inquisitr--2020-01-19--Nancy Pelosi Taunts Donald Trump: ‘You Are Impeached Forever’

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appeared on comedian Bill Maher ’ s show this week , offering a message to President Donald Trump .
The stain of impeachment will forever be a part of Trump ’ s legacy , Pelosi suggested , regardless of what the Senate decides to do in the end .
Per The Hill , Pelosi said the following .
“ If I knew that the president is listening , I would want him to know that he is impeached forever , and he is impeached forever because he used the office of the president to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his personal and political benefit , ” Pelosi added , echoing the claims made by the House in the two impeachment articles against Trump .
According to the articles , Trump committed impeachable offenses during and after his contacts with the Ukrainian government .
The president , House articles say , pressured the Ukrainian government to launch investigations into his political opponent , freezing — and threatening to permanently withdraw — military aid .
Trump is also guilty of obstruction of Congress , according to Democrats .
Pelosi also said that Trump “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution with his actions , suggesting that the president jeopardized the integrity of the 2020 presidential election , because one of the individuals he wanted Ukraine to investigate was former Vice President Joe Biden , who is currently one of the leading Democratic White House hopefuls .
“ The fact is is that we knew we had a solid case for impeachment of the president , ” Pelosi told Maher , adding that Democrats knew additional information about Trump ’ s contacts with Ukrainian authorities would come out , but felt it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .
The new information Pelosi brought up during her conversation with Maher has to do with presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani ’ s longtime associate , Lev Parnas .
The businessman is thought to have been heavily involved in Trump ’ s alleged pressure campaign against Ukraine , and revealed new information about the case .
Furthermore , former National Security adviser John Bolton has also suggested that he has intelligence to share with the Senate .
Earlier this week , the impeachment articles against Trump moved to the Senate , where jurors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president .
Not a single Republican is expected to vote against Trump , and there are concerns about the integrity of the process .
Democratic impeachment managers reportedly worry that the Trump team will try to “ game ” the trial , by blocking witnesses and selectively approving documents .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appeared on comedian Bill Maher’s show this week, offering a message to President Donald Trump. The stain of impeachment will forever be a part of Trump’s legacy, Pelosi suggested, regardless of what the Senate decides to do in the end.
Per The Hill, Pelosi said the following.
“You are impeached forever. No matter what the Senate does, it can never be erased.”
“If I knew that the president is listening, I would want him to know that he is impeached forever, and he is impeached forever because he used the office of the president to try to influence a foreign country for his personal and political benefit,” Pelosi added, echoing the claims made by the House in the two impeachment articles against Trump.
According to the articles, Trump committed impeachable offenses during and after his contacts with the Ukrainian government. The president, House articles say, pressured the Ukrainian government to launch investigations into his political opponent, freezing — and threatening to permanently withdraw — military aid. Trump is also guilty of obstruction of Congress, according to Democrats.
Pelosi also said that Trump “undermined” American national security and betrayed the Constitution with his actions, suggesting that the president jeopardized the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, because one of the individuals he wanted Ukraine to investigate was former Vice President Joe Biden, who is currently one of the leading Democratic White House hopefuls.
“The fact is is that we knew we had a solid case for impeachment of the president,” Pelosi told Maher, adding that Democrats knew additional information about Trump’s contacts with Ukrainian authorities would come out, but felt it was not necessary to prolong the impeachment process.
The new information Pelosi brought up during her conversation with Maher has to do with presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s longtime associate, Lev Parnas. The businessman is thought to have been heavily involved in Trump’s alleged pressure campaign against Ukraine, and revealed new information about the case. Furthermore, former National Security adviser John Bolton has also suggested that he has intelligence to share with the Senate.
Earlier this week, the impeachment articles against Trump moved to the Senate, where jurors will decide whether to convict or acquit the president. Not a single Republican is expected to vote against Trump, and there are concerns about the integrity of the process. Democratic impeachment managers reportedly worry that the Trump team will try to “game” the trial, by blocking witnesses and selectively approving documents.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--‘Absurdist’ Alan Dershowitz Defense Of Donald Trump Ripped By Adam Schiff As Impeachment Managers Su

‘Absurdist’ Alan Dershowitz Defense Of Donald Trump Ripped By Adam Schiff As Impeachment Managers Submit Case

Senate must convict Trump to 'safeguard 2020 U.S. election , ' Democratic impeachment managers say in brief outlining case for removal from office .
After lawyer Alan Dershowitz described what he said will be his arguments to defend Donald Trump in Trump ’ s upcoming impeachment trial , California House Representative Adam Schiff slammed Dershowitz ’ s defense as “ absurdist , ” according to an account by The Hill .
Schiff leads the team of impeachment “ managers , ” the House reps picked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to present the impeachment case against Trump to the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , said that when he takes the floor in the impeachment trial , he will assert that even if the allegations against Trump — that he illegally withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for personal , political favors — are true , “ abuse of power ” is not an offense for which a president can be impeached .
“ You had to go so far out of the mainstream to find someone to make that argument , ” Schiff said in an interview Sunday , as quoted by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absurdist position that ’ s being now adopted by the president is he could give away the state of Alaska.
” While the United States Constitution does not mention “ abuse of power ” as an impeachable offense , Congress has generally considered it to be covered by the phrase “ high crimes and misdemeanors ” that are cited as reasons for impeachment by the Constitution .
“ Abuse of power ” was included in the articles of impeachment against both President Richard Nixon in 1974 , and Bill Clinton in 1998 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment case , in a seven-page document which he will send to the Senate on Monday but which is already posted on the official WhiteHouse.gov site .
In his defense document , Trump claims that the impeachment case is “ a dangerous attack on the right of the American people to freely choose their President.
” But in their own summary of the case , submitted on Saturday and posted online by the House Intelligence Committee , the impeachment managers say that Trump must be impeached “ to safeguard the 2020 U.S. election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence the outcome of that election by pressuring Ukraine for assistance .
The House managers also say in their own 61-page brief that Trump himself presents a “ threat ” to America ’ s National security and that his removal is necessary to “ protect our constitutional form of government.
” In his interview on Sunday , Schiff noted that Trump , in his own seven-page defense , does not deny the facts of the case against him .
“ The facts aren ’ t seriously contested , ” he said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s defense is that rather than denying the abuse of power allegations over the pressure campaign against Ukraine , Trump now attempts to claim that — as Dershowitz argues — “ the president can not be impeached for abusing the power of his office .
”

After lawyer Alan Dershowitz described what he said will be his arguments to defend Donald Trump in Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial, California House Representative Adam Schiff slammed Dershowitz’s defense as “absurdist,” according to an account by The Hill. Schiff leads the team of impeachment “managers,” the House reps picked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to present the impeachment case against Trump to the Senate.
Dershowitz, in an ABC News interview this week, said that when he takes the floor in the impeachment trial, he will assert that even if the allegations against Trump — that he illegally withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for personal, political favors — are true, “abuse of power” is not an offense for which a president can be impeached.
“You had to go so far out of the mainstream to find someone to make that argument,” Schiff said in an interview Sunday, as quoted by The Hill.
“The logic of that absurdist position that’s being now adopted by the president is he could give away the state of Alaska.”
While the United States Constitution does not mention “abuse of power” as an impeachable offense, Congress has generally considered it to be covered by the phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors” that are cited as reasons for impeachment by the Constitution. “Abuse of power” was included in the articles of impeachment against both President Richard Nixon in 1974, and Bill Clinton in 1998.
Trump submitted his own defense against the impeachment case, in a seven-page document which he will send to the Senate on Monday but which is already posted on the official WhiteHouse.gov site.
In his defense document, Trump claims that the impeachment case is “a dangerous attack on the right of the American people to freely choose their President.”
But in their own summary of the case, submitted on Saturday and posted online by the House Intelligence Committee, the impeachment managers say that Trump must be impeached “to safeguard the 2020 U.S. election,” because Trump attempted to illegally influence the outcome of that election by pressuring Ukraine for assistance.
The House managers also say in their own 61-page brief that Trump himself presents a “threat” to America’s National security and that his removal is necessary to “protect our constitutional form of government.”
In his interview on Sunday, Schiff noted that Trump, in his own seven-page defense, does not deny the facts of the case against him.
“The facts aren’t seriously contested,” he said, adding that the only new element of Trump’s defense is that rather than denying the abuse of power allegations over the pressure campaign against Ukraine, Trump now attempts to claim that — as Dershowitz argues — “the president cannot be impeached for abusing the power of his office.”


inquisitr--2020-01-19--Pramila Jayapal Endorses Bernie Sanders For President

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington is endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont for President of the United States , according to The Washington Post .
Jayapal , who has also been named national health policy chair for the Sanders campaign , will formally endorse the senator in Iowa on Monday .
In a statement , Jayapal said that she is endorsing Sanders because “ he has a clarity on policy prescriptions that goes right to the heart of what working people need.
” As the Washington Post notes , Jayapal ’ s endorsement is yet another significant blow to Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be Sanders ’ main competitor in terms of securing the support of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party .
In that regard , Sanders has outflanked Warren , receiving the endorsements of the most prominent left-leaning lawmakers in the country .
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , Ilhan Omar Minnesota , and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan have all endorsed Sanders , as has Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan .
Furthermore , the support of progressive lawmakers will help the Sanders campaign maintain momentum , given that the lawmakers will be dispatched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tends to his constitutional duties in the United States Senate as a juror in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
In a statement posted to Twitter , Sanders — who supported Jayapal when she ran for Congress in the 2016 cycle — expressed gratitude for the endorsement , describing the congresswoman as “ a brilliant leader for progressive ideas.
” For weeks , Warren has been sliding in the polls , with the primary race increasingly looking like a contest between Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrasts between their records .
Most recently , their different views on social safety nets were discussed .
Unlike Biden , members of the Sanders campaign claim , the senator has fought to preserve and improve programs such as Social Security .
The Biden camp has pushed back against the charges , with the former vice president accusing members of Sanders ’ campaign of spreading a “ doctored ” video of him advocating for cuts to Social Security .
Sanders and Biden have also feuded about foreign policy , with the Vermont senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president for supporting the war in Iraq .
On the campaign trail , Biden has been going back and forth between acknowledging that he supported the war , and suggesting that he opposed it .

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington is endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont for President of the United States, according to The Washington Post. Jayapal, who has also been named national health policy chair for the Sanders campaign, will formally endorse the senator in Iowa on Monday.
In a statement, Jayapal said that she is endorsing Sanders because “he has a clarity on policy prescriptions that goes right to the heart of what working people need.”
As the Washington Post notes, Jayapal’s endorsement is yet another significant blow to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is considered to be Sanders’ main competitor in terms of securing the support of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. In that regard, Sanders has outflanked Warren, receiving the endorsements of the most prominent left-leaning lawmakers in the country.
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan have all endorsed Sanders, as has Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan.
Furthermore, the support of progressive lawmakers will help the Sanders campaign maintain momentum, given that the lawmakers will be dispatched to Iowa and New Hampshire as Sanders tends to his constitutional duties in the United States Senate as a juror in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Sanders — who supported Jayapal when she ran for Congress in the 2016 cycle — expressed gratitude for the endorsement, describing the congresswoman as “a brilliant leader for progressive ideas.”
“She’s led the fight against Trump’s racism, sexism and xenophobia. Together, we will defeat Trump and build a working class movement and transform this country so it works for all.”
For weeks, Warren has been sliding in the polls, with the primary race increasingly looking like a contest between Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. The two men have made an effort to draw contrasts between their records. Most recently, their different views on social safety nets were discussed.
Unlike Biden, members of the Sanders campaign claim, the senator has fought to preserve and improve programs such as Social Security. The Biden camp has pushed back against the charges, with the former vice president accusing members of Sanders’ campaign of spreading a “doctored” video of him advocating for cuts to Social Security.
WATCH: The @berniesanders campaign has long been critical of @JoeBiden's record on Social Security @CBSNews asks why Biden's senior support is so large despite Sanders criticism: Sanders: Look, you know why? I'll tell you why. Because Joe is a nice guy … People like him pic.twitter.com/WRNhT2PCC1 — Cara Korte (@CaraKorte) January 19, 2020
Sanders and Biden have also feuded about foreign policy, with the Vermont senator’s campaign blasting the former vice president for supporting the war in Iraq. On the campaign trail, Biden has been going back and forth between acknowledging that he supported the war, and suggesting that he opposed it.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--John Delaney Slammed For Implying Andrew Yang Copied His Ideas

Amid many candidates dropping out of the Democratic presidential primary , long-shot John Delaney remains in the race as the Iowa caucuses near .
Although RealClearPolitics puts him at 0.2 percent in average polling , he recently stirred the pot on Twitter when he implied that fellow candidate Andrew Yang copied his ideas .
Delaney — who was frequently trolled by Mike Gravel during his time in the race — noted the similarity between Yang ’ s recent description of Donald Trump being a “ symptom of a greater disease ” that must be cured and his own similar comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the “ disease of divisiveness.
” Yang supporters quickly ratioed Delaney ’ s comment , noting that the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur has been talking about Trump as a symptom of a more significant underlying problem in the United States since at least 2018 , when his book , The War on Normal People , was released .
In Yang ’ s book , he describes the president as a symptom of the economic despair caused by the increasing automation of the economy , pointing in particular to the loss of manufacturing jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory in 2016 .
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur has repeated these sentiments on many occasions , per RealClearPolitics .
“ Well , Jon , to me it ’ s clear the reason why Donald Trump is our president today is that we automated away 4 million manufacturing jobs that were primarily based in Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Missouri , and Iowa , the swing states he needed to win , ” Yang said during an ABC News interview in December .
He added that similar automation-driven loss will soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call center , and truck driving jobs .
Delaney ’ s comment comes from the second Democratic presidential debate in July of 2019 — although this is not visible in his recent screenshot of the quote .
One of Yang ’ s supporters pointed to the candidate ’ s similar comments in a clip posted to Twitter from two months before the second debate and noted to Delaney ’ s curious decision to remove the timestamp from his tweet .
Another Yang supporter noted that Delany differs in his diagnosis of the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Yang does not say the disease is ‘ divisiveness.
’ He says it is an economy that is leaving more and more of us behind because of automation .
Divisiveness , intolerance is actually a symptom of economic stress .
So you ’ re the one still trying to solve a symptom Mr. Delaney.
” Others pointed out that Delaney previously noted on Twitter that he was reading Yang ’ s book and accused him of getting his ideas from Yang .

Amid many candidates dropping out of the Democratic presidential primary, long-shot John Delaney remains in the race as the Iowa caucuses draw near. Although RealClearPolitics puts him at 0.2 percent in average polling, he recently stirred the pot on Twitter when he implied that fellow candidate Andrew Yang copied his ideas.
Delaney — who has been frequently trolled by Mike Gravel during his time in the race — noted the similarity between Yang’s recent description of Donald Trump being a “symptom of a greater disease” that must be cured and his own similar comment that Trump as a “symptom” of the “disease of divisiveness.”
Yang supporters quickly ratioed Delaney’s comment, noting that the 44-year-old serial entrepreneur has been talking about Trump as a symptom of a more significant underlying problem in the United States since at least 2018, when his book, The War on Normal People, was released.
In Yang’s book, he describes the president as a symptom of the economic despair caused by the increasing automation of the economy, pointing in particular to the loss of manufacturing jobs in swing states that led Trump to victory in 2016.
Yang has repeated these sentiments on many occasions, per RealClearPolitics.
“Well, Jon, to me it’s clear the reason why Donald Trump is our president today is that we automated away 4 million manufacturing jobs that were primarily based in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Iowa, the swing states he needed to win,” Yang said during an ABC News interview in December.
He added that similar automation-driven loss will soon happen to fast food, retail, call center, and truck driving jobs.
John Delaney: "Donald Trump is the symptom of a disease and the disease is divisiveness." #DemDebate #DemocraticDebate pic.twitter.com/7R9F9HHoN6 — The Hill (@thehill) July 31, 2019
Delaney’s comment comes from the second Democratic presidential debate in July of 2019 — although this is not visible in his recent screenshot of the quote. One of Yang’s supporters pointed to the candidate’s similar comments in a clip posted to Twitter from two months before the second debate, and noted Delaney’s curious decision to remove the timestamp from his tweet.
Another Yang supporter noted that Delany differs in his diagnosis of the problem Trump is purportedly a symptom of.
“Yang does not say the disease is ‘divisiveness.’ He says it is an economy that is leaving more and more of us behind because of automation. Divisiveness, intolerance is actually a symptom of economic stress. So you’re the one still trying to solve a symptom Mr. Delaney.”
Others pointed out that Delaney previously noted on Twitter that he was reading Yang’s book, and they accused him of getting his ideas from Yang.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--Joe Rogan Says Biden, Warren, And Buttigieg Have Requested Appearances On His Podcast

During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience , comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan spoke to fellow comedian and political commentator Jimmy Dore about their approach to their respective shows .
Interestingly , Dore revealed that people who want to succeed in the Democratic Party aren ’ t allowed on his show .
“ My show was never about guests , my show was all about my opinion , and calling out bullsh*t ” Dore said during the episode , which is available on YouTube .
“ You ’ re doing the right thing , ” Rogan said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing because they all keep asking to be on my show.
” “ I ’ ve had requests from all of them , ” he continued .
“ Biden , Warren , Mayor Pete.
” “ How do you resist that sh*t ?
” Dore asked .
“ Because I ’ m gon na have my friends .
I ’ d rather talk to my friends , ” Rogan responded , appearing to suggest he has no plans to speak to any other presidential candidates .
To date , the 52-year-old comedian has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yang , Bernie Sanders , and Tulsi Gabbard on his show , with Gabbard appearing three times thus far .
Former candidate Marianne Williamson has also publicly expressed her desire to appear on the podcast .
Dore expressed amazement and noted that Rogan is often attacked for being right-wing , likely because he has spoken to people on the right end of the political spectrum , such as Ben Shapiro .
Rogan ’ s laid-back interviewing style and success thus far interviewing presidential candidates has pushed some to suggest that he hold his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Change.org currently has over 250,000 signatures of its 300,000 goal , up from the initial goal of 150,000 .
American mathematician and podcaster Eric Weinstein also revealed that he , Rogan , and podcaster Sam Harris spoke about the possibility .
“ The idea of long form debates with penalties for mindless gotchas done well off of the mainstream institutional media is totally viable .
I couldn ’ t see the impediment anyway , ” Weinstein tweeted in August .
Regardless , the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) would not likely approve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to punish candidates that attended a debate held by an outside organization amid their decision to pass on a climate change debate .
Outside of presidential candidates , Rogan has spoken to political commentators from across the political spectrum , including Kyle Kulinski , David Pakman , Alex Jones , Jordan Peterson , Thaddeus Russell , and Scott Adams .

During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan spoke to fellow comedian and political commentator Jimmy Dore about their approach to their respective shows. Interestingly, Dore revealed that people who want to succeed in the Democratic Party aren’t allowed on his show.
“My show was never about guests, my show was all about my opinion, and calling out bullsh*t” Dore said during the episode, which is available on YouTube.
“You’re doing the right thing,” Rogan said. “I’m doing the wrong thing because they all keep asking to be on my show.”
“I’ve had requests from all of them,” he continued. “Biden, Warren, Mayor Pete.”
“How do you resist that sh*t?” Dore asked.
“Because I’m gonna have my friends. I’d rather talk to my friends,” Rogan responded, appearing to suggest he has no plans to speak to any other presidential candidates.
To date, the 52-year-old comedian has had conversations with Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard on his show, with Gabbard appearing three times thus far. Former candidate Marianne Williamson has also publicly expressed her desire to appear on the podcast.
Speaking to Dore, Rogan revealed his current choices.
“I like Tulsi and I like Bernie, that’s it. Everybody else can eat sh*t.”
Dore expressed amazement and noted that Rogan is often attacked for being right-wing, likely because he has spoken to people on the right end of the political spectrum, such as Ben Shapiro.
“They’re out of their f*cking mind. I’ve never voted right-wing in my life.”
Rogan’s laid-back interviewing style and success thus far interviewing presidential candidates has pushed some to suggest that he hold his own debate format. A petition on Change.org currently has over 250,000 signatures of its 300,000 goal, up from the initial goal of 150,000. American mathematician and podcaster Eric Weinstein also revealed that he, Rogan, and podcaster Sam Harris spoke about the possibility.
Weinstein suggested that the potential format would penalize for the “mindless gotchas” he believes are common in mainstream media.
“I couldn’t see the impediment anyway,” Weinstein tweeted in August.
Regardless, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would not likely approve, as the governing body previously threatened to punish candidates that attended a debate held by an outside organization amid their decision to pass on a climate change debate.
Outside of presidential candidates, Rogan has spoken to political commentators from across the political spectrum, including Kyle Kulinski, David Pakman, Alex Jones, Jordan Peterson, Thaddeus Russell, and Scott Adams.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--Donald Trump Said U.S. Constitution Is ‘Like A Foreign Language,’ Was Unable To Read Text Aloud, New

Donald Trump Said U.S. Constitution Is ‘Like A Foreign Language,’ Was Unable To Read Text Aloud, New Book Says

In 2017 , the first year of his term , Donald Trump agreed to take part in an HBO documentary about the U.S. Constitution .
The film also featured every living former president — Barack Obama , George W. Bush , Bill Clinton , George H.W .
Bush , and Jimmy Carter — reading aloud from the text of the document that set out the country ’ s founding principles and governmental structure .
But to Trump , the Constitution seemed like “ a foreign language , ” according to revelations in an upcoming book , and reported by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ features numerous judges and legislators .
But when it comes time for Trump to do his part and read a section of the Constitution , he “ struggles and stumbles over the text , blaming others in the room for his mistakes , ” according to the book , A Very Stable Genius : Donald J. Trump ’ s Testing of America , authored by two Washington Post reporters , Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig .
“ It ’ s like a foreign language , ” Trump said , after struggling to read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authors quote him as saying .
His gripe that the Constitution is supposedly difficult to read has not been Trump ’ s only issue with the country ’ s most important founding document .
Last year , when Trump received criticism for attempting to host the annual G7 summit at a golf resort that his company owns , he complained that the “ emoluments clause ” of the Constitution — which prohibits federal officials from receiving foreign money — was “ phony , ” according to a Politico report .
The book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s private behavior and statements that appear to reveal his ignorance of the workings of government and the facts of history .
During a visit to Pearl Harbor in 2017 , as part of a memorial to the victims of the attack that led the U.S. to enter World War II , Trump appeared to have no idea what had happened there , beyond the fact that it was the site of some sort of historic military battle , the authors of A Very Stable Genius reported .
In another disturbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s investigation into his Russia ties , Trump railed against the U.S. Department of Justice — an entity that traditionally operates independently , to avoid the appearance of political influence .
“ This is my Justice Department .
They are supposed to be my people , ” Trump complained , as quoted by The Washington Post from the book ’ s account .
“ This is the ‘ Deep State….Mueller ’ s all over it .
”

In 2017, the first year of his term, Donald Trump agreed to take part in an HBO documentary about the U.S. Constitution. The film also featured every living former president — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter — reading aloud from the text of the document that set out the country’s founding principles and governmental structure. But to Trump, the Constitution seemed like “a foreign language,” according to revelations in an upcoming book, and reported by The Washington Post.
The HBO documentary also features numerous judges and legislators. But when it comes time for Trump to do his part and read a section of the Constitution, he “struggles and stumbles over the text, blaming others in the room for his mistakes,” according to the book, A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America, authored by two Washington Post reporters, Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig.
“It’s like a foreign language,” Trump said, after struggling to read the text of the Constitution, and the authors quote him as saying.
His gripe that the Constitution is supposedly difficult to read has not been Trump’s only issue with the country’s most important founding document. Last year, when Trump received criticism for attempting to host the annual G7 summit at a golf resort that his company owns, he complained that the “emoluments clause” of the Constitution — which prohibits federal officials from receiving foreign money — was “phony,” according to a Politico report.
The book contains a litany of alleged revelations about Trump’s private behavior and statements that appear to reveal his ignorance of the workings of government and the facts of history. During a visit to Pearl Harbor in 2017, as part of a memorial to the victims of the attack that led the U.S. to enter World War II, Trump appeared to have no idea what had happened there, beyond the fact that it was the site of some sort of historic military battle, the authors of A Very Stable Genius reported.
In another disturbing incident, during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into his Russia ties, Trump railed against the U.S. Department of Justice — an entity that traditionally operates independently, to avoid the appearance of political influence.
“This is my Justice Department. They are supposed to be my people,” Trump complained, as quoted by The Washington Post from the book’s account. “This is the ‘Deep State….Mueller’s all over it.”


inquisitr--2020-01-19--Rudy Giuliani Says He’d ‘Love To Be A Witness’ At Senate Impeachment Trial

House Democrats continue to push for new witnesses in the forthcoming Senate trial as Republicans appear to remain united in opposing the possibility .
During an appearance on John Catsimatidis ’ radio show , Donald Trump ‘ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , said he would “ love to be a witness ” at the forthcoming trial , pointing to his work in Ukraine that allegedly led to the discovery of Democratic corruption , The Hill reported .
“ I would love to see a trial .
I ’ d love to be a witness — because I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and explain to everyone the corruption that I found in Ukraine , that far out-surpasses any that I ’ ve ever seen before , involving Joe Biden and a lot of other Democrats , ” he said .
Giuliani has been implicated in the alleged Ukraine pressure campaign that sparked the two articles of impeachment against Trump .
The purported campaign used foreign aid as leverage to pressure Ukraine into investigating — or at least announcing investigations — into Trump ’ s political rival , Joe Biden .
Amid the scrutiny of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have suggested the investigations were an attempt to spotlight Biden ’ s alleged corruption in Ukraine — corruption Giuliani claims to have evidence of .
Per The Daily Wire , Giuliani claims that Ukraine investigations focused on uncovering Democratic connections to the country , including the possibility that the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) worked with the Eastern European nation to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections .
Giuliani and Trump ’ s allies have also pushed the theory that Biden pressured Ukraine to halt investigations into Burisma when his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ I have those facts .
I have those witnesses .
I have documents , and I have recordings .
And I would love to get them out in public , because everyone is trying to suppress them to protect Joe Biden , ” Giuliani said .
Despite Giuliani ’ s assertions , The Hill reports that thus far , no evidence has emerged suggesting that Biden acted improperly in connection to his dealings with Ukraine .
Giuliani ’ s indicted associate , Lev Parnas , recently spoke to MSNBC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine , suggesting that Trump and Giuliani were at the top of the purported scheme .
Recent documents released by the House have reportedly put more pressure on the Senate to call Giuliani and Parnas as witnesses after text messages suggested that Republicans may have had former Ukrainian Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch under surveillance .
The Senate trial is set to begin Tuesday , and many believe it will lead to Trump ’ s acquittal .

House Democrats continue to push for new witnesses in the forthcoming Senate trial as Republicans appear to remain united in opposing the possibility. During an appearance on John Catsimatidis’ radio show, Donald Trump‘s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said he would “love to be a witness” at the forthcoming trial, pointing to his work in Ukraine that allegedly led to the discovery of Democratic corruption, The Hill reported.
“I would love to see a trial. I’d love to be a witness — because I’m a potential witness in the trial — and explain to everyone the corruption that I found in Ukraine, that far out-surpasses any that I’ve ever seen before, involving Joe Biden and a lot of other Democrats,” he said.
Giuliani has been implicated in the alleged Ukraine pressure campaign that sparked the two articles of impeachment against Trump. The purported campaign used foreign aid as leverage to pressure Ukraine into investigating — or at least announcing investigations — into Trump’s political rival, Joe Biden.
Amid the scrutiny of their Ukraine dealings, Trump and Giuliani have suggested the investigations were an attempt to spotlight Biden’s alleged corruption in Ukraine — corruption Giuliani claims to have evidence of. Per The Daily Wire, Giuliani claims that Ukraine investigations focused on uncovering Democratic connections to the country, including the possibility that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) worked with the Eastern European nation to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
Giuliani and Trump’s allies have also pushed the theory that Biden pressured Ukraine to halt investigations into Burisma when his son was on the board of the company,
“I have those facts. I have those witnesses. I have documents, and I have recordings. And I would love to get them out in public, because everyone is trying to suppress them to protect Joe Biden,” Giuliani said.
Despite Giuliani’s assertions, The Hill reports that thus far, no evidence has emerged suggesting that Biden acted improperly in connection to his dealings with Ukraine.
I found this video of Rudy Giuliani with indicted Ukrainian Lev Parnas in Paris, mid-May 2019. Let's make it viral. pic.twitter.com/9io9ML2IEE — Scott Dworkin (@funder) January 15, 2020
Giuliani’s indicted associate, Lev Parnas, recently spoke to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and shed more light on the alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine, suggesting that Trump and Giuliani were at the top of the purported scheme. Recent documents released by the House have reportedly put more pressure on the Senate to call Giuliani and Parnas as witnesses after text messages suggested that Republicans may have had former Ukrainian Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch under surveillance.
The Senate trial is set to begin Tuesday, and many believe it will lead to Trump’s acquittal.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--GOP Senator Says Donald Trump Is Just ‘Human’ & Will ‘Make Mistakes,’ Including Soliciting Foreign A

GOP Senator Says Donald Trump Is Just ‘Human’ & Will ‘Make Mistakes,’ Including Soliciting Foreign Assistance

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby spoke to ABC ’ s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday , and when asked what he thought about Donald Trump ’ s reported attempts to solicit foreign interference in the coming 2020 election , the Republican dismissed any wrongdoing by saying that the president is just “ human ” and will “ make mistakes.
” Trump ’ s legal team argued that even if the facts show that the president attempted to pressure Ukraine to investigate his chief political opponent , constituting an abuse of power , it still wouldn ’ t be an impeachable offense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he agreed , Shelby hesitated , saying that the allegations against Trump are still under dispute .
“ Well , I don ’ t know that has actually been proven .
That ’ s all in dispute .
I ’ ve never seen anything where Trump was actually involved in it , ” Shelby said .
Stephanopoulos pushed back , saying that there does seem to be ample evidence that Trump did attempt to work with foreign governments for his own personal benefit .
“ We ’ ve seen the president in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asked the Chinese to get involved , ” he pointed out .
“ Well , those are just statements , political .
They make them all the time , ” Shelby responded .
The This Week host then asked if that meant it was acceptable to ask for foreign help .
“ I didn ’ t say it was OK. People do things , things happen , ” he said , adding that the president is only “ human ” and therefore prone to “ mistakes of judgement.
” The impeachment trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week after the House turned over two articles of impeachment against him – one for abusing the power of the office of the president and one for obstructing Congress .
The House alleges that Trump used his office to withhold aid from Ukraine in order to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son , Hunter Biden .
The inquiry focuses on a July 25 phone call during which Trump is accused of inappropriate conduct , though the president maintains that the phone call was “ perfect.
” To represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapped several famous faces , including Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr .
But some critics say that his choice of representation could harm him in the long run , as The Inquisitr reported earlier this week .
Experts argue that Trump ’ s “ reality show ” legal team comes with baggage of their own that could serve to undermine his defense , saying that the decision “ is something that potentially is going to backfire .
”

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby spoke to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, and when asked what he thought about Donald Trump’s reported attempts to solicit foreign interference in the coming 2020 election, the Republican dismissed any wrongdoing by saying that the president is just “human” and will “make mistakes.”
Trump’s legal team argued that even if the facts show that the president attempted to pressure Ukraine to investigate his chief political opponent, constituting an abuse of power, it still wouldn’t be an impeachable offense, according to The Hill. When asked if he agreed, Shelby hesitated, saying that the allegations against Trump are still under dispute.
“Well, I don’t know that has actually been proven. That’s all in dispute. I’ve never seen anything where Trump was actually involved in it,” Shelby said.
Stephanopoulos pushed back, saying that there does seem to be ample evidence that Trump did attempt to work with foreign governments for his own personal benefit.
“We’ve seen the president in public ask the Ukrainians to get involved, asked the Chinese to get involved,” he pointed out.
“Well, those are just statements, political. They make them all the time,” Shelby responded.
The This Week host then asked if that meant it was acceptable to ask for foreign help.
“I didn’t say it was OK. People do things, things happen,” he said, adding that the president is only “human” and therefore prone to “mistakes of judgement.”
The impeachment trial against the president got under way this week after the House turned over two articles of impeachment against him – one for abusing the power of the office of the president and one for obstructing Congress. The House alleges that Trump used his office to withhold aid from Ukraine in order to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
The inquiry focuses on a July 25 phone call during which Trump is accused of inappropriate conduct, though the president maintains that the phone call was “perfect.”
To represent him in the trial, Trump has tapped several famous faces, including Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr. But some critics say that his choice of representation could harm him in the long run, as The Inquisitr reported earlier this week. Experts argue that Trump’s “reality show” legal team comes with baggage of their own that could serve to undermine his defense, saying that the decision “is something that potentially is going to backfire.”


inquisitr--2020-01-19--House Democrats Are Reportedly Open To Calling New Impeachment Witnesses If Senate Doesn’t

Democrats continue to advocate to hear from new impeachment witnesses in the forthcoming Senate trial on Donald Trump as Republicans appear united against the suggestion .
While Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware recently said he believes the Senate will delay the debate on hearing from new witnesses , The Hill reports that House Democrats may call witnesses on their own if the Senate fails to meet their demands .
The news suggests that witnesses silenced by the strategy of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could still find a voice in the House .
“ We would be remiss in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this trail to its conclusion .
And Parnas has emerged as an important figure in this criminal conspiracy to force or coerce a foreign government to help Trump ’ s reelection campaign , ” said Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson , a member of the Judiciary Committee .
Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel , chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , didn ’ t explicitly say House Democrats will call relevant witnesses .
However , he did suggest that failure to pressure the Senate to hear from such witnesses will not be the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Trump ’ s handling of foreign policy in Ukraine — which led to the two current impeachment articles against him — continue even as the Senate trial on Tuesday approaches .
With Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas ’ recent interview with MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow , Democrats are reportedly hoping for new evidence that will force the Senate to consider the latest information .
“ President Trump knew exactly what was going on , ” Parnas told Maddow of his role in the alleged Ukraine pressure campaign .
“ He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential of damning evidence against Trump , Senate Republicans appear set to push the trial forward as quickly as possible and are aiming to follow the model of former President Bill Clinton ’ s 1999 proceeding .
Conversely , Democrats continue to push for witnesses and have expressed concern over the integrity of the trial .
Some reportedly worry that Trump will attempt to “ game ” the trial by blocking testimony from key witnesses .
Trump himself has said that he would use executive privilege to block testimony from former national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would be open to testifying in the Senate trial if subpoenaed , CNN reported .

Democrats continue to advocate to hear from new impeachment witnesses in the forthcoming Senate trial on Donald Trump as Republicans appear united against the suggestion. While Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware recently said he believes the Senate will delay the debate on hearing from new witnesses, The Hill reports that House Democrats may call witnesses on their own if the Senate fails to meet their demands.
The news suggests that witnesses silenced by the strategy of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could still find a voice in the House.
“We would be remiss in the House of Representatives not to follow this trail to its conclusion. And Parnas has emerged as an important figure in this criminal conspiracy to force or coerce a foreign government to help Trump’s reelection campaign,” said Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson, a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, didn’t explicitly say House Democrats will call relevant witnesses. However, he did suggest that failure to pressure the Senate to hear from such witnesses will not be the end of the Democrats’ push.
“The more we hear, and the more things come out, the more resolute we are to make sure that we’re dealing with the truth, and that it’s not being swept under the rug.”
Chairman Nadler calls the W.H. response to the impeachment summons the "errant nonsense. There is ample evidence — overwhelming evidence — that any jury would convict in three minutes flat, that the president betrayed his country by breaking the law." Via CBS pic.twitter.com/Bse90ZuWNx — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 19, 2020
Investigations into Trump’s handling of foreign policy in Ukraine — which led to the two current impeachment articles against him — continue even as the Senate trial on Tuesday approaches. With Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas’ recent interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Democrats are reportedly hoping for new evidence that will force the Senate to consider the latest information.
“President Trump knew exactly what was going on,” Parnas told Maddow of his role in the alleged Ukraine pressure campaign. “He was aware of all my movements.”
Despite the potential of damning evidence against Trump, Senate Republicans appear set to push the trial forward as quickly as possible and are aiming to follow the model of former President Bill Clinton’s 1999 proceeding. Conversely, Democrats continue to push for witnesses and have expressed concern over the integrity of the trial. Some reportedly worry that Trump will attempt to “game” the trial by blocking testimony from key witnesses.
Trump himself has said that he would use executive privilege to block testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton, who said he would be open to testifying in the Senate trial if subpoenaed, CNN reported.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--Donald Trump Jr. Says ‘Democrats And Media’ Hate The President ‘Much More Than They Love America’

Donald Trump ‘ s son , Donald Trump Jr. , recently appeared on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures and took aim at Democrats and the media , Breitbart reports .
“ They will double down .
Any opportunity to hurt Trump , and that is the reality , ” Trump Jr. said .
His comments come ahead of the Senate trial on the two articles of impeachment against Trump set for Tuesday afternoon .
Elsewhere in the interview , Trump Jr. touched on his expectations for the trial and said he would like to hear from Joe Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Trump Jr. also suggested that any Republicans who only vote to hear from Democrat-request witnesses “ don ’ t deserve to be in office.
” “ If some of those guys don ’ t want to hear from the witnesses we ’ d want to hear from but will hear from the others , I want to know about it , because they don ’ t deserve to be in office.
” Trump Jr. pointed to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul ’ s suggestion that if four or more Republicans vote with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will force a Senate vote on subpoenaing Hunter Biden , Vanity Fair reported .
Paul said that anyone voting against hearing from Hunter Biden is essentially voting to lose their seat , following in the footsteps of Trump ’ s mafia-style approach to politics .
Republicans continue to fight to prevent additional witnesses in the Senate trial , despite former national security adviser John Bolton claiming he would be open to testifying .
Trump himself said he would use executive privilege to block Bolton from testifying in the trial .
While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial should mirror that available to the House , not everyone agrees with this approach .
During Saturday ’ s edition of CNN ’ s Unfiltered , conservative anchor S.E .
Cupp blasted Republicans for their impeachment strategy , calling it “ corrupt ” and claiming it was akin to turning a blind eye to their constitutional duties .
“ But it ’ s also pretty damn cowardly .
Imagine being this afraid , ” she said .
Independent Justin Amash pushed back against the suggestion that the House evidence must match what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is not how trials are supposed to operate .
Amash accused the Republican Party of operating on behalf of Trump and the elites as opposed to working for justice for the people .

Donald Trump‘s son, Donald Trump Jr., recently appeared on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures and took aim at Democrats and the media, Breitbart reports.
“They will double down. Any opportunity to hurt Trump, and that is the reality,” Trump Jr. said.
“Democrats and media hate Trump much more than they love America because you can’t dispute the numbers. You can’t dispute all-time low unemployment for every group in this country, every demographic.”
His comments come ahead of the Senate trial on the two articles of impeachment against Trump set for Tuesday afternoon. Elsewhere in the interview, Trump Jr. touched on his expectations for the trial and said he would like to hear from Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, Breitbart also reported.
Trump Jr. also suggested that any Republicans who only vote to hear from Democrat-request witnesses “don’t deserve to be in office.”
“If some of those guys don’t want to hear from the witnesses we’d want to hear from but will hear from the others, I want to know about it, because they don’t deserve to be in office.”
Trump Jr. pointed to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s suggestion that if four or more Republicans vote with Democrats to hear from new witnesses, he will force a Senate vote on subpoenaing Hunter Biden, Vanity Fair reported. Paul said that anyone voting against hearing from Hunter Biden is essentially voting to lose their seat, following in the footsteps of Trump’s mafia-style approach to politics.
Republicans continue to fight to prevent additional witnesses in the Senate trial, despite former national security adviser John Bolton claiming he would be open to testifying. Trump himself said he would use executive privilege to block Bolton from testifying in the trial.
While the GOP argues that the evidence for the trial should mirror that available to the House, not everyone agrees with this approach.
During Saturday’s edition of CNN’s Unfiltered, conservative anchor S.E. Cupp blasted Republicans for their impeachment strategy, calling it “corrupt” and claiming it was akin to turning a blind eye to their constitutional duties.
“But it’s also pretty damn cowardly. Imagine being this afraid,” she said.
Independent Justin Amash pushed back against the suggestion that the House evidence must match what is covered in the Senate, suggesting that this is not how trials are supposed to operate. Amash accused the Republican Party of operating on behalf of Trump and the elites as opposed to working for justice for the people.


inquisitr--2020-01-19--Donald Trump Slams ‘Foolish’ Proposal For NYC Sea Wall After Trying To Build One Around His Own Golf

Donald Trump Slams ‘Foolish’ Proposal For NYC Sea Wall After Trying To Build One Around His Own Golf Course

Donald Trump attacked a plan to build a sea wall around New York City to mitigate the impacts of climate change .
While he called the idea “ foolish ” and said people would be better off with “ mops & buckets , ” the president , who says that he doesn ’ t believe in man-made global warming , has laid down plans of his own to protect his properties .
He applied to build a sea wall around his Ireland golf course in 2016 to protect it from rising seas .
As Politico reported in 2016 , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ pseudoscience , ” and “ bullsh*t. ” But when it comes to protecting his investments , he appears to take a more measured approach .
In order to combat erosion at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland , he applied for a permit to build a sea wall .
The application cites global warming as the main cause of the need to build the protective wall .
At the time , people called Trump out for appearing to say one thing while doing another .
Former Republican Representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was working to protect his properties from climate change while telling his supporters that the threat doesn ’ t exist .
“ [ H ] e ’ s saying things to audiences that he must know are not true , ” Inglis said .
Regardless , on Saturday , the president made it clear that he doesn ’ t support a sea wall around New York City .
“ A massive 200 Billion Dollar Sea Wall , built around New York to protect it from rare storms , is a costly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when needed , probably won ’ t work anyway .
It will also look terrible .
Sorry , you ’ ll just have to get your mops & buckets ready !
” Trump tweeted .
It ’ s not clear what prompted the tweet , but The New York Times recently published a story about the proposal , which calls for a six-mile barrier around the city that would cost $ 119 billion and take 25 years to complete .
The idea is just one being floated by the Army Corps of Engineers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 .
The president isn ’ t the only critic of the concept .
The New York City comptroller Scott M. Stringer urged the corps to revisit the plans .
“ These sea gates will not be able to protect communities from flooding caused by rising tides and rising sea levels , and once they ’ re built , that ’ s it , ” he said .
“ We ’ re not going to get the money again.
” Some environmental experts also say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment , causing harm to the life that inhabits the area .

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inquisitr--2020-01-20--Key Watergate Figure Says W.H. Impeachment Defense Is So Bad, It Looks Like Donald Trump Wrote It Hi

Key Watergate Figure Says W.H. Impeachment Defense Is So Bad, It Looks Like Donald Trump Wrote It Himself

Former White House counsel and key Watergate figure John Dean believes that the White House ’ s official written impeachment defense is so poorly constructed , it appears that Donald Trump himself had a major hand in writing it .
The U.S. Senate trial of Trump has kicked off this week and the White House made its first legal filings asserting the administration ’ s position and pushing back against charges that President Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on his political opponent .
The legal filing called the impeachment proceedings a “ brazen and unlawful ” attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election bid and echoed Trump ’ s frequent claims that it is a politically motivated witch hunt .
As Newsweek noted , Dean said in an interview on CNN that the brief was filled with false statements and distortions .
He predicted that it would fall flat when compared to the detailed legal filings from Democrats laying out the charges against Trump and the evidence that came to light during the House hearings .
“ I think it ’ s actually going to insult some of the lawyers in the Senate if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same tone , they ’ re making a serious mistake .
Lawyers are not going to buy into this .
Most members of the Senate , both parties are lawyers , ” Dean said .
Dean , a key figure in the Watergate scandal who eventually provided some of the most damaging evidence against President Richard Nixon , said it appeared that Trump had a major hand in crafting the document .
He noted that Trump was previously credited with dictating a letter to House leaders , one that Trump reportedly dictated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I actually thought Trump might have dictated part of this brief like he did the letter that Cipollone sent to Congress that said that what they were doing was not proper , ” he said .
“ It ’ s of that vernacular .
It ’ s not legally sophisticated .
It actually plays to the base.
” That letter also drew plenty of pushback .
The Washington Post noted in a fact-check that the letter was riddled with untrue statements , including a false claim that the U.S. Constitution stated there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment around .
It also pointed out that the transcript of a call between Trump and the Ukrainian president described in the letter as “ perfect ” was actually only a rough transcript and that many experts said Trump ’ s attempts to push for an investigation of Joe Biden were “ highly unusual .
”

Former White House counsel and key Watergate figure John Dean believes that the White House’s official written impeachment defense is so poorly constructed, it appears that Donald Trump himself had a major hand in writing it.
The U.S. Senate trial of Trump has kicked off this week. The White House made its first legal filings asserting the administration’s position and pushing back against charges that President Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on his political opponent. The legal filing called the impeachment proceedings a “brazen and unlawful” attempt to derail the president’s 2020 reelection bid and echoed Trump’s frequent claims that it is a politically motivated witch hunt.
As Newsweek noted, Dean said in an interview on CNN that the brief was filled with false statements and distortions. He predicted that it would fall flat when compared to the detailed legal filings from Democrats laying out the charges against Trump and the evidence that came to light during the House hearings.
“I think it’s actually going to insult some of the lawyers in the Senate if they’re [sic] more detailed brief is of the same tone, they’re making a serious mistake. Lawyers are not going to buy into this. Most members of the Senate, both parties are lawyers,” Dean said.
Dean, a key figure in the Watergate scandal who eventually provided some of the most damaging evidence against President Richard Nixon, said it appeared that Trump had a major hand in writing the document. He noted that Trump was previously credited with crafting a letter to House leaders, one that Trump reportedly dictated to White House counsel Pat Cipollone.
“I actually thought Trump might have dictated part of this brief like he did the letter that Cipollone sent to Congress that said that what they were doing was not proper,” he said. “It’s of that vernacular. It’s not legally sophisticated. It actually plays to the base.”
That letter also drew plenty of pushback. The Washington Post noted in a fact-check that the letter was riddled with untrue statements, including a false claim that the U.S. Constitution stated there must be a specific crime to base impeachment on. It also pointed out that the transcript of a call between Trump and the Ukrainian president described in the letter as “perfect” was actually only a rough transcript and that many experts said Trump’s attempts to push for an investigation of Joe Biden were “highly unusual.”


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Bernie Sanders: Seniors Support Joe Biden Because He Is A ‘Nice Guy,’ Not Because Of His Record

Sanders has criticized Biden for advocating for cuts to Social Security .
The Democratic primary race is beginning to look like a contest between former Vice President Joe Biden and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , so the two men are drawing contrasts between themselves , comparing records , and taking jabs at each other .
Sanders ’ campaign has spent the better part of this week criticizing Biden over his position on Social Security , in what appears to be an attempt to appeal to senior voters , who remain supportive of the former vice president .
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , support Biden .
Sanders discussed the issue on Sunday with CBS News .
Asked why seniors support Biden , Sanders suggested that the former vice president enjoys the support because he is a “ nice guy , ” and not necessarily because of his record .
“ He is a friend of mine .
People like him .
And we ’ re not going to make personal attacks on Joe Biden , but I think the record shows that Joe ’ s history in the Senate and my history in Congress are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued , before addressing Biden ’ s accusations against his campaign .
During a campaign event on Saturday , facing criticism over his record on Social Security , Biden reassured a voter concerned about his stance on the issue that a video which suggests he advocated for cuts to the program has been “ doctored.
” The video , Biden said , was being spread and amplified by members of Sanders ’ campaign .
The footage Biden appears to have an issue with suggests that he agreed with Republican Paul Ryan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cutting programs such as Social Security and Medicare .
According to some fact-checkers , it has been edited to misrepresent Biden ’ s statement .
However , the Biden-Ryan video is only one of many available online , and Biden ’ s advocacy for Social Security cuts is a matter of public record .
As a fact check by The Intercept established , Biden “ has advocated for cutting Social Security for 40 years , ” so hours of video footage of him proposing the cuts exists .
In public statements , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to The Intercept ’ s analysis , Biden has advocated for cutting the program .
He has , in fact , been fixated on it since the era of Ronald Reagan .
In his interview with CBS News , Sanders underlined that a single allegedly misleading video is not the issue , but Biden ’ s record on Social Security is .
“ It is Joe ’ s position on Social Security over the years versus my position on Social Security over the years , ” the senator said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what Joe might do in the future.
” On the campaign trail , Biden has stressed that he would not try to cut Social Security if elected president .

The Democratic primary race is beginning to look like a contest between former Vice President Joe Biden and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, so the two men are drawing contrasts between themselves, comparing records, and taking jabs at each other.
Sanders’ campaign has spent the better part of this week criticizing Biden over his position on Social Security, in what appears to be an attempt to appeal to senior voters, who remain supportive of the former vice president. Nearly 40 percent of them, polls suggest, support Biden. Sanders discussed the issue on Sunday with CBS News.
Asked why seniors support Biden, Sanders suggested that the former vice president enjoys the support because he is a “nice guy,” and not necessarily because of his record.
“Look, you know why? I’ll tell you why. Because Joe is a nice guy. Okay? He is a decent person.”
“He is a friend of mine. People like him. And we’re not going to make personal attacks on Joe Biden, but I think the record shows that Joe’s history in the Senate and my history in Congress are very different,” the Vermont senator continued, before addressing Biden’s accusations against his campaign.
During a campaign event on Saturday, facing criticism over his record on Social Security, Biden reassured a voter concerned about his stance on the issue that a video which suggests he advocated for cuts to the program has been “doctored.” The video, Biden said, was being spread and amplified by members of Sanders’ campaign.
The footage Biden appears to have an issue with suggests that he agreed with Republican Paul Ryan’s plan to reform the tax code by cutting programs such as Social Security and Medicare. According to some fact-checkers, it has been edited to misrepresent Biden’s statement.
However, the Biden-Ryan video is only one of many available online, and Biden’s advocacy for Social Security cuts is a matter of public record. As a fact check by The Intercept established, Biden “has advocated for cutting Social Security for 40 years,” so hours of video footage of him proposing the cuts exists.
In public statements, on the Senate floor and in media interviews, according to The Intercept’s analysis, Biden has advocated for cutting the program. He has, in fact, been fixated on it since the era of Ronald Reagan.
Joe Biden pushing cuts to Social Security and Medicare throughout the years. pic.twitter.com/mpEScgUMCL — Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) January 20, 2020
In his interview with CBS News, Sanders underlined that a single allegedly misleading video is not the issue, but Biden’s record on Social Security is.
“It is Joe’s position on Social Security over the years versus my position on Social Security over the years,” the senator said, adding that he is “not saying anything about what Joe might do in the future.”
On the campaign trail, Biden has stressed that he would not try to cut Social Security if elected president.


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Donald Trump: ‘We’re Achieving What No Administration Has Ever Achieved Before, And What Do I Get Ou

Donald Trump: ‘We’re Achieving What No Administration Has Ever Achieved Before, And What Do I Get Out Of It?’

On Sunday night , during a speech at the American Farm Bureau Federation ’ s annual conference , President Donald Trump went off-script , changing the subject of his address from agriculture to impeachment .
Per CNN , after touting his trade policies — which he claims have helped farmers across the country — Trump complained about not receiving much in return .
“ We ’ re achieving what no administration has ever achieved before , and what do I get out of it ?
” he asked the audience .
“ Tell me , ” the president continued , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gotten in return .
“ But that ’ s OK .
The farmers are sticking with Trump .
They ’ re sticking with Trump , ” Trump continued , prompting the crowd to cheer before giving him a standing ovation .
The president was apparently in a jovial mood , and apart from touting what he seems to believe are his administration ’ s main accomplishments in terms of trade , he thanked farmers for supporting him amid the ever-escalating trade war he has been waging on China .
Trade was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he made sure to let the audience know about what he claims are his most recent victories ; The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement , and the Phase One Trade agreement with China .
The former has received support from Congress and is expected to be signed by the president soon , and the latter was signed last week .
Referring to a poll that shows that 83 percent of farmers support him , Trump entertained the crowd by wondering who are the 17 percent that remain opposed to him .
“ Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anybody in here from the 17 percent ?
Don ’ t raise your hand , it may be dangerous , ” he said .
Trump also interrupted his speech to joke with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller , complimenting his “ beautiful ” cowboy hat .
“ I wish we could wear them in Washington or New York , ” the president said .
As CNN notes , although Trump touched upon a variety of subjects , he did not talk extensively about the 2020 presidential race , but he briefly mentioned “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump spent months attacking former Vice President Joe Biden , the perceived front-runner in the Democratic primary race , but he now appears to be turning his attention to other candidates .
In recent weeks , the president has taken aim at Sanders , with his campaign sending out emails blasting the senator as “ dangerous.
” “ Crazy Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls , looking very good against his opponents in the Do Nothing Party , ” he noted in a tweet last Sunday .
According to Rep. Ro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Sanders campaign , Trump is concerned about the possibility of Sanders winning the nomination because the senator appeals to working-class voters .

On Sunday night, during a speech at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual conference, President Donald Trump went off-script, changing the subject of his address from agriculture to impeachment.
Per CNN, after touting his trade policies — which he claims have helped farmers across the country — Trump complained about not receiving much in return.
“We’re achieving what no administration has ever achieved before, and what do I get out of it?” he asked the audience.
“Tell me,” the president continued, before claiming that impeachment is all he has gotten in return.
“I get impeached. That’s what I get out of it. By these radical left lunatics. I get impeached.”
“But that’s OK. The farmers are sticking with Trump. They’re sticking with Trump,” Trump continued, prompting the crowd to cheer before giving him a standing ovation.
The president was apparently in a jovial mood, and apart from touting what he seems to believe are his administration’s main accomplishments in terms of trade, he thanked farmers for supporting him amid the ever-escalating trade war he has been waging on China.
Trade was the central theme of Trump’s speech, and he made sure to let the audience know about what he claims are his most recent victories; The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and the Phase One Trade agreement with China. The former has received support from Congress and is expected to be signed by the president soon, and the latter was signed last week.
Referring to a poll that shows that 83 percent of farmers support him, Trump entertained the crowd by wondering who are the 17 percent that remain opposed to him.
“Who the hell are the 17 percent? Anybody in here from the 17 percent? Don’t raise your hand, it may be dangerous,” he said.
Trump also interrupted his speech to joke with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, complimenting his “beautiful” cowboy hat.
“I wish we could wear them in Washington or New York,” the president said.
President Trump: "Farmers have a lot of guts. Come on, there's not one person that dislikes their children because they're brats? Because they're spoiled, rotten brats? Ok, well that's a pretty good group of people. That's the farmers for you." pic.twitter.com/glWMrowKQX — The Hill (@thehill) January 20, 2020
As CNN notes, although Trump touched upon a variety of subjects, he did not talk extensively about the 2020 presidential race, but he briefly mentioned “socialists” Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Trump spent months attacking former Vice President Joe Biden, the perceived front-runner in the Democratic primary race, but he now appears to be turning his attention to other candidates. In recent weeks, the president has taken aim at Sanders, with his campaign sending out emails blasting the senator as “dangerous.”
“Crazy Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls, looking very good against his opponents in the Do Nothing Party,” he noted in a tweet last Sunday. According to Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a top adviser to the Sanders campaign, Trump is concerned about the possibility of Sanders winning the nomination because the senator appeals to working-class voters.


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Democrat Sherrod Brown Says He Would Be ‘Fine’ With Hunter Biden Testifying In Impeachment Trial

Earlier this week , as soon as the House of Representatives sent the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the United States Senate , senators from both sides of the aisle started sharing their concerns about the process .
Now , the question of witnesses looms large .
Both parties have indicated that they would like to summon additional witnesses , but possibly the only blockbuster testimony would come from the person at the heart of the impeachment articles : Hunter Biden .
The GOP has threatened to call on Biden to testify , and Democrats have dismissed such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio discussed the matter on Sunday , per The Hill .
Speaking with CNN ’ s Brianna Keilar , Brown echoed his Democratic colleagues , stressing the importance of having additional witnesses .
Keilar pressed the senator on the issue of Biden ’ s testimony , asking whether Democrats are “ prepared ” to have former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s son speak before Congress .
“ We take the position that we want to hear from witnesses , ” Brown said .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the phone call that was made , ” he added .
“ I ’ m fine with hearing — I mean , I understand I — I ’ m not a lawyer .
I understand both sides get to call witnesses , ” Brown responded , alleging that Republican senators have privately told him that they would only summon the former vice president ’ s son to testify in order to distract from the substance of the trial .
Brown then shared more details about his private conversations with Republican senators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and consider him a “ bigot.
” Brown concluded the conversation arguing that witnesses and additional evidence are necessary in order to hold a fair and impartial trial .
Democrats have long insisted that the GOP needs to allow additional witnesses , such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Rudy Giuliani ’ s longtime associate Lev Parnas , as both men are thought to have additional information about Trump ’ s allegedly inappropriate contacts with the Ukrainian government .
Members of Trump ’ s legal team have threatened to retaliate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over witness testimonies will not reach its epilogue soon , according to Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware .
In an interview broadcast on Saturday .
Coons said that he believes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will postpone the fight over witnesses until the very end of the proceeding .

Earlier this week, as soon as the House of Representatives sent the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the United States Senate, senators from both sides of the aisle started sharing their concerns about the process. Now, the question of witnesses looms large.
Both parties have indicated that they would like to summon additional witnesses, but possibly the only blockbuster testimony would come from the person at the heart of the impeachment articles: Hunter Biden. The GOP has threatened to call on Biden to testify, and Democrats have dismissed such calls as unrelated to the case. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio discussed the matter on Sunday, per The Hill.
Speaking with CNN’s Brianna Keilar, Brown echoed his Democratic colleagues, stressing the importance of having additional witnesses. Keilar pressed the senator on the issue of Biden’s testimony, asking whether Democrats are “prepared” to have former Vice President Joe Biden’s son speak before Congress.
“We take the position that we want to hear from witnesses,” Brown said. “I don’t know what Hunter Biden has to do with the phone call that was made,” he added.
“But you’re fine hearing from him?” Keilar insisted.
“I’m fine with hearing — I mean, I understand I — I’m not a lawyer. I understand both sides get to call witnesses,” Brown responded, alleging that Republican senators have privately told him that they would only summon the former vice president’s son to testify in order to distract from the substance of the trial.
Brown then shared more details about his private conversations with Republican senators, claiming that some of them privately oppose Trump and consider him a “bigot.”
.@SenSherrodBrown: "For a real trial, you have witnesses and you have new evidence. Everybody understands that, it's a sham trial without it." pic.twitter.com/lNXFKBrfDb — The Hill (@thehill) January 19, 2020
Brown concluded the conversation arguing that witnesses and additional evidence are necessary in order to hold a fair and impartial trial.
“The point is, we need witnesses. But I don’t understand how you can, to the American public, make the case that this is a real trial if there are no witnesses and there is no new evidence.”
Democrats have long insisted that the GOP needs to allow additional witnesses, such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Rudy Giuliani’s longtime associate Lev Parnas, as both men are thought to have additional information about Trump’s allegedly inappropriate contacts with the Ukrainian government. Members of Trump’s legal team have threatened to retaliate by summoning Biden.
The bitter fight over witness testimonies will not reach its epilogue soon, according to Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. In an interview broadcast on Saturday. Coons said that he believes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will postpone the fight over witnesses until the very end of the proceeding.


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Tulsi Gabbard Endorses Legalizing All Illicit Drugs

At a campaign stop in Merrimack , New Hampshire , on Friday , Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard called for the legalization of all illicit drugs to ensure that addicts receive treatment instead of being thrown into the criminal justice system , Forbes reports .
“ If we take that step to legalize and regulate , then we ’ re no longer treating people who are struggling with substance addiction and abuse as criminals and instead getting them the help that they need , ” she said .
Gabbard ’ s endorsement was in response to a voter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the War on Drugs would focus on harm reduction and treatment or the legalization and regulation of narcotics that often make it into the black market .
The Hawaii congresswoman voiced support for all of the propositions .
Gabbard pointed to the Portuguese system , where all drugs are decriminalized .
The approach has led to a decline in drug deaths and an increase in treatment , per The Hill .
Conversely , the U.S. War on Drugs has led to over 800,000 deaths in the past 30 years .
Notably , 70,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along , while Portugal lost just 20 people .
Aside from Gabbard , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg has called for something similar , although he advocates for decriminalization as opposed to legalization .
Per Reason , Buttigieg made the comments to the Des Moines Register in a pre-Christmas meeting , where he stressed that drug users should not be imprisoned .
The 38-year-old politician noted that he witnessed teens in South Bend turning to synthetic , black-market marijuana as opposed to the real thing .
“ You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than this stuff , ” he said , referring to the synthetic alternative as “ rat poison sprayed on grass.
” Businessman and Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang supports the decriminalization of opioids , as well as safe injection sites for illicit drugs .
He also supports the total legalization of marijuana and cannabis and expressed openness to legalizing magic mushrooms , which have shown some promise for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) .
Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg are the only Democrats in the 2020 primary that don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forbes reported .
Both candidates have instead backed modest steps toward curbing the War on Drugs , including removal criminal penalties for possession .

At a campaign stop in Merrimack, New Hampshire, on Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard called for the legalization of all illicit drugs to ensure that addicts receive treatment instead of being thrown into the criminal justice system, Forbes reports.
“If we take that step to legalize and regulate, then we’re no longer treating people who are struggling with substance addiction and abuse as criminals and instead getting them the help that they need,” she said.
Gabbard’s endorsement was in response to a voter’s question on whether her approach to ending the War on Drugs would focus on harm reduction and treatment or the legalization and regulation of narcotics that often make it into the black market. The Hawaii congresswoman voiced support for all of the propositions.
“The costs and the consequence to this failed war on drugs is so vast and far reaching, socially and fiscally, that if we take these necessary steps, we’ll be able to solve a lot of other problems that we’re dealing with in this country.”
Gabbard pointed to the Portuguese system, where all drugs are decriminalized. The approach has led to a decline in drug deaths and an increase in treatment, per The Hill. Conversely, the U.S. War on Drugs has led to over 800,000 deaths in the past 30 years. Notably, 70,000 people died from opioid overdoses last year along, while Portugal lost just 20 people.
Tulsi tonight endorsed a proposal to “legalize and regulate” all drugs (not just marijuana) and rejected that this was an “extreme” solution to end the Drug War, cited the Portugal model where all drugs are decriminalized pic.twitter.com/LUVIw5tjpa — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) January 18, 2020
Aside from Gabbard, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has called for something similar, although he advocates for decriminalization as opposed to legalization. Per Reason, Buttigieg made the comments to the Des Moines Register in a pre-Christmas meeting, where he stressed that drug users should not be imprisoned.
The 38-year-old politician noted that he witnessed teens in South Bend turning to synthetic, black-market marijuana as opposed to the real thing.
“You’re much better off with real marijuana than this stuff,” he said, referring to the synthetic alternative as “rat poison sprayed on grass.”
Businessman and Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang supports the decriminalization of opioids, as well as safe injection sites for illicit drugs. He also supports the total legalization of marijuana and cannabis and expressed openness to legalizing magic mushrooms, which have shown some promise for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg are the only Democrats in the 2020 primary that don’t support making marijuana legal, Forbes reported. Both candidates have instead backed modest steps toward curbing the War on Drugs, including removal criminal penalties for possession.


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Fox To Make Sure Political Ads Don’t Run Back To Back Against Non-Political Ads During Super Bowl LI

Fox To Make Sure Political Ads Don’t Run Back To Back Against Non-Political Ads During Super Bowl LIV

As of this writing , only Donald Trump 's campaign and Michael Bloomberg 's campaign have spent money on Super Bowl ads .
Fox — the network with the broadcasting rights to the upcoming Super Bowl LIV — is reportedly taking measures to ensure that no political ads air back-to-back against a non-political ad during the event , according to Ad Age .
However , it appears that only Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg have purchased any political ads at the moment .
People who aren ’ t even fans of football tend to enjoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Indeed , Super Bowl Sunday has become something of an unofficial holiday when it comes to advertising .
As one of the consistently most-watched TV events of the year , this major sporting event is when advertisers tend to bring out their funniest , most attention-grabbing , most controversial , and most-talked-about ads .
For some viewers , the Super Bowl is less about the game and more about the commercials , which come with a hefty price tag .
A 30-second commercial spot during the big game can cost as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With 2020 being an election year , political candidates are likely going to want to get in on the action .
According to Ad Age writer Jeanne Poggi , the problem with airing political advertising during the Super Bowl is that many advertisers loathe having their own ads air immediately before or after a political ad .
For example , as Yahoo News reports , an advertiser may not want to see an ad that would otherwise be fodder for water-cooler conversation on the Monday after the Super Bowl be overshadowed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind , Fox is apparently taking great care to ensure that any political ads run will effectively be stand-alone commercials .
“ Fox confirmed with us , before our clients raised any concerns , that the Bloomberg and Trump political ads are isolated from advertisers in anticipation of any issues a brand may have being adjacent and within the same pod , ” an anonymous source told Ad Age .
In a practical sense , this approach likely means that political ads will be interspersed between promos for Fox programming .
As for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect the pro-Trump ads to be front-loaded toward the beginning of the game , while Bloomberg ads are expected to run during halftime and later in the game .
Of course , the advertising slots are a “ moving puzzle ” when it comes to how they will shake out during the game .
Things could easily change between now and Super Bowl Sunday .

Fox — the network with the broadcasting rights to the upcoming Super Bowl LIV — is reportedly taking measures to ensure that no political ads air back-to-back against a non-political ad during the event, according to Ad Age. However, it appears that only Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg have purchased any political ads at the moment.
People who aren’t even fans of football tend to enjoy watching the big game for the commercials. Indeed, Super Bowl Sunday has become something of an unofficial holiday when it comes to advertising. As one of the consistently most-watched TV events of the year, this major sporting event is when advertisers tend to bring out their funniest, most attention-grabbing, most controversial, and most-talked-about ads.
For some viewers, the Super Bowl is less about the game and more about the commercials, which come with a hefty price tag. A 30-second commercial spot during the big game can cost as much as $5 million by some estimates. With 2020 being an election year, political candidates are likely going to want to get in on the action.
According to Ad Age writer Jeanne Poggi, the problem with airing political advertising during the Super Bowl is that many advertisers loathe having their own ads air immediately before or after a political ad. For example, as Yahoo News reports, an advertiser may not want to see an ad that would otherwise be fodder for water-cooler conversation on the Monday after the Super Bowl be overshadowed by a political ad.
With this in mind, Fox is apparently taking great care to ensure that any political ads run will effectively be stand-alone commercials.
“Fox confirmed with us, before our clients raised any concerns, that the Bloomberg and Trump political ads are isolated from advertisers in anticipation of any issues a brand may have being adjacent and within the same pod,” an anonymous source told Ad Age.
In a practical sense, this approach likely means that political ads will be interspersed between promos for Fox programming. As for Trump and Bloomberg, advertising industry watchers expect the pro-Trump ads to be front-loaded toward the beginning of the game, while Bloomberg ads are expected to run during halftime and later in the game.
Of course, the advertising slots are a “moving puzzle” when it comes to how they will shake out during the game. Things could easily change between now and Super Bowl Sunday.


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Donald Trump’s Legal Team Reportedly To Argue That The Impeachment Trial Is ‘Rigged” And Should Be E

Donald Trump’s Legal Team Reportedly To Argue That The Impeachment Trial Is ‘Rigged” And Should Be Ended

Donald Trump ‘ s impeachment trial in the Senate kicks into high gear this week .
On Monday , his legal team indicated its intention to argue that the entire proceeding is an illegitimate attempt to remove the president from office and should be quickly ended with an acquittal .
According to a report from The New York Times , Trump ’ s legal team submitted a brief arguing that the two articles of impeachment passed primarily along party lines in the House of Representatives were the result of a “ rigged process ” initiated by progressives hoping to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed that Trump ’ s legal team will argue that the articles — one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress — were the result of a “ brazenly political act ” that sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations .
They will go on to say the Senate should quickly vote to acquit the president .
The legal team — which includes lawyers Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr — doesn ’ t plan to deny that Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to pressure the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s chief political opponent Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden .
Instead , the team will argue that a president has the power to negotiate with foreign countries in order to address corruption and doing so isn ’ t an abuse of power .
Dershowitz has previously said that he will argue that the president was within his rights to “ pressure ” Ukraine , if the allegations that he did so prove to be true during the trial .
The argument echoes statements made by Trump in the past , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment in the House was unfair , calling out Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York .
“ Cryin ’ Chuck Schumer is now asking for ‘ fairness ’ , when he and the Democrat House members worked together to make sure I got ZERO fairness in the House .
So , what else is new ?
” he wrote over the weekend .
“ Cryin ’ Chuck Schumer just said , ‘ The American people want a fair trial in the Senate.
’ True , but why didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shifty ’ Schiff give us a fair trial in the House .
It was the most lopsided & unfair basement hearing in the history of Congress !
” he tweeted .
Democrats apparently intend to argue that Trump ’ s communication with Ukraine fills the requirements set by the Founders in the Constitution for an offense worthy of removing the president from office .

Donald Trump‘s impeachment trial in the Senate kicks into high gear this week. On Monday, his legal team indicated its intention to argue that the entire proceeding is an illegitimate attempt to remove the president from office and should be quickly ended with an acquittal.
According to a report from The New York Times, Trump’s legal team submitted a brief arguing that the two articles of impeachment passed primarily along party lines in the House of Representatives were the result of a “rigged process” initiated by progressives hoping to remove Trump from office.
An anonymous source revealed that Trump’s legal team will argue that the articles — one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress — were the result of a “brazenly political act” that sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations. They will go on to say the Senate should quickly vote to acquit the president.
The legal team — which includes lawyers Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr — doesn’t plan to deny that Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to pressure the country to announce it was investigating Trump’s chief political opponent Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Instead, the team will argue that a president has the power to negotiate with foreign countries in order to address corruption and doing so isn’t an abuse of power.
Dershowitz has previously said that he will argue that the president was within his rights to “pressure” Ukraine, if the allegations that he did so prove to be true during the trial.
The argument echoes statements made by Trump in the past, most recently this weekend when he claimed that the impeachment in the House was unfair, calling out Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
“Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is now asking for ‘fairness’, when he and the Democrat House members worked together to make sure I got ZERO fairness in the House. So, what else is new?” he wrote over the weekend.
Last week, he made a similar statement.
“Cryin’ Chuck Schumer just said, ‘The American people want a fair trial in the Senate.’ True, but why didn’t Nervous Nancy and Corrupt politician Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff give us a fair trial in the House. It was the most lopsided & unfair basement hearing in the history of Congress!” he tweeted.
Democrats apparently intend to argue that Trump’s communication with Ukraine fills the requirements set by the Founders in the Constitution for an offense worthy of removing the president from office.


inquisitr--2020-01-20--Donald Trump Reportedly Made Twice As Many False Claims In 2019 As The Previous Two Years Combined

Since he took office , The Washington Post has been tracking the number of false or misleading claims Donald Trump has made .
This year ’ s report reveals that the president has made 8,155 such statements in 2019 — a massive increase over the first two years of his presidency .
In 2017 , Trump made 1,999 statements that The Post deemed to be false or misleading — an average of six statements each day .
The next year , he made 5,689 similar claims for an average of 16 a day .
Between the two years , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He blasted past that number in 2019 alone , with an average of 22 claims said to be false or misleading each day .
The president made the most misleading or false statements in October and November for two years in a row — 2018 and 2019 .
October and November 2018 were the months surrounding the election in which Democrats took back control of the House of Representatives .
Trump frequently made statements about the people running or those who won their elections and about the issues progressives were running under .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 seems to be related to the July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky , which began gaining broad attention around that time , as the House began its impeachment inquiry .
In the four months since the Ukraine investigation began to track nationally , Trump has made nearly 1,000 false or misleading statements about it , including dozens of misleading statements that the whistleblower complaint that brought the phone call to light was inaccurate .
Trump also frequently made suspect statements about the economy and jobs in the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rated by The Post falling under the topic , which includes the claim that the economy is the best it has ever been .
Many of his statements relate to his tax cuts , which he has called the largest in history .
One in six of Trump ’ s false or misleading statements related to immigration .
The Post says it began the project as a way to cover Trump ’ s first 100 days in office , but because of the number of false or misleading claims he made , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after readers asked that they continue their coverage .
“ We started this project as part of our coverage of the president ’ s first 100 days , largely because we could not possibly keep up with the pace and volume of the president ’ s misstatements , ” explained The Post .
“ We recorded 492 claims — an average of just under five a day — and readers demanded that we keep it going for the rest of Trump ’ s presidency .
”

Since he took office, The Washington Post has been tracking the number of false or misleading claims Donald Trump has made. This year’s report reveals that the president has made 8,155 such statements in 2019 — a massive increase over the first two years of his presidency.
In 2017, Trump made 1,999 statements that The Post deemed to be false or misleading — an average of six statements each day. The next year, he made 5,689 similar claims for an average of 16 a day. Between the two years, he made a total of 7,688 statements. He blasted past that number in 2019 alone, with an average of 22 claims said to be false or misleading each day.
The president made the most misleading or false statements in October and November for two years in a row — 2018 and 2019. October and November 2018 were the months surrounding the election in which Democrats took back control of the House of Representatives. Trump frequently made statements about the people running or those who won their elections and about the issues progressives were running under.
The increase in October and November of 2019 seems to be related to the July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, which began gaining broad attention around that time, as the House began its impeachment inquiry.
In the four months since the Ukraine investigation began to track nationally, Trump has made nearly 1,000 false or misleading statements about it, including dozens of misleading statements that the whistleblower complaint that brought the phone call to light was inaccurate.
Trump also frequently made suspect statements about the economy and jobs in the U.S., with one in five of the statements rated by The Post falling under the topic, which includes the claim that the economy is the best it has ever been. Many of his statements relate to his tax cuts, which he has called the largest in history. One in six of Trump’s false or misleading statements related to immigration.
I agree with him on this, 100%. But why would anyone vote Democrat? We are setting all time records with the economy! https://t.co/trTemE8iUz — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2020
The Post says it began the project as a way to cover Trump’s first 100 days in office, but because of the number of false or misleading claims he made, it took on a life of its own after readers asked that they continue their coverage.
“We started this project as part of our coverage of the president’s first 100 days, largely because we could not possibly keep up with the pace and volume of the president’s misstatements,” explained The Post. “We recorded 492 claims — an average of just under five a day — and readers demanded that we keep it going for the rest of Trump’s presidency.”