Trump sparks derision for saying he was ‘apple of Putin’s eye’ as EU diplomats ‘terrified’ of 2024 win – live

Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has sparked criticism over bizarre remarks that he was “the apple of Putin’s eye” as European Union diplomats have voiced fears of a potential win in the 2024 US Presidential election.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

It comes amid reports that an EU diplomat characterised the prospect of a third Trump term as “terrifying,” according to The New York Times.

Mr Trump and 18 of his allies were indicted last week for allegedly running a criminal enterprise to try to thwart the 2020 presidential election. He cancelled his proposed press conference at which he claimed he was going to unveil a report that would “exonerate” him in the criminal case.

The former president is also the defendant in three other ongoing criminal proceedings.

Key points

Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

08:08 , Namita Singh

Former president Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he will be skipping Wednesday’s first Republican presidential primary debate.

“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he plans to boycott every primary debate or just those that have currently been scheduled.

The former president and early GOP frontrunner had said for months that he saw little upside in joining his GOP rivals on stage when they gather for the first time in Milwaukee, given his commanding lead in the race. And he had made clear to those he had spoken to in recent days that his opinion had not changed.

Report:

Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

What has each GOP candidate said about the war in Ukraine?

06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who’ll listen, “This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party”.

One of the issues where that’s becoming more evident by the day is Ukraine.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine

‘Reagan didn’t’: Trump takes to Truth Social to give excuse for why he won’t join GOP debate

04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is still insisting he will not participate in the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his lead over his opponents and the precedent set by former President Ronald Reagan.

Mr Trump made his proclamation in a typical rambling post on his Truth Social platform.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Trump gives excuse for why he won’t join GOP debate: ‘Reagan didn’t’

Trump to skip first GOP debate for Tucker Carlson interview

02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump will skip the first Republican debate of the 2024 primaries and attempt to upstage his rivals for the party’s nomination by instead sitting down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, according to a report.

Citing multiple people briefed on the matter, The New York Times reports that the former president made up his mind to miss the Fox News-hosted GOP debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Read more...

Trump to skip first GOP debate for Tucker Carlson interview, report says

Ken Chesebro was at Capitol with Alex Jones on Jan 6

00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Kenneth Chesebro, a Donald Trump ally and the alleged mastermind of the scheme to subvert the results of the 2020 election through the use of fake electors, was at the US Capitol on January 6, accompanying conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Video and photos taken on the grounds of the Capitol on the day Trump loyalists stormed the building, reviewed and reported on first by CNN, clearly show the attorney, now at the heart of the criminal case concerning the plot to overturn the election, wearing a red Trump 2020 hat and filming Jones with his phone.

Read more...

Alleged Trump fake electors plotter Ken Chesebro pictured at Capitol on Jan 6

Trump extends lead among Republicans as DeSantis slips further back, new poll shows

23:00 , John Bowden

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is seeing his support in the Republican primary race crater as rivals gain ground against him while former President Donald Trump’s dominance over the party appears to be holding steady.

A new CBS News poll of likely Republican primary voters across the country shows Mr DeSantis trending downwards, currently at 16 per cent after dropping seven percentage points over a two-month span. In the time since CBS polled voters in June, the governor has slipped from 23 per cent while businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has surged into third place.

Take a look at how this poll illuminates the latest dynamics of the 2024 presidential race:

Trump extends lead among Republicans as DeSantis slips further back, new poll shows

‘Frivolous’: Judge rejects Trump’s fourth attempt to block E Jean Carroll case

22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has once again dismissed Donald Trump’s attempts to stall litigation from writer E Jean Carroll, who was awarded a $5m jury verdict earlier this year finding the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation after speaking publicly about it.

His fourth attempt, along with his previous attempts, have not provided a “single reason” to show any likelihood that he will succeed on appeal, according to US District Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Alex Woodward reports.

Judge rejects Trump’s ‘frivolous’ fourth attempt to block E Jean Carroll case

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

22:00 , John Bowden

Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence.

His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

British filmmaker says Trump was ‘unhinged’ and ‘terrifying’ during his final days in office

21:35 , John Bowden

A British filmmaker who interviewed Donald Trump on the eve of the attack on the Capitol has opened up about the former president’s “unhinged” demeanour at the time.

Alex Holder documented the days leading up to January 6 and its fallout for Unprecedented, a movie about the last months of Mr Trump’s presidency. The film was released last summer, months before the Department of Justice subpoenaed Mr Holder for any raw footage related to the movie.

Appearing on CNN’s Newsroom with host Jim Acosta on Saturday, Mr Holder delved into Mr Trump’s state of mind during interviews recorded just before the attack.

Read more:

British filmmaker says Trump was ‘unhinged’ during his final days in office

Pence backs up Meadows claim that Trump didn’t declassify documents

21:06 , John Bowden

Mike Pence has just made a statement that seriously contradicts the claims being used by Donald Trump and his team to defend his handling of a trove of classified documents found in his home at Mar-a-Lago.

Up until now, Mr Trump and his allies in the Trumpworld media circle have claimed that the ex-president had a “standing order” to declassify any documents being taken by his team from the White House. But no White House staffers have emerged to back that up, and proof of an order has not been found either.

Read more:

Pence backs up Meadows claim that Trump didn’t declassify documents

Trump makes bizarre remarks about his relationship with Putin

21:00 , Andrea Blanco

Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

The Independent reports:

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Analysis: Biden’s awkward silence on Trump’s legal woes – and what it could mean for 2024

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

All signs point to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

But despite their likely inevitable round two face-off, and the fact that the former president actively schemed to try and prevent Mr Biden from occupying the Oval Office, the incumbent president has stayed mostly silent when it comes to Mr Trump’s mounting legal woes.

But how much longer can Mr Biden afford to keep quiet on his chief rival’s criminal culpability?

Eric Garcia investigates.

Biden’s awkward silence on Trump’s legal woes – and what it could mean for 2024

Trump will now have to answer in court for making life hell for two Black women election workers

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

They were compared to drug dealers. They were flooded with racist abuse. The sitting president of the United States accused them of rampant fraud. People showed up at their homes. They were bullied, harassed, and forced to change their appearances and go into hiding.

Alex Woodward explains why the experiences of Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss after the 2020 election are so central to the charges against Donald Trump in Fulton County, Georgia.

Trump made life hell for two Black women. He will have to answer for it in court

Voices: Trump may be down, but he isn’t out – yet

16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Mary Dejevsky writes that a televised trial of the former president could make a great spectacle – but it won’t stop Trump from securing the Republican nomination.

Trump may be down, but he isn’t quite out – yet | Mary Dejevsky

After pro-Trump doxxing campaign, Georgia police investigate online threats to jurors

14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Police in Georgia are investigating online threats to members of a grand jury that voted to indict Donald Trump and 18 of the former president’s allies accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in a sprawling criminal case.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is “aware that personal information from members of the jury” has been shared across social media platforms, the agency announced on 17 August, less than three days after a sweeping charging document was unsealed.

Alex Woodward reports.

Georgia police investigating online threats to Trump grand jury

Even though Trump attacks on judges may be ‘crossing the line,’ experts say he'll avoid punishment

12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In a normal criminal case, the defendant doesn’t talk to the public or openly speak about the proceedings at all. If anyone says anything public-facing, it’s the lawyer. In a normal criminal case, the defendant certainly wouldn’t appear to be trying to publicly threaten or influence the lawyers, witnesses, prosecutors, and judges at the heart of a case. And in a normal criminal case, if a defendant took the extremely ill-advised step of making such a threat, they could face jail time for contempt of court or even worse, additional criminal charges.

But Donald Trump, who is facing four serious criminal indictments across courts in four states, and seems to lash out at those involved in these prosecutions on a near-daily basis, is not a normal defendant, and he’s certainly not facing ordinary charges.

Josh Marcus reports.

Trump attacks on judges may ‘cross the line,’ but experts say he’ll avoid punishment

Check you calendars: Trump wants to go to trial in April... 2026

10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump wants his federal trial for allegedly trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election to be postponed until April 2026, according to a court filing.

Lawyers for the former president asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to push the trial back more than two years later than special counsel Jack Smith’s proposed date of January 2024.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump proposes date for trial for subverting 2020 election – in three years

In sudden twist, Trump cancels press conference to refute Georgia claims against him

08:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has abruptly cancelled his proposed news conference at which he claimed he was going to unveil a report that would clear him of any wrongdoing and charges he tried to interfere with the presidential election in Georgia.

The former president took to Truth Social on Thursday evening to say that he would not be going through with the Friday media event – scheduled for 11am est – at the advice of his lawyers.

Graeme Massie filed this report on Thursday night.

Trump cancels press conference to refute Georgia claims against him

Voices: Donald Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Jay Black writes:

“They purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me”, the former President “truthed”, presumably as store-brand ketchup dripped from the walls around him, “especially the big ‘orange’ one with my chin pulled way back.”

Like most people, my initial reaction to Donald Trump’s rant was incredulity: does he think there are GOOD pictures of him?

Read on...

Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

DOJ seeks 33 years in prison for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan 6 case

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Tarrio, who once served as national chairman of the far-right extremist group, and three lieutenants were convicted by a Washington jury in May of conspiring to block the transfer of presidential power in the hopes of keeping Republican Donald Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 election.

Read more...

Justice Department seeks 33 years in prison for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan. 6 case

Experts warn Trump is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump should really keep his mouth shut.

That’s the advice that experienced litigators of all stripes are giving the former president as he faces a tide of criminal investigations into his conduct both as president and during the 2016 election.

John Bowden reports.

Experts warn Trump is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

Saturday 19 August 2023 22:36 , Andrea Blanco

Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence.

His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

‘Karma is about to crush him’: Mobsters prosecuted by Giuliani with RICO statute are ‘thrilled’

Saturday 19 August 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The world of organised crime is reportedly “thrilled” that Trump associate Rudy Giuliani is now facing racketeering charges in Georgia. As a New York prosecutor in the 1980s, Mr Giuliani became nationally known for using so-called RICO statutes to go after members of the Mafia.

“You can quote me to say, ‘They’re f***ing thrilled,’” Murray Richman, a lawyer who has represented organised crime figures including former Lucchese crime family boss Carmine Tramunti, told The Messenger.

Josh Marcus reports.

Mobsters Giuliani prosecuted with RICO law are ‘thrilled’ at charges

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Saturday 19 August 2023 20:34 , Andrea Blanco

Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

The Independent reports:

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Trump effort to attack Biden backfires

Saturday 19 August 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s almost like you shouldn’t believe everything you read on social media...

Trump’s effort to blast Biden backfires as meme he shared was from his own presidency

‘He can’t speak, he can’t walk’: Trump says Biden’s gaffes will lead to nuclear war

Saturday 19 August 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has suggested that President Joe Biden’s frequent gaffes will lead to nuclear war.

The former president was speaking to Larry Kudlow, who worked in the Trump administration, on Fox Business Network when he returned to his often-used talking point that Mr Biden will lead America into armageddon.

Gustaf Kilander watched the interview which could give us a preview of Mr Trump’s planned sitdown with Tucker Carlson instead of participating in the GOP debate on Wednesday.

Trump says Biden’s gaffes will lead to nuclear war: ‘He can’t speak, he can’t walk’

‘Inexcusable’ attacks on judges could ‘imperil’ his cases, Trump warned

Saturday 19 August 2023 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump’s “inexcusable” online attacks on judges overseeing his legal battles could “imperil” his cases, a retired judge said.

“The former president’s comments and attacks on the federal judiciary and on the specific individual judges who will preside over his trials are unprecedented in American history,” J Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge told CNN.

“They are a grave disservice to the nation. They are inexcusable,” he continued. “And they imperil the former president himself in the defence of his actions on January 6th before the juries that will hear his case.”

Kelly Rissman reports.

Ex-federal judge warns Trump that his attacks on judges could ‘imperil’ his cases

Christie calls Trump ‘certified loser, verified coward’ after decision to skip debate

Saturday 19 August 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie didn’t hold back (as usual) in his criticism of Donald Trump, this time over his decision to not join his rivals on stage in the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election.

