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Trump holds rally in India while Steyer qualifies for South Carolina debate – live Bloomberg's spending surpasses $500m as Sanders closes in on Biden in South Carolina – live
(32 minutes later)
Trump appears with Modi while Steyer qualifies for key South Carolina debate Ex-mayor’s spending dwarfs that of any of his opponents while Biden’s lead over Sanders narrows to five points
Pete Buttigieg is campaigning in South Carolina, which will hold its presidential primary on Saturday.
The former Indiana mayor joined a march calling for an increased minimum wage:
But some Black Lives Matter protesters were also there for the march, criticizing Buttigieg for previously opposing increases to the minimum wage:
Bernie Sanders appears to be enjoying a bump in national polls thanks to his strong performance in Nevada.
According to Morning Consult’s polling, Sanders’ national standing has increased by 4 points since the Nevada debate, while his opponents have held steady or slightly dropped.
With Super Tuesday just eight days away, the numbers are another indication that Sanders may soon gain an insurmountable delegate lead.
Coming off his landslide Nevada victory, Bernie Sanders is now investing in South Carolina, which will hold its primary on Saturday.Coming off his landslide Nevada victory, Bernie Sanders is now investing in South Carolina, which will hold its primary on Saturday.
Joe Biden has said he has built a “firewall” in South Carolina, where more than half of 2016 primary voters were African American.Joe Biden has said he has built a “firewall” in South Carolina, where more than half of 2016 primary voters were African American.
But a South Carolina poll released yesterday showed Biden’s lead over Sanders narrowing to 5 points, so Sanders’ team is expressing hope that they may be able to eclipse the former vice president in the state.But a South Carolina poll released yesterday showed Biden’s lead over Sanders narrowing to 5 points, so Sanders’ team is expressing hope that they may be able to eclipse the former vice president in the state.
The latest numbers are in, and Mike Bloomberg has spent more than $500 million so far on his presidential campaign.The latest numbers are in, and Mike Bloomberg has spent more than $500 million so far on his presidential campaign.
Bloomberg’s spending dwarfs that of any of his opponents, including fellow billionaire Tom Steyer.Bloomberg’s spending dwarfs that of any of his opponents, including fellow billionaire Tom Steyer.
The former New York mayor has expressed a willigness to spend up to $1 billion on his campaign, though he said it will “hopefully not” cost quite that much.The former New York mayor has expressed a willigness to spend up to $1 billion on his campaign, though he said it will “hopefully not” cost quite that much.
Bloomberg’s first test will come on Super Tuesday next week, but there are some signs that his support is slipping after his widely panned debate performance.Bloomberg’s first test will come on Super Tuesday next week, but there are some signs that his support is slipping after his widely panned debate performance.
Here’s where the day stands so far:Here’s where the day stands so far:
Harvey Weinstein, the film producer accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women, was convicted on two counts, marking a key victory for the #MeToo movement.Harvey Weinstein, the film producer accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women, was convicted on two counts, marking a key victory for the #MeToo movement.
Trump held a massive rally in India, where he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “very tough.”Trump held a massive rally in India, where he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “very tough.”
Global markets dropped amid fears of a spreading coronvirus, which has already claimed 2,600 lives.Global markets dropped amid fears of a spreading coronvirus, which has already claimed 2,600 lives.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
With Bernie Sanders’ status as the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary cemented, Republican senator Marco Rubio tweeted a video lamenting the dangers of democratic socialism.With Bernie Sanders’ status as the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary cemented, Republican senator Marco Rubio tweeted a video lamenting the dangers of democratic socialism.
“Democratic socialism sounds benign, but at the core of Democratic socialism is Marxism, and at the core of Marxism is this fake offer that if you turn over more of your individual freedom, we’re going to provide you security. We’re going to provide you free healthcare. We’re going to provide you free education,” Rubio said.“Democratic socialism sounds benign, but at the core of Democratic socialism is Marxism, and at the core of Marxism is this fake offer that if you turn over more of your individual freedom, we’re going to provide you security. We’re going to provide you free healthcare. We’re going to provide you free education,” Rubio said.
“But the problem is that when they can’t deliver on it or you’re not happy with it, you don’t get your freedoms back.”“But the problem is that when they can’t deliver on it or you’re not happy with it, you don’t get your freedoms back.”
Rubio’s video (oddly filmed as he drives a car) likely foreshadows the talking points Republicans will use against Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist, if he wins the nomination.Rubio’s video (oddly filmed as he drives a car) likely foreshadows the talking points Republicans will use against Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist, if he wins the nomination.
But some proponents of Sanders’ policies have suggested this line of attack may not be as successful as Republicans think:But some proponents of Sanders’ policies have suggested this line of attack may not be as successful as Republicans think:
Another Democratic congresswoman from Florida has criticized Bernie Sanders for offering some flattering comments about Fidel Castro in his “60 Minutes” interview.Another Democratic congresswoman from Florida has criticized Bernie Sanders for offering some flattering comments about Fidel Castro in his “60 Minutes” interview.
Murphy, a moderate Democrat who serves as one of the co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition, won her 2018 race by 15 points, but a number of Florida Democrats have voiced concerns about down-ballot effects in heavily Cuban districts if Sanders wins the nomination.Murphy, a moderate Democrat who serves as one of the co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition, won her 2018 race by 15 points, but a number of Florida Democrats have voiced concerns about down-ballot effects in heavily Cuban districts if Sanders wins the nomination.
Harvey Weinstein, the film producer whose alleged sexual misconduct inspired the #MeToo movement, has been convicted on two counts.Harvey Weinstein, the film producer whose alleged sexual misconduct inspired the #MeToo movement, has been convicted on two counts.
The Guardian’s Ed Pilkington reports:The Guardian’s Ed Pilkington reports:
Weinstein was found guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, but he was acuitted on the more serious charges of predatory sexual assault and rape in the first degree.Weinstein was found guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, but he was acuitted on the more serious charges of predatory sexual assault and rape in the first degree.
As Ed notes, Weinstein’s conviction marks a victoty in the #MeToo movement:As Ed notes, Weinstein’s conviction marks a victoty in the #MeToo movement:
Senator Amy Klobuchar leads the Democratic primary field in her home state of Minnesota, which will vote on Super Tuesday.Senator Amy Klobuchar leads the Democratic primary field in her home state of Minnesota, which will vote on Super Tuesday.
According to a new MPR News/Star Tribune Minnesota poll, Klobuchar is at 29% in Minnesota, compared to frontrunner Bernie Sanders’ 23%. Elizabeth Warren is at 11%, and no other candidate hits double digits.According to a new MPR News/Star Tribune Minnesota poll, Klobuchar is at 29% in Minnesota, compared to frontrunner Bernie Sanders’ 23%. Elizabeth Warren is at 11%, and no other candidate hits double digits.
Although the poll is good news for Klobuchar, who has so far failed to win a single contest, Sanders’ strong second-place position will likely cause some alarm among her advisers.Although the poll is good news for Klobuchar, who has so far failed to win a single contest, Sanders’ strong second-place position will likely cause some alarm among her advisers.
Sanders’ has had impressive showings in the first three voting states, which will almost certainly help him to attract additional support, and Klobuchar needs to win her home state (at an absolute minimum) to stay alive.Sanders’ has had impressive showings in the first three voting states, which will almost certainly help him to attract additional support, and Klobuchar needs to win her home state (at an absolute minimum) to stay alive.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing the case of Roger Stone, will hold a closed hearing tomorrow to consider the former Trump associate’s request for a new trial.Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing the case of Roger Stone, will hold a closed hearing tomorrow to consider the former Trump associate’s request for a new trial.
Stone, who was sentenced to more than three years in prison last week for obstructing Congress’ Russia investigation, has claimed his trial was tainted due to anti-Trump juror bias.Stone, who was sentenced to more than three years in prison last week for obstructing Congress’ Russia investigation, has claimed his trial was tainted due to anti-Trump juror bias.
But Jackson seems unlikely to issue a favorable ruling on his motion for a new trial, considering she praised the jurors for their service when she announced Stone’s sentence last week.But Jackson seems unlikely to issue a favorable ruling on his motion for a new trial, considering she praised the jurors for their service when she announced Stone’s sentence last week.
Mike Bloomberg’s campaign is using Russia’s reported efforts to help Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election as a means of criticizing the Vermont senator’s electability.
Reports emerged Friday that the Kremlin was interfering in the 2020 campaign to help Sanders, news that came two days after reports indicated Vladimir Putin’s government was trying to help Trump get re-elected.
The subject of Russian election interference is almost guaranteed to come up during tomorrow’s debate, but the varying accounts of who the Kremlin is trying to help could muddy the waters.
Another Florida Democrat, freshman congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, criticized Bernie Sanders for offering some praise for the former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
During his “60 Minutes” interview that aired last night, Sanders was asked about his past comments on the late communist leader.
“We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad,” Sanders said.
“You know? When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?”
That did not sit will with Mucarsel-Powell, who flipped a heavily Cuban House district in 2018.
The comments also underscore how Sanders’ increasingly likely nomination could leave down-ballot Democrats in Florida, a key swing state where many Cuban Americans reside, at a disadvantage.
Global markets are dropping as fears intensify of an expanding coronvirus, which has already claimed 2,600 lives.
The AP reports:
The White House is expected to ask Congress for more money to fight the virus, but expects have warned that the potential request of $1 billion is not enough to address the health threat.
Mike Bloomberg is hitting Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders for his record on guns, possibly foreshadowing tomorrow’s debate in South Carolina.
In a new ad, Bloomberg’s campaign recounts how Sanders won the support of the National Rifle Association before he was first electied to Congress in 1990 because his opponent had supported banning assault weapons.
During his long career in Congress, Sanders repeatedly voted against the Brady Bill, which called for waiting periods before acquiring guns and instant background checks. Sanders also supported a law that has been cited to halt lawsuits from mass shooting victims against gun manufacturers.
Joe Biden has also tried to hammer Sanders for his record on gun control, but the Vermont senator has said his thinking of the issue has evolved.
“We deserve a president who has never been bought by the NRA,” Bloomberg’s ad concludes. The billionaire candidate will likely echo that message on the debate stage tomorrow.
This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.
As many Democratic leaders freak out over the possibility of Bernie Sanders winning the presidential nomination after his landslide victory in Nevada, one senior House Democrat is preparing to endorse another candidate.
House majority whip Jim Clyburn, South Carolina’s longest-serving member of Congress, reportedly intends to endorse Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Politico reports:
Clyburn’s endorsement will come as some centrist Democrats are calling on candidates like Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, who currently has a very narrow lead over Sanders in the Iowa caucuses, to drop out of the race to consolidate the moderate vote.
But all the candidates have signaled they intend to carry on until at least Super Tuesday, when billionaire Mike Bloomberg will join the mix. All those factors could quickly give Sanders an insurmountable delegate lead in his path to the nomination.
Bernie Sanders has angered people, including fellow Democrats, with comments he made about Cuba in last night’s CBS News 60 Minutes interview.
While being asked about past comments on Cuba, he said: “We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad.
“You know? When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?”
Sanders did go on to condemn the imprisonment of political dissidents under Castro, but that wasn’t enough to prevent bipartisan criticism of the remarks.
“I’m hoping that in the future, Senator Sanders will take time to speak to some of my constituents before he decides to sing the praises of a murderous tyrant like Fidel Castro” tweeted Democrat Donna Shalala of Florida.
Marco Rubio also criticised the comments.
During the interview segment, Sanders attacked the current US president’s policy of being cosy with authoritarian regimes, saying “Unlike Donald Trump, I do not think that Kim Jong-un is a good friend. I don’t trade love letters with a murdering dictator. Vladimir Putin, not a great friend of mine.”
You can watch the whole interview here.
The president has now left the Taj Mahal in India, where he was accompanied by the first lady and by Ivanka Trump, and is heading for New Delhi on Air Force One. Someone has also obviously just handed his phone back to him, because his account has stopped tweeting in Hindi and he is tweeting about the Roger Stone case again.
The pictures coming out of the Trump visit to New Delhi are going to be a lot less welcoming than those this morning in Ahmedabad, which is in Indian prime minister Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
While a group of Hindu nationalists held a prayer meeting in which they put a vermilion mark on the forehead of Trumps photograph on a poster, blessing him, there have also been anti-Trump demonstrations on streets in several Indian cities.
While anti-Trump street demonstrations have been seen in the cities of Gauhati in the northeast, Kolkata in the east and Hyderabad in the south, it is in New Delhi where police have fired tear gas. Coinciding with the Trump visit, continuing clashes have erupted between hundreds of supporters and opponents of a new Indian citizenship law that provides fast-track citzenship for some foreign-born religious minorities living in the country, but explicitly not to Muslims.
At the rally early in Ahmedabad, Trump had praised India’s history of religious tolerance, saying many faiths “worship side by side in harmony.”
A survey of US business economists has suggested that they are a lot happier with the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy than the president is.
Trump has frequently tweeted his irritation about interest rates, and has in the past described Fed officials as “boneheads”. However nearly two-thirds of the economists asked by the National Association for Business Economics say that the Fed’s interest rate policy is “about right”.
Beginning last summer, the Fed cut its key rate three times in 2019, reducing it to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%, which is very low by historic standards. Trump has repeatedly suggested the Fed should cut rates further, to zero, or even into negative territory.
Confidence in the Trump economy seems high though. Just 13% of respondents forecast a downturn in 2020, which is down from 42% in last year’s survey. 37% still foresee a recession in 2021. The results reflect the views of 210 economists from companies, trade associations and academia.
Julian Assange has just stood up in court in London to speak
It is the first day of the court hearing into the US attempt to extradite Assange from the UK. My colleague Ben Quinn has filed this report of proceedings so far.
Jonathan Swan has an interesting looking exclusive for Axios, about Trump’s “Deep State” hit list of “disloyal government officials to oust — and trusted pro-Trump people to replace them.”
According to Swan’s reporting “a well-connected network of conservative activists with close ties to Trump and top administration officials is quietly helping develop these ‘Never Trump’/pro-Trump lists” and using them to suggest who the president should hire and fire.
They are said to be playing on Trump’s belief, after his impeachment acquittal, that “his government — from Justice to State to Defense to Homeland Security — is filled with ‘snakes.’ He wants them fired and replaced ASAP.”
You can read the piece in full here - it goes into quite a lot of specifics about three specific memos, and backs up what the New York Times’ Peter Baker wrote on Saturday, that “in some of the most critical corners of the Trump administration, officials show up for work now never entirely sure who will be there by the end of the evening — themselves included.”