US Politics

Effort to manipulate killing of Alex Pretti collapsed after footage torpedoed ‘domestic terrorist’ claim – could this be a turning point?“Our press secretary, Sean Spicer, gave alternative facts.” These were the words of the senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway on NBC television’s Meet the Press in January 2017. “Alternative facts” instantly set a template for the era of Donald Trump.So when Alex Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse, was shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis last Saturday, White House officials immediately moved to brand him a “would-be assassin” and “domestic terrorist” who had been brandishing a gun. This time, however, the tried and trusted playbook did not work. Continue reading… More

First lady’s big-screen documentary premieres with criticisms over $28m payday and questions over relevancyDonald and Melania Trump were walking a charcoal-coloured carpet beneath a stark black-and-white “MELANIA” backdrop. “Do you believe you’d be the man you are today if you hadn’t met your wife?” a reporter asked the US president.Trump smiled and said: “He’s asking me a very dangerous question!” He went on to praise his wife without answering. When the reporter put the same question to Melania, she ventured: “Well, we will all be in different places, I guess.” With a nervous laugh, she turned to look at Trump and asked, “Right?” Continue reading… More

Democratic senators refuse to vote for bill authorizing continued DHS spending after killings of two US citizens Funding lapsed for several US government departments on Saturday, the result of a standoff in Congress over new restrictions on federal agents involved in Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign following the killings of two US citizens in Minneapolis.The partial government shutdown is the result of Democratic senators refusing to vote for a bill authorizing continued spending by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minnesota’s largest city last week, and Renee Good earlier in January. The minority party’s blockade imperiled a push by Republicans for approval of larger package of legislation funding other departments, which needed to pass the Senate before the government’s spending authorization expired Friday. Continue reading… More

People demonstrate in cities across country to demand end to Trump’s violent immigration crackdownThousands of protesters hit the streets in cities across the United States on Friday to protests to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.The demonstrations were part of a nationwide day of action, advocating “no work, no school, no shopping” in a protest against the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdowns. Continue reading… More

This live blog is now closed.Trump news at a glance: Epstein files release shows emails with Trump officials past and presentUS justice department releases more than 3 million new pages of Epstein filesAmong the files released by the US justice department today is a copy of Ghislaine Maxwell’s police booking intake form from July 2020.It includes a picture of Maxwell in what looks like a prison orange jumpsuit, along with personal details including her full name and a redacted address in Bradford, New Hampshire.files that contain personally identifiable information of victims or victims’ personal and medical files, and any similar files that, if disclosed, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacyany depiction of child sexual abuse material or child abuse imagesanything that would jeopardize an active federal investigationanything that depicts or contains images of death, physical abuse or injuryfiles covered by various privileges, including deliberative process privilege, work product privilege, and attorney client privilege Continue reading… More

Democrats question redactions and whether Trump officials are holding back more documents – key US politics stories from 30 January at a glanceThe US justice department has released more than 3m pages of documents related to its investigation into the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a long-awaited announcement that appears to represent the bulk of the so-called Epstein files that have dogged Donald Trump politically.While an analysis is still under way, the release exposes previously unknown financial ties and social connections between Epstein and prominent figures in the US and UK – including some in the president’s orbit. Continue reading… More

In nationwide day of action, people brave plunging cold temperatures to march in city and demonstrate against ICEThousands chanted and marched in New York City on Friday to protest the Trump administration’s escalating mass deportation campaign.Among the protesters were young and old people, all braving plunging cold temperatures in thick coats, hats and gloves. Continue reading… More

Thursday’s arrests of Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort demonstrate the administration’s lawless crusade against routine journalismTwo federal courts reviewed the government’s evidence against journalist Don Lemon and declined to approve his arrest last week. But nevertheless, the attorney general, Pam Bondi, persisted, desperate to please her authoritarian boss no matter what the constitution and law say or what her ethical obligations as an attorney require.Thursday’s arrests of Lemon and Georgia Fort, an independent journalist – like the recent raid on Hannah Natanson, the Washington Post reporter – demonstrate the administration’s lawless crusade against routine journalism. In normal times the expectation is that even when a journalist’s conduct might technically fit the legal elements of a crime – jaywalking to get footage of a protest, for example – prosecutors will exercise their discretion and judgment to not apply the law in a manner that chills the free press.Seth Stern is the director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation and a first amendment lawyer Continue reading… More