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| FBI director testifies to Congress over Clinton email investigation – politics live | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 3.18pm BST | |
| 15:18 | |
| Cummings asks Comey to explain again why he did not recommend prosecuting Clinton. (Attorney general Loretta Lynch took the recommendation.) “There is a perceived gap between the things you said on Tuesday and your recommendation... I beg you to fill the gap,” Cummings says. | |
| Cummings: “I condemn these completely unwarranted political attacks against you... they have suggested that you were somehow bought and paid for.” | |
| Even if it takes till hell freezes over, I beg you to close the gap. Tell us what happened between what you found and your decision... so that Americans will understand. | |
| 3.15pm BST | |
| 15:15 | |
| Ranking member Elijah Cummings sounds very much as if he would like this hearing to frame up as an attack by Republicans on Comey, as opposed to an exploration by Republicans of Comey’s negative conclusions about Clinton’s handling of top secret government material. | |
| “You’re being summoned here to answer for your alleged transgressions,” Cummings tells Comey. “And in a sense, Mr director, you’re on trial. | |
| “There is absolutely that you made your recommendation for political reasons. No evidence that you were bribed or [subject to] coercion.” | |
| Comey must be very gratified to hear Cummings highlight that he was not bribed. | |
| 3.10pm BST | |
| 15:10 | |
| Chaffetz: 'there does seem to be two standards' | |
| Chaffetz: “I hope in this hearing we can stick to the facts, because there does seem to be two standards. There does seem to be no consequence. And I want to understand this.” | |
| "We're mystified and confused by the fact pattern you laid out and the conclusions that you reached," Chaffetz tells FBI Director Comey. | |
| "Average Joe" would "be in handcuffs" if did what FBI says Clinton did, Chaffetz says. | |
| First 10 minutes into Comey hearing -- instead of praising Comey (and his reprimand of Clinton), House Republicans are criticizing him | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.12pm BST | |
| 3.08pm BST | |
| 15:08 | |
| FBI director Comey begins testimony | |
| House oversight committee chairman Jason Chaffetz is delivering an opening statement in today’s hearing with witness James Comey on the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. | |
| Here’s a live video feed: | |
| 1.46pm BST | 1.46pm BST |
| 13:46 | 13:46 |
| Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House, which took a new turn for the weird last night as Donald Trump delivered an off-topic, compulsive, and meandering speech in Ohio and followed it up with a tweet about the Disney movie Frozen. | Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House, which took a new turn for the weird last night as Donald Trump delivered an off-topic, compulsive, and meandering speech in Ohio and followed it up with a tweet about the Disney movie Frozen. |
| More on all that shortly. But first we’d note that Trump this morning is on Capitol Hill to meet with Republican lawmakers, and FBI director James Comey is scheduled to testify before the House oversight committee about the bureau’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of private email. We’ll have full coverage of Comey’s appearance here in the blog. | More on all that shortly. But first we’d note that Trump this morning is on Capitol Hill to meet with Republican lawmakers, and FBI director James Comey is scheduled to testify before the House oversight committee about the bureau’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of private email. We’ll have full coverage of Comey’s appearance here in the blog. |
| Some Republican lawmakers have said they aren’t sure whether they have time to meet with Trump today, reports Lauren Fox in Talking Points Memo: | Some Republican lawmakers have said they aren’t sure whether they have time to meet with Trump today, reports Lauren Fox in Talking Points Memo: |
| “I have not looked at my schedule yet to know,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) said when asked by reporters if he planned to attend the meeting with Trump. “I’m very wrapped up – as you know in this terror bill right now. That’s what I’m totally focused on” ... | “I have not looked at my schedule yet to know,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) said when asked by reporters if he planned to attend the meeting with Trump. “I’m very wrapped up – as you know in this terror bill right now. That’s what I’m totally focused on” ... |
| “I’m not sure I’m even going to be able to attend the meeting yet,” Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) – another member facing re-election – said as he dashed into an elevator in the basement of the Capitol. “I just don’t know what I got on my schedule for tomorrow.” | “I’m not sure I’m even going to be able to attend the meeting yet,” Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) – another member facing re-election – said as he dashed into an elevator in the basement of the Capitol. “I just don’t know what I got on my schedule for tomorrow.” |
| To Capitol Hill comes Trump, report @rachaelmbade and @BresPolitico. https://t.co/iqgF7yPSW0 pic.twitter.com/se6FryLqdZ | To Capitol Hill comes Trump, report @rachaelmbade and @BresPolitico. https://t.co/iqgF7yPSW0 pic.twitter.com/se6FryLqdZ |
| Why would lawmakers be loath to meet Trump? Some may view the presumptive nominee as a political liability, for reasons encapsulated perhaps in a speech Trump gave in Cincinnati, Ohio, alongside former House speaker Newt Gingrich last night. | Why would lawmakers be loath to meet Trump? Some may view the presumptive nominee as a political liability, for reasons encapsulated perhaps in a speech Trump gave in Cincinnati, Ohio, alongside former House speaker Newt Gingrich last night. |
| Trump’s Cincinnati speech, which Democratic operatives are urging people to watch and to share, might have focused on the announcement just a day earlier of the FBI’s finding that Clinton had been “extremely careless” in her handling of classified material. | Trump’s Cincinnati speech, which Democratic operatives are urging people to watch and to share, might have focused on the announcement just a day earlier of the FBI’s finding that Clinton had been “extremely careless” in her handling of classified material. |
| Instead Trump passionately rejoined a debate over whether an image he tweeted last Saturday was antisemitic. The image featured what many saw as a Star of David and the words “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!” placed over a picture of Clinton and a pile of money. | Instead Trump passionately rejoined a debate over whether an image he tweeted last Saturday was antisemitic. The image featured what many saw as a Star of David and the words “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!” placed over a picture of Clinton and a pile of money. |
| The image, which the campaign deleted after it was tweeted, was scraped from a website trafficking in hate speech, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, referred on Wednesday to its dissemination by the campaign as a “careless” act. In contrast, Trump had insisted the star in the image was a “sheriff’s star, or plain star,” not a Star of David. | The image, which the campaign deleted after it was tweeted, was scraped from a website trafficking in hate speech, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, referred on Wednesday to its dissemination by the campaign as a “careless” act. In contrast, Trump had insisted the star in the image was a “sheriff’s star, or plain star,” not a Star of David. |
| Trump used his Cincinnati appearance to advance his side of what has become a debate with his son-in-law. “I said, ‘You shouldn’t have taken it down,” Trump said. “They took the star down,” he added. “I said, ‘Too bad, you should have left it up.’ I would rather have defended it.” | Trump used his Cincinnati appearance to advance his side of what has become a debate with his son-in-law. “I said, ‘You shouldn’t have taken it down,” Trump said. “They took the star down,” he added. “I said, ‘Too bad, you should have left it up.’ I would rather have defended it.” |
| After the speech, Trump sought to cinch his case by tweeting a picture of a Frozen-themed sticker book bearing a six-pointed star. | After the speech, Trump sought to cinch his case by tweeting a picture of a Frozen-themed sticker book bearing a six-pointed star. |
| Trump’s tweet used the hashtag #Frozen. | Trump’s tweet used the hashtag #Frozen. |
| Where is the outrage for this Disney book? Is this the 'Star of David' also? Dishonest media! #Frozen pic.twitter.com/4LJBpSm8xa | Where is the outrage for this Disney book? Is this the 'Star of David' also? Dishonest media! #Frozen pic.twitter.com/4LJBpSm8xa |
| The tweet elicited a response from the Clinton campaign, which wrapped its rejoinder in an allusion to a song from the animated film, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?: | The tweet elicited a response from the Clinton campaign, which wrapped its rejoinder in an allusion to a song from the animated film, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?: |
| Do you want to build a strawman? https://t.co/AoeNTJOGpo | Do you want to build a strawman? https://t.co/AoeNTJOGpo |
| Trump ranged in his Cincinnati speech across other favored topics of late, including Saddam Hussein’s killing prowess and the virtues of his friend Don King, the controversial boxing promoter. He also swatted at a mosquito, talked about his dislike for mosquitoes and then seemed to compare the mosquito to Hilary Clinton. | Trump ranged in his Cincinnati speech across other favored topics of late, including Saddam Hussein’s killing prowess and the virtues of his friend Don King, the controversial boxing promoter. He also swatted at a mosquito, talked about his dislike for mosquitoes and then seemed to compare the mosquito to Hilary Clinton. |
| Donald Trump swats mosquito: "Speaking of mosquitoes, hello Hillary, how are you doing?" https://t.co/UYpqI3w42L https://t.co/Im4XruT6EY | Donald Trump swats mosquito: "Speaking of mosquitoes, hello Hillary, how are you doing?" https://t.co/UYpqI3w42L https://t.co/Im4XruT6EY |
| Things Trump just triple downed on: 1) Star of David tweet 2) Saddam Hussein an A+ killer, yay! 3) Don King 4) Being insane | Things Trump just triple downed on: 1) Star of David tweet 2) Saddam Hussein an A+ killer, yay! 3) Don King 4) Being insane |
| Read Ben Jacobs’ write-up here: | Read Ben Jacobs’ write-up here: |
| Related: Trump defends 'antisemitic' Clinton tweet and praise for Saddam Hussein | Related: Trump defends 'antisemitic' Clinton tweet and praise for Saddam Hussein |
| Trump’s antics prompted thoughtful conservatives to muse that Trump is not actually trying to win the election: | Trump’s antics prompted thoughtful conservatives to muse that Trump is not actually trying to win the election: |
| @BuzzFeedAndrew Honestly not convinced he truly wants it. Seems like he’s trying to derail candidacy at every step. | @BuzzFeedAndrew Honestly not convinced he truly wants it. Seems like he’s trying to derail candidacy at every step. |
| Perhaps.But if thought of winning doesn't terrify Trump, why he is walking naked down Main Street playing the kazoo? https://t.co/CHenTd9HJ7 | Perhaps.But if thought of winning doesn't terrify Trump, why he is walking naked down Main Street playing the kazoo? https://t.co/CHenTd9HJ7 |
| Ryan formalizes request that Clinton be denied intelligence briefing | Ryan formalizes request that Clinton be denied intelligence briefing |
| House speaker Paul Ryan has written a letter to director of national intelligence James Clapper asking that Clinton be denied the in-depth intelligence briefings she would typically receive after officially becoming the presidential nominee, because she failed, the FBI found, to protect classified information as secretary of state. | House speaker Paul Ryan has written a letter to director of national intelligence James Clapper asking that Clinton be denied the in-depth intelligence briefings she would typically receive after officially becoming the presidential nominee, because she failed, the FBI found, to protect classified information as secretary of state. |
| In letter to DNI Clapper, @SpeakerRyan has formally requested that he deny @HillaryClinton from classified briefings pic.twitter.com/Ro6NcG5cAp | In letter to DNI Clapper, @SpeakerRyan has formally requested that he deny @HillaryClinton from classified briefings pic.twitter.com/Ro6NcG5cAp |
| Clinton statement on death of Alton Sterling | Clinton statement on death of Alton Sterling |
| The Clinton campaign late Wednesday released a statement on the police killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after the justice department announced it was opening a civil rights investigation. | The Clinton campaign late Wednesday released a statement on the police killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after the justice department announced it was opening a civil rights investigation. |
| “The death of Alton Sterling is a tragedy, and my prayers are with his family, including his five children,” Clinton’s statement says. “From Staten Island to Baltimore, Ferguson to Baton Rouge, too many African American families mourn the loss of a loved one from a police-involved incident. Something is profoundly wrong when so many Americans have reason to believe that our country doesn’t consider them as precious as others because of the color of their skin.” | “The death of Alton Sterling is a tragedy, and my prayers are with his family, including his five children,” Clinton’s statement says. “From Staten Island to Baltimore, Ferguson to Baton Rouge, too many African American families mourn the loss of a loved one from a police-involved incident. Something is profoundly wrong when so many Americans have reason to believe that our country doesn’t consider them as precious as others because of the color of their skin.” |
| Thanks for reading and please join us in the comments. | Thanks for reading and please join us in the comments. |