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| Pelosi responds to Trump after White House letter: 'You are not above the law' – live | Pelosi responds to Trump after White House letter: 'You are not above the law' – live |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Meanwhile, the president’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, is reportedly being brought back to New York to reveal more information to state prosecutors who are investigating whether the Trump Organization falsified business records. | |
| CNN reports: | |
| The information, if deemed credible, could result in Cohen testifying before a grand jury, the official said. | |
| This meeting would be the third time Cohen has met with prosecutors and should happen this month, according to the official. It is expected to be held at the district attorney’s office in Lower Manhattan with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s general counsel and the head of the economic crimes bureau, the official said. It is unknown if Vance himself will be there. ... | |
| CNN first reported last month that officials from the district attorney’s office, led by Vance, interviewed Cohen at the federal prison in Otisville, New York, where he is serving a three-year sentence after pleading guilty to multiple crimes including campaign finance violations tied to payments to two women alleging affairs with Trump a decade ago. | |
| Despite news of Turkey’s military operation in Syria, Trump is keeping his attention squarely on the impeachment inquiry, even dubiously accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of perjury. | Despite news of Turkey’s military operation in Syria, Trump is keeping his attention squarely on the impeachment inquiry, even dubiously accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of perjury. |
| So true Don, and this was a big lie. Look what happened to Friends of Trump, for less. Can’t let this pass! https://t.co/u2To514DNq | So true Don, and this was a big lie. Look what happened to Friends of Trump, for less. Can’t let this pass! https://t.co/u2To514DNq |
| Another Senate Republican, Marco Rubio of Florida, slammed the abandonment of America’s Kurdish allies as “morally repugnant” yesterday. | Another Senate Republican, Marco Rubio of Florida, slammed the abandonment of America’s Kurdish allies as “morally repugnant” yesterday. |
| #Syria isn’t about neocons or hawks,it’s about reality. The Kurds were lead ground force against ISIS & currently hold 1000’s of ISIS killers in jail. Abandoning them is morally repugnant,stains our nations reputation & could lead to 1000’s of ISIS killers back on battlefield. | #Syria isn’t about neocons or hawks,it’s about reality. The Kurds were lead ground force against ISIS & currently hold 1000’s of ISIS killers in jail. Abandoning them is morally repugnant,stains our nations reputation & could lead to 1000’s of ISIS killers back on battlefield. |
| Rubio also warned that Trump’s foreign policy shift could lead to thousands of Islamic State militants being released from prison. | Rubio also warned that Trump’s foreign policy shift could lead to thousands of Islamic State militants being released from prison. |
| The Washington Post has more on that: | The Washington Post has more on that: |
| The U.S. military has no plans to intervene if Syrian Kurdish forces abandon a constellation of Islamic State prisons in Syria to confront a possible Turkish invasion, officials said Tuesday. | The U.S. military has no plans to intervene if Syrian Kurdish forces abandon a constellation of Islamic State prisons in Syria to confront a possible Turkish invasion, officials said Tuesday. |
| Kurdish officials said that guards were still in place at the more than 20 prisons and camps under their control but were prepared to move, raising the possibility that about 11,000 militants and their families could escape. | Kurdish officials said that guards were still in place at the more than 20 prisons and camps under their control but were prepared to move, raising the possibility that about 11,000 militants and their families could escape. |
| Trump defended his foreign policy in the Middle East in a pair of bombastic tweets this morning. | Trump defended his foreign policy in the Middle East in a pair of bombastic tweets this morning. |
| ....IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! We went to war under a false & now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE! Now we are slowly & carefully bringing our great soldiers & military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE! | ....IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! We went to war under a false & now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE! Now we are slowly & carefully bringing our great soldiers & military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE! |
| But even some of Trump’s closest congressional allies, including senator Lindsey Graham, have sounded alarm bells about clearing the way for a Turkish military operation in Syria. | But even some of Trump’s closest congressional allies, including senator Lindsey Graham, have sounded alarm bells about clearing the way for a Turkish military operation in Syria. |
| If you want to destroy what is left of a fragile relationship, a military invasion of Syria will do the job. #StandWithTheKurds | If you want to destroy what is left of a fragile relationship, a military invasion of Syria will do the job. #StandWithTheKurds |
| Turkish officials said the country was launching a military operation in northern Syria following Donald Trump’s announcement that he would withdraw US troops from the region. | Turkish officials said the country was launching a military operation in northern Syria following Donald Trump’s announcement that he would withdraw US troops from the region. |
| Bethan McKernan reports: | Bethan McKernan reports: |
| Several large explosions rocked the north-east Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, on the border across from the Turkish town of Ceylanpınar, a CNN Turk reporter said, adding that the sound of planes could be heard above. | Several large explosions rocked the north-east Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, on the border across from the Turkish town of Ceylanpınar, a CNN Turk reporter said, adding that the sound of planes could be heard above. |
| He said smoke could be seen rising from buildings in Ras al-Ain. | He said smoke could be seen rising from buildings in Ras al-Ain. |
| Kurdish military leaders inside Syria have been braced for an attack since Donald Trump announced earlier this week that US troops were withdrawing from the area. | Kurdish military leaders inside Syria have been braced for an attack since Donald Trump announced earlier this week that US troops were withdrawing from the area. |
