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Trump set to deliver speech in response to impeachment acquittal – live coverage Trump set to deliver speech in response to impeachment acquittal – live coverage
(32 minutes later)
Mitt Romney is only Republican to vote to convict Trump as Iowa results show Buttigieg with tiny lead over SandersMitt Romney is only Republican to vote to convict Trump as Iowa results show Buttigieg with tiny lead over Sanders
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the House, also delivers a prayer, this one for various high-level politicians and other public figures.
Nancy Pelosi delivers a prayer for the “poor and the persecuted”.
Trump holds up copies of USA Today and the Washington Post with the same headline: “Trump acquitted.”
A relaxed-looking Donald Trump has arrived to speak at the prayer event at a hotel in Washington.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi – whose tensions with Trump were illustrated so vividly when she ripped up her copy of his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night – is in attendance, along with vice-president Mike Pence, a friendlier face.
Donald Trump is due to speak shortly at the annual ‘National Prayer Breakfast’, a Christian gathering in Washington.Donald Trump is due to speak shortly at the annual ‘National Prayer Breakfast’, a Christian gathering in Washington.
You can watch it live here or here.You can watch it live here or here.
This is ahead of the full speech he is planning to give on his impeachment acquittal at midday ET (5pm UK).This is ahead of the full speech he is planning to give on his impeachment acquittal at midday ET (5pm UK).
The White House is threatening to veto a $4.7bn emergency aid package for Puerto Rico, in the latest example of hostility to helping the US territory recover from a 2017 hurricane and a recent series of earthquakes.The White House is threatening to veto a $4.7bn emergency aid package for Puerto Rico, in the latest example of hostility to helping the US territory recover from a 2017 hurricane and a recent series of earthquakes.
“Neither Puerto Ricans nor the American taxpayers benefit when emergency aid is misallocated, lost, or stolen through waste, fraud, and abuse,” the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. “Multiple high-profile cases of corruption have marred distribution of aid already appropriated and have led to ongoing political instability on the island … If [the bill] were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he veto it.”“Neither Puerto Ricans nor the American taxpayers benefit when emergency aid is misallocated, lost, or stolen through waste, fraud, and abuse,” the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. “Multiple high-profile cases of corruption have marred distribution of aid already appropriated and have led to ongoing political instability on the island … If [the bill] were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he veto it.”
Trump has consistently seemed reluctant to help aid Puerto Rico, notoriously making the false claim in 2018 that 3,000 people did not die there as a result of Hurricane Maria, claiming the number was made up by the Democratic party “to make me look as bad as possible”. In fact it was the figure arrived it through independent analysis commissioned by the governor of Puerto Rico.Trump has consistently seemed reluctant to help aid Puerto Rico, notoriously making the false claim in 2018 that 3,000 people did not die there as a result of Hurricane Maria, claiming the number was made up by the Democratic party “to make me look as bad as possible”. In fact it was the figure arrived it through independent analysis commissioned by the governor of Puerto Rico.
Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was one of the key figures in the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, his written for the Washington Post to accuse the Trump administration of having “undermined our democratic institutions”.Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was one of the key figures in the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, his written for the Washington Post to accuse the Trump administration of having “undermined our democratic institutions”.
Yovanovitch was abruptly recalled from her post in May last year after coming under attack from Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as he attempted to persuade Ukrainian officials to carry out an investigation into Joe Biden.Yovanovitch was abruptly recalled from her post in May last year after coming under attack from Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as he attempted to persuade Ukrainian officials to carry out an investigation into Joe Biden.
The memo summarising Trump’s now-infamous 25 July 2019 conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy shows the US president predicting that Yovanvitch is “going to go through some bad things” – something she told the impeachment inquiry she thought “sounded like a threat”.The memo summarising Trump’s now-infamous 25 July 2019 conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy shows the US president predicting that Yovanvitch is “going to go through some bad things” – something she told the impeachment inquiry she thought “sounded like a threat”.
A recording from before she was removed, and released last month, reveals Trump ordering associates to “Get rid of her!” and “Take her out.”A recording from before she was removed, and released last month, reveals Trump ordering associates to “Get rid of her!” and “Take her out.”
She writes in the Post:She writes in the Post:
To add to the woes of the Iowa Democratic party, Trump supporters began phoning its caucus results hotline on Monday, slowing the reporting process down further, Bloomberg (the news site, not the presidential candidate) reports.To add to the woes of the Iowa Democratic party, Trump supporters began phoning its caucus results hotline on Monday, slowing the reporting process down further, Bloomberg (the news site, not the presidential candidate) reports.
Bernie Sanders may or may not eventually be crowned the winner in Iowa, but he has had a lucrative January, announcing today that his campaign raised $25m. It was his best fundraising month to date.Bernie Sanders may or may not eventually be crowned the winner in Iowa, but he has had a lucrative January, announcing today that his campaign raised $25m. It was his best fundraising month to date.
“The Vermont senator spent $50 million during the final three months of 2019 and finished the year with $18.2 million in cash on hand, putting him in a stronger position than many of his rival candidates even before his latest bonanza last month,” reports AP.“The Vermont senator spent $50 million during the final three months of 2019 and finished the year with $18.2 million in cash on hand, putting him in a stronger position than many of his rival candidates even before his latest bonanza last month,” reports AP.
By contrast, Elizabeth Warren, his main rival on the left, has cancelled $375,000 of ad spending in Nevada and South Carolina – the next two primary states after New Hampshire – after her disappointing showing in Iowa, the Washington Post reports.By contrast, Elizabeth Warren, his main rival on the left, has cancelled $375,000 of ad spending in Nevada and South Carolina – the next two primary states after New Hampshire – after her disappointing showing in Iowa, the Washington Post reports.
Good morning. On Wednesday Donald Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial in the Senate. The president tweeted that “the Impeachment Hoax was just a continuation of the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats corrupt practices”, and announced he would make a speech about the verdict at midday ET (5pm UK).Good morning. On Wednesday Donald Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial in the Senate. The president tweeted that “the Impeachment Hoax was just a continuation of the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats corrupt practices”, and announced he would make a speech about the verdict at midday ET (5pm UK).
Only one Republican – Mitt Romney – broke ranks to vote to convict him.Only one Republican – Mitt Romney – broke ranks to vote to convict him.
Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, made a powerful speech on the Senate floor explaining why he was voting to convict Trump of abuse of power:Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, made a powerful speech on the Senate floor explaining why he was voting to convict Trump of abuse of power:
The abuse of power charge fell 52-48. Romney voted not guilty on the second charge, which fell 53-47. All Democratic senators voted to convict Trump on both charges.The abuse of power charge fell 52-48. Romney voted not guilty on the second charge, which fell 53-47. All Democratic senators voted to convict Trump on both charges.
Trump seemed to be saving his response for his speech today. But he did tweet in response to Romney’s vote: “Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!”Trump seemed to be saving his response for his speech today. But he did tweet in response to Romney’s vote: “Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!”
(Here you go.)(Here you go.)
His son Donald Trump Jr posted a childish picture of Romney on Instagram and called for him to be thrown out of the Republican party. But there is thought to be no appetite for such a punishment among Romney’s GOP colleagues. “We don’t have any doghouses here,” said Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. “The most important vote is the next vote.”His son Donald Trump Jr posted a childish picture of Romney on Instagram and called for him to be thrown out of the Republican party. But there is thought to be no appetite for such a punishment among Romney’s GOP colleagues. “We don’t have any doghouses here,” said Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. “The most important vote is the next vote.”
Trump was impeached for conditioning military aid and a White House meeting for Ukraine on the announcement of investigations into his potential rival for the White House in the 2020 election, Joe Biden, and son Hunter Biden, and into a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, instead of Russia, was behind foreign tampering in the 2016 US election.Trump was impeached for conditioning military aid and a White House meeting for Ukraine on the announcement of investigations into his potential rival for the White House in the 2020 election, Joe Biden, and son Hunter Biden, and into a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, instead of Russia, was behind foreign tampering in the 2016 US election.
Here’s some further reading on yesterday’s proceedings:Here’s some further reading on yesterday’s proceedings:
PrimariesPrimaries
Meanwhile, the Democrats’ Iowa caucus is still too close to call following Monday’s botched election, the first stage in the party’s process of choosing a candidate to face Trump in the November election.Meanwhile, the Democrats’ Iowa caucus is still too close to call following Monday’s botched election, the first stage in the party’s process of choosing a candidate to face Trump in the November election.
With 96.94% of local precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg is very narrowly ahead of Bernie Sanders, with the centrist former mayor having won 26.2% of the state’s 41 delegates, and the socialist senator 26.1%.With 96.94% of local precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg is very narrowly ahead of Bernie Sanders, with the centrist former mayor having won 26.2% of the state’s 41 delegates, and the socialist senator 26.1%.
Sanders, however, seems to be winning the popular vote in the state – 26.5% to 25% – another reason critics of the Iowa caucus system may accuse it of being not fit for purpose.Sanders, however, seems to be winning the popular vote in the state – 26.5% to 25% – another reason critics of the Iowa caucus system may accuse it of being not fit for purpose.
(Here’s an explanation of how the controversial system works and what went wrong on Monday.)(Here’s an explanation of how the controversial system works and what went wrong on Monday.)
The Democratic candidates have moved on to New Hampshire, which votes on Tuesday... using a more conventional system.The Democratic candidates have moved on to New Hampshire, which votes on Tuesday... using a more conventional system.
Sanders seems firmly ahead there, although polling shows a slight increase in Buttigieg’s vote share this week.Sanders seems firmly ahead there, although polling shows a slight increase in Buttigieg’s vote share this week.
Joe Biden, the former vice-president whose frontrunner status has taken a serious knock this week, admitted “we took a gut punch in Iowa”. If he falls into third place behind Buttigieg in New Hampshire supporters and donors in the centrist Democratic establishment may start to abandon him and switch to Buttigieg or former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg instead.Joe Biden, the former vice-president whose frontrunner status has taken a serious knock this week, admitted “we took a gut punch in Iowa”. If he falls into third place behind Buttigieg in New Hampshire supporters and donors in the centrist Democratic establishment may start to abandon him and switch to Buttigieg or former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg instead.
Buttigieg and Sanders, as well as lower-tier candidates Amy Klobuchar and Deval Patrick, will take part in town hall events on CNN tonight.Buttigieg and Sanders, as well as lower-tier candidates Amy Klobuchar and Deval Patrick, will take part in town hall events on CNN tonight.