Trump declares national emergency 'over Huawei' amid accusations he is risking 'devastating' conflict with Iran
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has been accused of “playing a very dangerous game” with Iran and risking dragging the US into a new war in the Middle East that could have “devastating” consequences.
The warning came from Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, with the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan tabling plans to send 120,000 troops to the region if needed as tensions soar between the two nations over economic sanctions and an increased American military presence in the Persian Gulf.
A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, later warned the nation is “on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy”.
Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US.
The move – thought to be aimed at China’s Huawei – comes as tensions flare between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.
In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is”part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation.”
In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said Wednesday.
“TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.
TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimising operational impact,” TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.
The announcement came as Donald Trump spoke at the annual Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington DC, where he denounced illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border.
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The president is now recounting stories of officers killed in the line of duty.
For example Terrence Carraway who was killed in October 2018 when a man opened fire in South Carolina as officers tried to serve a search warrant regarding a sexual assault investigation.
The president is now speaking about criminal sentences. Speaking to the Washington crowd he says: "Dangerous criminals must be punished to the fullest extent of the law, that is the only language they understand. And those who file false police reports should face full legal consequences."
Once again, Donald Trump is referencing illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border, denouncing "criminals" who come into the US.
Donald Trump is now getting the family of Ronal Singh to join him on the stage.
Corporal Ronil Singh was shot and killed in December 2018 in California by a driver he had pulled over on suspicion of driving while drunk.
The wife of Ronal Singh then gave a short, emotional speech personally thanking Donald Trump for reaching out to her family and offering his condolences.
The microphone is now back with Donald Trump. His speech is batting back and forth between praising the bravery of American law enforcement officers, and demanding tougher action on the US-Mexico border.
The president has now finished speaking and is shaking hands with officers in the crowd.
In case you missed it, you can watch his full speech here.
Not long before Donald Trump took to the stage in Washington, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested that the administration would not comply with House Democrats' subpoena for the president's tax returns.
Speaking at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing today, Mnuchin said: “We haven’t made a decision but I think you can guess which way we’re leaning on our subpoena.”
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