Trump news: House to vote on national emergency resolution as new attack launched on abortion access
How yet another shocking week in Washington came to an end
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Your support makes all the difference.House Democrats have filed their “resolution of disapproval” challenging Donald Trump‘s decision to call a national emergency in order to build a wall on the US southern border with Mexico.
While the president has claimed there is a "crisis" of illegal immigration in the United States, Democrats have questioned his motives — and noted that Mr Trump himself has suggested that he did not need to declare the emergency.
The president on Thursday touted the contributions of African Americans during an event to honour Black History Month.
Meanwhile Ahmed Ali Muthana, the father of Alabama Isis bride Hoda Muthana, announced he is suing the administration for its “unlawful attempt” to rescind her citizenship and block a return to the US. Lawyers have told The Independent that an executive effort to revoke citizenship amounts to the act of an "authoritarian".
In Syria, the US has rowed back on its decision for a full withdrawal of troops following the apparent defeat of the Islamist militants and will now leave around 200 soldiers behind to safeguard the region.
Mr Trump on Friday weighed in on several issues, including the charges brought against his friend and billionaire owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft over prostitution allegations.
He called those charges "shocking", but noted that Mr Kraft had denied the charges against him.
The president also suggested that he might extend a deadline for trade negotiations with China, saying that the negotiators have been having success.
Next week, Mr Trump is scheduled to travel to Vietnam for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where he and his administration say that they hope he can build on the previous summit with Mr Kim last year in Singapore.
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While we wait to hear the Democrat's challenge to Donald Trump's national emergency announcement, let's look ahead to next week and what will be an explosive few days in US politics.
On Tuesday, Michael Cohen is due to speak to the Senate intelligence panel. A day later, the president's former lawyer will testify publicly before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. On Thursday, he will once again go behind closed doors to talk to the House intelligence committee.
There is also speculation around the release of Robert Mueller's highly anticipated report. It has been widely reported that the Special Counsel's findings could be delivered to Congress as early as next week. It's not yet known exactly what the report contains, or whether it will even be made public.
The final big news to watch is Donald Trump's visit to Vietnam to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This is the second summit between the two leaders after they met in Singapore last year.
Donald Trump has just tweeted about alleged collusion between his election campaign and Russia.
As we're so used to seeing on his caps-lock-filled Twitter account, the president denies any involvement, and claims it is a "witch hunt" against him.
As Donald Trump has mentioned Richard Burr, here's something the committee he chairs is looking into. The Senate investigators are hoping to speak with David Geovanis, a US businessman who has held a Russian passport since 2014 and was last seen by his family in the US in 2017, about his relationship with Mr Trump, according to a new report.
Here's why...
Yesterday, senior administration officials held an on-background briefing ahead of Donald Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong un next week in Vietnam.
The Independent was on that call, where the officials signaled that Mr Trump and Mr Kim are expected to meet one-on-one and also share a meal. Those officials also said that they believe the North Koreans are so far arguing in good faith, and that they hope to build on last year's Singapore summit.
Here's our report:
Here's more on the House resolution challenging Mr Trump's national emergency that was filed this morning, from the Associated Press:
House Democrats have introduced a resolution to block the national emergency declaration that President Donald Trump issued to fund his long-sought wall along the U.S-Mexico border.
Friday's move sets up a fight that could result in Trump's first-ever veto. It starts the clock on a constitutional clash between Trump and Democrats and sets up a vote by the full House as soon as next week.
The Democratic-controlled House is sure to pass the measure and the GOP-run Senate may adopt it as well despite Trump's opposition.
Any Trump veto would likely be sustained but the upcoming battle will test Republican support for Trump's move, which even some of his allies view as a stretch — and a slap at lawmakers' control over the power of the federal purse.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has indicated a vote on the disapproval resolution challenging Donald Trump's emergency declaration will be held on Tuesday.
The measure is expected to fly through the House, but its future in the Senate is uncertain.
While many senators — including Republicans — have said they are uncomfortable with the president's tactics here, it remains to be seen whether they would vote to send the resolution to Mr Trump's desk. If they did, his inevitable veto would be the first of his presidency.
So far in the presidency of Mr Trump, Republicans in Congress have proved to be pretty ardent supporters of his agenda.
Here's some less-reported news on the Trump administration — Just months after the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside a Saudi Arabian embassy in Turkey, White House adviser Jared Kushner is set to travel to the Middle East and meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
The crown prince, who is often referred to as MBS, was determined by the US CIA to have ordered Khashoggi's murder.
Mr Kushner is expected to spend several days in the Middle East meeting with diplomats and leaders, discussing possible routes to peace in the region.
Here's an excerpt from Donald Trump's remarks last night to honour Black History Month:
Today, we are here to honor the extraordinary contributions of African Americans to every aspect of American life, history, and culture. From the earliest days of this nation, African American leaders, pioneers, and visionaries have uplifted and inspired our country in art, in science, literature, law, film, politics, business, and every arena of national life. The depth and glory of these contributions are beyond measure. You know it. I know it. And everybody knows it. We especially pay tribute to the African American heroes who have sacrificed in the name of freedom, equality, and dignity for all Americans. Thank you. Every citizen alive today, and generations yet unborn, are forever in debt of the brave souls who stared down injustice and championed the eternal cause of civil rights.
Even though the special counsel investigation appears to be winding down, Donald Trump is not taking a break from his insistence of innocence in Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.
Mr Trump tweeted on Friday morning that the Senate Intelligence Committee — run by Republicans — has already exonerated him. Democrats and Republicans have disagreed about what the committee's findings actually prove or do not prove. Republicans say they have found no concrete proof of collusion. Democrats, meanwhile, say that concrete proof aside, there is a lot of evidence that something untoward went down.
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