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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Gabrielle Canon (now) in San Francisco, Jamiles Lartey and Erin Durkin (earlier) in New York

Republican Steve King stripped of assignments amid racism backlash – as it happened

Summary

Powering down for the night, thanks for tuning in! Here’s what happened today:

  • As the shutdown stretched into its forth week, Trump rejected Sen. Lindsey Graham’s recommendation to reopen it while negotiations continue, and doubled down on his stance, while a bipartisan group of senators sought solutions. Meanwhile, the FDA announced that unpaid inspectors would come back to work, ensuring high-risk food facilities get checked out.
  • A top White House spokesperson is leaving the administration to work for a lobbying firm, and a pair of Obama-appointed judges have pumped the breaks on Trump’s new policy that could squash no-charge contraception nationwide.
  • Republican leaders on the steering committee removed Republican Rep. Steve King from all assignments, while Democrats moved to officially condemn the Iowa Republican’s latest racist comments. Mitt Romney called for his resignation, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested he “find another line of work”.

See you all tomorrow!

According to The Daily Beast, the special counsel and NY federal prosecutors are looking into a meeting Trump had in the days before he was inaugurated, for possible evidence that foreigners and donors sought to purchase influence in the administration.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes — the longtime-ally of the President who was behind a controversial memo, which sought to discredit the special counsel investigation — was also in attendance, along with dozens of foreign diplomats.

Soon after the inauguration breakfast, Nunes began a House intelligence committee investigation, ostensibly aimed at the connections between Trump and Russia, that devolved into a mechanism to defend Trump against those investigating the president. Revelations about Nunes’ cooperation with the White House prompted him to leave the investigation in the hands of his GOP colleagues, but Nunes retained subpoena power. The investigation ended last year after Republicans on the committee said they ‘found no evidence of collusion between President Donald Trump’s associates and the Kremlin’.”

Trump’s former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russian connections and who is cooperating with Mueller’s investigation also attended the breakfast meeting.

Amidst heavy backlash over the latest racist comments from Rep. Steve King, Republican party leaders will remove him from the high-powered Judiciary Committee and other panel assignments, the New York Times reports.

House Democrats have also made moves to officially condemn his remarks, expecting to vote Tuesday on a resolution from Majority Whip James Clyburn, a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus. According to The Hill, the vote is unlikely to result in a formal censure but serves to call the congressman out for what he said:

‘I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in breaking the deafening silence and letting our resounding condemnation be heard’, Clyburn said on the House floor”.

President Trump has declined to comment, telling reporters today that he “hasn’t been following it”. King is a close ally of the President, supporting him on immigration and other key issues.

Updated

In one of his first oversight moves as House Judiciary Chairman, Rep. Jerry Nadler has issued a letter calling for more information on the Trump Administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy that resulted in the separation of migrant families at the southern border. The Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Justice have until February 8 to turn over related documents.

CNN has reported that the letter released today requests specifically calls for an unredacted copy of the DHS policy memo and specifics on the numbers of children separated or unaccompanied since the policy was reversed in June:

‘The latest tragic deaths in custody of young children underscore the need for oversight of the Administration’s policies,’ the letter says”.

FDA to resume high-risk food inspections amidst shutdown

In the four weeks since the government shutdown began, the FDA was forced to stop inspections at most food facilities. But on Monday, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that 10% of agency workers would come back to work, unpaid.

According to The Washington Post, 80% of the food supply is checked by the agency and out of the 160 routine inspections done weekly in the US, about a third are considered “high-risk”. Inspectors are charged with checking for insect infestations, food contamination, and unclean conditions that can lead to dangerous foodborne illness outbreaks.

At the White House, Trump is showing off a spread of fast food he ordered for a visit of the Clemson Tigers, who recently won the College Football Playoff national championship game.

The president apparently ordered McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, pizza and other “great American food”:

With no end to the government shutdown in sight, a group of Democrat and Republican senators have started a group to search for solutions, as party leaders continue the fight over funding. According to The Washington Post, it’s unclear how successful the group will be, but signals how ready representatives are to end the impasse, that has caused roughly 800,000 federal employees to go without pay.

Updated

Top White House spokesman Raj Shah leaving to join lobbying firm

The New York Times has reported that White House spokesman Raj Shah, who has been with President Trump since the beginning, has left to lead a lobbying firm based in Florida:

Mr. Shah, a former researcher at the Republican National Committee, had been in the administration since Mr. Trump took office. His portfolio recently included helping prepare Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh for his Senate confirmation hearings to the Supreme Court.

His departure comes as the White House press and communications teams have been depleted. Several aides have moved on to roles at government agencies or have left the Trump administration entirely”.

Mitt Romney calls on Steve King to resign

Mitt Romney has called on Iowa congressman Steve King to resign, CNN’s Manu Raju is reporting:

King has faced growing backlash over his recent comments to the New York Times defending the “white supremacist” label, saying, “White nationalist, white supremacist, western civilization – how did that language become offensive? ... Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

Earlier, the Congressional Black Caucus called for King to lose his committee assignments, and the Anti-Defamation League has urged House leaders to censure him.

President Trump took to Twitter this afternoon to emphasize his unrelenting position on the border wall, amidst an ongoing impasse with Democrats that has caused the government shutdown to stretch into its forth week. The tweets came shortly after Trump announced to reporters that he rejected a recommendation from Lindsey Graham to reopen the government while negotiations continue.

The shutdown, now on its 24th day, is the longest in US history.

Judges block Trump administration rule limiting no-charge contraception nationwide

This is Gabrielle Canon taking over from the west coast for Jamiles Lartey and Erin Durkin.

With little time to spare, a Pennsylvania district court judge stepped in this afternoon to stop a soon-to-be-rolled-out Trump administration policy that would enable employers to deny women birth control coverage on moral grounds. The injunction came less than 24 hours after a California judge issued a stay limiting the new rules in 13 states and DC where challenges are still being argued.

The new rules were drafted by the Department of Justice to “protect a narrow class of sincere religious and moral objectors from being forced to facilitate practices that conflict with their beliefs”, but they were rejected by the Obama-appointed judges on the grounds that many would lose contraceptive coverage.

Updated

‘He should find another line of work’ - Mitch McConnell slams King over racist remarks

In a statement to the Washington Post, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said: “I have no tolerance for such positions and those who espouse these views are not supporters of American ideals and freedoms.”

Rep. King’s statements are unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position. If he doesn’t understand why ‘white supremacy’ is offensive, he should find another line of work.”

King has come under fire by members of both parties after he asked in a New York Times interview published last week, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

Updated

In an email to supporters this afternoon, Trump is asking totally reasonable and not at all loaded survey questions like this one:

Which group should our government put first?

  • American Citizens
  • Illegal Aliens

Nancy and Chuck have made it clear that they don’t want to know your opinions on how to keep America safe. They don’t want to know why you want the wall. But I do, Friend.

As one of our top supporters, I need your IMMEDIATE input on our Official Secure The Border Survey.

I plan to review the responses of every American Patriot before my next meeting with Nancy and Chuck.

Politico is reporting that White House officials, “increasingly desperate to find a path out of a shutdown they’re seen as losing, are considering a last-ditch effort to woo moderate Democrats with a border security deal reopening the government, according to people familiar with the plans.”

Democrats have little reason at this point to consider breaking from the party leadership.

Updating reports that a bipartisan group of senators is holding their own talks on how to resolve the government shutdown.

Texas Senator John Cornyn says he’s involved but not “an official gang member.”

This is Jamiles Lartey taking over for Erin briefly before we hand our coverage over to the west coast for the rest of the evening.

James Clyburn, the number 3 ranking member of the House told reporters a short time ago that he supports a reprimand or formal disapproval of Congressman Steve King’s racist remarks last week, but does not support censure.

“I don’t know that we in the House should be censuring somebody or something they said to a reporter. ... If it was something said on the House floor, maybe,” Clyburn said according to Washington Post reporter Mike DeBonis.

He said Clyburn added that a formal response to King’s remarks would be “A topic of discussion at House Dem leadership meeting this evening.”

Two Democrats have introduced censure language today regarding King.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is expected to form an exploratory committee for a presidential campaign in the coming days, per AP.

In his speech this afternoon to the American Farm Bureau Federation in New Orleans, Donald Trump took credit for the low price of gas and fit in a swipe at Hillary Clinton.

“I’m riding in this incredible car, and I’m driving and I’m looking at gas stations to see how much is the gas,” Trump said in his remarks, according to the Hill. “You think Hillary Clinton would’ve done that? I don’t think so.”

“I’m in the Beast,” he said, referring to the presidential limousine. “The world’s most expensive car. It’s like being in an army tank that goes 50 miles per hour. I’m in the Beast and I’m looking at the gas station. I say, ‘fellas, slow up, I can’t see.’ I say, ‘$1.75!’ That didn’t happen by accident, folks.”

A House Democrat is introducing a formal censure motion Monday against Rep. Steve King over his white supremacy comments.

Rep. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he would be filing the motion, Politico reported.

“He has become too comfortable with proudly insulting, disrespecting, and denigrating people of color,” Rush said in a statement. “As with any animal that is rabid, Steve King should be set aside and isolated.”

King is under fire after he said he did not understand how the terms “white nationalist, white supremacist and western civilization” became “offensive.”

The censure resolution also cites his long history of incendiary comments.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has said action will be taken against him.

Rep. Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat, is also introducing a separate resolution to censure King.

Updated

A bipartisan group of senators is holding their own talks on how to resolve the government shutdown, with negotiations between Donald Trump and Congressional leaders at a standstill.

Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, is one member of the group, the Washington Post reported.

The White House is denying reports that Ivanka Trump is under consideration to become president of the World Bank.

The Financial Times reported that the first daughter’s name was “floating around Washington” as one possible choice for the World Bank post.

Trump is working on the search process, but she is not a candidate for the job, White House spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said, according to Politico. “Reports that she is under consideration are false,” she said.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, is wondering when Donald Trump is “going to help us open the government.”

Asked about Trump’s rejection of a proposal to let government reopen for three weeks while border wall negotiations continue, she said, “Well, then Mr. President when are you going to help us open the government?” according to CNN.

“It’s just not good for any of us,” she said, describing the situation as an “indefinite state of impasse.”

Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings is being treated for pancreatic cancer.

Hastings, a Democrat, plans to remain in Congress during the treatment, saying that “this is a battle worth fighting,” according to CNN.

“I was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and in the midst of this traumatizing news, I found myself wondering not only if I would survive this disease, but also if it would impact my ability to perform my duties,” said Hastings, 82. “Now that I have begun treatment, I feel hopeful about survival and about my ability to continue serving my constituents of Florida’s 20th Congressional district and the nation.”

Senator Bernie Sanders will meet this week with women who say they experienced sexual harassment and gender discrimination while working on his presidential campaign, BuzzFeed reported.

Sanders has been hit in recent weeks with complaints about mistreatment of female staffers during his 2016 primary campaign. He is considering another bid in 2020.

The meeting is set for Wednesday, according to BuzzFeed. The women are traveling to Washington to meet with Sanders and members of his senior staff.

Twice as many TSA agents were absent today compared to a year ago, an agency spokesman said.

Agents have been calling in sick as they are required to work without pay during the government shutdown.

This morning, 7.6% of TSA personnel were absent around the country, compared to 3.2% on this day a year ago, TSA assistant administrator for public affairs Michael Bilello said on Twitter.

Airports in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Miami and Houston have closed security lanes due to absences, resulting in long lines.

The government shutdown has already caused the cancellation of 42,726 immigration hearings, according to data compiled by Syracuse University, per a New York Daily News reporter.

About 20,000 hearings are getting cancelled each week.

People whose court dates get cancelled may end up waiting years for a new one.

Another poll finds voters are not behind Donald Trump’s refusal to fund the government unless he gets money for a border wall, and hold Republicans responsible for the government shutdown.

In the Quinnipiac University poll released today, 63% of voters say they oppose shutting down the government to force funding for the wall. 56% say Trump and Congressional Republicans are responsible for the shutdown, while 36% say Democrats are responsible. Voters support, by a 63%-30% margin, reopening parts of the government that aren’t related to border security while negotiating on wall funding.

