The Stakes 2020: Anti-War Democrats and Texting With Nina Turner

THE LEDE

President Trump’s confrontation with Iran turned the attention of most Americans away, again, from both elections and impeachment. As of last week on the campaign trail, candidates were still talking about health care and other domestic issues, but with a dash of criticism of Trump’s global leadership thrown in. It’s unclear how much of an issue war will be in the primary, but in Brooklyn Tuesday, a surreal split scene unfolded as Elizabeth Warren celebrated Julián Castro as her newest endorser while Iran sent missiles into Iraq aimed at US military bases.

A real contrast on war: You got a glimpse of how different Bernie Sanders (and Andrew Yang, and Tulsi Gabbard) are from the rest of the candidates, and how they might be different as president. Where the others were sure to stress that Iran and its slain general are enemies of the US, Sanders just doesn't — and never did — buy into either liberal or conservative arguments for war. He’d be the closest thing to an anti-war president the country has had in a very long time.

Yang Gang: Yang, by the way, is for real, I think — and I talked to him about it last week. I also asked him about my hobbyhorse: that if he loses, he could run for mayor of New York. He replied, “After eight years as president, we’ll see if I have an appetite for mayor.”

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Nina Turner

Nina Turner is a cochair of Bernie Sanders’ campaign but has become a visible political presence in her own right over the last decade, first in her native Cleveland and as an Ohio state senator and then a talking head on cable. Her staunch loyalty — after initially favoring Hillary Clinton in the lead-up to 2016 — has earned her a place high in the Bernie command. I chatted with her about the state of Bernie 2020 and her own future in politics.

ON THE TRAIL WITH BUZZFEED NEWS

Rosie and Miriam reported on the reaction from Fox News on Trump’s Iran confrontation, and Trump, a source said, has been watching the network’s analysis with great interest.

Henry had the exclusive on Joe Biden’s new plan to win Iowa voters: gun control.

Also from Henry: Bloomberg is making a big bet in Ohio.

On the Hill, Kadia reports that Republicans seem to be just fine with Trump tweeting his way through any confrontations with Iran.

Trump family instagram accounts were the target of a big pro-Iran campaign, Jane and Jeremy scooped.

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