Trump news – live: Ex-president says Musk won’t buy Twitter at ‘ridiculous price’ as Pence backs Gov Kemp

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Biden mocks Trump as ‘the great MAGA King’ in speech on economy

As Donald Trump’s chosen candidate David Perdue struggles to gain momentum in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary, Mike Pence has announced he will visit the state to get out the vote for incumbent Brian Kemp – a Republican who refused to bow to Mr Trump’s insistence that the state was stolen from Joe Biden in 2020.

Meanwhile, the select committee investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol has issued subpoenas to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers who are close allies of Donald Trump: Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama. Each was given the opportunity to voluntarily give evidence.

And the Department of Justice is now investigating whether former President Trump or any of his aides violated federal law by mishandling classified documents that ended up at Mar-a-Lago instead of at the national archives at the end of his term.

On Friday, the former president shared some thoughts on Elon Musk’s plan to buy Twitter, saying the billionaire would not pay a ‘ridiculous price’ for the platform as it is mostly “BOTS or spam accounts”.

Key Points

• Trump says Elon Musk will not buy Twitter at such a ‘ridiculous price’
• Pence breaks with Trump in Georgia governor’s race
• Capitol riot committee subpoenas Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers
• Prosecutors begin probe into secret official documents Trump took to Mar-a-Lago
• Dan Crenshaw says Marjorie Taylor Greene is ‘going after that Russia Today slot’ in row over Ukraine aid

[12 May 2022 20:05 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden thanks Senate for Fed confirmations

Statement from President Biden:

I have made it clear that tackling inflation is my top domestic priority. So I am pleased to see the Senate take a step forward on my agenda to get inflation under control by confirming my nominees to the Fed. I want to thank the Senate for confirming Jerome Powell, Dr. Lisa Cook, and Dr. Philip Jefferson this week, joining the recent confirmation of Dr. Lael Brainard. The Federal Reserve plays a primary role in fighting inflation, and these well-qualified members of the Board will bring the skill and knowledge needed at this critical time for our economy and families across the country. We still have more work to do to finish filling the Fed Board, which is why I call on the Senate to swiftly confirm Michael Barr, my nominee for Vice Chair for Supervision.

[12 May 2022 20:12 · Oliver O'Connell]

Republican governors ask DoJ to block protests outside Supreme Court justices’ homes

The governors of Virginia and Maryland have sent a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland asking his Department of Justice to clamp down on protests outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices on the precipice of voting to restrict abortion rights.

Abe Asher reports.

[12 May 2022 20:31 · Oliver O'Connell]

Report: ‘Fake electors’ co-operating with Georgia investigation into Trump efforts to overturn election

Some of the 16 GeorgiaRepublicans who signed a fake electoral vote certificate that was sent to the National Archives are cooperating with a criminal investigation into former president Donald Trump’s effort to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

According to CNN, “several individuals” who served as fake electors on a document submitted to the archives by Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer have spoken to prosecutors with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office as part of a probe into whether Mr Trump broke Georgia election law during his push to install himself in the White House for a second term against the wishes of American voters.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

[12 May 2022 20:41 · Oliver O'Connell]

New poll has abortion tied with economy as most important issue of midterms

A new poll by Monmouth University has the economy and abortion tied as the most important issue of the midterm elections at 26 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Both are far ahead of healthcare (16 per cent), immigration (14 per cent), gun control (9 per cent), and taxes (8 per cent).

About 1 in 3 Democrats (32%) and 1 in 4 independents (26%) say agreeing with a candidate on abortion policy is the top consideration in their congressional vote. Four years ago, fewer than 1 in 10 in either group said the same. On the other hand, the number of Republicans who name abortion as their most important issue (17%) is about the same as in 2018. Among women, abortion as the most important midterm issue has increased from 10% to 30%, while among men it has increased from 9% to 19%.

“Many Democrats are clearly focused on abortion as a driving factor in the midterm elections. However, what is not clear from this one poll is whether this issue is actually motivating voters who would not otherwise come out to vote this year,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

[12 May 2022 20:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

Jen Psaki says she and her children were target of ‘threats’ for White House work

Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki has detailed some of the tougher aspects of the job, including threats she received from angry critics of the Biden administration, in an interview with members of the press corps this week.

Speaking at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast on Thursday, Ms Psaki explained that throughout her time at the White House she received threatening messages mentioning both her and her children, with some even containing mentions of her home address.

John Bowden reports.

[12 May 2022 21:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden ‘cutting red tape’ to ease baby formula shortage

President Joe Biden is directing federal agencies to take actions towards easing the baby formula shortages that have left many store shelves bare in the wake of a manufacturing shutdown and recall from the nation’s largest formula maker.

“We have been working on this issue since since the very beginning in the days leading up to to the recall,” said a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the actions late Thursday. “We absolutely recognize the frustration that American families are feeling right now, and that’s why the President has acted to direct the administration to pull additional levers and take additional action to make more supply available as quickly as possible”.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

[12 May 2022 21:12 · Oliver O'Connell]

Rep Scott Perry responds to Jan 6 subpoena

Pennsylvania GOP lawmaker has responded to the subpoena issued to to him by the House committee investigating the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021.

The congressman tweeted: “That this illegitimate body leaked their latest charade to the media ahead of contacting targeted Members is proof once again that this political witch hunt is about fabricating headlines and distracting Americans from their abysmal record of running America into the ground.”

[12 May 2022 21:23 · Oliver O'Connell]

Rep Andy Biggs responds to Jan 6 probe subpoena

Arizona Republican Representative Andy Biggs has responded to his subpoena by the House Capitol riot committee with a tweet thread.

He says:

Today’s actions by the illegitimate January 6 Committee are pure political theater. The subpoenas and news of their issuance were leaked to the media before the impacted Members.

The January 6 Committee’s ongoing, baseless witch hunt is nothing more than an effort to distract the American people from the Democrats’ and Biden’s disastrous leadership.

The border is in crisis, inflation is skyrocketing, crime is rampant, and Democrats are focused on fabricating their own facts to take down Republican leaders.

[12 May 2022 21:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Pelosi laments failure of Roe legislation while still supporting anti-abortion Democrat

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lamented the demise of Democrats’ legislation to protect abortion rights while at the same time defending her support for one of the last members of her caucus who opposes abortion rights.

Senate Democrats failed to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified the protections within Roe v Wade, on Wednesday after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin opposed it.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

[12 May 2022 21:49 · Oliver O'Connell]

Report says Trump officials and meat companies knew workers at risk in pandemic

At the height of the pandemic, the meat processing industry worked closely with political appointees in the Trump administration to stave off health restrictions and keep slaughterhouses open even as COVID-19 spread rapidly among workers, according to a Congressional report released Thursday.

The report by the House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said meat companies pushed to keep their plants open even though they knew workers were at high risk of catching the virus. The lobbying led to health and labor officials watering down their recommendations for the industry and culminated in an executive order President Donald Trump issued in the spring of 2020 designating meat plants as critical infrastructure that needed to remain open.

Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who leads the subcommittee, said USDA officials and the industry prioritized production and profits over the health of workers and communities as at least 59,000 workers caught the virus and 269 workers died.