inquisitr--2020-01-21--Justin Amash Blasts Senate For Impeachment Approach: ‘The Focus Must Be On A Fair Trial’

The Senate trial of President Donald Trump began Tuesday , and Independent Justin Amash took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the current partisan battle over the upper chamber ’ s handling of the process .
While Republicans appear set on fighting against hearing from new witnesses , the Michigan Rep. believes that this is not the fair approach .
“ Each side must be able to call any witness relevant to the case , ” he wrote .
“ Each side must be able to present any evidence relevant to the case .
The focus must be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fortunes of the president , Republicans , or Democrats.
” Amash , who TIME reports used to work for a Michigan law firm , also pointed to the Constitution to support his argument .
Per The Washington Post , the Senate denied an amendment proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday .
The effort sought “ documents , communications and other records ” kept by the White House after the Trump administration previously stonewalled the House impeachment probe in its attempts to access witnesses and documents .
Chair of the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell ’ s resolution , which provides each side 24 hours to make its opening arguments .
The arguments will begin Wednesday and take place over the course of two session days .
According to Schiff , it ’ s “ a**backwards ” to have a trial before asking for witnesses .
Schiff also said that the resolution does not adequately ensure that House managers have time to secure relevant witnesses and obtain documents pertaining to Trump ’ s Ukraine conduct , which is at the center of the two articles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the 59-year-old politician , the integrity of the resolution is more important than the final votes on Trump ’ s removal from office .
“ Will the president and the American people get a fair trial ?
” he asked .
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio previously claimed that the Senate trial must come to its conclusion using the same witnesses and evidence that the House accessed when passing the articles of impeachment .
In response , Amash said Rubio ’ s description is “ not at all how a trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rubio ’ s perception of how the Senate trial should proceed is focused on ensuring that Trump and other elites ” face a different standard of justice than everyday Americans .

The Senate trial of President Donald Trump began Tuesday, and Independent Justin Amash took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the current partisan battle over the upper chamber’s handling of the process. While Republicans appear set on fighting against hearing from new witnesses, the Michigan congressman believes that this is not the fair approach.
“Each side must be able to call any witness relevant to the case,” he wrote. “Each side must be able to present any evidence relevant to the case. The focus must be on a fair trial, not the political fortunes of the president, Republicans, or Democrats.”
Amash, who Time reports used to work for a Michigan law firm, also pointed to the Constitution to support his argument.
“It’s not the role of the House to do the Senate’s job. Under our Constitution, ‘[t]he Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments.’ That means introducing documents, presenting evidence, and calling witnesses.”
Per The Washington Post, the Senate denied an amendment proposed by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday. The effort sought “documents, communications and other records” kept by the White House after the Trump administration previously stonewalled the House impeachment probe in its attempts to access witnesses and documents.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam B. Schiff also criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s resolution, which provides each side 24 hours to make its opening arguments. The arguments will begin Wednesday and take place over the course of two session days. According to Schiff, it’s “a**backwards” to have a trial before asking for witnesses.
“The misconduct set out in those articles is the most serious ever charged against a president.” – @RepAdamSchiff begins the Senate trial in the impeachment of Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/j53Kchw6ib — House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntelDems) January 21, 2020
Schiff also said that the resolution does not adequately ensure that House managers have time to secure relevant witnesses and obtain documents pertaining to Trump’s Ukraine conduct, which is at the center of the two articles of impeachment the House passed against the president.
According to the 59-year-old politician, the integrity of the resolution is more important than the final votes on Trump’s removal from office.
“Will the president and the American people get a fair trial?” he asked.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio previously claimed that the Senate trial must come to its conclusion using the same witnesses and evidence that the House accessed when passing the articles of impeachment. In response, Amash said Rubio’s description is “not at all how a trial works.”
The 39-year-old congressman said that Rubio’s perception of how the Senate trial should proceed is focused on ensuring that Trump and other elites face a different standard of justice than everyday Americans.


inquisitr--2020-01-21--Andrew Yang Says Poking Fun Of Stereotypes Exposes ‘How Ridiculous They Are’

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has become known for making jokes about his Asian heritage , which has led to criticism from some .
Speaking to Vice News at the 2020 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum in Des Moines , the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur defended his use of stereotypes and suggested that humor is an effective way to expose their ridiculousness .
“ Making light of these stereotypes and dragging them into the light is not a bad thing , ” Yang said .
“ By poking fun at these things , we can actually see them for how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his proficiency at math and has also joked that he “ knows lots of doctors , ” which has caused some pushback from the Asian American community .
Writing for The Los Angeles Times , Marie Myung-Ok Lee noted Yang has struggled to become noticed by mainstream media outlets — a pervasive pattern throughout his campaign — and suggested his deployment of stereotypes may be a strategy to subvert them to gain attention .
Regardless , Yang ’ s humor has been accepted by many of his supporters .
In addition , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Dave Chappelle , Norm Macdonald , and Hannibal Buress , all of whom have endorsed his campaign .
Elsewhere in the Vice News interview , Yang touched on his campaign ’ s signature proposal : the “ Freedom Dividend , ” which refers to a universal basic income ( UBI ) of $ 1,000 per month for every American .
He also addressed the value-added tax ( VAT ) he proposes to pay for his UBI , which is criticized by some for typically falling heavily onto people with less money .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly fall onto the poorest “ in a vacuum.
” However , he notes that his policy would tweak the tax fall heaviest on artificial intelligence and luxury good while exempting products like milk , diapers , and toilet paper .
Despite some criticism of his approach , Yang said he is “ 100 percent confident ” that putting over $ 40B into the hands of minority communities would be a “ major positive.
” He also said he would be “ all for ” adjusting his approach based on knowledge gained during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the polls , with an average of 3.8 percent support .
He is behind Michael Bloomberg , who has 7 percent support , and ahead of Amy Klobuchar with 3 percent .

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has become known for making jokes about his Asian heritage, which has led to criticism from some. Speaking to Vice News at the 2020 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum in Des Moines, the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur defended his use of stereotypes and suggested that humor is an effective way to expose their silliness.
“Making light of these stereotypes and dragging them into the light is not a bad thing,” Yang said. “By poking fun at these things, we can actually see them for how ridiculous they are.”
The Democratic candidate often notes his proficiency at math and has also joked that he “knows lots of doctors,” which has caused some pushback from the Asian American community.
Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Marie Myung-Ok Lee noted Yang has struggled to become noticed by mainstream media outlets — a pervasive pattern throughout his campaign — and suggested his deployment of stereotypes may be a strategy to subvert them to gain attention.
“I am not a Yang partisan. I wrote an article in September criticizing him for using model minority stereotypes, such as calling himself ‘an Asian guy good at math.’ But now, I’m wondering if Yang, denied visibility, is deploying stereotypes as a subversive way to actually get visibility.”
Regardless, Yang’s humor has been accepted by many of his supporters. In addition, he has drawn attention from numerous comedians, including Dave Chappelle, Norm Macdonald, and Hannibal Buress, all of whom have endorsed his campaign.
Elsewhere in the Vice News interview, Yang touched on his campaign’s signature proposal: the “Freedom Dividend,” which refers to a universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000 per month for every American. He also addressed the value-added tax (VAT) he proposes to pay for his UBI, which is criticized by some for typically falling heavily onto people with less money.
According to Yang, the VAT would certainly fall onto the poorest “in a vacuum.” However, he notes that his policy would make the tax fall heaviest on artificial intelligence and luxury goods while exempting products like milk, diapers, and toilet paper.
Despite some criticism of his approach, Yang said he is “100 percent confident” that putting over $40 billion into the hands of minority communities would be a “major positive.” He also said he would be “all for” adjusting his approach based on knowledge gained during its operation.
Yang is currently sixth in the polls, with an average of 3.8 percent support. He is behind Michael Bloomberg, who has 7 percent support, and ahead of Amy Klobuchar with 3 percent.


inquisitr--2020-01-21--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says Billionaires Need To ‘Give Up Control And Power’

Speaking at the Human Rights : MLK Now 2020 in Harlem ’ s Riverside Church on Monday , New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke about her belief that billionaires must give up their power in the name of ethics , Breitbart reports .
“ If Jeff Bezos wants to be a good person , you turn Amazon into a worker cooperative , ” she said .
The 30-year-old progressive firebrand noted that billionaires often have control over a “ massive system.
” “ It means that you own oil supplies .
It means that you control textiles .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force under your control , ” she continued .
Ocasio-Cortez — who is campaigning with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — also took aim at the Democratic Party as a whole .
She said that the current iteration of the party is not progressive but one that represents centrists and those to the center-right of the political spectrum .
The Boston University alumna also lamented the lack of a floor vote on Medicare for All and suggested this failure stems from the political centrism of the party .
Despite her belief that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ocasio-Cortez claimed that there are some members who have joined her movement to push the party left along with Sanders .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , Ocasio-Cortez has refused to pay the $ 250,000 in mandatory dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ( DCC ) , noting that she has not felt welcomed in the party following her win against long-standing Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley .
She also suggested that her mandatory dues are too high , highlighting her age as well as her purported $ 20,000 in student loan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angry at Ocasio-Cortez ’ s decision to take a stand against the Democratic establishment , she noted that she has helped raise more than $ 300,000 for the party during her tenure .
Notably , the freshman congresswoman outperformed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with her third-quarter fundraising , taking in $ 1.4 million through her grassroots campaign .
Comparatively , Pelosi — known for her consistent fundraising — took in $ 1.26 million .
Pelosi has clashed with Ocasio-Cortez , as well as fellow progressive congresswomen Ayanna Pressley , Ilhan Omar , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as The Squad .

Speaking at the Human Rights: MLK Now 2020 in Harlem’s Riverside Church on Monday, New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke about her belief that billionaires must give up their power in the name of ethics, Breitbart reports.
“If Jeff Bezos wants to be a good person, you turn Amazon into a worker cooperative,” she said.
“You know, like what do I do with all this money that I have created with this unjust system?”
The 30-year-old progressive firebrand noted that billionaires often have control over a “massive system.”
“It means that you own oil supplies. It means that you control textiles. It means that you have a massive labor force under your control,” she continued.
“And to be ethical, if you’re a billionaire today, the thing that you need to do is give up control and power. So I don’t want your money as much as we want your power. The people. Not me.”
Ocasio-Cortez — who is campaigning with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — also took aim at the Democratic Party as a whole. She said that the current iteration of the party is not progressive but one that represents centrists and those to the center-right of the political spectrum. The Boston University alumna also lamented the lack of a floor vote on Medicare for All and suggested this failure stems from the political centrism of the party.
Despite her belief that the current Democratic Party is not progressive enough, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that there are some members who have joined her movement to push the party left along with Sanders.
"Poverty is not a law of nature. Homelessness is not dictated by the laws of physics. They’re dictated and created by ourselves. We have decided to accept these things, and we can decide to not accept them anymore." – @AOC pic.twitter.com/SbSdmw6pwV — Union Seminary (@UnionSeminary) January 21, 2020
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Ocasio-Cortez has refused to pay the $250,000 in mandatory dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCC), noting that she has not felt welcomed in the party following her win against long-standing Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley. She also suggested that her mandatory dues are too high, highlighting her age as well as her purported $20,000 in student loan debt.
While Democratic insiders are reportedly angry at Ocasio-Cortez’s decision to take a stand against the Democratic establishment, she noted that she has helped raise more than $300,000 for the party during her tenure. Notably, the freshman congresswoman outperformed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with her third-quarter fundraising, taking in $1.4 million through her grassroots campaign. Comparatively, Pelosi — known for her consistent fundraising — took in $1.26 million.
Pelosi has clashed with Ocasio-Cortez, as well as fellow progressive congresswomen Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, who are collectively known as The Squad.


inquisitr--2020-01-21--#ILikeBernie Trends After Hillary Clinton Says ‘Nobody Likes’ Him

Social media responded swiftly to Hillary Clinton ’ s claim that “ nobody likes ” Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders by pushing # ILikeBernie to the No .
1 United States trend on Twitter .
Per The Hill , Sanders ’ supporters suggested that any dislike toward the rising candidates from lawmakers on Capitol Hill is likely a positive sign for those yearning for a change from the moderate Democrats that currently dominate Congress .
Others noted Clinton ’ s failure in 2016 and her own troubles with likability .
“ Imagine being so disliked by millions to the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having the hubris to say someone else is ‘ unlikable , ' ” tweeted independent media host Tim Black , who added that Clinton is “ shockingly tone deaf.
” Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson thanked Clinton for her comments in a tweet that included a screenshot of his recent donation to Sanders ’ campaign , Newsweek reported .
Nina Turner , who co-chairs Sanders ’ national campaign , suggested that Clinton ’ s attack was timed to distract the movement from its goal amid the lead-up to the Iowa caucuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Michigan gubernatorial candidate , said that Clinton ’ s attack was an attempt to bully Sanders and his supporters .
Many have noted Clinton ’ s own unfavorable rating , which The Guardian reports has haunted her for years .
The publication notes her missing emails , Wall Street ties , and alleged responsibility for the security failures that paved the way for the Benghazi attack .
Even before the 2016 election , The Guardian reports that perception of Clinton was negative for some time , noting reports of her being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to deal with ” and criticism of her decision to keep her maiden name after marrying Bill Clinton .
Sanders has been rising in the polls , which has reportedly been worrying members of the Democratic establishment .
As The Inquisitr reported , President Barack Obama and his allies allegedly “ hate ” Sanders and reportedly have no idea how to stop his surge .
According to statements from a former senior Obama campaign staffer , the former president ’ s allies hold a grudge against Sanders that likely stems from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidacy , which is purportedly based on the belief that Obama was not progressive .

Social media responded swiftly to Hillary Clinton’s claim that “nobody likes” Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders by pushing #ILikeBernie to the No. 1 United States trend on Twitter.
Per The Hill, Sanders’ supporters suggested that any dislike toward the rising candidates from lawmakers on Capitol Hill is likely a positive sign for those yearning for a change from the moderate Democrats that currently dominate Congress. Others noted Clinton’s failure in 2016 and her own troubles with likability.
“Imagine being so disliked by millions to the point of losing to Donald Trump yet still having the hubris to say someone else is ‘unlikable,'” tweeted independent media host Tim Black, who added that Clinton is “shockingly tone deaf.”
Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson thanked Clinton for her comments in a tweet that included a screenshot of his recent donation to Sanders’ campaign, Newsweek reported.
“HillaryClinton thanks for the motivation. Every time you trash him, I will give more #iLikeBernie #RespondWithSolidarity.”
Nina Turner, who co-chairs Sanders’ national campaign, suggested that Clinton’s attack was timed to distract the movement from its goal amid the lead-up to the Iowa caucuses.
Abdul El-Sayed, an author and former Michigan gubernatorial candidate, said that Clinton’s attack was an attempt to bully Sanders and his supporters.
“It’s a marginalizing tool of elites — on the schoolyard or in politics. Well, I like @BernieSanders. He’s my friend + millions of others. Why? Rather than say nobody likes us, he’s fighting for us.”
#Bernie2020 Fam, stay fierce & stay focused. The moment to respond to resentful smears will come, but our mission is too important to stray from the work. "Perfectly timed" attacks are meant to bait us away from expanding our coalition. We have the MOMENTUM 🙌🏾📈#iLikeBernie pic.twitter.com/MoofyGgZO9 — Nina Turner (@ninaturner) January 21, 2020
Many have noted Clinton’s own unfavorable rating, which The Guardian reports has haunted her for years. The publication notes her missing emails, Wall Street ties, and alleged responsibility for the security failures that paved the way for the Benghazi attack.
Even before the 2016 election, The Guardian reports that perception of Clinton was negative for some time, noting reports of her being a “militant feminist” that is “difficult to deal with” and criticism of her decision to keep her maiden name after marrying Bill Clinton.
Sanders has been rising in the polls, which has reportedly been worrying members of the Democratic establishment. As The Inquisitr reported, President Barack Obama and his allies allegedly “hate” Sanders and reportedly have no idea how to stop his surge.
According to statements from a former senior Obama campaign staffer, the former president’s allies hold a grudge against Sanders that likely stems from the platform of the Vermont Senator’s candidacy, which is purportedly based on the belief that Obama was not progressive.


inquisitr--2020-01-21--Iranian Lawmaker Offers $3 Million To Anyone Who Assassinates Donald Trump

A lawmaker in Iran is reportedly pledging $ 3 million to anyone who assassinates President Donald Trump .
According to Reuters , Ahmad Hamzeh made the shocking offer in front of the Iranian parliament , indicating that relations between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern country are still on shaky ground .
It ’ s not clear if the offer has any official backing from Iranian rulers , but the comments appeared on the state-run ISNA news outlet .
“ On behalf of the people of Kerman province , we will pay a $ 3 million reward in cash to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kerman was the hometown of Qassem Soleimani , the Iranian military leader whose killing by drone strike touched off increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran .
The strike , which took place near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3 , was reportedly ordered by Trump .
The strike prompted Iran to fire missiles at several U.S. military sites in the Middle East and purportedly resulted in a passenger jet being shot out of the air after Iran mistakenly believed the airliner was an incoming missile from the U.S. in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mistake on the U.S. , a sentiment echoed by other prominent world leaders , such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
“ And that ’ s why this first step of admission of responsibility is an important one by Iran but there are many other questions like that one that will need clear answers to in the coming days and weeks , ” Trudeau said .
The Iranian lawmaker went on to argue that if the country had nuclear weapons , they wouldn ’ t be in the position that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had nuclear weapons today , we would be protected from threats… We should put the production of long-range missiles capable of carrying unconventional warheads on our agenda .
This is our natural right , ” he said .
Iran ’ s desire to have nuclear weapons has been a major topic of concern not just for the Trump administration but for previous administrations as well .
The United States has accused the country of attempting to obtain or build nuclear arms , while Iranian leaders say that they have not and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran has conducted nuclear work , but they insist that its purpose is for research and to generate electricity .
In 2015 , an accord was reached that aimed at making it take longer for Iran to obtain the material it needs to create a bomb .
However , Washington withdrew from the pact , and Iran has gradually stepped away from the deal .

A lawmaker in Iran is reportedly pledging $3 million to anyone who assassinates President Donald Trump. According to Reuters, Ahmad Hamzeh made the shocking offer in front of the Iranian parliament, indicating that relations between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern country are still on shaky ground.
It’s not clear if the offer has any official backing from Iranian rulers, but the comments appeared on the state-run ISNA news outlet.
“On behalf of the people of Kerman province, we will pay a $3 million reward in cash to whoever kills Trump,” Hamzeh said.
Kerman was the hometown of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian military leader whose killing by drone strike touched off increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The strike, which took place near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3, was reportedly ordered by Trump.
The strike prompted Iran to fire missiles at several U.S. military sites in the Middle East and purportedly resulted in a passenger jet being shot out of the air after Iran mistakenly believed the airliner was an incoming missile from the U.S. in retaliation for the attack.
Iran blamed the mistake on the U.S., a sentiment echoed by other prominent world leaders, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“And that’s why this first step of admission of responsibility is an important one by Iran but there are many other questions like that one that will need clear answers to in the coming days and weeks,” Trudeau said.
The Iranian lawmaker went on to argue that if the country had nuclear weapons, they wouldn’t be in the position that they are in right now.
“If we had nuclear weapons today, we would be protected from threats… We should put the production of long-range missiles capable of carrying unconventional warheads on our agenda. This is our natural right,” he said.
Iran’s desire to have nuclear weapons has been a major topic of concern not just for the Trump administration but for previous administrations as well. The United States has accused the country of attempting to obtain or build nuclear arms, while Iranian leaders say that they have not and will not attempt to build a nuclear arsenal.
Iran has conducted nuclear work, but they insist that its purpose is for research and to generate electricity.
In 2015, an accord was reached that aimed at making it take longer for Iran to obtain the material it needs to create a bomb. However, Washington withdrew from the pact, and Iran has gradually stepped away from the deal.


inquisitr--2020-01-21--Mitch McConnell Reportedly Worried Donald Trump Will Do Or Say Something Before Impeachment Ends

Mitch McConnell has purportedly been open about his desire to hurry the impeachment trial through the Senate , but a new report from The Daily Beast says that it isn ’ t just a desire to get back to business as usual that is making the Senate majority leader want to rush .
Reportedly , McConnell is also worried that there will be new bombshells — or that President Donald Trump may do or say something that could disrupt the trial before it can conclude .
The Senate debates and votes on the rules for the impeachment trial on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to get the proceedings over as quickly as possible , in part because a long trial could harm the reelection chances for some GOP senators in battleground areas .
They ’ ve also said that they don ’ t want the trial to turn into a “ circus.
” But that ’ s seemingly not the only reason for an expeditious process .
During the period of time between when the House passed two articles of impeachment against the president — one for obstruction of Congress and one for abusing the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the time when the articles were forwarded to the Senate , multiple new claims emerged relating to the events surrounding the Ukraine conversations that are the focus of the impeachment .
Claims from Lev Parnas — and a report from a federal government watchdog asserting that funds withheld from Ukraine were held back illegally — have added to arguments from Democrats against Trump .
McConnell can ’ t control Trump ’ s Twitter account , and the president has been known to reveal information — or make proclamations — using that account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Monday night that prosecutors and Trump ’ s defense team will only get two days to present their arguments .
Following that , senators will only have a few hours for questions .
At that point , the Senate can vote on whether it will review additional evidence or hear from any witnesses .
Reportedly , at this point , it doesn ’ t appear that any witnesses will be called .
Sen. Chris Van Hollen told The Daily Beast that witnesses could change the result of the trial .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what will happen if you have witnesses and documents , ” he said .
“ It can change the dynamic of the trial .
As to whether it ’ ll change the ultimate outcome , that ’ s for senators to decide after hearing all the witnesses.
” Many people expect the Senate to acquit the president , as Sen. Ted Cruz recently confirmed .
“ We will respect due process , both sides will be allowed to present their case , ” he said .
“ And then we will decide the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution , and I am confident at the end of this proceeding the result will be an acquittal .
”

Mitch McConnell has purportedly been open about his desire to hurry the impeachment trial through the Senate, but a new report from The Daily Beast says that it isn’t just a desire to get back to business as usual that is making the Senate majority leader want to rush. Reportedly, McConnell is also worried that there will be new bombshells — or that President Donald Trump may do or say something that could disrupt the trial before it can conclude.
The Senate debates and votes on the rules for the impeachment trial on Tuesday. Republicans have reportedly said that they want to get the proceedings over as quickly as possible, in part because a long trial could harm the reelection chances for some GOP senators in battleground areas. They’ve also said that they don’t want the trial to turn into a “circus.” But that’s seemingly not the only reason for an expeditious process.
During the period of time between when the House passed two articles of impeachment against the president — one for obstruction of Congress and one for abusing the power of the office of the president — and the time when the articles were forwarded to the Senate, multiple new claims emerged relating to the events surrounding the Ukraine conversations that are the focus of the impeachment.
Claims from Lev Parnas — and a report from a federal government watchdog asserting that funds withheld from Ukraine were held back illegally — have added to arguments from Democrats against Trump.
McConnell can’t control Trump’s Twitter account, and the president has been known to reveal information — or make proclamations — using that account, The Daily Beast argues.
‘This body, this chamber, exists precisely so that we can look past daily dramas and understand how our actions will reverberate for generations. The House’s hour is over. The Senate’s time is at hand. It is time for this proud body to honor our founding purpose.’ pic.twitter.com/MYYkUmgV84 — Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) January 16, 2020
McConnell said on Monday night that prosecutors and Trump’s defense team will only get two days to present their arguments. Following that, senators will only have a few hours for questions. At that point, the Senate can vote on whether it will review additional evidence or hear from any witnesses. Reportedly, at this point, it doesn’t appear that any witnesses will be called. Sen. Chris Van Hollen told The Daily Beast that witnesses could change the result of the trial.
“In a trial, you never know what will happen if you have witnesses and documents,” he said. “It can change the dynamic of the trial. As to whether it’ll change the ultimate outcome, that’s for senators to decide after hearing all the witnesses.”
Many people expect the Senate to acquit the president, as Sen. Ted Cruz recently confirmed.
“We will respect due process, both sides will be allowed to present their case,” he said. “And then we will decide the matter pursuant to the law and the Constitution, and I am confident at the end of this proceeding the result will be an acquittal.”


inquisitr--2020-01-21--Hillary Clinton Says ‘Nobody Likes’ Bernie Sanders, Won’t Commit To Supporting Him Against Donald Tr

Hillary Clinton Says ‘Nobody Likes’ Bernie Sanders, Won’t Commit To Supporting Him Against Donald Trump

Sanders is the most popular senator in the country , according to research , and he has the the highest favorability rating of all Democratic presidential candidates .
Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee , Hillary Clinton , is weighing in on the 2020 presidential race .
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Clinton — who is now busy promoting Hillary , a four-part documentary about her life — opened up about a variety of issues , including Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ‘ 2020 White House bid .
As The Hollywood Reporter notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to premiere at the Sundance film festival — Clinton blasts Sanders as unaccomplished and universally disliked .
“ Nobody likes him , nobody wants to work with him , he got nothing done , ” she said .
She then repeated the criticism during her interview , saying that her assessment of the senator still holds .
Speaking with the publication , Clinton further expanded upon her assessment of Sanders , refusing to commit to supporting him in the general election against President Donald Trump , should Sanders win the Democratic nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will you endorse and campaign for him ?
” Clinton was asked .
“ I ’ m not going to go there yet , ” the former secretary of state replied , proceeding to slam Sanders , members of his campaign , and his supporters .
According to Clinton , Sanders ’ online supporters get a “ wink ” from the campaign and go on the attack against women running for president , slandering candidates such as Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren .
Clinton also suggested that Sanders ’ 2016 comment about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commander-in-chief needs to be understood as part of a broader “ pattern ” of problematic statements .
Clinton ’ s claims about Sanders ’ alleged unpopularity contradict polling .
According to Morning Consult , Sanders has the highest favorability rating of any Democratic presidential candidate .
71 percent of Democratic primary voters hold a favorable view of Sanders and only 17 percent view him unfavorably .
Furthermore , according to research , Sanders is the most popular senator in the United States , approved by 65 percent of his constituents .
Clinton also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House hopefuls , including Warren and Amy Klobuchar .
She praised both candidates , issuing a warning regarding the general election .
According to Clinton , Democrats will have to find a way to deal with voter suppression , Russian interference , and various disinformation tactics .
Looking at the polling , the primary race appears to be narrowing down to two candidates : Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden .
The two men have spent the last several weeks contrasting records and aggressively pitching themselves to voters , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for cuts to Social Security .

Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, is weighing in on the 2020 presidential race.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clinton — who is now busy promoting Hillary, a four-part documentary about her life — opened up about a variety of issues, including Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders‘ 2020 White House bid.
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, in the documentary — which is set to premiere at the Sundance film festival — Clinton blasts Sanders as unaccomplished and universally disliked.
“Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done,” she said. She then repeated the criticism during her interview, saying that her assessment of the senator still holds.
Speaking with the publication, Clinton further expanded upon her assessment of Sanders, refusing to commit to supporting him in the general election against President Donald Trump, should Sanders win the Democratic nomination.
“If he gets the nomination, will you endorse and campaign for him?” Clinton was asked.
“I’m not going to go there yet,” the former secretary of state replied, proceeding to slam Sanders, members of his campaign, and his supporters.
“I will say, however, that it’s not only him, it’s the culture around him. It’s his leadership team. It’s his prominent supporters. It’s his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women.”
According to Clinton, Sanders’ online supporters get a “wink” from the campaign and go on the attack against women running for president, slandering candidates such as Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. Clinton also suggested that Sanders’ 2016 comment about her being “unqualified” to be commander-in-chief needs to be understood as part of a broader “pattern” of problematic statements.
Clinton’s claims about Sanders’ alleged unpopularity contradict polling. According to Morning Consult, Sanders has the highest favorability rating of any Democratic presidential candidate. 71 percent of Democratic primary voters hold a favorable view of Sanders and only 17 percent view him unfavorably.
Furthermore, according to research, Sanders is the most popular senator in the United States, approved by 65 percent of his constituents.
Clinton also revealed that she held meetings with Democratic White House hopefuls, including Warren and Amy Klobuchar. She praised both candidates, issuing a warning regarding the general election. According to Clinton, Democrats will have to find a way to deal with voter suppression, Russian interference, and various disinformation tactics.
Looking at the polling, the primary race appears to be narrowing down to two candidates: Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. The two men have spent the last several weeks contrasting records and aggressively pitching themselves to voters, with the Vermont senator attacking Biden over his past support for cuts to Social Security.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--Saudi Crown Prince Likely Hacked Jared Kushner’s Phone, Had ‘Secret Access’ For Years, Says Ryan Gri

Saudi Crown Prince Likely Hacked Jared Kushner’s Phone, Had ‘Secret Access’ For Years, Says Ryan Grim

A bombshell report from The Guardian found that Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman hacked the cellphone of Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos .
Ryan Grim , the Washington , D.C. , bureau chief for The Intercept , took to Twitter to discuss the implications of the hack on the White House and suggested Jared Kushner was likely also compromised , Raw Story reported .
Grim added that Donald Trump forced Kushner ’ s White House security clearance to go through .
He linked to a 2018 report from The Intercept that alleged the crown prince bragged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his pocket , ” per a source close to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati royal families .
Elsewhere in the report , the publication noted that U.S. government officials have warned of Kushner ’ s access to sensitive foreign policy issues , pointing to his lack of experience and cautioning that he could be a target for foreign officials .
At the time of publication , former special counsel Robert Mueller was reportedly looking into the presidential son-in-law ’ s business ties .
Peter Mirijanian , a spokesperson for Kushner ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications with the crown prince .
“ Without commenting on who he talks with and how he does his work , Mr. Kushner is in conformity with the Presidential Records Act and other rules , ” he said .
Kushner was reportedly later instructed by his attorneys to avoid using the popular Facebook-owned app for official business .
Along with Grim , Justin Sink , a White House correspondent for Bloomberg News , also expressed concern about the possibility that the crown prince hacked phones linked to the White House .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ever sent certain senior members of the White House video messages via WhatsApp , ” he said of The Guardian ‘ s report .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used an April House hearing to address reports of top White House officials conversing with other countries using WhatsApp .
She suggested that the issue was a matter of life and death , noting that “ every day ” that goes by without addressing the topic is “ putting hundreds if not potentially thousands of Americans at risk.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time that his client followed all classified information protocols .
However , he stopped short of confirming whether he used the app to contact foreign officials .

A bombshell report from The Guardian found that Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman hacked the cellphone of Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos.
Ryan Grim, the Washington, D.C., bureau chief for The Intercept, took to Twitter to discuss the implications of the hack on the White House and suggested Jared Kushner was likely also compromised, Raw Story reported.
“As we previously reported, Kushner chatted regularly with MBS on WhatsApp. It is near-certain that MBS pulled this same hack on Kushner and Saudi [Arabia] has therefore had secret access to his phone for years.”
Grim added that Donald Trump forced Kushner’s White House security clearance to go through. He linked to a 2018 report from The Intercept that alleged the crown prince bragged to Saudi figures that Kushner was “in his pocket,” per a source close to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati royal families.
Elsewhere in the report, the publication noted that U.S. government officials have warned of Kushner’s access to sensitive foreign policy issues, pointing to his lack of experience and cautioning that he could be a target for foreign officials. At the time of publication, former special counsel Robert Mueller was reportedly looking into the presidential son-in-law’s business ties.
Peter Mirijanian, a spokesperson for Kushner’s lawyer, commented on the alleged WhatsApp communications with the crown prince.
“Without commenting on who he talks with and how he does his work, Mr. Kushner is in conformity with the Presidential Records Act and other rules,” he said.
Kushner was reportedly later instructed by his attorneys to avoid using the popular Facebook-owned app for official business.
Remember this image? Jeff Bezos & Saudi crown prince MBS laughing together in 2018. Well, apparently, it was followed by a friendly Whatsapp exchange between the 2 men. Now it turns out, reports the Guardian, MBS used that Whatsapp exchange to hack Bezos's phone! Wow. Just wow. pic.twitter.com/CAI45ifaPI — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) January 21, 2020
Along with Grim, Justin Sink, a White House correspondent for Bloomberg News, also expressed concern about the possibility that the crown prince hacked phones linked to the White House.
“This invites the obvious question of if MBS has ever sent certain senior members of the White House video messages via WhatsApp,” he said of The Guardian‘s report.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used an April House hearing to address reports of top White House officials conversing with other countries using WhatsApp. She suggested that the issue was a matter of life and death, noting that “every day” that goes by without addressing the topic is “putting hundreds if not potentially thousands of Americans at risk.”
Kushner lawyer Abbe Lowell said at the time that his client followed all classified information protocols. However, he stopped short of confirming whether he used the app to contact foreign officials.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--New Poll Shows 71 Percent Of Republicans Want Mitch McConnell To Allow Witnesses At Impeachment Tria

New Poll Shows 71 Percent Of Republicans Want Mitch McConnell To Allow Witnesses At Impeachment Trial

A new poll shows that a significant number of Republicans want to see witnesses at Donald Trump ‘ s impeachment trial .
The poll from SurveyUSA found that 71 percent of GOP voters believe that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should call witnesses in the upcoming trial that will determine whether the president should be removed from office .
As Newsweek noted , the poll found that voters across the political spectrum agree .
A total of 93 percent of Democratic voters and 81 percent of Independents said that witnesses should be allowed to testify .
Few are in disagreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 percent of Independents , and 4 percent of Democrats said there should not be witnesses .
The issue was at the forefront as the impeachment trial kicked off this week .
Democrats are seeking to call a number of top White House officials who had firsthand knowledge of the president ’ s alleged attempts to pressure Ukraine into launching an investigation of political rival Joe Biden .
Republicans , led by McConnell , have pushed back .
At the trial on Tuesday , Democrats proposed an amendment to the rules that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents and witnesses .
As the New York Post noted , the Senate voted along party lines to table the amendment , but the topic is sure to come back again during the trial .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had withheld transmitting the articles of impeachment for several weeks as Democrats insisted on knowing the Senate rules for the trial and made a public push for witnesses .
During that time , there were a series of damaging revelations against Trump , including newly released emails that showed the Pentagon ’ s worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine .
As the report noted , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the public deserves to see the information that the White House has been withholding .
“ The witnesses I ’ ve requested have gotten a lot of attention — and rightfully so , ” Schumer said .
“ The documents are of equal importance .
People should understand that the documents can shed as much light on why the [ military ] aid was cut off , who did it , and how it evolved , as the witnesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ need documents and that ’ s why it ’ s our first call.
” The latest poll results suggest that the American public would side with Schumer , though with Republicans holding a 53-47 edge in the Senate , they would have the ability to block any requests from Democrats and have full power to set rules for the trial .

A new poll shows that a significant number of Republicans want to see witnesses at Donald Trump‘s impeachment trial.
The poll from SurveyUSA found that 71 percent of GOP voters believe that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should call witnesses in the upcoming trial that will determine whether the president should be removed from office. As Newsweek noted, the poll found that voters across the political spectrum agree. A total of 93 percent of Democratic voters and 81 percent of Independents said that witnesses should be allowed to testify.
Few are in disagreement. Just 15 percent of Republicans, 7 percent of Independents, and 4 percent of Democrats said there should not be witnesses.
The issue was at the forefront as the impeachment trial kicked off this week. Democrats are seeking to call a number of top White House officials who had firsthand knowledge of the president’s alleged attempts to pressure Ukraine into launching an investigation of political rival Joe Biden. Republicans, led by McConnell, have pushed back.
At the trial on Tuesday, Democrats proposed an amendment to the rules that would allow them to issue subpoenas for additional documents and witnesses. As the New York Post noted, the Senate voted along party lines to table the amendment, but the topic is sure to come back again during the trial.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had withheld transmitting the articles of impeachment for several weeks as Democrats insisted on knowing the Senate rules for the trial and made a public push for witnesses. During that time, there were a series of damaging revelations against Trump, including newly released emails that showed the Pentagon’s worry about the president withholding military aid for Ukraine.
As the report noted, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the public deserves to see the information that the White House has been withholding.
“The witnesses I’ve requested have gotten a lot of attention — and rightfully so,” Schumer said.
“The documents are of equal importance. People should understand that the documents can shed as much light on why the [military] aid was cut off, who did it, and how it evolved, as the witnesses. And we feel very strongly that we need documents and that’s why it’s our first call.”
The latest poll results suggest that the American public would side with Schumer, though with Republicans holding a 53-47 edge in the Senate, they would have the ability to block any requests from Democrats and have full power to set rules for the trial.


inquisitr--2020-01-21--Joe Biden Surges To First Place In Latest Iowa Poll

Just two weeks remain until the critical Iowa caucuses , and it appears that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pulled ahead to grab the top spot , reports Politico .
Iowa is the first of the voting states for the Democratic nomination , and a victory for the former vice president would greatly suggest that he would win the nomination .
According to a poll conducted by The Focus on Rural America , Biden currently commands a strong lead at 24 percent .
Next behind him comes Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren at 18 percent , South Bend , Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders at 14 percent .
The survey covered 500 likely voters and was conducted between January 15 and 18 .
The margin of error is 4.4 percentage points .
That said , what might have been the biggest finding from the poll was that a statistically high number of Democratic voters claimed that they would not necessarily vote for another Democrat if their chosen candidate was not given the nomination .
In response to what voters would do if their first choice in the caucuses was not available , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic candidate , while 17 percent said they would remain uncommitted .
Four percent said they would go home .
“ It is significant the 17 percent [ who ] say they will remain uncommitted and may indicate that uncommitted will be viable in several precincts , ” a statement from the group says .
For those that said they would go with another candidate , Biden reigned supreme once again .
The former Delaware senator earned 24 percent of votes , while Buttigieg received 21 percent , Warren 16 percent , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is currently at first place in Iowa comes after Sanders had been holding the lead .
As was previously reported by The Inquisitr , the self-described democratic-socialist had previously placed first with 20 percent of the vote , with Warren behind him at 17 percent .
However , a recent spat between Warren and Sanders over whether the former Burlington mayor had said that a woman could not win the presidency may have hurt both campaigns .
Moreover , Biden might have earned some support after winning the first high-profile endorsement from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month .
The 31-year-old is considered by many politicos to be a rising star in the party and is the second-youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress , behind Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
“ Joe Biden ’ s character , record , and commitment to rebuilding the backbone of the country — the middle class — is what Iowa and this country needs , ” Finkenauer said in her endorsement , as reported by CNN .

Just two weeks remain until the critical Iowa caucuses, and it appears that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pulled ahead to grab the top spot, reports Politico. Iowa is the first of the voting states for the Democratic nomination, and a victory for the former vice president would greatly suggest that he would win the nomination.
According to a poll conducted by The Focus on Rural America, Biden currently commands a strong lead at 24 percent. Next behind him comes Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren at 18 percent, South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg at 16 percent, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders at 14 percent.
The survey covered 500 likely voters and was conducted between January 15 and 18. The margin of error is 4.4 percentage points.
That said, what might have been the biggest finding from the poll was that a statistically high number of Democratic voters claimed that they would not necessarily vote for another Democrat if their chosen candidate was not given the nomination.
In response to what voters would do if their first choice in the caucuses was not available, 75 percent said they would choose another Democratic candidate, while 17 percent said they would remain uncommitted. Four percent said they would go home.
“It is significant the 17 percent [who] say they will remain uncommitted and may indicate that uncommitted will be viable in several precincts,” a statement from the group says.
For those that said they would go with another candidate, Biden reigned supreme once again. The former Delaware senator earned 24 percent of votes, while Buttigieg received 21 percent, Warren 16 percent, and Klobuchar seven percent.
The news that Biden is currently at first place in Iowa comes after Sanders had been holding the lead. As was previously reported by The Inquisitr, the self-described democratic-socialist had previously placed first with 20 percent of the vote, with Warren behind him at 17 percent.
However, a recent spat between Warren and Sanders over whether the former Burlington mayor had said that a woman could not win the presidency may have hurt both campaigns.
Moreover, Biden might have earned some support after winning the first high-profile endorsement from an Iowan — Representative Abby Finkenauer — earlier this month. The 31-year-old is considered by many politicos to be a rising star in the party and is the second-youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress, behind Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Joe Biden’s character, record, and commitment to rebuilding the backbone of the country — the middle class — is what Iowa and this country needs,” Finkenauer said in her endorsement, as reported by CNN.


inquisitr--2020-01-23--Donald Trump’s Doral Resort Doubled Its Prices During His Visit, Could Increase Taxpayer Costs

Donald Trump ’ s Doral golf resort in Miami , Florida raised the price of its rooms just prior to the White House announcing that the president would be visiting the club .
The cheapest room at the hotel was $ 254 , but just before it was made public that Trump would be at his club , the rates for the cheapest rooms rocketed to $ 539 , according to HuffPost .
On Thursday , Trump will speak at a Republican National Committee meeting at the resort , something that has been in the works for weeks .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a few hours , dozens of staffers will need to join the president .
To get the event up and running , government employees will likely stay at the resort in advance and during the meeting .
That means that taxpayer costs for the visit could be increased .
The inflated cost for the room falls just under the maximum that federal employees can spend for a room in the area .
It ’ s triple the per diem rate that employees should aim for .
During early January , rooms could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of the RNC meeting , but after the White House began preparing for Trump ’ s visit to the resort , the rates jumped on January 14 to $ 539 a night during the same timeframe .
The White House didn ’ t reveal how much Trump ’ s advance team will pay for the visit , nor did they reveal how many staffers would be brought out for the event .
The Doral resort staffers also declined to reveal how much federal employees are being charged for the stay .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also refused to give details on the number of staffers that would be staying at the resort and how much they would be charged .
“ For operational security reasons , the Secret Service does not discuss our protectees or our protective means and methods .
This includes personnel numbers associated with a particular protective visit , ” a spokesperson for the Secret Service said .
Trump has been accused of using his office as president to line his pockets on numerous occasions in the past .
He has also been accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay for his travel because he wants to visit his properties .
“ What better way to defend yourself in an impeachment trial over abuse of power than to jet to your private golf resort on the public dime , secure lots of publicity for the club on the public dime , and then , possibly , rip off taxpayers by forcing them to pay extra for the staff whose costs at the resort are billed to ‘ we the people , ' ” Robert Weissman , president of a government watchdog @ @ @

Donald Trump’s Doral golf resort in Miami raised the price of its rooms just prior to the White House announcing that the president would be visiting the club. The cheapest room at the hotel was $254, but just before it was made public that Trump would be there, the rates for the cheapest rooms rocketed to $539, according to HuffPost.
On Thursday, Trump will speak at a Republican National Committee meeting at the resort, something that has been in the works for weeks. While the president will only be at the property for a few hours, dozens of staffers will need to join him for the event. To get the meeting up and running, government employees will likely stay at the resort in advance and during the event. Paying for these rooms — which have an increased rate — means that taxpayer costs for the visit could be increased.
The inflated room cost falls just under the maximum amount federal employees can spend for a room in the Miami area. It’s triple the per diem rate that employees should aim for. During early January — before the announcement that Trump would be there — rooms were being sold for $254 during the days of the RNC meeting. After the White House began preparing for Trump’s visit however, the rates jumped on January 14 to $539 a night for the same timeframe.
The White House didn’t reveal how much Trump’s advance team will pay for the visit, nor did they reveal how many staffers would be brought out for the event. The Doral resort staffers also declined to reveal how much federal employees are being charged for the stay. The Trump Organization, which owns the resort, also refused to give details on the number of staffers that would be staying at the resort and how much they would be charged.
“For operational security reasons, the Secret Service does not discuss our protectees or our protective means and methods. This includes personnel numbers associated with a particular protective visit,” a spokesperson for the Secret Service said.
Trump has been accused of using his office as president to line his pockets on numerous occasions in the past. He has also been accused of raising the price that taxpayers have to pay for his travel because he wants to visit his properties.
“What better way to defend yourself in an impeachment trial over abuse of power than to jet to your private golf resort on the public dime, secure lots of publicity for the club on the public dime, and then, possibly, rip off taxpayers by forcing them to pay extra for the staff whose costs at the resort are billed to ‘we the people,'” Robert Weissman, president of a government watchdog group said.


inquisitr--2020-01-23--Joe Biden Says He Would Not Testify In Donald Trump’s Impeachment Trial

Joe Biden is pushing back against suggestions that he might be called as a witness in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , saying he did not want to feed into a “ farce.
” As the impeachment trial begins and both sides make opening arguments , Republicans have suggested that both the former vice president and his son , Hunter Biden , should testify .
Trump was impeached by the House after evidence that he pressured Ukraine to announce an investigation into the Bidens based on what is widely considered unfounded allegations of corruption .
Republicans have suggested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump ’ s actions to pressure Ukraine .
After some initial reports that Democrats were considering offering Biden as a witness in exchange for their own witnesses who they believe would cement the case against Trump , Biden said he would not go for it .
“ The reason why I would not make the deal , the bottom line is , I , this is a constitutional issue , ” he said , via CNN .
Biden was responding to a question from a voter at a campaign event in Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month .
Biden has been focusing on the campaign trail while several of his primary opponents returned to Washington for the impeachment trial .
Despite the reports that Democrats were considering a deal where the Bidens would testify in exchange for top White House officials like acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton , that deal now appears to be dead .
As CNN reported , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that consideration was “ off the table.
” House Intelligence Chairman Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , also pushed back and said that such a trade would only allow Trump and Republicans to continue to attack a political opponent and would be an abuse of the impeachment trial .
Biden has grown defensive of son Hunter as he came under attack , accusing Republicans of improperly going after his family .
In a Democratic debate last week , Biden said that Republicans were telling “ flat-out lies ” about his son and called on television networks not to perpetuate the attacks .
“ I understand how these guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said , via the Washington Examiner .

