Donald Trump rejected a charge by the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, that he was engaged in a cover-up, saying he was the "most transparent president" the country had ever had. In a last-minute press conference in the Rose Garden, outside the Oval office, Trump condemned the Democats, and said "the crime was committed on the other side". Trump added he would refuse to work with them unless they dropped their investigations into his administration and finances
Continue reading...Category Archives: Republicans
Don McGahn expected to be held in contempt over refusal to testify – live
The former White House counsel had been subpoenaed to appear before the House judiciary committee but Trump blocked his testimony
Organizations around the country are holding “Stop the Bans” day of action Tuesday to protest bans and restrictions on abortion in a growing number of states.
There will be a main event in Washington, D.C. outside the U.S. Supreme Court at noon, as well as rallies in all 50 states.
Kris Kobach demanded access to a government jet 24 hours a day and a chance to become homeland security secretary if he takes a job as Donald Trump’s immigration czar, the New York Times reported Monday evening.
The former Kansas secretary of state has given the White House a list of ten conditions. The full list, obtained by the Times:
1. Office in the West Wing.
2. Walk-in privileges with the president.
Continue reading...Trump lashes out at Justin Amash after Republican talks of impeachment
- Mitt Romney declines to join calls for Congress to act
- No holds Barred: Trump pushes for imperial presidency
As Donald Trump opened fire on Justin Amash, the Michigan representative who became the first Republican in Congress say he had engaged in “impeachable conduct”, Mitt Romney declined to join the fight.
Related: Justin Amash becomes first Republican to back Trump impeachment
Continue reading...Missouri House passes extreme eight-week abortion ban – live
State’s Republican-led House joins states such as Alabama by passing sweeping bill, which does not include exceptions for rape or incest
The bill just passed in Missouri is designed not to go into effect – but to go to court. It is unconstitutional.
We published this analysis of near total abortion bans from Prof. B Jessie Hill this week. Hill is a professor at Case Western Reserve school of law and an expert in reproductive rights law.
Related: Could abortion become illegal in America? All signs point to yes | B Jessie Hill
Rather than pursuing the sort of incremental strategy that anti-abortion activists have favored in the past – such as banning abortions late in pregnancy, or attempting to gradually regulate abortion clinics out of existence with increasingly burdensome regulations – these newer laws are written to prohibit virtually all abortions in the state.
Fetal cardiac activity can be detected beginning at about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant. By banning all abortions after that point, “heartbeat” bans, if they take effect, would stop all but a very small percentage of abortions.
In addition to everything happening in Missouri today, the House debated the Equality Act, to expand protections for LGBT people.
The House just approved the Equality Act, a bill that would expand gay rights, extending to areas like employment, housing, loan applications, education and public accommodations.@SarahEMcBride of @HRC broke down the Equality Act for us ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ctY0DPxjqu
Continue reading...Is John Bolton the most dangerous man in the world? | Ben Armbruster
The US is closer to war with Iran than it has been since the Bush years, or perhaps ever. And Bolton is largely to blame
Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton wants the United States to go to war with Iran.
Related: Merkel: Europe must unite to stand up to China, Russia and US
Continue reading...White House refuses to sign on to Christchurch call to combat online extremism – live
White House said in response to an international agreement to to curb hate speech that ‘productive speech’ is the best tool to defeat it
The White House has criticized House Democrats’ investigation into obstruction of justice by the president as serving “political theater.” In turn, the lawmaker in charge of those investigations called the White House position “preposterous” in an interview.
The letter was sent by White House council Pat Cipollone, in response to a March request by Congressional investigators for documents. In a 12-page letter, Cipollone asked the committee to narrow its “sweeping” request and provide a legislative reason why the documents should be released, according to Reuters.
The White House will not participate in the committee’s ‘investigation’ that brushes aside the conclusions of the Department of Justice after a two-year-long effort in favor of political theater pre-ordained to reach a preconceived and false result,” Cipollone’s 12-page letter said.
The documents requested relate to everything from the contents of Trump’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin to his communications with former White House counsel Donald McGahn, the firing of former White House national security advisor Michael Flynn and former FBI director James Comey, and possible pardons for Trump associates who pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from the probe.
The committee also seeks documents aimed at probing whether Trump has used the White House to enrich himself in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause.
Jameela Jamil, formerly a presenter on BBC Radio 1 and now one of the stars of the sitcom The Good Place, opened up about an abortion she had when she was young.
Jamila called it the “best decision I have ever made.”
I had an abortion when I was young, and it was the best decision I have ever made. Both for me, and for the baby I didn’t want, and wasn’t ready for, emotionally, psychologically and financially. So many children will end up in foster homes. So many lives ruined. So very cruel.
Continue reading...Alabama: Republican state passes near-total ban on abortion – video report
Alabama has passed a near-total ban on abortion, making it a crime to terminate pregnancy at any stage. The abortion ban is the strictest in the US and allows an exception only when the pregnant woman’s health is at serious risk. The bill was passed by 25 votes to six and also contains no exception for rape or incest. If the procedure was to take place the doctor could be punished with 10 to 99 years in prison; the woman who had the abortion would not face criminal charges
Continue reading...‘You just said to my daughter, you don’t matter ‘ – senator reacts to Alabama abortion ban – video
The Democratic minority leader, Bobby Singleton, delivered an emotional speech after a rape and incest exception from the abortion ban bill failed to pass in a roll-call vote. Alabama’s Republican-controlled state senate has passed a bill to outlaw abortion, making it a crime to perform the procedure at any stage of pregnancy. The strictest-in-the-nation abortion ban allows an exception only when the woman’s health is at serious risk, and sets up a legal battle that supporters hope will lead to the supreme court overturning its landmark ruling that legalised abortion nationwide.
Continue reading...Alabama abortion ban: Republican senate passes most restrictive law in US
Law bans abortion except if there is a ‘serious health risk’ to the mother, with no exceptions for rape and incest
Alabama’s Republican-controlled state senate passed a bill Tuesday to outlaw abortion, making it a crime to perform the procedure at any stage of pregnancy.
The strictest-in-the-nation abortion ban allows an exception only when the woman’s health is at serious risk, and sets up a legal battle that supporters hope will lead to the supreme court overturning its landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
Continue reading...Barr assigns attorney to find how Trump-Russia investigation began – live updates
Attorney general’s new investigation follows years of Trump and supporters claiming justice department and FBI spied on his campaign
On the subject of markets – the Dow Jones Industrial Average has opened up slightly, a half a point in the green on the day so far. It fell a bit more than three points on Monday.
Donald Trump spent at least an hour and some 1,400 characters on Tuesday morning tweeting a defense of his tariffs on Chinese goods, which China has responded to with retaliatory tariffs, precipitating a dive on Monday in the US markets. Asian markets fell less sharply and European markets opened Tuesday slightly up.
Trump said on Tuesday that “Tariffs have rebuilt our Steel Industry - it is booming!”, “we are in a fantastic position”, “We are in a much better position now than any deal we could have made” and “Other countries are already negotiating with us because they don’t want this to happen to them.”
Related: Trump defends China tariffs as trade war leaves allies and opponents in bind
Continue reading...Better the devil they know: how Christians came to terms with Trump
Evangelical backing for a thrice-married celebrity is not as odd as it seems: on abortion, the supreme court and more, the president keeps delivering
After bowing his head in prayer, Donald Trump addressed faith leaders in the sunshine of the White House rose garden.
Related: Trump wants Barr to consider investigating Biden – Giuliani
Continue reading...Alyssa Milano calls for sex strike as protest over Republican abortion laws
- Actor provokes storm with call to regain ‘bodily autonomy’
- GOP-held legislatures in quest to overturn Roe v Wade
The actor Alyssa Milano ignited a social media storm with a call for women to join her in a sex strike, to protest against strict abortion laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures.
Related: Abortion: judge strikes down Kentucky restriction but governor to appeal
Continue reading...#ConstitutionalCrisis? Trump’s battle with Congress comes to a head
The president’s claims of executive privilege over the Mueller report have set new alarm bells ringing for the fate of democracy
Police this week arrested an alleged arsonist who started a fire outside the National Archives building in Washington, claiming that voices told him to “burn buildings down”. The archives display a four-page handwritten document to countless tourists and schoolchildren: the US constitution.
While the physical object remains fragile but secure, the political framework it represents is facing one of the severest threats in its 232-year history. The arsonist is Donald Trump and he is getting ever closer with his tiki torch.
Continue reading...Trump and Putin discussed Mueller report during phone conversation, says White House – as it happened
Sarah Sanders says pair had ‘very good’ talk on Friday morning in which Venezuela was also discussed
Here’s an updated recap of today’s political news as we close out the Friday night live politics blog:
The president elaborated his complaints about conservative “censorship” on social media, highlighting his concerns about the treatment of Diamond and Silk, two online commenters who have been championed by Republicans for being black women who support Trump, James Woods, and Paul Watson, a British editor of Infowars, Alex Jones’ conspiracy site.
Trump appeared on Infowars, which has promoted multiple conspiracy theories, including the conspiracy that the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting was a hoax, in 2015, and told host Alex Jones “Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down.”
The wonderful Diamond and Silk have been treated so horribly by Facebook. They work so hard and what has been done to them is very sad - and we’re looking into. It’s getting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media!
So surprised to see Conservative thinkers like James Woods banned from Twitter, and Paul Watson banned from Facebook! https://t.co/eHX3Z5CMXb
He is very very very very very very very very very very very obviously an extremist. https://t.co/4pK2klhbqi
Continue reading...Democrat mocks absent William Barr with fried chicken – video
Steve Cohen, a representative from Tennessee, brings a bucket of fried chicken to Thursday morning’s House judiciary committee in a pointed message to the attorney general, who refused to appear for questioning after he testified before the Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday
- Barr testimony: attorney general refuses to appear for questioning – live
- A ‘snitty’ day: five takeaways from Barr's testimony on the Mueller report
- William Barr: attorney general’s refusal to testify riles Democrats
Pelosi says Barr lied to Congress: ‘That’s a crime’ – live
House speaker criticized attorney general’s failure to show up for House hearing during her weekly press conference
President Trump is now touting a number of issues important to evangelical Christians, including ending the Johnson Amendment and saying “Merry Christmas.”
The Johnson Amendment prevented houses of worship with tax exempt status from endorsing political candidates. The Trump administration ended enforcement of that provision.
President Donald Trump is now speaking at the Rose Garden for the National Day of Prayer. Watch live here.
Continue reading...Republican lawmaker and ally tell rally to arm themselves for civil war – audio
Recordings obtained by the Guardian show Republican state representative Matt Shea and several associates telling an audience to arm themselves for a looming civil war. The audio was taken in a remote north-eastern religious compound in Washington state last year. In the recordings they can be heard saying 'How many of you have pulled the trigger on your AR-15 in the fight we are in yet?' and 'The war is here – the bad guy is here'
Continue reading...Joe Biden to announce presidential bid on Thursday – live news
Former vice-president to officially launch bid for president, while Jared Kushner says Mueller investigation ‘just a big distraction’
Beto O’Rourke, the Texas congressman and presidential candidate, is jumping into the race for big donor $$$ with a New York City fundraiser next month in which hosts are asked to raise $25,000. The New York Times reports:
NEW: Beto O'Rourke will be holding private big $$$ fundraisers (his campaign has not previously held any).
Hosts are asked to raised $25,000 for a New York City event next month on May 13. pic.twitter.com/RbMpNz8DX8
The Guardian can confirm reports that former vice president Joe Biden will launch his 2020 campaign this week.
Sources close to Biden said he will make his announcement in a video to be released on Thursday and plans to hold an event in Pittsburgh on Monday.
Biden was initially expected to kick off his campaign on Wednesday before delaying his launch. Early polling shows Biden in the top tier of the Democratic field but in close competition with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for frontrunner status.
Giuliani rails against Mueller report as Democrats mull Trump impeachment
- Trump lawyer: ‘Nothing wrong with information from Russians’
- Teflon Don: how Trump the mafia boss fought the law … and won
- Opinion: Moral squalor, not impeachment, will remove Trump
As the White House mounted a furious assault on the Mueller report and critics of a president not found to have conspired with Russia but not cleared of obstruction of justice, the chair of the House judiciary committee said obstruction, if proven, “would be [an] impeachable” offence.
Related: Trump and impeachment: where Democrats stand after Mueller
Continue reading...Republican discussed violent attacks and surveillance with rightwingers
Washington state representative Matt Shea exchanged messages with far-right figures, chat records obtained by the Guardian reveal
A Washington state Republican politician took part in private discussions with rightwing figures about carrying out surveillance, “psyops” and even violent attacks on perceived political enemies, according to chat records obtained by the Guardian.
State representative Matt Shea, who represents Spokane Valley in the Washington state house, participated in the chats with three other men. All of the men used screen aliases – Shea’s was “Verum Bellator”, Latin for true warrior. The Guardian confirmed the identity of those in the chat by cross-checking phone numbers attached to the Signal accounts.
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