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Trump responds to Manafort verdict

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Trump, after landing in West Virginia to speak at a rally this evening, responded to the news of Paul Manafort's conviction on 8 counts of tax and bank fraud. He did not respond to Michael Cohen's guilty plea.

"I feel badly... Paul Manafort is a good man... It's a very sad thing that happened. This has nothing to do with Russian collusion... It's a witch hunt and it's a disgrace... I feel very badly for Paul Manafort... It had nothing to do with Russian collusion, we continue the witch hunt."
— President Trump to reporters

Between the lines: Manafort was found guilty by a jury, while Cohen turned himself in to the authorities.

Go deeper

Bryan Walsh, author of Future
8 mins ago - Politics & Policy

America is anxious, angry and heavily armed

Data: FBI; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Firearms background checks in the U.S. hit a record high in 2020.

The big picture: This past year took our collective arsenal to new heights, with millions of Americans buying guns for the first time. That trend coincides with a moment of peak political and social tension.

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Mike Allen, author of AM
1 hour ago - Economy & Business

America on borrowed time

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Economic recovery will not be linear as the world continues to grapple with the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Why it matters: Despite being propped up by an extraordinary amount of fiscal stimulus and support from central banks, the state of the global economy remains fragile.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan
12 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy

CIA Director Gina Haspel. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

CIA Director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in early December after President Trump cooked up a hasty plan to install loyalist Kash Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), as her deputy, according to three senior administration officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

Why it matters: The revelation stunned national security officials and almost blew up the leadership of the world's most powerful spy agency. Only a series of coincidences — and last minute interventions from Vice President Mike Pence and White House counsel Pat Cipollone — stopped it.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow