Donald Trump has said he is considering attending a Russian military parade in May, claiming he has been invited by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. The US president spoke to reporters on the White House lawn, where he also talked about Michael Bloomberg entering the Democratic primary. 'He’s not going to do well, but I think he’s going to hurt Biden actually … There’s nobody I’d rather run against than little Michael,' he said
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Trump ordered to pay $2m for charity foundation misuse – live
Lawsuit exposed ‘shocking pattern of illegality’ in Trump’s personal charity, while John Bolton fails to show for deposition on Capitol Hill – follow live
Bloomberg is preparing to enter the Democratic presidential primary, the New York Times reports. He’s expected to file paperwork designating himself as a candidate in Alabama this week.
Mr. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman, has been privately weighing a bid for the White House for weeks and has not yet made a final decision on whether to run, an adviser said. But in the first sign that he is seriously moving toward a campaign, Mr. Bloomberg has dispatched staffers to Alabama to gather signatures to qualify for the primary there. Though Alabama does not hold an early primary, it has a Friday deadline for candidates to formally enter the race.
Here’s a summary of where things stand:
Continue reading...Is Pete Buttigieg’s version of ‘hope and change’ enough to take on Trump? | Geoffrey Kabaservice
The 37-year-old mayor from Indiana has his vulnerabilities, but has become a contender for the presidency in just a few months
On a November evening a dozen years ago, Barack Obama – who at the time was the 46-year-old junior senator from Illinois – appeared at the annual fundraising dinner-rally of the Iowa Democratic party, at which all of the 2008 Democratic presidential contestants were given about 10 minutes to speak. Obama came in as underdog to the frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, but delivered such a barn-burning stemwinder of a speech that he left as the favorite. A little more than three months later, he won the Iowa caucuses – the first major contest on the US presidential campaign calendar – and the rest is history.
None of the Democratic presidential hopefuls who spoke at last week’s Iowa Democratic party Liberty and Justice Celebration pulled off an Obama-level breakout performance. But the one who came closest was Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg hewed closely to the Obama playbook in making a case for his candidacy, and his Iowa speech seems likely to boost him in the polls at just the moment when the other leading candidates are showing some worrisome weaknesses.
Continue reading...Steve Bannon will be surprise witness at Roger Stone trial
Stone is accused of lying to House intelligence committee about Trump campaign’s efforts to obtain emails hacked by Russia
Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, will be a star witness at the trial in Washington of Roger Stone, a longtime political operative and ally of Donald Trump, a court heard on Wednesday.
The surprise announcement was made during opening statements on Wednesday by prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky, who told the court that Stone had “straight-up lied” to the US Congress about aspects of the 2016 election campaign “because the truth looked bad for Donald Trump”.
Continue reading...Ukraine crisis put on ice by Trump staff busy working out how to buy Greenland
State and defence departments wanted military aid restored, but the Greenland issue ‘took up a lot of energy’, new testimony reveals
After the White House cut off military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump’s top officials scrambled to get it restored but were unable to organise a meeting with the president, in part because his staff were too busy pursuing his interest in buying Greenland, according to newly released congressional testimony.
The acting US ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, told Congress that Trump’s order in mid-July to cut off security assistance triggered a series of high-level meetings with cabinet members on how to get it resumed, given the urgency of the Russian military intervention in eastern Ukraine.
Continue reading...Top US diplomat observed clear Trump-Ukraine quid pro quo, testimony reveals
US officials said Trump would not ‘sign a check’ for military aid without investigation into Joe Biden, Bill Taylor tells inquiry
For a second time in two days, newly released testimony in the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump has produced a firsthand account of US officials negotiating a quid pro quo in Ukraine in which military aid would be used to pay for a political hit against Joe Biden, the president’s potential 2020 adversary.
Related: Trump-Ukraine scandal: Taylor transcript details direct quid pro quo via irregular channels – live
Continue reading...Impeachment inquiry: diplomat to say politics were behind refusal to defend Yovanovitch – live
David Hale will tell Congress Pompeo worried defending Marie Yovanovitch could lead to further delays in releasing military aid to Ukraine
Virginia Democrats are “promising swift action” on a host of liberal policy proposals after sweeping the state’s legislature, according to AP.
Democrats took control of the state House and Senate – they already had Ralph Northam in place as governor – on Tuesday night, and will now push through gun restrictions and raise the minimum wage. From AP:
Northam said at a cabinet meeting Wednesday morning that he’s going to push for the same gun safety laws he proposed at a special session earlier this year called in response to a mass shooting in Virginia Beach.
[Democrats] have also promised to approve the Equal Rights Amendment, making Virginia the final state needed for possible passage of the gender equality measure.
Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly said she won’t run as a third party candidate if (when) she fails to win the Democratic nomination. That hasn’t failed to stop chatter about her potentially going rogue, however... chatter that Democrats appear keen to shut down:
NEW — DNC Chair Tom Perez said Tulsi confirmed to the DNC last week that she wouldn’t run as a third party candidate.
Continue reading...Twitter political ad ban could silence climate activists, warns Warren
US presidential hopeful says fossil fuel firms will be free to promote themselves while critics are barred
Twitter’s plan to ban all political advertising risked muzzling climate activists while giving polluters free rein to promote themselves, the US presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren said.
“Twitter’s new ad policy will allow fossil fuel companies to buy ads defending themselves and spreading misleading info but won’t allow organisations fighting the climate crisis to buy ads holding those companies accountable,” she tweeted, linking to an environmental newsletter.
Continue reading...Incumbent Kentucky governor Matt Bevin refuses to concede defeat to Democratic rival – video
The incumbent Republican governor Matt Bevin has refused to concede the election in Kentucky, citing unspecified 'irregularities'. The Democratic challenger Andy Beshear declared himself the winner after securing 49.2% of the vote to Bevin’s 48.8%. While Donald Trump won Kentucky with more than 60% of the vote in 2016 and remains popular in the state, Bevin polls as one of America’s most unpopular governors
Continue reading...Kentucky governor race: Democrat Andy Beshear declares victory – video
The Democratic challenger Andy Beshear has declared victory in the Kentucky governor's race, but the Republican incumbent Matt Bevin has refused to concede, citing unspecified 'irregularities'. In a speech in Lexington on Monday night, Donald Trump – who won Kentucky by 30 percentage points in 2016 – told voters they needed to re-elect Bevin, or else pundits would say the president 'suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world'
Continue reading...Trump impeachment inquiry: Sondland revises testimony and admits Ukraine quid pro quo – live
EU envoy acknowledges in updated testimony he told Ukraine it would likely not receive aid unless it announced investigations into Trump’s rivals
Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell appears to have bulldozed directly through protocol by forecasting, before the articles of impeachment have even been drafted in the House and Trump put on trial in the Senate, that the president will be acquitted.
“If it were today, I don’t think there’s any question — it would not lead to a removal,” @SenateMajLdr McConnell says of a potential impeachment trial in the Senate.
/2 McConnell: “I’m pretty sure I know how it’s going to end.” Says Trump will be acquitted by Senate like Clinton & Andrew Johnson
Sondland was asked, with respect to the “demands” made by Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani to investigate the 2016 election and Burisma, if “those conditions would have to be complied with prior to getting a meeting.”
Continue reading...Trump begins year-long process to formally exit Paris climate agreement
- Exit will not be final until day after 2020 elections
- Many organizations are keeping US in climate crisis fight
Donald Trump is moving to formally exit the Paris climate agreement, making the United States the only country in the world that will not participate in the pact, as global temperatures are set to rise 3C and worsening extreme weather will drive millions into poverty.
The paperwork sent by the US government to withdraw begins a one-year process for exiting the deal agreed to at the UN climate change conference in Paris in 2015. The Trump administration will not be able to finalize its exit until a day after the presidential election in November 2020.
Continue reading...Impeachment inquiry transcripts reveal shock and concern over Trump plot
- Yovanovitch and McKinley warned plot undermined national security
- Impeachment inquiry live – rolling report
Two senior American diplomats warned congressional investigators a White House plot to manufacture political dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine had undermined US national security interests and shredded faith among foreign service personnel, according to transcripts released on Monday by committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.
Related: Trump rejects whistleblower offer to answer Republican questions
Continue reading...Trump rejects whistleblower offer to answer Republican questions
- Experts on Trump’s conduct: ‘Plainly an abuse of power’
- Opinion: It’s time to throw the kitchen sink at Trump
A day after a lawyer for the whistleblower who raised alarms about Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine said his client is willing to answer written questions submitted by House Republicans, the president tweeted: “Written answers not acceptable!”
Related: 'Quid pro quo, yes or no?' Trump allies face Ukraine question
Continue reading...‘The stakes are enormous’: is Hillary Clinton set for a White House run?
The candidate who lost to Trump is making all the right moves as some fear a primary gone too far left. It’s a tantalising notion, but most observers counsel caution – and a dose of realism
A high-profile book tour. Countless TV interviews. Political combat with a Democratic primary candidate and Donald Trump. A year before the US presidential election, it looks like a campaign and it sounds like a campaign but it isn’t a campaign. At least, not as far anyone knows.
Related: Pete Buttigieg: race is between me and Warren – as new poll puts him fourth
Continue reading...Judge blocks Trump’s rule requiring immigrants show they have healthcare
- Federal judge issues temporary stay after Oregon hearing
- Litigator says ban would separate families
A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, has put on hold a Trump administration rule requiring immigrants to prove they will have health insurance or can pay for medical care before they can get visas.
US district judge Michael Simon granted a temporary restraining order that prevented the rule from going into effect Sunday. It was not clear when he would rule on the merits of the case.
Continue reading...‘Quid pro quo, yes or no?’ Trump allies face Ukraine question
- Whistleblower will answer Republican questions – lawyer
- Mueller records: Manafort pushed Ukraine conspiracy theory
As Donald Trump repeated his demand that the whistleblower who triggered the impeachment inquiry should be identified, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway refused to say the president did not offer the leader of Ukraine a quid pro quo involving military aid and the investigation of his political rivals.
Related: Experts on Trump's conduct: 'Plainly an abuse of power, plainly impeachable'
Continue reading...California wildfire: evacuation orders lifted as Trump blasts Newsom
- President slams governor and threatens to cut federal funds
- Newsom tweets back: ‘You don’t believe in climate change’
As authorities lifted all evacuation orders imposed by a wildfire that caused thousands to flee their homes north-west of Los Angeles, Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding for aid during the kind of blazes that have hit California hard this fall.
Related: ‘Not our mission’: private fire crews protect the insured, not the public
Continue reading...Triggered review: Donald Jr proves himself the Trump kid with real political chops
The son’s book is one-eyed, loose with the facts and a crude attack on the left. In short, it’s like his dad – and it might work
In Triggered, the president’s eldest child excoriates the left for its censoriousness, but ignores his father’s repeated demands for the same. In case Don Jr forgot, Trump père is no friend of free speech or a free press.
Related: Donald Trump Jr's Triggered: a litany of trolling and insults worthy of his father
Continue reading...Beto O’Rourke withdraws from Democratic race – and faces Trump’s abuse
- The rise and fall of Beto: how a star’s campaign faded
- President: ‘poor bastard … made a total fool of himself’
Beto O’Rourke withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday. His decision met with tributes from his former competitors and insults from Donald Trump.
Related: Who anointed Beto O'Rourke to be our political saviour? He did | Moira Donegan
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