US vice president Mike Pence has said he is “100 per cent confident” that no one on his staff was involved with the anonymous New York Times column criticising president Donald Trump’s leadership. Mr Pence added his staff to the list of more than two dozen high-ranking administration officials who have denied writing the column. Mr Trump, meanwhile, has denounced the Times opinion piece as “gutless” and its publication as a “disgrace” bordering on treason. Both Mr Pence and Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to Mr Trump, pushed back during separate television appearances on Sunday on the portrayals of Mr Trump as anything but a thoughtful leader. Neither Mr Pence nor Ms Conway answered directly when asked if Mr Sessions should treat Mr Trump’s comments as an order.

Source: The Irish Times September 09, 2018 20:26 UTC