Trump news - live: President erupts over report his businesses lost $1bn, as Congress votes to hold Barr in contempt
Follow the latest updates from Washington
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump lost $1.17bn (£897m) from real estate ventures between 1985 and 1994 and paid no income tax for eight years, according to The New York Times, reporting after the newspaper got hold of copies of his tax returns for the period.
The president predictably branded the story, ”A highly inaccurate Fake News hit job!”, the news coming at a time when his treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin was already under fire for refusing to release his boss’s tax returns for 2013 to 2018, setting up what promises to be a protracted legal battle with Democrats.
This latest act of stonewalling from the White House comes as the House Judiciary Committee moved to hold attorney general William Barr in contempt over the Mueller report.
The vote capped a day of ever-deepening dispute between congressional Democrats and the president, who for the first time invoked the principle of executive privilege, claiming the right to block lawmakers from the full report.
Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York declared the action by Mr Trump’s Justice Department a clear new sign of the president’s “blanket defiance” of Congress’ constitutional rights to conduct oversight.
“We did not relish doing this, but we have no choice,” Nadler said after the vote.
The White House’s blockade, he said, “is an attack on the ability of the American people to know what the executive branch is doing.” He said, “This cannot be.”
But Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said it was disappointing that members of Congress “have chosen to engage in such inappropriate political theatrics.”
Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
Here's Trump's response to The NYT tax returns story.
"A highly inaccurate Fake News hit job!" he says.
Robert Mueller reportedly attempted to keep memos written by ex-FBI director James Comey secret to stop those he was investigating, including President Trump, from conspiring to get their stories straight, according to a court transcript made public on Tuesday.
Here's more.
A new poll finds Joe Biden five points ahead of Trump in the key red state of Arizona, according to The Hill.
The OH Predictive Insights poll found 49 percent support for Biden, compared to 44 percent for Trump. Seven percent remain undecided.
Fox News report the president's border strategy aims to "retain the best and brightest minds in the world".
Kellyanne Conway here using a folksy analogy to push the Republican line - adopted by Trump over the weekend - that there's actually no need for FBI special counsel Robert Mueller to account his own report.
Seinfeld star Jason Alexander, forever George Costanza, has gone to war with Texas senator Ted Cruz and I for one couldn't be happier.
In the last hour, Trump has retweeted House minority leader Kevin McCarthy on National Teacher's Day and prescription drug pricing and Texas congressman Randy Weber on his attempt to get an anti-abortion bill through the House.
He also had this to say on trade with China, managing to squeeze in some Biden bashing.
House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler joined CNN’s New Day this morning and said he anticipates Robert Mueller will testify about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Grilled on whether he believed Donald Trump would stop Mueller from appearing before Congress, Mr Nadler said there was no legal means by which the president could stop the special counsel from appearing.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments