Trump dead even with Biden in new poll while he pushes mug shot merch: Live updates
A new poll shows Donald Trump and Joe Biden neck-and-neck among voters nationally.
The new poll, by the Wall Street Journal, also found that 59 per cent of Republican voters say the former president would be their first choice if the GOP primary was today.
“Wow! Ron DeSanctimonious has seen a Polling CRASH like no other. People have gotten to know him. Also, really bad Social Security votes, and would decimate Medicare. That doesn’t play well in America!” Mr Trump boasted on Truth Social.
This comes as Mr Trump could be in hot water over his use of his mug shot to sell merchandise for his political campaign.
Legal experts have warned that the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office owns the copyright for the image and so could sue Mr Trump for using it on t-shirts and other merchandise.
Last week, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges levelled against him in the Georgia election interference case and waived his right to an arraignment.
Some of Mr Trump’s 18 co-defendants have also waived their in-person arraignments, while the remainder are still expected to appear for the hearing on Wednesday.
Key Points
Rudy Giuliani joins six co-defendants pleading not guilty in Georgia RICO case
Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from co-defendants seeking speedy trial
Trump threatens to ‘lock up’ rivals if he wins 2024 race
Mitch McConnell’s health struggles back in focus as he suffers second ‘freeze’ on camera
Anti-Trump GOP group displays all his felony charges in Times Square
Trump has raised millions with his mug shot. Legal experts say it could be a big mistake
21:17 , John Bowden
Donald Trump may have opened himself up to a whole new legal issue by selling merch featuring the mugshot taken by authorities upon his arrest in Georgia.
Alex Woodward has the story:
Why Trump could be making a big mistake by fundraising off his mug shot
Marjorie Taylor Greene complains that ‘White House is attacking me’ after Biden impeachment demands
20:55 , John Bowden
Marjorie Taylor Greene is apparently unhappy after the White House singled out her impeachment effort, which continues to find little support among Republican leaders, for criticism.
She went on a multi-tweet tirade over the weekend, claiming the White House is “attacking” her over her laundry list of demands to be met before she supports raising the debt ceiling.
“The White House is attacking me for demanding an impeachment inquiry before I’ll vote to fund one penny to our over bloated $32 TRILLION dollar in debt failing government,” Rep Greene wrote on Saturday. It was her first post in a thread consisting of 14 consecutive tweets.
Read more:
Marjorie Taylor Greene says ‘White House is attacking me’ after impeachment demands
Trump phone interview with right-wing network is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
19:41 , John Bowden
A right-wing network’s phone interview with Donald Trump went so poorly that social media users are speculating the voice on the line was an AI impersonator.
Real America’s Voice aired an “exclusive” interview with the former president on Thursday - but it didn’t exactly go to plan.
The 17-minute call with hosts John Soloman and Amanda Head was plagued by consistent cut-outs as the stiff voice purported to be Mr Trump shifted dramatically.
Read more:
Trump phone interview is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
Trump gloats about continued dominance in GOP primary
18:51 , John Bowden
Donald Trump offered another jab at his primary rival, Ron DeSantis, on Sunday as the governor continues to appear uncomfortable with punching back at the popular leader of his party.
“Wow! Ron DeSanctimonious has seen a Polling CRASH like no other. People have gotten to know him. Also, really bad Social Security votes, and would decimate Medicare. That doesn’t play well in America!” wrote Mr Trump in a Truth Social-ed statement Sunday evening.
His remarks came following a Wall Street Journal poll finding Mr Trump cleaning up the primary contest with the support of nearly 60 per cent of Republican voters.
Deadline looms for Trump to take Truth Social public
18:22 , John Bowden
The future of Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform has been thrown into financial purgatory as a company created to help take the ex-president’s social media site public battles with financial regulators and is cited for deceiving investors.
Mr Trump first announced plans to transform his Truth Social enterprise into a publicly-traded company in late 2021. But the effort has stalled time and time again, thanks to near-constant issues including the firing of its former CEO and the arrest of a board member on insider trading allegations.
Now, The Washington Post reports that the transformation faces a key hurdle in the upcoming weeks: a vote by shareholders of the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) created to take Truth Social public. That vote will determine whether the acquisition company, Digital World, continues the acquisition effort or instead winds down all business and shutters operations.
Dive into the story here:
Deadline looms for Trump to take Truth Social public
Biden headed to Philadelphia for Labor Day address
17:11 , John Bowden
President Joe Biden, who often says he’s the most pro-union president in history, is heading to Philadelphia on Monday for the annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade.
The Democratic president is expected to speak about the importance of unions in the United States and how the economy is recovering from the crippling coronavirus pandemic.
Labor Day, a holiday honoring workers, comes as the U.S. has added jobs and more people have begun looking for work, the most since January, all news Biden is eager to highlight as he seeks reelection in 2024.
Read on...
Biden heads to Philadelphia for a Labor Day parade and is expected to speak about unions' importance
GOP governor offers reality check for both Biden and Trump
16:35 , John Bowden
The Republican governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu, says he is not sure if Joe Biden or Donald Trump will actually be their parties’ respective nominees in 2024.
“Look, I think there’s a good shot that neither of them are actually on that ballot,” Mr Sununu told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
He joined a number of Republican voices questioning whether or not Mr Trump can win in 2024 if Mr Biden runs for re-election.
“I think Trump can very much lose if they winnow it down to one on one,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of issues that are going to come to bear with President Biden over the next year and a lot of opportunity for the Democrats to find another — another candidate. But to the No Labels point, there’s an opportunity there like never before. It would have to be the right candidate. It has to be somebody very energizing, positive.”
WSJ poll has Trump, Biden tied
16:03 , John Bowden
A new poll from The Wall Street Journal has both parties’ likely 2024 nominees tied in a dead-even heat among voters nationally, with Donald Trump leading by a hair when third-party candidates are included.
It’s a troubling sign for Joe Biden for sure, but one that comes on the heels of other polls indicating that Mr Biden holds slim leads in some key swing states he will need to secure reelection.
But it could also encourage Mr Trump’s supporters at a time when the ex-president is attempting to cement his dominance within the Republican Party and fight off several challengers for the presidential nomination.
Dive into the poll here:
Coming soon to a screen near you...
14:45 , Greg Graziosi
Yes, the American public (and presumably a sizeable international audience) will be able to gather around their phones, tablets, and flat screens and watch the entirety of Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly attempting to subvert the presidential election in Georgia.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he would allow all hearings and trials in the case to appear on a YouTube stream. The court will operate the stream.
The judge will also allow pool coverage for television, photography and radio, he announced.
Get. The. Popcorn. Ready.
Trump’s Georgia election interference trial will be televised and live streamed
Former GOP Governor Larry Hogan calls Vivek Ramaswamy a ‘cheerleader for Trump,’ calls on him to drop out
14:05 , Graig Graziosi
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, has said that there are too many candidates in the Republican primary, and said some should drop out.
“If you don’t make the debate stage, you likely should consider getting out,” he told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “If you’re unwilling to challenge Donald Trump, you should get off the stage.”
He specifically mentioned anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who he called a “cheerleader and fill-in” for the former president who was “applying for a job.”
“If you’re in there running for vice president or you’re trying to be a cabinet secretary or you’re trying to become famous or write a book or get on television, you should get the heck out of the race,” the former governor said. “We need to narrow it down to find a leader who can get the Republican Party back on the right track and that can get us back to winning elections again. And it’s not going to happen with 11 people in the race.”
VOICES: From Donald Trump to CM Punk: is 2023 the year toxic men finally get their comeuppance?
13:45 , Rachel Sharp
Boris Johnson humiliated? The Proud Boys jailed? Ryan Coogan explains why it’s okay to laugh when bad things happen to bad people...
From Trump to Punk: is 2023 the year toxic men get their comeuppance? | Ryan Coogan
Trump continues to rail against indictments on Truth Social
13:25 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump continue to rail against his indictments, taking to Truth Social on Sunday for his latest rants.
In one post, he wrote:
The Crooked Joe Biden Campaign has thrown so many Indictments and lawsuits against me that Republicans are already thinking about what we are going to do to Biden and the Communists when it’s our turn. They have started a whole new Banana Republic way of thinking about political campaigns. So cheap and dirty, but that’s where America is right now. Be careful what you wish for!
In another post, he wrote:
Has anyone checked the background of Fani Willis, who lets Murderers go free to roam the streets of Atlanta and KILL, but wastes time, energy, and money on LETS GET TRUMP, who has done NOTHING wrong. RINO Governor Brian Kemp has lost control of violent crime in Atlanta, and Fulton County as a whole. To walk the streets is a death sentence, it has NEVER been worse, yet he wants to protect this incompetent prosecutor. Number 1 in violence per capita in U.S. Sad days for the Great State of Georgia!
Trump phone interview with right-wing network is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
13:05 , Rachel Sharp
A right-wing network’s phone interview with Donald Trump went so poorly that social media users are speculating the voice on the line was an AI impersonator.
Real America’s Voice aired an “exclusive” interview with the former president on Thursday - but it didn’t exactly go to plan.
The 17-minute call with hosts John Soloman and Amanda Head was plagued by consistent cut-outs as the stiff voice purported to be Mr Trump shifted dramatically.
Read on...
Trump phone interview is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
So... is Trump going to go to prison?
12:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump faces four criminal indictments in three separate jurisdictions. Nearly 100 felony criminal charges are leveled against the former president, who remains the odds-on favourite to win the 2024 Republican primary.
As his legal battles grow more complex by the day, a serious question has emerged: Whether Mr Trump will win the nomination and campaign for the general election as a convicted criminal.
That possibility, in turn, raises another, simpler question: Will the 45th President of the United States go to prison?
John Bowden explains.
Will Donald Trump go to prison?
Biden heads to Philadelphia for a Labor Day parade and is expected to speak about unions' importance
12:25 , Rachel Sharp
President Joe Biden, who often says he’s the most pro-union president in history, is heading to Philadelphia on Monday for the annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade.
The Democratic president is expected to speak about the importance of unions in the United States and how the economy is recovering from the crippling coronavirus pandemic.
Labor Day, a holiday honoring workers, comes as the U.S. has added jobs and more people have begun looking for work, the most since January, all news Biden is eager to highlight as he seeks reelection in 2024.
Read on...
Biden heads to Philadelphia for a Labor Day parade and is expected to speak about unions' importance
New poll suggests Trump and Biden headed for 2024 rematch
12:05 , Rachel Sharp
A new poll has suggested that Donald Trump and Joe Biden are headed for a 2024 rematch.
The new poll, by the Wall Street Journal, found that the political rivals are currently tied at 46 per cent of the vote each if Americans were to head to the polls today.
ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos said the results were “shocking”.
“It is kind of shocking in a way, that despite all of the baggage that Donald Trump carries, he’s tied with Joe Biden right now,” he said over the weekend.
Deadline looms for Trump to take Truth Social public
11:45 , Rachel Sharp
The deadline is looming for Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform to be taken public.
Trump Media & Technology Group – the parent company for Truth Social – has until 8 September to complete a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp – a special-purpose acquisition company or spac.
The deal was first announced in September 2021 and is facing a crucial shareholder vote this week to determine its future.
Trump gloats about leading DeSantis in polls
11:18 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump has gloated to Ron DeSantis, after a new poll showed him with a 46-point lead over his closest GOP rival.
The new poll, by the Wall Street Journal, found that 59 per cent of Republican voters say the former president would be their first choice if the GOP primary was today.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday night, Mr Trump wrote:
“Wow! Ron DeSanctimonious has seen a Polling CRASH like no other. People have gotten to know him. Also, really bad Social Security votes, and would decimate Medicare. That doesn’t play well in America!”
GOP Governor Chris Sununu says ‘good shot’ neither Joe Biden or Donald Trump will be on 2024 ticket
10:45 , Graig Graziosi
The Republican governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu, said he was not sure if Joe Biden or Donald Trump will appear on the 2024 presidential election ballot.
“Look, I think there’s a good shot that neither of them are actually on that ballot,” Mr Sununu told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
He joined a number of Republican voices questioning whether or not Mr Trump can win in 2024 if Mr Biden runs for re-election.
“I think Trump can very much lose if they winnow it down to one on one,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of issues that are going to come to bear with President Biden over the next year and a lot of opportunity for the Democrats to find another — another candidate. But to the No Labels point, there’s an opportunity there like never before. It would have to be the right candidate. It has to be somebody very energizing, positive.”
Trump top choice for president for nearly 60% of Republican primary voters, says new poll
10:00 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump is leading in the 2024 Republican primary race despite his mounting legal trouble and indictments, a new poll has found.
At least 59 per cent of Republican voters said the former president would be their first choice if the GOP primary was held today, a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal has found.
Mr Trump holds a 46-point lead over Florida governor Ron DeSantis – the former president’s top opponent in the GOP primary race.
Read more...
Trump top choice for president for nearly 60% of Republican primary voters
With all the indictments and legal drama, can Trump still run for president?
08:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Believe it or not, the framers of the Constitution didn’t foresee this particular set of circumstances...
Can Donald Trump still run for president after four indictments?
Senate Republican says he ‘doesn’t know’ if Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden in 2024
06:45 , Graig Graziosi
Republican Senator Mike Round said he “doesn’t know” if Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 presidential race.
He made the comments on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“We don’t know. We don’t know. That’s one of the concerns that a lot of people have got — me, as well,” he said, when asked about the former president’s chances in 2024.
He said the party needs a “uniter” rather than a “divider.”
“It’s the reason why I think if we bring in a uniter, rather than a divider, I think we’ve got a better shot at doing what’s right for this country long term. And that’s what I want,” he said.
Voices: What would Trump’s TV arraignment look like?
04:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Jay Black writes:
Donald Trump has pleaded “not guilty” to the charges facing him in Fulton County, waiving his right to an arraignment, and, because not every wish in my hope journal can come true, also waiving our right to see him humbled in front of a judge on television.
On the surface, that might seem like an odd move. After all, Trump’s other arraignments were fundraising bonanzas for the former president, with each one sending legions of innumerate retirees to his website to hemorrhage money faster than a Trump casino.
The list of Donald Trump’s favorite things is well known: golf, sedition, watching TV, sending Eric’s calls to voicemail, putting ketchup on steak, putting ketchup on walls, and, of course, having other people pay his legal bills.
So why skip out on the easy money of another arraignment?
The answer is that the Fulton County arraignment would have been the first one to be televised.
What would Trump’s TV arraignment look like?
Vivek Ramaswamy says he will pardon Trump if elected
02:45 , Graig Graziosi
Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 GOP presidential hopeful, told ABC’s “This Week” that he would pardon Donald Trump if he was elected to the presidency.
He made the comments after saying he would vote for Donald Trump if the former president wins the Republican primary, even if he is convicted in one of his four ongoing legal battles.
“What I’ve said is clear, if Donald Trump’s the nominee, yes, I will support him,” Mr Ramaswamy said. “And if I’m the president, yes, I will pardon him, because that will help reunite the country, but it’s not the most important thing I’m going to do as the next president.”
Mr Ramaswamy would not be able to pardon Mr Trump in his New York or Georgia cases, should he be convicted, as those are state charges and are not covered under federal pardons.
Trump was too busy ‘saving millions of lives’ from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to run company, fraud probe told
Monday 4 September 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump claimed to be too busy “saving millions of lives” from a nuclear holocaust as president to be able to also run his company, specifically not to be able to commit business fraud.
Another entry into the pantheon of memorable excuses...
Trump said he was too busy saving millions from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to run company
Vivek Ramaswamy doubles down on voting for Trump if he is convicted
Sunday 3 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi
GOP 2024 presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has doubled down on his decisiont to vote for Donald Trump, even if the former president is convicted in one of his four ongoing legal battles.
George Stephanopoulos asked Mr Ramaswamy on ABC’s “This Week” why he thought it would be “ok” for a convicted felon to serve as the president.
“I do not want to see us become a banana republic where the administrative police state uses police force to eliminate opponents from competition,” Mr Ramaswamy said. “That’s not the way it works.”
He added that “I will pick who I believe the best next president should be,” before saying he believed he should be the president, but that he would support the Republican nominee.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine says ‘strong argument’ for Trump’s disqualification under 14th Amendment
Sunday 3 September 2023 21:42 , Graig Graziosi
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said he believes there’s a “strong case” for Donald Trump to be disqualified from the 2024 presidential race based on the 14th Amendment.
“In my view, the attack on the Capitol that day was designed for a particular purpose at a particular moment, and that was to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power of as is laid out in the Constitution,” Mr Kaine said during an interview on ABC “This Week.” “So I think there’s a powerful argument to be made.”
He said that the 14th Amendment “is specific” in a section concerning the ineligibility for office of an individual who previously took an oath to defend the Constitution but “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or [gave] aid or comfort to the enemies thereof,” barring amnesty granted by a two-thirds vote of the Congress.
He said that the issue would likely be settled in the courts.
All Trump’s criminal charges and lawsuits - and where they stand
Sunday 3 September 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has never been more vulnerable.
Without the privileges and prestige of the presidency to protect him, Mr Trump is facing serious lawsuits and criminal indictments across New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.
Federal officials, local prosecutors, and individuals are going after him for everything from his private conduct to his political maneuvering during the 2020 election. If even just one of these efforts are successful, the US could see its first-ever former president in prison.
Here, The Independent explains each major case:
Tracking Trump’s criminal charges and lawsuits - and where they stand
Coming soon to a screen near you...
Sunday 3 September 2023 15:00 , Graig Graziosi
Yes, the American public (and presumably a sizeable international audience) will be able to gather around their phones, tablets, and flat screens and watch the entirety of Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly attempting to subvert the presidential election in Georgia.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he would allow all hearings and trials in the case to appear on a YouTube stream. The court will operate the stream.
The judge will also allow pool coverage for television, photography and radio, he announced.
Get. The. Popcorn. Ready.
Trump’s Georgia election interference trial will be televised and live streamed
Recap: Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from co-defendants seeking speedy trial
Sunday 3 September 2023 12:45 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump has moved to sever Georgia case from the defendants seeking a speedy trial, arguing that it would violate his right to a fair process.
“President Trump moves the Court to sever his case from those of his co-defendants who have demanded a speedy trial ... and who have a scheduled trial date of October 23, 2023,” lawyer Steven Sadow wrote in a filing on Thursday.
The filing states that the timeline wouldn’t allow for the counsel to “have sufficient time to prepare President Trump’s case”.
Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from co-defendants
Georgia governor rejects MAGA push to impeach Fani Willis
Sunday 3 September 2023 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has pushed back on calls from within the state Republican Party to impeach or defund Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“As long as I’m governor, we are going to follow the law and the Constitution – regardless of who it helps politically,” the governor said.
Georgia governor rejects MAGA push to impeach DA Fani Willis for Trump indictment
Fani Willis: The Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump
Sunday 3 September 2023 04:45 , Alex Woodward
Her first day as the chief prosecutor for Fulton County came with news that then-President Donald Trump attempted to pressure Georgia’s top election officials to reverse his loss in the state during the 2020 presidential election.
A phone call between Mr Trump and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was published by The Washington Post late at night on 3 January, 2021.
Hours later, Fani Willis would walk into her first day on the job as Fulton County’s district attorney, an office that is now spearheading a criminal investigation into Mr Trump, with the phone call serving as a central damning piece of evidence against him.
Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump
Trump phone interview with right-wing network is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
Sunday 3 September 2023 03:00 , Graig Graziosi
A right-wing network’s phone interview with Donald Trump went so poorly that social media users are speculating the voice on the line was an AI impersonator.
Real America’s Voice aired an “exclusive” interview with the former president on Thursday - but it didn’t exactly go to plan.
The 17-minute call with hosts John Soloman and Amanda Head was plagued by consistent cut-outs as the stiff voice purported to be Mr Trump shifted dramatically.
When Real America’s Voice shared a clip of the interview on X, users were quick to speculate that Soloman and Head had been duped by a prank caller or a fake, artificially intelligent version of Mr Trump.
“A fringe, far-right ‘tv news’ network tried to pass off a fake AI Trump tonight to their viewers as a legitimate interview with the disgraced former president,” William Legate wrote.READ MORE:
Trump phone interview is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
Will Donald Trump go to prison?
Sunday 3 September 2023 01:30 , Graig Graziosi
Donald Trump faces four criminal indictments in three separate jurisdictions. Nearly 100 felony criminal charges are leveled against the former president, who remains the odds-on favourite to win the 2024 Republican primary.