Voters also generally oppose the wall itself, saying they’re against it by a 55% to 43% margin. Majorities of voters say they do not believe it is a good use of taxpayer money, it would not make the US safer, it is not necessary to protect the border, and it is against American values.

Donald Trump is appearing this afternoon at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention in New Orleans.

It’s typically a friendly audience for him, but the government shutdown has shuttered local Farm Service Agency offices, blocking farmers from getting loans and other assistance, Politico reports.

“We have farmers that have loans with the FSA,” Randy Poskin, a corn and soybean grower from central Illinois who voted for Trump, told Politico. “If they can’t do that business, that’s going to create problems.”

Stormy Daniels has filed a civil rights lawsuit over her arrest last summer while performing at an Ohio strip club.

In the suit, Daniels charges that the officers from the Columbus Division of Police’s vice unit who arrested her were politically motivated. She cites their voter registration as Republicans and one officer’s pro-Trump Facebook post, and charge that the officers believed she “was damaging President Trump and they thereafter entered into a conspiracy to arrest her during her performance in Columbus in retaliation for the public statements she had made regarding President Trump.”

Daniels was accused of touching patrons and police officers during her strip club performance, but the charges were dropped.

“We look forward to exposing the facts relating to the outrageous conduct of these rogue officers, who abused their power and the badge to further a political vendetta against Stormy,” said her lawyer Michael Avenatti.

Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump, and was paid off during the 2016 to keep quiet about it.

Donald Trump spoke by phone Monday with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, per CNN.

Trump stressed “the importance to the United States that Turkey does not mistreat the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces with whom we have fought to defeat ISIS,” according to a White House summary of the call.

Neomi Rao, Donald Trump’s nominee to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote a string of op-eds in and after college where she used inflammatory language to discuss race and gay rights, BuzzFeed reports.

Rao described race as a “hot, money-making issue,” affirmative action as the “anointed dragon of liberal excess,” and said welfare was for “for the indigent and lazy.”

Anthony Scaramucci, briefly Donald Trump’s White House communications director, will be a contestant on the next series of Big Brother: Celebrity Edition.

He will be joined by Lindsay Lohan’s mother, wrestler Eva Marie and Kato Kaelin, whose fame is almost entirely derived from being a key witness in the OJ Simpson trial.

John Kasich has signed with a top talent agency as he leaves office as Ohio governor.

United Talent Agency announced Kasich as a client Monday, according to Politico.

The agency says it will “help Kasich navigate the next phase of his career in civic engagement, by continuing to inspire audiences to lead purpose-driven lives of service.”

Kasich is a frequent critic of Donald Trump within the Republican party and is reportedly considering a 2020 presidential run.

The House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation into prescription drug pricing, under its new Democratic chairman Elijah Cummings.

Cummings sent letters to a dozen drug companies seeking details on how they determine prices for their drugs, the Hill reported.

“For years, drug companies have been aggressively increasing prices on existing drugs and setting higher launch prices for new drugs while recording windfall profits,” he said. “The goals of this investigation are to determine why drug companies are increasing prices so dramatically, how drug companies are using the proceeds, and what steps can be taken to reduce prescription drug prices.”

Sanders to unveil bill to raise minimum wage to $15

Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce a bill this week to raise the federal minimum wage to $15, he said Monday. The current federal minimum is $7.25.

Updated

Washington Dulles Airport on Monday closed screening lanes because of a shortage of TSA agents, some of whom are calling in sick while not being paid during the government shutdown, Politico reported.

Security lines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the world, were more than an hour long Monday morning after at least six security lanes were closed, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

Miami and Houston airports also closed checkpoints over the weekend because of high no show rates among TSA agents.

Updated

Hillary Clinton shared a clip from a 2016 debate where she said that Donald Trump would be a “puppet” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Like I said: A puppet,” she wrote Monday.



Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is expressing regret for once working for her father’s anti-gay group, which opposed same sex marriage and promoted gay conversion therapy.

The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a challenge to Matthew Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general.

The court turned away the case without comment, the Washington Post reported.

The suit argued that Trump did not have the authority to put Whitaker in the job and that Rod Rosenstein, the number two to ex-attorney general Jeff Sessions, should have filled the job under proper legal procedures.

Trump rejects Graham proposal to reopen government

Donald Trump is rejecting a proposal from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to allow the government to temporarily reopen while negotiating with Congress over a border wall, the Washington Post reports.

“I did reject it,” Trump said Monday. “I want to get it solved. I don’t want to just delay it.”

Graham suggested Sunday that Trump should agree to a government funding bill that would last three weeks. If a compromise were not reached in that time, Trump could declare a national emergency to build the wall without Congressional approval.

But Trump said Monday he’s “not looking to” declare a national emergency, per Politico.

Updated

Here are fuller remarks that Attorney general nominee William Barr plans to give at his Senate confirmation hearing addressing the Mueller probe, per Huffington Post.

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro said Monday that Donald Trump failed in responding to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

“Unfortunately, as all of us witnessed, the Trump administration failed the people of Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria hit,” Castro said in San Juan, the Hill reported.

Castro spoke at a Latino Victory Fund summit in Puerto Rico after announcing his presidential bid over the weekend in his home town of San Antonio.

A number of prominent Democrats have gathered in San Juan for a retreat hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s political PAC, as well as the Latino Victory Fund event.

“I chose as my first visit after [my] announcement to come to Puerto Rico, because I want all the people of Puerto Rico to know that you count, that we respect you,” Castro said, according to the Hill.

Donald Trump responded dismissively when asked about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying that he is a racist. “Who cares?” he said in remarks to reporters outside the White House.

The new New York Congresswoman says she can tell she’s getting under his skin.

Donald Trump declined to condemn Steve King’s remarks about white supremacy, saying when asked by a reporter today: “I haven’t been following it.”

King, an Iowa Republican, is under fire after saying to the New York Times, “White nationalist, white supremacist, western civilization – how did that language become offensive?” He’s set to meet today with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who vowed to take action over the comments.

Trump's attorney general pick to say it's "vitally important" to complete Mueller probe

Attorney general nominee William Barr will say it’s “vitally important” for special counsel Robert Mueller to be able to complete his Russia investigation, according to testimony prepared for his confirmation hearing and obtained by the Associated Press.

“I believe it is in the best interest of everyone — the President, Congress, and, most importantly, the American people - that this matter be resolved by allowing the Special Counsel to complete his work,” Barr will say.

He also plans to say Congress and the public should be “be informed of the results of the special counsel’s work,” CNN reported.

“For that reason, my goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law. I can assure you that, where judgments are to be made by me, I will make those judgments based solely on the law and will let no personal, political, or other improper interests influence my decision,” he says in the prepared remarks.

The confirmation hearing is set to begin Tuesday.

Barr also plans to say Trump has not asked for any promises from him regarding his handling of the investigation. Trump “sought no assurances, promises, or commitments from me of any kind, either express or implied, and I have not given him any,” he says in the prepared remarks, according to AP.

Updated

Donald Trump will meet with Clemson’s national champion football team at the White House after returning from a trip to New Orleans, and had some thoughts on their culinary preferences before he took off.

“They’ll be coming tonight, and I think we’ll serve McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King with some pizza,” Trump said. “I would think that’s their favorite food.”

Donald Trump in remarks outside the White House claimed that some Democrats are “breaking” in the government shutdown fight while Republicans are “rock solid.”

Trump is refusing to sign off on government funding unless he gets money for a wall on the US-Mexico border, leading to a partial shutdown of the government.

Trump noted some Democratic lawmakers have been in Puerto Rico, where they traveled as part of a Congressional delegation. “Maybe they’re celebrating the shutdown,” he said.

“Many of them are breaking. The Republicans are rock solid. We’ve got to take care of the border,” Trump went on. “The Democrats have to do something. We need their votes. Otherwise we can’t solve it.”

Trump attacks FBI officials who investigated his Russia ties as "scoundrels"

Donald Trump called the FBI officials who started an investigation into whether he had worked on Russia’s behest “known scoundrels. I guess you could say they’re dirty cops.”

“I never worked for Russia. And you know that answer better than anybody. I never worked for Russia. Not only did I never work for Russia, I think it’s a disgrace that you even asked that question because it’s a whole big fat hoax. It’s just a hoax,” Trump said.

