Off2Miami!
@BernieSanders
in Seat 15A Thought Bubble: "Is she going to kick my chair? I know she's going to kick my chair! Elizabeth, don't even think of kicking my chair!"
@ewarren
in 16A Thought Bubble: "I'm going to kick it the exact moment he thinks I won't."
@thehill
SCOOP: A key US-Saudi meeting under review in the White House has been CANCELED, according to the contents of a letter obtained exclusively by Semafor. 1/7
Wake up folks. When 10 former SecDefs, including Esper and Mattis, join up & warn of dangers of military intervention in elections, they smell something, they feel something, they are worried. People need to have courage of their convictions on this one
There are reports -- unsubtantiated thus far -- that some Russian and Belarusian leaders are flying private planes to Turkey. If 'true'
@RTErdogan
who is running a nation that is a
@NATO
ally needs to know that giving those leaders refuge in this crisis is unacceptable. They
This is a big deal.
@JayTimmonsNAM
does not freelance. He must have backing of some of the largest corporations in America. Timmons has been underscoring presidential dereliction on Covid as well for many months
CNN: National Association of Manufacturers, the nation's largest manufacturing association, called on Vice President Mike Pence Wednesday to consider working to remove President Trump from office.
There have been initial discussions within the National Security Council about how to move forward with the upcoming Oct. 17 US-GCC Working Group on Integrated Air and Missile Defense in Riyadh, according to people close to the discussions. 2/4
The WH and President Biden have previously expressed great frustration with the OPEC decision to cut production. I’m told no decisions have been made and leadership hasn’t been briefed. One official said “there is no decision yet.” 3/4
Fact check. During session w/visiting Baltic leaders Prez Trump said US contributes 80% of NATO expenses. The number is actually 22% and Germany’s contribution is about 15%. Just wanted you to know. Will disc w/
@craigmelvin
@McFaul
@PJCrowley
@MSNBC
I noted on
@MSNBC
the time when Trump said at Camp Humphreys that that base was for South Korea's security, not really America's security. His failure to coordinate w/South Korea on his pledge to stop joint military exercises further decouples the US from SKorea ally. Shocking
The Text of the Letter Reads:
The Embassy of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat and hereby informs the Gulf Cooperation Council that United States officials will not be able to participate in the planned meetings 2/7
MLKJr: We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." Read more of Letter from a Birmingham Jail
#MLKDay
of the United States - Gulf Cooperation Council Working Group on Iran Integrated Air and Missile Defense.
The point of contact is [REDACTED]
The Embassy of the United States of America avails itself of this opportunity to renew the Gulf Cooperation Council of assurances of 3/7
its highest consideration.
The Embassy of the United States of America
Riyadh
October 7
Semafor made public that there was White House discussion of ‘possibly canceling’ the US-GCC Working Group on Iran Integrated Air and Missile Defense scheduled for Oct 17 in Riyadh but 4/7
This will be a big election issue. Even if there is a skirmish with North Korea, more indictments from Mueller, and a suspension of the Iran Deal - millennials are easily moved and ready to organize around net neutrality.
A Senate bill that would reverse the FCC’s decision to repeal net neutrality rules has received its 30th co-sponsor, ensuring it’ll receive a vote on the Senate floor.
The universal background checks bill is ready for introduction, Mr. President. It’s supported by 90% of Americans and will save thousands of lives. Let’s get it done.
Neither Lincoln nor GOP freed the slaves. They helped set freedom in motion & eventually codified it into law w/13th Amendment, but they were not themselves responsible for the end of slavery...Who freed the slaves? The slaves freed the slaves
@jbouie
BUT THEN we saw the above letter, which shows clearly that the cancellation of the meeting was made 2 DAYS before our inquiry of the WH, Pentagon & State Department. 6/7
that no decision had been made. I was told by White House and Pentagon officials that this meeting ‘had not’ been canceled and that there was ‘no decision yet.’
5/7
In the flurry of shock about our President of these United States joining up w/Vladimir Putin to defame the US Intel Community & American democracy, it's wise to recognize those who have sacrificed so much for this country. Thanks
@SenJohnMcCain
and all veterans
.
@realdonaltrump
once again saying Dr. Fauci was wrong re masks. That was at the start of
#covid19
. We didn't know then about asymptomatic, aerosol spread. We've learned & science evolved. This isn't a mistake; it's learning. Constant reevaluation is the bedrock of public health.
Wow.
@JeffFlake
gives
#Kavanaugh
leeway and empathy for his fiery opening statement at hearing but then says he wouldn’t stop on exchanges w/Senators. Says “we can’t have that on the Court. We just can’t.
#AtlanticXNCC
@AtlanticLIVE
No verifiability provisions. No inspection provisions. Trump seems to have offered troop reductions and a freeze in military exercises. Details fuzzy -- but any US President other than Trump would be excoriated by both parties for such a weak, vague agreement
#NorthKoreaSummit
.
@Billbrowder
said
@wef
wanted to charge him $250,000, more than triple what he paid in the past. “Even though the forum was expensive, it cost about $70,000, I continued to pay just so I could show up & challenge the Russians” he said
#davos2023
@Semafor
Strategy is not licking one’s chops after assassination. Senator, You know
#Soleimani
turned dials of his proxies & terror networks up & down. Will be interesting to know if
#Iran
feels deterred. Or enraged? Are we prepared for
#blowback
? Is this a one off? Or is there more?
Wow - the price of killing and injuring Americans has just gone up drastically. Major blow to Iranian regime that has American blood on its hands. Soleimani was one of the most ruthless and vicious members of the Ayatollah's regime. He had American blood on his hands.
Trump asked his staff not to include wounded veterans, on grounds that spectators would feel uncomfortable in the presence of amputees. “Nobody wants to see that,” he said. Must read from
@JeffreyGoldberg
Pretty remarkable historical tweet that the CEO of a major transnational social media company just endorsed one side in a political contest. This sort of ends the debate on whether platforms are publishers and liable for their tweets. They clearly are under this governance.
To independent-minded voters:
Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic.
.
@Navalny
bravery at this time so important for the world to note. What he is doing stands out because of the collapse of democracy in Russia. The world should remember that Russia tries to export its own political DNA, as we saw in how it is meddling in other elections.
Message to Western journalists writing about Putin’s fake elections on March 18. He’s killed, imprisoned and exiled all real opponents. He stuffs the ballot box. Anytime you use the word “election” please use quotation marks around the word not to legitimize Putin’s farce
Just happened.
@SenatorLoeffler
concedes to
@ReverendWarnock
in Georgia Senate Race. And she reversed herself last night and did not challenge the Congressional acceptance of electoral college vote certifications.
Semafor has asked for comment from the administration but at the time of writing, no comment has been received.
Sign up for Semafor PRINCIPALS at
(7/7)
.
@NATO
Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG telling the White House -- DON'T YOU DARE screw us on
#Afghanistan
. We were there for you, and you have to see this through appropriately and safely. DON'T YOU DARE. ARE YOU LISTENING!? See Attached
The place to be these next few days (even if online) is the
@MunSecConf
. Early word is that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is "garnering more attention than anyone else in the US delegation and most heads of state."
@TeamPelosi
@Semafor
#MSC2023
I just need to note now that the
#AlabamaSenateElection
has been called, if a major US Mayor, a Democrat, like
@mayoredlee
of San Francisco had died as he did today, President GWBush would have issued a statement expressing condolences. Trump did not offer such today.
But Justice Kavanaugh, those who want to look at this in an even-handed way are perplexed you are not pounding the table asking for normal process of an
@FBI
check of the claims. If your accusers are lying they would be in serious legal jeopardy. Why are u not calling for FBI?
In a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and the top Democrat on the panel, Brett Kavanaugh calls the latest allegation of sexual misconduct published Sunday “smears" and says he will not withdraw his nomination.
New: Roger Stone has amended his House Intelligence Committee testimony THREE separate times since last year as new reports have emerged about his ties to WikiLeaks. But he’s still vulnerable to a perjury charge if Mueller determines he lied to Congress.
Poland’s stock as a major geostrategic player rising now after long undervaluation. President
@AndrzejDuda
hosting
@PISM_Poland
conference at Presidential Palace. He thinks his US & European allies still underestimate what’s needed to choke Putin’s ambitions
#poland
#ukraine
I see lots of reporters tweeting that Coronavirus is Trump’s first crisis that he didn’t create.
Hurricane Maria killed more people than Katrina and as many as 9/11.
How is it that it just gets erased?
.
@realDonaldTrump
doesn’t take National Emergency door. Continues shutdown paralysis. Mentions nothing of American obligations processing asylum petitions. Also fails to address previous appropriations on wall and security that have not been spent
."From Riyadh to Moscow, they get the message from Trump: Journalists are scum."
Sobering brew from
@WashingtonPost
columnist Richard Cohen -- Trump’s Nasty Apathy about
#JamalKhashoggi
Giuliani says
@realDonaldTrump
never signed an intent document on a Trump Tower in Moscow AND YET
@ChrisCuomo
COMES UP WITH A TRUMP SIGNATURE ON SAID DOCUMENT. What’s the line going to be tomorrow
@RudyGiuliani
?
@realDonaldTrump
Pres Trump, your exec order is not a travel ban but rather a travel delay, for 90 days. Why havent u used last 130 days to fix vetting?
Umm....so it was there were no nuclear weapons documents. now it's every president has nuclear weapons documents. not true but still an interesting rationalization.
Thanks to
@AshleyRParker
for the rush transcript on Trump's comments in which he displays bizarre obsequiousness to
#Putin
whom Trump seems to want to take at his word. What a dealmaker! What a strategist! What a pro!
Trump on Putin's claims that Russia didn't meddle in the U.S. elections: "Every time he sees me he says, 'I didn't do that,' and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it."
@SamanthaJPower
@TedSmyth
Sam -- This gives a green light to autocratic leaders abroad to kill their rivals without fear of retribution or comment from the US -- as long as they buy our weapons.
Many anchors & reporters covering
#Parkland
shooting have shed tears or their voices have cracked.
@SRuhle
cried. I did too. Remember
@BarackObama
at Newtown? Have been waiting for Trump's tears. What we get are wisecracks to cops that they should boast more 4 capturing Cruz
Arkansas’s Republican Governor
@AsaHutchinson
says unambiguously that Trump “has disqualified himself to be President.” Says he is taking a look at running for White House in 2024.
@CBSNews
Big news. Anti-ISIS coordinator
@brett_mcgurk
resigns. One of the most competent national security officials in Trump administration, who also served under Obama. Just gave a strong talk at
#DohaForum
.
@RichardEngel
I am so so so sad and sorry to hear this Richard and Mary. Your willingness to share Henry's story and the joy of him has moved so many to be more empathetic, caring and loving. Sincerest condolences.