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Russia targeted all 50 states in 2016 election, Senate panel report finds – live Democrats request Mueller report evidence to decide impeachment strategy – live
(about 5 hours later)
The Commerce Department announced that US economic growth slowed in the second quarter of 2019. The Commerce Department released data today robbing Trump of one of his favorite talking points on the economy.
Our colleague Dominic Rushe reports: The department revised data on US gross domestic production (GDP) back to 2014. According to the newly released data, economic growth last year was 2.5 percent. But Trump has frequently bragged about the economy growing 3 percent last year.
But the decline was less than expected – thanks to a consumer spending spree – and the report showed signs that there is continuing momentum in the US’s decade-long economic expansion. The data also showed that US economic growth slowed to 2.1 percent in the second quarter of 2019, a decline that Trump unsurprisingly blamed on the Federal Reserve.
US gross domestic production (GDP) – the broadest measure of the economy’s health – grew at an annual rate of 2.1% in the second quarter, the three-month period between April and June. Q2 GDP Up 2.1% Not bad considering we have the very heavy weight of the Federal Reserve anchor wrapped around our neck. Almost no inflation. USA is set to Zoom!
The figure is a marked slowdown in the 3.1% growth that the US achieved in the first three months of the year and comes as other major economies have warned that their growth is slowing, too. But the revised 2018 data is likely connected to the news about slowing growth, economists noted. “That’s half a percentage point less momentum in the economy than we thought before,” Ben Herzon, an economist for the firm Macroeconomic Advisers, told the New York Times. “We had been expecting Q2 to be the beginning of the downshift, but it looks like it started before.”
But economists had been expecting economic activity to have slowed to below 2% over the last quarter as the US’s ongoing trade disputes with its largest trading partners took their toll and businesses cut back on investments. Trump weighed in on tech again Friday morning, in a series of tweets that touched on some of the major issues confronting the industry today: trade, taxes and national security.
Five more House Democrats have announced their support of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump since Robert Mueller testified. The first statement was an apparent reference to Facebook investor Peter Thiel’s recent allegation – for which he provided zero evidence – that Google has been “infiltrated” by Chinese intelligence agents. Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury security, rejected the allegation on Thursday, telling CNBC that he and the president “did diligence on this issue” and found no basis for concern. But Trump, who has frequently used Google as a political punching back, walked that statement back this morning.
Perhaps most notably, representative Katherine Clark of Minnesota joined the effort yesterday. The announcement makes Clark, the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the highest-ranking Democrat to support impeachment. There may or may not be National Security concerns with regard to Google and their relationship with China. If there is a problem, we will find out about it. I sincerely hope there is not!!!
That is why I believe we need to open an #ImpeachmentInquiry that will provide us a more formal way to fully uncover the facts. My full statement here: https://t.co/3VtVeV96Th Google has denied working with the Chinese military.
But pro-impeachment Democrats had hoped that Mueller’s appearance on Capitol Hill would spark a stampede of support for their cause. That has not materialized, perhaps to the relief of Nancy Pelosi. Next in Trump’s crosshairs was Apple, which is reportedly planning to move production of its new Mac Pro computer to China, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The House speaker has not come around to the idea of impeachment, instead encouraging her caucus to continue investigating Trump and see where the evidence leads. Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!
With the House now adjourned for a historically long recess, pro-impeachment Democrats worry about losing momentum for their cause. But the six weeks they spend back in their home districts could give them a sense of where their constituents stand on impeachment. They’ll likely either come back deflated or energized. And then there was … France? The European nation’s plan to take a bite out of tech giants’ profits with a digital services tax has touched off a war of words between the two allies, with the US threatening legal action and now, it appears possible, “substantial reciprocal action” against French wine imports.
Good morning, live blog readers – and happy Friday! France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies. If anybody taxes them, it should be their home Country, the USA. We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron’s foolishness shortly. I’ve always said American wine is better than French wine!
Senate Republicans’ refusal to consider bills aimed at improving US election security is looking worse by the minute. Since special counsel Robert Mueller testified that Russian election interference is happening “as we sit here”, Mitch McConnell and members of his caucus have twice rejected legislation to beef up election security. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer is pitching a “justice-centered climate plan” as one of his first policy rollouts.
And now the first volume of a report from the Senate intelligence committee has documented, in detail, how Russia coordinated “an unprecedented level of activity against state election infrastructure” during the 2016 election. According to the report, Russian cyberactors targeted all 50 US states and “were in a position to delete or change voter data” in Illinois’ voter database, although the committee found no evidence that they did so. Steyer, Democratic megadonor and philanthropist from California, would aim for net-zero warming pollution by 2045, five years earlier than most other Democratic candidates who have outlined plans. He envisions creating 1 million jobs through a civilian climate corps. And he would helps fossil fuel communities transition to new economies, investing $50 billion in them. He would also dedicate $2 trillion in federal funding over ten years to infrastructure.
The damning findings could put more pressure on McConnell to advance one of the several bills Democrats have proposed. But even if Congress could pass a bill, many are skeptical that Donald Trump would sign it – after he has spent nearly three years downplaying the effect of Russian interference. He could view the legislation as a swipe at the legitimacy of his 2016 election victory. Other Democrats have proposed higher levels of spending. Many say they would fight environmental racism. New Jersey senator Cory Booker’s environment plan is largely justice-focused.
But the writing is on the wall: this will happen again in 2020. The only question is whether America will be prepared for it. Steyer was campaigning for Trump’s impeachment before he entered the race.
Here are some other things the blog is keeping its eye on: As the fate of his presidency hangs in the balance, Trump is focusing on an issue that keeps many Americans up at night: the alleged inferiority of French wine.
Nancy Pelosi will hold a press conference at 10.45am EDT. She will almost certainly be asked about where her caucus stands on impeachment, as roughly 100 Democrats have come out in favor of launching an inquiry. France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies. If anybody taxes them, it should be their home Country, the USA. We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron’s foolishness shortly. I’ve always said American wine is better than French wine!
Pelosi will also meet with representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after weeks of sparring between the moderate and progressive wings of the House Democratic caucus. With that, at least one reporter selflessly offered to fact-check Trump’s claims about American wine versus French wine.
The House has adjourned for a historically long recess after passing the budget deal negotiated between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The chamber will not return until 9 September. I’m sure the president will appreciate the help given that he doesn’t drink – raising doubts about his expertise on the matter.
That’s all still to come on this beautiful Friday in Washington. Stay tuned. Several Capitol Hill reporters note that House judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler seemed to be arguing that his panel has effectively already launched an impeachment inquiry.
From a New York Times reporter:
Extremely significant that Nadler keeps talking about using "full Article I powers" in filing this lawsuit. Article I gives the House power to impeach. He says "too much is being made of the phrase 'impeachment inquiry,'" but he's essentially making the case they're already in 1
And when another New York Times reporter raised this issue during Nadler’s press conference, Democratic representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee appeared to agree with him:
.@npfandos asks Nadler whether his committee is beginning to shade into an impeachment inquiry even if a formal vote hasn’t been held - an argument I’ve heard privately from some members. “Smart boy,” said @RepCohen in response to the Q.
But a HuffPost reporter strongly pushed back against that notion:
It’s not an impeachment inquiry. It’s a legal justification that they’re *thinking about* opening an impeachment inquiry, and therefore need this information.If impeachment is buying a car, and an inquiry is showing up to a dealership, Democrats are googling “benefits of cars.”
It’s worth noting that House judiciary committee Democrats said Nancy Pelosi has approved the language about impeachment in the new lawsuit seeking grand jury material from Robert Mueller’s investigation.
That request makes clear that the committee is considering articles of impeachment against Trump and that the grand jury information will help them reach a decision on the matter.
House judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler quoted the new petition as telling a federal judge, “Because Department of Justice policies will not allow prosecution of a sitting president, the United States House of Representatives is the only institution of the federal government that can now hold President Trump accountable for these actions.”
Specifically referencing the part of the Constitution giving Congress the power to impeach a president, the request reads, “To do so, the House must have access to all the relevant facts and consider whether to exercise all its full Article I powers, including a constitutional power of the utmost gravity — recommendation of articles of impeachment.”
It’s already 1 p.m. in Washington. Here’s where things stand today.
Nancy Pelosi said she was “not trying to run out the clock” on impeaching Trump. “We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed. Not one day sooner,” the House speaker said at her press conference.
But, but, but: House judiciary committee Jerry Nadler said his panel is filing a new lawsuit to gain access to the grand jury information underlying special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. And that request argues the committee needs the information to render a judgement on whether to recommend articles of impeachment.
Despite that request, Nadler declined to publicly endorse an impeachment inquiry, even though many reports indicate he has done so privately.
US economic growth slowed in the second quarter of 2019, but the decline was less than many economists expected.
There is sure to be more fallout this afternoon from Pelosi and Nadler’s comments on impeachment. Stay tuned.
The House judiciary committee’s new lawsuit to get the grand jury information from Robert Mueller’s investigation argues that the panel needs the information to make a determination on recommending articles of impeachment against Trump.
A CNN reporter noted the lawsuit’s language specifically invokes the impeachment question. “We are not running away from articles of impeachment,” representative Sheila Jackson Lee said.
JUST IN: House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler on steps following Mueller testimony: "Today, we are filing an application for the grand jury material underlying the Mueller report." https://t.co/2gpPDejpRk pic.twitter.com/8ia6xVazqw
Chairman Jerry Nadler also noted that the panel expected to file another lawsuit to enforce its subpoena of former White House counsel Don McGahn.
Some had expected House judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler to use today’s press conference to come out in favor of launching an impeachment inquiry against Trump.
Every person on this stage has publicly endorsed an impeachment inquiry except Nadler. pic.twitter.com/mMf8rgrNR3
Many reports have indicated that Nadler has privately voiced support for launching an inquiry, but he has declined to do so publicly.
When asked by a CNN reporter why he has chosen not to do so, Nadler notably paused before dodging the question. One of the panel’s other members, representative Mary Gay Scanlon, then took the microphone to argue that impeachment is “not a binary thing”.
Asked about divisions between his panel and Nancy Pelosi, Nadler downplayed any conflict between the committee and the House speaker. “I don’t know that there are real divisions with the speaker,” Nadler said, pointing to Pelosi’s comments during her press conference that Democrats “will proceed when we have what we need to proceed.”
House judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler announced his panel would file an application today seeking the grand jury material underlying special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
House Judiciary Cmte Chair @RepJerryNadler + other Cmte Dems hold presser announcing next steps post Mueller hearings pic.twitter.com/fp08K6urts
Another House Democrat, Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, has announced her support of launching an impeachment inquiry.
I support a formal inquiry to determine whether or not the President's conduct warrants bringing articles of impeachment.I have not prejudged the outcome. I believe in the integrity of the process & that it's my duty under the Constitution to ensure nobody is above the law. pic.twitter.com/ddYBhZeh15
Kuster was first elected in 2012 and is, according to a Politico reporter, the 100th lawmaker to support an impeachment inquiry.