Trump 'seriously' considering ending birthright citizenship, as he doubles down on antisemitic comments and Denmark row
The president called himself "the chosen one" today
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
Donald Trump had a remarkable day of outbursts. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, he doubled down on his antisemitic remarks to claim that Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats are betraying Israel, during an impromptu press conference on the White House lawn in which he also claimed that the victims of mass shootings "love" him. He also referred to himself as "the chosen one," while talking about a trade deal.
The comments came after he lashed out on Twitter that morning against the “LameStream Media”, the Federal Reserve and its chairman Jerome Powell as fears the US is sliding into recession continue and his disapproval rating hits 54 per cent in a new CNN poll.
The president also tweeted lavish praise of himself from an evangelical Fox and Friends pundit insisting Israeli Jews “love him like he is the second coming of God”.
In news away from the president's Internet presence, his administration today moved forward with a new regulation that would allow the government to detain migrant families indefinitely. The rule is expected to be challenged immediately.
He also told reporters that he's "seriously considering" ending birthright citizenship.
Mr Trump has also raised eyebrows by backing out of a trip to Denmark, supposedly because they would not sell him Greenland. Mr Trump called the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, of that country "nasty" for outright rejecting the notion that the US could buy the country.
He also assured the National Rifle Association that universal background checks are off the table in gun control talks during a phone call with the NRA's president. Students from Parkland, meanwhile, have released a comprehensive plan for gun control in America.
Later, in Kentucky, the president joked that he should award himself the Medal of Honour, while continuing his consistent claims that America was weak before him in a speech honouring US veterans. He also referenced a Johnson & Johnson nasal spray that can prevent suicide. He told the veterans that he believes this new drug should be given to them for free.
Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
In the last hour, Trump has accused the media of trying to will a recession into existence to destroy him and further insulted Jerome Powell at the Fed, likening him to "a golfer who can't putt".
A new poll from CNN has found that 54 per cent of Americans disapprove of Trump's current performance.
He won't like this one either, which forecasts him losing to Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and tying with Kamala Harris.
The Israeli PM's son Yair Netanyahu has responded enthusiastically to Trump's mad tweet about how loved he is over there.
More Fed bashing. Each tweet more deranged than the last today.
Bear in mind Trump himself appointed Powell to the Fed chair, outsting Janet Yellen, a fact he himself appears to have forgotten.
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen says she is "disappointed and surprised" by Trump's decision to cancel his visit to Denmark after she rejected suggestions of selling Greenland to the US.
Frederiksen told reporters that "the invitation for a stronger strategic cooperation with the Americans in the Arctic is still open."
She said that she had been looking forward to the 2-3 September visit, adding "the United States is one of our closest allies."
Trump announced his decision by tweet after Frederiksen dismissed the notion of selling Greenland to the US as "an absurd discussion."
In an ever-more complex and troubling universe, here's Bernie Sanders playing baseball to brighten your day.
The Trump administration has now unveiled its new rules allowing officials to detain migrant families indefinitely while judges consider whether to grant them asylum in the United States.
The new regulations, which are certain to draw a legal challenge, would replace a 1997 legal agreement that limits the amount of time US immigration authorities can detain migrant children. The agreement is generally interpreted as meaning families must be released within 20 days.
Administration officials blame the so-called Flores Settlement Agreement for a spike in immigration, saying it encourages migrants to bring children with them so they can be released into the United States while their court cases are pending.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the new rule would have a deterrent effect by showing prospective immigrants that they will not necessarily get released into the country if they show up at the border with children.
Families typically have to wait several months for their cases to work their way through immigration court, DHS officials said, and the new rule would allow DHS to keep those families at detention facilities.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has repeatedly said that detention is not suitable for children, who may suffer numerous negative physical and emotional symptoms. Officials said the families would receive mental health treatment and other services.
Trump has made a crackdown on immigration, legal and illegal, central to his presidency. The administration unveiled a sweeping rule last week that would deny visas and permanent residency to poor migrants, a move that experts say could cut legal immigration in half.
Immigration officials have struggled to handle a surge of families and children fleeing violence and poverty in Central America that have at times overwhelmed border officials.
DHS officials say they have apprehended 390,000 family units since last October.
The administration sought to deter migrants last year through a "zero tolerance" policy that separated thousands of children from their parents but abandoned the effort in the face of widespread public outrage.
Over the last four years, only 18% of immigrants who have been released into the United States complied with a court order to leave the country, while 97% of those in detention were removed, according to DHS figures.
The new rule is due to take effect in 60 days, but that deadline is likely to slip as it is certain to face numerous legal challenges.
Reuters
The Simpsons is spoofing Trump's feud with The Squad, riffing on "America" from West Side Story to take him to task over his racist tweets.
Brian Karem, the Playboy reporter who tangled with Sebastian Gorka at Trump's Social Media Summit last month, is suing the administration after having his press credentials revoked.
"Today we filed a lawsuit against President Trump and Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham asking the federal district court in Washington, DC to order the immediate restoration of the press credentials of Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem and to enjoin the ongoing violation of his First and Fifth Amendment rights,” his lawyer, Theodore J Boutrous, said in a statement.
“We are confident that the administration’s latest punitive and lawless action against a journalist will not stand, and we look forward to our day in court."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments