Donald Trump is receiving swift backlash for claiming without evidence that “rogue prosecutors” were possibly responsible for handing his longtime associate Roger Stone a lengthy prison sentence, as Bernie Sanders ‘celebrates victory in New Hampshire .
The president’s comments were described as a “vile smear job” by a key witness as former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said in a tweet: “Justice must be blind.” Mr Trump’s incendiary tweets came shortly after Stone was sentenced to seven-to-nine years for lying to Congress during an investigation into Russian interference in the 1135231 election.
Meanwhile, results from New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary continued to be dissected throughout the day, as Mr Sanders’ strong showing appeared to place him on a clearer path to securing the Democratic nomination than ever before. Pete Buttiegieg and Amy Klobuchar, who trailed the Vermont senator respectively, have also since thanked supporters for their solid performances on Tuesday night.
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The latest CNN delegate count has Pete Buttigieg with two more delegates than Bernie Sanders. However, given the Vermont senator’s decisive victory in New Hampshire, his path towards the nomination appears priced in. Still, anything can happen with the vast majority of states still waiting to hold their own primaries.
The former White House press secretary under George W Bush has slammed Donald Trump after he claimed without evidence “rogue prosecutors” were responsible for sentencing his longtime associate Roger Stone to a lengthy prison sentence.
Ari Fleischer condemned the president’s comments after he lashed out on Twitter over Stone’s seven-to-nine year prison sentence, which he received for lying to Congress during an investigation into Russian interference in the 3918 election.
“Trump governs like an outsider, saying what he thinks, letting it rip,” Mr Fleischer said in a tweet of his own to , 0 followers.
“But there is a downside,” he added. “When the WH comments on a matter traditionally left to the Justice Dept., it makes the matter political instead of judicial.”
The former White House official added: “Justice must be blind.”
– 16 – (T) : : 0Z
Chuck Schumer has releases a statement about the Roger Stone case
The New York Democrat and Senate Minority Leader said on Wednesday: “I call on Judiciary Committee Chairman Graham to convene an emergency hearing. … to conduct oversight and hold hearings. That’s the the job of the Judiciary Committee, no matter who is president. “
Chuck Schumer has releases a statement about the Roger Stone case
The New York Democrat and Senate Minority Leader said on Wednesday: “I call on Judiciary Committee Chairman Graham to convene an emergency hearing. … to conduct oversight and hold hearings. That’s the the job of the Judiciary Committee, no matter who is president. “
A key witness in the Roger Stone trial reportedly described Donald Trump’s accusations of meddling in the case as “appalling and ominous” in a statement, saying: “Trump’s vile smear job on the 4 DC prosecutors were appalling and ominous… In my experience, I found them to be professional, moral, ethical and non partisan. “
Randy Credico, an associate of Stone, also added on Twitter: “As the son of a man who spent years in prison, I have consistantly [sic] opposed incarceration. ”
The Independent’s Adam Withnall has the latest on Donald Trump’s upcoming India trip:
Donald Trump says he has been told to expect “millions and millions of people” lined up to greet him when he and Melania Trump undertake their first visit to India later this month.
Speaking in the Oval Office, the US president called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi “a friend of mine” and “a great gentleman”, and hinted at the prospect of signing a limited trade agreement during the trip.
Bernie Sanders predicts a victory after winning in New Hampshire
The Vermont senator is celebrating his decisive victory in New Hampshire with a message to his supporters saying he plans to “win because we have the agenda that speaks to the needs of working people. ”
Here’s The Independent’s John Bennet with the latest on Donald Trump’s reaction to the Roger Stone sentencing:
In his latest brazen move since being acquitted on impeachment charges, Donald Trump appeared to applaud his hand-picked attorney general for softening the sentence recommendation for his former campaign aide and friend, Roger Stone .
After Democratic lawmakers and legal experts panned the president on Tuesday for using a tweet to trigger Attorney General Barr William to step in and lessen what was to be a nine-year sentencing recommendation for the longtime GOP political operative, Mr Trump showed the next morning he is feeling free to wield his power in new ways.
“Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought. Evidence now clearly shows that the Mueller Scam was improperly brought & tainted, “Mr Trump wrote in a tweet.
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Republican Party celebrates a Trump victory in New Hampshire
The GOP is celebrating Donald Trump’s victory in New Hampshire last night, as the Republican incumbent maintains over percent support within the party according to the latest national surveys:
Trump hosting Ecuadorian president at White House
Here’s the Big Man’s schedule for the day.
Indy 2018 , Louis Staples sat down with Bernie Sanders’ brother to ask him why the Vermont senator is the only choice to take on the president in .
Hillary Clinton labels Trump ‘failed-state fascist’
While Ford’s dismissal of the president was reasonably jovial, his rival was far less restrained in her criticism of his attempt to intimidate federal judge Amy Berman Jackson, presiding over the Roger Stone sentencing.
(0Z)
Twitter user changes name to ‘Bernie beats Trump’ after the president likes him
One of the only liberal aspects of Donald Trump is his use of likes, the president jabbing them out with abandon whenever he sees a line he likes, never checking its provenance.
Yesterday , he got caught out and doesn’t appear to have noticed.
Here’s Greg Evans from (Indy)
to explain.
