Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez is launching a battleground states tour — starting with a stop Thursday in Miami — to raise concerns about President Trump's approach to health care.
Why it matters: Health care is the top issue for voters in survey after survey and may be Democrats' greatest strength heading into the 2020 elections, while impeachment and Iran are less clear winners.
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to hold off on transmitting the House's articles of impeachment, a growing number of Democrats in the Senate are signaling that they want her to end the stalemate.
Why it matters: Pelosi has said she is withholding the articles from the Senate until she knows what the trial will look like, with some speculating that the delay is intended to pressure Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to call witnesses. However, McConnell announced Tuesday that he already has enough GOP votes to set the rules for the trial, which would see both sides make their opening arguments before the chamber votes on potential witnesses.
64% of people worldwide said they do not have confidence in President Trump to do the right thing on the global stage, while only 29% said they trust him, according to a Pew survey of 36,923 respondents conducted in 33 countries.
Why it matters: The world is watching as tensions between the U.S. and Iran flare in the wake of the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani — threatening an all-out war that could further destabilize the Middle East. Amid other global threats, North Korea has also abandoned a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear weapons testing after negotiations with the U.S. broke down.
Why it matters: Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial run and subsequent fight against voter suppression has made her a Democratic darling who’s now one of the most sought after surrogates for the party's 2020 contenders.
Mike Bloomberg released Wednesday an economic agenda that focuses heavily on helping "the people and communities that have been short-changed by President Trump," per the plan's details, by creating jobs and increasing wages.
Why it matters: It's no secret Trump wants to run his re-election campaign on the economy, but Bloomberg is tapping into a conversation we're hearing from voters all across the country, whether in our focus groups or on the campaign trail: wages aren't keeping up and Trump isn't talking about that.
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.
