As it happenedended

Trump news: President endorses man who openly avows white nationalism, collects Nazi relics and called Sandy Hook 'a hoax'

Follow the latest updates from Washington, as it happened

Clark Mindock

New York

,Joe Sommerlad

Wednesday 14 August 2019 15:31 BST

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Donald Trump spreads bogus wind energy claim in front of energy workers

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Donald Trump has endorsed the political ambitions of ex-Arizona Diamondbacks baseball star Curt Schilling, an outspoken conservative and Breitbart podcast host known for espousing conspiracy theories and white nationalist rhetoric and collecting Nazi memorabilia.

The development comes after the president addressed energy workers in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and joked about calling off the 2020 election and serving a third term, attacking his political opponents including Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren, despite the event not being earmarked for campaigning.

Speaking to staff after touring the Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex in Monaca, Mr Trump also spread misinformation about wind power (“All of the sudden it stops – the wind and the televisions go off”) after defending his retweeting of baseless rumours about the death of billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Trump's comments at the Shell Plant also sought to take credit for the whole place, even though it was actually green lit and started in 2012 when Barack Obama was president.

As Mr Trump rested from that trip, the White House was relatively quiet on Wednesday.

But, vice president Mike Pence announced he would be visiting Ireland soon, adding gravity to previous statements that Congress would not ratify a trade deal with the UK if the post-Brexit landscape did not honour the Good Friday Agreement.

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Donald Trump has no regrets:

Trump defends promoting baseless conspiracy about Epstein’s death because man he retweeted 'has lots of followers'US president calls Terrence K Williams a 'very highly respected conservative pundit'

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 19:15

Here's some more on the Jeffrey Epstein beat, which Donald Trump has repeatedly weighed in on:

FBI raids Jeffery Epstein's 'paedophile' island in the CaribbeanDonald Trump demands ‘full investigation’ into disgraced financier’s death

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 19:30

Stock market rallies after decision to delay Trump tariffs on ChinaUnexpected move in the president's trade war comes as a relief for retailers and investors, with the Dow Jones industrial average gaining more than 500 points

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 19:45

Things are fairly quiet in the White House today.

The last pool report we've received came just before 10am eastern, and notified the media that the White House had called "a lid" for the day already — meaning, they didn't have much planned.

In the meantime, the White House has released a couple of memos noting that emergency powers were extended.

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 20:00

The president did his best to help a friend out, but...

A$AP Rocky found guilty of assault in Sweden and ordered to pay damages to victim‘Self-defence’ claim rejected by court which says rapper and bodyguards hit and kicked victim as they lay on the ground

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 20:15

China is calling its protesters terrorists, as Donald Trump accuses that government of building up troops in mainland China.

China calls Hong Kong demonstrators ‘terrorists’ amid fears of military escalationChinese state-run newspaper calls for ‘sword of the law to stop violence and restore order’

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 20:30

From our Voices team, regarding John Bolton's visit to the UK:

Opinion: We knew John Bolton was a snake before we took him inTrump’s national security adviser is in Britain to exploit UK weakness for US self-interest and absolutely nothing more

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 20:45

When you're famous, they just let you do it:

Trump immigration chief redefines iconic Statue of Liberty quote in response to strict new visa rules‘It doesn’t seem like too much to ask to continue that tradition of inviting immigrants here who will not – essentially – go on welfare’

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 21:00

Vice president Mike Pence is headed to Ireland, as the US and UK negotiate a potential trade deal — and as the UK marches towards an actual distancing from the European Union.

The move is significant in part because House speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned that a trade deal with the UK would not be ratified by Congress if the UK does not honour the Good Friday Agreement.

Clark Mindock14 August 2019 22:04

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