Donald Trump has been accused of using Oval Office phone calls to “humiliate and bully” world leaders including German chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-British prime minister Theresa May while pandering to authoritarians like Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A damning article by veteran reporter Carl Bernstein quotes sources describing Trump as “delusional” and jeopardising America’s national security and place on the global stage by surrendering political advantage to Putin, who is likened to “a chess grandmaster” making short work of “an occasional player of checkers”.
The Trump administration is also facing increasing pressure to come clean about a reported Russian plot to pay bounties to the Taliban for assassinating US troops in Afghanistan as the coronavirus rages in southern states. Mr Trump's campaign meanwhile cancelled a rally for next weekend in Alabama amid concerns of rising coronavirus infections in multiple states across the country.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany blamed "rogue intelligence officers" for leaking classified information that led to media reports about the president's alleged failure to read or respond to the Russian scheme, though she didn't provide any evidence that there exists an internal plot to go after Mr Trump.
Administration officials have not denied that the intelligence reports exist but have blamed news outlets for covering information that the White House says has not been verified. But as the scandal nears its fifth days, US officials warned that the administration was receiving reports as early as last year.
Ms McEnany said that "the president was never briefed on this" but "has been briefed about what's in the public domain," suggesting a gap between US intelligence and the Oval Office.
Joe Biden meanwhile held his first press conference since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic to condemn the president's response to the crisis.
He said called the president's handling of the bounty scandal as a "dereliction of duty" if he had been briefed and refused to act. If the allegations based on media reports are true, Mr Trump is "unfit to be president," he said.
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Trump accused of 'humiliating and bullying' world leaders and flattering despots on Oval Office calls
Donald Trump has been accused of using Oval Office phone calls to “humiliate and bully” world leaders including German chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-British prime minister Theresa May while pandering to authoritarians like Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A damning article for CNN by veteran reporter Carl Bernstein quotes sources describing Trump as “delusional” and jeopardising America’s national security and place on the global stage by surrendering political advantage to Putin, who is likened to “a chess grandmaster” making short work of “an occasional player of checkers”.
The conversations with Putin is also characterised as that between “two guys in a steam bath”, with Trump “giving away the advantage that was hard won in the Cold War” by boosting his counterpart’s status.
In addition to labelling Merkel “stupid” - a charge that simply rolled “like water off a duck’s back”, according to her aide - and leaving May "flustered and nervous" as he harangued her for spinelessness in her dealings with the EU and Nato, Trump also reportedly preferred congratulatory backslapping on his negotiations by phone from his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner over the more meaningful analysis of experts like Dr Fiona Hill.
On Merkel versus Trump, there's just no contest:
Aides also expressed concerns to Bernstein that the Turkish secret service might have been keeping close tabs on Trump, as Erdogan always seemed to know precisely the right moment to call with a request.
It’s quite a read!
Here's Adam Forrest on Trump and May.
Donald Trump has been accused of using Oval Office phone calls to “humiliate and bully” world leaders including German chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-British prime minister Theresa May while pandering to authoritarians like Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A damning article for CNN by veteran reporter Carl Bernstein quotes sources describing Trump as “delusional” and jeopardising America’s national security and place on the global stage by surrendering political advantage to Putin, who is likened to “a chess grandmaster” making short work of “an occasional player of checkers”.
The conversations with Putin is also characterised as that between “two guys in a steam bath”, with Trump “giving away the advantage that was hard won in the Cold War” by boosting his counterpart’s status.
In addition to labelling Merkel “stupid” - a charge that simply rolled “like water off a duck’s back”, according to her aide - and leaving May "flustered and nervous" as he harangued her for spinelessness in her dealings with the EU and Nato, Trump also reportedly preferred congratulatory backslapping on his negotiations by phone from his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner over the more meaningful analysis of experts like Dr Fiona Hill.
On Merkel versus Trump, there's just no contest:
Aides also expressed concerns to Bernstein that the Turkish secret service might have been keeping close tabs on Trump, as Erdogan always seemed to know precisely the right moment to call with a request.
It’s quite a read!
Here's Adam Forrest on Trump and May.
White House under pressure to come clean on Russian bounty report
The Trump administration is meanwhile facing increasing pressure to come clean about a reported Russian plot to pay bounties to the Taliban for assassinating US troops in Afghanistan.
The president’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was given a torrid time by reporters on Monday as she insisted the president had never been briefed on the matter because it had not been verified and therefore he had no response to make to Russia.
The White House appears to be setting an unusually high bar for bringing the information to Trump, since it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers.
McEnany was also asked whether a report by CNN was true that suggested the report on the Kremlin’s offer to the Islamist terrorists was included in the president’s daily briefing in February, a question she ducked and dived to avoid.
If that story is true, it looks bad either way for Trump: either he didn’t read it, or he did and did not care or understand its significance.
Here’s John T Bennett on the White House’s reluctance to be drawn on a matter that surely necessitates a tough response to Moscow.
Republicans briefed and call for 'strong action' against Russia if bounty report verified
Eight Republican members of US congress attended a White House briefing about the allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants - despite that White House insistence that the president himself has still not been fully briefed on due to his heavy golfing commitments.
Eight Republican members of US congress attended a White House briefing about the allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants - despite that White House insistence that the president himself has still not been fully briefed on due to his heavy golfing commitments.
Members of both US parties have called for additional information and consequences for Russia and Putin, with eight Democrats due to be briefed on the matter this morning.
Republicans who were in the meeting on Monday expressed alarm about Russia's activities in Afghanistan.
Michael McCaul, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and fellow representative Adam Kinzinger were in the briefing led by US director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and national security adviser Robert O'Brien.
McCaul and Kinzinger said in a statement that legislators were told "there is an ongoing review to determine the accuracy of these reports".
"If the intelligence review process verifies the reports, we strongly encourage the administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable," they said.
Representatives Liz Cheney and Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said: "After today's briefing with senior White House officials, we remain concerned about Russian activity in Afghanistan, including reports that they have targeted US forces."
On the Democratic side, it's hard to beat this outrage from war veteran and senator Tammy Duckworth:
Here’s more from Griffin Connolly.
California, Texas see record Covid-19 surges as Arizona clamps down
Two of the biggest southwestern states marked record spikes in new coronavirus infections on Monday as Los Angeles reported an "alarming" one-day surge that put America's second-largest city over 100,000 cases of the respiratory disease.
Los Angeles has become a new epicentre in the pandemic as coronavirus cases and hospitalisations surge there despite governor Gavin Newsom's strict orders requiring bars to close and residents to wear masks in nearly all public spaces.
"The alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalisations signals that we, as a community, need to take immediate action to slow the spread of Covid-19," Barbara Ferrer, director of public health for Los Angeles County, said in a statement announcing the sharp rise. "Otherwise, we are quickly moving toward overwhelming our healthcare system and seeing even more devastating illness and death."
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti announced a "hard pause" on when movie theaters, theme parks and other entertainment venues can reopen.
Los Angeles County said its beaches will be closed for the Independence Day weekend and fireworks displays will be banned.
Statewide positive tests for Covid-19 rose by at least 7,418 in California on Monday to nearly 223,000, the biggest one-day increase since tracking began.
California is among a number of states including Florida, Texas and Arizona battling a new wave of infections as the nation emerges from weeks of lockdown. Covid-19 infections in Texas rose by 6,545 on Monday to nearly 160,000, also setting a record for a one-day increase.
Nationally, cases rose by more than 40,000, for the fourth time in the past five days.
Arizona governor Doug Ducey has meanwhile ordered the closure of bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and water parks for at least 30 days. Ducey also delayed the start of public schools until at least 17 August. "Our expectation is that next week our numbers will be worse," Ducey said at an afternoon news conference.
Trump’s vice president Mike Pence will travel to Phoenix on Wednesday to discuss efforts to fight the pandemic's resurgence.
Trump may drop out of 2020 race if polls don’t improve, says GOP source
Weeks of unfavourable polling, which have seen challenger Joe Biden take a commanding double-digit national lead, have reportedly left this most impulsive and temperamental of presidents in “fragile” mood and ready to quit, according to one anonymous Republican insdier, who said as much to Fox News.
Here’s Richard Hall on an intriguing line of inquiry.
Just look at that cross little face!
Weeks of unfavourable polling, which have seen challenger Joe Biden take a commanding double-digit national lead, have reportedly left this most impulsive and temperamental of presidents in “fragile” mood and ready to quit, according to one anonymous Republican insdier, who said as much to Fox News.
Here’s Richard Hall on an intriguing line of inquiry.
Just look at that cross little face!
Kayleigh McEnany refuses to say whether Trump would have preferred Confederacy to win American Civil War
Back to the White House press secretary, who, aside from having a rough time on Russia yesterday, also declined to answer the provocative query above from Politico's Ryan Lizza, perhaps wisely, and another on why he has not condemned the use of the phrase “white power” after it was shouted by a supporter in a video he had to delete.
McEnany said her boss regards the wearing of masks to fend off the coronavirus as a matter of “personal choice”, that the massive resurgence of the disease recorded in southern states amounts only to “embers” waiting to be put out and equated serious Black Lives Matter objections to historic statues with “cancel culture” on Twitter.
Mitch McConnell and Sean Hannity come out in support of face masks after Jacksonville says they will be mandatory at RNC
Trump may think face masks are a matter of “personal choice” but even his right-wing allies like Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and Fox host Sean Hannity are coming around to the idea.
“We must have no stigma - none - about wearing masks when we leave our homes and come near other people,” McConnell said on Monday. “Wearing simple face coverings is not about protecting ourselves. It is about protecting everyone we encounter.”
That was followed by this surprise pro-science message from Hannity:
Their about-turns come as the city of Jacksonville, Florida - venue for part of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in August - said on Twitter it would be requiring masks in public starting later on Monday.
The governors of Kansas and Oregon - Laura Kelly and Kate Brown - have also both imposed orders making the wearing of face coverings mandatory in public.
Both said the measure was necessary to avoid a new lockdown and implored the public to abide by it.
New York to rethink next phase of reopening as coronavirus cases spike
Here's Danielle Zoellner on the situation in the Big Apple, which is by no means out of the woods on Covid-19, despite the media focus on Texas, Florida, Arizona and California.
Here's Danielle Zoellner on the situation in the Big Apple, which is by no means out of the woods on Covid-19, despite the media focus on Texas, Florida, Arizona and California.
Barack Obama says Trump's use of racist coronavirus nicknames 'shocks and p****s me off'
The 44th president has rediscovered his voice of late in support of his former deputy Joe Biden - and today's New York Times carries one of his most vitriolic attacks on his successor yet.
Speaking on a Zoom fundraising call, Obama reportedly said this of Trump's cynical and strategic deployment of the phrases "Wuhan virus" and "kung flu" to blame China for the spread of Covid-19:
“I don’t want a country in which the president of the United States is actively trying to promote anti-Asian sentiment and thinks it’s funny. I don’t want that. That still shocks and p****s me off.”
The 44th president has rediscovered his voice of late in support of his former deputy Joe Biden - and today's New York Times carries one of his most vitriolic attacks on his successor yet.
Speaking on a Zoom fundraising call, Obama reportedly said this of Trump's cynical and strategic deployment of the phrases "Wuhan virus" and "kung flu" to blame China for the spread of Covid-19:
“I don’t want a country in which the president of the United States is actively trying to promote anti-Asian sentiment and thinks it’s funny. I don’t want that. That still shocks and p****s me off.”
Texas congressman blames state's coronavirus spike on Black Lives Matter protesters
Trump supporter Dan Crenshaw here making a nonsensical argument on Fox attempting to scapegoat peaceful demonstrators for the renewed outbreak in his state, despite their being little clear correlation elsewhere between the George Floyd protests and fresh cases of the respiratory disease (fortunately).
Trump supporter Dan Crenshaw here making a nonsensical argument on Fox attempting to scapegoat peaceful demonstrators for the renewed outbreak in his state, despite their being little clear correlation elsewhere between the George Floyd protests and fresh cases of the respiratory disease (fortunately).
Dr Fauci warns coronavirus vaccine might not work in US due to 'anti-science, anti-authority' sentiment
Andrew Naughtie has this on the latest disturbing but no doubt all-too-accurate pronouncement from the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Reddit bans Trump fan page in move against hate speech
The social media crackdown on the president continues as the election gears up.
In addition to this move, he's also had his account suspended on Twitch for violating the site's "hateful conduct" rules, which is pretty damning in its own right.
Here's Richard Hall on Reddit.
The social media crackdown on the president continues as the election gears up.
In addition to this move, he's also had his account suspended on Twitch for violating the site's "hateful conduct" rules, which is pretty damning in its own right.
Here's Richard Hall on Reddit.
Russia affair throws newest Trump official John Ratcliffe in at the deep end
For Indy Premium, Griffin Connolly has this on the president's inexperienced new director of national intelligence, who finds himself faced with a nightmare just weeks into the job.
For Indy Premium, Griffin Connolly has this on the president's inexperienced new director of national intelligence, who finds himself faced with a nightmare just weeks into the job.
Why did Iran issue an arrest warrant for Donald Trump?
For Indy Voices, here's Negar Mortazavi on Tehran's suprise move to hold the president accountable for the killing of its top general Qassem Soleimani on 3 January, which almost began the new year with a war.
Doesn't that little scare feel like a century ago?
For Indy Voices, here's Negar Mortazavi on Tehran's suprise move to hold the president accountable for the killing of its top general Qassem Soleimani on 3 January, which almost began the new year with a war.
Doesn't that little scare feel like a century ago?
Trump urges Black Lives Matter protesters who threw paint on George Washington statue to 'turn yourselves in!'
Here's the president sounding like he's joined the neighbourhood watch.
Here's Chris Riotta's story.
Here's the president sounding like he's joined the neighbourhood watch.
Here's Chris Riotta's story.
Trump’s calls with foreign leaders pose a ‘danger to national security’, say anonymous officials
Here's Andrew Naughtie on Carl Bernstein's exposure of the anxieties deep within the American intelligence community caused by the president's ill-disciplined calls with other world leaders.
‘Like two guys in a steam bath’
Gino Spocchia has this on Vladimir Putin's deft exploitation of Trump, according to the security officials who spoke to Carl Bernstein.
White couple who pointed guns at protesters say they support Black Lives Matter but felt threatened by ‘angry mob’
The internet's new favourite gun-totin' joke couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, have been speaking out on what prompted them to take up arms from their expensive porch in St Louis, Missouri, over the weekend.
Gino Spocchia has this report.
The internet's new favourite gun-totin' joke couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, have been speaking out on what prompted them to take up arms from their expensive porch in St Louis, Missouri, over the weekend.
Gino Spocchia has this report.
Kellyanne Conway's teenage daughter outed as 'outspoken leftist TikTokker'
Claudia Conway appears to take her politics from her father George "Lincoln Project" Conway, rather than her mother, Trump's White House counsellor.
Taylor Lorenz of The New York Times says the teenager supports Black Lives Matter and had been encouraging users of the video site to post one-star reviews of the president's various business ventures online.
Claudia Conway appears to take her politics from her father George "Lincoln Project" Conway, rather than her mother, Trump's White House counsellor.
Taylor Lorenz of The New York Times says the teenager supports Black Lives Matter and had been encouraging users of the video site to post one-star reviews of the president's various business ventures online.
