Trump news: President says North Korea sanctions will remain as he backtracks on Wikileaks scandal
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Your support makes all the difference.US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin has failed to release Donald Trump's tax returns in time to meet a deadline demanded by House Democrats as the president continues to insist, incorrectly, that he cannot do so himself because his affairs remain “under audit”.
“The legal implications of this request could affect protections for all Americans against politically-motivated disclosures of personal tax information, regardless of which party is in power,” Mr Mnuchin wrote in a letter to House Ways and Means committee chairman Richard Neal.
He said the Department of Treasury respects lawmakers’ oversight duties and would make sure taxpayer protections would be “scrupulously observed, consistent with my statutory responsibilities” as the department reviews the request.
Mr Neal said in a statement that he “will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response to the commissioner in the coming days.” Under the law, the IRS commissioner is required to provide access to any taxpayer’s returns when directed by the chairmen of the House or Senate tax-writing committees.
Mnuchin said Neal’s request raised important questions of “constitutional scope of congressional investigative authority, the legitimacy of the asserted legislative purpose, and the constitutional rights of American citizens.”
He quoted Capitol Hill Republicans in calling the request “Nixonian” and warned that it could set a precedent for disclosing personal tax information for political purposes.
Earlier Wednesday, Mr Trump weighed in, telling reporters that he won’t agree to release his returns while he is under audit.
The president said, “I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit.” The IRS says there’s no rule against subjects of an audit from publicly releasing their tax filings.
Neal asked the IRS last Wednesday to turn over six years of the president’s tax returns within a week. Mr Trump has broken with decades of presidential precedent by not voluntarily releasing his returns to the public.
The president has meanwhile called for an inquiry into the “attempted coup” against him, attacked the EU over Brexit on Twitter and marvelled at the sheer size of Texas on a trip to San Antonio.
Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
Donald Trump has not yet commented on new US charges against Julian Assange, but a press conference is currently being held at Westminster Magistrates’ Court (video below) -
With Julian Assange’s arrest captivating the world this morning, it’s important not to forget the president’s comments surrounding WikiLeaks.
Donald Trump supported the anti-secrecy group throughout his campaign, saying in 2016, “Boy, I love reading those WikiLeaks.”
Donald Trump has just tweeted the following screenshot of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson:
Donald Trump’s appointee to the Federal Reserve could face a tough uphill battle during his confirmation process if accusations of sexual assault against him are reignited.
Sharon Bialek, who has previously accused him of sexual misconduct, says she would be willing to testify before Congress about her experiences with Mr McCain.
Fox Business Network has issued a correction after echoing Donald Trump’s false claims over his inflated approval ratings:
Nancy Pelosi described her “complicated” relationship with Donald Trump in an interview with the Associated Press, a portion of which is below:
"It's so very self-evident that the president is very different from every other person that anybody ever served with," Pelosi said Wednesday.
"He is not only unique, he's ... what would be the word?" she said, trailing off. "To be president of the United States is to have a very special personality. But there are shared values about commitment to our Constitution, to the vision of our founders to the Constitution of the United States. I don't see those features yet in this president."
She says 80 percent of their conversations, including the talk last Thursday, are about infrastructure. They're trying, she said, to find areas of "common ground."
Donald Trump has now claimed he knows “nothing about WikiLeaks,” adding, “It’s not my thing.”
The president has expressed support for WikiLeaks countless times, calling it a “treasure trove” and “amazing” in past comments.
In fact, Mr Trump was responding today to questions about whether he still loves the anti-secrecy group, according to pool reports.
Donald Trump is still posting videos from Fox Business Network and other Fox outlets, including one he posted earlier of Maria Bartiromo covering Attorney General William Barr’s Senate hearings yesterday:
Donald Trump said “this isn’t the right time” to begin economic projects with North Korea, while meeting with the president of South Korea in the White House.
“At the right time I would have great support,” the president added.
Here’s more from The Independent’s Clark Mindock on Fox Business Network issuing a correction after repeating the president’s inflated claims about his poll numbers:
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