US ambassador says Biden's remark on Putin was 'principled human reaction' after meeting refugees

BY MYCHAEL SCHNELL

© Evan Vucci/Associated Press

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianna Smith on Sunday said President Biden’s comment that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” was a “principled human reaction” after meeting with refugees fleeing Ukraine.

“Well, look, the president had spent the day visiting with Ukrainian refugees. He went to the National Stadium in Warsaw and literally met with hundreds of Ukrainians. He heard their heroic stories as they were fleeing Ukraine in the wake of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine. In the moment, I think that was a principled human reaction to the stories that he had heard that day,” Smith said.

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'The US does not have a policy of regime change in Russia, full stop,' ambassador says

BY MYCHAEL SCHNELL

“The U.S. does not have a policy of regime change in Russia, full stop,” U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told co-anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

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GOP senator: Biden's Putin comment 'a horrendous gaffe'

BY MYCHAEL SCHNELL

Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) on Sunday said President Biden’s comment that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not remain in power was “a horrendous gaffe.”

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GOP senator says Biden's speech was 'strong' despite gaffe at the end

BY JOSEPH CHOI

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on Sunday said President Biden's speech in Warsaw, Poland, was "very strong" despite an apparent gaffe toward the end regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin remaining in power.

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Khanna: 'There's no support in the Democratic Congress for regime change'

BY JOSEPH CHOI

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Sunday sought to clarify President Biden's recent off-the-cuff remarks concerning Russian President Vladimir Putin remaining in power, stating that there was no policy for regime change among congressional Democrats.

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Ukrainian official: Mariupol 'simply does not exist anymore'

BY RACHEL SCULLY

Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Olha Stefanishyna, on Sunday said the southeastern city of Mariupol "simply does not exist anymore,” adding that Russia's objective more than a month into its invasion has "nothing to do with humanity."

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Petraeus: Mariupol becoming a 'Ukrainian Alamo'

BY RACHEL SCULLY

Former CIA Director David Petraeus on Sunday called Mariupol “a Ukrainian Alamo" that ultimately "looks as if it’s going to have to collapse."

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Booker says Jackson was under 'the most outrageous of attacks' during hearings

BY MYCHAEL SCHNELL

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Sunday said Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was under “the most outrageous of attacks” during her confirmation hearing last week.

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Klobuchar says Thomas must recuse himself from election cases over wife's texts

BY DOMINICK MASTRANGELO

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is arguing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from any case regarding the 2020 elections after text messages sent by his wife to aides of former President Trump were revealed late last week.

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Rick Scott on Ginni Thomas texts: Justice Thomas 'will always do the right thing'

BY JOSEPH CHOI

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Sunday said he believed Justice Clarence Thomas would "always do the right thing" in response to reports of text messages that Ginni Thomas, Clarence Thomas' wife, sent to former President Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows in support of overturning the 2020 presidential election.

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Biden approval rating falls to record low in NBC News poll

BY DOMINICK MASTRANGELO

President Biden's approval rating has reached a new low, according to an NBC News poll released Sunday. 

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