theguardian--2020-02-06--Will Trump's acquittal pose problems for Democrats in the 2020 elections?

Donald Trump ’ s acquittal brought to an end a battle that the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , never wanted in the first place and could pose future problems for the Democratic party as it seeks to now oust the president at the ballot box .
Pelosi said in January that the president “ has been impeached forever ” and would always be a stain on his record .
But in the shorter term , there are fears that Democrats , who unanimously found Trump guilty in the Senate , could now face serious consequences in November .
Indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly in a more powerful position , not a weaker one .
On Tuesday , Trump recorded his highest ever approval rating in one poll , as the Democratic Iowa caucus collapsed into disarray .
Republicans and their associated political organizations are taking aim at Democrats for their votes , leading some to worry about elections for the president , Senate , and House in November .
Democratic senator Doug Jones , running for re-election in deep red Alabama , voted to convict Trump , an act that is unlikely to be forgotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquittal verdict Mitch McConnell , the Senate leader , claimed that Republicans up for re-election are “ in better shape today than they were before the impeachment trial started ” .
The movement to impeach Trump was initially a slow-burner .
Only a handful of Democratic politicians called for impeachment , but more came on board after Robert Mueller ’ s report into Russian interference in the 2016 election – which catalogued multiple ways in which Trump may have obstructed justice .
That trickle became a flood in October , after it emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigate Joe Biden ’ s son – at the same time as the Trump administration was withholding aid to the country .
More than 75 House Democrats came out in support of impeachment over the course of three days , which was finally enough to bring Pelosi , who had been fearful of the impact it could have on the Democratic party , on board .
With Trump now acquitted , however , there are signs that his position might have been strengthened , rather than damaged , by the trial .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval at 49 % , the highest he has reached in a Gallup poll .
FiveThirtyEight ’ s average has Trump ’ s approval at 43.5 % – low for presidents historically , but at the upper end of Trump ’ s approval over the past three years .
Polling aside , however , some believe Trump left Democrats with no choice but to impeach .
“ They had to do it , ” said Robert Kuttner , a professor at Brandeis University ’ s Heller School and co-editor of the American Prospect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinds of abuses of office that not to have done it would have been a disgrace.
” But for all the speculation that Democrats could rue putting the president on trial , Kuttner said he sees more pros than cons .
“ It is going to put five , six , seven senators who face re-election this November in an awkward position , where in swing states , where there are voters who like Trump , they ’ re going to have to explain how they condone a president who thinks he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they voted to acquit.
” The Republican senators Susan Collins , Martha McSally , Cory Gardner and Joni Ernst – who represent Maine , Arizona , Colorado and Iowa – are among those at risk .
All are up for re-election in relatively moderate states , and all found Trump not guilty on Wednesday .
In January , the liberal organization Progressive Turnout Project launched an ad campaign targeting each senator in their home states .
Dietrich said as well as tying vulnerable Republican senators or congressman to Trump , the impeachment trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ activity with the actions of the White House .
“ The Democrats have passed over 400 bills through the House , to expand access to healthcare , to fight climate change , to hold corporations accountable and pay their fair share , to make sure the average American worker can survive , and thrive , so our children have a better future , ” he said .
“ The Republicans have been busy calling foreign governments to investigate a presidential rival.
” The ultimate test will come on November 3 .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have to hope enough voters feel the same .
But some things , perhaps , are more important than politics .
Many Democrats during the impeachment process made reference to history and a view of American democracy beyond any single president .
Impeaching Trump , they argued , would serve to dissuade future presidents from similar acts .
“ We knew going in he was likely to be acquitted .
Just because something is difficult and hard , but is the right thing to do , doesn ’ t mean you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Dietrich , a long-time Democratic campaign adviser and CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee , which offers free coaching to Democrats and progressives on how to run for office .
“ Democrats have made the case for law and order , and that no one is above the law .
And now every Republican senator will be on the record as to whether or not they put party or country first – and I think we have the answer.
” Dietrich said there is an opportunity for Democrats to paint Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – a concept reinforced by Trump ’ s celebration of the not guilty verdict .
The president re-posted a gif featuring a series of campaign-style Trump signs , running from the year 2024 all the way up to the year 90,000 .
“ There are certainly positives and negatives .
It can ’ t all be positive , ” Dietrich said .
“ Everything you do in politics is a risk .
if Democrats did nothing , people would be saying Democrats are weak : ‘ The Democrats let Trump them walk all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do someone is going to complain .
“ This was the right thing to do .
”

Donald Trump’s acquittal brought to an end a battle that the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, never wanted in the first place – and which could pose future problems for the Democratic party as it seeks to now oust the president at the ballot box.
Pelosi said in January that the president “has been impeached forever” and would always be a stain on his record. But in the shorter term, there are fears that Democrats, who unanimously found Trump guilty in the Senate, could now face serious consequences in November.
The impeachment process has left Trump seemingly in a more powerful position, not a weaker one.
On Tuesday, Trump recorded his highest ever approval rating in one poll, as the Democratic Iowa caucus collapsed into disarray. Republicans and their associated political organizations are taking aim at Democrats for their votes, leading some to worry about elections for the president, Senate, and House in November. Democratic senator Doug Jones, running for re-election in deep red Alabama, voted to convict Trump, an act that is unlikely to be forgotten by many voters there.
Following the acquittal verdict, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, claimed that Republicans up for re-election are “in better shape today than they were before the impeachment trial started”.
The movement to impeach Trump was initially a slow-burner. Only a handful of Democratic politicians called for impeachment, but more came on board after Robert Mueller’s report into Russian interference in the 2016 election – which catalogued multiple ways in which Trump may have obstructed justice.
That trickle became a flood in October, after it emerged Trump had sought to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s son – at the same time as the Trump administration was withholding aid to the country.
More than 75 House Democrats came out in support of impeachment over the course of three days, which was finally enough to bring Pelosi, who had been fearful of the impact it could have on the Democratic party, on board.
There were so many different kinds of abuses of office that not to have done it would have been a disgrace Robert Kuttner
With Trump now acquitted, however, there are signs his position might have been strengthened by the trial. On Tuesday, Gallup logged Trump’s approval at 49%, the highest he has reached in a Gallup poll. FiveThirtyEight’s average has Trump’s approval at 43.5% – low for presidents historically, but at the upper end of Trump’s approval over the past three years.
Polling aside, however, some believe Trump left Democrats with no choice but to impeach.
“They had to do it,” said Robert Kuttner, a professor at Brandeis University’s Heller School and the co-editor of the American Prospect. “There were so many different kinds of abuses of office that not to have done it would have been a disgrace.”
For all the speculation that Democrats could rue putting the president on trial, Kuttner said he sees more pros than cons.
“It is going to put five, six, seven senators who face re-election this November in an awkward position, where in swing states, they’re going to have to explain how they condone a president who thinks he’s above the law, and why they voted to acquit.”
The Republican senators Susan Collins, Martha McSally, Cory Gardner and Joni Ernst – from Maine, Arizona, Colorado and Iowa – are among those at risk. All are up for re-election in relatively moderate states, and all found Trump not guilty on Wednesday. In January, the liberal organization Progressive Turnout Project launched an ad campaign targeting each senator in their home states.
Kuttner said as well as tying vulnerable Republican senators or House members to Trump, the impeachment trial represents an opportunity to contrast Democrats’ conduct with that of the White House.
“The Democrats have passed over 400 bills through the House, to expand access to healthcare, to fight climate change, to hold corporations accountable and pay their fair share, to make sure the average American worker can survive, and thrive, so our children have a better future,” he said.
“The Republicans have been busy calling foreign governments to investigate a presidential rival.”
The ultimate test will come on November 3. Democrats felt they had to act. Now they have to hope enough voters feel the same.
But some things, perhaps, are more important than politics. Many Democrats during the impeachment process made reference to history and a view of American democracy beyond any single president. Impeaching Trump, they argued, would serve to dissuade future presidents from similar acts.
“We knew going in he was likely to be acquitted. Just because something is difficult and hard, but is the right thing to do, doesn’t mean you don’t do it,’ said Kelly Dietrich, a long-time Democratic campaign adviser and chief executive of the National Democratic Training Committee, which offers free coaching to Democrats and progressives on how to run for office.
“Democrats have made the case for law and order, and that no one is above the law. And now every Republican senator will be on the record as to whether or not they put party or country first – and I think we have the answer.”
Dietrich said there is an opportunity for Democrats to paint Republicans as the “party of Trump” – a concept reinforced by Trump’s celebration of the not guilty verdict. The president re-posted a gif featuring a series of campaign-style Trump signs, running from the year 2024 all the way up to the year 90,000.
“There are certainly positives and negatives. It can’t all be positive,” Dietrich said.
“Everything you do in politics is a risk. If Democrats did nothing, people would be saying Democrats are weak: ‘The Democrats let Trump them walk all over them.’ No matter what you do someone is going to complain.
“This was the right thing to do.”


theguardian--2020-02-06--Jared Kushner appeared ignorant of what Nato actually does, book claims

