buzzfeed--2020-01-29--"I Would Vote For My Dead Cat Over Trump": Even Moderate Democrats Say They’d Vote For Bernie Sander

"I Would Vote For My Dead Cat Over Trump": Even Moderate Democrats Say They’d Vote For Bernie Sanders If He’s The Nominee

A `` Bernie Beats Trump '' sticker is held by an attendee during a rally supporting the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders in Iowa City on Jan. 24 .
“ We have to , ” Biden said , before continuing .
“ I 'm not gon na make judgments now but I just think that it depends upon how we treat one another between now and the time we have a nominee.
” At a campaign stop in Muscatine on Tuesday , a reporter asked Biden , “ Will the party unite behind Bernie if he 's the nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders campaign has argued that the senator can motivate young voters to turn out in larger numbers , as he did in 2016 .
At least in Iowa , older moderates at Biden events , too , said they would back Sanders against Trump if it came down to it .
One major counterpoint moderate candidates have made against Sanders is that he would turn off moderates and independents , making it harder for a Democrat to defeat Trump .
That argument goes to the “ electability ” issue voters in Iowa have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary — an idea that ’ s hard to pin down and varies from person to person , but which all the frontrunner campaigns have tried to play to with messages about how they ’ ll unify Democrats and turn out voters .
“ I would vote for him ” if Sanders becomes the nominee , said Dick Huber , 67 , at the same event .
“ I have supported Joe Biden for decades .
I ’ ve always been real comfortable with him , ” said Carol Davis , 58 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captain for Biden in her caucus next week .
“ I will vote for any Democrat in the general election .
I am not a Bernie fan , but yes , I ’ ll support him.
” More than two dozen voters at six Biden campaign events across Iowa who said they ’ re seriously considering or committed to caucusing for the former vice president told BuzzFeed News they would support Sanders if he ’ s the nominee , even if he ’ s their last choice now among the Democrats running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the left .
“ I think he ’ s too divisive and I ’ m afraid he would n't win over a lot of independents and moderate Republicans , so I 'm hoping he does n't get it .
But Trump , anyone but Trump , ” she said , adding that she ’ s leaning toward Sen. Amy Klobuchar or Sen. Elizabeth Warren , but is also open to Biden .
She said she ’ s also voted for Republicans a few times in the past .
“ I would vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Sandy Stanley , 71 , at a Biden campaign stop in Muscatine , Iowa .
Stanley said she doesn ’ t like Sanders but wouldn ’ t hesitate to vote for him if he does become the nominee .
CLINTON , Iowa — Moderate Iowa Democrats , including those who support Joe Biden ’ s bid for president , say they would definitely vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders if he wins the party ’ s nomination , even as the Democratic Party establishment becomes increasingly concerned about the chances of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been engaged in a series of policy scuffles , going after each other 's records on war votes and Social Security .
That ’ s become particularly heated in the past few weeks , as Sanders has pulled ahead of Biden on multiple polls in early voting states , with the two candidates distancing themselves from the pack in some national polls .
Factions of the Democratic Party establishment are increasingly pushing the message that Democratic voters are scared of a Sanders presidency .
A group of Democratic operatives are discussing organizing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Beast reported , though they have not so far managed to garner support from major Democratic donors and institutions .
“ The more that Bernie Sanders rises , the more — and I see this very much now happening already among my activist Democratic friends — the more people are getting scared about a Bernie Sanders candidacy , ” former Obama administration official and Wall Street financier Steven Rattner told MSNBC on Tuesday .
Other candidates , including former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar , are using concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in swing districts down the ballot , in fundraising appeals and on the trail .
“ If things stay steady until the Iowa Caucuses in just nine days , Bernie Sanders could be the nominee of our party , ” one Buttigieg fundraising email said .
Sanders himself is playing up the concerns as a sign of his momentum .
“ We are taking on the Democratic establishment , and all across the country , let me tell you that the big money interests are getting very nervous .
They ’ re looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa and they ’ re saying ‘ Oh my god , Sanders can win , ’ ” he told a crowd of 1,400 in Ames on Saturday night .
Supporters at the Biden events , on his final swing through Iowa in the lead-up to the state ’ s first in the nation caucuses next Tuesday , mostly say they ’ re not in favor of Medicare for All and would have concerns about Sanders ’ ability to get legislation passed through Congress .
But after the animosity between Hillary Clinton and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former supporters of both at Biden events say the imperative to beat Trump has tamped down the intensity of factional rivalries — with a general consensus that any Democrat is better than Trump .
Even for some who still harbor bitterness over the 2016 primary , Trump has changed the equation .
A few former Clinton supporters said Sanders didn ’ t do enough to back Clinton after the primaries in 2016 , and they blamed his supporters for not turning out in large enough numbers for her .
But they say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders becomes the nominee .
“ If Sanders would have bucked up , she would have been our president , ” said Pam Miller , 69 , at the University of Iowa in Iowa City on Monday evening .
This year , she said , she ’ ll “ vote for any Democrat ” who wins the nomination , because “ [ Trump ] is a frightening president.
” “ Many Bernie Sanders supporters did not support Hillary , and I think that ’ s one of the reasons why she didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 69 , who ’ s canvassing for Biden and supported Clinton in 2016 .
He said he ’ d be willing to back Sanders against Trump .
“ Any Democrat that does not support the candidate does not have the country ’ s best interests at heart , ” he said .
“ I do believe this is the guy who ’ s going to get rid of that a-hole , ” Norm Holle , 76 , said of Biden ’ s chances of defeating Trump , at a campaign stop in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , “ I ’ d vote for any Democrat who ’ s nominated , ” he said .
Roberta Martinson , 59 , was at a Biden event in Marion with her husband on Monday .
She said her number one choice was Klobuchar , but she has doubts about whether she will garner enough support to make it through the caucus process — so she ’ s seriously considering Biden .
She said she and her husband are against Medicare for All .
But if Sanders becomes the nominee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting for him .
“ We would vote for a rock if it wasn ’ t Trump , ” said Martinson .
Craig Meltz , 66 , said he ’ s concerned about a lot of Sanders ’ progressive policies , but would also vote for him in a general election against Trump .
“ One saving grace is that anything he proposes still should go through the Congress and that would be a break on him , ” he said , if Sanders does win the White House .
Other moderate Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klobuchar agreed that despite their disagreements with him , Sanders would definitely have their support if he wins the nomination .
“ I would vote for the devil himself if he ran against Trump , ” said Alison Gaynor , 66 , at the University of Iowa event on Monday .
“ I think we learned something from last time .
”

CLINTON, Iowa — Moderate Iowa Democrats, including those who support Joe Biden’s bid for president, say they would definitely vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders if he wins the party’s nomination, even as the Democratic Party establishment becomes increasingly concerned about the chances of a Sanders win.
“I would vote for my dead cat over Trump,” said Sandy Stanley, 71, at a Biden campaign stop in Muscatine, Iowa. Stanley said she doesn’t like Sanders but wouldn’t hesitate to vote for him if he does become the nominee.
“I think he’s too divisive and I’m afraid he wouldn't win over a lot of independents and moderate Republicans, so I'm hoping he doesn't get it. But Trump, anyone but Trump,” she said, adding that she’s leaning toward Sen. Amy Klobuchar or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, but is also open to Biden. She said she’s also voted for Republicans a few times in the past.
More than two dozen voters at six Biden campaign events across Iowa who said they’re seriously considering or committed to caucusing for the former vice president told BuzzFeed News they would support Sanders if he’s the nominee, even if he’s their last choice now among the Democrats running for president because his views are too far to the left.
“I have supported Joe Biden for decades. I’ve always been real comfortable with him,” said Carol Davis, 58, who plans to be a precinct captain for Biden in her caucus next week. “I will vote for any Democrat in the general election. I am not a Bernie fan, but yes, I’ll support him.”
“I would vote for him” if Sanders becomes the nominee, said Dick Huber, 67, at the same event.
“Begrudgingly,” he added.
One major counterpoint moderate candidates have made against Sanders is that he would turn off moderates and independents, making it harder for a Democrat to defeat Trump. That argument goes to the “electability” issue voters in Iowa have been bringing up since the start of the primary — an idea that’s hard to pin down and varies from person to person, but which all the frontrunner campaigns have tried to play to with messages about how they’ll unify Democrats and turn out voters.
The Sanders campaign has argued that the senator can motivate young voters to turn out in larger numbers, as he did in 2016. At least in Iowa, older moderates at Biden events, too, said they would back Sanders against Trump if it came down to it.
At a campaign stop in Muscatine on Tuesday, a reporter asked Biden, “Will the party unite behind Bernie if he's the nominee? The whole party?”
“We have to,” Biden said, before continuing. “I'm not gonna make judgments now but I just think that it depends upon how we treat one another between now and the time we have a nominee.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-29--Here's The Recording Of Trump Saying He Wanted To "Get Rid Of" A Top US Ambassador

`` Get rid of her .
Get her out tomorrow .
I do n't care , '' Trump is heard saying on the tape .
`` Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out , OK ?
Do it . ''
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Lev Parnas , one of Rudy Giuliani ’ s two indicted associates who ran the Ukrainian back-channel campaign at the heart of the impeachment inquiry , has released a recording of President Donald Trump saying he wanted to “ get rid of ” a US ambassador during a dinner with the men and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joseph Bondy , a lawyer for Parnas , shows the president telling Parnas , his partner Igor Fruman , and other attendees of an intimate 2018 meal that Marie Yovanovitch , then the US ambassador to Ukraine , should be removed .
`` Get rid of her ! ''
Trump says on the tape after Parnas says Yovanovitch has been privately criticizing the president .
`` Get her out tomorrow .
I do n't care .
Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
OK ?
Do it . ''
Parnas previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then-aide John DeStefano when he ordered the ambassador ’ s firing .
Bondy said Saturday that Fruman made the hourlong recording , the existence of which was first reported by ABC News , on April 30 , 2018 .
Yovanovitch was abruptly recalled from her post in Kyiv in a phone call a year later , she told House investigators .
Bondy also said that the tape has been turned over to the House Intelligence Committee , which has led the impeachment inquiry .
A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fruman did not respond to a request for comment .
“ Given its importance to the national interest , we decided to release this recording in a manner intended to ensure equal public access , and in an effort to provide clarity to the American people and the Senate as to the need to conduct a fair trial , with witnesses and evidence , ” Bondy told BuzzFeed News .
Bondy has repeatedly called for senators to allow Parnas to testify in the impeachment trial , tweeting # LetLevSpeak along with video montages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump family , including the president .
Yovanovitch ’ s ouster , which State Department officials have dubbed a politically motivated smear campaign , has been a key component of the impeachment inquiry .
Parnas and Giuliani have said that Yovanovitch , a career foreign service officer , stood in the way of the Ukrainian investigations they were seeking into former vice president Joe Biden and his son , Hunter , on Trump ’ s behalf .
Though Trump has denied knowing Parnas and Fruman , who were charged with campaign finance violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking with the president at an intimate dinner with those close to Trump .
At the beginning of the hourlong video , Parnas can be seen in an ornate dining room at the Trump International Hotel in Washington , DC .
The recording appears to capture the president posing for a photo with his eldest son , Donald Trump Jr. , down the hall .
Someone tells Fruman that people might not want their photos taken , but he continues recording .
The video also shows a place setting with “ Mr .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ name tag at the spot next to it says “ Mr .
Donald Trump Jr. ” Later , Trump Jr. stands near his place setting , and his father joins him at the table to applause from the guests .
After the dinner guests are seated , Fruman appears to place his phone on the table with the camera facing up , so the video shows the ceiling and records the conversations .
The ambassador comes up approximately 42 minutes into the video , as Parnas and Trump discuss the oil industry in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s influence in the area .
At the time , Parnas and Fruman had just formed a company to export gas to Eastern Europe .
`` The biggest problem there — I think where we need to start is we got ta get rid of the ambassador , ” Parnas says .
“ She 's still left over from the Clinton administration .
She 's basically walking around telling everybody , ‘ Wait , he 's gon na get impeached , just wait ’ . ''
The line prompts laughter from the guests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has a new secretary of state .
At that point , Trump says Yovanovitch should be dismissed .
Then another dinner guest congratulates the president on the confirmation of Mike Pompeo , who had been approved by the Senate days before to lead the State Department .
“ Pompeo ’ s going to be good , ” Trump says .
The spring of 2018 was a key time in Parnas and Fruman ’ s rise as major Republican donors .
At the time , the South Florida business partners made a flurry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes .
Some of the contributions — including one to a pro-Trump super PAC for $ 325,000 that prosecutors accused the men of falsely attributing to their energy company — landed the pair in jail last year .
The duo used their newfound political access to deride Yovanovitch to another powerful lawmaker in the weeks after they dined with Trump .
In May 2018 , Parnas and Fruman lambasted the ambassador during a meeting with then-Rep. Pete Sessions .
Afterward , Sessions wrote a letter Pompeo urging him to replace her , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I have received notice from close companions that Ambassador Yovanovitch has spoken privately and repeatedly about her disdain for the current administration , ” he wrote .
Sessions has claimed that he was referring to “ congressional colleagues ” in his letter , not Parnas and Fruman .
Text messages turned over by Parnas and released by House impeachment investigators last week show that he , Giuliani , and others worked through early 2019 to have the ambassador fired .
Some of the messages even suggest the ambassador was under surveillance in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages weren ’ t to be taken seriously .
Yovanovitch said that when she received a late-night phone call on April 24 , 2019 , telling her to return to Washington immediately , she was told there were questions about her “ security , ” as well as concerns about her “ up the street ” at the White House .

After the dinner guests are seated, Fruman appears to place his phone on the table with the camera facing up, so the video shows the ceiling and records the conversations.
The ambassador comes up approximately 42 minutes into the video, as Parnas and Trump discuss the oil industry in Ukraine, as well as Russia’s influence in the area. At the time, Parnas and Fruman had just formed a company to export gas to Eastern Europe.
"The biggest problem there — I think where we need to start is we gotta get rid of the ambassador,” Parnas says. “She's still left over from the Clinton administration. She's basically walking around telling everybody, ‘Wait, he's gonna get impeached, just wait’."
The line prompts laughter from the guests, and an unidentified person mentions that Trump has a new secretary of state. At that point, Trump says Yovanovitch should be dismissed.
“Excellent,” Parnas says.
Then another dinner guest congratulates the president on the confirmation of Mike Pompeo, who had been approved by the Senate days before to lead the State Department.
“Pompeo’s going to be good,” Trump says.
The spring of 2018 was a key time in Parnas and Fruman’s rise as major Republican donors. At the time, the South Florida business partners made a flurry of large donations to GOP candidates and causes. Some of the contributions — including one to a pro-Trump super PAC for $325,000 that prosecutors accused the men of falsely attributing to their energy company — landed the pair in jail last year.
The duo used their newfound political access to deride Yovanovitch to another powerful lawmaker in the weeks after they dined with Trump. In May 2018, Parnas and Fruman lambasted the ambassador during a meeting with then-Rep. Pete Sessions. Afterward, Sessions wrote a letter Pompeo urging him to replace her, as BuzzFeed News first reported last summer. “I have received notice from close companions that Ambassador Yovanovitch has spoken privately and repeatedly about her disdain for the current administration,” he wrote. Sessions has claimed that he was referring to “congressional colleagues” in his letter, not Parnas and Fruman.
Text messages turned over by Parnas and released by House impeachment investigators last week show that he, Giuliani, and others worked through early 2019 to have the ambassador fired. Some of the messages even suggest the ambassador was under surveillance in Kyiv — though Parnas has said the messages weren’t to be taken seriously.
Yovanovitch said that when she received a late-night phone call on April 24, 2019, telling her to return to Washington immediately, she was told there were questions about her “security,” as well as concerns about her “up the street” at the White House.


buzzfeed--2020-01-30--Elizabeth Warren’s Dog Is Campaigning For Her While She’s Stuck In Washington

FORT DODGE , Iowa — With five days until the Democratic caucuses , Elizabeth Warren ’ s key campaign surrogate was here to rally volunteers who have been working for months across rural Webster County .
He lined up for selfies , accepted ear rubs , and stuck his nose into a custom-made peanut-butter cake .
When a photographer knelt down for a photo , he leapt up into his face .
This is the state of the Democratic primary , in what might be the most important week of a year-long battle for the presidential nomination : Elizabeth Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa .
Elizabeth Warren is not .
The Senate impeachment trial , which is keeping Warren and Bernie Sanders in Washington , has muddled the last days before the Iowa caucuses — turning what is usually a frenetic , nonstop week of campaigning by candidates into something messier and weirder .
Early last August , Warren held a town hall in Fort Dodge in a room packed with hundreds of people — a sign of her status as a candidate rising in the polls and drumming up huge energy .
She promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to “ end lobbying as we know it , ” to raise wages for teachers .
She also got an “ extremely serious question ” from a former Democratic chair : How do you successfully impeach Donald Trump ?
Warren is now living out the consequences of that extremely serious question , stuck in Washington and unable to aggressively campaign in Iowa .
She is still very much in contention in the state , caught in a tight four-way race with Sanders , Joe Biden , and Pete Buttigieg .
Sanders is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sent Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who has become a celebrity in her own right , to Iowa in his place .
And Buttigieg and Biden have scheduled a nonstop series of town halls across the state this week .
Warren has endorsements , but not like AOC ’ s .
She rallied with Queer Eye ’ s Jonathan Van Ness this past weekend before going back to DC .
Megan Rapinoe , the star of the US women ’ s national soccer team who could pull a crowd on her own , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren did still have a few other significant surrogates out in Iowa Wednesday , including former presidential candidate Julián Castro , who met with students at Cornell College in the morning .
But in Fort Dodge , Warren had her dog , Bailey Warren , and her husband , Bruce Mann , who spoke to a gathering of a few dozen voters and volunteers in the campaign ’ s offices , which appeared to have once been a doctor ’ s waiting room .

FORT DODGE, Iowa — With five days until the Democratic caucuses, Elizabeth Warren’s key campaign surrogate was here to rally volunteers who have been working for months across rural Webster County.
He lined up for selfies, accepted ear rubs, and stuck his nose into a custom-made peanut butter cake. When a photographer knelt down for a photo, he leapt up into his face.
This is the state of the Democratic primary, in what might be the most important week of a yearlong battle for the presidential nomination: Elizabeth Warren’s dog is campaigning for her in Iowa. Elizabeth Warren is not.
The Senate impeachment trial, which is keeping Warren and Bernie Sanders in Washington, has muddled the last days before the Iowa caucuses — turning what is usually a frenetic, nonstop week of campaigning by candidates into something messier and weirder.
Early last August, Warren held a town hall in Fort Dodge in a room packed with hundreds of people — a sign of her status as a candidate rising in the polls and drumming up huge energy. She promised cheering crowds to rid Washington of corruption, to “end lobbying as we know it,” to raise wages for teachers.
She also got an “extremely serious question” from a former Democratic chair: How do you successfully impeach Donald Trump?
Warren is now living out the consequences of that extremely serious question, stuck in Washington and unable to aggressively campaign in Iowa. She is still very much in contention in the state, caught in a tight four-way race with Sanders, Joe Biden, and Pete Buttigieg.
Sanders is stuck in Washington too. But he sent Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has become a celebrity in her own right, to Iowa in his place. And Buttigieg and Biden have scheduled a nonstop series of town halls across the state this week.
Warren has endorsements, but not like AOC’s. She rallied with Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness this past weekend before going back to DC. Megan Rapinoe, the star of the US women’s national soccer team who could pull a crowd on her own, is busy playing in Olympic qualifiers. Warren did still have a few other significant surrogates out in Iowa Wednesday, including former presidential candidate Julián Castro, who met with students at Cornell College in the morning.
But in Fort Dodge, Warren had her dog, Bailey Warren, and her husband, Bruce Mann, who spoke to a gathering of a few dozen voters and volunteers in the campaign’s offices, which appeared to have once been a doctor’s waiting room.


buzzfeed--2020-01-30--Trump's Lawyers Said Presidents Can Accept Foreign Dirt On Opponents As Senators Asked Questions In

Trump's Lawyers Said Presidents Can Accept Foreign Dirt On Opponents As Senators Asked Questions In The Impeachment Trial

Republicans and Democrats alternate asking questions , offering a glimpse at what senators are most focused on as they consider whether to remove Trump from office for two articles of impeachment .
Trump was charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine while pressuring the country to investigate his political rival , former vice president Joe Biden , and for preventing members of administration from testifying in Congress ’ s investigation .
Senators have had to remain silent as jurors throughout the trial , but are now able to submit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s defense team .
Questions began Wednesday and will continue Thursday with the questions read by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts , who is overseeing the trial .
“ If there is credible information , credible information of wrongdoing by someone who is running for a public office , it 's not campaign interference for credible information about wrongdoing to be brought to light , if it is credible information , ” Philbin continued .
“ So I think the idea that any information that happens to come from overseas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Philbin responded for Trump ’ s team , saying that “ mere information is n't something that would violate the campaign finance laws ” against foreign interference in US elections .
Toward the end of the evening , Democratic Sen. Chris Coons asked White House lawyers if Trump agrees that foreign interference in US elections is illegal , citing Trump ’ s interview with ABC News last year in which the president said he ’ d likely accept dirt on a political opponent from another foreign country , like China or Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he may or may not tell the FBI about it .
“ There ’ s nothing wrong with listening , ” Trump said at the time .
While early questions from Republicans and Democrats Wednesday largely focused on offering their side the chance to serve up talking points on Trump 's impeachment , late in the evening Democrats pushed the president 's defense team on campaign interference .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to your favorite shows .
Sen. Susan Collins did ask a question on behalf of herself and Sens .
Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski .
All three Republicans have indicated they may vote Friday to allow witnesses in the trial .
The trio asked Trump 's lawyers to explain whether they believe the president could be removed from office if he had multiple motivations for withholding the aid money from Ukraine , `` such as the pursuit of personal political advantage , rooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national interest . ''
Romney plans to ask the same question of the House Democratic team , per a copy of his planned questions which he tweeted Wednesday .
White House Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin responded that if even Trump had been motivated by personal gain — but was also , even in small part , seeking to advance the US 's national interest — then his actions were justified .
Alan Dershowitz , a constitutional lawyer arguing on behalf of the president , later told senators he believes that even if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelected — that 's in the public 's interest .
`` Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest .
And mostly you are right , your election is in the public interest .
And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest , that can not be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment .
... Every president believes that , '' he said .
Even Republicans steered clear of that argument .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Alan Dershowitz lost a criminal case in which he argued that if a corrupt motive was only part of the motive , you ca n't convict .
And the court said , yes , you can .
If a corrupt motive is any part of it , you can convict , '' he told senators .
Collins and Murkowski also asked the White House team Wednesday whether Trump had ever brought up concerns about Biden and his son Hunter `` in connection with corruption in Ukraine '' before the former vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This timeline is important because the president 's lawyers have claimed Trump was justified in withholding aid to Ukraine because of sincere concerns about corruption and Bidens , while Democrats have argued Trump acted largely in self-interest related to his concerns about facing Biden in the 2020 presidential election .
Philbin responded on behalf of Trump 's team , `` I ca n't point to something in the record that shows President Trump at an earlier time mentioning specifically something related to Joe or Hunter Biden . ''
Philbin said he was limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House investigation .
Later Wednesday , Republican senators asked the White House lawyers whether there had been any past investigation into Hunter Biden 's position on the board of Burisma , a Ukrainian gas company — one of the things Trump asked Ukraine to investigate .
The White House 's lawyers said that no , there had not ever been any federal investigation into it .
Although Hunter Biden took the job in 2014 , Republicans are now focusing the need to investigate his role with Burisma since it became a part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jay Sekulow , Trump 's personal lawyer , Three Republican senators used their impeachment question to float the unsupported theory that the whistleblower whose report kicked off the Ukraine scandal was involved in shady behavior with the Bidens .
The anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint against Trump in August , raising questions about his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and accusing Trump of “ [ abusing ] his office for personal gain.
” Though the whistleblower ’ s allegations have been backed up by a White House record of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House ’ s investigation , Republicans have remained focused on the whistleblower 's identity and have been trying to out a person who they allege is the whistleblower for months .
Trump ’ s allies have been attacking that person since 2017 , long before the complaint was filed .
On Wednesday , Sens .
Ted Cruz , Josh Hawley , and Jerry Moran asked House Democrats if the anonymous whistleblower worked with Joe Biden in getting a former Ukrainian prosecutor fired .
It is not the first time Republicans have raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rand Paul made similar allegations and called for the whistleblower to be subpoenaed by Congress .
The basis of the theory is a preliminary review by the intelligence community ’ s inspector general , Michael Atkinson , who identified “ an indicia of bias of an arguable political bias on the part of the [ whistleblower ] in favor of a rival political candidate.
” Atkinson ultimately found the complaint to be credible .
Some Trump defenders have spread the theory that the whistleblower worked with the Bidens and that the complaint was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schiff rejected this view as “ a complete and total fiction ” in his response .
“ First of all , I don ’ t know who the whistleblower is .
I haven ’ t met them or communicated with them in any way , ” he said .
Schiff said the substance of the whistleblower complaint has been verified by multiple witnesses during the House impeachment inquiry .
“ There ’ s no need for that whistleblower anymore , except to further endanger that person ’ s life , ” said Schiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last up another eight hours on Thursday .
On Friday , after the Q & A is over , senators will answer the biggest question looming over the trial — whether they will call any witnesses to testify .
Democrats have pushed to call former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , both of whom have firsthand knowledge of Trump ’ s decision to withhold the Ukrainian aid .
Many Republicans have said that witnesses are unnecessary ; some have argued bizarrely that Democrats haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump from office — so there ’ s no reason to call for more evidence .
Romney and Collins have said they ’ re keen to hear from Bolton and are likely to vote for calling witnesses .
Democrats will likely need two more Republicans to join them on that vote .
If the vote to call witnesses fails , the Senate could vote to end the trial — and very likely acquit the president — as soon as Friday .

Sen. Susan Collins did ask a question on behalf of herself and Sens. Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski. All three Republicans have indicated they may vote Friday to allow witnesses in the trial. The trio asked Trump's lawyers to explain whether they believe the president could be removed from office if he had multiple motivations for withholding the aid money from Ukraine, "such as the pursuit of personal political advantage, rooting out corruption, and the promotion of national interest."
Romney plans to ask the same question of the House Democratic team, per a copy of his planned questions which he tweeted Wednesday.
White House Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin responded that if even Trump had been motivated by personal gain — but was also, even in small part, seeking to advance the US's national interest — then his actions were justified.
Alan Dershowitz, a constitutional lawyer arguing on behalf of the president, later told senators he believes that even if Trump withheld the aid in order to get reelected — that's in the public's interest. "Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest. And mostly you are right, your election is in the public interest. And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. ... Every president believes that," he said.
Even Republicans steered clear of that argument.
Later in the trial, Schiff responded. "Alan Dershowitz lost a criminal case in which he argued that if a corrupt motive was only part of the motive, you can't convict. And the court said, yes, you can. If a corrupt motive is any part of it, you can convict," he told senators.
Collins and Murkowski also asked the White House team Wednesday whether Trump had ever brought up concerns about Biden and his son Hunter "in connection with corruption in Ukraine" before the former vice president entered the 2020 presidential race. This timeline is important because the president's lawyers have claimed Trump was justified in withholding aid to Ukraine because of sincere concerns about corruption and Bidens, while Democrats have argued Trump acted largely in self-interest related to his concerns about facing Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Philbin responded on behalf of Trump's team, "I can't point to something in the record that shows President Trump at an earlier time mentioning specifically something related to Joe or Hunter Biden."
Philbin said he was limited to what was in the record of the House investigation.
Later Wednesday, Republican senators asked the White House lawyers whether there had been any past investigation into Hunter Biden's position on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company — one of the things Trump asked Ukraine to investigate. The White House's lawyers said that no, there had not ever been any federal investigation into it.
Although Hunter Biden took the job in 2014, Republicans are now focusing the need to investigate his role with Burisma since it became a part of Trump's impeachment and trial. Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal lawyer,
Three Republican senators used their impeachment question to float the unsupported theory that the whistleblower whose report kicked off the Ukraine scandal was involved in shady behavior with the Bidens.
The anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint against Trump in August, raising questions about his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and accusing Trump of “[abusing] his office for personal gain.” Though the whistleblower’s allegations have been backed up by a White House record of Trump’s call and numerous witnesses in the House’s investigation, Republicans have remained focused on the whistleblower's identity and have been trying to out a person who they allege is the whistleblower for months. Trump’s allies have been attacking that person since 2017, long before the complaint was filed.
On Wednesday, Sens. Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Jerry Moran asked House Democrats if the anonymous whistleblower worked with Joe Biden in getting a former Ukrainian prosecutor fired. It is not the first time Republicans have raised this theory. In November, Sen. Rand Paul made similar allegations and called for the whistleblower to be subpoenaed by Congress.
The basis of the theory is a preliminary review by the intelligence community’s inspector general, Michael Atkinson, who identified “an indicia of bias of an arguable political bias on the part of the [whistleblower] in favor of a rival political candidate.” Atkinson ultimately found the complaint to be credible.
Some Trump defenders have spread the theory that the whistleblower worked with the Bidens and that the complaint was a politically motivated attack on Trump. Schiff rejected this view as “a complete and total fiction” in his response.
“First of all, I don’t know who the whistleblower is. I haven’t met them or communicated with them in any way,” he said.
Schiff said the substance of the whistleblower complaint has been verified by multiple witnesses during the House impeachment inquiry. “There’s no need for that whistleblower anymore, except to further endanger that person’s life,” said Schiff.
The Q&A period will last up another eight hours on Thursday.
On Friday, after the Q&A is over, senators will answer the biggest question looming over the trial — whether they will call any witnesses to testify. Democrats have pushed to call former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, both of whom have firsthand knowledge of Trump’s decision to withhold the Ukrainian aid.
Many Republicans have said that witnesses are unnecessary; some have argued bizarrely that Democrats haven’t provided enough evidence to remove Trump from office — so there’s no reason to call for more evidence.
Romney and Collins have said they’re keen to hear from Bolton and are likely to vote for calling witnesses. Democrats will likely need two more Republicans to join them on that vote.
If the vote to call witnesses fails, the Senate could vote to end the trial — and very likely acquit the president — as soon as Friday.


buzzfeed--2020-01-31--The Spanish Language Version Of Pete Buttigieg’s Website Is Mostly In English

DES MOINES , Iowa — The majority of the Spanish-language links to issues on Pete Buttigieg ’ s campaign website lead back to English language versions of the actual plans — except for the links to donate and caucus for the candidate , which are translated into Spanish .
“ ¿Ya estás en # TeamPete ?
¡Hazlo oficial !
COMPROMÉTETE A DESIGNAR A PETE ” the banner at the bottom of the pages , which remain in English , reads .
Of seven issues with detailed plans listed in the drop-down menu of the site , just one — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the “ ES ” ( Spanish ) version of the site .
The issues not available in Spanish under the “ ES ” link include Climate Change , Economic Agenda for Working Families , Empowering Workers , Health care , two education plans , and Veterans .
Of total twenty five detailed plans available in English , just three — “ El Pueblo Unido : A New Era for Latinos , ” immigration , and the Douglass Plan — are translated in as much detail in Spanish as English .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the English language versions .
With four days to go before voting begins in the primaries , Buttigieg press secretary Chris Meagher said , “ the simple answer is that we are in the middle of translating the rest of our policy plans into Spanish , but have n't completed that task.
” Shorter versions of other issues — including affordable housing , foreign policy , and gender equity — are available in Spanish .
But the Spanish language versions are abridged , most of them less detailed than their counterparts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Spanish-language campaign website includes fully translated plans for all but her three most recently released plans , which have a short Spanish-language summary and then link to English texts .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ site is fully translated into Spanish , including detailed policies .
Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s site also has abridged Spanish-language versions of his policies , lacking more detailed translated plans — but all links in Spanish do lead to Spanish-language pages .
Campaign staffers of color told the New York Times and the Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overlooked by senior campaign officials .
Latino staffers told the New York Times they were asked to translate text into Spanish even if they didn ’ t speak Spanish .
The former South Bend Mayor has consistently been among the top four front runners in the Democratic primary overall , but has never broken single digits in his support from black or Latino voters .

DES MOINES — The majority of the Spanish-language links to issues on Pete Buttigieg’s campaign website lead back to English language versions of the actual plans — except for the links to donate and caucus for the candidate, which are translated into Spanish.
“¿Ya estás en #TeamPete?¡Hazlo oficial! COMPROMÉTETE A DESIGNAR A PETE” reads the banner at the bottom of the pages, which remain in English.
Of seven issues with detailed plans listed in the drop-down menu of the site, just one — the Douglass Plan — has a Spanish-language translation under the “ES” (Spanish) version of the site.
The issues not available in Spanish under the “ES” link include climate change, economic agenda for working families, empowering workers, health care, two education plans, and veterans.
Of total 25 detailed plans available in English, just three — “El Pueblo Unido: A New Era for Latinos,” immigration, and the Douglass Plan — are translated in as much detail in Spanish as English. The other plans’ Spanish language translations link lead back to the English language versions.
With four days to go before voting begins in the primaries, Buttigieg press secretary Chris Meagher said, “the simple answer is that we are in the middle of translating the rest of our policy plans into Spanish, but haven't completed that task.”
Shorter versions of other issues — including affordable housing, foreign policy, and gender equity — are available in Spanish. But the Spanish language versions are abridged, most of them less detailed than their counterparts in English.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Spanish-language campaign website includes fully translated plans for 29 out of 70 detailed policies — the rest, like her three most recently released plans, have a short Spanish-language summary and then link to English texts. The Warren campaign has full time staffers working on Spanish language translations of campaign materials, who will translate the remaining plans, the campaign said.
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ site translates 20 out of 33 detailed policies entirely into Spanish, others include summaries in Spanish but stop short of the detailed plans.
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s site also has abridged Spanish-language versions of his policies, lacking more detailed translated plans — but all links in Spanish do lead to Spanish-language pages. The Biden campaign told BuzzFeed News they plan to translate the full plans, but could not say when specifically they would be available.
Campaign staffers of color told the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal recently that they felt disrespected and overlooked by senior campaign officials. Latino staffers told the New York Times they were asked to translate text into Spanish even if they didn’t speak Spanish.
The former South Bend mayor has consistently been among the top four frontrunners in the Democratic primary overall but has never broken single digits in his support from black or Latino voters.


