Closing summary
That’s it for our US politics live blog. Here’s what happened today:
A special grand jury investigating election interference led by Donald Trump in Georgia has recommended several indictments for a number of people, reported the New York Times. Most of the information on the charges and the people indicted are sealed.
Joe Biden gave a speech this afternoon in Warsaw, Poland, where he vowed the United States and its allies “will not tire” in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Barbara Lee joined the race for California’s Senate seat, the third progressive Democratic House vying to replace Dianne Feinstein.
The supreme court heard a case that could have a major impact on online speech.
Thank you for reading! Join us back tomorrow for more politics updates.
Updated
Follow our international coverage of Biden’s speech and other developments in Ukraine here.
Here’s more on Biden’s recent speech in Poland about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, from the Guardian’s Julian Borger:
Joe Biden has claimed Vladimir Putin’s year of war against Ukraine has left behind “burned-out tanks and Russian forces in disarray” but he also warned of “very bitter days” ahead in the defence of democracy in eastern Europe.
Biden issued a rallying cry in a speech to mark the first anniversary of the full-scale invasion, addressing a crowd of 30,000, mostly Poles and Ukrainians, in front of the arches below Warsaw’s royal castleon Tuesday evening.
He was speaking after Putin had delivered a speech of his own, in which he blamed the west for the war and announced the withdrawal of Russian participation in the 2010 New Start treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia.
Joe Biden has claimed Vladimir Putin’s year of war against Ukraine has left behind “burned-out tanks and Russian forces in disarray” but he also warned of “very bitter days” ahead in the defence of democracy in eastern Europe.
Biden issued a rallying cry in a speech to mark the first anniversary of the full-scale invasion, addressing a crowd of 30,000, mostly Poles and Ukrainians, in front of the arches below Warsaw’s royal castleon Tuesday evening.
He was speaking after Putin had delivered a speech of his own, in which he blamed the west for the war and announced the withdrawal of Russian participation in the 2010 New Start treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia.
Biden did not respond to the announcement or mention Putin’s speech in his own address. The White House was adamant the Russian leader had changed the date of his speech to coincide with Biden’s trip to eastern Europe. However, the US president did ridicule Putin for the failure of his ambitions to conquer Ukraine in a few days last February.
Read the full article here.
Trump has labeled Fox News a “RINO” (Republican Only in Name) network, criticizing the news station over its coverage of Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
On Tuesday, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to rip into Fox over their coverage of a DeSantis rally, writing: “So interesting to watch FoxNews cover the small and unenthusiastic 139 person crowd in Staten Island for DeSantis, but stay as far away as possible from coverage of the thousands of people, many unable to get in, at the Club 47 event in West Palm Beach, Florida.”
Trump continued, writing: “I call FoxNews the RINO Network, and their DOWN BIG Ratings accurately reflect the name. If FAKE NEWS CNN was smart, which they’re not, they’d go Conservative & “All Trump, All the Time,” like in 2016, and become a Ratings Juggernaut…”
The recent attacks on Fox from Trump follow as Fox continue to spotlight DeSantis, who is expected to run for president in 2024.
Special grand jury in Georgia recommends several indictments
A special grand jury investigating election interference led by Donald Trump in Georgia has recommended several indictments for a number of people, reported the New York Times.
The jury’s foreman Emily Kohrs announced the indictments during an interview today, but noted that most of them remain sealed.
When asked if the list of indictments included Trump, Kohrs replied: “You’re not going to be shocked. It’s not rocket science,” adding, “you won’t be too surprised.”
New York representative George Santos admitted he was a “terrible liar” about his education and job history while giving an interview to UK television personality Piers Morgan.
During the 40-minute TalkTV interview, Santos admitted that he lied about his educational and professional background, but that other aspects of his background were truthful, including that his parents survived the Holocaust.
Santos said: “I’ve been a terrible liar on those subjects…It wasn’t about tricking the people. This was about getting accepted by the party here locally.”
Santos contributed his lies to expectations he faced within society and in the party.
Read the full Politico article here.
International reactions to Biden’s speech in Warsaw, Poland are pouring in, as the president pledges to continue supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Follow our international coverage of the speech and other developments in Ukraine here.
Rhode Island representative David Cicilline will retire from office at the end of June, his office announced on Tuesday.
Cicilline’s statement read:
Serving the people of Rhode Island’s First Congressional District has been the honor of my lifetime…As President and CEO of one of the largest and oldest community foundations in the nation, I look forward to expanding on the work I have led for nearly thirty years in helping to improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders.
Read the full article from the Hill here.
The day so far
Joe Biden just concluded a speech before a crowd of thousands in Warsaw, Poland, where he vowed the United States and its allies “will not tire” in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. The day before, the president had personally pledged more American assistance to president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a quick and secretive visit to Kyiv. But it wasn’t good enough for several Republicans, who said Biden would be better off visiting the border with Mexico, or perhaps the site of a recent train derailment and toxic material spill in Ohio.
Here’s what else has happened today so far:
Barbara Lee joined the race for California’s Senate seat, becoming the third progressive Democratic House representative seeking to replace Dianne Feinstein.
The supreme court heard a case that could have a major impact on online speech.
Beer magnates are playing a surprising role in the high-stakes race for an open Wisconsin supreme court seat.
Follow the Guardian’s live politics blog for the rest of the day’s news, which is now being helmed by Gloria Oladipo.
Joe Biden’s address on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was about one thing: solidarity.
Solidarity with both Ukraine and with Poland, the Western ally who shares a border with a country Moscow desperately wants complete control over. Beyond that, it was about solidarity among Nato members, who have banded together to stop that from happening – even if their cooperation can occasionally grow fraught.
Her is the core of Biden’s just-concluded speech, where the focus on solidarity becomes clear:
One year into this war, Putin no longer doubts the strength of our coalition, but he still doubts our conviction. He doubts our staying power, he doubts our continued support for Ukraine, he doubts whether Nato can remain unified. But there should be no doubt. Our support for Ukraine will not waver. Nato will not be divided, and we will not tire. President Putin’s craven lust for land and power will fail. And the Ukrainian people’s love for their country will prevail. Democracies in the world will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever.
Biden to announce further sanctions on Russia
The United States plans to further tighten sanctions against Russia as punishment for its ongoing war in Ukraine, Joe Biden said.
“We continue to maintain the largest sanction regime ever imposed in any country in history, and we’re going to announce more sanctions this week together with our partners,” Biden said. “We’ll hold accountable those who are responsible for this war and will seek justice for the war crimes and crimes against humanity continuing to be committed by the Russians.”
Last week at the annual Munich Security Conference, Kamala Harris said the Biden administration has determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Updated
In anniversary speech, Biden vows 'Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia'
Speaking before a crowd of thousands in the gardens of Warsaw’s Royal Castle, Joe Biden hailed the resilience of Ukraine’s people and the benevolence of Poland and other western allies in helping fend off the Russian invasion.
“Autocrats only understand one word: no.” Biden said. “No, you will not take my country. No, you will not take my freedom. No, you will not take my future. I’ll repeat tonight what I said last year at the same place. A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never be able to ease the people’s love of liberties. Brutality will never grind down the will of the free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, never.”
He then condemned Russian president Vladimir Putin for the invasion, which began on 24 February of last year.
“This war is never a necessity. It’s a tragedy. President Putin chose this war. Every day the war continues is his choice. He could end the war with a word. It’s simple. Russia stops invading Ukraine, it would end the war. If Ukraine stopped defending itself against Russia, it would be the end of Ukraine. That’s why together, we’re making sure Ukraine can defend itself,” Biden said.
Updated
The GOP’s leadership in Congress remains supportive of Washington’s efforts to back Ukraine, but that will doesn’t necessarily trickle down to all lawmakers.
This morning, Kevin Hern became the latest House Republican to appear on Fox News criticizing Joe Biden for his visit to Kyiv, and made the familiar argument that the president would have been better off visiting the southern border. But Hern isn’t just any lawmaker – he heads the Republican Study Committee, the largest GOP caucus in either House of Congress.
Here’s his full interview:
Rep. Kevin Hern rips Biden for spending more time in Kyiv than at then southern border@repkevinhern @MariaBartiromo @FoxBusiness pic.twitter.com/2MgXCIxPd7
— Mornings with Maria (@MorningsMaria) February 21, 2023
That said, not all Republicans are shrugging off Biden’s visit.
“I am very pleased that President Biden took the time and effort to visit Ukraine, and meet with President Zelensky. This was the right signal to send at the right time. A presidential visit to Ukraine, along with the statements made by Vice President Harris at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine, are a powerful combination,” GOP senator Lindsey Graham said yesterday, after Biden returned to Poland from Kyiv.
He then called for Washington to send advanced fighter jets to Ukraine, and designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
“Words are powerful, but they must be followed by powerful actions as well,” Graham said.
Biden to speak on anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine
Joe Biden is expected to restate Washington’s commitment to Ukraine when he gives a speech at 11:30 am eastern time that will mark one year since the Russian invasion.
The president will deliver the remarks from Poland, a day after he made a secret and risky visit to Kyiv, where he appeared alongside president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce more support for Ukraine’s war effort.
We’re keeping an eye on the speech on this blog, but for more in-depth coverage, follow the Guardian’s Russia-Ukraine war live blog, linked below:
There’s more than one supreme court that’s making news today. While the US supreme court is wading into tech law, voters in Wisconsin are casting ballots in a primary election for a new justice on their top state court, which could prove critical to the future of everything from voting rights to abortion in the state. The Guardian’s Ed Pilkington and Sam Levine look at the unlikely role a beer dynasty is playing in the election:
When Wisconsinites vote on Tuesday in primary elections for a justice’s seat on the state’s supreme court, few will be aware that much of the big money pouring into this race hails from just one family whose fortunes flow from beer.
Millions of dollars have been injected into the battle by members of the Uihlein family, a manufacturing dynasty with roots in Milwaukee. The huge sums could help determine the balance of power on the state’s top court and in turn influence critical areas of public life – from abortion to voting rights, and potentially even the 2024 presidential election.
The source of the Uihleins’ fabulous wealth traces back to 1875, when Joseph Schlitz, the owner of a brewing company, died in a shipwreck off the Isles of Scilly. Control of the firm passed to four Uihlein brothers who were next in the line of inheritance and who went on to build the brand into the largest beer producer in America. Schlitz became ubiquitous under the jingle: “The beer that made Milwaukee famous.”
Though its star has fallen, Schlitz beer is still popular in the midwest, and the Uihleins have gone on to become even richer and more powerful. They have also diversified their wealth and in recent years have started to wield it as a political weapon.
Tuesday’s election for a Wisconsin supreme court position has been the target of huge amounts of Uihlein money – surprisingly, on both sides of the political divide. On one side stand the billionaire couple Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, owners of the Wisconsin-based shipping supplies company Uline, who are on track to pump millions of dollars into the race in support of a conservative judicial candidate, Dan Kelly.
On the other side, Richard’s cousin Lynde Bradley Uihlein, a prominent funder of progressive causes, has already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the liberal-leaning judges vying for the supreme court seat.
The supreme court has begun hearing arguments in Gonzalez v Google, one of two cases that could have major implications for speech online. Here more from the Guardian’s Johana Bhuiyan and Kari Paul on why these proceedings are so important:
A pair of cases going before the US supreme court this week could drastically upend the rules of the internet, putting a powerful, decades-old statute in the crosshairs.
At stake is a question that has been foundational to the rise of big tech: should companies be legally responsible for the content their users post? Thus far they have evaded liability, but some US lawmakers and others want to change that. And new lawsuits are bringing the statute before the supreme court for the first time.
Both cases were brought forth by family members of terrorist attack victims who say social media firms are responsible for stoking violence with their algorithms. The first case, Gonzalez v Google, is expected to be heard on 21 February and will ask the highest US court to determine whether YouTube, the Google-owned video website, should be held responsible for recommending Islamic State terrorism videos. The second, which will be heard on 22 February, targets Twitter and Facebook in addition to Google with similar allegations.
Together they could represent the most pivotal challenge yet to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a statute that protects tech companies such as YouTube from being held liable for content that is shared and recommended by its platforms. The stakes are high: a ruling in favor of holding YouTube liable could expose all platforms, big and small, to potential litigation over users’ content.
Barbara Lee announces run for California Senate seat
Progressive House Democrat Barbara Lee has announced she will stand for the Senate seat being vacated by Dianne Feinstein in 2024, making her the third major candidate to jump into the race.
First elected in 1998, Lee joins fellow House Democrats Adam Schiff and Katie Porter in the competition for the seat representing the reliably Democratic state. She spoke with KTVU about how her experience as a Black female politician would shape her approach, if elected:
#NEW: @BarbaraLeeForCA makes it official - she's jumping in the race to replace @SenFeinstein.
— Greg Lee (@GregLeeKTVU) February 21, 2023
In the first TV interview of her campaign, she told me "The Senate needs a perspective that I bring...as a progressive Black woman." @KTVU
More here: https://t.co/plzLLEqWEz pic.twitter.com/pKK5qwgjzZ
Another place Republicans say Biden should have visited rather than Ukraine: East Palestine, Ohio.
The community is suffering from the after effects of the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals. While unions say the spill is a sign of the lax safety standards in the railway industry, the right has accused the Biden administration of not doing enough to help. Last week, the White House put out a lengthy fact sheet attempting to rebut this claim, but it wasn’t enough for some.
East Palestine mayor Trent Conaway called Biden’s visit to Ukraine “the biggest slap in the face” in an interview with Fox News:
House Republican David Kustoff said much the same on Fox News yesterday. “There are a lot of people here in the U.S. that would say he probably should have gone to Ohio and visited with the people who have been afflicted by the derailment first,” the Tennessee lawmaker said, though he nonetheless did give Biden “kudos” for making the trip.
Here’s more from his interview:
ICYMI: I joined @MorningsMaria on @FoxBusiness this morning to discuss how House Republicans are working to get the federal government’s fiscal house in order.
— Rep. David Kustoff (@RepDavidKustoff) February 20, 2023
Watch below👇 pic.twitter.com/fgBafqzOfY
Marjorie Taylor Greene has been one of the more prominent members of a group of rightwing House Republicans who would like to see Joe Biden cut off aid to Ukraine.
She was particularly incensed yesterday by the news that the president made his way to Kyiv:
This is incredibly insulting.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 20, 2023
Today on our President’s Day, Joe Biden, the President of the United States chose Ukraine over America, while forcing the American people to pay for Ukraine’s government and war.
I can not express how much Americans hate Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/nHXzG67YOL
It’s a tale as old as time: Joe Biden does something, and Republicans criticize him for harming America, or ignoring its problems.
Case in point, the GOP’s attacks on Biden for traveling to Ukraine. They argue he’s showing more concern for that country than his own, and cite his treatment of the migrant arrivals on the southern border with Mexico – even though he last month unveiled tougher policies that rights groups have condemned.
“I think I and many Americans are thinking to ourselves, ok, he’s very concerned about those borders halfway around the world. He’s not done anything to secure our own border here at home,” Florida governor Ron DeSantis told Fox News shortly after Biden’s visit to Kyiv became public yesterday.
There’s a reason why GOP politicians bring up the border so often. As this recent Gallup poll shows, immigration polls relatively highly in Americans’ ranking of the country’s problems.
Republican hardliners attack Biden trip to Ukraine, Poland
Good morning, US politics blog readers. Washington was jolted this weekend when its most famous resident Joe Biden snuck out of town and made a secret visit to Ukraine’s capital to reassure President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that America had its back. Kyiv’s cause remains widely popular in Congress among the leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties, but figures on the GOP’s fringes attacked the president for leaving while the United States faced its own crises. The loudest voice making these accusations was Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to soon run for president and implied Biden would have been better off worrying about the security of America’s border with Mexico.
Here’s what we can expect today:
Biden is in Poland, where he’ll mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a speech at 11.30am ET.
The supreme court will today hear the first of two cases in which justices will consider whether tech companies should be liable for the content their users post. The court’s decision here could have major consequences for online speech.
No votes are expected in the House and Senate until next week.
