List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

The former number two official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has offered a dire prediction about America’s future should Donald Trump or another like-minded Republican succeed in winning next year’s presidential election, according to a new book by a former Trump administration homeland security aide. In Blowback, author Miles Taylor recounts an October 2020 conversation he had with Sue Gordon, a 25-year US intelligence community veteran who served as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence from 2017 to 2019, shortly after news broke that the FBI had disrupted a plot by Michigan-based right-wing extremists to kidnap Wolverine State governor Gretchen Whitmer. According to a copy of the book obtained by The Independent ahead of its Tuesday release, Taylor recalls how the news of the kidnapping plot prompted him to telephone Ms Gordon, who he says spent “decades” at the CIA monitoring foreign governments for signs of instability, and ask the former deputy DNI how America’s “democratic stability” would be impacted by a second term in the White House for Mr Trump or a “Maga successor”. Taylor said Ms Gordon’s reply came “in the language of a seasoned intelligence analyst” who speaks “based on data from sources in the field and the uncertainty level of information they don’t have”. He added that she told him how she would “assess with ‘low confidence’ that the United States reaches its three hundredth birthday” — the projected 2076 tricentennial anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from Great Britain — in “any recognisable form”. “People don’t trust government institutions anymore or each other, and when the world gets tumultuous, they’re more open to authoritarianism,” she said. Continuing, Taylor writes that Ms Gordon told him her reason for pessimism about the long-term viability of the US as a functioning democracy stems from the follow-on effects of four more years of Donald Trump — or someone acting with the same malevolence towards governmental institutions — atop the US executive branch. He said she told him that she does not believe a “Next Trump” would successfully smash through “every democratic guardrail,” but would “stoke unprecedented division and set off a slow turn towards despotism” in the US by “attempting” to further erode democratic norms and bring nominally independent institutions under his or her thumb. “That process can take decades to unfold. If history is any guide, though, it might come suddenly to a head, with the literal pull of a trigger — and the odds of that happening in the not-too-distant future are historically high,” he wrote. Taylor, who was chief of staff at the Trump-era Department of Homeland Security for the first three years of Mr Trump’s administration but is better known as the formerly anonymous author of a New York Times op-ed about “resistance” to the then-president inside his own government, told The Independent in a phone interview that he fears a repeat of the January 6 attack on the Capitol — but worse — should Mr Trump lose next year’s presidential election. Echoing Ms Gordon’s prediction of a long-term breakdown of the American democratic system, Taylor said the possibility of “low-level civil conflict” touched off by Mr Trump or another Republican is “higher now than it even was in that post election period in 2020”. “The muscle memory for those extremist movements has now been solidified. The networks are closer. And ... since that time, many more people, otherwise kind of normal people in small town America, have really taken the stolen election lies, QAnon, and great replacement theory as gospel, and the polling shows that a majority of your everyday Republicans believe those lies,” he said. “Add to that the fact that the country is more armed now than at any point in its history ... it is a powder keg.” Taylor added that his fears of violence go beyond a repeat of what happened in Washington nearly three years ago, pointing to the aborted plot against Ms Whitmer, the Michigan governor, as an example of what could be in store for the future. He told The Independent that he feels “the conditions are very ripe” in the US for “that sort of low-level conflict” in many parts of the country. “This is not just a Washington, DC thing — I really think we could see something a good deal worse, and part of that could also happen if a Trump or a savvier successor is reelected. And that misuse of the justice system could foment that even more,” he said. Read More Man arrested near Obama home threatened other prominent lawmakers, officials say Three men jailed for at least seven years over plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer DoJ dragged feet over including Trump in Jan 6 probe over fears of appearing biased, report says Oath Keepers leader issues warning to Trump amid ex-president’s legal woes White House blasts Marjorie Taylor Greene’s criticism of efforts to aid US families GOP presidential hopeful lists conservative pool of Supreme Court picks Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

After an ongoing feud between Republican Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, a Republican lawmaker said the standoff between the two Congress members could result in a fistfight. “A fistfight could break out at any moment,” Republican Tennessee Rep Tim Burchett told The Daily Beast. Mr Burchett told the publication that he was serious, and added he was enjoying the Republicans’ rivalry as a “professional wrestling fan.” He told the outlet, “I am friends with both of them. It’s entertaining to think that a fistfight could break out at any movement. I kind of dig that.” The Tennessee Republican isn’t alone in his stance. Another GOP lawmaker close to both Reps Greene and Boebert, who spoke anonymously, told the outlet: “You can’t have too many of these rifts for too long.” Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar called the battle a “two-way sword” to The Daily Beast. He continued, “I just think that whatever is there, could be utilized both ways,” he said, adding that “people make decisions that they have to work and live by, and you kind of hate being in their shoes.” The conflict between the congresswomen came to a head recently when Ms Greene was kicked out of the Freedom Caucus after she called Ms Boebert “a little b****.” The Georgia Republican claimed last week that she didn’t know why she was booted from the Freedom Caucus. She dismissed the move, saying that she didn’t “have time for the drama club.” Read More Marjorie Taylor Greene says she didn’t know she was kicked out of the Freedom Caucus The Freedom Caucus booting Marjorie Taylor Greene looks worse for them than it does for her Marjorie Taylor Greene ousted from House Freedom Caucus following fight with Lauren Boebert

Sen Joe Manchin is continuing to feed speculation about his political future by appearing at an event with No Labels as he weighs whether to make a third-party run for president. The West Virginia Democrat will appear at the event on Monday night in New Hampshire, which holds one of the first presidential nominating contests and is a crucial swing state in the general election. No Labels, a centrist organisation, has pushed for a third-party candidate for president. But some Democrats have feared that a No Labels-backed candidacy would siphon votes away from President Joe Biden and enable former president Donald Trump to win another term as president. In May, the organisation said it opposed Mr Trump’s candidacy. “We don’t believe there is any “equivalency” between President Biden and former President Trump, who is a uniquely divisive force in our politics and who sought to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power after he lost the 2020 election,” the statement written by co-chairmen former senator Joe Lieberman and Benjamin Chavis said. “But we reject the notion that No Labels’ 2024 presidential insurance project would inevitably help former President Trump’s electoral prospects if he were the Republican nominee.” Mr Manchin, a conservative Democrat, has not yet indicated whether he would stage a third-party run for president or seek another term in the Senate. Were he to run in 2024, he would be seeking another term with a Republican at the top of the presidential ticket. In 2020, Mr Trump won every county in West Virginia. Throughout the first two years of Mr Biden’s presidency when Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate, Mr Manchin served as the swing vote in a 50-50 Senate. His opposition to Build Back Better, Democrats’ proposed social spending bill, ultimately killed the legislation. Last year, he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer resurrected talks that led to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. But since then, Mr Manchin has criticised the Biden administration’s implementation of the law. West Virginia Gov Jim Justice, a former friend of Mr Manchin, announced his candidacy to challenge the incumbent. He is heavily favoured to face Mr Manchin, himself a former governor, in the general election. Mr Manchin has said he will decide his political future by the end of the year. Despite his indecision, he raised $424,485.52 in the most recent fundraising quarter from March to July and he has more than $10.7m in cash on hand. Read More Arizona Democrats file complaint against No Labels over donor secrecy Biden’s economy pitch: Campaign like Reagan while refuting Reagan’s policies

Greg Abbott has been branded “one of the dumbest people in the country” by the author of a satirical story about country music star Garth Brooks that was reshared by the Texas governor. Christopher Blair runs the parody website The Dunning-Kruger-Times, which posted the story that Mr Brooks had been booed off the stage at the 123rd Annual Texas Country Jamboree last month after calling his conservative fans “a**holes.” The entire story was made-up - but Mr Abbott didn’t seem to notice. “When I saw [Mr Abbott’s repost], I was besides myself with joy,” Mr Blair told The Guardian. “He’s one of the dumbest people in the country.” “As soon as I wrote the headline, I said to myself that it might be a little bit much,” Mr Blair said. “But it wasn’t.” The Texas governor had tweeted a link to the story on 25 June with the caption: “Garth Brooks Booed Off Stage at 123rd Annual Texas Country Jamboree. Go woke. Go broke.” “Garth called his conservative fans. ‘a**holes’ Good job Texas,” he added. His tweet seemed to refer to a question-and-answer session with the country singer last month in which he said his new bar in Nashville planned to “serve every brand of beer,” shutting down the idea that it wouldn’t serve Bud Light, following the conservative-led boycott of the beer brand. “Our thing is this: If you come into this house, love one another,” Mr Brooks said. “If you’re an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway to go.” The governor has since deleted his tweet, but reactions to the tweet are still up. Democratic Texas Congressman Greg Casar tweeted: “Gov Abbott just accidentally posted a satire article because he wants to hate on queer Texans and Garth Brooks so bad.” “The Texas Country Jamboree doesn’t exist. Hambriston, Texas is not real. And the Governor is not fit to tweet, much less govern,” he explained. Read More Greg Abbott mocked after falling for hoax story about Garth Brooks being booed off stage Garth Brooks commended for not bowing to anti-LGBT trolls and refusing to boycott Bud Light First Amendment group sues Texas Governor and others over the state's TikTok ban on official devices Wembymania set to hit Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie 'can't wait' for his NBA debut at Summer League Joe Manchin fuels speculation around third-party 2024 run with No Labels event George Santos repays himself $85K raised from lackluster reelection fundraising

Police have fatally shot a Georgia gunman who went on the run after allegedly killing four people in a small town south of Atlanta. Andre Longmore, 40, was killed during a manhunt on Sunday afternoon, Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett confirmed to the WSB-TV station. “The monster is dead,” Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett told reporters on Sunday afternoon. “The entire state of Georgia can breathe a little easier tonight.” Authorities say that a Henry County deputy and a Clayton County police officer were wounded during the incident, but both are conscious. The deputy was taken by Life Flight to Grady Memorial Hospital for medical treatment. Officials say that officers exchanged gunfire with Longmore twice in nearby Clayton County before he was “neutralised” and declared dead, the sheriff added. Investigators say that Longmore killed four residents of Dogwood Lakes Drive and Dogwood Ridge around 10.45 am on Saturday. Hampton Police Chief James Turner identified the victims on Sunday as s Scott Levitt, 67; Shirley Levitt, 66; Steve Blizzard, 65; and Ronald Jeffers, 66. Police said that Longmore lived in the Dogwood Lakes Drive neighbourhood but they have not yet determined a motive for the shooting. “Wherever you are, we will hunt you down in whatever hole you may be hiding in and bring you into custody. Period,” Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett told reporters on Saturday. Police had identified the suspect as 40-year-old Andre Longmore, who they had obtained four warrants for and described him as being armed and dangerous. Hampton is a city of 8,500 residents located around an hour south of Atlanta, Georgia. Officials say that the last homicide was reported in 2018 and insisted it is one of the safest communities in the state. “This community is grieving,” Hampton city manager Alex Cohilas said on Sunday. “We’re thankful we have achieved a resolution in which no more loss of life has occurred.” And he added: “It’s just not normal for us.” The murders and the police response are under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Earlier, Frankie Worth, a resident of the neighbourhood, said he saw the suspect brandishing a black handgun and that he witnessed him fatally shoot his neighbour. “Just when I was about to open the window, I heard pow,” Worth told Atlanta’s WSB-TV. “When I opened the window, I saw (the gunman’s) arms up and he’s coming back down.” And he added: “When he realised the shot was good, he took the weapon, checked it for a minute, put it in his holster.” Read More In quiet Georgia subdivision, neighbor says he saw man accused of killing 4 shoot man in street At least four killed in Georgia mass shooting as police hunt ‘active shooter’ Usher’s ex-wife wants to drain Georgia lake where her son was killed

On the stage of an influential activist group’s two-day conference, far-right conspiracy theorists, Republican presidential candidates and members of Congress veered into Christian nationalist evangelising, QAnon-adjacent conspiracy mongering and a bleak picture of an America in rapid decline under Democratic leadership. The guest speakers at Turning Point USA’s inaugural Turning Point Action Conference in Florida repeatedly denied the existence of transgender people, claimed that support for Ukraine is built on a lie, and characterised President Joe Biden as both a frail and incapable stooge and the most corrupt politician of all time. And they professed their loyalty to both Donald Trump, who delivered rambling remarks in primetime on 15 July, and to Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News pundit celebrated by Turning Point guests as the key figure who can articulate their long list of grievances. In his own keynote address, a giddy Carlson turned his attention to what he perceives is a campaign of censorship and free speech targeting right-wing Americans, as he downplayed the January 6 attack, boosted false and misleading claims about Russia and Covid-19, and assured his audience that they “have a right to decide who you hate” on whatever basis they want. Carlson was fired from Fox News shortly after the network settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787m to avert a blockbuster defamation trial in which his segments and statements would be crucial evidence. He also is the subject of another defamation lawsuit against Fox from a man accused of being a federal agent who incited the riots. Carlson claimed there was never a national “conversation” about what happened in the election and its aftermath, despite the mountain of litigation, evidence, audits, bipartisan reports and jury verdicts that confirmed the results and brought convictions against hundreds of people who joined the assault. But he said that Americans who have questioned the outcome and the attack were “basically hounded out of public life,” including being fired from their jobs, which the crowd appeared to think was a reference to himself. “Pretty funny,” Carlson said, laughing. “Sorry, I was so into it I lost self-awareness for a minute.” Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump booster among Republican candidates vying for the 2024 Republican nomination, invented a baseless narrative about the January 6 attack, which he did not blame on bogus conspiracy theories or the actions of people who refused to accept a democratic election but on a “pervasive culture of censorship”. “When you tell people they can’t scream, that’s when they start tearing things down,” he said. In his remarks, the former president – the subject of separate criminal investigations into efforts to subvert the election’s outcome – repeated his baseless claim that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him and that the current probes are another attempt to “rig” the next. “Every time the radical left Democrats indict me, I consider it to be a great badge of honour and courage,” he said. “I am doing it for you. I am being indicted for you.” Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is seeking the Republican nomination, was met with boos and “Trump” chants when he got to the stage on Sunday afternoon. The former president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr later said on the stage that at least Mr Hutchsinson “had the b****” to show up to the conference, unlike the “absentee” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who did not appear at the event. Mr Trump, however, did not attend a separate Carlson-led evangelical summit on 14 July. He seized on his rival’s absence at Turning Point’s conference, where GOP members of Congress pledged their unending support to the former president. “Of course, we ride or die with President Donald John Trump,” Florida US Rep Matt Gaetz said in his remarks on Saturday. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who one day earlier was forced on the defensive after Carlson grilled him for supporting American military aid to Ukraine, did not appear at the Turning Point event. At Turning Point, Carlson continued his attacks on the former vice president and a narrative of Ukraine that has shaped an element of the Republican Party and its base while earning accolades from Russian state media. “If you’re a Christian leader and Christians are going to jail for their views, you are required to say something,” said Carlson, reviving a misleading narrative that accuses Ukraine’s Jewish leader Volodymyr Zelensky of persecuting Christian priests. “And if you don’t, you’re not much of a Christian leader.” “How thankful are we for Tucker Carlson revealing true snakes … who do not have our best interests in mind,” said right-wing commentator Benny Johnson, between cackling over viral clips of President Biden and “boos” directed at Mr Pence. But in speaker after speaker, in echoes of the Conservative Political Action Conference and Republican events and statehouses across the country, Turning Point’s agenda repeatedly turned to transgender people as a scapegoat for what pundits and candidates believe is America’s collapse. US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene launched into a transphobic speech using Jeff Foxworthy-style setups to accuse Democratic officials and voters of being paedophiles for supporting transition healthcare. Turning Point Action CEO Charlie Kirk spelt out explicitly that anti-trans attacks are a “winner politically for Republicans.” “There should be a healthy measure of ridicule,” former Fox News personality Megyn Kelly Kirk during a lengthy discussion about trans people and the erasure of trans rights. “These people are freaks. They’re perverts, by the way, if they go into a women’s locker room,” Kirk said. Asked how she feels about being labelled transphobic, Kelly said: “OK, whatever, honestly I’ve been called worse … Let them call you whatever you want. Who gives a damn.” Attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who unsuccessfully ran for chair of the Republican National Committee, opened the speaking lineup with a series of inflammatory claims about trans people and their families. She claimed that schools are “inflicting powerful psychological indoctrination on vulnerable children” and compared doctors who provide gender-affirming healthcare to Nazis in falsely labelling gender-affirming care a “Mengele-like experimentation on America’s children”. Throughout the conference, those remarks were often wrapped in evangelical-style preaching, with Pizzagate proponent and far-right activist Jack Posobiec screaming “Deliver us from evil” after reciting the Lord’s Prayer to the crowd. “There’s a book you can read called the Bible,” he said. “Everything that is happening today has been foretold.” Mr Gaetz announced that he plans to introduce legislation “so that in every classroom in America, there will be time for students to pray if they want to,” a measure that could appear to violate the establishment clause of the US Constitution and mandate Christian prayer in schools, which is already permitted. “God’s love does not halt for the limitations of man and God’s reach does not stop at the schoolhouse gates,” he said. The congressman said that the “beautiful” US Supreme Court “that Trump gave us” might end up upholding it, should it ever become law. Read More Trump news – live: Trump tells DeSantis to go back to Florida as governor’s campaign fires staff Trump knows he lost 2020 election but ‘ego’ won’t let him admit it, Chris Christie says Trump suggests he won’t participate in first GOP debate: ‘It’s actually not fair’ He was a loyal Fox News viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now Ray Epps is suing US support for Ukraine emerges as key dividing line between GOP 2024 hopefuls in Tucker Carlson-hosted forum

Donald Trump headlined the first of a two-day conference hosted by right-wing political activist group Turning Point USA alongside far-right lawmakers, candidates and pundits, including Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz. The former president’s rambling Saturday night address condemned investigations and criminal indictments against him while telling Ron DeSantis to “get home to Florida,” accusing his rival for the Republican nomination for president of neglecting the governor’s office. The campaign for Mr DeSantis, meanwhile, reported raising more than $20m in the first six weeks of his campaign, but roughly a dozen staffers were recently fired in a shakeup as his polling numbers trail the former president’s. Trump’s remarks came as his legal team presses courts in Georgia to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from investigating him for election interference and to quash the final report of a special purpose grand jury that recommends indictments against those in Trump’s circle. Attorneys filed similar petitions in both the Georgia Supreme Court and Fulton County Superior Court after a separate grand jury was sworn in to hear evidence surrounding attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Read More Donald Trump brands US a ‘third-world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’ Ron DeSantis campaign fires staff as Florida governor trails Trump in the polls Fundraising takeaways: Trump and DeSantis in their own tier as Pence and other Republicans struggle RFK Jr revives antisemitic conspiracy theory that Covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jewish people

Donald Trump has suggested he will not participate in the first debate among candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, telling Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that it’s “not fair” for candidates who are polling well to be asked questions alongside lower-polling candidates. “Well, you know, it’s quite an easy question normally,” the former president said in a taped interview that aired on Sunday Morning Futures on16 July when asked directly whether he will join the debate scheduled for 23 August. “Ronald Reagan didn’t do it. A lot of people didn’t do it. When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” he said. He added: “Why would you be doing a debate? It’s actually not fair. Why would you let someone that’s [polling] at zero, or one, or two, or three, you know, be popping you with questions.” The crowded field of candidates must hit certain fundraising and polling thresholds – and sign a “loyalty pledge” to support the eventual party nominee – to make it to the debate stage. Mr Trump’s appearance on the network comes one day after his rambling remarks to right-wing activist group Turning Point USA’s Turning Point Action Conference in Florida, where he painted a typically bleak picture of the state of the US and denied wrongdoing in the multiple investigations and indictments against him. Read More Trump news – live: Trump tells DeSantis to go back to Florida as governor’s campaign fires staff Donald Trump brands US a ‘third-world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’ 2024 GOP candidates desperate to make debate stage are finding creative ways to boost donor numbers

Ron DeSantis’ campaign has dismissed a number of staffers in an effort to trim costs months after the Florida governor entered the crowded 2024 GOP field. Politico first reported that around 10 staffers have parted ways in recent days. Some of the staffers may join an outside group affiliated with the DeSantis campaign, according to the report. Despite cruising to re-election in Florida on a hardline conservative agenda, Mr DeSantis has struggled to gain traction in the GOP primary. He consistently trails Donald Trump in polls as the former president has increased his attacks on Mr DeSantis. Campaign manager Generra Peck is under scrutiny for early staffing decisions, according to NBC News. “They never should have brought so many people on, the burn rate was way too high,” a GOP source told the network. “People warned the campaign manager but she wanted to hear none of it.” Mr DeSantis has focused his attention on Iowa in recent weeks, even telling reporters that he would consider Governor Kim Reynolds as a running-mate. The crucial first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses are less than six months away. The DeSantis campaign said the moves will allow the campaign to be more “nimble”. “Americans are rallying behind Ron DeSantis and his plan to reverse Joe Biden’s failures and restore sanity to our nation, and his momentum will only continue as voters see more of him in person, especially in Iowa,” Andrew Romeo said in a statement to The New York Times.. Defeating Joe Biden and the $72 million behind him will require a nimble and candidate-driven campaign, and we are building a movement to go the distance.” Read More 2024 GOP candidates desperate to make debate stage are finding creative ways to boost donor numbers DeSantis would consider Iowa's Reynolds as running mate, calls Trump's attack of her 'out of hand' Fundraising takeaways: Trump and DeSantis in their own tier as Pence and other Republicans struggle

Iraq’s prime minister held talks Sunday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus during the first trip of its kind to the war-torn country since the 12-year conflict began. Iraq and Syria have had close relations for years even after many Arab countries withdrew their ambassadors for Damascus and Syria’s membership in the 22-member Arab League was suspended because of the crackdown on protesters in 2011. Assad received Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who was heading a high-ranking delegation, at the presidential palace in Damascus. They discussed mutual relations and cooperation between the two neighboring countries among other issues, according to the office of Syria’s president. Al-Sudani’s office said in a statement that talks revolved around ways of expanding cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, transportation, tourism, how to combat climate change and collaboration to fight terrorism. Security cooperation against extremist groups was likely to be on top of the two-day visit's agenda. The two countries, where Iran enjoys wide influence, have a joint 600 kilometers-long (373 miles) border. In June 2014, the Islamic State group declared the establishment of a self-styled “caliphate,” a traditional model of Islamic rule, in wide areas under its control in Iraq and Syria. After a yearslong campaign that left tens of thousands dead in both countries, IS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in March 2019 in Syria. Over the past years, Syrian government forces regained control of much of Syria with the help of Russia and Iran. Earlier this year, Syria’s membership in the Arab League was reinstated and Assad attended the Arab summit that was held in Saudi Arabia in May. Al-Sudani was invited to visit Damascus during a trip by Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to Baghdad last month. The U.S. has a presence in both Syria and Iraq and Syrian officials have been calling for the withdrawal of American troops from the country who first arrived in 2015. On any given day there are at least 900 U.S. forces in Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contractors attempting to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State group. U.S. special operations forces also move in and out of the country but are usually in small teams and are not included in the official count. U.S.-led coalition forces have officially ended their combat mission in Iraq, but continue to play an advisory role to Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Sunday he plans to resign at the next Cabinet reshuffle after four years in the job. Wallace has served as defense secretary under three prime ministers and played a key role in the U.K.'s response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He told The Sunday Times his departure was due to the strain his job had put on his family. He also said he would stand down as a lawmaker at the next general election. Wallace is the longest continuously serving minister in government. He was security minister under former Prime Minister Theresa May, before being promoted to defense secretary by her successor Boris Johnson. Wallace drew criticism last week when he suggested that Ukraine should show “gratitude” for the West's military support. He made the remark at the NATO summit in Lithuania after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration about when his country could join the military alliance. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself from Wallace's comments, saying Zelenskyy had “expressed his gratitude for what we've done on a number of occasions.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

Donald Trump branded the US a “third-world hellhole” run by “perverts” and “thugs” in his latest 2024 campaign speech. The one-term president told the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida that the American dream was “dead” under Joe Biden as he relentlessly mocked his predecessor “The election will decide whether your generation will inherit a fascist country or a free country, “ Mr Trump told the conference of younger conservative activists on Saturday. “Millions of illegal aliens have stormed across our borders, it is an invasion, like a military invasion. Our rights and liberties are being torn to shreds. “Your country is being turned into a third-world hellhole, run by censors, perverts criminals and thugs.” And Mr Trump continued to paint a bleak picture of America in the year before the next presidential election. “We are in big trouble, today the greatest threat is not for the outside the greatest threat. It is the sick, sinister and evil forces are trying to destroy our country from within,” he claimed. “If you have the right leadership China is not a problem, if you have the right leadership Russia would not be a problem. They would not have done what they did, believe me, they would never have done it.” And he added: “Your task, your calling, your historic mission is to liberate America from these communists, racists, Marxists, globalists and warmongers who want to plunder the future of our country.” And Mr Trump also claimed that he intended to “reclaim colleges” and “choke off the money” to universities that are leading a “Marxist assault” on “Western civilization itself.” “After 50 years of leftist domination in the universities, I will take bold action to reclaim our colleges from the Communist left…anti-American radicals will no longer be given a free hand to dominate our institutions of higher learning.” And he added: “The days of subsidizing communist indoctrination … are over.” Mr Trump also told the crowd at the event that he viewed his indictments as a “great badge of honour.” “Every time the radical left Democrats indict me, I consider it to be a great badge of honour and courage. I am doing it for you. I am being indicted for you. Better me than you and I believe the you is more than 200 million people,” he said. Read More Trump news – live: Trump headlines Turning Point event with Tucker and GOP allies as investigations close in DeSantis would consider Iowa's Reynolds as running mate, calls Trump's attack of her 'out of hand' Fundraising takeaways: Trump and DeSantis in their own tier as Pence and other Republicans struggle US support for Ukraine emerges as key dividing line between GOP 2024 hopefuls in Tucker Carlson-hosted forum The Iowa caucuses are six months away. Some Republicans worry Trump may be unstoppable DeSantis would consider Iowa's Reynolds as running mate, calls Trump's attack of her 'out of hand' Fundraising takeaways: Trump and DeSantis in their own tier as Pence and other Republicans struggle Trump headlines Turning Point event with Tucker and GOP allies – latest