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Joe Biden shrugs off impeachment inquiry, saying ‘I have a job to do’ – US politics live | US politics

Biden brushes off impeachment inquiry: ‘I have a job to do’

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Joe Biden brushed off the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry over unproven corruption allegations relating to his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, saying that he was “focused on the things the American people want me focused on”.

In his first remarks since the speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, announced on Tuesday he would formally open a Biden impeachment inquiry, the president linked the inquiry to the looming showdown over funding the government.

“I don’t know quite why, but they just knew they wanted to impeach me,” Biden told donors at a Democratic fundraiser in Virginia on Wednesday night.

Now, the best I can tell, they want to impeach me because they want to shut down the government.

He insisted that instead of being concerned about the inquiry, “I get up every day, not a joke, not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do.” Biden’s remarks came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the inquiry a “political stunt”.

McCarthy’s move kicks off what are expected to be weeks of Republican-led hearings intended to convince Americans that the president profited from the business dealings of his son and other family members, but it is unclear if the GOP has the evidence to substantiate the long-running claims, or even the votes for impeachment.

Here’s what else we’re watching today:

  • 8.30am Eastern time: House Republicans will hold a closed conference meeting

  • 11am: House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries will hold his weekly news conference.

  • 1.30pm: Joe Biden will leave for Largo, Maryland, where he will speak about Bidenomics at Prince George’s county community college.

  • 6.15pm: Biden will hold a call with rabbis in honor of Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Friday night.

Key events

Kevin McCarthy was asked by a reporter if he wouldn’t mind sharing what exactly he said during a closed-door GOP conference meeting this morning, where he reportedly dared Republican hard-liners to “file the fucking motion” to remove him as speaker.

“I would mind sharing with you,” the House speaker replied, adding “we just had a discussion in there.”

Reporters after closed-door House GOP meeting: “Did you tell your critics who threatened to file a motion to vacate to ‘bring it on?’ What was the exact language you used, if you don’t mind sharing with us?”

Speaker Kevin McCarthy: “I mind sharing with you.” pic.twitter.com/sApvMMnm3v

— The Recount (@therecount) September 14, 2023

Martin Pengelly

A spokesperson for Ron DeSantis responded to a report about undisclosed trips on donors’ private jets and said the report is an example of “Trump-legacy media collusion”.

The DeSantis spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, directed the paper to a former aide to the Florida governor now a top adviser to Donald Trump. Romeo said:

Additional questions regarding events, itineraries and documentation from almost five years ago should be directed to Susie Wiles, the staffer who oversaw such matters prior to her dismissal.

Wiles, the Washington Post said, “deferred questions to the Trump campaign”. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said “the DeSantis campaign’s ridiculous statement doesn’t even merit a response”, but responded to it anyway.

Instead of pointing fingers and trying to place blame on others – like they have historically done – the DeSantises should take a good, hard look in the mirror to better understand why they chose to act unethically and sell access to their office.

On the subject of DeSantis’s travel arrangements, Romeo told the paper:

All travel and events you mention – from almost five years ago – were compliant and received proper payment. Efforts to fundraise for state political parties and cultivate relationships with state officials are standard for political leaders, especially during an election year.

Ron DeSantis enjoyed undisclosed private flights and lavish trips through wealthy donors – report

Florida governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis traveled on private jets and enjoyed luxury travel and leisure time with wealthy donors that he failed to properly disclose, according to a Washington Post report.

The report about DeSantis’s travel arrangements concerned “at least six undisclosed trips on private jets and … lodging and dining in late 2018”, when DeSantis was Florida governor-elect, having won power with Donald Trump’s endorsement.

One of the undisclosed flights was to Augusta National in Georgia, home of the Masters golf tournament, the report said. The donor who supplied the jet, Mori Hosseini, also supplied a golf simulator for the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.

DeSantis also took four other flights on a plane registered to donor John Cwik, the paper said, adding that the governor did not report the flights or accommodations as gifts or campaign contributions.

The report continues:

The undisclosed trips, which have not been previously reported, reflect how DeSantis fueled his political rise through close bonds with rich patrons and had a taste for luxury travel, in contrast to his campaign’s portrayal of DeSantis’s humble blue-collar roots and aversion to moneyed interests. His preference for private jet travel has continued into his White House bid, even as his campaign has struggled to rein in spending. In an unusual arrangement, the campaign is sharing some costs for private plane travel with the super PAC supporting him.

The poll of potential GOP primary voters in South Carolina also showed that people who said they support Donald Trump are more likely to say abortion should be illegal.

Of those who back Trump, 73% say abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, while 52% of those voters who support other Republican presidential candidates say abortion should be legal.

The poll also found that 65% of Trump primary supporters say “Whites losing out to preferences for Blacks and Hispanics” is a bigger problem in the US than “Blacks and Hispanic losing out due to preferences for Whites”.

Nearly half of South Carolina’s Republican primary voters favor Donald Trump, with the former president leading the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley, by nearly 30 points, according to a new poll.

The Washington Post/Monmouth University poll found that 46% of potential GOP primary voters in South Carolina support Trump. Haley stands in second place at 18%, while 10% support South Carolina senator Tim Scott and 9% back Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Former South Carolina governor and Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley addresses a crowd at Holy City Brewing in North Charleston.
Former South Carolina governor and Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley addresses a crowd at Holy City Brewing in North Charleston. Photograph: Richard Ellis/UPI/Shutterstock

Nancy Pelosi hesitantly supportive of Harris as running mate for Biden

Martin Pengelly

Martin Pengelly

Nancy Pelosi seemed to offer a less-than-ringing endorsement when asked if Kamala Harris was the best running mate for Joe Biden next year, saying:

He thinks so, and that’s what matters.

But the former House speaker also had praise for the vice-president, telling CNN:

And, by the way, she’s very politically astute. I don’t think people give her enough credit. She’s … consistent with the president’s values and the rest.

Anderson Cooper: “Is VP Kamala Harris the best running mate for this president?”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “He thinks so, and that’s what matters. And by the way, she’s very politically astute … People shouldn’t underestimate what Kamala Harris brings to the table.” pic.twitter.com/4VWW3unGd1

— The Recount (@therecount) September 14, 2023

As Biden knows after eight years under Barack Obama, the vice-presidency has never been easy to fill. Harris may or may not agree with John Nance Garner’s famous observation, that the job he did for Franklin D Roosevelt wasn’t worth “a pitcher of warm piss”, but she has experienced familiar trials.

Speculation over her performance and possible replacement has been constant. In a deeply sourced new book about the Biden White House, the author Franklin Foer describes Harris’s struggles to define her role.

Nor does Harris enjoy favourable polling. Her approval rating – like Biden’s – has long been stuck at around 40%.

House speaker Kevin McCarthy, speaking to reporters after a tense closed-door GOP meeting, insisted he would not “walk away from a battle” as he tries to hang on to his position amid rising discontent among the party’s most hardline members. He said:

If it takes a fight, I’ll have a fight.

“What was your message to some members who have threatened to possibly raise a motion to try and oust you as speaker?”

Kevin McCarthy: “Threats don’t matter…I don’t walk away from a battle…If it takes a fight. I’ll have a fight.” pic.twitter.com/V0m8rIayWI

— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) September 14, 2023

Kevin McCarthy dares hardline Republicans to ‘move the fucking motion’ to remove him as speaker

The speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, issued a challenge to hardline Republicans who have threatened to oust him during a closed-door GOP conference meeting this morning, according to reports.

“If you want to the file the motion (to vacate),” McCarthy is reported by Axios to have said to a room of his colleagues, “file the fucking motion.”

From Politico’s Olivia Beavers:

Another source in room says this is the correct quote: “If you think you scare me because you want to file a motion to vacate, move the fucking motion” https://t.co/Qgw4n1JQCe

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) September 14, 2023

Fulton county superior judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the Georgia election interference case, ordered that 17 defendants – including Donald Trump – will not be tried alongside speedy trial defendants Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro.

The move deals a blow to the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, who repeatedly urged the judge to keep the defendants together and try them at the same time.

The order reads:

The Court joins the skepticism expressed by several federal courts that denying severance always ensures efficiency, especially in ‘mega trials’ such as this.

JUST IN: Fulton County Judge rules that Trump and 16 co-defendants will NOT be tried alongside Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell starting October 23, 2023. Judge McAfee severs Chesebro and Powell’s case from the 17 defendants who did not request a speedy trial. pic.twitter.com/XaFQVCzo5N

— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) September 14, 2023

Judge rejects request to try all Trump Georgia defendants together

A Georgia judge has ruled that Donald Trump and 16 allies will be tried separately from Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro in the 2020 election interference case.

Powell and Chesebro had filed demands for a speedy trial. Fulton county superior judge Scott McAfee set their trials to begin 23 October, rejecting prosecutors’ request to try all 19 defendants at the same time.

From my colleague Hugo Lowell:

NEW: Judge Scott McAfee has ruled that former Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell will go to trial on Oct. 23 in Fulton County without the other co-defendants in the 2020 election case. Not the outcome that the Fulton County FA wanted.

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) September 14, 2023

As House Republicans kick off an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, the White House is executing a long-planned strategy to meet politics with politics, according to a New York Times report.

The Biden team’s goal is to discredit the inquiry and convince Americans that it is nothing more than base partisanship driven by a radical opposition, the report says.

“We’re battling it out in the court of public opinion at this stage because that’s all that McCarthy has done, the theater of impeachment,” Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, told the paper.

The report continues:

For the Biden team, the mission now is to discredit the impeachment inquiry among independent voters and wayward Democrats before it reaches a crescendo. It is a strategy employed in the past by other presidents targeted for impeachment, Bill Clinton and Donald J. Trump.

The Republicans so far have helped Mr. Biden’s effort, often speaking about the investigations into the president’s family in starkly political terms.

The speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, tried to evade questions on Wednesday about why he does not intend to hold a floor vote on the Biden impeachment inquiry, despite having said just weeks ago that he would not open an official probe without a vote.

In an interview with Breitbart on 1 September, he said:

To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives.

That’s why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.

When CNN’s Manu Raju asked about his change in position, McCarthy responded:

You know what’s interesting to me, you’re a reporter for CNN, right? I just laid out to you a lot of allegations based upon the American public.

Asked again why he had changed his position on an impeachment of Biden, he said: “I never changed my position.”

Speaker McCarthy gets into back and forth with @mkraju over his flip-flop on starting impeachment inquiry without a House vote:

Raju: “I’m curious why you changed your position.”

McCarthy: “I never changed my position.”

Raju: “You told Breitbart 12 days ago you’d have a vote.” pic.twitter.com/BCJjWNZ3sF

— The Recount (@therecount) September 13, 2023

The White House sent a letter on Wednesday to US news outlets, urging them to “scrutinize House Republicans’ demonstrably false claims” surrounding their impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.

The memo, which was sent by Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, and addressed to editorial leadership at media organizations, came after House speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the Biden impeachment inquiry on Tuesday. The memo reads:

It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies.

The inquiry has no supporting evidence, which “should set off alarm bells for news organizations”, Sams said. Republicans have sought to directly connect Hunter Biden’s financial dealings to his father, but have so far failed to produce evidence that the president directly participated in his son’s work.

In the modern media environment, where every day liars and hucksters peddle disinformation and lies everywhere from Facebook to Fox, process stories that fail to unpack the illegitimacy of the claims on which House Republicans are basing all their actions only serve to generate confusion, put false premises in people’s feeds, and obscure the truth.

For now, the White House views the situation from a communications standpoint rather than as a legal issue, according to CNN. The principal objective is to counter what many Democrats fear could become an ingrained narrative, with one source telling the outlet:

If you don’t answer it, it can sink into the voter psyche. They’re walking that line.

Joe Biden’s first public remarks on the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry are a clear sign of the president’s broader re-election pitch: the idea that if he simply does his job and governs, Americans will see the results and reward him with four more years, according to AP.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, at a briefing yesterday, dismissed the inquiry as a “political stunt” and deflected questions about the details to the White House counsel’s office. She said:

This is an entire exercise of how to do this in an illegitimate way … It is going after the president politically, not about the truth.

She added Republicans have turned up no evidence that Biden did anything wrong “because the president didn’t do anything wrong”.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on Wednesday.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on Wednesday. Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The AP report writes:

The White House impeachment playbook so far has been: Dismiss. Compartmentalize. Scold. That is, shrug off the charges as baseless, stay focused on policy, leave the impeachment question to the lawyers and chide those who give too much credence to it all.

Joe Biden, speaking at a Democratic fundraiser in Virginia on Wednesday night, made reference to the far-right Georgia congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a close ally of Donald Trump. Biden said:

The first day she was elected, the first thing she wanted to do was impeach Biden.

The White House has blamed Taylor Greene into pressuring the speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, to order an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven corruption allegations relating to his family’s business dealings.

According to the New York Times, Trump dined with Taylor Greene at his private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Sunday night, just two days before McCarthy announced his decision to order a formal impeachment inquiry.