buzzfeed--2020-01-30--Here's The Most Important Evidence From The Trump Impeachment Trial

As senators gear up to vote on whether Trump should be removed from office , here are the major facts and arguments they 're considering .
After eight days of marathon sessions in the US Senate , impeachment managers and the president 's attorneys have made their cases for and against the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump .
Democrats laid out their argument against the 45th president , presenting communications between US diplomats , video of press conferences , and testimony that Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine as the president and his allies sought the country 's help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponents .
The president 's attorneys , meanwhile , argued Trump did n't do anything wrong — and even if he did , it was n't enough to be impeached .
What is this about , again ?
President Trump faces two articles of impeachment against him : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The case against him erupted over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July , but the case extends months before that as Trump and his allies allegedly attempt to get the country to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son , using millions of dollars in aid as leverage .
Here , after hours of legal arguments before the Senate , are the major arguments and evidence presented in the impeachment trial : Trump 's administration offered Ukraine a White House meeting in exchange for an investigation into energy company Burisma and the Bidens , an ambassador said .
In a July 10 meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in DC , multiple people testified that Gordon Sondland , ambassador to the European Union , mentioned the prospect of a presidential meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into Burisma , a Ukrainian energy company .
It was clear that meant also investigating Trump 's political rival , Joe Biden , whose son Hunter Biden sat on Burisma 's board , one attendee said .
Rudy Giuliani , a lawyer for Trump , had been speaking publicly about the Bidens and Burisma for months .
Former National Security Council official Fiona Hill : `` And so when I came in , Gordon Sondland was basically saying , 'Well look , we have a deal here that there will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here with [ acting ] Chief of Staff [ Mick ] Mulvaney , there will be a meeting if the Ukrainians open up or announce these investigations into 2016 and Burisma . '
And I cut it off immediately there because by this point having heard Mr. Giuliani over and over again on the television and all of the issues that he was asserting , by this time it was clear that Burisma was code for the Bidens . ''
The comment from Sondland was so alarming , Hill testified , that then–national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief the National Security Council 's top attorney about the exchange .
Trump 's special envoy to Ukraine said it was critical for Ukraine 's president to support the investigation .
Bill Taylor testified that on July 20 he spoke with Zelensky 's national security adviser , who relayed concerns that the Ukrainian president `` did not want to become an instrument in US politics . ''
Taylor : `` [ Ukrainian official Oleksandr ] Danyliuk understood that these investigations were pursuant to Mr. Giuliani 's request to develop information , to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This was very well known in public .
Mr. Giuliani had made this point clear in several instances in the beginning , in springtime .
And Mr. Danyliuk understood that to be problem [ ... ] Mr. Danyliuk indicated that President Zelensky certainly understood it .
That he did not want to get involved in these type of activities . ''
Taylor also relayed this concern to Sondland in texts .
According to one text , Volker reminded one of Zelensky 's advisers , Andriy Yermak , that Zelensky should convince Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to Yermak : `` Good lunch - thanks - Heard from White House - assuming President Z convinces trump he will investigate / 'get to the bottom of what happened ' in 2016 , we will nail down date for visit to Washington .
Good luck !
See you tomorrow - kurt . ''
In the phone call , Trump told Zelensky to `` do us a favor '' and investigate a company the Democratic National Committee hired in 2016 , Hunter Biden , and Joe Biden .
For both Democrats and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between President Trump and President Zelensky is the crux of their arguments .
Democrats point to Trump directly asking Zelensky to `` find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine , they say CrowdStrike , '' referencing a company the Democratic National Committee hired in 2016 to help investigate the Russian hacking of its servers .
On the call , Trump also explicitly asked Zelensky to `` look into '' Biden and his son .
President Trump : `` I would like you to do us a favor though because our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine knows a lot about it .
I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine , they say CrowdStrike ...
I guess you have one of your wealthy people ...
The server , they say Ukraine has it [ ... ] The other thing , there 's a lot of talk about Biden 's son , that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecution so if you can look into it ...
It sounds horrible to me . ''
Trump 's comments seem to reference a debunked theory that Democrats used CrowdStrike to fake the hacking of their server before the 2016 election in order to accuse Russia of interfering in the election and damage Trump .
US intelligence agencies all concur that Russia , not Ukraine , interfered in the election .
Trump 's attorneys argued the transcript showed that Trump was concerned about overall corruption in Ukraine and that the lack of a mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention of a quid pro quo in the phone call means Ukraine was never pressured to announce investigations into the Bidens .
Multiple US officials who testified before the House said that the military aid and alliance with the US is so crucial to Ukraine that it is an unspoken context to any conversation between the two countries .
Ninety minutes after the phone call , the Defense Department was told to hold off on military aid to Ukraine .
An Office of Management and Budget official , Michael Duffey , sent an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes after Trump 's call with Zelensky , alerting them that nearly $ 400 million in military aid to Ukraine was on hold .
Duffey : `` Based on guidance i 've received and in light of the administration 's plan to review assistance to Ukraine , please hold off in any additional DOD obligations of these funds pending direction from that process [ ... ] given the sensitive nature o the request , I appreciate you keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute the direction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ president was concerned about corruption in Ukraine , suggesting that was the reason aid was held up .
Foreign aid to other countries , including Afghanistan , El Salvador , and Honduras , they said , has also been paused or canceled by the administration , though House Democrats pointed out that foreign aid holds — including by the Trump administration — are typically announced publicly .
The day after the phone call , Trump was overheard personally asking if Ukraine was going to follow through on investigations , an embassy worker said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implied Joe Biden forced Ukraine to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating Burisma , the energy company tied to his son , Hunter Biden .
Democrats , however , argued that the removal of the prosecutor , Viktor Shokin , was widely considered to be corrupt and removed in accordance with US policy and after prompting from many other western nations as well .
Shokin also was no longer investigating Burisma at the time he was ousted .
Rep. Jerry Nadler : `` It is true that Vice President Biden helped remove Mr. Shokin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I said a few minutes ago , it was official policy of the United States , the European community and others , in order to fight corruption in Ukraine , to ask that Shokin and [ then–Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuriy ] Lutsenko be removed .
So Vice President Biden , in fulfilling the US policy , pressured Ukraine to remove Shokin .
Not to secure some personal benefit , but to advance the policy of the United States and its allies . ''
Ukraine 's president later said , `` Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a public House hearing on impeachment : `` I first communicated with Mr. Giuliani in early August , several months later .
Mr. Giuliani emphasized that the president wanted a public statement from President Zelensky committing Ukraine to look into the corruption issues .
Mr. Giuliani specifically mentioned the 2016 election , including the DNC server and Burisma as two topics of importance to the President . ''
Sondland also testified that it had become clear to officials that Giuliani was speaking for Trump .
Sondland : `` I know that members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues in the form of a simple question .
Was there a quid pro quo ?
As I testified previously with regard to the requested White House call and the White House meeting , the answer is yes .
Mr. Giuliani conveyed to [ Energy ] Secretary [ Rick ] Perry , Ambassador Volker and others that President Trump wanted a public statement from President Zelensky committing to investigations of Burisma and the 2016 election . ''
Zelensky 's top adviser wanted a firm date for the promised White House visit before any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By September , Taylor testified , he had become aware that US military aid to Ukraine was being tied to Ukraine announcing investigations .
Taylor : `` During that phone call , Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants President Zelensky to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma , and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election .
Ambassador Sondland also told me that he now recognized that he had made a mistake by earlier telling Ukrainian officials that only a White House meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the investigations .
In fact , Ambassador Sondland said everything was dependent on such an announcement , including security assistance .
He said that President Trump wanted President Zelensky in a public box . ''
On Aug. 28 , Politico broke the news that the military aid was on hold .
A week later , the scheme to tie the military aid to the Biden investigation requested by the White House became public .
On Sept. 5 , the Washington Post ran an editorial reporting that the military aid had been halted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meddle in the 2020 election .
Trump then said he did n't want any quid pro quo from Zelensky .
`` I want nothing .
I want nothing .
I want no quid pro quo .
Tell Zelensky to do the right thing , '' Sondland said Trump told him on Sept. 7 .
Republicans have pointed to that statement as proof that the president was not looking for a quid pro quo .
But Democrats pointed out that at the time the conversation took place , Trump knew a whistleblower complaint had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the investigation request .
`` At that point , he is aware that a whistleblower has filed a complaint alleging the contours of this scheme , and Congress and the public are beginning to ask questions about the hold on aid , including whether this was to get help in his reelection , '' said Rep. Adam Schiff , the lead House impeachment manager .
`` That 's the type of thing that comes up if you 're trying to put your alibi out there . ''
Trump told reporters in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` major investigation '' into the Bidens .
Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney : `` Did he also mention to me in past the corruption related to the DNC server ?
Absolutely .
No question about that .
And That 's why we held up the money .
[ ... ] The look back to what happened in 2016 certainly was part of the thing that he was worried in corruption with that nation and that is absolutely appropriate . ''
Reporter : `` Let 's be clear , what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is funding will not flow unless the investigation into the Democratic server happened as well . ''
Mulvaney : `` We do that all the time with foreign policy . ''
Even if Trump had withheld the aid from Ukraine in exchange for help in the 2020 election , it did n't merit impeachment , his lawyer said .
Instead of addressing the correspondence and evidence presented by Democrats , the president 's attorneys spent much of their time arguing about the process of the impeachment hearing .
Even if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in defense aid to Ukraine in exchange for help in the 2020 election , lawyer Alan Dershowitz argued , it still would n't merit the removal of a president .
A president could only be impeached for actual crimes in the criminal code , Dershowitz argued — contradicting his stance during former president Bill Clinton 's impeachment trial .
At that time , Dershowitz said a president did n't need to commit a crime to be impeached .
Dershowitz : `` You can not turn conduct that is not impeachable into impeachable conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo ' and 'personal benefit . '
It is inconceivable that the framers would have intended so politically loaded and promiscuously deployed a term as 'abuse of power ' to be weaponized as a tool of impeachment .
It is precisely the kind of vague open-ended and subjected term that the framers feared and rejected . ''

