Jack Smith accuses Trump of aiming to try election case in media after he opposed protective order - latest

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office has accused Donald Trump of trying to “litigate this case in the media,” after the former president objected on Monday to a standard protective order in the case.

The response came after Mr Trump’s defence team claimed that the order requested by prosecutors would mean Judge Tanya Chutkan would be a “censor” who would impose “content-based restrictions” on the ex-president’s “political speech”.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis admitted in an interview with NBC News that former president Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, as he seeks to recalibrate his campaign.

Mr DeSantis initially told NBC News’s Dasha Burns in an interview that will air on NBC Nightly News on Monday evening that whoever is inaugurated on 20 January is considered the winner, in a dodge answer.

“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on Jan 20 every four years is the winner,” he said. When pressed, Mr DeSantis said that President Biden defeated Mr Trump.

“No, of course he lost,” he said of Mr Trump. “Joe Biden’s the president.”

Meanwhile, Mr Trump had a meltdown on Sunday night where he attacked President Joe Biden, striker Megan Rapinoe and “wokeness” for the US’s unexpected early defeat in the Women’s World Cup.

The former president took to Truth Social to bizarrely claim the loss was a sign of the influence “Crooked Joe Biden” has had on the nation. He also somehow blamed the “WOKE”-ness and cruelly trolled Rapinoe for missing a penalty.

Key points

• Special counsel accuses Trump of wanting to try Jan 6 case in media after bid to use evidence during 2024 run

• Trump rages against protective order sought by special prosecutor

• Trump says Pence ‘has gone to the Dark Side'

• ‘I never said anything bad or even slightly inappropriate to Liddle’ Mike Pence'

• VIDEO: DeSantis says he will 'support pro-life policies' if elected

VOICES: Trump’s rabid attack on the World Cup team is as transparent as it is absurd

11:00 , Noah Berlatsky

The US Women’s World Cup Soccer team lost in an unexpected early round defeat to Sweden this weekend – and Donald Trump, as he is wont to do, decided to make it all about him and his relentlessly bleak vision of an America in decline. Most presidents try to offer a message of optimism and uplift. They look for US victories to cheer on, in sports and most other realms. Trump, in contrast, revels in evidence of failure, loss, and despair. He is a politician who thrives in misery, like an orange dung beetle wallowing in filth.

Trump shared his joy at the athlete’s defeat by posting a rabid attack on the women’s team, claiming that their loss was “emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden” and attacking the players for being supposedly “openly hostile to America.” He concluded, “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA”.

Read more:

Trump’s rabid attack on the World Cup team is as transparent as it is absurd

Judge demands court hearing as Jack Smith and Trump spar over protective order

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s federal criminal case into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election has ordered that a court hearing will take place this week over the issue of a protective order in the case.

Last week, special counsel Jack Smith’s office requested a protective order in the case limiting what Mr Trump can publicise about the case – over a seemingly threatening Truth Social post where he wrote: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”

On Monday, Mr Trump’s defence team filed a motion claiming it would make Judge Tanya Chutkan a “censor” who would impose “content-based restrictions” on his “political speech”.

Mr Smith’s office quickly filed a motion in response, accusing the former president of trying to “litigate this case in the media”.

Now, Judge Chutkan is demanding both parties give her two proposed dates and times by 3pm ET on Tuesday when a hearing can be held over the matter. The hearing must take place by Friday, she said.

Mr Trump is not required to attend.

Trump rages against protective order sought by special prosecutor

10:00 , Gustaf Kilander and Andrew Feinberg

Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning that he “shouldn’t have a protective order placed on me because it would impinge upon my right to FREE SPEECH”.

“Deranged Jack Smith and the Department of Injustice should, however, because they are illegally “leaking” all over the place!” he added.

The twice-impeached, thrice-indicted former president was referring to a series of court filings in which Mr Smith is seeking a standard protective order to prevent Mr Trump from disclosing information that the government is set to turn over to him and his defence team as part of the pre-trial discovery process.

Prosecutors, citing Mr Trump’s penchant for “public statements on social media regarding witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others associated with legal matters pending against him,” asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to impose an order barring the former president from disclosing discovery materials “directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure”.

Trump says Pence ‘has gone to the Dark Side'

09:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Trump went after Mr Pence again on Monday morning, adding in a second post: “WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side.”

“I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution, or that Mike was ‘too honest.’ He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy. I once read a major magazine article on Mike. It said he was not a very good person. I was surprised, but the article was right. Sad!” he added.

Trump says Pence ‘has gone to the Dark Side'

08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Trump went after Mr Pence again on Monday morning, adding in a second post: “WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side.”

“I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution, or that Mike was ‘too honest.’ He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy. I once read a major magazine article on Mike. It said he was not a very good person. I was surprised, but the article was right. Sad!” he added.

Poll: Half of all Americans believe Trump tried to stay in office illegally

07:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election

06:00 , Eric Garcia

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis admitted in an interview with NBC News that former president Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, as he seeks to recalibrate his campaign.

Mr DeSantis initially told NBC News’s Dasha Burns that whoever is inaugurated on 20 January is considered the winner, in a dodge answer.

“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on Jan 20 every four years is the winner,” he said. When pressed, Mr DeSantis said that President Biden defeated Mr Trump.

“No, of course he lost,” he said of Mr Trump. “Joe Biden’s the president.”

But Mr DeSantis still said that the election did have irregularities, citing the proliferation of mail-in ballots during the Covid-19 pandemic and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s distribution of grants to election administrators.

Read more:

Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election

Mitch McConnell heckled at Kentucky event with chants of ‘retire’ after freezing episode

05:00 , Rachel Sharp

Mitch McConnell was heckled with chants of “retire” as he spoke at an event in Kentucky over the weekend – just days after he sparked concerns for his health with his freezing episode.

The Senate minority leader, 81, was interrupted with loud jeers, boos and shouts of “retire” as he appeared at the 143rd Annual St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic in his home state on Saturday.

“My friends, I’ll be honest, it’s not hard for Republicans to look good these days,” Mr McConnell said, while the crowd roared with heckles around him.

“We’re up against the folks that gave you record high inflation, that closed schools...”

The Republican senator tried to ignore the ruckus, while the crowd’s chants escalated and grew ever louder.

Read more:

Mitch McConnell heckled with chants of ‘retire’ after freezing episode

Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

04:15 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump is on the defence after his third criminal indictment was handed to him this past week, lashing out at several people, including Nancy Pelosi, for providing commentary on his federal charges.

The ex-president didn’t hold back against Ms Pelosi in a post on Truth Social on Sunday after the ex-speaker of the house said Mr Trump looked like a “scared puppy” attending his arraignment last week.

“I purposely didn’t comment on Nancy Pelosi’s very weird story concerning her husband, but now I can because she said something about me, with glee, that was really quite vicious,” Mr Trump wrote.

Ms Pelosi told MSNBC on Friday that when she saw Mr Trump emerge from his car for the arraignment in Washington DC she saw “a scared puppy” who “knows the truth that he lost the election”.

Mr Trump appeared in federal court on Thursday to face four charges related to his alleged efforts and conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results.

The ex-president responded to Ms Pelosi’s comments, saying that he wasn’t “scared” of his arraignment and he thought her comment was “mean.”

Read more:

Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe: ‘Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!’

03:30 , Joe Sommerlad

A gloating Donald Trump has unexpectedly reignited his feud with soccer star Megan Rapinoe after the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) crashed out of the Women’s World Cup with a shock defeat by Sweden.

The reigning champions had not been at their best throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, only narrowly escaping their group before losing 5-4 on penalties in a hard-fought battle against the Swedes on Sunday.

Rapinoe, a late substitute, was one of three players to miss a crucial spotkick.

The outcome was doubly cruel for the veteran winger as it came in what proved to be her final appearance for the USWNT, her glittering career on the world stage ending in bitter disappointment.

The 38-year-old, a prominent LGBT+ rights activist and campaigner for equal pay in the women’s game, had previously announced her plan to retire at the end of the domestic season, where she plays for OL Reign in Seattle, Washington.

Her misfortune was met with utter glee by the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted Mr Trump, who took a timeout from his myriad of legal problems to troll the team on Truth Social, suggesting their disappointing World Cup run was symptomatic of a broader national decline under President Joe Biden.

“The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump posted on Sunday evening.

“Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.”

Here’s a timeline of the war of words between the Republican and the soccer star:

A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe

Rudy Giuliani selling $6.5m NYC apartment as legal woes pile up

02:45 , Kelly Rissman

Rudy Giuliani, the ex-mayor of New York City and one-time lawyer for former President Donald Trump, has listed his Upper East Side apartment for $6.5m amid legal challenges.

Property records and court documents confirm his address is the same listed by Sotheby’s Realty. While the listing says the building “is distinctive for its magnificent gothic-inspired terra cotta and brick façade” the three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment is also distinctive for being raided by the FBI in April 2021 over Mr Giuliani’s alleged dealings with Ukraine.

The apartment was put up for sale just days after Mr Giuliani’s ex-client and ally, Mr Trump, was indicted for the third time.

Mr Giuliani himself is facing a number of legal woes. A lawyer for the 79-year-old last week acknowledged to the New York Times that his client appeared to be the person identified as “Co-Conspirator 1” in the federal indictment accusing Mr Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in his favour.

Robert Costello, Mr Giuliani’s attorney, said the indictment “eviscerates the First Amendment,” and denounced the filing as “election interference.”

Read more:

Rudy Giuliani selling $6.5m NYC apartment as legal woes pile up

Special counsel accuses Trump of wanting to try Jan 6 case in media after bid to use evidence during 2024 run

02:09 , Graeme Massie

The ex-president’s legal team also asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to allow ‘volunteers’ to access discovery materials.

Trump asks court to let him use election case evidence while campaigning

VOICES: Can Kamala Harris’s fight with Ron DeSantis about Black history bolster her image?

02:00 , Eric Garcia

Many years after leaving the presidency in disgrace, Richard Nixon spoke to CNN about his time as Dwight Eisenhower’s vice president and said that a vice president should consider themselves dispensible “and should do what the man wants.”

“Because otherwise, the man’s got to get down there in the ring,” Mr Nixon said. Those words resonate when it comes to his successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. Like Mr Nixon, Ms Harris spent only a brief time in the United States Senate before a presidential candidate who was considered an elder statesman picked her to be his vice president.

No vice president has probably struggled more with their image than Ms Harris. But recently, she’s assumed one of the more traditional roles of a vice president: the attack dog. Essentially, vice presidents engage in the fights that the president don’t to keep the boss’s hands clean and to make sure “the man” doesn’t have to “get down in the ring.”

Read more:

Can Kamala Harris’s fight with Ron DeSantis about Black history bolster her image?

Trump asks supporters heavily leading question about participating in GOP debate

01:15 , Kelly Rissman

Former president Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign is asking supporters whether they think he should participate in the first Republican primary debate – in a not-so-subtle way.

On his campaign site, it provides a poll: “Should President Trump show up to the GOP debate?” The clickable choices are: “Yes” or “No – let all of the many other candidates attack each other while President Trump unites the rest of our party to focus on the important battle of beating Biden.”

The first GOP debate is scheduled for 23 August, and will be shown by Fox News. Network executives reportedly tried to press the former president into participating in the event during a private dinner.

Read more:

Trump asks supporters heavily leading question about participating in GOP debate

Judge dismisses Trump defamation lawsuit against E Jean Carroll for CNN statements

Tuesday 8 August 2023 00:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A judge has dismissed former President Donald Trump’s counter-lawsuit against writer E Jean Carroll.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in an order made public on Monday that Mr Trump hadn’t proven that Ms Carroll’s statements on CNN the day after a civil trial jury found that the ex-president had sexually abused Ms Carroll and subsequently defamed her were false or “not at least substantially true”.

Mr Trump sued Ms Carroll in June following her CNN appearance the previous month. Ms Carroll was asked about the verdict – the jury found that while Mr Trump sexually abused her, they didn’t state that Mr Trump had raped her under New York state law, to which Ms Carroll said, “Oh, yes he did”.

Read more:

Judge dismisses Trump defamation lawsuit against E Jean Carroll for CNN statements

VOICES: How Donald Trump finally met his match in Jack Smith

Tuesday 8 August 2023 00:00 , Harry Litman

The latest indictment against Donald Trump for conduct growing out of the post-election efforts to retain power reveals what a formidable adversary Trump has collided with in Jack Smith.

The supposed watchword of Smith’s investigation from the start has been to treat Trump like any other defendant. Indeed, a chief charge in the indictment - obstruction of an official proceeding - already has been brought against some 300 of the marauders; how could a fair justice system give a pass to the man who spearheaded it?

But this conventional storyline overlooks the several ways in which Smith has acted with careful attention to Trump’s qualities and weaknesses. Smith is the very antithesis of a generic prosecutor: he has sussed out his quarry as meticulously as Ahab sussed out the white whale.

Read more:

How Donald Trump finally met his match

Bill Barr says ‘of course’ he’ll testify against Trump in Jan 6 case if asked

Monday 7 August 2023 23:30 , John Bowden

Bill Barr is open to testifying in Donald Trump’s upcoming criminal trial should he be asked, the former attorney general revealed on Sunday.

Mr Barr was speaking with CBS’s Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation when he was asked the same question that Mike Pence was asked on NBC — would he testify in Mr Trump’s January 6 trial when it goes to court?

And while the former vice president hemmed and hawed before indicating that he wouldn’t try and dodge a subpoena for his testimony, Mr Barr got straight to the point.

“Of course,” he responded.

Read more:

Bill Barr says ‘of course’ he’ll testify against Trump in Jan 6 case if asked

DeSantis won’t rule out national abortion ban but suggests there’s no ‘mileage’ left in Congress

Monday 7 August 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward

Ron DeSantis has not ruled out enacting a national abortion “ban” if elected president, after the Florida governor implemented state restrictions on abortion access at 15 weeks and six weeks of pregnancy within the last two years.

But he suggested that there is no “consensus” in the US for members of Congress to implement a national ban, as abortion restrictions and the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade remain overwhelmingly unpopular.

Read more:

DeSantis won’t rule out abortion ban but suggests there’s no ‘mileage’ in Congress

Trump lawyer says Jack Smith is ‘afraid’ and playing ‘victim’ over protective order

Monday 7 August 2023 22:30 , Andrew Feinberg

An attorney and spokesperson for former president Donald Trump on Monday claimed the Department of Justice is seeking a protective order to prevent the ex-president from publicising discovery materials because he’s “afraid” and accused the prosecutor overseeing the case of playing “victim” over the dispute.

Alina Habba, a civil attorney who currently serves as a spokesperson for Mr Trump through his political action committee, said during an appearance on Fox and Friends that the dispute between Mr Trump’s defence team and Special Counsel Jack Smith over a proposed protective order is different from other cases and said the ex-president’s team hasn’t objected to other protective orders in the different court cases against him.

Read more:

Trump lawyer says Jack Smith is ‘afraid’ and playing ‘victim’ over protective order

Trump asks court to let him use election case evidence while campaigning

Monday 7 August 2023 22:24 , Graeme Massie

The ex-president’s legal team also asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to allow ‘volunteers’ to access discovery materials.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

Trump asks court to let him use election case evidence while campaigning

VOICES: Republicans and Democrats agree: They want to kill migrants at the US-Mexico border

Monday 7 August 2023 22:00 , Josh Marcus

Mexican officials informed the state of Texas that two bodies were found in the Rio Grande: one ensnared in Governor Greg Abbott’s controversial floating border wall, and another in a nearby area. Their official cause of death hasn’t been determined yet, but sooner or later, the razor-wire-tipped buoys are going to get people killed. And that, all but explicitly, is the point.

The buoys are part of a three-decade push from state and national leaders of both parties to make crossing the border as deadly as possible, under the theory, proven wrong by data, that this will reduce migration overall. Until we change course, the bodies will keep piling up.

Mr Abbott insisted last month in a letter to the White House that no one “wants to see another death in the Rio Grande River,” and spun his efforts at the border as a way to save lives and drive people towards legal immigration at US ports of entry.

The reality on the ground would suggest otherwise.

In July, a Texas state border medic named Nicholas Wingate went public with allegations that the border barriers were already causing severe injuries, and that he and his fellow troopers were ordered, as part of the governor’s Operation Lone Star, to push exhausted migrants back into the river and refuse to offer them water. (The state denies this order existed.)

Read more:

Republicans and Democrats agree: They want to kill migrants at the US-Mexico border

Trump ally meets with Jack Smith team investigating Jan 6 case

Monday 7 August 2023 21:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump ally Bernie Kerik met with investigators from the office of special prosecutor Jack Smith on Monday as part of the probe into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Mr Kerik’s lawyer told CNN that the interview mostly was about what former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani did in his attempt to prove that Mr Trump won the election.

Mr Kerik is a former New York City police commissioner and has long been connected to Mr Giuliani. They were in contact during the period following the 2020 election.

The ex-commissioner handed over a number of documents last month, mostly regarding Mr Giuliani’s attempt to overturn the election.

VOICES: Trump’s rabid attack on the World Cup team is as transparent as it is absurd

Monday 7 August 2023 21:30 , Noah Berlatsky

The US Women’s World Cup Soccer team lost in an unexpected early round defeat to Sweden this weekend – and Donald Trump, as he is wont to do, decided to make it all about him and his relentlessly bleak vision of an America in decline. Most presidents try to offer a message of optimism and uplift. They look for US victories to cheer on, in sports and most other realms. Trump, in contrast, revels in evidence of failure, loss, and despair. He is a politician who thrives in misery, like an orange dung beetle wallowing in filth.

Trump shared his joy at the athlete’s defeat by posting a rabid attack on the women’s team, claiming that their loss was “emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden” and attacking the players for being supposedly “openly hostile to America.” He concluded, “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA”.

Read more:

Trump’s rabid attack on the World Cup team is as transparent as it is absurd

DeSantis finally acknowledges the truth about Trump's 2020 election lies: 'Of course he lost'

Monday 7 August 2023 21:00 , AP

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said definitively that rival Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, an acknowledgement the Florida governor made after years of equivocating answers.

“Of course he lost,” DeSantis said an interview with NBC News posted Monday. “Joe Biden‘s the president.”

DeSantis has often sidestepped questions about whether he believes the 2020 election results were legitimate. But in recent days he has started publicly questioning the lies that Trump and his allies have made about the election’s legitimacy.

Federal and state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general said there was no credible evidence the election’s outcome was affected by fraud. The former president’s allegations were also roundly rejected by courts at the time, including judges he appointed.

Last week, Trump was charged by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith with four felonies related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Read more:

DeSantis finally acknowledges the truth about Trump's 2020 election lies: 'Of course he lost'

Trump rages against protective order sought by special prosecutor

Monday 7 August 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander and Andrew Feinberg

Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning that he “shouldn’t have a protective order placed on me because it would impinge upon my right to FREE SPEECH”.

“Deranged Jack Smith and the Department of Injustice should, however, because they are illegally “leaking” all over the place!” he added.

The twice-impeached, thrice-indicted former president was referring to a series of court filings in which Mr Smith is seeking a standard protective order to prevent Mr Trump from disclosing information that the government is set to turn over to him and his defence team as part of the pre-trial discovery process.

Prosecutors, citing Mr Trump’s penchant for “public statements on social media regarding witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others associated with legal matters pending against him,” asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to impose an order barring the former president from disclosing discovery materials “directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure”.

Trump says Pence ‘has gone to the Dark Side'

Monday 7 August 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Trump went after Mr Pence again on Monday morning, adding in a second post: “WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side.”

“I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution, or that Mike was ‘too honest.’ He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy. I once read a major magazine article on Mike. It said he was not a very good person. I was surprised, but the article was right. Sad!” he added.

‘I never said anything bad or even slightly inappropriate to Liddle’ Mike Pence'

Monday 7 August 2023 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Trump took to Truth Social on Monday morning to go after his former vice president, referring to him as “Liddle’ Mike Pence”.

“I never said anything bad or even slightly inappropriate to Liddle’ Mike Pence. What I did do was make him, over the many people who wanted it, Vice President of the United States. Disloyalty in politics is alive and well. MAGA!!!” he wrote.

Poll: Half of all Americans believe Trump tried to stay in office illegally

Monday 7 August 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

VIDEO: DeSantis says he will 'support pro-life policies' if elected

Monday 7 August 2023 18:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election

Monday 7 August 2023 18:00 , Eric Garcia

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis admitted in an interview with NBC News that former president Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, as he seeks to recalibrate his campaign.

Mr DeSantis initially told NBC News’s Dasha Burns that whoever is inaugurated on 20 January is considered the winner, in a dodge answer.

“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on Jan 20 every four years is the winner,” he said. When pressed, Mr DeSantis said that President Biden defeated Mr Trump.

“No, of course he lost,” he said of Mr Trump. “Joe Biden’s the president.”

But Mr DeSantis still said that the election did have irregularities, citing the proliferation of mail-in ballots during the Covid-19 pandemic and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s distribution of grants to election administrators.

Read more:

Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election

Mitch McConnell heckled at Kentucky event with chants of ‘retire’ after freezing episode

Monday 7 August 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

Mitch McConnell was heckled with chants of “retire” as he spoke at an event in Kentucky over the weekend – just days after he sparked concerns for his health with his freezing episode.

The Senate minority leader, 81, was interrupted with loud jeers, boos and shouts of “retire” as he appeared at the 143rd Annual St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic in his home state on Saturday.

“My friends, I’ll be honest, it’s not hard for Republicans to look good these days,” Mr McConnell said, while the crowd roared with heckles around him.

“We’re up against the folks that gave you record high inflation, that closed schools...”

The Republican senator tried to ignore the ruckus, while the crowd’s chants escalated and grew ever louder.

Read more:

Mitch McConnell heckled with chants of ‘retire’ after freezing episode

Trump attacks Jan 6 judge and calls for recusal

Monday 7 August 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump demands Judge Tanya Chutkan be removed from election case after ruling against him

Monday 7 August 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio and Megan Sheets

Donald Trump has called for the judge in his most recent federal indictment to be removed from the case after she issued a ruling against him.

The ex-president launched his attack on District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Sunday morning, days after he appeared before her in court to plead not guilty to four federal charges stemming from a Department of Justice investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The day after the arraignment took to Truth Social with a post seemingly threatening revenge on those pursuing him.

“IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” the ex-president wrote.

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team cited that post in a Friday request for Judge Chutkan to issue a protective order that would limit what discovery evidence Mr Trump and his legal can share publicly.

Read more:

Trump demands Judge Tanya Chutkan be removed from election case

Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

Monday 7 August 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump is on the defence after his third criminal indictment was handed to him this past week, lashing out at several people, including Nancy Pelosi, for providing commentary on his federal charges.

The ex-president didn’t hold back against Ms Pelosi in a post on Truth Social on Sunday after the ex-speaker of the house said Mr Trump looked like a “scared puppy” attending his arraignment last week.

“I purposely didn’t comment on Nancy Pelosi’s very weird story concerning her husband, but now I can because she said something about me, with glee, that was really quite vicious,” Mr Trump wrote.

Ms Pelosi told MSNBC on Friday that when she saw Mr Trump emerge from his car for the arraignment in Washington DC she saw “a scared puppy” who “knows the truth that he lost the election”.

Mr Trump appeared in federal court on Thursday to face four charges related to his alleged efforts and conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results.

The ex-president responded to Ms Pelosi’s comments, saying that he wasn’t “scared” of his arraignment and he thought her comment was “mean.”

Read more:

Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment

Monday 7 August 2023 15:30 , Shweta Sharma

An attorney for Donald Trump has indicated that another indictment for the former president is imminent in the investigations into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential elections in Georgia.

Alina Habba told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures host Maria Bartiromo that Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, who is spearheading a criminal investigation into Mr Trump, will “want her moment” through the case.

“Are you expecting an indictment in the coming two or three weeks from Georgia?” the Fox News anchor asked her.

“Yes, I think that it’s been highly spoken about,” Ms Habba replied.

“I think if you look at the barricades, the fact that she’s got her PR team doing fresh pictures for her, it’s a good indicator that Fani wants her moment, and she will get on the bandwagon with the rest of the corrupt DAs and AGs that we’ve seen out of this country.”

Read more:

Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment

A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe: ‘Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!’

Monday 7 August 2023 15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A gloating Donald Trump has unexpectedly reignited his feud with soccer star Megan Rapinoe after the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) crashed out of the Women’s World Cup with a shock defeat by Sweden.

The reigning champions had not been at their best throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, only narrowly escaping their group before losing 5-4 on penalties in a hard-fought battle against the Swedes on Sunday.

Rapinoe, a late substitute, was one of three players to miss a crucial spotkick.

The outcome was doubly cruel for the veteran winger as it came in what proved to be her final appearance for the USWNT, her glittering career on the world stage ending in bitter disappointment.

The 38-year-old, a prominent LGBT+ rights activist and campaigner for equal pay in the women’s game, had previously announced her plan to retire at the end of the domestic season, where she plays for OL Reign in Seattle, Washington.

Her misfortune was met with utter glee by the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted Mr Trump, who took a timeout from his myriad of legal problems to troll the team on Truth Social, suggesting their disappointing World Cup run was symptomatic of a broader national decline under President Joe Biden.

“The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump posted on Sunday evening.

“Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.”

Here’s a timeline of the war of words between the Republican and the soccer star:

A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe

VIDEO: Ron DeSantis admits Donald Trump lost 2020 presidential election

Monday 7 August 2023 14:30 , Gustaf Kilander

WATCH: Mitch McConnell heckled at Kentucky event with chants of 'retire' after freezing episode

Monday 7 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Trump goes on unhinged Truth Social rant blaming Biden and ‘wokeness’ for USWNT’s World Cup loss

Monday 7 August 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has gone on an unhinged Truth Social rant blaming President Joe Biden and “wokeness” for the US’s unexpected early defeat in the Women’s World Cup.

The US Women’s National Soccer Team crashed out of the tournament on Sunday after losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout against Sweden – marking the team’s earliest-ever exit from the competition.

In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump revelled in the loss and bizarrely claimed it was a sign of the influence “Crooked Joe Biden” has had on the nation.

As well as blaming his political rival, the former president also somehow argued it was because of “WOKE”-ness and cruelly trolled striker Megan Rapinoe for missing a penalty.

Read the full story:

Trump goes on unhinged rant blaming Biden and ‘wokeness’ for USWNT’s World Cup loss

Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment

Monday 7 August 2023 13:00 , Namita Singh

Inside the courtroom, it was clear this indictment is different for Donald Trump

Monday 7 August 2023 12:30 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump chose not to quietly slip in and out of the nation’s capital, Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington DC.

Inside the courtroom, it was clear this indictment is different for Donald Trump

ICYMI: Trump demands Judge Tanya Chutkan be removed from election case after ruling against him

Monday 7 August 2023 12:00 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump has called for the judge in his most recent federal indictment to be removed from the case after she issued a ruling against him.

The ex-president launched his attack on District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Sunday morning, days after he appeared before her in court to plead not guilty to four federal charges stemming from a Department of Justice investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The day after the arraignment took to Truth Social with a post seemingly threatening revenge on those pursuing him.

What did he say? Read here:

Trump demands Judge Tanya Chutkan be removed from election case

In video: Mike Pence says Trump's lawyers asked him 'to overturn the election' day before Jan 6

Monday 7 August 2023 11:30 , Namita Singh

Trump lawyer calls Trump request to Pence for Jan 6 ‘aspirational’

Monday 7 August 2023 11:00 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump’s lawyer on Sunday previewed a legal defence his client may make in court when his upcoming trial for his actions leading up to January 6 begins next year.

Appearing on all the major networks, John Lauro fielded questions from journalists about the idea that Mr Trump was acting illegally when he approached then-vice president Mike Pence with his plan for Mr Pence to halt or reverse the Senate’s certification of the 2020 election, allowing slates of false electors to be named to replace those set to vote for Joe Biden.

Mr Lauro told journalists on NBC that Mr Trump had not directed his vice president to use his power as president of the Senate to interfere with the chamber’s process — instead, he characterised it as an “aspirational” request by the president.

More in this report:

Trump lawyer calls Trump request to Pence for Jan 6 ‘aspirational’

Voices: Trump has been charged. But what about his past?

Monday 7 August 2023 10:30 , Namita Singh

Eric Garcia writes that even if Trump is convicted, he fundamentally reshaped the Republican Party and the country as a whole. It will be nearly impossible to undo his actions...

Trump has been charged. But what about his past?

Federal judge wants Giuliani to clarify ‘incongruous’ and ‘puzzling’ court filing

Monday 7 August 2023 10:00 , Namita Singh

A federal judge has asked Rudy Giuliani to clarify his “seemingly incongruous and certainly puzzling caveats” in a recent filing in which he appears to admit he made false and defamatory statements about two Georgia election workers in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

But Mr Giuliani and his attorney have argued that the extremely carefully worded filing – which attempts to move the case along to avoid revealing more evidence – is not an admission.

Alex Woodward reports.

Giuliani must clarify his ‘puzzling’ court filing in Georgia defamation case

Trump has meltdown over US’s Women’s World Cup loss

Monday 7 August 2023 09:47 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump had a meltdown on Sunday night where he attacked President Joe Biden, striker Megan Rapinoe and “wokeness” for the US’s unexpected early defeat in the Women’s World Cup.

The former president took to Truth Social to bizarrely claim the loss was a sign of the influence “Crooked Joe Biden” has had on the nation. He also somehow blamed the “WOKE”-ness and cruelly trolled Rapinoe for missing a penalty.

“The “shocking and totally unexpected” loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” he fumed.

“Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.”

Mr Trump’s tirade came after his attorney John Lauro spent much of the weekend attempting to discredit his latest federal indictment and attacking those involved in it.

After third Trump indictment, Pence tries to break through in crowded GOP field

Monday 7 August 2023 09:30 , Namita Singh

As Donald Trump was being arraigned in Washington on yet another round of criminal charges, his running mate-turned-rival Mike Pence hurried to capitalise on the news.

Read on...

Pence seizes on Trump's latest indictment as he looks to break through in crowded GOP field

Trump demands Judge Tanya Chutkan be removed from election case after ruling against him

Monday 7 August 2023 09:00 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump has called for the judge in his most recent federal indictment to be removed from the case after she issued a ruling against him.

The ex-president launched his attack on District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Sunday morning, days after he appeared before her in court to plead not guilty to four federal charges stemming from a Department of Justice investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent January 6 attack on the Capitol.

“THERE IS NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL WITH THE JUDGE ‘ASSIGNED’ TO THE RIDICULOUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH/FAIR ELECTIONS CASE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS, AND SO DOES SHE!” he wrote.

“WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ASKING FOR RECUSAL OF THIS JUDGE ON VERY POWERFUL GROUNDS, AND LIKEWISE FOR VENUE CHANGE, OUT IF (sic) D.C.”

Trump says Pence has ‘Gone to the dark side’

Monday 7 August 2023 08:30 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump attacked Mike Pence as “delusional” just days after the former vice president was revealed to play a central role in the latest federal indictment against him.

Mr Trump appeared to be trying to do damage control on Truth Social after he was charged with four federal charges related to his alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent attack on the Capitol.

“Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side,” Mr Trump wrote on Saturday.

The statement appeared to be in reference to Mr Pence’s more recent outspoken condemnation of Mr Trump’s behaviour leading up to the 6 January riot.

“I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution or that Mike was ‘too honest.’ He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy,” Mr Trump added.

Explained: Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election

Monday 7 August 2023 08:00 , Namita Singh

Alex Woodward reports on how a sprawling Justice Department probe into the former president and his allies yielded four criminal charges in a stunning indictment outlining a path to power at whatever cost...

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

ICYMI: Judge Chutkan denies Trump attorneys request for extension

Monday 7 August 2023 07:30 , Namita Singh

Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Donald Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy case, denied the ex-president’s request to extend his response date from Monday until Wednesday.

The final decision comes after a day’s worth of back and forth between prosecutors in the Department of Justice (DoJ) and Mr Trump’s attorneys.

Prosecutors filed a request for a protective order on Friday night after Mr Trump posted a seemingly threatening statement to Truth Social. Judge Chuktan gave Mr Trump’s legal team until Monday at 5pm ET to which, Mr Trump’s team asked for an extension.

Judge Chutkan denied their request on Saturday evening.

Trump rants about his ‘gorgeous head of hair’ at rally

Monday 7 August 2023 07:00 , Namita Singh

Trump calls for Senate to save him from indictment

Monday 7 August 2023 06:30 , Namita Singh

“These guys, what they’re doing with this election interference ... the Senate needs to step up. The House is doing a lot of things…They have something on Mitch McConnell,” the former president argued at a an event in South Carolina.

John Bowden reports:

Trump calls for Senate to save him from latest indictment

Monday 7 August 2023 06:00 , Namita Singh

Pence skirts crucial questions about Trump’s election indictment

Monday 7 August 2023 05:30 , Namita Singh

Mike Pence was evasive when answering questions from a CBS reporter in a new interview touching upon Donald Trump’s indictment on charges related to the effort to overturn the 2020 election.

John Bowden reports:

Pence skirts crucial questions about Trump’s election indictment