buzzfeed--2020-03-02--The Supreme Court Will Leave The Gun Bump Stocks Ban In Place

Striking down Chevron deference , a goal of conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation , which say federal agencies rules overstep their bounds , could give judges renewed powers to interfere in decisions made by the executive branch .
Challengers asked the court to reconsider a legal doctrine known as Chevron deference — created by the 1984 Supreme Court ruling in Chevron U.S.A. , Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council — which prevents courts from overruling certain federal agency regulations .
Lower courts cited Chevron deference as the reason to let the ban on bump stocks stand .
Although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it raised an abstract , yet also closely watched , dispute about the separation of powers between courts and the executive branch .
The Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , known as ATF , issued a regulation in 2018 that reversed years of policy to declare the devices were illegal under long-standing law and could be seized by law enforcement in response to the Vegas shooting .
In its most concrete terms , the lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania man and gun rights advocacy groups is about whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is legal , into a prohibited machine gun .
The high court ’ s order will keep the devices , which allow semiautomatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns , banned for the time being .
But with other bump stock cases winding through appeals , courts could still reverse the ban in the future .
The Supreme Court said on Monday it won ’ t hear a case from gun rights activists challenging a federal ban on bump stocks , which were prohibited after being used in a 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed .
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a four-page statement on Monday saying he disagreed with lower courts applying Chevron deference in the case — in part because both parties , including the ATF , said it did n't apply .
`` The court placed an uninvited thumb on the scale in favor of the government .
That was mistaken , '' Gorsuch wrote .
Nonetheless , Gorsuch agreed that the Supreme Court should pass on the case for now while lower courts further consider the bump stock ban in this and other cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a bump-fire stock is an attachment that cradles the butt end of a semiautomatic rifle .
When a person pulls the trigger , the fire ’ s recoil makes the gun jump backward into the bump stock , which resets the firing mechanism .
If the shooter maintains forward pressure by leaning into it , the rifle gets pushed forward after each shot , causing the trigger to “ bump ” into the shooter ’ s finger , firing another round .
This process repeats rapidly .
The back-and-forth motion can discharge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more than eight per second , far more frequently than if a shooter had to pull the trigger each time .
During the Obama and Trump administrations , ATF found the devices weren ’ t covered by a ban on machine guns under the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act .
But after the October 2017 massacre in Las Vegas , where a gunman fired on a crowd using bump stocks attached to rifles , President Donald Trump and others urged a ban .
Officials issued a final rule in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stance , saying , “ these devices convert an otherwise semiautomatic firearm into a machine gun.
” The regulation required existing devices to be surrendered to law enforcement or destroyed .
Along with several legal challenges , which continue to percolate in federal courts , a complaint was filed in December 2018 by the Firearms Policy Coalition , Firearms Policy Foundation , Madison Society Foundation , and Damien Guedes — a Pennsylvania man who bought a bump stock in 2014 .
The case at the Supreme Court , consolidated with other lawsuits , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allege that ATF violated the Administrative Procedure Act by cutting short public comments .
Arguing the rule “ inherently smacks of agency abuse , ” they also argued bump stock owners would be denied Fifth Amendment rights under the Takings Clause , which says property can not be seized without financial compensation .
The Justice Department countered by insisting it was simply making a fair reading of the law and that previous decisions to allow bump stocks had been “ erroneous.
” A district court and , later , an appeals court in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department and against gun activists by upholding the ban — but not the way either side had asked for .
The courts found that Chevron deference had to be applied , meaning courts must abstain from overriding the agency ’ s bump stock regulation .
Chevron deference says , broadly speaking , that if a law is ambiguous , such as the National Firearms Act , then an agency can create a reasonable regulation based on the law and courts can not interfere .
( A similar doctrine , known as Auer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasonable agency interpretations of their own regulations . )
The gun rights activist , having lost in lower courts , asked the Supreme Court to hear their appeal and rule Chevron deference must not apply .
They said the Supreme Court should instead apply the rule of lenity , which dictates that when a criminal law is ambiguous , the defendant charged with a crime should receive the lightest punishment .
The plaintiffs are also asking the Supreme Court to consider whether agencies like ATF can waive their right to Chevron deference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ decision so grossly interprets Chevron deference , ” it raises “ the question whether Chevron should be overruled.
” The Justice Department — even though it beat the gun activists in lower courts — also disagreed with the reasoning of the lower courts that leaned on Chevron .
Still , federal lawyers told the Supreme Court it should ignore the deference matter entirely in a December filing , writing , “ the Chevron questions that petitioners seek to present should not be addressed in a case in which no party urges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on to say the agency had simply made “ the best interpretation of the statute — wholly apart from the question of deference.
” Gorsuch 's statement Monday pointed out that if courts defer to agencies reflexively , the meaning of laws can shift with political winds .
`` The agency used to tell everyone that bump stocks don ’ t qualify as 'machine guns . '
Now it says the opposite , '' he wrote .
`` The law hasn ’ t changed , only an agency ’ s interpretation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems agencies change their statutory interpretations almost as often as elections change administrations . ''
Since the ban on bump stocks punishes offenders with criminal sanctions , Gorsuch added , Chevron deference , `` has no role to play when liberty is at stake . ''
`` The errors apparent in this preliminary ruling might yet be corrected before final judgment , '' he said , sending the case back to lower courts .
Conservatives have become particularly critical in recent years of Chevron and Auer deference , which they contend grant agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justices have questioned it in past decisions , including Gorsuch , who wrote in 2016 when he served on the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit , “ under Chevron , the problem remains that courts are not fulfilling their duty to interpret the law and declare invalid agency actions , ” adding that Chevron deference “ seems to have added prodigious new powers to an already titanic administrative state . ''

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a four-page statement on Monday saying he disagreed with lower courts applying Chevron deference in the case — in part because both parties, including the ATF, said it didn't apply.
"The court placed an uninvited thumb on the scale in favor of the government. That was mistaken," Gorsuch wrote.
Nonetheless, Gorsuch agreed that the Supreme Court should pass on the case for now while lower courts further consider the bump stock ban in this and other cases.
Back to the more tangible issue — a bump-fire stock is an attachment that cradles the butt end of a semiautomatic rifle. When a person pulls the trigger, the fire’s recoil makes the gun jump backward into the bump stock, which resets the firing mechanism. If the shooter maintains forward pressure by leaning into it, the rifle gets pushed forward after each shot, causing the trigger to “bump” into the shooter’s finger, firing another round. This process repeats rapidly. The back-and-forth motion can discharge upward of 400 rounds a minute — or more than eight per second, far more frequently than if a shooter had to pull the trigger each time.
During the Obama and Trump administrations, ATF found the devices weren’t covered by a ban on machine guns under the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act. But after the October 2017 massacre in Las Vegas, where a gunman fired on a crowd using bump stocks attached to rifles, President Donald Trump and others urged a ban. Officials issued a final rule in December 2018, reversing course on their previous stance, saying, “these devices convert an otherwise semiautomatic firearm into a machine gun.” The regulation required existing devices to be surrendered to law enforcement or destroyed.
Along with several legal challenges, which continue to percolate in federal courts, a complaint was filed in December 2018 by the Firearms Policy Coalition, Firearms Policy Foundation, Madison Society Foundation, and Damien Guedes — a Pennsylvania man who bought a bump stock in 2014. The case at the Supreme Court, consolidated with other lawsuits, is Guedes v. ATF.
The plaintiffs allege that ATF violated the Administrative Procedure Act by cutting short public comments. Arguing the rule “inherently smacks of agency abuse,” they also argued bump stock owners would be denied Fifth Amendment rights under the Takings Clause, which says property cannot be seized without financial compensation.
The Justice Department countered by insisting it was simply making a fair reading of the law and that previous decisions to allow bump stocks had been “erroneous.”
A district court and, later, an appeals court in Washington, DC, sided with the Justice Department and against gun activists by upholding the ban — but not the way either side had asked for.
The courts found that Chevron deference had to be applied, meaning courts must abstain from overriding the agency’s bump stock regulation. Chevron deference says, broadly speaking, that if a law is ambiguous, such as the National Firearms Act, then an agency can create a reasonable regulation based on the law and courts cannot interfere. (A similar doctrine, known as Auer deference, says courts must defer to reasonable agency interpretations of their own regulations.)
The gun rights activist, having lost in lower courts, asked the Supreme Court to hear their appeal and rule Chevron deference must not apply. They said the Supreme Court should instead apply the rule of lenity, which dictates that when a criminal law is ambiguous, the defendant charged with a crime should receive the lightest punishment.
The plaintiffs are also asking the Supreme Court to consider whether agencies like ATF can waive their right to Chevron deference, and, because the lower court’s “decision so grossly interprets Chevron deference,” it raises “the question whether Chevron should be overruled.”
The Justice Department — even though it beat the gun activists in lower courts — also disagreed with the reasoning of the lower courts that leaned on Chevron. Still, federal lawyers told the Supreme Court it should ignore the deference matter entirely in a December filing, writing, “the Chevron questions that petitioners seek to present should not be addressed in a case in which no party urges the application of Chevron.” DOJ attorneys went on to say the agency had simply made “the best interpretation of the statute — wholly apart from the question of deference.”
Gorsuch's statement Monday pointed out that if courts defer to agencies reflexively, the meaning of laws can shift with political winds.
"The agency used to tell everyone that bump stocks don’t qualify as 'machine guns.' Now it says the opposite," he wrote. "The law hasn’t changed, only an agency’s interpretation of it. And these days it sometimes seems agencies change their statutory interpretations almost as often as elections change administrations."
Since the ban on bump stocks punishes offenders with criminal sanctions, Gorsuch added, Chevron deference, "has no role to play when liberty is at stake."
"The errors apparent in this preliminary ruling might yet be corrected before final judgment," he said, sending the case back to lower courts.
Conservatives have become particularly critical in recent years of Chevron and Auer deference, which they contend grant agencies undeserved authority. Several conservative Supreme Court justices have questioned it in past decisions, including Gorsuch, who wrote in 2016 when he served on the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, “under Chevron, the problem remains that courts are not fulfilling their duty to interpret the law and declare invalid agency actions,” adding that Chevron deference “seems to have added prodigious new powers to an already titanic administrative state."


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Here's How Many Delegates Each Democratic Candidate Has

Democrats are voting and caucusing for their candidate of choice to take on Donald Trump this fall .
Each of those contests allocates delegates for this summer ’ s Democratic National Convention .
Ultimately , the Democratic Party divides 3,979 delegates ; the states , according to different rules set by state parties , then award these to candidates .
A key number to understand is 15 % , which is usually the percentage of the vote a candidate must receive in a given area to gain delegates .
( That ’ s why , for instance , a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t get delegates . )
Traditionally , when a candidate wins the majority of delegates — 1,991 — they secure the party ’ s nomination .
Sometimes , however , no candidate wins an outright delegate majority .
Over the last several decades , as parties have moved away from machine politics and more toward democratically elected primaries , the candidate with the most delegates has ended up as the nominee — even if they only have a plurality .
Still , there is a remote chance that , without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up choosing the nominee at the summer ’ s convention .
Either way , the delegate count is important , and we 're tracking them for you here :

Democrats are voting and caucusing for their candidate of choice to take on Donald Trump this fall.
Each of those contests allocates delegates for this summer’s Democratic National Convention. Ultimately, the Democratic Party divides 3,979 delegates; the states, according to different rules set by state parties, then award these to candidates. A key number to understand is 15%, which is usually the percentage of the vote a candidate must receive in a given area to gain delegates. (That’s why, for instance, a candidate who comes in fourth with 7% doesn’t get delegates.)
Traditionally, when a candidate wins the majority of delegates — 1,991 — they secure the party’s nomination.
Sometimes, however, no candidate wins an outright delegate majority. Over the last several decades, as parties have moved away from machine politics and more toward democratically elected primaries, the candidate with the most delegates has ended up as the nominee — even if they only have a plurality. Still, there is a remote chance that, without a majority candidate, Democratic delegates could end up choosing the nominee at the summer’s convention.
Either way, the delegate count is important, and we're tracking them for you here:


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--What To Watch For On Super Tuesday

What To Watch For On Super Tuesday

In 2016 , Super Tuesday was the beginning of the end for Bernie Sanders , as returns came in from primarily Southern states .
This Super Tuesday will likely be very different .
For one thing , this Super Tuesday is a lot bigger : One third of the total delegates will be allocated in contests today .
The two largest states ( California and Texas ) in the country vote today , along with the 10th ( North Carolina ) and 12th ( Virginia ) .
Two of those states , California and North Carolina , are new additions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sanders is expected to win California — possibly by a big margin — and stay competitive in or even win Texas .
Today ’ s also the first time Mike Bloomberg will appear on ballots .
He ’ s spent hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising over the last few months for this day .
He will likely be competing in many states with Joe Biden , fresh off his decisive win in South Carolina , for the votes of more moderate Democrats .
This will also be the first set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klobuchar , though they will remain on the ballot and have already received votes in states with early voting .
Sanders is pretty likely to come in first or second in almost every state , if not every state , which could be significant — especially if he splits those results with four different candidates .
Here ’ s a few things to understand about Super Tuesday , as you watch returns come in : You will hear a lot of talk about delegates in the coming weeks .
To win the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win a majority of the delegates awarded by the states .
That ’ s unlikely to happen ( though still possible ) .
So the margins between the candidates , and all the little delegates they pick up along the way , will be important .
States generally award delegates in two ways : based on the total statewide results , and by congressional district .
In both state and district , the party awards delegates to candidates who earn at least 15 % of the vote .
Some states vote by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the specific delegate results in the state may take days or even weeks to determine .
If a few candidates are at 16 % and 14 % statewide , it could take a while for California to determine how the delegates will be awarded .
If Sanders wins California and no one else clears 15 % statewide , he would probably come close to winning 400 delegates .
If Sanders wins California and two other candidates clear 15 % , he would still win a lot of delegates , but the proportions would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determining who clears 15 % — will play out across the congressional districts in California ( and all the other Super Tuesday states ) .
Those results may not be the same as the statewide ones .
For example : The results will probably be different a. Statewide in California , b. in a congressional district that ’ s in Los Angeles , c. in a Silicon Valley-area congressional district , and d. in a congressional district that covers a farming area in California .
It ’ s complicated and can take time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the winners in these states voting today , but remember that when it comes to delegate totals , the results might look a little different from what you ’ re expecting .
States that close at 7 p.m .
ET Bernie Sanders will win this state , and probably take all the delegates .
This is a state where Biden , Bloomberg , and Sanders will all be looking to do well — but especially the first two .
Virginia ’ s largest population is in the Washington , DC , suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now reliably Democratic , but is also where more center-left and moderate Republicans have done well in local contests .
Black voters and military voters also play an important role in Virginia elections , primarily in the Richmond and Norfolk areas .
States that close at 7:30 p.m .
ET This is the fourth biggest state on the map Tuesday and with some of the most split polling : It ’ s hard to know who will win , and will be interesting to watch !
Biden is hoping to do well in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina win ; black voters and more moderate , conservative Democrats play a key role in elections here .
Sanders , however , has campaigned hard in the state , especially on college campuses .
Bloomberg has also invested heavily in the state .
States that close at 8 p.m .
ET This is one of the Southern states that Joe Biden hopes to win , based on the strength of his performance in South Carolina , where older black voters and older white moderates powered him to a big win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
Likewise , Biden is hoping to do well in Tennessee , another Southern state where more moderate white voters and black voters are likely to account for a big part of the electorate .
Bloomberg is also looking to do well here .
Democrats dream of using Donald Trump ’ s unpopularity to activate the nonvoters in the state , and turn Texas blue on the strength of its large population of young , Latino and black voters .
In 2018 , Beto O ’ Rourke came close to making part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ted Cruz .
Where Texas Democrats did win , however , is in the affluent suburbs of Houston and Dallas .
The polling in Texas is a little all over the place .
Some polls put Bernie Sanders up by a fair amount in the state , on the strength of his popularity with Latino voters , and younger voters of all races .
He ’ s spent a fair amount of time in the state .
Bloomberg has spent big here .
Biden is hoping to be above the 15 % mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the states where Elizabeth Warren is staking her longshot strategy to stay in the race .
She ’ s spent a fair amount of time , and a lot of early organizing energy , in the state where she lived and worked .
Her campaign ’ s thinking is that if she can place in Texas and California , she can amass a small , but important delegate total .
There hasn ’ t been a ton of polling here , and both the moderates and the progressives have a case to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is also hoping to secure some delegates .
Sanders and Warren are both trying to win outright in Massachusetts , the state she represents in the Senate , and a New England neighbor to Vermont .
Despite all the “ ooh drama ” takes about Sanders campaigning here in recent days , this is the fifth largest state on the Super Tuesday map , and Sanders would like to pick up as many delegates as possible in a traditionally liberal state .
Sanders is hoping to win this New England state as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate streak ( Maine is sometimes a general election battleground state ) , and it ’ s one where Pete Buttigieg had previously looked to do well , so someone like Warren or Biden may benefit .
States that close at 8:30 p.m .
ET Biden and Bloomberg will both be looking to win .
This is a Southern state , but one where Sanders may do a little better than he ’ s done in other Southern states .
He still pulled in 30 % of the vote in 2016 , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arkansas .
States that close at 9 p.m .
ET Sanders is expected to win Colorado by a potentially substantial amount .
Though the state has only recently become blue in general elections , Coloradans recently elected Jared Polis , one of the most progressive governors in the country .
Sanders will also likely benefit from his strength with young white voters , young Latino voters , and liberal bros. Warren is hoping to clear the 15 % threshold here .
This one changed on Monday , when Amy Klobuchar , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ended her campaign to endorse Biden .
Sanders also polls strongly in the state , and held a rally there on Monday night .
It ’ s a big state — the sixth biggest on Super Tuesday — so the results matter .
States that close at 10 p.m .
ET One wild card in Utah : This is a state where Buttigieg polled well , and where Bloomberg has too .
With Buttigieg out of the race and Bloomberg potentially a little damaged in recent weeks , will Biden benefit ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ win by a fair amount here .
States that close at 11 p.m .
ET Some polling has Bernie Sanders winning California by 15 or 20 points .
If that actually happens , it will have an enormous effect on the race .
He ’ s campaigned extensively on combating climate change and changing US immigration policy — two core issues important in California .
His organizing strength in Nevada with Latino voters , a yearlong campaign to make their concerns a priority and activate that voter group , make his campaign the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , his campaign has also spent a lot more time attuned to the delegate race , focusing in on parts of the state that deliver delegates but don ’ t always get visited as much .
If he wins big , this will be a big part of the reason .
If he doesn ’ t win as big as he ’ d hoped , though , that could promise big issues in March for the Sanders campaign as the field starts to consolidate .
Warren and Bloomberg are also hoping to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Biden is unlikely to do so , that would be huge for his campaign .
One thing to watch : Voting in California started on Feb. 3 ( the day of the Iowa caucus ) .
A decent share of the vote has already been cast — probably some of it for Buttigieg and Steyer , who are no longer in the race .
These are caucuses and there ’ s been no polling , so who knows !
Let ’ s find out .

