The House Foreign Affairs Committee has invited Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to testify at a meeting on Jan. 14 regarding escalating tensions in Iran, per a release Tuesday.
Why it matters: The meeting will give the Democrat-led committee a chance to question the decision to strike Iraq and ultimately kill Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, but it is unclear whether Pompeo will attend.
Trump fundraiser Imaad Zuberi was charged Tuesday with obstructing a federal investigation into whether foreign nationals unlawfully donated to the president's inaugural ceremony, AP reports.
Catch up quick: Prosecutors say Zuberi deleted emails and backdated a $50,000 check to obstruct the investigation. The California investor contributed $900,000 to the president's inaugural committee in the months after his 2016 election and has also made large donations to Democrats, AP notes, including former President Obama's inaugural committee.
President Trump said Tuesday that former national security adviser John Bolton "would know nothing about what we're talking about" if he testified in the Senate impeachment trial, adding that it will be "up to the lawyers" and the Senate to decide whether he appears.
Reality check: A number of witnesses told the House impeachment inquiry that Bolton was present in several meetings and conversations related to President Trump's decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine. Axios also reported in November that current and former administration officials believe Bolton was the most prolific note-taker at the top level of the White House.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) on Tuesday submitted his letter of resignation, effective Jan. 13, after pleading guilty last month to misusing campaign funds.
The big picture: Hunter, who had been a staunch ally of President Trump in Congress, is alleged to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal use, including on gas, groceries, lavish dinners and vacations. Hunter changed his "not guilty" plea six months after his wife Margaret Hunter admitted to the charges and agreed to testify against him.
Michael Bloomberg and President Trump's 2020 campaigns have both secured 60-second advertising spots during the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 at a likely cost of at least $10 million each, Politico reports.
Why it matters: The buy highlights Bloomberg's massive spending power, as the billionaire continues to pump millions of his own money into his campaign. And it's just the start of what's likely to be a huge spending year for Trump.
White House Correspondents' Association President Jonathan Karl called the lack of transparency surrounding President Trump's meeting with the Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister "disturbing," adding Monday's unannounced Oval Office visit broke precedent.
The big picture: Photos of the meeting, which included several senior White House advisers, were tweeted out Tuesday by Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, indicating he delivered a message to Trump from his brother, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday that he'll move ahead on approving rules for President Trump's Senate trial without negotiating them with Democrats.
Between the lines: SenateRepublicans' comments on Tuesday suggested that they've fallen in line with McConnell's position that the rules should be based on Bill Clinton's 1999 Senate trial, where the question of whether to call witnesses was postponed until after the start of the trial.
Responses rolled in Monday from top congressional leaders and key Republican senators on former national security adviser John Bolton's announcement that he would willingly testify in the Senate's impeachment trial if issued a subpoena.
Driving the news: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told reporters he "would like to be able to hear from John Bolton," but added: "What the process is to make that happen, I don’t have an answer for you."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday and informed him that he will not be running for Kansas' open Senate seat in 2020, the New York Times first reported and Axios confirmed from a source with direct knowledge.
The big picture: Speculation had persisted for months that Pompeo was exploring a Senate campaign in his home state, despite his repeated insistence that he was focused exclusively on his job at the State Department.
The U.S. will begin sending Mexican asylum-seekers to Guatemala to wait out their cases instead of allowing them to remain in the U.S., according to documents obtained by BuzzFeed News.
Why it matters: The Trump administration had previously implemented a "remain in Mexico" policy for asylum-seekers from Central America, but international law forbids asylum-seekers from being sent back to their home country due to concerns they may face prosecution. Mexicans account for more than half of the estimated 21,000 asylum seekers waiting along the U.S.-Mexico border.
"There's one candidate I see who's unafraid to fight like hell to make sure America's promise will be there for everyone, will make sure that no matter where you live in America or where your family came from in the world — you have a path to opportunity, too."
Why it matters: It's one of the first high-profile endorsements from a former presidential contender this cycle — and it's significant because Castro is widely viewed as a leading vice presidential pick for the eventual nominee.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a freshman and former state attorney general who's a 2024 presidential prospect, today will file his plan to allow dismissal of the articles of impeachment if House Democrats withhold them from the Senate.
Hawleytweeted last week: "Dems said impeachment was URGENT. Now they don’t want to have a trial ... In real world, if prosecution doesn’t proceed with case, it gets dismissed. So on Monday, I will introduce measure to dismiss this bogus impeachment for lack of prosecution."
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced in a letter Sunday that the House will this week "introduce and vote on a War Powers Resolution to limit" President Trump's "military actions regarding Iran."
Why it matters: Pelosi announced the action as Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Iran and also threatened Iraq with sanctions after Iraqi lawmakers passed a resolution asking the government to expel U.S. troops for the killing last Friday of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and the leader of an Iraqi militia in Baghdad.
President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday the U.S. wouldn't leave the joint U.S. air base with Iraq "unless they pay us back," and he doubled down on his threat to target 52 Iranian sites.
If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis. We will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame."
