cnbc--2020-02-13--Confused by the Democratic primary race? Here's how candidates win delegates

With the Iowa caucuses and Tuesday 's New Hampshire primary now wrapped up , the race to rack up delegates in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination is on .
After a strong showing in New Hampshire , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg has a slight lead in the delegate count over Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. Convention delegates are chosen based on voter preferences in the primaries and caucuses held in each state or U.S. territory .
The process sounds fairly simple : Delegates are chosen by the voters , and the candidate with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 's race is turning out to be anything but simple .
Here 's how the Democratic delegate selection process will work : How many delegates does a candidate need to get the nomination ?
That depends .
If a candidate gets to July 's Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee with a simple majority of the pledged delegates , or at least 1,990 of the total of 3,979 , that candidate is the nominee .
Game over .
If not , the nomination is considered contested .
This is when the superdelegates start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as automatic delegates , even though their support for a given candidate is far from automatic .
This group of 771 delegates is made up of Democrats in Congress , state and local party officials , Democratic governors and other party leaders , such as former presidents and vice presidents .
So if none of the candidates wins 1,990 delegates by July , the magic number to win becomes 2,376 — or just one vote more than half of all delegates , including the superdelegates .
Then the delegates vote .
The superdelegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If that first vote does n't produce a clear winner , the superdelegates are then allowed to vote , presumably to prevent a stalemate .
What happens if none of the candidates gets a majority after all the delegates vote ?
If that happens , expect plenty of behind-the-scenes deal-making as support shifts among the delegates pledged to candidates that no longer seem viable .
Or the convention could settle on a compromise candidate who did n't even come close on the first round .
It 's been decades since multiple rounds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could easily happen this summer .
In 1924 , the voting went more than 100 rounds before the Democrats settled on John W. Davis to run against the Republican incumbent , Calvin Coolidge .
We may know fairly soon , though , whether the party is headed for a splintered convention .
This year , the primary schedule is more heavily front-loaded than in the past .
Some two-thirds of the pledged delegates will be chosen by the end of March .
How are the delegates chosen ?
The pledged delegates are chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or caucuses , where the delegate count is based more loosely on voter preferences .
Some states hold a state convention where the delegates are officially designated .
The superdelegates are chosen based on their party affiliation ; many of them hold an elected office .
How many delegates does each state get ?
The Democrats have a formula for that .
You start with a `` base '' of 3,200 delegates nationwide and then apportion those delegates to each state based on how many votes Democrats cast in the last three elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many electoral votes each state gets .
Each state then gets `` bonus '' votes on top of that , based on things such as when they choose to schedule their caucus or primary .
You get bonus points if you pick a date that other states have picked , for example .
So the candidate who gets the most votes in a statewide caucus or primary gets the most delegates , right ?
Sort of .
The bulk of the pledged delegates — not the superdelegates — are picked based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislative district .
Another batch , called at-large delegates , are chosen based on the total statewide vote .
A third group , about 15 % of the total , are called pledged PLEO delegates , which stands for Party Leader and Elected Officials .
They 're usually picked like the at-large group , based on overall state totals .
But do n't confuse the pledged PLEO delegates with those unpledged PLEO delegates , aka superdelegates , who do n't vote unless there 's a contest .
The makeup of the superdelegate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's because the final list can change right up until they get to Milwaukee , as elected officials and party leaders come and go over the course of the campaign .
That 's for the states and Puerto Rico .
There are also six delegates assigned to American Samoa , Guam , Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands .
Democrats abroad get 12 at-large delegates and one superdelegate .
And the exact headcounts get even trickier , because there 's a lot of rounding going on in these calculations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What if a delegate ca n't make it to the convention ?
What if the delegates who go to the national convention do n't vote the way they 're supposed to ?

With the Iowa caucuses and Tuesday's New Hampshire primary now wrapped up, the race to rack up delegates in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination is on. After a strong showing in New Hampshire, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has a slight lead in the delegate count over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Convention delegates are chosen based on voter preferences in the primaries and caucuses held in each state or U.S. territory. The process sounds fairly simple: Delegates are chosen by the voters, and the candidate with the most delegates wins. But this year's race is turning out to be anything but simple. Here's how the Democratic delegate selection process will work:
How many delegates does a candidate need to get the nomination?
That depends. If a candidate gets to July's Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee with a simple majority of the pledged delegates, or at least 1,990 of the total of 3,979, that candidate is the nominee. Game over. If not, the nomination is considered contested. This is when the superdelegates start to matter. Superdelegates are also known as automatic delegates, even though their support for a given candidate is far from automatic. This group of 771 delegates is made up of Democrats in Congress, state and local party officials, Democratic governors and other party leaders, such as former presidents and vice presidents. So if none of the candidates wins 1,990 delegates by July, the magic number to win becomes 2,376 — or just one vote more than half of all delegates, including the superdelegates. Then the delegates vote. The superdelegates are barred from the first vote. If that first vote doesn't produce a clear winner, the superdelegates are then allowed to vote, presumably to prevent a stalemate.
What happens if none of the candidates gets a majority after all the delegates vote?
If that happens, expect plenty of behind-the-scenes deal-making as support shifts among the delegates pledged to candidates that no longer seem viable. Or the convention could settle on a compromise candidate who didn't even come close on the first round. It's been decades since multiple rounds of voting produced marathon conventions, but it could easily happen this summer. In 1924, the voting went more than 100 rounds before the Democrats settled on John W. Davis to run against the Republican incumbent, Calvin Coolidge. We may know fairly soon, though, whether the party is headed for a splintered convention. This year, the primary schedule is more heavily front-loaded than in the past. Some two-thirds of the pledged delegates will be chosen by the end of March.
How are the delegates chosen?
The pledged delegates are chosen directly by voters or indirectly in primaries or caucuses, where the delegate count is based more loosely on voter preferences. Some states hold a state convention where the delegates are officially designated. The superdelegates are chosen based on their party affiliation; many of them hold an elected office.
How many delegates does each state get?
The Democrats have a formula for that. You start with a "base" of 3,200 delegates nationwide and then apportion those delegates to each state based on how many votes Democrats cast in the last three elections, plus another share based on how many electoral votes each state gets. Each state then gets "bonus" votes on top of that, based on things such as when they choose to schedule their caucus or primary. You get bonus points if you pick a date that other states have picked, for example.
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So the candidate who gets the most votes in a statewide caucus or primary gets the most delegates, right?
Sort of. The bulk of the pledged delegates — not the superdelegates — are picked based on the vote totals in each congressional district or state legislative district. Another batch, called at-large delegates, are chosen based on the total statewide vote. A third group, about 15% of the total, are called pledged PLEO delegates, which stands for Party Leader and Elected Officials. They're usually picked like the at-large group, based on overall state totals.
But don't confuse the pledged PLEO delegates with those unpledged PLEO delegates, aka superdelegates, who don't vote unless there's a contest. The makeup of the superdelegate group can be hard to pin down. That's because the final list can change right up until they get to Milwaukee, as elected officials and party leaders come and go over the course of the campaign. That's for the states and Puerto Rico. There are also six delegates assigned to American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. Democrats abroad get 12 at-large delegates and one superdelegate. And the exact headcounts get even trickier, because there's a lot of rounding going on in these calculations. You can't have a fractional delegate.
What if a delegate can't make it to the convention?
No problem. Each state picks alternate delegates who stand in for absent delegates. They're still pledged to the same candidate as the regular delegate. Unless they're superdelegates, of course, who don't vote unless the convention is contested.
What if the delegates who go to the national convention don't vote the way they're supposed to?


cnbc--2020-02-14--White House considering tax incentive for more Americans to buy stocks, sources say

