Trump news – live: Ex-president says Musk won’t buy Twitter at ‘ridiculous price’ as Pence backs Gov Kemp
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Your support makes all the difference.As Donald Trump’s chosen candidate David Perdue struggles to gain momentum in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary, Mike Pence has announced he will visit the state to get out the vote for incumbent Brian Kemp – a Republican who refused to bow to Mr Trump’s insistence that the state was stolen from Joe Biden in 2020.
Meanwhile, the select committee investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol has issued subpoenas to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers who are close allies of Donald Trump: Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama. Each was given the opportunity to voluntarily give evidence.
And the Department of Justice is now investigating whether former President Trump or any of his aides violated federal law by mishandling classified documents that ended up at Mar-a-Lago instead of at the national archives at the end of his term.
On Friday, the former president shared some thoughts on Elon Musk’s plan to buy Twitter, saying the billionaire would not pay a ‘ridiculous price’ for the platform as it is mostly “BOTS or spam accounts”.
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Jen Psaki says she’ll miss her daily confrontations with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy
Trump says Elon Musk will not pay ‘ridiculous price’ for Twitter
Donald Trump says Elon Musk will not buy Twitter at “such a ridiculous price” after the billionaire announced he had paused his $44bn purchase of the platform.
The Tesla boss says he is “still committed” to buying Twitter but that the deal is on hold until he has gathered more information about the spam and fake accounts on the platform.
Graeme Massie has the latest:
Donald Trump says Elon Musk will not buy Twitter at such a ‘ridiculous price’
Tesla boss would have to pay $1bn fee to walk away from $44bn deal
Justice Samuel Alito skirts question about leaked Supreme Court draft
Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito dodged a question when asked about a leaked draft opinion that he wrote showing the court was about to overturn Roe v Wade.
Mr Alito made his first appearance since the draft opinion leaked at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, The Washington Post reported. Toward the end of the talk, a questioner asked how he and the other justices were.
Eric Garcia reports.
Justice Alito skirts question about leaked draft decision overturning Roe
‘This is a subject I told myself I wasn’t going to talk about today regarding, you know — given all the circumstances,’ the justice says
Biden raises almost $8m since March
Biden raised $7.8M since March ahead of bigger money push
The Democratic National Committee says President Joe Biden raised $7.8 million during a string of recent fundraisers held in and around Washington, Chicago and the West Coast
Psaki fights back tears as she says she tried to restore ‘respect and integrity’ to White House press role
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she had promised herself not to “get emotional” at her final appearance behind the James Brady Briefing Room lectern, but that promise was quickly broken as she fought back tears just before taking questions from reporters for the 244th and final time.
Ms Psaki, who is reportedly decamping for a role with the MSNBC cable news network, thanked President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for giving her the honour of serving as the top White House spokesperson during the first 15 months of Mr Biden’s term.
Recalling her first meeting with Mr and Ms Biden after the 2020 election, she said they discussed “the importance of returning integrity, respect and civility to the White House” when engaging with the press.
Andrew Feinberg reports:
Psaki fights back tears in her final appearance as White House press secretary
Ms Psaki is stepping down as White House Press Secretary after 15 months and 244 briefings in the James Brady Briefing Room
White House calls images of Israeli police attacking funeral of slain Palestinian journalist ‘deeply disturbing’
White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the scenes from a funeral procession in Jerusalem for a Palestinian-American journalist who was fatally shot during an Israeli raid “deeply disturbing”, as widely shared footage shows Israeli officers beating pallbearers carrying the coffin containing the body of Shireen Abu Akleh.
“We have all seen those images. They’re obviously deeply disturbing. This is a day where we should all be marking, including everyone there, the memory of a remarkable journalist who lost her life,” Ms Psaki said from the White House on Friday 13 May.
Alex Woodward reports.
White House condemns ‘deeply disturbing’ footage from journalist’s funeral procession
‘We regret the intrusion of what should have been a peaceful procession’
With shortage dragging on, Democrats ramp up response to baby formula crisis
House Democrats will increase their response to the baby formula shortage in the United States, according to a letter from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The Democratic Speaker wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter to her caucus that Congress would take action to respond to the shortage that has been caused by supply chain disruptions and a factory recall from the nation’s largest formula manufacturer.
Eric Garcia reports:
Democrats ramp up response to baby formula crisis as shortage drags on
Comes as the White House also ramps up its response
Trump decries Democrats for bipartisan Ukraine aid during baby formula shortage
Trump decries Democrats for bipartisan Ukraine aid during baby formula shortage
Former President Donald Trump has slammed lawmakers for working to pass a $40bn aid package for Ukraine.
Though the bill enjoyed bipartisan support, with only 57 Republicans voting no, Mr Trump still blamed the Democrats.
“The Democrats are sending another $40 billion to Ukraine, yet America’s parents are struggling to even feed their children,” he said in a statement issued through his spokesperson.
“There is a massive formula shortage, but no one is talking about it — it is a national disgrace,” he continued, despite the shortage being the focus of newscasts, press briefings, and Biden administration planning.
Said Mr Trump: “It is unthinkable that in the year 2022 American families are unable to get baby formulas for their children. Families whose children have serious allergies and require ‘elemental’ formula are in even more desperate and dire straits.”
He concluded: “The pain that mothers and fathers are going through who literally cannot get nutrition for their newborns and infants is a mark of eternal shame on the Democrat Party. America First!”
What next after House subpoenas its own?
The January 6 committee’s remarkable decision to subpoena House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other congressional Republicans over the deadly insurrection at the Capitol has deepened acrimony and distrust among lawmakers and raises questions about what comes next.
The outcome is certain to reverberate beyond the immediate investigation of Donald Trump’s unfounded efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Fuming Republicans vow to use the same tools, weaponising congressional subpoena powers if they wrest control of the House in November’s midterm elections to go after Democrats, even at the highest levels in Congress.
House subpoenas its own, grave new norm after Jan. 6 attack
The Jan. 6 committee’s stunning decision to subpoena GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and four sitting members of Congress over the insurrection at the Capitol is as unprecedented as the deadly riot itself
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