Donald Trump attacked one of his most important donors, according to a new report, with some Republicans fearing he put his campaign funding in jeopardy.
The president had a phone call last week with conservative donor Sheldon Adelson, the 87-year-old American business magnate who has pledged to donate at least $100 million to help re-elect Mr Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill. During that phone call, Mr Trump appeared unaware of how much Mr Adelson has already donated to his campaign, and how much more he was willing to spend to help other Republicans win in November, an anonymous source with direct knowledge of the call told Politico.
Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, an adviser to Mr Trump who has been studying Joe Biden’s debate performances over the years, said the former vice president was “actually a very good debater” who “doesn’t have as many gaffes as he does in his everyday interviews”, according to the Washington Post.
would provide an extra $400 per week to unemployed Americans, temporarily suspend the collection of payroll taxes, stop evictions from rental housing that has federal financial backing and extend zero percent interest on federally financed student loans.
"Congressional Democrats have stonewalled our efforts to extend this relief," Trump told reporters at his New Jersey golf club.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed to extend the enhanced unemployment payments at the previous rate of $600 per week approved early in the crisis.
Nearly two weeks of talks between White House officials and congressional Democrats ended on Friday with the two sides still about $2 trillion apart on next steps to address the heavy human and economic toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the United States, where it has killed more than 160,000 people.
The $600 per week increase in unemployment payments that has served as a lifeline to the tens of millions of Americans who lost their jobs in the pandemic expired at the end of July.
Trump initially played down the disease's threat and has drawn criticism for inconsistent messages on public health steps such as social distancing and masks.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday offered to reduce a proposed $3.4 trillion coronavirus aid package, which the House passed in May but the Senate ignored, by nearly one-third if Republicans would agree to more than double their $1 trillion counter-offer.
Additional reporting by Reuters. Check out The Independent's live coverage and updates below:
Trumps gets cheered at press conference for comments on masks
Donald Trump was cheered by golf club guests in New Jersey on Friday after telling a journalist that they did not have to wear masks because they were at a “political event”.
After a reporter reminded the president at a press conference that 6,000 Americans had died from coronavirus this week, he asked why members of the audience were not following the state’s law which required face coverings to be worn.
“Because it’s a political activity – they have exceptions for political activity. And it’s also a peaceful protest,” Mr Trump replied.
Members of the audience booed the question from the journalist and then cheered at the president’s response.
Mr Trump’s comments came as the Covid-19 death toll in the US passed 160,000, with the spread of the disease showing no sign of slowing down.
Foreign states to interfere in US election, intelligence official says
A top US counterintelligence official has released a public statement warning about foreign state interference in the US election in November, writes Oliver O’Connell.
William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, cited China, Iran and Russia as examples of countries that would try to influence the result.
Mr Evanina added that while China and Iran would attempt to undermine Donald Trump, Russia would target Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
However, he said that it would be difficult for other countries to manipulate voting at scale.
Trump to join conference call on Sunday to discuss aid for Lebanon
The president said on Friday that he will speak with other world leaders about the international response to the devastating explosion in Lebanon earlier this week.
In a conference call scheduled for Sunday, they will discuss aid to Lebanon.
Mr Trump, who said he had already spoken to the Lebanese president Michel Aoun and the French president Emmanuel Macron, tweeted on Friday that “everyone wants to help” the country.
The president also confirmed that three US aircraft were on their way to Lebanon with supplies and personnel.
Tuesday's blast killed 154 people in Beirut and injured 5,000 others.
Trump ally leaves university post after backlash at social media picture
Jerry Falwell Jr, a Trump ally and high profile evangelical Christian, has left his roles as president and chancellor of a university following criticism over a picture he posted on social media.
In the photo, which was later deleted, Mr Falwell could be seen with unzipped trousers, his shirt pulled up over his stomach and his arms around a woman.
Earlier this week, he apologised for the picture.
However, in a statement on Friday afternoon, Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, said Mr Falwell had accepted the board’s request for him to take indefinite leave from his posts.
Sanders introduces tax on billionaires
Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to impose a 60 per cent tax on the wealth gained by US billionaires since 18 March.
Under a proposal called the "Make Billionaires Pay Act", the money generated would go towards funding Medicare and health care for Americans who were struggling financially.
The legislation would target 467 billionaires in the country, all of whom have significantly increased their wealth during the pandemic, a time in which 42.6m workers have filed for unemployment in the US.
"The legislation I am introducing today will tax the obscene wealth gains billionaires have made during this extraordinary crisis to guarantee healthcare as a right to all for an entire year," Mr Sanders said on Friday.
His comments came the day after Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, became a centibillionaire, meaning his wealth had risen above $100bn.
US sanctions hitting Huawei hard, company executive says
A company executive at Huawei has said that the tech giant is running out of processor chips because of US sanctions, meaning it will have to stop production of its most advanced chips.
The telecommunications firm has faced penalties as part of US-China tension over technology and security.
As a result of the US barring it from its technology sector, Huawei will stop producing Kirin chips from 15 September, according to Richard Yu, president of the firm’s consumer unit.
"This is a very big loss for us," Mr Yu said on Friday at an industry conference.
US postal service incurs heavy losses ahead of November elections
The US postal service has lost $2.2bn from April to June this year, writes Louise Hall.
Postmaster general Louis DeJoy said the losses came from a decline in the use of mail services and the increased costs incurred by PPE and staff changes.
“Our financial position is dire, stemming from substantial declines in mail volume, a broken business model and a management strategy that has not adequately addressed these issues,’’ Mr DeJoy said.
The service has frozen management hiring and is seeking approval to offer early retirement to some workers.
On Thursday, some senior Democrats criticised some of the changes brought in by the postmaster general, which they think "threaten the timely delivery of mail – including medicines for seniors, paychecks for workers and absentee ballots for voters – that is essential to millions of Americans.’’
This criticism comes amid fears about potential delays to postal voting in November’s election.
Donald Trump has sought to discredit postal voting in recent months by claiming the process is open to fraud, although there is no evidence that this is the case.
Biden meets with Gov. Whitmer ahead of VP decision
Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, travelled to Delaware last weekend to see Joe Biden, according to two high-ranking Democrats in the state.
The meeting is Mr Biden’s first known in-person session with a potential running partner and comes shortly before he announces his decision.
Gov Whitmer is contention to be Joe Biden’s choice for vice president. Other contenders include senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren.
The governor’s office declined to confirm or deny the visit, with a spokesperson adding: "We don't discuss her personal schedule."
Former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft dies at 95
Brent Scowcroft, the only person ever to have been national security adviser on two separate occasions, has died at the age of 95.
Lieutenant General Scowcroft, who worked as NSA for Gerald Ford and George HW Bush, was a widely respected figure, who oversaw the evacuation of Saigon and was in charge of strategy during the Gulf War in 1991.
He was later a leading Republican critic of the US’ policy on Iraq, both before and after its invasion.
In 2016, he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
Susan Rice, the former NSA to President Obama, was among those who paid tribute to him.
“Brent Scowcroft was kind, wise, generous, and brilliant. The gold standard for national security advisers, a valued mentor and peerless public servant,” she tweeted.
California county to pay residents with coronavirus to stay home
A California country will pay residents who test positive for Covid-19 a stipend to stay at home.
Alameda County's $10m (£7.6m) programme will enable 7,500 people to receive $1,250 (£957) each.
The county’s board took the decision amid worries that people would be unable to pay for food, rent and other bills if they contracted coronavirus and were unable to work.
Read more here:
Hong Kong regulators see limited impact of US sanctions
Financial regulators in Hong Kong are attempting to downplay market fears on Saturday, after the US imposed sanctions on leading officials in the city on Friday.
Washington brought the measures against Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and 10 other politicians for the role it claims they have played in reducing political freedoms in the territory, after the introduction of a controversial new national security law in June.
Under the sanctions, US companies cannot have dealings with these 11 people, with the Hong Kong government describing the move as “shameless and despicable”.
Global firms in the city are considering whether to sever ties with local clients as a result of the US’ action.
Although the restrictions do not directly apply to non-US companies, they could still fall foul of the sanctions.
Nick Turner, a lawyer who works in sanctions and anti-money laundering, said that “those companies would breach the rules if they dealt with a sanctioned person while also interacting with a U.S. person or the U.S. financial system, for example a bank processing a wire transaction via a U.S. correspondent bank.”
Iran asks UN to hold US accountable for fighter jet incident
Iran has urged the United Nations to hold the United States accountable for an incident in which two US fighter jets almost collided with a Iranian passenger plane over Syria last month.
In two identical letters sent to the UN secretary general and the UN Security Council on Friday, Majid Takht Ravanchi, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, expressed his country’s strong objection to the near-miss.
He wrote that Iran "expresses its strongest objections against this violation of international law and will pursue the issue through relevant international bodies."
The Mahan Airlines aircraft "was aggressively and unexpectedly intercepted" by the two US jets on 23 July and had to suddenly change altitude to avoid a crash, according to Mr Ravanchi.
Last month, a spokesperson for the US’ Central Command said that its aircraft were at a “safe distance” of 1,000 metres from the passenger plane.
Presidential candidate bitten by bat
The Libertarian Party’s candidate in the US election was forced to cancel an appearance at a rally in Louisiana on Saturday after she was bitten by a bat.
Jo Jorgensen, who is a psychologist and university lecturer, announced the news on Twitter on Friday.
“I will not be able to attend the campaign rally tomorrow morning. I will be getting a rabies vaccine as a precaution after having been bitten by a bat near the start of this campaign tour!” she tweeted.
It is unclear where the incident took place.
Ms Jorgensen’s predecessor, Gary Johnson, won just 4 million votes across the country in the 2016 election.
Chinese official slams US decision to impose sanctions
A Chinese official in Hong Kong has lambasted the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on him and nine other officials for allegedly weakening freedom in the city.
Luo Huining, the director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, said the move was futile and showed that he acted on behalf of his country.
"I don't have a penny of assets abroad. Isn't it in vain to impose 'sanctions'? Of course, I can also send 100 U.S. dollars to Mr. Trump for freezing," he said in a statement on the office's website.
The US decision came after a controversial national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing, leading to condemnation from countries including the UK, Australia and Canada.
Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong who also faces sanctions, took to Facebook to express her feelings towards the US.
Referring to a visa she was granted in 2016, Ms Lam said: "By the way, my entry visa to the U.S. is valid until 2026. Since I have no desire to visit this country, it looks like I can take the initiative to cancel it.”
Trump working on health insurance executive order, despite it being part of Obamacare
Donald Trump has said that he plans to make an executive order requiring health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, a policy which is already enshrined in law under Obamacare.
The president made the comments at a last-minute press conference at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Friday.
"Over the next two weeks I'll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all pre-existing conditions for all customers,” Mr Trump said.
However, this is already a requirement under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which the Republican president has tried to repeal.
In June, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the law, after promising to replace Obamacare since the 2016 election campaign.
Trump ally loses bid to win back sheriff job
Joe Arpaio, a Trump ally who called himself “America’s toughest sheriff”, has lost his bid to win back his old job.
The former Arizona sheriff, who is an outspoken critic of illegal immigation, was beaten in a four-way Republican primary by his former chief deputy Jerry Sheridan.
Mr Sheridan recieved 156,396 votes to Mr Arpaio’s 150,116, with just 2,385 ballots left to count.
Trump’s former ally left office after being decisively beaten by Democrat Paul Penzone in the 2016 election for sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.
In 2017, Mr Arpaio was found guilty of contempt of court by a federal judge, after his officers went against a 2011 injunction by stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on the suspicion that they were in the country illegally.
He was then granted clemency by Mr Trump.
Trump to hold press conference at New Jersey golf resort
Donald Trump will hold another news conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, a day after saying that the audience members there were part of a "peaceful protest" and were therefore exempt from a law in the state which requires masks to be worn.
The room also booed a journalist on Friday for asking the president why so many people were not wearing masks, as the US coronavirus death toll rose past 160,000.
The media briefing on Saturday afternoon will take place at 3.30 pm local time.
Trump adviser says Biden ‘favourite’ in debates
An adviser to Donald Trump has said that the Democratic presidential candidate is the favourite when the two go head-to-head in debates in the run-up to November’s election.
Jason Miller made the comment in an interview which was published on Friday evening, saying that Mr Biden was a strong debater.
Mr Miller told The Washington Post: “Joe Biden is actually a very good debater. He doesn’t have as many gaffes as he does in his everyday interviews.”
“I would make the argument that Joe Biden would even be the favorite in the debates since he’s been doing them for 47 years,” he added.
The first of three debates between the pair is scheduled for 29 September.
Donald Trump’s team has reportedly begun preparing for the debates against Joe Biden after confirming this week the president would attend the scheduled events, as one of his advisers suggested the former vice president could be a tough opponent to battle.
Stephen Miller, an adviser to Mr Trump who has been studying Mr Biden’s debate performances over the years, said he was “actually a very good debater” who “doesn’t have as many gaffes as he does in his everyday interviews”, according to the Washington Post.
The president’s adviser spoke on-the-record for a report that looked at how the Trump campaign has been preparing for what will likely be an unusual and unprecedented series of debates, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has made running for the White House an entirely different game.
Mr Miller told the newspaper he “would be highly surprised if Joe Biden actually went through with all three debates” — despite the former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee having committed to the events before the Trump campaign did in a letter on Thursday.
He added: “I think their strategy will be to show up to one, show that he is able to function and then pull the plug on any additional debates.”
