thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--A confrontation for the ages: Trump to deliver State of the Union to a Congress that tried to fire h

A confrontation for the ages: Trump to deliver State of the Union to a Congress that tried to fire him

President Trump is poised to go face-to-face with a Congress that just impeached him and is still putting him on trial , a historic confrontation providing an opportunity for the president to build a narrative for his ardent supporters that Democrats tried to take him down and failed .
Not since President Bill Clinton appeared before Congress as the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke in 1998 has there been a State of the Union better set for an atmosphere of sizzling tension .
During the address Tuesday night , which will sound as much like a campaign speech as a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , Trump can tout the expected acquittal Wednesday by the Senate as a triumph over what he and other Republicans say was an attempt to reverse the 2016 election results while promoting his achievements as well .
“ He should spend the night juxtaposing his focus on security and prosperity with the Democrats ’ focus on partisanship , ” Brad Todd , a Republican strategist , told the Washington Examiner .
“ He should dare them to impeach him again and say he has the broad shoulders to take it — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off if they work with him.
” Trump 's reelection strategy is focused on turning out his base , which wants to hear just such a message .
Democrats are expecting as much , though it is not yet clear how much Trump will use impeachment to pound the other party .
It would fit the president ’ s pattern of squabbles with his opponents , whether Democrat or Republican .
Of course , the hostility is shared .
Most Democrats are convinced that Trump endangered national security for personal gain when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid from Ukraine to pressure Kyiv to investigate political rival Joe Biden .
“ A lot of his communication is predicated on 'demonize and divide ' rather than 'unite and build , ' ” said Sen. Bob Casey , a Pennsylvania Democrat who anticipated that Trump would use the State of the Union to gloat .
The pomp and circumstance of a State of the Union offer presidents a unique opportunity to speak to the nation .
Throughout the evening , the commander in chief benefits from repeated standing ovations from fellow partisans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that compel the opposition party to sit silently .
The scene could be especially helpful to Trump , a polarizing figure , as he embarks on an uncertain reelection campaign .
Low unemployment , trade deals , the neutralization of American enemies overseas , and the absence of a major domestic or foreign crisis should make Trump the 2020 favorite .
“ He doesn ’ t have to make a single thing up .
The state of the union is really , really strong , ” Sen. Kevin Cramer , a North Dakota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a great message.
” But even with some of the highest job approval ratings of his presidency and having convinced a bare majority of the public that impeachment was unwarranted , Trump is vulnerable because of broad dissatisfaction with his personal conduct .
Trump still trails some of the leading Democratic contenders in national polls and is neck and neck with them in key battlegrounds .
That is why several Republican insiders , from senior strategists to members of Congress , are urging Trump to stick to the script .
The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not in the text of the speech , and the president ’ s allies are hoping he resists the impulse to ad-lib , as is his habit , and use the State of the Union to jab at Democrats and celebrate an impeachment victory .
“ I hope he keeps it all very positive and doesn ’ t talk about impeachment at all , ” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said .
“ He ought to come here like a winner .
”

President Trump is poised to go face-to-face with a Congress that just impeached him and is still putting him on trial, a historic confrontation providing an opportunity for the president to build a narrative for his ardent supporters that Democrats tried to take him down and failed.
Not since President Bill Clinton appeared before Congress as the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke in 1998 has there been a State of the Union better set for an atmosphere of sizzling tension.
During the address Tuesday night, which will sound as much like a campaign speech as a report on how things are going in the country, Trump can tout the expected acquittal Wednesday by the Senate as a triumph over what he and other Republicans say was an attempt to reverse the 2016 election results while promoting his achievements as well.
“He should spend the night juxtaposing his focus on security and prosperity with the Democrats’ focus on partisanship,” Brad Todd, a Republican strategist, told the Washington Examiner. “He should dare them to impeach him again and say he has the broad shoulders to take it — but note that the country would be better off if they work with him.”
Trump's reelection strategy is focused on turning out his base, which wants to hear just such a message.
Democrats are expecting as much, though it is not yet clear how much Trump will use impeachment to pound the other party. It would fit the president’s pattern of squabbles with his opponents, whether Democrat or Republican. Of course, the hostility is shared. Most Democrats are convinced that Trump endangered national security for personal gain when he temporarily withheld $391 million in military aid from Ukraine to pressure Kyiv to investigate political rival Joe Biden.
“A lot of his communication is predicated on 'demonize and divide' rather than 'unite and build,'” said Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat who anticipated that Trump would use the State of the Union to gloat.
The pomp and circumstance of a State of the Union offer presidents a unique opportunity to speak to the nation. Throughout the evening, the commander in chief benefits from repeated standing ovations from fellow partisans, plus the unwritten rules of decorum that compel the opposition party to sit silently.
The scene could be especially helpful to Trump, a polarizing figure, as he embarks on an uncertain reelection campaign.
Low unemployment, trade deals, the neutralization of American enemies overseas, and the absence of a major domestic or foreign crisis should make Trump the 2020 favorite. “He doesn’t have to make a single thing up. The state of the union is really, really strong,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said. “That would be a great message.”
But even with some of the highest job approval ratings of his presidency and having convinced a bare majority of the public that impeachment was unwarranted, Trump is vulnerable because of broad dissatisfaction with his personal conduct. Trump still trails some of the leading Democratic contenders in national polls and is neck and neck with them in key battlegrounds.
That is why several Republican insiders, from senior strategists to members of Congress, are urging Trump to stick to the script. The White House says the word “impeachment” is not in the text of the speech, and the president’s allies are hoping he resists the impulse to ad-lib, as is his habit, and use the State of the Union to jab at Democrats and celebrate an impeachment victory.
“I hope he keeps it all very positive and doesn’t talk about impeachment at all,” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said. “He ought to come here like a winner.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Democratic House committee to discuss increasing corporate income tax rate

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on Feb. 11 that will examine the corporate income tax @ @ @ @ @ disappearing corporate income tax , ” the hearing will likely serve as a mechanism for @ @ @ @ @ raising the corporate income tax rate .
Democrats seeking the Oval Office have called to @ @ @ @ @ rate to as much as 25 % to 35 % .
Corporate income is currently @ @ @ @ @ down from 35 % before President Trump signed the tax overhaul bill into law in @ @ @ @ @ corporate income tax rate to 35 % would reduce the number of jobs created by @ @ @ @ @ % off of gross domestic product over the long run , according to the right-of-center @ @ @ @ @ the Ways and Means Committee hearing have not been announced .

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on Feb. 11 that will examine the corporate income tax rate. Dubbed “the disappearing corporate income tax,” the hearing will likely serve as a mechanism for committee Democrats to call for raising the corporate income tax rate.
Democrats seeking the Oval Office have called to increase the corporate income tax rate to as much as 25% to 35%. Corporate income is currently taxed at 21%, down from 35% before President Trump signed the tax overhaul bill into law in December 2017.
Increasing the corporate income tax rate to 35% would reduce the number of jobs created by 413,000, and shave 2.9% off of gross domestic product over the long run, according to the right-of-center Tax Foundation.
Witnesses for the Ways and Means Committee hearing have not been announced.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--AOC refuses to attend State of the Union because of Trump’s ‘lawless conduct’

Most members of Congress will gather to hear President Trump ’ s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening .
A very notable exception will be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
“ 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 New York Democrat tweeted on Tuesday afternoon .
“ None of this is normal , and I will not legitimize it .
Consequently , I will not be attending the State of the Union.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit more explanation for her announcement , saying , “ This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make , and a choice I did not take lightly .
I will be hopping on Instagram Live later this evening to connect with my constituents and follow up with their questions.
” Ocasio-Cortez makes herself notoriously accessible to her fans through her Instagram Live videos , where she once called millennials the `` most informed , '' historically-literate generation .
Now , instead of joining her colleagues for Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing similar nuggets of wisdom with her 4.2 million Instagram followers .
The lawmaker joins at least three Democrats in choosing to boycott the State of the Union , but she is the most high-profile figure to opt out .
A handful of Democratic lawmakers missing from the House floor is n't likely to change the outcome of the impeachment vote on Wednesday , but it 's a way to signal virtue — and perhaps to gain more Instagram followers .

Most members of Congress will gather to hear President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. A very notable exception will be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“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 New York Democrat tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. “None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.”
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
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be thrilled.
A few minutes later, Ocasio-Cortez added a bit more explanation for her announcement, saying, “This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make, and a choice I did not take lightly. I will be hopping on Instagram Live later this evening to connect with my constituents and follow up with their questions.”
Ocasio-Cortez makes herself notoriously accessible to her fans through her Instagram Live videos, where she once called millennials the "most informed," historically-literate generation. Now, instead of joining her colleagues for Trump’s annual address, she’ll be sharing similar nuggets of wisdom with her 4.2 million Instagram followers.
The lawmaker joins at least three Democrats in choosing to boycott the State of the Union, but she is the most high-profile figure to opt out. A handful of Democratic lawmakers missing from the House floor isn't likely to change the outcome of the impeachment vote on Wednesday, but it's a way to signal virtue — and perhaps to gain more Instagram followers.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--AOC says she's skipping the State of the Union

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.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Rand Paul reads rejected impeachment question naming alleged whistleblower on Senate floor

Sen. Rand Paul read aloud the question that was twice rejected by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during the Senate impeachment trial because it named alleged Ukraine whistleblower Eric Ciaramella .
During a speech on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday , the Kentucky Republican confirmed he had no independent confirmation of the identity of the whistleblower , whose complaint spurred impeachment proceedings against President Trump , and was asked how he was prevented by Roberts , who was presiding over the Senate trial , from asking his question last week .
`` I asked this question , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact question .
We 'll put it up here , '' he said , and he began reading , `` Are you aware that the House Intelligence Committee staffer , Sean Misko , had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together ?
Are you aware , and how would you respond to the reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings ? ''
As a member of the Senate , Paul is allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech and debate clause , even though Roberts declined to do so .
`` How am I prevented from asking a question when nobody seems to admit they even know who this person is ?
My point is by having such protection , such overzealous protection , we do n't get to the root of the matter of how this started , '' Paul said .
`` When the intelligence community , with all of the power to listen to every phone conversation you have , has political bias and can game the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a real worry . ''
The whistleblower , known to be a career CIA analyst , filed an Aug. 12 complaint with the Intelligence Community inspector general about the July 25 phone conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , raising concerns about the U.S. leader pressuring Kyiv to open investigations into his political rivals .
Some Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits have alleged the person is Ciaramella , a former aide on the National Security Council with a specialization in Ukraine .
The Washington Examiner reported the alleged whistleblower 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Misko went to work for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff — a connection that has raised red flags among Trump 's allies .
Paul said he does not support retributions against the whistleblower , but noted circumstances surrounding the apparent ties among the alleged whistleblower , Misko , Schiff and his staff , and twin brothers and National Security Council officials Lt. Col. Alexander Semyon Vindman and Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman should be known .
`` I do n't want him to go to jail .
I do n't want him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six people who all worked together at the National Security Council knew each other and gamed the system knowing that they would get these protections , they gamed the system in order to try to bring down the president , we should know about that , '' he said .
Schiff , who is now the lead impeachment manager , has disputed accusations that he knows the identity of the whistleblower and excoriated his opponents for questioning his staff 's involvement in the matter .
`` I will not dignify those smears on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatsoever , nor will I share any information that I believe could or could not lead to the identification of the whistleblower , '' he said last week .

Sen. Rand Paul read aloud the question that was twice rejected by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during the Senate impeachment trial because it named alleged Ukraine whistleblower Eric Ciaramella.
During a speech on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican confirmed he had no independent confirmation of the identity of the whistleblower, whose complaint spurred impeachment proceedings against President Trump, and was asked how he was prevented by Roberts, who was presiding over the Senate trial, from asking his question last week.
"I asked this question, and this is my question. My exact question. We'll put it up here," he said, and he began reading, "Are you aware that the House Intelligence Committee staffer, Sean Misko, had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together? Are you aware, and how would you respond to the reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings?"
As a member of the Senate, Paul is allowed to say the whistleblower's name under the speech and debate clause, even though Roberts declined to do so.
"How am I prevented from asking a question when nobody seems to admit they even know who this person is? My point is by having such protection, such overzealous protection, we don't get to the root of the matter of how this started," Paul said. "When the intelligence community, with all of the power to listen to every phone conversation you have, has political bias and can game the system to go after you, that's a real worry."
The whistleblower, known to be a career CIA analyst, filed an Aug. 12 complaint with the Intelligence Community inspector general about the July 25 phone conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, raising concerns about the U.S. leader pressuring Kyiv to open investigations into his political rivals.
Some Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits have alleged the person is Ciaramella, a former aide on the National Security Council with a specialization in Ukraine. The Washington Examiner reported the alleged whistleblower's professional relationship with Misko at the NSC before Misko went to work for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff — a connection that has raised red flags among Trump's allies.
Paul said he does not support retributions against the whistleblower, but noted circumstances surrounding the apparent ties among the alleged whistleblower, Misko, Schiff and his staff, and twin brothers and National Security Council officials Lt. Col. Alexander Semyon Vindman and Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman should be known.
"I don't want him to go to jail. I don't want him to lose his job. But if six people who all worked together at the National Security Council knew each other and gamed the system knowing that they would get these protections, they gamed the system in order to try to bring down the president, we should know about that," he said.
On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Sen. @RandPaul reads and displays the question which Chief Justice Roberts declined to read last week during the Impeachment Trial. pic.twitter.com/nxZb255IbU — CSPAN (@cspan) February 4, 2020
Schiff, who is now the lead impeachment manager, has disputed accusations that he knows the identity of the whistleblower and excoriated his opponents for questioning his staff's involvement in the matter.
"I will not dignify those smears on my staff by giving them any credence whatsoever, nor will I share any information that I believe could or could not lead to the identification of the whistleblower," he said last week.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Former Rep. Chaffetz: I don't understand how Schiff still has a security clearance

Former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz questioned why House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff is allowed a security clearance when he “ continues to lie.
” “ I still , to this day , do not understand why Adam Schiff has a security clearance .
He continues to lie .
He continues to put out information that he knows is not true .
He has stood in front of the United States Senate and talked about things that are not in the impeachment , ” Chaffetz told Fox & Friends .
Chaffetz also responded to the news from the night before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump could sell Alaska to Russia if he isn ’ t impeached .
`` If abuse of power is not impeachable ... Trump could offer Alaska to the Russians in exchange for support in the next election or decide to move to Mar-a-Lago permanently and let Jared Kushner run the country , delegating to him the decision whether to go to war , '' Schiff said on the Senate floor .
“ Give away Alaska .
And how do they , Democrats , with a straight face say we can ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , we are worried about the integrity of the election ?
” Chaffetz shot back .
“ Time to maybe go look in the mirror here a little bit , folks.
” Schiff , a staunch proponent of the Russia investigation , has been widely criticized by Republicans for his performance during the impeachment process .
Schiff the transcript of the call during the House impeachment hearing and was “ Four Pinocchios ” by the Washington Post for his comments regarding his relationship with the alleged Ukraine whistleblower .
Schiff is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions raised over his security clearance .
GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul recently whether former national security adviser John Bolton should be allowed to keep his security clearance following the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial .

Former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz questioned why House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff is allowed a security clearance when he “continues to lie.”
“I still, to this day, do not understand why Adam Schiff has a security clearance. He continues to lie. He continues to put out information that he knows is not true. He has stood in front of the United States Senate and talked about things that are not in the impeachment,” Chaffetz told Fox & Friends.
Chaffetz also responded to the news from the night before that Adam Schiff had warned that President Trump could sell Alaska to Russia if he isn’t impeached.
"If abuse of power is not impeachable ... Trump could offer Alaska to the Russians in exchange for support in the next election or decide to move to Mar-a-Lago permanently and let Jared Kushner run the country, delegating to him the decision whether to go to war," Schiff said on the Senate floor.
“Give away Alaska. And how do they, Democrats, with a straight face say we can’t have Donald Trump in the presidency because, well, we are worried about the integrity of the election?” Chaffetz shot back. “Time to maybe go look in the mirror here a little bit, folks.”
Chaffetz: Adam Schiff knowingly lies and should not have a security clearancehttps://t.co/XKVzglRXwN — Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) February 4, 2020
Schiff, a staunch proponent of the Russia investigation, has been widely criticized by Republicans for his performance during the impeachment process.
Schiff mischaracterized the transcript of the call during the House impeachment hearing and was given “Four Pinocchios” by the Washington Post for his comments regarding his relationship with the alleged Ukraine whistleblower.
Schiff is not the only impeachment figure who has had questions raised over his security clearance.
GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul questioned recently whether former national security adviser John Bolton should be allowed to keep his security clearance following the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Future of Georgia GOP hangs in the balance in primaries

