“Citing her concern for the Constitution as well as the conduct of future presidents, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) will vote Wednesday to convict President Trump on the impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress,” the Arizona Republic reports.
Mitt Romney, John McCain and the Republican Party
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White House Suddenly Cancels Press Availability
CNBC: “Just as Sen. Romney finished speaking, the White House announced that reporters will now no longer be invited to the Oval Office for the pool spray that was scheduled at 2:15 pm. Reporters were already on the South Lawn and ready to go in when the White House cancelled it.”
Mitt Romney Will Vote to Convict Trump
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) announced he will vote to convict President Trump on abuse of power, the New York Times reports.
Said Romney: “I think the case was made.”
He added: “I believe that attempting to corrupt an election to maintain power is about as egregious an assault on the Constitution as can be made. And for that reason, it is a high crime and misdemeanor and I have no choice under the oath that I took but to express that conclusion.”
Romney told the Washington Post that his decision to vote to convict the president “the hardest decision” he has ever had to make.
State of the Union Falls in Early Broadcast Numbers
President Trump’s State of the Union address drew a considerably smaller audience on the broadcast networks — down about 25% from the comparable figure last year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
138 Sent from U.S. to El Salvador Were Killed
Associated Press: “At least 138 people deported to El Salvador from the U.S. in recent years were subsequently killed, Human Rights Watch says in a new report that comes as the Trump administration makes it harder for Central Americans to seek refuge here.”
“The organization also confirmed at least 70 cases of sexual assault or other violence following their arrival in the country.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. We took a gut punch in Iowa.”
— Joe Biden, quoted by Politico.
Pentagon Officials Stunned Over Blocked Ukraine Aid
“Days before the July 2019 call between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, U.S. officials were still working to expedite the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles to the country,” according to emails reviewed by CNN.
“The new information underscores how the July 18th decision to hold the military aid stunned officials, who had already assessed Ukraine deserved to receive it and were preparing a Javelin missile order as well. The decision reverberated across the government for weeks. Officials grew so concerned over the deferrals by the Office of Management and Budget that they noted the aid was at ‘serious risk,’ and questioned if the move was illegal.”
Feinstein Backs Proposal to Censure Trump
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told the Washington Post that she will back Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) censure proposal, adding a second name to the list.
Said also she was going to write her own resolution “but he beat me to it.”
The Bottom Line on Impeachment
New York Times: “When all the partisan posturing, parliamentary wrangling and legalistic arguing are stripped away, the impeachment process that dominated Washington for months produced a set of facts that is largely beyond dispute: The president of the United States pressured a foreign government to take actions aimed at his political opponents.”
“As the Senate moved toward acquitting President Trump on Wednesday, even some Republicans stopped trying to defend his actions or dispute the evidence, focusing instead on the idea that his conduct did not deserve removal from office, especially in an election year.”
Playbook: “After 4 p.m. today, impeachment is over, and we’re left to wonder: Did it matter politically? Republicans are more firmly in the president’s corner, and Democrats seem to hate him more than ever. There are now 272 days until Election Day — and hundreds more news cycles. By November, it’s anyone’s guess what we’ll all be talking about.”
Impeachment Is Fundraising Gold Mine for Republicans
Politico: “Donation pages for WinRed — the GOP’s online fundraising tool — that included the word ‘impeach’ or ‘impeachment’ raised 300 percent more than pages that did not.”
Biden Tells Donors He’ll Win Nevada and South Carolina
“Joe Biden’s campaign tried to reassure donors that the former vice president is on track to win the Nevada caucus and the South Carolina primary,” CNBC reports.
“The call left the donors feeling positive about Biden’s efforts in those two states.”
Trump’s State of the Union Filled with False Statements
The Washington Post flags 31 false or misleading statements in President Trump’s State of the Union address.
“Many of these claims have been fact-checked repeatedly, yet the president persists in using them.”
Nadler Says It’s Likely House Will Subpoena Bolton
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) told CNN that it is “likely” House Democrats will subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton and continue investigations into President Trump’s hold on military aid to Ukraine.
John Mellencamp Endorses Bloomberg
John Mellencamp cut an ad for Mike Bloomberg saying the former big city mayor would be the best choice for small towns across America.
Doug Jones Will Vote to Convict Trump
Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), in a tough race for re-election, will vote to convict President Trump on both articles of impeachment.
Said Jones: “After many sleepless nights, I have reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the President for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.”
Trump’s Best Week as President
Josh Kraushaar: “The chaos of the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday night obscured an alarming reality for Democrats: President Trump now looks like a narrow favorite to win a second term in office.”
“The latest wave of national polls show Trump hitting or nearing all-time highs in his job-approval rating—even after weeks of impeachment proceedings. Gallup’s latest tracking survey showed his job-approval rating at 49 percent, tantalizingly close to an outright majority of the country. The president is delivering his State of the Union address amid a strong economy and growing consumer confidence. Nearly two-thirds of the country approve of his economic stewardship—the highest rating on this score in nearly two decades. Republicans look energized and united behind the president.”
“Meanwhile, Democrats face growing factional warfare between their progressive and pragmatic wings.”
Quote of the Day
“He shredded the truth so I shredded his speech.”
— Speaker Nancy Pelosi, quoted by The Hill, in a meeting with House Democrats.
