Iran Prepares To Kill Its Own People, Then Trump Issues Direct Warning
By Jack Phillips January 13, 2020
President Donald Trump in an early morning Twitter post on Sunday called on Iranian leaders to halt a crackdown on protesters.
"To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS. Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching. Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free!" Trump wrote.
He then urged Iran's leadership to "stop the killing of your great Iranian people!" His message came about a day after he wrote a post in Farsi expressing support for the protesters who demonstrated in Tehran after the regime announced it was responsible for downing the Ukrainian Airlines jetliner that killed 176 people earlier this week.
"To the brave and suffering Iranian people: I have stood with you since the beginning of my presidency and my government will continue to stand with you," Trump also said on Saturday. "We are following your protests closely," he added. "Your courage is inspiring."
To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage.
Iran also must allow human rights organizations inside the country to monitor and report on the facts on the ground as Iranian authorities crack down, he wrote.
Over the weekend, Iran arrested Britain's envoy to Tehran, Rob Macaire, and according to state-run media, he was accused of "provoking suspicious acts in a gathering held in front of Tehran Amir Kabir University."
But in a statement, Macarie wrote that he was not involved in any demonstrations. "Can confirm I wasn't taking part in any demonstrations! Went to an event advertised as a vigil for victims of #PS752 tragedy. Normal to want to pay respects- some of victims were British. I left after 5 mins, when some started chanting," he wrote on Twitter.
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His boss, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, condemned Macaire's arrest as a "flagrant violation of international law" and noted that Iran was heading towards "pariah status," The Guardian reported.
The unrest was triggered after Iranian officials denied shooting down the plane for several days before making the stunning admission that it was, in fact, accidentally responsible for the disaster, according to reports in state media on Saturday.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also blamed the United States and wrote that "human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster."
An Iranian lights candles for the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 during a gathering in front of the Amirkabir University in the capital Tehran, on January 11, 2020. – Iran said it "unintentionally" shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile. President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found "missiles fired due to human error" brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an "unforgivable mistake". (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Iranians light candles for the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 during a gathering in front of the Amirkabir University in the capital Tehran, on January 11, 2020. – Iran said it "unintentionally" shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile. President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found "missiles fired due to human error" brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an "unforgivable mistake". (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
The downing of the plane came hours after Tehran fired more than a dozen missiles at American troops in Iraq after the United States carried out a drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
The victims of the downed plane include 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans, and three UK nationals.
Iranian military officials also claimed that American military flights increased around Iran's borders after it launched the missiles into Iraq.
"The aircraft came close to a sensitive IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] military center at an altitude and flight condition that resembled hostile targeting," the statement said, reported CNN. "Under these circumstances, the aircraft was unintentionally hit, which unfortunately resulted in death of the many Iranian and foreign nationals."
Author: Jack Phillips
Source: The Epoch Times: Trump Warns Iran: 'Do Not Kill Your Protesters' After Tehran Admits Plane Was Shot Down
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Terrorist Attack In Islamic African Country Has U.S. Officials Scrambling For Answers
By Jack Phillips January 6, 2020
AFRICOM blames al-Shabaab, says two DOD members were also injured
The U.S. military's Africa Command confirmed that one American serviceman and two Department of Defense (DOD) contractors were killed on Sunday when the al-Shabaab terrorist group attacked the Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya.
Two DOD members were also wounded in the assault, according to a Sunday afternoon statement from Africa Command, adding that they are being evacuated and are in stable condition.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of our teammates who lost their lives today," said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, the chief of Africa Command. "As we honor their sacrifice, let's also harden our resolve. Alongside our African and international partners, we will pursue those responsible for this attack and al-Shabaab who seeks to harm Americans and U.S. interests. We remain committed to preventing al-Shabaab from maintaining a safe haven to plan deadly attacks against the U.S. homeland, East African, and international partners."
Earlier in the day, the military said that U.S. and Kenyan forces were able to repel the al-Shabaab attack.
"Al-Shabaab resorts to lies, coercion, and the exertion of force to bolster their reputation to create false headlines," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler in a statement. "It is important to counter al-Shabaab where they stand to prevent the spread of this cancer."
Reports suggested there was also damage done to infrastructure and equipment.
The Manda Bay base is an area where American forces provide training and counter-terrorism support for its East African partners.
