inquisitr--2020-01-24--Pete Buttigieg Skipped South Bend Police Oversight Meetings For Campaign Fundraisers, Says Report

While Mayor of South Bend , Indiana , Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg missed seven of eight meetings that were intended to address police oversight , The Intercept reports .
According to the report , Buttigieg ’ s administration established the meetings via the Board of Public Safety in the wake of the shooting of Eric Logan , a 54-year-old black South Bend resident .
However , Buttigieg reportedly chose instead to prioritize his presidential campaign by traveling the country to attend speaking engagements , fundraisers , and campaign events .
“ We ’ ve discussed police policy , training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete didn ’ t come to any of those meetings until we called him out in the national media , ” said leader Jorden Giger , the leader of Black Lives Matter South Bend , who reportedly attended several of the community meetings .
Buttigieg campaign spokesperson Sean Savett released a statement to The Intercept in which it pointed to the fact that the 38-year-old politician returned to South Bend in the wake of Logan ’ s death .
It also highlighted steps Buttigieg took to focus on improving police-community relations before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Savett also pointed to “ survey results ” that allegedly show improving trust between the police and community .
He claims the said results show that the Community Action Group Meetings were a “ major factor ” in this increase .
The report comes amid numerous reports that don ’ t shine a positive light on Buttigieg ’ s handling of alleged racism in South Bend .
A TYT Investigates report revealed secret tapes that reportedly suggest Buttigieg fired South Bend ’ s first black police chief , Darryl Boykins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a plan devised by white police chiefs .
A subsequent report jointly published by The Young Turks and The Root revealed that revealed Buttigieg ignored many lawsuits , letters , and complaints that pointed to racism in South Bend ’ s police force .
“ Not only is there a mountain of evidence showing that the city ’ s black officers felt marginalized , but we could not find a single black complainant who said Buttigieg responded to their concerns personally or in writing , ” The Root reported .
Buttigieg is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent average support , per RealClearPolitics .
He recently placed second in a New Hampshire poll with 17 percent support .
In first place was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who gained 29 percent support .

While still serving as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg missed seven of eight meetings that were intended to address police oversight, The Intercept reports.
According to the report, Buttigieg’s administration established the meetings via the Board of Public Safety in the wake of the shooting of Eric Logan, a 54-year-old black South Bend resident. However, the former mayor reportedly chose instead to prioritize his presidential campaign by traveling the country to attend speaking engagements, fundraisers, and campaign events.
“We’ve discussed police policy, training, procedures, etcetera, but Mayor Pete didn’t come to any of those meetings until we called him out in the national media,” said leader Jorden Giger, the leader of Black Lives Matter South Bend, who reportedly attended several of the community meetings.
Buttigieg campaign spokesperson Sean Savett released a statement to The Intercept, pointing out the fact that the 38-year-old politician returned to South Bend in the wake of Logan’s death. It also highlighted the steps he took to focus on improving police-community relations before he left office at the beginning of the year.
“Since then, Pete has taken a series of actions to help the South Bend community begin to heal — including supporting the creation of community action groups that were organized by the Board of Public Safety.”
Savett also pointed to “survey results” that purportedly show improving trust between law enforcement and the community. He claims the said results show that the Community Action Group Meetings were a “major factor” in this increase.
Buttigieg is now outlining steps that the city has already taken to improve community relations with the Police Department and steps taken concerning accountability and oversight of the department pic.twitter.com/rkdrqfil8B — Max Lewis (@MaxLewisTV) July 8, 2019
The new accusations come amid numerous reports that shine an unflattering light on Buttigieg’s handling of alleged racism in South Bend. TYT Investigates revealed secret tapes that reportedly suggest the former mayor fired the city’s first black police chief, Darryl Boykins, due to pressure from his donors stemming from a plan devised by white police chiefs.
A subsequent report jointly published by The Young Turks and The Root claimed that Buttigieg ignored many lawsuits, letters, and complaints that pointed to racism in the city’s police force.
“Not only is there a mountain of evidence showing that the city’s black officers felt marginalized, but we could not find a single black complainant who said Buttigieg responded to their concerns personally or in writing,” The Root reported.
Buttigieg is currently sixth in the Democratic presidential primary polls with 7.4 percent average support, per RealClearPolitics. He recently placed second in a New Hampshire poll with 17 percent support. In first place was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who gained 29 percent support.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--Bernie Sanders’ Use Of Joe Rogan Endorsement Draws Support, Criticism

Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan recently said he would “ probably ” be voting for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders .
In response , the Sanders campaign posted a video highlighting the endorsement , which has sparked a debate on social media over whether the 78-year-old politician should have spotlighted Rogan ’ s comments .
Many critics accused Rogan of being transphobic and pointed to his past comments on his platform .
“ I really like Bernie and am disappointed to see the campaign boost Rogan , who has made some very anti-trans comments .
I really hope the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who linked to a video in which Rogan says trans women are put in “ more protected class of woman ” than natural-born females .
Conversely , Ryan Grim , Washington , D.C. , bureau chief at The Intercept , noted that Rogan is a voice that is part of politics regardless , pointing to his millions of viewers and the vast reach of his voice .
Grim also claimed that it was “ pretty clear ” most of the critics responding to his tweet “ don ’ t actually listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Grim ’ s tweet noted that Joe Biden , Elizabeth Warren , and Pete Buttigieg allegedly asked Rogan to appear on his show , The Joe Rogan Experience .
“ I want supporters of Warren , Buttigieg and Biden to explain why their candidates wanted to go on Joe Rogan ’ s podcast so bad , ” they wrote , adding that such supporters are only upset because Rogan “ rejected them.
” Sanders appeared on Rogan ’ s podcast in August of last year , and the episode has gained over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The top comments on the video note that Sanders sounded “ intelligent and “ interesting , ” as opposed to the “ hit pieces ” that portray him as a “ lunatic.
” Along with Sanders , fellow Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard have also appeared on Rogan ’ s podcast .
The Vermont Sen. has been polling well as the Iowa caucuses approach on February 3 .
Although Sanders ’ campaign — like others — has been sidetracked the Senate trial of Donald Trump , The New York Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally in Ames , Iowa , on Saturday night along with progressive New York City Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are also set to appear in Perry , Storm Lake , and Sioux City on Sunday along with filmmaker Michael Moore .

Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan recently said he would “probably” be voting for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. In response, the Sanders campaign posted a video highlighting the endorsement, which has sparked a debate on social media over whether the 78-year-old politician should have spotlighted Rogan’s comments.
Many critics accused the UFC commentator of being transphobic and pointed to his past remarks on his platform.
“I really like Bernie and am disappointed to see the campaign boost Rogan, who has made some very anti-trans comments. I really hope the campaign reconsiders,” wrote activist Alexis Goldstein, who linked to a video in which Rogan says trans women are put in a “more protected class of woman” than natural-born females.
Conversely, Ryan Grim, Washington, D.C., bureau chief at The Intercept, noted that Rogan is a voice that is part of politics regardless, pointing to his millions of viewers and the vast reach of his voice.
“Nothing you do can change that. You can either have him in the Sanders tent in conversation with people with decent values or cast him out into the arms of Trump. The latter will do far more harm.”
He also claimed that it was “pretty clear” most of the critics responding to his tweet “don’t actually listen to his show.”
One user who responded to Grim’s tweet noted that Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg reportedly asked the comedian if they can appear on his show, The Joe Rogan Experience.
“I want supporters of Warren, Buttigieg and Biden to explain why their candidates wanted to go on Joe Rogan’s podcast so bad,” they wrote, adding that such supporters are only upset because the podcaster “rejected them.”
“I think I'll probably vote for Bernie… He’s been insanely consistent his entire life. He’s basically been saying the same thing, been for the same thing his whole life. And that in and of itself is a very powerful structure to operate from.” -Joe Rogan pic.twitter.com/fuQP0KwGGI — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 23, 2020
Sanders appeared on Rogan’s podcast in August of last year, and the episode has gained over 11 million views on YouTube to date. The top comments on the video note that he sounded “intelligent and “interesting,” as opposed to the “hit pieces” that portray him as a “lunatic.”
Along with Sanders, fellow Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard have also appeared on Rogan’s show.
The Vermont senator has been polling well as the Iowa caucuses approach on February 3. Although Sanders’ campaign — like others — has been sidetracked due to the Senate trial of Donald Trump, the New York Post reports he will be appearing for a rally in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday night, along with progressive New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are also set to appear in Perry, Storm Lake, and Sioux City on Sunday, where they will be joined by filmmaker Michael Moore.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--Elizabeth Warren Vows To Release All Impeachment Documents Donald Trump Is Withholding If She Wins I

Elizabeth Warren Vows To Release All Impeachment Documents Donald Trump Is Withholding If She Wins In November

Elizabeth Warren has vowed that if she wins in November , she will release all impeachment documents that Donald Trump has been withholding from Congress .
The Massachusetts senator said on Friday that she would use the power of the presidency to release all the documents sought by the House of Representatives during the impeachment hearings , but have been withheld by the White House .
In a tweet shared on Friday morning , Warren challenged the other Democratic hopefuls to commit to releasing any information if they are elected .
“ On day one as president , I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this impeachment inquiry that the administration has been hiding , ” Warren wrote .
“ The public needs to know what happened .
All the other candidates for president should commit to take this step as well.
” Warren has been off the campaign trail for the U.S. Senate trial of Trump .
With the first voting in the 2020 Democratic primary now just days away , Warren has taken an aggressive stance toward the allegations of wrongdoing against Trump .
Earlier in the week , she announced that she would create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption that may have taken place during Trump ’ s presidency .
As ABC News reported , Warren said that the independent task force would operate within the Justice Department and would have authority to uncover any potentially illegal actions .
“ The next president will need to have the energy , expertise , and vision to safeguard our country , rebuild the government swiftly , and make fundamental changes so that it works for the American people , ” Warren wrote in a post outlining her proposal .
The strong push to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerted effort from the Warren team to shore up Democratic support ahead of the start of voting .
After briefly surging into a near-tie with frontrunner Joe Biden in the race , Warren has seen her polling fall off and is now in third behind both Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in most recent statewide and national polls .
As ABC News noted , her detailed proposals set Warren apart from other race frontrunners who have also vowed to hold Trump accountable but have not yet laid out specific plans of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ race frontrunners ] have long decried corruption in the Trump administration , but Warren ’ s proposal seeks to provide a blueprint for how to specifically roll back Trump ’ s influence should she win her party ’ s nomination and November ’ s general election , ” the report noted .

Elizabeth Warren has vowed that if she wins in November, she will release all impeachment documents that Donald Trump has been withholding from Congress.
The Massachusetts senator said on Friday that she would use the power of the presidency to release all the documents sought by the House of Representatives during the impeachment hearings, but have been withheld by the White House. In a tweet shared on Friday morning, Warren challenged the other Democratic hopefuls to commit to releasing any information if they are elected.
“On day one as president, I will order the release of every document related to this impeachment inquiry that the administration has been hiding,” Warren wrote. “The public needs to know what happened. All the other candidates for president should commit to take this step as well.”
Warren has been off the campaign trail for the U.S. Senate trial of Trump. With the first voting in the 2020 Democratic primary now just days away, Warren has taken an aggressive stance toward the allegations of wrongdoing against Trump. Earlier in the week, she announced that she would create a federal task force to investigate the corruption that may have taken place during Trump’s presidency.
As ABC News reported, Warren said that the independent task force would operate within the Justice Department and would have authority to uncover any potentially illegal actions.
“The next president will need to have the energy, expertise, and vision to safeguard our country, rebuild the government swiftly, and make fundamental changes so that it works for the American people,” Warren wrote in a post outlining her proposal.
The strong push to hold Trump accountable appears to be a concerted effort from the Warren team to shore up Democratic support ahead of the start of voting. After briefly surging into a near-tie with frontrunner Joe Biden in the race, Warren has seen her polling fall off and is now in third behind both Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in most recent statewide and national polls.
As ABC News noted, her detailed proposals set Warren apart from other race frontrunners who have also vowed to hold Trump accountable but have not yet laid out specific plans of how to do so.
“All four [race frontrunners] have long decried corruption in the Trump administration, but Warren’s proposal seeks to provide a blueprint for how to specifically roll back Trump’s influence should she win her party’s nomination and November’s general election,” the report noted.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--Lindsey Graham Says He Will Oppose Subpoena Of Hunter Biden

South Carolina Senator and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham says he will oppose a subpoena of Hunter Biden if a majority of his colleagues agree to see additional documents and hear from additional witnesses next week , The Hill reported .
The move marks another in a long battle between Republicans and Democrats clashing over the direction of the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump .
“ To my Republican friends , you may be upset about what happened in Ukraine with the Bidens , but this is not the venue to litigate that , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware that there are three Republican Senators who would vote along with him .
Graham also revealed he believes that Biden is not the most optimal witness to call .
Instead , he suggested that it would be more beneficial to hear from former FBI Director Robert Mueller , who investigated Trump from May of 2017 to March of 2019 .
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is among one of the many Republicans who have threatened to weaponize witnesses in the impeachment trial .
Paul previously said he was open to hearing from witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are undoubtedly corrupt .
“ The president gets to call anybody he thinks would be good for his defense , the prosecution can call who they want , but I don ’ t think we should selectively call witnesses that don ’ t like the president , ” Paul said of the possibility of Republicans calling witnesses .
In an op-ed for The Washington Post , Danielle Allen , a political theorist at Harvard University , wrote that Biden should testify before the Senate not because there is any merit to the allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service to the country.
” She suggested that such testimony would reveal that the alleged conspiracy theories Trump has spread about Biden are meritless , claiming that the only way to break free from the current “ conspiracy theorist ” worldview she believes the U.S. is trapped in is by facing it head-on .
Trump and his allies continue to spread theories that suggest Biden was engaged in corruption during his time as a paid board member of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings .
Although Graham said he supports an investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which took place when his father was vice president — he said that the impeachment trial is not the right venue .

South Carolina Senator and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham says he will oppose a subpoena of Hunter Biden if a majority of his colleagues agree to see additional documents and hear from additional witnesses next week, The Hill reported. The move marks another in a long battle between Republicans and Democrats clashing over the direction of the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
“To my Republican friends, you may be upset about what happened in Ukraine with the Bidens, but this is not the venue to litigate that,” he said.
Graham continued to say he is not aware that there are three Republican Senators who would vote along with him.
“I need some Republicans who would say, as much as I want to know more about Burisma and the Bidens, this is not the venue. I’ve got to find four.”
Graham also revealed he believes that Biden is not the most optimal witness to call. Instead, he suggested that it would be more beneficial to hear from former FBI Director Robert Mueller, who investigated Trump from May of 2017 to March of 2019.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is among one of the many Republicans who have threatened to weaponize witnesses in the impeachment trial. Paul previously said he was open to hearing from witnesses like the Bidens, who he believes are undoubtedly corrupt.
“The president gets to call anybody he thinks would be good for his defense, the prosecution can call who they want, but I don’t think we should selectively call witnesses that don’t like the president,” Paul said of the possibility of Republicans calling witnesses.
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "I'm going to look at [the Bidens]. Are you going to impeach me? pic.twitter.com/kYb8sVFU08 — The Hill (@thehill) January 24, 2020
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Danielle Allen, a political theorist at Harvard University, wrote that Biden should testify before the Senate not because there is any merit to the allegations against him, but as a “service to the country.” She suggested that such testimony would reveal that the alleged conspiracy theories Trump has spread about Biden are meritless, claiming that the only way to break free from the current “conspiracy theorist” worldview she believes the U.S. is trapped in is by facing it head-on.
Trump and his allies continue to spread theories that suggest Biden was engaged in corruption during his time as a paid board member of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings. Although Graham said he supports an investigation into Biden’s dealings in the country — which took place when his father was vice president — he said that the impeachment trial is not the right venue.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--Tulsi Gabbard Accuses Hillary Clinton Of Taking Her Life Away

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard appeared on Tucker Carlson ’ s Fox News program Thursday night and spoke about her defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton , Newsweek reports .
The Hawaii Rep. filed the suit in response to the former secretary of state ’ s implication that she is a Russian asset .
Gabbard — a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard — told Carlson that one of the motivating factors for the lawsuit was to value the other members of the U.S. Army .
“ This is my life that we ’ re talking about here .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service member does , I took an oath of loyalty to our country .
The country that I love .
Willing to put my life on the line for our country , deploying twice to the Middle East to do so.
” The 38-year-old congresswoman also noted that she believes Clinton is engaged in an effort to destroy her reputation .
Gabbard has long drawn the ire of the Democratic establishment after she stepped down from her position on the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) in 2016 .
Her decision was motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary in favor of Clinton .
Clinton appeared on the Campaign HQ with David Plouffe podcast in October and suggested that Russia was grooming Gabbard for a potential third-party run to undermine the Democratic Party .
The remark drew criticism from many , including conservative political commentator Saagar Enjeti , who suggested that Clinton is still bitter that she failed to defeat Donald Trump in 2016 .
He also pointed to her purported anger toward Gabbard for drawing attention to the DNC ’ s reported bias in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support from her fellow Democratic presidential candidates .
Sanders called the claim “ outrageous , ” while Andrew Yang said that the congresswoman deserved “ much more respect.
” Gabbard is suing Clinton for $ 50M in damages .
The lawsuit claimed that Clinton has yet to apologize or retract her comments , which are noted as “ devastating ” for a politician in the United States .
Gabbard was also recently questioned about how she determined the amount of money she is seeking and suggested she should have asked for $ 50B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill addressed the lawsuit while speaking to The Daily Beast , calling it “ ridiculous .
”

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program Thursday night and spoke about her defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, Newsweek reports. The Hawaii Rep. filed the suit in response to the former secretary of state’s implication that she is a Russian asset.
Gabbard — a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard — told Carlson that one of the motivating factors for the lawsuit was to value the other members of the U.S. Army.
“This is my life that we’re talking about here. For me as a soldier, as every service member does, I took an oath of loyalty to our country. The country that I love. Willing to put my life on the line for our country, deploying twice to the Middle East to do so.”
The 38-year-old congresswoman also noted that she believes Clinton is engaged in an effort to destroy her reputation.
“So when you have someone as powerful as Hillary Clinton seeking to smear my reputation and essentially implying that I’m a traitor to the country that I love, what she essentially is doing is taking my life away.”
Gabbard has long drawn the ire of the Democratic establishment after she stepped down from her position on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016. Her decision was motivated by what she claimed was unfair treatment of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary in favor of Clinton.
Clinton appeared on the Campaign HQ with David Plouffe podcast in October and suggested that Russia was grooming Gabbard for a potential third-party run to undermine the Democratic Party. The remark drew criticism from many, including conservative political commentator Saagar Enjeti, who suggested that Clinton is still bitter that she failed to defeat Donald Trump in 2016. He also pointed to her purported anger toward Gabbard for drawing attention to the DNC’s reported bias in 2016.
The presidential hopeful also received support from her fellow Democratic presidential candidates. Sanders called the claim “outrageous,” while Andrew Yang said that the congresswoman deserved “much more respect.”
Gabbard is suing Clinton for $50M in damages. The lawsuit claimed that Clinton has yet to apologize or retract her comments, which are noted as “devastating” for a politician in the United States.
Gabbard was also recently questioned about how she determined the amount of money she is seeking and suggested she should have asked for $50B, The Hill reported.
Earlier this week, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill addressed the lawsuit while speaking to The Daily Beast, calling it “ridiculous.”


inquisitr--2020-01-24--Justin Amash Says Impeachment Power Will Be ‘Dead Law’ If Donald Trump Isn’t Removed

Amid the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump , Independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash took to Twitter on Thursday night and again expressed his belief that the president should be removed from office for his actions .
“ The president has abused power for personal gain , precisely as the Framers of the Constitution feared , ” Amash wrote .
“ To not remove him for such misconduct will embolden future executives to act in their own interests to the detriment of our republic .
The impeachment power will be dead law.
” Amash previously expressed his belief that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has “ acted corruptly for personal gain.
” He pointed to the president ’ s decision to task his personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , to head the alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine , and his decision to leave key Trump administration officials “ out of the loop.
” The 39-year-old congressman also noted that Trump ’ s pressure campaign allegedly intended to seek Ukraine ’ s announcement of investigations into Joe Biden and his son , Hunter , as opposed to open investigations at the Department of Justice .
Amash also took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his friend , Judge Andrew Napolitano , for sticking to his principles .
His comment was in reference to Napolitano ’ s recent Fox News op-ed , in which he argued that the evidence for Trump ’ s removal is “ ample and contradicted.
” In his article , Napolitano noted that high crimes and misdemeanors do not include violations of federal criminal statutes , echoing Amash ’ s previous attack on Republicans for allegedly intentionally misleading on impeachment .
The House passed two articles of impeachment against Trump : one for abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obstruction of Congress .
Per The Washington Post , House managers turned their attention to the second charge on Friday , which is the third and last day of their opening arguments .
On Saturday , Trump ’ s defense team will get a chance to hit back with their own presentation , which will continue into next week .
Thus far , Democrats appear to be doing well in presenting their case .
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander said that House managers presented the Senate with a “ mountain of overwhelming evidence.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats for their presentation on Wednesday , Business Insider reported .
While he said the Democrats presented their case as if it were “ cable news , ” he blasted the Trump defense team and said it looked like an “ eighth-grade book report.
” “ Actually , no , I take that back , ” he said , claiming that an eighth-grader would know how to use PowerPoint and iPads .

Amid the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash took to Twitter on Thursday night and again expressed his belief that the president should be removed from office for his actions.
“The president has abused power for personal gain, precisely as the Framers of the Constitution feared,” Amash wrote. “To not remove him for such misconduct will embolden future executives to act in their own interests to the detriment of our republic. The impeachment power will be dead law.”
Amash previously expressed his belief that there is “substantial evidence” that Trump has “acted corruptly for personal gain.” He pointed to the president’s decision to task his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to head the alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine, and his decision to leave key Trump administration officials “out of the loop.”
The 39-year-old congressman also noted that Trump’s pressure campaign allegedly intended to seek Ukraine’s announcement of investigations into Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, as opposed to open investigations at the Department of Justice.
Amash also took to Twitter on Thursday night to praise his friend, Judge Andrew Napolitano, for sticking to his principles. His comment was in reference to Napolitano’s recent Fox News op-ed, in which he argued that the evidence for Trump’s removal is “ample and contradicted.”
In his article, Napolitano noted that high crimes and misdemeanors do not include violations of federal criminal statutes, echoing Amash’s previous attack on Republicans for allegedly intentionally misleading on impeachment.
Every American should watch @RepAdamSchiff’s closing at Thursday’s session. pic.twitter.com/N5ulp0bL7Y — Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 24, 2020
The House passed two articles of impeachment against Trump: one for abuse of power, and the other for obstruction of Congress. Per The Washington Post, House managers turned their attention to the second charge on Friday, which is the third and last day of their opening arguments. On Saturday, Trump’s defense team will get a chance to hit back with their own presentation, which will continue into next week.
Thus far, Democrats appear to be doing well in presenting their case. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander said that House managers presented the Senate with a “mountain of overwhelming evidence.”
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz also praised the Democrats for their presentation on Wednesday, Business Insider reported. While he said the Democrats presented their case as if it were “cable news,” he blasted the Trump defense team and said it looked like an “eighth-grade book report.”
“Actually, no, I take that back,” he said, claiming that an eighth-grader would know how to use PowerPoint and iPads.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--DOJ Admits At Least Two Of Four Carter Page FISA Warrants Lacked Probable Cause

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ( also known as FISA Court ) released a newly declassified summary of the Department of Justice ’ s ( DOJ ) assessment of the surveillance warrants obtained by the court to surveil former Donald Trump campaign associate Carter Page , Fox News reports .
According to the summary , two of the four warrants were declared invalid by the DOJ , which continues to shed doubt on the integrity of the FISA application process that was spotlighted in Inspector General Michael Horowitz ’ s report on the FBI ’ s investigation into Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news means that the DOJ believes that the FBI should have stopped surveillance of Page after the second warrant expired in early 2017 .
According to Fox News , it ’ s not clear what information the FBI gained from the two invalid warrants and if and when such information was used in subsequent court arguments .
Regardless , the DOJ finding would likely rule any such evidence inadmissible .
The DOJ has agreed to sequester all evidence collected under the Page warrants , CBS News reported .
The revelation suggests that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review and could be rendered invalid at a later date .
As of now , the DOJ has until next week to provide explanations for the four applications , as well as explanations for the “ related investigations ” that were referenced in the Page investigation .
Page addressed the DOJ finding in a statement to Fox News .
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley , former chair of the Judiciary Committee , praised the findings and expressed hope that federal authorities will begin to own up to their failures and abuses and start moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Horowitz ’ s report , FBI Director Christopher Wray reportedly ordered over 40 changes to the agency ’ s procedure for obtaining secret surveillance warrants , including some that would purportedly make the FISA warrants “ less susceptible to mistake or inaccuracy.
” The numerous mistakes in the handling of the Page investigation have given ammunition to Trump and his allies .
Recently , the president took aim at John McCain for spreading the claims of Christopher Steele , who provided the controversial dossier used to secure the Page warrants .

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (also known as FISA Court) released a newly declassified summary of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) assessment of the surveillance warrants obtained by the court to surveil former Donald Trump campaign associate Carter Page, Fox News reports.
According to the summary, two of the four warrants were declared invalid by the DOJ, which continues to shed doubt on the integrity of the FISA application process that was spotlighted in Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report on the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Per CNN, the news means that the DOJ believes that the FBI should have stopped surveillance of Page after the second warrant expired in early 2017. According to Fox News, it’s not clear what information the FBI gained from the two invalid warrants and if and when such information was used in subsequent court arguments. Regardless, the DOJ finding would likely rule any such evidence inadmissible.
The DOJ has agreed to sequester all evidence collected under the Page warrants, CBS News reported. The revelation suggests that the other two warrants are also under review and could be rendered invalid at a later date.
As of now, the DOJ has until next week to provide explanations for the four applications, as well as explanations for the “related investigations” that were referenced in the Page investigation.
DOJ told the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in December that it now thinks "there was insufficient predication to establish probable cause" to substantiate two of its four applications to wiretap ex-Trump aide Carter Page. pic.twitter.com/DHjR1k12oV — Brad Heath (@bradheath) January 23, 2020
Page addressed the DOJ finding in a statement to Fox News.
“Today’s unprecedented court filing represents another step on the road to recovery for America’s deeply damaged judicial system. I hope that this latest admission of guilt for these civil rights abuses by the Justice Department marks continued progress towards restoring justice and remedying these reputationally ruinous injuries.”
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, former chair of the Judiciary Committee, praised the findings and expressed hope that federal authorities will begin to own up to their failures and abuses and start moving forward to repair public confidence.
“Time will tell if the department will continue working to fix its errors and restore trust that it won’t disregard Americans’ civil liberties. Its admission and cooperation with the FISC is a step in the right direction.”
After Horowitz’s report, FBI Director Christopher Wray reportedly ordered over 40 changes to the agency’s procedure for obtaining secret surveillance warrants, including some that would purportedly make the FISA warrants “less susceptible to mistake or inaccuracy.”
The numerous mistakes in the handling of the Page investigation have given ammunition to Trump and his allies. Recently, the president took aim at John McCain for spreading the claims of Christopher Steele, who provided the controversial dossier used to secure the Page warrants.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--#YangSurge Trends After Andrew Yang Passes Pete Buttigieg In National Poll

