inquisitr--2020-01-16--Here’s How Donald Trump Could Unexpectedly Be Removed From Office As Senate Takes On Impeachment Tri

Here’s How Donald Trump Could Unexpectedly Be Removed From Office As Senate Takes On Impeachment Trial

Though a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate to remove Donald Trump appears unlikely , there are three other ways that Trump could , at least in theory , be removed from office .
The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is set to open on Thursday at noon , though the remainder of this week will likely be devoted to getting formalities and procedural requirements out of the way .
The actual trial proceedings will get underway next week , following the holiday weekend .
But the outcome of the trial already appears determined .
Under the requirements set out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump — or any sitting president — and remove him from office requires a two-thirds majority , or 67 votes , in the Senate .
But according to a count by The Hill , a maximum of 10 , and more likely no more than three , Republicans may even be considering the possibility of voting to convict Trump .
If all 47 Democrats ( including two independents ) vote to convict , removal of Trump from office would require 20 Republican votes .
As such , on the surface , conviction seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines by a number of Senate Republicans .
Even without a vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial , there are three other ways that Trump , at least in theory , could be removed from office .
The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by Congress in 1965 and ratified by the states in 1967 .
The amendment spells out how to transfer power in the event not only of a president ’ s death , but also if Congress or even the president ’ s own cabinet determines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incapable of carrying out the duties of his office — either due to a physical illness of some kind or a mental disability .
The 25th Amendment was a response to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 .
After Kennedy ’ s death , there was confusion over how and when the transfer of presidential power to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson should take place .
Given reports of Trump ’ s seemingly erratic behavior and public statements , the possibility of removing him using 25th Amendment provisions has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the news media and on social media .
In 2018 , even one senator , current presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren , called for the process of invoking the 25th Amendment to get Trump out of office .
The 25th Amendment has been invoked only four times , first in 1974 when the resignation of Richard Nixon handed the presidency to Vice President Gerald Ford .
Ronald Reagan used the amendment ’ s provisions to temporarily hand power to Vice President George H.W .
Bush during a 1985 surgical procedure .
Bush ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also invoked the 25th Amendment twice , during routine medical procedures that required him to be placed under general anesthesia , in 2002 and 2007 .
Nixon , the 37th president , resigned the presidency on August 9 , 1974 , in the wake of the Watergate scandal .
As The Christian Science Monitor recounts , just four days earlier the White House released a tape recording of Nixon in the Oval Office in which he instructed his Chief of Staff H.R .
Haldeman to lie to the CIA , in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ smoking gun ” tape sealed Nixon ’ s fate , as the first piece of hard evidence tying him directly to the cover-up of crimes connected to the burglary of Democratic National Committee headquarters by White House operatives in 1972 .
But even after the tape ’ s release , Nixon still remained in office — until a delegation of Republican senators led by Arizona ’ s Barry Goldwater visited him in the White House .
Goldwater and the other senators told Nixon that after the “ smoking gun , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office by Senate impeachment trial .
Nixon remains the only president ever to voluntarily quit in the middle of a term .
Whether Senate Republicans would urge Trump to resign appears extremely unlikely , however .
While Trump ’ s removal by his own resignation , or by the 25th Amendment , appears far-fetched , it remains possible that he could be removed by the same force that ultimately removes us all — death .
At age 73 , and with limited public information about his health conditions , Trump ’ s life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidents prior to Trump , eight died while in office — almost 20 percent — according to The World Atlas .
Of those eight , four — 50 percent — died as a result of assassination .
Kennedy in 1963 remains the most recent president not only to be assassinated , but to die in office .
The first was the ninth president , William Henry Harrison , who was also the president who served the shortest period in office .
Harrison died in 1841 of typhoid fever just 31 days , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is reportedly an avid consumer of fast food , and in fact , an unhealthy diet was apparently the reason 12th President Zachary Taylor died in 1850 .
He is believed to have gobbled down a large amount of cherries , green apples , cold milk , and ice water on July 4 , 1850 .
He quickly fell ill , and five days later , the president was dead from severe diarrhea .

The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is set to open on Thursday at noon, though the remainder of this week will likely be devoted to getting formalities and procedural requirements out of the way. The actual trial proceedings will get underway next week, following the holiday weekend.
But the outcome of the trial already appears determined. Under the requirements set out in the United States Constitution, to convict Trump — or any sitting president — and remove him from office requires a two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, in the Senate.
But according to a count by The Hill, a maximum of 10, and more likely no more than three, Republicans may even be considering the possibility of voting to convict Trump. If all 47 Democrats (including two independents) vote to convict, removal of Trump from office would require 20 Republican votes.
As such, on the surface, conviction seems unlikely barring an unprecedented break from party lines by a number of Senate Republicans.
Even without a vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial, there are three other ways that Trump, at least in theory, could be removed from office.
The 25th Amendment
The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by Congress in 1965 and ratified by the states in 1967. The amendment spells out how to transfer power in the event not only of a president’s death, but also if Congress or even the president’s own cabinet determines that he (or she) becomes incapable of carrying out the duties of his office — either due to a physical illness of some kind or a mental disability.
The 25th Amendment was a response to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. After Kennedy’s death, there was confusion over how and when the transfer of presidential power to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson should take place.
Given reports of Trump’s seemingly erratic behavior and public statements, the possibility of removing him using 25th Amendment provisions has been discussed on several occasions, not only in the news media and on social media. In 2018, even one senator, current presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, called for the process of invoking the 25th Amendment to get Trump out of office.
The 25th Amendment has been invoked only four times, first in 1974 when the resignation of Richard Nixon handed the presidency to Vice President Gerald Ford. Ronald Reagan used the amendment’s provisions to temporarily hand power to Vice President George H.W. Bush during a 1985 surgical procedure. Bush’s own son, George W. Bush, also invoked the 25th Amendment twice, during routine medical procedures that required him to be placed under general anesthesia, in 2002 and 2007.
Resignation
Nixon, the 37th president, resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974, in the wake of the Watergate scandal. As The Christian Science Monitor recounts, just four days earlier the White House released a tape recording of Nixon in the Oval Office in which he instructed his Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman to lie to the CIA, in order to quash the Watergate investigation.
The so-called “smoking gun” tape sealed Nixon’s fate, as the first piece of hard evidence tying him directly to the cover-up of crimes connected to the burglary of Democratic National Committee headquarters by White House operatives in 1972.
But even after the tape’s release, Nixon still remained in office — until a delegation of Republican senators led by Arizona’s Barry Goldwater visited him in the White House. Goldwater and the other senators told Nixon that after the “smoking gun,” he must resign or face removal from office by Senate impeachment trial.
Nixon remains the only president ever to voluntarily quit in the middle of a term. Whether Senate Republicans would urge Trump to resign appears extremely unlikely, however.
Death
While Trump’s removal by his own resignation, or by the 25th Amendment, appears far-fetched, it remains possible that he could be removed by the same force that ultimately removes us all — death. At age 73, and with limited public information about his health conditions, Trump’s life expectancy is unclear.
Of the 44 presidents prior to Trump, eight died while in office — almost 20 percent — according to The World Atlas. Of those eight, four — 50 percent — died as a result of assassination. Kennedy in 1963 remains the most recent president not only to be assassinated, but to die in office.
The first was the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, who was also the president who served the shortest period in office. Harrison died in 1841 of typhoid fever just 31 days, one month, into his first term.
Trump is reportedly an avid consumer of fast food, and in fact, an unhealthy diet was apparently the reason 12th President Zachary Taylor died in 1850. He is believed to have gobbled down a large amount of cherries, green apples, cold milk, and ice water on July 4, 1850. He quickly fell ill, and five days later, the president was dead from severe diarrhea.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Devin Nunes Says He Now Remembers Talking To Lev Parnas

Devin Nunes , the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , was accused in November of meeting with Rudy Giuliani ‘ s associate Lev Parnas to discuss the alleged plan to dig up dirt on Donald Trump ‘ s Democratic rival , Joe Biden .
Although the House Intelligence Committee released call logs involving the trio , Nunes said at that time that he didn ’ t remember speaking to Parnas .
In an interview on Fox News Wednesday night , Nunes said he now remembers the phone call he had with Giuliani and Parnas .
The confession came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday night , Newsweek reports .
“ If you recall , that was brand new when it came out , when I was on your show .
I just didn ’ t know the name .
This name Parnas , ” Nunes said to anchor Martha MacCallum , who previously interviewed Nunes about his alleged contact with Parnas .
Nunes noted that he deals with people daily on his office phone and cell phone , appearing to suggest that Parnas ’ call to the latter got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politician noted that he did not know Parnas ’ name at the time the call logs were released but added that he cross-checked the records with his physical location at the time to jog his memory .
MacCallum pressed Nunes about whether he discussed then-U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch with Parnas , to which Nunes said he remembered hearing Yovanovitch ’ s name for the first time at the beginning of the impeachment inquiry .
Per MSNBC , Parnas told Maddow that he met Nunes several times and was later referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly aware of the purported Ukraine pressure campaign that Parnas and Giuliani are accused of spearheading .
Parnas also noted his surprise when he saw Nunes on television involved in the impeachment hearings .
“ I was in shock when I was watching the hearings and when I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there , ” Parnas said , later clarifying that his shock was due to Nunes ’ apparent involvement in the reported campaign to secure investigations into Biden .
Parnas also said it was “ hard to see them lie like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and claimed that Nunes “ knew what was going on.
” Nunes previously threatened to sue CNN and The Daily Beast for reports that he met with Parnas to discuss the alleged Biden investigation .

Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, was accused in November of meeting with Rudy Giuliani‘s associate Lev Parnas to discuss the alleged plan to dig up dirt on Donald Trump‘s Democratic rival, Joe Biden. Although the House Intelligence Committee released call logs involving the trio, Nunes said at that time that he didn’t remember speaking to Parnas.
In an interview on Fox News Wednesday night, Nunes said he now remembers the phone call he had with Giuliani and Parnas. The confession came after Parnas made a potentially game-changing interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday night, Newsweek reports.
“If you recall, that was brand new when it came out, when I was on your show. I just didn’t know the name. This name Parnas,” Nunes said to anchor Martha MacCallum, who previously interviewed Nunes about his alleged contact with Parnas.
Nunes noted that he deals with people daily on his office phone and cell phone, appearing to suggest that Parnas’ call to the latter got lost in the fray. The 46-year-old politician noted that he did not know Parnas’ name at the time the call logs were released but added that he cross-checked the records with his physical location at the time to jog his memory.
“It was very clear. I remember that call, which was very odd, random, talking about random things. And I said great, just talk to my staff and boom, boom, boom. Which is normal, standard operating procedure.”
MacCallum pressed Nunes about whether he discussed then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch with Parnas, to which Nunes said he remembered hearing Yovanovitch’s name for the first time at the beginning of the impeachment inquiry.
Maddow: Do you know Devin Nunes? Parnas: Yes. We met several times at Trump Hotel. Our relationship started when I was introduced to his aide Derek Harvey. Maddow: You told Harvey about your Ukraine stuff? Parnas: He was already aware. He knew everything. pic.twitter.com/wGJzs30234 — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) January 16, 2020
Per MSNBC, Parnas told Maddow that he met Nunes several times and was later referred to a Nunes aide, who was allegedly aware of the purported Ukraine pressure campaign that Parnas and Giuliani are accused of spearheading. Parnas also noted his surprise when he saw Nunes on television involved in the impeachment hearings.
“I was in shock when I was watching the hearings and when I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there,” Parnas said, later clarifying that his shock was due to Nunes’ apparent involvement in the reported campaign to secure investigations into Biden.
Parnas also said it was “hard to see them lie like that.” He called it “scary” and claimed that Nunes “knew what was going on.”
Nunes previously threatened to sue CNN and The Daily Beast for reports that he met with Parnas to discuss the alleged Biden investigation.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Republican Sen. Martha McSally Calls CNN Reporter ‘Liberal Hack’ When He Asked About New Impeachment

Republican Sen. Martha McSally Calls CNN Reporter ‘Liberal Hack’ When He Asked About New Impeachment Evidence

Republican Senator Martha McSally had a biting response for a CNN reporter who asked her about new impeachment evidence , calling him a “ liberal hack ” in a tense exchange ahead of Donald Trump ’ s trial .
The exchange took place as the Senate trial of Donald Trump is set to begin in the coming days .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi transmitted two articles of impeachment passed in December to the Senate , where Trump will now face trial and the possibility of being convicted and removed from office .
Pelosi held off on transmitting the articles for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case for the Senate trial to include new witnesses who had been blocked by the White House in the initial impeachment hearings .
The wait also allowed for new evidence to emerge that potentially implicated Trump in a plot to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival , Joe Biden .
That evidence included newly released text messages and notes from Lev Parnas , an associate of Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , who worked as a liaison to Ukraine .
Parnas claimed this week that Trump was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pressure Ukraine — a potential bombshell that would cut through the president ’ s denials that he pressured Ukraine for strictly political purposes .
When approached by CNN reporter Manu Raju and asked about the potential of including new evidence in the trial , McSally did not answer the question directly .
Instead , shot back that Raju was a “ liberal hack.
” Video of the short exchange drew viral interest on Twitter .
While some Republican senators have already expressed their intent to hurry through Trump ’ s trial and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more complicated relationship with the president .
She initially lost a Senate race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in 2018 and a memo circulated after the election claimed that Trump ’ s attacks on late Arizona Senator John McCain played a role in her loss .
Trump had frequently attacked McCain , even after his death from brain cancer .
McSally was later appointed to McCain ’ s Senate seat after her loss to Sinema , but now faces a difficult re-election campaign .
As The Hill noted , a recent poll showed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly .
The race is rated as a “ toss-up.
” McSally has not said publicly whether she would support introducing witnesses or new evidence in Trump ’ s upcoming impeachment trial , but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pushed back strongly against the idea of new information being included in the trial .

Republican Senator Martha McSally had a biting response for a CNN reporter who asked her about new impeachment evidence, calling him a “liberal hack” in a tense exchange ahead of Donald Trump’s trial.
The exchange took place as the Senate trial of Donald Trump is set to begin in the coming days. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi transmitted two articles of impeachment passed in December to the Senate, where Trump will now face trial and the possibility of being convicted and removed from office. Pelosi held off on transmitting the articles for several weeks, as Democrats publicly made the case for the Senate trial to include new witnesses who had been blocked by the White House in the initial impeachment hearings. The wait also allowed for new evidence to emerge that potentially implicated Trump in a plot to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden.
That evidence included newly released text messages and notes from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who worked as a liaison to Ukraine. Parnas claimed this week that Trump was in the loop about all the actions taken to pressure Ukraine — a potential bombshell that would cut through the president’s denials that he pressured Ukraine for strictly political purposes.
When approached by CNN reporter Manu Raju and asked about the potential of including new evidence in the trial, McSally did not answer the question directly. Instead, shot back that Raju was a “liberal hack.” Video of the short exchange drew viral interest on Twitter.
Wow. Here's @SenMcSallyAZ angrily calling @mkraju "a liberal hack" while refusing to answer questions pic.twitter.com/kNjSg756E1 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 16, 2020
While some Republican senators have already expressed their intent to hurry through Trump’s trial and acquit him, McSally has had a more complicated relationship with the president. She initially lost a Senate race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in 2018 and a memo circulated after the election claimed that Trump’s attacks on late Arizona Senator John McCain played a role in her loss. Trump had frequently attacked McCain, even after his death from brain cancer.
McSally was later appointed to McCain’s Senate seat after her loss to Sinema, but now faces a difficult re-election campaign. As The Hill noted, a recent poll showed that she was polling below Democratic candidate Mark Kelly. The race is rated as a “toss-up.”
McSally has not said publicly whether she would support introducing witnesses or new evidence in Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pushed back strongly against the idea of new information being included in the trial.


inquisitr--2020-01-16--Donald Trump Is Privately Obsessing Over Bernie Sanders’ Popularity And Appeal Of Socialism, Report

Donald Trump Is Privately Obsessing Over Bernie Sanders’ Popularity And Appeal Of Socialism, Report Claims

President Donald Trump has been privately obsessing over the popularity of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the apparent appeal of socialism , a new report claims .
The Daily Beast reported that President Trump has been repeatedly asking advisers about how Sanders is doing in the polls and how the two might fare in head-to-head matchups , especially in critical battleground states .
The report added that Trump , while disdaining socialism and mocking Sanders in public statements , has privately told advisers that it may be difficult to run against it in 2020 due to its populist appeal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a private fundraising event that there may be voters who love Trump , “ but many people love free stuff , too.
” Trump has begun talking more about Sanders publicly , saying both on Twitter and at a rally in Milwaukee this week that the Vermont senator is “ surging ” in polls .
Trump also waded into an intraparty squabble between Sanders and Elizabeth Warren after the two campaigns traded barbs this week .
Warren affirmed a report that Sanders had told her a woman could not win the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he believed the denial from Sanders .
Trump also made some overtures toward Sanders in 2016 , which many interpreted as an attempt to sow division within Democratic voters .
He reportedly fed into conspiracy theories that the Democratic primary was rigged against Sanders , and at one point even offered to debate Sanders when Hillary Clinton would not agree to a debate late in the primary , when she held a significant lead in delegates .
Trump later purportedly backtracked .
The Trump campaign pushed back against the report from The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not worried about any of the potential Democratic opponents .
“ We have no preference among the Democrat candidates because President Trump would beat any of them handily , ” Tim Murtaugh , communications director for Trump ’ s reelection campaign , told the outlet .
“ Over the last year , the campaign has engaged various Democrats when the opportunities have presented themselves .
In Sanders ’ case , his surge in the polls coincided with his emergence as the chief apologist for the Iranian regime .
We needed to point out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since he made clear he would appease terrorists and terror-sponsoring nations.
” While Sanders has risen in polling in recent weeks , the polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight still puts former Vice President Joe Biden as the front-runner to win the nomination .
Sanders is seen as having one-in-four odds to win the primary .

President Donald Trump has been privately obsessing over the popularity of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the apparent appeal of socialism, a new report claims.
The Daily Beast reported that President Trump has been repeatedly asking advisers about how Sanders is doing in the polls and how the two might fare in head-to-head matchups, especially in critical battleground states. The report added that Trump, while disdaining socialism and mocking Sanders in public statements, has privately told advisers that it may be difficult to run against it in 2020 due to its populist appeal.
The report noted that Trump told donors at a private fundraising event that there may be voters who love Trump, “but many people love free stuff, too.”
Trump has begun talking more about Sanders publicly, saying both on Twitter and at a rally in Milwaukee this week that the Vermont senator is “surging” in polls. Trump also waded into an intraparty squabble between Sanders and Elizabeth Warren after the two campaigns traded barbs this week. Warren affirmed a report that Sanders had told her a woman could not win the presidency, which Sanders denied. Trump said that he believed the denial from Sanders.
Trump also made some overtures toward Sanders in 2016, which many interpreted as an attempt to sow division within Democratic voters. He reportedly fed into conspiracy theories that the Democratic primary was rigged against Sanders, and at one point even offered to debate Sanders when Hillary Clinton would not agree to a debate late in the primary, when she held a significant lead in delegates. Trump later purportedly backtracked.
Crooked Hillary can't even close the deal with Bernie – and the Dems have it rigged in favor of Hillary. Four more years of this? No way! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2016
The Trump campaign pushed back against the report from The Daily Beast, saying that Trump is not worried about any of the potential Democratic opponents.
“We have no preference among the Democrat candidates because President Trump would beat any of them handily,” Tim Murtaugh, communications director for Trump’s reelection campaign, told the outlet. “Over the last year, the campaign has engaged various Democrats when the opportunities have presented themselves. In Sanders’ case, his surge in the polls coincided with his emergence as the chief apologist for the Iranian regime. We needed to point out that he would be dangerous as president since he made clear he would appease terrorists and terror-sponsoring nations.”
While Sanders has risen in polling in recent weeks, the polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight still puts former Vice President Joe Biden as the front-runner to win the nomination. Sanders is seen as having one-in-four odds to win the primary.


inquisitr--2020-01-18--Donald Trump Attacks His Health Chief Over Polling: ‘I Should Never Have Done That F*cking Vaping Th

Donald Trump Attacks His Health Chief Over Polling: ‘I Should Never Have Done That F*cking Vaping Thing’

Donald Trump lashed out at Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday because he believes he hasn ’ t done enough to help him win over voters .
According to The Washington Post , the president was recently presented with polling information during a meeting that shows that voters trust Republicans less with health care and drug pricing than they trust Democrats .
Trump has made health care a key focus of his campaign and administration , promising to address the issue of health care in the U.S. and to lower drug prices .
So far , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the way of results .
On Thursday , he was apparently upset about the news that progressives seem to have a political advantage when it comes to the topic , saying that the Democrats would “ kill us ” on health care .
He then dialed Azar and attacked him over the phone while the meeting was still in progress .
First , he told the Health chief that he wasn ’ t lowering drug prices .
“ You ’ re not getting it done , ” Trump said to Azar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azar why he hadn ’ t tackled importation laws .
“ Why aren ’ t we getting these drugs from Canada ?
” he said .
Azar told Trump that he was working on the issues , but they were either being blocked in Congress or stopped by the courts .
Trump , who has been focused in recent days on the upcoming impeachment trial in the senate , then turned to the issue of vaping .
The president announced a ban on flavored vaping products last fall before changing to a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that apparently hasn ’ t polled that well .
As Axios reports , Trump said that he regretted getting involved in the vaping question and felt that he should have just left it alone .
“ I should never have done that f***ing vaping thing , ” he reportedly said .
Azar was apparently defensive after the president ’ s comment .
“ President Trump has said this Administration will protect people with pre-existing conditions , lower drug prices even further , end surprise medical bills , and make sure Americans get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” a White House spokesperson said .
Though Trump promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act , he hasn ’ t managed to make that happen .
He also hasn ’ t lowered drug prices or the issue of surprise medical bills , another problem that he vowed to address .
The Trump administration is also pushing to have the protections for pre-existing conditions thrown out , something that some critics see as contradictory to trying to improve health care for Americans .

Donald Trump lashed out at Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday because he believes he hasn’t done enough to help him win over voters. According to The Washington Post, the president was recently presented with polling information during a meeting that shows that voters trust Republicans less with health care and drug pricing than they trust Democrats.
Trump has made health care a key focus of his campaign and administration, promising to address the issue of health care in the U.S. and to lower drug prices. So far, he hasn’t managed to produce much in the way of results.
On Thursday, he was apparently upset about the news that progressives seem to have a political advantage when it comes to the topic, saying that the Democrats would “kill us” on health care. He then dialed Azar and attacked him over the phone while the meeting was still in progress.
First, he told the health chief that he wasn’t lowering drug prices.
“You’re not getting it done,” Trump said to Azar. “Hurry up.”
He then asked Azar why he hadn’t tackled importation laws.
“Why aren’t we getting these drugs from Canada?” he asked.
Azar told Trump that he was working on the issues, but they were either being blocked in Congress or stopped by the courts.
Trump, who has been focused in recent days on the upcoming impeachment trial in the senate, then turned to the issue of vaping. The president announced a ban on flavored vaping products last fall before changing to a more limited ban in the last month, something that apparently hasn’t polled that well.
As Axios reports, Trump said that he regretted getting involved in the vaping question and felt that he should have just left it alone.
“I should never have done that f***ing vaping thing,” he reportedly said.
Azar was apparently defensive after the president’s comment.
“President Trump has said this Administration will protect people with pre-existing conditions, lower drug prices even further, end surprise medical bills, and make sure Americans get the highest quality of care they deserve,” a White House spokesperson said.
Though Trump promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he hasn’t managed to make that happen. He also hasn’t lowered drug prices, or the issue of surprise medical bills, another problem that he vowed to address. The Trump administration is also pushing to have the protections for pre-existing conditions thrown out, something that some critics see as contradictory to trying to improve health care for Americans.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Ron Reagan Says His Father Would Not Want Republicans To Vote For ‘Incompetent And Traitorous’ Donal

Ron Reagan Says His Father Would Not Want Republicans To Vote For ‘Incompetent And Traitorous’ Donald Trump

Ron Reagan doesn ’ t think his father would give much of an endorsement for Donald Trump .
In fact , the son of Ronald Reagan believes the former president would not want Republicans to vote for the “ traitor ” president .
In an interview with The Daily Beast , Reagan said he doesn ’ t recognize what his father ’ s party has become under President Trump .
He accused the party of fully buying into divisive propaganda spread by Russia , saying they were now promoting “ shameful stuff.
” Reagan said that the party will need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely , turning into a “ minor fringe group ” if major changes are not made .
“ The Republican party at this point , for a whole host of reasons to do with Donald Trump , is an entirely illegitimate political party just made up of a bunch of sycophantic traitors mouthing Kremlin propaganda to defend this squalid little man who is occupying the White House , ” Ron Reagan said .
Ron added that his father was too “ genteel ” to ever use such harsh words , but believed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head off and sh*t down his flabby neck ” if he were alive today .
The son of the former president would see the upcoming election as a dire and critical moment for the country , and that Trump ’ s re-election could be a major threat for the country and feared he would continue to work against the United States .
“ Our republic is in danger , ” he said .
“ Democracy is in danger , and we need to put somebody else in the White House because this man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he occupies the Oval Office.
” Ron Reagan has been a frequent critic of Trump , saying in a May 2017 interview that he believed Trump should be removed from office after a report that the president asked leaders of the intelligence agencies to push back against the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and allegations that Trump ’ s campaign colluded with Russia .
The request was seen as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of agencies conducting the investigation , NPR reported .
Reagan has also supported progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reagan has described himself as an “ unabashed atheist ” and pushed back against what he saw as intrusions of religion into government .
Donald Trump has at times been disdainful of popular Republican leaders , including a series of attacks against Senator John McCain and boasts that he is more popular among Republicans than Abraham Lincoln .

Ron Reagan doesn’t think his father would give much of an endorsement for Donald Trump.
In fact, the son of Ronald Reagan believes the former president would not want Republicans to vote for the “traitor” president. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Reagan said he doesn’t recognize what his father’s party has become under President Trump. He accused the party of fully buying into divisive propaganda spread by Russia, saying they were now promoting “shameful stuff.”
Reagan said that the party will need to fully reinvent itself or will disappear entirely, turning into a “minor fringe group” if major changes are not made.
“The Republican party at this point, for a whole host of reasons to do with Donald Trump, is an entirely illegitimate political party just made up of a bunch of sycophantic traitors mouthing Kremlin propaganda to defend this squalid little man who is occupying the White House,” Ron Reagan said.
Ron added that his father was too “genteel” to ever use such harsh words, but believed he would “pinch Trump’s empty head off and sh*t down his flabby neck” if he were alive today.
The son of the former president would see the upcoming election as a dire and critical moment for the country, and that Trump’s re-election could be a major threat for the country and feared he would continue to work against the United States.
“Our republic is in danger,” he said. “Democracy is in danger, and we need to put somebody else in the White House because this man is betraying the country every single day he occupies the Oval Office.”
Ron Reagan has been a frequent critic of Trump, saying in a May, 2017, interview that he believed Trump should be removed from office after a report that the president asked leaders of the intelligence agencies to push back against the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and allegations that Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia.
The request was seen as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of agencies conducting the investigation, NPR reported.
Reagan has also supported progressive causes, like the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Reagan has described himself as an “unabashed atheist” and pushed back against what he saw as intrusions of religion into government.
Donald Trump has, at times, been disdainful of popular Republican leaders, including a series of attacks against Sen. John McCain, and boasts that he is more popular among Republicans than Abraham Lincoln.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Joe Biden Reveals Two Men He Might Choose As Running Mate

In an interview with The Dallas Morning News published on Thursday , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden identified two men he could name as his pick for vice president if he wins the Democratic nomination .
According to Biden , former White House hopefuls Beto O ’ Rourke and Julián Castro are on his shortlist for running mate and cabinet positions .
“ I would consider either or both of them .
I ’ ve spoken to each of them , ” Biden said of the former El Paso Representative and the former San Antonio mayor .
“ My plea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay engaged .
They are talented , talented people , ” the former vice president said of O ’ Rourke and Castro .
O ’ Rourke , who came close to pulling off an unlikely victory over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 , has not endorsed anyone since dropping out of the race , but Castro has .
The former Obama administration official , who centered much of his platform on immigration issues , endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .
Biden suggested that O ’ Rourke and Castro could help the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lone Star State , according to the former vice president , can be turned blue .
Promising that he would spend resources on winning Texas if he becomes the nominee , Biden argued that Democrats need to not only beat President Donald Trump , but also win back the Senate from the GOP .
“ Depending on the nominee…I think Texas is gettable , ” he added .
According to polling data gathered by RealClearPolitics , although Trump remains a clear favorite in Texas , both Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditionally red state blue in 2020 .
Biden entered the Democratic primary race as the perceived front-runner , and although he has held onto his lead in national polls , polling in key early states paints a slightly different picture .
Sanders appears to be Biden ’ s main competitor , having surged in states such as Iowa and New Hampshire .
In recent weeks , the Sanders campaign has gone after Biden ’ s record on issues such as foreign policy , trade , and welfare .
The Vermont independent has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Biden ’ s , blasting the former vice president for supporting the war in Iraq , and questioning his electability .
According to Sanders , a Biden nomination would not create the “ energy ” necessary to defeat Trump .

In an interview with The Dallas Morning News published on Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden identified two men he could name as his pick for vice president if he wins his party’s nomination.
According to Biden, former White House hopefuls Beto O’Rourke and Julián Castro are on his shortlist for running mate and cabinet positions.
“I would consider either or both of them. I’ve spoken to each of them,” the former vice president said of the former El Paso representative and the former San Antonio mayor.
“My plea to both of them is that they stay engaged. They are talented, talented people.”
O’Rourke, who came close to pulling off an unlikely victory over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, has not endorsed anyone since dropping out of the race, but Castro has. The former Obama administration official, who centered much of his platform on immigration issues, endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Biden suggested that O’Rourke and Castro could help the Democratic Party win in Texas. The Lone Star State, according to the former vice president, can be turned blue.
Promising that he would spend resources on winning Texas if he becomes the nominee, Biden argued that Democrats need to not only beat President Donald Trump but also win back the Senate from the GOP.
“I know one thing. It’s not going to be enough to beat Trump. You’ve got to win back the Senate. You got to go in and campaign in states that are in fact doable, gettable, even if I can’t win in that state.”
“Depending on the nominee…I think Texas is gettable,” he added.
According to polling data gathered by RealClearPolitics, both Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont would possibly be able to turn Texas blue in 2020, though Trump remains a clear favorite in the traditionally red state.
Biden entered the Democratic primary race as the perceived front-runner, and although he has held onto his lead in national surveys, polling in key early states paints a slightly different picture. Sanders appears to be the former vice president’s main competitor, having surged in states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.
In recent weeks, the Sanders campaign has gone after Biden’s record on issues such as foreign policy, trade, and welfare. The Vermont independent has made an effort to contrast his own record with his rival’s, blasting him for supporting the war in Iraq and questioning his electability.
According to Sanders, a Biden nomination would not create the “energy” necessary to defeat Trump.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Supreme Court Electoral College Case May Decide 2020 Presidential Election, SCOTUS Will Rule Before

Supreme Court Electoral College Case May Decide 2020 Presidential Election, SCOTUS Will Rule Before November 3

An important Supreme Court case that will set rules for how Electoral College members may vote is likely to play a major role in this year 's election .
The United States Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear two cases that could play a major role in deciding the 2020 presidential election .
With some experts predicting that the election between a yet-to-be-decided Democratic nominee and the incumbent president , Donald Trump , will be too close to call , the outcome could come down to a vote in the Electoral College .
But the Supreme Court decision which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day , according to a USA Today report , will have a direct impact on how that vote is conducted .
The Electoral College is largely the brainchild of U.S .
Founding Father Alexander Hamilton , co-author of The Federalist Papers , a set of 18th-century essays explaining the reasoning behind the provisions of the Constitution .
In The Federalist Papers , Hamilton wrote that the Electoral College was designed to stop unqualified candidates from becoming president — even if a majority of the public voted for them .
While the average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ talents for low intrigue , and the little arts of popularity , ” the much wiser electors would not be as easily fooled , Hamilton believed .
As a result , electors have long been considered free to vote for any candidate they choose , regardless of how their own states voted .
But that could change as a result of the upcoming Supreme Court decision .
But 29 states and the District of Columbia have laws that impose fines on so-called “ faithless electors ” who ignore voters and cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choosing .
That happened 10 times in the 2016 election between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton , according to The Washington Post .
Among those were three electors in Washington State who voted for retired General Colin Powell rather than Clinton , who won the state .
In Colorado , one elector cast his ballot for Ohio ’ s Republican Governor John Kasich , rather than for Clinton who also won that state .
In Washington State , the three electors challenged the $ 1,000 fines levied against them for their freelance votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s own supreme court .
In Colorado , however , the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of “ faithless ” elector Micheal Baca , saying that while states have the power to choose who the electoral voters will be , the Constitution “ does not provide the states the power to interfere once voting begins , ” as quoted by The Post .
The Supreme Court Friday agreed to hear the two cases , potentially resolving the discrepancy between the two courts , and deciding once and for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Five presidential elections have been decided by 10 or fewer Electoral College votes , according to The New York Times , most recently the 2000 election in which George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by only five electoral votes .

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear two cases that could play a major role in deciding the 2020 presidential election. With some experts predicting that the election between a yet-to-be-decided Democratic nominee and incumbent President Donald Trump will be too close to call, the outcome could come down to a vote in the Electoral College.
The Supreme Court decision, which the justices said will be issued before Election Day, will have a direct impact on how that vote is conducted, according to a USA Today report.
The Electoral College is largely the brainchild of U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton, co-author of The Federalist Papers, a set of 18th-century essays explaining the reasoning behind the provisions of the Constitution.
In The Federalist Papers, Hamilton wrote that the Electoral College was designed to stop unqualified candidates from becoming president — even if a majority of the public voted for them. While the average voter could easily be swayed by candidates with “talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity,” the much wiser electors would not be as easily fooled, Hamilton believed.
As a result, electors have long been considered free to vote for any candidate they choose, regardless of how their own states voted. But that could change as a result of the upcoming Supreme Court decision.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have laws that impose fines on so-called “faithless electors” who ignore voters and cast their ballots for candidates of their own choosing. That happened 10 times in the 2016 election between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, according to The Washington Post.
Among those were three electors in Washington State who voted for retired Gen. Colin Powell rather than Clinton, who won the state. In Colorado, one elector cast his ballot for Ohio’s Republican Gov. John Kasich, rather than for Clinton, who also won that state.
In Washington State, the three electors challenged the $1,000 fines levied against them for their freelance votes, but lost in the state’s own supreme court.
In Colorado, however, the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of “faithless” elector Micheal Baca, saying that while states have the power to choose who the electoral voters will be, the Constitution “does not provide the states the power to interfere once voting begins,” as quoted by The Washington Post.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the two cases, potentially resolving the discrepancy between the two courts, and deciding once and for all if electors may vote “their conscience.”
Five presidential elections have been decided by 10 or fewer Electoral College votes, according to The New York Times, most recently the 2000 election in which George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by only five electoral votes.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Video Shows Lara Trump Mocking Joe Biden’s Stutter At Political Event In Iowa

Lara Trump was seen mocking Democratic candidate Joe Biden ’ s stutter at a campaign event in Iowa , apparently marking the latest attack from President Donald Trump ’ s team to his potential 2020 opponent .
Lara , who is married to Donald ’ s son Eric , was speaking at a “ Women for Trump ” event when she referenced his difficulties with stuttering .
Biden has been open about the work he put into overcoming his speech impediment and has put efforts into helping children who deal with similar challenges .
As The Hill noted , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with public speaking .
The video drew some viral interest online , with many sharing and criticizing the president ’ s daughter-in-law for her attack on Biden .
Lara Trump is not the first one of the president ’ s surrogates to mock Biden ’ s stutter .
After a presidential debate in December , former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took to Twitter to mock the former vice president for telling a story about working with children who struggled with stuttering .
“ I I I I I I I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about , ” Sanders wrote .
Biden shot back on Twitter , quoting the tweet before it had been deleted .
“ I ’ ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter , ” he answered .
“ And it ’ s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same .
It ’ s called empathy .
Look it up.
” After the response , Sanders deleted her post and offered an apology , saying she did not know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and adding it was “ commendable ” that he worked hard to do so .
However , she was still harshly criticized for her comments .
Lara Trump has also been a vocal defender of her father-in-law in the past .
Late last month , she took to Instagram to share a photo of the president in front of an American flag with his fists raised in an apparent fighting stance .
She referred to her father-in-law ’ s critics as “ losers , ” captioning a post that came amid his impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the campaign trail , appearing at events and serving as one of the most visible female surrogates for the president .

Lara Trump was seen mocking Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s stutter at a campaign event in Iowa, apparently marking the latest attack from President Donald Trump’s team to his potential 2020 opponent.
Lara, who is married to Donald’s son Eric, was speaking at a “Women for Trump” event when she referenced his difficulties with stuttering. Biden has been open about the work he put into overcoming his speech impediment and has put efforts into helping children who deal with similar challenges.
As The Hill noted, Trump said she pitied Biden’s difficulties with public speaking, but also appeared to mock him by saying “let’s get the words out.”
Here’s @LaraLeaTrump at Trump event in Iowa mocking Biden for stuttering: "I feel kind of sad for Biden … I'm supposed to want him to fail at every turn, but every time they turn to him I'm like, 'Joe can you get it out? Let's get the words out Joe.’” pic.twitter.com/0inN9wXYJF — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 17, 2020
The video drew some viral interest online, with many sharing and criticizing the president’s daughter-in-law for her attack on Biden. Some commented that it seemed unnecessarily personal and appeared to borrow from Donald Trump’s style of launching biting attacks against opponents, including mocking their manner of speech or physical appearance.
Lara Trump is not the first one of the president’s surrogates to mock Biden’s stutter. After a presidential debate in December, former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took to Twitter to mock the former vice president for telling a story about working with children who struggled with stuttering.
“I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about,” Sanders wrote.
Biden shot back on Twitter, quoting the tweet before it had been deleted.
“I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter,” he answered. “And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up.”
After the response, Sanders deleted her post and offered an apology, saying she did not know that he had overcome such a condition and adding it was “commendable” that he worked hard to do so. However, she was still harshly criticized for her comments.
Lara Trump has also been a vocal defender of her father-in-law in the past. Late last month, she took to Instagram to share a photo of the president in front of an American flag with his fists raised in an apparent fighting stance. She referred to her father-in-law’s critics as “losers,” captioning a post that came amid his impeachment. She has also become a fixture on the campaign trail, appearing at events and serving as one of the most visible female surrogates for the president.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Andrew Yang Is The Only Democrat Favored To Beat Donald Trump In BetOnline Head-To-Heads

According to BetOnline ’ s head-to-head prop wagers on the 2020 election , Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is the only one favored to beat Donald Trump , Sports Betting Dime reports .
Yang has odds of -150 to Trump ’ s +110 .
While Bernie Sanders and Trump are even with a betting line of -120 , the president is favored to defeat candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren .
“ Yang is this election ’ s cycle version of Sanders from four years ago , ” the publication wrote .
“ He is the anti-establishment candidate .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] is resonating with a certain percentage of the population , especially younger voters.
” A recent Emerson College poll revealed that Yang gained the most support from former Trump voters , with 38.7 support from the president ’ s base .
Trailing behind was Michael Bloomberg with 19.35 percent of the base ’ s support , Biden with 6.45 percent , and Sanders , Warren , Pete Buttigieg , and Tulsi Gabbard tied with 3.23 percent .
Yang ’ s appeal across the political spectrum has drawn a diverse base that often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimal choice to take on Trump .
They have trended # YangBeatsTrump to draw attention to the candidate and often note that the president has yet to attack Yang ’ s campaign , suggesting this is a conscious decision made out of fear .
According to Forbes , Yang frames Trump as a symptom of an underlying disease affecting America .
He says that his signature proposal of a UBI of $ 1,000 for all Americans would at least be part of the cure for the disease , which he says stems from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the sidelines due to increased automation .
“ A recent poll conducted by Economist/YouGov found that Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders are the only Democratic candidates with double-digit support from previous Trump voters , ” the Forbes report reads .
“ As Yang further refines and repeats his message , and as the established candidates continue to talk about Trump , we can expect this support to only get stronger.
” Yang ’ s campaign events draw many disaffected voters who feel outside of the political system , The Atlantic reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton .
“ I will be unbeatable .
Trump knows it ; that ’ s why he ’ s never mentioned me , ” Yang said after being questioned if he believed he could win the election .
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur is currently sixth in the polls .
He did not take the debate stage Tuesday night .
Despite missing the opportunity , he still managed to trend on Twitter and was the fourth most-tweeted-about candidate behind Sanders , Biden , and Warren .

According to BetOnline’s head-to-head prop wagers on the 2020 election, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is the only one favored to beat Donald Trump, Sports Betting Dime reports. Yang has odds of -150 to Trump’s +110. While Bernie Sanders and Trump are even with a betting line of -120, the president is favored to defeat candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.
“Yang is this election’s cycle version of Sanders from four years ago,” the publication wrote. “He is the anti-establishment candidate. His plan for universal basic income [UBI] is resonating with a certain percentage of the population, especially younger voters.”
A recent Emerson College poll revealed that Yang gained the most support from former Trump voters, with 38.7 support from the president’s base. Trailing behind was Michael Bloomberg with 19.35 percent of the base’s support, Biden with 6.45 percent, and Sanders, Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Tulsi Gabbard tied with 3.23 percent.
Yang’s appeal across the political spectrum has drawn a diverse base that often pushes the theory that he is the optimal choice to take on Trump. They have trended #YangBeatsTrump to draw attention to the candidate and often note that the president has yet to attack Yang’s campaign, suggesting this is a conscious decision made out of fear.
Among New Hampshire voters intending to vote in next month's primary who did not vote in the 2016 primary, @AndrewYang is their #1 choice. Not a single candidate beats Yang among new voters in NH. Think about that and its implications. Trump cannot possibly beat Yang.#YangGang pic.twitter.com/BjsDLHICCW — Scott Santens (@scottsantens) January 17, 2020
According to Forbes, Yang frames Trump as a symptom of an underlying disease affecting America. He says that his signature proposal of a UBI of $1,000 for all Americans would at least be part of the cure for the disease, which he says stems from an economy that is pushing more Americans to the sidelines due to increased automation.
“A recent poll conducted by Economist/YouGov found that Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders are the only Democratic candidates with double-digit support from previous Trump voters,” the Forbes report reads. “As Yang further refines and repeats his message, and as the established candidates continue to talk about Trump, we can expect this support to only get stronger.”
Yang’s campaign events draw many disaffected voters who feel outside of the political system, The Atlantic reported, much like Trump did during his successful 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton.
“I will be unbeatable. Trump knows it; that’s why he’s never mentioned me,” Yang said after being questioned if he believed he could win the election.
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur is currently sixth in the polls. He did not take the debate stage Tuesday night. Despite missing the opportunity, he still managed to trend on Twitter and was the fourth most-tweeted-about candidate behind Sanders, Biden, and Warren.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Monica Lewinsky Tweets Incredulity After Kenneth Starr Appointed To Trump Impeachment Team

The announcement that Kenneth Starr and Robert Ray , two former independent counsels from the Whitewater investigation , would be joining President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment defense team appeared to elicit a disgusted reaction from one of Whitewater ’ s central figures — Monica Lewinsky .
Only minutes after the news broke that Starr and Ray — along with constitutional law professor Alan Dershowitz — had been recruited to join Trump ’ s legal team , Lewinsky sent out a short tweet that may have summed up her feelings about the news .
“ This is definitely an ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinda day , ” said the former White House intern , whose relationship with former President Bill Clinton led to his impeachment .
The rest of Trump ’ s defense team is made up of ex-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi , White House Counsel Pat Cipollone , and Trump ’ s personal lawyer Jay Sekulow .
In the late ’ 90s , the Whitewater investigation lead directly to Clinton ’ s impeachment after the then-president lied under oath about the nature of his affair with Lewinsky .
Starr would release his final report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book The Starr Report : The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair in 1998 .
Clinton would be impeached by the House for his attempt to hide his relationship with Lewinsky , but would be acquitted by the Senate in 1999 and allowed to finish his term as president .
In the years after the impeachment scandal , Lewinsky would often speak out about the public shaming she received due to her role in the incident .
“ In 1998 , I lost my reputation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a 2018 speech , according to a report by USA Today .
“ I lost almost everything , and I almost lost my life.
” Starr has spoken in the past about the investigation and the affect it had on Lewinsky , saying in an interview that he didn ’ t owe her an apology .
“ I regret the sorrow she went through , the travail she went through , ” he added .
Lewinsky has fought back from that dark period and has developed a successful career for herself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Vanity Fair .
Lewinsky was also featured in the 2018 television documentary The Clinton Affair and is a producer on the third installment of the true-crime anthology American Crime Story , the affair-focused Impeachment .
President Trump is currently facing two articles of impeachment , as he has been charged with abuse of power in relation to his dealings with the Ukrainian government as well as obstruction of Congress .
The Senate trial formally began on Thursday with a swearing-in ceremony .

