Trump blasted for ‘obsession’ over Greenland by Democrats as he returns to Capitol Hill: Live
Congressional Democrats suggest president-elect focus on cost of living over fantasies about US territorial expansion as he returns to D.C. to meet with GOP senators
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump will be back on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with Senate Republicans about legislative priorities — specifically how to get them through Congress in one massive bill.
The president-elect’s visit comes as he is lambasted by congressional Democrats and the leaders of allied nations over his fantasies regarding US territorial expansion. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested he might instead want to focus on lowering the cost of living, which he was elected to do.
In an alarming speech at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his wish to make Canada a state, occupy Greenland, and seize the Panama Canal, not ruling out the use of the military in the latter two instances.
He also said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, drawing a rebuke from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum who retorted that Texas and California should revert to their former name: America Mexicana.
Meanwhile, Trump has asked the Supreme Court to halt his hush money sentencing, scheduled for Friday after lower appeals courts refused to. Further, the Justice Department says it will release Special Counsel Jack Smith’s findings on Trump's January 6 probe but not the classified documents case.
Sarah McBride slams Republicans for attempted trans sports ban
Newly-elected Rep Sarah McBride, the first openly-transgender member of Congress, criticized Republican efforts to restrict transgender youth from competing in women’s sports, saying that she is “mystified that this is a priority”.
Last Friday the House voted on its rules package, which determines how the House of Representatives will conduct itself in terms of procedure, and also outlined a series of legislation considered priority.
At the top of the list is legislation that would change the determination for compliance with Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal dollars.
Eric Garcia reports from Washington, D.C.
Sarah McBride slams GOP for attempted trans sports ban: ‘Defies understanding’
The first openly transgender lawmaker exclusively tells The Independent that Republicans’ prioritization of the legislation leaves her “mystified that this is a priority” for the GOP.
Watch: MAGA rep hails Trump’s expansionist fantasies as America’s ‘manifest destiny’
Mexico’s president suggests parts of US revert to their former Mexican names
Per Bloomberg:
Mexico’s president responded in kind to Donald Trump’s latest jibes, suggesting part of the US be renamed instead of the Gulf of Mexico.
A day after the incoming US president said the body of water between his country, Mexico and the Caribbean should be called the “Gulf of America,” Claudia Sheinbaum presented early maps of the Americas at her daily press briefing.
The Gulf of Mexico’s name has held since the early 17th century and is recognized by the United Nations, she said. Sheinbaum also joked that states including California and Texas could revert to their former name, “America Mexicana.”
“It sounds good, doesn’t it?” Sheinbaum quipped to reporters Wednesday in Mexico City.
Report: Trump to declare national economic emergency in order to push through tariffs
Donald Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency in order to create the legal grounds for introducing his program of steep tariffs against rival nations, according to CNN.
Even before taking office, the president-elect has threatened tariffs of as much as 10 percent on global imports and 60 percent on Chinese goods, plus a 25 percent import surcharge on Canadian and Mexican products.
Such duties are intended to provide a boost to American manufacturing but experts have warned that, in practice, they could backfire by upending trade flows, raising costs, and inviting harmful retaliatory measures.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
Trump could declare national economic emergency to push through tariffs, reports says
President-elect has threatened nations including Canada, Mexico and China with steep duties on their products even before taking office
Watch: Sen. Scott says taking over Greenland and Panama Canal ‘would be pretty exciting'
Full story: Merrick Garland plans to release Jack Smith’s January 6 report — here’s how Trump is trying to stop him
Attorney General Merrick Garland will publicly release special counsel Jack Smith’s highly anticipated final report from his investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Smith delivered his completed report to Garland on Tuesday, according to lawyers with the Department of Justice. But it remains unclear when, exactly, a report can see the light of day, with just 12 days remaining before the president-elect returns to the White House.
Alex Woodward has the details...
Merrick Garland plans to release Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 report. Trump wants to stop him
The special counsel handed in his final report days before Trump returns to the White House
Schumer says renaming Gulf of Mexico ‘isn’t going to help people save money at the grocery store'
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is on the same page as Hakeem Jeffries his counterpart in the House of Representatives.
Speaking about Donald Trump’s agenda, he said: “Donald Trump is in over his head. So he’s doing what he always does in times like this, distract America with crazy ideas. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico may be a zany new idea, but it isn’t going to help people save money at the grocery store.”
“If Donald Trump wants to rename a gulf to sound more patriotic, I’d say we will help him on one condition and only one condition: let’s come up w/a real plan first — not a concept of a plan — to lower prices for Americans,” Schumer continued.
“Let’s do that first. Then, Donald Trump can have his fun.”
Trump co-defendants given until 5pm to respond to Justice Dept over release of Jack Smith report
The United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has rejected a request by Donald Trump’s codefendants in the classified documents case — Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira — to respond to the ruling that will release Jack Smith’s report by tomorrow morning.
Instead, they must answer the Department of Justice by 5 p.m. today.
Confused?
Alex Woodward breaks it down:
- On Tuesday, Nauta and De Oliveira filed a motion in the appeals court to block the Justice Department from releasing Smith’s “slanted, one-sided report.”
- Separately, they went to Judge Aileen Cannon. Trump also filed an amicus to intervene in that court. Then Cannon ruled in their favor.
- DOJ responded to the appeals court motion this morning, saying they plan to submit only a limited version of the classified documents report but the Jan. 6 report is coming because it doesn’t have anything to do with them.
- The appeals court is giving Nauta and De Oliveira until 5 p.m. today to reply.
Watch: Trump tells Greenlanders: ‘We’ll treat you well’
Donald Trump appears to call son to tell Greenlanders ‘we’ll treat you well’
Donald Trump appeared to call his son, Donald Trump Jr, while he was on a trip to the autonomous Arctic territory on Tuesday, 7 January. It came as the president-elect continued to express an interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark. In a phone call, the elder Trump appeared to tell Greenland residents: “We’ll treat you well.” Donald Trump Jr described the fly-in visit as a “personal day-trip” to greet the locals and said no meetings were planned with government officials.
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