world news

Friday 7 February 2020

Trump Says Congress Should Expunge Impeachment from Record

President Trump said Friday that Congress should expunge his impeachment from the congressional record since it was a "political hoax."“That's a very good question," Trump said when asked whether Congress should wipe the record clean. "Should they expunge the impeachment in the House? They should because it was a hoax. It was a total political hoax.”The Senate acquitted Trump on Wednesday of the two impeachment charges against him, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The president had blasted the impeachment process for months as politically motivated by Democrats to remove a duly elected president they oppose.House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy floated the possibility earlier this week, saying he would attempt to expunge Trump's impeachment from the House record should the GOP retake the majority in the lower chamber and elect him speaker.“This is the fastest, weakest, most political impeachment in history," McCarthy said. "I don’t think it should stay on the books."Other Republicans have backed the idea of expunging the record as well.Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, said holding a vote on a resolution that would seek to expunge the impeachment would "send a loud message that this was a political, partisan effort."House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed the possibility of expungement later on Friday, adding a promise that Republicans would not take back the majority in the House this year.“They can’t do that,” Pelosi said. “First of all they’re not getting the chamber back, but apart from that, there’s no expunging. If they don’t want to honor their oath of office, then they’re going to expunge from their own souls the violation of the Constitution that they made.”

Trump ousts White House staffer who testified against him in impeachment: lawyer

The Trump administration on Friday removed Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman from his position as the White House's top Ukraine expert after he provided damaging testimony about President Donald Trump during the impeachment process, Vindman's lawyer said.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2Ss06BF

U.S. Ambassador to EU Sondland says Trump intends to recall him from his post

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who testified in President Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, said on Friday that Trump intends to recall him from his post.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/31yVsGa

Irish vote may spell the end for Varadkar amid Sinn Fein surge

Irish voters look likely to dump Prime Minister Leo Varadkar from power in an election on Saturday amid a surge by Sinn Fein that could alter the political landscape, even though the nationalist party is unlikely to win a place in government this time.