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Trump lashes out at extension of debt ceiling and points finger at Democrats and McCarthy over crisis: Live

President-elect makes last-minute demand about future of debt ceiling, calling previous deal between Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden ‘one of the dumbest political decisions made in years’

Alex Woodward,Oliver O'Connell,Gustaf Kilander
Monday 30 December 2024 01:55 GMT
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Musk Vs MAGA War: Trump Camp In Bitter Fight Over Immigration, Foreign Worker Visas

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Donald Trump is demanding the House of Representatives votes on the debt ceiling extension (or abolition) “NOW” so any congressional battle falls in Joe Biden’s presidency and not his.

The president-elect said on Sunday the 2023 debt ceiling extension agreed by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden will “go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.”

Under the deal, the debt ceiling was suspended until January 1, 2025, though the Treasury will be able to pay its bills for several months after that. Congress needs to address the issue by around June.

Without the 2023 deal, the US would have defaulted, roiling financial markets worldwide, and likely leading to a downgrade of the nation’s credit rating.

Meanwhile, Trump hailed the H-1B visa program for skilled workers as “great” claiming to have always been in favor of it.

Speaking to The New York Post, the president-elect sided with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, after they both defended the need for hiring skilled workers from overseas.

Their statements triggered pushback from MAGA’s “America First” hardliners, including Steve Bannon. They want strict immigration control, and a furious war of words erupted on social media.

Elon Musk backs German far-right party in editorial; paper’s opinion editor resigns

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest.

Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy.

Continue reading...

Musk’s backing of far-right German party sparks backlash and resignation at paper

It is the second time this month that the tech mogul has voiced support for the far-right party

AP29 December 2024 17:40

Watch: Former Trump NSA says climate change makes Greenland strategically important

Former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien appeared on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News today to explain the rationale for President-elect Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland.

He argues that Denmark is now on the frontline of the confrontation with Russia given the strategic importance of the Arctic territory.

O’Brien goes on to suggest that Greenland can become part of Alaska.

One reason for Greenland’s increasingly important strategic location is apparently... climate change.

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 17:25

GOP Governor defends Musk over conflicts of interest

Republican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu argued that Elon Musk is too wealthy to have a conflict of interest regarding his businesses and his influence over the incoming Trump administration during an appearance on On CNN’s State of the Union.

Andrew Georgeson29 December 2024 17:10

Man accused of attacking TV reporter and yelling ‘This is Trump’s America now’

A Colorado man is facing possible bias-motivated charges for allegedly attacking a television news reporter after demanding to know whether he was a citizen, saying “This is Trump’s America now,” according to court documents.

Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, was arrested Dec. 18 in Grand Junction, Colorado, after police say he followed KKCO/KJCT reporter Ja’Ronn Alex’s vehicle for around 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Delta area. Alex told police that he believed he had been followed and attacked because he is Pacific Islander.

Continue reading...

Man accused of attacking TV reporter and yelling ‘This is Trump’s America now’

Patrick Egan then tackled the reporter then put him in a headlock and “began to strangle him” according to an affidavit

AP29 December 2024 16:10

ICYMI: Steve Bannon mocks ‘toddler’ Elon Musk after he tells X user to ‘f*** yourself’ over visa bust-up

Steve Bannon joined the MAGA immigration civil war with gusto on Friday, calling Elon Musk a “toddler,” and telling the owner of X to “bring it.”

As Musk doubled down on his support for H1-B work visas and criticism of American workers, Bannon posted on the social media platform Gettr: “Someone please notify ‘Child Protective Services’— need to do a ‘wellness check’ on this toddler.”

The former Trump adviser and War Room podcast host made the post in reaction to Musk telling a critic of his stance on immigration to “f*** yourself in the face.”

Continue reading...

Steve Bannon mocks ‘toddler’ Elon Musk after he tells as MAGA visa war escalates

Deepening schism over immigration and visas splits MAGA, pitting ‘America First’ cohort against Silicon Valley Trump supporters

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 15:10

Trump claims Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago

As tensions flare between Elon Musk and Trump’s MAGA allies, President-elect Donald Trump posted what appeared to be a personal message to Musk on Truth Social, claiming that fellow billionaire Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago.

In an early morning post on Friday, Trump suggested the Microsoft co-founder had asked to come to Mar-a-Lago. The 78-year-old Republican encouraged him to visit.

Kelly Rissman reports on the bizarre post.

Trump claims Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago in bizarre Truth Social post

President-elect’s cryptic message comes amid his ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk’s feud with other MAGA allies over H-1B visas

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 14:10

Trump tariff threats trigger supply chain ‘freak out’

President-elect Donald Trump’s continuing threats of massive tariffs are sparking global supply chain concerns as both American and European companies are frontloading orders and considering raising prices while Chinese factories look for buyers outside of the U.S.

Businesses across the world are pushing out orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration January 20, choosing not to wait to see which products or countries will be on the list of targets in Trump’s expected trade war.

The president-elect’s threat of universal tariffs has set off a scramble to get orders out that’s creating bottlenecks and higher costs.

Read on...

Trump tariff threats trigger supply chain ‘freak out’

President-elect’s threat of universal tariffs has set off a scramble to get orders out that’s creating bottlenecks and higher costs

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 13:10

Panamanian president dismisses Trump claims China controls Panama Canal

President José Raúl Mulino of Panama brushed off U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s baseless claim that Chinese soldiers are “operating the Panama Canal,” calling it “nonsense.”

In a Christmas Day message on Truth Social, Trump sarcastically wished a merry Christmas to “the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal” and “making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about anything.”

Ariana Baio reports on the Panamanian leader’s response.

‘Nonsense’: Panamanian president dismisses Trump claims China controls Panama Canal

President-elect escalates threats against Panama, falsely claiming Chinese soldiers are controlling the canal

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 12:10

‘Something great’ about Trump wanting to make Canada the 51st state, says Shark Tank star

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary praised President-elect Donald Trump’s continued fascination with annexing Canada as an American state, saying there was “something great” about it because it would form “the most powerful country on earth.”

Having spent the past few weeks taunting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by offering to make him a “governor” of “the 51st state,” the incoming president upped the ante with a Christmas message to the United States’ neighbor to the north. Besides recommending that hockey great Wayne Gretzky run to be “the Governor of Canada,” Trump also claimed that Canadians’ taxes would massively drop if they joined the American union.

Justin Barangoa reports.

Shark Tank star says there’s ‘something great’ about making Canada the 51st state

“Because if you figured out a way to put these two countries together, it would be the most powerful country on earth,” Kevin O’Leary declared on Fox News.

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 11:10

As MAGA looks to end federal programs, more Americans believe health care is responsibilty of government

The highest percentage of Americans in over a decade, 62 percent, now say that it’s the government’s job to make sure that all Americans have access to health care, according to a Gallup poll.

In 2013, during the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, that number was down to 42 percent. Back in 2006, it stood at 69 percent.

The annual Health and Healthcare survey was conducted between November 6 and 20. That same poll found that fewer Americans are rating U.S. health care coverage and quality in a positive way.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

More Americans believe health care is the government’s responsibility

Newfound belief in government health care comes as some Republicans are getting ready to push for cutting government spending on health care programs such as Obamacare and Medicaid

Oliver O'Connell29 December 2024 10:10

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