Donald Trump's daughter and son-in-law launched an initiative in Jerusalem to advance the Abraham Accords that saw Arab states normalise ties with Israel.

Former Trump advisers Kushner, Ivanka Trump inaugurate Abraham Accords caucus

The Saudi royal family showered Donald Trump and his entourage on his first trip abroad as president with dozens of presents, including three robes made with white tiger and cheetah fur, and a dagger with a handle that appeared to be ivory.

Little that followed went right.

A White House lawyer determined that possession of the furs and dagger most likely violated the Endangered Species Act, but the Trump administration held onto them and failed to disclose them as gifts received from a foreign government.

On the last full day of Trump’s presidency, the White House handed them over to the General Services Administration — the wrong agency — rather than the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which seized the gifts this summer.

At that point, there was a surprise.

The furs, from an oil-rich family worth billions of dollars, were fake.

“Wildlife inspectors and special agents determined the linings of the robes were dyed to mimic tiger and cheetah patterns and were not comprised of protected species,” said Tyler Cherry, a spokesperson for the Interior Department, which oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Officials at the Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment.

The tale of the furs is but one example of how gift exchanges between the United States and foreign leaders — a highly regulated process intended to shield administrations from questions of impropriety — devolved into sometimes risible shambles during the Trump administration.

The State Department’s inspector general is investigating allegations that Trump’s political appointees walked off with gift bags worth thousands of dollars that were meant for foreign leaders at the Group of 7 summit planned for Camp David in Maryland in 2020, which was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The bags contained dozens of items purchased with government funds, including leather portfolios, pewter trays and marble trinket boxes emblazoned with the presidential seal or the signatures of Trump and his wife, Melania.

The inspector general continues to pursue the whereabouts of a $5,800 bottle of Japanese whiskey given to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — Pompeo said he never received it — and a 22-karat gold coin given to another State Department official.

There is also a question about whether former second lady Karen Pence wrongly took two gold-toned place-card holders from the prime minister of Singapore without paying for them.

In addition, the Trump administration never disclosed that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a top White House adviser, received two swords and a dagger from the Saudis, although he paid $47,920 for them along with three other gifts in February, after he left office.

To be sure, Trump’s handling of foreign gifts is not at the top of his critics’ list of administration offenses. And there is no evidence that he or Melania took any gifts to which they were not entitled.

But ethics experts said the problems reflected larger issues with the Trump presidency.

“Whether this was indifference, sloppiness or the Great Train Robbery, it shows such a cavalier attitude to the law and the regular process of government,” said Stanley Brand, a criminal defense lawyer, ethics expert and former top lawyer for the House of Representatives.

The State Department declined to address the specifics of how the Trump administration handled gifts but said in a statement that it “takes seriously its role in reporting the disposition of certain gifts received by U.S. government employees” and that it was “investigating the whereabouts of gifts that are unaccounted for and the circumstances that led to their disappearance.”

This article is based on public documents and others produced by the federal government under the Freedom of Information Act, interviews with current and former government officials, and on-the-record responses to questions from several government departments and agencies. The documents include an index of gifts that Trump and his family received in Saudi Arabia in 2017 that the National Archives provided to two Democratic senators, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

The details about the missing gifts and the other widespread problems with them have not been previously reported. Politico reported in August that the State Department’s inspector general was investigating about 20 types of missing gifts.

82 Gifts From the Saudis

The nation’s founders were so concerned that European nobility could co-opt U.S. officials with lavish gifts that they included in the Constitution a clause making it illegal for an official to take anything of worth from a foreigner.

In 1966, Congress passed a law detailing how a U.S. official could keep a gift of only relatively minimal value, now capped at $415. Subsequent amendments defined gifts as government property and created a standardized process for how officials were to deal with them.

To add transparency, provisions require administrations to annually disclose the gifts given to U.S. officials by foreigners and their appraised value. The laws have no criminal penalties, although legal experts said that anyone caught taking government property could be prosecuted for theft.

The Trump administration’s gift problems date from the president’s trip in May 2017 to Saudi Arabia, whose leaders were jubilant that Trump had chosen the kingdom for his first visit abroad and was embracing them after years of tensions with the Obama administration. The Saudis have a history of giving lavish gifts to American presidents, and Trump and his aides appeared to receive a generous bounty.

The State Department disclosed a list of 82 gifts from the Saudis to Trump administration officials on the May 2017 trip in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed shortly after Trump returned home. The gifts ranged from ordinary ones such as sandals and scarves to expensive ones such as furs and daggers.

Nine of the most expensive presents — the three furs, three swords and three daggers — were sent to the White House gifts unit to be assessed and appraised but never appeared on any of the Trump State Department’s legally required annual filings for foreign gifts, according to a review of government documents.

It was not until last Jan. 19 that the White House sent the nine gifts to the General Services Administration, according to a statement from the agency.

After The New York Times this past summer inquired about why the agency was in possession of items in violation of the Endangered Species Act, the General Services Administration alerted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which in July sent an agent to collect the furs at a government warehouse in Springfield, Virginia. The agent also took the dagger, which a visiting Qatari official had given to the Trump White House in Saudi Arabia.

Inspectors examined the items, discovering more problems as they determined that the furs had been dyed and were fake. The dagger’s handle “appears to possibly contain tooth or bone of some variety” — the materials of elephant tusk — “although additional laboratory analysis would be required to identify the species,” the Interior Department said.

It is unclear if the Saudis knew about the fake furs or were deceived by a supplier, but Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on Saudi-U. S. relations, called the gifts highly embarrassing.

“The two most important things for them is to look like they’re aboveboard world actors, and are rich and show their wealth,” he said.

A spokesperson for Trump did not return several messages seeking comment.

Disappearing Gift Bags

As Trump political appointees in the State Department’s protocol office packed up their belongings in January, career officers saw their departing colleagues leave with the gift bags meant for foreign leaders at the G-7 summit the previous year, the inspector general has learned. The bags had been in storage in a large room at the State Department known as the vault.

Once the Biden administration took over, career officials began to examine the accounting of foreign gifts without Trump officials looking over their shoulders.

At that point, career officials discovered that many of the gift bags were missing, as were more than a dozen additional presents given to Trump officials. The number was unusual: Government documents from the Obama and George W. Bush administrations show no unaccounted gifts given to White House officials, Cabinet members or members of the first families.

In the months that followed, the Times located many of the gifts, including a bottle of perfume and a Persian silk carpet that the Qataris had given to Steven Mnuchin, the former Treasury secretary. (His gifts were supposed to have been sent to the General Services Administration for disposal, but they were sitting in storage at the Treasury Department.)

The bottle of whiskey for Pompeo remains unaccounted for, as does the 22-karat gold coin and a porcelain bowl from Vietnam for John Bolton, Trump’s third national security adviser, who sent the Times an email exchange with the Trump White House showing that he never took it and did not want it.

One mystery has been solved: When the Times reached out to Karen Pence, a lawyer for the family said that she had taken the gold-toned place-card holders after a White House ethics lawyer told her she could keep them because they had been appraised at less than the minimal threshold, which was $390 at the time.

But according to the information provided to the State Department by the Trump White House, she should have paid for the place-card holders. Under federal guidelines, if a U.S. official is given multiple gifts in a meeting with a foreign official, the American must pay for them if the total exceeds the minimal threshold. The State Department said the Trump White House reported that Karen Pence had received the card holders along with a framed print and a clutch purse, which totaled $1,200.

Richard Cullen, the lawyer for the Pence family, said the State Department was wrong — that the gifts had been given at different meetings, and Karen Pence had declined to keep the print and clutch. In response to Cullen’s explanation, a State Department spokesperson said it stood by its characterization of Karen Pence’s gifts.

The Saudi royal family showered Donald Trump and his entourage on his first trip abroad as president with dozens of presents, including three robes made with white tiger and cheetah fur, and a dagger with a handle that appeared to be ivory.

The Saudi royal family showered Donald Trump and his entourage on his first trip abroad as president with dozens of presents, including three robes made with white tiger and cheetah fur, and a dagger with a handle that appeared to be ivory. Little that followed went right. A White House lawyer determined that possession of the furs and dagger most likely violated the Endangered Species Act, but the Trump administration held onto them and failed to disclose them as gifts received from a foreign government. On the last full day of Trump’s presidency, the White House handed them over to the General Services Administration — the wrong agency — rather than the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which seized the gifts this summer. At that point, there was a surprise. The furs, from an oil-rich family worth billions of dollars, were fake. “Wildlife inspectors and special agents determined the linings of the robes were dyed to mimic tiger and cheetah patterns and were not comprised of protected species,” said Tyler Cherry, a spokesperson for the Interior Department, which oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Officials at the Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment. The tale of the furs is but one example of how gift exchanges between the United States and foreign leaders — a highly regulated process intended to shield administrations from questions of impropriety — devolved into sometimes risible shambles during the Trump administration. The State Department’s inspector general is investigating allegations that Trump’s political appointees walked off with gift bags worth thousands of dollars that were meant for foreign leaders at the Group of 7 summit planned for Camp David in Maryland in 2020, which was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The bags contained dozens of items purchased with government funds, including leather portfolios, pewter trays and marble trinket boxes emblazoned with the presidential seal or the signatures of Trump and his wife, Melania. The inspector general continues to pursue the whereabouts of a $5,800 bottle of Japanese whiskey given to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — Pompeo said he never received it — and a 22-karat gold coin given to another State Department official. There is also a question about whether former second lady Karen Pence wrongly took two gold-toned place-card holders from the prime minister of Singapore without paying for them. In addition, the Trump administration never disclosed that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a top White House adviser, received two swords and a dagger from the Saudis, although he paid $47,920 for them along with three other gifts in February, after he left office. To be sure, Trump’s handling of foreign gifts is not at the top of his critics’ list of administration offenses. And there is no evidence that he or Melania took any gifts to which they were not entitled. But ethics experts said the problems reflected larger issues with the Trump presidency. “Whether this was indifference, sloppiness or the Great Train Robbery, it shows such a cavalier attitude to the law and the regular process of government,” said Stanley Brand, a criminal defense lawyer, ethics expert and former top lawyer for the House of Representatives. The State Department declined to address the specifics of how the Trump administration handled gifts but said in a statement that it “takes seriously its role in reporting the disposition of certain gifts received by U.S. government employees” and that it was “investigating the whereabouts of gifts that are unaccounted for and the circumstances that led to their disappearance.” This article is based on public documents and others produced by the federal government under the Freedom of Information Act, interviews with current and former government officials, and on-the-record responses to questions from several government departments and agencies. The documents include an index of gifts that Trump and his family received in Saudi Arabia in 2017 that the National Archives provided to two Democratic senators, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. The details about the missing gifts and the other widespread problems with them have not been previously reported. Politico reported in August that the State Department’s inspector general was investigating about 20 types of missing gifts. 82 Gifts From the Saudis The nation’s founders were so concerned that European nobility could co-opt U.S. officials with lavish gifts that they included in the Constitution a clause making it illegal for an official to take anything of worth from a foreigner. In 1966, Congress passed a law detailing how a U.S. official could keep a gift of only relatively minimal value, now capped at $415. Subsequent amendments defined gifts as government property and created a standardized process for how officials were to deal with them. To add transparency, provisions require administrations to annually disclose the gifts given to U.S. officials by foreigners and their appraised value. The laws have no criminal penalties, although legal experts said that anyone caught taking government property could be prosecuted for theft. The Trump administration’s gift problems date from the president’s trip in May 2017 to Saudi Arabia, whose leaders were jubilant that Trump had chosen the kingdom for his first visit abroad and was embracing them after years of tensions with the Obama administration. The Saudis have a history of giving lavish gifts to American presidents, and Trump and his aides appeared to receive a generous bounty. The State Department disclosed a list of 82 gifts from the Saudis to Trump administration officials on the May 2017 trip in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed shortly after Trump returned home. The gifts ranged from ordinary ones such as sandals and scarves to expensive ones such as furs and daggers. Nine of the most expensive presents — the three furs, three swords and three daggers — were sent to the White House gifts unit to be assessed and appraised but never appeared on any of the Trump State Department’s legally required annual filings for foreign gifts, according to a review of government documents. It was not until last Jan. 19 that the White House sent the nine gifts to the General Services Administration, according to a statement from the agency. After The New York Times this past summer inquired about why the agency was in possession of items in violation of the Endangered Species Act, the General Services Administration alerted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which in July sent an agent to collect the furs at a government warehouse in Springfield, Virginia. The agent also took the dagger, which a visiting Qatari official had given to the Trump White House in Saudi Arabia. Inspectors examined the items, discovering more problems as they determined that the furs had been dyed and were fake. The dagger’s handle “appears to possibly contain tooth or bone of some variety” — the materials of elephant tusk — “although additional laboratory analysis would be required to identify the species,” the Interior Department said. It is unclear if the Saudis knew about the fake furs or were deceived by a supplier, but Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on Saudi-U. S. relations, called the gifts highly embarrassing. “The two most important things for them is to look like they’re aboveboard world actors, and are rich and show their wealth,” he said. A spokesperson for Trump did not return several messages seeking comment. Disappearing Gift Bags As Trump political appointees in the State Department’s protocol office packed up their belongings in January, career officers saw their departing colleagues leave with the gift bags meant for foreign leaders at the G-7 summit the previous year, the inspector general has learned. The bags had been in storage in a large room at the State Department known as the vault. Once the Biden administration took over, career officials began to examine the accounting of foreign gifts without Trump officials looking over their shoulders. At that point, career officials discovered that many of the gift bags were missing, as were more than a dozen additional presents given to Trump officials. The number was unusual: Government documents from the Obama and George W. Bush administrations show no unaccounted gifts given to White House officials, Cabinet members or members of the first families. In the months that followed, the Times located many of the gifts, including a bottle of perfume and a Persian silk carpet that the Qataris had given to Steven Mnuchin, the former Treasury secretary. (His gifts were supposed to have been sent to the General Services Administration for disposal, but they were sitting in storage at the Treasury Department.) The bottle of whiskey for Pompeo remains unaccounted for, as does the 22-karat gold coin and a porcelain bowl from Vietnam for John Bolton, Trump’s third national security adviser, who sent the Times an email exchange with the Trump White House showing that he never took it and did not want it. One mystery has been solved: When the Times reached out to Karen Pence, a lawyer for the family said that she had taken the gold-toned place-card holders after a White House ethics lawyer told her she could keep them because they had been appraised at less than the minimal threshold, which was $390 at the time. But according to the information provided to the State Department by the Trump White House, she should have paid for the place-card holders. Under federal guidelines, if a U.S. official is given multiple gifts in a meeting with a foreign official, the American must pay for them if the total exceeds the minimal threshold. The State Department said the Trump White House reported that Karen Pence had received the card holders along with a framed print and a clutch purse, which totaled $1,200. Richard Cullen, the lawyer for the Pence family, said the State Department was wrong — that the gifts had been given at different meetings, and Karen Pence had declined to keep the print and clutch. In response to Cullen’s explanation, a State Department spokesperson said it stood by its characterization of Karen Pence’s gifts.

White tiger and cheetah furs: A mess of Trump gift exchanges

Continuing with long-standing criticism of the 2020 polls and attacks on political foes, former US President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion "socialist" spending "monstrosity" on all fronts, from economy to immigration. &nbsp;

Viewed as a likely 2024 presidential contender, Trump has criticised his successor's efforts to cobble together a coalition for the massive spending haul, saying the bill was "so bad". &nbsp;

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During a 'Save America' rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump said on Saturday night, "It's a socialist transformation bill, it's an open borders bill, (and) it's an American energy destruction bill." &nbsp;&nbsp;

"Joe Biden and the radical Left Democrats in Congress are trying to ram through a $3.5 trillion, wild, spending binge that costs more than the entire sum the United States has spent on any war in the history of our country," the leader said. &nbsp;

"Not only is this the largest spending bill of all time, it's the largest tax hike of all time. This monstrosity is so dangerous for our country and so bad for children and grandchildren to come. This monstrosity is a bill to end America as we know it. It's so bad," the former president said.

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Suggesting Trump may take on several political opponents in 2024, the former president dropped hints about a campaign slogan, "Make America great again, again," as "America is not great right now." &nbsp;

If the former president enters the race, he would be a formidable candidate, suggests recent polling. A poll in Des Moines Register shows that Trump's approval rating has climbed to 53% in Iowa since leaving office. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Continuing with long-standing criticism of the 2020 polls and attacks on political foes, former US President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion "socialist" spending "monstrosity" on all fronts, from economy to immigration.

Continuing with long-standing criticism of the 2020 polls and attacks on political foes, former US President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion "socialist" spending "monstrosity" on all fronts, from economy to immigration. Viewed as a likely 2024 presidential contender, Trump has criticised his successor's efforts to cobble together a coalition for the massive spending haul, saying the bill was "so bad". Also Read: California becomes first state to ban secret removal of condom during sex During a 'Save America' rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump said on Saturday night, "It's a socialist transformation bill, it's an open borders bill, (and) it's an American energy destruction bill." "Joe Biden and the radical Left Democrats in Congress are trying to ram through a $3.5 trillion, wild, spending binge that costs more than the entire sum the United States has spent on any war in the history of our country," the leader said. "Not only is this the largest spending bill of all time, it's the largest tax hike of all time. This monstrosity is so dangerous for our country and so bad for children and grandchildren to come. This monstrosity is a bill to end America as we know it. It's so bad," the former president said. Also Read | Travellers vaccinated with WHO approved Covid vaccines can enter US: CDC Suggesting Trump may take on several political opponents in 2024, the former president dropped hints about a campaign slogan, "Make America great again, again," as "America is not great right now." If the former president enters the race, he would be a formidable candidate, suggests recent polling. A poll in Des Moines Register shows that Trump's approval rating has climbed to 53% in Iowa since leaving office. (With inputs from agencies)

At Iowa rally, Trump slams Biden's 'socialist' spending package

Former President Donald Trump returned to Iowa Saturday for his first visit to the state after losing the presidential election in November, during the rally he repeats claims of foul play during the 2020 election.

Former US President Donald Trump repeats claims of foul play during 2020 election

Even despite disagreements over January 6 developments, former US vice president Mike Pence insists he is still close to ex-president Donald Trump. &nbsp;

On Monday, the former vice president told Fox News, “You can't spend almost five years in a political foxhole with somebody without developing a strong relationship."

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“January 6 was a tragic day in the history of our Capitol building, but thanks to the efforts of Capitol Hill police [and] federal officials, the Capitol was secured,” Pence added. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“We finished our work, and the president and I sat down a few days later and talked through all of it. I can tell you that we parted amicably at the end of the administration, and we've talked a number of times since we both left office,” the leader said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After he certified the Electoral College votes that gave Joe Biden the presidency, the Trump supporters turned on Pence. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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The leader had reportedly disapproved of Trump’s actions on the day, which led to the infamous Capitol riots. The former president has since publicly criticised Pence for certifying the vote. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In the interview, Pence slammed withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan as an “example of what weak leadership means on the world stage." &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Even despite disagreements over January 6 developments, former US vice president Mike Pence insists he is still close to ex-president Donald Trump. On Monday, the former vice president told Fox News, “You can't spend almost five years in a political foxhole with somebody without developing a strong relationship.

Even despite disagreements over January 6 developments, former US vice president Mike Pence insists he is still close to ex-president Donald Trump. On Monday, the former vice president told Fox News, “You can't spend almost five years in a political foxhole with somebody without developing a strong relationship." Also Read: Biden congratulates Japan's new PM on phone call, both confirm strong alliance “January 6 was a tragic day in the history of our Capitol building, but thanks to the efforts of Capitol Hill police [and] federal officials, the Capitol was secured,” Pence added. “We finished our work, and the president and I sat down a few days later and talked through all of it. I can tell you that we parted amicably at the end of the administration, and we've talked a number of times since we both left office,” the leader said. After he certified the Electoral College votes that gave Joe Biden the presidency, the Trump supporters turned on Pence. Also Read: Biden officials end ban on abortion referrals at federally funded clinics The leader had reportedly disapproved of Trump’s actions on the day, which led to the infamous Capitol riots. The former president has since publicly criticised Pence for certifying the vote. In the interview, Pence slammed withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan as an “example of what weak leadership means on the world stage." (With inputs from agencies)

Despite disagreements over January 6, Pence still 'close to' Trump

Former United States President Donald Trump asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to reinstate his account. Watch this report for more details.

Former US Prez Donald Trump asks Florida Judge to force Twitter to restart his account

A senior US general on Wednesday said that the Doha agreement, signed by former US President Donald Trump with the Taliban had an influence on USA's disastrous pullout from Afghanistan. He was speaking in front of House Congress committee in a congressional hearing.

General Kenneth Mckenzie said that once the decision to reduce US troop presence below 2500 was taken, it proved to be the start of unravelling of American pullout.

“The signing of the Doha agreement had a really pernicious effect on the government of Afghanistan and on its military, psychological more than anything else, but we set a date – certain for when we were going to leave and when they could expect all assistance to end,” McKenzie said.

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The Doha agreement was signed between USA and Taliban. As per the agreement, US agreed to fully withdraw its troops by May 2021 in exchange for some assurances from Taliban.

During his hearing before US Congress committee, McKenzie said that he was of the opinion that if the number of American troops in Afghanistan fell below 2500, it would result in collapse of the civillian government in Kabul.

He added that US President Joe Biden's order to reduce troops in April was “the other nail in the coffin”.

Taliban took over power in Afghanistan on August 15 in a lightning offensive that followed drawdown and total withdrawal of US troops from the country.

A senior US general on Wednesday said that the Doha agreement, signed by former US President Donald Trump with the Taliban had an influence on USA's disastrous pullout from Afghanistan.

A senior US general on Wednesday said that the Doha agreement, signed by former US President Donald Trump with the Taliban had an influence on USA's disastrous pullout from Afghanistan. He was speaking in front of House Congress committee in a congressional hearing. General Kenneth Mckenzie said that once the decision to reduce US troop presence below 2500 was taken, it proved to be the start of unravelling of American pullout. “The signing of the Doha agreement had a really pernicious effect on the government of Afghanistan and on its military, psychological more than anything else, but we set a date – certain for when we were going to leave and when they could expect all assistance to end,” McKenzie said. Also Read | Kabul drone strike: US Military knew about civilian casualties but didn't admit initially The Doha agreement was signed between USA and Taliban. As per the agreement, US agreed to fully withdraw its troops by May 2021 in exchange for some assurances from Taliban. During his hearing before US Congress committee, McKenzie said that he was of the opinion that if the number of American troops in Afghanistan fell below 2500, it would result in collapse of the civillian government in Kabul. He added that US President Joe Biden's order to reduce troops in April was “the other nail in the coffin”. Taliban took over power in Afghanistan on August 15 in a lightning offensive that followed drawdown and total withdrawal of US troops from the country.

Senior US general blames Trump's Doha agreement for Afghan debacle

Four members of Donald Trump's inner circle on Thursday received subpoenas to appear before a congressional committee to shed light on what exactly the former president said and did on the day rioters entered the US Capitol earlier this year. Watch this report for more details.

United States: Trump's inner circle to be investigated

Two prominent Republican operatives, who allegedly helped a Russian national illegally donate $25,000 to the Trump campaign in 2016, have been charged by the Justice Department of the country on Monday. &nbsp;

In a six-count indictment, 43-year-old Jesse Benton and 75-year-old Doug Wead were charged. They made their first appearance in DC District Court. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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These operatives have been accused of making an illegal foreign contribution, conspiring to violate campaign finance laws and helping submit false records to the Federal Election Commission. The information about their defence attorneys was not available. &nbsp;

Benton and Wead funnelled $25,000 from an unnamed Russian donor to the Trump Victory Committee, a joint fundraising venture between then-candidate Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee, said the prosecutors. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-begin-effort-to-curb-post-trump-presidential-powers-414646" hreflang="en">Democrats begin effort to curb post-Trump presidential powers</a>&nbsp;

The Russian national had then attended a fundraiser in Philadelphia in September 2016, where he met Trump and took photos with him. &nbsp;

In the court filings, there is no indication that the case is connected to the special counsel investigation, which examined the many ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. It says Trump's campaign was not aware that the money came from a foreign national. &nbsp;

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As per the indictment, the Russian wired $100,000 to a company that Benton owned. He kept $75,000 and donated $25,000 to the Trump Victory Committee. The indictment does not name Trump or the committee. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Two prominent Republican operatives, who allegedly helped a Russian national illegally donate $25,000 to the Trump campaign in 2016, have been charged by the Justice Department of the country on Monday.

Two prominent Republican operatives, who allegedly helped a Russian national illegally donate $25,000 to the Trump campaign in 2016, have been charged by the Justice Department of the country on Monday. In a six-count indictment, 43-year-old Jesse Benton and 75-year-old Doug Wead were charged. They made their first appearance in DC District Court. Watch: × These operatives have been accused of making an illegal foreign contribution, conspiring to violate campaign finance laws and helping submit false records to the Federal Election Commission. The information about their defence attorneys was not available. Benton and Wead funnelled $25,000 from an unnamed Russian donor to the Trump Victory Committee, a joint fundraising venture between then-candidate Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee, said the prosecutors. Also Read: Democrats begin effort to curb post-Trump presidential powers The Russian national had then attended a fundraiser in Philadelphia in September 2016, where he met Trump and took photos with him. In the court filings, there is no indication that the case is connected to the special counsel investigation, which examined the many ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. It says Trump's campaign was not aware that the money came from a foreign national. Also Read: Pandemic claims more American lives than 1918 flu, data shows As per the indictment, the Russian wired $100,000 to a company that Benton owned. He kept $75,000 and donated $25,000 to the Trump Victory Committee. The indictment does not name Trump or the committee. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump 2016 campaign: Two charged by US Justice Deptt for funnelling $25,000 from Russian national

In the final days of the Trump Administration - America's top military commander General Mark Milley was worried that Donald Trump will start a nuclear war. So, he took secret steps to limit his power to launch nukes. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: America's top general "hid nukes" from Donald Trump

Former US president Donald Trump is back with poking fun at his opponent Joe Biden. This time, Trump has made headlines by claiming that he is sure he could beat Biden in a boxing match.<o:p></o:p>

During a press conference for an upcoming boxing match, the former reality TV star claimed that he is sure he could box against Joe Biden and win the match.<o:p></o:p>

"I think probably my easiest fight would be Joe Biden because I think he'd go down very, very quickly," Trump said in a virtual press conference. "Biden would go down in the first few seconds."<o:p></o:p>

His confidence comes at a time when the disgraced former leader is gearing up to deliver ringside commentary for a much-awaited boxing match between heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.<o:p></o:p>

Trump also poked fun at Biden’s old statement from 2016 when the Democrat had said he would like to take Trump 'behind the gym'. Biden had once again repeated a similar sentiment in 2018 when he was addressing a rally in the University of Miami. In 2018, Biden got angry when Trump made disgraceful remarks about women and Biden claimed h would have "beat the hell out of" Trump if the two were in high school.<o:p></o:p>

Trump’s comment against Biden quickly made it to the internet when netizens decided to not let this statement go to waste, and brought out their treasure of memes and jokes.<o:p></o:p>

Here are some of the best picks:

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Rap Fact: Donald Trump is down to box Joe Biden on 9/11‼️😳 
 
Who y'all got⁉️ <a href="https://t.co/XEY4WvJQMT">pic.twitter.com/XEY4WvJQMT</a>
— RapTV (@raptvcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/raptvcom/status/1436147531445112832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Bruh they both gonna KO themselves tryna get in the ring 💀 <a href="https://t.co/i6hFla8f1f">https://t.co/i6hFla8f1f</a>
— VoqZy (@1voqz) <a href="https://twitter.com/1voqz/status/1436173184395616258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Right!!!! He can’t even beat an umbrella <a href="https://t.co/p5XNnF1dzv">pic.twitter.com/p5XNnF1dzv</a>
— What Evs (@mrsepperson71) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrsepperson71/status/1436047910232367104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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👏🏾 Come on America! 
Y'all know we needs this like a stimulus!! 
 
Run it up! 💰🤑 <a href="https://t.co/GSapo8ze6m">pic.twitter.com/GSapo8ze6m</a>
— D.B.3 (@DB3TheOriginal) <a href="https://twitter.com/DB3TheOriginal/status/1436183114733195268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Trump said he’d like to fight Biden in a boxing match. 
 
So I made a little preview video.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenAlreadyBeatTrump?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenAlreadyBeatTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/92F9z5GlF4">pic.twitter.com/92F9z5GlF4</a>
— JAKE (@USMC_O311) <a href="https://twitter.com/USMC_O311/status/1436139148176416771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Donald Trump: “I wanna box Joe Biden.” 
His team: <a href="https://t.co/mRAAvrgu8t">pic.twitter.com/mRAAvrgu8t</a>
— SomethingnewTrainee (@SomethingnewTr) <a href="https://twitter.com/SomethingnewTr/status/1436137461671993346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Former US president Donald Trump is back with poking fun at his opponent Joe Biden. This time, Trump has made headlines by claiming that he is sure he could beat Biden in a boxing match.

Former US president Donald Trump is back with poking fun at his opponent Joe Biden. This time, Trump has made headlines by claiming that he is sure he could beat Biden in a boxing match. During a press conference for an upcoming boxing match, the former reality TV star claimed that he is sure he could box against Joe Biden and win the match. "I think probably my easiest fight would be Joe Biden because I think he'd go down very, very quickly," Trump said in a virtual press conference. "Biden would go down in the first few seconds." His confidence comes at a time when the disgraced former leader is gearing up to deliver ringside commentary for a much-awaited boxing match between heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Trump also poked fun at Biden’s old statement from 2016 when the Democrat had said he would like to take Trump 'behind the gym'. Biden had once again repeated a similar sentiment in 2018 when he was addressing a rally in the University of Miami. In 2018, Biden got angry when Trump made disgraceful remarks about women and Biden claimed h would have "beat the hell out of" Trump if the two were in high school. Trump’s comment against Biden quickly made it to the internet when netizens decided to not let this statement go to waste, and brought out their treasure of memes and jokes. Here are some of the best picks: Rap Fact: Donald Trump is down to box Joe Biden on 9/11‼️😳 Who y'all got⁉️ pic.twitter.com/XEY4WvJQMT — RapTV (@raptvcom) September 10, 2021 × Bruh they both gonna KO themselves tryna get in the ring 💀 https://t.co/i6hFla8f1f — VoqZy (@1voqz) September 10, 2021 × Right!!!! He can’t even beat an umbrella pic.twitter.com/p5XNnF1dzv — What Evs (@mrsepperson71) September 9, 2021 × 👏🏾 Come on America! Y'all know we needs this like a stimulus!! Run it up! 💰🤑 pic.twitter.com/GSapo8ze6m — D.B.3 (@DB3TheOriginal) September 10, 2021 × Trump said he’d like to fight Biden in a boxing match. So I made a little preview video.#BidenAlreadyBeatTrump pic.twitter.com/92F9z5GlF4 — JAKE (@USMC_O311) September 10, 2021 × Donald Trump: “I wanna box Joe Biden.” His team: pic.twitter.com/mRAAvrgu8t — SomethingnewTrainee (@SomethingnewTr) September 10, 2021 ×

'He'd go down very quickly': Trump claims he can beat Biden in boxing match

With the US troop withdrawal finally over, former president Donald Trump said that never in history has a withdrawal from war been handled so badly or incompetently as by Americans from Afghanistan. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The United States flew its last military flight out of Kabul to bring back all of its armed forces from the war-torn country. The move marked the end of the America's longest war.

Watch | Gravitas: Thanks to America, Taliban now has an Air Force

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In the aftermath, the Taliban has regained control in the country, which they lost after the US invasion in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Never in history has a withdrawal from war been handled so badly or incompetently as the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan," Trump said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/major-general-chris-donahue-last-us-soldier-to-leave-afghanistan-409547" hreflang="en">Major General Chris Donahue: Last US soldier to leave Afghanistan</a> &nbsp;

"In addition to the obvious, ALL EQUIPMENT should be demanded to be immediately returned to the United States, and that includes every penny of the USD 85 billion dollars in cost," the former president said. &nbsp;

"If it is not handed back, we should either go in with unequivocal military force and get it, or at least bomb the hell out of it. Nobody ever thought such stupidity, as this feeble-brained withdrawal, was possible!" he added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

With the US troop withdrawal finally over, former president Donald Trump said that never in history has a withdrawal from war been handled so badly or incompetently as by Americans from Afghanistan.

With the US troop withdrawal finally over, former president Donald Trump said that never in history has a withdrawal from war been handled so badly or incompetently as by Americans from Afghanistan. The United States flew its last military flight out of Kabul to bring back all of its armed forces from the war-torn country. The move marked the end of the America's longest war. Watch | Gravitas: Thanks to America, Taliban now has an Air Force × In the aftermath, the Taliban has regained control in the country, which they lost after the US invasion in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks. "Never in history has a withdrawal from war been handled so badly or incompetently as the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan," Trump said. Also Read | Major General Chris Donahue: Last US soldier to leave Afghanistan "In addition to the obvious, ALL EQUIPMENT should be demanded to be immediately returned to the United States, and that includes every penny of the USD 85 billion dollars in cost," the former president said. "If it is not handed back, we should either go in with unequivocal military force and get it, or at least bomb the hell out of it. Nobody ever thought such stupidity, as this feeble-brained withdrawal, was possible!" he added. (With inputs from agencies)

With last US military flight out of Kabul, Trump slams worst withdrawal from war in history

Former president Donald Trump blasted his successor Joe Biden on Thursday for putting no conditions on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and said that a violent Taliban surge in the war-torn country was "not acceptable."

Trump said the US pullout, which Biden has set for August 31 and which is already all but complete, would have been "a much different and much more successful withdrawal" if he were still president.

It was under Trump that the US brokered a deal with the Taliban in Doha in 2020 that would have seen the US withdraw all its troops by May 2021 in exchange for various security guarantees from the militants.

When Biden took power earlier this year, he pushed back the deadline for the withdrawal and set no conditions for it.&nbsp;

"If I were now president, the world would find that our withdrawal from Afghanistan would be a conditions-based withdrawal," Trump claimed in a statement.

"I personally had discussions with top Taliban leaders whereby they understood what they are doing now would not have been acceptable," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/snubbed-khan-rues-pak-good-for-us-only-to-clean-up-afghan-mess-india-a-strategic-ally-404898">Also read |&nbsp;Snubbed Khan rues Pak good for US only to clean up Afghan mess, India a strategic ally</a>

"It would have been a much different and much more successful withdrawal, and the Taliban understood that better than anyone," he said.

Trump, who despite his election loss remains the biggest single force in the opposition Republican party, did not provide any details of what he would have done to halt the advances of the insurgents.

Authorities in Kabul have now effectively lost most of northern and western Afghanistan and are left holding a scattered archipelago of contested cities also dangerously at risk.

Some US officials fear the Taliban could take over Kabul within three months of the August 31 deadline.

The United States signed the agreement with the Taliban in Doha on February 29, 2020, committing to a pullout of US and NATO troops by May 1, 2021 in exchange for security guarantees.

They included a promise by the militants to hold peace talks with the government in Kabul, to not attack the US or its interests, and to not support groups like Al-Qaeda in attacking the United States.

In the wake of the agreement the Trump administration sharply cut the number of US forces inside Afghanistan and remained committed to the May 1 deadline, even as the Taliban accelerated its offensive against government security forces following the Doha deal.

Trump's troop reductions continued after he lost the November election to leave the number at 2,500, along with some 16,000 civilian contractors, still in Afghanistan when Biden took office on January 20.

Biden paused further withdrawal for a review of policy, and in April announced that the pullout would go ahead, pushing the deadline back initially to September 11, 2021, before moving it up again to August 31.&nbsp;

Former president Donald Trump blasted his successor Joe Biden on Thursday for putting no conditions on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and said that a violent Taliban surge in the war-torn country was "not acceptable.

Former president Donald Trump blasted his successor Joe Biden on Thursday for putting no conditions on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and said that a violent Taliban surge in the war-torn country was "not acceptable." Trump said the US pullout, which Biden has set for August 31 and which is already all but complete, would have been "a much different and much more successful withdrawal" if he were still president. It was under Trump that the US brokered a deal with the Taliban in Doha in 2020 that would have seen the US withdraw all its troops by May 2021 in exchange for various security guarantees from the militants. When Biden took power earlier this year, he pushed back the deadline for the withdrawal and set no conditions for it. "If I were now president, the world would find that our withdrawal from Afghanistan would be a conditions-based withdrawal," Trump claimed in a statement. "I personally had discussions with top Taliban leaders whereby they understood what they are doing now would not have been acceptable," he said. Also read | Snubbed Khan rues Pak good for US only to clean up Afghan mess, India a strategic ally "It would have been a much different and much more successful withdrawal, and the Taliban understood that better than anyone," he said. Trump, who despite his election loss remains the biggest single force in the opposition Republican party, did not provide any details of what he would have done to halt the advances of the insurgents. Authorities in Kabul have now effectively lost most of northern and western Afghanistan and are left holding a scattered archipelago of contested cities also dangerously at risk. Some US officials fear the Taliban could take over Kabul within three months of the August 31 deadline. The United States signed the agreement with the Taliban in Doha on February 29, 2020, committing to a pullout of US and NATO troops by May 1, 2021 in exchange for security guarantees. They included a promise by the militants to hold peace talks with the government in Kabul, to not attack the US or its interests, and to not support groups like Al-Qaeda in attacking the United States. In the wake of the agreement the Trump administration sharply cut the number of US forces inside Afghanistan and remained committed to the May 1 deadline, even as the Taliban accelerated its offensive against government security forces following the Doha deal. Trump's troop reductions continued after he lost the November election to leave the number at 2,500, along with some 16,000 civilian contractors, still in Afghanistan when Biden took office on January 20. Biden paused further withdrawal for a review of policy, and in April announced that the pullout would go ahead, pushing the deadline back initially to September 11, 2021, before moving it up again to August 31.

Trump blames Biden for 'unacceptable' Taliban surge in Afghanistan

Thomas&nbsp;Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, was arrested on Tuesday&nbsp;and charged with illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.

Barrack&nbsp;and two other defendants are accused of failing to register as lobbyists and using their influence to advance the UAE's foreign policy goals in the United States.

"The defendants repeatedly capitalised on&nbsp;Barrack's friendships and access to a candidate who was eventually elected president, high-ranking campaign and government officials, and the American media to advance the policy goals of a foreign government without disclosing their true allegiances," US&nbsp;Department of Justice official Mark Lesko in a press release.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-jesuit-priests-to-raise-100-million-for-descendants-of-slaves-370927">Also read |&nbsp;US Jesuit priests to raise $100 million for descendants of slaves&nbsp;</a>

Barrack&nbsp;is also alleged to have repeatedly lied during an FBI interview about his dealings with the UAE.

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Barrack, 74, is a longtime Trump ally and founder of the large private equity firm Colony Capital.&nbsp;Barrack&nbsp;stepped down as Colony Capital's chief executive in 2020. In April, he resigned as executive chairman of the firm.

Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.

Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Barrack and two other defendants are accused of failing to register as lobbyists and using their influence to advance the UAE's foreign policy goals in the United States. "The defendants repeatedly capitalised on Barrack's friendships and access to a candidate who was eventually elected president, high-ranking campaign and government officials, and the American media to advance the policy goals of a foreign government without disclosing their true allegiances," US Department of Justice official Mark Lesko in a press release. Also read | US Jesuit priests to raise $100 million for descendants of slaves Barrack is also alleged to have repeatedly lied during an FBI interview about his dealings with the UAE. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Barrack, 74, is a longtime Trump ally and founder of the large private equity firm Colony Capital. Barrack stepped down as Colony Capital's chief executive in 2020. In April, he resigned as executive chairman of the firm.

Trump ally Thomas Barrack arrested on foreign lobbying charges, says US justice department

Former President Donald&nbsp;Trump's company and its long-serving chief financial officer are to be charged on Thursday with tax-related crimes, US media reported.

They would mark the first criminal charges in a more than two-year investigation by the Manhattan district attorney into alleged fraud at the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization.

The New York Times and The Washington Post said that a New York grand jury had indicted the company and Allen Weisselberg on Wednesday, although the specific charges have not been disclosed.

The Wall Street Journal said Weisselberg and the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization are expected to be charged with the evasion of taxes on fringe benefits when the indictment is unveiled on Thursday.

The paper was the first to report the imminent charges and cited people familiar with the matter.

Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance and New York state Attorney General Letitia James have been investigating whether Weisselberg and other executives avoided paying taxes on perks from the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization.

The perks included private school tuition, luxury cars, and apartments, US media say.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-jinping-hails-irreversible-rise-of-china-on-communist-party-centenary-395051">Also Read |&nbsp;President Jinping hails 'irreversible' rise of China on Communist Party centenary</a>

Weisselberg, a loyal&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;lieutenant often described as the keeper of the company's secrets, is expected to turn himself into Vance's office on Thursday morning, the Post said, citing two people familiar with the plan.

He is then expected to be arraigned later in the day in front of a judge. Lawyers for the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization will also appear in court, the newspapers said.

Trump&nbsp;himself is not expected to be charged, according to the reports, although a criminal indictment would deal a major blow to the Republican ex-president who has suggested he could run for the White House again in 2024.

Possible tax evasion

Trump, 75, has condemned the probe as politically motivated, describing it as "a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in American history."

The&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization is an unlisted family holding company that owns golf clubs, hotels and luxury properties.

Trump&nbsp;handed over the reins of the business to his two eldest sons and to Weisselberg when he went to the White House in early 2017.

New York prosecutors have been trying to get Weisselberg, 73, to cooperate with their broad investigations into the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization's finances.

The indictment would increase the pressure on him to cooperate.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office is probing whether the company regularly overvalued or undervalued its assets, particularly several properties in New York state, to either get bank loans or reduce their taxes.

Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen has alleged that they did, allegations that could constitute possible tax evasion or insurance fraud.

The investigations also center on eight years of&nbsp;Trump's tax returns, obtained by the prosecutors in February after a long legal battle that went to the Supreme Court.

Vance's probe initially focused on hush payments made to two women who allege they had affairs with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;-- before the investigation was expanded.

Cohen, jailed for tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws, was one of the real estate mogul's closest henchmen before turning against his former boss and deciding to cooperate with prosecutors.

Former President Donald Trump's company and its long-serving chief financial officer are to be charged on Thursday with tax-related crimes, US media reported. They would mark the first criminal charges in a more than two-year investigation by the Manhattan district attorney into alleged fraud at the Trump Organization.

Former President Donald Trump's company and its long-serving chief financial officer are to be charged on Thursday with tax-related crimes, US media reported. They would mark the first criminal charges in a more than two-year investigation by the Manhattan district attorney into alleged fraud at the Trump Organization. The New York Times and The Washington Post said that a New York grand jury had indicted the company and Allen Weisselberg on Wednesday, although the specific charges have not been disclosed. The Wall Street Journal said Weisselberg and the Trump Organization are expected to be charged with the evasion of taxes on fringe benefits when the indictment is unveiled on Thursday. The paper was the first to report the imminent charges and cited people familiar with the matter. Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance and New York state Attorney General Letitia James have been investigating whether Weisselberg and other executives avoided paying taxes on perks from the Trump Organization. The perks included private school tuition, luxury cars, and apartments, US media say. Also Read | President Jinping hails 'irreversible' rise of China on Communist Party centenary Weisselberg, a loyal Trump lieutenant often described as the keeper of the company's secrets, is expected to turn himself into Vance's office on Thursday morning, the Post said, citing two people familiar with the plan. He is then expected to be arraigned later in the day in front of a judge. Lawyers for the Trump Organization will also appear in court, the newspapers said. Trump himself is not expected to be charged, according to the reports, although a criminal indictment would deal a major blow to the Republican ex-president who has suggested he could run for the White House again in 2024. Possible tax evasion Trump, 75, has condemned the probe as politically motivated, describing it as "a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in American history." The Trump Organization is an unlisted family holding company that owns golf clubs, hotels and luxury properties. Trump handed over the reins of the business to his two eldest sons and to Weisselberg when he went to the White House in early 2017. New York prosecutors have been trying to get Weisselberg, 73, to cooperate with their broad investigations into the Trump Organization's finances. The indictment would increase the pressure on him to cooperate. The Manhattan District Attorney's office is probing whether the company regularly overvalued or undervalued its assets, particularly several properties in New York state, to either get bank loans or reduce their taxes. Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen has alleged that they did, allegations that could constitute possible tax evasion or insurance fraud. The investigations also center on eight years of Trump's tax returns, obtained by the prosecutors in February after a long legal battle that went to the Supreme Court. Vance's probe initially focused on hush payments made to two women who allege they had affairs with Trump -- before the investigation was expanded. Cohen, jailed for tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws, was one of the real estate mogul's closest henchmen before turning against his former boss and deciding to cooperate with prosecutors.

Trump Organization, CFO to be charged Thursday: US media

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly set a deadline of 24 hours for former US President Donald Trump to make any last arguments with respect to a case against his family business. A report by the Washington Post on Sunday claimed that criminal charges could be filed against Trump and this could be his last chance to respond.

Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance and New York attorney general Letitia James are considering filing criminal charges against Donald Trump’s company as an entity. The deadline makes the potential of charges more grave than anticipated.&nbsp;

It was reported on Friday that Vance could announce the criminal charges against the Trump Organization and its lead financial officer Allen Weisselberg in less than a week.

These charges would be the first to be put forward against Trump and his business dealings&nbsp;by Cyrus Vance.

According to The Guardian, an indictment against the Trump Organization could cause the company to go bankrupt by undermining its relationships with banks and other business partners. According to Vance’s office, they’re currently looking into “possible extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organization.

These investigations are looking into tax and insurance fraud, along with claims of falsification of business records.

Even in the absence of any charges, Vance’s investigation could work as a roadblock in Trump’s hopes of becoming president again.

The former US president has been largely silent after being banned on Twitter on Facebook for his role in inciting the Capitol riots.

As part of the investigation, James is assessing whether the Trump Organization inflated the values of some properties in a bid to get better terms on loans. In addition, James is investigating whether the value of these properties was lowered to obtain property tax breaks.

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly set a deadline of 24 hours for former US President Donald Trump to make any last arguments with respect to a case against his family business.

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly set a deadline of 24 hours for former US President Donald Trump to make any last arguments with respect to a case against his family business. A report by the Washington Post on Sunday claimed that criminal charges could be filed against Trump and this could be his last chance to respond. Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance and New York attorney general Letitia James are considering filing criminal charges against Donald Trump’s company as an entity. The deadline makes the potential of charges more grave than anticipated. It was reported on Friday that Vance could announce the criminal charges against the Trump Organization and its lead financial officer Allen Weisselberg in less than a week. These charges would be the first to be put forward against Trump and his business dealings by Cyrus Vance. According to The Guardian, an indictment against the Trump Organization could cause the company to go bankrupt by undermining its relationships with banks and other business partners. According to Vance’s office, they’re currently looking into “possible extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organization. These investigations are looking into tax and insurance fraud, along with claims of falsification of business records. Even in the absence of any charges, Vance’s investigation could work as a roadblock in Trump’s hopes of becoming president again. The former US president has been largely silent after being banned on Twitter on Facebook for his role in inciting the Capitol riots. As part of the investigation, James is assessing whether the Trump Organization inflated the values of some properties in a bid to get better terms on loans. In addition, James is investigating whether the value of these properties was lowered to obtain property tax breaks.

New York prosecutors give Donald Trump 24-hour deadline on legal action: Report

The Biden administration is broadening the pool of migrants who will be allowed to enter the United States to make asylum claims, in the latest effort to chip away at the restrictive immigration policies put in place under former President Donald Trump.

The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that on Wednesday it would start considering migrants whose cases were terminated under a Trump-era program that gave border officials the authority to send asylum-seekers back to Mexico to wait for their cases to make it through the clogged American immigration system. The change could affect tens of thousands of people.

President Joe Biden had already ended the program, known officially as the Migrant Protection Protocols. His administration this month started bringing in migrants enrolled in the program who had pending asylum cases.

In a statement, the department said the latest move was “part of our continued effort to restore safe, orderly and humane processing at the southwest border.”

While many immigration and human rights advocates welcomed the development, it will do little to alleviate the pressure on the Biden administration to stop turning away hundreds of thousands of other migrants, many of whom are also seeking asylum, who have been banned from entering the United States because of a public health rule put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Democrats and human rights advocates have long assailed the Trump program, which began in 2019 as an effort to discourage immigrants from trying to cross the southwestern border despite having a legal right to apply for asylum in the United States. Many of the asylum-seekers enrolled in the program had their cases closed because they could not appear at their court hearings in the United States while they faced perilous situations in Mexico.

“By keeping migrants in dangerous conditions in Mexico, the Trump administration ensured many people would not be able to appear at their hearings and their claims would be rejected,” Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Nanette Barragán of California, both Democrats, said in a joint statement Tuesday. Thompson is the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Barragán is the chair of the subcommittee on border security. “Allowing these people to be eligible for processing is the right thing to do,” the statement said.

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the decision was made in haste and without transparency.

“The department’s seemingly impulsive announcement lacked explanation, justification or any other indicia that the decision had been made only after the careful deliberations and consultations that are both appropriate and lawfully required,” Guest wrote in a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary.

The development could affect more than 34,000 migrants seeking asylum in the United States, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, which collects immigration data.

Judy Rabinovitz, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the process would not be quick. Applicants would need to register, and someone would have to tell them what they needed to submit to reopen their cases. And there is no guarantee that an immigration judge would grant a motion to reopen, she said, let alone grant asylum.

In another significant break from the Trump administration, the Justice Department last week reversed a Trump-era immigration ruling that had made it all but impossible for people to seek asylum in the United States over credible fears of domestic abuse or gang violence. The decision could affect hundreds of thousands of Central Americans fleeing gang extortion and recruitment and women fleeing domestic abuse who arrived in the United States since 2013.

The Biden administration is broadening the pool of migrants who will be allowed to enter the United States to make asylum claims, in the latest effort to chip away at the restrictive immigration policies put in place under former President Donald Trump.

The Biden administration is broadening the pool of migrants who will be allowed to enter the United States to make asylum claims, in the latest effort to chip away at the restrictive immigration policies put in place under former President Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that on Wednesday it would start considering migrants whose cases were terminated under a Trump-era program that gave border officials the authority to send asylum-seekers back to Mexico to wait for their cases to make it through the clogged American immigration system. The change could affect tens of thousands of people. President Joe Biden had already ended the program, known officially as the Migrant Protection Protocols. His administration this month started bringing in migrants enrolled in the program who had pending asylum cases. In a statement, the department said the latest move was “part of our continued effort to restore safe, orderly and humane processing at the southwest border.” While many immigration and human rights advocates welcomed the development, it will do little to alleviate the pressure on the Biden administration to stop turning away hundreds of thousands of other migrants, many of whom are also seeking asylum, who have been banned from entering the United States because of a public health rule put in place during the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats and human rights advocates have long assailed the Trump program, which began in 2019 as an effort to discourage immigrants from trying to cross the southwestern border despite having a legal right to apply for asylum in the United States. Many of the asylum-seekers enrolled in the program had their cases closed because they could not appear at their court hearings in the United States while they faced perilous situations in Mexico. “By keeping migrants in dangerous conditions in Mexico, the Trump administration ensured many people would not be able to appear at their hearings and their claims would be rejected,” Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Nanette Barragán of California, both Democrats, said in a joint statement Tuesday. Thompson is the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Barragán is the chair of the subcommittee on border security. “Allowing these people to be eligible for processing is the right thing to do,” the statement said. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the decision was made in haste and without transparency. “The department’s seemingly impulsive announcement lacked explanation, justification or any other indicia that the decision had been made only after the careful deliberations and consultations that are both appropriate and lawfully required,” Guest wrote in a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary. The development could affect more than 34,000 migrants seeking asylum in the United States, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, which collects immigration data. Judy Rabinovitz, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the process would not be quick. Applicants would need to register, and someone would have to tell them what they needed to submit to reopen their cases. And there is no guarantee that an immigration judge would grant a motion to reopen, she said, let alone grant asylum. In another significant break from the Trump administration, the Justice Department last week reversed a Trump-era immigration ruling that had made it all but impossible for people to seek asylum in the United States over credible fears of domestic abuse or gang violence. The decision could affect hundreds of thousands of Central Americans fleeing gang extortion and recruitment and women fleeing domestic abuse who arrived in the United States since 2013.

US to allow some asylum seekers rejected under Trump to reopen cases

US President Joe Biden accomplished his greatest task at the G7 summit, showing the world that he is not Donald Trump. He brought in a different tone to the summit from his predecessor by indulging in a frank and collaborative discussion of global issues.&nbsp;

As quoted by ABC, Biden in his first remarks at the summit said, "At every point along the way, we're going to make it clear that the United States is back". He added, "Democracies of the world are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and the issues that matter most to our future, that we're committed to leading with strength, defending our values, and delivering for our people".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-johnson-hails-biden-as-a-big-breath-of-fresh-air-390733">Also Read |&nbsp;UK's Johnson hails Biden as 'a big breath of fresh air'</a>

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed US President Joe Biden as "a big breath of fresh air". Johnson said, "It’s a big breath of fresh air. It’s new, it’s interesting and we’re working very hard together. We went on for about an hour and 20 or so. It was a long, long, good session. We covered a huge range of subjects".&nbsp;

The next stop of Biden’s itinerary is a stop in Brussels for a NATO summit. As per an ABC news report, Biden's national security adviser told reporters it is a given that he will "of course" reiterate his strong commitment to the allies' common defence. Jake Sullivan said, "He feels the need to restate support for Article 5 as often as he is able to do so because for him, it's an article of faith -- for President Joe Biden and for the United States of America. And so he will proclaim that loudly and proudly".

Biden will be in Brussels alongside dozens of heads of state for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit. It will take place on Monday, 14 June, at the NATO Headquarters in Evere.&nbsp; 
Approximately 2,000 police officers, 300 motorcyclists, and members of State Security and military intelligence are being called in to give every delegation an appropriate escort and security.

US President Joe Biden accomplished his greatest task at the G7 summit, showing the world that he is not Donald Trump. He brought in a different tone to the summit from his predecessor by indulging in a frank and collaborative discussion of global issues.

US President Joe Biden accomplished his greatest task at the G7 summit, showing the world that he is not Donald Trump. He brought in a different tone to the summit from his predecessor by indulging in a frank and collaborative discussion of global issues. As quoted by ABC, Biden in his first remarks at the summit said, "At every point along the way, we're going to make it clear that the United States is back". He added, "Democracies of the world are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and the issues that matter most to our future, that we're committed to leading with strength, defending our values, and delivering for our people". Also Read | UK's Johnson hails Biden as 'a big breath of fresh air' British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed US President Joe Biden as "a big breath of fresh air". Johnson said, "It’s a big breath of fresh air. It’s new, it’s interesting and we’re working very hard together. We went on for about an hour and 20 or so. It was a long, long, good session. We covered a huge range of subjects". The next stop of Biden’s itinerary is a stop in Brussels for a NATO summit. As per an ABC news report, Biden's national security adviser told reporters it is a given that he will "of course" reiterate his strong commitment to the allies' common defence. Jake Sullivan said, "He feels the need to restate support for Article 5 as often as he is able to do so because for him, it's an article of faith -- for President Joe Biden and for the United States of America. And so he will proclaim that loudly and proudly". Biden will be in Brussels alongside dozens of heads of state for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit. It will take place on Monday, 14 June, at the NATO Headquarters in Evere. Approximately 2,000 police officers, 300 motorcyclists, and members of State Security and military intelligence are being called in to give every delegation an appropriate escort and security.

Biden's greatest task accomplished, heads forward for the NATO summit

Democrats erupted in outrage Friday over news that Donald&nbsp;Trump's Justice Department secretly surveilled lawmakers probing possible collusion with Russia, reaping the phone records of top political foes in what they called an unprecedented abuse of power.

Democrats Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell said they were recently told by Apple that during 2017-2021 the company had been ordered to hand over records of their phone communications, as well as those of family members including a child, as&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;fought a flow of damaging leaks on his 2016 election campaign's links to Russia.

No proof they were the sources of leaks was ever presented, yet the probe stayed alive for as long as&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;remained in office, to January 2021.

Schiff called it "the weaponization of law enforcement by a corrupt president."

"The politicization of the department and the attacks on the rule of law are among the most dangerous assaults on our democracy carried out by the former president," he said in a statement.

Senate leaders threatened to subpoena two&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;attorneys general, Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, who oversaw the surveillance, to testify on the issue.

"This is a gross abuse of power and an assault on the separation of powers," said Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin in a statement.

The Justice Department, now led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, said Friday that its inspector general would investigate the use of subpoenas and other powers to probe lawmakers and journalists under&nbsp;Trump.

Echoes of Watergate

Analysts called the collection of lawmakers' phone data one of the most egregious abuses by a president since Richard Nixon's early 1970s Watergate scandal.

The secret surveillance took place as&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;faced investigations by special counsel Robert Mueller and by the House Intelligence Committee -- where Schiff was then the top Democrat -- into whether his campaign colluded with Russian election meddling and whether&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;tried to obstruct those investigations.

As they progressed and the threat of impeachment intensified,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;accused Schiff and other Democrats of leaking classified intelligence to reporters.

It was not known if&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;explicitly told the Justice Department to investigate Schiff and Swalwell.

But he repeatedly accused Schiff of leaks, tweeting some 350 times about the senior Democrat, who became chairman of the Intelligence Committee in 2019 and led&nbsp;Trump's first impeachment trial in January 2020 -- which ultimately saw the president acquitted by the Republican-led Senate.

Under Justice Department order, Apple handed over the metadata records of calls and texts -- essentially the phone numbers of those in contact with the subjects of the probe -- though not the content of those communications.

The surveillance remained secret because Apple was placed under a "gag order" that was renewed three times between 2017 and 2020, even though no charges were generated.

Swalwell and Schiff only learned of the surveillance in May after the last gag order on Apple expired.

'Fishing expedition'

Collecting a lawmaker's phone records is virtually unheard of, except in corruption investigations. And even then the Justice Department handles the cases gingerly.&nbsp;

Surveilling members of Congress -- particularly rivals of the president's Republican party -- is an extreme case that would demand strong justification and top-level approval in the department.

With some 100 people covered, it appeared to be a poorly justified "fishing expedition," Schiff said.

The revelation came on the back of Justice Department admissions that under&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;it collected the phone records of a number of high-profile journalists&nbsp;in leak investigations.

The surveillance came, Swalwell said, because the House Intelligence investigation turned up information "that the president didn't like. We showed that the president sought help from Russia, benefitted from help from Russia" in the 2016 election.

"This is about everyday Americans who don't want the government to weaponize law enforcement against them because of their political beliefs," he said.

Lawmakers urged Garland to clean house and remove and&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;allies who participated in the surveillance.

Patrick Toomey the American Civil Liberties Union said weak laws enable abuses.

"This is what happens when broad and secretive spying powers are left to the discretion of the executive branch," he said.

"Our laws should prevent this from happening, not enable abuses of power that trample on people's rights and threaten our democracy.”

Democrats erupted in outrage Friday over news that Donald Trump's Justice Department secretly surveilled lawmakers probing possible collusion with Russia, reaping the phone records of top political foes in what they called an unprecedented abuse of power.

Democrats erupted in outrage Friday over news that Donald Trump's Justice Department secretly surveilled lawmakers probing possible collusion with Russia, reaping the phone records of top political foes in what they called an unprecedented abuse of power. Democrats Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell said they were recently told by Apple that during 2017-2021 the company had been ordered to hand over records of their phone communications, as well as those of family members including a child, as Trump fought a flow of damaging leaks on his 2016 election campaign's links to Russia. No proof they were the sources of leaks was ever presented, yet the probe stayed alive for as long as Trump remained in office, to January 2021. Schiff called it "the weaponization of law enforcement by a corrupt president." "The politicization of the department and the attacks on the rule of law are among the most dangerous assaults on our democracy carried out by the former president," he said in a statement. Senate leaders threatened to subpoena two Trump attorneys general, Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, who oversaw the surveillance, to testify on the issue. "This is a gross abuse of power and an assault on the separation of powers," said Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin in a statement. The Justice Department, now led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, said Friday that its inspector general would investigate the use of subpoenas and other powers to probe lawmakers and journalists under Trump. Echoes of Watergate Analysts called the collection of lawmakers' phone data one of the most egregious abuses by a president since Richard Nixon's early 1970s Watergate scandal. The secret surveillance took place as Trump faced investigations by special counsel Robert Mueller and by the House Intelligence Committee -- where Schiff was then the top Democrat -- into whether his campaign colluded with Russian election meddling and whether Trump tried to obstruct those investigations. As they progressed and the threat of impeachment intensified, Trump accused Schiff and other Democrats of leaking classified intelligence to reporters. It was not known if Trump explicitly told the Justice Department to investigate Schiff and Swalwell. But he repeatedly accused Schiff of leaks, tweeting some 350 times about the senior Democrat, who became chairman of the Intelligence Committee in 2019 and led Trump's first impeachment trial in January 2020 -- which ultimately saw the president acquitted by the Republican-led Senate. Under Justice Department order, Apple handed over the metadata records of calls and texts -- essentially the phone numbers of those in contact with the subjects of the probe -- though not the content of those communications. The surveillance remained secret because Apple was placed under a "gag order" that was renewed three times between 2017 and 2020, even though no charges were generated. Swalwell and Schiff only learned of the surveillance in May after the last gag order on Apple expired. 'Fishing expedition' Collecting a lawmaker's phone records is virtually unheard of, except in corruption investigations. And even then the Justice Department handles the cases gingerly. Surveilling members of Congress -- particularly rivals of the president's Republican party -- is an extreme case that would demand strong justification and top-level approval in the department. With some 100 people covered, it appeared to be a poorly justified "fishing expedition," Schiff said. The revelation came on the back of Justice Department admissions that under Trump it collected the phone records of a number of high-profile journalists in leak investigations. The surveillance came, Swalwell said, because the House Intelligence investigation turned up information "that the president didn't like. We showed that the president sought help from Russia, benefitted from help from Russia" in the 2016 election. "This is about everyday Americans who don't want the government to weaponize law enforcement against them because of their political beliefs," he said. Lawmakers urged Garland to clean house and remove and Trump allies who participated in the surveillance. Patrick Toomey the American Civil Liberties Union said weak laws enable abuses. "This is what happens when broad and secretive spying powers are left to the discretion of the executive branch," he said. "Our laws should prevent this from happening, not enable abuses of power that trample on people's rights and threaten our democracy.”

Trump surveillance of Democrats sparks abuse of power claims

Russian President Vladimir&nbsp;Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in years.

Putin&nbsp;and Biden will meet in Geneva on Wednesday. The White House has said Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, the jailing of dissidents, and other issues that have irritated the relationship.

"We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years,"&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said, according to an NBC translation of excerpts of an interview broadcast on Friday.

Putin&nbsp;praised former President Donald Trump as "an extraordinary individual, talented individual," and said Biden, as a career politician, was "radically different" from Trump.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g7-leaders-agree-on-a-joint-declaration-to-stop-future-pandemics-390934">Also Read |&nbsp;G7 leaders agree on a joint declaration to stop future pandemics</a>

Asked about Biden calling him a killer in an interview in March,&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said he had heard dozens of such accusations. "This is not something I worry about in the least,"&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said.

Biden, at the start of an eight-day visit to Europe this week, said: "We're not seeking conflict with Russia."

"We want a stable and predictable relationship ... but I've been clear: The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities."

Putin&nbsp;was asked about several Russian dissidents whose deaths have been blamed on Moscow, including ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned in 2006.&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;dismissed the question as “verbal indigestion.“ He said some of those responsible for the deaths are in prison.

On the issue of recent ransomware attacks that the United States has traced to Russia,&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;denied any knowledge of the hackings and called on Biden to reach an agreement with him on cyberspace, NBC News said.

Putin&nbsp;also dismissed a report in the Washington Post this week that Russia was preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite that would enable it to track potential military targets across the Middle East.

"It's just fake news. At the very least, I don't know anything about this kind of thing,"&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said, according to NBC News. "It's just nonsense garbage."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in years. Putin and Biden will meet in Geneva on Wednesday. The White House has said Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, the jailing of dissidents, and other issues that have irritated the relationship. "We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years," Putin said, according to an NBC translation of excerpts of an interview broadcast on Friday. Putin praised former President Donald Trump as "an extraordinary individual, talented individual," and said Biden, as a career politician, was "radically different" from Trump. Also Read | G7 leaders agree on a joint declaration to stop future pandemics Asked about Biden calling him a killer in an interview in March, Putin said he had heard dozens of such accusations. "This is not something I worry about in the least," Putin said. Biden, at the start of an eight-day visit to Europe this week, said: "We're not seeking conflict with Russia." "We want a stable and predictable relationship ... but I've been clear: The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities." Putin was asked about several Russian dissidents whose deaths have been blamed on Moscow, including ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned in 2006. Putin dismissed the question as “verbal indigestion.“ He said some of those responsible for the deaths are in prison. On the issue of recent ransomware attacks that the United States has traced to Russia, Putin denied any knowledge of the hackings and called on Biden to reach an agreement with him on cyberspace, NBC News said. Putin also dismissed a report in the Washington Post this week that Russia was preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite that would enable it to track potential military targets across the Middle East. "It's just fake news. At the very least, I don't know anything about this kind of thing," Putin said, according to NBC News. "It's just nonsense garbage."

Putin says relations with US at lowest point in years, praises Trump

Former United States President Donald Trump has remained largely missing from&nbsp;the public arena after Joe Biden took office.&nbsp; For months, Trump said that the elections were fraudulent without providing any evidence for his claims.&nbsp;

He was stripped of his privileges on social media websites like Twitter and Facebook after an attempted insurrection at the US Capitol caused multiple casualties. Since then, Trump’s voice has largely disappeared from social media platforms. Last month, a blog page was launched for the former president.&nbsp;

Now, his blog has been removed from the website. On Wednesday, Trump aide Jason Miller said that the page, officially known "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump," has been permanently taken down. "It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on," Miller told Reuters.

Earlier, Donald Trump’s team had announced plans to launch a social media platform. But no details were revealed.

"I'm hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing," Miller told Reuters in an email statement.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-formally-ends-trumps-remain-in-mexico-asylum-policy-388876" hreflang="en">US formally ends Trump’s 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy</a>

The blog, now defunct was billed as a place to “speak freely and safely”. It had posts from Trump which could be shared on social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. Twitter has asserted that its ban on Trump was permanent, regardless of whether he reruns for office.&nbsp;

Before being banned, Trump had over 88 million followers on Twitter. Recently, Facebook’s oversight board said that the company did the right thing by banning Trump, but criticised the indefinite nature of the ban.

YouTube, where he is also banned said that Trump’s account may be reinstated when it decides that the risk of violence has subsided.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/trump-promises-re-run-in-us-election-2024-if-his-health-allows-reports-388427" hreflang="en">Trump promises re-run in US election 2024 if his health allows: Reports</a>

Former United States President Donald Trump has remained largely missing from the public arena after Joe Biden took office. For months, Trump said that the elections were fraudulent without providing any evidence for his claims.

Former United States President Donald Trump has remained largely missing from the public arena after Joe Biden took office. For months, Trump said that the elections were fraudulent without providing any evidence for his claims. He was stripped of his privileges on social media websites like Twitter and Facebook after an attempted insurrection at the US Capitol caused multiple casualties. Since then, Trump’s voice has largely disappeared from social media platforms. Last month, a blog page was launched for the former president. Now, his blog has been removed from the website. On Wednesday, Trump aide Jason Miller said that the page, officially known "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump," has been permanently taken down. "It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on," Miller told Reuters. Earlier, Donald Trump’s team had announced plans to launch a social media platform. But no details were revealed. "I'm hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing," Miller told Reuters in an email statement. Also read: US formally ends Trump’s 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy The blog, now defunct was billed as a place to “speak freely and safely”. It had posts from Trump which could be shared on social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. Twitter has asserted that its ban on Trump was permanent, regardless of whether he reruns for office. Before being banned, Trump had over 88 million followers on Twitter. Recently, Facebook’s oversight board said that the company did the right thing by banning Trump, but criticised the indefinite nature of the ban. YouTube, where he is also banned said that Trump’s account may be reinstated when it decides that the risk of violence has subsided. Also read: Trump promises re-run in US election 2024 if his health allows: Reports

Donald Trump's blog page shuts down a month after launch

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US&nbsp;court cases, according to a US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. 
 
The administration of President Joe Biden paused the programme, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on January&nbsp;20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official said on Tuesday. 
 
Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor US&nbsp;asylum laws. Republicans have criticised Biden's actions, including ending the MPP programme, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border in recent months. 
 
US&nbsp;Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures. 
 
Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows US&nbsp;authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. 
 
Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the US&nbsp;asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
 
The MPP decision comes after a February&nbsp;2 Biden executive order called for US&nbsp;agencies to review the programme, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. 
 
The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the programme did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. 
 
"Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday.

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. The administration of President Joe Biden paused the programme, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on January 20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official said on Tuesday. Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor US asylum laws. Republicans have criticised Biden's actions, including ending the MPP programme, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border in recent months. US Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures. Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows US authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the US asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The MPP decision comes after a February 2 Biden executive order called for US agencies to review the programme, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the programme did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. "Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

US formally ends Trump’s 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy

A majority of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election and blame his loss to Joe Biden on illegal voting, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.&nbsp;

The May 17-19 national poll found that 53% of Republicans believe Trump, their party's nominee, is the “true president” now, compared to 3% of Democrats and 25% of all Americans.&nbsp;

About one-quarter of adults believe the Nov. 3 election was tainted by illegal voting, including 56% of Republicans, according to the poll. The figures were roughly the same in a poll that ran from November 13-17, which found that 28% of all Americans and 59% of Republicans felt that way.&nbsp;

A Democrat, Biden won by more than seven million votes. Dozens of courts rejected Trump’s challenges to the results, but Trump and his supporters have persisted in pushing baseless conspiracy theories on conservative news outlets.&nbsp;

The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 61% of Republicans believe the election was "stolen" from Trump. Only about 29% of Republicans believe he should share some of the blame for his supporters' January 6 deadly riot at the US Capitol.&nbsp;

Still, 67% of overall respondents say they trust election officials in their town to do their job honestly, including 58% of Republicans, according to the poll.&nbsp;

The November and May polls were both conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. The May poll gathered responses from 2,007 adults, including 909 Democrats and 754 Republicans. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points. &nbsp;

A majority of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election and blame his loss to Joe Biden on illegal voting, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.

A majority of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election and blame his loss to Joe Biden on illegal voting, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The May 17-19 national poll found that 53% of Republicans believe Trump, their party's nominee, is the “true president” now, compared to 3% of Democrats and 25% of all Americans. About one-quarter of adults believe the Nov. 3 election was tainted by illegal voting, including 56% of Republicans, according to the poll. The figures were roughly the same in a poll that ran from November 13-17, which found that 28% of all Americans and 59% of Republicans felt that way. A Democrat, Biden won by more than seven million votes. Dozens of courts rejected Trump’s challenges to the results, but Trump and his supporters have persisted in pushing baseless conspiracy theories on conservative news outlets. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 61% of Republicans believe the election was "stolen" from Trump. Only about 29% of Republicans believe he should share some of the blame for his supporters' January 6 deadly riot at the US Capitol. Still, 67% of overall respondents say they trust election officials in their town to do their job honestly, including 58% of Republicans, according to the poll. The November and May polls were both conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. The May poll gathered responses from 2,007 adults, including 909 Democrats and 754 Republicans. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points.

53% of Republicans still view Trump as true US president, months after his defeat: Poll 

Florida&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican US presidential candidate in 2024, signed into&nbsp;law&nbsp;Thursday an election security bill certain to please supporters of Donald&nbsp;Trump, but which critics warn poses blatant barriers to voting.

By implementing SB90, which restricts voting by mail, requires valid&nbsp;voter&nbsp;identification and prohibits use of private funds to finance campaigns,&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;joins a growing list of Republican-run states that have tweaked&nbsp;voter&nbsp;laws&nbsp;following&nbsp;Trump's baseless charge of fraud in last year's election.

DeSantis signed the&nbsp;law&nbsp;in Palm Beach near the private Mar-a-Lago club where&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;has resided since leaving the White House in January.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="'From the Desk of...': Donald Trump launches his own social media space">'From the Desk of...': Donald Trump launches his own social media space</a>

The event itself stirred controversy. Supporters of the former president were in attendance, and Fox News — seen by many as pro-Trump&nbsp;— was the only television network allowed, as other local channels were barred entry.&nbsp;

In a statement, DeSantis said the bill will "strengthen the security of our elections." As he signed the measure he defended one of its many controversial elements: the restriction of vote-by-mail drop boxes.

"They need to be monitored," DeSantis told morning show Fox &amp; Friends as supporters behind him cheered. "You can't just leave these boxes out where there's no supervision."

Although there was no suspicion of fraud in&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;during November's presidential election, DeSantis said the&nbsp;law&nbsp;will ensure Floridians that "your vote is going to be cast with integrity and transparency."

More Democrats than Republicans voted by mail in November because of the pandemic and these ballots helped tip the balance in favor of&nbsp;Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Suffering reelection defeat,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;claimed&nbsp;voter&nbsp;fraud — a baseless charge dismissed by dozens of courts across multiple states.

Florida&nbsp;Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat elected in the state's administration, accused DeSantis of signing the&nbsp;law&nbsp;to satisfy&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his&nbsp;base, whose support the&nbsp;governor&nbsp;seeks as he weighs his political future.

"The only fraud that I saw was by the Republicans," Fried told reporters.

"We know that the only reason to sign this piece of legislation... was for one person," she said, referring to&nbsp;Trump.

Critics of the new measure say the bill, approved last week by&nbsp;Florida's Republican-controlled legislature, is a form of&nbsp;voter&nbsp;suppression.

"Republicans across the country know they're failing to connect with and deliver for the American people, so they’ve decided their winning playbook centers on making it harder for them to make their voices heard," said Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund said it "creates barriers and burdens that impact all&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;voters, and disproportionally impacts the ability of Black voters, Latino voters and voters with disabilities to cast their ballot."

Unlike many other countries, the United States does not issue national identification cards.

Identity during US elections is verified through a driver's license or other forms of acceptable ID, which some people, disproportionally low-income and minority Americans, do not have.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican US presidential candidate in 2024, signed into law Thursday an election security bill certain to please supporters of Donald Trump, but which critics warn poses blatant barriers to voting.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican US presidential candidate in 2024, signed into law Thursday an election security bill certain to please supporters of Donald Trump, but which critics warn poses blatant barriers to voting. By implementing SB90, which restricts voting by mail, requires valid voter identification and prohibits use of private funds to finance campaigns, Florida joins a growing list of Republican-run states that have tweaked voter laws following Trump's baseless charge of fraud in last year's election. DeSantis signed the law in Palm Beach near the private Mar-a-Lago club where Trump has resided since leaving the White House in January. Also read: 'From the Desk of...': Donald Trump launches his own social media space The event itself stirred controversy. Supporters of the former president were in attendance, and Fox News — seen by many as pro-Trump — was the only television network allowed, as other local channels were barred entry. In a statement, DeSantis said the bill will "strengthen the security of our elections." As he signed the measure he defended one of its many controversial elements: the restriction of vote-by-mail drop boxes. "They need to be monitored," DeSantis told morning show Fox & Friends as supporters behind him cheered. "You can't just leave these boxes out where there's no supervision." Although there was no suspicion of fraud in Florida during November's presidential election, DeSantis said the law will ensure Floridians that "your vote is going to be cast with integrity and transparency." More Democrats than Republicans voted by mail in November because of the pandemic and these ballots helped tip the balance in favor of Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden. Suffering reelection defeat, Trump claimed voter fraud — a baseless charge dismissed by dozens of courts across multiple states. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat elected in the state's administration, accused DeSantis of signing the law to satisfy Trump and his base, whose support the governor seeks as he weighs his political future. "The only fraud that I saw was by the Republicans," Fried told reporters. "We know that the only reason to sign this piece of legislation... was for one person," she said, referring to Trump. Critics of the new measure say the bill, approved last week by Florida's Republican-controlled legislature, is a form of voter suppression. "Republicans across the country know they're failing to connect with and deliver for the American people, so they’ve decided their winning playbook centers on making it harder for them to make their voices heard," said Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund said it "creates barriers and burdens that impact all Florida voters, and disproportionally impacts the ability of Black voters, Latino voters and voters with disabilities to cast their ballot." Unlike many other countries, the United States does not issue national identification cards. Identity during US elections is verified through a driver's license or other forms of acceptable ID, which some people, disproportionally low-income and minority Americans, do not have.

Florida governor tightens voter law in appeal to Trump base

Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington pressurised its allies to pack up oil imports from Iran just because it wanted to put “maximum pressure” on the Islamic republic. Around the same time, Washington also put pressure on fellow NATO members to up their military budgets. It also pressed US allies to fight Huawei.

US President Joe Biden promised to put an end to this maximalist approach towards diplomacy. But just 100 days into office, Biden seems to have changed his mind. Washington is pressing Taiwan to supply microchip so that the Biden administration can revive and drive the American economy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-is-pressing-taiwan-for-microchips-383079">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-is-pressing-taiwan-for-microchips-383079/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Microchips are tiny wafers of semiconducting materials and are needed in smartphones, computers and gaming consoles. Each car has over 1,000 microchips which help in controlling the car radio, the climate control system, tyre pressure etc. Currently, there is a global shortage of microchips and automakers are feeling the pinch.

From General Motors to Ford, auto-companies have been forced to shut plants and press break on production in the US. This has threatened Biden's promise of accelerating economic recovery. Autoworkers are facing cuts in their hours and wages. Additionally, this has threatened Biden's approval ratings as he stares at mid-term elections and Democrats struggle to hold their House majority.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/taipei-to-dispatch-military-aircraft-ships-to-counter-chinese-activities-in-taiwan-strait-382948" hreflang="en">Taipei to dispatch military aircraft, ships to counter Chinese activities in Taiwan Strait</a>

The situation is so dire that in April, the White House convened a summit to address chip shortage. Now, America is exporting its problem and directing the pressure towards an ally.

Taiwan has the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing industry and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is among the world's leading microchip producers and makes nearly 12 million microchips a year.

America wants these wafers to be shipped to US automobile companies. But the demand for Taiwanese microchips is not limited to the US alone. The TSMC, for example, has clients across Europe, Japan, South Korea, even China but Washington wants priority. The US is leveraging its position as Taiwan's main defence exporter. As the main foreign source of weapons, Taiwan need US to defend itself from China.

“Not a day goes by that we don't push on that”, said US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo told an executive from General Motors. “There are so many American jobs on the line”, she added. US is betting on Taiwan's vulnerability against an increasingly aggressive China.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/economic-warfare-against-tech-sector-taiwan-bans-recruitment-for-jobs-in-china-to-combat-brain-drain-381547" hreflang="en">Economic warfare against tech sector: Taiwan bans recruitment for jobs in China to combat brain drain</a>

Trump's legacy of pressing adversaries and allies alike still lingers in the White House. American diplomacy under Biden is increasingly being shaped by national politics.

Be it the refugee cap, or helping a natural ally like India in times of a global healthcare crisis, Biden believes in testing the waters at home first. And he is not shy of escalating pressure on an ally if it serves his national interest. Biden promised to be different from Rrump when he declared “America is back”. But 100 days in office and America is back to its old tactics.

Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington pressurised its allies to pack up oil imports from Iran just because it wanted to put “maximum pressure” on the Islamic republic.

Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington pressurised its allies to pack up oil imports from Iran just because it wanted to put “maximum pressure” on the Islamic republic. Around the same time, Washington also put pressure on fellow NATO members to up their military budgets. It also pressed US allies to fight Huawei. US President Joe Biden promised to put an end to this maximalist approach towards diplomacy. But just 100 days into office, Biden seems to have changed his mind. Washington is pressing Taiwan to supply microchip so that the Biden administration can revive and drive the American economy. Watch | Microchips are tiny wafers of semiconducting materials and are needed in smartphones, computers and gaming consoles. Each car has over 1,000 microchips which help in controlling the car radio, the climate control system, tyre pressure etc. Currently, there is a global shortage of microchips and automakers are feeling the pinch. From General Motors to Ford, auto-companies have been forced to shut plants and press break on production in the US. This has threatened Biden's promise of accelerating economic recovery. Autoworkers are facing cuts in their hours and wages. Additionally, this has threatened Biden's approval ratings as he stares at mid-term elections and Democrats struggle to hold their House majority. Also read: Taipei to dispatch military aircraft, ships to counter Chinese activities in Taiwan Strait The situation is so dire that in April, the White House convened a summit to address chip shortage. Now, America is exporting its problem and directing the pressure towards an ally. Taiwan has the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing industry and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is among the world's leading microchip producers and makes nearly 12 million microchips a year. America wants these wafers to be shipped to US automobile companies. But the demand for Taiwanese microchips is not limited to the US alone. The TSMC, for example, has clients across Europe, Japan, South Korea, even China but Washington wants priority. The US is leveraging its position as Taiwan's main defence exporter. As the main foreign source of weapons, Taiwan need US to defend itself from China. “Not a day goes by that we don't push on that”, said US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo told an executive from General Motors. “There are so many American jobs on the line”, she added. US is betting on Taiwan's vulnerability against an increasingly aggressive China. Also read: Economic warfare against tech sector: Taiwan bans recruitment for jobs in China to combat brain drain Trump's legacy of pressing adversaries and allies alike still lingers in the White House. American diplomacy under Biden is increasingly being shaped by national politics. Be it the refugee cap, or helping a natural ally like India in times of a global healthcare crisis, Biden believes in testing the waters at home first. And he is not shy of escalating pressure on an ally if it serves his national interest. Biden promised to be different from Rrump when he declared “America is back”. But 100 days in office and America is back to its old tactics.

What does US pressure on Taiwan for microchips say about Biden administration?

The aid includes $75m in economic and development funds for the occupied West Bank and Gaza, which will provide food and clean water to Palestinians and help small businesses.

Biden administration restores assistance for Palestinians

Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida, was partially closed Friday after some staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, two people familiar with the events confirmed.

The closure affected service in the dining room and at the beach club, according to The Associated Press. The two people familiar with the events confirmed that was the case; they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The Associated Press cited an email that went to members of the club, which also serves as Trump’s permanent residence. The moves were taken out of “an abundance of caution,” and some workers were quarantined, according to the email.

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A woman who answered the phone at Mar-a-Lago said “no comment” and hung up when asked if the club was open.

The Florida Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The club is set to host events during the Republican National Committee spring retreat in Florida next month. It has been Trump’s post-presidency base of operations, where he has hosted Republican officials.

Coronavirus cases have been declining for weeks in Florida, which reopened businesses months before much of the nation. But the state is still averaging about 5,000 new cases a day, according to a New York Times database.

Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, said this week that cases had been declining locally, and she was “cautiously optimistic” about the course of the virus. But she warned the public that it was too early to declare victory over the pandemic.

Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida, was partially closed Friday after some staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, two people familiar with the events confirmed.

Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida, was partially closed Friday after some staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, two people familiar with the events confirmed. The closure affected service in the dining room and at the beach club, according to The Associated Press. The two people familiar with the events confirmed that was the case; they were not authorized to speak publicly. The Associated Press cited an email that went to members of the club, which also serves as Trump’s permanent residence. The moves were taken out of “an abundance of caution,” and some workers were quarantined, according to the email. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A woman who answered the phone at Mar-a-Lago said “no comment” and hung up when asked if the club was open. The Florida Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The club is set to host events during the Republican National Committee spring retreat in Florida next month. It has been Trump’s post-presidency base of operations, where he has hosted Republican officials. Coronavirus cases have been declining for weeks in Florida, which reopened businesses months before much of the nation. But the state is still averaging about 5,000 new cases a day, according to a New York Times database. Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, said this week that cases had been declining locally, and she was “cautiously optimistic” about the course of the virus. But she warned the public that it was too early to declare victory over the pandemic.

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club partially closed after positive COVID tests

The US Republican Party is having a clash within itself over fundraisers and the name Donald Trump. The Republican National Committee wants to use the former President's name in the fundraising appeals and campaigns but Donald Trump is not too happy about that.

WION Fineprint: Donald Trump demands Republican Committee to stop using his name

The former US President,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, is quite infamous for being a sore loser, be it in elections or on the golf field. In addition to being in news for his political moves, Trump is also making headlines for one of his favourite hobbies — golf.

Trump has been enjoying his golfing sessions once again, since leaving the White House. However, turns out he is not very fair in that game too.

A recent video circulating on a social media platform that has suspended Trump's account — Twitter — shows Trump cheating on the moss.

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So - here’s Donald Trump giving himself this one yesterday at the Trump National Doral Miami. 
 
As a competitor it’s offensive. Just Putt it out, dude. 
 
If you’ll cheat in golf you’ll cheat at anything...<a href="https://t.co/zQgUcP5LV3">pic.twitter.com/zQgUcP5LV3</a>
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) <a href="https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1367615439543615491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Captured at the Doral golf resort in Miami, in the video Trump can be seen walking on the golf course along with the ball. He proceeds to bend and gently put the ball in the hole from a short distance and quickly scoops it out as soon as it enters the hole.

The 'cheating' moment of the former reality TV star was captured by Landon Michelson, a professional golfer, from a distance.

This video has sent Twitterati laughing at how Trump fears losing, even in golf.

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I’d like to see him try this at the Dinah Shore. 🏳️‍🌈 <a href="https://t.co/MJYuHiDHcj">https://t.co/MJYuHiDHcj</a>
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) <a href="https://twitter.com/kathygriffin/status/1367697379344879619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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<a href="https://t.co/4EwXqeSAWe">pic.twitter.com/4EwXqeSAWe</a>
— MED (@medowlen_78) <a href="https://twitter.com/medowlen_78/status/1367615706829905922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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— MED (@medowlen_78) <a href="https://twitter.com/medowlen_78/status/1367615706829905922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Same form he used dragging that Umbrella on AF-1 <a href="https://t.co/qiB6OlKp6Y">pic.twitter.com/qiB6OlKp6Y</a>
— Ed Baier (@beachshoot) <a href="https://twitter.com/beachshoot/status/1367719231219851264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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My 10 year old pulls off this same move while playing miniature golf.
— DR (@DeanFromCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeanFromCC/status/1367701412117770241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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his presidency as a golf stroke wow
— wear a mask, you leper™ (@StevesTweetin) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevesTweetin/status/1367614707020959744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The former US President, Donald Trump, is quite infamous for being a sore loser, be it in elections or on the golf field. In addition to being in news for his political moves, Trump is also making headlines for one of his favourite hobbies — golf.

The former US President, Donald Trump, is quite infamous for being a sore loser, be it in elections or on the golf field. In addition to being in news for his political moves, Trump is also making headlines for one of his favourite hobbies — golf. Trump has been enjoying his golfing sessions once again, since leaving the White House. However, turns out he is not very fair in that game too. A recent video circulating on a social media platform that has suspended Trump's account — Twitter — shows Trump cheating on the moss. So - here’s Donald Trump giving himself this one yesterday at the Trump National Doral Miami. As a competitor it’s offensive. Just Putt it out, dude. If you’ll cheat in golf you’ll cheat at anything...pic.twitter.com/zQgUcP5LV3 — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) March 4, 2021 × Captured at the Doral golf resort in Miami, in the video Trump can be seen walking on the golf course along with the ball. He proceeds to bend and gently put the ball in the hole from a short distance and quickly scoops it out as soon as it enters the hole. The 'cheating' moment of the former reality TV star was captured by Landon Michelson, a professional golfer, from a distance. This video has sent Twitterati laughing at how Trump fears losing, even in golf. I’d like to see him try this at the Dinah Shore. 🏳️‍🌈 https://t.co/MJYuHiDHcj — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) March 5, 2021 × pic.twitter.com/4EwXqeSAWe — MED (@medowlen_78) March 4, 2021 × pic.twitter.com/4EwXqeSAWe — MED (@medowlen_78) March 4, 2021 × Same form he used dragging that Umbrella on AF-1 pic.twitter.com/qiB6OlKp6Y — Ed Baier (@beachshoot) March 5, 2021 × My 10 year old pulls off this same move while playing miniature golf. — DR (@DeanFromCC) March 5, 2021 × his presidency as a golf stroke wow — wear a mask, you leper™ (@StevesTweetin) March 4, 2021 ×

'Just putt it out': Twitter laughs at Trump's cheat move in golf

Former U.S. President Donald Trump will seek to return to the political spotlight in an address to a major meeting of conservatives. Watch this report to know more.

Donald Trump expected to take aim at Joe Biden in Florida speech

Wistful skaters descended on Central Park on Sunday for what they thought would be their last outing on the ice for the season, after the Trump Organization abruptly announced that the two ice rinks there would close as the city moved to end its contracts following the Capitol riot.

But after complaints mounted throughout the day over the loss of a precious venue for outdoor entertainment and exercise during the pandemic — and as some New Yorkers, despite former President Donald Trump’s unpopularity in his home city, faulted City Hall for ending the contracts early — Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said Sunday evening that the rinks would stay open for the season.

“New York City kids deserve all the time on the ice they can get this year,” the mayor’s press secretary, Bill Neidhardt, said in a statement. “The Wollman and Lasker rinks will stay open under current management for the few weeks left in this season. But make no mistake, we will not be doing business with the Trump Organization going forward. Inciting an insurrection will never be forgotten or forgiven.”

Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink — memory-makers for generations of New Yorkers — will be open as usual Monday, city officials said.

Trump’s company had blamed the city when it had said the rinks were to close at the end of business Sunday. The Trump Organization, which has run the rinks since the 1980s, said city officials had ordered the company to clear out by Feb. 26, ahead of the current contract’s expiration in April, and said it needed to shut a few days earlier.

It was unclear why the city had set that deadline; bids are not due until March 19 in the competitive process to select a new operator for Wollman, and Lasker had been expected to shut for renovations, but not until the spring.

As skaters thronged to the rinks Sunday in sunny, wintry weather, many dished out criticism of both Trump and de Blasio.

There was even a moment of politically tinged mayhem on ice. At Wollman, near the park's southern end, an employee tackled a man who was skating with a 20-foot “Trump 2024” flag, wearing what appeared to be a “Make America Great Again” cap. Several witnesses said the man had cursed at employees and refused to leave the ice.

But mostly, the atmosphere at both rinks was calm, if melancholy, with skaters expressing regret at news of the shutdown. “I wish the politics didn’t get involved in it,” Reuben Katz, 11, said. He was wearing a New York Islanders sweatshirt and waiting with his family at Lasker, near the northern end of the park.

De Blasio said last month that the city would terminate the rinks’ contracts in response to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and would seek other vendors to operate the sites.

The Trump Organization has vowed to fight the move in court; de Blasio has said the city had the right to cancel the contracts because the violence in Washington qualified as criminal activity.

Eric Trump, the former president’s son and the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said closing the rinks would leave 250 people out of work.

“Why — to try and get back at a person who sits on a different side of the political aisle who now lives in Florida,” he said in a statement Sunday. “Let’s cancel kids’ hockey programs, skating schools and shut them down six weeks early … that will show Trump.”

Complaints about the disruption had appeared to transcend politics.

“As lifelong Democrats, we are disappointed that de Blasio would play politics and shut down a COVID-friendly activity for city kids,” said Gideon Katz, 46, Reuben’s father.

Both rinks were busy Sunday. Families with young children carried bags of skating equipment while toddlers peered down at the ice. Valedictory music played at Wollman, from *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” to the closing number, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”

Several hand-drawn signs had been posted near Wollman’s entrance, including “We ️(Love) Wollman Rink!” and “SAVE OUR RINKS.”

The Trump supporter with the 20-foot flagpole did two laps, ignoring and then cursing employees who politely asked him to leave, said David Cheung, 66, from Queens. Then, in a scene captured on video, he knocked down an employee who tried to move him off the ice as a bystander cried, “No violence!”

“He purposely instigated this thing. If he carried a Biden flag here, they would’ve kicked him out exactly the same,” said Cheung.

The rinks serve casual skaters, children’s hockey teams — including a free one for low-income children — and tourists. The city is also canceling the Trump Organization’s contract to run a third classic New York site, the Central Park Carousel, known for its antique carved wooden horses; it has been closed by city order during the pandemic.

The company operates a golf course in the Bronx, Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. The city said that contract is more complex and could take more time to terminate.

Trump was once seen as the savior of Wollman Rink, which first opened in 1950 and closed in 1980 for renovations, only to languish for six years.

In 1986, a far different time for Trump and his hometown, he was lauded for bringing the rink back to life.

Trump had offered to do the work without seeking a profit. In the end, his company oversaw the renovations, and city officials said the work came in under budget.

The reopening came three years after Trump Tower opened on Fifth Avenue, enhancing Trump’s celebrity status, especially after Trump won the rinks’ operating contract and added his name to the rink before “Wollman.”

Trump and his associates grumbled at the time about the city’s insistence that they would have to operate Lasker, which was not then profitable, as well as Wollman, which was.

Trump often emphasized that he had finished the Wollman renovations ahead of his own schedule and spun the success as proof that business could move faster than government.

Then as now, there was much debate over his interpretation, but the tale helped build the can-do reputation he parlayed into his character on “The Apprentice,” and later the presidency.

Wistful skaters descended on Central Park on Sunday for what they thought would be their last outing on the ice for the season, after the Trump Organization abruptly announced that the two ice rinks there would close as the city moved to end its contracts following the Capitol riot.

Wistful skaters descended on Central Park on Sunday for what they thought would be their last outing on the ice for the season, after the Trump Organization abruptly announced that the two ice rinks there would close as the city moved to end its contracts following the Capitol riot. But after complaints mounted throughout the day over the loss of a precious venue for outdoor entertainment and exercise during the pandemic — and as some New Yorkers, despite former President Donald Trump’s unpopularity in his home city, faulted City Hall for ending the contracts early — Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said Sunday evening that the rinks would stay open for the season. “New York City kids deserve all the time on the ice they can get this year,” the mayor’s press secretary, Bill Neidhardt, said in a statement. “The Wollman and Lasker rinks will stay open under current management for the few weeks left in this season. But make no mistake, we will not be doing business with the Trump Organization going forward. Inciting an insurrection will never be forgotten or forgiven.” Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink — memory-makers for generations of New Yorkers — will be open as usual Monday, city officials said. Trump’s company had blamed the city when it had said the rinks were to close at the end of business Sunday. The Trump Organization, which has run the rinks since the 1980s, said city officials had ordered the company to clear out by Feb. 26, ahead of the current contract’s expiration in April, and said it needed to shut a few days earlier. It was unclear why the city had set that deadline; bids are not due until March 19 in the competitive process to select a new operator for Wollman, and Lasker had been expected to shut for renovations, but not until the spring. As skaters thronged to the rinks Sunday in sunny, wintry weather, many dished out criticism of both Trump and de Blasio. There was even a moment of politically tinged mayhem on ice. At Wollman, near the park's southern end, an employee tackled a man who was skating with a 20-foot “Trump 2024” flag, wearing what appeared to be a “Make America Great Again” cap. Several witnesses said the man had cursed at employees and refused to leave the ice. But mostly, the atmosphere at both rinks was calm, if melancholy, with skaters expressing regret at news of the shutdown. “I wish the politics didn’t get involved in it,” Reuben Katz, 11, said. He was wearing a New York Islanders sweatshirt and waiting with his family at Lasker, near the northern end of the park. De Blasio said last month that the city would terminate the rinks’ contracts in response to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and would seek other vendors to operate the sites. The Trump Organization has vowed to fight the move in court; de Blasio has said the city had the right to cancel the contracts because the violence in Washington qualified as criminal activity. Eric Trump, the former president’s son and the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said closing the rinks would leave 250 people out of work. “Why — to try and get back at a person who sits on a different side of the political aisle who now lives in Florida,” he said in a statement Sunday. “Let’s cancel kids’ hockey programs, skating schools and shut them down six weeks early … that will show Trump.” Complaints about the disruption had appeared to transcend politics. “As lifelong Democrats, we are disappointed that de Blasio would play politics and shut down a COVID-friendly activity for city kids,” said Gideon Katz, 46, Reuben’s father. Both rinks were busy Sunday. Families with young children carried bags of skating equipment while toddlers peered down at the ice. Valedictory music played at Wollman, from *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” to the closing number, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” Several hand-drawn signs had been posted near Wollman’s entrance, including “We ️(Love) Wollman Rink!” and “SAVE OUR RINKS.” The Trump supporter with the 20-foot flagpole did two laps, ignoring and then cursing employees who politely asked him to leave, said David Cheung, 66, from Queens. Then, in a scene captured on video, he knocked down an employee who tried to move him off the ice as a bystander cried, “No violence!” “He purposely instigated this thing. If he carried a Biden flag here, they would’ve kicked him out exactly the same,” said Cheung. The rinks serve casual skaters, children’s hockey teams — including a free one for low-income children — and tourists. The city is also canceling the Trump Organization’s contract to run a third classic New York site, the Central Park Carousel, known for its antique carved wooden horses; it has been closed by city order during the pandemic. The company operates a golf course in the Bronx, Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. The city said that contract is more complex and could take more time to terminate. Trump was once seen as the savior of Wollman Rink, which first opened in 1950 and closed in 1980 for renovations, only to languish for six years. In 1986, a far different time for Trump and his hometown, he was lauded for bringing the rink back to life. Trump had offered to do the work without seeking a profit. In the end, his company oversaw the renovations, and city officials said the work came in under budget. The reopening came three years after Trump Tower opened on Fifth Avenue, enhancing Trump’s celebrity status, especially after Trump won the rinks’ operating contract and added his name to the rink before “Wollman.” Trump and his associates grumbled at the time about the city’s insistence that they would have to operate Lasker, which was not then profitable, as well as Wollman, which was. Trump often emphasized that he had finished the Wollman renovations ahead of his own schedule and spun the success as proof that business could move faster than government. Then as now, there was much debate over his interpretation, but the tale helped build the can-do reputation he parlayed into his character on “The Apprentice,” and later the presidency.

Central Park ice rinks remain open despite rift with Trump, Mayor says

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