Axios

Mitch McConnell is prepping Senate Republicans for an impeachment trial to begin as early as Thanksgiving, but he has yet to even talk about impeachment with Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Schumer, McConnell's spokesperson David Popp tells me. "Right now it’s way too early," he said.

The big picture: With House Democrats keeping their findings behind closed doors, "we have to assume that they’re going to move faster than we expect them to," a senior GOP aide said. "Thanksgiving and Christmas just happen to be a good mile marker."

In an interview with Axios' Mike Allen for "Axios on HBO," economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, who helped guide Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren's 2020 wealth tax plan, said America has entered a new Gilded Age.

The big picture: Warren's "ultra-millionaire tax" is one of the most progressive tax plans on the Democratic market. It aims to adjust rates so that the rich are not paying less, proportionately, in taxes than the wealthy. Opponents of the plan argue it would de-incentivize investments and stifle economic growth.

Sen. Mitt Romney, in an interview with “Axios on HBO," outlined a broad indictment of President Trump, criticizing his rhetoric, his abandonment of the Kurds, his plea to Ukraine and China to undermine a political opponent, his character and past personal life.

Why it matters: Romney, who has emerged as the party's most prominent Trump critic, is getting overtures to run against the president (he won’t) or lead the charge to get senators to convict Trump if the House impeaches him.

In an interview with Jonathan Swan for "Axios on HBO," Senate Republican Lindsey Graham blasted President Trump's decision to abandon Syria's Kurds as "dishonorable" and the "biggest mistake of his presidency."

The big picture: Trump's decision to remove U.S. forces from the Syria-Turkey border acted as a functional green light to a Turkish invasion of Kurdish-controlled territory. As a result, the Kurds have scrambled to cut deals with the Syrian regime, which is backed by Russia and Iran.

In an interview with Jonathan Swan for "Axios on HBO," Sen. Lindsey Graham criticized President Trump for calling on the Chinese to investigate Joe Biden — but the South Carolina Republican declined to call it an impeachable action.

"As to asking China to look into Biden, that was stupid. Nobody believes that China would be fair to Biden, Trump, me or you, or anybody. Bad idea. That didn't last very long. I think that's a frustrated Trump who feels like there's two different games, that people in [the media] are never gonna really sit down and talk to Hunter Biden unless it's a softball interview."

In an interview with Axios' Jonathan Swan for "Axios on HBO," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham called President Trump an "equal opportunity abuser" and said that he's trying to help the president be successful.

In an interview with "Axios on HBO," Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Trump's most vital allies on Capitol Hill, opened the door to changing his mind on impeachment if there turns out to be what he considers a quid pro quo.

Why it matters: Graham was a fiery House prosecutor during the 1998 impeachment trial of President Clinton. Now that Graham is in the Senate, he'll vote to acquit — or remove — Trump if he's impeached by the House.

In an interview with Mike Allen for "Axios on HBO," Republican Sen. Mitt Romney outlined where he'll be looking for answers in the scenario that impeachment goes to the Senate.

The big picture: Romney has been one of few Republicans to consistently speak out against Trump, who has gone on multiple Twitter tirades against the senator, insisting that Romney himself should be impeached.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney told Axios' Mike Allen in an interview with "Axios on HBO" that he believes Republican lawmakers stay quiet on their Trump criticisms for fear of losing the Senate or the presidency to Democrats, especially Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

The big picture: Republicans are often willing to criticize the president privately, but they avoid making public statements for fear of backlash. Romney argues that conservatives are trying to maintain the perception of a united front to voters so as not to risk internal shakeups that could lose them the Senate or Oval Office.

In an interview with Mike Allen for "Axios on HBO," Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said he learned about President Trump's abandonment of the Kurds through the president's Twitter, despite sitting on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The big picture: Romney has joined a number of Republicans in condemning the president's withdrawal of troops from northern Syria, as well as Trump's portrayal of a temporary ceasefire as a victory. In an impassioned speech on the Senate floor last week, Romney said the withdrawal "will stand as a blood stain in the annals of American history."

In an interview with Mike Allen for "Axios on HBO," Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said he agrees with "most" of President Trump's actions, specifically as it relates to tax and regulatory policy.

The big picture: Romney has been one of few Republicans to consistently critique the president. In recent weeks, Romney condemned Trump's ask of China and Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over unsubstantiated corruption allegations, calling the move "wrong and appalling."

In an interview with Mike Allen for "Axios on HBO," Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said he opposes cutting the capital gains tax rate for the rich.

The big picture: Republicans typically argue that cutting the capital gains tax rate will boost economic growth and provide room for increased spending. Democrats argue that doing so disproportionately benefits the rich.

In a new video posted on Twitter Sunday, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard claimed that Hillary Clinton's recent suggestion that she is being "groomed" by Russians to act as a 2020 spoiler is in part due to Gabbard's endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election.

Context: Clinton appeared on David Plouffe's "Campaign HQ" podcast, where she did not mention the congresswoman by name, but said Russians have "got their eye on somebody who's currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third party candidate."

The State Department distributed talking points to American embassies on Oct. 17 that included warnings that Turkey’s military offensive against Kurds in northern Syria is undermining counter-ISIS efforts and endangering innocent civilians, Vox's Alex Ward reports.

Why it matters: The talking points contradict President Trump's optimism about the Turkish incursion that followed his decision to remove troops from northern Syria. They indicate that members of his administration, especially career diplomats, are worried about the long-term consequences of the decision.

A series of new polling and fundraising numbers show an uphill battle for several of 2020's most vulnerable Republican Senate seats, the National Journal reports.

The big picture: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's hold on the chamber has been an impenetrable barrier when it comes to blocking Democratic legislation passed in the House, with McConnell proudly referring to himself this year as the "Grim Reaper" for progressive policies. Even if a Democrat defeats President Trump in 2020, the party still needs to flip at least three Republican Senate seats in order to pass any significant legislation like the Green New Deal or Medicare for All.

Historian Ron Chernow says Alexander Hamilton — author of the 11 "Federalist" essays on powers of the presidency and the first Treasury secretary — "would most certainly have endorsed the current impeachment inquiry."

What he's saying: Chernow — whose biography "Alexander Hamilton" gave us the musical "Hamilton" — writes for WashPost's Outlook section: "Hamilton pushed for impeachment powers. Trump is what he had in mind. He wanted a strong president — and a way to get rid of the demagogic ones."

Over the past week, Facebook and Twitter have codified a dual-class system for free speech: one set of rules for politicians or "world leaders," another for the rest of us.

Why it matters: Social media platforms are privately owned spaces that have absorbed a huge chunk of our public sphere, and the rules they're now hashing out will shape the information climate around elections for years to come.

President Trump announced on Twitter Saturday night that he would no longer host next year's G7 summit at his Doral resort in Miami, but doubled down on defending the decision amid bipartisan backlash.

"I thought I was doing something very good for our Country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, for hosting the G-7 Leaders. It is big, grand, on hundreds of acres, next to MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, has tremendous ballrooms & meeting rooms, and each delegation would have its own 50 to 70 unit building. Would set up better than other alternatives. I announced that I would be willing to do it at NO PROFIT or, if legally permissible, at ZERO COST to the USA. But, as usual, the Hostile Media & their Democrat Partners went CRAZY!"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) arrived in Jordan Saturday, where she's leading a group of U.S. lawmakers for meetings with Jordanian King Abdullah II and other top officials on security in the region, her office confirmed in a statement.

"With the deepening crisis in Syria after Turkey’s incursion, our delegation has engaged in vital discussions about the impact to regional stability, increased flow of refugees, and the dangerous opening that has been provided to ISIS, Iran and Russia."