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Ex-US Defence Secretary James Mattis has denounced President Donald Trump, saying he deliberately stokes division. He said he was “angry and appalled” by Mr Trump’s handling of ongoing protests over the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of police. Mr Mattis berated Mr Trump’s “abuse of authority” – and backed protesters seeking to uphold American values, as did ex-President Barack Obama.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared divided over President Trump’s assertion that the broad powers he enjoys as the nation’s chief executive override subpoenas for his financial records and tax returns. Trump’s standoff with a trio of Democratic-led House committees and Manhattan prosecutors over his financial paper trail saw the justices raise divergent concerns about presidential immunity.
Donald Trump has hit back at Barack Obama after his presidential predecessor branded his handling of the coronavirus pandemic a “chaotic disaster”. The US president claimed his administration was “getting great marks” and derided Mr Obama’s response to the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak as “a disaster” and argued he “didn’t have a clue”. Mr Obama said that the world’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak had been “anemic and spotty”.
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign said on Wednesday it had filed a libel suit against the New York Times accusing the newspaper of intentionally publishing a false opinion article related to Russian interference in the 2016 US election. A statement from the campaign said the aim of the litigation was to “hold the news organization accountable for intentionally publishing false statements against President Trump’s campaign”.
President Trump started talking about the Academy Awards during a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Thursday. Parasite was named best picture, becoming the first non-English-language film to get the top honor. “What the hell was that all about?” Trump said. “We’ve got enough problems with South Korea with trade. On top of that, they give them best movie of the year. Was it good? I don’t know.”
US Attorney General William Barr has said that President Donald Trump “undercuts” him by tweeting, making it “impossible for me to do my job”. His criticism of Mr Trump comes amid intense scrutiny of the Justice Department over the handling of a case involving Roger Stone – a convicted former advisor to the president. The attorney general had been accused of bowing to presidential pressure.
Trump’s annual address was bookended by two moments of tension between the president and the House speaker. When he arrived for his speech, Trump appeared to reject a handshake from Nancy Pelosi, and the speaker later tore up her copy of the president’s remarks as he was wrapping up. Trump made it through the speech without mentioning impeachment.
US President Donald Trump has faced growing criticism over his threats to attack Iran’s cultural sites. The UN’s cultural organization and UK foreign secretary were among those to note that such sites were protected. The US and Iran have signed conventions to protect cultural heritage, including during conflict. Military attacks targeting cultural sites are considered war crimes under international law.
Trump fans, including the president’s oldest son, ripped the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday for editing out his father’s cameo in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted out an article from a right-wing website that called the trimming of the seven-second cameo as “pathetic.” Later, the president himself appeared to joke about it, tweeting, “I guess Justin T doesn’t much like my making him pay up on NATO or Trade!”
The former British spy who authored several reports alleging links between Russia and President Trump’s 2016 campaign had been a personal friend of Trump’s daughter Ivanka, a relationship that he said made him “favorably disposed” to the Trump family. Steele told investigators he had visited the Trump family member at Trump Tower in New York and had once gifted the person a family tartan from Scotland.