New york elections

Trump also said that Biden became Barack Obama’s vice president because he knew how to curry favor with Obama. “He was only a good vice president because he knew how to kiss Barack Obama’s ass,” the president said. The rally in Minneapolis, the first since Democrats began proceedings two weeks ago to remove him from office, served as a proving ground for the president as he tries to use the impeachment inquiry to energize supporters for his 2020 campaign by casting himself — and his supporters — as victims of Democrats in the Washington swamp. The performance revealed a defense strategy utterly detached from the allegations Trump faces. Trump spent little time defending his phone call with the Ukrainian president or his actions. Instead he cast the impeachment fight in simpler basic terms — a battle between him and the swamp. ‘‘They want to erase your vote like it never existed,’’ Trump said. ‘‘They … [Read more...] about Trump slams Joe Biden, Illhan Omar during Minnesota rally

How long will Mitt Romney stand up to President Trump? If history is the judge, as long as it’s good for Mitt Romney. For now, the senator from Utah and former Republican presidential nominee is at least sticking his neck out. And, being Romney, no doubt checking to see who else is following. With a few tweets from his personal Twitter account, Romney is now one of four Republican senators who have faulted Trump for trying to drag foreign countries into America’s presidential politics. The others are Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rob Portman of Ohio. To the pro-impeachment brigade, this is exciting news. But anyone who knows Romney from his days as governor of Massachusetts also knows it’s way too early to nominate him for a Profile in Courage Award. At any given moment, Romney is looking out for what’s best — for Romney. That not to say he never gets behind a cause that’s good for others, too. But with Romney, cause is so … [Read more...] about Romney will stand up to Trump as long as it’s good for Romney

Steven Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas Law School, pointed it out in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. “Trump Administration: The reason why a sitting President can’t be indicted is because the Constitution expressly creates an alternative, political process for presidential misconduct,” Vladeck wrote. “Also Trump Administration: That alternative process is too political and entirely illegitimate,” he wrote. “Not for the first time, they are indeed asserting that the President is above the law,” said Lisa Kern Griffin, a professor at Duke University School of Law. Trump’s private lawyers in federal court in New York have argued that one reason he should be immune from all criminal investigations is that those investigations were the province of a Congress with the power of impeachment, not law enforcement officials. “The Constitution’s assignment of the impeachment power to Congress and its supermajority … [Read more...] about Trump’s lawyers draw a legal cloak around him

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman are Florida-based executives of an energy company. Parnas, 47, a former stockbroker, was born in Ukraine and is a naturalized US citizen. Fruman was born in Belarus and is also a naturalized US citizen. Parnas has told The Washington Post that Giuliani, Trump’s outspoken, combative lawyer, is a ‘‘very good friend’’ but their relationship is not longstanding. Parnas said he got to know Giuliani while fund-raising for Trump’s 2016 campaign. ‘‘The relationship bonded and built over time. We’re just very close,’’ he said. In May, Giuliani tweeted that Parnas and Fruman were his ‘‘clients.” He recently said they had sought his advice on a business venture. What did they do for Giuliani in Ukraine? Parnas and Fruman have acted as emissaries in Ukraine for Giuliani. They helped him in his efforts to dig up information about, and encourage investigations into, Trump’s … [Read more...] about 7 things to know about the arrests of the 2 Giuliani associates