Iowa entrance polls show MAGA fans turned out for caucus: Live updates

Richard Hall and Alex Woodward write:

President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump will both visit the USborder on Thursday in an attempt to seize the narrative around immigration ahead of their presidential match-up later this year.

The duelling visits by the two presumptive nominees follow a record number of undocumented migrants entering the country in December and an influx of those migrants into Democratic-run cities.

Mr Trump, who is due to visit the migrant hotspot of Eagle Pass, is likely to use the backdrop of the troubled border town to accuse the Biden administration of failing to protect the border while offering his vision for a draconian immigration policy that would see mass deportations.

Republicans, particularly Mr Trump, have long used immigration as a cudgel to attack the Biden administration – even going so far as to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, homeland security secretary, by the smallest of margins in the House – 214-213.

Mr Biden, meanwhile, has accused Republicans of blocking a border deal that would address many of the issues they have long complained about at the behest of Mr Trump. He is due to meet with US Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, and local leaders, according to the White House.

The border is set to be a key issue at the general election in November, so how do the policies of both candidates compare?

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Andrew Feinberg and Gustaf Kilander report from Washington, DC:

Hunter Biden testified for more than six hours behind closed doors on Wednesday in the Republican impeachment probe into his father, President Joe Biden, saying in his opening statement that “I did not involve my father in my business” and that the House GOP has “built your entire partisan house of cards on lies”.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday afternoon, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell said: “After seven hours of questions, the Republican majority ends the day where they started. They have produced no evidence that would do anything to support the notion that there was any financial transactions that involved Hunter with his father – period.”

“It seems to me that the Republican members wanted to spend more time speaking about my client’s addiction than they could ask any question that had anything to do with what they call their impeachment inquiry,” he added.

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Eric Garcia spoke with members of Congress about what they fear may come next as Mitch McConnell relinquishes his role as lead Republican in the Senate after 16 years.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre posted regarding the joint statement by House and Senate leaders: “As the President and Congressional leaders made clear at yesterday’s meeting, we cannot allow a government shutdown.

“The bipartisan agreement announced today would help prevent a needless shutdown while providing more time to work on bipartisan appropriations bills and for the House to pass the bipartisan national security supplemental as quickly as possible.”

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer got into a testy exchange with reporters as Hunter Biden gave testimony behind closed doors as part of the Republican House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

Mr Comer had been asked about the lack of evidence that the probe has so far unearthed to support claims that Mr Biden used his political influence to help enrich himself and his family.

Gustaf Kilander and Andrew Feinberg report from Washington, DC:

Hunter Biden today testified behind closed doors in the Republican impeachment probe into his father, President Joe Biden, saying in his opening statement that “I did not involve my father in my business” and that the House GOP has “built your entire partisan house of cards on lies”.

Gustaf Kilander and Andrew Feinberg have been tracking developments throughout the day:

Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto is unimpressed with the statement Rep James Comer made to reporters following the closed-door Hunter Biden deposition.

“If there is stuff they connected to dad... if he had found anything that was, he certainly would've leapt at the chance to say it,” he said following the remarks by the House Oversight Committee chairman.

Capitol Hill reporter Aishah Hasnie replied that you would think he would've led the entire commentary with any new details but notes that while Democrats have been on a “media blitz” about what was being said at the deposition, Republicans are saying there are rules to be followed and they are not supposed to be talking about it.

The White House has released a summary of President Joe Biden’s physical this morning at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Read the full summary here...

The six-page report concludes: “This patient's current medical considerations are detailed as above, and remain stable and well-controlled. They include obstructive sleep apnea, a-fib with normal ventricular response. hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, spinal arthritis and sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet. For these, he takes three common prescription medications and three common over-the-counter medications.

“President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief.”