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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Tuesday, February 26, 2019 7:57 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, February 26, 2019


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=001-979&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, February 26, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• 2020 New Hampshire Democratic Primary Poll: Sanders 27%; Biden 25%;
Harris 12%; Warren 9%. <#S1>

• Reid: If Biden Runs, Other Candidates Would “Have To Catch Up To Him.”
<#S2>

• Columnist: “Fairly Broad Consensus” Among Politicos Is That Biden Is 2020
Favorite In PA. <#S3>

• Writer Examines Biden’s Appeal In Democratic Race. <#S4>

• Daily Caller: Reports Suggest Biden Worried Son’s “Personal Life” Would
Be Targeted In 2020 Bid. <#S5>

• Organizers: Unclear Whether Biden Will Attend Sunday’s “King Unity
Breakfast” In Selma. <#S6>

• Media Analyses: Democratic Voters United In Desire To Oust Trump, But
Divided On Party’s Field. <#S7>

• Former Clinton Aides Blast Sanders For Flying On Private Jets. <#S8>

• Warren Vows Not To Hold High-Dollar Fundraising Events With Big-Money
Donors. <#S9>

• Castro, Harris, Warren Support Reparations For Slavery In Bid For
African-American Support. <#S10>

• The Atlantic’s Dovere: Iowa Critical To 2020 Hopes Of Harris, Klobuchar.
<#S11>

• USAToday’s Lawrence: 2020 Hopeful Klobuchar’s Alleged Mistreatment Of
Staff “Not Yet” Disqualifying. <#S12>

• Buffett Says He’d Support Bloomberg Bid, Pans Potential Schultz Run.
<#S13>

• Inslee Would Focus 2020 Bid On Defeating Climate Change. <#S14>

• NYTimes: Hillary Clinton Casts Shadow Over 2020 Democratic Field. <#S15>

• Activists Press Democratic Presidential Candidates To Commit To Expanding
Supreme Court. <#S16>

• Politico: “Several” Top GOP Donors Think Trump Camp Lacks A 2020 Strategy.
<#S17>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Seoul: Trump, Kim May Declare End Of Korean War At Summit. <#S18>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• Trump Raises Prospect Of “Signing Summit” With Xi As Trade Talks Advance.
<#S19>

• Trump Announces US Hostage Freed From Captivity In Yemen. <#S20>

• Assad Meets Khamenei In First Iran Visit Since War Began. <#S21>

• Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif Resigns. <#S22>

• In Colombia, Pence Announces New Sanctions On Maduro. <#S23>

• After Putin Warning, Russian TV Lists Nuclear Targets In US. <#S24>

• UK’s Labour Party Backs New Brexit Referendum. <#S25>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Trump Calls On Republicans To Oppose Democrats On Border Emergency Vote.
<#S26>

• Rosenstein: DOJ Should Not Release Information On Uncharged Suspects.
<#S27>

• Cohen Will Reportedly Accuse Trump Of Criminal Conduct While In Office.
<#S28>

• Trump Organization Accuses House Panel Of Conflict Of Interest. <#S29>

• Trump Blasts Senate Democrats For Blocking Bill To Prevent “Killing Of
Infant Children.” <#S30>

• White House Will Propose Using Budget Maneuver To Avoid Defense Spending
Cuts. <#S31>

• Acosta Faces Growing Questions Over Epstein Plea Deal. <#S32>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• Researchers Find Urgent Need For Cancer Survivorship Specialists. <#S33>

• Bayer Faces Second Jury Over Roundup Weed Killer Cancer Lawsuit. <#S34>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S35>

• Washington Post. <#S36>
Biden in the News
2020 New Hampshire Democratic Primary Poll: Sanders 27%; Biden 25%; Harris
12%; Warren 9%.

Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=002-781&t=c>
(2/24, Moons) reported that an Emerson College poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=003-c00&t=c>
of 405 New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, taken Feb. 21-22, shows
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) leading a hypothetical race for the 2020
Democratic presidential nomination with 27%, followed by former Vice
President Joe Biden at 25%, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) at 12%, Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) at 9%, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) at 8%, Sen. Cory
Booker (D-NJ) and ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) each at 5%, and several
others lagging behind in the low single digits. In hypothetical general
election matchups, the poll (910 voters) shows Sanders leading Trump
55%-45, while Warren leads Trump 52%-48%. In hypothetical three-way
matchups, Sanders leads Trump 48%-42%, with ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
at 10%, and Trump leads Warren 45%-44%, with Schultz at 12%.

*Reuters Analysis: Sanders’ Base Makes New Hampshire Difficult For
Warren. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=004-25a&t=c>
(2/25, Oliphant) reports that Sanders “has complicated” the presidential
campaign of “fellow liberal” Warren, whose “path” to the Democratic
nomination “runs straight through New Hampshire.” Sanders “retains a strong
following” in the state, where he “trounced Hillary Clinton by more than 20
percentage points” in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Reuters
also cited the results of the aforementioned Emerson College poll showing
Sanders leading the Democratic field in New Hampshire, with Warren well off
the pace in fourth place.
Reid: If Biden Runs, Other Candidates Would “Have To Catch Up To Him.”

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=005-ffb&t=c>
(2/25, Nolan, Bash) reported that in “an exclusive interview,” former Sen.
Harry Reid (D-NV) commented on the field of announced and potential 2020
Democratic presidential contenders. Asked about former Vice President Joe
Biden, Reid told CNN, “Joe Biden’s been to my home, spent an hour and a
half with me. I think so much of him. ... His life story is something that
is tearful.” Reid recounted some of the family tragedies Biden has suffered
through, and later in the interview “said running for president is a
‘personal decision’ for Biden, and if he did choose to run he thought the
other candidates would ‘have to catch up with him.’”
Columnist: “Fairly Broad Consensus” Among Politicos Is That Biden Is 2020
Favorite In PA.

In his Philly (PA)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=006-5a7&t=c>
(2/25) column, John Baer wrote, “There’s a fairly broad consensus among
political types that, if he’s in, Joe Biden is favored to win
Pennsylvania’s 2020 Democratic primary and, if nominated, carry the state
in the general election.” Baer said that assessment is understandable, as
Biden “feels like a fit. Born in Scranton, lived there as a child.
Well-known. Not a socialist. Older guy (he’ll be 77) running in one of the
oldest states in terms of folks over 65.” However, Baer added that “a
sampling of state pols, pollsters, consultants, academics, party leaders
and others also reflects lots of ‘hey, who knows?’”
Writer Examines Biden’s Appeal In Democratic Race.

Writing for the Business Times (SGP)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=007-a17&t=c>
(2/25), Leon Hadar said that former Vice President Joe Biden’s supporters
think “has the best chance of trouncing President Trump on the campaign
trail. In particular, as many political professionals see it, Mr Biden, a
political centrist on most domestic economic and social issues and a
moderate hawk on foreign policy, is exactly the kind of candidate who could
attract white working-class Americans, suburban residents and independent
voters in key electoral states and who could provide the Democrats with the
necessary winning margin in 2020.” Hagar adds that “a politically centrist
and pragmatic Presidential Candidate Biden may be seen by many middle-class
voters as ‘safe’ when it comes to inheriting a booming economy from
President Trump and effectively managing it. Unlike his left-leaning
rivals, he will not rock the boat.”

*Writer: Biden, Brown, O’Rourke, And Sanders Face “Big Hurdles” In
2020 Democratic Race. *In a Times of San Diego
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=008-5ad&t=c>
(2/25) op-ed, retired college professor Colleen O’Connor said, “Big hurdles
face the Democrats’ ‘B’ team of presidential nominees. Biden, Bernie, Beto
and Brown may not scale in 2020.” Regarding Biden, O’Connor wrote that he
“is hurt most by his past. There’s his age, his lukewarm assistance to the
Hillary Clinton campaign, his whiteness, and most damaging, his behavior in
the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings.” O’Connor also said that Biden has
“gnarly family issues,” and that a large number of women voters in the
Democratic primaries are likely to support female candidates. O’Connor also
detailed what she sees as drawbacks for the announced and potential bids of
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and ex-Rep. Beto
O’Rourke (D-TX).
Daily Caller: Reports Suggest Biden Worried Son’s “Personal Life” Would Be
Targeted In 2020 Bid.

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=009-4d3&t=c>
(2/25, White) reported, “Some recent media reports have suggested that”
former Vice President Joe Biden’s “son’s checkered private life could be
part of the reason for the Democrat’s hesitation” on entering the 2020 race
for president. The article said that Hunter Biden, “the former VP’s
49-year-old son, would inevitably become campaign fodder if Biden were to
join an increasingly crowded presidential race, Vanity Fair reported
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=00a-77d&t=c>
in January, citing Democratic strategists. Hunter’s romantic relationship
with his brother’s widow created headlines.” The article said that Biden
“has not yet responded to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for
comment about whether Hunter’s personal life is holding up a potential
announcement.”
Organizers: Unclear Whether Biden Will Attend Sunday’s “King Unity
Breakfast” In Selma.

The Selma (AL) Times Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=00b-911&t=c>
(2/25, Powell) reports, “During a press conference Monday, organizers for
the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee” discussed “the Martin and Coretta King
Unity Breakfast, which will feature comments from a number of
nationally-recognized figures. The breakfast will take place Sunday at 7:30
a.m. at Wallace Community College – Selma.” Hillary Clinton will speak at
the event, as will 2020 presidential hopefuls Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ),
Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and ex-HUD Secretary
Julian Castro. Ex-state Sen. Hank Sanders (D-AL) said presidential
candidates Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elizabeth
Warren (D-MA) were invited to the event, but weren’t able to attend. The
article adds, “Organizers have invited former Vice President Joe Biden” to
the event, “but have not received confirmation that” he’ll attend.
Media Analyses: Democratic Voters United In Desire To Oust Trump, But
Divided On Party’s Field.

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=00c-d39&t=c>
(2/25, Lah) reported, “In these first weeks of the 2020 campaign in the
early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, crowds of
voters have packed large venues” for events featuring various 2020
Democratic presidential contenders. The crowded field “has not thinned the
packs of the base, but has seemingly produced the opposite effect.” CNN
said that President Trump “is the very reason Democrats are filling town
halls for the candidates who want to unseat him,” according to “many
Democrats.” CNN added, “That common purpose among Democrats appears to be
an early unifier, but in the same way 2016 ignites enthusiasm for 2020, it
also raises concerns of an over-passionate Democratic base. The early fear
is splintering the vote among so many candidates.” Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=00d-58e&t=c>
(2/25, McCormick, Kapur, Kinery) similarly reported, “The deep desire among
Democrats to” defeat “Trump in 2020 is filling the chairs in Iowa homes and
meeting halls as candidates parade through the state. ... But among Iowans,
there’s still no agreement on who would be best to take on” Trump.

*Democrats Differ On Where To Focus Electoral Map Strategy In 2020.
*The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=00e-ba9&t=c>
(2/25, Martin, Burns) reports Democrats are debating whether the party’s
best path to 270 electoral votes lies in winning back traditionally
Democratic states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin that Trump won
by narrow margins in 2020, or making strong plays for “more demographically
promising Sun Belt states like Georgia and Arizona,” once-Republican states
now shifting racially. While candidates and potential contenders like
ex-Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Amy
Klobuchar (D-MN) would be expected to focus on those Midwestern states,
“there is a growing school of thought that Democrats should not spend so
much time, money and psychic energy tailoring their message to a heavily
white, rural and blue-collar part of the country when their coalition is
increasingly made up of racial minorities and suburbanites.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=00f-fa0&t=c>
(2/25, Peoples, Miller) reports that while “there are early signs that
Democrats are regaining their strength” in those three states won by Trump,
some of the Democrats “who know the region best are warning against
overconfidence and suggesting the leftward lurch from some candidates could
alienate the region’s working-class voters.” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)
“encouraged Democrats to rally behind a ‘pragmatic’ candidate focused on
achievable policies, a subtle dig at the aggressive liberal agenda that has
been embraced by some candidates.”

*WPost’s Cohen: Democrats’ Shift Left Could “Gift Reelection To
Trump.” *In a Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=010-030&t=c>
(2/25) column headlined “The Democratic Party Is Trying To Gift Reelection
To Trump,” Richard Cohen writes, “I don’t quite know what a handbasket is,
but the Democratic Party is in one headed toward electoral hell with its
talk of socialism and reparations. Given a Republican incumbent who has
never exceeded 50 percent in Gallup’s approval ratings poll, and who won
the presidency thanks to a dysfunctional electoral college, the party is
nevertheless determined to give Donald Trump a fair shot at reelection by
sabotaging itself.” Cohen says “Democrats need worthy candidates – some who
can occupy the media’s idle hours in Iowa and remind America that the party
is not in the least Trotskyite. Joe Biden would fit the bill. So would John
F. Kerry and, of course, so would Michael R. Bloomberg.”
Former Clinton Aides Blast Sanders For Flying On Private Jets.

Citing sources from Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=011-162&t=c>
(2/25, Lippman) reported that “in the final months of the 2016 campaign,”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “repeatedly requested and received the use of a
carbon-spewing private jet for himself and his traveling staff when he
served as a surrogate campaigner” for Clinton. Politico added, “Many in the
party...are eager to point out Sanders’ flaws and examples of what they
perceive to be examples of hypocrisy.”

Drawing from Politico’s story, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=012-07b&t=c>
(2/25, Rodrigo) reported that Sanders “has spent at least $342,000 on
private flights since 2016. ‘I’m not shocked that while thousands of
volunteers braved the heat and cold to knock on doors until their fingers
bled in a desperate effort to stop Donald Trump, his Royal Majesty King
Bernie Sanders would only deign to leave his plush DC office or his brand
new second home on the lake if he was flown around on a cushy private jet
like a billionaire master of the universe,’ Zac Petkanas, who was the
director of rapid response for the Clinton campaign, told Politico.”

*Sanders Targets Trump, Largely Ignore Democratic Rivals During CNN
Town Hall. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=013-6f9&t=c>
(2/25, Otterbein) reported that during a Monday town hall hosted by CNN,
Sanders occasionally “sounded like he was already running against President
Trump in a general election, rather than the crowded field of Democrats he
must first do battle with in the 2020 primary.” Sanders chided “Trump for
abandoning working Americans, promised to campaign in ‘Trump Country,’ and
even gave a nod to a county in Pennsylvania that voted for Trump after
backing Barack Obama twice.” Sanders said he thinks “he can defeat Trump in
Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, four swing states that were
key to the president’s victory in 2016.” His “message may reflect his
position in the race: Among the Democratic candidates who” have announced
bids, Sanders “is at the top of the polls.”

*Sanders Vows To Back Democratic Nominee. *During the town hall
hosted by CNN[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=014-dff&t=c>
(2/25), Sanders said, “I hope and believe that every Democratic candidate
will come together after the nominee is selected and make certain that
Donald Trump is not reelected President of the United States. And I pledge,
certainly, to do that. I hope I’m the nominee, but if I’m not, I will work
with that nominee. Trump has got to be defeated.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=015-f40&t=c>
(2/25, Burke) reported that during the event, Sanders said “he expects to
be treated fairly in 2020 by the Democratic National Committee (DNC)
despite lingering tensions over the 2016 primary. ‘In 2016, I think I will
not shock anybody to suggest that the DNC was not quite even handed. I
think we have come a long way since then and I fully expect to be treated
quite as well as anybody else,’” Sanders replied after being asked whether
he thinks “he can get a ‘fair shake’ in the Democratic nomination process.”
Sanders “was critical of the DNC during the primary in 2016 because he and
many of his supporters believed the committee was biased in favor of
Hillary Clinton.”

*Sanders Still Declines To Label Maduro A “Dictator.” *Business
Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=016-4b9&t=c>
(2/25, Haltiwanger) reported that during the town hall, Sanders “stopped
short of referring to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as a ‘dictator’ as
he expanded on how the US should address the crisis there.” In response to
a question on whether he thinks “Maduro is a dictator,” Sanders – who faced
“facing criticism from Democrats and others in recent days over his stance
on the pandemonium in Venezuela” – responded, “It’s fair to say the last
election was undemocratic, but there are still democratic operations taking
place in that country. What I am calling for right now is internationally
supervised free elections.”

*Sanders: Americans Wouldn’t Be Able To Keep Private Insurance
Under “Medicare-For-All.” *In an online article, Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=017-f66&t=c>
(2/25, Wulfsohn) reported that Sanders said during the town hall “that
under his progressive ‘Medicare-for-all’ proposal, Americans would not be
able to keep existing health insurance coverage from private plans even if
they wanted to do so.” CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer cited “statistics showing
half of Americans get their health insurance through their employers and
that a recent Gallup poll showed that 70 percent of those who get their
insurance from their employers like it. ‘Will these people be able to keep
their health insurance plans, their private plans through their employers,
if there’s a ‘Medicare-for-all’ program that you endorse,’ Blitzer asked.
‘No,’ Sanders responded,” but later added “that under his plan, Americans
could go to ‘any’ doctor or hospital they wanted and wouldn’t have to pay
‘any private insurance premiums.’”

*Rall: Sanders Must Move Farther Left To Compete. *Progressive
political cartoonist Ted Rall argues in a Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=018-59f&t=c>
(2/25) op-ed that with many Democratic presidential candidates having
seized the agenda Sanders championed in 2016, Sanders will need to move
even farther to the left to compete, perhaps by proposing a national health
service or student loan forgiveness.
Warren Vows Not To Hold High-Dollar Fundraising Events With Big-Money
Donors.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=019-359&t=c>
(2/25, Herndon) reports that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Monday
“escalated her presidential campaign’s battle against big money in
politics, announcing that...she would no longer hold the private
fund-raisers and one-on-one meetings with big donors that have become
typical for Democrats and Republicans.” Warren is quoted as writing in an
email to supporters, “That means no fancy receptions or big money
fund-raisers only with people who can write the big checks. It means that
wealthy donors won’t be able to purchase better seats or one-on-one time
with me at our events. And it means I won’t be doing ‘call time,’ which is
when candidates take hours to call wealthy donors to ask for their
support.”

The Boston Globe
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=01a-353&t=c>
(2/25, Goodwin) reports that Warren previously swore “off campaign
donations from PACs and support from SuperPACs,” and her latest “move will
likely put pressure on other Democrats who are facing the daunting task of
raising millions of dollars to get them through the primary while also
appealing to a base increasingly suspicious of special interests and the
influence of monied donors.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=01b-920&t=c>
(2/25, Korecki) reported, “The self-imposed restrictions allow Warren to
distinguish herself from the field at a time when candidates are in a mad
race for donations from small donors.”

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=01c-9d5&t=c>
(2/25, Lee, Correspondent) reported that Warren’s move “is an implicit
challenge to – and perhaps even criticism of – some of her competitors in
the Democratic field who have courted big-dollar donors and bundlers.”
The Huffington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=01d-fe3&t=c>
(2/25, Robillard) reported that Warren’s pledge “is a rejection of the way
that almost every presidential candidate in recent memory – from Barack
Obama to Jeb Bush – has brought in campaign funds.”
Castro, Harris, Warren Support Reparations For Slavery In Bid For
African-American Support.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=01e-975&t=c>
(2/25, Whack) reports, “Several Democratic presidential candidates are
embracing reparations for the descendants of slaves – but not in the
traditional sense.” Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA),
and ex-HUD Secretary Julian Castro recently talked “of the need for the US
government to reckon with and make up for centuries of stolen labor and
legal oppression.” However, rather than supporting “the direct compensation
of black Americans for the legacy of slavery, the Democratic candidates are
talking about using tax credits and other subsidies.” The AP observes that
“the shifting definition of reparations comes as White House hopefuls seek
to solidify their ties with black voters whose support will be crucial to
winning the Democratic nomination.” Similarly, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=01f-ecf&t=c>
(2/26, Parnes) reports that the Democrats’ support for “reparations to
compensate African-Americans for slavery” represents “a big shift that
points to a leftward tilt in this year’s race and the importance of winning
over black voters.”
The Atlantic’s Dovere: Iowa Critical To 2020 Hopes Of Harris, Klobuchar.

Writing for The Atlantic
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=020-901&t=c>
(2/25), Edward-Isaac Dovere contends that Iowa is crucial to the 2020 hopes
of Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). For Klobuchar, says
Dovere, a victory there “could validate her pitch that the 2020 election is
calling out for someone who can link the years her grandfather spent
working in a mine to the ‘grit’ to stand in a snowstorm for her own
campaign announcement two weeks ago, and connect a purported hard-nosed
pragmatism to years of big wins in her home state. For Harris, the state is
the essential test of whether the parts of the country far from the square
in Oakland where 22,000 stood in the streets for her announcement rally
last month are really ready for a half-Jamaican, half-Indian woman from
California who speaks bluntly about what’s gone wrong with America.”

*Harris Aggressively Wooing Progressive Groups In South Carolina. *
McClatchy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=021-5b0&t=c>
(2/25, Dumain) reports, “As the Democratic candidates for president try to
establish themselves in an increasingly crowded field,” Harris is
attempting “to corner the market on grassroots activists in the early
primary state of South Carolina. In interviews with nearly a dozen SC
advocacy groups – many of them local chapters of national progressive
organizations – representatives report they so far only have heard from the
campaign of” the California Democrat, whose “strategy has been to reach out
to these groups early, long before anyone is prepared to offer an
endorsement, in hopes of laying the groundwork for future support.”
USAToday’s Lawrence: 2020 Hopeful Klobuchar’s Alleged Mistreatment Of Staff
“Not Yet” Disqualifying.

In her USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=022-890&t=c>
(2/25) column, Jill Lawrence says that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “sounds
like a strange and unpleasant boss,” according to reports from “HuffPost,
BuzzFeed News and The New York Times,” which, “based on reviews of
documents and internal emails as well as interviews with as many as 20
former staffers who insisted on anonymity, suggest” the Minnesota Democrat
“can be volatile, abusive and paranoid.” Lawrence asks, “Are Klobuchar’s
apparent management flaws disturbing? Yes. Are they disqualifying? Not yet.
In the next 20 months,” Klobuchar has an opportunity to demonstrate “that
she can run a drama-free Senate office and a stable, even-keeled
presidential campaign.” Lawrence adds that President Trump “shows us every
single day why competence, discipline and management skills are absolutely
essential in the next president. It is a top consideration on my check list
for all candidates, as it should be for every American desperate to end the
Trump era.”
Buffett Says He’d Support Bloomberg Bid, Pans Potential Schultz Run.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=023-2e7&t=c>
(2/25, Shaban) reports that billionaire Warren Buffett said in a Monday
interview with CNBC that “it would be a ‘real mistake’ for former Starbucks
chief executive Howard Schultz to run for president” as an independent.
Buffett said doing so “would only siphon votes from the Democratic nominee,
‘So I think it would be a real mistake for him to run.’” Schulz also said
he would support billionaire ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D),
if he enters the 2020 race.

The Huffington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=024-417&t=c>
(2/25, Miller) reported that Buffett said Bloomberg said “would make for ‘a
very good president.’ ‘If Mike Bloomberg announced tomorrow that he was a
candidate, I would say I’m for him,’ Buffett said. ‘I think that he knows
how to run things. I think he’s got the right goals for America. He
understands people. He understands the market system.’” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=025-052&t=c>
(2/25, Samuels) also reported on Buffett’s remarks.
Inslee Would Focus 2020 Bid On Defeating Climate Change.

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=026-d6a&t=c>
(2/25, Halper) reports that Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA), who’s expected to
launch a 2020 presidential bid “in the coming days,” says climate change
would be the key focus of his campaign. Inslee told the Times, “If I get
into this race, it...is going to be for defeating climate change. ... I
will be the first candidate in history to say this has to be the No. 1
priority in the United States. This has to be the paramount duty of the
United States.” Inslee, “author of a book about climate change and [who]
worked with former California Gov. Jerry Brown to establish an alliance of
21 states committed to reaching the goals in the Paris agreement on climate
change, said the urgency of the problem requires it have the full attention
of the White House now. ‘It is the place to call America to a higher
horizon of achievement,’ Inslee said of the presidency.”

