theguardian--2020-02-05--US politics: Buttigieg leads in Iowa as Senate prepares to acquit Trump – live coverage

Hello and welcome to another big day in American politics .
It ’ s fair to see Donald Trump is probably having a pretty good week .
Last night he got 80 minutes to make his case for a second term on primetime TV with his State of the Union address , as the Democrats continued to struggle to publish results from their first primary contest on Iowa on Monday .
Later today , Trump will be acquitted in his impeachment trial – and despite several Republican senators admitting his conduct in holding back military aid for Ukraine as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden was inappropriate , perhaps only one will vote to convict him .
As we speak just over 70 % of the vote is in , and former small-town mayor Pete Buttigieg is slightly ahead of socialist senator Bernie Sanders , with his liberal rival Elizabeth Warren in third and Joe Biden trailing in fourth - a very worrying result for the centrist former vice-president .
It ’ s not clear exactly when the Iowa Democratic party will release the rest of the results , following the shambles on Monday night when technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system to collapse .
This looks like a good result for Buttigieg , who can claim that he ’ s a serious , top-tier candidate .
He will now argue that Biden is not as electable as he seems on paper and that the centrist Democratic establishment should instead unite around him .
But he has very little support among non-white voters and it ’ s not clear he ’ ll be able to pick up sufficient votes in the bigger and more diverse states that are coming up in the next few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he doesn ’ t end up coming first , although a strengthened Buttigieg might be good for him in the long term if the centrist vote ends up splitting three ways between Buttigieg , Biden and Mike Bloomberg , the former New York mayor who is joining the race next month .
Bloomberg doubled his spending on TV ads in the wake of the debacle yesterday , clearly sensing an opening .
The focus moves now to New Hampshire , where Sanders has a clear lead .
Tonight at 8pm ET CNN will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates ’ debates , the first one featuring Biden , Warren , and businessmen Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer .
You can see all the Iowa results so far and watch the rest of them eventually come in with our results tracker here .
At about 4pm ET today , Donald Trump will in all likelihood become the third US president to be acquitted after an impeachment trial .
Dashing Democratic hopes , moderate Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have both now confirmed they will not vote to convict Trump .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential candidate , as the one possible vote against the president .
It ’ s hard to say at present whether the impeachment trial has been a net gain or a net loss for Trump .
Democrats may feel that if even half a percentage point ends up being knocked off Trump ’ s vote tally in November by impeachment , that ’ s a success .
Trump and the Republicans will continue to make the case that the impeachment process was an attempt by the Democrats to overturn Americans ’ democratic choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic choice this year .
Polling so far has been inconclusive .
Trump ’ s re-election strategy is thought to be all about riling up his base against the Democrats , and his State of the Union speech last night seemed both to encourage and to illustrate the bitter divisions in American political life .
“ Each year feels progressively worse and more hopelessly polarised than the one before , ” my colleague David Smith wrote .
Trump hyped up the strength of the economy , and focused on immigration , abortion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ways guaranteed to delight the right and infuriate the Democrats , with his usual disregard for factual accuracy .
Nancy Pelosi , the Democrats ’ leader in the House , ripped up her copy of the speech as she stood behind Trump in full view of the cameras .
Other Democrats walked out .
Anti-gun campaigner Fred Guttenberg was thrown out for heckling .
Trump bestowed the presidential medal of freedom on rightwing talk-show host Rush Limbaugh live then and there .
Republicans chanted “ four more years ” .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever before , ” Trump intoned .
Everything about this event suggested the opposite .
We ’ ll be covering all this and more throughout the day right here .

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--2020-02-05--Hundreds of Salvadorans deported by US were killed or abused, report reveals

At least 200 Salvadoran migrants and asylum seekers have been killed , raped or tortured after being deported back to El Salvador by the United States government which is turning a blind eye to widely known dangers , a new investigation reveals .
Human Rights Watch has documented 138 deported Salvadorans murdered by gang members , police , soldiers , death squads and ex-partners between 2013 and 2019 .
The majority were killed within two years of deportation by the same perpetrators they had tried to escape by seeking safety in the US .
The report , Deported to Danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to death and abuse , also identifies more than 70 others who were subjected to beatings , sexual assault and extortion – usually at the hand of gangs – or who went missing after being returned .
El Salvador , the most densely populated country in Central America with just over 6 million citizens , has one of the world ’ s highest rates of homicide and sexual violence .
In addition , almost 11,000 people were registered missing during the last decade - more than the number of people who disappeared during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely ineffective in protecting the population from this violence , which is often perpetrated by street gangs which have 60,000 or so members across the country .
Extrajudicial executions , sexual assaults , enforced disappearances and torture have also been perpetrated by state security forces with almost total impunity .
Amid widespread terror and impunity , the number of Salvadorans fleeing has soared , with asylum applicants in the US increasing by almost 1,000 % in five years to 60,000 in 2017 , according to UN figures .
The dire security situation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US continues to deport Salvadorans to face abuse and even death , according to HRW .
For instance , 17-year-old Javier escaped gang recruitment in 2010 and sought asylum in the US where his mother Jennifer had already fled .
His asylum application was rejected , and Javier was deported in early 2017 , aged 23 .
Four months later he was killed by members of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 gang .
“ The United States has to have known this was happening because the cases were publicly reported and more importantly because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is their reality .
But this reality is ignored or not believed by US authorities , ” said Elizabeth Kennedy , co-author of the report .
International law prohibits the US from returning anyone to a country where they face serious risks to their lives or safety .
About three-quarters of the 1.2 million Salvadorans living in the US without citizenship lack papers or hold a temporary legal status making them vulnerable to deportation .
Between 2014 and 2018 , the US deported 111,000 Salvadorans , and granted asylum to just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate in the region .
Deportations – and violence against deportees – is not a new phenomenon .
But the approval of asylum claims plummeted since the Trump administration rolled out a series of hostile policies including Remain in Mexico – officially known as Migration Protection Protocols – and imposed tight restrictions on gender-based and gang-related grounds for asylum .
“ The attack on asylum is unique in the Trump administration , which has put even more Salvadorans – and others – at risk of deportation , and made it much less likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their case to get effective protection , ” said Kennedy .
HRW researchers tracked and verified hundreds of press reports , and conducted 150 interviews with deportees , surviving family members , government and security officials , and US immigration attorneys .
The actual number of killings and attacks is probably significantly higher than reported as most crimes in El Salvador go unreported , state violence are covered up , and it ’ s too dangerous for journalists to enter some neighbourhoods .
Alison Parker , managing director of HRW ’ s US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : “ Salvadorans are facing murder , rape and other violence after deportation in shockingly high numbers , while the US government narrows Salvadorans ’ access to asylum and turns a blind eye to the deadly results of its callous policies .
”

At least 200 Salvadoran migrants and asylum seekers have been killed, raped or tortured after being deported back to El Salvador by the United States government which is turning a blind eye to widely known dangers, a new investigation reveals.
Human Rights Watch has documented 138 deported Salvadorans murdered by gang members, police, soldiers, death squads and ex-partners between 2013 and 2019. The majority were killed within two years of deportation by the same perpetrators they had tried to escape by seeking safety in the US.
The report, Deported to Danger: United States deportation policies expose Salvadorans to death and abuse, also identifies more than 70 others who were subjected to beatings, sexual assault and extortion – usually at the hand of gangs – or who went missing after being returned.
El Salvador, the most densely populated country in Central America with just over 6 million citizens, has one of the world’s highest rates of homicide and sexual violence. In addition, almost 11,000 people were registered missing during the last decade - more than the number of people who disappeared during the 1979-1992 civil war.
Authorities are largely ineffective in protecting the population from this violence, which is often perpetrated by street gangs which have 60,000 or so members across the country.
Extrajudicial executions, sexual assaults, enforced disappearances and torture have also been perpetrated by state security forces with almost total impunity.
Amid widespread terror and impunity, the number of Salvadorans fleeing has soared, with asylum applicants in the US increasing by almost 1,000% in five years to 60,000 in 2017, according to UN figures.
The dire security situation is well documented, but despite this, the US continues to deport Salvadorans to face abuse and even death, according to HRW.
For instance, 17-year-old Javier escaped gang recruitment in 2010 and sought asylum in the US where his mother Jennifer had already fled. His asylum application was rejected, and Javier was deported in early 2017, aged 23. Four months later he was killed by members of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 gang.
Inmates, members of the MS-13 gang, wait in their cell to be transferred from the Chalatenango penitentiary, in Chalatenango, El Salvador, on 27 December 2019. Photograph: José Cabezas/Reuters
“The United States has to have known this was happening because the cases were publicly reported and more importantly because Salvadorans make it clear in asylum applications that this is their reality. But this reality is ignored or not believed by US authorities,” said Elizabeth Kennedy, co-author of the report.
International law prohibits the US from returning anyone to a country where they face serious risks to their lives or safety.
About three-quarters of the 1.2 million Salvadorans living in the US without citizenship lack papers or hold a temporary legal status making them vulnerable to deportation. Between 2014 and 2018, the US deported 111,000 Salvadorans, and granted asylum to just 18.2% of applicants – the lowest rate in the region.
Deportations – and violence against deportees – is not a new phenomenon. But the approval of asylum claims plummeted since the Trump administration rolled out a series of hostile policies including Remain in Mexico – officially known as Migration Protection Protocols – and imposed tight restrictions on gender-based and gang-related grounds for asylum.
“The attack on asylum is unique in the Trump administration, which has put even more Salvadorans – and others – at risk of deportation, and made it much less likely that they are able to even present their case to get effective protection,” said Kennedy.
HRW researchers tracked and verified hundreds of press reports, and conducted 150 interviews with deportees, surviving family members, government and security officials, and US immigration attorneys.
The actual number of killings and attacks is probably significantly higher than reported as most crimes in El Salvador go unreported, state violence are covered up, and it’s too dangerous for journalists to enter some neighbourhoods.
Alison Parker, managing director of HRW’s US programme and co-author of the report, said: “Salvadorans are facing murder, rape and other violence after deportation in shockingly high numbers, while the US government narrows Salvadorans’ access to asylum and turns a blind eye to the deadly results of its callous policies.”


theguardian--2020-02-05--Taunts, groans and walkouts: Trump stokes division with cascade of lies

Nancy Pelosi ’ s hands told the story of a nauseating night in Washington .
As Donald Trump took his place at the front of the House chamber for his third and possibly final State of the Union address , the House speaker and most senior Democrat in Congress reached out for a handshake , only to be rebuffed .
Seventy-eight minutes later , Pelosi , as she often tends to , got her revenge by ripping up her copy of the president ’ s speech while still in her position on the dais .
You could cut the atmosphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mastermind of Trump ’ s impeachment in this very chamber just weeks ago , staining his record in future school textbooks for all time .
But somehow , with seven of the Democrats who had pressed the impeachment case against him as impeachment managers glaring up at him from a prominent position , the president , like Bill Clinton before him , managed to resist using the “ i ” word throughout his speech .
That , at least , was a departure from his gloves-off campaign rallies .
Yet Trump being forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse .
The tension , grievance and resentment seething below the surface was almost palpable .
The president ’ s tissue of lies and partisan swipes left Democrats heckling , throwing up their hands or walking out of the chamber in despair .
The Democratic side contained a sea of women wearing white suit jackets in honour of the suffragist movement .
The Republican side was a sea of dark suits and white faces .
It has been like this since Trump first addressed a joint session of Congress in 2017 .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopelessly polarised than the one before .
Tuesday felt worse than ever .
Poison was in the air .
After all , Democrats had just deployed the ultimate constitutional weapon , impeachment .
But in less than 24 hours , Trump is set to be acquitted by the Senate after a “ trial ” with no witnesses .
Both sides have come to believe that defeat in the 2020 election will be an existential catastrophe .
The president , meanwhile , has come to believe he is indestructible .
Critics said moving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster but he believes he got away with it .
They said killing Qassem Suleimani , the commander of Iran ’ s Quds Force , would end in disaster but he believes he got away with it – and he turned it into a State of the Union applause line .
Above all , he pressured Ukraine to investigate a political rival if it wanted US military aid and , in less than 24 hours , is about to get away with that too when the Senate acquits him .
A former White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I swear to God , this guy is the luckiest SOB that ’ s ever lived.
” Now , more than ever , Trump can throw caution to the winds and act with impunity , fearless of retribution .
This is always the busiest night of the year for the nation ’ s factcheckers , but Trump delivered a State of the Union address overflowing with untruths , for example promising to protect patients with pre-existing conditions at the very moment his administration is in court trying to take those protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunt that even the Trump of three years ago might have hesitated over .
Right there , in front of the hallowed chamber packed with senators , representatives , supreme court justices and guests including Nigel Farage , he announced the presidential medal of freedom – America ’ s highest civilian honour – for talkshow host Rush Limbaugh .
Limbaugh , who revealed this week that he is suffering from advanced lung cancer , is notorious for countless sexist , racist and homophobic comments .
His song “ Barack the Magic Negro ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whites feel good ” and that Obama is “ black , but not authentically ” .
Limbaugh once described a woman who wanted her university to alter its health insurance to cover contraception as a “ slut ” and “ prostitute ” .
Yet Trump , a regular on Limbaugh ’ s show , declared : “ Rush , in recognition of all that you have done for our nation , the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire , and all of the incredible work that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country ’ s highest civilian honor.
” When the president asked his wife , Melania , to hang the medal around Limbaugh ’ s neck there and then , Democrats audibly gasped and groaned in disbelief .
Katie Hill , a former congresswoman who had returned to the chamber , tweeted : “ Oh FFS Rush Limbaugh getting the Medal of Honor is a low I sure wasn ’ t expecting.
” Not for the first time , they remained riveted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rose , cheered laddishly and applauded long and hard .
“ Thank you , Rush !
” shouted one man .
Here it was , impeachment revenge : not so much about honouring Limbaugh as goading liberals .
Trump is the master of finding a wedge issue and hammering it like a tent peg .
Donald Trump Jr , the president ’ s eldest son , recently published a book titled Triggered .
It ’ s all about “ owning the libs ” .
No tweet caught it better than Republican strategist Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Democrats to have to watch Rush Limbaugh receive the medal of honor is the greatest own the libs moment in American history and I loved every second of it.
” But perhaps the hero of the night was Fred Guttenberg , who lost his 14-year-old daughter in the Parkland , Florida , school shooting .
Forced to listen as Trump promised to defend gun rights and offered nothing to curtail future massacres , Guttenberg yelled out from the public gallery and was forcibly removed by a plainclothes police officer .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a sobering reminder of all that is at stake in November ’ s election .

Nancy Pelosi’s hands told the story of a nauseating night in Washington.
As Donald Trump took his place at the front of the House chamber for his third and possibly final State of the Union address, the House speaker and most senior Democrat in Congress reached out for a handshake, only to be rebuffed.
Seventy-eight minutes later, Pelosi, as she often tends to, got her revenge by ripping up her copy of the president’s speech while still in her position on the dais.
You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Pelosi was the mastermind of Trump’s impeachment in this very chamber just weeks ago, staining his record in future school textbooks for all time.
But somehow, with seven of the Democrats who had pressed the impeachment case against him as impeachment managers glaring up at him from a prominent position, the president, like Bill Clinton before him, managed to resist using the “i” word throughout his speech. That, at least, was a departure from his gloves-off campaign rallies.
Yet Trump being forced to suppress his id was somehow even worse. The tension, grievance and resentment seething below the surface was almost palpable. The president’s tissue of lies and partisan swipes left Democrats heckling, throwing up their hands or walking out of the chamber in despair.
The Democratic side contained a sea of women wearing white suit jackets in honour of the suffragist movement. The Republican side was a sea of dark suits and white faces. It has been like this since Trump first addressed a joint session of Congress in 2017. But each year feels progressively worse and more hopelessly polarised than the one before.
Tuesday felt worse than ever. Poison was in the air.
02:23 Donald Trump's State of the Union address 2020 – video highlights
After all, Democrats had just deployed the ultimate constitutional weapon, impeachment. But in less than 24 hours, Trump is set to be acquitted by the Senate after a “trial” with no witnesses. Both sides have come to believe that defeat in the 2020 election will be an existential catastrophe. The president, meanwhile, has come to believe he is indestructible.
Critics said moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would end in disaster but he believes he got away with it. They said killing Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, would end in disaster but he believes he got away with it – and he turned it into a State of the Union applause line.
Above all, he pressured Ukraine to investigate a political rival if it wanted US military aid and, in less than 24 hours, is about to get away with that too when the Senate acquits him. A former White House official told the Axios website recently: “I swear to God, this guy is the luckiest SOB that’s ever lived.”
Now, more than ever, Trump can throw caution to the winds and act with impunity, fearless of retribution.
This is always the busiest night of the year for the nation’s factcheckers, but Trump delivered a State of the Union address overflowing with untruths, for example promising to protect patients with pre-existing conditions at the very moment his administration is in court trying to take those protections away,
He also pulled off a stunt that even the Trump of three years ago might have hesitated over. Right there, in front of the hallowed chamber packed with senators, representatives, supreme court justices and guests including Nigel Farage, he announced the presidential medal of freedom – America’s highest civilian honour – for talkshow host Rush Limbaugh.
Limbaugh, who revealed this week that he is suffering from advanced lung cancer, is notorious for countless sexist, racist and homophobic comments. His song “Barack the Magic Negro” claimed that President Obama “makes guilty whites feel good” and that Obama is “black, but not authentically”. Limbaugh once described a woman who wanted her university to alter its health insurance to cover contraception as a “slut” and “prostitute”.
Yet Trump, a regular on Limbaugh’s show, declared: “Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor.”
When the president asked his wife, Melania, to hang the medal around Limbaugh’s neck there and then, Democrats audibly gasped and groaned in disbelief. Katie Hill, a former congresswoman who had returned to the chamber, tweeted: “Oh FFS Rush Limbaugh getting the Medal of Honor is a low I sure wasn’t expecting.”
Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland school shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, is ejected after shouting during Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
Not for the first time, they remained riveted to their seats, stony-faced, as Republicans rose, cheered laddishly and applauded long and hard. “Thank you, Rush!” shouted one man. Here it was, impeachment revenge: not so much about honouring Limbaugh as goading liberals. Trump is the master of finding a wedge issue and hammering it like a tent peg.
Donald Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, recently published a book titled Triggered. It’s all about “owning the libs”. No tweet caught it better than Republican strategist Andrew Surabian: “Forcing a room full of Democrats to have to watch Rush Limbaugh receive the medal of honor is the greatest own the libs moment in American history and I loved every second of it.”
But perhaps the hero of the night was Fred Guttenberg, who lost his 14-year-old daughter in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. Forced to listen as Trump promised to defend gun rights and offered nothing to curtail future massacres, Guttenberg yelled out from the public gallery and was forcibly removed by a plainclothes police officer.
As the presidential cascade of lies continued, it was a sobering reminder of all that is at stake in November’s election.


theguardian--2020-02-05--‘Freedom unifies the soul’: Trump's State of the Union speechwriters have thrown in the towel

There ’ s only one political body that is more incompetent than the Iowa Democratic party .
That body was delivering what could be its last State of the Union speech on Tuesday .
For the fourth year , Donald Trump pretended to address Congress like his presidential predecessors , with some kind of legislative agenda worthy of the chief executive of the most powerful country on the planet .
But our reality-TV president has shown a stubborn resistance to playing anything like the normal role of a commander-in-chief .
This time last year , he threatened war if Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , crimes and impeachable abuses .
“ If there is going to be peace and legislation , there can not be war and investigation , ” he said in a nonsense rhyme that sounded like the vaguely ominous threats of a childish bully armed with nuclear weapons .
“ It just doesn ’ t work that way !
” Strangely enough , the investigations continued all the way to impeachment , and the Democrats still voted for his new North American free trade legislation .
So his assessment of politics was as perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump is supposed to be a straight shooter but his State of the Union speeches are as unruly as his tweets .
Two years ago he said his administration was working on “ a bipartisan approach to immigration reform ” .
The next year he said that “ countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens ” .
This time around , he insisted he was “ building the world ’ s most prosperous and inclusive society ” .
That was shortly before he recounted “ a gruesome spree of deadly violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famously said , it just doesn ’ t work that way .
In case you were wondering how Trump was going to demagogue his way through the next eight months of an election , you can now rest easy .
He has identified the enemy , and it is something called “ free government healthcare for illegal aliens ” .
Like some Frankenstein amalgam of spare body parts , Trump is fabricating an entirely new Republican party by sewing together its most nightmarish fears .
It ’ s only a matter of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atheists .
Sitting behind Trump was his chief tormentor .
Nancy Pelosi , the House speaker , was dressed in white , along with several dozen Democrats marking the centenary of women ’ s voting rights in the United States .
Trump showed his respect for the institution of Congress by refusing to shake Pelosi ’ s outstretched hand before he launched into his annual exercise in teleprompter reading .
For most of Trump ’ s speech , Pelosi adopted the posture of a schoolteacher reviewing the grade paper of one of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Trump after welcoming Venezuela ’ s opposition leader , Juan Guaido .
“ But always remember , freedom unifies the soul.
” Pelosi shook her head as she mouthed the words to herself over again .
Freedom unifies the soul .
Can a soul be divided and shattered like a horcrux ?
How does freedom put a soul back together ?
And most importantly , did this speech get reviewed before it passed the president ’ s lips ?
Trump ’ s ideas about freedom are as strange as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grand flourish , he awarded the nation ’ s highest civilian honor , the presidential medal of freedom , to the spectacularly racist hate-monger known as Rush Limbaugh .
Trump said he was giving him the medal “ in recognition of all that you have done for our nation [ and ] the millions of people a day that you speak to and inspire ” .
The fact that Limbaugh is now stricken with cancer does not erase a career of spewing the opposite of an inclusive society , especially through the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spare some thoughts and prayers for the people with the worst job in the White House ’ s west wing .
Working as a speechwriter for Donald Trump is as thankless a job as trying to style his hair : there ’ s not a lot to work with .
You start out with the doorstopper volumes of great presidential speeches , and you end up writing a line that sounds like you ’ re driving a bulldozer .
“ We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ and we are never ever going back !
” This is the kind of rhetorical flourish a speechwriter crafts when the facts fail them .
Trump constructed his big speech around some economic statistics his team had cherrypicked about the active workforce .
Somehow he failed to say that economic growth has slowed to 2.1 % for the last two quarters .
When economic growth under Obama was around this level , back in 2012 , Trump himself thought this was less than great .
“ The economy is in deep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet for all occasions .
The sick joke of the Trump presidency is that it ’ s becoming increasingly hard to tell the difference between funny strange and funny haha .
After bragging about getting his NATO allies “ to help pay their fair share ” , Trump pointed to his greatest military innovation .
“ Just weeks ago , for the first time since President Truman established the Air Force more than 70 years earlier , ” he declared , “ we created a new branch of the United States Armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point the cameras turned to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , General Mark Milley , who looked like he could barely stifle his giggles .
It has long been unclear how much of this president ’ s entourage is engaged in a daily stifled giggle .
On the eve of his impeachment acquittal , so many of the jurors listening to Trump ’ s state of the union treat him like a man-child whose conduct can not be judged by normal adult standards .
“ I believe that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Senator Susan Collins of Maine told CBS News .
“ The president has been impeached .
That ’ s a pretty big lesson.
” Yes , that ’ ll teach him .
Now he knows he can ignore congressional budgets , use military aid for his own personal gain , and coerce a foreign government to interfere with an American election .
This is a special place , Trump ’ s America .
It ’ s the kind of country where senators can openly surrender their principles and power out of fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the kind of country where half of Congress can cheer race-baiting radio stars and a president who demonizes immigrants .
And it ’ s the kind of country where a president ’ s speechwriters can just give up on the whole speechwriting thing to list a bunch of randomly famous American names to wind up one final Trumpian state of the union .
“ This is the home of Abraham Lincoln , Frederick Douglass , Amelia Earhart , Harriet Tubman , the Wright Brothers , Neil Armstrong , and so many more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff threw in the towel .
“ This is the country where children learn names like Wyatt Earp , Davy Crockett , and Annie Oakley.
” One day they will learn the name of Donald Trump too .
He ’ s the guy who put kids in cages , watched TV all day , and made a Space Force .
He got caught lying and cheating but there were no referees , so he never stopped .

There’s only one political body that is more incompetent than the Iowa Democratic party. That body was delivering what could be its last State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
For the fourth year, Donald Trump pretended to address Congress like his presidential predecessors, with some kind of legislative agenda worthy of the chief executive of the most powerful country on the planet.
But our reality-TV president has shown a stubborn resistance to playing anything like the normal role of a commander-in-chief. This time last year, he threatened war if Congress continued to investigate his many varied scandals, crimes and impeachable abuses.
“If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation,” he said in a nonsense rhyme that sounded like the vaguely ominous threats of a childish bully armed with nuclear weapons. “It just doesn’t work that way!”
Strangely enough, the investigations continued all the way to impeachment, and the Democrats still voted for his new North American free trade legislation. So his assessment of politics was as perfect as his call with the Ukraine president.
Trump is supposed to be a straight shooter but his State of the Union speeches are as unruly as his tweets. Two years ago he said his administration was working on “a bipartisan approach to immigration reform”. The next year he said that “countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens”.
This time around, he insisted he was “building the world’s most prosperous and inclusive society”. That was shortly before he recounted “a gruesome spree of deadly violence” by one immigrant.
As someone famously said, it just doesn’t work that way.
In case you were wondering how Trump was going to demagogue his way through the next eight months of an election, you can now rest easy. He has identified the enemy, and it is something called “free government healthcare for illegal aliens”.
Like some Frankenstein amalgam of spare body parts, Trump is fabricating an entirely new Republican party by sewing together its most nightmarish fears. It’s only a matter of time before he declares a war on Islamist atheists.
Sitting behind Trump was his chief tormentor. Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, was dressed in white, along with several dozen Democrats marking the centenary of women’s voting rights in the United States.
Trump showed his respect for the institution of Congress by refusing to shake Pelosi’s outstretched hand before he launched into his annual exercise in teleprompter reading. For most of Trump’s speech, Pelosi adopted the posture of a schoolteacher reviewing the grade paper of one of her worst students.
“Socialism destroys nations,” said Trump after welcoming Venezuela’s opposition leader, Juan Guaido. “But always remember, freedom unifies the soul.”
Pelosi shook her head as she mouthed the words to herself over again. Freedom unifies the soul. Can a soul be divided and shattered like a horcrux? How does freedom put a soul back together? And most importantly, did this speech get reviewed before it passed the president’s lips?
Trump's ideas about freedom are as strange as his devotion to Vladimir Putin
Trump’s ideas about freedom are as strange as his devotion to Vladimir Putin. With a grand flourish, he awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the presidential medal of freedom, to the spectacularly racist hate-monger known as Rush Limbaugh. Trump said he was giving him the medal “in recognition of all that you have done for our nation [and] the millions of people a day that you speak to and inspire”. The fact that Limbaugh is now stricken with cancer does not erase a career of spewing the opposite of an inclusive society, especially through the Obama years.
At this point we should spare some thoughts and prayers for the people with the worst job in the White House’s west wing. Working as a speechwriter for Donald Trump is as thankless a job as trying to style his hair: there’s not a lot to work with.
You start out with the doorstopper volumes of great presidential speeches, and you end up writing a line that sounds like you’re driving a bulldozer. “We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago,” said Demolition Donald, “and we are never ever going back!”
This is the kind of rhetorical flourish a speechwriter crafts when the facts fail them. Trump constructed his big speech around some economic statistics his team had cherrypicked about the active workforce.
Somehow he failed to say that economic growth has slowed to 2.1% for the last two quarters. When economic growth under Obama was around this level, back in 2012, Trump himself thought this was less than great. “The economy is in deep trouble,” said the man with a tweet for all occasions.
The sick joke of the Trump presidency is that it’s becoming increasingly hard to tell the difference between funny strange and funny haha. After bragging about getting his NATO allies “to help pay their fair share”, Trump pointed to his greatest military innovation.
“Just weeks ago, for the first time since President Truman established the Air Force more than 70 years earlier,” he declared, “we created a new branch of the United States Armed Forces, the Space Force.”
At this point the cameras turned to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, who looked like he could barely stifle his giggles.
It has long been unclear how much of this president’s entourage is engaged in a daily stifled giggle.
On the eve of his impeachment acquittal, so many of the jurors listening to Trump’s state of the union treat him like a man-child whose conduct cannot be judged by normal adult standards. “I believe that the president has learned from this case,” Senator Susan Collins of Maine told CBS News. “The president has been impeached. That’s a pretty big lesson.”
Yes, that’ll teach him. Now he knows he can ignore congressional budgets, use military aid for his own personal gain, and coerce a foreign government to interfere with an American election.
This is a special place, Trump’s America. It’s the kind of country where senators can openly surrender their principles and power out of fear for their own reelection. It’s the kind of country where half of Congress can cheer race-baiting radio stars and a president who demonizes immigrants.
And it’s the kind of country where a president’s speechwriters can just give up on the whole speechwriting thing to list a bunch of randomly famous American names to wind up one final Trumpian state of the union.
“This is the home of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, and so many more,” Trump said as his speechwriting staff threw in the towel. “This is the country where children learn names like Wyatt Earp, Davy Crockett, and Annie Oakley.”
One day they will learn the name of Donald Trump too. He’s the guy who put kids in cages, watched TV all day, and made a Space Force. He got caught lying and cheating but there were no referees, so he never stopped.


theguardian--2020-02-05--Donald Trump's State of the Union address 2020 – video highlights

Donald Trump has delivered his third State of the Union address , bragging about the ‘ great American comeback ’ @ @ @ @ @ 81-minute re-election rally .
It prompted Nancy Pelosi , the most powerful woman in Congress @ @ @ @ @ copy of the speech on national television

Donald Trump has delivered his third State of the Union address, bragging about the ‘great American comeback’ in a speech resembling an 81-minute re-election rally. It prompted Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful woman in Congress, to rip up her copy of the speech on national television


theguardian--2020-02-05--Nancy Pelosi rips up State of the Union speech after Donald Trump snubs handshake  – video

Donald Trump appeared to snub Nancy Pelosi 's request for a handshake during the start of his State of the @ @ @ @ @ speech 's conclusion , Pelosi was seen tearing up her copy of the speech , @ @ @ @ @ courteous thing to do' • Pelosi responds to divisive State of the Union by ripping @ @ @ @ @ Trump snubs Pelosi handshake before delivering State of the Union – live

Donald Trump appeared to snub Nancy Pelosi's request for a handshake during the start of his State of the Union address. At the speech's conclusion, Pelosi was seen tearing up her copy of the speech, later saying 'it was the courteous thing to do'


theguardian--2020-02-05--Sanders on Buttigieg: 'I don't know how anyone claims victory without results' - video

Bernie Sanders has questioned the move by Democratic rival Pete Buttigeig to declare victory in the Iowa caucus .
The @ @ @ @ @ a technical error that has led to a delay in releasing the results • Pete @ @ @ @ @ Iowa caucuses after chaos over results

Bernie Sanders has questioned the move by Democratic rival Pete Buttigeig to declare victory in the Iowa caucus. The voting has been marred by a technical error that has led to a delay in releasing the results


theguardian--2020-02-05--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' – live

House Republicans have introduced legislation to register disapproval of Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she ripped up a copy of Donald @ @ @ @ @ the Union speech .
“ Whereas , the conduct of Speaker Pelosi was a breach @ @ @ @ @ proceedings of the joint session to the discredit of the House , ” the resolution @ @ @ @ @ That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of Speaker Pelosi during the joint @ @ @ @ @ February 4 , 2020.
” The resolution , introduced by Texas Representative Kay Granger is @ @ @ @ @ Representatives are expected to vote to table it tomorrow .

Joan E Greve in Washington (now) and Amanda Holpuch and Paul Owen (earlier)


theguardian--2020-02-05--The great escape: how Donald Trump survived impeachment

Will historians find Donald Trump ’ s impeachment remarkable because Republican politicians turned a blind eye to such egregious wrongdoing and acquitted him ?
Or will they find it remarkable because it was the last time a cadre of Republican officials publicly turned against Trump ?
While most of the career civil servants who defied the president by testifying in the impeachment inquiry do not publicly identify as Republican , many were Trump appointees with strong Republican ties , while other key figures such as former national security adviser John Bolton are wizened party warriors .
In the end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , voted against Trump , making the question of his ultimate survival of impeachment not even close .
So , while Trump will forever be an impeached president , his acquittal should count as a major political win .
Here ’ s how it went down : The base stuck with him In a string of speeches this week , Republican senators have explained their votes to acquit Trump by impugning the strength of the Democratic case , repeating quibbles with the process in the House of Representatives , and expressing offense at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats said or did .
But did Trump really avoid removal because the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , passed out pens after the articles of impeachment were signed , or because the lead impeachment manager , Adam Schiff , made reference to a news story about senators ’ heads on pikes ?
A more likely explanation for Trump ’ s survival was the unchanging opposition of the Republican base to removal .
The proportion of Republicans favoring removal fluctuated between 8 % and 10 % , while support for removal among Independents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to FiveThirtyEight .
That wasn ’ t enough pressure to get lawmakers ’ attention .
Where the base goes , the elected politicians shall follow , and in this case the base went nowhere .
And so elected Republicans went nowhere , with the exception of Romney , supporting Trump from ( Senator Lamar ) Alexander to ( Representative Lee ) Zeldin .
The Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , Lindsey Graham and others said before the trial that they would not be impartial jurors , despite a sworn oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began .
Against such loyalty to Trump , what piece of evidence or argument could be expected to make a dent ?
In some cases , the extent of Republicans ’ defense of Trump seemed to exceed what was strictly necessary to protect the president from removal .
Instead of questioning witnesses , Republicans in the House wove conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden .
Instead of calling witnesses , Republicans in the Senate discoursed at length on the sheer impossibility of knowing what Trump was thinking when he withheld aid to Ukraine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2014 midterm elections halfway through Barack Obama ’ s second term rose a new Senate majority leader , McConnell , who cruised in with a 10-seat majority on sub-basement turnout .
In the two US Senate election years since then , Democratic candidates have attracted a whopping 29 million more votes than Republican candidates – but the Republican majority has shrunk by only a couple of seats .
That ’ s because each state gets two senators no matter how few people live there .
In short , the US Senate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a whole favored the introduction of witnesses and documents at the trial , a step blocked by Republicans .
No thanks to Schiff Whatever factors Trump can point to that aided his survival in office , not on the list is the performance of the House impeachment managers , led by the intelligence committee chair Schiff .
As soon as Democrats realized the White House was trying to prevent a whistleblower complaint from reaching Congress , Schiff opened the investigation that Pelosi deemed a formal impeachment inquiry on 24 September .
Over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against a blanket gag imposed by Trump to gather evidence and bring the details of the case to the public .
After Trump ordered his administration to refuse to comply with subpoenas , Republicans faulted Democrats for failing to gather evidence .
After lawyers for Bolton threatened the House with a lawsuit if he were subpoenaed , Republicans faulted Democrats for not issuing the subpoena .
Against each obstacle , the managers and staff worked forward , conducting depositions , holding public hearings , issuing public reports and finally prosecuting the case in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schiff in particular anthologized the facts against Trump to weave damning accounts of the president ’ s conduct .
However , Trump will claim victory at having escaped removal , the case against him is in the can .

Will historians find Donald Trump’s impeachment remarkable because Republican politicians turned a blind eye to such egregious wrongdoing and acquitted him? Or will they find it remarkable because it was the last time a cadre of Republican officials publicly turned against Trump?
While most of the career civil servants who defied the president by testifying in the impeachment inquiry do not publicly identify as Republican, many were Trump appointees with strong Republican ties, while other key figures such as former national security adviser John Bolton are wizened party warriors.
In the end, only one elected Republican, Mitt Romney, voted against Trump, making the question of his ultimate survival of impeachment not even close. So, while Trump will forever be an impeached president, his acquittal should count as a major political win. Here’s how it went down:
The base stuck with him
In a string of speeches this week, Republican senators have explained their votes to acquit Trump by impugning the strength of the Democratic case, repeating quibbles with the process in the House of Representatives, and expressing offense at various things the impeachment managers or top Democrats said or did.
But did Trump really avoid removal because the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, passed out pens after the articles of impeachment were signed, or because the lead impeachment manager, Adam Schiff, made reference to a news story about senators’ heads on pikes?
A more likely explanation for Trump’s survival was the unchanging opposition of the Republican base to removal. The proportion of Republicans favoring removal fluctuated between 8% and 10%, while support for removal among Independents was likewise stationary at around 42%, according to FiveThirtyEight. That wasn’t enough pressure to get lawmakers’ attention.
Elected Republicans stayed in line
Where the base goes, the elected politicians shall follow, and in this case the base went nowhere. And so elected Republicans went nowhere, with the exception of Romney, supporting Trump from (Senator Lamar) Alexander to (Representative Lee) Zeldin.
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and others said before the trial that they would not be impartial jurors, despite a sworn oath of impartiality they took as the trial began. Against such loyalty to Trump, what piece of evidence or argument could be expected to make a dent?
In some cases, the extent of Republicans’ defense of Trump seemed to exceed what was strictly necessary to protect the president from removal. Instead of questioning witnesses, Republicans in the House wove conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden. Instead of calling witnesses, Republicans in the Senate discoursed at length on the sheer impossibility of knowing what Trump was thinking when he withheld aid to Ukraine.
The Senate is broken
From the dust of Democratic losses in the 2014 midterm elections halfway through Barack Obama’s second term rose a new Senate majority leader, McConnell, who cruised in with a 10-seat majority on sub-basement turnout.
In the two US Senate election years since then, Democratic candidates have attracted a whopping 29 million more votes than Republican candidates – but the Republican majority has shrunk by only a couple of seats. That’s because each state gets two senators no matter how few people live there.
In short, the US Senate is not representative of the country, which as a whole favored the introduction of witnesses and documents at the trial, a step blocked by Republicans.
Mind-blowing stat: 48 Senators who voted to convict Trump represent 18 million more Americans than 52 Republicans who voted to acquit — Ari Berman (@AriBerman) February 5, 2020
No thanks to Schiff
Whatever factors Trump can point to that aided his survival in office, not on the list is the performance of the House impeachment managers, led by the intelligence committee chair Schiff.
As soon as Democrats realized the White House was trying to prevent a whistleblower complaint from reaching Congress, Schiff opened the investigation that Pelosi deemed a formal impeachment inquiry on 24 September. Over the next four-plus months, Democrats fought against a blanket gag imposed by Trump to gather evidence and bring the details of the case to the public.
After Trump ordered his administration to refuse to comply with subpoenas, Republicans faulted Democrats for failing to gather evidence. After lawyers for Bolton threatened the House with a lawsuit if he were subpoenaed, Republicans faulted Democrats for not issuing the subpoena.
Against each obstacle, the managers and staff worked forward, conducting depositions, holding public hearings, issuing public reports and finally prosecuting the case in the Senate well. At trial, Schiff in particular anthologized the facts against Trump to weave damning accounts of the president’s conduct.
However, Trump will claim victory at having escaped removal, the case against him is in the can.


theguardian--2020-02-05--Trump's acquittal in impeachment 'trial' is a glimpse of America's imploding empire

Donald Trump ’ s short but indelible political career has been based around the principle of divide-and-fool .
His acquittal in the impeachment trial by the US Senate will further fan the flames of the most profound national split since the Vietnam war , perhaps even the civil war .
First , expect Trump to be cocky and take a victory lap , falsely claiming “ exoneration ” just as he did after special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation left him bruised but unbowed .
A day after Mueller ’ s leaden testimony to Congress , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he made his bullying phone call to the leader of Ukraine .
Now , we must ask , who will he call a day after being cleared by the Senate ?
Admirers of the US president will take heart that a man many imbue with folk-hero status , who gives them long yearned-for “ payback ” against a perceived cultural , economic and social elite , has survived yet again .
They share his view that he was the victim of “ a coup ” and embrace his sense of grievance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardian at his recent campaign rally in Des Moines , Iowa , put it down to the latest machinations of corrupt politicians in Washington .
On the other side , feelings run equally high .
Democrats and other critics of the president argue , correctly , that in strong-arming Ukraine to investigate a political rival , Trump abused his office for personal political gain and has been allowed to get away with it through a miscarriage of justice .
He is , they have said , a president who would be king , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very fabric of democracy in America – and around the world .
Adam Schiff , the House impeachment manager who led the case against Trump in the Senate , spoke last week of a descent into “ constitutional madness ” as spineless Republican senators huddle behind Richard Nixon ’ s notorious defence of his conduct in the Watergate scandal : “ When the president does it , that means that it is not illegal.
” Schiff told the chamber : “ Watergate is now 40 , 50 years behind us .
Have we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Have we learned nothing at all ?
We are right back to where we were a half-century ago , and we may even be in a worse place because this time that argument may succeed .
“ That is the normalisation of lawlessness.
” Comparisons to Watergate are illustrative .
The House of Representatives voted 410-to-4 to authorise a formal impeachment inquiry against Richard Nixon in 1974 , whereas no House Republicans voted for the Trump impeachment inquiry or for his actual impeachment ( Nixon resigned before the sanction could be applied ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noted recently : “ The key reason why Nixon resigned was that his polls were at 23 % .
And there was a famous walk from the Capitol to the White House , where three Republican congressional leaders walked to the White House and said to Mr Nixon , ‘ You ’ re hurting the political party .
You ’ re hurting the Republicans .
You have to go.
’ “ In fact , when Nixon resigned , he said : “ It ’ s clear that I ’ ve lost my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for anything that he was investigated on.
” Trump ’ s approval rating , by contrast , now stands at 49 % in the latest Gallup poll – the highest since he took office and better than Bill Clinton or Barack Obama at this stage in their re-election years .
Somehow he is becoming stronger rather than weaker .
A Washington Post column noted five key differences between Nixon and Trump : the current president has a stronger economy , a more loyal Senate , does not face the kind of “ smoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a White House willing to stonewall on his behalf and , perhaps most importantly , Rupert Murdoch ’ s Fox News is on his side .
Fox ’ s chief pro-Trump tribune , Sean Hannity , has been savaging the trial nightly .
The articles of impeachment “ are an affront to our entire constitutional system ” , he raged .
“ No Republican senator – listen , voters out there , you elect these people – should give this one iota of legitimacy.
” Supposedly a 24-hour news network , Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proceedings : it did not broadcast Schiff ’ s closing argument .
Meanwhile , over on the MSNBC network , there is constant analysis of how a dangerous demagogue poses an existential threat to the constitution .
A report by the Pew Research Center found that among Democrats and those sympathetic to the party , 67 % trust CNN , 61 % trust NBC and 60 % trust ABC , whereas 65 % of Republicans and those leaning toward it trust Fox News .
“ It would be hard to overstate its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political news for Republicans , ” Pew said .
And it warned : “ As the US enters a heated 2020 presidential election year … Republicans and Democrats place their trust in two nearly inverse news media environments.
” Indeed , social media exacerbating the trends , this is going to get worse before it gets better .
Polarisation is both symptom and cause , the condition that made Trump ’ s ascent possible , but which he then exploits and entrenches in an endless and increasingly unbreakable cycle .
Chris Murphy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brilliant summary .
“ This trial in so many ways crystallised the completely diametrically opposed threats that Democrats and Republicans see to the country , ” he told the New York Times .
“ We perceive Donald Trump and his corruption to be an existential threat to the country .
They perceive the deep state and the liberal media to be an existential threat to the country .
“ That dichotomy , that contrast , has been growing over the last three years , but this trial really crystallised that difference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamentally different languages when it came to what this trial was about .
They thought it was about the deep state and the media conspiracy .
We thought it was about the president ’ s crimes.
” Each side therefore regards November ’ s election as a struggle between right and wrong with the prospect of defeat a cause for panic .
Trump ’ s acquittal will become the latest tool in his kit for polarising the country and firing up his base , joining race , abortion rights , the climate crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against “ socialism ” and a host of other wedge issues .
That instinct was on full display in Tuesday ’ s State of the Union Address , where the emboldened president goaded his opponents with flourishes worthy of reality TV as Republicans chanted “ Four more years !
” As the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , theatrically tore up Trump ’ s speech , it was a reminder that Democrats will fight fire with fire and have a base of their own to energise .
Even supposed moderate candidates such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg are significantly to the left of Barack Obama on issues such as climate and immigration .
These are dark days for technocratic centrism and the “ third way ” .
If the presidential election were decided by simple popular vote totals , it would be all over , bar the shouting .
Indeed , Trump would have been beaten soundly by Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
But the quirks of the electoral college mean that many observers have a gut feeling he can pull it off again in key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are some who worry that he will simply refuse to accept the result , returning to old lies he propagated in 2016 about illegal voting .
Will Republicans dare to slap down this modern Caesar and remind him of the rule of law ?
In this hyperpartisan era , it no longer seems a safe bet .
A constitutional crisis over the election result would make even the impeachment trial look like child ’ s play .
Historian Niall Ferguson wrote the book Colossus : The Rise and Fall of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empire , economically and militarily powerful and newly strong rich in oil and gas , is far from fallen .
But to future historians , the impeachment “ trial ” offers a glimpse of what an imploding empire might look like .

Donald Trump’s short but indelible political career has been based around the principle of divide-and-fool. His acquittal in the impeachment trial by the US Senate will further fan the flames of the most profound national split since the Vietnam war, perhaps even the civil war.
First, expect Trump to be cocky and take a victory lap, falsely claiming “exoneration” just as he did after special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation left him bruised but unbowed. A day after Mueller’s leaden testimony to Congress, the president felt able to act with such impunity that he made his bullying phone call to the leader of Ukraine.
Now, we must ask, who will he call a day after being cleared by the Senate?
Admirers of the US president will take heart that a man many imbue with folk-hero status, who gives them long yearned-for “payback” against a perceived cultural, economic and social elite, has survived yet again. They share his view that he was the victim of “a coup” and embrace his sense of grievance and resentment. Trump supporters interviewed by the Guardian at his recent campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, put it down to the latest machinations of corrupt politicians in Washington.
On the other side, feelings run equally high. Democrats and other critics of the president argue, correctly, that in strong-arming Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Trump abused his office for personal political gain and has been allowed to get away with it through a miscarriage of justice. He is, they have said, a president who would be king, undermining rule of law and threatening the very fabric of democracy in America – and around the world.
Senate acquits Trump on two articles of impeachment – video
Adam Schiff, the House impeachment manager who led the case against Trump in the Senate, spoke last week of a descent into “constitutional madness” as spineless Republican senators huddle behind Richard Nixon’s notorious defence of his conduct in the Watergate scandal: “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.”
Schiff told the chamber: “Watergate is now 40, 50 years behind us. Have we learned nothing in the last half-century? Have we learned nothing at all? We are right back to where we were a half-century ago, and we may even be in a worse place because this time that argument may succeed.
“That is the normalisation of lawlessness.”
Comparisons to Watergate are illustrative. The House of Representatives voted 410-to-4 to authorise a formal impeachment inquiry against Richard Nixon in 1974, whereas no House Republicans voted for the Trump impeachment inquiry or for his actual impeachment (Nixon resigned before the sanction could be applied).
John Zogby, a political pollster, noted recently: “The key reason why Nixon resigned was that his polls were at 23%. And there was a famous walk from the Capitol to the White House, where three Republican congressional leaders walked to the White House and said to Mr Nixon, ‘You’re hurting the political party. You’re hurting the Republicans. You have to go.’
“In fact, when Nixon resigned, he said: “It’s clear that I’ve lost my political base. He did not apologise for anything that he was investigated on.”
Trump’s approval rating, by contrast, now stands at 49% in the latest Gallup poll – the highest since he took office and better than Bill Clinton or Barack Obama at this stage in their re-election years. Somehow he is becoming stronger rather than weaker.
A Washington Post column noted five key differences between Nixon and Trump: the current president has a stronger economy, a more loyal Senate, does not face the kind of “smoking gun” tapes that Nixon did, a White House willing to stonewall on his behalf and, perhaps most importantly, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News is on his side.
Fox’s chief pro-Trump tribune, Sean Hannity, has been savaging the trial nightly. The articles of impeachment “are an affront to our entire constitutional system”, he raged. “No Republican senator – listen, voters out there, you elect these people – should give this one iota of legitimacy.”
Supposedly a 24-hour news network, Fox News has not even shown important chunks of the proceedings: it did not broadcast Schiff’s closing argument. Meanwhile, over on the MSNBC network, there is constant analysis of how a dangerous demagogue poses an existential threat to the constitution.
A report by the Pew Research Center found that among Democrats and those sympathetic to the party, 67% trust CNN, 61% trust NBC and 60% trust ABC, whereas 65% of Republicans and those leaning toward it trust Fox News. “It would be hard to overstate its connection as a trusted go-to source of political news for Republicans,” Pew said.
And it warned: “As the US enters a heated 2020 presidential election year … Republicans and Democrats place their trust in two nearly inverse news media environments.”
Indeed, social media exacerbating the trends, this is going to get worse before it gets better. Polarisation is both symptom and cause, the condition that made Trump’s ascent possible, but which he then exploits and entrenches in an endless and increasingly unbreakable cycle.
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, offered a brilliant summary. “This trial in so many ways crystallised the completely diametrically opposed threats that Democrats and Republicans see to the country,” he told the New York Times. “We perceive Donald Trump and his corruption to be an existential threat to the country. They perceive the deep state and the liberal media to be an existential threat to the country.
“That dichotomy, that contrast, has been growing over the last three years, but this trial really crystallised that difference. We were just speaking different languages, fundamentally different languages when it came to what this trial was about. They thought it was about the deep state and the media conspiracy. We thought it was about the president’s crimes.”
Each side therefore regards November’s election as a struggle between right and wrong with the prospect of defeat a cause for panic. Trump’s acquittal will become the latest tool in his kit for polarising the country and firing up his base, joining race, abortion rights, the climate crisis, supreme court justices, dark warnings against “socialism” and a host of other wedge issues. That instinct was on full display in Tuesday’s State of the Union Address, where the emboldened president goaded his opponents with flourishes worthy of reality TV as Republicans chanted “Four more years!”
As the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, theatrically tore up Trump’s speech, it was a reminder that Democrats will fight fire with fire and have a base of their own to energise. Even supposed moderate candidates such as former vice-president Joe Biden and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg are significantly to the left of Barack Obama on issues such as climate and immigration. These are dark days for technocratic centrism and the “third way”.
If the presidential election were decided by simple popular vote totals, it would be all over, bar the shouting. Indeed, Trump would have been beaten soundly by Hillary Clinton in 2016. But the quirks of the electoral college mean that many observers have a gut feeling he can pull it off again in key midwestern states.
If he does not, there are some who worry that he will simply refuse to accept the result, returning to old lies he propagated in 2016 about illegal voting. Will Republicans dare to slap down this modern Caesar and remind him of the rule of law?
In this hyperpartisan era, it no longer seems a safe bet. A constitutional crisis over the election result would make even the impeachment trial look like child’s play.
Historian Niall Ferguson wrote the book Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire in 2004. The American empire, economically and militarily powerful and newly strong rich in oil and gas, is far from fallen. But to future historians, the impeachment “trial” offers a glimpse of what an imploding empire might look like.


theguardian--2020-02-05--Donald Trump Jr calls for Mitt Romney to be expelled from Republican party

Donald Trump Jr has called for Mitt Romney to be expelled from the Republican party after the senator announced he would vote to convict the president on the first article of impeachment , abuse of power .
In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday , Romney said he would vote to convict Donald Trump on the first article , becoming the first senator in US history to vote to remove a president of his own party in a Senate impeachment trial .
“ The grave question the constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor , ” Romney said in a speech to the Senate floor .
“ Yes , he did.
” However , Romney said he would vote to acquit on the second article , obstruction of Congress .
He acknowledged his vote would not be enough to change Trump ’ s ultimate acquittal on both counts , but he cast his decision as a matter of duty to his office .
“ With my vote I will tell my children and their children that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What the president did was wrong .
Grievously wrong.
” Romney ’ s move was praised by several leading Democrats including the California congressman Adam Schiff , who had led the House team that made the case for Trump ’ s impeachment during the trial .
But Romney ’ s speech reportedly came as a surprise to the White House , which abruptly cancelled a planned press event with Trump and Venezuela ’ s opposition leader .
Trump Jr , the president ’ s eldest son , quickly tweeted , accusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he will never be president after losing the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama , and then calling for him to be expelled from the Republican Senate conference .
Such a move is very unlikely .
At least one of Romney ’ s Republican colleagues pushed back against that idea , saying it was up to voters to decide .
“ To me , I just couldn ’ t vote to remove somebody on that record … but everyone has to make their own decisions , ” Senator Josh Hawley told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Republican National Committee and Romney ’ s niece , said she “ disagreed ” with her uncle ’ s decision but believed the party was “ more united than ever ” behind Trump .
Trump has not yet weighed in on Romney ’ s announcement , but it seems very likely that the president will similarly lash out against the Republican senator , considering the longstanding tension between the two .
Romney spoke out against Trump ’ s election during the 2016 campaign , and as recently as October , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in his 2012 race against Obama .

Donald Trump Jr has called for Mitt Romney to be expelled from the Republican party after the senator announced he would vote to convict the president on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power.
In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Romney said he would vote to convict Donald Trump on the first article, becoming the first senator in US history to vote to remove a president of his own party in a Senate impeachment trial.
“The grave question the constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor,” Romney said in a speech to the Senate floor. “Yes, he did.”
However, Romney said he would vote to acquit on the second article, obstruction of Congress. He acknowledged his vote would not be enough to change Trump’s ultimate acquittal on both counts, but he cast his decision as a matter of duty to his office.
“With my vote I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty,” Romney said. “What the president did was wrong. Grievously wrong.”
Romney’s move was praised by several leading Democrats including the California congressman Adam Schiff, who had led the House team that made the case for Trump’s impeachment during the trial.
Having proven Trump guilty, I asked if there was just one Republican Senator who would say “enough”
Who would stand up against this dangerously immoral president
Who would display moral courage
Who would do impartial justice as their oath required and convict
And there is. https://t.co/xNHi2CP6oF — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 5, 2020
But Romney’s speech reportedly came as a surprise to the White House, which abruptly cancelled a planned press event with Trump and Venezuela’s opposition leader.
Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, quickly tweeted, accusing Romney of being “forever bitter” that he will never be president after losing the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama, and then calling for him to be expelled from the Republican Senate conference. Such a move is very unlikely.
At least one of Romney’s Republican colleagues pushed back against that idea, saying it was up to voters to decide.
“To me, I just couldn’t vote to remove somebody on that record … but everyone has to make their own decisions,” Senator Josh Hawley told the Hill.
“To me, I just couldn’t vote to remove somebody on that record... but everyone has to make their own decisions,” Sen. Hawley says in response to Romney’s vote.
When asked if he should be kicked out of GOP: “oh my gosh, no,” adding that will be for voters to decide. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) February 5, 2020
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee and Romney’s niece, said she “disagreed” with her uncle’s decision but believed the party was “more united than ever” behind Trump.
This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last.
The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him.
I, along with the @GOP, stand with President Trump. — Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) February 5, 2020
Trump has not yet weighed in on Romney’s announcement, but it seems very likely that the president will similarly lash out against the Republican senator, considering the longstanding tension between the two.
Romney spoke out against Trump’s election during the 2016 campaign, and as recently as October, the president mocked Romney for having “choked” in his 2012 race against Obama.