In 2016, Super Tuesday was the beginning of the end for Bernie Sanders, as returns came in from primarily Southern states.
This Super Tuesday will likely be very different.
For one thing, this Super Tuesday is a lot bigger: One-third of the total delegates will be allocated in contests today. The two largest states (California and Texas) in the country vote today, along with the 10th (North Carolina) and 12th (Virginia). Two of those states, California and North Carolina, are new additions to Super Tuesday.
For another thing, Sanders is expected to win California — possibly by a big margin — and stay competitive in or even win Texas.
Today’s also the first time Michael Bloomberg will appear on ballots. He’s spent hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising over the last few months for this day. He will likely be competing in many states with Joe Biden, fresh off his decisive win in South Carolina, for the votes of more moderate Democrats. This will also be the first set of contests without Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, though they will remain on the ballot and have already received votes in states with early voting.
Sanders is pretty likely to come in first or second in almost every state, if not every state, which could be significant — especially if he splits those results with four different candidates.
Here are a few things to understand about Super Tuesday, as you watch returns come in:
You will hear a lot of talk about delegates in the coming weeks. To win the Democratic nomination automatically, a candidate needs to win a majority of the delegates awarded by the states. That’s unlikely to happen (though still possible). So the margins between the candidates, and all the little delegates they pick up along the way, will be important.
States generally award delegates in two ways: based on the total statewide results and by congressional district. In both state and district, the party awards delegates to candidates who earn at least 15% of the vote.
Some states vote by mail, most notably California, which means the specific delegate results in the state may take days or even weeks to determine.
Why?
If a few candidates are at 16% and 14% statewide, it could take a while for California to determine how the delegates will be awarded. If Sanders wins California and no one else clears 15% statewide, he would probably come close to winning 400 delegates. If Sanders wins California and two other candidates clear 15%, he would still win a lot of delegates, but the proportions would be reduced.
This same exercise — determining who clears 15% — will play out across the congressional districts in California (and all the other Super Tuesday states). Those results may not be the same as the statewide ones. For example: The results will probably be different a) statewide in California, b) in a congressional district that’s in Los Angeles, c) in a Silicon Valley–area congressional district, and d) in a congressional district that covers a farming area in California. It’s complicated and can take time.
The general point is: Look for the winners in these states voting today, but remember that when it comes to delegate totals, the results might look a little different from what you’re expecting.
States that close at 7 p.m. ET
Vermont (16 delegates)
Bernie Sanders will win this state and probably take all the delegates.
Virginia (99 delegates)
This is a state where Biden, Bloomberg, and Sanders will all be looking to do well — but especially the first two. Virginia’s largest population is in the Washington, DC, suburbs of Northern Virginia. This area is now reliably Democratic, but is also where more center-left and moderate Republicans have done well in local contests. Black voters and military voters also play an important role in Virginia elections, primarily in the Richmond and Norfolk areas.
States that close at 7:30 p.m. ET
North Carolina (110 delegates)
This is the fourth-biggest state on the map Tuesday and with some of the most split polling: It’s hard to know who will win, and it will be interesting to watch! Biden is hoping to do well in North Carolina on the strength of his South Carolina win; black voters and more moderate, conservative Democrats play a key role in elections here. Sanders, however, has campaigned hard in the state, especially on college campuses. Bloomberg has also invested heavily in the state.
States that close at 8 p.m. ET
Alabama (52 delegates)
This is one of the Southern states that Joe Biden hopes to win, based on the strength of his performance in South Carolina, where older black voters and older white moderates powered him to a big win. Bloomberg is also looking to do well here.
Tennessee (64 delegates)
Likewise, Biden is hoping to do well in Tennessee, another Southern state where more moderate white voters and black voters are likely to account for a big part of the electorate. Bloomberg is also looking to do well here.
Texas (228 delegates)
Democrats dream of using Donald Trump’s unpopularity to activate the nonvoters in the state and turn Texas blue on the strength of its large population of young, Latino, and black voters. In 2018, Beto O’Rourke came close to making part of that happen in a race against Ted Cruz. Where Texas Democrats did win, however, is in the affluent suburbs of Houston and Dallas.
The polling in Texas is a little all over the place. Some polls put Bernie Sanders up by a fair amount in the state, on the strength of his popularity with Latino voters, and younger voters of all races. He’s spent a fair amount of time in the state. Bloomberg has spent big here. Biden is hoping to be above the 15% mark. And lastly, this is one of the states where Elizabeth Warren is staking her longshot strategy to stay in the race. She’s spent a fair amount of time, and a lot of early organizing energy, in the state where she lived and worked. Her campaign’s thinking is that if she can place in Texas and California, she can amass a small, but important delegate total.
Oklahoma (37 delegates)
There hasn’t been a ton of polling here, and both the moderates and the progressives have a case to make. Warren, a native Oklahoman, is also hoping to secure some delegates.
Massachusetts (91 delegates)
Sanders and Warren are both trying to win outright in Massachusetts, the state she represents in the Senate, and a New England neighbor to Vermont. Despite all the “ooh drama” takes about Sanders campaigning here in recent days, this is the fifth-largest state on the Super Tuesday map, and Sanders would like to pick up as many delegates as possible in a traditionally liberal state.
Maine (24 delegates)
Sanders is hoping to win this New England state as well, though it has a flinty moderate streak (Maine is sometimes a general election battleground state), and it’s one where Pete Buttigieg had previously looked to do well, so someone like Warren or Biden may benefit.
States that close at 8:30 p.m. ET
Arkansas (31 delegates)
Biden and Bloomberg will both be looking to win. This is a Southern state, but one where Sanders may do a little better than he’s done in other Southern states. He still pulled in 30% of the vote in 2016, despite the long legacy of the Clintons in Arkansas.
States that close at 9 p.m. ET
Colorado (67 delegates)
Sanders is expected to win Colorado by a potentially substantial amount. Though the state has only recently become blue in general elections, Coloradans recently elected Jared Polis, one of the most progressive governors in the country. Sanders will also likely benefit from his strength with young white voters, young Latino voters, and liberal bros. Warren is hoping to clear the 15% threshold here.
Minnesota (75 delegates)
This one changed on Monday, when Amy Klobuchar, who has never lost a statewide race in Minnesota, ended her campaign to endorse Biden. Sanders also polls strongly in the state and held a rally there on Monday night. It’s a big state — the sixth largest on Super Tuesday — so the results matter.
States that close at 10 p.m. ET
Utah (29 delegates)
One wild card in Utah: This is a state where Buttigieg polled well, and where Bloomberg has too. With Buttigieg out of the race and Bloomberg potentially a little damaged in recent weeks, will Biden benefit? Will Sanders? Sanders is hoping to win by a fair amount here.
States that close at 11 p.m. ET
California (415 delegates)
Some polling has Bernie Sanders winning California by 15 or 20 points. If that actually happens, it will have an enormous effect on the race. He’s campaigned extensively on combating climate change and changing US immigration policy — two core issues important in California. His organizing strength in Nevada with Latino voters, a yearlong campaign to make their concerns a priority and activate that voter group, make his campaign the one to beat in California. Unlike 2016, his campaign has also spent a lot more time attuned to the delegate race, focusing on parts of the state that deliver delegates but don’t always get visited as much. If he wins big, this will be a big part of the reason. If he doesn’t win as big as he’d hoped, though, that could promise big issues in March for the Sanders campaign as the field starts to consolidate.
Warren and Bloomberg are also hoping to clear 15% here statewide, and though Biden is unlikely to do so, that would be huge for his campaign. One thing to watch: Voting in California started on Feb. 3 (the day of the Iowa caucus). A decent share of the vote has already been cast — probably some of it for Buttigieg and Steyer, who are no longer in the race.
Also voting on Tuesday
American Samoa (6 delegates)
These are caucuses and there’s been no polling, so who knows! Let’s find out.


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--Progressive Groups Aren’t Ready To Rally To Bernie Sanders To Oppose Joe Biden’s Centrist Army

