Trump news: President asks why approval is lower than Fauci as he claims Florida’s record-high death toll heading in right direction

Tensions between Donald Trump and Twitter escalated as the president complained that trending topics about him were "disgusting" and "Really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!" It came as #TrumpVirus was trending.

His son, Donald Trump Jr, meanwhile, had his account temporarily suspended for sharing a press conference of doctors advocating for, among other things, use of hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, a clip his father also tweeted and was swiftly censored.

More was revealed today about Trump's withdrawal from throwing the Yankee's first pitch, which was reportedly never offered to begin with. There was no such confusion, however, over his decision not to visit the body of civil rights leader John Lewis, a move that frustrated the president's aides.

Another week and another book about Trump has started doing the publicity rounds. Today's was the announcement of ex-FBI agent Peter Strzork, who was played a key role in the Russia investigation. It will be released in, surprise, October.

Elsewhere in Washington, attorney general William Barr appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, where he said federal police were on the defence in Portland and were "not out looking for trouble". The city's mayor, meanwhile, walked back his defiance on talking with the Department of Homeland Security to request a meeting and "ceasefire".

Two takes emerged today on the clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square before Trump's photo op at St John's Church, with National Guard officer Adam DeMarco saying "excessive force" was used while the head of US Park Police, Gregory T Monahan, said neither Trump, the White House or AG Barr ordered the clearing.

Over in Delaware, Joe Biden gave a press conference on racism and economic equality, saying he would go down as the most progressive president in modern history. The ex-VP said he would announce the next-VP by the first week of August. But he would not say if they'd meet in person as he confirmed he hadn't yet been tested for Covid-19.

In the White House's renewed coronavirus press briefings, the president announced a partnership with Kodak to return pharmaceutical manufacturing to the US. After saying Florida, which recorded its record high single-day death toll, was heading in the right direction, Trump wondered why Dr Anthony Fauci's approval rating was higher, concluding it "can only be my personality".

Earlier, Dr Fauci insisted he has not misled the public over coronavirus after Trump shared tweets suggesting he had done so regarding the use of hydroxychloroquine. Trump ended the day by doubling-down on both his defence of drug, and of a doctor who claimed medicine is made from alien DNA before walking out of the press conference mid-question.

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