transcript , people would believe false portrayals of the call , like the one that Democrat Congressman Adam Schiff made at the opening of the House ’ s whistleblower hearing .
However , the AP ’ s quote of Trump actually undermines the AP ’ s argument .
Trump stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because if I didn ’ t release it , people would have said that I made the statement that he made .
This guy is a fraud , ” referring to Schiff .
Trump ’ s words , particularly the phrase “ would have said , ” reveal that he anticipated his political opponents would mischaracterize the phone call , which is exactly what Schiff did just one day after the transcript release .
The AP also ignores the fact that media outlets had begun distorting the call before Trump released the transcript @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump released it , the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump “ repeatedly pressured ” Zelensky “ to investigate Joe Biden ’ s son ” during the call , “ urging ” him “ about eight times to work with Rudy Giuliani on a probe that could hamper Mr. Trump ’ s potential 2020 opponent.
” Yet , the call transcript shows no evidence of pressure , and the claim of “ eight times ” is a complete fabrication .
The totality of Trump ’ s statements about Biden , which are interspersed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follows : • “ There ’ s a lot of talk about Biden ’ s son , that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great .
Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it … It sounds horrible to me.
” • “ I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have Attorney General Barr call and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m sure you will figure it out .
I heard the prosecutor was treated very badly and he was a very fair prosecutor so good luck with everything.
” • “ I will tell Rudy and Attorney General Barr to call.
” In sum , people were misrepresenting the phone call , Trump saw this occurring , and he declassified the transcript to combat these and future allegations .
Trump ’ s suspicions were confirmed one day later when Schiff distorted the call during a broadly televised Congressional hearing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsehood that his description of the Trump-Zelensky call was simply a “ parody ” and that Schiff “ made clear in the hearing he was not to be taken literally.
” The truth is that Schiff claimed his statements were a “ parody ” only after Republican Congressman Mike Turner challenged him an hour later into the hearing .
More significantly , a parody is defined by its “ comic effect ” or “ ridiculous imitation.
” Schiff ’ s statements , detailed below , have neither of these qualities .
Schiff later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which further undercuts the notion that this was a parody .
Likewise , the AP uncritically relays Schiff ’ s claim that he was conveying “ the essence ” or the “ sum and character ” of what “ the President was trying to communicate.
” Yet , Schiff ’ s description is in conflict with the reality of what occurred : • Schiff alleges that the call transcript reads like “ an organized crime shakedown ” where Trump asks Zelensky “ seven times ” to “ make up dirt on my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelensky to “ make up dirt ” on anyone .
Trump requests an investigation into the Bidens for possible corruption , stating “ whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great.
” • According to Schiff , Trump tells Zelensky , “ Don ’ t call me again .
I ’ ll call you when you ’ ve done what I asked.
” In reality , Trump says , “ feel free to call , ” and “ I look forward to seeing you in Washington and maybe in Poland.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the opening of a widely televised hearing .
ABC , CBS , NBC , CNN , CNN en Espanol , Fox News , MSNBC , and C-SPAN all dropped regularly-scheduled programming to air the hearing live .
Casting aspersion on Trump ’ s motives for delaying aid to Ukraine , the AP writes that “ previous rounds of assistance were not similarly disrupted.
” This half-truth leaves out the fact that the President has held up foreign aid to an array of countries to ensure that U.S. interests are served .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Honduras , Guatemala , Lebanon , and Pakistan .
The AP also cites Trump ’ s oft-repeated statement , “ I would like you to do us a favor , ” as evidence of Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden .
In doing so , the AP takes Trump grossly out of context , as the rest of his sentence says , “ because our country has been through a lot , and Ukraine knows a lot about it .
I would like you to find out what happened with this whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This is the private company that investigated the hack of the Democratic National Committee ’ s email servers .
which the DNC refused to provide to the FBI .
Trump then says , “ The server , they say Ukraine has it.
” Thus , the “ favor ” is a request for Ukraine to help investigate 2016 election interference , which is exactly what the Democrats spent two years doing .
In fact , three Democratic Congressmen sent a letter to the government of Ukraine in 2018 stating that “ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mueller investigation .
This AP “ fact check ” also claims that Trump “ dangles the possibility of a White House visit for Zelensky , ” naming it as another instance of Trump pressuring for investigations .
However , the AP fails to mention that Trump committed to meet with Zelensky three months earlier in April of 2019 , and the transcript provides no evidence that a meeting was “ dangled.
” In fact , Trump offered to meet on Zelensky ’ s terms , stating : “ Whenever you would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel free to call .
Give us a date and we ’ ll work that out .
I look forward to seeing you.
” The AP attempts to debunk Trump ’ s statement that he held up Ukrainian aid to ensure that other countries contributed more to helping the Ukraine .
The article claims that other countries have “ provided far more developmental assistance ” to Ukraine than the United States .
It also states that the EU has provided “ more than $ 16 billion ” to help Ukraine since 2014 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military-assistance programs and trust funds.
” However , the AP provides no hyperlink or documentation for these assertions , does not explain any context for the aid , and neglects to reveal that the U.S. provides 22 % of NATO ’ s direct funding and 67 % of its indirect funding .
Most importantly—the AP fails to mention that Zelensky himself emphatically confirms Trump ’ s statement .
On their phone call , Zelensky said he agreed “ not only 100 % , but actually 1,000 % ” with Trump ’ s assertion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair share to help Ukraine .
When Trump states that the U.S. spends “ much more ” effort and time to help Ukraine than many European countries and that “ they should be helping you more than they are , ” Zelensky responds , “ Yes you are absolutely right ” and “ the European Union should be our biggest partner , but technically the United States is a much bigger partner.
” Contrary to the AP ’ s unsupported narrative , President Zelensky ’ s appraisal of Ukraine ’ s foreign support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The article also criticizes President Trump for claiming that Zelensky said the phone call was “ perfect.
” Although Zelensky never used the word “ perfect , ” Trump is conveying the essence of Zelensky ’ s statements .
Unlike Adam Schiff ’ s definition of “ essence , ” the President ’ s characterization is accurate .
Zelensky has made denying any pressure , bribery , extortion , or quid pro quo , which the AP article admits .
Yet , the AP splits hairs , scolding the President for accurately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call because he doesn ’ t use Zelensky ’ s exact words .
With regard to the same issue , the AP asserts that Zelensky “ told Time last month that Trump should not have blocked military aid to Ukraine .
Zelensky also criticized Trump for casting the country as corrupt.
” However , in that same interview , Zelensky acknowledged corruption in Ukraine and also denied the presence of a quid pro quo .
Zelensky ’ s disagreement with Trump ’ s description of Ukraine as corrupt and the hold on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the President inappropriately pressured the Ukrainian government .
The AP closes the article by stating : “ In any event , Zelensky knew months before the call that much-needed U.S. military support might depend on whether he was willing to help Trump by investigating Democrats.
” Once again , the AP provides no source or evidence for this claim .
In fact , Ambassador Bill Taylor , Ambassador Kurt Volker , and NSC Official Tim Morrison testified that the Ukrainian government did not even know that the aid was held up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less that it was dependent on any investigations .
This AP “ fact check ” violates its own standards of , which condemn “ inaccuracies , carelessness , bias or distortions.
” Put simply , the AP promotes the exact kind of misleading propaganda that it accuses President Trump of spreading .
Anna Lynn is a writer and researcher for Just Facts , a think tank dedicated to publishing rigorously documented facts about public policy issues .

By Anna Lynn
February 4, 2020
During the throes of the Senate impeachment trial, the Associated Press has published a fact check that claims President Trump is giving a “false account” and making “distorted statements” about “the circumstances that got him impeached.” This AP article is riddled with unsubstantiated assertions, gross mischaracterizations, and blatant falsehoods. Furthermore, dozens of news outlets are carrying the AP story, thus multiplying the reach of its misinformation.
In an article titled “Trump’s False Account of Ukraine Episode,” AP reporters Calvin Woodward and Hope Yen claim that President Trump’s stated motive for releasing the transcript of his July 25th phone call with President Zelensky is “demonstrably untrue” and “easily refuted by the calendar.” This is because Trump said that if he “didn’t release” the transcript, people would believe false portrayals of the call, like the one that Democrat Congressman Adam Schiff made at the opening of the House’s whistleblower hearing.
However, the AP’s quote of Trump actually undermines the AP’s argument. Trump stated, “I released the conversation, because if I didn’t release it, people would have said that I made the statement that he made. This guy is a fraud,” referring to Schiff. Trump’s words, particularly the phrase “would have said,” reveal that he anticipated his political opponents would mischaracterize the phone call, which is exactly what Schiff did just one day after the transcript release.
The AP also ignores the fact that media outlets had begun distorting the call before Trump released the transcript. For example, four days before Trump released it, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump “repeatedly pressured” Zelensky “to investigate Joe Biden’s son” during the call, “urging” him “about eight times to work with Rudy Giuliani on a probe that could hamper Mr. Trump’s potential 2020 opponent.” Yet, the call transcript shows no evidence of pressure, and the claim of “eight times” is a complete fabrication. The totality of Trump’s statements about Biden, which are interspersed with comments by Zelensky, are as follows:
“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it … It sounds horrible to me.”
“I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have Attorney General Barr call and we will get to the bottom of it. I’m sure you will figure it out. I heard the prosecutor was treated very badly and he was a very fair prosecutor so good luck with everything.”
“I will tell Rudy and Attorney General Barr to call.”
In sum, people were misrepresenting the phone call, Trump saw this occurring, and he declassified the transcript to combat these and future allegations. Trump’s suspicions were confirmed one day later when Schiff distorted the call during a broadly televised Congressional hearing.
The AP also spreads Schiff’s falsehood that his description of the Trump-Zelensky call was simply a “parody” and that Schiff “made clear in the hearing he was not to be taken literally.” The truth is that Schiff claimed his statements were a “parody” only after Republican Congressman Mike Turner challenged him an hour later into the hearing. More significantly, a parody is defined by its “comic effect” or “ridiculous imitation.” Schiff’s statements, detailed below, have neither of these qualities. Schiff later called impeachment a “solemn action,” which further undercuts the notion that this was a parody.
Likewise, the AP uncritically relays Schiff’s claim that he was conveying “the essence” or the “sum and character” of what “the President was trying to communicate.” Yet, Schiff’s description is in conflict with the reality of what occurred:
Schiff alleges that the call transcript reads like “an organized crime shakedown” where Trump asks Zelensky “seven times” to “make up dirt on my political opponent.” Trump does not ask Zelensky to “make up dirt” on anyone. Trump requests an investigation into the Bidens for possible corruption, stating “whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great.”
According to Schiff, Trump tells Zelensky, “Don’t call me again. I’ll call you when you’ve done what I asked.” In reality, Trump says, “feel free to call,” and “I look forward to seeing you in Washington and maybe in Poland.”
Importantly, Schiff uttered these falsehoods at the opening of a widely televised hearing. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Fox News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN all dropped regularly-scheduled programming to air the hearing live.
Casting aspersion on Trump’s motives for delaying aid to Ukraine, the AP writes that “previous rounds of assistance were not similarly disrupted.” This half-truth leaves out the fact that the President has held up foreign aid to an array of countries to ensure that U.S. interests are served. He has done this with Afghanistan , El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Lebanon, and Pakistan.
The AP also cites Trump’s oft-repeated statement, “I would like you to do us a favor,” as evidence of Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden. In doing so, the AP takes Trump grossly out of context, as the rest of his sentence says, “because our country has been through a lot, and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say CrowdStrike.” This is the private company that investigated the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s email servers, which the DNC refused to provide to the FBI. Trump then says, “The server, they say Ukraine has it.”
Thus, the “favor” is a request for Ukraine to help investigate 2016 election interference, which is exactly what the Democrats spent two years doing. In fact, three Democratic Congressmen sent a letter to the government of Ukraine in 2018 stating that “we strongly encourage you” to cooperate with the Mueller investigation.
This AP “fact check” also claims that Trump “dangles the possibility of a White House visit for Zelensky,” naming it as another instance of Trump pressuring for investigations. However, the AP fails to mention that Trump committed to meet with Zelensky three months earlier in April of 2019, and the transcript provides no evidence that a meeting was “dangled.” In fact, Trump offered to meet on Zelensky’s terms, stating: “Whenever you would like to come to the White House, feel free to call. Give us a date and we’ll work that out. I look forward to seeing you.”
The AP attempts to debunk Trump’s statement that he held up Ukrainian aid to ensure that other countries contributed more to helping the Ukraine. The article claims that other countries have “provided far more developmental assistance” to Ukraine than the United States. It also states that the EU has provided “more than $16 billion” to help Ukraine since 2014 and that NATO “contributes a variety of military-assistance programs and trust funds.” However, the AP provides no hyperlink or documentation for these assertions, does not explain any context for the aid, and neglects to reveal that the U.S. provides 22% of NATO’s direct funding and 67% of its indirect funding. Most importantly—the AP fails to mention that Zelensky himself emphatically confirms Trump’s statement.
On their phone call, Zelensky said he agreed “not only 100%, but actually 1,000%” with Trump’s assertion that other countries are not doing their fair share to help Ukraine. When Trump states that the U.S. spends “much more” effort and time to help Ukraine than many European countries and that “they should be helping you more than they are,” Zelensky responds, “Yes you are absolutely right” and “the European Union should be our biggest partner, but technically the United States is a much bigger partner.” Contrary to the AP’s unsupported narrative, President Zelensky’s appraisal of Ukraine’s foreign support directly aligns with Trump’s concerns.
The article also criticizes President Trump for claiming that Zelensky said the phone call was “perfect.” Although Zelensky never used the word “perfect,” Trump is conveying the essence of Zelensky’s statements. Unlike Adam Schiff’s definition of “essence,” the President’s characterization is accurate. Zelensky has made public statements denying any pressure, bribery, extortion, or quid pro quo, which the AP article admits. Yet, the AP splits hairs, scolding the President for accurately describing Zelensky’s assessment of the call because he doesn’t use Zelensky’s exact words.
With regard to the same issue, the AP asserts that Zelensky “told Time last month that Trump should not have blocked military aid to Ukraine. Zelensky also criticized Trump for casting the country as corrupt.” However, in that same interview, Zelensky acknowledged corruption in Ukraine and also denied the presence of a quid pro quo. Zelensky’s disagreement with Trump’s description of Ukraine as corrupt and the hold on the aid do not have any bearing on whether the President inappropriately pressured the Ukrainian government.
The AP closes the article by stating: “In any event, Zelensky knew months before the call that much-needed U.S. military support might depend on whether he was willing to help Trump by investigating Democrats.” Once again, the AP provides no source or evidence for this claim. In fact, Ambassador Bill Taylor, Ambassador Kurt Volker, and NSC Official Tim Morrison testified that the Ukrainian government did not even know that the aid was held up at the time of the call, much less that it was dependent on any investigations.
This AP “fact check” violates its own standards of credible journalism , which condemn “inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions.” Put simply, the AP promotes the exact kind of misleading propaganda that it accuses President Trump of spreading.
Anna Lynn is a writer and researcher for Just Facts, a think tank dedicated to publishing rigorously documented facts about public policy issues.


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Woke: Liberal White Women Shell Out $2,500 To Learn Why They’re Racist

Liberal white women are paying a steep price to “ smash ” their “ white fragility ” with dinners to learn how they ’ re racist .
Regina Jackson , who is black , and Saira Rao , who is Indian American , have been hosting $ 2,500 “ Race to Dinner ” events with Caucasian women attendees intent on having their subconscious racism challenged .
So far , they ’ ve held 15 dinners in big cities across the US , including Denver , since spring 2019 .
“ If you did this in a conference room , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Guardian .
“ But wealthy white women have been taught never to leave the dinner table.
” The dinners are two hours long with eight to 10 white women as guests , one of whom volunteers her home for the event — and sometimes covers the full $ 2,500 price tag for the evening .
Or the fee is divided up among the guests .
White men and Trump voters are not invited , as Jackson and Rao perceive them to be lost causes .
“ White men are never going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would have done it by now , ” Jackson says , adding they focus on liberal white women because they feel they can actually influence them .
Those women , in turn , will likely go on to influence their own circles .
“ If they don ’ t hold these positions themselves , the white men in power are often their family , friends and partners , ” says Jackson .
There ’ s also required reading before attending a dinner , including “ White Fragility ” by Robin DiAngelo that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives .
At a recent dinner , which featured carbonara , women went around and shared racist thoughts and actions , however subconscious , they ’ d recently had .
“ I want to hire people of color .
Not because I want to be … a white savior .
I have explored my need for validation … I ’ m working through that … Yeah .
Um … I ’ m struggling , ” said the night ’ s host , Jess Campbell-Swanson .
“ The dinners are a starting point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s about section .
“ A place to start thinking through how you actively uphold white supremacy every minute of every day.
” Jackson and Rao met while Rao was running for Congress in 2018 .
“ When Regina joined the campaign , she noticed the throngs of white women anxious to meet Saira with the sole intent to tell her that they weren ’ t racist , ” the Race to Dinner site explains in its history section .
Done with “ getting berated by women , ” Rao came up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who works in real estate , to co-run them with her .
The pair also offers consulting services , charging $ 150 for an hour with either of them or $ 300 for the two women .
“ So you are willing to set aside your white woman tears ?
” the application form asks .

Liberal white women are paying a steep price to “smash” their “white fragility” with dinners to learn how they’re racist.
Regina Jackson, who is black, and Saira Rao, who is Indian American, have been hosting $2,500 “Race to Dinner” events with Caucasian women attendees intent on having their subconscious racism challenged. So far, they’ve held 15 dinners in big cities across the US, including Denver, since spring 2019.
“If you did this in a conference room, they’d leave,” Rao tells the Guardian. “But wealthy white women have been taught never to leave the dinner table.”
The dinners are two hours long with eight to 10 white women as guests, one of whom volunteers her home for the event — and sometimes covers the full $2,500 price tag for the evening. Or the fee is divided up among the guests.
White men and Trump voters are not invited, as Jackson and Rao perceive them to be lost causes.
“White men are never going to change anything. If they were, they would have done it by now,” Jackson says, adding they focus on liberal white women because they feel they can actually influence them. Those women, in turn, will likely go on to influence their own circles.
“If they don’t hold these positions themselves, the white men in power are often their family, friends and partners,” says Jackson.
There’s also required reading before attending a dinner, including “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo that postulates everyone has moments of racism in their lives.
At a recent dinner, which featured carbonara, women went around and shared racist thoughts and actions, however subconscious, they’d recently had.
“I want to hire people of color. Not because I want to be … a white savior. I have explored my need for validation … I’m working through that … Yeah. Um … I’m struggling,” said the night’s host, Jess Campbell-Swanson.
“The dinners are a starting point,” according to Race to Dinner’s about section. “A place to start thinking through how you actively uphold white supremacy every minute of every day.”
Jackson and Rao met while Rao was running for Congress in 2018.
“When Regina joined the campaign, she noticed the throngs of white women anxious to meet Saira with the sole intent to tell her that they weren’t racist,” the Race to Dinner site explains in its history section. Done with “getting berated by women,” Rao came up with the dinner concept and asked Jackson, who works in real estate, to co-run them with her.
The pair also offers consulting services, charging $150 for an hour with either of them or $300 for the two women.
“So you are willing to set aside your white woman tears?” the application form asks.


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Oh No: AOC Announces She’s Skipping the SOTU in Protest

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced that she will be skipping President Trump 's State of the Union address on Tuesday night .
`` After much deliberation , I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump ’ s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution , '' the freshman Democratic congresswoman from New York tweeted Tuesday afternoon .
`` None of this is normal , and I will not legitimize it .
Consequently , I will not be attending the State of the Union . ''
Ocasio-Cortez , 30 , is not the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Trump 's address to both chambers of Congress .
Her fellow prominent progress freshman congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts said she will skip the event as well .
Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon , Steve Cohen of Tennessee , and Frederica Wilson of Florida have previously announced their plan not to attend .
Each of them have skipped Trump ’ s previous State of the Union speeches .
In 2019 , they were joined by at least three others in actively boycotting the president 's address .
In 2018 , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual speech to Congress .
Trump will give his State of the Union address to Congress while standing trial in the Senate for impeachment charges passed in the House last year .
A White House adviser revealed that the president will not address his impeachment during his speech .
The trial will likely end later this week after the Senate voted Friday not to subpoena witness testimony .

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced that she will be skipping President Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
"After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution," the freshman Democratic congresswoman from New York tweeted Tuesday afternoon. "None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union."
Ocasio-Cortez, 30, is not the only Democrat who will not be in attendance during Trump's address to both chambers of Congress. Her fellow prominent progress freshman congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts said she will skip the event as well.
After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution.
None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.
Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2020
Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, and Frederica Wilson of Florida have previously announced their plan not to attend. Each of them have skipped Trump’s previous State of the Union speeches. In 2019, they were joined by at least three others in actively boycotting the president's address. In 2018, at least 14 Democratic representatives boycotted Trump’s annual speech to Congress.
Trump will give his State of the Union address to Congress while standing trial in the Senate for impeachment charges passed in the House last year. A White House adviser revealed that the president will not address his impeachment during his speech.
The trial will likely end later this week after the Senate voted Friday not to subpoena witness testimony.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--Shocker: Illegal Immigrants Committed More Crimes After California Became Sanctuary State

SANTA ANA ( CBSLA ) — Since California became a sanctuary state in 2017 , the number of inmates with immigration detainers being arrested again after being released from jail has jumped , according to a new report from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes .
SB 54 restricts most notifications to ICE upon an inmate ’ s release to the most seriously violent offenders .
It became law in 2017 despite heavy opposition from the state ’ s law enforcement community .
“ SB 54 has made our community less safe .
The law has resulted in new crimes because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their federal partners about individuals who committed serious offenses and present a threat to our community if released , ” Barnes said in a statement .
“ The two-year social science experiment with sanctuary laws must end.
” According to Barnes , more than 1,500 inmates released in 2019 had ICE detainers , a request from the federal agency for notification that a particular inmate has been released .
Of those inmates , 238 were re-arrested in Orange County for new crimes , including assault and battery , rape , and robbery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not include anyone who may have committed crimes in Orange County , then were released to commit a crime in another county .
The rate of recidivism for those with ICE detainers is up from 2018 , when 123 were arrested again for new crimes , out of more than 1,800 such inmates , according to the report .

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Since California became a sanctuary state in 2017, the number of inmates with immigration detainers being arrested again after being released from jail has jumped, according to a new report from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
SB 54 restricts most notifications to ICE upon an inmate's release to the most seriously violent offenders. It became law in 2017 despite heavy opposition from the state's law enforcement community.
"SB 54 has made our community less safe. The law has resulted in new crimes because my deputies were unable to communicate with their federal partners about individuals who committed serious offenses and present a threat to our community if released," Barnes said in a statement. "The two-year social science experiment with sanctuary laws must end."
According to Barnes, more than 1,500 inmates released in 2019 had ICE detainers, a request from the federal agency for notification that a particular inmate has been released. Of those inmates, 238 were re-arrested in Orange County for new crimes, including assault and battery, rape, and robbery.
The report notes that the numbers do not include anyone who may have committed crimes in Orange County, then were released to commit a crime in another county.
The rate of recidivism for those with ICE detainers is up from 2018, when 123 were arrested again for new crimes, out of more than 1,800 such inmates, according to the report.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--James Carville “Scared to Death” About a Nominee Sanders

James Carville is sounding the same alarm that a lot of Democrats have been sounding over the past month , but he ’ s doing it at full volume on national television .
Appearing on MSNBC , Carville said things were not going well and wondered aloud why Tom Perez was still in charge of the DNC .
“ The polling averages have not been very good the last 10 days and I ’ ve seen some pretty good polls that show enthusiasm among Democrats is not as high as we might like it , ” Carville said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far and why is Tom Perez still the chairman of the Democratic National Committee , I have no idea .
This party needs to wake up , ” he added .
Later ( see 3rd clip below ) Carville said , “ I know these donors and they ’ re not going to give a popsicle to the DNC right now .
I can promise you that.
” Carville repeatedly suggested the Democratic Party was in danger of following the path of the Labour Party in Britain .
“ Look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ re like talking about people voting from jail cells .
Alright , we ’ re talking about not having a border .
I mean , come on people , ” he added .
“ Of course I would vote for him [ Sanders ] , but I don ’ t want the Democratic Party of the United States to be the Labour Party of United Kingdom.
” In another segment from the same interview , Carville contrasted what he sees in 2020 with the result from 2018 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since women were granted the right to vote , ” Carville said .
He continued , “ We had the biggest margin .
We ran a smart campaign and it worked .
It matters who the candidate is .
It matters what the party chooses to talk about .
“ I mean , I ’ m 75 years old why am I here doing this ?
Because I am scared to death that ’ s why .
Let ’ s get relevant , people , here for sure…All the Sanders people were taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later in this clip he said , “ the press corps went AOC crazy…We got to decide what we want to be .
Do we want to be an ideological cult or do we want to have a majoritarian instinct to be a majority party ?
…The urban core is not going to get it done .
What we need is power .
You understand ?
That ’ s what this is about .
Without power you have nothing .
You just have talking points.
” I don ’ t have a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is absolutely right and people on the left and the right have been saying it for weeks .
The Democratic Party is setting itself up for disaster and they don ’ t seem to see it .

James Carville is sounding the same alarm that a lot of Democrats have been sounding over the past month, but he’s doing it at full volume on national television. Appearing on MSNBC, Carville said things were not going well and wondered aloud why Tom Perez was still in charge of the DNC.
“The polling averages have not been very good the last 10 days and I’ve seen some pretty good polls that show enthusiasm among Democrats is not as high as we might like it,” Carville said. “This is not going particularly well, so far and why is Tom Perez still the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, I have no idea. This party needs to wake up,” he added. Later (see 3rd clip below) Carville said, “I know these donors and they’re not going to give a popsicle to the DNC right now. I can promise you that.”
Carville repeatedly suggested the Democratic Party was in danger of following the path of the Labour Party in Britain.
“Look at the British Labour Party,” Carville said. “We’re like talking about people voting from jail cells. Alright, we’re talking about not having a border. I mean, come on people,” he added.
“Of course I would vote for him [Sanders], but I don’t want the Democratic Party of the United States to be the Labour Party of United Kingdom.”
In another segment from the same interview, Carville contrasted what he sees in 2020 with the result from 2018. “We had the highest turnout in 2018 since women were granted the right to vote,” Carville said. He continued, “We had the biggest margin. We ran a smart campaign and it worked. It matters who the candidate is. It matters what the party chooses to talk about.
“I mean, I’m 75 years old why am I here doing this? Because I am scared to death that’s why. Let’s get relevant, people, here for sure…All the Sanders people were taking pictures wishing Jeremy Corbyn the best.”
Later in this clip he said, “the press corps went AOC crazy…We got to decide what we want to be. Do we want to be an ideological cult or do we want to have a majoritarian instinct to be a majority party?…The urban core is not going to get it done. What we need is power. You understand? That’s what this is about. Without power you have nothing. You just have talking points.”
I don’t have a lot to add to this except that Carville is absolutely right and people on the left and the right have been saying it for weeks. The Democratic Party is setting itself up for disaster and they don’t seem to see it.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--Pete Buttigieg Slightly Leading Iowa Caucus With 71% Reported

After the re-caucusing process , the final numbers are tallied .
The number of people in each viable group will @ @ @ @ @ each candidate wins from that precinct .
Delegates are awarded proportionately – and the number @ @ @ @ @ statewide will be reported as `` state delegate equivalents . ''
The candidate with the @ @ @ @ @ '' will be considered the winner of the caucuses .
Here , vote count is @ @ @ @ @ cast , but of State Delegate Equivalents -- the estimated number of state convention delegates @ @ @ @ @ on the caucus outcome .

After the re-caucusing process, the final numbers are tallied. The number of people in each viable group will factor into how many delegates each candidate wins from that precinct. Delegates are awarded proportionately – and the number of delegates a candidate has statewide will be reported as "state delegate equivalents." The candidate with the most "state delegate equivalents" will be considered the winner of the caucuses. Here, vote count is not indicative of actual votes cast, but of State Delegate Equivalents-- the estimated number of state convention delegates allotted to each candidate based on the caucus outcome.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--Mike Pompeo Mocks Pelosi’s SOTU Stunt

Mike Pompeo Mocks Pelosi’s SOTU Stunt

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) for ripping up her copy of President Trump ’ s State of the Union speech right behind his back after he delivered it .
Pompeo , who is close to the president , tweeted without comment a picture of Lisa Simpson crying as she is preparing to tear up a piece of paper : Pompeo tweeted from his personal account , not from his secretary of state account .
Pelosi ’ s ripping up of the speech appeared to be a made-for-TV moment to express her disdain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech filled with touching moments that appeared aimed at reaching out to the military , black Americans , and Latino communities .
He said he appreciated Pelosi as House speaker but that “ tearing the speech up is not going to tear up the accomplishments of the president .
I think he ’ s well on his way to being reelected , ” he added : Rep. Michael Waltz ( R-FL ) , a Green Beret , tweeted about Pelosi ’ s gesture : “ I find this sad .
At the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans ” : Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich ( R-GA ) said he was “ disgusted and insulted ” by Pelosi tearing up the speech and called for her to be censured .
“ She isn ’ t clever or cute her childishness insults our American traditions -should be censured , ” he tweeted .
Navy Adm .
( Ret . )
Ronny Jackson , a House candidate in Texas and the president ’ s former physician at the White House called Pelosi ’ s move “ shameful.
” “ Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a party that has NO respect for the office of the Presidency/NO sense of what it really means to be an American !
Shameful !
Embarrassed and scared for our country , ” he tweeted : Pelosi later told reporters that ripping up the speech was “ the courteous thing to do , considering the alternative , ” according to NBC News .
Follow Breitbart News ’ Kristina Wong on Twitter or on Facebook .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for ripping up her copy of President Trump’s State of the Union speech right behind his back after he delivered it.
Pompeo, who is close to the president, tweeted without comment a picture of Lisa Simpson crying as she is preparing to tear up a piece of paper:
Pompeo tweeted from his personal account, not from his secretary of state account.
Pelosi’s ripping up of the speech appeared to be a made-for-TV moment to express her disdain for the president, who delivered a speech filled with touching moments that appeared aimed at reaching out to the military, black Americans, and Latino communities.
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called it an “outstanding speech.”
He said he appreciated Pelosi as House speaker but that “tearing the speech up is not going to tear up the accomplishments of the president. I think he’s well on his way to being reelected,” he added:
Tearing the speech up is not going to tear up the accomplishments of this President. #SOTU2020 pic.twitter.com/ItwLJwioWx — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 5, 2020
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), a Green Beret, tweeted about Pelosi’s gesture: “I find this sad. At the end of the day, we are all Americans”:
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) said he was “disgusted and insulted” by Pelosi tearing up the speech and called for her to be censured.
“She isn’t clever or cute her childishness insults our American traditions -should be censured,” he tweeted.
As Speaker of the House for four State of the Unions by a President of the other party I am disgusted and insulted by the viciously partisan action of Nancy Pelosi tearing up the speech.She isn’t clever or cute her childishness insults our American traditions -should be censured. — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) February 5, 2020
Navy Adm. (Ret.) Ronny Jackson, a House candidate in Texas and the president’s former physician at the White House called Pelosi’s move “shameful.”
“Nancy Pelosi once again the flag bearer for a party that has NO respect for the office of the Presidency/NO sense of what it really means to be an American! Shameful! Embarrassed and scared for our country,” he tweeted:
Nancy Pelosi once again the flag bearer for a party that has NO respect for the office of the Presidency/NO sense of what it really means to be an American! Shameful! Embarrassed and scared for our country.
Thank God @realDonaldTrump is going to be our President for 4 MORE YRS! pic.twitter.com/5qkAExqIDN — Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJackson4TX) February 5, 2020
Pelosi later told reporters that ripping up the speech was “the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative,” according to NBC News.
Follow Breitbart News’ Kristina Wong on Twitter or on Facebook.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--President Trump Reportedly Considering Executive Order To Require All New Federal Architecture Be Cl

President Trump Reportedly Considering Executive Order To Require All New Federal Architecture Be Classical

The Trump administration may be crafting an executive order that would require all new federal buildings to be designed with a classical appearance .
The Architectural Record claims to have obtained a copy of the order , `` Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again . ''
According to the report , the order makes reference to the architectural taste of the Founding Fathers , who styled buildings from `` democratic Athens '' and `` republican Rome . ''
The order critiques modern architecture under the General Service Administration 's `` Design Excellence Program '' for failing to integrate `` national values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quality of architecture produced in the modern era is `` influenced by Brutalism and Deconstructivism . ''
Both Brutalism and Deconstructivism were architectural art forms that emerged during the 20th century .
Brutalist buildings , which began to emerge in the 1950s , are often seen to have mammoth , cement , and geometric structures .
Deconstructivism , which emerged in the 1980s as a postmodern form of architecture , emphasizes asymmetry and abstract construction .
The document says the forms of architecture do not fulfill the guiding principles of the GSA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide visual testimony to the dignity , enterprise , vigor , and stability of the American government.
” The order makes reference to three specific federal buildings : the U.S .
Courthouse in Austin , Texas , the Wilkie D. Ferguson , Jr. U.S .
Courthouse in Miami , Florida , and the U.S. Federal Building in San Francisco , California .
The order states that the designs “ fail to satisfy '' the original mandates of the GSA and `` shall not be used . ''

The Trump administration may be crafting an executive order that would require all new federal buildings to be designed with a classical appearance.
The Architectural Record claims to have obtained a copy of the order, "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again." According to the report, the order makes reference to the architectural taste of the Founding Fathers, who styled buildings from "democratic Athens" and "republican Rome."
The order critiques modern architecture under the General Service Administration's "Design Excellence Program" for failing to integrate "national values into federal buildings." It claims the quality of architecture produced in the modern era is "influenced by Brutalism and Deconstructivism."
Both Brutalism and Deconstructivism were architectural art forms that emerged during the 20th century. Brutalist buildings, which began to emerge in the 1950s, are often seen to have mammoth, cement, and geometric structures. Deconstructivism, which emerged in the 1980s as a postmodern form of architecture, emphasizes asymmetry and abstract construction.
The document says the forms of architecture do not fulfill the guiding principles of the GSA, which is that buildings “must provide visual testimony to the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American government.”
The order makes reference to three specific federal buildings: the U.S. Courthouse in Austin, Texas, the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, Florida, and the U.S. Federal Building in San Francisco, California. The order states that the designs “fail to satisfy" the original mandates of the GSA and "shall not be used."


