Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda – US politics live | US politics
Trump staged ‘hostile takeover’ of US 250th anniversary to serve ‘political ideology’
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics.
A congressional report released today found that Donald Trump hijacked America’s 250th anniversary celebrations to serve “political ideology and pet projects.”
The interim report, titled “From Vanity to Madness: How the White House Cheated the American People on Their 250th Birthdays,” outlines a network in which alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-for-play schemes were organized through a shadow company based in the United States. National Park Foundation (NPF).
The report alleges that the president engaged in a hostile takeover of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations to enrich political allies, collect voter data and promote Christian nationalist ideology.
In 2016, Congress established the United States Bicentennial Commission, which operates as a nonprofit organization. America250 Foundationplanning the nation’s 2026 celebrations on a nonpartisan basis. However, during the Trump era, the White House launched a sustained pressure campaign to include the commission.
When America250 leadership resisted demands to shift the focus to partisan, campaign-style demonstrations, the Trump administration created: Freedom 250 As a wholly owned subsidiary of NPF authorized by Congress.
The interim report included taking control of the NPF board and appointing key campaign officials such as Meredith O’Rourke. Chris LaCivitaThe White House secured a nontransparent vehicle that leveraged the NPF’s nonpartisan credibility and tax-exempt status while operating outside standard government transparency laws.
California congressman Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the natural resources committee, said:
I can’t remember anything even remotely similar to this in my time here in Congress: watching the National Parks Foundation, this trusted, respected charity, literally be hijacked for a craven political agenda that is trying to hijack America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and turn it into something all about Trump, advancing this deeply divisive agenda and even enriching Trump and those around him.
Read the full report here:
In other developments:
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Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Todd BlancheHe said federal prosecutors and law enforcement will focus on preventing pregnant noncitizens from giving birth in the United States and gaining birthright citizenship. didn’t mention this Donald Trump‘s father was born in New York to a noncitizen mother who was six months pregnant.
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Trump sidestepped questions about the $1.2 billion he earned from his crypto businesses, according to his latest annual financial disclosures.
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Trump has refused to renew the North American trade agreement, which he once defended as a signature deal, opting instead to keep the pact alive with short-term annual reviews.
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Mayor of New York, Zohran MamdaniHe plans to deliver what his office calls a “major address” on Friday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, “surrounded by recently naturalized citizens.”
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A federal judge has blocked a proposed restriction on mail voting across the United States, objecting to Donald Trump’s mandated crackdown on the election.
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During a visit to a new museum dedicated to Theodore RooseveltTrump asked the 26th president about his artificial intelligence comment on the Panama Canal. Trump later lied to his supporters about the exchange.
important events
Trump refuses to renew US-Canada-Mexico trade deal he once supported
Joseph Gideon
Donald Trump has refused to renew the North American trade agreement, which he once championed as a signature deal, opting instead to keep the agreement alive briefly with annual reviews rather than committing to another 16 years.
Wednesday was the deadline in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for the three countries to jointly determine their fate, which expires in 2036.
Following virtual talks between officials from all three governments, the US trade representative’s office confirmed that Washington had abandoned renewing the agreement on current terms, pointing to continued US trade deficits with both neighbours.
However, this rejection does not directly eliminate the agreement. The USMCA will remain in effect while negotiations continue, but will now be subject to review every year rather than every sixth as originally intended.
A senior administration official who briefed reporters on the phone call announcing the decision said Trump “chose not to approve the USMCA renewal without addressing existing issues.”
The official added: “So the United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. So the bottom line is that the USMCA is not being renewed.”
US trade representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement that the US “will continue to engage with Mexico and Canada to address the shortcomings of the agreement.”
Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said at a press conference on Wednesday that his government wants to address the issues raised by the United States regarding foreign dependence.
“There is no difference between Mexico, the United States and Canada that I would identify that is so large that we cannot resolve it,” he said, according to Reuters.
Trump staged ‘hostile takeover’ of US 250th anniversary to serve ‘political ideology’
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics.
A congressional report released today found that Donald Trump hijacked America’s 250th anniversary celebrations to serve “political ideology and pet projects.”
The interim report, titled “From Arrogance to Madness: How the White House Cheated the American People on their 250th Birthday,” outlines a network in which allegations of corruption, wire fraud and pay-for-play schemes were organized through a shadow company based in the United States. National Park Foundation (NPF).
The report alleges that the president engaged in a hostile takeover of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations to enrich political allies, collect voter data and promote Christian nationalist ideology.
In 2016, Congress established the United States Bicentennial Commission, which operates as a nonprofit organization. America250 Foundationplanning the nation’s 2026 celebrations on a nonpartisan basis. However, during the Trump era, the White House launched a sustained pressure campaign to include the commission.
When America250 leadership resisted demands to shift the focus to partisan, campaign-style demonstrations, the Trump administration created: Freedom 250 As a wholly owned subsidiary of NPF authorized by Congress.
The interim report included taking control of the NPF board and appointing key campaign officials such as Meredith O’Rourke. Chris LaCivitaThe White House secured a nontransparent vehicle that leveraged the NPF’s nonpartisan credibility and tax-exempt status while operating outside standard government transparency laws.
California congressman Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the natural resources committee, said:
I can’t remember anything even remotely similar to this in my time here in Congress: watching the National Parks Foundation, this trusted, respected charity, literally be hijacked for a craven political agenda that is trying to hijack America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and turn it into something all about Trump, advancing this deeply divisive agenda and even enriching Trump and those around him.
Read the full report here:
In other developments:
-
Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Todd BlancheHe said federal prosecutors and law enforcement will focus on preventing pregnant noncitizens from giving birth in the United States and gaining birthright citizenship. didn’t mention this Donald Trump‘s father was born in New York to a noncitizen mother who was six months pregnant.
-
Trump sidestepped questions about the $1.2 billion he earned from his crypto businesses, according to his latest annual financial disclosures.
-
Trump has refused to renew the North American trade agreement, which he once defended as a signature deal, opting instead to keep the pact alive with short-term annual reviews.
-
Mayor of New York, Zohran MamdaniHe plans to deliver what his office calls a “major address” on Friday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, “surrounded by recently naturalized citizens.”
-
A federal judge has blocked a proposed restriction on mail voting across the United States, objecting to Donald Trump’s mandated crackdown on the election.
-
During a visit to a new museum dedicated to Theodore RooseveltTrump asked the 26th president about his artificial intelligence comment on the Panama Canal. Trump later lied to his supporters about the exchange.
