The Trump-FBI showdown

The high-stakes confrontation between Donald Trump and the US Justice Department has taken another twist.The former president said late yest [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( The high-stakes confrontation between Donald Trump and the US Justice Department has taken another twist. The former president said late yesterday he supported the “immediate release” of documents related to the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago property, including the warrant and a receipt of items — though not the more detailed accompanying affidavit — that Attorney General Merrick Garland had called for earlier. Key reading: - [Trump Calls for Release of Search Warrant Documents Used in Raid]( - [Garland Says He Approved Trump Search and Wants Warrant Unsealed]( - [Trump’s ‘Planted Evidence’ Claim Unlikely to Stand Up In Court]( - [Liz Cheney Defies Trump’s Base With Ads Chiding 2020 Vote ‘Lies’]( Trump’s announcement on his Truth Social network came after the Washington Post reported that the FBI agents were looking for highly classified material relating to nuclear weapons. Although Trump’s move negates the possibility of dispute with Garland over the documents’ release, both sides face risks. The FBI search on Monday — the first in US history of the home of a former president — inflamed political tensions between supporters and opponents of Trump. It comes at a time of what the agency said are increasing threats against law enforcement nationwide. Yesterday an armed man in body armor was killed after he tried to breach an FBI building in Ohio. Trump blamed his political enemies for seeking to undercut him, while some supporters darkly suggested that federal agents were trying to plant evidence. Yet any proof that Trump absconded with documents referring to America’s most sensitive secrets would diminish his supporters’ claims of political persecution. It would serve as a further cautionary tale about his disdain for legal guardrails as he considers another run for the White House in 2024. If it turns out the FBI search was for naught, however, it will only add to his backers’ fury and lend credence to their claim that the Justice Department is pursuing a witch hunt against him. — [Bill Faries]( A police car outside Trump’s Florida residence on Tuesday. Photographer: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images Click [here]( for this week’s most compelling political images and share this newsletter with others. They can sign up [here](. Global Headlines Second run | President Joe Biden is preparing to launch his re-election bid after the congressional midterms in November, aides and allies said, setting up a potential re-match with Trump. Biden’s resolve to run is [hardening](, even with polls showing most Democrats prefer a different candidate, as he’s buoyed by legislative, economic and foreign policy victories, sources say. Putin warning | Ukraine’s envoy to Washington cautioned the US and its allies against fatigue over a war that’s consuming billions of dollars in security assistance. In an interview, Ambassador Oksana Markarova said it would be far [costlier]( in the end to let Russian President Vladimir Putin go unchallenged and that if he isn’t stopped he’ll attack more countries in Europe. - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is asking the US to add several Russian banks per week to its list of [sanctioned]( financial institutions, Markarova said. CORINE Land Cover, Natural Earth CORINE Land Cover, Natural Earth The Rhine River — an artery for European industry — is set today to wither to a crucial level that could [upend]( the transport of fuels, with the effects potentially rippling through the continent for months. The water level at Kaub — a key waypoint west of Frankfurt — is poised to breach 40 centimeters (15.75 inches) and continue dwindling in subsequent days. Rethinking ties | European Union members Latvia and Estonia [abandoned]( the so-called 16+1 eastern European framework with China, under which Beijing provided investment for infrastructure projects. With Russia’s war in Ukraine prompting a rethink of ties with countries rivaling western powers, the decision weakens an arrangement that was criticized for giving China a way to sway EU policy. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [Climate Bill Alone Won’t Halve US Emissions by 2030: Eduardo Porter]( - [Modern India’s 75th Anniversary Is One to Forget: Mihir Sharma]( - [Bolton Plot Is a Warning on Iran Nuclear Talks: Bobby Ghosh]( Shy of victory | Neither of Kenya’s two leading presidential candidates have secured a [majority]( in this week’s election, with the latest tallies by three local media houses almost complete. If either Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga fail to secure the 50%-plus-one-vote threshold, a fresh ballot must be held within 30 days. Explainers you can use - [Why Ethiopia’s $5 Billion Dam Has Riled Its Neighbors]( - [Urban Cowboys Bet on Cattle in Uruguay Despite Climate Threat]( - [As UK Heads for Recession, Here’s Who Could Control Its Finances]( Warm news | European households fretting over turning on the heating and governments worried about running out of gas may take some solace from weather forecasts: The start of winter looks [mild](. Above-normal temperatures are projected in October, which could curb the need to use the fuel and give more time to refill critical reserves. News to Note - Germany will host an international conference in Berlin in October on how to organize the [reconstruction]( of Ukraine. - Poland’s ruling party is growing increasingly [doubtful]( that the EU will release the country’s share of post-pandemic funds before elections next year. - Putin’s invasion of Ukraine set Russia’s economy back [four years]( in the first full quarter after the attack, putting it on track for one of the longest downturns on record. - UK Conservative leadership front-runner Liz Truss ruled out a fresh [windfall tax]( on energy companies if she becomes prime minister. Pop quiz (no cheating!) Which nation’s leader is stepping up aggressive rhetoric before general elections to rally his radical base, including urging his supporters to arm themselves? Send your answers to balancepower@bloomberg.net. And finally ... Hong Kong censors [banned]( an award-winning film from being shown over a one-second scene depicting the 2014 pro-democracy protests, in the latest sign of free speech curbs. The makers of “Losing Sight of a Longed Place,” an eight-minute animated short about a young gay man’s struggles in Hong Kong, said it was pulled from a show organized by the Ground Up Film Society after they refused to submit an edited version. Riot police in a standoff with demonstrators during a protest in 2014 in Hong Kong. Source: Bloomberg Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022