Trump news: President rages over impeachment hearing, escalates Iran tensions on Twitter and names ASAP Rocky 'hostage negotiator' as national security chief

Follow the latest updates from Washington, as it happened

Donald Trump accused of lying after claiming that Latinos also want the wall

Donald Trump — visiting California for fundraisers and a trip to his US-Mexico border wall – has lashed out at the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearings against him, calling them “the greatest political scam in US history!” at the start of a chaotic day on Twitter.

The president also announced he would be increasing sanctions on Iran and named Robert O’Brien as his new national security adviser to replace John Bolton, the State Department diplomat last heard from attempting to intervene as a “hostage negotiator” when US rapper A$AP Rocky was detained in Sweden and charged with assault.

Mr Trump’s ex-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski could meanwhile be held in contempt of Congress over his stonewalling before the Judiciary panel on Tuesday, a tense hearing in which he refused to answer questions, appeared to admit lying to the media, promoted his website during a bathroom break and was told his behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.

Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve once again slashed interest rates, the second time since July.

The slash caused Mr Trump to lash out at Jerome Powell, the Fed's chairman, on Twitter.

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Key Points

• Trump names Robert O'Brien as new national security adviser
• US increases sanctions on Iran in response to Saudi oil refinery attack
• Trump retweets Katie Hopkins and lashes out over impeachment hearing
• Corey Lewandowski could be held in contempt of Congress over stonewalling
• Trump in California for fundraising, border wall tour

[18 September 2019 20:00 · Clark Mindock]

Here's a fascinating break down of a new poll form the Economist, showing how strong Elizabeth Warren is in the 2020 Democratic primary — and that she has a lot of room for growth:

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[18 September 2019 20:20 · Clark Mindock]

Donald Trump had some cold hard cash hanging precariously out of his back pocket while he boarded Air Force One earlier today.

That dinero is loose, and wallet-less.

Apparently the president of the United States carries $20 bills on him, but not a wallet. Who knew?

[18 September 2019 20:40 · Clark Mindock]

  ↵ICYMI:

[18 September 2019 21:00 · Clark Mindock]

Nearly two dozen industry lobbying groups in the US have joined together to call on Congress to pass legislation that would give the legislative branch greater oversight over Donald Trump's tariffs.

The industries range from auto, to agriculture, to retail. Members who have signed say that Mr Trump is picking winners and losers with tariffs, and have urged Congress to check the president on his key foreign policy tool that has led to trade wars.

"Not since the 1930s has our country relied so heavily on tariffs in an attempt to pick winners in the U.S. market while overlooking the broader consequences for other industries and our economy as a whole,” Rufus Yerxa, the president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which joined the coalition, told The Hill.

“The Constitution explicitly gives Congress the power to regulate commerce. We believe it is time for Congress to reassert its authority to ensure that tariffs are only used in limited circumstances and only where there is broad consensus between the two branches that such exceptional action is in our overall national interest.”