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Report: Co-Workers of Alleged Whistleblower Say They Heard Him Plotting Trump’s Removal in 2017; Ted Cruz Says Adam Schiff Made Hunter Biden’s Testimony ‘Directly Relevant’

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By The Blaze. Former colleagues of alleged impeachment whistleblower Eric Ciaramella say they heard him discussing ways to get President Donald Trump out of office within days of his inauguration in January 2017, according to RealClearInvestigations.

The sources, who spoke to RCI under the condition of anonymity, said Ciaramella talked about ousting Trump with Sean Misko. Ciaramella and Misko were holdovers from the Obama Administration’s national security team.

According to the sources, Ciaramella and Misko, who are reportedly friends, were upset about Trump’s policy changes from the Obama administration.

“They were popping off about how they were going to remove Trump from office. No joke,” one ex-colleague told RCI. (Read more from “Report: Co-Workers of Alleged Whistleblower Say They Heard Him Plotting Trump’s Removal in 2017” HERE)

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Trump Disrupts Republican Trial Strategy

By Politico. Just five hours after Senate Republicans carefully assembled and passed an impeachment trial framework that could clear Donald Trump by next week, the president himself delivered an unwanted surprise to the GOP: The prospect of a longer trial with lots of witnesses.

Senate Republicans have been publicly and privately maneuvering to give Trump as quick an acquittal as possible while still keeping 51 GOP senators on board. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has largely thrown cold water on the idea of hearing from new witnesses and many of his members are eager to end the trial, not extend it.

In interviews Wednesday morning ahead of House managers’ opening arguments, Republicans empathized with the president’s call for new testimony. But they also said that they will tune out any outside noise if they can — including the running commentary from a president who demands party loyalty — and potentially wrap up the trial far more quickly than Trump desires.

“Certainly, the president has those in the Senate who are very interested in his views,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), but added, “Those are decisions to more likely be made by senators themselves, and individually and collectively, than outside influences.” (Read more from “Trump Disrupts Republican Trial Strategy” HERE)

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Ted Cruz Says Adam Schiff Made Hunter Biden’s Testimony ‘Directly Relevant’

By Daily Caller. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters on Wednesday that Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff’s day two impeachment arguments before the Senate made testimony by Hunter Biden “directly relevant” and “critical.”

“I think the House managers made a very serious strategic error today,” Cruz said, according to ABC News. “Adam Schiff’s arguments to open the day today directly drew into question Hunter Biden and made not only his testimony relevant which it already was but it is now critical.”

The Texas senator, who last week said he is “open to the possibility” of the Senate calling witnesses, including the whistleblower, contended that if the “House managers’ case is based on the allegations of corruption concerning Hunter Biden and Joe Biden being a scam,” then the Senate being able to hear from Biden is “directly relevant.”

“And I gotta say, the need for the Senate to hear the testimony of Hunter Biden and the need for the senate to grant the White House lawyers the ability to take that testimony has become all the more relevant,” he said per ABC. (Read more from “Ted Cruz Says Adam Schiff Made Hunter Biden’s Testimony ‘Directly Relevant’” HERE)

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Did President Trump Just Accept an Invitation to Show up at His Impeachment Trial?

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On his way back from Davos, Switzerland Wednesday, President Trump retweeted an invitation from Republican Senator Rand Paul to join him in the Senate chamber for his impeachment trial.

During a press conference this morning, President Trump called Democrat House impeachment manager Jerry Nadler a sleaze bag. He also said it would be “beautiful” if he showed up to the trial and “sat in the front row.”

“First of all, Jerrold Nadler, I have known him a long time. He is a sleaze bag,” Trump said.

He also addressed a question about whether former National Security Advisor John Bolton should testify and explained why he wants to protect presidential executive privilege.

(Read more from “Did President Trump Just Accept an Invitation to Show up at His Impeachment Trial?” HERE)

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Senators Are Reportedly Considering a Biden-Bolton Witness Trade-Off in Impeachment Trial

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While the Senate continues to fight over which witnesses — if any — might be called to testify in its impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, some of its Democratic members are reportedly discussing a potential trade: Hunter Biden for former White House national security adviser John Bolton.

According to a Tuesday night story at the Washington Post, “several Senate Democrats are privately discussing” the prospect of such an agreement:

Publicly, most Democrats have scoffed at the growing GOP clamor to hear former Vice President Joe Biden’s son testify, dismissing him as irrelevant to the charges against Trump and accusing Republicans of trying to distract from the allegations against the president.

But behind closed doors, a small group of Democratic senators and aides has begun to question that logic, sounding out colleagues on whether to back a witness deal that could lead to testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton or other administration officials with possible firsthand knowledge of the Ukraine controversy, according to multiple Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussions.

The story was published as the first substantive day of the Senate’s impeachment trial lasted late into the night due to debates and votes on several Democrat-proposed amendments to the proposed trial rules having to do with subpoenaing witnesses and evidence. Those efforts were ultimately defeated, putting off the question of calling witnesses until later in the trial process.

(Read more from “Senators Are Reportedly Considering a Biden-Bolton Witness Trade-Off in Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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‘Ruinous’ to Separation of Powers: 21 State AGs Urge Senate to Reject Impeachment

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The attorneys general of 21 states have come forward with a blistering rebuke of the impeachment of President Trump, asserting that it “establishes a dangerous historical precedent.”

The Republican attorneys general, in a letter submitted to the Senate Wednesday morning and obtained by Fox News, urged the chamber conducting Trump’s trial to “reject” the impeachment articles.

“If not expressly repudiated by the Senate, the theories animating both Articles will set a precedent that is entirely contrary to the Framers’ design and ruinous to the most important governmental structure protections contained in our Constitution: the separation of powers,” they wrote.

The letter accuses House Democrats of impeaching Trump as a politically motivated response to the 2016 election and warned that it poses a threat to the 2020 election as well.

“Even an unsuccessful effort to impeach the President undermines the integrity of the 2020 presidential election because it weaponizes a process that should only be initiated in exceedingly rare circumstances and should never be used for partisan purposes,” the letter continued. (Read more from “‘Ruinous’ to Separation of Powers: 21 State AGs Urge Senate to Reject Impeachment” HERE)

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Construction Worker Stabs and Kills Pro-Trump Boss, Drapes American Flag on His Body (VIDEO)

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Police say that a man with anti-government views killed his boss on a construction site, and draped his body with an American flag, and some believe it was politically motivated.

[Mason] Toney was a longtime friend of [William] Knight, and he had just been hired on for a construction job widening a freeway exit in Florida. . .

Witnesses told police that Toney and Knight got into a heated debate on Monday, possibly over their political differences, and that Toney stabbed Knight to death with a construction trowel.

Afterwards, he’s said to have draped Knight’s body with a brand new American flag.

Witnesses said they attempted to stop Toney but that he jumped into a company truck and fled the scene while calling them “terrorists.” He was later apprehended by police.

(Read more from “Construction Worker Stabs and Kills Pro-Trump Boss, Drapes American Flag on His Body (VIDEO)” HERE)

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Trump Announces the U.S. Will Join 1 Trillion Tree Initiative

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President Trump on Tuesday announced the United States will join the One Trillion Trees Initiative launched at the World Economic Forum as world leaders seek to combat climate change.

Trump made the announcement during an address to global business leaders gathered for the annual event in Davos, Switzerland.

“We’re committed to conserving he majesty of God’s creation and the natural beauty of our world,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. “will continue to show strong leadership in restoring, growing and better managing our trees and our forests.

The announcement that the U.S. will join the initiative drew some of the most sustained applause of any portion of Trump’s 30-minute speech, which focused mostly on his administration’s accomplishments and the strength of the U.S. economy. That economic message contrasted with other world leaders who used the forum to highlight issues like climate change and global collaboration. (Read more from “Trump Announces the U.S. Will Join 1 Trillion Tree Initiative” HERE)

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Goldman Sachs Investors Are Nearly Unanimous About Trump’s Re-Election Chances; Betting Markets View This Democrat as Having the Best Chance of Defeating Trump

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By Daily Wire. With the 2020 presidential election now less than 10 months away, President Donald Trump’s re-election is all but guaranteed, top clients of Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs said last week.

During its Global Strategy Conference in London last week, Goldman Sachs surveyed more than 150 of its clients and found that a whopping 87 percent believe Trump will win re-election in November, according to Business Insider. That, of course, comes despite the president’s formal impeachment last month and upcoming trial this month.

The economy is the leading reason that investors believe Trump will win. Under Trump’s tenure, the stock market has soared to break multiple records, unemployment has fallen to record lows, and wage growth is up. . .

At the time, Goldman’s chief economist Jan Hatzius told CNBC that between Trump’s position as the incumbent — who traditionally has a slight election advantage — and the very strong and surging economy, it is more likely than not that Trump will be a two-term president. (Read more from “Goldman Sachs Investors Are Nearly Unanimous About Trump’s Re-Election Chances” HERE)

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Betting Markets View This Democrat as Having the Best Chance of Defeating Trump: Study

By Fox Business. With the U.S. 2020 election months away, betting markets view President Trump’s reelection as the most likely outcome, however, some Democratic candidates have a better chance of unseating him, a new study shows.

According to research from U.K.-based Standard Chartered, which analyzed online betting market data, it is latecomer businessman Michael Bloomberg that has the best chance of defeating President Trump should he secure the Democratic Party’s nomination.

However, his probability of securing the nomination is slightly more than 10 percent. Bloomberg is trailed by former Vice President Joe Biden.

And Bloomberg isn’t a top contender according to most polls. For example, a December Fox News poll found that Biden led the race with 30 percent, followed by Sanders with 20 percent. Bloomberg only had 5 percent. (Read more from “Betting Markets View This Democrat as Having the Best Chance of Defeating Trump: Study” HERE)

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Mitch McConnell Releases Proposed Rules for Senate Impeachment Trial

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By The Blaze. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has released a 4-page resolution laying out proposed ground rules for the upper chamber’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, and Democrats immediately lashed out against the measure. . .

The Associated Press reported Monday that the trial rules and schedule set forth by McConnell indicates the Republican leader is proposing a “swift” impeachment trial” in the Senate.

Under McConnell’s resolution, opening arguments would begin Wednesday, and then the prosecution and defense would each be granted 24 hours to present their respective cases.

After that, 16 hours will be allotted for senators to question both sides, and then another 4 hours will be set aside for lawmakers to debate.

Citing unnamed GOP officials, The Washington Post reported that the Senate trial “won’t automatically admit evidence from the House process,” and pointed out that “though the material will be printed and made available to senators, it won’t be automatically admissible unless a majority of senators approve it.”

(Read more from “Mitch McConnell Releases Proposed Rules for Senate Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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McConnell Proposes Compressed Schedule for Impeachment Trial

By The Hill. House impeachment managers will have 24 hours over two days to make their opening arguments when they begin to present their case against President Trump to the Senate Wednesday, according to a resolution circulated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

President Trump’s team similarly will have two days to present their arguments and then senators will have a chance to ask questions and consider subpoenas of witnesses.

The resolution, as expected, does not require additional witnesses to be subpoenaed and does not allow House prosecutors to admit evidence into the Senate trial record until after the opening arguments are heard. (Read more from “McConnell Proposes Compressed Schedule for Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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Top Trump Russia-Europe Official Yanked Pending Mysterious Security Concerns

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By NBC News. The top White House official responsible for Russia and Europe has been put on indefinite administrative leave amid a security-related investigation, two U.S. officials and a former U.S. official said.

The official, Andrew Peek, who took over the Russia portfolio at the National Security Council in November, had been scheduled to join President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week before he was abruptly put on leave, one of the officials said. The officials declined to specify the nature of the investigation. . .

Peek’s absence, at least temporarily, creates a void in a key position responsible for pushing back on Russian aggression and coordinating U.S. policy toward Moscow. It adds another jolt of uncertainty to an office that has experienced significant turnover during the past year.

Peek, whose background is in Middle East affairs, took over the Russia and Europe portfolio from Tim Morrison, who was a key witness in House hearings on Trump’s impeachment. The Russia and Europe role is the same one that was previously occupied by Fiona Hill, another key impeachment witness during last year’s hearings. (Read more from “Top Trump Russia-Europe Official Yanked Pending Mysterious Security Concerns” HERE)

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Trump Loses Another Russia Adviser, Adding to NSC Turnover

By Bloomberg. The top Russia expert on President Donald Trump’s National Security Council has left his post after about three months, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Andrew Peek, the NSC’s senior director for European and Russian affairs, was escorted from the White House grounds on Friday, two of the people said, asking not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to discuss personnel matters. A spokesman for the NSC declined to comment, citing the same reason. Peek also declined to comment.

Axios reported earlier Saturday that Peek was placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation.

Peek is the third departure from the position in less than a year. The NSC has been marked by turbulence and turnover over Trump’s three years in office, as the president has repeatedly sought national security advisers more in-line with his own ideology. (Read more from “Trump Loses Another Russia Adviser, Adding to NSC Turnover” HERE)

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WATCH: Schiff Says It’s Urgent to Remove Trump From Office; Schiff and Dershowitz Spar Over Whether Abuse of Power Is Impeachable Offense

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By Daily Caller. Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff said Sunday that removing President Donald Trump from office remains urgent and that’s why Democrats did not force witnesses to testify during the impeachment inquiry through court orders.

“We subpoenaed many of these witnesses and because of the president’s obstruction, they ignore those lawful subpoenas,” Schiff told ABC News’ “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” “If you argue that, well, the House needed to go through endless months or even years of litigation before bringing about an impeachment, you effectively nullify the impeachment clause.” . . .

He raised the issue of enforcing subpoenas when told that Democrats have not been able to shake lose any Republican senators who might vote against party lines or are even willing to introduce witnesses to the Senate impeachment trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated that he has the votes to proceed with a trial on his own terms.

“The reality is, because what the president is threatening to do is cheat in the next election, you cannot wait months and years to be able to remove that threat from office,” Schiff said, even though for the past month Pelosi was not indicating any urgency in delivering the articles of impeachment to the Senate. McConnell has said that Pelsoi’s “one-woman blockade” of the impeachment process “produced absolutely nothing.” (Read more from “WATCH: Schiff Says It’s Urgent to Remove Trump From Office” HERE)

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Schiff and Dershowitz Spar Over Whether Abuse of Power Is Impeachable Offense

By Fox News. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the lead impeachment manager, and Alan Dershowitz, a member of President Trump’s legal team, clashed in opposing interviews on Sunday over whether the president can be impeached for abuse of power.

Dershowitz, a retired professor at Harvard Law School who was a late arrival to Trump’s legal team, said during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” that there is a “strong” argument to be made that a president cannot be impeached for abuse of power.

To support his argument, Dershowitz referenced the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, where Justice Benjamin Curtis – who defended the president – said that proof of a crime was necessary to remove a sitting president from office. Johnson was eventually acquitted during his Senate trial.

“I am making an argument much like the argument made by the great Justice Curtis,” Dershowitz said. “The argument is a strong one. The Senate should hear it.”

Dershowitz went on to argue that the Founding Fathers were concerned about giving Congress too much power and that impeachment could be used as a political tool in the partisan infighting of politics. (Read more from “Schiff and Dershowitz Spar Over Whether Abuse of Power Is Impeachable Offense” HERE)

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