The Kenya Defence Forces issued a statement saying "the attempted breach was successfully repulsed" and that four "terrorists [sic] bodies" were found.
"The airstrip is safe. Arising from the unsuccessful breach a fire broke out affecting some of the fuel tanks located at the airstrip. The fire has been put under control and standard security procedures are now on-going," according to its statement.
"Al-Shabaab is a brutal terrorist organization," said Gayler. "It is an al-Qaeda affiliate seeking to establish a self-governed Islamic territory in East Africa, to remove Western influence and ideals from the region, and to further its jihadist agenda. U.S. presence in Africa is critically important to counter-terrorism efforts."
The base attack follows a truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 28 that left at least 79 people dead. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The United States announced four al-Shabaab militants were killed a day later in airstrikes that "targeted al-Shabaab militants responsible for terrorist acts against innocent Somali citizens and coordinating with al-Qaeda," the military announced in late December.
Source: The Epoch Times: American Service Member, DOD Contractors Killed in Terrorist Attack in Kenya
Senate GOP Remains United Behind Impeachment Strategy — Democrat's Case Dead On Arrival
By Jack Phillips December 30, 2019
Some Senate Republicans have indicated they are still working for a speedy acquittal of President Donald Trump in the lead-up to his impeachment trial.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters over the weekend that his goal is "to have as short a trial as possible."
"I think there's a desire by senators, quite honestly, to get this chapter closed and moved forward," Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told The Hill.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told the political website that "shorter is better for a lot of reasons" before adding that Americans "are ready to move on."
House Democrats earlier this month voted to approve two articles of impeachment against Trump: Obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. They allege that Trump misused his office by withholding military aid in exchange for investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden, which Trump has repeatedly denied, and they've also said his administration blocked Congress during its investigation. No Republican in the House voted in favor of the articles, and a few Democrats voted with Republicans against one or both of the articles.
At least one Republican senator told The Hill that he doesn't just want the articles dismissed but wants Trump to be acquitted.
"I'm ready to get this thing and get it done," said Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). "It's time for him to have his day in court. … I don't want to a vote to dismiss. I want a vote to acquit. The president deserves to have due process."
Another senator said that if the White House doesn't want witnesses in the trial, it's fine by him.
"I'm ready to vote now," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said, adding that he doesn't agree with the two articles of impeachment.
However, at least one GOP senator had critical words for a Republican plan to coordinate the Senate trial with the White House.
"When I heard that, I was disturbed," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.) told reporters last week. Murkowski is considered a key swing vote among Republicans.
"To me it means that we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense, and so when I heard [of the coordination plan] I happened to think that further confused the process," she said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pushing for a trial with testimony from witnesses such as White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former Trump adviser John Bolton. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has shot down those claims in public remarks.
In the meantime, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has not yet delivered the articles of impeachment to the Senate and won't do so until Democrats see "the process that is set forth in the Senate."
The move triggered confusion among legal experts and even constitutional scholars, including Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman, who argued in an opinion piece that Trump could conceivably make the case that he hasn't been impeached yet.
Source: The Epoch Times: Senate GOP Unites Behind a No-Witness Trump Impeachment Trial
Newest Poll Numbers Reveal American's True Feelings About The Likelihood Of Trump's Removal
A new poll has found that most Americans believe President Donald Trump will not be removed from office during the Senate impeachment trial.
"Even Democrats consider it highly unlikely that the Republican-run U.S. Senate will remove President Trump from office now that he has been impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives," wrote Rasmussen Reports, a pollster that Trump often cites on social media.
It noted that a mere 24 percent of all Americans, including Democrats, think the Senate trial will result in Trump's removal. Only 12 percent view it as very likely.
An overwhelming 73 percent of respondents told Rasmussen that they believe he will be acquitted.
"Sixty percent of Democrats see Trump's removal from office as unlikely, although that compares to 81 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of voters not affiliated with either major political party," the pollster also wrote.
Rasmussen said it surveyed 1,000 likely voters on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, and the poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction.
In the history of the United States, no president has ever been convicted and removed by the Senate, which requires a 67-vote supermajority vote. The House needs a simple majority to pass articles of impeachment.
On Dec. 24, Rasmussen's daily tracker poll revealed that 48 percent of Americans approve of the job President Trump is doing, showing that his approval rate has remained unchanged amid the impeachment inquiry and vote.
Another Rasmussen poll released on Dec. 20, two days after the House impeached the president for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a partisan vote, found that a slight majority believe it is the Democratic House members who are abusing their power, not Trump.
Some 51 percent of those who were surveyed agreed with Trump's statement about impeachment: "This impeachment represents an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power by Democrat lawmakers unequaled in nearly two-and-a-half centuries of American legislative history."
About 48 percent agreed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), when she said, "Our democracy is what is at stake. … The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections."
Rasmussen found 46 percent disagreed with Pelosi, as compared with the 40 percent who disagreed with Trump's statement.
In the days after the historic House vote, Pelosi told reporters she would hold the articles of impeachment before sending them to the Senate, saying she will only name her House managers in the trial after the Senate votes on rules. Republicans and Trump have accused her of using a politically motivated strategy to try and put more pressure on Senate Republicans.
Pelosi's move also triggered confusion among legal experts. Impeachment witness and Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman wrote that Trump hasn't actually yet been impeached because the House hasn't provided the Senate with the articles of impeachment. That means, he argued, Trump could claim "with strong justification that he was never actually impeached. And that's probably not the message Congressional Democrats are hoping to send."
Source: The Epoch Times: Poll: Voters View Impeachment as Dead on Arrival in Senate
Trump Hilariously Responds To Two-Faced World Leader During NATO Summit
By Jack Phillips December 5, 2019
President Donald Trump has responded to a video that appeared to show Justin Trudeau and other world leaders mocking him at the NATO summit in London. At the same time, Trump said he would cancel the final scheduled NATO press conference.
"He's two-faced," Trump told reporters on Wednesday, a day after the hot-mic video surfaced. "I find him to be a very nice guy but the truth is I called him out on the fact that he's not paying 2 percent [on Canada's defense budget] and I guess he's not very happy about it."
Trump added, "He's not paying 2 percent and he should be paying 2 percent. It's Canada, they have money and they should be paying 2 percent. So I called him out on that and I'm sure he wasn't happy about it but that's the way it is."
He made the remark while speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 2019 NATO summit in London.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks after announcing the government plans to build up to 18 new coast guard ships, in Vancouver, on May 22, 2019. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
"Look, I'm representing the U.S. and he should be paying more than he's paying. And he understands it. So I can imagine he's not that happy. But that's the way it is," President Trump remarked.
"I canceled the news conference. I've done so many," Trump also told reporters.
Late on Tuesday, a video surfaced, allegedly showing French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Trudeau discussing Trump's press conference with NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg.
The leaders apparently didn't realize they were being recorded. Johnson asked Macron, "Is that why you were late?" and Trudeau replied with "He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top." It's not exactly clear who he was referring to, but it has been widely speculated it was Trump.
"You just watched his team's jaws drop to the floor," Trudeau also apparently says in the clip. It's also not clear which team he was referring to.
President Donald Trump (R) and France's President Emmanuel Macron talk during a meeting at Winfield House, London on Dec. 3, 2019. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)
"Where are you at? What is your number?" Trump also asked Trudeau during their sidelines meeting at the NATO summit, NPR reported. Trump pressed on: "Where are you now in terms of your number?"
Trump and past American presidents have called on NATO members to spend 2 percent or more on defense. NPR noted that just seven of the 29 NATO members have reached that target, and the United States is by far the largest contributor. Canada, meanwhile, has pledged only 1.4 percent of its spending, the CTV reported.
And during a press conference with Trudeau on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Canada is "slightly delinquent" on the spending. "They'll be OK. I have confidence," Trump added.
"Just slightly delinquent. But, no, some are major delinquent. Some are way below 1 percent and that's unacceptable. And then if something happens, we're supposed to protect them and it's not really fair," Trump continued.
Source: The Epoch Times: Trump Responds to Trudeau's Hot Mic Comments at NATO Summit, Wants More Spending
Top Judiciary Republican Will Take No Prisoners During Newest Impeachment Process
If House Judiciary Republicans get their way, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) would be the first witness called as the impeachment inquiry moves forward.
That's according to Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who told "Fox News Sunday" that he would like to see Schiff—the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and main architect of the inquiry into President Donald Trump—testify when the Judiciary Committee effectively takes over in the coming weeks.
