Trump news: President’s ‘embarrassing mess’ parade speech widely mocked, amid arrests over July 4 fights between MAGA fans and left-wing activists

President says he may issue executive order over 2020 Census demands

Trump claims that American troops 'took over airports' during the Revolutionary War

Donald Trump delivered his controversial ”Salute to America” address in Washington, DC, on Thursday amid hammering summer storms, his speech managing to avoid partisan politics but marred by an extraordinary gaffe in which he claimed the 1775 revolutionary army “took over the airports”.

The president also promised to “plant a US flag on Mars” and encouraged young Americans to sign up for military service, despite receiving no fewer than five deferments himself preventing him from serving in the Vietnam War.

While the event featured the Air Force flypast and spectacular fireworks display Mr Trump had promised, it was also defined by an unseemly brawl breaking out between protesters and members of the alt-right militant group Proud Boys after the former set fire to the stars-and-stripes in front of the White House.

The president meanwhile saidon Friday he may issue an executive order over his 2020 Census demands. The US Constitution specifically assigns the job of overseeing the census to Congress, limiting the authority of the president over it, which could complicate an effort to add the question via presidential missive.

“We’re working on a lot of things including an executive order,” Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House as he left for his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.

In a court filing in response to a Maryland-based federal judge’s deadline, the Department of Justice indicated it has not yet come up with a new legal rationale for adding the question after being blocked in the Supreme Court on 27 June.

US District Judge George Hazel said on Wednesday that if the administration did not reach a decision he would press ahead with considering allegations based on newly discovered evidence that the decision to add the question was motivated by racial bias.

The Justice Department said in its court filing it objects to the case moving forward.

Critics have called the citizenship question a Republican ploy to scare immigrants into not participating and engineer a population undercount in Democratic-leaning areas with high immigrant populations. They say that officials lied about their motivations for adding the question and that the move would help Trump’s fellow Republicans gain seats in the US House of Representatives and state legislatures when new electoral district boundaries are drawn.

Mr Trump on Friday said the “number one” reason for adding the question was for the drawing of electoral districts, which is not the legal reason the administration gave for adding it.

He and his supporters say it makes sense to know how many non-citizens are living in the country. His hard-line policies on immigration have punctuated his presidency and 2020 re-election campaign.

Additional reporting by Reuters. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

Key Points

• Trump delivers 'Salute to America' in hammering rain
• Speech hit by embarrassing historical gaffes
• Promises American flag on Mars, encourages military sign-ups
• Protesters and Proud Boys brawl over flag burning

[5 July 2019 12:00 · Joe Sommerlad]

More than 20 undocumented workers previously employed by President Trump’s company have requested a meeting with their former boss to discuss how to update the country’s immigration system and to ask for protection from deportation.

The Wednesday letter to the White House – from former groundskeepers, maids and kitchen staffers at the Trump Organisation’s golf courses – also asks the president to recall their years of service and “do the right thing” for them and others who are in the country unlawfully.

[5 July 2019 12:15 · Joe Sommerlad]

Despite Trump's efforts in Washington yesterday, US national pride has hit a record low according to a new poll.

Here's Victoria Gagliardo-Silver's report.

[5 July 2019 12:30 · Joe Sommerlad]

RIP Mad Magazine, the celebrated American satirical comic that announced it is ceasing publication after 67 years this week.

President Trump recently likened 2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg to its goofy cover star Alfred E Neuman - a reference Buttigieg said he had to look up - but the magazine itself clearly felt Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner had more of a resemblance.

[5 July 2019 12:45 · Joe Sommerlad]

The hashtag #RainOnTrumpsParade was trending last night.

Here's Lowenna Waters for Indy100 with the best gags at the president's expense.

[5 July 2019 13:00 · Joe Sommerlad]

Here's a couple of weird pictures from the Trumpverse you might enjoy.

This art installation, entitled "Everything is Fine", depicts the president's submerged head in the Moselle river in Metz, France.

(Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP)

A Tommy Robinson supporter courageously hides his face from the cameras outside the Old Bailey in London with a rubber mask of El Presidente.

(Tolga Akmen/AFP)

And here's another beauty from the G20 in Osaka, Japan.

(Jae C Hong/AP)

[5 July 2019 13:15 · Joe Sommerlad]

Presented without comment.

[5 July 2019 13:30 · Joe Sommerlad]

Joe Biden has given an interview to CNN's Chris Cuomo and says he would back a female president if he can't win the Democratic nomination himself.

This is a noble sentiment but the expression of it is very "Diamond Joe".

[5 July 2019 13:45 · Joe Sommerlad]

The ridicule keeps on coming over Trump's airports of 1775 gaffe.

[5 July 2019 14:00 · Joe Sommerlad]

There were stealth bombers on show as part of Trump's big celebration yesterday.

Let's hope that disabuses him of the notion that those planes are quite literally invisible, a comment he has made at least twice, most recently at the G20.

Here's Greg Evans with more.

[5 July 2019 14:20 · Chris Riotta]

The latest jobs numbers are showing strong economic signs - and a chance Donald Trump's call for another interest rate cut may not be heeded -