Jul 20, 2019

Trump says he's offered to vouch for A$AP Rocky's bail in Sweden

Photos: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images; Andrew Chin/Getty Images

President Trump confirmed in tweets Saturday that he's offered to Sweden's prime minister to "personally vouch" for the bail of rapper A$AP Rocky, after Kim Kardashian West contacted his administration about his detention there.

"Just had a very good call with Swedish PM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly. Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail, or an alternative. Our teams will be talking further, and we agreed to speak again in the next 48 hours!"

Reality check: Sweden's criminal justice system does not include bail, as AP notes.

What they're saying: Löfven's press secretary Toni Eriksson said in a statement the 2 leaders had a "friendly" conversation and that the prime minister "made certain to emphasize the complete independence of the Swedish judicial system, prosecutors and courts," per AP.

"He underlined that in Sweden everyone is equal before the law and that the government cannot and will not attempt to influence the legal proceedings."

Go deeper: Kim Kardashian has helped free 17 inmates in the past 3 months

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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Brazil coronavirus death toll tops 100,000 and case numbers surpass 3 million

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro posted a photo of himself to Facebook congratulating his soccer team, Palmeiras, for winning the state title Saturday, moments after the health ministry confirmed the national COVID-19 death toll had surpassed 100,000.

Why it matters: Brazil is only the second country to confirm more than 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus. On Sunday morning, it became the second country to surpass 3 million cases, per Johns Hopkins. Only the U.S. has reported more. Bolsonaro has yet to address the milestones. He has previously tested positive for COVID-19 three times, but he's downplayed the impact of the virus, which has crippled Brazil's economy.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with the latest coronavirus case numbers and more context.

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President Trump speaks to workers at a manufacturing facility in Clyde, Ohio, on Thursday. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Why it matters: Trump could face legal challenges on his ability to act without congressional approval, where the constitutional power lies on federal spending. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) was the most vocal Republican critic, saying in a statement: "The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop."

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