The announcement that Kenneth Starr and Robert Ray, two former independent counsels from the Whitewater investigation, would be joining President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense team appeared to elicit a disgusted reaction from one of Whitewater’s central figures — Monica Lewinsky.
Only minutes after the news broke that Starr and Ray — along with constitutional law professor Alan Dershowitz — had been recruited to join Trump’s legal team, Lewinsky sent out a short tweet that may have summed up her feelings about the news.
“This is definitely an ‘are you f*cking kidding me?’ kinda day,” said the former White House intern, whose relationship with former President Bill Clinton led to his impeachment.
The rest of Trump’s defense team is made up of ex-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, and Trump’s personal lawyer Jay Sekulow.
In the late ’90s, the Whitewater investigation lead directly to Clinton’s impeachment after the then-president lied under oath about the nature of his affair with Lewinsky. Starr would release his final report to the public, published in the book The Starr Report: The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair in 1998.
Clinton would be impeached by the House for his attempt to hide his relationship with Lewinsky, but would be acquitted by the Senate in 1999 and allowed to finish his term as president.
In the years after the impeachment scandal, Lewinsky would often speak out about the public shaming she received due to her role in the incident.
“In 1998, I lost my reputation and my dignity,” Lewinsky said in a 2018 speech, according to a report by USA Today. “I lost almost everything, and I almost lost my life.”
Starr has spoken in the past about the investigation and the affect it had on Lewinsky, saying in an interview that he didn’t owe her an apology.
“I regret the sorrow she went through, the travail she went through,” he added.
Lewinsky has fought back from that dark period and has developed a successful career for herself. In 2014, she became a contributor to Vanity Fair. Lewinsky was also featured in the 2018 television documentary The Clinton Affair and is a producer on the third installment of the true-crime anthology American Crime Story, the affair-focused Impeachment.
President Trump is currently facing two articles of impeachment, as he has been charged with abuse of power in relation to his dealings with the Ukrainian government as well as obstruction of Congress. The Senate trial formally began on Thursday with a swearing-in ceremony.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Alan Dershowitz Worked For O.J. Simpson & Harvey Weinstein Before Donald Trump

Along with independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr , high-profile defense lawyer and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz has been appointed to Donald Trump ‘ s impeachment defense team , the Los Angeles Times reports .
Dershowitz has defended many high-profile people , including O.J .
Simpson , who was acquitted for murder .
He has also worked as part of Harvey Weinstein ’ s legal team and defended convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein .
Speaking of his work as a defense attorney to PBS in 2005 , Dershowitz revealed that he sometimes loses sleep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work .
“ Every lawyer who ’ s also a good person has these ambivalences , ” he said .
Besides Simpson , Weinstein , and Epstein , Dershowitz has defended many other controversial clients .
One such person is socialite and financier Claus von Bulow , who was convicted of attempting to murder his wife .
Dershowitz appealed the conviction and managed to win an acquittal in a second trial .
Outside of his work in the courts , Dershowitz has had his own controversy .
One of Dershowitz ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to openly speak about his belief that men who hire women for sexual services should not be prosecuted .
He reportedly expressed his view that women providing such services should be arrested .
“ He said , ‘ Prostitutes know what they ’ re doing—they should be prosecuted , ' ” the student told The New Yorker .
“ But you shouldn ’ t ruin the john ’ s life over that.
’ If I had raised my hand to challenge that , I would have been singling myself out as — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 81-year-old academic has also written about the importance of defending the accused in rape cases .
Dershowitz claims to have voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and doesn ’ t agree with all of Trump ’ s policies .
Regardless , he wrote a book last year called The Case Against Impeaching Trump and appears to be in the president ’ s good grace .
On many occasions , Trump has quoted Dershowitz ’ cable news appearances on Twitter .
Trump has also asked him for advice on Middle East politics .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine scandal that sparked the two impeachment articles against Trump , he nevertheless appears to disagree with Democrats .
“ The articles of impeachment simply do not charge constitutionally impeachable offenses , ” Dershowitz said in an interview , claiming that abuse of power — one of the current charges — is not a “ high crime or misdemeanor.
” Dershowitz argued that the framers of the constitution did not want “ open-ended criteria ” for fear that they could be “ weaponized ” for impeachment .

'1000 Lb Sister' Tammy Slaton Defends Her 'Filtered' Pictures, Ask Critics to Talk to Her Hand
She said, "Listen, I am not trying to be rude, but it's my profile. And if I like using the filters, I will. Plain and simple," as she waved goodbye.
4h ago


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Kenneth Starr Appointed To Donald Trump’s Defense Team 21 Years After Involvement In Bill Clinton Im

Kenneth Starr Appointed To Donald Trump’s Defense Team 21 Years After Involvement In Bill Clinton Impeachment

President Donald Trump ‘ s impeachment defense team includes defense lawyer and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz and independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr , The New York Times reports .
Starr ’ s appointment comes 21 years after his investigation into former President Bill Clinton ‘ s sexual relationships , which led to his impeachment and subsequent acquittal by the Senate .
Starr will be joined by Robert Ray , who succeeded Starr as independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation and wrote the final report on Clinton .
CNBC reports that the other members of the defense team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House Counsel Pat Cipollone , and Trump ’ s personal lawyer Jay Sekulow .
Starr spoke to The Guardian in 2018 about his investigative role in the Clinton trial that spotlighted the former president ’ s affair with Monica Lewinsky .
Although Starr said he didn ’ t believe he owed Lewinsky an apology , he did express some degree of empathy .
“ I regret the sorrow she went through , the travail she went through , ” Starr said .
Lewinsky took to Twitter on Friday morning to respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump ’ s impeachment defense team .
“ [ T ] his is definitely an ‘ are you f*cking kidding me ?
’ kinda day , ” she wrote .
In the same interview , Starr spoke about Robert Mueller ’ s investigation — ongoing at the time — into Trump over alleged collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia .
“ There are eerie echoes of the past , ” Starr said .
“ The years go by yet many of the characters are back on stage , and some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law – have re-emerged.
” Starr also represented accused sex trafficker and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was under investigation in the mid-2000s for his misconduct with young women and girls .
His work came before Epstein was arrested in 2008 for procuring and soliciting an underage girl for prostitution .
Starr was critical of Trump ’ s decision to attack former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch as she was testifying against him as part of the impeachment probe .
“ I must say that the president was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this tweet .
Extraordinarily poor judgment , ” Starr said on Fox News .
Starr ’ s appointment comes just four days before the Senate trial is set to begin on Tuesday .
The president is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in two articles of impeachment that passed the House of Representatives .
The trial comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat on the articles in an attempt to pressure the Senate to meet Democratic demands with regards to the procedures for the trial .

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inquisitr--2020-01-17--President Trump Would Lose To Top Democrats In Florida, Wisconsin And Michigan, New Polls Reveal

Florida has gone to the presidential winner in the last six elections .
President Donald Trump would lose in hypothetical matchups between the leading Democratic contenders in three key states according to the results of polls released this week , USA Today reports .
One of those states , Florida , has awarded its electoral votes to the presidential winner in the past six elections .
In a new poll by Florida Atlantic University released this week , voters were asked to choose between Trump and any of several Democratic contenders in hypothetical matchups .
In Florida , Wisconsin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump would lose to most of them .
Florida ’ s 29 electoral votes , Wisconsin ’ s 10 , and Michigan ’ s 16 amount to 55 votes — a coveted bloc of electoral votes from key swing states that could easily tilt the election .
In Florida , Joe Biden beats Trump by just under three points , 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent , in a hypothetical matchup .
Bernie Sanders beats Trump by almost six points , 52.9 percent to 47.1 percent , while Elizabeth Warren beats him by less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 49.2 percent .
Trump versus Pete Buttigieg is a 50-50 split .
Florida ’ s electoral votes have gone to the eventual presidential winner in the last six elections , including the contentious 2000 election , which saw the Sunshine State ’ s electoral votes going to George W. Bush by a mere few hundred votes .
Those 29 electoral votes gave Bush the election over Democratic challenger Al Gore .
In Wisconsin , a poll by Marquette University finds Biden beating Trump in a hypothetical matchup by four points , 49 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump loses by a mere one point , 47 percent to 46 percent .
Against either Warren or Buttigieg , Trump would win , by 48 percent to 45 percent against Warren and by 46 percent to 44 percent against Buttigieg .
In Michigan , a poll from EPIC-MRA of Lansing sees Biden beating Trump 50 percent to 44 percent .
Sanders would beat Trump 50 percent to 45 percent ; Warren beats Trump 48 percent to 45 percent ; and Buttigieg beats him 47 percent to 43 percent .
Michael Bloomberg would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Michigan had long been considered by Democrats to be a safe state for the party , but that proved false in 2016 .
Hillary Clinton didn ’ t conduct much of a campaign there , and Trump won the election by a narrow margin .
As for who the eventual Democratic nominee that faces off against Trump in November will be , nationwide polling puts Joe Biden in a comfortable lead ahead of his rivals .
As Real Clear Politics reports , a compendium of recent polls has Biden leading — in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of his Democratic rivals .

President Donald Trump would lose in hypothetical matchups between the leading Democratic contenders in three key states according to the results of polls released this week, USA Today reports. One of those states, Florida, has awarded its electoral votes to the presidential winner in the past six elections.
In a new poll by Florida Atlantic University released this week, voters were asked to choose between Trump and any of several Democratic contenders in hypothetical matchups. In Florida, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the polls indicate that Trump would lose to most of them. Florida’s 29 electoral votes, Wisconsin’s 10, and Michigan’s 16 amount to 55 votes — a coveted bloc of electoral votes from key swing states that could easily tilt the election.
In Florida, Joe Biden beats Trump by just under three points, 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent, in a hypothetical matchup. Bernie Sanders beats Trump by almost six points, 52.9 percent to 47.1 percent, while Elizabeth Warren beats him by less than two points, 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent. Trump versus Pete Buttigieg is a 50-50 split.
Florida’s electoral votes have gone to the eventual presidential winner in the last six elections, including the contentious 2000 election, which saw the Sunshine State’s electoral votes going to George W. Bush by a mere few hundred votes. Those 29 electoral votes gave Bush the election over Democratic challenger Al Gore.
In Wisconsin, a poll by Marquette University finds Biden beating Trump in a hypothetical matchup by four points, 49 percent to 45 percent. Against Sanders, Trump loses by a mere one point, 47 percent to 46 percent. Against either Warren or Buttigieg, Trump would win, by 48 percent to 45 percent against Warren and by 46 percent to 44 percent against Buttigieg.
In Michigan, a poll from EPIC-MRA of Lansing sees Biden beating Trump 50 percent to 44 percent. Sanders would beat Trump 50 percent to 45 percent; Warren beats Trump 48 percent to 45 percent; and Buttigieg beats him 47 percent to 43 percent. Michael Bloomberg would beat Trump 49 percent to 47 percent.
Michigan had long been considered by Democrats to be a safe state for the party, but that proved false in 2016. Hillary Clinton didn’t conduct much of a campaign there, and Trump won the election by a narrow margin.
As for who the eventual Democratic nominee that faces off against Trump in November will be, nationwide polling puts Joe Biden in a comfortable lead ahead of his rivals. As Real Clear Politics reports, a compendium of recent polls has Biden leading — in some cases by double digits — against all of his Democratic rivals.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Buttigieg, Warren Supporters Most Likely To Back Trump Against Democratic Rivals, Says Poll

The latest 7News/Emerson College poll of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters shows Bernie Sanders leading the pack , with Pete Buttigieg in second place , while Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are tied for third .
As pointed out by Jacobin Magazine staff writer Luke Savage via Twitter , the survey also reveals that of the four frontrunners , Buttigieg and Warren ’ s supporters are most likely to vote for President Donald Trump over one of the remaining three candidates .
The poll indicates that 12 percent of Buttigieg ’ s supporters would back Trump over the other candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s supporters .
Comparatively , 9 percent of Biden ’ s supporters and 4 percent of Sanders ’ would support Trump in the same scenario .
Sanders ’ speechwriter David Sirota commented on the data and suggested that it conflicted with the suggestion that Sanders ’ supporters would not rally behind the Democratic nominee should their choice fail to win the primary .
“ It ’ s almost as if the entire narrative about ‘ Bernie or Bust ’ voters not supporting the Democratic nominee was cynically fabricated by dishonest Washington operatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he tweeted .
Business Insider previously reported that 67 percent of Sanders supporters would vote for Warren if she were the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee , which was the highest percentage of all the other Democratic candidates .
Business Insider also noted that the findings conflicted with the “ Bernie Bro ” stereotype and the perception that his supporters are unlikely to support a female candidate .
Elsewhere in the recent Emerson survey , data showed Sanders leading with voters who consider themselves “ very liberal ” with 34 percent support , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Buttigieg in third with 18 percent , and Biden in fourth with 5 percent .
The 78-year-old politician also leads the pack with voters who consider themselves “ somewhat liberal ” with 26 percent support .
Among the same group of voters , Buttigieg is in second with 21 percent support , Warren in third with 15 percent , and Biden in fourth with 13 percent .
The recent data comes amid a feud between Sanders and Warren , at the center of which is the Massachusetts Senator ’ s claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting that a woman could not defeat Trump .
Progressive commentator and The Hill ’ s Rising co-host Krystal Ball recently slammed Warren for playing the victim card , saying said that her purported political play will not work out as intended .
“ The American people see through it , and that ’ s why this attack is destined to fail , ” Ball said in her Rising monologue .

The latest 7News/Emerson College poll of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters shows Bernie Sanders leading the pack, with Pete Buttigieg in second place, while Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are tied for third. As pointed out by Jacobin Magazine staff writer Luke Savage via Twitter, the survey also reveals that of the four frontrunners, Buttigieg and Warren’s supporters are most likely to vote for President Donald Trump over one of the remaining three candidates.
The poll indicates that 12 percent of Buttigieg’s supporters would back Trump over the other candidates, as would 10 percent of Warren’s supporters. Comparatively, 9 percent of Biden’s supporters and 4 percent of Sanders’ would support Trump in the same scenario.
Sanders’ speechwriter David Sirota commented on the data and suggested that it conflicted with the suggestion that Sanders’ supporters would not rally behind the Democratic nominee should their choice fail to win the primary.
“It’s almost as if the entire narrative about ‘Bernie or Bust’ voters not supporting the Democratic nominee was cynically fabricated by dishonest Washington operatives and isn’t actually real,” he tweeted.
Business Insider previously reported that 67 percent of Sanders supporters would vote for Warren if she were the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, which was the highest percentage of all the other Democratic candidates. Business Insider also noted that the findings conflicted with the “Bernie Bro” stereotype and the perception that his supporters are unlikely to support a female candidate.
“Moreover, it pushes against the notion that most Sanders supporters are ‘Bernie or bust,’ or voters who would only support the Vermont senator.”
Elsewhere in the recent Emerson survey, data showed Sanders leading with voters who consider themselves “very liberal” with 34 percent support, with Warren in second with 29 percent, Buttigieg in third with 18 percent, and Biden in fourth with 5 percent. The 78-year-old politician also leads the pack with voters who consider themselves “somewhat liberal” with 26 percent support. Among the same group of voters, Buttigieg is in second with 21 percent support, Warren in third with 15 percent, and Biden in fourth with 13 percent.
CNN just posted the audio of the tense exchange last night. Elizabeth Warren: "I think you called me a liar on national TV." Bernie Sanders: "You know, let's not do it right now." pic.twitter.com/Ad0VN53Xux — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 16, 2020
The recent data comes amid a feud between Sanders and Warren, at the center of which is the Massachusetts Senator’s claim that Sanders told her in a private 2018 meeting that a woman could not defeat Trump. Progressive commentator and The Hill’s Rising co-host Krystal Ball recently slammed Warren for playing the victim card, saying said that her purported political play will not work out as intended.
“The American people see through it, and that’s why this attack is destined to fail,” Ball said in her Rising monologue.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Donald Trump: Democrats ‘Are Rigging The Election Again Against Bernie Sanders’

'Anyway , it ’ s a lot of fun to watch ! '
the president tweeted .
In a series of Twitter messages posted on Friday , President Donald Trump offered a theory about the dynamics of the Democratic Party primary race .
According to Trump , Democratic leadership is once again “ rigging ” the election against Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in order to benefit former Vice President Joe Biden .
“ They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders , just like last time , only even more obviously , ” the president began , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives Nancy Pelosi waited for the right moment to release articles of impeachment to the United States Senate in an effort to force Sanders off the campaign trail .
Given that Biden is not a member of the United States Congress , he will be able to campaign in key early states , which means he will have a significant advantage over Sanders , suggested Trump .
“ They are bringing him out of so important Iowa in order that , as a Senator , he sit through the Impeachment Hoax Trial , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy Joe Biden , and Bernie is shut out again.
” This is not the first time for Trump to claim that the Democratic primary race is fixed .
In April , Trump similarly suggested that the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) is looking to “ destroy ” Sanders in order to help the “ more traditional , but not very bright , Sleepy Joe Biden ” win the nomination .
It remains to be seen how the 2020 presidential election will unfold , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DNC was criticized for tipping the scales in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ’ s favor .
According to emails published by WikiLeaks , the Clinton campaign took over the DNC , with top advisers saying that Sanders needs to be “ ground to a pulp.
” Sanders lost to Clinton , who then went on to lose to Trump .
Still , according to reports , the Democratic establishment remains opposed to his candidacy .
Even former President Barack Obama has reportedly vowed to intervene in the Democratic primary in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the nomination , according to Salon .
Sanders and Biden are the leading Democratic contenders .
The former vice president is topping national polls , but Sanders has surged in key early states .
In New Hampshire , for instance — according to the latest 7News/Emerson College poll — Sanders is leading the field with 23 percent of the vote , and Biden is in third place with 14 percent .

In a series of Twitter messages posted on Friday, President Donald Trump offered a theory about the dynamics of the Democratic Party primary race. According to Trump, Democratic leadership is once again “rigging” the election against Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in order to benefit former Vice President Joe Biden.
“They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously,” the president began, alleging that Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi waited for the right moment to release articles of impeachment to the United States Senate in an effort to force Sanders off the campaign trail.
Given that Biden is not a member of the United States Congress, he will be able to campaign in key early states, which means he will have a significant advantage over Sanders, suggested Trump.
“They are bringing him out of so important Iowa in order that, as a Senator, he sit through the Impeachment Hoax Trial,” Trump wrote, concluding that “Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy Joe Biden, and Bernie is shut out again.”
“Very unfair, but that’s the way the Democrats play the game. Anyway, it’s a lot of fun to watch!”
This is not the first time for Trump to claim that the Democratic primary race is fixed. In April, Trump similarly suggested that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is looking to “destroy” Sanders in order to help the “more traditional, but not very bright, Sleepy Joe Biden” win the nomination.
It remains to be seen how the 2020 presidential election will unfold, but during the 2016 Democratic primary, the DNC was criticized for tipping the scales in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s favor. According to emails published by WikiLeaks, the Clinton campaign took over the DNC, with top advisers saying that Sanders needs to be “ground to a pulp.”
Sanders lost to Clinton, who then went on to lose to Trump. Still, according to reports, the Democratic establishment remains opposed to his candidacy. Even former President Barack Obama has reportedly vowed to intervene in the Democratic primary in order to stop the Vermont senator from winning the nomination, according to Salon.
Sanders and Biden are the leading Democratic contenders. The former vice president is topping national polls, but Sanders has surged in key early states. In New Hampshire, for instance — according to the latest 7News/Emerson College poll — Sanders is leading the field with 23 percent of the vote, and Biden is in third place with 14 percent.


inquisitr--2020-01-17--Killing Qassem Soleimani Violated National And International Law, Says Former Nuremberg Prosecutor

Donald Trump ‘ s decision to authorize a drone strike against top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has drawn bi-partisan pushback .
Benjamin B. Ferencz , a former prosecutor of the post-World War II Nuremberg trials , wrote to The New York Times this week to explain his opposition to the decision .
Ferencz outlined his belief that the Nuremberg trials offered him an opportunity to repay the United States for the opportunities it provided him as an immigrant who arrived from Romanian-occupied Hungary in 1921 .
“ As a Harvard Law School graduate who has written extensively on the subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear violation of national and international law , ” he wrote of Soleimani ’ s assassination .
Ferencz claimed that the United Nations Charter , the International Criminal Court , and the International Court of Justice in The Hague are all being “ bypassed ” and claimed that “ young people everywhere ” in the “ cyberspace world ” are in “ mortal danger.
” According to Ferencz , the solution is to “ change the hearts and minds ” of people who appear to “ prefer war to law.
” Per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Quds Force and credited as the force behind Iran ’ s military foreign policy for the last two decades .
He allegedly directed Tehran ’ s involvement in wars taking place in Syria , Yemen , and Iraq .
He also helped extend Iranian influence across the Middle East .
Soleimani was reportedly viewed as the second most powerful person in the Persian country , only surpassed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
While Ferencz noted that he believes the U.S. “ murdered ” Soleimani — who he called an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country that the U.S. was not at war with — defenders of Trump ’ s decision suggest the killing was necessary to maintain order .
James L. Jones , a former national security adviser who served under Barack Obama , believes that Trump ’ s decision was necessary , calling it a “ potential game changer ” for the region .
He urged the president to ignore the pushback on the decision , suggesting that such voices want to maintain the status quo .
Jones believes that this status quo would allow Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As The Inquisitr reported , longtime Iraq War advocate David Wurmser reportedly has Trump ’ s ear on Iran .
He allegedly helped make a case for Soleimani ’ s assassination , explicitly noting that the blow would disrupt the “ delicate internal balance of forces ” that he believes are necessary for Iran ’ s functioning .
Such a belief reportedly adheres to a hard-right faction theory that surfaced following George W. Bush ’ s re-election , which proposed that a ground war is not necessary for regime change in Iran @


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

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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

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--2020-01-18--Democrats Are Reportedly Concerned Donald Trump Will Try To ‘Game’ Impeachment Trial

Earlier this week , Democrats in the House of Representatives , led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi , released the two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump .
The articles are now in the Republican-controlled Senate , where lawmakers will decide whether to convict or acquit the president .
Several issues have already arisen .
According to a new report from The Hill .
the seven Democratic impeachment managers , led by Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , are planning a “ marathon preparation session ” ahead of the trial , and remain concerned that Trump will attempt to “ game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the managers and their staffers will reportedly start examining the record built throughout their investigation into Trump ’ s alleged wrongdoings and investigate new documents from presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani ’ s longtime associate Lev Parnas .
A Soviet-born Florida businessman , Parnas is thought to have played an important role in the president ’ s alleged Ukraine pressure campaign .
Democrats have also indicated that they want to summon John Bolton , Trump ’ s former national security adviser , to testify .
Bolton did not testify before the House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the Senate .
Standing in the Democrats ’ way , however , is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
McConnell has refused to accommodate Democratic demands for additional witnesses and documents , even in the wake of new revelations regarding Parnas ’ role in the case .
Republicans have also suggested that they want to speed up the trial , with Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota stating that the goal is to finish the proceedings “ as quickly as possible.
” According to individuals briefed on the matter , McConnell ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment managers but has also generated concern about the integrity of the process .
According to a Democratic aide , the managers are growing increasingly concerned that the Trump team will cherry-pick certain documents that could benefit the president while withholding potentially relevant information from the jurors .
“ One thing we ’ ll be watching very closely is whether the president is seeking to game the system by selectively introducing documents or [ other ] material here and there in order to suggest a misleading narrative , ” the aide explained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re very keenly aware of , ” they added .
Republicans have openly stated that they want the trial to be modeled after former President Bill Clinton ’ s 1999 impeachment proceeding .
The comparison has reportedly frustrated Democrats working on the trial , given that Clinton willingly provided thousands of pages of documents and allowed additional witnesses .
As pointed out by a Democratic aide who spoke to The Hill , Trump and the GOP are refusing to do the same .

Earlier this week, Democrats in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, released the two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. The articles are now in the Republican-controlled Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to convict or acquit the president.
Several issues have already arisen. According to a new report from The Hill. the seven Democratic impeachment managers, led by Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, are planning a “marathon preparation session” ahead of the trial, and remain concerned that Trump will attempt to “game” the whole process.
On Sunday, the managers and their staffers will reportedly start examining the record built throughout their investigation into Trump’s alleged wrongdoings and investigate new documents from presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s longtime associate Lev Parnas. A Soviet-born Florida businessman, Parnas is thought to have played an important role in the president’s alleged Ukraine pressure campaign.
Democrats have also indicated that they want to summon John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, to testify. Bolton did not testify before the House, but he has expressed willingness to testify before the Senate. Standing in the Democrats’ way, however, is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
McConnell has refused to accommodate Democratic demands for additional witnesses and documents, even in the wake of new revelations regarding Parnas’ role in the case. Republicans have also suggested that they want to speed up the trial, with Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota stating that the goal is to finish the proceedings “as quickly as possible.”
According to individuals briefed on the matter, McConnell’s approach has not only frustrated Democratic impeachment managers but has also generated concern about the integrity of the process.
According to a Democratic aide, the managers are growing increasingly concerned that the Trump team will cherry-pick certain documents that could benefit the president while withholding potentially relevant information from the jurors.
“One thing we’ll be watching very closely is whether the president is seeking to game the system by selectively introducing documents or [other] material here and there in order to suggest a misleading narrative,” the aide explained.
“That’s something we’re very keenly aware of,” they added.
Republicans have openly stated that they want the trial to be modeled after former President Bill Clinton’s 1999 impeachment proceeding. The comparison has reportedly frustrated Democrats working on the trial, given that Clinton willingly provided thousands of pages of documents and allowed additional witnesses. As pointed out by a Democratic aide who spoke to The Hill, Trump and the GOP are refusing to do the same.