Trump news: White House 'faces serious consequences' over president's order that aides refuse to cooperate with investigations

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Trump turns on Fox News during Pennsylvania rally

Donald Trump has lost a lawsuit seeking to stop his accounting firm handing over financial records to a US House of Representatives committee, just as the investigation into his connection to Russian meddling has heated up in Congress.

US district judge Amit Mehta said it was "simply not fathomable that a constitution that grants congress the power to remove a president for reasons including criminal behaviour would deny congress the power to investigate him for unlawful conduct".

Accountants Mazars LLP have been ordered to comply with a House of Representatives Oversight Committee subpoena within seven days.

The ruling came as the US president hit the campaign trail for a rally in Montoursville, Pennsylvania, where he joked about serving five terms in the White House.

"Now we're going to have a second time," he told supporters. "Maybe if we really like it a lot and if things keep going like they're going, we'll go and we'll do what we have to do. We'll do a three and a four and a five."

Meanwhile, House Democrats have issued subpoena for some key former White House advisers to testify, including former communications director Hope Hicks and the former chief of staff to Don McGahn, who previously served as the White House counsel.

Mr McGahn made some news of his own, too, when he refused to honour a subpoena from House Democrats — leading to threats from the group as they seek to perform constitutional oversight on the president.

Mr Trump had asked his former White House counsel not to testify.

Key Points

• Trump loses legal bid to block release of financial records
• Congress to question national security officials over Iran tensions
• White House to defy request to testify to judiciary committee after Trump pressure
• Democrats threaten 'serious consequences' as president attempts to stonewall Russia probe

[21 May 2019 18:45 · Clark Mindock]

Check out this recent poll on the 2020 race, where Joe Biden's lead may not be as insurmountable as once thought.

[21 May 2019 18:59 · Clark Mindock]

[21 May 2019 19:25 · Clark Mindock]

A new poll out today shows that Joe Biden remains the leading contender in the Democratic field, with nearly double the support of Bernie Sanders.

But, another trend can be seen in the poll, too: Elizabeth Warren has surged from receiving just 4 per cent support a couple of months ago, to 13 per cent now (just 3 per cent behind Mr Sanders).

The poll, which sees her in 3rd place, represents the best poll for her so far in the race.

Here's where they all stand:

-Biden 35%

-Sanders 16%

-Warren 13% Harris 8%

-Buttigieg 5%

-Booker 3%

-Klobuchar 2%

-O'Rourke 2%

-Castro 1%

-Gabbard 1%

-Yang 1%

-Bennet -Bullock -de Blasio -Gillibrand -Hickenlooper -Inslee -Moulton -Ryan -Swalwell -Williamson

[21 May 2019 19:50 · Clark Mindock]

One of the most vocal critics of the recent spate of anti-abortion bills across the US has been senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is struggling in the polls as she attempts a long-shot run for the Democratic nomination.

Ms Gillibrand has focused on the issue as it has splashed across headlines last week, and on Monday night appeared on "The Daily Show" to discuss the issue further.

"It's something that President Trump is doing and the Republican Party andt hey don't want women to make the most intimate, personal life and death decisions for their own bodies and their own families," Ms Gillibrand said.

Ms Gillibrand continued, saying that the president has emboldened "right-wing Republicans".

"He's basically taking away our basic human rights to make those decisions about our families, when we're having children, how many we're having, under what circumstances," Ms Gillibrand said, "and they're criminalizing women's decisions and criminalizing the doctors who provide that care."

[21 May 2019 19:53 · Clark Mindock]

North Korean state owned media has lashed out at Joe Biden, calling him a "fool of low IQ" and attacking him for having "the temerity to insult" the country's leader, Kim Jong-un.

"He is self-praising himself as being the most popular presidential candidate. This is enough to make a cat laugh," the agency, KCNA, wrote in a statement that also caused him a "snob bereft of elementary quality as human being."

[21 May 2019 20:20 · Clark Mindock]

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[21 May 2019 21:09 · Clark Mindock]

MSNBC is reporting that the House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed several other members of the Trump administration (or former members), beyond Mr McGahn.

The subpoenas now target Mr McGahn's former chief of staff Annie Donaldson, and former White house communications director Hope Hicks.

Ms Donaldsons' notes were central in the Mueller report.

[21 May 2019 21:31 · Clark Mindock]

Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden for deserting Pennsylvania, and the 2020 presidential candidate has clapped back.

Here's Mr Biden's response, which was sent in a fundraising email:

“Well folks, I’ve never forgotten where I came from. My family did have to leave Pennsylvania when I was 10—we moved to Delaware where my Dad found a job that could provide for our family,” Mr Biden said in the email to reporters.

“Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about me. This is proof that Donald Trump doesn’t understand the struggles working folks go through.”

[21 May 2019 21:54 · Clark Mindock]

[21 May 2019 22:20 · Clark Mindock]