Latest news with #CongressionalRepublicans
7 hours ago
- Politics
Trump directs DOJ, White House counsel to investigate Biden's mental state in office
President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether former President Joe Biden's administration sought to conspire to cover up his mental state while in office, prompting a response from Biden. "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency," Biden said in a statement. "I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false." The move by the White House represents a significant escalation from the White House, as it is a directive to the Justice Department to formally investigate. It goes beyond the review into Biden's last-minute pardons before leaving office Biden responded to Trump's memo to Bondi and the Department of Justice, calling an investigation "nothing more than a mere distraction" and defending his decision-making ability. In a statement he says any suggestion he was not in control is "ridiculous and false." "This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations," Biden said in a statement sent to ABC News. The president directed the U.S.'s top law enforcement official, in coordination with his White House counsel, to investigate "the circumstances surrounding Biden's supposed execution of numerous executive actions during his final years in office," according to a statement from the White House.
Euronews
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Trump launches probe into Biden's actions as US president
US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into his predecessor Joe Biden's actions in office, accusing the former leader's aides of hiding his 'cognitive decline' from the public. In an executive order issued on Wednesday, Trump said the probe would assess whether 'certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the president'. The memo suggested, without providing evidence, that the unnamed officials may have taken advantage of Biden through the use of an autopen, the process by which presidents can give their approval to a document without physically signing it. In 2005, the US Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel said the autopen system — which Trump has himself used for routine correspondence — was a legitimate way for a president to validate official documents. The Trump administration's probe, which will be led by US Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington, comes as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of some of Biden's executive actions and pardons. Responding to Trump's claims, Biden, who recently announced that he is suffering from prostate cancer, said: 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false.' The former president added that his successor wanted to use his latest executive order as a 'distraction' tactic. 'This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,' Biden said. Trump's investigation of the Biden administration marks an escalation in his targeting of political opponents. As part of their claims about Biden's presidency, Trump and his allies have sought to capitalise on a comment made in the book Original Sin by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson. 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' the pair wrote. Those close to Biden have hit out at the book, with his granddaughter Naomi describing it as 'political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class'. Biden withdrew from last year's presidential race after a disastrous debate with Trump, which led to increased scrutiny about his mental acuity. Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages killed and taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023, officials said Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the Israel Defence Forces and the Shin Bet internal security agency. 'Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,' Netanyahu said in a statement. Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, in December 2023. The military said they were killed in the 7 October attack and that their bodies were recently recovered from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of 7 October when Hamas militants stormed across the border and rampaged through several army bases and farming communities. In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services — letting them know that both she and her husband had been shot — and send a message to her family. The couple were survived by two sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said. The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 56 of them, a third of whom are believed to be alive. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed some 20,000 Hamas combatants, while also reporting around 3,000 dead and wounded among its soldiers.
RTHK
13 hours ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Trump orders probe into 'Biden mental decline coverup'
Trump orders probe into 'Biden mental decline coverup' Joe Biden has slammed the probe as 'nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation'. File photo: AFP US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into what Republicans claim was a "conspiracy" to cover up Joe Biden's cognitive decline during his time in the White House. Wednesday's move, which was slammed by Biden, is the latest in a long-running campaign by Trump – with the backing of Republican Party politicians and their cheerleaders in the conservative media – to discredit his predecessor. But it also comes as a growing chorus of Democrats begins to acknowledge the former president appeared to have been slipping in recent years. Those concerns were thrown into stark relief by a disastrous debate performance against Trump during last year's presidential campaign, in which the then-81-year-old stumbled over words and repeatedly lost his train of thought. "In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former president Biden's aides abused the power of presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden's cognitive decline," a presidential memorandum reads. "This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. "The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts." Biden vehemently denied the allegations. "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency," he said in a statement. "I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. "Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false." Biden slammed the probe as "nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation". The Democratic Party is increasingly riven by squabbles about whether Biden could have been forced to step down earlier to give the party chance to find a more popular presidential candidate. Biden's former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday criticized the in-fighting by the Democrats, calling it a "betrayal" of Biden and announcing her departure from the party as a result. The fight has been given oxygen with the publication of a book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson that claims the former president's inner circle connived to keep him from public view because of his decline, which included forgetting familiar faces like Hollywood star and party stalwart George Clooney. Trump's claims of a cover-up were also boosted by news that Biden is suffering from an "aggressive" prostate cancer, with some voices on the right insisting – without evidence – the diagnosis must have been known some time ago to those close to the former president. (AFP)
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump orders probe of Biden mental state, executive actions in office
President Trump on Wednesday ordered an investigation into actions taken by then-President Biden, citing questions about Biden's cognitive state toward the end of his term. Trump directed the counsel to the president, in consultation with Attorney General Pam Bondi, to probe 'whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.' The investigation will focus specifically on actions Biden signed using the 'autopen,' which has become a fixation of those on the right as they levy accusations about Biden's ability to carry out his duties. Trump's order cites Biden's appointment of more than 200 judges to the federal bench, the issuance of thousands of acts of clemency and the issuance of more than 1,000 presidential documents during his term. In a statement, President Biden sharply pushed back on the suggestion that he was not the one making decisions while in office. 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false,' Biden said. 'This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.' Biden allies have noted that the use of an autopen for signing official documents is standard practice and has been upheld by the courts. And the Constitution places few limits on the presidential use of clemency powers. New books, including 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' have reignited debate about Biden's mental acuity while in office and whether he experienced cognitive decline. Since President Trump took office, the GOP has taken a number of steps focusing on Biden. The White House confirmed Tuesday that pardon attorney Ed Martin would be reviewing Biden's pardons for his family members, as well as some other clemencies granted during his final days in office. House Republicans have reached out to former Biden aides as part of a probe into the former president's mental acuity. And the Justice Department last month released the full tapes of Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, one in which the attorney said Biden appeared to have memory lapses. While president, Biden released the full transcript of the conversation. Updated at 10:27 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Adams attacks Cuomo's track record from City Hall lectern
NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams slammed Andrew Cuomo Tuesday over his lack of engagement with voters and suggested nepotism helped vault the former governor to his perch atop state government. Cuomo is currently leading the Democratic primary, and polls suggest a likely collision with the mayor in the fall general election. 'The Cuomo name went so far because people really adored his dad,' Adams said, referencing former Gov. Mario Cuomo. 'No one really had to scrutinize [Andrew Cuomo]. You know, he's always moved from one location to another location with this whole cocoon. And you come from a dynasty. I didn't come from a dynasty.' The former governor has mostly eschewed candidate forums and unscripted public events in favor of more controlled appearances. The mayor also dismissed Cuomo's plan to help Democrats win seats in the midterms. The governor outlined his strategy of highlighting Medicaid cuts being pushed by Congressional Republicans during a sit-down with POLITICO. 'If you want to be around the country, that sounds like you are trying to run for something else,' Adams said. 'The mayor, you have to be closely engaged with people, and the job of mayor is not around the country. It's around the city.' Additionally, the mayor shot back at Cuomo's portrayals of New York as a city in crisis, indicating that the former governor's own policies have made it more difficult to drive down crime and shutter illegal cannabis shops — a preview of how Adams might go after Cuomo this fall. 'I had to fix his policies. Cannabis law was his law. Bail reform was his law,' said Adams on Tuesday. Cuomo and his team have a different view as they also prepare for the possibility of facing Adams and others following the June 24 Democratic Primary. In his interview with POLITICO, Cuomo defended the 2019 criminal justice reforms he signed and noted he wanted judges to have more discretion when setting bail — a provision that was omitted from the final version of the law. He suggested that distinction would deflect any bail-related attacks from Adams onto state lawmakers. 'Well then he's going to be criticizing the Legislature,' Cuomo said of the mayor's expected broadsides. He doubled down on his grim assessment of the city, which he argued has deteriorated on Adams' watch. 'Crime. Homelessness. Fear. Dirt. Comfortability. Anxiety level. All of the above. It's an emotion and a feeling as much as it is fact,' Cuomo said. 'Your 'New Yorker sense' when you walk out there beeps.' That feeling — and not a desire to resurrect his political career — is what Cuomo suggested led him into the race. 'New York to me is on the precipice,' he said. 'You either fix it fast, or you're going to see it continue. And I think I can be a value added in that.' He argued those same trends, along with the mayor's cozy relationship with President Donald Trump, are responsible for Adams' record-low standing with New York City voters — rather than the mayor's now-dismissed criminal case itself. 'He was making a deal with Trump for his own benefit and that's his issue,' Cuomo said. 'So it wasn't even about the trial. When he says the trial was unfair and that's why I am wherever I am — No, that's just not a fact. It was the condition of the city.' In response to Adams' specific comments Tuesday, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi also alluded to the chummy relationship between Adams and Trump that has proved unpalatable with voters. 'Eric Adams is understandably going through the five stages of grief as the end of his failed tenure as Mayor is near,' Azzopardi said in a statement. 'I wish the MAGA mayor the best of luck in whatever future cabinet position he gets in the Trump administration.' During Tuesday's press briefing, Adams also refused to condemn GOP Council Member Vickie Paladino's X post calling for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's deportation due to his socialist politics. 'I am not going to point out one specific comment,' Adams said. 'Everybody needs to tone down their mean-spirited, hateful language.' When asked about Paladino's remarks, Cuomo said in a statement that 'the Republican answer to everything, including the common cold, is deportation and it has to stop.' Mamdani took note of the muted responses to Paladino, who is part of a group of Council Republicans and conservative Democrats who often align with Adams on policy. 'To have the mayor of this city refuse to condemn those remarks — and a former governor give the most tepid response — showcases everything that we are afraid of as it pertains to the two of them leading the city,' said Mamdani in a Tuesday endorsement event.
