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| Barr assigns attorney to find how Trump-Russia investigation began – live updates | Barr assigns attorney to find how Trump-Russia investigation began – live updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia at a time of heightened fears of a clash between the US and Iran, a Moscow ally. | |
| It is the first high-level meeting between US and Russian leaders since the partial release of the Mueller report, which at length documents the Russian sabotage of the 2016 election. Donald Trump and Putin spoke on the phone shortly after the report was published. | |
| A Kremlin spokesman, before the meeting on Tuesday, accused the US of applying a “maximum pressure policy” against Iran, a reference to a harsh US sanctions regime and military deployments to the Middle East. | |
| “President Putin has said repeatedly that he could not understand the maximum pressure policy,” Peskov told journalists on Tuesday morning. | |
| Tensions with Iran are the latest crisis troubling the US-Russia relationship, which was severely disrupted by accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Pompeo and Putin are expected to discuss issues from nuclear arms control to the recent unrest in Venezuela, where Russia backs the government of Nicolás Maduro and the US backs opposition leaders. | |
| Pompeo arrived in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday afternoon, telling the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov: “I am here today because President Trump is committed to improving this relationship.” | |
| Read further: | |
| Pompeo to meet Putin in Russia amid fears over US-Iran clash | |
| On one side, the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives demands documents from Donald Trump and aides: tax records, business documents, emails, legal opinions. The constitution prescribes that Congress oversee the other two branches of government and subpoenas are a favorite tool. | |
| On the other side, Trump responds: No. | |
| Some analysts call it a constitutional crisis unfolding in real time; others say we’re not there until a court issues an order which Trump then actually defies. But in a little more than an hour we could have a major development in one of the big Trump-House standoffs. | |
| The House Oversight and Reform Committee has subpoenaed one of Trump’s accounting firms, Mazars USA, for eight years of Trump’s financial records. The president sued to stop the release of the records. And at 11am judge Amit Mehta in the Washington DC district will convene a hearing and make a ruling about whether the records must be turned over. | |
| While it’s not known how Mehta will rule, the judge earlier denied a Trump request to slow-walk the case, in a move taken not to be a good sign for Trump. | |
| On the subject of markets – the Dow Jones Industrial Average has opened up slightly, a half a point in the green on the day so far. It fell a bit more than three points on Monday. | On the subject of markets – the Dow Jones Industrial Average has opened up slightly, a half a point in the green on the day so far. It fell a bit more than three points on Monday. |
| Donald Trump spent at least an hour and some 1,400 characters on Tuesday morning tweeting a defense of his tariffs on Chinese goods, which China has responded to with retaliatory tariffs, precipitating a dive on Monday in the US markets. Asian markets fell less sharply and European markets opened Tuesday slightly up. | Donald Trump spent at least an hour and some 1,400 characters on Tuesday morning tweeting a defense of his tariffs on Chinese goods, which China has responded to with retaliatory tariffs, precipitating a dive on Monday in the US markets. Asian markets fell less sharply and European markets opened Tuesday slightly up. |
| Trump said on Tuesday that “Tariffs have rebuilt our Steel Industry - it is booming!”, “we are in a fantastic position”, “We are in a much better position now than any deal we could have made” and “Other countries are already negotiating with us because they don’t want this to happen to them.” | Trump said on Tuesday that “Tariffs have rebuilt our Steel Industry - it is booming!”, “we are in a fantastic position”, “We are in a much better position now than any deal we could have made” and “Other countries are already negotiating with us because they don’t want this to happen to them.” |
| Companies from Apple to Boeing to Caterpillar have reason to disagree with Trump’s rosy assessment, and economists warn that the retaliatory trade war just commenced could drive up costs for consumers. | Companies from Apple to Boeing to Caterpillar have reason to disagree with Trump’s rosy assessment, and economists warn that the retaliatory trade war just commenced could drive up costs for consumers. |
| “Enjoy!” Trump concluded. | “Enjoy!” Trump concluded. |
| Read further on Trump’s tariffs: | Read further on Trump’s tariffs: |
| Trump defends China tariffs as trade war leaves allies and opponents in bind | Trump defends China tariffs as trade war leaves allies and opponents in bind |
| Hello and welcome to our daily politics coverage. | Hello and welcome to our daily politics coverage. |
| US attorney general William Barr has put the power of the justice department behind a Donald Trump talking point by assigning a US attorney to examine the origins of an FBI investigation into Russia and the Trump campaign, according to the Associated Press. | US attorney general William Barr has put the power of the justice department behind a Donald Trump talking point by assigning a US attorney to examine the origins of an FBI investigation into Russia and the Trump campaign, according to the Associated Press. |
| Barr told Congress in April that he believes “spying did occur” on Trump’s 2016 campaign, though he later said he didn’t use the word with negative connotations. The appointment of a US attorney to investigate the investigation follows years of Trump and his supporters claiming the justice department and FBI spied on his campaign. | Barr told Congress in April that he believes “spying did occur” on Trump’s 2016 campaign, though he later said he didn’t use the word with negative connotations. The appointment of a US attorney to investigate the investigation follows years of Trump and his supporters claiming the justice department and FBI spied on his campaign. |
| Jim Baker, FBI general counsel at the time the Russia investigation was launched, pushed back forcefully on Friday against Trump’s conspiracy theory. | Jim Baker, FBI general counsel at the time the Russia investigation was launched, pushed back forcefully on Friday against Trump’s conspiracy theory. |
| “[The campaign probe] was about Russia. We’ve written about this. It was about Russia, period, full stop,” Baker said in an interview at the Brookings Institution. “When the Papadopoulos information comes across our radar screen it’s coming across in the sense we were always looking at Russia. I don’t know how long the FBI had its focus on Russia, but it predates the Soviet Union...we have been thinking about Russia as a threat actor and the Soviet Union before for decades and decades.” | “[The campaign probe] was about Russia. We’ve written about this. It was about Russia, period, full stop,” Baker said in an interview at the Brookings Institution. “When the Papadopoulos information comes across our radar screen it’s coming across in the sense we were always looking at Russia. I don’t know how long the FBI had its focus on Russia, but it predates the Soviet Union...we have been thinking about Russia as a threat actor and the Soviet Union before for decades and decades.” |
| Relatedly, a Guardian exclusive revealed today that Steve Bannon, while serving as Trump’ adviser in 2017, sought to ensure the FBI saw itself as an ally of the White House. | Relatedly, a Guardian exclusive revealed today that Steve Bannon, while serving as Trump’ adviser in 2017, sought to ensure the FBI saw itself as an ally of the White House. |
| Steve Bannon sought alliance with FBI in 2017 White House meeting | Steve Bannon sought alliance with FBI in 2017 White House meeting |
| Also today, the president travels to Louisiana this afternoon to make a speech about energy infrastructure and the economy. He’ll stick around for a fundraiser before returning to Washington. | Also today, the president travels to Louisiana this afternoon to make a speech about energy infrastructure and the economy. He’ll stick around for a fundraiser before returning to Washington. |
| Separately, we expect to hear from Senate leaders from both parties in press conferences this afternoon, as the legislature remains locked in a standoff with Trump over subpoenas for testimony and documents from Donald Trump Jr, attorney general William Barr, the former White House counsel Don McGahn and others. | Separately, we expect to hear from Senate leaders from both parties in press conferences this afternoon, as the legislature remains locked in a standoff with Trump over subpoenas for testimony and documents from Donald Trump Jr, attorney general William Barr, the former White House counsel Don McGahn and others. |