Verbatim

A Rare Moment of Trumpian Self-Reflection

January 10, 2020 Buck Banks

“You know it’s interesting, as I’m saying this stuff — you know, ‘They want crime, they want chaos’ — I’m saying all this stuff and then I say, ‘Gee, now I sort of understand why they hate me for it.’”

— President Trump, quoted by the Washington Post, in a rare moment of self-reflection before adding, “But it’s true.”

— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he didn’t know of any specific targets for planned attacks that justified President Trump’s decision to kill Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, CBS News reports.

Trump, Who Said He Wouldn’t Debate, Lays Out Debate Strategy

January 10, 2020 Buck Banks

“I sort of hope it’s Joe because he will hear ‘where’s Hunter’ every single debate, nine times a debate.”

— President Trump, quoted by Fox News, claiming he wants Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee.

Manchin: It’s Not Rational, It’s Politics

January 10, 2020 Buck Banks

“You are not dealing with rationality here. You are dealing with pure politics and Mitch plays it harder than anybody.”

— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), quoted by Spectrum News, after being asked if he was concerned Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) wasn’t doing more to hear from additional witnesses on impeachment.

Pelosi Has a Timeline for Sending Articles of Impeachment

January 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“No. I’m not holding them indefinitely. I’ll send them over when I’m ready. That will probably be soon.”

— Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at a press briefing, on if she’ll hold the articles of impeachment indefinitely.

Nancy Pelosi Is All In Against Trump

January 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“What is most striking about this moment in Pelosi’s career is that at the peak of power, she is not protecting her position but rather using it in aggressive, even risky ways. Impeaching Trump is a gamble for Pelosi. It has intensified Republicans’ fealty to the President, rallying his base and supercharging his campaign fundraising, potentially increasing his re-election chances. The polarizing effort could jeopardize Democrats who hold seats in Trump territory, and thereby endanger Pelosi’s House majority. With impeachment, Pelosi is betting her own place in history.”

Facebook Will Allow Politicians to Lie in Ads Rather than Risk the Revenue

January 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“Facebook is standing by its policies that allow politicians to lie to voters, while targeting their ads at narrow subsets of the public — decisions with vast implications for the more than $1 billion in online campaign messaging expected in this year’s elections.”

— Politico

GOP’s Lee: Iran Briefing was ‘Insulting’

January 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“It’s un-American, it’s unconstitutional, and it’s wrong.”

— Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) ripped the Trump administration for their briefing on why President Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani, CBS News reports. He added that it was “probably the worst briefing at least on a military issue I’ve seen” and said it was “insulting” to be told by administration officials not to debate merits of taking military action. Fox News cut away from Lee as he excoriated the administration.

Biden Won’t Give Trump Benefit of the Doubt on Soleimani Assassination

January 8, 2020 Buck Banks

“I don’t give him the benefit of the doubt because he’s lied so much about virtually everything.”

— Joe Biden, in an interview with NBC News, on giving President Trump the benefit of the doubt of justification for assassinating an Iranian general.

Tucker Carlson Takes Trump Admin to Task Over Soleimani Assassination

January 8, 2020 Buck Banks

“Seems like about 20 minutes ago, we were denouncing these people as the ‘deep state’ and pledging never to trust them again without verification. Now, for some reason, we do trust them — implicitly and completely.”

“You know it’s interesting, as I’m saying this stuff — you know, ‘They want crime, they want chaos’ — I’m saying all this stuff and then I say, ‘Gee, now I sort of understand why they hate me for it.’”

— President Trump, quoted by the Washington Post, in a rare moment of self-reflection before adding, “But it’s true.”

“There is no doubt that there were a series of imminent attacks that were being plotted by Qassem Soleimani. We don’t know precisely when, and we don’t know precisely where, but it was real.”

— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he didn’t know of any specific targets for planned attacks that justified President Trump’s decision to kill Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, CBS News reports.

“I sort of hope it’s Joe because he will hear ‘where’s Hunter’ every single debate, nine times a debate.”

— President Trump, quoted by Fox News, claiming he wants Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee.

“You are not dealing with rationality here. You are dealing with pure politics and Mitch plays it harder than anybody.”

— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), quoted by Spectrum News, after being asked if he was concerned Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) wasn’t doing more to hear from additional witnesses on impeachment.

“No. I’m not holding them indefinitely. I’ll send them over when I’m ready. That will probably be soon.”

— Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at a press briefing, on if she’ll hold the articles of impeachment indefinitely.

— Molly Ball

— Politico

“It’s un-American, it’s unconstitutional, and it’s wrong.”

“I don’t give him the benefit of the doubt because he’s lied so much about virtually everything.”

— Joe Biden, in an interview with NBC News, on giving President Trump the benefit of the doubt of justification for assassinating an Iranian general.

— Fox News host Tucker Carlson, quoted by the New York Times.

Poetic Justice

“One thing you have to remember when you work for President Trump is that you don’t make the waves. He makes the waves. Your job is to surf the wave as best as you can every day. And you have to always smile and have a sense of humor with it, because he’s the one who’s got the instinct.”

— Jared Kushner, quoted by Time.

“President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He was aware of all my movements. I wouldn’t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani, or the President. I have no intent, I have no reason to speak to any of these officials.”

— Lev Parnas broke his silence in an interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

“There is an effort to limit the press …. I’m going to vote against that, if I’m allowed to vote. U.S. senators are grown women and grown men. If they don’t want to make a comment, they know how to say ‘no comment.”

— Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) distanced himself from proposed restrictions on reporters covering the upcoming Senate impeachment trial, calling it a “huge mistake,” The Hill reports.

“I presume I’ll be voting in favor of hearing from John Bolton.”

— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted by The Hill, on calling witnesses for the Senate impeachment trial.

— Jonathan Chait

Numerati

49% to 45%

38th

“Virginia moved to the brink of becoming the crucial 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on Wednesday, a momentous victory for many women’s rights advocates even though it is far from certain the measure will ever be added to the U.S. Constitution,” the AP reports.

25%

4

“Four Republicans have agreed to vote with Democrats in support of the measure, according to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who wrote the legislation that seeks to prevent President Trump from further escalating hostilities with Iran,” the Washington Post reports.

15%