Category Archives: Trump administration

Coronavirus live news: no sign of infection slowing across Americas; UK records 110 new deaths

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Some central American nations seeing highest weekly increase in cases; official UK death toll now stands at 45,422

The Nobel Foundation, which manages the Nobel Prizes, on Tuesday cancelled its traditional December banquet because of the coronavirus pandemic and said the award ceremonies would be held in “new forms”, AFP reports.

This is the first time since 1956 that the lavish banquet has been cancelled, according to the foundation. The event traditionally marks the end of the so-called Nobel Week, when the year’s prize-winners are invited to Swedish capital Stockholm for talks and the award ceremony.

Joe Biden, in a scathing speech in his campaign to become the next US president, said Donald Trump had ‘quit’ on US citizens and did not care about America.

In a speech on his plan for the economy, in which he promised to expand access to preschool for working families, directly linking the need for affordable childcare to America’s economic recovery, Biden said Trump was not taking the public health crisis seriously:

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Trump’s vow to send federal officers to US cities is election ploy, critics say

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Opponents warn of grave threat to civil liberties as observers say president seeks to build ‘law and order’ credentials

Donald Trump has vowed to send federal officers to several American cities led by Democrats in what critics say is an attempt to play the “law and order” card to boost his bid for re-election.

The president’s threat came after a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests in Portland, Oregon, that involved unmarked cars and unidentified forces in camouflage.

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Five strange moments from Trump’s Fox News interview – video

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Facing interviewer Chris Wallace, US president Donald Trump said polls showing him trailing Joe Biden were 'fake' and that identifying an elephant proved his mental capacity. The interview also included a claim not to care what the military has to say about renaming its bases, and boasting about the country's low Covid-19 mortality rates. 

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Trump White House reportedly seeks to defund coronavirus testing and tracing – live

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For what it’s worth, Trump seems to be heading out to play golf.

…and welcome to another day of coverage of politics in the US, which means coverage of the presidential campaign, the coronavirus pandemic, tributes to the late John Lewis and more.

Fox News Sunday will this morning broadcast an interview with Donald Trump, his first with a Sunday show in more than a year, which sees the president questioned by Chris Wallace, one of the more incisive interviewers in American television. A clip released on Friday showed Wallace putting Trump right on his claim Joe Biden wants to defund the police – which Biden doesn’t – and Trump not liking it.

But in talks over the weekend, administration officials instead pushed to zero out the funding for testing and for the nation’s top health agencies, and to cut the Pentagon funding to $5bn.

The suggestions infuriated several Republicans on Capitol Hill, who saw them as tone deaf.

Related: 'The virus doesn't care about excuses': US faces terrifying autumn as Covid-19 surges

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Barr condemns Disney and Hollywood for ‘kowtowing’ to China

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Attorney general’s speech is part of continuing Trump administration offensive against Beijing

The US attorney general, William Barr, has assailed the Walt Disney Company and Hollywood studios, accusing them of “kowtowing” to the Chinese Communist party.

Barr’s allegations are part of a sustained diplomatic and public relations offensive by the Trump administration against Beijing, which the attorney general accused of engaging in “economic blitzkrieg – an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government (indeed, whole-of-society) campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the world’s pre-eminent superpower”.

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Pompeo claims private property and religious freedom are ‘foremost’ human rights

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US secretary of state seeks to refocus US human rights efforts as he launches report by government commission

Mike Pompeo has sought to redefine the US approach to human rights by giving preference to private property and religious freedom as the foremost “unalienable rights” laid down by America’s Founding Fathers.

Pompeo, launching a draft report by a Commission on Unalienable Rights he established a year ago, also claimed that a proliferation of human rights asserted by different US and international institutions had the effect of diluting those rights he viewed as the most important.

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‘A record of telling the truth’: Fauci stands ground as Trump works to undermine him

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Analysis: The administration’s barrage of attacks on the public health expert comes as little surprise, observers say

Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious diseases expert, has pushed back at a concerted campaign by Donald Trump and his allies to discredit his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials and advisers have publicly sought to undermine Fauci in at least five separate instances over the past four days, even as the coronavirus surges across the US, with the death toll now above 135,000.

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China promises ‘firm response’ to Trump’s order ending Hong Kong’s special status

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Beijing says US move to rescind Hong Kong’ preferential economic treatment over new security laws is a ‘mistake’

China has vowed to retaliate after Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered an end to Hong Kong’s special status under US law to punish China for what he called “aggressive actions” against the former British colony.

Citing China’s decision to enact a new national security law for Hong Kong, Trump said he signed an executive order that will end the preferential economic treatment Hong Kong has received for years – “no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies”, he told a news conference.

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The Trump supporters who changed their minds: ‘I’d rather vote for a tuna fish sandwich’

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Frustrated, some Republicans have become anti-Trumpers: ‘This guy couldn’t lead his way out of a wet frickin’ paper bag’

The anti-Trumpers are at it again – only this time, they’re Republicans.

Kevin, a lifelong Republican voter and pastor from Arizona, says he voted for Trump in 2016 “with high hopes for the future”. He knew that Trump didn’t have the same political experience as the other contenders, but he was optimistic he could grow into his new role.

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Top US general vows response if military confirms reports of Russian bounties

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Gen Mark Milley tells lawmakers Pentagon is investigating reports Russia paid for attacks on US soldiers in Afghanistan

America’s top general has said military intelligence agencies are working to corroborate reports of Russia paying Taliban fighters bounties for killing US soldiers and vowed a response if they were confirmed.

Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told the House armed services committee, that the Pentagon was committed to discovering whether Russian military intelligence had paid for attacks on American soldiers in Afghanistan.

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Fauci says states with surging Covid-19 cases should pause reopening efforts

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Public health expert made remark after US set world record for most new Covid-19 cases reported in one day

As the US set a world record for most Covid-19 cases in one day, with 60,000 reported on Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, a senior member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, said states needed to pause reopening efforts.

Related: Some Republican senators to skip national convention due to pandemic

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Fauci: US is ‘still knee-deep in first wave’ of pandemic as it passes 130,000 deaths

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Top public health expert urges further action as new cases surge to record highs of around 50,000 a day across country

The United States is “still knee-deep in the first wave” of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the country’s top public health experts has warned, as the country surpassed 130,000 Covid-19 deaths and new polling indicates Donald Trump’s approval rating over his handling of the crisis has remained low.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Monday that America’s grasp of the pandemic was “really not good” and urged further action as new cases of the virus continue to surge to record highs of about 50,000 a day across the country. More than 131,200 have died in the US as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins figures.

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White House says US is ‘a leader’ in fighting coronavirus, despite rising infections – video

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Kayleigh McEnany says the US has been a leader in the fight against Covid-19, despite rising infections across the country. Its infection tally is nearing 3m cases, while there have been 130,000 deaths. Speaking at a press briefing, the White House press secretary added: 'No one wants to see anyone in this country contract coronavirus, which is why the administration has fought hard to make sure that's not the case with our historic response effort'

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Mary Trump’s book to be published early amid ‘extraordinary interest’

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Tell-all book by Donald Trump’s niece will argue president suffered ‘child abuse’ in the early years of his life

A tell-all book by Donald Trump’s niece will be published two weeks ahead of schedule and will argue that the president suffered “child abuse” in the early years of his life.

Related: Bolton: Trump claim he wasn’t told of Russia bounty report is 'not how system works’

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Bolton: Trump claim he wasn’t told of Russia bounty report is ‘not how system works’

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Ex-national security adviser also says any decision to withhold intelligence would ‘certainly not’ be ‘made only by the briefer’

Donald Trump’s claim not to have been briefed about intelligence suggesting Russia paid Taliban-linked militants to kill US soldiers is “just not the way the system works”, former national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday.

Related: Trump’s niece says 2001 NDA based on ‘fraudulent’ financial information

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Trump claims victory as US nears 130,000 coronavirus deaths – live

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Houston mayor Sylvester Turner has appeared on CBS’s Face The Nation to discuss the Covid-19 outbreak in his city. He says staffing at the city’s hospital is a particular problem.

“If we don’t get our hands around this virus quickly, in about two weeks our hospital system could be in serious, serious trouble,” he says. “... We can always provide additional beds, but we need the people, the nurses and everybody else, the medical professionals to staff those beds. That’s the critical point right now.”

New Jersey’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, has appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press. New Jersey has been one of the worst-hit states in the US during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, and he says a national strategy is needed to combat Covid-19.

“This thing is lethal,” he says. “New Jersey’s paid an enormous price. We’ve [had] 13,000 confirmed fatalities from Covid-19. We’re starting to see small spikes in reinfection from folks coming back from places like Myrtle Beach and as well as in Florida, other hotspots.

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Trump claims US on way to ‘tremendous victory’ over Covid-19 as cases surge – live

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The White House is set to host its largest event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic with tonight’s Salute to America. Hundreds of chairs and tables have been set up on the South Lawn, where Trump will deliver a speech he says will celebrate American heritage. An administration spokesperson says social distancing “will be observed” and face masks will be offered but not mandatory.

Trump was first inspired to stage a mass display of pop and power on America’s birthday when attended the Bastille Day military parade as the guest of French president Emmanuel Macron back in 2017. An initial 2018 push to stage a parade that would have seen soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the streets of Washington was scuttled amid accusations that he was politicizing an important holiday, emulating displays in authoritarian countries and wasting taxpayers’ money.

President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, along with the Department of Interior, will host the 2020 Salute to America on the South Lawn of the White House and Ellipse on Saturday, July 4. In addition to music, military demonstrations, and flyovers to honor our Nation’s service members and veterans, the President will deliver remarks that celebrate our independence and salute our amazing heritage. The evening will culminate with a spectacular fireworks display over the National Mall.

For 4 July, in the summer of protests over the killing of George Floyd, a picture gallery from Jameelah Nuriddin and Erin Hammond.

The eight images capture a giant 200-year-old flag, a young black woman with a giant afro, and various postures combining the pledge of allegiance and black power poses. They are accompanied by a manifesto that mirrors the preamble to the US constitution, written by Nuriddin, who is also the model in the series:

Related: Imagine a 'New America': reclaiming the American flag – in pictures

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Donald Trump says US ‘under siege from far-left fascism’ in Mount Rushmore speech – video

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Standing beneath Mount Rushmore on the eve of independence day in the US,  the president said the nation’s history was 'under siege from far-left fascism'.  He defended the symbolism of statues and monuments, including Mount Rushmore - which features the carved faces of four US presidents. They include George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who were slave owners. Trump said: 'These heroes will never be defaced. Their legacy will never, ever be destroyed. Their achievements will never be forgotten'

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US under siege from ‘far-left fascism’, says Trump in Mount Rushmore speech

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US president enflames national tensions with attack on ‘leftwing revolution’ and plan for national memorial of statues of ‘American heroes’

Standing beneath Mount Rushmore on the eve of American independence day, Donald Trump staged a defiant celebration of what critics say is white identity politics and warned the nation’s history is under siege from “far-left fascism”.

The US president defended the symbolism of statues and monuments before a packed crowd at an event that revelled in political incorrectness calculated to enflame the country’s current divisions and enrage liberal critics. There were few face masks and even fewer people of color on stage or in the stands.

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Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr’s girlfriend, tests positive for Covid-19

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Ex-Fox News presenter is key fundraiser for Trump re-election campaign and latest of president’s circle to contract the disease

US records highest daily increase in coronavirus cases

The girlfriend of Donald Trump Jnr, the US president’s eldest son, has tested positive for the coronavirus, US media have reported.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is a former Fox News television personality and a senior fundraiser for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, is just the latest person in Trump’s inner circle to contract the potentially deadly virus. The news also comes as the US is experiencing a huge spike in coronavirus cases and amid withering criticism of Trump’s response to the crisis.

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