The Wall Street Journal - 21.10.2019

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of Mr. Mulvaney, whose initial

description Thursday of the

decision to withhold aid pro-

vided fodder for House Demo-

crats investigating the Trump

administration.

Mr. Mulvaney on Thursday

first linked Mr. Trump’s deci-

sion to hold up aid to Ukraine

to the president’s desire for

Kyiv to probe a Democratic

National Committee server re-

lated to the 2016 election, tell-

ing reporters to “get over it.”

Mr. Trump’s dealings with

Ukraine are the focus of the

House’s impeachment inquiry.

On “Fox News Sunday,” Mr.

Mulvaney defended his com-

ments and maintained that his

remarks were misinterpreted.

Mr. Mulvaney said that he

“didn’t speak clearly” during

the news conference and that

there were only two reasons for

holding up the aid: corruption

in Ukraine and whether Euro-

pean neighbors were also sup-

porting the country.

Mr. Trump wasn’t bothered

by Mr. Mulvaney’s perfor-

mance on Thursday and has

relayed to Mr. Mulvaney that

he is doing a “great job,”

White House officials said.

Mr. Mulvaney didn’t antici-

pate the blowback awaiting

when he stepped away from

the podium on Thursday after

addressing reporters in the

White House briefing room for

referring to what he called the

acting chief of staff’s “idiotic

interpretation of things.”

Mr. Hannity later made a

conciliatory phone call to Mr.

Mulvaney, White House officials

said. Mr. Hannity didn’t respond

to a request for comment.

White House attorneys told

Mr. Trump that Mr. Mulva-

ney’s comments would compli-

cate their defense of him.

Those concerns weren’t

shared by the president, who

watched Mr. Mulvaney’s news

conference while flying to Dal-

las for campaign events, but

Mr. Trump agreed under pres-

sure from his attorneys to have

Mr. Mulvaney issue a state-

ment walking back his re-

marks, according to people fa-

miliar with the matter. The

statement didn’t acknowledge

a misstep but did contradict

the remarks.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, has

taken heat from his party over

his decision to withdraw U.S.

forces from northeastern Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan has launched a military

offensive against Kurdish fight-

ers in the region. The move

sparked bipartisan condemna-

tion from lawmakers who saw it

as an abandonment of the fight-

ers, longtime U.S. allies.

Mr. Mulvaney on Sunday

dismissed that criticism of Mr.

Trump.

Trump’s decision to hold the

G-7 summit at his own prop-

erty, in Florida, helped prompt

the president’s reversal, White

House officials said. White

House aides privately told the

president his foreign-policy

agenda would be overshadowed

at the summit by the contro-

versy. Republicans also phoned

the White House on Thursday

to complain that acting chief of

staff Mick Mulvaney’s com-

ments about aid to Ukraine

made it more difficult to defend

the president, the officials said.

Several Republican lawmak-

ers, including Reps. Mike

Simpson of Idaho and Francis

Rooney of Florida, who re-

cently said he plans to retire,

publicly criticized the G-7 an-

nouncement. Asked Friday by

reporters whether the choice

of Doral was appropriate, Sen.

Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska)

said, “No.”

The latest reversals also

raised questions inside the

White House about the future

ContinuedfromPageOne

Republican

Backing

Is Tested

the first time in his 10 months

as acting chief of staff.

As White House officials de-

scribed the scene, after re-

sponding to multiple questions

about Ukraine, Mr. Mulvaney

went to the office of Stephanie

Grisham, the White House

communications director and

press secretary.

“How’d it go?” Mr. Mulva-

ney asked.

“There’s a couple things

we’re going to have to clean

up,” Ms. Grisham told him.

Mr. Mulvaney, known

around the West Wing for a

calm demeanor, agreed to con-

sider a follow-up statement

and left the White House for a

private appointment.

But White House aides were

already frantically messaging

one another as criticism

erupted.

“What is Mulvaney even

talking about?” Sean Hannity, a

Fox News host and confidant of

the president’s, said on his ra-

dio show Thursday afternoon,

Republican criticism

helped reverse plans

to hold a G-7 summit

at a Trump property.

NEW YORK—Bernie Sand-

ers is back on the campaign

trail and looking to project

confidence.

Standing in front of what

his campaign said was nearly

26,000 people here, Sen. Sand-

ers (I., Vt.) said he was “more

than ready to assume the of-

fice of president of the United

States” following a heart at-

tack Oct. 1.

Mr. Sanders and his cam-

paign are hoping for a revival

to tick up his sluggish poll

numbers—which show a nota-

ble lack of support among

older voters—following two

weeks off the campaign trail

that raised questions about

the future of his bid. Aides

and allies of Mr. Sanders said

Saturday’s event here is a sign

of positive things to come.

The rally in Queens capped

a strong week back for Mr.

Sanders, whose first public ap-

pearance was the debate Tues-

day. Then fundraising numbers

came out showing he had mil-

lions more dollars than his op-

ponents. He also secured two

major endorsements with pro-

gressive Democratic social-

media stars New York Rep. Al-

exandria Ocasio-Cortez and

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez introduced

Mr. Sanders on Saturday.

“Overcoming adversity is

built into the DNA of Bernie’s

campaign. We thrive in it,”

said Mike Casca, a spokesman

for Mr. Sanders.

At 78, Mr. Sanders is the

oldest candidate in the field,

but supporters said his age

was an asset because it meant

wisdom of life experience.

“Bernie has shown a very

quick rebound. He still has the

same really aggressive, mental

vitality that a lot of other candi-

dates in the race haven’t shown,”

said Katelin Penner, 19, a student

at Wesleyan University.

But not everyone was as con-

fident Mr. Sanders would win.

Mr. Sanders has remained stag-

nant in polls. Meanwhile, fellow

progressive Massachusetts Sen.

Elizabeth Warren has risen,

closing the gap with former

Vice President Joe Biden, who

has long been the front-runner.

Pat Maren, a 26-year-old fi-

nancial analyst living in New

York City, said he didn’t see

how Mr. Sanders would be

able to make a comeback.

“You have the gang here

that are endorsing him, but

that’s not exactly broadening

his base,” said Mr. Maren. “I

think he’s capped.”

It will be difficult for the

Vermont senator to move to

the top of the crowded field if

he doesn’t make inroads with

older voters, who are more

likely to participate in prima-

ries. A Wall Street Journal/

NBC News poll from Septem-

ber, before Mr. Sanders’s heart

attack, found he had the sup-

port of 27% of Democratic vot-

ers under age 50, but just 3%

of voters over 50.

Republican pollster Bill McIn-

turff, who conducted this survey

with the Democratic pollsters,

said the data on older voters

was devastating to Mr. Sanders.

“I believe that there’s noth-

ing in these current set of

numbers that makes it look like

he could be nominated by the

Democratic Party,” Mr. McIn-

turff said. “But there’s always

an asterisk, which is weird

stuff happens in Democratic

primaries” and Mr. Sanders

has enough money and pas-

sionate supporters to remain in

the race in case of an upset.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.),

who is a co-chair of Mr. Sand-

ers’s campaign, said Mr. Sand-

ers simply needed to tell older,

working-class voters that his

economic record and policies

are better for them.

—Aaron Zitner

contributed to this article.

BYELIZACOLLINS

Sanders Returns to Campaign Trail

Sen. Bernie Sanders held a large campaign rally at a park in the New York City borough of Queens on Saturday, after suffering a

heart attack earlier in the month. He was introduced at the event by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), who endorsed him.

NATALIE KEYSSAR FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Buttigieg also ended the period

with more money in the bank

($23.4 million), as did California

Sen. Kamala Harris ($10.5 mil-

lion). Taken together, it means

four of Mr. Biden’s Democratic

U.S. NEWS

Biden has, and Ms. Warren has

booked significantly more ad-

vertising time.

All of this has happened as

the president’s re-election cam-

paign and the Republican Na-

tional Committee hauled in a

combined $125 million in the

latest fundraising period, put-

ting pressure on Mr. Biden to

accelerate his pace in the weeks

ahead.

It also comes as Mr. Trump

and Republicans have accused

Mr. Biden and his son, Hunter

Biden, of improprieties in their

dealings with Ukraine. Both Bi-

dens have denied wrongdoing

and there is no evidence to sug-

gest they broke any laws. The

Biden campaign believes the at-

tacks may prompt Democrats to

rally around Mr. Biden.

“For the Biden campaign,

they’re going to have to be-

come far more aggressive in

their fundraising. They’re going

to have to think outside the box

in terms of how they bring in

dollars,” said Antjuan Sea-

wright, a South Carolina-based

Democratic strategist who ad-

vised Hillary Clinton’s two

presidential campaigns.

Mr. Biden’s team said the

campaign chose to make large,

strategic investments in the

first four primary and caucus

states, its national organization

and what it called a “budding

Super Tuesday program,” pre-

dicting that approach would

soon pay dividends.

“We have a very broad, very

resilient coalition right now and

as much as we’ve kind of been

battered the last five or six

months, it hasn’t moved,” said

Pete Kavanaugh, Mr. Biden’s

deputy campaign manager.

“We’re still the front-runner, we

have a great organization built

up in all of these places, and

now we’re all about to enter

into this 90- to 95-day sprint.”

In the most recent fundrais-

ing quarter that ended Sept. 30,

Mr. Biden’s campaign spent

nearly $2 million more than it

took in, reporting $9 million in

reserves, far less than Mr.

Sanders’s $33.7 million and Ms.

Warren’s $25.7 million.

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete

rivals could have the resources

to outpace him in deploying or-

ganizers in early voting states.

They also could mount larger

advertising blitzes in more than

a dozen states voting on “Super

Tuesday,” March 3, when about

40% of the nation’s delegates

will be determined.

“I hate to say it, but our op-

ponents are way ahead of us

when it comes to money in the

bank,” Mr. Biden’s online fund-

raising director, Elana Firsht,

wrote in an appeal to support-

ers Friday, suggesting the cam-

paign could face budget cuts “if

we don’t pick up the pace here.”

Addressing online fundrais-

ing, Mr. Kavanaugh said the cam-

paign had “begun to see a pretty

significant surge since the end of

September.” Mr. Biden’s cam-

paign said no staff layoffs are

planned, and additions are possi-

ble in the next several months.

Mr. Biden has held more

than 70 fundraisers, according

to a Wall Street Journal analy-

sis, receiving more than $

million from donors who have

given the maximum $2,800 per

election. Overall, he collected

$15.7 million in the months of

July, August and September, af-

ter raising $22 million from

late April through the end of

June.

But Mr. Biden has struggled

to raise as much money online

as his closest rivals, relying

largely on lump sums from

wealthy donors to make up the

difference. While some new do-

nors may be freed up as the

field of candidates narrows,

many of Mr. Biden’s large do-

nors are capped from giving

again in the primary.

Data from ad-tracker Kantar/

CMAG show Ms. Warren has

booked more than $6 million in

airtime in Iowa, New Hamp-

shire, South Carolina and Ne-

vada from January through the

end of February. Over the same

period, Mr. Biden has reserved

about $3 million in those

states, although a Biden adviser

said that figure should be

viewed as a baseline.

—Joshua Jamerson

and Julie Bykowicz

contributed to this article.

WASHINGTON—Joe Biden
faces a distinct funding disad-
vantage against his major Dem-
ocratic presidential rivals in the
months leading up to contests in
Iowa and New Hampshire, creat-
ing potential obstacles in his bid
to challenge President Trump.
The former vice president,
who has never been a prolific
fundraiser, has seen his
strength in polling undercut by
the rise of Massachusetts Sen.
Elizabeth Warren and watched
as both Ms. Warren and Ver-
mont Sen. Bernie Sanders
hauled in significantly more
money, fueled by small-dollar
donations raised online.
The result: Ms. Warren and
Mr. Sanders have each been
able to hire more staff than Mr.

BYKENTHOMAS

ANDCHADDAY

Sluggish Fundraising Looms Over Biden

Relatively low cash

totals could hamper

campaign’s ability to

ramp up in early states

in the central part of the state.

Mr. Bevin, 52, a former

businessman who never held

elected office before winning

in 2015, is running as a

staunch Trump ally. While he

campaigns on the state’s eco-

nomic development and re-

cord-low unemployment, he

often invokes national issues

including abortion, immigra-

tion and the impeachment in-

quiry.

“What is nationalized be-

comes what people talk about

here,” he said in an interview

ahead of an appearance in

Covington, a northern Ken-

tucky hub across the river

from Cincinnati. “We’re right

on all the issues that people in

this state care about.”

While Mr. Bevin holds an

advantage as a GOP incumbent

in a state that Republicans

quickly have come to domi-

nate, his tenure at times has

been rocky.

Last year, he called teachers

who opposed plans to over-

haul the pension system “self-

ish” and “ignorant,” and tan-

gled with state lawmakers

over the issue.

He was rated the most un-

popular governor in the U.S.

earlier this year in a survey by

polling firm Morning Consult.

Mr. Bevin dismissed the poll,

saying it wasn’t credible.

Mr. Bevin said he has had

to propose tough budgetary

and pension measures be-

cause of the economic situa-

tion he inherited. He denied

having any disagreement with

teachers, saying his frustra-

tion was directed at their

union, not them.

LIBERTY, Ky.—The guberna-
torial election in Kentucky
next month hinges in large
part on whether voters are
motivated by bread-and-butter
issues close to home or na-
tional politics supercharged by
the impeachment inquiry into
President Trump.
It is one of three governor’s
races this year, along with
those in Louisiana and Missis-
sippi, that can offer insights
on the electorate’s mood
ahead of the 2020 presidential
election.
The Nov. 5 Kentucky con-
test pits incumbent Republi-
can Gov. Matt Bevin against
Democratic state Attorney
General Andy Beshear.
Although Mr. Trump won
the state by 30 percentage
points in 2016, Democrats usu-
ally prevailed in gubernatorial
races before Mr. Bevin’s ar-
rival and still outnumber Re-
publicans in voter registration.
Public polling on the race is
scant, but a Mason-Dixon sur-
vey released Oct. 16 found the
candidates tied at 46%.
Mr. Beshear, whose father
was Mr. Bevin’s predecessor, is
focusing on what he says are
the issues Kentuckians care
most about: education, health
care, jobs and the state’s trou-
bled pension system.
“This race is about the fam-
ilies of Kentucky and not any-
thing going on in Washington,
D.C.,” Mr. Beshear, 41 years
old, said in an interview dur-
ing a recent campaign stop in
Liberty, a small, conservative
town surrounded by farmland

BYARIANCAMPO-FLORES

Trump Brand Faces a

Test in Kentucky Race

Despite leading in several polls,

former Vice President Joe

Biden lagged behind his rivals

in cash on hand at the end of

the third quarter.

Source: Federal Election Commission data for

July 1 through Sept. 30.

Bernie Sanders

Elizabeth Warren

Pete Buttigieg

$33,734,

$25,717,

$23,378,

$10,542,

$8,987,

Kamala Harris

Joe Biden

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