Everybody would be very poor because of me if….Trump

Published

5 years ago

August 23, 2018

US President Donald Trump has responded to speculation that he might be impeached by warning that any such move would damage the economy.

In an interview with Fox & Friends, he said the market would crash and “everybody would be very poor”.

He was speaking after Michael Cohen, his ex-lawyer, pleaded guilty to violating election laws and said he had been directed to do so by Trump.

Mr Trump has rarely spoken about the prospect of being impeached.

Correspondents say it is unlikely Trump’s opponents would try to impeach him before November’s mid-term elections.

“I don’t know how you can impeach somebody who’s done a great job,” Trump told Fox and Friends.

“I tell you what, if I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash, I think everybody would be very poor.”

Pointing to his head, he said: “Because without this thinking, you would see numbers that you wouldn’t believe in reverse.”

Cohen says he handled hush money payments to two women during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The two women, thought to be porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both claimed they had affairs with Trump.

Under oath, Cohen said he had paid the money “at the direction” of Mr Trump, “for the principal purpose of influencing the election”.

However, Trump insisted the two payments had not broken election campaign rules.

He said that the payments had come from him personally, not from the campaign, but he had not known about them until “later on”.

In July, Cohen released audio tapes of him and Trump allegedly discussing one of the payments before the election.

The president also accused Cohen of making up stories to receive a lighter sentence.

He added: “And by the way, he pled to two counts that aren’t a crime, which nobody understands.

The hush money payments were not reported to the Federal Election Commission during the campaign.

The question is whether the payments were made to protect Trump’s personal reputation or to protect his image as a presidential candidate.

Under US election rules, any payments made with the aim of influencing a vote must be reported.

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China supports South Africa on BRICS summit— Report

Published

15 hours ago

June 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Local media in China are reporting that the Asian giant will support South Africa to host the BRICS summit later this year.

South Africa has come under diplomatic pleasure following its continued relations with Russia, with the United States alleging recently that it aided Russia with ammunition in the ongoing Ukraine war.

South Africa is under the spotlight as it decides if it would arrest Russian President, Vladimir Putin during his expected visit for the BRICS Summit in August after the International Criminal Court placed a warrant on the European leader.

But with China now backing South Africa’s stance in the international space, particularly in hosting the BRICS summit and in relations with Putin’s expected visit, it may find some courage to rebuff the West.

Chinese President, Xi Jinping is reported to have had a phone conversation with South Africa’s Ramaphosa with assurances communicated.

Musings From Abroad

Italy, Netherlands, EU set to announce aid package for Tunisia

Published

16 hours ago

June 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni has said that a fresh aid package to Tunisia would be announced by the European Union alongside her country and the Netherlands on Sunday.

Meloni, who recently ended a visit to Tunisia, will visit again on Sunday with her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte and the EU Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen with high hopes.

“It seems to me that important steps forward are being taken,” Meloni said.

There are concerns that the delay with the loan could deepen Tunisia’s financial crisis and escalate migrants’ crisis across the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life in Europe.

Creditors, which are largely European, want President Kais Saied to accept the terms of financial reforms by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its loan which will unlock extra funds in bilateral aid for the country.

Creditors are also refusing to provide Tunisia with long-term budget support unless the IMF agrees to a deal that assures them of repayment of its debts. They have, however, given Tunisia smaller sums to help it purchase food and fuel.

President Saied announced last week that additional taxes would be implemented as a stopgap measure before an expected IMF loan.

Tunisia is in debt to the tune of roughly 80% of its GDP, and the IMF agreed in principle last year to a new loan of nearly $2 billion to help it overcome its severe financial crisis.