Trump news: President accuses Democrats of anti-Catholic bias at charity event after Biden speaks of his faith

Campaign rages at debates commission plans to add ‘structure’ to next events

Trump rows back and says he 'doesn't know who the Proud Boys are' after debate outrage

Donald Trump and Joe Biden gave back-to-back remarks at the 2020 Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, broadcast virtually from New York, typically a tuxedo affair that during an election year features candidates delivering chummy remarks and discussions of faith during the Catholic charities fundraiser.

This year, the president accused his rival’s party of housing “anti-Catholic bigotry" as he pitched his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, moments after Mr Biden invoked his own Catholic faith.

The former vice president spoke to the “hope and possibility” for America’s future as it emerges from the public health crisis.

Their appearances follows Tuesday’s chaotic debate, though the president’s campaign has pushed against the Commission for Presidential Debates plan to add more “structure” to the next rounds after the opener was marred by constant cross-talk and the president’s interruptions.

His campaign accused the nonpartisan committee of political bias and listed a number of unofficial online polls declaring the president the winner of the first debate. 

Fox News’ anchor Chris Wallace, who moderated the first debate between Mr Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden, said it was the president who “bears the primary responsibility for what happened.”

The White House was repeatedly asked to “unambiguously” denounce white supremacy, following remarks by the president at the debate urging nationalist gang the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during while he dodged demands to condemn white supremacism.

Republicans have distanced themselves from his remarks while the FBI warns that the election and pre-inaugural period could be potential for violent “flashpoint” among right-wing extremists.

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Key points:

• Trump issues partisan attacks on rival party at Catholic fundraiser
• White House asked to denounce white supremacy group
• President attacks Ilhan Omar as crowd chants ‘Lock her up!’
• Trump U-turns on Proud Boys and claims not to know who they are
• Brad Parscale leaves re-election campaign after arrest
• Presidential debate rules to be redrawn after Tuesday’s toxic bout

[1 October 2020 12:30 · Joe Sommerlad]

Melania’s awkward embrace draws mockery on social media

An overlooked moment from Tuesday’s night’s debate came at its close when the participants’ wives took to the stage to congratulate their spouses.

Whereas Dr Jill Biden hugged her husband and whispered emphatic words of encouragement, the first lady simply patted Donald on the arm like a sympathetic co-worker.

Here’s James Besanvalle to analyse this revealing exchange for Indy100.

[1 October 2020 12:50 · Joe Sommerlad]

Trump named ‘single largest driver’ of coronavirus misinformation in new study

Cornell University analysed 38m articles about the pandemic in English-language media around the world before drawing that conclusion, which is not the kind of legacy achievement anyone entering the White House has in mind. 

Having initially dismissed Covid-19 as a Democratic hoax intended to unsettle the economy and uproot his presidency, Trump has since called time on lockdown measures prematurely, promoted unproved quack treatments and alienated his task force.

He has now presided over 207,000 American deaths and 7.26m cases with no end in sight and no clear plan forthcoming.

[1 October 2020 13:10 · Joe Sommerlad]

Senate approves bill to avoid new government shutdown

By a sweeping bipartisan vote of 84-10, the Senate yesterday agreed to send over a bill for Trump to sign funding the US government through to 11 December, averting the possibility of a fresh shutdown with the new fiscal year starting today.

[1 October 2020 13:30 · Joe Sommerlad]

'Help us': Trump ally and GOP senator Lindsey Graham again begs for cash live on Fox News

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

The South Carolina senator and Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, who once called out this president before embracing his movement wholesale, is reduced to begging for campaign donations on TV.

Matt Mathers has this report.

[1 October 2020 13:55 · Joe Sommerlad]

Trump gives break to cruise ship industry by blocking CDC health ban

The White House has blocked a new order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep cruise ships docked until mid-February, a step that would have displeased the politically powerful tourism industry in the crucial swing state of Florida.

The current “no sail” policy, which was originally put in place in April and later extended, is set to expire on Wednesday. Dr Robert Redfield, the CDC’s director, had recommended the extension, worried that cruise ships could become viral hot spots, as they did at the beginning of the pandemic.

But at a meeting of the coronavirus task force on Tuesday, Dr Redfield’s plan was reportedly overruled. The administration will instead allow the ships to sail after 31 October, the date the industry had already agreed to in its own, voluntary plan, the agency announced late on Wednesday night.

[1 October 2020 14:35 · Joe Sommerlad]

Trump's mic could be turned off by moderator at next debate 

Gino Spocchia has this on an intriguing reform being considered by the Commission on Presidential Debates ahead of the next encounters between the Republican and Democratic nominees.

[1 October 2020 14:55 · Joe Sommerlad]

'Fake news’: A guide to Trump’s favourite phrase – and the dangers it obscures

Alex Woodward has this on a war cry we’ve become used to hearing from this president since he first declared his candidacy back in 2015 and which he last deployed as recently as Sunday night to discredit The New York Times’s reporting on his tax troubles.

While there’s plenty of legitimate criticism of the media out there that deserves a hearing, Trump has come to use the denunciation to smear any stories he dislikes, even if it’s true.

[1 October 2020 15:20 · Joe Sommerlad]

White House 'worried' about election chances and 'in shock' after chaotic debate

Sources close to the West Wing have told NBC that the president’s closest aides and campaign team woke up feeling "worried," "quiet" and "in shock" yesterday morning following their boss’s wayward and unconvincing performance on stage in Cleveland.

Gino Spocchia has the latest.

[1 October 2020 15:40 · Joe Sommerlad]

Trevor Noah derides Trump-Biden debate: ‘What was that?!’

Here’s Jacob Stolworthy with The Daily Show host’s take on Tuesday’s spectacle.

[1 October 2020 16:52 · Danielle Zoellner]

White House asked to ‘unambiguously’ denounce white supremacist group

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany faced questions about Donald Trump telling white supremacist group Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”. 

A reporter asked Ms McEnany if she could “unambiguously” denounce white supremacist groups including the Proud Boys following confusion from Mr Trump’s debate answer. 

“This has been answered by the president himself … he said sure three times … he said I’ve always denounced any form of that [white supremacy],” Ms McEnany answered. 

She then listed off quotes from the president in the past when he denounced groups like the KKK, but these quotes did not include the Proud Boys. 

“He has condemned white supremacy more than any president in modern history,” Ms McEnany said. 

Another reporter then asked her why the Proud Boys appeared to revel in the statement made by Mr Trump on Tuesday evening. The organisation, known for making racists and anti-semetic statements, made T-shifts that read, “Stand back and stand by”. 

The reporter said that if Mr Trump actually denounced the white supremacist group clearly then they would not be happy with his statement. 

To that, Ms McEnany accused the media of “partisan attacks” and questions. 

The press secretary later said: “The president did denounce them. He said stand back … he said specifically stand down."

Mr Trump claimed on Wednesday that he had never heard of the Proud Boys before the debate.