Donald Trump called on school districts to begin reopening immediately even as he said the RNC convention in Florida would be cancelled to set an example for safety.
The president used his renewed daily press conferences to announce $105 billion funding for schools, but only if they reopen. While Trump confirmed speaking to Russian president about coronavirus, there was no mention of the bounties offered to the Taliban for attacks on US troops in Afghanistan.
Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, got a reprieve after a judge ruled his detention was retaliatory and ordered his release.
Joe Biden, meanwhile, claimed that Trump is the first racist ever to reach the White House. His campaign team clarified Mr Biden meant his rival "stands out, especially in modern history, because he made running on racism and division his calling card" in 2016.
While the president ordered a "surge" of federal agents into "communities plagued by violent crime", starting in Chicago and with Albequerque, inspectors general are launching probes into Trump administration's deployment of federal officers, and use of force, in Portland.
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Good morning, we'll be using this blog to chart today's developments in Washington.
Trump contradicts experts and blames Sun Belt coronavirus surge on protesters, young drinkers and Mexico
Donald Trump, who has consistently deflected blame for the coronavirus outbreak, on Wednesday evening pinned a surge of cases and deaths in America's Sun Belt states on protesters, Mexico and young bar patrons, our Washington bureau chief John T Bennett reports.
The president used his second revived coronavirus briefings in as many nights to again said he and his team have done a stellar job fighting the virus, despite months of harsh critiques from medical experts and Democratic lawmakers.
He said the protests "triggered" a broader relaxation of some mitigation efforts, as well as young people gathering at bars and on beaches. He also blames the US "sharing a 2000-mile border with Mexico, and cases are surging in Mexico."
The implication is sick people, or asymptomatic individuals, are flowing into the United States from that country. Yet, Mr Trump is sending federal border officers, among others, to cities like Portland and Chicago to deal with violence there.
Donald Trump, who has consistently deflected blame for the coronavirus outbreak, on Wednesday evening pinned a surge of cases and deaths in America's Sun Belt states on protesters, Mexico and young bar patrons, our Washington bureau chief John T Bennett reports.
The president used his second revived coronavirus briefings in as many nights to again said he and his team have done a stellar job fighting the virus, despite months of harsh critiques from medical experts and Democratic lawmakers.
He said the protests "triggered" a broader relaxation of some mitigation efforts, as well as young people gathering at bars and on beaches. He also blames the US "sharing a 2000-mile border with Mexico, and cases are surging in Mexico."
The implication is sick people, or asymptomatic individuals, are flowing into the United States from that country. Yet, Mr Trump is sending federal border officers, among others, to cities like Portland and Chicago to deal with violence there.
Chinese state media mocks Trump's poll ratings after closure of Houston consulate
After the US gave China 72 hours to close its Houston consulate on Wednesday "to protect American intellectual property", China's embassy reacted angrily, describing it as an act of "political provocation".
State media outlet China Daily took a more personal aim at the president, claiming: "The move shows that lagging behind his presidential election opponent in the polls ... the US leader is going all out in his attempts to portray China as an agent of evil."
The paper added that the closure was "a new gambit in the US administration's bid to paint China as a malevolent actor on the world stage, and thus make it an outlaw to the international community".
After the US gave China 72 hours to close its Houston consulate on Wednesday "to protect American intellectual property", China's embassy reacted angrily, describing it as an act of "political provocation".
State media outlet China Daily took a more personal aim at the president, claiming: "The move shows that lagging behind his presidential election opponent in the polls ... the US leader is going all out in his attempts to portray China as an agent of evil."
The paper added that the closure was "a new gambit in the US administration's bid to paint China as a malevolent actor on the world stage, and thus make it an outlaw to the international community".
Trump announces 'surge' of federal officers to Chicago despite outrage over Portland crackdown
Donald Trump has announced he will “surge” federal law enforcement officers to Chicago “immediately” to quell violence there, building on a similar force already operating under legally questionable orders in Portland, John T Bennett reports.
Democratics have accused the president of using the federal police deployments as a campaign tactic, targeting cities with Democratic leadership. Part of his sales pitch for a second term, despite trailing former vice president Joe Biden nationally and in most key swing states, is that he is a “law-and-order president”.
But majorities of American voters, according to multiple polls taken in recent weeks, oppose Mr Trump’s response to violence across the country, a large portion of which is linked to the killing of George Floyd and other black people by white police officers.
The FBI, ATF, Drug Enforcement Agency, US Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security will send “hundreds” of what he called “very skilled” officers to Chicago “immediately”, he said during an East Room ceremony.
The president said violent protesters in Chicago and other cities are breaking “multiple federal laws”, and he expects the federal police forces to make many arrests as Chicago’s mayor offered a lukewarm reaction.
Donald Trump has announced he will “surge” federal law enforcement officers to Chicago “immediately” to quell violence there, building on a similar force already operating under legally questionable orders in Portland, John T Bennett reports.
Democratics have accused the president of using the federal police deployments as a campaign tactic, targeting cities with Democratic leadership. Part of his sales pitch for a second term, despite trailing former vice president Joe Biden nationally and in most key swing states, is that he is a “law-and-order president”.
But majorities of American voters, according to multiple polls taken in recent weeks, oppose Mr Trump’s response to violence across the country, a large portion of which is linked to the killing of George Floyd and other black people by white police officers.
The FBI, ATF, Drug Enforcement Agency, US Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security will send “hundreds” of what he called “very skilled” officers to Chicago “immediately”, he said during an East Room ceremony.
The president said violent protesters in Chicago and other cities are breaking “multiple federal laws”, and he expects the federal police forces to make many arrests as Chicago’s mayor offered a lukewarm reaction.
Biden claims Trump is 'first' racist president
Joe Biden's campaign has been forced to clarify his remarks after he claimed that Donald Trump is the first racist to win the presidency.
Responding to Mr Trump's racist weaponisation of coronavirus as "kung flu" and the "China virus", his rival told a virtual town hall: “No sitting president has ever done this, never, never, never. No Republican president has done this. No Democratic president.
"We’ve had racists, and they’ve existed, and they’ve tried to get elected president. But he’s the first one that has.”
The comments come amid a reckoning and re-evaluation of key figures within US history. Several of the country's early presidents owned slaves.
In a later statement, senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders said: “There have been a number of racist American presidents, but Trump stands out — especially in modern history — because he made running on racism and division his calling card and won.
“He deliberately foments both, intentionally causing indescribable pain because he thinks it advantages him politically.”
Joe Biden's campaign has been forced to clarify his remarks after he claimed that Donald Trump is the first racist to win the presidency.
Responding to Mr Trump's racist weaponisation of coronavirus as "kung flu" and the "China virus", his rival told a virtual town hall: “No sitting president has ever done this, never, never, never. No Republican president has done this. No Democratic president.
"We’ve had racists, and they’ve existed, and they’ve tried to get elected president. But he’s the first one that has.”
The comments come amid a reckoning and re-evaluation of key figures within US history. Several of the country's early presidents owned slaves.
In a later statement, senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders said: “There have been a number of racist American presidents, but Trump stands out — especially in modern history — because he made running on racism and division his calling card and won.
“He deliberately foments both, intentionally causing indescribable pain because he thinks it advantages him politically.”
Ex-Trump aide says president’s ‘well wishes’ to Ghislaine Maxwell are coded message: ‘Please don’t talk’
Former White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci has accused Donald Trump of covertly imploring the arrested socialite Ghislaine Maxwell not to reveal what she knows about him.
Mr Trump acknowledged Ms Maxwell during a press briefing on Tuesday, his first since April. Asked by a reporter whether he thought she would turn in other powerful men who were potentially involved with Jeffrey Epstein, the president said he hasn’t been following the case closely.
“I just wish her well,” he said. “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.”
Former White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci has accused Donald Trump of covertly imploring the arrested socialite Ghislaine Maxwell not to reveal what she knows about him.
Mr Trump acknowledged Ms Maxwell during a press briefing on Tuesday, his first since April. Asked by a reporter whether he thought she would turn in other powerful men who were potentially involved with Jeffrey Epstein, the president said he hasn’t been following the case closely.
“I just wish her well,” he said. “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.”