As centrist Democrats consolidate around Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign , progressive organizations that have divided in support between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren say they do not have a plan to quickly band behind one of the two to form a coalition against the moderate threat .
Justice Democrats , founded by alumni of Sanders ' 2016 campaign , is suggesting Monday that Warren ease up on attacks on Sanders and commit to supporting him with her delegates should he continue to run well ahead of her campaign .
But groups that have backed Warren for months or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee — are showing no sign of relenting in their support , or beginning to coalesce around Sanders ’ front-running campaign to match the support Biden ’ s now receiving .
“ The point I want to make is that most voters aren ’ t extremely ideological and there are voters that support Sanders who would never support Warren and there are Warren supporters who would never support Sanders , ” Adam Green , the co-founder of PCCC , which supports Warren ’ s campaign , told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice for tons of voters and staying in this race is helpful to progressives across this country because there are tons of Amy and Pete supporters who would have defaulted to Biden if she weren ’ t there.
” Progressives who are supporting Warren ’ s campaign argued that Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar have given Warren a real shot at picking up enough delegates to help her campaign survive Super Tuesday by ending their own campaigns to back Biden .
If Warren can continue on toward the Democratic convention with delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the progressive movement no matter which candidate wins in the end .
They ’ ve suggested that either candidate could make a deal with the other prior to the convention in a bid to keep their delegates together .
They also pointed to her commitment to staying in the race as beneficial to Sanders on the debate stage .
“ One can close their eyes and imagine a debate stage on March 15th with both Bernie and Warren tag-teaming Biden , ” Green told BuzzFeed News .
“ His campaign would be declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the best outcome from Super Tuesday would be that Sanders and Warren would be the last two Democrats running for the party ’ s nomination .
“ We ’ d have two members of the progressive wing running against each other , and I really don ’ t see a better situation for progressive voters than that one.
” This , however , looks unlikely in the short-term , with Biden going into Super Tuesday far ahead of Warren in the delegate count , and in better position in many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The last couple days of this race have underscored exactly how fluid it still is , and there are a lot of delegates that are still up for grabs , ” said Joe Dinkin , the Working Families Party ’ s national campaign director .
“ One of Warren 's talents is that she has brought new people into the progressive movement , and they are n't all necessarily Bernie supporters .
Having two progressive candidates accumulate progressive delegates could prove very valuable . ''
Those comments come after both Buttigieg and Klobuchar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential race in the days after the South Carolina primary , where Biden blew out the field and emerged as seemingly the strongest chance at stopping Sanders ’ campaign from at least reaching a majority of delegates after winning New Hampshire , Nevada , and narrowly placing in second in Iowa .
On Monday night , Buttigieg and Klobuchar both announced that they were endorsing Biden in the hours before Super Tuesday .
Beto O ’ Rourke , who also ran for president this cycle , also endorsed Biden at his Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like Alexandra Rojas , the executive director of Justice Democrats , have said that Warren is standing in the way of Sanders and could push the party toward a contested convention .
“ Senator Warren has been an ally of the progressive movement throughout her entire career .
But I hope she stops attacking Senator Sanders and publicly commits to give her delegates to him if he has more votes to ensure a progressive wins the nomination , ” Rojas said in a statement .
I 'd say the same to Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention without accumulating the most delegates would be harmful for our movement , our party , and the policies she 's spent her life fighting for . ''
Spokespersons for Warren ’ s campaign did not respond for comment .
On Monday morning , Democracy for America , one of the last major progressive organizations to endorse a candidate , voted to endorse Sanders over Warren with 79 % of the voters in its endorsement poll choosing his candidacy and 13 % choosing Warren .
The group said in its announcement that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unity pledge it helped design in January , and that it planned on “ focusing its fire ” on candidates supported by the corporate wing of the party .
The groups who spoke with BuzzFeed News said that they didn ’ t currently see a need for coordinated strategy against Biden ’ s campaign in the lead up to Super Tuesday and that they ’ d planned on working independently of each other .
“ We ’ ve been making this argument against corporate Democrats for years and we ’ ve all worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Green told BuzzFeed News .
“ I think we ’ ve all been pushing a similar critique of his campaign independently of each other which is that Joe Biden is wrong on almost everything from cutting social security to being out-of-touch on gender and race issues when we need the most diverse coalition that we can get in the general election .
”

As centrist Democrats consolidate around Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, progressive organizations that have divided in support between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren said they do not have a plan to quickly band behind one of the two to form a coalition against the moderate threat.
Justice Democrats, founded by alumni of Sanders' 2016 campaign, suggested Monday that Warren ease up on attacks on Sanders and commit to supporting him with her delegates should he continue to run well ahead of her campaign. But groups that have backed Warren for months or years — like the Working Families Party and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee — are showing no sign of relenting in their support or beginning to coalesce around Sanders’ frontrunning campaign to match the support Biden’s now receiving.
“The point I want to make is that most voters aren’t extremely ideological and there are voters that support Sanders who would never support Warren and there are Warren supporters who would never support Sanders,” Adam Green, the cofounder of PCCC, which supports Warren’s campaign, told BuzzFeed News about the different bases of support who might not support each other in the primary. He added that he believes Warren supporters would support Sen. Sanders if he were to become the party's nominee. “Warren remains the second choice for tons of voters and staying in this race is helpful to progressives across this country because there are tons of Amy and Pete supporters who would have defaulted to Biden if she weren’t there.”
Progressives who are supporting Warren’s campaign argued that Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar have given Warren a real shot at picking up enough delegates to help her campaign survive Super Tuesday by ending their own campaigns to back Biden. If Warren can continue on toward the Democratic convention with delegates, they argue, it would help the progressive movement no matter which candidate wins in the end. They’ve suggested that either candidate could make a deal with the other prior to the convention in a bid to keep their delegates together. They also pointed to her commitment to staying in the race as beneficial to Sanders on the debate stage.
“One can close their eyes and imagine a debate stage on March 15 with both Bernie and Warren tag-teaming Biden,” Green told BuzzFeed News. “His campaign would be declared dead in minutes on Wikipedia.”
He added that the best outcome from Super Tuesday would be that Sanders and Warren would be the last two Democrats running for the party’s nomination. “We’d have two members of the progressive wing running against each other, and I really don’t see a better situation for progressive voters than that one.” This, however, looks unlikely in the short term, with Biden going into Super Tuesday far ahead of Warren in the delegate count, and in a better position in many of the 14 states with contests.
“The last couple days of this race have underscored exactly how fluid it still is, and there are a lot of delegates that are still up for grabs,” said Joe Dinkin, the Working Families Party’s national campaign director. “One of Warren's talents is that she has brought new people into the progressive movement, and they aren't all necessarily Bernie supporters. Having two progressive candidates accumulate progressive delegates could prove very valuable."
Those comments come after both Buttigieg and Klobuchar announced that they were dropping out of the presidential race in the days after the South Carolina primary, where Biden blew out the field and emerged as seemingly the strongest chance at stopping Sanders’ campaign from at least reaching a majority of delegates after winning New Hampshire, Nevada, and narrowly placing in second in Iowa.
On Monday night, Buttigieg and Klobuchar both announced that they were endorsing Biden in the hours before Super Tuesday. Beto O’Rourke, who also ran for president this cycle, also endorsed Biden at his Monday night rally in Dallas.
Other progressives, like Alexandra Rojas, the executive director of Justice Democrats, have said that Warren is standing in the way of Sanders and could push the party toward a contested convention.
“Senator Warren has been an ally of the progressive movement throughout her entire career. But I hope she stops attacking Senator Sanders and publicly commits to give her delegates to him if he has more votes to ensure a progressive wins the nomination,” Rojas said in a statement. I'd say the same to Bernie. Pursuing the nomination through a contested convention without accumulating the most delegates would be harmful for our movement, our party, and the policies she's spent her life fighting for."
Spokespersons for Warren’s campaign did not respond for comment.
On Monday morning, Democracy for America, one of the last major progressive organizations to endorse a candidate, voted to endorse Sanders over Warren with 79% of the voters in its endorsement poll choosing his candidacy and 13% choosing Warren. The group said in its announcement that it planned to continue to honor the progressive unity pledge it helped design in January and that it planned on “focusing its fire” on candidates supported by the corporate wing of the party.
The groups who spoke with BuzzFeed News said that they didn’t currently see a need for a coordinated strategy against Biden’s campaign in the lead-up to Super Tuesday and that they’d planned on working independently of each other.
“We’ve been making this argument against corporate Democrats for years and we’ve all worked together on that in the past,” Green told BuzzFeed News. “I think we’ve all been pushing a similar critique of his campaign independently of each other which is that Joe Biden is wrong on almost everything from cutting social security to being out of touch on gender and race issues when we need the most diverse coalition that we can get in the general election.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--Moderates Are Consolidating Behind Joe Biden. Bernie Sanders Insists It Changes Nothing.

SALT LAKE CITY — The news about Amy Klobuchar and Harry Reid broke in Utah just before Bernie Sanders took the stage .
“ Let me tell you something , ” he yelled into the mic , backdropped by a sweep of mountains and snow .
“ The establishment is getting very , very nervous.
” Past a crowd of more than 5,800 at an outdoor rally in Utah , in the open area set up for members of the press , his deputy campaign manager , Ari Rabin-Havt , arrived to insist that the building number of endorsements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed nothing for the 78-year-old Vermont senator ahead of Super Tuesday contests here and in 14 other states and territories .
Did Bernie know about Klobuchar and Reid ’ s support for Biden , a reporter asked .
Was he freaked out ?
“ He also knows about the Nation endorsing us and Democracy for America , ” he said , two progressive institutions that recently announced their support for Sanders .
“ We believe regardless of all this , we are still the strongest campaign coming into Super Tuesday.
” In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign has rapidly consolidated support from establishment and moderate Democrats , with two candidates dropping out to endorse his campaign and longtime party leaders jumping off the sidelines to back him before Super Tuesday .
After wins in New Hampshire and Nevada last month , Sanders looked to be on a path to gaining at least a plurality of delegates with a strong performance in states like California and Texas this week .
But Biden ’ s blowout victory in South Carolina last weekend — coupled with growing establishment fears about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s chances both against Donald Trump and in House and Senate races this fall — has altered the race .
Sanders typically celebrates any evidence of `` establishment backlash '' — framing it , in speeches and interviews , as proof his movement is working — but the news of moderates moving so quickly to halt his path could be a genuine concern for his chances this spring .
Klobuchar , the Minnesota senator who surged to best Biden in New Hampshire , ended her own presidential campaign Monday to back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic leader Harry Reid , a longtime party titan in Nevada , endorsed Biden on Monday , saying he is the candidate “ best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.
” A slew of former Pete Buttigieg endorsers joined , as did former Obama-era officials like Susan Rice .
Buttigieg , who suddenly bowed out of the race Sunday night , endorsed Biden just ahead of a campaign event in Dallas .
`` When I ran for president , we made it clear that the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for the values that we share , Buttigieg said with Biden at his side at a Dallas restaurant .
`` And that was always a goal that was much bigger than me becoming president .
And it is in the name of that very same goal that I 'm delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president . ''
Beto O'Rourke , who ran for president until late last year , is also reportedly expected to endorse Biden on Monday .
The remarkable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race to five candidates after more than a year of a sprawling and at times unruly Democratic field .
Thousands of voters have already cast their ballots early in states that vote Tuesday , like Texas and California , where Sanders is poised to net delegates on Tuesday .
But in a two-man race against Biden , he would face tougher odds in states later this spring where voters view him less favorably , such as Florida and Georgia .
Sanders ’ campaign manager , Faiz Shakir , who previously worked for Reid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Klobuchar ’ s decision with disappointment .

SALT LAKE CITY — The news about Amy Klobuchar and Harry Reid broke in Utah just before Bernie Sanders took the stage. “Let me tell you something,” he yelled into the mic, backdropped by a sweep of mountains and snow. “The establishment is getting very, very nervous.”
Past a crowd of more than 5,800 at an outdoor rally in Utah, in the open area set up for members of the press, his deputy campaign manager, Ari Rabin-Havt, arrived to insist that the building number of endorsements for Joe Biden’s presidential bid had changed nothing for the 78-year-old Vermont senator ahead of Super Tuesday contests here and in 14 other states and territories.
Did Bernie know about Klobuchar and Reid’s support for Biden, a reporter asked.
“Yes,” said Rabin-Havt.
Was he freaked out?
“No,” said Rabin-Havt.
“He also knows about the Nation endorsing us and Democracy for America,” he said, two progressive institutions that recently announced their support for Sanders. “We believe regardless of all this, we are still the strongest campaign coming into Super Tuesday.”
In a matter of hours, Biden’s presidential campaign has rapidly consolidated support from establishment and moderate Democrats, with two candidates dropping out to endorse his campaign and longtime party leaders jumping off the sidelines to back him before Super Tuesday.
After wins in New Hampshire and Nevada last month, Sanders looked to be on a path to gaining at least a plurality of delegates with a strong performance in states like California and Texas this week. But Biden’s blowout victory in South Carolina last weekend — coupled with growing establishment fears about what a Sanders ticket would mean for the party’s chances both against Donald Trump and in House and Senate races this fall — has altered the race.
Sanders typically celebrates any evidence of "establishment backlash" — framing it, in speeches and interviews, as proof his movement is working — but the news of moderates moving so quickly to halt his path could be a genuine concern for his chances this spring.
Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator who surged to best Biden in New Hampshire, ended her own presidential campaign Monday to back the former vice president. Former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, a longtime party titan in Nevada, endorsed Biden on Monday, saying he is the candidate “best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.” A slew of former Pete Buttigieg endorsers joined, as did former Obama-era officials like Susan Rice.
Buttigieg, who suddenly bowed out of the race Sunday night, endorsed Biden just ahead of a campaign event in Dallas.
"When I ran for president, we made it clear that the whole idea was about rallying the country together to defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for the values that we share, Buttigieg said with Biden at his side at a Dallas restaurant. "And that was always a goal that was much bigger than me becoming president. And it is in the name of that very same goal that I'm delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president."
Beto O'Rourke, who ran for president until late last year, is also reportedly expected to endorse Biden on Monday.
The remarkable turn of events has shrunk the presidential race to five candidates after more than a year of a sprawling and at times unruly Democratic field.
Thousands of voters have already cast their ballots early in states that vote Tuesday, like Texas and California, where Sanders is poised to net delegates on Tuesday. But in a two-man race against Biden, he would face tougher odds in states later this spring where voters view him less favorably, such as Florida and Georgia.
Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, who previously worked for Reid, responded to the wave of news after Klobuchar’s decision with disappointment.


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--Mueller Memos Part 6: What Witnesses Told Investigators About Trump And Russia

BuzzFeed News sued the US government under the Freedom of Information Act for the right to see all the work that Robert Mueller ’ s team kept secret .
Today we are publishing the sixth installment of the FBI ’ s summaries of interviews with witnesses .
The Justice Department and FBI have turned over to BuzzFeed News and CNN the latest cache of highly secretive interview summaries from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump ’ s attempts to obstruct the inquiry .
The documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kushner , former campaign chair Paul Manafort , former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates , and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon .
Excerpts from some of the interview summaries , known as FBI 302s , are sprinkled throughout Mueller ’ s report , but many details were omitted .
For example , interview summaries released to BuzzFeed News last month revealed that former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told investigators he had met with other officials several times after FBI director James Comey was fired to discuss `` whether there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ” and other Russia-related investigations .
The summaries also showed that senior advisers Stephen Miller and Kushner , along with former communications director Hope Hicks , sometimes drafted tweets for Trump , that Bannon didn ’ t think the “ Putin stuff ” was a big deal , and that former national security adviser Michael Flynn sought guidance from Obama administration officials Susan Rice and Ben Rhodes “ about how to do things.
” Since last November , the government has released about 1,700 pages of interview summaries representing more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released thus far have been heavily redacted .
BuzzFeed News began a legal challenge last month to one particular category of exemption from the Freedom of Information Act .
The Mueller report was the most hotly anticipated prosecutorial document in a generation , laying out the evidence of Russia 's interference in the 2016 election and Trump ’ s attempts to obstruct the investigation .
But at 448 pages , it reflected only a tiny fraction of the primary-source documents that Mueller ’ s team had amassed over the course of its investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later CNN , filed Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against the FBI and Justice Department to gain access to the thousands of pages of interview summaries of all the witnesses who spoke to FBI agents and investigators .
Here are the highlights from this installment : The documents include an April 11 , 2018 , heavily redacted interview summary with Jared Kushner , a senior adviser to Trump , which was released following a lengthy review by intelligence agencies .
Kushner told investigators during the eight-hour interview that former HBO chair Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luncheon with Henry Kissinger and Dimitri Simes , who ran a pro-Kremlin think tank in Washington , DC .
Kushner told agents he pursued Simes at a time when “ the campaign was having a hard time getting people to support them.
” Simes had reportedly tried to peddle to Kushner compromising information on Bill and Hillary Clinton ’ s ties to Russia .
But Kushner told investigators he “ never got from Simes information that could be ‘ operationalized.
’ ” During his interview with investigators , Kushner also discussed his meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ they discussed Syria and having the Russian generals brief ” national security adviser Michael Flynn .
According to the interview summary , Flynn said there was not a secure line of communication , so Kushner asked whether they could communicate using the Russian Embassy .
Kislyak quickly said , “ no that wo n't work.
” “ Kushner told Kislyak that he wanted to make sure he was speaking with people ‘ who can make decisions , ’ ” the interview summary said .
Kislyak also met with Avi Berkowitz , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kushner .
Kislyak told Berkowitz that Kushner “ should meet with someone else who was a better channel through which to communicate to Putin.
” Kushner also discussed his meeting with Sergey Gorkov , the head of the Russian state-owned bank Vnesheconombank ( VEB ) .
Kushner told investigators he did not prepare for the meeting and that no one from the transition team had “ googled Gorkov.
” “ The meeting with Gorkov presenting Kushner with two very thoughtful gifts ; a bag of dirt/soil from the town in Belarus where Kushner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ painting , ” the interview summary says .
Kushner told investigators he did not recall anything about VEB “ being sanctioned , or any discussions of US sanctions.
” A former foreign policy adviser rips into Trump ’ s “ shady ” campaign and the president himself J.D .
Gordon , a Trump campaign adviser during the 2016 election , unloaded on Trump and the campaign , telling Mueller ’ s team that he was “ glad the interviewing Agents were speaking with him as he believed there were a lot of shenanigans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Navy veteran and former Pentagon spokesperson , spoke in unusually vivid detail about dysfunction within the campaign ’ s foreign policy team and the controversial changes to the Republican platform surrounding Ukraine during the 2016 convention .
Several noteworthy details from his interviews with the special counsel ’ s office were excluded from Mueller ’ s final report .
“ Gordon described the Trump campaign as being disorganized and chaotic at times and stated it was important for the Agents to understand that concept when conducting this investigation , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among Gordon ’ s complaints were that Hope Hicks , a spokesperson for Trump , lied about contacts between the campaign and Russians .
“ Gordon said he hoped the Russian investigation was very thorough , ” the summary says .
“ Gordon thinks Trump must be guilty of something .
He is constantly ripping people off .
Trump lies all the time and surrounds himself with people who do n't tell the truth .
Gordon explained Hicks had lied about contact with Russians .
Gordon thinks she probably lied to protect Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also complained that he didn ’ t get paid for his work on the campaign as promised , prompting him to quit on August 10 , 2016 .
“ Gordon was offered a position with the Presidential Transition Team but said he would n't show up until he got a check and he never received payment , ” the summary says .
“ The campaign was shady and dishonest.
” Gordon said then-Sen. Jeff Sessions , who ran the campaign ’ s foreign policy team and later became Trump ’ s attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” who offered him the campaign job .
But things didn ’ t go well , according to Gordon .
“ Gordon described the foreign policy team as being run like a 6th grade student council with no real authority or power , ” the summary states .
Gordon also said that “ the last person to speak to Trump has the most influence on his decisions , ” and that Jared Kushner “ had a lot of say with Trump.
” In one apparent example of campaign dysfunction , Gordon said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ had come up with a list of ambassadors to meet with and when Kushner found out , Kushner said only he would be meeting with ambassadors.
” Kushner , the president ’ s son-in-law , “ came up with an idea , which Gordon jokingly referred to as ‘ win a call with Kushner , ’ where campaign members were asked to write bios on various ambassadors and Kushner would have a phone call with whoever wrote the best ambassador bios about those particular ambassadors.
” Phares quit two weeks into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign official , told the advisers “ they could n't meet with ambassadors.
” Gordon and someone whose name is redacted “ got stuck writing the bios , ” and Kushner eventually met with ambassadors for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia , according to the summary .
“ At one point , [ redacted ] sent Dearborn a note about Kushner 's outreaches after finding out [ redacted ] tried to setup a meeting with the Saudi prince , ” the summary says .
“ Gordon had [ redacted ] talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to setup meetings because back channels are always about money.
” Gordon said it was Sam Clovis , another campaign adviser , who came up with the list of who would serve on the foreign policy team .
The list included Phares , Carter Page , George Papadopoulos , and Keith Kellogg , among others .
“ Eventually Clovis was pushed out of his role , ” Gordon ’ s summary states .
Page and Papadopoulos “ were bad news for the campaign.
” Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In May 2016 , Gordon and Phares were planning to fire Papadopoulos “ after a story broke about his statements to the British press , ” but Clovis wanted to give him another chance , the summary says .
“ They were worried that if they fired Papadopoulos he would go to the press and tell them that the foreign policy advisor team was a scam.
” Gordon spoke to investigators about two key events that Mueller scrutinized in his final report .
His interview summary paints a more vivid picture of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at a reception following an event for ambassadors in Cleveland , Ohio , at the same time as the 2016 Republican National Convention .
Mueller ’ s report said that “ Gordon ran into Kislyak as the two prepared plates of food , and they decided to sit at the same table to eat.
” There , they were joined by Page and the ambassadors from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan .
“ As they ate , Gordon and Kislyak talked for what Gordon estimated to have been three to five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he meant what he said in his speech about improving U.S.-Russia relations.
” Gordon ’ s interview summary notes that the reception was “ a networking event ” that offered free food and drink , and that Gordon and Kislyak encountered one another at “ the chicken satay tray.
” Gordon also said that he “ knew the Kazakh ambassador prior to this event.
” Page , according to Gordon , “ briefly spoke with Kislyak and the Azerbaijan ambassador.
” Gordon said he and Kislyak not only spoke about US-Russia relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's attempt to warn the U.S. about the Boston bomber.
” Gordon also shed light on how the Republican platform came to present less forceful language around Ukraine and Russia than was originally proposed .
On March 31 , 2016 , the foreign policy team held a two-hour meeting in Washington , DC , Gordon said .
It was then that Papadopoulos proposed a Trump-Putin meeting .
“ Gordon described Papadopoulos as acting on his own and wheeling and dealing , ” the interview summary states .
“ Papadopoulos said he was working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Putin was interested in meeting with Trump , working through the ambassador to make it happen .
Sessions said it was a bad idea and shut it down .
Apparently Papadopoulos kept doing it , repeatedly going around Gordon.
” During both his August 2017 interview and a 2019 interview with Mueller ’ s office , Gordon recalled comments Trump made about Ukraine and Russia .
“ In that meeting , Trump said the Europeans should do more about the situation in Ukraine , ” reads the summary of an interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had also said he wanted better relations with Russia and he did n't want World War III over Ukraine.
” Mueller ’ s report detailed how months later at the RNC , delegate Diane Denman proposed an amendment to the platform that expressed support for Ukraine in the midst of Russia ’ s `` ongoing military aggression '' — support that included `` providing lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine 's armed forces.
” “ Gordon stated that he flagged this amendment because of Trump 's stated position on Ukraine , which Gordon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 31 foreign policy meeting — namely , that the Europeans should take primary responsibility for any assistance to Ukraine , that there should be improved U.S.-Russia relations , and that he did not want to start World War III over that region , ” the Mueller report says .
The amendment was eventually edited from “ lethal assistance ” to “ appropriate assistance.
” In his 2017 interview summary , Gordon said Denman was “ hell-bent on arming Ukraine ” and that he had heard that she “ had been to Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Denman was a [ Ted ] Cruz delegate and a protagonist.
” Gordon said Denman “ was upset ” by his desire to “ withdraw the whole amendment.
” He also said that Trump and Manafort “ exacerbated the issue by lying about the platform in the news on July 31.
” “ Manafort denied the campaign 's involvement in changing the platform in an interview with Chuck Todd , ” the summary states .
“ Gordon explained that the campaign was involved in legitimately changing the amendment through debate .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the same thing in an interview with George Stephanopoulos .
Trump said he had heard the campaign was involved in the change but he had nothing to do with the platform change.
” Near the end of his interview that day , Gordon heaped more criticism on Trump — but stopped short of accusing him of collusion .
Though the beginning of the sentence is redacted , the summary says “ Trump was involved in inappropriate activity ” and that “ Gordon made this statement based on 3500 lawsuits Trump is involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not paying his policy office .
The investigators could likely find something illegal Trump was involved in but Gordon is not aware of any election meddling that Trump was involved in.
” Roger Stone met with this Russian national who wanted to sell him dirt on Hillary Clinton The documents included an interview summary with a mysterious figure : Henry Oknyansky , also known as Henry Greenberg , a Russian national who in 2016 wanted to sell Roger Stone dirt on Hillary Clinton for $ 2 million .
Stone ’ s meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story in June 2018 .
A month later , investigators from Mueller ’ s team met with Greenberg at the special counsel ’ s office in Washington , DC .
Greenberg told investigators he met with Stone and Republican strategist Michael Caputo in May 2016 .
Greenberg was joined at the meeting with his Ukranian associate , Alexei Rasin , “ who offered Stone damaging information on Hillary Clinton.
” “ Raisin formerly worked for Clinton and was allegedly in possession of financial statements which demonstrated her involvement in money laundering activities with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the amount of financial misappropriations related to Clinton and asked if it was in the amount of millions .
Rasin relayed that it was rather somewhere in the amount of hundreds of thousands .
Stone ultimately refuted the offer and stated that he did not believe Donald Trump would pay for opposition research information .
The meeting then concluded shortly thereafter , ” the interview summary said .
Greenberg said Rasin has tried to find other buyers for the information he had but was unsuccessful .
Greenberg told investigators his motivation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a portion of the proceeds from the sale .
The Washington Post story quoted Stone as saying that Greenberg was a longtime FBI informant .
The interview summary says Greenberg used to communicate with FBI special agents whose names are redacted and that Greenberg “ still maintains contact with many individuals who may be of interest to the FBI.
” Former FBI director James Comey found government documents while packing for a move Former FBI director James Comey called the bureau two months after Trump fired him to let them know that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he found a folder with government documents , ” according to the interview summary of James Rybicki , Comey ’ s former chief of staff .
Rybicki told Mueller ’ s team in early August 2017 that a couple weeks prior , Comey had “ called the front office telephone number and left a telephone message for Rybicki , ” who returned Comey ’ s call on the same day .
“ Comey agreed to provide the documents the next day when individuals from FBI Finance & Facilities Division ( FFD ) were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interview summary says .
The next day , employees from the FFD “ retrieved one blue ‘ standard ’ folder from Comey at his residence , ” the summary says .
“ The folder contained a one page email , a one page chart with handwritten notes on the back and civil litigation paperwork for Comey.
” The interview summary doesn ’ t go into any more detail about the nature of the documents .
Rybicki got the records on the same day , then “ requested guidance from FBI Acting Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to handle the documents , ” the summary says .
McCabe asked that “ Comey 's civil litigation paperwork go to the FBI 's Office of General Counsel ( OGC ) and the remaining items be provided to FBI 's Records Management Division .
Rybicki sent the civil litigation paperwork to [ redacted ] the Acting Deputy General Counsel at OGC.
” The interview summary says Rybicki also spoke with then-Associate Deputy Director David Bowdich “ regarding the remaining documents.
” Someone whose name is redacted “ retrieved the documents from Rybicki ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview summaries detailed how Rybicki and Comey kept track of the memos the former FBI director wrote about his interactions with Trump .
Rob Goldstone talked about a gift to Trump from a Russian real estate mogul Sam Clovis , the Trump advisor who briefly served in the Agriculture Department , told FBI agents that he ordered George Papadopolous to “ shut up ” and not to engage with Russia during the 2016 campaign .
Clovis described three attempts by campaign surrogates or supporters to set up meetings with Russia , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During his October 2017 interview , Clovis called himself a “ Sovietologist ” and said that he recommended a policy that any paid members of the campaign be required to report any contact with a foreign official .
“ Russia can be very sneaky and will try to distract you on one side while sneaking by you on the other side , ” Clovis told the agents .
He explained that he felt like he was “ herding cats ” while organizing the scattershot foreign policy team and others on the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded Clovis saying Gen. Michael Flynn did not have “ much depth or thought.
” He said Papadopolous couldn ’ t be trusted to not talk to the press .
He called Stephen Miller a “ chameleon.
” He said Ivanka Trump was the president ’ s “ blind spot , his princess.
” Clovis told the agents that he worked briefly with Ivanka Trump on policies about the Family and Medical Leave Act , but that he had to remind her that “ they were running as Republicans ” — and helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as one of the few people who emerged from the campaign without any “ scars , ” Clovis said he was troubled when the Republican Party changed its platform on Ukraine at the convention and that he fretted over Trump ’ s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
“ The ‘ bromance ’ Trump had with Putin bothered Clovis but the press and the public fed on it , ” FBI agents wrote .
“ Clovis felt he had to clean up after with a shovel because Trump played up his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roughly 200 pages of the summaries are dedicated to so-called “ proffers ” by Rick Gates , interviews with FBI agents after his plea deal to tell them everything he knew on more than a dozen subjects .
Gates described a meeting at the Grand Havana Room in Manhattan with Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik .
There , Manafort was showing off about his success on the Trump campaign and told Kilimnik about a strategy to win blue-collar workers in Michigan , Minnesota , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin — the very states about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling data .
At that same meeting , Gates said Manafort turned down an offer to work on behalf of the ousted Ukraininan politician , Viktor Yanukovych .
Manafort ’ s proximity to the Trump White House continued through at least February 2018 .
Gates told the agents that Manafort spoke regularly to intermediaries — such as Kushner and Rudy Giuliani — to get associates appointed to administration jobs .
Gates told the agents about his involvement in “ insider trading and/or securities fraud offenses ” connected to an identity theft company .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the campaign official who came up with the “ lock her up ” slogan , Gates said .
Giuliani was on tap to be the attorney general but Gates said he “ overplayed his hand ” and felt he was due a much more influential role in the administration .
“ Hannity tailored his shows to the agenda Manafort suggested .
”

