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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Trump blames surge in coronavirus cases on testing
Donald Trump has doubled down on his claims the coronavirus cases are surging across the US due to increased testing, not because the virus is not under control.
In a tweet on Thursday he again made these claims. This comes after his Tulsa rally where he called testing a "double-edged sword" and said he asked officials to "slow down" testing because it was showing more cases.
The president's explanation does not explain why hospitalisation rates are also soaring in places like Texas and Florida.
Republican congressman Devin Nunes loses legal fight with Twitter over imaginary cow
Republican congressman Devin Nunes cannot sue Twitter over accounts alleged to have mocked the politician with parody personas representing a cow and the politician's mother.
A Virginia judge dismissed Mr Nunes's defamation lawsuit on Wednesday because social media companies are not liable for statements made on their platforms.
The Trump loyalist submitted the lawsuit against Twitter in 2019 over two accounts and another user who posted satirical content, which he claimed cost him votes – despite him being re-elected – and defamed him.
Gino Spocchia reports:
Law and order and Black Lives Matter protests are at forefront of Trump's mind
The president has been active on Twitter, hinting to the country about what his focus was today.
He's tweeted multiple times about protesters that are related to Black Lives Matter and police reform.
In one tweet, Mr Trump targeted New York City's mayor for choosing to create a Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower in Manhattan. Another tweet was aimed at the toppling of statues.
Democrats push to make DC its own 'state' in the United States
Giving Washington DC statehood has circulated in recent weeks as a way to give residents more of a voice in the country's running.
Currently, the district is controlled by federal funding and does not have state representation for its 700,000 residents.
The Democrat-led House will now vote on legislation on Friday that could be one step towards granting the district statehood. If DC, which is considered a "blue" city, were to gain this status, it would then gain two US Senators and representatives for the House to push residents' legislative voice.
A trend among Democrats has circulated on Twitter to promote the recent bill, which is expected to pass in the House but face problems in the Republican-led Senate.
White House abruptly cut off funding to coronavirus research, Dr Fauci says
The White House has abruptly cut off funding to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) coronavirus research, said Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Mr Facui made the revelation when speaking to Congress on Tuesday about the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Our report:
Trump visiting Wisconsin for 'big new ship contract'
Donald Trump will now visit Wisconsin on Thursday after visiting Arizona earlier this week.
He announced he was heading to the Tate to push forward a "big new ship contract".
But the president's state visits are strategic in the fact that he is choosing to visiting key battleground states ahead of the November election. A poll released earlier today showed former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of Mr Trump in Wisconsin by 49 to 38 per cent.
More than one million dead Americans were sent $1.4 billion in stimulus checks, watchdog says
More than one million dead Americans were sent coronavirus stimulus checks from the federal government worth $1.4 billion, a watchdog agency said on Thursday.
In a wide-ranging review of the pandemic response, a report to Congress found that death records were not used to stop payments to deceased people in the first three distributions of payments under the $2.2 trillion economic recovery program.
Justin Vallejo reports:
Mississippi mayor in tears after ordering removal of state flag from city buildings
A black mayor in Mississippi held back tears as he signed an executive order to remove the state's flag from outside Laurel City Hall and other city properties.
The order signed by Mayor Johnny Magee reads that "there comes a point in time in the annals of history when it becomes necessary to re-define who we are and what a collection of people represent" and the state's flag -- which includes the Confederate battle flag -- "should be a unifying image of our ideals and values".
"Now is such a time," he said.
Alex Woodward with the story:
Judge refused to block Trump's niece from releasing her tell-all book
A New York judge rejected an effort made by President Donald Trump's bother to halt the publication of a family tell-all book written by the president's niece, Mary Trump.
The ruling came out of the Queen Country Surrogate's Court on Thursday by Judge Peter Kelly. Mr Trump's brother, Robert Trump, was the one who filed the lawsuit and claimed Ms Trump was violating a non-disclosure agreement through the publication of her book.
The book entitled Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man is scheduled for publication on 28 July and apparently includes accounts detailing the "toxic family" and how they created Mr Trump.
Ms Trump's attorney called it a win for free press after the judge ruled against blocking the publication of the book.
If he wins a second term, Trump's priorities will drastically change. And that's a big problem for all of us John T Bennett with his latest analysis of Trump's presidency:
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