Trump news: President claims 'Operation Warp Speed' will find coronavirus vaccine by end of year as Space Force makes White House debut

Trump on Space Force: 'Space is going to be the future'

Inexplicably timed, Donald Trump today unveiled a Space Force flag for his sixth new branch of the US armed forces and declared that "space is going to be the future" for "defence and offence and so many other things."

"And already, from what I'm hearing and based on reports, we're now the leader in space," he said.

He also claimed that the Department of Defence is developing a "super duper missile" that he says is "17 times faster than what they have right now".

White House press secretary urges 'journalistic curiousity' to investigate president's Obamagate conspiracy

Asked directly what crimes were committed by the president's declaration of "Obamagate," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany didn't point to criminal acts but accused the Obama administration of "wrongdoing" and said there has not been enough "journalistic curiosity" to investigate the case on the Trump administration's behalf.

She accused Michael Flynn's name being revealed as a "criminal leak" to the press.

Asked whether the president is willing to declassify the transcript between the former national security adviser and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, documents that are central to Justice Department's push to drop the case against Mr Flynn and would ostensibly clear up allegations, Ms McEnany said she doesn't know.

White House press secretary falsely accuses Obama administration of leaving 'thin packet' for pandemic response

Days after declaring she wouldn't lie from the lectern inside the White House, Kayleigh McEnany echoed Donald Trump's criticisms of his predecessor's administration, falsely claiming that Barack Obama left behind only a "thin packet" for a pandemic response when he left the White House more than three years ago.

Since then, Trump has dissolved his Global Health Security Unit at the National Security Council.

The "thin packet" was a 69-page report that did not suggest doing that.

Ms McEnenany said it was an "erroneous" suggestion that Trump had thrown out the plan; she then produced "two robust" reports in binders that she says were commissioned by the president.

Programming note: Dr Fauci makes first appearance with Trump since testimony

On Friday, Dr Anthony Fauci stood behind Donald Trump for the first time since his Senate testimony, in which he debunked and contradicted several claims made by the president.

Mr Trump later criticised his top health official leading the coronavirus response for testifying, particuarly over his assessment that schools shouldn't open as uncertainty looms during the pandemic.

“I was surprised by his answer,” Mr Trump told reporters earlier this week. “To me it’s not an acceptable answer, especially when it comes to schools.”

In a striking display of contrasts, he also wore a mask in the Rose Garden next to a never-masked president.

Nearly a quarter of likely Republican voters think party should nominate someone other than Trump

A new poll has revealed that nearly a quarter of Republicans think that the party should nominate someone other than president Donald Trump as their 2020 presidential nominee.

The poll, by Ramussen Reports, found that 23 per cent of likely Republican voters want the GOP to deny the president the chance of running for a second term, by nominating a different candidate.

James Crump reports: 

Trump to address 'hard work, heroism, and hope that Americans from all walks of life have exemplified' during pandemic

Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump's guests for this afternoon's ceremony: a member of the NYPD, a nurse, a mask maker, three Girl Scouts, and a landlord.

In a statement, the White House said: "The President is honored to recognize a handful of individuals who have gone above and beyond to assist their fellow Americans during this challenging time and who represent the American spirit of generosity and grace."

Trump praises truckers who he says are supporting him. They're asking for help

Donald Trump said the din of truckers honking horns outside the White House is a "sign of love" for him.

It's not.

For two weeks, truckers have protested low freight weights and poor pay during the pandemic and are asking the White House to act.

Trump's spokeswoman focuses on 'wrongdoing' rather than crimes when pressed on 'Obamagate' charges

 Asked to define what crimes Donald Trump is alleging Barack Obama and other former members of his administration committed under his "Obamagate" conspiracy theory, the president's top spokeswoman instead focused on alleged "wrongdoing."

When pressed, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany only mentioned one potential crime: The leaking of the identity of Michael Flynn, Mr Trump's first national security adviser to reporters that showed up in articles indicating the retired Army three-star general was the subject of a federal probe.

Instead, Ms McEnany pointed to the highly disputed "dossier" of negative information compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, which has been disputed by Mr Trump and his team.

John T Bennett on the administration's latest attempt to say what, exactly, Obamagate is, as Kayleigh McEnany presses journalists to investigate on behalf of a president who doesn't have an answer:

Breaking: Donald Trump says 'we're looking at' making a coronavirus vaccine free

Trump claims truck horns outside White House were a 'sign of love' for him, but it was a shipping rates protest

Donald Trump said truckers outside the White House were "protesting in favour of president Trump."

“Those are truckers that are with us all the way,” Mr Trump added, making similar comments later in the day as he honoured “heroes” of the Covid-19 outbreak.

(How does one protest in favour of something?)

In any case, that's not what they were doing. John T Bennett has more: