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With 2020 Candidates Stuck in DC for Impeachment Trial, Biden Has Iowa Mostly to Himself

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CBN News Political Analyst David Brody appeared on CBN News Faith Nation Tuesday to discuss how sitting as a juror in the impeachment trial could end up hurting one of the Democrat candidates in Iowa in a big way. Faith Nation is seen weeknights on the CBN News Channel.  For a programming schedule, click here

The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is limiting some Democrat candidates' time on the campaign trail with less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) have been storming the Hawkeye State in the days leading up to the trial.

Now, they're compelled to stay in Washington, DC, at least while the trial is in session. They're also forbidden from using electronic devices on the Senate floor.

Instead, the candidates have deployed surrogates to do their bidding in Iowa. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a far-left Democrat from New York, will appear in Iowa this weekend on behalf of Sanders. "Queer Eye" host Jonathan Van Ness will also be in Iowa stumping for Warren, in addition to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who will be in New Hampshire.

And more than a dozen supporters of Klobuchar, for instance, held a news conference on Tuesday on the steps of the New Hampshire state capitol.

Polls show Joe Biden leading in Iowa with Warren close behind and Sanders and Klobuchar within shouting distance.

Biden, 77, will have Iowa completely to himself for a final campaign push in his third bid for the presidency as his Democrat colleagues hear the impeachment trial in the Senate.

Biden and Sanders' durability in their late 70s has surprised many Democrats and prompted questions about representation and electability in a party that will count on high turnout among women, minorities and young voters in November's general election.

With the first caucus and primary votes yet to be cast, Democrat sentiment could still quickly turn against any of the candidates. 

Other campaigns have been grappling with how best to cut into the support of frontrunners like Biden and Sanders. Some political pundits place Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the more moderate camp, which pits him against Biden in the battle for moderate voters.

Meanwhile, progressive favorites Warren and Sanders have clashed a bit, but both tried to back away from the first rift that emerged last week: a disagreement over whether Sanders told Warren in a private meeting that a woman can't beat Trump.

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of