Trump news – live: Fauci responds to White House attacks as Oklahoma governor tests positive for coronavirus

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Donald Trump says he'd welcome Michael Flynn back to the White House

Dr Anthony Fauci responded to White House's "bizarre" attacks against the coronavirus taskforce head, saying it ultimately hurts the president.

Donald Trump distanced himself from the op-ed in USA Today, saying it was written by Peter Navarro and that he had a good relationship with Dr Fauci.

It came as Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt becomes first US governor announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19.

Trump, meanwhile, appeared to avoid a Twitter hack that targeted presidential candidates Joe Biden and Kanye West, as well as other high-profile politicians and business leaders like Barack Obama and Elon Musk.

Follow the latest updates below:

Key Points

• Biden and Obama among bitcoin hack scam targets 
• Trump’s lawyers intend to continue fighting to keep his tax returns secret
• Fauci calls White House efforts to discredit him 'bizarre'
• Governor of Oklahoma tests positive for Covid-19
• Anti-Trump ad defends Dr Fauci as White House disavows attacks on coronavirus adviser
• "Donald Trump is losing. And he knows it."
• Mary Trump speaks
• Trump would welcome Flynn back to White House

[15 July 2020 17:29 · Oliver O'Connell]

Law enforcement meeting remarks

Both the president and Attorney General William Barr addressed the assembled reporters following their law enforcement meeting.

Mr Barr called the MS-13 gang that originated in Central America a "death cult" that violently terrorises people. He says he briefed the president on actions the department of justice will be taking, including seeking the death penalty for an MS-13 gang member.

Said Trump: “They're sick. They're deranged. And we're taking care of it.”

The president also said that he will be having a very “exciting” news conference next week on the cities that he says are “out of control” and “like war zones”.

[15 July 2020 17:39 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump protests Iran executions

The tweet was also posted in Persian.

[15 July 2020 18:08 · Oliver O'Connell]

"Donald Trump is losing. And he knows it."

The Independent's Washington Bureau Chief John T Bennett gives his analysis of the president's "Rose Garden rant".

 Mr Trump, after five years of surreal moments, found a way to somehow deliver 62 of the most surreal minutes since he rode that escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy in 2015.

 

He rambled. He bounced from topic to topic at a pace more scattershot and rapid than usual. Taking notes was virtually impossible as the president's cadence got faster and faster as he leapt from Biden allegation to grievance then to something else.

[15 July 2020 18:27 · Oliver O'Connell]

Abolish

As John T Bennett wrote in his analysis of the Rose Garden press conference, the president said 'abolish' 15 times in 62 minutes.

He followed that up today with a tweet.

[15 July 2020 18:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

President Pence?

Has an incumbent vice president or running mate ever been so front and centre in a political ad before? 

[15 July 2020 19:01 · Oliver O'Connell]

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[15 July 2020 19:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

[15 July 2020 19:36 · Oliver O'Connell]

He really likes Goya

[15 July 2020 19:47 · Oliver O'Connell]

Oklahoma's governor test positive for Covid-19

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced on Wednesday that he’s the first governor in the United States to test positive for the coronavirus and that he is isolating at home.

Mr Stitt, 48, said he mostly feels fine, although he started feeling “a little achy” on Tuesday and sought a test. He said his wife and children were also tested Tuesday and that none of them have tested positive.

He has backed one of the country’s most aggressive reopening plans, resisted any statewide mandate on masks and rarely wears one himself.

“We respect people’s rights ... to not wear a mask,” Governor Stitt said during Wednesday’s news conference, which was held virtually. “You just open up a big can of worms.

“A lot of businesses are requiring it, and that’s fine. I’m just hesitant to mandate something that I think is problematic to enforce,” he said.

Mr Stitt attended President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa last month, which health experts have said likely contributed to a surge in coronavirus cases there.

Stitt said he’s confident he didn’t contract the virus at the rally.

“As far as where he became infected, it’s really unknown,” Oklahoma Health Commissioner Dr Lance Frye said. “It wasn’t so far back as the rally,” which took place nearly a month ago.

Frye said contact tracing has begun in Stitt’s case, with a particular emphasis on determining those who may have been within 6 feet of the governor for longer than 15 minutes.

(AP)

[15 July 2020 20:07 · Oliver O'Connell]