Trump news – live: President accuses ‘crazy’ media over bad poll numbers as he loses support in six states and 1.5m Americans apply for unemployment
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Donald Trump has continued his attack on the media, specifically recent poll numbers showing the president down in six key battleground states. A poll released on Thursday found former Vice President Joe Biden leading the president in states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Blaming the media on his slip in the polls comes as an additional 1.5m Americans file for unemployment benefits amid the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the official count to about 47.2m. Mr Trump has attempted to curb worries about the surge in coronavirus cases by saying it's due to increased testing, but that doesn't explain an increase in hospitalisations in states like Texas.
On Twitter, the president also slammed peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters, labelling them “roving gangs of wise guys, anarchists & looters” as statue-toppling continues across the nation and the country reckons with its dark history in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis a month ago today.
The president ended his day giving a speech in Minnesota, where he called the Democrats a little crazy and said when the military is concerned, there is no budget.
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'The unexpected things I miss about working in the White House'
For Indy Premium, John T Bennett reflects on the impact of the coronavirus shutdown on the life of a DC lobby correspondent.
Trump angered by Fox coverage of Bible publicity stunt
The protesters in Lafayette Square were not "friendly" and he did not hold the good book upside down, the president gripes, peeved by Jessica Tarlov's remarks on Ed Henry's show.
This is only the latest of several recent grievances aired against his most loyal broadcaster, an ill-omen for his supporters with an election on the horizon.
House Democrats taking part in day-long debate on police reform after Republican bill shut down in Senate
Republican Tim Scott’s proposed policing overhaul may have collapsed in the Senate yesterday, but House Democrats are returning to Washington for a day-long debate on their own sweeping proposal that now serves as a signal to voters after the global outcry over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans.
The House is set to vote on Thursday evening on the Justice in Policing Act, perhaps the most ambitious proposed changes to police procedures and accountability in decades. Backed by the nation's leading civil rights groups, it is a legislative effort that tries to match the moment of massive demonstrations filling city streets for weeks. It has almost zero chance of becoming law right now.
On the eve of the vote, Trump's administration signaled he would veto the bill. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has also said it will not pass the Republican-held chamber.
Instead, Speaker Pelosi has summoned lawmakers who have been working from home during the Covid-19 crisis to the Capitol for a day that will almost certainly resonate with symbolism, one month after Floyd's death, but is not necessarily a substantive pathway toward advancing.
Trump acknowledged after Senate Democrats blocked the GOP policing bill on Wednesday that it's possible no bill becomes law.
"If nothing happens with it," Trump said with a shrug of his shoulders, "it's one of those things. We have different philosophies."
Congress is now at a familiar impasse despite polling that shows Americans overwhelmingly want changes after the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others in interactions with law enforcement. But in the stalemate, Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other as a generational crisis over racial injustice and police tactics explodes outside the doors.
The parties are settled into their political zones, even if they are displeased with the actual outcome.
Republicans are lined up squarely behind their effort, led by Senator Scott of South Carolina, the lone black GOP senator, a uniquely credible voice with his personal experience of racism at the hands of police.
Democrats, led by Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, are standing with progressive and civil rights activists rejecting the Republican bill as insufficient and pushing for more.
Now, Congress appears to be leaving it to voters to decide in the fall election that will determine control of the presidency, the House and the Senate.
"I'm frustrated," said Scott after his bill was blocked by Democrats. "The issue is, do we matter?" he asked, echoing the words of the Black Lives Matter movement, during an impassioned Senate speech that drew applause from his colleagues. "We said no today."
But Senator Kamala Harris, a co-author of the Democrats' package, brushed aside his bill as inadequate "crumbs" that don't respond to a movement that stretches through US history from Emmett Till to Rodney King to today.
"We are part of a movement that started a long time ago and this movement will not be deterred," Harris said. She urged colleagues to "let the beginning be today" and start new talks toward a better bill.
Both bills share common elements that could be grounds for a compromise. They would create a national database of use of force incidents, restrict police chokeholds and set up new training procedures. The Democratic bill goes much further, mandating many of those changes, while also revising federal statute for police misconduct and holding officers personally liable to damages in lawsuits.
As talks potentially continue, Democrats are trying to force Republicans to the negotiating table. The two bills, the House and Senate versions, would ultimately need to be the same to become law.
Neither bill goes as far as some activists want with calls to defund the police and shift resources to other community services.
Republicans and Democrats brought their bills forward as a starting point in the broader debate over how best to change policing practices. Scott insisted he was open to many of the broader changes proposed by Democrats.
