Today in US politics
That’s it from the live blog today. Here is how the day unfolded in US politics:
Hard-right Republicans in the Senate are carrying out a talking filibuster to protest the $95bn foreign aid package making its way through the upper chamber. The senators complained that Congress should not approve more foreign aid until lawmakers pass a bill to address the situation at the US-Mexico border, even though those same Republicans rejected a bipartisan border deal just last week. Despite the Republicans’ tactics, the foreign aid bill is expected to pass the Senate later this week.
Donald Trump’s criticism of Nato sparked alarm and outrage on both sides of the Atlantic. Speaking in South Carolina over the weekend, Trump argued some Nato members did not contribute enough money to the alliance and suggested he would allow Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to those nations. Nikki Haley, Trump’s rival in the Republican presidential primary, accused him of embracing “a thug who kills his opponents”, referring to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
European leaders presented a united front in response to Trump’s criticism of Nato, emphasizing that the alliance remains essential to global security. Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, said during a visit to Paris today, “It is probably here in Paris that the words from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas resonate most clearly: ‘All for one, and one for all.’”
Defense secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to resume his duties tomorrow, after being hospitalized yesterday because of a bladder issue. Austin’s doctors said in a statement that the cabinet secretary had undergone non-surgical procedures to address the bladder issue and was expected to successfully recover.
Trump made an appearance at a court hearing in Florida, where his legal team was presenting arguments in connection to the classified documents case. Trump faces 40 criminal charges in the case, including 32 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information.
The live blog will be back tomorrow with more updates from Washington and across the country. See you then.
Updated
Israel is facing growing international pressure over its intention to launch an all-out military assault on the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, the Guardian’s Emine Sinmaz, Harriet Sherwood, Lisa O’Carroll and Ashifa Kassam report:
On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, congratulated the soldiers who mounted the dramatic rescue of two Israeli hostages in the city, where more than 1 million Palestinians have fled seeking shelter, describing it as a “perfect operation”. The Israeli military launched airstrikes on nearby buildings to support the rescue, killing at least 67 Palestinians. Hamas later claimed that other Israeli hostages were also killed in the bombardment.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, furiously rounded on the Israeli leader amid growing international alarm at the rising death toll in Gaza – which reached 28,340 on Monday – saying that Netanyahu “doesn’t listen to anyone”.
Responding to Netanyahu’s statement that refugees in Rafah would be evacuated from the area before a major military offensive, Borrell said: “Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people to?”
Borrell’s sentiments were echoed in more diplomatic language by David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, who said: “It really, we think, is impossible to see how you can fight a war among these people, there is nowhere for them to go.
Read the Guardian’s full report:
