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Trump news – live: President responds to accusations in John Bolton's new book as he dismisses rise in US coronavirus cases

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Joe Sommerlad,Justin Vallejo
Monday 15 June 2020 18:00 EDT
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Trump appears to have trouble walking down ramp at West Point ceremony

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Donald Trump pre-emptively responded to John Bolton's upcoming book saying he's been known not to tell the truth and that he might have legal issues if he reveals classified information.

The president dismissed an uptick in US coronavirus cases and suggested the number was fall if they just stopped coronavirus testing.

It came after Trump complained he was being "Covid Shamed" for holding an election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Lindsey Graham's probe of FBI and Mueller is running out of time

For The Independent Premium, Griffin Connolly checks the clock on Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham's investigation into alleged misconduct by top US intelligence officials during their probes in 2016 and 2017 into possible ties between Donald Trump and Russia.

Justin Vallejo15 June 2020 22:10

ICYMI: Trump dismisses uptick in US coronavirus cases and suggests a 'stop' to testing

The Independent's John T Bennett takes a closer look at Trump's math on coronavirus cases.

Donald Trump is blaming an uptick in coronavirus cases and hospitalisations solely on an increase in testing rather than his push for governors to reopen their states even as the sometimes-deadly disease continues to spread.

"If we stop testing right now, we'd have very few cases, if any," the president said Monday during an event for seniors at the White House.

A number of states have reported record numbers of sick people requiring hospital stays since the pandemic begin, even as they continue steps to get their economies open again.

But the president and his team have denied that his insistence governors get their states open is causing the increase in cases.

Read more.

Justin Vallejo15 June 2020 22:35

Will Howard Stern be cancelled after resurfaced clips of blackface and racial slurs?

The cancel crosshairs are sighted on shock jock Howard Stern after Trump Jr surfaced footage of the radio host using the N-word and dressing in blackface.

Stern responded to the clip, saying it was "f*cking crazy".

"I'll be the first to admit. I won't go back and watch those old shows; it's like, who is that guy? But that was my shtick, that's what I did and I own it," he said.

Graig Graziosi wades into this one.

Justin Vallejo15 June 2020 23:00

Before Rampgate and Obamagate, there was Sharpiegate

In simpler times we had the Hurricane Dorian forecast scandal to be outraged over after Trump changed the path of the storm with a black Sharpie.

Taking us back to that nostalgic era, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the results of an investigation into its statement that contradicted its own meteorologists and backed Trump's alternate path theory, or Sharpiegate, as it became known.

The report, via The Washington Post, found that NOAA leadership twice violated codes of the agency's scientific integrity policy.

The investigation recommended no punishments, but outlined guidelines and training materials be updated and changes made to policy procedures to ensure it does not happen again.

Justin Vallejo15 June 2020 23:25

Biden enjoys record-breaking fundraising haul as polls show him beating Trump by double digits

From The Independent's Chris Riotta. 

Former Vice President Joe Biden celebrated a record-breaking fundraising haul on Monday as the presumptive 2020 Democrat presidential nominee's campaign announced it raised over $80m last month after teaming up with the Democratic National Committee.

The former vice president's campaign received an average online donation of $30, according to a financial disclosure candidates are required to release by 20 June. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has not yet released its figures along with those from Republican National Committee.

Mr Biden's campaign raised a stunning $80.8m, the largest haul of any Democratic candidate in the party's once-historically crowded field. It's a $20m increase from the previous month, when the former vice president's campaign and the DNC raised a reported $60.5m. Mr Trump's campaign and the RNC raised $61.7m in April.

"I'm in awe of this sum of money. Just a few months ago, people were ready to write this campaign off," Mr Biden said in a statement.

He added: "I understand what these dollars mean. When facing uncertainty and recession, you chose to back me. I will never forget that. And I promise that when I'm president, I won't let you down."

Read more.

Justin Vallejo15 June 2020 23:50

 Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans players test positive for coronavirus amid surge

Several players from the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus amid a surge of positive cases in Texas.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted on Monday that several players from both teams had tested positive for Covid-19, including Cowboys running back, Ezekiel Elliott.

Mr Elliott's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, confirmed to Mr Rapoport that his client had tested positive for the virus, but was "feeling good".

James Crump has more on this.

Justin Vallejo16 June 2020 00:15

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