Trump declares national emergency 'over Huawei' amid accusations he is risking 'devastating' conflict with Iran
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Donald Trump has been accused of “playing a very dangerous game” with Iran and risking dragging the US into a new war in the Middle East that could have “devastating” consequences.
The warning came from Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, with the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan tabling plans to send 120,000 troops to the region if needed as tensions soar between the two nations over economic sanctions and an increased American military presence in the Persian Gulf.
A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, later warned the nation is “on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy”.
Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US.
The move – thought to be aimed at China’s Huawei – comes as tensions flare between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.
Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
Show all 7In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is”part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation.”
In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said Wednesday.
“TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.
TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimising operational impact,” TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.
The announcement came as Donald Trump spoke at the annual Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington DC, where he denounced illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border.
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In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said today.
"TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border. TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimizing operational impact," TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.
The TSA border assignment will last at least 45 days and comes at the start of the busy summer travel season, which a US official acknowledged carried "some risk," according to CNN, which first reported the plan, citing an internal email it obtained.
Here's a look at what is happening in Alabama, as the state experiences fallout from the passage of a law that essentially bans abortion and makes the procedure a felony.
In some bizarre US politics news, the US State Department has reportedly struck up a deal with McDonalds to have locations of the fast food chain double as mini US embassies in Austria.
According to Fast Company, Americans in distress will be able to head to the nearest McDonalds if they have lost their passports, and the staff at the chain will have special access to a 24-hour phone line to get in touch with the actual US embassy.
The US embassy in Vienna said that the partnership was just a way to help ensure that Americans have every option available to them if they are ever in need.
While most trade attention is focused on China, the Trump administration is saying that they are close to resolving a dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs with its North American partners — which could mean that a new NAFTA is closer than ever.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said as much during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, when he said American officials are "close to an understanding with Mexico and Canada" on the tariffs, which have been in place for roughly a year.
"It is a priority of ours," Mr Mnuchin said.
The White House has announced that it will not join in an international call for Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other major tech and social media companies to curb terrorist and extremist content on the internet in the wake of the deadly New Zealand mosque shootings.
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and French president Emmanuel Macron have been pushing social media companies to evaluate how their platforms direct users to violent content, and to ensure that the spread of those materials is stopped.
“While the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement, we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the Call,” the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy said in a release. “We will continue to engage governments, industry, and civil society to counter terrorist content on the Internet.”
The Trump administration is planning a briefing for congressional leaders on Thursday to discuss the warnings of potential attacks on the US from Iran.
Those who will attend include speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.
After all the fuss last week over holding attorney general Bill Barr in contempt, new reports indicate that House Democrats aren't planning on moving forward with the measure until at least June.
That move was announced by House majority leader Steny Hoyer on Wednesday, and illustrates that Democrats are still trying to figure out how to deal with Donald Trump's refusal to cooperate with congressional subpoenas.
Here's the latest on the tensions between the US and Iran, from our very own Andrew Buncombe:
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has signaled that the Trump administration will continue to push back on congressional efforts to get Donald Trump's tax returns.
Mr Mnuchin said that the subpoena for Mr Trump's returns would lead to a "weaponization" of the IRS.
"We haven't made a decision, but I think you can guess which way we're leaning on our subpoena," Mr Mnuchin said during testimony before the Senate.
"There is a difference in interpretation between Congress and us and the Department of Justice around this law," he continued. "This is why there are three branches of government, so if there is a difference in opinion this will go to the third branch of government to be resolved."
Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency in order to address what the administration sees as threats to telecommunications networks from foreign companies.
Previous reporting indicated that the executive order would allow the US to block American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms that pose a national security risk, including China's Huawei.
The executive order does not, however, name specific countries or companies, and has been under consideration for at least a year.
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