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As it happenedended

Trump news: Ivanka 'turned down' World Bank job offer, as Fox News contributor 'in line' for top Treasury job

Take a look for our coverage of the events in Washington as they unfolded

Clark Mindock
New York
,Chris Stevenson,Ben Kelly
Wednesday 17 April 2019 16:09 EDT
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Trump says he has not seen or read the Mueller report

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Donald Trump and his staff in the White House are preparing for the imminent release of the Mueller report, which has reportedly led to "breakdown-level" anxiety in the West Wing.

That waiting game comes as Mr Trump has doubled down on his demand for better border security, and follows after attorney general William Barr announced new US policy that asylum seekers who cross illegally between ports of entry would no longer have the right to ask a judge to grant them bond for release.

Under the new Justice Department policy, those migrants will have to wait in detention until their case can adjudicated — a process that can take a considerable amount of time given America's backlogged immigration courts.

Mr Trump has also turned on Fox News after the right-wing news channel hosted a town hall debate with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Trump tweeted that the event had been "stuffed with Bernie supporters," adding: "What's with @FoxNews?"

Mr Barr is expected to release his report on Thursday morning, when he will hold a press conference to discuss the issue.

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Meanwhile, the race for the Democratic nomination to take the president on in 2020 has been heating up just under eight months until the first votes will be cast in that primary season.

Currently leading the pack of candidates are Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and — at least in recent polls — Pete Buttigieg, who has outperformed expectations in the past couple of weeks.

Read The Independent’s updates as they happen in our live blog below.

The Trump administration has announced it is implementing new restrictions on travel to Cuba, and new limits on the amount of money Cuban Americans can send to the island.

The new restrictions were announced by national security adviser John Bolton during a speech in Miami, and follows as the president has attempted to roll back Obama-era thawing of relations with Cuba.

The decision also comes as the US looks to punish the island country for supporting Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Clark Mindock17 April 2019 19:18

The New York Times reports that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will give a top job in his department to Monica Crowley, a figure who is often seen on Fox News.

Ms Crowley, a former Fox contributor, has been considered for top posts before including White House press secretary — but dropped out of contention for the post amid allegations of plagiarism. 

Clark Mindock17 April 2019 19:20

The Coast Guard officer who threatened US politicians and journalists will not face terrorism charges, according to his attorney. Per the AP:

A Coast Guard officer accused of stockpiling guns and compiling a hit list of prominent Democrats and network TV journalists is seeking his release from federal custody since prosecutors haven't charged him with any terrorism-related offenses.

Christopher Hasson has remained in custody since his Feb. 15 arrest and subsequent indictment in Maryland on firearms and drug charges. His attorney is Liz Oyer. Oyer wrote in a Monday letter that prosecutors recently informed the court they don't expect to seek any additional charges.

In a court filing, prosecutors called Hasson a "domestic terrorist" and said he "intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country."

In February, a magistrate judge ordered Hasson detained but said he was willing to revisit his decision if prosecutors didn't bring more serious charges.

Clark Mindock17 April 2019 19:40

For your viewing pleasure:

Clark Mindock17 April 2019 20:00
Clark Mindock17 April 2019 20:23

Here's a breakdown of the costs of the Mueller report, which lasted two years:

Clark Mindock17 April 2019 20:40
Clark Mindock17 April 2019 21:00
Clark Mindock17 April 2019 21:20

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