'Person, woman, man, camera, TV': Trump claims his ability to repeat five words stunned doctors
Despite many suggesting the president's insistence that a test frequently used to check a basic level of cognitive fitness was "difficult" during his perspiration-inducing Chris Wallace interview raised serious alarms, Mr Trump continues to boast about his results.
Explaining to Fox News's medical analyst Marc K Siegel, of New York University, about one of the questions on the test in which you are asked to repeat the words “Face, velvet, church, daisy and red" after an interval of several minutes, Mr Trump said: "You go, ‘person, woman, man, camera, TV’.
"They say: ‘that’s amazing. How did you do that?’ I do it because I have like a good memory, because I’m cognitively there.’”
He added: “They said nobody gets it in order, it’s actually not that easy. But for me it was easy. And that’s not an easy question.”
Despite many suggesting the president's insistence that a test frequently used to check a basic level of cognitive fitness was "difficult" during his perspiration-inducing Chris Wallace interview raised serious alarms, Mr Trump continues to boast about his results.
Explaining to Fox News's medical analyst Marc K Siegel, of New York University, about one of the questions on the test in which you are asked to repeat the words “Face, velvet, church, daisy and red" after an interval of several minutes, Mr Trump said: "You go, ‘person, woman, man, camera, TV’.
"They say: ‘that’s amazing. How did you do that?’ I do it because I have like a good memory, because I’m cognitively there.’”
He added: “They said nobody gets it in order, it’s actually not that easy. But for me it was easy. And that’s not an easy question.”
Derek Chauvin: Minneapolis police officer fired over George Floyd killing charged with felony tax crimes
Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer currently awaiting trial for his role in the killing of George Floyd, has been charged with felony tax crimes, the Star Tribune reported.
Mr Chauvin, 46, was charged together with his wife, Kellie Chauvin, with nine counts of tax fraud each, according to the report. For six years the Chauvins underreported their joint income by $464,433. They owe $21,853 in taxes, but a total of $37,868 with interest and penalty fees for late filing and fraud.
There are six counts involving aiding and abetting allegations of false or fraudulent tax returns from 2014 onwards. The other three allege not filing taxes in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Mr Chauvin is currently jailed on charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Read Oliver O'Connell's full report here:
Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer currently awaiting trial for his role in the killing of George Floyd, has been charged with felony tax crimes, the Star Tribune reported.
Mr Chauvin, 46, was charged together with his wife, Kellie Chauvin, with nine counts of tax fraud each, according to the report. For six years the Chauvins underreported their joint income by $464,433. They owe $21,853 in taxes, but a total of $37,868 with interest and penalty fees for late filing and fraud.
There are six counts involving aiding and abetting allegations of false or fraudulent tax returns from 2014 onwards. The other three allege not filing taxes in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Mr Chauvin is currently jailed on charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Read Oliver O'Connell's full report here:
Trump loyalist may have broken congressional ethics rules, report says
A Republican congressman who counts among Donald Trump’s loudest defenders is in hot water over a new investigation accusing him of potential ethics violations – including hiring a disgraced former White House aide, Andrew Naughtie reports.
According to Politico, Matt Gaetz, who represents Florida’s first congressional district, has paid large sums of taxpayer money to a private limited company linked to a former Trump administration speechwriter.
He has also had a private company install a studio in his father’s Florida home which he now uses for TV appearances. His office uses taxpayer funds to rent the camera, and the company that built the studio charges TV networks a fee each time they connect to the studio, according to the report. The company has not been identified.
A Republican congressman who counts among Donald Trump’s loudest defenders is in hot water over a new investigation accusing him of potential ethics violations – including hiring a disgraced former White House aide, Andrew Naughtie reports.
According to Politico, Matt Gaetz, who represents Florida’s first congressional district, has paid large sums of taxpayer money to a private limited company linked to a former Trump administration speechwriter.
He has also had a private company install a studio in his father’s Florida home which he now uses for TV appearances. His office uses taxpayer funds to rent the camera, and the company that built the studio charges TV networks a fee each time they connect to the studio, according to the report. The company has not been identified.
Politico reported that Mr Gaetz’s office claimed both arrangements were approved by the House Ethics Committee, but declined to provide evidence to that effect.
The speechwriter, Darren Beattie, was fired from the White House in 2018 when it emerged he had spoken at a conference that has regularly hosted far-right speakers and audiences.
Mr Gaetz’s office reportedly retained Mr Beattie as a speech-writing adviser last year, but never added him to its payroll, instead paying him through the private company. This could potentially violate rules that bar lawmakers from hiring consultants without specific approval.
The speechwriter, Darren Beattie, was fired from the White House in 2018 when it emerged he had spoken at a conference that has regularly hosted far-right speakers and audiences.
Mr Gaetz’s office reportedly retained Mr Beattie as a speech-writing adviser last year, but never added him to its payroll, instead paying him through the private company. This could potentially violate rules that bar lawmakers from hiring consultants without specific approval.
Portland mayor tear gassed after addressing angry protesters
Ted Wheeler faced an angry crowd calling for his resignation last night in Portland as he denounced Donald Trump's brutal imposition of federal troops in the city, winning some cheers with his pledge to stand alongside protesters as they are tear-gassed.
He was soon called up to stand by his pledge.
Ted Wheeler faced an angry crowd calling for his resignation last night in Portland as he denounced Donald Trump's brutal imposition of federal troops in the city, winning some cheers with his pledge to stand alongside protesters as they are tear-gassed.
He was soon called up to stand by his pledge.
US federal agents accused of sabotaging medical supplies in Portland
Federal troops are accused of deliberately sabotaging medical equipment as they unleashed tear gas upon citizens in Portland on Tuesday night.
Eric Feigl-Ding, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, described the alleged actions as "Fubar" - f***** up beyond all recognition - and pointed out that they would violate the Geneva Convention.
Federal troops are accused of deliberately sabotaging medical equipment as they unleashed tear gas upon citizens in Portland on Tuesday night.
Eric Feigl-Ding, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, described the alleged actions as "Fubar" - f***** up beyond all recognition - and pointed out that they would violate the Geneva Convention.
US ambassador to UK denies making racist and sexist remarks
Woody Johnson, US ambassador to the UK, has denied accusations that he made racist and sexist comments to White House staff and used his position to further Donald Trump’s business interests in Britain, Matt Mathers reports.
Mr Johnson, the owner of the NFL’s New York Jets team, was reportedly investigated by the US Senate after making “generalisations” about black men and “cringe-worthy” comments about women.
Mr Johnson was named ambassador to the UK after Mr Trump assumed officer in 2017. The billionaire businessman was referred to the Senate watchdog after asking aides if there would be a “whole bunch of black people” in the audience at Black History Month event in 2018, according to a report by CNN.
Woody Johnson, US ambassador to the UK, has denied accusations that he made racist and sexist comments to White House staff and used his position to further Donald Trump’s business interests in Britain, Matt Mathers reports.
Mr Johnson, the owner of the NFL’s New York Jets team, was reportedly investigated by the US Senate after making “generalisations” about black men and “cringe-worthy” comments about women.
Mr Johnson was named ambassador to the UK after Mr Trump assumed officer in 2017. The billionaire businessman was referred to the Senate watchdog after asking aides if there would be a “whole bunch of black people” in the audience at Black History Month event in 2018, according to a report by CNN.
House Democrats vote to repeal Trump's 'Muslim ban'
House Democrats voted to repeal Donald Trump's travel ban on some African and Asian countries. Titled the NO Ban Act, the legislation was passed along mostly party lines in a 233-183 vote on Wednesday, Justin Vallejo reports.
The Trump administration introduced its original ban in 2017, barring visitors from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. The measure was dubbed a 'Muslim ban' because it targeted predominantly Muslim majority countries. It has since been expanded to several more countries.
The new bill would limit the executive's authority on immigration, including termination of restrictions imposed on people entering the US and prohibiting religious discrimination when issuing visas to foreigners.
It would also require the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to consult with Congress before placing any travel restrictions, while those harmed by restrictions would be given the ability to sue in federal court.
The House bill, introduced by Representative Judy Chu, is unlikely to be considered by the Republican-controlled Senate, with GOP lawmakers describing it as a reckless and irresponsible threat to national security.
House Democrats voted to repeal Donald Trump's travel ban on some African and Asian countries. Titled the NO Ban Act, the legislation was passed along mostly party lines in a 233-183 vote on Wednesday, Justin Vallejo reports.
The Trump administration introduced its original ban in 2017, barring visitors from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. The measure was dubbed a 'Muslim ban' because it targeted predominantly Muslim majority countries. It has since been expanded to several more countries.
The new bill would limit the executive's authority on immigration, including termination of restrictions imposed on people entering the US and prohibiting religious discrimination when issuing visas to foreigners.
It would also require the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to consult with Congress before placing any travel restrictions, while those harmed by restrictions would be given the ability to sue in federal court.
The House bill, introduced by Representative Judy Chu, is unlikely to be considered by the Republican-controlled Senate, with GOP lawmakers describing it as a reckless and irresponsible threat to national security.
Trump insists basic cognitive test was difficult: ‘Person, woman, man, camera, TV’
Our reporter Andrew Naughtie has more details on Donald Trump's claims that he wowed doctors by being able to recite five words in the correct order some minutes after they were told to him during a test used to check for signs of cognitive decline.
Our reporter Andrew Naughtie has more details on Donald Trump's claims that he wowed doctors by being able to recite five words in the correct order some minutes after they were told to him during a test used to check for signs of cognitive decline.
Voices: The US election polls and the betting odds are now saying the same thing – punters aren’t backing Donald Trump anymore
Donald Trump’s odds of winning the US election are sliding at the rate of a horse found lame in the run up to the Kentucky Derby, writes James Moore for Independent Voices.
The president’s troubled campaign, his misreading of America’s mood and dismal polling data suggest its only a matter of time before one of the leading bookies offers odds of 2-1, giving him an implied probability of victory of just 33 per cent.
According to Oddschecker, which looks across the market, his Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s price has shortened to 8/13 from 8/11 in just the last week, with his implied probability moving from 57.9 per cent to 61.9 per cent. Trump has drifted from a best price 13/8 (38.1 per cent ) to 7/4 (36.4 per cent).
Read his analysis here:
Donald Trump’s odds of winning the US election are sliding at the rate of a horse found lame in the run up to the Kentucky Derby, writes James Moore for Independent Voices.
The president’s troubled campaign, his misreading of America’s mood and dismal polling data suggest its only a matter of time before one of the leading bookies offers odds of 2-1, giving him an implied probability of victory of just 33 per cent.
According to Oddschecker, which looks across the market, his Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s price has shortened to 8/13 from 8/11 in just the last week, with his implied probability moving from 57.9 per cent to 61.9 per cent. Trump has drifted from a best price 13/8 (38.1 per cent ) to 7/4 (36.4 per cent).
Read his analysis here:
Biden releases campaign video with Obama
Joe Biden is stepping up his campaign by releasing videos on social media of his first meeting with Barack Obama since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
In the first film he pledges to "protect and build" on the former president's healthcare program, known as Obamacare.
Other snippets released by Biden's campaign showed the pair wearing masks while arriving at an office, then sitting down well apart from each other to observe social distancing for a bare-faced chat.
The pair also accuse Donald Trump of stoking division and animosity among Americans from the moment he entered the 2016 presidential race.
In another section they criticise the Republican president's efforts to combat a virus that has killed more than 140,000 Americans.
"Can you imagine standing up when you were president and saying, 'It's not my responsibility, I take no responsibility'?" Biden asks.
"Those words didn't come out of our mouths while we were in office," Obama replies.
Joe Biden is stepping up his campaign by releasing videos on social media of his first meeting with Barack Obama since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
In the first film he pledges to "protect and build" on the former president's healthcare program, known as Obamacare.
Other snippets released by Biden's campaign showed the pair wearing masks while arriving at an office, then sitting down well apart from each other to observe social distancing for a bare-faced chat.
The pair also accuse Donald Trump of stoking division and animosity among Americans from the moment he entered the 2016 presidential race.
In another section they criticise the Republican president's efforts to combat a virus that has killed more than 140,000 Americans.
"Can you imagine standing up when you were president and saying, 'It's not my responsibility, I take no responsibility'?" Biden asks.
"Those words didn't come out of our mouths while we were in office," Obama replies.
US vaccine deal sets price at $40 per person
The US government's $2bn deal with Pfizer Inc and German biotech firm BioNTech SE has set a benchmark for COVID-19 vaccine pricing, according to industry analysts.
It secures enough vaccine to inoculate 50 million Americans for about $40 a person, or about the cost of annual flu shots.
Unlike other vaccine deals signed by the government, Pfizer and BioNTech will not collect a payment until their vaccine proves to be safe and effective in a large pivotal clinical trial expected to start this month.
"The average price for a flu vaccine is around $40," said Peter Pitts, president and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. "It looks good with that comparison. It's well within the ballpark of reasonableness."
The US government's $2bn deal with Pfizer Inc and German biotech firm BioNTech SE has set a benchmark for COVID-19 vaccine pricing, according to industry analysts.
It secures enough vaccine to inoculate 50 million Americans for about $40 a person, or about the cost of annual flu shots.
Unlike other vaccine deals signed by the government, Pfizer and BioNTech will not collect a payment until their vaccine proves to be safe and effective in a large pivotal clinical trial expected to start this month.
"The average price for a flu vaccine is around $40," said Peter Pitts, president and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. "It looks good with that comparison. It's well within the ballpark of reasonableness."
Portland mayor reacts to being teargassed
Ted Wheeler said the experience of getting tear-gassed has made him question whether the chemical weapon should be used by police.
The mayor of Portland told Reuters: "You can't really comply with any orders that are being issued because, frankly, you're not paying attention to what's around you, you're focusing on your eyes. You're focusing on trying to breathe."
Asked if he might rethink the use of tear gas by local police officers, Wheeler said: "It makes me think long and hard on whether or not this is a viable tool."
Earlier in the day he had sought to reassure protesters and the local community that federal agents might be authorised to use live ammunition on demonstrators.
Judge to decide on release of Trump's former lawyer
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, has claimed he was returned to prison two weeks ago in retaliation for plans to publish a critical book about Trump.
TodayaA Manhattan federal judge will consider whether to release him after his lawyers argued the US Bureau of Prisons violated his First Amendment rights.
Cohen was sent home from prison in May because of the coronavirus pandemic but since 9 July has been in solitary confinement in a federal prison in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City.
"Michael Cohen is currently imprisoned in solitary confinement because he is drafting a book manuscript that is critical of the President of the United States -- and because he recently made public that he intends to publish this book shortly before the upcoming election," Cohen's lawyers, who include attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, wrote in seeking an order for his immediate release.
Prosecutors said in court papers that Cohen was "antagonistic" during a meeting with probation officers and should remain behind bars.
Trump lashes out at Liz Cheney
Donald Trump has joined the attacks on Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney after she defied the president on the coronavirus pandemic, foreign affairs decisions, and other matters.
In recent days Senator Rand Paul and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz have called for her removal as House GOP Conference Chairwoman, while the president's son has described her as "another Mitt Romney".
She fired back hours later, telling reporters this: "Donald Trump Jr is not a member of the Republican House conference."
Now Donald Trump himself has tweeted: "Liz Cheney is only upset because I have been actively getting our great and beautiful Country out of the ridiculous and costly Endless Wars. I am also making our so-called allies pay tens of billions of dollars in delinquent military costs. They must, at least, treat us fairly!!!"
Donald Trump has joined the attacks on Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney after she defied the president on the coronavirus pandemic, foreign affairs decisions, and other matters.
In recent days Senator Rand Paul and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz have called for her removal as House GOP Conference Chairwoman, while the president's son has described her as "another Mitt Romney".
She fired back hours later, telling reporters this: "Donald Trump Jr is not a member of the Republican House conference."
Now Donald Trump himself has tweeted: "Liz Cheney is only upset because I have been actively getting our great and beautiful Country out of the ridiculous and costly Endless Wars. I am also making our so-called allies pay tens of billions of dollars in delinquent military costs. They must, at least, treat us fairly!!!"
