cnbc--2020-01-24--'Take her out' — Trump reportedly caught on tape ordering the removal of Ukraine ambassador

Former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch leaves the hearing room after testifying in the House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Friday , Nov. 15 , 2019 .
A newly surfaced recording contains audio of President Donald Trump demanding that former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch be fired , ABC News reported Friday .
`` Get rid of her ! ''
Trump reportedly said of Yovanovitch , during a small dinner in April 2018 that was attended by Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , two associates of Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were deeply involved in the covert campaign to remove the ambassador from her post .
`` Get her out tomorrow .
I do n't care .
Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
Okay ?
Do it , '' Trump can reportedly be heard saying on the tape .
CNBC has not heard the tape .
But Parnas ' lawyer told The Daily Beast on Friday that Fruman made the recording on April 30 , 2018 , and that Parnas had heard it , but never had possession of it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ October of last year and charged with campaign finance violations .
A copy of the recording is in the custody of federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York , where Fruman and Parnas were charged , ABC reported .
A spokesman for the Southern District declined CNBC 's request for comment .
A lawyer for Fruman did not respond to a request for comment , and Parnas ' lawyer , Joe Bondy , confirmed that the tape did not come from Parnas .
The two Giuliani associates had spent part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Yovanovitch had been bad-mouthing him , ABC reported .
In the past , the president has responded sharply when he feels people have betrayed him , and his response here , according to the ABC report , would seem to fit with this pattern Trump was asked about the tape during an interview on Fox News set to air Friday night , and he acknowledged it was something he probably said , and defended his right to fire ambassadors .
`` I am not a fan of that ambassador , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard on the tape was not him explicitly telling Parnas personally to get rid of Yovanovitch .
`` But probably if it was Rudy there or somebody '' that he was speaking to .
`` I make no bones about it , '' Trump said .
`` I have every right .
I want ambassadors that are chosen by me . ''
But as Democrats allege and witnesses have testified , the abrupt and untimely removal of Yovanovitch from her diplomatic post was bigger than simply the president wanting to appoint his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiyear effort to force Ukraine 's government to announce investigations targeting Trump 's political opponents , including former Vice President Joe Biden , and the Democratic National Committee .
The pressure campaign to get Ukraine to help Trump was led by Giuliani , who spent more than a year trying to dig up dirt on the Bidens and the DNC in Ukraine .
After a surprise victory by a political newcomer in the country 's presidential election last spring , Giuliani , along with a handpicked group of Trump administration appointees , ramped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump wanted announced .
This gradually increasing pressure campaign reached its pinnacle last summer when Trump ordered the Pentagon and the State Department to freeze nearly $ 400 million in foreign aid earmarked for Ukraine .
This decision to withhold aid , coupled with the pressure campaign , is at the heart of the impeachment case against Trump that Democrats approved late last year .
Trump 's impeachment trial is underway in the Senate .
He says he has done nothing wrong .
Yovanovitch testified as part of the House impeachment inquiry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies , who had disparaged her even after she was removed from her post .
Yovanovitch said that corrupt Ukrainian officials and Trump associates , including Giuliani , had orchestrated a `` smear campaign '' against her .
Parnas has been cooperating with Democratic investigators .
Less than a week before the Senate trial proceedings began , Parnas and his lawyer handed over a trove of new evidence to Democrat-led House committee chairs .
That evidence included text messages , phone records , handwritten notes and other materials .
Trump has claimed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parnas .
But Parnas and his attorney have claimed otherwise , and have shared multiple photos and videos of Parnas posing with a variety of White House officials , including Trump and Vice President Mike Pence .

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch leaves the hearing room after testifying in the House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019.
A newly surfaced recording contains audio of President Donald Trump demanding that former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch be fired, ABC News reported Friday.
"Get rid of her!" Trump reportedly said of Yovanovitch, during a small dinner in April 2018 that was attended by Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two associates of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who were deeply involved in the covert campaign to remove the ambassador from her post.
"Get her out tomorrow. I don't care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. Okay? Do it," Trump can reportedly be heard saying on the tape. CNBC has not heard the tape.
But Parnas' lawyer told The Daily Beast on Friday that Fruman made the recording on April 30, 2018, and that Parnas had heard it, but never had possession of it. Parnas and Fruman were both arrested in October of last year and charged with campaign finance violations.
A copy of the recording is in the custody of federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, where Fruman and Parnas were charged, ABC reported. A spokesman for the Southern District declined CNBC's request for comment. A lawyer for Fruman did not respond to a request for comment, and Parnas' lawyer, Joe Bondy, confirmed that the tape did not come from Parnas.
The two Giuliani associates had spent part of the dinner repeating a rumor to Trump that Yovanovitch had been bad-mouthing him, ABC reported. In the past, the president has responded sharply when he feels people have betrayed him, and his response here, according to the ABC report, would seem to fit with this pattern
Trump was asked about the tape during an interview on Fox News set to air Friday night, and he acknowledged it was something he probably said, and defended his right to fire ambassadors.
"I am not a fan of that ambassador," Trump said. He added that what was heard on the tape was not him explicitly telling Parnas personally to get rid of Yovanovitch. "But probably if it was Rudy there or somebody" that he was speaking to.
"I make no bones about it," Trump said. "I have every right. I want ambassadors that are chosen by me."
But as Democrats allege and witnesses have testified, the abrupt and untimely removal of Yovanovitch from her diplomatic post was bigger than simply the president wanting to appoint his own ambassador.
It was part of a multiyear effort to force Ukraine's government to announce investigations targeting Trump's political opponents, including former Vice President Joe Biden, and the Democratic National Committee.
The pressure campaign to get Ukraine to help Trump was led by Giuliani, who spent more than a year trying to dig up dirt on the Bidens and the DNC in Ukraine. After a surprise victory by a political newcomer in the country's presidential election last spring, Giuliani, along with a handpicked group of Trump administration appointees, ramped up their efforts to get the investigations Trump wanted announced.
This gradually increasing pressure campaign reached its pinnacle last summer when Trump ordered the Pentagon and the State Department to freeze nearly $400 million in foreign aid earmarked for Ukraine.
This decision to withhold aid, coupled with the pressure campaign, is at the heart of the impeachment case against Trump that Democrats approved late last year.
Trump's impeachment trial is underway in the Senate. He says he has done nothing wrong.
Yovanovitch testified as part of the House impeachment inquiry that she felt threatened by Trump and his allies, who had disparaged her even after she was removed from her post. Yovanovitch said that corrupt Ukrainian officials and Trump associates, including Giuliani, had orchestrated a "smear campaign" against her.
Parnas has been cooperating with Democratic investigators. Less than a week before the Senate trial proceedings began, Parnas and his lawyer handed over a trove of new evidence to Democrat-led House committee chairs. That evidence included text messages, phone records, handwritten notes and other materials.
Trump has claimed on multiple occasions that he is unfamiliar with Parnas. But Parnas and his attorney have claimed otherwise, and have shared multiple photos and videos of Parnas posing with a variety of White House officials, including Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Read the full report from ABC News.


cnbc--2020-01-24--Trump impeachment trial: Democrats to shine spotlight on Trump's alleged obstruction on last day of

Trump impeachment trial: Democrats to shine spotlight on Trump's alleged obstruction on last day of arguments

Democratic House impeachment managers are expected to argue Friday that President Donald Trump obstructed Congress ' investigation into his dealings with Ukraine .
It 's the final day for the seven House managers , led by Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , to state their case that Trump should be convicted and removed from office .
On Thursday , Democrats laid out their arguments that Trump met the standard for impeachment by pushing Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce probes into his political rivals and a debunked conspiracy about the 2016 presidential election while millions of dollars in congressionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withheld .
Schiff gave an impassioned speech late Thursday at the close of the day 's proceedings , folding a searing attack on Trump 's character into a sweeping appeal to senators ' common sense .
In America , Schiff said , `` Right is supposed to matter . ''
`` It 's what 's made us the greatest nation on Earth .
No Constitution can protect us if right does n't matter anymore , and you know you ca n't trust this president to do what 's right for this country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's right for Donald Trump . ''
The proceedings ended around 10:30 p.m .
ET .
When the Senate convenes at 1 p.m. Friday , Democrats are expected to detail their argument that Trump , by refusing to hand over any documents to the House and by pressuring witnesses not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry , is guilty of obstruction of Congress .
The Democrats have 24 hours total , spread out over three days , to state their case .
Trump 's lawyers will have the same time to present the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start Saturday — a time slot that Trump grumbled about on Twitter as `` Death Valley in T.V . ''
Senators , who are required to remain silent during the trial proceedings , will then have 16 cumulative hours to ask questions of the House managers and the defense team in writing .
Under Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's rules , the Senate will then get to vote on whether to produce documents and witnesses in the trial that Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for .
Amendments to issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and witnesses were shot down Tuesday .
But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , has pressed Republicans to support calling witnesses when it comes up for a vote .
Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them .
Even if they win that battle , it remains unlikely that two-thirds of the Senate will vote to convict and remove the president from office .
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , spent a large chunk of time arguing that Trump 's conduct is impeachable , even if it does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nadler said , `` exists to address threats to the political system , applies only to political officials and responds not by imprisonment or fines , but only by stripping political power . ''
`` No one anticipated a president would stoop to this misconduct , and Congress has passed no specific law to make this behavior a crime , '' Nadler added .
`` Yet this is precisely the kind of abuse that the framers [ of the Constitution ] had in mind when they wrote the impeachment clause . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support this point — including a 1999 argument from Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , a close Trump ally and one of the Senate 's most vocal critics of the impeachment proceedings .
`` What 's a high crime ?
How about an important person hurting somebody of low means ? ''
Graham asked in the Senate in 1999 .
`` It 's not very scholarly , but I think it 's the truth .
I think that 's what they meant by high crimes .
Does n't even have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you start using your office and you 're acting in a way that hurts people , you 've committed a high crime , '' Graham said in the clip .
An all-caps chyron above Graham in the clip read : `` LINDSEY GRAHAM : IMPEACHMENT DOES NOT REQUIRE A CRIME . ''
The Democrats also spent a significant amount of time establishing that Trump wanted Zelenskiy to announce probes into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in order to help Trump 's reelection prospects .
Rep. Sylvia Garcia , D-Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about corruption in Ukraine until Biden announced his presidential bid .
`` The president asked Ukraine for this investigation for one reason and one reason only : because he knew it would be damaging to an opponent who was consistently beating him in the polls and therefore it could help him get reelected in 2020 , '' Garcia said .
Jay Sekulow , one of Trump 's attorneys , told reporters that by bringing up the Bidens in the trial , Democrats have `` kind of opened the door to that response .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ team the appropriate way to do it . ''
Trump 's lawyers argue that the president has done nothing wrong .
On the last day of the Democrats ' opening presentations , Trump is scheduled on Friday to become the first sitting president to speak at the March For Life , an annual gathering in Washington of thousands of anti-abortion activists and organizations .

watch now
Democratic House impeachment managers are expected to argue Friday that President Donald Trump obstructed Congress' investigation into his dealings with Ukraine. It's the final day for the seven House managers, led by Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., to state their case that Trump should be convicted and removed from office. On Thursday, Democrats laid out their arguments that Trump met the standard for impeachment by pushing Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce probes into his political rivals and a debunked conspiracy about the 2016 presidential election while millions of dollars in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine was being withheld. Schiff gave an impassioned speech late Thursday at the close of the day's proceedings, folding a searing attack on Trump's character into a sweeping appeal to senators' common sense. In America, Schiff said, "Right is supposed to matter."
watch now
"It's what's made us the greatest nation on Earth. No Constitution can protect us if right doesn't matter anymore, and you know you can't trust this president to do what's right for this country. You can trust he will do what's right for Donald Trump." The proceedings ended around 10:30 p.m. ET. When the Senate convenes at 1 p.m. Friday, Democrats are expected to detail their argument that Trump, by refusing to hand over any documents to the House and by pressuring witnesses not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry, is guilty of obstruction of Congress. The Democrats have 24 hours total, spread out over three days, to state their case. Trump's lawyers will have the same time to present the president's defense. They are expected to start Saturday — a time slot that Trump grumbled about on Twitter as "Death Valley in T.V." Trump TWEET Senators, who are required to remain silent during the trial proceedings, will then have 16 cumulative hours to ask questions of the House managers and the defense team in writing. Under Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's rules, the Senate will then get to vote on whether to produce documents and witnesses in the trial that Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for. Amendments to issue subpoenas beforehand for a slew of documents and witnesses were shot down Tuesday. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has pressed Republicans to support calling witnesses when it comes up for a vote. Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them. Even if they win that battle, it remains unlikely that two-thirds of the Senate will vote to convict and remove the president from office.
House impeachment managers Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., left, and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., are seen in the Capitol before the continuation of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call | Getty Images


cnbc--2020-01-24--Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says it's 'more than fair' for him to get some credit for Trump's suppor

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says it's 'more than fair' for him to get some credit for Trump's support of Trillion Trees campaign

DAVOS , Switzerland – Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said it is `` fair '' for him to get some credit for President Donald Trump 's surprising support for an initiative geared toward battling climate change .
The Trillion Trees campaign to plant , restore , or conserve 1 trillion trees by 2050 was launched earlier this week here at the World Economic Forum as an official initiative of the event 's host .
A day ahead of its launch , Trump formally backed the initiative , despite his longstanding skepticism of climate change .
There had been speculation at Davos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging Benioff , a trustee of the forum .
The president has before shown his willingness to lend his ears to corporate leaders .
Benioff , meantime , has used his position as CEO of a company with a $ 143 billion market cap as a platform to advocate for corporations ' role in improving society .
That includes showing support for an initiative led by Ivanka Trump , the president 's daughter and a senior advisor , to train a million workers .
When asked whether `` it 's fair '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of the campaign , Benioff said `` it 's fair , '' before adding : `` It 's more than fair . ''
Benioff also stressed that he was n't seeking full credit for the initiative , or the support it has gained .
He also cited former Vice President Al Gore and renowned conservationist Jane Goodall as key figures in the project .
Benioff would not say whether he spoke directly to the president about it .
When asked multiple times whether he talked to Trump about the initiative , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The project , said Benioff , was inspired in part by a July article in Scientific American , which was based on research co-authored by Tom Crowther , a professor of global ecosystem ecology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich .
The study found that 1 trillion trees could reduce two-thirds of global air pollution .
Benioff said he discussed the idea with Ray Dalio , founder of Bridgewater Associates .
Dalio `` did an analysis and said , 'This is an amazing project , but it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 30 cents a tree . ''
Benioff added : `` He said you have to get the government involved , and so we started calling every government – and yes , we also are involved with the U.S .
government . ''
`` But then the WEF has also a relationship with every government , '' he added .
The Chinese and European governments are supporting the initiative , as well as more than 300 companies , Benioff said .

Marc Benioff, CEO, Salesforce.com speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 23, 2020. Adam Galasia | CNBC
DAVOS, Switzerland – Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said it is "fair" for him to get some credit for President Donald Trump's surprising support for an initiative geared toward battling climate change. The Trillion Trees campaign to plant, restore, or conserve 1 trillion trees by 2050 was launched earlier this week here at the World Economic Forum as an official initiative of the event's host. A day ahead of its launch, Trump formally backed the initiative, despite his longstanding skepticism of climate change. There had been speculation at Davos that Trump's support came at the urging Benioff, a trustee of the forum. The president has before shown his willingness to lend his ears to corporate leaders. Benioff, meantime, has used his position as CEO of a company with a $143 billion market cap as a platform to advocate for corporations' role in improving society. That includes showing support for an initiative led by Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a senior advisor, to train a million workers.
watch now
When asked whether "it's fair" to give him some credit for Trump's support of the campaign, Benioff said "it's fair," before adding: "It's more than fair." Benioff also stressed that he wasn't seeking full credit for the initiative, or the support it has gained. He also cited former Vice President Al Gore and renowned conservationist Jane Goodall as key figures in the project. Benioff would not say whether he spoke directly to the president about it. When asked multiple times whether he talked to Trump about the initiative, he said he had spoken "to everybody." The project, said Benioff, was inspired in part by a July article in Scientific American, which was based on research co-authored by Tom Crowther, a professor of global ecosystem ecology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. The study found that 1 trillion trees could reduce two-thirds of global air pollution.


cnbc--2020-01-24--OpEd: Trump's tax cut isn't to blame for Washington's rising deficits

The above scenario represents two key missed opportunities for Trump and congressional Republicans .
First , the fact that these tax cuts have n't just boosted the economy but have also boosted tax revenues needs to be repeated over and over .
Because the Democrats and other critics are going to increasingly point to the rising budget deficits and will surely blame the Trump tax cuts for them .
But here 's the problem : deficits are still going up .
In fact we 're back on a pace to hit a $ 1 trillion deficit this fiscal year for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that if tax revenues are surging and the debt is still rising , then the culprit for all the red ink has to be increased government spending .
These results are the strongest argument that tax cuts do indeed grow the economy in a way that widens the tax base and ends up bringing in more money to Uncle Sam in the end .
The numbers do n't lie .
Federal tax revenue soared to a record $ 806.5 billion in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues the trend of record tax revenues that have been coming into the Treasury over much of the last two years .
This comes despite the overwhelming doomsday predictions by Trump 's opponents that the 2017 Trump tax cut would reduce those revenues .
President Trump never comes off as the humble type .
But there 's a major policy success that he and his fellow Republicans have n't spent enough time touting : The increasing tax revenues that have been pouring into the federal treasury .
The Trump team needs to appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenues are rising , the tax cuts ca n't possibly be the reason for rising federal debts .
The Trump team needs to appeal to the simple logic that if tax revenues are rising , the tax cuts ca n't possibly be the reason for rising federal debts .
This is simply good political defense , and you can be sure the White House and the Republicans are going to have to play defense very soon .
That 's because the party out of the White House usually plays the role of deficit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it retakes the presidency .
But Trump and the rest of the Republicans are actually getting a bit of a temporary reprieve from the usual deficit pushback thanks to so many Democrats on the presidential campaign trail who continue to promote even more massive spending .
Yes , candidates like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren claim that tax hikes on the rich will pay for their multi-trillion dollar `` Medicare for all '' and student loan forgiveness promises .
But the more the experts look at those plans , the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite this delay , the president and the Republicans need to find the courage to go on offense against spending .
It 's not as if the administration and the GOP do n't know how to talk the talk .
The first Trump budget proposal in 2017 called for a flurry of budget cuts and included some hard truths about the unsustainability of much of our entitlement spending .
Based on how things turned out that year , it appears the administration and Congressional Republicans backed off much of the spending cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tax cut plan passed .
Of course , both Republicans and Democrats have never really needed much of an excuse to avoid making the spending cuts both sides lack the courage to enact .
While politicians continue to portray the public as being unwilling to accept any budget cutbacks , the facts do n't back up that claim .
Over the last decade , many polls have shown that Americans are willing to either slash or at least hold spending steady on almost every government program .
That even includes support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of closing many foreign military bases which would save billions of dollars right away .
Logic also tells us that changes to Social Security is n't the third rail of politics the so-called experts say it is .
With poll after poll telling us that Americans under the age of 50 are not expecting to receive all or even part of their promised Social Security benefits , how can anyone argue that those same Americans would oppose making reforms to a benefit they 're not expecting to fully get ?
More importantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ponzi-like scheme as it 's forcing younger workers to pay more and more into a fund that 's projected to be tapped out by the time they 're eligible to get their money back .
But ask your representatives in Congress to fix this , and they 're likely to run for the exits .
Now , we 're hearing that the White House is preparing a new round of tax cuts .
At the same time , Trump told CNBC 's Joe Kernen at Davos this week that he 's open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would include Social Security .
That combination is n't going to fly unless Trump and the rest of the GOP do a better job of explaining why spending is the problem and how the tax cuts are n't to blame .
As for finding the courage to actually go ahead with those spending cuts , no one should hold their breath .
Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC TV producer .
You can follow him on Twitter @ jakejakeny .

The above scenario represents two key missed opportunities for Trump and congressional Republicans. First, the fact that these tax cuts haven't just boosted the economy but have also boosted tax revenues needs to be repeated over and over. Because the Democrats and other critics are going to increasingly point to the rising budget deficits and will surely blame the Trump tax cuts for them.
But here's the problem: deficits are still going up. In fact we're back on a pace to hit a $1 trillion deficit this fiscal year for the first time since 2012. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that if tax revenues are surging and the debt is still rising, then the culprit for all the red ink has to be increased government spending.
These results are the strongest argument that tax cuts do indeed grow the economy in a way that widens the tax base and ends up bringing in more money to Uncle Sam in the end.
The numbers don't lie. Federal tax revenue soared to a record $806.5 billion in the first three months of fiscal 2020 . That continues the trend of record tax revenues that have been coming into the Treasury over much of the last two years.
This comes despite the overwhelming doomsday predictions by Trump's opponents that the 2017 Trump tax cut would reduce those revenues.
President Trump never comes off as the humble type. But there's a major policy success that he and his fellow Republicans haven't spent enough time touting: The increasing tax revenues that have been pouring into the federal treasury.
The Trump team needs to appeal to the simple logic that if tax revenues are rising, the tax cuts can't possibly be the reason for rising federal debts.
The Trump team needs to appeal to the simple logic that if tax revenues are rising, the tax cuts can't possibly be the reason for rising federal debts. This is simply good political defense, and you can be sure the White House and the Republicans are going to have to play defense very soon.
That's because the party out of the White House usually plays the role of deficit hawk, only to reverse that role when it retakes the presidency. But Trump and the rest of the Republicans are actually getting a bit of a temporary reprieve from the usual deficit pushback thanks to so many Democrats on the presidential campaign trail who continue to promote even more massive spending.
Yes, candidates like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren claim that tax hikes on the rich will pay for their multi-trillion dollar "Medicare for all" and student loan forgiveness promises. But the more the experts look at those plans, the more the numbers simply don't add up.
Despite this delay, the president and the Republicans need to find the courage to go on offense against spending. It's not as if the administration and the GOP don't know how to talk the talk.
The first Trump budget proposal in 2017 called for a flurry of budget cuts and included some hard truths about the unsustainability of much of our entitlement spending.
Based on how things turned out that year, it appears the administration and Congressional Republicans backed off much of the spending cut push as a compromise to get the Trump tax cut plan passed.
Of course, both Republicans and Democrats have never really needed much of an excuse to avoid making the spending cuts both sides lack the courage to enact. While politicians continue to portray the public as being unwilling to accept any budget cutbacks, the facts don't back up that claim.
Over the last decade, many polls have shown that Americans are willing to either slash or at least hold spending steady on almost every government program. That even includes support for some defense cuts, especially the idea of closing many foreign military bases which would save billions of dollars right away.
Logic also tells us that changes to Social Security isn't the third rail of politics the so-called experts say it is. With poll after poll telling us that Americans under the age of 50 are not expecting to receive all or even part of their promised Social Security benefits, how can anyone argue that those same Americans would oppose making reforms to a benefit they're not expecting to fully get?
More importantly, Social Security has become more of a Ponzi-like scheme as it's forcing younger workers to pay more and more into a fund that's projected to be tapped out by the time they're eligible to get their money back. But ask your representatives in Congress to fix this, and they're likely to run for the exits.
Now, we're hearing that the White House is preparing a new round of tax cuts. At the same time, Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen at Davos this week that he's open to some entitlement spending cuts and reforms that would include Social Security.
That combination isn't going to fly unless Trump and the rest of the GOP do a better job of explaining why spending is the problem and how the tax cuts aren't to blame. As for finding the courage to actually go ahead with those spending cuts, no one should hold their breath.
Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC TV producer. You can follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.


cnbc--2020-01-24--Trump to take action against California for requiring insurers to provide abortion coverage, WSJ say

Trump to take action against California for requiring insurers to provide abortion coverage, WSJ says

President Donald Trump 's administration is planning to take action against California over the state 's requirement that insurance companies cover abortions , according to a new report .
The Trump administration will argue that California 's rule goes against a federal law that protects health-care providers that do n't provide abortion or abortion coverage from discrimination by government groups receiving money from the Department of Health and Human Services , The Wall Street Journal reported , citing people familiar with the plans .
HHS and the Office for Civil Rights issued a notice of violation on Friday , threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the state does not comply with federal law .
A spokesperson did not return a request for comment .
The White House declined to comment on the record .
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra vowed in a tweet `` to protect our families ' access to healthcare , including women 's constitutional right to abortion . ''
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom in a statement to CNBC slammed the move , saying that `` the Trump Administration would rather rile up its base to score cheap political points and risk access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right . ''
Newsom also echoed Becerra 's comments , saying abortion will be legal in the state .
`` California will continue to protect a woman 's right to choose , and we wo n't back down from defending reproductive freedom for everybody -- full stop , '' he said .
The announcement of the action is planned for Friday , the same day that Trump is scheduled to appear at the anti-abortion March for Life rally .
The president is looking to firm up his support among conservative Christians and abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bruising reelection campaign .
He is the first sitting president in the event 's nearly five-decade history to attend the Washington protest against the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling .
Trump announced his plans to attend the march via a tweet Wednesday , the 47th anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision , as House Democrats began laying out their case in the Senate impeachment trial for removing him from office .
`` See you on Friday ... Big Crowd ! ''
the president said , replying to a tweet from the March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement on Thursday called the White House the `` most pro-life administration in this country 's history . ''
`` We are proud to be 'the Department of Life ' and will continue protecting life and lives while upholding the fundamental freedoms and inherent dignity of all Americans , '' Azar said in the statement .
At the rally , Trump welcomed the `` tens of thousands of high school and college students who took long bus rides to be here in our nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights- and abortion-restricting record in the White House .
`` All of us here today understand the eternal truth , '' he said .
`` Every child is a precious and a sacred gift from god .
Together we must treasure and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life . ''
`` Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House , '' Trump continued .
Trump once identified as `` very pro-choice , '' saying in a 1999 interview on the NBC program `` Meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concept of abortion .
I hate everything it stands for .
I cringe when I listen to people debating the subject .
But I still believe in choice . ''
But during his 2016 campaign , the president sought out anti-abortion voters , appearing at rallies and major fundraisers and vowing to defund global family planning efforts at the United Nations .
His renewed vocal support for anti-abortion groups comes in the middle of a heated presidential campaign and weeks before the Supreme Court is set to take up its first major abortion-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , on the bench .
The high court will review a 2014 Louisiana law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where the abortions are provided .
Opponents said it would effectively leave just one abortion provider for a state with about 4.6 million residents .
On Jan. 2 , 207 lawmakers , including two Democrats , filed an amicus brief in the case , urging the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade .

President Donald Trump's administration is planning to take action against California over the state's requirement that insurance companies cover abortions, according to a new report.
The Trump administration will argue that California's rule goes against a federal law that protects health-care providers that don't provide abortion or abortion coverage from discrimination by government groups receiving money from the Department of Health and Human Services, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the plans.
HHS and the Office for Civil Rights issued a notice of violation on Friday, threatening to pull federal health funds from California if the state does not comply with federal law. A spokesperson did not return a request for comment.
The White House declined to comment on the record.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra vowed in a tweet "to protect our families' access to healthcare, including women's constitutional right to abortion."
Becerra tweet
California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement to CNBC slammed the move, saying that "the Trump Administration would rather rile up its base to score cheap political points and risk access to care for millions than do what's right."
Newsom also echoed Becerra's comments, saying abortion will be legal in the state.
"California will continue to protect a woman's right to choose, and we won't back down from defending reproductive freedom for everybody -- full stop," he said.
The announcement of the action is planned for Friday, the same day that Trump is scheduled to appear at the anti-abortion March for Life rally. The president is looking to firm up his support among conservative Christians and abortion opponents as he prepares for a likely bruising reelection campaign.
He is the first sitting president in the event's nearly five-decade history to attend the Washington protest against the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.
Trump announced his plans to attend the march via a tweet Wednesday, the 47th anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, as House Democrats began laying out their case in the Senate impeachment trial for removing him from office.
"See you on Friday...Big Crowd!" the president said, replying to a tweet from the March for Life account promoting the event.
Trump tweet
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement on Thursday called the White House the "most pro-life administration in this country's history."
"We are proud to be 'the Department of Life' and will continue protecting life and lives while upholding the fundamental freedoms and inherent dignity of all Americans," Azar said in the statement.
At the rally, Trump welcomed the "tens of thousands of high school and college students who took long bus rides to be here in our nation's capital" and touted his reproductive rights- and abortion-restricting record in the White House.
"All of us here today understand the eternal truth," he said. "Every child is a precious and a sacred gift from god. Together we must treasure and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life."
"Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House," Trump continued.
Trump once identified as "very pro-choice," saying in a 1999 interview on the NBC program "Meet the Press" that "I hate the concept of abortion. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debating the subject. But I still believe in choice."
But during his 2016 campaign, the president sought out anti-abortion voters, appearing at rallies and major fundraisers and vowing to defund global family planning efforts at the United Nations.
His renewed vocal support for anti-abortion groups comes in the middle of a heated presidential campaign and weeks before the Supreme Court is set to take up its first major abortion-related case with both of his appointees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, on the bench.
The high court will review a 2014 Louisiana law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where the abortions are provided. Opponents said it would effectively leave just one abortion provider for a state with about 4.6 million residents.
On Jan. 2, 207 lawmakers, including two Democrats, filed an amicus brief in the case, urging the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade.
— CNBC's Lauren Hirsch contributed to this article.


cnbc--2020-01-24--George Soros warns Trump of potential economic doom before election

George Soros , billionaire and founder of Soros Fund Management LLC , pauses while speaking at an event on day three of the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) in Davos , Switzerland , on Thursday , Jan. 23 , 2020 .
Liberal billionaire George Soros said Thursday that the U.S. economy could be headed for calamity as a result of President Donald Trump 's efforts to juice American business and stock prices ahead of the 2020 election .
`` Trump 's economic team has managed to overheat an already buoyant economy , '' Soros warned his guests at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Davos , Switzerland .
`` The stock market , already celebrating Trump 's military success , is breaking out to reach new heights , '' he said .
`` But an overheated economy ca n't be kept boiling for too long .
If all this had happened closer to the elections , it would have assured his reelection . ''
`` His problem is that the elections are still 10 months away , and in a revolutionary situation , that is a lifetime , '' Soros said .
Soros , an 89-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 8 billion , delivered the remarks at the dinner held during the forum , an annual conference set in the Swiss Alps and known for featuring elite business and political leaders .

George Soros, billionaire founder of Soros Fund Management LLC, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23, 2020.
Liberal billionaire George Soros said Thursday that the U.S. economy could be headed for calamity as a result of President Donald Trump's efforts to juice American business and stock prices ahead of the 2020 election.
"Trump's economic team has managed to overheat an already buoyant economy," Soros warned his guests at an informal dinner at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"The stock market, already celebrating Trump's military success, is breaking out to reach new heights," he said. "But an overheated economy can't be kept boiling for too long. If all this had happened closer to the elections, it would have assured his reelection."
"His problem is that the elections are still 10 months away, and in a revolutionary situation, that is a lifetime," Soros said.
Soros, an 89-year-old Democratic megadonor whose net worth peaks at more than $8 billion, delivered the remarks at the dinner held during the forum, an annual conference set in the Swiss Alps and known for featuring elite business and political leaders.


cnbc--2020-01-24--Trump impeachment trial: Dems use Republicans' own words against them

Democratic impeachment managers pushing the Senate to remove President Donald Trump from office laid out a sprawling argument Thursday that he had abused his power .
On their second day of opening statements , the seven House Democrats , led by Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , zeroed in on the first of two articles of impeachment that the House passed last month .
They have 24 hours total , spread out over three days , to state their case .
Schiff , along with Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , Rep. Sylvia Garcia , D-Texas and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laying out their arguments that Trump 's efforts to pressure Ukraine 's president to announce probes into his political opponents meet the standard for impeachment .
When the Democrats finish , Trump 's lawyers will have the same amount of time to present the president 's defense .
Jay Sekulow , one of Trump 's attorneys , said that they plan to rebut the Democrats ' arguments and present `` an affirmative case '' of their own .
Senators , who have been required to keep silent during the trial proceedings , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions of the House managers and the defense team .
Under Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's rules , the Senate will then get to vote on whether to produce documents and witnesses in the trial that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for .
Amendments to issue subpoenas beforehand for a slew of documents and witnesses , were shot down Tuesday .
Before the Senate convened at 1 p.m .
ET on Thursday , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , slammed Republicans who complained that the House managers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial thus far .
`` This argument that they heard nothing new , when they voted against new evidence repeatedly , rings very , very hollow , '' Schumer told reporters .
The House impeached Trump on Dec. 18 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , both related to his dealings with Ukraine .
Trump and his allies had pushed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son , as well as a debunked conspiracy theory alleging Ukrainian interference in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars in military aid to Ukraine were being withheld .
Democrats say Trump then blocked the House 's investigation into the matter by refusing to hand over any documents and directing key witnesses not to comply with Congress .
It is considered highly unlikely that two thirds of the GOP-majority Senate will vote to remove a Republican president .
Here are the biggest highlights of the day : Nadler sought from the start of his remarks to establish that Trump 's conduct is gravely serious and constitutionally impeachable — even if it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` No president has ever used his office to compel a foreign nation to help him cheat in our elections , '' Nadler said .
`` The president has repeatedly , flagrantly violated his oath . ''
He then cited a raft of historical precedent , including past presidents , Supreme Court rulings , founding fathers and experts who testified before the House that Trump should be impeached , to support a broader view of impeachment .
Impeachment , Nadler said , `` is not a punishment for crimes . ''
Rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the political system , applies only to political officials and responds not by imprisonment or fines , but only by stripping political power , '' he said .
Nadler argued that it would be `` practically impossible '' to limit the scope of possible presidential abuse only to what has been written into law .
`` The Constitution is not a suicide pact , '' he said .
`` It does not leave us stuck with presidents who abuse their power in unforeseen ways that threaten our security and democracy . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stoop to this misconduct , and Congress has passed no specific law to make this behavior a crime , '' Nadler added .
`` Yet this is precisely the kind of abuse that the framers [ of the Constitution ] had in mind when they wrote the impeachment clause . ''
Nadler uses Trump ally Lindsey Graham to make his case The Democrats used a wide array of video clips and other visual exhibits to support their arguments .
But Nadler raised eyebrows with one video in particular : a two-decade-old clip of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , R-S.C. From the time Democrats launched their investigation , Graham has been among the Senate 's most vocal critics of the impeachment proceedings .
`` They 're on a crusade to destroy this president , '' Graham said of Nadler , Schiff and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , on Wednesday .
But Nadler used Graham 's own words — from the time of former President Bill Clinton 's impeachment trial — to bolster his argument that Trump can be impeached without having committed a specific crime .
`` What 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important person hurting somebody of low means ? ''
Graham asked in the Senate in 1999 .
`` It 's not very scholarly , but I think it 's the truth .
I think that 's what they meant by high crimes .
Does n't even have to be a crime .
It 's just when you start using your office and you 're acting in a way that hurts people , you 've committed a high crime , '' Graham said in the clip .
An all-caps chyron above Graham in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IMPEACHMENT DOES NOT REQUIRE A CRIME . ''
Graham was reportedly the only senator not present in the chamber at the time the clip was played .
A spokesman for his office did not respond to CNBC 's inquiry about Nadler 's use of the clip .
Dems take on Biden corruption claims that Trump wanted Ukraine to 'look into' Democrats accuse Trump of pressuring Ukraine to announce the probe into the Bidens in order to help his reelection prospects .
Biden has been a frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a July 25 phone call , Trump asked Zelenskiy to `` look into '' Biden and his son Hunter , who was serving on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company at the time his father was vice president .
Trump and his allies have said that the president decided to withhold the military aid and ask for the Biden probes merely out of concern about corruption in Ukraine .
They have suspicions about why Biden , as vice president , had pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor there who was reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holdings .
But neither Biden nor his son have been credibly accused of wrongdoing .
Biden 's push for Ukraine to fire that prosecutor aligned with official U.S. policy at the time , as well as the wishes of numerous other countries who saw him as corrupt .
Rep. Garcia argued that Trump had been unconcerned about alleged corruption in Ukraine until Biden announced his presidential bid .
`` The president asked Ukraine for this investigation for one reason and one reason only : because he knew it would be damaging to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polls and therefore it could help him get reelected in 2020 , '' Garcia said .
Early in the afternoon , Schiff took the floor to build a crucial part of the Democrats ' case : that Trump 's demand that Ukraine investigate election interference was 2016 was based on a false Kremlin backed conspiracy , and designed simply to damage Democrats .
Schiff appealed to senators ' distrust of the Kremlin , an opinion that enjoys near-universal bipartisan support .
The `` election interference '' that Trump said he wanted investigated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president of Ukraine , Schiff said , was a `` very specific conspiracy theory , '' that Ukraine , and not Russia , had interfered in the 2016 presidential election by stealing emails from the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Hillary Clinton .
`` This theory was brought to you by the Kremlin , '' Schiff said .
`` So we 're not talking about generic interference … what Donald Trump wanted investigated or announced was this completely bogus , Kremlin-pushed conspiracy theory . ''
U.S. intelligence agencies have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , used an arsenal of hacking and disinformation tactics in 2016 to sway the election in Trump 's favor .
By demanding a probe of the so-called `` Crowdstrike '' conspiracy about Ukraine having hacked the election , Schiff said , Trump was rejecting his own intelligence community 's assessment in favor of pushing a Kremlin backed fallacy .
As evidence of how much Russia benefited from Trump 's actions , Schiff quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin , who said last fall , `` Thank God nobody is accusing us anymore of interfering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusing Ukraine . ''
`` Well , you got ta give Donald Trump credit for this .
He has made a religious man out of Vladimir Putin , '' Schiff said , generating a ripple of laughter from senators .
Starting early Thursday morning , Trump used Twitter to express his growing frustration over the impeachment trial , railing against the current witness procedure and claiming he 'd done nothing his predecessor had n't done , too .
`` The Democrat House would not give us lawyers , or not one witness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce the witnesses that the House never sought , or even asked for ? ''
Trump tweeted .
`` They had their chance , but pretended to rush .
Most unfair & corrupt hearing in Congressional history ! ''
`` No matter what you give to the Radical Left , Do Nothing Democrats , it will never be enough ! ''
he wrote a few minutes later .
Trump then sought to equate his withholding of aid to Ukraine to Obama administration decisions .
`` The Democrats & Shifty Schiff , whose presentation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and misrepresentations , are refusing to state that the Obama Administration withheld aid from many countries including Ukraine , Pakistan , Philippines , Egypt , Honduras , & Mexico .
Witch Hunt ! ''
Trump 's claims about the Obama administration are something his lawyers have seized upon in recent days , claiming that his actions in Ukraine were no different than Obama 's .
But this argument misses the crucial point that the Obama administration withheld foreign aid in order to prevent it from being used by repressive governments to seize or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , withheld aid to a country that is fighting to remain free from the creeping power of a repressive government , namely Russia .
After returning to Washington Wednesday from Davos , Switzerland , Trump left on Thursday afternoon for Florida , where he was scheduled to address the Republican National Committee 's winter meeting .

House impeachment manager Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., is seen in the Capitol before the continuation of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images
Democratic impeachment managers pushing the Senate to remove President Donald Trump from office laid out a sprawling argument Thursday that he had abused his power. On their second day of opening statements, the seven House Democrats, led by Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., zeroed in on the first of two articles of impeachment that the House passed last month. They have 24 hours total, spread out over three days, to state their case. Schiff, along with Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas and other managers, took a step-by-step approach to laying out their arguments that Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine's president to announce probes into his political opponents meet the standard for impeachment. When the Democrats finish, Trump's lawyers will have the same amount of time to present the president's defense. Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's attorneys, said that they plan to rebut the Democrats' arguments and present "an affirmative case" of their own. Senators, who have been required to keep silent during the trial proceedings, will then have 16 cumulative hours to ask questions of the House managers and the defense team. Under Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's rules, the Senate will then get to vote on whether to produce documents and witnesses in the trial that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for. Amendments to issue subpoenas beforehand for a slew of documents and witnesses, were shot down Tuesday. Before the Senate convened at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed Republicans who complained that the House managers had not presented anything new in the trial thus far. "This argument that they heard nothing new, when they voted against new evidence repeatedly, rings very, very hollow," Schumer told reporters. The House impeached Trump on Dec. 18 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, both related to his dealings with Ukraine. Trump and his allies had pushed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory alleging Ukrainian interference in the 2016 presidential election, while millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine were being withheld. Democrats say Trump then blocked the House's investigation into the matter by refusing to hand over any documents and directing key witnesses not to comply with Congress. It is considered highly unlikely that two thirds of the GOP-majority Senate will vote to remove a Republican president. Here are the biggest highlights of the day:
Nadler: Don't need a crime to impeach Trump
Nadler sought from the start of his remarks to establish that Trump's conduct is gravely serious and constitutionally impeachable — even if it doesn't necessarily violate a specific criminal statue. "No president has ever used his office to compel a foreign nation to help him cheat in our elections," Nadler said. "The president has repeatedly, flagrantly violated his oath." He then cited a raft of historical precedent, including past presidents, Supreme Court rulings, founding fathers and experts who testified before the House that Trump should be impeached, to support a broader view of impeachment. Impeachment, Nadler said, "is not a punishment for crimes." Rather, "Impeachment exists to address threats to the political system, applies only to political officials and responds not by imprisonment or fines, but only by stripping political power," he said. Nadler argued that it would be "practically impossible" to limit the scope of possible presidential abuse only to what has been written into law. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact," he said. "It does not leave us stuck with presidents who abuse their power in unforeseen ways that threaten our security and democracy." "No one anticipated a president would stoop to this misconduct, and Congress has passed no specific law to make this behavior a crime," Nadler added. "Yet this is precisely the kind of abuse that the framers [of the Constitution] had in mind when they wrote the impeachment clause."
Nadler uses Trump ally Lindsey Graham to make his case
The Democrats used a wide array of video clips and other visual exhibits to support their arguments. But Nadler raised eyebrows with one video in particular: a two-decade-old clip of staunch Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. From the time Democrats launched their investigation, Graham has been among the Senate's most vocal critics of the impeachment proceedings. "They're on a crusade to destroy this president," Graham said of Nadler, Schiff and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Wednesday. But Nadler used Graham's own words — from the time of former President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial — to bolster his argument that Trump can be impeached without having committed a specific crime. "What's a high crime? How about an important person hurting somebody of low means?" Graham asked in the Senate in 1999. "It's not very scholarly, but I think it's the truth. I think that's what they meant by high crimes. Doesn't even have to be a crime. It's just when you start using your office and you're acting in a way that hurts people, you've committed a high crime," Graham said in the clip. An all-caps chyron above Graham in the clip read: "LINDSEY GRAHAM: IMPEACHMENT DOES NOT REQUIRE A CRIME." Graham was reportedly the only senator not present in the chamber at the time the clip was played. A spokesman for his office did not respond to CNBC's inquiry about Nadler's use of the clip.
Dems take on Biden corruption claims that Trump wanted Ukraine to 'look into'
Democrats accuse Trump of pressuring Ukraine to announce the probe into the Bidens in order to help his reelection prospects. Biden has been a frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary since joining the race in April. In a July 25 phone call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to "look into" Biden and his son Hunter, who was serving on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company at the time his father was vice president. Trump and his allies have said that the president decided to withhold the military aid and ask for the Biden probes merely out of concern about corruption in Ukraine. They have suspicions about why Biden, as vice president, had pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor there who was reportedly investigating the natural gas company, Burisma Holdings. But neither Biden nor his son have been credibly accused of wrongdoing. Biden's push for Ukraine to fire that prosecutor aligned with official U.S. policy at the time, as well as the wishes of numerous other countries who saw him as corrupt. Rep. Garcia argued that Trump had been unconcerned about alleged corruption in Ukraine until Biden announced his presidential bid. "The president asked Ukraine for this investigation for one reason and one reason only: because he knew it would be damaging to an opponent who was consistently beating him in the polls and therefore it could help him get reelected in 2020," Garcia said.
Schiff: Trump pushed a Kremlin-backed conspiracy theory
Early in the afternoon, Schiff took the floor to build a crucial part of the Democrats' case: that Trump's demand that Ukraine investigate election interference was 2016 was based on a false Kremlin backed conspiracy, and designed simply to damage Democrats. Schiff appealed to senators' distrust of the Kremlin, an opinion that enjoys near-universal bipartisan support. The "election interference" that Trump said he wanted investigated during his July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine, Schiff said, was a "very specific conspiracy theory," that Ukraine, and not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 presidential election by stealing emails from the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Hillary Clinton. "This theory was brought to you by the Kremlin," Schiff said. "So we're not talking about generic interference … what Donald Trump wanted investigated or announced was this completely bogus, Kremlin-pushed conspiracy theory." U.S. intelligence agencies have said unequivocally that Russia, and not Ukraine, used an arsenal of hacking and disinformation tactics in 2016 to sway the election in Trump's favor. By demanding a probe of the so-called "Crowdstrike" conspiracy about Ukraine having hacked the election, Schiff said, Trump was rejecting his own intelligence community's assessment in favor of pushing a Kremlin backed fallacy. As evidence of how much Russia benefited from Trump's actions, Schiff quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said last fall, "Thank God nobody is accusing us anymore of interfering in U.S. elections. Now they're accusing Ukraine." "Well, you gotta give Donald Trump credit for this. He has made a religious man out of Vladimir Putin," Schiff said, generating a ripple of laughter from senators.
Trump rails against process
Starting early Thursday morning, Trump used Twitter to express his growing frustration over the impeachment trial, railing against the current witness procedure and claiming he'd done nothing his predecessor hadn't done, too. "The Democrat House would not give us lawyers, or not one witness, but now demand that the Republican Senate produce the witnesses that the House never sought, or even asked for?" Trump tweeted. "They had their chance, but pretended to rush. Most unfair & corrupt hearing in Congressional history!" "No matter what you give to the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, it will never be enough!" he wrote a few minutes later. Trump then sought to equate his withholding of aid to Ukraine to Obama administration decisions. "The Democrats & Shifty Schiff, whose presentation to the Senate was loaded with lies and misrepresentations, are refusing to state that the Obama Administration withheld aid from many countries including Ukraine, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Honduras, & Mexico. Witch Hunt!" Trump's claims about the Obama administration are something his lawyers have seized upon in recent days, claiming that his actions in Ukraine were no different than Obama's. But this argument misses the crucial point that the Obama administration withheld foreign aid in order to prevent it from being used by repressive governments to seize or hold onto power. Trump, meanwhile, withheld aid to a country that is fighting to remain free from the creeping power of a repressive government, namely Russia. After returning to Washington Wednesday from Davos, Switzerland, Trump left on Thursday afternoon for Florida, where he was scheduled to address the Republican National Committee's winter meeting.


cnbc--2020-01-24--George Soros rips Trump and Xi, says the 'fate of the world' is at stake in 2020

George Soros , billionaire and founder of Soros Fund Management LLC , speaks at an event on day three of the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) in Davos , Switzerland , on Thursday , Jan. 23 , 2020 .
DAVOS , Switzerland — Liberal billionaire George Soros took aim at President Donald Trump and China on Thursday at his annual dinner amid the World Economic Forum .
Chinese President Xi Jinping is `` trying to exploit Trump 's weaknesses , '' Soros told the gathering .
He also accused Xi of using `` artificial intelligence to have total control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soros did not discuss the Democratic presidential primary , in which he has yet to make an endorsement , he said the 2020 election will not just determine the relationship between Trump and Xi , but the `` fate of the world . ''
Soros , the 89-year-old Democratic megadonor who has a net worth of just over $ 8 billion , made his comments at a private annual dinner set amid a conference known for featuring elite business and political leaders .
Soros ' fresh criticism of Trump and the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to a so-called phase one trade deal .
The agreement calls for China to increase its purchases of U.S. manufacturing , energy and agricultural goods and services by at least $ 200 billion over two years and includes provisions to root out intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers .
While Trump has said negotiations on a phase two agreement will begin soon , many business executives at the WEF have raised doubts that another agreement will be made over the next year .
He also leveled direct attacks at Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man and a narcissist , who wants the world to revolve around him . ''
`` When his fantasy of becoming president became a reality , '' that narcissism dialed up , Soros said .
`` This has turned his narcissism into a malignant disease . ''
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment .

George Soros, billionaire and founder of Soros Fund Management LLC, speaks at an event on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020.
DAVOS, Switzerland — Liberal billionaire George Soros took aim at President Donald Trump and China on Thursday at his annual dinner amid the World Economic Forum.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is "trying to exploit Trump's weaknesses," Soros told the gathering. He also accused Xi of using "artificial intelligence to have total control of his people."
And while Soros did not discuss the Democratic presidential primary, in which he has yet to make an endorsement, he said the 2020 election will not just determine the relationship between Trump and Xi, but the "fate of the world."
Soros, the 89-year-old Democratic megadonor who has a net worth of just over $8 billion, made his comments at a private annual dinner set amid a conference known for featuring elite business and political leaders.
Soros' fresh criticism of Trump and the Chinese government under Xi came after the two nations agreed to a so-called phase one trade deal. The agreement calls for China to increase its purchases of U.S. manufacturing, energy and agricultural goods and services by at least $200 billion over two years and includes provisions to root out intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers.
While Trump has said negotiations on a phase two agreement will begin soon, many business executives at the WEF have raised doubts that another agreement will be made over the next year.
He also leveled direct attacks at Trump, saying the president "is a con man and a narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
"When his fantasy of becoming president became a reality," that narcissism dialed up, Soros said. "This has turned his narcissism into a malignant disease."
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.


cnbc--2020-01-24--Greta Thunberg hits back after Mnuchin says she should study economics in college

DAVOS , Switzerland — Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg hit back at Steven Mnuchin on Thursday , after the Treasury Secretary suggested she needed to study economics in college before lecturing the U.S. on fossil fuel investments .
`` My gap year ends in August , but it does n't take a college degree in economics to realise that our remaining 1,5° carbon budget and ongoing fossil fuel subsidies and investments do n't add up , '' the 17-year-old said via Twitter .
`` So either you tell us how to achieve this mitigation or explain to future generations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why we should abandon our climate commitments , '' she added .
Mnuchin had criticized Thunberg 's financial credentials at the World Economic Forum earlier in the day .
Speaking to reporters during a press briefing , Mnuchin was asked whether the world 's largest economy should completely and immediately divest from fossil fuels .
That 's because Thunberg , alongside 20 other young climate activists , had called on the world 's decision-makers and business leaders to stop all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction .
`` Is she the chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm confused , '' Mnuchin said , before adding this was `` a joke .
That was funny . ''
`` After she goes and studies economics in college she can come back and explain that to us , '' Mnuchin said .
An intensifying climate crisis is top of the agenda in Davos , Switzerland .
It follows a 12-month period that saw the hottest year on record for the world 's oceans , the second-hottest year for global average temperatures , and wildfires from the U.S. to the Amazon to Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report from 2018 as she delivered remarks to a packed audience .
The IPCC report states the remaining carbon budget would need to fall below 570 gigatons of carbon dioxide in the coming years if the world is to have a 67 % chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius .
`` With today 's emissions levels , the remaining budget is gone in less than eight years , '' Thunberg said Tuesday .
`` These are n't anyone 's views .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fame for skipping school every Friday to hold a weekly vigil outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018 .
It sparked an international wave of school strikes — also known as `` Fridays for Future '' — with millions of children taking part in rallies around the world .
When asked to address his comments about Thunberg on CNBC 's `` Squawk Box '' on Thursday , Mnuchin said , `` Let me just comment because obviously the climate issue is something that is being talked about this week . ''
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental policies are misunderstood .
The president absolutely believes in clean air and clean water .
He supports a clean environment . ''
President Donald Trump has often expressed skepticism about the scale of the climate crisis and on Tuesday , he urged participants at the forum to reject the `` perennial prophets of doom . ''
The U.S. president did not name anyone directly during his speech , but he did encourage those in attendance to ignore environmental `` alarmists '' and their `` predictions of the apocalypse . ''
Since coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken steps to pull the U.S. — one of the world 's leading carbon emitters — out of the Paris Agreement and sought to roll back over 80 environmental regulations .
`` If you look at the real environmental issues right now , they are in China , they are in India .
If you look at what the U.S. has been doing on its own , without government intervention , industry has gotten a lot more efficient on carbon emissions , '' Mnuchin said .

watch now
DAVOS, Switzerland — Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg hit back at Steven Mnuchin on Thursday, after the Treasury Secretary suggested she needed to study economics in college before lecturing the U.S. on fossil fuel investments. "My gap year ends in August, but it doesn't take a college degree in economics to realise that our remaining 1,5° carbon budget and ongoing fossil fuel subsidies and investments don't add up," the 17-year-old said via Twitter. "So either you tell us how to achieve this mitigation or explain to future generations and those already affected by the climate emergency why we should abandon our climate commitments," she added. Tweet 1 Mnuchin had criticized Thunberg's financial credentials at the World Economic Forum earlier in the day. Speaking to reporters during a press briefing, Mnuchin was asked whether the world's largest economy should completely and immediately divest from fossil fuels.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg attends a session at the Congres center during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 21, 2020. FABRICE COFFRINI | AFP via Getty Images
That's because Thunberg, alongside 20 other young climate activists, had called on the world's decision-makers and business leaders to stop all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction. "Is she the chief economist or who is she? I'm confused," Mnuchin said, before adding this was "a joke. That was funny." "After she goes and studies economics in college she can come back and explain that to us," Mnuchin said.
Carbon budget
An intensifying climate crisis is top of the agenda in Davos, Switzerland. It follows a 12-month period that saw the hottest year on record for the world's oceans, the second-hottest year for global average temperatures, and wildfires from the U.S. to the Amazon to Australia.
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Earlier in the week, Thunberg cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report from 2018 as she delivered remarks to a packed audience. The IPCC report states the remaining carbon budget would need to fall below 570 gigatons of carbon dioxide in the coming years if the world is to have a 67% chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "With today's emissions levels, the remaining budget is gone in less than eight years," Thunberg said Tuesday. "These aren't anyone's views. This is the science." Thunberg was catapulted to fame for skipping school every Friday to hold a weekly vigil outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018. It sparked an international wave of school strikes — also known as "Fridays for Future" — with millions of children taking part in rallies around the world.
US environmental policies are 'misunderstood'
When asked to address his comments about Thunberg on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Thursday, Mnuchin said, "Let me just comment because obviously the climate issue is something that is being talked about this week." "And I think, quite frankly, our environmental policies are misunderstood. The president absolutely believes in clean air and clean water. He supports a clean environment." President Donald Trump has often expressed skepticism about the scale of the climate crisis and on Tuesday, he urged participants at the forum to reject the "perennial prophets of doom."
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cnbc--2020-01-24--Trump administration unveils new rules aimed at preventing foreign women from traveling to US to giv

Trump administration unveils new rules aimed at preventing foreign women from traveling to US to give birth

The State Department on Thursday unveiled new rules that could make it more difficult for pregnant foreign nationals to travel to the United States using tourist visas , citing security concerns .
The rules , which will become effective on Friday , are an attempt to crack down on `` birth tourism , '' or the practice of giving birth in the United States in order to obtain U.S. citizenship for a child .
They apply to B visas , or those issued to nonimmigrants .
`` Closing this glaring immigration loophole will combat these endemic abuses and ultimately protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks created by this practice , '' White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement .
`` It will also defend American taxpayers from having their hard-earned dollars siphoned away to finance the direct and downstream costs associated with birth tourism . ''
`` The integrity of American citizenship must be protected , '' she said .
The Trump administration has sought to limit immigration to the United States , and President Donald Trump has been particularly critical of birthright citizenship , or the right of those born in America to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Constitution grants citizenship to `` all persons born or naturalized in the United States . ''
Activists criticized the administration 's move .
Adrian Reyna , the strategy director of United We Dream , a nonprofit immigration group , said in a statement that `` Trump continues to find new ways to try to divide and attack families . ''
`` Discriminating against pregnant individuals by blocking them from coming to visit the country does nothing but keep people from their loved ones , '' Reyna said .
`` This rule is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ending birthright citizenship and essentially stopping the movement of people into this country . ''

The State Department on Thursday unveiled new rules that could make it more difficult for pregnant foreign nationals to travel to the United States using tourist visas, citing security concerns.
The rules, which will become effective on Friday, are an attempt to crack down on "birth tourism," or the practice of giving birth in the United States in order to obtain U.S. citizenship for a child. They apply to B visas, or those issued to nonimmigrants.
"Closing this glaring immigration loophole will combat these endemic abuses and ultimately protect the United States from the national security risks created by this practice," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. "It will also defend American taxpayers from having their hard-earned dollars siphoned away to finance the direct and downstream costs associated with birth tourism."
"The integrity of American citizenship must be protected," she said.
The Trump administration has sought to limit immigration to the United States, and President Donald Trump has been particularly critical of birthright citizenship, or the right of those born in America to citizenship. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."
Activists criticized the administration's move. Adrian Reyna, the strategy director of United We Dream, a nonprofit immigration group, said in a statement that "Trump continues to find new ways to try to divide and attack families."
"Discriminating against pregnant individuals by blocking them from coming to visit the country does nothing but keep people from their loved ones," Reyna said. "This rule is based on Trump's racist fixation on ending birthright citizenship and essentially stopping the movement of people into this country."


cnbc--2020-01-24--Trump will be the first sitting president to attend March for Life anti-abortion rally

US President Donald Trump speaks during a `` Keep America Great '' campaign rally at Huntington Center in Toledo , Ohio , on January 9 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump plans to address Friday 's March for Life , becoming the first sitting president in the event 's 47-year history to attend the Washington protest against the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling .
Trump announced his plans via a tweet Wednesday , the 47th anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision , as House Democrats began laying out their case in the Senate impeachment trial for removing him from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Big Crowd ! ''
Trump said , replying to a tweet from the March for Life account promoting the event .
The rally — one of the anti-abortion movement 's premier events — has been held annually since 1974 , one year after the Supreme Court ruling , which legalized abortions .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called the White House in a statement on Thursday the `` most pro-life administration in this country 's history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'the Department of Life ' and will continue protecting life and lives while upholding the fundamental freedoms and inherent dignity of all Americans , '' Azar said in the statement .
Other presidents have addressed the rally via phone or through a video message , but Trump will be the first president to attend in person .
Acting President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Alexis McGill Johnson rebuked Trump 's decision to attend the rally .
`` While Trump stands with the small number of Americans who want politicians to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll be standing with the nearly 80 percent of Americans who support abortion access , '' Johnson said in a statement .
`` We will never stop fighting for all of the people in this country who need access to sexual and reproductive health care , including abortion . ''
A poll last year found that 77 % of Americans support Roe v. Wade and do n't want to see it overturned .
Jeanne Mancini , March for Life president , said in a tweet that the president would be welcome at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the love and energy of the March for Life with you in person , thank you for coming ! ''
she said .
Mancini praised Trump for cutting taxpayer funding for abortions , appointing anti-abortion judges and voicing support against late-term abortions .
`` President Trump and his Administration have been consistent champions for life and their support for the March for Life has been unwavering , '' she said .
The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List launched a $ 52 million effort last Friday to support Trump 's reelection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Women Speak Out , will use the money to canvass key battleground states : Arizona , Florida , North Carolina , Iowa , Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Texas and Wisconsin .
Read more : Anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List to spend $ 52 million to help Trump win in 2020 Trump once identified as `` very pro-choice , '' saying in a 1999 `` Meet the Press '' interview , `` I hate the concept of abortion .
I hate everything it stands for .
I cringe when I listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I still believe in choice . ''
But during his 2016 campaign , the president sought out anti-abortion voters , appearing at rallies and major fundraisers and vowing to defund global family planning efforts at the United Nations .
His renewed vocal support for anti-abortion groups comes in the middle of a heated presidential campaign and weeks before the Supreme Court is set to take up its first major abortion-related case with both of his appointees , Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , on the bench .
The high court will review a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where the abortions are provided .
Opponents said it would effectively leave just one abortion provider for a state with about 4.6 million residents .
On Jan. 2 , 207 lawmakers , including two Democrats , filed an amicus brief in the case , urging the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade .

US President Donald Trump speaks during a "Keep America Great" campaign rally at Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, on January 9, 2020.
President Donald Trump plans to address Friday's March for Life, becoming the first sitting president in the event's 47-year history to attend the Washington protest against the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling.
Trump announced his plans via a tweet Wednesday, the 47th anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, as House Democrats began laying out their case in the Senate impeachment trial for removing him from office.
"See you on Friday...Big Crowd!" Trump said, replying to a tweet from the March for Life account promoting the event.
Trump tweet
The rally — one of the anti-abortion movement's premier events — has been held annually since 1974, one year after the Supreme Court ruling, which legalized abortions.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called the White House in a statement on Thursday the "most pro-life administration in this country's history."
"We are proud to be 'the Department of Life' and will continue protecting life and lives while upholding the fundamental freedoms and inherent dignity of all Americans," Azar said in the statement.
Other presidents have addressed the rally via phone or through a video message, but Trump will be the first president to attend in person.
Acting President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Alexis McGill Johnson rebuked Trump's decision to attend the rally.
"While Trump stands with the small number of Americans who want politicians to interfere with their personal health decisions, we'll be standing with the nearly 80 percent of Americans who support abortion access," Johnson said in a statement. "We will never stop fighting for all of the people in this country who need access to sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion."
A poll last year found that 77% of Americans support Roe v. Wade and don't want to see it overturned.
Jeanne Mancini, March for Life president, said in a tweet that the president would be welcome at the rally.
"We are excited to share the love and energy of the March for Life with you in person, thank you for coming!" she said.
Jeanne Mancini tweet
Mancini praised Trump for cutting taxpayer funding for abortions, appointing anti-abortion judges and voicing support against late-term abortions.
"President Trump and his Administration have been consistent champions for life and their support for the March for Life has been unwavering," she said.
The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List launched a $52 million effort last Friday to support Trump's reelection.
SBA List, via its super PAC Women Speak Out, will use the money to canvass key battleground states: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
Read more: Anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List to spend $52 million to help Trump win in 2020
Trump once identified as "very pro-choice," saying in a 1999 "Meet the Press" interview, "I hate the concept of abortion. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debating the subject. But I still believe in choice."
But during his 2016 campaign, the president sought out anti-abortion voters, appearing at rallies and major fundraisers and vowing to defund global family planning efforts at the United Nations.
His renewed vocal support for anti-abortion groups comes in the middle of a heated presidential campaign and weeks before the Supreme Court is set to take up its first major abortion-related case with both of his appointees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, on the bench.
The high court will review a 2014 Louisiana law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where the abortions are provided. Opponents said it would effectively leave just one abortion provider for a state with about 4.6 million residents.
On Jan. 2, 207 lawmakers, including two Democrats, filed an amicus brief in the case, urging the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade.