What we know about Trump's actions as insurrection unfolded
Members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection are holding their first prime-time hearing to share what they have uncovered about then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump-backed candidates face scrutiny after minimal vetting
As former President Donald Trump has waded into contested primaries across the country, trying to exact revenge and remake the Republican Party in his image, he has endorsed a series of candidates facing serious allegations, especially concerning their treatment of women.
Subpoenas could shed light on how Jan. 6 rally came together
The latest round of subpoenas from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection may help uncover the degree to which former President Donald Trump, his campaign and White House were involved in planning the rally that preceded the riot.
Jill Biden's travels show range of missions and emotions
Within the span of 36 hours this past week, Jill Biden went from clinking cups of beer with Doug Emhoff, the vice president's spouse, at a baseball game in Houston to joining the president in Florida to comfort families affected by the collapsed condominium building in Surfside.
Jill Biden sees teachable moment in the depths of a pandemic
(Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP, File)WATERFORD, Pa. – Jill Biden sees a teachable moment in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. She's still teaching, virtually from the White House, and pining for the day she can go back to the classroom. Jill Biden quickly set her agenda as first lady by highlighting all three of her longtime causes in her first weeks. ___There apparently are no incognito errand runs for Jill Biden. Ad___After Jill Biden released a photo of herself at the counter of The Sweet Lobby, the boutique bakery wasn't the only thing that became an instant hit.
Biden mourns 500,000 dead, balancing nation's grief and hope
I know what it’s like to not be there when it happens," said Biden, who has long addressed grief more powerfully than perhaps any other American public figure. "I know what it’s like when you are there, holding their hands, as they look in your eye and they slip away. In one of his many symbolic breaks with his predecessor, Biden has not shied away from offering remembrances for the lives lost to the virus. The COVID-19 death total in the United States had just crossed 400,000 when Biden took the oath of office. Outside of perfunctory tweets marking the milestones of 100,000 and 200,000 deaths, Trump oversaw no moment of national mourning, no memorial service.
Even without listening, US lives in Limbaugh’s media world
Limbaugh, the talk radio host who became the voice of American conservatism, has died. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)NEW YORK – You didn't have to like or even listen to Rush Limbaugh to be affected by what he did. Bumper stickers proclaimed, “Rush is Right.”“There is no talk radio as we know it without Rush Limbaugh. As Limbaugh's political strength became evident, many Republican politicians felt they couldn't cross him, or run the risk of alienating his millions of listeners, Hemmer said. “Many of these listeners didn't care if Rush Limbaugh crossed the line (of propriety),” she said.
Conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh dead at 70
@FLCaseyDeSantis and I are saddened to learn of the passing of fellow Floridian and our friend, Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh, the talk radio host who became the voice of American conservatism, has died. Al Franken, the comedian and one-time senator, came out with a book in 1996 called “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.”In 2003, Limbaugh admitted an addiction to painkillers and went into rehab. His mother was the former Mildred Armstrong, and his father, Rush Limbaugh Jr., was a lawyer. Limbaugh dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University for a string of DJ gigs, from his hometown, to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh and then Kansas City.
Trump at Mar-a-Lago? Palm Beach has other issues to consider
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Palm Beach Town Council spent close to seven hours Tuesday considering issues important to the wealthy island community: the availability of the coronavirus vaccine. Each agenda item provoked a litany of questions, comments and observations, except one: whether former President Donald Trump may continue living at his Mar-a-Lago Club. AdTown attorney Skip Randolph said there is nothing in the club’s 1993 agreement with Palm Beach that prohibits Trump from residing there. If by “the slightest” chance Trump gets booted from Mar-a-Lago, Marion said, he would likely move into one of the other nearby homes he owns.
Palm Beach considers options as Trump remains at Mar-a-Lago
Town Manager Kirk Blouin said in an email Thursday that Palm Beach is examining its options and the matter might be discussed at the town council's February meeting. Trump and former first lady Melania Trump changed their residency from New York City to Mar-a-Lago in 2019. Last month, it issued a statement saying, “There is no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-A-Lago as his residence.” Trump owns two other homes near Mar-a-Lago. According to 1993 Palm Beach Post articles, Trump attorney Paul Rampell told the town council that if the agreement were approved, Trump would be treated like any other member. Before he became president, Trump clashed frequently with the town and its mostly staid residents over the club’s operation.
Jill Biden signals she'll be more active as first lady
First lady Jill Biden's necklace says "Mama," as she takes a tour of Whitman-Walker Health, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)WASHINGTON – Five days into her new role, Jill Biden signaled Monday that she'll be a more active first lady, with a trio of virtual appearances before governors' spouses, young Latinos and library officials. Jill Biden's early moves seemed designed to signal that she intends to be more active than her predecessor, Melania Trump. On Monday, Jill Biden took on the role of top surrogate for the president, encouraging unity and promising the administration would listen to all voices. Joe Biden was a U.S. senator for 36 years, followed by eight years as vice president.
Trump shuns 'ex-presidents club' — and the feeling is mutual
Now that he's left office, it's hard to see him embracing the stately, exclusive club of living former presidents. “He kind of laughed at the very notion that he would be accepted in the presidents club,” said Kate Andersen Brower, who interviewed Trump in 2019 for her book “Team of Five: The Presidents’ Club in the Age of Trump." Obama, Bush and Clinton recorded their video after accompanying Biden to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider following the inauguration. When Hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Coast, Bush, father of the then-current president George W. Bush, called on Clinton to boost Katrina fundraising relief efforts. Obama tapped Clinton and the younger President Bush to boost fundraising efforts for Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake.
House to send Trump impeachment article on Monday
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on Marine One before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. And that is what this trial will provide.”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment late Monday, with senators sworn in as jurors Tuesday. "That goal has been achieved.”Pelosi said Friday the nine House impeachment managers, or prosecutors, are "ready to begin to make their case” against Trump. Trump’s team will have had the same amount of time since the House impeachment vote to prepare, Pelosi said. A handful of Senate Republicans have indicated they are open — but not committed — to conviction.
Florida could become home to President Donald J. Trump Highway
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. Trump is en route to his Mar-a-Lago Florida Resort. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida could one day be home to the Trump Highway. Trump on Wednesday flew to Florida, where he will make Mar-a-Lago his home in Palm Beach, before Joe Biden was sworn in as president. Florida’s Turnpike is officially known as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, though it’s rarely called by the former president’s name.
Networks stick with Trump in his unusual goodbye speech
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)NEW YORK – At the end of Donald Trump's presidency, television networks left the mute button unused. CNN's Wolf Blitzer, meanwhile, called it “totally inappropriate” and said it was “pretty repulsive” that Trump didn't cite Biden. The Washington Post updated its count of lies and misstatements by Trump: 30,534 heading into his last day as president. Over on CNN, Dana Bash watched Trump leave the White House for the final time as president and walk to the Marine One helicopter.
Trump bids farewell to Washington, hints of comeback
WASHINGTON – His presidency over, Donald Trump bid farewell to Washington on Wednesday but also hinted at a comeback despite a legacy of chaos, tumult and bitter division in the country he led for four years. Trump orchestrated an elaborate farewell that included a red carpet and color guard, as well as his usual campaign soundtrack. Speaking without notes, Trump told several hundred supporters that it had been his “great honor and privilege” to serve as president. They waved Trump and American flags, held signs that read, “THANK YOU” and “TRUMP WON!” and appeared visibly emotional as his SUV crawled past them. Some expect him to eventually turn completely on the Republican Party, perhaps by flirting with a run as a third-party candidate as an act of revenge.
Biden marks nation's Covid grief before inauguration pomp
President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden look out at lights during a COVID-19 memorial, with lights placed around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. “To heal we must remember," the incoming president told the nation at a sunset ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial. “Between sundown and dusk, let us shine the lights into the darkness ... and remember all who we lost,” Biden said. Biden at his Delaware farewell, held at the National Guard/Reserve Center named after his late son Beau Biden, paid tribute to his home state. ___This story has been corrected to show that flags on the National Mall represent people who couldn't come, not COVID deaths.
Biden, Harris take break from inaugural prep to mark MLK day
Flags are placed on the National Mall, looking towards the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, in Washington. As Biden and Harris took breaks from their inaugural preparations to honor the civil rights hero Monday, outgoing President Donald Trump remained out of public view at the White House for the sixth straight day. Biden transition officials, including incoming Homeland Security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and the deputy attorney general nominee, Lisa Monaco, held a videoconference with acting heads and career staff from national security agencies to discuss the security situation surrounding Inauguration Day. Even before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, inauguration festivities were expected to be muted due to the virus. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged residents to stay away from the city on Inauguration Day.
'Rooting hard for you': Will departure notes end with Trump?
Ron.”Thus was born the tradition of departing presidents leaving a handwritten note in the Oval Office for their successors. President Donald Trump has refused to accept the results of November’s election and vowed not to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. I know you will feel that, too,” Bush wrote in the note, adding, "I wish you great happiness here. Updegrove said even if the note tradition stops with Trump, it could easily start again when Biden leaves office. He has already been vice president and spent 36 years in the Senate, where tradition and bipartisan congeniality are strong.
Records: Trump allies behind rally that ignited Capitol riot
It said that if any former employees or independent contractors for the campaign took part, “they did not do so at the direction of the Trump campaign.”At least one was working for the Trump campaign this month. The AP’s review found at least three of the Trump campaign aides named on the permit rushed to obscure their connections to the demonstration. Between mid-March and mid-November, Donald J. Trump for President Inc. paid Wren $20,000 a month, according to Federal Election Commission records. Maggie Mulvaney, a niece of former top Trump aide Mick Mulvaney, is listed on the permit attachment as the “VIP Lead.” She worked as director of finance operations for the Trump campaign, according to her LinkedIn profile. Trump’s presidential campaign paid Event Strategies $1.3 million in 2020 for “audio visual services,” according to the campaign finance records.
Inauguration Day also is move in/out day at the White House
A van arrives to pick up boxes that were moved out of the Eisenhower Executive Office building, inside the White House complex, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, in Washington. Inauguration Day is also moving day at the White House. The process would continue during the ceremony and the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. “They basically have the moving trucks waiting outside the White House gates,” said Matt Costello, a historian at the White House Historical Association. The chief usher reports to Melania Trump, who toured the White House living quarters in November 2016 when she accompanied Donald Trump to the White House for a post-election meeting with then-President Barack Obama.
Inauguration Day also is move in/out day at the White House
A van arrives to pick up boxes that were moved out of the Eisenhower Executive Office building, inside the White House complex, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, in Washington. Inauguration Day is also moving day at the White House. The process would continue during the ceremony and the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. “They basically have the moving trucks waiting outside the White House gates,” said Matt Costello, a historian at the White House Historical Association. The chief usher reports to Melania Trump, who toured the White House living quarters in November 2016 when she accompanied Donald Trump to the White House for a post-election meeting with then-President Barack Obama.
Jill Biden to name director for military families program
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – Days before Joe Biden becomes president, incoming first lady Jill Biden is taking a step toward fulfilling a campaign promise to revive a support program for military families that she once led with former first lady Michelle Obama. Jill Biden on Thursday was naming an executive director of that program, known as Joining Forces. Rory Brosius, 37, is on the president-elect's transition team and was a senior adviser to Jill Biden during the campaign. “Military families still needed support,” Brosius told The Associated Press in a telephone interview before she was to join Jill Biden for a virtual listening session with organizations that support military families. Jill Biden continued her work with military families through the Biden Foundation after leaving the White House in 2017.
Twice impeached, can Trump run for president again in 2024?
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump dance at the Freedom Ball on Jan. 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Trump attended a series of balls to cap his Inauguration Day. President Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be impeached by the House twice, but without action from the Senate, that might not prevent him from running for election again in four years. With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump Wednesday. [RELATED: Here’s how Central Florida lawmakers voted on President Trump’s impeachment | President Trump urges no violence amid reports of more demonstrations]Impeachment in the House alone would not prevent Trump from seeking elected office again. If the Senate once again votes to acquit the president of all charges, News 6 political analyst and University of Central Florida history professor Jim Clark said Trump could run for president again in 2024.
Delayed Kennedy Center Honors to be rescheduled for mid-May
(Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP)WASHINGTON – Five months after they were postponed because of the coronavirus, the annual Kennedy Center Honors are coming back in May, possibly in a series of small events, organizers announced Wednesday. The centerpiece event for Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts normally happens in December, but it was postponed last year amid the pandemic. But even with COVID-19 vaccines gradually rolling out across the country, Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter knew the usual concert would not be possible in May. “It's normally such a festive event, and I'm sure that will come across.”Brooks is no stranger to the Kennedy Center Honors process. Trump and first lady Melania Trump generally stayed away from Kennedy Center events, but Rutter hopes to get President-elect Joe Biden involved this year.
First lady ‘disappointed’ by Trump supporters’ Capitol riot
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump step off Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. – Melania Trump said Monday that she is “disappointed and disheartened” by the deadly riot at the Capitol last week by supporters of her husband. “I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week,” she wrote in a White House blog post released before sunrise. Trump encouraged his supporters to flock to Washington last Wednesday, the day set for Congress to certify the presidential vote. After addressing a rally near the White House in which he encouraged his supporters to keep fighting, they stormed the Capitol.
A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets
This Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 image shows the suspended Twitter account of President Donald Trump. It began with a May 4, 2009, tweet promoting Donald Trump's upcoming appearance on David Letterman's show. “I said, ‘Let’s call you @realDonaldTrump — you’re the real Donald Trump,’” recalled Costanzo. In its most popular tweet, on Oct. 2, 2020, @realDonaldTrump announced that Trump and first lady Melania Trump had contracted the coronavirus. Trump deleted 1,166 tweets and, in his final months on the platform, had 471 tweets flagged by Twitter for misinformation, according to Factba.se.
A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets
This Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 image shows the suspended Twitter account of President Donald Trump. It began with a May 4, 2009, tweet promoting Donald Trump's upcoming appearance on David Letterman's show. “I said, ‘Let’s call you @realDonaldTrump — you’re the real Donald Trump,’” recalled Costanzo. In its most popular tweet, on Oct. 2, 2020, @realDonaldTrump announced that Trump and first lady Melania Trump had contracted the coronavirus. Trump deleted 1,166 tweets and, in his final months on the platform, had 471 tweets flagged by Twitter for misinformation, according to Factba.se.
President Trump won’t attend Joe Biden’s inauguration
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Friday he will skip President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, refusing to fulfill the outgoing president's traditional role in the peaceful transition of power and undercutting his own message just one day earlier on the need for “national healing and unity." Historian Douglas Brinkley said that while attending the inauguration “would be a wonderful olive branch to the country,” he wasn't surprised by the decision. “Donald Trump doesn’t want to be in Washington as the second-fiddle loser standing on stage with Joe Biden,” he said. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump said in a tweet. White House counsel Pat Cipollone has repeatedly warned Trump that he could be deemed responsible for inciting Wednesday’s violence.
Trump finally faces reality — amid talk of early ouster
WASHINGTON – With 13 days left in his term, President Donald Trump finally bent to reality Thursday amid growing talk of trying to force him out early, acknowledging he’ll peacefully leave after Congress affirmed his defeat. Trump led off a video from the White House by condemning the violence carried out in his name a day earlier at the Capitol. Deprived of that social media lifeblood, Trump remained silent and ensconced in the executive mansion until Thursday evening. Staff-level discussions on the matter took place across multiple departments and even in parts of the White House, according to two people briefed on the talks. Few aides had any sense of the president’s plans, with some wondering if Trump would largely remain out of sight until he left the White House.
Clues about post-Trump politics await in Georgia
“The party has a real choice to make on where we go from here,” said Michael McNeely, a former Georgia Republican vice chairman. Trump fueled Republican turnout, especially in rural areas and small towns, that overwhelmed Democrats in states less diverse than Georgia. Plenty of Georgia Republicans embrace Trump’s imprint, at least publicly. “Absolutely four Republican votes in this house,” she said, including her young adult children casting absentee ballots. But all three are Democratic districts, and they include the two most concentrated Democratic districts, the 4th and 5th in the metro Atlanta core.
Trump returns to White House early, offers year-end message
As the end of his presidency neared, Trump cut short his stay at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and got back to the White House a day ahead of schedule. The White House didn't give a reason for Trump's early return, and the schedule change means Trump will miss the glitzy New Year’s Eve party held annually at his Palm Beach club. During his vacation, Trump also took near daily swipes on Twitter at Georgia Republican Gov. He went as far as barring them from his Christmas Day remarks to the troops, the type of event the White House typically opens for news coverage. McConnell blocked attempts by Democrats to force a vote in that chamber on the higher payments sought by Trump.
Trump golfs in Florida as COVID relief hangs in the balance
WEST PALM BEACH – President Donald Trump spent his Christmas golfing in Florida as a government shutdown looms and COVID relief hangs in the balance. Trump, at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach for the holidays, had no events on his public schedule after throwing the future of a massive COVID relief and government funding bill into question. It said only: “During the Holiday season, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American People. “At a meeting in Florida today, everyone was asking why aren’t the Republicans up in arms & fighting over the fact that the Democrats stole the rigged presidential election?” Trump tweeted Thursday. He has been egged on by allies like his lawyer, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who accompanied the president to Florida aboard Air Force One.
Trump golfs in Florida as COVID relief hangs in the balance
WEST PALM BEACH – After tossing a grenade that threatens to blow up a massive COVID relief and government funding bill and force a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic, President Donald Trump spent his Christmas Eve golfing in Florida. Failure to agree on the bill could deny checks to millions of Americans on the brink. Reporters were given no details of his schedule for the day, but told that, “As the Holiday season approaches, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American People. The idea was swiftly rejected by House Republicans during a rare Christmas Eve session, leaving the proposal in limbo. In Florida, Trump continued to rail against the results, complaining to members that he had been robbed of the election and voicing frustrations about the year-end spending bill.
With a video filmed in secret, Trump keeps sowing chaos
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – The video message that plunged Washington into chaos was filmed in secret. On Wednesday, few Republicans or even White House staffers knew what Trump plans next, in a return to the around-the-clock chaos of his first months in office. “There are mixed signals from the White House leaving more confusion than calm,” Biden noted on Wednesday. Trump personally played little role in the negotiations, though the White House had initially sent signals that he would sign the bill.
New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other allies
FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.
Vice President Mike Pence, wife get COVID-19 vaccine injections
Vice President Mike Pence receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – Vice President Mike Pence and the leaders of the House and Senate received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday as they tried to reassure the American public that the shot is safe. Trump did appear at a White House “summit” ahead of the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the Pfizer vaccine last week. ”It will be enormously damaging to public trust in the vaccine if President Trump isn’t visibly enthusiastic, including getting his shot on national television,” he argued. “It simply isn’t good enough to have Vice President Pence as a proxy."
Trump's move to his Florida estate challenged by neighbor
The president and first lady Melania Trump changed their legal residence from New York City to Palm Beach last year. Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago for $10 million in 1985 from the estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the owner of General Foods. Before he became president, Trump and the town often clashed over the club's operation. He unsuccessfully sued Palm Beach County because jetliners taking off from the nearby international airport flew over the mansion. Palm Beach is one of Florida's most exclusive towns, with a median home price of over a million dollars.
Macron is the latest world leader to catch COVID-19
French President Emmanuel Macron reacts as he meets Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday. DONALD TRUMPPresident Donald Trump announced in October that he and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, tested positive for the coronavirus. BORIS JOHNSONThe British prime minister was the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, after facing criticism for downplaying the pandemic. Other top officials in former Soviet states who were infected include Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Mrs. Trump visits children's hospital, a holiday tradition
First lady Melania Trump reads a Christmas book to children who are patients at Children's National Hospital, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – Melania Trump didn't let the coronavirus pandemic break a decades-long tradition of first ladies visiting a Washington children's hospital at the holidays. On Tuesday, she made her fourth and final holiday visit as first lady to Children's National Hospital. In past years, Mrs. Trump read to a big crowd of patients and their families, hospital staffers and singers and dancers. During her time as first lady, Mrs. Trump has raised awareness about the harmful effects of bullying.
First lady urges kindness during holiday clouded by pandemic
First lady Melania Trump offers hand sanitizer to a child as she participates in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots Drive at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. She also thanked men and women serving in the U.S. military who won't be with their families at the holidays because they are stationed overseas. After her remarks, the first lady put on a face mask and helped dozens of children who participated in the event sort a variety of toys into separate boxes labeled for boys and girls. She also sat with groups of children at tables as they made Christmas cards, and later gave out bags printed with the “Be Best” logo.
First lady announces new White House tennis pavilion
Weeks before her family turns the White House over to President-elect Joe Biden, Melania Trump announced that a new tennis pavilion on the south grounds is ready for action. The first lady's office said Monday that the pavilion's design was inspired by the architectural style of the White House, especially the East and West Wings. A colonnade, parapet wall and fanlight windows tie the new building to the look and feel of the White House. The White House did not disclose the cost. Completion of the tennis pavilion follows the first lady's redesign of the White House Rose Garden earlier this year.
Lawmakers who met with Giuliani scramble after COVID news
The president on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 confirmed in a tweet that Giuliani had tested positive for the virus. On numerous occasions, Giuliani met with officials for hours at a time without wearing a mask, including hearings last week with state lawmakers in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. Giuliani spoke for hours last week before a Republican-led committee in Lansing investigating alleged election irregularities. Giuliani traveled last Monday to Phoenix, where he met with Republican legislators for an hourslong hearing in which he was maskless. The Arizona Republican Party tweeted a photo of Giuliani and several state GOP lawmakers standing shoulder-to-shoulder and maskless.
The Latest: Trump urges backers to 'take revenge' by voting
“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to defeat Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, and keep the Senate under Republican control. ___8:40 p.m.President Donald Trump suggested at a big gathering on behalf of Republican senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue that he was reluctant to hold another campaign rally. “I shouldn’t do this for them,” Trump said “It costs too much money.”___8:15 p.m.President Donald Trump ripped Republican Gov. ___7:35 p.m.President Donald Trump kicked off his Saturday night rally in Georgia for Republican Sens.
Trump assails vote integrity while urging turnout in Ga.
“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. The Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in Georgia will determine the balance of power in Washington after Biden takes office. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Trump continued to reiterate his unsubstantiated claims of fraud, despite his own administration assessing the election to have been conducted without any major issues. Chants of “Fight for Trump” drowned out the two senators as they briefly spoke to the crowd.
Ivanka Trump deposed as part of inauguration fund lawsuit
Ivanka Trump, who was deposed on Tuesday, tweeted that she gave attorneys from the D.C. attorney general’s office an email she wrote on Dec. 14, 2016, where she instructed the Trump hotel to charge a “fair market rate," which she said the the hotel did. As part of the suit, the attorneys have subpoenaed records from Ivanka Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Thomas Barrack Jr., a close friend of the president who chaired the inaugural committee, and others. Racine has accused the committee of misusing nonprofit funds and coordinating with the hotel’s management and members of the Trump family to arrange the events. In a statement, Alan Garten with the Trump Organization said that “Ms. Trump’s only involvement was connecting the parties and instructing the hotel to charge a ‘fair market rate,’ which the hotel did.”
White House Christmas decor gives nod to 1st responders
Cross Hall and the Blue Room are decorated during the 2020 Christmas preview at the White House, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – First responders and frontline workers being challenged by the deadly coronavirus pandemic are highlighted in White House Christmas decorations that also give a special nod to Melania Trump's redesigned Rose Garden. It’s the final Christmas in the White House for the Trump family, although the president continues to insist — despite evidence to the contrary — that he won the Nov. 3 election. The recording of the July 2018 conversation was made and released to CNN by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who was fired from the White House earlier that year. A few miles north of the White House, the wrapping also came off the Christmas decorations at Vice President Mike Pence's official residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory.
Trump skips turkey jokes, gives thanks for COVID-19 vaccines
President Donald Trump pardons Corn, the national Thanksgiving turkey, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Washington, as first lady Melania Trump watches. The National Turkey Federation presented the White House with two birds, Corn and Cob. Corn was declared the national Thanksgiving turkey, though both will retire to a new home on the campus of Iowa State University. It’s not the first time the typically light-hearted turkey pardon ceremony has taken place in a tense time for the nation. Bush established the annual turkey pardon tradition in 1989 by sparing a 50-pound (23-kilogram) bird as animal rights activists picketed nearby.
White House still planning holiday parties, despite warnings
First lady Melania Trump stands next to the 2020 Official White House Christmas tree as it is presented on the North Portico of the White House, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Washington. “It is a longstanding tradition for people to visit and enjoy the cheer and iconic décor of the annual White House Christmas celebrations." That includes smaller guest lists, requiring masks, encouraging social distancing on the White House grounds and hand sanitizer stations placed throughout the State Floor. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Monday repeatedly evaded questions about indoor holiday parties scheduled at the White House while calling other Americans' indoor gatherings potential “super-spreader” events. Not long after, the first lady attended a small outdoor ceremony on the White House driveway to mark the arrival of the large Christmas tree that will adorn the White House Blue Room.
Spokesman: Trump's eldest son tests positive for coronavirus
FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump watches as Donald Trump Jr. speaks at a campaign event at the Kenosha Regional Airport in Kenosha, Wis. A spokesman says President Donald Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has been infected with the coronavirus. The spokesman says the younger Trump learned his diagnosis earlier this week, has no symptoms and has been quarantining. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Donald Trump Jr. tests positive for coronavirus
FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump watches as Donald Trump Jr. speaks at a campaign event at the Kenosha Regional Airport in Kenosha, Wis. A spokesman says President Donald Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has been infected with the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Saturday his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is doing “very well” in quarantine after becoming infected with the coronavirus. Donald Trump Jr. learned of his positive test result earlier this week, has had no symptoms and was following all medically recommended guidelines for treating the illness, said a spokesperson, who was granted anonymity to discuss private medical information. President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron have all recovered from their coronavirus infections in October. Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, tested positive for the coronavirus in July.
President Trump marks Veterans Day at Arlington Ceremony
Trump's appearance at the annual Veterans Day commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery was his first public outing for official business in more than a week. Staff working from the White House thinned out after chief of staff Mark Meadows confirmed last week that he had tested positive for the virus. Outside the White House, one prominent former ally turned Trump critic warned that the president was doing potentially irreparable damage to the Republican Party. White House spokesman Judd Deere said he was “not aware” of any communications between the White House and the GSA administrator on ascertainment. The Biden transition team has published an ethics plan and the Trump administration earlier established a White House Transition Coordinating Council as required by law.
President Trump’s election night party adds to coronavirus scrutiny
The White House has repeatedly refused to say who else has tested positive, even as the virus continues to spread. The latest White House cluster, coming just a month after Trump's own diagnosis and hospitalization, includes a top Trump campaign official as well as a handful of undisclosed White House staff, officials said. The White House has been increasingly secretive about outbreaks. The White House did not respond to specific questions about the current outbreak, but said that contact tracing had been conducted by the White House Medical Unit, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The latest outbreak came less than two weeks after several aides to Vice President Mike Pence, including his chief of staff, tested positive for the virus.
World leaders hope for fresh start after Biden win
Other leaders who supported Trump, including President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, congratulated Biden, indicating they rejected Trump’s claim the election wasn’t over. Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia told reporters he looked forward to a “great partnership” with Washington. Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan said he looked forward to working together to end illegal tax havens and on peacemaking in Afghanistan. Others expressed hope Biden will help to heal divisions in American society and global politics. Prime Minister Janez Jansa was the only leader who congratulated Trump even before all votes were counted and showed support after Biden’s win was announced.
‘Welcome back America!’ World celebrates Biden-Harris win
World leaders congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on his victory, cheering it as an opportunity to fortify global democracy and celebrating the significance of Americans having their first female vice president. Other leaders who sent congratulations included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Prime Minister Janez Jansa was the only world leader who congratulated Trump even before all the votes were counted, and showed support after Biden’s win was announced. His rival, Juan Guaido, also thanked Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for their “firmness and determination” in confronting Maduro. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who struck up a cordial working relationship with Trump, also avoided congratulating Joe Biden.
Biden defeats Trump for White House, says ‘time to heal’
People streamed into Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House, near where Trump had ordered the clearing of protesters in June, waving signs and taking cellphone pictures. Throughout the campaign, Trump repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, arguing without evidence that the election could be marred by fraud. On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had not yet made any public statements -- either congratulating Biden or joining Trump’s complaints. There was another COVID-19 outbreak in the White House this week, which sickened his chief of staff Mark Meadows. Biden, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and raised in Delaware, was one of the youngest candidates ever elected to the Senate.
Trump chief of staff Meadows diagnosed with COVID-19
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows arrives to hear President Donald Trump speak on election night in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows has been diagnosed with the coronavirus as the nation sets daily records for confirmed cases for the pandemic. Two senior administration officials confirmed Friday that Meadows had tested positive for the virus, which has killed more than 236,000 Americans so far this year. They offered no details on when the chief of staff came down with the virus or his current condition. One administration official said several other staffers had tested positive as well.
Victory celebration without a victory as 2020 race dangles
President Donald Trump arrives with first lady Melania Trump to speak in the East Room of the White House, early Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – It was a victory celebration without a victory. Empty wine glasses littered a table in the East Room of the White House. As Election Day came and went without a verdict in the presidential race, President Donald Trump grew agitated. At 2:21 a.m., the president took the stage before a well-lubricated crowd in the East Room and falsely claimed he had won.
UPDATES: Trump wins Florida; Floridians approve minimum wage increase
LIVE LOOK | Long line forms at Volusia County voting location LIVE LOOK | Long line forms for voting at McInnis Elementary in Volusia County. In Marion County, voters are also set to surpass 2016 total turnout with 72% by 3 p.m. In fact, President Trump made several campaign stops here within the last couple of weeks. pic.twitter.com/qb22CE2U4e — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 3, 202010:08 a.m.More people have voted in Orange County, Florida, this year than in 2016. Florida residents will also get to vote on six state constitutional amendments, including an increase on minimum wage.
2020 Latest: Biden campaign willing to fight Trump in court
In the race to 270 electoral votes, Biden has 236, while Trump has 213. ___2:40 a.m.President Donald Trump is vowing to ask the Supreme Court to weigh in on the inconclusive election. Nebraska, one of two states that divides its electoral votes, has five total electoral votes up for grabs. The Republican nominee on Wednesday was awarded six electoral votes from Iowa and three electoral votes from Montana. Biden nets 74 electoral votes for the three Western states, while Trump takes four electoral votes from Idaho.
Trump, Biden cede stage to voters for Election Day verdict
Nearly 100 million Americans voted early and now it falls to Election Day voters to finish the job, ending a campaign that was reshaped by the coronavirus and defined by tensions over who could best address it. Biden entered Election Day with multiple paths to victory while Trump, playing catch-up in a number of battleground states, had a narrower, but still feasible road to clinch 270 Electoral College votes. On their final full day on the campaign trail, Trump and Biden broke sharply over the mechanics of the vote itself while visiting the most fiercely contested battleground, Pennsylvania. The president threatened legal action to block the counting of ballots received after Election Day. Trump offered himself to voters as the same outsider he first pitched to voters four years ago, insisting he's still not a politician.
Road to 270: Biden needs one more state to win
They would give Biden 279 electoral votes, as long as he wins all the other states in Clinton's column. Under this scenario, Biden would not need to win any other states Trump won in 2016. ___SOUTH BY SOUTHWESTIf Biden loses Pennsylvania, it would require him to find 11 electoral votes elsewhere. Should Biden win Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and either Arizona and North Carolina, he would capture at least 290 electoral votes. He's also competing for Ohio, which Trump won by 8 percentage points in 2016; Iowa, which Trump won by nearly 10 percentage points; and Georgia, which Trump carried by 5 percentage points.
The Latest: Biden: I've learned from Clinton campaign errors
WASHINGTON – The Latest on the presidential campaign (all times local):9:20 p.m.Joe Biden says he has learned from the mistakes that Hillary Clinton's campaign made four years ago in the Midwest. After her stunning loss to Donald Trump in 2016, many Democrats criticized her campaign as overconfident and too complacent. President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden are campaigning hard to win both states, where Trump scored narrow victories in 2016. The campaign announced in addition to his Monday trip to the state, Biden will campaign in Philadelphia on Sunday. The Minnesota Department of Health has linked 28 coronavirus cases to other recent Trump campaign events in the state.
As virus surges, Trump rallies keep packing in thousands
Thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters regularly cram together at campaign rallies around the country — masks optional and social distancing frowned upon. Trump rallies are among the nation's biggest events being held in defiance of crowd restrictions designed to stop the virus from spreading. Some states have fined venues that host Trump rallies for violating caps on crowd size. But I’m not canceling, and we’ll find out what happens.”The Trump campaign blamed the dispute on “free speech-stifling dictates" of Democratic Gov. He calls the Trump rallies “super-spreader events” and says he's listening to the warnings of public health experts.
As virus surges, Trump rallies keep packing in thousands
Thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters regularly cram together at campaign rallies around the country — masks optional and social distancing frowned upon. Trump rallies are among the nation's biggest events being held in defiance of crowd restrictions designed to stop the virus from spreading. This at a time when public health experts are advising people to think twice even about inviting many guests for Thanksgiving dinner. Some states have fined venues that host Trump rallies for violating caps on crowd size. He calls the Trump rallies “super-spreader events” and says he's listening to the warnings of public health experts.
The Latest: Trump meets troops involved in al-Baghdadi raid
— Trump paints an apocalyptic portrait of life under a Biden presidency— Trump Cabinet members fan out to states, blending politics and policy. ___HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:8:45 p.m.President Donald Trump has met with rap star Lil Wayne at his resort in Doral, Florida. The Trump campaign and the company didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The Minnesota Department of Health has linked 28 coronavirus cases to other recent Trump campaign events in the state. Mrs. Trump warmed up the large crowd outside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for President Donald Trump.
Trump, Biden appeal to Florida voters to turn out in person
“So glad this great GDP number came out before November 3rd,” Trump tweeted, predicting a dire reversal if Biden is elected. Biden was forced to wrap his speech up early at a drive-in rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds In Tampa after a brief shower turned into a torrential downpour. Biden's campaign also announced he will visit Minnesota Friday, hours before Trump holds a rally in one of the few Clinton-voting states Trump is hoping to pick up this year. Associated Press writers Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida, Michelle Price in Bullhead City, Kathleen Ronayne in Phoenix, and Will Weissert and Brian Slodysko in Washington contributed to this report. ___AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/.
Melania Trump slams Biden, Dems in first solo campaign stop
ATGLEN, Pa. – Melania Trump lined up squarely with her husband Tuesday on her first solo trip of the 2020 campaign, slamming Joe Biden, Democrats and the media as she pushed the president's reeelection message in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Trump also denounced what she called Biden’s “socialist agenda” and criticized media coverage of “idle gossip and palace intrigue" in the White House. Mrs. Trump spoke one day after the president held three rallies in Pennsylvania, a state that helped deliver him the White House in 2016 and one that is key to his reelection bid. Polls show a tight race in the state between Trump and Biden, who also visited the state Monday to boost get-out-the-vote efforts. President Trump and the first lady flew together on Marine One from the White House to Joint Base Andrews before boarding planes for separate campaign trips.
Biden vows to unify and save country; Trump hits Midwest
“This election is a matter of economic survival for Michigan,” the president said, arguing that the state's economy was strong before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Gretchen Whitmer for moving aggressively to shut down much of the state's economy to slow the virus' spread. “The tragic truth of our time is that COVID has left a deep and lasting wound in this country,” Biden said, scoffing at Trump's pronouncements that the nation is turning a corner on the virus. The former vice president plans to travel to Iowa, which Trump took by 10 points in 2016, later in the week. First lady Melania Trump was on the road, too, making her first solo campaign trip of the year in Pennsylvania.
Barrett swearing-in differs markedly from 'superspreader'
Barrett was confirmed to be a Supreme Court justice by the Senate earlier in the evening. It's been only a month since President Donald Trump's Rose Garden event to announce he was nominating Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court. Mike Lee and Thom Tillis — tested positive after attending the earlier White House celebration. Indiana Sen. Todd Young told reporters that he had told the White House he would attend, but was reconsidering. She said people need to be careful about gatherings as illnesses have been rising, but stopped short of calling the White House event a mistake.