logo
Trump revives old grievances in Oval Office rant, accusing Obama of treason

Trump revives old grievances in Oval Office rant, accusing Obama of treason

CBC4 days ago
U.S. President Donald Trump rehashed long-standing grievances Tuesday over the Russia investigation that shadowed much of his first term, criticizing former president Barack Obama and others following a new report from his intelligence director aimed at casting doubt on long-established findings about Moscow's interference in the 2016 election.
"It's time to go after people," Trump said from the Oval Office, as he repeated a baseless claim that Obama and other officials had engaged in treason.
Trump accused the former president, without evidence, of being the "ringleader" of a conspiracy to get him. "The leader of the gang was President Obama," he said. "He's guilty.... This was treason."
The former president's office issued a rare response to the allegations, saying "these bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.
"Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response," said Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush. "But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one."
Rodenbush emphasized that multiple investigations, including a bipartisan examination by the Senate intelligence committee, found that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election.
Obama has never been accused of any wrongdoing as part of the Russia investigation. As well, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court opinion from last year shields former presidents from prosecution for official acts conducted in office.
Deflecting questions about Epstein case
Trump launched his rant after being asked about the U.S. Justice Department's effort to speak with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted of helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls.
"I don't really follow that too much," he said. "It's sort of a witch hunt, a continuation of the witch hunt."
Trump is under pressure from conspiracy-minded segments of his political MAGA base to release more about the Epstein case. He's tried to move on, which Democrats say is because of his association with Epstein. Trump has denied knowledge or involvement of Epstein's crimes and said he ended their friendship years ago.
Adding to that pressure is a recent Wall Street Journal story of a crude letter that Trump purportedly wrote to Epstein in 2003, alluding to secrets they shared. Trump has denied writing the letter and is now suing the paper and its owners.
As the scrutiny has grown in recent weeks, Trump administration officials have escalated their focus on other matters like the Russia investigation.
House shut down to avoid Epstein vote
Meantime, House Speaker Mike Johnson rebuffed pressure to act on the investigation into Epstein, moving instead to send members home early for a month-long break from Washington after the week's legislative agenda was upended by Republican members clamouring for a vote.
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said Tuesday morning that he wants to give the White House "space" to release the Epstein information on its own, despite the bipartisan push for legislation that aims to force the release of more documents.
"There's no purpose for the Congress to push an administration to do something they're already doing," Johnson said at his weekly press conference, his last before lawmakers depart Washington on Wednesday for their traditional August recess.
Under pressure from right-wing online influencers, as well as voters back home, rank-and-file Republicans are demanding that the House intervene in the matter.
"The public's not going to let this die, and rightfully so," said Rep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican.
WATCH | Seeking to distract:
Are Trump's social posts an Epstein distraction tactic?
18 hours ago
Political wedge
Even with the month-long break, the pressure on Johnson is unlikely to end.
Frustration in the House has been running high since last week, when Republican leaders signalled possible support for a vote on a bipartisan resolution to require the Justice Department and FBI to release all government documents on Epstein as they raced to pass a $9-billion US package of spending cuts.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican whose contrarian stances are often a thorn in the side of leadership, is gathering support for a legislative manoeuvre to force the bipartisan bill to a House vote, even without leadership's consent.
"Now, there are a lot of people here in the swamp who think that, 'Oh, well, if we spend five weeks on vacation, the pressure for this will dissipate.' I don't think it's going to dissipate," Massie told reporters Monday evening.
Democrats have repeatedly tried to force votes on the matter.
"It's about transparency in government. It's about whose side are you on? Are you on the side of the rich and powerful, protecting men? Or are you on the side of young girls and America's children?" said Rep. Ro Khanna, the California Democrat who put forward the legislation alongside Massie.
Epstein sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, exploiting vulnerable girls as young as 14, authorities say. He couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion, prosecutors contend.
Massie said the case is palpable enough to carry significant political consequences.
"This will be an issue that does follow Republicans through the midterms, and it will follow each individual Republican through the midterms," he told reporters. "It will follow people into their primaries. Did you support transparency and justice, or did you come up here, get elected and fall into the swamp?"
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Montreal church fined $2,500 for hosting U.S. Christian singer without permit
Montreal church fined $2,500 for hosting U.S. Christian singer without permit

National Post

time8 minutes ago

  • National Post

Montreal church fined $2,500 for hosting U.S. Christian singer without permit

The City of Montreal has fined a local church $2,500 for hosting a concert Friday night by the U.S.-based Christian musician Sean Feucht. Article content The city says the church did not have a permit to organize the concert, which it says ran counter to Montreal's values of inclusion, solidarity and respect. Article content Article content Officials have cancelled Feucht's scheduled concerts in several Canadian cities in recent days, including Halifax, Charlottetown and Quebec City. Article content Feucht has spoken out against 'gender ideology,' abortion and the LGBTQ+ community and his religious and political views have grabbed the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Article content Montreal police arrested a 38-year-old man during a protest Friday night outside the church. Article content Article content

PARKER: Breaking public-school monopoly on education overdue
PARKER: Breaking public-school monopoly on education overdue

Toronto Sun

time38 minutes ago

  • Toronto Sun

PARKER: Breaking public-school monopoly on education overdue

President Donald Trump speaks during a reception for Republican members of Congress in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP Photo The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been pursuing, on two fronts, the critical objective of fixing America's broken education system. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account One, an executive order by Trump, issued shortly after he assumed office, is to dismantle the Department of Education. Outright closing of the department is only possible by an act of Congress. However, the president is moving to accomplish the same objective administratively by closing offices and major staff eliminations. The Supreme Court recently upheld the president's authority to do this. The second front is the advancement of parental choice in education. Give parents the power and authority to educate their children as they choose and send their children to a school that reflects their values. One need not look further to see the problem than by examining the so-called Nation's Report Card, the biannual test results administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Results from 2024 are as follows: Grade 4 math, 39% at or above NAEP proficiency standards; Grade 8 math, 28% at or above proficiency; Grade 4 reading, 31% at or above proficiency; Grade 8 reading, 30% at or above proficiency. To those parents who think these are good results, I invite you to continue to allow public schools and teachers' unions to control your child's education. But recent Gallup polling shows most understand there is a problem with our public schools and major change is overdue. Only 29% say they have a 'great deal' or 'quite a lot' of confidence in our public schools. The beginning of important change was recently passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The new law contains a provision allowing taxpayers to direct funds to support school choice vouchers. The provision allows a dollar-for-dollar tax deduction up to $1,700 that can be sent to a qualifying Scholarship Granting Organization that can distribute scholarships to qualifying applicants (households earning no more than 300% of their county's median income) who have been accepted and registered in a private school. There is no limitation to the total funds that can be disbursed through the program and no expiration date for the credit, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Although Trump and congressional Republicans deserve major kudos for getting this passed, it still falls short of the mark. It's not enough. The version in the House bill had the credit up to $5,000, but this got whittled down to $1,700 in the bill that finally passed. Per the Education Data Initiative, average tuition in private schools, combining both primary and secondary schools, is $13,302. So, it will take eight $1,700 contributions to reach this. Further, there are some 50 million students in elementary and secondary public schools. To get just 5% out, at an average private tuition of $13,302, means $33.3 billion. That's 19.5 million individual $1,700 contributions. Can this happen? We'll see. But, again, we're just talking about 5%. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. How about using the $82.5 billion discretionary budget of the Department of Education to fund scholarships? Another major obstacle is the provision that requires states to opt into the program. Many believe that blue state governors won't do it. Sad, but possibly very true. Of course, education is more than math and reading. It is a platform of 12 years in which values are transmitted to our youth. If you want to know the values being transmitted, log on to the websites of the two major teachers' unions — the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers — and the hard-left agenda emerges loud and clear: DEI, LGBTQ, Trump being called a fascist, advocating liberation from the public schools being called an attack on democracy, etc. With all the horror about what's happening at our universities, Kindergarten-Grade 12 is where it starts. It's time to break the public-school monopoly and give parents control over educating their children. Star Parker is founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education Columnists Toronto & GTA Columnists Sunshine Girls Columnists

Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled U.S. Institute of Peace
Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled U.S. Institute of Peace

CTV News

time38 minutes ago

  • CTV News

Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled U.S. Institute of Peace

The U.S. Institute of Peace building is pictured, May 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) A senior State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump 's first term and has a history of incendiary statements has been appointed to lead the embattled U.S. Institute of Peace. The move to install Darren Beattie as the institute's new acting president is seen as the latest step in the administration's efforts to dismantle the embattled organization, which was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is funded by Congress to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts across the globe. The battle is currently being played out in court. Beattie, who currently serves as the under secretary for public diplomacy at the State Department and will continue on in that role, was fired during Trump's first term after CNN reported that he had spoken at a 2016 conference attended by white nationalists. He defended the speech he delivered as containing nothing objectionable. A former academic who taught at Duke University, Beattie also founded a right-wing website that shared conspiracies about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and has a long history of posting inflammatory statements on social media. 'Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work,' he wrote on October 2024. 'Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.' A State Department official confirmed Beattie's appointment by the USIP board of directors, which currently includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. '(W)e look forward to seeing him advance President Trump's America First agenda in this new role,' they said. The USPI has been embroiled in turmoil since Trump moved to dismantle it shortly after taking office as part of his broader effort to shrink the size of the federal government and eliminate independent agencies. Trump issued an executive order in February that targeted the organization and three other agencies for closure. The first attempt by the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly under the command of tech billionaire Elon Musk, to take over its headquarters led to a dramatic standoff. Members of Musk's group returned days later with the FBI and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police to help them gain entry. The administration fired most of the institute's board, followed by the mass firing of nearly all of its 300 employees in what they called 'the Friday night massacre.' The institute and many of its board members sued the Trump administration in March, seeking to prevent their removal and to prevent DOGE from taking over the institute's operations. DOGE transferred administrative oversight of the organization's headquarters and assets to the General Services Administration that weekend. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell overturned those actions in May, concluding that Trump was outside his authority in firing the board and its acting president and that, therefore, all subsequent actions were also moot. Her ruling allowed the institute to regain control of its headquarters in a rare victory for the agencies and organizations that have been caught up in the Trump administration's downsizing. The employees were rehired, although many did not return to work because of the complexity of restarting operations. They received termination orders — for the second time, however, — after an appeals court stayed Howell's order. Most recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the U.S. Institute of Peace's request for a hearing of the full court to lift the stay of a three-judge panel in June. That stay led to the organization turning its headquarters back over to the Trump Administration. In a statement, George Foote, former counsel for the institute, said Beattie's appointment 'flies in the face of the values at the core of USIP's work and America's commitment to working respectfully with international partners' and also called it 'illegal under Judge Howell's May 19 decision.' 'We are committed to defending that decision against the government's appeal. We are confident that we will succeed on the merits of our case, and we look forward to USIP resuming its essential work in Washington, D.C. and in conflict zones around the world,' he said. By Gary Fields And Jill Colvin.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store