Trump says he doesn’t see any GOP rival as running mate in debate spoiler speech – live
Donald Trump declared he would not pick any of his Republican rivals as his 2024 running mate during a Wednesday night speech in battleground state of Michigan.
The former president skipped the second GOP debate in California and poked fun at the “job candidates” taking part during his own competing speech at a non-union auto parts factory.
The event also follows a series of legal blows in the multiple criminal and civil cases against him, with a New York judge shutting down his abilities to conduct business in the state after finding that he falsely inflated his wealth and assets as he built his business empire.
A federal judge overseeing a case involving his alleged attempts to overturn 2020 election results also has rejected his attempts to force her to recuse herself.
Following a year-long investigation and $250m lawsuit from the state’s attorney general, Tuesday’s ruling in the New York case found Mr Trump, his adult sons and chief associates provided fraudulent financial statements to lenders and insurers for about a decade to secure deals and financing.
On his Truth Social, Mr Trump claimed his “civil rights have been violated” and slammed what he called “a DERANGED” judge “doing the bidding of a completely biased and corrupt ‘prosecutor’”.
Key Points
Trump declares he won’t pick any Republican vying for nomination as running mate
Trump goes on incoherent and incorrect rant on electric vehicles as he skips out on second GOP debate
Donald Trump calls Joe Biden a ‘wretched old vulture’
Trump defrauded banks and insurers by grossly inflating his wealth, judge rules
Judge Chutkan won’t recuse herself from Trump election conspiracy case
Trump spoiler highlights irrelevance of GOP debates
11:34 , Andrew Feinberg
Republican presidential candidates spent two hours on live television late on Wednesday hurling insults and shouting at each other — often through switched-off microphones — at a presidential debate that was most notable for the continued absence of the candidate who currently leads the field, former president Donald Trump.
The seven-person field, consisting of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and former Vice President Mike Pence, took to the stage for a 120-minute session hosted by Fox Business Network and Univision, roughly a month after the first primary debate in Milwaukee.
Mr Trump, who most polling shows to have a commanding lead over the entire field, skipped the televised session to deliver prepared remarks to a group of non-union auto workers in Michigan.
The federal investigation into Trump’s election efforts and January 6, explained
11:08 , Graeme Massie
A former president has been charged with crimes connected to his attempts to overturn the results of an American election.
The federal investigation into the efforts from Donald Trump and his allies to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election yielded four criminal charges in a 45-page indictment, outlining three alleged criminal conspiracies and the obstruction of of Joe Biden’s victory and detailing a multi-state scheme built on a legacy of lies and conspiracy theories to undermine the democratic process.
Mr Trump and 18 co-defendants are separately charged in Georgia in a sprawling racketeering case outlining the multi-state scheme to pressure state officials and then-Vice President Mike Pence to subvert election results against the will of Georgia voters.
The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained
Trump branded ‘Donald Duck’ as 2024 GOP rivals call him coward for skipping debate
10:26 , Oliver O'Connell
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie was mocked online on Wednesday evening after he attempted during the second presidential debate to give Donald Trump a new nickname: “Donald Duck.”
“I want to look in that camera now and tell you, Donald, I know you’re watching, you can’t help yourself,” Mr Christie said.
“You’re not here tonight, not because of polls and not because of your indictments. You’re not here tonight because you’re afraid of being on this stage and defending your record. You’re ducking these things.”
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen,” he continued. “You keep doing that, and no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We’re gonna call you Donald Duck.”
The comments — met with a mix of cheers and boos in the debate hall — were instantly mocked online.
Read more from The Independent’s Josh Marcus...
Trump branded ‘Donald Duck’ as Republican candidate dodges debate
Who is Jack Smith: The special prosecutor who could take down Trump
10:05 , Graeme Massie
Jack Smith, the experienced war crimes prosecutor who unveiled two unprecedented federal indictments against former US president Donald Trump, is no stranger to high-profile probes of public figures.
The US Department of Justice veteran oversaw anti-corruption prosecutions against multiple US politicians in his role as the head of the Department of Justice public integrity section from 2010 to 2015.
One of those cases was against former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell, a Republican against whom he secured a conviction on bribery charges, though the case was later thrown out by the US Supreme Court.
He also won a conviction of former GOP Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona, who received a sentence of three years in prison before being pardoned by Mr Trump.
A Harvard Law School graduate, Mr Smith also served in prosecutorial roles in US Attorney offices in the Middle District of Tennessee and the Eastern District of New York.
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What is an arraignment? Key terms explained as Trump faces multiple criminal proceedings
09:33 , Graeme Massie
Donald Trump waived his formal arraignment in his election interference case in Georgia – to avoid what would have been his first televised court hearing.
The former president pleaded not guilty on 31 August to the slew of 13 charges accusing him of running a criminal enterprise to stay in power at all costs.
“As evidenced by my signature below, I do hereby waive formal arraignment and enter my plea of NOT GUILTY to the indictment in this case,” the filing states.
The arraignment was slated to take place in Fulton County court on 6 September.
It would have been the ex-president’s fourth after a grand jury in Georgia indicted the ex-president and 18 other defendants on various charges related to their alleged efforts to change the outcome of the 2020 election in the state. The charges stem from a years-long investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
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Trump goes on incoherent and incorrect rant on electric vehicles as he skips out on second GOP debate
09:10 , Graeme Massie
Former president visited Michigan a day after Joe Biden joined striking autoworkers’ picket line.
Trump goes on incoherent and incorrect rant on electric vehicles in Michigan speech
Donald Trump says he does not see a vice president among GOP rivals
07:56 , Graeme Massie
DeSantis hits out at Trump for not attending GOP debate: ‘Missing in action’
07:03 , Graeme Massie
Donald Trump opted for speech in Michigan instead of attending debates in California.
DeSantis hits out at Trump for not attending GOP debate: ‘Missing in action’
Biden campaign trolls Trump event by buying up ads on Fox News
06:06 , Graeme Massie
The two 30-second ads, one of which takes aim at the ex-president and the other targeting voters in the Latino community, were being shown simultaneously on Fox News and Univision from 9pm Eastern time.
Biden campaign trolls Trump event by buying up ads on Fox News
GOP debate turns chaotic as candidates turn on Ramaswamy over China, voting and border
05:05 , Graeme Massie
Rivals come prepared with barbs for upstart GOP candidate.
GOP debate descends into chaos as candidates pile on to Ramaswamy
Trump declares he won’t pick any Republican vying for nomination as running mate
03:54 , Graeme Massie
Former president branded rivals taking part in second GOP debate ‘job candidates’.
Trump declares he won’t pick any Republican vying for nomination as running mate
Biden attacks Trump’s record on autoworkers as ex-president heads to Michigan
02:02 , Graeme Massie
Likely 2020 rivals make dueling and contrasting appearances in Michigan amid UAW strike.
Biden attacks Trump’s record on autoworkers as ex-president heads to Michigan
Trump pokes fun at GOP debate
01:52 , Graeme Massie
“We are competing with the job candidates, they will do anything, Secretary of something, they even say VP. Has anyone seen a VP in that group? They don’t have a crowd like we have, thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in,” said Mr Trump about the GOP debate taking place in California on Wednesday night.
Trump thinks EVs are bad for the environment
01:33 , Graeme Massie
“People have no idea how bad this is going to be for the environment, you know those batteries when they get rid of them, and lots of bad things happen, and when they dig it out of the ground to make them, it is going to very bad for the environment,” the four times indicted former president claimed.
Trump labels Biden’s EV policies ‘cruel and ridiculous'
01:28 , Graeme Massie
“Cruel and ridiculous, think of this he wants electric vehicle mandates that will spell the end of the American auto industry..it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference what you get, in two years you will all be out of business,” said Mr Trump.
Trump is on stage in Michigan
01:17 , Graeme Massie
“You do not get the credit you deserve, they want to go all-electric and put you out of business,” he told the crowd in Michigan.
Five things to look for in the second Republican presidential debate
01:00 , Alex Woodward
Seven candidates will be on the stage in California for the second debate among Republicans vying for the party’s nomination in 2024.
Donald Trump, once again, will not be one of them.
He’ll be holding his own rally, seeking to draw attention away from his rivals as his speech in Michigan at a nonunion auto shop is broadcaast on pro-Trump networks and across social media.
At this point, polling shows that he is leading polls not only nationally but also in the early contest states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. But the candidates left on the field could be also try vying for the union vote, or picking new punching bags, or trying to distance themselves from the criminally indicted ex-president.
The Independent’s Eric Garcia has more:
Five things to watch for in the second Republican presidential debate
Donald Trump and the pro-union right?
Thursday 28 September 2023 00:30 , John Bowden
The idea of a Republican heading to the Midwest to fight for votes among union workers is almost comical. The GOP has proudly and openly opposed just about every pro-union piece of legislation on the national stage in recent memory. Ronald Reagan’s decision to break the strike on air traffic controllers is still the party’s most famous labour-related position of the past half-century.
While many Republicans around the country continue to cling to that old-school corporatist mindset — Sen Tim Scott, another 2024 primary contender, called for companies to fire striking autoworkers and restaff — Donald Trump’s apparent play for the union vote is leaving many in a confusing place.
Donald Trump’s play for union votes leaves the GOP in a confusing spot once again
Cassidy Hutchinson urges Republicans to stand up to Trump: ‘We can’t wait any longer’
Thursday 28 September 2023 00:00 , John Bowden
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson excoriated Donald Trump in an interview and urged members of her own party to consider that a second term in office for the ex-president could be a threat to the future of US democracy.
Ms Hutchinson was speaking with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, and asked her fellow Republicans to consider the seriousness of the matter, pointing to Mr Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election even after his legal challenges had all failed in the courts.
“Do we want people who have already shown that they are willing and want to overthrow an election for a duly elected president, which is the pinnacle of our democracy – do we want to put people like that back in power?” she asked.
Ms Hutchinson also touched on the criminal case against Mr Trump for mishandling classified US defence documents, arguing that it was another disqualifying factor against the former president.
“Do we want to put people back in power that have mishandled, and have been showed to have mishandled, the most sensitive national security secrets that our nation has?” Ms Hutchinson continued.
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Full story: Judge Chutkan won’t recuse herself from Trump election conspiracy case
Wednesday 27 September 2023 23:25 , Andrew Feinberg
Judge Tanya Chutkan, the federal district judge who will preside over one of former president Donald Trump’s criminal trials next March, has rejected a request to recuse herself from the federal election conspiracy case against the twice-impeached, quadruply-indicted ex-president.
In a 20-page ruling released on Wednesday, Judge Chutkan said statements which Mr Trump’s legal team had held up as evidence of bias against him actually reflected judgments she had made about other criminal defendants while presiding over cases against them.
Judge Chutkan won’t recuse herself from Trump election conspiracy case
'Brainwashed’ fake Trump electors in Michigan use attorney general’s comments to try to dismiss case
Wednesday 27 September 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward
Days after Michigan’s attorney general Dana Nessel argued that Donald Trump loyalists charged in an alleged scheme to upend 2020 election results in the state were “brainwashed” by the former president, two of those defendants said her comments were grounds for charges to be dismissed.
Attorneys for two people embroiled in the fake elector scheme – Mari-Ann Henry and Clifford Frost – argued that Ms Nessel’s statements that they were “brainwashed” and “genuinely” believe Mr Trump won in 2020 effectively conceded that they did not have criminal intent when they allegedly signed fraudulent certificates asserting Mr Trump won the state he lost to Joe Biden.
Michigan fake electors claim they were ‘brainwashed’ by Trump
Just in: Judge denies Trump’s attempt to recuse herself from his election case
Wednesday 27 September 2023 22:50 , Alex Woodward
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has denied Donald Trump’s attempt to make her recuse herself from a federal case stemming from his attempts to overturn 2020 election results.
Her 20-page order on Wednesday, filed a the former president is on his way to Michigan, states that “based on its review of the law, facts, and record, the court concludes that a reasonable observer would not doubt its ability” to fairly administer justice.
Trump and his sons lash out at New York attorney general after stunning fraud ruling
Wednesday 27 September 2023 22:30 , Alex Woodward
Trump and his adult sons lashed out at the New York attorney general after a judge on Tuesday found him liable for fraud for allegedly inflating the value of his properties and other assets.
Judge Arthur Engoron issued a partial judgment in a civil lawsuit brought by attorney general Letitia James accusing the 45th president, his company and chief associates of deceiving banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth.
Her years-long investigation targeted long-running fraud allegations surrounding Mr Trump’s businesses.
Trump and his sons lash out at New York attorney general after fraud ruling
Will Trump even be talking to striking union workers?
Wednesday 27 September 2023 22:15 , John Bowden
What the former president ends up saying at Wednesday’s event is truly anyone’s guess, other than the near-certainty that he will address the ongoing criminal prosecutions hounding his every step.
The former president is set to speak at Drake Enterprises, a plant that does not have a unionised workforce and is not actually tangentially related to the demands of the striking United Auto Workers members down the road.
It’s not even clear if the campaign means to speak to UAW union members, or whether any former or current union employee is fair game for a ticket to the show.
“I don’t think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for,” accordingto UAW president Shawn Fain.
Donald Trump’s play for union votes leaves the GOP in a confusing spot once again
New York court steps up security after fraud decision
Wednesday 27 September 2023 22:00 , Alex Woodward
Following Tuesday’s damning decision in a sweeping fraud lawsuit against Trump, his sons and associates, the state court’s officers “have been on a heightened state of readiness and officers have been cautioned to remain alert and vigilant both inside courthouses and while on perimeter patrols,” according to a spokesperson.
Trump heads to Michigan as his rivals prepare for second GOP debate
Wednesday 27 September 2023 21:27 , Alex Woodward
In a post on his Truth Social, Trump claims he will “save” autoworkers as he departs for Michigan amid an historic strike targeting the nation’s “big three” automakers.
“I LOVE, & WILL SAVE, THE AUTOWORKERS,” he wrote.
The former president is headed to non-union auto supplier Drake Enterprises, at the apparent invitation of its owner.
When asked about Mr Trump’s visit to the state, United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fain said he finds “a pathetic irony that the former president is going to hold a rally for union members at a nonunion business.”
“He serves the billionaire class, and that’s what’s wrong with this country,” he added.
His visit is timed with the second debate among candidates for the Republican nomination for president, which Mr Trump is avoiding.
It also comes one day after President Joe Biden joined striking workers on a picket line, telling them “stick with it, because you deserve the significant raise you need and other benefits.”
Trump lawyer asks ‘what’s the point’ of a trial after New York judge’s damning decision in fraud lawsuit
Wednesday 27 September 2023 21:00 , Alex Woodward
Following a partial judgment in a blockbuster lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James targeting the former president, his adult sons and chief business associates for fraud, Trump’s legal team returned to court on Wednesday ahead of a trial that will determine the remaining issues in the case.
New York Judge Arthur F Engoron effectively found the former president liable for a decade of fraud, having falsely inflated his net worth and assets to attract favourable loans, insurance rates and other benefits.
The decision also would cancel the Trump Organization’s licenses to do business in the state.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Trump attorney Christopher Kise asked the judge on Wednesday, “but what in the court’s mind does this trial look like?”
Kise cautiously asks:
"Don't take this the wrong way: What in the court's mind does this trial look like?"
Justice Engoron already found Trump liable for fraud on the first count—and granted relief.
"What's the point of the other six [causes of action]?" he asks.— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) September 27, 2023
Ms James’s office does not intend to drop any of the remaining counts in the case.
Anti-abortion groups demand liberal Wisconsin prosecutors charge abortion providers despite ruling
Wednesday 27 September 2023 20:30 , Todd Richmond
A coalition of anti-abortion organizations on Tuesday demanded that prosecutors in Wisconsin‘s two largest counties bring charges against abortion providers who have resumed practicing following a court ruling that consensual abortions are legal in the state.
Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action and Pro-Life Wisconsin held a news conference in the state Capitol to call for Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to prosecute abortion providers in their counties.
Ozanne and Chisholm, both Democrats, announced last year that they would permit abortions in their counties despite a 174-year-old state law that conservatives argue bans the procedure. Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper ruled this summer that consensual abortions are legal.
Galvanized by the ruling, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin last week resumed abortions at clinics in Madison and Milwaukee after ceasing procedures last year following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision giving states the power to regulate abortion. The organization plans to resume services at its abortion clinic in Sheboygan as well, although there’s no firm date reopening date yet.
Leaders of the anti-abortion groups argued at the news conference that Schlipper’s ruling isn’t final. They said the state law barring abortions remains in effect and Ozanne and Chisholm have a duty to enforce it because babies are dying.
Read more
A timeline of Donald Trump’s rivalry with Ron DeSantis
Wednesday 27 September 2023 20:00 , Joe Sommerlad
After a shaky start to his campaign, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis remains former President Donald Trump’s main challenger for the Republican nomination.
During his own tenure in the White House in 2018, Mr Trump loudly cheered Mr DeSantis’s bid for the governor’s mansion, throwing his weight behind the former congressman and appearing at rallies to stump for him, playing an important role in the candidate’s narrow defeat of Democratic rival and Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum.
Since then, however, a great deal of water has passed beneath the bridge and the two men are now increasingly antagonistic towards one another.
Mr Trump has been busy yelling a steady stream of insults and barbed nicknames across the state from Mar-a-Lago, the majority of which Mr DeSantis has wisely allowed to pass without public comment.
Here is a timeline of their disintegrating relationship.
DeSantis insists his campaign is on track as Fox News host calls out 37-point poll gap to Trump
Wednesday 27 September 2023 19:45 , William Mata
Ron DeSantis has refused to throw in the towel on his campaign to be the Republican pick for the next election, despite being given a sober look at the current polling numbers.
The governor of Florida was informed by Laura Ingraham on the right-wing Fox News network that he faces a 37-point deficit to Donald Trump in one early primary state.
On her show, Ms Ingraham said: “Now, governor, the latest CBS poll out of New Hampshire shows that you’re in second, albeit a distant second behind Trump ... You’re at 13 per cent, he’s at 50 per cent.”
Despite the charges against him and his loss in the 2020 vote, Mr Trump is the heavy favourite to be the GOP nominee, but Mr DeSantis says he has not given up hope.
Appearing on Tuesday’s edition of The Ingraham Angle, Mr DeSantis appeared bullish about his chances.
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What the GOP candidates have said about abortion rights
Wednesday 27 September 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio
The issue of abortion rights in the United States is staring the 2024 GOP presidential candidates in their faces as they prepare to kick their campaigns into high gear.
Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark case Roe v Wade (1973) last summer, abortion has become a top concern for many voters.
Though the anti-abortion stance has long been associated with the Republican Party, approximately 61 per cent of adults in the US believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to Pew Research Center – that statistic includes Republican and Democratic voters.
As Americans look toward their next Republican presidential nominee, no doubt many will be considering where the candidate stands on abortion when determining who they support.
Here is what each GOP presidential candidate has said on the issue.
VOICES: It’s not just Trump - the Menendez case shows the reality of the GOP
Wednesday 27 September 2023 19:15 , Noah Berlatsky
Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, were indicted on federal bribery charges last Friday. Since then, numerous Democratic leaders have called for Menendez’s resignation. Those urging Menendez to step down include New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, the other New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, and (as of this writing) some 27 other Democratic Senators—more than half the caucus.
The contrast with the Republican response to Donald Trump’s indictments is stark. But there’s also a marked contrast with Republican responses to the indictment of Menendez himself. Usually it’s easy to highlight and condemn the other party’s corruption. But the GOP has been strangely hesitant to call for Menendez’s resignation. That’s because the GOP is increasingly defined by its belief that those in power should have blanket impunity, and by its opposition to holding elected officials accountable.
This is not the first bribery charge Mendendez has faced. In 2015, he was indicted for allegedly receiving bribes from donor Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist. The prosecution ended in a mistrial in 2017. While there was grassroots opposition to Menendez, most Democratic leaders continued to support him, and he won his reelection bid in 2018.
This time is different in large part because the bribery charges are both clearer and more spectacular. Menendez is accused of using his political influence to help several businesses in exchange for bribes. The indictment also says that Menendez, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was given bribes in return for promoting the interests of the Egyptian government. When agents searched Menendez’s home, they found half a million dollars in cash and literal bars of gold.
The accusation that Menendez is taking bribes from foreign nations is extremely serious, and a potential threat to national security. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, the first Senator to call for Menendez’s resignation, said, “it’s not a close call and if you were looking for the most incriminating kinds of evidence, nobody could even come up with gold bars in a mattress.”
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Trump will skip second GOP debate to give speech to striking workers
Wednesday 27 September 2023 19:00 , Josh Marcus
Donald Trump will skip the second Republican presidential primary debate and speak to a crowd of union workers in Detroit amid the ongoing auto strike.
The snub comes after Mr Trump also skipped the first GOP debate of the season last month, choosing instead to sit down with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson for an interview broadcast on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The former president, who stands well ahead of the crowded Republican field in the polls, has downplayed the importance of the debates.
“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more,” he wrote on Truth Social in August. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
The lack of a debate presence has done little to impact his front-runner status.
A national average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight shows Mr Trump with almost four times the support of his closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, with a projected 54.7 per cent support among Republican voters to the governor’s 13.9 per cent as of 26 September.
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Matt Gaetz vows not to get paid if government shuts down because of him
Wednesday 27 September 2023 18:30 , Kelly Rissman
Florida Rep Matt Gaetz asked for his pay to be withheld if a government shutdown occurs at the end of the month — in an effort to seemingly make the public forget that he is spearheading the opposition to measures that would prevent such an outcome.
Mr Gaetz wrote a letter to the House’s chief administrative officer, which he broadcasted on X. He wrote, “It is my understanding that pursuant to the Constitution, members of Congress will continue to receive their pay during a lapse in appropriations.”
The Florida Republican continued, “Therefore, I am requesting that in the case of a lapse of appropriations beginning at 12:00 a.m. on October 1, 2023, my pay be withheld until legislation has taken effect to end such lapse in appropriations in its entirety.”
Despite his sacrificial signaling, Mr Gaetz is one of a host of House Republicans who has vocally opposed any short-term measures to avoid a shutdown.
He recently said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures: “If the Department of Labor and Education have to shut down for a few days as we get these appropriations in line, that is certainly something that is not optimal, but I think it is better than continuing on the current path we are to America’s financial ruin.”
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As Senate pushes ahead to avert a government shutdown, House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one
Wednesday 27 September 2023 18:15 , Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves
As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open.
The Republican speaker laid out his strategy Wednesday behind closed doors, urging his unruly Republican majority to work together. He set up a test vote Friday, one day before Saturday’s shutdown deadline, on a far-right bill. It would slash federal spending by 8% from many agencies and toughen border security but has been rejected by President Joe Biden, Democrats and his own right-flank Republicans.
“I want to solve the problem,” McCarthy told reporters afterward at the Capitol.
But pressed on how he would pass a partisan Republican spending plan that even his own right flank doesn’t want, McCarthy had few answers. He rejected outright the Senate’s bipartisan bill, which would fund the government to Nov. 17, adding $6 billion for Ukraine and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief while talks continue. Instead, he insisted, as he often does, that he would never quit trying.
Congress is at a crossroads days before a disruptive federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for millions of federal workers and the military, close down many federal offices, and leave Americans who rely on the government in ways large and small in the lurch.
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Can Trump be banned from 2024 presidential race? Legal experts divided on 14th amendment arguments
Wednesday 27 September 2023 18:00 , John Bowden
As Donald Trump looks increasingly likely to be the 2024 Republican nominee for president, it continues to look more and more plausible that there could be a serious effort to keep him off the ballot entirely.
Following his presidency ending in a bloody battle on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump remains the de facto leader of the Republican Party, at least among its primary voting electorate.
Recent polls show the ex-president supported by as many as six in 10 of GOP primary voters nationally, while he also continues to hold commanding leads in early primary and caucus states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
But winning a primary election is one thing; winning a general election is another. And as Mr Trump consolidates his support within the GOP, some politicians and constitutional law experts alike are growing more vocal about the possibility of simply denying the Republican Party’s candidate from appearing on the ballot next November at all.
The idea centres around the utilisation of a clause in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, originally intended to keep supporters of the South’s failed cause of secession from being elected to office, which bars those who take part in insurrections or who have “given aid or comfort to the enemies” of the United States government from taking office.
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Trump rivals try to make headway and other things to watch during the GOP presidential debate
Wednesday 27 September 2023 17:45 , Steve Peoples
A growing sense of urgency hangs over Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate as seven candidates fight for momentum on a stage that will not feature the race’s front-runner.
Former President Donald Trump says he’s so far ahead that it would only help his competitors if he participated. The former president’s second consecutive absence gives those who do show up more airtime to make their case. But less than four months before Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, they are running out of time to change the trajectory of the primary.
Here are some of our biggest questions heading into the debate.
Donald Trump’s play for union votes leaves the GOP in a confusing spot once again
Wednesday 27 September 2023 17:30 , John Bowden
Former President Donald Trump will touch down in Michigan on Wednesday, following up Joe Biden’s historic appearance on a United Autoworkers (UAW) picket line with his own address to striking factory workers and the broader Rust Belt that carried him to victory in 2016 and defeat four years later.
According to a handful of news outlets including the Detroit Free Press, the ex-president will address “500 former or current union members”, apparently part of the event he is hosting at Drake Enterprises in Clinton Township. But that’s where the certainty ends, and the GOP once again, thanks to Donald Trump, careens into uncertain territory.
There are already several inconsistencies that are adding up to make Mr Trump’s visit to the state he snatched away from Hillary Clinton a mess of unclear policy stances and disjointed pro-worker rhetoric. What the former president ends up saying at Wednesday’s event is truly anyone’s guess, other than the near-certainty that he will address the ongoing criminal prosecutions hounding his every step.
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Trump heads to Michigan to compete with Biden for union votes while his GOP challengers debate
Wednesday 27 September 2023 17:25 , Jill Colvin
As his Republican rivals gather onstage in California for their second primary debate, former President Donald Trump will be in battleground Michigan Wednesday night working to win over blue-collar voters in the midst of an autoworkers’ strike.
Trump’s trip comes a day after President Joe Biden became the first sitting president in U.S. history to walk a picket line as he joined United Auto Workers in Detroit. The union is pushing for higher wages, shorter work weeks and assurances from the country’s top automakers that new electric vehicle jobs will be unionized.
The dueling appearances reflect what will likely be a chief dynamic of the 2024 general election, which is increasingly looking like a rematch between Trump and Biden. Michigan is expected to be a critical battleground state as both candidates try to paint themselves as champions of the working class.
Trump is scheduled to deliver primetime remarks at Drake Enterprises, a non-unionized auto parts supplier in Clinton Township, about a half-hour outside Detroit. He’ll speak before a crowd of several hundred current and former UAW members, as well as members of plumbers and pipefitters unions.
Trump has tried to capitalize on the strike to drive a wedge between Biden and union workers, a constituency that helped pave the way for the ex-president’s surprise 2016 victory. Trump in that election won over voters in Democratic strongholds like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, fundamentally reshaping voting alliances as he railed against global trade deals and vowed to resurrect dying manufacturing towns.
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Republicans face growing urgency to stop Trump as they enter the second presidential debate
Wednesday 27 September 2023 17:12 , Will Weissert, Steve Peoples
Republicans are meeting for their second presidential debate Wednesday as his top rivals seek to blunt the momentum of Donald Trump, who is so confident of cruising through the party’s primary that he again won’t share a stage with them.
Seven GOP candidates will be at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for an event hosted by Fox Business Network. Trump will be in Michigan, delivering a prime-time speech attempting to capitalize on the Auto Workers Union strike and trying to appeal to rank-and-file union members in a key state for the general election.
The debate comes at a critical moment in the GOP campaign, with less than four months before the Iowa caucuses formally launch the presidential nomination process. For now, Trump is dominating the field even as he faces a range of vulnerabilities, including four criminal indictments that raise the prospect of decades in prison. His rivals are running out of time to dent his lead, which is building a sense of urgency among some to more directly take on the former president before an audience of millions.
“This is not a nomination that’s going to fall in your lap. You have to go and beat the other candidates and one of those happens to be Donald Trump,” said Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and veteran of Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. “This debate, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not folks realize that the sand is going through the hourglass pretty quickly right now.”
The former president also skipped the first debate last month in Milwaukee, where the participants laid into one another while mostly avoiding attacks on Trump. Nearly 13 million people tuned in anyway.
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Egyptian businessman accused of bribing Bob Menendez is arrested flying into JFK airport
Wednesday 27 September 2023 17:00 , Rachel Sharp
An Egyptian businessman accused of bribing US Senator Bob Menendez with hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for information and favourable treatment for the Egyptian government was arrested after he flew into JFK airport on Tuesday night.
Wael Hana, 40, was taken into custody as he touched down at the airport in New York City, according to The Associated Press.
The New Jersey resident, originally from Egypt, then appeared for his arraignment where he pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
He was released on $5m personal recognizance bond and was ordered to surrender his passport.
Under the terms of his bond, he will be subject to GPS location monitoring, must comply with a curfew to be at his New Jersey home from 8pm to 8am, and is banned from contacting his codefendants or any witnesses in the case.
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Trump lashes out at New York judge after being found liable for fraud
Wednesday 27 September 2023 16:55 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump lashed out at the New York judge who found him and his two eldest sons liable for financial fraud, ruling that the former president significantly overvalued his assets to get better loans and insurance.
“WE NEED JUSTICE IN OUR COUNTRY! This political hack judge, who values, Mar-a-Lago, the most spectacular parcel of real estate in Palm Beach, and perhaps all of Florida, at $18 million in order to reduce valuations on my financial statements, which are, in fact, lower than my actual net worth, must be stopped, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“I have had very unfair judges since entering politics, but nobody has been as unhinged as this guy,” he added. “Mar-a-Lago is worth, perhaps, 100 times more than he values it. Other properties are likewise worth substantially more. I am worth billions more than my very conservatively stated financial statements, and therefore could not have defrauded the banks, who all made money & were all paid back, or are current, with no defaults or any other problem.”
Mr Trump then appeared to suggest that none of his valuations should be seen as factual.
“Additionally, there is a powerful Disclaimer Clause on the first pages of the Financial Statements. It states that nothing in the Financial Statements should be accepted as fact!” he wrote.
Senator Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to bribery and corruption charges
Wednesday 27 September 2023 16:44 , Alex Woodward
Senator Robert Menendez and a New Jersey businessman accused of joining an alleged bribery and corruption scheme with the powerful head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have pleaded not guilty in a federal courtroom in Manhattan.
Mr Menendez, who declared his innocence to reporters the day before he entered the courthouse on Pearl Street with his wife Nadine Menendez on 27 September, has refused a growing number of calls from his Senate colleagues to resign after a grand jury indictment accused him of trading political favours involving the Egyptian government and agreeing to interrupt criminal investigations in exchange for cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and other gifts.
The senator and his wife are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
Wael Hana, who was arrested upon entering John F Kennedy International Airport after a flight from Egypt on Tuesday, also pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. He was released on $5m bond after his arrest.
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Should Bob Menendez resign? Here’s what fellow Democrats have said
Wednesday 27 September 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has so far refused to resign after being federally indicted on corruption and bribery charges, but a growing number of his fellow Democratic colleagues are urging him to step down.
In the second federal indictment of his career, Mr Menendez is accused of accepting lavish gifts, gold bars and cash in exchange for providing favours to three businessmen. The most serious allegations include giving sensitive information to the government of Egypt to increase US aid.
Given the severity of the charges, at least 15 Democratic senators have asked Mr Menendez to step down.
Cory Booker – Mr Menendez’s longtime mentee and counterpart in representing New Jersey – joined the call for resignation on Tuesday, calling the allegations “shocking” and “disturbing.”
“Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair. But I believe this is a mistake,” Mr Booker said in a statement. “I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving.”
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What have GOP candidates said about strikes and unions?
Wednesday 27 September 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Before the election of Donald Trump, it would have been more or less unthinkable for a Republican to be criticised for invoking Ronald Reagan.
But as college graduates move towards the Democrats and more socially conservative working-class voters towards the GOP, Republican candidates can no longer invoke the Golden State governor and B-list actor and be sure that whatever they say will be a slam dunk.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott figured this out the hard way on the campaign trail. As both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump speak to the United Auto Workers Union this week, both of them will attempt to appear to be on the side of the workers.
Mr Scott was hit with a complaint from the union after he was asked about his view of the labour negotiations following the UAW’s decision to strike against the Big Three automakers.
“Ronald Reagan gave us a great example when federal employees decided they were going to strike,” he said.
Mr Reagan fired thousands of air traffic controllers after they went on strike in 1981.
“He said, ‘You strike, you’re fired.’ Simple concept to me. To the extent that we can use that once again, absolutely,” Mr Scott said in Iowa earlier this month, even as the GOP has come to rely more and more on blue-collar workers.
But the Republican Party today remains anti-union, especially when considering what General Dwight Eisenhower told the American Federation of Labor when he was running for president in 1952.
“Today in America unions have a secure place in our industrial life,” he said. “Only a handful of unreconstructed reactionaries harbour the ugly thought of breaking unions. Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice.”
UAW union leader says he sees ‘no point’ in meeting Trump because he doesn’t care about workers
Wednesday 27 September 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio
Shawn Fain, president of UAW, told CNN on Wednesday that Mr Trump “serves the billionaire class” and not the workers currently striking over pay in the car manufacturing industry.
William Mata reports:
UAW union leader sees ‘no point’ in meeting Trump after Biden visit
Donald Trump’s play for union votes leaves the GOP in a confusing spot
Wednesday 27 September 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio
Former president Donald Trump will touch down in Michigan on Wednesday, following up Joe Biden’s historic appearance on a United Autoworkers (UAW) picket line with his own address to striking factory workers and the broader Rust Belt that carried him to victory in 2016 and defeat four years later.
According to a handful of news outlets including the Detroit Free Press, the ex-president will address “500 former or current union members”, apparently part of the event he is hosting at Drake Enterprises in Clinton Township. But that’s where the certainty ends, and the GOP once again, thanks to Donald Trump, careens into uncertain territory.
More here.
Donald Trump’s play for union votes leaves the GOP in a confusing spot once again
Trump claims Mar-a-Lago is worth “100 times” more than $18m
Wednesday 27 September 2023 14:30 , Ariana Baio
Donald Trump is certain that his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida is worth way more than the estimated $18 to $27.6m that it was appraised for from 2011 to 2021.
On Truth Social, Mr Trump lashed out at Judge Arthur Engoron for finding that Mr Trump and his adult sons were liable for fraud.
“I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never seen before,” Mr Trump wrote.
The ex-president accused Judge Engoron of ‘making up’ a decision to find Mr Trump liable for fraud for providing false statements regarding his company The Trump Organization for approximately a decade.
Mr Trump cited an “example” being the property value of Mar-a-Lago.
“HE VALUES THE MOST SPECTACULAR PROPERTY IN PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, MAR-A-LAGO, AT $18,000,000, WHEN IT IS WORTH POSSIBLY 100 TIMES THAT AMOUNT,” Mr Trump wrote.
The ex-president insisted his net worth is “much greater” than the numbers shown on financial statements and claimed the recent ruling was “politically motivated.”
Who are the moderators for the second GOP debate?
Wednesday 27 September 2023 14:00 , Faiza Saqib
After a fiery debate last month, Republican presidential candidates are preparing for a second presidential primary showdown on 27 September.
The debate is due to take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
If you want to tune in to the debate, it will be available to watch on Fox Business, Rumble, an online video platform used heavily among conservatives, and Univision also partnering with the network, so the debate can be viewed on those platforms as well.
Who are the moderators?
Fox News Media’s Dana Perino and Stuart Varney and UNIVISION’s Ilia Calderón will co-moderate the second Republican presidential primary debate, the networks revealed 31 August.
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UAW union leader says he sees ‘no point’ in meeting Trump
Wednesday 27 September 2023 13:45 , Ariana Baio
The leader of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has said that he sees “no point” in meeting Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to Michigan because the former president “doesn’t care” about the concerns of striking workers.
Shawn Fain, president of UAW, told CNN on Wednesday that Mr Trump “serves the billionaire class” and not the workers currently striking over pay in the car manufacturing industry.
“I see no point in meeting with him because I don’t think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for,” he said.
“He serves the billionaire class.” United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain calls Trump pathetic and a liar, wants nothing to do with him. (Video: CNN) pic.twitter.com/Zs4v8kcXry
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 26, 2023
Trump bizarrely claims windmills are driving whales ‘crazy’ in South Carolina speech
Wednesday 27 September 2023 13:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump said that windmills are “driving whales a little batty” and causing marine mammals to die “in numbers never seen before” as he went on a bizarre tirade in South Carolina.
The former president also attacked Joe Biden’s regulations on speed boats as he spoke at a rally in the town of Summerville on Monday.
Vowing to overturn the regulations on “day one” of a return to the White House, he criticised the speed limits put in place “to stop whale strikes”.
Watch here.
Trump bizarrely claims windmills are driving whales ‘crazy’ in South Carolina speech
Trump could face an extensive list of trials next year. Here are all the court dates
Wednesday 27 September 2023 13:00 , Ariana Baio
Donald Trump’s 2024 calendar is quickly booking up with court dates corresponding to his plentiful criminal indictments and civil lawsuits.
The ex-president and his legal team are preparing for a busy year ahead as they attempt to juggle the many trial dates while Mr Trump continues his campaign for 2024 president.
So far, Mr Trump has been criminally indicted four times – two of which are on the federal level and two are on the state level. This is on top of two civil lawsuits the ex-president is involved in New York City.
Though Mr Trump’s legal team has continuously pushed judges to delay trial dates until after the 2024 election, nearly all of the dates for his criminal indictments have been set for next spring.
Here are the trial dates for Mr Trump thus far.
Paul Ryan says Republicans will lose if Trump is nominee
Wednesday 27 September 2023 12:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that Republicans will lose the presidential election if Donald Trump is the nominee and that he expects hard-right followers of Trump to force a government shutdown within days.
Mr Ryan, who left office in 2019 and had a sometimes contentious relationship with Mr Trump, said he hoped that another Republican nominee would gain enough momentum early next year to overtake Mr Trump after the first primaries.
Mr Ryan represented southeastern Wisconsin in Congress for 20 years, the last four as speaker.
“The party that puts the first fresh face forward wins this election,” Ryan said at an event on the University of Wisconsin campus organized by the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.
More here.
Former Speaker Paul Ryan says Republicans will lose if Donald Trump is nominee
Federal judge strikes down Texas anti-drag law as unconstitutional
Wednesday 27 September 2023 12:00 , Alex Woodward
A federal judge has struck down a Texas law targeting drag performances as unconstitutional, a ruling that bars law enforcement officials in the state from enforcing the far-reaching ban.
The ruling from US District Judge David Hittner on 26 September followed a two-day hearing to determine whether to issue a permanent injunction stemming from a lawsuit from a group of drag performers and LGBT+ advocates.
“Not all people will like or condone certain performances. This is no different than a person’s opinion on certain comedy genres or music, but that alone does not strip First Amendment protection,” the judge wrote in a 56-page ruling published on Tuesday.
The ruling is in stark contrast to a recent decision from US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who allowed a public Texas university campus prohibition on drag performances to stand despite a wave of federal court decisions striking down drag bans.
A lawsuit taking aim at the state’s sweeping anti-drag law was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas by a group of drag performers and LGBT+ community groups, arguing that the state’s ban is “so yawning in scope that it criminalizes and restricts an enormous swath of constitutionally protected activity,” from ballet and touring Broadway productions to cheerleading.
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‘That is a fantasy world, not the real world’, writes judge in ruling
Wednesday 27 September 2023 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A judge has found Donald Trump liable of committing fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House.
Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling in a civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, found that Mr Trump and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing loans.
“In defendants’ world: rent regulated apartments are worth the same as unregulated apartments; restricted land is worth the same as unrestricted land; restrictions can evaporate into thin air; a disclaimer by one party casting responsibility on another party exonerates the other party’s lies,” judge Engoron wrote in his 35-page ruling.
“That is a fantasy world, not the real world.”
VIDEO: Trump bizarrely claims windmills are driving whales ‘crazy’ in South Carolina speech
Wednesday 27 September 2023 11:00 , Oliver Browning
Donald Trump said that windmills are “driving whales a little batty” and causing marine mammals to die “in numbers never seen before” as he went on a bizarre tirade in South Carolina.
The former president also attacked Joe Biden’s regulations on speed boats as he spoke at a rally in the town of Summerville on Monday 25 September.
Vowing to overturn the regulations on “day one” of a return to the White House, he criticised the speed limits put in place “to stop whale strikes”.
Mr Trump then turned the focus on “windmills” and said they are “causing whales to die in numbers never seen before”.
Trump and his sons lash out at New York attorney general
Wednesday 27 September 2023 10:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Former president Donald Trump and his sons lashed out at the New York attorney general after a court on Tuesday found him liable for fraud for allegedly inflating the value of his properties and other assets.
Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in a civil lawsuit brought by attorney general Letitia James that the 45th president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Mr Trump targeted Judge Engoron and the attorney general, while claiming that the decision was part of an ongoing plot to damage his bid to return to the White House in 2024.
More here.
Trump and his sons lash out at New York attorney general after fraud ruling
How white supremacist fight clubs are building covert far-right militias
Wednesday 27 September 2023 10:00 , Alex Woodward
White supremacist groups using the guise of fitness and martial arts to attract and grow their numbers are effectively creating a new militia network, with dozens of chapters forming in the US, Canada and across Europe within just three years, according to a newly published report from extremism researchers.
At least 46 so-called “active clubs” – which publicly promote “brotherhood” and training in combat sports and fitness while covertly advancing fascist and neo-Nazi agendas and preparing for large-scale violence – have sprouted in 34 states between 2020 and 2023, according to the report from the Counter Extremism Project.
That relatively rapid growth is alarming researchers who have closely tracked the explosion in far-right extremism and white supremacist movements in recent years, parallel to a surge in threats of political violence and violences towards marginalised groups.
“I’ve never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually it takes years to build a transnational network,” report author and CEP adviser Alexander Ritzmann told VICE News, which first reported the research. “It’s concerning.”
While the groups outwardly promote group fitness events like boxing, jiu jitsu and other martial arts, the narratives surrounding their creation typically rely on white grievances and victimhood and empowerment through white supremacy, according to the report.