*Inslee Wants To Eliminate Filibuster. *The Huffington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=027-e1f&t=c>
(2/25, Bobic) reported that Inslee on Monday “came out forcefully for
eliminating the filibuster. ‘I do believe that the time for the filibuster
has come and gone,’ Inslee told HuffPost.” HuffPost added that “most of the
declared or likely Democratic candidates either outright oppose eliminating
the filibuster, or have equivocated when asked whether they could support
doing so.” Inslee, a former congressman, “argued that senators ‘need to put
their personal sort of fiefdoms that they think that they enjoy aside to
getting basic democracy.’ He said he feels similar changes are needed to
address the Electoral College, ‘which I think needs to pass into history,
and people’s votes ought to count.’”
NYTimes: Hillary Clinton Casts Shadow Over 2020 Democratic Field.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=028-8ba&t=c>
(2/26, Goldmacher, Lerer) reports, “After eight years as first lady, eight
years as New York senator, four years as secretary of state and five months
as the party’s presidential nominee,” Hillary Clinton is still “a singular
and complicated figure when it comes to Democratic presidential politics.
In a 2020 race featuring a historic number of female candidates, Mrs.
Clinton’s shadow is inescapable, particularly as she is a favorite target
of President Trump. Whether it is building or deepening a relationship with
Mrs. Clinton – or navigating or repairing a long-term one – the men and
women in the 2020 race must grapple with how the 2016 nominee will factor
into the next 18 months.”
Activists Press Democratic Presidential Candidates To Commit To Expanding
Supreme Court.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=029-b47&t=c>
(2/25, Thompson) reported, “Progressive activists are pushing 2020
Democratic presidential candidates to commit to expanding the number of
Supreme Court justices in order to dilute to current conservative
majority.” A new group called Pack The Courts says it has raised over
$500,000 and has “partnered with Demand Justice, a progressive group
founded in 2018 that is trying to match the Republican organizing efforts
around the Judiciary.”
Politico: “Several” Top GOP Donors Think Trump Camp Lacks A 2020 Strategy.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=02a-577&t=c>
(2/25, Kumar, Severns) reported that in January, over “100 major Republican
donors” convened “for a presentation from [President Trump’s] campaign
manager Brad Parscale and other top political hands on their plans to keep
the White House in 2020.” However, “several of the GOP contributors left
the two-day retreat in Washington dissatisfied, dogged by essentially the
same concern: The president doesn’t really have a strategy to win
reelection. They are chiefly worried about how he intends to prevail again
in the Rust Belt states that voted for Trump in 2016, but where Democrats
performed strongly in last year’s midterms. But there are also concerns
about whether the president’s fundraising apparatus is up to the task, and
whether Trump will trample on any strategy or message the campaign does
develop, as he frequently does.”

*Trump Camp Already Spending Heavily On Digital Ads. *Striking a
much different tone, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=02b-38d&t=c>
(2/25, Axelrod, Burke, Nam) reported that Trump “is ramping up his
formidable digital operation nearly two years before the 2020 election,
doubling down on a playbook that helped pave his path to the White House.
Trump’s campaign has already spent more than $3.5 million in small,
targeted ads on Facebook, while an allied group has spent more than $6
million.” And as was the case “in 2016, Trump is pairing the heavy spending
with an active Twitter feed, dishing out insults and mocking his potential
Democratic opponents as their long and crowded race to the nomination gets
underway.” The Hill added, “The heavy spending is raising alarm among some
strategists who work with Democrats, who warn 2020 contenders risk falling
too far behind.”
Leading the News
Seoul: Trump, Kim May Declare End Of Korean War At Summit.

President Trump took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=02c-8d0&t=c>
Monday afternoon to write, “Heading over to Vietnam for my meeting with Kim
Jong Un. Looking forward to a very productive Summit!” Earlier in the day,
Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=02d-357&t=c>,
“Meeting for breakfast with our Nation’s Governors – then off to Vietnam
for a very important Summit with Kim Jong Un. With complete
Denuclearization, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse.
Without it, just more of the same. Chairman Kim will make a wise decision!”
The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=02e-02b&t=c>
(2/25, Shear) reports the President’s “optimistic assessment came amid
indications that the administration may be preparing to deliver something
that Mr. Kim desperately wants: a joint political statement declaring an
end to the Korean War.” However, the Times says it is “uncertain how much
progress toward denuclearization Mr. Trump is prepared to demand from Mr.
Kim in exchange for a declaration of peace.”

On ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=02f-ced&t=c>
(2/25, story 4, 2:30, Muir), Jonathan Karl said Trump is “eager to leave
his political problems behind and hungry for a win on the world stage. The
President believes he can succeed where his predecessors failed, but he
faces skeptics, some in his own Administration, who say Kim Jong Un has no
intention of giving up his nuclear weapons.” Karl said Kim “is looking for
a win too, eager to free his country from crippling economic sanctions.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=030-9bd&t=c>
(2/25, Shin) says “hope raised on Monday for an official peace on the
peninsula at long last.” Trump, speaking ahead of his departure for the
summit, “said he believed he saw eye to eye with Kim and that they had
developed ‘a very, very good relationship.’ But he appeared to play down
any hope of a major breakthrough.” According to Reuters, “speculation the
Trump administration is open to a limited deal at the summit has raised
expectations the two sides might declare an end” to the Korean War.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=031-26d&t=c>
(2/25, Choe) reports South Korean officials on Monday indicated that Trump
and Kim “could agree on a joint political statement declaring an end” to
the war. Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in,
said, “The possibility is open. We still don’t know exactly what format the
end-of-war declaration will take, but there is an ample possibility of
North Korea and the United States agreeing to such a declaration.”

Bonnie Jenkins writes for Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=032-52b&t=c>
(2/25) that “if Trump is serious about denuclearizing North Korea, he
should also use the summit...to take steps toward negotiating a peace
agreement and formally ending the Korean War.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=033-d07&t=c>
(2/25, Kim), however, reports that the declaration “would not be the same
as a legally binding peace treaty, so technically either side could go back
on their word.”

