Trump press conference: President questions Christine Ford and says hearings have been ‘unfair’ for Brett Kavanaugh in USMCA trade announcement

President gives speech about new trade deal called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA

Donald Trump celebrated a new trilateral trade agreement Canada and the US reached to resurrect a deal with Mexico during a press conference at the White House Rose Garden.

The president claimed the new deal was replacing NAFTA, a promise he repeatedly made along the campaign trail, despite numerous analysts indicating it’s an modernised version of the former agreement. The new deal has been dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, otherwise known as USMCA.

"The agreement will govern nearly $1.2 trillion in trade, which makes it the biggest trade deal in United States history," He said Monday. "It puts us in a position we've never been in before … This is a terrific deal for all of us." He also discussed his embattled Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, providing a full-throated defence for his pick amid an FBI investigation into sexual assault accusations against him.

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Key Points

• Mr Trump says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been "treated horribly"

• President questions allegations made by Dr Christine Blasey Ford

• Initial analysis indicates the new USMCA agreement is essentially a modernised NAFTA

[1 October 2018 18:45 · Chris Riotta]

Reporters have caught a discrepancy in Donald Trump’s unwieldy press conference in which the president seemingly alleged Japan did not want to negotiate trade with the US under former President Barack Obama. 

[1 October 2018 18:55 · Chris Riotta]

Despite celebrating the new USMCA deal reached Sunday night, the president said he is “not at all confident” Congress will approve the trilateral agreement. 

[1 October 2018 19:50 · Chris Riotta]

Jokes have continued throughout the day about the new name that has been used to describe the trilateral trade deal reached Sunday between the United States, Mexico and Canada. 

Critics of the new name, USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada agreement), have said the deal is actually just a modernised version of NAFTA — which is what they say they will continue to call the free trade agreement between the three nations. 

[1 October 2018 20:00 · Chris Riotta]

Jeff Moseley, CEO and president of the Texas Association of Business, has released a statement supporting the new agreement. 

[1 October 2018 20:15 · Chris Riotta]

Donald Trump's full-throated defence for his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during Monday's press conference announcing the new trilateral trade agreement reached between the US, Mexico and Canada arrived as the FBI reportedly plows through its investigation into sexual assault allegations made against the federal judge. 

[1 October 2018 20:30 · Chris Riotta]

Critics of Donald Trump have pointed out that one of the major aspects to his press conference at the White House Rose Garden included seemingly demeaning comments towards female reporters in the audience. 

[1 October 2018 20:45 · Chris Riotta]

The White House has reportedly told the FBI the agency can interview whoever it needs to speak with in order to complete its investigation into Donald Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. 

The reports arrived as Donald Trump was announcing a new trilateral trade agreement he had reached with Canada and Mexico on Sunday. During Monday's press conference, the president went on to provide a full-throated defense of his nominee, noting he had a "very open mind" in regards to what outcome the investigation may yield.