But Trump then appeared to confirm the investigation existed, complaining about the officials who started it.

He singled out Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI, and agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok.

“I guess they started it because I fired Comey, which was a great thing I did for our country,” he said. “I have done a great service for our country when I fired James Comey, because he was a bad cop and he was a dirty cop and he lied.”

Trump also discussed a meeting he had with Vladimir Putin, where the Washington Post reported he took his translator’s notes and told him not to disclose the contents of the meeting to other US officials.

“That was a very good meeting. It was actually a very successful meeting,” he said, adding they had discussed Israel and an oil pipeline. “We have those meetings all the time. No big deal.”

Updated

Trump denies he ever worked for Russia

Donald Trump is explicitly denying he ever worked for Russia.

“I never worked for Russia,” he told reporters outside the White House, per AP.

Previously, Trump had called the question “insulting” but did not directly answer.

Updated

Here’s some new advice from Donald Trump to members of the press: Take a nice long vacation. “Chill!” he added in a tweet that also repeated his attacks on “Fake News” and claimed journalists have “gone MAD!”

A New York immigration group is launching a $1 million campaign to get the state to grant drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants, the Daily News reports.

Issuing the drivers licenses has become a real possibility, along with a slew of other progressive measures, since Democrats took over the state Senate in New York, which had been the last bastion of Republican control in the state.

The New York Immigration Coalition will fund a Super PAC and spend at least $1 million on TV, radio and online ads.

There are dozens of out of work former members of Congress, many of them looking for lobbying gigs and not all of them likely to get one, Politico reports this morning.

“Former Republican congressmen are a dime a dozen right now,” former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), now a lobbyist for Holland & Knight, told Politico. “I think there are still a lot of people who are scrambling and looking.”

Some lawmakers already have lobbying gigs, though. Former Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lamar Smith joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Sen. Jon Kyl, who left Covington & Burling to temporarily fill John McCain’s Arizona Senate seat after his death, has now returned to his old firm.

CBS News has announced its roster of 2020 campaign reporters, and it’s drawing some criticism for not including any black journalists.

Donald Trump on Dec. 11 said of the possibility of a government shutdown: “I am proud to shut down the government for border security.” If that left any doubt, he said: “I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it.”

This morning, on the 24th day of the partial shutdown, he said of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer: “Nancy and Cryin’ Chuck can end the Shutdown in 15 minutes. At this point it has become their, and the Democrats, fault!”

Donald Trump invoked one of the worst massacres against Native Americans in US history late last night as a way to continue mocking Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren over her claims of Native American heritage.

“If Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash!” he wrote.

US soldiers killed up to 400 Sioux at the Wounded Knee massacre in South Dakota in 1890.

Critics, who have long called Trump’s use of “Pocahontas” as a slur offensive, denounced his latest comments.

FBI discussed whether Trump was following orders from Russia

Senior FBI officials met soon after Donald Trump fired James Comey as FBI director to discuss launching an investigation into whether the president had been acting on behalf of Russia, according to transcripts of congressional testimony obtained by CNN.

The group debated a range of possibilities: at one extreme, the possibility that Trump fired Comey on direct instructions from Russia. At the other end, that he had done nothing wrong and was appropriately exercising his executive power.

James Baker, then the FBI general counsel, said in the House interview last year that the bureau officials were discussing whether Trump was “acting at the behest of and somehow following directions, somehow executing their will,” according to CNN.

“That was one extreme. The other extreme is that the President is completely innocent, and we discussed that too,” Baker said. “There’s a range of things this could possibly be. We need to investigate, because we don’t know whether, you know, the worst-case scenario is possibly true or the President is totally innocent and we need to get this thing over with — and so he can move forward with his agenda.”

Baker said the possibility of Trump taking orders from Russia was “discussed as a theoretical possibility.”

“I’m speaking theoretically. If the President of the United States fired Jim Comey at the behest of the Russian government, that would be unlawful and unconstitutional,” Baker said.

“Is that what happened here?” asked Rep. John Ratcliffe, a Texas Republican.

“I don’t know,” Baker said. At that point the FBI cut off the line of questioning.

Updated

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