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--Fox News Posts Best Ratings Week in Three Years on Impeachment Coverage

The impeachment trial of President Trump—and the final stretch toward the first voting of the 2020 presidential campaign—led Fox News to its highest-rated week in three years last week , with two of the network ’ s prime time shows , Tucker Carlson Tonight and The Ingraham Angle both delivering best-ever weekly ratings .
Overall , Fox delivered an average total audience of 2.1 million viewers , and a prime time audience of 3.4 million .
Among viewers 25-54 , the demographic group most valued by advertisers , FNC drew 361,000 viewers for the total day last week , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratings data compiled by Nielsen .
In the key matchup at 9 p.m. between Fox ’ s Hannity and MSNBC ’ s The Rachel Maddow Show , Fox remained in first place with 4.3 million viewers to MSNBC ’ s 2.6 million .
In the key demo , Hannity led with 709,000 viewers to Maddow ’ s 427,000 .
Last week marked 47 straight weeks with Hannity beating Maddow among total viewers .
While last week was Hannity ’ s second-highest weekly rating on record , two other Fox News shows posted all-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hitting 4.1 million total viewers and The Ingraham Angle drawing 3.8 million .
At 11 p.m .
ET , FNC ’ s Fox News at Night with Shannon Bream had its second-highest rated week among total viewers , and outpaced MSNBC ’ s The 11th Hour with Brian Williams in the key demo , 438,000 viewers to 319,000 .

This article is more than 3 years old.
DAVENPORT, IOWA - JANUARY 28: Peter Doocy, a Fox News reporter, waits for for former vice president ... [+] Joe Biden to exit a campaign event at Jeno's Little Hungary in Davenport, IA on January 28, 2020. (Photo by Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post via Getty Images
The impeachment trial of President Trump—and the final stretch toward the first voting of the 2020 presidential campaign—led Fox News to its highest-rated week in three years last week, with two of the network’s prime time shows, Tucker Carlson Tonight and The Ingraham Angle both delivering best-ever weekly ratings.
Overall, Fox delivered an average total audience of 2.1 million viewers, and a prime time audience of 3.4 million. Among viewers 25-54, the demographic group most valued by advertisers, FNC drew 361,000 viewers for the total day last week, and 561,000 in prime time, according to ratings data compiled by Nielsen.
In the key matchup at 9 p.m. between Fox’s Hannity and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, Fox remained in first place with 4.3 million viewers to MSNBC’s 2.6 million. In the key demo, Hannity led with 709,000 viewers to Maddow’s 427,000. Last week marked 47 straight weeks with Hannity beating Maddow among total viewers.
While last week was Hannity’s second-highest weekly rating on record, two other Fox News shows posted all-time ratings records, with Tucker Carlson Tonight hitting 4.1 million total viewers and The Ingraham Angle drawing 3.8 million.
At 11 p.m. ET, FNC’s Fox News at Night with Shannon Bream had its second-highest rated week among total viewers, and outpaced MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Brian Williams in the key demo, 438,000 viewers to 319,000.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--SOTU: Trump Calls for Ban on Late Term Abortion

President Donald Trump highlighted a premature baby born at 21 weeks and called on lawmakers to ban late-term abortion Tuesday night at the State of the Union .
Trump delivered the State of the Union address to Congress Tuesday night in Washington , D.C. , where he discussed the birth of Ellie Schneider , a baby born at 21 weeks and six days .
“ In 2017 , doctors at Saint Luke ’ s Hospital in Kansas City [ Missouri ] delivered one of the earliest premature babies ever to survive , 21 weeks and 6 days and weighing less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Ellie was a born fighter .
Through the skill of her doctors and the prayers of her parents , she won the battle of life.
” ( RELATED : Democrats Sit Quietly As Republicans Cheer Women ’ s Unemployment Numbers ) “ Today she is a healthy 2-year-old girl sitting with her amazing mother , Robin , ” Trump said , pointing to the child ’ s mother in the gallery .
“ We are glad to have you with us tonight.
” The president said that the premature baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a miracle of life ” and that his administration ’ s goal is to ensure that every baby “ has the best chance to thrive and grow just like Ellie.
” “ That is why I am asking Congress to provide another $ 50-million to fund neo-natal research for America ’ s youngest patients , ” the president said .
“ That is why I ’ m also calling upon members of Congress here tonight to pass legislation finally banning the late-term abortion of babies.
” “ Whether we are Republican , Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree that every human life is a sacred gift from God .
As we support America ’ s moms and dads , I was recently proud to sign the law providing new parents in the federal workforce paid family leave , serving as a model for the rest of the country , ” he continued .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org @

President Donald Trump highlighted a premature baby born at 21 weeks and called on lawmakers to ban late-term abortion Tuesday night at the State of the Union.
Trump delivered the State of the Union address to Congress Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., where he discussed the birth of Ellie Schneider, a baby born at 21 weeks and six days.
“In 2017, doctors at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City [Missouri] delivered one of the earliest premature babies ever to survive, 21 weeks and 6 days and weighing less than a pound,” the president said. “Ellie was a born fighter. Through the skill of her doctors and the prayers of her parents, she won the battle of life.” (RELATED: Democrats Sit Quietly As Republicans Cheer Women’s Unemployment Numbers)
“Today she is a healthy 2-year-old girl sitting with her amazing mother, Robin,” Trump said, pointing to the child’s mother in the gallery. “We are glad to have you with us tonight.”
The president said that the premature baby “reminds us that every child is a miracle of life” and that his administration’s goal is to ensure that every baby “has the best chance to thrive and grow just like Ellie.”
“That is why I am asking Congress to provide another $50-million to fund neo-natal research for America’s youngest patients,” the president said. “That is why I’m also calling upon members of Congress here tonight to pass legislation finally banning the late-term abortion of babies.”
WATCH:
“Whether we are Republican, Democrat or independent, surely we must all agree that every human life is a sacred gift from God. As we support America’s moms and dads, I was recently proud to sign the law providing new parents in the federal workforce paid family leave, serving as a model for the rest of the country,” he continued.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--SOTU: Democrats Apparently Unpleased With Record Low Unemployment

Democrats sat quietly as Republicans applauded the lowest women ’ s unemployment numbers in years Tuesday night at the State of the Union .
President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union address to Congress Tuesday night in Washington , D.C. , where he said that the unemployment rate under his administration is lower than it has been for any administration in the history of the U.S .
The president also pointed out that unemployment rates for women have reached record lows , amidst thunderous applause from Republicans .
Democrats attending the State of the Union , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for women .
“ If we hadn ’ t reversed the failed economic policies of the previous administration , the world would not now be witnessing this great economic success , ” Trump said .
“ African-American youth unemployment has reached an all-time low , ” the president said .
“ African-American poverty has declined to the lowest rate ever recorded .
The unemployment rate for women reached the lowest level in almost 70 years and last year women filled 72 % of all new jobs added.
” The president also pointed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has dropped to a record low and that the unemployment rate for workers without high school diplomas has achieved the lowest unemployment rate “ recorded in U.S. history.
” “ A record number of young Americans are now employed , ” he added .
“ Under the last administration , more than 10 million people were added to the food stamp rolls .
Under my administration , 7 million Americans have come off food stamps , and 10 million people have been lifted off of welfare.
” Content created by The Daily Caller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Democrats sat quietly as Republicans applauded the lowest women’s unemployment numbers in years Tuesday night at the State of the Union.
President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union address to Congress Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., where he said that the unemployment rate under his administration is lower than it has been for any administration in the history of the U.S.
The president also pointed out that unemployment rates for women have reached record lows, amidst thunderous applause from Republicans. Democrats attending the State of the Union, however, sat silent as Republicans applauded low unemployment for women.
“If we hadn’t reversed the failed economic policies of the previous administration, the world would not now be witnessing this great economic success,” Trump said.
“African-American youth unemployment has reached an all-time low,” the president said. “African-American poverty has declined to the lowest rate ever recorded. The unemployment rate for women reached the lowest level in almost 70 years and last year women filled 72% of all new jobs added.”
WATCH:
The president also pointed out that unemployment for veterans and disabled Americans has dropped to a record low and that the unemployment rate for workers without high school diplomas has achieved the lowest unemployment rate “recorded in U.S. history.”
“A record number of young Americans are now employed,” he added. “Under the last administration, more than 10 million people were added to the food stamp rolls. Under my administration, 7 million Americans have come off food stamps, and 10 million people have been lifted off of welfare.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--SOTU: President Trump Surprises Military Family With Reunion

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump surprised a military family with an unexpected reunion during the State of the Union address on Tuesday evening.While discussing how `` war places a heavy burden on our nation 's extraordinary military families , '' Trump recognized Amy Williams from Fort Bragg , North Carolina , and her two children , 6-year-old Elliana and 3-year-old Rowan .
`` Amy works full time and volunteers countless hours helping other military families , '' Trump said .
`` For the past seven months , she has done it all while her husband , Sgt .
First Class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his fourth deployment to the Middle East .
`` Trump continued : `` Amy 's kids have not seen their father 's face in many months .
Amy , your family 's sacrifice makes it possible for all of our families to live in safety and peace .
`` `` But Amy , there is one more thing .
Tonight we have a very special surprise .
I am thrilled to inform you that your husband is back from deployment .
He is here with us tonight , and we could n't keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said as Williams entered the chamber.The family received a standing ovation from many in the chamber , and a `` USA ! ''
chant broke out before Trump continued his remarks .

"Amy's kids have not seen their father's face in many months," Trump said before welcoming Sgt. First Class Townsend Williams into the chamber.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump surprised a military family with an unexpected reunion during the State of the Union address on Tuesday evening.
While discussing how "war places a heavy burden on our nation's extraordinary military families," Trump recognized Amy Williams from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and her two children, 6-year-old Elliana and 3-year-old Rowan.
"Amy works full time and volunteers countless hours helping other military families," Trump said. "For the past seven months, she has done it all while her husband, Sgt. First Class Townsend Williams, is in Afghanistan on his fourth deployment to the Middle East."
SEE ALSO: State of the Union 2020 fact check
Trump continued: "Amy's kids have not seen their father's face in many months. Amy, your family's sacrifice makes it possible for all of our families to live in safety and peace."
"But Amy, there is one more thing. Tonight we have a very special surprise. I am thrilled to inform you that your husband is back from deployment. He is here with us tonight, and we couldn't keep him waiting any longer," Trump said as Williams entered the chamber.
The family received a standing ovation from many in the chamber, and a "USA!" chant broke out before Trump continued his remarks.


bonginoreport--2020-02-05--SOTU: Democrats Refuse to Applaud Fourth Grade Scholarship Recipient

Numerous Democrats appeared to not celebrate a fourth-grade black girl who received a scholarship on Tuesday night from President Donald Trump during the State of the Union Address .
“ The next step forward in building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream , ” Trump said .
“ Yet , for too long , countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools .
To rescue these students , 18 States have created school choice in the form of Opportunity Scholarships.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of students remain on waiting lists , ” Trump continued .
“ One of those students is Janiyah Davis , a fourth grader from Philadelphia .
Janiyah ’ s mom Stephanie is a single parent .
She would do anything to give her daughter a better future .
But last year , that future was put further out of reach when Pennsylvania ’ s Governor vetoed legislation to expand school choice for 50,000 children.
” Republican National Committee ( RNC ) Rapid Response Director Steve Guest noticed that many Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Another stunning but unsurprising moment from Democrats during the # SOTU , ” Guest said in a tweet .
“ Democrats remain seated as President Trump awards an ‘ opportunity scholarship ’ to 4th grader.
” “ Janiyah and Stephanie are in the gallery this evening , ” Trump continued .
“ But there is more to their story .
Janiyah , I am pleased to inform you that your long wait is over .
I can proudly announce tonight that an Opportunity Scholarship has become available , it is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heading to the school of your choice !
” “ Now , I call on the Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity Janiyah has just received , ” Trump continued .
“ Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act — because no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school.
” “ Every young person should have a safe and secure environment in which to learn and grow , ” Trump continued .
“ For this reason , our magnificent First Lady has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to advance a safe , healthy , supportive , and drug-free life for the next generation , online , in school , and in our communities .
Thank you , Melania , for your extraordinary love and profound care for America ’ s children.
” “ My Administration is determined to give our citizens the opportunities they need regardless of age or background , ” Trump continued .
“ Through our Pledge to American Workers , over 400 companies will also provide new jobs and education opportunities to almost 15 million Americans.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exciting vision for our Nation ’ s high schools , ” Trump continued .
“ Tonight , I ask the Congress to support our students and back my plan to offer vocational and technical education in every single high school in America .
”

Numerous Democrats appeared to not celebrate a fourth-grade black girl who received a scholarship on Tuesday night from President Donald Trump during the State of the Union Address.
“The next step forward in building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” Trump said. “Yet, for too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools. To rescue these students, 18 States have created school choice in the form of Opportunity Scholarships.”
“The programs are so popular, that tens of thousands of students remain on waiting lists,” Trump continued. “One of those students is Janiyah Davis, a fourth grader from Philadelphia. Janiyah’s mom Stephanie is a single parent. She would do anything to give her daughter a better future. But last year, that future was put further out of reach when Pennsylvania’s Governor vetoed legislation to expand school choice for 50,000 children.”
Republican National Committee (RNC) Rapid Response Director Steve Guest noticed that many Democrats did not celebrate the touching moment.
“Another stunning but unsurprising moment from Democrats during the #SOTU,” Guest said in a tweet. “Democrats remain seated as President Trump awards an ‘opportunity scholarship’ to 4th grader.”
WATCH:
Another stunning but unsurprising moment from Democrats during the #SOTU. Democrats remain seated as President Trump awards an “opportunity scholarship” to 4th grader pic.twitter.com/BdTa4B64a5 — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 5, 2020
“Janiyah and Stephanie are in the gallery this evening,” Trump continued. “But there is more to their story. Janiyah, I am pleased to inform you that your long wait is over. I can proudly announce tonight that an Opportunity Scholarship has become available, it is going to you, and you will soon be heading to the school of your choice!”
“Now, I call on the Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity Janiyah has just received,” Trump continued. “Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act — because no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school.”
“Every young person should have a safe and secure environment in which to learn and grow,” Trump continued. “For this reason, our magnificent First Lady has launched the ‘Be Best’ initiative — to advance a safe, healthy, supportive, and drug-free life for the next generation, online, in school, and in our communities. Thank you, Melania, for your extraordinary love and profound care for America’s children.”
“My Administration is determined to give our citizens the opportunities they need regardless of age or background,” Trump continued. “Through our Pledge to American Workers, over 400 companies will also provide new jobs and education opportunities to almost 15 million Americans.”
“My Budget also contains an exciting vision for our Nation’s high schools,” Trump continued. “Tonight, I ask the Congress to support our students and back my plan to offer vocational and technical education in every single high school in America.”


bonginoreport--2020-02-06--China Says Coronavirus Cases Top 28,000 as Death Toll Hits 563

8:12 am : 10 more coronavirus cases aboard quarantined cruise ship in Japan Japan 's health ministry said ten more people on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the new coronavirus , bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 20 .
The ship is docked at Yokohama port .
Princess Cruises , the company that operates the ship , previously said it had placed 3,700 passengers and crew under mandatory quarantine for two weeks after 10 people on board tested positive for the infection .
A previous guest , who did not have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus on Saturday , six days after leaving the cruise ship .
China 's National Health Commission said that as of Wednesday night , a total of 28,018 cases have been confirmed and 563 people have died in the country .
There were 3,694 new confirmed cases .
There were 73 additional deaths , with most of them in Hubei province .
China 's Hubei province reported an additional 70 deaths and 2,987 new confirmed cases related to the fast-spreading coronavirus as of the end of Wednesday .
The Hubei Provincial Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region and a total of 19,665 cases have been confirmed thus far .
The province , where the pneumonia-like virus was first detected , has accounted for most of the deaths related to the new coronavirus .
All times below are in Eastern time .
5:10 pm : Yum China temporarily closes 30 % of China stores , could see losses Yum China Holdings , which operates Pizza Hut and KFC in China , has temporarily closed more than 30 % of its stores there .
Same-store sales for the locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 % since the Chinese New Year holiday , the company said , adding that it ca n't say when its locations may reopen or whether it will need to close more .
`` Looking into 2020 , the coronavirus outbreak is a major public health situation in China , '' CEO Joey Wat said in a statement , adding that the safety of employees and customers was a priority .
The outbreak will have a `` material impact '' on its 2020 sales and profit — possibly even see a quarterly or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak , the company said .
— Rogers The New York City Department of Health said it now has five `` patients under investigation '' for the virus and is awaiting test results on four of them from the CDC .
`` This means they had recently been in China and presented with fever and cough or shortness of breath without another common cause , like influenza and other respiratory viruses , identified through testing , '' the agency said in a statement .
The two new potential patients are both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the other is under isolation with daily monitoring by the health department .
The specimen from the first suspected case sent to the CDC was negative , the department previously said .
Read CNBC 's coverage from the U.S. overnight : US ca n't keep virus 'out of our border , ' NYC has 2 new 'patients under investigation ' — CNBC 's Kate Rogers , Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and William Feuer contributed to this report .

