Trump news – live: Republicans defy president over stimulus checks, amid fury over his latest pardons

Gino Spocchia
<p>US president Donald Trump</p> (REUTERS)

US president Donald Trump

(REUTERS)

Donald Trump was defied by his own party in Congress on Thursday, as Republicans in the House of Representatives struck down a Democrat-backed attempt to increase the amount of aid handed to Americans as part of the latest Covid relief package, which he said on Tuesday did not go far enough.

It comes as Mr Trump was accused of leaving Americans “adrift” after he arrived in Florida for Christmas on Wednesday, leaving the coronavirus relief package unsigned and a military spending bill threatened by a veto, in his wake.

The president pardoned more disgraced personal aides on Wednesday, with those sentenced by special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian ties with the Trump Campaign, now largely pardoned.

The latest pardons include Mr Trump’s one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and adviser Roger Stone, who were both sentenced for lying or not cooperating with the investigation. Two others, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former adviser George Papadopoulos, have also been pardoned.

In total, 26 individuals have now received pardons from Mr Trump, which senator Ben Sasse said was “rotten to the core.”

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