Trump claims voter fraud

WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump granted clemency to former White House aide Steve Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office, but did not pardon himself, members of his family or lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Trump left office on Wednesday (Jan 20) when Joe Biden was sworn in as the nation's next president. White House officials had argued to Trump that he should not pardon himself or his family because it might look like they are guilty of crimes, according to a source familiar with the situation. READ: Joe Biden sworn in as 46th President of the United States Bannon, who was a key adviser in Trump's 2016 presidential run, was charged last year with swindling the president's own supporters over an effort to raise private funds to build the president's wall on the US-Mexico border. He has pleaded not guilty. "Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen," the White … [Read more...] about Trump pardons former aide Steve Bannon but not himself or family

WASHINGTON: Supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday (Jan 6) in a bid to overturn his election defeat, forcing Congress to postpone a session that would have certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory. With drawn guns and tear gas, police evacuated lawmakers and struggled for more than three hours to clear the Capitol Building of Trump supporters, who surged through the halls and rummaged through offices in shocking scenes of chaos and mayhem. One protester occupied the Senate dais and yelled: "Trump won that election." Protesters overturned barricades and clashed with police as thousands descended on the Capitol grounds. Police declared the Capitol building secure shortly after 5.30pm (6.30am Singapore time), and lawmakers planned to reconvene at 8pm to resume the election certification. Video showed the Trump supporters breaking windows and police deploying tear gas inside the building. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief … [Read more...] about Guns and tear gas in US Capitol as Trump supporters attempt to overturn his loss

SYDNEY: A timeless tradition in political journalism is trying to find a narrative that explains an electoral outcome. A widely accepted narrative to explain Barack Obama’s win over John McCain in 2008 was that Americans wanted to embrace the “change” candidate who appeared the most dissimilar to then-President George W Bush. The narrative four years later in 2012 was that Republican Mitt Romney was too “elite” to resonate with American voters, and Obama was returned. Then in 2016, it was that Hillary Clinton was so confident of becoming president, she overlooked “Middle America”. The accuracy of these widely accepted narratives in explaining electoral victories is fiercely debated. So, too, will be many of the narratives for Joe Biden’s election win to become the 46th president of the United States. READ: Commentary: Joe Biden, the US president for his time LISTEN: US election: A bitter fight for the soul of the world's most powerful nation NARRATIVES FOR A … [Read more...] about Commentary: Don’t forget record numbers of Americans voted for Donald Trump

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut: In his victory speech in November, US President-elect Joe Biden promised to reach across the aisle, work with Republicans, and unite the country. Two months later, outgoing President Donald Trump still has not conceded, and some of his loyalists reportedly plan to vote against the counting of Electoral College votes this week. The effort won’t prevent Biden from becoming inaugurated this month, but it does demonstrate just how polarised the US is – and the threat this poses to America’s very democracy. To be sure, the US Constitution has proved hardy over the last four years. In the last few weeks alone, since the presidential election two months ago, Trump and his Republican allies have filed more than 50 lawsuits challenging the presidential election results. READ: Commentary: Facebook’s eleventh-hour suspension of Trump’s account raises questions about its motives READ: Commentary: The nightmarish end to Donald Trump’s presidency But they … [Read more...] about Commentary: How to prevent ‘Trump 2024’ from happening

Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy Pelosi Minimum wage setback revives progressive calls to nix Senate filibuster House Democrats to keep minimum wage hike in COVID-19 relief bill for Friday vote Schiff sees challenges for intel committee, community in Trump's shadow MORE (D-Calif.) referred to Sen. Ron Johnson Ronald (Ron) Harold Johnson Cruz hires Trump campaign press aide as communications director Pelosi: Dems want commission focused on Capitol mob attack Pelosi jokes about Sen. 'Don' Johnson MORE (R-Wis.) as “ Don Johnson ” in a press briefing Thursday, seemingly jabbing at the Wisconsin senator while saying he appeared to be “taking the lead” on the GOP response to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Don Johnson— was his first name Don?” Pelosi said to reporters Thursday. After being corrected, Pelosi jokingly responded “Let me call him ‘senator,' not ‘Miami Vice’ or anything like that.” House Speaker Pelosi accidentally calls … [Read more...] about Pelosi jokes about Sen. ‘Don’ Johnson