Though Jared Kushner was a “ lead point of contact ” for US allies worried about Donald Trump ’ s threats to Nato , the president ’ s son-in-law did not “ seem to know what Nato actually did ” , a new book claims .
Kushner even appeared to be ignorant of article 5 , the treaty clause which stipulates that an attack on one member is an attack on all .
The claim is contained in Sinking in the Swamp : How Trump ’ s Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington , by Lachlan Markay and Asawin Suebsaeng , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian obtained a copy of the book , which has been excerpted elsewhere and will be published on 11 February .
Markay and Suebsaeng write that Kushner ’ s ignorance of the founding principles of Nato was exposed in May 2017 , as Trump was about to travel to Nato headquarters in Brussels to address allies worried by his attacks on the organization and claims that other countries were not paying their way .
In the days before the trip , the authors write , Kushner convened a background briefing at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets – not including the Beast .
As the president ’ s senior adviser “ went deeper and deeper into discussing the intricacies of Nato and what his father-in-law ’ s administration meant ” for it , they write , “ senior officials in the room started wondering what the hell … [ he ] was talking about ” .
“ It was a word salad reminiscent of the president ’ s own rambling when it came to issues and minutiae with which he couldn ’ t be bothered.
” Markay and Suebsaeng @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman , Michael Anton , followed Kushner out of the room and “ respectfully asked ” about his “ muddled ” presentation to the journalists , bringing up article 5 .
“ Oh , article 5 , ” the authors say Kushner replied .
“ What ’ s that again ?
” Markay and Suebsaeng ’ s picture of White House dysfunction under Trump and senior advisers such as Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump is familiar from everyday reporting and a number of bestselling books .
In the trip following the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump duly used his official remarks in Brussels to harangue Nato leaders .
“ I have been very , very direct with Secretary [ Jens ] Stoltenberg and members of the alliance , ” he said , “ in saying that Nato members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations , for 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they ’ re supposed to be paying for their defense .
“ This is not fair to the people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years.
” In December , before a summit in London to mark Nato ’ s 70th anniversary , the US announced it was cutting its own contribution to joint Nato projects to an equivalence of that of Germany .
Trump has claimed credit for increased spending by Nato allies .
Experts counter that the increase in member nations contributing at least 2 % of GDP to defence spending was planned , as a response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the London summit short , after other leaders were recorded apparently mocking him .
According to NBC News , a month before that the former national security adviser John Bolton warned a private audience Trump could “ go full isolationist ” if he wins re-election this year .
In December , speaking to the Guardian on condition of anonymity , one European diplomat said : “ The greatest fear is what he would do in a second term .
He would be more free from constraints .
It is impossible to predict.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times reported that Trump has privately said he would like to withdraw the US from Nato altogether , a move Congress has sought to preclude .

Though Jared Kushner was a “lead point of contact” for US allies worried about Donald Trump’s threats to Nato, the president’s son-in-law did not “seem to know what Nato actually did”, a new book claims.
Kushner even appeared to be ignorant of article 5, the treaty clause which stipulates that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
The claim is contained in Sinking in the Swamp: How Trump’s Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington, by Lachlan Markay and Asawin Suebsaeng, two reporters for the Daily Beast. The Guardian obtained a copy of the book, which has been excerpted elsewhere and will be published on 11 February.
Markay and Suebsaeng write that Kushner’s ignorance of the founding principles of Nato was exposed in May 2017, as Trump was about to travel to Nato headquarters in Brussels to address allies worried by his attacks on the organization and claims that other countries were not paying their way.
In the days before the trip, the authors write, Kushner convened a background briefing at the White House with journalists from mainstream media outlets – not including the Beast.
As the president’s senior adviser “went deeper and deeper into discussing the intricacies of Nato and what his father-in-law’s administration meant” for it, they write, “senior officials in the room started wondering what the hell … [he] was talking about”.
“It was a word salad reminiscent of the president’s own rambling when it came to issues and minutiae with which he couldn’t be bothered.”
Markay and Suebsaeng report that the then National Security Council spokesman, Michael Anton, followed Kushner out of the room and “respectfully asked” about his “muddled” presentation to the journalists, bringing up article 5.
“Oh, article 5,” the authors say Kushner replied. “What’s that again?”
Markay and Suebsaeng’s picture of White House dysfunction under Trump and senior advisers such as Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump is familiar from everyday reporting and a number of bestselling books.
In the trip following the scene reported in Sinking in the Swamp, Trump duly used his official remarks in Brussels to harangue Nato leaders.
“I have been very, very direct with Secretary [Jens] Stoltenberg and members of the alliance,” he said, “in saying that Nato members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations, for 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defense.
“This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. And many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years.”
In December, before a summit in London to mark Nato’s 70th anniversary, the US announced it was cutting its own contribution to joint Nato projects to an equivalence of that of Germany.
Trump has claimed credit for increased spending by Nato allies. Experts counter that the increase in member nations contributing at least 2% of GDP to defence spending was planned, as a response to Russian aggression.
Trump cut his attendance at the London summit short, after other leaders were recorded apparently mocking him.
According to NBC News, a month before that the former national security adviser John Bolton warned a private audience Trump could “go full isolationist” if he wins re-election this year.
In December, speaking to the Guardian on condition of anonymity, one European diplomat said: “The greatest fear is what he would do in a second term. He would be more free from constraints. It is impossible to predict.”
In January, the New York Times reported that Trump has privately said he would like to withdraw the US from Nato altogether, a move Congress has sought to preclude.


theguardian--2020-02-06--Trump claims 'full exoneration' after acquittal but Pelosi insists he remains impeached 'forever' –

Trump claims 'full exoneration' after acquittal but Pelosi insists he remains impeached 'forever' – as it happened

Iowa Democrats have released a few more results from the caucuses .
With 92 % of precincts reporting , the @ @ @ @ @ .
Pete Buttigieg maintains still the highest count of state delegates , with Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ still leads the popular vote .
Sanders ’ Iowa campaign director has apparently sent a @ @ @ @ @ they “ have a viable path ” to overtake Buttigieg .
It ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ have results from all the precincts .
The Guardian is continuing to track the results @ @ @ @ @

Maanvi Singh  (now), and Joan E Greve, Amanda Holpuch and Paul Owen (earlier)

6 Feb 2020 02.34 GMT Iowa Democrats have released a few more results from the caucuses. With 92% of precincts reporting, the ordering hasn’t changed. Pete Buttigieg maintains still the highest count of state delegates, with Bernie Sanders trailing close behind. Sanders still leads the popular vote. Sanders’ Iowa campaign director has apparently sent a memo to aides, saying they “have a viable path” to overtake Buttigieg. Bernie Sanders’ Iowa state director sent a memo to aides tonight that says they “have a viable path forward to achieve a clean sweep and retake the lead in state delegate equivalents and national pledged delegates.” She also says staff have been working to confirm results. pic.twitter.com/QGk5i7tVuU — Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) February 6, 2020 It’s still unclear when we’ll have results from all the precincts. The Guardian is continuing to track the results as they come in. Iowa results: live caucus updates as they come in Read more
Updated at 02.53 GMT
6 Feb 2020 01.27 GMT Summary The Senate voted to acquit Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, almost entirely along party lines.
on both articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, almost entirely along party lines. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah was the only Republican to cast a “guilty” vote, denying the president his talking point that Republicans were united behind him.
of Utah was the only Republican to cast a “guilty” vote, denying the president his talking point that Republicans were united behind him. Shortly after his acquittal, Trump tweeted a video that cast Romney as “slippery”. Trump’s son Donald Trump, Jr . called for the Utah senator and former Republican nominee for president to be “expelled” from the Republican party.
tweeted a video that cast Romney as “slippery”. Trump’s son . called for the Utah senator and former Republican nominee for president to be “expelled” from the Republican party. All the Democrats cast “guilty” verdicts on both articles.
Democratic leaders have promised to continue investigating Trump and his conduct toward Ukraine, though leaders say they’re still weighing how to proceed.
have promised to continue investigating Trump and his conduct toward Ukraine, though leaders say they’re still weighing how to proceed. The president and his supporters rejoiced at his acquittal. Vice President Mike Pence said, “It’s been an incredible week.” Trump tweeted a meme about never leaving office.
said, “It’s been an incredible week.” Trump tweeted a meme about never leaving office. Trump said he would publicly discuss his acquittal at the White House tomorrow at 12 pm ET.
tomorrow at 12 pm ET. The full results of the Iowa caucuses still haven’t been released. With 85% of precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg has maintained his narrow lead over Bernie Sanders. Sanders, however, leads in the popular vote. Donald Trump acquitted on both articles in Senate impeachment trial Read more
6 Feb 2020 01.02 GMT Will Democrats keep investigating Trump? Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler listen to President Donald Trump deliver the State of the Union address in the House chamber on February 4, 2020. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images The impeachment trial has ended in acquittal, but Congress can continue investigating the president’s conduct toward Ukraine, fight to access his financial documents and hear testimony from witnesses that the Senate chose not to question. Democrats have promised to hold the president to account, though Democratic leaders are still weighing how to proceed, according to Politico: “We haven’t made any decisions about what comes next,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the House’s lead impeachment prosecutor, said in an interview. “We wanted to get through the trial, and so we’ll have those conversations among our caucus, within leadership. Right now we’re just trying to take stock of what just took place.” Pelosi did not respond to a question late Wednesday about her plans for the Ukraine investigation. But in a statement she more broadly foreshadowed continued efforts to investigate Trump — ones that also center on Trump’s finances and allegations of self-dealing. “The House will continue to protect and defend the checks and balances in the Constitution that safeguard our Republic, both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion,” Pelosi said.
Updated at 01.24 GMT
6 Feb 2020 00.09 GMT Nancy Pelosi rips a copy of Donald Trump’s speech after he delivered the State of the Union address. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images House Republicans have introduced legislation to register disapproval of Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she ripped up a copy of Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech. “Whereas, the conduct of Speaker Pelosi was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session to the discredit of the House,” the resolution reads. “Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of Speaker Pelosi during the joint session of Congress held on February 4, 2020.” The resolution, introduced by Texas Representative Kay Granger is unlikely to get anywhere — Representatives are expected to vote to table it tomorrow. State of the Union: Pelosi expresses her disdain as Trump pitches for re-election Read more
5 Feb 2020 23.35 GMT Donald Trump’s campaign sent a fundraising blast soon after the Senate voted to acquit him. “We are STRONGER THAN EVER,” the email reads: Trump raising $ off #impeachment verdict: “The biggest Witch Hunt in the history of politics is finally over and ...we are STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE...Nervous Nancy, Adam Shifty Schiff, Jerry and Cryin’ Chuck have been LYING to the American People" in order to steal the election. pic.twitter.com/4MbCikXxW2 — Todd J. Gillman (@toddgillman) February 5, 2020 The White House has claimed “full vindication and exoneration” following the acquittal. Trump, meanwhile, has tweeted a video casting Mitt Romney, the only Republican senator to vote for an article of impeachment, as “slippery”. The president’s son, Donald Trump, Jr. has called for Romney to be expelled from the Republican Party.
Updated at 23.55 GMT
5 Feb 2020 23.20 GMT House managers: 'The president will not be vindicated' In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, the House managers who argued the case against Donald Trump over the past two weeks once more condemned the president’s actions, and the Senate’s decision to acquit him. “If left in office, the president will not stop trying to cheat in the next election until he succeeds,” they wrote, adding that the only option was to vote him out of office. Because of the impeachment process, voters can now stand forewarned of the lengths to which the president will go to try to secure his reelection, violating the law and undermining our national security and that of our allies. By denying the American people a fair trial, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also deprived the president of something that he desperately sought — exoneration. There can be no exoneration without a legitimate trial. Out of fear of what they would learn, the Senate refused to hold one. The president will not be vindicated, and neither will the Senate, certainly not by history.
5 Feb 2020 23.08 GMT In case any representatives missed the big news... House just received the following message from the Senate that President Trump was acquitted on the two articles of impeachment:
"I have been directed by the Senate to inform the House of the judgement of the Senate in the case of Donald John Trump." pic.twitter.com/UfuAO0vckY — Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) February 5, 2020 Congress was formally notified of Donald Trump’s acquittal.
5 Feb 2020 23.01 GMT Evening summary That’s it from me after another historic day in Washington. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands: As expected, the Republican-controlled Senate voted to acquit Trump on both articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
on both articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Republican senator Mitt Romney broke ranks to vote for conviction on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, although he voted for acquittal on obstruction of Congress. The stunning move robbed Trump of his key talking point that Republicans were unified in opposing his removal from office.
broke ranks to vote for conviction on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, although he voted for acquittal on obstruction of Congress. The stunning move robbed Trump of his key talking point that were unified in opposing his removal from office. Every Democratic senator cast “guilty” verdicts on both articles of impeachment, meaning Senate Democrats were actually more unified than their Republican colleagues on the impeachment vote.
were actually more unified than their Republican colleagues on the impeachment vote. Trump said he would addess the acquittal in a public statement at the White House tomorrow at 12 pm ET.
More results are trickling out from the Iowa caucuses, but Pete Buttigieg has maintained his narrow lead over Bernie Sanders. Maanvi will have more updates and analysis coming, so stay tuned.
5 Feb 2020 22.53 GMT Speaking in Pennsylvania at a “Women for Trump” event, vice president Mike Pence praised Trump’s State of the Union address and celebrated his acquittal. “Last night I had a real good seat at the State of the Union,” Pence said to cheers. He then made a veiled reference to House speaker Nancy Pelosi tearing up her copy of Trump’s remarks. “I get the feeling the woman sitting next to me didn’t like the speech as much as I did,” Pence said. He then turned his focus to the Senate acquittal vote. “After a sham investigation and partisan impeachment, it’s over, America,” Pence said. “It’s been an incredible week.”
5 Feb 2020 22.51 GMT House speaker Nancy Pelosi has issued a statement denouncing the Senate’s vote to acquit Trump and reiterating that he will be impeached “forever.” Lengthy Pelosi statement on articles of impeachment pic.twitter.com/cuhqnHnQdO — Alana Abramson (@aabramson) February 5, 2020 “Today, the President and Senate Republicans have normalized lawlessness and rejected the system of checks and balances of our Constitution,” Pelosi said. The speaker once again lamented the Senate’s decision not to hear from new witnesses, arguing the lack of evidence delegitimized Trump’s acquittal. “The President will boast that he has been acquitted. There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence,” Pelosi said. “The President has been impeached forever.”
5 Feb 2020 22.38 GMT In a letter to the Secret Service requesting Hunter Biden’s travel records, Republican senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson said they were “reviewing potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama administration, particularly with respect to his business activities in Ukraine and China.”
Grassley, the chairman of the Senate finance committee, and Johnson, the chairman of the homeland security committee, wrote, “We write to request information about whether Hunter Biden used government-sponsored travel to help conduct private business, to include his work for Rosemont Seneca and related entities in China and Ukraine.” It’s worth noting that Republicans controlled the Senate for the final two years of Barack Obama’s presidency, when Hunter Biden was serving on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. They could have launched the investigation then, but they only raised concerns about Biden’s business activities after Trump’s allies tried to pressure Ukraine to look into the matter.
Updated at 22.42 GMT
5 Feb 2020 22.34 GMT Republican senators request Hunter Biden's travel records Moments after Trump’s acquittal in the impeachment trial, two Republican senators indicated they intend to continue investigating Hunter Biden’s business activities in Ukraine. Breaking: from their press office -
“Good afternoon, Senators Grassley and Johnson today requested Hunter Biden’s official travel records from the U.S. Secret Service as a part of their ongoing probe into potential conflicts of interest.
A full news release is forthcoming” — Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) February 5, 2020 During the trial, Republicans repeatedly tried to deflect attention away from the allegations against Trump by raising concerns about the business activities of the former vice president’s son. But US and Ukrainian officials have said there is no evidence Joe Biden or his son violated any corruption laws when Hunter was serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.
Updated at 22.35 GMT
5 Feb 2020 22.29 GMT White House claims 'full vindication and exoneration' after acquittal In a new statement, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham lambasted “the sham impeachment attempt” and claimed Trump had been completely vindicated after the Senate voted for his acquittal. BREAKING — Statement from the White House press secretary on what she calls “the sham impeachment attempt." pic.twitter.com/wGxKkWnIXt — Michael D. Shear (@shearm) February 5, 2020 “Today, the sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J. Trump,” Grisham said. “As we have said all along, he is not guilty.” Grisham also took aim at Mitt Romney, who voted to convict on the first article of impeachment, in the statement: “The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the President’s political opponents – all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate – voted for the manufactured impeachment articles.”
5 Feb 2020 22.14 GMT Maanvi Singh As senators were voting in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, more results trickled out of Iowa. But something seemed off. it seems the new results have entered many likely Sanders results in Polk County as Deval Patrick or Steyer. — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) February 5, 2020 As the New York Times’ Nate Cohn pointed out, it seemed as if SDEs for Bernie Sanders had gone to Deval Patrick or Tom Steyer. SDE’s owed to Elizabeth Warren may have gone to Steyer as well.
The Iowa Democratic Party noted the error, and issued a correction soon after. Sanders’ delegates from counties he’d clearly won were restored. There will be a minor correction to the last batch of results and we will be pushing an update momentarily. — Iowa Democrats (@iowademocrats) February 5, 2020 Per the latest numbers, with 85% of precincts reporting, it appears Pete Buttigieg has maintained a narrow lead.
5 Feb 2020 22.12 GMT Trump to addresses acquittal in public statement tomorrow Trump said in a tweet that he would address his acquittal in the impeachment trial in a public statement at the White House tomorrow at 12 pm ET. I will be making a public statement tomorrow at 12:00pm from the @WhiteHouse to discuss our Country’s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2020 Considering Trump’s first response to the acquittal was to tweet a meme about his presidency lasting “4EVA,” it seems unlikely he will be particularly contrite in the statement. In comparison, when Bill Clinton was acquitted by the Senate in 1999, he reacted by telling the American people that he was “profoundly sorry for all I have done wrong in words and deeds.” February 12, 1999 – President Bill Clinton following acquittal by the Senate: "I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and on the American people." pic.twitter.com/ZfnL4CkxHs — CSPAN (@cspan) January 31, 2020
5 Feb 2020 22.08 GMT Trump’s allies, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, are boasting that the president has been “acquitted for life” following the Senate’s impeachment vote. Acquitted for life! — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) February 5, 2020 Acquitted for life. pic.twitter.com/HgqBXwpoWK — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 5, 2020 The phrase seems to be a jab at House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has said that Trump’s legacy will forever be marred by the impeachment. “I think that we have pulled back a veil of behavior totally unacceptable to our founders, and that the public will see this with a clearer eye, an unblurred eye,” Pelosi told the New York Times earlier this week. “Whatever happens, he has been impeached forever.”


theguardian--2020-02-06--'Don't do this again': Schumer and McConnell clash over Trump acquittal – video

The US senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer both held press conferences after the Senate acquitted Donald Trump on two @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Senate minority leader , said Americans knew that ‘ this was one of @ @ @ @ @ history of our nation ’ , while McConnell , the Republican Senate majority leader , @ @ @ @ @ : ‘ Don ’ t do this again ’

The US senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer both held press conferences after the Senate acquitted Donald Trump on two impeachment charges. Schumer, the Democratic Senate minority leader, said Americans knew that ‘this was one of the largest cover-ups in the history of our nation’, while McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, warned the House of Representatives: ‘Don’t do this again’


theguardian--2020-02-07--Trump responds to impeachment acquittal with rambling, vitriolic speech – live news

With 97 % of precincts reporting , Pete Buttigieg is in the lead , with Bernie Sanders trailing by three @ @ @ @ @ margin of .14 percentage points .
State officials have yet to count results from some @ @ @ @ @ could push reorder the leading candidates .
Earlier today , the Democratic National Committee ’ @ @ @ @ @ for an “ immediate recanvass ” of the tally , following a days-long delay due @ @ @ @ @ a mobile app that the state ’ s Democratic party used to could votes .
@ @ @ @ @ a race when there is a clear indication of a winner .
Because of a @ @ @ @ @ Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the irregularities in this year ’ s caucus @ @ @ @ @ possible to determine a winner at this point , ” said Sally Buzbee , the @ @ @ @ @ .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now), Joan E Greve in Washington (now) and Paul Owen (earlier)

7 Feb 2020 01.05 GMT Both Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders have claimed victory in Iowa, even as technical delays and reporting issues have prolonged the delay in tallying the Democratic caucus votes. Sanders has touted his raw vote tally; Buttigieg holds a narrow lead in the number of state delegate equivalents he’s amassed.
Both candidates will be speaking tonight in a CNN town hall ahead of the New Hampshire primary contest next week. Deval Patrick and Amy Klobuchar will be participating as well, answering questions from supporters and network hosts. Yesterday, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Yang, and Tom Steyer had a turn to make their case, during the first half of the town hall. And tomorrow, all the candidates (except for Patrick, who didn’t qualify) will face off directly during the New Hampshire Democratic debate. Sanders and Buttigieg nearly tied in Iowa amid new claims of counting errors Read more
7 Feb 2020 00.43 GMT Several women of color have reportedly left Elizabeth Warren’s Nevada campaign, complaining of a work environment that tokenizes minorities, Politico reports. The six staffers have left the roughly 70-person Nevada team since November, during a critical stretch of the race. Three of them said they felt marginalized by the campaign, a situation they said didn’t change or worsened after they took their concerns to their superiors or to human resources staff. “During the time I was employed with Nevada for Warren, there was definitely something wrong with the culture,” said Megan Lewis, a field organizer who joined the campaign in May and departed in December. “I filed a complaint with HR, but the follow-up I received left me feeling as though I needed to make myself smaller or change who I was to fit into the office culture.” Another recently departed staffer, also a field organizer, granted anonymity because she feared reprisal, echoed that sentiment. “I felt like a problem — like I was there to literally bring color into the space but not the knowledge and voice that comes with it,” she said in an interview. The staff departures come at a crucial time for Warren’s campaign, ahead of the Nevada caucuses this month. Responding to the report, Warren apologized. “For me this is about taking personal responsibility which I do and being determined that we will have accountability in this organization and keep doing better every day,” she said in an interview with WBTS. WARREN responds to @AlxThomp reporting on WOC staffers in NV leaving her campaign
"So I just heard about this and I believe the women who have spoken up and believe them unequivocally and I apologize to them personally. It's important to me to try to build an organization...
1/ — Deepa Shivaram (@deepa_shivaram) February 7, 2020
Updated at 00.44 GMT
6 Feb 2020 23.57 GMT Associated Press is unable to declare a winner in Iowa's Democratic caucuses With 97% of precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg is in the lead, with Bernie Sanders trailing by three state delegate equivalents — a margin of .14 percentage points. State officials have yet to count results from some satellite caucus sites, which could push reorder the leading candidates.
Earlier today, the Democratic National Committee’s chairman Tom Perez called for an “immediate recanvass” of the tally, following a days-long delay due in part to problems with a mobile app that the state’s Democratic party used to could votes. “The Associated Press calls a race when there is a clear indication of a winner. Because of a tight margin between former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the irregularities in this year’s caucus process, it is not possible to determine a winner at this point,” said Sally Buzbee, the AP’s executive editor.
Sanders and Buttigieg nearly tied in Iowa amid new claims of counting errors Read more
Updated at 00.02 GMT
6 Feb 2020 23.19 GMT Report: Mike Bloomberg’s campaign plagiarized policy plans Michael Bloomberg speaks at a campaign event Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Providence, R.I. Photograph: David Goldman/AP The former New York mayor and billionaire businessman’s presidential campaign appears to have lifted exact passages and fact sheets from media outlets and non-profit groups, The Intercept reports: Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign plagiarized portions of its plans for maternal health, LGBTQ equality, the economy, tax policy, infrastructure, and mental health from research publications, media outlets, and a number of nonprofit, educational, and policy groups. The Intercept found that exact passages from at least eight Bloomberg plans or accompanying fact sheets were direct copies of material from media outlets including CNN, Time, and CBS, a research center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the American Medical Association, Everytown for Gun Safety, Building America’s Future Educational Fund, and other organizations. Bloomberg co-founded Everytown for Gun Safety, a political organization focused on gun control, and Building America’s Future Educational Fund, a nonprofit working on infrastructure investment and reform, and has chaired them in the past, and he was listed as a co-author on the educational fund’s reports. He is not clearly affiliated with the other sources. The plagiarized sections ranged in length from entire paragraphs to individual sentences and fragments in documents that were between five and 14 pages long.
6 Feb 2020 22.48 GMT Representative Jim Jordan was temporarily added to the House Intelligence Committee during the impeachment inquiry. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio – a close ally of Donald Trump – has been named the new ranking member of the House judiciary committee, replaying Doug Collins of Georgia. Collins has stepped down so he can challenge Senator Kelly Loeffler for her seat, according to reports. Jordan is the founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. During the impeachment inquiry, he was temporarily added to the House intelligence committee. He was noted for his auctioneer intonation and aggressive questioning-style and became the president’s chief defender throughout the impeachment. When William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, testified before lawmakers, Jordan asked, in his characteristic style, “You’re their first witness? You’re the guy? I’ve seen church prayer chains that are easier to understand than this.” A former wrestler, Jordan faced allegations last year that he ignored sexual misconduct during his time as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University. Republican Mark Meadows – another staunch Trump supporter – will take over Jordan’s post as ranking member of the House oversight committee.
Updated at 23.15 GMT
6 Feb 2020 22.38 GMT The treasury department is complying with Republicans’ request for information as part of an investigation into Hunter Biden and his business in Ukraine. The Republican senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson requested information from the department in November as part of their investigation into “potentially improper actions” during the Obama administration. The department’s compliance, in this case, stands in sharp contrasts to the Trump administration’s stonewalling of Democrats’ requests for information during the impeachment investigation. Grassley and Johnson are looking into Hunter Biden’s business affairs and Ukrainian officials’ alleged interventions in the 2016 election, which is exactly what Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani tried to push Ukrainian officials to investigate. Per Yahoo News, which first reported the story: The “rapid” production of sensitive financial information from the Treasury Department in response to congressional requests is apparently uncommon. A source familiar with the matter said the Treasury began turning over materials less than two months after Grassley and Johnson wrote to FinCEN on Nov. 15, 2019, requesting any SARs and related documents filed by financial institutions regarding Hunter Biden, his associates, their businesses and clients.
Updated at 23.24 GMT
6 Feb 2020 21.58 GMT Evening summary That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Donald Trump delivered a divisive, profane and unapologetic response to his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, as Republicans continue to insist the president has learned a lesson from the process.
delivered a divisive, profane and unapologetic response to his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, as continue to insist the president has learned a lesson from the process. Speaking earlier today at the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump attacked the faith of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi , and Mitt Romney , the only Republican senator to support an article of impeachment.
, and , the only Republican senator to support an article of impeachment. The Democratic National Committee chair, Tom Perez, called for a recanvass of the Iowa caucuses to ensure the accuracy of the results.
called for a recanvass of the Iowa caucuses to ensure the accuracy of the results. Bernie Sanders declared victory in the Iowa caucuses, even though results currently show him slightly trailing Pete Buttigieg.
declared victory in the Iowa caucuses, even though results currently show him slightly trailing House Democrats killed a Republican resolution to condemn Pelosi for tearing up Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
killed a Republican resolution to condemn Pelosi for tearing up Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night. During her weekly press conference, Pelosi said she did not regret tearing up Trump’s speech. “I tore up a manifesto of mistruths,” Pelosi said. “It was necessary to get the attention of the American people to say, ‘This is not true.’” Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 22.56 GMT
6 Feb 2020 21.36 GMT After declaring victory in the Iowa caucuses despite trailing Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders said the raw vote total, or the “popular vote,” justified his announcement.
But as the blog has previously stated, the Associated Press and other outlets made clear before the caucuses that the winner would be determined using a different metric, the state delegate equivalents. On that front, Sanders is very slightly behind Buttigieg. Sen. @BernieSanders is declaring victory in Iowa.. but he still trails in the State Delegate Equivalents (which determines the winner).. I pressed him on how he can claim he won without leading the SDE- this was his response. pic.twitter.com/fz8b16Xb9t — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) February 6, 2020 “The rules were changed,” Sanders told CNN. “This is the first time in the Iowa caucus that the popular vote has been made public. That was not the case before.” Sanders blamed some “confusion on the part of the media” for the focus on SDEs, even though that is the officially recognized metric for determining a winner, and noted he and Buttigieg would likely come out of Iowa with the same number of delegates for the party’s nominating convention, which is true.
6 Feb 2020 21.22 GMT The White House is now reportedly sending out talking points aimed at criticizing Mitt Romney after the Republican senator supported one of the articles of impeachment. The WH is now sending around anti-Romney talking points, including:
•Romney’s decision was unsurprising as this display of self-serving political expedience has come to define his career.
•Romney has a long history of flip-flopping, with no sign of principles to be found. — Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) February 6, 2020 The idea of attacking Romney for not hacing principles seems particularly noteworthy, considering the Utah Republican cast his decision on impeachment as a matter of duty. Explaining his decision yesterday, Romney said, “My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate, but irrespective of these things, with my vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability believing that my country expected it of me.”
6 Feb 2020 21.04 GMT In a new statement, Democratic senator Patrick Leahy criticized Trump’s rambling, divisive response to his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial. Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The President’s Remarks At The White House https://t.co/VnA9Z7yoxo pic.twitter.com/8sxwQEZPjN — Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) February 6, 2020 Leahy contrasted Trump’s remarks with those of Bill Clinton, who told the nation after his acquittal that he was “profoundly sorry” for his actions. “In stark contrast, today President Trump held a White House campaign rally and was entirely unrepentant,” Leahy said. “Sadly, the only lesson he’s learned is how almost the entire Senate Republican Caucus let him get away with misconduct.”
6 Feb 2020 20.44 GMT Even though every House Democrat voted to kill a Republican resolution to condemn Nancy Pelosi for tearing up Trump’s State of the Union, two more moderate members of the caucus chastized the House speaker for her actions. The Washington Post reports: Reps. Joe Cunningham (S.C.) and Ben McAdams (Utah) together spoke to Pelosi for several minutes on the House floor before they cast votes to block the attempted reprimand. McAdams said he told Pelosi that he thought the gesture ‘was inappropriate and that we deserve better than that.’ ‘I thought it was disrespectful,’ he said. ‘I found things that I agreed with and things that I didn’t agree with in the president’s speech, but I thought that that was beneath us.’ Other House Democrats have blamed Trump for the tension between him and Pelosi, citing the president’s apparent refusal to shake the speaker’s hand when he arrived to deliver his State of the Union address.
6 Feb 2020 20.26 GMT Pete Buttigieg’s campaign said in an email to supporters that it has raised $2.7 million since the Iowa caucuses. It’s an impressive haul for the former Indiana mayor, who is currently leading in the Iowa caucuses, although Bernie Sanders is close on his heels with 97% of precincts reporting. Buttigieg will need those funds to get him through New Hampshire and on to the later voting states, especially because he is currently polling at 7% nationally, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
6 Feb 2020 20.06 GMT Pete Buttigieg is clearly enjoying a surge in voter interest after his strong showing in the Iowa caucuses. The former Indiana mayor is hosting an event in Merrimack, New Hampshire, today that is so crowded even some reporters haven’t been able to get inside. Buttigieg’s only event of the day here in New Hampshire is packed to the gills. Lots of press can’t get in. It’s a small room but the amount of media here alone is indicative of Buttigieg’s post- Iowa standing. pic.twitter.com/Sj11VUxVZt — Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) February 6, 2020 New Hampshire polls released in recent days have also shown Buttigieg jumping into second place, trailing only Bernie Sanders, in the second voting state, which will hold its primary on Tuesday.
6 Feb 2020 19.53 GMT Speaking to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week, Trump was reportedly “apoplectic” about the UK’s decision to allow the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to participate in building up the country’s 5G network. The Financial Times reports: The UK prime minister spoke to the US president last week soon after he announced his decision to allow the Chinese manufacturer to participate in the UK’s next-generation cellular network. This was in spite of vocal opposition from senior figures in the Trump administration, which is opposed to Huawei on national security grounds. Following the decision, the UK and US tried to gloss over their differences with muted public statements. But one individual briefed on the contents of the call said Mr Trump was ‘apoplectic’ with Mr Johnson for his Huawei decision and expressed his views in livid terms. A second official confirmed that the Trump-Johnson call was ‘very difficult’. British officials with knowledge of the exchange said they were taken aback by the force of the president’s language towards Mr Johnson. The White House said in a statement shortly after the announcement of the UK’s decision that it was “disappointed” by the move, and attorney general WIlliam Barr suggested today that the US and its allies should invest in Huawei’s rivals like Nokia and Ericsson to counter the company’s strength.


theguardian--2020-02-06--'It was evil': Trump basks in acquittal as he settles scores and fires his insult cannon

“ This is really not a news conference , ” Donald Trump admitted .
“ It ’ s not a speech .
It ’ s not anything .
It ’ s just , we ’ re sort of , err – it ’ s a celebration because we have something that just worked out.
” Whatever it was , it wasn ’ t pretty .
For more than an hour at the White House on Thursday , this was Trump at his Trumpiest , swaggering , settling scores , firing his insult cannon and basking in the adulation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended in acquittal .
“ We went through hell , ” the US president said under the crystal chandeliers of the East Room .
“ Unfairly .
Did nothing wrong .
Did nothing wrong .
I ’ ve done things wrong in my life , I will admit.
” There was a ripple of uneasy laughter in the room .
A rare moment of self-awareness ?
It was fleeting .
“ Not purposely , ” Trump went on .
“ But I ’ ve done things wrong .
But this is what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flourish , like a conquering general returned from foreign wars with the head of his enemy , Trump held aloft a copy of the Washington Post emblazoned with the front page headline : “ Trump acquitted.
” Cameras flashed and guests cheered and applauded as for a half a minute he turned to make sure everyone got a look .
Finally , he handed the paper to his wife , Melania , and quipped : “ You can take that home , honey .
Maybe we ’ ll frame it.
” Laughter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only good headline I ’ ve ever had in the Washington Post.
” Indeed , it was something strange to behold , Trump brandishing a newspaper that he has called “ degenerate ” , “ dishonest ” and “ fake ” as the final proof of his vindication .
It was also a startling contrast from Richard Nixon ’ s attitude to the Post when it helped bring him down over Watergate .
But perhaps the most telling opposition on Thursday was with Bill Clinton in 1999 .
After his impeachment trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president made a brief statement in the White House Rose Garden , declaring “ how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did ” , adding : “ This can be and this must be a time of reconciliation and renewal for America.
” Reconvinced of his own invincibility , the 45th president was making no apologies and offering no reconciliation to anyone .
Instead , speaking without a teleprompter , he was a magnified version of man who ran in 2016 preaching the politics of “ us versus them ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ forgotten men and women of America ” – a strange place to be for a billionaire TV celebrity .
It is a story of persecution , victimhood and heroic resilience he will tell again in the 2020 election .
“ We had the witch-hunt , ” he insisted .
“ It started from the day we came down the elevator [ it was an escalator ] , myself and our future first lady , who is with us right now .
“ And it never really stopped .
We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years .
It was evil , it was corrupt , it was dirty cops , it was leakers and liars , and this should never , ever happen to another president , ever .
I don ’ t know that other presidents would have been able to take it.
” He ran through his enemies list , conflating his attempt to coerce Ukraine with what he termed – speaking in a room where Pablo Casals once beguiled audiences with his cello – the “ bullshit ” Russia investigation and “ scum ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former FBI director James Comey was “ a sleaze bag ” , he said , and ex-agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page “ were going to try and overthrow the government of the United States ” – an unfounded conspiracy theory , Senator Mitt Romney , who cited his faith in becoming the sole Republican in either chamber to vote against him , “ used religion as a crutch ” , Trump said , and “ can ’ t stand the fact he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on : “ Adam Schiff is a vicious , horrible person .
Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person and she wanted to impeach a long time ago .
When she said , ‘ I pray for the president ’ , she doesn ’ t pray .
She may pray but she prays for the opposite .
But I doubt she prays at all.
” Pelosi is a devout Catholic .
Her repeated knack of outmaneuvering Trump has brought out his darkest , most vindictive impulses .
“ These are vicious people … But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s how they impeached.
” Equally important , though often less noted , were the many shout-outs to Republicans .
Yes , they are often sycophantic towards Trump but he is also often sycophantic towards them .
He is known to call senators and representatives at all hours with greater frequency than many of his predecessors .
Some say he is actually quite likable .
Along with the fear factor , there is also flattery .
So on Thursday , he gave rewards like a teacher throwing out sweets .
Much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican politicians – boosting their egos on national television and giving them a video clip they can circulate back home .
The message : you stood by me , here is your reward ; it ’ s warm here , but it ’ s very cold outside .
The Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , was praised for his “ fantastic job ” in leading the Republican senators through a trial that Democrats say was a sham without documents or witnesses such as the former national security adviser John Bolton .
McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , Trump said .
“ That ’ s what makes him good.
” There were rambling anecdotes about Congressman Jim Jordan ’ s wrestling prowess ( “ Never wears a jacket .
What ’ s going on ?
He ’ s obviously very proud of his body ” ) and Congressman Steve Scalise , who survived being shot during baseball practice ( “ Honestly , I think you ’ re better looking now .
You ’ re more handsome now .
You weren ’ t that good looking .
You look good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elise Stefanik .
“ I was up campaigning for helping her and I thought , ‘ She looks good , she looks like good talent ’ .
But I did not realise when she opens that mouth , you were killing them , Elise , you were killing them … I ’ ll always be your friend.
” Trump ended with a message to his family .
“ I want to apologise to my family for having them have to go through a phony , rotten deal by some very evil and sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Ivanka is here , and my sons , and my whole family .
And that includes Barron.
” There was another standing ovation as he exited with Melania , holding hands and walking into the metaphorical sunset .
When Trump first ran for office , there were warnings against normalising him .
He has been elected , impeached and acquitted , and now he is running again .
None of this is normal .

“This is really not a news conference,” Donald Trump admitted. “It’s not a speech. It’s not anything. It’s just, we’re sort of, err … it’s a celebration, because we have something that just worked out.”
Whatever it was, it wasn’t pretty. For more than an hour at the White House on Thursday, this was Trump at his Trumpiest, swaggering, settling scores, firing his insult cannon and basking in the adulation of the Republican allies who ensured his impeachment trial ended in acquittal.
“We went through hell,” the US president said under the crystal chandeliers of the East Room. “Unfairly. Did nothing wrong. Did nothing wrong. I’ve done things wrong in my life, I will admit.”
There was a ripple of uneasy laughter in the room. A rare moment of self-awareness? It was fleeting. “Not purposely,” Trump went on. “But I’ve done things wrong. But this is what the end result is.”
And with a flourish, like a conquering general returned from foreign wars with the head of his enemy, Trump held aloft a copy of the Washington Post emblazoned with the front page headline: “Trump acquitted.” Cameras flashed and guests cheered and applauded as for a half a minute he turned to make sure everyone got a look.
Finally, he handed the paper to his wife, Melania, and quipped: “You can take that home, honey. Maybe we’ll frame it.” Laughter in the room. “It’s the only good headline I’ve ever had in the Washington Post.”
Indeed, it was something strange to behold, Trump brandishing a newspaper that he has called “degenerate”, “dishonest” and “fake” as the final proof of his vindication. It was also a startling contrast from Richard Nixon’s attitude to the Post when it helped bring him down over Watergate.
But perhaps the most telling opposition on Thursday was with Bill Clinton in 1999. After his impeachment trial also ended in acquittal, the humbled president made a brief statement in the White House Rose Garden, declaring “how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did”, adding: “This can be and this must be a time of reconciliation and renewal for America.”
Reconvinced of his own invincibility, the 45th president was making no apologies and offering no reconciliation to anyone. Instead, speaking without a teleprompter, he was a magnified version of man who ran in 2016 preaching the politics of “us versus them”, channeling the grievances and resentments of the “forgotten men and women of America” – a strange place to be for a billionaire TV celebrity.
It is a story of persecution, victimhood and heroic resilience he will tell again in the 2020 election. “We had the witch-hunt,” he insisted. “It started from the day we came down the elevator [it was an escalator], myself and our future first lady, who is with us right now.
Trump brandishes the Washington Post. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters
“And it never really stopped. We’ve been going through this now for over three years. It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers and liars, and this should never, ever happen to another president, ever. I don’t know that other presidents would have been able to take it.”
He ran through his enemies list, conflating his attempt to coerce Ukraine with what he termed – speaking in a room where Pablo Casals once beguiled audiences with his cello – the “bullshit” Russia investigation and “scum” at the top of the FBI.
Former FBI director James Comey was “a sleaze bag”, he said, and ex-agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page “were going to try and overthrow the government of the United States” – an unfounded conspiracy theory,
Senator Mitt Romney, who cited his faith in becoming the sole Republican in either chamber to vote against him, “used religion as a crutch”, Trump said, and “can’t stand the fact he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of the presidency”.
The president raged on: “Adam Schiff is a vicious, horrible person. Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person and she wanted to impeach a long time ago. When she said, ‘I pray for the president’, she doesn’t pray. She may pray but she prays for the opposite. But I doubt she prays at all.”
Pelosi is a devout Catholic. Her repeated knack of outmaneuvering Trump has brought out his darkest, most vindictive impulses. “These are vicious people … But they stick together like glue. That’s how they impeached.”
Equally important, though often less noted, were the many shout-outs to Republicans. Yes, they are often sycophantic towards Trump but he is also often sycophantic towards them. He is known to call senators and representatives at all hours with greater frequency than many of his predecessors. Some say he is actually quite likable. Along with the fear factor, there is also flattery.
So on Thursday, he gave rewards like a teacher throwing out sweets. Much of the speech consisted of name-checking and thanking Republican politicians – boosting their egos on national television and giving them a video clip they can circulate back home. The message: you stood by me, here is your reward; it’s warm here, but it’s very cold outside.
Trump basks in the adulation of his supporters, including his legal team and daughter Ivanka. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, was praised for his “fantastic job” in leading the Republican senators through a trial that Democrats say was a sham without documents or witnesses such as the former national security adviser John Bolton. McConnell is “a tough guy to read”, Trump said. “That’s what makes him good.”
There were rambling anecdotes about Congressman Jim Jordan’s wrestling prowess (“Never wears a jacket. What’s going on? He’s obviously very proud of his body”) and Congressman Steve Scalise, who survived being shot during baseball practice (“Honestly, I think you’re better looking now. You’re more handsome now. You weren’t that good looking. You look good now.”)
Then there was Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. “I was up campaigning for helping her and I thought, ‘She looks good, she looks like good talent’. But I did not realise when she opens that mouth, you were killing them, Elise, you were killing them … I’ll always be your friend.”
Trump ended with a message to his family. “I want to apologise to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people,” he said. “And Ivanka is here, and my sons, and my whole family. And that includes Barron.”
There was another standing ovation as he exited with Melania, holding hands and walking into the metaphorical sunset. When Trump first ran for office, there were warnings against normalising him. He has been elected, impeached and acquitted, and now he is running again. None of this is normal.


theguardian--2020-02-06--Trump fans flooded hotline to disrupt Iowa caucus process, Democrats say

Donald Trump ’ s legion of followers flooded a vital telephone hotline used to share Iowa Democratic caucus results after the number was shared online .
The hack was reported in a phone conference Wednesday night between Iowa Democratic party staff and the state ’ s central committee .
“ The unexplained , and at times hostile , calls contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic party ’ s collection of results , but in no way affected the integrity of information gathered or the accuracy of data sets reported , ” said Mandy McClure , communications director for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , McClure added that calls to the hotline reached “ an unusually high volume ” and included some “ supporters of President Trump ” .
On Wednesday night ’ s call , committee member Ken Sagar called the disruption deliberate .
The incident was first reported to Bloomberg News .
Iowa Democrats continue to tally results in several districts statewide .
So far , the race remains too close to call , with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and South Bend , Indiana , mayor Pete Buttigieg battling for the top spot , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials say the hotline ’ s phone number went public after photos of caucus paperwork were posted online .
Users on the popular fringe internet message board , 4chan , then shared the phone number along with instructions on how to disrupt the caucus process .
Volunteers tasked with answering the hotline during Monday night ’ s caucus were first to report callers relaying their support for President Trump .
But it was not clear how seriously the prank calls were in causing the night ’ s many hiccups .
An anonymous volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the prank calls but that they were not the source for results being delayed .
But the main culprit for the chaos appears to be the state ’ s new election counting app , which was designed to send caucus results to the state party in real time .
It malfunctioned and some users found it difficult to operate and download .
Some party leaders , including DNC Chair Tom Perez , are calling on the state party to recount the votes altogether .
Rick Hasen , a professor of election law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said any evidence of a coordinated attempt to thwart the hotline ’ s election reporting “ could well be a crime ” .
Still he said the onus is on Democrats to ensure the integrity of an antiquated caucus system already vulnerable to interference .
“ If an entity running an election makes a mistake , own up to it , be transparent , ” he wrote in his election law blog .
His simple solution : “ Don ’ t let political parties run caucuses anymore ” .

Donald Trump’s legion of followers flooded a vital telephone hotline used to share Iowa Democratic caucus results after the number was shared online.
The hack was reported in a phone conference Wednesday night between Iowa Democratic party staff and the state’s central committee.
“The unexplained, and at times hostile, calls contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic party’s collection of results, but in no way affected the integrity of information gathered or the accuracy of data sets reported,” said Mandy McClure, the communications director for the Iowa Democratic party.
In a statement, McClure added that calls to the hotline reached “an unusually high volume” and included some “supporters of President Trump”.
On Wednesday night’s call, the committee member Ken Sagar called the disruption deliberate. The incident was first reported to Bloomberg News.
Iowa Democrats continue to tally results in several districts statewide. So far, the race remains too close to call, with the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg battling for the top spot, and the state’s delegates.
Officials say the hotline’s phone number went public after photos of caucus paperwork were posted online. Users on the popular fringe internet message board, 4chan, then shared the phone number along with instructions on how to disrupt the caucus process.
Volunteers tasked with answering the hotline during Monday night’s caucus were first to report callers relaying their support for President Trump. But it was not clear how seriously the prank calls were in causing the night’s many hiccups.
An anonymous volunteer told NBC that while they were aware of the prank calls but that they were not the source for results being delayed.
But the main culprit for the chaos appears to be the state’s new election counting app, which was designed to send caucus results to the state party in real time. It malfunctioned and some users found it difficult to operate and download.
Some party leaders, including the DNC chair, Tom Perez, are calling on the state party to recount the votes altogether.
Enough is enough. In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass. — Tom Perez (@TomPerez) February 6, 2020
Rick Hasen, a professor of election law at the University of California at Irvine, said any evidence of a coordinated attempt to thwart the hotline’s election reporting “could well be a crime”.
Still he said the onus is on Democrats to ensure the integrity of an antiquated caucus system already vulnerable to interference.
“If an entity running an election makes a mistake, own up to it, be transparent,” he wrote in his election law blog. His simple solution: “Don’t let political parties run caucuses anymore”.


theguardian--2020-02-06--Trump finalizes plans to open Utah monuments for mining and drilling

Plans finalized on Thursday for two national monuments in Utah downsized by Donald Trump would ensure that lands previously off-limits to energy development will be open to mining and drilling .
The move comes despite pending lawsuits from conservation , tribal and paleontology groups , who have challenged the constitutionality of the president ’ s action .
The Trump administration slashed the size of Bears Ears national monument by 85 % and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument by nearly half in December 2017 , in what represented the largest elimination of public lands protections in US history .
Conservation groups criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time on management plans they believe will become moot when the court sides with their assertion that Trump misused the Antiquities Act to reverse decisions by previous presidents .
“ It ’ s the height of arrogance for Trump to rush through final decisions on what ’ s left of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante while we ’ re fighting his illegal evisceration of these national monuments in court , ” said Randi Spivak , public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity in a statement .
“ Trump is eroding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We won ’ t rest until all of these public lands are safeguarded for future generations.
” Bill Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument in 1996 on land that showcases cliffs , canyons , waterfalls and arches in southern Utah .
Barack Obama created Bears Ears national monument in 2016 on a scenic swath of southern Utah with red rock plateaus , cliffs and canyons on land considered sacred to tribes .
A joint statement released by Native American tribal nations and conservation groups behind the court cases challenging Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paleontological research , as well as archeological , cultural and natural resources .
Sarah Bauman , the executive director of the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners , said the monument was an essential site for research into the climate crisis .
“ As a result of its physical isolation and areas of minimal human impact , as well as its enormous ecological diversity , it provides mankind with rare opportunities for unique comparative climate change studies , ” she said .
“ Without protections , these opportunities will be lost and with them our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for mitigating climate change.
” The lands have generated little interest from energy companies in the two years since Trump cut their size , said Casey Hammond , the acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management with the US Department of the Interior .
Hammond said in a conference call the department had a duty to work on the management plans after Trump signed his proclamations despite the pending lawsuits that seek to return the monuments to their original sizes .
“ If we stopped and waited for every piece of litigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to do much of anything around here , ” Hammond said .
Market dynamics have limited interest in a large coal reserve found in the now unprotected lands cut from Grand Staircase and uranium on lands cut from Bears Ears .
But an economic analysis by the US government estimates coal production could lead to $ 208m in annual revenues and $ 16.6m in royalties on lands cut from Grand Staircase .
Oil and gas wells in that area could produce $ 4.1m in annual revenues , the analysis says .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hammond said the lands cut remain under federal control and governed by “ time-tested laws ” and subject to environmental regulations .
He rebuffed the oft-repeated claim from conservation groups that there would be a “ free-for-all ” for mineral development .
“ Any suggestion that these lands and resources will be adversely impacted by the mere act of being excluded from the monuments is simply not true , ” Hammond said .
Trump cut the size of the monuments following a review of 27 national monuments by the then interior secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheers from Republican leaders in Utah , including the former US senator Orrin Hatch , as well as many local ranchers who graze cattle on monument land .

Plans finalized on Thursday for two national monuments in Utah downsized by Donald Trump would ensure that lands previously off-limits to energy development will be open to mining and drilling.
The move comes despite pending lawsuits from conservation, tribal and paleontology groups, who have challenged the constitutionality of the president’s action. The Trump administration slashed the size of Bears Ears national monument by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument by nearly half in December 2017, in what represented the largest elimination of public lands protections in US history.
Conservation groups criticized the Trump administration on Thursday for spending time on management plans they believe will become moot when the court sides with their assertion that Trump misused the Antiquities Act to reverse decisions by previous presidents.
“It’s the height of arrogance for Trump to rush through final decisions on what’s left of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante while we’re fighting his illegal evisceration of these national monuments in court,” said Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity in a statement. “Trump is eroding vital protections for these spectacular landscapes. We won’t rest until all of these public lands are safeguarded for future generations.”
Bill Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument in 1996 on land that showcases cliffs, canyons, waterfalls and arches in southern Utah. Barack Obama created Bears Ears national monument in 2016 on a scenic swath of southern Utah with red rock plateaus, cliffs and canyons on land considered sacred to tribes.
A joint statement released by Native American tribal nations and conservation groups behind the court cases challenging Trump’s downsizing said the monuments are hotbeds of paleontological research, as well as archeological, cultural and natural resources.
Sarah Bauman, the executive director of the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, said the monument was an essential site for research into the climate crisis. “As a result of its physical isolation and areas of minimal human impact, as well as its enormous ecological diversity, it provides mankind with rare opportunities for unique comparative climate change studies,” she said. “Without protections, these opportunities will be lost and with them our ability to build essential knowledge and resources for mitigating climate change.”
The lands have generated little interest from energy companies in the two years since Trump cut their size, said Casey Hammond, the acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management with the US Department of the Interior.
Hammond said in a conference call the department had a duty to work on the management plans after Trump signed his proclamations despite the pending lawsuits that seek to return the monuments to their original sizes.
“If we stopped and waited for every piece of litigation to be resolved we would never be able to do much of anything around here,” Hammond said.
Market dynamics have limited interest in a large coal reserve found in the now unprotected lands cut from Grand Staircase and uranium on lands cut from Bears Ears.
But an economic analysis by the US government estimates coal production could lead to $208m in annual revenues and $16.6m in royalties on lands cut from Grand Staircase. Oil and gas wells in that area could produce $4.1m in annual revenues, the analysis says.
If interest comes as energy market forces shift, Hammond said the lands cut remain under federal control and governed by “time-tested laws” and subject to environmental regulations. He rebuffed the oft-repeated claim from conservation groups that there would be a “free-for-all” for mineral development.
“Any suggestion that these lands and resources will be adversely impacted by the mere act of being excluded from the monuments is simply not true,” Hammond said.
Trump cut the size of the monuments following a review of 27 national monuments by the then interior secretary, Ryan Zinke. The move earned cheers from Republican leaders in Utah, including the former US senator Orrin Hatch, as well as many local ranchers who graze cattle on monument land.


theguardian--2020-02-06--‘It was all bullshit’: Trump delivers mocking, vitriolic speech after acquittal

Donald Trump delivered a triumphalist , mocking , vitriolic and vulgar speech in the White House on Thursday afternoon in celebration of the acquittal at his impeachment trial the night before in the US Senate .
In ebullient mood , the US president held up the front page of the Washington Post with the headline “ Trump acquitted ” and said : “ I went through hell , unfairly , I did nothing wrong.
” Then he asked for the newspaper to be framed .
Speaking in the East Room , filled with senior administration figures , Trump family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly broke into applause , Trump said : “ This isn ’ t a news conference , it ’ s not a speech – it ’ s a celebration.
” He began by blaming “ dirty cops ” in the US intelligence community for investigations into , first , his dealings with Russia during the 2016 election and then last year a pressure campaign on Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rivals , which became the prompt for the impeachment investigation .
“ It was corrupt , it was dirty cops and this should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a disgrace … it was bad people .
If this had happened to President Obama a lot of people would have been in jail for many years , ” he said .
Trump was acquitted in his Senate trial , which was the denouement of a four-month investigation , on both of the articles of impeachment he faced – charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , for threatening the Ukrainian government by withholding military aid until it agreed to investigate Trump ’ s domestic political rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional investigators .
The acquittal vote along party lines shortly after 4pm local time in Washington on Wednesday ended the threat that Trump would be removed from office and concluding the impeachment process .
Senators voted to find Trump not guilty , despite some Republicans declaring that Trump ’ s conduct in relation to Ukraine had been seriously inappropriate , and Democrats accusing the president of using foreign connections to cheat in the 2020 election .
Trump became the third president in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-thirds majority of 67 senators would have been required to remove him .
Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote in favor of convicting Trump and became the only senator in history to vote to remove a president from his own party in an impeachment trial .
“ I support a great deal of what the president has done , ” Romney said on the Senate floor .
“ But my promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and political biases aside .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public trust .
Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one ’ s oath of office that I can imagine.
” Nevertheless , Trump has taken his acquittal as a victory for his administration , his party and above all himself .
The speech on Thursday quickly turned into a screed against all of the investigations into his administration , starting with special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian election interference .
“ We first went through Russia , Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was all bullshit.
” For comparison , when Bill Clinton addressed the public after his Senate acquittal in 1999 , having been impeached for lying to Congress about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky , he began by expressing how “ profoundly sorry ” he was for actions .
By contrast , Trump lit into his chief accusers – the Democratic House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , and the chief prosecutor of the case against the president at trial , the California congressman Adam Schiff .
“ The corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into script writing , unfortunately he went into politics , ” said Trump , to laughter from the partisan audience .
Then he added : “ Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person.
” He railed once again against what he called the “ fake ” dossier of intelligence gathered by former British MI6 officer Christopher Steele and presented to the FBI in 2017 , which alleged secret contacts between the Trump 2016 election campaign and Moscow – and that Russian intelligence had personally compromising material on Trump .
“ Hillary Clinton and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fake dossier , ” he said on Thursday .
The president also returned to the subject of the former FBI director James Comey , who was fired by Trump nearly three years ago .
“ Had I not fired James Comey , who was a disaster by the way , it ’ s possible I wouldn ’ t even be standing here right now , ” Trump said .
Trump referred to Comey as a “ sleazebag ” and attacked “ the top scum ” at the FBI , referring to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigations into his conduct .
And Trump offered a play-by-play account of the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice , near Washington , that severely injured Republican congressman Steve Scalise , with the president using hand motions to imitate gunfire .
“ Everyone ran into the dugout , ” he said , then , referring to law enforcement who took down the gunman : “ These two people came charging forward , boom , boom , boom.
” Trump said Scalise had probably “ set a record for blood loss ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ better-looking now ” .
Towards the end he said : “ The Democrats say they want to heal this country .
They want to destroy this country .
”

David Smith and Joan E Greve in Washington and Tom McCarthy in New York

Donald Trump delivered a triumphalist, mocking, vitriolic and vulgar speech in the White House on Thursday afternoon in celebration of the acquittal at his impeachment trial the night before in the US Senate.
In ebullient mood, the US president held up the front page of the Washington Post with the headline “Trump acquitted” and said: “I went through hell, unfairly, I did nothing wrong.” Then he asked for the newspaper to be framed.
Speaking in the East Room, filled with senior administration figures, Trump family members and Republican members of Congress, who repeatedly broke into applause, Trump said: “This isn’t a news conference, it’s not a speech – it’s a celebration.”
He began by blaming “dirty cops” in the US intelligence community for investigations into, first, his dealings with Russia during the 2016 election and then last year a pressure campaign on Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rivals, which became the prompt for the impeachment investigation.
“It was corrupt, it was dirty cops and this should never happen to another president, ever. It’s a disgrace … it was bad people. If this had happened to President Obama a lot of people would have been in jail for many years,” he said.
Trump was acquitted in his Senate trial, which was the denouement of a four-month investigation, on both of the articles of impeachment he faced – charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, for threatening the Ukrainian government by withholding military aid until it agreed to investigate Trump’s domestic political rivals, then blocking witnesses and evidence from congressional investigators.
The acquittal vote along party lines shortly after 4pm local time in Washington on Wednesday ended the threat that Trump would be removed from office and concluding the impeachment process.
Senators voted to find Trump not guilty, despite some Republicans declaring that Trump’s conduct in relation to Ukraine had been seriously inappropriate, and Democrats accusing the president of using foreign connections to cheat in the 2020 election.
Trump became the third president in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives but acquitted in a Senate trial. A two-thirds majority of 67 senators would have been required to remove him.
Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote in favor of convicting Trump and became the only senator in history to vote to remove a president from his own party in an impeachment trial.
01:55 'The president is guilty': Romney votes to convict Trump – video
“I support a great deal of what the president has done,” Romney said on the Senate floor. “But my promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and political biases aside.
“The president is guilty of a flagrant abuse of public trust. Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.”
Nevertheless, Trump has taken his acquittal as a victory for his administration, his party and above all himself.
The speech on Thursday quickly turned into a screed against all of the investigations into his administration, starting with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference.
“We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia,” Trump said. “It was all bullshit.”
For comparison, when Bill Clinton addressed the public after his Senate acquittal in 1999, having been impeached for lying to Congress about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, he began by expressing how “profoundly sorry” he was for actions.
By contrast, Trump lit into his chief accusers – the Democratic House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the chief prosecutor of the case against the president at trial, the California congressman Adam Schiff.
“The corrupt Adam Schiff. He should have gone into script writing, unfortunately he went into politics,” said Trump, to laughter from the partisan audience.
Then he added: “Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person.”
He railed once again against what he called the “fake” dossier of intelligence gathered by former British MI6 officer Christopher Steele and presented to the FBI in 2017, which alleged secret contacts between the Trump 2016 election campaign and Moscow – and that Russian intelligence had personally compromising material on Trump.
“Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee paid millions to get this fake dossier,” he said on Thursday.
The president also returned to the subject of the former FBI director James Comey, who was fired by Trump nearly three years ago.
“Had I not fired James Comey, who was a disaster by the way, it’s possible I wouldn’t even be standing here right now,” Trump said.
Trump referred to Comey as a “sleazebag” and attacked “the top scum” at the FBI, referring to the bureau’s top leadership, for the investigations into his conduct.
And Trump offered a play-by-play account of the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice, near Washington, that severely injured Republican congressman Steve Scalise, with the president using hand motions to imitate gunfire.
“Everyone ran into the dugout,” he said, then, referring to law enforcement who took down the gunman: “These two people came charging forward, boom, boom, boom.”
Trump said Scalise had probably “set a record for blood loss” and complimented the congressman that he was “better-looking now”.
Towards the end he said: “The Democrats say they want to heal this country. They want to destroy this country.”


theguardian--2020-02-06--Iowa: track all the caucus results as they come in

Iowa voters kicked off the long process of choosing the Democratic and Republican party ’ s presidential nominees Monday , ahead of the November election .
Following a shock delay , the first partial results were released on Tuesday and continue to trickle in .
What is a caucus and how is it different to a primary ?
Most US states hold primary elections , in which voters go to a polling place , mail in their ballots or otherwise vote remotely .
But a handful of states hold caucuses – complicated , hours-long meetings , which continue until one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process is different for Democrats and Republicans .
How do the Democratic caucuses work and why are they important ?
Iowans aged 18 and over who are registered with the party will gather in caucus venues such as school gyms and churches in their designated precinct .
They start voting publicly at 7pm CT ( 8pm ET ) by splitting into groups based on their preferred candidate .
Voters have to go and stand in the area where their candidate is represented .
So Joe Biden supporters would be in one corner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters in another .
Everyone is tallied .
If a particular candidate does not attract 15 % of total voters present , they are taken off the ballot , and their voters are free to throw their weight behind another candidate .
Once voting is over at a caucus site , the support for viable candidates ( those with more than 15 % of the votes ) is translated into a number of “ state delegate equivalents ” .
That result is used to calculate the number of national delegates each candidate receives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Democratic convention in July .
On the night of the caucuses , the candidate with the most SDEs is considered the winner .
How do the Republican caucuses work ?
With all the attention being paid to the Democratic side , it is easy to forget that there is a Republican primary happening , too .
Trump is facing challenges from the former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld and former US representative Joe Walsh , but it ’ s extremely unlikely that they , or the others ( according to the Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president as Republicans ) will win against the president .
In the Iowa Republican caucus , people still have to physically show up at a location .
They then cast a straightforward vote , secretly .
The votes are tallied up , and the delegates are dished out in the same manner .
In the Republican caucuses , there is no 15 % threshold , meaning candidates with relatively little support could still pick up delegates .

Iowa voters kicked off the long process of choosing the Democratic and Republican party’s presidential nominees Monday, ahead of the November election.
Following a shock delay, the first partial results were released on Tuesday and continued to trickle in through Wednesday and Thursday. The Associated Press said it was unable to declare a winner Thursday evening.
*Election results source: Associated Press
What is a caucus and how is it different to a primary?
Most US states hold primary elections, in which voters go to a polling place, mail in their ballots or otherwise vote remotely. But a handful of states hold caucuses – complicated, hours-long meetings, which continue until one candidate emerges as victor. And the process is different for Democrats and Republicans.
How do the Democratic caucuses work and why are they important?
Iowans aged 18 and over who are registered with the party will gather in caucus venues such as school gyms and churches in their designated precinct. They start voting publicly at 7pm CT (8pm ET) by splitting into groups based on their preferred candidate.
Voters have to go and stand in the area where their candidate is represented. So Joe Biden supporters would be in one corner, Elizabeth Warren in another and Bernie Sanders supporters in another. Everyone is tallied.
If a particular candidate does not attract 15% of total voters present, they are taken off the ballot, and their voters are free to throw their weight behind another candidate.
Once voting is over at a caucus site, the support for viable candidates (those with more than 15% of the votes) is translated into a number of “state delegate equivalents”. That result is used to calculate the number of national delegates each candidate receives. National delegates eventually choose the nominee at the Democratic convention in July.
On the night of the caucuses, the candidate with the most SDEs is considered the winner.
How do the Republican caucuses work?
With all the attention being paid to the Democratic side, it is easy to forget that there is a Republican primary happening, too.
Trump is facing challenges from the former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld and former US representative Joe Walsh, but it’s extremely unlikely that they, or the others (according to the Federal Election Commission, 153 people are running for president as Republicans) will win against the president.
In the Iowa Republican caucus, people still have to physically show up at a location. They then cast a straightforward vote, secretly. The votes are tallied up, and the delegates are dished out in the same manner.
In the Republican caucuses, there is no 15% threshold, meaning candidates with relatively little support could still pick up delegates.