J.D. Gordon, a Trump campaign adviser during the 2016 election, unloaded on Trump and the campaign, telling Mueller’s team he was “glad the interviewing Agents were speaking with him as he believed there were a lot of shenanigans happening at the highest levels.”
Gordon, a Navy veteran and former Pentagon spokesperson, spoke in unusually vivid detail about dysfunction within the campaign’s foreign policy team and the controversial changes to the Republican platform surrounding Ukraine during the 2016 convention. Several noteworthy details from his interviews with the special counsel’s office were excluded from Mueller’s final report.
“Gordon described the Trump campaign as being disorganized and chaotic at times and stated it was important for the Agents to understand that concept when conducting this investigation,” according to an August 2017 interview summary.
Among Gordon’s complaints were that Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks had lied about contacts between the campaign and Russians.
“Gordon said he hoped the Russian investigation was very thorough,” the summary says. “Gordon thinks Trump must be guilty of something. He is constantly ripping people off. Trump lies all the time and surrounds himself with people who don't tell the truth. Gordon explained Hicks had lied about contact with Russians. Gordon thinks she probably lied to protect Trump whether she knew anything or not.”
He also complained that he didn’t get paid for his work on the campaign as promised, prompting him to quit on Aug. 10, 2016.
“Gordon was offered a position with the Presidential Transition Team but said he wouldn't show up until he got a check and he never received payment,” the summary says. “The campaign was shady and dishonest.”
Gordon said then-senator Jeff Sessions, who ran the campaign’s foreign policy team and later became Trump’s attorney general, was a “good friend” who had offered him the campaign job. But things didn’t go well, according to Gordon.
“Gordon described the foreign policy team as being run like a 6th grade student council with no real authority or power,” the summary states. Gordon also said that “the last person to speak to Trump has the most influence on his decisions,” and that Jared Kushner “had a lot of say with Trump.”
In one apparent example of campaign dysfunction, Gordon said that Walid Phares, another foreign policy adviser, “had come up with a list of ambassadors to meet with and when Kushner found out, Kushner said only he would be meeting with ambassadors.” Kushner “came up with an idea, which Gordon jokingly referred to as ‘win a call with Kushner,’ where campaign members were asked to write bios on various ambassadors and Kushner would have a phone call with whoever wrote the best ambassador bios about those particular ambassadors.” Phares quit two weeks into the gig after Rick Dearborn, another campaign official, told the advisers “they couldn't meet with ambassadors.”
Gordon and someone whose name is redacted “got stuck writing the bios,” and Kushner eventually met with ambassadors for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, according to the summary.
“At one point, [REDACTED] sent Dearborn a note about Kushner's outreaches after finding out [REDACTED] tried to setup a meeting with the Saudi prince,” the summary says. “Gordon had [REDACTED] talk to Dearborn about going through the embassies to setup meetings because back channels are always about money.”
Gordon said it was Sam Clovis, another campaign adviser, who came up with the list of who would serve on the foreign policy team. The list included Phares, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, and Keith Kellogg, among others.
“Eventually Clovis was pushed out of his role,” Gordon’s summary states. Page and Papadopoulos “were bad news for the campaign.” Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of Mueller’s probe.
In May 2016, Gordon and Phares were planning to fire Papadopoulos “after a story broke about his statements to the British press,” but Clovis wanted to give him another chance, the summary says. “They were worried that if they fired Papadopoulos he would go to the press and tell them that the foreign policy advisor team was a scam.”
Gordon spoke to investigators about two key events that Mueller scrutinized in his final report. His interview summary paints a more vivid picture of one of those events, an encounter with Sergey Kislyak at a reception following an event for ambassadors in Cleveland at the same time as the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Mueller’s report said that “Gordon ran into Kislyak as the two prepared plates of food, and they decided to sit at the same table to eat.” There, they were joined by Page and the ambassadors from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. “As they ate, Gordon and Kislyak talked for what Gordon estimated to have been three to five minutes, during which Gordon again mentioned that he meant what he said in his speech about improving U.S.-Russia relations.”
Gordon’s interview summary notes that the reception was “a networking event” that offered free food and drink, and that Gordon and Kislyak encountered one another at “the chicken satay tray.” Gordon also said that he “knew the Kazakh ambassador prior to this event.” Page, according to Gordon, “briefly spoke with Kislyak and the Azerbaijan ambassador.” Gordon said he and Kislyak not only spoke about US–Russia relations; they also “talked about Russia's attempt to warn the U.S. about the Boston bomber.”
Gordon also shed light on how the Republican platform came to present less forceful language around Ukraine and Russia than what was originally proposed.
On March 31, 2016, the foreign policy team held a two-hour meeting in Washington, DC, Gordon said. It was then that Papadopoulos proposed a Trump–Putin meeting.
“Gordon described Papadopoulos as acting on his own and wheeling and dealing,” the interview summary states. “Papadopoulos said he was working with the ambassador in the United Kingdom and Putin was interested in meeting with Trump, working through the ambassador to make it happen. Sessions said it was a bad idea and shut it down. Apparently Papadopoulos kept doing it, repeatedly going around Gordon.”
During both his August 2017 interview and a 2019 interview with Mueller’s office, Gordon recalled comments Trump made about Ukraine and Russia. “In that meeting, Trump said the Europeans should do more about the situation in Ukraine,” reads the summary of an interview with Gordon on Feb. 14, 2019. “Trump had also said he wanted better relations with Russia and he didn't want World War III over Ukraine.”
Mueller’s report detailed how months later at the RNC, delegate Diana Denman proposed an amendment to the platform that expressed support for Ukraine in the midst of Russia’s "ongoing military aggression" — support that included "providing lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine's armed forces.”
“Gordon stated that he flagged this amendment because of Trump's stated position on Ukraine, which Gordon personally heard the candidate say at the March 31 foreign policy meeting — namely, that the Europeans should take primary responsibility for any assistance to Ukraine, that there should be improved U.S.-Russia relations, and that he did not want to start World War III over that region,” the Mueller report says. The amendment was eventually edited from “lethal assistance” to “appropriate assistance.”
In his 2017 interview summary, Gordon said Denman was “hell-bent on arming Ukraine” and that he had heard that she “had been to Ukraine and was involved in elections monitoring there. Denman was a [Ted] Cruz delegate and a protagonist.”
Gordon said Denman “was upset” by his desire to “withdraw the whole amendment.” He also said that Trump and Manafort “exacerbated the issue by lying about the platform in the news on July 31.”
“Manafort denied the campaign's involvement in changing the platform in an interview with Chuck Todd,” the summary states. “Gordon explained that the campaign was involved in legitimately changing the amendment through debate. Trump doesn't pay attention and ended up saying the same thing in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. Trump said he had heard the campaign was involved in the change but he had nothing to do with the platform change.”
Near the end of his interview that day, Gordon heaped more criticism on Trump — but stopped short of accusing him of collusion. Though the beginning of the sentence is redacted, the summary says “Trump was involved in inappropriate activity” and that “Gordon made this statement based on 3500 lawsuits Trump is involved in, business deals with Russia, not paying his policy office. The investigators could likely find something illegal Trump was involved in but Gordon is not aware of any election meddling that Trump was involved in.”
A delegate interview contradicted Mueller's finding


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--Joe Biden’s South Carolina Victory Has Him Back In The Running — But For How Long?

COLUMBIA , South Carolina — There was a moment Friday night in Spartanburg , South Carolina , when the old Joe Biden would have been irritable , defensive , mean .
A woman in the crowd was grilling him about the housing and eviction policies in Atlanta , where the mayor is one of his top surrogates .
Biden listened patiently , gently responding when she interrupted : “ Would you please let me speak ?
I ’ ll be happy to answer.
” When a man nearby began waving a sign in protest , Biden told his alert organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t mind .
This is not a Trump rally .
It ’ s OK .
He can stay here .
We don ’ t kick out .
You can hold up all the signs you want ; you ’ re entitled to do that .
Just let me speak.
” Biden talked about the problems that people of color face when gentrification pushes them out of their communities and , when he learned that wasn ’ t the issue on the woman ’ s mind , began talking about flood insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman still wasn ’ t satisfied , he offered to speak with her afterward to get a better understanding .
He didn ’ t challenge her to an IQ test or a push-up contest , didn ’ t call her a “ damn liar.
” Rather , the exchange showed the potential for a new Biden , with a comfort and confidence that was ratified a little more than 24 hours later when the former vice president won South Carolina ’ s Democratic presidential primary .
The victory — Biden ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in a state with more pledged delegates than any that have yet voted — is a significant moment for a campaign that just weeks ago seemed on the ropes .
Though the final margin is currently unknown , the race was called by the Associated Press and other outlets immediately as polls closed .
His speech to supporters here on the University of South Carolina campus fused together themes he 's been pushing for nearly a year , but without the dark notes or verbal slips and meanderings that at times have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very much alive !
” Biden told supporters gathered for the watch party .
“ You launched Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to the presidency .
Now you ’ re launching our campaign.
” The win is a relief for Biden and his allies , who had suffered through shaky performances and weak finishes in the first three contests .
“ I think he realized it was time to shit or get off the pot , and he did , ” Amanda Loveday , an adviser to the pro-Biden Unite the Country super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And he realized that it was time to show that he was the candidate we as Biden supporters know that he is.
” South Carolina was supposed to be the firewall that reaffirmed him as the frontrunner — until it needed to be his better-late-than-never launchpad to Super Tuesday , the day next week when 15 states and territories vote .
The race now moves on to that uncertain phase , where polls and past results show Bernie Sanders is the one to beat , and where Biden and other candidates could split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative to the Vermont senator .
The others include former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg , who skipped the early primaries and caucuses and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his personal fortune to make a splashy Super Tuesday debut .
There ’ s also former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg , who like Biden and Bloomberg appeals to moderate voters , but after strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire has failed to win over voters of color .
And Amy Klobuchar , who surprised by finishing near Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire , is campaigning hard for similar voters , including in her home state of Minnesota .
TJ Ducklo , a Biden spokesperson , suggested Saturday that it was time for other candidates positioning themselves as alternatives to Sanders to consider ending their campaigns .
“ If you are a candidate and you have not shown that you can get traction with the core of the Democratic Party , with African American voters , then you have to take a hard look at your path and what your goals are , ” Ducklo @ @ @ @

COLUMBIA, South Carolina — There was a moment Friday night in Spartanburg, South Carolina, when the old Joe Biden would have been irritable, defensive, mean.
A woman in the crowd was grilling him about the housing and eviction policies in Atlanta, where the mayor is one of his top surrogates. Biden listened patiently, gently responding when she interrupted: “Would you please let me speak? I’ll be happy to answer.” When a man nearby began waving a sign in protest, Biden told his alert organizers to let him stay. “I don’t mind. This is not a Trump rally. It’s OK. He can stay here. We don’t kick out. You can hold up all the signs you want; you’re entitled to do that. Just let me speak.”
Biden talked about the problems that people of color face when gentrification pushes them out of their communities and, when he learned that wasn’t the issue on the woman’s mind, began talking about flood insurance and eminent domain. And when the woman still wasn’t satisfied, he offered to speak with her afterward to get a better understanding.
He didn’t challenge her to an IQ test or a push-up contest, didn’t call her a “damn liar.” Rather, the exchange showed the potential for a new Biden, with a comfort and confidence that was ratified a little more than 24 hours later when the former vice president won South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary.
The victory — Biden’s first in his three runs for president, and in a state with more pledged delegates than any that have yet voted — is a significant moment for a campaign that just weeks ago seemed on the ropes. Though the final margin is currently unknown, the race was called by the Associated Press and other outlets immediately as polls closed. His speech to supporters here on the University of South Carolina campus fused together themes he's been pushing for nearly a year, but without the dark notes or verbal slips and meanderings that at times have overshadowed his message.
“We are very much alive!” Biden told supporters gathered for the watch party. “You launched Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to the presidency. Now you’re launching our campaign.”
The win is a relief for Biden and his allies, who had suffered through shaky performances and weak finishes in the first three contests.
“I think he realized it was time to shit or get off the pot, and he did,” Amanda Loveday, an adviser to the pro-Biden Unite the Country super PAC, told BuzzFeed News. “And he realized that it was time to show that he was the candidate we as Biden supporters know that he is.”
South Carolina was supposed to be the firewall that reaffirmed him as the frontrunner — until it needed to be his better-late-than-never launchpad to Super Tuesday, the day next week when 15 states and territories vote.
The race now moves on to that uncertain phase, where polls and past results show Bernie Sanders is the one to beat, and where Biden and other candidates could split the votes of those looking for an alternative to the Vermont senator. The others include former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who skipped the early primaries and caucuses and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his personal fortune to make a splashy Super Tuesday debut. There’s also former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, who like Biden and Bloomberg appeals to moderate voters, but after strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire has failed to win over voters of color. And Amy Klobuchar, who surprised by finishing near Biden in Iowa and passing him in New Hampshire, is campaigning hard for similar voters, including in her home state of Minnesota.
TJ Ducklo, a Biden spokesperson, suggested Saturday that it was time for other candidates positioning themselves as alternatives to Sanders to consider ending their campaigns.
“If you are a candidate and you have not shown that you can get traction with the core of the Democratic Party, with African American voters, then you have to take a hard look at your path and what your goals are,” Ducklo told BuzzFeed News.


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--Coronavirus Is 2020 Democrats’ New Case Against Trump

The remaining Democratic presidential candidates have united in the last week on a core message : The coronavirus outbreak proves how important it is to defeat President Donald Trump .
The global health crisis — which has rattled global markets and has now been reported in multiple western US states without known connections to the virus ’ spread in Asia — has been woven into virtually every Democratic candidates ’ messaging in the last week , with just days to go before the biggest primary day of the year .
Michael Bloomberg is airing an ad titled “ Pandemic ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out an early plan for preventing the spread of infectious diseases .
Amy Klobuchar has talked about containing the virus as a way of transcending partisan politics .
And Joe Biden , Bernie Sanders , Pete Buttigieg , and Tom Steyer are all talking about the virus as they campaign ahead of the South Carolina primary on Friday and in 16 Super Tuesday contests next week .
The common factor : Each candidate has turned the outbreak into a new , potent critique of Trump , hitching their individual campaign messaging to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans ’ attention away from the presidential election .
As the president has contradicted warnings from health officials and focused on controlling messaging around the outbreak by placing Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the response , Sanders , the frontrunner in the Democratic primary , has sent a series of statements from his campaign this week on Trump ’ s “ inadequate , misleading , and dangerous ” handling of the crisis .
“ It turns out that Donald Trump is in Charleston today , ” he said at a Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina , of the rally Trump had planned later that night .
In stops across the state Friday , the day before the South Carolina primary , Sanders repeatedly accused Trump of meddling in the Democratic nominating process by holding a rally there when he should be focusing on the ongoing health crisis .
“ Now , I want you to think — think about what it says about this guy , ” Sanders said in Saint George .
“ Everybody knows there is a coronavirus spreading all over the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You would think that you 'd have a president of the United States leading — working with scientists all over the world , bringing people together to figure out how we 're gon na deal with this crisis .
He is here in South Carolina .
He does n't even have any opposition in the Republican primary — why is he here ?
He 's here to try to disrupt the Democratic primary .
How pathetic and how petty can you be ?
” Elsewhere in the state , Buttigieg centered his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics on the virus .
“ This is not a kind of national security issue that we ’ re used to dealing with from the past , ” he said in Charleston on Friday .
“ This virus does not care what country it is in .
It ’ s not going to be stopped by a big wall .
These kinds of issues , whether it ’ s global health security , cyber security , election security , are going to require a focus on the future , just as right here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , Steyer told an audience that coronavirus would have a profound economic impact on the United States and other countries and slammed the Trump administration ’ s response .
“ This is Trump ’ s incompetence in a neon sign going like , ‘ I stink at my job .
Yeah , I am a dummy !
Ok ?
’ by Donald Trump , ” Steyer told the crowd .
“ This was announced on December 31st , he is so late on this that it ’ s crazy .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Steyer told the crowd that Trump ’ s response had been inadequate and that the spread of coronavirus was Trump ’ s “ Katrina.
” “ It ’ s his moment where he ’ s like , ‘ whoa !
I have a job to do ?
Who knew !
’ ”

The remaining Democratic presidential candidates have united in the last week on a core message: The coronavirus outbreak proves how important it is to defeat President Donald Trump.
The global health crisis — which has rattled global markets and has now been reported in multiple western US states without known connections to the virus’ spread in Asia — has been woven into virtually every Democratic candidates’ messaging in the last week, with just days to go before the biggest primary day of the year.
Michael Bloomberg is airing an ad titled “Pandemic” across TV nationwide. Elizabeth Warren put out an early plan for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Amy Klobuchar has talked about containing the virus as a way of transcending partisan politics. And Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and Tom Steyer are all talking about the virus as they campaign ahead of the South Carolina primary on Friday and in 16 Super Tuesday contests next week.
The common factor: Each candidate has turned the outbreak into a new, potent critique of Trump, hitching their individual campaign messaging to a story that has otherwise begun to pull Americans’ attention away from the presidential election.
As the president has contradicted warnings from health officials and focused on controlling messaging around the outbreak by placing Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the response, Sanders, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, has sent a series of statements from his campaign this week on Trump’s “inadequate, misleading, and dangerous” handling of the crisis.
“It turns out that Donald Trump is in Charleston today,” he said at a Friday morning campaign event in Saint George, South Carolina, of the rally Trump had planned later that night.
In stops across the state Friday, the day before the South Carolina primary, Sanders repeatedly accused Trump of meddling in the Democratic nominating process by holding a rally there when he should be focusing on the ongoing health crisis.
“Now, I want you to think — think about what it says about this guy,” Sanders said in Saint George. “Everybody knows there is a coronavirus spreading all over the world. Very frightening, stock market is tanking. You would think that you'd have a president of the United States leading — working with scientists all over the world, bringing people together to figure out how we're gonna deal with this crisis. He is here in South Carolina. He doesn't even have any opposition in the Republican primary — why is he here? He's here to try to disrupt the Democratic primary. How pathetic and how petty can you be?”
Elsewhere in the state, Buttigieg centered his more typical argument for generational change in politics on the virus. “This is not a kind of national security issue that we’re used to dealing with from the past,” he said in Charleston on Friday. “This virus does not care what country it is in. It’s not going to be stopped by a big wall. These kinds of issues, whether it’s global health security, cyber security, election security, are going to require a focus on the future, just as right here at home.”
In Summerville, South Carolina, Steyer told an audience that coronavirus would have a profound economic impact on the United States and other countries and slammed the Trump administration’s response.
“This is Trump’s incompetence in a neon sign going like, ‘I stink at my job. Yeah, I am a dummy! Ok?’ by Donald Trump,” Steyer told the crowd. “This was announced on December 31st, he is so late on this that it’s crazy. He’s two months late to do anything.”
Steyer told the crowd that Trump’s response had been inadequate and that the spread of coronavirus was Trump’s “Katrina.”
“It’s his moment where he’s like, ‘whoa! I have a job to do? Who knew!’”