On Politics A.M.: Trump’s Iran Strategy Could Cost Him in 2020

2020年1月14日星期二

January 14, 2020

Good Tuesday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

The specter of a new conflict in the Middle East threatens the political coalition that President Trump built in 2016 by running against a national Republican Party that many voters came to see as indifferent when it came to the human cost of war. Can he campaign as both a bellicose commander in chief and an opponent of “endless” wars?

In the 10 days since it carried out the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the Trump administration has been struggling to draft an after-the-fact narrative to justify it. But when Mr. Trump tweeted that an explanation “doesn’t really matter” because of the general’s “horrible past,” he bolstered critics of the strike.
Russian hackers are targeting the Ukrainian gas company at the center of Mr. Trump’s impeachment. Security experts suggest Russia may be looking for the same kind of damaging information on the Bidens that Mr. Trump sought from Ukraine.

Attorney General William P. Barr declared that the deadly shooting last month at a naval air station in Pensacola, Fla., was an act of terrorism, and he asked Apple in an unusually high-profile request to provide access to two phones used by the gunman.

Offering a major concession to the Chinese government, the Trump administration formally removed China’s designation as a currency manipulator on Monday.
A new Iowa poll showed a close race for the Democratic nomination there, with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the lead and his three closest competitors tightly clustered behind him.

Iowans are worried that the 2020 race is a “mess.” Uncertainty, verging on anxiety and even panic for some Democrats, reflects the responsibility they feel as they seek a nominee who can beat the president in the general election.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said on Monday night that Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont told her in 2018 he did not think a woman could win the presidency. Mr. Sanders has denied making the remark.

In an interview with the New York Times editorial board, Mr. Sanders talked about guns, China and birthdays. Most notably, he said he’d consider releasing a list of potential Supreme Court nominees he would put forward if elected president.

For almost two decades, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has been viewed as a future leader in the Democratic Party. But on Monday, that promise remained unfulfilled, as Mr. Booker ended his campaign for the White House.
Six Democrats will debate in Des Moines tonight — the smallest stage yet in the 2020 race. Join our reporters for a live chat on nytimes.com beginning shortly before 9 p.m. Eastern time. In the meantime, here’s a guide to the debate.

Today’s On Politics briefing was compiled by Isabella Grullón Paz in New York.

Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.