Trump threatens to close US border with Mexico on heels of raucous post-Mueller rally
The president feels newly emboldened
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
Donald Trump has claimed he may close the border with Mexico next week - the latest threat from an a newly emboldened president following the completion of the Mueller report.
Speaking to reporters at his estate in Florida, the president said he would take the step - potentially disrupting millions of legal border crossings and billions of dollars in trade - if Mexico did not stop immigrants reaching the United States. His words were an indication his mind is fixed firmly on the re-election battle he will soon be embroiled in, and the need to energise his base ahead of what will be a bitter fight.
“There’s a very good likelihood that I’ll be closing the border next week, and that will be just fine with me,” he said.
Reuters pointed out the president has repeatedly said he would close the US border with Mexico during his two years in office, and has not followed through. However, his latest threat comes as the government says it is struggling to deal with a surge of asylum seekers from countries in Central America who travel through Mexico.
Department of Homeland Security officials warned that traffic with Mexico could slow as the agency shifts 750 border personnel from ports of entry to help process asylum seekers who are turning up between official crossing points, the news agency said.
Some of those delays were already being felt on both sides of the international border. Reports said that on Friday afternoon, the wait was longer than usual on the Mexican side of the crossing between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, with long lines of freight trucks carrying goods from Mexican factories into the United States.
Mr Trump’s threat was just the latest indication he is feeling newly empowered since the completion of the Mueller report. The report found his campaign did not collude with Russia, and while Mr Mueller pointedly did not reach a conclusion as to whether or not he obstructed justice, attorney general William Barr said he and his deputy, had decided there was insufficient evidence of a crime.
“Robert Mueller was a Hero to the Radical Left Democrats, until he ruled that there was No Collusion with Russia (so ridiculous to even say!). After more than two years since the “insurance policy” statement was made by a dirty cop, I got the answers I wanted, the Truth,” Mr Trump tweeted on Friday evening.
On Thursday evening, Mr Trump delivered a wild address to supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, branding the Mueller investigation “the single greatest political hoax in the history of our country” and accusing House Democrats of “defrauding the public with ridiculous bulls***”.
The president also thanked his friends at Fox News for their support, attacked renewable energy and asylum seekers and, bizarrely, applauded the nearby Great Lakes for their “record deepness”.
His son, Donald Trump Jr, smirked as the crowd chanted “AOC sucks!”, in reference to Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on the same day that details of the president’s dodging an interview with the FBI special counsel during the 22-month probe began to emerge.
Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
Trump is celebrating Vietnam War Veterans Day, despite having not served himself and allegedly telling ex-lawyer Michael Cohen: "You think I'm stupid, I'm not going to Vietnam."
A very timely question indeed in relation to proposed cuts to the Special Olympics and Puerto Rico aid.
Trump was in Florida yet again overnight.
Steve Bannon thinks Hillary Clinton could still run in 2020 - despite her repeated insistence that she won't.
More fire from Adam Schiff.
Here's the full story on his performance yesterday, in response to all nine Republican members of his own intelligence committee signing a letter calling his "immediate resignation" over his outspoken accusations on Trump collusion.
A school teacher in Houston, Texas, has received a death threat after setting an "anti-Trump" essay assignment to her students.
Here's Chiara Giordano.
A federal judge is striking down the Trump administration's highly touted small-business health insurance plan, calling it an "end run" around consumer protections.
The ruling by US district judge John Bates in Washington, DC, is the second setback in a week for the administration's health care initiatives.
On Wednesday, another federal judge blocked Medicaid work requirements for low-income people.
At issue in the latest ruling are so-called "association health plans," in which businesses and sole proprietors can band together to offer lower-cost coverage that doesn't provide all the benefits required under the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare).
President Donald Trump has hailed the small-business plans as a big success, but their impact is difficult to measure.
Unable to repeal the Obama health law in Congress, the Trump administration has tried to use its rule-making powers to create room for alternatives.
Donning red MAGA hats and 2020 campaign gear, rally goers in Michigan railed against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday night as Donald Trump Jr tore into the congresswoman.
The first son lambasted the 29-year-old lawmaker and her calls for a Green New Deal during Donald Trump’s campaign rally, setting the stage for another raucous night laced with falsities and profanity.
“Think about the fact that every mainstream leading Democratic contender is taking the advice of a freshmen congresswoman who three weeks ago didn't know the three branches of government," Mr Trump Jr said to the crowd. “I don't know about you guys but that's pretty scary.”
The audience then started to chant “AOC sucks! AOC sucks!” to which he replied, “You guys, you're not very nice and neither is what that policy would do to this country.”
A man who police say had a gun and was speeding to the White House has appeared in court after being accused of threatening Donald Trump during a traffic stop in West Virginia.
Eric Leonardo Charron of Kansas City, Missouri, was arraigned Thursday on charges of reckless driving and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
State police say the 42-year-old was going 130 mph (209 kph) on Interstate 68 when he was pulled over Wednesday near Bruceton Mills.
AP
Donald Trump has posted a message to his Twitter account honouring Vietnam War Veterans Day.
“Thank you for your service to our great Nation!” the president wrote.
Democrats have revealed more details about a Thursday briefing Attorney General William Barr provided to House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, saying Mr Barr allegedly warned the top Democrat he would not commit to releasing grand jury information to Congress.
“I asked whether he could commit that the full report and unredacted full report with the underlying documents and evidence will be provided to Congress and to the American people, and he wouldn’t commit to that," Mr Nadler said on Wednesday night.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies