President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on tax policy Thursday, April 5, 2018, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republished April 05, 2018 - 8:10 PM
Original Publication Date April 05, 2018 - 5:11 AM
WASHINGTON - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):
4:55 p.m.
The White House says President Donald Trump was referring to the plight faced by migrants when he said those who make the journey to the U.S. from Mexico are "raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before."
Trump said Thursday at a tax event in West Virginia that "yesterday it came out" that during "this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before."
Trump had previously mentioned a caravan of migrants working its way north through Mexico, so it appeared to some that he was suggesting the caravan was besieged by violence.
But White House spokesman Hogan Gidley says it has been "a widely reported fact for years" that there is "extensive and extreme victimization of those making the journey north with coyotes/smugglers in general."
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3:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump is alleging without evidence that voter fraud is a huge problem in California.
At a tax event in West Virginia on Thursday, Trump says that "in many places, like California, the same person votes many times."
He says, "They always like to say, 'Oh, that's a conspiracy theory.' Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people."
After the 2016 election, Trump alleged repeatedly and without evidence that voting fraud cost him the popular vote. Earlier this year he disbanded a voter fraud commission amid infighting and lawsuits as state officials refused to co-operate.
While there have been isolated cases of voter fraud in the U.S., past studies have found it to be rare.
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3:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump is seething over immigration policies at a tax event in West Virginia.
Trump on Thursday complained about catch-and-release policies and family based migration, in which immigrants sponsor their relatives to join them in the U.S.
Trump also noted he'd been criticized for saying in his campaign kickoff speech that Mexico was sending rapists across the border. But he says that "yesterday it came out" that during "this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before."
It's unclear what he was referring to, but a White House spokesman pointed to past reports of women being raped by smugglers.
Trump announced this week that he was requesting the deployment of the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border to fight illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
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2:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump is taking shots at Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin while visiting West Virginia.
Speaking at a tax event Thursday, Trump referenced the fact that Manchin did not vote for his tax plan. He told the audience that they would get "a chance to get a senator that's going to vote our program." He added that "you're not getting that help right now."
Trump says: "Joe Manchin, he's really not helped us."
Six Republicans are competing in a GOP primary to challenge Manchin, who is running for re-election. Trump easily carried the state in 2016.
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11:10 a.m.
President Donald Trump plans to see two GOP Senate candidates during his visit to West Virginia.
Trump is scheduled to hold a discussion on taxes in White Sulphur Springs later Thursday.
Among those expected to attend are a congressman, Evan Jenkins, and the state's attorney general, Patrick Morrisey.
They're among six Republicans competing in the May 8 for the party's Senate nomination. The incumbent is Democrat Joe Manchin, who is seeking another term in November.
Trump, who overwhelmingly won West Virginia in the 2016 president election, has stayed neutral in the Senate primary so far.
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10:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump is ready to discuss his tax overhaul with business owners and families in West Virginia.
The White House says Trump will hear from West Virginia companies that provided benefits to workers due to the tax law, as well as from families and elected officials. The companies include two community banks and a truck dealership.
Republican officials expected to attend include the governor, Jim Justice, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
Trump signed the $1.5 trillion tax package into law in December. The Republican measure cut taxes on corporations and the wealthy, and gave more modest savings for many middle-class and lower-income Americans.
The trip marks Trump's fourth visit to the state as president.
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9:25 a.m.
The Trump administration hasn't determined how many troops it will seek to have deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border.
That's according to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. She says: "We're going to be sending as many troops as we need."
President Donald Trump has signed a memo clearing the way for the deployment of National Guard troops to the border. Ultimately, it will be up to the four border-state governors to finalize the numbers and precise timing.
Nielsen says the administration wants the National Guard's help providing surveillance along the border and maintenance for border patrol vehicles and aircraft to free up law enforcement assets for securing the border.
Nielsen says she'll be speaking again Thursday with California Gov. Jerry Brown about earning his support for the deployment.
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8:05 a.m.
President Donald Trump is praising the Mexican government for breaking up a "caravan" of Central American migrants and avoiding "a giant scene" at the U.S. border.
In a tweet, the president credits "the strong immigration laws of Mexico and their willingness to use them." The tweet comes hours after Trump signed a proclamation directing the deployment of National Guard troops to assist in securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump has seized on news reports that the migrant group was travelling toward the U.S. Organizers of the migrant group said they never intended to reach the U.S. border.
Trump adds that "Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low."
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1:32 a.m.
President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation directing the deployment of the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border to fight illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says she's been working with governors of the southwest border states to develop agreements on where and how many Guardsmen will be deployed.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018