President Trump declares it in writing: He won't cooperate in probe
WASHINGTON — The White House declared Tuesday it will not cooperate with what it termed an "illegitimate" impeachment probe by House Democrats, setting up a constitutional clash between President Donald Trump and Congress.President Trump attorneys sent a letter to House leaders bluntly stating their refusal to participate in the quickly moving impeachment investigation.
US Senator Ron Johnson joins Republicans questioning Syria policy
OSHKOSH — Wisconsin Sen.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald stands by President Trump amid impeachment call
MADISON — Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader and candidate for Congress Scott Fitzgerald stood by President Donald Trump, saying he believes the impeachment inquiry is a "political witch hunt."Fitzgerald on Tuesday, Oct. 8 downplayed President Trump's call for China to investigate political rival and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
President Trump to sign US-Japan trade deal that benefits farmers
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign a limited trade agreement Monday with Japan.
Judge rejects President Trump's challenge to release of his tax returns
NEW YORK — A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump's claim to be immune from all criminal investigations Monday and dismissed his lawsuit challenging a state grand jury subpoena for eight years of his tax returns sought by Manhattan's district attorney.U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said in his ruling that he could not grant such a "categorical and limitless assertion of presidential immunity."President Trump's lawyers immediately appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, also based in Manhattan, meaning the returns are unlikely to be turned over immediately.Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R.
'Who set him up?' Ron Johnson, on 'Meet the Press' says he 'doesn't trust' the CIA or FBI
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A second whistleblower came forward, saying they have information about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine -- the focus of an impeachment inquiry.The attorney for both whistleblowers said this person has "firsthand knowledge" to corroborate allegations in the original complaint.The whistleblowers accused President Trump of pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on his political opponents, and a White House coverup.U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, (R-Wisconsin) defended President Trump Sunday morning, Oct. 6 on Meet the Press with a conspiracy theory, suggesting he was set up."Unlike the narrative of the press that President Trump wants to dig up dirt on his 2020 opponent, what he wants is he wants an accounting of what happened in 2016," said Senator Johnson. "Who set him up?
AP sources: As Pres. Trump urged Ukraine to investigate rival, Giuliani's associates looked to profit
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Rudy Giuliani was pushing Ukrainian officials last spring to investigate one of President Donald Trump's main political rivals, a group of individuals with ties to the president and his personal lawyer were also active in the former Soviet republic.Their aims were profit, not politics.
Aide: Rick Perry pushed Pres. Trump for Ukraine call, for energy issues
WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Rick Perry encouraged President Donald Trump to speak to Ukraine's president — but on energy and economic issues, Perry's spokeswoman said Sunday, addressing Perry's role in a telephone call that's at the center of a congressional impeachment probe for Pres.
Lawyer: 2nd Pres. Trump whistleblower spoke to inspector general
WASHINGTON — A second whistleblower has spoken to the intelligence community's internal watchdog and has information that backs the original whistleblower's complaint about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, according to the lawyer for the two.Lawyer Mark Zaid told The Associated Press in a text message Sunday that the second whistleblower, who also works in intelligence, hasn't filed a complaint with the inspector general but does have "firsthand knowledge that supported" the original whistleblower.The original whistleblower filed a formal complaint with the inspector general on Aug. 12 that triggered the impeachment inquiry being led by House Democrats.
Pres. Trump seethes over impeachment inquiry and slams critics
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is seething over an impeachment inquiry into his conduct after Democrats subpoenaed the White House about contacts with Ukraine and he signaled his administration would not cooperate.In a series of tweets Saturday sent as the presidential motorcade ferried him to his Virginia golf course, Pres.
Impeachment probe reaches into White House with new subpoena
WASHINGTON — The impeachment inquiry is reaching directly into the White House, with Democrats subpoenaing officials about contacts with Ukraine and President Donald Trump signaling his administration will not cooperate.The demand for documents Friday capped a tumultuous week that widened the constitutional battle between the executive branch and Congress and heightened the political standoff with more witnesses, testimony and documents to come.Pres.
Gun control talks stall in Congress amid impeachment inquiry
WASHINGTON — Gun control and anti-gun violence advocates fear that just as momentum was building behind their efforts to change gun laws in the United States, the politics of impeachment may have thrown a wrench in the works.Those fears were stoked by reports that President Donald Trump is continuing to consult with the National Rifle Association (NRA) about supporting his battle against impeachment as well as the 2020 campaign.Kris Brown, the head of Brady United Against Gun Violence, says America can’t afford to wait for the situation to sort itself out and the Senate needs to vote on the universal background check bill that the House approved months ago.Last week, President Trump told reporters an impeachment inquiry will prevent finding solutions on gun reform.“We can’t talk about gun regulation, we can’t talk about anything because frankly they’re so tied up, they’re so screwed up,” he said.But on Wednesday, Democratic leaders vowed to keep pressure on the president.“We’re not going away until we get legislation signed into law that protects our children,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said.Congressman Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, says President Trump could take a page out of President Bill Clinton’s playbook.“When the Republicans impeached Bill Clinton for telling one lie for sex, Clinton said: ‘that is a constitutional process.
President Trump keeps up his attack on whistleblower
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump says he agrees a whistleblower should be protected, “if the whistleblower is legitimate.”President Trump is commenting about a House impeachment inquiry Wednesday as he meets with the president of Finland.President Trump was highly critical though of the whistleblower report alleging he used the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.President Trump says the whistleblower wrote about a “vicious conversation” that he asserted was in reality a “very innocent conversation.”He says the whistleblower “either got it totally wrong, made it up, or the person giving the information to the whistleblower was dishonest, and this country has to find out who that person was.” He then described the person who talked to the whistleblower as a “spy.”The whistleblower’s report was based on information from “multiple” U.S. government officials.
Giuliani would need Pres. Trump OK to assist in impeachment probe
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's personal lawyer says he'd only cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry if his client agreed.Central to the investigation is the effort by lawyer Rudy Giuliani to have Ukraine conduct a corruption probe into Joe Biden and his son's dealings with a Ukrainian energy company.
Large chunk of border wall funding diverted from tiny Guam
HONOLULU — President Donald Trump is raising a large chunk of the money for his border wall with Mexico by deferring several military construction projects slated for Guam, a strategic hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific.This may disrupt plans to move Marines to Guam from Japan and to modernize munitions storage for the Air Force.About 7% of the funds for the $3.6 billion wall are being diverted from eight projects in the U.S. territory, a key spot in the U.S. military's efforts to deter North Korea and counter China's growing military.The administration has vowed it's only delaying the spending, not canceling it.
For Pres. Trump, a high-velocity threat like none he's ever faced
WASHINGTON — From the moment Donald Trump became a national political figure, he has been shadowed by investigations and controversy.They have been layered, lengthy and often inconclusive, leaving many Americans scandal-weary and numb to his behavior.
Judge blocks Trump administration rules for detained migrant kids
LOS ANGELES — A U.S. judge on Friday blocked new Trump administration rules that would enable the government to keep immigrant children in detention facilities with their parents indefinitely.U.S. District Court Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles said the rules conflict with a 1997 settlement agreement that requires the government to release immigrant children caught on the border as quickly as possible to relatives in the U.S. and says they can only be held in facilities licensed by a state.Gee said the Flores agreement — named for a teenage plaintiff — will remain in place and govern the conditions for all immigrant children in U.S. custody, including those with their parents."The agreement has been necessary, relevant, and critical to the public interest in maintaining standards for the detention and release of minors arriving at the United States' borders," the judge wrote in her decision."Defendants willingly negotiated and bound themselves to these standards for all minors in its custody, and no final regulations or changed circumstances yet merit termination of the Flores agreement."The Trump administration sought to end the agreement and issued the new rules with the hope of detaining immigrant children in facilities with their parents.
President Trump signs stopgap spending bill, averting shutdown
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed a temporary government-wide funding bill that staves off the risk of a government shutdown through Nov. 21.The measure signed Friday buys additional time for lawmakers to work to unclog a $1.4 trillion bundle of yearly spending bills that is hung up amid fights over Trump's border wall and abortion.
Subpoenas mark first concrete steps for Pres. Trump impeachment
WASHINGTON — House Democrats took their first concrete steps in the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump on Friday, issuing subpoenas demanding documents from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and scheduling legal depositions for other State Department officials.At the end of a stormy week of revelation and recrimination, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi framed the impeachment inquiry as a somber moment for a divided nation."This is no cause for any joy," she said on MSNBC.At the White House, a senior administration official confirmed a key detail from the unidentified CIA whistleblower who has accused Pres.
Michigan Rep. Tlaib's campaign pushing impeachment T-shirts: 'Impeach the MF'
DETROIT— Democratic Rep.