buzzfeed--2020-02-05--One Set Of Iowa Caucuses Did Go To Plan This Week — For Donald Trump

The strategy seems to be less about literal winning than , as is often the case in Trump world , the energy and appearance of winning .
The other ( also weird ) caucus .
WEST DES MOINES , Iowa — As chaos continued around the Democratic caucuses this week , something almost as weird was happening at the same time in Iowa : Dozens and dozens of Trump cabinet members , relatives , and supporters showed up in Des Moines .
First there was a big Trump rally , and then a press conference involving a host of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrogates fanned out across the state to speak to Republican caucusgoers — because Trump is technically facing two primary challenges , and Republican caucuses were being held .
The campaign ’ s decision to flaunt its dominance in Iowa , a safe red state where Trump did not face a serious challenge in the caucuses nor will he in the general election , is a highly unusual move for an incumbent president ’ s operation .
The strategy seems to be less about literal winning than , as is often the case in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of winning ; by camping out in Iowa , the campaign was able to attract extra media attention in a week that normally would have been commanded by Democratic politics and reemphasize the president ’ s dominance of his own party .
“ We are at the starting line , ” Brad Parscale , Trump ’ s campaign manager , told a caucus watch party the Trump campaign assembled in West Des Moines .
“ Tonight President Trump posted a record performance in the well-run GOP Iowa caucuses with record turnout for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement released later that night , actually touting Trump ’ s victory over former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld and former Illinois representative Joe Walsh , his two rivals for the nomination , both of whom are running skeletal protest campaigns .
But of course Trump won .
At caucuses attended by his surrogates , it was clear how deeply bonded his supporters are to him .
At the Community Heights Alliance Church in Newton , a couple hundred people sat in the pews to listen to Kimberly Guilfoyle , a senior campaign adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president ’ s son Don Jr. , make the case for Trump .
“ We have 80 of our best and brightest all across Iowa , ” she said before reading a letter from Trump .
“ It starts , ‘ Iowa ... ’ — unlike Joe Biden , he knows where we are.
” Guilfoyle credited Trump with economic successes and said he had “ economically emancipated ” American women .
She framed the impeachment trial as a way for Democrats to “ steal votes ” from those who voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call him the honey badger , because no matter how much they come after him , he stands tall and proud.
” Members of the crowd — several in MAGA hats — waved “ Veterans for Trump ” signs and applauded liberally .
Neither the Welsh nor Weld campaigns sent surrogates .
Paulette Simons , 69 , a retired receptionist , said she decided to attend the caucus , even though its results were a foregone conclusion , because “ I want him to stay president.
” She said Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and school choice drove her .
Ben Carson , secretary of housing and urban development , a popular figure among the evangelical Christian voters who comprise an important bloc of Iowa ’ s Republican electorate , also turned out for Trump at a Lutheran church in Clive , a suburb of Des Moines .
The assembled voters were clearly thrilled to see him , giving him a standing ovation on his way in and out .
One man , Bob Underberg , 77 , was wearing a Ben Carson 2016 campaign T-shirt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 74 , said they came out that night because Carson would be there , but they were going to caucus for Trump , “ of course.
” ( “ That ’ s a silly question , ” Doralyn said . )
Carson started by telling the voters that Trump often asks him , “ 'Ben , aren ’ t you glad that you didn ’ t win ? '
I have to admit , the answer to that is yes — because the way the poor man is treated 24/7 , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The entire room laughed , the warmth toward him palpable .
Holding a piece of paper , he made a pitch for Trump ’ s reelection in his signature soft-spoken style : touting Trump ’ s first-term achievements , bashing the media , and warning against the Democrats ’ “ socialism.
” “ We 're talking about socialism versus the system that made America the greatest nation in the world , ” he said .
“ And this is what this the election is fundamentally about.
” He hustled out right after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucus chair introduced Walsh ’ s representative , campaign official Ann Herberger , pronouncing her name “ Hergerberger.
” Herberger received a round of polite , if subdued , applause .
She was careful to tell the voters that Walsh 's campaign respected the voters and the process , and it would respect the result .
The pitch was undeniably lukewarm and seemed carefully calibrated to separate Walsh from other “ never Trump ” Republicans who are harsher toward the president .
“ Just because we tend to disagree on who the candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t love our country and that we don ’ t love democracy and that I don ’ t love being a Republican , ” Herberger said .
“ Doesn ’ t matter if we disagree or if we agree wholeheartedly , it takes Republicans to get things done.
” “ I ’ m not a Republican who didn ’ t believe that Donald Trump got duly elected , ” Herberger said .
“ Absolutely he did .
The people spoke , he is our president , and I respect him .
... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walsh , and whatever the outcome is tonight , we will respect that.
” No one in the room seemed at all enthusiastic about or even aware of the other Republicans running .
But , actually , they ’ ve been campaigning — or , they did , a little , kind of .
Weld , who announced his bid against Trump for the Republican nomination last April , arrived in Iowa on Saturday , two days before the caucuses .
He stopped for dinner at Centro and ran into his old friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were there to campaign for their old friend Joe Biden .
Weld ’ s pitch , constructed around his identity as a centrist moderate , is seriously out of step with today ’ s Republican Party .
And despite running for the Republican nomination , Weld would be happy to vote for a Democrat — if the nominee were someone like Mike Bloomberg or Joe Biden .
He told BuzzFeed News he was “ delighted ” Bloomberg had entered the race — “ I tried to persuade him last year to run as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to do that , '' Weld said .
`` At that point , he was thinking about running as an independent.
” He said he would “ be happy with any of the centrist Democrats ” and would vote for Biden , whom he ’ s also “ known for a couple of decades , ” in a “ heartbeat.
” The next day , as Kerry was caught in the lobby of the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel musing about whether he would be “ fucking deluded ” to get into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a few coffee shops in Des Moines to meet the patrons .
Before going inside the Raygun store in the city 's hip East Village , Weld gaggled with a handful of reporters near a few curious onlookers .
Inside the store , Weld ambled around , peering at the T-shirts on the racks .
He chose a red “ Mahomes for President ” T-shirt , a reference to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes .
“ Buy something for your wife , ” one of his aides urged .
( He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Signs.
” ) Nearby , Tony Cupp , 36 , from Des Moines , stood wearing a Weld T-shirt .
He ’ s supporting Weld because he “ wanted an alternative to President Trump without crossing over . ''
He added , `` I think the governor is an outstanding alternative.
” He said he would go out to caucus for Weld ; he and his wife , Laura Cupp , 33 , said they expected it to be pretty small .
“ I think a lot of people don ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I expect it to be a room with party officials and myself and my wife and not much else , ” Cupp said .
Hours later , Weld ’ s ( and Trump ’ s ) rival Walsh — a former member of Congress from Illinois who was elected during the tea party wave of 2010 and later gained further notoriety as an unconstrained , and sometimes racist , online right-wing personality — was holding a campaign event about 30 minutes away .
Walsh ’ s pitch has been different from Weld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the true conservative alternative to Trump .
Walsh was speaking at Simpson College in Indianola in a classroom filled with students .
It turned out that the students were mostly high schoolers from Massachusetts there on a school trip to check out the Iowa caucuses , and thus ineligible to support Walsh in any electorally meaningful way .
After warning the audience that he had a migraine , Walsh took questions for nearly an hour , his delivery impassioned and sometimes shouted .
Walsh insisted on high-fiving nearly every questioner ( “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) , most of whom were the high school students .
Walsh told BuzzFeed News he thought the Trump campaign ’ s decision to make a show of force around the caucuses “ means they ’ re afraid of turnout.
” “ The party in this state has given us their middle finger , ” Walsh said .
( Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann couldn ’ t come up with Walsh ’ s last name in an interview with New York magazine ’ s Olivia Nuzzi last week , calling him “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been here for months , ” he said .
“ I ’ m the only Republican campaigning here .
Bill Weld ’ s come in a couple of times .
We ’ ve had to create our own organization .
We have people on our team who have worked in the Iowa caucuses before .
We have a huge list of potential caucusgoers we ’ ve been working with on the phone.
” Weld also complained about his treatment by the state party , saying , “ We ’ ve had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re the Trump organization.
” But he said his strategy didn ’ t hinge on relationships with the state party structure , instead focusing on “ increasing the number of voters voting in the Republican primary.
” He said the turnout of young voters had been “ impressive ” in his stops at coffee shops earlier that day .
But at least Iowa held a Republican caucus ; several other states ’ Republican Party organizations aren ’ t even going to hold primaries or caucuses , refusing to countenance possible ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s incumbency .
And even in states where the contests will go ahead , it ’ s clear that it ’ s merely a formality .
Weld told BuzzFeed News that even in his home state of Massachusetts , the state party is “ dead set against me.
” In the end , the whole thing seemed more like an exercise for Trump supporters to make fun of the Democrats , even from their random perch in Iowa .
As news of the results ' delay began to spread on Monday night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reelection team , was asked what he thought as he exited a caucus watch party .
He flashed a smile and shouted : “ Typical !
”

Carson started by telling the voters that Trump often asks him, “'Ben, aren’t you glad that you didn’t win?' I have to admit, the answer to that is yes — because the way the poor man is treated 24/7, just criticism of everything,” he said. The entire room laughed, the warmth toward him palpable.
Holding a piece of paper, he made a pitch for Trump’s reelection in his signature soft-spoken style: touting Trump’s first-term achievements, bashing the media, and warning against the Democrats’ “socialism.”
“We're talking about socialism versus the system that made America the greatest nation in the world,” he said. “And this is what this the election is fundamentally about.” He hustled out right after speaking.
After Carson left, the caucus chair introduced Walsh’s representative, campaign official Ann Herberger, pronouncing her name “Hergerberger.” Herberger received a round of polite, if subdued, applause. She was careful to tell the voters that Walsh's campaign respected the voters and the process, and it would respect the result. The pitch was undeniably lukewarm and seemed carefully calibrated to separate Walsh from other “never Trump” Republicans who are harsher toward the president.
“Just because we tend to disagree on who the candidate is doesn’t mean we don’t love our country and that we don’t love democracy and that I don’t love being a Republican,” Herberger said. “Doesn’t matter if we disagree or if we agree wholeheartedly, it takes Republicans to get things done.”
“I’m not a Republican who didn’t believe that Donald Trump got duly elected,” Herberger said. “Absolutely he did. The people spoke, he is our president, and I respect him. ... My hope is you will consider Congressman Walsh, and whatever the outcome is tonight, we will respect that.”
No one in the room seemed at all enthusiastic about or even aware of the other Republicans running. But, actually, they’ve been campaigning — or, they did, a little, kind of.
Weld, who announced his bid against Trump for the Republican nomination last April, arrived in Iowa on Saturday, two days before the caucuses. He stopped for dinner at Centro and ran into his old friends John Kerry and Chris Dodd, who were there to campaign for their old friend Joe Biden.
Weld’s pitch, constructed around his identity as a centrist moderate, is seriously out of step with today’s Republican Party.
And despite running for the Republican nomination, Weld would be happy to vote for a Democrat — if the nominee were someone like Mike Bloomberg or Joe Biden. He told BuzzFeed News he was “delighted” Bloomberg had entered the race — “I tried to persuade him last year to run as a Republican. He didn’t want to do that," Weld said. "At that point, he was thinking about running as an independent.” He said he would “be happy with any of the centrist Democrats” and would vote for Biden, whom he’s also “known for a couple of decades,” in a “heartbeat.”
The next day, as Kerry was caught in the lobby of the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel musing about whether he would be “fucking deluded” to get into the Democratic race himself, Weld stopped by a few coffee shops in Des Moines to meet the patrons. Before going inside the Raygun store in the city's hip East Village, Weld gaggled with a handful of reporters near a few curious onlookers. Inside the store, Weld ambled around, peering at the T-shirts on the racks. He chose a red “Mahomes for President” T-shirt, a reference to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “Buy something for your wife,” one of his aides urged. (He chose a T-shirt about “Midwestern Zodiac Signs.”)
Nearby, Tony Cupp, 36, from Des Moines, stood wearing a Weld T-shirt. He’s supporting Weld because he “wanted an alternative to President Trump without crossing over." He added, "I think the governor is an outstanding alternative.” He said he would go out to caucus for Weld; he and his wife, Laura Cupp, 33, said they expected it to be pretty small.
“I think a lot of people don’t even realize that there is a Republican caucus. I expect it to be a room with party officials and myself and my wife and not much else,” Cupp said.
Hours later, Weld’s (and Trump’s) rival Walsh — a former member of Congress from Illinois who was elected during the tea party wave of 2010 and later gained further notoriety as an unconstrained, and sometimes racist, online right-wing personality — was holding a campaign event about 30 minutes away. Walsh’s pitch has been different from Weld’s, focusing on portraying himself as the true conservative alternative to Trump.
Walsh was speaking at Simpson College in Indianola in a classroom filled with students.


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--Iowa Caucus Results Are Finally Coming In After Reporting Delays

The data initially being reported is not necessarily indicative of who is actually leading in the race or what the margins will be .
The Iowa Democratic Party has begun to release results from Monday ’ s presidential caucus after a nightmarish delay set the campaigns on edge .
With 71 % of precincts reporting , the results were to be released after what the state 's Democratic Party said was a “ coding error ” in an app being used in caucuses across Iowa .
“ The reporting of the results and circumstances surrounding the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair of the Iowa Democratic Party , said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon .
“ The bottom line is we hit a stumbling block.
” Campaigns said they were not told when the Iowa Democratic Party planned on releasing more results .
For the first time this year , the IDP released three sets of results .
When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa , you select your candidate on the first vote .
A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room .
This is called the first alignment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t meet 15 % of the vote , you can pick another candidate , go home , or form an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15 % .
Then the caucus chair counts again .
That ’ s the final alignment .
The final alignment is used to determine delegates for the state convention and , ultimately , delegates for the national convention this summer .
This is called the delegate equivalent .
We 're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incomplete , and not necessarily indicative of what the margins will be .
So please be cautious with this data : None of this is how the caucus was supposed to go .
The Iowa Democratic Party determined late Monday night that there was a technical problem in how the caucus results were being reported , which the party said was not due to a hack but rather an issue with how an app was bringing data from individual precincts to the central party .
The party has consistently said throughout the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be sound .
“ As precinct caucus results started coming in , the IDP ran them through an accuracy and quality check , '' Price said in a Tuesday morning statement .
`` It became clear that there were inconsistencies with the reports . ''
The party had determined by the morning that the issue was `` due to a coding issue in the reporting system , '' Price said .
`` This issue was identified and fixed . ''
The delay in results has created an unexpected vacuum , and several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on internal data .
One candidate — Pete Buttigieg — declared victory outright on Monday night .
Campaigns have been livid with the state party , expressing frustration in a series of late-night calls into Tuesday morning .
Some campaigns have suggested the actual results could be flawed .
Before releasing the first batch of results , Price apologized for the boondoggle from the night before .
He also tried to assure people that the results being released were accurate and backed up by a paper trail , addressing concerns and conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. — that the Democratic primary had been rigged .
Price also added that the party would be conducting an independent review .
“ We have been working day and night to make sure that these results are accurate , ” he said .
“ The underlying data , the raw data , is secure .
It ’ s always been secure .
”

The Iowa Democratic Party has now reported 100% of the results of Monday's Iowa presidential caucuses after a nightmarish delay — but it still might take even longer to determine an actual winner because of what look like errors in the data.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to "recanvass" the caucus results on Thursday morning. In practice, that would mean a hand audit of the papers used in each precinct to ensure the math calculating delegates is correct.
The Iowa Democratic Party indicated on Thursday that the party will only recanvass if a campaign formally requests the process. But news outlets, including NBC News, have already said they will not project a winner off of the data.
As the state party has continued to report results, some news outlets have found what they believe to be errors in the reporting of the extremely close results. Currently, Pete Buttigieg has an extremely narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in the delegate count — less than two delegates — in a virtual tie.
For the first time this year, the IDP released three sets of results. When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa, you select your candidate on the first vote. A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room. This is called the first alignment.
After that, if your candidate doesn’t meet 15% of the vote, you can pick another candidate, go home, or form an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15%. Then the caucus chair counts again. That’s the final alignment.
The final alignment is used to determine delegates for the state convention and, ultimately, delegates for the national convention this summer. This is called the delegate equivalent.
Sanders, meanwhile, thanked Iowa for a resounding victory on Monday at a press conference in New Hampshire.
"This difference," Sanders added, "no matter who inches ahead in the end, is meaningless because we are both likely to receive the same number of national delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee."
Asked why he was claiming victory when Buttigieg has also claimed victory, Sanders said, "Because I got 6,000 more votes."
We're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate equivalent here. The data is still incomplete. So please be cautious with this data:


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--Romney’s Vote To Remove Trump From Office Sparked Rumors About The “White Horse Prophecy"

Minutes after Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney announced Wednesday that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial , Twitter users began wondering if this was Romney ’ s “ white horse '' moment .
It was n't — and it ’ s far from clear whether the supposed prophecy even entered into Romney ’ s consideration .
The White Horse Prophecy comes from an often-contested statement believed to have been made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founder Joseph Smith .
According to the claim , in 1840 , Smith said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the US Constitution hung by a thread , LDS elders would step in `` on the white horse '' to save the country .
“ In spite of fact that I don ’ t put stock in the historical accuracy of the so-called ‘ White Horse prophecy , ’ I could almost be convinced to be a believer after [ Romney ] announced he ’ ll be the lone [ Republican senator ] to do the right thing to vote to convict Trump , upholding the Constitution , ” historian Barbara Jones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works as the executive director of the Mormon Historical Association , an academic institute independent from the LDS church , told BuzzFeed News that she thinks Romney is too smart to believe the White Horse Prophecy .
“ I think he 's just doing it based on principals , ” she said .
“ He said he took an oath before God as a senator , and Mormons also take an oath before God to be honest.
” “ Mitt Romney voting like the White Horse Prophecy is real .
Good for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The authenticity of Smith ’ s prophecy is heavily disputed , and it was not widely known within Mormonism until conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck began to promote it a decade ago .
In 2010 , the LDS church issued a statement saying the folklore is unsubstantiated “ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is politically neutral and does not endorse or promote any candidate , party or platform , ” the church said at the time .
“ Accordingly , we hope that the campaign practices of political candidates would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or connected to the church .
”

Minutes after Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney announced Wednesday that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial, Twitter users began wondering if this was Romney’s “white horse" moment.
It wasn't — and it’s far from clear whether the supposed prophecy even entered into Romney’s consideration.
The White Horse Prophecy comes from an often-contested statement believed to have been made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founder Joseph Smith. According to the claim, in 1840, Smith said that, one day in the future, when the US Constitution hung by a thread, LDS elders would step in "on the white horse" to save the country.
“In spite of fact that I don’t put stock in the historical accuracy of the so-called ‘White Horse prophecy,’ I could almost be convinced to be a believer after [Romney] announced he’ll be the lone [Republican senator] to do the right thing to vote to convict Trump, upholding the Constitution,” historian Barbara Jones Brown tweeted Wednesday.
Brown, who works as the executive director of the Mormon History Association, an institute independent from the LDS church, told BuzzFeed News that she thinks Romney is too smart to believe the White Horse Prophecy.
“I think he's just doing it based on principles,” she said. “He said he took an oath before God as a senator, and Mormons also take an oath before God to be honest.”
“Mitt Romney voting like the White Horse Prophecy is real. Good for him though,” another user tweeted.
The authenticity of Smith’s prophecy is heavily disputed, and it was not widely known within Mormonism until conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck began to promote it a decade ago. In 2010, the LDS church issued a statement saying the folklore is unsubstantiated
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is politically neutral and does not endorse or promote any candidate, party or platform,” the church said at the time. “Accordingly, we hope that the campaign practices of political candidates would not suggest that their candidacy is supported by or connected to the church.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--Donald Trump Has Been Acquitted Of Both Articles Of Impeachment

Trump was found not guilty of abuse of power on a 52–48 vote and not guilty of obstruction of Congress on a 53–47 vote .
The Senate voted Wednesday afternoon , mostly across party lines , to dismiss the impeachment articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Sen. Mitt Romney was the only Republican to join Democrats in voting to remove Trump from office over the abuse of power charge .
Romney joined the rest of the Senate ’ s 52 Republicans in voting against the second charge .
WASHINGTON — The US Senate has voted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges he faced .
He will not be removed from office .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes , or subscribe on the iHeartRadio app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to your favorite shows .
Trump 's defense team and allies had repeatedly argued the impeachment and removal trial were not bipartisan , seeking to delegitimize the proceedings .
Following the vote , Trump 's lawyer Jay Sekulow said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney 's decision .
Asked about the bipartisan nature of the conviction , Sekulow repeatedly said , “ It was one vote on one count.
” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham took a similar line , saying in a statement , `` only the President ’ s political opponents — all Democrats , and one failed Republican presidential candidate — voted for the manufactured impeachment articles . ''
Trump 's initial response to the vote was to tweet a video of a fake Time magazine cover suggesting he will be president forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak at 12 p.m. Thursday from the White House `` to discuss our Country ’ s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax ! ''
Trump 's campaign , meanwhile , said it `` only got bigger and stronger as a result of this nonsense '' and crowed that the president had been `` totally vindicated . ''
Romney ’ s vote is politically awkward for Senate Republicans because they have spent recent weeks portraying the House votes to impeach Trump as purely partisan .
Not a single House Republican voted in favor of either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whereas opposition was “ bipartisan ” because two Democrats voted against at least one article ( one of those Democrats , Rep. Jeff Van Drew , has since joined the Republican Party ) .
Romney ’ s vote flipped that dynamic .
Democrats can now advertise there was a bipartisan vote to remove Trump from office , blocked only by Republicans .
Sen. Bernie Sanders said `` it ’ s a sad day for the country '' as he left the Senate .
`` I think that the acquittal of Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican voting to impeach sends a signal to future presidents that you can operate above the law .
You do n't have to pay attention to the Constitution , '' he said .
Trump ’ s impeachment trial took just over two weeks , the shortest of the three presidential impeachment trials in US history .
The 1999 trial of Bill Clinton lasted five weeks , and the 1868 trial of Andrew Johnson lasted over seven weeks .
Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives in December over charges that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withhold nearly $ 400 million in military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the country launching an investigation into the family of a political rival , former vice president Joe Biden .
The administration stonewalled the House impeachment inquiry , leading to a second charge of obstruction of Congress .
Democrats denounced the Senate trial as a sham because Republicans blocked all attempts to subpoena additional documents or witnesses , including John Bolton , in particular ; the former national security adviser reportedly wrote in a forthcoming book manuscript that Trump told him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for the Biden investigation .
Republicans rejected the charges against Trump as a politically motivated attempt to overturn the results of the last election .
A couple of hours before senators were to vote on the impeachment articles , protesters filed into the Capitol 's rotunda .
A group of 10 locked arms during a sit-in and shouted “ Trump is guilty , ” many of them wearing shirts that read “ ARREST TRUMP ” and “ AN ACQUITTAL IS A COVER-UP.
” Capitol Police removed the protesters within minutes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It had long been clear that Trump would not be removed from office .
Conviction required supermajority support of 67 out of 100 senators ; with Republicans controlling 53 seats , this was never in play .
Instead , the key question became whether four or more Republicans would side with Democrats to call witnesses .
In the end , only two — Romney and Susan Collins of Maine — did .
Collins ultimately voted against both articles of impeachment .
Some moderate Democrats , including Sens .
Joe Manchin of West Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doug Jones of Alabama , had considered voting no on one or both articles of impeachment , but all three said Wednesday that they would vote to remove Trump from office on both charges .
`` I take no pleasure in these votes , and am saddened this is the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren .
I have always wanted this president , and every president , to succeed , but I deeply love our country and must do what I think is best for the nation , '' Manchin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Ukraine scandal has consumed the past several months of Trump ’ s term since news broke in September of an anonymous whistleblower report that had been written in August .
The report laid out secondhand allegations that Trump had used his official powers to extract an investigation into the Bidens from Ukraine .
The identities of federal whistleblowers are protected by law , but several high-ranking politicians have accused the individual of having a political agenda and demanded the whistleblower be called to testify before Congress .
Rep. Adam Schiff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying every allegation in the report was later backed up by firsthand testimony in the House impeachment inquiry .
After the votes Wednesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thanked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for his work presiding over the trial during the last two and a half weeks .
The Senate presented Roberts with `` the golden gavel , '' which McConnell said is typically given to senators after they 've spent 100 hours in the chair , presiding over the Senate .
`` But I think we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his due and then some , '' McConnell said .
The Senate adjourned as a court of impeachment at 4:41 p.m. , formally ending Trump 's trial .
The trial 's conclusion will allow the Senate to return to its normal business — largely confirming swaths of Trump 's judicial nominees .
True to form , McConnell teed up votes on five new judges as the Senate left for the week .
The trial 's end also means Democratic senators running for president will get to return to the campaign trail ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The candidates had been forced to stay in Washington for much of the last two weeks to attend the trial , including on the day of the disastrous Iowa caucuses earlier this week .
One of the candidates , Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , appeared to be in the middle of a very long week as she left the Senate on Wednesday , telling reporters , `` I 'll never forget it .
And I 'm very proud of Sen .
Romney . ''
This is a developing story .
Check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter.

Trump's defense team and allies had repeatedly argued the impeachment and removal trial were not bipartisan, seeking to delegitimize the proceedings. Following the vote, Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow said he had "no reaction" to Romney's decision. Asked about the bipartisan nature of the conviction, Sekulow repeatedly said, “It was one vote on one count.”
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham took a similar line, saying in a statement, "only the President’s political opponents — all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate — voted for the manufactured impeachment articles."
Trump's initial response to the vote was to tweet a video of a fake Time magazine cover suggesting he will be president forever. He later tweeted that he will speak at 12 p.m. Thursday from the White House "to discuss our Country’s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" Trump's campaign, meanwhile, said it "only got bigger and stronger as a result of this nonsense" and crowed that the president had been "totally vindicated."
Romney’s vote is politically awkward for Senate Republicans because they have spent recent weeks portraying the House votes to impeach Trump as purely partisan. Not a single House Republican voted in favor of either impeachment article, they have repeatedly stressed, whereas opposition was “bipartisan” because two Democrats voted against at least one article (one of those Democrats, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, has since joined the Republican Party).
Romney’s vote flipped that dynamic. Democrats can now advertise there was a bipartisan vote to remove Trump from office, blocked only by Republicans.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said "it’s a sad day for the country" as he left the Senate. "I think that the acquittal of Trump and the fact that we only had one Republican voting to impeach sends a signal to future presidents that you can operate above the law. You don't have to pay attention to the Constitution," he said.
Trump’s impeachment trial took just over two weeks, the shortest of the three presidential impeachment trials in US history. The 1999 trial of Bill Clinton lasted five weeks, and the 1868 trial of Andrew Johnson lasted over seven weeks.
Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives in December over charges that he abused the powers of his office to withhold nearly $400 million in military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the country launching an investigation into the family of a political rival, former vice president Joe Biden. The administration stonewalled the House impeachment inquiry, leading to a second charge of obstruction of Congress.
Democrats denounced the Senate trial as a sham because Republicans blocked all attempts to subpoena additional documents or witnesses, including John Bolton, in particular; the former national security adviser reportedly wrote in a forthcoming book manuscript that Trump told him directly he was withholding the Ukrainian aid in exchange for the Biden investigation.
Republicans rejected the charges against Trump as a politically motivated attempt to overturn the results of the last election.
A couple of hours before senators were to vote on the impeachment articles, protesters filed into the Capitol's rotunda. A group of 10 locked arms during a sit-in and shouted “Trump is guilty,” many of them wearing shirts that read “ARREST TRUMP” and “AN ACQUITTAL IS A COVER-UP.” Capitol Police removed the protesters within minutes and escorted them out of the building.
It had long been clear that Trump would not be removed from office. Conviction required supermajority support of 67 out of 100 senators; with Republicans controlling 53 seats, this was never in play. Instead, the key question became whether four or more Republicans would side with Democrats to call witnesses. In the end, only two — Romney and Susan Collins of Maine — did. Collins ultimately voted against both articles of impeachment.
Some moderate Democrats, including Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Doug Jones of Alabama, had considered voting no on one or both articles of impeachment, but all three said Wednesday that they would vote to remove Trump from office on both charges.
"I take no pleasure in these votes, and am saddened this is the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. I have always wanted this president, and every president, to succeed, but I deeply love our country and must do what I think is best for the nation," Manchin said in a statement just before the vote.
The Ukraine scandal has consumed the past several months of Trump’s term since news broke in September of an anonymous whistleblower report that had been written in August. The report laid out secondhand allegations that Trump had used his official powers to extract an investigation into the Bidens from Ukraine.
The identities of federal whistleblowers are protected by law, but several high-ranking politicians have accused the individual of having a political agenda and demanded the whistleblower be called to testify before Congress. Rep. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chair, refused, saying every allegation in the report was later backed up by firsthand testimony in the House impeachment inquiry.
After the votes Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thanked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for his work presiding over the trial during the last two and a half weeks. The Senate presented Roberts with "the golden gavel," which McConnell said is typically given to senators after they've spent 100 hours in the chair, presiding over the Senate. "But I think we can agree that chief justice has put in his due and then some," McConnell said.
The Senate adjourned as a court of impeachment at 4:41 p.m., formally ending Trump's trial.
The trial's conclusion will allow the Senate to return to its normal business — largely confirming swaths of Trump's judicial nominees. True to form, McConnell teed up votes on five new judges as the Senate left for the week.
The trial's end also means Democratic senators running for president will get to return to the campaign trail ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11. The candidates had been forced to stay in Washington for much of the last two weeks to attend the trial, including on the day of the disastrous Iowa caucuses earlier this week.
One of the candidates, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, appeared to be in the middle of a very long week as she left the Senate on Wednesday, telling reporters, "I'll never forget it. And I'm very proud of Sen. Romney."


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--Bernie Sanders’ Iowa Surge Is Settling Into A Surreal Anticlimax

MILFORD , New Hampshire — What do you say after a year of work — work by the candidate and his staffers , by the volunteers those staffers recruit , and by all the people who show up to caucus in common cause on the big day — when it all comes down to one surreal anticlimax ?
At 12:30 p.m. the day after a coding error derailed the Iowa caucuses , still facing an uncertain top finish , the Bernie Sanders campaign convened an all-staff call .
“ We can not lose sight of what matters most here : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign manager , Faiz Shakir , told his team after a sleepless night .
As results started coming in on Tuesday , there was no great celebration , just a quiet mix of exhaustion and resolve , for the sort-of-victorious Sanders campaign .
The senator and his aides believe they are winning the most important measure of the complicated Iowa caucus process : the raw votes .
With results from 75 % of state precincts as of Wednesday afternoon , former South Bend , Indiana , mayor Pete Buttigieg has a slight lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the standard that in the past has determined the caucus winner , while Sanders currently leads in the both rounds of caucus voting , including after the so-called realignment process , when voters backing candidates who don ’ t reach threshold of 15 % support at a caucus may choose to realign with another candidate .
Sanders and Buttigieg are at the moment tied in pledged delegates , the measure that ultimately decides the nominee at the Democratic National Convention .
As results continue to trickle in , the Sanders team seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that what might have been a momentous occasion for its campaign and “ political revolution ” — leading the vote in the first contest of the nominating process — is now muddled by a delayed result , an opaque caucus process gone awry , and a poorly built smartphone app .
It has been a chaotic and confusing end to the yearlong race to win Iowa , as campaigns gathered their supporters for caucus night parties in hotel ballrooms in Des Moines , only to wait , and wait , and keep waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sanders supporters , crowding into a large hall inside the airport Holiday Inn , watched live CNN coverage on large projectors .
“ QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER DELAY OF IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS , ” read a chyron that hardly changed all night .
Eventually , they cut the sound .
By midnight , there was Sanders , delivering his usual stump speech .
The next morning , tired aides were milling around the lobby of the Holiday Inn , still without results .
Pete D ’ Alessandro , the senator ’ s longtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the young staffers and volunteers who were , he said , bewildered by what had happened .
“ They do n't get their story here , ” D ’ Alessandro said .
Around noon on Tuesday , Sanders crossed an ice-cold tarmac in Des Moines to join his staff and members of the press on his campaign plane , leaving the state for perhaps the last time after a yearlong effort here that spanned 120 campaign events and millions of dollars .
At the rear of his Boeing 737 , Sanders addressed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he described as negligence by the Iowa Democratic Party to deliver clear and timely results .
Imagine how many voters are deflated by the process , he said .
“ If I ’ m a first-time voter and I came out and voted — and the results are not coming in for 16 hours ?
You know , that ’ s a little disconcerting.
” By his side , the candidate ’ s closest adviser , Jeff Weaver , outlined the campaign ’ s latest internal data , reading off their partial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To his right , Sanders stood motionless in the aisle , a stolid expression on his face .
Buttigieg had already — kind of .
“ No , ” Sanders snapped back , “ what we ’ re declaring is what Jeff just talked about , based on the information we receive from our precinct captains.
” By the time he arrived here , in New Hampshire , the next state on the primary calendar , the Iowa debacle had become a half-hearted applause line .
“ For some reason in Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trouble counting votes .
But I am confident that here in New Hampshire , I know you ’ ll be able to count your votes on election night , ” he told a crowd of 1,300 on Tuesday night at an athletic complex in Milford .
“ And when you count those votes , I look forward to winning here in New Hampshire.
” The Iowa results so far do reflect a remarkable start to the nominating process and a personal vindication for Sanders and his brand of class-based politics .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign , and four months after a heart attack threatened to end his second , the 78-year-old senator appears to have won more Iowa voters than his 11 rivals .
Sanders sees his movement as squarely based in the politics of class — a mode of organizing he believes the political establishment neither understands nor is willing to embrace .
“ This is unique , ” Sanders told supporters on the day before the caucus .
“ Ain ’ t no other campaign doing this.
” If his 2016 bid began as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a one-man crusade to spread his message about economic inequality , corporate greed , and a rigged political system — then four years later , Sanders has pursued victory with a more personalized message to the American working class : Over the last year , he has used his campaign and massive digital platform to emphasize individual stories of , in particular , people struggling with medical , credit , and student debt , and the crippling anxiety that working people face daily .
The mix of philosophy and strategy is unusual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement politics .
And he has promised voters with great confidence that his strategy will bring new voters , most of them poor or working class , into the political process .
“ It is a gamble to see whether we can bring those people into the political process , ” he said in an interview last year .
“ One way you do it is to say , ‘ You see that guy ?
He ’ s YOU .
You ’ re workin ’ for $ 12 an hour , you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is he .
Listen to what he has to say .
It ’ s not Bernie Sanders talking , you know ?
It ’ s that guy .
Join us . '
” Iowa was the first test of that gamble : Initial reports have suggested voter turnout is just above or on pace for the levels set in 2016 , when about 170,000 participated in the contest between Sanders and Hillary Clinton .
That level would be well below the almost 240,000 Iowa voters that set a record in 2008 during Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday ’ s figure came as a clear disappointment to Sanders .
The day before the caucus , he asked his supporters to help drive a victory with “ the largest voter turnout in the history of the Iowa caucus.
” It ’ s ending up to be , it seems , another mixed result .
“ Somewhat higher ” than 2016 , Sanders told reporters before heading to New Hampshire .
Just “ not as high , frankly , ” he said , “ as I would have liked to have seen @ @

MILFORD, New Hampshire — What do you say after a year of work — work by the candidate and his staffers, by the volunteers those staffers recruit, and by all the people who show up to caucus in common cause on the big day — when it all comes down to one surreal anticlimax?
At 12:30 p.m. the day after a coding error derailed the Iowa caucuses, still facing an uncertain top finish, the Bernie Sanders campaign convened an all-staff call.
“We cannot lose sight of what matters most here: winning this damn nomination,” his campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, told his team after a sleepless night.
As results started coming in on Tuesday, there was no great celebration, just a quiet mix of exhaustion and resolve, for the sort-of-victorious Sanders campaign.
The senator and his aides believe they are winning the most important measure of the complicated Iowa caucus process: the raw votes. With results from 75% of state precincts as of Wednesday afternoon, former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg has a slight lead in the percentage of state delegate equivalents, the standard that in the past has determined the caucus winner, while Sanders currently leads in the both rounds of caucus voting, including after the so-called realignment process, when voters backing candidates who don’t reach threshold of 15% support at a caucus may choose to realign with another candidate. Sanders and Buttigieg are at the moment tied in pledged delegates, the measure that ultimately decides the nominee at the Democratic National Convention.
On Wednesday night, Sanders’s state director, Misty Rebik, emailed a memo to Iowa staff and supporters, saying campaign officials still believed they had “a viable path forward to achieve a clean sweep and retake the lead in state delegate equivalents and national pledged delegates.” The memo pointed mainly to results yet to come from Iowa’s satellite caucuses, which she said she believes Sanders won “overwhelmingly.” Satellite caucuses were held earlier in the day for Iowans out of state, but were also designed in part to allow workers and students, two chief components of the Sanders electorate, a chance to caucus earlier in the day.
As results continue to trickle in, the Sanders team seems to have grown resigned to the reality that what might have been a momentous occasion for its campaign and “political revolution” — leading the vote in the first contest of the nominating process — is now muddled by a delayed result, an opaque caucus process gone awry, and a poorly built smartphone app.
It has been a chaotic and confusing end to the yearlong race to win Iowa, as campaigns gathered their supporters for caucus night parties in hotel ballrooms in Des Moines, only to wait, and wait, and keep waiting, for election results that never came. Sanders supporters, crowding into a large hall inside the airport Holiday Inn, watched live CNN coverage on large projectors. “QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER DELAY OF IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS,” read a chyron that hardly changed all night. Eventually, they cut the sound. By midnight, there was Sanders, delivering his usual stump speech.
The next morning, tired aides were milling around the lobby of the Holiday Inn, still without results. Pete D’Alessandro, the senator’s longtime man in Iowa, was talking about the young staffers and volunteers who were, he said, bewildered by what had happened.
“They don't get their story here,” D’Alessandro said.
Around noon on Tuesday, Sanders crossed an ice-cold tarmac in Des Moines to join his staff and members of the press on his campaign plane, leaving the state for perhaps the last time after a yearlong effort here that spanned 120 campaign events and millions of dollars.
At the rear of his Boeing 737, Sanders addressed a crush of reporters and television cameras about what he described as negligence by the Iowa Democratic Party to deliver clear and timely results. Imagine how many voters are deflated by the process, he said. “If I’m a first-time voter and I came out and voted — and the results are not coming in for 16 hours? You know, that’s a little disconcerting.”
By his side, the candidate’s closest adviser, Jeff Weaver, outlined the campaign’s latest internal data, reading off their partial estimates from a sheet of paper. To his right, Sanders stood motionless in the aisle, a stolid expression on his face.
Senator, a reporter asked, are you declaring victory?
Buttigieg had already — kind of.
“No,” Sanders snapped back, “what we’re declaring is what Jeff just talked about, based on the information we receive from our precinct captains.”
By the time he arrived in New Hampshire, the next state on the primary calendar, the Iowa debacle had become a half-hearted applause line. “For some reason in Iowa, they’re having a little bit of trouble counting votes. But I am confident that here in New Hampshire, I know you’ll be able to count your votes on election night,” he told a crowd of 1,300 on Tuesday night at an athletic complex in Milford.
“And when you count those votes, I look forward to winning here in New Hampshire.”
The Iowa results so far do reflect a remarkable start to the nominating process and a personal vindication for Sanders and his brand of class-based politics. Four years after falling short in his first presidential campaign, and four months after a heart attack threatened to end his second, the 78-year-old senator appears to have won more Iowa voters than his 11 rivals.
Sanders sees his movement as squarely based in the politics of class — a mode of organizing he believes the political establishment neither understands nor is willing to embrace.
“This is unique,” Sanders told supporters on the day before the caucus. “Ain’t no other campaign doing this.”
If his 2016 bid began as a self-described “educational campaign” — a one-man crusade to spread his message about economic inequality, corporate greed, and a rigged political system — then four years later, Sanders has pursued victory with a more personalized message to the American working class: Over the last year, he has used his campaign and massive digital platform to emphasize individual stories of, in particular, people struggling with medical, credit, and student debt, and the crippling anxiety that working people face daily.
The mix of philosophy and strategy is unusual, but central to Sanders’ view of movement politics.
And he has promised voters with great confidence that his strategy will bring new voters, most of them poor or working class, into the political process.
“It is a gamble to see whether we can bring those people into the political process,” he said in an interview last year. “One way you do it is to say, ‘You see that guy? He’s YOU. You’re workin’ for $12 an hour, you can’t afford health insurance — so is he. Listen to what he has to say. It’s not Bernie Sanders talking, you know? It’s that guy. Join us.'”
Iowa was the first test of that gamble: Initial reports have suggested voter turnout is just above or on pace for the levels set in 2016, when about 170,000 participated in the contest between Sanders and Hillary Clinton. That level would be well below the almost 240,000 Iowa voters that set a record in 2008 during Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign.
Monday’s figure came as a clear disappointment to Sanders. The day before the caucus, he asked his supporters to help drive a victory with “the largest voter turnout in the history of the Iowa caucus.”
It’s ending up to be, it seems, another mixed result.
“Somewhat higher” than 2016, Sanders told reporters before heading to New Hampshire. Just “not as high, frankly,” he said, “as I would have liked to have seen.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--The Senate Is Voting On Whether To Remove Trump From Office This Afternoon

Senators voted to acquit Trump and end the impeachment trial around 4:30 p.m. , despite Republican Sen. Mitt Romney joining Democrats to remove the president .
WASHINGTON — Following just over two weeks of arguments from Democratic House managers prosecuting the case and the White House defense , the Senate voted Wednesday to keep President Donald Trump in office .
Trump was acquitted on both charges , as two-thirds of senators ( 67 ) were needed to vote to remove him .
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney shocked colleagues Wednesday in announcing on the Senate floor that he would vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber ’ s other 52 Republicans joined him .
Senators voted separately on the two articles of impeachment , first abuse of power and then obstruction of Congress .
Romney voted to convict on the first charge but not the second .
Wednesday ’ s vote marks the end of an impeachment saga over Trump pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his family and withholding nearly $ 400 billion in military aid to Ukraine .
The prosecution and the defense made their closing arguments Monday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment manager who also serves as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee , had the final word in the debate .
“ You can ’ t trust this president to do the right thing — not for one minute , not for one election , not for the sake of our country .
You just can ’ t , ” Schiff said on the Senate floor Monday .
“ He will not change and you know it.
” In his closing remarks , Schiff tried to appeal to Republican senators who may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not ask you to convict him because truth or right or decency matters nothing to him , but because we have proven our case and it matters to you , ” he said .
“ Truth matters to you .
Right matters to you .
You are decent .
He is not who you are.
” The president ’ s defense team argued that , with the election just nine months away , it should be left up to the voters to decide whether the president should be removed from office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we put our faith in the Senate , ” White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said .
“ We put our faith in the Senate .
Because we know you will put your faith in the American people .
You will leave this choice to them , where it belongs.
” Ahead of the vote , protesters filed into the Capitol 's rotunda .
A group of 10 people locked arms during a sit-in and repeatedly shouted “ Trump is guilty ! ''
before being removed by Capitol Police .
On Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Republicans who voted in favor of witnesses last week , announced she would vote to acquit Trump .
In a speech on the Senate floor , Collins said Trump ’ s actions with Ukraine were “ wrong ” as well as `` improper and demonstrated very poor judgment , ” but added that removal from office was too strong a response .
“ I believe that the president has learned from this case , ” Collins told CBS later Tuesday .
“ The president has been impeached .
That 's a pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that the behavior alleged reaches the high bar in the Constitution for overturning an election , and removing a duly elected president.
” On Wednesday , Collins told reporters she probably should n't have said that she `` believes '' Trump has learned a lesson , but should have said she `` hopes '' he has .
The Democratic caucus stuck together and voted in favor of removing Trump from office on both counts .
Moderate Democratic Sens .
Joe Manchin of West Virginia , Doug Jones of Alabama , and Kyrsten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting to acquit on one or both of the charges , but all said Wednesday they vote to convict on both articles of impeachment .
Jones had said last week he believed the president ’ s lawyers made a “ persuasive ” argument on the second article of impeachment , but ultimately announced Wednesday , “ After many sleepless nights , I have reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the President for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress . ''
On Monday , Manchin had floated the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s actions but stop short of removing him from office .
But in a statement Wednesday , Manchin said that while it was a `` truly difficult decision '' for him , House Democrats had proved their case .
`` I take no pleasure in these votes , and am saddened this is the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren .
I have always wanted this president , and every president , to succeed , but I deeply love our country and must do what I think is best for @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The prosecution and the defense made their closing arguments Monday afternoon. Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment manager who also serves as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, had the final word in the debate.
“You can’t trust this president to do the right thing — not for one minute, not for one election, not for the sake of our country. You just can’t,” Schiff said on the Senate floor Monday. “He will not change and you know it.”
In his closing remarks, Schiff tried to appeal to Republican senators who may be on the fence.
“I do not ask you to convict him because truth or right or decency matters nothing to him, but because we have proven our case and it matters to you,” he said. “Truth matters to you. Right matters to you. You are decent. He is not who you are.”
The president’s defense team argued that, with the election just nine months away, it should be left up to the voters to decide whether the president should be removed from office.
“At the end of the day, we put our faith in the Senate,” White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said. “We put our faith in the Senate. Because we know you will put your faith in the American people. You will leave this choice to them, where it belongs.”
Ahead of the vote, protesters filed into the Capitol's rotunda. A group of 10 people locked arms during a sit-in and repeatedly shouted “Trump is guilty!" before being removed by Capitol Police.


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--Mitt Romney Will Vote To Remove Donald Trump From Office

`` I acknowledge that my verdict will not remove the president from office .
... My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate — but irrespective of these things , with my vote , I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability , believing that my country expected it of me , '' Romney said on the Senate floor .
`` I will only be one name among many , no more , no less , to future generations of Americans who look at the record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely that I was among the senators who determined that what the president did was wrong , grievously wrong . ''
The vote took place just after 4 p.m. Wednesday .
Trump , however , will not be removed from office .
Sixty-seven senators were needed to convict him on the impeachment charges and Romney was the only Republican to join Democrats .
The president faced two charges : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Romney said he will vote to convict on the first article of impeachment and acquit on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator in US history to vote to remove a president of the same party from office .
WASHINGTON — Utah Sen. Mitt Romney announced Wednesday he would vote to convict President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial , becoming the only Republican to vote to remove the president from office .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes , or subscribe on the iHeartRadio app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only Republican in the impeachment saga to oppose the president , and Trump 's team has repeatedly argued that impeachment and removing him from office are not bipartisan .
No House Republican voted to impeach Trump in December — but two Democrats , one of whom has since joined the Republican Party , voted against impeachment .
( Rep. Justin Amash , a longtime Republican who switched to independent last year , voted for impeachment . )
On the Senate side , other moderate Republicans who were viewed as possible votes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so Wednesday , including Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska .
Romney spoke for just under 10 minutes Wednesday afternoon .
He became visibly emotional and stopped speaking to fight back tears as he focused on the way his Mormon faith influenced his decision .
“ As a senator juror , I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice , ” he said .
“ I am profoundly religious .
My faith is at the heart of who I am .
I take an oath before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the outset that being tasked with judging the president , the leader of my own party , would be the most difficult decision I ’ ve ever faced .
I was not wrong.
” Trump was impeached by the House in December over his role in withholding vital military aid from Ukraine while pressuring the country to investigate a political rival , Joe Biden , and his family .
Romney called the president ’ s actions “ a flagrant assault under electoral rights , our national security , and our fundamental values.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking points from the Senate ’ s trial during his remarks , including the argument that it is not Trump who is corrupt but instead Biden and his son , Hunter , who served on the board of Burisma , a Ukrainian gas company .
Trump ’ s legal team had argued that the president wanted Ukraine to investigate real concerns about Hunter Biden ’ s role at the company for national security reasons , even if it also helped Trump ’ s reelection .
“ With regards to Hunter Biden , taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name is unsavory but also not a crime , ” Romney said on the floor .
“ Given that in neither the case of the father nor the son was any evidence presented by the president ’ s counsel that a crime had been committed , the president ’ s insistence that they be investigated by the Ukrainians is hard to explain other than as a political pursuit .
There is no question in my mind that were their names not Biden , the president would never have done what he did.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of impeachment are invalid because they do not include a statutory offense committed by the president .
Romney said he disagrees .
“ The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a ‘ high crime and misdemeanor , ’ ” he said .
“ Yes , he did.
” Romney also addressed the defense team ’ s position that the Senate shouldn ’ t convict a sitting president in an election year and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters .
“ While that logic is appealing to our democratic instincts , it is inconsistent with the Constitution 's requirement that the Senate , not the voters , try the president , '' he said .
Romney spoke to a mostly empty chamber Wednesday afternoon .
Just three senators , all Democrats — Sens .
Patrick Leahy , Brian Schatz , and Chris Murphy — were in the room when Romney made his announcement .
Murphy said after the vote that Romney 's speech will go down in history .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to read that speech for centuries , '' he said .
Rep. Adam Schiff , who led the impeachment prosecution for House Democrats , applauded Romney ’ s decision on Twitter ahead of the final vote , writing , “ Having proven Trump guilty , I asked if there was just one Republican Senator who would say ‘ enough.
’ Who would stand up against this dangerously immoral president .
Who would display moral courage .
Who would do impartial justice as their oath required and convict .
And there is.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision and quickly disinvited reporters from a meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon .
A White House official later said that closing the meeting to press was unrelated to Romney 's announcement , according to CNN .
Ronna McDaniel , the chair of the Republican National Committee and Romney ’ s niece , said in a statement following his remarks , “ This is not the first time I ’ ve disagreed with Mitt , and I imagine it will not be the last .
The bottom line is President Trump did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more united than ever behind him . ''
During his speech , Romney said he ’ d received many calls and text messages demanding he “ stand with the team.
” He added that he expects abuse from the president , his supporters , and members of the Republican Party — but he said his faith , the oath senators took before the trial began , and the Constitution would not allow him to ignore the evidence .
“ But my promise before God to apply impartial justice requires that I put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside , ” he said .
Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s son , was quick to respond on Twitter , saying Romney was “ bitter ” he lost the presidential election eight years ago .
“ He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he ’ s joining them now , ” he tweeted .
“ He ’ s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the GOP.
” It wasn ’ t immediately clear what Trump Jr. meant by “ expelled.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Lee , will vote to acquit the president .
The split ultimately represents the state 's simultaneous resistance to both Trump and impeachment .
A December poll found that 47 % of Utahns opposed impeachment and 43 % supported it — a remarkably high backing for a state that , in 2012 , voted for Romney over former president Barack Obama by nearly 50 points .
In 2016 , Trump won the state by only 18 points .
A poll released Wednesday found that 46 % of Utah voters said they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 41 % in October of last year .
The survey also found that more Utah voters disapprove of than approve of both Romney and Lee , who had 46–51 and 43–47 approval ratings , respectively .
The Senate trial began in January and lasted just over two weeks .

