&nbsp;Donald Trump, now the 45th President of the United States to America, delivered his victory speech at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, New York.

He was gracious in his speech, congratulating his rival Hillary Clinton for a &ldquo;very, very hard-fought campaign&rdquo;.

He struck a conciliatory, rather than divisive, note, saying he would bind the wounds of division and pledged to be president for all Americans.

&ldquo;I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me,&rdquo; Trump said during his speech.

&ldquo;For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I&#39;m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country,&rdquo; he added.

The real estate mogul said Clinton telephoned him to concede the race shortly after he won the state of Pennsylvania.

He also pledged to &quot;deal fairly with everyone&quot;, including &quot;all other nations&quot;.

&ldquo;We will have great relationships. We expect to have great, great relationships. No dream is too big, no challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach,&rdquo; the Republican said.

&ldquo;America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country&#39;s destiny and dream big and bold and daring. We have to do that,&rdquo; Trump told his supporters.

(WION)

'America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country's destiny and dream big and bold and daring'

Donald Trump, now the 45th President of the United States to America, delivered his victory speech at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, New York. He was gracious in his speech, congratulating his rival Hillary Clinton for a “very, very hard-fought campaign”. He struck a conciliatory, rather than divisive, note, saying he would bind the wounds of division and pledged to be president for all Americans. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me,” Trump said during his speech. “For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country,” he added. The real estate mogul said Clinton telephoned him to concede the race shortly after he won the state of Pennsylvania. He also pledged to "deal fairly with everyone", including "all other nations". “We will have great relationships. We expect to have great, great relationships. No dream is too big, no challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach,” the Republican said. “America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country's destiny and dream big and bold and daring. We have to do that,” Trump told his supporters. (WION)

US Election 2016: 'I will be president for all Americans,' says Trump

Voters who support 3rd party candidates in crucial states are swapping their votes across state lines in a bid to prevent Trump from winning

As the race for the US presidency between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump narrows, several social media sites are urging voters who support third party candidates in crucial battleground states to swap their vote across states. Apps like #NeverTrump to TrumpTraders.org and MakeMineCount.org are working full swing to prevent Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the White House, Reuters reported. Trump trading is based on the "honour system" where voters express their political preference publicly. Some people find trading partners the old-fashioned way through word-of-mouth. John Stubbs, co-founder of the site Republicans for Clinton and Trump Traders, told Reuters that while he is no fan of Democrat Hillary Clinton, but he believes Trump would be a "catastrophe" and voting for third party candidates could inevitably help Trump win. So, for him Hillary Clinton is the only viable alternative. "Once we all come to that realization, then you see Republicans who don't like Trump, people who support Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein, or Evan McMullin or the man on the moon, are all aligned around the exact same idea, which is that the worst case scenario for the country is Donald Trump," Stubbs said. He claims that more than 15,000 participants have enrolled on his site where voters in the swing states can trade their third party candidate vote with a Clinton supporter from a "safe state." A safe state is one where voters have little chance of influencing the outcome in America's electoral college system. The battleground states are where no single party or candidate has overwhelming support include Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. Sites like "Swing Vote Swap" are non-partisan, Reuters reported. Bret Lehne has agreed to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in New York state in exchange for his cousin's friend voting for Clinton in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. "Our vote doesn't really matter," he said of living in Democrat-leaning New York. "So if we can use it to further some other goal to trade it to Iowa, to trade it to Florida, that would be just making our democracy go a little further in this electoral college we're stuck in." This is not the first time that vote trading has been attempted. In 2000, several vote trading websites emerged to try to prevent left-leaning third party candidate Ralph Nader from taking Democrat Al Gore's vote share. Gore ultimately won the national popular vote, while Republican George W Bush won many of the smaller states and Florida, which gave him the majority in the electoral college. "If those sites had been successful in switching just 538 more people [in Florida], Al Gore would've been president. And that fact I think showed the power that these exchanges could potentially have," Stubbs told Reuters. He cited the example of last year's Canadian election where strategic voting helped Justin Trudeau's Liberals win the elections. Vote trading 'undemocratic': Critics A host of critics online have slammed the practice as "undemocratic" and say it amounts to "rigging the election." "It sort of instinctively has a little odour about it, but it isn't a rigging of the election," said Kenneth Gross, an election law expert and partner with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. "It's just not anything that arises to the level of a legally actionable offense, because that sort of an agreement, really an informal agreement, is not quote, 'something of value,' like giving somebody dinner." He, however, predicts that if vote trading were to become a major force in influencing outcomes, it could prompt challenges to previous court rulings. The one thing vote traders will have to worry about is whether their trading partner will honour their end of the bargain when they enter that voting booth. There is always the option of ballot selfies though. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US elections 2016: Vote trading websites aim to block Trump presidency

The latest Washington Post-ABC News Tracking Poll has found supporters of Hillary Clinton slipping behind in enthusiasm.

Although there is no major change in Clinton&#39;s overall support, strong enthusiasm among her supporters fell behind Trump in combined Saturday and Sunday interviews.

While Trump&#39;s edge was negligible in the Thursday and Friday interviews (53 per cent versus 51 per cent), the Saturday and Sunday interviews pointed to 53 per cent and 43 per cent for Trump and Clinton respectively.

In 2012, at this stage of the elections, 64 per cent of Obama supporters had said that they were &quot;very enthusiastic&quot; about him while Romney was narrowly behind at 61 per cent.

Clinton has a 54-41 per cent edge among early voters in an average of the three most recent tracking poll waves, while Trump leads by a 50-39 per cent margin among those who will vote on Election Day.

A good 38 per cent of senior likely voters said that they had already voted while 18 per cent of middle-aged and 17 per cent of young voters have done so.

The daily tracking poll suggests that Trump&#39;s previously lagging support among core Republican groups now almost matches Clinton&#39;s wide support on the left.

Trump holds 78 per cent support among white evangelical Protestants, 77 per cent among conservatives, 68 per cent among rural voters and 59 per cent among white men. Clinton&#39;s stands at 81 per cent among liberals, 67 per cent among those identifying with no religion, 60 per cent among urban dwellers and 72 per cent among non-whites, the poll states.

Trump has an 18-point edge among political independents, quite higher than what Republicans have held in recent elections.

(WION)

The poll seems to show that only a week before the election, voters aren't madly excited to vote for their candidate

The latest Washington Post-ABC News Tracking Poll has found supporters of Hillary Clinton slipping behind in enthusiasm. Although there is no major change in Clinton's overall support, strong enthusiasm among her supporters fell behind Trump in combined Saturday and Sunday interviews. While Trump's edge was negligible in the Thursday and Friday interviews (53 per cent versus 51 per cent), the Saturday and Sunday interviews pointed to 53 per cent and 43 per cent for Trump and Clinton respectively. In 2012, at this stage of the elections, 64 per cent of Obama supporters had said that they were "very enthusiastic" about him while Romney was narrowly behind at 61 per cent. Clinton has a 54-41 per cent edge among early voters in an average of the three most recent tracking poll waves, while Trump leads by a 50-39 per cent margin among those who will vote on Election Day. A good 38 per cent of senior likely voters said that they had already voted while 18 per cent of middle-aged and 17 per cent of young voters have done so. The daily tracking poll suggests that Trump's previously lagging support among core Republican groups now almost matches Clinton's wide support on the left. Trump holds 78 per cent support among white evangelical Protestants, 77 per cent among conservatives, 68 per cent among rural voters and 59 per cent among white men. Clinton's stands at 81 per cent among liberals, 67 per cent among those identifying with no religion, 60 per cent among urban dwellers and 72 per cent among non-whites, the poll states. Trump has an 18-point edge among political independents, quite higher than what Republicans have held in recent elections. (WION)

New poll points to declining enthusiasm among Clinton supporters

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump warned of a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot; in the United States if Hillary Clinton won next week&#39;s presidential election.

&quot;Hillary is likely to be under investigation for a very long time,&quot; the Republican told supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, news agency AFP reported.

&quot;She&#39;s unfit and unqualified to be the president of the United States,&quot; Trump said. &quot;Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford.&quot;

Trump said that the American people would be under the leadership of a president facing criminal charges if Clinton were elected. 
&quot;We would have a criminal trial for a sitting president.&quot;

Republicans have seized every opportunity to attack Clinton since FBI director James Comey announced the reopening of the&nbsp;probe into Clinton&#39;s use of a private server while in office after the&nbsp;discovery of new emails. Agents reportedly seized a laptop used by Clinton&#39;s close aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband Anthony Weiner, AFP reported.

Trump praised Comey for his latest announcement and said, &quot;he (Comey) brought back his reputation&quot;. The Republican candidate had criticised the FBI director for deciding not to recommend prosecution against Clinton in July.

The FBI&#39;s renewed focus reportedly stems from a probe of Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl, AFP said.

&quot;Thank you Huma. Good job Huma. Thank you Anthony Weiner,&quot; Trump said, to a roar and applause by the rowdy crowd.

Clinton expressed no qualms over FBI checking her aide&#39;s emails at a rally in Kent, Ohio.

&quot;They should look at them and I&#39;m sure they&#39;ll reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the past year: there is no case here,&quot; Clinton said, BBC reported.

Comey has faced flak from the Democrats for reopening the probe so close to the Nov 8 election.

The White House gave a cautionary statement over the matter. Spokesman Josh Earnest said he would &quot;neither defend nor criticise&quot; Comey.

(With inputs from AFP)

Trump said that the American people would be under the leadership of a president facing criminal charges if Clinton won

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump warned of a "constitutional crisis" in the United States if Hillary Clinton won next week's presidential election. "Hillary is likely to be under investigation for a very long time," the Republican told supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, news agency AFP reported. "She's unfit and unqualified to be the president of the United States," Trump said. "Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford." Trump said that the American people would be under the leadership of a president facing criminal charges if Clinton were elected. "We would have a criminal trial for a sitting president." Republicans have seized every opportunity to attack Clinton since FBI director James Comey announced the reopening of the probe into Clinton's use of a private server while in office after the discovery of new emails. Agents reportedly seized a laptop used by Clinton's close aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband Anthony Weiner, AFP reported. Trump praised Comey for his latest announcement and said, "he (Comey) brought back his reputation". The Republican candidate had criticised the FBI director for deciding not to recommend prosecution against Clinton in July. The FBI's renewed focus reportedly stems from a probe of Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl, AFP said. "Thank you Huma. Good job Huma. Thank you Anthony Weiner," Trump said, to a roar and applause by the rowdy crowd. Clinton expressed no qualms over FBI checking her aide's emails at a rally in Kent, Ohio. "They should look at them and I'm sure they'll reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the past year: there is no case here," Clinton said, BBC reported. Comey has faced flak from the Democrats for reopening the probe so close to the Nov 8 election. The White House gave a cautionary statement over the matter. Spokesman Josh Earnest said he would "neither defend nor criticise" Comey. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump: 'Constitutional crisis' if Clinton elected

Hillary Clinton is &quot;absolutely ready&quot; to be the commander-in-chief of the United States, First Lady Michelle Obama said as the Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of state had &quot;more experience and exposure than any candidate in our lifetime&quot;.

At a North Carolina election rally yesterday, Michelle called Clinton&#39;s vision a &quot;powerful, vibrant and strong&quot; one while that of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s as one of &quot;hopelessness and despair&quot;.

&quot;I admire and respect Hillary. She has been a lawyer, a law professor, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the US, a US Senator, secretary of state. She has more experience and exposure to the presidency than any candidate in our lifetime. Yes, more than Barack (Obama). More than Bill (Clinton). So she is absolutely ready to be commander-in-chief on day one. And yes, she happens to be a woman,&quot; PTI reported Michelle as saying yesterday.

&quot;It takes a level of generosity of spirit to do what Hillary has done in her career, in her life, for our family, for this nation. If people wonder, yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. She has been a friend to mine and Barack, Malia, Sasha and Bill and Chelsea have been embracing and supportive from the very day my husband took the oath of office,&quot; she added.

Michelle also said that this year&#39;s election was not about Republicans versus Democrats, but about something much bigger.

&quot;We know the influence our president has on our children, how they turn on the TV and they see the most powerful role model in the world, someone who shows them how to treat others, how to deal with disappointment, whether to tell the truth,&quot; Michelle added.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Michelle Obama said this year's election is not about Republicans versus Democrats but about something much bigger

Hillary Clinton is "absolutely ready" to be the commander-in-chief of the United States, First Lady Michelle Obama said as the Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of state had "more experience and exposure than any candidate in our lifetime". At a North Carolina election rally yesterday, Michelle called Clinton's vision a "powerful, vibrant and strong" one while that of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's as one of "hopelessness and despair". "I admire and respect Hillary. She has been a lawyer, a law professor, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the US, a US Senator, secretary of state. She has more experience and exposure to the presidency than any candidate in our lifetime. Yes, more than Barack (Obama). More than Bill (Clinton). So she is absolutely ready to be commander-in-chief on day one. And yes, she happens to be a woman," PTI reported Michelle as saying yesterday. "It takes a level of generosity of spirit to do what Hillary has done in her career, in her life, for our family, for this nation. If people wonder, yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. She has been a friend to mine and Barack, Malia, Sasha and Bill and Chelsea have been embracing and supportive from the very day my husband took the oath of office," she added. Michelle also said that this year's election was not about Republicans versus Democrats, but about something much bigger. "We know the influence our president has on our children, how they turn on the TV and they see the most powerful role model in the world, someone who shows them how to treat others, how to deal with disappointment, whether to tell the truth," Michelle added. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Clinton 'absolutely ready' to be commander-in-chief: Michelle

Influential conservative columnist George Will says he is leaving the Republican Party over Donald Trump&#39;s polarising presidential campaign and urged others to follow suit, even if it means rival Democrats take White House. 
 
Will, a Washington Post columnist, told a luncheon Friday: &quot;This is not my party,&quot; according to the conservative PJ Media news website. He underlined he had changed his voter registration from Republican to &quot;unaffiliated&quot; this month. 
 
The Pulitzer Prize winner told the media outlet Republicans should &quot;make sure&quot; Trump loses, after giving a speech at the conservative Federalist Society luncheon. 
 
During the event, Will said it would be worse for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, to be president with &quot;no opposition&quot; from a Republican-led Congress than for Hillary Clinton to be president with a Republican-led Congress. 
 
Further, Will did not indicate whether he would vote for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, noting that it was unclear whether this third-party ticket would help or hurt Clinton. 
 
In a column published this week in Washington Post, Will urged Republicans to &quot;save your party, don&#39;t give to Trump.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Trump&#39;s campaign has less cash ($1.3 million) than some congressional candidates have, so Republican donors have never been more important than they are at this moment. They can save their party by not aiding its nominee,&quot; he wrote.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

In a column published this week in Washington Post, Will urged Republicans to "save your party, don't give to Trump".

Influential conservative columnist George Will says he is leaving the Republican Party over Donald Trump's polarising presidential campaign and urged others to follow suit, even if it means rival Democrats take White House. Will, a Washington Post columnist, told a luncheon Friday: "This is not my party," according to the conservative PJ Media news website. He underlined he had changed his voter registration from Republican to "unaffiliated" this month. The Pulitzer Prize winner told the media outlet Republicans should "make sure" Trump loses, after giving a speech at the conservative Federalist Society luncheon. During the event, Will said it would be worse for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, to be president with "no opposition" from a Republican-led Congress than for Hillary Clinton to be president with a Republican-led Congress. Further, Will did not indicate whether he would vote for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, noting that it was unclear whether this third-party ticket would help or hurt Clinton. In a column published this week in Washington Post, Will urged Republicans to "save your party, don't give to Trump." "Trump's campaign has less cash ($1.3 million) than some congressional candidates have, so Republican donors have never been more important than they are at this moment. They can save their party by not aiding its nominee," he wrote. (AFP)

Pulitzer Prize winner leaves?Republican Party over Donald Trump's 'polarising campaign'?

Republican Donald Trump said today the United States should consider more racial profiling, in response to a question about whether he supported greater law enforcement scrutiny of Muslim Americans after the Orlando mass shooting. 
 
&quot;I think profiling is something that we&#39;re going to have to start thinking about as a country,&quot; Trump told CBS&#39; &quot;Face the Nation.&quot; 
 
&quot;You look at Israel and you look at others, and they do it and they do it successfully. And you know, I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to start using common sense,&quot; he said when asked if he supported increased profiling of Muslims in America. 
 
Trump made similar comments last December about profiling, the targeting of specific demographic groups for extra scrutiny, after a Muslim American and his wife killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California. 
 
Last week, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the November 8 election, sparked criticism from many in his party for his comments on American Muslims after the Orlando attack on last Sunday, in which a US-born Muslim man killed 49 people at a gay nightclub. 
 
In a speech on national security on Monday, Trump stood by his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and proposed a suspension of immigration from countries with &quot;a proven history of terrorism.&quot; 
 
He also said the Muslim community had to &quot;cooperate with law enforcement and turn in the people who they know are bad.&quot; 
 
Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has said the comments show Trump is unfit to be president. 
 
The Florida gunman, Omar Mateen, was born in the United States to Afghan parents. During a three-hour siege at the club, he expressed support for Islamic State, but officials believe he was &quot;self-radicalized.&quot; 
 
In his interview on Sunday, Trump said there were &quot;red flags&quot; around Mateen, who had been investigated twice by the FBI but ultimately cleared. 
 
Trump also reiterated his support for more scrutiny of mosques, saying that could resemble a controversial New York City surveillance program that has been shut down. 
 
&quot;If you go to France right now, they&#39;re doing it in France. In fact, in some instances they&#39;re closing down mosques,&quot; he said. 
 
Police in France closed some mosques shortly after gunmen aligned with Islamic State militants killed 130 people in Paris in a series of attacks on November 13. 
 
House of representatives Speaker Paul Ryan endorsed Trump but has said a Muslim ban is not in US interests. In excerpts of an NBC interview released on Friday, Ryan, the top elected US Republican, said Republicans weighing whether to vote for Trump should follow their &quot;conscience.&quot; 
 
Trump brushed off the criticism on Sunday and said he would put up his own money for his campaign if needed. &quot;It would be nice if the Republicans stuck together,&quot; Trump said in an ABC interview. &quot;I can win, one way or another.&quot; 
(Reuter)

Says he hates the concept of profiling but 'we have to start using common sense'. Comments come after the Orlando shooting

Republican Donald Trump said today the United States should consider more racial profiling, in response to a question about whether he supported greater law enforcement scrutiny of Muslim Americans after the Orlando mass shooting. "I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump told CBS' "Face the Nation." "You look at Israel and you look at others, and they do it and they do it successfully. And you know, I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to start using common sense," he said when asked if he supported increased profiling of Muslims in America. Trump made similar comments last December about profiling, the targeting of specific demographic groups for extra scrutiny, after a Muslim American and his wife killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California. Last week, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the November 8 election, sparked criticism from many in his party for his comments on American Muslims after the Orlando attack on last Sunday, in which a US-born Muslim man killed 49 people at a gay nightclub. In a speech on national security on Monday, Trump stood by his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and proposed a suspension of immigration from countries with "a proven history of terrorism." He also said the Muslim community had to "cooperate with law enforcement and turn in the people who they know are bad." Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has said the comments show Trump is unfit to be president. The Florida gunman, Omar Mateen, was born in the United States to Afghan parents. During a three-hour siege at the club, he expressed support for Islamic State, but officials believe he was "self-radicalized." In his interview on Sunday, Trump said there were "red flags" around Mateen, who had been investigated twice by the FBI but ultimately cleared. Trump also reiterated his support for more scrutiny of mosques, saying that could resemble a controversial New York City surveillance program that has been shut down. "If you go to France right now, they're doing it in France. In fact, in some instances they're closing down mosques," he said. Police in France closed some mosques shortly after gunmen aligned with Islamic State militants killed 130 people in Paris in a series of attacks on November 13. House of representatives Speaker Paul Ryan endorsed Trump but has said a Muslim ban is not in US interests. In excerpts of an NBC interview released on Friday, Ryan, the top elected US Republican, said Republicans weighing whether to vote for Trump should follow their "conscience." Trump brushed off the criticism on Sunday and said he would put up his own money for his campaign if needed. "It would be nice if the Republicans stuck together," Trump said in an ABC interview. "I can win, one way or another." (Reuter)

US should consider racial profiling: Trump

Donald Trump has railed against efforts by some frustrated Republicans planning a last-ditch effort to try to thwart him from becoming the party&#39;s nominee, threatening at one point to stop fund-raising if Republicans do not rally around him. 
 
Speaking at a theater at the Treasure Island hotel on the Las Vegas strip yesterday, Trump referred to &quot;an insurgent group&quot; trying to deny him delegates at the party&#39;s July convention. 
 
&quot;Now you have a couple of guys that were badly defeated and they&#39;re trying to organise maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt,&quot; he said. &quot;I thought they already tried that.&quot; 
 
Trump pushed back against such efforts several times during his speech, claiming they were somehow &quot;illegal&quot; and then dismissing them as a media-generated fabrication. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s all made up by the press,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s a hoax, I&#39;m telling you.&quot; 
 
While Trump dismisses the effort as invented, more Republicans in Congress are saying they will not attend the party convention and are not endorsing his candidacy. 
 
Meanwhile, a movement exists among some conservative delegates and operatives to change party rules to allow a different nominee, though it&#39;s a longshot effort lacking sufficient backing and a candidate to offer up at an alternative. 
 
Indeed, Trump wondered aloud who his opponents would pick as a replacement, a problem that has plagued the &quot;Never Trump&quot; movement for months. 
 
&quot;Who are they going to pick? I beat everybody. But I don&#39;t mean beat - I beat the hell out of them,&quot; he said. 
 
At one point in his speech, Trump asserted without offering evidence that former rival Jeb Bush and a second Republican, whom he did not name, were part of the movement opposing him. Neither Bush nor another former rival, Senator Ted Cruz, has endorsed Trump. 
 
Trump has continued to face resistance from Republicans who have voiced increasing concern over his inflammatory rhetoric. And he appeared increasingly frustrated yesterday, saying, &quot;It would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit.&quot; 
 
The billionaire businessman also threatened that, if Republicans don&#39;t come together, he was prepared to stop fundraising and go back to largely self-funding his campaign. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d love to do it,&quot; said Trump, who has been holding fundraisers across the county this week largely benefiting the Republican National Committee. &quot;You know, life is like a two-way street.&quot; 
 
A Republican National Committee spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
(PTI)

Republicans in the US Congress say they will not endorse Trump's candidacy

Donald Trump has railed against efforts by some frustrated Republicans planning a last-ditch effort to try to thwart him from becoming the party's nominee, threatening at one point to stop fund-raising if Republicans do not rally around him. Speaking at a theater at the Treasure Island hotel on the Las Vegas strip yesterday, Trump referred to "an insurgent group" trying to deny him delegates at the party's July convention. "Now you have a couple of guys that were badly defeated and they're trying to organise maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt," he said. "I thought they already tried that." Trump pushed back against such efforts several times during his speech, claiming they were somehow "illegal" and then dismissing them as a media-generated fabrication. "It's all made up by the press," he said. "It's a hoax, I'm telling you." While Trump dismisses the effort as invented, more Republicans in Congress are saying they will not attend the party convention and are not endorsing his candidacy. Meanwhile, a movement exists among some conservative delegates and operatives to change party rules to allow a different nominee, though it's a longshot effort lacking sufficient backing and a candidate to offer up at an alternative. Indeed, Trump wondered aloud who his opponents would pick as a replacement, a problem that has plagued the "Never Trump" movement for months. "Who are they going to pick? I beat everybody. But I don't mean beat - I beat the hell out of them," he said. At one point in his speech, Trump asserted without offering evidence that former rival Jeb Bush and a second Republican, whom he did not name, were part of the movement opposing him. Neither Bush nor another former rival, Senator Ted Cruz, has endorsed Trump. Trump has continued to face resistance from Republicans who have voiced increasing concern over his inflammatory rhetoric. And he appeared increasingly frustrated yesterday, saying, "It would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit." The billionaire businessman also threatened that, if Republicans don't come together, he was prepared to stop fundraising and go back to largely self-funding his campaign. "I'd love to do it," said Trump, who has been holding fundraisers across the county this week largely benefiting the Republican National Committee. "You know, life is like a two-way street." A Republican National Committee spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (PTI)

Trump to Republicans: Help or fundraising stops

US senators signalled today a new willingness to consider restrictions on the sale of guns after the Orlando nightclub massacre, with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and others in his party ready to discuss limited gun control measures. 
 
With Republicans and the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby under pressure to respond to the worst mass shooting in modern US history, Trump said he would meet with the NRA to discuss ways to block people on terrorism watch or no-fly lists from buying guns. 
 
Emotions have run high in Congress since Sunday&#39;s mass shooting with Democrats stalling Senate proceedings today in a bid to push for tougher gun control legislation. Democratic senators planned to speak on the Senate floor today. 
 
The Senate began discussions on legislation to ban firearm sales to the hundreds of thousands of people on US terrorism watch lists after a gunman who had been on such a list killed 49 people at a gay nightclub on Sunday. 
 
But following a full day of wrangling, senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said that negotiations &quot;were little more than a smokescreen by Republicans trying to give themselves political cover while they continue to march in lock-step with the NRA&#39;s extreme positions.&quot; 
 
Reid said there were no Republican proposals &quot;that come close to attracting Democratic support.&quot; 
 
Earlier today, Republican senate majority leader Mitch McConnell urged senators to offer ideas on how to prevent another attack like the one in Orlando. 
 
&ldquo;I do not believe this was some random act of violence,&quot; McConnell said. &quot;It seems clear this was cold-blooded murder committed by a terrorist who picked his targets with deliberate malice.&quot; On Tuesday, McConnell said that &quot;nobody wants terrorists to have firearms.&quot; 
 
Earlier in the week, some Democrats in the House of representatives interrupted a moment of silence for the victims, with shouts of &quot;Where&#39;s the bill?&quot; to protest the Republican-led chamber&#39;s refusal to consider tougher gun laws. 
 
If Congress was to pass a gun control measure, it would mark the first time in more than 20 years that lawmakers agreed on how to address the hot-button issue. A ban on semi-automatic assault weapons, such as the one used in Orlando, had gone into effect in 1994 and expired ten years later. 
 
Republicans over the years have blocked gun control measures saying they step on Americans&#39; right to bear arms as guaranteed under the US constitution 
 
Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 senate Republican, confirmed that he and Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein were holding private talks on a possible compromise bill stopping weapons sales to those on watch lists. 
 
OPPORTUNITY CITED 
 
Another Republican,senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, also is working on a bill that would keep guns from people on watch lists, a gun control group said. 
 
Toomey, who is in a possibly difficult re-election bid this year, took to the senate floor urging compromise. 
 
&ldquo;So there&rsquo;s an obvious opportunity here guys, to work together and find a solution,&rdquo; he said, adding, &quot;This is not rocket science to figure this out.&quot; 
 
A spokeswoman for Toomey, E.R. Anderson, said the senator was seeking bipartisan support for an approach that he had tentatively agreed on with gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, which is backed by ex-New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. 
 
Everytown spokeswoman Erika Lamb said the group was encouraged by the discussions but added, &quot;We are not there yet and our support for any compromise legislation is contingent on support from both Republicans and Democrats.&quot; 
 
Toomey&#39;s bill would allow the US attorney general to create a new list of &quot;likely terrorists&quot; and block any person on the list from buying or selling a gun. If someone was denied a gun, he or she would be entitled to a swift court hearing where the attorney general would have to turn over the evidence against the person. 
 
Democrats were dubious. One problem, a Democratic aide said, was that under the proposal officials would just have three days to try to block sales to anyone not already on the new list. 
 
Congressional Republicans and the NRA have thwarted previous gun control measures backed by President Barack Obama and other Democrats after other mass shootings, and supporters of new restrictions remained cautious about the moves. 
 
&quot;The Cornyn bill is outlandish and is worse than nothing. From what I&#39;m told all of the compromises proposed by Cornyn and Toomey are not at all acceptable,&quot; said senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat of New York. 
 
Feinstein, speaking to reporters following a closed briefing from the Obama administration on the Orlando massacre, held out little hope her talks with Cornyn would bear fruit. &quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s going to work out,&quot; she said, but added she was still engaged in talks. 
 
NRA HAPPY TO MEET WITH TRUMP 
 
Trump said on Twitter he would meet with the NRA &quot;about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no-fly list, to buy guns.&quot; His campaign did not specify what he might support legislatively, and a spokeswoman declined to give details about the timing or nature of the meeting. 
 
The NRA, a politically influential lobbying group that claims more than 4 million members, said in a statement it was &quot;happy to meet&quot; with Trump, whom it endorsed for president on May 20. 
 
The group said in a statement that anyone on a terrorism watch list who tries to buy a gun &quot;should be thoroughly investigated&quot; by the FBI and any sale to that person delayed, a position the lobby group has long held. 
 
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who has supported gun control efforts, on Monday said she was &quot;bewildered&quot; that Republicans in Congress in December had blocked a Democratic effort to restrict gun sales to people on the watch lists. 
 
The US government maintains two terrorism watch lists: a no-fly list barring people from flying to and from the United States and a larger one that subjects travellers to greater scrutiny at airports and border crossings. 
 
An FBI official said in 2014 there were 64,000 people on the no-fly list and 800,000 on the broader list. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, the US-born son of Afghan immigrants, was on the broader list at one time. 
 
NRA executive director Chris Cox also voiced backing for legislation offered in December by Cornyn, who proposed to put gun sales on hold for 72 hours for people on watch lists. Critics have said such background checks could take longer to complete. 
 
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was too soon to tell if Republicans would support &quot;common sense&quot; steps like blocking firearm sales to people on the no-fly lists. 
(Reuters)

He said he would meet with the NRA to discuss ways to block people on terrorism watch or no-fly lists from buying guns

US senators signalled today a new willingness to consider restrictions on the sale of guns after the Orlando nightclub massacre, with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and others in his party ready to discuss limited gun control measures. With Republicans and the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby under pressure to respond to the worst mass shooting in modern US history, Trump said he would meet with the NRA to discuss ways to block people on terrorism watch or no-fly lists from buying guns. Emotions have run high in Congress since Sunday's mass shooting with Democrats stalling Senate proceedings today in a bid to push for tougher gun control legislation. Democratic senators planned to speak on the Senate floor today. The Senate began discussions on legislation to ban firearm sales to the hundreds of thousands of people on US terrorism watch lists after a gunman who had been on such a list killed 49 people at a gay nightclub on Sunday. But following a full day of wrangling, senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said that negotiations "were little more than a smokescreen by Republicans trying to give themselves political cover while they continue to march in lock-step with the NRA's extreme positions." Reid said there were no Republican proposals "that come close to attracting Democratic support." Earlier today, Republican senate majority leader Mitch McConnell urged senators to offer ideas on how to prevent another attack like the one in Orlando. “I do not believe this was some random act of violence," McConnell said. "It seems clear this was cold-blooded murder committed by a terrorist who picked his targets with deliberate malice." On Tuesday, McConnell said that "nobody wants terrorists to have firearms." Earlier in the week, some Democrats in the House of representatives interrupted a moment of silence for the victims, with shouts of "Where's the bill?" to protest the Republican-led chamber's refusal to consider tougher gun laws. If Congress was to pass a gun control measure, it would mark the first time in more than 20 years that lawmakers agreed on how to address the hot-button issue. A ban on semi-automatic assault weapons, such as the one used in Orlando, had gone into effect in 1994 and expired ten years later. Republicans over the years have blocked gun control measures saying they step on Americans' right to bear arms as guaranteed under the US constitution Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 senate Republican, confirmed that he and Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein were holding private talks on a possible compromise bill stopping weapons sales to those on watch lists. OPPORTUNITY CITED Another Republican,senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, also is working on a bill that would keep guns from people on watch lists, a gun control group said. Toomey, who is in a possibly difficult re-election bid this year, took to the senate floor urging compromise. “So there’s an obvious opportunity here guys, to work together and find a solution,” he said, adding, "This is not rocket science to figure this out." A spokeswoman for Toomey, E.R. Anderson, said the senator was seeking bipartisan support for an approach that he had tentatively agreed on with gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, which is backed by ex-New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. Everytown spokeswoman Erika Lamb said the group was encouraged by the discussions but added, "We are not there yet and our support for any compromise legislation is contingent on support from both Republicans and Democrats." Toomey's bill would allow the US attorney general to create a new list of "likely terrorists" and block any person on the list from buying or selling a gun. If someone was denied a gun, he or she would be entitled to a swift court hearing where the attorney general would have to turn over the evidence against the person. Democrats were dubious. One problem, a Democratic aide said, was that under the proposal officials would just have three days to try to block sales to anyone not already on the new list. Congressional Republicans and the NRA have thwarted previous gun control measures backed by President Barack Obama and other Democrats after other mass shootings, and supporters of new restrictions remained cautious about the moves. "The Cornyn bill is outlandish and is worse than nothing. From what I'm told all of the compromises proposed by Cornyn and Toomey are not at all acceptable," said senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat of New York. Feinstein, speaking to reporters following a closed briefing from the Obama administration on the Orlando massacre, held out little hope her talks with Cornyn would bear fruit. "I don't think it's going to work out," she said, but added she was still engaged in talks. NRA HAPPY TO MEET WITH TRUMP Trump said on Twitter he would meet with the NRA "about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no-fly list, to buy guns." His campaign did not specify what he might support legislatively, and a spokeswoman declined to give details about the timing or nature of the meeting. The NRA, a politically influential lobbying group that claims more than 4 million members, said in a statement it was "happy to meet" with Trump, whom it endorsed for president on May 20. The group said in a statement that anyone on a terrorism watch list who tries to buy a gun "should be thoroughly investigated" by the FBI and any sale to that person delayed, a position the lobby group has long held. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who has supported gun control efforts, on Monday said she was "bewildered" that Republicans in Congress in December had blocked a Democratic effort to restrict gun sales to people on the watch lists. The US government maintains two terrorism watch lists: a no-fly list barring people from flying to and from the United States and a larger one that subjects travellers to greater scrutiny at airports and border crossings. An FBI official said in 2014 there were 64,000 people on the no-fly list and 800,000 on the broader list. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, the US-born son of Afghan immigrants, was on the broader list at one time. NRA executive director Chris Cox also voiced backing for legislation offered in December by Cornyn, who proposed to put gun sales on hold for 72 hours for people on watch lists. Critics have said such background checks could take longer to complete. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was too soon to tell if Republicans would support "common sense" steps like blocking firearm sales to people on the no-fly lists. (Reuters)

After Orlando, Trump open to (some) gun control

Beleaguered US presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing hostility from within his own party following the release of a recording showing him passing derogatory comments about women.

The Republican party, of which Trump is the standard bearer in this election, has condemned the sexist comments made by him.

More than 60 Republicans, former and present officeholders, have issued statements denouncing Trump&#39;s remarks about groping women months after he got married to his third wife Melania.

Twenty prominent Republicans have even called for his resignation from the presidential race.

Trump&#39;s wife Melania was equally critical of her husband, saying,&nbsp;&quot;This does not represent the man that I know.&quot;

Calling Trump&#39;s behaviour &quot;unacceptable&quot;, she however asked the US public to pardon him as he has the &quot;heart and mind of a leader&quot;.

Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate Mike Pence was also critical of his comments, saying he would be unable to defend the use of such words.

&quot;As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump,&quot; said Pence, who is governor of Indiana.

Trump&#39;s presidential rival Hillary Clinton is yet to publicly chastise Trump&#39;s lewd comments.&nbsp;

&#39;Will never drop out of the race&#39;

Despite the barrage of criticism he has faced since the release of the recording, Trump seemed defiant when he tweeted: &quot;The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN!&quot;

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But the video leak has damaged his prospects of coming to power as it comes barely a month before Election Day.

The latest calamity is likely to further dent his poll numbers.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

More than 60 prominent Republican current and former officeholders issued statements condemning Trump's remarks about women

Beleaguered US presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing hostility from within his own party following the release of a recording showing him passing derogatory comments about women. The Republican party, of which Trump is the standard bearer in this election, has condemned the sexist comments made by him. More than 60 Republicans, former and present officeholders, have issued statements denouncing Trump's remarks about groping women months after he got married to his third wife Melania. Twenty prominent Republicans have even called for his resignation from the presidential race. Trump's wife Melania was equally critical of her husband, saying, "This does not represent the man that I know." Calling Trump's behaviour "unacceptable", she however asked the US public to pardon him as he has the "heart and mind of a leader". Trump's vice presidential running mate Mike Pence was also critical of his comments, saying he would be unable to defend the use of such words. "As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump," said Pence, who is governor of Indiana. Trump's presidential rival Hillary Clinton is yet to publicly chastise Trump's lewd comments. 'Will never drop out of the race' Despite the barrage of criticism he has faced since the release of the recording, Trump seemed defiant when he tweeted: "The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN!" × But the video leak has damaged his prospects of coming to power as it comes barely a month before Election Day. The latest calamity is likely to further dent his poll numbers. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump vows to stay in race after lewd comments surface

The US State Department will restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton&#39;s handling of classified material as Secretary of State. Earlier this week, the FBI said that Democratic Presidential nominee Clinton will not face criminal charges over her use of private email. 
 
The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent. Now that the inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review. 
 
State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible. He said former officials can still face administrative sanctions.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible

The US State Department will restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton's handling of classified material as Secretary of State. Earlier this week, the FBI said that Democratic Presidential nominee Clinton will not face criminal charges over her use of private email. The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent. Now that the inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review. State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible. He said former officials can still face administrative sanctions. (ANI)

US State Department restarts Hillary Clinton email probe

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton&#39;s state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. 
 
In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a &quot;shameful&quot; lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. 
 
The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. 
 
The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton&rsquo;s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. 
 
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September &nbsp;11, 2012 incident. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign dismissed the committee&#39;s report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a &quot;political exercise.&quot; 
 
Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to &quot;learn the right lessons&quot; from the Benghazi tragedy. 
 
&quot;No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating,&quot; said Clinton. 
 
Trump waited until hours after the report&#39;s release to comment. &quot;Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure,&quot; he said on Twitter. &quot;It just never seems to work the way it&#39;s supposed to with Clinton.&quot; 
 
Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton&#39;s actions as secretary of state were &quot;disqualifying.&quot; 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing&quot; to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. 
 
Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report &quot;old news&quot; but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. &quot;A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He&rsquo;ll certainly try,&rdquo; Zelizer said. 
 
Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. &quot;Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton&rsquo;s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place,&quot; he said. 
 
Systematic security lapses&nbsp; 
 
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that &quot;the fighting had subsided&quot; at the US diplomatic compound. 
 
The committee&#39;s report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. 
 
None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. 
 
The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. 
 
Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday&#39;s release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. 
 
According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. 
 
The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. 
 
Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. 
 
Clinton rebuffed charges 
 
Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. 
 
In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. 
 
Clinton&#39;s appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel&#39;s demand to see her official records. 
 
A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing &quot;grossly&quot; insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. 
 
(Reuters)

The killing of an ambassador and three other Americans in a US compound in Benghazi has been used by Republicans to flay Clinton repeatedly

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton's state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a "shameful" lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton’s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September 11, 2012 incident. Clinton's campaign dismissed the committee's report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a "political exercise." Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to "learn the right lessons" from the Benghazi tragedy. "No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating," said Clinton. Trump waited until hours after the report's release to comment. "Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure," he said on Twitter. "It just never seems to work the way it's supposed to with Clinton." Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton's actions as secretary of state were "disqualifying." "Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing" to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report "old news" but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. "A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He’ll certainly try,” Zelizer said. Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. "Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton’s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place," he said. Systematic security lapses At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that "the fighting had subsided" at the US diplomatic compound. The committee's report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday's release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. Clinton rebuffed charges Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. Clinton's appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel's demand to see her official records. A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing "grossly" insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. (Reuters)

Clinton's culpability over Benghazi attack debate reignites after panel's report

Seeking a vote on strict gun control laws in the wake of America&#39;s deadliest mass shooting last week that killed 49 people in Orlando, Democratic Congressmen resorted to an unprecedented sit-in inside the well of the US House of Representatives. 
 
The leadership of the Republican party, which holds a majority in the House, refused to budge and instead shut off the television cameras used for live coverage. 
 
The Democratic Congressmen used their own smartphones to live telecast -- through Facebook and other social media sites -- the proceedings inside the House along with their sit-in demonstrations in the House well. 
 
Images from inside the well of the House reflected a chaotic situation rarely seen. 
 
One television commentator described this like an anarchy and lawlessness as the rare sit-in inside the House crossed midnight even after the lights were switched off. 
 
&quot;Enough is enough,&quot; said Indian American Congressman Ami Bera, as he joined his fellow Democratic lawmakers in the protest, which was led by legendary Congressman John Lewis, known for his civil disobedience movement. 
 
&quot;Republicans denied us a vote, we sat on the Floor. We sat on the Floor, with John Larson presiding. When they turned off the House cameras, we livestreamed from our phones,&quot; said Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in her remarks on the House floor late last night. 
 
&quot;They can try to shut down the Floor, but because of you, they cannot shut out the voices of the victims and the will of the American people. And now, as you hold up the names of people who have been victims of violence,&quot; she said. 
 
Democratic lawmakers were demanding that Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, bring up a vote on commonsense gun violence prevention legislation before the House recesses. 
 
Refusing to budge under pressure, Ryan described this as a publicity stunt by Democrats. 
 
&quot;This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. That&#39;s point number one. Point number two is this bill was already defeated in the United States Senate. Number three, we&#39;re not going to take away a citizen&#39;s due process rights,&quot; Ryan said. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going to take away a citizen&#39;s constitutional rights without due process. That was already defeated in the Senate. And this is not the way to try and bring up legislation,&quot; he told CNN in an interview. 
 
Ryan defended his decision to shut off the cameras and lights arguing that these are as per the House rules. 
 
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer demanded that Republicans hold a vote on legislation on gun violence. 
 
&quot;After the unspeakable slaughter of 49 innocent people in Orlando earlier this month, it is unconscionable that House Republicans would continue to block a vote even on commonsense safeguards, including expanding background checks and preventing dangerous firearms from being sold to terror suspects,&quot; Hoyer said. 
 
&quot;This is an issue that ought to transcend party - it&#39;s about saving lives and keeping our communities safe,&quot; he said. 
 
(PTI)

Even past midnight, Democrats telecast the session on smartphones after Republicans turned cameras off

Seeking a vote on strict gun control laws in the wake of America's deadliest mass shooting last week that killed 49 people in Orlando, Democratic Congressmen resorted to an unprecedented sit-in inside the well of the US House of Representatives. The leadership of the Republican party, which holds a majority in the House, refused to budge and instead shut off the television cameras used for live coverage. The Democratic Congressmen used their own smartphones to live telecast -- through Facebook and other social media sites -- the proceedings inside the House along with their sit-in demonstrations in the House well. Images from inside the well of the House reflected a chaotic situation rarely seen. One television commentator described this like an anarchy and lawlessness as the rare sit-in inside the House crossed midnight even after the lights were switched off. "Enough is enough," said Indian American Congressman Ami Bera, as he joined his fellow Democratic lawmakers in the protest, which was led by legendary Congressman John Lewis, known for his civil disobedience movement. "Republicans denied us a vote, we sat on the Floor. We sat on the Floor, with John Larson presiding. When they turned off the House cameras, we livestreamed from our phones," said Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in her remarks on the House floor late last night. "They can try to shut down the Floor, but because of you, they cannot shut out the voices of the victims and the will of the American people. And now, as you hold up the names of people who have been victims of violence," she said. Democratic lawmakers were demanding that Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, bring up a vote on commonsense gun violence prevention legislation before the House recesses. Refusing to budge under pressure, Ryan described this as a publicity stunt by Democrats. "This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. That's point number one. Point number two is this bill was already defeated in the United States Senate. Number three, we're not going to take away a citizen's due process rights," Ryan said. "We're not going to take away a citizen's constitutional rights without due process. That was already defeated in the Senate. And this is not the way to try and bring up legislation," he told CNN in an interview. Ryan defended his decision to shut off the cameras and lights arguing that these are as per the House rules. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer demanded that Republicans hold a vote on legislation on gun violence. "After the unspeakable slaughter of 49 innocent people in Orlando earlier this month, it is unconscionable that House Republicans would continue to block a vote even on commonsense safeguards, including expanding background checks and preventing dangerous firearms from being sold to terror suspects," Hoyer said. "This is an issue that ought to transcend party - it's about saving lives and keeping our communities safe," he said. (PTI)

House sit-in seeking gun control laws described as 'anarchy and lawlessness'

Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter&#39;s Periscope and Facebook&#39;s live video platform to broadcast their &quot;sit-in&quot; on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber&#39;s cameras shut down. 
 
Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. 
 
The protest was the latest move by Democrats to persuade the Republican majority in Congress to take up votes on gun control measures in response to last week&#39;s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest in modern US history. 
 
In video streamed on Facebook Live by Congressman Beto O&#39;Rourke, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can be seen speaking into a microphone that was turned off. She could be heard asking the House Speaker to turn the microphones back on. 
 
At about noon EDT (1600 GMT), presiding House officer and Republican Representative Ted Poe declared the House not in order, as Democratic protesters sat at the front of the chamber. 
 
Cable news channel C-SPAN, which typically uses the House cameras to broadcast live footage of Congress, broadcast Peters&#39; Periscope feed instead. 
 
The hashtag #NoBillNoBreak became a rallying cry for gun control supporters on Twitter and quickly became the top-trending hashtag in the United States on the social media platform. 
 
Politicians and average social media users alike used the hashtag as a sign of solidarity with the sit-in.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

After Orlando shooting, Republicans face more pressure to stop voting against gun control measures

Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter's Periscope and Facebook's live video platform to broadcast their "sit-in" on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber's cameras shut down. Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. The protest was the latest move by Democrats to persuade the Republican majority in Congress to take up votes on gun control measures in response to last week's mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest in modern US history. In video streamed on Facebook Live by Congressman Beto O'Rourke, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can be seen speaking into a microphone that was turned off. She could be heard asking the House Speaker to turn the microphones back on. At about noon EDT (1600 GMT), presiding House officer and Republican Representative Ted Poe declared the House not in order, as Democratic protesters sat at the front of the chamber. Cable news channel C-SPAN, which typically uses the House cameras to broadcast live footage of Congress, broadcast Peters' Periscope feed instead. The hashtag #NoBillNoBreak became a rallying cry for gun control supporters on Twitter and quickly became the top-trending hashtag in the United States on the social media platform. Politicians and average social media users alike used the hashtag as a sign of solidarity with the sit-in. (Reuters)

Democrats broadcast House sit-in on social media to protest gun control impasse

President Barack Obama travelled to grief-stricken Orlando today, meeting loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage and using his bully pulpit to demand that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control. 
 
Four days after the worst mass shooting in US history, Obama made a solemn pilgrimage to meet staff at the Pulse nightclub, emergency responders and some of the dozens of families shattered by gunman Omar Mateen. 
 
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded when the 29-year-old Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in a packed gay nightclub early Sunday, armed with a legally bought assault rifle. 
 
Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group during the attack -- was killed in a police raid. 
 
But his assault has fueled America&#39;s poisonous partisan culture wars, prompting new salvos in bitter election-year rows over immigration, counterterrorism and guns. 
 
After meeting the victims&#39; families, Obama said &quot;our hearts are broken too&quot; and insisted the tone of the country&#39;s hyper-partisan debate on firearms &quot;needs to change.&quot; 
 
Relatives of the victims &quot;don&#39;t care about the politics. And neither do I,&quot; he said. 
 
The Republican-controlled Congress has steadfastly refused to pass any gun legislation, saying to do so would infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners. 
 
Frustrated Democrats took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to launch a procedural obstruction, known as a filibuster, to pressure Republicans to accept so-called &quot;no-fly, no buy&quot; legislation that would bar those on watch lists or no-fly lists from purchasing firearms. 
 
The move was a success, and votes were set for next week. 
 
- Can&#39;t catch every &#39;deranged person&#39; - 
Understanding of the shooting has been muddied by witnesses who say Mateen was a regular at the gay club and used gay dating apps. Investigators were looking into Mateen&#39;s social media activity for more clues. 
 
Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg that his investigators had found Mateen apparently made a post sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group&#39;s leader, and &quot;America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state.&quot; 
 
He also allegedly posted: &quot;The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west&quot; and &quot;In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa.&quot; 
 
Johnson was asking Zuckerberg to share details of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. 
 
&quot;The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in Aurora or Newtown,&quot; Obama said, listing two in the litany of mass shootings that have marked his presidency. 
 
&quot;But the instruments of death were so similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives. Some will have wounds that will last a lifetime.&quot; 
 
Obama insisted the military would tackle the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in their hideouts, and intelligence services would work to disrupt such networks. 
 
But, he warned, the government could not catch every &quot;deranged person.&quot; 
 
&quot;We can do something about the amount of damage that they do,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual like those in Aurora and Newtown to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons and they can do so legally.&quot; 
 
- Rare bipartisanship - 
The day was meant to be about unity. 
 
In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden. 
 
But any goodwill was blown apart when Senator John McCain said Obama -- his general election rival in 2008 -- was &quot;directly responsible&quot; for the massacre. 
 
McCain later said he had meant to suggest that Obama&#39;s policies in the Middle East were to blame, not the president personally. 
 
In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group. 
 
FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalized by following extremist propaganda online. 
 
The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group&#39;s strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya. 
 
But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama&#39;s own CIA director John Brennan, who warned today that the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group&#39;s terrorism capability and global reach,&quot; he told US lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. 
(AFP)

Meets grief-stricken families, Pulse nightclub staff, says 'our hearts are broken too'

President Barack Obama travelled to grief-stricken Orlando today, meeting loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage and using his bully pulpit to demand that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control. Four days after the worst mass shooting in US history, Obama made a solemn pilgrimage to meet staff at the Pulse nightclub, emergency responders and some of the dozens of families shattered by gunman Omar Mateen. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded when the 29-year-old Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in a packed gay nightclub early Sunday, armed with a legally bought assault rifle. Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group during the attack -- was killed in a police raid. But his assault has fueled America's poisonous partisan culture wars, prompting new salvos in bitter election-year rows over immigration, counterterrorism and guns. After meeting the victims' families, Obama said "our hearts are broken too" and insisted the tone of the country's hyper-partisan debate on firearms "needs to change." Relatives of the victims "don't care about the politics. And neither do I," he said. The Republican-controlled Congress has steadfastly refused to pass any gun legislation, saying to do so would infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners. Frustrated Democrats took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to launch a procedural obstruction, known as a filibuster, to pressure Republicans to accept so-called "no-fly, no buy" legislation that would bar those on watch lists or no-fly lists from purchasing firearms. The move was a success, and votes were set for next week. - Can't catch every 'deranged person' - Understanding of the shooting has been muddied by witnesses who say Mateen was a regular at the gay club and used gay dating apps. Investigators were looking into Mateen's social media activity for more clues. Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg that his investigators had found Mateen apparently made a post sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group's leader, and "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." He also allegedly posted: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west" and "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa." Johnson was asking Zuckerberg to share details of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. "The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in Aurora or Newtown," Obama said, listing two in the litany of mass shootings that have marked his presidency. "But the instruments of death were so similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives. Some will have wounds that will last a lifetime." Obama insisted the military would tackle the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in their hideouts, and intelligence services would work to disrupt such networks. But, he warned, the government could not catch every "deranged person." "We can do something about the amount of damage that they do," he said. "Unfortunately our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual like those in Aurora and Newtown to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons and they can do so legally." - Rare bipartisanship - The day was meant to be about unity. In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden. But any goodwill was blown apart when Senator John McCain said Obama -- his general election rival in 2008 -- was "directly responsible" for the massacre. McCain later said he had meant to suggest that Obama's policies in the Middle East were to blame, not the president personally. In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group. FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalized by following extremist propaganda online. The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group's strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya. But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama's own CIA director John Brennan, who warned today that the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world. "Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," he told US lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. (AFP)

Obama travels to Orlando, says gun debate 'needs to change'

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