As his legal battles grow more complex by the day, a serious question has emerged: Whether Mr Trump will win the nomination and campaign for the general election as a convicted criminal.
That possibility, in turn, raises another, simpler question: Will the 45th President of the United States go to prison?READ MORE:
Will Donald Trump go to prison?
Recap: Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
Sunday 3 September 2023 00:45 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in the Georgia election subversion case to charges that he took part in criminal conspiracies in connection to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
The former president entered the plea on Thursday morning, waiving a formal arraignment following the 13 felony counts being filed against him.
Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
Wall Street Journal poll finds 60 per cent of Republicans still back Trump for 2024
Saturday 2 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi
A recent poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal found that 60 per cent of Republican primary voters still prefer Donald Trump as their 2024 presidential candidate, even in light of his numerous indictments and pending trials.
The poll found that 59 per cent of the participating Republican voters preferred Mr Trump, and 11-point increase since a similar survey was conducted in April.
Trump campaign says its raised $2m from mugshot ‘Never Surrender’ merch
Saturday 2 September 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi
Donald Trump has reportedly been successful in his quest to monetize his mugshot from Fulton County, Georgia.
His campaign claims they’ve already collected more than $2m from selling merchandise bearing the image.
The mugshot is often displayed along with the phrase “Never Surrender.”
“The very image that Crooked Joe, the Deep State, and the radical Left all hoped would mark the END of the America First Movement, has become something else entirely,” the campaign wrote on Thursday.
When is Trump on trial?
Saturday 2 September 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell
All the court dates you need for you calendar...
When is Donald Trump going on trial?
Donald Trump lashed out at Attorney General Letitia James for claiming he inflated his worth
Saturday 2 September 2023 19:54 , Graig Graziosi
Donald Trump said Attorney General Letitia James “defamed” him by suggesting he inflated his personal wealth.
She accused Mr Trump of inflating his net worth by $2.2bn in a court filing on Wednesday.
Mr Trump’s response was expectently measured.
“THE THING I HAVE IS A GREAT CASE BASED ON PHENOMENAL NUMBERS THAT SHOW A NET WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE THAN SHE VICIOUSLY & FALSELY CLAIMED, VERY LITTLE DEBT, BIG CASH, A POWERFUL DISCLAIMER CLAUSE, PAID OFF LOANS, NO DEFAULTS, “HAPPY” BANKS, GREAT ASSETS,” Mr Trump said. “I WAS DEFAMED BY NYS – ELECTION INTERFERENCE!”
ICYMI: Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from speedy trial co-defendants
Saturday 2 September 2023 16:45 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump has moved to sever Georgia case from the defendants seeking a speedy trial, arguing that it would violate his right to a fair process.
“President Trump moves the Court to sever his case from those of his co-defendants who have demanded a speedy trial ... and who have a scheduled trial date of October 23, 2023,” lawyer Steven Sadow wrote in a filing on Thursday.
The filing states that the timeline wouldn’t allow for the counsel to “have sufficient time to prepare President Trump’s case”.
Read more...
Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from co-defendants
Parrotheads recall the time Jimmy Buffett made a musical mockery of Donald Trump during a concert
Saturday 2 September 2023 16:44 , Graig Graziosi
Legendary American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has died, and his fans have spent the morning sharing memories of his wild concerts, escapist tunes, and, in one instance, his on-stage criticism of Donald Trump.
Buffett espoused largely progressive political views during his life, especially when it came to the climate and ocean conservation.
During a concert in 2018, Buffett changed the lyrics of one of his most popular songs, “Come Monday” to reference the coming midterm elections.
“Come Tuesday, things will change. Come Tuesday, we’re making a change. It’s been two insane years and it’s time to really switch gears…” Buffett sang, during the concert.
Buffett reportedly died at his home surrounded by his family on 1 September.
Fani Willis: The Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump
Saturday 2 September 2023 16:15 , Alex Woodward
Her first day as the chief prosecutor for Fulton County came with news that then-President Donald Trump attempted to pressure Georgia’s top election officials to reverse his loss in the state during the 2020 presidential election.
A phone call between Mr Trump and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was published by The Washington Post late at night on 3 January, 2021.
Hours later, Fani Willis would walk into her first day on the job as Fulton County’s district attorney, an office that is now spearheading a criminal investigation into Mr Trump, with the phone call serving as a central damning piece of evidence against him.
Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump
ICYMI: Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
Saturday 2 September 2023 15:45 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in the Georgia election subversion case to charges that he took part in criminal conspiracies in connection to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
The former president entered the plea on Thursday morning, waiving a formal arraignment following the 13 felony counts being filed against him.
Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
Coming soon to a screen near you...
Saturday 2 September 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Yes, the American public (and presumably a sizeable international audience) will be able to gather around their phones, tablets, and flat screens and watch the entirety of Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly attempting to subvert the presidential election in Georgia.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he would allow all hearings and trials in the case to appear on a YouTube stream. The court will operate the stream.
The judge will also allow pool coverage for television, photography and radio, he announced.
Get. The. Popcorn. Ready.
Trump’s Georgia election interference trial will be televised and live streamed
DeSantis hit with ‘electile dysfunction’ parody ad
Saturday 2 September 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Those loveable rogues over at the Lincoln Project have released a new ad slamming Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with a spoof of an erectile dysfunction commercial.
The one-minute video opens with a close-up of a smiling Mr DeSantis as a narrator says, “This is the face of electile dysfunction.”
Ouch.
Lincoln Project hits DeSantis with ‘electile dysfunction’ parody ad
Did John Eastman just confess? On live TV?
Saturday 2 September 2023 14:15 , Oliver O'Connell
In many legal or crime dramas, there’s a scene in which a lawyer tells their client that under no circumstance should they talk to the press.
Trump Fulton County co-defendant and lawyer John Eastman presumably is not aware of this pretty standard piece of advice.
On Wednesday night he went on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show and in front of a live TV audience appeared to metaphorically shoot himself in the foot in the opinion of many legal experts and scholars who have since seen the clip.
Rachel Sharp has the story.
Did a Trump co-defendant just confess? John Eastman makes shock admission
Anti-Trump GOP group erects huge Time Square billboard displaying all his 91 criminal charges
Saturday 2 September 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell
With four criminal court cases and multiple charges within each, it’s pretty difficult to keep up with the current state of Donald Trump’s legal quagmire.
While The Independent has a guide to each major case from federal officials, local prosecutors, and individuals, you might be out and about in New York City and unsure of what exactly the former president has been charged with.
Never fear, the Republican Accountability Project has your back — well, if you happen to be in New York’s Times Square.
Read on...
Anti-Trump GOP group displays all 91 of his felony charges on Times Square billboard
A phone interview so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax...
Saturday 2 September 2023 12:15 , Oliver O'Connell
A lot of people are saying...
A right-wing network’s phone interview with Donald Trump went so poorly that social media users are speculating the voice on the line was an AI impersonator.
Real America’s Voice aired an “exclusive” interview with the former president on Thursday - but it didn’t exactly go to plan.
The 17-minute call with hosts John Soloman and Amanda Head was plagued by consistent cut-outs as the stiff voice purported to be Mr Trump shifted dramatically.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump phone interview is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
Oops! Trump’s lawyer says he ‘doesn’t do what’s right’
Saturday 2 September 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell
“He doesn’t do what’s popular or what’s right.”
Wow.
Cue: Scrambling to correct her slip of the tongue.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Oops! Trump’s lawyer says her client ‘doesn’t do what’s right — then corrects herself
Trump campaign aide exposed as Jan 6 rioter who told officers to ‘go hang yourself’
Saturday 2 September 2023 10:30 , Oliver O'Connell
A top aide for Donald Trump’s campaign in New Hampshire was captured on video telling US Capitol police officers to “go hang yourself” on January 6, according to a new report.
Dylan Quattrucci, who is the deputy state director of Mr Trump’s campaign in the Granite State, attended the “Stop the Steal” rally, according to New Hampshire news outlet WMUR.
Ariana Baio reports.
Current Trump aide exposed as Jan 6 rioter who told officers to ‘go hang yourself’
Proud Boy shouts ‘Trump won’ as he’s sentenced to 10 years
Saturday 2 September 2023 09:30 , Alex Woodward
A member of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang who stole a police riot shield to bust out a window at the US Capitol has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Dominic Pezzola – who smoked a “victory” cigar after breaching the halls of Congress on January 6, allowing a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters to storm the building – is among five Proud Boys who were jointly convicted earlier this year on a range of charges connected to the attack.
Though he was the only one of those defendants who was not convicted for seditious conspiracy, a rare treason-related charge brought against more than a dozen people in connection with the riots, Pezzola has been characterised by prosecutors as one of the most violent offenders in the group, fuelled by a baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from the former president.
Pezzola was found guilty of destruction of federal property, robbery and assault, among several other felonies.
After sobbing and pleading for leniency at his sentencing hearing in Washington DC on 1 September, Pezzola raised his fist and shouted “Trump won” as he has escorted out of the courtroom.
Proud Boy shouts ‘Trump won’ as he’s sentenced to 10 years in prison for Jan 6 crimes
Mary Trump exposed her uncle Donald in spectacular fashion. Her own life is a quiet mystery
Saturday 2 September 2023 08:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump’s estranged niece Mary Trump worked hard to stay out of the spotlight for much of her life, holding her tongue for the majority of her uncle’s disastrous presidency. She then suddenly made international headlines in July 2020 with the publication of her explosive best-seller Too Much and Never Enough, just four months ahead of Election Day.
Writing as both a Trump family insider and a qualified clinical psychologist, Ms Trump offered a devastating portrait of America’s 45th commander-in-chief, diagnosing him with narcissistic personality disorder and arguing that his blustering self-regard, addiction to attention and apparent amorality were the symptoms of an unhealthy mindset born of unanswered need.
Continued...
Mary Trump exposed her uncle Donald’s dirty laundry. Her own life is a quiet mystery
DeSantis goes to extreme lengths to dodge questions from 15-year-old
Saturday 2 September 2023 07:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Being rattled by a teenager asking a question about Trump and the peaceful transfer of power is not a good campaign look...
Ron DeSantis goes to extreme lengths to dodge questions from 15-year-old
Voices: Sleepy Joe, Mad Mitch and America’s OAP problem
Saturday 2 September 2023 06:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Jon Sopel looks on in horror at the decrepit state of US politics...
[as many do ð«£]
Sleepy Joe, Mad Mitch and America’s OAP problem | Jon Sopel
Trump was too busy ‘saving millions of lives’ from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to run company, fraud probe told
Saturday 2 September 2023 05:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump claimed to be too busy “saving millions of lives” from a nuclear holocaust as president to be able to also run his company, specifically not to be able to commit business fraud.
Another entry into the pantheon of memorable excuses...
Trump said he was too busy saving millions from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to run company
Coming soon to a screen near you...
Saturday 2 September 2023 04:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Yes, the American public (and presumably a sizeable international audience) will be able to gather around their phones, tablets, and flat screens and watch the entirety of Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly attempting to subvert the presidential election in Georgia.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he would allow all hearings and trials in the case to appear on a YouTube stream. The court will operate the stream.
The judge will also allow pool coverage for television, photography and radio, he announced.
Get. The. Popcorn. Ready.
Trump’s Georgia election interference trial will be televised and live streamed
With all the indictments and legal drama, can Trump still run for president?
Saturday 2 September 2023 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Believe it or not, the framers of the Constitution didn’t foresee this particular set of circumstances...
Can Donald Trump still run for president after four indictments?
All Trump’s criminal charges and lawsuits - and where they stand
Saturday 2 September 2023 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has never been more vulnerable.
Without the privileges and prestige of the presidency to protect him, Mr Trump is facing serious lawsuits and criminal indictments across New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.
Federal officials, local prosecutors, and individuals are going after him for everything from his private conduct to his political maneuvering during the 2020 election. If even just one of these efforts are successful, the US could see its first-ever former president in prison.
Here, The Independent explains each major case:
Tracking Trump’s criminal charges and lawsuits - and where they stand
So... is Trump going to go to prison?
Saturday 2 September 2023 01:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump faces four criminal indictments in three separate jurisdictions. Nearly 100 felony criminal charges are leveled against the former president, who remains the odds-on favourite to win the 2024 Republican primary.
As his legal battles grow more complex by the day, a serious question has emerged: Whether Mr Trump will win the nomination and campaign for the general election as a convicted criminal.
That possibility, in turn, raises another, simpler question: Will the 45th President of the United States go to prison?
John Bowden explains.
Will Donald Trump go to prison?
Bidenomics: US economy adds 187,000 jobs, beating expectations
Saturday 2 September 2023 00:30 , Eric Garcia
The US economy added 187,000 jobs in August, beating expectations from experts, though the unemployment rate jumped to 3.8 per cent, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
The unemployment number rose from July’s 3.5 per cent, exceeding the 3.4 per cent to 3.7 per cent rate that has been in place since March 2022.
The unemployment rates for Asian Americans, adult men, adult women, teenagers, whites, Blacks and Hispanics remained unchanged.
US economy adds 187,000 jobs, beating expectations
Marjorie Taylor Greene declares outlandish list of debt ceiling demands
Friday 1 September 2023 23:45 , Kelly Rissman
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene said she wouldn’t vote to fund the government “unless” Congress complies with a number of outrageous demands — including voting on President Joe Biden’s impeachment.
While speaking in Floyd County—part of her district—Ms Greene said, “I will not vote to fund the government unless we can pass an impeachment inquiry on Joe Biden.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene declares outlandish list of debt ceiling demands
Full story: Rudy Giuliani joins six co-defendants pleading not guilty in Georgia RICO case
Friday 1 September 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward
Rudy Giuliani is pleading not guilty and waiving his arraignment appearance in Georgia after the former New York City mayor and Donald Trump attorney was charged alongside the former president and 17 others in a sweeping racketeering case in Fulton County.
Mr Giuliani and his co-defendants were formally booked last week on a range of charges connected to an alleged criminal enterprise orchestrated by Mr Trump and his allies to overturn election results, one of the largest criminal cases against the former president to date for crimes allegedly committed while he was in office.
Continued...
Rudy Giuliani joins six co-defendants pleading not guilty in Georgia RICO case
Revealing new details of ousting from Fox News, Tucker Carlson claims network is ‘run by fearful women’
Friday 1 September 2023 22:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Tucker Carlson has claimed that Fox News is “run by fearful women” as he revealed new details about firing during his interview with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on his show on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Carlson argued that the people running the business were “incompetent”, but he made sure to say that he had no issues with owner Rupert Murdoch or his son Lachlan, the head of Fox Corp.
Continued...
Tucker claims Fox is ‘run by fearful women’ as he reveals new details about firing
Proud Boy shouts ‘Trump won’ as he’s sentenced to 10 years
Friday 1 September 2023 22:15 , Alex Woodward
A member of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang who stole a police riot shield to bust out a window at the US Capitol has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Dominic Pezzola – who smoked a “victory” cigar after breaching the halls of Congress on January 6, allowing a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters to storm the building – is among five Proud Boys who were jointly convicted earlier this year on a range of charges connected to the attack.
Though he was the only one of those defendants who was not convicted for seditious conspiracy, a rare treason-related charge brought against more than a dozen people in connection with the riots, Pezzola has been characterised by prosecutors as one of the most violent offenders in the group, fuelled by a baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from the former president.
Pezzola was found guilty of destruction of federal property, robbery and assault, among several other felonies.
After sobbing and pleading for leniency at his sentencing hearing in Washington DC on 1 September, Pezzola raised his fist and shouted “Trump won” as he has escorted out of the courtroom.
Proud Boy shouts ‘Trump won’ as he’s sentenced to 10 years in prison for Jan 6 crimes
Rudy Giuliani pleads not guilty in Fulton County case
Friday 1 September 2023 22:09 , Oliver O'Connell
Rudy Giuliani has joined the ranks of co-defendants in the Fulton County case against Donald Trump and his allies who have pleaded not guilty and waived their right to an arraignment.
The arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, 6 September.
Rudy Giuliani pleads not guilty, waives arraignment on charges in Fulton County, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/xkAp5bCO9Q
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) September 1, 2023
Breaking: Seattle Proud Boys leader who led mob to Capitol on January 6 sentenced
Friday 1 September 2023 21:45 , Alex Woodward
A prominent member of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang who led a mob of dozens of members into the US Capitol on January 6 has been sentenced to 18 years in prison, one of the largest sentences to date in connection with the assault in the halls of Congress.
Ethan Nordean, who used the alias Rufio Panman, was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three other Proud Boys earlier this year for conspiring to forcefully oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power, then unleashed mob violence to upend an American election.
The men were also convicted on a number of other felonies, including felony counts of obstruction and destruction of government property, among other charges.
Continued...
Seattle Proud Boys leader who led mob on January 6 sentenced to 18 years in prison
One dead, four injured in stabbings at notorious jail where Trump and co-defendants were booked
Friday 1 September 2023 21:30 , AP
Five people were stabbed, one fatally, during a dispute among men being held at an overcrowded jail in Atlanta that is already the subject of a federal civil rights investigation, authorities said Friday.
Read more...
One dead, four injured in stabbings at notorious jail in Atlanta that's under federal investigation
Powell joins Chesebro in wanting to know identities of unindicted co-conspirators
Friday 1 September 2023 21:18 , Oliver O'Connell
Chesebro filed his motion to speak with the grand jurors on a very busy legal news day (the Meadows hearing, the Trump Jan. 6 hearing, etc.).
But here it is, in case you missed it: https://t.co/AW7E9hrdjm— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) September 1, 2023
Anti-Trump Republican group erects huge Time Square billboard displaying his felony charges
Friday 1 September 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell
With four criminal court cases and multiple charges within each, it’s pretty difficult to keep up with the current state of Donald Trump’s legal quagmire.
While The Independent has a guide to each major case from federal officials, local prosecutors, and individuals, you might be out and about in New York City and unsure of what exactly the former president has been charged with.
Never fear, the Republican Accountability Project has your back — well, if you happen to be in New York’s Times Square.
Continued...
Anti-Trump GOP group displays all 91 of his felony charges on Times Square billboard
Oops! Trump’s lawyer says he ‘doesn’t do what’s right’
Friday 1 September 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell
“He doesn’t do what’s popular or what’s right.”
Wow.
Cue: Scrambling to correct her slip of the tongue.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Oops! Trump’s lawyer says her client ‘doesn’t do what’s right — then corrects herself
Biden defends ‘friend’ McConnell after second ‘freezing’ spell
Friday 1 September 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden defended his friend Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell during a press conference on Thursday, saying that his second “freezing” spell was “not at all unusual” for someone recovering from severe concussion.
Read more...
Biden defends McConnell after second ‘freezing’ spell
Jesse Watters makes wild claim about what would happen if Fox News went off air
Friday 1 September 2023 20:09 , Oliver O'Connell
Jesse Watters made a remarkable prediction that Americans would stage a revolution if Fox News was ever taken off the air.
Mr Watters boasted about the importance of his home network on The Five programme on Thursday, saying: “There’s only two items that if you took it off TV, there’d be a revolution in this country: football and Fox News.”
Read on...
Jesse Watters makes wild claim about what would happen if Fox News went off air
Trump campaign aide exposed as Jan 6 rioter who told officers to ‘go hang yourself’
Friday 1 September 2023 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell
A top aide for Donald Trump’s campaign in New Hampshire was captured on video telling US Capitol police officers to “go hang yourself” on January 6, according to a new report.
Dylan Quattrucci, who is the deputy state director of Mr Trump’s campaign in the Granite State, attended the “Stop the Steal” rally, according to New Hampshire news outlet WMUR.
Ariana Baio reports.
Trump campaign aide exposed as Jan 6 rioter who told officers to ‘go hang yourself’
Brian Kemp rejects MAGA push to impeach DA Fani Willis for Trump indictment
Friday 1 September 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has pushed back on calls from within the state Republican Party to impeach or defund Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“As long as I’m governor, we are going to follow the law and the Constitution – regardless of who it helps politically,” the governor said.
Georgia governor rejects MAGA push to impeach DA Fani Willis for Trump indictment
Trump moves to ditch co-defendants who opt for speedy trial
Friday 1 September 2023 19:10 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump has moved to sever Georgia case from the defendants seeking a speedy trial, arguing that it would violate his right to a fair process.
“President Trump moves the Court to sever his case from those of his co-defendants who have demanded a speedy trial ... and who have a scheduled trial date of October 23, 2023,” lawyer Steven Sadow wrote in a filing on Thursday.
The filing states that the timeline wouldn’t allow for the counsel to “have sufficient time to prepare President Trump’s case”.
Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from co-defendants
DeSantis goes to extreme lengths to dodge questions from 15-year-old
Friday 1 September 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Being rattled by a teenager asking a question about Trump and the peaceful transfer of power is not a good campaign look...
Ron DeSantis goes to extreme lengths to dodge questions from 15-year-old
Mary Trump exposed her uncle Donald in spectacular fashion. Her own life is a quiet mystery
Friday 1 September 2023 18:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump’s estranged niece Mary Trump worked hard to stay out of the spotlight for much of her life, holding her tongue for the majority of her uncle’s disastrous presidency. She then suddenly made international headlines in July 2020 with the publication of her explosive best-seller Too Much and Never Enough, just four months ahead of Election Day.
Writing as both a Trump family insider and a qualified clinical psychologist, Ms Trump offered a devastating portrait of America’s 45th commander-in-chief, diagnosing him with narcissistic personality disorder and arguing that his blustering self-regard, addiction to attention and apparent amorality were the symptoms of an unhealthy mindset born of unanswered need.
Continued...
Mary Trump exposed her uncle Donald’s dirty laundry. Her own life is a quiet mystery
Meanwhile on Truth Social...
Friday 1 September 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell
In a very middle-of-the-night series of posts former President Donald Trump complained about being “railroaded” by the justice system as the four indictments against him proceed through the courts in the manner in which they would for other defendants.
I am being “railroaded” by a highly partisan and corrupt system of INJUSTICE, headed up by an opponent who is losing in the polls and, simultaneously with all of this, destroying our once Great Country!
The aggrieved former president believes that “his Rights, the Constitution, or Liberty” are being ignored. There is no evidence to indicate that.
Keep Indicting your Political Opponent, it makes no difference for what, or why. Keep him off the “campaign trail” and in the courthouse instead. Don’t think of his Rights, the Constitution, or Liberty. Sit back and WATCH AMERICA CRUMBLE!
Once the sun was up, Mr Trump appeared really fired up and let rip with one of his trademark all-caps rants, this time directed at New York Attorney General Letitia James.
IN THE NYS A.G. LETITIA JAMES CASE, I WAS TARGETED, GIVEN NO JURY, NO EXTENSIONS, NO COMMERCIAL DIVISION, NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, NO ANYTHING! THE DEMOCRAT JUDGE HATES TRUMP WITH A PASSION. THE THING I HAVE IS A GREAT CASE BASED ON PHENOMENAL NUMBERS THAT SHOW A NET WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE THAN SHE VICIOUSLY & FALSELY CLAIMED, VERY LITTLE DEBT, BIG CASH, A POWERFUL DISCLAIMER CLAUSE, PAID OFF LOANS, NO DEFAULTS, “HAPPY” BANKS, GREAT ASSETS. I WAS DEFAMED BY NYS - ELECTION INTERFERENCE!
He posted that three times indicating that her analysis that he had inflated his net worth by $2.2bn must have really distressed him...
Here’s Alex Woodward reporting on that:
Trump inflated his net worth by as much as $2.2bn, AG says
Pezzola yells ‘TRUMP WON’ after sentencing
Friday 1 September 2023 18:06 , Oliver O'Connell
Nearly in tears, Pezzola minutes earlier told the judge he'd given up politics
(Judge was no longer in courtroom when Pezzola made the outburst)
Pezzola had just been sentenced to 10 years in prison— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) September 1, 2023
Here’s Alex Woodward’s reporting on the sentencing:
Proud Boy who stole police riot shield to break Capitol window sentenced to 10 years
Voices: What would Trump’s TV arraignment look like?
Friday 1 September 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Speaking of televising a Trump trial, Jay Black explains what we might expect from such must-see TV.
What would Trump’s TV arraignment look like?
Breaking: Proud Boy who stole police riot shield to break Capitol window sentenced to 10 years in prison
Friday 1 September 2023 17:49 , Oliver O'Connell
A member of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang who stole a police riot shield to bust out a window at the US Capitol has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Dominic Pezzola – who smoked a “victory” cigar after breaching the halls of Congress on January 6, allowing a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters to storm the building – is among five Proud Boys who were jointly convicted earlier this year on a range of charges connected to the attack.
Though he was the only one of those defendants who was not convicted for seditious conspiracy, a rare treason-related charge brought against more than a dozen people in connection with the riots, Pezzola has been characterised by prosecutors as one of the most violent offenders in the group, fuelled by a baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from the former president.
Trump campaign aide exposed as Jan 6 rioter who told officers to ‘go hang yourself’
Coming soon to a screen near you...
Friday 1 September 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Yes, the American public (and presumably a sizeable international audience) will be able to gather around their phones, tablets, and flat screens and watch the entirety of Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly attempting to subvert the presidential election in Georgia.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he would allow all hearings and trials in the case to appear on a YouTube stream. The court will operate the stream.
The judge will also allow pool coverage for television, photography and radio, he announced.
Get. The. Popcorn. Ready.
Trump’s Georgia election interference trial will be televised and live streamed
Court rejects DOJ effort to block Trump deposition in FBI agent dismissal lawsuit
Friday 1 September 2023 17:26 , Oliver O'Connell
In a 2:1 split, circuit judges on a panel in the court of appeals have rejected an effort by the Department of Justice to block the deposition of former president Donald Trump in a lawsuit brought by ex-FBI agent and Army veteran Peter Strzok against the Justice Department and bureau over the circumstances of his termination.
JUST IN: The court of appeals has *rejected* an effort by DOJ to block the deposition of Donald Trump in a lawsuit brought by @petestrzok against DOJ/FBI over the circumstances of his termination.https://t.co/xgspfEcYBf pic.twitter.com/BY1XnCRk3e
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 1, 2023
Watch: Anti-Trump group rents Times Square billboard to display former president’s charges
Friday 1 September 2023 17:14 , Oliver O'Connell
Check out our billboard in Times Square: pic.twitter.com/7rUlBROD3d
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) August 31, 2023
Did John Eastman just confess? On live TV?
Friday 1 September 2023 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell
In many legal or crime dramas, there’s a scene in which a lawyer tells their client that under no circumstance should they talk to the press.
Trump Fulton County co-defendant and lawyer John Eastman presumably is not aware of this pretty standard piece of advice.
On Wednesday night he went on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show and in front of a live TV audience appeared to metaphorically shoot himself in the foot in the opinion of many legal experts and scholars who have since seen the clip.
Rachel Sharp has the story.
Did a Trump co-defendant just confess? John Eastman makes shock admission
Inside the notorious Fulton County Jail where Trump and 18 allies were booked
Friday 1 September 2023 16:50 , Oliver O'Connell
The Georgia jail where the former president and his 18 co-defendants were booked is the subject of a civil rights investigation following several inmate deaths, and has been described as a “humanitarian crisis” by the sheriff.
Joe Sommerlad and Gustaf Kilander report.
Inside the Georgia jail where Trump and 18 allies were booked over election plot
Voices: Sleepy Joe, Mad Mitch and America’s OAP problem
Friday 1 September 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Jon Sopel looks on in horror at the decrepit state of US politics...
[as many do ð«£]
Sleepy Joe, Mad Mitch and America’s OAP problem | Jon Sopel
DeSantis hit with ‘electile dysfunction’ parody ad
Friday 1 September 2023 16:10 , Oliver O'Connell
Those loveable rogues over at the Lincoln Project have released a new ad slamming Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with a spoof of an erectile dysfunction commercial.
The one-minute video opens with a close-up of a smiling Mr DeSantis as a narrator says, “This is the face of electile dysfunction.”
Ouch.
Lincoln Project hits DeSantis with ‘electile dysfunction’ parody ad
Trump was too busy ‘saving millions of lives’ from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to run company, fraud probe told
Friday 1 September 2023 15:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump claimed to be too busy “saving millions of lives” from a nuclear holocaust as president to be able to also run his company, specifically not to be able to commit business fraud.
Another entry into the pantheon of memorable excuses...
Trump said he was too busy saving millions from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to run company
Was this Trump phone interview with Real America’s Voice an AI hoax? A lot of people are saying it is...
Friday 1 September 2023 15:33 , Oliver O'Connell
A right-wing network’s phone interview with Donald Trump went so poorly that social media users are speculating the voice on the line was an AI impersonator.
Real America’s Voice aired an “exclusive” interview with the former president on Thursday - but it didn’t exactly go to plan.
The 17-minute call with hosts John Soloman and Amanda Head was plagued by consistent cut-outs as the stiff voice purported to be Mr Trump shifted dramatically.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump phone interview is so disastrous that people think it was an AI hoax
Two more Trump co-defendants waive arraignment and plead not guilty
Friday 1 September 2023 15:14 , Oliver O'Connell
Two more of Donald Trump’s 18 co-defendants in teh Fulton County 2020 election subversion case have pleaded not guilty and waived their right to an arraignment, currently scheduled for Wednesday 6 September.
Former Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis have joined the former president, lawyers Ray Smith and Sidney Powell, and former Kanye publicist Trevian Kutti, in entering not-guilty pleas and opting to miss Wednesday’s court date.
On Thursday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he would allow all hearings and trials in the case to be televised and appear on a YouTube stream.
Trump’s Georgia election interference trial will be televised and live streamed
Recap: Trump files to split from Georgia co-defendants who opt for speedy trial
Friday 1 September 2023 14:50 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump has moved to sever Georgia case from the defendants seeking a speedy trial, arguing that it would violate his right to a fair process.
“President Trump moves the Court to sever his case from those of his co-defendants who have demanded a speedy trial ... and who have a scheduled trial date of October 23, 2023,” lawyer Steven Sadow wrote in a filing on Thursday.
The filing states that the timeline wouldn’t allow for the counsel to “have sufficient time to prepare President Trump’s case”.
Read on...
Trump moves to sever his own Georgia election fraud case from co-defendants
Recap: Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
Friday 1 September 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in the Georgia election subversion case to charges that he took part in criminal conspiracies in connection to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
The former president entered the plea on Thursday morning, waiving a formal arraignment following the 13 felony counts being filed against him.
The filing put forward by one of his lawyers was signed by Mr Trump, stating: “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.”
A number of the other 18 defendants in the case have also waived their arraignments and pleaded not guilty.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
Gov Brian Kemp rejects MAGA push to punish DA Fani Willis for Trump indictment
Friday 1 September 2023 14:10 , Oliver O'Connell
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has pushed back on calls from within the state Republican Party to impeach or defund Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“As long as I’m governor, we are going to follow the law and the Constitution – regardless of who it helps politically,” the governor said.
Read more...
Georgia governor rejects MAGA push to impeach DA Fani Willis for Trump indictment
Full story: Philadelphia Proud Boys leader sentenced to 15 years in prison for Jan 6 crimes
Friday 1 September 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The former leader of a Philadelphia chapter of the neo-fascist gang the Proud Boys who stormed the halls of Congress on January 6 has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Zachary Rehl, the son and grandson of Philadelphia police officers who used pepper spray against law enforcement outside the US Capitol then lied on the witness stand about it, had called for “firing squads” for “traitors” who wanted to “steal” the 2020 election from Donald Trump.
Alex Woodward reports on the latest January 6 trial.
Philadelphia Proud Boys leader sentenced to 15 years in prison for Jan 6 crimes
ICYMI: Inmate killed in stabbing at Georgia jail where Trump had mug shot taken
Friday 1 September 2023 13:15 , Rachel Sharp
One inmate has been killed in a mass stabbing at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta where former President Donald Trump was booked and had his mug shot taken earlier this month.
Natalie Ammons at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office told CNN that the situation was “under control” by Thursday afternoon and an investigation was now underway.
It is the fifth death of a Fulton County Jil inmate since the end of July, according to the news network.
Read more:
Inmate killed in stabbing at Georgia jail where Trump had mug shot taken
WATCH: Trump co-defendant John Eastman admits plan to stop 2020 election certification live on air
Friday 1 September 2023 12:56 , Rachel Sharp
Raskin pushes to revive probe into Jared Kushner’s foreign cash
Friday 1 September 2023 11:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has asked the panel’s chairman to compel ex-Trump White House adviser Jared Kushner’s investment firm to disclose information about the funding it has received from foreign countries.
In a letter to Chairman James Comer, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin asked the Kentucky Republican to approve a subpoena to Mr Kushner’s firm, A Fin Management LLC, regarding what he described as “extraordinary funding” which the relatively new investment venture took in from Saudi Arabian and Qatari sovereign wealth funds in the months after Mr Kushner and his father-in-law, former president Donald Trump, left the White House.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
Senior Democrat pushes to revive probe into Jared Kushner’s foreign cash
Did Trump codefendant just confess? John Eastman makes shock admission in Fox News interview
Friday 1 September 2023 11:25 , Rachel Sharp
One of Donald Trump’s codefendants in the Georgia election interference case may have shot himself in the foot after he appeared to make bombshell confession in a recent Fox News interview.
John Eastman, one of the 19 defendants in the sprawling 41-count indictment, appeared on Fox News on Wednesday night where he denied all wrongdoing and insisted he and the former president are innocent of all charges.
But, in his interview defending himself in the case, the attorney actually made a shock admission which legal experts say mounted to him confessing to a crime.
Read on...
Did Trump codefendant just confess? John Eastman makes shock admission
Anti-Trump Republican group erects huge billboard in Times Square reeling off ex-president's criminal charges
Friday 1 September 2023 11:05 , Rachel Sharp
Check out our billboard in Times Square: pic.twitter.com/7rUlBROD3d
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) August 31, 2023
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
