Trump news: President lashes out at ‘nation of terror’ Iran over oil tanker attacks and questions ex-adviser’s Mueller evidence

Another day of chaotic news swirling around the White House

Trump blames Iran over oil tanker attacks

Donald Trump has insisted that Iran is responsible for an attack on two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, after the Pentagon released night-vision footage of what it says is an Iranian navy boat retrieving an unexploded mine from the hull of one of the targets.

Phoning in to Fox and Friends for an interview on his 73rd birthday, the president said: ”Iran did do it. You know they did it because you saw the boat.”

Meanwhile in an ABC interview, Mr Trump questioned the testimony given to the Mueller investigation by ex-White House counsel Don McGahn, saying the adviser “may have been confused” when he said under oath that his former employer instructed him to fire the special counsel.

He also said Friday that "of course" he would go to the FBI or the attorney general if a foreign power offered him dirt about an opponent.

It was an apparent walk back from his earlier comments that he might not contact law enforcement in such a situation.

Mr Trump, in an interview Friday with "Fox & Friends," said he would look at the information in order to determine whether or not it was "incorrect."

But he added that, "of course you give it to the FBI or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that."

Earlier in the week, Mr Trump had told ABC News that he would consider accepting information from an outside nation and might not contact law enforcement.

His assertion that he would be open to accepting a foreign power's help in his 2020 campaign had ricocheted through Washington, with Democrats condemning it as a call for further election interference and Republicans struggling to defend his comments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

Key Points

• Trump talks tough on Iran, Democrats and China in birthday Fox interview
• Mike Pompeo accuses Iran of attacking tankers in Gulf of Oman
• White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to step down
• Republicans round on Trump over 'foreign dirt' remark
• Watchdog recommends Kellyanne Conway be removed from office

[14 June 2019 13:22 · Joe Sommerlad]

On Sarah Sanders, Trump hails her as "tremendous" and a "warrior" but says no successor has been chosen yet as he's spoiled for choice.

Laughs off the idea Anthony Scaramucci could make a comeback for a "12th day" and won't be drawn on taking on Melania's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham as Sanders' replacement.

Says the Office of the Special Counsel is trying to take away Kellyanne Conway's right to free speech and says he won't fire her.

[14 June 2019 13:26 · Joe Sommerlad]

Pledges "over 400 miles" of his US-Mexico border wall will be built by the end of the year before going back to bashing the Democrats for trying to block his national emergency stance on illegal immigration.

[14 June 2019 13:27 · Joe Sommerlad]

[14 June 2019 13:33 · Joe Sommerlad]

"Everybody knows that Joe Biden does not have what it takes... It means mental capacity, it means a lot of things," Trump says of the 2020 Democratic frontrunner. He says Biden's problem is he "can't draw crowds" and "he flip-flops, there's no question about that".

Says he would love to run against "Pocahontas" [Elizabeth Warren], that he "doesn't see" Kamala Harris and regards Pete Buttigieg as "a joke".

"We're going to have a competitive race. It's always tougher for the Republicans to win because of the Electoral College".

Asked if he would back Mike Pence to run in 2024, given that Obama has not backed Biden, Trump declines: "You can't put me in that position".

[14 June 2019 13:39 · Joe Sommerlad]

Drawn on the vacancies in his administration, Trump says he still needs to get to know Kevin McAleenan before he can back him as Homeland Security secretary on a permanent basis but said he has "recommended" Patrick Shanahan as defence secretary full-time.

He also drops this.

[14 June 2019 13:47 · Joe Sommerlad]

On the G20, Trump tells the Fox and Friends hosts China will "have to" form a trade deal with the US eventually, repeating another previous line.

Claims to be winning his tariff wars.

Insists he has a "good relationship" with North Korea and takes credit for ending missile-testing (he hasn't).

"If I wasn't president, you would right now be in a major war with North Korea, I can tell you that," he says.

[14 June 2019 13:51 · Joe Sommerlad]

Trump ends by insisting the red, white and blue paint job to Air Force One is necessary, comparing Melania to Jackie Kennedy and saying how well he got on with the Queen and Prince Charles in London last week.

[14 June 2019 14:15 · Joe Sommerlad]

Here's how Trump's birthday celebrations these days compare to the lavish bashes he used to stage in New York in the 1980s.

[14 June 2019 14:35 · Chris Riotta]

The owner of the Japanese tanker attacked on Thursday said US reports have provided “false” information about what happened in the Gulf of Oman. 

The ship operator said “flying objects” that may have been bullets were the cause of damage to the vessel, rather than mines used by Iranian forces, as the US has suggested. 

Yutaka Katada, chief executive of the Japanese company operating the ship called Kokuka Courageous, one of two vessels attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, said the damage could not have been caused by mines or torpedos that are shot underwater, since the damage was reportedly above the ship’s waterline. 

“It seems that something flew towards them. That created the hole, is the report I’ve received,” Mr Katada said at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday.

Story to come...

[14 June 2019 14:52 · Chris Riotta]

Here's my latest on the controversy in the Gulf of Oman -