SAVANNAH , Georgia — Long before Rep. Doug Collins , a Republican , launched his scorched-earth challenge against Sen. Kelly Loeffler , another Republican challenger here in Chatham County , Georgia , announced he would also be challenging an incumbent Republican member of Congress — Daniel Merritt .
Merritt , a U.S. Army officer and combat veteran , said the primary reason he decided to run came from a common concern among military families who want to see more veteran representation in elected offices up and down the ballot .
“ I was doing a lot of complaining about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , ‘ Hey , you have a great resume .
You were enlisted .
You were an officer .
You 've been to Iraq , Afghanistan .
You 've got a great resume .
Why don ’ t you run ?
’ ” Merritt told the Washington Examiner in front of Nine Line Apparel , the business he helped co-found with his brother , Tyler .
“ My first and hardest vote I ever earned was my wife .
And she 's been really supportive .
And so I started running .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing .
Now , I have a phenomenal campaign manager .
I have a chair , a co-chair .
We 've had 300 people volunteer for us , ” said Merritt , 38 , a father of four .
As the alignments of both political parties changes , Georgia Republicans face an emerging force shaping their future in the Peach State : the bluing of their suburbs .
As the Republican Party nationally shifts toward conservative populism , suburban voters have also shown they ’ re just not quite ready to embrace full-blown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 gubernatorial race — when Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams ’ s message failed to close the deal and she lost narrowly to Republican Brian Kemp .
As the parties shift , primary challenges will reveal where voter sentiments are heading .
Merritt 's challenge to Rep .
Buddy Clark is one such example .
Clark began serving the region in 2004 in the state House and then the state Senate .
He was elected to the 1st Congressional District five years ago .
Merritt is the quintessential outsider : no political experience but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his DNA .
“ As soon as I commissioned , I deployed almost immediately as a platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division doing a police transition team operation , ” he explained of his leadership position as a 27-year-old in charge of 13,000 Iraqi security forces .
Merritt said his biggest priority is fixing the VA system , the flaws of which he says reflect the problems of all larger institutions in government .
“ We can ’ t continue to lose soldiers to suicide .
We have to take care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system is broken , ” he said .
Merritt said a lot separates him from Clark .
“ Firstly , service .
Selfless service .
I 'm still a reservist .
I 'm a field-grade army officer — still .
I have 17 years of service , so I know what it takes to serve , to put everybody else first .
The other thing is we do n't know how to fail .
We get it done .
The other thing is having a fresh look on politics .
I 'm a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Donald Trump a lot .
I think he came into office , and he cut through all the red tape , ” he said .
“ Fundraising 's been tough .
Especially going against an incumbent , ” he said .
“ The thing is , I do n't think I 'm going to need to raise a ton of money because the voter turnout in this district is going to be so small for this primary .
I 'm getting in front of thousands and thousands and thousands of people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have partnered with somebody who I wo n't name today that the world knows and who is getting behind me , and nobody wants to be associated with me until this primary is over , ” he added .
Georgia Republicans will head to the primary voting booth on May 19 .
It is unclear how , if at all , Merritt will benefit from what looks to be an ugly primary battle between Collins and Loeffler in the Senate primary battle , which may go to a primary runoff .
But both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to which way Republican voters are breaking ahead of the November general election .

SAVANNAH, Georgia — Long before Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican, launched his scorched-earth challenge against Sen. Kelly Loeffler, another Republican challenger here in Chatham County, Georgia, announced he would also be challenging an incumbent Republican member of Congress — Daniel Merritt.
Merritt, a U.S. Army officer and combat veteran, said the primary reason he decided to run came from a common concern among military families who want to see more veteran representation in elected offices up and down the ballot.
“I was doing a lot of complaining about it, and one of my close friends said, ‘Hey, you have a great resume. You were enlisted. You were an officer. You've been to Iraq, Afghanistan. You've got a great resume. Why don’t you run?’” Merritt told the Washington Examiner in front of Nine Line Apparel, the business he helped co-found with his brother, Tyler.
“My first and hardest vote I ever earned was my wife. And she's been really supportive. And so I started running. I had no idea what I was doing. Now, I have a phenomenal campaign manager. I have a chair, a co-chair. We've had 300 people volunteer for us,” said Merritt, 38, a father of four.
As the alignments of both political parties changes, Georgia Republicans face an emerging force shaping their future in the Peach State: the bluing of their suburbs.
As the Republican Party nationally shifts toward conservative populism, suburban voters have also shown they’re just not quite ready to embrace full-blown liberalism. This was evident in the 2018 gubernatorial race — when Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams’s message failed to close the deal and she lost narrowly to Republican Brian Kemp.
As the parties shift, primary challenges will reveal where voter sentiments are heading. Merritt's challenge to Rep. Buddy Carter is one such example. Carter began serving the region in 2004 in the state House and then the state Senate. He was elected to the 1st Congressional District five years ago.
Merritt is the quintessential outsider: no political experience but plenty of business and public service commitment in his DNA. “As soon as I commissioned, I deployed almost immediately as a platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division doing a police transition team operation,” he explained of his leadership position as a 27-year-old in charge of 13,000 Iraqi security forces.
Merritt said his biggest priority is fixing the VA system, the flaws of which he says reflect the problems of all larger institutions in government. “We can’t continue to lose soldiers to suicide. We have to take care of our service members, and the system is broken,” he said.
Merritt said a lot separates him from Carter. “Firstly, service. Selfless service. I'm still a reservist. I'm a field-grade army officer — still. I have 17 years of service, so I know what it takes to serve, to put everybody else first. The other thing is we don't know how to fail. We get it done. The other thing is having a fresh look on politics. I'm a fan of our president. I really like Donald Trump a lot. I think he came into office, and he cut through all the red tape,” he said.
His biggest challenge? Money.
“Fundraising's been tough. Especially going against an incumbent,” he said.
“The thing is, I don't think I'm going to need to raise a ton of money because the voter turnout in this district is going to be so small for this primary. I'm getting in front of thousands and thousands and thousands of people. I'm leveraging social media. I have partnered with somebody who I won't name today that the world knows and who is getting behind me, and nobody wants to be associated with me until this primary is over,” he added.
Georgia Republicans will head to the primary voting booth on May 19. It is unclear how, if at all, Merritt will benefit from what looks to be an ugly intraparty battle between Collins and Loeffler in the Senate primary. But that contest certainly will give observers a hint as to which way Republican voters are breaking ahead of the November general election


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Epstein accuser will be among Democratic guests for Trump State of the Union

An alleged survivor of Jeffrey Epstein ’ s abuse who says he began molesting her when she was 14 will be at the State of the Union as a guest of California congresswoman Jackie Speier .
Today , Courtney Wild , 31 , campaigns against the sort of plea deal that in 2008 allowed Epstein to negotiate a 13-month sentence and access a work-release program so he could use his own office .
And her name is on the draft of a bill aimed at preventing those deals in the future .
Her presence will serve as a reminder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Epstein ’ s nearby neighbor in Palm Beach , President Trump .
“ By attending this year ’ s SOTU as my distinguished guest , Courtney is helping me send a clear message that women are done with being treated as second-class citizens in our own country , ” Speier said .
“ We are standing up for what is right and to ensure that those who continue to subvert the rule of law and those who fail to hold perpetrators responsible for their malign deeds will not succeed.
” Speier is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Caucus , which last month sent a letter to Trump criticizing his “ derogation of women.
” “ It is as if you relish the opportunity to publicly humiliate any woman who fights back , speaks up , or takes up space , ” they wrote after Trump made a joke about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s clash with a female NPR correspondent .
Wild sued the Department of Justice in 2008 on the grounds that prosecutors did not consult with alleged victims before reaching a deal with Epstein , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victims ’ Rights Act .
But Epstein ’ s death last year at the age of 66 as he awaited trial meant the case was rendered moot and thrown out .
For her part , Wild told the Miami Herald she was “ super excited ” to attend the State of the Union .
“ I think it shows that we have come a long way , ” she said .
“ Hopefully , at the end of it , I would really like to give back to educate our children about sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my goal . ''
“ It ’ s like giving me a second chance at life , ” she added .

An alleged survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse who says he began molesting her when she was 14 will be at the State of the Union as a guest of California congresswoman Jackie Speier.
Today, Courtney Wild, 31, campaigns against the sort of plea deal that in 2008 allowed Epstein to negotiate a 13-month sentence and access a work-release program so he could use his own office. And her name is on the draft of a bill aimed at preventing those deals in the future.
Her presence will serve as a reminder of the allegations of sexism and worse directed at Epstein’s nearby neighbor in Palm Beach, President Trump.
“By attending this year’s SOTU as my distinguished guest, Courtney is helping me send a clear message that women are done with being treated as second-class citizens in our own country,” Speier said. “We are standing up for what is right and to ensure that those who continue to subvert the rule of law and those who fail to hold perpetrators responsible for their malign deeds will not succeed.”
Speier is also a member of the Democratic Women's Caucus, which last month sent a letter to Trump criticizing his “derogation of women.”
“It is as if you relish the opportunity to publicly humiliate any woman who fights back, speaks up, or takes up space,” they wrote after Trump made a joke about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s clash with a female NPR correspondent.
Wild sued the Department of Justice in 2008 on the grounds that prosecutors did not consult with alleged victims before reaching a deal with Epstein, rendering the agreement illegal under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. But Epstein’s death last year at the age of 66 as he awaited trial meant the case was rendered moot and thrown out.
For her part, Wild told the Miami Herald she was “super excited” to attend the State of the Union.
“I think it shows that we have come a long way,” she said. “Hopefully, at the end of it, I would really like to give back to educate our children about sexual abuse and awareness. That’s my goal."
“It’s like giving me a second chance at life,” she added.
[Read more: Minnesota woman alleging abuse sues Jeffrey Epstein estate for $500M]


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--WATCH LIVE: Senators deliver remarks in Trump impeachment trial

Senators will get their chance to speak on the floor of President Trump 's impeachment trial when the chamber reconvenes @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
They will be allotted 10 minutes each to deliver their remarks before a @ @ @ @ @ .

Senators will get their chance to speak on the floor of President Trump's impeachment trial when the chamber reconvenes at 9:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday. They will be allotted 10 minutes each to deliver their remarks before a Wednesday vote on the articles.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--JFK mastered mean nicknames long before Trump

President Trump ’ s practice of belittling foes with biting nicknames is so well-known that one news site ranks them .
But Trump , once known by his own nickname , “ The Donald , ” isn ’ t the first or even the meanest Oval Office occupant to play the name game .
That title in the modern presidency goes to John F. Kennedy , according to the richly researched book on West Wing infighting , Fight House , by Tevi Troy , a former aide to President George W. Bush .
It is to be released on Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nicknames to diminish internal White House opponents appears to have taken off in the John F. Kennedy administration .
JFK and his allies dismissively referred to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson as ‘ Uncle Cornpone and his Little Pork Chop , ’ ” he told us .
And Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson paid Kennedy back .
“ Johnson referred to President Kennedy as ‘ the boy ’ and ‘ Johnny ’ and Bobby Kennedy as ‘ sonny boy , ' ” said Troy , whose book , published by Regnery History , includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
He notes that at least under his former boss , getting a nickname was a good thing .
“ In the Bush 43 administration , aides wanted to get tagged with nicknames so as to demonstrate closeness to the president , ” he said .
But in nasty Washington , he said , “ More often , though , nicknames are intended to diminish.
” In his well-received book , Troy listed some of the presidential classics : • President Richard Nixon was referred to as “ that Madman ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of state , Henry Kissinger .
• Clinton aides referred to GOP pollster and one-time Clinton friend Dick Morris as “ the Unabomber.
” • Trump aides called his former chief of staff John Kelly “ the Church Lady , ” former Attorney General Jeff Sessions , “ Mr .
Magoo , ” and former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen , “ Nurse Ratched .
”

President Trump’s practice of belittling foes with biting nicknames is so well-known that one news site ranks them. But Trump, once known by his own nickname, “The Donald,” isn’t the first or even the meanest Oval Office occupant to play the name game.
That title in the modern presidency goes to John F. Kennedy, according to the richly researched book on West Wing infighting, Fight House, by Tevi Troy, a former aide to President George W. Bush. It is to be released on Feb. 11.
“The practice of using nicknames to diminish internal White House opponents appears to have taken off in the John F. Kennedy administration. JFK and his allies dismissively referred to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson as ‘Uncle Cornpone and his Little Pork Chop,’” he told us.
And Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson paid Kennedy back. “Johnson referred to President Kennedy as ‘the boy’ and ‘Johnny’ and Bobby Kennedy as ‘sonny boy,'” said Troy, whose book, published by Regnery History, includes dozens of nicknames hatched in the White House.
He notes that at least under his former boss, getting a nickname was a good thing. “In the Bush 43 administration, aides wanted to get tagged with nicknames so as to demonstrate closeness to the president,” he said.
But in nasty Washington, he said, “More often, though, nicknames are intended to diminish.”
In his well-received book, Troy listed some of the presidential classics:


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Impeach-not: Trump job approval highest yet, half say he ‘deserves’ reelection

The White House can add Gallup to the growing collection of polls and job approval ratings showing that despite his impeachment in January , President Trump ’ s public standing is his best yet .
Gallup headlined Tuesday : “ Trump Job Approval at Personal Best 49 % .
” What ’ s more , half of registered voters told the survey that they want Trump reelected .
The findings are notable because the survey firm usually pegs Trump ’ s rating below other surveys .
It is also significant because it validates multiple polls showing Trump ’ s approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The highly watched RealClearPolitics “ Trump Job Approval ” is at 45.6 % , just 0.4 % off from the high posted shortly after his inauguration .
His disapproval number is 51.7 % , lower than recent averages .
Gallup delivered three points sure to bolster the White House : • Half of registered voters say Trump deserves to be reelected .
• Sixty-three percent approving of his handling of the economy , which Gallup said , “ is the highest economic approval rating not only for Trump , but for any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job approval ratings in the first few months after the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks.
” Still , they added , Democrats dislike the president in record numbers .
“ The 87-point gap between Republican and Democratic approval in the current poll is the largest Gallup has measured in any Gallup poll to date , surpassing the prior record , held by Trump and Barack Obama , by one point , ” said the analysis .
Gallup said that the surging economy , as well as Trump ’ s move against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped his numbers .
Trump has also helped the image of the Republican Party .
It now has a 51 % approval rating , up from 43 % in September .
What ’ s more , Trump has reached a high point in his reelection , with half saying he deserves reelection and half not .
It was 43 % in November 2018 , just before the midterm congressional elections .
The glowing Gallup report even suggested that Trump ’ s chances for reelection are good .
“ If Trump 's higher approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him credit for improvements in the economy , his support may increase over the course of the year , as it did for Ronald Reagan in 1984 , Clinton in 1996 and Barack Obama in 2012 .
All of those recent presidents held office during periods of sustained economic improvement and were re-elected with job approval ratings of better than 50 % , ” said Gallup .

The White House can add Gallup to the growing collection of polls and job approval ratings showing that despite his impeachment in January, President Trump’s public standing is his best yet.
Gallup headlined Tuesday: “Trump Job Approval at Personal Best 49%.” What’s more, half of registered voters told the survey that they want Trump reelected.
The findings are notable because the survey firm usually pegs Trump’s rating below other surveys.
It is also significant because it validates multiple polls showing Trump’s approval ratings growing in the wake of impeachment. The highly watched RealClearPolitics “Trump Job Approval” is at 45.6%, just 0.4% off from the high posted shortly after his inauguration. His disapproval number is 51.7%, lower than recent averages.
Gallup delivered three points sure to bolster the White House:
Approval among Republicans hits 94%.
Half of registered voters say Trump deserves to be reelected.
Sixty-three percent approving of his handling of the economy, which Gallup said, “is the highest economic approval rating not only for Trump, but for any president since George W. Bush enjoyed stratospheric job approval ratings in the first few months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”
Still, they added, Democrats dislike the president in record numbers. “The 87-point gap between Republican and Democratic approval in the current poll is the largest Gallup has measured in any Gallup poll to date, surpassing the prior record, held by Trump and Barack Obama, by one point,” said the analysis.
Gallup said that the surging economy, as well as Trump’s move against Iran and his new trade deal, helped his numbers.
Trump has also helped the image of the Republican Party. It now has a 51% approval rating, up from 43% in September.
What’s more, Trump has reached a high point in his reelection, with half saying he deserves reelection and half not. It was 43% in November 2018, just before the midterm congressional elections.
The glowing Gallup report even suggested that Trump’s chances for reelection are good.
“If Trump's higher approval rating is being driven by Americans giving him credit for improvements in the economy, his support may increase over the course of the year, as it did for Ronald Reagan in 1984, Clinton in 1996 and Barack Obama in 2012. All of those recent presidents held office during periods of sustained economic improvement and were re-elected with job approval ratings of better than 50%,” said Gallup.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Cruel irony: Iowa caucus reforms pushed by Sanders backfires on campaign

DES MOINES , Iowa — The Iowa caucus counting fiasco is doing little to quell concerns that the 2020 Democratic nominating process wo n't be `` rigged '' against Bernie Sanders , the way his supporters say it was in 2016 .
The Iowa Democratic Party early Tuesday evening began releasing partial caucus results nearly 24 hours after the full batch was supposed to come out , helping set the narrative for the primary race going forward .
The partial results showed Vermont Sen. Sanders narrowly behind former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg in delegates , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stood in contrast to partial results released Monday night by the Sanders campaign , which showed him leading .
But the campaign felt particularly frustrated as Buttigieg preemptively declared himself the caucus winner early Tuesday .
Meanwhile , their most prominent rival , former Vice President Joe Biden , was also able to leave the state without having to face a poor finish publicly .
Despite its last-minute maneuvers , the Sanders campaign felt snubbed .
After setting expectations high internally and for supporters , it would be unable to capitalize on any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iowa and ready to shower attention on high performers .
On a call with the Iowa Democratic Party late Monday , Sanders senior adviser Jeff Weaver ripped state officials , calling their excuses “ bogus ” and saying that “ the whole process has been a fraud for 100 years . ''
“ This was not a good night for democracy , '' Sanders told reporters on a plane to New Hampshire on Tuesday .
Public statements from the state party , which remained vague and lacked a timetable , did little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shocking surprise for a process that was meant to be more transparent and accessible to local Democrats .
Previously , many parents , shift workers , people with disabilities , and those not in the state for the caucuses found it too expensive or time-consuming to participate in a chaotic hours-long event in previous election cycles .
The state party added “ satellite ” caucus sites across the globe .
It mandated each person ’ s support be reported on a piece of paper .
It tried to expedite the lively realignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` viable '' candidates over 15 % on the first alignment and only allowed caucusgoers one opportunity to switch support before final alignment so that people could go home earlier rather than staying late into the night .
Some of the changes intended to make the process easier actually made vote and delegate totals more difficult to report for some precinct captains .
CNN that caucus chairs in multiple precincts had difficulty doing the math to calculate final delegate counts , sometimes neglecting to count the “ locked in ” votes for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first alignment in their final alignment results .
The Democratic National Committee also encouraged state parties to let state governments run their nominating contests for the party 's presidential nomination .
Iowa 's results represented a perfect explanation why .
An app that the Iowa party used for caucus night , intended to transmit results from caucus sites to headquarters , was found to have coding glitches that gave inconsistent results , causing the party to hold off on publishing any results at all until it could verify them .
Because the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting `` raw vote '' first and final alignment totals , another change made in part to due transparency concerns , correcting the results took longer than they might have otherwise .
In a cruel irony , the changes meant to stave off frustration from Sanders 's base only exasperated tensions within the Democratic Party .
Following a narrow loss to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 , the Sanders 's campaign initiated a review of the Iowa caucuses .
Sanders was joined by local media , including the Des Moines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results to be audited .
`` Too many accounts have arisen of inconsistent counts , untrained and overwhelmed volunteers , confused voters , cramped precinct locations , a lack of voter registration forms and other problems , '' the paper wrote at the time .
`` Too many of us , including members of the Register editorial board who were observing caucuses , saw opportunities for error amid Monday night 's chaos . ''
Despite his complaints , the results had virtually no impact on Sanders 's performance in the New Hampshire primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a win over Clinton by more than 22 % .
Luckily for Sanders , one of the reforms implemented was a requirement to record votes in writing .
The question is whether the Vermont senator will see any tangible bump from the results after changes to the process delayed results .

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa caucus counting fiasco is doing little to quell concerns that the 2020 Democratic nominating process won't be "rigged" against Bernie Sanders, the way his supporters say it was in 2016.
The Iowa Democratic Party early Tuesday evening began releasing partial caucus results nearly 24 hours after the full batch was supposed to come out, helping set the narrative for the primary race going forward. The partial results showed Vermont Sen. Sanders narrowly behind former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in delegates, with 62% of precincts counted.
That stood in contrast to partial results released Monday night by the Sanders campaign, which showed him leading. But the campaign felt particularly frustrated as Buttigieg preemptively declared himself the caucus winner early Tuesday.
Meanwhile, their most prominent rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, was also able to leave the state without having to face a poor finish publicly.
Despite its last-minute maneuvers, the Sanders campaign felt snubbed. After setting expectations high internally and for supporters, it would be unable to capitalize on any caucus success with national news media laser-focused on Iowa and ready to shower attention on high performers.
On a call with the Iowa Democratic Party late Monday, Sanders senior adviser Jeff Weaver ripped state officials, calling their excuses “bogus” and saying that “the whole process has been a fraud for 100 years."
“This was not a good night for democracy," Sanders told reporters on a plane to New Hampshire on Tuesday.
Public statements from the state party, which remained vague and lacked a timetable, did little to alleviate any frustration.
It's a shocking surprise for a process that was meant to be more transparent and accessible to local Democrats. Previously, many parents, shift workers, people with disabilities, and those not in the state for the caucuses found it too expensive or time-consuming to participate in a chaotic hours-long event in previous election cycles.
The state party added “satellite” caucus sites across the globe. It mandated each person’s support be reported on a piece of paper. It tried to expedite the lively realignment phase to lock in the vote for "viable" candidates over 15% on the first alignment and only allowed caucusgoers one opportunity to switch support before final alignment so that people could go home earlier rather than staying late into the night.
Some of the changes intended to make the process easier actually made vote and delegate totals more difficult to report for some precinct captains.
CNN reported that caucus chairs in multiple precincts had difficulty doing the math to calculate final delegate counts, sometimes neglecting to count the “locked in” votes for people who had left the room after the first alignment in their final alignment results.
The Democratic National Committee also encouraged state parties to let state governments run their nominating contests for the party's presidential nomination. Iowa's results represented a perfect explanation why.
An app that the Iowa party used for caucus night, intended to transmit results from caucus sites to headquarters, was found to have coding glitches that gave inconsistent results, causing the party to hold off on publishing any results at all until it could verify them.
Because the party is for the first time this year reporting "raw vote" first and final alignment totals, another change made in part to due transparency concerns, correcting the results took longer than they might have otherwise.
In a cruel irony, the changes meant to stave off frustration from Sanders's base only exasperated tensions within the Democratic Party.
Following a narrow loss to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, the Sanders's campaign initiated a review of the Iowa caucuses. Sanders was joined by local media, including the Des Moines Register, which formally called for the results to be audited.
"Too many accounts have arisen of inconsistent counts, untrained and overwhelmed volunteers, confused voters, cramped precinct locations, a lack of voter registration forms and other problems," the paper wrote at the time. "Too many of us, including members of the Register editorial board who were observing caucuses, saw opportunities for error amid Monday night's chaos."
Despite his complaints, the results had virtually no impact on Sanders's performance in the New Hampshire primary. He walked away from the state with a win over Clinton by more than 22%.
Luckily for Sanders, one of the reforms implemented was a requirement to record votes in writing. The question is whether the Vermont senator will see any tangible bump from the results after changes to the process delayed results.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Chaotic Iowa caucuses spook New Hampshire Biden supporters even as results unclear

NASHUA , New Hampshire — Even with the official results still a mystery , voters who attended Joe Biden ’ s first New Hampshire event following the Iowa caucuses expressed worries about his chances in the Democratic presidential race .
“ I think Trump got what he wanted even though Ukraine didn ’ t announce an investigation , ” said Frank Despres , a retired Merrimack resident who is still deciding who to vote for in the Feb. 11 primary but likes Biden .
Despres thought that the former vice president , 77 , likely lost some voters because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Biden and his family .
“ Hopefully , he can still recover , ” he said .
New Hampshire voters tuned in caucus night in Iowa and absorbed some reports that Biden had lackluster support in some areas , as well as from rivals that he had underperformed .
“ We did see some of the caucuses where he didn ’ t have much support , ” said retired Nashua resident Wayne Dion , who is leaning toward voting for Biden .
He remained optimistic that the full results could tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s like , what , 1,600 of them ?
We ’ ll have to wait for the results there.
” Sue Dickey of Nashua , who is also undecided on who to support , watched Biden ’ s Monday night speech in Iowa on television and thought it was bad for him to speak too soon and risk ending up eating his works .
“ Just keep it down , ” she said .
“ He shouldn ’ t have said anything .
Let ’ s not all start acting like Trump.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when addressing supporters at his caucus night party while results stalled .
`` Folks , well , it looks like it 's going to be a long night , but I 'm feeling good , '' he said .
`` We do n't know exactly what it is , but we 're feeling good about where we are .
So it 's on to New Hampshire , Nevada , South Carolina . ''
Uncertainty about Iowa has coincided with mediocre placement in New Hampshire polls .
“ I ’ m concerned about New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Usually , we pick a winner , ” said retired Nashua resident Elizabeth Bailey , a Biden supporter who had been wanting him to run for president for years .
A Boston Globe/Suffolk released late Monday night found Biden with 18 % support among likely New Hampshire primary voters , in second place behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ s 24 % .

