Section: TPM (USA)
Charlatans, Conspiracists And The Trump Boys Seize On Iowa Debacle
The debacle over delayed results in the Iowa Democratic caucus Monday night has created an opening for conspiracy theorists and Trumpworld bigwigs alike to foment discord. And it’s not that the failure in Iowa itself didn’t tend towards accomplishing that, or that it’s somehow beyond the pale for political adversaries to seize...
Tracking The Main Excuses GOP Senators Are Offering Trump Ahead Of Acquittal
After months of using an inevitable impeachment trial as a pass to dodge questions about President Trump’s Ukraine behavior, the pending acquittal vote has GOP senators laying out their reasons for clearing Trump for the conduct. It’s not expected that any Republicans will join Democrats in voting to remove the President, which...
Some GOPers Don’t Even Want To Weigh In On The Merits Of House’s Case
Just days ahead of a vote to convict or acquit President Trump, several Senate Republicans said Monday that they did not need to weigh in on the merits of the House’s case, because they have decided to clear Trump merely because the conduct alleged was not impeachable. Their skittishness towards commenting on Trump’s underlying...
Prosecutors Have 20 Phones Still To Crack In Parnas Case
Manhattan federal prosecutors expect to crack open the contents of 20 more electronic devices in the prosecution of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos said at a Monday status conference that none of the defendants in the case had provided the government with passwords to access their devices, meaning that the FBI is...
Adam Schiff Delivers Soaring Impeachment Closer To A Senate That Will Likely Acquit
With lofty rhetoric and appeals to history and legacy, House Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Monday argued one last time for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. But after a vote on whether to hear from additional witnesses failed Friday, largely along partisan lines, his appeal seemed destined to fall on deaf ears in the...
Ernst Warns That GOP Could Impeach Biden Over Ukraine If He Wins Election
On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) entertained the idea of impeaching Joe Biden if he were to win the presidency in this year’s election during an interview with Bloomberg News Sunday. Ernst’s latest remarks come on the heels of her controversial comment last week when she wondered aloud to reporters whether the...
Pompeo: Booting NPR Reporter From Press Pool Sends ‘A Perfect Message’
During his trip to Kazakhstan Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied that a “confrontation interview” was behind his decision to boot an NPR reporter from his travel press pool. Last month, Pompeo berated NPR “All Things Considered” co-host Mary Louise Kelly for asking him about the Ukraine scandal during an interview and was promptly...
Ernst Defends Biden Remark: ‘Just Pointing Out That Iowa Has Very Smart Voters’
During an interview on CNN Sunday morning, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) responded to the backlash she received for her remark last week regarding whether the Trump legal team’s Biden-focused arguments would influence Democratic Iowa caucusgoers. “Iowa caucuses are this next Monday evening,” Ernst said to reporters last Monday. “And I’m...
Alexander: Even If It Weren’t An Election Year, I’d ‘Probably’ Still Vote Against Witnesses
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) insists that even if the Senate impeachment trial wasn’t happening during an election year, he would still vote against additional witnesses or document subpoenas. During an interview on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press,” Chuck Todd pressed Alexander on his Thursday night release announcing his vote against...
Pressuring Ukraine For Biden Dirt Was ‘A Long Way’ From Impeachable, GOP Sen Asserts
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said in a new interview set to air Sunday that President Donald Trump’s actions have been proven, but that they are “a long way” from impeachable. Alexander’s vote, along with 50 of his Senate Republican colleagues’, tipped the scales against the Senate hearing new witnesses at President Donald...
