inquisitr--2020-01-15--Donald Trump Was Right To Kill Qassem Soleimani, Says Former Obama Adviser

Donald Trump ‘ s decision to authorize the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has been controversial .
Despite pushback from many in the Democratic party , James L. Jones , a retired Marine Corps general and former national security adviser who served under Barack Obama , believes that the decision was a necessary one , Newsweek reports .
According to Jones , Trump should turn his attention away from critics of his decision .
“ I would not listen to the appeasers of the world who kind of want to calm the waves , ” he said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones claims that many people want business as usual and he urged Trump against listening to their advice .
The retired Marine Corps general believes that “ normal business ” would pave the way for Iran to continue “ spreading terror around the world.
” Jones also touched on his time in the Obama administration and its approach to Soleimani .
According to Jones , the administration was not able to focus on international actors such as Soleimani as much as he would have liked , due to the focus on Al-Qaeda leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in May 2011 , approximately one year following Jones ’ departure from the White House .
“ I think the Obama administration tried to find the terrorist that was the most wanted guy in the world .
Soleimani is now the next guy , so I give [ Trump ] credit for doing that and I think it was the right thing to do.
” The Trump administration has received a significant amount of criticism for its shifting narrative around the reasoning behind Soleimani ’ s death .
While the administration first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an imminent attack on U.S. interests , Trump later said it “ doesn ’ t really matter ” whether or not he was , stating that Soleimani ’ s past actions were more than enough to justify the killing .
In addition , a recent NBC News report claims that Trump approved Soleimani ’ s killing last June on one condition — that increased aggression from Iran is linked to a U.S. death .
The directive reportedly came as former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required the president ’ s sign-off .
Soleimani — who Trump called the top terrorist worldwide — commanded Iran ’ s Quds Force and was credited with shaping Tehran ’ s foreign military strategy for two decades .

Donald Trump‘s decision to authorize the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has been controversial. Despite pushback from many in the Democratic party, James L. Jones, a retired Marine Corps general and former national security adviser who served under Barack Obama, believes that the decision was a necessary one, Newsweek reports.
According to Jones, Trump should turn his attention away from critics of his decision.
“I would not listen to the appeasers of the world who kind of want to calm the waves,” he said at an Atlantic Council event on Sunday.
Jones claims that many people want business as usual and he urged Trump against listening to their advice. The retired Marine Corps general believes that “normal business” would pave the way for Iran to continue “spreading terror around the world.”
“Those days I think are over and I hope Iran understands that. As articulated by the president, it’s a potential game changer…I would not let up. I would not let up.”
Jones also touched on his time in the Obama administration and its approach to Soleimani. According to Jones, the administration was not able to focus on international actors such as Soleimani as much as he would have liked, due to the focus on Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was killed in May 2011, approximately one year following Jones’ departure from the White House.
“I think the Obama administration tried to find the terrorist that was the most wanted guy in the world. Soleimani is now the next guy, so I give [Trump] credit for doing that and I think it was the right thing to do.”
‘It’s on us to organize, go out into the streets, and demand that the United States become part of the civilized world.’ — This activist used American history to debunk the harmful myths that Trump used against Iran pic.twitter.com/2SPqEVblfO — NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 10, 2020
The Trump administration has received a significant amount of criticism for its shifting narrative around the reasoning behind Soleimani’s death. While the administration first claimed that the Iranian general was planning an imminent attack on U.S. interests, Trump later said it “doesn’t really matter” whether or not he was, stating that Soleimani’s past actions were more than enough to justify the killing.
In addition, a recent NBC News report claims that Trump approved Soleimani’s killing last June on one condition — that increased aggression from Iran is linked to a U.S. death. The directive reportedly came as former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed for the assassination then, though the action required the president’s sign-off.
Soleimani — who Trump called the top terrorist worldwide — commanded Iran’s Quds Force and was credited with shaping Tehran’s foreign military strategy for two decades.


inquisitr--2020-01-15--Cenk Uygur Says Several Reporters Were Working On Bernie Sanders Story For Months

On the night before the seventh Democratic presidential debate , CNN reported that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said to Elizabeth Warren in a private 2018 meeting that a woman couldn ’ t beat Donald Trump , which Sanders later denied .
The accusations prompted some to note that the report used four sources that were not present in the conversation , while others suggested that CNN and Warren were engaging in a hit on the rising Vermont senator .
Not long after , congressional candidate and The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur took to Twitter to claim that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Apparently several MSM reporters were working on this @ BernieSanders story for months .
What does that tell you ?
” Uygur asked .
“ They had a pre-conceived notion that they wanted to paint Bernie as sexist & it was just a matter of when they could cajole SOMEONE on @ ewarren to play ball.
” Uygur also pointed to similar patterns in other elections .
“ But the script was already written .
Every progressive leader is criticized as too far left until it gets close to an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as too far right and smeared as sexist , etc .
Every single time .
And every time the national media has its fingerprints on it.
” During the debate itself , many noted that CNN pushed centrist talking points and appeared to exhibit bias against Sanders , Common Dreams reported .
The report detailed that Rolling Stone writers pointed to the inanity of the moderators ’ questions , while HuffPost ’ s Zach Carter called them “ awful.
” Sanders ’ National Co-Chair Nina Turner noted the “ interesting ” framing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be slanted against the 78-year-old politician .
Per The Intercept , Waleed Shahid — spokesperson for Justice Democrats , an organization that was founded by former 2016 Sanders staffers but has not yet made a 2020 endorsement — believes that the media has long desired for a spat between Sanders and Warren .
According to Shahid , the two progressive candidates are taking the bait when they should instead by focusing on attacking Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg .
He also noted that none of the drama thus far has matched the negativity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton .
Zina Precht-Rodriguez , political communications manager at Sunrise Movement — which has endorsed Sanders — claims that infighting does nothing but help the Republican Party , the moderate wing of the Democratic Party , big oil , and fossil fuel billionaires .
She expressed hope that Sanders and Warren will turn their focus to matters that are important to all Americans , as reported in The Intercept .

On the night before the seventh Democratic presidential debate, CNN reported that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said to Elizabeth Warren in a private 2018 meeting that a woman couldn’t beat Donald Trump, which Sanders later denied. The accusations prompted some to note that the report used four sources that were not present in the conversation, while others suggested that CNN and Warren were engaging in a hit on the rising Vermont senator.
Not long after, congressional candidate and The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur took to Twitter to claim that the story was in the works for months.
“Apparently several MSM reporters were working on this @BernieSanders story for months. What does that tell you?” Uygur asked. “They had a pre-conceived notion that they wanted to paint Bernie as sexist & it was just a matter of when they could cajole SOMEONE on @ewarren to play ball.”
Uygur also pointed to similar patterns in other elections.
“But the script was already written. Every progressive leader is criticized as too far left until it gets close to an election than [sic] they are characterized as too far right and smeared as sexist, etc. Every single time. And every time the national media has its fingerprints on it.”
During the debate itself, many noted that CNN pushed centrist talking points and appeared to exhibit bias against Sanders, Common Dreams reported. The report detailed that Rolling Stone writers pointed to the inanity of the moderators’ questions, while HuffPost’s Zach Carter called them “awful.”
Sanders’ National Co-Chair Nina Turner noted the “interesting” framing of the debate questions, which appeared to be slanted against the 78-year-old politician.
Per The Intercept, Waleed Shahid — spokesperson for Justice Democrats, an organization that was founded by former 2016 Sanders staffers but has not yet made a 2020 endorsement — believes that the media has long desired for a spat between Sanders and Warren. According to Shahid, the two progressive candidates are taking the bait when they should instead by focusing on attacking Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. He also noted that none of the drama thus far has matched the negativity that was seen in the 2008 primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Zina Precht-Rodriguez, political communications manager at Sunrise Movement — which has endorsed Sanders — claims that infighting does nothing but help the Republican Party, the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, big oil, and fossil fuel billionaires. She expressed hope that Sanders and Warren will turn their focus to matters that are important to all Americans, as reported in The Intercept.


inquisitr--2020-01-15--‘Dangerously Uninformed’ Donald Trump Did Not Know What Happened At Pearl Harbor, Authors Of New Boo

‘Dangerously Uninformed’ Donald Trump Did Not Know What Happened At Pearl Harbor, Authors Of New Book Report

A new book titled ' A Very Stable Genius ' contains numerous alarming details about Trump 's decision-making process .
When Donald Trump visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial in November , 2017 , he asked his then-Chief of Staff John Kelly , “ What ’ s this all about ?
What ’ s this a tour of ?
” In fact , Trump knew the name “ Pearl Harbor , ” but seemed ignorant regarding what had happened there .
He did not appear to know that the memorial commemorated the Japanese attack on the United States Navy base at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately drove the U.S. into World War II .
At least , that is the account described in a new book by two Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters for The Washington Post , set to be published next week .
The missive , A Very Stable Genius : Donald J. Trump ’ s Testing of America , “ is intended to reveal Trump at his most unvarnished , ” authors Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig write , as quoted in a report on the book that appeared Wednesday in The Post .
Rucker and Leonnig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s decision-making process has been based on his own “ self-centered and unthinking logic.
” According to the book , during his visit to Pearl Harbor , Trump appeared to understand that some sort of historic battle occurred at the site , but he “ did not seem to know much else.
” “ He was at times dangerously uninformed , ” one senior White House advisor told the authors , as quoted in Wednesday ’ s Post report on the book .
The book also contains a bizarre anecdote relayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scaramucci , who served just 11 days in his post before resigning in a controversy over profane comments he made to a reporter .
Since then , Scaramucci has become one of Trump ’ s most outspoken critics among conservatives , even once describing his former boss as a “ traitor.
” According to an episode in the book quoted by MediaIte , Scaramucci once asked Trump if his public persona was “ an act.
” Trump then freely admitted that it was , indeed , an act — and he was amazed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to him .
“ I ’ m a total act and I don ’ t understand why people don ’ t get it , ” Trump told Scaramucci , according to the account in Rucker and Leonnig ’ s book .
The book ’ s title refers to the description Trump has offered of himself in response to criticisms that he is uninformed and mentally unstable .
For those matter , he refers to himself as a “ very stable genius.
” The book also recounts Trump ’ s extreme eagerness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the book , during his transition after the 2016 election , in a job interview with a candidate under consideration for Secretary of State , Trump suddenly interrupted the interview to ask , “ When can I meet Putin ?
Can I meet with him before the inaugural ceremony ?
”

When Donald Trump visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial in November, 2017, he asked his then-Chief of Staff John Kelly, “What’s this all about? What’s this a tour of?”
In fact, Trump knew the name “Pearl Harbor,” but seemed ignorant regarding what had happened there. He did not appear to know that the memorial commemorated the Japanese attack on the United States Navy base at the Hawaiian site in an attack that immediately drove the U.S. into World War II.
At least, that is the account described in a new book by two Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters for The Washington Post, set to be published next week.
A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America, “is intended to reveal Trump at his most unvarnished,” authors Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig write, as quoted in a report on the book that appeared Wednesday in The Post. Rucker and Leonnig also stated that their book exposes how Trump’s decision-making process has been based on his own “self-centered and unthinking logic.”
According to the book, during his visit to Pearl Harbor, Trump appeared to understand that some sort of historic battle occurred at the site, but he “did not seem to know much else.”
“He was at times dangerously uninformed,” one senior White House advisor told the authors, as quoted in Wednesday’s Post report on the book.
The book also contains a bizarre anecdote relayed by former Trump administration Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who served just 11 days in his post before resigning in a controversy over profane comments he made to a reporter. Since then, Scaramucci has become one of Trump’s most outspoken critics among conservatives, even once describing his former boss as a “traitor.”
According to an episode in the book quoted by MediaIte, Scaramucci once asked Trump if his public persona was “an act.” Trump then freely admitted that it was, indeed, an act — and he was amazed that the American public had not caught on to him.
“I’m a total act and I don’t understand why people don’t get it,” Trump told Scaramucci, according to the account in Rucker and Leonnig’s book.
The book’s title refers to the description Trump has offered of himself in response to criticisms that he is uninformed and mentally unstable. For those matter, he refers to himself as a “very stable genius.”
The book also recounts Trump’s extreme eagerness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in person. According to the book, during his transition after the 2016 election, in a job interview with a candidate under consideration for Secretary of State, Trump suddenly interrupted the interview to ask, “When can I meet Putin? Can I meet with him before the inaugural ceremony?”


inquisitr--2020-01-15--Andrew Yang Trends On Debate Night Despite Not Taking The Stage

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang might not have appeared at Tuesday night ’ s debate , but that it didn ’ t stop him from being part of the conversation .
That night , the three frontrunners — Bernie Sanders , Joe Biden , and Elizabeth Warren — were the top three most-tweeted-about candidates .
In fourth was Yang , who is sixth in the overall polling average .
Supporters of the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur also trended # AmericaNeedsYang along with why they believe Yang ’ s policy proposals are necessary for America , Heavy reported .
His campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income of $ 1,000 per month for every United States citizen , focusing on its necessity in the face of an economy that is shifting due to automation .
Yang hit 5 percent or higher in two of the four required DNC-approved qualifying polls .
His campaign also commissioned two polls of its own amid a lack of surveys during the holiday season .
Each of them put Yang at 5 percent , which prompted his team to call on the DNC to allow him to take the debate stage .
The appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought big news for Yang in the form of an official endorsement from comedian Dave Chappelle .
“ Dave is one of the most important voices in our country today and I ’ m thrilled he has thrown his support behind this campaign , ” Yang said in a statement , per Business Insider .
“ He and I share similar concerns about the future and hopes for what it could be .
We are also parents who see the world that we are leaving to our kids and believe they deserve better.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Twitter account was taken over by his Twitter friends , who tweeted the reasons why Yang is a compelling voice who needs to be on the debate stage .
One such friend was Norm Macdonald , who is another comedian on the long list of performers who have endorsed the Democratic candidate .
During an appearance on MSNBC after the debate , anchor Stephanie Ruhle noted that some of the other candidates on the stage talked about issues that Yang has been talking about throughout his campaign .
In response , Yang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ideas were necessary and would take hold in the national conversation regardless of whether he ends up becoming president .
It ’ s still unclear what the requirements are for the February debate .
Per Vox , the next debate is on February 7 in Manchester , New Hampshire .
It is the first of three taking place in the early voting states .

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang might not have appeared at Tuesday night’s debate, but that it didn’t stop him from being part of the conversation. That night, the three frontrunners — Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Elizabeth Warren — were the top three most-tweeted-about candidates. In fourth was Yang, who is sixth in the overall polling average.
Supporters of the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur also trended #AmericaNeedsYang along with why they believe Yang’s policy proposals are necessary for America, Heavy reported. His campaign’s signature proposal is a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for every United States citizen, focusing on its necessity in the face of an economy that is shifting due to automation.
Yang hit 5 percent or higher in two of the four required DNC-approved qualifying polls. His campaign also commissioned two polls of its own amid a lack of surveys during the holiday season. Each of them put Yang at 5 percent, which prompted his team to call on the DNC to allow him to take the debate stage. The appeal was not successful.
Regardless, Tuesday brought big news for Yang in the form of an official endorsement from comedian Dave Chappelle.
“Dave is one of the most important voices in our country today and I’m thrilled he has thrown his support behind this campaign,” Yang said in a statement, per Business Insider. “He and I share similar concerns about the future and hopes for what it could be. We are also parents who see the world that we are leaving to our kids and believe they deserve better.”
Andrew Yang on his economic policies and where the other Democratic candidates stand: "One of the jokes we told … I'm either going to become president or the other candidates are going to sound a whole lot like me." pic.twitter.com/tYex7gJT3X — MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 15, 2020
On debate night, Yang’s Twitter account was taken over by his Twitter friends, who tweeted the reasons why Yang is a compelling voice who needs to be on the debate stage. One such friend was Norm Macdonald, who is another comedian on the long list of performers who have endorsed the Democratic candidate.
During an appearance on MSNBC after the debate, anchor Stephanie Ruhle noted that some of the other candidates on the stage talked about issues that Yang has been talking about throughout his campaign. In response, Yang noted that he has always believed that his ideas were necessary and would take hold in the national conversation regardless of whether he ends up becoming president.
It’s still unclear what the requirements are for the February debate. Per Vox, the next debate is on February 7 in Manchester, New Hampshire. It is the first of three taking place in the early voting states.


inquisitr--2020-01-15--Donald Trump Jr. Shares Meme Making Fun Of ‘Less Diverse’ Democratic Nominee Field To Instagram

Donald Trump Jr. , the oldest son of the president , shared a meme to his Instagram account on Wednesday morning that took aim at Tuesday night ’ s Democratic primary debate participants .
Trump Jr. shared an image that made note of the lack of diversity in the array of candidates who had made it to this latest debate and compared them to a group of Republican primary candidates from 2016 .
The meme poked some fun at the president along with the Democratic candidates .
In the top portion of the image , the six Democratic candidates who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shown standing on the stage together .
Over each candidate ’ s head was a block of text noting that they were each white .
The bottom half showed five candidates from the 2016 Republican field .
In addition to Trump , the shot showed Marco Rubio , Ben Carson , Ted Cruz , and Jeb Bush .
The text boxes for that portion noted each Republican primary candidate ’ s ethnicity , stating Rubio is Cuban , Cruz is Cuban and Canadian , and Carson is Black .
There were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above Trump referred to the president as “ Orange ” and the one above Bush said “ Wood.
” Trump Jr. ’ s 2.3 million followers seemed to love the meme .
The photo amassed nearly 110,000 likes in the first three hours after it was posted .
It received almost 5,000 comments during that time frame as well .
“ As his son , you are allowed !
!
Good sense of humor !
!
” praised one Trump fan .
“ God bless the Donald and the Jr. for the laugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump family supporter .
A number of Trump Jr. ’ s fans pointed out that Elizabeth Warren has frequently talked about having Native American heritage .
As the president ’ s supporters know , Trump has often referred to Warren as “ Pocahontas ” as a sarcastic nod to that .
Quite a few people got a kick out of Bush being referenced as wood as well .
“ You ’ re hysterical Don !
What a sense of humor , ” declared another follower .
“ As a tanning salon owner I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tan , ” wrote someone else who embraced the president ’ s coloring .
The commentary was almost entirely supportive of Trump Jr. and his father , as is often the case with Trump Jr. ’ s Instagram posts .
The president ’ s oldest son does have a history of sharing photos that he knows will cause a stir , as was the case with a recent shot that was related to Hillary Clinton .
Trump Jr. doesn ’ t typically share memes or photos that acknowledge digs at his own family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case , it seems that he just couldn ’ t resist this one that hit the Democratic field of candidates and poked a bit of fun at the president at the same time .

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inquisitr--2020-01-15--Nancy Pelosi Names Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, And 5 Other Managers To Prosecute Trump Impeachment Tr

Nancy Pelosi Names Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, And 5 Other Managers To Prosecute Trump Impeachment Trial

'Today , I have the privilege of naming the Managers of the impeachment trial of the President .
# DefendOurDemocracy , ' the House speaker tweeted .
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has announced the seven Democratic congressmen and -women who will be the managers of President Donald Trump ’ s upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate , Fox News reports .
In a Wednesday morning tweet , Pelosi named the individuals who will serve as the managers during the trial , along with a photo and a brief biography of each , highlighting their legislative careers and accomplishments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , who will serve as the lead manager ; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , whose committee drafted the articles of impeachment ; House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries , D-N.Y. ; Rep. Jason Crow , D-Colo. ; Val Demings , D-Fla. ; Sylvia Garcia , D-Texas ; and Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif. For Lofgren , this is her third time being involved in an impeachment , as The Week reports .
Back in the 1990s , during the impeachment of Bill Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Judiciary Committee .
And back in the 1970s , when she was a law student , she helped draft the charges against former President Richard Nixon .
Nixon was never actually impeached , however .
At the start of Clinton ’ s impeachment trial , the House sent 13 managers , as compared to the House ’ s current seven .
What Is The Job Of An Impeachment Manager ?
As USA Today explains , an impeachment trial in the Senate in many ways mirrors an ordinary civil or criminal trial .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be 100 — the full Senate ’ s voting members .
Trump will have a defense team , as a defendant would in a civil or criminal trial .
There will also be a judge , in this case Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts .
And there will be a prosecution team : the House managers Pelosi appointed .
The managers ’ jobs will be to convince the jury of the merits of the case against the defendant — Trump .
This will be done through making opening and closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are any ) , and presenting evidence .
As of this writing , the makeup of Trump ’ s defense team and the role those team members will play has yet to be fully determined .
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone has been tapped to lead the defense team , a White House official told Fox News earlier this week .
The unnamed official also said that Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow as well as Cipollone deputies Michael Purpura and Patrick Philbin would also serve on the president ’ s defense , although in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has announced the seven Democratic congressmen and -women who will be the managers of President Donald Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate, Fox News reports.
In a Wednesday morning tweet, Pelosi named the individuals who will serve as the managers during the trial, along with a photo and a brief biography of each, highlighting their legislative careers and accomplishments.
Those seven managers are: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who will serve as the lead manager; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., whose committee drafted the articles of impeachment; House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Val Demings, D-Fla.; Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas; and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.
For Lofgren, this is her third time being involved in an impeachment, as The Week reports. Back in the 1990s, during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, she was a member of the House Judiciary Committee. And back in the 1970s, when she was a law student, she helped draft the charges against former President Richard Nixon. Nixon was never actually impeached, however.
At the start of Clinton’s impeachment trial, the House sent 13 managers, as compared to the House’s current seven.
Today, I have the privilege of naming the Managers of the impeachment trial of the President. #DefendOurDemocracy pic.twitter.com/Y2613Ni3pC — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 15, 2020
What Is The Job Of An Impeachment Manager?
As USA Today explains, an impeachment trial in the Senate in many ways mirrors an ordinary civil or criminal trial. Instead of 12 jurors, however, there will be 100 — the full Senate’s voting members. Trump will have a defense team, as a defendant would in a civil or criminal trial. There will also be a judge, in this case Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. And there will be a prosecution team: the House managers Pelosi appointed.
The managers’ jobs will be to convince the jury of the merits of the case against the defendant — Trump. This will be done through making opening and closing statements, examining witnesses (if there are any), and presenting evidence.
What About President Trump’s Defense Team?
As of this writing, the makeup of Trump’s defense team and the role those team members will play has yet to be fully determined.
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone has been tapped to lead the defense team, a White House official told Fox News earlier this week. The unnamed official also said that Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow as well as Cipollone deputies Michael Purpura and Patrick Philbin would also serve on the president’s defense, although in what capacities those men will serve remains unclear.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Donald Trump Was ‘Verbally And Emotionally Abusive’ Toward Kirstjen Nielsen, Mocked Her Height, Book

Donald Trump Was ‘Verbally And Emotionally Abusive’ Toward Kirstjen Nielsen, Mocked Her Height, Book Claims

Donald Trump was “ physically and emotionally abusive ” toward former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and mocked her height during her time in the White House , a new book claims .
The book , from Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig , claimed that Trump was dismissive toward the cabinet member and frequently made fun of her 5-foot-4-inch stature , claiming she was “ not physically intimidating.
” As Business Insider noted in a preview of the book , Nielsen was a frequent target of Trump ’ s ire , with the two clashing over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nielsen became a target for public criticism and even outrage after the Trump administration instituted a family separation policy that sent thousands of children to detainment camps .
Trump ultimately asked for her resignation last year after Nielsen ’ s attempts to smooth over the tensions that had grown between the two fell short .
But even as Nielsen left on bad terms , she remained publicly supportive of Trump ’ s approach and in her resignation letter took a parting shot at Democrats and the judicial system for what she believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach .
“ I have determined that it is the right time for me to step aside , ” Nielsen wrote .
Nielsen also did not reveal any of the verbal and emotional abuse she was said to have suffered at the hands of the president .
This is not the first time that Trump has been accused of mean-spirited mocking of one of his cabinet members .
The president frequently took aim at former Attorney General Jeff Sessions , who despite being one of the earliest supporters of Trump ’ s candidacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s anger after recusing himself from the Russia investigation .
That included some public mockery from Trump , including a rally last year in which Trump used a mocking accent to deride Sessions for his recusal .
Trump also characterized the decision as a personal affront to him .
“ How do you take a job and then recuse yourself ?
If he would have recused himself before the job , I would have said ‘ thanks , Jeff , but I ’ m not going to take you , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Donald Trump was “physically and emotionally abusive” toward former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and mocked her height during her time in the White House, a new book claims.
The book, from Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, claimed that Trump was dismissive toward the cabinet member and frequently made fun of her 5-foot-4-inch stature, claiming she was “not physically intimidating.” As Business Insider noted in a preview of the book, Nielsen was a frequent target of Trump’s ire, with the two clashing over how to approach border security and immigration.
Nielsen became a target for public criticism and even outrage after the Trump administration instituted a family separation policy that sent thousands of children to detainment camps. Trump ultimately asked for her resignation last year after Nielsen’s attempts to smooth over the tensions that had grown between the two fell short.
But even as Nielsen left on bad terms, she remained publicly supportive of Trump’s approach and in her resignation letter took a parting shot at Democrats and the judicial system for what she believed were constrictions on Trump’s border approach.
“I have determined that it is the right time for me to step aside,” Nielsen wrote.
“I hope that the next secretary will have the support of Congress and the courts in fixing the laws which have impeded our ability to fully secure America’s borders and which have contributed to discord in our nation’s discourse.”
Nielsen also did not reveal any of the verbal and emotional abuse she was said to have suffered at the hands of the president.
This is not the first time that Trump has been accused of mean-spirited mocking of one of his cabinet members. The president frequently took aim at former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who despite being one of the earliest supporters of Trump’s candidacy, found himself a target for the president’s anger after recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
That included some public mockery from Trump, including a rally last year in which Trump used a mocking accent to deride Sessions for his recusal. Trump also characterized the decision as a personal affront to him.
“How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said ‘thanks, Jeff, but I’m not going to take you,’ ” Trump said, via The Hill.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Donald Trump Says U.S. Troops Stayed In Syria Because He ‘Kept The Oil’

During a Wisconsin rally on Tuesday night , Donald Trump addressed his decision to keep U.S. troops in eastern Syria , which conflicted with statements that he was bringing them home , as Newsweek reported .
“ People said to me , ‘ Why are you staying in Syria , ' ” Trump said .
Despite some warning the president at the time that such a move could violate international law , the Wisconsin rally cheered his comments .
Trump ’ s decision to withdraw troops from northeastern Syria led to the advancement of Turkey , which invaded the Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region .
Despite some suggesting that the withdrawal marked the end of U.S. troops in the area , Trump retained a force in the east to guard the oil wells , and troops remain deployed in the northern region of the country alongside joint Russian and Turkish patrols .
Although the official reason U.S. soldiers are guarding the oil fields is purportedly to protect them from Islamic State forces , Trump has said he wants to extract the oil .
Most recently , he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to Russia ’ s state-sponsored TASS news agency , Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov pointed out in October that the United States is engaging in an illegal oil smuggling scheme .
Konashenkov reportedly said that private military companies are smuggling oil from the fields in Eastern Syria and other countries , using U.S. combat aviation and special forces as protection .
Trump ’ s erratic Middle Eastern foreign policy has not gone unnoticed by his critics .
Per The Hill , Independent Justin Amash — who left the GOP after receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted the discrepancy between the real estate mogul ’ s calls to bring the troops home and actions in the Middle East .
“ Trump ’ s words : Bring them home .
Trump ’ s action : Send them to Iraq , ” Amash tweeted .
During an appearance on NBC ’ s Meet the Press back in October , the Michigan Rep. said it was “ pretty clear ” the president isn ’ t planning to bring the troops home “ He ’ s moving troops back into Iraq .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia , ” Amash said , referring to the Pentagon ’ s deployment of additional troops and military equipment to the Desert Kingdom .

During a Wisconsin rally on Tuesday night, Donald Trump addressed his decision to keep U.S. troops in eastern Syria, which conflicted with statements that he was bringing them home, as Newsweek reported.
“People said to me, ‘Why are you staying in Syria,'” Trump said.
“Because I kept the oil, which frankly we should have done in Iraq,”
Despite some warning the president at the time that such a move could violate international law, the Wisconsin rally cheered his comments.
“So they say, ‘Trump’s in Syria,’ I didn’t pull out — I did pull out. We have the oil, really secure. We’ll see what happens with it.”
Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northeastern Syria led to the advancement of Turkey, which invaded the Western Asian country and attacked the Kurdish fighters in the region. Despite some suggesting that the withdrawal marked the end of U.S. troops in the area, Trump retained a force in the east to guard the oil wells, and troops remain deployed in the northern region of the country alongside joint Russian and Turkish patrols.
Although the official reason U.S. soldiers are guarding the oil fields is purportedly to protect them from Islamic State forces, Trump has said he wants to extract the oil. Most recently, he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that such an extraction is on his radar.
TRUMP: "We don't have to defend the borders between Turkey and Syria. They've been fighting for 1,000 years. But we did keep the oil if you don't mind. We kept the oil. And we will distribute that oil." pic.twitter.com/o4qU3Czrm5 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 2, 2019
According to Russia’s state-sponsored TASS news agency, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov pointed out in October that the United States is engaging in an illegal oil smuggling scheme. Konashenkov reportedly said that private military companies are smuggling oil from the fields in Eastern Syria and other countries, using U.S. combat aviation and special forces as protection.
Trump’s erratic Middle Eastern foreign policy has not gone unnoticed by his critics. Per The Hill, Independent Justin Amash — who left the GOP after receiving pushback for his criticism of Trump — noted the discrepancy between the real estate mogul’s calls to bring the troops home and actions in the Middle East.
“Trump’s words: Bring them home. Trump’s action: Send them to Iraq,” Amash tweeted.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press back in October, the Michigan Rep. said it was “pretty clear” the president isn’t planning to bring the troops home
“He’s moving troops back into Iraq. He’s moving other troops into Saudi Arabia,” Amash said, referring to the Pentagon’s deployment of additional troops and military equipment to the Desert Kingdom.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Rand Paul Says Bidens Are ‘As Corrupt As The Day Is Long’

As the Senate trial on Donald Trump approaches , Republicans appear set to do all they can to prevent Democrats from calling witnesses , such as former national security adviser John Bolton .
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday , Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul noted that Trump ’ s impeachment defense could make the case to call their own witnesses , noting reports of corruption swirling around Vice President Joe Biden and his son , Hunter Biden .
According to Paul , connecting the Bidens to possible Ukrainian corruption is not far-fetched , Breitbart reports .
“ It goes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul said .
“ If the president is being accused of withholding foreign aid , and his argument is , ‘ Well , we were studying corruption , and we wanted to know about corruption in Ukraine , ’ and I think the Bidens are as corrupt as the day is long.
” Paul noted Hunter ’ s position on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings Limited , which he obtained with no experience in energy .
Paul also expressed worry about the Democrat-led push to hear from witnesses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply to the Republican desire to hear from the Bidens .
The 57-year-old politician claims that while the mainstream media continues to suggest there is no scandal to be found in the Bidens ’ Ukraine dealings , the American public doesn ’ t believe such an explanation .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski , who is a current member of the Burisma board , spoke about Hunter ’ s time at the company .
According to Kwasniewski , Hunter was most definitely chosen for his previous position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name .
However , Kwasniewski noted that he never witnessed Hunter using his father ’ s name to get special treatment .
The 65-year-old Polish politician also noted that gaining opportunities thanks to a family name is standard in the world of business .
“ No-names are a nobody .
Being Biden is not bad .
It ’ s a good name , ” he said , per Associated Press .
Per Raw Story , House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler recently shot down the idea of calling Hunter as a witness and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
Nadler claims that Hunter has no way of possessing knowledge connected to the allegations against Trump and said that Republicans pushing to hear from Hunter are trying to muddy the impeachment trial with red herrings .

As the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump approaches, Republicans appear set to do what they can to prevent Democrats from calling witnesses, such as former national security adviser John Bolton. Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul noted that Trump’s impeachment defense could make the case to call their own witnesses, noting reports of corruption swirling around Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
According to Paul, connecting the Bidens to possible Ukrainian corruption is not far-fetched, Breitbart reports.
“It goes to the heart of the matter,” Paul said. “If the president is being accused of withholding foreign aid, and his argument is, ‘Well, we were studying corruption, and we wanted to know about corruption in Ukraine,’ and I think the Bidens are as corrupt as the day is long.”
Paul noted Hunter’s position on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings Limited, which he obtained with no experience in energy.
“You know, for goodness sakes — it smells to high heaven. It smells like corruption.”
Paul also expressed worry about the Democrat-led push to hear from witnesses, although this concern did not appear to apply to the Republican desire to hear from the Bidens.
The 57-year-old politician claims that while the mainstream media continues to suggest there is no scandal to be found in the Bidens’ Ukraine dealings, the American public doesn’t believe such an explanation.
“Here’s the thing: Fair is fair. If they’re going to put the president through this, they’re going to have to have witnesses on both sides.”
As The Inquisitr previously reported, former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, who is a current member of the Burisma board, spoke about Hunter’s time at the company. According to Kwasniewski, Hunter was most definitely chosen for his previous position on the board due to his family name. However, Kwasniewski noted that he never witnessed Hunter using his father’s name to get special treatment.
The 65-year-old Polish politician also noted that gaining opportunities thanks to a family name is standard in the world of business.
“No-names are a nobody. Being Biden is not bad. It’s a good name,” he said, per Associated Press.
Per Raw Story, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler recently shot down the idea of calling Hunter as a witness and suggested he was not relevant to the investigation. Nadler claims that Hunter has no way of possessing knowledge connected to the allegations against Trump and said that Republicans pushing to hear from Hunter are trying to muddy the impeachment trial with red herrings.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Lindsey Graham Says Lev Parnas Is A ‘Rat’ Who Is ‘Crooked As A Snake’

During a Thursday interview with MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow , indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas ’ claimed that Donald Trump and Giuliani had him carry out the pressure campaign on Ukraine , with the end goal of securing investigations into Joe Biden .
According to Republican Sen. and Trump ally Lindsey Graham , who echoed many of the president ’ s allies , Parnas can not be trusted .
Appearing on Fox News Thursday night , Graham suggested that nothing Parnas said diverged much from what is already known about the accusations against Trump , Newsweek reports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the old evidence , ” Graham said .
Graham called Parnas a “ rat ” who is “ crooked as a snake , ” echoing his GOP colleagues who have attacked Parnas ’ credibility .
CNN ’ s Jake Tapper has also expressed skepticism at Parnas ’ credibility .
He noted that Democrats should be cautious about relying on his claims and suggested they are giving him too much benefit of the doubt , Fox News reported .
Regardless , the State of the Union moderator implied noted that Parnas ’ claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , which sparked the impeachment inquiry and the president ’ s subsequent impeachment .
“ It ’ s just the specific references to ‘ Pence knew , Barr knew , Trump knew.
’ How would he know ?
” Tapper asked .
Trump denied knowing Parnas after the explosive MSNBC interview .
But on Wednesday , Parnas and his lawyer released two video montages that showed multiple photos of Parnas with Trump .
The pair of videos also showed the Giuliani associate with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric and Donald Jr. , as well as the president ’ s son-in-law and daughter , Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump .
The Parnas interview comes as the Senate impeachment trial is set to begin next week .
Despite Democrats pointing to Parnas ’ interview with hope that it could shift the outcome of the trial , Republicans appear decided on voting against impeachment .
According to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul , it ’ s not likely that any member of the GOP will vote to impeach Trump .
The president has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block any testimonies should Democrats try to call any witnesses .

During a Thursday interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas claimed that Donald Trump and Giuliani had him carry out the pressure campaign on Ukraine with the goal of securing investigations into Joe Biden. But like many of Trump’s allies, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham now says Parnas cannot be trusted.
Appearing on Fox News Thursday night, Graham suggested that nothing Parnas said diverged much from what is already known about the accusations against Trump, Newsweek reports.
“The new evidence is no different than the old evidence,” Graham said.
“This Parnas guy is facing indictment. He’s been dripping out to the House Intel Committee batches of information, crescendoing to the week we start the trial.”
Graham called Parnas a “rat” who is “crooked as a snake,” echoing his GOP colleagues who have also attacked Parnas’ credibility.
CNN’s Jake Tapper has also expressed skepticism at Parnas’ credibility. He noted that Democrats should be cautious about relying on his claims and suggested they are giving him too much benefit of the doubt, Fox News reported.
“We can’t ignore — Parnas has a serious credibility problem. He’s under indictment for campaign finance charges. The foreign minister of Ukraine told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that he doesn’t trust a word Parnas is saying.”
Regardless, the State of the Union moderator implied noted that Parnas’ claims are somewhat supported by the transcript of Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which sparked the impeachment inquiry and the president’s subsequent impeachment.
“It’s just the specific references to ‘Pence knew, Barr knew, Trump knew.’ How would he know?” Tapper asked.
"All I can say is that the impeachment articles are a danger to the Presidency. The way they impeach The President is un-American. This trial will end in a matter of days, not weeks. And he’s going to be acquitted. –@LindseyGrahamSC pic.twitter.com/ci5OtdQoht — Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 12, 2020
Trump denied knowing Parnas after the explosive MSNBC interview. But on Wednesday, Parnas and his lawyer released two video montages that showed multiple photos of Parnas with Trump. The pair of videos also showed the Giuliani associate with Trump’s two older sons, Eric and Donald Jr., as well as the president’s son-in-law and daughter, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.
The Parnas interview comes as the Senate impeachment trial is set to begin next week. Despite Democrats pointing to Parnas’ interview with hope that it could shift the outcome of the trial, Republicans appear decided on voting against impeachment. According to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, it’s not likely that any member of the GOP will vote to impeach Trump. The president has also claimed he would use executive privilege to block any testimonies should Democrats try to call any witnesses.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--New Hampshire Poll: Bernie Sanders Holds Lead, Pete Buttigieg In Second Place

According to the latest 7News/Emerson College Poll of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters , the seventh Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday did little to change the dynamics of the presidential race .
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has maintained his lead , and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg remains in second place .
Sanders enjoys the support of 23 percent of the New Hampshire primary electorate , with a 5 percentage point advantage over Buttigieg , who is polling at 18 percent .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , the perceived front-runner , is — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently at 14 percentage points .
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has entered double-digit territory , and now enjoys the support of 10 percent of Democratic primary voters in the Granite State .
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang is in sixth place with 6 percent of the vote , and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is backed by 5 percent of the electorate .
Billionaire Tom Steyer is at 4 percent , and all the other candidates are polling below 3 percentage points .
Sanders has a convincing lead among younger voters , meaning those under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those younger than 50 support the Vermont senator and 15 percent of them are in favor of Buttigieg and Warren .
Biden ’ s numbers among that demographic remain weak , as he is supported by only 7 percent of younger New Hampshirites .
The race looks quite different among New Hampshire residents age 50 and over .
Biden is supported by 21 percent of older voters , Buttigieg by 20 , and Sanders by 18 percent of individuals older than 50 .
Warren and Klobuchar are at 12 percent .
Sanders leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal ” with 34 percentage points , Warren is in second place with 29 percent , and Buttigieg in third with 18 percent .
With “ very liberal ” New Hampshirites , Biden is at 5 percent .
With 26 percent of the vote , Sanders leads among those who consider themselves “ somewhat liberal , ” and Buttigieg is in second place with 21 percentage points .
Warren has slipped to third , as she has the approval of 15 percent of “ somewhat liberal ” New Hampshire residents .
Biden trails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 12 .
Among “ moderate ” and “ conservative ” voters , Biden is in the lead with 18 percent .
Second place belongs to Buttigieg , who enjoys the support of 16 percent of self-described conservatives , and Sanders is in third with 15 percent of the vote .
Klobuchar is polling at 12 percentage points and Steyer at 8 .
“ There was not much movement among the top four candidates in the last month , but Senator Amy Klobuchar jumped 8 points and is a competitor in New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kimball explained .

According to the latest 7News/Emerson College Poll of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, the seventh Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday did little to change the dynamics of the presidential race. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has maintained his lead, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg remains in second place.
Sanders enjoys the support of 23 percent of the New Hampshire primary electorate, with a 5 percentage point advantage over Buttigieg, who is polling at 18 percent. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the perceived front-runner, is — along with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren — currently at 14 percentage points.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has entered double-digit territory, and now enjoys the support of 10 percent of Democratic primary voters in the Granite State. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang is in sixth place with 6 percent of the vote, and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is backed by 5 percent of the electorate. Billionaire Tom Steyer is at 4 percent, and all the other candidates are polling below 3 percentage points.
Sanders has a convincing lead among younger voters, meaning those under the age of 50. Twenty-eight percent of those younger than 50 support the Vermont senator and 15 percent of them are in favor of Buttigieg and Warren. Biden’s numbers among that demographic remain weak, as he is supported by only 7 percent of younger New Hampshirites.
The race looks quite different among New Hampshire residents age 50 and over. Biden is supported by 21 percent of older voters, Buttigieg by 20, and Sanders by 18 percent of individuals older than 50. Warren and Klobuchar are at 12 percent.
Sanders leads with voters who consider themselves “very liberal” with 34 percentage points, Warren is in second place with 29 percent, and Buttigieg in third with 18 percent. With “very liberal” New Hampshirites, Biden is at 5 percent.
With 26 percent of the vote, Sanders leads among those who consider themselves “somewhat liberal,” and Buttigieg is in second place with 21 percentage points. Warren has slipped to third, as she has the approval of 15 percent of “somewhat liberal” New Hampshire residents. Biden trails her with 13, followed by Klobuchar with 12.
Among “moderate” and “conservative” voters, Biden is in the lead with 18 percent. Second place belongs to Buttigieg, who enjoys the support of 16 percent of self-described conservatives, and Sanders is in third with 15 percent of the vote. Klobuchar is polling at 12 percentage points and Steyer at 8.
“There was not much movement among the top four candidates in the last month, but Senator Amy Klobuchar jumped 8 points and is a competitor in New Hampshire,” Emerson College Polling director Spencer Kimball explained.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Rand Paul On Impeachment Trial: ‘The Verdict Has Already Been Decided’

In an interview with The Hill published on Thursday , Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky shared his thoughts about the Senate ’ s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
Not a single Republican will vote to convict the president , according to Paul .
“ I really think the verdict has already been decided as well , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t think any Republicans are going to vote for impeachment , ” the senator added , noting that Democrats did not pick up a single Republican vote in the House , which suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
Just like the Republicans , Democrats have made up their minds , according to Paul , who questioned the purpose of holding a trial , stating that the votes have already been decided .
“ I think the votes have been decided .
As much as anybody will be pretending to be judicious about this , I don ’ t think that there ’ s one senator who hasn ’ t decided how they ’ re going to vote , ” he said .
As The Hill notes , Paul ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP conference .
All 53 Republican senators are expected to vote to acquit Trump , and all 45 Democratic senators — and the two independents who caucus with Democrats — are expected to vote to convict him .
According to Paul , even though Republicans have broken with Trump on issues related to war and immigration , not a single GOP senator is expected to vote to convict the president because such a maneuver would come across intense backlash from the electorate .
“ I think if you ’ re pretty much no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or no longer interested in getting Republican votes , you might vote to impeach the president , ” he said .
Top Senate Republicans have indicated that they have no interest in conducting an impartial trial , with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stating that he is “ not an impartial juror , ” and Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham suggesting that the trial needs to end “ as quickly as possible.
” Republicans have also refused to accommodate Democratic demands for additional witnesses , such as former national security adviser John Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would be willing to use executive privilege to block testimonies .
According to the impeachment articles passed by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives , Trump committed multiple impeachable offenses when he allegedly pressured the Ukrainian government to launch investigations into his political opponents , including former Vice President Joe Biden .
According to House Democrats , Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine in order to pressure the country ’ s authorities to do as he says .

In an interview with The Hill published on Thursday, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky shared his thoughts about the Senate’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
Not a single Republican will vote to convict the president, according to Paul.
“I really think the verdict has already been decided as well,” he said.
“I don’t think any Republicans are going to vote for impeachment,” the senator added, noting that Democrats did not pick up a single Republican vote in the House, which suggests that the GOP stands firmly with the president.
Just like the Republicans, Democrats have made up their minds, according to Paul, who questioned the purpose of holding a trial, stating that the votes have already been decided.
“I think the votes have been decided. As much as anybody will be pretending to be judicious about this, I don’t think that there’s one senator who hasn’t decided how they’re going to vote,” he said.
As The Hill notes, Paul’s sentiment is shared within the Senate GOP conference. All 53 Republican senators are expected to vote to acquit Trump, and all 45 Democratic senators — and the two independents who caucus with Democrats — are expected to vote to convict him.
According to Paul, even though Republicans have broken with Trump on issues related to war and immigration, not a single GOP senator is expected to vote to convict the president because such a maneuver would come across intense backlash from the electorate.
“I think if you’re pretty much no longer interested in running for office, or no longer interested in getting Republican votes, you might vote to impeach the president,” he said.
Top Senate Republicans have indicated that they have no interest in conducting an impartial trial, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stating that he is “not an impartial juror,” and Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham suggesting that the trial needs to end “as quickly as possible.”
House impeachment managers Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Jason Crow, Val Demings and Sylvia Garcia just walked the articles of impeachment to the Senate to formally present them pic.twitter.com/QAu4aXZ9hI — POLITICO (@politico) January 16, 2020
Republicans have also refused to accommodate Democratic demands for additional witnesses, such as former national security adviser John Bolton. Furthermore, Trump has suggested that he would be willing to use executive privilege to block testimonies.
According to the impeachment articles passed by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, Trump committed multiple impeachable offenses when he allegedly pressured the Ukrainian government to launch investigations into his political opponents, including former Vice President Joe Biden.
According to House Democrats, Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine in order to pressure the country’s authorities to do as he says.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Former Addict Uses Skeleton ‘Pill Man’ To Spotlight Opioid Epidemic

Frank Huntley , who is six years into recovery from his 15-year-long OxyContin addiction , has been trying to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic , Fox News reports .
To draw attention to the crisis , he created a human-sized skeleton — also known as “ Pill Man ” — from his old OxyContin bottles to show just how deep he was into his use of the drug .
Huntley has been confronting presidential candidates about the opioid epidemic with his Pill Man , although the results have been mixed .
While he wasn ’ t allowed to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren , he did manage to get it in front of Andrew Yang , who has pledged to decriminalize opioids and safe injection sites to combat the addiction crisis gripping the United States .
“ Anyone who wants to run for president , they ’ re gon na end up meeting Pill Man , ” Huntley said , adding that he plans to introduce his figurine to every presidential candidate before February ’ s New Hampshire primaries .
In addition to Yang , Pete Buttigieg has vowed to decriminalize all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Bend , Indiana , mayor recently claimed that incarceration should not be a response to drug possession , proposing to funnel federal spending into rehabilitation and supervised release programs .
Huntley claims to have been in the throes of addiction from 1991 to 2013 .
He lost both his mother and sister to addiction and appears to believe his decision to hoard the bottles was for a greater purpose .
Per Stamford Advocate , the 52-year-old ’ s trouble with prescription medication began when he injured his shoulder and back .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescription for OxyContin , which he says led him down the path of drug abuse .
Following a year on the pill , Huntley says his doctor prescribed him methadone to cope with withdrawals .
Purdue Pharma , which has been sued by many states for the allegedly deceptive marketing of its drugs , is accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic currently facing the United States .
Company spokesman Bob Josephson responded to Huntley ’ s activism back in May of 2019 .
“ We share Mr. Huntley ’ s concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his right to peacefully express himself , ” he said .
“ Purdue is committed to working collaboratively with those affected by this public health crisis on meaningful solutions to help stem the tide of opioid-related overdose deaths.
” Josephson claims that his company is leading efforts to battle prescription drug abuse .

Frank Huntley, who is six years into recovery from his 15-year-long OxyContin addiction, has been trying to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic, Fox News reports. To draw attention to the crisis, he created a human-sized skeleton — also known as “Pill Man” — from his old OxyContin bottles to show just how deep he was into his use of the drug.
Huntley has been confronting presidential candidates about the opioid epidemic with his Pill Man, although the results have been mixed. While he wasn’t allowed to take creation into a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, he did manage to get it in front of Andrew Yang, who has pledged to decriminalize opioids and safe injection sites to combat the addiction crisis gripping the United States.
“Anyone who wants to run for president, they’re gonna end up meeting Pill Man,” Huntley said, adding that he plans to introduce his figurine to every presidential candidate before February’s New Hampshire primaries.
In addition to Yang, Pete Buttigieg has vowed to decriminalize all drugs, Reason reported. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor recently claimed that incarceration should not be a response to drug possession, proposing to funnel federal spending into rehabilitation and supervised release programs.
Huntley claims to have been in the throes of addiction from 1991 to 2013. He lost both his mother and sister to addiction and appears to believe his decision to hoard the bottles was for a greater purpose.
“For some powerful reason, I hoarded these [pill bottles] for 15 years. Addicts don’t do that. There was a much higher power that wanted me to do this.”
Frank Huntley brought his “Pill Man” to Purdue Pharma to help tell his story. His message: opioids kill, but if you want to beat addiction, there is hope. pic.twitter.com/HZ7D7r2r5T — Suzie Hunter (@TheSuzieHunter) May 6, 2019
Per Stamford Advocate, the 52-year-old’s trouble with prescription medication began when he injured his shoulder and back. After two surgeries, he was given a prescription for OxyContin, which he says led him down the path of drug abuse. Following a year on the pill, Huntley says his doctor prescribed him methadone to cope with withdrawals.
Purdue Pharma, which has been sued by many states for the allegedly deceptive marketing of its drugs, is accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic currently facing the United States.
Company spokesman Bob Josephson responded to Huntley’s activism back in May of 2019.
“We share Mr. Huntley’s concerns about the opioid addiction crisis, and respect his right to peacefully express himself,” he said. “Purdue is committed to working collaboratively with those affected by this public health crisis on meaningful solutions to help stem the tide of opioid-related overdose deaths.”
Josephson claims that his company is leading efforts to battle prescription drug abuse.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Elizabeth Warren’s Attack On Bernie Sanders Is ‘Destined To Fail,’ Says Progressive Commentator

After a CNN piece claimed Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren in a private 2018 meeting that a woman couldn ’ t beat Donald Trump , tensions between the two campaigns have been high .
Given that Warren has been accused of lying on multiple occasions , many suggested that she leaked the story amid her decline in the polls and Sanders ’ rise .
Progressive commentator and The Hill ’ s Rising co-host Krystal Ball , who appears to fall into this camp , blasted the Massachusetts senator during a monologue on Wednesday ’ s edition of the show , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Look , Elizabeth Warren isn ’ t the first one to try to play the victim card , to try to play the identity politics card in this race , ” she said .
“ And it has backfired and failed every single time.
” Ball noted that the public ultimately sees Warren as a “ privileged lady ” trying to claim victimhood while “ transparently ” stabbing Sanders in the back for her own political gain .
Ball speculated that Warren may gain a “ little bump ” from the gambit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expense of Pete Buttigieg ’ s supporters as opposed to Sanders ’ .
She noted that Sanders ’ supporters have been “ galvanized ” by the attack , pointing out that the Vermont senator ’ s campaign raised more money from Tuesday ’ s debate than from any other to date .
Following Warren and Sanders ’ post-debate interaction , in which Warren appeared to refuse to shake Sanders ’ hand , # NeverWarren trended , with many echoing Ball ’ s general sentiments .
In a recent piece for Current Affairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s difficult to believe Warren ’ s claim that Sanders said a female could not beat Trump for two reasons : Sanders has a long history of saying the opposite , and Warren has a similarly long history of “ saying untrue and distorted things ” for political gain .
Robinson highlighted Warren ’ s attack on Buttigieg ’ s wine fundraisers , which she has held herself , as well as her false claim that her presidential campaign was entirely grassroots funded , among other reportedly untrue statements .
Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren ’ s claims , noting that she , too , met with Sanders to tell him of her bid for the presidency .
According to the Hawaii congresswoman , Sanders was respectful and encouraging .

After a CNN piece claimed Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren in a private 2018 meeting that a woman couldn’t beat Donald Trump, tensions between the two campaigns have been high. Given that Warren has been accused of lying on multiple occasions, many suggested that she leaked the story amid her decline in the polls and Sanders’ rise. Progressive commentator and The Hill’s Rising co-host Krystal Ball, who appears to fall into this camp, blasted the Massachusetts senator during a monologue on Wednesday’s edition of the show, which is available on YouTube.
“Look, Elizabeth Warren isn’t the first one to try to play the victim card, to try to play the identity politics card in this race,” she said. “And it has backfired and failed every single time.”
“Because although the pundits love it, although the media eats it up, although there is a very online, ultra-woke base of support for this type of politics, by and large, overwhelmingly, the American people reject it as shallow, hollow, and disingenuous.”
Ball noted that the public ultimately sees Warren as a “privileged lady” trying to claim victimhood while “transparently” stabbing Sanders in the back for her own political gain.
“The American people see through it, and that’s why this attack is destined to fail.”
Ball speculated that Warren may gain a “little bump” from the gambit, but suggested it would be at the expense of Pete Buttigieg’s supporters as opposed to Sanders’. She noted that Sanders’ supporters have been “galvanized” by the attack, pointing out that the Vermont senator’s campaign raised more money from Tuesday’s debate than from any other to date.
Following Warren and Sanders’ post-debate interaction, in which Warren appeared to refuse to shake Sanders’ hand, #NeverWarren trended, with many echoing Ball’s general sentiments.
In a recent piece for Current Affairs, writer Nathan J. Robinson noted that it’s difficult to believe Warren’s claim that Sanders said a female could not beat Trump for two reasons: Sanders has a long history of saying the opposite, and Warren has a similarly long history of “saying untrue and distorted things” for political gain.
Robinson highlighted Warren’s attack on Buttigieg’s wine fundraisers, which she has held herself, as well as her false claim that her presidential campaign was entirely grassroots funded, among other reportedly untrue statements.
Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard also shed doubt onto Warren’s claims, noting that she, too, met with Sanders to tell him of her bid for the presidency. According to the Hawaii congresswoman, Sanders was respectful and encouraging.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Longtime Iraq War Advocate Now Has Donald Trump’s Ear On Iran, Says Report

A recent report from The Intercept claims that neoconservative David Wurmser , a longtime Iraq War advocate who served in President George W. Bush ’ s administration , now has the ear of Donald Trump and his sights set on Iran .
The news stems from Bloomberg ’ s report that reveals Wurmser helped make a case for the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani , which the president ultimately authorized .
Wurmser reportedly argued that aggressive action by the United States would deliver a blow to the “ delicate internal balance of forces and the control over them ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iranian regime .
Per The Intercept , the report carries two significant revelations .
“ First , while it was already clear that the neoconservative movement has powerfully influenced the Trump administration , Wurmser ’ s role on Iran is further evidence of the sway that neoconservatism still holds on the U.S. right — despite the catastrophic invasion of Iraq and Trump ’ s disavowal of the war .
Second , it demonstrates that neoconservatives such as Wurmser still cherish a peculiar theory about Iranian society.
” The theory , which reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s re-election , postulates that a ground war is not necessary to bring about regime change in Iran .
Instead , officials that held to the theory pushed for a bombing campaign on Iran ’ s nuclear facilities , which was believed would pave the way for revolution from “ secular nationalists and reformers , ” a 2005 government consultant said at the time .
According to the consultant , the officials who pushed the theory believed the Iranian regime would “ collapse ” once its “ aura of invincibility ” was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence Trump used to authorize Soleimani ’ s killing has led to skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans and increased fears of war with Iran .
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul blasted Trump ’ s decision to circumvent Congress and suggested the controversial move was the result of pressure from neoconservative Washington war hawks who have the president ’ s ear .
Paul said that — like Wurmser — many of his GOP colleagues are neoconservatives that do not abide by the Constitution .
He noted that many of the Republicans who are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. troops from the Middle East does not reflect well on the strength of America .
Paul argued for a debate in Congress on the best approach to Iran , noting that many Americans are unsure of why U.S. troops are in the Middle East .
Nevertheless , he highlighted that the pattern of engaging in military conflict without Congressional authorization is one that began long before Trump .

A recent report from The Intercept claims that neoconservative David Wurmser, a longtime Iraq War advocate who served in President George W. Bush’s administration, now has the ear of Donald Trump and his sights set on Iran. The news stems from Bloomberg’s report that reveals Wurmser helped make a case for the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, which the president ultimately authorized.
Wurmser reportedly argued that aggressive action by the United States would deliver a blow to the “delicate internal balance of forces and the control over them” that are necessary for the survival of the Iranian regime.
Per The Intercept, the report carries two significant revelations.
“First, while it was already clear that the neoconservative movement has powerfully influenced the Trump administration, Wurmser’s role on Iran is further evidence of the sway that neoconservatism still holds on the U.S. right — despite the catastrophic invasion of Iraq and Trump’s disavowal of the war. Second, it demonstrates that neoconservatives such as Wurmser still cherish a peculiar theory about Iranian society.”
The theory, which reportedly came from the hard-right faction following Bush’s re-election, postulates that a ground war is not necessary to bring about regime change in Iran. Instead, officials that held to the theory pushed for a bombing campaign on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which was believed would pave the way for revolution from “secular nationalists and reformers,” a 2005 government consultant said at the time.
According to the consultant, the officials who pushed the theory believed the Iranian regime would “collapse” once its “aura of invincibility” was “shattered.”
Sen. @RandPaul on Iran briefing: "They have justified the killing of an Iranian general as being something that Congress gave them permission to do in 2002. That is absurd, that's an insult." pic.twitter.com/ReCWW2Nbm3 — The Hill (@thehill) January 9, 2020
The integrity of the intelligence Trump used to authorize Soleimani’s killing has led to skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans and increased fears of war with Iran. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul blasted Trump’s decision to circumvent Congress and suggested the controversial move was the result of pressure from neoconservative Washington war hawks who have the president’s ear.
Paul said that — like Wurmser — many of his GOP colleagues are neoconservatives that do not abide by the Constitution. He noted that many of the Republicans who are currently influencing Trump have convinced him that withdrawing U.S. troops from the Middle East does not reflect well on the strength of America.
Paul argued for a debate in Congress on the best approach to Iran, noting that many Americans are unsure of why U.S. troops are in the Middle East. Nevertheless, he highlighted that the pattern of engaging in military conflict without Congressional authorization is one that began long before Trump.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Rand Paul, GOP Over Climate Change Policy

Republican Sen. Rand Paul recently challenged progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s claim that there is a 12-year deadline to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half to combat climate change , Newsweek reports .
Immediately after , Ocasio-Cortez shot back .
According to Paul via Twitter , action must be taken within the next 500 million years .
He noted proposals to create a “ space shield ” to protect Earth from the sun ’ s “ increased luminosity.
” “ I do think we should also begin genetically altering O2 producing organisms to send to Saturn ’ s Titan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our solar system , ” Paul continued .
“ What say you AOC ?
” Ocasio-Cortez hit back at Paul and compared the GOP ’ s approach to climate policy to Spaceballs , the satirical science-fiction comedy from the 1980s .
“ Hey Senator !
Would you like me to also take your comments out of context and pose them as your earnest position , as you have chosen to do with me ?
I assume the answer is yes , especially given that the GOP climate agenda is about as fictional as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ocasio-Cortez has been a staunch advocate for climate change action .
Her reference to a 12-year deadline for such effort comes from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report published in the fall of 2018 .
According to the report , which summarized over 6,000 relevant scientific studies , humanity must take action to limit the effects of climate change within approximately 12 years .
The 30-year-old congresswoman was also behind a Green New Deal resolution , which was introduced by Sen. Ed Markey in the Senate .
The five-page resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial , and economic mobilization ” framework for clean energy , job creation , and upgrades to infrastructure .
The bill has been endorsed by some Democratic presidential candidates , including Bernie Sanders , who Ocasio-Cortez has been campaigning with .
The proposal has been met with opposition from Republicans such as Paul , as well as President Donald Trump , who has reportedly denied the existence of climate change on many occasions .
The Trump administration has reportedly rolled back numerous environmental regulations , and the White House is also eyeing changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the act requires environmental assessments before infrastructure construction is completed , the president ’ s proposed changes would allow for such development to finish without environmental assessments .
According to Trump , such environmental regulations represent “ big government at its absolute worst.
” He reportedly said that the proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act would allow for the creation of “ bigger , better , and faster ” infrastructure at “ less cost .
”

Republican Sen. Rand Paul recently challenged progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s claim that there is a 12-year deadline to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half to combat climate change, Newsweek reports. Immediately after, Ocasio-Cortez shot back.
According to Paul via Twitter, action must be taken within the next 500 million years. He noted proposals to create a “space shield” to protect Earth from the sun’s “increased luminosity.”
“I do think we should also begin genetically altering O2 producing organisms to send to Saturn’s Titan and possibly the closest planets outside of our solar system,” Paul continued. “What say you AOC?”
Ocasio-Cortez hit back at Paul and compared the GOP’s approach to climate policy to Spaceballs, the satirical science-fiction comedy from the 1980s.
“Hey Senator! Would you like me to also take your comments out of context and pose them as your earnest position, as you have chosen to do with me? I assume the answer is yes, especially given that the GOP climate agenda is about as fictional as Spaceballs anyway.”
Per The Hill, Ocasio-Cortez has been a staunch advocate for climate change action. Her reference to a 12-year deadline for such effort comes from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report published in the fall of 2018. According to the report, which summarized over 6,000 relevant scientific studies, humanity must take action to limit the effects of climate change within approximately 12 years.
The 30-year-old congresswoman was also behind a Green New Deal resolution, which was introduced by Sen. Ed Markey in the Senate. The five-page resolution proposed a “national, social, industrial, and economic mobilization” framework for clean energy, job creation, and upgrades to infrastructure. The bill has been endorsed by some Democratic presidential candidates, including Bernie Sanders, who Ocasio-Cortez has been campaigning with.
I thank public housing residents for sharing their stories with us today about their struggles and what green jobs could do for their communities. I am more committed than ever to work with @AOC to pass a Green New Deal and make dignified housing a human right. pic.twitter.com/dIIjRMXwVI — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 14, 2019
The proposal has been met with opposition from Republicans such as Paul, as well as President Donald Trump, who has reportedly denied the existence of climate change on many occasions. The Trump administration has reportedly rolled back numerous environmental regulations, and the White House is also eyeing changes to the National Environmental Policy Act. While the act requires environmental assessments before infrastructure construction is completed, the president’s proposed changes would allow for such development to finish without environmental assessments.
According to Trump, such environmental regulations represent “big government at its absolute worst.” He reportedly said that the proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act would allow for the creation of “bigger, better, and faster” infrastructure at “less cost.”


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Andrew Yang Says Lack Of Diversity On Debate Stage Reflects ‘Inequities And Realities’ In Economy

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night , sharing his thoughts on Tuesday ’ s primary debate and its lack of diversity .
Yang didn ’ t make it to the debate stage himself , but that didn ’ t stop him from trending on social media and securing a well-timed celebrity endorsement from comedian Dave Chappelle .
During the interview , Colbert noted that every candidate on Tuesday ’ s debate stage was white and asked Yang who bears responsibility : the Democratic National Committee for setting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t responding to the messages from candidates of color ?
Yang echoed comments he made at the sixth Democratic debate , linking the lack of diversity to the economic realities of many communities of color .
“ Fewer than five percent of Americans donate to political campaigns , ” he said .
“ You need disposable income to contribute to campaigns , and you need some form of security in order to run for office .
So what happened on the stage last night reflects the inequities and realities in our economy.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lack of resources among communities of color must be addressed to achieve more diversity in politics .
With New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ‘ s recent departure from the race , Yang and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard are the last remaining candidates of color in the Democratic primary .
While Yang has mostly avoided drawing attention to his race , focusing on his signature proposal of a universal basic income of $ 1,000 per month , Politico reports that he now feels “ a bit of extra pressure ” as the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has noted that race has not played a central role in his campaign thus far , he says that being the only candidate of color on the debate stage last month made it “ more natural to talk about.
” Yang is sixth in the polls with 3.6 percent support .
While the requirements for the three February debates have yet to be released , the businessman believes he will be able to meet them .
Regardless , Yang notes that his campaign — which has been driven by a steady grassroots movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to survive .
“ The debates are helpful , ” he said before noting that they aren ’ t “ as central to the process ” as they were in other cycles or campaigns .

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night, sharing his thoughts on Tuesday’s primary debate and its lack of diversity. Yang didn’t make it to the debate stage himself, but that didn’t stop him from trending on social media and securing a well-timed celebrity endorsement from comedian Dave Chappelle.
During the interview, Colbert noted that every candidate on Tuesday’s debate stage was white and asked Yang who bears responsibility: the Democratic National Committee for setting the rules or the voters who aren’t responding to the messages from candidates of color?
Yang echoed comments he made at the sixth Democratic debate, linking the lack of diversity to the economic realities of many communities of color.
“Fewer than five percent of Americans donate to political campaigns,” he said. “You need disposable income to contribute to campaigns, and you need some form of security in order to run for office. So what happened on the stage last night reflects the inequities and realities in our economy.”
According to the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur, the lack of resources among communities of color must be addressed to achieve more diversity in politics.
“We should be more concerned with changing those realities on the ground and if we did that, than the stage would look very, very different.”
With New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker‘s recent departure from the race, Yang and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard are the last remaining candidates of color in the Democratic primary. While Yang has mostly avoided drawing attention to his race, focusing on his signature proposal of a universal basic income of $1,000 per month, Politico reports that he now feels “a bit of extra pressure” as the primary race continues to narrow.
Although Yang has noted that race has not played a central role in his campaign thus far, he says that being the only candidate of color on the debate stage last month made it “more natural to talk about.”
Yang is sixth in the polls with 3.6 percent support. While the requirements for the three February debates have yet to be released, the businessman believes he will be able to meet them. Regardless, Yang notes that his campaign — which has been driven by a steady grassroots movement — is not reliant on the debates to survive.
“The debates are helpful,” he said before noting that they aren’t “as central to the process” as they were in other cycles or campaigns.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Joe Scarborough Says History ‘Will Be Bleak’ For Donald Trump’s Defenders

During Thursday ’ s episode of MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe , co-host and frequent Donald Trump critic Joe Scarborough took aim at those defending the president and suggested that history will not be their friend , Breitbart reports .
“ These shameless Trumpsters will remain shameless Trumpsters , but we do know how this story ends , ” Scarborough began .
“ We do know how history writes this .
We know that everyone who defends Donald Trump right now will be exposed.
” Scarborough continued to claim that Vice President Mike Pence , Attorney General William Barr , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani , will be “ exposed ” for who they truly are .
The 56-year-old politician ’ s comments mirror those of Independent and former Republican Justin Amash , who called for Trump ’ s defenders to look at the bigger picture and acknowledge that history will “ not look kindly ” on their defenses of Trump .
Scarborough also claimed that Trump does not return the loyalty he receives and noted that this dynamic is what he believes is so “ remarkable , ” suggesting that at some point in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will face their day of reckoning .
“ You might as well do what [ Lev Parnas ] did , and come clean , ” Scarborough said .
Parnas is a Giuliani associate that appeared on MSNBC ’ s The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday night .
Per NBC News , Parnas opened up about the alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
Parnas said Trump was aware of everything going on in the alleged campaign and noted that he always received consent from Giuliani or the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purported scheme .
Parnas also implicated Devin Nunes , the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , in the alleged pressure campaign .
If Parnas is telling the truth , Nunes was involved in the operation that his committee is currently investigating .
Along with fellow Giuliani associate Igor Fruman , Parnas has been charged with campaign finance violations , including illegal straw donations to a super PAC supporting Trump .
In response to Parnas ’ accusations , White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham noted the charges against the Giuliani associate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his exposure to prison.
” She also echoed Trump and his allies and said that the impeachment is a partisan and fabricated attack on Trump that is not supported by facts .

During Thursday’s episode of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, co-host and frequent Donald Trump critic Joe Scarborough took aim at those defending the president and suggested that history will not be their friend, Breitbart reports.
“These shameless Trumpsters will remain shameless Trumpsters, but we do know how this story ends,” Scarborough began. “We do know how history writes this. We know that everyone who defends Donald Trump right now will be exposed.”
Scarborough continued to claim that Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General William Barr, and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, will be “exposed” for who they truly are.
“History, it will be bleak, and their families, their children, their grandchildren, everyone who has their last name will carry that around with them if they decide to continue lying for a failed reality TV host who will show them no loyalty.”
The 56-year-old politician’s comments mirror those of Independent and former Republican Justin Amash, who called for Trump’s defenders to look at the bigger picture and acknowledge that history will “not look kindly” on their defenses of Trump.
Scarborough also claimed that Trump does not return the loyalty he receives and noted that this dynamic is what he believes is so “remarkable,” suggesting that at some point in the future, the president’s defenders will face their day of reckoning.
“You might as well do what [Lev Parnas] did, and come clean,” Scarborough said.
"We don't know how this ends in the Senate…But we do know how this story ends. We do know how history writes this." —@JoeNBC pic.twitter.com/UW7hdZxxhe — Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) January 16, 2020
Parnas is a Giuliani associate that appeared on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday night. Per NBC News, Parnas opened up about the alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine that led to Trump’s impeachment. Parnas said Trump was aware of everything going on in the alleged campaign and noted that he always received consent from Giuliani or the president when moving forward with anything in the purported scheme.
Parnas also implicated Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, in the alleged pressure campaign. If Parnas is telling the truth, Nunes was involved in the operation that his committee is currently investigating.
Along with fellow Giuliani associate Igor Fruman, Parnas has been charged with campaign finance violations, including illegal straw donations to a super PAC supporting Trump.
In response to Parnas’ accusations, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham noted the charges against the Giuliani associate and claimed he is “desperate to reduce his exposure to prison.” She also echoed Trump and his allies and said that the impeachment is a partisan and fabricated attack on Trump that is not supported by facts.