Donald Trump's day of disaster is rapidly becoming one of the worst weeks of his presidency.
The White House is insisting the president has done nothing wrong in connection with the legal woes of his former personal attorney and says the leader is not the subject of criminal charges.
Mr Trump has accused Michael Cohen of lying under pressure of prosecution and says the hush money paid to two women who allege sexual encounters with the him years ago is not a campaign violation because the money did not come from campaign funds.
Live Updates
09:22
The crisis might be rumbling on, and some have suggested it could take Donald Trump with it. But politicians aren't really ready to get on with impeaching him, writes the Associated Press:
Democrats aren't ready to embrace the I-word.
A day after separate legal hammers dropped nearly simultaneously on two former members of Donald Trump's inner circle, Democrats in Washington and across the country faced a delicate balance as they sought to take political advantage of the president's growing troubles without alienating moderates and independents turned off by talk of impeachment.
Instead of calling for the president's removal, corruption is the new buzzword in Democratic circles. They're not just pointing to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's conviction on tax evasion and other charges and longtime fixer Michael Cohen's plea deal implicating the president in an illegal campaign finance scheme. They've also got the indictment Tuesday of a second Republican member of Congress.
As the party faithful gathered in Chicago on Wednesday for the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting, Chairman Tom Perez ticked off the growing list of legal troubles for Trump and other Republicans. An "out-of-control" situation, he said, demands that voters "put up guardrails" by returning Democrats to power.
With less than three months before the midterms, that could be a potent political argument. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who could return to the speaker's chair if Democrats pick up at least 23 new seats in November, was in her home state of California, where she recalled that Democrats won the House in 2006 by hammering Republican corruption in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
"This time, the culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence is so pervasive that it's in the White House," Pelosi told the San Francisco audience Wednesday at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.
Afterward, she said Democrats "can't be political" in talking about impeachment. Separately, she sent her House colleagues a letter encouraging them to keep emphasizing economic issues, even as she pledged to "hold the president and his administration accountable" by insisting that Congress "seek the truth."
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sought her own nuanced position. The potential 2020 presidential candidate, who built her brand as an economic populist, unveiled sweeping anti-corruption proposals hours before the legal developments were announced Tuesday. As they consumed the news cycle Wednesday, she released years of her own personal tax returns — something Trump has refused to do.
The varied approaches reflect Democrats' political and electoral conundrum. Opposition to Trump has flourished across the political left, already giving Democrats key electoral victories since his inauguration. The party is competing on multiple fronts: gaining control of the House, at least maintaining a closely divided Senate and making inroads in governorships and state legislatures. All of those goals could be elusive without at least some support from independents and moderate Republicans, especially those who live in suburban areas and who dislike Trump but aren't eager to watch Congress go through the divisive and messy process of impeachment.
"We win on bread-and-butter issues. That's what people will vote on," said Minnesota Democratic Chairman Ken Martin, who counts four competitive House races in his state. Martin noted Hillary Clinton's decision in 2016 to focus most of her paid advertising on Trump's negatives. "We see how that worked out?" he said.
In Ohio, a presidential battleground that Trump won by nearly 10 percentage points, state Democratic Chairman David Pepper argued Democrats have momentum by running on local issues, even if they can be traced back to Washington.
"Good candidates don't get sucked into the daily vortex of Washington," Pepper said. "We've spent months telling Ohio voters that these Republicans have voted to take away their health care, protections for pre-existing conditions and now they want to take away Medicaid expansion. ... Why deviate from that to talk about something no one in Ohio controls?"
Of course, in some elections, localizing the argument could mean embracing a discussion about Trump and corruption.
"I've got a governor who's joined at the hip with Donald Trump, so hell yeah, I want us talking about it," said South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson. He was referring to Henry McMaster, who endorsed Trump in the GOP presidential primary and then accepted the president's help in a tough gubernatorial runoff this year.
Zac Petkanas, a Democratic operative and frequent Trump critic on cable television, offered another reason for Democrats to be cautious: Voters aren't ready for impeachment.
"Voters are tuning in for the big things" in the investigation, he said. "And there will be more of those. ... Democrats should advocate protecting the investigation and finding the truth. But you can't be seen as prejudging."
It's worth noting that, for now, progressive activists aren't looking to punish Democrats who don't push impeachment. Emily Phelps, a spokeswoman for Indivisible, noted that the grassroots group first endorsed the notion of impeachment proceedings when Trump fired James Comey as FBI director. But, Phelps said, "Our ultimate goal is not to take down Trump ... but to win elections and derail Trump's agenda in Congress to diminish his power."
A day after separate legal hammers dropped nearly simultaneously on two former members of Donald Trump's inner circle, Democrats in Washington and across the country faced a delicate balance as they sought to take political advantage of the president's growing troubles without alienating moderates and independents turned off by talk of impeachment.
Instead of calling for the president's removal, corruption is the new buzzword in Democratic circles. They're not just pointing to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's conviction on tax evasion and other charges and longtime fixer Michael Cohen's plea deal implicating the president in an illegal campaign finance scheme. They've also got the indictment Tuesday of a second Republican member of Congress.
As the party faithful gathered in Chicago on Wednesday for the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting, Chairman Tom Perez ticked off the growing list of legal troubles for Trump and other Republicans. An "out-of-control" situation, he said, demands that voters "put up guardrails" by returning Democrats to power.
With less than three months before the midterms, that could be a potent political argument. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who could return to the speaker's chair if Democrats pick up at least 23 new seats in November, was in her home state of California, where she recalled that Democrats won the House in 2006 by hammering Republican corruption in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
"This time, the culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence is so pervasive that it's in the White House," Pelosi told the San Francisco audience Wednesday at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.
Afterward, she said Democrats "can't be political" in talking about impeachment. Separately, she sent her House colleagues a letter encouraging them to keep emphasizing economic issues, even as she pledged to "hold the president and his administration accountable" by insisting that Congress "seek the truth."
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sought her own nuanced position. The potential 2020 presidential candidate, who built her brand as an economic populist, unveiled sweeping anti-corruption proposals hours before the legal developments were announced Tuesday. As they consumed the news cycle Wednesday, she released years of her own personal tax returns — something Trump has refused to do.
The varied approaches reflect Democrats' political and electoral conundrum. Opposition to Trump has flourished across the political left, already giving Democrats key electoral victories since his inauguration. The party is competing on multiple fronts: gaining control of the House, at least maintaining a closely divided Senate and making inroads in governorships and state legislatures. All of those goals could be elusive without at least some support from independents and moderate Republicans, especially those who live in suburban areas and who dislike Trump but aren't eager to watch Congress go through the divisive and messy process of impeachment.
"We win on bread-and-butter issues. That's what people will vote on," said Minnesota Democratic Chairman Ken Martin, who counts four competitive House races in his state. Martin noted Hillary Clinton's decision in 2016 to focus most of her paid advertising on Trump's negatives. "We see how that worked out?" he said.
In Ohio, a presidential battleground that Trump won by nearly 10 percentage points, state Democratic Chairman David Pepper argued Democrats have momentum by running on local issues, even if they can be traced back to Washington.
"Good candidates don't get sucked into the daily vortex of Washington," Pepper said. "We've spent months telling Ohio voters that these Republicans have voted to take away their health care, protections for pre-existing conditions and now they want to take away Medicaid expansion. ... Why deviate from that to talk about something no one in Ohio controls?"
Of course, in some elections, localizing the argument could mean embracing a discussion about Trump and corruption.
"I've got a governor who's joined at the hip with Donald Trump, so hell yeah, I want us talking about it," said South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson. He was referring to Henry McMaster, who endorsed Trump in the GOP presidential primary and then accepted the president's help in a tough gubernatorial runoff this year.
Zac Petkanas, a Democratic operative and frequent Trump critic on cable television, offered another reason for Democrats to be cautious: Voters aren't ready for impeachment.
"Voters are tuning in for the big things" in the investigation, he said. "And there will be more of those. ... Democrats should advocate protecting the investigation and finding the truth. But you can't be seen as prejudging."
It's worth noting that, for now, progressive activists aren't looking to punish Democrats who don't push impeachment. Emily Phelps, a spokeswoman for Indivisible, noted that the grassroots group first endorsed the notion of impeachment proceedings when Trump fired James Comey as FBI director. But, Phelps said, "Our ultimate goal is not to take down Trump ... but to win elections and derail Trump's agenda in Congress to diminish his power."
09:30
If you'd like a catch-up on everything that's gone on so far, you can check out yesterday's live blog – all the rolling updates on the first of what looks to be a series of troublesome days for Trump.
09:37
It's worth remembering that while the White House struggles to contain this crisis, the normal work of government is going on. Overnight, the US and China have ratcheted up their ongoing trade war, by putting a whole host of tariffs onto each other.
09:43
In what appears to be Trump's attempt to move attention away from the crisis, the president has been tweeting about white farmers in South Africa. But the government has rejected his claims.
U.S. President Donald Trump is misinformed about South Africa's planned land reforms, President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokeswoman said on Thursday, after Trump tweeted that land was being seized by government from white farmers.
"The presidency has noted Trump's tweet, which is misinformed in our view," Khusela Diko said. "We will take up the matter through diplomatic channels.
10:37
South Africa remains shocked by Donald Trump's tweet about land seizures but has said that it won't damage the relationship between the two countries.
"The tweet has not determined our approach to the United States on our current relationship and future relationship," communications minister Nomvula Mokonyane told reporters after a routine cabinet meeting.
11:11
Trump is about to be interviewed on Fox & Friends. It's not clear what he'll be talking about – but it would be strange not to touch on this.
11:13
The interview is being heavily trailed: he considers pardoning Manafort and takes on the Cohen situation, according to staff at the TV show.
11:14
The interview is live, and it's covering all the usual talking points at the moment: Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department, and so on.
11:15
"What's come out of Manafort? No collusion. What's come out of Michael Cohen? No collusion."
Trump is talking about how bad he feels that both of the men had to suffer morning raids on their house.
11:16
Trump didn't say he was going to pardon Paul Manafort. But he didn't say he wouldn't, either.
11:17
Fox & Friends say they'll be showing some more of the interview in half an hour.
In the meantime, they'll be hitting all of the other talking points that are being used to distract from the current crisis in the White House, they say.
11:27
There's some confusion about that Manafort line. Julie Davis, a White House reporter for the New York Times, notes on Twitter:
"Ainsley Earhardt, who said last night on Hannity that Trump had told her in their interview that he was considering pardoning Manafort, this AM notes he never did say this, before airing clip in which Trump does not answer her direct question about it"
This morning Earhardt said that he didn't say he would, and wouldn't say he was going to; that much seems accurate.
11:30
Fox & Friends is discussing the decision to give a posthumous Medal of Honour to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, which Trump gave out at the height of the current crisis during a White House ceremony yesterday.
11:45
Donald Trump might need his lawyer right now. So where is he? Somewhere both very surprising – and incredibly fitting.
Rudy Giuliani has been pictured on a golf trip to Scotland while the US president faces mounting legal and political threats.
He was photographed with a group of US tourists near the Old Course in St Andrews, Fife, on Wednesday evening.
It comes as Mr Trump accused his former lawyer Michael Cohen of lying under pressure of prosecution with allegations that the president had orchestrated a campaign cover-up to buy the silence of two women who claimed he had affairs with them.
Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to eight charges, including campaign finance violations that he said he carried out in co-ordination with Mr Trump.
Mr Trump tweeted to accuse Cohen of making up "stories in order to get a 'deal"' from federal prosecutors.
Mr Giuliani, the president's personal counsel, came under criticism earlier this week after claiming "truth isn't truth" in a US TV interview.
He later tweeted: "My statement was not meant as a pontification on moral theology, but one referring to the situation where two people make precisely contradictory statements, the classic 'he said, she said' puzzle. Sometimes further inquiry can reveal the truth, other times it doesn't."
12:02
One important line of defence for Trump – and one that he repeated in the Fox & Friends interview – is a claim that Cohen's crimes had nothing to do with the president or his campaign, and that he offered the stories about Trump as a way of getting off.
He's also looked to use the interview to distance himself from Cohen. He said the lawyer, who worked for him for a decade, was just a "part-time attorney" who had many other clients.
"It's called flipping and it almost should be illegal," Trump said. "In all fairness to him, most people are going to do that."
12:07
Trump has said that it would be a disaster if he were impeached – because the market would "crash".
“If I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash," he said. "I think everybody would be very poor."
He also says he shouldn't be impeached because he's done a "great job".
12:26
Here's a little more detail on Trump's suggestion that it should be illegal for people facing prosecution to cooperate with the government in exchange for a reduced sentence, made during the Fox & Friends interview.
Trump is reacting to the guilty plea entered by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to a range of charges.
Trump — in an interview with "Fox & Friends" — is accusing Cohen of implicating him to get a better deal with prosecutors. Trump says Cohen "makes a better deal when he uses me."
Trump claims people who decide to cooperate with the government "make up stories" and "just make up lies"
Here's what the president says: "It's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal." He says "it's not a fair thing."
Trump claims people who decide to cooperate with the government "make up stories" and "just make up lies"
Here's what the president says: "It's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal." He says "it's not a fair thing."
12:50
President Donald Trump says he believes the economy would tank if he were to be impeached.
Trump was asked in an interview with "Fox & Friends" if he believes Democrats will launch impeachment proceedings if they win the House this fall, as many suspect.
He says, "If I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash. I think everybody would be very poor."
Trump says Americans would see economic "numbers that you wouldn't believe in reverse."
But Trump is also expressing doubt that that would ever happen.
He says, "I don't know how you can impeach somebody who's done a great job."
Instead, Mr Trump claimed he personally had made the payments, in an apparent effort to stem the crisis.
That argument stands in contrast to Mr Cohen's guilty plea to campaign finance violations that he says he carried out in coordination with Mr Trump.
Mr Cohen says he used shell companies to make payments for silencing former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult-film actress Stormy Daniels for the purpose of influencing the 2016 election.
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