Politics Election category, Page 341
2020 tests whether Democrats can win enough black voters without Obama
DETROIT — When Barack Obama was on the ballot in 2008 and 2012, there was no question that Terrance Holmes would vote for the first black president. But as he helped fix cars this week at a repair shop on Detroit’s west side, he recalled his ambivalence about the 2016...
Mueller hearing watched by 13 million TV viewers
The nearly seven hours of testimony by former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III was watched by 13 million viewers on Wednesday, falling short of the audience levels for recent high-profile Washington hearings. The total was below the 20.4 million viewers who watched the Sept. 27 Senate Judiciary Committee hearings...
What’s next after Mueller? Lawsuits, investigations and more
WASHINGTON — After months of anticipation, Congress finally heard testimony from former special counsel Robert Mueller. So what now? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Mueller’s appearance was “a crossing of a threshold,” raising public awareness of what Mueller found. And Democrats after the hearing said they had clearly laid out...
Trump celebrates at W.Va. fundraiser after Mueller hearings
WHEELING, West Virginia — A triumphant President Donald Trump celebrated Wednesday evening after Robert Mueller’s testimony, telling attendees at a closed-door fundraiser in West Virginia that the former special counsel’s appearance was a dud. Trump, who arrived at the fundraiser energized and excited, told a crowd at the WesBanco Arena...
Puerto Rico governor says he is resigning Aug. 2
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said late Wednesday that he will resign Aug. 2 after nearly two weeks of furious protests and political upheaval touched off by a leak of crude and insulting chat messages between him and his top advisers. A crowd of...
Trump vetoes congressional effort to block Saudi arms sales
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed a trio of congressional resolutions aimed at blocking his administration from bypassing Congress and selling billions of dollars in weapons and maintenance support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month cited threats from Iran...
Mueller: No Russia exoneration for Trump, despite his claims
WASHINGTON — Robert Mueller, the taciturn lawman at the center of a polarizing American drama, bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump’s claims of “total exoneration” Wednesday in the federal probe of Russia’s 2016 election interference. In a long day of congressional testimony, Mueller warned that Moscow’s actions represented — and still...
Reschenthaler questions Mueller, calls report process ‘un-American’Video
U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, stuck closely to information that has been released regarding the investigation when questioning Robert Mueller during his testimony Wednesday in Washington. He cited opposition by Janet Reno, attorney general under President Clinton, to publication of reports regarding charges that were not prosecuted. Mueller said Reno’s...
Trump, allies frame Mueller testimony as win for White House
WASHINGTON — Believing a two-year shadow over the White House at last has been lifted, President Donald Trump and his allies seized on Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress on Wednesday as a clear-cut victory, mocking the former special counsel’s findings and performance. After claiming in advance that he might not...
Black voters say they won’t forget Trump’s racist tweets
DETROIT — Robin D. Stephens lived through Jim Crow and thought the worst days of racism were behind her. Then President Donald Trump told four American congresswomen of color to “go back” to where they came from. “It was very hurtful to see the person who is the leader of...
Robert Mueller testifies before Congress about Trump investigationVideo
WASHINGTON — Former Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller finally faced congressional interrogators Wednesday, testifying in televised hearings that Democrats hope will weaken President Donald Trump’s reelection prospects in ways that Mueller’s book-length report did not. Republicans were ready to defend Trump and turn their fire on Mueller and his team...
Mueller takes the TV stage; Democrats hope America tunes inVideo
WASHINGTON — Democrats are pretty sure America didn’t read the Mueller report. On Wednesday, they’re hoping the nation will be glued to the TV version. Former Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller’s appearance before two House committees promises to be the TV event of the year in the U.S. House, where...
USDA rule would cut food stamp benefits for 3.1 millionVideo
WASHINGTON — About 3.1 million people would lose food stamp benefits under the Trump administration’s proposal to tighten automatic eligibility requirements for the food stamp program. The Agriculture Department said Tuesday that the rule would close “a loophole” that enables people receiving only minimal benefits from the Temporary Assistance for...
Senate passes 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund on 97-2 voteVideo
Congress can never do anything about the growing numbers of people still dying from 9/11, but the Senate voted Tuesday to ensure the words “Never Forget” will never be just a slogan for the cops, firefighters and everyone else to ran toward the twin towers after the worst terrorist attack...
FBI’s Wray dodges questions on Mueller report’s findings
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray offered a lesson Tuesday in how to dodge questions about the special counsel’s Russia investigation , offering a possible preview of what lawmakers can expect when Robert Mueller testifies to Congress. Wray, in an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, repeatedly declined to answer...
Trump puts his stamp on nation’s immigration courts
LOS ANGELES — In just 2½ years, the Trump administration has put its stamp on the nation’s immigration court system, appointing more than 4 in 10 judges while dramatically expanding the bench and issuing new rules that make it harder for migrants to win their cases and stay in the...
Senate confirms Army veteran Mark Esper secretary of defense
WASHINGTON — It took seven months, but President Trump finally has a Senate-confirmed secretary of defense. Mark Esper, an Army veteran and former defense industry lobbyist, won Senate confirmation Tuesday by a vote of 90-8. He was to be officially sworn by the end of the day, ending the longest...
Mueller testimony should stick to public report, DOJ tells himVideo
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department told former special counsel Robert Mueller that his public testimony should remain within the boundaries of his already released report on President Trump and the 2016 election. Responding to a request from Mueller for the department’s guidance on his appearance at two House hearings scheduled...
Trump announces deal with Democratic leaders on budget and debt ceilingVideo
WASHINGTON — White House officials and congressional leaders have reached a deal to lift the nation’s debt limit and boost federal spending by about $320 billion over limits set in a 2011 budget law. President Trump announced the agreement with the four congressional leaders on Twitter, calling it a “real...
Republican group apologizes for mocking congresswomen as ‘Jihad Squad’
WASHINGTON — Republican Party leaders in Illinois apologized over the weekend for a Facebook post that smeared the four congresswomen at the center of the President Trump’s recent verbal attacks as the “Jihad Squad.” An image shared by the Republican County Chairmen’s Association of Illinois on Friday depicts the first-term...
Visits to border detention centers widen Congressional divideVideo
Detention facilities that house migrants and asylum seekers along the U.S.-Mexico border are a frequent stop for members of Congress and the Trump administration. And Democrats and Republicans increasingly return home with anecdotes supporting their often-opposing positions. They may have visited the same facilities but offer different perspectives on what...
Trump concedes he may watch ‘a little’ of Mueller testimony
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump insisted Monday that he wouldn’t be watching former special counsel Robert Mueller’s upcoming congressional testimony, then conceded he might watch “a little bit.” Mueller, whose appearance on Capitol Hill has been anticipated for months, is expected to testify for at least five hours on...
In key Senate races, Democrats buck leftward tilt on issues
AUSTIN, Texas — MJ Hegar, the leading U.S. Senate challenger in Texas, rides a Harley-Davidson in viral videos and has called herself “an ass-kicking, motorcycle-riding Texas Democrat.” She is not a Democrat who promotes “Medicare for All.” She mentions that during a narrow loss for a House seat last year,...
Jerry Nadler: Mueller hearing to air evidence of Trump wrongdoingVideo
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee chairman said Sunday that the hearing this week with Robert Mueller will air “very substantial evidence” of wrongdoing by President Trump and make a public case for impeachment. Republicans pledged sharp questioning of the special counsel about what they see as a “one-sided” Russia...
Trump aide: Trump criticism of U.S. different from 4 Democrats
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — A top White House adviser on Sunday claimed there was a “huge difference” between Donald Trump’s criticisms of America during the 2016 presidential campaign and the critiques by four Democratic congresswomen of color with whom Trump is feuding over the direction of the country. Trump’s words,...