"The first and foremost person who needs to testify is Adam Schiff," Collins said while adding that Schiff had "compared himself to a special counsel." Then-special prosecutor Ken Starr, who was involved in the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, had testified during the House impeachment of Clinton in the late 1990s.
"[Schiff] has put himself into that position … If he chooses not to [testify], I really question his veracity and what he's putting in his report," Collins added.
"It's easy to hide behind a report… but it's going to be another thing to actually get up and have to answer questions about what his staff knew how he knew, what he knew about the whistleblower report," Collins said.
The inquiry was set off by reports that an anonymous intelligence staffer filed a complaint that Trump allegedly misused his power by withholding aid to Ukraine in favor of politically advantageous investigations, which Trump and officials in Kyiv have denied. Recently, U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker told Schiff's committee that he doesn't believe there was any quid pro quo involved.
(L-R) Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) stands next to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) as he speaks to reporters following a closed-door hearing with the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Nov. 4, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
When questioned whether he was aware Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden in exchange for a White House meeting or U.S. military aid, Reeker replied, "I do not recall that specifically, no," according to transcripts (pdf) released last week by the House Intelligence Committee.
Hunter Biden sat on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings while his father was the vice president. In an interview with ABC News last month, he said that his tenure on the board was a political error but defended his work in Ukraine and China.
Reeker was later asked by Daniel Goldman, the House Democrats' lawyer, about whether he knew of any Trump administration official withholding aid. "I did not come to that understanding. I heard that. I saw that in the press, the suggestions of it," Reeker responded.
Schiff is slated to release his report on Monday and provide members 24 hours to look at it before a vote sends it to the Judiciary Committee, headed by Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who would then be tasked with drafting articles of impeachment.
Fox host Chris Wallace asked Collins in the interview he saw "anything wrong with the president conditioning support of Ukraine to that country investigating some of the president's political rivals?" However, Collins suggested that Wallace had asked him a loaded question.
"The premise of your question is based on witnesses who agree with your premise," Collins responded.
"I do not believe it, so I'm not going to answer a hypothetical which is designed to simply say that the president did something improper," Collins remarked, adding that "he did nothing improper."
Collins noted in the interview that Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, previously said Trump didn't condition the aid on anything.
"President Trump has always been concerned about foreign aid," he told Fox.
Source: The Epoch Times: Top Judiciary Republican on Impeachment: 'My First and Foremost Witness Is Adam Schiff'
North American Trade Deal Receives Bipartisan Support — Pelosi Refuses Vote To Spite Trump
By Jack Phillips November 28, 2019
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) said there is strong bipartisan support in the House for improving on the quarter-century old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Democrats have been negotiating the terms of President Donald Trump's replacement for the deal, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), for the past several months, and Arrington is optimistic that the measure will pass. In recent days, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) resisted calls to bring the deal to the House floor for a vote, saying the measure doesn't have strong enough worker and environmental protections.
"We have unanimous, overwhelming bipartisan support," Arrington, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, told The Hill on Wednesday.
"I talked to my colleagues—Democrat colleagues and friends—from Texas and beyond and they're all for it," he remarked before adding, "I think it's going to happen."
He said that Republicans and Democrats have been able to make concessions on how to address the environment and worker protections.
"They know it's improved on the labor and environmental standards, which they were pretty sensitive to that going in," he said in reference to Democrats. "They wanted to make sure those would be enforced. I think we have the belt and suspenders in place to ensure that that would happen."
Responsibility for passing the bill, he added to the Hill, is now in the hands of Pelosi.
On Monday, the House speaker stated that "hard-working Americans need more from the USMCA than just the same broken NAFTA with better language but no real enforcement. The original draft of the new NAFTA agreement, while promising in some regard, still left American workers exposed to losing their jobs to Mexico, included unacceptable provisions to lock in high prescription drug prices, and fell short of key environmental standards."
While Pelosi has waffled on when the bill would be passed, President Donald Trump slammed her and the Democrats, accusing them of prioritizing impeachment over the U.S. economy. Over the past several weeks, Pelosi said that the bill wouldn't be passed by the end of 2019 but has also said it is "within range."
Trucks wait in a long queue for border customs control to cross into U.S. at the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico on April 2, 2019. (Daniel Becerril/Reuters)
"Everybody knows it's a great deal. She knows it's a great deal; she said it. She keeps saying she wants to get it done, but we're talking about many, many months sitting on her desk, no votes. And she doesn't have to help with the Democrats because they're going to vote for it—most of them. And, I guess, all of the Republicans are going to vote for it. But the system is—the way the system works, she has to put it up for a vote. And she hasn't wanted to do it," Trump told reporters on Monday.
This week, Mexico stepped up pressure on Congress to approve USMCA, according to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who said he would send another letter to Pelosi.
"I'm sure that Mrs Pelosi and the lawmakers of the Democratic Party are going to help us," Lopez Obrador told a news conference on Monday, Reuters reported.
Source: The Gateway Pundit: USMCA Deal Has 'Overwhelming Bipartisan Support,' Lawmaker Says
President Of Mexico Urges Pelosi To Move Forward With Historic North American Trade Deal
Mexico is slated to send a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) this week to urge the U.S. Congress to approve a new trade deal.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Nov. 25 that the letter will be sent soon related to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Reuters reported. He made the statement during a regular government news conference alongside other Mexican officials.
On Nov. 21, amid the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Pelosi said the USMCA trade deal probably won't be approved by the end of 2019.
"I'm not even sure, if we came to an agreement today, that it would be enough time to finish, but it just depends on how much agreement we come to," Pelosi told reporters in Washington.
She said that workers' rights, as well as enforcement and environmental concerns, have prevented lawmakers from acting on the bill.
Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador looks on during his daily news conference at National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, on Nov. 6, 2019. (Luis Cortes/Reuters)
"I'm eager to get this done. … We live in a world of instant gratification. 'You've got an agreement? When's the bill coming?'" Pelosi told reporters. "No, there's a lot of writing and conversations with Canada, with Mexico, on the basis of what we might come to agreement on, in terms of a change in the actual treaty and in the actual agreement. So, it will take time to write and then to bring to the floor."
Days earlier, Pelosi had said a breakthrough on the deal "is imminent."
In 2018, the United States, Mexico, and Canada agreed to replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with USMCA, a newer version that would encourage more investment in U.S. factory jobs. The deal needs congressional approval.
Canada previously said that it's waiting to move in unison with the United States on the deal.
Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Márquez Colín has said previously that she's optimistic the deal would get done in the coming weeks, Reuters reported on Nov. 20. Mexico has already approved the USMCA.
President Donald Trump makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Nov. 20, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
"Representative Pelosi has the commitment on our part to convince the outstanding representatives and union leaders in the United States," Marquez said last week, according to the news agency. "We have spoken with union leaders and we have made our commitment known."
Trump has claimed that Pelosi is trying to use USMCA as a bargaining chip to other lawmakers amid Democrats' impeachment efforts.
"Nancy Pelosi will go down as the least productive Speaker of the House in history," Trump wrote on Twitter on Nov. 20. "She is dominated by AOC Plus 3 and the Radical Left. Mexico and Canada, after waiting for 6 months to be approved, are ready to flee—and who can blame them? Too bad!" he wrote, referring specifically to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) by her initials.
"And I've been told—and who knows if this is so, but I think it's so; I have pretty good authority on it—that's she's using USMCA, because she doesn't have the … impeachment votes," the president told to reporters. "So she's using USMCA to get the impeachment vote."
Pelosi has denied using the impeachment inquiry to slow the passage of the USMCA.
Impeachment and the deal "have nothing to do with each other," she told reporters on Oct. 31.
Source: The Epoch Times: Mexican President to Urge Pelosi to Move Forward With USMCA
Fellow Democrats Call Out Schiff And Pelosi For Fracturing The Nation During Impeachment Debacle
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.) criticized his own party for the impeachment investigation underway in the House, during a Fox News interview on Nov. 17.
Van Drew, one of two Democrats who voted against the impeachment proceedings in October, said the endeavor is a waste of time.
"I just think we keep going down this road, keep spending more time. Many of us came to Congress because we really wanted to accomplish goals, really work on issues such as health care, work on issues dealing with prescription drugs, election security, the debt, the deficit—the list goes on," Van Drew said.
New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District, which Van Drew represents, went to Trump during the 2016 election.
In the interview, he said people should understand how important impeachment is, adding that no president in history has been convicted in the Senate after being impeached by the House.
"We're going to have an election next year. Let's have the election, let's fight through the election, let's do what Republicans and Democrats and whomever else does. But this [inquiry] is going to get us nowhere. We've spent millions of dollars, in my opinion, tons of money, tons of time, tons of hurt, fracturing the nation apart. I haven't seen this to be a good thing," he said.
