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As it happenedended

Trump news: Elizabeth Warren calls for impeachment on Senate floor while reading unreacted Mueller report

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill increasingly call the president 'impeachable' following Robert Mueller's report

Chris Riotta
New York
,Joe Sommerlad
Tuesday 07 May 2019 13:12 EDT
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Michael Behenna: Trump pardons US soldier who stripped and killed Iraqi prisoner

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Elizabeth Warren says the US Congress should begin impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.

The Democratic presidential candidate went to the Senate floor on Tuesday to reiterate her call for impeachment hours after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared "case closed" on the Russia probe and potential obstruction by the president.

Holding a copy of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, Ms Warren responded to Mr McConnell that "wishing won't make it so."

She said that because of a Justice Department opinion that a sitting president can't be indicted, the only way to the hold the president accountable is to initiate impeachment.

Meanwhile, Bill Weld, the Republican former governor and federal prosecutor challenging Mr Trump for their party’s nomination in 2020, says the president is “impeachable” as a result of the Mueller report, attacking his administration’s “brazenness” over the handling of the investigation into Russian collusion.

Democratic contender Eric Swalwell has likewise called for impeachment to remove the “really bad kid in the White House” as Joe Biden surges ahead of nearest rival Bernie Sanders in the opinion polls

Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin has meanwhile refused to release the president’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means committee.

The White House is also instructing former counsel Don McGahn not to comply with a subpoena for documents from the House Judiciary Committee, arguing the materials are subject to executive privilege.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone sent a letter to committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on Tuesday saying Mr McGahn has been directed not to disclose the documents. The committee requested information about Mr McGahn's interactions with Mr Trump that were provided to the special counsel.

Mr Cipollone says Mr McGahn does not have any "legal right" to the documents because they're under White House control. He says the committee should direct its request to the White House.

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She said enough evidence is in the report to try and remove the president. She said, "It's there in black and white in the report."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

The White House has told media outlets the president was just joking when he suggested he should receive two additional years to his presidency. 

Aides told the Washington Post Mr Trump had not discussed the constitution-violating move and that his tweet was not serious.

“How hilariously ironic that it’s the Democrats who refuse to accept the results of a free and fair presidential election in 2016, refuse to accept the clear results of a nearly 400-page report that showed no collusion and no obstruction, but now, they have the audacity to question the president ‘accepting results?’ — give me a break," White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley said in response to Nancy Pelosi suggesting the president may challenge the 2020 election results if he were to lose. 

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 14:48

Donald Trump will host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House on 13 May, according to reports. 

The Hungarian prime minister’s controversial remarks surrounding immigration have previously stirred worldwide headlines. 

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 15:00

FBI Director Chris Wray has told lawmakers he has not seen evidence indicating there was spying on Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign — a conspiracy the president has frequently launched against his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. 

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 15:20

An explosive new report claims Donald Trump’s private company sold real estate to a shell company linked to members of Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela. 

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 15:40

Here’s video of the moment Donald Trump’s FBI director is asked about whether he has seen evidence of surveillance against Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign:

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 16:00

Pete Buttigieg has slammed Donald Trump in a new wide-ranging interview in which the 2020 candidate discussed criticism of his faith as an openly gay man. 

The 37-year-old Indiana mayor has pushed back against the notion that conservatives and the Republican Party own issues like freedom and faith in America, saying Tuesday he felt it was “important that we stop seeing religion used as a kind of cudgel, as if God belonged to a political party.”

“And if he did,” Mr Buttigieg added, “I can’t imagine it would be the one that sent the current president into the White House.”

Story to come...

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 16:22

Nancy Pelosi is speaking at a New York City event about Donald Trump’s divisiveness and response to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

“Trump is goading us to impeach him,” The House speaker reportedly said Tuesday. “Every single day, he's just like, taunting, taunting, taunting, because he knows that it would be very divisive in the country, but he doesn’t really care. [He] just wants to solidify his base.”

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 16:40

The White House has ordered former White House counsel Don McGahn not to comply with a Congressional subpoena:

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 16:53

Here’s the full letter Don McGahn’s attorney has released revealing the White House order not to comply with a Congressional subpoena: 

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 17:10

Donald and Melania Trump attended the first lady’s anniversary celebration for her Be Best campaign this morning at the White House. 

The first lady called on Americas to join her in “promoting values such as encouragement, kindness, compassion, healthy living, online safety and respect in our children.”

Chris Riotta7 May 2019 17:30

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