Trump demands Congress raise Covid relief payments and drop foreign aid before he will sign stimulus bill

President says he wants Congress to agree to bigger payments to Americans

Donald Trump has demanded Congress raises Covid relief payments and drop foreign aid before he will sign the stimulus bill.

The outgoing president attacked the $900bn pandemic relief package sent to his desk for signing in a new video released by the White House.

“The bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated,” Trump said in the video posted on Twitter. 

“It really is a disgrace.”

And in the video he concluded by insisting that the next White House administration could “be me", despite his defeat to Joe Biden being certified by Electoral College voters.

The president has refused to concede the election to Mr Biden and made false claims about voter fraud in battleground states he lost.

But he has suffered a string of courtroom defeats across the US and has been rebuffed by the Supreme Court in his attempts to overturn the election.

Mr Trump urged Congress to “immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items” from the bill.

“Send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid relief package, and maybe that administration will be me, we will get it done,” he said from the White House.

Democrats and Republicans had finally agreed on giving Americans stimulus checks of $600 per person and per child, while Mr Trump reportedly wanted larger checks handed out.

“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple,” said Mr Trump.

The bill was passed by veto-proof majorities, 359-53 in the House and 92-6 in the Senate.