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As it happenedended

Trump news - live: President launches fresh attack on Parasite and Brad Pitt after defending Tulsi Gabbard at MAGA rally

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John T. Bennett,Joe Sommerlad,Alex Woodward
Friday 21 February 2020 17:38 EST
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Donald Trump launches fresh attack on Parasite at MAGA rally

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Donald Trump has resumed his attack on Democratic 2020 candidate Michael Bloomberg on Twitter and posted a bizarre all-caps rant about bailing out America's farmers with federal funding.

The president unexpectedly lashed out at this year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, the South Korean thriller Parasite, at his latest campaign rally in Colorado Springs on Thursday night, only for the movie’s US distributor Neon to mock him for not being able to read subtitles.

Trump also laid into Hollywood star Brad Pitt (“a little wise guy”), teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and Fox News - angered by negative coverage about him on Neil Cavuto’s show - otherwise stumbling over his words again and getting his conspiracy theories mixed up.

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About undocumented people when they're arrested, he says: "They don't even know their country in many cases. Where do you come from?"

"No more catch and release", he says. "We are building the wall faster and bigger than anyone thought possible."

He claims 500 miles of wall will be built by next year.

Alex Woodward21 February 2020 21:35

On the Affordable Care Act and Barack Obama, Trump says Obama said "I was just kidding" about patients being able to keeping their doctor within the plan.

He then mocks the media, doing a whole routine in his nerdy "journalist voice" as he explains he was "just kidding" about a "belated impeachment" for Obama.

Alex Woodward21 February 2020 21:39

Once again, on Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning Parasite: "[South Korea] is killing us on trade and they win a freaking award to make a movie?"

He says Hollywood should stop making "computerized garbage" and says "I was never a fan of Brad Pitt."

All that media talk worked him up about television ratings again.

Alex Woodward21 February 2020 21:41

On Dinesh D'Souza, the conservative propagandist and author who was found guilty of violating campaign finance laws: "He made a mistake so we pardoned him."

He compares his crimes to Rosie O'Donnell, who allegedly over-donated to Democratic campaigns.

Alex Woodward21 February 2020 21:45

Trump: "We're protecting people with pre-existing conditions and we always will."

He's not. His administration has pressed for a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which includes those protections. His alternatives do not. With the ACA in place, insurers can't legally deny health coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Alex Woodward21 February 2020 21:50

After intelligence surfaced of Russia's interference ahead of fall elections, the president did not explicitly tell Russia to stay out. Bernie Sanders was reportedly told by US officials that Russian groups have targeted his campaign as well. His response:

Alex Woodward21 February 2020 22:06

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