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Sen. Mark Warner Raises Concerns About Trump’s Sincerity toward Black America

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The one thing Americans know from first-hand experience or watching TV is that, in a trial, you present your witness and present documents. If people who were in the room are not given a chance to testify, not just Bolton but Mulvaney, if the president’s version of the facts is true, have Mulvaney testify,” he said.

Published

6 years ago

January 30, 2020

Stacy M. Brown

Sen. Mark Warner of Va. (3rd from L) joined World War II veterans at the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Va., on Tues., Feb. 23, 2010, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the raising of the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima. The Senator's father, Robert Warner of Vernon, CT, (2nd from L) and James L. Wheeler of Falls Church, VA (far L) are both retired Marines who fought at Iwo Jima. (Photo by Riki Parikh/Sen. Warner’s Office)

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) didn’t always favor impeaching President Donald Trump.

And, he’s still isn’t sure which way he’ll vote when the president’s Senate impeachment trial ends.

“I was not one of the ones who early on advocated for impeachment, and I’ve still not made my final decision. I will be impartial. I want to hear this out,” Warner, the Vice-Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and Vice-Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told NNPA Newswire.

The bombshell revelation by former National Security Advisor John Bolton that the president did engage with Ukraine on a quid-pro-quo to try and dig up dirt on Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden could be a game-changer, Warner said.

“When you saw what appears to be the president of the United States withholding aid from a country that’s an ally in a war with Russia, withholding White House meetings because he simply wants his own personal political meetings; if somebody had not cried foul on that, what kind of precedent does that set for any future president?” Warner stated.

“I don’t want to keep Democratic presidents taking these kinds of actions.”

Warner said Bolton appears as someone who’d make a credible witness.

“I think John Bolton has not been somebody I’ve agreed with on most policy matters, but no one has kind of questioned his close to 40 years of solidly conservative Republican credentials. It’s been interesting to see the president’s supporters have started to attack him; he’s someone like Trump on many issues, and I kept wondering what was going to be in his book. I think it’s interesting that the president’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly said he thinks Bolton is right and should testify.”

It’s surprising that Trump still has members in his cabinet, like Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and aide Robert Blair, working for him despite the insight they have on Ukraine, Warner stated.

Each should testify at the impeachment trial, he said.

“If they came up and swore [under oath] and tried to clear the president that would be relevant too,” Warner stated. “I think any logical person would say maybe they don’t feel like they can come up under the threat of perjury. It’s a strange time.”

When asked what effect the impeachment trial would have on the 2020 election, particularly if Trump isn’t removed from office, Warner said he wasn’t sure.

“If the impeachment vote does not go forward, I don’t know how you can claim complete vindication if you’ve got relevant people with relevant information who never had a chance to testify,” Warner stated.

“The one thing Americans know from first-hand experience or watching TV is that, in a trial, you present your witness and present documents. If people who were in the room are not given a chance to testify, not just Bolton but Mulvaney, if the president’s version of the facts is true, have Mulvaney testify,” he said.

Warner also was asked whether Senate Republicans fear Trump more than they do Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).

“I think they fear the president. Mitch McConnell is a very smart, practical, strategist. You don’t hear Mitch McConnell, even when he disagrees with one of his members, go out and publicly attack him,” Warner stated.

“One thing about Donald Trump, there’s no question he will attack anyone who disagrees with him.”

In echoing his Senate colleague, Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Warner said African Americans should pause before giving Trump the accolades the president craves from the Black community.

“I would acknowledge that the president, more so Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), took the first step on criminal justice reform, but it was only the first step,” Warner stated.

“There is low unemployment, but we’ve not seen a diminishing of the racial wealth gap. What we’ve not seen is that it took months literally after the money ran out for HBCUs to get their funds replaced. The First Choice Act, he didn’t’ make that a priority,” Warner said.

He added:

“The president’s tone and comments about systemic racism in this country, I don’t think he acknowledged that. I don’t believe there’s been any plan laid up by this administration on how you address the racial wealth gap, how you promote more minority businesses, how you take the next step up in criminal justice reform.

“I think the African American community understands that, if anything, you then hear these disparaging comments about countries in Africa whether it’s attacking great leaders like John Lewis and Elijah Cummings. I think I can speak more to the African American community in Virginia where Black people come up to me all the time and say to me to stay on this. I don’t feel like the focus has been genuine.

“If anything, you have nothing from this administration on voting rights. The cutbacks on voting rights, and all of these claims about voter fraud, I believe, in many ways, is code to try to limit voting opportunities. Almost the majority of the Russian propaganda efforts were geared at Black America to try and discourage them from voting.

“Fake websites that were supposed to be about Black Lives Matter coming out of Russia, and you still have this president almost refuse to acknowledge the ongoing threat that Putin poses in 2020.”

Stacy M. Brown

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Michael: The King of Pop’s Story Returns to the Big Screen

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making.

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film will arrive in theaters on April 24, 2026, with the singer’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, stepping into the spotlight to portray his legendary uncle.

The trailer wastes no time rekindling the aura of Jackson’s genius. Opening with a studio scene between Jackson and his longtime producer Quincy Jones, played by Kendrick Sampson, the clip builds from a quiet, familiar rhythm to the electrifying pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Viewers catch glimpses of the singer’s childhood, flashes of “Thriller,” and the silhouette that redefined pop culture. Each frame reminds fans of why Jackson remains unmatched in artistry and influence. The cast surrounding the late pop king’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, reads like a who’s who of Black entertainment and music history. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate takes on the role of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Laura Harrier portrays music executive Suzanne de Passe, while Kat Graham embodies Diana Ross. Miles Teller plays attorney John Branca, a towering entertainment lawyer and longtime Jackson confidant who later became co-executor of his estate. The film’s journey to release has been as complicated as the icon it portrays. Production wrapped in 2024, but legal hurdles over depictions of past controversies forced extensive reshoots and editing delays. Even so, Fuqua’s film now appears ready to reclaim the narrative, focusing on Jackson’s creative ambition and humanity beyond tabloid noise. IndieWire reported that the film had faced “a massive legal snafu” over a disputed storyline but was retooled to center the music and legacy that defined generations.

Maven. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

“Michael” promises more than a chronological retelling. It aims to explore how a child star from Gary, Indiana, became the world’s most influential entertainer. The script, written by Oscar-nominated John Logan, traces Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 through the triumphs and isolation of global superstardom. With Fuqua’s cinematic eye and producer Graham King—who brought “Bohemian Rhapsody” to life—joining forces with estate executors Branca and John McClain, the film is positioned as both a tribute and a restoration of Jackson’s cultural truth. Branca’s work behind the scenes has long shaped Jackson’s posthumous success. After the singer died in 2009, Branca and McClain took control of the estate burdened by debt and turned it into a global powerhouse worth billions. Under their stewardship, Jackson’s projects have generated more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales and landmark deals, including a $600 million joint venture with Sony earlier this year. At its heart, though, “Michael” is a story about artistry that transcends scandal. It offers a reminder that, despite the noise surrounding his life, Jackson’s music still bridges continents and generations. The trailer’s closing moments capture that spirit. As the beat of “Billie Jean” swells and Jaafar Jackson moonwalks into a spotlight, audiences are left with a familiar feeling—the awe of witnessing something timeless return home.

“Michael” opens worldwide in theaters April 24, 2026. See the official trailer here.

Stacy M. Brown

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Donald Trump Is the Biggest Loser

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (AR-02), says, “Last night was electric, and it was unquestionably a wave.” Democrats won big in what is widely considered a repudiation of Trump’s 9 months at the White House in his second term.

In the state of Virginia, which produced the first big election night win and saw the election of the first woman governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, 56% of Virginia’s residents disapprove of President Trump. In New Jersey, 55% of state residents disapprove of the president; in New York, 69% disapprove; and in California, 63% disapprove of the president. The Trump brand or his support for any candidates did nothing to benefit those he endorsed in this election. They actually lost in each race he publicly put his name behind. Trump endorsed former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost the New York mayor’s race in his run as an independent. And New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who ran for governor with the presidential endorsement, also lost his prospective race.

The next question is, will the democratic momentum be sustainable? Jones further explained, “This can become a 2026 tsunami, but turning a wave into a tsunami takes energy. A lot of energy. It doesn’t just happen. The conditions are there. Now we have to work!”

Some Democrats would argue that the work is already underway. The pushback against Trump’s national redistricting efforts received a thumb in the eye from California voters. Prop 50, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s counterbalance to President Trump’s redistricting efforts, passed in California last night. Although Trump’s name was not on the ballot last night, his Republican policies were. The United States has now entered the longest government shutdown in its history. Forty-two million Americans are not getting SNAP benefits. Economists are acknowledging that the government shutdown is contributing to the rise in delinquent debt in the student loan, automotive, and credit card industries. These items are among the negatives Americans are protesting against.

Compounding Trump’s political problems is a tariff battle that’s directly impacting pocketbooks. The day after the elections, the Trump administration was arguing before the US Supreme Court in favor of the president’s tariff powers. Meanwhile, President Trump‘s poll numbers are underwater, standing at a 37% national disapproval rate

Oakland Post

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Historic Beatdown: Democrats Sweep Virginia as Speaker Don Scott and Jay Jones Make History

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In a clear rejection of the policies of President Donald Trump, history repeated itself in Virginia.

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

In a clear rejection of the policies of President Donald Trump, history repeated itself in Virginia. Democrats once again swept all three statewide offices as they did in 2017 during Trump’s first term. Abigail Spanberger easily won the office of Governor, and State Senator Ghazala Hashmi won her race over John Reid to be the next Lieutenant Governor. The victories occurred against the backdrop of a historic win in Virginia by Spanberger that will give Virginia its first woman Governor.

Spanberger’s widely predicted win over Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears was called 17 minutes after the polls closed in Virginia at 7 pm. Former Delegate Jay Jones won his race against incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares. His victory means Jones will be the first Black Attorney General in Virginia’s history. Jones’ win was particularly noteworthy since the last month of his campaign was consumed by the issue of private text messages from 2022 to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner. Republicans ran a non-stop barrage of negative ads against Jones for a month.

Del. Coyner lost her bid for re-election to Delegate-elect Lindsey Dougherty. The Dougherty race was the number one target for House Speaker Don Scott and his campaign lieutenant, Delegate Dan Helmer. Coyner’s defeat was one of at least 13 victories for Democrats who have now added to their ranks in the Virginia House to historic margins. When the Virginia General Assembly returns to session in January, there will be at least 64 Democrats in the chamber. The widespread Republican defeat is a testament to a combination of historic fundraising, Democrats running in all 100 seats, dislike of President Trump’s policies, and an ineffective top of the ticket featuring Lt. Gov. Earle Sears.

+13: Speaker Scott and Del. Helmer Hit Historic Numbers in Fundraising and Power

As the evening ended, a glaring historic fact became clearer: The Virginia House of Delegates will expand to a historic number. The change means the largest Democratic House chamber in the modern era. There were several notable wins by Democrats running for the Virginia House. They include Virgil Thornton, Lilly Franklin, and Kim Pope Adams. Speaker Don Scott and his campaign chair, Dan Helmer, undertook a record fundraising effort never before seen in Virginia’s history. The moment of success for Virginia Democrats will be viewed as a positive signal for Democrats moving into the 2026 elections.