Several senators running for president are reportedly mulling using private jets to campaign in Iowa as they try to balance their White House bids with the ongoing impeachment trial in Washington.
Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders to Clinton: 'This is not the kind of rhetoric that we need' Conservative reporter on Sanders: He's not a 'yes man' Human Rights Campaign president rips Sanders's embrace of Rogan endorsement MORE (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenKlobuchar plans campaign rallies across Iowa despite impeachment trial Hillicon Valley — Presented by Philip Morris International — Wyden asks NSA to investigate White House cybersecurity | Commerce withdraws Huawei rule after Pentagon objects | Warren calls on Brazil to drop Greenwald charges Warren pledges to release Trump records if elected MORE (D-Mass.) are both thought to be considering chartering flights to Iowa after Saturday’s impeachment proceedings wrap up, while Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharKlobuchar plans campaign rallies across Iowa despite impeachment trial Impeachment throws curveball in Iowa to sidelined senators Sanders says it's 'disappointing' he's not on campaign trail in Iowa MORE (D-Minn.) has also not made her travel plans clear, The Associated Press reported.
The three senators are facing a unique dilemma in the leadup to the Feb. 3 caucuses in Iowa as the impeachment trial keeps them tied to Washington six days a week, leaving little time to campaign in early states.
Private flights could pose risks for Sanders and Warren, the AP noted, as the two leading progressives have railed against privileges afforded to the elite and eschewed contacts with high-dollar donors.
The two senators have also touted themselves as advocates for intensified efforts to combat climate change, while the use of private jets has been criticized as environmentally unfriendly.
“This is the problem of presenting your purity above your practicality,” Democratic strategist Chris Lippincott, who has not endorsed any of the 2020 primary candidates, told the AP. “When we think about certain candidates who talk a lot about the environment ... you’re going to hold them to a different standard.”
“I understand it,” he added, “but the reality is, there’s a big risk of being perceived as being an ideologue and not a problem-solver.”
Several campaigns have used private charters during the 2020 race, including former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenSchiff closes Democrats' impeachment arguments with emotional appeal to remove Trump Conservative reporter on Sanders: He's not a 'yes man' Democrats feel political momentum swinging to them on impeachment MORE and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegPoll: 68 percent of Democrats say it 'makes no difference' if a candidate is a billionaire CNN to host two straight nights of Democratic town halls before NH primary Poll shows tight general election battle between Trump and top Democrats MORE.
Sanders’s campaign announced last year that it would provide carbon offsets in the form of donations to environmental groups as an effort to alleviate the environmental effects of extra emissions. Other campaigns have also since said they would try to offset their emissions in some form.
All three senators’ campaigns have stops in Iowa Saturday just hours after impeachment proceedings are expected to end for the day in the Senate. The trial will resume Monday.