With 10 days to go, time and history are not on Donald Trump’s side

Covid has tanked the gains he made in the economy and any new stimulus could be too late

It all looked so simple for Donald Trump as he took the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January this year. At the start of an election year, the annual gathering of the global business elite was an opportunity to launch his campaign.

It was one Trump eagerly seized. The next 30 minutes was one long boast, detailing how a US economy that had allegedly been on its knees under Barack Obama had been transformed under his stewardship.

Continue reading...

Trump v Biden: the key moments of the final presidential debate – video highlights

Joe Biden and Donald Trump have gone head-to-head for the final time before the US election on 3 November in the final television debate, helped by a mute button on the candidates’ microphones that prevented interruptions.

Squaring off in Nashville, Biden had to field aggressive questioning about his son’s business dealings and when Trump compared himself to Abraham Lincoln, the challenger branded his opponent 'one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history'. Here is a look back at the key moments

Continue reading...

‘Kills all the birds’: Trump and Biden spar over climate in TV debate – video

The closing moments of the final presidential debate focused on climate change. Joe Biden stressed the need to expand sources of renewable energy while again disputing Donald Trump’s claim that he intended to ban fracking, which he does not. 'I know more about wind than you do,' Trump retorted, drawing an exasperated laugh from Biden. 'It’s extremely expensive. Kills all the birds'

Continue reading...

Trump and Biden clash on coronavirus during final presidential debate – video

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have clashed over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic during the final presidential debate. While Trump says a vaccine will be available within weeks, Biden questioned the veracity of Trump's claims after the president's previous predictions the pandemic would end by Easter. The pandemic has killed more than 220,000 Americans and infected millions more, including the president

Continue reading...

‘Children brought here by coyotes’: Trump squares off with Biden on immigration – video

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have squared off over immigration policies, including the US government being unable to locate the parents of more than 500 immigrant children. 'Children are brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people, cartels, and they're brought here and they used to use them to get into our country. We now have as strong a border as we've ever had,' Trump said. The president also criticised immigration under the previous Obama-Biden administration, including the catch and release policy, saying 'those with the lowest IQ' were the only ones who returned for an immigration hearing

Continue reading...

The final Trump-Biden presidential debate: five key takeaways

Trump tried to change his tone, Biden calls the president a racist and ‘Bidencare’ is now a thing

In the days leading up to the debate, Donald Trump’s advisers urged the president to stay calmer than he was at the first presidential debate in Cleveland last month, when he was widely criticized for repeatedly and aggressively interrupting his Democratic presidential rival, Joe Biden.

Continue reading...

‘Abraham Lincoln over here’: Trump and Biden clash on racism at presidential debate – video

Donald Trump has defended his handling of race issues in the US, declaring three times during the final presidential debate he is 'the least racist person in this room'. Trump was questioned on his handling of incidents such as describing the Black Lives Matter movement as a symbol of hate and saying protesting Black athletes should be fired. Presidential rival Joe Biden called Trump 'one of the most racist presidents we've had in modern history. He pours fuel on every racist fire', before adding 'this guy has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn'

Continue reading...

Humanity has eight years to get climate crisis under control – and Trump’s plan won’t fix it

Donald Trump presented a fantasy world in which fossil fuels are ‘very clean’ but realpolitik tempers Biden’s climate crisis stance

In Donald Trump’s world – laid bare during Thursday night’s final presidential debate with his Democratic rival Joe Biden in Nashville – fossil fuels are “very clean”, the US has the best air and water despite his administration’s extensive regulatory rollbacks, and the country can fix climate change by planting trees.

Related: Biden mauls Trump's record on coronavirus in final presidential debate

Continue reading...

Presidential debate live: Trump and Biden to face off in final clash

Joe Biden has arrived at the debate venue as well, with just 15 minutes to go until the start of the event.

The Democratic nominee sent this one-word tweet before the debate got underway.

Ready. pic.twitter.com/RYbnSpEsKB

You got this, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/RXoM5CEAkg

Trump has arrived at Belmont University, where tonight’s presidential debate will take place in Nashville, Tennessee.

Presidential Motorcade rolls into Belmont University pic.twitter.com/yJJIgQbxtL

Continue reading...

Trump’s Twitter hacked after Dutch researcher claims he guessed password – report

Victor Gevers claimed he had access to president’s account, De Volkskrant reported, but Twitter said ‘we’ve seen no evidence’

Donald Trump’s Twitter account was allegedly hacked last week, after a Dutch researcher correctly guessed the president’s password: “maga2020!”, Dutch media reported.

Victor Gevers, a security expert, had access to Trump’s direct messages, could post tweets in his name and change his profile, De Volkskrant newspaper reported.

Continue reading...

Amy Coney Barrett committee vote due before Trump and Biden head for debate – US politics live

There’s been quite the online reaction to the scenes of Rudy Giuliani in the new Borat movie. In the film the former New York mayor and current personal attorney to Donald Trump is seen reaching into his trousers and apparently touching his genitals while reclining on a bed in the presence of the actor playing Borat’s daughter, who is posing as a TV journalist.

It’s just one release in the run-up to the US election seeking to make a political impact. Charles Bramesco writes for us this morning asking can entertainment really affect an election?

The run-up to the presidential election has brought about an explosion of topical projects announcing themselves as a noble bulwark against the encroaching threat of another Trump term. And with them, the age-old debate over what any of this actually accomplishes has been reignited. Every time a film introduces itself as the one we need right now, it must first answer the question of whether a film is what we really need. As of late, the arguments have not been especially compelling.

Related: Borat v Trump: can entertainment really affect an election?

The Washington Post’s over-worked fact-checkers have written this morning that in the run-up to the election, Trump is averaging more than 50 false or misleading claims a day. You’ve got to feel for them…

As President Trump entered the final stretch of the election season, he began making more than 50 false or misleading claims a day. It’s only gotten worse — so much so that the Fact Checker team cannot keep up.

As of 27 August, the tally in our database that tracks every errant claim by the president stood at 22,247 claims in 1,316 days.

Continue reading...

Trump responds to Barack Obama’s speech at Biden-Harris rally – video

Donald Trump has responded to Barack Obama's speech at a campaign rally for Joe Biden, saying the former president underestimated him in 2016. "I think the only one, the only one more unhappy than crooked Hillary that night was Barack Hussein Obama," Trump said. Less than two weeks from the election, Trump's campaign took him to North Carolina, where he told supporters "I love this particular state, but I might not have come here so often. I've been all over your state, you better let me win"

Continue reading...

Russia and Iran obtained US voter data in bid to sow unrest before election, FBI warns

In rare news conference, the director of national security says Iran has sent spoofed emails to intimidate voters

Russia and Iran have obtained some US voting registration information and are attempting to sow unrest in the upcoming election, the government’s national intelligence director said in a rare news conference Wednesday night.

“We have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails, designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest and damage President Trump,” said John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence.

Continue reading...

Barack Obama likens Donald Trump to ‘crazy uncle’ in Joe Biden rally speech – video

Barack Obama has delivered a stinging rebuke of president Donald Trump in a speech delivered in Philadelphia while campaigning for Joe Biden. Obama criticised Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis as well as divisive behaviour including retweeting conspiracy theories that you wouldn't tolerate from  anyone “except from a crazy uncle". The former president also praised the positivity shown during the pandemic and recent Black Lives Matter movement . "We see that what is best is us is still there, but we've got to give it voice."

Continue reading...

Parents of 545 children still not found three years after Trump separation policy

Lawyers struggling to find parents deported to Central America, says ACLU, after US government removed 1,030 children in 2018

Three years after Donald Trump ordered a crackdown on undocumented migrants crossing into the US, lawyers are still struggling to find the parents of 545 children separated from them under the “zero-tolerance” policy, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a court filing, the ACLU said that about two-thirds of the parents had been deported back to the country of origin in Central America, leaving their separated children behind. In the rush to carry out Trump’s orders, the locations of the parents were not recorded and three years later they still cannot be found.

Continue reading...

Broken promises and alternative facts: how Donald Trump failed Ohio – video

After winning the 2016 election, Donald Trump promised to deliver new jobs and economic prosperity to Youngstown, Ohio, a city suffering from decades of decline. But four years on those promises never manifested. Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone meet residents who lost their jobs and had their families split by economic necessity, and witness how the demise of the city’s only newspaper made it harder to hold politicians accountable for their failures

More from the Anywhere but Washington series: 




Continue reading...

Obama stumps for Biden in Philadelphia as polls show Trump trailing in state – live

Meanwhile, it seems Trump supporters in North Carolina were asked to avoid QAnon clothing.

The president refused to disavow QAnon during an NBC town hall last week. “I don’t know about QAnon,” he insisted.

A Trump campaign worker ahead of the President’s rally in Gastonia, NC, is informing attendees as they arrive at the main entrance that they cannot wear any QAnon attire.

“No flags, no signs, no e-cigarettes, no clothing with obscenities, no QAnon attire...” w/ @carolelee pic.twitter.com/vnddhTewH1

Joe Biden is leading by an average of 5 points in Pennsylvania – but Trump won the state by less than one point in 2016.

Here’s how the candidates are polling in swing states:

Related: US election polls tracker: who is leading in the swing states?

Continue reading...

Donald Trump paid nearly $200,000 in taxes to China, report claims

New York Times says records reveal company bank account in China, and documents show he paid more tax there than at home

Donald Trump maintains a bank account in China where he pursued licensing deals for years, according to a report that could undermine the president’s election campaign claim that he is tough on Beijing.

Tax records reviewed by the New York Times showed a previously unreported bank account in China controlled by Trump International Hotels Management. The account paid $188,561 in taxes in China between 2013 and 2015 in connection to potential licensing deals, according the newspaper.

Continue reading...

Trump says US is ‘crushing’ coronavirus as country passes 220,000 deaths – video

The president is 'crushing' Covid-19 as the country surpasses 220,000 deaths from the virus. Speaking at a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump told voters 'If you want depression, doom and despair. Vote for sleepy Joe Biden. And boredom'. Trump blamed former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton when his microphone cut out during the rally and also claimed that if the virus had not struck he would not have needed to campign very hard to win re-election.

Continue reading...

Joe Biden criticises Donald Trump for renewed Fauci attack over Covid – US politics live

It’s worth noting that Mitch McConnell said the Senate would consider a coronavirus relief bill “at some point” if a deal is reached between House speaker Nancy Pelosi and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin.

That phrasing leaves it very unclear when the Senate would take up a coronavirus relief package if an agreement is reached.

Mitch McConnell said he would put a coronavirus relief bill on the Senate floor for a vote, if the White House and congressional Democrats can reach a deal on the package.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin are expected to discuss the negotiations again in about a half an hour, and Pelosi has said she is “optimistic” about reaching an agreement.

Continue reading...