Trump news: President says US is ‘taking our signature back' from UN Arms Trade Treaty, claiming guns 'make our communities safer'

President vows to revoke US involvement in the international reforms effort

NRA crowd boos media after Trump calls them 'fake' at annual meeting

Donald Trump railed against "radical left-wing" 2020 hopefuls and praised members of the National Rifle Association during a speech hosted by the guns right's group Friday.

"Far-left radicals in Congress want to take away your voice, your jobs, your rights," the president said. "And they especially want to take away your guns." He went on to slam the press as "fake news" and vowed to protect the Second Amendment in the US.

Mr Trump also called in to Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on Thursday evening to accuse the Democrats and Obama-era Justice Department of orchestrating a “coup” against him and Hillary Clinton of allowing thousands of private messages to be leaked and “destroying the lives” of his campaign staff. The chairmen of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Homeland Security committees have meanwhile launched a joint investigation into the departures of Kirstjen Nielsen, Randolph Alles and other officials earlier this month as a potential threat to national security.

With pro-gun legislation largely stalled in Congress, Mr Trump also revealed Friday he was withdrawing the US from an international agreement on the arms trade, calling it “badly misguided.”

He made the announcement as he vowed to fight for gun rights and implored members of the nation’s largest pro-gun group — struggling to maintain its influence — to rally behind his re-election bid.

“It’s under assault,” he said of the constitutional right to bear arms. “But not while we’re here.”

Mr Trump said he would be revoking the United States’ status as a signatory of the UN Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates international trade in conventional weapons, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships.

Former President Barack Obama signed the pact in 2013 but it has never been ratified by US lawmakers.

“Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone," Mr Trump said, before signing a document on stage asking the Senate to halt the ratification process. “We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom.”

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

Key Points

• Trump rages against Democratic 'coup' plot in Sean Hannity interview
• President denies paying North Korea for Otto Warmbier care
• House committees investigate Homeland Security departures
• President, Mike Pence to address NRA in Indianapolis

[26 April 2019 13:10 · Joe Sommerlad]

There's a lot of Fox-related business knocking around this morning and it continues with the news that another White House adviser, tech expert Abigail Slater, is jumping ship for the Murdoch dollar.

She'll be the broadcaster's new senior vice president for policy and strategy after spearheading the Trump administration's 5G roll-out.

Really can't recommend reading this highly enough.

[26 April 2019 13:30 · Joe Sommerlad]

Here's Chris Stevenson on Trump's private fears Joe Biden could beat him in 2020.

[26 April 2019 13:50 · Joe Sommerlad]

Ex-Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, for one, was impressed by Biden's campaign video yesterday, focusing on the deadly neo-Nazi rally that took place in Charlottesville in his state in August 2017.

[26 April 2019 14:05 · Joe Sommerlad]

The House Judiciary Committee is upping its rhetoric in response to the White House stifling its investigatory efforts by ignoring subpoenas.

[26 April 2019 15:24 · Chris Riotta]

Donald Trump unleashed several bizarre attacks against Joe Biden and other 2020 Democrats before departing the White House Friday, saying at one point, “I am a young, vibrant man.” 

The attack was an apparent swipe at Joe Biden, 76, the latest Democrat to enter an ever-growing primary field. 

[26 April 2019 15:40 · Chris Riotta]

The president also once again defended the white nationalists who demonstrated at the deadly Charlottesville rally in 2017, saying “People were there protesting the taking down of the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general, everybody knows that.”

[26 April 2019 15:55 · Chris Riotta]

Donald Trump also provided a surprising comment Friday about the anti-vaccination movement, an ideology he previously supported in past statements. 

As measles cases surge across the country, the president now says simply, “they have to get their shots.”

[26 April 2019 16:11 · Chris Riotta]

Here’s Andrew Griffin with more on Donald Trump’s anti-vaxxer statements from today: 

[26 April 2019 16:34 · Chris Riotta]

Maria Butina has been sentenced to 18 months over charges she failed to register as a foreign agent. 

The Russian gun rights activist requested to be deported and agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors, who her attorneys accused of “sandbagging” her with accusations of espionage when requesting the 18-month prison sentence. 

Butina was the first Russian operative to be charged and convicted in the US over attempts to influence American policy amid the 2016 presidential election, the Washington Post reported. 

[26 April 2019 16:46 · Chris Riotta]

Donald Trump is set to deliver remarks any moment at a gathering of the National Rifle Association.