Trump news: Pelosi will send impeachment articles to Senate as president announces new Iran sanctions
A judge in New York has refused a request by Donald Trump’s legal team to have a defamation lawsuit brought against him by the writer E Jean Carroll dismissed, ensuring her allegations of sexual assault are heard while the president seeks re-election.
Mr Trump went after his domestic rivals over the Iran crisis during a wild campaign rally in Ohio on Thursday night, suggesting House speaker Nancy Pelosi would have leaked the US plan to assassinate Qassem Soleimani to the media had she had prior warning.
The president also told his supporters in Toledo the mission that killed the Quds commander was instigated to “preserve peace”, took credit for inspiring a revival of Christian faith in America and claimed 44th president Barack Obama had played too much golf in office and “violated the carbon footprint”.
On Friday, his administration announced sweeping and "punishing" sanctions against Iran, targeting key economic drivers like manufacturing, until the country "changes its behaviour", he said.
Meanwhile, the president's impeachment trial could start as early as next week, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that she intends to forward articles of impeachment to the Senate and end — for now — her standoff with Mitch McConnell.
The Senator Majority Leader has threatened to coordinate with the White House as the president faces trial, and Speaker Pelosi refused to send impeachment articles passed by House Democrats without assurance from Senate Republicans that witnesses could be called and evidence be presented in an impartial trial. In a statement announcing next week's plans, Ms Pelosi said "McConnell does not want to present witnesses and documents to Senators and the American people so they can make an independent judgment about the president's actions."
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