6 d. ago Why is Trump demolishing the White House's East Wing? Because he wants to | Arwa Mahdawi

The president’s mega-project raises a lot of questions – including when he’s planning on leavingDonald Trump has quite the passion for American history. If there’s a controversial statue commemorating a dead white supremacist out there, there’s a good chance the president has gone to bat for it.“Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” Trump tweeted in 2017, in response to a push to remove Confederate monuments. “You can’t change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson – who’s next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!” Trump added.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago The White House is getting renovated. Can we do the whole country while we’re at it? | Dave Schilling

Refurbishing the nation should be a collective effort – not the work of a single man with an unmatched taste for the gaudyWho doesn’t love a good home renovation project? Something to take your mind off the humdrum details of life. A fresh start. A dream made reality. I recently repainted my French doors from teal to aquamarine. I felt like a new man, albeit one with all the same problems. Just with a new door color.The average homeowner will always find something to change, tweak or revise – even in the most beautiful property. Don’t like your kitchen sink? Rip it out. Not a fan of subway tiles? Scrap them. Have you ever considered the sublime serenity of a rainfall shower on your body in the morning? All of these amenities can be yours for the price of materials, labor and the psychic distress of a bunch of burly middle-aged men traipsing around your house with large, thick boots. A small price to pay for a bit of temporary contentment. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Big? Beautiful? Donald Trump is literally ripping apart the home of US democracy. Is anyone really surprised? | Emma Brockes

Demolition work has begun on part of the White House’s East Wing to make way for the president’s ballroom. Truly, these are post-satirical timesOccasionally, life gives you scenarios that are so on the money it’s impossible to do anything with them. Boris Johnson getting stuck halfway down a zip wire while waving two union flags, for instance; or Liz Truss getting lost while attempting to leave a room – two images that are so embarrassingly on point it is almost difficult to enjoy them. An audience likes to feel it has done a bit of work before arriving at a punch line, which is why, on Monday, when demolition crews moved into the White House to knock down part of the East Wing at the behest of Donald Trump, it felt once again like we were living in post-satirical times.As far as we can tell from the photos, Trump didn’t actually send in a wrecking ball – although his administration did sharply reprimand government employees working in a neighbouring Treasury building for posting vi...

Politics

2 w. ago Donald Trump makes weird comment about Volodymyr Zelensky's clothes at White House meeting

President Zelensky arrived for talks with Trump with high hopes of a breakthrough that could end the war in Ukraine

Politics

2 w. ago Trump posthumously awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President presented award to Kirk’s widow, Erika, on what would have been the far-right commentator’s 32nd birthdayDonald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, to the assassinated far-right commentator Charlie Kirk at the White House on Tuesday.Kirk, who was shot at an event at Utah Valley University in September, was among the most significant rightwing activists in the modern political era, galvanizing a younger generation of conservatives to engage in politics and support Trump’s candidacy ahead of the 2024 election. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago England fans hit back at Thomas Tuchel and Gary Neville in X

The travelling supporters also took aim at Neville after his ‘angry white men’ comments as well as Tuchel, who brandished England’s support as ‘silent’ after the Wales clash

Events

3 w. ago Nigel Farage set to meet with Man Utd owner after Gary Neville's 'white men' comments

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has confirmed he will meet with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage following Gary Neville's 'angry middle-aged white men' comments

Events

3 w. ago Starmer says Jenrick is ‘hard to take seriously’ after Birmingham comments

PM says Jenrick is ‘still running his leadership campaign’ after he complained about ‘not seeing another white face’Keir Starmer has criticised Robert Jenrick’s comments complaining about “not seeing another white face” in parts of Birmingham, saying the shadow justice secretary was “hard to take seriously”.The prime minister suggested Jenrick’s comments were part of a stealth Conservative leadership campaign and said he did not believe he painted a true picture of the area of Handsworth, which Jenrick had described as “as close as I’ve come to a slum in this country”. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Kemi Badenoch slammed for backing Robert Jenrick over 'no white faces' comment

Kemi Badenoch is in the brown stuff after refusing to slam shadow justice secretary Robert Kenrick for his comments about not seeing 'another white face'

Events

3 w. ago ‘Not words that I would have used’: Stride distances himself from Jenrick’s ‘no white faces’ comments – UK politics live

Shadow chancellor distances himself from words after Robert Jenrick accused of racism in comments he made about Handsworth Asked about the Jenrick story, Badenoch again suggests Guardian reporting is reliable.Q: Jenrick was making a distinction between white faces and brown faces. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Jenrick accused of racism over ‘no white faces’ comments and his attack on judges labelled ‘serious mistake’ – UK politics live

Labour mayor of the West Midlands says Jenrick’s comments about Handsworth were racistAsked about the Jenrick story, Badenoch again suggests Guardian reporting is reliable.Q: Jenrick was making a distinction between white faces and brown faces. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Jenrick accused of racism over ‘no white faces’ comments as he also claims ‘collapse of old order is in sight’ – UK politics live

Labour mayor of the West Midlands says Jenrick’s comments about Handsworth were racistAsked about the Jenrick story, Badenoch again suggests Guardian reporting is reliable.Q: Jenrick was making a distinction between white faces and brown faces. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago POLL OF THE DAY: Was Robert Jenrick right to complain about not 'seeing another white face' in Handsworth?

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has doubled down on comments complaining that he 'didn't see another white face' during a visit to an area of Birmingham.

Events

3 w. ago Jenrick addresses Tory conference after being accused of racism over ‘no white faces’ comments about Birmingham – UK politics live

Labour mayor of the West Midlands says Jenrick’s comments were racist because he focused on colour to make negative point about HandsworthAsked about the Jenrick story, Badenoch again suggests Guardian reporting is reliable.Q: Jenrick was making a distinction between white faces and brown faces. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Gary Neville won't face backlash from Sky Sports after 'angry white men' controversy

The pundit has been embroiled in controversy after his 'angry white men' comment

Events

3 w. ago Badenoch defends Jenrick’s ‘no white faces’ comments about Birmingham

Tory leader says ‘nothing wrong with making observations’, after Jenrick said Handsworth was ‘as close as I’ve come to a slum in this country’UK politics live – latest updatesKemi Badenoch has defended her colleague Robert Jenrick over his complaint about not seeing “another white face” in a part of Birmingham but said the debate should not be about what people look like in the streets.The Conservative leader said the shadow justice secretary had made a “factual statement” and there was “nothing wrong with making observations”. But she also told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t think this is where the debate should be, about how many faces people see on the street and what they look like.” Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Badenoch says there was ‘nothing wrong’ with Jenrick’s ‘didn’t see another white face’ comments

Robert Jenrick said he ‘did not see another white face’ on a visit to Handsworth in Birmingham

Events

3 w. ago Robert Jenrick criticised over ‘didn’t see another white face’ comment

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said people of colour should not have to justify their Britishness to the shadow justice secretary.

Events

3 w. ago Robert Jenrick slammed over comment about not seeing 'another white face' in Birmingham area

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick is under fire after allegedly complaining about not seeing 'another white face' when visiting an area of Birmingham

Events

4 w. ago Do you know about shitposting? It’s cheap humour, rage bait – and now, it seems, US government policy | Robert Topinka

Donald Trump’s White House reveals a new ‘portrait’ of Joe Biden – and in his world, if you don’t laugh, the joke’s on youOn 24 September, a White House communications adviser posted a video on X of a new presidential Walk of Fame, captioned: “Wait for it”, with a pen and eyes emoji. The video pans over a succession of presidential portraits to reveal – in place of Joe Biden’s portrait – a framed photograph of an autopen signing his name. The sight-gag references the Maga conspiracy theory that, unbeknownst to “Sleepy Joe”, unscrupulous aides used the autopen to sign pardons in his name. The post delighted supporters and outraged critics, which only further delighted supporters.And that was precisely the point. This combination of cheap humour and rage bait is the province of the shitpost, a genre of low-effort social media content designed to amuse insiders and annoy outsiders. Like so much of internet culture, shitposting was pioneered on the message board 4chan – but Donald Trump...

Events