watch now
The coverage on this live blog has ended — but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's U.S team. All times below are in Beijing time.
9:30 pm: Britain confirms third case of the coronavirus
A third person in the U.K. has tested positive for the coronavirus, England's chief medical officer (CMO) said on Thursday. The patient, who did not acquire the deadly pneumonia-like virus in the U.K., is being transferred to a specialist National Health Service (NHS) center, Chris Whitty of CMO England said in a statement. "The NHS is well prepared to manage these cases and we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had," he added. Tweet 1
9:20 pm: Vietnam confirms two new cases of the coronavirus, bringing total to 12
Vietnam confirmed two new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the country's total to 12. The two new cases are both Vietnamese nationals from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, the health ministry said in a statement.
9:10 pm: Russia reportedly rejects OPEC's proposal to impose further output cuts
Russia is thought to be standing in the way of further OPEC-led production cuts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing unnamed cartel delegates. The Saudi-led producer group has been unable to reach a consensus over its response to China's coronavirus outbreak. It comes after delegates representing OPEC and non-OPEC allies, sometimes referred to as OPEC+, met for three days to debate whether further output cuts would be necessary in order to offset falling demand for crude. Earlier in the day, an OPEC+ technical panel recommended a provisional cut of 600,000 barrels per day, Reuters reported, citing two sources. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $55.07 on Thursday, down around 0.4%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $50.85, around 0.2% higher.
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7:30 pm: Tesla temporarily closes China stores amid coronavirus fears
Tesla has temporarily closed its stores in mainland China as of Sunday, Feb. 2, according to an online post from a company sales employee on that date. The move comes as more than half of China has shut down in an effort to limit the spread of a new coronavirus that has killed more than 500 people in the country. The electric automaker's China communications office did not respond to a CNBC request for comment during business hours on Thursday Beijing time.
7:20 pm: Organizers of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games set up task force to tackle coronavirus outbreak
The organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have set up a task force in an attempt to counter intensifying fears about the coronavirus outbreak. Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told reporters gathered at a press briefing on Thursday that he had chaired the newly-created Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures Task Force, Reuters reported. The group held its first meeting on Tuesday, Muto said, and a second briefing could take place as soon as Friday. The Olympic Games are set to take place from July 24 to August 9, with the Paralympic Games scheduled to run from August 25 through to September 6.
6:50 pm: Air France and KLM airlines extend a ban on flights to China
Air France announced on Thursday it has extended a suspension of flights to and from mainland China for much of March, citing worries about the coronavirus outbreak. Dutch carrier KLM also confirmed it would extend a ban on flights to China as a result of the virus outbreak. In an online statement, KLM said it would prolong the suspension of its flights to Beijing and Shanghai "up to and including 15 March." Earlier in the day, (see 12:55 p.m. update) Japan Airlines and ANA both announced reduced international flights to China.
6:10 pm: US urges WHO to 'engage directly' with Taiwan, prompting China to hit back
The U.S. pushed for the World Health Organization (WHO) to "engage directly" with Taiwan in the fight against the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting a swift rebuke from Beijing's ambassador to the United Nations health agency. Andrew Bremberg, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said it is a "technical imperative that WHO present visible public health data on Taiwan as an affected area and engage directly with Taiwan public health authorities on actions," Reuters reported. In response, China's delegation expressed "strong dissatisfaction" that some countries had raised the issue of Taiwan's participation at WHO.
A woman wearing a protective mask prays at the Lungshan temple during the fourth day of the Lunar New year of the Rat in Taipei in January 28, 2020. Sam Yeh | AFP | Getty Images
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO due to China's objections. Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan a wayward province to be brought under its control. Separately, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Joanne Ou, slammed China and the WHO for providing inaccurate information about the number of coronavirus cases in Taiwan. The WHO reported Tuesday that the island had 13 cases, when there were only 10 at that time. Taiwan has temporarily suspended entry for all Chinese citizens who live in mainland China.
5:20 pm: Philippine central bank cuts rates, warns coronavirus could have an 'adverse impact' on economic activity
The Philippine central bank said Thursday that it had lowered the rate on its overnight reverse repurchase facility by 25 basis points to 3.75%, adding it was prepared to trim rates further if necessary to protect economic growth. The interest rates on the overnight lending and deposit facilities were reduced to 4.25% and 3.25%, respectively, the central bank said. In a statement published Thursday, the central bank said the spread of the coronavirus "could have an adverse impact on economic activity and market sentiment in the coming months."
4:08 pm: China confirms 19 foreign nationals have been infected
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that data from a "competent authority" confirmed, as of noon Thursday, 19 foreign nationals have contracted the new coronavirus. Two of them had been cured and discharged from the hospital while 17 are undergoing treatment in isolation, the ministry said. "China attaches high importance to addressing the concerns and demands of foreign nationals in China, especially those in Wuhan, Hubei Province," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, according to an official translation. She added that along with local governments, the ministry holds outbreak-related briefings for foreign embassies and consulates. Hua did not specify the nationalities of the infected foreign nationals. — Cheng
3:03 pm: Nintendo apologizes, says coronavirus outbreak may affect some game consoles
Japanese gamemaker Nintendo apologized on Thursday and said it expects an inevitable delay in production and shipment of some of its products. Those include the Nintendo Switch hybrid gaming console and the Joy-Con controllers that are manufactured in China for the Japanese market. Nintendo said in its earnings report last month that by the end of 2019, it sold more than 52 million units of the Switch console since it was first released three years ago.
Character of Nintendo's franchise Mario is seen at a promotional booth for the video game "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020" during the Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture on September 12, 2019. Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images
2:09 pm: Taiwan bans international cruise ships from calling at its ports
Taiwan's health ministry said Thursday it will prohibit all international cruise ships from its ports. Earlier in the day, Japan said a Taiwanese person onboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise in Yokohama was one of ten new people diagnosed with the virus. Taiwan said Thursday there are currently 13 confirmed cases on the island.
1:40 pm: China may delay its annual meeting of parliament due to the coronavirus
China is considering delaying the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, made up of around 3,000 delegates, in March, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The meeting that is scheduled for Mar. 5 is used to pass laws and unveil China's economic targets for the year.
12:55 pm: Japan Airlines, ANA to reduce international flights to China
Japan Airlines said it would suspend some flights to Beijing and Shanghai routes starting Thursday until Feb. 16, 2020. From Feb. 17, more flights will be suspended until Mar. 28 (Mar. 29 for certain flights). Meanwhile, flight frequency on routes from Tokyo to Guangzhou and Dalian would be reduced. The carrier said it had seen a decrease in travel demand as more countries are implementing travel restrictions on people who have visited China during specific periods. Competitor ANA also said it will temporarily decrease or suspend operations to and from selected cities starting Feb. 10, including Beijing and Shanghai. Flights to and from Tokyo's Narita International Airport to Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first detected, were suspended on Jan. 23. ANA's reductions and suspensions are slated to continue until Mar. 28.
11:54 am: Oil prices jump more than 1% during Asian hours
U.S. crude prices were up around 2.01% to $51.77 a barrel while global benchmark Brent rose 1.54% to $56.13. Overnight, energy was the top-performing sector on the S&P 500. Oil prices have struggled in recent weeks, with U.S. crude down more than 16% for the year and Brent also lower by almost 16%. The worry from market participants is that the coronavirus outbreak could significantly curb demand for oil, especially from China. Some experts said that could lead to OPEC and its allies cutting production to bolster prices. A technical committee comprising OPEC members and its partners extended a two-day meeting this week into Thursday to find a consensus on whether the oil producers need to make emergency production cuts. OPEC and its allies, which include Russia, are currently holding back 1.8 million barrels a day, with Saudi Arabia reducing its output the most.
10:35 am: Japan reveals more information about infected people on cruise ship
Japan's health ministry disclosed in a press briefing more details about the ten additional people it said tested positive for the virus on board a cruise ship. According to NBC News, Japan said the newly infected people came from: Japan: 4 (one woman in her 60s, two women in their 70s, one man in his 70s)
U.S.: 2 (one woman in her 60s, another woman in her 70s)
Canada: 2 (one woman in her 60s, a man in his 70s)
New Zealand: 1 (a man in his 50s)
Taiwan: 1 (a woman in her 70s) The ministry declined to comment on their conditions and said that they would like to wait for the diagnosis from the medical facilities.
10:21 am: Australia PM: Economic impact is going to be 'very significant'
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sydney's 2GB radio on Thursday that he expects the economic impact from the new coronavirus to be "very significant," owing to the country's increased exposure to China, in terms of the number of Chinese visitors and students it receives. China is Australia's largest trading partner. "We can't pretend there's no impact to a global virus like this, and we can't pretend that we can make it like the day it was before the virus struck," Morrison said, pointing out in previous instances of viral outbreaks, tourism in Australia dented in one quarter before bouncing back in the next. As of Thursday morning, Australia's health ministry said there have been 14 confirmed cases in the country.
9:45 am: Beijing city bans group meals
The city of Beijing said on Wednesday that caterers and individuals are not allowed to organize group gatherings, and that previous arrangement should be canceled or postponed. Rural collectives are also prohibited from organizing banquets, whether for festivals, birthdays or school promotions. As of Sunday night, Beijing had more than 200 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, with more than half due to group gatherings, according to state media. Hotels and catering services contributed 11.11 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) to Beijing's GDP in the first quarter of 2019, or 20% of the total for the year, according to official data accessed through Wind Information. — Cheng
Chinese men wear protective masks as they walk in a nearly empty shopping street on February 2, 2020 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer | Getty Images
9:32 am: Qualcomm sees 'significant uncertainty' around the impact of coronavirus on supply chain
Chipmaker Qualcomm said the virus outbreak, which put most of China under an extended shutdown, could potentially affect the mobile phone industry. "There is significant uncertainty around the impact from the coronavirus on handset demand and supply chain," CFO Akash Palkhiwala told investors on the company's latest earnings call. Qualcomm stock dropped about 4% in extended trading after it beat analysts' estimates on the top and bottom lines, reporting first-quarter earnings of 99 cents a share on revenue of $5.06 billion.
8:51 am: Millions of chickens in China could be wiped out
Hundreds of millions of chickens in China are at risk of being wiped out as the shutdowns have hit supply chains. Transport restrictions are preventing much-needed animal feed such as soybean meal from getting delivered to poultry farms, according to analysts and Chinese state media. There are over 300 million chickens in the virus epicenter of Hubei alone putting farmers in a dire situation, a local poultry association said. — Tan
8:12 am: 10 more coronavirus cases aboard quarantined cruise ship in Japan
Japan's health ministry said ten more people on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 20. The ship is docked at Yokohama port. Princess Cruises, the company that operates the ship, previously said it had placed 3,700 passengers and crew under mandatory quarantine for two weeks after 10 people on board tested positive for the infection. A previous guest, who did not have any symptoms while onboard, tested positive for the virus on Saturday, six days after leaving the cruise ship.
7:33 am: China reports 563 total deaths, and 28,018 confirmed cases
China's National Health Commission said that as of Wednesday night, a total of 28,018 cases have been confirmed and 563 people have died in the country. There were 3,694 new confirmed cases. There were 73 additional deaths, with most of them in Hubei province.
7:04 am: Hubei reports an additional 70 deaths
China's Hubei province reported an additional 70 deaths and 2,987 new confirmed cases related to the fast-spreading coronavirus as of the end of Wednesday. The Hubei Provincial Health Committee said that 549 people have died in the region and a total of 19,665 cases have been confirmed thus far. The province, where the pneumonia-like virus was first detected, has accounted for most of the deaths related to the new coronavirus.
The view of the Wuhan Keting in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province started converting three existing venues, including a gymnasium and an exhibition center, into hospitals to receive patients infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the headquarters for the epidemic control said late Monday. Getty Images
All times below are in Eastern time.
5:10 pm: Yum China temporarily closes 30% of China stores, could see losses
Yum China Holdings , which operates Pizza Hut and KFC in China, has temporarily closed more than 30% of its stores there. Same-store sales for the locations that stayed open plunged by up to 50% since the Chinese New Year holiday, the company said, adding that it can't say when its locations may reopen or whether it will need to close more. "Looking into 2020, the coronavirus outbreak is a major public health situation in China," CEO Joey Wat said in a statement, adding that the safety of employees and customers was a priority. The outbreak will have a "material impact" on its 2020 sales and profit — possibly even see a quarterly or annual loss, depending on the course of the outbreak, the company said. — Rogers
4:07 pm: New York City tests 5 people for potential coronavirus


bonginoreport--2020-02-06--President Trump Slams “Democrat’s Secret Asset” Romney in New Campaign Ad Following Acquittal

• President Donald Trump posted a video attacking Sen. Mitt Romney after his decision to vote in favor of convicting Trump for abuse of power on Wednesday .
• Romney was the only GOP senator to go against Trump .
He was the 2012 Republican nominee for president who has been critical of Trump on some occasions .
• A video posted by Trump included footage of Romney praising Trump , and failing to win the 2012 election himself .
• `` Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine , '' Romney said .
President Donald Trump posted a video attacking Republican Sen. Mitt Romney after his stunning vote to convict the president for abuse of power in his Senate impeachment trial on Wednesday .
Romney was the only Republican to vote in favor of convicting Trump for abuse of power , though he joined the rest of the GOP in voting to acquit Trump for obstruction of Congress .
The Utah Republican was the first senator in US history to support convicting a president from his own party .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spliced-together collection of news clips , which at one point described Romney as `` a Democrat secret asset . ''
It juxtaposes footage of Romney publicly praising Trump shortly after the 2016 election with narration describing how Romney later turned on the president .
It also includes news footage of Romney failing to beat Barack Obama to the presidency in 2012 , followed by footage of Trump beating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 , a moment Trump has returned to often in his social media output .
Romney in an impassioned speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that he was compelled to vote for his conviction despite agreeing with many of his actions as president .
Romney said he could not ignore the oath of impartiality he took at the start of the trial .
He said his faith compelled him to make an extraordinary break with his own party .
Romney condemned Trump for his effort to urge Ukraine into launching investigations into political rivals , including former Vice President Joe Biden , who is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination .
`` Corrupting an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most abusive and destructive violation of one 's oath of office that I can imagine , '' Romney said .
Romney was promptly praised by Democrats while facing swift criticism from fellow Republicans after announcing his decision .
`` I sat silently across the chamber , listening to my friend give one of the most important speeches I have ever had the good fortune to hear in person , '' Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut tweeted .
`` At a time when many wonder what honor is left in public life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comparatively , Ronna McDaniel , the chair of the Republican National Committee and Romney 's niece , in a statement said : `` This is not the first time I 've disagreed with Mitt , and I imagine it will not be the last .
The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong , and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him . ''
Meanwhile , Donald Trump Jr. , the president 's son , called for Romney to be `` expelled '' from the Republican party .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump on December 18 , 2019 , one for abuse of power over his dealings of Ukraine , and a second for obstruction of Congress over the president 's efforts to stonewall the impeachment inquiry .
Trump froze almost $ 400 million in crucial military aid to Ukraine , which is at war with pro-Russian separatists , as he sought to pressure Kiev into helping him dig up dirt on his political opponents .
Democrats essentially accused Trump of blackmailing Ukraine with congressionally-approved security assistance , and using it to solicit foreign election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a whistleblower complaint centered around a July 25 phone call in which Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son , Hunter Biden , as well as a debunked conspiracy theory linked to the 2016 election .
The president wanted Zelensky to announce investigations into the Bidens in relation to Hunter 's work for Burisma Holdings , a Ukrainian natural gas company , despite no evidence of wrongdoing or illegal activity on the part of the former vice president or his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness testimony gathered in the impeachment inquiry revealed a broad effort to pressure Ukraine that was engineered by Trump 's personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , and went well beyond the July 25 phone call .
Meanwhile , Trump has maintained he did nothing wrong and has continued to call his July 25 conversation with Zelensky a `` perfect '' call .

President Donald Trump posted a video attacking Sen. Mitt Romney over Romney's decision to vote in favor of convicting Trump of abuse of power on Wednesday.
Romney was the only GOP senator to go against Trump, who was acquitted of both impeachment charges he faced.
The video posted by Trump included footage of Romney praising Trump and failing to win the 2012 presidential election.
"Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine," Romney said in a speech explaining his decision.
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President Donald Trump on Wednesday posted a video attacking Republican Sen. Mitt Romney after his stunning vote to convict the president of abuse of power at his Senate impeachment trial.
Romney was the only Republican to vote in favor of convicting Trump of abuse of power, though he joined the rest of the GOP in voting to acquit Trump of obstruction of Congress. Trump was acquitted of both charges.
The Utah Republican was the first senator in US history to cast an impeachment vote in favor of removing a president from his or her party.
Here is the video:
The video is a spliced-together collection of news clips, which at one point described Romney as "a Democrat secret asset."
It juxtaposes footage of Romney publicly praising Trump shortly after the 2016 election with narration describing how Romney later turned on the president.
It also includes news footage of Romney failing to beat President Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012, followed by footage of Trump beating Hillary Clinton for president in 2016, a moment Trump has returned to often on social media.
Romney in an impassioned speech on the Senate floor before the vote said he was compelled to vote for Trump's conviction despite agreeing with many of his actions as president.
Romney said he could not ignore the oath of impartiality he took at the start of the trial. He said his faith compelled him to make an extraordinary break with his party.
Romney condemned Trump for his effort to urge Ukraine to launch investigations into political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden, who is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
"Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine," Romney said.
Romney was promptly praised by Democrats while facing swift criticism from fellow Republicans after announcing his decision.
"I sat silently across the chamber, listening to my friend give one of the most important speeches I have ever had the good fortune to hear in person," Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut tweeted. "At a time when many wonder what honor is left in public life, there stands Mitt Romney."
Comparatively, Ronna McDaniel, the chair of the Republican National Committee and Romney's niece, in a statement said: "This is not the first time I've disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him."
Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, called for Romney to be "expelled" from the Republican Party.
The House passed two articles of impeachment against Trump on December 18, one charging him with abuse of power over his dealings with Ukraine and the other charging him with obstruction of Congress over his efforts to stonewall the impeachment inquiry. Trump froze almost $400 million in crucial military aid to Ukraine, which is at war with pro-Russian separatists, as he sought to pressure Kyiv into helping him dig up dirt on his political opponents.
Democrats essentially accused Trump of using congressionally approved security assistance to extort Ukraine with the goal of soliciting foreign election interference.
The impeachment proceedings spiraled out of a whistleblower complaint centered on a July 25 phone call in which Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden as well as into a debunked conspiracy theory linked to the 2016 election.
The president wanted Zelensky to announce investigations into the Bidens in relation to Hunter's work for Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural-gas company, despite no evidence of wrongdoing or illegal activity on the part of the former vice president or his son with regard to Ukraine.
Documents and witness testimony gathered in the impeachment inquiry revealed a broad effort to pressure Ukraine that was engineered by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and went well beyond the July 25 phone call.
Trump has maintained he did nothing wrong and has continued to call his July 25 conversation with Zelensky a "perfect" call.