Donald Trump says China 'broke the deal' after trade talks
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Donald Trump has been accused of attempting to provoke the Democrats into impeaching him for “political advantage”, allowing him to cultivate his “Witch Hunt” narrative in the wake of the Mueller report and illicit sympathy from voters in time for the 2020 presidential race.
“He certainly seems to be trying and maybe this is his perverse way of dividing us more…He thinks that’s to his political advantage, but it’s certainly not to the country’s advantage,” said Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
The president has meanwhile lashed out at Democrat Rashida Tlaib over comments she made about the Holocaust, claiming she has "tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people," while continuing to play hardball with China over ongoing trade tariff negotiations as far-right Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban flies in to meet him at the White House.
The Michigan Democrat told a Yahoo News podcast that she gets "a calming feeling" when she thinks of "the tragedy of the Holocaust" and how the suffering of her Palestinian ancestors helped in trying to create "a safe haven" for Jews in the new state of Israel.
The remark instantly ignited an online fight, with Republicans incorrectly describing Ms Tlaib's words as reflecting her feelings about the genocide itself that cost millions of lives, including those of 6 million Jews.
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It was the latest upheaval over the words of some of the first Muslims in Congress after Ilhan Omar questioned Israel's influence in Washington. Senior Democrats rebuked her, and Ms Omar eventually apologised.
A Democratic leader has instead demanded an apology to Ms Tlaib.
"If you read Rep. Tlaib's comments, it is clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are taking them out of context," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
He added, “They must stop, and they owe her an apology."
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"Obviously I don't think that she hates Israel or hates Jews," Dan Kildee, also a Michigan Democrat, on Fox News. "She's not a hateful person. She's not a bigoted person."
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Vice-president Mike Pence has warned young Christians they should expect to be shunned for their beliefs and urged them to stand strong in their opposition to abortion.
Speaking at the evangelical Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Saturday, Pence said: "Throughout most of American history, it’s been pretty easy to call yourself Christian. It didn’t even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible. But things are different now.
"You’re going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, you’re going to be asked to endorse them. You’re going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture."
The state of Georgia recently introduced a law prohibiting access to terminations in the event that a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which often occurs before a woman knows she is pregnant, at about six weeks’ gestation.
On Friday, Pence appeared on his boss's favourite breakfast show Fox and Friends to argue that outspoken Democrat Ilhan Omar should be booted off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"Ilhan Omar has made statements, antisemitic comments, statements against our most cherished ally Israel that ought to be rejected by every American," the veep said, referring to remarks the Muslim congresswoman made earlier this year about what she regards as the excessive influence Israeli lobbyists enjoy in Washington, a stance that caused a major stir within her own party and allowed Trump to accuse the Democrats of being and "anti-Jewish party".
Pence and Omar have previously sparred angrily over Venezuela.
Trump is again attempting to turn up the heat on China on Twitter and is now addressing President Xi directly in the hope of pressuring his negotiators into a deal.
Democratic rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has compared the Republican Party to Dwight Schrute from the US version of The Office.
The character, played by Rainn Wilson, is the American answer to Mackenzie Crook's Gareth in the British original, an "assistant to the regional manager" terminally unable to recognise a joke at his expense.
AOC's popularity is such that even Trump supporters are now praising her for being "genuine".
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