After eight days of marathon sessions in the US Senate, impeachment managers and the president's attorneys have made their cases for and against the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.
Democrats laid out their argument against the 45th president, presenting communications between US diplomats, video of press conferences, and testimony that Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine as the president and his allies sought the country's help in targeting one of Trump's political opponents.
The president's attorneys, meanwhile, argued Trump didn't do anything wrong — and even if he did, it wasn't enough to be impeached.
What is this about, again?
President Trump faces two articles of impeachment against him: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The case against him erupted over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, but the case extends months before that as Trump and his allies allegedly attempt to get the country to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son, using millions of dollars in aid as leverage.
Here, after hours of legal arguments before the Senate, are the major arguments and evidence presented in the impeachment trial:
Trump's administration offered Ukraine a White House meeting in exchange for an investigation into energy company Burisma and the Bidens, an ambassador said.


buzzfeed--2020-01-30--Bernie Sanders Canvassers Are Swarming College Campuses To Turn Out The Youth Vote

AMES , Iowa — It ’ s 25 degrees in Ames , and students at Iowa State University are bundled up in parkas and puffer jackets , speed-walking past piles of snow on the way to classes and meetings near the school ’ s library .
In the middle of all the confusion is Dhruv Raturi , a 26-year-old international graduate student who won ’ t be participating in Monday ’ s presidential caucus but who ’ s still trying to get other students on campus to commit to caucusing for Bernie Sanders .
“ Bernie stickers !
Hey !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
They ’ re rainbow-colored !
” “ Hey , guys !
Are you planning on voting in like , literally , less than a week ?
” “ Do you know about Bernie Sanders ?
” Raturi , an engineering student , politely yelled to people passing by while waving flyers with Sanders ’ policies and instructions on how to get registered to caucus before Monday .
Young voters have always been a key part of the Sanders coalition .
In 2016 , Sanders won 84 % of voters between the ages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucus , according to Iowa entrance polls , and he has focused on campaigning on college campuses in the state in the lead up to this year ’ s caucus .
Last fall , Sanders hosted rallies at universities across Iowa during a grassroots tailgate tour , and on Saturday he hosted another rally near Iowa State University with Portugal the Man and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
“ The younger generation today is , in my view , the most progressive young generation in the history of this country , and for every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of those three will vote progressive , ” Sanders told the crowd .
“ The not-so-good news is that same generation historically hasn ’ t voted in very large numbers .
So tonight I ’ m saying to that generation is : If you are tired of student debt , if you are sick and tired and scared about climate change , if you are disgusted with racism , and sexism , homophobia , and xenophobia , and if you believe that health care is a human right , then you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t complain.
” Organizers at Iowa State are working to make sure those students actually show up to their precincts on Monday and have been canvassing students on campus since September .
“ We ’ re building every day and bringing new people into this movement , ” Stanley Njuguna , a campus organizer for the Sanders campaign , told BuzzFeed News .
“ We think students and young people have a lot at stake in this election even if they haven ’ t thought about that yet .
These groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election.
” “ We have a few hundred ISU students who ’ ve already committed to caucusing for Bernie , ” Njuguna added .
Thirty-five percent of Iowans between 18 and 29 years old say that they ’ re “ extremely likely ” to caucus on Feb. 3 .
Sanders leads all presidential candidates among young voters who ’ ve registered or identify as Democrats with 39 % saying that they plan to caucus for him , according to a Circle-Tisch College and Suffolk University poll .
“ I ’ ve been talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looooooot of undecideds , ” Njuguna said about students he ’ d canvassed over the past two weeks .
“ Usually we ’ re the first campaign that ’ s tried to engage them in what ’ s going on , and we ’ ve had a pretty good return on getting those people to commit to caucusing for Bernie.
” While dozens of students walked by the busy thruway on the way to class , some stopped to grab a sticker from Raturi and to tell him they ’ d already committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him that they still weren ’ t sure who they ’ d be caucusing for , and got to hear Raturi ’ s pitch .
“ You ’ re an undecided voter ?
That ’ s great !
You ’ re exactly who I ’ m freezing my ass off trying to talk to , because you ’ re going to determine the future for everyone , ” Raturi told a student who ’ d wandered over to the spot he was canvassing .
He handed the student a Sanders flyer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizers and volunteers were primarily focused on identifying students who support the senator or were likely leaning toward supporting him and making sure that they actually turn up at the caucus , Njuguna said .
But if they encounter supporters of Elizabeth Warren or Andrew Yang , Njuguna said that canvassers will still chat with them about good reasons to support Sanders .
On caucus night , candidates at most precincts need to gain support from at least 15 % of the people who have shown up to be viable .
When a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threshold , their supporters are free to join a viable candidate ’ s supporters , go home and not vote a second time , or join supporters of a candidate that ’ s close to the viability threshold during a realignment vote .
Sanders organizers said they are still reaching out to those voters they think may be interested in his platform just in case their preferred candidate doesn ’ t reach the viability threshold on caucus night .
“ We know that , for example , Andrew Yang supporters — a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who supported Bernie in 2016 .
I actually hear that a lot , ” Njuguna explained .
“ So with people who are absolutely committed to Andrew Yang , it ’ s just like : OK !
Fine , we ’ re all a part of the same base .
So if Yang isn ’ t viable , are you gon na caucus for Bernie ? ''
“ We think that ’ s important .
We don ’ t want to lose those voters , and they ’ re still sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While canvassing at Iowa State , Raturi invited Sanders supporters and undecided voters who were leaning toward him to a pizza party on caucus night to make sure they ’ d printed off the correct documents and to make sure they get to the right precinct location on campus .
Raturi told two students he ’ d informed how to register to vote in Iowa that there are three main reasons people don ’ t caucus .
“ One , they forget the date .
Second , they feel uncomfortable and they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t bring the right documents.
” “ So it ’ s like , come !
Let ’ s get some pizza on campus , and we ’ ll walk you over to the different precinct locations , ” Raturi said .
“ Consider doing it !
We all know that going together makes it more comfortable , and even if you feel comfortable on your own you can make it easier for someone that might have social anxiety so they can vote for Bernie , too !
” During the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a student , who had just opened her own restaurant , transferred to Iowa State University , and moved to Ames with her partner and child , passed by a group of Students for Sanders organizers and volunteers .
She didn ’ t know about the caucusing process or when it would be happening .
“ It ’ s like voting — with your body , ” the organizers explained to her , handing her a flyer and telling her about Sanders ’ stances on education reform and health care .
They gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babysitter so she could show up for the caucus .
She made plans to caucus on the spot .
“ Wow !
You ’ re a badass , ” they told her .
“ A lot of students aren ’ t used to engaging in the political process and then Iowa makes it harder with this weird thing called a caucus , so we just wanted to let people know that they ’ re coming into a community that ’ s also passionate about the issues that they are , ” Njuguna said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s not !
It ’ s just democracy in action .
It ’ s voting with a little spice .
A little razzle-dazzle !
And when you put it that way , they ’ re more receptive to turning out .
”

AMES, Iowa — It’s 25 degrees in Ames, and students at Iowa State University are bundled up in parkas and puffer jackets, speed-walking past piles of snow on the way to classes and meetings near the school’s library. In the middle of all the confusion is Dhruv Raturi, a 26-year-old international graduate student who won’t be participating in Monday’s presidential caucus but who’s still trying to get other students on campus to commit to caucusing for Bernie Sanders.
“Bernie stickers! Hey! Do you want a Bernie sticker?! They’re rainbow-colored!”
“Hey, guys! Are you planning on voting in like, literally, less than a week?”
“Do you know about Bernie Sanders?” Raturi, an engineering student, politely yelled to people passing by while waving flyers with Sanders’ policies and instructions on how to get registered to caucus before Monday.
Young voters have always been a key part of the Sanders coalition. In 2016, Sanders won 84% of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 during the Iowa caucus, according to Iowa entrance polls, and he has focused on campaigning on college campuses in the state in the lead up to this year’s caucus. Last fall, Sanders hosted rallies at universities across Iowa during a grassroots tailgate tour, and on Saturday he hosted another rally near Iowa State University with Portugal the Man and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“The younger generation today is, in my view, the most progressive young generation in the history of this country, and for every three young people who vote, two out of those three will vote progressive,” Sanders told the crowd. “The not-so-good news is that same generation historically hasn’t voted in very large numbers. So tonight I’m saying to that generation is: If you are tired of student debt, if you are sick and tired and scared about climate change, if you are disgusted with racism, and sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, and if you believe that health care is a human right, then you can’t sit it out and you can’t complain.”
Organizers at Iowa State are working to make sure those students actually show up to their precincts on Monday and have been canvassing students on campus since September.
“We’re building every day and bringing new people into this movement,” Stanley Njuguna, a campus organizer for the Sanders campaign, told BuzzFeed News. “We think students and young people have a lot at stake in this election even if they haven’t thought about that yet. These groups are his most important constituency in this election.”
“We have a few hundred ISU students who’ve already committed to caucusing for Bernie,” Njuguna added.
Thirty-five percent of Iowans between 18 and 29 years old say that they’re “extremely likely” to caucus on Feb. 3. Sanders leads all presidential candidates among young voters who’ve registered or identify as Democrats with 39% saying that they plan to caucus for him, according to a Circle-Tisch College and Suffolk University poll.
“I’ve been talking to a lot of undecideds! A looooooot of undecideds,” Njuguna said about students he’d canvassed over the past two weeks. “Usually we’re the first campaign that’s tried to engage them in what’s going on, and we’ve had a pretty good return on getting those people to commit to caucusing for Bernie.”
While dozens of students walked by the busy thruway on the way to class, some stopped to grab a sticker from Raturi and to tell him they’d already committed to caucus for Sanders. Other students told him that they still weren’t sure who they’d be caucusing for, and got to hear Raturi’s pitch.
“You’re an undecided voter? That’s great! You’re exactly who I’m freezing my ass off trying to talk to, because you’re going to determine the future for everyone,” Raturi told a student who’d wandered over to the spot he was canvassing. He handed the student a Sanders flyer and chatted about Medicare for All.
Sanders organizers and volunteers were primarily focused on identifying students who support the senator or were likely leaning toward supporting him and making sure that they actually turn up at the caucus, Njuguna said. But if they encounter supporters of Elizabeth Warren or Andrew Yang, Njuguna said that canvassers will still chat with them about good reasons to support Sanders.
On caucus night, candidates at most precincts need to gain support from at least 15% of the people who have shown up to be viable. When a candidate doesn’t reach the viability threshold, their supporters are free to join a viable candidate’s supporters, go home and not vote a second time, or join supporters of a candidate that’s close to the viability threshold during a realignment vote.
Sanders organizers said they are still reaching out to those voters they think may be interested in his platform just in case their preferred candidate doesn’t reach the viability threshold on caucus night.
“We know that, for example, Andrew Yang supporters — a lot of them come from the base of people who supported Bernie in 2016. I actually hear that a lot,” Njuguna explained. “So with people who are absolutely committed to Andrew Yang, it’s just like: OK! Fine, we’re all a part of the same base. So if Yang isn’t viable, are you gonna caucus for Bernie?"
“We think that’s important. We don’t want to lose those voters, and they’re still sort of down with Bernie’s platform.”
While canvassing at Iowa State, Raturi invited Sanders supporters and undecided voters who were leaning toward him to a pizza party on caucus night to make sure they’d printed off the correct documents and to make sure they get to the right precinct location on campus.
Raturi told two students he’d informed how to register to vote in Iowa that there are three main reasons people don’t caucus. “One, they forget the date. Second, they feel uncomfortable and they don’t go. Third, they don’t bring the right documents.”
“So it’s like, come! Let’s get some pizza on campus, and we’ll walk you over to the different precinct locations,” Raturi said. “Consider doing it! We all know that going together makes it more comfortable, and even if you feel comfortable on your own you can make it easier for someone that might have social anxiety so they can vote for Bernie, too!”
During the end of Raturi’s canvassing shift, a student, who had just opened her own restaurant, transferred to Iowa State University, and moved to Ames with her partner and child, passed by a group of Students for Sanders organizers and volunteers. She didn’t know about the caucusing process or when it would be happening.
“It’s like voting — with your body,” the organizers explained to her, handing her a flyer and telling her about Sanders’ stances on education reform and health care. They gave her information to help her find a babysitter so she could show up for the caucus.
She made plans to caucus on the spot. “Wow! You’re a badass,” they told her.
“A lot of students aren’t used to engaging in the political process and then Iowa makes it harder with this weird thing called a caucus, so we just wanted to let people know that they’re coming into a community that’s also passionate about the issues that they are,” Njuguna said. “The caucus seems intimidating, but it’s not! It’s just democracy in action. It’s voting with a little spice. A little razzle-dazzle! And when you put it that way, they’re more receptive to turning out.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-30--Watch Live: Trump's Impeachment Trial Continues With More Questions From Senators

On Wednesday , Trump ’ s lawyers argued that calling witnesses would tie up the Senate for months , leaving them unable to conduct any other business .
It could be the second-to-last day of the trial .
On Friday , the Senate will meet to debate and vote on whether to call any witnesses .
If the Senate votes no , a final vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump could quickly follow .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to your favorite shows .
“ This would be the first of many weeks , ” said Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow about what would happen if the Senate starts calling witnesses .
But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed out that the Senate still has mornings — the trial starts at 1 p.m. each day — to deal with legislation , and he was happy to meet early to pass some bills .
“ Mitch McConnell , we ’ ll meet early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the floor .
We dare you , ” he said .
It would likely take four Republicans to side with Democrats for a vote to subpoena witnesses in order for the motion to succeed .
Democrats , as well as Republican Sens .
Susan Collins and Mitt Romney , have already said they want to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton .
Bolton reportedly confirmed a key detail of the Trump impeachment case in the manuscript for an upcoming book : that Trump told him directly he would keep withholding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country agreed to investigate the president ’ s political rival , former vice president Joe Biden .
Bolton has said he would testify if subpoenaed by the Senate .
During Thursday 's Q & A , the lead House impeachment manger , Rep. Adam Schiff , offered a compromise .
Schiff said that if senators are worried that witnesses will take too long , Democrats would agree to cap the witness testimony to one week .
Schiff noted that during former Bill Clinton 's impeachment , they took a week of depositions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its normal business during that week .
`` Let 's take a week to have a fair trial .
You can continue your business .
We can get the business of the country done .
Is that too much to ask in the name of fairness ? ''
Schiff said .
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham warned late Wednesday night that if the vote to call witnesses is successful , Republicans will push for multiple witnesses , including Biden 's son Hunter .
`` The only thing I can tell you for sure is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to call a bunch of witnesses .
And there ’ s 53 votes to call Hunter Biden — not 51 , not 52 , but 53 , '' Graham told reporters , later predicting a `` death struggle '' between the parties `` about all these issues that could possibly arise . ''
`` I do n't want to call Hunter Biden , I do n't want to call Joe Biden , we have oversight .
But once you go down that road folks , I do n't know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems there ought to be a better way . ''
At one point during Wednesday 's question session , Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski , who is seen as the possible third GOP vote for witnesses , seemed to signal she was skeptical of the House ’ s impeachment process .
She questioned the legitimacy of House subpoenas because they were issued before the House voted to authorize its impeachment investigation .
She also asked why the House had not reissued the subpoenas after .
Democrats responded with a two-part argument : that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to formalize an impeachment inquiry for its subpoenas to be valid and that the president and his administration do not have the right to ignore congressional subpoenas and investigations .
Much of Wednesday consisted of senators serving up easy questions to their own side , though as the day went on , some senators started questioning the opposing party ’ s legal team .
The Senate has up to eight more hours of question time Thursday .
Republican Sen , Rand Paul submitted the second question of the day on Thursday but Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Senate floor .
Within minutes the Kentucky senator left the Senate floor for a brief press conference .
During the press conference , Rand read his question to reporters , which included the name of a person that conservatives believe is a whistleblower whose complaint kicked off the impeachment inquiry .
BuzzFeed News does not know the identity of the whistleblower and is not printing the person ’ s name .
Paul said he did n't know the identity of the whistleblower either but was just raising questions and criticized Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor .
The anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint against the president in August , raising questions about Trump ’ s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and possible abuses of power ultimately leading to the House ’ s investigation and the impeachment of Trump .
Republicans have been trying to leak the name of the person they believe is the whistleblower throughout the impeachment process , though the right has also been targeting that person since 2017 , long before the inquiry began .
Later , in response to another Republican question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include a name — Schiff said that attempts to out the person were a threat `` not just [ to ] this whistleblower , but the entire system .
...
I worry that future people that see wrongdoing are going to watch how this person has been treated , the threats against this person 's life and they are going to say why stick my neck out ? ''
This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

“This would be the first of many weeks,” said Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow about what would happen if the Senate starts calling witnesses.
But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed out that the Senate still has mornings — the trial starts at 1 p.m. each day — to deal with legislation, and he was happy to meet early to pass some bills. “Mitch McConnell, we’ll meet early in the morning to get some bills on the floor. We dare you,” he said.
It would likely take four Republicans to side with Democrats for a vote to subpoena witnesses in order for the motion to succeed. Democrats, as well as Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Mitt Romney, have already said they want to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton.
Bolton reportedly confirmed a key detail of the Trump impeachment case in the manuscript for an upcoming book: that Trump told him directly he would keep withholding needed military aid from Ukraine until the country agreed to investigate the president’s political rival, former vice president Joe Biden. Bolton has said he would testify if subpoenaed by the Senate.
During Thursday's Q&A, the lead House impeachment manger, Rep. Adam Schiff, offered a compromise. Schiff said that if senators are worried that witnesses will take too long, Democrats would agree to cap the witness testimony to one week. Schiff noted that during former Bill Clinton's impeachment, they took a week of depositions and allowed the Senate to go back to its normal business during that week.
"Let's take a week to have a fair trial. You can continue your business. We can get the business of the country done. Is that too much to ask in the name of fairness?" Schiff said.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham warned late Wednesday night that if the vote to call witnesses is successful, Republicans will push for multiple witnesses, including Biden's son Hunter.
"The only thing I can tell you for sure is if we call one witness, we’re going to call a bunch of witnesses. And there’s 53 votes to call Hunter Biden — not 51, not 52, but 53," Graham told reporters, later predicting a "death struggle" between the parties "about all these issues that could possibly arise."
"I don't want to call Hunter Biden, I don't want to call Joe Biden, we have oversight. But once you go down that road folks, I don't know how we pull out. And to me it seems there ought to be a better way."
At one point during Wednesday's question session, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is seen as the possible third GOP vote for witnesses, seemed to signal she was skeptical of the House’s impeachment process. She questioned the legitimacy of House subpoenas because they were issued before the House voted to authorize its impeachment investigation. She also asked why the House had not reissued the subpoenas after.
Democrats responded with a two-part argument: that the House does not have to vote to formalize an impeachment inquiry for its subpoenas to be valid and that the president and his administration do not have the right to ignore congressional subpoenas and investigations.
But late Thursday evening Murkowski and Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, another Republican eyed as a possible witness vote, may have tipped their hands. They joined other Republican senators in asking the White House's team, "Assuming for argument's sake that Bolton were to testify in the light most favorable to the allegations contained in the articles of impeachment, isn't it true that the allegation still would not rise to the level of an impeachable offense, and that, therefore, for this and other reasons his testimony would add nothing to this case?"
Trump's lawyers, unsurprisingly, agreed. They have long argued against having Bolton or any other witnesses testify.
After the Q&A concluded Thursday, Murkowski said in a statement, “I am going to go reflect on what I have heard, re-read my notes and decide whether I need to hear more.”
Much of Wednesday and Thursday's sessions consisted of senators serving up easy questions to their own side, though as the day went on, some senators started questioning the opposing party’s legal team.
Republican Sen, Rand Paul submitted the second question of the day on Thursday but Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read it on the Senate floor. Within minutes the Kentucky senator left the Senate floor for a brief press conference.
During the press conference, Rand read his question to reporters, which included the name of a person that conservatives believe is a whistleblower whose complaint kicked off the impeachment inquiry. BuzzFeed News does not know the identity of the whistleblower and is not printing the person’s name.
Paul said he didn't know the identity of the whistleblower either but was just raising questions and criticized Roberts for not reading his question on the floor.
The anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint against the president in August, raising questions about Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and possible abuses of power ultimately leading to the House’s investigation and the impeachment of Trump.
Republicans have been trying to leak the name of the person they believe is the whistleblower throughout the impeachment process, though the right has also been targeting that person since 2017, long before the inquiry began.
Later, in response to another Republican question about the whistleblower — which did not include a name — Schiff said that attempts to out the person were a threat "not just [to] this whistleblower, but the entire system. ... I worry that future people that see wrongdoing are going to watch how this person has been treated, the threats against this person's life and they are going to say why stick my neck out?"
This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.


buzzfeed--2020-02-05--President Trump Delivered His State Of The Union Address With No Mention Of Impeachment

Trump ’ s speech came a day before the Senate votes on whether or not to remove him from office in the impeachment trial .
Republicans are expected to acquit him .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night , just one day before the Senate decides whether to acquit him of impeachment charges .
Trump addressed the joint session of Congress , members of his cabinet , and Supreme Court justices .
The speech began just after 9 p.m. in the House chambers .
The president is expected to speak about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sidestepping impeachment talk ahead of his near-inevitable acquittal .
The move would be a deviation from last year 's speech when he brought up the House investigations that led to the impeachment inquiry .
“ If there is going to be peace and legislation , there can not be war and investigation , ” Trump said during his 2019 State of the Union speech .
Though Trump did not bring up impeachment explicitly , the president ignored House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she reached out for a handshake just before his speech began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in December .
At the end of his remarks , Pelosi tore up her copy of his speech .
Senate Republicans said this week they would rather Trump didn ’ t bring up impeachment at all during his State of the Union but warned anything could happen .
“ If I was him I would n't talk about it tomorrow night , ” Sen. Roy Blunt told reporters on Monday .
“ I ’ d try to set the stage for what 's been done and how we move forward .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he might take this head-on.
” “ It 's just not what I would do , but Donald Trump is the only Donald Trump we know and I suspect he ’ ll be himself , ” Cramer told reporters on Monday .
During his speech , Trump announced that he would award conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh , who announced Monday he had been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer , with the presidential medal of freedom .
First lady Melania Trump gave Limbaugh , one of the president 's State of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At one point during his speech , Trump addressed another of his guests , Amy Williams , whose husband was deployed to Afghanistan .
Williams attended the speech along with her two younger children and Trump thanked them for their sacrifice , which `` makes it possible for all of our families to live in safety and in peace . ''
Then Trump announced that as `` a very special surprise , '' her husband had returned , as he walked into the chamber to greet his family .
Following Trump 's speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic response .
Whitmer was elected governor in 2018 , two years after Trump narrowly carried the state over Hillary Clinton .
Freshman Rep. Veronica Escobar was charged with delivering the House Democrats ’ Spanish-language response to Trump 's speech and spoke from the district she represents , in El Paso , Texas .
Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley boycotted Trump 's State of the Union , along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , but she delivered a response for the Working Families Party .
Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor , Brett Kavanaugh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Justice John Roberts , who is overseeing Trump 's impeachment trial , attended Tuesday 's speech .
Many members of Trump 's cabinet also attended , but Interior Secretary David Bernhardt served as the designated survivor .
Pelosi invited Trump to address the joint session two days after House Democrats voted to impeach the president .
Democrats impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power after he made the decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine until the country ’ s president , Volodymyr Zelensky , agreed to announce an investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
House Democrats also impeached Trump on obstruction of Congress after the president blocked witnesses from testifying during the impeachment inquiry .
The address comes as senators spent more than two weeks listening to arguments from House managers and the president ’ s defense team .
All 100 senators will vote on whether to remove the president from office on Wednesday around 4 p.m .
The Senate is expected to acquit him .
This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, just one day before the Senate decides whether to acquit him of impeachment charges.
Trump addressed the joint session of Congress, members of his cabinet, and Supreme Court justices. The speech began just after 9 p.m. in the House chambers. The president is expected to speak about the economy and the 2020 agenda, sidestepping impeachment talk ahead of his near-inevitable acquittal. The move would be a deviation from last year's speech when he brought up the House investigations that led to the impeachment inquiry.
“If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation,” Trump said during his 2019 State of the Union speech.
Though Trump did not bring up impeachment explicitly, the president ignored House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she reached out for a handshake just before his speech began. Pelosi led House Democrats in impeaching Trump in December. At the end of his remarks, Pelosi tore up her copy of his speech.