President says US special forces forces gave Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a 'one way ticket to hell'

President was speaking during campaign rally in Kentucky

Donald Trump has said US special forces forces gave Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a “one way ticket to hell”.

Speaking to supporters in Lexington, Kentucky, he said US forces had killed al-Baghdadi and his successor.

“Even on a Monday night is there anything cooler than being at a Trump rally,” he asked the audience, which cheered its support.

The president was appearing in support of Republican governor Matt Bevin, whose facing an election tomorrow against Democratic challenger, state attorney general Andy Beshear.

Before leaving Washington DC, Mr Trump was asked about claims by former US diplomat for Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, who claimed she was the target of a smear campaign by the president's allies.

“I really don’t know her,” he said. “But if you look at the transcripts, the president of Ukraine was not a fan of hers either. I mean, he did not exactly say glowing things."

He added: “I’m sure she’s a very fine woman. I just don’t know much about her.”

Earlier, the president was told by a New York court he must hand over his tax returns to state prosecutors after losing his appeal as writer E Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexual assault, sues the president for defamation of character.

The president has meanwhile continued to rage about the House impeachment inquiry, demanding that the CIA whistleblower who first sounded the alarm over his “quid pro quo” call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky testify to Congress, calling on the media to expose their identity while refusing to rule out a government shutdown as a consequence of the investigation.

With the Democratic-led probe unable to resume on Capitol Hill on Monday after all four of its scheduled interviewees declined to appear before the panel – in accordance with White House advice – the president is due in Lexington, Kentucky, for his latest “Keep America Great” rally this evening.

To follow how the drama played out please see below