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As it happenedended

Trump news: President says Bahamas full of 'bad gang members', as official threatens to fire NOAA employees over Hurricane Dorian claims

Follow the latest updates from Washington, as they happened

Clark Mindock
New York
,Joe Sommerlad
Monday 09 September 2019 18:26 BST
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Mark Sanford explains why he is running against Donald Trump in the Republican primary

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Donald Trump is campaigning in North Carolina on Monday in support of Republican Mark Harris, who faces a strong challenge in a special election in a district that the president carried overwhelmingly in 2016.

During an impromptu press conference before boarding his plane to that state, Mr Trump shocked reports by telling them that he is hesitant to allow Bahamians to enter the US after Hurricane Dorian because the island is full of "bad gang members". Also during that press conference, the president repeatedly said that Barack Obama had given him a present by leaving judicial vacancies, and repeatedly insisted that pundits had misanalysed the 2018 election results — in which Republicans lost control of the House — because his party had retained control of the Senate in an election year that favoured the GOP.

Speaking of Hurricane Dorian, Mr Trump's use of a sharpie to modify a hurricane projection map has kept in the news, with reports indicating that employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had been threatened by the Commerce Department if they contradicted the commander-in-chief when he claimed that the storm was set to smash into Alabama.

As Mr Trump returns to campaign mode once again, the president has also faced a burgeoning field of Republican challengers to him in 2020, prompting him to declare that he would not join a debate stage with any of them.

Mr Trump also engaged in a fight with Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend, who called the president a "p**** a** b****".

And, Mr Trump has also been accused of treating foreign policy "like a gameshow", after talks with the Taliban broke down before they even started at Camp David.

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Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says "this Congress won't do its jobs".

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:17

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says that CBP is doing a "national security mission, too" when asked about funds being diverted from the Defense Department for border issues.

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:18

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says that Jared Kushner and "a team" are trying to put together a "comprehensive plan" on immigration.

He says it would be "great" to "be able to put something together" to "end this crisis".

Says he "applauds" Mr Kushner's "efforts".

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:19

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says that claims that border crossings generally drop during this time of the year is a "false narrative".

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:20

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says it is a "good question right now" when asked if the administration is considering offering TPS to residents of the Bahamas in light of the recent hurricane landfall there.

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:24

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan does not answer, however, if the administration is considering TPS for people in the Bahamas.

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:24

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan, in response to a question about apparent CBP policy to consider HIV status, said that they are considering many factors including health.

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:29

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says that "anytime you have a natural disaster like this" that there is "going to be some confusion" when asked about reports that a cruise line was being turned away with individuals form the Bahamas.

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:30

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan says that it is in the "best interest" of migrants to apply for asylum in the first country they arrive in when attempting to flee dangerous conditions in their home countries.

He also called the term "Safe Third Country" a colloquialism, referring to the programme that seeks to ensure the safety of migrants (and that Mr Trump has attempted to basically eliminate for the US, by diverting immigrants to other countries). 

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:34

Acting CBP chief Mark Morgan acknowledges that there have not been any conversations around TPS for Bahamians, and that an official designation has not been made.

Clark Mindock9 September 2019 18:35

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