WASHINGTON — As part of a forthcoming package of proposed tax cuts , the White House is considering ways to incentivize U.S. households to invest in the stock market , according to four senior administration officials familiar with the discussions .
The proposal , one of many new tax cuts under consideration , would see a portion of household income treated as tax-free for the purposes of investing outside a traditional 401 ( k ) .
Under one hypothetical scenario described by multiple officials , a household earning up to $ 200,000 could invest $ 10,000 of that income on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these numbers are fluid .
`` Nothing 's ruled out , '' said one senior administration official .
`` Nothing 's been ruled in , either . ''
Larry Kudlow , director of the National Economic Council , told CNBC the approach looked at most closely centers on creating universal savings accounts , which would combine retirement , education and health care savings into one vehicle .
Money put into the account would be done so on an after-tax basis , and taxed when withdrawn as well ; but any accumulation of profits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital gains , would not be taxed .
Kudlow told CNBC this policy , if pursued , may extend to bonds as well as stocks .
Kudlow noted that this and other ideas have yet to be fleshed out , and no decisions have been made .
The development comes as President Donald Trump seeks reelection this fall .
He has sought to distinguish himself from his potential Democratic rivals by accusing of them of pursuing `` socialist '' policies while he has touted tax cuts and deregulation under his administration .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American households owning stocks fell to 52 % from 62 % before the crisis , according to Gallup .
That percentage reached 55 % in 2019 , a year when the stock market hit record highs .
The tax break , if enacted , would represent `` a pretty substantial amount of money for people '' to have for retirement , according to Stephen Moore , economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and close confidante of the White House .
`` That 's the type of thing that would expand ownership , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's rise under Trump 's tenure is a well-documented point of pride for the president and his top economic officials , who have called the Dow Jones Industrial Average a `` barometer '' and a `` mark-to-market indicator '' of the administration 's performance .
The S & P 500 , seen as the broadest index of corporate performance , has risen 49 % since Trump took office .
The White House publicly has been pointing to the package as a new shot of adrenaline in an economy whose growth shows signs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A payroll tax cut would become an option only if the economy experienced significant decline , according to two senior administration officials .
Separately , Kudlow has suggested cutting the tax rate to 15 % for middle-class earners .
Kudlow and Vice President Mike Pence have suggested that the package could be unveiled in early fall , as voters are deliberating whether to elect Trump to a second term .
New tax cuts are `` one of the reasons why we 're going to focus so much energy on making sure that not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four more years in this White House , '' Pence said in a recent interview on the Fox Business Network .
`` But we 're going to make sure that we reelect a Republican Senate and elect a Republican House of Representatives . ''
Any tax cuts would need congressional approval to take effect , a tall order while Democrats have the majority in the House of Representatives .
For that reason , officials described the proposal that would be made public as `` conceptual in nature . ''
`` It 's sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior official involved in discussions .
`` Sort of , 'If you reelect this administration , this is what you 're going to get . '
''

WASHINGTON — As part of a forthcoming package of proposed tax cuts, the White House is considering ways to incentivize U.S. households to invest in the stock market, according to four senior administration officials familiar with the discussions.
The proposal, one of many new tax cuts under consideration, would see a portion of household income treated as tax-free for the purposes of investing outside a traditional 401(k). Under one hypothetical scenario described by multiple officials, a household earning up to $200,000 could invest $10,000 of that income on a tax-free basis, although officials noted these numbers are fluid.
"Nothing's ruled out," said one senior administration official. "Nothing's been ruled in, either."
Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, told CNBC the approach looked at most closely centers on creating universal savings accounts, which would combine retirement, education and health care savings into one vehicle.
Money put into the account would be done so on an after-tax basis, and taxed when withdrawn as well; but any accumulation of profits during the investment timeframe, known as capital gains, would not be taxed. Kudlow told CNBC this policy, if pursued, may extend to bonds as well as stocks.
Kudlow noted that this and other ideas have yet to be fleshed out, and no decisions have been made.
The development comes as President Donald Trump seeks reelection this fall. He has sought to distinguish himself from his potential Democratic rivals by accusing of them of pursuing "socialist" policies while he has touted tax cuts and deregulation under his administration.
After the Great Recession, the percentage of American households owning stocks fell to 52% from 62% before the crisis, according to Gallup. That percentage reached 55% in 2019, a year when the stock market hit record highs.
The tax break, if enacted, would represent "a pretty substantial amount of money for people" to have for retirement, according to Stephen Moore, economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and close confidante of the White House.
"That's the type of thing that would expand ownership," Moore tells CNBC.
The stock market's rise under Trump's tenure is a well-documented point of pride for the president and his top economic officials, who have called the Dow Jones Industrial Average a "barometer" and a "mark-to-market indicator" of the administration's performance. The S&P 500, seen as the broadest index of corporate performance, has risen 49% since Trump took office.
The White House publicly has been pointing to the package as a new shot of adrenaline in an economy whose growth shows signs of slowing 10 years into an expansion. A payroll tax cut would become an option only if the economy experienced significant decline, according to two senior administration officials. Separately, Kudlow has suggested cutting the tax rate to 15% for middle-class earners.
Kudlow and Vice President Mike Pence have suggested that the package could be unveiled in early fall, as voters are deliberating whether to elect Trump to a second term.
New tax cuts are "one of the reasons why we're going to focus so much energy on making sure that not only do we get President Donald Trump four more years in this White House," Pence said in a recent interview on the Fox Business Network. "But we're going to make sure that we reelect a Republican Senate and elect a Republican House of Representatives."
Any tax cuts would need congressional approval to take effect, a tall order while Democrats have the majority in the House of Representatives. For that reason, officials described the proposal that would be made public as "conceptual in nature."
"It's sort of an idealistic document," said a senior official involved in discussions. "Sort of, 'If you reelect this administration, this is what you're going to get.'"


cnbc--2020-02-14--Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti found guilty in Nike extortion trial

Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti was convicted Friday by a jury of all three charges related to his efforts to extort up to $ 25 million from athletic apparel giant Nike , in what a top prosecutor called `` an old-fashioned shakedown . ''
The verdict in U.S. District Court in Manhattan came two years after Avenatti gained widespread notoriety for his representation of porn star Stormy Daniels in her legal disputes with President Donald Trump .
The bombastic attorney , who briefly flirted with running for the Democratic presidential nomination , faces two other pending federal criminal cases this spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars from clients , including Daniels , and other serious charges .
`` I think he 's in a bit of a state of shock , '' one of his defense attorneys , Danya Perry , told reporters after the verdict , which Avenatti plans to appeal .
`` But he 's a fighter , as you all know , and he 's staying strong . ''
Daniels posted a statement on Instagram , saying : `` Sadly , it appears what Michael Avenatti did to me was just the tip of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised his dishonesty has been revealed on a grand scale . ''
She added : `` His arrogant , fraudulent and overly aggressive behavior became so pervasive that the jury found his true character .
Although clearly a just result , I do feel sad for his children and foolish for believing his lies for so long . ''
Avenatti , 48 , was accused in the Nike case of trying to shake down the publicly traded company by threatening to go public with alleged evidence that the company had bribed amateur basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him millions of dollars .
Avenatti warned Nike 's attorney that the claims could `` take ten billion dollars off your client 's '' stock market capitalization .
Avenatti had claimed to represent amateur basketball coach Gary Franklin , who testified at trial that he was unaware of the lawyer 's tactics .
Prosecutors said Avenatti was motivated by a desperate need to get out from crushing personal debt of more than $ 11 million .
`` I 'm not f -- -ing around with this , and I 'm not continuing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's lawyers , shortly before his arrest last March .

Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti was convicted Friday by a jury of all three charges related to his efforts to extort up to $25 million from athletic apparel giant Nike , in what a top prosecutor called "an old-fashioned shakedown."
The verdict in U.S. District Court in Manhattan came two years after Avenatti gained widespread notoriety for his representation of porn star Stormy Daniels in her legal disputes with President Donald Trump.
The bombastic attorney, who briefly flirted with running for the Democratic presidential nomination, faces two other pending federal criminal cases this spring related to alleged thefts of millions of dollars from clients, including Daniels, and other serious charges.
"I think he's in a bit of a state of shock," one of his defense attorneys, Danya Perry, told reporters after the verdict, which Avenatti plans to appeal.
"But he's a fighter, as you all know, and he's staying strong."
Daniels posted a statement on Instagram, saying: "Sadly, it appears what Michael Avenatti did to me was just the tip of an iceberg of deceit. I am not surprised his dishonesty has been revealed on a grand scale."
She added: "His arrogant, fraudulent and overly aggressive behavior became so pervasive that the jury found his true character. Although clearly a just result, I do feel sad for his children and foolish for believing his lies for so long."
Avenatti, 48, was accused in the Nike case of trying to shake down the publicly traded company by threatening to go public with alleged evidence that the company had bribed amateur basketball players and their families unless Nike paid him millions of dollars.
Avenatti warned Nike's attorney that the claims could "take ten billion dollars off your client's" stock market capitalization.
Avenatti had claimed to represent amateur basketball coach Gary Franklin, who testified at trial that he was unaware of the lawyer's tactics.
Prosecutors said Avenatti was motivated by a desperate need to get out from crushing personal debt of more than $11 million.
"I'm not f---ing around with this, and I'm not continuing to play games," Avenatti told Nike's lawyers, shortly before his arrest last March.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Attorney General Barr orders review of criminal case against former Trump aide Michael Flynn

President Donald Trump ’ s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S .
Courthouse on June 24 , 2019 in Washington , DC .
Attorney General William Barr has ordered a review by an outside prosecutor of the criminal case against President Donald Trump 's first national security advisor , Michael Flynn , who is awaiting sentencing for lying to FBI agents .
Barr — who has come under fire this week for easing career prosecutors ' sentencing recommendation for Trump 's friend Roger Stone — asked the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Flynn 's interview by the FBI , which led to his prosecution in Washington , people familiar with the inquiry told NBC News .
The inquiry began within the past month , they said .
The New York Times reported earlier Friday that Barr had asked Jensen `` to scrutinize '' Flynn 's case , a move that the newspaper noted was `` highly unusual and could trigger more accusations of political interference by top Justice Department officials into the work of career prosecutors . ''
Flynn originally was charged by special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Justice Department with investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
Mueller has since left that post , and Flynn 's case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney 's Office for Washington , which is part of the Justice Department .
Barr is the department 's top official .
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the review of Flynn 's case .

President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse on June 24, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Attorney General William Barr has ordered a review by an outside prosecutor of the criminal case against President Donald Trump's first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, who is awaiting sentencing for lying to FBI agents.
Barr — who has come under fire this week for easing career prosecutors' sentencing recommendation for Trump's friend Roger Stone — asked the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, Jeffrey Jensen, to look into Flynn's interview by the FBI, which led to his prosecution in Washington, people familiar with the inquiry told NBC News.
The inquiry began within the past month, they said.
The New York Times reported earlier Friday that Barr had asked Jensen "to scrutinize" Flynn's case, a move that the newspaper noted was "highly unusual and could trigger more accusations of political interference by top Justice Department officials into the work of career prosecutors."
Flynn originally was charged by special counsel Robert Mueller, who was tasked by the Justice Department with investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Mueller has since left that post, and Flynn's case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for Washington, which is part of the Justice Department. Barr is the department's top official.
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the review of Flynn's case.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Op-Ed: Who can beat Trump in November? Here are the pros and cons for each Democratic challenger

With the Iowa and New Hampshire contests now behind us , and Joe Biden all but officially finished in this race , how do the remaining Democrats stack up against President Trump ?
Let 's rate them all by the three most crucial criteria : personal persuasiveness , grass roots/emotional support , and Electoral College math .
The biggest reason why Sen. Bernie Sanders , ( I-VT ) is now leading the national Democratic voter polls is because he has a strong persuasion game .
As he consistently sticks with his socialist message , even many of his biggest detractors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believable .
It 's not an insignificant calling card when millions of Americans are convinced all politicians lie and do n't hold any real beliefs .
Sanders is the best potential challenger to Trump in this category .
Mayor Pete Buttigieg comes in a distant second here , mostly due to his unthreatening `` Mr. Nice Guy '' persona .
But some of that comes off as inexperience , and Buttigieg has diminished his nicer image a few times by saying Trump voters condone racism .
Attacking the voters as opposed to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just ask the `` deplorables . ''
Senator Amy Klobuchar 's suburban mom persona makes her seem persuasive on paper .
She 's also appeared to be more of a straight talker in recent debates .
But she has n't been tested in front of a national audience long enough to garner anything but an incomplete grade so far .
Senator Elizabeth Warren has damaged her own brand and no longer appears to have voters ' trust .
Remember that her poll numbers took a big step down after she claimed Sanders told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election , while Sanders strongly denied saying that .
The polls told us which candidate the Democratic voters believed .
Her campaign also seems to be about to hit its expiration date .
That leaves Mike Bloomberg at the bottom in this category .
Bloomberg has a weak persuasion game , not because of any perceived dishonesty , but because he does n't exude the warmth and approachability candidates still needed to connect with voters .
There 's a reason why Bloomberg often plays a very small role in his campaign ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
This test is n't even close .
Sanders has more of an enthusiastic , grass roots following than any Democrat .
That 's not only led to wins or near-wins in Iowa and New Hampshire , but it 's also the reason for his impressive and growing fundraising figures .
With Trump still jam-packing arenas at his rallies , the Democrats need someone who can counter that enthusiasm .
Sanders is the closest to doing that .
Mayor Pete is again a distant second here .
But the openly gay Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he finds a way to position himself as the kind of transformative candidate Barack Obama was in 2008 .
For those who think Buttigieg has made his sexual orientation too much of an issue , just remember the now infamous Iowa caucus voter who did not know he was gay and tried to change her vote when she did find out .
Bloomberg 's entire candidacy is basically a test to see if record campaign spending and dislike for an incumbent can translate into an emotional movement .
History tells us this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending so much more money than any other candidate in history .
Money has not been able to buy enthusiasm from voters in the past .
Is that just because there was n't enough money ?
Plus , will money be enough to erase the bad feelings from Bloomberg 's comments about black Americans , stop & frisk , and the 2008 mortgage crisis ?
Unless the Democratic nominee gets a good turnout from black voters , Trump wins easily .
Warren had a strong grassroots and enthusiastic following for months but lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't match Trump now .
Once again , Klobuchar gets an `` incomplete '' on this test .
But by marketing herself as the more moderate choice , the chances of her drumming up very enthusiastic support seem minimal .
Remember that there is no such thing as a national election in America .
That means that whoever tries to defeat Trump in November needs to pick off some of the key states that he won in 2016 .
The three most important states Trump swiped from the Democrats , after years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , were Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , and Michigan .
Together those three states add up to 46 Electoral College votes .
Throw in the always tight and crucial state of Florida with its 29 votes , and you have the four contests the Democratic challenger is going to have to focus on very heavily to win .
All of that makes Bernie Sanders the weakest contender in this category .
In the Midwest states , we 're not likely to see any changes in the pro-Democrat urban areas and the pro-Republican rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hinge on suburban voters outside of Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , Milwaukee , and Detroit .
Any Democrat taking on Trump will need to get a good turnout from Democrat and Democrat-leaning middle and upper middle-class voters in those suburbs .
With his socialist views , Sanders looks dead in the water with that demographic .
His message is popular with college students , young singles and poorer voters .
But that group will not be enough to carry the day in November .
Florida 's demographics differ dramatically from the Midwest 's , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win a state with so many older voters .
He has not been able to appeal to seniors , despite being one of them .
Speaking of Florida , that is a state Bloomberg looks like he could conceivably win against Trump .
It 's also the first state where a pre-primary poll shows him ahead of his Democratic challengers .
That alone gives Bloomberg a big edge over all the other Democrats hoping to challenge Trump .
Bloomberg will also be able to afford the massive get-out-the-vote operation that could make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of those key Midwestern states .
His bigger challenge will be running against Trump in the midst of a strong economy , but that 's an uphill battle for all the potential Democratic nominees .
Coming in second to Bloomberg in this category is Klobuchar .
As a Midwesterner who has already won a statewide election , she could connect well with voters at least in neighboring Wisconsin .
Almost as importantly , she should be able to keep her home state of Minnesota out of Trump 's hands after it just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg is also a Midwesterner from Indiana , but unlike Klobuchar he 's never won statewide office .
Plus , Trump 's huge win in Indiana in 2016 does n't look like it can be overcome in 2020 .
Buttigieg also does n't seem to have the kind of economic message or experience to win over blue collar or suburban voters in Midwestern states .
Buttigieg seems weaker than Bloomberg in Florida as well .
So , this leaves us with a split decision .
Sanders has the best chance to beat Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Sanders does n't have the widespread geographic and demographic support right now to pull off an Electoral College win .
Bloomberg can compete in more states and across more economic levels , but he does n't have enthusiastic support and may not be able to get out the black vote .
All in all , Trump still has to like what he sees when he looks over the remaining competition .
Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC TV producer .
You can follow @ @ @ @ @ @

Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) (L), South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), ormer Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) greet the audience ahead of the Democratic Presidential Debate at Tyler Perry Studios November 20, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Alex Wong | Getty Images
With the Iowa and New Hampshire contests now behind us, and Joe Biden all but officially finished in this race, how do the remaining Democrats stack up against President Trump? Let's rate them all by the three most crucial criteria: personal persuasiveness, grass roots/emotional support, and Electoral College math.
Persuasiveness
The biggest reason why Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-VT) is now leading the national Democratic voter polls is because he has a strong persuasion game. As he consistently sticks with his socialist message, even many of his biggest detractors give him credit for being genuine and believable. It's not an insignificant calling card when millions of Americans are convinced all politicians lie and don't hold any real beliefs. Sanders is the best potential challenger to Trump in this category. Mayor Pete Buttigieg comes in a distant second here, mostly due to his unthreatening "Mr. Nice Guy" persona. But some of that comes off as inexperience, and Buttigieg has diminished his nicer image a few times by saying Trump voters condone racism. Attacking the voters as opposed to other politicians is a bad persuasion technique, just ask the "deplorables." Senator Amy Klobuchar's suburban mom persona makes her seem persuasive on paper. She's also appeared to be more of a straight talker in recent debates. But she hasn't been tested in front of a national audience long enough to garner anything but an incomplete grade so far. Senator Elizabeth Warren has damaged her own brand and no longer appears to have voters' trust. Remember that her poll numbers took a big step down after she claimed Sanders told her a woman could not win the presidential election, while Sanders strongly denied saying that. The polls told us which candidate the Democratic voters believed. Her campaign also seems to be about to hit its expiration date. That leaves Mike Bloomberg at the bottom in this category. Bloomberg has a weak persuasion game, not because of any perceived dishonesty, but because he doesn't exude the warmth and approachability candidates still needed to connect with voters. There's a reason why Bloomberg often plays a very small role in his campaign ads, or sometimes doesn't appear at all.
Emotional/Grass Roots Support
This test isn't even close. Sanders has more of an enthusiastic, grass roots following than any Democrat. That's not only led to wins or near-wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, but it's also the reason for his impressive and growing fundraising figures. With Trump still jam-packing arenas at his rallies, the Democrats need someone who can counter that enthusiasm. Sanders is the closest to doing that. Mayor Pete is again a distant second here. But the openly gay Buttigieg has a chance to improve on this if he finds a way to position himself as the kind of transformative candidate Barack Obama was in 2008. For those who think Buttigieg has made his sexual orientation too much of an issue, just remember the now infamous Iowa caucus voter who did not know he was gay and tried to change her vote when she did find out. Bloomberg's entire candidacy is basically a test to see if record campaign spending and dislike for an incumbent can translate into an emotional movement. History tells us this is unlikely, even though Bloomberg is spending so much more money than any other candidate in history. Money has not been able to buy enthusiasm from voters in the past. Is that just because there wasn't enough money? Plus, will money be enough to erase the bad feelings from Bloomberg's comments about black Americans, stop & frisk, and the 2008 mortgage crisis? Unless the Democratic nominee gets a good turnout from black voters, Trump wins easily. Warren had a strong grassroots and enthusiastic following for months but lost it as the primaries approached. She can't match Trump now. Once again, Klobuchar gets an "incomplete" on this test. But by marketing herself as the more moderate choice, the chances of her drumming up very enthusiastic support seem minimal.
Electoral College


cnbc--2020-02-14--Mike Bloomberg builds an 'army' of elite business leaders to act as surrogates for his campaign

Dozens of elite business leaders have joined Mike Bloomberg 's `` army '' of surrogates in a bid to help him win the Democratic presidential nomination .
The leaders have signed onto a group called the Committee for Mike , whose organizers call on participants to publicly endorse Bloomberg 's campaign , push their networks to vote for him , appear at events and potentially attend briefings with Bloomberg himself , according to people with direct knowledge of the matter .
Several of the people in the surrogate program have known Bloomberg for years .
Former Morgan Stanley CEO John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bloomberg Philanthropies board of directors .
Bloomberg once called former American Express CEO Ken Chenault , another member of the program , a `` friend '' in a 2013 interview with New York Magazine .
CNBC acquired a partial list of surrogates from these people , who declined to be named due to the decisions having been made in private .
Since Bloomberg , who has a net worth of about $ 60 billion , is self-funding his campaign , the support from these business leaders could take money off the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these supporters have donated to rival campaigns , such as former Vice President Joe Biden 's and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg 's .
`` I am fully committed to Mike , '' Mack told CNBC .
Mack was on a guest list for a fundraising event featuring former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday but he noted he did not go to the gathering because of his support for Bloomberg .
The development comes as Bloomberg surges in polls while one-time front-runner Biden sinks .
Since Bloomberg jumped into the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from seventh place to third , according to a Real Clear Politics polling average .
Meanwhile , Biden has dropped into second behind Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Biden placed fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the New Hampshire primary .
He is seeking to rebound with decisive wins in Nevada and South Carolina , which hold their nominating contests later this month .
Bloomberg himself wo n't be on any state ballot until Super Tuesday , March 3 , when delegate-rich states like Texas and California hold their primaries .
Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rockefeller , Loews CEO James Tisch , BET co-founder Sheila Johnson and Ariel Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson , who is married to `` Star Wars '' creator George Lucas .
John Rogers , the other CEO of Ariel , is also part of the organization and has publicly acknowledged that he is supporting Bloomberg after he previously backed Sen. Kamala Harris , who withdrew from the race in December .
Rogers reportedly attended a Bloomberg rally in Chicago in early February as the billionaire former New York mayor opened campaign offices throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign aide to Hillary Clinton who was also once finance chair of the Democratic National Committee , is also part of the program .
Committee member Gilbert Garcia , a managing partner at a Texas-based asset management firm , said he first got to know Bloomberg at a 2015 New York award ceremony where he , Bloomberg and other business leaders were honored for their work helping young people develop a career on Wall Street .
Garcia explained in an interview that the committee was the equivalent to Bloomberg 's `` ground troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one out there , in the day to day trenches for him . ''
`` I 've been listening to the calls , I talk to a lot of the senior staff and at the end of the day , when he is in Dallas , I call my contacts to go show .
When he is going to Houston , I tell my contacts to go , '' he said .
`` This committee is essentially his army and they are all top-notch players . ''
Garcia added he believes Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump out of all the other Democratic primary contenders .
A spokeswoman for the Bloomberg campaign declined to comment .
The other business leaders mentioned in this story either did not return a request for comment or could not be reached .
The Committee for Mike development also comes as Bloomberg racks up endorsements from leaders across the country .
This support includes backing from black leaders like Reps. Lucy McBath of Georgia , Gregory Meeks of New York and Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands , as well as multiple black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his role in enforcing a controversial policy known as stop and frisk .
It allowed the New York Police Department to randomly stop , search and frisk people .
People in black and Latino communities were most routinely targeted .
Bloomberg apologized for the policy before he announced his presidential run .
Bloomberg , a group of fundraising consultants that he recently hired and other campaign aides have been meeting with various community and business leaders to convince them that the former New York mayor has the best chance at winning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group .
The meetings appear to have a been a success .
Chenault was at a December gathering with some of New York 's wealthiest Democratic donors .
Bloomberg called on participants to support his campaign without them writing a check and to start giving to the DNC , which has often been heavily outraised by the Republican National Committee .

Dozens of elite business leaders have joined Mike Bloomberg's "army" of surrogates in a bid to help him win the Democratic presidential nomination.
The leaders have signed onto a group called the Committee for Mike, whose organizers call on participants to publicly endorse Bloomberg's campaign, push their networks to vote for him, appear at events and potentially attend briefings with Bloomberg himself, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Several of the people in the surrogate program have known Bloomberg for years. Former Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack, for instance, is on the Bloomberg Philanthropies board of directors. Bloomberg once called former American Express CEO Ken Chenault, another member of the program, a "friend" in a 2013 interview with New York Magazine. CNBC acquired a partial list of surrogates from these people, who declined to be named due to the decisions having been made in private.
Since Bloomberg, who has a net worth of about $60 billion, is self-funding his campaign, the support from these business leaders could take money off the board for other Democratic candidates. Some of these supporters have donated to rival campaigns, such as former Vice President Joe Biden's and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg's.
"I am fully committed to Mike," Mack told CNBC. Mack was on a guest list for a fundraising event featuring former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday but he noted he did not go to the gathering because of his support for Bloomberg.
The development comes as Bloomberg surges in polls while one-time front-runner Biden sinks. Since Bloomberg jumped into the primary race in November, he has jumped from seventh place to third, according to a Real Clear Politics polling average.
Meanwhile, Biden has dropped into second behind Sen. Bernie Sanders. Biden placed fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the New Hampshire primary. He is seeking to rebound with decisive wins in Nevada and South Carolina, which hold their nominating contests later this month. Bloomberg himself won't be on any state ballot until Super Tuesday, March 3, when delegate-rich states like Texas and California hold their primaries.
Others in the Bloomberg surrogate group include Susan Rockefeller, Loews CEO James Tisch, BET co-founder Sheila Johnson and Ariel Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson, who is married to "Star Wars" creator George Lucas.
John Rogers, the other CEO of Ariel, is also part of the organization and has publicly acknowledged that he is supporting Bloomberg after he previously backed Sen. Kamala Harris, who withdrew from the race in December. Rogers reportedly attended a Bloomberg rally in Chicago in early February as the billionaire former New York mayor opened campaign offices throughout the state. Beth Dozoretz, a former campaign aide to Hillary Clinton who was also once finance chair of the Democratic National Committee, is also part of the program.
Committee member Gilbert Garcia, a managing partner at a Texas-based asset management firm, said he first got to know Bloomberg at a 2015 New York award ceremony where he, Bloomberg and other business leaders were honored for their work helping young people develop a career on Wall Street. Garcia explained in an interview that the committee was the equivalent to Bloomberg's "ground troops" who "are going to be the one out there, in the day to day trenches for him."
"I've been listening to the calls, I talk to a lot of the senior staff and at the end of the day, when he is in Dallas, I call my contacts to go show. When he is going to Houston, I tell my contacts to go," he said. "This committee is essentially his army and they are all top-notch players."


cnbc--2020-02-14--DOJ will not charge ex-FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, a frequent Trump target

The Department of Justice said Friday that it has dropped its criminal investigation against former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and will not press charges against him .
McCabe was being investigated by the DOJ regarding allegedly improper leaks he made to journalists related to an investigation into Hillary Clinton , and his claims to investigators about those leaks .
The DOJ 's internal watchdog concluded that McCabe `` lacked candor , including under oath '' when answering questions about the leaks .
But in a letter to McCabe 's attorneys , the Justice Department said that `` after careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pursue criminal charges against your client . ''
`` Based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time , we consider the matter closed , '' the letter said .
McCabe was a frequent target of President Donald Trump , who blamed the former official for what he has called a baseless investigation into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russians to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election .
`` We learned this morning through a phone call from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed by a letter that the Justice Department 's criminal investigation of Andrew McCabe has been closed , '' attorneys Michael Bromwich and David Schertler said in a statement Friday .
`` This means that no charges will be brought against him based on the facts underlying the Office of the Inspector General 's April 2018 report . ''
`` At long last , justice has been done in this matter .
We said at the outset of the criminal investigation , almost two years ago , that if the facts and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be brought , '' the attorneys said .
`` We are pleased that Andrew McCabe and his family can go on with their lives without this cloud hanging over them . ''
The Justice Department 's decision is likely to anger Trump .
He has repeatedly fumed about the fact that several of his former aides and advisers have been convicted and sentenced to prison for a wide range of crimes during his presidency , while senior DOJ officials , such as former FBI director James Comey and now McCabe , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the two year Mueller probe , frequently attacking both the FBI agent and his wife , Jill McCabe , on Twitter .
Jill McCabe mounted a failed bid for Virginia Senate in 2015 , and her campaign had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a PAC overseen by Terry McAuliffe , a longtime ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton .
Trump seized on the donations as proof that McCabe was protecting his 2016 opponent , Hillary Clinton , and using the F.B.I .
to wage a covert `` Deep State '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a CNN interview Friday , McCabe said having the investigation dropped is `` a relief that I 'm not sure I can really explain to you adequately . ''
`` The pursuit of political enemies and the use of the criminal justice system ... to exact some sort of revenge on those political enemies is not something that should be happening in the United States of America , '' McCabe added .

The Department of Justice said Friday that it has dropped its criminal investigation against former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and will not press charges against him.
McCabe was being investigated by the DOJ regarding allegedly improper leaks he made to journalists related to an investigation into Hillary Clinton, and his claims to investigators about those leaks.
The DOJ's internal watchdog concluded that McCabe "lacked candor, including under oath" when answering questions about the leaks.
But in a letter to McCabe's attorneys, the Justice Department said that "after careful consideration, the government has decided not to pursue criminal charges against your client."
"Based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time, we consider the matter closed," the letter said.
McCabe was a frequent target of President Donald Trump, who blamed the former official for what he has called a baseless investigation into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russians to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
"We learned this morning through a phone call from the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office that was followed by a letter that the Justice Department's criminal investigation of Andrew McCabe has been closed," attorneys Michael Bromwich and David Schertler said in a statement Friday.
"This means that no charges will be brought against him based on the facts underlying the Office of the Inspector General's April 2018 report."
"At long last, justice has been done in this matter. We said at the outset of the criminal investigation, almost two years ago, that if the facts and the law determined the result, no charges would be brought," the attorneys said.
"We are pleased that Andrew McCabe and his family can go on with their lives without this cloud hanging over them."
The Justice Department's decision is likely to anger Trump. He has repeatedly fumed about the fact that several of his former aides and advisers have been convicted and sentenced to prison for a wide range of crimes during his presidency, while senior DOJ officials, such as former FBI director James Comey and now McCabe, have not been prosecuted.
Trump targeted McCabe throughout the two year Mueller probe, frequently attacking both the FBI agent and his wife, Jill McCabe, on Twitter .
Jill McCabe mounted a failed bid for Virginia Senate in 2015, and her campaign had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a PAC overseen by Terry McAuliffe, a longtime ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Trump seized on the donations as proof that McCabe was protecting his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, and using the F.B.I. to wage a covert "Deep State" war on Trump and his allies.
In a CNN interview Friday, McCabe said having the investigation dropped is "a relief that I'm not sure I can really explain to you adequately."
"The pursuit of political enemies and the use of the criminal justice system ... to exact some sort of revenge on those political enemies is not something that should be happening in the United States of America," McCabe added.


cnbc--2020-02-14--House Foreign Affairs chairman blasts Trump administration for report on Soleimani killing

Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani ( C ) attends Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 's ( not seen ) meeting with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ( IRGC ) in Tehran , Iran on September 18 , 2016 .
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday blasted the Trump administration for claiming in a new report that it had authority to order the controversial killing last month of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq under Congress ' authorization in 2002 for the use of military force against Iraq .
Rep. Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration 's new report to Congress about the Jan. 3 attack on Soleimani `` directly contradicts the President 's false assertion that he attacked Iran to prevent an imminent attack against United States personnel and embassies . ''
`` The administration 's explanation in this report makes no mention of any imminent threat and shows that the justification the President offered to the American people was false , plain and simple , '' said Engel in a prepared statement .
He and other Democrats already were skeptical about President Donald Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization from Congress .
The administration 's report made public Friday says that Trump `` directed this action in response to an escalating series of attacks in preceding months by Iran and Iran-back militias on United States forces and interests in the Middle East region . ''
The report also said that the attack on Soleimani at Baghdad 's airport was `` consistent with '' a `` longstanding interpretation of the President 's authority '' under both Article II of the Constitution and the 2002 authorization of use of force in Iraq .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that argument `` absurd . ''
`` To make matters worse , to avoid having to justify its actions to Congress , the administration falsely claims Congress had already authorized the strike under the 2002 Iraq war resolution , '' Engel said .
`` This legal theory is absurd .
The 2002 authorization was passed to deal with Saddam Hussein , '' he said .
`` This law had nothing to do with Iran or Iranian government officials in Iraq . ''
The chairman added , `` To suggest that 18 years later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official stretches the law far beyond anything Congress ever intended .
I was pleased to join many of my colleagues in voting to repeal the outdated Iraq war authorization , and I hope the Senate will follow suit . ''
In its report , the administration said the purpose of the attack on Soleimani was `` to protect United States personnel , to deter Iran from conducting or supporting further attacks against United States forces and interests , to degrade Iran 's and [ its ] Qods Force-backed militias ' ability to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategic escalation of attacks on , and threats to U.S .
interests . ''
At the time of his death , Soleimani , 62 , was commander of Iran 's Quds Force , the foreign operations wing of the elite paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps .
Trump administration officials said after the strike that Soleimani had been planning imminent attacks on Americans and as a result had to be stopped .
A week after his killing , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said , `` There was no doubt that there were a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plotted by Qasem Soleimani . ''
But Pompeo , in an interview with Fox News , added , `` We do n't know precisely when and we do n't know precisely where , but it was real , '' Pompeo said in an interview that aired Thursday night on Fox News .
NBC News reported in mid-January that Trump authorized Soleimani 's killing seven months before he actually was killed .
`` The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final signoff on any specific operation to kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five current and former senior administration officials .
NBC News noted that the timing of that directive `` could undermine '' the administration 's already publicly stated rationale for the killing .

Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (C) attends Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's (not seen) meeting with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran on September 18, 2016.
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday blasted the Trump administration for claiming in a new report that it had authority to order the controversial killing last month of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq under Congress' authorization in 2002 for the use of military force against Iraq.
Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the committee's chairman, argued that the administration's new report to Congress about the Jan. 3 attack on Soleimani "directly contradicts the President's false assertion that he attacked Iran to prevent an imminent attack against United States personnel and embassies."
"The administration's explanation in this report makes no mention of any imminent threat and shows that the justification the President offered to the American people was false, plain and simple," said Engel in a prepared statement.
He and other Democrats already were skeptical about President Donald Trump's legal rationale for the attack without prior authorization from Congress.
The administration's report made public Friday says that Trump "directed this action in response to an escalating series of attacks in preceding months by Iran and Iran-back militias on United States forces and interests in the Middle East region."
The report also said that the attack on Soleimani at Baghdad's airport was "consistent with" a "longstanding interpretation of the President's authority" under both Article II of the Constitution and the 2002 authorization of use of force in Iraq.
Engel, in his statement, called that argument "absurd."
"To make matters worse, to avoid having to justify its actions to Congress, the administration falsely claims Congress had already authorized the strike under the 2002 Iraq war resolution," Engel said.
"This legal theory is absurd. The 2002 authorization was passed to deal with Saddam Hussein," he said. "This law had nothing to do with Iran or Iranian government officials in Iraq."
The chairman added, "To suggest that 18 years later this authorization could justify killing an Iranian official stretches the law far beyond anything Congress ever intended. I was pleased to join many of my colleagues in voting to repeal the outdated Iraq war authorization, and I hope the Senate will follow suit."
In its report, the administration said the purpose of the attack on Soleimani was "to protect United States personnel, to deter Iran from conducting or supporting further attacks against United States forces and interests, to degrade Iran's and [its] Qods Force-backed militias' ability to conduct attacks, and to end Iran's strategic escalation of attacks on, and threats to U.S. interests."
At the time of his death, Soleimani, 62, was commander of Iran's Quds Force, the foreign operations wing of the elite paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump administration officials said after the strike that Soleimani had been planning imminent attacks on Americans and as a result had to be stopped.
A week after his killing, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "There was no doubt that there were a series of imminent attacks that were being plotted by Qasem Soleimani."
But Pompeo, in an interview with Fox News, added, "We don't know precisely when and we don't know precisely where, but it was real," Pompeo said in an interview that aired Thursday night on Fox News.
NBC News reported in mid-January that Trump authorized Soleimani's killing seven months before he actually was killed.
"The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final signoff on any specific operation to kill Soleimani," NBC reported, citing five current and former senior administration officials.
NBC News noted that the timing of that directive "could undermine" the administration's already publicly stated rationale for the killing.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Chinese foreign minister attends Munich Security Conference amid coronavirus outbreak

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a news conference after restoring diplomatic ties with Kiribati on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York , U.S. September 27 , 2019 .
MUNICH — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Germany this weekend to discuss the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus , among other national security issues .
Wang is slated to give a keynote speech at the annual Munich Security Conference , which begins Friday and runs through Sunday .
He is expected to discuss Beijing 's efforts to contain the flu-like virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed at least 1,384 people and sickened more than 64,453 worldwide .
Since the deadly outbreak , Wang is the first Chinese senior official to travel overseas .
While the majority of confirmed coronavirus cases are in mainland China , the virus has also been identified in Japan , South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand , Vietnam , Philippines , India , Singapore , Nepal , Hong Kong , Macao , Cambodia , Malaysia , Sri Lanka , Italy , France , Germany , Russia , Spain , Belgium , Finland , Sweden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arab Emirates , the United States and the United Kingdom .
Wang 's trip to Munich comes as German auto manufacturers brace for production and sale setbacks from the deadly coronavirus .
Cars , the nation 's top export , are uniquely affected by the coronavirus since so many German carmakers have established several auto plants throughout China .
His trip also comes on the heels of White House officials expressing doubts about the information coming out of China regarding the coronavirus .
Researchers are skeptical that the official numbers from China reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China `` also continues to rebuff American offers of assistance , '' a senior administration official told CNBC .

MUNICH — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Germany this weekend to discuss the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, among other national security issues.
Wang is slated to give a keynote speech at the annual Munich Security Conference, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday.
He is expected to discuss Beijing's efforts to contain the flu-like virus, now named COVID-19. The virus has killed at least 1,384 people and sickened more than 64,453 worldwide.
Follow CNBC's live blog on the coronavirus
Since the deadly outbreak, Wang is the first Chinese senior official to travel overseas.
While the majority of confirmed coronavirus cases are in mainland China, the virus has also been identified in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Singapore, Nepal, Hong Kong, Macao, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Wang's trip to Munich comes as German auto manufacturers brace for production and sale setbacks from the deadly coronavirus.
Cars, the nation's top export, are uniquely affected by the coronavirus since so many German carmakers have established several auto plants throughout China.
His trip also comes on the heels of White House officials expressing doubts about the information coming out of China regarding the coronavirus. Researchers are skeptical that the official numbers from China reflect how contagious the virus truly is.
China "also continues to rebuff American offers of assistance," a senior administration official told CNBC.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Official says US, Taliban reach truce Afghan truce agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan , November 28 , 2019 .
REUTERS/Tom Brenner A senior U.S.official said Friday the United States and the Taliban have reached a truce agreement that will take effect `` very soon '' and could lead to withdrawals of American troops from Afghanistan .
The official said the agreement for a seven-day `` reduction in violence '' to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is `` very specific '' and covers the entire country including Afghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Friday in Munich with Afghanistan 's President Ashraf Ghani .
They spoke on the sidelines of an international security forum in Munich .
A truce had been widely anticipated , and President Donald Trump has agreed in principle to the deal , which could lead to the start of significant U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan , according to U.S. officials .
The final details were hammered out in recent days by U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Munich and attended Pompeo and Esper 's meeting as did Gen. Scott Miller , the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan .
People familiar with the plan 's outlines say it calls for the successful conclusion of the weeklong truce to be followed within 10 days by the start of all-Afghan negotiations to set the road map for the country 's political future .
U.S. officials have brushed aside claims that a Taliban ultimatum forced their hand .
And they noted that , despite Trump 's campaign pledge to withdraw American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican president has nixed previous deals that appeared close in response to attacks on U.S. forces .

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
A senior U.S.official said Friday the United States and the Taliban have reached a truce agreement that will take effect "very soon" and could lead to withdrawals of American troops from Afghanistan.
The official said the agreement for a seven-day "reduction in violence" to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is "very specific" and covers the entire country including Afghan forces.
The developments come as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Friday in Munich with Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani. They spoke on the sidelines of an international security forum in Munich.
A truce had been widely anticipated, and President Donald Trump has agreed in principle to the deal, which could lead to the start of significant U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials.
The final details were hammered out in recent days by U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. Khalilzad was in Munich and attended Pompeo and Esper's meeting as did Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan.
People familiar with the plan's outlines say it calls for the successful conclusion of the weeklong truce to be followed within 10 days by the start of all-Afghan negotiations to set the road map for the country's political future.
U.S. officials have brushed aside claims that a Taliban ultimatum forced their hand. And they noted that, despite Trump's campaign pledge to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan and elsewhere, the Republican president has nixed previous deals that appeared close in response to attacks on U.S. forces.


cnbc--2020-02-14--German president slams Trump's 'America First' foreign policy in front of Pompeo and Esper

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addresses the opening speech of the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich , southern Germany , on February 14 , 2020 .
`` Our closest ally , the United States of America , under the current administration , rejects the very concept of the international community , '' he said .
`` 'Great again ' but at the expense of neighbors and partners , '' Steinmeier added without naming Trump but referring to his `` Make America Great Again '' campaign slogan .
In his opening remarks , German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the expense of allies .
MUNICH — Germany 's president kicked off the annual Munich Security Conference on Friday by taking a swipe at President Donald Trump 's `` America First '' foreign policy approach .
`` Thinking and acting this way hurts us all , '' he said .
Listening to Steinmeier 's speech , delivered at the 56th Munich Security Conference , were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Secretary of Defense Mark Esper , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Adam Schiff along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest U.S. delegation to attend the forum .
Read more : Nuclear weapons and 5G among national security topics at Munich Security Conference Steinmeier also accused Russia and China of amplifying global insecurity in pursuit of `` great power '' competition .
`` In this scenario , the security of one is the insecurity of others , '' he said , adding that European leaders must create a unified policy to deal with increasing threats posed by Russia and China .
The former German foreign minister also placed emphasis on the importance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military alliance , which has been frequently dressed down by Trump .
In December , Trump reiterated at the NATO leaders meeting that too many members were still not paying enough and threatened to reduce U.S. military support if allies do not increase spending .
At the meeting in London , Trump singled out German Chancellor Angela Merkel for not meeting the 2 % of GDP spending goal set in the 2014 NATO summit in Wales .
Read more : What each NATO country contributes financially to the world 's strongest military alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % ] to 4.3 % when Germany 's paying 1 [ % ] to 1.2 % at max 1.2 % of a much smaller GDP .
That 's not fair , '' Trump said at the time .
Germany is only one of 19 NATO members that have not met the 2 % GDP spending goal set at the 2014 summit .
Steinmeier said that while Germany should continue to raise its defense spending , it should not be `` the be-all end-all for our security . ''

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addresses the opening speech of the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on February 14, 2020.
"Our closest ally, the United States of America, under the current administration, rejects the very concept of the international community," he said. "'Great again' but at the expense of neighbors and partners," Steinmeier added without naming Trump but referring to his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
In his opening remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the United States would put its own interests first at the expense of allies.
MUNICH — Germany's president kicked off the annual Munich Security Conference on Friday by taking a swipe at President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy approach.
"Thinking and acting this way hurts us all," he said.
Attending Steinmeier's speech, delivered at the 56th Munich Security Conference, were Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Adam Schiff along with other representatives, making it the largest U.S. delegation to attend the forum.
Read more: Nuclear weapons and 5G among national security topics at Munich Security Conference
Steinmeier also accused Russia and China of amplifying global insecurity in pursuit of "great power" competition.
"In this scenario, the security of one is the insecurity of others," he said, adding that European leaders must create a unified policy to deal with increasing threats posed by Russia and China.
The former German foreign minister also placed emphasis on the importance of NATO, the world's most powerful military alliance, which has been frequently dressed down by Trump.
In December, Trump reiterated at the NATO leaders meeting that too many members were still not paying enough and threatened to reduce U.S. military support if allies do not increase spending.
At the meeting in London, Trump singled out German Chancellor Angela Merkel for not meeting the 2% of GDP spending goal set in the 2014 NATO summit in Wales.
Read more: What each NATO country contributes financially to the world's strongest military alliance
"So we're paying 4[%] to 4.3% when Germany's paying 1[%] to 1.2% at max 1.2% of a much smaller GDP. That's not fair," Trump said at the time.
Germany is only one of 19 NATO members that have not met the 2% GDP spending goal set at the 2014 summit.
Steinmeier said that while Germany should continue to raise its defense spending, it should not be "the be-all end-all for our security."
Correction: This article has been corrected to accurately reflect the names of the U.S. officials who were present at Steinmeier's speech.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Megadonor Alan Patricof sticks with embattled Biden but says he must win South Carolina

Alan Patricof , tech investor and major Democratic donor , told CNBC on Friday he 's staying with Joe Biden — but said the former vice president must `` show his stuff '' in the next two nominating contests to reinvigorate his run for the presidency .
`` It 's critical '' that Biden wins South Carolina and `` he 's got to produce in Nevada , '' said Patricof , founder and managing director of the Greycrof venture capital firm .
`` He 's said it .
Donors feel it .
Everybody is sticking with Joe until they see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucuses on Feb. 22 , followed by South Carolina 's primary on Feb. 29 , just days before Super Tuesday on March 3 , when a third of the delegates are up for grabs in 16 nominating primaries and caucuses .
A day after two major Biden fundraisers in New York , Patricof said on `` Squawk Box '' that attendance at the events indicated support remains strong .
The rooms `` were packed , '' said Patricof .
Biden rallied more than 250 Wall Street and big money donors Thursday , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa and New Hampshire .
`` It could have felt like a friendly funeral — but it did n't , '' another donor told CNBC in a brief interview as she exited one of the fundraisers .
Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg came out on top in Iowa and New Hampshire , with Biden finishing in fourth and fifth , respectively , in those contests .
Biden is polling as the front-runner in Nevada and South Carolina .
At the second donor event , Biden emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white states , and said the majority of black voters `` has not spoken . ''
`` I have overwhelming support in the African American community because they know me , '' Biden said .
I 've been engaged my whole life , from the time I 've been a kid in the civil rights movement straight through to being Barack 's vice president .
And so I 'm looking forward to getting down to South Carolina which we will win .
And we will win , I think , handily .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost $ 800,000 at the two events .

Alan Patricof, tech investor and major Democratic donor, told CNBC on Friday he's staying with Joe Biden — but said the former vice president must "show his stuff" in the next two nominating contests to reinvigorate his run for the presidency.
"It's critical" that Biden wins South Carolina and "he's got to produce in Nevada," said Patricof, founder and managing director of the Greycrof venture capital firm. "He's said it. Donors feel it. Everybody is sticking with Joe until they see what happens there."
Nevada holds caucuses on Feb. 22, followed by South Carolina's primary on Feb. 29, just days before Super Tuesday on March 3, when a third of the delegates are up for grabs in 16 nominating primaries and caucuses.
A day after two major Biden fundraisers in New York, Patricof said on "Squawk Box" that attendance at the events indicated support remains strong.
The rooms "were packed," said Patricof. Biden rallied more than 250 Wall Street and big money donors Thursday, in hopes of keeping support after stumbles in Iowa and New Hampshire.
"It could have felt like a friendly funeral — but it didn't," another donor told CNBC in a brief interview as she exited one of the fundraisers.
TWEET 1
Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg came out on top in Iowa and New Hampshire, with Biden finishing in fourth and fifth, respectively, in those contests. Biden is polling as the front-runner in Nevada and South Carolina.
At the second donor event, Biden emphasized that Iowa and New Hampshire are largely white states, and said the majority of black voters "has not spoken."
"I have overwhelming support in the African American community because they know me," Biden said. I've been engaged my whole life, from the time I've been a kid in the civil rights movement straight through to being Barack's vice president. And so I'm looking forward to getting down to South Carolina which we will win. And we will win, I think, handily. And into Super Tuesday."
Biden raised almost $800,000 at the two events.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Trump says on Twitter he has right to interfere in criminal cases after Barr criticizes president's

Trump says on Twitter he has right to interfere in criminal cases after Barr criticizes president's tweets

Attorney General William Barr listens as President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks and signs the Operation Lady Justice Executive Order to address the issue of missing and murdered Native Americans in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday , Nov 26 , 2019 in Washington , DC .
President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that he has the `` legal right '' to meddle in court cases handled by the Department of Justice , a day after Attorney General William Barr said in an extraordinary national television interview that the president 's tweets `` make it impossible for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in direct response to his administration 's top law enforcement official , challenged Barr 's assertion that he will not be `` bullied '' by anyone .
Trump said that while he could interfere in the department 's criminal cases , he has `` so far chosen not to ! ''
The Justice Department declined to comment on the president 's tweet .
The rebuke on Twitter marks the president 's first response to Barr 's stunning interview with ABC News on Thursday .
Barr has come under intense criticism in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revise their sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone , a longtime friend of the president .
On Monday , the prosecutors recommended that a judge in Washington district court sentence Stone to up to nine years in prison for crimes related to lying to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election .
The proposed sentence fell in line with federal sentencing guidelines ; defense attorneys argued that Stone should receive probation .
After the sentencing memo was filed , Trump took to Twitter in the middle of the night Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgrace , '' adding , `` Can not allow this miscarriage of justice ! ''
Hours after that , the Justice Department filed a new sentencing suggestion , calling for Stone to receive `` far less '' time in prison .
All four prosecutors quit the case in apparent protest on Tuesday — and one resigned from the Justice Department altogether .
Barr and his department claim that the decision to amend Stone 's sentencing recommendation came prior to Trump 's attacks on social media .
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to investigate the matter .
On Friday morning , Trump zeroed in on Barr 's insistence that `` the president has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case . ''
`` This does n't mean that I do not have , as President , the legal right to do so , '' Trump wrote in response .
`` I do , but I have so far chosen not to ! ''
Barr had recently asked the president in private to stop sending public statements that made his life more difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told NBC News .
Despite the dramatic public rift between the two , White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Trump , who famously demands loyalty from associates , `` was n't bothered '' by Barr 's comments to ABC .
Even some Republicans have criticized Trump 's attacks on the prosecutors in Stone 's case .
In an interview on Fox , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday : `` The president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be the attorney general .
I think the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone , 67 , was convicted in November of crimes related to lying to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election , as well as to pressuring an associate , comedian Randy Credico , to corroborate his false claims .
WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign published emails that had been stolen by Russian agents from John Podesta , the campaign chief for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton , and from the Democratic National Committee .
Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates testified at Stone 's trial that Trump had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the campaign .
Gates ' account contrasts with Trump 's claim in November 2018 that he did not recall speaking to Stone about WikiLeaks .
Gates said that less than a minute after finishing a July 2016 call from Stone , Trump indicated that `` more information would be coming '' from Wikileaks .
Stone is set to be sentenced Feb. 20 in U.S. District Court in Washington .

Attorney General William Barr listens as President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks and signs the Operation Lady Justice Executive Order to address the issue of missing and murdered Native Americans in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that he has the "legal right" to meddle in court cases handled by the Department of Justice, a day after Attorney General William Barr said in an extraordinary national television interview that the president's tweets "make it impossible for me to do my job."
Trump, in direct response to his administration's top law enforcement official, challenged Barr's assertion that he will not be "bullied" by anyone.
Trump said that while he could interfere in the department's criminal cases, he has "so far chosen not to!"
Trump TWEET
The Justice Department declined to comment on the president's tweet.
The rebuke on Twitter marks the president's first response to Barr's stunning interview with ABC News on Thursday.
Barr has come under intense criticism in the days since he pushed federal prosecutors to revise their sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, a longtime friend of the president.
On Monday, the prosecutors recommended that a judge in Washington district court sentence Stone to up to nine years in prison for crimes related to lying to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election.
The proposed sentence fell in line with federal sentencing guidelines; defense attorneys argued that Stone should receive probation.
After the sentencing memo was filed, Trump took to Twitter in the middle of the night Tuesday to blast the recommendation as a "disgrace," adding, "Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!"
Hours after that, the Justice Department filed a new sentencing suggestion, calling for Stone to receive "far less" time in prison.
All four prosecutors quit the case in apparent protest on Tuesday — and one resigned from the Justice Department altogether.
Trump praised Barr on social media afterward.
TWEET
Barr and his department claim that the decision to amend Stone's sentencing recommendation came prior to Trump's attacks on social media. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for the department's internal watchdog to investigate the matter.
On Friday morning, Trump zeroed in on Barr's insistence that "the president has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case."
"This doesn't mean that I do not have, as President, the legal right to do so," Trump wrote in response. "I do, but I have so far chosen not to!"
Barr had recently asked the president in private to stop sending public statements that made his life more difficult, a source familiar with the events told NBC News.
Despite the dramatic public rift between the two, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Trump, who famously demands loyalty from associates, "wasn't bothered" by Barr's comments to ABC.
Even some Republicans have criticized Trump's attacks on the prosecutors in Stone's case. In an interview on Fox, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday: "The president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be the attorney general. I think the president should listen to his advice."
Stone, 67, was convicted in November of crimes related to lying to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election, as well as to pressuring an associate, comedian Randy Credico, to corroborate his false claims.
WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign published emails that had been stolen by Russian agents from John Podesta, the campaign chief for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and from the Democratic National Committee.
Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates testified at Stone's trial that Trump had a phone call with Stone about WikiLeaks during the campaign.
Gates' account contrasts with Trump's claim in November 2018 that he did not recall speaking to Stone about WikiLeaks. Gates said that less than a minute after finishing a July 2016 call from Stone, Trump indicated that "more information would be coming" from Wikileaks.
Stone is set to be sentenced Feb. 20 in U.S. District Court in Washington.


cnbc--2020-02-14--Attorney General William Barr says Trump's tweets 'make it impossible for me to do my job'

Attorney General William Barr , in a stunning rebuke to his boss , said Thursday that President Donald Trump should stop tweeting about the Justice Department , complaining that the president 's comments `` make it impossible for me to do my job . ''
The remarks in an ABC News interview followed days of sharp criticism of Barr , Trump and the DOJ by congressional Democrats over the department 's decision to reverse a harsh sentencing recommendation for Trump 's friend , Republican political consultant Roger Stone .
`` I think it 's time to stop the tweeting about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr told ABC News ' Pierre Thomas .
`` I will make those decisions based on what I think is the right thing to do , and I 'm not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody ... whether it 's Congress , a newspaper editorial board , or the president , '' Barr said .
`` I 'm going to do what I think is right , '' Barr said .
`` I can not do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it impossible for me to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors in the department that we 're doing our work with integrity , '' he said .
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham responded to Barr 's comments with the following statement : `` The President was n't bothered by the comments at all and he has the right , just like any American citizen , to publicly offer his opinions .
President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and uphold the law . ''
A White House official told NBC News that `` the media is completely ignoring [ the fact that ] both Attorney General Barr and President Trump agree that the President is the victim of an egregious political injustice , and the Department of Justice is investigating these matters because it is the right thing to do . ''
The four prosecutors who handled Stone 's trial told a judge in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to nine years in prison , as called for under federal sentencing guidelines .
Within hours of that Monday filing , Trump blasted the recommendation as a `` disgrace . ''
And hours after that , the Justice Department said it would file a new sentencing suggestion for Stone , calling for a markedly lower prison term .
All four prosecutors quit the case in apparent protest on Tuesday — and one resigned from the Justice Department altogether .
Trump praised Barr on social media after the Justice Department pushed the prosecutors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his ABC interview , Barr for the first time publicly detailed his account of the decision to reduce Stone 's sentencing recommendation .
Barr said that on Monday , Timothy Shea , his former counselor who recently became the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia , `` came by to briefly chat with me and say that the team very much wanted to recommend the seven- to nine-year [ term ] to the judge , but he thought that there was a way of satisfying everybody and providing more flexibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief discussion of that .
I was under the impression that what was going to happen was very much what I had suggested , which was deferring to the judge , '' Barr told ABC .
`` Monday night , when I first saw the news reports [ about the sentencing proposal ] , I said , `` Gee , the news is spinning this .
This is not what we were going to do . '
'' `` I was very surprised .
And once I confirmed that that 's actually what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my staff that we had to get ready 'cause we had to do something in the morning to amend that and clarify what our position was , '' the attorney general said .
`` I had made a decision that I thought was fair and reasonable in this particular case .
And once the tweet [ by Trump condemning the sentencing proposal ] occurred , the question was , well , now what do I do ?
Do you go forward with what you think is the right decision ?
Or do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
`` And that just sort of illustrates how disruptive these tweets can be , '' Barr said .
Barr added that while `` I have a problem with some of the tweets , I 'm happy to say that in fact , the president has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case . ''
Asked if he had ever spoken with Trump about the sentencing recommendations for Stone , Barr said , `` Never . ''
Barr also denied that anyone from the White House had called him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` No .
I have not discussed the Roger Stone case at the White House . ''
Trump has repeatedly said he did not direct the Justice Department to lower the recommended sentence for Stone .
DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec has said the decision to amend the first sentencing memo came before Trump 's first tweets early Tuesday morning .
But Trump has also repeatedly commented on the case to reporters and on Twitter since Tuesday — and he has refused to rule out a pardon for Stone .
Barr 's interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the president and the attorney general , who has been accused of working more as an ally of Trump 's than as a top law enforcement officer .
Barr was harshly criticized over his handling of the delivery of former special counsel Robert Mueller 's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election , possible Kremlin coordination with Trump 's campaign and possible obstruction of justice by Trump himself .
More recently , he authorized the launch of a probe into the origins of the Russian inquiry by Obama-era federal law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , confirmed that Barr will testify before the Democrat-led panel at the end of March to answer questions surrounding issues such as Stone 's sentencing .
On Tuesday , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , called on the DOJ 's internal watchdog to investigate whether the decision to weaken the original sentencing proposal for Stone was motivated by political pressure from the president .
In the meantime , some Democrats , such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren , have already called for Barr to `` resign or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have criticized Trump 's attacks on the prosecutors in Stone 's case .
In an interview on Fox , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said : `` The president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be the attorney general .
I think the president should listen to his advice . ''
`` I do n't think that the president needed to jump into the middle of this in the first place , '' Sen. Lisa Murkowski , R-Alaska , said Wednesday .
`` I think it 's just bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted in November of crimes related to lying to Congress about his contacts with the document disclosure group WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election , as well as to pressuring an associate , comedian Randy Credico , to corroborate his false claims .
WikiLeaks during the 2016 election published emails that had been stolen from Russian agents from John Podesta , the campaign chief for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton , and from the Democratic National Committee .
Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates testified at Stone 's trial that Trump had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign .
Gates 's account contrasts with Trump 's claim in November 2018 that he did not recall speaking to Stone about WikiLeaks .
Gates said that less than a minute after finishing a July 2016 call from Stone , Trump indicated that `` more information would be coming '' from Wikileaks .
Stone is set to be sentenced Feb. 20 in U.S. District Court in Washington .

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Attorney General William Barr, in a stunning rebuke to his boss, said Thursday that President Donald Trump should stop tweeting about the Justice Department, complaining that the president's comments "make it impossible for me to do my job." The remarks in an ABC News interview followed days of sharp criticism of Barr, Trump and the DOJ by congressional Democrats over the department's decision to reverse a harsh sentencing recommendation for Trump's friend, Republican political consultant Roger Stone. ABC TWEET "I think it's time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases," Barr told ABC News' Pierre Thomas. "I will make those decisions based on what I think is the right thing to do, and I'm not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody ... whether it's Congress, a newspaper editorial board, or the president," Barr said. "I'm going to do what I think is right," Barr said. "I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me." Trump's tweets, "make it impossible for me to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors in the department that we're doing our work with integrity," he said. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham responded to Barr's comments with the following statement: "The President wasn't bothered by the comments at all and he has the right, just like any American citizen, to publicly offer his opinions. President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in our country, including the fake news. The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and uphold the law."
A White House official told NBC News that "the media is completely ignoring [the fact that] both Attorney General Barr and President Trump agree that the President is the victim of an egregious political injustice, and the Department of Justice is investigating these matters because it is the right thing to do." The four prosecutors who handled Stone's trial told a judge in a court filing that Stone should serve seven to nine years in prison, as called for under federal sentencing guidelines. Within hours of that Monday filing, Trump blasted the recommendation as a "disgrace." And hours after that, the Justice Department said it would file a new sentencing suggestion for Stone, calling for a markedly lower prison term. Trump TWEET All four prosecutors quit the case in apparent protest on Tuesday — and one resigned from the Justice Department altogether. Trump praised Barr on social media after the Justice Department pushed the prosecutors in Stone's case to weaken their proposal. TWEET In his ABC interview, Barr for the first time publicly detailed his account of the decision to reduce Stone's sentencing recommendation. Barr said that on Monday, Timothy Shea, his former counselor who recently became the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, "came by to briefly chat with me and say that the team very much wanted to recommend the seven- to nine-year [term] to the judge, but he thought that there was a way of satisfying everybody and providing more flexibility." "And there was a brief discussion of that. I was under the impression that what was going to happen was very much what I had suggested, which was deferring to the judge," Barr told ABC. "Monday night, when I first saw the news reports [about the sentencing proposal], I said, "Gee, the news is spinning this. This is not what we were going to do.'" "I was very surprised. And once I confirmed that that's actually what we filed, I said that night to my staff that we had to get ready 'cause we had to do something in the morning to amend that and clarify what our position was," the attorney general said. "I had made a decision that I thought was fair and reasonable in this particular case. And once the tweet [by Trump condemning the sentencing proposal] occurred, the question was, well, now what do I do? Do you go forward with what you think is the right decision? Or do you pull back because of the tweet?" "And that just sort of illustrates how disruptive these tweets can be," Barr said. Barr added that while "I have a problem with some of the tweets, I'm happy to say that in fact, the president has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case." Asked if he had ever spoken with Trump about the sentencing recommendations for Stone, Barr said, "Never." Barr also denied that anyone from the White House had called him to try to influence him about Stone: "No. I have not discussed the Roger Stone case at the White House."
US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with US Attorney General William Barr (R) during the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor presentation ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC on May 22, 2019. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images