12 h. ago Trump live: Democrats label president’s DC takeover a ‘distraction’ from Epstein files and rising cost for Americans

The president has placed the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control – but is already facing a backlash

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13 h. ago Democrats call Trump’s DC police takeover ‘a distraction’ from Epstein files, tariffs and tax bill – live updates

Chuck Schumer called Trump’s decision to federalize the DC police and deploy national guard to the city ‘attempted distraction’ from ‘other scandals’Later on, we’ll hear from the Trump administration for the second day in a row. The president won’t make an appearance, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt will hold a White House briefing at 1pm ET.Defense secretary Pete Hegseth says he’s proud to be part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, an archconservative network of Christian congregations.Pastor Doug Wilson, a CREC co-founder, leads Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, the network’s flagship location. Jovial and media-friendly, Wilson is no stranger to stirring controversy with his church’s hard-line theology and its embrace of patriarchy and Christian nationalism.Wilson told The Associated Press on Monday he was grateful Hegseth shared the video. He noted Hegseth’s post was labeled with Christ Church’s motto: “All of Christ for All of Life.” Continue reading...

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22 h. ago Trump’s federal forces are ‘hitting the streets’ of DC while critics claim takeover is attempted distraction from the ‘Epstein files’

‘He needs to get his base talking and thinking about something besides his refusal to open up the Epstein files because he's mixed up in them,’ former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

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4 d. ago Trump’s attempts to distance himself from the Epstein files are failing | Sidney Blumenthal

The president has tried to distract from the Epstein story – but his ill-conceived Mar-a-Lago tale has undermined himOne of Trump’s preternatural abilities is his apparent animal instinct to lie on the spot whenever he senses he might be cornered. His initial Pavlovian training by his mob lawyer Roy Cohn and subsequent experience in more than 4,000 lawsuits and countless scandals seem to have ingrained in him that lying, the more outrageous the better, buys him time, plays to his credulous followers as insouciant defiance, and wears down his accusers.When Trump’s distractions failed to distract from the Jeffrey Epstein files, he offered a story without missing a beat to distance himself from any taint. In his tale, he was traduced by Epstein. Trump was taken advantage of, violated, despoiled. There could be no guilt by association; Trump was a victim, too. Continue reading...

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6 d. ago Texas redistricting battle live updates: Beto O’Rourke’s group reportedly supporting fleeing Democrats’ expenses

Texas Tribune reports that the former Texas congressman has been a top funder covering the costs of Texas lawmakers’ exodus as they face a $500-a-day fineIn a post on his Truth Social platform, the president said he would “federalize” the city if local authorities failed to address crime, specifically calling for minors as young as 14 to be prosecuted as adults.Trump’s threat could theoretically take several forms. The constitution grants Congress broad authority over the federal district, though completely suspending local governance would likely require congressional legislation. Trump could also deploy federal law enforcement or national guard troops under executive authority, as he did during 2020 protests when federal forces cleared Lafayette Square outside the White House over local officials’ objections.Politically embattled Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, wants the Republicans to pay, as EXTORTION, TWO BILLION DOLLARS in order for the Radical Left Democrats to approve the hun...

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6 d. ago Trump threatens to take ‘federal control’ of DC after Doge staffer attack – US politics live updates

President claims on social media that DC is ‘totally out of control’ and if the city doesn’t ‘get it’s act together’ he will have ‘no choice but to take Federal control’After taking six months to conclude that Vladimir Putin may not be a kindred transactional authoritarian leader but an ideological nationalist seeking the return of what “belongs to Russia”, the deadline Donald Trump set for the Russian president to agree a Ukraine ceasefire or face US sanctions on oil exports arrives on Friday.What Trump – who some had claimed was a Russian asset – does next to punish Putin could define his presidency. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Trump attacks blue states for accepting Texas Democrats while endorsing gerrymandered state map – live updates

President says ‘we are entitled to five more seats’ in Texas as state House battles over Republican-drawn congressional mapsFull report – Trump weighs in on Texas redistricting fightIt’s a quiet August Tuesday on the president’s schedule today. The only listed item on his agenda is an executive order signing at 4pm EDT. We don’t know the details of that just yet.Trump is also speaking on CNBC now, and we’ll bring you the latest from that interview. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Trump calls blue states ‘gerrymandered’ and ‘terrible’ for accepting fleeing Texas Democrats amid redistricting fight – live

President says ‘we are entitled to five more seats’ in Texas as state House battles over Republican-drawn congressional mapsTexas House pushes forward on redistricting as Democrats vow to fightIt’s a quiet August Tuesday on the president’s schedule today. The only listed item on his agenda is an executive order signing at 4pm EDT. We don’t know the details of that just yet.Trump is also speaking on CNBC now, and we’ll bring you the latest from that interview. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Texas redistricting standoff escalates with threat to arrest absent Democrats – US politics live

Civil warrants issued in state’s House to bring back lawmakers cannot be enforced outside TexasTexas House pushes forward on redistricting as Democrats vow to fightUS border agents were directed to stop deportations under President Donald Trump’s asylum ban, CBS News reported Monday citing two unnamed Department of Homeland Security officials.The direction comes after a three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit on Friday partially granted an order that limited the asylum ban, saying it cannot be used to entirely suspend humanitarian protections for asylum seekers, according to CBS. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Trump live: Democrats reiterate calls for release of Epstein files after Trump promises ‘pertinent’ documents

A new Wall Street Journal report claims Donald Trump penned a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday, and now the president is suing the publication

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