“Surprise, surprise… the guy who is out on bail from four jurisdictions and can’t defend his reprehensible conduct, is running scared and hiding from the debate stage,” Mr Christie wrote on X.

“Trump - certified loser, verified coward,” he added.

The former president has already been accused of skipping the debate because he is “scared of Chris Christie” as we reported earlier this week.

Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’

Inside the Georgia jail where Trump and 18 allies will be booked

Saturday 19 August 2023 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump has until noon on Friday 25 August to be booked at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta and arraigned at its courthouse before Judge Scott McAfee, where he is again expected to enter not guilty pleas to all charges, as he has at his three previous arraignments in New York, Miami and Washington DC.

A bond agreement is likely to be forged to spare Mr Trump having to stay overnight in jail, as is the usual custom, and he is again unlikely to be seen in handcuffs or forced to pose for a mugshot, although county sheriff Pat Labat has previously insisted he intends to apply the same “normal practices” to the politician and his co-accused as he would any other defendants.

Inside the Georgia jail where Trump and 18 allies will be booked over election plot

Why Trump wants to move Georgia case to federal court

Saturday 19 August 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It took less than a day after a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury indicted former president Donald Trump, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and 17 other defendants in a sprawling racketeering case for one of them to invoke a rarely used federal law in an attempt to move the case into federal court.

On Tuesday, attorneys for Mr Meadows, who a Fulton County grand jury charged with a single racketeering count and another sole count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, quickly filed papers in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia to “remove” the case from Fulton County Superior Court.

The move by the former president’s chief of staff was widely expected by legal experts, many of whom have opined that Mr Trump’s legal team can be expected to use a similar manoeuvre within the next 30 days, citing his former position as president of the United States.

But removing the case to federal court would not necessarily provide either of them with an advantage should the case proceed to trial.

Andrew Feinberg explains.

Why does Trump want to move Georgia case to federal court?

How ‘America’s mayor’ tied his fate to Trump and got indicted

Saturday 19 August 2023 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Giuliani — feted, knighted and named Time magazine’s person of the year for his leadership as New York City mayor after the 2001 terrorist attack — has seen his reputation eviscerated and now his liberty imperiled for his steadfast defense of former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election.

On Monday, Giuliani’s downfall sank to its lowest level yet with his indictment in Georgia on charges he acted as Trump’s chief co-conspirator in a plot to subvert President Joe Biden‘s victory.

Read on...

The fall of Rudy Giuliani: How ‘America’s mayor’ tied his fate to Donald Trump and got indicted

As Trump rakes in supporters’ donations to pay for his legal battles., some of his co-defendants go broke

Saturday 19 August 2023 07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg reports.

While Trump’s codefendants struggle, he’s raking in donations to pay for his battles

Trump’s ‘riggers’ attack and GOP’s ‘blatant racism and blatant violence’ slammed by Al Sharpton

Saturday 19 August 2023 04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Rev Al Sharpton has joined a growing chorus against Donald Trump’s use of the word “riggers” as the former president lashes out at Black prosecutors and judges overseeing the criminal cases against him for his attempts to subvert the 2020 election.

The civil rights activist also condemned an apparent refusal from Republican Party leadership and other GOP officials to denounce Mr Trump’s statement, received by his supporters in far-right online forums and on social media as an apparent appeal to their racism and support for political violence.

Alex Woodward reports.

Al Sharpton slams Trump’s ‘riggers’ attack and GOP’s ‘blatant racism’

Will Trump go to prison?

Saturday 19 August 2023 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s what everyone wants to know...

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Court tosses Jan 6 sentence , but what does that mean for other low-level Capitol riot cases

Saturday 19 August 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal appeals court on Friday ordered a new sentence for a North Carolina man who pleaded guilty to a petty offence in the Capitol riot — a ruling that could impact dozens of low-level cases in the massive Jan. 6, 2021 prosecution.

The appeals court in Washington said James Little was wrongly sentenced for his conviction on a misdemeanour offence to both prison time and probation, which is court-ordered monitoring of defendants who are not behind bars.

Read on...

Court tosses Jan. 6 sentence in ruling that could impact other low-level Capitol riot cases

Florida man who attacked officers with flagpole at Capitol riot sentenced

Friday 18 August 2023 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A Florida man who used a flagpole to attack officers who were trying to defend the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison.

