The District of Columbia office that polices attorneys for ethical misconduct filed charges on Friday against President Donald Trump's former attorney, Rudy Giuliani, over baseless claims he made in federal court alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

The D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleges that Giuliani, who is a member of the D.C. bar, made baseless claims in federal court filings about the results of the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania.

A lawyer for Giuliani did not have an immediate comment.

The charges come a day after the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol had its first prime-time hearing in which it outlined evidence that Trump and his allies sought to overturn the 2020 election and incite throngs of his supporters to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's victory.

Giuliani, a former U.S. Attorney in Manhattan and New York City mayor, has been among Trump's most fervent supporters, and repeatedly claimed without evidence that the election had been stolen.

The new ethics charges center on a series of legal challenges Giuliani made in Pennsylvania federal court in 2020. The charges were filed with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility.

The complaint says Giuliani sought an emergency order to prohibit the certification of the presidential election, an order to invalidate ballots cast by certain voters in seven counties, and other orders that would have permitted the state's assembly to choose its electors and declare Trump the winner in Pennsylvania.

The charges say his conduct violated two professional conduct rules in Pennsylvania that bar attorneys from bringing frivolous proceedings without a basis in law or fact and prohibit conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.

Charges can lead to the suspension of a license to practice law or disbarment.

The charges mark the second time that a bar office has taken action against Giuliani.

His New York law license was suspended in June 2021 after a state appeals court found that he made "demonstrably false and misleading" statements that widespread voter fraud undermined the election.

Giuliani's DC law license was temporarily suspended after the New York decision.

Apart from having two of his law licenses suspended, Giuliani's reputation has been stained by his dealings with Ukraine and he is being probed by Manhattan federal prosecutors over those business ties.

He began representing Trump, a fellow Republican and New Yorker, in April 2018 in connection with then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that documented Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Giuliani has not been charged with criminal wrongdoing. His lawyer has said the federal probe is politically motivated.

The District of Columbia office that polices attorneys for ethical misconduct filed charges on Friday against President Donald Trump's former attorney, Rudy Giuliani, over baseless claims he made in federal court alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

The District of Columbia office that polices attorneys for ethical misconduct filed charges on Friday against President Donald Trump's former attorney, Rudy Giuliani, over baseless claims he made in federal court alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleges that Giuliani, who is a member of the D.C. bar, made baseless claims in federal court filings about the results of the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania. A lawyer for Giuliani did not have an immediate comment. The charges come a day after the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol had its first prime-time hearing in which it outlined evidence that Trump and his allies sought to overturn the 2020 election and incite throngs of his supporters to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's victory. Giuliani, a former U.S. Attorney in Manhattan and New York City mayor, has been among Trump's most fervent supporters, and repeatedly claimed without evidence that the election had been stolen. The new ethics charges center on a series of legal challenges Giuliani made in Pennsylvania federal court in 2020. The charges were filed with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility. The complaint says Giuliani sought an emergency order to prohibit the certification of the presidential election, an order to invalidate ballots cast by certain voters in seven counties, and other orders that would have permitted the state's assembly to choose its electors and declare Trump the winner in Pennsylvania. The charges say his conduct violated two professional conduct rules in Pennsylvania that bar attorneys from bringing frivolous proceedings without a basis in law or fact and prohibit conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Charges can lead to the suspension of a license to practice law or disbarment. The charges mark the second time that a bar office has taken action against Giuliani. His New York law license was suspended in June 2021 after a state appeals court found that he made "demonstrably false and misleading" statements that widespread voter fraud undermined the election. Giuliani's DC law license was temporarily suspended after the New York decision. Apart from having two of his law licenses suspended, Giuliani's reputation has been stained by his dealings with Ukraine and he is being probed by Manhattan federal prosecutors over those business ties. He began representing Trump, a fellow Republican and New Yorker, in April 2018 in connection with then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that documented Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Giuliani has not been charged with criminal wrongdoing. His lawyer has said the federal probe is politically motivated.

Donald Trump's former attorney Giuliani hit with ethics charges over false election claims

With Bernie Sanders out of the race, Democrat Joe Biden will go head-to-head with Donald Trump in the upcoming American presidential election. China is more than ecstatic with this turn of events. There is a reason why: The former Vice President of the USA Joe Biden’s support of the People’s Republic of China has not only been longstanding, but also runs disturbingly deep. &nbsp;

In the 2000s, Biden was the one who marshalled China’s World Trade Organisation Membership. This helped China’s geopolitical rise greatly. China was also granted the Permanent Normal Trade Relations status which pushed for closer ties and increased trade. Joe Biden’s part in this? He was a senior member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which played a role in granting this status to China. And when he was America’s vice president, Biden claimed that China was a ‘new partner’ that would give healthy competition to the United States of America and also help meet global challenges. What did this stance do? Millions of American jobs disappeared and the USA faced stark unemployment figures during the Obama administration. In the meantime, China was militarising the South China Sea. &nbsp;

Also during the time, Biden was in power, his family personally benefitted from China ties. In 2013, son Hunter Biden joined the board of a fund worth $20 billion. It was not just any fund. This fund carried powerful Chinese state-owned entities as shareholders. Hunter invested his own money in the fund in 2017. It is unknown how much he made from the deal. In 2019, under media scrutiny, Hunter claimed that he had resigned from the firm. However, Chinese public records still show him as an officer. &nbsp;

To be fair to Hunter Biden, many American influencers struck deals with China. But because his father was in office, it exposed American’s working against their own national interest and instead abetting China’s industry and economy. While millions of Americans were struggling with increased unemployment, China, the Biden family and Wall Street were the only ones who benefitted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Under the Obama administration, Vice President Joe Biden consistently either appeased or failed to counter Chinese aggression on multiple issues. Cybersecurity was one of them. Asian countries, especially India faced routine Chinese bullying. The USA did not help India in the matter. Also under VP Biden’s tenure, China shipped the largest amount of fentanyl in the form of a synthetic opioid to the United States. Official data from 2015 shows that opioids were the cause of over 33,000 deaths. Numbers kept rising and the opioid crisis hit America hard. &nbsp;

With Bernie Sanders gone, China could not be happier that Biden is the Democratic front runner. This was evident from the start through objective facts. A little after Biden first announced his campaign in April 2019, China suddenly toughened up on trade negotiations with POTUS Trump. In May 2019, Beijing reversed almost all parts of the draft trade pact being created between the USA and China. When it looked like Biden was falling behind the other Democratic hopefuls, China curiously became much easier to deal with. In June 2019, China’s Xi Jinping and President Trump decided to revive trade talks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The relationship between the USA and China is a competitive one. Both are permanent members of the United Nations and pull significant weight on the international stage. Therefore, electing an American president who appeases China will do nothing but push China’s nationalist agenda in the coming years. The impact of this? India will no longer be as strong of a defence partner and also may even play a smaller role in trade with the USA. This could throw major blows to the Indian economy and negatively affect our foreign relations. 
 
Furthermore, China’s bioterrorism with COVID-19 has woken the planet up to the fatal havoc that is caused if it's not curbed. Thousands have lost their lives in the COVID-19 crisis and well over 140 countries are fighting the coronavirus pandemic. For these reasons, it is absolutely crucial to elect a POTUS who stands up to China as opposed to conciliating it. If elected, Joe Biden will create an open path for China to push a very dangerous agenda. Prior to the upcoming Presidential elections, it is the need of the hour that Americans and the rest of the world become woke to this truth.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

With Bernie Sanders out of the race, Democrat Joe Biden will go head-to-head with Donald Trump in the upcoming American presidential election. China is more than ecstatic with this turn of events.

With Bernie Sanders out of the race, Democrat Joe Biden will go head-to-head with Donald Trump in the upcoming American presidential election. China is more than ecstatic with this turn of events. There is a reason why: The former Vice President of the USA Joe Biden’s support of the People’s Republic of China has not only been longstanding, but also runs disturbingly deep. In the 2000s, Biden was the one who marshalled China’s World Trade Organisation Membership. This helped China’s geopolitical rise greatly. China was also granted the Permanent Normal Trade Relations status which pushed for closer ties and increased trade. Joe Biden’s part in this? He was a senior member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which played a role in granting this status to China. And when he was America’s vice president, Biden claimed that China was a ‘new partner’ that would give healthy competition to the United States of America and also help meet global challenges. What did this stance do? Millions of American jobs disappeared and the USA faced stark unemployment figures during the Obama administration. In the meantime, China was militarising the South China Sea. Also during the time, Biden was in power, his family personally benefitted from China ties. In 2013, son Hunter Biden joined the board of a fund worth $20 billion. It was not just any fund. This fund carried powerful Chinese state-owned entities as shareholders. Hunter invested his own money in the fund in 2017. It is unknown how much he made from the deal. In 2019, under media scrutiny, Hunter claimed that he had resigned from the firm. However, Chinese public records still show him as an officer. To be fair to Hunter Biden, many American influencers struck deals with China. But because his father was in office, it exposed American’s working against their own national interest and instead abetting China’s industry and economy. While millions of Americans were struggling with increased unemployment, China, the Biden family and Wall Street were the only ones who benefitted. Under the Obama administration, Vice President Joe Biden consistently either appeased or failed to counter Chinese aggression on multiple issues. Cybersecurity was one of them. Asian countries, especially India faced routine Chinese bullying. The USA did not help India in the matter. Also under VP Biden’s tenure, China shipped the largest amount of fentanyl in the form of a synthetic opioid to the United States. Official data from 2015 shows that opioids were the cause of over 33,000 deaths. Numbers kept rising and the opioid crisis hit America hard. With Bernie Sanders gone, China could not be happier that Biden is the Democratic front runner. This was evident from the start through objective facts. A little after Biden first announced his campaign in April 2019, China suddenly toughened up on trade negotiations with POTUS Trump. In May 2019, Beijing reversed almost all parts of the draft trade pact being created between the USA and China. When it looked like Biden was falling behind the other Democratic hopefuls, China curiously became much easier to deal with. In June 2019, China’s Xi Jinping and President Trump decided to revive trade talks. The relationship between the USA and China is a competitive one. Both are permanent members of the United Nations and pull significant weight on the international stage. Therefore, electing an American president who appeases China will do nothing but push China’s nationalist agenda in the coming years. The impact of this? India will no longer be as strong of a defence partner and also may even play a smaller role in trade with the USA. This could throw major blows to the Indian economy and negatively affect our foreign relations. Furthermore, China’s bioterrorism with COVID-19 has woken the planet up to the fatal havoc that is caused if it's not curbed. Thousands have lost their lives in the COVID-19 crisis and well over 140 countries are fighting the coronavirus pandemic. For these reasons, it is absolutely crucial to elect a POTUS who stands up to China as opposed to conciliating it. If elected, Joe Biden will create an open path for China to push a very dangerous agenda. Prior to the upcoming Presidential elections, it is the need of the hour that Americans and the rest of the world become woke to this truth. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

If elected, Joe Biden will clear path for China’s treacherous agenda

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/explained-us-president-donald-trumps-misplaced-priorities-289696">Donald Trump </a>has asked Americans to brace for a painful period ahead, but even he doesn't know how long it's going to last.

The Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in about 7 months from today and the campaign trail has already seen major disruption.

Rallies, town hall meetings and public events have been cancelled. Over a dozen Democratic primaries have been delayed.

Given <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/follow-covid-19-guidelines-for-next-30-days-its-a-matter-of-life-and-death-trump-tells-americans-289801">the situation at hand</a>, holding the election will be a herculean task. This is the time when the election campaign should have hit fever pitch, but now it has all gone cold!

Democrats still don't have a candidate to take on Trump. Democratic primaries across 14 states have been delayed.

The latest being New York, which was scheduled to hold it at the end of April, but now it has been pushed to the end of June.

Other states have expanded vote by mail, citing the difficulty of holding elections. Republicans, meanwhile, &nbsp;are still assessing the President's response to the crisis.

Donald Trump's biggest rival right now is not Joe Biden or even Bernie Sanders, but the Wuhan coronavirus. It's threatening the fundamentals of the Presidential election process.

Elections in America have been delayed because of emergencies in the past, but only at the state and local level.

The 9/11 terror attacks of 2001 came on the morning of a municipal primary election in the New York City. It was postponed by 2 weeks. In 2017, Municipal elections in Florida were briefly delayed because of Hurricane Irma. But never has the presidential election been postponed.

The date of the general election is set by the US Federal law and it has been fixed since the year 1845. To change election dates, the federal law will have to be changed which would need legislation enacted by the US Congress and signed by the President.

Furthermore, the American Constitution mandates that the new President’s term must begin on January 20. The US law doesn’t allow a President to stay in office after January 20 even in the case of a national emergency.

Trump initially underplayed the severity of the coronavirus, sparred with governors over their requests for medical supplies and floated the idea of reopening the economy against the advice of public health officials. But he shifted course to back extending the shutdown measures to slow the spread of the virus. 
 
According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, the coronavirus had rattled the entire country, with 89 per cent&nbsp;saying they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned by the respiratory disease.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump has asked Americans to brace for a painful period ahead, but even he doesn't know how long it's going to last. The Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in about 7 months from today and the campaign trail has already seen major disruption.

US President Donald Trump has asked Americans to brace for a painful period ahead, but even he doesn't know how long it's going to last. The Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in about 7 months from today and the campaign trail has already seen major disruption. Rallies, town hall meetings and public events have been cancelled. Over a dozen Democratic primaries have been delayed. Given the situation at hand, holding the election will be a herculean task. This is the time when the election campaign should have hit fever pitch, but now it has all gone cold! Democrats still don't have a candidate to take on Trump. Democratic primaries across 14 states have been delayed. The latest being New York, which was scheduled to hold it at the end of April, but now it has been pushed to the end of June. Other states have expanded vote by mail, citing the difficulty of holding elections. Republicans, meanwhile, are still assessing the President's response to the crisis. Donald Trump's biggest rival right now is not Joe Biden or even Bernie Sanders, but the Wuhan coronavirus. It's threatening the fundamentals of the Presidential election process. Elections in America have been delayed because of emergencies in the past, but only at the state and local level. The 9/11 terror attacks of 2001 came on the morning of a municipal primary election in the New York City. It was postponed by 2 weeks. In 2017, Municipal elections in Florida were briefly delayed because of Hurricane Irma. But never has the presidential election been postponed. The date of the general election is set by the US Federal law and it has been fixed since the year 1845. To change election dates, the federal law will have to be changed which would need legislation enacted by the US Congress and signed by the President. Furthermore, the American Constitution mandates that the new President’s term must begin on January 20. The US law doesn’t allow a President to stay in office after January 20 even in the case of a national emergency. Trump initially underplayed the severity of the coronavirus, sparred with governors over their requests for medical supplies and floated the idea of reopening the economy against the advice of public health officials. But he shifted course to back extending the shutdown measures to slow the spread of the virus. According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, the coronavirus had rattled the entire country, with 89 per cent saying they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned by the respiratory disease. (With inputs from agencies)

Will coronavirus outbreak force a postponement of US Presidential elections?

For Bernie Sanders to remain competitive with Joe Biden in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, he'll have to repeat what he did four years ago: Win the Michigan primary.

This time around, that probably will be harder.

<img alt="Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bd26ed8f-8fc5-4acb-911a-be036e2ab0a9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2877%29_5.jpg" />

Ahead of Tuesday's vote, Biden is showing strength with the same kinds of voters that Sanders, a U.S senator from Vermont, relied upon in his surprise defeat of front-runner Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016.

Sanders goes into Michigan badly in need of a win after former Vice President Biden seized control of the race on Super Tuesday this week, winning a bevvy of Southern states as well as Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas and causing rivals Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren to drop out.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-moves-ahead-in-us-presidential-race-scores-big-wins-on-super-tuesday-284077">Joe Biden moves ahead in US presidential race; scores big wins on Super Tuesday</a>

Michigan is the most competitive of the six states that hold nominating contests on Tuesday. It offers the largest number of the minimum 1,991 delegates a candidate needs to secure the nomination outright: 125. And it's a critical moment for Sanders to try to recapture momentum before the contest shifts to Florida and Illinois the following week.

In addition to Michigan, Washington state, Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho will be holding primary elections on Tuesday. North Dakota will hold caucuses.

A Sanders loss in Michigan could give Biden an insurmountable lead as the state-by-state nominating process moves into friendly territory for the man best remembered as No. 2 in President Barack Obama's historic administration.

The state also greatly matters for Nov. 3 general election. It flipped Republican in 2016, voting for now-President Donald Trump over Clinton by just over 10,000 votes.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-replaces-acting-chief-of-staff-mulvaney-with-north-carolina-lawmaker-284889">Trump replaces acting chief of staff Mulvaney with North Carolina lawmaker</a>

"Michigan is your got-to-win state," said Adam Hollier, an African-American state senator from Detroit who is backing Biden.

Biden parlayed his popularity with black voters into huge gains on Super Tuesday, winning 70% of African-American voters in Alabama and Virginia and 60% in North Carolina and Texas, according to exit polls from Edison Research.

They will be crucial in Michigan, where they comprise almost 14% of the population. Some areas of Detroit are 80% African-American.

"When you look at what he did all across the South, those same demographics are going to be at play in Detroit," Hollier said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melania-trump-tweets-about-white-house-tennis-pavilion-as-us-battles-coronavirus-284927">Melania Trump tweets about White House tennis pavilion as US battles coronavirus&nbsp;</a>

Sanders cancelled plans to campaign in Mississippi this weekend, focusing instead on Michigan.

UNION LABELS

Sanders may have better luck with union voters in manufacturing-heavy Michigan. He won the state's white working-class voters in 2016, and they remain a reliable part of his base.

Richard Cassel, 28, lost his job as an auto engineer in Detroit last month. That same week, he walked into a Sanders campaign office and volunteered to work the phones.

"For me, Biden is just more of the same. The middle class is working professionals, and everyone else is slowly drowning," Cassel said.

Watch:&nbsp;

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But Biden has long-standing ties to labour unions and routinely talks about how the middle-class and union members built the nation.

The powerful United Auto Workers Union has yet to endorse any candidate, but its spokesman, Brian Rothenberg, said it supports the idea of universal healthcare. Sanders has made a government-run healthcare system, Medicare for All, the heart of his campaign.

"The high cost of healthcare is one of the impacts when you're bargaining, so universal healthcare would actually give you a better ability to bargain at the table," Rothenberg said.

Not all of Sanders' positions play well with the state's unions, though. In particular, he has called for the closure of a 66-year-old crude oil pipeline that runs below portions of the Great Lakes, as part of his sweeping plan to swiftly end the U.S. fossil fuel economy to fight climate change.

"It's going to cost (Sanders) a lot of support in our union," said Terry Gilligan, business manager of Detroit Pipefitters Local 636.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-us-economy-could-take-hit-from-coronavirus-284605">Trump says US economy could take hit from coronavirus</a>

And two Michigan chapters of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union endorsed Biden on Friday.

Sanders is running ads in Michigan criticizing Biden over his past support for global trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Biden, in turn, argues that he was a key player in the 2009 auto industry bailout that rescued jobs in the state.

RURAL RUN

In 2016, Sanders performed surprisingly well in the wealthy suburbs outside Detroit and blew Clinton away in rural counties. But there is evidence he won’t do that again this time.

On Super Tuesday, Biden consistently beat Sanders in suburbs outside of cities including Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston.

Also see:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-bloomberg-elizabeth-warren-ends-us-presidential-campaign-284596">&nbsp;After Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren ends US presidential campaign</a>

And in rural regions of Minnesota, a Midwestern state like Michigan with a largely white population, Biden smashed Sanders, 43% to 19%, according to exit polls.

This weekend, Biden's campaign will deploy former presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar, a senator from Minnesota, to stump in Grand Rapids – and area that Sanders won in 2016.

Dawn Bryant, 40, a General Motors Co &lt;GM.N&gt; factory worker who was laid off earlier this year, said she was torn between Sanders and Biden.

"I'm divided. I'm not sure. I'm going to keep watching and weighing my options on both of the candidates," she said. "It's a tough, tough call."

For Bernie Sanders to remain competitive with Joe Biden in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, he'll have to repeat what he did four years ago: Win the Michigan primary.

For Bernie Sanders to remain competitive with Joe Biden in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, he'll have to repeat what he did four years ago: Win the Michigan primary. This time around, that probably will be harder. Ahead of Tuesday's vote, Biden is showing strength with the same kinds of voters that Sanders, a U.S senator from Vermont, relied upon in his surprise defeat of front-runner Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016. Sanders goes into Michigan badly in need of a win after former Vice President Biden seized control of the race on Super Tuesday this week, winning a bevvy of Southern states as well as Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas and causing rivals Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren to drop out. Also read: Joe Biden moves ahead in US presidential race; scores big wins on Super Tuesday Michigan is the most competitive of the six states that hold nominating contests on Tuesday. It offers the largest number of the minimum 1,991 delegates a candidate needs to secure the nomination outright: 125. And it's a critical moment for Sanders to try to recapture momentum before the contest shifts to Florida and Illinois the following week. In addition to Michigan, Washington state, Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho will be holding primary elections on Tuesday. North Dakota will hold caucuses. A Sanders loss in Michigan could give Biden an insurmountable lead as the state-by-state nominating process moves into friendly territory for the man best remembered as No. 2 in President Barack Obama's historic administration. The state also greatly matters for Nov. 3 general election. It flipped Republican in 2016, voting for now-President Donald Trump over Clinton by just over 10,000 votes. Also see: Trump replaces acting chief of staff Mulvaney with North Carolina lawmaker "Michigan is your got-to-win state," said Adam Hollier, an African-American state senator from Detroit who is backing Biden. Biden parlayed his popularity with black voters into huge gains on Super Tuesday, winning 70% of African-American voters in Alabama and Virginia and 60% in North Carolina and Texas, according to exit polls from Edison Research. They will be crucial in Michigan, where they comprise almost 14% of the population. Some areas of Detroit are 80% African-American. "When you look at what he did all across the South, those same demographics are going to be at play in Detroit," Hollier said. Also read: Melania Trump tweets about White House tennis pavilion as US battles coronavirus Sanders cancelled plans to campaign in Mississippi this weekend, focusing instead on Michigan. UNION LABELS Sanders may have better luck with union voters in manufacturing-heavy Michigan. He won the state's white working-class voters in 2016, and they remain a reliable part of his base. Richard Cassel, 28, lost his job as an auto engineer in Detroit last month. That same week, he walked into a Sanders campaign office and volunteered to work the phones. "For me, Biden is just more of the same. The middle class is working professionals, and everyone else is slowly drowning," Cassel said. Watch: × But Biden has long-standing ties to labour unions and routinely talks about how the middle-class and union members built the nation. The powerful United Auto Workers Union has yet to endorse any candidate, but its spokesman, Brian Rothenberg, said it supports the idea of universal healthcare. Sanders has made a government-run healthcare system, Medicare for All, the heart of his campaign. "The high cost of healthcare is one of the impacts when you're bargaining, so universal healthcare would actually give you a better ability to bargain at the table," Rothenberg said. Not all of Sanders' positions play well with the state's unions, though. In particular, he has called for the closure of a 66-year-old crude oil pipeline that runs below portions of the Great Lakes, as part of his sweeping plan to swiftly end the U.S. fossil fuel economy to fight climate change. "It's going to cost (Sanders) a lot of support in our union," said Terry Gilligan, business manager of Detroit Pipefitters Local 636. Also read: Trump says US economy could take hit from coronavirus And two Michigan chapters of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union endorsed Biden on Friday. Sanders is running ads in Michigan criticizing Biden over his past support for global trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Biden, in turn, argues that he was a key player in the 2009 auto industry bailout that rescued jobs in the state. RURAL RUN In 2016, Sanders performed surprisingly well in the wealthy suburbs outside Detroit and blew Clinton away in rural counties. But there is evidence he won’t do that again this time. On Super Tuesday, Biden consistently beat Sanders in suburbs outside of cities including Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston. Also see: After Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren ends US presidential campaign And in rural regions of Minnesota, a Midwestern state like Michigan with a largely white population, Biden smashed Sanders, 43% to 19%, according to exit polls. This weekend, Biden's campaign will deploy former presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar, a senator from Minnesota, to stump in Grand Rapids – and area that Sanders won in 2016. Dawn Bryant, 40, a General Motors Co <GM.N> factory worker who was laid off earlier this year, said she was torn between Sanders and Biden. "I'm divided. I'm not sure. I'm going to keep watching and weighing my options on both of the candidates," she said. "It's a tough, tough call."

Sanders needs Michigan win in U.S presidential race, but Biden looking strong with key voting blocs

Russia on Friday dismissed claims that it is trying to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election. The country described the claims&nbsp;as a paranoid falsehood a day after&nbsp;US intelligence community's top election security official told lawmakers that&nbsp;Moscow, accused of meddling in the 2016 US election on Donald Trump's behalf, was looking to influence this year's vote.&nbsp;

The allegations were "like the usual paranoid announcements, which unfortunately will multiply as we get closer to the (US) election," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"Of course, they have nothing to do with the truth," Peskov added.

According to media reports, last week's briefing, led by election security official Shelby Pierson, addressed the overall picture of Russia's efforts, including hacking, weaponizing social media and attacks on election infrastructure.

The officials&nbsp;warned the committee in the classified briefing that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-warns-russia-not-to-meddle-in-us-election-2020-267555">Russia&nbsp;</a>was working to cast doubt on the integrity of the voting process in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-warns-russia-not-to-meddle-in-us-election-2020-267555">US presidential election 2020</a>&nbsp;while at the same time boosting Trump's election to a second four-year term.

Media reports quoting a source said that "the Russians are favouring one candidate while they do it," said the person, adding that the briefers identified Trump as the candidate.&nbsp;

US officials have long warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-us-wants-russia-to-help-contain-china-158059">Russia&nbsp;</a>and other countries would try to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election campaign.

The US intelligence community had concluded that Russia used fake news, cyber-attacks and other methods in an operation designed to swing the 2016 presidential election to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-us-wants-russia-to-help-contain-china-158059">Trump&nbsp;</a>over Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-warns-russia-not-to-meddle-in-us-election-2020-267555">Hillary Clinton</a>.

Russia has denied the allegation.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the finding. At a 2018 summit, he said he found Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of Russian meddling "extremely strong and powerful."

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded in a report last year that there was no conclusive evidence of coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.&nbsp;

However, Mueller was unable to clear Trump of obstructing his investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Russia on Friday dismissed claims that it is trying to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election. The country described the claims as a paranoid falsehood a day after US intelligence community's top election security official told lawmakers that Moscow, accused of meddling in the 2016 US election on Donald Trump's behalf, was looking to influence this year's vote.

Russia on Friday dismissed claims that it is trying to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election. The country described the claims as a paranoid falsehood a day after US intelligence community's top election security official told lawmakers that Moscow, accused of meddling in the 2016 US election on Donald Trump's behalf, was looking to influence this year's vote. The allegations were "like the usual paranoid announcements, which unfortunately will multiply as we get closer to the (US) election," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "Of course, they have nothing to do with the truth," Peskov added. According to media reports, last week's briefing, led by election security official Shelby Pierson, addressed the overall picture of Russia's efforts, including hacking, weaponizing social media and attacks on election infrastructure. The officials warned the committee in the classified briefing that Russia was working to cast doubt on the integrity of the voting process in the US presidential election 2020 while at the same time boosting Trump's election to a second four-year term. Media reports quoting a source said that "the Russians are favouring one candidate while they do it," said the person, adding that the briefers identified Trump as the candidate. US officials have long warned that Russia and other countries would try to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election campaign. The US intelligence community had concluded that Russia used fake news, cyber-attacks and other methods in an operation designed to swing the 2016 presidential election to Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Russia has denied the allegation. Trump has repeatedly questioned the finding. At a 2018 summit, he said he found Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of Russian meddling "extremely strong and powerful." Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded in a report last year that there was no conclusive evidence of coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. However, Mueller was unable to clear Trump of obstructing his investigation. (With inputs from agencies)

'Usual paranoid announcements': Russia denies claims of meddling in 2020 US vote

US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-impeachment-hearings-trump-may-expand-communications-team-to-bolster-defense-260440">Donald Trump</a> struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">impeachment inquiry</a> into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship.

"Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left," he said, describing incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as "dangerously soft on crime."

The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost.

On Tuesday, Democrats also seized control of the state legislature in Virginia and gained ground in the key state of Pennsylvania, though Republicans held on to the governorship in Mississippi, where Trump also campaigned.

The loss in Kentucky may have raised questions about the success of Republican candidates who align themselves closely with the president. But Rispone, who also spoke at the rally, put himself squarely in the president's camp.

"Louisiana is Trump country," said Rispone, a little-known construction entrepreneur who will face off on Nov. 16 in a runoff election against Louisiana's popular conservative Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards.

Trump said he would return to the state next week for more campaigning.

Edwards, the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state, comfortably bested rival Rispone in a six-candidate primary last month, but he failed to secure the 50 percent needed to win a second term outright in Louisiana's unusual primary system.

An observant Roman Catholic, Edwards opposes abortion, and this year signed a law banning the procedure after 15 weeks, which could have contributed to dimmed enthusiasm among Democrats.

"John Bel Edwards broke his solemn promise to the people of Louisiana when he rammed - that's the only word I can say - rammed through the largest tax hike in Louisiana history," Trump said on Wednesday. "How did you ever get a liberal Democrat to be your governor?" Trump asked thousands of fans waving Trump 2020 signs.

Edwards, for his part, has criticized what he called efforts to nationalize the state race but also promised to work closely with Trump, who carried the conservative-leaning state in 2016 by 20 percentage points, should the Republican win a second term.

Trump faces headwinds of his own, as Democrats in the House of Representative mount an impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian authorities to investigate political rival Joe Biden by withholding millions in aid.

Trump visited Louisiana last month ahead of the primary vote, later taking credit for forcing a run-off.

"The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN ... 66 per cent&nbsp;DOWN TO 47 per cent&nbsp;after I explained what a bad job the Governor was doing,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes. Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led impeachment inquiry into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship. "Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left," he said, describing incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as "dangerously soft on crime." The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost. On Tuesday, Democrats also seized control of the state legislature in Virginia and gained ground in the key state of Pennsylvania, though Republicans held on to the governorship in Mississippi, where Trump also campaigned. The loss in Kentucky may have raised questions about the success of Republican candidates who align themselves closely with the president. But Rispone, who also spoke at the rally, put himself squarely in the president's camp. "Louisiana is Trump country," said Rispone, a little-known construction entrepreneur who will face off on Nov. 16 in a runoff election against Louisiana's popular conservative Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards. Trump said he would return to the state next week for more campaigning. Edwards, the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state, comfortably bested rival Rispone in a six-candidate primary last month, but he failed to secure the 50 percent needed to win a second term outright in Louisiana's unusual primary system. An observant Roman Catholic, Edwards opposes abortion, and this year signed a law banning the procedure after 15 weeks, which could have contributed to dimmed enthusiasm among Democrats. "John Bel Edwards broke his solemn promise to the people of Louisiana when he rammed - that's the only word I can say - rammed through the largest tax hike in Louisiana history," Trump said on Wednesday. "How did you ever get a liberal Democrat to be your governor?" Trump asked thousands of fans waving Trump 2020 signs. Edwards, for his part, has criticized what he called efforts to nationalize the state race but also promised to work closely with Trump, who carried the conservative-leaning state in 2016 by 20 percentage points, should the Republican win a second term. Trump faces headwinds of his own, as Democrats in the House of Representative mount an impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian authorities to investigate political rival Joe Biden by withholding millions in aid. Trump visited Louisiana last month ahead of the primary vote, later taking credit for forcing a run-off. "The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN ... 66 per cent DOWN TO 47 per cent after I explained what a bad job the Governor was doing,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump defiant at Louisiana rally after Democrat wins

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 US&nbsp;presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting US&nbsp;voters on Instagram.

Facebook said on Monday it would increase transparency through measures such as showing more information about the confirmed owner of a Facebook page and more prominently labeling content that independent fact-checkers have marked as false.

The social media giant has come under fire in recent weeks over its policy of exempting ads run by politicians from fact-checking, drawing ire from Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.

Last week, Facebook CEO Mark <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-defends-facebooks-approach-to-free-speech-draws-line-on-china-257158">Zuckerberg defended</a> the policy, saying social media had introduced transformative avenues for speech that should not be shut down.

That same day, the Biden campaign called for the removal of an ad run by a super PAC campaign group, not a politician, that it said contained false claims about the former vice president.

Katie Harbath, Facebook's head of global elections policy, said in response that if the now inactive ad ran again, it would be sent to Facebook's third-party fact-checkers.

On Monday, Facebook said would be putting into effect its planned ban on paid ads that tell people in the United States not to vote. Zuckerberg told reporters on a conference call that the ban on voter misinformation would also apply to ads run by politicians.

The company will start labeling state-controlled media on its page and in the site's ad library. In a blog post, Facebook said it planned to expand this labeling to specific posts on both Facebook and Instagram early next year.

Facebook, Twitter&nbsp;and YouTube, the video-streaming service of Alphabet's Google, all recently came under scrutiny after showing ads from Chinese state-controlled media that criticized Hong Kong protesters.

This month, the Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;election said that the Kremlin’s best-known propaganda arm increased its social media activity after that vote.

"The bottom line here is that elections have changed significantly since 2016 and Facebook has changed too." Zuckerberg said on Monday.

"We face increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation states like Russia, Iran and China, but I'm confident we're more prepared."

Theories that China has interfered in US&nbsp;elections are absurd and laughable, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

If someone says China interfered in the US&nbsp;election, they should provide proof, said Hua. China has never had any interest in interfering with other countries' internal affairs, she said.

Moscow and Tehran have also repeatedly denied the allegations.

Facebook will introduce a new US&nbsp;presidential candidate spend tracker to show how much they have spent on political ads as part of the company's efforts to make its ad library easier to use, Zuckerberg said.

Facebook launched an online library of political ads in 2018, but the database has been criticized by researchers as being poorly maintained and failing to provide useful ad targeting information.

The company plans to heighten protection of the Facebook and Instagram accounts of candidates, elected officials and their teams through a program called Facebook Protect. Participants in the program will be required to turn on two-factor authentication and their accounts will be monitored for signs of hacking.

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 US presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting US voters on Instagram.

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 US presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting US voters on Instagram. Facebook said on Monday it would increase transparency through measures such as showing more information about the confirmed owner of a Facebook page and more prominently labeling content that independent fact-checkers have marked as false. The social media giant has come under fire in recent weeks over its policy of exempting ads run by politicians from fact-checking, drawing ire from Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the policy, saying social media had introduced transformative avenues for speech that should not be shut down. That same day, the Biden campaign called for the removal of an ad run by a super PAC campaign group, not a politician, that it said contained false claims about the former vice president. Katie Harbath, Facebook's head of global elections policy, said in response that if the now inactive ad ran again, it would be sent to Facebook's third-party fact-checkers. On Monday, Facebook said would be putting into effect its planned ban on paid ads that tell people in the United States not to vote. Zuckerberg told reporters on a conference call that the ban on voter misinformation would also apply to ads run by politicians. The company will start labeling state-controlled media on its page and in the site's ad library. In a blog post, Facebook said it planned to expand this labeling to specific posts on both Facebook and Instagram early next year. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the video-streaming service of Alphabet's Google, all recently came under scrutiny after showing ads from Chinese state-controlled media that criticized Hong Kong protesters. This month, the Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election said that the Kremlin’s best-known propaganda arm increased its social media activity after that vote. "The bottom line here is that elections have changed significantly since 2016 and Facebook has changed too." Zuckerberg said on Monday. "We face increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation states like Russia, Iran and China, but I'm confident we're more prepared." Theories that China has interfered in US elections are absurd and laughable, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. If someone says China interfered in the US election, they should provide proof, said Hua. China has never had any interest in interfering with other countries' internal affairs, she said. Moscow and Tehran have also repeatedly denied the allegations. Facebook will introduce a new US presidential candidate spend tracker to show how much they have spent on political ads as part of the company's efforts to make its ad library easier to use, Zuckerberg said. Facebook launched an online library of political ads in 2018, but the database has been criticized by researchers as being poorly maintained and failing to provide useful ad targeting information. The company plans to heighten protection of the Facebook and Instagram accounts of candidates, elected officials and their teams through a program called Facebook Protect. Participants in the program will be required to turn on two-factor authentication and their accounts will be monitored for signs of hacking.

Facebook announces steps to clamp down on misinformation ahead of 2020 election

Lawmakers pushing a fast-moving impeachment probe against President Donald Trump were set to hear Friday from a key intelligence official as new evidence showed how the president pressured Ukraine to help him win re-election.

Trump is accused of pushing Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-state-department-approves-missile-sale-raised-in-ukraine-call-253609">US </a>leader's 2020 election rival Joe Biden in return for $400 million in military aid, in a mushrooming scandal that has engulfed the White House, State Department and Justice Department.

With Congress due to hear from intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson, the White House was reeling from the release of text messages illustrating US officials' concerns about the administration's attempt to push Kiev into investigating Biden.

Watch Video: US President Donald Trump says he wants China to investigate Bidens

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When a whistleblower filed a complaint in August alleging that Trump had pressured <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/texts-show-us-diplomat-pushing-ukraine-on-probe-for-donald-trump-meeting-253653">Ukraine</a>'s president to dig up dirt on Biden, it was Atkinson that deemed it a matter of "urgent concern" and passed it on to the Justice Department.

Among the trove of texts released by the House intelligence committee late Thursday, was a message from US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker to a Zelensky aide, saying that that the Ukrainian president should open the investigation in return for a visit to the White House.

"We have ample evidence now that there was a requirement that President Zelensky investigate the 2016 election, and the Bidens, if he wanted to get a meeting," Democrat Eric Swalwell said after Volker testified for eight hours.

'Nothing to do with politics'&nbsp;

It is illegal for a US national to seek foreign help in a domestic election, regardless of whether an inducement is offered.

Trump's frustration and anger over the scandal have boiled over in a series of increasingly erratic and outlandish public appearances and Twitter rants in which he flitted between defiance and conspiratorial paranoia.

"As President, I have an obligation to end CORRUPTION, even if that means requesting the help of a foreign country or countries," Trump tweeted Friday.

"It is done all the time. This has NOTHING to do with politics or a political campaign against the Bidens. This does have to do with their corruption!"

Trump stunned Washington Thursday by openly calling on China as well as Ukraine to investigate Biden doing brazenly in public what he is trouble for doing in a phone call with Ukraine's leader.

Speaking in Florida Thursday, Trump blasted his accusers as "maniacs" pursuing "impeachment crap" as he sought to turn the tables on a probe that threatens to make him only the third US president ever impeached in the House of Representatives, and face a trial in the Senate.

'Impunity'&nbsp;

Trump doubled down by calling for Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to go after Biden, who leads the race for the Democratic presidential nomination next year.

"I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens," Trump told reporters outside the White House.

"Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine."

Asked if he would request Xi do the same, Trump replied: "It's certainly something we can start thinking about."

Adam Schiff, the Democrat, leading the impeachment probe in the House of Representatives, said Trump was acting "with impunity" in the face of the law.

"Once again we have a president of the United States suggesting, urging a foreign country to interfere in our presidential elections," Schiff said.

Trump alleges falsely that Biden, as vice president in 2014, tried to block a Ukraine corruption probe into his son Hunter's business partner, a Ukraine gas tycoon, using US aid as leverage.

He also alleged without evidence that Hunter used his stature to raise $1.5 billion in 2013 from China for a new investment vehicle in Beijing.

Republicans who sat in on the interview with Volker said he did not support charges that Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from Ukraine to force Zelensky to open an investigation, as was alleged in a whistleblower complaint made public last week.

"It is crystal clear that any allegation that President Trump was trying to get President Zelensky to manufacture dirt on the Bidens is just not true," said Representative Lee Zeldin, before Volker's testimony ended.

Lawmakers pushing a fast-moving impeachment probe against President Donald Trump were set to hear Friday from a key intelligence official as new evidence showed how the president pressured Ukraine to help him win re-election.

Lawmakers pushing a fast-moving impeachment probe against President Donald Trump were set to hear Friday from a key intelligence official as new evidence showed how the president pressured Ukraine to help him win re-election. Trump is accused of pushing Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the US leader's 2020 election rival Joe Biden in return for $400 million in military aid, in a mushrooming scandal that has engulfed the White House, State Department and Justice Department. With Congress due to hear from intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson, the White House was reeling from the release of text messages illustrating US officials' concerns about the administration's attempt to push Kiev into investigating Biden. Watch Video: US President Donald Trump says he wants China to investigate Bidens × When a whistleblower filed a complaint in August alleging that Trump had pressured Ukraine's president to dig up dirt on Biden, it was Atkinson that deemed it a matter of "urgent concern" and passed it on to the Justice Department. Among the trove of texts released by the House intelligence committee late Thursday, was a message from US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker to a Zelensky aide, saying that that the Ukrainian president should open the investigation in return for a visit to the White House. "We have ample evidence now that there was a requirement that President Zelensky investigate the 2016 election, and the Bidens, if he wanted to get a meeting," Democrat Eric Swalwell said after Volker testified for eight hours. 'Nothing to do with politics' It is illegal for a US national to seek foreign help in a domestic election, regardless of whether an inducement is offered. Trump's frustration and anger over the scandal have boiled over in a series of increasingly erratic and outlandish public appearances and Twitter rants in which he flitted between defiance and conspiratorial paranoia. "As President, I have an obligation to end CORRUPTION, even if that means requesting the help of a foreign country or countries," Trump tweeted Friday. "It is done all the time. This has NOTHING to do with politics or a political campaign against the Bidens. This does have to do with their corruption!" Trump stunned Washington Thursday by openly calling on China as well as Ukraine to investigate Biden doing brazenly in public what he is trouble for doing in a phone call with Ukraine's leader. Speaking in Florida Thursday, Trump blasted his accusers as "maniacs" pursuing "impeachment crap" as he sought to turn the tables on a probe that threatens to make him only the third US president ever impeached in the House of Representatives, and face a trial in the Senate. 'Impunity' Trump doubled down by calling for Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to go after Biden, who leads the race for the Democratic presidential nomination next year. "I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine." Asked if he would request Xi do the same, Trump replied: "It's certainly something we can start thinking about." Adam Schiff, the Democrat, leading the impeachment probe in the House of Representatives, said Trump was acting "with impunity" in the face of the law. "Once again we have a president of the United States suggesting, urging a foreign country to interfere in our presidential elections," Schiff said. Trump alleges falsely that Biden, as vice president in 2014, tried to block a Ukraine corruption probe into his son Hunter's business partner, a Ukraine gas tycoon, using US aid as leverage. He also alleged without evidence that Hunter used his stature to raise $1.5 billion in 2013 from China for a new investment vehicle in Beijing. Republicans who sat in on the interview with Volker said he did not support charges that Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from Ukraine to force Zelensky to open an investigation, as was alleged in a whistleblower complaint made public last week. "It is crystal clear that any allegation that President Trump was trying to get President Zelensky to manufacture dirt on the Bidens is just not true," said Representative Lee Zeldin, before Volker's testimony ended.

Intel official to testify as new texts pile pressure on Trump

US&nbsp;House Speaker Nancy&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;said she and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had no hatchet to bury on Friday, playing down tensions after a meeting between the powerful speaker and freshman lawmaker who in recent months has seized the Democratic Party spotlight.

In clashes with her own party leaders as well as the White House over border aid and other issues, Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other left-wing Democratic progressives have become a target for President Donald Trump and his Republicans heading into the 2020 US elections.

The rise of "the squad," as Ocasio-Cortez's small group of four minority congresswomen is known, has sometimes appeared to strain&nbsp;Pelosi's patience as she works to keep House Democrats unified and to restrain demands from many lawmakers to start impeachment proceedings against Trump.

In a news conference on Friday,&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;minimized divisions with Ocasio-Cortez and the other three squad members - Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.

Asked if she and Ocasio-Cortez had buried the hatchet,&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;told reporters, "I don't think there ever was any hatchet."

"These, some personality issues and the rest, they are minor," she said.

"We sat down today. We had a good meeting. And the congresswoman is a very gracious member of Congress, so we had a very positive conversation about our districts and how we represent them, our country."

Pelosi&nbsp;also said that differences of opinion in the Democratic Party should be respected.

"We are not lockstep, rubber-stamp representation of anything," the speaker said, recalling past party brawls over issues such as the Iraq war.

Later Friday, Ocasio-Cortez told reporters the meeting with&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;had been positive and productive.

"I'm looking forward to us continuing our work," she said as she left a House committee room, several news outlets reported.

The Capitol Hill meeting with&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;came at the request of the 29-year-old Ocasio-Cortez as Congress departed Washington for a six-week break with an uncertain outlook for Democrats' legislative agenda and their multiple investigations of Trump.

The speaker, who is 79, declined to list her policy differences with Ocasio-Cortez, but others did on Twitter. They "hold different positions on Medicare for All, free college and cancelling student debt, taking corporate donations, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and border issues, impeachment," wrote Waleed Shahid, communications director for the Justice Democrats, a left-wing group that helped launch Ocasio-Cortez's political career last year.

Initiating an impeachment proceeding against Trump remains high on the priority list for Democrats such as Ocasio-Cortez while&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;has worked to rein in impeachment demands.

At least 90 House of Representatives Democrats as of early this week had said they support starting impeachment investigations against Trump.

Earlier this month&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;appeared dismissive of the influence of Ocasio-Cortez and the squad in an interview with the New York Times. Ocasio-Cortez responded by telling the Washington Post that she thought&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;had been "disrespectful."

Trump then attacked the minority lawmakers in tweets that the House of Representatives, under&nbsp;Pelosi’s leadership, afterwards voted to condemn as racist.

While Trump’s attack was seen by some as an attempt to divide Democrats, it gave&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;a chance to come to the squad’s defence and reset her relationship with the lawmakers as the 2020 congressional and presidential elections approach.

Sarah Matthews, the Trump campaign's deputy press secretary, on Friday poked fun at the meeting of&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;and Ocasio-Cortez, saying, "So nice for the leader of the Democratic party to take time out of her busy schedule to meet with Nancy&nbsp;Pelosi."

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had no hatchet to bury on Friday, playing down tensions after a meeting between the powerful speaker and freshman lawmaker who in recent months has seized the Democratic Party spotlight.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had no hatchet to bury on Friday, playing down tensions after a meeting between the powerful speaker and freshman lawmaker who in recent months has seized the Democratic Party spotlight. In clashes with her own party leaders as well as the White House over border aid and other issues, Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other left-wing Democratic progressives have become a target for President Donald Trump and his Republicans heading into the 2020 US elections. The rise of "the squad," as Ocasio-Cortez's small group of four minority congresswomen is known, has sometimes appeared to strain Pelosi's patience as she works to keep House Democrats unified and to restrain demands from many lawmakers to start impeachment proceedings against Trump. In a news conference on Friday, Pelosi minimized divisions with Ocasio-Cortez and the other three squad members - Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley. Asked if she and Ocasio-Cortez had buried the hatchet, Pelosi told reporters, "I don't think there ever was any hatchet." "These, some personality issues and the rest, they are minor," she said. "We sat down today. We had a good meeting. And the congresswoman is a very gracious member of Congress, so we had a very positive conversation about our districts and how we represent them, our country." Pelosi also said that differences of opinion in the Democratic Party should be respected. "We are not lockstep, rubber-stamp representation of anything," the speaker said, recalling past party brawls over issues such as the Iraq war. Later Friday, Ocasio-Cortez told reporters the meeting with Pelosi had been positive and productive. "I'm looking forward to us continuing our work," she said as she left a House committee room, several news outlets reported. The Capitol Hill meeting with Pelosi came at the request of the 29-year-old Ocasio-Cortez as Congress departed Washington for a six-week break with an uncertain outlook for Democrats' legislative agenda and their multiple investigations of Trump. The speaker, who is 79, declined to list her policy differences with Ocasio-Cortez, but others did on Twitter. They "hold different positions on Medicare for All, free college and cancelling student debt, taking corporate donations, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and border issues, impeachment," wrote Waleed Shahid, communications director for the Justice Democrats, a left-wing group that helped launch Ocasio-Cortez's political career last year. Initiating an impeachment proceeding against Trump remains high on the priority list for Democrats such as Ocasio-Cortez while Pelosi has worked to rein in impeachment demands. At least 90 House of Representatives Democrats as of early this week had said they support starting impeachment investigations against Trump. Earlier this month Pelosi appeared dismissive of the influence of Ocasio-Cortez and the squad in an interview with the New York Times. Ocasio-Cortez responded by telling the Washington Post that she thought Pelosi had been "disrespectful." Trump then attacked the minority lawmakers in tweets that the House of Representatives, under Pelosi’s leadership, afterwards voted to condemn as racist. While Trump’s attack was seen by some as an attempt to divide Democrats, it gave Pelosi a chance to come to the squad’s defence and reset her relationship with the lawmakers as the 2020 congressional and presidential elections approach. Sarah Matthews, the Trump campaign's deputy press secretary, on Friday poked fun at the meeting of Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez, saying, "So nice for the leader of the Democratic party to take time out of her busy schedule to meet with Nancy Pelosi."

US House Speaker Pelosi all smiles after meeting with Ocasio-Cortez

Ronald, Don and John are living the good life in this haven of Republican retirees in Florida, a city designed for the ageing, with paths everywhere for golf carts and where residents have plenty of time to campaign for their president, Donald Trump.

The Villages is a pleasant, immaculately clean, fast-growing retirement town in central Florida. The average age of its 75,000 inhabitants is 71. Some two-thirds are Republican.

One afternoon not long ago five retirees all wearing Trump pins reviewed lists of recent arrivals in the city in order to send them invitations to join Republican-affiliated clubs.&nbsp;

An hour's drive to the south, in Orlando, the US president will be formally launching his re-election campaign on Tuesday.

"We're very proud," Ronald McMahan, vice president of one of the clubs, told AFP. "We're proud to be Republicans, we're proud to be with other Republicans and very proud that Mr Trump has chosen to open his campaign here."

Trump's choice of Florida was no accident. If he is to win a second term in the White House in 2020, he will have to win in Florida again.&nbsp;

"The president is coming here because he knows this state is a tipping point," said Dennis Baxley, a Florida state senator who described himself to AFP as the legislature's "most conservative" member.&nbsp;

Key swing state

With 14 million voters, Florida is one of the country's most important swing states. It usually keeps the country in suspense on election night with results often decided by the thinnest of margins -- so thin that, in last year's midterm elections, votes in three important state offices had to be recounted.

That provides a little extra incentive for McMahan, sitting with friends John Black and Don Eaton, as they address envelopes to send out dozens of invitations.&nbsp;

The men speak enthusiastically about life in the Disney-like surroundings of The Villages -- "the happiest place on Earth" for Republicans who retire here from all corners of the country.&nbsp;

"When the campaign really starts and we know who the opposition will be, the president will have a really great group here that will assist him in winning Florida again," said Eaton, an Indiana native wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with "Victory 2020."

His "Make America Great Again" hat sat next to him on the table.

Religion, work and family

"They share some core values that I try to protect, and that I share," said Baxley, whose district includes this and many other retirement communities in central Florida.

"That is to protect things such as faith, family, freedom, opportunity and life itself."

"They still believe in American exceptionalism," he added, "...and they're interested in preserving that."

These retirees are impervious to the criticism of Trump as sympathetic to white supremacists, or for apparently obstructing the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections.

It's all "fake news," they say.

"I know that some people are a little bit taken aback by Mr. Trump's sometimes abrasive nature," McMahan said.&nbsp;

"But maybe we needed that, maybe we needed somebody to stop being so polite, so gentlemanly, and tell it the way it is."

In a tweet Wednesday, the president bragged that 74,000 people had requested tickets to see him launch his re-election campaign from the Amway Center, the Orlando arena with a capacity of 20,000.&nbsp;

Orlando, like Florida's other big cities, is a Democratic island in a sea of red -- the colour that represents Trump's Republican Party.

Living in this same part of the state are not only retirees but large numbers of Puerto Rican migrants, who despise Trump for what they saw as his insufficient response to Hurricane Maria.

- 'We heard that last time' - 
But while Trump is unpopular among Hispanics nationwide for his handling of the migration crisis, those in South Florida include some of his fiercest supporters.

Most are Cuban immigrants who will support the candidate who promises the toughest line against any leftist governments in Latin America.

Trump has successfully courted this group, which has grown to include many Venezuelans and Nicaraguans since Trump toughened US sanctions against the governments of Havana, Caracas and Managua.

Given the political landscape here, the Democrats face an uphill battle in their bid to reverse the 2016 election result.

A leader in that battle is former candidate for governor Andrew Gillum, a rising Democratic star who lost to his Republican rival by a mere 33,000 votes last year. Gillum is leading an enormous campaign to recruit a million voters in the state.

Bill Nelson, a former US senator from Florida who also narrowly lost to a Republican in November, believes that only Joe Biden can lead the Democrats to victory.

"Joe Biden will beat Trump in Florida," he flatly predicted to ABC News.

"More than anything, (Democrats) want a candidate that can beat Trump."&nbsp;

A Quinnipiac opinion poll in March had Biden defeating Trump in Florida by a substantial 49-to-35 point margin. And this week, another survey from the same group gave Biden a 13-point edge over Trump nationwide.

"Yeah, we heard that last time," said Eaton. "The polls were so wrong, so wrong."

Ronald, Don and John are living the good life in this haven of Republican retirees in Florida, a city designed for the ageing, with paths everywhere for golf carts and where residents have plenty of time to campaign for their president, Donald Trump.

Ronald, Don and John are living the good life in this haven of Republican retirees in Florida, a city designed for the ageing, with paths everywhere for golf carts and where residents have plenty of time to campaign for their president, Donald Trump. The Villages is a pleasant, immaculately clean, fast-growing retirement town in central Florida. The average age of its 75,000 inhabitants is 71. Some two-thirds are Republican. One afternoon not long ago five retirees all wearing Trump pins reviewed lists of recent arrivals in the city in order to send them invitations to join Republican-affiliated clubs. An hour's drive to the south, in Orlando, the US president will be formally launching his re-election campaign on Tuesday. "We're very proud," Ronald McMahan, vice president of one of the clubs, told AFP. "We're proud to be Republicans, we're proud to be with other Republicans and very proud that Mr Trump has chosen to open his campaign here." Trump's choice of Florida was no accident. If he is to win a second term in the White House in 2020, he will have to win in Florida again. "The president is coming here because he knows this state is a tipping point," said Dennis Baxley, a Florida state senator who described himself to AFP as the legislature's "most conservative" member. Key swing state With 14 million voters, Florida is one of the country's most important swing states. It usually keeps the country in suspense on election night with results often decided by the thinnest of margins -- so thin that, in last year's midterm elections, votes in three important state offices had to be recounted. That provides a little extra incentive for McMahan, sitting with friends John Black and Don Eaton, as they address envelopes to send out dozens of invitations. The men speak enthusiastically about life in the Disney-like surroundings of The Villages -- "the happiest place on Earth" for Republicans who retire here from all corners of the country. "When the campaign really starts and we know who the opposition will be, the president will have a really great group here that will assist him in winning Florida again," said Eaton, an Indiana native wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with "Victory 2020." His "Make America Great Again" hat sat next to him on the table. Religion, work and family "They share some core values that I try to protect, and that I share," said Baxley, whose district includes this and many other retirement communities in central Florida. "That is to protect things such as faith, family, freedom, opportunity and life itself." "They still believe in American exceptionalism," he added, "...and they're interested in preserving that." These retirees are impervious to the criticism of Trump as sympathetic to white supremacists, or for apparently obstructing the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. It's all "fake news," they say. "I know that some people are a little bit taken aback by Mr. Trump's sometimes abrasive nature," McMahan said. "But maybe we needed that, maybe we needed somebody to stop being so polite, so gentlemanly, and tell it the way it is." In a tweet Wednesday, the president bragged that 74,000 people had requested tickets to see him launch his re-election campaign from the Amway Center, the Orlando arena with a capacity of 20,000. Orlando, like Florida's other big cities, is a Democratic island in a sea of red -- the colour that represents Trump's Republican Party. Living in this same part of the state are not only retirees but large numbers of Puerto Rican migrants, who despise Trump for what they saw as his insufficient response to Hurricane Maria. - 'We heard that last time' - But while Trump is unpopular among Hispanics nationwide for his handling of the migration crisis, those in South Florida include some of his fiercest supporters. Most are Cuban immigrants who will support the candidate who promises the toughest line against any leftist governments in Latin America. Trump has successfully courted this group, which has grown to include many Venezuelans and Nicaraguans since Trump toughened US sanctions against the governments of Havana, Caracas and Managua. Given the political landscape here, the Democrats face an uphill battle in their bid to reverse the 2016 election result. A leader in that battle is former candidate for governor Andrew Gillum, a rising Democratic star who lost to his Republican rival by a mere 33,000 votes last year. Gillum is leading an enormous campaign to recruit a million voters in the state. Bill Nelson, a former US senator from Florida who also narrowly lost to a Republican in November, believes that only Joe Biden can lead the Democrats to victory. "Joe Biden will beat Trump in Florida," he flatly predicted to ABC News. "More than anything, (Democrats) want a candidate that can beat Trump." A Quinnipiac opinion poll in March had Biden defeating Trump in Florida by a substantial 49-to-35 point margin. And this week, another survey from the same group gave Biden a 13-point edge over Trump nationwide. "Yeah, we heard that last time," said Eaton. "The polls were so wrong, so wrong."

Donald Trump to launch 2020 campaign in retiree-friendly Florida

US&nbsp;congressman Seth Moulton, one of 20 Democrats running for president, criticised rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on Friday, saying they were so liberal they risked handing President Donald Trump a second White House term.

Moulton is a long-shot candidate at this stage. But his comments reflect a growing conflict between the Democratic Party's moderate and progressive wings that will likely be laid bare during the battle to decide who will take on Republican Trump in next year`s presidential election.

A representative from Massachusetts and Iraq war veteran, Moulton said Trump is a much more difficult candidate to defeat in 2020 than many Democrats realize because of his appeal to voters in the heartland who are frustrated with Washington.

"We can`t go too far left or we will lose middle America," Moulton said in an interview in Los Angeles, part of a tour to California and other early voting states since he announced his candidacy on Monday.

He said the message of candidates such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was going to make it difficult to win Congress and "take back the White House."&nbsp;

While he agreed the wealthy ought to pay their share of taxes, Sanders and Warren wanted to "punish the rich," Moulton said, which he called un-American.

Moulton, 40, built his political career on challenging the Democratic Party establishment, entering Congress in 2015 after winning a primary challenge against John Tierney, who had held the seat for 18 years.

After Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in 2018, Moulton helped organize opposition to Representative Nancy Pelosi’s bid to become Speaker for a second time.

In Friday`s interview, Moulton sounded particular alarm over Sanders, a self-described "democratic socialist" elected to the Senate as an independent. Sanders has emerged as an early Democratic front-runner along with former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, who entered the 2020 field on Thursday.

In some of the harshest words yet uttered by a Democratic presidential candidate against a rival, he said: "Bernie wants to change us into a socialist country, and we`re not a socialist country."

He added: "That`s not what America is all about. I don`t think that a socialist nominee is going to win the presidency. I'm a Democrat, I`m not a socialist … He’s a socialist, not a Democrat."

Sanders spokeswoman Sarah Ford responded to the charge by saying the candidate was doing well in the polls because he is a "champion for working people."

"Senator Sanders has a long and well-known record leading the effort to create a government that works for all Americans," she told Reuters in an email.

Warren proposes raising taxes on America`s 75,000 richest families to pay for programs such as universal childcare and universal free public college.&nbsp;

"The problem with some of the candidates in our party is that they`re divisive in the same way that Trump has been so divisive," Moulton said. "They are pitting different parts of America against each other."

He said most Americans aspire to be rich.

"That`s the sprit of America, that`s the American dream," he said.

Warren`s campaign did not respond to an email for comment.

Moulton said his candidacy would gain traction by focusing on foreign policy, a subject he said many Democratic rivals were afraid to address, and by running as a "change agent" against the old guard in Washington. 
&nbsp;

US congressman Seth Moulton, one of 20 Democrats running for president, criticised rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on Friday, saying they were so liberal they risked handing President Donald Trump a second White House term.

US congressman Seth Moulton, one of 20 Democrats running for president, criticised rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on Friday, saying they were so liberal they risked handing President Donald Trump a second White House term. Moulton is a long-shot candidate at this stage. But his comments reflect a growing conflict between the Democratic Party's moderate and progressive wings that will likely be laid bare during the battle to decide who will take on Republican Trump in next year`s presidential election. A representative from Massachusetts and Iraq war veteran, Moulton said Trump is a much more difficult candidate to defeat in 2020 than many Democrats realize because of his appeal to voters in the heartland who are frustrated with Washington. "We can`t go too far left or we will lose middle America," Moulton said in an interview in Los Angeles, part of a tour to California and other early voting states since he announced his candidacy on Monday. He said the message of candidates such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was going to make it difficult to win Congress and "take back the White House." While he agreed the wealthy ought to pay their share of taxes, Sanders and Warren wanted to "punish the rich," Moulton said, which he called un-American. Moulton, 40, built his political career on challenging the Democratic Party establishment, entering Congress in 2015 after winning a primary challenge against John Tierney, who had held the seat for 18 years. After Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in 2018, Moulton helped organize opposition to Representative Nancy Pelosi’s bid to become Speaker for a second time. In Friday`s interview, Moulton sounded particular alarm over Sanders, a self-described "democratic socialist" elected to the Senate as an independent. Sanders has emerged as an early Democratic front-runner along with former US Vice President Joe Biden, who entered the 2020 field on Thursday. In some of the harshest words yet uttered by a Democratic presidential candidate against a rival, he said: "Bernie wants to change us into a socialist country, and we`re not a socialist country." He added: "That`s not what America is all about. I don`t think that a socialist nominee is going to win the presidency. I'm a Democrat, I`m not a socialist … He’s a socialist, not a Democrat." Sanders spokeswoman Sarah Ford responded to the charge by saying the candidate was doing well in the polls because he is a "champion for working people." "Senator Sanders has a long and well-known record leading the effort to create a government that works for all Americans," she told Reuters in an email. Warren proposes raising taxes on America`s 75,000 richest families to pay for programs such as universal childcare and universal free public college. "The problem with some of the candidates in our party is that they`re divisive in the same way that Trump has been so divisive," Moulton said. "They are pitting different parts of America against each other." He said most Americans aspire to be rich. "That`s the sprit of America, that`s the American dream," he said. Warren`s campaign did not respond to an email for comment. Moulton said his candidacy would gain traction by focusing on foreign policy, a subject he said many Democratic rivals were afraid to address, and by running as a "change agent" against the old guard in Washington.

Democratic 2020 candidate Moulton says Sanders, Warren too liberal to beat Trump

Self-described Democratic socialist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bernie-sanders-launches-his-presidential-campaign-calls-trump-most-dangerous-president-200819">Bernie Sanders</a>, the 2020 presidential candidate who has long assailed America's growing income inequality, released 10 years of tax returns Monday that confirm his newfound status as a millionaire.

The senator, who routinely rails against "millionaires and billionaires" and the "rigged" economic system that protects their standing, saw his income spike on royalties from sales of his book, "Our Revolution," published shortly after his 2016 race for the Democratic nomination.

According to tax returns released by the Sanders campaign, Sanders had an adjusted gross income of $561,293 in 2018, $1,131,925 in 2017 and $1,062,626 in 2016.

His 2015 income was substantially less, at $240,622, the returns showed.

"These tax returns show that our family has been fortunate. I am very grateful for that, as I grew up in a family that lived paycheck to paycheck and I know the stress of economic insecurity," Sanders said in a statement.

"I consider paying more in taxes as my income rose to be both an obligation and an investment in our country."

The increased wealth of the liberal candidate who has positioned himself as a champion of the people has raised questions about whether he can still speak for working-class Americans.

Sanders said he will still "strive every day to ensure every American has the basic necessities of life, including a livable wage, decent housing, health care and retirement security."&nbsp;

The release comes amid continued pressure on billionaire President Donald Trump to show his tax returns.

The New York real estate tycoon refused to do so during the 2016 campaign, saying that he was under audit, but the Internal Revenue Service has said this is no impediment to their release.

Democrats have seized on the issue of Trump's undisclosed taxes since taking control of the House of Representatives in January, and have cited a little-known law that allows Congress to review anyone's returns to conduct an investigation.

On Saturday, Democratic lawmakers gave tax authorities a final deadline of April 23 to hand over Trump's returns, but it remained unclear if his administration will comply.

Self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, the 2020 presidential candidate who has long assailed America's growing income inequality, released 10 years of tax returns Monday that confirm his newfound status as a millionaire.

Self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, the 2020 presidential candidate who has long assailed America's growing income inequality, released 10 years of tax returns Monday that confirm his newfound status as a millionaire. The senator, who routinely rails against "millionaires and billionaires" and the "rigged" economic system that protects their standing, saw his income spike on royalties from sales of his book, "Our Revolution," published shortly after his 2016 race for the Democratic nomination. According to tax returns released by the Sanders campaign, Sanders had an adjusted gross income of $561,293 in 2018, $1,131,925 in 2017 and $1,062,626 in 2016. His 2015 income was substantially less, at $240,622, the returns showed. "These tax returns show that our family has been fortunate. I am very grateful for that, as I grew up in a family that lived paycheck to paycheck and I know the stress of economic insecurity," Sanders said in a statement. "I consider paying more in taxes as my income rose to be both an obligation and an investment in our country." The increased wealth of the liberal candidate who has positioned himself as a champion of the people has raised questions about whether he can still speak for working-class Americans. Sanders said he will still "strive every day to ensure every American has the basic necessities of life, including a livable wage, decent housing, health care and retirement security." The release comes amid continued pressure on billionaire President Donald Trump to show his tax returns. The New York real estate tycoon refused to do so during the 2016 campaign, saying that he was under audit, but the Internal Revenue Service has said this is no impediment to their release. Democrats have seized on the issue of Trump's undisclosed taxes since taking control of the House of Representatives in January, and have cited a little-known law that allows Congress to review anyone's returns to conduct an investigation. On Saturday, Democratic lawmakers gave tax authorities a final deadline of April 23 to hand over Trump's returns, but it remained unclear if his administration will comply.

Socialist Bernie Sanders' tax returns show millionaire status

US Senator Bernie Sanders returned to the place of his birth Saturday to deliver the first rally speech of his presidential campaign, vowing to defeat "the most dangerous president in modern American history" in Donald Trump.&nbsp;

The Vermont independent voiced confidence at the address in the New York borough of Brooklyn that he would first beat the crowded field of his rivals for the 2020 nomination, with much of his liberal, populist agenda now considered mainstream Democratic policy.&nbsp;

"I want to thank all of you for being part of a campaign which is not only going to win the Democratic nomination, which is not only going to defeat Donald Trump, who is the most dangerous president in modern American history," Sanders told the crowd of several thousand people.

"But, with your help, we are going to transform this country and finally create an economy and a government which works for all of us, not just the one per cent."

His promised that his campaign would say "loudly and clearly that the underlying principles of our government will not be greed, hatred and lies."

Sanders returned to Brooklyn College, which he once attended, for a rally emphasizing his personal story, as the working class son of a Jewish immigrant who grew up in poor housing.

"I did not have a father who gave me millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs," Sanders said in another dig at Trump.&nbsp;

"I did not come from a family that gave me a $200,000 allowance every year beginning at the age of three."

'Too radical'

Sanders spelt out his big-ticket items for 2020, his second presidential campaign after losing the nomination to Hillary Clinton in 2016 -- "Medicare for All," a $15-an-hour minimum wage and climate change.&nbsp;

Many are long-held principles previously dismissed as too radical by more moderate Democrats but are now more widely accepted talking points as he squares off against several other progressives who have embraced many of his issues.

Following November's midterm elections, the Congressional Progressive Caucus -- co-founded by Sanders in 1991 -- wields more power than at any time in its history.

Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, all 2020 candidates, co-sponsored his Medicare for All legislation in 2017.

Julian Castro, another Democratic hopeful, joins Gillibrand in supporting universal early childhood education.

And Warren, Booker and Harris have all proclaimed support for the Green New Deal, an ultra-progressive platform to combat climate change that was unveiled this month by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rising liberal star.

Sanders was an outsider candidate three years ago. But with his massive political network, muscular fundraising capacity and resilient message, he is now a frontrunner.

He would need to best multiple formidable rivals -- including former vice president Joe Biden, should he enter the race -- and victory is anything but assured.

On Sunday, Sanders heads to Selma, Alabama, to mark the anniversary of the 1965 clash known as "Bloody Sunday" and will also visit Chicago, where he graduated from college and was active in civil rights protests.

US Senator Bernie Sanders returned to the place of his birth Saturday to deliver the first rally speech of his presidential campaign, vowing to defeat "the most dangerous president in modern American history" in Donald Trump.

US Senator Bernie Sanders returned to the place of his birth Saturday to deliver the first rally speech of his presidential campaign, vowing to defeat "the most dangerous president in modern American history" in Donald Trump. The Vermont independent voiced confidence at the address in the New York borough of Brooklyn that he would first beat the crowded field of his rivals for the 2020 nomination, with much of his liberal, populist agenda now considered mainstream Democratic policy. "I want to thank all of you for being part of a campaign which is not only going to win the Democratic nomination, which is not only going to defeat Donald Trump, who is the most dangerous president in modern American history," Sanders told the crowd of several thousand people. "But, with your help, we are going to transform this country and finally create an economy and a government which works for all of us, not just the one per cent." His promised that his campaign would say "loudly and clearly that the underlying principles of our government will not be greed, hatred and lies." Sanders returned to Brooklyn College, which he once attended, for a rally emphasizing his personal story, as the working class son of a Jewish immigrant who grew up in poor housing. "I did not have a father who gave me millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs," Sanders said in another dig at Trump. "I did not come from a family that gave me a $200,000 allowance every year beginning at the age of three." 'Too radical' Sanders spelt out his big-ticket items for 2020, his second presidential campaign after losing the nomination to Hillary Clinton in 2016 -- "Medicare for All," a $15-an-hour minimum wage and climate change. Many are long-held principles previously dismissed as too radical by more moderate Democrats but are now more widely accepted talking points as he squares off against several other progressives who have embraced many of his issues. Following November's midterm elections, the Congressional Progressive Caucus -- co-founded by Sanders in 1991 -- wields more power than at any time in its history. Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, all 2020 candidates, co-sponsored his Medicare for All legislation in 2017. Julian Castro, another Democratic hopeful, joins Gillibrand in supporting universal early childhood education. And Warren, Booker and Harris have all proclaimed support for the Green New Deal, an ultra-progressive platform to combat climate change that was unveiled this month by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rising liberal star. Sanders was an outsider candidate three years ago. But with his massive political network, muscular fundraising capacity and resilient message, he is now a frontrunner. He would need to best multiple formidable rivals -- including former vice president Joe Biden, should he enter the race -- and victory is anything but assured. On Sunday, Sanders heads to Selma, Alabama, to mark the anniversary of the 1965 clash known as "Bloody Sunday" and will also visit Chicago, where he graduated from college and was active in civil rights protests.

Bernie Sanders launches his Presidential campaign; calls Trump 'most dangerous President'