Democrats line up probes on Trump
WASHINGTON : Donald Trump has complained of “Presidential harassment” in anticipation of a slew of hearings and investigations Democrats plan to launch against him and his administration when they take charge of the House of Representatives, which they won in the midterm elections.
Democrats in line for major leadership positions in the new House have indicated plans for hearings on at least 12 issues, The Washington Post reported. The list is more than 85 according to Axios that said Democrats are loading up a “subpoena cannon”.
Issues at stake include his alleged attempts to influence the ongoing Russia probe, sacking of attorney general Jeff Sessions and FBI director James Comey, immigration actions such as family separations, the FBI probe of allegations against Supreme Court judge Brett Kavanaugh, and Trump family businesses.
Democrats have been re-energised not by just their victory in the House but also the margin — on their way to winning 40 seats as counting continues. They lost some senate seats, but picked up one in Arizona on Monday, for a seat vacated by a Republican, taking the party’s tally to 47. They are now ready for a fight.
“The prospect of Presidential Harassment by the Dems is causing the Stock Market big headaches!” the president tweeted on Monday.
TRUMP HITS OUT AT FRENCH PRESIDENT
The US president launched a series of attacks on his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a Twitter-storm on Tuesday and hinted at a tariff war with France over wines.
Trump said in one tweet that Macron had very low approval rating in France, was strapped with high jobless numbers and was trying to distract attention from them when he spoke of the difference between “patriotism” and “nationalism”.
Macron had drawn the distinction at a public event in France to commemorate 100 years of the end of World War 1. With Trump looking on, Macron had said nationalism was a “betrayal of patriotism”. It was widely seen as a public rebuke of Trump.
Back home, Trump attacked Macron for suggesting a separate European army to defend the continent. In another tweet. he complained about “big tariffs” imposed by France on wines imported from America, compared to the “very small tariffs” levied by the United States on French wines.