Michael Steven Perkins, 40, of Plant City, was sentenced in District of Columbia federal court, according to court records. His co-defendant, Joshua Christopher Doolin, 25, of Lakeland, received one year and six months on Wednesday.

Read more...

Florida man who attacked officers with flagpole at Capitol riot gets 4 years in prison

FBI releases wanted poster for missing Jan 6 defendant

Friday 18 August 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

He backed the Iowa winner three times – here is his 2024 prediction

Friday 18 August 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

If a Republican presidential candidate wants to win the Iowa caucus, with its heavily white, heavily evangelical and churchgoing population, they need to win over Bob Vander Plaats.

Few people have had a front-row seat to Iowa’s evangelical politics than Bob Vander Plaats. In 2008, he served as Mike Huckabee’s state party chairman when he pulled off an improbable win in the Iowa caucus. Then in 2012, he endorsed Rick Santorum before he pulled off a squeaker against Mitt Romney in the first in the nation contest. In 2016, he backed Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) before the senator pulled off a victory against Donald Trump.

So, what does he think about the 2024 race? Eric Garcia reports.

This man backed the Iowa winner three times – here is his 2024 prediction

Christie calls Trump ‘certified loser, verified coward’ after decision to skip debate

Friday 18 August 2023 22:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie didn’t hold back (as usual) in his criticism of Donald Trump, this time over his decision to not join his rivals on stage in the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election.

“Surprise, surprise… the guy who is out on bail from four jurisdictions and can’t defend his reprehensible conduct, is running scared and hiding from the debate stage,” Mr Christie wrote on X.

“Trump - certified loser, verified coward,” he added.

The former president has already been accused of skipping the debate because he is “scared of Chris Christie” as we reported earlier this week.

Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’

Proud Boy on house arrest in Jan 6 case absconds before sentencing

Friday 18 August 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Authorities are searching for a member of the Proud Boys extremist group who disappeared days before his sentencing in a U.S. Capitol riot case, where prosecutors are seeking more than a decade in prison, according to a warrant made public Friday.

Christopher Worrell of Naples, Florida, was supposed to be sentenced Friday after being found guilty of spraying pepper spray gel on police officers, as part of the mob storming the Capitol as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors had asked a judge to sentence him to 14 years.

Read on...

Proud Boy on house arrest in Jan 6 case disappears ahead of sentencing

‘Reagan didn’t’: Trump takes to Truth Social to give excuse for why he won’t join GOP debate

Friday 18 August 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is still insisting he will not participate in the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his lead over his opponents and the precedent set by former President Ronald Reagan.

Mr Trump made his proclamation in a typical rambling post on his Truth Social platform.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Trump gives excuse for why he won’t join GOP debate: ‘Reagan didn’t’

‘Big mistake’ to count Ron DeSantis out, says Iowa’s evangelical kingmaker

Friday 18 August 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Iowa’s top evangelical leaders has told The Independent that Republicans and the press are writing off Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign too soon.

Bob Vander Plaats, the chief executive of the Family Leader, is one of the leading voices in heavily evangelical Iowa. Earlier this year, the Family Leader hosted a forum with many of the Republican candidates for president with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson serving as the moderator.

He has had a track record of betting on the right horse before the Iowa caucus.

Eric Garcia reports.

Iowa’s evangelical kingmaker says it would be ‘a mistake’ to count Ron DeSantis out

Experts warn ex-president is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

Friday 18 August 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump should really keep his mouth shut.

That’s the advice that experienced litigators of all stripes are giving the former president as he faces a tide of criminal investigations into his conduct both as president and during the 2016 election.

John Bowden reports.

Experts warn Trump is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

What have each of the Republican candidates said about the war in Ukraine?

Friday 18 August 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who’ll listen, “This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party”.

One of the issues where that’s becoming more evident by the day is Ukraine.

Here’s what each of the primary candidates has said about the war.

What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine

‘Especially the big orange one’: Trump attacks Fox News for using ‘worst’ photos of him

Friday 18 August 2023 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has taken to lashing out at Fox News, claiming that the network is working with other Republican candidates to figure out who can beat him in the GOP primary, while using unflattering “orange” photos of him and negative polls.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Trump attacks Fox for using ‘worst’ photos of him: ‘Especially the big orange one’

What have the Republican candidates said about January 6?

Friday 18 August 2023 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

The insurrection on January 6, 2021, has become yet another litmus test for Republican presidential candidates and how they respond to questions about the subject may provoke the ire of frontrunner Donald Trump, who’s now facing legal action over his role in the Capitol riot.

Here’s what they have said so far...

What the Republican candidates have said about January 6

Comment: Trump may be down, but he isn’t out – yet

Friday 18 August 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Mary Dejevsky writes that while a televised trial of the former president could make a great spectacle, it won’t stop Trump securing the Republican nomination.

Trump may be down, but he isn’t quite out – yet | Mary Dejevsky

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez qualifies for GOP presidential debate

Friday 18 August 2023 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Friday that he has qualified for next week’s Republican presidential debate, becoming the ninth White House hopeful to meet the fundraising and polling thresholds required to participate in the opening face-off of the 2024 campaign.

Suarez, 45 and the only Hispanic in the field, will be perhaps the least-known Republican on the stage Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Read more...

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a fierce Ron DeSantis critic, qualifies for GOP presidential debate

Analysis: Trump attacks on judges may be ‘crossing the line,’ but experts say he will avoid punishment

Friday 18 August 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Josh Marcus reminds us that while the former president’s behaviour would pose serious legal perils for a normal defendant, Donald Trump is no normal defendant.

Trump attacks on judges may ‘cross the line,’ but experts say he’ll avoid punishment

Breaking: Trump to skip first GOP debate for Tucker Carlson interview, report says

Friday 18 August 2023 18:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump will skip the first Republican debate of the 2024 primaries and attempt to upstage his rivals for the party’s nomination by instead sitting down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, according to a report.

Citing multiple people briefed on the matter, The New York Times reports that the former president made up his mind to miss the Fox News-hosted GOP debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On Thursday he again claimed on his Truth Social platform that there was no need for him to debate the other candidates as he was polling so far ahead of them, but was still ambiguous as to what his plans might actually be.

Read more...

Trump to skip first GOP debate for Tucker Carlson interview, report says

After pro-Trump doxxing campaign, Georgia police investigating online threats to jurors

Friday 18 August 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Police in Georgia are investigating online threats to members of a grand jury that voted to indict Donald Trump and 18 of the former president’s allies accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in a sprawling criminal case.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is “aware that personal information from members of the jury” has been shared across social media platforms, the agency announced on 17 August, less than three days after a sweeping charging document was unsealed.

Alex Woodward reports.

Georgia police investigating online threats to Trump grand jury

Voices: The DeSantis memo meltdown shows he never learned the first lesson about Trump

Friday 18 August 2023 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Early in my career in politics, before I got into journalism, a former boss of mine taught us interns a rule I have never forgotten: Never say or do anything that you wouldn’t want published on the front page of The New York Times. Even after I decided a career in partisan politics wasn’t for me, I have tried to abide by that rule in journalism.

Apparently, nobody taught Ron DeSantis’s team that rule.

Read more...

DeSantis world should have known better about avoiding criticising Trump

Trump will now answer in court for making life hell for two Black women election workers

Friday 18 August 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports on how conspiracy theories and false claims fuelled racist threats and harassment towards Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Now, their story is central to a massive criminal case against the former president.

Trump made life hell for two Black women. He will have to answer for it in court

Watch: Gov Kemp says Georgia trial ‘not going to happen before the election’

Friday 18 August 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Voices: Donald Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

Friday 18 August 2023 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Jay Black writes:

“They purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me”, the former President “truthed”, presumably as store-brand ketchup dripped from the walls around him, “especially the big ‘orange’ one with my chin pulled way back.”

Like most people, my initial reaction to Donald Trump’s rant was incredulity: does he think there are GOOD pictures of him?

Read more:

Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

Our reporting of the former president’s rant:

Trump attacks Fox for using ‘worst’ photos of him: ‘Especially the big orange one’

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