Posts Categorized: Politics

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Joe Biden Considers Michigan Governor as His VP Pick

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It's beginning to look like Joe Biden is not going to pick a woman of color as his running mate. Many believed Biden would pick a woman of color such as Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms or California Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice president if he wins the election in November.

According to published reports, the Democratic frontrunner, who has been missing in action recently, is considering Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as his pick for vice president.

Whitmer's name was tossed into the hat because Biden's team are impressed with her response to the coronavirus outbreak in America.

The governor does not mince words when she criticizes President Donald Trump on social media. Whitmer has expressed disappointment in the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The White House has exchanged words with the governor, even referring to her as "the woman from Michigan," a title she wears as a badge of honor.

Whitmer, who assumed office in January 2019, is a 48-year-old native of Lansing. She is married with 2 children.

Question: Are you disappointed that Biden may not choose a woman of color as his running mate?

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House Approves Stimulus Package; AOC Rips Republicans for Refusing $1,200 Payments to Illegal Immigrants

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The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives approved President Donald Trump's $2 trillion economic stimulus package on Friday, March 27.

The vote came a day after the Senate voted unanimously to approve the legislation. The president is expected to sign the bill quickly.

The package includes $1,200 checks to individuals who earn less than $75,000 a year. Individuals who file as "head of household" will receive $1,200 checks if they earn less than $150,000 a year.

Couples earning up to $150,000 a year will receive $2,400. Families get an additional $500 for each child.

The bill also includes an increase in the maximum unemployment benefit to individuals by $600 a week for four months.

But not all lawmakers were happy with the bill's passage. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at Republicans for refusing to give $1,200 checks to immigrants who don't have Social Security numbers.

She tweeted on Thursday:

"To clarify, $1200 checks are ONLY going to some w/social sec numbers, NOT immigrants w/ tax IDs (ITINs). Thanks to GOP, these checks will be cut off the backs of *taxpaying immigrants,* who get nothing. Many are essential workers who pay more taxes than Amazon."

AOC's Twitter followers ripped her to shreds.

One Twitter user responded: "Time for them to go home! There's no jobs here for them! Time to put Americans first!!"

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Democrats Vote Down Coronavirus Relief Bill in Senate; No Checks Next Month

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Millions of Americans who were counting on receiving coronavirus relief checks from the federal government next month are out of luck.

The Democrats delayed President Trump's coronavirus economic stimulus bill in a Senate vote on Sunday night.

The vote came while at least five Republican senators were in self-quarantine after coming in contact with infected colleagues such as Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

The bill includes relief checks that range from $1,200 to $4,500 to help individuals and small business owners who are financially impacted by the virus.

Corporations and individuals earning over $99,000 in 2018 are not eligible to receive help from the government.

Many Democrats complained that the relief bill did not go far enough to provide healthcare and unemployment aid for Americans.

The Democrats also pushed for food security aid, small business loans and said that three months of unemployment insurance offered was insufficient.

After the vote failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ripped into the Democrats, accusing them of backing out of a partisan agreement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer intervened.

McConnell claimed Pelosi, who is a multimillionaire, took "a week off" and "poured cold water on the whole process."

He said the Senate will re-vote on the massive $1 trillion stimulus bill on Monday afternoon.

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Atlanta City Council Removes $5 Swim Fee Per Child – Over Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ Objections

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The Atlanta City Council committed approved free swimming for low-income children over the objections of the mayor's office.

The city charges $5 per child to swim in Atlanta's 12 city-run pools, but the Atlanta City Council committee approved legislation to eliminate the fee -- despite objections from Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' office.

LaChandra Butler-Burks, the mayor's executive director of the Office of Recreation, fought tooth and nail to keep the swimming fee in place.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an ordinance was introduced by Council members Matt Westmoreland and Marci Overstreet that pointed out the disparities in deaths at city pools.

Roughly 64 percent of Black children can't swim, and the drowning rate is three times higher for Black children.

The ordinance blamed the disparities on unacceptable lack of access to city pools for low-income children.

The mayor's office asked the Council to hold off on the vote to remove the fee because it could increase security costs at the pools significantly. But the Council proceeded with Tuesday's vote.

The city pools generate $54,000 in revenue for the city. The original legislation moved $60,000 from a non-developmental fund to the Parks Department budget to make up the difference.

The city currently provides security at the pools only during free swim hours.

"We are at our best as a city when we are taking care of the people that need it the most," Overstreet said. "There is no reason we shouldn't have free swim in the summer. So we need to work as hard as we can to make sure that happens."

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Atlanta activists travel to Biden’s campaign stop in South Carolina to question Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms

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A group of concerned Atlanta activists traveled to Joe Biden's campaign stop in South Carolina last weekend to ask Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms why she is not doing enough to stop gentrification in her city.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the activists created a Facebook flyer featuring the mayor's face with the words "HELP FIND ME!"

"Last seen campaigning with Joe Biden. We need her back to do some work in Atlanta," read the caption.

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Mayor Bottoms frequently travels out of town to support Biden at campaign events. The AJC reports Mayor Bottoms attended Biden campaign events in Iowa, Alabama and Tennessee in February alone.

Atlanta activists say they are concerned that Bottoms isn't doing enough to halt the progression of gentrification or stop low-income Black people from being displaced from their homes.

The mayor's spokesperson said in February Bottoms halted gentrification construction on the Westside, committed $100 million for affordable housing and signed legislation to create the city's first Inspector General -- all while juggling her duties as wife and mom and campaigning for her potential running mate, Biden.

"The mayor can walk and chew gum at the same time," her spokesperson told AJC.com, before adding that all of her campaign trips were on the weekends.

Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

At a Biden campaign event in South Carolina last weekend, Bertha Darden, a longtime Peoplestown resident, scored face time with Biden after unsuccessfully trying to locate Mayor Bottoms.

Darden asked Biden to "please tell her to stop evicting and displacing Black families in Atlanta."

Biden, who is showing signs of dementia, called Bottoms a great mayor and began describing problems with gentrification -- in North Carolina.

When Darden told Biden that the city of Atlanta used eminent domain to steal her house, Biden promised to have a conversation with her at a later date.

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Elizabeth Warren Ends Her Presidential Run

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Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has dropped out of the 2020 race for president of the United States.

Warren, 70, announced she was suspending her campaign on Thursday, March 5, a day after Mike Bloomberg ended his run after spending $500 million of his pocket change.

"I know that when we set out, this was not the call you ever wanted to hear," Warren said in a phone call to her staff. "It is not the call I ever wanted to make.”

Warren, once a frontrunner, was tripped up by her own lies and a mountain of half-truths. She once lied about being American Indian on a Harvard job application. She was forced to come clean after she announced she was running for president.

At times Warren was neck and neck with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. She was heavily criticized for not dropping out of the race before Super Tuesday to give Sanders more delegates. And she was once favored over the DNC's current favorite, Joe Biden.

The Democratic nomination is a 2-man race between Biden, 77, who is showing advanced signs of dementia, and Sanders, 78, who dubbed himself a Democratic socialist.

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Bloomberg Drops Out of Presidential Race After Spending $700 Million On Failed Campaign; Said He Was the Only Man Who Could Beat Trump

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Michael Bloomberg announced he is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race. Bloomberg, 78, made the announcement a day after his dismal showing on Super Tuesday.

Bloomberg had promised to fix America's health care and strengthen the middle class, as he spent $200 million on ad spots in all 14 Super Tuesday states.

Bloomberg said he entered the 2020 race because he believed only he could beat President Donald Trump, 73.

The billionaire media magnate dropped $700 million on his campaign -- a record for campaign spending. Bloomberg is expected to spend heavily on frontrunner Joe Biden's campaign.

The Democratic nomination is a 2 man race between Biden and Bernie Sanders, who dubbed himself a Democratic socialist.

Biden, 77, was the big winner in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday after losing to Vermont Senator Sanders in Iowa and Nevada.

Bloomberg trended on Tuesday when a viral video released by his campaign showed him eating pizza out of a communal pizza box and licking his fingers afterwards.

Donald Trump Jr tweeted: "Truly disgusting!"
 

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LA County DA Jackie Lacey Holds Big Lead Over Challengers in Early Election Results a Day After Husband Pointed Gun at Black Lives Matter Activists

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L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey holds a big lead over her challengers in early election results late Tuesday. Lacey, who tearfully apologized after her husband, David, pointed a gun at Black Lives Matter activists on Monday, says she's "really happy" LA County voters accepted her apology.

"We're really happy that the number is what it is; that it's almost 55% and my competitors are down around 22%," Lacey said before adding she's "cautiously optimistic" because it's still early.

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Lacey is leading challengers George Gascon, former San Francisco District Attorney, and former public defender Rachel Rossi, by 55% of the vote as of late Tuesday night.

"There are still a lot of votes to be counted, but this is a really good start. I must say that I'm very optimistic."

David Lacey pulled a gun on Black Lives Matter activists who gathered early Monday morning outside the Laceys' modest Granada Hills home.

The group accused the DA of not being tougher on officer-involved shootings and other high-profile crimes.

They said they approached Lacey's home and rang the doorbell because she has refused to meet with them in the past.

BLM activist Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) recorded the incident on her cell phone when Lacey's husband, David, opened the front door and pointed a firearm at them.

In the video, David yells "Get off my porch!"

"Good morning," says a female voice. "Are you gonna shoot me?"

"I will shoot you," says David Lacey. "Get off of my porch," he repeats.

"Can you tell Jackie Lacey that we're here?"

"I don't care who you are," David replies. He told the group he was calling the police before closing the door.

The police arrived on the scene minutes later, but no arrests were made.

Jackie Lacey tearfully apologized for her husband's actions. She said he was scared because she has received death threats in the past.

"It was just him and I in that house, and we really didn't know what was about to happen," she said while fighting back tears.

Lacey said she hopes to be reelected to a third term to continue serving the people of LA County.
 

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Black Democrats Turn Their Backs On Bloomberg at ‘Bloody Sunday’ Church Service in Selma; Stacey Abrams Didn’t Join Protest

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As Mike Bloomberg stepped up to the pulpit to speak at the historic Brown Chapel in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday, a handful of congregants silently stood and turned their backs to him.

Political and civil rights leaders spoke at the church to mark the 55th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when civil rights activists were brutally beaten by Alabama State Troopers during a march across Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams sat behind Bloomberg as he spoke. She didn't bat an eyelash during the silent protest.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Before the service, Abrams, 46, shook hands with Bloomberg, who donated $5 million to her nonprofit voter suppression organization Fair Fight in Atlanta.

Pastor Leodis Strong applauded the former New York City mayor for even showing his face at the church in Selma.

"It shows a willingness on his part to change," said Strong.

The silent protest was in part due to Bloomberg's support of NY's controversial stop-and-frisk policy.

Critics say Bloomberg weaponized the policy to reflect his deeply held racist beliefs.

Bloomberg, 77, apologized in November for assigning more cops to minority areas "because that's where all the crime is."

Bloomberg apologized in January for ordering police to throw young Black males "up against the wall and frisk them."

And he apologized in February for saying Black and Hispanic males don't follow instructions at work.

One of the people who turned their backs to Bloomberg was Ryan Haygood, president and chief executive of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

As he stood with his back turned, Haygood thought about the police brutality civil rights organizers faced in the church 55 years ago as they protested for equal voting rights.

"I thought this could be the place where he could finally say, once and for all, 'Let me own what I did, let me atone for it.' He didn't even touch it which is more disrespectful," Haygood said.

Joe Biden, fresh off his decisive win at the South Carolina primary on Saturday, also spoke at the annual "Bloody Sunday" service.

78-year-old Biden, who has his own racist past to contend with, playfully suggested that Abrams might be vice president someday.

Abrams closed the four-hour service with a speech about her ongoing efforts to register every Black person to vote for Democrats through her Fair Fight 2020 campaign.

Thanks to fat checks from donors like Bloomberg, her Fair Fight campaign has amassed $25 million in the bank.

Photo by Joshua Lott / AFP

After the service, Democratic presidential candidates, Bloomberg (left), former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (center left), Amy Klobuchar (right), Senator Elizabeth Warren (center) and Rev. Jesse Jackson (behind Warren) marched during the annual Bloody Sunday March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the violent clash with Alabama State Troopers in 1965.

Buttigieg, 38, who dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday, promised to help make sure a Democrat wins the White House in November.

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Black Leaders Prayed Over Trump During Black History Month Celebration; Angela Rye Attacks Trump Supporters

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Angela Rye had some choice words for Trump supporters such as the group of Black political and religious leaders who prayed over the U.S. President after he held a meeting to celebrate Black History Month on Thursday.

The group of about 2 dozen Black leaders and Pastor Paula White lay hands on President Trump and prayed over him in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Afterwards, he did not answer reporters' questions about the stock market's worst loss in almost nine years on Thursday.

Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images

The group of prayer warriors included activist Candace Owens, Pastor Darrell Scott, Martin Luther King Jr's niece Alveda King; Terrence Williams, and Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, otherwise known as pro-Trump activists Diamond and Silk.

Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images

CNN political commentator Angela Rye attacked Black people who continue to show strong support for the president.

"Shame on you," said Rye during a segment on CNN's "Tonight."

"I think Donald Trump does not have a strong record to stand on as it relates to black unemployment. He has Barack Obama's record to stand on with that, and I think that at some point, black folks have got to look themselves in the mirror..."

She added, "Instead, you want to give Donald Trump kudos for throwing Cheez-It bits at you and then criticize the people who have spent their careers doing things for the betterment of black people and black society. And I would just say at that point, if you still go over to Donald Trump after that, shame on you. Period."
 

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Atlanta Mayor Halts New Construction Around Park to Confront ‘Rapid Gentrification’; Allocates $100M for Affordable Housing

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms rushed back to Atlanta after citizens expressed disappointment with her leadership skills on social media.

Citizens and civic leaders complained that Lance Bottoms, 50, was often on the campaign trail with presidential hopeful Joe Biden.

On Monday, Lance Bottoms issued an Administrative Order allocating $100 million to create more affordable housing in Atlanta.

"Building a housing inventory that working families and seniors can afford is a major component of our vision for One Atlanta," she said in a statement. "These new public dollars will further our mission to create a more equitable and affordable city for all those who desire to call Atlanta home."

Also on Monday, Mayor Lance Bottoms issued an executive order cracking down on new construction permits around Westside Park to halt "rapid gentrification" in the area.

The timing of the mayor's orders are no coincidence.

Black leaders complained that gentrification was changing the landscape of Atlanta neighborhoods that have traditionally been overlooked by lenders and real estate investors.

They also complained about the rising crime rate in Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs. They demanded Lance Bottoms leave the Biden campaign trail to deal with the rising crime rate at home.

Fed up with the mayor's frequent absences from the city she was elected to lead, Atlanta activist and businesswoman Sabrina Peterson is organizing an effort to block her reelection.

Mayor Lance Bottoms is pictured above with her husband Derek W. Bottoms at a recent Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

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Stacey Abrams would be ‘honored’ to run for vice president, but ‘no one has asked me’

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Democrat Stacey Abrams said on "The View" on Monday that she is ready to run for vice president and she hopes to be president of the United States one day.

When asked if she would run for vice president on a Democratic nominee's ticket, she answered, "of course I would be honored to run for vice president with the nominee."

She added it's a "bit disconcerting" to discuss running for vice president because no one in the Democratic field, not even Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, has asked her to team up with them.

"It seems really obnoxious for me to say that out loud since no one has asked me," Abrams said.

"The issue is, as a woman of color, especially as a Black woman, this is an unusual position to be in.... It would be doing a disservice to every woman of color, every woman of ambition, every child who wants to think beyond their known space for me to say 'No,' or to pretend, 'Oh no, I don't want it.' Of course I want it, Of course I want to serve America. Of course I want to be a patriot and do this work, and so I say, 'Yes.'"

Abrams lost the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race to Republican Brian Kemp, and then famously refused to concede the race she lost, questioning the legitimacy of the election results.

She has never held a public office higher than a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.

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Outrage: Atlantans organize to block Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ reelection while she’s on campaign trail with Biden

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Photos: Getty Images

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has come under fire for hitting the campaign trail with presidential hopeful Joe Biden, while a violent crime wave sweeps the city.

Lance Bottoms made national headlines when she endorsed Biden for president. She hosted Biden's campaign stop in Atlanta, and since then, she has gone on the road to stump for him.

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A 2019 FBI report shows a spike in the number of violent crimes in Atlanta in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.

Critics blame the Mayor's cash bail reform and her order to end police chases in Atlanta for the spike in violent crimes.

Atlantans question why Lance Bottoms is on the campaign trail with Biden, who is seen as a long run for the Democratic nomination.

Political insiders say Lance Bottoms is on the campaign trail with Biden because her name is on the short list to be Biden's running mate.

Sabrina Peterson, Atlanta socialite and owner of Glam Bar Salon, is organizing volunteers to help block the mayor's reelection. Instagram followers expressed their anger at Lance Bottoms' inaction on crime.

@Kelving2016 wrote: "Still stomping for Biden???? You're going to mess around and lose the mayorship following behind him. I have told you constantly but you refuse to acknowledge. I wish you the best."

And @terrilz wrote "Shouldn't you be governing in Atl. Fixing the enormous crime problem?"

Lance Bottoms narrowly defeated Mary Norwood in a runoff election in 2017.

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Mike Bloomberg Considering Hillary Clinton as His Running Mate

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Mike Bloomberg hopes Hillary Clinton will help give him a leg up in the crowded 2020 Democratic field. Drudgereport.com broke the news that Bloomberg, a tech billionaire and former mayor of NY, is considering picking Clinton as his running mate in the 2020 Democratic race.

Currently, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78, leads the Democratic field by 10+ points in the polls.

Bloomberg, 77, is said to be considering changing his official residence to one of his homes in Florida or Colorado because the electoral college prevents the president and vice president from residing in the same state.

Photo by Daniel J. Barry/WireImage

Clinton and Bloomberg are pictured attending NY's Gay Pride parade in a photo dated June 2006. Polling indicates the Bloomberg-Clinton ticket would be a "formidable force" in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination, according to London's DailyMail.com.

Clinton is a two-time loser in the presidential elections, having lost to Presidents Obama and Trump in 2008 and 2016 respectively.

Clinton, 72, has previously said she wouldn't rule out being vice president if the Democrats win the election in November.

The ex-first lady and Secretary of State told TV host Ellen Degeneres she would "never say never" to becoming vice president.

Clinton drew a huge round of applause from The Ellen Degeneres Show's audience when she urged voters to kick Trump out of office in November.

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Open Post: Bloomberg: ‘All the Crime’ is in Minority Areas

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Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg wants voters to think he was an unrepentant racist until he decided to run for president of the United States.

Bloomberg is backtracking after he declared minorities were responsible for most of the crime in his jurisdiction when he was mayor.

In recently unearthed audio tapes, the 77-year-old billionaire defended his policy of aggressively policing minority neighborhoods.

In a 2015 speech at the Aspen Institute, Bloomberg said he needed to get guns out of the hands of individuals who are "male, minority, and between the ages of 15 and 25."

He said statistics of violent crimes committed by armed individuals were down during that period because police were ordered to throw young Black males "up against the wall and frisk them."

He admitted "we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods... because that's where all the crime is."

Clips from the speech went viral on Tuesday. President Trump tweeted one of the audio clips, before deleting his tweet. "WOW, BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST!" Trump wrote.

Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic

Bloomberg is offering $150 to "influencers", such as pseudo-singer Beyonce, who make positive posts about him on social media and blogs.

"All the money in the world can't undo this," tweeted Trump's re-election campaign manager Brad Parscale, who quoted Bloomberg: "The way you get guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the wall."

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Last week, Bloomberg's camp aired a campaign ad featuring former President Barack Obama endorsing the NY billionaire who, like Obama, favors gun control in minority neighborhoods.

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Trump Deletes Tweet Calling Bloomberg a ‘Total Racist’

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President Trump deleted a tweet calling presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg a "total racist." Trump posted, then deleted, a tweet along with audio of Bloomberg discussing New York's "stop-and-frisk" policy that reduced violent crimes in his city.

In the war of billionaires, Trump tweeted, then deleted: "WOW, BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST!", according to published reports.

Trump rarely ever deletes a tweet. Some political analysts say it is an indication that someone in his inner circle warned him that he went too far.

In a statement to The Wrap, the former New York mayor said, "President Trump's deleted tweet is the latest example of his endless efforts to divide Americans. I inherited the police practice of stop-and-frisk, and as part of our effort to stop gun violence it was overused. By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95%, but I should've done it faster and sooner."

In the audio linked to Trump's tweet, Bloomberg praised the policy and suggested that the majority of the people who were stopped by police were white. He hinted that the perpetrators of violent gun crimes were not white.

"95 percent of your murders, murderers and murder victims, fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops: They are male, minorities 16 to 25. That's true in New York. It's true in virtually every city."

Bloomberg apologized in his statement to The Wrap. "I regret that and I have apologized. I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on Black and Latino communities."

But Black Twitter noted that Bloomberg, at age 77, is too old to change his racist thought process, now that he is running for president.

Trump's re-election campaign manager, Brad Perscale, also tweeted #BloombergIsaRacist. Perscale did not delete his tweet.

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Student, 21, says Joe Biden insulted her by calling her a ‘lying, dog-faced pony soldier’

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A student says she was humiliated when Joe Biden called her a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier" - an insult that Biden later claimed was a just a joke.

The incident happened during his campaign event in Hampton, New Hampshire on Sunday.

21-year-old Mercer University student Madison Moore asked Biden about his poor performance in last week's Iowa caucus.

Biden, 77, came in third in the voting behind Pete Buttigieg (1) and Bernie Sanders (2).

"How do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win the national election?" Moore asked Biden.

"It's a good question," said Biden. "Number one: Iowa's a Democratic caucus," he said before asking the student, "Have you ever been to a caucus?"

When she nodded yes, Biden said, "No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier."

Biden's insult was met with nervous laughter from the crowd.

Although Moore is seen laughing in the video footage, she later said she felt humiliated.

"It was kind of humiliating to be called a liar on national TV by the former vice president," the economics student said.

Biden's camp defended their candidate by claiming the line was from a John Wayne film in which an Indian chief turned to Wayne and called him a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier."

But movie historians say no such line was ever uttered in any John Wayne movie.

They think Biden - who likely suffers from dementia - combined several lines from different movies, including 1949's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and the film Pony Soldier, starring Tyrone Power.

This is just the latest in a long series of goofs and missteps by the Democratic frontrunner.

Biden has been criticized in the past for insulting voters who ask him confrontational questions.

At a campaign event in Iowa in December, Biden called a man a "damn liar" after he brought up his son Hunter's role in the Ukraine scandal.

Iowa was the first state to hold a Democratic caucus.
 

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Senate Votes to ACQUIT Trump in Historic Impeachment Trial

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The Senate acquitted President Trump by a majority vote on both articles of impeachment on Wednesday. The Senate voted 52-48 not guilty on article 1 and 53-47 not guilty on article 2 of impeachment.

Senators stood at their desks and shouted their verdicts during a roll call vote on Wednesday, Feb. 5. It was only the third impeachment of a sitting President in U.S. history. The others, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, were both acquitted in the Senate.

Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, switched sides and voted to convict Trump on the 1st article of impeachment.

Saying "I had to follow my conscience," Romney told Chris Wallace on Wednesday that he decided to vote to convict Trump on abuse of power.

"I believe that the act he took, an effort to corrupt an election is as destructive an attachment on the oath of office and our Constitution as I can image," Romney said.

"It is a high crime and misdemeanor within the meaning of the Constitution, and tat is not a decision I take lightly. It is the last decision I want to take."

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Nancy Pelosi Rips Up Trump’s SOTU Speech; Billy Porter Lashes Out at Anti-LGBT President

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered Trump supporters when she ripped up her copy of President Trump's State of the Union Address before he was done speaking last night.

Pelosi, who is still angry over her failed impeachment bid, tore up Trump's speech after he addressed the nation and the two chambers of Congress on Tuesday night.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Afterwards, Pelosi held up the torn papers to cheers from her fellow Democrats.
 

 
"What is wrong with her?" asked Kellyanne Conway, political counselor to the President. "Who mutters to themselves during the State of the Union?" Conway referred to Pelosi as "an incorrigible child" for ripping up Trump's speech.

In response to criticism that Trump "snubbed" Pelosi, who offered a handshake after he had already turned away from her, Conway said Trump simply didn't see Pelosi's hand.
 

 
Among Trump's critics was openly homosexual actor Billy Porter, who labeled Trump's U.S. presidency as "one of the biggest crises of my lifetime" in his LGBT+ State of the Union address on Tuesday.

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The Pose star's speech for Logo's second annual event came just hours before President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address to the nation.

In his hard-hitting speech, Porter targeted topics such as Trump's ban on transgender people enlisting in the U.S. military, and a rule that allows healthcare professionals to refuse medical procedures to LGBT+ people.

"Last year, I told you that the state of our union is strong,” he began. "While it certainly has been battered, our union is far from broken. Now, in 2020, our responsibility as citizens has been more evident," Porter said.

Urging viewers to use their feet to vote in 2020 to bring an end to Trump's time in the White House, Porter continued:

"Donald J. Trump has painted himself as a friend of the LGBTQ community, while revealing his true colors at every malicious turn. This heinous violence against trans people, which disproportionately affects trans women of color is nothing short of an epidemic. We must confront it as a community and as a country, and we must elect officials who recognize it for the crisis that it is."

Porter concluded: "The fate of the entire country is in the balance. I know it sounds dramatic, but if now is not the time for drama, chile, when is?"

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Senator Mitch McConnell Does NOT Have the Votes to Block Witnesses

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dropped a bombshell on Tuesday as the Senate impeachment trial enters the next phase.

McConnell told fellow senators he does not have enough votes to block new witnesses after Trump's high-powered defense team made their closing arguments on Tuesday.

In the next phase of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, senators will submit written questions. The questions phase can last 2 days.

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McConnell, pictured right with Trump, previously said Trump's Senate impeachment trial would end with a quick acquittal this Friday. But now it seems the Democrats will get their wish to call witnesses to give sworn testimony against Trump.

Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them to subpoena witnesses such as former White House aide John Bolton, whose new book supposedly contains evidence that would undermine Trump's defense that he didn't withhold military aid to Ukraine.

Three Republican senators, including Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, have indicated they will cross the aisle to call witnesses.

