Trump repeats call for arrest of political enemies days after ‘vermin’ attack - Live
A top adviser to Donald Trump told colleagues in December 2020 that his boss would not leave the White House “under any circumstances”, new video alleges.
Dan Scavino, then Mr Trump’s chief of staff and director of social media, said the president would “just stay in power” regardless of election rules.
The accusation was made by former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis as part of a plea bargain with Georgia state prosecutors, who have charged Mr Trump and 18 others with plotting to illegally overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s attorneys have begun to present their defence argument in his New York civil fraud trial. The former president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr was the first witness, launching into a lengthy sales pitch praising his father’s real estate “artistry”.
On his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, moments before the trial resumed in lower Manhattan, Mr Trump shared a post from a supporter whose “fantasy” is seeing New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron “placed under citizens arrest” for “blatant election interference and harassment.”
This comes just days after he was compared to Hitler for describing his adversaries as “vermin”.
Key Points
Trump shares call for ‘citizens arrest’ of Letitia James and his fraud trial judge
Trump official said ‘the boss is not going to leave’ despite 2020 defeat, Georgia prosecutors told
Don Jr hails his ‘real estate artist’ father in fraud trial testimony
Jack Smith: Trump wants to turn Jan 6 case into media ‘carnival'
Why is the testimony of Trump’s children so important?
As his lawyers prepare his defence, Trump already claims he’s won...
Trump’s federal gag order — what’s happening?
14:40 , Oliver O'Connell
While federal prosecutors argue that Donald Trump's renewed attacks on the family of special counsel Jack Smith and his repeated attacks against likely witnesses in his federal criminal case warrant the urgent restoration of the gag order against him, a number of Republican attorneys general have jumped into the former president’s appeal against a gag order.
America First has also filed a brief stating its interest in the gag order. They argue the former president’s free speech First Amendment rights are being curtailed.
The special counsel’s team argue that Mr Trump “has persistently used social media to make prejudicial comments about the case and its participants” and that there has been a “pattern, stretching back years, in which people publicly targeted by the defendant are, as a result of the targeting, subject to harassment, threats, and intimidation”.
Indeed the filing (link above) runs through a number of the former president’s social media posts to make the point and notes that he “has taken advantage of administrative stays to engage in targeting of witnesses, as well as prosecutors and their families”.
GOP chairman calls opponent a ‘smurf’ in angry exchange at committee hearing
14:35 , Oliver O'Connell
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer seemed to have a meltdown after a Democrat confronted Mr Comer about how he allegedly loaned his brother a large sum of money, and compared those claims to Mr Comer’s accusations about the Biden family’s “shady” financial practices.
At a Tuesday hearing, Florida Rep Jared Moskowitz began, “The chairman mentioned something. He said, ‘the Biden administration can’t have it both ways’ and I agree,” and asked Rep Comer to explain the alleged loan he gave to his brother.
Kelly Rissman has the story.
Republican chairman calls opponent a ‘smurf’ in angry exchange at committee hearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene slams GOP colleagues for not voting for Mayorkas impeachment
14:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene is not happy about the House’s vote to shelve her articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, specifically naming her GOP colleagues who voted against the articles in an email and in numerous tweets.
The Georgia Republican forced the impeachment vote on 13 November. Eight Republicans joined to support the Democrats’ motion — in a vote of 209-201 — to send the resolution to the Homeland Security Committee.
Ms Greene’s team sent an email blast, calling out her Republican colleagues who joined the Democrats “to KILL my Articles of Impeachment” by naming each of them: Reps Ken Buck, Darrell Issa, Tom McClintock, Patrick McHenry, John Duarte, Virginia Foxx, Cliff Bentz and Mike Turner.
She then took to X to livestream her gripes about the vote. Rep Greene said the vote sent her resolution back to committee, “where articles of impeachment go to die.”
Kelly Rissman has the story.
Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts GOP colleagues who voted against Mayorkas impeachment
Meadows requests two-month delay in his Georgia criminal case
14:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Lawyers for Mark Meadows have asked Judge Scott McAfee for a two-month delay on two key pre-trial deadlines in the Fulton County, Georgia 2020 election interference case.
The former White House chief of staff is trying to get his portion of the sprawling racketeering case moved to a federal court.
In a four-page motion, his attorneys ask to shift the deadline for discovery from 4 December to 5 February 2024 and the deadline for pre-trial motions from 8 January to 4 March 2024.
Mr Meadows’s lawyers are preparing to go before a three-judge panel in the 11 Circuit of the US Court of Appeals next month to overturn a lower court’s opinion that he must stand trial alongside his 14 co-defendants including former president Donald Trump (a further four have agreed plea deals with prosecutors).
Full story: Trump allowed to appear on Michigan ballot, judge rules
13:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump may still appear on the 2024 presidential ballot in Michigan, a state judge ruled on Tuesday, shutting down efforts to remove Mr Trump by invoking the 14th Amendment.
Judge James Redford ruled that the courts nor the Michigan Secretary of State have the authority to determine when someone is eligible to run for office nor remove candidates from the ballot, in three separate opinions.
Ariana Baio reports.
Trump allowed to appear on Michigan ballot, judge rules
13:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Senator Mullin tries to fight labor leader at committee hearing: ‘Stand your butt up’
Republican infighting:Gaetz files ethics complaint against McCarthy over ‘elbowing'
12:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz has filed an ethics complaint against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he reportedly shoved one of the members who voted to oust him in the halls of Congress.
Mr McCarthy was seen by reporters elbowing Rep Tim Burchett, who told CNN afterwards that it was a “clean shot to the kidneys”.
Claudia Grisales of NPR was speaking to Mr Burchett at the time on Tuesday, writing on X that she had “never seen this on Capitol Hill”.
“While talking to @RepTimBurchett after the GOP conference meeting, former @SpeakerMcCarthy walked by with his detail and McCarthy shoved Burchett. Burchett lunged towards me. I thought it was a joke, it was not. And a chase ensued,” she wrote.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Gaetz files ethics complaint against McCarthy for ‘elbowing’ GOP rep
ICYMI: Trump repeats call for ‘citizen’s arrest’ of Letitia James and his fraud trial judge
12:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The New York judge overseeing a trial targeting Donald Trump’s business empire and the state attorney general suing him for fraud have been inundated with threatening messages since the case launched last year.
The leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president has now shared a call for their arrest.
On his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, moments before the trial resumed in lower Manhattan, Mr Trump shared a post from a supporter whose “fantasy” is seeing New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron “placed under citizens arrest” for “blatant election interference and harassment.”
He shared the post during his near-daily inflammatory screeds against Ms James and the judge, who issued a gag order prohibiting any parties in the case from making disparaging remarks about any members of the court staff. Mr Trump has already violated the gag order twice, and the judge expanded the order to include his attorneys after their comments about his chief clerk.
Prosecutors hear Trump official’s 2020 comments: ‘The boss is not going to leave’
11:45 , Oliver O'Connell
A top adviser to Donald Trump privately told colleagues in December 2020 that his boss would not leave the White House “under any circumstances”, new video alleges.
Dan Scavino, who was then serving as Mr Trump’s chief of staff and director of social media , allegedly claimed at a White House Christmas party that the President would “just stay in power” regardless of election rules.
The accusation was made by former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis as part of a plea bargain with Georgia state prosecutors, who have charged Mr Trump and 18 others with plotting to illegally overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Footage obtained by ABC News from a confidential meeting with investigators shows Ellis describing an alarming conversation she had with Mr Scavino on or around 19 December, 2020.
Io Dodds has the story.
Prosecutors hear Trump official’s 2020 comments
Full story: Trump breaks silence on his sister’s death
11:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has broken his silence on the death of his sister Maryanne Trump Barry, a former judge who passed away at the age of 86.
Ms Trump Barry was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to serve as a judge on the US District Court of New Jersey, and subsequently by President Bill Clinton to the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1999.
She assumed a semi-retired senior status in 2011 and took inactive senior status in 2017, shortly after her brother was sworn in as the nation’s 45th chief executive. She officially retired in 2019.
Here’s what the former president had to say on Truth Social.
Trump breaks silence on his sister’s death
Author claims Trump said he wanted his violent rhetoric to be taken ‘to heart’ by fans
10:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump said that he wanted his supporters to take his violent rhetoric “to heart”, the writer of a new book has claimed.
The former president reportedly brushed over the effects of his incendiary language, including use of terms such as “enemy of the people” when referring to the media.
The new book by ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, titled Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party, is the latest piece of work to feature a collection of bombshell revelations about the former president.
Discussing the book – which is due to be released at midnight on Tuesday – Mr Karl recalled discussing the actions of Mr Trump’s zealous supporters with him.
Read Mike Bedigan’s full report.
Democratic war-of-words spills into the open over Biden 2024 run
09:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Joe Biden appears to be engaged in a bitter feud with one of Barack Obama’s former strategists as Democrats continue to fret openly about the incumbent president’s chances in 2024.
Bad blood between the president and David Axelrod, a senior CNN commentator and former campaign strategist behind Mr Obama’s two successful White House bids, spilled into public view this week after Politico Magazine reported that the president had taken to referring to Mr Axelrod as a “pr***” behind closed doors. Axelrod is one of a number of Democratic operatives who have urged Mr Biden publicly to get out of the 2024 race and allow a younger candidate to run in his stead; Mr Biden has insisted that he is instead running for re-election.
John Bowden has the story.
Joe Biden feuds with Obama aide over 2024 odds
Georgia DA requests emergency safeguards after Trump case video leak
08:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office is seeking emergency safeguards after recorded interviews featuring co-defendants in Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case were leaked to the media.
Clips of the proffer interviews with Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell — who have pleaded guilty — were first obtained by ABC News and published on Monday.
“The release of these confidential video recordings is clearly intended to intimidate witnesses in this case, subjecting them to harassment and threats prior to trial, constitutes indirect communication about the facts of this case with codefendants and witnesses, and obstructs the administration of justice, in violation of the conditions of release imposed on each defendant,” the DA’s office argued.
Fulton County DA requests emergency safeguards after Trump case video leak
Did Fox News purge anti-Trump staff after Jan 6? A lawsuit claims the network did...
06:30 , Oliver O'Connell
A former Fox News reporter and producer is accusing his former employer of terminating him and other staff for speaking out against the network’s reporting of January 6 and the 2020 election – claiming it was based on discrimination.
Jason Donner, who worked at Fox News Network on Capitol Hill from 2010 to 2022, said he and “20 journalists” were retaliated against and laid off after they pushed back on reporting that favoured Mr Trump and downplayed the severity of January 6.
“To win back viewership and pledge its loyalty to President Trump, Fox’s corporate leadership purged the news division and those reporters who spoke out against claims of election fraud, such as [Chris Stirewalt],” the lawsuit alleges.
New attack ad: Lincoln Project seizes on latest Trump Georgia revelations
04:30 , Oliver O'Connell
A new ad from the Lincoln Project zeroed in on the new claims made by former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis, who recently pleaded guilty to the charges against her in Georgia, perhaps demonstrating the dangers of what another Trump election would look like.
The anti-Trump super PAC’s caption on X reads, “Jenna Ellis admits it herself: it was a coup from the start. Trump knew he lost, yet he still tried his hardest to illegally maintain power.” The ad intermixes a new clip of Ms Ellis with 2020 clips of Mr Trump.
The ad begins with Ms Ellis saying, “I thought the claims and the ability to challenge the election results was essentially over.” The quote was taken from a new clip that captured her speaking to prosecutors during a private meeting about her conversation with Dan Scavino, Mr Trump’s then-chief of staff, after the 2020 election.
The ad then cuts to Mr Trump saying, “This election is now over. Congress has certified the results.”
Read more...
Lincoln Project seizes on latest Trump Georgia revelations for new attack ad
As her campaign rises, Nikki Haley privately discusses economy with Wall Street chief
03:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley and the CEO of JPMorgan Chase have reportedly been privately talking about the economy as she surges in the polls.
The bank bigwig, Jamie Dimon, has been chatting about the global economy with the former UN ambassador over the phone, and thinks she has the ability to unite the country, Axios reported.
The Independent has reached out to Ms Haley’s campaign.
Mr Dimon allegedly praised the former South Carolina governor’s economic experience, particularly her knowledge of how business and government together can drive growth, the outlet reported.
Ms Haley unveiled her economic plan in September. In a speech at St Anselm College, she said, “My plan starts by giving real relief and financial freedom to middle-class Americans. Every middle-class family will get thousands of dollars in tax relief.”
Nikki Haley privately discusses economy with Wall Street chief as her campaign rises
‘Bull****’: Trump reacts to report he was leaving the GOP
02:30 , Oliver O'Connell
New audio has been released of Donald Trump saying that the claim from RNC chair Ronna McDaniel that he was set to leave the Republicans and start a party of his own is “bull***”.
Mr Trump made the comments in July 2021 during a phone interview with Jonathan Karl of ABC News, who included the former president’s response in his October 2021 book Betrayal.
The audio of that phone conversation was broadcast on MSNBC on Monday night.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump says report he was leaving GOP is ‘bull****’
Amid huge losses, Trump’s Truth Social warns company may be forced to shut down
01:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Truth Social’s parent company lost almost $23m (£18.7m) in the first half of this year alone, according to a new securities filing that raises concerns about its “ability to continue”.
The filing released on Monday marks the first time any financial details about Donald Trump’s social media platform have been shared publicly, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Truth Social was launched in February last year after Mr Trump was banned from most social networks in the aftermath of the 6 January 2021 Capitol riots.
The former US president – who announced his candidacy for the 2024 elections in November last year – has since returned to X (formerly known as Twitter), but says Truth Social is still his primary social media platform and that he won’t post anywhere else until six hours after he sends a “Truth”.
Vishwam Sankaran reports.
Trump’s Truth Social warns company may be forced to shut down amid huge losses
Marjorie Taylor Greene slams GOP colleagues for not voting for Mayorkas impeachment
00:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene is not happy about the House’s vote to shelve her articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, specifically naming her GOP colleagues who voted against the articles in an email and in numerous tweets.
The Georgia Republican forced the impeachment vote on 13 November. Eight Republicans joined to support the Democrats’ motion — in a vote of 209-201 — to send the resolution to the Homeland Security Committee.
Ms Greene’s team sent an email blast, calling out her Republican colleagues who joined the Democrats “to KILL my Articles of Impeachment” by naming each of them: Reps Ken Buck, Darrell Issa, Tom McClintock, Patrick McHenry, John Duarte, Virginia Foxx, Cliff Bentz and Mike Turner.
She then took to X to livestream her gripes about the vote. Rep Greene said the vote sent her resolution back to committee, “where articles of impeachment go to die.”
Kelly Rissman has the story.
Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts GOP colleagues who voted against Mayorkas impeachment
Senator Mullin mocked for challenging hearing witness to fistfight
00:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin faced social media mockery after challenging a hearing witness to a fight and standing up to take him on before being talked down by Bernie Sanders.
Mr Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, got into a heated argument with the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O’Brien on Tuesday that was close to becoming physical.
Mr Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and a two-time Democratic presidential nominee runner-up, stepped in and admonished Mr Mullin.
The 82-year-old Mr Sanders, an independent US Senator from Vermont, was leading a hearing centred around how unions can help working families.
Gustaf Kilander has the details of one of the many bizarre incidents in Congress today...
Senator mocked after challenging hearing witness to fistfight
Voices: Fights, shouting matches and chaos: Time to put Congress down for a nap
Tuesday 14 November 2023 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Eric Garcia reports from Capitol Hill:
Congress is poised to finally avert a government shutdown before the holidays and buy itself some time for negotiations. But it will literally do so kicking and screaming.
On Tuesday, both chambers of Congress saw tensions run high, with members nearly coming to blows.
Read the full article:
Fights, shouting matches and chaos: Time to put Congress down for a nap
GOP chairman calls opponent a ‘smurf’ in angry exchange at committee hearing
Tuesday 14 November 2023 23:05 , Oliver O'Connell
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer seemed to have a meltdown after a Democrat confronted Mr Comer about how he allegedly loaned his brother a large sum of money, and compared those claims to Mr Comer’s accusations about the Biden family’s “shady” financial practices.
At a Tuesday hearing, Florida Rep Jared Moskowitz began, “The chairman mentioned something. He said, ‘the Biden administration can’t have it both ways’ and I agree,” and asked Rep Comer to explain the alleged loan he gave to his brother.
Kelly Rissman reports what happened next.
Tuesday 14 November 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Senator Mullin tries to fight labor leader at committee hearing: ‘Stand your butt up’
Fulton County Trump trial may not conclude until early 2025, Fani Willis says
Tuesday 14 November 2023 22:33 , Oliver O'Connell
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says the trial of former president Donald Trump and his 14 co-defendants in the sprawling election interference and racketeering case may not conclude by early 2025 and could be in full swing as America votes in late 2024.
Speaking at The Washington Post Live’s Global Women’s Summit, Ms Willis said: “I believe in that case there will be a trial. I believe the trial will take many months. And I don’t expect that we will conclude until the winter or the very early part of 2025.”
Ms Willis made the remarks as Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee began to consider scheduling issues. Ms Willis said that the election calendar plays no role in the decisions her office makes about cases.
“I don’t, when making decisions about cases to bring, consider any election cycle or an election season. That does not go into the calculus. What goes into the calculus is: This is the law. These are the facts. And the facts show you violated the law. Then charges are brought,” she said.
Author claims Trump said he wanted his violent rhetoric to be taken ‘to heart’ by fans
Tuesday 14 November 2023 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump said that he wanted his supporters to take his violent rhetoric “to heart”, the writer of a new book has claimed.
The former president reportedly brushed over the effects of his incendiary language, including use of terms such as “enemy of the people” when referring to the media.
The new book by ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, titled Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party, is the latest piece of work to feature a collection of bombshell revelations about the former president.
Discussing the book – which is due to be released at midnight on Tuesday – Mr Karl recalled discussing the actions of Mr Trump’s zealous supporters with him.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Trump said he wanted his violent rhetoric to be taken literally by fans, author says
Update: Gaetz files ethics complaint against McCarthy for ‘elbowing’ GOP rep
Tuesday 14 November 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz has filed an ethics complaint against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he reportedly shoved one of the members who voted to oust him in the halls of Congress.
Mr McCarthy was seen by reporters elbowing Rep Tim Burchett, who told CNN afterwards that it was a “clean shot to the kidneys”.
Claudia Grisales of NPR was speaking to Mr Burchett at the time on Tuesday, writing on X that she had “never seen this on Capitol Hill”.
“While talking to @RepTimBurchett after the GOP conference meeting, former @SpeakerMcCarthy walked by with his detail and McCarthy shoved Burchett. Burchett lunged towards me. I thought it was a joke, it was not. And a chase ensued,” she wrote.
A spokesperson for Mr Burchett told The Independent: “I don’t have any official comments on the incident from the Congressman, but I do not have anything in that tweet that I wish to correct.”
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Gaetz files ethics complaint against McCarthy for ‘elbowing’ GOP rep
George Santos campaign staffer pleads guilty to wire fraud
Tuesday 14 November 2023 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell
A former campaign staffer who helped George Santos get elected last year plead guilty to wire fraud on Tuesday.
Sam Miele, a 27-year-old GOP operative who worked as a fundraiser for Mr Santos in 2022, appeared in court and admitted to impersonating an aide to another member of Congress. News reports have indicated that he pretended to be working for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy when on the phone with potential donors soliciting contributions.
According to The New York Times, Mr Miele’s attorney declined to say on Tuesday whether his client had agreed to testify against his ex-boss for federal prosecutors. Mr Santos, a serial liar who spread falsehoods about massive portions of his background, has been charged separately by the Justice Department with a host of crimes including identity theft, misuse of public funds and money laundering. He has denied all guilt and vowed to fight those charges, while admitting to fabricating most of his resume.
John Bowden has the full story.
George Santos campaign staffer pleads guilty to wire fraud
NY fraud trial: Testimony concludes for day
Tuesday 14 November 2023 21:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Court has adjourned for the day and expert witness Jason Flemmons will continue his testimony at 10am tomorrow morning.
The day ended on the subject of appraisals.
Flemmons says there would be no obligation or expectation on the part of Mazars or any accountant to include appraisals that were not used to value an asset in statements of financial condition.
— Stewart Bishop (@stewartbishop) November 14, 2023
Full story: Trump allowed to appear on Michigan ballot, judge rules
Tuesday 14 November 2023 21:29 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump may still appear on the 2024 presidential ballot in Michigan, a state judge ruled on Tuesday, shutting down efforts to remove Mr Trump by invoking the 14th Amendment.
Judge James Redford ruled that the courts nor the Michigan Secretary of State have the authority to determine when someone is eligible to run for office nor remove candidates from the ballot, in three separate opinions.
Ariana Baio reports.
Trump allowed to appear on Michigan ballot, judge rules
Fulton County defendant calls for judge to reject push for broad protective order
Tuesday 14 November 2023 21:23 , Oliver O'Connell
Ahead of tomorrow’s hearing, attorneys for defendant David Shafer call for Judge Scott McAfee to reject the Fulton County prosecutors’ push for a broad protective order.
They argue that District Attorney Fani Willis failed to meet the burden of showing a “substantial threat of physical or economic harm to a particular witness” in her argument for the order.
They provide an alternate order - backed by attorneys for Trump + 4 others - that would require the DA’s office to designate certain evidence as ‘sensitive materials’ and give defendants 14 days to contest the designation
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) November 14, 2023
Michigan judge keeps Trump on primary ballot
Tuesday 14 November 2023 21:06 , Oliver O'Connell
DETROIT (AP) — Michigan judge keeps Trump on primary ballot, rejecting effort to bar him under Constitution’s insurrection clause.
— Michelle L. Price (@michellelprice) November 14, 2023
Full story coming...
Tuesday 14 November 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump boasted about being told that there was “only one other political leader who ever got crowds as big as mine”, apparently misunderstanding that he was being compared to Adolf Hitler, a new book has claimed.
Following a conversation with then-chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the former president reportedly said he had been complimented on the size of his rallies during his time in office.
The claims come in a new book written by ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, titled Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the end of the Grand Old Party.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Trump proud of Hitler comparison over crowd size, new book claims
NY fraud trial: Expert witness explains importance of disclaimer
Tuesday 14 November 2023 20:38 , Oliver O'Connell
Jason Flemmons returned to the witness stand after the lunch break and was quizzed further about the different ways in which a valuation can be determined.
He explained that assets that generate income can be looked at in terms of future earnings to assess their current value.
Moving on, he discusses audits and reviews which he describes as “assurance engagements” — they provide assurance that a client’s financial house is in order.
Asked about whether you could perform such tasks and depart from GAAP, Mr Flemmons says yes but these departures must be flagged. The Trump statements of financial condition included such disclaimers that he describes as “user beware”.
The Trump defence hinges greatly on such disclaimers and argues that the banks should do their own due diligence. Judge Engoron rejected this argument in his pre-trial ruling.
Flemmons testifies that financial statements are permitted to have disclosed departures from GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles).
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 14, 2023
Full story: Trump breaks silence on his sister’s death
Tuesday 14 November 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has broken his silence on the death of his sister Maryanne Trump Barry, a former judge who passed away at the age of 86.
Ms Trump Barry was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to serve as a judge on the US District Court of New Jersey, and subsequently by President Bill Clinton to the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1999.
She assumed a semi-retired senior status in 2011 and took inactive senior status in 2017, shortly after her brother was sworn in as the nation’s 45th chief executive. She officially retired in 2019.
Trump breaks silence on his sister’s death
Meadows requests two-month delay in his Georgia criminal case
Tuesday 14 November 2023 20:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Lawyers for Mark Meadows have asked Judge Scott McAfee for a two-month delay on two key pre-trial deadlines in the Fulton County, Georgia 2020 election interference case.
The former White House chief of staff is trying to get his portion of the sprawling racketeering case moved to a federal court.
In a four-page motion, his attorneys ask to shift the deadline for discovery from 4 December to 5 February 2024 and the deadline for pre-trial motions from 8 January to 4 March 2024.
Mr Meadows’s lawyers are preparing to go before a three-judge panel in the 11 Circuit of the US Court of Appeals next month to overturn a lower court’s opinion that he must stand trial alongside his 14 co-defendants including former president Donald Trump (a further four have agreed plea deals with prosecutors).
Bad blood between Biden and Axelrod spills into open
Tuesday 14 November 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Joe Biden appears to be engaged in a bitter feud with one of Barack Obama’s former strategists as Democrats continue to fret openly about the incumbent president’s chances in 2024.
Bad blood between the president and David Axelrod, a senior CNN commentator and former campaign strategist behind Mr Obama’s two successful White House bids, spilled into public view this week after Politico Magazine reported that the president had taken to referring to Mr Axelrod as a “pr***” behind closed doors. Axelrod is one of a number of Democratic operatives who have urged Mr Biden publicly to get out of the 2024 race and allow a younger candidate to run in his stead; Mr Biden has insisted that he is instead running for re-election.
“As I’ve said for like a couple years now, the issue’s not — for him is not political, its actuarial. You can see that in this poll and there’s just a lot of concern about the age issue, and that is something I think he needs to ponder. Just do a check and say, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’” Axelrod said over the weekend on CNN.
John Bowden reports.
Joe Biden feuds with Obama aide over 2024 odds
Did Fox News purge anti-Trump staff after Jan 6? A lawsuit alleges the network did...
Tuesday 14 November 2023 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell
A former Fox News reporter and producer is accusing his former employer of terminating him and other staff for speaking out against the network’s reporting of January 6 and the 2020 election – claiming it was based on discrimination.
Jason Donner, who worked at Fox News Network on Capitol Hill from 2010 to 2022, said he and “20 journalists” were retaliated against and laid off after they pushed back on reporting that favoured Mr Trump and downplayed the severity of January 6.
“To win back viewership and pledge its loyalty to President Trump, Fox’s corporate leadership purged the news division and those reporters who spoke out against claims of election fraud, such as [Chris Stirewalt],” the lawsuit alleges.
The allegations mimic similar themes of retaliation and poor treatment as displayed in evidence from Dominion Voting System’s lawsuit against Fox News as well as other lawsuits from former employees of the network.
Ariana Baio has the details.
Ex-Fox News reporter accuses network of ‘purging’ anti-Trump staff after Jan 6
Giuliani camp accuses Fulton County DA of weaponising protective order process
Tuesday 14 November 2023 19:29 , Oliver O'Connell
A spokesperson for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of trying to “shut everyone up by weaponising the protective order process” in the sprawling racketeering case concerning efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 election in Georgia.
Mr Giuliani is one of 19 co-defendants including former president Donald Trump. Four others, Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, and bail bondsman Scott Hall, have pleaded guilty and agreed to provide testimony for the case.
After video clips leaked of some of their proffer meetings with prosecutors, the DA’s office has requested an emergency protective order to stop further leaks.
Speaking for Mr Giuliani, his political adviser Ted Goodman, said: “It’s likely that Fani Willis and her office have been leaking all sorts of information to the press over the course of the past two and a half years in an effort to disparage President Donald Trump, Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the other defendants.
“Now, Fani wants to shut everyone up by weaponizing the protective order process, so the defendants can’t properly defend themselves and so that her office is the only one that can continue to leak.
“Fani Willis is panicking because the government’s chief witness, Sidney Powell, just cleared Mayor Rudy Giuliani of any RICO or conspiracy involvement by admitting that Giuliani relayed to her that he would never work with her on anything, under any circumstances. Fani Willis must do the right thing and immediately dismiss all charges against Mayor Giuliani.”
Here’s our earlier reporting:
Fulton County DA requests emergency safeguards after Trump case video leak
Full story: Trump shares call for ‘citizens arrest’ of Letitia James and his fraud trial judge
Tuesday 14 November 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The New York judge overseeing a trial targeting Donald Trump’s business empire and the state attorney general suing him for fraud have been inundated with threatening messages since the case launched last year.
The leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president has now shared a call for their arrest.
On his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, moments before the trial resumed in lower Manhattan, Mr Trump shared a post from a supporter whose “fantasy” is seeing New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron “placed under citizens arrest” for “blatant election interference and harassment.”
He shared the post during his near-daily inflammatory screeds against Ms James and the judge, who issued a gag order prohibiting any parties in the case from making disparaging remarks about any members of the court staff. Mr Trump has already violated the gag order twice, and the judge expanded the order to include his attorneys after their comments about his chief clerk.
Alex Woodward has been following the case for The Independent.
Trump shares call for ‘citizen’s arrest’ of Letitia James and his fraud trial judge
In new attack ad, Lincoln Project seizes on latest Trump Georgia revelations
Tuesday 14 November 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell
A new ad from the Lincoln Project zeroed in on the new claims made by former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis, who recently pleaded guilty to the charges against her in Georgia, perhaps demonstrating the dangers of what another Trump election would look like.
The anti-Trump super PAC’s caption on X reads, “Jenna Ellis admits it herself: it was a coup from the start. Trump knew he lost, yet he still tried his hardest to illegally maintain power.” The ad intermixes a new clip of Ms Ellis with 2020 clips of Mr Trump.
The ad begins with Ms Ellis saying, “I thought the claims and the ability to challenge the election results was essentially over.” The quote was taken from a new clip that captured her speaking to prosecutors during a private meeting about her conversation with Dan Scavino, Mr Trump’s then-chief of staff, after the 2020 election.
The ad then cuts to Mr Trump saying, “This election is now over. Congress has certified the results.”
Kelly Rissman has the story.
Lincoln Project seizes on latest Trump Georgia revelations for new attack ad
Stefanik calls for another investigation into Michael Cohen after fraud trial testimony
Tuesday 14 November 2023 18:56 , Oliver O'Connell
Rep Elise Stefanik has called for the Justice Department to investigate former Trump attorney Michael Cohen following his testimony in the former president’s civil fraud trial in New York.
The Biden Justice Department must take off its partisan blinders and investigate disgraced fraudster and disbarred attorney Michael Cohen, a felon previously convicted for lying to Congress, who just admitted to lying again to Congress. pic.twitter.com/5iE4FLizJj
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) November 14, 2023
GOP rep claims Kevin McCarthy physically shoved him
Tuesday 14 November 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is reported to have shoved one of the members who voted to oust him in the halls of Congress.
Mr McCarthy was seen by reporters elbowing Rep Tim Burchett, who told CNN that it was a “clean shot to the kidneys”.
Claudia Grisales of NPR was speaking to Mr Burchett at the time on Tuesday, writing on X that she had “never seen this on Capitol Hill”.
“While talking to @RepTimBurchett after the GOP conference meeting, former @SpeakerMcCarthy walked by with his detail and McCarthy shoved Burchett. Burchett lunged towards me. I thought it was a joke, it was not. And a chase ensued,” she wrote.
A spokesperson for Mr Burchett told The Independent: “I don’t have any official comments on the incident from the Congressman, but I do not have anything in that tweet that I wish to correct.”
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.
GOP rep claims Kevin McCarthy physically shoved him amid shutdown spat
Trump posts tribute to sister Maryanne who passed away on Monday
Tuesday 14 November 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has posted a tribute to his sister Maryanne, who passed away at her home in New York on Monday morning.
The former president wrote:
My great sister, Maryanne, passed away yesterday at the age of 86. A truly beautiful woman, tall and elegant, with a presence like no other, she was also a tremendous student, intellect, and Judge, in charge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, just below the U.S. Supreme Court. Her life was largely problem free, PERFECT, until I made it difficult for her when I decided to run for President. The Fake News, and others, went after her mercilessly, and because of the fact that she felt it inappropriate, due to her position, to defend herself, it just never stopped! While tough and strong, she was made to suffer in those years from 2016 until her Retirement. I will never forget the many times people would come up to me and say, “Your sister was the smartest person on the Court.” I was always honored by that, but understood exactly what they meant—They were right! She was a great Judge, and a great sister. She will be truly missed!
Maryanne Trump Barry, former federal judge and sister of ex-president, dead at 86
As her campaign rises, Nikki Haley privately discusses economy with Wall Street chief
Tuesday 14 November 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley and the CEO of JPMorgan Chase have reportedly been privately talking about the economy as she surges in the polls.
The bank bigwig, Jamie Dimon, has been chatting about the global economy with the former UN ambassador over the phone, and thinks she has the ability to unite the country, Axios reported.
The Independent has reached out to Ms Haley’s campaign.
Mr Dimon allegedly praised the former South Carolina governor’s economic experience, particularly her knowledge of how business and government together can drive growth, the outlet reported.
Ms Haley unveiled her economic plan in September. In a speech at St Anselm College, she said, “My plan starts by giving real relief and financial freedom to middle-class Americans. Every middle-class family will get thousands of dollars in tax relief.”
Kelly Rissman reports.
Nikki Haley privately discusses economy with Wall Street chief as her campaign rises
Tuesday 14 November 2023 17:41 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Flemmons’s testimony is at the heart of the Trump defence case — he argues that there are many different ways of valuing assets and his method for arriving at his total net worth over the years between 2011 and 2021 is just as legitimate as others.
Valuation as an art rather than a science.
“Very importantly, as long as you’re using one of these [methods] and you disclose what you’re doing [you’re good],” Mr Flemmons says.
Flemmons testifies that the different methods for determining estimated current value can produce wildly different results.
“Are you required to use one method over another?” Suarez asks.
“No,” Flemmons says.— Stewart Bishop (@stewartbishop) November 14, 2023
NY fraud trial: Third expert witness takes stand
Tuesday 14 November 2023 17:25 , Oliver O'Connell
The next expert witness for the defence in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial is Jason Flemmons, a forensic accountant who’s a senior managing director at management consultant Ankura in its Washington, DC office.
Judge Engoron qualifies him as an expert witness.
He begins by giving his opinion about the distinctions between “Estimated Current Value versus Fair Value”.
Estimated current value is the amount that could be exchanged between a buyer and a seller for a particular asset.
Fair value is a very different GAAP standard that only applies to entities, and is not used in personal financial statements.
Flemmons talks about a couple of concepts here.
Estimated current value--its the amount that could be exchanged between a buyer and a seller for a particular asset.
Fair value--a very different GAAP standard that only applies to entities, not used personal financial statements.— Stewart Bishop (@stewartbishop) November 14, 2023
Watch: Seth Meyers rips Trump over ‘vermin’ comments
Tuesday 14 November 2023 17:21 , Oliver O'Connell
“Fuck this dipshit — racist doofus thinks he can swoop in and set up a dictatorship in 2024 despite having, like, nine sets of handcuffs on him."
— Seth Meyers responds to Donald Trump saying that his political opponents "live like vermin," echoing rhetoric used by Hitler pic.twitter.com/5daHk3K2GZ— The Recount (@therecount) November 14, 2023
NY fraud trial: Witkoff testifies about 40 Wall St
Tuesday 14 November 2023 17:02 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Witkoff answers some questions about the potential of the skyscraper at 40 Wall Street regarding the surrounding downtown area, local growth, and the possibility of residential conversions.
On cross-examination, Mr Witkoff is asked about restrictions in place on the ground lease of the building which he says he did not examine in his analysis.
His testimony is done.
Fulton County DA requests emergency safeguards after video leak of defendant interviews
Tuesday 14 November 2023 16:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office is seeking emergency safeguards after recorded interviews featuring four defendants in the Trump case were leaked to the media last night.
Clips of the proffer interviews with Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesbro, and Scott Hall — who have all pleaded guilty — were first broadcast by ABC News on Monday evening.
“The release of these confidential video recordings is clearly intended to intimidate witnesses in this case, subjecting them to harassment and threats prior to trial,” the DA's office argues.
"The release of these confidential video recordings is clearly intended to intimidate witnesses in this case, subjecting them to harassment and threats prior to trial," the DA's office argues.
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) November 14, 2023
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill...
Tuesday 14 November 2023 16:28 , Oliver O'Connell
Probably not the kind of behaviour you’d typically expect from elected officials, and yet here we are...
Burchett says he's still in pain from McCarthy hitting him and adds: "I just don't expect a guy who was at one time three steps away from the White House to hit you with a sucker punch in the hallway." pic.twitter.com/vhWTpm9uDm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 14, 2023
NY fraud trial: Attorneys spar over admissibility of evidence
Tuesday 14 November 2023 16:07 , Oliver O'Connell
Lawyers for the defence team and the New York Attorney General’s office begin to argue over the admissibility of testimony with Kise arguing that the evidence goes to the question of materiality in terms of the remaining counts at issue.
Judge Engoron sustains that state’s objection to some of the testimony and Kise describes their standard as “lunacy” and continues to try and argue against the ruling.
NY AG counsel Andrew Amer asks that they not have never-ending motions for reconsideration.
The upshot is that Mr Witkoff is barred from offering an opinion on the Doral golf club on grounds of irrelevance, but the defence team attempts to get in a separate question about golf courses in general, leading to another objection from the state.
Questioning turns to the 40 Wall Street property.
‘Bull****’: Trump reacts to report he was leaving GOP
Tuesday 14 November 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell
New audio has been released of Donald Trump saying that the claim from RNC chair Ronna McDaniel that he was set to leave the Republicans and start a party of his own is “bull***”.
Mr Trump made the comments in July 2021 during a phone interview with Jonathan Karl of ABC News, who included the former president’s response in his October 2021 book Betrayal.
The audio of that phone conversation was broadcast on MSNBC on Monday night.
“[On] his last day in office shortly after boarding Air Force One, Donald Trump spoke with Republican Party chair Ronna McDaniel and delivered some pretty uncomfortable news,” former Biden White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, now a cable news host, said on Monday night on Inside with Jen Psaki on MSNBC.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Trump says report he was leaving GOP is ‘bull****’
NY fraud trial: Witkoff qualified as expert
Tuesday 14 November 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell
When the Trump defence team moves to qualify Mr Witkoff as an expert, NY AG counsel Andrew Amer argues that the judge should limit his expertise to “real estate development” arguing that there is no such expertise as real estate developer valuations.
In response, Trump’s lead attorney Christopher Kise argues that the real estate appraisal is not just the business of appraisers.
Judge Arthur Engoron qualifies Mr Witkoff as an expert in real estate development.
Mr Witkoff says Trump has been “a really good friend” since they met more than two decades ago, “particularly after the death of my son”.
He notes that he is not being paid for his testimony as an expert.
Lawsuit claims Michael Flynn kept leftover money from legal defence fund
Tuesday 14 November 2023 15:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s family kept leftover money from a legal defence fund set up for him, a lawsuit states.
The family of the former general, who lasted less than a month in the Trump administration and subsequently has become a major figure among followers of the QAnon conspiracy, reportedly kept hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fund, according to the lawsuit that was made public on Thursday.
The fund was set up as Mr Flynn was the subject of a federal investigation regarding the 2016 election, the ex-general’s sister testified in a defamation case against CNN, Semafor notes.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Michael Flynn kept leftover money from legal defence fund, lawsuit claims
NY fraud trial: Defence calls first expert witness
Tuesday 14 November 2023 15:19 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s defence team in his New York civil fraud trial has called its first expert witness, Steven Witkoff. The New York Attorney General’s office tried to block his testimony and that of three other experts citing questions of relevance.
Mr Witkoff is a developer and founder and CEO of real estate investment firm the Witkoff Group. In his career he has had a longtime association with Mr Trump and his company.
According to court filings, Mr Witkoff will offer his take about the Trump Doral golf course in Miami and the property at 40 Wall Street in Manhattan. which is that the properties are worth more than has been alleged.
Trump reposts statement calling for citizen’s arrest of judge and NY AG
Tuesday 14 November 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell
In addition to his almost daily attacks on Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James, Donald Trump has gone one step further and reposted a statement on Truth Social in which one of his followers fantasises about the two being placed under citizen’s arrest for “blatant election interference and harassment”.
Reminders:
1) Engoron said his "chambers have been inundated with hundreds of harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters and packages" since trial began.
2) His gag order currently doesn't prevent Trump from attacking him anyway. pic.twitter.com/jp7wp1SaUz— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 14, 2023
Judge Engoron has already placed the former president under a gag order preventing him from attacking court staff but has weathered Mr Trump’s attacks against him personally. He has said in court that his “chambers have been inundated with hundreds of harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters and packages” since the beginning of the trial.
The New York citizen arrest statute I was referencing appears here: https://t.co/biEAFG5lIk. @SenGianaris has been fighting to repeal it—and earlier this year, the NY State Senate did just that. But it still remains law, not just a MAGA fantasy. https://t.co/lhD5tcGrpY
— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) November 14, 2023
Trump attacks ‘racist’ and ‘smirking’ NY AG
Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:49 , Oliver O'Connell
As Donald Trump’s defence team prepares to resume its case at the New York State Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan, the former president has posted his customary daily rant about the trial and case against him.
Here’s what he wrote on Truth Social:
Racist A.G. Letitia James is smirking all day long from her seat in Court, as New York continues to set records in murder and other violent crimes, and businesses flee to other States. “This is a law that’s rather bazar, this is a law that doesn’t require any victims (there are none, except me!), it doesn’t require anyone to lose money - the banks didn’t complain here, they made money. You have a (Trump Hating!) Attorney General who’s seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages when not a single penny was lost by these banks, and that’s part of this (Unconstitutional!) Law…You can see from the reaction of A.G. James, every morning from that seat, that she is enjoying this, enjoying it a bit too much.” Law Professor Jonathan Turley. THIS LAW HAS NEVER BEEN USED FOR THIS BEFORE. It is both Unconstitutional and very UNFAIR! No businesses will come to New York, only continue to leave. The whole case is RIGGED from D.C. It is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. OUR COUNTRY IS BROKEN & CORRUPT!!!
Watch: Speaker officially endorses Trump for president
Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:43 , Oliver O'Connell
“I’m all in for President Trump and I expect he will be our nominee –we have to make Biden a one-term president.” Says GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson in his first endorsement of Donald Trump as Speaker. “We have to make radical changes; the American people are hurting.”
“I’m all in for President Trump and I expect he will be our nominee –we have to make Biden a one-term president.” Says GOP House Speaker @SpeakerJohnson in his first endorsement of Trump as Speaker. “We have to make radical changes; the American people are hurting.” pic.twitter.com/7m2jiTaYrl
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) November 14, 2023
Trump NY fraud trial: Yesterday in court...
Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:35 , Oliver O'Connell
With his return to the witness stand in a fraud trial that threatens the family business, Donald Trump Jr launched a lengthy sales pitch praising his father’s “artistry” and his real estate “canvas” as his attorneys begin their weekslong defence.
During his testimony two weeks ago, under questioning from lawyers with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the former president’s oldest son emphatically denied having anything to do with making his father’s statements of financial condition at the heart of a lawsuit accusing the family of fraud.
In their testimonies, his brother Eric and sister Ivanka also denied any involvement in those documents, while evidence presented by the attorney general’s office appeared to show they were well aware of them.
The attorney general’s case portrayed Donald Trump, inflated by ego, as a key figure behind fraudulent documents that exaggerated his net worth and assets, lying to banks and lenders to get more favourable terms to boost his family business and its real estate empire over a decade.
But on the stand on Monday morning, the former president’s oldest son faced questions from his own attorneys, teeing up lengthy testimony praising his father’s “artistry” and “vision”.
Read Alex Woodward’s full report:
Donald Trump Jr hails his ‘real estate artist’ father in fraud trial testimony
Full story: Trump official said ‘the boss is not going to leave’ despite 2020 defeat
Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:12 , Oliver O'Connell
A top adviser to Donald Trump privately told colleagues in December 2020 that his boss would not leave the White House “under any circumstances”, new video alleges.
Dan Scavino, who was then serving as Mr Trump’s chief of staff and director of social media , allegedly claimed at a White House Christmas party that the President would “just stay in power” regardless of election rules.
The accusation was made by former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis as part of a plea bargain with Georgia state prosecutors, who have charged Mr Trump and 18 others with plotting to illegally overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Footage obtained by ABC News from a confidential meeting with investigators shows Ellis describing an alarming conversation she had with Mr Scavino on or around 19 December 2020.
Io Dodds reports.
Trump official said ‘boss is not going to leave’ despite 2020 defeat
Watch: Jenna Ellis tells Georgia prosecutors what Trump official told her about election result
Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:08 , Oliver O'Connell
Jack Smith warns Trump wants to turn Jan 6 case into media ‘carnival
Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:05 , Oliver O'Connell
US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith is urging a federal judge to reject Donald Trump’s request to televise his upcoming trial on charges connected to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The former president’s attorneys took no position on an earlier long-shot request from a group of media outlets asking to broadcast the trial, but a filing on 10 November asked for “sunlight” and accused federal prosecutors of trying to “continue this travesty in darkness”.
“Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges,” John Lauro wrote in a filing last week.
In a filing on 13 November, Mr Smith’s office warned that Mr Trump’s bedelated response is a “transparent effort to demand special treatment” to “try his case in the courtroom of public opinion, and turn his trial into a media event.”
“And it should avoid the spectacle – and attendant risks of witness intimidation – that the longstanding rules against courtroom broadcasting are designed to avoid,” according to the filing.
ICYMI: Trump wants his trial to be televised
Tuesday 14 November 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump found himself in rare agreement with the mainstream media, pleading in a Friday night legal filing that his blockbuster federal trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election be shown live on TV.
“The prosecution wishes to continue this travesty in darkness,” the former president’s lawyers wrote. “President Trump calls for sunlight. Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges.”
Elsewhere in the filing, Mr Trump’s team reiterated familiar conspiratorial allegations that the special counsel prosecution is part of a “coordinated effort to undermine President Trump’s candidacy” that bears the hallmarks of an “authoritarian regime.”
Following a lengthy special counsel investigation, federal officials charged the former president in August with knowing he lost the 2020 election, but conspiring on a multi-state effort to remain in power nonetheless, including by coordinating slates of false electors. He has pleaded not guilty.
Last week, federal prosecutors said federal courtroom rules “clearly foreclosed” showing the election conspiracy trial on TV, writing that citizens have “the right to attend a criminal trial — not the right to broadcast it.”
Trump wants his trial to be televised
Why are Trump’s children testifying at New York civil fraud trial?
Tuesday 14 November 2023 13:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The main focus on Donald Trump’s myriad of legal woes shifted to Lower Manhattan in October as his civil fraud case came to trial at New York state’s Supreme Court.
New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the case against the Trump Organization and maintains that between 2011 and 2021 the company falsified financial statements regarding the development of several real estate projects and artificially inflated Mr Trump’s net worth in order to get better financing terms from banks and insurance companies.
This was done by over-stating valuations of the former president’s most prestigious holdings including his triplex penthouse at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Their entire New York real estate empire is already in peril after a pre-trial ruling included the cancellation of their business licences in the state.
As the prosecution’s case closed, three of his adult children took the stand to testify under oath, which begs the question: how are they wrapped up in all this and why is their testimony important at the trial?
Why are Trump’s children testifying at New York civil fraud trial?
Marjorie Taylor Greene pushes to impeach DHS head Alejandro Majorkas
Tuesday 14 November 2023 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell
The House of Representatives could take up a resolution at some point this week to impeach the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas after an effort led by far-right Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The resolution to impeach Mr Mayorkas appeared in the House chamber’s schedule of measures that it’s planning to take up, with the resolution pushed by Ms Greene listed under measures the chamber “may” consider, The Hill noted.
The main issue the House has to deal with this week is finding a resolution to fund the government ahead of Friday that can pass the chamber.
Last week, Ms Greene attempted to push for a vote on Mr Mayorkas’s impeachment. The resolution claimed that the secretary is guilty of “willful admittance of border crossers” and it argues that he has a duty to guard against an “invasion”.
Ms Greene also claims that the secretary hasn’t adhered to the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which states that the border can only be regarded as operationally secure if no people or contraband crosses illegally.
Supreme Court shares first-ever code of ethics
Tuesday 14 November 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell
After months of scrutiny over Supreme Court Justices’ undisclosed vacations and gifts from wealthy political donors, the highest court in the land will be adopting a formal code of ethics.
On Monday, the Supreme Court announced the code and released a 14-page document outlining the rules justices follow and their responsibilities.
The court noted that the rules and principles “are not new” and the court has long followed “the equivalent of common law ethics rules” derived from statutory provisions and other federal judicial codes of ethics.
“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the court wrote. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”
Ariana Baio reports.
Supreme Court shares first-ever code of ethics
Don Jr hails his ‘real estate artist’ father in fraud trial testimony
Tuesday 14 November 2023 11:15 , Oliver O'Connell
With his return to the witness stand in a fraud trial that threatens the family business, Donald Trump Jr launched a lengthy sales pitch praising his father’s “artistry” and his real estate “canvas” as his attorneys began their defence.
During his testimony two weeks ago, under questioning from lawyers with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the former president’s oldest son emphatically denied having anything to do with making his father’s statements of financial condition at the heart of a lawsuit accusing the family of fraud.
In their testimonies, his brother Eric and sister Ivanka also denied any involvement in those documents, while evidence presented by the attorney general’s office appeared to show they were well aware of them.
The attorney general’s case portrayed Donald Trump, inflated by ego, as a key figure behind fraudulent documents that exaggerated his net worth and assets, lying to banks and lenders to get more favourable terms to boost his family business and its real estate empire over a decade.
But on the stand on Monday, the former president’s oldest son didn’t face any scrutiny about those numbers. Instead, under questioning from his own attorneys, he praised his father’s “artistry” and “vision”.
Alex Woodward filed this report from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Donald Trump Jr hails his ‘real estate artist’ father in fraud trial testimony
Jack Smith warns Trump wants to turn Jan 6 case into media ‘carnival'
Tuesday 14 November 2023 10:30 , Oliver O'Connell
US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith is urging a federal judge to reject Donald Trump’s request to televise his upcoming trial on charges connected to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The former president’s attorneys took no position on an earlier long-shot request from a group of media outlets asking to broadcast the trial, but a filing on 10 November asked for “sunlight” and accused federal prosecutors of trying to “continue this travesty in darkness”.
“Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges,” John Lauro wrote in a filing last week.
In a filing on 13 November, Mr Smith’s office warned that Mr Trump’s bedelated response is a “transparent effort to demand special treatment” to “try his case in the courtroom of public opinion, and turn his trial into a media event.”
“And it should avoid the spectacle – and attendant risks of witness intimidation – that the longstanding rules against courtroom broadcasting are designed to avoid,” according to the filing.
ICYMI: Trump compared to Hitler after ‘vermin’ attack
Tuesday 14 November 2023 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has drawn the ire of historians after he referred to his political adversaries as “vermin” in a Veterans Day speech.
The former president argued that his domestic opponents are more of a threat to the US than the likes of China, Russia and North Korea.
The remarks prompted comparisons to authoritarian leaders such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, according to The Washington Post.
Mr Trump, 77, spoke in Claremont, New Hampshire, telling the crowd in his usual grievance-laden parlance: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections.”
The former president has refused to accept the results of the 2020 election and continues to lie, falsely claiming that it was stolen.
Trump compared to Hitler after ‘vermin’ attack
Can Mike Johnson survive a McCarthy-esque test over looming shutdown?
Tuesday 14 November 2023 08:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Mike Johnson’s big test is here.
Congress faces a deadline of 17 November to pass a budget measure to keep paychecks to federal employees flowing and ensure that parts of the government remain operational. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Legislative Branch was in the exact same position just weeks ago, and found itself utterly paralysed without the ability to pass anything more than a short-term funding extension to get us to this point. Even that proved to be so odious to House conservatives that it cost Kevin McCarthy his role in leadership, ending his long-sought speakership less than a year into the job.
Now, the new Speaker of the House heads into the week before Thanksgiving with two familiar questions burning before him: will the US government shut down? And will Mike Johnson still be Speaker when this is over?
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.
Mike Johnson faces a McCarthy-esque test as a shutdown looms. Will he survive?
Trump’s sister passes away
Tuesday 14 November 2023 06:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Maryanne Trump Barry, a former judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit who was also the older sister of former president Donald Trump, has died.
Barry’s death at the age of 86 was reported by multiple outlets, indicating that she was found at her Manhattan home on Monday.
The former judge, who was first named to the US District Court for the District of New Jersey by then-president Ronald Reagan in 1983, was a graduate of Hofstra University Law School and a former federal prosecutor who rose to several senior roles in the US Attorney’s office for New Jersey when Reagan tapped her for a judgeship, reportedly at the behest of Roy Cohn, the late GOP fixer (and attorney to Donald Trump).
After 16 years on the bench as a trial court judge, Barry was elevated to the Third Circuit by then-president Bill Clinton in 1999.
Barry was widely respected and well-known in the legal community, and her reputation as a judge stood in stark contrast with the ultraconservative views her brother espoused as president.
Ramaswamy wants to ‘instantly’ fire half of federal workers at random
Tuesday 14 November 2023 04:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Vivek Ramaswamy has pledged to fire half of all federal workers on his first day in the Oval Office if he’s elected president.
The biotech entrepreneur wrote on X on Sunday that he would “instantly fire 50 per cent of federal bureaucrats” on “day one”.
“Here’s how: if your SSN ends in an odd number, you’re fired,” he added. “That downsizes government by half. Absolutely *nothing* will break as a result.”
“It doesn’t violate civil service rules because mass layoffs are exempt. SHUT IT DOWN,” he wrote.
Gustaf Kilander reports on the reaction.
Ramaswamy plans to ‘instantly’ fire half of federal workers at random
‘QAnon Shaman’ wants to run for Congress after Jan 6 prison release
Tuesday 14 November 2023 03:00 , Oliver O'Connell
The infamous Capitol rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman,” whose real name is Jacob Chansley, intends to run for Congress in Arizona in 2024 after pleading guilty to a felony charge.
Years after the fur headdress, horns, and face paint from January 6 have been taken off, the Arizona resident filed a statement of interest last Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
He indicated he wants to run as a Libertarian in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District election.
Republican Rep Debbie Lesk has held the seat since 2018. She announced last month that she won’t seek re-election. Republicans Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh are also both vying for the hotly contested seat.
The man who once stormed the Capitol has undergone a series of changes since January 6.
‘QAnon Shaman’ Jacob Chansley wants to run for Congress after Jan 6 prison release
Trump official said ‘the boss is not going to leave’ despite 2020 defeat, Georgia prosecutors told
Tuesday 14 November 2023 02:16 , Phil Thomas
A top adviser to Donald Trump privately told colleagues in December 2020 that his boss would not leave the White House "under any circumstances", new video alleges.
Dan Scavino, who was then serving as Mr Trump's chief of staff and director of social media , allegedly claimed at a White House Christmas party that the President would "just stay in power" regardless of election rules.
The accusation was made by former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis as part of a plea bargain with Georgia state prosecutors, who have charged Mr Trump and 18 others with plotting to illegally overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Footage obtained by ABC News from a confidential meeting with investigators shows Ellis describing an alarming conversation she had with Mr Scavino on or around 19 December, 2020.
"I emphasised to him [that] I thought the ability to challenge the election results was essentially over," Ellis told prosecutors during the meeting, referring to a raft of failed legal challenges launched by the Trump campaign the previous month.
"He said to me, in a kind of excited tone: 'Well, we don't care and we're not gonna leave.'"
Io Dodds has the full story:
Trump official said ‘boss is not going to leave’ despite 2020 defeat
ICYMI: Trump wants his trial to be televised
Tuesday 14 November 2023 02:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump found himself in rare agreement with the mainstream media, pleading in a Friday night legal filing that his blockbuster federal trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election be shown live on TV.
“The prosecution wishes to continue this travesty in darkness,” the former president’s lawyers wrote. “President Trump calls for sunlight. Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges.”
Elsewhere in the filing, Mr Trump’s team reiterated familiar conspiratorial allegations that the special counsel prosecution is part of a “coordinated effort to undermine President Trump’s candidacy” that bears the hallmarks of an “authoritarian regime.”
Following a lengthy special counsel investigation, federal officials charged the former president in August with knowing he lost the 2020 election, but conspiring on a multi-state effort to remain in power nonetheless, including by coordinating slates of false electors. He has pleaded not guilty.
Last week, federal prosecutors said federal courtroom rules “clearly foreclosed” showing the election conspiracy trial on TV, writing that citizens have “the right to attend a criminal trial — not the right to broadcast it.”
Trump crashes SNL GOP debate
Tuesday 14 November 2023 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Saturday Night Live’s cold open took aim at the latest Republican presidential debate as it parodied Donald Trump’s dominance despite the former president’s refusal to appear onstage alongside his rivals.
James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump gatecrashed the debate stage and mercilessly mocked his rivals, who remained frozen behind him — just as they are in the polls.
The sketch began with moderator NBC’s Lester Holt, played by Kenan Thompson, describing the occasion as the “Republican kids table debate.”
The actors playing the five candidates then introduced themselves, while revisiting the biggest moments from Wednesday night’s debate in Miami.
Why are Trump’s children testifying at New York civil fraud trial?
Tuesday 14 November 2023 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell
The main focus on Donald Trump’s myriad of legal woes shifted to Lower Manhattan in October as his civil fraud case came to trial at New York state’s Supreme Court.
New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the case against the Trump Organization and maintains that between 2011 and 2021 the company falsified financial statements regarding the development of several real estate projects and artificially inflated Mr Trump’s net worth in order to get better financing terms from banks and insurance companies.
This was done by over-stating valuations of the former president’s most prestigious holdings including his triplex penthouse at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Their entire New York real estate empire is already in peril after a pre-trial ruling included the cancellation of their business licences in the state.
As the prosecution’s case draws to a close, three of his adult children are taking the stand to testify under oath, which begs the question: how are they wrapped up in all this and why is their testimony important at the trial?
Why are Trump’s children testifying at New York civil fraud trial?
ICYMI: Stefanik files ethics complaint against Trump fraud trial judge
Monday 13 November 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Republican US Rep Elise Stefanik, a top-ranking member of the House GOP, filed a complaint on 10 November that invokes similar rhetoric from Mr Trump’s attorneys in their defence of the former president in and out of the lower Manhattan courtroom.
Judge Arthur Engoron has faced widespread scrutiny among Republican officials and Mr Trump’s supporters for a summary judgment that found him and his co-defendants liable for fraud, as laid out in hundreds of pages of evidence and in depositions stemming from the case from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Mr Trump, his adult sons and chief associates last year.
Judge Engoron also has faced criticism for issuing a gag order that prevents parties in the case from disparaging court staff. Mr Trump has violated the order twice, and his attorneys’ statements in the courtroom prompted him to widen the order to include them, too.
Elise Stefanik files ethics complaint against Trump fraud trial judge
Coming up this week...
Monday 13 November 2023 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward reports:
The remainder of this week’s witnesses are mostly accounting and real estate people with no direct connection to Donald Trump: Steven Witkoff, Jason Flemmons, and Steven Laposa.
However, Thursday might see the return of Jeff McConney to the witness stand.
McConney is a former Trump Organization controller and a defendant in the case. When he was a witness for the attorney general, he testified that he was responsible for statements of financial condition from 2011 to 2017 – but he distanced himself from Mazars, the outside accountant who actually created the reports.
“We as the Trump Organization didn’t prepare the statement,” he said.
He’s in the middle of a blame game between the Trumps and accountants. Trump and the Trump children said they hired the accountants because they trusted their expertise, so why would they double-check those documents? Trump also said the banks didn’t do their due diligence by checking if they were correct.
So McConney’s return to the courthouse, under questioning from Team Trump, might shed some more light on that, and move the blame elsewhere.
Can Mike Johnson survive a McCarthy-esque test as government shutdown looms?
Monday 13 November 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Mike Johnson’s big test is here.
Congress faces a deadline of 17 November to pass a budget measure to keep paychecks to federal employees flowing and ensure that parts of the government remain operational. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Legislative Branch was in the exact same position just weeks ago, and found itself utterly paralysed without the ability to pass anything more than a short-term funding extension to get us to this point. Even that proved to be so odious to House conservatives that it cost Kevin McCarthy his role in leadership, ending his long-sought speakership less than a year into the job.
Now, the new Speaker of the House heads into the week before Thanksgiving with two familiar questions burning before him: will the US government shut down? And will Mike Johnson still be Speaker when this is over?
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.
Mike Johnson faces a McCarthy-esque test as a shutdown looms. Will he survive?
Court adjourns
Monday 13 November 2023 21:28 , Oliver O'Connell
Sheri Dillon is asked by Donald Trump’s attorney if she would ever “work with Mr Trump sporadically”.
Judge Engoron asks: “Which Mr Trump?”
“That’s a great question. Mr Eric Trump.”
She testified that her work with the former president her work is “consistent with all my other clients”, noting that after he was elected, “additional security measures were put around the safeguarding of these materials”.
There is a brief cross-examination by the attorney general’s office in which Ms Dillon is asked if she is, or has ever, been admitted to practice law in the state of New York.
No, she has not.
Ms Dillon’s testimony wraps and court adjourns for the day.
The trial resumes at 10am tomorrow.
Maryanne Trump Barry, former federal judge and sister of ex-president, dead at 86
Monday 13 November 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Maryanne Trump Barry, a former judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit who was also the older sister of former president Donald Trump, has died.
Barry’s death at the age of 86 was reported by multiple outlets, indicating that she was found at her Manhattan home on Monday.
The former judge, who was first named to the US District Court for the District of New Jersey by then-president Ronald Reagan in 1983, was a graduate of Hofstra University Law School and a former federal prosecutor who rose to several senior roles in the US Attorney’s office for New Jersey when Reagan tapped her for a judgeship, reportedly at the behest of Roy Cohn, the late GOP fixer (and attorney to Donald Trump).
After 16 years on the bench as a trial court judge, Barry was elevated to the Third Circuit by then-president Bill Clinton in 1999.
Barry was widely respected and well-known in the legal community, and her reputation as a judge stood in stark contrast with the ultraconservative views her brother espoused as president.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Maryanne Trump Barry, former federal judge and sister of ex-president, dead at 86
Trump fraud trial has obligatory Taylor Swift reference
Monday 13 November 2023 20:39 , Oliver O'Connell
Sheri Dillon describes a type of appraisal that doesn't take into account the renown of the seller — which would treat a hypothetical property associated with Taylor Swift no differently as one owned by Sheri Dillon.
Judge Engoron notes that every case has to have Taylor Swift in it somehow.
Jack Smith: Trump wants to turn Jan 6 case into media ‘carnival'
Monday 13 November 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell
US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith is urging a federal judge to reject Donald Trump’s request to televise his upcoming trial on charges connected to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The former president’s attorneys took no position on an earlier long-shot request from a group of media outlets asking to broadcast the trial, but a filing on 10 November asked for “sunlight” and accused federal prosecutors of trying to “continue this travesty in darkness”.
“Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges,” John Lauro wrote in a filing last week.
In a filing on 13 November, Mr Smith’s office warned that Mr Trump’s bedelated response is a “transparent effort to demand special treatment” to “try his case in the courtroom of public opinion, and turn his trial into a media event.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump wants to turn Jan 6 case into media ‘carnival,’ Jack Smith warns
New witness: Sheri Dillon
Monday 13 November 2023 20:19 , Oliver O'Connell
With Donald Trump Jr having stepped down from the witness stand, former Trump tax attorney Sheri Dillon is up next for the defence, having already testified for the prosecution case.
The defence has a very long list of witnesses that also includes Donald Trump and Eric Trump. They intend to wrap up in approximately one month.
Don Jr hails his ‘real estate artist’ father in fraud trial testimony
Monday 13 November 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell
With his return to the witness stand in a fraud trial that threatens the family business, Donald Trump Jr launched a lengthy sales pitch praising his father’s “artistry” and his real estate “canvas” as his attorneys begin their weekslong defence.
During his testimony two weeks ago, under questioning from lawyers with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the former president’s oldest son emphatically denied having anything to do with making his father’s statements of financial condition at the heart of a lawsuit accusing the family of fraud.
In their testimonies, his brother Eric and sister Ivanka also denied any involvement in those documents, while evidence presented by the attorney general’s office appeared to show they were well aware of them.
Alex Woodward filed this report from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Donald Trump Jr hails his ‘real estate artist’ father in fraud trial testimony
Monday 13 November 2023 19:58 , Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward reports from the courtroom:
After several hours of questions that teed up the Trump property promo reel, Faherty is grilling him over a handful of statements he made.
On 40 Wall Street, she points out the property had a mortgage with a 3.76 per cent coupon, to mature in July 2025, based on an occupancy rate from 2015. Occupancy has since fallen to 77 per cent.
Pointing out the fact that the Waikiki hotel dropped the Trump name entirely, Jr says dryly: “That is what they’re doing.”
Asked what the Trumps’ future plans are, Don Jr replies that it depends on whether they’re “sued into oblivion in the foreseeable future”.
Cross-examination concludes and Team Trump huddles for a few minutes to see what their next move is.
Don Jr has left the courtroom
Direct examination concludes
Monday 13 November 2023 19:46 , Alex Woodward
No more questions from Team Trump, after what was a highlight reel of the Trump real estate portfolio that felt more like a marketing presentation and a commercial for all things Trump than testimony in a trial with tens of millions of dollars at stake.
Colleen Faherty with the New York Attorney General’s office begins the cross-examination and brings up the Los Angeles golf course, which his lawyers had him confirm is “literally on the Pacific Ocean”.
“Didn’t the 18th hole literally fall into the ocean?” she asks.
Don Jr confirms that it did.
Don Jr continues testimony with tour of Trump properties
Monday 13 November 2023 19:38 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump Jr continues his testimony with a tour of the Trump golf properties before winding up at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC at the Old Post Office.
Asked what the project looked like before the Trumps took over, Don Jr replies: “A war zone.”
Don Jr. turns to the Trump International Hotel from 2016, an "incredible property on Pennsylvania Ave."
It was converted from the Old Post Office, which he says was going to be torn down.
"My father and Ivanka, very involved in it form the beginning, saw this incredible jewel…— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 13, 2023
Trump wants his trial to be televised
Monday 13 November 2023 19:31 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump found himself in rare agreement with the mainstream media, pleading in a Friday night legal filing that his blockbuster federal trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election be shown live on TV.
“The prosecution wishes to continue this travesty in darkness,” the former president’s lawyers wrote. “President Trump calls for sunlight. Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges.”
Elsewhere in the filing, Mr Trump’s team reiterated familiar conspiratorial allegations that the special counsel prosecution is part of a “coordinated effort to undermine President Trump’s candidacy” that bears the hallmarks of an “authoritarian regime.”
Following a lengthy special counsel investigation, federal officials charged the former president in August with knowing he lost the 2020 election, but conspiring on a multi-state effort to remain in power nonetheless, including by coordinating slates of false electors. He has pleaded not guilty.
Josh Marcus has the details.
Trump wants his trial to be televised
Amid cheers, Trump gets given middle finger at UFC match
Monday 13 November 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump was given a mostly warm welcome as he took his seat ringside at Madison Square Garden for UFC 295, an ultimate fighting championship match, on Saturday night.
But not everyone in the New York crowd was thrilled to see the former president.
Cameras captured actress Nia Renee Hill, the wife of comedian Bill Burr, appearing to flash two middle fingers at the former president as he looks out at the audience, oblivious to the gesture.
Bevan Hurley reports.
Bill Burr’s wife gives Trump the middle finger at UFC match
Trump compared to Hitler after ‘vermin’ attack
Monday 13 November 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has drawn the ire of historians after he referred to his political adversaries as “vermin” in a Veterans Day speech.
The former president argued that his domestic opponents are more of a threat to the US than the likes of China, Russia and North Korea.
The remarks prompted comparisons to authoritarian leaders such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, according to The Washington Post.
Mr Trump, 77, spoke in Claremont, New Hampshire, telling the crowd in his usual grievance-laden parlance: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections.”
The former president has refused to accept the results of the 2020 election and continues to lie, falsely claiming that it was stolen.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Trump compared to Hitler after ‘vermin’ attack
‘QAnon Shaman’ wants to run for Congress after Jan 6 prison release
Monday 13 November 2023 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell
The infamous Capitol rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman,” whose real name is Jacob Chansley, intends to run for Congress in Arizona in 2024 after pleading guilty to a felony charge.
Years after the fur headdress, horns, and face paint from January 6 have been taken off, the Arizona resident filed a statement of interest last Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
He indicated he wants to run as a Libertarian in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District election.
Kelly Rissman reports.
‘QAnon Shaman’ Jacob Chansley wants to run for Congress after Jan 6 prison release
Trump continues to rail against trial as Don Jr testifies for defence
Monday 13 November 2023 18:08 , Oliver O'Connell
The latest from the former president on Truth Social:
Nobody can believe this Political Witch Hunt Trial is still going on. No Victims, No Witnesses (their witness recanted his FAKE story, and said he Lied!), No Defaults, No Jury, No Nothing, only happy Banks etc. There was FRAUD, however, but by the Judge and the A.G., in saying that Mar-a-Lago was worth only $18,000,000, when they knew it was worth many times that amount. They just wanted to make me look bad - All a big SCAM by the New York A.G. in order to get elected, and then to run for Governor, unsuccessfully. The Trump Hating Judge MUST WITHDRAW his “bull….” early ruling (before the trial even started. HE KNEW NONE OF THE FACTS!). He is devastated by the TRUTH, but just can’t let it go. He is OBSESSED! Any other Judge but this one would have dismissed this ridiculous lawsuit years ago. He asked me to settle for a MUCH LOWER AMOUNT, at a settlement conference, but I said NO, I DID NOTHING WRONG! Businesses will NEVER come back to New York if this HOAX is not dismissed & forgotten!
Monday 13 November 2023 17:54 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump Jr’s history of the Trump Organization has reached 2012 and the Trump National Doral golf club deal, which is notably within the timeframe of the New York Attorney General’s case against the company.
Alex Woodward reports from the courtroom:
We’re shown a $1.3bn valuation of Doral from Newmark from February 2022.
The New York Attorney General’s office objects to its inclusion, citing relevance. It falls outside the timeline under scrutiny for making those false statements.
Judge Engoron inclines to agree but notes there’s likely not any prejudice for its inclusion.
This feels like the longest Trump defence attorneys Christopher Kise and Alina Habba have been quiet over the course of this trial. I don’t think they’ve said anything in nearly three hours.
The court breaks for lunch.
Hawaii hotel ditches Trump name as Don Jr testifies about it
Monday 13 November 2023 17:42 , Oliver O'Connell
Don Jr has been testifying about the Trump International Hotel in Waikiki, where there was “never anything built” to his father’s “standard”.
The hotel recently announced it’s ditching the Trump name. It’s joining Hilton and will be called Wakea Waikiki Beach.
Wow, what split-screen timing for this testimony.
As Don Jr. boasts about the Trump Organization's success in Waikiki, this is the Drudge Report's front page.
(h/t @Rossnzkiwi, a reader pointing this out) https://t.co/LjRey4aG4g pic.twitter.com/DbWX7aUl9n— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 13, 2023
Monday 13 November 2023 17:32 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump Jr has repeatedly referred to his father as an “artist” or his “artistry” using the real estate business as his “canvas”.
The New York Attorney General’s office hasn’t objected to anything in this slideshow timeline, until now, when Don Jr started talking about how the Trump Organization was ahead of the rest of the real estate industry.
NYAG counsel Colleen Faherty asked for testimony to just stick with the Trump Organization rather than “speculating” what role the company played in the rest of the industry.
“I’m not speculating, this is what happened, but,” Don Jr says.
Judge Arthur Engoron tells him to just stick with testimony about the company.
Monday 13 November 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Trump attacks legal opponents with claims of ‘Trump derangement syndrome'
Monday 13 November 2023 17:21 , Oliver O'Connell
As his son testifies in the New York State Supreme Court, Donald Trump is lashing out on Truth Social at some of his opponents in his many legal dramas.
The former president wrote:
Deranged Jack Smith, Andrew Weissmann, Lisa Monaco, the “team of losers and misfits” from CREW, and all the rest of the Radical Left Zealots and Thugs who have been working illegally for years to “take me down,” will end up, because of their suffering from a horrible disease, TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME (TDS!), in a Mental Institution by the time my next term as President is successfully completed. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
'The artistry comes to fruition over and over’
Monday 13 November 2023 16:59 , Alex Woodward
After a short break, Donald Trump Jr recommences his history of the Trump Organization and its various projects. We’re up to 1999 and he talks about Trump International Golf in West Palm Beach.
He took what was a “flat swamp” – “everyone looked at him perhaps like he was crazy” – and “now it’s one of the finest golf courses in the world,” he says.
“Again, that’s where the artistry comes in,” he adds.
Judge Engoron reminds him against using the forbidden word “again.”
Don Jr: “The artistry comes to fruition over and over.”
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
