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The Independent UK

Politics

Clark Mindock

White House press conference: Trump interrupts with threat to cut GM subsidies over job layoffs

US press secretary Sarah Sanders is holding the first White House news briefing this month.

The conference comes as the White House is juggling controversies on multiple fronts, including growing tension at the US-Mexico border where agents fired tear gas at travelling migrants – a move staunchly defended by Donald Trump — and recent developments from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election after former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was accused of lying to the FBI in violation of a recent plea deal.

During the press conference, Ms Sanders suggested that the Obama administration also allowed for the use of tear gas at the US-Mexico border, and said that Mr Trump would like to see the Mueller investigation come to its conclusion.

"Certainly the president has voiced his unhappiness from the beginning that this has gone on, this ridiculous witch hunt for two years, and we would like to see it come to a conclusion," Ms Sanders said when asked why the president appears uneasy with the looming release of the Mueller report, which will be delivered to the US attorney general.

Those concerns come just as the US economy shows signs of potential weakening, too, after General Motors announced thousands of layoffs this week amid ongoing tension over the president's harsh tariffs on foreign imports that have left major American industries in jeopardy as the cost of raw materials has surged. Meanwhile, on the international front, Russian aggression in Ukraine has put a spotlight on Mr Trump's relationship with the Kremlin as he has refused to condemn the aggression there.

Just at the end of the press conference, the president himself weighed in on Twitter to discuss the GM layoffs, and suggested that the company may see its subsidies for electric car production revoked. White House officials had indicated during the press conference that punishments may come for the auto maker over its thousands of layoffs.

"Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland. Nothing being closed in Mexico & China. The U.S. saved General Motors, and this is the THANKS we get! We are now looking at cutting all @GM subsidies, including for electric cars. General Motors made a big China bet years ago when they built plants there (and in Mexico) - don’t think that bet is going to pay off. I am here to protect America’s Workers!" Mr Trump tweeted.

Other topics covered during the press conference included the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — US National Security Adviser John Bolton said he would not listen to a tape recording of the murder — and the recent US report on climate change, which Ms Sanders said the president does not believe is accurate.

Please read along for our coverage of the press conference, as it happened.

2018-11-27T17:55:43.150Z

We are about five minutes away from the schedule start time for the first White House press briefing in nearly a month. Thanks for following along as we cover the event as it happens in the West Wing in Washington.

2018-11-27T18:14:03.356Z

The press conference is set to begin any moment, and follows after a packed month for Mr Trump and his White House.

Here is a brief run down on what has happened since the last press conference:

Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives. Democrats picked up 38 seats in the House, bringing control of that legislative body back to Democrats for the first time in eight years. Republicans retained control of the Senate, though, as a product of a Senate map that favoured that party. In the run up to the midterms, Mr Trump stumped relentlessly for Republicans across the country — and the trouncing in the House showed that those efforts were not always helpful.

Migrants arrived at the US-Mexico border. Mr Trump made the migrant caravan a main issue during the run up to the midterm elections, even though the thousands of Central Americans were then quite far from the border. Things have changed since, as migrants have arrived at the border and demanded asylum in the US. The Trump administration has pushed to keep those migrants in Mexico as their asylum cases are pending, and Border Patrol agents recently fired tear gas at a group that attempted to enter the US by force.

The US economy appears to be slowing. That's at least if you look at signs from automaker GM, which announced this week that it will lay of thousands of workers in the US. That is in part due to changes in auto making technology as the industry becomes increasingly automated, but has also been seen as a result of harsh tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imports from countries like China.

Questions remain over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Khashoggi disappeared after visiting the Saudi embassy in Turkey last month, and Saudi Arabia has since taken responsibility for his brutal murder and said that several men will be tried for the death. But, Mr Trump has largely given Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman — who allegedly called for the murder — a pass, citing billions of dollars in arms sales and interest in Saudi allegiance as justification for overlooking the human rights abuse.

A government shutdown now looms. Mr Trump's request for funding for his border wall has thrust negotiations over the government budget into question. While Congress has largely agreed on funding for most of the government, any failure in negotiations could lead to a shutdown as early as next month during the lame duck period of this Congress before a new batch of politicians are sworn in this January following the midterm elections.

Wildfires have ravaged California. They were some of the deadliest blazes in US history, and came just before a US government report indicated that climate change poses a significant risk to the country. Mr Trump says he does not believe the climate change report, and suggested that the California fires could have been averted through diligent forest management. That suggestion came in spite of the nature of the flames (they were closer to urban areas than forests), and in spite of the fact that the US federal government is in charge of the majority of forest lands in California.

2018-11-27T18:16:42.436Z

Things are quieting down in the White House briefing room.

Among the journalists in the audience is CNN White House reporter Jim Acosta, who was recently given his "hard pass" credential back after the Trump administration revoked his access to the White House.

Mr Acosta was denied entry into the White House after a contentious press conference with the president in which the reporter refused to relinquish his microphone, and was falsely accused by the White House of placing his hands on an intern.

2018-11-27T18:22:00.623Z

The White House is running a bit behind schedule — 20 minutes so far — on today's press briefing. That is pretty normal for the briefings, however, and could mean any number of last minute preparations are playing out behind the scenes.

2018-11-27T18:36:50.390Z

Ms Sanders is now at the podium. She is announcing upcoming travel for the president, and emphasizing Mr Trump's plan to talk about trade at the upcoming G20 meeting.

2018-11-27T18:39:45.923Z

The director of the US National Economic Council, Larry Kudlow, is now speaking.

He said that the US positions in the upcoming G20 meeting will include "tax cuts and deregulations" and "re-skilling and job trainings". He said that "includes women's economic empowerment" and said that US energy dominance is a prime concern for the White House.

He confirmed that Mr Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place — as a dinner meting — and that they are hopeful a deal can be mad on trade. That can only happen he said if issues related to intellectual copywrite threat, and others, are solved.

"The president will probably reiterate his view, we want a world ideally of zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies," Mr Kudlow said.

2018-11-27T18:41:01.996Z

Here is our live blog link, for anyone who wants to watch the press briefing live:

2018-11-27T18:42:00.926Z

Mr Kudlow just said that Mr Trump may impose more than $200 billion in further tariffs if the US and China cannot come to an agreement on trade at the G20 meeting.

2018-11-27T18:45:39.793Z

Discussing recent layoffs at GM, US National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow said that he is disappointed that the automaker will be laying off so many workers just after the US, Mexico, and Canada (USMCA) have reached a reported deal on trade.

"It's a great disappointment, obviously," Mr Kudlow said of the layoffs. The president believes "that the USMCA deal was a great help to the automobile industry and to auto workers. And yet GM comes in right after the deal ... There's great disappointment there, there's disappointment that it seems like GM would rather build its electric cars in China rather than in the United States".

Subsidies for electric cars are on the table, he said, but he is not sure how that may pan out.

2018-11-27T18:47:58.550Z

US National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow is praising the US economy, saying that it is in very good shape and could handle the tremors that would be sent out by another wave of tariffs being placed on Chinese imports if upcoming talks at the G20 go south.

"I think we are in far better shape to weather this than the Chinese are," Mr Kudlow said.

"You have to ask yourself, is it free trade when there's clear evidence of unfair and WTO illegal trading practices by China?" he continued, justifying the administration's tariff's in spite of his position as a free trade proponent.

2018-11-27T18:49:54.283Z

US National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow refused to say whether Mr Trump plans on punishing GM for laying off thousands of workers. Mr Trump has suggested that the automaker better open a new plant, but it is not clear what he might do in retaliation if the company does not do so.

"I'm going to leave that to him. You may find additional announcements coming on that topic," Mr Kudlow said.

2018-11-27T18:53:55.730Z

US National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow has said that the US position on trade with China enjoys international support, and said that China should stop what he characterized as unfair trading practices that harm the US and European allies.

"There is broad based support for the American position here, which is China should change its practices and come into the community of responsible trading nations," he said. "They can do that, they're a major economy right now. It's not like they were 25 or 30 years ago. We would welcome it, the president has said that he would make a deal".

2018-11-27T18:57:22.000Z

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton has been brought on to discuss the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally murdered by individuals connected to the Saudi Arabian government. Mr Trump has refused to punish Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for the killing, and has cited Saudi oil as a reason for letting that government of the hook.

2018-11-27T18:58:54.620Z

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton is now discussing what Mr Trump may discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an upcoming meeting.

He said that the discussions earlier in the year in Helsinki will likely be revisited, and mentioned security apparatus cooperation.

He refused to respond to shouted questions from journalists on whether the president will discuss Russian aggression in Ukraine that has been reignited recently.

2018-11-27T19:01:45.700Z

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton has been asked if Mr Trump will condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine, and whether it was an act of war. Mr Bolton demurred.

"Ambassador Haley... spoke for the United States yesterday at the UN Security Council and we're going to stand by that statement", Mr Bolton said.

2018-11-27T19:03:16.350Z

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton says that he has not listened to the taped recording of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and said that he is not sure what he will learn from listening.

"The president has spoken to our position on this issue, he's spoken very clearly and that is our position," he said.

He then said that CIA Director Gina Haspel is not being instructed not to speak to senators about that recording.

2018-11-27T19:06:19.050Z

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton has been asked if the White House has any reason to think the Chinese position on contentious trading issues might be changed when the presidents of both countries meet at the upcoming G20 meeting.

Mr Bolton cited a warm relationship between the two presidents, but did not give any further specifics or promises.

2018-11-27T19:07:02.063Z

Ms Sanders is now back at the podium, and ticking through the day's announcements.

She noted that three US servicemen were killed and three others were killed in Afghanistan.

2018-11-27T19:09:56.533Z

Ms Sanders has referred questions about Paul Manafort's recently reported meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange just months before a major trove of Democratic emails were published on that website to Mr Manafort's lawyers. The meeting were first reported in The Guardian.

Asked if the White House remains confident that Trump associates did not coordinate with Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 campaigns, Ms Sanders defended the president.

"Certainly remain confident in the White House's assertion that the president was involved in no wrongdoing," Ms Sanders said.

2018-11-27T19:11:53.803Z

Ms Sanders has said that it is unfortunate if migrant women or children at the border were hit with tear gas, and suggested that tear gas was used regularly during the Obama administration.

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