Greene confirmed to the paper that the pair discussed the inquiry, and that she had laid out her impeachment strategy at the dinner, telling Trump she wanted the inquiry to be “long and excruciatingly painful for Joe Biden”.

Biden brushes off impeachment inquiry: ‘I have a job to do’

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Joe Biden brushed off the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry over unproven corruption allegations relating to his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, saying that he was “focused on the things the American people want me focused on”.

In his first remarks since the speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, announced on Tuesday he would formally open a Biden impeachment inquiry, the president linked the inquiry to the looming showdown over funding the government.

“I don’t know quite why, but they just knew they wanted to impeach me,” Biden told donors at a Democratic fundraiser in Virginia on Wednesday night.

Now, the best I can tell, they want to impeach me because they want to shut down the government.

He insisted that instead of being concerned about the inquiry, “I get up every day, not a joke, not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do.” Biden’s remarks came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the inquiry a “political stunt”.

McCarthy’s move kicks off what are expected to be weeks of Republican-led hearings intended to convince Americans that the president profited from the business dealings of his son and other family members, but it is unclear if the GOP has the evidence to substantiate the long-running claims, or even the votes for impeachment.

Here’s what else we’re watching today:

  • 8.30am Eastern time: House Republicans will hold a closed conference meeting

  • 11am: House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries will hold his weekly news conference.

  • 1.30pm: Joe Biden will leave for Largo, Maryland, where he will speak about Bidenomics at Prince George’s county community college.

  • 6.15pm: Biden will hold a call with rabbis in honor of Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Friday night.



Summarize this content to 100 words Biden brushes off impeachment inquiry: ‘I have a job to do’Good morning, US politics blog readers. Joe Biden brushed off the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry over unproven corruption allegations relating to his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, saying that he was “focused on the things the American people want me focused on”.In his first remarks since the speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, announced on Tuesday he would formally open a Biden impeachment inquiry, the president linked the inquiry to the looming showdown over funding the government.“I don’t know quite why, but they just knew they wanted to impeach me,” Biden told donors at a Democratic fundraiser in Virginia on Wednesday night. Now, the best I can tell, they want to impeach me because they want to shut down the government. He insisted that instead of being concerned about the inquiry, “I get up every day, not a joke, not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do.” Biden’s remarks came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the inquiry a “political stunt”.McCarthy’s move kicks off what are expected to be weeks of Republican-led hearings intended to convince Americans that the president profited from the business dealings of his son and other family members, but it is unclear if the GOP has the evidence to substantiate the long-running claims, or even the votes for impeachment.Here’s what else we’re watching today: 8.30am Eastern time: House Republicans will hold a closed conference meeting 11am: House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries will hold his weekly news conference. 1.30pm: Joe Biden will leave for Largo, Maryland, where he will speak about Bidenomics at Prince George’s county community college. 6.15pm: Biden will hold a call with rabbis in honor of Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Friday night. Updated at 10.03 EDTKey eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureKevin McCarthy was asked by a reporter if he wouldn’t mind sharing what exactly he said during a closed-door GOP conference meeting this morning, where he reportedly dared Republican hard-liners to “file the fucking motion” to remove him as speaker.“I would mind sharing with you,” the House speaker replied, adding “we just had a discussion in there.”Reporters after closed-door House GOP meeting: “Did you tell your critics who threatened to file a motion to vacate to ‘bring it on?’ What was the exact language you used, if you don’t mind sharing with us?”Speaker Kevin McCarthy: “I mind sharing with you.” pic.twitter.com/sApvMMnm3v— The Recount (@therecount) September 14, 2023 Martin PengellyA spokesperson for Ron DeSantis responded to a report about undisclosed trips on donors’ private jets and said the report is an example of “Trump-legacy media collusion”.The DeSantis spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, directed the paper to a former aide to the Florida governor now a top adviser to Donald Trump. Romeo said: Additional questions regarding events, itineraries and documentation from almost five years ago should be directed to Susie Wiles, the staffer who oversaw such matters prior to her dismissal. Wiles, the Washington Post said, “deferred questions to the Trump campaign”. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said “the DeSantis campaign’s ridiculous statement doesn’t even merit a response”, but responded to it anyway. Instead of pointing fingers and trying to place blame on others – like they have historically done – the DeSantises should take a good, hard look in the mirror to better understand why they chose to act unethically and sell access to their office. On the subject of DeSantis’s travel arrangements, Romeo told the paper: All travel and events you mention – from almost five years ago – were compliant and received proper payment. Efforts to fundraise for state political parties and cultivate relationships with state officials are standard for political leaders, especially during an election year. Updated at 11.25 EDTRon DeSantis enjoyed undisclosed private flights and lavish trips through wealthy donors – reportFlorida governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis traveled on private jets and enjoyed luxury travel and leisure time with wealthy donors that he failed to properly disclose, according to a Washington Post report.The report about DeSantis’s travel arrangements concerned “at least six undisclosed trips on private jets and … lodging and dining in late 2018”, when DeSantis was Florida governor-elect, having won power with Donald Trump’s endorsement.One of the undisclosed flights was to Augusta National in Georgia, home of the Masters golf tournament, the report said. The donor who supplied the jet, Mori Hosseini, also supplied a golf simulator for the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.DeSantis also took four other flights on a plane registered to donor John Cwik, the paper said, adding that the governor did not report the flights or accommodations as gifts or campaign contributions.The report continues: The undisclosed trips, which have not been previously reported, reflect how DeSantis fueled his political rise through close bonds with rich patrons and had a taste for luxury travel, in contrast to his campaign’s portrayal of DeSantis’s humble blue-collar roots and aversion to moneyed interests. His preference for private jet travel has continued into his White House bid, even as his campaign has struggled to rein in spending. In an unusual arrangement, the campaign is sharing some costs for private plane travel with the super PAC supporting him. Updated at 11.25 EDTThe poll of potential GOP primary voters in South Carolina also showed that people who said they support Donald Trump are more likely to say abortion should be illegal.Of those who back Trump, 73% say abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, while 52% of those voters who support other Republican presidential candidates say abortion should be legal.The poll also found that 65% of Trump primary supporters say “Whites losing out to preferences for Blacks and Hispanics” is a bigger problem in the US than “Blacks and Hispanic losing out due to preferences for Whites”.Nearly half of South Carolina’s Republican primary voters favor Donald Trump, with the former president leading the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley, by nearly 30 points, according to a new poll.The Washington Post/Monmouth University poll found that 46% of potential GOP primary voters in South Carolina support Trump. Haley stands in second place at 18%, while 10% support South Carolina senator Tim Scott and 9% back Florida governor Ron DeSantis.Former South Carolina governor and Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley addresses a crowd at Holy City Brewing in North Charleston. Photograph: Richard Ellis/UPI/ShutterstockNancy Pelosi hesitantly supportive of Harris as running mate for BidenMartin PengellyNancy Pelosi seemed to offer a less-than-ringing endorsement when asked if Kamala Harris was the best running mate for Joe Biden next year, saying: He thinks so, and that’s what matters. But the former House speaker also had praise for the vice-president, telling CNN: And, by the way, she’s very politically astute. I don’t think people give her enough credit. She’s … consistent with the president’s values and the rest. Anderson Cooper: “Is VP Kamala Harris the best running mate for this president?”Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “He thinks so, and that’s what matters. And by the way, she’s very politically astute … People shouldn’t underestimate what Kamala Harris brings to the table.” pic.twitter.com/4VWW3unGd1— The Recount (@therecount) September 14, 2023 As Biden knows after eight years under Barack Obama, the vice-presidency has never been easy to fill. Harris may or may not agree with John Nance Garner’s famous observation, that the job he did for Franklin D Roosevelt wasn’t worth “a pitcher of warm piss”, but she has experienced familiar trials.Speculation over her performance and possible replacement has been constant. In a deeply sourced new book about the Biden White House, the author Franklin Foer describes Harris’s struggles to define her role.Nor does Harris enjoy favourable polling. Her approval rating – like Biden’s – has long been stuck at around 40%.House speaker Kevin McCarthy, speaking to reporters after a tense closed-door GOP meeting, insisted he would not “walk away from a battle” as he tries to hang on to his position amid rising discontent among the party’s most hardline members. He said: If it takes a fight, I’ll have a fight. “What was your message to some members who have threatened to possibly raise a motion to try and oust you as speaker?”Kevin McCarthy: “Threats don’t matter…I don’t walk away from a battle…If it takes a fight. I’ll have a fight.” pic.twitter.com/V0m8rIayWI— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) September 14, 2023 Kevin McCarthy dares hardline Republicans to ‘move the fucking motion’ to remove him…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/sep/14/biden-impeachment-republicans-democrats-us-politics-live-updates Joe Biden shrugs off impeachment inquiry, saying ‘I have a job to do’ – US politics live | US politics

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