Trump says impeachment moves causing anger, but ‘I want no violence’
As Donald Trumps presidency reaches its final days, incoming president Joe Biden has revealed a 10-day action plan to see some of the US leaders most contentious policies reversed.
On Wednesday, Mr Bidens inauguration day, the president-elect has vowed to sign a string of executive orders overturning key policy shifts introduced under Mr Trump, including his ban on travel from majority-Muslim countries and his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate agreement.
The president-elect also plans to take rapid action on the coronavirus pandemic, with plans to introduce a mask mandate for federal property and interstate travel following his swearing-in ceremony.
Meanwhile, the Senate is preparing for what Mitch McConnell has described as a vote of conscience as lawmakers weigh whether to convict the president for his role in inciting a deadly insurrection at the Capitol earlier this month.
The trial will take place after Mr Bidens inauguration, with Mr McConnell asserting Congress should focus on a safe inauguration and an orderly transfer of power” until then.
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State capitals prepare for Inauguration Day protests as FBI flags risk of violence
State capitals are preparing for the possibility of protests on Wednesday, the day of President-Elect Joe Bidens inauguration, as law enforcement officials warn of a risk of violence.
More than a dozen states have preemptively activated National Guard troops to help safeguard their capitol buildings, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, many have also erected fences or other barriers to secure their capitols, with Texas and Kentucky shutting down access to the public altogether.
The ramping up of security measures comes after the FBI warned of armed protests amid fears that the deadly attack on the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC, on 6 January might embolden Trump supporters and right-wing extremists.
Chantal Da Silva17 January 2021 09:16
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Capitol rioter says Trump supporters who attended deserve a pardon
A Texas realtor who attended the Capitol riots on 6 January has said that Trump supporters who participated in the deadly insurrection should be pardoned as they were only following their president.
Speaking with CBS 11, Jenna Ryan, of Carrollton, Texas, said she was basically following my president when she joined the riots. I was following what we were called to do.
Now that she is facing charges for knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, she has said: I would like a pardon from the president of the United States.”
I think that we all deserve a pardon. Im facing a prison sentence. I think that I do not deserve that, she said.
Read more on what she had to say here:
He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there. So I was doing what he asked us to do, says Jenna Ryan
Chantal Da Silva17 January 2021 09:09
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Capitol rioter says Trump supporters who attended deserve a pardon
A Texas realtor who attended the Capitol riots on 6 January has said that Trump supporters who participated in the deadly insurrection should be pardoned as they were only following their president.
Speaking with CBS 11, Jenna Ryan, of Carrollton, Texas, said she was basically following my president when she joined the riots. I was following what we were called to do.
Now that she is facing charges for knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, she has said: I would like a pardon from the president of the United States.”
I think that we all deserve a pardon. Im facing a prison sentence. I think that I do not deserve that, she said.
Read more on what she had to say here:
He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there. So I was doing what he asked us to do, says Jenna Ryan
Chantal Da Silva17 January 2021 09:09
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Biden prepares 10-day action plan to overturn Trump policies
President-elect Joe Biden is planning to hit the ground running starting on his inauguration day, with a 10-day action plan aimed at reversing some of President Donald Trumps most contentious policies.
On his first day in office, Mr Biden is prepared to sign more than a dozen executive orders to take swift action to end policy shifts introduced under Mr Trump, including his ban on travel from majority-Muslim countries and his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
Oliver O’Connell and Alex Woodward have more on the action plan:
Chantal Da Silva17 January 2021 09:03
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Ex-FBI director Comey warns of very serious risk of violence at Bidens inauguration
Former FBI director James Comey has warned of the very serious risk of violence breaking out at President-Elect Joe Bidens inauguration.
Read this breaking news story here:
There is a very serious risk of violence at Joe Bidens inauguration on Wednesday, former FBI director James Comey has warned.
Chantal Da Silva17 January 2021 08:57
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Good morning and welcome to The Independents live blog following the latest in US politics.
Chantal Da Silva17 January 2021 08:55
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