House Democrats allege that Trump abused his power by pushing Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son before he would authorize about $400 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Trump has denied the charges.
Ambassador Gordon Sondland (C) arrives at the Capitol in Washington on Oct. 17, 2019. (Olivier Doulier /AFP/Getty Images)
His comments come as the House Intelligence Committee prepares for a second week of public hearings as part of its inquiry, including with the man who is arguably the most important witness. Gordon Sondland, Trump's ambassador to the European Union, is the only person interviewed to date who had conversations directly with the president.
On Nov. 19, the committee will hear from Tim Morrison, former top national security adviser to the president, along with Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence; Alexander Vindman, the director for European affairs at the National Security Council; and Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine.
Tim Morrison, former top national security adviser to President Donald Trump, arrives for a closed-door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill on Oct. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
On Nov. 17, Trump blasted Williams, suggesting in a tweet that she "meet with the other Never Trumpers, who I don't know & mostly never even heard of, & work out a better presidential attack!"
Source: The Epoch Times: Democrat Calls Out Party for 'Fracturing the Nation' With Investigation
ISIS' Top Successor To al-Baghdadi Terminated By American Troops
By Jack Phillips October 30, 2019
President Donald Trump said the U.S. military killed the person who likely would have replaced ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as head of the terrorist organization.
"Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops," Trump said on Twitter. "Most likely would have taken the top spot."
Trump didn't specify who he was referring to, but the United States on Monday confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, a spokesman for ISIS and also a high-ranking figure in the organization, Reuters reported.
A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that al-Muhajir "would have been one of the potential successors" to al-Baghdadi, adding that "it could be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks" before ISIS confirms a new leader.
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces chief Mazloum Abdi said the spokesman was "targeted" in a raid.
Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot – Now he is also Dead!
"Al-Muhajir, the right-hand of Baghdadi and the spokesman for [ISIS], was targeted in the village of Ain al-Baydah near Jarablus, in a coordinated operation between SDF intelligence and the U.S. army," Abdi wrote, according to Al Jazeera.
A spokesperson with the Kurdish forces said that "two U.S.-led operations have effectively disabled top ISIS leadership who were hiding" in northern Syria, adding that many more are "hiding in the same area," according to the report.
On Sunday, Trump confirmed the death of al-Baghdadi, saying that U.S. military forces tracked him down in northern Syria's Idlib province before he was cornered in a tunnel. He then detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and three of his children.
We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw
DNA testing was immediately carried out to confirm his identity, Trump said.
The president later posted a photo on Twitter of a U.S. military dog that was involved in the raid.
"They blasted their way in, and then all hell broke loose. It's incredible nobody was killed. Or hurt. We had nobody even hurt," Trump said. "And that's why the dog was so great."
The killing of the top leadership will be devastating to ISIS, said Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
President Donald Trump is joined by Vice President Mike Pence (2nd L), National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien (L), Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (3rd R), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army General Mark A. Milley (2nd R) and Brig. Gen. Marcus Evans, Deputy Director for Special Operations on the Joint Staff in the Situation Room of the White House, monitoring developments in the U.S. Special Operations forces raid that took out ISIS terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, on Oct. 26, 2019. (Shealah Craighead/The White House via Getty Images)
"This is a devastating blow. This is not just their leader, it's their founder. [Al-Baghdadi] was an inspirational leader in many ways. He formed ISIS in 2014, he led to establishing the physical caliphate throughout the region, so this is a major blow to them," Esper told CNN on Sunday.
He said Trump approved the raid last week, adding that the main objective was capturing him or killing him.
"The president approved a raid on the target, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and if we didn't capture him, of course, we were going to kill him," Esper said.
Source: The Epoch Times: Likely al-Baghdadi Successor 'Terminated by American Troops,' Says Trump
Joe Biden's Hostility Toward Voters Explains His Abysmal Showing At Every National Poll
By Chuck Ross January 29, 2020
Panic On The Left As Democrats Realize Bernie Sanders Could Actually Win Nomination
By JOSEPH CURL January 29, 2020
Trump's Reach Extends Beyond Party Lines As Massive Crowds Gather In Deep-Blue State
By Carmine Sabia January 29, 2020
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