cnbc--2020-10-12--Fauci says comments in Trump ad taken 'out of context' and used 'without my permission'

Dr. Anthony Fauci , Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases testifies at a House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing on Capitol Hill on July 31 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
Force .
The 30-second ad includes a clip of Fauci saying that he `` ca n't imagine anybody could be doing more '' to address the pandemic , which has now killed more than 210,000 Americans , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
The ad supporting President Donald Trump 's reelection bid , entitled `` Carefully , '' was released on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials , '' he added .
`` In my nearly five decades of public service , I have never publicly endorsed nor do I now endorse any political candidates , '' Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said in a statement to NBC News .
White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday that a new Trump campaign ad takes his comments `` out of context '' and used his remarks without his approval .
The full extent of Fauci 's remarks , made during a March interview Fauci did on Fox 's `` Life , Liberty and Levin , '' show the White House virus advisor talking about the entire federal government 's response to Covid-19 .
Fauci was not , as the ad suggested , offering direct praise for the president .
Still , the Trump campaign countered that the words are his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast .
`` These are Dr. Fauci 's own words .
The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump Administration .
The words spoken are accurate , and directly from Dr. Fauci 's mouth , '' Tim Murtaugh , the Trump 2020 communications director , said in a statement .
`` As Dr. Fauci recently testified in the Senate , President Trump took the virus seriously from the beginning , acted quickly , and saved lives , '' Murtaugh added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship with the public health advisor , may be attempting to tap Fauci 's popularity among voters to help offer his campaign new life .
The president has for months trailed Democratic challenger former Vice President Joe Biden in national polls .
Biden has extended his lead over Trump in recent weeks following the first presidential debate in late September and Trump 's Covid-19 diagnosis .
An average calculated by RealClearPolitics.com showed the spread between Biden and Trump grew from 6.8 percentage points before the debate to 9.8 as of Sunday .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. is reporting more than 40,000 new coronavirus cases as a seven-day average , a rate that could worsen as temperatures cool in the northern U.S. and force people indoors .
On Friday , the U.S. reported 57,420 new cases , the highest daily number in nearly two months .
The Trump campaign also issued a press release over the weekend listing several examples of when they say Fauci applauded the administration 's effort to combat the disease .
The president 's campaign claimed that Biden 's promises to listen to Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` contradicts '' the health expert so often .
Fauci told MSNBC 's Andrea Mitchell last week that he 's `` not comfortable with that .
I would like to see that level , way , way down , well below 10,000 . ''
`` In certain regions of the country , like the Midwest the Northwest , and even now we 're starting to see a little difficulty in the northeast in New York .
Then you get concerned because it is more difficult to deal with respiratory borne virus , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said Thursday .
`` And if you start seeing upticks , the way we 're seeing it , and you have a baseline that 's 40,000 and stuck at 40,000 , that 's not the optimal position to be in as you enter into the fall and winter . ''


cnbc--2020-10-14--Here are the top moments and highlights from Day 2 of Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings

Judge Amy Coney Barrett got her first shot to address questions live from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday , the second day of the Trump appointee 's Supreme Court confirmation hearings .
The 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals judge spent the hearing fielding questions on abortion , the Second Amendment , her view of the role of precedent and an upcoming case on the Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare .
Following the model set by previous nominees , Barrett largely refused to address specific cases .
She declined to say whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be overturned , despite repeated prodding from the committee 's top Democrat , Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California , and other members of the committee .
Barrett repeatedly assured senators that she had no agenda , but refused to say much more , declining even to address a question about whether President Donald Trump could delay the November election .
She refused to commit to recusing herself from potential cases on the upcoming election between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden , but said she had made no deals with anyone in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are unlikely to be able to stop Barrett 's nomination , have sought to highlight Supreme Court arguments scheduled for a week after Election Day on the constitutionality of Obamacare , and the prospect of a conservative court dooming the law .
Sen. Kamala Harris , the Democratic nominee for vice president and a member of the Judiciary Committee , quizzed Barrett about Obamacare for the bulk of her allotted time .
`` I 'm not here on a mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act , '' Barrett said during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers in response to personal questions .
Answering an inquiry from Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , the committee chairman , Barrett said the confirmation process has been `` excruciating , '' but that she was `` committed to the role of law and the role of the Supreme Court in dispensing equal justice for all . ''
The 48-year-old judge told Sen. Dick Durbin , D-Ill. , that she wept with her teenage daughter when she watched a video of the killing of George Floyd , a Black man who died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ format all but guaranteed a long day .
Each of the 22 senators on the committee — 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats — have half an hour for questions .
Follow-ups will be permitted on Wednesday , and outside groups are expected to address the committee on Thursday .
Barrett is expected to be approved by the Judiciary Committee on Oct. 22 .
She is likely to be confirmed by the full Senate later in the month .
The hearings began at 9 a.m .
ET and concluded around 8:15 p.m .
ET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett says she will not stroll in 'like a royal queen' Graham , who opened the hearings noting that he is facing a reelection challenge in South Carolina , spent a good portion of his allocated question time asking Barrett about her view of the role of `` stare decisis , '' a Latin phrase meaning `` to stand by things decided . ''
The doctrine generally means that Supreme Court justices try not to overturn previous cases without good reasons .
It has taken on a new significance given Democrats ' worries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v. Wade if she is confirmed .
Barrett told Graham that she will not be able to march into the Supreme Court and immediately overturn Roe , or other cases .
`` Judges ca n't just wake up one day and say , ' I have an agenda , I like guns , I hate guns , I like abortion , I hate abortion , ' and walk in like a royal queen and impose their will on the world , '' Barrett said .
Later , pressed by Feinstein on whether she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for whom Barrett clerked , who said that the court 's abortion precedents should be overturned , Barrett refused to answer at least three times .
`` Whether I say I love it or I hate it , it signals to litigants that I may tilt one way or another in a pending case , '' Barrett said .
Process has been 'excruciating , ' Barrett says Barrett got her first opportunity to speak about the personal challenges of the confirmation process in response to a question from Graham about why she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a really difficult , some might say excruciating process , '' Barrett said .
`` We knew that our lives would be combed over for any negative detail , we knew our faith would be caricatured , we knew our family would be attacked . ''
`` What sane person would go through with that if there was n't a benefit on the other slide ? ''
she asked .
`` The benefit I think is I 'm committed to the role of law and the role of the Supreme Court in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` I am not the only person who could do this job , but I was asked , and it would be difficult for anyone . ''
`` My family is all in on that because they share my belief in the rule of law , '' Barrett said .
Barrett wo n't say whether Trump can delay election In response to a question from Feinstein about whether Trump could lawfully delay the Nov. 3 election , Barrett said she could n't answer without becoming essentially a `` legal pundit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question ever came before me , I would need to hear arguments from the litigants , and read briefs , and consult with my law clerks , and talk to my colleagues , and go through the opinion writing process , '' Barrett told Feinstein .
`` If I gave off-the-cuff answers I would be basically a legal pundit and I do n't think we want judges to be legal pundits , I think we want judges to approach cases thoughtfully and with an open mind , '' she added .
Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls against Biden , has pushed for a delay to the election , arguing without evidence that mail-in voting is vulnerable to mass fraud .
The Constitution provides Congress with the power to set the date of the presidential election .
Barrett says she has made no commitments to Trump on Affordable Care Act or other cases Trump has suggested that his nominees to the top court would dismantle Obamacare , and said they would overturn Roe v. Wade .
Barrett said that she has not discussed any cases with members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has made no deals .
`` No one ever talked about any case with me , no one on the executive branch side of it , '' Barrett said in response to questioning from Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa .
`` Just as I did n't make any commitments and was not asked to make any commitments on the executive branch side , I can not make any commitments to this body either , '' she said .
Barrett specifically addressed the Nov. 10 case on Obamacare , emphasizing that she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Absolutely not , '' she said .
`` I was never asked , and if I had been that would have been a short conversation . ''
She said that her past critiques of Supreme Court decisions upholding the ACA had no bearing on the legal questions at issue in the upcoming case , and that she was n't hostile to the law .
Barrett says she wo n't commit to recusing from potential election cases Barrett also refused to commit to Sen. Patrick Leahy , D-Vt. , that she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the November election .
`` He 's counting on you to deliver him the election , '' Leahy told her , referring to the president .
Barrett said that under the Supreme Court 's rules , recusal decisions are made in consultation with the full court .
`` While it is always the decision of an individual justice , it always happens with the consultation of the full court .
So I can not offer an opinion on recusal without short circuiting that whole process , '' she said .
Barrett later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she would consider the appearance of bias when making a decision about whether to recuse .
`` I certainly hope that all members of the committee have more confidence in my integrity than to think that I would allow myself to be used as a pawn to decide this election for the American people , '' Barrett said .
`` So that would be on the question of actual bias . ''
`` And you asked about the appearance of bias , '' she added .
`` And you 're right that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge to recuse when there is an appearance of bias .
And what I will commit to every member of this committee , to the rest of the Senate , and to the American people , is that I will consider all factors that are relevant to that question . ''
'We wept together ' : Barrett says she watched video of George Floyd killing Sen. Dick Durbin .
D-Ill. , asked Barrett whether she had watched the video of the death of George Floyd , a Black man whose killing in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protests against state violence against African Americans .
Barrett said that she had seen the video and that it affected her deeply , citing her two Black children .
She said she and her teenage daughter Vivian , whom she adopted from Haiti , `` wept together in my room . ''
`` My children , to this point in their lives , have had the benefit of growing up in a cocoon where they have not experienced hatred or violence , '' Barrett said .

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, October 13, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Susan Walsh | AFP | Getty Images
Judge Amy Coney Barrett got her first shot to address questions live from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the second day of the Trump appointee's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge spent the hearing fielding questions on abortion, the Second Amendment, her view of the role of precedent and an upcoming case on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Following the model set by previous nominees, Barrett largely refused to address specific cases. She declined to say whether the landmark abortion precedent Roe v. Wade should be overturned, despite repeated prodding from the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, and other members of the committee. Barrett repeatedly assured senators that she had no agenda, but refused to say much more, declining even to address a question about whether President Donald Trump could delay the November election. She refused to commit to recusing herself from potential cases on the upcoming election between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, but said she had made no deals with anyone in the executive branch. Democrats, who recognize they are unlikely to be able to stop Barrett's nomination, have sought to highlight Supreme Court arguments scheduled for a week after Election Day on the constitutionality of Obamacare, and the prospect of a conservative court dooming the law. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president and a member of the Judiciary Committee, quizzed Barrett about Obamacare for the bulk of her allotted time. "I'm not here on a mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act," Barrett said during the hearing.
watch now
Barrett provided her most candid answers in response to personal questions. Answering an inquiry from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee chairman, Barrett said the confirmation process has been "excruciating," but that she was "committed to the role of law and the role of the Supreme Court in dispensing equal justice for all." The 48-year-old judge told Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., that she wept with her teenage daughter when she watched a video of the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in May. Tuesday's format all but guaranteed a long day. Each of the 22 senators on the committee — 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats — have half an hour for questions. Follow-ups will be permitted on Wednesday, and outside groups are expected to address the committee on Thursday. Barrett is expected to be approved by the Judiciary Committee on Oct. 22. She is likely to be confirmed by the full Senate later in the month. The hearings began at 9 a.m. ET and concluded around 8:15 p.m. ET. The top moments are below.
Barrett says she will not stroll in 'like a royal queen'
Graham, who opened the hearings noting that he is facing a reelection challenge in South Carolina, spent a good portion of his allocated question time asking Barrett about her view of the role of "stare decisis," a Latin phrase meaning "to stand by things decided." The doctrine generally means that Supreme Court justices try not to overturn previous cases without good reasons. It has taken on a new significance given Democrats' worries that Barrett will push to overturn Roe v. Wade if she is confirmed. Barrett told Graham that she will not be able to march into the Supreme Court and immediately overturn Roe, or other cases. "Judges can't just wake up one day and say, 'I have an agenda, I like guns, I hate guns, I like abortion, I hate abortion,' and walk in like a royal queen and impose their will on the world," Barrett said. Later, pressed by Feinstein on whether she agreed with the late Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom Barrett clerked, who said that the court's abortion precedents should be overturned, Barrett refused to answer at least three times. "Whether I say I love it or I hate it, it signals to litigants that I may tilt one way or another in a pending case," Barrett said.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during the confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 13, 2020. Susan Walsh | Reuters
Process has been 'excruciating,' Barrett says
Barrett got her first opportunity to speak about the personal challenges of the confirmation process in response to a question from Graham about why she accepted Trump's nomination. "This is a really difficult, some might say excruciating process," Barrett said. "We knew that our lives would be combed over for any negative detail, we knew our faith would be caricatured, we knew our family would be attacked." "What sane person would go through with that if there wasn't a benefit on the other slide?" she asked.
watch now
"The benefit I think is I'm committed to the role of law and the role of the Supreme Court in dispensing equal justice for all," she said. "I am not the only person who could do this job, but I was asked, and it would be difficult for anyone." "My family is all in on that because they share my belief in the rule of law," Barrett said.
Barrett won't say whether Trump can delay election
In response to a question from Feinstein about whether Trump could lawfully delay the Nov. 3 election, Barrett said she couldn't answer without becoming essentially a "legal pundit." "Senator, if that question ever came before me, I would need to hear arguments from the litigants, and read briefs, and consult with my law clerks, and talk to my colleagues, and go through the opinion writing process," Barrett told Feinstein. "If I gave off-the-cuff answers I would be basically a legal pundit and I don't think we want judges to be legal pundits, I think we want judges to approach cases thoughtfully and with an open mind," she added. Trump, who is behind in national and state polls against Biden, has pushed for a delay to the election, arguing without evidence that mail-in voting is vulnerable to mass fraud. The Constitution provides Congress with the power to set the date of the presidential election.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) speaks during U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 13, 2020. Stefani Reynolds | Reuters
Barrett says she has made no commitments to Trump on Affordable Care Act or other cases
Trump has suggested that his nominees to the top court would dismantle Obamacare, and said they would overturn Roe v. Wade. Barrett said that she has not discussed any cases with members of the executive branch, including the president, and has made no deals. "No one ever talked about any case with me, no one on the executive branch side of it," Barrett said in response to questioning from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. "Just as I didn't make any commitments and was not asked to make any commitments on the executive branch side, I can not make any commitments to this body either," she said. Barrett specifically addressed the Nov. 10 case on Obamacare, emphasizing that she had made no guarantee to strike it down. "Absolutely not," she said. "I was never asked, and if I had been that would have been a short conversation." She said that her past critiques of Supreme Court decisions upholding the ACA had no bearing on the legal questions at issue in the upcoming case, and that she wasn't hostile to the law.
Barrett says she won't commit to recusing from potential election cases
Barrett also refused to commit to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., that she would recuse herself from any election disputes arising from the November election. "He's counting on you to deliver him the election," Leahy told her, referring to the president. Barrett said that under the Supreme Court's rules, recusal decisions are made in consultation with the full court. "While it is always the decision of an individual justice, it always happens with the consultation of the full court. So I cannot offer an opinion on recusal without short circuiting that whole process," she said. Barrett later told Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., that she would consider the appearance of bias when making a decision about whether to recuse. "I certainly hope that all members of the committee have more confidence in my integrity than to think that I would allow myself to be used as a pawn to decide this election for the American people," Barrett said. "So that would be on the question of actual bias." "And you asked about the appearance of bias," she added. "And you're right that the statute does require a justice or judge to recuse when there is an appearance of bias. And what I will commit to every member of this committee, to the rest of the Senate, and to the American people, is that I will consider all factors that are relevant to that question."
'We wept together': Barrett says she watched video of George Floyd killing
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Sen. Dick Durbin. D-Ill., asked Barrett whether she had watched the video of the death of George Floyd, a Black man whose killing in Minneapolis police custody earlier this year spawned months of protests against state violence against African Americans. Barrett said that she had seen the video and that it affected her deeply, citing her two Black children. She said she and her teenage daughter Vivian, whom she adopted from Haiti, "wept together in my room." "My children, to this point in their lives, have had the benefit of growing up in a cocoon where they have not experienced hatred or violence," Barrett said.


cnbc--2020-10-14--Justice Department sues author of Melania Trump tell-all book, says Stephanie Winston Wolkoff broke

Justice Department sues author of Melania Trump tell-all book, says Stephanie Winston Wolkoff broke nondisclosure agreement

US First Lady Melania Trump addresses the Republican Convention during its second day from the Rose Garden of the White House August 25 , 2020 , in Washington , DC .
The Justice Department on Tuesday sued the author of a book about first lady Melania Trump , claiming that Stephanie Winston Wolkoff broke a nondisclosure agreement that barred her from revealing confidential information obtained during her work for the president 's wife .
The lawsuit in federal court in Washington , D.C. , asks a judge to order Winston Wolkoff to surrender any profits from her book , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady , '' to a government trust .
Winston Wolkoff , who had been close friends with Melania Trump , previously served as a volunteer advisor to the first lady after President Donald Trump took office in 2017 .
The suit , whose lead signatory is acting Assistant Attorney General John Coghlan , accuses Winston Wolkoff of `` flat violation '' of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary obligations to the first lady .
The complaint says that Winston Wolkoff agreed in 2017 to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contained a confidentiality clause in which she `` promised to maintain strict confidentiality over 'nonpublic , privileged and/or confidential information ' that she might obtain during her service , '' the suit says .
That deal `` included no termination date '' for its conditions , according to the suit , which says that Wolkoff had `` access to significant confidential information related to the First Lady 's official duties as well as to more private aspects of her role in the First Family . ''
The Justice Department also claims that Winston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information , to which the First Lady was privy , related to the President 's official duties on behalf of the country . ''

US First Lady Melania Trump addresses the Republican Convention during its second day from the Rose Garden of the White House August 25, 2020, in Washington, DC. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
The Justice Department on Tuesday sued the author of a book about first lady Melania Trump, claiming that Stephanie Winston Wolkoff broke a nondisclosure agreement that barred her from revealing confidential information obtained during her work for the president's wife. The lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., asks a judge to order Winston Wolkoff to surrender any profits from her book, "Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady," to a government trust. Winston Wolkoff, who had been close friends with Melania Trump, previously served as a volunteer advisor to the first lady after President Donald Trump took office in 2017. The suit, whose lead signatory is acting Assistant Attorney General John Coghlan, accuses Winston Wolkoff of "flat violation" of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary obligations to the first lady. The complaint says that Winston Wolkoff agreed in 2017 to a so-called gratuitous services agreement. That pact contained a confidentiality clause in which she "promised to maintain strict confidentiality over 'nonpublic, privileged and/or confidential information' that she might obtain during her service," the suit says.
Former Vogue special event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff stops for a photo in front of the media at Trump Tower in New York on December 5, 2016. Kena Betancur | AFP | Getty Images
That deal "included no termination date" for its conditions, according to the suit, which says that Wolkoff had "access to significant confidential information related to the First Lady's official duties as well as to more private aspects of her role in the First Family." The Justice Department also claims that Winston Wolkoff had "indirect access to deliberative information, to which the First Lady was privy, related to the President's official duties on behalf of the country." Despite Winston Wolkoff's promise of confidentiality, the Justice Department said, she "has written a book that Simon & Schuster [the book's publisher] promotes as a 'scathing tell-all' and an 'epic scream of a tell-all.'" The book was published at the beginning of September.
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cnbc--2020-10-13--Wall Street has lingering concerns about a contested election, even as Biden leads in the polls

US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the first presidential debate on a YouTube video displayed on a screen of a smartphone .
United States presidential election scheduled on November 3 , 2020 .
Even as Joe Biden consistently leads in national and swing-state polls , bankers on Wall Street are still concerned about the possibility of a contested election .
The notion of a contested election was a focus at a private client meeting held by Goldman Sachs leaders a few weeks ago , according to a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their clients , according to a person familiar with the meeting , were trying to reposition themselves for what could be an extended period of volatility after Election Day , Nov. 3 .
Since then , as Biden opened up a bigger lead in the polls , a handful of Goldman executives have told allies on Wall Street that they are `` cautiously optimistic '' that there wo n't be a post-election battle between the Democratic nominee and President Donald Trump , according to a person briefed on the matter .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed that concerns about a potential contested election could grow if the polls start to tighten again during the final three weeks of the campaign , this person added .
That could potentially add to market volatility .
`` Obviously that 's kind of the worst outcome people are worried about .
After the last election , and there a lot of people in this camp on Wall Street , no one can trust the polls , '' said a corporate restructuring attorney with banking clients .
This person declined to be named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump going into election night 2016 .
CNBC asked JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon during the company 's third-quarter earnings call whether he is concerned about what could happen on election night .
`` I have great faith in this country and I 'm sure we 'll have a proper election , '' Dimon said on the call .
Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that the election could be subject to widespread voting fraud .
He has suggested that he believes the election could take months or years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of lawyers at the ready to push back on election results .
Biden 's team has also assembled a strong group of legal advisors .
The election is going to be decided , in part , on what will likely be a historic amount of mail-in ballots as states take safety precautions during the coronavirus pandemic .
At first concerned about a Democratic sweep , analysts now see it as a potential positive since it could result in more economic stimulus .
A contested election would be a far bigger concern than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , as Biden edged toward capturing the Democratic nomination this past summer , Wall Street executives were bracing for a Trump loss and for taxes to go back up .
Now , there appears to be a shift from being concerned about an increased tax rate to hoping to have some form of certainty after Election Day .
`` Investors may have initially feared a Blue Wave , but a delayed or contested election outcome is even more unsettling , '' analysts at UBS said in a recent note .
Bank of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 61 % of investors polled believe the U.S. election result will be contested .
The survey was published Tuesday .
A leader at one big bank told CNBC that , if polls hold up , the firm 's risk management team expects to see a shift in sentiment on Wall Street toward not just the anticipation of a sweep by Democrats , but how big a win it could be – and its potential impact on policy .
PricewaterhouseCoopers is among the corporate leaders hearing concerns from clients about a potential contested election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what we 're hearing without a doubt , is they want certainty , '' Tim Ryan , PwC 's chairman , told CNBC during a Tuesday briefing on the election .
`` It 's on their minds , and they just need to know what the playing field is , '' Ryan added , referring to the firm 's clients .
The PwC chairman noted that CEOs he has spoken with want a fair election and they are planning for a variety of possible election outcomes .
Charles Myers , founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC that he senses investment funds are preparing for a volatile few weeks after Election Day .
`` I think most funds right now are starting to hedge for a volatile election outcome , and are starting to position for a Biden win , '' Myers said .
Other institutions are giving clients a historical breakdown of what a contested election could look like .
In a research note to clients last week , Deutsche Bank gave historical and market-based precedents that could play out in a similar fashion next month .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and George W. Bush .
The other was the 1876 contest between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden .
`` The last two contested elections , in 2000 and 1876 , saw the result in doubt long after election day , with the winner not clear for more than a month afterwards in both cases , '' Deutsche Bank said .
The day after Election Day in 2000 , Deutsche Bank notes that the S & P 500 fell 1.6 % , before seeing further declines .
`` In fact , November 2000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst monthly performance of that year , with an 8 % decline from start to finish , '' the note said .
Deutsche Bank notes that the fight in 1876 between Hayes and Tilden was worse than the 2000 election because there was no clear winner for months .
Hayes eventually won following a compromise .
`` As with 2000 , a scenario like 1876 – where the election is disputed in multiple states -- raises the prospect of a protracted legal battle over the result , '' the Deutsche Bank note reads @

US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the first presidential debate on a YouTube video displayed on a screen of a smartphone. United States presidential election scheduled on November 3, 2020.
Even as Joe Biden consistently leads in national and swing-state polls, bankers on Wall Street are still concerned about the possibility of a contested election.
The notion of a contested election was a focus at a private client meeting held by Goldman Sachs leaders a few weeks ago, according to a person familiar with the gathering.
Some of their clients, according to a person familiar with the meeting, were trying to reposition themselves for what could be an extended period of volatility after Election Day, Nov. 3.
Since then, as Biden opened up a bigger lead in the polls, a handful of Goldman executives have told allies on Wall Street that they are "cautiously optimistic" that there won't be a post-election battle between the Democratic nominee and President Donald Trump, according to a person briefed on the matter.
Still, some of these banking leaders have privately expressed that concerns about a potential contested election could grow if the polls start to tighten again during the final three weeks of the campaign, this person added. That could potentially add to market volatility.
"Obviously that's kind of the worst outcome people are worried about. After the last election, and there a lot of people in this camp on Wall Street, no one can trust the polls," said a corporate restructuring attorney with banking clients. This person declined to be named. Many national polls had then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump going into election night 2016.
CNBC asked JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon during the company's third-quarter earnings call whether he is concerned about what could happen on election night.
"I have great faith in this country and I'm sure we'll have a proper election," Dimon said on the call.
Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that the election could be subject to widespread voting fraud. He has suggested that he believes the election could take months or years to determine. The president reportedly has thousands of lawyers at the ready to push back on election results. Biden's team has also assembled a strong group of legal advisors.
The election is going to be decided, in part, on what will likely be a historic amount of mail-in ballots as states take safety precautions during the coronavirus pandemic.
At first concerned about a Democratic sweep, analysts now see it as a potential positive since it could result in more economic stimulus. A contested election would be a far bigger concern than a big Election Day for Democrats.
Indeed, as Biden edged toward capturing the Democratic nomination this past summer, Wall Street executives were bracing for a Trump loss and for taxes to go back up. Now, there appears to be a shift from being concerned about an increased tax rate to hoping to have some form of certainty after Election Day.
"Investors may have initially feared a Blue Wave, but a delayed or contested election outcome is even more unsettling," analysts at UBS said in a recent note.
Bank of America's fund manager survey shows that 61% of investors polled believe the U.S. election result will be contested. The survey was published Tuesday.
A leader at one big bank told CNBC that, if polls hold up, the firm's risk management team expects to see a shift in sentiment on Wall Street toward not just the anticipation of a sweep by Democrats, but how big a win it could be – and its potential impact on policy.
PricewaterhouseCoopers is among the corporate leaders hearing concerns from clients about a potential contested election.
"Our clients want certainty, and what we're hearing, without a doubt, is regardless of where we end up, they're hoping for certainty," Tim Ryan, PwC's chairman, told CNBC during a Tuesday briefing on the election. "It's on their minds, and it all comes down to they just need to know what the playing field is," Ryan added, referring to the firm's clients.
The PwC chairman noted that CEOs he has spoken with want a fair election and they are planning for a variety of possible election outcomes.
Charles Myers, founder of financial advisory firm Signum Global, told CNBC that he senses investment funds are preparing for a volatile few weeks after Election Day.
"I think most funds right now are starting to hedge for a volatile election outcome, and are starting to position for a Biden win," Myers said.
Other institutions are giving clients a historical breakdown of what a contested election could look like.
In a research note to clients last week, Deutsche Bank gave historical and market-based precedents that could play out in a similar fashion next month. One was the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The other was the 1876 contest between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden.
"The last two contested elections, in 2000 and 1876, saw the result in doubt long after election day, with the winner not clear for more than a month afterwards in both cases," Deutsche Bank said.
The day after Election Day in 2000, Deutsche Bank notes that the S&P 500 fell 1.6%, before seeing further declines.
"In fact, November 2000 was the S&P 500's worst monthly performance of that year, with an 8% decline from start to finish," the note said.
Deutsche Bank notes that the fight in 1876 between Hayes and Tilden was worse than the 2000 election because there was no clear winner for months. Hayes eventually won following a compromise.
"As with 2000, a scenario like 1876 – where the election is disputed in multiple states -- raises the prospect of a protracted legal battle over the result," the Deutsche Bank note reads.
– CNBC's Hugh Son contributed to this article.


cnbc--2020-10-14--Early voting in 2020 U.S. election already smashing 2016 levels

A sign directs residents outside an early voting polling location for the 2020 Presidential election in Atlanta , Georgia , on Monday , Oct. 12 , 2020 .
With exactly three weeks until Election Day , early voting turnout both in person and via mail is far outpacing that of 2016 .
By Oct. 16 of the last presidential election , only about 1.4 million voters had cast a ballot .
More than 10.6 million voters across the U.S. have cast their ballots in the November election as of Tuesday morning , according to data from the U.S .
Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting comes as the coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for safer alternatives to casting ballots .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that expanded mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud .
The project , led by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald , reports that Democrats are leading the historic surge of early voting .
Out of 4.6 million mail ballots received , Democrats have cast around 2.6 million .
McDonald emphasizes that high turnout from Democrats thus far should not be interpreted as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , the numbers are very good for Biden .
The campaign has to be pleased since they can leverage the banked voters to more efficiently re-target their supporters who have not voted yet .
However , it is very likely Republicans will show up in force to vote in-person , '' McDonald wrote on the U.S .
Elections Project website .
Over 46 million mail ballots requested across the country have yet to be returned .
`` I predict in the coming weeks the Democratic narrative will change from euphoria over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern that a disproportionately large number of younger voters have yet to return their mail ballots , '' McDonald wrote .

A sign directs residents outside an early voting polling location for the 2020 Presidential election in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.
With exactly three weeks until Election Day, early voting turnout both in person and via mail is far outpacing that of 2016. By Oct. 16 of the last presidential election, only about 1.4 million voters had cast a ballot.
More than 10.6 million voters across the U.S. have cast their ballots in the November election as of Tuesday morning, according to data from the U.S. Elections Project.
The soaring level of early voting comes as the coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for safer alternatives to casting ballots. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that expanded mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud.
The project, led by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald, reports that Democrats are leading the historic surge of early voting. Out of 4.6 million mail ballots received, Democrats have cast around 2.6 million.
McDonald emphasizes that high turnout from Democrats thus far should not be interpreted as an indicator of final election results.
"Yes, the numbers are very good for Biden. The campaign has to be pleased since they can leverage the banked voters to more efficiently re-target their supporters who have not voted yet. However, it is very likely Republicans will show up in force to vote in-person," McDonald wrote on the U.S. Elections Project website.
Over 46 million mail ballots requested across the country have yet to be returned.
"I predict in the coming weeks the Democratic narrative will change from euphoria over the apparent large leads in early voting to concern that a disproportionately large number of younger voters have yet to return their mail ballots," McDonald wrote.


cnbc--2020-10-13--Trump brings tax return case to Supreme Court again after losses in lower courts

President Donald Trump answers questions from the news media in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington , September 11 , 2019 .
The request is pending the president 's plan to formally ask the high court hear his appeal of the lower court rulings that have allowed that subpoena .
Trump 's lawyers filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court asking the court to issue a stay , or suspension , of a grand jury subpoena demanding those tax returns and other financial records from his accountants .
President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would give the Manhattan District Attorney 's office access to years of his income tax returns .
If the Supreme Court agrees to hear his appeal , it will be the second time the court has taken the case , which is related to an ongoing criminal probe of the Trump Organization , the president 's company , by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. 's office .
Trump 's lawyers in their filing Tuesday said `` there is a reasonable probability that '' the Supreme Court will take the appeal .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on enforcing the subpoena pending the outcome of Trump 's efforts at the Supreme Court .
The high court last summer rejected Trump 's argument that eight years worth of his financial records from the Mazars USA accounting firm should be protected from the subpoena because of his status as president .
But the Supreme Court said Trump could make new arguments against the subpoena with a federal district court in Manhattan .
A judge in that lower court ruled against the president after Trump 's lawyers argued that the subpoena was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A federal appeals court then upheld that ruling last month .
Vance is seeking the tax returns and other records as part of a probe that is known to be eyeing how hush money payments to women who say they had sex with Trump were accounted for by the Trump Organization .
The president has denied having sex with either woman , porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal .
Prosecutors in Vance 's office also might be investigating possible tax crimes , as well as bank and insurance fraud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vance declined to comment on Trump 's new filing .
Trump has refused for years to release his tax returns to the public , breaking more than four decades of precedent by presidents and White House aspirants .
The president has said he will not release his returns while they are being audited by the IRS , but there is no bar on people disclosing their returns while under audit .
The New York Times last month published articles revealing that Trump paid only $ 750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other years spanning back a decade or more .
The expose also said that over the next four years , Trump faces debt repayments that he has personally guaranteed totaling more than $ 400 million .

President Donald Trump answers questions from the news media in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, September 11, 2019.
The request is pending the president's plan to formally ask the high court hear his appeal of the lower court rulings that have allowed that subpoena.
Trump's lawyers filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court asking the court to issue a stay, or suspension, of a grand jury subpoena demanding those tax returns and other financial records from his accountants.
President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to block lower court rulings that would give the Manhattan District Attorney's office access to years of his income tax returns.
If the Supreme Court agrees to hear his appeal, it will be the second time the court has taken the case, which is related to an ongoing criminal probe of the Trump Organization, the president's company, by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office.
Trump's lawyers in their filing Tuesday said "there is a reasonable probability that" the Supreme Court will take the appeal.
In the meantime, Vance has agreed to hold off on enforcing the subpoena pending the outcome of Trump's efforts at the Supreme Court.
The high court last summer rejected Trump's argument that eight years worth of his financial records from the Mazars USA accounting firm should be protected from the subpoena because of his status as president.
But the Supreme Court said Trump could make new arguments against the subpoena with a federal district court in Manhattan.
A judge in that lower court ruled against the president after Trump's lawyers argued that the subpoena was overbroad and issued in bad faith.
A federal appeals court then upheld that ruling last month.
Vance is seeking the tax returns and other records as part of a probe that is known to be eyeing how hush money payments to women who say they had sex with Trump were accounted for by the Trump Organization. The president has denied having sex with either woman, porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Prosecutors in Vance's office also might be investigating possible tax crimes, as well as bank and insurance fraud, court filings suggest.
A spokesman for Vance declined to comment on Trump's new filing.
Trump has refused for years to release his tax returns to the public, breaking more than four decades of precedent by presidents and White House aspirants.
The president has said he will not release his returns while they are being audited by the IRS, but there is no bar on people disclosing their returns while under audit.
The New York Times last month published articles revealing that Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and no federal income taxes in other years spanning back a decade or more.
The expose also said that over the next four years, Trump faces debt repayments that he has personally guaranteed totaling more than $400 million.
-- Additional reporting by CNBC's Kevin Breuninger


cnbc--2020-10-13--McConnell plans coronavirus aid vote as Pelosi says White House stimulus plan falls short

The Senate will vote on a limited coronavirus stimulus bill this month , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday , as lawmakers stumble in their push to send aid to Americans before the 2020 election .
In a statement , the Kentucky Republican said the Senate would take up aid legislation after the full chamber returns on Monday .
McConnell called the plan `` targeted relief for American workers , including new funding '' for Paycheck Protection Program small business loans .
Speaking at an event in his home state , he said the bill would also include money for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liability protections for businesses .
McConnell said in his statement that the Senate would have enough time to both pass the relief proposal and confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett `` unless Democrats block this aid for workers . ''
Democrats have in recent days targeted Republicans for moving forward with Barrett 's nomination while millions of Americans left jobless by the virus outbreak await federal assistance .
Democrats , who blocked a roughly $ 500 billion Republican plan in the Senate last month , could dismiss the latest GOP proposal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Chuck Schumer did not immediately respond to a request to comment on whether Democrats would support the new Republican bill .
McConnell announced plans for a vote as hopes for new spending to boost the health-care system and economy dim .
Democrats and the Trump administration have failed to strike a relief deal as the U.S. creeps closer to Election Day on Nov. 3 .
Meanwhile , the White House and Senate Republicans appear more out of sync than ever on what the federal response will require .
`` STIMULUS !
Go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday shortly after McConnell detailed plans to vote on narrow legislation .
Over the weekend , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin offered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a roughly $ 1.8 trillion plan — about $ 400 billion less than the bill House Democrats passed earlier this month .
Pelosi has dismissed the proposal , and on Tuesday suggested Trump `` only wants his name on a check to go out before Election Day and for the [ stock ] market to go up . ''
`` Over 215,000 Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infected and millions more are still without jobs or income security and therefore struggling to make rent and put food on the table , '' she wrote to House Democrats .
`` Tragically , the Trump proposal falls significantly short of what this pandemic and deep recession demand . ''
Pelosi for months has pushed for comprehensive legislation rather than stand-alone bills to address specific relief provisions .
A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request to comment on Pelosi 's criticism .
The latest offer from Mnuchin includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local governments , $ 400 per week in enhanced unemployment insurance into January , direct payments of up to $ 1,200 for adults and $ 1,000 per child , and liability protections for businesses , among other details reported by NBC News .
Among the key differences with the House plan , Democrats have called for more than $ 400 billion in state and municipal relief , $ 600 per week in supplemental jobless benefits and no lawsuit protections for businesses .

The Senate will vote on a limited coronavirus stimulus bill this month, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, as lawmakers stumble in their push to send aid to Americans before the 2020 election.
In a statement, the Kentucky Republican said the Senate would take up aid legislation after the full chamber returns on Monday. McConnell called the plan "targeted relief for American workers, including new funding" for Paycheck Protection Program small business loans. Speaking at an event in his home state, he said the bill would also include money for schools, an unemployment insurance boost and liability protections for businesses.
McConnell said in his statement that the Senate would have enough time to both pass the relief proposal and confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett "unless Democrats block this aid for workers." Democrats have in recent days targeted Republicans for moving forward with Barrett's nomination while millions of Americans left jobless by the virus outbreak await federal assistance.
Democrats, who blocked a roughly $500 billion Republican plan in the Senate last month, could dismiss the latest GOP proposal as inadequate. A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not immediately respond to a request to comment on whether Democrats would support the new Republican bill.
McConnell announced plans for a vote as hopes for new spending to boost the health-care system and economy dim. Democrats and the Trump administration have failed to strike a relief deal as the U.S. creeps closer to Election Day on Nov. 3. Meanwhile, the White House and Senate Republicans appear more out of sync than ever on what the federal response will require.
"STIMULUS! Go big or go home!!!" President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday shortly after McConnell detailed plans to vote on narrow legislation.
Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin offered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a roughly $1.8 trillion plan — about $400 billion less than the bill House Democrats passed earlier this month. Pelosi has dismissed the proposal, and on Tuesday suggested Trump "only wants his name on a check to go out before Election Day and for the [stock] market to go up."
"Over 215,000 Americans have died, nearly 7.8 million have been infected and millions more are still without jobs or income security and therefore struggling to make rent and put food on the table," she wrote to House Democrats. "Tragically, the Trump proposal falls significantly short of what this pandemic and deep recession demand."
Pelosi for months has pushed for comprehensive legislation rather than stand-alone bills to address specific relief provisions. A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request to comment on Pelosi's criticism.
The latest offer from Mnuchin includes $300 billion in aid for state and local governments, $400 per week in enhanced unemployment insurance into January, direct payments of up to $1,200 for adults and $1,000 per child, and liability protections for businesses, among other details reported by NBC News. Among the key differences with the House plan, Democrats have called for more than $400 billion in state and municipal relief, $600 per week in supplemental jobless benefits and no lawsuit protections for businesses.


cnbc--2020-10-13--Men accused of plot against Michigan governor also discussed 'taking out' Virginia Gov. Northam, FBI

Men accused of plot against Michigan governor also discussed 'taking out' Virginia Gov. Northam, FBI agent says

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Governor 's mansion on February 2 , 2019 in Richmond , Virginia .
The men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer also discussed `` taking out '' Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam because of coronavirus lockdown orders , an FBI agent revealed Tuesday .
The disclosure by FBI Special Agent Richard Trask that Northam also was being eyed for possible kidnapping came at a bond hearing in federal court in Grand Rapids , Michigan , for three of the suspects .
Trask , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during his testimony , said the idea of kidnapping Northam and Whitmer was raised at a meeting the men attended in June in Ohio with other members of anti-government groups .
`` They discussed possible targets , taking a sitting governor , specifically issues with the governor of Michigan and Virginia based on the lockdown orders , '' Trask testified .
Northam 's press secretary , Alena Yarmosky , said in a statement Tuesday , `` The FBI alerted key members of the Governor 's security team throughout the course of their investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line with `` security protocols for highly-classified information , neither the Governor nor other members of his staff were informed . ''
`` At no time was the Governor or his family in imminent danger , '' Yarmosky said .
`` Enhanced security measures have been in place for Governor Northam and his family for quite some time , and they will remain . ''
Both Whitmer and Northam are Democrats who were criticized on Twitter earlier this year by President Donald Trump for their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
The president , who is a Republican , in April tweeted `` LIBERATE MICHIGAN ! ''
in reference to Whitmer 's strict lockdown orders for the state to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic .
On the same day , Trump tweeted , `` LIBERATE VIRGINIA , and save your great 2nd Amendment .
It is under siege ! ''
Whitmer last week suggested that Trump was `` complicit '' in the alleged plot against her because of his rhetoric .
On Tuesday , Northam 's spokeswoman echoed that suggestion in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality : President Trump called upon his supporters to 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA ' in April — just like Michigan , '' Yarmosky said .
`` In fact , the President regularly encourages violence against those who disagree with him .
The rhetoric coming out of this White House has serious and potentially deadly consequences .
It must stop . ''
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , in response to those comments , said Tuesday , `` President Trump has continually condemned white supremacists and all forms of hate . ''
`` Governor Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sowing division by making these outlandish allegations , '' McEnany added .
`` America stands united against hate and in support of our federal law enforcement who stopped this plot . ''
Federal authorities and state law enforcement officials in Michigan last week arrested 13 men in connection with the alleged scheme to kidnap Whitmer and related crimes .
Six defendants are charged in federal court with conspiring to snatch Whitmer from her vacation home , after which one defendant allegedly planned to put her on trial for `` treason . ''
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniel Harris , 23 , and Brandon Caserta , 32 , the three men who were the subject of Tuesday 's court hearing .
Seven other men known to be members or associates of the militia group Wolverine Watchmen were charged under the Michigan state anti-terrorism law .
Whitmer , during an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday , was asked about the news of Northam being discussed by the same suspects in the alleged plot to kidnap her .
`` I think in this moment in American politics , it 's so crucial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the aisle stand up and call this out and call it what it is and examine their own behavior and ask , 'Have I done anything to contribute to this ? '
'' Whitmer said .
`` Giving domestic terror groups credibility or giving them space or sending them messages or encouragement means that you 're complicit .
This is a moment in American history where we need to see leaders stand up for the right thing , right now .
Lives are on the line .
Whether it 's around Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the governor said .

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Governor's mansion on February 2, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia.
The men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also discussed "taking out" Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam because of coronavirus lockdown orders, an FBI agent revealed Tuesday.
The disclosure by FBI Special Agent Richard Trask that Northam also was being eyed for possible kidnapping came at a bond hearing in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for three of the suspects.
Trask, who did not use Northam's name during his testimony, said the idea of kidnapping Northam and Whitmer was raised at a meeting the men attended in June in Ohio with other members of anti-government groups.
"They discussed possible targets, taking a sitting governor, specifically issues with the governor of Michigan and Virginia based on the lockdown orders," Trask testified.
Northam's press secretary, Alena Yarmosky, said in a statement Tuesday, "The FBI alerted key members of the Governor's security team throughout the course of their investigation."
But Yarmosky also said that in line with "security protocols for highly-classified information, neither the Governor nor other members of his staff were informed."
"At no time was the Governor or his family in imminent danger," Yarmosky said. "Enhanced security measures have been in place for Governor Northam and his family for quite some time, and they will remain."
Both Whitmer and Northam are Democrats who were criticized on Twitter earlier this year by President Donald Trump for their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, which include restrictions on businesses and other nonessential services.
The president, who is a Republican, in April tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" in reference to Whitmer's strict lockdown orders for the state to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the same day, Trump tweeted, "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!"
Whitmer last week suggested that Trump was "complicit" in the alleged plot against her because of his rhetoric.
On Tuesday, Northam's spokeswoman echoed that suggestion in her own statement.
"Here's the reality: President Trump called upon his supporters to 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA' in April — just like Michigan," Yarmosky said.
"In fact, the President regularly encourages violence against those who disagree with him. The rhetoric coming out of this White House has serious and potentially deadly consequences. It must stop."
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, in response to those comments, said Tuesday, "President Trump has continually condemned white supremacists and all forms of hate."
"Governor Whitmer, and now Governor Northam, are sowing division by making these outlandish allegations," McEnany added. "America stands united against hate and in support of our federal law enforcement who stopped this plot."
Federal authorities and state law enforcement officials in Michigan last week arrested 13 men in connection with the alleged scheme to kidnap Whitmer and related crimes.
Six defendants are charged in federal court with conspiring to snatch Whitmer from her vacation home, after which one defendant allegedly planned to put her on trial for "treason."
Those defendants include Kaleb Franks, 26, Daniel Harris, 23, and Brandon Caserta, 32, the three men who were the subject of Tuesday's court hearing.
Seven other men known to be members or associates of the militia group Wolverine Watchmen were charged under the Michigan state anti-terrorism law.
Whitmer, during an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, was asked about the news of Northam being discussed by the same suspects in the alleged plot to kidnap her.
"I think in this moment in American politics, it's so crucial that people of goodwill on both sides of the aisle stand up and call this out and call it what it is and examine their own behavior and ask, 'Have I done anything to contribute to this?'" Whitmer said.
"Giving domestic terror groups credibility or giving them space or sending them messages or encouragement means that you're complicit. This is a moment in American history where we need to see leaders stand up for the right thing, right now. Lives are on the line. Whether it's around Covid-19 or it is around domestic terror," the governor said.


cnbc--2020-10-13--Immigration was a dominant issue in the 2016 election, but not this time

A U.S. Border Patrol agent searches an undocumented migrant who illegally crossed the Rio Grande in Los Ebanos , Texas , April 6 , 2019 .
Three words echoed throughout Donald Trump 's successful 2016 presidential campaign : `` Build the wall . ''
Then , as president , Trump made immigration and border security defining issues of his administration .
Yet immigration has taken a back seat on the 2020 campaign trail .
It barely came up during the presidential debate with Democrat Joe Biden or the vice presidential debate featuring Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for voters .
`` The president 's responses to COVID-19 and the Supreme Court vacancy have overshadowed immigration because those issues are more pressing and recent in people 's minds , '' David Bier , an immigration policy analyst for libertarian think tank the Cato Institute , said in an email .
Polls tell the same story .
According to a CNBC/Change Research national survey earlier this month , only 15 % of voters said immigration was a top issue for them , compared with 40 % and 39 % for the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveyed 2,167 likely voters and has a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points .
Trump also has already solidified his standing as a president who 's tough on immigration , from his travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries to his contentious family separation policy at the border .
`` This is a very black-and-white issue for America , '' said James Carafano , who leads national security and foreign policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation .
`` It 's not the kind of issue that would really move a lot of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform has blended with his `` law and order '' agenda .
`` The law and order rhetoric is combined with our immigration system , '' said Andrea Flores , deputy director of immigration policy for the American Civil Liberties Union .
`` In response to protesters who were fighting for Black Lives in Portland , you saw the Trump administration mobilize this huge immigration enforcement agency of DHS . ''
In turn , Biden occupies a precarious position where he has to appeal to more moderate voters concerned about public safety without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's law-and-order rhetoric as fear mongering .
`` The president 's doing with law and order now what he did with immigration and border security in 2016 , '' said Carafano .
Still , Trump is also seeking a way to pivot from the coronavirus pandemic , which has weighed on his poll numbers and opened him up to effective attacks from the Biden campaign .
The president seems to be facing an uphill battle : 57 % percent of voters disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president certainly would like immigration to become more of an issue , '' Bier said .
`` He wants to claim that his closing of the borders protected Americans from the virus and economic collapse , but the public apparently does n't see the issues as connected . ''
The Trump campaign said immigration remains a priority for the president on multiple fronts .
`` Immigration is a critical issue in this election , and President Trump believes that immigration is not only a national security issue but an economic one , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Ken Farnaso , deputy national press secretary for Trump 's campaign .
The Biden campaign did not respond to requests for comment .
While immigration may not be a priority issue for many Americans this election cycle , immigration advocates say they 'd like to see both campaigns consider immigration in their coronavirus recovery plans .
`` Many immigrants are really on the front lines stepping up for the country , '' said Carlos Guevara , associate director of the Immigration Policy Project at UnidosUS .
`` It 's very obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're going to get to a quicker recovery is to find some sort of pathway for folks to stay here lawfully , while they 're in essential work or otherwise . ''
A recent Gallup poll found that Americans want more immigration than less for the first time since 1965 .
`` Both campaigns have to respect that public sympathy is incredibly high for immigrant communities right now , '' said Flores .

A U.S. Border Patrol agent searches an undocumented migrant who illegally crossed the Rio Grande in Los Ebanos, Texas, April 6, 2019.
Three words echoed throughout Donald Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign: "Build the wall."
Then, as president, Trump made immigration and border security defining issues of his administration.
Yet immigration has taken a back seat on the 2020 campaign trail. It barely came up during the presidential debate with Democrat Joe Biden or the vice presidential debate featuring Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris.
Other issues have become more pressing for voters.
"The president's responses to COVID-19 and the Supreme Court vacancy have overshadowed immigration because those issues are more pressing and recent in people's minds," David Bier, an immigration policy analyst for libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, said in an email.
Polls tell the same story. According to a CNBC/Change Research national survey earlier this month, only 15% of voters said immigration was a top issue for them, compared with 40% and 39% for the economy and Covid-19, respectively. The poll surveyed 2,167 likely voters and has a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points.
Trump also has already solidified his standing as a president who's tough on immigration, from his travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries to his contentious family separation policy at the border.
"This is a very black-and-white issue for America," said James Carafano, who leads national security and foreign policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "It's not the kind of issue that would really move a lot of voters."
Instead, Trump's immigration platform has blended with his "law and order" agenda.
"The law and order rhetoric is combined with our immigration system," said Andrea Flores, deputy director of immigration policy for the American Civil Liberties Union. "In response to protesters who were fighting for Black Lives in Portland, you saw the Trump administration mobilize this huge immigration enforcement agency of DHS."
In turn, Biden occupies a precarious position where he has to appeal to more moderate voters concerned about public safety without alienating voters in his party who view the president's law-and-order rhetoric as fear mongering.
"The president's doing with law and order now what he did with immigration and border security in 2016," said Carafano.
Still, Trump is also seeking a way to pivot from the coronavirus pandemic, which has weighed on his poll numbers and opened him up to effective attacks from the Biden campaign.
The president seems to be facing an uphill battle: 57% percent of voters disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic, according to the CNBC/Change Research poll.
"The president certainly would like immigration to become more of an issue," Bier said. "He wants to claim that his closing of the borders protected Americans from the virus and economic collapse, but the public apparently doesn't see the issues as connected."
The Trump campaign said immigration remains a priority for the president on multiple fronts.
"Immigration is a critical issue in this election, and President Trump believes that immigration is not only a national security issue but an economic one, especially as America continues to reopen," said Ken Farnaso, deputy national press secretary for Trump's campaign.
The Biden campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
While immigration may not be a priority issue for many Americans this election cycle, immigration advocates say they'd like to see both campaigns consider immigration in their coronavirus recovery plans.
"Many immigrants are really on the front lines stepping up for the country," said Carlos Guevara, associate director of the Immigration Policy Project at UnidosUS. "It's very obvious to us that the way that we're going to get to a quicker recovery is to find some sort of pathway for folks to stay here lawfully, while they're in essential work or otherwise."
A recent Gallup poll found that Americans want more immigration than less for the first time since 1965.
"Both campaigns have to respect that public sympathy is incredibly high for immigrant communities right now," said Flores.


cnbc--2020-10-13--Virginia voter registration website goes down on last day to register

Voters cast their ballots for the 2020 election at an early , in-person voting location in Arlington , Virginia , on September 18 , 2020 .
Virginia 's Citizen Portal has gone down due to a cut fiber on Tuesday , preventing people from registering to vote online on the last day of voter registration in the state , the Department of Elections says .
Residents can still register to vote by mailing in or dropping off paper applications .
Lt. Gov .
Justin Fairfax said the outages are reported statewide and called for the voter registration deadline to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Elections has n't announced plans to adjust the deadline .
The outage is also affecting registrar 's offices , the Virginia Department of Elections said on Twitter .
The Citizen Portal , which allows voters to register online , was temporarily unavailable on Tuesday morning , a message posted on the website said .
`` We are working with our network providers to restore service as quickly as possible , '' the message said .
It 's unclear when online registration will be available again .
Anyone seeking to apply for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a paper application .
You can mail in the paper application or drop it off at an official registration office .
The deadline to submit the application is Tuesday .
You can also pick up a paper voter registration application at a local voter registration office , public libraries , a Virginia Department of Elections office , a Department of Motor Vehicles offices or a voter registration drive , the state says .
The Virginia Information Technologies Agency , which works on cybersecurity for the state , said on Twitter that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chester caused the outage .
The agency said technicians are working to repair it .
The cut fiber `` is impacting data circuits and virtual private network ( VPN ) connectivity for multiple Commonwealth agencies , '' VITA said .
Verizon technicians were on site and working to repair the cut Tuesday morning , Virginia Department of Elections spokesperson Andrea Gaines said .
Paper applications to vote by mail can also be printed online .

Voters cast their ballots for the 2020 election at an early, in-person voting location in Arlington, Virginia, on September 18, 2020.
Virginia's Citizen Portal has gone down due to a cut fiber on Tuesday, preventing people from registering to vote online on the last day of voter registration in the state, the Department of Elections says.
Residents can still register to vote by mailing in or dropping off paper applications.
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax said the outages are reported statewide and called for the voter registration deadline to be extended beyond Tuesday. However, the Board of Elections hasn't announced plans to adjust the deadline.
The outage is also affecting registrar's offices, the Virginia Department of Elections said on Twitter.
More from NBC4 Washington:
The Citizen Portal, which allows voters to register online, was temporarily unavailable on Tuesday morning, a message posted on the website said.
"We are working with our network providers to restore service as quickly as possible," the message said.
It's unclear when online registration will be available again.
Anyone seeking to apply for voter registration can instead print and fill out a paper application. You can mail in the paper application or drop it off at an official registration office. The deadline to submit the application is Tuesday.
You can also pick up a paper voter registration application at a local voter registration office, public libraries, a Virginia Department of Elections office, a Department of Motor Vehicles offices or a voter registration drive, the state says.
The Virginia Information Technologies Agency, which works on cybersecurity for the state, said on Twitter that a fiber cut near a data center in Chester caused the outage. The agency said technicians are working to repair it.
The cut fiber "is impacting data circuits and virtual private network (VPN) connectivity for multiple Commonwealth agencies," VITA said.
Verizon technicians were on site and working to repair the cut Tuesday morning, Virginia Department of Elections spokesperson Andrea Gaines said.
Paper applications to vote by mail can also be printed online.


cnbc--2020-10-13--Federal court sides with Texas governor limiting mail ballot drop-off sites

A worker puts a ballot into a lock box at a drive-thru mail ballot hand delivery center in Austin , Texas , U.S. , on Friday , Oct. 2 , 2020 .
A federal court of appeals has upheld Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott 's order to remove mail ballot drop-off sites across Texas .
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit late Monday sided with Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughes , who argued that the governor 's move to restrict the in-person delivery of early voting ballots to a single location per county protected election integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 proclamation is part of an expansion of absentee voting in Texas , not a restriction of it , '' the court ruled .
The governor 's order , which also permits poll watchers to observe ballot delivery , amends a July 27 proclamation that extended early voting and allowed voters to deliver mail ballots in person .
`` The additional time provided for those who want to submit their mail in ballot in person is sufficient to accommodate the limited number of people who have traditionally used that voting strategy , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor , said in a statement .
Texas Democrats and voting rights groups have criticized the order , saying it infringes upon voter rights .
`` We can overcome , '' Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in response to the court 's ruling .
`` While Republicans will do whatever it takes to hold onto power , even if it means suppressing the votes of the rising Texas electorate , Texas Democrats are fighting for every eligible voter to have their voices heard . ''
Earlier this month , Texas voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Greg Abbott and the state of Texas over the order .
In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Austin , the plaintiffs said `` forcing such new burdens on voters who relied on a different set of election rules to make their voting plan , is unreasonable , unfair , and unconstitutional . ''
On Friday , a federal judge blocked Abbott 's Oct. 1 proclamation that would restrict the in-person delivery of early voting ballots to a single location per county .
Hughes immediately appealed the ruling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday .
`` The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections , '' the governor said in a statement announcing the proclamation .
`` These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting . ''
Harris County , home of Houston , the nation 's fourth most populous city , has 12 drop-off locations to address the high demand for mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Travis County , home of the state capital , Austin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one box per county will be removed .
Tuesday marks the first day of early voting in Texas .
Harris County officials told NBC News that more than 4,500 people voted in the first 30 minutes after polls opened .

A worker puts a ballot into a lock box at a drive-thru mail ballot hand delivery center in Austin, Texas, U.S., on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
A federal court of appeals has upheld Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's order to remove mail ballot drop-off sites across Texas.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit late Monday sided with Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughes, who argued that the governor's move to restrict the in-person delivery of early voting ballots to a single location per county protected election integrity.
"Properly understood ... the October 1 proclamation is part of an expansion of absentee voting in Texas, not a restriction of it," the court ruled.
The governor's order, which also permits poll watchers to observe ballot delivery, amends a July 27 proclamation that extended early voting and allowed voters to deliver mail ballots in person.
"The additional time provided for those who want to submit their mail in ballot in person is sufficient to accommodate the limited number of people who have traditionally used that voting strategy," Renae Eze, a spokesperson for the governor, said in a statement.
Texas Democrats and voting rights groups have criticized the order, saying it infringes upon voter rights.
"We can overcome," Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in response to the court's ruling. "While Republicans will do whatever it takes to hold onto power, even if it means suppressing the votes of the rising Texas electorate, Texas Democrats are fighting for every eligible voter to have their voices heard."
Earlier this month, Texas voting rights organizations and private citizens sued Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the state of Texas over the order. In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Austin, the plaintiffs said "forcing such new burdens on voters who relied on a different set of election rules to make their voting plan, is unreasonable, unfair, and unconstitutional."
On Friday, a federal judge blocked Abbott's Oct. 1 proclamation that would restrict the in-person delivery of early voting ballots to a single location per county.
Hughes immediately appealed the ruling and the Fifth Circuit granted a temporary stay on Saturday.
"The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections," the governor said in a statement announcing the proclamation. "These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting."
Harris County, home of Houston, the nation's fourth most populous city, has 12 drop-off locations to address the high demand for mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. Travis County, home of the state capital, Austin, has four sites. All but one box per county will be removed.
Tuesday marks the first day of early voting in Texas. Harris County officials told NBC News that more than 4,500 people voted in the first 30 minutes after polls opened.


cnbc--2020-10-13--Amy Coney Barrett takes questions at Supreme Court confirmation hearings

Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's confirmation hearings are set to enter into their next phase on Tuesday , with the 48-year-old nominee due to answer questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee in person for the first time since her nomination last month .
Barrett is expected to take questions about her past statements on abortion and the role of precedent , her views on an upcoming case over the Affordable Care Act and whether she will recuse herself from litigation stemming from the upcoming election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden .
The 22 senators on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 Democrats , will each get 30 minutes to ask Barrett questions , setting up what is likely to be a long day of testimony .
Senators will get another chance to ask questions on Wednesday , and the hearings will conclude on Thursday .
While the process is unlikely to affect whether Barrett is confirmed — she is expected to have support from a majority of both the committee and the full Senate — it will provide a political spotlight for several senators hoping to make a splash .
Chief among them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is in an unexpectedly tight race for reelection in South Carolina against the well-funded Democrat Jaime Harrison .
Sen. Kamala Harris , the Democratic vice presidential nominee who has gone viral grilling Trump administration officials from her perch on the committee , will also be closely watched .
`` This is going to be a long , contentious week , '' Graham said on Monday , the first day of Barrett 's hearings .
`` I would just ask one thing of the committee .
To the extent possible , let 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it challenging , let 's remember , the world is watching . ''
Harris , who appeared remotely , later blasted Graham for holding the hearings in spite of the spreading Covid-19 pandemic and ahead of the election , accusing Republicans of `` trying to bypass the will of the voters and have the Supreme Court do their dirty work . ''
Tuesday 's hearing comes just three weeks before Election Day , and the battle between Trump and Biden will hang over the proceedings .
Trump nominated Barrett to the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
If Barrett is confirmed , she will give the top court a 6-3 conservative majority , providing Republicans a legal advantage for the foreseeable future .
Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia early in her career and has said she shares the conservative judge 's ideology .
In her opening statement delivered on Monday , she emphasized that she does not believe it is the responsibility of judges to impose their own moral values on the law .
The dividing lines between the two parties were made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Democrats focused on Barrett 's views on an upcoming battle over the Affordable Care Act and Republicans eager to discuss her sterling legal credentials and sprawling family , including seven children .
The top court will consider a challenge to the health-care law , known as Obamacare , on Nov. 10 .
The Trump administration has asked the justices to scrap the legislation .
With little chance at derailing the confirmation proceedings entirely , Democrats have sought to turn the confirmation battle into a referendum on the law , which millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage .
Republicans , on the other hand , appear to be looking for a fight over Barrett 's Catholicism , which animated the 2017 hearings over Barrett 's nomination to the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
At the time , Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California , the committee 's top Democrat , angered those on the right when she told Barrett that she was concerned that the `` dogma lives loudly within you . ''
Barrett responded that her faith would not influence her work as a judge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hero to social conservatives and prompted criticism of Democrats for what some saw as imposing a religious test .
On Monday , Democrats steered clear of addressing Barrett 's religion , though that may prove more difficult on Tuesday as the questions turn to Barrett 's past statements on abortion .
Barrett , who belonged to Notre Dame Law School 's `` Faculty for Life '' chapter , is supported by anti-abortion groups .
At the first presidential debate , Trump suggested that Barrett 's views on the Supreme Court 's abortion precedents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surfaced that she had signed onto a 2006 newspaper ad calling for Roe v. Wade , the landmark abortion decision , to be overturned .
Another topic that Democratic senators are likely to seize on is Barrett 's potential role in litigation related to the upcoming presidential election .
Trump has repeatedly said that he wants Barrett confirmed in time to weigh in on any cases that arise and has stated without providing evidence that there will be massive voter fraud .
Sen. Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn. , told Barrett on Monday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would immediately do explosive , enduring harm to the court 's legitimacy and to your own credibility . ''
`` You must recuse yourself , '' Blumenthal said .
It would be unusual for a justice to recuse herself from a case because it concerns the president who nominated her .
Republicans are expected to ask lighter questions of the judge .
Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas , said on Monday that he had been hearing from constituents who wanted to know about Barrett 's personal life .
`` They want to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` How do you and your husband manage two professional careers and still take care of your large family ? ''

Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings are set to enter into their next phase on Tuesday, with the 48-year-old nominee due to answer questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee in person for the first time since her nomination last month.
Barrett is expected to take questions about her past statements on abortion and the role of precedent, her views on an upcoming case over the Affordable Care Act and whether she will recuse herself from litigation stemming from the upcoming election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
The 22 senators on the committee, including 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, will each get 30 minutes to ask Barrett questions, setting up what is likely to be a long day of testimony. Senators will get another chance to ask questions on Wednesday, and the hearings will conclude on Thursday.
While the process is unlikely to affect whether Barrett is confirmed — she is expected to have support from a majority of both the committee and the full Senate — it will provide a political spotlight for several senators hoping to make a splash.
Chief among them is committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is in an unexpectedly tight race for reelection in South Carolina against the well-funded Democrat Jaime Harrison.
Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee who has gone viral grilling Trump administration officials from her perch on the committee, will also be closely watched.
"This is going to be a long, contentious week," Graham said on Monday, the first day of Barrett's hearings. "I would just ask one thing of the committee. To the extent possible, let's make it respectful, let's make it challenging, let's remember, the world is watching."
Harris, who appeared remotely, later blasted Graham for holding the hearings in spite of the spreading Covid-19 pandemic and ahead of the election, accusing Republicans of "trying to bypass the will of the voters and have the Supreme Court do their dirty work."
Tuesday's hearing comes just three weeks before Election Day, and the battle between Trump and Biden will hang over the proceedings.
Trump nominated Barrett to the Supreme Court last month after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If Barrett is confirmed, she will give the top court a 6-3 conservative majority, providing Republicans a legal advantage for the foreseeable future.
Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia early in her career and has said she shares the conservative judge's ideology. In her opening statement delivered on Monday, she emphasized that she does not believe it is the responsibility of judges to impose their own moral values on the law.
The dividing lines between the two parties were made clear on the first day of hearings, with Democrats focused on Barrett's views on an upcoming battle over the Affordable Care Act and Republicans eager to discuss her sterling legal credentials and sprawling family, including seven children.
The top court will consider a challenge to the health-care law, known as Obamacare, on Nov. 10.
The Trump administration has asked the justices to scrap the legislation. With little chance at derailing the confirmation proceedings entirely, Democrats have sought to turn the confirmation battle into a referendum on the law, which millions of Americans rely on for their health-care coverage.
Republicans, on the other hand, appear to be looking for a fight over Barrett's Catholicism, which animated the 2017 hearings over Barrett's nomination to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
At the time, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee's top Democrat, angered those on the right when she told Barrett that she was concerned that the "dogma lives loudly within you." Barrett responded that her faith would not influence her work as a judge.
That exchange made Barrett something of a hero to social conservatives and prompted criticism of Democrats for what some saw as imposing a religious test.
On Monday, Democrats steered clear of addressing Barrett's religion, though that may prove more difficult on Tuesday as the questions turn to Barrett's past statements on abortion. Barrett, who belonged to Notre Dame Law School's "Faculty for Life" chapter, is supported by anti-abortion groups.
At the first presidential debate, Trump suggested that Barrett's views on the Supreme Court's abortion precedents were unknown, though shortly afterward it surfaced that she had signed onto a 2006 newspaper ad calling for Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion decision, to be overturned.
Another topic that Democratic senators are likely to seize on is Barrett's potential role in litigation related to the upcoming presidential election. Trump has repeatedly said that he wants Barrett confirmed in time to weigh in on any cases that arise and has stated without providing evidence that there will be massive voter fraud.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Barrett on Monday that her participation in an election case "would immediately do explosive, enduring harm to the court's legitimacy and to your own credibility."
"You must recuse yourself," Blumenthal said.
It would be unusual for a justice to recuse herself from a case because it concerns the president who nominated her.
Republicans are expected to ask lighter questions of the judge. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said on Monday that he had been hearing from constituents who wanted to know about Barrett's personal life.
"They want to know how you do it," Cornyn said. "How do you and your husband manage two professional careers and still take care of your large family?"