cnbc--2020-09-04--Pence says White House, Congress have reached agreement to avoid shutdown without adding coronavirus

Pence says White House, Congress have reached agreement to avoid shutdown without adding coronavirus relief

Government funding will lapse if Congress does not pass legislation before the end of the month .
Speculation had grown that congressional leaders could try to include coronavirus relief measures in a spending package as a way to gain leverage in stimulus negotiations that have barely moved forward since they fell apart last month .
`` Now , we can focus just on another relief bill , and we 're continuing to do that in good faith , '' he told CNBC 's `` Squawk on the Street . ''
Approving a continuing resolution , which would temporarily set federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inject the heated politics of pandemic aid into efforts to keep the government running .
The Trump administration and Congress have agreed to pass a bill to avoid a government shutdown without tying funding to separate measures such as coronavirus relief , Vice President Mike Pence said Friday .
US Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 7 , 2020 , in Washington , DC .
Pence 's comments Friday indicated the stalemate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boosting the economy could linger .
Democrats have pushed the Trump administration to increase the price tag on their stimulus offer to at least $ 2.2 trillion from about $ 1.3 trillion .
The White House has not yet budged .
Pence criticized Democrats over perhaps the largest remaining sticking point in talks .
Democratic leaders want more than $ 900 billion in new aid to cash-crunched state and local governments , while the Trump administration has offered $ 150 billion .
`` We 're not going to allow Democrats in Congress to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out poorly run Democratic states , '' the vice president said .
The bipartisan National Governors Association has asked for at least $ 500 billion more in state and municipal aid .
Governments have warned of possible cuts to essential services as they take on more costs and lose revenue during the pandemic .
Pence repeatedly made the case for another round of stimulus checks as part of the fifth coronavirus rescue package .
He said `` nobody wants to give direct payments to American families more than Donald Trump again . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Labor Department reported U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 1.37 million and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 % .
Pence called the data `` real evidence that the American comeback is underway . ''
The jobless rate remains significantly higher than it was before the Covid-19 outbreak hit the U.S. earlier this year .
Permanent job losses in August also increased by 534,000 to 3.4 million .
`` 8.4 % unemployment is nothing to brag about , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , wrote in response to President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs report .
Despite four straight months of strong employment growth , the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance and a federal moratorium on evictions has led to concerns of sharper suffering for many Americans .
Even so , after Friday 's jobs report , White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told Bloomberg that `` we can live with '' not striking a coronavirus relief deal , according to Reuters .
In the absence of congressional action to address those and other coronavirus relief measures , the Trump administration has taken limited steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , the White House moved to halt evictions until the end of the year using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authority .
It followed the administration 's executive actions to temporarily extend extra jobless benefits for some Americans , continue student loan assistance and forgive the employee portion of the payroll tax .
Senate Republicans aim to take up a narrow pandemic aid plan when they return from their August recess next week .
Democrats oppose the roughly $ 500 billion proposal , meaning it likely will not get through Congress @ @ @ @

Government funding will lapse if Congress does not pass legislation before the end of the month. Speculation had grown that congressional leaders could try to include coronavirus relief measures in a spending package as a way to gain leverage in stimulus negotiations that have barely moved forward since they fell apart last month.
"Now, we can focus just on another relief bill, and we're continuing to do that in good faith," he told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."
Approving a continuing resolution, which would temporarily set federal spending at current levels, would not inject the heated politics of pandemic aid into efforts to keep the government running.
The Trump administration and Congress have agreed to pass a bill to avoid a government shutdown without tying funding to separate measures such as coronavirus relief, Vice President Mike Pence said Friday.
US Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 7, 2020, in Washington, DC.
Pence's comments Friday indicated the stalemate over how much money to put into boosting the economy could linger. Democrats have pushed the Trump administration to increase the price tag on their stimulus offer to at least $2.2 trillion from about $1.3 trillion. The White House has not yet budged.
Pence criticized Democrats over perhaps the largest remaining sticking point in talks. Democratic leaders want more than $900 billion in new aid to cash-crunched state and local governments, while the Trump administration has offered $150 billion.
"We're not going to allow Democrats in Congress to use a coronavirus relief bill to bail out poorly run Democratic states," the vice president said.
The bipartisan National Governors Association has asked for at least $500 billion more in state and municipal aid. Governments have warned of possible cuts to essential services as they take on more costs and lose revenue during the pandemic.
Pence repeatedly made the case for another round of stimulus checks as part of the fifth coronavirus rescue package. He said "nobody wants to give direct payments to American families more than Donald Trump again."
The vice president spoke to CNBC after the Labor Department reported U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 1.37 million and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4%. Pence called the data "real evidence that the American comeback is underway."
The jobless rate remains significantly higher than it was before the Covid-19 outbreak hit the U.S. earlier this year. Permanent job losses in August also increased by 534,000 to 3.4 million.
"8.4% unemployment is nothing to brag about," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in response to President Donald Trump's Friday morning tweet celebrating the jobs report.
Despite four straight months of strong employment growth, the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance and a federal moratorium on evictions has led to concerns of sharper suffering for many Americans. Even so, after Friday's jobs report, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told Bloomberg that "we can live with" not striking a coronavirus relief deal, according to Reuters.
In the absence of congressional action to address those and other coronavirus relief measures, the Trump administration has taken limited steps to offer aid on its own.
On Tuesday, the White House moved to halt evictions until the end of the year using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authority. It followed the administration's executive actions to temporarily extend extra jobless benefits for some Americans, continue student loan assistance and forgive the employee portion of the payroll tax.
Senate Republicans aim to take up a narrow pandemic aid plan when they return from their August recess next week. Democrats oppose the roughly $500 billion proposal, meaning it likely will not get through Congress and become law.
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cnbc--2020-09-03--Biden meets with Jacob Blake's family during a visit to Kenosha

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to residents during a community meeting at Grace Lutheran Church after a week of unrest in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black man , by a white police officer in Kenosha , Wisconsin , September 3 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden met for 90 minutes Thursday with the family of Jacob Blake , a Black man whose shooting by police in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
has sparked protests , some of which turned violent .
The meeting took place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped on his way to a community meeting in Kenosha .
Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer on Aug. 23 , and he remains hospitalized .
`` I had an opportunity to spend some time with Jacob on the phone , '' said Biden , speaking later at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha .
`` He 's out of ICU .
We spoke for about 15 minutes ... and he talked about how nothing was gon na defeat him .
How whether he walked again or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up . ''
`` What I came away with was the overwhelming sense of resilience and optimism that they have about the kind of response they 're getting , '' Biden said .
`` His mom said a prayer .
She said , ' I 'm praying for Jacob , and I 'm praying for the policeman as well .
I 'm praying that things change . '
'' Biden and his wife , Jill Biden , also discussed `` changing the disparate treatment of minorities in police interactions , the impact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his running mate , and Vice President Biden 's plans for change , '' said Benjamin Crump , a lawyer for the Blake family who participated in the meeting by phone .
`` It was very obvious that Vice President Biden cared , as he extended to Jacob Jr. a sense of humanity , treating him as a person worthy of consideration and prayer , '' Crump said .
At the community meeting , Biden mostly listened to residents as they shared their perspectives on systemic racism , policing and what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He responded with several of his relevant campaign pledges , including his promise to raise the nationwide minimum wage to $ 15 an hour , and to fund mental health and drug rehabilitation over more mass incarceration .
With just over 60 days until Election Day , Biden 's visit was also noteworthy because it is was the longest trip he has made away from his home in Wilmington , Delaware , since the start of the coronavirus pandemic this spring .
The visit is likely to please Biden 's Democratic allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel more , and especially to swing states like Wisconsin .
President Donald Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016 , becoming the first Republican since Ronald Reagan to capture the state 's electoral votes .
Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday , where he thanked law enforcement and other community members but did not meet with the Blake family .
The White House said that an effort was made to set up a meeting with Trump , but the president later said that he refused to meet with or speak to Blake 's family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present .
Trump said he found that `` inappropriate . ''
Blake 's shooting was the latest in a series of police shootings of Black men and women this spring and summer which have horrified many Americans , and sparked a nationwide reckoning on racial justice and the role of police .
Largely peaceful demonstrations against police brutality have been held in cities across the United States since May , when the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis triggered protests around the world .
A small number of demonstrations have included riots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Kenosha , several businesses were burned down during three nights of rioting and two protesters were shot and killed by an armed vigilante .
Police have charged Kyle Rittenhouse , a White 17 year-old , with the killings .

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to residents during a community meeting at Grace Lutheran Church after a week of unrest in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, September 3, 2020.
WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden met for 90 minutes Thursday with the family of Jacob Blake, a Black man whose shooting by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. has sparked protests, some of which turned violent.
The meeting took place near the Milwaukee airport, where Biden stopped on his way to a community meeting in Kenosha. Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer on Aug. 23, and he remains hospitalized.
"I had an opportunity to spend some time with Jacob on the phone," said Biden, speaking later at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha. "He's out of ICU. We spoke for about 15 minutes ... and he talked about how nothing was gonna defeat him. How whether he walked again or not, he was not gonna give up."
"What I came away with was the overwhelming sense of resilience and optimism that they have about the kind of response they're getting," Biden said. "His mom said a prayer. She said, 'I'm praying for Jacob, and I'm praying for the policeman as well. I'm praying that things change.'"
Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, also discussed "changing the disparate treatment of minorities in police interactions, the impact of selecting Kamala Harris as a Black woman as his running mate, and Vice President Biden's plans for change," said Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for the Blake family who participated in the meeting by phone.
"It was very obvious that Vice President Biden cared, as he extended to Jacob Jr. a sense of humanity, treating him as a person worthy of consideration and prayer," Crump said.
At the community meeting, Biden mostly listened to residents as they shared their perspectives on systemic racism, policing and what it will take for the community to heal. He responded with several of his relevant campaign pledges, including his promise to raise the nationwide minimum wage to $15 an hour, and to fund mental health and drug rehabilitation over more mass incarceration.
With just over 60 days until Election Day, Biden's visit was also noteworthy because it is was the longest trip he has made away from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic this spring. The visit is likely to please Biden's Democratic allies, who have been encouraging him to travel more, and especially to swing states like Wisconsin.
President Donald Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, becoming the first Republican since Ronald Reagan to capture the state's electoral votes.
Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday, where he thanked law enforcement and other community members but did not meet with the Blake family. The White House said that an effort was made to set up a meeting with Trump, but the president later said that he refused to meet with or speak to Blake's family because they wanted to have their lawyer present. Trump said he found that "inappropriate."
Blake's shooting was the latest in a series of police shootings of Black men and women this spring and summer which have horrified many Americans, and sparked a nationwide reckoning on racial justice and the role of police.
Largely peaceful demonstrations against police brutality have been held in cities across the United States since May, when the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis triggered protests around the world. A small number of demonstrations have included riots, arson and clashes with police.
In Kenosha, several businesses were burned down during three nights of rioting and two protesters were shot and killed by an armed vigilante. Police have charged Kyle Rittenhouse, a White 17 year-old, with the killings.


cnbc--2020-09-08--Mitch McConnell says Senate will vote on coronavirus stimulus plan as soon as this week

The Senate will vote on a coronavirus stimulus bill as early as this week , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday .
In a statement , the Kentucky Republican said the chamber aims to take up what he called a `` targeted proposal , focused on some of the very most urgent healthcare , education , and economic issues . ''
The package would allow states to restart enhanced unemployment insurance at $ 300 per week through late December , authorize a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for hard-hit small businesses and create broad liability protections for companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put $ 105 billion toward schools , $ 16 billion into Covid-19 testing , $ 31 billion toward the development of vaccines and beefing up the strategic national stockpile , and $ 15 billion into childcare grants , according to NBC .
It would not include another round of direct payments to individuals or more money for state and local governments .
The bill likely will not garner the 60 votes needed to get through the Senate or receive support in the Democratic-held House .
In a joint statement Tuesday , House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said `` Senate Republicans appear dead-set on another bill which does n't come close to addressing the problems and is headed nowhere . ''
`` Democrats want to work on bipartisan legislation that will meet the urgent needs of the American people but Republicans continue to move in the wrong direction , '' they added later in the statement .
Democrats and the Trump administration have failed to break an impasse over coronavirus relief since talks between the sides collapsed late last month .
Democratic leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer at least $ 2.2 trillion in federal funding to boost the U.S. economy and health-care system during the pandemic .
Republicans so far have not agreed to go higher than $ 1.3 trillion .
Congress has failed to pass a fifth coronavirus aid package even after a $ 600 per week extra jobless benefit , a federal moratorium on evictions and the window to apply for PPP small business loans lapsed .
The expiration of those lifelines has left millions made jobless by the virus struggling to cover costs , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Schumer criticized the legislation in particular because reports said it did not include relief for state and local governments , money for rental and mortgage assistance , emergency funding for the U.S .
Postal Service or additional food aid .
Democrats have pushed for more than $ 900 billion in new aid for states and municipalities , some of which will have to cut services if they receive no more assistance .
The White House , which charges that cities and states run by Democrats want funds to cover for financial mismanagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 150 billion in new money .
The bipartisan National Governors Association has asked for at least $ 500 billion in relief .
Senate Republicans released their first pass at a fifth coronavirus relief package in late July .
The bill , valued at roughly $ 1 trillion , countered the more than $ 3 trillion House Democratic legislation passed in May .
It kick-started the stimulus negotiations , which have since made little progress .
While most GOP senators now acknowledge the need for another relief bill , some have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all to combat the pandemic .

The Senate will vote on a coronavirus stimulus bill as early as this week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.
In a statement, the Kentucky Republican said the chamber aims to take up what he called a "targeted proposal, focused on some of the very most urgent healthcare, education, and economic issues." The package would allow states to restart enhanced unemployment insurance at $300 per week through late December, authorize a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for hard-hit small businesses and create broad liability protections for companies, NBC News reported.
It would put $105 billion toward schools, $16 billion into Covid-19 testing, $31 billion toward the development of vaccines and beefing up the strategic national stockpile, and $15 billion into childcare grants, according to NBC. It would not include another round of direct payments to individuals or more money for state and local governments.
The bill likely will not garner the 60 votes needed to get through the Senate or receive support in the Democratic-held House. In a joint statement Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said "Senate Republicans appear dead-set on another bill which doesn't come close to addressing the problems and is headed nowhere."
"Democrats want to work on bipartisan legislation that will meet the urgent needs of the American people but Republicans continue to move in the wrong direction," they added later in the statement.
Democrats and the Trump administration have failed to break an impasse over coronavirus relief since talks between the sides collapsed late last month. Democratic leaders have pushed for the White House to offer at least $2.2 trillion in federal funding to boost the U.S. economy and health-care system during the pandemic. Republicans so far have not agreed to go higher than $1.3 trillion.
Congress has failed to pass a fifth coronavirus aid package even after a $600 per week extra jobless benefit, a federal moratorium on evictions and the window to apply for PPP small business loans lapsed. The expiration of those lifelines has left millions made jobless by the virus struggling to cover costs, even as the overall labor market rebounds.
Pelosi and Schumer criticized the legislation in particular because reports said it did not include relief for state and local governments, money for rental and mortgage assistance, emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service or additional food aid.
Democrats have pushed for more than $900 billion in new aid for states and municipalities, some of which will have to cut services if they receive no more assistance. The White House, which charges that cities and states run by Democrats want funds to cover for financial mismanagement before the pandemic, has offered no more than $150 billion in new money.
The bipartisan National Governors Association has asked for at least $500 billion in relief.
Senate Republicans released their first pass at a fifth coronavirus relief package in late July. The bill, valued at roughly $1 trillion, countered the more than $3 trillion House Democratic legislation passed in May. It kick-started the stimulus negotiations, which have since made little progress.
While most GOP senators now acknowledge the need for another relief bill, some have argued against spending any more federal money at all to combat the pandemic.


cnbc--2020-09-08--Here's who Biden might pick to lead trade if he wins in November

Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks on the state of the US economy on September 4 , 2020 , in Wilmington , Delaware .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is tapping some of the most experienced trade professionals in Washington to help chart a new course on trade if he is elected .
Speculation is swirling in Washington , D.C. about which one of them could replace Robert Lighthizer , the Trump administration 's powerful U.S. Trade Representative , or be named to a top economic post if Biden wins in November .
Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University law professor and former World Trade Organization judge Jennifer Hillman and Miriam Sapiro , a former deputy and acting U.S. Trade Representative ( USTR ) during the Obama administration , according to people familiar with the matter .
Choices may not come until after the election , but Biden has already begun thinking about people he wants in top jobs , his wife Jill told campaign donors on Aug. 27 .
The USTR job in the past has sometimes gone to candidates passed over for higher-profile cabinet positions .
But as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grows , the agency is now at the center of economic policy and will likely manage ongoing negotiations with the European Union , Britain , Brazil and India .
Biden 's need to unify his party behind a new presidency might also lead him to pick someone with a more progressive background , trade experts say .
Two labor-aligned policy specialists , Michael Wessel and Cathy Feingold , are also advising the Biden campaign , as is Todd Tucker , a Roosevelt Institute scholar who has been critical of Trump policies , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former boss President Barack Obama .
Names floated by Washington trade experts as potential candidates for top roles are Fred Hochberg , the former U.S. Export-Import Bank chairman who recently wrote the book `` Trade is Not a Four-Letter Word '' ; Rhonda Schmidtlein , a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission ; and Robert Holleyman , a former deputy U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration .
Other potential candidates named by trade experts and lobbyists include some from Congress : U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez , a California progressive who helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agreement ( USMCA ) ; Beth Baltzan of the Open Markets Institute , a former lawyer with USTR and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee who worked on legislation to secure improved aid for displaced workers ; and Katherine Tai , the current trade counsel for House Ways and Means Democrats , who played a key role in negotiating the USMCA changes and previously headed China trade enforcement at USTR .

Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks on the state of the US economy on September 4, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is tapping some of the most experienced trade professionals in Washington to help chart a new course on trade if he is elected.
Speculation is swirling in Washington, D.C. about which one of them could replace Robert Lighthizer, the Trump administration's powerful U.S. Trade Representative, or be named to a top economic post if Biden wins in November.
Biden's external advisory committee on trade includes Georgetown University law professor and former World Trade Organization judge Jennifer Hillman and Miriam Sapiro, a former deputy and acting U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) during the Obama administration, according to people familiar with the matter.
Choices may not come until after the election, but Biden has already begun thinking about people he wants in top jobs, his wife Jill told campaign donors on Aug. 27.
Biden's campaign declined to comment.
The USTR job in the past has sometimes gone to candidates passed over for higher-profile cabinet positions. But as the coronavirus recession drags on and U.S.-China competition grows, the agency is now at the center of economic policy and will likely manage ongoing negotiations with the European Union, Britain, Brazil and India.
Biden's need to unify his party behind a new presidency might also lead him to pick someone with a more progressive background, trade experts say.
Two labor-aligned policy specialists, Michael Wessel and Cathy Feingold, are also advising the Biden campaign, as is Todd Tucker, a Roosevelt Institute scholar who has been critical of Trump policies, and of trade policy crafted by Biden's former boss President Barack Obama.
Names floated by Washington trade experts as potential candidates for top roles are Fred Hochberg, the former U.S. Export-Import Bank chairman who recently wrote the book "Trade is Not a Four-Letter Word"; Rhonda Schmidtlein, a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission; and Robert Holleyman, a former deputy U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration.
Other potential candidates named by trade experts and lobbyists include some from Congress:
U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez, a California progressive who helped negotiate stronger labor provisions in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA); Beth Baltzan of the Open Markets Institute, a former lawyer with USTR and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee who worked on legislation to secure improved aid for displaced workers; and Katherine Tai, the current trade counsel for House Ways and Means Democrats, who played a key role in negotiating the USMCA changes and previously headed China trade enforcement at USTR.


cnbc--2020-09-08--Biden’s hands may be tied on Trump's China tariffs, trade experts say

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Strategic and Economic Dialogue ( S & ED ) at the State Department in Washington , U.S. June 23 , 2015 .
`` Damaging , '' `` reckless '' and `` disastrous '' are some of the words Joe Biden has used to describe tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on allies and rivals alike .
He may keep some in place anyway if he is elected president of the United States in November .
Republicans largely abandoned traditional party goals such as unfettered trade and balanced budgets to embrace Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic-party challenger Biden , with a history of supporting free trade but also attuned to voices calling out for a different approach , the task is not so simple .
Biden is backed by labor unions who want job protections and infrastructure spending , and progressives who want action on climate change , lower drug prices and human rights , while facing demands from farmers and U.S. corporations eager for tariff cuts and a less disruptive China trade relationship .
The mix of conflicting interests adds up to a wait-and-see approach that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inherit from Trump in place for years , say former and current advisers , lobbyists and trade analysts .
`` It 's unclear how he will balance these different competing forces , '' said Mary Lovely , a Syracuse University economics professor and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics .
The series of staggered tariffs the Trump administration imposed on $ 370 billion worth of Chinese goods in 2018 and 2019 have cost U.S. importers some $ 61.6 billion to date , according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing competitiveness .
Duties on steel , aluminum , washing machines , solar panels and European Union goods added another $ 12.2 billion in punitive collections through Sept. 2 .
The U.S. trade deficit with China narrowed in 2019 , but Census Bureau data on Thursday showed the nation 's trade gap in July jumped to $ 63.6 billion , its widest in 12 years , with China accounting for nearly half of it .
Trade experts say Biden 's hands may be tied .
`` I do n't see any scenario in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first 6-12 months , and lift those tariffs , '' said Nathan Sheets , a former Obama administration Treasury undersecretary who negotiated with China on economic issues .
`` The current political environment - left , right and center - is going to require Biden to be tough on China , '' said Sheets , now chief economist with PGIM Fixed Income .

U.S. President Joe Biden pictured in front of China and U.S. flags. Yuri Gripas | Reuters
"Damaging," "reckless" and "disastrous" are some of the words Joe Biden has used to describe tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on allies and rivals alike. He may keep some in place anyway if he is elected president of the United States in November. Republicans largely abandoned traditional party goals such as unfettered trade and balanced budgets to embrace Trump's "America First" agenda. For Democratic-party challenger Biden, with a history of supporting free trade but also attuned to voices calling out for a different approach, the task is not so simple. Biden is backed by labor unions who want job protections and infrastructure spending, and progressives who want action on climate change, lower drug prices and human rights, while facing demands from farmers and U.S. corporations eager for tariff cuts and a less disruptive China trade relationship. The mix of conflicting interests adds up to a wait-and-see approach that could keep many of the tariffs Biden would inherit from Trump in place for years, say former and current advisers, lobbyists and trade analysts. "It's unclear how he will balance these different competing forces," said Mary Lovely, a Syracuse University economics professor and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
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The series of staggered tariffs the Trump administration imposed on $370 billion worth of Chinese goods in 2018 and 2019 have cost U.S. importers some $61.6 billion to date, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data and have been blamed for eroding U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. Duties on steel, aluminum, washing machines, solar panels and European Union goods added another $12.2 billion in punitive collections through Sept. 2. The U.S. trade deficit with China narrowed in 2019, but Census Bureau data on Thursday showed the nation's trade gap in July jumped to $63.6 billion, its widest in 12 years, with China accounting for nearly half of it. Trade experts say Biden's hands may be tied. "I don't see any scenario in which he can go in, in the first 6-12 months, and lift those tariffs," said Nathan Sheets, a former Obama administration Treasury undersecretary who negotiated with China on economic issues. "The current political environment - left, right and center - is going to require Biden to be tough on China," said Sheets, now chief economist with PGIM Fixed Income.
From free trade to fair trade
Biden has backed free trade over his three decades in Congress, during a period when increasing globalization was viewed as a path to prosperity. He supported the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
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As vice president, he was a vocal proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Obama administration’s attempt to counter China’s growing influence in Asia. That support for free trade has given ammunition for Trump to attack Biden as being “soft on China” and allowing U.S. jobs to migrate to low-wage countries. Biden has struck back, saying he is not afraid to use trade barriers - but only when they make sense. “I will use tariffs when they are needed, but the difference between me and Trump is that I will have a strategy - a plan - to use those tariffs to win, not just to fake toughness,” Biden wrote in a statement to the United Steelworkers union in May. Steel and aluminum tariffs would stay until a global solution to limit excess production - largely centered in China - can be negotiated, it said. Biden's "Made in All of America" economic plan suggests the use of carbon-based tariffs to punish countries failing to meet climate goals, a move that could please progressives eager for the United States to take a stand on global warming. The plan also vows reform of the World Trade Organization, and “aggressive trade enforcement actions” against unfair practices by China and other countries, including currency manipulation, dumping of below-cost exports, and “state-owned company abuses, or unfair subsidies.” The Trump administration aimed to address Chinese dumping and state subsidies, but the Phase 1 trade deal does not.
Making peace with allies on trade


cnbc--2020-09-08--‘It is a disgrace’: Biden demands apology after reports Trump called fallen troops ‘losers’

`` The servicemen and women he served with , particularly those who did not come home , were not losers .
If these statements are true , the president should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father and every Blue Star family that he 's denigrated and insulted , '' Biden added .
`` When my son was an assistant U.S. attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo while the war was going on as a civilian , he was n't a sucker , '' Biden said .
`` When my son volunteered and joined the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to Iraq for a year , won the Bronze Star and other commendations , he was n't a sucker , '' Biden said .
Biden , the Democratic nominee , invoked the military history of his own son — Beau Biden , who died of cancer in 2015 — as he denounced the president , who has denied making the reported comments .
WASHINGTON — A furious Joe Biden demanded Friday that President Donald Trump `` humbly apologize '' to the families of fallen U.S. service members following reports that Trump called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks on the state of the US economy on September 4 , 2020 , in Wilmington , Delaware .
Biden 's remarks came a day after The Atlantic reported that Trump declined to visit an American cemetery near Paris in 2018 and referred to U.S. Marines buried there as `` losers '' and `` suckers . ''
`` Why should I go to that cemetery ?
It 's filled with losers , '' Trump told aides after scrapping the visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlantic .
The magazine did not identify the aides .
The report said Trump later referred to the more than 1,800 Marines who lost their lives in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France as `` suckers '' for getting killed .
At the time , Trump publicly blamed his decision to scrap the visit on bad weather that scuttled his helicopter flight .
He never explained why he did n't take a car to the site .
The 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood dragged on for 20 days and ended with U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Allied victory became an enduring symbol in U.S. Marine Corps history .
`` I 've just never been as disappointed in my whole career , '' Biden later said in the remarks .
`` It is a disgrace . ''
Trump had used the same word to describe the article itself .
`` To think that I would make statements negative to our military and fallen heroes when nobody has done what I 've done , '' for the U.S. armed forces , Trump told reporters Thursday night .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgrace . ''
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement to CNBC that , `` The bogus attacks are the same as we heard in 2018 immediately following the trip to Paris and they are just as false now .
`` Every aspect of this charade should be dismissed out of hand , '' Murtaugh said in the statement , which did not directly address Biden 's remarks .
Members of the Trump administration also denied that the president spoke disparagingly about fallen U.S. military personnel buried at the cemetery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview on `` Fox & Friends '' that he has `` never heard the president use the language that is certainly said in that article about him calling military suckers and losers . ''
`` Indeed , just the contrary , he has always had the deepest respect .
I 'm a veteran , too .
I care deeply about these young men and women , and I have watched the president honor them and every situation that I 've been in with him as well , '' Pompeo said .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Esper said Trump `` has the highest respect and admiration for our nation 's military members , veterans and families , '' adding , `` That is why he has fought for greater pay and more funding for our armed forces . ''
Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC on Friday that he was not on the particular trip referenced in The Atlantic article but , `` it never happened . ''
`` I talked to the president that day , I know how disappointed the president was that there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been with anyone who cares more deeply about the men and women of our armed forces or respects them and their families than President Donald Trump , '' Pence said .

"The servicemen and women he served with, particularly those who did not come home, were not losers. If these statements are true, the president should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father and every Blue Star family that he's denigrated and insulted," Biden added.
"When my son was an assistant U.S. attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo while the war was going on as a civilian, he wasn't a sucker," Biden said. "When my son volunteered and joined the United States military as the attorney general and went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he wasn't a sucker," Biden said.
Biden, the Democratic nominee, invoked the military history of his own son — Beau Biden, who died of cancer in 2015 — as he denounced the president, who has denied making the reported comments.
WASHINGTON — A furious Joe Biden demanded Friday that President Donald Trump "humbly apologize" to the families of fallen U.S. service members following reports that Trump called them "losers" and "suckers."
Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks on the state of the US economy on September 4, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden's remarks came a day after The Atlantic reported that Trump declined to visit an American cemetery near Paris in 2018 and referred to U.S. Marines buried there as "losers" and "suckers."
"Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers," Trump told aides after scrapping the visit to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, according to The Atlantic. The magazine did not identify the aides. The report said Trump later referred to the more than 1,800 Marines who lost their lives in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France as "suckers" for getting killed.
At the time, Trump publicly blamed his decision to scrap the visit on bad weather that scuttled his helicopter flight. He never explained why he didn't take a car to the site.
The 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood dragged on for 20 days and ended with U.S. Marines successfully clearing out German camps. The Allied victory became an enduring symbol in U.S. Marine Corps history.
"I've just never been as disappointed in my whole career," Biden later said in the remarks. "It is a disgrace."
Trump had used the same word to describe the article itself. "To think that I would make statements negative to our military and fallen heroes when nobody has done what I've done," for the U.S. armed forces, Trump told reporters Thursday night. "It's a total lie ... It's a disgrace."
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement to CNBC that, "The bogus attacks are the same as we heard in 2018 immediately following the trip to Paris and they are just as false now. "Every aspect of this charade should be dismissed out of hand," Murtaugh said in the statement, which did not directly address Biden's remarks.
Members of the Trump administration also denied that the president spoke disparagingly about fallen U.S. military personnel buried at the cemetery.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during an interview on "Fox & Friends" that he has "never heard the president use the language that is certainly said in that article about him calling military suckers and losers."
"Indeed, just the contrary, he has always had the deepest respect. I'm a veteran, too. I care deeply about these young men and women, and I have watched the president honor them and every situation that I've been in with him as well," Pompeo said.
In a statement Friday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Trump "has the highest respect and admiration for our nation's military members, veterans and families," adding, "That is why he has fought for greater pay and more funding for our armed forces."
Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC on Friday that he was not on the particular trip referenced in The Atlantic article but, "it never happened."
"I talked to the president that day, I know how disappointed the president was that there was a bad weather call. I've never been with anyone who cares more deeply about the men and women of our armed forces or respects them and their families than President Donald Trump," Pence said.


cnbc--2020-09-09--Biden leads in six 2020 swing states as Trump sees no convention bounce, CNBC/Change Research poll f

Biden leads in six 2020 swing states as Trump sees no convention bounce, CNBC/Change Research poll finds

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden answers questions from reporters after a speech about the effects on the U.S. economy of the Trump administration 's response to the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) pandemic during an appearance in Wilmington , Delaware , September 4 , 2020 .
Across Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , the former vice president holds a 49 % to 45 % edge over the Republican incumbent , the survey released Wednesday found .
It compares with a 49 % to 46 % edge Biden held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after the Democratic National Convention but before the GOP 's nominating events .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in six 2020 swing states , as the Republican National Convention changed little in the race for the White House , according to a new CNBC/Change Research poll .
Biden holds at least a narrow lead in all six of the states , which will play a major role in determining who wins the White House on Nov. 3 .
Here is where the race stands in all of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the last survey : The poll , taken Friday through Sunday , surveyed 4,143 likely voters across the six states and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points .
It shows a race changing little even in a period where presidential candidates can see a temporary bump after they inundate voters at their nominating conventions .
Though Biden 's lead in both national and swing-state polling averages has fallen from highs seen during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in June and July , the CNBC/Change Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by events in recent weeks .
The survey released Wednesday found swing-state voters ' views of Trump and Biden have not meaningfully changed over the last two weeks .
This week , 45 % of respondents said they have favorable feelings about Trump , versus 52 % who said they view him unfavorably .
It compares with a 46 % to 51 % favorable to unfavorable spread two weeks ago .
Opinions on Biden did not budge at all .
In Wednesday 's survey , 45 % of likely voters said they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while 49 % responded that they had unfavorable feelings about him .
The numbers were the same two weeks ago .
Respondents were asked to choose the three most important issues facing the country .
The most common choice was the economy , jobs and cost of living , picked by 43 % of likely voters , followed by political corruption at 38 % .
Another 35 % of respondents chose Covid-19 , followed by law and order at 29 % , and racism and discrimination at 27 % .
The major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important issues .
Among Democrats , 61 % chose Covid-19 and 51 % picked racism and discrimination .
But among GOP voters , 58 % chose law and order — a common rhetorical device Trump uses to criticize protests against police brutality and racism — and 53 % picked the economy , jobs and cost of living .

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in six 2020 swing states, as the Republican National Convention changed little in the race for the White House, according to a new CNBC/Change Research poll. Across Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the former vice president holds a 49% to 45% edge over the Republican incumbent, the survey released Wednesday found. It compares with a 49% to 46% edge Biden held in a poll taken two weeks ago, after the Democratic National Convention but before the GOP's nominating events.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
Biden holds at least a narrow lead in all six of the states, which will play a major role in determining who wins the White House on Nov. 3. Here is where the race stands in all of those states, and how it has changed from the last survey: Arizona: Biden 49%, Trump 45% (was Biden 49%, Trump 47%)
Biden 49%, Trump 45% (was Biden 49%, Trump 47%) Florida: Biden 49%, Trump 46% (unchanged)
Biden 49%, Trump 46% (unchanged) Michigan: Biden 49%, Trump 43% (was Biden 50%, Trump 44%)
Biden 49%, Trump 43% (was Biden 50%, Trump 44%) North Carolina: Biden 49%, Trump 47% (was Biden 48%, Trump 47%)
Biden 49%, Trump 47% (was Biden 48%, Trump 47%) Pennsylvania: Biden 50%, Trump 46% (was Biden 49%, Trump 46%)
Biden 50%, Trump 46% (was Biden 49%, Trump 46%) Wisconsin: Biden 50%, Trump 44% (was Biden 49%, Trump 44%) The poll, taken Friday through Sunday, surveyed 4,143 likely voters across the six states and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points. It shows a race changing little even in a period where presidential candidates can see a temporary bump after they inundate voters at their nominating conventions. Though Biden's lead in both national and swing-state polling averages has fallen from highs seen during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in June and July, the CNBC/Change Research polls find the presidential race largely unchanged by events in recent weeks.
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cnbc--2020-09-09--Biden proposes a tax penalty for offshoring and new credits for manufacturing investments

WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will travel to the battleground state of Michigan on Wednesday to propose changes to the corporate tax code that reward investments in U.S.-based manufacturing , and impose new penalties on American companies that offshore jobs .
The tax plan is part of a broader push by the former vice president to forcefully challenge President Donald Trump on economic issues in the final two months of the presidential race .
The Biden offshoring tax proposal has three chief components : • An offshoring tax penalty : This part calls for a 28 % corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` offshoring penalty surtax '' on profits for manufactured goods and for services such as call centers , if American companies produce them overseas and then sell them back to the U.S. market .
According to a briefing paper from the Biden campaign ,  '' companies will pay a 30.8 % tax rate on any such profits . ''
• A `` Made in America '' tax credit : A 10 % advanceable tax credit for companies on a broad range of investments designed to create manufacturing jobs in the U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ credit include revitalizing closed or closing factories , increasing domestic production , modernizing manufacturing facilities , expanding manufacturing payrolls and any expense or investment related to onshoring jobs .
• Elimination of offshore tax loopholes : Biden 's plan would close several tax loopholes in the 2017 Republican tax bill that currently permit U.S. companies to shield their foreign profits from full taxation .
Trump 's pledge to halt offshoring and bring jobs back to the U.S. proved to be one of his most effective campaign messages in 2016 , helping him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania .
On Wednesday , Biden will appear in Macomb County , which Trump won in 2016 , to argue that the president has broken his promise to revitalize manufacturing there .
Biden will present his own plan as the best way to accomplish what Trump could not .
In addition to proposing changes to the offshore tax code , Biden will also pledge that if he is elected president , he will sign six `` Buy American '' executive orders during his first week in office .
The executive orders would tighten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that govern federal procurement to even more strongly favor American-made goods and services than they do now .
Biden initially proposed the changes to `` Buy American '' rules in early July , when he first unveiled his economic platform .
In the two months since then , Biden has maintained his lead over Trump in both national and swing-state polls , with a majority of voters in these states saying they believe Biden would handle race relations , the coronavirus pandemic and national security better than Trump .
But with less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there remains one issue on which Trump consistently leads his opponent : Who voters trust most to handle the economy .
In Michigan , Biden leads Trump statewide by 5 points , according to a WDIV/Detroit News poll released Tuesday .
But Trump has a 4-point advantage over Biden on the economy .
Several nationwide polls in the past week have shown Biden closing in on Trump 's economic advantage , however , giving the Biden campaign reason to believe the timing is ideal for an aggressive economic push in states Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. is one of several promises Trump made during his first campaign that has proven much more difficult to accomplish than Trump and his closest advisers had anticipated .
This is partly due to the president 's tendency to launch initiatives with fanfare , only to set them aside soon after and focus on something else .
For example , Trump signed his own `` Buy American '' executive order in April 2017 , just weeks after his inauguration .
The order required federal agencies to gather information about procurement practices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Three years later , however , there do not appear to have been any reports submitted , according to The Los Angeles Times , which recently examined Trump 's record on `` Buy American . ''
Trump , meanwhile , is trying to make many of the same arguments about Biden .
Speaking at a campaign rally Tuesday night in North Carolina , Trump claimed , `` For half a century , Joe Biden shook hands with blue-collar workers and then he turned around and immediately stabbed them in the back '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` He closed the factories in Baltimore and sent them to Beijing .
They were all sent to Beijing . ''

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will travel to the battleground state of Michigan on Wednesday to propose changes to the corporate tax code to reward investments in U.S.-based manufacturing and penalize American companies that offshore jobs.
The tax plan is part of a broader push by the former vice president to forcefully challenge President Donald Trump on economic issues in the final two months of the presidential race.
The proposal has three chief components:
An offshoring tax penalty: This part calls for a 28% corporate tax rate and an additional 10% "offshoring penalty surtax" on profits for manufactured goods and for services such as call centers, if American companies produce them overseas and then sell them back to the U.S. market. According to a briefing paper from the Biden campaign, "companies will pay a 30.8% tax rate on any such profits."
A "Made in America" tax credit: A 10% advanceable tax credit for companies on a broad range of investments designed to create manufacturing jobs in the United States. Eligible projects include revitalizing closed or closing factories, increasing domestic production, modernizing manufacturing facilities, expanding manufacturing payrolls and any expense or investment related to onshoring jobs.
Elimination of offshore tax loopholes: Biden's plan would close several tax loopholes in the 2017 Republican tax law that permit U.S. companies to shield their foreign profits from full taxation.
Trump's pledge to halt offshoring and bring jobs back to the U.S. proved to be one of his most effective campaign messages in 2016, helping him to win manufacturing-heavy blue states like Michigan and Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, Biden will appear in Macomb County, which Trump won in 2016, to argue that the president has broken his promise to revitalize manufacturing there. Biden will present his own plan as the best way to accomplish what Trump could not.
In addition to proposing changes to the offshore tax code, Biden will also pledge that if he is elected president, he will sign six "Buy American" executive orders during his first week in office.
The executive orders would tighten the current "Buy American" rules that govern federal procurement to even more strongly favor American-made goods and services than they do now. Biden initially proposed the changes to "Buy American" rules in early July, when he unveiled his economic platform.
In the two months since then, Biden has maintained his lead over Trump in national and swing-state polls, with a majority of voters in these states saying they believe Biden would handle race relations, the coronavirus pandemic and national security better than Trump has.
But with less than 60 days left in the presidential campaign, there remains one issue on which Trump consistently leads his opponent: who voters trust most to handle the economy.
In Michigan, Biden leads Trump by 5 points, according to a WDIV/Detroit News poll released Tuesday. But Trump has a 4-point advantage over Biden on the economy.
Several nationwide polls in the past week have shown Biden closing in on Trump's economic advantage, however, giving the Biden campaign reason to believe the timing is ideal for an aggressive economic push in states Trump won last time.
Returning jobs to the U.S. is one of several promises Trump made during his first campaign that has proven much more difficult to accomplish than he and his closest advisers had anticipated.
This is partly due to the president's tendency to launch initiatives with fanfare, only to set them aside soon after and focus on something else.
For example, Trump signed his own "Buy American" executive order in April 2017, just weeks after his inauguration. The order required federal agencies to gather information about procurement practices and then submit reports to the White House.
Three years later, however, there do not appear to have been any reports submitted, according to the Los Angeles Times, which recently examined Trump's record on "Buy American."
Trump is trying to make many of the same arguments about Biden.
Speaking at a campaign rally Tuesday night in North Carolina, Trump claimed, "For half a century, Joe Biden shook hands with blue-collar workers and then he turned around and immediately stabbed them in the back" with multinational trade deals, Trump said. "He closed the factories in Baltimore and sent them to Beijing. They were all sent to Beijing."


cnbc--2020-09-09--Trump officials altered intel to downplay threats from Russia, White supremacists, DHS whistleblower

Trump officials altered intel to downplay threats from Russia, White supremacists, DHS whistleblower says

Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , speaks during a press conference with the other House impeachment managers before the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump resumes at the Capitol on Wednesday , Jan. 22 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON – A former acting undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security accused top officials there of ordering him to stop sharing intelligence assessments on Russia 's efforts to interfere in the U.S. election because they `` made the President look bad . ''
According to a whistleblower complaint filed by Brian Murphy , former head of the Office of Intelligence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Murphy to downplay a threat assessment about White supremacy .
The formal whistleblower complaint describes a `` repeated pattern of abuse of authority , attempted censorship of intelligence analysis and improper administration of an intelligence program related to Russian efforts to influence and undermine United States interests . ''
Among the most serious allegations are that acting Secretary Chad Wolf earlier this year instructed Murphy `` to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States , and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolf told him the order came directly from President Donald Trump 's national security advisor , Robert O'Brien .
Murphy said he refused to comply with these instructions .
Homeland Security `` is working to address all threats to the homeland regardless of ideology .
The Acting Secretary is focused on thwarting election interference from any foreign powers and attacks from any extremist group , '' Woltornist said in a statement to CNBC .
White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews also denied that O'Brien tried to `` dictate the Intelligence Community 's focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or on any other topic . ''
`` Politicizing election security , a topic on which the National Security Council has convened dozens of high-level policy meetings in recent months , through specious complaints based on false allegations , which on their face are rank hearsay , damages the national security of the United States , '' Matthews said in a statement .
Murphy 's complaint also described how the routine distribution of a Homeland Threat Assessment ( HTA ) report was `` prohibited due to concerns raised by Messrs. Wolf and [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Cuccinelli regarding how the HTA would reflect upon President Trump .
Two sections were specifically labeled as concerns : White Supremacy and Russian influence in the United States . ''
The complaint accused Cuccinelli specifically of instructing Murphy to modify an assessment on White supremacy in order make `` the threat appear less severe , as well as include information on the prominence of violent 'left-wing ' groups . ''
The House Intelligence Committee announced Wednesday that it had received Murphy 's complaint and requested that he testify before the committee as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence manipulation at DHS .
Neither the White House nor DHS immediately responded to CNBC 's request for comment on the whistleblower complaint .
`` Mr. Murphy 's allegations are serious — from senior officials suppressing intelligence reports on Russia 's election interference and making false statements to Congress about terrorism threats at our southern border , to modifying intelligence assessments to match the President 's rhetoric on Antifa and minimizing the threat posed by white supremacists , '' said Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into stark relief how dangerous and harmful it is for American voters that the Trump Administration has decided to end briefings to Congress about foreign interference in our upcoming election . ''

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks during a press conference with the other House impeachment managers before the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump resumes at the Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Caroline Brehman | CQ-Roll Call | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – A former acting undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security accused top officials there of ordering him to stop sharing intelligence assessments on Russia's efforts to interfere in the U.S. election because they "made the President look bad." According to a whistleblower complaint filed by Brian Murphy, former head of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, top brass also told Murphy to downplay a threat assessment about White supremacy. The formal whistleblower complaint describes a "repeated pattern of abuse of authority, attempted censorship of intelligence analysis and improper administration of an intelligence program related to Russian efforts to influence and undermine United States interests." Among the most serious allegations are that acting Secretary Chad Wolf earlier this year instructed Murphy "to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran."
U.S. President Donald President Trump listens to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf during a briefing on Hurricane Laura at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, August 27, 2020. Carlos Barria | Reuters
According to Murphy, Wolf told him the order came directly from President Donald Trump's national security advisor, Robert O'Brien. Murphy said he refused to comply with these instructions. Department spokesman Alexei Woltornist said DHS denies Murphy's allegations. Homeland Security "is working to address all threats to the homeland regardless of ideology. The Acting Secretary is focused on thwarting election interference from any foreign powers and attacks from any extremist group," Woltornist said in a statement to CNBC. White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews also denied that O'Brien tried to "dictate the Intelligence Community's focus on threats to the integrity of our elections or on any other topic." "Politicizing election security, a topic on which the National Security Council has convened dozens of high-level policy meetings in recent months, through specious complaints based on false allegations, which on their face are rank hearsay, damages the national security of the United States," Matthews said in a statement. Murphy's complaint also described how the routine distribution of a Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA) report was "prohibited due to concerns raised by Messrs. Wolf and [acting Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken] Cuccinelli regarding how the HTA would reflect upon President Trump. Two sections were specifically labeled as concerns: White Supremacy and Russian influence in the United States."
Acting Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli speaks during a briefing at the White House August 12, 2019, in Washington, DC. The administration of US President Donald Trump announced Monday new rules that aim to deny permanent residency and citizenship benefits to migrants who receive food stamps, Medicaid and other public welfare. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images


cnbc--2020-09-09--Trump adds 20 names to Supreme Court shortlist, including Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton

U.S. President Donald Trump faces reporters prior to boarding Air Force One as he departs Washington for campaign travel to Florida and North Carolina at Joint Base Andrews , Maryland , U.S. , September 8 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump on Wednesday added 20 names to his list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court and called on his Democratic rival Joe Biden to do the same , renewing a tactic he first employed during his last presidential campaign .
Among the nearly two dozen additions to the list are GOP Sens .
Ted Cruz of Texas , Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Missouri , as well as Noel Francisco , the former Trump administration solicitor general , and a number of judges whom Trump had previously appointed to the federal bench .
`` Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice , equal treatment and equal rights for citizens of every race , color , religion and creed , '' Trump said at a press conference announcing the names .
`` Together we will defend our righteous heritage and preserve our magnificent American way of life . ''
Trump first took the unprecedented step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court picks during his 2016 campaign , a move designed to shore up support among Christian conservatives .
The release of the new list once again seemed geared toward energizing the GOP 's religious base .
Shortly after the announcement , Cotton wrote in a post on Twitter , `` It 's time for Roe v. Wade to go , '' referring to the landmark abortion ruling .
Hawley said on the social media platform that he had no interest in being on the court , but did `` look forward to confirming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement that his placement on the list was humbling .
The timing of Wednesday 's release , which Trump said months ago would be out by September , suggested it was intended to bolster the president 's electoral odds .
The president has been trailing Biden in national surveys , as polling data shows voters are focused on his administration 's response to the Covid-19 crisis .
He released the names on a day he has come under fire for admitting that he downplayed coronavirus dangers in the early days of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave to author Bob Woodward for a new book .
Trump defended himself , saying at the news conference that his role is as a `` cheerleader for this country '' and that he did not want to foment panic about the virus .
Notably , neither of the president 's eventual nominees to the top court were included on his first shortlist , released in May 2016 , though they were added to subsequent drafts .
Justice Neil Gorsuch , Trump 's first nominee to the high court , was included on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September of 2016 .
Gorsuch was confirmed to the court , which had a vacancy when Trump was inaugurated as a result of the death of Antonin Scalia .
After taking office , Trump added five more names to his list , including Brett Kavanaugh .
Trump tapped Kavanaugh to fill the seat vacated by Anthony Kennedy .
Trump has touted the rapid appointment of young , conservative judges to the federal bench as one of the signature successes of his first term .
There are no vacancies on the top court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Breyer , both liberals , are in their 80s .
The court has a 5-4 majority of justices appointed by Republican presidents .
Biden has not released a list of potential nominees , though he has pledged to nominate a Black woman to the bench .
His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

Among the nearly two dozen additions to the list are GOP Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, as well as Noel Francisco, the former Trump administration solicitor general, and a number of judges whom Trump had previously appointed to the federal bench.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday added 20 names to his list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court and called on his Democratic rival Joe Biden to do the same, renewing a tactic he first employed during his last presidential campaign.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, speaks during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican caucus luncheon in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.
"Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice, equal treatment and equal rights for citizens of every race, color, religion and creed," Trump said at a press conference announcing the names. "Together we will defend our righteous heritage and preserve our magnificent American way of life."
Trump first took the unprecedented step of releasing two lists of potential Supreme Court picks during his 2016 campaign, a move designed to shore up support among Christian conservatives. The release of the new list once again seemed geared toward energizing the GOP's religious base.
Shortly after the announcement, Cotton wrote in a post on Twitter, "It's time for Roe v. Wade to go," referring to the landmark abortion ruling.
Hawley said on the social media platform that he had no interest in being on the court, but did "look forward to confirming constitutional conservatives." Cruz said in a statement that his placement on the list was humbling.
The timing of Wednesday's release, which Trump said months ago would be out by September, suggested it was intended to bolster the president's electoral odds.
The president has been trailing Biden in national surveys, as polling data shows voters are focused on his administration's response to the Covid-19 crisis.
He released the names on a day he has come under fire for admitting that he downplayed coronavirus dangers in the early days of the pandemic, according to an interview he gave to author Bob Woodward for a new book.
Trump defended himself, saying at the news conference that his role is as a "cheerleader for this country" and that he did not want to foment panic about the virus.
Notably, neither of the president's eventual nominees to the top court were included on his first shortlist, released in May 2016, though they were added to subsequent drafts.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump's first nominee to the high court, was included on the second list, which was released in September of 2016. Gorsuch was confirmed to the court, which had a vacancy when Trump was inaugurated as a result of the death of Antonin Scalia.
After taking office, Trump added five more names to his list, including Brett Kavanaugh. Trump tapped Kavanaugh to fill the seat vacated by Anthony Kennedy.
Trump has touted the rapid appointment of young, conservative judges to the federal bench as one of the signature successes of his first term.
There are no vacancies on the top court, though Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, both liberals, are in their 80s. The court has a 5-4 majority of justices appointed by Republican presidents.
Biden has not released a list of potential nominees, though he has pledged to nominate a Black woman to the bench. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


cnbc--2020-09-09--How James and Kathryn Murdoch became a political power couple in the Trump era

The powerful Murdoch family is often linked to conservative politics , particularly through its control of Fox News .
Yet James Murdoch , one of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch 's sons , and spouse Kathryn Murdoch are working to create their own legacy by supporting causes across the political spectrum .
They have have used their cash and influence to become a political power couple in a fractured Washington .
A list from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics showing the 2020 election cycle 's top donors ranks James and Kathryn Murdoch 13th among a group of 100 contributors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Murdochs have contributed over $ 11 million to political causes , with over $ 2.5 million going to Democrats .
They have also focused some of their efforts on opposing President Donald Trump .
In an exclusive interview with CNBC , Kathryn Murdoch discussed how she and her husband became involved with what she describes as standing up for democracy reform .
She also said she sees Trump and his administration standing in the way of several reforms .
Murdoch points to Trump 's dismissive attitude toward climate change and his handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to push back on the concept of expanded voting by mail , as reasons she believes it 's time for Joe Biden to become president .
`` I think it is disappointing that the administration is relying on feelings about things , gut instincts , rather than on data and science , '' Kathryn Murdoch said Wednesday , when asked about Trump 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` It was a real missed opportunity from the White House .
I think they are going to end up harming their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well served by the postal service and that 's an example of those feelings getting in the way of data and the science , '' she said in discussing Trump 's push back against mail-in ballots .
Voting by mail has been expanded in certain states in the wake of a pandemic that has made in-person voting a risky proposition for many voters and volunteers .
Kathryn Murdoch noted Biden 's professed reliance on science and data is one of the reasons she and and her husband are supporting the former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June to contribute over $ 1.2 million to the Biden Victory Fund , a joint fundraising operation between Biden 's campaign and the Democratic National Committee , according to Federal Election Commission records .
Still , the story of how the couple has become influential donors while remaining largely out of the political limelight starts , at least in part , around the time of the 2018 congressional midterm elections , when Democrats won the majority in the House .
For a group known as Unite America , it was a time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent nominees that the nonpartisan organization endorsed that year ended up losing .
Its political action committees , according to records , ended up having at least $ 230,000 on hand at the end of the 2018 election cycle .
Their 501 ( c ) 3 , called the Unite America Institute , finished with just over $ 10,000 in net assets , according to its 2018 disclosure report .
The group needed a new path and more funding .
After receiving multiyear donor commitments from their network , they turned to Kathryn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blog post by Unite America says the group first met Murdoch in December 2017 .
Just before she became the co-chair of Unite America in 2019 , the couple 's foundation , Quadrivium , conducted a study that depicted where best to put financial resources to fight against what she saw as gridlock in Washington .
She also aimed to increase voter participation and combat climate change , among other initiatives , she told CNBC .
That road map , which was presented to Unite America 's executive director , Nick Troiano at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hoping to move toward in the coming years , and the two organizations `` combined forces , '' she explained .
Charles Wheelan , the founder of Unite America , declined to comment .
Quadrivium , Murdoch said , has continued to help many of the groups they originally planned to finance , including Defending Democracy Together , a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) organization led by Republican Bill Kristol , a former member of President Ronald Reagan 's administration and a staunch Trump critic .
The group has crafted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the intention of taking down Trump in November .
Those projects include the Republican Voters Against Trump , Republicans for the Rule of Law and Former Republican National Security Officials for Biden .
A list of Quadrivium grantees provided to CNBC shows that Republicans for the Rule of Law has received funding from the Murdoch backed foundation .
A spokeswoman for Defending Democracy Together confirmed that Quadrivium did help fund the group , which was founded nearly two years ago .
Another group that received assistance from Quadrivium , Murdoch said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that brings together America 's leading creative , analytic and media agencies to shift the narrative on climate change , '' according to its website .
Another group is Represent Us , which , according to their website , is `` a powerful movement of independents , progressives , and conservatives building on America 's long tradition of pursuing federal reform through the states . ''
Their board includes actress Jennifer Lawrence and actor Ed Helms .
Quadrivium is listed on the Represent Us website as a foundation that 's given at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Energy did not return a request for comment .
Outside of Kathryn 's ongoing ventures through Quadrivium , the Murdochs ' total donations to federal candidates and outside fundraising committees rank in the top 20 for the first time since at least 2010 , according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics .
They 've contributed just under $ 12 million so far this cycle , data shows , with some going toward Biden 's campaign for president in the second quarter .
James and Kathryn Murdoch have so far given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soros , Reid Hoffman and Haim Saban , according to the data .
The Murdoch family , headed by Rupert Murdoch , controls Fox Corp. and News Corp. James ' brother Lachlan Murdoch is the CEO of Fox , which has multiple assets including Fox News .
James Murdoch recently decided to step down from the News Corp. board and was CEO of 21st Century Fox before it was acquired by Disney .
Fox News ' primetime hosts have often publicly supported Trump and his policies .
Meanwhile , James Murdoch himself began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infamous rallies in Charlottesville , Virginia , during which an anti-racism protester was killed .
In an email , while he was the CEO of 21st Century Fox , Murdoch told friends , `` I ca n't even believe I have to write this : standing up to Nazis is essential ; there are no good Nazis .
Or Klansmen , or terrorists .
Democrats , Republicans , and others must all agree on this , and it compromises nothing for them to do so . ''
His comments came after Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides '' of those protests .
Murdoch noted in the email that he and Kathryn Murdoch would be donating $ 1 million to the Anti-Defamation League .
Murdoch said in July of this year that he was leaving the board of News Corp. `` due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company 's news outlets and certain other strategic decisions . ''
He did not expand on what specific disagreements he had .
News Corp. 's businesses include the New York Post and Dow Jones , which publishes The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Forbes , is worth $ 18 billion .
James Murdoch declined CNBC 's request to be interviewed for this story .
James and Kathryn Murdoch 's financial might has been on full display during the 2020 election cycle .
Kathryn Murdoch has given over $ 8 million to Unite America 's PAC since joining the team early last year , data from CRP shows .
That 's over half of the $ 14 million raised this cycle alone .
She has privately encouraged other donors in her network of wealthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people familiar with the matter , who declined to be named as those efforts are often in private .
The Unite America Fund , according to its website , has a slew of groups in its donor portfolio that focus on a range of political issues , including those looking to make an impact on gerrymandering and vote by mail .
Those who have worked with Kathryn Murdoch recently say that her efforts with Unite America are why she 's become such a key player in the political finance world .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really started to convince the philanthropic community that political philanthropy is the greatest contribution they can make to the country right now , '' former U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo , R-Fla. , told CNBC in an interview .
Curbelo , who joined Unite America 's board a few months ago , said that in a recent Zoom conference call with the group 's leaders and potential new donors , Murdoch made her own personal pitch as to why financiers should pitch in .
Murdoch was `` just trying to put business and civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political philanthropy that will lead to meaningful reforms , '' he said in describing her message .
`` For philanthropy , investing in politics has never been a thing , and in her case it 's the most important thing right now . ''
he said .
Others on the board with ties to the business and philanthropic community include Marc Merrill , the co-founder of video game developer Riot Games ; Shawn Riegsecker , the CEO of Centro ; and Katherine Gehl , the CEO of Gehl Foods .
Unite America promotes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with primary elections , backing both Democrats and Republicans .
One of its affiliated super PACs , called Fix Congress Now , looked to make an impact in the Republican primary against Rep. Steve King , R-Iowa .
The PAC donated $ 50,000 to Priorities for Iowa , a super PAC that spent almost $ 340,000 supporting Randy Feenstra , King 's primary opponent , CRP data shows .
Feenstra went on to beat King to become the Republican nominee for Iowa 's Fourth District .
Murdoch , according to a person familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with deciding to give to the PAC , but she and other board members were in favor of backing Feenstra over King , who has a long history of racist remarks .
In the 2020 cycle , seven out of 10 Unite America congressional candidates and 18 out of 22 state legislative candidates the group supported won their primaries .
Giving to Democrats and others This cycle also marks the most Kathryn Murdoch herself has spent on individual candidates and outside political efforts .
With the exception of Unite America , all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person close to her said her decisions on whom to support are tied to what she believes is a threat to democracy .
She gave $ 615,000 to the Biden Victory Fund , a joint fundraising committee between Biden 's campaign and the Democratic National Committee , according to Federal Election Commission filings .
She gave $ 1 million to the Senate Majority PAC , a super PAC dedicated to helping Democrats become the majority in the U.S. Senate .
She 's also given $ 540,000 to Future Forward USA , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Trump .
After his tenure as CEO of 21st Century Fox ended last year , James Murdoch founded an investment firm in March 2019 called Lupa Systems .
Since then , Murdoch has been giving heavily to Democrats .
Though he was a supporter of Hillary Clinton 's 2016 run for president while he was in charge at Fox , he has surpassed prior donation amounts as of about two months until the upcoming Election Day .
One of the biggest checks James Murdoch wrote was $ 615,000 to the Biden Victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also gave a small check to Pete Buttigieg 's presidential campaign for president during the primary .
James Murdoch also recently donated $ 250,000 to Change Now , a super PAC that has targeted Trump .
He gave $ 60,000 to Black PAC , a super PAC that focuses on mobilizing Black voters .
The committee has spent $ 1.2 million targeting Trump and $ 1.6 million backing Biden , records show .
Murdoch has also contributed max checks of $ 2,800 to a variety of Senate races that are in play for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Democrats running in Maine , Iowa , Arizona , Colorado and Montana .
Of those five states , all are considered toss-ups except for Arizona , which is now marked as `` lean Democrat '' by the Cook Political Report .
Murdoch is also on the board of Center for a New American Security , a bipartisan think tank that has teamed up with Quadrivium , the Murdoch foundation , to counter what they call `` high tech illiberalism . ''
Through a grant given by Quadrivium , one of the CNAS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and allied strategy to curb China 's ability to use digital infrastructure to contravene international standards for freedom and transparency . ''

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James Murdoch (L) and his wife Kathryn Hufschmid arrive at St Bride's church on Fleet Street in central London on March 5, 2016, to attend a ceremony of celebration a day after the official marriage of Australian born media magnate Rupert Murdoch and former model Jerry Hall. Justin Tallis | AFP | Getty Images
The powerful Murdoch family is often linked to conservative politics, particularly through its control of Fox News. Yet James Murdoch, one of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch's sons, and spouse Kathryn Murdoch are working to create their own legacy by supporting causes across the political spectrum. They have have used their cash and influence to become a political power couple in a fractured Washington. A list from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics showing the 2020 election cycle's top donors ranks James and Kathryn Murdoch 13th among a group of 100 contributors from both parties. Data shows that the Murdochs have contributed over $11 million to political causes, with over $2.5 million going to Democrats. They have also focused some of their efforts on opposing President Donald Trump. In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Kathryn Murdoch discussed how she and her husband became involved with what she describes as standing up for democracy reform. She also said she sees Trump and his administration standing in the way of several reforms. Murdoch points to Trump's dismissive attitude toward climate change and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly his efforts to push back on the concept of expanded voting by mail, as reasons she believes it's time for Joe Biden to become president. "I think it is disappointing that the administration is relying on feelings about things, gut instincts, rather than on data and science," Kathryn Murdoch said Wednesday, when asked about Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "It was a real missed opportunity from the White House. I think they are going to end up harming their own voters because lots of rural people are well served by the postal service and that's an example of those feelings getting in the way of data and the science," she said in discussing Trump's push back against mail-in ballots. Voting by mail has been expanded in certain states in the wake of a pandemic that has made in-person voting a risky proposition for many voters and volunteers. Kathryn Murdoch noted Biden's professed reliance on science and data is one of the reasons she and and her husband are supporting the former vice president's campaign. The two combined in June to contribute over $1.2 million to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising operation between Biden's campaign and the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission records.
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Into the limelight
Still, the story of how the couple has become influential donors while remaining largely out of the political limelight starts, at least in part, around the time of the 2018 congressional midterm elections, when Democrats won the majority in the House. For a group known as Unite America, it was a time of reflection and recalculation. Many of the independent nominees that the nonpartisan organization endorsed that year ended up losing. Its political action committees, according to records, ended up having at least $230,000 on hand at the end of the 2018 election cycle. Their 501(c)3, called the Unite America Institute, finished with just over $10,000 in net assets, according to its 2018 disclosure report. The group needed a new path and more funding. After receiving multiyear donor commitments from their network, they turned to Kathryn Murdoch for a potential partnership. A blog post by Unite America says the group first met Murdoch in December 2017. Just before she became the co-chair of Unite America in 2019, the couple's foundation, Quadrivium, conducted a study that depicted where best to put financial resources to fight against what she saw as gridlock in Washington. She also aimed to increase voter participation and combat climate change, among other initiatives, she told CNBC. That road map, which was presented to Unite America's executive director, Nick Troiano at the time, mirrored what the group was hoping to move toward in the coming years, and the two organizations "combined forces," she explained. Charles Wheelan, the founder of Unite America, declined to comment. Quadrivium, Murdoch said, has continued to help many of the groups they originally planned to finance, including Defending Democracy Together, a 501(c)(4) organization led by Republican Bill Kristol, a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a staunch Trump critic. The group has crafted numerous projects involving other Republican officials, with the intention of taking down Trump in November. Those projects include the Republican Voters Against Trump, Republicans for the Rule of Law and Former Republican National Security Officials for Biden. A list of Quadrivium grantees provided to CNBC shows that Republicans for the Rule of Law has received funding from the Murdoch backed foundation. A spokeswoman for Defending Democracy Together confirmed that Quadrivium did help fund the group, which was founded nearly two years ago. Another group that received assistance from Quadrivium, Murdoch said, is Potential Energy, a nonprofit "that brings together America's leading creative, analytic and media agencies to shift the narrative on climate change," according to its website. Another group is Represent Us, which, according to their website, is "a powerful movement of independents, progressives, and conservatives building on America's long tradition of pursuing federal reform through the states." Their board includes actress Jennifer Lawrence and actor Ed Helms. Quadrivium is listed on the Represent Us website as a foundation that's given at least $100,000. A representative for Potential Energy did not return a request for comment.
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Outside of Kathryn's ongoing ventures through Quadrivium, the Murdochs' total donations to federal candidates and outside fundraising committees rank in the top 20 for the first time since at least 2010, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. They've contributed just under $12 million so far this cycle, data shows, with some going toward Biden's campaign for president in the second quarter. James and Kathryn Murdoch have so far given more than several megadonors such as George Soros, Reid Hoffman and Haim Saban, according to the data. The Murdoch family, headed by Rupert Murdoch, controls Fox Corp. and News Corp. James' brother Lachlan Murdoch is the CEO of Fox, which has multiple assets including Fox News. James Murdoch recently decided to step down from the News Corp. board and was CEO of 21st Century Fox before it was acquired by Disney. Fox News' primetime hosts have often publicly supported Trump and his policies. Meanwhile, James Murdoch himself began publicly resisting Trump in 2017 after the infamous rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, during which an anti-racism protester was killed. In an email, while he was the CEO of 21st Century Fox, Murdoch told friends, "I can't even believe I have to write this: standing up to Nazis is essential; there are no good Nazis. Or Klansmen, or terrorists. Democrats, Republicans, and others must all agree on this, and it compromises nothing for them to do so." His comments came after Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides" of those protests. Murdoch noted in the email that he and Kathryn Murdoch would be donating $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League. Murdoch said in July of this year that he was leaving the board of News Corp. "due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company's news outlets and certain other strategic decisions." He did not expand on what specific disagreements he had. News Corp.'s businesses include the New York Post and Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal. The Murdoch family, according to Forbes, is worth $18 billion. James Murdoch declined CNBC's request to be interviewed for this story.
2020 election arrives
James and Kathryn Murdoch's financial might has been on full display during the 2020 election cycle. Kathryn Murdoch has given over $8 million to Unite America's PAC since joining the team early last year, data from CRP shows. That's over half of the $14 million raised this cycle alone. She has privately encouraged other donors in her network of wealthy philanthropists to back the organization, according to people familiar with the matter, who declined to be named as those efforts are often in private. The Unite America Fund, according to its website, has a slew of groups in its donor portfolio that focus on a range of political issues, including those looking to make an impact on gerrymandering and vote by mail. Those who have worked with Kathryn Murdoch recently say that her efforts with Unite America are why she's become such a key player in the political finance world. "She's a powerhouse and she's really started to convince the philanthropic community that political philanthropy is the greatest contribution they can make to the country right now," former U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., told CNBC in an interview. Curbelo, who joined Unite America's board a few months ago, said that in a recent Zoom conference call with the group's leaders and potential new donors, Murdoch made her own personal pitch as to why financiers should pitch in. Murdoch was "just trying to put business and civic leaders in the mindset in investing into political philanthropy that will lead to meaningful reforms," he said in describing her message. "For philanthropy, investing in politics has never been a thing, and in her case it's the most important thing right now." he said. Others on the board with ties to the business and philanthropic community include Marc Merrill, the co-founder of video game developer Riot Games; Shawn Riegsecker, the CEO of Centro; and Katherine Gehl, the former CEO of Gehl Foods. Unite America promotes itself as only looking to get involved with primary elections, backing both Democrats and Republicans. One of its affiliated super PACs, called Fix Congress Now, looked to make an impact in the Republican primary against Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. The PAC donated $50,000 to Priorities for Iowa, a super PAC that spent almost $340,000 supporting Randy Feenstra, King's primary opponent, CRP data shows. Feenstra went on to beat King to become the Republican nominee for Iowa's Fourth District. Murdoch, according to a person familiar with the matter, wasn't involved with deciding to give to the PAC, but she and other board members were in favor of backing Feenstra over King, who has a long history of racist remarks. In the 2020 cycle, seven out of 10 Unite America congressional candidates and 18 out of 22 state legislative candidates the group supported won their primaries.
Giving to Democrats and others
This cycle also marks the most Kathryn Murdoch herself has spent on individual candidates and outside political efforts. With the exception of Unite America, all of her contributions are to Democrats. A person close to her said her decisions on whom to support are tied to what she believes is a threat to democracy. She gave $615,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee between Biden's campaign and the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. She gave $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC dedicated to helping Democrats become the majority in the U.S. Senate. She's also given $540,000 to Future Forward USA, which has so far spent $2 million going after Trump. After his tenure as CEO of 21st Century Fox ended last year, James Murdoch founded an investment firm in March 2019 called Lupa Systems. Since then, Murdoch has been giving heavily to Democrats. Though he was a supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2016 run for president while he was in charge at Fox, he has surpassed prior donation amounts as of about two months until the upcoming Election Day. One of the biggest checks James Murdoch wrote was $615,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, FEC records show. He also gave a small check to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign for president during the primary. James Murdoch also recently donated $250,000 to Change Now, a super PAC that has targeted Trump. He gave $60,000 to Black PAC, a super PAC that focuses on mobilizing Black voters. The committee has spent $1.2 million targeting Trump and $1.6 million backing Biden, records show. Murdoch has also contributed max checks of $2,800 to a variety of Senate races that are in play for Democrats this cycle. He's given to Democrats running in Maine, Iowa, Arizona, Colorado and Montana. Of those five states, all are considered toss-ups except for Arizona, which is now marked as "lean Democrat" by the Cook Political Report. Murdoch is also on the board of Center for a New American Security, a bipartisan think tank that has teamed up with Quadrivium, the Murdoch foundation, to counter what they call "high tech illiberalism." Through a grant given by Quadrivium, one of the CNAS projects includes focusing "on developing a U.S. and allied strategy to curb China's ability to use digital infrastructure to contravene international standards for freedom and transparency."