Under the headline “Expectations Low As Trump Looks For Win In
North Korea Summit,” the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=034-5de&t=c>
(2/25, Lemire) reports Trump “will head into his second meeting
with...Kim...having reframed what would make a successful summit, lowering
expectations for Pyongyang’s denuclearization while eager to declare a
flashy victory to offset the political turmoil he faces at home.” NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=035-fe2&t=c>
(2/25, story 4, 1:50, Guthrie) too said “Trump has been...trying to lower
expectations for this summit...referring to the fact that North Korea has
not conducted a missile test since late 2017.”

In the lead story for the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=036-b73&t=c>
(2/25, lead story, 3:20, Dickerson), Ben Tracy reported Trump has “said
he’s no longer insisting that North Korea quickly denuclearize,” stating,
“I’m not in a rush. I don’t want to rush anybody. I just don’t want
testing. As long as there’s no testing, we’re happy.” However, Tracy
reported that while “North Korea has not tested any more weapons for more
than a year...there is clear evidence the regime is still producing nuclear
fuel and working on its weapons program.”

On Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=037-5fe&t=c>
(2/25), co-host Brian Kilmeade said, “A lot of people are actually souring
on this summit 2.0 before it even happens.” Co-host Ainsley Earhart added
that President Trump has said, “As long as there is no testing, we are
happy.” Kilmeade added, “I don’t love the statement that he made yesterday,
when he said, ‘if they just don’t test, I’m okay with it.’” According to
Kilmeade, “That’s an over-simplification,” because the North Koreans “can
build without testing.”

Simon Denyer writes in a Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=038-4bf&t=c>
(2/25) analysis that the “outlines for a grand bargain” between Trump and
Kim “are broadly in place,” but the “question in Hanoi this week is whether
the two men can close the deal.” Denyer says last year’s summit between the
two leaders “was criticized by many experts because Trump failed to secure
any concrete pledges from Kim to surrender his nuclear weapons.” He writes
that “it is far from clear the US and North Korean negotiating teams have
had enough time to reach a deal on the core issue – denuclearization –
ahead of this hastily arranged summit, or indeed whether two sides can find
common ground, experts say.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=039-81a&t=c>
(2/25, Fritze, Collins) reports that while “Trump has maintained punishing
economic sanctions on North Korea,” he has “also held out what he describes
as the economic benefits for North Korea if it chooses to denuclearize.”
Kim, however, “has shown little sign he intends to take concrete steps
toward denuclearization.”

A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=03a-660&t=c>
(2/25, Jeong, Yoon) analysis says sanctions no longer have much leverage
for the US, as North Korea as adapted to them. Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=03b-f00&t=c>
(2/25, Smith) reports along similar lines that “analysts say time is
running out on Washington’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign.” While Kim
“appears eager to secure at least some relief from sanctions,” Reuters
reports that “across the region there are signs the political and economic
pressure on North Korea has sprung leaks as Pyongyang adapts to
restrictions and more countries signal their willingness to reopen trade.”

*Babin, WSJournal, Hilton And Hannity Among Those Praising Trump’s
Efforts. *Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) writes in USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=03c-ca7&t=c>
(2/25) that with President Trump’s “bold new tack in dealing with North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un, we are closer to discovering a path to peace
than we’ve been in decades. That progress was unthinkable little more than
two years ago.” This week’s summit in Hanoi, he argues, “is another step in
the right direction, but it can only succeed if all options remain on the
table.”

A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=03d-c86&t=c>
(2/25) editorial says Trump deserves some credit for diplomatic outreach to
Kim, which it argues has created an opening to reduce the risk of nuclear
war. The question now, it says, is whether the talks can translate into a
tangible deal.

Fox News’ Steve Hilton said on Fox News’ Special Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=03e-042&t=c>
(2/25), “You see a lot of criticism of the President from the foreign
policy establishment and his political rivals saying there’s not enough
concrete steps here, nothing is really happening. But the fact that they
are talking, that is a positive result. Frankly, if any other President,
whether Republican or Democrat, had got to this point, first by getting
China to participate in the pressure campaign and then to really reboot
this relationship so that we are talking rather than being on the brink of
nuclear catastrophe, they would be hailed as a foreign policy genius.”

Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=03f-5c8&t=c>
(2/25), “The President’s peace-through-strength policies have been
overwhelming successful. The President deployed multiple aircraft, strike
groups to the region, increased sanctions, squeezed North Korea’s only
ally, China, and making progress as he talked about this weekend. The
missiles haven’t been fired in 15 months. The threats have stopped. Kim
Jong un is back at the table discussing denuclearization. We got our
hostages back. We got the remains from the Korean War. And of course, the
President has given nothing in return to them.”

*USA Today: Talk Of Nobel Peace Prize “Premature.” *USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=040-b5c&t=c>
(2/25) editorializes President Trump “covets a Nobel Peace Prize for his
limited efforts (his staff successfully solicited a nomination for the
prize from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year, according to
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper)” with North Korea. USA Today argues that
“if, eventually, there’s tangible and verifiable progress that persuades
Kim to relinquish horrible weapons of mass destruction, then we can talk
Nobel. Until then, the prize is as premature as the one awarded to Trump’s
predecessor.”

*WPost A1 Analysis: Trump Has “Unwavering Faith” In Relationship
With Kim. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=041-8ac&t=c>
(2/24, A1, Rucker, Dawsey) reports on its front page that despite warnings
from his advisers and allies around the world, “Trump is steadfast in his
determination to meet face-to-face” this week with Kim Jong Un, “aides say,
because he has an unwavering faith in the power of the pen-pal relationship
he has cultivated with the North Korean leader not only to bend the course
of history but to shape his own legacy.” The Post adds that Trump said
Sunday, “It’s a very interesting thing to say, but I’ve developed a very,
very good relationship. We’ll see what that means. But he’s never had a
relationship with anybody from this country and hasn’t had lots of
relationships anywhere.” The Post says that since their first meeting last
year, “the two leaders have adopted a strategy of playing to each other’s
ego with gushing and gratuitous adoration in pursuit of their aims.”

