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As it happenedended

Trump news: President says US forces killed terrorists behind Paris attacks, after launching latest insults at John McCain

Updates from Washington as they happened on Wednesday

Sarah Harvard
New York
,Clark Mindock,Joe Sommerlad
Wednesday 20 March 2019 16:52 EDT
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Donald Trump escalates criticism of US war hero: 'I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be'

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Donald Trump has resumed his attack on George Conway, the husband of White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, after the latter questioned the president’s mental health.

In response, Mr Trump called the lawyer “a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!”

Mr Trump has also been accused of “punching at a person that can’t fight back because he’s dead” over his feud with recently deceased Vietnam War hero and Republican senator John McCain.

“I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be,” Mr Trump said yesterday during a press conference at the White House with Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, prompting the comment from CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on the disrespect being shown to a long-serving American public servant who passed away of brain cancer last August, aged 81.

The ongoing attacks on the late senator has led many to express support for the famed Arizonan, even as the president has continued to double down on his criticism of the war hero.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Trump took a trip to Lima, Ohio, where he visited a tank manufacturing plant and expressed admiration for the "patriotism" he said was on full display in the company.

Before boarding his plane to leave Washington, Mr Trump told reporters that he expects special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election to be released publicly.

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Mr Mueller's report is expected any day now, with many reports indicating the investigation is winding down or already finished up.

The report would first be sent to the Justice Department, at which point Attorney General William Barr would determine what form of a report he would pass along to Congress for further review.

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Mr Trump mocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas." The crowd erupted in laughter.

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:26

On stage in Ohio, Mr Trump asked "What's going on with General Motors?" before calling GM to open its plant.

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:27

The president continues his attack against late Sen. John McCain. The crowd is silent.

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:28

A Morning Consult poll found that a majority of Christians in the US (64 per cent) believed it was inappropriate when President Trump autographed two bibles at a Southern Baptist Church in Alabama earlier this month.

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:30

Mr Trump is still on his anti-McCain rant. He is blaming him for the dossier and voting against repeal and replace.

"John McCain received the fake and phony dossier," he said at the Ohio army tank plant. "You hear about the dossier? It was paid for by Crooked Hillary Clinton. And John McCain got it..he turned it over to the FBI hoping to put me in jeopardy."

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:30

Mr Trump on McCain, still: "McCain didn't get the job done for our great vets and the VA and they knew it."

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:31

The president said he endorsed Mr McCain for re-election and gave him the funeral the late senator would have wanted after ranting about him:

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:32

Shifting from Obamacare, the president is now criticizing Mr McCain for being a proponent of the Iraq War:

"We're in a war in the Middle east that McCain pushed so hard." Mr Trump said. "John McCain loved it....I gave him the kind of funeral he wanted...I didn't get a thank you."

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:34

The president had brought McCain out of nowhere and spent more than two minutes complaining about him.

He also complained that McCain, who has been dead for seven months, did not thank him for organising his funeral.

"I endorsed him at his request," President Trump added. "Gave him the kind of funeral he wanted, which as President I had to approve..I don’t care, but I didn’t get a thank you...Not my kind of guy, but some people like him. And I think that’s great."

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:36

Mr Trump ended his anti-McCain rant.

Sarah Harvard20 March 2019 19:39

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