Romney is the only Republican in the impeachment saga to oppose the president, and Trump's team has repeatedly argued that impeachment and removing him from office are not bipartisan. No House Republican voted to impeach Trump in December — but two Democrats, one of whom has since joined the Republican Party, voted against impeachment. (Rep. Justin Amash, a longtime Republican who switched to independent last year, voted for impeachment.)
On the Senate side, other moderate Republicans who were viewed as possible votes to convict Trump announced they would not do so Wednesday, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Romney spoke for just under 10 minutes Wednesday afternoon. He became visibly emotional and stopped speaking to fight back tears as he focused on the way his Mormon faith influenced his decision.
“As a senator juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice,” he said. “I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I’ve ever faced. I was not wrong.”
Trump was impeached by the House in December over his role in withholding vital military aid from Ukraine while pressuring the country to investigate a political rival, Joe Biden, and his family. Romney called the president’s actions “a flagrant assault under electoral rights, our national security, and our fundamental values.”
Romney rebutted a series of Republican talking points from the Senate’s trial during his remarks, including the argument that it is not Trump who is corrupt but instead Biden and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. Trump’s legal team had argued that the president wanted Ukraine to investigate real concerns about Hunter Biden’s role at the company for national security reasons, even if it also helped Trump’s reelection.
“With regards to Hunter Biden, taking excessive advantage of his father’s name is unsavory but also not a crime,” Romney said on the floor. “Given that in neither the case of the father nor the son was any evidence presented by the president’s counsel that a crime had been committed, the president’s insistence that they be investigated by the Ukrainians is hard to explain other than as a political pursuit. There is no question in my mind that were their names not Biden, the president would never have done what he did.”
Republicans have also argued that the articles of impeachment are invalid because they do not include a statutory offense committed by the president. Romney said he disagrees.
“The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a ‘high crime and misdemeanor,’” he said. “Yes, he did.”
Romney also addressed the defense team’s position that the Senate shouldn’t convict a sitting president in an election year and instead leave the decision of removal to the voters.
“While that logic is appealing to our democratic instincts, it is inconsistent with the Constitution's requirement that the Senate, not the voters, try the president," he said.
Romney spoke to a mostly empty chamber Wednesday afternoon. Just three senators, all Democrats — Sens. Patrick Leahy, Brian Schatz, and Chris Murphy — were in the room when Romney made his announcement.
Murphy said after the vote that Romney's speech will go down in history. "I think a lot of people are going to read that speech for centuries," he said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Romney's speech "very courageous."
Rep. Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment prosecution for House Democrats, applauded Romney’s decision on Twitter ahead of the final vote, writing, “Having proven Trump guilty, I asked if there was just one Republican Senator who would say ‘enough.’ Who would stand up against this dangerously immoral president. Who would display moral courage. Who would do impartial justice as their oath required and convict. And there is.”
The White House was reportedly unaware of Romney’s decision and quickly disinvited reporters from a meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. A White House official later said that closing the meeting to press was unrelated to Romney's announcement, according to CNN.
Ronna McDaniel, the chair of the Republican National Committee and Romney’s niece, said in a statement following his remarks, “This is not the first time I’ve disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him."
During his speech, Romney said he’d received many calls and text messages demanding he “stand with the team.” He added that he expects abuse from the president, his supporters, and members of the Republican Party — but he said his faith, the oath senators took before the trial began, and the Constitution would not allow him to ignore the evidence.
“But my promise before God to apply impartial justice requires that I put my personal feelings and my political bias aside,” he said.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, was quick to respond on Twitter, saying Romney was “bitter” he lost the presidential election eight years ago.
“He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he’s joining them now,” he tweeted. “He’s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the GOP.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump Jr. meant by “expelled.”
Utah’s other senator, Sen. Mike Lee, will vote to acquit the president. The split ultimately represents the state's simultaneous resistance to both Trump and impeachment. A December poll found that 47% of Utahns opposed impeachment and 43% supported it — a remarkably high backing for a state that, in 2012, voted for Romney over former president Barack Obama by nearly 50 points.
In 2016, Trump won the state by only 18 points. A poll released Wednesday found that 46% of Utah voters said they would vote for Trump in November, up from 41% in October of last year. The survey also found that more Utah voters disapprove of than approve of both Romney and Lee, who had 46–51 and 43–47 approval ratings, respectively.
The Senate trial began in January and lasted just over two weeks.


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--Joe Biden Argued He’s The One Who Can Win. What Happens After He Blew It In Iowa?

SOMERSWORTH , New Hampshire — For months , Joe Biden said Iowa voters held “ the keys to the kingdom ” — access to a victory that quickly would ratify his case : Joe Biden can win .
It became clear Biden wouldn ’ t be getting his hands on those keys after the first results from Monday night ’ s caucuses landed — delayed for days because of reporting glitches that prompted an angry letter from his campaign ’ s lawyer .
With 71 % of returns counted as of Wednesday morning , Biden was in fourth , far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former mayor Pete Buttigieg , in the delegate chase and popular vote .
`` Twenty-four hours later , they ’ re still trying to figure out what happened in Iowa , ” he said at the start of a campaign event here .
“ At this rate , New Hampshire will be the first to vote .
I ’ m not going to sugarcoat it : We took a gut punch in Iowa .
The whole process took a gut punch .
But this is not the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been knocked down . ''
He now is going on into absolute uncertainty after spending a year as the frontrunner who could consistently survive attacks or slipups .
He ’ s already in New Hampshire , where Sanders , who represents neighboring Vermont and dominated the primary four years ago , is in a strong position , as is Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who 's also from a neighboring state .
Buttigieg ’ s strong Iowa showing makes him a factor too .
South Carolina , which Biden and his allies have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for another 25 days .
`` I know there are an awful lot of folks out there who are writing off this campaign .
They have been since I started running , ” Biden said in Somersworth .
“ But I 'm not going anywhere . ''
The Biden campaign moved quickly to show strength .
In the immediate aftermath of the Iowa chaos , as early unofficial reports from precincts showed him struggling behind the top tier , his team trumpeted a new endorsement from Caroline Kennedy , the daughter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was boasting a burst of fresh endorsements , including from former South Carolina governor Jim Hodges and former Arkansas senators David and Mark Pryor — the latter two from a state that holds a Super Tuesday primary in early March .
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers voted to endorse Biden at a meeting Tuesday , well aware it had been a bad night for him in Iowa .
Aides cited these developments as a sign of forward motion as Biden began his New Hampshire swing .
But so much can happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s plans .
His fundraising , which to this point has been helped heavily by establishment donors nervous about the Democratic Party ’ s leftward drift , could collapse and leave him without a simple way out of New Hampshire , especially if those donors abandon him for Buttigieg .
And waiting in the wings on Super Tuesday is Michael Bloomberg , the self-funding billionaire and moderate former mayor of New York City who is skipping the early primaries and caucuses and positioning himself as a consensus alternative .
Bloomberg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsements , is preparing to immediately and drastically increase ad spending , a campaign aide said ; he will soon have a national field staff of more than 2,000 people .
On Wednesday , Bloomberg released an ad meant to highlight his own relationship with Barack Obama , an unsubtle jab at the candidate who has made his time working with the former president a centerpiece of his campaign .
“ After more than a year of this primary , the field is as unsettled as ever , ” Bloomberg campaign spokesperson Galia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the sale or even come close to it.
” In a sign that Biden will at least have financial backup , his super PAC allies on Tuesday announced a $ 900,000 advertising buy to prop him up in New Hampshire .
Unite the Country ’ s executive director , Steve Schale , told BuzzFeed News the group also has big plans for Nevada and South Carolina — “ early states whose demographics are much more like America.
” Illustrative of what a poor showing it was for Biden in Iowa : Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general and one of Biden ’ s most prominent endorsers there , reportedly shifted his support to Buttigieg on the final caucus alignment in his precinct , where Biden fell below a 15 % viability threshold .
As the numbers stand now , Biden is the only candidate in the top four to have lost support between the first and final alignments .
The race — in which his advisers were preparing supporters and the media for a close finish among the top four — seems to be a tight race between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , the likely fifth-place finisher , than he is to Buttigieg or Sanders .
There also was trouble for Biden in Dubuque County , an enclave of Catholic voters that Biden , a Catholic , targeted aggressively with a specially tailored message in hopes of running up the score there .
With about 63 % of the vote tabulated there , he was trailing Buttigieg and Sanders in the delegate chase .
Even as Biden had led in some recent polls of the state , the result is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things have looked like for much of the last year on the ground .
In the months leading up to the caucus , Biden ’ s crowds in Iowa skewed older and sparser than those of his competitors , the age gap being especially evident on college campuses .
His final event , in Des Moines on Sunday night , drew just over 1,000 people — the largest crowd he had in the state , the campaign said .
Sanders , two nights before , drew 3,000 and has consistently had larger and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1,000 Iowans , and one rally in Coralville drew 2,000 .
As delays in the Iowa Democratic Party ’ s reporting system brought all the candidates out to address their supporters Monday night and early Tuesday morning , the Biden camp sent a letter to the party calling for “ full explanations and relevant information regarding the methods of quality control you are employing , and an opportunity to respond , before any official results are released . ''
Biden , speaking to his supporters at a campaign caucus night party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also appeared to tamp down expectations of a clear win .
“ Indications are , from all indications , it ’ s going to be close , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to walk out of here with our share of delegates ; we don ’ t know exactly what it is yet , but we feel good about where we are.
” The mood of Biden allies and advisers reflected these uncertainties in the days leading to Iowa ’ s caucuses , as it became clearer he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Connecticut senator pressed into surrogate duty , told reporters Sunday that Biden was “ anything but doomed , ” unhelpfully accepting the premise that he might be .
John Kerry , the former secretary of state who several Biden aides believed was their most effective surrogate , was overheard on a telephone call gaming out a scenario in which he himself runs for president .
“ I ’ m black Irish , ” Biden ’ s sister and longtime political adviser , Valerie Biden Owens , told BuzzFeed News on Monday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coffee shop in the East Village of Des Moines .
“ But I ’ m optimistic.
” A few minutes later , she exclaimed : “ Let ’ s just get this over with !
”

SOMERSWORTH, New Hampshire — For months, Joe Biden said Iowa voters held “the keys to the kingdom” — access to a victory that quickly would ratify his case: Joe Biden can win.
It became clear Biden wouldn’t be getting his hands on those keys after the first results from Monday night’s caucuses landed — delayed for days because of reporting glitches that prompted an angry letter from his campaign’s lawyer. With 71% of returns counted as of Wednesday morning, Biden was in fourth, far behind the two leading candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former mayor Pete Buttigieg, in the delegate chase and popular vote.
Biden himself acknowledged that reality Wednesday.
"Twenty-four hours later, they’re still trying to figure out what happened in Iowa,” he said at the start of a campaign event here. “At this rate, New Hampshire will be the first to vote. I’m not going to sugarcoat it: We took a gut punch in Iowa. The whole process took a gut punch. But this is not the first time in my life that I've been knocked down."
He now is going on into absolute uncertainty after spending a year as the frontrunner who could consistently survive attacks or slipups. He’s already in New Hampshire, where Sanders, who represents neighboring Vermont and dominated the primary four years ago, is in a strong position, as is Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who's also from a neighboring state. Buttigieg’s strong Iowa showing makes him a factor too. South Carolina, which Biden and his allies have called his firewall, doesn’t vote for another 25 days.
"I know there are an awful lot of folks out there who are writing off this campaign. They have been since I started running,” Biden said in Somersworth. “But I'm not going anywhere."
The Biden campaign moved quickly to show strength. In the immediate aftermath of the Iowa chaos, as early unofficial reports from precincts showed him struggling behind the top tier, his team trumpeted a new endorsement from Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late president. By sunrise, he was boasting a burst of fresh endorsements, including from former South Carolina governor Jim Hodges and former Arkansas senators David and Mark Pryor — the latter two from a state that holds a Super Tuesday primary in early March. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers voted to endorse Biden at a meeting Tuesday, well aware it had been a bad night for him in Iowa. Aides cited these developments as a sign of forward motion as Biden began his New Hampshire swing.
But so much can happen in the next three weeks to spoil Biden’s plans. His fundraising, which to this point has been helped heavily by establishment donors nervous about the Democratic Party’s leftward drift, could collapse and leave him without a simple way out of New Hampshire, especially if those donors abandon him for Buttigieg.
And waiting in the wings on Super Tuesday is Michael Bloomberg, the self-funding billionaire and moderate former mayor of New York City who is skipping the early primaries and caucuses and positioning himself as a consensus alternative. Bloomberg, flush with an ever-growing list of establishment endorsements, is preparing to immediately and drastically increase ad spending, a campaign aide said; he will soon have a national field staff of more than 2,000 people. On Wednesday, Bloomberg released an ad meant to highlight his own relationship with Barack Obama, an unsubtle jab at the candidate who has made his time working with the former president a centerpiece of his campaign.
“After more than a year of this primary, the field is as unsettled as ever,” Bloomberg campaign spokesperson Galia Slayen said. “No one has made the sale or even come close to it.”
In a sign that Biden will at least have financial backup, his super PAC allies on Tuesday announced a $900,000 advertising buy to prop him up in New Hampshire. Unite the Country’s executive director, Steve Schale, told BuzzFeed News the group also has big plans for Nevada and South Carolina — “early states whose demographics are much more like America.”
Illustrative of what a poor showing it was for Biden in Iowa: Tom Miller, the state’s attorney general and one of Biden’s most prominent endorsers there, reportedly shifted his support to Buttigieg on the final caucus alignment in his precinct, where Biden fell below a 15% viability threshold.
As the numbers stand now, Biden is the only candidate in the top four to have lost support between the first and final alignments. The race — in which his advisers were preparing supporters and the media for a close finish among the top four — seems to be a tight race between the top two. Biden is currently closer to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the likely fifth-place finisher, than he is to Buttigieg or Sanders.
There also was trouble for Biden in Dubuque County, an enclave of Catholic voters that Biden, a Catholic, targeted aggressively with a specially tailored message in hopes of running up the score there. With about 63% of the vote tabulated there, he was trailing Buttigieg and Sanders in the delegate chase.
Even as Biden had led in some recent polls of the state, the result is not exactly a surprise based on what things have looked like for much of the last year on the ground. In the months leading up to the caucus, Biden’s crowds in Iowa skewed older and sparser than those of his competitors, the age gap being especially evident on college campuses. His final event, in Des Moines on Sunday night, drew just over 1,000 people — the largest crowd he had in the state, the campaign said. Sanders, two nights before, drew 3,000 and has consistently had larger and younger audiences. Several Buttigieg events drew more than 1,000 Iowans, and one rally in Coralville drew 2,000.
As delays in the Iowa Democratic Party’s reporting system brought all the candidates out to address their supporters Monday night and early Tuesday morning, the Biden camp sent a letter to the party calling for “full explanations and relevant information regarding the methods of quality control you are employing, and an opportunity to respond, before any official results are released."
Biden, speaking to his supporters at a campaign caucus night party at Drake University in Des Moines, also appeared to tamp down expectations of a clear win.
“Indications are, from all indications, it’s going to be close,” he said. “We’re going to walk out of here with our share of delegates; we don’t know exactly what it is yet, but we feel good about where we are.”
The mood of Biden allies and advisers reflected these uncertainties in the days leading to Iowa’s caucuses, as it became clearer he would lose them. Chris Dodd, the former Connecticut senator pressed into surrogate duty, told reporters Sunday that Biden was “anything but doomed,” unhelpfully accepting the premise that he might be. John Kerry, the former secretary of state who several Biden aides believed was their most effective surrogate, was overheard on a telephone call gaming out a scenario in which he himself runs for president.
“I’m black Irish,” Biden’s sister and longtime political adviser, Valerie Biden Owens, told BuzzFeed News on Monday afternoon before sitting down for lunch at a coffee shop in the East Village of Des Moines. “But I’m optimistic.”
A few minutes later, she exclaimed: “Let’s just get this over with!”