House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that if the allegations that President Trump pressured the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden are true, then Democrats may have no other choice than to impeach him.
Democrats in swing seats are more comfortable supporting new gun restrictions than they were just a few years ago, but most still aren't on board with Beto O'Rourke's "hell, yeah" stance on confiscating assault weapons.
Why it matters: Some vulnerable Democrats up for reelection next year are nervous that too much attention is being paid to mandatory gun buyback programs — thanks to Beto — ahead of 2020.
The Trump administration is eyeing a new trade deal with Iceland amid the U.S. trade war with China and tensions with Europe, officials tell me.
Why it matters: A potential deal isn't about Iceland’s economy, which offers little to the U.S. from a financial perspective. But the Arctic country is strategically located, and the president's national security team has emphasized the importance of investing in the region.
In a letter to lawmakers Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) issued a warning about the Trump administration's continued efforts to block acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire from turning over a whistleblower complaint that reportedly involves the president.
"If the Administration persists in blocking this whistleblower from disclosing to Congress a serious possible breach of constitutional duties by the President, they will be entering a grave new chapter of lawlessness which will take us into a whole new stage of investigation."
Between the lines: It's likely that the "new stage of investigation" that Pelosi is referring to is impeachment. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) — who along with Pelosi has refrained from endorsing impeachment until there's enough public support — said Sunday that the whistleblower controversy could leave Democrats with no other choice.
69% of the 900 registered voters polled in the September NBC News/Wall Street Journal public opinion poll said they do not like Trump personally, regardless of their feelings about his policies.
Why it matters: Despite the conventional wisdom that incumbents have an upper hand in general elections, the poll indicates that Trump is the most disliked president out of his 5 most recent predecessors.
President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on "Fox News Sunday" that he misspoke during his interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on Friday when he at first denied that he asked Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
Organizers of the Polk County Democrats' Steak Fry in Des Moines, Iowa, say more than 12,200 attend Saturday's event, as 17 of the 19 Democratic presidential candidates made their pitch to voters in the state.
The big picture: The gathering comes less than 5 months ahead of the Iowa caucuses —the first to take place in the U.S.
The Alaska Republican Party has become the latest state GOP to cancel its 2020 presidential primary in a show of support for President Trump, the Anchorage Daily News first reported Saturday.
The big picture: The Republican parties in the key early nominating states of Nevada and South Carolina voted this month not to hold contests, as did Kansas and Arizona.
Trump has a near-90% approval rating within the GOP. But he faces challenges for the party's nomination from former congressman Joe Walsh, ex-Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld and former congressman and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has overtaken 2020 rival Joe Biden in Iowa to snatch the lead in a Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll of preferred Democratic presidential candidates published Saturday night.
Why it matters: Per the Des Moines Register, this is the first time Warren has led in the state's poll. It's the latest in a series of surges in the polls for the Massachusetts senator. She's also been drawing big crowds in recent weeks.
At Friday's LGBTQ Presidential Forum, Former Vice President Joe Biden got defensive over his history on LGBTQ rights, Sen. Elizabeth Warren recited scripture to emphasize fighting for equal rights, Sen. Kamala Harris dug into policy specifics, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg got personal.
The big picture: 4 of the 5 top-polling candidates — Biden, Warren, Harris and Buttigieg — were among the 2020 hopefuls at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, event organized by LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD. It was their chance to refine their approach to LGBTQ issues and current affairs ahead of CNN's more exclusive LGBTQ 2020 town hall.
People often blame immigration and trade for destroying American work, even though automation and technological change are far more likely to take away jobs in the coming years.
What's happening: In a first-of-its-kind experiment, an MIT political scientist tested whether informing people about potential job loss from automation would change their minds about immigration and trade.
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei guests on "Conversations with Bill Kristol" to argue that the digital revolution has transformed not just news, but all of society:
What he's saying: "We’re still very adolescent in our usage of these really cool technologies, which if used right, can be transformative in a very positive way. If abused, they could really grind up and grind down our country."
13 U.S. Marines face charges including failure to obey orders, perjury, drunkenness, larceny and endangerment after being detained in July in a human smuggling probe, L.A. Times reports.
Catch up quick: 5 of the Marines "were charged with having direct involvement in the human smuggling conspiracy," a 1st Marine Division spokesperson told the L.A. Times. None of the 13 Marines charged were reportedly involved in "overall" U.S.-Mexicoborder supportmissions, the Marines told L.A. Times.
Cory Booker's campaign released a memo Saturday asking for his supporters to raise $1.7 million by Sept. 30, suggesting that Booker "might not be in this race for much longer" if there's no fundraising surge.
The big picture: Booker has qualified for the 4th round of Democratic debates in October and has said he will attend CNN's Oct. 8 town hall on LGBTQ issues, as well as MSNBC's Oct. 2 town hall on gun safety.
Rep. Joe Kennedy, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, formally launched his primary challenge today against Sen. Ed Markey.
Why it matters: The dynastic heir — who first won election as a moderate, the AP notes — is portraying his campaign on generational terms. Massachusetts' two senators are each in their 70s, while Kennedy is 38.
