Donald Trump has insisted he is “the least racist person in the world” after once more becoming embroiled in a racism row, this time involving senior Democrat Elijah Cummings, the Reverend Al Sharpton and the city of Baltimore.
The president told reporters on the White House South Lawn he had been inundated with supportive letters and emails from African-Americans after describing the Maryland port city as “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” where “no human being would want to live” over the weekend, prompting an angry backlash that saw the Reverend Sharpton accuse Mr Trump of retaining “a particular venom for people of colour”.
Also demanding that The Washington Post apologise for branding Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell a “Russian asset”, Mr Trump turned on his heel to set out for Jamestown, Virginia, where he spoke at an event commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Virginia General Assembly, which Virginia Legislative Black Caucus members boycotted in response to his latest provocation.
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Thank you , Cardi B.
Here's another clip from this afternoon before Mr Trump boarded Marine One for Virginia.
In it, he tells a reporter with a Chinese accent to speak differently, before then answering the reporter's question.
Not set to be on the stage this evening are Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, and several other, notable candidates.
OK, so, let's break down who is up this evening for the first night of the second Democratic debates of 2020.
While the man leading all others, Joe Biden, will not be on stage, the first night is still one to watch. That's because the two candidates closest to Mr Biden are both on stage in Detroit tonight — Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
The campaigns for Mr Sanders and Ms Warren have so-far suggested the two leading progressives are planning on keeping things civil with one another, even though some surrogates have traded barbs. We'll see if the two go on the offensive with one another — they're known to have a good relationship — or if they choose to lash out at other Dems in the race, or stick with the president as their go-to boogeyman.
The campaigns for Mr Sanders and Ms Warren have so-far suggested the two leading progressives are planning on keeping things civil with one another, even though some surrogates have traded barbs. We'll see if the two go on the offensive with one another — they're known to have a good relationship — or if they choose to lash out at other Dems in the race, or stick with the president as their go-to boogeyman.
But, let's not forget about the other candidates hoping to get themselves a viral moment tonight, including Pete Buttigieg and Beto O'Rourke.
We're hours away from the start of the next round of debates in Michigan, and we have some of the latest advice from bookies on the race.
According to US-Bookies.com, Kamala Harris is favoured in the Democratic field to become the next president, with the website's live election tracker giving her a 12.9 per cent chance.
She edges out Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden by 2.9 points, who both have odds sitting at 8/1.
Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg both have their odds set at 20/1, or around 4.3 per cent chance of becoming the next president.
“The 2016 election proved that betting odds can be a more accurate predictor of elections than polling data,” US-Bookies political analyst Alex Donohue said in an emailed statement accompanying the odds. “The odds gave Donald Trump a consistent chance of 25% or above, compared with many other election simulators that gave him a far smaller chance of victory, below 2%.”
Out in California, Governor Gavin Newsom just signed a bill that would compel the president to release his tax returns, or risk being ineligible for inclusion on the state's primary ballot next year.
The measure is likely to be challenged immediately in the courts, but shows that Democrats still believe it is an important and potentially winning issue to take the president to task over.
Mr Trump are on board Air Force One for a trip stop in Pittsburgh, before then returning to the White House this evening.
The president is supposed to be landing at the White House at 7.45pm — just in time to settle back and watch the Democrats sparring in Michigan this evening.
The president's daily schedule does not mention why he is landing in Pittsburgh,
Here's Pete Buttigieg ahead of the debate tonight, where he will be matched up against front-runners Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, amongst others.
We're getting closer and closer to the first night of the second round of Democratic debates, which is slated for this evening at 8pm EST.
Elizabeth Warren is reportedly in the Detroit venue already, where she will face off against the other major progressive in the race tonight, Bernie Sanders.
Folks are having a nice chuckle over this fly that landed in Mr Trump's hair this afternoon during his speech in Virginia.
Mr Trump has been attacked for claiming he was at ground zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and he has tweeted a video of him just days after those attacks in lower Manhattan.
He can be heard in the video praising the first responders, and saying he had visited the site and seen the work they were doing.
Amid the attacks on Mitch McConnell for tanking voting protection bills, Mr Trump is pushing a Voter ID law — which critics have widely disparaged as intended to depress voter turnout.
Anyway, here is that tweet:
Here's a note posted on Twitter by the individual who says he interrupted the president's speech earlier:
Earlier today, the Senate failed to override a veto from the president blocking US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries.
So, here's a tweet Mr Trump just shared with his 62.4 million followers, apparently gloating about the legislative "victory":
In addition to Mr Trump's visit to Virginia, some major testimony is underway today in Washington.
That includes testimony from General John Hyten in the Senate, where he is being considered for the second-highest office in the US military — vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Mr Hyten was accused last week of assault by a female colonel in 2017. The woman is a senior military officer named Kathryn Spletstoser. The Army colonel has accused Mr Hyten of making unwanted sexual advances on her in 2017, and then attempting to damage her career after she spurned his advances.
During his speech in Virginia, Mr Trump has called for states' rights.
He said: "We must speak out strongly against anyone who would take power away from citizens, individuals, and state governments such as yours."
Virginia is among those that separated from the United States during the Civil War over states' rights.
Here's a moment of contention at Mr Trump's speech this afternoon in Virginia.
Here's a look at the president's fundraising machine:
Trump campaign raises more than £400,000 selling plastic straws
‘Liberal paper’ drinking straws useless, says top aideAnd here's the president with his latest display of "I know you are but what am I" schoolyard conflict tactics.