NASHUA, New Hampshire — Even with the official results still a mystery, voters who attended Joe Biden’s first New Hampshire event following the Iowa caucuses expressed worries about his chances in the Democratic presidential race.
“I think Trump got what he wanted even though Ukraine didn’t announce an investigation,” said Frank Despres, a retired Merrimack resident who is still deciding who to vote for in the Feb. 11 primary but likes Biden.
Despres thought that the former vice president, 77, likely lost some voters because of so much focus in the impeachment trial on the Biden and his family. “Hopefully, he can still recover,” he said.
New Hampshire voters tuned in caucus night in Iowa and absorbed some reports that Biden had lackluster support in some areas, as well as posturing from rivals that he had underperformed.
“We did see some of the caucuses where he didn’t have much support,” said retired Nashua resident Wayne Dion, who is leaning toward voting for Biden. He remained optimistic that the full results could tell a different story. “There’s like, what, 1,600 of them? We’ll have to wait for the results there.”
Sue Dickey of Nashua, who is also undecided on who to support, watched Biden’s Monday night speech in Iowa on television and thought it was bad for him to speak too soon and risk ending up eating his works.
“Just keep it down,” she said. “He shouldn’t have said anything. Let’s not all start acting like Trump.”
Biden on Monday kept an optimistic tone when addressing supporters at his caucus night party while results stalled.
"Folks, well, it looks like it's going to be a long night, but I'm feeling good," he said. "We don't know exactly what it is, but we're feeling good about where we are. So it's on to New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina."
Uncertainty about Iowa has coincided with mediocre placement in New Hampshire polls.
“I’m concerned about New Hampshire. I really, really am. Usually, we pick a winner,” said retired Nashua resident Elizabeth Bailey, a Biden supporter who had been wanting him to run for president for years.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Trump predicts AOC will run against Schumer and 'kick his ass'

President Trump believes Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will challenge and beat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the 2022 New York Senate election .
Fox News anchor Bret Baier tweeted that Trump told reporters at the annual pre-State of the Union lunch that he expects Ocasio-Cortez to run against Schumer and that he believes she will `` kick his ass . ''
`` In lunch previewing the SOTU tonight -President @ realDonaldTrump says it will be “ extraordinarily low key , ” tweeted Baier .
`` He also says about Democrats - @ AOC will run against Senator Chuck Schumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ass ' .
Both on the record . ''
Ocasio-Cortez , 30 , has galvanized the liberal base of the Democratic Party , working in tandem with other freshman House members dubbed `` the Squad '' to push the policy positions of the Democratic Party further to the left .
The New York Democrat has been lauded for her performances speaking on behalf of Sen. Bernie Sanders 's presidential campaign and wants to make the Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party into `` a new kind of centrism . ''
Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past , saying she `` knows nothing '' during an interview with Fox in early 2020 .

President Trump believes Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will challenge and beat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the 2022 New York Senate election.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier tweeted that Trump told reporters at the annual pre-State of the Union lunch that he expects Ocasio-Cortez to run against Schumer and that he believes she will "kick his ass."
"In lunch previewing the SOTU tonight -President @realDonaldTrump says it will be “extraordinarily low key,” tweeted Baier. "He also says about Democrats - @AOC will run against Senator Chuck Schumer and 'I think she will kick his ass'. Both on the record."
Ocasio-Cortez, 30, has galvanized the liberal base of the Democratic Party, working in tandem with other freshman House members dubbed "the Squad" to push the policy positions of the Democratic Party further to the left. The New York Democrat has been lauded for her performances speaking on behalf of Sen. Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign and wants to make the Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party into "a new kind of centrism."
Trump, 73, has criticized Ocasio-Cortez in the past, saying she "knows nothing" during an interview with Fox in early 2020.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--First Biden event after Iowa caucus derailed by rogue protesters

NASHUA , New Hampshire — As Joe Biden tried to project strength in his first campaign event after the Iowa caucuses , despite having no official results , he faced yet another speed bump .
Two rogue protesters brought his town hall to a standstill .
A man with a video camera stood up and started yelling at the former vice president while holding a cellphone recording video in Biden 's direction .
Others in the crowd chanted , `` We want Joe !
” Other attendees confronted the man and escorted him out of the room .
But soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a video camera and started yelling at him and was quickly escorted out of the room .
The men appeared to be yelling about allegations of inappropriate touching by Biden .
`` They follow me all over the country , '' Biden , 77 , joked .
`` They love me . ''
Biden used the interruption to transition to his vision for unifying the country , saying that despite what the audience just experienced , he does not believe we 're an angry nation .
As Biden got going again and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared he might face yet a third interruption .
“ All Trump ’ s roads lead to Putin , ” a man in the crowd yelled at him .
Biden paused and chuckled .
“ Bless me , father , ” he said .
Ironically , the protesters helped Biden accentuate his gripes about a Republican Party that stands behind Trump .
“ You just got a taste of that new Republican Party .
I have been the object of their affection for a long time , ” Biden said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to keep me from being the nominee . ''

NASHUA, New Hampshire — As Joe Biden tried to project strength in his first campaign event after the Iowa caucuses, despite having no official results, he faced yet another speed bump. Two rogue protesters brought his town hall to a standstill.
A man with a video camera stood up and started yelling at the former vice president while holding a cellphone recording video in Biden's direction. Others in the crowd chanted, "We want Joe!”
Other attendees confronted the man and escorted him out of the room. But soon after, yet another man stood up with a video camera and started yelling at him and was quickly escorted out of the room. The men appeared to be yelling about allegations of inappropriate touching by Biden.
"They follow me all over the country," Biden, 77, joked. "They love me."
Biden used the interruption to transition to his vision for unifying the country, saying that despite what the audience just experienced, he does not believe we're an angry nation.
As Biden got going again and started to criticize President Trump, it appeared he might face yet a third interruption.
“All Trump’s roads lead to Putin,” a man in the crowd yelled at him.
Biden paused and chuckled. “Bless me, father,” he said.
Ironically, the protesters helped Biden accentuate his gripes about a Republican Party that stands behind Trump.
“You just got a taste of that new Republican Party. I have been the object of their affection for a long time,” Biden said. “I wonder why they spend so much time trying to keep me from being the nominee."
[Opinion: Joe Biden the unelectable]


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--WATCH: Iowa caucus voter turns on Buttigieg after learning he is gay

An Iowa Democrat who pledged to caucus for Pete Buttigieg was shocked to find he was openly gay and subsequently asked to withdraw support for him .
A video circulating on social media Tuesday morning shows a Buttigieg caucus precinct captain , Nikki van den Heever , trying to assist a woman who was surprised to discover the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , was married to another man , Chasten Buttigieg .
`` So , are you saying that he has a same-sex partner ? ''
the voter asked .
When van den Heever responded in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Are you kidding ?
Well then , I do n't want anybody like that in the White House !
So , can I have my card back ? ''
Van den Heever offered to ask someone else to help and tried to discuss the woman 's objections to Buttigieg 's marriage .
`` The whole point of it is though , he 's a human being , right , just like you and me , and it should n't really matter , '' van den Heever said .
`` Well , he better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` He does , and he says that God does n't choose a political party , '' van den Heever answered before the woman interrupted to ask , `` Why does it say in the Bible that a man should marry a woman then ? ''
The voter said she was surprised to have never heard about Buttigieg 's sexual orientation , but van den Heever assured her this was widely known .
`` I guess what I would like you to just dig deep inside and think like , should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or if it 's a man or if they 're heterosexual or homosexual if you believe in what they say ?
That 's my question , '' van den Heever said .
But the woman was unwilling to change her mind .
`` It all just went right down the toilet is where it all just went , '' she said .
`` What I teach my son is that love is love , and we 're all human beings , '' van den Heever is heard saying before the end of the @ @

An Iowa Democrat who pledged to caucus for Pete Buttigieg was shocked to find he was openly gay and subsequently asked to withdraw support for him.
A video circulating on social media Tuesday morning shows a Buttigieg caucus precinct captain, Nikki van den Heever, trying to assist a woman who was surprised to discover the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was married to another man, Chasten Buttigieg.
"So, are you saying that he has a same-sex partner?" the voter asked. When van den Heever responded in the affirmative, the woman remarked, "Are you kidding? Well then, I don't want anybody like that in the White House! So, can I have my card back?"
Van den Heever offered to ask someone else to help and tried to discuss the woman's objections to Buttigieg's marriage. "The whole point of it is though, he's a human being, right, just like you and me, and it shouldn't really matter," van den Heever said.
"Well, he better read the Bible," the woman said.
"He does, and he says that God doesn't choose a political party," van den Heever answered before the woman interrupted to ask, "Why does it say in the Bible that a man should marry a woman then?"
The voter said she was surprised to have never heard about Buttigieg's sexual orientation, but van den Heever assured her this was widely known.
"I guess what I would like you to just dig deep inside and think like, should it matter if it's a woman or if it's a man or if they're heterosexual or homosexual if you believe in what they say? That's my question," van den Heever said.
But the woman was unwilling to change her mind. "It all just went right down the toilet is where it all just went," she said.
"What I teach my son is that love is love, and we're all human beings," van den Heever is heard saying before the end of the clip.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--2020 long shot Deval Patrick says rivals acting like Trump in reaction to Iowa caucus mayhem

Deval Patrick criticized his fellow 2020 Democrats for how they responded to the botched Iowa caucuses .
On Monday night , Iowa Democrats declined to announce the results due to a problem in the mobile app developed for precinct leaders to send in caucus results .
With no winner announced , some of the candidates began to declare victory on their own .
Pete Buttigieg tweeted that his campaign was “ victorious ” in Iowa and “ shocked the nation.
” Bernie Sanders released his which claimed he had won the caucuses .
Elizabeth Warren claimed she was in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged that Joe Biden was at a “ distant ” fourth .
Biden ’ s campaign In a statement posted Tuesday , Patrick condemned his competitors for their responses to the messy caucuses .
He said , “ One candidate is calling the results into question because he apparently didn ’ t do well .
Another is declaring victory without any votes being confirmed .
The way to beat Donald Trump isn ’ t to act like Donald Trump .
Our party and our country deserve better . ''
Patrick , the 63-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November , but he has struggled to gain traction .
He has not qualified for any of the presidential debates , and his RealClearPolitics is at less than 1 % support nationwide .

Deval Patrick criticized his fellow 2020 Democrats for how they responded to the botched Iowa caucuses.
On Monday night, Iowa Democrats declined to announce the results due to a problem in the mobile app developed for precinct leaders to send in caucus results. With no winner announced, some of the candidates began to declare victory on their own.
Pete Buttigieg tweeted that his campaign was “victorious” in Iowa and “shocked the nation.” Bernie Sanders released his own internal reporting which claimed he had won the caucuses. Elizabeth Warren claimed she was in a three-way tie with Buttigieg and Sanders and alleged that Joe Biden was at a “distant” fourth. Biden’s campaign ripped the caucuses as “failed.”
In a statement posted Tuesday, Patrick condemned his competitors for their responses to the messy caucuses. He said, “One candidate is calling the results into question because he apparently didn’t do well. Another is declaring victory without any votes being confirmed. The way to beat Donald Trump isn’t to act like Donald Trump. Our party and our country deserve better."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Bernie Sanders in 1972: 'I don't mind people calling me a communist'

President Trump 's recent jab at Bernie Sanders , calling him `` a communist , '' was meant as an insult .
But the 2020 Democratic front-runner and Vermont senator might not have taken it that way .
In 1972 , Sanders , then a gubernatorial protest candidate for the socialist Liberty Union Party , visited an alternative high school in Rutland , Vermont , to give his campaign pitch .
During a question-and-answer session , Sanders , then 31 , brushed off accusations of being a left-wing radical .
`` I do n't mind people coming up and calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` At least , they 're still alive . ''
On the night of the Super Bowl , Trump said `` communist '' was the first word that came to his mind when he thought of Sanders in an interview by Fox News 's Sean Hannity .
“ I think he ’ s a communist , ” Trump said .
“ Look , I think of communism when I think of Bernie .
You could say socialist , but didn ’ t he get married in Moscow ?
That ’ s wonderful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was then corrected by Hannity , who explained that Sanders only honeymooned in the Soviet Union in 1988 .
Although Sanders has refrained from self-identifying as a communist , his ties with far-left Marxist groups go back decades .
The Washington Examiner reported last May on his ties with far-left political parties such as the Socialist Workers Party .
During his time as mayor of Burlington , Vermont , he littered his office with newspapers and pamphlets from revolutionary organizations .
In 1980 and 1984 , Sanders endorsed SWP presidential candidates Andrew Pulley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included promises to dismantle the entire U.S. military and nationalize most industries .
Sanders was later investigated by the FBI concerning his ties to the SWP , although charges were never brought .
On Monday , the Washington Post reported that in 1983 , Soviet Embassy First Secretary Vadim Kuznetsov congratulated Sanders in a letter for his reelection as mayor of Burlington .
Kuznetsov , a leader of the Soviet 's spy outfit , had just attended a conference in Sanders 's city a few days earlier .

President Trump's recent jab at Bernie Sanders, calling him "a communist," was meant as an insult. But the 2020 Democratic front-runner and Vermont senator might not have taken it that way.
In 1972, Sanders, then a gubernatorial protest candidate for the socialist Liberty Union Party, visited an alternative high school in Rutland, Vermont, to give his campaign pitch. During a question-and-answer session, Sanders, then 31, brushed off accusations of being a left-wing radical.
"I don't mind people coming up and calling me a communist," Sanders said. "At least, they're still alive."
On the night of the Super Bowl, Trump said "communist" was the first word that came to his mind when he thought of Sanders in an interview by Fox News's Sean Hannity.
“I think he’s a communist,” Trump said. “Look, I think of communism when I think of Bernie. You could say socialist, but didn’t he get married in Moscow? That’s wonderful. Moscow’s wonderful.”
Trump was then corrected by Hannity, who explained that Sanders only honeymooned in the Soviet Union in 1988.
Although Sanders has refrained from self-identifying as a communist, his ties with far-left Marxist groups go back decades.
The Washington Examiner reported last May on his ties with far-left political parties such as the Socialist Workers Party. During his time as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, he littered his office with newspapers and pamphlets from revolutionary organizations.
In 1980 and 1984, Sanders endorsed SWP presidential candidates Andrew Pulley and Mel Mason. Their presidential platforms included promises to dismantle the entire U.S. military and nationalize most industries.
Sanders was later investigated by the FBI concerning his ties to the SWP, although charges were never brought.
On Monday, the Washington Post reported that in 1983, Soviet Embassy First Secretary Vadim Kuznetsov congratulated Sanders in a letter for his reelection as mayor of Burlington. Kuznetsov, a leader of the Soviet's spy outfit, had just attended a conference in Sanders's city a few days earlier.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--Democrats' blunders help create favorable winds for Trump

For more than a year , Democratic candidates , up to 26 of them at one point , have been crisscrossing Iowa ’ s 99 counties , seeking votes in Iowa ’ s precinct caucuses .
They were duly held last night .
But the Iowa Democratic Party has not announced any results , and none are expected until tonight — a software glitch , we ’ re told .
But what does that say about the party ’ s competence and judgment ?
Why not just use pencil and paper and adding machines with tape ?
That would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucuses , established in 1972 to boost dovish candidates , had a complex system of regrouping supporters of candidates with less than 15 % and reporting not votes but state convention delegate equivalents .
Bernie Sanders supporters protested four years ago when the Iowa party announced Hillary Clinton had beaten him by a tiny number of delegate equivalents , even though more caucusgoers may have actually backed Sanders .
This year , the party agreed to provide three versions of the results , including the number of attendees for each candidate .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The entrance poll of first choices of those entering the caucuses showed Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg leading with 23 % , followed by Joe Biden with 17 % , Elizabeth Warren with 16 % , and Amy Klobuchar with 13 % .
Those numbers should be considered approximate and subject to error , but nonetheless , the Buttigieg camp claimed victory , the Sanders campaign released admittedly partial results showing him ahead , and the Biden campaign noted that there were plenty of contests to come .
Such results must look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They doubt that a 78-year-old socialist who had a heart attack last October would be a strong nominee .
They doubt that a 38-year-old former small-city mayor with zero appeal to black voters can stop him .
Sanders is poised to win big in New Hampshire Feb. 11 , and he could easily beat a flagging Biden in Nevada on Feb. 22 .
Nor does South Carolina on Feb. 29 look like a sure win for Biden , who in a Jan. 26-29 Post and Courier poll led Sanders by only a five-point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting only 30 % of black votes , supposedly his particular constituency .
With either no official result or only arguably suspicious results in , Warren and Klobuchar will surely not exit the race .
This ensures a crowded field in which Sanders , like Donald Trump in the early 2016 Republican primaries , could win with pluralities in one state after another .
After all , he did get 43 % of primary votes against Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
One possibility , looking forward to the Super Tuesday and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a race between Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg , who wisely skipped Iowa and New Hampshire and has been spending hundreds of millions on big state TV .
Is either ideally positioned to beat President Trump ?
Maybe no Democrat is .
Trump ’ s RealClearPollitics job approval reached an all-time high of 46 % last week , and a new Gallup poll has it at 49 % .
Moreover , that poll shows more voters with positive feelings toward the Republican than the Democratic Party , a contrast with many past results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something to the way the Democrats bobbled impeachment .
The one-sided House proceedings moved more people in the United States to oppose impeachment .
The monthlong delay in sending the articles over to the Senate showed indecision and ineffectiveness .
And the final vote , scheduled for Wednesday , will suggest it was all a pointless waste of time .
In contrast , people in the U.S. see conditions in the nation improving in the Trump years .
Gallup ’ s Social Survey poll shows people 's satisfaction with the economy at 68 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 ; with security from terrorism up 18 % ; with military preparedness up 15 % ; and with the state of race relations up 14 % .
There ’ s plenty of material here for an updated version of Ronald Reagan ’ s 1984 “ morning in America ” ad , which , over gauzy feel-good video , highlighted one improved statistic after another , with only a brief shot of the president himself .
What do the Democrats have to offer in return ?
Criticism of the killing of Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woe at a time of record-low unemployment and what Trump can reasonably call a “ blue-collar boom.
” Six months ago , Democrats were savoring the humiliating defeat of Trump .
Today , thanks in part to blunders from Iowa to impeachment , they fear that he , like his three predecessors , may be catching favorable winds and sailing out of the political doldrums toward reelection .

