Trump news: President 'crying out' for impeachment as he insists he is 'stable genius' in White House rant
Democrats calling on leadership to launch measure in response to administration's obstruction of probes
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Your support makes all the difference.Pressure is intensifying on Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.
An increasing number of Democrats - and even a Republican congressman - are openly calling for the measure in response to the Mueller report's findings and the Trump administration's refusal to submit documents to congressional investigations.
Mr Trump on Wednesday sabotaged a planned White House meeting with Ms Pelosi on infrastructure, and said he would not work with Democrats until all probes into him were closed.
Meanwhile, the president announced a massive $16bn (£12.6bn) aid package for farmers on Thursday, amid an intensifying confrontation with China on trade. US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that the first of three payments is likely to be made in July or August and suggested that the US and China were unlikely to have settled their differences by then.
“The package we’re announcing today ensures that farmers do not bear the brunt of unfair retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners,” Mr Perdue said.
The latest bailout comes atop $11bn (£8.7bn) in aid Mr Trump provided farmers last year.
“We will ensure our farmers get the relief they need and very, very quickly,” Mr Trump said in an unwieldy press conference on Thursday in which he insisted is a "very stable genius."
Seeking to reduce America’s trade deficit with the rest of the world and with China in particular, the president has imposed import taxes on foreign steel, aluminium, solar panels and dishwashers and on thousands of Chinese products.
US trading partners have lashed back with retaliatory tariffs of their own, focusing on U.S. agricultural products in a direct shot at the American heartland, where support for Trump runs high.
Financial markets slumped Thursday on heightened tensions between the US and China. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 286 points, or 1 per cent, to 25,490. It had been down 448 points earlier in the day.
Additional reporting by AP. Check out live updates as the came in below.
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Donald Trump was asked if he wants to be impeached.
“I don’t think anyone wants to be impeached,” he said, before slamming Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference.
Donald Trump is saying he is considering sending troops to the Middle East to confront Iran “if we need them,” calling the Iran Nuclear Deal signed by former President Barack Obama a “horror show.”
Donald Trump says “infrastructure is very easy, for me that’s very easy, but you can’t go down two tracks at the same time.” The president added Democrats “whole focus is 2020.”
“I’m an extremely stable genius,” Donald Trump said, echoing a remark he has previously made in the face of controversy about his handling of the presidency.
Donald Trump has invited farmers to the Oval Office for a quick photo op.
Well, that appearance certainly took a turn. Here’s a recap on the feud between Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump just before his latest wild attacks against the House speaker:
The president asking his aides about his behaviour at the bipartisan White House meeting a day prior was bizarre, but he has been tweeting about it today and was clearly upset by the accusations:
There really is no other way to describe the fact that Donald Trump is inaccurate about his new aid package for farmers being paid by China than this:
This concludes today's live coverage from Washington. Be sure to check back tomorrow as The Independent brings you the latest.
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