usatoday--2020-01-27--In Iowa, Pete Buttigieg addresses questions about low black support. Iowans are both trusting and sk

DES MOINES — Wallace Mazon held the microphone and looked at Pete Buttigieg .
The 25-year-old felt nervous at the meet-and-greet in Des Moines .
He took a breath and let his question tumble out .
`` How can we ... trust you to be a champion of racial justice ?
” Mazon asked the Democratic presidential candidate .
Mazon , who is black , had listed parts of Buttigieg ’ s record as mayor of South Bend , Indiana , that he believed hurt minority communities .
Buttigieg challenged Mazon 's understanding of his record .
He told Mazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with him .
“ It hasn ’ t been perfect .
We didn ’ t get everything right .
Not on housing , not on policing .
This stuff is hard , ” Buttigieg said .
“ … So I hope to earn your trust through an honest look at what we ’ ve done .
The good , the bad and the in-between.
” The 38-year-old Buttigieg has answered questions about his South Bend record — often discussed through the lens of race — throughout his presidential candidacy .
But those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa , a predominantly white state where the former mayor is among the top-polling candidates .
But as national polls continue to show Buttigieg receiving little support among African American voters , he 's getting more questions in front of Iowa audiences about his electability weeks before the lead-off caucuses .
• During a Jan. 14 CNN/Des Moines Register debate in Des Moines , a moderator asked Buttigieg a question referencing his low polling among black voters .
• At a Jan. 18 Presidential Candidates Forum Series event at a community college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the same issue .
• At the Jan. 20 Brown and Black Presidential Forum in Des Moines , moderators asked Buttigieg about his mayoral record , including a news report that several black South Bend police officers said they experienced racism on the force .
• At a private fundraiser in Waukee on Sunday , Buttigieg was asked about how he plans to counter criticism about support among people of color .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign has highlighted his economic development work as mayor and his positive relationships with black South Bend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and elsewhere , Buttigieg often brings up his policy ideas aimed at addressing systemic racism in America .
In recent weeks , he 's received endorsements from black leaders in Iowa and nationally .
A recent Washington Post-Ipsos Poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden holds a substantial lead with black Democrats nationally , with 48 % saying they would support him .
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont holds 20 % , followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 9 % .
Buttigieg is at 2 % .
U.S. Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1 % .
Voter guide : Don ’ t have a lot of time ?
Find FAQs on the key issues and where the candidates stand and more to make your vote matter .
In an interview with the Des Moines Register on Jan. 15 , Buttigieg declined to comment on whether the narrative around him is unfair , since several candidates are polling low with black voters .
Buttigieg called racial inequality “ one of the toughest questions our country is facing.
” “ I recognize the obligation and the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Mazon , who questioned Buttigieg on Dec. 28 , is an organizer for the Sunrise Movement , a group that advocates addressing climate change .
The organization endorsed Sanders this month , though Mazon is still weighing whether to caucus for Sanders or Warren .
Mazon said he appreciated that Buttigieg spoke to him shortly after the event .
But the Des Moines resident remains unconvinced .
“ I don ’ t think Mayor Pete is inherently a bad person , ” Mazon said .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think he ’ s progressive.
” When Quentin Hart met Buttigieg at a work conference more than a year ago , the two mayors quickly jumped into a discussion about racial inequality .
Hart is the first African American mayor of Waterloo , a city with one of the largest black populations in the state .
More than 15 % of its residents are African American .
More than 25 % of South Bend 's population is black .
“ Our very first conversation , other than what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that we were facing in our communities , ” Hart said .
Hart , who met with multiple Democratic candidates , endorsed Buttigieg on Jan. 14 .
Their relationship is a reflection of Buttigieg ’ s behind-the-scenes outreach to African American leaders in Iowa over several months .
Hart credits part of his support of Buttigieg on the ex-mayor 's Douglass Plan , a policy of expansive investment in areas like business , education and health care to help black Americans .
Deborah Berry , a black former Iowa representative in Waterloo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with Buttigieg privately late last year , and challenged him on his record .
Berry appreciates that Buttigieg admits when he doesn ’ t have all the answers .
“ I think that ’ s what people fail to realize , ” Berry said about the realities of being a local official .
“ That these issues and problems are systemic .
They didn ’ t start when he became mayor , didn ’ t start when I became a representative in 2003 .
These are systemic issues , and he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about ( it ) .
” Amara Andrews held a private house party for Buttigieg in early December in Cedar Rapids .
Andrews , who is African American and works in business development , said several black leaders from the community attended .
“ When he was at my house , people asked him tough questions , ” recalled the 44-year-old .
“ All of the questions were asked by African Americans .
All of us left feeling , ‘ OK .
I can get behind him .
I trust him.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates have a complicated history with minority communities .
“ All of them have issues in their records that need to be addressed , ” she said .
Stacey Walker , a Linn County supervisor , did a walking tour with Buttigieg in Cedar Rapids in September .
The African American official later endorsed Sanders .
“ When I think about electability , I think about putting together coalitions of people , '' Walker said .
`` And a Democrat can not win the presidency in this country without mobilizing and exciting communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not there.
” 'The best way to demonstrate you ’ re electable is to do well in an election' After a Red Oak event on Nov. 25 , Buttigieg told the Register he was invigorated by his support in Iowa , but he recognized the need to continue organizing in more diverse states .
New Hampshire , the first state to hold a primary on Feb. 11 , has a majority white population .
Nevada , with its large Latino community , is the third state on the nominating calendar on Feb. 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina , Buttigieg registered 6 % overall and 0 % among black respondents .
As evidence that he still has room to grow , Buttigieg pointed to the fact that 60 % of black poll respondents said they didn ’ t know enough about him to form an opinion .
Buttigieg 's campaign has shifted its approach in the first-in-the-South primary state , which has a large population of black voters , to smaller events aimed at making a better personal case and spending at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state will hold its primary on Feb. 29 .
“ I don ’ t think the VP ’ s advantage there is insurmountable , ” Buttigieg said , referencing Biden , who led in that poll with 33 % of the vote overall and 44 % among black voters .
In part , though , Buttigieg is banking on a win in Iowa ’ s caucuses to boost his support later in the nominating calendar .
“ The best way to demonstrate you ’ re electable is to do well in an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Iowa ) is our first chance to do that.
” Buttigieg at the time brushed aside the idea that he is asking Iowans to take a leap of faith and trust that he can build a multi-racial coalition of support once his campaign moves on from the Hawkeye State .
Instead , Buttigieg argued he brings his own brand of electability to the race .
In his stump speech to Iowans , he often notes that recent Democratic presidents were new to national politics when they secured their party 's nomination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody who had a message that focused on values and somebody who represented a new generation of leadership , ” Buttigieg said .
“ And I think that right now we need to think about how to bring as many people as possible into the fold .
It ’ s the central message of my campaign.
” 'This is n't political , this is personal ’ Emmanuel Cannady walked the spiral staircase , handing out flyers that read : “ Mayor Pete Has A Black Problem.
” Cannady , a 36-year-old who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Notre Dame , traveled to Ames to pass out information about Buttigieg as people waited to enter his town hall on Jan. 13 at Iowa State University .
Cannady is among South Bend residents who identify themselves as a new chapter of the national Black Lives Matter organization .
The day before , a small group of them interrupted Buttigieg ’ s town hall in Des Moines .
“ We know who Pete is .
We ’ re just nervous that Iowans don ’ t know who Pete truly is , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes Buttigieg 's decision early in his tenure as mayor to demote the city 's first black police chief over the handling of phone-tapping on the force .
Buttigieg has defended his actions .
The group has also criticized Buttigieg 's community response to the June death of Eric Logan , a black South Bend resident shot by a white police officer .
A special investigation into the death is ongoing .
Cannady claims no presidential candidate or organization affiliated with a candidate funded his group 's travel , which included a visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg visit .
Cannady said his group wanted to have a dialogue with Iowans about the former mayor 's record .
“ For a lot of black Americans , this isn ’ t political .
This is personal , ” he said .
Separately , Buttigieg has weathered controversies on the campaign trail outside of Iowa .
In November , some black leaders in South Carolina said Buttigieg 's campaign overstated the level of support he had for his Douglass Plan .
Buttigieg also faced criticism for an answer he gave during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the discrimination he 's felt as a gay man to that faced by black Americans .
Around that time , Buttigieg apologized for comments he made as a mayoral candidate at a forum in 2011 that implied poor , minority students struggled in school because they lacked role models .
Wendy Dorn-Recalde , 45 , saw Buttigieg on Dec. 7 in Mount Vernon , Iowa .
The stay-at-home mother , who is white , said she has n't been impressed with Buttigieg 's acknowledgment that he has work to do in broadening his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s had the chance to do that for a long time , and he ’ s just now kind of catching on to the fact that maybe he needs to do that , '' she said .
`` Well , he could have been doing that all along .
I think that ’ s my biggest concern with him.
” It ’ s unclear whether any of these issues will impact Buttigieg ’ s Iowa caucus night performance .
Sixty percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers have not yet made up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll .
As Iowans weigh their options , any aspect of a candidate 's record could become the deciding factor in the close race .
But Buttigieg remains popular in the state and has built a strong following here that appears to be paying dividends .
Several hundred people turned out to see Buttigieg this month in northwest and southeast Iowa , conservative areas of the state .
More than 1,000 showed up to his town hall on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids .
“ When he talks to you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you have to say , ” said Cindy Britton , who is white .
She has seen Buttigieg three times and last saw him on Jan. 15 in Newton .
Iowa 's first-in-the-nation caucus position has faced renewed criticism this election cycle that its residents do not adequately reflect the diversity of the nation .
Census data shows Iowa ’ s population is 4 % black or African American .
Those concerns intensified following the candidate exits of former housing and urban development Secretary Julián Castro , who is Latino , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Cory Booker of New Jersey , both of whom are black .
Although the primary began as the most diverse in U.S. history , their departures have led to a nearly all-white slate of candidates .
The 61-year-old Britton said , unprompted , that she is concerned about Buttigieg 's low support among African American voters but added : “ I ’ m not sure why they ’ re not for him.
” Britton said that , like former President Barack Obama during his first bid for the White House in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is convinced a win in Iowa will lead the way for Buttigieg like it did for Obama , the nation 's first African American president .
“ I wholeheartedly feel that that will be a gigantic boost for him , ” she said of Buttigieg .
Jim Errera , a 60-year-old postal service worker , saw Buttigieg in West Des Moines last month .
He , too , is worried about Buttigieg 's broad appeal after Iowa .
Errera , who is white , suggested Buttigieg spend more time in South Carolina before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s done well here , ” Errera said .
“ … I ’ m thinking further out .
He wins Iowa , he ’ ll have momentum .
I don ’ t want him to hit a brick wall when he goes to South Carolina.
” While an impeachment trial keeps many top-tier candidates out of Iowa , Buttigieg is crisscrossing the state and upping his travel schedule here .
But even in these critical closing days , Buttigieg appears to be channeling Errera 's concerns .
He returned Thursday to South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowans caucus .
Barbara Rodriguez covers health care and politics for the Register .
She can be reached by email at bcrodriguez @ registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8011 .
Follow her on Twitter @ bcrodriguez .
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register .
Reach her at bpfann @ dmreg.com or 515-284-8244 .
Follow her on Twitter at @ brianneDMR .

Barbara Rodriguez and Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register

In Iowa, Pete Buttigieg addresses questions about low black support. Iowans are both trusting and skeptical.
Show Caption Hide Caption Pete Buttigieg speaks at NAACP event in Indianapolis Democratic presidential candidate South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke at an Indianapolis NAACP event on Oct. 4, 2019. Grace Hollars, Indianapolis Star
DES MOINES — Wallace Mazon held the microphone and looked at Pete Buttigieg.
The 25-year-old felt nervous at the meet-and-greet in Des Moines. He took a breath and let his question tumble out.
"How can we ... trust you to be a champion of racial justice?” Mazon asked the Democratic presidential candidate.
Mazon, who is black, had listed parts of Buttigieg’s record as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, that he believed hurt minority communities. Buttigieg challenged Mazon's understanding of his record. He told Mazon he wanted to be “real honest” with him.
“It hasn’t been perfect. We didn’t get everything right. Not on housing, not on policing. This stuff is hard,” Buttigieg said. “… So I hope to earn your trust through an honest look at what we’ve done. The good, the bad and the in-between.”
The 38-year-old Buttigieg has answered questions about his South Bend record — often discussed through the lens of race — throughout his presidential candidacy. But those inquiries had rarely surfaced during public events in Iowa, a predominantly white state where the former mayor is among the top-polling candidates.
But as national polls continue to show Buttigieg receiving little support among African American voters, he's getting more questions in front of Iowa audiences about his electability weeks before the lead-off caucuses.
During a Jan. 14 CNN/Des Moines Register debate in Des Moines, a moderator asked Buttigieg a question referencing his low polling among black voters.
At a Jan. 18 Presidential Candidates Forum Series event at a community college in Ankeny, another moderator questioned Buttigieg on the same issue.
At the Jan. 20 Brown and Black Presidential Forum in Des Moines, moderators asked Buttigieg about his mayoral record, including a news report that several black South Bend police officers said they experienced racism on the force.
At a private fundraiser in Waukee on Sunday, Buttigieg was asked about how he plans to counter criticism about support among people of color.
Buttigieg’s campaign has highlighted his economic development work as mayor and his positive relationships with black South Bend residents. On the Iowa campaign trail and elsewhere, Buttigieg often brings up his policy ideas aimed at addressing systemic racism in America. In recent weeks, he's received endorsements from black leaders in Iowa and nationally.
Iowa caucus: Just how much influence does it have on the primary? The Iowa caucus is sure to be competitive this year. But what makes caucuses different from primaries? Just the FAQs
A recent Washington Post-Ipsos Poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden holds a substantial lead with black Democrats nationally, with 48% saying they would support him. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont holds 20%, followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 9%. Buttigieg is at 2%. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is at less than 1%.
Voter guide: Don’t have a lot of time? Find FAQs on the key issues and where the candidates stand and more to make your vote matter.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register on Jan. 15, Buttigieg declined to comment on whether the narrative around him is unfair, since several candidates are polling low with black voters.
Buttigieg called racial inequality “one of the toughest questions our country is facing.”
“I recognize the obligation and the opportunity to reach out to voters of color,” he said.
Mazon, who questioned Buttigieg on Dec. 28, is an organizer for the Sunrise Movement, a group that advocates addressing climate change. The organization endorsed Sanders this month, though Mazon is still weighing whether to caucus for Sanders or Warren. Mazon said he appreciated that Buttigieg spoke to him shortly after the event. But the Des Moines resident remains unconvinced.
“I don’t think Mayor Pete is inherently a bad person,” Mazon said. “I don’t like his policies. I don’t think he’s progressive.”
Buttigieg courts Iowa's black leaders
When Quentin Hart met Buttigieg at a work conference more than a year ago, the two mayors quickly jumped into a discussion about racial inequality.
Hart is the first African American mayor of Waterloo, a city with one of the largest black populations in the state. More than 15% of its residents are African American. More than 25% of South Bend's population is black.
“Our very first conversation, other than what’s for dinner, was to talk about issues that we were facing in our communities,” Hart said.
Hart, who met with multiple Democratic candidates, endorsed Buttigieg on Jan. 14. Their relationship is a reflection of Buttigieg’s behind-the-scenes outreach to African American leaders in Iowa over several months.
Hart credits part of his support of Buttigieg on the ex-mayor's Douglass Plan, a policy of expansive investment in areas like business, education and health care to help black Americans.
Deborah Berry, a black former Iowa representative in Waterloo, also endorsed Buttigieg recently. She met with Buttigieg privately late last year, and challenged him on his record. Berry appreciates that Buttigieg admits when he doesn’t have all the answers.
“I think that’s what people fail to realize,” Berry said about the realities of being a local official. “That these issues and problems are systemic. They didn’t start when he became mayor, didn’t start when I became a representative in 2003. These are systemic issues, and he’s the only one I hear really talking about (it).”
Amara Andrews held a private house party for Buttigieg in early December in Cedar Rapids. Andrews, who is African American and works in business development, said several black leaders from the community attended.
“When he was at my house, people asked him tough questions,” recalled the 44-year-old. “All of the questions were asked by African Americans. All of us left feeling, ‘OK. I can get behind him. I trust him.’”
Andrews thinks several of the top-polling candidates have a complicated history with minority communities.
“All of them have issues in their records that need to be addressed,” she said.
Stacey Walker, a Linn County supervisor, did a walking tour with Buttigieg in Cedar Rapids in September. The African American official later endorsed Sanders.
“When I think about electability, I think about putting together coalitions of people," Walker said. "And a Democrat cannot win the presidency in this country without mobilizing and exciting communities of color … and Pete’s not there.”
'The best way to demonstrate you’re electable is to do well in an election'
After a Red Oak event on Nov. 25, Buttigieg told the Register he was invigorated by his support in Iowa, but he recognized the need to continue organizing in more diverse states. New Hampshire, the first state to hold a primary on Feb. 11, has a majority white population. Nevada, with its large Latino community, is the third state on the nominating calendar on Feb. 22.
In a November Quinnipiac University poll of likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina, Buttigieg registered 6% overall and 0% among black respondents. As evidence that he still has room to grow, Buttigieg pointed to the fact that 60% of black poll respondents said they didn’t know enough about him to form an opinion.
Buttigieg's campaign has shifted its approach in the first-in-the-South primary state, which has a large population of black voters, to smaller events aimed at making a better personal case and spending at least $2 million on advertising. The state will hold its primary on Feb. 29.
“I don’t think the VP’s advantage there is insurmountable,” Buttigieg said, referencing Biden, who led in that poll with 33% of the vote overall and 44% among black voters.
In part, though, Buttigieg is banking on a win in Iowa’s caucuses to boost his support later in the nominating calendar.
“The best way to demonstrate you’re electable is to do well in an election,” he said. “And (Iowa) is our first chance to do that.”
Buttigieg at the time brushed aside the idea that he is asking Iowans to take a leap of faith and trust that he can build a multi-racial coalition of support once his campaign moves on from the Hawkeye State. Instead, Buttigieg argued he brings his own brand of electability to the race. In his stump speech to Iowans, he often notes that recent Democratic presidents were new to national politics when they secured their party's nomination.
“(It’s been) somebody who had a message that focused on values and somebody who represented a new generation of leadership,” Buttigieg said. “And I think that right now we need to think about how to bring as many people as possible into the fold. It’s the central message of my campaign.”
'This isn't political, this is personal’
Emmanuel Cannady walked the spiral staircase, handing out flyers that read: “Mayor Pete Has A Black Problem.”
Cannady, a 36-year-old who is seeking a doctorate degree at the University of Notre Dame, traveled to Ames to pass out information about Buttigieg as people waited to enter his town hall on Jan. 13 at Iowa State University.
Cannady is among South Bend residents who identify themselves as a new chapter of the national Black Lives Matter organization. The day before, a small group of them interrupted Buttigieg’s town hall in Des Moines.
“We know who Pete is. We’re just nervous that Iowans don’t know who Pete truly is,” Cannady said.
The group's criticism includes Buttigieg's decision early in his tenure as mayor to demote the city's first black police chief over the handling of phone-tapping on the force. Buttigieg has defended his actions.
The group has also criticized Buttigieg's community response to the June death of Eric Logan, a black South Bend resident shot by a white police officer. A special investigation into the death is ongoing.
Cannady claims no presidential candidate or organization affiliated with a candidate funded his group's travel, which included a visit to Los Angeles this month for another Buttigieg visit. Cannady said his group wanted to have a dialogue with Iowans about the former mayor's record.
“For a lot of black Americans, this isn’t political. This is personal,” he said.
Separately, Buttigieg has weathered controversies on the campaign trail outside of Iowa. In November, some black leaders in South Carolina said Buttigieg's campaign overstated the level of support he had for his Douglass Plan. Buttigieg also faced criticism for an answer he gave during the November Democratic debate that some felt equated the discrimination he's felt as a gay man to that faced by black Americans.
Around that time, Buttigieg apologized for comments he made as a mayoral candidate at a forum in 2011 that implied poor, minority students struggled in school because they lacked role models.
Wendy Dorn-Recalde, 45, saw Buttigieg on Dec. 7 in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The stay-at-home mother, who is white, said she hasn't been impressed with Buttigieg's acknowledgment that he has work to do in broadening his base of support.
“I think he’s had the chance to do that for a long time, and he’s just now kind of catching on to the fact that maybe he needs to do that," she said. "Well, he could have been doing that all along. I think that’s my biggest concern with him.”
Buttigieg remains popular in Iowa
It’s unclear whether any of these issues will impact Buttigieg’s Iowa caucus night performance.
Sixty percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers have not yet made up their minds, according to the latest Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll. As Iowans weigh their options, any aspect of a candidate's record could become the deciding factor in the close race.
But Buttigieg remains popular in the state and has built a strong following here that appears to be paying dividends.
Several hundred people turned out to see Buttigieg this month in northwest and southeast Iowa, conservative areas of the state. More than 1,000 showed up to his town hall on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids.
“When he talks to you, he looks at you and listens to what you have to say,” said Cindy Britton, who is white. She has seen Buttigieg three times and last saw him on Jan. 15 in Newton.
Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus position has faced renewed criticism this election cycle that its residents do not adequately reflect the diversity of the nation. Census data shows Iowa’s population is 4% black or African American.
Those concerns intensified following the candidate exits of former housing and urban development Secretary Julián Castro, who is Latino, and U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, both of whom are black.
Although the primary began as the most diverse in U.S. history, their departures have led to a nearly all-white slate of candidates.
The 61-year-old Britton said, unprompted, that she is concerned about Buttigieg's low support among African American voters but added: “I’m not sure why they’re not for him.”
Britton said that, like former President Barack Obama during his first bid for the White House in 2008, Buttigieg is still unknown. She is convinced a win in Iowa will lead the way for Buttigieg like it did for Obama, the nation's first African American president.
“I wholeheartedly feel that that will be a gigantic boost for him,” she said of Buttigieg.
Jim Errera, a 60-year-old postal service worker, saw Buttigieg in West Des Moines last month. He, too, is worried about Buttigieg's broad appeal after Iowa. Errera, who is white, suggested Buttigieg spend more time in South Carolina before the caucuses.
“I think he’s done well here,” Errera said. “… I’m thinking further out. He wins Iowa, he’ll have momentum. I don’t want him to hit a brick wall when he goes to South Carolina.”
While an impeachment trial keeps many top-tier candidates out of Iowa, Buttigieg is crisscrossing the state and upping his travel schedule here.
But even in these critical closing days, Buttigieg appears to be channeling Errera's concerns. He returned Thursday to South Carolina — fewer than two weeks before Iowans caucus.
Barbara Rodriguez covers health care and politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at bcrodriguez@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8011. Follow her on Twitter @bcrodriguez.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.


usatoday--2020-01-27--Trump impeachment audiences range from one president to millions of voters

WASHINGTON – You talking to me ?
The obvious audience in the impeachment trial now heading into its second week is the one sitting in the Senate , of course , the 100 senators under orders to listen silently at their desks without the diversion of cellphones or snacks .
The House impeachment managers and President Donald Trump 's attorneys have directed their arguments to the jurors who will decide whether the president should be removed from office .
But they 're not speaking only to them .
The prosecution and the defense , the president and the House speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate and those out on the campaign trail , the advocacy groups and the others in the galaxy that is impeachment have various audiences in mind .
That helps explain why they often seem to be talking past each other and , occasionally , living on different planets .
It also makes calculations about winners and losers more complicated than simply whether the president is convicted , an unlikely prospect .
Trump 's trial could have other important consequences , potentially affecting the opening Democratic caucuses in Iowa and crucial Senate contests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere .
The ultimate verdict may arrive in November , when voters decide whether to give Trump a second term in the White House , or to boot him .
The audiences being targeted do n't form a Russian nesting doll , with one fitting neatly in the next .
It 's more like a Venn diagram , with some audiences overlapping with others and some in a world of their own .
Start with the audience of one : Trump .
An hour before Saturday 's session began , Trump began tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tune in to what is , in some ways , the ultimate reality-TV show : `` Our case against lyin ' , cheatin ' , liddle ' Adam `` Shifty '' Schiff , Cryin ' Chuck Schumer , Nervous Nancy Pelosi , their leader , dumb as a rock AOC & the entire Radical Left , Do Nothing Democrat Party , starts today at 10:00 A.M. on @ FoxNews , @ OANN or Fake News @ CNN or Fake News MSDNC ! ''
When White House counsel Pat Cipollone opened the defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his tone lower-key , but his message was an echo of his client 's .
He argued that House Democrats had twisted the facts and ignored exonerating evidence .
`` You 'll find that the president did absolutely nothing wrong , '' he declared , calling the investigators guilty of trying to tamper with the will of the American people .
`` For all their talk about election interference , '' he said , `` they 're here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Trump attorneys touched on themes the president often hammers , from the unsubstantiated allegation that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election to suggestions of political bias by the whistleblower whose report sparked the impeachment hearings .
A diagram : Events in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump Trump 's team was n't alone in speaking with the president in mind .
If Cipollone wanted to please his boss , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was trying to needle him .
Pelosi , who has demonstrated a rare ability to get under Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissing an argument he is expected to trumpet , assuming he 's acquitted – that he has been vindicated .
`` He 's been impeached forever , '' Pelosi said when she announced she was ready to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate , calling it a permanent stain on his legacy .
`` They can never erase that . ''
The Constitution requires two-thirds of the Senate , or 67 votes , to remove a president from office .
If all 47 senators in the Democratic caucus vote to convict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the support of 20 of their Republican colleagues to reach that threshold .
So far , not one of the 53 GOP senators has signaled that he or she is seriously considering doing that .
Impeachment timetable : What happens now in the Senate trial That 's one reason the secondary audiences loom as so important : The odds of disrupting the partisan divide in that first audience are low .
And the four who matter most .
Four Republican senators – Lamar Alexander of Tennessee , Susan Collins of Maine , Lisa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah – have expressed a willingness to consider supporting Democrats ' demand to subpoena witnesses and documents .
That would extend the trial and could give investigators the opportunity to question such central figures as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton .
Both prosecution and defense have done what they can to be solicitous of the four .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made a rare concession in the rules last week after Collins and Ohio Sen .
Rob Portman objected to the fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of presentation into two marathon days .
The change to three days was made so belatedly that it was scratched in by hand on the resolution .
Schiff 's closing remarks late Friday were tailored for the quartet .
The California Democrat cited the historic legacy of those who had been willing to buck their party , quoting Robert Kennedy as saying `` moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle . ''
But he may have made a misstep when he then cited a CBS News report that key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` head will be on a pike '' if they voted against the president .
Collins could be seen shaking her head in the Senate chamber , without uttering a word opening a flood of speculation , and Murkowski later made her annoyance clear at the suggestion they were being bullied .
`` I thought he was doing fine with 'moral courage ' until he got to the 'head on a pike , ' '' she told reporters afterward .
`` That 's where he lost me . ''
After Saturday 's session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very likely I 'll be in favor of witnesses , '' although he said he had n't made a final decision .
The presidential season opens in just a week , on Monday , Feb. 3 , when the Iowa caucuses convene .
Even though the Democratic field has narrowed , it is still the biggest in history , and competitive .
Four or even five of the contenders have some shot at winning the caucuses and reaping the momentum that follows into New Hampshire and beyond .
But in the final days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be living in Iowa , four of them have been stuck in the Senate .
They include Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who has led some recent Iowa polls , and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who won the coveted endorsement of The Des Moines Registeron Sunday .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the dark horse in the race who is counting most on making the personal connections that come with being there .
The fourth Senate contender , Michael Bennet of Colorado , has yet to break through .
`` No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race like this , that 's this close , when you have to be back in the Senate the whole time , '' Klobuchar said Sunday on ABC 's `` This Week . ''
`` But I figure the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina are going to understand that I have a constitutional duty to fulfill .
And the fact that I have this real job and that I 'm in the arena and that I 'm actually taking on the Trump administration and all of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's actually a good thing . ''
She and the others have tried to make a virtue out of necessity .
During truncated weekend trips and satellite interviews before the trial day begins and after it ends , they note that they are on the job , fulfilling a grave obligation and holding to account a president Democratic voters in Iowa and elsewhere want to oust .
But especially in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire , there 's nothing like being there , a presence voters have come to expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivals has been a boon to former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
They have been able to make their closing arguments in person .
There is a potential complication for Biden , though .
While he rarely mentions the impeachment trial , the impeachment trial sometimes mentions him .
At the center of the charges are Trump 's pressure on Ukraine to announce a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter .
Trump 's team has promised a full-throated attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Believe me , you 'll hear about that issue , '' Jay Sekulow , Trump 's personal lawyer , told reporters .
Joe Biden said he did nothing wrong when , as vice president , he pressured Ukraine to address corruption .
Trump 's allegation that Biden acted improperly has been debunked by independent fact-checkers .
But the former vice president has struggled to effectively explain his son 's lucrative contract with a Ukrainian gas company at the time , which raised at least the appearance of a conflict of interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that he 's the Democratic candidate best able to defeat Trump .
Will reminding voters about the controversy , fairly or not , raise questions among them about whether that 's true ?
Trump is in uncharted territory .
He is the first president to be impeached and running for reelection .
At the moment , it 's unclear what the impact will be in November , or even whether there will be much impact .
Polls have shown little change in Trump 's standing or hypothetical match-ups against Democrats in key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
Republicans say the impeachment trial has galvanized the president 's political base and boosted their fundraising .
`` BREAKING : The Senate began their bogus Impeachment trial to look into my PERFECT PHONE CALL , '' the welcome screen on Trump 's campaign website shouts .
`` Please contribute ANY AMOUNT in the NEXT 24 HOURS to help CRUSH our $ 2 MILLION goal . ''
Meanwhile , Michael Bloomberg , now seeking the Democratic nomination against Trump , last week began airing a TV ad in 27 states pegged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for the Senate to act and remove Trump for office , '' the former New York City mayor declares .
`` And if they wo n't do their job , this November you and I will . ''

Trump impeachment audiences range from one president to millions of voters
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump impeachment trial: Pat Cipollone, defense gives opening argument Pat Cipollone, part of President Donald Trump's legal defense team, summarized their defense during their opening arguments on January 25, 2020. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – You talking to me?
The obvious audience in the impeachment trial now heading into its second week is the one sitting in the Senate, of course, the 100 senators under orders to listen silently at their desks without the diversion of cellphones or snacks. The House impeachment managers and President Donald Trump's attorneys have directed their arguments to the jurors who will decide whether the president should be removed from office.
But they're not speaking only to them.
The prosecution and the defense, the president and the House speaker, the Democratic presidential hopefuls stuck in the Senate and those out on the campaign trail, the advocacy groups and the others in the galaxy that is impeachment have various audiences in mind. That helps explain why they often seem to be talking past each other and, occasionally, living on different planets.
It also makes calculations about winners and losers more complicated than simply whether the president is convicted, an unlikely prospect. Trump's trial could have other important consequences, potentially affecting the opening Democratic caucuses in Iowa and crucial Senate contests in Maine, Colorado, Arizona and elsewhere. The ultimate verdict may arrive in November, when voters decide whether to give Trump a second term in the White House, or to boot him.
The audiences being targeted don't form a Russian nesting doll, with one fitting neatly in the next. It's more like a Venn diagram, with some audiences overlapping with others and some in a world of their own.
Start with the audience of one: Trump.
He's been watching.
An hour before Saturday's session began, Trump began tweeting from the White House, urging everyone to tune in to what is, in some ways, the ultimate reality-TV show: "Our case against lyin', cheatin', liddle' Adam "Shifty" Schiff, Cryin' Chuck Schumer, Nervous Nancy Pelosi, their leader, dumb as a rock AOC & the entire Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrat Party, starts today at 10:00 A.M. on @FoxNews, @OANN or Fake News @CNN or Fake News MSDNC!"
When White House counsel Pat Cipollone opened the defense, his language was more lawyerly and his tone lower-key, but his message was an echo of his client's. He argued that House Democrats had twisted the facts and ignored exonerating evidence. "You'll find that the president did absolutely nothing wrong," he declared, calling the investigators guilty of trying to tamper with the will of the American people. "For all their talk about election interference," he said, "they're here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history."
In a two-hour presentation, he and two other Trump attorneys touched on themes the president often hammers, from the unsubstantiated allegation that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election to suggestions of political bias by the whistleblower whose report sparked the impeachment hearings.
A diagram: Events in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump
Trump's team wasn't alone in speaking with the president in mind. If Cipollone wanted to please his boss, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was trying to needle him. Pelosi, who has demonstrated a rare ability to get under Trump's skin, made a point of preemptively dismissing an argument he is expected to trumpet, assuming he's acquitted – that he has been vindicated.
"He's been impeached forever," Pelosi said when she announced she was ready to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, calling it a permanent stain on his legacy. "They can never erase that."
Presidential impeachment: Clinton, Johnson, Nixon test U.S. democracy Presidents have been impeached, but none have been removed from office due to impeachment. Confusing? Here's how. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Then all 100 senators.
The Constitution requires two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to remove a president from office. If all 47 senators in the Democratic caucus vote to convict the president, they would still need the support of 20 of their Republican colleagues to reach that threshold. So far, not one of the 53 GOP senators has signaled that he or she is seriously considering doing that.
Impeachment timetable: What happens now in the Senate trial
That's one reason the secondary audiences loom as so important: The odds of disrupting the partisan divide in that first audience are low.
And the four who matter most.
Four Republican senators – Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah – have expressed a willingness to consider supporting Democrats' demand to subpoena witnesses and documents. That would extend the trial and could give investigators the opportunity to question such central figures as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton.
Both prosecution and defense have done what they can to be solicitous of the four. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made a rare concession in the rules last week after Collins and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman objected to the fairness of requiring Democrats to cram their 24 hours of presentation into two marathon days. The change to three days was made so belatedly that it was scratched in by hand on the resolution.
Schiff's closing remarks late Friday were tailored for the quartet. The California Democrat cited the historic legacy of those who had been willing to buck their party, quoting Robert Kennedy as saying "moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle." But he may have made a misstep when he then cited a CBS News report that key Senate Republicans had been warned that their "head will be on a pike" if they voted against the president.
Collins could be seen shaking her head in the Senate chamber, without uttering a word opening a flood of speculation, and Murkowski later made her annoyance clear at the suggestion they were being bullied. "I thought he was doing fine with 'moral courage' until he got to the 'head on a pike,'" she told reporters afterward. "That's where he lost me."
After Saturday's session, Romney told reporters it was "very likely I'll be in favor of witnesses," although he said he hadn't made a final decision.
That's one.
Meanwhile, there's Iowa.
The presidential season opens in just a week, on Monday, Feb. 3, when the Iowa caucuses convene. Even though the Democratic field has narrowed, it is still the biggest in history, and competitive. Four or even five of the contenders have some shot at winning the caucuses and reaping the momentum that follows into New Hampshire and beyond.
But in the final days of this campaign, when they typically would be living in Iowa, four of them have been stuck in the Senate. They include Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has led some recent Iowa polls, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who won the coveted endorsement of The Des Moines Register on Sunday. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the dark horse in the race who is counting most on making the personal connections that come with being there.
The fourth Senate contender, Michael Bennet of Colorado, has yet to break through.
"No one has ever run in a major race like this, that's this close, when you have to be back in the Senate the whole time," Klobuchar said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "But I figure the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina are going to understand that I have a constitutional duty to fulfill. And the fact that I have this real job and that I'm in the arena and that I'm actually taking on the Trump administration and all of their shenanigans and behavior, I think that's actually a good thing."
She and the others have tried to make a virtue out of necessity. During truncated weekend trips and satellite interviews before the trial day begins and after it ends, they note that they are on the job, fulfilling a grave obligation and holding to account a president Democratic voters in Iowa and elsewhere want to oust.
But especially in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, there's nothing like being there, a presence voters have come to expect. The absence of some of their rivals has been a boon to former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. They have been able to make their closing arguments in person.
There is a potential complication for Biden, though. While he rarely mentions the impeachment trial, the impeachment trial sometimes mentions him. At the center of the charges are Trump's pressure on Ukraine to announce a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter. Trump's team has promised a full-throated attack on Biden when the trial resumes Monday. "Believe me, you'll hear about that issue," Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal lawyer, told reporters.
More: Fact-checking the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump
Joe Biden said he did nothing wrong when, as vice president, he pressured Ukraine to address corruption. Trump's allegation that Biden acted improperly has been debunked by independent fact-checkers. But the former vice president has struggled to effectively explain his son's lucrative contract with a Ukrainian gas company at the time, which raised at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Biden's most fundamental campaign argument is that he's the Democratic candidate best able to defeat Trump. Will reminding voters about the controversy, fairly or not, raise questions among them about whether that's true?
Finally, you, the voters.
Trump is in uncharted territory. He is the first president to be impeached and running for reelection. At the moment, it's unclear what the impact will be in November, or even whether there will be much impact. Polls have shown little change in Trump's standing or hypothetical match-ups against Democrats in key states since the hearings began in the House.
Republicans say the impeachment trial has galvanized the president's political base and boosted their fundraising. "BREAKING: The Senate began their bogus Impeachment trial to look into my PERFECT PHONE CALL," the welcome screen on Trump's campaign website shouts. "Please contribute ANY AMOUNT in the NEXT 24 HOURS to help CRUSH our $2 MILLION goal."
Meanwhile, Michael Bloomberg, now seeking the Democratic nomination against Trump, last week began airing a TV ad in 27 states pegged to the impeachment trial. "It's time for the Senate to act and remove Trump for office," the former New York City mayor declares. "And if they won't do their job, this November you and I will."


usatoday--2020-01-27--A visual guide to the 2020 presidential candidates views on drug policy

[ My ] first step is to decriminalize personal-use amounts of opioids so that individuals can be referred to treatment @ @ @ @ @ in jail ... Read Yang 's full statement For us to heal this we will @ @ @ @ @ are and support them in getting them to a place where they want to be @ @ @ @ @ statement

Donald Trump faces sweeping charges in Georgia indictment: recap
A grand jury in Georgia indicted Donald Trump Monday, accusing the former president and his allies of trying to steal President Joe Biden’s win.


usatoday--2020-01-27--Bombshell book: What we know about John Bolton's allegations about Trump and Ukraine

In his upcoming book , former national security adviser John Bolton writes that President Donald Trump told him he did not wish to release military aid to Ukraine until that country helped with investigations that could be damaging to Democrats , including former Vice President Joe Biden , according to media reports .
Since the allegations surfaced in September that Trump withheld $ 391 million in military aid to pressure Ukraine into conducting the probes , the president has insisted the aid was not held up for political purposes .
On Monday he sharply denied Bolton 's claims reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Associated Press .
The Times report has ramped up Democrats ' call for additional witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial .
The House impeachment managers and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Bolton 's reported claims directly contradict key elements of Trump 's defense and that a fair trial requires his testimony .
Here is what we know about the book and the reactions to its reported content : Citing multiple people who had seen the unpublished manuscript , the New York Times reported that Bolton said Trump told him during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to release the military aid until Ukraine provided information related to the 2016 election , Hillary Clinton and Biden .
The Washington Post reported that two people familiar with the manuscript confirmed the Times ' characterization of Bolton 's account .
Bolton wrote that Trump remained bitter that some Ukrainian officials openly backed Clinton in 2016 , which he conflated with a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine , not Russia , was behind the theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign .
The president 's personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Ukraine and his animosity toward then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , Bolton said .
Bolton wrote that he , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper unsuccessfully tried to persuade Trump to release the aid on several occasions , according to the Times .
The book , `` The Room Where It Happened : A White House Memoir , '' is set for publication on March 17 , according to Amazon .
Corruption fight : Trump 's conspiracy theories thrive in Ukraine , where a young democracy battles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats , including the Bidens , '' Trump said in a tweet early Monday .
`` In fact , he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination .
If John Bolton said this , it was only to sell a book . ''
He repeated his claim that a rough transcript of his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows he did not act improperly – though Democrats say the call proves the exact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacked Bolton 's credibility .
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News on Monday that `` the timing of all this is very , very suspect . ''
`` The president did nothing wrong , and we stand by exactly what we 've been saying all along , '' Grisham said .
Giuliani also spoke out against Bolton on Twitter .
`` There is no way in the world President Trump would say this to John Bolton .
It ’ s a shame that a man will sacrifice his integrity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No wonder he accomplished so little as National Security Advisor , '' he wrote .
The manuscript reports ramped up calls from Democrats for the Senate to issue Bolton a subpoena in the impeachment trial .
`` There can be no doubt now that Mr. Bolton directly contradicts the heart of the president ’ s defense and therefore must be called as a witness at the impeachment trial of President Trump , '' the seven Democratic House impeachment managers said in a joint statement responding to the report .
`` John Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday in a tweet calling on Republican senators to join Democrats in a vote to allow additional testimony .
Democrats have wanted Bolton to testify since the impeachment inquiry began , but the House committees did not issue him a subpoena after Bolton said he would fight it in court .
Democrats claimed the legal battle would delay the impeachment too long .
But after the House impeached Trump on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , Bolton said he was `` prepared to testify '' if the Senate issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called ?
Handful of key Senate Republicans will determine whether to call witnesses at President Trump 's trial How will the book affect the trial ?
After Trump 's legal team finishes presenting its case , senators will have 16 hours to submit questions , according to the impeachment rules that were approved last week .
At that point , senators will debate whether to call additional witnesses .
It will require a simple majority to approve the issuing of subpoenas .
It is unclear whether four Republicans will vote with Democrats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report about what Bolton has to say might influence their decision .
Though a number of Republicans have rejected the idea of issuing subpoenas , arguing that was the House 's responsibility , others have signaled they may wish to hear more testimony .
Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine , who said she would make her decision on witnesses after both sides had presented their arguments , said in a statement on Monday that reports about Bolton ’ s book `` strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitt Romney told MSBNC that it ’ s `` increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton . ''
The news about Bolton 's book did not sway Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt , who said Monday it was `` the House 's job '' to put the case together and warned that subpoenaing Bolton `` could stretch this out for weeks and months '' if the administration asserted executive privilege .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , a staunch Trump supporter who a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` more than enough to make my decision , '' conceded it could be `` important '' to know what was in Bolton 's manuscript , according to NBC News .
Want to talk more about politics ?
: Join our Facebook group : ‘ Across the Aisle , Across the Nation.
’ How did the manuscript come out ?
Bolton 's attorney Charles Cooper said in a statement that they gave the White House a copy of the manuscript for review on Dec. 30 , which is common practice when a current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenure .
Cooper blamed the White House for the leak to the Times and said the article shows `` the review process corrupted and that information has been disclosed by persons other than those properly involved in reviewing the manuscript . ''
But National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said only the NSC had seen the manuscript .
`` No White House personnel outside NSC have reviewed the manuscript , '' he said .
Grisham told Fox News the manuscript had been `` kept walled off for obvious reasons . ''
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magically appeared '' after Trump 's team opened its defense indicates and that the Amazon link then suddenly went up , implying it was an orchestrated effort by the book 's publisher .
Bolton and his publishers , Simon & Schuster and Javelin Literary , `` categorically '' denied any coordination with the Times `` or anyone else regarding the appearance of information about his book , '' in a statement .
`` Any assertion to the contrary is unfounded speculation , '' the statement said .
Contributing : Maureen Groppe , David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; The Associated Press

Bombshell book: What we know about John Bolton's allegations about Trump and Ukraine
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump's Ukraine phone call: U.S. and Ukraine relationship, explained U.S. and Ukraine relations go further back than the now infamous phone call between Trump and Zelensky. We explain their relationship. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
In his upcoming book, former national security adviser John Bolton writes that President Donald Trump told him he did not wish to release military aid to Ukraine until that country helped with investigations that could be damaging to Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden, according to media reports.
Since the allegations surfaced in September that Trump withheld $391 million in military aid to pressure Ukraine into conducting the probes, the president has insisted the aid was not held up for political purposes. On Monday he sharply denied Bolton's claims reported by The New York Times, Washington Post and the Associated Press.
The Times report has ramped up Democrats' call for additional witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial. The House impeachment managers and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Bolton's reported claims directly contradict key elements of Trump's defense and that a fair trial requires his testimony.
Here is what we know about the book and the reactions to its reported content:
What Bolton says
Citing multiple people who had seen the unpublished manuscript, the New York Times reported that Bolton said Trump told him during a meeting in August that he did not want to release the military aid until Ukraine provided information related to the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton and Biden.
The Washington Post reported that two people familiar with the manuscript confirmed the Times' characterization of Bolton's account.
Bolton wrote that Trump remained bitter that some Ukrainian officials openly backed Clinton in 2016, which he conflated with a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind the theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.
The president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani helped stoke his concerns about Ukraine and his animosity toward then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, Bolton said.
Bolton wrote that he, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper unsuccessfully tried to persuade Trump to release the aid on several occasions, according to the Times.
The book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," is set for publication on March 17, according to Amazon.
Corruption fight: Trump's conspiracy theories thrive in Ukraine, where a young democracy battles corruption and distrust
Trump denies the claims
"I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens," Trump said in a tweet early Monday. "In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book."
He repeated his claim that a rough transcript of his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows he did not act improperly – though Democrats say the call proves the exact opposite – and retweeted several posts that attacked Bolton's credibility.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News on Monday that "the timing of all this is very, very suspect."
"The president did nothing wrong, and we stand by exactly what we've been saying all along," Grisham said.
Giuliani also spoke out against Bolton on Twitter.
"There is no way in the world President Trump would say this to John Bolton. It’s a shame that a man will sacrifice his integrity to make a few bucks on a book. No wonder he accomplished so little as National Security Advisor," he wrote.
Democrats insist Bolton be subpoenaed
The manuscript reports ramped up calls from Democrats for the Senate to issue Bolton a subpoena in the impeachment trial.
"There can be no doubt now that Mr. Bolton directly contradicts the heart of the president’s defense and therefore must be called as a witness at the impeachment trial of President Trump," the seven Democratic House impeachment managers said in a joint statement responding to the report.
"John Bolton has the evidence," Schumer said Sunday in a tweet calling on Republican senators to join Democrats in a vote to allow additional testimony.
Democrats have wanted Bolton to testify since the impeachment inquiry began, but the House committees did not issue him a subpoena after Bolton said he would fight it in court. Democrats claimed the legal battle would delay the impeachment too long. But after the House impeached Trump on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Bolton said he was "prepared to testify" if the Senate issued him a subpoena.
Will witnesses be called? Handful of key Senate Republicans will determine whether to call witnesses at President Trump's trial
How will the book affect the trial?
After Trump's legal team finishes presenting its case, senators will have 16 hours to submit questions, according to the impeachment rules that were approved last week. At that point, senators will debate whether to call additional witnesses.
It will require a simple majority to approve the issuing of subpoenas. It is unclear whether four Republicans will vote with Democrats to approve such a measure or whether the report about what Bolton has to say might influence their decision. Though a number of Republicans have rejected the idea of issuing subpoenas, arguing that was the House's responsibility, others have signaled they may wish to hear more testimony.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who said she would make her decision on witnesses after both sides had presented their arguments, said in a statement on Monday that reports about Bolton’s book "strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues."
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney told MSBNC that it’s "increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton."
The news about Bolton's book did not sway Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, who said Monday it was "the House's job" to put the case together and warned that subpoenaing Bolton "could stretch this out for weeks and months" if the administration asserted executive privilege.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a staunch Trump supporter who a day earlier said he had already seen "more than enough to make my decision," conceded it could be "important" to know what was in Bolton's manuscript, according to NBC News.
Want to talk more about politics?: Join our Facebook group: ‘Across the Aisle, Across the Nation.’
Who saw the manuscript?
Bolton's attorney Charles Cooper said in a statement that they gave the White House a copy of the manuscript for review on Dec. 30, which is common practice when a current or former administration official writes about their tenure.
Cooper blamed the White House for the leak to the Times and said the article shows "the review process corrupted and that information has been disclosed by persons other than those properly involved in reviewing the manuscript."
But National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said only the NSC had seen the manuscript.
"No White House personnel outside NSC have reviewed the manuscript," he said.
Grisham told Fox News the manuscript had been "kept walled off for obvious reasons." She said it was suspicious that "this manuscript magically appeared" after Trump's team opened its defense indicates and that the Amazon link then suddenly went up, implying it was an orchestrated effort by the book's publisher.
Bolton and his publishers, Simon & Schuster and Javelin Literary, "categorically" denied any coordination with the Times "or anyone else regarding the appearance of information about his book," in a statement.
"Any assertion to the contrary is unfounded speculation," the statement said.
Contributing: Maureen Groppe, David Jackson and Christal Hayes, USA TODAY; The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-01-27--'I stand with Greta': Mnuchin's wife defends teen activist after husband tells her to get a degree

Louise Linton , the wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , appeared to side with climate change activist Greta Thunberg – whom her husband had belittled during the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland – in an Instagram post that she then deleted , according to screen grabs of the post shared on social media .
Thunberg , 17 , also attended the gathering last week of the world 's top political and business leaders , where she called on the world to divest from investments in fossil fuels .
When asked about her demand , Mnuchin quipped , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who is she ?
I ’ m confused . ''
`` After she goes and studies economics in college , she can come back and explain that to us , '' he added .
`` I stand with Greta on this issue .
( I do n't have a degree in economics either ) , '' the post from his wife 's Instagram account read , according to the screen grabs Saturday .
`` We need to drastically reduce our fossil fuels .
Keep up the fight @ gretathunberg . ''
Lashing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change activist Greta Thunberg to get an economics degree Though she deleted that post , the actress added another one , titled `` Bullies , '' to her Instagram story in which she responded to harsh criticism of her husband 's comments about Thunberg .
`` I am not my husband , '' she wrote .
`` I happen to love Greta .
Whatever he says has nothing to do with my views or opinions and what you just did was bully me , unjustly . ''
Thunberg also responded to Mnuchin 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` 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 , '' Thunberg wrote on 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 . ''

'I stand with Greta': Mnuchin's wife defends teen activist after husband tells her to get a degree
Show Caption Hide Caption Greta Thunberg makes bold demand at Davos Climate activist Greta Thunberg told a World Economic Forum panel that activists were demanding an end to all investment in fossil fuel exploration. USA TODAY
Louise Linton, the wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, appeared to side with climate change activist Greta Thunberg – whom her husband had belittled during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland – in an Instagram post that she then deleted, according to screen grabs of the post shared on social media.
Thunberg, 17, also attended the gathering last week of the world's top political and business leaders, where she called on the world to divest from investments in fossil fuels.
When asked about her demand, Mnuchin quipped, "Is she the chief economist? Who is she? I’m confused."
"After she goes and studies economics in college, she can come back and explain that to us," he added.
"I stand with Greta on this issue. (I don't have a degree in economics either)," the post from his wife's Instagram account read, according to the screen grabs Saturday. "We need to drastically reduce our fossil fuels. Keep up the fight @gretathunberg."
Lashing out: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin tells climate change activist Greta Thunberg to get an economics degree
steven mnuchin’s wife, the actress Louise Linton, posted this on Instagram after his comments on Greta Thunberg. pic.twitter.com/1T1a38LzFQ — andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) January 25, 2020
Though she deleted that post, the actress added another one, titled "Bullies," to her Instagram story in which she responded to harsh criticism of her husband's comments about Thunberg.
"I am not my husband," she wrote. "I happen to love Greta. Whatever he says has nothing to do with my views or opinions and what you just did was bully me, unjustly."
Thunberg also responded to Mnuchin's comments about getting an economics degree.
"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," Thunberg wrote on 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."
Warmest decade: 2019 ended Earth's warmest decade since record-keeping began, scientists say


usatoday--2020-01-27--'He has not paid the price, yet': Trump tweet about Schiff crossed the line, Democrats say

President Donald Trump has criticized , mocked and derided House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on several occasions since taking office , but Democrats said the president crossed a line on Sunday , characterizing one of his tweets about the California Democrat as a `` threat . ''
`` Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN , and probably a very sick man , '' Trump tweeted .
`` He has not paid the price , yet , for what he has done to our Country ! ''
Schiff , the lead House impeachment manager in the Senate trial of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an appearance on NBC News ' `` Meet the Press . ''
Defending his decision to cite a report during his arguments before the Senate that Trump had threatened Republicans who did not stand with him , Schiff said Trump was `` wrathful and vindictive president . ''
`` I do n't think there 's any doubt about it .
And if you think there is , look at the president 's tweets about me today , saying that I should pay a price , '' Schiff said .
`` Do you take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Todd asked .
`` I think it 's intended to be , '' Schiff replied .
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News that Schiff 's characterization of the tweet as a threat was `` ridiculous . ''
`` The fact that he said that – that was grandstanding , '' Grisham said on `` Media Buzz . ''
Grisham said Trump is a `` counterpuncher '' who `` speaks in very unique ways '' and says `` what 's on his mind . ''
Though she said she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet , she assumed he meant Schiff `` hasn ’ t yet paid the price with the voters . ''
Schiff 's fellow Democratic House impeachment managers also thought Trump 's tweet went too far .
`` I would just say to the American people , this is totally inappropriate .
It is totally a threat , if you will , against the process of this investigation and of this trial , '' Rep. Val Demmings , D-Fla. , said Sunday when asked about the tweet on MSNBC .
`` We are defenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vowing that the impeachment managers would do their job `` regardless of what inappropriate comments '' or `` threats that come out of the president . ''
`` He really ought to get a grip and be a little more presidential , '' said Rep. Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif. , on CNN 's `` State of the Union '' on Sunday .
`` The president has a tendency to say things that seem threatening to people , '' Lofgren said .
`` Adam Schiff is doing his job . ''
Sen. James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of the Union '' that , like Grisham , he thought Trump was implying Schiff `` will be paying a price at the ballot box '' and did not intend it as `` some kind of intimidation . ''
`` I do n't think he 's encouraging a death threat , '' Lankford said when asked if he was concerned that the president 's tweets could inspire violence .
Lankford said he was more offended by Schiff 's reference to the CBS report , in which an unnamed Trump source claimed Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a pike '' if they voted against him in the trial .
`` Schiff believes that the only reason that we act the way that we do is because the president 's going to put our head on a pike , '' Lankford said .
`` He 's invalidating all of our motives .
He 's saying , 'You 're going to ignore all the facts , and you 're only doing this because we 're afraid of the president , rather than we will actually be fair in the process and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' On Sunday , Trump again criticized Schiff for paraphrasing the content of his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , something he has railed against since September and which his legal team referenced when it opened its defense in the Senate impeachment trial on Saturday .
`` Shifty is now exposed for illegally making up my phone call , & more ! ''
Trump tweeted .
He also criticized `` Meet the Press '' host Todd , wondering why he would have Schiff on after `` having been exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump accused Todd of conducting a `` softball interview with conman Adam Schiff . ''
He criticized him for `` never even calling Shifty out on his fraudulent statement to Congress , where he made up ALL of the words of my conversation with the Ukrainian President . ''
Todd did ask Schiff if he regretted paraphrasing Trump 's conversation .
Schiff said he did not , before turning to a defense of his previous comments implying there had been evidence of collusion in 2016 between the Trump campaign and the Russian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's lawyers as evidence that Schiff lacked credibility .

'He has not paid the price, yet': Trump tweet about Schiff crossed the line, Democrats say
Show Caption Hide Caption Adam Schiff quotes 'head on a pike' threat to GOP Senators In closing, Rep. Adam Schiff quotes a CBS report that a Trump confidant threatened GOP Senators with 'head on a pike' if they vote against Trump. USA TODAY
President Donald Trump has criticized, mocked and derided House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on several occasions since taking office, but Democrats said the president crossed a line on Sunday, characterizing one of his tweets about the California Democrat as a "threat."
"Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man," Trump tweeted. "He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!"
Schiff, the lead House impeachment manager in the Senate trial of the president, mentioned the tweet during an appearance on NBC News' "Meet the Press." Defending his decision to cite a report during his arguments before the Senate that Trump had threatened Republicans who did not stand with him, Schiff said Trump was "wrathful and vindictive president."
Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man. He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
"I don't think there's any doubt about it. And if you think there is, look at the president's tweets about me today, saying that I should pay a price," Schiff said.
"Do you take that as a threat?" host Chuck Todd asked.
"I think it's intended to be," Schiff replied.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News that Schiff's characterization of the tweet as a threat was "ridiculous."
"The fact that he said that – that was grandstanding," Grisham said on "Media Buzz."
Grisham said Trump is a "counterpuncher" who "speaks in very unique ways" and says "what's on his mind." Though she said she had not spoken to the president about the tweet, she assumed he meant Schiff "hasn’t yet paid the price with the voters."
Schiff's fellow Democratic House impeachment managers also thought Trump's tweet went too far.
"I would just say to the American people, this is totally inappropriate. It is totally a threat, if you will, against the process of this investigation and of this trial," Rep. Val Demmings, D-Fla., said Sunday when asked about the tweet on MSNBC.
"We are defenders of the Constitution," Demings said, vowing that the impeachment managers would do their job "regardless of what inappropriate comments" or "threats that come out of the president."
Presidential impeachment: Clinton, Johnson, Nixon test U.S. democracy Presidents have been impeached, but none have been removed from office due to impeachment. Confusing? Here's how. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
"He really ought to get a grip and be a little more presidential," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
"The president has a tendency to say things that seem threatening to people," Lofgren said. "Adam Schiff is doing his job."
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said on "State of the Union" that, like Grisham, he thought Trump was implying Schiff "will be paying a price at the ballot box" and did not intend it as "some kind of intimidation."
"I don't think he's encouraging a death threat," Lankford said when asked if he was concerned that the president's tweets could inspire violence.
Lankford said he was more offended by Schiff's reference to the CBS report, in which an unnamed Trump source claimed Trump told senators "your head would be on a pike" if they voted against him in the trial.
"Schiff believes that the only reason that we act the way that we do is because the president's going to put our head on a pike," Lankford said. "He's invalidating all of our motives. He's saying, 'You're going to ignore all the facts, and you're only doing this because we're afraid of the president, rather than we will actually be fair in the process and actually look at the facts.'"
Senate impeachment trial: Fact-checking opening arguments of Trump's defense team
The Impeachment Hoax is a massive election interference the likes of which has never been seen before. In just two hours the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats have seen their phony case absolutely shredded. Shifty is now exposed for illegally making up my phone call, & more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
On Sunday, Trump again criticized Schiff for paraphrasing the content of his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, something he has railed against since September and which his legal team referenced when it opened its defense in the Senate impeachment trial on Saturday.
"Shifty is now exposed for illegally making up my phone call, & more!" Trump tweeted.
He also criticized "Meet the Press" host Todd, wondering why he would have Schiff on after "having been exposed as a fraud and corrupt."
Sleepyeyes Chuck Todd of Meet the Corrupt Press, just had a “totally” softball interview with conman Adam Schiff, never even calling Shifty out on his fraudulent statement to Congress, where he made up ALL of the words of my conversation with the Ukrainian President! FAKE NEWS — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
Trump accused Todd of conducting a "softball interview with conman Adam Schiff." He criticized him for "never even calling Shifty out on his fraudulent statement to Congress, where he made up ALL of the words of my conversation with the Ukrainian President."
Todd did ask Schiff if he regretted paraphrasing Trump's conversation. Schiff said he did not, before turning to a defense of his previous comments implying there had been evidence of collusion in 2016 between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, which was also cited by Trump's lawyers as evidence that Schiff lacked credibility.


usatoday--2020-01-27--Senate should remove Trump, majority of independent voters say in Fox News poll

Half of registered voters and a majority of independents think the Senate should convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial and remove him from office , according to a Fox News poll released Sunday .
Trump was impeached in the House last month on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from allegations that he leveraged military aid to pressure Ukraine into opening investigations for his own political benefit .
Trump has denied acting improperly , and his legal team has accused Democrats of trying to subvert the will of the voters .
Fifty percent told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and removed , and 44 % said he should not .
Registered voters ' impeachment opinions largely fell along party lines , with 81 % of Democrats favoring the president 's removal and 84 % of Republicans opposing it .
Independents said Trump should be removed by a nearly 20-point margin , with 53 % in favor of conviction and 34 % opposed .
'We will be very efficient ' : Trump defense opens with warning against removal , attack on Schiff - 4 takeaways The poll was conducted Jan. 19-22 , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun but before the House impeachment managers and the president 's legal team were able to make their cases .
Democrats have argued that the Senate should subpoena additional witnesses and documents before rendering its verdict .
But 48 % of voters said the Senate already has all the information it needs , while 44 % said it should hear from additional witnesses .
The results of the impeachment question are little changed from other Fox News polls released since the Ukraine allegations surfaced in September .
A survey from the cable news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House voted to impeach Trump , found 50 % thought he should be removed and 46 % did not .
Though voters said the economy is doing well and many gave the president credit for that success , there was little other positive news for Trump in the poll , which also found him losing to every leading Democratic presidential hopeful in a hypothetical general election matchup .
Here 's a look at some of the other poll results : A 56 % majority approved of the president 's handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twenty percent rated the economy as `` excellent '' – a number that never topped 3 % during President Barack Obama 's time in office – and an additional 35 % rated it `` good . ''
And just 14 % rated the economy `` poor '' ( that number never got lower than 23 % in the Obama era ) .
Forty-two percent of voters said Trump was the `` most responsible '' for the current economy , while 9 % said Obama and 7 % said big business .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 55 % of voters said it did not give everyone a `` fair '' shot .
The economy , however , was the only issue in the survey where more voters approved than disapproved of the job Trump was doing .
On guns , immigration , foreign policy , health care , government spending , race relations and the environment , a majority disapproved of Trump 's performance .
Voters are geared up for the election , with 55 % saying they are `` extremely '' interested in it and 27 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At this point in 2012 during Obama 's reelection campaign , those numbers were 32 % and 34 % , respectively .
In the Democratic primary , the poll found former Vice President Joe Biden 's lead nationally had slipped from a 7 percentage point lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , to a 3 point lead , 26 % -23 % .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was third at 14 % , followed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at 10 % , former South Bend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , entrepreneur Andrew Yang at 5 % and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tied with billionaire Tom Steyer at 3 % .
In every hypothetical matchup presented in the survey , voters preferred the Democratic candidate by various margins .
Here is the breakdown : Though 47 % of voters thought Trump did the right thing by ordering the drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani , compared with 37 % who thought it was the wrong move , 48 % said the action had made the U.S. `` less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it made the U.S .
`` safer . ''
Sixty-one percent said Trump should get Congress to consent before taking military action , while 23 % said he should not .
Overall , more voters thought Trump had made American weaker ( 47 % ) than stronger ( 42 % ) during his time in office .
The poll 's margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points .

Senate should remove Trump, majority of independent voters say in Fox News poll
Show Caption Hide Caption Democrats wrap opening arguments on Obstruction of Congress In their final day of opening arguments, Democrats lay out the Obstruction of Congress charge which is the second Article of Impeachment against President Trump. USA TODAY
Half of registered voters and a majority of independents think the Senate should convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial and remove him from office, according to a Fox News poll released Sunday.
Trump was impeached in the House last month on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from allegations that he leveraged military aid to pressure Ukraine into opening investigations for his own political benefit. Trump has denied acting improperly, and his legal team has accused Democrats of trying to subvert the will of the voters.
Fifty percent told Fox News that Trump should be convicted and removed, and 44% said he should not. Registered voters' impeachment opinions largely fell along party lines, with 81% of Democrats favoring the president's removal and 84% of Republicans opposing it. Independents said Trump should be removed by a nearly 20-point margin, with 53% in favor of conviction and 34% opposed.
'We will be very efficient': Trump defense opens with warning against removal, attack on Schiff - 4 takeaways
The poll was conducted Jan. 19-22, which was after the Senate trial technically had begun but before the House impeachment managers and the president's legal team were able to make their cases.
Democrats have argued that the Senate should subpoena additional witnesses and documents before rendering its verdict. But 48% of voters said the Senate already has all the information it needs, while 44% said it should hear from additional witnesses.
The results of the impeachment question are little changed from other Fox News polls released since the Ukraine allegations surfaced in September. A survey from the cable news network Dec. 8-11, which was before the House voted to impeach Trump, found 50% thought he should be removed and 46% did not.
Though voters said the economy is doing well and many gave the president credit for that success, there was little other positive news for Trump in the poll, which also found him losing to every leading Democratic presidential hopeful in a hypothetical general election matchup.
Here's a look at some of the other poll results:
Fox News poll on the economy
A 56% majority approved of the president's handling of the economy, while only 38% disapproved. Twenty percent rated the economy as "excellent" – a number that never topped 3% during President Barack Obama's time in office – and an additional 35% rated it "good." And just 14% rated the economy "poor" (that number never got lower than 23% in the Obama era).
Forty-two percent of voters said Trump was the "most responsible" for the current economy, while 9% said Obama and 7% said big business.
Despite the general positive takes on the economy, 55% of voters said it did not give everyone a "fair" shot.
The economy, however, was the only issue in the survey where more voters approved than disapproved of the job Trump was doing. On guns, immigration, foreign policy, health care, government spending, race relations and the environment, a majority disapproved of Trump's performance.
How polls work: The science behind gathering voter opinions The news cycle is jampacked with polls. But have you ever wondered how polls actually work and what they mean? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Fox News poll on the election
Voters are geared up for the election, with 55% saying they are "extremely" interested in it and 27% saying they are "very" interested. At this point in 2012 during Obama's reelection campaign, those numbers were 32% and 34%, respectively.
In the Democratic primary, the poll found former Vice President Joe Biden's lead nationally had slipped from a 7 percentage point lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to a 3 point lead, 26%-23%. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was third at 14%, followed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at 10%, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 7%, entrepreneur Andrew Yang at 5% and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tied with billionaire Tom Steyer at 3%.
In every hypothetical matchup presented in the survey, voters preferred the Democratic candidate by various margins. Here is the breakdown:
Biden 50%, Trump 41%
Sanders 48%, Trump 42%
Warren 47%, Trump 42%
Buttigieg 45%, Trump 41%
Bloomberg 49%, Trump 41%
Klobuchar 43%, Trump 42%
Fox News poll on foreign policy
Though 47% of voters thought Trump did the right thing by ordering the drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, compared with 37% who thought it was the wrong move, 48% said the action had made the U.S. "less safe," while 27% said it made the U.S. "safer."
Sixty-one percent said Trump should get Congress to consent before taking military action, while 23% said he should not.
Overall, more voters thought Trump had made American weaker (47%) than stronger (42%) during his time in office.
The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Fact check: The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump