US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday he wants the FBI to do a comprehensive investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court nominee <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-senate-delays-final-vote-168336">Brett </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-senate-delays-final-vote-168336">Kavanaugh,</a> but said he would leave the parameters of the probe to Senate Republicans.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-not-micromanaging-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-168642">Also read:&nbsp;White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh</a>

"I want them to do a very comprehensive investigation. Whatever that means, according to the senators and the Republicans and the Republican majority, I want them to do that," Trump said at a White House news conference. "With that being said, I'd like it to go quickly."

US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday he wants the FBI to do a comprehensive investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said he would leave the parameters of the probe to Senate Republicans.

US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday he wants the FBI to do a comprehensive investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said he would leave the parameters of the probe to Senate Republicans. Also read: White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh "I want them to do a very comprehensive investigation. Whatever that means, according to the senators and the Republicans and the Republican majority, I want them to do that," Trump said at a White House news conference. "With that being said, I'd like it to go quickly."

Trump wants 'comprehensive' FBI investigation of Kavanaugh

United States President Donald Trump has branded the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party a "good news" and has sought the documents held by the "Pakistani mystery man", DNC Server, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Clinton emails to counter it.

"This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Wendy Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails," President Trump, a Republican, said in a tweet.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/987470932989050881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

President Trump's Pakistani mystery man is Imran Awan, who along with his brother Abid Awan, and five other family members and associates, is at the heart of the brewing IT Scandal which has put Congressional Data at risk.

Awan, a former IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who investigators concluded, made "unauthorized access" to House servers.

They worked as shared IT employees for 44 House Democrats and had access to the House members' sensitive data, including emails, calendars, constituents' data, and personal files, despite having little to no IT experience, according to the local media reports.

Awan's father Haji Ashraf Awan was giving data to Pakistan, alleged the father's ex-business partner, adding that Imran bragged he had the power to "change the U.S. president," the New York based Epoch Times reports.

Imran began working for the House of Representatives in 2004. The Epoch Times reports that most members of his immediate family are also working as IT aides to Democrats in the House of Representatives.

According to the report, inspector general, Michael Ptasienski, testified this month that "system administrators hold the 'keys to the kingdom' meaning they can create accounts, grant access, view, download, update, or delete almost any electronic information within an office. Because of this high-level access, a rogue system administrator could inflict considerable damage."

The president's tweet came hours after the DNC filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump Campaign and the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

That lawsuit alleges that the defendants conspired to disrupt the 2016 presidential election and undermine Hillary Clinton's Campaign by hacking the DNC's servers and disseminating stolen information.&nbsp

United States President Donald Trump has branded the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party a 'good news' and has sought the documents held by the 'Pakistani mystery man', DNC Server, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Clinton emails to counter it

United States President Donald Trump has branded the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party a "good news" and has sought the documents held by the "Pakistani mystery man", DNC Server, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Clinton emails to counter it. "This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Wendy Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails," President Trump, a Republican, said in a tweet. Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018 × President Trump's Pakistani mystery man is Imran Awan, who along with his brother Abid Awan, and five other family members and associates, is at the heart of the brewing IT Scandal which has put Congressional Data at risk. Awan, a former IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who investigators concluded, made "unauthorized access" to House servers. They worked as shared IT employees for 44 House Democrats and had access to the House members' sensitive data, including emails, calendars, constituents' data, and personal files, despite having little to no IT experience, according to the local media reports. Awan's father Haji Ashraf Awan was giving data to Pakistan, alleged the father's ex-business partner, adding that Imran bragged he had the power to "change the U.S. president," the New York based Epoch Times reports. Imran began working for the House of Representatives in 2004. The Epoch Times reports that most members of his immediate family are also working as IT aides to Democrats in the House of Representatives. According to the report, inspector general, Michael Ptasienski, testified this month that "system administrators hold the 'keys to the kingdom' meaning they can create accounts, grant access, view, download, update, or delete almost any electronic information within an office. Because of this high-level access, a rogue system administrator could inflict considerable damage." The president's tweet came hours after the DNC filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump Campaign and the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. That lawsuit alleges that the defendants conspired to disrupt the 2016 presidential election and undermine Hillary Clinton's Campaign by hacking the DNC's servers and disseminating stolen information.

Trump seeks 'documents held' by Pakistani man to counter Democrats' lawsuit

Several US Republican lawmakers expressed concern over privacy violations on Sunday after media reports that a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump&rsquo;s campaign gained inappropriate access to 50 million Facebook users&rsquo; data.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations.

&ldquo;So we&rsquo;ll learn more about this in the days to come. But yeah I&rsquo;m disturbed by that,&rdquo; Rubio told NBC&rsquo;s &ldquo;Meet the Press.&rdquo;

Senator Rand Paul was asked whether people can trust companies like Facebook in the wake of the report about Cambridge Analytica taking data.&nbsp;

&ldquo;People have to look into it. Whether or not it broke the law, absolutely, the privacy of the American consumer, the American individual, should be protected,&rdquo; Paul said on CNN.

Facebook disclosed the issue in a blog post on Friday, hours before media reports that conservative-leaning Cambridge Analytica, a data company known for its work on Trump&rsquo;s 2016 presidential campaign, was given access to the data and may not have deleted it.

Facebook said in a statement that a Cambridge University psychology professor had lied to the company and violated its policies by passing data to Cambridge Analytica from an app he had developed. It suspended the firm from Facebook.

Facebook did not immediately reply when asked on Sunday for a response to the lawmakers&rsquo; comments. However, in a new statement Sunday, the company said it was conducting a &ldquo;comprehensive internal and external review&rdquo; to determine if the user data in question still existed.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica and the professor have denied violating Facebook&rsquo;s terms, according to media reports.

The scrutiny presented a new threat to Facebook&rsquo;s reputation, which was already under attack over Russians&rsquo; use of Facebook tools to sway American voters before and after the 2016 U.S. elections.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Jeff Flake said he had a lot of questions about the data taken from Facebook, including who knew it had been taken and whether it is still being used.

&ldquo;This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data, and the privacy violations there are significant,&rdquo; he told CNN&rsquo;s &ldquo;State of the Union&rdquo; program. &ldquo;So the question is who knew it and when did they know it, how long did this go on and what happens to that data now.&rdquo;

Facebook faced new calls for regulation from Democratic senators on Saturday and was hit with questions about personal data safeguards, but it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress would act.

U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said more investigation was needed.

&ldquo;We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans,&rdquo; he said Sunday on ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;This Week.&rdquo;

Also on ABC, Senator James Lankford, a Republican, said it was not known whether the incident was connected to the Trump campaign.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations

Several US Republican lawmakers expressed concern over privacy violations on Sunday after media reports that a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump’s campaign gained inappropriate access to 50 million Facebook users’ data. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations. “So we’ll learn more about this in the days to come. But yeah I’m disturbed by that,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Senator Rand Paul was asked whether people can trust companies like Facebook in the wake of the report about Cambridge Analytica taking data. “People have to look into it. Whether or not it broke the law, absolutely, the privacy of the American consumer, the American individual, should be protected,” Paul said on CNN. Facebook disclosed the issue in a blog post on Friday, hours before media reports that conservative-leaning Cambridge Analytica, a data company known for its work on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was given access to the data and may not have deleted it. Facebook said in a statement that a Cambridge University psychology professor had lied to the company and violated its policies by passing data to Cambridge Analytica from an app he had developed. It suspended the firm from Facebook. Facebook did not immediately reply when asked on Sunday for a response to the lawmakers’ comments. However, in a new statement Sunday, the company said it was conducting a “comprehensive internal and external review” to determine if the user data in question still existed. Cambridge Analytica and the professor have denied violating Facebook’s terms, according to media reports. The scrutiny presented a new threat to Facebook’s reputation, which was already under attack over Russians’ use of Facebook tools to sway American voters before and after the 2016 U.S. elections. Republican Senator Jeff Flake said he had a lot of questions about the data taken from Facebook, including who knew it had been taken and whether it is still being used. “This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data, and the privacy violations there are significant,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” program. “So the question is who knew it and when did they know it, how long did this go on and what happens to that data now.” Facebook faced new calls for regulation from Democratic senators on Saturday and was hit with questions about personal data safeguards, but it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress would act. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said more investigation was needed. “We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans,” he said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” Also on ABC, Senator James Lankford, a Republican, said it was not known whether the incident was connected to the Trump campaign.

US Republican lawmakers concerned by Facebook data leak

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school.

&quot;Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,&quot; Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. &quot;If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right.&quot;

The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights.&nbsp;

Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing.

Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage.

The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment.

Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon.

The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons.

&quot;I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers,&quot; Inslee said. &quot;Let`s just take that off the table and move forward.&quot;

But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks.

&quot;Some school districts, they promote it,&quot; Abbott said. &quot;They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`&quot;

Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting.

Trump says would have run in

Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting.

An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting.

&quot;The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting,&quot; Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school &quot;even if I didn`t have a weapon.&quot;

The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments.

He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a &quot;coward.&quot;

An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school.

&quot;Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue,&quot; attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement.

Trump has said he plans to limit sales of &quot;bump stocks,&quot; which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law.

The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety.

A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

'Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,' Trump told more than 35 governors during a White House meeting. 'If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right'

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school. "Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side," Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. "If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right." The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights. Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing. Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage. The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment. Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon. The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons. "I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers," Inslee said. "Let`s just take that off the table and move forward." But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks. "Some school districts, they promote it," Abbott said. "They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`" Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting. Trump says would have run in Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting. An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting. "The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting," Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school "even if I didn`t have a weapon." The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments. He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a "coward." An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school. "Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement. Trump has said he plans to limit sales of "bump stocks," which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law. The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety. A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers, says NRA 'on our side'

An Indian-American has announced he will run for the US House of Representatives from Florida district.

Sanjay Patel will challenge incumbent Republican Bill Posey in Florida&rsquo;s District 8.

Patel, a resident of satellite beach, announced his candidacy this week at a meeting in Viera of the Brevard County Democratic executive committee that was attended by about 400 people.

On his campaign website, Patel is described as &ldquo;an activist, change-maker, and organisational transformation consultant&rdquo;.

He says he believes in economic justice for all.

If elected, Patel promises to work to build prosperity for communities on the Space and Treasure coasts by supporting policies that ensure large companies pay employees fairly, and that help small businesses launch, compete fairly and thrive.

&ldquo;I will work to build prosperity for Florida&rsquo;s families; guarantee health care for all Americans; protect our land, air and our water; and reform our immigration policy to reflect America&rsquo;s deepest values,&rdquo; Patel wrote on his campaign website.

&ldquo;I am the American Dream, a first-generation immigrant, the son of parents who have barely a high school education, a graduate of UCLA with a degree in economics who has built a small business and a nonprofit, and led transformative efforts in business, philanthropy, and politics,&rdquo; Patel said.

He said he&rsquo;d take his skills and experiences to &ldquo;transform our collective sadness and outrage into justice for all&rdquo;.

&ldquo;I believe it&rsquo;s time to cultivate a real conversation on the Space and Treasure coasts about economic, social and environmental justice for all people,&rdquo; Patel said.

A graduate of UCLA with a degree in economics, Patel began his career in technology, with strategy and consulting roles at Deloitte, Genentech and the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency.

He then launched a small consulting business in San Francisco; and subsequently co-founded a nonprofit, Epic Change, that used social media to raise funds for change-makers across the globe, according to his campaign site.

Patel was one-year-old when his family arrived in America. His father worked at a 7-11 and his vegetarian mother worked at a McDonald&rsquo;s while raising four children, including Sanjay.

&ldquo;My parents&rsquo; hard work for other companies earned little wealth for our family, and even less for our community,&rdquo; he said on his campaign site.

Patel is half of a Brevard Democratic Party power couple. His wife, Stacey Patel, chairs the Brevard County Democratic executive committee. Both were elected Bernie Sanders delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Sanjay Patel will challenge incumbent Republican Bill Posey in Florida’s District 8

An Indian-American has announced he will run for the US House of Representatives from Florida district. Sanjay Patel will challenge incumbent Republican Bill Posey in Florida’s District 8. Patel, a resident of satellite beach, announced his candidacy this week at a meeting in Viera of the Brevard County Democratic executive committee that was attended by about 400 people. On his campaign website, Patel is described as “an activist, change-maker, and organisational transformation consultant”. He says he believes in economic justice for all. If elected, Patel promises to work to build prosperity for communities on the Space and Treasure coasts by supporting policies that ensure large companies pay employees fairly, and that help small businesses launch, compete fairly and thrive. “I will work to build prosperity for Florida’s families; guarantee health care for all Americans; protect our land, air and our water; and reform our immigration policy to reflect America’s deepest values,” Patel wrote on his campaign website. “I am the American Dream, a first-generation immigrant, the son of parents who have barely a high school education, a graduate of UCLA with a degree in economics who has built a small business and a nonprofit, and led transformative efforts in business, philanthropy, and politics,” Patel said. He said he’d take his skills and experiences to “transform our collective sadness and outrage into justice for all”. “I believe it’s time to cultivate a real conversation on the Space and Treasure coasts about economic, social and environmental justice for all people,” Patel said. A graduate of UCLA with a degree in economics, Patel began his career in technology, with strategy and consulting roles at Deloitte, Genentech and the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency. He then launched a small consulting business in San Francisco; and subsequently co-founded a nonprofit, Epic Change, that used social media to raise funds for change-makers across the globe, according to his campaign site. Patel was one-year-old when his family arrived in America. His father worked at a 7-11 and his vegetarian mother worked at a McDonald’s while raising four children, including Sanjay. “My parents’ hard work for other companies earned little wealth for our family, and even less for our community,” he said on his campaign site. Patel is half of a Brevard Democratic Party power couple. His wife, Stacey Patel, chairs the Brevard County Democratic executive committee. Both were elected Bernie Sanders delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Indian-American from Florida to run for US Congress

The US Justice Department says it has asked prosecutors to examine alleged misconduct at the Clinton Foundation and the controversial Obama-era sale of a uranium firm to Russia, and whether a special counsel might be needed to investigate.

The move, disclosed in a letter to lawmakers, came as Attorney General Jeff Sessions was poised to testify today about election year contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russia.

As the former head of the Trump campaign&#39;s foreign policy advisory team, sessions can expect a tough grilling from Democrats about what he knew about the contacts.

Sessions have previously testified under oath that he had no knowledge of any collusion with the Russians, but a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller has uncovered contacts by lower level campaign advisers.

As the Russia election meddling probe has heated up, US President Donald Trump, as well as Republican lawmakers, have called for a probe into Hillary Clinton and the sale of a uranium company to Russia under former president Barack Obama.

Yesterday, the Justice Department responded to the Republican demands in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, who also will preside over Tuesday&#39;s hearing with sessions.

Sessions, it said, has directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate Goodlatte&#39;s request for a special counsel to investigate the uranium sale and &quot;alleged unlawful dealings related to the Clinton Foundation and other matters.&quot;

The prosecutors &quot;will make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, and whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel,&quot; it said.

The letter, first obtained by broadcaster NBC News, was signed by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd.

Republican lawmakers in late October announced they were investigating the 2013 sale of Canadian mining company Uranium One to Russian state-owned company Rosatom, which was approved by former president Barack Obama.

The move gave Rosatom control of 20 percent of US uranium stockpiles and was decided after Uranium One made several donations to the Clinton Foundation of former president Bill Clinton.

They are also demanding more clarity on how the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice decided during the height of last year&#39;s White House race to not pursue charges against Clinton over her misuse of a personal email server.

The Justice Department letter said the handling of the Clinton email case was under review by the department&#39;s inspector general, and an assessment would be made of what steps should be taken, if any, once it is completed.

The move was disclosed in a letter to lawmakers

The US Justice Department says it has asked prosecutors to examine alleged misconduct at the Clinton Foundation and the controversial Obama-era sale of a uranium firm to Russia, and whether a special counsel might be needed to investigate. The move, disclosed in a letter to lawmakers, came as Attorney General Jeff Sessions was poised to testify today about election year contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russia. As the former head of the Trump campaign's foreign policy advisory team, sessions can expect a tough grilling from Democrats about what he knew about the contacts. Sessions have previously testified under oath that he had no knowledge of any collusion with the Russians, but a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller has uncovered contacts by lower level campaign advisers. As the Russia election meddling probe has heated up, US President Donald Trump, as well as Republican lawmakers, have called for a probe into Hillary Clinton and the sale of a uranium company to Russia under former president Barack Obama. Yesterday, the Justice Department responded to the Republican demands in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, who also will preside over Tuesday's hearing with sessions. Sessions, it said, has directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate Goodlatte's request for a special counsel to investigate the uranium sale and "alleged unlawful dealings related to the Clinton Foundation and other matters." The prosecutors "will make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, and whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel," it said. The letter, first obtained by broadcaster NBC News, was signed by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd. Republican lawmakers in late October announced they were investigating the 2013 sale of Canadian mining company Uranium One to Russian state-owned company Rosatom, which was approved by former president Barack Obama. The move gave Rosatom control of 20 percent of US uranium stockpiles and was decided after Uranium One made several donations to the Clinton Foundation of former president Bill Clinton. They are also demanding more clarity on how the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice decided during the height of last year's White House race to not pursue charges against Clinton over her misuse of a personal email server. The Justice Department letter said the handling of the Clinton email case was under review by the department's inspector general, and an assessment would be made of what steps should be taken, if any, once it is completed.

US Justice Department mulls special prosecutor to probe Clinton Foundation

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump&#39;s hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break.

The rebellious faction is resisting a proposal to eliminate a federal deduction for state and local income taxes, which would hit middle-class voters in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California.

The idea is one of several that have been floated as Republicans craft a tax-cut plan. The budget blueprint, which has already been approved by the Senate, is central to their efforts to push tax legislation through Congress in the face of staunch opposition from Democrats.

The proposal &quot;is obviously an issue of concern to a group of members, and the shared goal is to work together to address the issue and move forward,&quot; an aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Wednesday.

With the clock ticking toward a vote, the impasse had yet to be settled. Republican lawmakers had planned to meet in House Speaker Paul Ryan&#39;s office at 9 pm&nbsp;to try to hammer out a resolution, but the meeting was postponed until after the budget vote, which was set for 10:30 am.&nbsp;

Republican Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey told reporters it was possible there were enough votes to block the budget plan. &quot;It&#39;s got to be close,&quot; he said.

Scalise predicted victory. &quot;We&#39;re going to get it done,&quot; he told Fox News Channel.

Republicans have sketched out a tax package that independent analysts say would cut taxes for businesses and individuals by up to $6 trillion over the next decade, but detailed legislation is not expected to be unveiled until next week.

If Congress approves a tax-cut plan, it would hand Trump his first major legislative win since he took office in January.

&quot;I am urging Republicans who have questions about SALT (the state and local tax deduction) to vote no tomorrow, and keep voting no until we get some compromise we can live with,&quot; Republican Representative Peter King of New York told Reuters.

An aide to Republican Representative Tom Reed of New York said there was discussion of a compromise that would call for a tax credit up to a certain income amount to replace the deduction, and that he would support it.

Republican Representative Leonard Lance of New Jersey told Reuters he was not interested in a compromise at this time, and instead wanted the repeal provision taken off the table.

&quot;I will be voting no on the budget tomorrow,&quot; he said.

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump's hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break.

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump's hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the US House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break. The rebellious faction is resisting a proposal to eliminate a federal deduction for state and local income taxes, which would hit middle-class voters in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. The idea is one of several that have been floated as Republicans craft a tax-cut plan. The budget blueprint, which has already been approved by the Senate, is central to their efforts to push tax legislation through Congress in the face of staunch opposition from Democrats. The proposal "is obviously an issue of concern to a group of members, and the shared goal is to work together to address the issue and move forward," an aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Wednesday. With the clock ticking toward a vote, the impasse had yet to be settled. Republican lawmakers had planned to meet in House Speaker Paul Ryan's office at 9 pm to try to hammer out a resolution, but the meeting was postponed until after the budget vote, which was set for 10:30 am. Republican Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey told reporters it was possible there were enough votes to block the budget plan. "It's got to be close," he said. Scalise predicted victory. "We're going to get it done," he told Fox News Channel. Republicans have sketched out a tax package that independent analysts say would cut taxes for businesses and individuals by up to $6 trillion over the next decade, but detailed legislation is not expected to be unveiled until next week. If Congress approves a tax-cut plan, it would hand Trump his first major legislative win since he took office in January. "I am urging Republicans who have questions about SALT (the state and local tax deduction) to vote no tomorrow, and keep voting no until we get some compromise we can live with," Republican Representative Peter King of New York told Reuters. An aide to Republican Representative Tom Reed of New York said there was discussion of a compromise that would call for a tax credit up to a certain income amount to replace the deduction, and that he would support it. Republican Representative Leonard Lance of New Jersey told Reuters he was not interested in a compromise at this time, and instead wanted the repeal provision taken off the table. "I will be voting no on the budget tomorrow," he said.

Republican tax fight complicates plan to pass budget in US House

Senate Republicans on Thursday crushed a Democratic blockade of President Donald Trump&#39;s US&nbsp;Supreme Court nominee in a fierce partisan brawl, approving a rule change dubbed the &quot;nuclear option&quot; to allow for conservative judge Neil Gorsuch&#39;s confirmation by Friday.

With ideological control of the nation&#39;s highest court at stake, the Republican-led Senate voted along party lines to change its long-standing rules in order to prohibit a procedural tactic called a filibuster against Supreme Court nominees. That came after Republicans failed by a 55-45 tally to muster the 60-vote super-majority needed to end the Democratic filibuster that had sought to deny Gorsuch confirmation to the lifetime post.

The Senate paved the way for senators to confirm Gorsuch by simple majority. Republicans control the Senate 52-48. The rule change has been dubbed the &quot;nuclear option&quot; because it has been considered an extreme break with Senate traditions, and Trump has encouraged McConnell to &quot;go nuclear&quot;.

&quot;This will be the first and last partisan filibuster of the Supreme Court,&quot; Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor, accusing Democrats of trying to inflict political damage on Trump and to keep more conservatives from joining the high court.

&quot;In 20 or 30 or 40 years, we will sadly point to today as a turning point in the history of the Senate and the Supreme Court, a day when we irrevocably moved further away from the principles our founders intended for these institutions: principles of bipartisanship, moderation and consensus,&quot; Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Schumer ridiculed McConnell&#39;s contention that the Democratic action was unprecedented, noting that the Republican-led Senate last year refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama&#39;s nomination of appellate judge Merrick Garland for the same high court seat that Trump elected Gorsuch to fill.

Senate confirmation of Gorsuch, 49, would restore the nine-seat court&#39;s 5-4 conservative majority, enable Trump to leave an indelible mark on America&#39;s highest judicial body and fulfill a top campaign promise by the Republican president. Gorsuch could be expected to serve for decades.

The court&#39;s ideological leaning could help determine the outcome of cases involving the death penalty, abortion, gun control, environmental regulations, transgender rights, voting rights, immigration, religious liberty, presidential powers and more.

The nine-seat Supreme Court has had a vacancy since conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016.

Republicans have called Gorsuch superbly qualified and one of the most distinguished appellate judges on the bench, and they blamed the Democrats for politicising the confirmation process.

Democrats accused Gorsuch of being so conservative as to be outside the judicial mainstream, favouring corporate interests over ordinary Americans in legal opinions, and displaying insufficient independence from Trump.

&quot;This isn&#39;t really about the nominee anyway,&quot; McConnell said. &quot;The opposition to this particular nominee is more about the man who nominated him and the party he represents than the nominee himself.&quot;

What Republicans did to Obama&#39;s nominee Garland was worse than a filibuster, Schumer said. Schumer said Republicans denied &quot;the constitutional prerogative of a president with 11 months left in his term.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;THE FALLOUT&#39;

&quot;The nuclear option was used by Senator McConnell when he stopped Merrick Garland. What we face today is the fallout,&quot; Democratic Senator Richard Durbin added on the Senate floor.

McConnell blamed the escalation of fights over judicial nominees on the Democrats and their opposition starting three decades ago to nominees made by Republican former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W&nbsp;Bush.

McConnell called the Democratic effort against Gorsuch &quot;another extreme escalation in the left&#39;s never-ending drive to politicise the court and the confirmation process.&quot; He accused Gorsuch&#39;s opponents of &quot;a singular aim: securing raw power no matter the cost to the country or the institution&quot;.

The 60-vote threshold that gives the minority party power to hold up the majority party has forced the Senate over the decades to try to achieve bipartisanship in legislation and presidential appointments.

The filibuster in one form or another dates back to the 19th century but assumed its current form in the 1970s.

While Democrats opposed the rule change and accused Republicans of a power grab, it was the Democrats who first resorted to the nuclear option when they controlled the Senate in 2013. In the face of Republican filibusters of Obama appointments, they barred filibusters for executive branch nominees and federal judges aside from Supreme Court justices but still allowed it for Supreme Court nominees and legislation.

The Republican-backed rule change on Thursday maintains the ability to filibuster legislation.

In the past, the nuclear option has been averted when moderates in the two parties compromised to avoid a showdown, but the ferocious partisanship in Washington now made that impossible.

Experts said eliminating the filibuster for Supreme Court appointments could make it more likely that presidents, with little incentive to choose centrist justices who could attract support from the other party, will pick ideologically extreme nominees in the future.

Ending the filibuster also would make it easier for future Supreme Court nominees to be confirmed when the president and Senate leadership belong to the same party.

With the failure of Republican healthcare legislation in Congress and with federal courts blocking the president&#39;s ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, securing Gorsuch&#39;s confirmation took on even greater importance for Trump, who took office in January.

(Reuters)

Senate confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, 49, would restore the nine-seat court's 5-4 conservative majority

Senate Republicans on Thursday crushed a Democratic blockade of President Donald Trump's US Supreme Court nominee in a fierce partisan brawl, approving a rule change dubbed the "nuclear option" to allow for conservative judge Neil Gorsuch's confirmation by Friday. With ideological control of the nation's highest court at stake, the Republican-led Senate voted along party lines to change its long-standing rules in order to prohibit a procedural tactic called a filibuster against Supreme Court nominees. That came after Republicans failed by a 55-45 tally to muster the 60-vote super-majority needed to end the Democratic filibuster that had sought to deny Gorsuch confirmation to the lifetime post. The Senate paved the way for senators to confirm Gorsuch by simple majority. Republicans control the Senate 52-48. The rule change has been dubbed the "nuclear option" because it has been considered an extreme break with Senate traditions, and Trump has encouraged McConnell to "go nuclear". "This will be the first and last partisan filibuster of the Supreme Court," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor, accusing Democrats of trying to inflict political damage on Trump and to keep more conservatives from joining the high court. "In 20 or 30 or 40 years, we will sadly point to today as a turning point in the history of the Senate and the Supreme Court, a day when we irrevocably moved further away from the principles our founders intended for these institutions: principles of bipartisanship, moderation and consensus," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. Schumer ridiculed McConnell's contention that the Democratic action was unprecedented, noting that the Republican-led Senate last year refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama's nomination of appellate judge Merrick Garland for the same high court seat that Trump elected Gorsuch to fill. Senate confirmation of Gorsuch, 49, would restore the nine-seat court's 5-4 conservative majority, enable Trump to leave an indelible mark on America's highest judicial body and fulfill a top campaign promise by the Republican president. Gorsuch could be expected to serve for decades. The court's ideological leaning could help determine the outcome of cases involving the death penalty, abortion, gun control, environmental regulations, transgender rights, voting rights, immigration, religious liberty, presidential powers and more. The nine-seat Supreme Court has had a vacancy since conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016. Republicans have called Gorsuch superbly qualified and one of the most distinguished appellate judges on the bench, and they blamed the Democrats for politicising the confirmation process. Democrats accused Gorsuch of being so conservative as to be outside the judicial mainstream, favouring corporate interests over ordinary Americans in legal opinions, and displaying insufficient independence from Trump. "This isn't really about the nominee anyway," McConnell said. "The opposition to this particular nominee is more about the man who nominated him and the party he represents than the nominee himself." What Republicans did to Obama's nominee Garland was worse than a filibuster, Schumer said. Schumer said Republicans denied "the constitutional prerogative of a president with 11 months left in his term." 'THE FALLOUT' "The nuclear option was used by Senator McConnell when he stopped Merrick Garland. What we face today is the fallout," Democratic Senator Richard Durbin added on the Senate floor. McConnell blamed the escalation of fights over judicial nominees on the Democrats and their opposition starting three decades ago to nominees made by Republican former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W Bush. McConnell called the Democratic effort against Gorsuch "another extreme escalation in the left's never-ending drive to politicise the court and the confirmation process." He accused Gorsuch's opponents of "a singular aim: securing raw power no matter the cost to the country or the institution". The 60-vote threshold that gives the minority party power to hold up the majority party has forced the Senate over the decades to try to achieve bipartisanship in legislation and presidential appointments. The filibuster in one form or another dates back to the 19th century but assumed its current form in the 1970s. While Democrats opposed the rule change and accused Republicans of a power grab, it was the Democrats who first resorted to the nuclear option when they controlled the Senate in 2013. In the face of Republican filibusters of Obama appointments, they barred filibusters for executive branch nominees and federal judges aside from Supreme Court justices but still allowed it for Supreme Court nominees and legislation. The Republican-backed rule change on Thursday maintains the ability to filibuster legislation. In the past, the nuclear option has been averted when moderates in the two parties compromised to avoid a showdown, but the ferocious partisanship in Washington now made that impossible. Experts said eliminating the filibuster for Supreme Court appointments could make it more likely that presidents, with little incentive to choose centrist justices who could attract support from the other party, will pick ideologically extreme nominees in the future. Ending the filibuster also would make it easier for future Supreme Court nominees to be confirmed when the president and Senate leadership belong to the same party. With the failure of Republican healthcare legislation in Congress and with federal courts blocking the president's ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, securing Gorsuch's confirmation took on even greater importance for Trump, who took office in January. (Reuters)

Senate ends Democratic blockade of Trump Supreme Court pick, via 'nuclear option'

The chairman of the House of Representatives intelligence committee said on Thursday he was temporarily stepping down from the panel&#39;s probe into allegations of Russian meddling in the US&nbsp;presidential election while he answers ethics complaints filed against him.

Republican Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement that &quot;entirely false and politically motivated&quot; charges that he made unauthorised disclosures of classified information had been lodged against him with the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Nunes, who was on Donald Trump&#39;s presidential transition team following the 2016 election, has been sharply criticised by Democrats for his handling of the Russia probe after he received information at the White House, held a news conference about it and then went back to the White House to brief Trump, all before sharing it with other members of his committee.

The Russia probe is investigating whether Moscow hacked emails of senior Democrats during the election campaign and released embarrassing information to hurt Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and benefit Trump. Russia denies the allegations.

The House Ethics Committee said in a statement it had decided to investigate allegations that Nunes may have made unauthorised disclosures of classified information in violation of House rules, the law and other standards of conduct.

Nunes said he had decided to step aside from the Russia investigation in order to fight the allegations and wanted to speak with the ethics office as soon as possible &quot;to expedite the dismissal of these false claims&quot;.

The top Democrat on the committee, Representative Adam Schiff, said Nunes&#39; decision to step aside from the investigation was made in &quot;the best interests of the committee and I respect that decision&quot;.

(Reuters)

Nunes, who was on Donald Trump's presidential transition team, has been sharply criticised by Democrats for his handling of the Russia probe

The chairman of the House of Representatives intelligence committee said on Thursday he was temporarily stepping down from the panel's probe into allegations of Russian meddling in the US presidential election while he answers ethics complaints filed against him. Republican Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement that "entirely false and politically motivated" charges that he made unauthorised disclosures of classified information had been lodged against him with the Office of Congressional Ethics. Nunes, who was on Donald Trump's presidential transition team following the 2016 election, has been sharply criticised by Democrats for his handling of the Russia probe after he received information at the White House, held a news conference about it and then went back to the White House to brief Trump, all before sharing it with other members of his committee. The Russia probe is investigating whether Moscow hacked emails of senior Democrats during the election campaign and released embarrassing information to hurt Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and benefit Trump. Russia denies the allegations. The House Ethics Committee said in a statement it had decided to investigate allegations that Nunes may have made unauthorised disclosures of classified information in violation of House rules, the law and other standards of conduct. Nunes said he had decided to step aside from the Russia investigation in order to fight the allegations and wanted to speak with the ethics office as soon as possible "to expedite the dismissal of these false claims". The top Democrat on the committee, Representative Adam Schiff, said Nunes' decision to step aside from the investigation was made in "the best interests of the committee and I respect that decision". (Reuters)

Nunes steps aside from US House probe on Russia-Trump

A 31-year-old Indian-American entrepreneur has entered the governor&#39;s race in New Jersey, the elections for which are scheduled for later this year.

Harsh Vardhan Singh, a Republican, entered the race with a promise to cut property taxes and make New Jersey a national technology leader. If elected in the November gubernatorial elections, Singh would succeed outgoing Governor Chris Christie.

However, he faces a tough Republican primary on June 6, 2017. There are at least four popular Republican candidates in the race -- Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, Lt Governor and Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, Nutley Commissioner of Public Affairs Steven Rogers and businessman Joseph Rudy Rullo.

New Jersey is predominately a Democratic State, but it currently has Republican Governor Chris Christie, who can&#39;t seek a third term because there is a term-limit.

Announcing early this month his run for the top elected position in the state, Singh urged people of New Jersey to give fresh ideas a chance. &quot;We&#39;ve tried bankers from Goldman Sachs before and we&#39;ve tried lawyers. Now if you give me the support I bring my engineering background as a problem solver,&quot; he said.

Born in Atlantic City, Singh earned engineering degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

&quot;It&#39;s time to scale back government interference in our lives and get back to our motto of &#39;Liberty and Prosperity&#39;,&quot; he said. If elected, Singh would be the third Indian-American ever elected as a governor of a state.

Bobby Jindal was the first Indian American elected as the Governor of Louisiana followed by Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Neil Kashkari had an unsuccessful bid at the top position in California.

Local news-papers, as of now, do not give much chance to Singh. New Jersey has one of the highest concentration of Indian Americans in the State.

As per 2010 census, New Jersey had the third-largest concentration of Indian Americans after California (528,176) and New York (313,629).

New Jersey&#39;s 292,256 Indian Americans, as per 2010 census accounted for 3.32 per cent of the State&#39;s population. The State experienced an increase of 72 per cent increase in Indian American population since 2000.

&quot;I was making a lot more money in the private sector. I was doing a very good job. The idea is to help our people and improve the state,&quot; Singh said in a recent interview to SNJ Today.

In his speech, to announce his gubernatorial run, Singh said the problems faced by New Jersey are a result of a flawed philosophy of government held by State leaders. He asserted that the solution has always been right in front in the state motto: Liberty and Prosperity.

&quot;Through liberty we attain prosperity,&quot; he said.

(PTI)

If elected in the November gubernatorial elections, the Republican Harsh Vardhan Singh would succeed outgoing Governor Chris Christie

A 31-year-old Indian-American entrepreneur has entered the governor's race in New Jersey, the elections for which are scheduled for later this year. Harsh Vardhan Singh, a Republican, entered the race with a promise to cut property taxes and make New Jersey a national technology leader. If elected in the November gubernatorial elections, Singh would succeed outgoing Governor Chris Christie. However, he faces a tough Republican primary on June 6, 2017. There are at least four popular Republican candidates in the race -- Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, Lt Governor and Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, Nutley Commissioner of Public Affairs Steven Rogers and businessman Joseph Rudy Rullo. New Jersey is predominately a Democratic State, but it currently has Republican Governor Chris Christie, who can't seek a third term because there is a term-limit. Announcing early this month his run for the top elected position in the state, Singh urged people of New Jersey to give fresh ideas a chance. "We've tried bankers from Goldman Sachs before and we've tried lawyers. Now if you give me the support I bring my engineering background as a problem solver," he said. Born in Atlantic City, Singh earned engineering degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. "It's time to scale back government interference in our lives and get back to our motto of 'Liberty and Prosperity'," he said. If elected, Singh would be the third Indian-American ever elected as a governor of a state. Bobby Jindal was the first Indian American elected as the Governor of Louisiana followed by Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Neil Kashkari had an unsuccessful bid at the top position in California. Local news-papers, as of now, do not give much chance to Singh. New Jersey has one of the highest concentration of Indian Americans in the State. As per 2010 census, New Jersey had the third-largest concentration of Indian Americans after California (528,176) and New York (313,629). New Jersey's 292,256 Indian Americans, as per 2010 census accounted for 3.32 per cent of the State's population. The State experienced an increase of 72 per cent increase in Indian American population since 2000. "I was making a lot more money in the private sector. I was doing a very good job. The idea is to help our people and improve the state," Singh said in a recent interview to SNJ Today. In his speech, to announce his gubernatorial run, Singh said the problems faced by New Jersey are a result of a flawed philosophy of government held by State leaders. He asserted that the solution has always been right in front in the state motto: Liberty and Prosperity. "Through liberty we attain prosperity," he said. (PTI)

Indian-American enters governor's race in New Jersey

President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US&nbsp;intelligence community&#39;s conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the US&nbsp;presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday.

Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that&#39;s not the issue,&quot; Priebus said on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot;.

It was the first acknowledgment from a senior member of the Republican president-elect&#39;s team that Trump had accepted that Russia directed the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election.

Trump had rebuffed allegations that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, saying the intrusions could have been carried out by China or a 400-pound hacker on his bed.

With less than two weeks until his January&nbsp;20 inauguration, Trump has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans to accept intelligence community findings on Russian hacking and other attempts by Moscow to influence the November&nbsp;8 election. A crucial test of Republican support for Trump comes this week with the first confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks.

A US&nbsp;intelligence report last week said Putin directed a sophisticated influence campaign including cyber attacks to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and support Trump.

The report, commissioned by Democratic President Barack Obama in December, concluded vote tallies were not affected by Russian interference, but did not assess whether it influenced the outcome of the vote in other ways.

&nbsp;

&#39;Action may be taken&#39;

After receiving a briefing on Friday from leaders of the US&nbsp;intelligence agencies, Trump did not refer specifically to Russia&#39;s role in the presidential campaign.

In a statement, he acknowledged that &quot;Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat(ic) National Committee&quot;.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told Reuters the president-elect&#39;s conclusions remained the same and that Priebus&#39; comments were in line with Friday&#39;s statement.

Priebus&rsquo; wording did not appear to foreshadow the dramatic reversal of Trump&rsquo;s apparent Russia policy that experts say would be required to deter further cyber attacks.

&ldquo;It will take a lot more than what we heard on television today to make Putin cool it,&rdquo; the expert added. &ldquo;In fact, there may not be anything that can deter Putin from pursuing a course he&rsquo;s bet his future and Russia&rsquo;s on,&rdquo; said a US&nbsp;intelligence expert on Russia, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss domestic political positions.

The expert added that Putin&#39;s &quot;multifaceted campaign of cyber attacks and espionage, propaganda, financial leverage, fake news and traditional espionage&quot; had expanded in the United States since the election, &quot;and it will be a shock if it does not escalate in France, Germany and elsewhere this year.&quot;

Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman Trump tapped as White House chief of staff, said Trump planned to order the intelligence community to make recommendations as to what should be done. &quot;Action may be taken,&quot; he said, adding there was nothing wrong with trying to have a good relationship with Russia and other countries.

Two senior Republican senators urged Trump to punish Russia in response to US&nbsp;intelligence agencies&#39; conclusion that Putin personally directed efforts aimed at influencing the election.

Appearing on NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press,&quot; Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain said evidence was conclusive that Putin sought to influence the election - a point that Trump has refuted.

&quot;In a couple weeks, Donald Trump will be the defender of the free world and democracy,&quot; Graham said. &quot;You should let everybody know in America, Republicans and Democrats, that you&#39;re going to make Russia pay a price for trying to interfere.&quot;

On Saturday, Trump wrote on Twitter that having a better relationship with Russia was a &quot;good thing&quot;.

US&nbsp;Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said three US&nbsp;presidents had tried and failed to be friends with Putin.

&quot;I&rsquo;m just not sure it&rsquo;s possible,&quot; Nunes said on the &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; program. &quot;I&rsquo;ve cautioned his administration to be careful with Putin, as he remains a bad actor.&quot;

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed it was not unusual for a new president to want to get along with the Russians. He added on CBS, however, that the Russians remained a &quot;big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election&quot;.

Obama, who himself tried to &quot;reset&quot; relations with Russia after he took office in 2009, told NBC he did not think he had underestimated the Russian president.

&quot;But I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation for cyber hacking and so forth to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating,&quot; he said in an interview with &quot;Meet the Press&quot; broadcast on Sunday.

(Reuters)

Two aides claim he accepts US intel, but after his CIA briefing Trump did not single out Putin and still wants good relations with Russia

President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the US presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday. Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that's not the issue," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday". It was the first acknowledgment from a senior member of the Republican president-elect's team that Trump had accepted that Russia directed the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election. Trump had rebuffed allegations that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, saying the intrusions could have been carried out by China or a 400-pound hacker on his bed. With less than two weeks until his January 20 inauguration, Trump has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans to accept intelligence community findings on Russian hacking and other attempts by Moscow to influence the November 8 election. A crucial test of Republican support for Trump comes this week with the first confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks. A US intelligence report last week said Putin directed a sophisticated influence campaign including cyber attacks to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and support Trump. The report, commissioned by Democratic President Barack Obama in December, concluded vote tallies were not affected by Russian interference, but did not assess whether it influenced the outcome of the vote in other ways. 'Action may be taken' After receiving a briefing on Friday from leaders of the US intelligence agencies, Trump did not refer specifically to Russia's role in the presidential campaign. In a statement, he acknowledged that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat(ic) National Committee". Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told Reuters the president-elect's conclusions remained the same and that Priebus' comments were in line with Friday's statement. Priebus’ wording did not appear to foreshadow the dramatic reversal of Trump’s apparent Russia policy that experts say would be required to deter further cyber attacks. “It will take a lot more than what we heard on television today to make Putin cool it,” the expert added. “In fact, there may not be anything that can deter Putin from pursuing a course he’s bet his future and Russia’s on,” said a US intelligence expert on Russia, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss domestic political positions. The expert added that Putin's "multifaceted campaign of cyber attacks and espionage, propaganda, financial leverage, fake news and traditional espionage" had expanded in the United States since the election, "and it will be a shock if it does not escalate in France, Germany and elsewhere this year." Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman Trump tapped as White House chief of staff, said Trump planned to order the intelligence community to make recommendations as to what should be done. "Action may be taken," he said, adding there was nothing wrong with trying to have a good relationship with Russia and other countries. Two senior Republican senators urged Trump to punish Russia in response to US intelligence agencies' conclusion that Putin personally directed efforts aimed at influencing the election. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain said evidence was conclusive that Putin sought to influence the election - a point that Trump has refuted. "In a couple weeks, Donald Trump will be the defender of the free world and democracy," Graham said. "You should let everybody know in America, Republicans and Democrats, that you're going to make Russia pay a price for trying to interfere." On Saturday, Trump wrote on Twitter that having a better relationship with Russia was a "good thing". US Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said three US presidents had tried and failed to be friends with Putin. "I’m just not sure it’s possible," Nunes said on the "Fox News Sunday" program. "I’ve cautioned his administration to be careful with Putin, as he remains a bad actor." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed it was not unusual for a new president to want to get along with the Russians. He added on CBS, however, that the Russians remained a "big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election". Obama, who himself tried to "reset" relations with Russia after he took office in 2009, told NBC he did not think he had underestimated the Russian president. "But I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation for cyber hacking and so forth to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating," he said in an interview with "Meet the Press" broadcast on Sunday. (Reuters)

Trump team admits but downplays Russian election interference: 'Action may be taken'

The United States elects a president every four years and election day is always the first Tuesday of&nbsp;November.

What does it take to qualify for presidentship? You have to be a US citizen by birth, be at least 35-years-old and a US resident for 14 years.

Today&#39;s election will give the United States its 45th president - Democrat Hillary&nbsp;Clinton or Republican&nbsp;Donald Trump.

Polling centre scene

At a polling centre in Brooklyn, New York, voters find out their district, then they get a paper ballot, they get registered and check&nbsp;in. They then move to the polling stations behind to scan their vote and get a sticker saying &#39;I&nbsp;voted&#39;.

&quot;It&#39;s a big decision - first of all a woman president, it&#39;s a big step for the US and I think putting her in office as opposed to Trump makes that difference,&quot; says Janna&nbsp;Ferner-Bell.

&quot;I&#39;m all about Jill Stein. I&#39;m all about the green party. She has integrity, she is smart, the world needs a&nbsp;bigger change,&quot; Karmela&nbsp;Lozina&nbsp;says.

Not all polling centres were quick though - the line in midtown Manhattan stretched out for about two hours. It&#39;s the same location where Donald&nbsp;Trump cast his ballot.

Electoral college

In the United States with the electoral college, you aren&#39;t voting for the president directly, instead you are voting for electors. Those electors will cast the ballot for the president.

So if neither candidate gets the necessary 270 electoral votes, the house of representatives will pick the president and the senate will pick the vice president.

The election process starts at the state level where voters pick a candidate through primaries and caucuses. After this, two major political parties in the US - the Democrats (in blue) and the Republicans (in red) host a nomination convention to unite behind one candidate.

Each nominee also chooses a vice president candidate at this time.

This year, Democratic candidate Hillary&nbsp;Clinton picked Viriginia senator Tim&nbsp;Kaine while Republican candidate Donald&nbsp;Trump chose Indiana governor Mike Pence.

The candidates tour the country through campaign rallies where they explain their views on hot burning issues like domestic policies, foreign policies, the economy, terrorism, gun control, immigration and healthcare.

A&nbsp;lot of states typically are &#39;red&#39; or &#39;blue&#39;&nbsp;states &ndash; but sometimes swing states or &#39;purple&#39;&nbsp;states mean there is equal chance&nbsp;for a Republican or Democratic victory. 
 
When voters cast their ballot, they&nbsp;pick who they want for the country&#39;s top position. These votes represent the popular vote and does not determine the actual winner.

(WION)

With the United States set to get its 45th president, WION explains the process behind the election

The United States elects a president every four years and election day is always the first Tuesday of November. What does it take to qualify for presidentship? You have to be a US citizen by birth, be at least 35-years-old and a US resident for 14 years. Today's election will give the United States its 45th president - Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump. Polling centre scene At a polling centre in Brooklyn, New York, voters find out their district, then they get a paper ballot, they get registered and check in. They then move to the polling stations behind to scan their vote and get a sticker saying 'I voted'. "It's a big decision - first of all a woman president, it's a big step for the US and I think putting her in office as opposed to Trump makes that difference," says Janna Ferner-Bell. "I'm all about Jill Stein. I'm all about the green party. She has integrity, she is smart, the world needs a bigger change," Karmela Lozina says. Not all polling centres were quick though - the line in midtown Manhattan stretched out for about two hours. It's the same location where Donald Trump cast his ballot. Electoral college In the United States with the electoral college, you aren't voting for the president directly, instead you are voting for electors. Those electors will cast the ballot for the president. So if neither candidate gets the necessary 270 electoral votes, the house of representatives will pick the president and the senate will pick the vice president. The election process starts at the state level where voters pick a candidate through primaries and caucuses. After this, two major political parties in the US - the Democrats (in blue) and the Republicans (in red) host a nomination convention to unite behind one candidate. Each nominee also chooses a vice president candidate at this time. This year, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton picked Viriginia senator Tim Kaine while Republican candidate Donald Trump chose Indiana governor Mike Pence. The candidates tour the country through campaign rallies where they explain their views on hot burning issues like domestic policies, foreign policies, the economy, terrorism, gun control, immigration and healthcare. A lot of states typically are 'red' or 'blue' states – but sometimes swing states or 'purple' states mean there is equal chance for a Republican or Democratic victory. When voters cast their ballot, they pick who they want for the country's top position. These votes represent the popular vote and does not determine the actual winner. (WION)

US Election 2016: This is how America votes

Donald Trump is the Republican Party nominee for the President of the United States in the 2016 election.

A business magnate, Trump is at the helm of Trump Organization, focusing mainly on real estate ventures.

Trump&#39;s presidential campaign has brought forth his strong position against unlawful immigration.

To make America safe, Trump argues for stringent refugee policy, limiting entry of Muslims from countries with a proven history of terrorism.

Trump wants re-negotiation of fair trade deals to create American jobs, increase American wages and reduce America&#39;s trade deficit.

He has been particularly critical of NAFTA and US&#39;s current trade dynamics with China.

He proposes a &nbsp;pro-growth tax plan and envisions an energy-independent US that will feel no need to import energy from the OPEC cartel or any nations hostile to American interests.

Increasing the size of the US army and enhancing the country&#39;s cyber defence capacity have been core planks of Trump&#39;s defense strategy.

His&nbsp;hairstyle, as much as his comments, has&nbsp;attracted media attention in the recent past.

Real estate mogul-turned-politician, Republican Donald Trump has been controversy's favourite child this election season

Donald Trump is the Republican Party nominee for the President of the United States in the 2016 election. A business magnate, Trump is at the helm of Trump Organization, focusing mainly on real estate ventures. Trump's presidential campaign has brought forth his strong position against unlawful immigration. To make America safe, Trump argues for stringent refugee policy, limiting entry of Muslims from countries with a proven history of terrorism. Trump wants re-negotiation of fair trade deals to create American jobs, increase American wages and reduce America's trade deficit. He has been particularly critical of NAFTA and US's current trade dynamics with China. He proposes a pro-growth tax plan and envisions an energy-independent US that will feel no need to import energy from the OPEC cartel or any nations hostile to American interests. Increasing the size of the US army and enhancing the country's cyber defence capacity have been core planks of Trump's defense strategy. His hairstyle, as much as his comments, has attracted media attention in the recent past.

Who is Donald Trump?

Presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will meet with the leading US gun rights group about preventing people on a government terrorism &quot;watch list&quot; from buying guns, a move that may put pressure on fellow Republicans to enact new gun restrictions following the Orlando massacre. 
 
Another Republican, US Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, is already working on a bill that would keep guns from people on such terrorism &quot;watch lists,&quot; a gun control group said. 
 
Republicans have staunchly defended gun rights and fought off attempts during Democrat Barack Obama&#39;s presidency to implement new restrictions. But Republican opponents of gun control measures are again under pressure from Democrats after a gunman killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub early on Sunday. 
 
The National Rifle Association, a politically influential lobbying group that claims more than 4 million members and has played a key role in thwarting gun control legislation in the US Congress, on May 20 endorsed Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. 
 
&quot;I will be meeting with the NRA, who has endorsed me, about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter. 
 
Trump last month told an NRA convention that he would protect the constitutional right to bear arms. He accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, of wanting to abolish that right, which she says is false. 
 
Trump said in a November television interview he would support gun restrictions for someone on a &quot;watch list&quot; who is &quot;an enemy of state.&quot; 
 
The FBI maintains two terrorism &quot;watch lists,&quot; a smaller &quot;no fly&quot; list barring people from flying to and from the United States and a larger one of more than a million people that subjects travelers to greater scrutiny. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, the US-born son of Afghan immigrants, was on the broader list at one time. 
 
On Tuesday, the NRA said on Twitter that barring people on watch lists from buying guns is &quot;ineffective, unconstitutional, or both.&quot; 
 
Lizzie Ulmer, a spokeswoman for Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group backed by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said the organization was in talks with Toomey on a bill that would curb gun sales to people on the watch lists. 
 
Toomey previously joined forces with Democrats on gun-control legislation after a gunman in 2012 fatally shot 20 young children and six educators at a Connecticut elementary school. That legislation was opposed by the NRA and killed by congressional Republicans. 
 
Clinton said on Monday she was &quot;bewildered&quot; that congressional Republicans had blocked a Democratic effort to restrict gun sales to people on the watch lists. 
 
The Trump campaign declined to provide more information about the NRA meeting. &quot;We will send details at the appropriate time,&quot; campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said. 
 
The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
(Reuters)

This is a crucial shift in the Republican stance on the issue that staunchly supported gun rights and follows the Orlando massacre.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will meet with the leading US gun rights group about preventing people on a government terrorism "watch list" from buying guns, a move that may put pressure on fellow Republicans to enact new gun restrictions following the Orlando massacre. Another Republican, US Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, is already working on a bill that would keep guns from people on such terrorism "watch lists," a gun control group said. Republicans have staunchly defended gun rights and fought off attempts during Democrat Barack Obama's presidency to implement new restrictions. But Republican opponents of gun control measures are again under pressure from Democrats after a gunman killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub early on Sunday. The National Rifle Association, a politically influential lobbying group that claims more than 4 million members and has played a key role in thwarting gun control legislation in the US Congress, on May 20 endorsed Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "I will be meeting with the NRA, who has endorsed me, about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns," Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump last month told an NRA convention that he would protect the constitutional right to bear arms. He accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, of wanting to abolish that right, which she says is false. Trump said in a November television interview he would support gun restrictions for someone on a "watch list" who is "an enemy of state." The FBI maintains two terrorism "watch lists," a smaller "no fly" list barring people from flying to and from the United States and a larger one of more than a million people that subjects travelers to greater scrutiny. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, the US-born son of Afghan immigrants, was on the broader list at one time. On Tuesday, the NRA said on Twitter that barring people on watch lists from buying guns is "ineffective, unconstitutional, or both." Lizzie Ulmer, a spokeswoman for Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group backed by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said the organization was in talks with Toomey on a bill that would curb gun sales to people on the watch lists. Toomey previously joined forces with Democrats on gun-control legislation after a gunman in 2012 fatally shot 20 young children and six educators at a Connecticut elementary school. That legislation was opposed by the NRA and killed by congressional Republicans. Clinton said on Monday she was "bewildered" that congressional Republicans had blocked a Democratic effort to restrict gun sales to people on the watch lists. The Trump campaign declined to provide more information about the NRA meeting. "We will send details at the appropriate time," campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said. The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reuters)

Don't let those on watch lists bear arms, Donald Trump to tell NRA

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as &quot;extremely dishonest&quot; and even calling a TV journalist &quot;a sleaze&quot;, triggering angry protests from media associations. 
&quot;We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press,&quot; Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. 
&quot;I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much,&quot; the former reality TV star said. 
He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans&#39; charities. 
&quot;The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met,&quot; he said. 
Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, &quot;You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well&quot;. 
The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. 
Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent&#39;s Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. 
&quot;The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press,&quot; WHCA President Carol Lee said. 
&quot;We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year,&quot; Lee said. 
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. 
&quot;He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations,&quot; Clinton told the CNN in an interview. 
In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. 
&quot;I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here,&quot; Clinton added.

The Republican Presidential candidate launched into a fiery attack, slamming the media for questioning the $6 million fund he claims to have raised for military veterans

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as "extremely dishonest" and even calling a TV journalist "a sleaze", triggering angry protests from media associations. "We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press," Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. "I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much," the former reality TV star said. He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans' charities. "The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met," he said. Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, "You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well". The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent's Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. "The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press," WHCA President Carol Lee said. "We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year," Lee said. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. "He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations," Clinton told the CNN in an interview. In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. "I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here," Clinton added.

Trump attacks U.S media, calls TV journalist 'sleaze'

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called President Barack Obama and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton &quot;co-founders&quot; of Islamic State today, in remarks certain to ignite fresh criticism of his campaign style. 
 
The New York real estate developer has previously criticised Obama and Clinton, secretary of state from 2009-13, for how the United States pulled out of Iraq after the war, saying it helped create the militant Islamist group that has seized swaths of Iraq and Syria. 
 
The idea that a sitting US president created a militant group determined to kill Americans and other Westerners took that criticism to a new level. Trump first made the assertion in a speech on Wednesday night in Florida. He repeated it in an interview Thursday morning with CNBC. 
 
His remarks followed a troubled week for the Republican candidate. Party leaders urged Trump to focus on the campaign to beat Clinton after he drew strong criticism for a persistent confrontation with the family of muslim-American soldier who died in Iraq and for his initial refusal to support prominent Republican candidates in their primary races. 
 
Recent opinion polls have shown Trump losing ground to Clinton, a former US senator and first lady, in the race for the November 8 election. An average of polls by RealClearPolitics has Clinton 7.7 percentage points ahead, at 48 per cent to his 40.3 per cent. 
 
&quot;He (Obama) was the founder of ISIS. And so was she. I mean I call them co-founders,&quot; said Trump, who says he opposed the Iraq war. &quot;He shouldn&#39;t have gotten out way he got out. It was a disaster, what he did,&quot; he told CNBC. 
 
Obama had opposed the Iraq war and campaigned for the White House in 2008 on a promise to end it. The United States pulled out combat troops in 2011. 
 
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS or ISIL, had its roots in the al Qaeda insurgency that arose after the United States led an invasion of Iraq in 2003. Known for its brutality, the group in 2014 declared an Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, where fighting continues to rage. 
 
Clinton spokesman Jesse Lehrich, in response to Trump&#39;s comments, pointed to US advances against the militant group in Libya this week. &quot;FYI &ndash; US-backed militias retook ISIS&#39;s stronghold in Libya today thanks to Obama-authorized air strikes,&quot; he said in a tweet late on Wednesday. 
 
Trump did not back down, asking on CNBC: &quot;Is there something wrong with saying that? Why - are people complaining that I said he was the founder of ISIS? All I do is tell the truth, I&#39;m a truth teller.&quot; 
 
Supporters of Trump, who has never held elected office, like the combative and often insulting style that has drawn him wide criticism, including from some in his party. He said that if that style costs him the election in 90 days, he goes back to a good life. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not what I&#39;m looking to do - I think we&#39;re going to have a victory but we&#39;ll see,&quot; he said. 
 
In a wide-ranging interview, Trump also said the United States will continue engaging in free trade if he is elected. 
 
&quot;We are absolutely going to keep trading. I am not an isolationist ... I&#39;m a fair trader,&quot; Trump said. 
 
(Reuters)

The idea that a sitting US president created a militant group determined to kill Americans took the criticism to a new level

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called President Barack Obama and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton "co-founders" of Islamic State today, in remarks certain to ignite fresh criticism of his campaign style. The New York real estate developer has previously criticised Obama and Clinton, secretary of state from 2009-13, for how the United States pulled out of Iraq after the war, saying it helped create the militant Islamist group that has seized swaths of Iraq and Syria. The idea that a sitting US president created a militant group determined to kill Americans and other Westerners took that criticism to a new level. Trump first made the assertion in a speech on Wednesday night in Florida. He repeated it in an interview Thursday morning with CNBC. His remarks followed a troubled week for the Republican candidate. Party leaders urged Trump to focus on the campaign to beat Clinton after he drew strong criticism for a persistent confrontation with the family of muslim-American soldier who died in Iraq and for his initial refusal to support prominent Republican candidates in their primary races. Recent opinion polls have shown Trump losing ground to Clinton, a former US senator and first lady, in the race for the November 8 election. An average of polls by RealClearPolitics has Clinton 7.7 percentage points ahead, at 48 per cent to his 40.3 per cent. "He (Obama) was the founder of ISIS. And so was she. I mean I call them co-founders," said Trump, who says he opposed the Iraq war. "He shouldn't have gotten out way he got out. It was a disaster, what he did," he told CNBC. Obama had opposed the Iraq war and campaigned for the White House in 2008 on a promise to end it. The United States pulled out combat troops in 2011. Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS or ISIL, had its roots in the al Qaeda insurgency that arose after the United States led an invasion of Iraq in 2003. Known for its brutality, the group in 2014 declared an Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, where fighting continues to rage. Clinton spokesman Jesse Lehrich, in response to Trump's comments, pointed to US advances against the militant group in Libya this week. "FYI – US-backed militias retook ISIS's stronghold in Libya today thanks to Obama-authorized air strikes," he said in a tweet late on Wednesday. Trump did not back down, asking on CNBC: "Is there something wrong with saying that? Why - are people complaining that I said he was the founder of ISIS? All I do is tell the truth, I'm a truth teller." Supporters of Trump, who has never held elected office, like the combative and often insulting style that has drawn him wide criticism, including from some in his party. He said that if that style costs him the election in 90 days, he goes back to a good life. "It's not what I'm looking to do - I think we're going to have a victory but we'll see," he said. In a wide-ranging interview, Trump also said the United States will continue engaging in free trade if he is elected. "We are absolutely going to keep trading. I am not an isolationist ... I'm a fair trader," Trump said. (Reuters)

Trump again calls Obama, Clinton 'co-founders' of Islamic State

Susan Collins, US Senator from Maine, said on Monday that she will not vote for fellow Republican Donald Trump for president. 
 
&quot;This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country,&quot; Collins said in an opinion piece in the Washington Post. 
 
(Reuters)

Says Donald Trump 'does not reflect historical Republican values'

Susan Collins, US Senator from Maine, said on Monday that she will not vote for fellow Republican Donald Trump for president. "This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country," Collins said in an opinion piece in the Washington Post. (Reuters)

US Republican Senator Collins will not vote for Trump

If US Republican candidate Donald Trump is elected president, it would be have a dangerous outcome and &quot;complicate&quot; relations between Europe and the United States, French President Francois Hollande has warned. 
 
&quot;Those who say that Donald Trump could not possibly become the next president of the United States are the same ones who thought that Brexit would never be voted in,&quot; Hollande said, referring to last week&#39;s British referendum which backed withdrawal from the European Union. 
 
Trump has been running on the kind of slogans peddled by the extreme right in France and elsewhere in Europe - fear of the wave of migration, stigmatisation of Islam, questioning representative democracy, denouncing elites - the French leader said in an interview to be published on Thursday in the French financial daily Les Echos. 
 
When asked whether a Trump presidency would be a dangerous thing, he answered &quot;yes&quot;. 
 
Trump&#39;s presence in the White House &quot;would complicate relations between Europe and the United States,&quot; Hollande added. 
 
A new opinion poll in the US showed that the race for the White House is set to be a close call. 
 
Respondents to the latest Quinnipiac University national poll put Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump by just 42 per cent to 40 per cent, a narrowing from Clinton&#39;s four-point margin in the organisation&#39;s June 1 survey. 
 
Trump, the New York celebrity tycoon, has caused alarm in Europe with his abrasive style and pledges to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the border with Mexico. 
 
His proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States drew ire of Britain&#39;s Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the idea &quot;stupid, divisive and wrong&quot;. 
 
Trump has criticised the continent&#39;s leaders as &quot;weak&quot; and accused them of taking inadequate measures to combat terrorism, following the Islamist attacks on Brussels in March.&nbsp; 
 
Last month French Prime Minister Manuel Valls accused the presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Trump of being a &quot;bad man&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

The French President denounced US Republican candidate Donald Trump's prejudicial stance against immigration, democracy and Muslims

If US Republican candidate Donald Trump is elected president, it would be have a dangerous outcome and "complicate" relations between Europe and the United States, French President Francois Hollande has warned. "Those who say that Donald Trump could not possibly become the next president of the United States are the same ones who thought that Brexit would never be voted in," Hollande said, referring to last week's British referendum which backed withdrawal from the European Union. Trump has been running on the kind of slogans peddled by the extreme right in France and elsewhere in Europe - fear of the wave of migration, stigmatisation of Islam, questioning representative democracy, denouncing elites - the French leader said in an interview to be published on Thursday in the French financial daily Les Echos. When asked whether a Trump presidency would be a dangerous thing, he answered "yes". Trump's presence in the White House "would complicate relations between Europe and the United States," Hollande added. A new opinion poll in the US showed that the race for the White House is set to be a close call. Respondents to the latest Quinnipiac University national poll put Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump by just 42 per cent to 40 per cent, a narrowing from Clinton's four-point margin in the organisation's June 1 survey. Trump, the New York celebrity tycoon, has caused alarm in Europe with his abrasive style and pledges to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the border with Mexico. His proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States drew ire of Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the idea "stupid, divisive and wrong". Trump has criticised the continent's leaders as "weak" and accused them of taking inadequate measures to combat terrorism, following the Islamist attacks on Brussels in March. Last month French Prime Minister Manuel Valls accused the presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Trump of being a "bad man". (AFP)

A President Trump would 'complicate' US-Europe ties: Hollande

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. 
 
&quot;In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we&#39;ve made and their vision for an America that is stronger together,&quot; Clinton&#39;s campaign said in a statement. 
 
Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. 
 
Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office,&quot; Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary,&quot; added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. 
 
Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month&#39;s party convention. 
 
Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation&#39;s first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November&#39;s general election. 
 
(AFP)

The two were scheduled to hit the campaign trail together June 15, but delayed because of the Orlando massacre

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. "In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. "I'm with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month's party convention. Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation's first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November's general election. (AFP)

Obama, Clinton to make first joint campaign stop next week: official

Former US President George W. Bush had every intention of sticking to his self-imposed exile from politics, but found that the phone kept ringing with appeals from Republican US Senate candidates for help, friends say. 
 
As a result, Bush has embarked on a rescue mission to try to preserve the Republicans&#39; narrow Senate majority in a year in which many party figures fear presumptive nominee Donald Trump will drag them down to defeat in the November 8 elections. 
 
Republicans control 54 seats in the 100-member Senate. 
 
&quot;I think that this is a one-off, temporary thing that where he can be helpful he will be,&quot; said Dana Perino, who was Bush&#39;s White House press secretary. 
 
Condoleezza Rice, who was Bush&#39;s secretary of state and is now a political science professor at Stanford University, is also raising money for Republican candidates, but on Friday ruled out speculation that she might be drafted as Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate. 
 
&quot;Dr. Rice has repeatedly said in past cycles as well as this one, she&#39;s not interested in being vice president. She&#39;s happy at Stanford and plans to stay,&quot; said Rice chief of staff Georgia Godfrey. 
 
Friends say Bush was initially reluctant to get involved, feeling his time in the limelight had passed. They said he was surprised at the appeals he was receiving to get back into politics more than seven years after his eight-year White House run ended. 
 
So far Bush has headlined fund-raising events for Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. He plans to help senators Rob Portman of Ohio, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Roy Blunt of Missouri. 
 
Bush is no fan of Trump, but to a certain extent, he is doing Trump a favour in spite of the continuing antagonism toward the Bush family from the bellicose New York businessman. 
 
Typically, the party&#39;s nominee is the chief fund-raiser in election years, but Trump&#39;s fund-raising effort has lagged. 
 
Meanwhile, Trump continues to take swipes at the Bush family, particularly at Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who was defeated by Trump in the Republican presidential primary race. 
 
On Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina, Trump complained about Jeb&#39;s decision not to honour a pledge made last year to support the Republican presidential nominee whoever it is. 
 
&quot;He signed the pledge but he hasn&rsquo;t endorsed me,&quot; Trump said. 
 
Like his brother, Jeb Bush is helping raise money for Republican congressional candidates. 
 
&quot;The Bush family has a deep love for the party and cares about the future and in light of Trump&#39;s capacity to damage the brand, I think this is part and parcel of doing what they can to preserve the party,&quot; said Jeb Bush&#39;s spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell. 
(Reuters)

So far he has headlined fund-raising events for Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire

Former US President George W. Bush had every intention of sticking to his self-imposed exile from politics, but found that the phone kept ringing with appeals from Republican US Senate candidates for help, friends say. As a result, Bush has embarked on a rescue mission to try to preserve the Republicans' narrow Senate majority in a year in which many party figures fear presumptive nominee Donald Trump will drag them down to defeat in the November 8 elections. Republicans control 54 seats in the 100-member Senate. "I think that this is a one-off, temporary thing that where he can be helpful he will be," said Dana Perino, who was Bush's White House press secretary. Condoleezza Rice, who was Bush's secretary of state and is now a political science professor at Stanford University, is also raising money for Republican candidates, but on Friday ruled out speculation that she might be drafted as Trump's vice presidential running mate. "Dr. Rice has repeatedly said in past cycles as well as this one, she's not interested in being vice president. She's happy at Stanford and plans to stay," said Rice chief of staff Georgia Godfrey. Friends say Bush was initially reluctant to get involved, feeling his time in the limelight had passed. They said he was surprised at the appeals he was receiving to get back into politics more than seven years after his eight-year White House run ended. So far Bush has headlined fund-raising events for Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. He plans to help senators Rob Portman of Ohio, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Roy Blunt of Missouri. Bush is no fan of Trump, but to a certain extent, he is doing Trump a favour in spite of the continuing antagonism toward the Bush family from the bellicose New York businessman. Typically, the party's nominee is the chief fund-raiser in election years, but Trump's fund-raising effort has lagged. Meanwhile, Trump continues to take swipes at the Bush family, particularly at Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who was defeated by Trump in the Republican presidential primary race. On Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina, Trump complained about Jeb's decision not to honour a pledge made last year to support the Republican presidential nominee whoever it is. "He signed the pledge but he hasn’t endorsed me," Trump said. Like his brother, Jeb Bush is helping raise money for Republican congressional candidates. "The Bush family has a deep love for the party and cares about the future and in light of Trump's capacity to damage the brand, I think this is part and parcel of doing what they can to preserve the party," said Jeb Bush's spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell. (Reuters)

Bush is back: Dubya comes out of self-imposed exile to help Republicans rustle up some cash

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign on Wednesday signaled plans for a big assault on Republican Donald Trump, even as she battles to hold off rival Bernie Sanders in California.

Clinton, a former Secretary of State, is to deliver what her campaign described as a major speech today&nbsp;in San Diego to underscore what she feels would be the threat posed by Trump to U.S. national security if he is elected president on Nov. 8.

Her language to describe Trump has grown more aggressive by the day. On Wednesday, she seized on testimony released in a lawsuit against Trump University, in which some former workers said they believed Trump&#39;s for-profit school was fraudulent.

&quot;Trump and his employees took advantage of vulnerable Americans encouraging them to max out their credit cards, empty their retirement savings, destroy their financial futures, all while making promises they knew were false from the beginning,&quot; Clinton told a campaign event in Newark, New Jersey.

&quot;This is just more evidence that Donald Trump himself is a fraud.&quot;

Lawyers for Trump have said most students were satisfied with Trump University, dismissing the former workers&#39; testimony as discredited.

Trump, anticipating Clinton&#39;s foreign policy attacks on him, tried to raise doubts about her leadership skills at a rally in Sacramento, Calif.

&quot;She is a person with absolutely no natural talent,&quot; he said. &quot;All you have to do is watch her speak.&quot;

Repeatedly referring to Clinton as &quot;crooked Hillary,&quot; Trump sharply criticized her handling of foreign policy, including the Sept. 11, 2012, attack by Islamic militants on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador.

&quot;She went to sleep,&quot; Trump added.

Clinton&#39;s effort to define Trump as unfit to be commander-in-chief comes as she faces fierce opposition from Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who has insisted on staying in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination despite Clinton&#39;s nearly insurmountable lead.

California&#39;s primary next Tuesday is shaping up to be pivotal in the Democratic contest, with Clinton holding a 13-point advantage over Sanders, 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the Hoover Institution&#39;s Golden State Poll in the state. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll gave Clinton a much narrower lead of 49 percent, to 47 percent for Sanders.

Clinton, with 2,312 delegates, needs 71 more delegates to reach the required 2,383 for the Democratic nomination. Sanders has 1,545. At stake in the California primary are 548 delegates who are awarded proportional to the vote. Five other states also vote next Tuesday, including New Jersey, which could also turn the tide for Clinton.

Despite Clinton&#39;s perceived advantage, there are lingering concerns among some Democrats about possible weakness, given the protracted battle with Sanders, a democratic socialist whose calls for free college tuition have energized young voters.

Doug Schoen, a Democratic pollster, wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that California voters appeared to be leaning toward Sanders in recent days.

Sanders has been holding events every day this week in the state. Clinton canceled a New Jersey event planned for today&nbsp;to go to California a day earlier than anticipated and is to stay there until Monday.

&quot;The inevitability behind Mrs. Clinton&rsquo;s nomination will be in large measure eviscerated if she loses the June 7 California primary to Bernie Sanders,&quot; Schoen wrote. &quot;That could well happen.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;CAN&#39;T IGNORE TRUMP&#39;

Other Democrats expressed confidence in Clinton&#39;s position and her move to assail Trump on foreign policy.

&quot;I think she has to,&quot; said Democratic strategist Jim Manley. &quot;Leaving aside California, I think they can&rsquo;t just ignore Donald Trump in that they should be spending a majority of time focusing on him instead of Sanders at this point, because based on the math Sanders can&rsquo;t win.&quot;

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has faced criticism for a variety of positions on foreign policy, such as his willingness to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his idea that Japan and South Korea might need to develop nuclear arsenals.

On the other hand, past Republican presidents and current Democratic President Barack Obama have, like Trump, said NATO nations should pay more for their defense to ease the U.S. burden. Trump, however, has declared NATO obsolete and in need of reconfiguring.

A Clinton aide said &nbsp;Hillary Clinton,&nbsp;would say Trump had not outlined a coherent foreign policy doctrine and had proven himself to be temperamentally unfit to serve as president.

Democratic Presidential front runner Hillary Clinton plans for a big assault on Republican Donald Trump, even as she battles another Democratic rival Bernie Sanders

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton's campaign on Wednesday signaled plans for a big assault on Republican Donald Trump, even as she battles to hold off rival Bernie Sanders in California. Clinton, a former Secretary of State, is to deliver what her campaign described as a major speech today in San Diego to underscore what she feels would be the threat posed by Trump to U.S. national security if he is elected president on Nov. 8. Her language to describe Trump has grown more aggressive by the day. On Wednesday, she seized on testimony released in a lawsuit against Trump University, in which some former workers said they believed Trump's for-profit school was fraudulent. "Trump and his employees took advantage of vulnerable Americans encouraging them to max out their credit cards, empty their retirement savings, destroy their financial futures, all while making promises they knew were false from the beginning," Clinton told a campaign event in Newark, New Jersey. "This is just more evidence that Donald Trump himself is a fraud." Lawyers for Trump have said most students were satisfied with Trump University, dismissing the former workers' testimony as discredited. Trump, anticipating Clinton's foreign policy attacks on him, tried to raise doubts about her leadership skills at a rally in Sacramento, Calif. "She is a person with absolutely no natural talent," he said. "All you have to do is watch her speak." Repeatedly referring to Clinton as "crooked Hillary," Trump sharply criticized her handling of foreign policy, including the Sept. 11, 2012, attack by Islamic militants on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador. "She went to sleep," Trump added. Clinton's effort to define Trump as unfit to be commander-in-chief comes as she faces fierce opposition from Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who has insisted on staying in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination despite Clinton's nearly insurmountable lead. California's primary next Tuesday is shaping up to be pivotal in the Democratic contest, with Clinton holding a 13-point advantage over Sanders, 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the Hoover Institution's Golden State Poll in the state. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll gave Clinton a much narrower lead of 49 percent, to 47 percent for Sanders. Clinton, with 2,312 delegates, needs 71 more delegates to reach the required 2,383 for the Democratic nomination. Sanders has 1,545. At stake in the California primary are 548 delegates who are awarded proportional to the vote. Five other states also vote next Tuesday, including New Jersey, which could also turn the tide for Clinton. Despite Clinton's perceived advantage, there are lingering concerns among some Democrats about possible weakness, given the protracted battle with Sanders, a democratic socialist whose calls for free college tuition have energized young voters. Doug Schoen, a Democratic pollster, wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that California voters appeared to be leaning toward Sanders in recent days. Sanders has been holding events every day this week in the state. Clinton canceled a New Jersey event planned for today to go to California a day earlier than anticipated and is to stay there until Monday. "The inevitability behind Mrs. Clinton’s nomination will be in large measure eviscerated if she loses the June 7 California primary to Bernie Sanders," Schoen wrote. "That could well happen." 'CAN'T IGNORE TRUMP' Other Democrats expressed confidence in Clinton's position and her move to assail Trump on foreign policy. "I think she has to," said Democratic strategist Jim Manley. "Leaving aside California, I think they can’t just ignore Donald Trump in that they should be spending a majority of time focusing on him instead of Sanders at this point, because based on the math Sanders can’t win." Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has faced criticism for a variety of positions on foreign policy, such as his willingness to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his idea that Japan and South Korea might need to develop nuclear arsenals. On the other hand, past Republican presidents and current Democratic President Barack Obama have, like Trump, said NATO nations should pay more for their defense to ease the U.S. burden. Trump, however, has declared NATO obsolete and in need of reconfiguring. A Clinton aide said Hillary Clinton, would say Trump had not outlined a coherent foreign policy doctrine and had proven himself to be temperamentally unfit to serve as president.

Battling to hold off Sanders,Clinton to assail Trump on foreign policy

republican

Republican, News on Republican, stories on Republican, articles on Republican, Republican stories at Wion, Republican news, Republican latest news