Trump news: Michael Flynn case dropped as president claims protesters want to tear down statues of Jesus
Barack Obama makes rare rebuke of 'shambolic' White House
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An appeals court has ordered a judge to drop the case against Michael Flynn, a former aide to Donald Trump who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2018, news that Mr Trump boasted on social media while asking whether FBI Director James Comey would apologise.
Hours later, the president attended a press briefing in the White House's Rose Garden with Poland's nationalist president Andrezj Duda.
He accused protesters across the country of trying to tear down statues of prominent figures such as Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson following unrest in Washington DC as protesters attempted to pull down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson.
The president once again railed against German officials for falling short of Nato goals, calling the country's contributions a "tremendous delinquency" and has threatened to withdraw troops from the country as punishment. The Polish leader said removing any of the 52,000 US service members that are currently in Germany would be "very detrimental to European security".
Meanwhile, Mr Trump's top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci has issued a warning to Congress about the “disturbing” resurgence of the coronavirus in southern states that moved quickly to re-emerge from shutdown like Texas and Florida, saying the next few weeks will be “critical” to tackling the virus.
New York's tri-state area also announced a travel advisory against nine states with increased coronavirus cases, including Texas and Florida.
The president's predecessor Barack Obama, who Mr Trump has accused of "treason" in his Obamagate conspiracy, made a rare public rebuke of the sitting president, attacking his "shambolic" and "mean spirited approach to government" during an appearance at a virtual Joe Biden fundraiser.
"What we have seen over the last couple of years is a White House enabled by Republicans in Congress and a media structure that supports them that has not just differed in terms of policy but has gone at the very foundations of who we are and who we should be," he said.
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Michael Flynn case dropped after appeals court sides with Justice Department
A US appeals court has directed a federal judge to drop a criminal case against Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI, handing a victory to the Justice Department and effectively ending the politically charged case.
Here's Trump's reaction:
In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of Flynn and the Trump administration in preventing US district judge Emmet Sullivan from exercising his discretion on whether to grant the department's motion to clear Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty.
The ruling prevents Sullivan from hearing arguments at a 16 July hearing from retired judge John Gleeson, whom he appointed as a "friend of the court" to argue against dropping the case.
"In this case, the district courtâs actions will result in specific harms to the exercise of the executive branchâs exclusive prosecutorial power," wrote Judge Neomi Rao, who was appointed by Trump.
"The contemplated proceedings would likely require the Executive to reveal the internal deliberative process behind its exercise of prosecutorial discretion," she added.
Judge Robert Wilkins, an Obama administration appointee, dissented.
Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was one of several former Trump aides charged under former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Moscow's interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Flynn twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.
He switched lawyers to pursue a new scorched-earth tactic that accused the FBI of entrapping him, and asked the judge to dismiss the charge.
Here's Griffin Connolly's report.
'You know what Trump is most afraid of? A black man with power'
Here's Chris Riotta on the extraordinary Jaamal Bowman, a middle school teacher from the Bronx who looks set to oust 16-term Democrat Eliot Engel in New York's 16th congressional district.
Republican state legislator says Black Lives Matter protesters ‘at war with western culture’
Step forward Minnesota GOP representative Jim Hagedorn, who made this bright and helpful remark on Facebook, that home of measured debate.
BREAKING: New York's tai-state area announces travel advisory against states with high coronavirus infections
Breaking news here:
Senate confirms Trump-appointed circuit judge
The US Senate has confirmed Cory T Wilson to be the US Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit in a 52 to 48 vote.
This will be the 200th judge President Donald Trump has appointed since he first took office, CNN reports.
Young Trump supporters roar approval as president uses racist phrase 'kung flu'
Donald Trump said it again, using a derogatory phrase for the coronavirus that some call offensive to Asian people -- and an audience of young supporters roared with laughter.
The president was addressing young Republicans in Phoenix on Tuesday when he pivoted from talking about his southern border barrier and California's Democratic leaders to slamming Tijuana, Mexico for its coronavirus infection rate. Then he started riffing about the disease's name -- rather, its names.
And the youngsters loved it.
John T Bennett with the report:
AOC says Wall Street money 'can't buy a movement' after triumphing over billionaire-backed opponent Oliver O'Connell reports:
Yesterday marks the third highest number of new coronavirus cases in US
The United States reported its third-highest day of new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
At least 34,720 new people tested positive for the coronavirus and were reported on Tuesday. The second highest day, which reported 34,756, were on 9 April. The highest day since the state of the pandemic was reported on 24 April with 36,291 coronavirus cases.
This all comes as New York, which was long the epicentre for Covid-19, reported its lowest new coronavirus cases. The state now has a 1.1 per cent infection rate, which is lower than most other states in the country.
Obama rebukes 'shambolic' Trump in rare open criticism – while raising millions for his presumptive opponent
Former President Barack Obama slammed President Donald Trump's "shambolic" and "mean spirited approach to government" during a rare, fiery rebuke of his successor while speaking at former Vice President Joe Biden's virtual fundraiser on Tuesday.
"What we have seen over the last couple of years is a White House enabled by Republicans in Congress and a media structure that supports them that has not just differed in terms of policy but has gone at the very foundations of who we are and who we should be," the former president said while denouncing Mr Trump's "disorganised" administration.
Chris Riotta reports:
Trump attorney general to testify before House panel investigating him for Flynn and Stone decisions
Attorney General William Barr has agreed to testify on 28 July before the House Judiciary Committee, which is investigating him for the "unprecedented politicization" of the Justice Department.
It will be the first time Mr Barr, who assumed office last February after being picked by Donald Trump, has appeared before the panel tasked with overseeing his actions.
Griffin Connolly with the breaking news:
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