memeorandum: Trump impeachment: Half-empty spectator gallery puzzles senators (Steven Nelson/New York Post)

5:20 PM ET, January 25, 2020

Top Items:

Sanders Seizes Lead in Volatile Iowa Race, Times Poll Finds — With solid support from liberals, Mr. Sanders appears to be peaking just as the caucuses approach. But many Iowa voters said they could still change their mind. — Which of these Democrats would be your first choice in the Iowa caucuses?

Discussion: Vox, Breitbart, New York Post, Power Line, CNN, The Guardian, NBC News, The Week, Mediaite and circle.tufts.edu

Walter Shapiro / New Republic:

Joe Biden's Confounding Candidacy — A lunchtime town meeting in the college town of Ames, home to Iowa State, should attract a sizable crowd less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses—especially when a former vice president, who is leading in some of the recent Iowa polls, headlines the event.

Siena College Research Institute:

NY Times/Siena College Poll of Likely Iowa Democratic Caucus Participants — Sanders Leads Caucus on First Ballot — Buttigieg, Biden Nearly Tied Trail by 7 points, Warren Fourth — Democrat Crosstabs Registered Voter Crosstabs — For more information and analysis on the study, visit The New York Times website.

Discussion: National Review, Common Dreams and Politico

Benjamin Wallace-Wells / New Yorker:
Joe Biden's Battle with Bernie Sanders for Working-Class Voters

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Bill Barrow / Associated Press:
Campaigning heats up in Iowa as caucus voting approaches

Discussion: New York Times

Arlette Saenz / CNN:
Biden picks up endorsement from key Iowa swing district congresswoman

Discussion: Axios and The Independent

Brianne Pfannenstiel / Des Moines Register: U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne endorses former Vice President Joe Biden for president

Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Poll: Sanders opens up lead in Iowa

Discussion: NBC News and One America News Network

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Mike Pompeo's blatant gaslighting attempt — On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got into it with an NPR host over her questions about Ukraine. — On Saturday, he issued a statement responding to the flap that seemed to that exemplifies “gaslighting.”

Discussion: United States Department …, NPR, The Hill, Axios and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Nik Steinberg / Politico:

Even Before Mike Pompeo's Blowup, State Department Insiders Were Feeling Undermined — On Friday, NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly found out just how sensitive the issue of impeachment has become at the State Department. During an interview, she asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether …

Discussion: CNN, Breitbart, The Atlantic, Associated Press, The Hill and One America News Network

Nahal Toosi / Politico:

Pompeo's upcoming Ukraine trip just got more awkward — Mike Pompeo was already expecting to navigate a political minefield when he landed in Kyiv next week. — But after the secretary of State's explosion at a respected NPR journalist, his trip just got a little more complicated.

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, ABC News and Raw Story

Associated Press:

In recording Trump asks how long Ukraine can resist Russians — This undated image released by the House Judiciary Committee from documents provided by Lev Parnas to the committee in the impeachment probe against President Donald Trump, shows a photo of Lev Parnas with Rudy Giuliani.

PBS NewsHour:

WATCH: Full video of Trump appearing to say Ukraine ambassador should be removed — A video released Saturday captures President Donald Trump appearing to say he wants to “get rid” of the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. — The recording, which was provided to the PBS NewsHour …

Discussion: Mother Jones

NBC News: Who is Dmytro Firtash? The man linked to $1 million loan to Giuliani ally has a shadowy past

Deirdre Shesgreen / USA Today:
After interview, Pompeo cursed at reporter, yelled: ‘Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?’

Discussion: Mother Jones, Outside the Beltway and NPR

Eric Kleefeld / Media Matters for America:
Smear merchant John Solomon accidentally reveals role of his lawyers diGenova and Toensing

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Anita Kumar / Politico:

Forget impeachment. Republicans fear Ukraine revelations could spill into election. — Republicans are already looking past impeachment, sensing a looming Democratic plot to gradually release more Ukraine bombshells as Donald Trump fights for re-election.

Discussion: Associated Press, Breitbart, Raw Story, The Independent, The Daily Beast, Washington Post and HuffPost

CBS News:

Impeachment trial: Trump's lawyers lay out their defense — Washington — President Trump's lawyers had their first chance to defend the president on Saturday after three days of Democrats' opening arguments. In opening arguments, Mr. Trump's attorneys gave what appeared to be a two-hour preview …

Discussion: The Daily Signal and New York Post

NBC News:
Romney says he's ‘likely’ to vote for witnesses

Discussion: The Hill

Reuters: Defense at Senate trial says removing Trump would be ‘very dangerous’

Washington Post:
The impeachment evidence will catch up to Republicans and Trump — whether they ignore it or not

Discussion: PBS NewsHour and HuffPost

Politico:
Trump's legal team launches attack on Dem case — and Schiff

Discussion: UPI, Mother Jones, The Hill, Washington Post and Associated Press

Associated Press:
Senate floor belongs to Trump team as defense case opens

Discussion: Breitbart, Politico, WHYY, The Hill and The Gateway Pundit

Brie Stimson / Fox News:

Schiff refers to CBS ‘head on pike’ story, infuriating GOP: ‘Every one of us knows it is not true’ — Senate Republicans — including potential swing-voters — expressed outrage Friday after lead House Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff, D-Calif., referred in his closing remarks …

Discussion: Politico, The Hill, Washington Post, Associated Press, PJ Media Home, Althouse, Redstate, Vox, NBC News, Twitchy and CBS News

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Republicans Feign Indignation at Schiff ‘Head on Pike’ Speech to Justify Cowardice — “A Trump confidante tells CBS News,” the network reported Friday, “that Republicans senators have been warned, ‘vote against the president and your head will be on a pike.’” That night …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Breitbart and American Greatness

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Notorious D.J.T. on Trial — Fidget spinners and spinning Republicans make the best of a bad case for Donald John Trump. — Republicans know very well who they are. — That's why it was such a juicy moment when Hakeem Jeffries, the congressman from Brooklyn and Democratic impeachment manager …

Discussion: New York Post, Vox, Mediaite and HuffPost

Jason Wilson / The Guardian:

Inside the Base: America's neo-Nazi terror network laid bare — Chats, audio and video obtained by the Guardian give a rare insight into the workings of a disturbing white supremacist group — The Base, a US-based white supremacist “social network” that has recently been targeted by the FBI …

Sophia A. Nelson / USA Today:

Donald Trump impeachment trial: For Republicans, patriotism has left the Senate chamber — Republicans used to know that patriotism isn't about words, it's what you do. But today's congressional Republicans have lost sight of that. — Something is really bothering me.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Schiff — and what's next — DRIVING THE DAY — WRAPPING UP SCHIFF: Rep. ADAM SCHIFF (D-Calif.) — who has quickly been vaulted to a position of prominence atop the Democratic Party — wrapped up his prosecution of President DONALD TRUMP last night around 9 p.m. after three days of tight and compelling testimony.

Discussion: The Hill