Trump jokingly blames ‘radical left’ after tech issues derail interview

Donald Trump’s interview with radio host Jackson Lahmeyer as part of a gathering of pastors hoping to pray for the president’s success in his ongoing criminal investigations was derailed on Monday by persistent audio issues which left the ex-president joking about sabotage from his political enemies.

When the issues were finally resolved during Monday’s broadcast, the former president was quick to joke that the “radical left” was out to get him and his supporters.

"I know the phones weren't working too well just a while ago but I think it was the radical left that did something with them,” said Mr Trump during the show.

He added: "But that's OK, because we are going to beat them and we are going to beat them all of the time."

It wouldn’t exactly be outside of the realm of possiblity for Mr Trump to actually believe that, however: he continues to insist that a wide-ranging conspiracy was behind his 2020 election loss and argues as well that the multitude of criminal investigations he now faces are all a result of politics.

Monday’s show and prayer circle for the twice-impeached ex-president was organised after Mr Trump himself wrote on Saturday in a Truth Social rant that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday on a charge or charges related to the Manhattan DA’s investigation into a hush payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

That outcome appeared not to materialise on Tuesday, but the grand jury did not meet on the 21st and is expected instead to return on Wednesday.

Mr Trump is also suing to quash a separate criminal investigation in Georgia which recently concluded its own grand jury phase; he and his legal team face the potential for charges in that state related to their efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.