Trump lashes out at ‘rigged election’ moments after sharing Christmas video with Melania
The president golfed despite White House claims he was working ‘tirelessly’
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Donald Trump spent Christmas Eve on the golf course after congressional Republicans struck down a Democrat-backed attempt to increase the amount of aid handed to Americans as part of the latest Covid-19 relief package, which the president said on Tuesday did not go far enough.
It comes as Mr Trump was accused of leaving Americans “adrift” after he arrived in Florida for Christmas on Wednesday, leaving the coronavirus relief package unsigned and a military spending bill threatened by a veto in his wake.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump released a message to Americans on Christmas Eve, highlighting the work of first responders, teachers and scientists working on the coronavirus vaccine to end the “terrible pandemic.” Moments after sharing the video on Twitter, the president lashed out at Republicans for their inadequate response “over the fact that the Democrats stole the rigged presidential election.”
The president pardoned more disgraced personal aides on Wednesday, including his one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and adviser Roger Stone, who were both sentenced for lying or not cooperating with the Robert Mueller investigation. Two others, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former adviser George Papadopoulos, have also been pardoned.
The president pardoned more disgraced personal aides on Wednesday, include Mr Trump’s one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and adviser Roger Stone, who were both sentenced for lying or not cooperating with the investigation. Two others, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former adviser George Papadopoulos, have also been pardoned.
Former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe called the pardons “remarkably disgusting," and claimed they were “undermining the system of justice that he is supposed to protect and defend.”
The New York Times spoke with Iraqi citizens about Mr Trump pardoning the Blackwater mercenaries. One man, who was shot in the leg during the massacre in Nisour Square, said the American justice system was “just theatre.”
The president’s fury at the election results continued, with Mr Trump vowing on Twitter to “NEVER FORGET” the Republicans who he claims “sit back and watch me fight against a viscous and crooked foe.” He personally named Sen. Mitch McConnell in the tweet.
He also lamented Twitter’s continued use of tags claiming his posts contain false or misleading information regarding the 2020 election. The president said that the company was “dangerous” and that fact checking was the way “communism starts.” He attributed the company’s policy to “cancel culture.”
- US sees record breaking Covid hospitalisations on Christmas Eve
- House Republicans turn down Trump-Democrat bid to increase Covid checks
- Trump trolls White House press corps with 7:30 am start on a day he has no public duties
- New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other allies
- Trump ‘rotten to the core’ - angry reactions to latest presidential pardons, now at 26
- Congress expected to override Trump veto on military policy and spending bill
Charles Kushner pardoned despite ‘disgusting crimes’
Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose crimes were labelled “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes" witnessed by former Trump ally and New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
Kushner, a wealthy real estate executive who pleaded guilty years ago to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations, was found to have hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law to a New Jersey motel room that was set-up with a hidden camera, as part of a failed scheme and revenge for his cooperation with authorities investigating him.
The Associated Press’ reports.
Kushner pardon revives ‘loathsome’ tale of tax evasion, sex
One of the people President Donald Trump pardoned this week is a wealthy real estate executive, Charles Kushner, who is the father of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner
Fox News anchor says Americans left ‘adrift’ by Trump
“We needed some leadership here,” said increasingly infuriated Trump ally and Fox News host Geraldo Rivera on Wednesday, as the US president touched down in Florida to start the Christmas holiday while lawmakers in Congress wondered whether or not he would sign a critical stimulus bill, or achieve a veto on an annual military policy and spending bill.
“Is [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi going to meet with [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell? Are they going to get together and get a plan? What are the American people going to do? We are left adrift right now,” Mr Rivera said
“He’s threatening a veto. He’s gone on Christmas holiday. What the hell are we supposed to do now?," added the host, on Mr Trump’s veto of the military bill.
Congress plans on Washington DC return to override defence bill veto
Congress has made plans to return to Washington DC after Christmas to override Mr Trump’s veto and make the $740bn annual bill into law.
Announcing the veto on Wednesday, Mr Trump cited a clause in the bill to rename 10 military bases currently named for Confederate leaders and once again repeated his unrelated demand that Congress reforms Section 230, the bylaw that governs freedom of speech on the internet.
It will likely be the first time one of Mr Trump’s vetoes has been overridden, when Congress returns on 28 December. Both sides view the bill as a “must pass” piece of legislation, reports Griffin Connolly.
Trump vetoes $740bn US military bill over clause to rename bases honouring Confederates
Congress will override veto in votes early next week
What does Trump want from Covid stimulus threats?
That’s what White House aides were working out overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday, after the president suggested he would oppose the $900 billion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress because its $600 direct payments to most Americans were not enough.
“Complete clusterf***,” one Republican source told Politico of the situation, with the party’s members in Congress having argued against bigger payments during nine months of talks on the package.
But Democrats, sensing an opportunity to deliver more aid to Americans hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, were due to try passing $2,000 direct payments through Congress by Friday - in a move that Republicans, against the president’s apparent wishes, are unlikely to support, MSNBC reported.
Who are the 29 people pardoned or commuted?
A dentist, a music producer and former campaign aides are all among the pardons issued by Donald Trump in recent days. Read all about them, below.
A look at the 29 people Trump pardoned or gave commutations
For a second night in a row, President Donald Trump issued a round of pardons and commutations in the final weeks of his presidency, giving full pardons to his former campaign chairman, his son-in-law’s father and another of his allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation
Trump shares campaign-style video with false election claims
On Thursday morning, the US president begun his Christmas holiday in Florida and - in true fashion - shared a neatly-edited campaign-style video that contained multiple false truths and lies about the presidential election, which he has continued to claim was rigged - without evidence.
The video ends by calling on his supporters to contact legislators, although the election is already settled, with Mr Biden having been declared winner by the Electoral College last week.
House Republicans block Trump and Democrats from larger Covid aid for Americans
Republicans in the House of Represenatives have shot down a Democrat attempt - partially spurred on by president Trump - to increase the amount included in Covid relief payments to millions of Americans.
Mr Trump has threatened to veto the entire $900bn Covid package unless lawmakers increase the value of direct payments to $2,000, in a surprise last minute intervention that went against Republican opinion on the issue.
Here’s the latest.
House GOP defies Trump by blocking Democrats’ $2,000 stimulus check proposal
House Republicans went on the official record on Christmas Eve opposing Donald Trump’s and Democrats’ proposal for $2,000 stimulus checks to help Americans through the coronavirus pandemic.
Lindsey Graham remarks resurface on Manafort pardoning
Remarks by Republican congressman Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, have resurfaced from last year, when he told CNN’s Manu Raju that pardoning Paul Manafort “would be seen as a political disaster for the President.”
“There may come a day down the road, after the politics have changed that you’d want to consider an application of him like everybody else, but now would be a disaster,” Mr Graham added at the time.
The pardoning of Manafort and other former Trump aides on Wednesday night has been widely condemned by the president’s opponents and Republican alike, with senator Ben Sasse saying Mr Trump was “rotten to the core.”
A good job, then, that the president left the controversial pardons until his final days in office.
Poll shows voters think Trump a ‘failed’ president
According to a poll on Thursday, almost half of all Americans surveyed said history will view Donald Trump as a “failed” president.
The poll, carried out by USA Today/Suffolk University, also revealed that among Republicans, 78 per cent see Joe Biden's electoral win as illegitimate, in what marked a clear division between both sides.
It comes as Mr Trump continues to rage about his self-disputed election loss to Mr Biden, in what has been a months-long attempt to delegitimatise the election outcome.
Pelosi calls on Trump to sign Covid stimulus bill, as House to return on Monday
House speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged Donald Trump to sign the Covid stimulus bill passed by Congress, despite a failure to increase Covid payments to Americans on Thursday.
Speaking after Republicans blocked a request to increase Covid stimulus payments to $2,000 per American, the Democrat said she would call the House back into session on Monday to vote on the proposals in a separate bill.
Republican leaders appeared to be acting in defiance of the president, who on Tuesday warned that $600 payments to Americans were too low, in a surprise intervention.
"On Monday, I will bring the House back to session where we will hold a recorded vote on our stand-alone bill to increase economic impact payments to $2,000," Ms Pelosi said in a statement.
She also urged the Republican president to sign legislation that funds the US government and offers Covid relief funding to American businesses and families, so that Americans will still receive help.
"To vote against this bill is to deny the financial hardship that families face and to deny them the relief they need."
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