memeorandum: Impeachment trial: Trump's lawyers lay out their defense (CBS News)

4:25 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: Breitbart, CNN, Power Line, The Guardian, NBC News, The Week, Mediaite and circle.tufts.edu

Walter Shapiro / New Republic:

Joe Biden's Confounding Candidacy — The former vice president is drawing tiny, unenthused crowds in Iowa. So why is he still one of the frontrunners? — Add to Pocket — A lunchtime town meeting in the college town of Ames, home to Iowa State, should attract a sizable crowd less …

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

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, PJ Media Home, Washington Post, Associated Press, Vox, Althouse, The Hill, Redstate, 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: Breitbart, Washington Examiner and American Greatness

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, HuffPost and Washington Post

NBC News:

Romney says he's ‘likely’ to vote for witnesses — Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, indicated Saturday that he is “likely” to vote to call witnesses in Trump's impeachment trial, but would not commit to doing so just yet. — “I think it's very likely I'll be in favor of witnesses …

Discussion: The Hill

Sean Ross / Yellowhammer News:
Doug Jones: Schiff speech, impeachment evidence presented by House Dems ‘compelling’

Discussion: Breitbart and Balloon Juice

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

Reuters:

Defense at Senate trial says removing Trump would be ‘very dangerous’ — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for U.S. President Donald Trump told his Senate impeachment trial on Saturday that Democrats' efforts to remove the president from office would set a “very, very dangerous” precedent in an election year.

The Hill:

Trump legal team launches impeachment defense — President Trump's lawyers began their opening arguments in the impeachment trial on Saturday, accusing Democrats of asking senators to “tear up” the ballots of the upcoming election while having “no evidence” to support the president's removal from office.

Discussion: Axios, The Daily Caller and Washington Post

Politico: POLITICO Playbook: Schiff — and what's next

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Emotional Schiff Speech Goes Viral, Delighting the Left and Enraging the Right

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, his vorpal sword, Politico and Power Line

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

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

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

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

Washington Post:
Trump's defense team to target Bidens in counterpunch to impeachment charges

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, The Hill, Breitbart, UPI, Balloon Juice and The Gateway Pundit

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, Axios and The Hill, 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: The Atlantic, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Slate and One America News Network

Jason Breslow / NPR:
Pompeo Won't Say Whether He Owes Yovanovitch An Apology. 'I've Done What's Right'

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, Breitbart, NBC News, The Independent, Mother Jones, Washington Post, CNBC, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Times, The Week, The Daily Caller, WHYY, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Raw Story, Vox, Axios, The Daily Beast and Law & Crime

Nahal Toosi / Politico:
Pompeo's upcoming Ukraine trip just got more awkward

Discussion: ABC News, Raw Story and Mother Jones

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

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and NPR

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 …

Bret Stephens / New York Times:

Anyone but Trump? Not So Fast — Let's not exchange one reckless president for another. — Donald Trump is a lawless president and revolting person who richly deserved his impeachment and, in a better world, would be convicted in the Senate and removed from the White House.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

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

Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:

Bernie Sanders ‘must reconsider’ Joe Rogan endorsement, says LGBTQ group — Human Rights Campaign says podcast host Rogan has ‘attacked countless marginalised groups at every opportunity’ — Bernie Sanders “must reconsider” his acceptance of an endorsement from Joe Rogan …

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post and Mediaite