Trump fights Republicans over £1trn plan

DONALD TRUMP has threatened to launch alternative candidates against Republican politicians who back Joe Biden’s $1trillion (£716billion) infrastructure plan.

The former president condemned members of his own party who cooperated on the project, saying they were “ruining America, right alongside communist Democrats”.

After months of negotiations 17 of the 50 Republicans in the US Senate voted with Democrats to start formal consideration of the bill.

It was unclear how many would ultimately vote in favour. Mr Trump attacked Mitch Mcconnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, as “weak”.

He said: “It [the infrastructure bill] is a loser for the USA, a terrible deal, and makes the Republicans look weak, foolish, and dumb. It shouldn’t be done.

“Don’t do it Republicans. Patriots will never forget!”

Mr Biden welcomed the bipartisan move because it showed America can “do big things”.

He said the bill included the most significant long-term investments in nearly a century, and compared it to building the transcontinental railroad and the interstate highway system. Mr Biden said: “This deal signals to the world that our democracy can function. We will once again transform America and it will propel us into the future.”

A major infrastructure bill was one of the key planks of Mr Biden’s campaign.

The 700-page bill includes $110billion for highways, $65 billion for broadband, and $73billion to modernise the electric grid. There would also be $25billion for airports, $55billion for waterworks, $50billion to bolster infrastructure against cyberattacks and climate change, and $7.5billion for electric vehicle charging stations.

Some of the money to pay for it would come from redirecting Covid relief funds.