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| John Bolton fails to appear before Trump impeachment inquiry – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Former national security adviser reportedly objected to mixing US national security priorities in Ukraine with Trump’s political concerns – follow live | |
| Trump is still rage-tweeting about the Washington Post scoop that attorney general William Barr refused a Trump request to go on TV and say a call between Trump and the Ukrainian president definitely, positively did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. | |
| “We both deny this story, which they knew before they wrote it,” Trump tweeted. | |
| Barr appears not to have denied the story, except in the dreamscape of Trump’s Twitter, where anything truly is possible. | |
| Here’s more than six minutes of footage of vice president Mike Pence officially throwing Donald Trump’s name in the hat for reelection in New Hampshire. | |
| “Four more years,” chant the crowd: | |
| A no-show on Capitol Hill this morning: John Bolton, the former national security adviser. Bolton’s testimony was requested though not subpoenaed by congressional committees leading the impeachment inquiry. | |
| Other witnesses have told the impeachment committees that Bolton vocally objected to the mixing of US national security priorities in Ukraine with Donald Trump’s political priorities in 2020. | |
| Bolton ended one meeting with Ukrainians and ambassador Gordon Sondland abruptly, saying “We don’t do politics here,” according to testimony. He has been quoted as calling Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s emissary, a “hand grenade”, and the plot Giuliani advanced a “drug deal.” | |
| In which Hillary Clinton twice in a row does not say she’s not running for president (and then tweets the footage): | |
| She does not even say the line about “we’ve got a really deep and talented field”. | |
| Senator Sherrod Brown, seemingly one of the few Democrats who chose not to run for US president, insists he has no regrets but offers a pointed critique of the candidates.Brown told the Guardian on Wednesday: “I think every one of the Democrats running falls short in talking about the dignity of work and honouring and respecting work and looking at the campaign through the eyes of workers and planning to govern through the eyes of workers, and contrasting that with a president who betrays workers every single day, fighting the minimum wage, fighting the overtime rule, appointing judges putting their thumbs on the scale in support of corporations over workers, and that the White House looks like a retreat for Wall Street executives.” | Senator Sherrod Brown, seemingly one of the few Democrats who chose not to run for US president, insists he has no regrets but offers a pointed critique of the candidates.Brown told the Guardian on Wednesday: “I think every one of the Democrats running falls short in talking about the dignity of work and honouring and respecting work and looking at the campaign through the eyes of workers and planning to govern through the eyes of workers, and contrasting that with a president who betrays workers every single day, fighting the minimum wage, fighting the overtime rule, appointing judges putting their thumbs on the scale in support of corporations over workers, and that the White House looks like a retreat for Wall Street executives.” |
| Brown was speaking at a Capitol Hill screening of American Factory, the first Obama production to premiere on Netflix, which is set in Ohio, a state that has voted for the eventual presidential winner in every election since 1944 except one (1960). Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by eight percentage points but Brown, who represents Ohio, argues that it remains within Democrats’ reach. | Brown was speaking at a Capitol Hill screening of American Factory, the first Obama production to premiere on Netflix, which is set in Ohio, a state that has voted for the eventual presidential winner in every election since 1944 except one (1960). Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by eight percentage points but Brown, who represents Ohio, argues that it remains within Democrats’ reach. |
| “I think Ohio is absolutely in play, in part because the president’s made all kinds of commitments to Ohio and he’s betrayed workers day after day after day,” he said. “Trump voters see that, young voters that may not have voted or are just becoming 18 see that in increasing numbers. So it’s a real race in Ohio.” | “I think Ohio is absolutely in play, in part because the president’s made all kinds of commitments to Ohio and he’s betrayed workers day after day after day,” he said. “Trump voters see that, young voters that may not have voted or are just becoming 18 see that in increasing numbers. So it’s a real race in Ohio.” |
| It’s here! It’s here! | It’s here! It’s here! |
| Emmanuel Macron has said Nato is in the throes of “brain death” and European countries can no longer rely on the US to defend its allies. | Emmanuel Macron has said Nato is in the throes of “brain death” and European countries can no longer rely on the US to defend its allies. |
| “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of Nato,” the French president told the Economist in an interview. “You have no coordination whatsoever of strategic decision-making between the United States and its Nato allies. None. You have an uncoordinated aggressive action by another Nato ally, Turkey, in an area where our interests are at stake.” | “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of Nato,” the French president told the Economist in an interview. “You have no coordination whatsoever of strategic decision-making between the United States and its Nato allies. None. You have an uncoordinated aggressive action by another Nato ally, Turkey, in an area where our interests are at stake.” |
| Asked whether he still believed in the “collective defence” stipulations of article five of Nato’s founding treaty, under which an attack against one member is considered an attack against all members, Macron answered: “I don’t know.” | Asked whether he still believed in the “collective defence” stipulations of article five of Nato’s founding treaty, under which an attack against one member is considered an attack against all members, Macron answered: “I don’t know.” |
| Nato “only works if the guarantor of last resort functions as such. I’d argue that we should reassess the reality of what Nato is in the light of the commitment of the United States,” he said. | Nato “only works if the guarantor of last resort functions as such. I’d argue that we should reassess the reality of what Nato is in the light of the commitment of the United States,” he said. |
| Macron’s questioning of Nato’s effectiveness and suggestion European countries in the 29-member alliance should reassess their situation comes ahead of a key summit with leaders including Donald Trump in the UK early next month. | Macron’s questioning of Nato’s effectiveness and suggestion European countries in the 29-member alliance should reassess their situation comes ahead of a key summit with leaders including Donald Trump in the UK early next month. |
| Read the full piece here: | Read the full piece here: |
| Will Gordon Sondland – the former hotelier who donated $1m to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, and subsequently was made ambassador to the European Union – fit under a bus? | Will Gordon Sondland – the former hotelier who donated $1m to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, and subsequently was made ambassador to the European Union – fit under a bus? |
| Defenders of Trump have been testing for the better part of a week now whether they can make Sondland the fall guy in the impeachment probe. A National Security Council official, Tim Morrison, proposed in testimony last week that Sondland’s efforts to extort Ukraine for bad news about Joe Biden were all Sondland’s idea. | |
| “I hoped that Ambassador Sondland’s strategy was exclusively his own and would not be considered by leaders in the administration and Congress, who understood the strategic importance of Ukraine to our national security,” Morrison said. | “I hoped that Ambassador Sondland’s strategy was exclusively his own and would not be considered by leaders in the administration and Congress, who understood the strategic importance of Ukraine to our national security,” Morrison said. |
| But can Sondland be successfully painted as the nefarious mastermind who was behind the “irregular channel” guiding US policy in Ukraine? The notion has been credulously reported in the media. And Senator Lindsey Graham gave it a crack on TV last night: | But can Sondland be successfully painted as the nefarious mastermind who was behind the “irregular channel” guiding US policy in Ukraine? The notion has been credulously reported in the media. And Senator Lindsey Graham gave it a crack on TV last night: |
| Political strategist Liz Mair notes that Graham is running for reelection in 2020 in a staunchly pro-Trump state. | Political strategist Liz Mair notes that Graham is running for reelection in 2020 in a staunchly pro-Trump state. |
| Pence aide Jennifer Williams arrived on schedule this morning for her deposition before the impeachment committees. | Pence aide Jennifer Williams arrived on schedule this morning for her deposition before the impeachment committees. |
| What did Pence know and when did he know it? He attended a 1 September meeting in Warsaw with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Zelenskiy immediately brought up suspended military aid, according to testimony, and after which EU ambassador Gordon Sondland, by his own description, pounced on a Zelenskiy aide to say the military aid was not likely to come without an announcement by Zelenskiy of investigations into Biden. | What did Pence know and when did he know it? He attended a 1 September meeting in Warsaw with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Zelenskiy immediately brought up suspended military aid, according to testimony, and after which EU ambassador Gordon Sondland, by his own description, pounced on a Zelenskiy aide to say the military aid was not likely to come without an announcement by Zelenskiy of investigations into Biden. |
| Pence, who of course would prefer not to be linked to what John Bolton called a “drug deal,” has dodged questions about the quid pro quo. What will Williams, a career foreign service officer who also listened to the 25 July phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy, have to say? | Pence, who of course would prefer not to be linked to what John Bolton called a “drug deal,” has dodged questions about the quid pro quo. What will Williams, a career foreign service officer who also listened to the 25 July phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy, have to say? |
| Before Jeff Sessions jumped into the Alabama senate race this week, Trump sent word to him “through allies that he would publicly attack him if he ran,” the New York Times reports. | Before Jeff Sessions jumped into the Alabama senate race this week, Trump sent word to him “through allies that he would publicly attack him if he ran,” the New York Times reports. |
| Trump blames Sessions, his first attorney general, for the two-year Russia investigation concluding with the Mueller report, from which Sessions recused himself, properly most analysts believe since Sessions was a top adviser on Trump’s presidential campaign which was under investigation. | Trump blames Sessions, his first attorney general, for the two-year Russia investigation concluding with the Mueller report, from which Sessions recused himself, properly most analysts believe since Sessions was a top adviser on Trump’s presidential campaign which was under investigation. |
| But Sessions has jumped into the senate race anyway. He happily held an Alabama senate seat for 20 years before his ill-fated turn in the Trump administration. And the race to unseat incumbent Democratic senator Doug Jones in 2020 is wide open on the Republican side. | But Sessions has jumped into the senate race anyway. He happily held an Alabama senate seat for 20 years before his ill-fated turn in the Trump administration. And the race to unseat incumbent Democratic senator Doug Jones in 2020 is wide open on the Republican side. |
| Will Trump make good on his threat to attack Sessions? What will Mitch McConnell advise? Republicans would very much like to regain the Alabama senate seat, which could end Democratic dreams of retaking the senate next year. | Will Trump make good on his threat to attack Sessions? What will Mitch McConnell advise? Republicans would very much like to regain the Alabama senate seat, which could end Democratic dreams of retaking the senate next year. |
| Donald Trump has been talking with his TV producer pals about life after the presidency and what it could hold, the Daily Beast reports. | Donald Trump has been talking with his TV producer pals about life after the presidency and what it could hold, the Daily Beast reports. |
| With Trump’s regular attacks on free and fair elections, the rule of law, executive branch norms, the separation of powers and the free press, not to mention his megalomania, it can seem at times as if he has no intention of ever leaving office – or at least not on account of paltry details such as an election loss or term limits. | With Trump’s regular attacks on free and fair elections, the rule of law, executive branch norms, the separation of powers and the free press, not to mention his megalomania, it can seem at times as if he has no intention of ever leaving office – or at least not on account of paltry details such as an election loss or term limits. |
| But the Beast cites “three people with knowledge of the situation and another source close to Trump” to report: | But the Beast cites “three people with knowledge of the situation and another source close to Trump” to report: |
| Read further: | Read further: |
| Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan to create “a welcoming and safe America for all” on Thursday morning, promising that on his first day as president he would “overturn all of President Trump’s actions to demonize and harm immigrants on the first day of his presidency.” | Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan to create “a welcoming and safe America for all” on Thursday morning, promising that on his first day as president he would “overturn all of President Trump’s actions to demonize and harm immigrants on the first day of his presidency.” |
| The plan calls for the breaking up of customs and border protection (CBP) and customs enforcement (ICE). Sanders is the first 2020 candidate to take that stand as part of his official campaign platform. | The plan calls for the breaking up of customs and border protection (CBP) and customs enforcement (ICE). Sanders is the first 2020 candidate to take that stand as part of his official campaign platform. |
| The Sanders plan also calls for a moratorium on deportations, stopping “all construction of the racist and ineffective wall on the U.S.-Mexico Border,” overturning “President Trump’s racist and disgusting Muslim ban,” and ensuring “all children who were separated from their families by the United States government are reunited swiftly.” | The Sanders plan also calls for a moratorium on deportations, stopping “all construction of the racist and ineffective wall on the U.S.-Mexico Border,” overturning “President Trump’s racist and disgusting Muslim ban,” and ensuring “all children who were separated from their families by the United States government are reunited swiftly.” |
| Sanders would also focus on improving labor conditions in agriculture, food service and other industries that depend on an immigrant workforce. Read all about it. | Sanders would also focus on improving labor conditions in agriculture, food service and other industries that depend on an immigrant workforce. Read all about it. |
| A public defender in the Bronx gives it two thumbs up: | A public defender in the Bronx gives it two thumbs up: |
| The president is laying down fire on Twitter in response to reports that he wanted attorney general William Barr to hold a news conference to say Trump’s 25 July call with the Ukrainian president was not criminal by any stretch. | The president is laying down fire on Twitter in response to reports that he wanted attorney general William Barr to hold a news conference to say Trump’s 25 July call with the Ukrainian president was not criminal by any stretch. |
| Trump has sent out a pair of tweets claiming that “the degenerate Washington Post MADE UP the story.” He does not mention the Times’ corroborating report. | Trump has sent out a pair of tweets claiming that “the degenerate Washington Post MADE UP the story.” He does not mention the Times’ corroborating report. |
| Now Trump is going on about the whistleblower whose complaint the White House fought for six weeks to prevent Congress from obtaining – because Trump had done nothing wrong? | Now Trump is going on about the whistleblower whose complaint the White House fought for six weeks to prevent Congress from obtaining – because Trump had done nothing wrong? |
| “Read the transcript,” Trump concludes, referring to a partial transcript of his call with Zelenskiy in which Trump said “the United States has been very very good to Ukraine” then asked for the “favor” of investigations into Joe Biden and 2016 election tampering. | “Read the transcript,” Trump concludes, referring to a partial transcript of his call with Zelenskiy in which Trump said “the United States has been very very good to Ukraine” then asked for the “favor” of investigations into Joe Biden and 2016 election tampering. |
| Evidence that Trump used the power of his office to solicit Ukraine’s interference in the 2020 election goes well beyond the record of the call. That evidence includes the testimony of more than a dozen witnesses before Congress and public statements by Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. But also: Read the transcript! | Evidence that Trump used the power of his office to solicit Ukraine’s interference in the 2020 election goes well beyond the record of the call. That evidence includes the testimony of more than a dozen witnesses before Congress and public statements by Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. But also: Read the transcript! |
| Hello and welcome to our politics live blog coverage. | Hello and welcome to our politics live blog coverage. |
| Attorney general William Barr has done a lot for Donald Trump. He pre-baked the Mueller report. He is hard at work on a report that is expected to attack the work of US intelligence agencies on which that report was built. He did not recuse himself from a justice department review of a phone call Trump had with the Ukrainian president, despite being mentioned himself on the call. The review, perhaps not surprisingly, found that the call was, legally speaking, peachy. | Attorney general William Barr has done a lot for Donald Trump. He pre-baked the Mueller report. He is hard at work on a report that is expected to attack the work of US intelligence agencies on which that report was built. He did not recuse himself from a justice department review of a phone call Trump had with the Ukrainian president, despite being mentioned himself on the call. The review, perhaps not surprisingly, found that the call was, legally speaking, peachy. |
| But there are lines, apparently, that even Barr will not cross. The attorney general refused a request by Trump to hold a news conference and declare that no laws were broken in the call, the Washington Post reported late Wednesday in an account backed up by the New York Times. (Correction: we originally had those news organizations reversed; it was a Post scoop.) | But there are lines, apparently, that even Barr will not cross. The attorney general refused a request by Trump to hold a news conference and declare that no laws were broken in the call, the Washington Post reported late Wednesday in an account backed up by the New York Times. (Correction: we originally had those news organizations reversed; it was a Post scoop.) |
| Trump is a big believer in the power of press conferences. In 2017 he pressured then FBI director James Comey to go on TV and declare he was not a target in the nascent investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign. Comey likewise refused. At the heart of the impeachment inquiry is a demand by Trump that the Ukrainian president “go to a microphone and say he is opening investigations of [Joe] Biden and 2016 election interference.” | Trump is a big believer in the power of press conferences. In 2017 he pressured then FBI director James Comey to go on TV and declare he was not a target in the nascent investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign. Comey likewise refused. At the heart of the impeachment inquiry is a demand by Trump that the Ukrainian president “go to a microphone and say he is opening investigations of [Joe] Biden and 2016 election interference.” |
| Elsewhere, it looks like the congressional committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry against Trump will wangle their second witness of the week today – out of about a dozen subpoenas and requests on the week. | Elsewhere, it looks like the congressional committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry against Trump will wangle their second witness of the week today – out of about a dozen subpoenas and requests on the week. |
| Scheduled to testify is Jennifer Williams, a national security aid to vice president Mike Pence who listened to the 25 July call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. | Scheduled to testify is Jennifer Williams, a national security aid to vice president Mike Pence who listened to the 25 July call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. |
| Also invited to testify today, but apparently not planning to appear, is John Bolton, the former national security adviser. | Also invited to testify today, but apparently not planning to appear, is John Bolton, the former national security adviser. |
| Thanks for joining us! | Thanks for joining us! |