| [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] said the offensive, dubbed ‘Operation Peace Spring’, would aim to eliminate threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State militants, and enable the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey after the formation of a ‘safe zone’ in the area, he said. | [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] said the offensive, dubbed ‘Operation Peace Spring’, would aim to eliminate threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State militants, and enable the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey after the formation of a ‘safe zone’ in the area, he said. |
| On the 2020 campaign trail, Bernie Sanders said he would scale back his events following his heart attack last week. | On the 2020 campaign trail, Bernie Sanders said he would scale back his events following his heart attack last week. |
| “I think we’re going to change the nature of the campaign a bit,” Sanders said after visiting a cardiologist in his home state of Vermont. “Make sure that I have the strength to do what I have to do.” | “I think we’re going to change the nature of the campaign a bit,” Sanders said after visiting a cardiologist in his home state of Vermont. “Make sure that I have the strength to do what I have to do.” |
| The senator’s comments might come as a surprise to some of his staffers, given that the campaign has insisted the candidate would continue with his bid as planned despite his health issues. | The senator’s comments might come as a surprise to some of his staffers, given that the campaign has insisted the candidate would continue with his bid as planned despite his health issues. |
| His decision to slow down a bit will also likely intensify questions about whether he (and other older candidates like Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren) are the best options for the Oval Office. | His decision to slow down a bit will also likely intensify questions about whether he (and other older candidates like Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren) are the best options for the Oval Office. |
| Another poll has come out this morning showing that about half of voters support removing Trump from office. | Another poll has come out this morning showing that about half of voters support removing Trump from office. |
| According to the Politico/Morning Consult poll, 50% of voters would support Trump’s removal, compared to 43% who would not. | According to the Politico/Morning Consult poll, 50% of voters would support Trump’s removal, compared to 43% who would not. |
| Those results come on the heels of yesterday’s Washington Post/Schar School poll, which found that 49% of registered voters would support the president’s removal. | Those results come on the heels of yesterday’s Washington Post/Schar School poll, which found that 49% of registered voters would support the president’s removal. |
| And Quinnipiac found that 45% of registered voters believe Trump should be removed from office. | And Quinnipiac found that 45% of registered voters believe Trump should be removed from office. |
| This marks an uptick in support in recent weeks as House Democrats have launched their formal impeachment inquiry, and Democratic leaders are counting on the number to continue rising as they present their case for impeachment. | This marks an uptick in support in recent weeks as House Democrats have launched their formal impeachment inquiry, and Democratic leaders are counting on the number to continue rising as they present their case for impeachment. |
| Good morning, live blog readers! | Good morning, live blog readers! |
| The White House has come up with its strategy to combat House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry: denial. Of course, administration officials are not denying key elements of Donald Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president, which were confirmed in the White House’s own memo on the conversation. Instead, they’re denying that Congress has the right to investigate the president. | The White House has come up with its strategy to combat House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry: denial. Of course, administration officials are not denying key elements of Donald Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president, which were confirmed in the White House’s own memo on the conversation. Instead, they’re denying that Congress has the right to investigate the president. |
| White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a letter to House speaker Nancy Pelosi: “You have designed and implemented your inquiry in a manner that violates fundamental fairness and constitutionally mandated due process.” | White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a letter to House speaker Nancy Pelosi: “You have designed and implemented your inquiry in a manner that violates fundamental fairness and constitutionally mandated due process.” |
| Legal experts said the White House letter did not rely on any sound reading of the constitution, and Pelosi warned in her own blistering statement that further efforts to block the inquiry would be taken as more evidence of obstruction. | Legal experts said the White House letter did not rely on any sound reading of the constitution, and Pelosi warned in her own blistering statement that further efforts to block the inquiry would be taken as more evidence of obstruction. |
| .@realDonaldTrump, you are not above the law. You will be held accountable. #TruthExposed https://t.co/elMCHdLYlK | .@realDonaldTrump, you are not above the law. You will be held accountable. #TruthExposed https://t.co/elMCHdLYlK |
| The House speaker said: “The White House letter is only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy, and to insist that the President is above the law ... Mr President, you are not above the law. You will be held accountable.” | The House speaker said: “The White House letter is only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy, and to insist that the President is above the law ... Mr President, you are not above the law. You will be held accountable.” |
| All of this puts the White House and the House of Representatives on a collision course over how to read the Constitution that could set a precedent for decades to comes. | All of this puts the White House and the House of Representatives on a collision course over how to read the Constitution that could set a precedent for decades to comes. |
| Here’s what else the blog is keeping its eye on: | Here’s what else the blog is keeping its eye on: |
| Trump will sign an executive order on transparency in federal guidance and enforcement at 3.15pm ET. | Trump will sign an executive order on transparency in federal guidance and enforcement at 3.15pm ET. |
| Mike Pence is in Iowa for a campaign event with Republican senator Joni Ernst and a discussion on trade. | Mike Pence is in Iowa for a campaign event with Republican senator Joni Ernst and a discussion on trade. |
| Joe Biden is campaigning in New Hampshire today. | Joe Biden is campaigning in New Hampshire today. |
| That’s all still coming up, so stay tuned. | That’s all still coming up, so stay tuned. |