A new Emerson College national poll puts Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang in fourth place with 8 percent support , ahead of Michael Bloomberg at 7 percent and Pete Buttigieg at 6 percent .
The data led Yang ’ s supporters to push # YangSurge into the top trends on Twitter Thursday evening .
The results reveal that Bernie Sanders still leads among young people aged 18 to 29 , gaining 47 percent support from this group .
Interestingly , Yang draws the majority of his support from this group as well , coming in at 20 percent support .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted that Yang is pulling some younger voters away from Sanders to create a “ very interesting dynamic.
” Of all candidates , Yang ’ s supporters were also most likely to say they would not vote for anyone else as the Democratic nominee should he failed to gain the nomination .
The data comes as the Quad-City Times reported that Yang has drawn support from former Donald Trump voters who plan to either take a risk on Yang or support Trump again .
Lance Lorber , who lives in Davenport , Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur .
Yang is currently on a 17-day bus tour of Iowa ahead of the state ’ s caucuses on February 3 .
Per CNN , former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson recently revealed she would be supporting Yang ’ s campaign bid in the Iowa caucuses , although she did stop short of endorsing him .
“ Andrew is light in tone , but he is deep in substance , ” she wrote on Instagram .
“ I know from first hand experience the breadth of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Williamson noted that Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will almost certainly make it past Iowa and said that she wants to help Yang get past the early primaries .
A new Monmouth University national poll showed Yang as the only candidate with a nominally positive net favorability rating — 33 percent favorable and 29 percent unfavorable .
Patrick Murray , director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute , suggested that the results could be a sign that Yang should start “ making the electability argument .
”

A new Emerson College national poll puts Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang in fourth place with 8 percent support, ahead of Michael Bloomberg at 7 percent and Pete Buttigieg at 6 percent. The data led Yang’s supporters to push #YangSurge into the top trends on Twitter Thursday evening.
The results reveal that Bernie Sanders still leads among young people aged 18 to 29, gaining 47 percent support from this group. Interestingly, Yang draws the majority of his support from this group as well, coming in at 20 percent support.
Director of Emerson College Polling Spencer Kimball noted that Yang is pulling some younger voters away from Sanders to create a “very interesting dynamic.”
Of all candidates, Yang’s supporters were also most likely to say they would not vote for anyone else as the Democratic nominee should he failed to gain the nomination. The data comes as the Quad-City Times reported that Yang has drawn support from former Donald Trump voters who plan to either take a risk on Yang or support Trump again.
Lance Lorber, who lives in Davenport, Iowa, switched his party to Democrat to vote for the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur.
“If Yang’s the nominee, he’ll give Trump a run. The one candidate Trump avoids is Yang. If he mentions him, he gets more attention. He’s afraid. They seem him as a threat to his candidacy.”
We hit 4th for the first time ever: Week before voting starts🔥 #YANGSURGE pic.twitter.com/jgST5hlRl8 — Chris Manik / UX and Web Designer (@manik_nyc) January 24, 2020
Yang is currently on a 17-day bus tour of Iowa ahead of the state’s caucuses on February 3. Per CNN, former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson recently revealed she would be supporting Yang’s campaign bid in the Iowa caucuses, although she did stop short of endorsing him.
“Andrew is light in tone, but he is deep in substance,” she wrote on Instagram. “I know from first hand experience the breadth of his intellect and the expansiveness of his heart.”
Williamson noted that Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will almost certainly make it past Iowa and said that she wants to help Yang get past the early primaries.
“I’m lending my support to Andrew in Iowa, hopefully to help him get past the early primaries & remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.”
A new Monmouth University national poll showed Yang as the only candidate with a nominally positive net favorability rating — 33 percent favorable and 29 percent unfavorable. Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, suggested that the results could be a sign that Yang should start “making the electability argument.”


inquisitr--2020-01-24--The Environmental Protection Agency Rescinds Clean Water Act Protections For Streams & Wetlands

The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) recently announced that it would be rolling back some federal water protections .
The changes will affect environmental protections of various streams , wetlands , and ground waterways .
The Trump administration has repealed former President Barack Obama ’ s Waters of the United States rule , which tightened regulations of water resource management under a provision of the Clean Water Act of 1972 .
Farmers , fossil fuel producers , and real estate developers have led the protests against the rules enacted under Obama ’ s EPA .
Obama ’ s rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s waterways , including seasonal streams and smaller headwaters and wetlands that eventually flow into larger bodies of water .
It also limited chemical and pollutant discharge into these waters .
President Donald Trump has replaced the Waters of the United States rule with his own Navigable Waters Protection Rule .
In addition to rolling back protections of certain wetlands and streams that run intermittently or run temporarily underground , the new rule eliminates the need for landowners to seek special permits from the EPA .
At the American Farm Bureau Federation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past weekend , Trump announced his plans to repeal the Waters of the United States rule .
Under the new rule , landowners and property developers reportedly could dump harmful chemicals and pollutants , including pesticides and fertilizer , into thousands of waterways .
The removal of wetland protections may allow developers to destroy wetlands for construction projects .
Blan Holman , a lawyer at the Southern Environmental Law Center , expressed his concerns about the rollbacks to the The New York Times .
“ This will be the biggest loss of clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This puts drinking water for millions of Americans at risk of contamination from unregulated pollution .
This is not just undoing the Obama rule .
This is stripping away protections that were put in place in the ’ 70s and ’ 80s that Americans have relied on for their health.
” The new policy is potentially a win for farmers and fossil fuel groups , who have lobbied for the removal of Obama ’ s water regulations .
Karen Harbert , chief executive officer of the American Gas Association , believes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper balance between federal and state regulation of U.S. waters and allow for the construction of important infrastructure .
Experts worry that the new rule will expose millions of acres of streams and wetlands to pollution and destruction while destroying wildlife in the process .
The federal waterway protection rollbacks come just a couple of weeks after President Trump announced new policies to curtail the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act , which requires new federal infrastructure projects to undergo comprehensive reviews to assess their impact on the environment , as previously reported by @ @ @

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it would be rolling back some federal water protections. The changes will affect environmental protections of various streams, wetlands, and ground waterways.
The Trump administration has repealed former President Barack Obama’s Waters of the United States rule, which tightened regulations of water resource management under a provision of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Farmers, fossil fuel producers, and real estate developers have led the protests against the rules enacted under Obama’s EPA.
Obama’s rule protected around 60 percent of the nation’s waterways, including seasonal streams and smaller headwaters and wetlands that eventually flow into larger bodies of water. It also limited chemical and pollutant discharge into these waters.
President Donald Trump has replaced the Waters of the United States rule with his own Navigable Waters Protection Rule. In addition to rolling back protections of certain wetlands and streams that run intermittently or run temporarily underground, the new rule eliminates the need for landowners to seek special permits from the EPA.
At the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention in Texas this past weekend, Trump announced his plans to repeal the Waters of the United States rule.
“I terminated one of the most ridiculous regulations of all: the last administration’s disastrous Waters of the United States rule. That was a rule that basically took your property away from you.”
Under the new rule, landowners and property developers reportedly could dump harmful chemicals and pollutants, including pesticides and fertilizer, into thousands of waterways. The removal of wetland protections may allow developers to destroy wetlands for construction projects.
Blan Holman, a lawyer at the Southern Environmental Law Center, expressed his concerns about the rollbacks to the The New York Times.
“This will be the biggest loss of clean water protection the country has ever seen. This puts drinking water for millions of Americans at risk of contamination from unregulated pollution. This is not just undoing the Obama rule. This is stripping away protections that were put in place in the ’70s and ’80s that Americans have relied on for their health.”
The new policy is potentially a win for farmers and fossil fuel groups, who have lobbied for the removal of Obama’s water regulations.
Karen Harbert, chief executive officer of the American Gas Association, believes that Trump’s rule will restore the proper balance between federal and state regulation of U.S. waters and allow for the construction of important infrastructure.
Experts worry that the new rule will expose millions of acres of streams and wetlands to pollution and destruction while destroying wildlife in the process.
The federal waterway protection rollbacks come just a couple of weeks after President Trump announced new policies to curtail the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, which requires new federal infrastructure projects to undergo comprehensive reviews to assess their impact on the environment, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.


inquisitr--2020-01-24--Donald Trump Aide Eric Ueland Vows Impeachment ‘Revenge,’ Reports ‘Bloomberg’ Writer

Eric Ueland , a top aide to Donald Trump , told reporters covering the impeachment trial on Thursday that he “ can ’ t wait for the revenge , ” according to a Twitter post from Bloomberg News congressional correspondent Daniel Flatley .
When Flatley asked the Trump aide to explain the remark , Ueland , 54 , replied , “ I can joke but I ’ m not that sort of person , ” according to the Bloomberg reporter .
Before Trump appointed the former Capitol Hill lobbyist to serve as his legislative affairs director in June 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ’ s Domestic Policy Council , and a longtime Republican operative , according to a profile by The Washington Post .
Ueland previously served as chief of staff to Tennessee Senator Bill Frist , who was Senate Republican Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007 .
He also worked for Trump as an official on the presidential transition team following the 2016 election .
In 2017 , the president nominated Ueland to become undersecretary of state for management , but he withdrew the nomination after firing then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , was director of the Central Intelligence Agency .
“ White House liaison Eric Ueland just walked by a pen of reporters and said ‘ I can ’ t wait for the revenge , ' ” Flatley wrote in his tweet , describing the aide ’ s remark on Thursday .
Trump faces two articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , stemming from his alleged pressure campaign to extract personal , political favors from the government of Ukraine .
Ueland ’ s comments echo a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has frequently discussed his own penchant for taking revenge on his perceived enemies .
In 2007 , the real estate mogul — with Learning Annex founder Bill Zanker — published a book titled Think Big And Kick A** In Business and in Life .
Trump devoted an entire chapter of the book to the subject of “ revenge.
” The chapter contained such advice for readers as , “ When somebody screws you , screw them back in spades.
” “ Go for the jugular so that people watching will not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future president counseled his readers .
“ Always have a good reason to get even.
” In a 2018 Mother Jones report , the magazine ’ s Washington bureau chief , David Corn , wrote that the key to understanding Trump ’ s behavior was to understand that “ revenge is what he cares about most.
” The “ one constant ” in Trump ’ s life is his “ desire to get even and smite any of his detractors , ” Corn wrote , adding that “ retaliation is a religion ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s own numerous attacks on various public detractors , including some of his rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination , media personality Megyn Kelly , and former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado .

Eric Ueland, a top aide to Donald Trump, told reporters covering the impeachment trial on Thursday that he “can’t wait for the revenge,” according to a Twitter post from Bloomberg News congressional correspondent Daniel Flatley.
When Flatley asked the Trump aide to explain the remark, Ueland, 54, replied, “I can joke but I’m not that sort of person,” according to the Bloomberg reporter.
Before Trump appointed the former Capitol Hill lobbyist to serve as his legislative affairs director in June 2019, Ueland was deputy director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, and a longtime Republican operative, according to a profile by The Washington Post.
Ueland previously served as chief of staff to Tennessee Senator Bill Frist, who was Senate Republican Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007. He also worked for Trump as an official on the presidential transition team following the 2016 election.
In 2017, the president nominated Ueland to become undersecretary of state for management, but he withdrew the nomination after firing then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with Mike Pompeo — who, at the time, was director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
“White House liaison Eric Ueland just walked by a pen of reporters and said ‘I can’t wait for the revenge,'” Flatley wrote in his tweet, describing the aide’s remark on Thursday.
Trump faces two articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, stemming from his alleged pressure campaign to extract personal, political favors from the government of Ukraine.
Ueland’s comments echo a sentiment frequently expressed by his boss, who has frequently discussed his own penchant for taking revenge on his perceived enemies. In 2007, the real estate mogul — with Learning Annex founder Bill Zanker — published a book titled Think Big And Kick A** In Business and in Life. Trump devoted an entire chapter of the book to the subject of “revenge.”
The chapter contained such advice for readers as, “When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.”
“Go for the jugular so that people watching will not want to mess with you,” the future president counseled his readers. “Always have a good reason to get even.”
In a 2018 Mother Jones report, the magazine’s Washington bureau chief, David Corn, wrote that the key to understanding Trump’s behavior was to understand that “revenge is what he cares about most.”
The “one constant” in Trump’s life is his “desire to get even and smite any of his detractors,” Corn wrote, adding that “retaliation is a religion” for the president.
Corn cited Trump’s own numerous attacks on various public detractors, including some of his rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, media personality Megyn Kelly, and former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Bernie Sanders On Hillary Clinton Saying ‘Nobody Likes Him’: ‘This Is Not The Kind Of Rhetoric We Ne

Bernie Sanders On Hillary Clinton Saying ‘Nobody Likes Him’: ‘This Is Not The Kind Of Rhetoric We Need’

In an interview with CBS Evening News broadcast on Friday , Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders discussed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ‘ s recent remarks about him , reports Mediaite .
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last week , Clinton repeated the criticism made in an upcoming documentary about her life .
According to Clinton , “ nobody likes ” Sanders , and he “ got nothing done ” over the course of his political career .
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee also slammed members of the Sanders campaign , as well as the senator ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Bros , ” and suggesting that they deliberately target and harass women candidates .
Asked by CBS Evening News anchor Norah O ’ Donnell whether he heard about Clinton ’ s statements , Sanders shook his head , stating , “ I have .
Of course .
I ’ m sorry for what Secretary Clinton had to say.
” “ I know she said that nobody likes me , right ?
” he clarified , stating that Clinton ’ s “ rhetoric ” is not needed at a time when Democrats need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump .
Sanders also said that “ it ’ s been quite a while ” since he spoke to Clinton , adding that he is looking forward to her support in the general election , should he win the Democratic nomination .
“ What Secretary Clinton did indicate , I was glad to hear this , is that she would support the Democratic nominee , and if that ’ s me , I look forward to her support , ” he said .
In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support Sanders against Trump .
Refusing to commit to supporting the senator when asked whether she would do so , the former secretary of state replied that she is “ not going to go there yet.
” As Salon reported , Clinton ’ s remarks caused an uproar , especially among progressives in the Democratic Party .
In a subsequent statement , she clarified her remarks .
Although she did not explicitly state that she would back Sanders against Trump , Clinton promised to “ do whatever I can ” to support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is popular and well-liked .
For instance , according to Morning Consult , he has the highest favorability rating of any Democratic White House hopeful , with only 17 percent of Democratic primary voters holding an unfavorable view of him , and 71 percent viewing him favorably .
Furthermore , Sanders is the most popular senator in the country , and enjoys a high approval rating of 65 percent .
Sanders seems to be in a good position to win the Democratic nomination , and remains one of the leading candidates in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like a two-way contest between him and former Vice President Joe Biden .

In an interview with CBS Evening News broadcast on Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders discussed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s recent remarks about him, reports Mediaite.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last week, Clinton repeated the criticism made in an upcoming documentary about her life. According to Clinton, “nobody likes” Sanders, and he “got nothing done” over the course of his political career.
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee also slammed members of the Sanders campaign, as well as the senator’s supporters, dismissing them as “Bernie Bros,” and suggesting that they deliberately target and harass women candidates.
Asked by CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell whether he heard about Clinton’s statements, Sanders shook his head before stating the following.
“I have. Of course. I’m sorry for what Secretary Clinton had to say.”
“I know she said that nobody likes me, right?” he clarified, stating that Clinton’s “rhetoric” is not needed at a time when Democrats need to unite in order to defeat President Donald Trump.
“I mean this is not the kind of rhetoric that we need right now when we are trying to bring the Democratic Party together to defeat the most dangerous president in American history.”
Sanders also said that “it’s been quite a while” since he spoke to Clinton, adding that he is looking forward to her support in the general election, should he win the Democratic nomination.
“What Secretary Clinton did indicate, I was glad to hear this, is that she would support the Democratic nominee, and if that’s me, I look forward to her support,” he said.
In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clinton refused to explicitly state that she would support Sanders against Trump. Refusing to commit to supporting the senator when asked whether she would do so, the former secretary of state replied that she is “not going to go there yet.”
As Salon reported, Clinton’s remarks caused an uproar, especially among progressives in the Democratic Party. In a subsequent statement, she clarified her remarks. Although she did not explicitly say that she would back Sanders against Trump, Clinton promised to “do whatever I can” to support the Democratic nominee.
Polling suggests that Sanders is popular and well-liked. For instance, according to Morning Consult, he has the highest favorability rating of any Democratic White House hopeful, with only 17 percent of Democratic primary voters holding an unfavorable view of him, and 71 percent viewing him favorably. Furthermore, Sanders is the most popular senator in the country, and enjoys a high approval rating of 65 percent.
Sanders seems to be in a good position to win the Democratic nomination, and remains one of the leading candidates in the race, which is increasingly starting to look like a two-way contest between him and former Vice President Joe Biden.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Mike Pompeo Reportedly Challenged NPR Reporter To Find Ukraine On A Map, Then Grew Angry When She Di

Mike Pompeo Reportedly Challenged NPR Reporter To Find Ukraine On A Map, Then Grew Angry When She Did

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly blew up at an NPR reporter who pressed him on the removal of former U.S .
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch , challenging her to find Ukraine on a map and growing angry when she did .
The blow-up came during an interview on All Things Considered , where host Mary Louise Kelly grilled Pompeo on President Donald Trump ’ s controversial decision to oust Yovanovitch and the secretary of state ’ s apparent lack of public support for the diplomat .
As CNBC reported , Pompeo declined to answer questions about Ukraine , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s impeachment trial , saying the interview was only supposed to cover the administration ’ s policies toward Iran .
Pompeo allegedly continued to blow up at Kelly after the interview came to an end , with NPR noting that after it came to an end , he “ stood , leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for a period of several seconds before leaving the room.
” Kelly reported that she was then taken to the secretary ’ s private living room , where he continued to yell at her for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking , “ do you think Americans care about Ukraine ?
” Pompeo reportedly questioned whether Kelly could find the country on a map .
He then had an aide bring an unmarked map to the reporter , who has worked extensively overseas , spending time in Iran and on the Ukrainian border .
She immediately identified Ukraine , and Pompeo then allegedly grew angrier .
“ I pointed to Ukraine , ” she said .
“ He put the map away .
He said , ‘ People will hear about this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had things to do , and I thanked him again for his time and left.
” Pompeo has been accused of failing to stand by Yovanovitch as she came under fire from Trump and was ultimately removed from her post , as part of the alleged campaign to pressure Ukraine into digging up dirt on the president ’ s political rival , Joe Biden .
Lev Parnas , an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani who worked as a liaison with the country to carry out the plot , released text messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance .
Pompeo has said that he was on the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that is at the center of the impeachment trial .
He was subpoenaed by House committees investigating the U.S. president but did not respond or produce documents related to his alleged attempts to pressure Ukraine .
The House would ultimately pass an article of impeachment for Trump ’ s purported efforts to stymie Congress .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly blew up at an NPR reporter who pressed him on the removal of former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, challenging her to find Ukraine on a map and growing angry when she did.
The blow-up came during an interview on All Things Considered, where host Mary Louise Kelly grilled Pompeo on President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to oust Yovanovitch and the secretary of state’s apparent lack of public support for the diplomat. As CNBC reported, Pompeo declined to answer questions about Ukraine, which is at the center of the president’s impeachment trial, saying the interview was only supposed to cover the administration’s policies toward Iran.
Pompeo allegedly continued to blow up at Kelly after the interview came to an end, with NPR noting that after it came to an end, he “stood, leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for a period of several seconds before leaving the room.”
Kelly reported that she was then taken to the secretary’s private living room, where he continued to yell at her for an extended period, at one point asking, “do you think Americans care about Ukraine?” Pompeo reportedly questioned whether Kelly could find the country on a map. He then had an aide bring an unmarked map to the reporter, who has worked extensively overseas, spending time in Iran and on the Ukrainian border. She immediately identified Ukraine, and Pompeo then allegedly grew angrier.
“I pointed to Ukraine,” she said. “He put the map away. He said, ‘People will hear about this,’ and then he turned and said he had things to do, and I thanked him again for his time and left.”
Pompeo has been accused of failing to stand by Yovanovitch as she came under fire from Trump and was ultimately removed from her post, as part of the alleged campaign to pressure Ukraine into digging up dirt on the president’s political rival, Joe Biden. Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani who worked as a liaison with the country to carry out the plot, released text messages that appeared to show Yovanovitch was under surveillance.
Pompeo has said that he was on the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that is at the center of the impeachment trial. He was subpoenaed by House committees investigating the U.S. president but did not respond or produce documents related to his alleged attempts to pressure Ukraine. The House would ultimately pass an article of impeachment for Trump’s purported efforts to stymie Congress.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Senators Running For President Deploy Surrogates To Iowa As Impeachment Trial Complicates Race

The once-crowded Democratic primary field is narrowing down , with the race increasingly looking like a contest between Former Vice President Joe Biden , Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Of the four top contenders , two — Sanders and Warren — are stuck in the United States Senate , fulfilling their constitutional duty as jurors in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
This has complicated the race .
According to a new report from The Hill , the senators stuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly relying on surrogates to campaign for them .
In this regard , Sanders — who has been surging in the polls — appears to have a slight advantage , given that a number of prominent figures have endorsed him , and because he has a strong ground game in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa .
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , famous filmmaker Michael Moore , and others have been deployed to the Hawkeye State to help support the senator .
In Iowa , the Sanders campaign employs a paid staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unpaid volunteers are thought to be campaigning and canvassing for the Vermont senator .
Warren has also dispatched a number of surrogates to the key early state , including Rep. Deb Haaland of Arizona and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro .
Warren has a smaller operation than Sanders , with 150 paid staffers across 26 field offices .
However , according to local officials , her staffers have “ deep ties ” in Iowa , which could conceivably make up for the difference in numbers between her and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leo , chairman of the Carroll County Democratic Party , suggested , staff , surrogates , and volunteers could make all the difference .
“ The more staff you have , the more volunteers you can recruit , the better chance you have of keeping your candidate top of mind , even if they ’ re not here making news in the state or holding events , ” he said .
To make up for not being able to campaign in Iowa , Warren has been calling local radio and TV stations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
According to her communications director Jason Noble , however , “ Elizabeth is the best advocate for herself and her ideas , and of course we wish she was able to be here more.
” “ But the organizers ’ job is to capture and direct all the support that exists , and we trust our team to excel at that whether our candidate is here or not , ” he noted .
Biden and Buttigieg have taken advantage of the situation .
The former vice president has been barnstorming in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embark on a bus tour in the state .
Meanwhile , the former South Bend mayor is scheduled to attend 10 town halls over the next two days .

The once-crowded Democratic primary field is narrowing down, with the race increasingly looking like a contest between Former Vice President Joe Biden, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Of the four top contenders, two — Sanders and Warren — are stuck in the United States Senate, fulfilling their constitutional duty as jurors in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. This has complicated the race. According to a new report from The Hill, the senators stuck in the nation’s capital are increasingly relying on surrogates to campaign for them.
In this regard, Sanders — who has been surging in the polls — appears to have a slight advantage, given that a number of prominent figures have endorsed him, and because he has a strong ground game in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, famous filmmaker Michael Moore, and others have been deployed to the Hawkeye State to help support the senator.
In Iowa, the Sanders campaign employs a paid staff of more than 250, and thousands of unpaid volunteers are thought to be campaigning and canvassing for the Vermont senator.
Warren has also dispatched a number of surrogates to the key early state, including Rep. Deb Haaland of Arizona and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.
Hey Iowans! Join me and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tonight for a Bernie for President rally at the University of Iowa, 8pm, at the college Union auditorium. Mike Posner will perform. We’re all happy 2 be here to stand in for Sen. Sanders as he does what we need him 2 do in DC! pic.twitter.com/rLv2syTmuZ — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 25, 2020
Warren has a smaller operation than Sanders, with 150 paid staffers across 26 field offices. However, according to local officials, her staffers have “deep ties” in Iowa, which could conceivably make up for the difference in numbers between her and the Vermont senator.
As Warren supporter Peter Leo, chairman of the Carroll County Democratic Party, suggested, staff, surrogates, and volunteers could make all the difference.
“The more staff you have, the more volunteers you can recruit, the better chance you have of keeping your candidate top of mind, even if they’re not here making news in the state or holding events,” he said.
To make up for not being able to campaign in Iowa, Warren has been calling local radio and TV stations, trying to maintain a presence in the state. According to her communications director Jason Noble, however, “Elizabeth is the best advocate for herself and her ideas, and of course we wish she was able to be here more.”
“But the organizers’ job is to capture and direct all the support that exists, and we trust our team to excel at that whether our candidate is here or not,” he noted.
With less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg expressed confidence that he was ‘days away’ from reaching a ‘historic finish’ pic.twitter.com/83euAFQNYH — Reuters (@Reuters) January 24, 2020
Biden and Buttigieg have taken advantage of the situation. The former vice president has been barnstorming in Iowa, and he is set to embark on a bus tour in the state. Meanwhile, the former South Bend mayor is scheduled to attend 10 town halls over the next two days.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Andrew Yang Criticizes DNC For Not Allowing Fox News To Host A Democratic Debate

While on the campaign trail at a town hall in Burlington , Iowa , Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang touted his bipartisan appeal and also offered some criticism for the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) for how the governing body has been handling the party ’ s debates .
“ So my administration will be able to draw people in from both sides of the aisle , ” he said , via CBS News on Twitter .
“ I ’ m non-ideological .
I ’ m very data-driven and solution-oriented , and people sense that.
” He continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Fox News and talk to Americans via the right-wing channel , suggesting that winning elections requires openness to speak to the entire population of the United States .
Yang noted that Fox News requested to host a DNC debate , but the committee turned them down .
According to Yang , their decision led to a missed opportunity .
“ I was like , ‘ What are you doing ? '
” he said .
Yang ’ s sentiments are similar to those expressed by fellow Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News .
During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience back in November , the Hawaii congresswoman suggested that such appearances are necessary to communicate with Americans across the country .
“ I have a platform to be able to speak to millions of people across the country about the kind of leadership I bring in the area of foreign policy , ” she said .
Presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also appeared on Fox News for a successful town hall that was viewed by more than 2.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg was on the network for his own town hall .
Before the event , he suggested that ignoring the network and its viewers is a missed opportunity to connect with those that don ’ t share their worldview .
Conversely , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has publicly said she would not appear on Fox News , calling it a “ hate-for-profit racket.
” Yang has clashed with the DNC on multiple occasions .
Most recently , he called out the governing body before the January debate and said he should be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was critical of the lack of polls conducted since the December debate , pointing in particular to the early states where many candidates have focused their time .
The Yang campaign also commissioned two of their own polls that put the candidate at 5 percent support , which was the minimum polling threshold for the debate that he ultimately missed .

While on the campaign trail at a town hall in Burlington, Iowa, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang touted his bipartisan appeal and also offered some criticism for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for how the governing body has been handling the party’s debates.
“So my administration will be able to draw people in from both sides of the aisle,” he said, via CBS News on Twitter. “I’m non-ideological. I’m very data-driven and solution-oriented, and people sense that.”
He continued to say that he believes Democrats should go on Fox News and talk to Americans via the right-wing channel, suggesting that winning elections requires openness to speak to the entire population of the United States.
“And this is something I would say as critical of the DNC. You know these DNC debates that have been going on, you’ve probably caught them by accident.”
Yang noted that Fox News requested to host a DNC debate, but the committee turned them down. According to Yang, their decision led to a missed opportunity.
“I was like, ‘What are you doing?'” he said.
Yang’s sentiments are similar to those expressed by fellow Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who has faced criticism for appearing on Fox News. During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience back in November, the Hawaii congresswoman suggested that such appearances are necessary to communicate with Americans across the country.
“I have a platform to be able to speak to millions of people across the country about the kind of leadership I bring in the area of foreign policy,” she said.
"Tens of millions of our fellow Americans decided to take a bet on a narcissist reality TV star, this is not business as usual."@AndrewYang holds a town hall in Burlington, IA. pic.twitter.com/a9m9UTjvhT — The Hill (@thehill) January 24, 2020
Presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also appeared on Fox News for a successful town hall that was viewed by more than 2.5 million viewers. Not long after, Pete Buttigieg was on the network for his own town hall. Before the event, he suggested that ignoring the network and its viewers is a missed opportunity to connect with those that don’t share their worldview.
Conversely, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has publicly said she would not appear on Fox News, calling it a “hate-for-profit racket.”
Yang has clashed with the DNC on multiple occasions. Most recently, he called out the governing body before the January debate and said he should be on the stage, The Hill reported. He was critical of the lack of polls conducted since the December debate, pointing in particular to the early states where many candidates have focused their time.
The Yang campaign also commissioned two of their own polls that put the candidate at 5 percent support, which was the minimum polling threshold for the debate that he ultimately missed.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Michael Moore Rallies For Bernie Sanders: ‘He Has Been Consistent Through His Whole Life’

Like all senators , Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is stuck in Washington , fulfilling his constitutional duty as a juror in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
This has not stopped his campaign from maintaining an active presence in Iowa .
With just nine days until the first-in-the-nation caucus , the senator has deployed popular surrogates to share his message with voters .
On Saturday , famous documentary filmmaker Michael Moore rallied for Sanders , according to The Hill .
Speaking to a crowd at a town hall event in Iowa City , Moore highlighted what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pitching the senator to voters as an uncompromising and relentless agent of change .
Moore opened his remarks by paraphrasing Sanders ’ recent answer in an interview with The New York Times .
Asked by the paper ’ s editorial board what he would do poorly as president , the senator responded that he is “ not good at backslapping , ” joking that he is not the kind of person to call up a reporter and congratulate them on their birthday “ so you ’ ll love me and you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He ’ s not that guy , is he ?
We don ’ t want that anymore .
We don ’ t want the fake and the phony and the fraudulent , ” Moore rallied the crowd , taking a job at candidates that have shifted positions on issues such as health care .
“ No .
No .
No more , no more , no more , ” the filmmaker said .
Moore also discussed Sanders decades-long career in politics , praising the senator for his consistency .
Sanders , Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a variety of issues decades ago , and the rest of the United States is only now catching up to him , embracing the policies he has spent the past few decades trying to popularize .
Sanders , according to Moore , “ has been consistent through his whole life , because he wouldn ’ t change.
” The filmmaker appeared at the event alongside New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Moore , Ocasio-Cortez , and other prominent Sanders surrogates have been dispatched to Iowa to help the White House hopeful reach voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Sanders has sustained a large operation in the Hawkeye State , with a paid staff of more than 250 , and thousands of volunteers campaigning , knocking on doors , and making calls to persuade voters to support the senator .
According to the latest poll of Iowa Democrats , Sanders is leading the field with 25 percent of the vote .

Like all senators, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is stuck in Washington, fulfilling his constitutional duty as a juror in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. This has not stopped his campaign from maintaining an active presence in Iowa. With just nine days until the first caucus, the senator has deployed popular surrogates to share his message with voters.
On Saturday, famous documentary filmmaker Michael Moore rallied for Sanders, according to The Hill. Speaking to a crowd at a town hall event in Iowa City, Moore highlighted what he apparently believes are Sanders’ greatest strengths, pitching the senator to voters as an uncompromising and relentless agent of change.
Moore opened his remarks by paraphrasing Sanders’ recent answer in an interview with The New York Times. Asked by the paper’s editorial board what he would do poorly as president, the senator responded that he is “not good at backslapping,” joking that he is not the kind of person to call up a reporter and congratulate them on their birthday “so you’ll love me and you’ll write nice things about me.”
“He’s not that guy, is he? We don’t want that anymore. We don’t want the fake and the phony and the fraudulent,” Moore rallied the crowd, taking a job at candidates that have shifted positions on issues such as health care.
“No. No. No more, no more, no more,” the filmmaker said.
Moore also discussed Sanders decades-long career in politics, praising the senator for his consistency. Sanders, Moore said, took the right position on a variety of issues decades ago, and the rest of the U.S. is only now catching up to him, embracing the policies he has spent the past few decades trying to popularize.
Sanders, according to Moore, “has been consistent through his whole life, because he wouldn’t change.”
“We changed. America changed. He didn’t change any of his positions about the environment, about women, about war, about income inequality. He’s said the same damn thing for 60 years, and America changed.”
The filmmaker appeared at the event alongside New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Moore, Ocasio-Cortez, and other prominent Sanders surrogates have been dispatched to Iowa to help the White House hopeful reach voters as he remains stuck in the Senate.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Sanders has sustained a large operation in the Hawkeye State, with a paid staff of more than 250, and thousands of volunteers campaigning, knocking on doors, and making calls to persuade voters to support the senator.
According to the latest poll of Iowa Democrats, Sanders is leading the field with 25 percent of the vote.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--George Soros Accuses Facebook Of Trying To Reelect Donald Trump

At a Thursday private dinner hosted by his Open Society Foundations at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , billionaire George Soros accused Facebook of trying to secure Donald Trump ‘ s reelection , Breitbart reports .
Soros appears to believe that if Facebook succeeds , Trump will , in turn , protect the massive social media and technology company from the current efforts to break it apart .
Soros accused Trump of being a narcissistic “ con man ” who desired to have the world “ revolve around him.
” Upon winning the presidency , Soros said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transformation of his narcissism into a “ malignant disease.
” Although Facebook has denied Soros ’ accusations , the billionaire has taken aim at the company before .
In 2018 , Soros blasted social media companies in general for intentionally creating their services to be addictive .
“ This can be very harmful , particularly to adolescents .
As Facebook and Google have grown into ever more powerful monopolies , they have become obstacles to innovation , and they have caused a variety of problems of which we are only now beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the only one with such criticism of social media companies .
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang previously criticized big tech companies for harnessing addiction for profit .
He quoted his friend , former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris , who said that some of the brightest engineers in the country are using their skills to transform supercomputers into “ slot machines and dopamine delivery devices for teenagers.
” Aside from concerns of addiction , Facebook continues to face criticism for refusing to monitor the accuracy of political ads on its platform .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact-checkers to combat misinformation , Trump ’ s reelection campaign has reportedly run more than 200 misleading political advertisements on the platform , CNN reported .
Many of said ads allegedly target mainstream media networks , which the Trump campaign suggests are fighting to stop his Super Bowl ad from airing .
“ We know the Fake News media will do everything they can to ensure our ad never sees the light of day , ” one ad reportedly said of the Trump campaign ’ s planned Super Bowl ad .
Despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Bowl ad is reportedly running regardless due to federal regulations .
The ad will appear on Fox News for 60 seconds and reportedly costs at least $ 10 million .
In addition to Trump , the network will likely air a commercial for Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg .

At a Thursday private dinner hosted by his Open Society Foundations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, billionaire George Soros accused Facebook of trying to secure Donald Trump‘s reelection, Breitbart reports.
Soros appears to believe that if Facebook succeeds, Trump will, in turn, protect the massive social media and technology company from the current efforts to break it apart.
“Facebook will work to re-elect Trump and Trump will protect Facebook. It makes me very concerned about the outcome of 2020.”
Soros accused Trump of being a narcissistic “con man” who desired to have the world “revolve around him.” Upon winning the presidency, Soros said Trump’s ego grew and drove the transformation of his narcissism into a “malignant disease.”
Although Facebook has denied Soros’ accusations, the billionaire has taken aim at the company before. In 2018, Soros blasted social media companies in general for intentionally creating their services to be addictive.
“This can be very harmful, particularly to adolescents. As Facebook and Google have grown into ever more powerful monopolies, they have become obstacles to innovation, and they have caused a variety of problems of which we are only now beginning to become aware.”
Soros isn’t the only one with such criticism of social media companies. Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang previously criticized big tech companies for harnessing addiction for profit. He quoted his friend, former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris, who said that some of the brightest engineers in the country are using their skills to transform supercomputers into “slot machines and dopamine delivery devices for teenagers.”
Aside from concerns of addiction, Facebook continues to face criticism for refusing to monitor the accuracy of political ads on its platform. Although the platform is reportedly hiring part-time fact-checkers to combat misinformation, Trump’s reelection campaign has reportedly run more than 200 misleading political advertisements on the platform, CNN reported. Many of said ads allegedly target mainstream media networks, which the Trump campaign suggests are fighting to stop his Super Bowl ad from airing.
“We know the Fake News media will do everything they can to ensure our ad never sees the light of day,” one ad reportedly said of the Trump campaign’s planned Super Bowl ad.
Despite the campaign’s accusations, the Trump Super Bowl ad is reportedly running regardless due to federal regulations. The ad will appear on Fox News for 60 seconds and reportedly costs at least $10 million. In addition to Trump, the network will likely air a commercial for Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Mitt Romney Said He Is ‘Likely’ To Vote For Witnesses In Donald Trump’s Impeachment Trial

Mitt Romney said he is “ likely ” to vote for witnesses in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , signaling that Republicans may not be unified in their defense of the president .
Led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Republicans in the Senate have mostly stuck together in voting down attempts from Democrats to include witnesses in the trial .
A final vote is expected to come after both sides have presented their cases , and the Utah senator indicated that he could be willing to allow witnesses .
As NBC News reported , Romney told reporters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for witnesses , but has not yet made a final decision and won ’ t until after closing arguments .
Because Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate , there would need to be four defections to ensure that witnesses could be called in the trial .
House impeachment managers have tried to make the case that the top White House officials withheld by Trump could provide firsthand evidence of his improper efforts to push Ukraine into investigating his political rival , Joe Biden .
As the report added , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats this year who could end up voting with Democrats to allow these witnesses .
“ Other Republican targets for Democrats hopeful of hearing additional testimony include Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee , among others , ” the report noted .
Democrats have continued to make the case to the American public , with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying on Saturday that Trump ’ s legal team has actually made the case for witnesses through its arguments .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to call any eyewitnesses to Trump ’ s actions .
Throughout the House investigation , the White House denied subpoenas for top officials and documents .
Schumer said it is now clear that this information needs to come out .
“ The president ’ s counsel did something that they did not intend : They made a really compelling case for why the Senate should call witnesses and documents , ” Schumer told reporters , via The Hill .
“ Today , we thank the president ’ s counsel for one thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Republicans have also floated the idea of calling Joe Biden or his son , Hunter , as witnesses , believing they will uncover the corruption Trump claimed took place in Ukraine .
Fact checkers have said there is no evidence to support the idea that either of the Bidens were involved in corruption .
The Senate is expected to vote next week on whether more witnesses will be called .
It is not clear yet if there is any support among Republicans beyond Romney .

Mitt Romney said he is “likely” to vote for witnesses in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, signaling that Republicans may not be unified in their defense of the president.
Led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republicans in the Senate have mostly stuck together in voting down attempts from Democrats to include witnesses in the trial. A final vote is expected to come after both sides have presented their cases, and the Utah senator indicated that he could be willing to allow witnesses.
As NBC News reported, Romney told reporters that he is “very likely” to vote for witnesses, but has not yet made a final decision and won’t until after closing arguments. Because Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate, there would need to be four defections to ensure that witnesses could be called in the trial. House impeachment managers have tried to make the case that the top White House officials withheld by Trump could provide firsthand evidence of his improper efforts to push Ukraine into investigating his political rival, Joe Biden.
As the report added, there are some Republicans vulnerable to lose their seats this year who could end up voting with Democrats to allow these witnesses.
“Other Republican targets for Democrats hopeful of hearing additional testimony include Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, among others,” the report noted.
Democrats have continued to make the case to the American public, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying on Saturday that Trump’s legal team has actually made the case for witnesses through its arguments. Trump’s team had argued that Democrats were not able to call any eyewitnesses to Trump’s actions. Throughout the House investigation, the White House denied subpoenas for top officials and documents.
Schumer said it is now clear that this information needs to come out.
“The president’s counsel did something that they did not intend: They made a really compelling case for why the Senate should call witnesses and documents,” Schumer told reporters, via The Hill. “Today, we thank the president’s counsel for one thing. They made our case even stronger.”
Republicans have also floated the idea of calling Joe Biden or his son, Hunter, as witnesses, believing they will uncover the corruption Trump claimed took place in Ukraine. Fact checkers have said there is no evidence to support the idea that either of the Bidens were involved in corruption.
The Senate is expected to vote next week on whether more witnesses will be called. It is not clear yet if there is any support among Republicans beyond Romney.


inquisitr--2020-01-25--Chuck Schumer Says Donald Trump’s Defense Made A ‘Really Compelling Case’ For Witnesses

Donald Trump ‘ s impeachment defense counsel made its case to the Senate on Saturday .
In a subsequent press conference , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the president ’ s defense unintentionally argued a “ really compelling case ” for why the Senate should demand witnesses and documents , Breitbart reports .
“ They kept saying there are no eyewitness accounts , ” Schumer said .
“ But there are people who have eyewitness accounts , the very four witnesses and the very four sets of documents that we have asked for.
” Schumer noted that the defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” what Trump ’ s intentions were with Ukraine .
Although the president is accused of using foreign aid as leverage to pressure the Eastern European country into doing his bidding , the defense argued that suggestions that he planned to cut off military aid to the country are “ speculation.
” “ But there are people who do know , ” Schumer said .
“ Mick Mulvaney knows .
In all likelihood , Mr. Blair knows .
Mr. Bolton may know.
” The 69-year-old politician acknowledged that some Republicans are saying Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and added that “ no one denies ” that the House did the same .
The decision to hear from new witnesses and request new evidence has been a point of contention since the House passed the two articles of impeachment against Trump .
While Democrats believe new evidence is necessary , members of the GOP are pushing to end the trial as soon as possible .
Notably , Schumer previously said the trial was beginning under a “ cloud of unfairness ” after the GOP-led Senate shot down 11 of his amendments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial , Democrats need the support of four Republican senators , CNN reported .
The publication notes that such a feat would be difficult and would likely involve persuading Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah , and Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado .
Per Raw Story , one of the biggest arguments from Trump ’ s defense was that there was a risk that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections .
Not long after , MSNBC ’ s Brian Williams highlighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — one of Trump ’ s ardent supporters — in which he contradicts the defense ’ s argument .
Graham says he is certain that Ukraine didn ’ t interfere in the election and said the Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) .
As Williams noted , this statement runs contrary to the narrative the president and his allies have been pushing , even before his impeachment defense used it .

Donald Trump‘s impeachment defense counsel made its case to the Senate on Saturday. In a subsequent press conference, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the president’s defense unintentionally argued a “really compelling case” for why the Senate should demand witnesses and documents, Breitbart reports.
“They kept saying there are no eyewitness accounts,” Schumer said. “But there are people who have eyewitness accounts, the very four witnesses and the very four sets of documents that we have asked for.”
Schumer noted that the defense argued that “no one really knows” what Trump’s intentions were with Ukraine. Although the president is accused of using foreign aid as leverage to pressure the Eastern European country into doing his bidding, the defense argued that suggestions that he planned to cut off military aid to the country are “speculation.”
“But there are people who do know,” Schumer said. “Mick Mulvaney knows. In all likelihood, Mr. Blair knows. Mr. Bolton may know.”
The 69-year-old politician acknowledged that some Republicans are saying Trump’s defense made a good case and added that “no one denies” that the House did the same.
“So, if you’re a Republican, and you think that the case that was made today was strong, then why not have witnesses and documents if you think both sides made their case? That’s what a trial would do.”
The bottom line is very simple: We've been making the argument that we need witnesses and we need documents. Today President Trump’s counsel did something they might not have intended: They made our case for witnesses and documents even stronger. pic.twitter.com/MQ52A3Bkqa — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 25, 2020
The decision to hear from new witnesses and request new evidence has been a point of contention since the House passed the two articles of impeachment against Trump. While Democrats believe new evidence is necessary, members of the GOP are pushing to end the trial as soon as possible. Notably, Schumer previously said the trial was beginning under a “cloud of unfairness” after the GOP-led Senate shot down 11 of his amendments.
To hear from witnesses during the trial, Democrats need the support of four Republican senators, CNN reported. The publication notes that such a feat would be difficult and would likely involve persuading Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, and Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado.
Per Raw Story, one of the biggest arguments from Trump’s defense was that there was a risk that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections. Not long after, MSNBC’s Brian Williams highlighted a previous clip from Sen. Lindsey Graham — one of Trump’s ardent supporters — in which he contradicts the defense’s argument.
Graham says he is certain that Ukraine didn’t interfere in the election and said the Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee (DNC). As Williams noted, this statement runs contrary to the narrative the president and his allies have been pushing, even before his impeachment defense used it.