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Trump news: President accuses Obama and Biden of spying as his coronavirus response comes under fire in Fox News interview

AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump has again accused former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden of spying on his administration, which has never been proven. The president claimed if he were to pull a similar stunt then he would face "50 years for treason".

This comes as Mr Trump's interview with Fox News Sunday is set to air. Host Chris Wallace challenged the president on his coronavirus response by playing clips of him saying the virus would soon disappear. To defend himself, Mr Trump said he would "be right eventually" about the virus going away. The US reached 140,000 Covid-19 deaths this weekend.

The interview also addressed Mr Trump's commitment to defending the Confederate flag. He told the Fox News host the flag was not a symbol of racism but instead a way for people to honour the South.

At a different part of the interview, the president decided to again compare his mental fitness to his presidential competitor. He claimed Mr Biden can't "string two sentences" together and would not be able to perform as well on a cognitive test. Mr Wallace brought up the cognitive assessment that the president took, saying the questions weren't very hard.

"It's all a misrepresentation," Mr Trump said. "Because, yes, the first few questions are easy, but I'll bet you couldn't even answer the last five questions."

Protests have heightened in Portland after the Trump administration deployed federal agents to the area in an attempt to calm the violence that has erupted. State and local officials have criticised the president, though, by saying the deployment of these "troops" was "a direct threat to democracy".

In a tweet, Mr Trump defended the situation by saying his administration was working to help Portland, not hurt it. "We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal,” he wrote.

Talks between the Trump administration and Capitol Hill Republicans are expected to increase this week regarding the next coronavirus stimulus package. Mr Trump's Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said the president would be meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy this week.