usatoday--2020-02-06--Lindsey Graham  said God won't ask why he voted to acquit Trump

WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said Thursday that when he meets `` God at the pearly gates '' he wo n't ask why the senator voted to acquit President Donald Trump .
Graham , speaking on Fox News ' Brian Kilmeade Show , was asked about Sen. Mitt Romney , R-UT.
, voting to convict Trump on abuse of power .
Romney was the only GOP member to vote for conviction on either of the charges , becoming the first Senator in history to vote to convict a member of their own political party .
‘ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as ‘ evil ’ as he celebrates impeachment acquittal Romney , a devout Mormon , gave an emotional speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday , touting his strong belief in his faith as guidance and saying his `` oath before God '' was at the heart of his decision on impeachment .
Graham , one of Trump 's biggest supporters in Congress , sees his religious beliefs differently , saying , `` All I can tell you is that God gave us free will and common sense .
I used the common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a bunch of B.S . ''
`` [ Impeachment ] was politically driven , it was driven by people who are not looking for the truth , they hate Trump , they were gon na impeach him the day he got elected and if you ca n't see through this , you know , your religion is clouding your thinking here , '' he continued .
`` When I go to meet God at the pearly gates I do n't think he 's going to ask me , 'Why did n't you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong but I do n't think that 's gon na be at the top of the list , '' Graham said .
Romney joined Senate Democrats in voting to convict on an article accusing Trump of abusing his power by trying to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations of political rivals , including former Vice President Joe Biden , in exchange for releasing nearly $ 400 million in military aid .
Romney voted against the second article charging Trump with obstruction of Congress .
Trump was acquitted on both articles .
Impeachment explained : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry of President Trump Romney said Wednesday , `` The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious .
As a Senator-juror , I swore an oath , before God , to exercise “ impartial justice.
” I am a profoundly religious person .
I take an oath before God as enormously consequential .
I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the President , the leader of my own party , would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced .
I was not wrong . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he `` has always liked '' the Utah Senator , who was the GOP presidential nominee in 2012 .
“ I appreciate the fact that he ’ s helped the Republican agenda , ” Graham explained .
“ He ’ s going to help us continue to build up the military , cut taxes and reform the government , I hope .
”

Lindsey Graham said God won't ask why he voted to acquit Trump
Show Caption Hide Caption Mitt Romney chokes up explaining his impeachment vote to convict Trump Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, gives emotional explanation of his decision to vote to convict President Trump in impeachment trial USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Thursday that when he meets "God at the pearly gates" he won't ask why the senator voted to acquit President Donald Trump.
Graham, speaking on Fox News' Brian Kilmeade Show, was asked about Sen. Mitt Romney, R-UT., voting to convict Trump on abuse of power. Romney was the only GOP member to vote for conviction on either of the charges, becoming the first Senator in history to vote to convict a member of their own political party.
‘We went through hell.’ Trump attacks Democrats as ‘evil’ as he celebrates impeachment acquittal
Romney, a devout Mormon, gave an emotional speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, touting his strong belief in his faith as guidance and saying his "oath before God" was at the heart of his decision on impeachment.
Graham, one of Trump's biggest supporters in Congress, sees his religious beliefs differently, saying, "All I can tell you is that God gave us free will and common sense. I used the common sense God gave me to understand this was a bunch of B.S."
"[Impeachment] was politically driven, it was driven by people who are not looking for the truth, they hate Trump, they were gonna impeach him the day he got elected and if you can't see through this, you know, your religion is clouding your thinking here," he continued.
More: GOP Sen. Romney faces awkwardness, 'abuse' for defying Trump on impeachment
"When I go to meet God at the pearly gates I don't think he's going to ask me, 'Why didn't you convict Trump?' I may be wrong but I don't think that's gonna be at the top of the list," Graham said.
Romney joined Senate Democrats in voting to convict on an article accusing Trump of abusing his power by trying to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations of political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden, in exchange for releasing nearly $400 million in military aid. Romney voted against the second article charging Trump with obstruction of Congress. Trump was acquitted on both articles.
Impeachment explained: A diagram of events in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump
Romney said Wednesday, "The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious. As a Senator-juror, I swore an oath, before God, to exercise “impartial justice.” I am a profoundly religious person. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the President, the leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong."
Graham did say in the interview that he "has always liked" the Utah Senator, who was the GOP presidential nominee in 2012.
“I appreciate the fact that he’s helped the Republican agenda,” Graham explained. “He’s going to help us continue to build up the military, cut taxes and reform the government, I hope.”
Contributing: Ledyard King, Maureen Groppe, Christal Hayes, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-06--Coach Mike Leach deletes tweets about Mitt Romney, says 'I just asked questions'

New Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach has deleted a series of messages he posted on Twitter in which he asked critical questions about Mitt Romney , the lone Republican senator to vote against President Trump in his impeachment trial Wednesday .
Leach , a Trump supporter , posted the messages on Twitter after midnight Thursday in Mississippi .
By Thursday afternoon , they were removed .
Asked about why he removed them , Leach responded in a text message to USA TODAY Sports , “ Nothing really to report .
I just asked questions .
Then I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserved.
” In one deleted tweet , Leach asked , “ As an American , does ANYONE , REALLY want Mitt Romney on their side ?
!
” A person identified as Will Ginther then replied by asking , “ Damn mike you drunk ?
” In another deleted tweet , Leach asked , “ Those that believe in the competence of Mitt Romney , what do you trust him to do ?
” The tweets received a range of responses , some critical of Romney , some critical of Leach .
OPINION @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi State after backing itself into corner “ No one cares about this or thinks you have a grasp on politics , ” another Twitter user wrote to him in response .
Leach replied , “ I will debate you on any subject on earth .
Seriously ?
” Leach had not deleted such replies by Thursday afternoon , only his original tweets about Romney .
Another deleted tweet from Leach said , “ So , either party , who votes to replace it what Mitt wants ?
He DOES appear to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking comment from Mississippi State was not immediately returned .
Leach recently was hired at Mississippi State from Washington State , where he also deleted a tweet that drew criticism in 2018 .
In that case , he shared a hoax video about former President Obama that had been edited in a way that had Obama appearing to deliver a message what was quite different than what he actually said in full context .
That tweet drew a firestorm of criticism from WSU alumni and supporters and might have cost the university $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Because it was after midnight , some Twitter users made remarks about what he was doing up that late .
`` Equally important is why are you up ? ''
Leach asked one .
`` I ’ m a brooder and I ’ m haunted by trying to be precise with what is ahead of me , what is your excuse ? ''
Leach , 58 , befriended Trump in 2004 and helped campaign for him in Washington state in 2016 .
Trump was acquitted in his senate impeachment trial on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah .

Coach Mike Leach deletes tweets about Mitt Romney, says 'I just asked questions'
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump calls 'B.S.' after impeachment acquittal in remarks to nation President Donald Trump delivered remarks a day after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit him. USA TODAY
New Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach has deleted a series of messages he posted on Twitter in which he asked critical questions about Mitt Romney, the lone Republican senator to vote against President Trump in his impeachment trial Wednesday.
Leach, a Trump supporter, posted the messages on Twitter after midnight Thursday in Mississippi. By Thursday afternoon, they were removed.
Asked why he removed them, Leach responded in a text message to USA TODAY Sports, “Nothing really to report. I just asked questions. Then I thought it was drawing more attention than it deserved.”
In one deleted tweet, Leach asked, “As an American, does ANYONE, REALLY want Mitt Romney on their side?!”
A person identified as Will Ginther then replied by asking, “Damn mike you drunk?”
Leach replied, “Is Mitt?!”
In another deleted tweet, Leach asked, “Those that believe in the competence of Mitt Romney, what do you trust him to do?”
The tweets received a range of responses, some critical of Romney, some critical of Leach.
OPINION: Mike Leach was only move for Mississippi State after backing itself into corner
“No one cares about this or thinks you have a grasp on politics,” another Twitter user wrote to him in response.
Leach replied, “I will debate you on any subject on earth. Seriously?”
Leach had not deleted such replies by Thursday afternoon, only his original tweets about Romney.
Another deleted tweet from Leach said, “So, either party, who votes to replace it what Mitt wants? He DOES appear to have it ALL figured out.”
A message seeking comment from Mississippi State was not immediately returned. Leach recently was hired at Mississippi State from Washington State, where he also deleted a tweet that drew criticism in 2018. In that case, he shared a hoax video about former President Obama that had been edited in a way that had Obama appearing to deliver a message what was quite different than what he actually said in full context.
That tweet drew a firestorm of criticism from WSU alumni and supporters and might have cost the university $1.6 million in donations, the university said.
Because the tweets in this case came at a late hour, some Twitter users made remarks about what he was doing up at that time.
"Equally important is why are you up?" Leach asked one. "I’m a brooder and I’m haunted by trying to be precise with what is ahead of me, what is your excuse?"
Leach, 58, befriended Trump in 2004 and helped campaign for him in Washington state in 2016.
Trump was acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial on a party-line vote except for Romney from Utah.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com.


usatoday--2020-02-06--Clash between app, Iowa Dems' database resulted in caucus count problems, CEO says

DES MOINES — A data formatting error resulted in a verification system controlled by the Iowa Democratic Party rejecting Monday caucus results reported via a smartphone app , the head of a company that designed the program said in an interview published Wednesday by a tech news website .
His explanation is the most detailed so far of a key problem with the app that contributed to the lengthy delay in reporting caucus results .
`` We have this independent verification step , '' Gerard Niemira , the CEO of Shadow Inc. , told Motherboard , an online imprint of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of doing that , we had some code that would look at our results database and then move that over to the IDP ’ s quality control check environment .
In the process of doing that , we had some faulty code that took the data and put it into a format that made it fail the checks by the IDP .
That was throwing up flags , which took time to resolve . ''
The party has said it verified results using by using paper records to ensure that no data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many caucus chairs also complained that they were unable to log into the app .
Niemira told Motherboard he believed the problem lay in a combination of a short training window for many of the chairs and a complicated log-in process .
He said users had to enter three different six-digit codes .
`` There were some issues with not knowing where to put what credentials , which is a difficult thing to design around , '' Niemira told Motherboard.
“ Having to sign in with three different six-digit numbers is confusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a call that was made in order to help keep this process as secure as possible.
” Shadow , a company linked with key Iowa and national Democrats associated with Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential campaign , designed the app for the Iowa Democratic Party .
It began its work in August but “ didn ’ t have a final production version ” until “ pretty close to caucus time , ” Niemira told Motherboard .
He and other Shadow officials did not respond to the Des Moines Register ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a public apology via Twitter on Tuesday , saying its officials “ sincerely regret ” the delay .
Security watchdogs had called on Iowa Democrats to be more transparent about the development and testing of the app prior to Monday ’ s caucuses .
But Democrats declined to name the developer or provide testing details , saying top cybersecurity experts advised against releasing too much information because it could result in the vendor being targeted .
The Register uncovered the name of the vendor by obtaining a copy of the app and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program had other problems , including vulnerability to hackers due to the way it was “ sideloaded ” onto user phones .
The term is used to describe apps that do not come from a source like Google Play Store that vets programs for cybersecurity risks .
More : Iowa Democrats say they were inundated with outside calls that clogged caucus results reporting The Iowa Democratic and Republican parties both used a software application to aid in reporting results for their caucuses for the first time in 2016 .
Both used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiative to introduce technology into the caucus process .
But the computer giant declined to participate in the 2020 caucus cycle , and alerted the parties by early summer that the app would not again be available , Republican Party of Iowa spokesman Aaron Britt told the Register on Wednesday .
The Republican Party found a new vendor by August , with an app that for the most part was already built and just needed some tweaks , Britt said .
He declined to name the developer of the app , citing security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company used by the Iowa Democratic Party .
Microsoft said in a statement that its participation in the 2016 caucuses was not intended to be long-term , and the company has since focused its election security efforts on other tools .
`` We had a great partnership with the Iowa political parties in 2016 that we think helped showcase our technology and helped power the voting process in new ways , '' the statement said .
The Democrats in the 2016 caucuses relied not only on the Microsoft app but on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to could use to call in results .
About half the volunteer precinct chairs reported results via the app , and the other half called them in .
Also in 2016 , Democratic precinct chairs only needed to report the delegate equivalents being awarded , rather than the raw vote totals that were required in addition to the delegate equivalents this year as the result of a rule change .
The Democrats had a phone reporting system this year as a backup to the app .
But it was manually staffed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems with using the app .
“ Everyone ’ s talking about the app .
That ’ s not the full problem .
There needed to be a backup to the backup to the backup.
” said Lara Henderson , the former Iowa state director for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , who ended her Democratic presidential candidacy in August .
• Buttigieg connection : Tara McGowan , a strategist with direct ties to the new app , is the sister in-law of Ben Halle , the Iowa communications director for Democratic candidate Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana , mayor ’ s campaign acknowledged Wednesday in an interview with the Register .
McGowan is the founder of Acronym — a nonprofit that has invested in caucus app developer Shadow Inc. She did not return calls Wednesday and Halle declined to comment .
The Buttigieg campaign has paid at least $ 42,500 for services to Shadow in 2019 , according to federal election data .
Halle ’ s relationship with McGowan had no influence on the campaign ’ s decision to do business with Shadow , Matt Corridoni , a spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reconsidering Shadow : Multiple political groups said Wednesday they will reevaluate their relationship with Shadow , which has received more than $ 200,000 from Democratic and liberal-leaning advocacy groups in the past year , according to Iowa and federal campaign reports .
Among those that will reevaluate or perform security performance reviews is the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and For Our Future , a coalition of organizations that include labor unions , spokespeople for the groups told the Register on Wednesday .
• Unanswered questions : The Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of the app , including the identities of the national cybersecurity experts it says it used to evaluate the program prior to Monday ’ s caucus and whether the party ’ s payments of $ 63,184 in late 2019 to Shadow represent the party ’ s total cost for the app .
IDP Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said Wednesday that she would attempt to answer those and other questions at a later date .
Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register .
Reach him at ncoltrain @ registermedia.com or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigative reporter for the Register .
Reach him at jclayworth @ registermedia.com or 515-699-7058 .

Nick Coltrain and Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register

Clash between app, Iowa Dems’ database resulted in caucus count problems, CEO says
Show Caption Hide Caption Iowa virtual caucus: Watch replay of Democratic Party press conference Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price spoke on Friday about the DNC's rejection of 2020 virtual caucusing. Robin Opsahl, Des Moines
DES MOINES — A data formatting error resulted in a verification system controlled by the Iowa Democratic Party rejecting Monday caucus results reported via a smartphone app, the head of a company that designed the program said in an interview published Wednesday by a tech news website.
His explanation is the most detailed so far of a key problem with the app that contributed to the lengthy delay in reporting caucus results.
"We have this independent verification step," Gerard Niemira, the CEO of Shadow Inc., told Motherboard, an online imprint of news website Vice. "In the course of doing that, we had some code that would look at our results database and then move that over to the IDP’s quality control check environment. In the process of doing that, we had some faulty code that took the data and put it into a format that made it fail the checks by the IDP. That was throwing up flags, which took time to resolve."
The party has said it verified results using by using paper records to ensure that no data was lost and there were no discrepancies.
Many caucus chairs also complained that they were unable to log into the app. Niemira told Motherboard he believed the problem lay in a combination of a short training window for many of the chairs and a complicated log-in process.
More: Bernie Sanders declares 'decisive victory' in Iowa caucuses, rips results reporting 'screw-up'
He said users had to enter three different six-digit codes. "There were some issues with not knowing where to put what credentials, which is a difficult thing to design around," Niemira told Motherboard.“Having to sign in with three different six-digit numbers is confusing on the best day, but it was a call that was made in order to help keep this process as secure as possible.”
Shadow, a company linked with key Iowa and national Democrats associated with Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, designed the app for the Iowa Democratic Party. It began its work in August but “didn’t have a final production version” until “pretty close to caucus time,” Niemira told Motherboard. He and other Shadow officials did not respond to the Des Moines Register’s repeated requests for comment Wednesday.
Shadow issued a public apology via Twitter on Tuesday, saying its officials “sincerely regret” the delay.
Security watchdogs had called on Iowa Democrats to be more transparent about the development and testing of the app prior to Monday’s caucuses. But Democrats declined to name the developer or provide testing details, saying top cybersecurity experts advised against releasing too much information because it could result in the vendor being targeted.
The Register uncovered the name of the vendor by obtaining a copy of the app and analyzing its metadata.
Experts have said the program had other problems, including vulnerability to hackers due to the way it was “sideloaded” onto user phones. The term is used to describe apps that do not come from a source like Google Play Store that vets programs for cybersecurity risks.
More: Iowa Democrats say they were inundated with outside calls that clogged caucus results reporting
Microsoft backed out
The Iowa Democratic and Republican parties both used a software application to aid in reporting results for their caucuses for the first time in 2016. Both used the same program, provided by a Microsoft-led initiative to introduce technology into the caucus process.
But the computer giant declined to participate in the 2020 caucus cycle, and alerted the parties by early summer that the app would not again be available, Republican Party of Iowa spokesman Aaron Britt told the Register on Wednesday.
The Republican Party found a new vendor by August, with an app that for the most part was already built and just needed some tweaks, Britt said. He declined to name the developer of the app, citing security concerns, but said it was not the company used by the Iowa Democratic Party.
Microsoft said in a statement that its participation in the 2016 caucuses was not intended to be long-term, and the company has since focused its election security efforts on other tools.
"We had a great partnership with the Iowa political parties in 2016 that we think helped showcase our technology and helped power the voting process in new ways," the statement said.
The Democrats in the 2016 caucuses relied not only on the Microsoft app but on an automated phone system that precinct chairs who chose to could use to call in results. About half the volunteer precinct chairs reported results via the app, and the other half called them in.
Also in 2016, Democratic precinct chairs only needed to report the delegate equivalents being awarded, rather than the raw vote totals that were required in addition to the delegate equivalents this year as the result of a rule change.
The Democrats had a phone reporting system this year as a backup to the app. But it was manually staffed and it was overwhelmed when precinct chairs experienced problems with using the app.
“Everyone’s talking about the app. That’s not the full problem. There needed to be a backup to the backup to the backup.” said Lara Henderson, the former Iowa state director for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who ended her Democratic presidential candidacy in August.
Among other revelations Wednesday:
Buttigieg connection : Tara McGowan, a strategist with direct ties to the new app, is the sister in-law of Ben Halle, the Iowa communications director for Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s campaign acknowledged Wednesday in an interview with the Register. McGowan is the founder of Acronym — a nonprofit that has invested in caucus app developer Shadow Inc. She did not return calls Wednesday and Halle declined to comment. The Buttigieg campaign has paid at least $42,500 for services to Shadow in 2019, according to federal election data. Halle’s relationship with McGowan had no influence on the campaign’s decision to do business with Shadow, Matt Corridoni, a spokesman for Buttigieg, said Wednesday.
: Tara McGowan, a strategist with direct ties to the new app, is the sister in-law of Ben Halle, the Iowa communications director for Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s campaign acknowledged Wednesday in an interview with the Register. McGowan is the founder of Acronym — a nonprofit that has invested in caucus app developer Shadow Inc. She did not return calls Wednesday and Halle declined to comment. The Buttigieg campaign has paid at least $42,500 for services to Shadow in 2019, according to federal election data. Halle’s relationship with McGowan had no influence on the campaign’s decision to do business with Shadow, Matt Corridoni, a spokesman for Buttigieg, said Wednesday. Reconsidering Shadow : Multiple political groups said Wednesday they will reevaluate their relationship with Shadow, which has received more than $200,000 from Democratic and liberal-leaning advocacy groups in the past year, according to Iowa and federal campaign reports. Among those that will reevaluate or perform security performance reviews is the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and For Our Future, a coalition of organizations that include labor unions, spokespeople for the groups told the Register on Wednesday.
: Multiple political groups said Wednesday they will reevaluate their relationship with Shadow, which has received more than $200,000 from Democratic and liberal-leaning advocacy groups in the past year, according to Iowa and federal campaign reports. Among those that will reevaluate or perform security performance reviews is the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and For Our Future, a coalition of organizations that include labor unions, spokespeople for the groups told the Register on Wednesday. Unanswered questions: The Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday had yet to answer key questions about its use of the app, including the identities of the national cybersecurity experts it says it used to evaluate the program prior to Monday’s caucus and whether the party’s payments of $63,184 in late 2019 to Shadow represent the party’s total cost for the app. IDP Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said Wednesday that she would attempt to answer those and other questions at a later date.
Staff writer Brianne Pfannemstiel contributed to this article.
Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register. Reach him at ncoltrain@registermedia.com or at 515-284-8361.
Jason Clayworth is an investigative reporter for the Register. Reach him at jclayworth@registermedia.com or 515-699-7058.


usatoday--2020-02-06--'We went through hell.' Trump attacks Democrats as 'evil' as he celebrates impeachment acquittal

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump used a White House ceremony Thursday to celebrate his impeachment acquittal , saying he had `` been through hell '' in a process he blamed on `` leakers and liars '' who had unfairly accused him of misconduct in his dealings with Ukraine .
After entering the formal East Room to the anthem `` Hail to the Chief , '' Trump praised Republican lawmakers and his legal team as `` warriors '' and accused Democrats of trying to destroy the country by removing him from office .
`` They brought me to the final stages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that gorgeous word .
I never thought a word would sound so good .
It 's called total acquittal , '' said Trump , standing before Cabinet members , Republican lawmakers and family members .
In 63 minutes of unscripted remarks , he called out dozens of people by name to thank them for defending him , including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and several other lawmakers .
McConnell and other senators served as jurors in the impeachment trial .
While Trump himself billed the event as a `` celebration , '' it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over his impeachment by the Democratic-controlled House .
Impeachment is a `` very ugly word to me .
It 's a dark word , '' Trump said .
Trump said the impeachment and the Ukraine investigation that preceded it were part of a years-long effort to go after him .
He alluded frequently to the investigation into Russia 's 2016 election interference by special counsel Robert Mueller .
`` And it never really stopped .
We 've been going through this now for over three years .
It was evil , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was leakers and liars , and this should never ever happen to another president , '' he said .
Before the president appeared , Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow , the two lawyers who defended him in his impeachment trial , drew a round of applause as they entered the room .
`` But today is a day to celebrate these great warriors , right ? ''
Trump said .
Trump was joined by several allies in Congress , including Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio , John Ratcliffe of Texas , Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Georgia .
Sens .
Chuck Grassley of Iowa , Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri were also in the audience .
After laying out a laundry list of gripes , Trump touted the stock market and the soaring economy .
He discussed his State of the Union speech , saying he received high marks from people he spoke with after his address .
But then he almost immediately returned to impeachment , retelling his version of the investigations .
“ We went through hell , unfairly , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end result is , ” he added , holding up the front page of The Washington Post with a headline “ Trump acquitted.
” Embracing a line he often uses at his campaign rallies , Trump claimed that the investigations were “ all bulls -- -.
” Trump was impeached by the House on Dec. 18 , then acquitted by the Senate Wednesday , over allegations he invited foreign influence in the 2020 election by pressuring Ukraine to gather dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden , a Democratic presidential contender .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech was Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , the former 2012 GOP presidential candidate and the only Republican who voted with Democrats to convict him .
“ Things can happen when you fail so badly , ” Trump said of the Utah Republican .
“ I ’ m sorry about Mitt Romney.
” Romney became the first senator in the nation ’ s history to vote to convict a president of his own party .
The vote robbed Trump of the ability to say that Republicans were unified against his removal .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prayer breakfast Thursday morning , when the defiant president unloaded on those who tried to impeach him , telling the crowd he was put through `` a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people . ''
Tensions were palpable as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who presided over the impeachment drive , sat nearby at the Washington Hilton Hotel .
`` I had Nancy Pelosi sitting four seats away and I 'm saying things a lot people would n't have said but I meant it .
I meant every word , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House before calling Pelosi `` a horrible person . ''
Trump , who has used those probes to sell an us-against-them theme on the campaign trail , sharpened his criticism of Democrats in the remarks .
Democrats are “ vicious people ” and “ lousy politicians , ” he said , but “ they stick together like glue.
” “ That ’ s how they impeached , ” he added , saying , “ They ’ ll probably come back for more.
” Trump said he suspects Democrats are n't done with accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure they ’ ll try to cook up other things , ” he said .
“ They ’ ll do whatever they can .
Because instead of wanting to heal our country and fix our country ... they want to destroy our country .
We can ’ t let it happen.
” National Prayer Breakfast : Trump blasts impeachment supports at annual prayer breakfast on morning after final Senate vote Tougher than Teflon ?
: Trump shows he is the most resilient politician in modern US history As was long expected , Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to remove the president from office .
The Senate voted 52-48 on Wednesday to acquit Trump on the charge that he abused his power and 53-47 on the charge that he obstructed Congress .
Hillary Clinton : Clinton praises Romney 's 'extraordinary ' impeachment stand , says others 'voted to betray ' Constitution The scorched-earth remarks were in stark contrast to President Bill Clinton 's remarks following his acquittal on impeachment charges triggered by his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky .
“ I want to say again to the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and the American people , ” a contrite Clinton said during a Rose Garden speech on Feb. 12 , 1999 .
Clinton asked all Americans to `` rededicate ourselves to the work of serving our nation and building our future together . ''
`` This can be , and this must be , a time of reconciliation and renewal for America , '' he said .
Political fallout : The trial is over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political fallout .
Charm , patience and Twitter tactics : How Trump , McConnell kept GOP in line on impeachment

Michael Collins, David Jackson, John Fritze and Courtney Subramanian, USA TODAY

‘We went through hell.’ Trump attacks Democrats as ‘evil’ as he celebrates impeachment acquittal
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump calls 'B.S.' after impeachment acquittal in remarks to nation President Donald Trump delivered remarks a day after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit him. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump used a White House ceremony Thursday to celebrate his impeachment acquittal, saying he had "been through hell" in a process he blamed on "leakers and liars" who had unfairly accused him of misconduct in his dealings with Ukraine.
After entering the formal East Room to the anthem "Hail to the Chief," Trump praised Republican lawmakers and his legal team as "warriors" and accused Democrats of trying to destroy the country by removing him from office.
"They brought me to the final stages of impeachment, but now we have that gorgeous word. I never thought a word would sound so good. It's called total acquittal," said Trump, standing before Cabinet members, Republican lawmakers and family members.
In 63 minutes of unscripted remarks, he called out dozens of people by name to thank them for defending him, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and several other lawmakers. McConnell and other senators served as jurors in the impeachment trial.
While Trump himself billed the event as a "celebration," it was also clear he was still seething over his impeachment by the Democratic-controlled House.
Impeachment is a "very ugly word to me. It's a dark word," Trump said.
Trump said the impeachment and the Ukraine investigation that preceded it were part of a years-long effort to go after him. He alluded frequently to the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference by special counsel Robert Mueller.
"And it never really stopped. We've been going through this now for over three years. It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers and liars, and this should never ever happen to another president," he said.
Before the president appeared, Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, the two lawyers who defended him in his impeachment trial, drew a round of applause as they entered the room.
"But today is a day to celebrate these great warriors, right?" Trump said.
Trump was joined by several allies in Congress, including Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Doug Collins of Georgia. Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri were also in the audience.
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
After laying out a laundry list of gripes, Trump touted the stock market and the soaring economy. He discussed his State of the Union speech, saying he received high marks from people he spoke with after his address.
But then he almost immediately returned to impeachment, retelling his version of the investigations.
“We went through hell, unfairly,” Trump said. “But this is what the end result is,” he added, holding up the front page of The Washington Post with a headline “Trump acquitted.”
Embracing a line he often uses at his campaign rallies, Trump claimed that the investigations were “all bulls---.”
Trump was impeached by the House on Dec. 18, then acquitted by the Senate Wednesday, over allegations he invited foreign influence in the 2020 election by pressuring Ukraine to gather dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential contender.
Among Trump's targets in Thursday's speech was Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, the former 2012 GOP presidential candidate and the only Republican who voted with Democrats to convict him.
“Things can happen when you fail so badly,” Trump said of the Utah Republican. “I’m sorry about Mitt Romney.”
Romney became the first senator in the nation’s history to vote to convict a president of his own party. The vote robbed Trump of the ability to say that Republicans were unified against his removal.
Trump also referred to his appearance at a prayer breakfast Thursday morning, when the defiant president unloaded on those who tried to impeach him, telling the crowd he was put through "a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people."
Tensions were palpable as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who presided over the impeachment drive, sat nearby at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
"I had Nancy Pelosi sitting four seats away and I'm saying things a lot people wouldn't have said but I meant it. I meant every word," he said later at the White House before calling Pelosi "a horrible person."
Trump, who has used those probes to sell an us-against-them theme on the campaign trail, sharpened his criticism of Democrats in the remarks.
Democrats are “vicious people” and “lousy politicians,” he said, but “they stick together like glue.”
“That’s how they impeached,” he added, saying, “They’ll probably come back for more.”
Trump said he suspects Democrats aren't done with accusations against him.
“I’m sure they’ll try to cook up other things,” he said. “They’ll do whatever they can. Because instead of wanting to heal our country and fix our country ... they want to destroy our country. We can’t let it happen.”
National Prayer Breakfast: Trump blasts impeachment supports at annual prayer breakfast on morning after final Senate vote
Tougher than Teflon?:Trump shows he is the most resilient politician in modern US history
As was long expected, Democrats fell far short of the 67 votes needed to remove the president from office. The Senate voted 52-48 on Wednesday to acquit Trump on the charge that he abused his power and 53-47 on the charge that he obstructed Congress.
Hillary Clinton: Clinton praises Romney's 'extraordinary' impeachment stand, says others 'voted to betray' Constitution
The scorched-earth remarks were in stark contrast to President Bill Clinton's remarks following his acquittal on impeachment charges triggered by his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
“I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and the American people,” a contrite Clinton said during a Rose Garden speech on Feb. 12, 1999.
Clinton asked all Americans to "rededicate ourselves to the work of serving our nation and building our future together."
"This can be, and this must be, a time of reconciliation and renewal for America," he said.
Political fallout: The trial is over. Trump won. Now get ready for the political fallout.
Charm, patience and Twitter tactics: How Trump, McConnell kept GOP in line on impeachment


usatoday--2020-02-06--Democratic Party calls for recanvass of Iowa Caucuses paperwork

Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez calls for a closer look at the Iowa Caucuses results , as Pete Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @

Iowa caucus: DNC chair Tom Perez calls for recanvass
Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez calls for a closer look at the Iowa Caucuses results, as Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders lead.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-06--Bernie Sanders declares 'decisive victory' in Iowa caucuses, rips results reporting 'screw-up'

MANCHESTER , N.H. — Three days after the Iowa Democratic caucuses , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed a `` decisive victory '' Thursday , pointing to his 6,000-vote lead in raw popular votes in the first alignment and downplaying partial results that show a tiny lead for former Mayor Pete Buttigieg in state equivalent delegates .
`` We are holding a press conference that should have occurred three nights ago in Des Moines , but for the inability of the Iowa Democratic Party to count votes in a timely fashion , '' Sanders told reporters packed inside his New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been extremely unfair to the people of Iowa , it has been unfair to all of the candidates and all of their supporters .
So what I want to do , three days late , is thank the people of Iowa for the very strong victory they gave us Monday night . ''
Sanders ' pronouncement comes as Iowa results are still not fully counted following the malfunction of a cell phone app used to report results .
A backup phone line for results was also clogged as precinct chairs tried to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Bend , Indiana , was the first to claim victory on caucus night due to his lead in state delegate equivalents , which are tied to the number of delegates to the state convention each candidate earned on caucus night .
But Sanders has slowly closed the gap in Buttigieg 's lead in SDEs and has maintained a lead in the popular vote tallies since results began trickling out Tuesday .
More : What really went wrong on Iowa caucus night ?
Inside the problems that led to results being delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just minutes after National Democratic Party Chair Tom Perez called for a `` re-canvass '' of the Iowa caucus results .
`` We won an 8-person election by some 6,000 votes .
That is not going to be changed , '' Sanders said in response to the party chair 's push for a recanvass .
`` What may be changed in this so-called recount is a few SDEs . ''
Sanders bemoaned what he called an `` enormously complicated '' caucus system .
He said the true measuring stick for victory is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` some 6,000 more Iowans came out on caucus night to support our candidacy than the candidacy of anyone else . ''
`` And when 6,000 more people come out for you in an election then your nearest opponent , then we here in northern New England call that a victory . ''
More : A New Hampshire primary win is key for multiple Democrats .
Here 's what we know That 6,000 number refers to the lead Sanders had in the first preference alignment Monday night .
He also holds a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals .
Sanders called state delegate equivalents the preference of `` cable news and political pundits , '' but said they have `` greatly diminished significance '' than previous elections because of party rule changes .
He said `` mathematical problems '' identified by the Sanders campaign could mean he actually ends up topping Buttigeig in SDEs , but that tally is `` meaningless '' because he and Buttigieg will ultimately end up tied in the number of national delegates , which determine the eventual nominee .
`` At the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will almost definitely happen is Mr. Buttigieg and I will end up with the same number of delegates ... Ai n't gon na change .
And what will certainly not change is that in terms of the popular vote , we won a decisive victory , '' Sanders said .
Buttigieg has enjoyed an 8-percentage point bounce in New Hampshire following his performance in Iowa , according to a Suffolk University poll that showed him with support from 19 percent of likely New Hampshire primary voters .
But he still trails Sanders ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released Wednesday showed Sanders surging since last month , gaining 6 percentage points and leading all of his competitors .

Bernie Sanders declares 'decisive victory' in Iowa caucuses, rips results reporting 'screw-up'
Show Caption Hide Caption Iowa caucus: DNC chair Tom Perez calls for recanvass Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez calls for a closer look at the Iowa Caucuses results, as Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders lead. USA TODAY
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Three days after the Iowa Democratic caucuses, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed a "decisive victory" Thursday, pointing to his 6,000-vote lead in raw popular votes in the first alignment and downplaying partial results that show a tiny lead for former Mayor Pete Buttigieg in state equivalent delegates.
"We are holding a press conference that should have occurred three nights ago in Des Moines, but for the inability of the Iowa Democratic Party to count votes in a timely fashion," Sanders told reporters packed inside his New Hampshire campaign headquarters.
"That screw-up has been extremely unfair to the people of Iowa, it has been unfair to all of the candidates and all of their supporters. So what I want to do, three days late, is thank the people of Iowa for the very strong victory they gave us Monday night."
Sanders' pronouncement comes as Iowa results are still not fully counted following the malfunction of a cell phone app used to report results. A backup phone line for results was also clogged as precinct chairs tried to call in results. Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was the first to claim victory on caucus night due to his lead in state delegate equivalents, which are tied to the number of delegates to the state convention each candidate earned on caucus night.
But Sanders has slowly closed the gap in Buttigieg's lead in SDEs and has maintained a lead in the popular vote tallies since results began trickling out Tuesday.
More: What really went wrong on Iowa caucus night? Inside the problems that led to results being delayed
The Vermont senator's declaration also came just minutes after National Democratic Party Chair Tom Perez called for a "re-canvass" of the Iowa caucus results.
"We won an 8-person election by some 6,000 votes. That is not going to be changed," Sanders said in response to the party chair's push for a recanvass. "What may be changed in this so-called recount is a few SDEs."
Sanders bemoaned what he called an "enormously complicated" caucus system. He said the true measuring stick for victory is that, out of 180,000 total Iowa voters, "some 6,000 more Iowans came out on caucus night to support our candidacy than the candidacy of anyone else."
"And when 6,000 more people come out for you in an election then your nearest opponent, then we here in northern New England call that a victory."
More: A New Hampshire primary win is key for multiple Democrats. Here's what we know
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
That 6,000 number refers to the lead Sanders had in the first preference alignment Monday night. He also holds a lead of thousands in the final alignment totals. Sanders called state delegate equivalents the preference of "cable news and political pundits," but said they have "greatly diminished significance" than previous elections because of party rule changes.
He said "mathematical problems" identified by the Sanders campaign could mean he actually ends up topping Buttigeig in SDEs, but that tally is "meaningless" because he and Buttigieg will ultimately end up tied in the number of national delegates, which determine the eventual nominee.
"At the end of the day, what I expect, what will almost definitely happen is Mr. Buttigieg and I will end up with the same number of delegates ... Ain't gonna change. And what will certainly not change is that in terms of the popular vote, we won a decisive victory," Sanders said.
Buttigieg has enjoyed an 8-percentage point bounce in New Hampshire following his performance in Iowa, according to a Suffolk University poll that showed him with support from 19 percent of likely New Hampshire primary voters. But he still trails Sanders' 25 percent.
A Monmouth University poll released Wednesday showed Sanders surging since last month, gaining 6 percentage points and leading all of his competitors.
Reach Joey Garrison and on Twitter @joeygarrison.


usatoday--2020-02-06--Trump blasts impeachment supporters at annual prayer breakfast on morning after acquittal vote

WASHINGTON – Taking a victory lap , President Donald Trump attacked supporters of the impeachment drive Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast .
“ As everybody knows , my family , our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people , '' Trump said a day after the Republican-run Senate acquitted him of impeachment charges in a largely partisan vote .
Trump , who said he would expand on those thoughts at a White House speech at noon , told religious leaders that impeachment supporters `` know what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put themselves far ahead of our great country . ''
`` Weeks ago and again yesterday , courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom , fortitude and strength to do what everyone knows was right , '' he continued .
`` So many people have been hurt , and we can ’ t let that go on , '' he said .
Signs of the political tensions generated by impeachment dominated the prayer breakfast , an annual event designed to bring together people of different parties and religious faiths .
As he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copy of USA TODAY , which ran the headline `` ACQUITTED , '' and a copy of The Washington Post headlined `` Trump Acquitted . ''
`` The Lord works in mysterious ways .
I do not believe he could ’ ve picked a better day to bring us all together , ” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. , said before the president spoke .
One of the people on the dais at the Washington Hilton Hotel was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , who led the impeachment drive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before his State of the Union address Tuesday night .
She ripped up a paper copy of Trump 's speech .
Trump and Pelosi did not interact personally Thursday , but Trump said he does not like people `` who say ' I pray for you , ' when they know that is not so . ''
In December , the House speaker said , `` I pray for the president all the time . ''
After the event , Pelosi said it was `` completely inappropriate '' for Trump to criticize people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis for their decisions – `` especially at a prayer breakfast . ''
Several speakers cited political polarization and prayed for the nation to get past it .
`` Contempt is ripping our country apart , '' said social scientist Arthur Brooks , the event 's keynote speaker .
Charm , patience and Twitter tactics : How Trump , McConnell kept GOP in line on impeachment Trump said he was n't sure he agreed with Brooks ' analysis .
The president recited a list of things he has done for his religious supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international efforts to prevent the persecution of Christians .
The National Prayer Breakfast is a Washington tradition that stretches back to 1953 , when President Dwight Eisenhower established it at the suggestion of evangelist Billy Graham .
Trump spoke less than 17 hours after the Senate finished its impeachment trial by acquitting him of charges that he abused his power by trying to get Ukraine to investigate political opponent Joe Biden .
What we learned:5 things we learned ( and still do n't know ) after the Trump impeachment saga It was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , the GOP 's nominee for president in 2012 , voted to convict Trump on abuse of power .
Citing the evidence , as well as his Mormon faith , Romney called Trump 's conduct `` grievously wrong . ''
Trump fired back in a midnight tweet about Romney 's loss in 2012 , saying that if the candidate had `` devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me , he could have won the election . ''
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do n't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong . ''
Kevin Kruse , a historian at Princeton University who has studied the National Prayer Breakfast , told USA TODAY , “ I ca n't say how bizarre it is for a president to use the moment – traditionally one devoted to bipartisanship and unity – to strike such a vindictive tone.
” Trump said he found it hard to admire people who backed impeachment : `` When they impeach you for nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , it 's not easy , folks .
I do my best . ''
What Romney said : Utah Sen. Mitt Romney voted to convict Trump during the impeachment trial .
Read his full speech on the Senate floor

David Jackson and Courtney Subramanian, USA TODAY

Trump blasts impeachment supporters at annual prayer breakfast on morning after acquittal vote
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump blasts Romney, Dems after impeachment trial acquittal At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump blasted impeachment supporters calling out those who "use their faith as justification." USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Taking a victory lap, President Donald Trump attacked supporters of the impeachment drive Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast.
“As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump said a day after the Republican-run Senate acquitted him of impeachment charges in a largely partisan vote.
Trump, who said he would expand on those thoughts at a White House speech at noon, told religious leaders that impeachment supporters "know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country."
"Weeks ago and again yesterday, courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom, fortitude and strength to do what everyone knows was right," he continued.
National Prayer Breakfast: Trump holds up 'acquitted' newspaper President Donald Trump held up newspapers, including USA TODAY to show he was acquitted at the National Prayer Breakfast. USA TODAY
"So many people have been hurt, and we can’t let that go on," he said.
Signs of the political tensions generated by impeachment dominated the prayer breakfast, an annual event designed to bring together people of different parties and religious faiths.
Mitt Romney's vote: GOP Sen. Romney faces awkwardness, 'abuse' for defying Trump on impeachment
As he entered the venue, Trump waved a copy of USA TODAY, which ran the headline "ACQUITTED," and a copy of The Washington Post headlined "Trump Acquitted."
"The Lord works in mysterious ways. I do not believe he could’ve picked a better day to bring us all together,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said before the president spoke.
One of the people on the dais at the Washington Hilton Hotel was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who led the impeachment drive. Trump didn't shake Pelosi's hand before his State of the Union address Tuesday night. She ripped up a paper copy of Trump's speech.
Trump and Pelosi did not interact personally Thursday, but Trump said he does not like people "who say 'I pray for you,' when they know that is not so." In December, the House speaker said, "I pray for the president all the time."
After the event, Pelosi said it was "completely inappropriate" for Trump to criticize people for looking to their faith as a basis for their decisions – "especially at a prayer breakfast."
Several speakers cited political polarization and prayed for the nation to get past it.
"Contempt is ripping our country apart," said social scientist Arthur Brooks, the event's keynote speaker.
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
Charm, patience and Twitter tactics: How Trump, McConnell kept GOP in line on impeachment
Trump said he wasn't sure he agreed with Brooks' analysis.
The president recited a list of things he has done for his religious supporters, from support of school prayer to international efforts to prevent the persecution of Christians.
The National Prayer Breakfast is a Washington tradition that stretches back to 1953, when President Dwight Eisenhower established it at the suggestion of evangelist Billy Graham.
Trump spoke less than 17 hours after the Senate finished its impeachment trial by acquitting him of charges that he abused his power by trying to get Ukraine to investigate political opponent Joe Biden.
What we learned: 5 things we learned (and still don't know) after the Trump impeachment saga
It was a partisan vote, with one exception: Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the GOP's nominee for president in 2012, voted to convict Trump on abuse of power. Citing the evidence, as well as his Mormon faith, Romney called Trump's conduct "grievously wrong."
Trump fired back in a midnight tweet about Romney's loss in 2012, saying that if the candidate had "devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election."
At the prayer breakfast, he said, "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong."
Kevin Kruse, a historian at Princeton University who has studied the National Prayer Breakfast, told USA TODAY, “I can't say how bizarre it is for a president to use the moment – traditionally one devoted to bipartisanship and unity – to strike such a vindictive tone.”
Trump said he found it hard to admire people who backed impeachment: "When they impeach you for nothing, then you're supposed to like them, it's not easy, folks. I do my best."
What Romney said: Utah Sen. Mitt Romney voted to convict Trump during the impeachment trial. Read his full speech on the Senate floor


usatoday--2020-02-06--Nancy Pelosi says tearing up Trump speech 'entirely appropriate,' says president seemed 'sedated' at

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remained defiant Thursday after President Donald Trump 's acquittal in the GOP-held Senate a day earlier and Republican condemnation of her tearing up her copy of the State of the Union speech days earlier .
Pelosi said Trump remained `` impeached forever '' and said ripping up the address was `` completely , entirely appropriate . ''
Getting in a jab at the president , she said he seemed “ a little sedated ” when he arrived at the House for the State of the Union on Tuesday , and that “ he looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi , in her first public remarks since Trump 's acquittal Wednesday on two articles of impeachment , also hailed Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , who crossed party lines and was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump for abuse of power .
He voted not guilty on the other count , obstruction of Congress .
“ God bless him for his courage ” to vote against the president , Pelosi said .
Democrats had accused Trump of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to open politically motivated investigations into former Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and of obstructing Congress by stonewalling their investigation .
Pelosi applauded the seven Democratic members of the House of Representatives who had served as `` managers , '' or a role akin to prosecutors , during the trial .
Asked about subpoenaing John Bolton , who had not participated in the impeachment inquiry or the impeachment trial , Pelosi said the House would `` continue to do our oversight '' but had `` no plans at this time ” subpoena him .
The speaker had attended Thursday morning 's prayer breakfast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to refer to Pelosi when he said he did not like people `` who say ' I pray for you ' when they know that is not so . ''
Pelosi responded that `` we do pray ” for Trump and that she will “ pray hard for him because he ’ s so far off the track of our Constitution , our values.
” Prayer breakfast blast : Trump blasts impeachment supports at annual prayer breakfast on morning after final Senate vote Keeping a hold on the GOP : Charm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , McConnell kept GOP in line on impeachment Pelosi said the speech Trump ended up giving Tuesday night was not a State of the Union – but was Trump 's `` state of mind . ''
She said ripping apart his `` manifesto of mistruths '' was `` completely , entirely appropriate . ''
“ I don ’ t need lessons from anybody , especially the president of the United States , about dignity , ” she said , responding to criticism from Republicans .
Rep. Kay Granger , R-Texas , introduced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speaker 's actions , though the House voted along party lines to set the motion aside Thursday afternoon through a procedural maneuver .
Pelosi seemed unfazed by the criticism .
Trump `` shredded the truth in the speech , shredded the Constitution in his conduct , and so I shredded his state of mind address , ” she said .

Nancy Pelosi says tearing up Trump speech 'entirely appropriate,' says president seemed 'sedated' at SOTU
Show Caption Hide Caption Nancy Pelosi rips up Trump's State of the Union speech Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up President Donald Trump's State of the Union script as he ended his speech. USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remained defiant Thursday after President Donald Trump's acquittal in the GOP-held Senate a day earlier and Republican condemnation of her tearing up her copy of the State of the Union speech days earlier.
Pelosi said Trump remained "impeached forever" and said ripping up the address was "completely, entirely appropriate."
Getting in a jab at the president, she said he seemed “a little sedated” when he arrived at the House for the State of the Union on Tuesday, and that “he looked that way last year, too.”
Pelosi, in her first public remarks since Trump's acquittal Wednesday on two articles of impeachment, also hailed Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who crossed party lines and was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump for abuse of power. He voted not guilty on the other count, obstruction of Congress.
“God bless him for his courage” to vote against the president, Pelosi said.
The Trump impeachment trial results are in, but that doesn't mean it's over The impeachment trial results are in, the president was acquitted, but with the 2020 elections starting, it's not the last we've heard of impeachment Hannah Gaber, USA TODAY
Democrats had accused Trump of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to open politically motivated investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden and of obstructing Congress by stonewalling their investigation.
Pelosi applauded the seven Democratic members of the House of Representatives who had served as "managers," or a role akin to prosecutors, during the trial.
Asked about subpoenaing John Bolton, who had not participated in the impeachment inquiry or the impeachment trial, Pelosi said the House would "continue to do our oversight" but had "no plans at this time” subpoena him.
The speaker had attended Thursday morning's prayer breakfast, where Trump had blasted his critics and appeared to refer to Pelosi when he said he did not like people "who say 'I pray for you' when they know that is not so."
Pelosi responded that "we do pray” for Trump and that she will “pray hard for him because he’s so far off the track of our Constitution, our values.”
Prayer breakfast blast: Trump blasts impeachment supports at annual prayer breakfast on morning after final Senate vote
Romney fallout: GOP Sen. Romney faces awkwardness, 'abuse' for defying Trump on impeachment
Keeping a hold on the GOP: Charm, patience and Twitter tactics: How Trump, McConnell kept GOP in line on impeachment
Pelosi said the speech Trump ended up giving Tuesday night was not a State of the Union – but was Trump's "state of mind."
She said ripping apart his "manifesto of mistruths" was "completely, entirely appropriate."
“I don’t need lessons from anybody, especially the president of the United States, about dignity,” she said, responding to criticism from Republicans.
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, introduced a resolution Wednesday that would formally disapprove of the speaker's actions, though the House voted along party lines to set the motion aside Thursday afternoon through a procedural maneuver.
Pelosi seemed unfazed by the criticism.
Trump "shredded the truth in the speech, shredded the Constitution in his conduct, and so I shredded his state of mind address,” she said.


usatoday--2020-02-06--Iowa Democrats say they were inundated with outside calls that clogged caucus results reporting

DES MOINES — Iowa Democratic Party officials say their call center was inundated with outside calls on caucus night that contributed to the delay in results .
`` On Caucus Day , the Iowa Democratic Party experienced an unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline , including supporters of President Trump , '' Mandy McClure , communications director for the party , said in a statement to the Des Moines Register .
`` The unexplained , and at times hostile , calls contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic Party ’ s collection of results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity of information gathered or the accuracy of data sets reported.
” Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand separately told the Register that he was one of dozens of people answering phones in the so-called “ boiler room ” where volunteers with the Iowa Democratic Party were processing caucus results .
Sand said it became apparent that people other than Iowa precinct leaders were using the results lines .
“ It just became very clear that members of the public in general had started calling , ” he said .
Some were demanding caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matches what Iowa Democratic Party leaders told some Iowa Democrats on a conference call Wednesday night , according to two people on the line and other media 's reporting .
The state party officials told members of the state central committee that the call center was inundated with calls from people who were not tasked with reporting results .
NBC News reported on Thursday that the party hotline number used for reporting caucus results was posted on 4chan , a fringe internet message board , with instructions to `` clog the lines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the outsiders long enough to know whether they were affiliated with anyone , since his focus was on collecting precinct results .
“ I mean , there was a string where like three calls in a row were people who clearly were not in the state of Iowa , '' Sand said .
Sand said the pace of calls at the height of activity was non-stop .
As quickly as he would hang up the phone , another call came in .
“ I don ’ t think that the term ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in describing the night .
An Iowa Democratic Party official said from the outset , there was an unusually high volume of calls compared to previous caucus years .
It included callers who would hang up immediately , who expressed displeasure with the Democratic Party , and people seeking to confirm caucus results .
According to the IDP official , repeat callers were blocked .
Sand said he had people try to report false precinct results to him , but that additional fail-safes , such as specific codes for precincts , made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The hotline was never supposed to be public , he said , so there was n't a code people needed to enter to get through to the operator .
`` Until , at some point obviously in the night , it became public , '' Sand said .
The Democratic state auditor did not have a favorite in the presidential race , so he did not caucus .
He described the hotline room as a series of phonebanks , not dissimilar to a TV charity fundraiser .
About 40 or 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining through the night .
The Iowa Democrats in 2016 used an automated phone system that precinct chairs could call results into if they did n't want to or could n't use the software application developed by Microsoft specifically for that cycle , said Andy McGuire , who was the 2016 Iowa Democratic Party chair .
In 2016 , precinct chairs only needed to report one number — the number of delegates awarded at the precinct .
This year , the Democratic Party public reported the number of delegates earned as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in two preference tallies .
That means the tally numbers are n't exactly the same , McGuire said .
Still , the automated phone system made for relatively smooth reporting in 2016 .
About half the chairs called in results via the automated phone system , and the rest used the Microsoft app , she said .
The year , the different app failed to transmit results .
And the party did not use an automated phone system this time , Sand said .
Barbara Rodriguez covers health care and politics for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email at bcrodriguez @ registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8011 .
Follow her on Twitter @ bcrodriguez .

Iowa Democrats say they were inundated with outside calls that clogged caucus results reporting
Show Caption Hide Caption Video: Hundreds of people caucused at Des Moines' 55th precinct Des Moines' 55th precinct saw around 800 people come out to caucus on Monday, Feb. 3 The Des Moines Register
DES MOINES — Iowa Democratic Party officials say their call center was inundated with outside calls on caucus night that contributed to the delay in results.
"On Caucus Day, the Iowa Democratic Party experienced an unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline, including supporters of President Trump," Mandy McClure, communications director for the party, said in a statement to the Des Moines Register.
"The unexplained, and at times hostile, calls contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic Party’s collection of results, but in no way affected the integrity of information gathered or the accuracy of data sets reported.”
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand separately told the Register that he was one of dozens of people answering phones in the so-called “boiler room” where volunteers with the Iowa Democratic Party were processing caucus results.
Sand said it became apparent that people other than Iowa precinct leaders were using the results lines.
“It just became very clear that members of the public in general had started calling,” he said. Some were demanding caucus results, he said.
More: DNC chair calls for recanvass of Iowa caucus results
His recollection matches what Iowa Democratic Party leaders told some Iowa Democrats on a conference call Wednesday night, according to two people on the line and other media's reporting. The state party officials told members of the state central committee that the call center was inundated with calls from people who were not tasked with reporting results.
NBC News reported on Thursday that the party hotline number used for reporting caucus results was posted on 4chan, a fringe internet message board, with instructions to "clog the lines."
Sand said he did not talk to the outsiders long enough to know whether they were affiliated with anyone, since his focus was on collecting precinct results.
“I mean, there was a string where like three calls in a row were people who clearly were not in the state of Iowa," Sand said.
Iowa Democratic Party apologizes for the delay in caucus results release Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Troy Price addressed caucus results at 4 P.M. CT Tuesday. Olivia Sun, Des Moines Register
Sand said the pace of calls at the height of activity was non-stop. As quickly as he would hang up the phone, another call came in.
“I don’t think that the term ‘flood’ is unrealistic,” he said in describing the night.
An Iowa Democratic Party official said from the outset, there was an unusually high volume of calls compared to previous caucus years. It included callers who would hang up immediately, who expressed displeasure with the Democratic Party, and people seeking to confirm caucus results.
According to the IDP official, repeat callers were blocked.
Sand said he had people try to report false precinct results to him, but that additional fail-safes, such as specific codes for precincts, made the attempt "laughable," he said.
The hotline was never supposed to be public, he said, so there wasn't a code people needed to enter to get through to the operator.
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
"Until, at some point obviously in the night, it became public," Sand said. The Democratic state auditor did not have a favorite in the presidential race, so he did not caucus.
He described the hotline room as a series of phonebanks, not dissimilar to a TV charity fundraiser. About 40 or 50 people worked the hotline, with more joining through the night.
The Iowa Democrats in 2016 used an automated phone system that precinct chairs could call results into if they didn't want to or couldn't use the software application developed by Microsoft specifically for that cycle, said Andy McGuire, who was the 2016 Iowa Democratic Party chair.
In 2016, precinct chairs only needed to report one number — the number of delegates awarded at the precinct. This year, the Democratic Party public reported the number of delegates earned as well as the number of supporters each candidate had in two preference tallies. That means the tally numbers aren't exactly the same, McGuire said.
Still, the automated phone system made for relatively smooth reporting in 2016. About half the chairs called in results via the automated phone system, and the rest used the Microsoft app, she said.
The year, the different app failed to transmit results. And the party did not use an automated phone system this time, Sand said.
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.


usatoday--2020-02-06--President Trump calls 'B.S.' after impeachment acquittal in remarks to nation

President Trump calls ' B.S . '
after impeachment acquittal in remarks to nation President Donald Trump delivered remarks a @ @ @ @ @ voted to acquit him .

President Trump calls 'B.S.' after impeachment acquittal in remarks to nation
President Donald Trump delivered remarks a day after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit him.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-06--NH poll: Sanders surges into the lead, followed by Buttigeig, Biden as Iowa results still roll in

WASHINGTON – With less than one week until the New Hampshire primary and no final results from the Iowa caucuses , Granite State voters are favoring Sen. Bernie Sanders , according to a new poll .
Sanders is at 24 % with registered New Hampshire Democrats and unaffiliated voters who are likely to participate in the Democratic primary on Tuesday , according to a Monmouth University New Hampshire poll released Thursday .
Former mayor Pete Buttigieg is at 20 % , followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 17 % .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the only other candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
Since the last Monmouth University poll released in January , Sanders has jumped 6 percentage points .
Buttigeig has remained the same , while Biden has fallen 2 percentage points since January .
More : An unprecedented delay has voters still waiting for a declared winner in the Iowa caucuses Sen. Amy Klobuchar follows the top 4 at 9 % .
No other candidates got above 4 % .
The new poll comes as Iowa continues to release results from Monday night 's caucuses , where no winner has been declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting , Buttigieg and Sanders are neck and neck .
According to the Monmouth University poll , only 49 % of New Hampshire primary voters are firmly set on a their candidate choice .
The poll also found that 78 % of primary voters said the Iowa caucus results did n't change their thinking about which candidate to back , while 15 % said that Iowa made them take a second look at the candidate they 're supporting .
Only 3 % say that they intend to change their vote due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute , said in a statement that `` there are some hints in the poll that Buttigieg could be helped and Biden hurt as the caucus results start to sink in . ''
“ Many voters in New Hampshire remain open to switching their support , '' Murray said .
Murray also noted that Sanders leads in all of their turnout models .
“ The potential for change in this race seems to be as much about persuading voters to switch horses as it is about absolute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question that remains is whether Biden supporters will start to have second thoughts , which might not happen until the final days before the primary , Murray said .
“ Confidence is contagious and voters want to go with a winner , '' he said .
`` This race remains fluid because voters are looking for the strongest candidate to take on Donald Trump . ''
The poll has is a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points , and was conducted via telephone between Feb. 3 to 5 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the poll .
Of the 777 registered voters , 503 were likely to vote in the Democratic primary .
In addition , 130 of the likely Democratic primary voters were contacted before the first results of the Iowa caucuses were released .

NH poll: Sanders surges into the lead, followed by Buttigeig, Biden as Iowa results still roll in
Show Caption Hide Caption Sanders: We're going to do very, very well While votes are still being counted in Iowa, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he had "a good feeling we're going to be doing very, very well" once results come in. (Feb. 4) AP
WASHINGTON – With less than one week until the New Hampshire primary and no final results from the Iowa caucuses, Granite State voters are favoring Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to a new poll.
Sanders is at 24% with registered New Hampshire Democrats and unaffiliated voters who are likely to participate in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to a Monmouth University New Hampshire poll released Thursday. Former mayor Pete Buttigieg is at 20%, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 17%. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the only other candidate in the double digits, at 13%.
Since the last Monmouth University poll released in January, Sanders has jumped 6 percentage points. Buttigeig has remained the same, while Biden has fallen 2 percentage points since January.
More: An unprecedented delay has voters still waiting for a declared winner in the Iowa caucuses
Sen. Amy Klobuchar follows the top 4 at 9%. No other candidates got above 4%.
The new poll comes as Iowa continues to release results from Monday night's caucuses, where no winner has been declared yet. With 96% of precincts reporting, Buttigieg and Sanders are neck and neck.
According to the Monmouth University poll, only 49% of New Hampshire primary voters are firmly set on a their candidate choice. The poll also found that 78% of primary voters said the Iowa caucus results didn't change their thinking about which candidate to back, while 15% said that Iowa made them take a second look at the candidate they're supporting. Only 3% say that they intend to change their vote due to the Iowa results.
Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement that "there are some hints in the poll that Buttigieg could be helped and Biden hurt as the caucus results start to sink in."
“Many voters in New Hampshire remain open to switching their support," Murray said.
Murray also noted that Sanders leads in all of their turnout models.
“The potential for change in this race seems to be as much about persuading voters to switch horses as it is about absolute turnout,” said Murray.
One question that remains is whether Biden supporters will start to have second thoughts, which might not happen until the final days before the primary, Murray said.
“Confidence is contagious and voters want to go with a winner," he said. "This race remains fluid because voters are looking for the strongest candidate to take on Donald Trump."
The poll has is a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, and was conducted via telephone between Feb. 3 to 5, with 777 registered New Hampshire voters contacted for the poll. Of the 777 registered voters, 503 were likely to vote in the Democratic primary. In addition, 130 of the likely Democratic primary voters were contacted before the first results of the Iowa caucuses were released.


usatoday--2020-02-06--Milwaukee teacher put on leave after tweeting that Rush Limbaugh's cancer is 'awesome'

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee Public Schools teacher was placed on leave Wednesday for tweeting that he hopes conservative talk show pundit Rush Limbaugh dies a painful death from cancer .
Travis Sarandos , who teaches English at Milwaukee High School of the Arts , has since deleted his Twitter account .
Replying to a different tweet expressing hope that Limbaugh would recover and begin advocating for affordable health care , Sarandos wrote : `` limbaugh absolutely should have to suffer from cancer .
it 's awesome that he 's dying , and hopefully it is as quick as it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firestorm after conservative radio host Mark Belling blasted the tweet in his blog Tuesday .
Rush Limbaugh and Shannen Doherty have advanced cancer : What does that mean ?
What is stage IV ?
Medal of Freedom : What is it and why did Trump award it to Rush Limbaugh during State of the Union ?
Milwaukee Public Schools initially said in an email to the USA TODAY Network 's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it was aware of the tweet , but that Sarandos was not speaking on behalf of the district or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it confirmed he had been placed on leave pending an investigation .
Limbaugh announced earlier this week that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer .
The announcement prompted a huge response across social media – some of it voicing heartfelt thanks and support for Limbaugh , some of it expressing contempt and derision for his work .
More : Tennessee bill would charge parents with child abuse for letting kids have a sex change Vice President Mike Pence tweeted , calling Limbaugh `` a National Treasure who has made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 years '' and vowing to pray for his `` swift recovery . ''
And President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Tuesday 's State of the Union address .
Author and CNN personality Reza Aslan tweeted : `` Almost every minute of Rush ’ s adult life has been spent purposely making the world worse .
He ’ s a racist , sexist , greedy , hateful man who has sown fear and violence with every dollar he ’ s made .
Ask yourself this simple question : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a worse place with Rush Limbaugh in it ?
” US surgeon general : Americans should be more concerned about the flu than coronavirus

Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee teacher put on leave after tweeting that Rush Limbaugh's cancer is 'awesome'
Show Caption Hide Caption Rush Limbaugh diagnosed with advanced lung cancer Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh revealed he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the end of his show. USA TODAY
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee Public Schools teacher was placed on leave Wednesday for tweeting that he hopes conservative talk show pundit Rush Limbaugh dies a painful death from cancer.
Travis Sarandos, who teaches English at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, has since deleted his Twitter account.
Replying to a different tweet expressing hope that Limbaugh would recover and begin advocating for affordable health care, Sarandos wrote: "limbaugh absolutely should have to suffer from cancer. it's awesome that he's dying, and hopefully it is as quick as it is painful."
It drew a small firestorm after conservative radio host Mark Belling blasted the tweet in his blog Tuesday.
Rush Limbaugh and Shannen Doherty have advanced cancer: What does that mean? What is stage IV?
Medal of Freedom: What is it and why did Trump award it to Rush Limbaugh during State of the Union?
Milwaukee Public Schools initially said in an email to the USA TODAY Network's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it was aware of the tweet, but that Sarandos was not speaking on behalf of the district or students or other staff. Hours later it confirmed he had been placed on leave pending an investigation.
Limbaugh announced earlier this week that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
The announcement prompted a huge response across social media – some of it voicing heartfelt thanks and support for Limbaugh, some of it expressing contempt and derision for his work.
More: Tennessee bill would charge parents with child abuse for letting kids have a sex change
Rush Limbaugh is a National Treasure who has made a difference on the airwaves of America for 30 years. Rush, Karen and I will be joining millions across this Country in praying for your swift recovery. God Bless You! — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) February 3, 2020
Vice President Mike Pence tweeted, calling Limbaugh "a National Treasure who has made a difference on the airwaves of America for 30 years" and vowing to pray for his "swift recovery."
And President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Tuesday's State of the Union address.
Ask yourself this simple question: is the world a better place or a worse place with Rush Limbaugh in it? — Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) February 3, 2020
Author and CNN personality Reza Aslan tweeted: "Almost every minute of Rush’s adult life has been spent purposely making the world worse. He’s a racist, sexist, greedy, hateful man who has sown fear and violence with every dollar he’s made. Ask yourself this simple question: Is the world a better place or a worse place with Rush Limbaugh in it?”
Follow reporter Annysa Johnson on Twitter at @JSEdbeat
Mitt Romney: GOP senator faces awkwardness, 'abuse' for defying Trump on impeachment
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usatoday--2020-02-06--Hillary Clinton praises Mitt Romney for impeachment vote on 'Ellen'

Hillary Clinton praises Romney as lone GOP senator not to 'betray ' oath Hillary Clinton praised Sen. Mitt Romney for @ @ @ @ @ vote to remove President Donald Trump from office .

Hillary Clinton praises Romney as lone GOP senator not to 'betray' oath
Hillary Clinton praised Sen. Mitt Romney for being the only Republican to vote to remove President Donald Trump from office.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-06--Tennessee bill would charge parents with child abuse for letting kids have a sex change

NASHVILLE , Tenn. – A pair of Tennessee state Republicans has filed legislation to ban sex change therapy for children , to require three doctors ' approval for teens to receive any such treatment and to put criminal penalties in place .
The bill , filed by state Rep. John Ragan , R-Oak Ridge , and state Sen. Janice Bowling , R-Tullahoma , would charge parents and medical providers with child abuse for taking part in the treatment process .
House Bill 2576 defines `` sexual identity change therapy '' as treatment involving hormone replacement , puberty blockers `` or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identity or physical appearance of a patient '' to one that `` does not correspond to the anatomy and chromosomal makeup with which the patient was born . ''
`` Any prepubescent child , especially one who isn ’ t old enough to cross the street by themselves , is probably not old enough to decide they want to change their sex , '' Ragan said of the legislation .
Immigration : Trump administration blocks New York drivers from Global Entry , traveler programs over immigration law It 's the first time he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving sex change hormone therapy .
Per the legislation , it 's unclear whether medically necessary treatments for intersex children would be included .
Ragan said he was inspired to bring the legislation after hearing from a constituent who was concerned about a recent court case in Texas in which divorced parents disagreed over whether their 7-year-old child should receive puberty-blocking hormones .
He said he has not heard of any such case in Tennessee but wanted to be proactive .
Adults could be charged with child abuse In addition to prohibiting children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to receive sex change treatments , his legislation would require that minors who have reached puberty receive written parental consent and a recommendation from three doctors , including a psychiatrist .
An adult helping the child receive such a treatment outside of those requirements could be charged with child abuse , and a physician could be subject to discipline for professional misconduct by his or her medical board .
South Dakota 's House of Representatives , which like Tennessee is Republican-controlled , last week passed the `` Vulnerable Child Protection Act .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapy for children under 16 .
Ragan said he was not aware of any Tennessee state laws currently regulating hormone therapy for children .
`` I typically do a lot of my own legal research , '' Ragan said .
`` I did not find one already on the books in that respect . ''
Vanderbilt Children 's Hospital 's transgender clinic in Nashville , which provides treatments for transgender children and teens , has specified a set of requirements in order to begin receiving services .
`` Before we begin such treatments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we require a letter from a mental health provider and informed consent , '' the hospital states on its website .
`` Treatment will be tailored to the child 's specific needs and will depend on age , stage of puberty and desire for future treatments . ''
Vanderbilt notes that doctors `` take into account your child ’ s support system and other health challenges . ''
Through a Senate Republican spokesperson , Bowling referred questions about the bill to Ragan .
Bill is not the first this year pertaining to transgender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pro-LGBTQ rights Tennessee Equality Project , said the organization will fight against the legislation .
`` They 're going to pit parents and physicians and counselors against these children whenever the law becomes involved and penalties become involved , '' Sanders said .
`` I think what you 'll see is that the number of trans and gender-nonconforming youth who self-harm and attempt to take their lives will increase if this bill becomes law . ''
Ragan and Bowling 's bills have not yet received a committee assignment .
Other lawmakers this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transgender youth 's participation in school sports and penalizing schools found to be in violation .
'Gray death ' : The super drug should n't be touched or inhaled , police say Storage unit found , eldest son speaks out : What we know about the missing Idaho kids

Tennessee bill would charge parents with child abuse for letting kids have a sex change
Show Caption Hide Caption Transgender people still face barriers to competent health care According to the U.S. Trans Survey, conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality, a third of trans people have faced discrimination from a health care provider. Sandy Hooper, USA TODAY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A pair of Tennessee state Republicans has filed legislation to ban sex change therapy for children, to require three doctors' approval for teens to receive any such treatment and to put criminal penalties in place.
The bill, filed by state Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, and state Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, would charge parents and medical providers with child abuse for taking part in the treatment process.
House Bill 2576 defines "sexual identity change therapy" as treatment involving hormone replacement, puberty blockers "or other medical intervention to change the sexual identity or physical appearance of a patient" to one that "does not correspond to the anatomy and chromosomal makeup with which the patient was born."
"Any prepubescent child, especially one who isn’t old enough to cross the street by themselves, is probably not old enough to decide they want to change their sex," Ragan said of the legislation.
Immigration: Trump administration blocks New York drivers from Global Entry, traveler programs over immigration law
It's the first time he has filed a bill banning children from receiving sex change hormone therapy. Per the legislation, it's unclear whether medically necessary treatments for intersex children would be included.
Ragan said he was inspired to bring the legislation after hearing from a constituent who was concerned about a recent court case in Texas in which divorced parents disagreed over whether their 7-year-old child should receive puberty-blocking hormones.
He said he has not heard of any such case in Tennessee but wanted to be proactive.
Adults could be charged with child abuse
In addition to prohibiting children who have not reached puberty from being able to receive sex change treatments, his legislation would require that minors who have reached puberty receive written parental consent and a recommendation from three doctors, including a psychiatrist.
An adult helping the child receive such a treatment outside of those requirements could be charged with child abuse, and a physician could be subject to discipline for professional misconduct by his or her medical board.
South Dakota's House of Representatives, which like Tennessee is Republican-controlled, last week passed the "Vulnerable Child Protection Act." That legislation would ban sex change therapy for children under 16.
Ragan said he was not aware of any Tennessee state laws currently regulating hormone therapy for children.
"I typically do a lot of my own legal research," Ragan said. "I did not find one already on the books in that respect."
Vanderbilt requires mental health provider's recommendation
Vanderbilt Children's Hospital's transgender clinic in Nashville, which provides treatments for transgender children and teens, has specified a set of requirements in order to begin receiving services.
"Before we begin such treatments as pubertal blocking or gender-affirming therapy, we require a letter from a mental health provider and informed consent," the hospital states on its website. "Treatment will be tailored to the child's specific needs and will depend on age, stage of puberty and desire for future treatments."
Vanderbilt notes that doctors "take into account your child’s support system and other health challenges."
Through a Senate Republican spokesperson, Bowling referred questions about the bill to Ragan.
Bill is not the first this year pertaining to transgender youth
Chris Sanders, executive director of the pro-LGBTQ rights Tennessee Equality Project, said the organization will fight against the legislation.
"They're going to pit parents and physicians and counselors against these children whenever the law becomes involved and penalties become involved," Sanders said.
"I think what you'll see is that the number of trans and gender-nonconforming youth who self-harm and attempt to take their lives will increase if this bill becomes law."
Ragan and Bowling's bills have not yet received a committee assignment.
Other lawmakers this year have filed two other bills limiting transgender youth's participation in school sports and penalizing schools found to be in violation.
Follow reporter Natalie Allison on Twitter at @natalie_allison.
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