talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-01--Azar Apologizes For Coronavirus Report Error: ‘It’s A Very Fast Moving Situation’

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar found himself fielding questions Sunday morning regarding President Trump ’ s rhetoric on coronavirus a day after the first fatality in the U.S. was confirmed .
CBS ’ Margaret Brennan took Azar to task when asking how Trump erroneously referred to the first coronavirus fatality in Washington state as a woman , adding that such a mistake affects public trust .
Azar replied that “ it ’ s a very fast moving situation ” and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were to blame for Trump ’ s mishap .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were up late at night , very early in the morning , working with the Washington state public health office and inaccurately recorded that the individual was a female — that ’ s what the President was briefed on , ” Azar said .
“ They ’ ve apologized for incorrectly briefing on that .
But it ’ s a very fast moving situation .
Obviously , we regret the error.
” When asked about his projections on how many Americans he expects to come down with the virus , Azar insisted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low.
” TPM reached out to the CDC for comment and will update this post if we hear back .
When asked by ABC News ’ George Stephanopolous about Trump ’ s claim that Democrats are creating a “ new hoax ” with the coronavirus , Azar responded that “ he ’ s talking about the partisan sniping that we ’ re seeing.
” “ It ’ s unnecessary .
We don ’ t need to have this made a political issue .
We ’ re in a public health crisis here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Azar said .
“ And , you know , we ’ re working on this emergency supplemental bill in Congress .
And we ’ re getting bipartisan support on that .
I ’ ve got a lot of hope that we can get things back to us all working together on this.
” Azar added his talking point that “ the risk to any individual American is low ” despite how “ we ’ re going to see more cases.
” Azar also appeared on Fox News Sunday morning , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to keep good balance ” on messaging regarding the coronavirus “ so that the American people don ’ t engage in unwarranted panic .
”

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar found himself fielding questions Sunday morning regarding President Trump’s rhetoric on coronavirus a day after the first fatality in the U.S. was confirmed.
CBS’ Margaret Brennan took Azar to task when asking how Trump erroneously referred to the first coronavirus fatality in Washington state as a woman, adding that such a mistake affects public trust.
Azar replied that “it’s a very fast moving situation” and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were to blame for Trump’s mishap.
“Our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were up late at night, very early in the morning, working with the Washington state public health office and inaccurately recorded that the individual was a female — that’s what the President was briefed on,” Azar said. “They’ve apologized for incorrectly briefing on that. But it’s a very fast moving situation. Obviously, we regret the error.”
When asked about his projections on how many Americans he expects to come down with the virus, Azar insisted that “the risk to average Americans remains low.”
TPM reached out to the CDC for comment and will update this post if we hear back.
Watch Azar’s remarks on CBS below:
Azar responds to Trump erroneously referring to first US coronavirus fatality as a woman: "It's a very fast moving situation." pic.twitter.com/NBhpM3iwWT — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) March 1, 2020
Azar continued to defend Trump’s words Sunday morning on ABC News.
When asked by ABC News’ George Stephanopolous about Trump’s claim that Democrats are creating a “new hoax” with the coronavirus, Azar responded that “he’s talking about the partisan sniping that we’re seeing.”
“It’s unnecessary. We don’t need to have this made a political issue. We’re in a public health crisis here. We need to all be banding together,” Azar said. “And, you know, we’re working on this emergency supplemental bill in Congress. And we’re getting bipartisan support on that. I’ve got a lot of hope that we can get things back to us all working together on this.”
Azar added his talking point that “the risk to any individual American is low” despite how “we’re going to see more cases.”
Watch Azar’s remarks on ABC News below:
.@GStephanopoulos: Is it appropriate for President Trump to be using the word “hoax” in criticizing Democrats’ criticism of coronavirus response? Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar: “He’s talking about the political sniping that we’re seeing.” https://t.co/PRDknSv9hw pic.twitter.com/a27yGRfqzz — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 1, 2020
Azar also appeared on Fox News Sunday morning, saying that both he and Trump are “trying to keep good balance” on messaging regarding the coronavirus “so that the American people don’t engage in unwarranted panic.”
Watch Azar’s remarks on Fox News below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--The Zombie Mueller Case That Just Won’t Die

It was the case that was never supposed to go anywhere .
When special counsel Robert Mueller first unveiled a federal grand jury indictment against several Russian individuals and entities accused of using social media to manipulate the 2016 election , the conventional wisdom was that none of the defendants would ever show up in court to fight the case .
The purpose of the 2018 charges , observers suggested , was to inform the public about the social media meddling , and to put Russia on notice that the U.S. was well aware of its efforts .
Never would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the sense was at the time .
Over the past two years , defendant Concord Management — a firm run by an oligarch so tight with the Kremlin , he ’ s known as Putin ’ s chef — has waged a multi-front legal war with prosecutors .
Fittingly , since Mueller ’ s charges focused on Russia ’ s internet trolling , Concord Management has employed a trollish approach to its legal maneuverings .
The firm has hired a team of pugnacious American lawyers who have taunted Mueller in court filings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For months , they have dragged out disputes over procedures that usually are ironed out in a few days .
They ’ ve challenged every aspect of Mueller ’ s case , from his authority to bring it to the validity of the charges he ’ s alleged .
The gambit has forced DOJ attorneys to pour considerable time and resources into a case that they likely never thought they ’ d actually have to prosecute .
More than a few times the hostilities have erupted into angry words within the courtroom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ away , the tensions have now been raised to a new level , as the Justice Department has requested that Concord Management be held in contempt for blowing off judge-approved trial subpoenas U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich , who required that Concord respond to the latest allegations , has ordered a hearing Monday morning on the matter .
Legal experts didn ’ t believe there ’ d be much activity in the case after the indictment was announced , because everyone charged was presumed to have the backing of the Russian government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants for prosecution .
Mueller charged Concord Management with a conspiracy to defraud the United States by financing the trolling effort .
The firm ’ s head , Yevgeniy Prigozhin , who is also a defendant in the case , is a wealthy restauranteur with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin .
The government has said it has evidence , including budgets , calendar entries and communications , that suggests the firm was paying for the work of Russian agents who published social media posts seen by hundreds of thousands of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Internet Research Agency , and its goal , according to Mueller ’ s report , was to sow “ discord in the U.S. political system.
” While Prigozhin himself has not submitted to the court ’ s jurisdiction , he ’ s loomed over his company ’ s litigation of the case .
Concord Management ’ s American defense team has often alluded to their coordination with him , and at one point , they sought to block the United States from invoking Prigozhin ’ s nickname , “ Putin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The proceedings were contentious from almost the moment attorneys for Concord Management indicated on the docket that they were appearing on the firm ’ s behalf .
A squabble quickly broke out over Concord Management ’ s lawyers ’ refusal to accept the prosecutors ’ summons , while demanding that extensive discovery be produced to the Russian company .
The fight over discovery lasted months , as the Justice Department warned that giving Prigozhin access to sensitive details about the case could help Russia thwart the ongoing U.S. government efforts to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resolve that dispute , Concord Management threw other bombs into the pre-trial proceedings .
The firm challenged Mueller ’ s authority .
It attacked the charges as invalid .
It asked the judge to hold Mueller and Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for their rollout of the special counsel report .
At one point , a disagreement broke out during a hearing over whether Concord Management ’ s lawyers had hung up on Mueller ’ s attorneys during a phone call .
Along the way , Concord Management ’ s American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ references and bombastic rhetoric to bash Mueller ’ s investigation .
They called the case “ make-believe ” and “ fake law , ” and accused Mueller of “ blowing a dog whistle at the feckless media ” They equated the DOJ posture to a scene in Animal House , where one character tells another , “ You f**ked up … you trusted us.
” When the judge scolded Concord Management ’ s lawyers for their “ unprofessional ” filings , they shot back with accusations that she was biased against them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this long is surprising , given that observers believed it could just bail on the proceedings any day now .
If the case makes it to the actual trial , it will be a stunning turn of events from what was expected when the charges were first announced .
Now the government wants the court to sanction Concord Management for allegedly stiffing the DOJ on subpoenas issued ahead of trial , which prosecutors say is part of a broader strategy of “ gamesmanship.
” According to court filings , Concord Management ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been fully complied with ; the government says it has evidence that they have not .
Concord shot back on Friday in a filing that , while defending the lawyers ’ handling of the subpoenas , said that the DOJ ’ s contempt request showed a “ manifest disregard of the record and controlling law.
” The broader battle over the subpoenas has played out partially under seal .
But Concord Management has made several aggressive claims about why it didn ’ t want to turn over the documents prosecutors were demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a DOJ filing , is that the U.S. government could use the information it was seeking for a cyber attack against Russia , and then Russia would view Concord Management as an accomplice .
The judge at first agreed with Concord Management that the government ’ s subpoenas needed to be narrowed , but she now appears fed up with their antics in defying the version of the subpoenas she approved .
For the Monday hearing , she ’ s ordered that Concord Management make available someone who “ can address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the trial subpoenas.
” It will be another test of Concord Management ’ s willingness to make life miserable for the DOJ prosecutors handling the case .

It was the case that was never supposed to go anywhere.
When special counsel Robert Mueller first unveiled a federal grand jury indictment against several Russian individuals and entities accused of using social media to manipulate the 2016 election, the conventional wisdom was that none of the defendants would ever show up in court to fight the case.
The purpose of the 2018 charges, observers suggested, was to inform the public about the social media meddling, and to put Russia on notice that the U.S. was well aware of its efforts. Never would the charges actually be tried in court, the sense was at the time.
Things turned out quite a bit differently.
Over the past two years, defendant Concord Management — a firm run by an oligarch so tight with the Kremlin, he’s known as Putin’s chef — has waged a multi-front legal war with prosecutors.
Fittingly, since Mueller’s charges focused on Russia’s internet trolling, Concord Management has employed a trollish approach to its legal maneuverings.
The firm has hired a team of pugnacious American lawyers who have taunted Mueller in court filings and lashed out at the judge. For months, they have dragged out disputes over procedures that usually are ironed out in a few days. They’ve challenged every aspect of Mueller’s case, from his authority to bring it to the validity of the charges he’s alleged.
The gambit has forced DOJ attorneys to pour considerable time and resources into a case that they likely never thought they’d actually have to prosecute. More than a few times the hostilities have erupted into angry words within the courtroom.
With a trial date just a month away, the tensions have now been raised to a new level, as the Justice Department has requested that Concord Management be held in contempt for blowing off judge-approved trial subpoenas
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who required that Concord respond to the latest allegations, has ordered a hearing Monday morning on the matter.
Putin’s Chef
Legal experts didn’t believe there’d be much activity in the case after the indictment was announced, because everyone charged was presumed to have the backing of the Russian government, which was never expected to extradite the defendants for prosecution.
Mueller charged Concord Management with a conspiracy to defraud the United States by financing the trolling effort. The firm’s head, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who is also a defendant in the case, is a wealthy restauranteur with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The government has said it has evidence, including budgets, calendar entries and communications, that suggests the firm was paying for the work of Russian agents who published social media posts seen by hundreds of thousands of Americans in 2016. The operation was known as the Internet Research Agency, and its goal, according to Mueller’s report, was to sow “discord in the U.S. political system.”
While Prigozhin himself has not submitted to the court’s jurisdiction, he’s loomed over his company’s litigation of the case. Concord Management’s American defense team has often alluded to their coordination with him, and at one point, they sought to block the United States from invoking Prigozhin’s nickname, “Putin’s chef,” during the trial.
‘Unprofessional’ Filings
The proceedings were contentious from almost the moment attorneys for Concord Management indicated on the docket that they were appearing on the firm’s behalf. A squabble quickly broke out over Concord Management’s lawyers’ refusal to accept the prosecutors’ summons, while demanding that extensive discovery be produced to the Russian company.
The fight over discovery lasted months, as the Justice Department warned that giving Prigozhin access to sensitive details about the case could help Russia thwart the ongoing U.S. government efforts to prevent criminal activity.
As the judge struggled to resolve that dispute, Concord Management threw other bombs into the pre-trial proceedings.
The firm challenged Mueller’s authority. It attacked the charges as invalid. It asked the judge to hold Mueller and Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for their rollout of the special counsel report.
At one point, a disagreement broke out during a hearing over whether Concord Management’s lawyers had hung up on Mueller’s attorneys during a phone call.
Along the way, Concord Management’s American lawyers used sarcastic language, pop cultural references and bombastic rhetoric to bash Mueller’s investigation. They called the case “make-believe” and “fake law,” and accused Mueller of “blowing a dog whistle at the feckless media”
They equated the DOJ posture to a scene in Animal House, where one character tells another, “You f**ked up … you trusted us.”
When the judge scolded Concord Management’s lawyers for their “unprofessional” filings, they shot back with accusations that she was biased against them.
That Concord Management has drawn things out this long is surprising, given that observers believed it could just bail on the proceedings any day now. If the case makes it to the actual trial, it will be a stunning turn of events from what was expected when the charges were first announced.
‘Gamesmanship’ With Subpoenas
Now the government wants the court to sanction Concord Management for allegedly stiffing the DOJ on subpoenas issued ahead of trial, which prosecutors say is part of a broader strategy of “gamesmanship.” According to court filings, Concord Management’s lawyers would not confirm that the subpoenas had been fully complied with; the government says it has evidence that they have not.
Concord shot back on Friday in a filing that, while defending the lawyers’ handling of the subpoenas, said that the DOJ’s contempt request showed a “manifest disregard of the record and controlling law.”
The broader battle over the subpoenas has played out partially under seal. But Concord Management has made several aggressive claims about why it didn’t want to turn over the documents prosecutors were demanding for trial. Among its reasons, according to a DOJ filing, is that the U.S. government could use the information it was seeking for a cyber attack against Russia, and then Russia would view Concord Management as an accomplice.
The judge at first agreed with Concord Management that the government’s subpoenas needed to be narrowed, but she now appears fed up with their antics in defying the version of the subpoenas she approved.
For the Monday hearing, she’s ordered that Concord Management make available someone who “can address what actions Concord has taken to comply with the trial subpoenas.”
It will be another test of Concord Management’s willingness to make life miserable for the DOJ prosecutors handling the case.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--Admin Officials Urge Super Tuesday Voters To Be Aware Of ‘Foreign Actors’

Senior Trump administration officials from eight federal agencies issued a joint statement Monday urging Super Tuesday voters to be vigilant of “ foreign actors ” attempting to exert influence during primary season .
The statement released Monday — which includes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Attorney General William Barr , acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and FBI director Chris Wray — said that “ we continue to work with all 50 states , U.S. territories , local officials , political parties , and private sector partners to keep elections free from foreign interference.
” The administration officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign actors continue to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions.
” “ They spread false information and propaganda about political processes and candidates on social media in hopes to cause confusion and create doubt in our system , ” the officials wrote in the statement .
“ We remain alert and ready to respond to any efforts to disrupt the 2020 elections .
We continue to make it clear to foreign actors that any effort to undermine our democratic processes will be met with sharp consequences.
” After officials asserted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coordination and communication between the federal government and state , local , and private sector partners is stronger than it ’ s ever been , ” they wrote that “ voters have a role to play too ” in countering foreign influence and that a “ well-informed and vigilant republic is the best defense against disinformation .
”

Senior Trump administration officials from eight federal agencies issued a joint statement Monday urging Super Tuesday voters to be vigilant of “foreign actors” attempting to exert influence during primary season.
The statement released Monday — which includes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Attorney General William Barr, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and FBI director Chris Wray — said that “we continue to work with all 50 states, U.S. territories, local officials, political parties, and private sector partners to keep elections free from foreign interference.”
The administration officials said that voters must remain aware that “foreign actors continue to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions.”
“They spread false information and propaganda about political processes and candidates on social media in hopes to cause confusion and create doubt in our system,” the officials wrote in the statement. “We remain alert and ready to respond to any efforts to disrupt the 2020 elections. We continue to make it clear to foreign actors that any effort to undermine our democratic processes will be met with sharp consequences.”
After officials asserted in the statement that the “level of coordination and communication between the federal government and state, local, and private sector partners is stronger than it’s ever been,” they wrote that “voters have a role to play too” in countering foreign influence and that a “well-informed and vigilant republic is the best defense against disinformation.”
Read the joint statement here.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Pence Says To Expect ‘More Cases’ Of Coronavirus With More Testing

In a subtle turn of phrase Monday , Vice President Mike Pence seemed to acknowledge a fact that public health experts have been arguing for weeks as the Trump administration has minimized the risk of coronavirus in the United States .
“ As we find more cases , it will mean our health officials are doing their job in large part , ” Pence said at a White House press conference at which members of the White House coronavirus task force spoke .
The line follows intense pressure from the public health community about testing for coronavirus in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization ’ s coronavirus test , the Trump administration opted to make its own , but that was delayed by faulty results .
Tests were short in supply , leading to far fewer people being tested for coronavirus than could have been .
Meanwhile , the President and others repeatedly broadcast — perhaps in an attempt to calm plunging stock markets — that the number of Americans with coronavirus remained low .
“ We ’ re going very substantially down , not up , ” Trump said last week , clashing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Konyndyk , of the Center for Global Development , called the “ self-licking ice cream cone ” — the idea that “ we ’ re not seeing community spread yet so we don ’ t need to aggressively test for it.
” But now , with multiple American deaths and the CDC finally sending thousands of tests across the country ( and allowing for localities to do their own testing ) , Pence acknowledged the reality that more Americans have coronavirus than the government initially suggested .

In a subtle turn of phrase Monday, Vice President Mike Pence seemed to acknowledge a fact that public health experts have been arguing for weeks as the Trump administration has minimized the risk of coronavirus in the United States.
“As we find more cases, it will mean our health officials are doing their job in large part,” Pence said at a White House press conference at which members of the White House coronavirus task force spoke.
The line follows intense pressure from the public health community about testing for coronavirus in the United States: Rather than use the World Health Organization’s coronavirus test, the Trump administration opted to make its own, but that was delayed by faulty results. Tests were short in supply, leading to far fewer people being tested for coronavirus than could have been.
Meanwhile, the President and others repeatedly broadcast — perhaps in an attempt to calm plunging stock markets — that the number of Americans with coronavirus remained low. “We’re going very substantially down, not up,” Trump said last week, clashing with experts.
It’s what Jeremy Konyndyk, of the Center for Global Development, called the “self-licking ice cream cone” — the idea that “we’re not seeing community spread yet so we don’t need to aggressively test for it.”
But now, with multiple American deaths and the CDC finally sending thousands of tests across the country (and allowing for localities to do their own testing), Pence acknowledged the reality that more Americans have coronavirus than the government initially suggested.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Read: Dems Bid To Block GOP Probe Into Biden Allegations, Fearing ‘Disinformation Efforts’

Senate Democrats tried last week to block the Republican-controlled Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from issuing a subpoena for testimony from a Ukrainian who has peddled conspiracy theories central to the extortionate dirt-digging project that got President Trump impeached .
Sen. Gary Peters ( D-MI ) moved in a Friday letter to block a subpoena for testimony from Andrii Telizhenko , a former staffer at Ukraine ’ s embassy in Washington who has spent most of the Trump administration parlaying his stint as a post-Soviet diplomat into unsubstantiated allegations that the DNC colluded with the Ukrainian government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain concerned that the United States Senate and this Committee could be used to further disinformation efforts by Russian or other actors , ” Peters ’ s letter to Johnson disapproving of a Telizhenko subpoena reads .
“ Because these efforts pose a threat to our national security , I have asked for this Committee to receive defensive briefings — specifically regarding Mr. Telizhenko — from relevant intelligence community and law enforcement officials , to ensure the Senate is not used to advance any disinformation campaigns.
” Sen. Johnson told Peters in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward with a vote on issuing a subpoena to Telizhenko , adding that he was seeking a “ narrow ” array of documents and that the FBI had provided relevant information about the onetime diplomat .
Telizhenko defended himself as a “ patriot of Ukraine ” in a statement to TPM .
“ The main issue that it has to be investigated what happened in Ukraine under Obama admin .
And if the Dems where not guilty they would initiate such investigation themselves from the beginning and show what is true and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But they choose to discredit anybody who came out with the truth.
” Johnson wants to issue a subpoena to Telizhenko so the Ukrainian national can discuss his work on Burisma with Blue Star Strategies , a D.C.-based lobbying firm that was hired by the gas firm in 2016 to burnish its image .
Telizhenko purportedly gave the Committee information suggesting that he helped the company lobby the State Department .
The allegations bring it all back to what many see is the point of the whole enterprise : dirt on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burisma used Hunter Biden ’ s position on its board to gain some kind of unspecified , unstated benefit from the State Department .
The Senate panel is also probing other allegations of Telizhenko ’ s , including his unverified claims about the presence of a DNC official at the Ukrainian embassy in 2016 .

Senate Democrats tried last week to block the Republican-controlled Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from issuing a subpoena for testimony from a Ukrainian who has peddled conspiracy theories central to the extortionate dirt-digging project that got President Trump impeached.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) moved in a Friday letter to block a subpoena for testimony from Andrii Telizhenko, a former staffer at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington who has spent most of the Trump administration parlaying his stint as a post-Soviet diplomat into unsubstantiated allegations that the DNC colluded with the Ukrainian government to hurt Trump in 2016.
“I remain concerned that the United States Senate and this Committee could be used to further disinformation efforts by Russian or other actors,” Peters’s letter to Johnson disapproving of a Telizhenko subpoena reads.
“Because these efforts pose a threat to our national security, I have asked for this Committee to receive defensive briefings — specifically regarding Mr. Telizhenko — from relevant intelligence community and law enforcement officials, to ensure the Senate is not used to advance any disinformation campaigns.”
Sen. Johnson told Peters in a Sunday letter that the Committee would move forward with a vote on issuing a subpoena to Telizhenko, adding that he was seeking a “narrow” array of documents and that the FBI had provided relevant information about the onetime diplomat.
Telizhenko defended himself as a “patriot of Ukraine” in a statement to TPM.
“The main issue that it has to be investigated what happened in Ukraine under Obama admin. And if the Dems where not guilty they would initiate such investigation themselves from the beginning and show what is true and what is not,” Telizhenko said. “But they choose to discredit anybody who came out with the truth.”
Johnson wants to issue a subpoena to Telizhenko so the Ukrainian national can discuss his work on Burisma with Blue Star Strategies, a D.C.-based lobbying firm that was hired by the gas firm in 2016 to burnish its image.
Telizhenko purportedly gave the Committee information suggesting that he helped the company lobby the State Department.
The allegations bring it all back to what many see is the point of the whole enterprise: dirt on the Biden family. Telizhenko has claimed that Burisma used Hunter Biden’s position on its board to gain some kind of unspecified, unstated benefit from the State Department.
The Senate panel is also probing other allegations of Telizhenko’s, including his unverified claims about the presence of a DNC official at the Ukrainian embassy in 2016.
Read the letter here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Secretary Pete? Ahead Of Endorsement, Biden Touts Buttigieg For Admin Role

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that he ’ d approach former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg about joining his administration , should he win the presidency .
“ I did speak to Pete Buttigieg a couple days ago to encourage him to stay engaged because he has enormous talent , ” Biden said .
“ And I indicated to him that if I became the nominee , I ’ d be coming and asking him to become part of an administration — he ’ d be engaged in moving things forward.
” Biden ’ s campaign did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg well-suited to fill .
Buttigieg suspended his campaign Sunday evening , though he did not immediately endorse any other candidates .
Some eagle-eyed reporters spotted a charted plane scheduled to travel from South Bend to Dallas , where Biden is holding a Monday night rally .
The Buttigieg campaign did not respond to requests for confirmation that the former mayor is making the trip , though multiple reports confirm that Buttigieg is planning a Biden endorsement .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , who ended her campaign Monday , is definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign event .
Biden called Klobuchar a “ great talent ” as well .

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that he’d approach former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg about joining his administration, should he win the presidency.
From a local reporter in Houston:
“I did speak to Pete Buttigieg a couple days ago to encourage him to stay engaged because he has enormous talent,” Biden said. “And I indicated to him that if I became the nominee, I’d be coming and asking him to become part of an administration — he’d be engaged in moving things forward.”
Biden’s campaign did not immediately elaborate on which positions Biden considers Buttigieg well-suited to fill.
Buttigieg suspended his campaign Sunday evening, though he did not immediately endorse any other candidates. Some eagle-eyed reporters spotted a charted plane scheduled to travel from South Bend to Dallas, where Biden is holding a Monday night rally. The Buttigieg campaign did not respond to requests for confirmation that the former mayor is making the trip, though multiple reports confirm that Buttigieg is planning a Biden endorsement.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who ended her campaign Monday, is definitely headed to Dallas to endorse Biden at the campaign event. Biden called Klobuchar a “great talent” as well.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Minnesota Ice: Keith Ellison Congratulates Klobuchar On Her ‘Participation’

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison appeared to have a seriously lukewarm reaction to fellow Minnesotan Sen. Amy Klobuchar ’ s ( D-MN ) withdrawal from the Democratic presidential race on Monday .
In a tweet Monday , Ellison congratulated Klobuchar for her “ participation ” and thanked her for her run in the Democratic presidential primary .
Ellison , who represented Minnesota in the U.S. Congress before becoming attorney general in the state , has long been a strong supporter of Bernie Sanders .
Ellison endorsed Sanders in his 2016 campaign , and endorsed him once again last summer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , Ellison said : “ I definitely appreciate and admire Senator Klobuchar , I ’ m very proud of the work she ’ s done.
” But he made clear he is firmly in Sanders ’ camp .
Earlier Monday , Klobuchar ’ s campaign told the Associated Press that she plans to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden and will attend his rally in Dallas , Texas on the eve of Super Tuesday .
TPM reached out to Ellison and Klobuchar ’ s campaign for comment .
We will update this @ @ @ @ @ @

That’s cold.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison appeared to have a seriously lukewarm reaction to fellow Minnesotan Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) withdrawal from the Democratic presidential race on Monday.
In a tweet Monday, Ellison congratulated Klobuchar for her “participation” and thanked her for her run in the Democratic presidential primary.
Thanks for your run @amyklobuchar. Congratulations on your participation. https://t.co/0TEDlbU3hO — Keith Ellison (@keithellison) March 2, 2020
Ellison, who represented Minnesota in the U.S. Congress before becoming attorney general in the state, has long been a strong supporter of Bernie Sanders. Ellison endorsed Sanders in his 2016 campaign, and endorsed him once again last summer. Speaking to the Star Tribune in June 2019, Ellison said: “I definitely appreciate and admire Senator Klobuchar, I’m very proud of the work she’s done.” But he made clear he is firmly in Sanders’ camp.
Earlier Monday, Klobuchar’s campaign told the Associated Press that she plans to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden and will attend his rally in Dallas, Texas on the eve of Super Tuesday.
TPM reached out to Ellison and Klobuchar’s campaign for comment. We will update this post if we hear back.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Some Election-Related Websites Still Run on Vulnerable Software Older Than Many High Schoolers

This post first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
The Richmond , Virginia , website that tells people where to vote and publishes election results runs on a 17-year-old operating system .
Software used by election-related sites in Johnston County , North Carolina , and the town of Barnstable , Massachusetts , had reached its expiration date , making security updates no longer available .
These aging systems reflect a larger problem : A ProPublica investigation found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties and towns voting on Super Tuesday — accounting for nearly 2 million voters — were particularly vulnerable to cyberattack .
The sites , where people can find out how to register to vote , where to cast ballots and who won the election , had security issues such as outdated software , poor encryption and systems encumbered with unneeded computer programs .
None of the localities contacted by ProPublica said that their sites had been disrupted by cyberattacks .
ProPublica also spotted files that should have been kept hidden because , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roadmap to the computer system ’ s weaknesses .
Some election websites shared the same computer server with many other local government sites , magnifying the potential repercussions of an attack .
“ Shared hosting environments are rarely appropriate for critical infrastructure , ” researchers Bob Rudis and Tod Beardsley of the security firm Rapid7 wrote in a February report for ProPublica .
At a time when cybersecurity concerns have come to the forefront of American elections , ProPublica ’ s findings reveal the frailty of some local computer networks .
Fake Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to the wrong polling place .
Tainted results could stall a campaign , since primary wins drive momentum with financial contributions and political support .
After the Iowa caucuses fiasco , in which a mobile app ’ s flaws apparently unrelated to security delayed results for days , any security breach could test voters ’ confidence in the integrity of the election process .
Counties and towns increasingly seek the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ’ s assistance in scanning their systems for security problems , but the federal government can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public websites are an area of concern as we look at county-level election offices , ” especially those that lack financial resources and expertise , said a senior U.S. official , who wasn ’ t authorized to speak on the record .
The federal government isn ’ t aware of specific plans by foreign adversaries to attack county websites , the official said , but “ we know it ’ s in the playbook.
” Three localities — Barnstable , Johnston County and Sebastian County , Arkansas — said they would fix their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerabilities last month .
At least three other sites examined are still powered in part by software from the early 2000s , contrary to guidance from the government and industry .
Besides Richmond , they include Belchertown , Massachusetts , and Virginia ’ s King and Queen County .
“ It ’ s not surprising to me at all that these platforms haven ’ t been updated in more than a decade , ” said Sara Moriarty , a Richmond voter who works for a local nonprofit .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how their systems could be hacked or turned against them to spread disinformation.
” Election security concerns have focused at times on machines used for voting and tabulating at polling places .
But localities often publish unofficial results and provide other election-related information on their own sites .
Districts with problematic sites ranged from rural areas such as King and Queen County , with about 5,000 registered voters , to cities such as Richmond , with more than 153,000 .
Smaller counties and towns may lack the IT staff and financial resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Senate Democrats have proposed several bills that would appropriate $ 1 billion for local election security and set federal guidelines for websites that publish voting results , but they haven ’ t gained traction .
“ We have to focus holistically on the security of our voting systems , ranging from voting machines to registration databases to election-results reporting systems , ” said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia , vice chair of the Senate ’ s intelligence panel .
“ Nothing less than voter confidence in the integrity of our elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems by using software that scans websites for vulnerabilities .
Although such scanners can produce false-positives , ProPublica confirmed its findings through interviews with government officials or additional reporting .
At our request , Rapid7 independently examined a broad swath of municipal websites , including some that don ’ t publish voting results , since they could be hijacked to provide election misinformation .
It declined to provide specifics on individual websites but said smaller counties and towns tended to run “ dangerous or inappropriate ” software .
Those districts , Rapid7 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , “ certainly could use help securing election-related websites .
This help should come from their states , their higher-population neighbors , or the federal government.
” Security flaws caused hiccups during the 2018 midterms .
In one case , a flood of internet traffic briefly brought down Knox County , Tennessee ’ s , website that published primary-night returns .
A security consultant later said that the problem may have stemmed from a software glitch on the website .
Lawrence Norden , the director of the election-reform program at NYU ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts have already seen attacks on election-reporting systems abroad , such as in Bulgaria .
“ It seems , unfortunately , an easy way to undermine voter confidence , ” he said .
Johnston County , a reliably Republican district about 40 minutes southeast of Raleigh , has roughly 131,600 registered voters .
Its site lists polling place addresses and election results .
ProPublica found it was running software that , in late 2019 , reached what is known as its end of life .
( Like milk or medicine , software often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer sell or support it . )
Jeff Howard , Johnston ’ s IT manager , said that in response to ProPublica ’ s findings , his staff updated the obsolete parts of the website , which primarily helps residents research septic tank permits .
He said updates must be done carefully .
Rushing to install the latest software to fix critical security problems can backfire because newer versions may lack features that the website relied on to function .
At worst , such a change would require revising thousands of lines of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sebastian County , Arkansas , ran an even older version of the same software used by Johnston County .
Barnstable IT Director Dan Wood said that the software — which expired in September 2015 — was removed from the town ’ s website after our inquiries .
Officials in Sebastian County said they would also turn off the software , and ProPublica confirmed the website has been fixed .
Johnston ’ s was also one of about two dozen Super Tuesday sites that ran file-sharing software , which security experts say could act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key details of a server ’ s operating system and exploit its weaknesses .
Lu Hickey , a county spokeswoman , said it hasn ’ t been a problem .
Richmond , Virginia ’ s capital , tends to vote Democratic and is roughly 48 % African-American .
It still uses the Windows Server 2003 operating system , which the U.S. government has warned hasn ’ t received “ automatic fixes , updates , or online technical assistance ” from Microsoft since July 2015 .
“ Running an unsupported operating system carries security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t recommend that users run their apps on Windows Server 2003 , ” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement .
J. Kirk Showalter , Richmond ’ s elections chief , said her website publishes PDFs of state and federal election results about one to two weeks after Election Day , although city council and school board results are usually posted online election night or the next day .
Showalter said her systems passed security tests as recently as December .
Richmond IT officials said their website still receives periodic “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft — meant to plug significant , ad-hoc security holes — and stressed that officials have spent millions of dollars to safeguard and upgrade the city ’ s IT infrastructure .
Only 2 % of city servers still run Windows 2003 , they said .
“ We are absolutely prepared to protect the integrity of our elections and have taken significant steps to do so .
The technology that supports and secures our information systems has been regularly updated and is continuously tested , and we will continue to take the necessary steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems are protected , ” said Richmond spokesman Jim Nolan .
Besides Richmond , Belchertown , Massachusetts , and King and Queen County , Virginia , are also Super Tuesday locales that run Windows 2003 .
The two areas account for about 15,600 registered voters .
King and Queen elections director Diane Klausen said she was unaware of the outdated operating system until ProPublica notified her office about it .
Klausen said she hopes that the server will be updated this year , adding that the county recently underwent a cybersecurity review by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she feels confident that its site is reliable .
Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Christopher Piper said his state ’ s elections site “ remains the source of truth for all election activities and information.
” Kevin Hannon , Belchertown ’ s IT director , confirmed that its server is running Windows 2003 , and that “ there are vulnerabilities.
” He said an upgrade will be in place by the general election in November .
Still , he said , the server is not “ at great risk ” because it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated from the rest of the network .
“ I am not concerned that while we are waiting on the updated server that information … will be compromised , ” he said .
Erroneous or delayed results could sour the public ’ s trust even if voters don ’ t visit the websites themselves .
Local journalists often rely on the kinds of county websites ProPublica investigated to inform their readers about election results , newspaper archives show .
The Associated Press ’ vote count draws from multiple sources , including stringers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government websites , AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said .
Last month , ProPublica discovered that the mobile app used during the Iowa caucuses was so insecure that vote totals , passwords and other sensitive information could have been intercepted or even changed .
Veracode , a security firm that reviewed the software at ProPublica ’ s request , said the lack of safeguards meant phone transmissions were left largely unprotected .
There ’ s no evidence that hackers intercepted or tampered with the Iowa results .
“ Think # IowaCaucus meltdown is bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the chamber ’ s intelligence committee , tweeted .
“ Imagine very close presidential election .
Russian or Chinese hackers tamper with preliminary reporting system in key counties .
When the official results begin to be tabulated , it shows a different winner than the preliminary results online.
” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has said his agency “ fully expects ” Russia to attempt to interfere in this year ’ s elections .
The government ’ s concerns echo a minority view by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Russian interference in the 2016 election , warning that county officials could be outgunned against nation-state hackers .
“ America is facing a direct assault on the heart of our democracy by a determined adversary , ” Wyden wrote .
“ We would not ask a local sheriff to go to war against the missiles , planes and tanks of the Russian Army .
We shouldn ’ t ask a county election IT employee to fight a war against the full capabilities and vast resources of Russia ’ s cyber army .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it continued , “ and it will fail again .
”

This post first appeared at ProPublica.
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
The Richmond, Virginia, website that tells people where to vote and publishes election results runs on a 17-year-old operating system. Software used by election-related sites in Johnston County, North Carolina, and the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, had reached its expiration date, making security updates no longer available.
These aging systems reflect a larger problem: A ProPublica investigation found that at least 50 election-related websites in counties and towns voting on Super Tuesday — accounting for nearly 2 million voters — were particularly vulnerable to cyberattack. The sites, where people can find out how to register to vote, where to cast ballots and who won the election, had security issues such as outdated software, poor encryption and systems encumbered with unneeded computer programs. None of the localities contacted by ProPublica said that their sites had been disrupted by cyberattacks.
ProPublica also spotted files that should have been kept hidden because, when identified, they could give hackers a roadmap to the computer system’s weaknesses. Some election websites shared the same computer server with many other local government sites, magnifying the potential repercussions of an attack. “Shared hosting environments are rarely appropriate for critical infrastructure,” researchers Bob Rudis and Tod Beardsley of the security firm Rapid7 wrote in a February report for ProPublica.
At a time when cybersecurity concerns have come to the forefront of American elections, ProPublica’s findings reveal the frailty of some local computer networks. Fake Election Day information could disenfranchise voters by sending them to the wrong polling place. Tainted results could stall a campaign, since primary wins drive momentum with financial contributions and political support.
After the Iowa caucuses fiasco, in which a mobile app’s flaws apparently unrelated to security delayed results for days, any security breach could test voters’ confidence in the integrity of the election process. Counties and towns increasingly seek the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s assistance in scanning their systems for security problems, but the federal government can’t make them do so.
“Public websites are an area of concern as we look at county-level election offices,” especially those that lack financial resources and expertise, said a senior U.S. official, who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record. The federal government isn’t aware of specific plans by foreign adversaries to attack county websites, the official said, but “we know it’s in the playbook.”
Three localities — Barnstable, Johnston County and Sebastian County, Arkansas — said they would fix their systems after ProPublica notified them of their vulnerabilities last month. At least three other sites examined are still powered in part by software from the early 2000s, contrary to guidance from the government and industry. Besides Richmond, they include Belchertown, Massachusetts, and Virginia’s King and Queen County.
“It’s not surprising to me at all that these platforms haven’t been updated in more than a decade,” said Sara Moriarty, a Richmond voter who works for a local nonprofit. “I don’t think they have the resources to think about how their systems could be hacked or turned against them to spread disinformation.”
Election security concerns have focused at times on machines used for voting and tabulating at polling places. But localities often publish unofficial results and provide other election-related information on their own sites. Districts with problematic sites ranged from rural areas such as King and Queen County, with about 5,000 registered voters, to cities such as Richmond, with more than 153,000. Smaller counties and towns may lack the IT staff and financial resources to operate the most up-to-date computer systems.
Senate Democrats have proposed several bills that would appropriate $1 billion for local election security and set federal guidelines for websites that publish voting results, but they haven’t gained traction. “We have to focus holistically on the security of our voting systems, ranging from voting machines to registration databases to election-results reporting systems,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate’s intelligence panel. “Nothing less than voter confidence in the integrity of our elections is at stake.”
ProPublica uncovered the problems by using software that scans websites for vulnerabilities. Although such scanners can produce false-positives, ProPublica confirmed its findings through interviews with government officials or additional reporting.
At our request, Rapid7 independently examined a broad swath of municipal websites, including some that don’t publish voting results, since they could be hijacked to provide election misinformation. It declined to provide specifics on individual websites but said smaller counties and towns tended to run “dangerous or inappropriate” software. Those districts, Rapid7’s Rudis and Beardsley wrote in their report, “certainly could use help securing election-related websites. This help should come from their states, their higher-population neighbors, or the federal government.”
Security flaws caused hiccups during the 2018 midterms. In one case, a flood of internet traffic briefly brought down Knox County, Tennessee’s, website that published primary-night returns. A security consultant later said that the problem may have stemmed from a software glitch on the website.
Lawrence Norden, the director of the election-reform program at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice, said experts have already seen attacks on election-reporting systems abroad, such as in Bulgaria. “It seems, unfortunately, an easy way to undermine voter confidence,” he said.
Johnston County, a reliably Republican district about 40 minutes southeast of Raleigh, has roughly 131,600 registered voters. Its site lists polling place addresses and election results.
ProPublica found it was running software that, in late 2019, reached what is known as its end of life. (Like milk or medicine, software often carries an expiration date when manufacturers no longer sell or support it.)
Jeff Howard, Johnston’s IT manager, said that in response to ProPublica’s findings, his staff updated the obsolete parts of the website, which primarily helps residents research septic tank permits. He said updates must be done carefully. Rushing to install the latest software to fix critical security problems can backfire because newer versions may lack features that the website relied on to function. At worst, such a change would require revising thousands of lines of computer code.
Barnstable in Massachusetts and Sebastian County, Arkansas, ran an even older version of the same software used by Johnston County. Barnstable IT Director Dan Wood said that the software — which expired in September 2015 — was removed from the town’s website after our inquiries. Officials in Sebastian County said they would also turn off the software, and ProPublica confirmed the website has been fixed.
Johnston’s was also one of about two dozen Super Tuesday sites that ran file-sharing software, which security experts say could act as a gateway for hackers to acquire key details of a server’s operating system and exploit its weaknesses. Lu Hickey, a county spokeswoman, said it hasn’t been a problem.
Richmond, Virginia’s capital, tends to vote Democratic and is roughly 48% African-American. It still uses the Windows Server 2003 operating system, which the U.S. government has warned hasn’t received “automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance” from Microsoft since July 2015. “Running an unsupported operating system carries security and compliance risks. Therefore, we don’t recommend that users run their apps on Windows Server 2003,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.
J. Kirk Showalter, Richmond’s elections chief, said her website publishes PDFs of state and federal election results about one to two weeks after Election Day, although city council and school board results are usually posted online election night or the next day. Showalter said her systems passed security tests as recently as December. Richmond IT officials said their website still receives periodic “out of band” security updates from Microsoft — meant to plug significant, ad-hoc security holes — and stressed that officials have spent millions of dollars to safeguard and upgrade the city’s IT infrastructure. Only 2% of city servers still run Windows 2003, they said.
“We are absolutely prepared to protect the integrity of our elections and have taken significant steps to do so. The technology that supports and secures our information systems has been regularly updated and is continuously tested, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to be prepared and make sure these systems are protected,” said Richmond spokesman Jim Nolan.
Besides Richmond, Belchertown, Massachusetts, and King and Queen County, Virginia, are also Super Tuesday locales that run Windows 2003. The two areas account for about 15,600 registered voters. King and Queen elections director Diane Klausen said she was unaware of the outdated operating system until ProPublica notified her office about it. Klausen said she hopes that the server will be updated this year, adding that the county recently underwent a cybersecurity review by Virginia’s elections department and that she feels confident that its site is reliable. Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Christopher Piper said his state’s elections site “remains the source of truth for all election activities and information.”
Kevin Hannon, Belchertown’s IT director, confirmed that its server is running Windows 2003, and that “there are vulnerabilities.” He said an upgrade will be in place by the general election in November. Still, he said, the server is not “at great risk” because it’s behind a firewall, and is isolated from the rest of the network. “I am not concerned that while we are waiting on the updated server that information … will be compromised,” he said.
Erroneous or delayed results could sour the public’s trust even if voters don’t visit the websites themselves. Local journalists often rely on the kinds of county websites ProPublica investigated to inform their readers about election results, newspaper archives show. The Associated Press’ vote count draws from multiple sources, including stringers, state data feeds and tallies from local government websites, AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said.
Last month, ProPublica discovered that the mobile app used during the Iowa caucuses was so insecure that vote totals, passwords and other sensitive information could have been intercepted or even changed. Veracode, a security firm that reviewed the software at ProPublica’s request, said the lack of safeguards meant phone transmissions were left largely unprotected. There’s no evidence that hackers intercepted or tampered with the Iowa results.
“Think #IowaCaucus meltdown is bad?” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a member of the chamber’s intelligence committee, tweeted. “Imagine very close presidential election. Russian or Chinese hackers tamper with preliminary reporting system in key counties. When the official results begin to be tabulated, it shows a different winner than the preliminary results online.”
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has said his agency “fully expects” Russia to attempt to interfere in this year’s elections. The government’s concerns echo a minority view by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon in a Senate intelligence committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, warning that county officials could be outgunned against nation-state hackers.
“America is facing a direct assault on the heart of our democracy by a determined adversary,” Wyden wrote. “We would not ask a local sheriff to go to war against the missiles, planes and tanks of the Russian Army. We shouldn’t ask a county election IT employee to fight a war against the full capabilities and vast resources of Russia’s cyber army.
“That approach failed in 2016,” it continued, “and it will fail again.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Biden Set To Get Endorsement Boost From Two 2020 Rivals

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will endorse former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday night in a bid to give Biden ’ s campaign a boost ahead of an all-important “ Super Tuesday , ” several outlets reported Monday .
Ballots cast on Tuesday will determine how more than a third of delegates vote at the Democratic National Convention in July .
CNN first reported on Buttigieg ’ s forthcoming endorsement , followed by Reuters and the Associated Press .
Like Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , the reports indicate Buttigieg will endorse Biden at Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg endorsement comes at a crucial time for Biden .
After disappointing finishes in the first three states to vote and the surge of Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) , Biden ’ s landslide win in South Carolina Saturday reset the scorecard .
Now , with Buttigieg and Klobuchar ’ s help , Biden will seek to make the case Tuesday that he ’ s the sole viable opposition to Sanders .
That could increase pressure on other candidates — namely Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) and former New York Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Almost all of Buttigieg ’ s support came from one demographic group : White voters .
“ Biden needs to expand his support amongst white voters , and Buttigieg ’ s vote was almost entirely white , ” Kyle Kondik , managing editor of Sabato ’ s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics , told TPM .
“ So that does open up another block of voters , potentially , to Biden.
” “ Places that are largely white where Biden ’ s struggling , this could really help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options for voters , ” he added .
The Buttigieg endorsement may not help Biden much in decreasing Sanders ’ vote count on Tuesday — a small but not inconsiderable number of Buttigieg voters had Sanders as their second choice .
But Buttigieg could help boost Biden in coastal Super Tuesday states , where voters may have been split between Buttigieg and , for example , Elizabeth Warren .
A large cohort of Buttigieg ’ s support came from these “ Gen X and older , college-educated moderates and progressives , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Politics , John Della Volpe , told TPM .
The Buttigieg endorsement of Biden could help the former vice president “ with that Massachusetts-California Warren voter , the 45-55 year old college-educated professional , ” Della Volpe said .

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will endorse former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday night in a bid to give Biden’s campaign a boost ahead of an all-important “Super Tuesday,” several outlets reported Monday.
Ballots cast on Tuesday will determine how more than a third of delegates vote at the Democratic National Convention in July. CNN first reported on Buttigieg’s forthcoming endorsement, followed by Reuters and the Associated Press. Like Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the reports indicate Buttigieg will endorse Biden at Biden’s rally in Dallas Monday evening.
The Buttigieg endorsement comes at a crucial time for Biden. After disappointing finishes in the first three states to vote and the surge of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Biden’s landslide win in South Carolina Saturday reset the scorecard.
Now, with Buttigieg and Klobuchar’s help, Biden will seek to make the case Tuesday that he’s the sole viable opposition to Sanders. That could increase pressure on other candidates — namely Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg — to drop out.
Almost all of Buttigieg’s support came from one demographic group: White voters.
“Biden needs to expand his support amongst white voters, and Buttigieg’s vote was almost entirely white,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told TPM. “So that does open up another block of voters, potentially, to Biden.”
“Places that are largely white where Biden’s struggling, this could really help him, because there are just fewer options for voters,” he added.
The Buttigieg endorsement may not help Biden much in decreasing Sanders’ vote count on Tuesday — a small but not inconsiderable number of Buttigieg voters had Sanders as their second choice.
But Buttigieg could help boost Biden in coastal Super Tuesday states, where voters may have been split between Buttigieg and, for example, Elizabeth Warren.
A large cohort of Buttigieg’s support came from these “Gen X and older, college-educated moderates and progressives,” the polling director of Harvard’s Institute of Politics, John Della Volpe, told TPM.
The Buttigieg endorsement of Biden could help the former vice president “with that Massachusetts-California Warren voter, the 45-55 year old college-educated professional,” Della Volpe said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Harry Reid Endorses Joe Biden’s Presidential Bid

The Nevada political powerhouse and former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ( D-NV ) announced Monday that he was backing former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s bid for the presidency , adding a weighty endorsement hours before 14 states vote for the Democratic nominee on Tuesday .
“ President Donald Trump has done unspeakable damage to our country , our institutions and the rule of law , ” Reid said in a statement .
“ Democrats need a candidate who can assemble the largest , most diverse coalition possible to defeat Trump and lead our country following the trauma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate is Joe Biden.
” Reid declined to endorse a candidate before the Nevada caucuses last month , saying he preferred to “ stay out of it.
” “ I want the caucus to go unhindered by anything that I ’ m doing wrong , ” Reid said .
Sanders ended up winning the state in a landslide .
But two days after Biden won the next and last of the four early voting states , South Carolina , in his own lopsided victory Saturday , Reid was ready to weigh in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ character and deep experience stand in the starkest contrast to Trump ’ s amorality , corruption and utter incompetence , ” he said in his statement .
“ Biden will be a much-needed stabilizing force following Trump ’ s disastrous term , offering a positive and progressive alternative to Trump ’ s dark vision of racism , xenophobia and policies built on cruelty and exclusion .
I believe Biden is best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.
” Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) also dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out Sunday , and CNN and Reuters reported Monday that he too is planning to endorse Biden , citing sourced close to the campaign .

The Nevada political powerhouse and former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced Monday that he was backing former Vice President Joe Biden’s bid for the presidency, adding a weighty endorsement hours before 14 states vote for the Democratic nominee on Tuesday.
“President Donald Trump has done unspeakable damage to our country, our institutions and the rule of law,” Reid said in a statement. “Democrats need a candidate who can assemble the largest, most diverse coalition possible to defeat Trump and lead our country following the trauma of Trump’s presidency. That candidate is Joe Biden.”
Reid declined to endorse a candidate before the Nevada caucuses last month, saying he preferred to “stay out of it.”
“I want the caucus to go unhindered by anything that I’m doing wrong,” Reid said.
Sanders ended up winning the state in a landslide.
But two days after Biden won the next and last of the four early voting states, South Carolina, in his own lopsided victory Saturday, Reid was ready to weigh in.
“Joe Biden’s strength of character and deep experience stand in the starkest contrast to Trump’s amorality, corruption and utter incompetence,” he said in his statement.
“Biden will be a much-needed stabilizing force following Trump’s disastrous term, offering a positive and progressive alternative to Trump’s dark vision of racism, xenophobia and policies built on cruelty and exclusion. I believe Biden is best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also dropped out Monday and plans to endorse Biden. Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out Sunday, and CNN and Reuters reported Monday that he too is planning to endorse Biden, citing sourced close to the campaign.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--Klobuchar Ends Campaign And Plans To Endorse Biden On Eve Of Super Tuesday

Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) announced Monday that she is suspending her Democratic presidential campaign and will endorse former Vice President Joe Biden .
Klobuchar ’ s campaign told the Associated Press Monday that she plans to join Biden at his rally in Dallas , Texas , on the eve of Super Tuesday .
Last month , Klobuchar finished third place in the New Hampshire primary , but was unable to replicate that success in any other Democratic nominating contest .
Klobuchar is the second midwestern moderate to drop out in two days : Former South Bend , Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a victory in Iowa , also left the race over the weekend .
He has not yet announced an endorsement .
Both departures — and Klobuchar ’ s endorsement — could aid Biden .
“ The race is going to shift more toward the Midwest and the Northeast in the coming weeks , ” Kyle Kondik , managing editor of Sabato ’ s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics , told TPM .
“ Biden , based on Iowa and New Hampshire , did really poorly in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can help him get higher in those places is helpful to him.
” The three-term senator hoped to appeal to moderate Democrats during her campaign .
However , she faced a crowded field , including Biden , Sanders , and fellow midwesterner and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Buttigieg — who announced his presidential campaign withdrawal Sunday night — gained momentum after coming neck to neck in the Iowa caucuses against Sanders .
Throughout her campaign , Klobuchar fielded questions regarding her time as a prosecutor .
Klobuchar ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Myon Burrell , a black teenager accused of the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old girl , in 2002 .
The Minnesota senator referenced the story during her campaign to showcase her toughness on crime .
Klobuchar ’ s withdrawal comes on the heels of her cancellation of a rally scheduled in her home state of Minnesota Sunday night after Black Lives Matter protesters took over the stage on behalf of Burrell .

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced Monday that she is suspending her Democratic presidential campaign and will endorse former Vice President Joe Biden.
Klobuchar’s campaign told the Associated Press Monday that she plans to join Biden at his rally in Dallas, Texas, on the eve of Super Tuesday.
Last month, Klobuchar finished third place in the New Hampshire primary, but was unable to replicate that success in any other Democratic nominating contest.
Klobuchar is the second midwestern moderate to drop out in two days: Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who eked out a victory in Iowa, also left the race over the weekend. He has not yet announced an endorsement.
Both departures — and Klobuchar’s endorsement — could aid Biden.
“The race is going to shift more toward the Midwest and the Northeast in the coming weeks,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told TPM.
“Biden, based on Iowa and New Hampshire, did really poorly in the two examples of that region. Anything that can help him get higher in those places is helpful to him.”
The three-term senator hoped to appeal to moderate Democrats during her campaign. However, she faced a crowded field, including Biden, Sanders, and fellow midwesterner and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg — who announced his presidential campaign withdrawal Sunday night — gained momentum after coming neck to neck in the Iowa caucuses against Sanders.
Throughout her campaign, Klobuchar fielded questions regarding her time as a prosecutor. Klobuchar’s office in Minneapolis prosecuted the case of Myon Burrell, a black teenager accused of the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old girl, in 2002. The Minnesota senator referenced the story during her campaign to showcase her toughness on crime.
Klobuchar’s withdrawal comes on the heels of her cancellation of a rally scheduled in her home state of Minnesota Sunday night after Black Lives Matter protesters took over the stage on behalf of Burrell.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-02--CNN’s John King Claims ‘Both Sides’ Are Politicizing Coronavirus

Democrats have called for a bipartisan solution to COVID-19 while President Donald Trump and his advisers have repeatedly claimed that the Democrats ’ frustration with his messy response to the disease is a “ new hoax ” designed to take him down .
But to hear CNN ’ s “ Inside Politics ” host John King tell it , both parties are acting exactly the same .
During the show ’ s roundtable discussion on Monday , Axios politics editor Margaret Talev said that Trump ’ s attempts to politicize the coronavirus “ should be kept off to the side.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-hands-on , nonpartisan effort to try to understand how broad the spread of this is now and how much of a risk it really is , ” she said .
King argued that Democrats “ should heed that advice as well.
” “ Yes , specific policy concerns about the administration ’ s response , raise them , but there ’ s been politics on both sides , shall we say , ” the CNN host continued .
It ’ s unclear what King was referring to .
2020 Democratic candidates have focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus , and Democratic leaders have consistently pushed for both sides of the aisle to work together to combat the proliferating virus .

Gotta remember both sides, everyone!
Democrats have called for a bipartisan solution to COVID-19 while President Donald Trump and his advisers have repeatedly claimed that the Democrats’ frustration with his messy response to the disease is a “new hoax” designed to take him down.
But to hear CNN’s “Inside Politics” host John King tell it, both parties are acting exactly the same.
During the show’s roundtable discussion on Monday, Axios politics editor Margaret Talev said that Trump’s attempts to politicize the coronavirus “should be kept off to the side.”
“There needs to be an all-hands-on, nonpartisan effort to try to understand how broad the spread of this is now and how much of a risk it really is,” she said.
King argued that Democrats “should heed that advice as well.”
“Yes, specific policy concerns about the administration’s response, raise them, but there’s been politics on both sides, shall we say,” the CNN host continued.
It’s unclear what King was referring to. 2020 Democratic candidates have focused their attacks on Trump’s response to the virus, and Democratic leaders have consistently pushed for both sides of the aisle to work together to combat the proliferating virus.
Watch King below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--What We’re Watching For When The Super Tuesday Results Roll In

More than a third of the Democratic pledged delegates who will ultimately vote at the party ’ s convention this July will be assigned according to how voters choose their preferences today .
Fourteen states will cast ballots , and American Samoa will hold its caucuses .
Going into Tuesday , Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and former Vice President Joe Biden are roughly split in their delegate counts , 60 to 54 .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) has 8 .
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 26 and 7 delegates , respectively .
That makes Tuesday ’ s competition largely one between the two leaders so far — Sanders and Biden — with Warren and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg potentially picking up handfuls of delegates in split states and congressional districts .
A total of 1,344 delegates will be awarded — 480 to candidates who reach 15 % support in each of the respective states and 864 to candidates who reach that threshold in individual districts .
( Another thirteen delegates will be awarded in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes place March 3-10 . )
Biden should do well in the South , but he needs to deliver Following his landslide win in South Carolina Saturday , Biden is poised to do well in many southern Super Tuesday states .
The possible exception is Texas , where Sanders has pulled ahead .
But polls indicate Biden is strong in Virginia , North Carolina , Tennessee , Arkansas , and Oklahoma .
( In states with less polling data — like Arkansas as well as Alabama — results are less certain .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be nationally viable , he should be winning those states , ” Kyle Kondik , managing editor of Sabato ’ s Crystal Ball , the newsletter from the University of Virginia ’ s Center for Politics , told TPM .
“ This is an important test for him.
” Of these states , North Carolina is the most significant , with its 110 delegate pot trailing just California and Texas for size on Super Tuesday .
According to FiveThirtyEight ’ s polling average , Biden and Sanders are neck-and-neck in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performed well in polls , will be worth watching : The Vermont senator has outpaced the former vice president by as many as 15 points in one recent poll , and by four or five points in others .
Meanwhile , keep in mind that South Carolina ’ s Biden voters outperformed what surveys predicted , a result that could show up in other southern states .
“ Actual results reflect reality better than polls do , ” Kondik said .
Sanders looks good elsewhere , but expectations are high Outside the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 415 delegates — Sanders is poised to win big .
Still , it doesn ’ t look likely , especially with Klobuchar and Buttigieg out of the way , that he will be the only candidate to surpass the 15 % threshold in the Golden State .
“ Bernie is likely to do extremely well in the interior Bay counties — Alameda , San Francisco , Santa Clara , San Mateo , maybe even Contra Costa — because this is the core of the progressive community in California , ” Bruce Cain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stanford , told TPM .
Other progressive “ hotspots , ” often around universities , could similarly turn out for Sanders .
“ Where he may not do so well is when you get into the areas like the Inland Empire , ” and rural communities , Cain said .
“ That ’ s where Biden-slash-Bloomberg may pick up.
” Sanders is also showing large polling margins in Colorado , Maine , Utah , and his home state of Vermont .
He also may outperform Warren in her home state of Massachusetts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Klobuchar ’ s home state of Minnesota — though that race is an open question now that Klobuchar plans to endorse Biden .
With Warren and Bloomberg as strong runners-up , uncertainty remains Though Sanders and Biden are well ahead of their competitors going into Super Tuesday , Warren and Bloomberg will significantly complicate the counting .
Bloomberg is the obvious factor , having spent $ 217 million on advertising in Super Tuesday states , dwarfing his competition .
But without an electoral track record outside the Big Apple — and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former New York mayor has to justify his campaign .
“ If he does not clear threshold in either California or Texas , I don ’ t see how he can make an argument to stay in , ” said Joel Benenson , who worked for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and whose firm did polling this cycle for Pete Buttigieg .
Warren is another wildcard .
Though she ’ s not projected to win outright anywhere , she ’ ll likely put up solid second- and third-place numbers across the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Convention is its “ final play.
” “ The most important thing to look at tomorrow is , is this a two-person race or a four-person race ?
” Benenson said .

Super Tuesday is here.
More than a third of the Democratic pledged delegates who will ultimately vote at the party’s convention this July will be assigned according to how voters choose their preferences today. Fourteen states will cast ballots, and American Samoa will hold its caucuses.
Going into Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former Vice President Joe Biden are roughly split in their delegate counts, 60 to 54. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has 8. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), both of whom dropped out after South Carolina, had 26 and 7 delegates, respectively.
That makes Tuesday’s competition largely one between the two leaders so far — Sanders and Biden — with Warren and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg potentially picking up handfuls of delegates in split states and congressional districts.
A total of 1,344 delegates will be awarded — 480 to candidates who reach 15% support in each of the respective states and 864 to candidates who reach that threshold in individual districts. (Another 13 delegates will be awarded in the “Democrats Abroad” primary, which takes place March 3–10.)
Biden should do well in the South, but he needs to deliver
Following his landslide win in South Carolina Saturday, Biden is poised to do well in many southern Super Tuesday states.
The possible exception is Texas, where Sanders has pulled ahead. But polls indicate Biden is strong in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. (In states with less polling data — like Arkansas as well as Alabama — results are less certain.)
“To me, if Biden’s going to be nationally viable, he should be winning those states,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the newsletter from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told TPM. “This is an important test for him.”
Of these states, North Carolina is the most significant, with its 110 delegate pot trailing just California and Texas for size on Super Tuesday. According to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average, Biden and Sanders are neck-and-neck in the state.
Texas, where Sanders has performed well in polls, will be worth watching: The Vermont senator has outpaced the former vice president by as many as 15 points in one recent poll, and by four or five points in others.
Meanwhile, keep in mind that South Carolina’s Biden voters outperformed what surveys predicted, a result that could show up in other southern states. “Actual results reflect reality better than polls do,” Kondik said.
Sanders looks good elsewhere, but expectations are high
Outside the South — most notably in California, with its 415 delegates — Sanders is poised to win big. Still, it doesn’t look likely, especially with Klobuchar and Buttigieg out of the way, that he will be the only candidate to surpass the 15% threshold in the Golden State.
“Bernie is likely to do extremely well in the interior Bay counties — Alameda, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, maybe even Contra Costa — because this is the core of the progressive community in California,” Bruce Cain, a professor of political science at Stanford, told TPM. Other progressive “hotspots,” often around universities, could similarly turn out for Sanders.
“Where he may not do so well is when you get into the areas like the Inland Empire,” and rural communities, Cain said. “That’s where Biden-slash-Bloomberg may pick up.”
Sanders is also showing large polling margins in Colorado, Maine, Utah, and his home state of Vermont.
He also may outperform Warren in her home state of Massachusetts, and stands a chance at a plurality in Klobuchar’s home state of Minnesota — though that race is an open question now that Klobuchar has endorsed Biden.
With Warren and Bloomberg as strong runners-up, uncertainty remains
Though Sanders and Biden are well ahead of their competitors going into Super Tuesday, Warren and Bloomberg will significantly complicate the counting.
Bloomberg is the obvious factor, having spent $217 million on advertising in Super Tuesday states, dwarfing his competition. But without an electoral track record outside the Big Apple — and with Klobuchar and Buttigieg endorsing Biden — the former New York mayor has to justify his campaign.
“If he does not clear threshold in either California or Texas, I don’t see how he can make an argument to stay in,” said Joel Benenson, who worked for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and whose firm did polling this cycle for Pete Buttigieg.
Warren is another wildcard. Though she’s not projected to win outright anywhere, she’ll likely put up solid second- and third-place numbers across the country, and her campaign has said the Democratic National Convention is its “final play.”
“The most important thing to look at tomorrow is, is this a two-person race or a four-person race?” Benenson said.
Summer Concepcion contributed reporting.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--Judge: Trump Said He’d Declassify Russia Probe Docs But Never Actually Did

The Justice Department successfully convinced a federal judge that when the White House announced that President Trump was declassifying certain documents from the Russia investigation , he didn ’ t actually declassify the materials .
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled in the Justice Department ’ s favor Tuesday , in a case brought by media outlets seeking unredacted versions of the DOJ applications to surveil ex-Trump campaign advisor Carter Page .
The Justice Department has resisted removing the redactions in part it because it has claimed some parts of the applications remain classified and thus not covered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challengers countered with a September 2018 press release from then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that said that Trump had “ directed ” that the Page warrants be declassified .
At an earlier stage in the proceedings , Mehta had said that the press release was ambiguous enough for the case to move forward , while the judge rejected a DOJ request to resolve the case in its favor then .
Since then , the Justice Department filed a declaration from a top DOJ official claiming that the department never actually received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The declaration said that after it consulted with the White House , it was informed that no such order requiring immediate declassification of the documents existed .
“ DOJ ’ s declaration now makes clear that the Press Release was not a declassification order , ” Judge Mehta explained , denying the media outlets the unredacted documents .

The Justice Department successfully convinced a federal judge that when the White House announced that President Trump was declassifying certain documents from the Russia investigation, he didn’t actually declassify the materials.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled in the Justice Department’s favor Tuesday, in a case brought by media outlets seeking unredacted versions of the DOJ applications to surveil ex-Trump campaign advisor Carter Page. The Justice Department has resisted removing the redactions in part it because it has claimed some parts of the applications remain classified and thus not covered by the Freedom of Information Act.
The challengers countered with a September 2018 press release from then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that said that Trump had “directed” that the Page warrants be declassified.
At an earlier stage in the proceedings, Mehta had said that the press release was ambiguous enough for the case to move forward, while the judge rejected a DOJ request to resolve the case in its favor then.
Since then, the Justice Department filed a declaration from a top DOJ official claiming that the department never actually received a declassification order after Sanders’ statement. The declaration said that after it consulted with the White House, it was informed that no such order requiring immediate declassification of the documents existed.
“DOJ’s declaration now makes clear that the Press Release was not a declassification order,” Judge Mehta explained, denying the media outlets the unredacted documents.
Read the opinion below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--Trump Brags About His ‘Very Good’ Relationship With Taliban Co-Founder

During his visit to the National Institutes of Health on Tuesday afternoon , President Donald Trump touted the apparently excellent @ @ @ @ @ Taliban co-founder and deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar , with whom he ’ d spoken @ @ @ @ @ earlier .
“ The relationship is very good that I have with the Mullah and @ @ @ @ @ long conversation today , ” he told reporters .
“ They want to cease the @ @ @ @ @ like to cease violence also.
” Trump said that the U.S. and the terrorist organization @ @ @ @ @ common interest ” because “ we ’ re looking to get this ended.
” On @ @ @ @ @ peace deal with Taliban leaders in which the U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops from @ @

With friends like these…
During his visit to the National Institutes of Health on Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump touted the apparently excellent relationship he now has with Taliban co-founder and deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, with whom he’d spoken on the phone several hours earlier.
“The relationship is very good that I have with the Mullah and we had a good, long conversation today,” he told reporters. “They want to cease the violence, they’d like to cease violence also.”
Trump said that the U.S. and the terrorist organization “all have a very common interest” because “we’re looking to get this ended.”
On Saturday, Trump signed a peace deal with Taliban leaders in which the U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
Watch Trump below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--READ: Trump Campaign Sues WaPo For Defamation Over Russian Collusion Claim

The Trump campaign has now sued two of the country ’ s major newspapers for defamation , accusing the Washington Post in D.C. federal court on Tuesday of slander over a June 2019 column .
The suit follows just one week after the Trump campaign sued the New York Times over a March 2019 opinion column .
In the new lawsuit – filed by the Gawker-killer attorney Charles Harder – the campaign accuses the Post of acting “ with reckless disregard for the truth ” in publishing a column by opinion writer Greg Sargent titled “ Trump just invited another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one more likely.
” The lawsuit contends that the Post lied in the article about the Trump campaign seeking help from Russia when Sargent wrote “ that Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that the Campaign ‘ tried to conspire with ’ a ‘ sweeping and systematic ’ attack by Russia against the 2016 United States presidential election.
” The Trump campaign claimed in the suit that the statement is “ false and defamatory ” because the Mueller report itself supposedly contracts it .
The lawsuit also claims that a second opinion piece , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Sargent article is defamatory .
The Trump campaign focused in the lawsuit on a phrase from the Waldman article saying , “ who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign , now that he has invited them to offer their assistance ?
” In full context , Waldman was referring to an interview President Trump had done in which he said that “ it ’ s not an interference , they have information ” after the interviewer , George Stephanopoulos , asked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2020 election .
“ There has never been any statement by anyone associated with the Campaign or the administration ‘ inviting ’ Russia or North Korea to assist the Campaign in 2019 or beyond , ” the lawsuit reads .
“ There also has never been any reporting that the Campaign has ever had any contact with North Korea relating to any United States election.
” The Trump campaign claimed in the suit that the articles were forcing them “ to expend funds on corrective advertisements and to otherwise publicize the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia in 2016 and is not seeking Russia ’ s or North Korea ’ s help in the 2020 election.
” The lawsuit also suggests that the Washington Post published the column as part of an effort to aid the Democratic Party .
“ The Post has endorsed the Democrat in every United States presidential election since it started endorsing a presidential candidate in 1976 , with the exception of 1988 when The Post did not endorse any candidate , ” the suit reads .
The Trump campaign is seeking “ millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The Trump campaign has now sued two of the country’s major newspapers for defamation, accusing the Washington Post in D.C. federal court on Tuesday of slander over a June 2019 column.
The suit follows just one week after the Trump campaign sued the New York Times over a March 2019 opinion column.
In the new lawsuit – filed by the Gawker-killer attorney Charles Harder – the campaign accuses the Post of acting “with reckless disregard for the truth” in publishing a column by opinion writer Greg Sargent titled “Trump just invited another Russian attack. Mitch McConnell is making one more likely.”
(ed. note: Sargent worked as a reporter and blogger at TPM more than a decade ago.)
The lawsuit contends that the Post lied in the article about the Trump campaign seeking help from Russia when Sargent wrote “that Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that the Campaign ‘tried to conspire with’ a ‘sweeping and systematic’ attack by Russia against the 2016 United States presidential election.”
The Trump campaign claimed in the suit that the statement is “false and defamatory” because the Mueller report itself supposedly contracts it.
“The Mueller Report concluded there was no conspiracy between the Campaign and the Russian government, and no United States person intentionally coordinated with Russia’s efforts to interfere with the 2016 election,” the complaint reads.
The lawsuit also claims that a second opinion piece, by Paul Waldman, published one week after the Sargent article is defamatory.
The Trump campaign focused in the lawsuit on a phrase from the Waldman article saying, “who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign, now that he has invited them to offer their assistance?”
In full context, Waldman was referring to an interview President Trump had done in which he said that “it’s not an interference, they have information” after the interviewer, George Stephanopoulos, asked the President if he would accept foreign help in the 2020 election.
“There has never been any statement by anyone associated with the Campaign or the administration ‘inviting’ Russia or North Korea to assist the Campaign in 2019 or beyond,” the lawsuit reads. “There also has never been any reporting that the Campaign has ever had any contact with North Korea relating to any United States election.”
The Trump campaign claimed in the suit that the articles were forcing them “to expend funds on corrective advertisements and to otherwise publicize the facts that it did not conspire with Russia in 2016 and is not seeking Russia’s or North Korea’s help in the 2020 election.”
The lawsuit also suggests that the Washington Post published the column as part of an effort to aid the Democratic Party.
“The Post has endorsed the Democrat in every United States presidential election since it started endorsing a presidential candidate in 1976, with the exception of 1988 when The Post did not endorse any candidate,” the suit reads.
The Trump campaign is seeking “millions of dollars” in damages from the suit.
Read the lawsuit here: