List of All Articles with Tag 'rica'

Chris Christie presented Ukraine’s president with a uniquely New Jersey-themed gift when he arrived last week on a surprise visit that aimed to draw a line between the candidate and other Republicans in his party who have resisted calls to aid Ukraine’s military. Mr Christie presented Volodymyr Zelensky with handwritten lyrics to It’s My Life from Jon Bon Jovi, the song’s author. The gift was a gesture in recognition and admiration of a now-viral group of videos shot by residents of Odessa, Ukraine depicting civilians assisting with preparation for a Russian attack while a band plays the song for them nearby. An official with Ukraine’s foreign ministry first tweeted a video of siege preparation in March, urging supporters of Ukraine to tag Bon Jovi in the hopes that the bandleader would see. The videos were viewed millions of times and were soon celebrated by the band itself: “[The song] served as an inspiration for a lot of the citizens in Odessa, as they were preparing for the invasion by the Russians,” Mr Christie said during a CNN interview. “Jon wrote it out in his own hand, got it framed, and I brought it to President Zelensky,” he continued, adding that he told the Ukrainian leader that the song was also “representative of many of the American people and what they feel about the cause that’s being fought for in Ukraine.” Jon Bon Jovi’s personal political leanings are thought to be more towards the left — he has campaigned with a handful of Democratic politicians throughout the years, including Joe Biden in 2020. But his band is known to have given Mr Christie, formerly the governor of New Jersey, approval to use the Jerey-borne group’s music on the campaign trail. Mr Christie’s visit comes as Republican opposition to further military aid to Ukraine continues to bubble, particularly among the far-right. The ex-governor and others who find themselves aligned with the GOP and Washington foreign policy establishments have resisted those inclinations with public shows of support for Ukraine and Mr Zelensky. One of Mr Christie’s rivals for the GOP nomination, Mike Pence, visited Ukraine and met with Mr Zelensky in late June as Kyiv has become a sort of de facto campaign stop in the 2024 US presidential race. Read More Pence and Trump lawyer share opposite stories of what Trump said ahead of January 6 Chris Christie meets Volodymyr Zelensky in surprise Ukraine visit GOP presidential hopeful Chris Christie says 'inhumanity' of war is palpable during visit to Ukraine

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis admitted in an interview with NBC News that former president Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, as he seeks to recalibrate his campaign. Mr DeSantis initially told NBC News’s Dasha Burns in an interview that will air on NBC Nightly News on Monday evening that whoever is inaugurated on 20 January is considered the winner, in a dodge answer. “Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on Jan 20 every four years is the winner,” he said. When pressed, Mr DeSantis said that President Biden defeated Mr Trump. “No, of course he lost,” he said of Mr Trump. “Joe Biden’s the president.” Meanwhile, Mr Trump had a meltdown on Sunday night where he attacked President Joe Biden, striker Megan Rapinoe and “wokeness” for the US’s unexpected early defeat in the Women’s World Cup. The former president took to Truth Social to bizarrely claim the loss was a sign of the influence “Crooked Joe Biden” has had on the nation. He also somehow blamed the “WOKE”-ness and cruelly trolled Rapinoe for missing a penalty. Read More Judge tosses Trump's defamation suit against writer who won sexual abuse lawsuit against him Rudy Giuliani selling $6.5m NYC apartment as legal woes pile up Judge dismisses Trump defamation lawsuit against E Jean Carroll for CNN statements Trump asks supporters heavily leading question about participating in GOP debate Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election

Rudy Giuliani, the ex-mayor of New York City and one-time lawyer for former President Donald Trump, has listed his Upper East Side apartment for $6.5m amid legal challenges. Property records and court documents confirm his address is the same listed by Sotheby’s Realty. While the listing says the building “is distinctive for its magnificent gothic-inspired terra cotta and brick façade” the three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment is also distinctive for being raided by the FBI in April 2021 over Mr Giuliani’s alleged dealings with Ukraine. The apartment was put up for sale just days after Mr Giuliani’s ex-client and ally, Mr Trump, was indicted for the third time. Mr Giuliani himself is facing a number of legal woes. A lawyer for the 79-year-old last week acknowledged to the New York Times that his client appeared to be the person identified as “Co-Conspirator 1” in the federal indictment accusing Mr Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in his favour. Robert Costello, Mr Giuliani’s attorney, said the indictment “eviscerates the First Amendment,” and denounced the filing as “election interference.” In his own words, Mr Giuliani said Special Counsel Jack Smith, who handed down the indictment, should be indicted. “The people lying are the people bringing this… They should be indicted for conspiracy against rights,” the former mayor said on Newsmax. His former assistant, Noelle Dunphy, filed a lawsuit in May against him for sexual assault, harassment, wage theft, and other claims. In the lawsuit, Ms Dunphy claimed that her former boss “made clear that satisfying his sexual demands – which came virtually anytime, anywhere – was an absolute requirement of her employment.” Bombshell tapes and transcripts of their conversations have been revealed in recent weeks. In one such tape, the man once called “America’s Mayor” allegedly said, “Come here, big t*ts. Your t*ts belong to me. Give them to me. I want to claim my t*ts.” Mr Giuliani also faces a defamation lawsuit in Georgia, in which he seemed to admit that he made statements that “carry meaning that is defamatory per se” about two of the state’s election workers after the 2020 election. A judge has asked him to clarify “precisely” what he meant, as the former mayor made “seemingly incongruous and certainly puzzling caveats.” Additionally, Dominion sued Mr Giuliani for defamation in January 2021, claiming he had made “defamatory falsehoods” in order to “promote a false preconceived narrative about the 2020 election.” The company is seeking $1.3bn in damages. The Independent has reached out to a lawyer for Mr Giuliani. Read More Federal judge wants Giuliani to clarify ‘incongruous’ and ‘puzzling’ court filing in Georgia defamation case Rudy Giuliani says Eminem should leave US and ‘take a knee someplace else’ after Super Bowl show Rudy Giuliani goes on unhinged rant claiming Mike Pence’s wife leads him around on a leash

Ron DeSantis has not ruled out enacting a national abortion “ban” if elected president, after the Florida governor implemented state restrictions on abortion access at 15 weeks and six weeks of pregnancy within the last two years. But he suggested that there is no “consensus” in the US for members of Congress to implement a national ban, as abortion restrictions and the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade remain overwhelmingly unpopular. Asked by NBC’s Dasha Burns whether he would “veto any sort of federal bill” that would institute a nationwide ban, Mr DeSantis replied: “We will be a pro-life president and we will support pro-life policies.” In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke a constitutional right to abortion care last year, Republican officials have repeatedly stated that the ruling merely left it up to individual states to decide. But anti-abortion lawmakers at the state level and in Congress continue to push for national restrictions that would also strike down state laws that protect and expand abortion access. Congressional Republicans have already passed several anti-abortion measures with national implications and have signalled the GOP’s readiness to ban abortion at certain gestational limits. President Joe Biden has promised to veto any such legislation, if it made it through Congress. In media appearances throughout his campaign, the governor has not directly answered whether he would support or veto legislation that would enact national abortion restrictions, suggesting that the issue should come from the “bottom up” with individual states determining policy. His statements have drawn criticism from influential anti-abortion group Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, which called the governor’s position “unacceptable” to anti-abortion voters. Meanwhile, his campaign’s top donor has threatened to stop funding the candidate over his “extreme” position on abortion. And Donald Trump, who has taken credit for the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, has suggested that his rival for the 2024 Republican nomination for president has gone too far with a state law that bans abortion at six weeks of pregnancy, signed into law just one year after a 15-week limit was put in place. “Dobbs returned it to the political branches. I think the reality is that that basically means the states are going to have primary control over it,” Mr DeSantis told NBC. “You know, I do think the federal government would have an interest in, say, preventing post-birth abortions or things that are really horrific, but I don’t think that there’s enough consensus in the country to see a lot of mileage in Congress,” he added. There is no such thing as a “post-birth” abortion; killing an infant after birth is illegal in all states, and pregnancies resulting in the death of the fetus in the third trimester are exceedingly rare, and largely involve fetal anomalies and life-threatening medical emergencies. The vast majority of abortions take place within the first trimester, while roughly 1 per cent occur after 21 weeks, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The governor also suggested that Democratic officials support “infanticide”, echoing his remarks in a recent CNN interview claiming that “liberal state” allow “post-birth” abortion. “I would not allow what a lot of the left wants to do, which is to override pro-life protections throughout the country all the way up really to the moment of birth in some instances, which I think is infanticide,” he told NBC News. Ms Burns interrupted Mr DeSantis: “That’s a misrepresentation of what’s happening.” The governor also said that he does not support penalties for people who seek abortions. “Not at all,” he told Ms Burns. “No, I don’t think this is an issue about the woman. I think a lot of these women, you know, are in very difficult circumstances. They don’t get any support from a lot of the fathers. And a lot of them, the number one reason why women choose to have an abortion is because they’re not getting support and they feel abandoned. Now, in Florida we’ve provided support and we’ve put our money where our mouth is, but at the end of the day, you know, I would not support any penalties on a woman.” Mr DeSantis also told NBC that he does not support limits on contraception access. “And I think it should be available over-the-counter, and I think people should be able to have access to it,” he added. Read More Texas judge sides with women after harrowing testimony over anti-abortion law Alabama health care providers sue over threat of prosecution for abortion help ‘Walmart Melania’, ‘America’s Karen’ or ‘Tacky Onassis’: Why Casey DeSantis matters to the 2024 race Senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood warns that Republicans are planning a national abortion ban

A body has been found along a hiking trail in Maryland during a search for a missing mother-of-five. Rachel Morin was last seen heading to the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air at around 6pm on Saturday evening, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. The 37-year-old failed to return home that night and her boyfriend reported her missing. On Sunday morning, Morin’s vehicle was found in the parking lot at the entrance to the popular walking route. Hours later, at around 1pm that afternoon, a member of the public discovered a woman’s body close to the trail. Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced at a Sunday night press conference that a homicide investigation is now under way. While investigators believe the body belongs to Morin, they are awaiting official confirmation from the medical examiner’s office on the identity as well as cause and manner of death. The sheriff said that police currently have no suspects on their radar and, as a result, are unable to tell the public that there is no ongoing danger. Morin’s devastated sister confirmed her sibling’s death on Facebook and revealed a GoFundMe has been launched to help the family with funeral expenses. Read More Homicide investigation launched as body found after mother-of-five vanished on Maryland hiking trail Rachel Morin’s boyfriend says he ‘would never do anything to her’ as homicide probe launched

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called for cancelling Juneteenth after he had previously posted a video celebrating the holiday, NBC News reported. Mr Ramaswamy spoke in Vail, Iowa, about how to make elections more secure. In his speech, he called for Election Day to be made a national holiday. “Cancel Juneteenth or one of the other useless ones we made up,” he said. In addition, he called for paper ballots and voter identification cards despite the fact there is little evidence of widespread voter fraud. When asked if he considers Juneteenth a “useless” holiday, he said, “I basically do.” Juneteenth commemorates when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on 19 June 1865 and announced that enslaved people were officially freed. In the ensuing years, it became a day of celebration in Black communities across Texas. In 2021, Congress voted overwhelmingly and President Joe Biden signed legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday. But two months ago, Mr Ramaswamy posted a video celebrating Juneteenth. “We don’t just look back and flog ourselves, that’s beside the point,” Mr Ramaswamy said. “What we celebrate is how far we’ve come, and as a first-generation American myself, you better believe I’m proud of it. Happy Juneteenth, everybody.” When asked by NBC News whether he thought Veterans Day or Memorial Day were useless, Mr Ramaswamy deferred. “I stand with the presumption of time-tested traditions,” he said, calling Juneteenth “redundant” of Martin Luther King Jr Day and Presidents Day. “The reason for making it a holiday was under political duress. It was a political hostage situation on the back of the death of George Floyd,” he said. Read More Vivek Ramaswamy's Hindu faith is front and center in his GOP presidential campaign Republicans rage against Jack Smith after latest indictment of Donald Trump over 2020 election conspiracy Indictment ignored, Trump barely a mention, as GOP candidates pitch Iowa voters to challenge him Vivek Ramaswamy's Hindu faith is front and center in his GOP presidential campaign GOP presidential hopeful Chris Christie says 'inhumanity' of war is palpable during visit to Ukraine

Ron DeSantis continues to defend newly approved curriculum guidelines in Florida instructing students to learn that enslaved people “developed skills” that could be “applied for personal benefit”. “That means they developed skills in spite of slavery, not because of slavery,” the governor told NBC News in a recent interview that aired on 7 August. “It was them showing resourcefulness and then using those skills once slavery ended,” he added. Mr DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, has dismissed criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic and Republican members of Congress urging Florida officials to amend the state’s African American history standards and reflect an honest history of race and racism in school curricula. The vice president has also rejected an invitation from Mr DeSantis to “discuss” the standards, telling a crowd in Orlando earlier this month that “there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact: there were no redeeming qualities of slavery.” Mr DeSantis had previously stated he “wasn’t involved” with the guidelines approved by the state’s appointed Board of Education. He said the standards are “probably going to show some of the folks” – enslaved people – “that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life.” The development of such “skills” would not have benefited the millions of enslaved people in the US in the decades before slavery’s abolition. Another controversial guideline instructs high schoolers to be taught that a massacre in the state led by white supremacists against Black residents to stop them from voting in 1920 included “acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans.” “Adults know what slavery really was. It involved rape, it involved torture, it involved taking a baby from their mother, it involved some of the worst examples of depriving humanity of people in our world,” Ms Harris said in her remarks in Jacksonville last month. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, echoed Ms Harris in his criticism of the standards, stressing that slavery was defined by “separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives”. “It was just devastating,” said Mr Scott, who is also seeking the 2024 Republican nomination. “So I would hope that every person in our country – and certainly running for president – would appreciate that.” Mr DeSantis told NBC in response: “Don’t take that side of Kamala Harris against the state of Florida. Don’t indulge those lies.” The new standards join the governor’s overhaul of public education and a “parents’ rights” agenda that targets honest lessons on race and racism and gender and sexuality, which the governor told NBC amounts to “indoctrination”. “Those standards were not political at all,” he added. “The legislature didn’t dictate any of that. [The] governor’s office didn’t dictate anything of that.” Last week, before thousands of high school students enrolled in advanced placement courses begin classes for the 2023-2024 school year, the DeSantis administration criticised the College Board’s warning that Florida education officials had “effectively banned” AP Psychology courses in the state under the Parental Rights in Education Act, what opponents have derided as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Read More Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election DeSantis blasted for ‘un-American’ restrictions on AP psychology course under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law Why Florida’s new curriculum on slavery is becoming a political headache for Ron DeSantis

Former president Donald Trump has again lashed out at the District of Columbia judge who will preside over his criminal trial and the prosecutor who brought the case against him for allegedly conspiring to disrupt certification of electoral votes following his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Mr Trump on Monday wrote on his Truth Social platform that Jack Smith, the Department of Justice special prosecutor who has obtained two federal indictments against him since June, is “going before his number one draft pick, the Judge of his ‘dreams’ (WHO MUST BE RECUSED!)” in an effort to “take away” the ex-president’s First Amendment rights. The twice-impeached, thrice-indicted former president was referring to a series of court filings in which Mr Smith is seeking a standard protective order to prevent Mr Trump from disclosing information which the government is set to turn over to him and his defence team as part of the pre-trial discovery process. Prosecutors, citing Mr Trump’s penchant for “public statements on social media regarding witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others associated with legal matters pending against him,” asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to impose an order barring the former president from disclosing discovery materials “directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure”. Mr Trump’s attorneys asked the judge for extra time to compose a response to the government’s motion, but Judge Chutkan quickly ordered the defence to respond by 5.00 pm along with a proposal for an alternative protective order. The former president has a history of disclosing sensitive materials so the names of people involved in court proceedings against him could be leaked to his supporters. After the FBI searched his Palm Beach, Florida home on 8 August 2022, an unredacted copy of a search warrant receipt that had been given to his attorneys was published by Breitbart News, allowing the names of FBI agents involved in the search to become public. According to subsequent court filings, the agents who were named on the document were innundated with death threats after their names became known to the ex-president’s supporters. Read More Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe Ofcom investigates GB News programmes over due impartiality rules

Referendum results say 95% of voters back the changes but turnout is believed to be very low.

A gloating Donald Trump has unexpectedly reignited his feud with soccer star Megan Rapinoe after the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) crashed out of the Women’s World Cup with a shock defeat by Sweden. The reigning champions had not been at their best throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, only narrowly escaping their group before losing 5-4 on penalties in a hard-fought battle against the Swedes on Sunday. Rapinoe, a late substitute, was one of three players to miss a crucial spotkick. The outcome was doubly cruel for the veteran winger as it came in what proved to be her final appearance for the USWNT, her glittering career on the world stage ending in bitter disappointment. The 38-year-old, a prominent LGBT+ rights activist and campaigner for equal pay in the women’s game, had previously announced her plan to retire at the end of the domestic season, where she plays for OL Reign in Seattle, Washington. Her misfortune was met with utter glee by the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted Mr Trump, who took a timeout from his myriad of legal problems to troll the team on Truth Social, suggesting their disappointing World Cup run was symptomatic of a broader national decline under President Joe Biden. “The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump posted on Sunday evening. “Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” Here’s a timeline of the war of the words between the Republican lawmaker and the soccer star: May 2019 Rapinoe first came to Trump’s attention just prior to the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France when she described herself in an interview with Yahoo! as a “walking protest against the Trump administration [because of] everything I stand for”. She continued: “I feel like it’s kind of defiance in and of itself to just be who I am and wear the jersey, and represent it. Because I’m as talented as I am, I get to be here, you don’t get to tell me if I can be here or not. “So it’s kind of a good ‘f*** you’ to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him. Which, God help us if we all looked like him. Scary. Really scary. Ahh, disturbing.” June 2019 What really piqued the then-president’s animosity towards the soccer star was a video interview Rapinoe gave to Eight by Eight magazine where she said she was “not going to the f***ing White House” in the event that the USWNT secured the World Cup win – an expression of the Californian’s deep-rooted disdain for the divisive policies of the Republican then occupying the Oval Office. The interview was recorded that January but resurfaced in June 2019, when the tournament was in full swing. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not going to the f***ing White House,” she said. “No. I’m not going to the White House, I don’t think we’ll be invited, I doubt it.” She also advised her teammates to “think hard” before accepting any honours from Mr Trump’s administration. The president – who had already expressed disapproval for her pointed silence during the national anthem before games – was left fuming by the clip. He fired back against Rapinoe on Twitter, writing: “I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear.” Rapinoe said at a subsequent press conference that she stood by her comments “with the exception of the expletive… My mom would be very upset about that”. July 2019 When the USWNT did indeed win the cup with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands – with Rapinoe herself scoring from the penalty spot and being named player of the match – the soccer star stood by her word. She did pay a visit to Washington – but only as a guest of progressive Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, a calculated snub to the blustering commander-in-chief. In the immediate aftermath, she told Time magazine that she believed Mr Trump was secretly a fan of hers. “You know he was watching that game. You know he had his McDonald’s lined up. And he was probably like, ‘You know what, I love that.’ I always felt Trump loved me,” she said. Rapinoe also addressed him directly during an interview with CNN, telling him: “Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me, you’re excluding people that look like me, you’re excluding people of colour, you’re excluding Americans that maybe support you. “You’re harking back to an era that was not great for everyone. It might have been great for a few people, and maybe America is great for a few people right now, but it’s not great for enough Americans in this world. “You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone.” She also joked about the prospect of running for the top job herself, commenting: “It’s an absolute honour to lead this team out on the field. There’s no other place I would rather be. Even in a presidential race. I’m busy, I’m sorry.” August 2019 Later reflecting on the spat with Mr Trump and the vicious comments she and her loved ones had been subjected to as a result, she told The Guardian: “It’s ridiculous and absurd. People were like: ‘That was so intense!’ And I’m like: ‘Honestly, he’s a f***ing joke, so it wasn’t intense, because this is ridiculous.’” Speaking for herself and her twin sister Rachel, also a former professional footballer, Rapinoe added: “I wouldn’t say that we’re anti-authority, but when there’s a person who is abusing their power or manipulating people, whether it’s a teacher when I was younger or Donald Trump now, there’s nothing that fires me up and grinds my gears more. I was just like: ‘No. That’s not happening.’” Intriguingly, she also said of her own father during that interview: “I think my dad voted for Trump and I’ll say: ‘I don’t get it. How are you simultaneously as proud as punch of me, and watching Fox News all the time [who are doing] takedowns of your daughter?’” Aftermath (2020-23) Since those glory days, Megan Rapinoe has continued to use her celebrity to campaign for social justice issues, endorsing Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren for president in December 2019 and hosting a panel event at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in support of frontline healthcare workers at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Following her snub of the Trump administration, Rapinoe did finally come to the White House at the invitation of President Biden in March 2021 to speak about wage equality. In July 2022, she was then awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Mr Biden – marking the highest possible civilian honour. Mr Trump, meanwhile, has spent the same period camped out at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, plotting his political return, deriding his enemies online and wrangling lawyers as the state and federal investigations into his past continue. August 2023 On 6 August 2023, the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup following a disappointing penalty shootout. While Rapinoe sobbed on pitch, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to gloat about the loss. “Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!” he cruelly jabbed. Read More Trump has meltdown attacking Biden, Megan Rapinoe and ‘wokeness’ for US Women’s World Cup loss – latest news Trump goes on unhinged Truth Social rant blaming Biden and ‘wokeness’ for USWNT’s World Cup loss From Megan Rapinoe’s miss to VAR drama: How the USA and Sweden’s penalty shoot-out unfolded Ofcom investigates GB News programmes over due impartiality rules Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump has gone on an unhinged Truth Social rant blaming President Joe Biden and “wokeness” for the US’s unexpected early defeat in the Women’s World Cup. The US Women’s National Soccer Team crashed out of the tournament on Sunday after losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout against Sweden – marking the team’s earliest-ever exit from the competition. In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump reveled in the loss and bizarrely claimed it was a sign of the influence “Crooked Joe Biden” has had on the nation. As well as blaming his political rival, the former president also somehow argued it was because of “WOKE”-ness and cruelly trolled striker Megan Rapinoe for missing a penalty. “The “shocking and totally unexpected” loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” he fumed. “Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” The former president has long had a contentious relationship with soccer star Rapinoe, who is well-known off the pitch for her social justice advocacy for racial equality, LGBT+ rights and women’s rights in sports. Back in 2019, Rapinoe sparked Mr Trump’s ire when she vowed that she would not go to Mr Trump’s White House if the national team won the World Cup. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not going to the f***ing White House,” she told soccer magazine Eight by Eight that June. “No. I’m not going to the White House, I don’t think we’ll be invited, I doubt it.” The team did win the cup that year – and refused to go to the White House. Mr Trump made it clear he was unhappy with her comments at the time, fuming that she should “never disrespect our country, the White House or our flag, especially since so much has been done for her and the team”. Before this, Rapinoe had already been attacked by conservatives for taking a knee during the national anthem in support of Colin Kaepernick and calls for racial justice. She also sued the US Soccer Federation for gender discrimination and was pivotal to the women’s team gaining equal pay to the men’s. Last year, Mr Biden awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honour. “Beyond the World Cup title to Olympic medals, Megan is a champion for essential American truth that everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect,” the president said at the award ceremony. Mr Trump’s latest angry diatribe involving Rapinoe was a marked difference from Mr Biden’s comments as he said the soccer team had made the US “proud”. “@USWNT, you’ve made your country proud,” he said in a post on Twitter. “Congratulations on an incredible run. This team is something special and I’m looking forward to seeing how you continue to inspire Americans with your grit and determination – on and off the field.” First Lady Jill Biden also praised the soccer team for their “grit and determination” which has inspired women and girls across the country. “Today, you inspired us with your grit and determination. We are proud of you,” she tweeted. “Always remember that you encourage women and girls everywhere to show up and fight for their dreams.” Zero goals were scored during Sunday’s 90-minute game between USA and Sweden, taking it to a penalty shootout. Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelly O’Hara each missed penalties while Sweden soared to a win. The loss marked a shock end to Rapinoe’s stellar career as she had announced she would retire after the World Cup. The 38-year-old has played four times in the tournament, helping the team to victory in both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Read More Trump has meltdown attacking Biden, Megan Rapinoe and ‘wokeness’ for US Women’s World Cup loss – latest news Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment England vs Nigeria LIVE: Score and updates from Women’s World Cup as VAR denies Lionesses penalty Mitch McConnell heckled with chants of ‘retire’ after freezing episode Trucking giant Yellow Corp. declares bankruptcy after years of financial struggles Texas separates migrant families, detaining fathers on trespassing charges in latest border move

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he will host Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit later