At a press briefing on Monday, reporters repeatedly pressed Kayleigh McEnany on the meaning of Donald Trump's tweet about Nascar driver Bubba Wallace and the decision to ban Confederate flags at races. The White House press secretary repeatedly dodged questions on the White House's stance on flying the Confederate flag and claimed Trump 'has not given an opinion one way or another'
Continue reading...Category Archives: Donald Trump
Mary Trump’s book to be published early amid ‘extraordinary interest’
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’
Continue reading...Justin Trudeau snubs Nafta meeting with Trump in Washington
- Mexico’s president to meet Trump on Wednesday
- Canada PM had spoken of concern about US tariffs on metals
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has declined an invitation to visit the White House this week to celebrate a new North American free trade deal, amid worsening coronavirus figures in the US and lingering tensions with Donald Trump.
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obradoris due to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday, and had urged Trudeau to attend the meeting.
Continue reading...John Bolton says Trump’s Russian bounty intelligence denial ‘not how system works’ – video
Former US national security advisor John Bolton says Donald Trump's claim to not have been briefed over allegations Russia paid Taliban-linked militants bounties to kill coalition forces is 'not the way the system works'. Speaking on Face the Nation after the release of his tell-all book, The Room Where It Happened , Bolton said the notion that only 100% verified information would reach the president would mean they would receive 'almost nothing'. 'And this intelligence in 2020, by the administration’s own admission, was deemed credible enough to give to our allies'
Continue reading...Bolton: Trump claim he wasn’t told of Russia bounty report is ‘not how system works’
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
Continue reading...Trump claims victory as US nears 130,000 coronavirus deaths – live
- Trump claims 99% of US cases are ‘totally harmless’
- Woman killed after car drives through Seattle protest
- Kanye West declares 2020 White House run
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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.
Continue reading...Knife-edge Polish presidential race could slow the march of populism
As liberal Rafał Trzaskowski gains on rightwing Andrzej Duda, LGBT rights are among issues at stake in Poland and beyond
When Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, goes up against his liberal challenger in a presidential run-off next Sunday, there will be more at stake than just the medium-term political trajectory of the country. The vote is set to be one of the closest and most important European elections in recent years, and the result will resonate well beyond Poland’s borders.
Duda takes on liberal challenger Rafał Trzaskowski in a race that numerous polls suggest is too close to call. The final outcome will be watched closely by European leaders wary of Poland’s recent political direction, and by progressive politicians worldwide seeking lessons about what does or doesn’t work in taking on populists at the ballot box.
Continue reading...Global report: WHO reports record 200,000 cases in one day, amid surging outbreaks
Donald Trump describes ‘victory’ over virus as cases rise; Mexico death toll becomes 5th highest; Australia’s toughest lockdown begins
The World Health Organization has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases with 212,326 being recorded in just 24 hours, amid a surge in the United States, Brazil and India.
The WHO’s situation report showed that just under 130,000 of those new cases were in the Americas, including the US, Brazil and Mexico, but the WHO said South-East Asia, including India stood at just under new 28,000 new cases on Saturday.
Continue reading...Kanye West declares he will run for US president in 2020
Rapper uses Independence Day to make announcement, but it’s not clear if he has filed any official paperwork to appear on ballots
Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder, rapper Kanye West declared his candidacy for US president.
The unlikely challenger to Donald Trump – of whom he has been a vocal supporter – and Joe Biden, chose American independence day to make the surprise announcement on Twitter, triggering a social media storm.
Continue reading...Trump claims US on way to ‘tremendous victory’ over Covid-19 as cases surge – live
- President made remark in Fourth of July message at White House
- Trump says US under assault from ‘far-left fascism’ in speech
- US coronavirus deaths near 130,000
- Supreme court gives conservatives blues – what’s really going on?
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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
Continue reading...Donald Trump says US ‘under siege from far-left fascism’ in Mount Rushmore speech – video
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'
Continue reading...US under siege from ‘far-left fascism’, says Trump in Mount Rushmore speech
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.
Continue reading...Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr’s girlfriend, tests positive for Covid-19
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.
Continue reading...Fourth of July celebrations increase risk of ‘superspreader’ events, experts warn
- Officials prevent municipal gatherings in effort to slow spread
- Experts urge Americans at barbecues to follow health guidelines
The Fourth of July is traditionally for barbecues, fireworks, boisterous partying and various hijinks to celebrate Independence Day. But this year, with coronavirus cases soaring to all-time highs, medical experts warn that the normal US holiday exuberance could instead create infection “superspreader” events.
Related: 'It's very troubling': alarm grows over Covid-19 spike among young Americans
Continue reading...Trump declares US economy is ‘roaring back’, despite record Covid-19 cases – video
Donald Trump has declared the US economy is 'roaring back' after news of a fall in unemployment nationwide. The results come as states across the country have been gradually lifting Covid-19 restrictions. While 4.8m jobs were added in June, parts of the country have also experienced record numbers of new coronavirus cases
Continue reading...Why is coronavirus still surging in the US? – video explainer
The US recorded a new all-time daily high of 52,000 new Covid-19 cases on 1 July, according to Johns Hopkins University figures, as Donald Trump repeated his belief the virus would ‘just disappear’.
America has now had more than 2.7 million confirmed cases - more than double that of Brazil, the second most-affected country. Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’s top infectious disease expert, has said the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’, infections could more than double and the subsequent death toll ‘is going to be very disturbing’.
The Guardian’s Ed Pilkington looks at why a patchwork approach to lifting lockdowns, as well as the president’s mixed messages on wearing a mask, have led to confusion across the country and why some states are having to clamp down
- From miracle cures to masks: how Trump has defied science on coronavirus – video explainer
- Trump hopes coronavirus will ‘just disappear’ and says he’s ‘all for masks’ – video
- Coronavirus – latest US updates
US setting new coronavirus case records as ‘Russian bounty’ row continues – live updates
- 52,000 new coronavirus cases announced yesterday
- Alarm grows over Covid-19 spike among young
- Trump continues to describe ‘Russian bounty’ story as a hoax
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Meanwhile, there’s breaking news from the Supreme Court, via The Washington Post (added bolds from me):
A lower court had granted a request from the House Judiciary Committee for access to redacted portions of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. But in May, the Supreme Court put a hold on that ruling until the high court could decide whether the issue warranted its intervention.
On the campaign trail and often in public remarks about economic news the president has promised that the final two quarters of 2020 would be a substantial improvement from earlier numbers.
He made that argument again at this press conference.
Continue reading...Trump has ‘gone awol’ as president amid coronavirus pandemic, says ex-CIA director
Leon Panetta becomes latest prominent public figure to accuse Trump of effectively surrendering to the virus and abandoning Americans to their fate
Donald Trump has “essentially gone awol from the job of leadership that he should be providing a country in trouble” during the coronavirus pandemic, a former defence secretary and CIA director said on Wednesday.
Related: US setting new coronavirus case records as 'Russian bounty' row continues - live updates
Continue reading...Donald Trump calls allegations of Russian bounty on US soldiers ‘a hoax’ – video
US president Donald Trump has played down allegations Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan, claiming it’s a hoax by ‘the newspapers and the Democrats’. Trump initially said he had not been told of the allegations, while the White House later claimed there was no consensus in the intelligence community over the reports’ veracity
Continue reading...Trump hopes coronavirus will ‘just disappear’ and says he’s ‘all for masks’ – video
US president Donald Trump says he hopes the coronavirus will “just disappear”, despite states across the country experiencing record numbers of new Covid-19 cases. Speaking to Fox Business, the president was asked if he believed the virus will simply disappear. "Yeah sure. At some point. And I think we’re going to have a vaccine very soon too," he added. Trump has consistently been criticised for not promoting safety measures such as wearing masks, but told Fox Business he "thinks masks are good" and that when he wore one, he liked the way he looked "like the Lone Ranger".
Continue reading...