Donald Trump “never discussed” reports of Russian bounties on the heads of US troops in Afghanistan with Vladimir Putin, the president claimed in a new interview, as the US announces it will be withdrawing troops from Germany.
The president claimed the issue of Russian bounties never reached his desk in an interview with Axios, despite reports indicating he received the intelligence in a daily briefing back in February. This comes as the administration moves forward with plans to pull forces out of Germany after Mr Trump alleged the country was "delinquent in their payments" to the NATO security alliance. Asked whether he reads his briefings, Mr Trump responded: “I do. I read a lot. You know, I read a lot. They like to say I don’t read. I read a lot. I comprehend extraordinarily well. Probably better than anybody you’ve interviewed in a long time. I read a lot.”
Justice Department officials also announced that the administration will surge federal officers into three more American cities in electoral battleground states – Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee – as the president prioritised a "law and order" agenda in his 2020 campaign. Oregon's governor also announced that federal agents in Portland will be withdrawn, per and agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, though director Chad Wolf has said that their departure depends on whether the safety of federal properties can be assured amid Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Check out The Independent's live coverage and latest updates below:
During a visit to an oil drilling rig outside Midland, Texas, Donald Trump couldn't help himself from delivering a campaign speech attacking Democrats over environmental regulations and claiming that his opponents want to end suburbs, police and an American way of life he has repeatedly insisted is under threat despite his three years in office proving otherwise.
As he delivered remarks on "restoring energy dominance", the US surpassed 150,000 coronavirus deaths, including more than 300 in Texas, breaking a single-day record in the state.
The president said several hundred doses of Remdesivir will be sent to the state.
Trump warns Democrats about 'bailout' for violent cities as red line in coronavirus relief talks
Donald Trump and senior members of his administration say talks about a fifth coronavirus recovery bill have yielded little progress.
"As of now, we're very far apart," Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Wednesday.
A day after Mr Trump called a Senate Republican Covid-19 relief measure "semi-irrelevant" since Democrats have a laundry list of their own demands, he and his treasury chief did little to raise hopes for another assistance bill.
Trump warns Democrats about 'bailout' for violent cities
The IndependentTop Democrats compare coronavirus relief talks to animals mating as president warns of a 'bailout' for allegedly violent cities run by Democratic mayorsThe rise in deaths marks yet another grim turning point as the administration struggles to address a growing reality for many Americans, local governments juggle the consequences of reopening too quickly only to close weeks later, and millions of families approach a looming deadline for sending children back to school.
The Lincoln Project, which was founded by current and former high-profile conservatives such as George Conway, husband of White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, posted the ad to Twitter on Friday with the caption: “What does Ghislaine Maxwell have on @realDonaldTrump?”
It shows Mr Trump berating a number of female journalists – with the ad saying at one point, “This is how Donald Trump speaks to accomplished women” – before flashing to a recent White House press briefing in which the president spoke about his relationship with Ms Maxwell over the years.
“I just wish her well, frankly,” Mr Trump is heard saying in the briefing.
A woman narrating the advertisement then says: “Just what does Maxwell have on Donald Trump? Why does he demean other women but treat the head of an alleged sex slave ring with respect? Does Donald Trump want Maxwell to keep quiet? America needs to know.”
"I think she'd be a fine choice, Kamala Harris. She'd be a fine choice," the president said as he left for a trip to Texas after being asked to rank her chances in the "Veepstakes."
Mr Biden said on Tuesday that he plans to announce his selection by the end of next week, with several women of colour reportedly rocketing to the top of his shortlist.
Ms Harris and others – like Florida Congresswoman Val Demings, California Congresswoman Karen Bass, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice and former Georgia state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams – have been making the cable television rounds stumping for Mr Biden for months as he mulled a running mate.
Notably, however, only 28 per cent of those polled for a new survey released Wednesday by Politico and Morning Consult said it is "very" or "somewhat" important that Mr Biden choose a person of colour to join him on the Democratic Party's presidential ticket.
In an exchange that suggested not every member of the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust was entirely up to speed on the difference between various social media platforms, Mr Zuckerberg was pressed about a repeated claim of conservatives that social media discriminates against them.
Mark Zuckerberg defends Twitter's decision to ban Donald Trump Jr over 'harmful' Covid post
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has defended Twitter's decision to suspend Donald Trump's Jr's account after he posted "harmful" information about countering the coronavirus.
Story to come...
Louie Gohmert did not go to gym after coronavirus test, Democrat clarifies
"What I said was Gohmert was in the Judiciary Committee yesterday, walked in without a mask, put his mask on when he sat down," Mr Hoyer said, indicating he had been trying to liken Mr Gohmert's reckless mask etiquette at a Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday to the behaviour of US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Several reporters and publications, including The Independent, previously reported Mr Hoyer's comments about Mr Gohmert using the House gym, which was an apparent misstatement.
"Louie Gohmert, like Rand Paul, went to the gymnasium after he was found to be infected," Mr Hoyer, the Democrats' No 2 behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told reporters on Wednesday, before later explaining he had misspoken.
Portland says Trump administration owes $200,000 over fence at centre of BLM protests
Transport chiefs in the city issued the federal government with a desist order over the barricade, which they say was built without permission and blocks a bike lane on Southwest Third Avenue.
Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who heads up transport in Portland and is running for re-election, said the government is racking up $500 (£385) in charges for every 15 minutes the fence remains in place.
“As of yesterday, the federal government owes us $192,000 and counting,” Eudaly said in a statment posted to Twitter on Tuesday.
“We intend to collect."
Trump orders federal officers to leave Portland after weeks of outrage
Here's the latest:
Trump administration sending federal officers to Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee
US Attorney General William Barr, who faced intense scrutiny from Democrats on Tuesday over federal agents' presence and use of force against Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Portland, announced roughly 100 officers will be deployed across three other cities with Democrat mayors.
The attorney general justified the deployment on a "disturbing increases in violent crime" in those areas, though violent crime overall throughout the US has been on a downward trend.
"Operation Legend" launched last month as a "sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime," according to the Justice Department.
Breaking: The Trump administration has ordered federal agents who have been aggressively policing protests in Portland for weeks to leave the city
Story to come...
A Texas Republican who has refused to wear a mask while walking through the halls of Congress and attending high-profile hearings with members of the White House administration tested positive for Covid-19, according to reports.
Louie Gohmert (R—Tx), who just attended a congressional hearing with Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday, tested positive for the novel coronavirus while being screened during a White House procedure on Monday morning, Politico reported.
— an issue that has sowed controversy on Capitol Hill, with several members of the GOP refusing to wear face coverings while on the job. A growing list of lawmakers have meanwhile tested positive for Covid-19, including Senator Rand Paul (R—Tn), Rep. Tom Rice (R—SC), Rep Mario Diaz Balart (R—Fl) and several others.
Before testing positive for the virus, Mr Gohmert was reportedly set to fly with Mr Trump to Texas, one of the states currently battling a major spike in coronavirus cases as the pandemic continues taking a deadly toll on much of the southern US.
Story to come...
Here's James Crump on the NYPD's blues.