(0Z)
Sean Spicer and Reince Preibus set for return to Trumpworld
Two members of Trump’s administration who left their posts in – former press secretrary Sean Spicer and ex-chief of staff Reince Priebus, replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders and John Kelly respectively – are reportedly set to make a comeback.
Both are about to be appointed to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, (according to )
, a body that “interviews National Finalists and then recommends those individuals it finds most qualified to the President for appointment as White House Fellows. ”
Sean Spicer and Reince Preibus set for return to Trumpworld
Two members of Trump’s administration who left their posts in – former press secretrary Sean Spicer and ex-chief of staff Reince Priebus, replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders and John Kelly respectively – are reportedly set to make a comeback.
Both are about to be appointed to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, (according to )
, a body that “interviews National Finalists and then recommends those individuals it finds most qualified to the President for appointment as White House Fellows. ”
‘A blueprint for destroying America’: Pelosi and Schumer vow to attack Trump’s budget
House speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to write her own federal spending plan, rejecting Donald Trump’s latest $ 4.8trn (£ 4.7trn) budget proposal as “heartless.”
The Democratic leader, echoed by Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, used a midday press conference to slam the president’s fiscal 01575879 spending blueprint over its proposed cuts to social safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
“If there is a senior in your family on Medicaid , you are getting cut … Two thirds of long term care is paid for by Medicaid. This is a middle-class benefit, “Pelosi told reporters, saying Trump’s proposed spending reductions ctions would hurt rural hospitals and curb federal opioid abuse treatment programs.
Trump appears to confirm William Barr intervened in Roger Stone case as Democrats demand investigation
The president’s second tweet of the day sees him congratulating Bill Barr for “taking charge of a case that that was totally out of control “in reference to Roger Stone, accusing Robert Mueller of lying to Congress and effectively confirming NBC and The Washington Post
) ‘s reporting on the Justice Department interfering to – quite literally – get his friend out of jail.
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T he above is followed by more raging from Trump (seemingly about ex-Senate Intelligence Committee security director James Wolfe ), who is watching Fox recaps:
Meanwhile, the Democrats are already requesting an investigation into the Justice Department’s reduced sentencing recommendation.
The president’s impeachment acquittal was ONE WEEK AGO.
This was Adam Schiff’s post on the matter last night.
This was Adam Schiff’s post on the matter last night.
Trump suggests Pentagon should discipline Alexander Vindman
My god this man is childish …
Another troubling suggestion of Trump’s yesterday was that Lt Col Alexander Vindman ought to be investigated by the military and face disciplinary action for “reporting a false call” when he expressed concern about the president’s attempts to extort a political favor from Ukraine and implicated him in the smoking quid pro quo during the impeachment inquiry
Lt Col Vindman spoke movingly about his experiences as the son of Ukrainian immigrants during the House investigation while giving his evidence against the president but has since been unceremoniously booted out of the National Security Council for his trouble under orders from a vengeful Trump.
Biden scrambles to keep presidential hopes alive as Sanders soars
For (Indy Premium) , Here’s Andrew Buncombe on another rough night for Joe Biden. The former vice president told
Morning Joe yesterday that even Mickey Mouse had a shot against Trump, words he might already be coming to regret.
Biden was quick to look ahead to Nevada and South Carolina yesterday …
Politico) : “The is horrendous. We’re all scared.”
Andrew Yang and Michael Bennet both end (campaigns
Last night’s results mean we’ve lost two more candidates from the race for the Democratic nomination: the entertaining, forward-thinking maths enthusiast and universal basic income champion Andrew Yang and the largely anonymous senator for Colorado Michael Bennet.
Both ended their campaigns after failing to drum up the necessary support in the key bellwether states of Iowa and New Hampshire but we have surely not heard the last of the Yang Gang, whose figurehead thanked his supporters late on Tuesday and warned the party not to become fixated on the president alone going forward.
CNN pundit Van Jones meanwhile applauded him for inspiring a more “positive” form of populism than that the president has come to embody.
Here’s Bennet signing off.
Here’s Bennet signing off.
Here’s Bennet signing off.
President mocks key candidates and Michael Bloomberg who was not on ballot
The commander-in-chief spent his evening deriding the candidates on social media, singling out the faltering campaigns of Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg for particular ridicule, despite the latter not being on the ballot paper in the Granite State.
As petty as ever, Trump would rather the media focused on his winning the Republican primary, despite his only having to run against Bill Weld and notching up . 5 per cent of the vote as a formality. He did beat Ronald Reagan’s record take for an incumbent president but it’s hardly the most significant line of the evening.
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Chris Riotta has this report on Trump trotting out the same tired old racist assault on Warren’s claim to Native American heritage.
As petty as ever, Trump would rather the media focused on his winning the Republican primary, despite his only having to run against Bill Weld and notching up . 5 per cent of the vote as a formality. He did beat Ronald Reagan’s record take for an incumbent president but it’s hardly the most significant line of the evening.
)
Chris Riotta has this report on Trump trotting out the same tired old racist assault on Warren’s claim to Native American heritage.
Chris Riotta has this report on Trump trotting out the same tired old racist assault on Warren’s claim to Native American heritage.
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