*LATimes Analysis: Trump’s Engagement With North Korea Supported By
South Korean Liberals. *The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=042-00f&t=c>
(2/25, Kim) reports President Trump’s engagement with North Korea has made
him “something of a hero to South Korean liberals who have long advocated
rapprochement with the North.” In fact, South Korean liberals “are praising
Trump for diplomatic prowess and bold decision-making, with one prominent
academic calling his presidency a ‘blessing’ for the Korean peninsula.”

*CBS News Analysis: Vietnam A Strategic Location For Summit. *The CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=043-788&t=c>
(2/25, story 2, 0:30, Glor) reported the decision to hold the summit in
Vietnam “is a purposeful one” According to CBS, the US is highlighting
Vietnam’s economic success as an example for North Korea. The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=044-cfc&t=c>
(2/25, Boyer) similarly reports that “when President Trump looks at
Vietnam, he sees what North Korea could become – a thriving economy with
luxury high-rises and beachfront condos that has rebuilt itself under
Communist rule.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=045-8c2&t=c>
(2/25, Ives) reports South Korea and the United States “see Vietnam’s
postwar reconciliation with old enemies – and its booming economic growth
of the last few decades – as a potential model for Mr. Kim’s government to
follow.” The Times says Kim’s “movements and comments in Vietnam may offer
a glimpse of whether he agrees.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=046-b89&t=c>
(2/25, Klug) reports with both Trump and Kim en route to Hanoi for this
week’s talks, “Vietnamese officials scrambled Monday to finish preparations
for a rushed summit that will capture global attention. Officials in Hanoi
said they had about 10 days to prepare for the summit – much less than the
nearly two months they said Singapore was given for the first Trump-Kim
meeting last year – but still vowed to provide airtight security for the
two leaders.” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told
reporters at a briefing, “Security will be at the maximum level.”

*North Koreans In Japan Hopeful Ahead Of Summit. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=047-fdd&t=c>
(2/25, Rich) reports that ahead of this week’s summit, “there is nervous
anticipation that a political thaw could ease the North out of its long
isolation. Perhaps nowhere is that hope stronger than among ethnic
Koreans...in Japan – a community that embraced North Korea as the rest of
the world cut it off.”

*Russia: US Asked For Advice On North Korea Talks. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=048-3f6&t=c>
(2/25) reports Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that the
US “has asked Moscow’s advice in dealing with North Korea” ahead of this
week’s summit in Vietnam. Lavrov, “who is also visiting Vietnam this week,
said in comments carried by Russian news agencies on Monday that Russia
believes that the US ought to offer Pyongyang ‘security guarantees’ for the
disarmament deal to succeed.”

*Donilon: Trump Misleading American People About North Korea. *Former
National Security Adviser Tom Donilon writes for Politico Magazine
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=049-25a&t=c>
(2/25) that while “diplomacy is clearly the preferable path,” President
Trump “has not leveled with the American people about the nature of the
North Korean nuclear threat or about what his outreach has accomplished.”
Donilon argues that “the American people, as well as our allies, have
important decisions to make about the level of risk from North Korea we are
prepared to accept. The least we can demand of our president is that he
soberly take stock of the threat and deliver an honest assessment of it to
the nation.”

*Brookings Fellow: US Must Confront North Korea’s Human Rights
Record. *Thomas Wright, director of the Center for the US and Europe at the
Brookings Institution, writes for Politico Magazine
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=04a-e3d&t=c>
(2/25, Wright) that Secretary of State Pompeo was recently “pressed about
human rights violations in North Korea,” and said, “We talk about them with
great frequency, the same way we talk about human rights violations in
every country in which we find them.” Wright calls this “an extraordinary
statement” that “rewrit[es] history to sanitize the North Korean regime.”

*Poll: Americans Have Best Perception Of US’ World Image Since
2003. *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=04b-2b7&t=c>
(2/25, Athey) reports “Americans’ favorability perception of the United
States’ image around the world is the highest it’s been since the start of
the Iraq War in 2003, according to a new Gallup poll.” The poll found “58
percent of Americans surveyed said that they believe the United States is
viewed ‘very’ or ‘somewhat favorably’ in the eyes of the world, up slightly
from 55 percent last year.” The DC says “notably, that is the highest net
favorability rating since 2003, when Gallup recorded 61 percent of
respondents believe the United States was viewed favorably in the world’s
eyes.” UPI
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=04c-9c8&t=c>
(2/25) reports there is a “sharp divide between Democrats and
Republicans...with 36 percent of Democrats rating it favorably, versus 80
percent of Republicans.”
Foreign Policy
Trump Raises Prospect Of “Signing Summit” With Xi As Trade Talks Advance.

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=04d-12c&t=c>
(2/25, Pettypiece, Mayeda, Leonard) reports President Trump on Monday
“raised the prospect that he could sign a new trade deal” with Chinese
President Xi Jinping, “as both sides expressed optimism that substantial
progress is being made toward ending the trade war” between the two
nations. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “It looks like they will be
coming back quickly again,” referring to the possibility of Chinese
negotiators returning after a week of talks. “We are going to have a
signing summit, which is even better,” Trump said. He added: “We are
getting very, very close.” However, Bloomberg says Trump “promptly tempered
his enthusiasm,” saying that a deal “might not happen at all.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=04e-696&t=c>
(2/25, Holland, Brice) likewise reports Trump said he is “optimistic...but
cautioned an agreement may still not happen.”

On Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=04f-247&t=c>
Monday afternoon, Trump wrote, “China Trade Deal (and more) in advanced
stages. Relationship between our two Countries is very strong. I have
therefore agreed to delay U.S. tariff hikes. Let’s see what happens?” In a
second tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=050-32e&t=c>
Monday evening, he wrote, “If a deal is made with China, our great American
Farmers will be treated better than they have ever been treated before!”

A Bloomberg Opinion
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=051-665&t=c>
(2/25) editorial titled, “The US-China Cease-Fire on Trade Is Promising,”
says Trump’s decision to extend the tariff deadline is “good news.”
Bloomberg adds, “There’s no guarantee he’s about to strike a sensible
agreement on trade with Beijing, but the suspension of hostilities is
welcome.” Bloomberg goes on to say that “Trump’s negotiators (who are more
hawkish than their boss) are now under pressure to conclude a deal before”
Trump and Xi meet. According to Bloomberg, “It will be a pity if the terms
fudge the long-term issues.”

Paul Krugman writes in his New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=052-f61&t=c>
(2/25, Krugman) column, “There’s been some good news on global trade
lately: A full-scale US-China trade war appears to be on hold, and may be
avoided altogether.” But the bad news, according to Krugman, “is that if we
do make a trade deal with China, it will basically be because the Chinese
are offering Donald Trump a personal political payoff. At the same time, a
much more dangerous trade conflict with Europe is looming. And the
Europeans, who still have this peculiar thing called rule of law, can’t
bribe their way to trade peace.”

*NYTimes Analysis: “Democrats And Even Some Republicans” Concerned
About Parameters Of Deal. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=053-768&t=c>
(2/25, Rappeport) says Trump “faces increased pressure from Republicans,
Democrats and some of his own advisers to win the kind of tough concessions
that Beijing has long resisted.” While the President’s “optimism” has
“cheered Wall Street and business lobbyists, who have been pushing for a
quick end to the trade war...Democrats and even some Republicans are not so
sanguine.” The Times reports that “top Democrats, in an effort to outflank
Mr. Trump on China, are warning loudly that the Chinese may simply be
dangling false promises in hopes of getting the president to end a trade
war that is hurting American farmers and damaging the Chinese economy.”
Some Republicans, meanwhile, “fear that Mr. Trump may settle for a deal
that simply reduces the trade deficit between the two countries.”

*Chinese Markets Soar On Signs Trade War Could Be Ending. *The
Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=054-ab7&t=c>
(2/25, Fifield) reports Chinese stock markets “surged to their highest
level in almost four years” on Monday after President Trump announced he
would delay plans to increase tariffs on China. The benchmark Shanghai
Shenzhen composite indexes “both rose 5.6 percent during trading on
Monday.”

*US Brings Campaign Against Huawei To Biggest Mobile Industry
Event. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=055-c6d&t=c>
(2/25, Chan) reports that at MWC Barcelona, “the world’s biggest mobile
industry trade fair,” has been “overshadowed” by the “global battle between
the US government and Chinese tech company Huawei over allegations that it
is a cybersecurity risk.” The US government “dispatched a big delegation to
press its case with telecom executives and government officials that they
should not use Huawei as a supplier over national security concerns.” In
what the AP calls “a fresh salvo, 11 US senators on Monday called for the
federal government to ban solar power inverters – advanced control systems
– made by Huawei, saying they pose a national security threat to US energy
infrastructure.”
Trump Announces US Hostage Freed From Captivity In Yemen.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=056-8f1&t=c>
(2/25) reports President Trump announced Monday that American Danny Burch
has been freed after 18 months of captivity in Yemen. Trump thanked the
United Arab Emirates “for its role in reuniting Burch with his family.”
According to the AP, the White House “did not provide additional details on
Burch’s case, citing privacy concerns.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=057-91e&t=c>
(2/25, story 10, 0:20, Muir) reported briefly that the “63-year-old
American oil worker” was “taken captive in 2017.”

In a series of tweets, Trump wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=058-a3c&t=c>,
“It is my honor today to announce that Danny Burch, a United States citizen
who has been held hostage in Yemen for 18 months, has been recovered and
reunited with his wife and children. I appreciate the support of the United
Arab Emirates in bringing Danny home ...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=059-292&t=c>
Danny’s recovery reflects the best of what the United States & its partners
can accomplish. We work every day to bring Americans home. We maintain
constant and intensive diplomatic, intelligence, and law enforcement
cooperation within the United States Government and with...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=05a-e26&t=c>
our foreign partners. Recovering American hostages is a priority of my
Admin, and with Danny’s release, we have now secured freedom for 20
American captives since my election victory. We will not rest as we
continue our work to bring the remaining American hostages back home!”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=05b-bfc&t=c>
(2/25, Choi) reports Trump “used the news of Burch’s return to celebrate US
alliances with countries in the region, using a starkly different tone from
his usual antipathy toward traditional American allies.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=05c-9f0&t=c>
(2/25, Feis) likewise says “Trump credited America’s allies in the region
with helping to secure [Burch’s] release.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=05d-e69&t=c>
(2/25, Samuels) says Trump’s announcement “comes after reports last month
that Burch had been freed and sent to Oman after being captured by Yemeni
rebels in 2017.” The Washington Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=05e-178&t=c>
(2/25, Kredo), Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=05f-c33&t=c>
(2/25, Yilek) and Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=060-b05&t=c>
(2/25, Athey), among other outlets, similarly report Trump’s announcement.
Assad Meets Khamenei In First Iran Visit Since War Began.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=061-fad&t=c>
(2/25, Al-Khalidi) reports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “made his first
public visit” to Iran since the start of the war in Syrian eight years ago,
meeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday. The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=062-82f&t=c>
(2/25) reports that during the “rare trip abroad,” Assad “thanked the
Islamic Republic for its support throughout Syria’s conflict, official news
agencies in Syria and Iran said.” Assad also met with President Hassan
Rouhani.
Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif Resigns.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=063-023&t=c>
(2/25, Hafezi) reports Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
“announced his resignation unexpectedly on Monday on Instagram.” Zarif
wrote, “Many thanks for the generosity of the dear and brave people of Iran
and its authorities over the past 67 months. I sincerely apologise for the
inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my
service. Be happy and worthy.” According to Reuters, Zarif “gave no
specific reasons for his decision.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=064-348&t=c>
(2/25, Karimi, Gambrell) likewise says Zarif “suddenly resigned late Monday
night without warning.” The AP says his resignation leaves President Hassan
Rouhani “without one of his main allies.” To the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022601biden&r=email-bbd1&l=065-8a1&t=c>
(2/25, Hubbard), the announcement marks “a sudden end t