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Two GOP senators call for more information about Trump's rape accusation

Mitt Romney and President Trump. Photos: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images and Oliver Contreras/for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have both called for additional questioning and more information about E. Jean Carroll's recent rape accusation against President Trump, CNN reports.

The big picture: This separates the senators from the majority of the GOP — which has largely stayed silent in response to the accusation, per Politico. Meanwhile, many have taken strong stances of support for Trump.

What they're saying:

  • "It's a very serious allegation," Romney said, according to CNN. "I hope that it is fully evaluated. The President said it didn't happen and I certainly hope that's the case."
  • "I think anybody that makes an accusation like that, they should come forward," Ernst reportedly told CNN when asked if Carroll should be believed. "But obviously there has to be some additional information. They need to interview her. They need to visit with him."

The other side: Other GOP members, like Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), called the alleged acts "unacceptable, deplorable behavior," according to CNN, but added that because "the President is denying them, I can't comment on them because I don't know what the truth is."

Flashback: Many GOP leaders took a hard line against Trump during the height of the "Access Hollywood" tape fallout, which occurred before his presidency. Vice President Mike Pence even went so far as to say he was "offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump” in the 2005 video, per the New York Times.

Go deeper: Trump says he didn't rape author E. Jean Carroll: "She's not my type"

Go deeper

Jonathan Swan
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 4: Trump turns on Barr

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photos: Drew Angerer, Pool/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. Axios takes you inside the collapse of a president with a special series.

Episode 4: Trump torches what is arguably the most consequential relationship in his Cabinet.

Attorney General Bill Barr stood behind a chair in the private dining room next to the Oval Office, looming over Donald Trump. The president sat at the head of the table. It was Dec. 1, nearly a month after the election, and Barr had some sharp advice to get off his chest. The president's theories about a stolen election, Barr told Trump, were "bullshit."

Go deeper (6 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

In photos: Protests outside fortified capitols draw only small groups

Armed members of the far-right extremist group the Boogaloo Bois near the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing on Jan. 17. About 20 protesters showed up, AP notes. Photo: Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

Small groups of protesters gathered outside fortified statehouses across the U.S. over the weekend ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Wednesday.

The big picture: Some protests attracted armed members of far-right extremist groups but there were no reports of clashes, as had been feared. The National Guard and law enforcement outnumbered demonstrators, as security was heightened around the U.S. to avoid a repeat of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, per AP.

See photos (<1 min. read)Arrow
Felix Salmon, author of Capital
9 hours ago - World

China's economy grows 6.5% in Q4 as country rebounds from coronavirus

A technician installs and checks service robots to be be used for food and medicine delivery in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China, on Sunday. Photo: Hu Xuejun/VCG via Getty Images

China's economy grew at a 6.5% pace in the final quarter of 2020, the national statistics bureau announced Monday local time, topping off a year in which it grew in three of four quarters and by 2.3% in total.

Why it matters: No other major economy managed positive growth in 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was first detected in China, the country got the virus under control and became one of the main positive drivers of the global economy even as the rest of the world was largely under lockdown.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow