Trump-Xi meeting at G-20 'went better than expected,' US president says

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's face-to-face meeting on trade relations in Osaka, Japan, on Saturday "went better than expected," Trump said after the talks.
Trump described the meeting as "excellent" and said the U.S. and China were "back on track" in trade talks but added that "negotiations are continuing." He told reporters he would announce the results of the talks at a news conference later Saturday.
China's official Xinhua News Agency said the two leaders agreed to restart trade talks "on the basis of equality and mutual respect," saying the leaders had reached a cease-fire on trade and that Trump also agreed to forego new tariffs on Chinese imports.
The meeting between the two leaders at the G-20 summit was their first in seven months, although the two leaders reportedly also met at a dinner for the Group of 20 leaders, where Trump said much was accomplished.
The de-escalation is a pattern for Trump and Xi, whose agreements often break down over negotiation details.

President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as they gather for a group photo at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on Friday. (Associated Press)

In the meeting, Trump and Xi were expected to focus on issues including trade and a dispute over Huawei Technologies.
"We've had an excellent relationship," Trump said to Xi before the talks, "but we want to do something that will even it up with respect to trade."
Trump told reporters he thought they would have a “very productive” meeting. “I think we can go on to do something that will be truly monumental and great for both countries," he added.
Xi said, "Cooperation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation."
Trump has already put tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports this year and has threatened to tax an additional $300 billion. China retaliated with its own tariffs on American exports.
After the meeting with Xi, Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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AOC's chief of staff deletes tweet attacking Blue Dog Caucus as 'New Southern Democrats'

The chief of staff of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, deleted a tweet accusing moderate House Democrats of being the "new Southern Democrats" following a House vote that approved funding for the border on Thursday.
After initially resisting the bipartisan bill that passed in the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, caved to the pressure of moderates in her caucus and passed the spending bill, causing backlash among progressives.
Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti lashed out on Twitter, took aim at the New Democrats and the Blue Dog Caucus.
"Instead of 'fiscally conservative but socially liberal,' let's call the New Democrats and Blue Dog Caucus the 'New Southern Democrats,' Chakrabarti said in the now-deleted tweet. "They certainly seem hell bent to do black and brown people today what the old Southern Democrats did in the 40s."
After deleting the tweet, Chakrabarti explained that he was "mad" but doubled down on the message, saying "if we don't have progress on racial justice it will be because of the new Dems and blue dogs. Just like in 1940."
"I don't think people have to be personally racist to enable a racist system," Chakrabarti told another Twitter user. "And the same could even be said of the Southern Democrats."
He continued his attacks against the Blue Dog Caucus for "wasting $4.5 billion" that "puts kids in concentration camps."
Chakrabarti nor Ocasio-Cortez's office did not immediately respond to Fox News for comment.

Mark Penn: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders -- Second Dem debate's big winners and losers

With more at stake for the front runners, the second Democratic debate Thursday night in Miami had far more fireworks than the rather tepid debate the night before.
By and large, the moderators went down a list of Democratic issues as defined by the left of the party, and the candidates largely pandered in their answers.
Interestingly when asked what issue they would bring before Congress this group of mostly seasoned politicians ducked the issue for fear of alienating one constituency over another.
Based on two nights of debates, impeachment is a dead issue of little interest to the presidential candidates but free health care for undocumented immigrants is now a consensus issue among the candidates.
Here are Thursday night’s winners and losers:
Winners
Joe Biden — He successfully showed he could stand up under withering challenges and recite a list of his accomplishments. He was generally articulate, on point and unflappable. But his response to the attack by Kamala Harris has holes, saying his vote against federally ordered busing was not a vote against busing.
Kamala Harris — She went in with a mission of having a confrontation with Biden, who is holding 50 percent of the African-American community votes. She went after him on the issue of race, and her attack will be the most replayed moment of the debate, elevating her status and perhaps reclaiming some of an important constituency from Biden. She had the most aggressive style of all the debaters and that may help her if the voters are looking for someone they believe won’t wither under attacks by President Trump.
Pete Buttigieg — His answers were generally articulate and he was careful to take some moderate positions like questioning "Medicare-for-all." His answer on the police shooting in his city was obviously rehearsed and very tentative, but he got through it. Nevertheless, he remains a candidate with a growing hold on younger voters who can’t be counted out. He has ended Beto O’Rouke’s campaign by edging him out as the less-than-experienced insurgent candidate.
Losers
Bernie Sanders — He generally repeated his attack on corporate America over and over again and it sounded a bit hollow. His performance on Thursday night is unlikely to stop the advance of Elizabeth Warren who is splitting the party’s most progressive voters.
Kristen Gillibrand — She swung for the fences with an impassioned defense of women’s reproductive rights, but her attempt to go after women’s votes seemed inauthentic and forced. She likely did not advance her candidacy much in this debate.
The rest
The rest of the candidates generally were losers even as they gave some articulate and interesting answers. But they will likely remain far behind the front runners.
So, Biden holds on to his lead. Harris is moving up. Sanders is going down. Elizabeth Warren and Buttigieg are the ones to watch.

Hannity: Rachel Maddow moderating debate an 'embarrassment' for NBC News

Fox News' Sean Hannity blasted NBC News for allowing opinion host Rachel Maddow to moderate Wednesday's debate, calling it an embarrassment.
"The real embarrassment is that NBC allowed the biggest conspiracy theorist in the country to moderate the debate. The so-called news network put 'Roswell' Rachel Maddow right there, front and center," Hannity said on Thursday's edition of Fox News' "Hannity." "The single biggest conspiracy theorist in the country."
Hannity blasted NBC and called out longtime NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, asking if the retired anchorman was watching what his news organization had become.
"NBC is not interested in the truth, they're not interested in integrity or actual journalism. Instead, NBC News -- Tom Brokaw, are you watching? Didn't you build up this brand? A TV channel that works in unison with everything Democratic Party, everything socialist. Everything to smear, slander President Trump every hour of every day," the Fox News host said.
Hannity also went after the Democratic Party for sliding further to left.
"Last night's debate did confirm what we've also been telling you for some time. Moderates in the Democratic Party, they are extinct. They no longer exist. There are no more Joe Liebermans, Scoop Jacksons. Radical socialists have completely and totally taken over," Hannity said.

"There are no more Joe Liebermans, Scoop Jacksons. Radical socialists have completely and totally taken over."
— Sean Hannity

Hannity also took umbrage with many of the political platforms candidates expressed -- in particular the ones that were anti-capitalism.
"Last night they were just obsessed with vilifying private enterprise. In other words, that which has created the greatest standard of living in the industrialized world, that has advanced the human condition more than any governmental system. Capitalism works and we share it with others," Hannity said.
"I wonder why New York, New Jersey, let's say Illinois, California are losing population? Yeah, because of what they proposed last night. Where are we going to go next?"

Biden grilled by Harris on race record at chaotic Dem debate, as Bernie’s ‘socialist’ agenda challenged

Democratic presidential primary front-runner Joe Biden ran into a formidable challenge at Thursday night’s debate from Sen. Kamala Harris, who tapped into her prosecutor toolbox to put his race record on trial following controversy over his comments on segregationist senators.
While the other top-polling candidate on stage in Miami, Bernie Sanders, avoided any direct clash with the former vice president, the California senator made a point of confronting Biden on the issue that has rattled his otherwise high-flying campaign.
In perhaps the most heated moment of the night, Harris told Biden she doesn’t believe he is a “racist” but considers his recent comments about being able to work with segregationist senators early in his career “hurtful.” (Biden has said he disagreed with the senators on segregation, but was still able to work with them in the Senate).
“You worked with them to oppose busing,” Harris then said, referring to efforts to limit orders for school desegregation by busing. In an emotional moment, she told her own story of being bussed as a little girl in California.
Biden fired back that Harris’ comments were a “mischaracterization of my position across the board,” saying he never praised racists, while denying that he opposed busing. He insisted he opposed busing ordered by the Department of Education, as opposed to localities making their own decisions.
Adamantly defending his record on race and civil rights, he also swiped at Harris by noting he became a public defender -- not a prosecutor, as she was.
The clash amounted to one of several moments where Harris grabbed attention, including when she scolded her rivals after they were shouting over one another in an earlier skirmish. “America does not want to witness a food fight,” Harris said. “They want to know how they’re going to put food on their table.”
With 10 candidates on stage, just like the previous night's showdown in Miami, the moderators frequently had to step in as well to stop them from talking over one another.
Biden, though, for the most part kept his focus on the candidate he really wants to face -- President Trump -- while repeatedly invoking the name and record of his popular running-mate Barack Obama and brushing back swipes at his age from long-shot candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, who repeatedly called on him to "pass the torch."
"I'm still holding onto that torch," Biden said with a grin.
It's unclear whether the clash with Harris might damage Biden, considering most prior controversies have not dinged his poll numbers -- or simply give her some needed momentum in a race where fellow Sen. Elizabeth Warren, on stage the night before, has been climbing.
Sanders, for his part, spent much of the NBC-hosted debate defending his big-government agenda against questions from moderators and criticism from more centrist – and lower-polling – candidates.
Early in the debate, Sanders dismissed a moderator's contention that nominating a democratic socialist could re-elect Trump, pointing to polls showing him ahead of the president in head-to-head matchups.
“The American people understand that Trump is a phony,” Sanders said. “Trump is a pathological liar and a racist and that he lied to the American people during his campaign. He said he was going to stand up for working families.”
But several rivals took issue with some of Sanders’ socialistic policies, like "Medicare-for-all" and free college tuition.
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado took issue with his rivals embracing socialism, saying it’s not good politics.
“I think that the bottom line is if we don't clearly define we are not socialists, the Republicans are going to come at us every way we can and call us socialists,” Hickenlooper said.
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet challenged Medicare-for-all, saying the public should be able to have a choice on health care, public option or otherwise.
And South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg broke with Sanders in saying while he supports free college for children of low and middle income, “I just don’t believe it makes sense to ask working-class families to subsidize even the children of billionaires.”
Harris was also pressed on how Democrats will pay for the massive programs they are proposing, but tried to turn the tables on Trump instead.
“I hear that question, but where was that question when the Republicans and Donald Trump passed a tax bill that benefits the top one percent and the biggest cover corporations contributing to the debt of America which middle-class families will pay for one way or another,” Harris asked.
California Rep. Swalwell was the first to go on offense against Biden, recalling a speech Biden gave years ago saying it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation.
“Joe Biden was right when he said that 32 years ago. He is still right today. If we are going to solve the issue, pass the torch,” Swalwell said.
The debate also made clear how Democrats have moved to the left on issues relating to immigration.
"One of the worst things about President Trump that he's done to this country is he's torn apart the moral fabric of who we are," said New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
All 10 Democrats raised their hands when asked if their government health care plan would cover illegal immigrants. 
“That’s the end of that race!” Trump tweeted as he panned their response.
"All of the Democrats tripped over each other in a race to see who could stand out as the most leftist candidate, threatening government control of every aspect of people’s lives," his campaign said in a statement.
At another point, most candidates raised their hands when asked if they support decriminalizing crossing the border without authorization – a vibrant topic in the debate the night before. Candidates also said they did not think someone whose only offense is coming to the United States illegally should be deported.
“Let's remember that's not just a theoretical exercise, that criminalization is the basis for family separation,” Buttigieg said.
Biden said he didn’t want to see immigrants deported whose only offense is coming to America without documents.
“That person should not be the focus of deportation,” Biden said. “We should change the way we deal with things.”
Buttigieg – who has struggled to attract black voters – entered the debate having to answer questions about the racial unrest back home in South Bend, as the city deals with a deadly police-involved shooting.
“I'm not allowed to take sides until the investigation comes back,” he said. “The officer didn't have his body camera on. It's a mess. We are hurting.”
The debate stage included two non-politicians with national followings – entrepreneur Andrew Yang and writer Marianne Williamson.
“The right candidate will be solving the problems that got Donald Trump elected,” Yang said. “I am that candidate, I can build a much broader coalition to beat Donald Trump.
“Mr. President if you're listening, I want you to hear me, please," Williamson said. "You've harnessed fear for political purposes and only love can cast that out."
It was the second of two NBC sponsored debates this week, the first being Wednesday night. The network split up 20 of the Democratic candidates over the two nights.
The Wednesday night debate reflected how the party has moved to the left on issues of immigration, taxes and abortion. The candidates who debated Wednesday were: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

This one is bad for America.

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