Are we watching a great political party commit suicide?
For more than a year, Democratic candidates, up to 26 of them at one point, have been crisscrossing Iowa’s 99 counties, seeking votes in Iowa’s precinct caucuses.
They were duly held last night. But the Iowa Democratic Party has not announced any results, and none are expected until tonight — a software glitch, we’re told. But what does that say about the party’s competence and judgment? Why not just use pencil and paper and adding machines with tape?
That would be too easy. Iowa’s Democratic caucuses, established in 1972 to boost dovish candidates, had a complex system of regrouping supporters of candidates with less than 15% and reporting not votes but state convention delegate equivalents.
Bernie Sanders supporters protested four years ago when the Iowa party announced Hillary Clinton had beaten him by a tiny number of delegate equivalents, even though more caucusgoers may have actually backed Sanders. This year, the party agreed to provide three versions of the results, including the number of attendees for each candidate. So far, it’s produced nothing.
The entrance poll of first choices of those entering the caucuses showed Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg leading with 23%, followed by Joe Biden with 17%, Elizabeth Warren with 16%, and Amy Klobuchar with 13%.
Those numbers should be considered approximate and subject to error, but nonetheless, the Buttigieg camp claimed victory, the Sanders campaign released admittedly partial results showing him ahead, and the Biden campaign noted that there were plenty of contests to come.
Such results must look dreadful to national Democratic Party professionals. They doubt that a 78-year-old socialist who had a heart attack last October would be a strong nominee. They doubt that a 38-year-old former small-city mayor with zero appeal to black voters can stop him.
Sanders is poised to win big in New Hampshire Feb. 11, and he could easily beat a flagging Biden in Nevada on Feb. 22. Nor does South Carolina on Feb. 29 look like a sure win for Biden, who in a Jan. 26-29 Post and Courier poll led Sanders by only a five-point margin. At this point, Biden is getting only 30% of black votes, supposedly his particular constituency.
With either no official result or only arguably suspicious results in, Warren and Klobuchar will surely not exit the race. This ensures a crowded field in which Sanders, like Donald Trump in the early 2016 Republican primaries, could win with pluralities in one state after another. After all, he did get 43% of primary votes against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
One possibility, looking forward to the Super Tuesday and other big state primaries in March, is a race between Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg, who wisely skipped Iowa and New Hampshire and has been spending hundreds of millions on big state TV. Is either ideally positioned to beat President Trump?
Maybe no Democrat is. Trump’s RealClearPollitics job approval reached an all-time high of 46% last week, and a new Gallup poll has it at 49%. Moreover, that poll shows more voters with positive feelings toward the Republican than the Democratic Party, a contrast with many past results.
These possibly strategic upticks surely owe something to the way the Democrats bobbled impeachment. The one-sided House proceedings moved more people in the United States to oppose impeachment. The monthlong delay in sending the articles over to the Senate showed indecision and ineffectiveness. And the final vote, scheduled for Wednesday, will suggest it was all a pointless waste of time.
In contrast, people in the U.S. see conditions in the nation improving in the Trump years. Gallup’s Social Survey poll shows people's satisfaction with the economy at 68%, up 22% from January 2017; with security from terrorism up 18%; with military preparedness up 15%; and with the state of race relations up 14%.
There’s plenty of material here for an updated version of Ronald Reagan’s 1984 “morning in America” ad, which, over gauzy feel-good video, highlighted one improved statistic after another, with only a brief shot of the president himself.
What do the Democrats have to offer in return? Criticism of the killing of Iran’s terrorist chief. Tales of economic woe at a time of record-low unemployment and what Trump can reasonably call a “blue-collar boom.”
Six months ago, Democrats were savoring the humiliating defeat of Trump. Today, thanks in part to blunders from Iowa to impeachment, they fear that he, like his three predecessors, may be catching favorable winds and sailing out of the political doldrums toward reelection.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-04--‘Angry, out of control president’: Bloomberg ad targets Trump ahead of State of the Union

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg released a campaign ad attacking President Trump ahead of the State of the Union , blaming Trump for the nation 's division at a time when a commander in chief typically calls for unity .
`` The real state of the union ?
A nation divided by an angry , out of control president .
A White House beset by lies , chaos , and corruption .
An administration that has failed the American people , '' the narrator of the ad says .
`` It does n't have to be this way .
Next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who brings people together , solves problems , and gets results , '' the video continues .
`` Mike Bloomberg will get it done . ''
The Bloomberg campaign is running the ad on several cable news channels , including Fox , CNN , and MSNBC , before Trump delivers his State of the Union address around 9 p.m. EST .
Bloomberg , the former mayor of New York City who entered the race in November of last year , has spent over $ 100 million on television ads , including an $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recent polls also show Bloomberg , 77 , has become a serious contender for president , leading Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in one national poll .
And a recent change in Democratic National Committee rules may allow Bloomberg to qualify for the next Democratic presidential debate , taking place on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas , Nevada .
Bloomberg has elicited the ire of both Democrats and Republicans for self-funding his presidential campaign .
Warren lambasted the DNC after it removed the debate requirement for a minimum number of donors .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to play by different rules — on the debate stage , in our democracy , or in our government . ''
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , 38 , suggested the DNC was engaging in a pay-to-play deal with Bloomberg through the rule change .
`` Billionaire Bloomberg just bought the @ DNC , '' she tweeted .
Trump , who faces a Senate impeachment trial vote on Wednesday , accused `` Mini Mike Bloomberg '' of rigging the election against `` Crazy Bernie . ''
`` Many of the ads you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg .
HE is going nowhere , just wasting his money , but he is getting the DNC to rig the election against Crazy Bernie , something they would n't do for @ CoryBooker and others .
They are doing it to Bernie again , 2016 , '' the president wrote on Twitter .

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg released a campaign ad attacking President Trump ahead of the State of the Union, blaming Trump for the nation's division at a time when a commander in chief typically calls for unity.
"The real state of the union? A nation divided by an angry, out of control president. A White House beset by lies, chaos, and corruption. An administration that has failed the American people," the narrator of the ad says.
"It doesn't have to be this way. Next year, we can have a leader who brings people together, solves problems, and gets results," the video continues. "Mike Bloomberg will get it done."
The Bloomberg campaign is running the ad on several cable news channels, including Fox, CNN, and MSNBC, before Trump delivers his State of the Union address around 9 p.m. EST. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City who entered the race in November of last year, has spent over $100 million on television ads, including an $11 million spot during the Super Bowl.
Recent polls also show Bloomberg, 77, has become a serious contender for president, leading Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in one national poll. And a recent change in Democratic National Committee rules may allow Bloomberg to qualify for the next Democratic presidential debate, taking place on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bloomberg has elicited the ire of both Democrats and Republicans for self-funding his presidential campaign. Warren lambasted the DNC after it removed the debate requirement for a minimum number of donors. She tweeted, "Billionaires shouldn't be allowed to play by different rules — on the debate stage, in our democracy, or in our government."
The DNC didn’t change the rules to ensure good, diverse candidates could remain on the debate stage. They shouldn’t change the rules to let a billionaire on. Billionaires shouldn't be allowed to play by different rules—on the debate stage, in our democracy, or in our government. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 31, 2020
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 38, suggested the DNC was engaging in a pay-to-play deal with Bloomberg through the rule change. "Billionaire Bloomberg just bought the @DNC," she tweeted.
Trump, who faces a Senate impeachment trial vote on Wednesday, accused "Mini Mike Bloomberg" of rigging the election against "Crazy Bernie."
"Many of the ads you are watching were paid for by Mini Mike Bloomberg. HE is going nowhere, just wasting his money, but he is getting the DNC to rig the election against Crazy Bernie, something they wouldn't do for @CoryBooker and others. They are doing it to Bernie again, 2016," the president wrote on Twitter.