Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended1565292390

Trump news: President vows to release 'racism list' after being labelled 'white supremacist' by Democratic candidates

Chris Riotta
New York
,Joe Sommerlad
Thursday 08 August 2019 18:26 BST
Comments
Joe Biden accuses Donald Trump of 'fanning the flames of white supremacy'

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 returned to Washington, DC, after an “amazing day” visiting the grieving communities of El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on a mission to heal divisions in the aftermath of the two devastating mass shootings that left 31 people dead over the weekend.

The president was met with boos from protesters upset by his racist rhetoric and undermined his own efforts to bring consolation by angrily tweeting about the “LameStream Media” and his political rivals and enemies in the press from Air Force One, even threatening to release a “racism list” to attack Democrats.

In Iowa, Democratic 2020 challenger Joe Biden accused him of “fanning the flames of white supremacy” - a sentiment later echoed by Elizabeth Warren - prompting Mr Trump to respond on Twitter: “Sooo Boring”.

On Wednesday alone, three White House hopefuls — Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar — offered sweeping proposals that touch on everything from farm subsidies to rural broadband and health care.

The trio of senators are among the parade of candidates who will fan out across Iowa this weekend to participate in the famed state fair and other events.

The focus on rural Iowa is a mainstay of presidential politics, sending candidates on a sometimes-awkward pilgrimage to the far corners of the state that holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

But Democrats say the chase for the heartland is especially urgent this year as the party tries to win back some voters who supported Mr Trump in 2016.

A strong showing in Iowa, they say, could prove a candidate’s ability to make inroads in other rural communities across the country.

The challenge for Democrats is to rebuild the multiracial coalition across urban and rural areas that twice sent Barack Obama to the White House. His victory in the 2008 Iowa caucuses helped build momentum to claim the party’s presidential nomination. He later carried Iowa in the 2008 and 2012 general elections while also winning states with urban centers, such as Pennsylvania and Michigan.

In 2016, Mr Trump ate into that path , carrying Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Some Democratic candidates are working to reverse those gains by offering ambitious changes to rural voters. Ms Warren’s proposal on Wednesday would reshape the current farm subsidy system into a program that would break up big agribusinesses and guarantee farmers certain prices, which she said would raise farmers’ incomes and save taxpayer money.

Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

1565283619

Donald Trump has been in contact with NRA leaders, according to reports, in the wake of the latest mass shootings to grip the United States. They are warning him to tread lightly when it comes to gun control reform, the reports say -

Chris Riotta8 August 2019 18:00
1565285118

Humans must urgently change their diets and stop destroying land so it can absorb more carbon if there is any hope of avoiding catastrophic levels of global warming, according to a major new report from the United Nations (UN). 

The organisation’s first comprehensive report about the relationship between climate change and the land suggests more sustainable farming, making changes to our diet and cutting food waste will all help to tackle global warming. 

Human activity has caused significant land degradation, deforestation and destruction of natural habitats, says the report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 

Chris Riotta8 August 2019 18:25
1565288106

Donald Trump is attacking Iran and the president of France in a new series of tweets, writing: "I know Emmanuel [Macron] means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself."

Chris Riotta8 August 2019 19:15
1565291214

This concludes today's live coverage. Be sure to check back tomorrow as The Independent brings you the latest.

Chris Riotta8 August 2019 20:06

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in