Joe Biden is pushing back against suggestions that he might be called as a witness in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, saying he did not want to feed into a “farce.”
As the impeachment trial begins and both sides make opening arguments, Republicans have suggested that both the former vice president and his son, Hunter Biden, should testify. Trump was impeached by the House after evidence that he pressured Ukraine to announce an investigation into the Bidens based on what is widely considered unfounded allegations of corruption. Republicans have suggested that Biden’s testimony could give credence to Trump’s actions to pressure Ukraine.
After some initial reports that Democrats were considering offering Biden as a witness in exchange for their own witnesses who they believe would cement the case against Trump, Biden said he would not go for it.
“The reason why I would not make the deal, the bottom line is, I, this is a constitutional issue,” he said, via CNN.
“And we’re not going to turn it into a farce, into some kind of political theater.”
Biden was responding to a question from a voter at a campaign event in Iowa, where the Democratic primary kicks off next month. Biden has been focusing on the campaign trail while several of his primary opponents returned to Washington for the impeachment trial.
Despite the reports that Democrats were considering a deal where the Bidens would testify in exchange for top White House officials like acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton, that deal now appears to be dead. As CNN reported, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that consideration was “off the table.” House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who is the lead impeachment manager, also pushed back and said that such a trade would only allow Trump and Republicans to continue to attack a political opponent and would be an abuse of the impeachment trial.
Biden has grown defensive of son Hunter as he came under attack, accusing Republicans of improperly going after his family. In a Democratic debate last week, Biden said that Republicans were telling “flat-out lies” about his son and called on television networks not to perpetuate the attacks.
“I understand how these guys are, this Republican Party,” Biden said, via the Washington Examiner.


inquisitr--2020-01-23--Bernie Sanders Reportedly Nods Off During Impeachment Trial, But Will Charter Private Jet To Campaig

Bernie Sanders Reportedly Nods Off During Impeachment Trial, But Will Charter Private Jet To Campaign In Iowa

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was reportedly seen sleeping during the Donald Trump impeachment trial , but will take leave of the trial to fly to Iowa by private jet .
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders , who continues to trail former United States Vice President Joe Biden in most Democratic primary polls will campaign in Iowa ahead of the February 3 caucus vote there , despite the fact that he is obligated to attend the impeachment trial of Donald Trump now underway in the Senate .
But he will charter a private jet to do it , reports say .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second day of the impeachment trial , according to Courthouse News correspondent Megan Mineiro , reporting via her Twitter account .
“ On more than on occasion , ” Mineiro reported , Sanders was spotted snoozing , “ slouched in his chair with his chin bobbing down to his chest ” during the impeachment trial presentations by House managers , who made their case for removing Trump from office .
Sanders is 78-years-old and in October 2019 , suffered a minor heart attack but returned to the campaign trail within days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ six days per week , with marathon sessions beginning at 1 p.m. EST each day and extending well into the evening .
The opening day of the trial started on Tuesday and carried on until about 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning .
But according to a report by the conservative Washington Examiner news site , the Sanders campaign has chartered a private jet to allow Sanders to bolt from Washington D.C. to campaign appearances in Iowa .
The Sanders campaign , however , has been keeping the candidate ’ s planned use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is “ not comfortable ” and “ worried about the optics ” of Sanders , who promotes himself as a “ democratic socialist ” champion of the “ working class , ” flying on a private jet .
According to the Examiner account , the campaign refused to comment when asked about Sanders ’ use of the jet .
Though Sanders is a leading advocate of the “ Green New Deal ” proposal , which calls for massive reductions in carbon emissions to combat the rapid progress of climate change , private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polluters , spewing approximately eight times the amount of carbon per passenger into the atmosphere as commercial airliners , according to a report by The Independent newspaper .
Under Trump ’ s tax cuts passed in late 2017 , individuals and corporations can deduct the full price of newly purchased private jets from their taxes , a change that has made the highly inefficient mode of transportation more popular among businesses and the wealthy .
After Sanders conceded the 2016 Democratic primary race to Hillary Clinton and agreed to campaign for the nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign foot the bill for private jets to fly him around the country to campaign stops , leading a top Clinton aide to blast him as “ his Royal Majesty King Bernie Sanders ” who insists on flying via “ cushy private jet like a billionaire master of the universe , ” as quoted by The Examiner .

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who continues to trail former United States Vice President Joe Biden in most Democratic primary polls will campaign in Iowa ahead of the February 3 caucus vote there, despite the fact that he is obligated to attend the impeachment trial of Donald Trump now underway in the Senate. But he will charter a private jet to do it, reports say.
Sanders was seen sleeping in his seat during the second day of the impeachment trial, according to Courthouse News correspondent Megan Mineiro, reporting via her Twitter account.
“On more than on occasion,” Mineiro reported, Sanders was spotted snoozing, “slouched in his chair with his chin bobbing down to his chest” during the impeachment trial presentations by House managers, who made their case for removing Trump from office.
Sanders is 78-years-old and in October 2019, suffered a minor heart attack but returned to the campaign trail within days.
The impeachment trial is scheduled to run six days per week, with marathon sessions beginning at 1 p.m. EST each day and extending well into the evening. The opening day of the trial started on Tuesday and carried on until about 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
But according to a report by the conservative Washington Examiner news site, the Sanders campaign has chartered a private jet to allow Sanders to bolt from Washington D.C. to campaign appearances in Iowa.
The Sanders campaign, however, has been keeping the candidate’s planned use of a private jet under wraps, because it is “not comfortable” and “worried about the optics” of Sanders, who promotes himself as a “democratic socialist” champion of the “working class,” flying on a private jet. According to the Examiner account, the campaign refused to comment when asked about Sanders’ use of the jet.
Though Sanders is a leading advocate of the “Green New Deal” proposal, which calls for massive reductions in carbon emissions to combat the rapid progress of climate change, private jets are considered among the worst carbon polluters, spewing approximately eight times the amount of carbon per passenger into the atmosphere as commercial airliners, according to a report by The Independent newspaper.
Under Trump’s tax cuts passed in late 2017, individuals and corporations can deduct the full price of newly purchased private jets from their taxes, a change that has made the highly inefficient mode of transportation more popular among businesses and the wealthy.
After Sanders conceded the 2016 Democratic primary race to Hillary Clinton and agreed to campaign for the nominee, he reportedly requested that the Clinton campaign foot the bill for private jets to fly him around the country to campaign stops, leading a top Clinton aide to blast him as “his Royal Majesty King Bernie Sanders” who insists on flying via “cushy private jet like a billionaire master of the universe,” as quoted by The Examiner.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--New Poll Shows Bernie Sanders Leading Donald Trump By Widest Margin Of 2020 Candidates

A new SurveyUSA poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders leading Donald Trump by the most significant margin among all of the 2020 candidates , Newsweek reports .
Of the 4,069 registered voters that were asked who they would vote for today in a hypothetical head-to-head against the Republican incumbent , 52 percent said they would choose Sanders , and 43 percent chose Trump .
The closest candidate to the Vermont senator ’ s nine-point lead over the president is former Vice President Joe Biden at 50 percent to the president ’ s 43 percent , putting him in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg also led Trump at 49 percent to 42 percent , as did Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 48 percent to 45 percent .
In addition , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg toppled Trump by three points at 47 percent to 44 percent and businessman Andrew Yang came out on top over the president by two points at 46 percent to 44 percent .
While billionaire Tom Steyer tied Trump with 44 percent , the remaining candidates — Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard — lost to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls were conducted before the New York Times ’ controversial endorsement of Warren and Klobuchar , as well as before Trump ’ s inflammatory 2017 comments about U.S. armed forces surfaced .
Sanders has been rising in polls lately , and it appears that the Trump campaign has taken notice .
The president ’ s 2020 campaign manager , Brad Parscale , said on CBS This Morning on Wednesday that the 78-year-old politician is “ on a rise , ” per CBS News .
Per the Washington Examiner , Trump previously noted Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jab at the Democratic Party .
In addition to the SurveyUSA poll , recent polls show Sanders beating Trump in Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin — all wing states Trump won in 2016 .
The Vermont senator ’ s rise has also caught the attention of Barack Obama and his allies , who are reportedly distressed at the Medicare for All advocate ’ s surge but don ’ t know what to do about it .
The former president has reportedly said he would intervene in the Democratic primary to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A former senior Obama campaign staffer was quoted as saying that the 58-year-old politician ’ s dislike of Sanders stems from his campaign ’ s implication that Obama was not a “ progressive ” president .

A new SurveyUSA poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders leading Donald Trump by the most significant margin among all of the 2020 candidates, Newsweek reports.
Of the 4,069 registered voters that were asked who they would vote for today in a hypothetical head-to-head against the Republican incumbent, 52 percent said they would choose Sanders, and 43 percent chose Trump. The closest candidate to the Vermont senator’s nine-point lead over the president is former Vice President Joe Biden at 50 percent to the president’s 43 percent, putting him in a seven-point lead over the real estate mogul.
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg also led Trump at 49 percent to 42 percent, as did Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 48 percent to 45 percent. In addition, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg toppled Trump by three points at 47 percent to 44 percent and businessman Andrew Yang came out on top over the president by two points at 46 percent to 44 percent.
While billionaire Tom Steyer tied Trump with 44 percent, the remaining candidates — Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard — lost to the incumbent.
SurveyUSA noted that the polls were conducted before the New York Times’ controversial endorsement of Warren and Klobuchar, as well as before Trump’s inflammatory 2017 comments about U.S. armed forces surfaced.
Sanders has been rising in polls lately, and it appears that the Trump campaign has taken notice. The president’s 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said on CBS This Morning on Wednesday that the 78-year-old politician is “on a rise,” per CBS News.
“We’re building a system that’s ready for anyone, but I think Bernie’s on a rise right now, but I think the media’s — I think he’s getting a little bit of the shaft again.”
Per the Washington Examiner, Trump previously noted Sanders’ rise on Twitter while simultaneously taking a jab at the Democratic Party.
“Wow! Crazy Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls, looking very good against his opponents in the Do Nothing Party. So what does this all mean? Stay tuned!”
NEW: @BernieSanders responds to @realDonaldTrump’s claims that the Democratic Party is “rigging” the election to hurt his campaign. Sanders turns the tables back on Trump. Full statement: pic.twitter.com/Uwzs0lfpMT — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) January 17, 2020
In addition to the SurveyUSA poll, recent polls show Sanders beating Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — all wing states Trump won in 2016.
The Vermont senator’s rise has also caught the attention of Barack Obama and his allies, who are reportedly distressed at the Medicare for All advocate’s surge but don’t know what to do about it. The former president has reportedly said he would intervene in the Democratic primary to prevent Sanders from winning — if need be.
A former senior Obama campaign staffer was quoted as saying that the 58-year-old politician’s dislike of Sanders stems from his campaign’s implication that Obama was not a “progressive” president.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--Broadcaster Who Called Impeachment ‘A Coup Led By Jews’ Gets White House Press Credential To Cover D

Broadcaster Who Called Impeachment ‘A Coup Led By Jews’ Gets White House Press Credential To Cover Davos Forum

A right-wing broadcaster with a history of making perceived anti-Semitic statements — including one where he called the impeachment of Donald Trump a “ Jew Coup ” — has been granted an official White House press credential to cover the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , where the president delivered an address on Tuesday .
On Wednesday , CNN reporter and host Jake Tapper confirmed via Twitter that Rick Wiles of the “ end times ” site TruNews was given the White House credential .
In a TruNews online broadcast last October , Wiles threatened that Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cowboys , mountain men , ” and “ guys who know how to fight ” — would bring “ violence to America ” and “ hunt down ” Democrats if the president was removed from office .
“ We just want to thank President Trump and the White House , ” the host said in a YouTube video recorded at Davos this week , acknowledging the grant of a press credential to TruNews , as quoted by Right Wing Watch .
In his broadcast last November in which Wiles blamed Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host said that “ this is a coup led by Jews , ” aimed not only at removing the president but at removing “ you and me.
” “ When Jews take over a country , they kill millions of Christians , ” Wiles said in the November video .
The Davos forum is not the first time that the TruNews site has received credentials from the Trump White House .
During a press conference in September 2018 , the president took a question from Wiles ’ co-host Edward Szall , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press corps , according to Gizmodo .
Szall asked the president a question about “ this great deal , the peace deal ” between Israel and the Palestinians .
But Trump did not answer the question directly , instead veering into a discussion of his personal relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , and his claim that he has built a new United States embassy in Jerusalem for only $ 500,000 .
Gizmodo noted that the TruNews outlet has broadcast alarming warnings that “ commandos in the employ of Jews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House and decapitate Trump and his family.
” Right Wing Watch describes Wiles as “ deeply anti-Semitic , ” noting that many of his broadcasts are dedicated to “ railing against Israel and Jews.
” However , Wiles and his co-hosts are now among those covering Trump ’ s appearance at Davos , where , one day after Tuesday ’ s speech , he said in an interview that he is now open to cutting social security and Medicare .
As previously reported , such a move would effectively reverse one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign .

A right-wing broadcaster with a history of making perceived anti-Semitic statements — including one where he called the impeachment of Donald Trump a “Jew Coup” — has been granted an official White House press credential to cover the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the president delivered an address on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, CNN reporter and host Jake Tapper confirmed via Twitter that Rick Wiles of the “end times” site TruNews was given the White House credential.
In a TruNews online broadcast last October, Wiles threatened that Trump’s supporters — including “veterans, cowboys, mountain men,” and “guys who know how to fight” — would bring “violence to America” and “hunt down” Democrats if the president was removed from office.
“We just want to thank President Trump and the White House,” the host said in a YouTube video recorded at Davos this week, acknowledging the grant of a press credential to TruNews, as quoted by Right Wing Watch.
In his broadcast last November in which Wiles blamed Trump’s impeachment on “Jews,” the host said that “this is a coup led by Jews,” aimed not only at removing the president but at removing “you and me.”
“When Jews take over a country, they kill millions of Christians,” Wiles said in the November video.
The Davos forum is not the first time that the TruNews site has received credentials from the Trump White House. During a press conference in September 2018, the president took a question from Wiles’ co-host Edward Szall, who had been credentialed to be part of the White House press corps, according to Gizmodo.
Szall asked the president a question about “this great deal, the peace deal” between Israel and the Palestinians. But Trump did not answer the question directly, instead veering into a discussion of his personal relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his claim that he has built a new United States embassy in Jerusalem for only $500,000.
Gizmodo noted that the TruNews outlet has broadcast alarming warnings that “commandos in the employ of Jews and LGBTQ people are preparing to assault the White House and decapitate Trump and his family.”
Right Wing Watch describes Wiles as “deeply anti-Semitic,” noting that many of his broadcasts are dedicated to “railing against Israel and Jews.”
However, Wiles and his co-hosts are now among those covering Trump’s appearance at Davos, where, one day after Tuesday’s speech, he said in an interview that he is now open to cutting social security and Medicare. As previously reported, such a move would effectively reverse one of the key promises of his 2016 presidential campaign.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--Andrew Yang Is The Only Candidate With A Net Positive Favorability Rating, Says Nationwide Poll

A new Monmouth University national poll of registered voters found little change in the overall support for candidates in the 2020 Democratic field , with Joe Biden , Bernie Sanders , and Elizabeth Warren still leading the back .
But in terms of favorability ratings , Andrew Yang was the only Democratic presidential candidate with a net positive .
Specifically , The Venture for America founder ’ s 33 percent favorable and 29 percent unfavorable rating means he is the only person in the field that has a nominally positive net rating amid the group of registered voters surveyed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start making the electability argument , ” said Patrick Murray , director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute .
Last week , it was reported that Yang was the only candidate favored to beat Donald Trump in BetOnline ’ s head-to-head prop wagers on the 2020 election .
While Yang has odds of -150 to Trump ’ s +110 , all of the other candidates were favored to lose to the president — except for Sanders , who is even with a betting line of -120 .
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling average ahead of the forthcoming Iowa caucuses .
In a Boston Globe–Suffolk University poll released Tuesday , Yang placed in fifth in the early state of New Hampshire with 5.6 percent support , The Hill reported .
Behind him was Tulsi Gabbard at 5.4 percent and Amy Klobuchar at 4.6 percent , In a recent Iowa ad , Yang pointed to his outsider status and touted business experience to pose himself as the best person to successfully take on Trump , per The Hill .
“ I ’ m the only candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of jobs in places from St. Louis to Baltimore , ” he said in the ad , claiming he can “ build a 21st-century economy ” that works for everyday Americans .
“ The hard truth is we won ’ t beat Donald Trump with what ’ s coming out of Washington today — old ideas and angry rhetoric , ” he continued .
“ Donald Trump is a symptom of a broken system .
To defeat him , we need someone with experience tackling the economic challenges of our time .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s signature proposal is a universal basic income ( UBI ) of $ 1,000 per month — branded the “ Freedom Dividend ” — which he proposes to pay for by taxing the biggest winners of the 21st-century economy .
He believes this dividend is a necessary cushion as automation continues to displace the jobs of everyday working Americans and hollow out the United States economy .
The Iowa caucuses begin on February 3 .
Yang reportedly has millions in cash on hand and doesn ’ t show any signs of dropping out @ @ @ @ @ @

A new Monmouth University national poll of registered voters found little change in the overall support for candidates in the 2020 Democratic field, with Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren still leading the back. But in terms of favorability ratings, Andrew Yang was the only Democratic presidential candidate with a net positive.
Specifically, The Venture for America founder’s 33 percent favorable and 29 percent unfavorable rating means he is the only person in the field that has a nominally positive net rating amid the group of registered voters surveyed.
“It may be time for Yang to start making the electability argument,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Last week, it was reported that Yang was the only candidate favored to beat Donald Trump in BetOnline’s head-to-head prop wagers on the 2020 election. While Yang has odds of -150 to Trump’s +110, all of the other candidates were favored to lose to the president — except for Sanders, who is even with a betting line of -120.
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur is currently in sixth place in overall polling average ahead of the forthcoming Iowa caucuses. In a Boston Globe–Suffolk University poll released Tuesday, Yang placed in fifth in the early state of New Hampshire with 5.6 percent support, The Hill reported. Behind him was Tulsi Gabbard at 5.4 percent and Amy Klobuchar at 4.6 percent,
In a recent Iowa ad, Yang pointed to his outsider status and touted business experience to pose himself as the best person to successfully take on Trump, per The Hill.
“I’m the only candidate to build a nonprofit that created thousands of jobs in places from St. Louis to Baltimore,” he said in the ad, claiming he can “build a 21st-century economy” that works for everyday Americans.
@AndrewYang speaks directly to the camera in his latest TV ad. Spot first aired at 05:08 in Davenport, Iowa, on WQAD (ABC). pic.twitter.com/CJE67MKKiI — John McCormick (@McCormickJohn) January 22, 2020
“The hard truth is we won’t beat Donald Trump with what’s coming out of Washington today — old ideas and angry rhetoric,” he continued. “Donald Trump is a symptom of a broken system. To defeat him, we need someone with experience tackling the economic challenges of our time. I’ve done that.”
Yang’s signature proposal is a universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000 per month — branded the “Freedom Dividend” — which he proposes to pay for by taxing the biggest winners of the 21st-century economy. He believes this dividend is a necessary cushion as automation continues to displace the jobs of everyday working Americans and hollow out the United States economy.
The Iowa caucuses begin on February 3. Yang reportedly has millions in cash on hand and doesn’t show any signs of dropping out of the race anytime soon.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg Top Donald Trump In Battleground States, Bernie Sanders Ties, New CNN Poll

Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg Top Donald Trump In Battleground States, Bernie Sanders Ties, New CNN Poll Shows

The results also show that in a nationwide poll , Bloomberg and Biden are tied with nine-point leads over Trump in a head-to-head matchup .
A new CNN poll shows that in 15 “ battleground ” states , Donald Trump appears to be in trouble against Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden — as well as against recent entry Michael Bloomberg , the billionaire media mogul who served as mayor of Trump ’ s native New York City for 12 years , from 2002 to the end of 2013 .
In the poll of those key states , which are generally considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both Biden and Bloomberg lead Trump by two points each .
For Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders , the CNN poll is the first in which he has topped Biden in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination , leading the field by three points .
But in the CNN battleground states polling , Sanders fares less well in a head-to-head matchup against Trump , coming in tied at 49 percent each .
Biden and Bloomberg also poll at 49 percent in the battleground states , but Trump takes only 47 percent against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also rated the Democratic candidates against Trump in one-on-one matchups on a nationwide basis .
In the national matchups , both Biden and Bloomberg easily defeat Trump by nine points each .
Sanders beats Trump by seven points in the head-to-head poll .
Three other top Democrats — Elizabeth Warren , Pete Buttigieg , and Amy Klobuchar — also get the better of Trump nationwide , by five , four , and three points respectively .
Biden has consistently topped Trump in head-to-head polling , in most polls scoring at least seven points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic candidate other than Biden and Bloomberg finished ahead of Trump in the 15-state battleground poll , however , according to the CNN results .
Those battleground states polled were : Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Georgia , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , Nevada , New Hampshire , New Mexico , North Carolina , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Virginia , and Wisconsin .
Of those states , Trump in 2016 won all except Virginia , New Hampshire , Nevada , Minnesota , Colorado , and New Mexico , while Maine split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton .
With 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House , Clinton came up 38 votes short .
That means a 2020 Democrat would need to “ flip ” at least two of the battleground states won by Trump four years earlier .
For example , if a Democrat wins Pennsylvania ( 20 votes ) and Ohio ( 18 ) without losing any of the other states won by Clinton , that candidate would win 270 electoral votes — and the presidency .
In the latest forecast of the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FiveThirtyEight , Biden remains well ahead based on overall polling averages .
According to FiveThirtyEight , Biden currently holds a 43 percent chance of winning nomination , compared to just 20 percent for Sanders , and 14 percent for Warren .
In the Iowa caucus , which kicks off the official 2020 primary season on Monday , February 3 , Biden is also the favorite with a 36 percent chance of winning the most delegates in the caucus voting .
Sanders places second with a 22 percent chance of topping the Iowa field @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A new CNN poll shows that in 15 “battleground” states, Donald Trump appears to be in trouble against Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden — as well as against recent entry Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire media mogul who served as mayor of Trump’s native New York City for 12 years, from 2002 to the end of 2013. In the poll of those key states, which are generally considered winnable by a candidate of either party, both Biden and Bloomberg lead Trump by two points each.
For Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the CNN poll is the first in which he has topped Biden in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination, leading the field by three points. But in the CNN battleground states polling, Sanders fares less well in a head-to-head matchup against Trump, coming in tied at 49 percent each. Biden and Bloomberg also poll at 49 percent in the battleground states, but Trump takes only 47 percent against either of the two.
The poll also rated the Democratic candidates against Trump in one-on-one matchups on a nationwide basis. In the national matchups, both Biden and Bloomberg easily defeat Trump by nine points each. Sanders beats Trump by seven points in the head-to-head poll. Three other top Democrats — Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Amy Klobuchar — also get the better of Trump nationwide, by five, four, and three points respectively.
Biden has consistently topped Trump in head-to-head polling, in most polls scoring at least seven points better than the incumbent Republican.
No Democratic candidate other than Biden and Bloomberg finished ahead of Trump in the 15-state battleground poll, however, according to the CNN results.
Those battleground states polled were: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Of those states, Trump in 2016 won all except Virginia, New Hampshire, Nevada, Minnesota, Colorado, and New Mexico, while Maine split its electoral votes between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. With 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, Clinton came up 38 votes short.
That means a 2020 Democrat would need to “flip” at least two of the battleground states won by Trump four years earlier. For example, if a Democrat wins Pennsylvania (20 votes) and Ohio (18) without losing any of the other states won by Clinton, that candidate would win 270 electoral votes — and the presidency.
In the latest forecast of the Democratic primary race by the political data site FiveThirtyEight, Biden remains well ahead based on overall polling averages. According to FiveThirtyEight, Biden currently holds a 43 percent chance of winning nomination, compared to just 20 percent for Sanders, and 14 percent for Warren.
In the Iowa caucus, which kicks off the official 2020 primary season on Monday, February 3, Biden is also the favorite with a 36 percent chance of winning the most delegates in the caucus voting. Sanders places second with a 22 percent chance of topping the Iowa field, according to the FiveThirtyEight forecast.


inquisitr--2020-01-22--Joe Biden Snaps At Reporter After Being Questioned About Bernie Sanders Feud

CBS reporter Ed O ’ Keefe recently questioned democratic presidential candidate current frontrunner Joe Biden about his recent attack on Bernie Sanders , The Washington Examiner reported .
“ Yesterday , you said you accepted Bernie ’ s apology , now you ’ re attacking him , ” O ’ Keefe said , referring to Sanders ’ apology for his surrogate ’ s op-ed that accused Biden of corruption .
“ Why are you doing that ?
Why wasn ’ t his apology enough , Mr. Vice President ?
Why attack Sanders ?
” The question appeared to rattle Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awkwardly put his hands on him during his response .
“ Why , why , why , why , why , why , why ?
” Biden asked .
“ You ’ re getting nervous , man .
Calm down , it ’ s okay .
He apologized for saying that I was corrupt .
He didn ’ t say anything about whether or not I was telling the truth about Social Security.
” As Sanders continued to rise , his campaign has focused on Biden ’ s history of trying to cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe , Biden accused Sanders of taking his old comments on the social insurance program out of context , The Hill reported .
“ I find it amazing that we go back and look at statements and many of them , most of them [ are ] taken out of context of 10 , 30 , 35 years ago , ” he said .
In response , Sanders ’ campaign released an ad that included an audio clip of Biden ’ s fight against Social Security , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ strategy comes as a new national CNN poll shows him leading the 2020 Democrats in Iowa with 27 percent support .
Biden , still the frontrunner in overall average polling , is in second with 24 percent support .
Another poll by The Focus on Rural America puts Biden in first place in Iowa with 24 percent support .
In second is Elizabeth Warren at 18 percent , and in third is South Bend , Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg at 16 percent .
Sanders comes in fourth with 14 percent support — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national CNN poll .
Biden has remained the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for the majority of the season .
However , both Sanders and Warren have gradually gained ground .
But while Warren has begun to dip lately , Sanders continues to place well in recent polls .
Friends of Biden ’ s are allegedly getting nervous about Sanders ’ rise .
As The Inquisitr reported , Barack Obama ’ s allies reportedly “ hate ” Sanders but have “ no idea ” how to stop him from running away with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Obama campaign staffer , his dislike of Sanders stems from a campaign ’ s implication that Obama was not a progressive .

CBS reporter Ed O’Keefe recently questioned democratic presidential candidate current frontrunner Joe Biden about his recent attack on Bernie Sanders, The Washington Examiner reported.
“Yesterday, you said you accepted Bernie’s apology, now you’re attacking him,” O’Keefe said, referring to Sanders’ apology for his surrogate’s op-ed that accused Biden of corruption.
“Why are you doing that? Why wasn’t his apology enough, Mr. Vice President? Why attack Sanders?”
The question appeared to rattle Biden, who approached O’Keefe and awkwardly put his hands on him during his response.
“Why, why, why, why, why, why, why?” Biden asked. “You’re getting nervous, man. Calm down, it’s okay. He apologized for saying that I was corrupt. He didn’t say anything about whether or not I was telling the truth about Social Security.”
As Sanders continued to rise, his campaign has focused on Biden’s history of trying to cut Social Security. During a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Biden accused Sanders of taking his old comments on the social insurance program out of context, The Hill reported.
“I find it amazing that we go back and look at statements and many of them, most of them [are] taken out of context of 10, 30, 35 years ago,” he said.
Strange moment between Joe Biden and CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe..
pic.twitter.com/nyFLBiPfdu — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 22, 2020
In response, Sanders’ campaign released an ad that included an audio clip of Biden’s fight against Social Security, an unusually aggressive move for Sanders.
Sanders’ strategy comes as a new national CNN poll shows him leading the 2020 Democrats in Iowa with 27 percent support. Biden, still the frontrunner in overall average polling, is in second with 24 percent support.
Let’s be honest, Joe. One of us fought for decades to cut Social Security, and one of us didn’t. But don’t take it from me. Take it from you. pic.twitter.com/qh7qb1Hmcl — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 22, 2020
Another poll by The Focus on Rural America puts Biden in first place in Iowa with 24 percent support. In second is Elizabeth Warren at 18 percent, and in third is South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg at 16 percent. Sanders comes in fourth with 14 percent support — a significant deviation from his ranking in the national CNN poll.
Biden has remained the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for the majority of the season. However, both Sanders and Warren have gradually gained ground. But while Warren has begun to dip lately, Sanders continues to place well in recent polls.
Friends of Biden’s are allegedly getting nervous about Sanders’ rise. As The Inquisitr reported, Barack Obama’s allies reportedly “hate” Sanders but have “no idea” how to stop him from running away with the nomination. According to a former senior Obama campaign staffer, his dislike of Sanders stems from a campaign’s implication that Obama was not a progressive.