Trump news: President mocks 'Sleepy Joe' Biden over 2020 election bid and rages at media over Mueller report
The president's allies worry Joe Biden may be a threat to his re-election
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has hit out at Joe Biden after the Democratic veteran announced his intention to run against him in 2020, questioning his intelligence and branding him “Sleepy Joe” while lashing out over the Mueller report and attempting to fend off further congressional investigations into his affairs.
Barack Obama‘s former vice-president, a man with almost half a century of experience in US politics, is widely tipped to be Mr Trump’s most serious challenger at the polls, joining a crowded field of 20 Democratic candidates already confirmed for the race.
Privately, Trump allies have warned that Mr Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice president’s potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Mr Trump a path to the presidency.
The former vice president is paying special attention to his native Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Mr Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades.
While Mr Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvania’s third senator.
Despite digging in his heels in Washington, the president meanwhile faces a new threat in his old stomping ground of New York City, where Deutsche Bank is beginning the process of handing over records of its dealings with Mr Trump to the state attorney-general, who is investigating allegations made by his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, that he inflated his assets to secure loans in order to bankroll his hotel business.
Two House committees have also subpoenaed Deutsche Bank and several other financial institutions earlier this month as part of investigations into the president's finances.
It was unclear exactly what the committees asked for. The investigations are among several House Democrats are conducting into aspects of the president’s personal and political life, and top Democrat Adam Schiff has said he is investigating whether foreign actors, including Russia, have sought to hold leverage over Mr Trump or his family and associates.
Deutsche Bank is a German asset management firm that has lent Mr Trump’s real estate organization millions of dollars over time. The two committees have been working with the bank for several weeks, and both chairs have said officials have been cooperative. Mr Schiff said in his statement that the subpoena to Deutsche Bank is a “friendly” subpoena, meaning he expects them to continue working with the committees.
The request comes as a third committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, is sparring with the White House over Mr Trump’s tax returns.
Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
If you haven’t seen this video of Iowa’s longest-serving Republican announcing his departure from the GOP due to Donald Trump’s leadership, it’s worth a listen:
Polling expert Nate Silver is weighing in on Donald Trump’s top opponents in the 2020 race, saying Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders’ shot at winning the Democratic ticket are likely “about the same” at this moment.
Both have been attacking Trump today, with the former vice president singling the president out in his announcement video and the Vermont senator along the campaign trail (see below post).
The face of Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign has stirred controversy over some comments she made on Fox Business today about migrants entering Germany:
An explosive new report says Donald Trump instructed officials to to pay the North Korean regime a $2m (£1.6m) medical bill for Otto Wambier prior to his release. It remains unclear as of right now whether the administration ever paid the bill.
Meanwhile, the children of the journalists in the White House Press Corpse are sitting down for a briefing with Sarah Huckabee Sanders — despite the administration not hosting a briefing for the reporters in at least 45 days.
Donald Trump’s latest Facebook ads for his 2020 re-election campaign reportedly violate the platform’s rules:
Elizabeth Warren has called the Trump administration a “product of a system that’s rigged in favour of the rich and powerful,” appearing to contradict Joe Biden’s announcement video, which suggested Mr Trump is a fluke in the American system.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments