International

Trump calls Jan 6 probe a ‘witch hunt,’ does not address subpoena

Photo: CBS News

AFP

Former US president Donald Trump on Friday denounced the congressional investigation into the attack on the US Capitol by his supporters as a “show trial” and a “witch hunt.”

Trump, in a letter to Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the January 6 committee, did not address the subpoena for him to testify that was issued by the House panel on Thursday.

Instead, the former Republican president repeated his criticisms of the committee and his false claims that the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden was “rigged and stolen.”

“You have not spent even a short moment on examining the massive Election Fraud that took place during the 2020 Presidential Election,” Trump wrote.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

“The Unselect Committee has perpetuated a Show Trial the likes of which this Country has never seen before,” he said. “There is no Due Process, no Cross-Examination, no ‘real’ Republican members, and no legitimacy since you do not talk about Election Fraud.

“It is a Witch Hunt of the highest level, a continuation of what has been going on for years,” Trump said.

He also defended the rioters who attacked Congress on January 6, 2021 as it was certifying Biden’s election victory, calling them “patriots” and “concerned American citizens.”

“You have not gone after the people that created the Fraud, but rather great American Patriots who questioned it, as is their Constitutional right,” Trump said. “These people have had their lives ruined as your Committee sits back and basks in the glow.”

The January 6 panel, holding what is expected to be its final hearing before the November midterm elections on Thursday, voted to subpoena Trump to testify.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Trump responded with a post on his Truth Social platform but did not say whether he would agree to appear.

“Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago?” he said. “Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting?”

The New York Times reported that Trump has been telling aides that he favors testifying if he can do so live, but it is unclear whether the committee would grant such a demand.

Subpoenas from the panel have proved difficult to enforce, with former White House aide Steve Bannon the only person convicted of contempt of Congress so far for refusing to comply.

Across eight hearings in the summer the January 6 panel has unveiled reams of evidence showing the former president’s involvement in a labyrinthine series of connected schemes to overturn the election.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Trump, who urged his supporters in a fiery speech near the White House on January 6 to “fight like hell,” was impeached for inciting the mob to storm Congress to halt the peaceful transfer of power to Biden.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a videoconference with members of military in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. Trump gave defiant Thanksgiving remarks at the White House Thursday, insisting falsely that he beat Joe Biden and wavering on whether he would ever concede or attend Bidens inauguration. Photographer: Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.