Pelosi launched inquiry on 24 September over allegations that Trump sought the help of a foreign country to harm a political rival
The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump on 24 September.
Since then, House committees have been taking witness testimony about an alleged plot by Trump to use the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country, Ukraine, in the 2020 election.
Continue reading...The whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump will not testify in public, House intelligence chair Adam Schiff said.
Related: Watergate to Ukraine: how TV will dictate Trump's impeachment fate
Continue reading...In this Kansas City suburb, voters who went for Trump in 2016 have their doubts about impeachment – but say the president has questions to answer
Steve Isley sees no reason not to believe what Donald Trump has to say about Congress’s impeachment investigation.
Related: Woman who gave Trump the finger elected in Virginia
Continue reading...Hitting back at criticism from Joe Biden that many people said was sexist, Elizabeth Warren told supporters: “I am angry and I own it.”
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Continue reading...Only six candidates turned out for the first ever presidential forum on environmental justice, at South Carolina State University on Friday night.
Related: Michael Bloomberg: billionaire eyes centre lane in Democratic presidential race
Continue reading...The 37-year-old mayor from Indiana has his vulnerabilities, but has become a contender for the presidency in just a few months
On a November evening a dozen years ago, Barack Obama – who at the time was the 46-year-old junior senator from Illinois – appeared at the annual fundraising dinner-rally of the Iowa Democratic party, at which all of the 2008 Democratic presidential contestants were given about 10 minutes to speak. Obama came in as underdog to the frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, but delivered such a barn-burning stemwinder of a speech that he left as the favorite. A little more than three months later, he won the Iowa caucuses – the first major contest on the US presidential campaign calendar – and the rest is history.
None of the Democratic presidential hopefuls who spoke at last week’s Iowa Democratic party Liberty and Justice Celebration pulled off an Obama-level breakout performance. But the one who came closest was Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg hewed closely to the Obama playbook in making a case for his candidacy, and his Iowa speech seems likely to boost him in the polls at just the moment when the other leading candidates are showing some worrisome weaknesses.
Continue reading...EU envoy acknowledges in updated testimony he told Ukraine it would likely not receive aid unless it announced investigations into Trump’s rivals
Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell appears to have bulldozed directly through protocol by forecasting, before the articles of impeachment have even been drafted in the House and Trump put on trial in the Senate, that the president will be acquitted.
“If it were today, I don’t think there’s any question — it would not lead to a removal,” @SenateMajLdr McConnell says of a potential impeachment trial in the Senate.
/2 McConnell: “I’m pretty sure I know how it’s going to end.” Says Trump will be acquitted by Senate like Clinton & Andrew Johnson
Sondland was asked, with respect to the “demands” made by Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani to investigate the 2016 election and Burisma, if “those conditions would have to be complied with prior to getting a meeting.”
Continue reading...A day after a lawyer for the whistleblower who raised alarms about Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine said his client is willing to answer written questions submitted by House Republicans, the president tweeted: “Written answers not acceptable!”
Related: 'Quid pro quo, yes or no?' Trump allies face Ukraine question
Continue reading...The candidate who lost to Trump is making all the right moves as some fear a primary gone too far left. It’s a tantalising notion, but most observers counsel caution – and a dose of realism
A high-profile book tour. Countless TV interviews. Political combat with a Democratic primary candidate and Donald Trump. A year before the US presidential election, it looks like a campaign and it sounds like a campaign but it isn’t a campaign. At least, not as far anyone knows.
Related: Pete Buttigieg: race is between me and Warren – as new poll puts him fourth
Continue reading...The son’s book is one-eyed, loose with the facts and a crude attack on the left. In short, it’s like his dad – and it might work
In Triggered, the president’s eldest child excoriates the left for its censoriousness, but ignores his father’s repeated demands for the same. In case Don Jr forgot, Trump père is no friend of free speech or a free press.
Related: Donald Trump Jr's Triggered: a litany of trolling and insults worthy of his father
Continue reading...Beto O’Rourke withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday. His decision met with tributes from his former competitors and insults from Donald Trump.
Related: Who anointed Beto O'Rourke to be our political saviour? He did | Moira Donegan
Continue reading...The former Texas congressman announced on Friday that he was ending his campaign, which failed to recapture the enthusiasm, interest and fundraising prowess of his 2018 Senate race
Continue reading...Republicans may argue Trump’s actions were not impeachable – but scholars say it’s a solid example of a high crime
Was what he did really so bad? And even if it was bad – was it truly impeachable?
Related: 'I guess that's revealing': David Rubenstein on Trump and the weight of history
Continue reading...The former Texas congressman has had low polling numbers and his campaign has been under financial strain
Beto O’Rourke was once a front runner in the Democratic primaries, who raised huge amounts of money from small donors across the country.
Related: Beto O'Rourke withdraws from Democratic race to face Trump
Following in the footsteps of Joan Didion, and Meghan Daum and Luc Sante – Donald Trump has penned his own version of the “Goodbye New York” essay after announcing yesterday that he had changed his primary residence from Manhattan to Mar-a-lago.
“I love New York, but New York can never be great again,” he begins. Like so many bigly figures in the literary world, Trump has written about that bittersweet feeling of leaving the iconic city.
I love New York, but New York can never be great again under the current leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo (the brother of Fredo), or Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Cuomo has weaponized the prosecutors to do his dirty work (and to keep him out of jams), a reason some don’t want to be...
Continue reading...House committees leading the impeachment inquiry reportedly intend to call Donald Trump’s former national security adviser
The interior department is grounding its entire fleet of drones due to security concerns, the Wall Street Journal reported.
With more than 800 aerial drones, the department has one of the largest fleets in the federal government.
US officials worry that the country’s reliance on Chinese drones may be putting critical US infrastructure at risk. They are concerned the drones may be sending information back to the Chinese government or hackers elsewhere to use for cyberattacks or other offenses.
Hello, Kari Paul here in San Francisco, taking over the blog for the next few hours. More news to come shortly.
Continue reading...Alexander Vindman to testify call made him ‘worried about the implications for the US government’s support of Ukraine’
Trump is still tweeting away, arguing that the House Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry have a “Death Wish” when it comes to next year’s elections.
However, a number of House Republicans have announced plans to retire or seek higher office in recent months, suggesting that the GOP caucus is the one with doubts about their 2020 prospects.
Nervous Nancy Pelosi is doing everything possible to destroy the Republican Party. Our Polls show that it is going to be just the oppidite. The Do Nothing Dems will lose many seats in 2020. They have a Death Wish, led by a corrupt politician, Adam Schiff!
Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, declined to attack the integrity of Lt Col Alexander Vindman but still questioned the official’s reported concerns about Trump’s Ukraine call.
The California Republican told reporters on Capitol Hill: “I thank him for his service ... but he is wrong.”
“You can’t put the genie back in the bottle,” @GOPLeader tells @nancycordes when asked whether Republicans are moving the goalposts by refusing to support a vote on impeachment procedures going forward after calling for one for weeks.
Continue reading...Resolution outlining impeachment procedures specifically calls out the Trump administration for dismissing the inquiry as illegitimate
Here’s a recap of today:
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who introduced a Senate resolution denouncing the House inquiry last week, is both taking credit for House Democrats’ decision to hold a full vote on the impeachment inquiry, and saying that the vote is meaningless.
“A vote now is a bit like un-ringing a bell as House Democrats have selectively leaked information in order to damage President Trump for weeks,” he said.
There is no doubt in my mind that the overwhelming response House Democrats heard from the American people and Senate Republicans in support of my resolution forced their hand.
Today’s announcement is an acknowledgement of the success of our efforts last week.
Congresswoman blames estranged husband and ‘hateful political operatives’ for smear campaign against her
California congresswoman Katie Hill, a freshman Democrat and a rising star in the party, announced her resignation on Sunday amid allegations that she had a sexual relationship with a member of her congressional staff.
“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress,” Hill, 32, wrote in a resignation letter. “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country.”
Continue reading...Top Democrats reacted with anger to Donald Trump’s decision to go ahead with the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi raid without giving them advance notice, on grounds that they were not to be trusted with such highly sensitive information.
Related: Trump impeachment: Schiff expects battle over key witness John Bolton
Continue reading...Abigail Spanberger caught in delicate balance of advancing policy agenda and ensuring Trump is held accountable
At a middle school auditorium three hours south of the capital, where an intensifying impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump consumes all aspects of political life, the Virginia congresswoman Abigail Spanberger greeted a restive crowd of constituents with a PowerPoint presentation on the American system of government.
Continue reading...