But the depth of Democrats' distrust of McConnell's leadership in running the Senate is deep and most Democratic senators were unwilling to take that chance. Instead, Senate Democrats are withholding their votes as leverage, believing once the House Democrats pass their bill, Senate Republicans facing the groundswell of public sentiment will have no choice but to negotiate.
With just a few months before the autumn election, that seems increasingly unlikely.
AP
Trump refuses to quarantine in New Jersey after visiting county with 'high' coronavirus activity
The president is opting out of a new coronavirus quarantine policy in effect in New Jersey when he visits his golf resort in Bedminster at the weekend, the White House says, this despite his heading into a Covid-heavy county in Wisconsin today.
John T Bennett has more on this.
Trump administration says Huawei controlled by Chinese military, opening door to new sanctions
The Trump administration says that Huawei and other leading Chinese companies are Chinese military-controlled.
A document published on Wednesday listed 20 businesses that Washington alleges are backed by the People's Liberation Army.
Telecoms giant Huawei and video surveillance company Hikvision are among those named in the document, as well as China Mobile Communications Group, China Telecommunications Corp, and Aviation Industry Corp of China.
Gino Spocchia has the full story:
Trump claims 'lamestream media' is 'crazy' after bad poll numbers
Donald Trump has responded to reports about his decline in the polls as just the media going "crazy".
Multiple polls in recent weeks have showed Mr Biden with a significant lead over the president, with key battleground states even showing the former vice president ahead.
Mr Trump decided to attack the media for the polls in his latest tweet.
Fox News, the president's cable news network of choice, released a poll last week about the president's support compared to Mr Biden. It found the president down more than 14 points against his challenger for the general election.
Then a survey conducted today released by Siena College with the New York Times found Mr Trump down in six battle ground states.
Mr Biden lead Mr Trump 47 to 36 per cent in Michigan, 50 to 40 per cent in Pennsylvania, and 49 to 38 per cent in Wisconsin.
Democrats move convention to smaller location and make it virtual
The Democrats have moved its national convention to a smaller location and made it largely virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic, which starkly contrasts with the packed event Donald Trump has pushed Republicans to organise.
An announcement was made on Wednesday about what people could expect from the Democratic National Convention, to be held in Milwaukee, this fall – and it will be much different from conventions past.
Organisers are calling it the "Convention Across America", and the event will include speeches, musical appearances, and other special moments from prominent locations and landmarks around the country. All of this in an effort for the DNC to officially nominate former Vice President Joe Biden as its choice in the presidential election.
Out report:
Trump slams former Republican presidential candidate for backing Biden
Donald Trump lashed out at Carly Florina, a Republican presidential candidate in 2016 and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, after she landed her support behind former Vice President Joe Biden.
He said "no complaints" over her deciding to not vote for him after previously losing to him in 2016.
"I've been very clear that I can't support Donald Trump," Ms Fiorina said in an interview on The Atlantic's The Ticket podcast. "And elections are binary choices."
"As citizens, our vote is more than a check on a box. You know, it's a statement about where we want to go, and I think what we need now actually is real leadership that can unify the country," she added. "I am encouraged that Joe Biden is a person of humility and empathy and character. I think he's demonstrated that through his life. And I think we need humility and empathy everywhere in public life right now. And I think character counts."
Ms Florida went on to state she was "disappointed" that fewer Republicans were speaking out against the president ahead of the 2020 election.
Voting begins in Putin's 'special operation' to to stay in power until 2036
Voting has begun across Russia on proposed constitutional reforms that would allow Vladimir Putin to rule until at least 2036.
The vote is being brought to Russians via impromptu polling booths on park benches, in the boots of cars, in buses, in theatres, in factories and even in hot zones of Covid-19 hospitals. Voting will continue for an unprecedented seven days. Every day will see a lottery draw, raffling anything from supermarket vouchers to cars and apartments.
Authorities insist such creativity is a necessary response to the challenges posed in the era of the coronavirus. Opponents say the extraordinary measures to increase turnout demonstrate the unpopularity of Mr Putin's decision to prioritise a power grab during a pandemic.
Oliver Carroll with the story:
Texas stops further reopening its economy amid coronavirus case surge
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Thursday his state would pause entering into further phases of reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In recent weeks, the state witnessed its coronavirus cases and hospitalisation numbers increase as it reopened. In Houston, hospitals are standing at a 97 per cent occupancy, causing serious concerns among healthcare workers.
This encouraged Mr Abbott to halt any further reopening plans.
"The last thing we want to do is as a state is go backwards and close down businesses," Mr Abbott said in a statement. "This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business."
He added: "I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of Covid-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly, and social distancing from others."
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