Trump lashes out after economic gloom deepens, as he jokes about trading Puerto Rico for Greenland

More on Trump's curious word-slurring yesterday here from Tom Embury-Dennis.

The habit has led many to speculate the president might not be in as rude health as he likes to insist.

Trump tweeting praise yesterday from evangelical broadcaster and conspiracy nut Wayne Allyn Root and later describing himself as "the chosen one" might give you pause to wonder how out of control his Messiah complex might get or even whether he has sincerely found religion.

But unless Mike Pence has finally gotten to him, this resurfaced clip from a 2015 interview with Bloomberg TV's With All Due Respect should leave you in little doubt about just how sincere his Christian faith really is.

Incidentally, as Andy Gregory points out below, there's a major flaw in Root's argument for Trump. Jews don't believe in a second coming.

The news that Trump's former press secretary Sean Spicer will appear on the upcoming season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, America's answer to Strictly Come Dancing, has provoked an angry outrcry on Twitter, of which the below is fairly indicative.

Here's Charlotte Clymer for Indy Voices on why Spicer belongs on a blacklist, not a ballroom floor.

Hillary Clinton is getting a lot of love - three years too late, alas - after replying to this tweet from rapper Lizzo, which replaces the national anthem at a 2016 presidential debate with her track "Truth Hurts".

Here's Lowenna Waters to explain.

Trump's big day of distraction yesterday was surely intended to try and shift the news agenda away from the economy.

The president's torrent of controversial remarks happened to coincide with the news that the federal budget deficit is expected to balloon to more than $1trn (£823bn) in the next fiscal year under the first projections taking into account the big budget deal that Trump and Congress reached this summer, the Congressional Budget Office reported.

The return of $1 trillion annual deficits comes despite Trump's vow when running for office that he would not just balance the budget but pay down the entire national debt.

"The nation's fiscal outlook is challenging," said Phillip Swagel, director of the nonpartisan CBO. "Federal debt, which is already high by historical standards, is on an unsustainable course."

The office on Wednesday upped this year's deficit projection by $63bn (£52bn) and the cumulative deficit projection for the next decade by $809bn (£666bn). The higher deficit projections come even as the CBO reduced its estimate for interest rates, which lowers borrowing costs, and as it raised projections for economic growth in the near term.

The number crunchers at CBO projected that the deficit for the current fiscal year will come to $960bn (790bn). In the next fiscal year, which begins 1 October, it will exceed $1 trillion.

The CBO said the budget deal signed into law earlier this month, which took away the prospect of a government shutdown in October and the threat of deep automatic spending cuts, would boost deficits by $1.7trn (£1.4trn) over the coming decade. Increased spending on disaster relief and border security would add $255bn (£210bn). Downward revisions to the forecast for interest rates will help the picture, trimming $1.4 trn (£1.15trn).

Swagel said the federal debt will rise even higher after the coming decade because of the nation's aging population and higher spending on health care. To put the country on sustainable footing, Swagel said, lawmakers will have to increase taxes, cut spending or combine the two approaches.

The CBO projects that the economy will expand more slowly, from 2.3 per cent this year to 1.8 per cent on average in the next four years. The assumption reflects slower growth in consumer spending and government purchases, as well as the effect of trade policies on business investment. It also projects the unemployment rate will remain close to its current level of 3.7 per cent through the end of 2020 and then rises to 4.6 per cent by the end of 2023.

The CBO's estimate is the first to reflect the hard-won budget and debt deal signed into law earlier this month.

"The recent budget deal was a budget buster, and now we have further proof. Both parties took an already unsustainable situation and made it much worse," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the private Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

MacGuineas said lawmakers should ensure the legislation they enact is paid for and redouble efforts to control the growth in health care costs and restore the solvency of the Social Security programme. Her organisation is focused on educating the public on issues with significant fiscal policy impact.

Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway pivoted to the president's desire to fund the military and other programs when asked about the report.

"We're always concerned about the deficit," Conway said. "We also need to fund a lot of the projects and programmes that are important to this country."

AP

The 538 members of the electoral college, who select the US president and vice president, are not bound to follow the popular vote of their states, according to a new ruling by the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The decision comes after a group of Colorado members tried to stop Trump becoming president in 2016 by uniting behind consensus candidate John Kasich, ignoring the state's popular vote in favour of Hillary Clinton.

The ruling is likely to prompt further criticism of a controversial system often attacked as outmoded.

Zamira Rahim has this report.

For Indy Voices, Jay Caruso warns Trump's spat with Denmark could have serious diplomatic repercussions.

Also for Voices, James Moore argues Trump has crossed the line and is now behaving like a dictator.

After a good night's sleep, Trump is back to bashing the Fed over his coffee and toast.

Having dropped out of the 2020 race, John Hickenlooper has announced he is running for the Senate instead. 

Here's his new campaign video.