Congresswomen condemn Trump attack: 'this is the agenda of white nationalists' – as it happened

The House of Representatives passes legislation regarding Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist killed last year. The United Nations noted “credible evidence” that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and other senior officials are liable for the killing.

Once upon a time, four congresswomen holding a press conference about something racist that you put on social media would have been a career-ender. Today, Trump’s reelection campaign is making the best of it by really leaning into the racism:

To recap: representative Ilhan Omar was asked an incredibly Islamophobic question about Trump repeatedly calling her a communist and saying she supports al-Qaida. She made a poignant point about how every single Muslim in this country has had to deal with questions like this at some point in their lives, and then said she would not dignify the question with an answer.

Around the time representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib began their press conference about President Trump and his racist attack on them, the Tweeter-in-Chief took to the little blue bird again:

As Representative Ilhan Omar pointed out during the press conference, by running on the platform of “Make America Great Again,” Trump was criticizing the country by implying that it’s not great at the moment. Therefore, he’s guilty of doing exactly the same thing he’s accusing the four congresswomen of doing: daring to criticize America. If you are not happy here, you can leave?

Senator Mitt Romney has decided to jump into the fray:

Our senior tech correspondent, Julia Carrie Wong, weighs in on Trump and his racist tweets:

Whenever Donald Trump achieves a new low on his Twitter feed, critics cry out for the social media company to take action against the account-in-chief. We saw this when Trump tweeted a threat at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, when he tweeted a video encouraging violence against CNN and when he retweeted racist misinformation by a British hate figure.

Throughout it all, Twitter has declined to take any actions against Trump’s account, recognizing that censoring the president of the United States is not necessarily something that a private company wants to do – or that citizens of a democracy should want a private company to be able to do.

Just last month, Twitter announced a new policy that would allow it to split the baby when it comes to violations of Twitter’s rules by Trump and other world leaders: a special label that would be affixed to tweets by major political figures if they violated Twitter’s rules, but deleting them would not be in the public’s interest.

But don’t hold your breath waiting for Twitter to add such a label to Trump’s racist rant against four progressive congresswomen. A Twitter spokeswoman said the tweets did not violate any of the company’s rules.

Which means that those looking for a way to combat Trump and his racism will be forced to rely on the institution designed to counterbalance the power of the US presidency: Congress.

Representative Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez had a few more zingers at the press conference that I wasn’t fast enough to catch:

“The president can’t defend his policies so what he does is attack us personally.”

Interesting point: representative Ayanna Pressley begged the press not to let Trump and his racist comments distract from the real issues. But one of the very first questions went to representative Ilhan Omar, asking her to address “rumors” that she was a communist associated with al-Qaida.

Omar, to her credit, kept incredibly cool in the face of this very Islamaphobic question, and rightfully pointed out that almost all Americans who are Muslim have had questions of this ilk directed at them at some point in their lives. She said she would not dignify the question with answer.

Hey all, Vivian Ho on the west coast taking over for Joanna Walters. We’re about to livestream a press conference in which representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib will most likely discuss President Trump and his recent racist attack on the four progressive freshman members.

Give that a view, and we’ll put up a quick summary of everything once it’s done.

Congressman Al Green to force impeachment vote

Houston Democrat Al Green, who first called for a vote in the House on impeaching Donald Trump in May 2017, said he plans to force such a vote this month.

While Democrats and a smattering of Republicans slammed the president today for his racist tweets on Sunday against the Squad, for Green impeachment is imperative.

Green first stood out with an early call for impeachment in May, 2017, after reports emerged that Trump had asked James Comey, shortly before he fired the then-director of the FBI, to shut down the investigation into Michael Flynn when he was briefly National Security Adviser.

Green tried a few times since, never successfully, obviously, but in recent times has been joined by more Democrats, including 2020 candidates, with calls led by Elizabeth Warren.

“This needs to stop”

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joins what is now a small but shrill (in the best sense of the word) chorus of protest from GOP members of Congress, inc Hurd, Collins, Toomey, against Donald Trump’s attacks on a group of progressive freshman Democrats.

Now Trump calls Pelosi racist as row over his tweets about Squad roars on

Alternative headline: fierce, unpleasant debate continues at bottom of barrel.

Per White House Pool reporters, Donald Trump said it was racist of Speaker Nancy Pelosi to suggest last week that he wants to “make American white again.”

Then he referred to comments that member of Congress Ilhan Omar (D-MN) made that he said were about al Qaeda.

Oh dear. Omar has previously seen a spike in death threats when the president attacks her.

The White House exterior had been packed with supporters, who applauded the president’s comments at the Made in America presentation. Moments earlier, Trump signed an executive order that he said will make “Buy America” product requirements “stronger”.

They require 95 % of a product be made in country, for steel and aluminum to be considered made in America, and 75% for other products to qualify. Currently the requirement is 50%.

Then he continued on his warpath with the progressives, when he said “these are people” - he means AOC, Omar and their left-wing allies - “who hate our country”.

“I’m not happy with them,” he added.

As gathered media shouted questions, Trump said “It doesn’t concern me” that many people saw the tweets he sent yesterday as racist, “because many people agree with me.”

“Racist, Xenophobic” - Congressman from border country attacks Trump after racist tweets

Texas Congressman Will Hurd said:

“I accused Donald Trump of sexual assault. Now I sleep with a loaded gun”

E. Jean Carroll gave this amazing interview to the Guardian’s Ed Pilkington recently and if you missed it it’s, well, unmissable. Click for the pix of her talking to Donald and Ivana at a party, stay for the brilliant words and photoshoot.

It will remain to be seen if Carroll sues....

What the new asylum rule affects

The new rule emerging from the Trump administration today will apply to the initial asylum screening, known as a “credible fear” interview, at which migrants must prove they have credible fears of returning to their home country.

It applies to migrants who are arriving to the US, not those who are already in the country.

Trump administration officials say the changes are meant to close the gap between the initial asylum screening that most people pass and the final decision on asylum that most people do not win.

The treaties countries must have signed, according to the new rule, are the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol or the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the AP writes.

But, for example, while Australia, France and Brazil have signed those treaties, so have Afghanistan and Libya, places the US does not consider safe.

Along with the administration’s recent effort to send asylum seekers back over the border , Trump has tried to deny asylum to anyone crossing the border illegally and restrict who can claim asylum, and the attorney general recently tried to keep thousands of asylum seekers detained while their cases play out.

Nearly all of those efforts have been blocked by courts. Meanwhile, conditions have worsened for migrants who make it over the border seeking better lives.

Immigration courts are backlogged by more than 800,000 cases, meaning many people won’t have their asylum claims heard for years despite more judges being hired.

People are generally eligible for asylum in the US if they feared return to their home country because they would be persecuted based on race, religion, nationality or membership in a particular social group.

During the budget year for 2009, there were 35,811 asylum claims, and 8,384 were granted. During 2018 budget year, there were 162,060 claims filed, and 13,168 were granted.

Another Republican steps up on Trump tweets

Made in America

In about 20 minutes, Donald Trump is scheduled to host the third annual Made in America product showcase, according to the White House schedule.

I wonder if AOC, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley will be on pedestals there, as they were all, literally, made in America....

AOC hits back

‘Beneath the dignity of the office’

John Kasich steps up.

He ain’t campaigning for the presidency again (at the moment) but he’s the front runner for GOP Voice of Reason. If that’s not an oxymoron - okay maybe I’m just too partisan, there. Dude speaks good sense a lot of the time, like an old-school Republican moderate/endangered species.

From Ohio to you:

Palm Beach: so small, so wealthy, so...creepy

Here’s the Guardian’s piece by Ed Pilkington on how the Miami Herald exposed a vast criminal network and a government cover-up in relation to Jeffrey Epstein – but there was a deafening silence elsewhere.....

Dripping in diamonds and intrigue

Investigators found the latest cache of diamonds in his Manhattan townhouse.

Diamonds, wads of cash and a Saudi ‘passport’, oh my...

A federal prosecutor on Monday said the evidence against accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is “already significantly strong and getting stronger every single day” since his arrest last week.

Alex Rossmiller, the prosecutor, at a detention hearing in Manhattan federal court told a judge that multiple witnesses have contacted authorities since Epstein was arrested, and that prosecutors are trying to corroborate their allegation, NBC reports.

And Rossmiller also said that federal investigators had found in Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse a locked safe containing cash, diamonds and an expired passport from another country that has Epstein’s photograph on it, but with a different name and a stated residence of Saudi Arabia.

Pressley brushes off Trump’s tweets – but not his treatment of refugees

That’s the headline in a piece from the Boston Globe last night. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley tells her daily newspaper that she doesn’t refer to Trump as president. And that the Squad is a lot bigger than AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and her.

Here’s a quote from the piece:

“I never use the word you used – president – to describe him,” she said. “I refer to him as ‘the occupant.’ He simply occupies the space. He embodies zero of the qualities and the principles, the responsibility, the grace, the integrity, the compassion, of someone who would truly embody that office. It’s just another day in the world under this administration.”

Tlaib just tweeted it out, and AOC retweeted. Squad on fire!

AOC has retweeted:

‘Hallmark language of white supremacists’

AOC continues hitting back on yesterday’s tweets:

“Maybe he meant go back to the district they came from...”

Breathtaking, as GOP breaks radio silence on Trump’s racist tweets.

‘They wanted to impeach President Trump on DAY ONE’

The last two tweets in this rant are:

And:

Wow.

Trump attacks on ‘the Squad’ continues

He goes on....

Trump calls progressives “a bunch of Communists”

The president continues his tear on Twitter against the Squad, calling out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and “this crowd”.

Wait, there’s more....

AG Bill Barr comments on new Trump asylum policy

Barr just issued the following statement:

“This Rule is a lawful exercise of authority provided by Congress to restrict eligibility for asylum.

“The United States is a generous country but is being completely overwhelmed by the burdens associated with apprehending and processing hundreds of thousands of aliens along the southern border.

“This Rule will decrease forum shopping by economic migrants and those who seek to exploit our asylum system to obtain entry to the United States - while ensuring that no-one is removed from the United Staes who is more likely that not to be tortured or persecuted on account of a protected ground.”

Republican radio silence on Trump’s racist tweets

The row goes on about Trump’s tweets about the Squad, which is all part of the ongoing immigration policy fireworks that are squirting rockets in every direction.

For the full report on this, I refer you to our lead news story on the US site this morning. We’ll be touching on it here, too.

Acting director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, Ken Cuccinelli, talking earlier on CNN, said “No” when asked by Alisyn Camerota if the tweets were racist. But he did call them “political hand grenades.” No kidding.

Guatemalan officials expected in Washington

Apparently a meeting between Trump and Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales was canceled amid a court challenge in Guatemala over whether the country could agree to a ‘safe third’ with the US.

Trump administration officials say the changes are meant to close the gap between the initial asylum screening that most people pass and the final decision on asylum that most people do not win.

But immigrant rights groups, religious leaders and humanitarian groups have said the Republican administration’s policies amount to a cruel and calloused effort to keep immigrants out of the country, the AP writes.

Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are poor countries suffering from violence, poverty and, disproportionately to many places, the effects of the climate crisis.

Along with the administration’s recent effort to send asylum seekers back over the border to wait for their legal process to play out, Donald Trump has tried to deny asylum to anyone crossing the border illegally and restrict who can claim asylum, and attorney general William Barr recently tried to keep thousands of asylum seekers detained while their cases play out.

Nearly all of those efforts have been blocked by courts.

Trump administration tries essentially to end asylum protections via the US-Mexico border

The president and the anti-immigration voices in and around the White House constantly buzzing in his ear, urging him to stoke the base and further divide Democrats, while seemingly appealing to Trump’s id, won’t wait for Congress.

There will be some exceptions to the new rule, the AP writes.

If someone has been trafficked, if the country the migrant passed through did not sign one of the major international treaties that govern how refugees are managed (though most Western countries have signed them) or if an asylum-seeker sought protection in a country but was denied.

In those cases, a migrant could still apply for US asylum after crossing the US-Mexico border unlawfully.

But the move is meant is aimed at ending asylum protections. The system was already in chaos after Trump administration crackdowns on asylum.

The new policy is almost certain to face a legal challenge, AP writes.

US law allows refugees to request asylum when they arrive in the US regardless of how they did so, but there is an exception for those who have come through a country considered to be “safe.”

The Immigration and Nationality Act, which governs asylum law, is vague on how a country is determined “safe”, however. It says “pursuant to a bilateral or multilateral agreement.”

The US has such an agreement, known as a safe third country, only with Canada. Under a recent agreement with Mexico, Central American countries were considering a “regional compact” on the issue, but nothing has been decided.

Do take a look back at the Guardian’s Julian Borger on how US foreign policies have contributed to the troubles facing the Central American nations.

Good Morning, welcome to our daily live coverage of US politics. There’s a lot going on today as lawmakers try to cram in as much scandal, argument, division and, possibly, even, legislation, with the summer recess looming.

Happy Monday, what’s coming up today?

• We need to figure out if Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are actually happening, as they were promised to begin yesterday but don’t appear to have and confusion and fear reign. Meanwhile, acting director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, Ken Cuccinelli, just called Donald Trump’s racist tweets telling The Squad to “go home” to where they came from “political hand grenades”, but said they weren’t racist.
• Author E Jean Carroll is considering suing Donald Trump over his alleged sexual assault on her in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room in the past. She had earlier said she was not going down the legal route, out of respect for migrants being raped and exploited at the US-Mexico border.
• Jeffrey Epstein, that old ally of the rich and powerful and convicted sex offender, is due back in court in New York today, at 10am ET, as he argues to be allowed to be on house arrest as his latest case proceeds.