The Republicans will most certainly call Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden to testify about the work he performed for Ukraine's energy company Burisma in exchange for $3 million.

But some senators don't believe a call for witnesses will happen.

"I believe that on Friday, when we get to a decision whether we're gonna have witnesses, we're not gonna do it," said Florida Senator Rick Scott on Tuesday.

"I don't believe we're gonna have any witnesses. I think we're gonna listen to the questions, we'll see, uh, and after what happens with that, I believe we'll see no witness."

President Trump was impeached in December for abuse of power for allegedly withholding $391 million in military aid to Ukraine.

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Republican Senators RECONSIDER Calling Witnesses After Bombshell Book Undermines Trump’s Impeachment Defense

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Donald Trump and his legal team worked into the night after a bombshell New York Times article quoted a former White House aid who heard Trump say he would withhold aid to the Ukraine.

At least 2 Republican senators appear to be reconsidering their vote to call witnesses during the Senate impeachment trial.

According to the New York Times article, former National Security Advisor John Bolton confirmed there was a quid pro quo by Trump. Bolton said he heard Trump say he would refuse to releases hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Ukraine unless they helped investigate corruption by former VP Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

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But Trump accused Bolton (pictured right) of outright lies. Trump sent out a series of late-night tweets insisting he never had that conversation with Bolton or adviser Rudy Giuliani. The president said Bolton made up the allegations to sell books.

House Democrats declined to call Bolton to testify during the House impeachment hearings in December. But House impeachment managers insist Republican senators should call Bolton to hear his crucial testimony.

According to an unpublished manuscript of Bolton's new book, Trump said he would freeze military aid to Ukraine unless it helped investigate the Bidens.

Democrats need at least 4 senators to vote with them to call new witnesses to testify.

Two GOP senators, including Maine Senator Susan Collins, have indicated they will reconsider their decisions not to call witnesses.

The Senate trial was scheduled to wrap up on Friday, but the shocking new developments may extend the trial for weeks.

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Senate Impeachment Trial Day 2 Recap: Schiff Pleads With Senators to Remove ‘Corrupt’ Trump Before He Steals 2020 Election

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House impeachment managers made their opening statements on day 2 of Donald Trump's impeachment trial on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

The 7 House Democrat impeachment managers are pictured (L-R) Rep. Jason Crow, of Colorado; Val Demings, of Florida; Sen. Adam Schiff, of California; Rep. Sylvia Garcia, of Texas; Rep. Zoe Lofgren, of California; Rep. Jerrold "Jerry" Nadler, of NY; and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of NY.

Tuesday's opening session drew 11 million TV viewers. Republicans seemed uninterested and bored as lead manager Schiff pleaded for help removing "corrupt" President Trump from office on Wednesday.

President Trump is on trial for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. He was impeached by House Democrats in December.

Now it's the Senate's turn to either vote to remove Trump from office or acquit him of all charges.

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff invoked the founding fathers and quoted Alexander Hamilton in his lengthy opening statement.

As Schiff's opening statement dragged on, some Republican Senators left their seats and disappeared into the hall.

According to the NY Daily News, at one point, South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham was gone for 30 minutes. Other senators also disappeared for lengthy coffee breaks while Schiff spoke to empty seats.

Democratic senators who sat and listened to 9 hours of opening statements were dismayed and "disheartened" at the lack of interest shown by their Republican counterparts.

"I don't have any insight into what they're thinking, but there are moments in a trial when people vote with their feet," said Delaware Senator Chris Coons.

"Jurors don't get to do that in a real jury. We are acting as if [we're] a jury, and it is somewhat disconcerting to have folks absent for long periods of time."
But Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy begged to differ.

Cassidy, who took two 20-minute breaks, said it wasn't necessary for him to sit there and listen to the same evidence he has already heard.

"If they say something I've not previously heard I write it down. Just new facts, it helps me focus," Cassidy said.

Screenshot: Senate Television via Getty Images

Hakeem Jeffries, who quoted the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., was interrupted by a heckler during his opening statement.

House Democrats hope to convince at least four Republicans to vote with them to allow subpoenas of records and key witnesses including national security advisor John Bolton and White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

Republicans offered a horse-trading deal to allow testimony by Bolton in exchange for authorizing them to subpoena Joe or Hunter Biden.

But Democrats quickly shot down the deal. "That's off the table," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Joe Biden, who was in Iowa speaking to voters on Wednesday, also said no to the deal.

"The reason I would not make the deal, the bottom line is, this is a constitutional issue," Biden said. "We're not going to turn it into a farce or political theater. I want no part of that."

House managers are expected to continue their opening statements on Thursday and Friday. Each side is given 24 hours for opening statements before Trump's legal team is allowed to rebut.

There are rumors that Trump's lawyers may rest their case without any rebuttal. But Trump's legal team denied the rumors.

"There's a lot of things I'd like to rebut," said Trump's top lawyer Jay Sekulow, "and we will rebut."

After the rebuttal, the Senate will vote to acquit or remove the president without calling any witnesses.

President Trump, who is attending the economic forum in Switzerland, is optimistic of a quick acquittal.

"We have a great case," he told reporters.

Trump said he didn't object to Bolton or other witnesses testifying during the Senate trial, but he claimed "national security" concerns might prevent them from doing so.

Trump blocked Bolton and other key witnesses from testifying during the House impeachment hearings in December.

The Senate trial is expected to wrap up next week.

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Senate Impeachment Trial Day 1 Recap: Trial Adjourns at 1:50 AM; Pelosi Slams McConnell’s Trial Rules as ‘Deliberately Designed to Hide the Truth’

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The first full day of Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial adjourned at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday after 13 hours of intense debates.

In December, House Democrats voted to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Now it's the Senate's turn to either vote to remove Trump from office or acquit him of all charges.

The Senate passed Mitch McConnell's impeachment trial rules after heated debates on the Senate floor.

McConnell's rules gives each side 24 hours to argue their cases. Then the Senate will quickly vote to either convict or acquit the President of the United States.

The trial is expected to end next week without calling any witnesses.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) slammed the rules set by Senate Majority Leader McConnell (right), which she claims are a cover-up attempt by President Trump.

Pelosi criticized McConnell's rules as a "dark of night impeachment trial," claiming that he has "misled the American people."

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

In a statement on Tuesday, Pelosi said: "Leader McConnell's process is deliberately designed to hide the truth from the Senate and from the American people."

All 11 of the amendments introduced by the Democrats on the Senate floor were shot down by Republicans on Tuesday.

The Democrats wanted to subpoena key witnesses who have insider knowledge of the phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president last year.

One of the amendments introduced by the Democrats sparked a heated exchange between House Judiciary Committee chief Jerry Nadler and Trump's high-powered legal team.

Nadler accused Trump's lawyers of attempting a cover-up by blocking key witnesses, including Ambassador John Bolton, NBC News reported.

"Will you bring Ambassador Bolton here?" Nadler asked. "Will you permit us to present you with the entire record of the president's misconduct? Or will you instead choose to be complicit in the president's cover-up?"

Nadler further accused "a lot of senators" of "voting for a cover-up... a treacherous vote."

Nadler said Senate Republicans were traitors who should be embarrassed.

His accusations irked Trump's lead attorney Pat Cippolone, who clapped back, saying it's Nadler who should be embarrassed.

"The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you for the way you've addressed [the Senators]. This is the United States Senate. You're not in charge here!"

The heated exchange earned a rebuke from Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, who reminded both parties that they are "addressing the world's greatest deliberative body."

Roberts added: "I do think those addressing the Senate should remember where they are!"
The Senate impeachment trial will resume at 1 p.m. Wednesday with opening arguments from House Democrats.

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Adam Schiff says Trump has the right to call witnesses at his impeachment trial – EXCEPT Joe or Hunter Biden

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Photos: Getty Images

President Trump's long-awaited Senate trial is underway on Capitol Hill. After dispensing of pre-trial procedures last week, the Senate opened Trump's impeachment trial on Tuesday. The trial is expected to wrap up as soon as next week.

Trump was impeached by Nancy Pelosi's House Democrats in December for asking the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden for corruption and interfering in the 2016 elections.

High-powered attorneys Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr head Trump's legal team. Starr prosecuted Bill Clinton during his impeachment.

Adam Schiff said Trump has the right to call witnesses, but Schiff warned Trump's high-powered defense team not to call Hunter Biden as a witness.

Schiff, who heads the Democratic managers for the House, insisted that calling Biden as a witness would amount to "abuse".

Republicans accused Biden of using his power to enrich his sons who earned tens of millions of dollars while Biden was vice president to Barack Obama.

"It would not be appropriate for the president to seek to call witnesses merely to try to perpetuate the same smear campaign that was foiled when his plot was discovered," Schiff said in an interview on the CBS Evening News.

"Hunter Biden, for example, can't tell us anything about whether the president withheld military aid, whether he withheld that aid to coerce Ukraine to conduct political investigations or how he wouldn't meet with the president of Ukraine."

Schiff added: That's an illegitimate abuse of the trial. The chief justice, who may have an opportunity to rule on material witnesses, as well as senators should not permit that kind of abuse."

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Bernie Sanders Says Congresswoman Cardi B Would Be Great for America

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Photo: Bernie Sanders campaign

Bernie Sanders is endorsing rapper Cardi B for Congress. The Vermont Senator praised Cardi and said "it would be great" for her to run for Congress.

"Cardi B is deeply concerned about what's happening in the country," Sanders said, according to TMZ.

"She knows what it's like to live in poverty and struggle, and it would be great for her to bring that experience to politics."

Cardi shocked her social media followers when she announced her plans to go back to school and run for Congress.

"I think I want to be a politician," she tweeted on Jan. 12. "I really love government even tho I don't agree with Government."

The "Bodak Yellow" rapper followed up with another tweet:

"I do feel like if I go back to school and focus up I can be part of Congress, I deadass have sooo much ideas that make sense. I just need a couple of years of school and I can shake the table."

Twitter's response to Cardi's post was a mix of ridicule and disbelief. Some Twitter users believe no amount of schooling can help Cardi achieve her political goals.

One teacher corrected the poor grammar and spelling errors in Cardi's tweet.

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Cardi B, 27, is inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 30-year-old former bartender who was elected to Congress in 2018 because most voters in her district stayed home.

Cardi, who was born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, doesn't expect to have that kind of luck, but she thinks she has a chance - and so does her close friend, Sanders, 78.

One roadblock in Cardi's path to Capitol Hill is an assault charge in NYC. Cardi faces prison time for assaulting 2 female bartenders at a strip club in August 2018.

If she is convicted and sentenced to prison - and IF Sanders is elected president - Cardi will need a full presidential pardon in order to run for Congress.

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Cory Booker drops out of presidential race; ‘Now he and Rosario can stop pretending’

Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/POOL

Cory Booker dropped out of the presidential race after former NY mayor Mike Bloomberg passed him in the national polls.

"It's with a full heart that I share this news-- I'm suspending my campaign for president," Booker tweeted on Monday morning.

Booker, 50, withdrew from the race after he learned he was polling at less than 2 percent among Democratic voters. Bloomberg is polling at 6 percent after spending nearly a quarter of his fortune on television advertising. Bloomberg recently dropped $8 million on a 30-second Super Bowl commercial.

President Trump couldn't resist mocking the New Jersey senator in a tweet following Booker's announcement.

"Really Big Breaking News (Kidding)," Trump wrote. "Booker, who is in zero polling territory, just dropped out of the Democrat Presidential Primacy race. Now I can rest easy tonight. I was sooo concerned that I would someday have to go head to head with him!"

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Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images

Twitter users didn't go easy on the senator or his girlfriend, actress Rosario Dawson, 40.

Many Twitter users believe Dawson is Booker's beard. They claim Booker is on the down low and Rosario agreed to help improve his public image as a heterosexual.

"Now they can stop pretending," tweeted one user.

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Nancy Pelosi is ready to transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is ready to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, after sitting on the documents for three weeks. Pelosi said she will transmit the articles next week.

The House Democrats voted unanimously to impeach President Donald Trump in December. But Pelosi delayed sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate for the second phase of the impeachment process - the trial.

In a letter to her Democratic colleagues on Friday, Pelosi said she asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler to prepare a resolution to appoint managers to transmit the articles of impeachment next week.

Pelosi was under increasing pressure from both sides of the aisle to transmit the articles, after she claimed impeaching Trump was "urgent" and "necessary" to preserve the legitimacy of the 2020 elections.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

The House has no control over the Senate trial, but Pelosi refused to send the documents until Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell advised her of the steps he would take to try Trump. Pelosi is pictured with McConnell in a photo dated Dec. 8, 2016.

"Every Senator now faces a choice: to be loyal to the President or to the Constitution," Pelosi wrote in the letter to her colleagues. "No one is above the law, not even the President."

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House Votes to Approve Resolution Restricting Trump’s War Powers in Iran

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Photos: Getty Images

The House voted unanimously on Thursday to approve a war powers resolution that, at least in theory, limits President Trump's use of military force in Iran.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 224-194 to pass the resolution which would restrict Trump's ability to start a war against Iran unless he receives approval from Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drafted the resolution in response to the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at the Baghdad Airport on Jan. 3.

Pelosi and other Democratic lawmakers were furious that Trump didn't inform them before he ordered the strike.

The House resolution is non-binding meaning even if it is approved by the Senate, it would not go to Trump's desk for a signature.

"This is a statement of the Congress of the United States. I will not have that statement diminished by having a president veto it or not," said Pelosi during a press conference on Thursday.

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BREAKING: Mitch McConnell Says Senate Impeachment Trial Will Go Forward Without Pelosi’s Articles of Impeachment

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The Senate will go forward with the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (right) announced Tuesday.

McConnell said 51 Senators voted to move forward with the trial without the articles of impeachment, which House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (left) has refused to send to the Senate after House Democrats voted to impeach Trump last month.

"We have the votes," McConnell said in a press conference on Tuesday.

McConnell said the Senate will follow the precedent set by the Clinton impeachment trial 22 years ago.

"What's good for President Clinton is good for President Trump," McConnell said in response to a question about the Senate vote to call witnesses.

"We'll get around to discussion of witnesses," he added. "51 Senators determine what we do."

Pelosi previously said she would turn over the articles of impeachment to the Senate when she was assured there would be a fair trial.

During a meeting with the visiting Greek Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon, Trump said he is ready for the Senate trial.

"It's a hoax; the impeachment is a big hoax," he said. "It's become a laughing stock all over the world... In many ways, it's one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on our country," he told reporters.

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Donald Trump Jr. is the 2nd Most Popular Republican Candidate for 2024

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Photos: Instagram.com/@donaldtrumpjr

The Republicans are already looking forward to the 2024 presidential race. President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. is 2nd most popular on the list of potential presidential candidates in 2024.

GOP strategist and - fierce Trump critic - Rick Wilson told the L.A. Times that a Trump could occupy the White House well into 2030.

"I honestly think Don Jr. or Ivanka will be the nominee in 2024," Wilson said. "The party doesn't care about any of the issues that used to drive the party. Now they care about Trump."

According to a recent SurveyMonkey poll, Republican voters chose one of the President's kids - Donald Jr., 42, or Ivanka, 38, as two of their top contenders for 2024.

Don Jr. angered some of his 2.2 million Instagram followers when he posted photos from a recent outing at the gun range. He showed off an AR15 rifle with a custom magazine that features a cartoon of Hillary Clinton behind prison bars.

Don Jr. captioned the images:

"Nice day at the range. @rarebreedfirearms and @spikes_tactical adding a little extra awesome to my AR and that mag..."

Don Jr's followers were not amused with the artwork.

One IG user wrote: "Take that gun and join the service. Go fight your daddy's war he's starting."

Another wrote: "I see Dtjr wore his designer army fatigues , so he can play army while his daddy sends less affluent real men to fight for his money."

Question: Will you vote for Donald Jr. or Ivanka if they run for president in 2024?
 


 

Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the photograph(s) used in this post. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use” of photographs for purposes such as parody, criticism, commentary, news reporting, education, and research.