Trump news – latest: SNL mocks Trump for claim NYPD ‘cried’ during arrest

Ron DeSantis supporters are going after Donald Trump in a new political ad, criticising the former president for campaining against fellow Republicans and for discussing potential cuts to entitlement programmes.

Meanwhile, financial disclosures with the Federal Election Commission show Mr Trump raked in millions of dollars after news of his criminal indictment and his prediction of his “arrest” last month.

Filings also reveal that he made more than $5m from speaking engagements, between $100,000 and $1m with his NFT scheme and less than $200 from Truth Social.

The filings come a day after he addressed a National Rifle Association conference with his vow to protect gun ownership rights “forever” despite several recent mass shootings across the US.

His appearance marked his first return to New York since he was arraigned on a 34-count criminal indictment of felony charges of falsifying business records. Mr Trump has sued his former lawyer at the centre of that case, Michael Cohen, for $500m. Cohen said he is considering countersuing.

Key Points

• Trump’s financial disclosures reveal his post-White house earnings

• Trump’s presidential campaign has raised $34m so far this year

• Trump tells NRA conference he will end Biden’s ‘war’ on guns: ‘What they’re doing is crazy’

• Donald Trump hits back at Ron DeSantis

• ‘What happened to Donald Trump?’ DeSantis supporting super PAC launches attack ad against former president

Donald Trump is still attacking Alvin Bragg, despite warnings

03:30 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump is still going after Alving Bragg, the New York prosecutors whose office charged Mr Trump with an unprecedented series of criminal offences for the former president’s involvement in a hush money scheme during the 2016 election.

In a campaign-style video released on Sunday, the Trump campaign paints Mr Bragg as a politically minded prosecutor bent on going after the former president in what it called “just another political witch hunt.”

A New York judge previously warned Mr Trump and his children against making statements that would foment unrest or target public officials during the hush money case.

Judge warns Trump about social media posts as legal team defends baseball bat picture

White supremacist who ate with Trump got $30,000 from Kanye West campaign

01:30 , Josh Marcus

A prominent white supremacist online figure who once dined with Donald Trump got paid more than $30,000 by the presidential campaign of Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.

Nick Fuentes received the payments in January and February of this year, according to campaign finance filings reviewed by The Hill.

Last year, Mr Trump was embroiled in controversy for dining with Ye and Mr Fuentes, in the midst of the rapper going on a string of antisemitic tirades.

The former president said he was unaware of who Mr Fuentes was.

“This past week, Kanye West called me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago,” Mr Trump said last year. “Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about. We had dinner on Tuesday evening with many members present on the back patio. The dinner was quick and uneventful. They then left for the airport.”

Trump says he ‘knew nothing about’ antisemite Nick Fuentes before Mar-a-Lago event

Donald Trump hits back at Ron DeSantis

00:00 , Josh Marcus

The war of words between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is heating up.

First, backers of the Florida govenor launched Mr DeSantis’s first attack ad of the season on Fox News.

‘What happened to Donald Trump?’ DeSantis super PAC launches attack ad

Never one to go quietly, Mr Trump had some barbs of his own.

On Truth Social, Mr Trump posted an article in which he was quoted hammering Mr DeSantis for “campaigning” during flooding in the Florida city of Fort Lauderdale.

Then, in a post on his campaign website, Mr Trump accused Mr DeSantis of attempting to “rip retirement benefits away from Americans.”

“DeSantis is colluding with his globalist handlers to go full Never Trump in order to gaslight the people into thinking that Medicare and Social Security should be ripped away from hard-working Americans,” a Trump spokesperson is quoted as saying. “President Trump has made it clear that he will always stand on the side of Americans, and protect benefits seniors worked for and paid for their entire lives.”

‘What happened to Donald Trump?’ DeSantis supporting super PAC launches attack ad against former president

22:22 , Josh Marcus

A super PAC supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis released a television ad attacking former President Donald Trump, accusing him of spending airtime and money attacking the likely Republican presidential candidate.

“Donald Trump is being attacked by a Democrat prosecutor in New York,” the ad’s narrator says. “So why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida? Trump’s stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook.”

Mr DeSantis is expected to announce a bid for the White House in 2024, though he has not formally confirmed his candidacy.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

‘What happened to Donald Trump?’ DeSantis super PAC launches attack ad

Chris Christie says Trump 2024 win ‘uncertain,’ even as he dominates polls

21:28 , Josh Marcus

Former New York Jersey governor Chris Christie thinks Donald Trump’s future is looking “uncertain,” given the cloud of investigations and now criminal charges hanging over him.

“I don’t think that the field [is] starting to look like Trump,” the former Trump ally told ABC’s “This Week.”

“In fact, you know, when you’re indicted in one place, and you’re facing investigations [in] two others, it makes you at least an uncertain winner,” he added. “But again, he’s the former president. So of course he’s going to be the frontrunner. He has the best name ID in the race, of anybody else running, but you already have four other candidates now who are announced in.”

The polls back that up.

The former president remains dominant compared to his potential 2024 rivals.

A FiveThirtyEight average of polls shows Mr Trump with about 50 per cent of the field. Florida governor Ron DeSantis, his next closest competitor, has just under 30 per cent support.

Tiger King’s Joe Exotic has a message for Donald Trump

20:30 , Josh Marcus

Joe “Exotic” Maldonado, the star of Netflix’s Tiger King, isn’t losing sleep over Donald Trump’s indictment, despite once seeking a pardon from him.

“His administration is the one who screwed me over and put me in here for an agenda to stop you from owning a tiger and petting a baby tiger, so all I’ve got to say to him, is karma’s a b****,” Exotic, who is in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and animal welfare violations, told Fox News.

“If the man broke the law, he needs to pay the price,” he added. “No different than President Biden or Hunter Biden or Obama or anybody else. The system of two-party justice in this country with the rich and the poor, they’ve got to stop.”

Georgia governor says GOP shouldn’t be ‘distracted’ by Trump

19:00 , Josh Marcus

The Republican party needs to lay off the Trump stuff, according Georgia governor Brian Kemp.

“We cannot get distracted,” Mr Kemp, a Republican and former Trump supporter, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“If we get distracted and talk about other things that the Democrats want to talk about, like these investigations, regardless of what you think about the politics of those,” he added. “If we get distracted every day and let the media just talk about that, that only helps (President) Joe Biden.”

Mr Kemp has reason to be a bit wary of Mr Trump.

During the 2020 election, Mr Trump was caught on tape trying to tamper with election results, and arguably blew the Republican party’s control of the US Senate after telling GOP voters in the state the election system was rigged over and over again.

The Georgia election phone call that could bring down Donald Trump

Why is everyone always crying in Donald Trump’s stories? SNL asks

17:41 , Josh Marcus

Saturday Night Live is rarely short of material when it comes to Donald Trump, and last night was no different.

During “Weekend Update,” host Colin Jost mocked the former president’s recent claim that New York police were crying when he was arrested over his indictment for hush money payments.

“Why is everyone in Trump’s stories always crying?” the comedian asked, before a supercut of Mr Trump’s insistence, probably false, everyone around him is constantly in waterworks.

Watch the full clip here.

Mike Pompeo won’t be running for president

14:00 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pompeo, who served as US Secretary of State during the Trump administration, will not be running for president in 2024 after all, despite what his ongoing book promotion, CPAC appearance and his speculative remarks in the press would lead one to believe.

“We’re not going to join the race in 2024,” he Fox News’ Bret Baier.

Mr Pompeo and his wife “came to the conclusion that this wasn’t the moment for us,” he added.

Audio reveals Rudy Giuliani and Trump campaign had no evidence to back up Dominion claims

12:00 , Alex Woodward

Audio released by MSNBC includes Rudy Giulani privately admitting to Fox News personality Maria Bartiromo that he knew little about Dominion Voting Systems and had difficulty defending false claims that the company was involved with election fraud.

Recordings aired by the network on 12 April also include audio from a Donald Trump campaign official stating that a review from Georgia’s top election official did not discover any physical issues with Dominion machines.

The release of the audio comes at the start of a trial against the network stemming from a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit from Dominion, which has accused the network and its leadership of spreading false claims and baseless conspiracy theories about the company’s role in the 2020 presidential election.

The trial begins on Monday.

Giuliani and Trump campaign had no evidence for Dominion claims, recordings reveal

NRA crowd greets Mike Pence with boos: ‘I love you too’

10:00 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pence’s reception at the NRA’s event on Friday was in sharp contrast to that for the former president, who pressured Mr Pence to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election while overseeing a joint session of Congress on 6 January 2021 as a mob of Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the halls of the US Capitol.

“I hope you gave Pence a good, warm approval,” Mr Trump said in his remarks. “No, because he is a nice man, if you want to really know the truth, he is. He’s a good man. And I heard it was very rough.”

NRA crowd greets Mike Pence with boos: ‘I love you too’

ICYMI: Trump tells NRA conference he will end Biden’s ‘war’ on guns: ‘What they’re doing is crazy’

09:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s keynote address to the NRA’s conference in Indiana this week came just four days after a gunman used an AR-15 rifle to murder five people and wound eight in a mass shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky.

His labelling of Joe Biden’s “war” on guns comes after the president announced a sweeping executive order to “accelerate” the White House’s efforts on gun reform and combat the proliferation of firearms. There have been more than 150 mass shootings and more than 12,000 Americans have died from gun violence in this year alone.

Mr Trump called actions to curb the spread of guns “crazy”.

Trump tells NRA conference he will end Biden’s ‘war’ on guns

Trump paid off six outstanding loans since leaving office – and he took out new ones

08:00 , Alex Woodward

Financial disclosures show that the former president has more than $200m in total debts, though he paid off six outstanding loans since leaving the White House, including one valued at more than $50m on Trump Tower and Trump Doral golf club in Florida, the organisation’s biggest money maker, according to The New York Times’ review of his 101-page filing with the FEC.

He also took out some new loans on each of those properties, totaling $50m each.

Mr Trump also paid off a loan valued at more than $50m on the Washington hotel he sold last year.

Most of the loans are from Deutsche Bank, where he once had a balance of more than $295. His still owes $45m.

If elected, Trump wants federal employees to take apparent political loyalty test

07:00 , Alex Woodward

In a video released by his campaign, Trump said he wants “every federal employees to pass a new civil service test” if he is elected.

His test appears to run through a checklist of conservative ideological bulletpoints, including an understanding of “our constitutional, limited government,” the role of federalism, “religious liberty,” and “unreasonable search and seizure,” mentioning the FBI’s lawful search of his Mar-a-Lago property connected to long-running investigation into his withholding of classified documents.

NRA crowd greets Mike Pence with boos: ‘I love you too’

05:00 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pence’s reception at the NRA’s event on Friday was in sharp contrast to that for the former president, who pressured Mr Pence to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election while overseeing a joint session of Congress on 6 January 2021 as a mob of Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the halls of the US Capitol.

“I hope you gave Pence a good, warm approval,” Mr Trump said in his remarks. “No, because he is a nice man, if you want to really know the truth, he is. He’s a good man. And I heard it was very rough.”

NRA crowd greets Mike Pence with boos: ‘I love you too’

Trump made less than $200 from Truth Social and millions from speaking gigs and overseas deals, filings show

03:00 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s personal financial disclosure reports with the Federal Election Commission offer the first public glimpse into his earnings and financial state since leaving the White House in 2021.

His campaign also said he raised more than $15m between the announcement of criminal charges against him and the end of the filing deadline, with a massive $34m haul within the first few months of the year alone.

Trump’s financial disclosures reveal ex-president’s financial state

ICYMI: Trump threatens trans healthcare in NRA speech baselessly blaming gender-affirming care for violence

01:30 , Alex Woodward

In his remarks to a National Rifle Association event on Friday, Donald Trump vowed to use the full force of the federal government to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender Americans, a statement that elevates his anti-trans rhetoric and Republican threats to LGBT+ people ahead of 2024 elections.

There have been more than 155 mass shootings and more than 12,000 gun-related deaths in 2023, which the GOP presidential candidate blamed on a “mental health problem” and a “spiritual problem” in his remarks in Indiana on 14 April.

He said he would direct the US Food and Drug Administration to study the effects of gender-affirming healthcare and so-called “trans ideology” on mental health and “violence”, should he be elected.

Trump threatens trans healthcare in NRA speech

Marjorie Taylor Greene spent more than $65,000 in campaign funds on home fence

Sunday 16 April 2023 00:30 , Alex Woodward

Far-right congressmember and staunch Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly spent more than $65,000 of her campaign funds installing a fence at her home, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Marjorie Taylor Greene spent more than $65,000 in campaign funds on home fence

Judge who wants to block mifepristone removed his name from anti-abortion article before Senate confirmation

Saturday 15 April 2023 23:30 , Alex Woodward

The federal judge appointed by Donald Trump presiding over a challenge to a widely used abortion drug reportedly failed to disclose to members of Congress that he authored an article attacking abortion rights and transgender healthcare in a right-wing legal journal.

US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, then an attorney for an influential conservative Christian legal group, removed his name from the article before a judicial nomination process under then-President Donald Trump, according to The Washington Post.

The article did not come up during his testimony to the US Senate, which ultimately approved his appointment to the federal bench in 2019.

Judge in mifepristone case failed to disclose writing anti-abortion article

Top Trump lawyer recuses himself from Mar-a-Lago case, report says

Saturday 15 April 2023 22:30 , Alex Woodward

Evan Corcoran will no longer be representing the former president in the federal case involving classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, according to The Washington Post.

Federal prosecutors have recently won a court battle that allows them to question Mr Corcoran in the Justice Department special counsel investigation, with judges determining that he could not use attorney-client privilege to avoid discussing his communication with the former president.

Trump lawyer Tim Parlatore told the newspaper in a statement that “the legal team handling all matters involving the special counsel – myself, James Trusty, John Rowley, Lindsey Halligan, and Evan Corcoran is intact and we continue to work closely with Evan as we do with the entire team to protect our client.”

Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Post that reports about Mr Corcoran’s recusal are inaccurate. Mr Corcoran’s lawyer declined to comment.

NRA crowd greets Mike Pence with boos: ‘I love you too’

Saturday 15 April 2023 21:30 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pence’s reception at the NRA’s event on Friday was in sharp contrast to that for the former president, who pressured Mr Pence to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election while overseeing a joint session of Congress on 6 January 2021 as a mob of Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the halls of the US Capitol.

“I hope you gave Pence a good, warm approval,” Mr Trump said in his remarks. “No, because he is a nice man, if you want to really know the truth, he is. He’s a good man. And I heard it was very rough.”

NRA crowd greets Mike Pence with boos: ‘I love you too’

Full story: Trump made less than $200 from Truth Social and millions from speaking gigs and overseas deals, filings show

Saturday 15 April 2023 20:30 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s personal financial disclosure reports with the Federal Election Commission offer the first public glimpse into his earnings and financial state since leaving the White House in 2021.

His campaign also said he raised more than $15m between the announcement of criminal charges against him and the end of the filing deadline, with a massive $34m haul within the first few months of the year alone.

Trump’s financial disclosures reveal ex-president’s financial state

Melania Trump’s two-year-old company earned millions, report shows

Saturday 15 April 2023 19:30 , Alex Woodward

Former first lady Melania Trump’s MKT World LLC, which was incorporated in 2021 with the same address as the Trump International Golf Club, earned somewhere between $1m and $5m, financial disclosure reports show.

It’s unclear what, exactly, the company does, though Ms Trump has launched several ventures since departing the White House, including a deal with Parler and a line of NFTs.

Trump paid off six outstanding loans since leaving office – and he took out new ones

Saturday 15 April 2023 18:51 , Alex Woodward

Financial disclosures show that the former president has more than $200m in total debts, though he paid off six outstanding loans since leaving the White House, including one valued at more than $50m on Trump Tower and Trump Doral golf club in Florida, the organisation’s biggest money maker.

He also took out some new loans on each of those propertiries, totaling $50m each.

Mr Trump also paid off a loan valued at more than $50m on the Washington hotel he sold last year.

Most of the loans are from Deutsche Banke, where he once had a balance of more than $295. His still owes $45m.

Trump’s presidential campaign has raised $34m so far this year, mostly off his criminal indictment and ‘arrest’ prediction

Saturday 15 April 2023 17:30 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s presidential campaign has raised more than $34m since the start of the year ahead of his 2024 run for the White House, according to reporting from Politico and the Associated Press.

A huge surge in contributions came from fundraising after he predicted his “arrest” and after criminal charges in New York were filed against him.

His reports with the Federal Election Commission will show he raised roughly $18.8m between a campaign account and a joint fundraising account over the the first three months of the year – $4m of which came after his indictment on 30 March.

His campaign said he raised more than $15m between the announcement of charges against him and the end of the filing deadline.

Here’s how his campaign pushed for donations after he predicted his “arrest”:

How Trump’s campaign is raking in millions after his arrest prediction and indictment

Trump’s financial disclosures reveal his post-White house earnings

Saturday 15 April 2023 16:40 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s financial disclosures with the Federal Election Commission show that he made more than $5m from speaking engagements, between $100,000 and $1m with his NFT scheme and less than $200 from Truth Social.

The 101-page document also shows that he earned $5m in royalties through “DT Marks Oman LLC,” one of his overseas business ventures.

A report from The New York Times last year found that his Trump Organization inked a deal with a Saudi real estate company to build a Trump-affiliated hotel, villa and golf course in Oman as part of a $4bn project.

Mr Trump also claimed to earn revenue from 16 different books, though most made him less than $201, according to the filing.

Truth Social, which is reportedly valued between $5m and $25m, made him less than $201, according to the document.

He owns 90 per cent of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, the umbrella group for Truth Social.

Trump threatens trans healthcare in NRA speech baselessly blaming gender-affirming care for violence

Saturday 15 April 2023 16:00 , Alex Woodward

In his remarks to a National Rifle Association event, Donald Trump vowed to use the full force of the federal government to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender Americans, a statement that elevates his anti-trans rhetoric and Republican threats to LGBT+ people ahead of 2024 elections.

Trump threatens trans healthcare in NRA speech

Michael Cohen says he may file countersuit to Trump’s $500m case: ‘I can’t believe how stupid he was’

Saturday 15 April 2023 15:30 , Alex Woodward

Michael Cohen has suggested he will file a countersuit against Donald Trump, who he said should have listened to lawyers who told him that doing so would be “a mistake”.

The former president had slapped a $500m lawsuit on Wednesday against his former lawyer Mr Cohen alleging a breach of his attorney-client relationship and unjust enrichment, among other claims.

On Thursday’s Political Breakdown podcast, Mr Cohen weighed in on the lawsuit against him.

“It’s possibly one of the most important cases for our democracy. I can’t believe how stupid he was to have actually filed it,” Mr Cohen said.

Michael Cohen says he may file countersuit to Trump’s $500m case

Who is the Trump-appointed judge trying to ban a widely used abortion drug?

Saturday 15 April 2023 14:40 , Alex Woodward

Good morning in America.

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court temporarily halted a federal court ruling from a Texas judge that would have blocked the government’s approval of a commonly used abortion drug, which was first approved more than 20 years ago.

The judge who took up the case and issued a ruling that has been widely criticised by abortion rights advocates and legal analysts is Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by Donald Trump.

Who is Trump-appointed judge Matthew Kacsmaryk trying to ban abortion drug?

Pro-Trump ad attacks ‘pudding fingers’ Ron DeSantis

Saturday 15 April 2023 14:00 , Graeme Massie

Ex-president has launched a series of attacks on Ron DeSantis as the Florida Governor is expected to announce his campaign for the White House.

Pro-Trump ad attacks ‘pudding fingers’ Ron DeSantis

Judge denies Trump bid to delay rape trial after his lawyers accuse LinkedIn co-founder of funding accuser

Saturday 15 April 2023 13:06 , Graeme Massie

This is the second time Trump has tried and failed to delay the lawsuit.

Ariana Baio has all the details.

Judge denies Trump bid to delay rape trial over questions of accuser’s legal support

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is sent a second package containing white powder after Trump arrest

Saturday 15 April 2023 12:08 , Graeme Massie

On Wednesday, two law enforcement agents officials told NBC News that an envelope, which was addressed to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, was reported to authorities after being found to contain an explicit note, a photo of Mr Bragg and Donald Trump, and a mysterious white powder.

It’s the second instance of Mr Bragg receiving such a threatening package since his prosecution of the former president began.

New York police were called to the mailroom at the office located in Lower Manhattan as a precaution and determined the white powder was nonhazardous.

Read more in The Independent:

Alvin Bragg sent a second package containing white powder after Trump arrest

Audio reveals Rudy Giuliani and Trump campaign had no evidence to back up Dominion claims

Saturday 15 April 2023 11:05 , Graeme Massie

A second audio recording in which former Trump lead attorney Rudy Giuliani admits that the Trump campaign had no evidence to back up their claims about Dominion Voting Systems has been released.

The latest revelation is thanks to the $1.6bn lawsuit the company has filed against Fox News, which is resulting in a cascade of humiliation for the right-leaning network as private communications between top personalities who publicly defended these claims on air have been publicised.

Read more:

Giuliani and Trump campaign had no evidence for Dominion claims, recordings reveal

Republican Tim Scott launches exploratory 2024 committee

Saturday 15 April 2023 10:18 , Graeme Massie

The Senate’s lone Black Republican member is entering the 2024 race.

Sen Tim Scott on Wednesday announced the launch of an exploratory political campaign for the Republican nomination; in doing so, he also previewed what is likely to be the defining weakness of his campaign. His announcement interview carried no mention of Donald Trump and reflected little of the actual realities of today’s modern-day GOP.

Read more:

Republican Senator Tim Scott launches exploratory committee

Legal troubles ramp up for Fox as Rupert Murdoch is sued by investor over ‘stolen election claims’

Saturday 15 April 2023 09:01 , Graeme Massie

An individual shareholder of Fox Corporation is suing Chairman Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, as well as other members of the company’s board alleging they breached their fiduciary duty to the company.

In a lawsuit filed in Delaware Chancery Court on 11 April, investor Robert Schwarz brought forth a derivative suit claiming that board members chose to promote “false stolen election claims” which negatively impacted the company’s reputation and led to two defamation cases.

This news comes as more and more Fox employees are fretting in comments to journalists about the future of their company thanks to the massive $1.6bn lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems that threatens the company’s finances in an unprecedented way.

Ariana Baio has more:

Fox investor sues Rupert Murdoch over ‘stolen election claims’

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money case that led to Trump’s arrest

Saturday 15 April 2023 07:57 , Graeme Massie

The origins of Donald Trump’s current legal woes date all the way back to his first bid for the presidency, when he faced Hillary Clinton as a mostly-untested political newcomer and was (at the time) facing a barrage of criticism over revolting sexist remarks made on a leaked Access Hollywood tape.

With the US now facing the historic prospect of a former president being prosecuted as a criminal in open court, let’s go back to the beginning, and look at the major milestones of the Stormy Daniels saga and how it led to this moment:

What did Donald Trump do?

2024 contender Tim Scott says he backs 20-week federal abortion ban

Saturday 15 April 2023 07:04 , Graeme Massie

Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said Thursday that he supports a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy and would sign such legislation into law if he became president.

“It makes total sense to me,” Scott told reporters in New Hampshire, where he was meeting with GOP officials and pastors a day after announcing his exploratory committee for a 2024 presidential campaign.

Read more:

GOP's Tim Scott says he backs 20-week federal abortion ban

Capitol riot navy veteran sentenced to three years in jail

Saturday 15 April 2023 06:12 , Graeme Massie

A former Navy reservist and Proud Boys member who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, and expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler, was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison on firearms charges.

Read more:

Navy veteran who stormed Capitol gets 3 years on gun charges

In shadow of multiple mass shootings, GOP 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention

Saturday 15 April 2023 05:03 , Graeme Massie

Last year it was Uvalde. Now it’s Nashville and Louisville. For the second year in a row, the National Rifle Association is holding its annual convention within days of mass shootings that shook the nation.

The three-day gathering, beginning Friday, will include thousands of the organization’s most active members at Indianapolis’ convention center and is attracting a bevy of top Republican presidential candidates — enough that it could help shape the early part of next year’s GOP primary race.

Read more:

Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings

New Yorkers love to hate Trump

Saturday 15 April 2023 04:09 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump’s motorcade was met with chants of “New York hates you” after he returned to the city for a deposition in a $250m civil lawsuit alleging fraud by his company and him.

Shweta Sharma has the story.

Trump met with chants of ‘New York hates you!’ as he arrives for Manhattan deposition

‘I can’t believe how stupid he was’: Cohen may file countersuit to Trump case

Saturday 15 April 2023 03:04 , Graeme Massie

Michael Cohen has suggested he will file a countersuit against Donald Trump, who he said should have listened to lawyers who told him that doing so would be “a mistake”.

The former president had slapped a $500m lawsuit on Wednesday against his former lawyer Mr Cohen alleging a breach of his attorney-client relationship and unjust enrichment, among other claims.

On Thursday’s Political Breakdown podcast, Mr Cohen weighed in on the lawsuit against him.

Sebastian Miño-Bucheli reports on what he said:

Michael Cohen says he may file countersuit to Trump’s $500m case

Voices: Trump’s legal trouble could make or break his campaign

Saturday 15 April 2023 02:03 , Graeme Massie

Chris Stevenson writes:

Trump’s team will want to make as much political hay as they can now, with the aim of trying to build up a momentum that would be difficult to stop once the voting for the Republican presidential nominees begins.

Trump’s legal trouble could make or break his campaign | Chris Stevenson

Mike Pompeo will not challenge Trump in 2024

Saturday 15 April 2023 00:36 , Graeme Massie

“Susan and I have concluded, after much consideration and prayer, that I will not present myself as a candidate to become President of the United States in the 2024 election,” the Republican tweeted on Friday afternoon.

Trump attacks NY AG in NRA speech

Friday 14 April 2023 23:55 , Graeme Massie

Trump told NRA members that they share a common enemy in New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has filed a civil case against the one-term president.

“The very same raging radical left lunatic attorney general that is coming after me in New York state is also waging war on the NRA, shamefully trying to destroy this legendary organisation that’s been an American institution since 1871,” Mr Trump said.

Pence says Trump not right for 2024 bid

Friday 14 April 2023 23:14 , Graeme Massie

“I really do believe no one could have defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 other than Donald Trump. But with all the challenges that we’re facing ... I truly do believe that different times call for different leadership,” said Mr Trump’s former vice president.

Trump tells NRA conference he will end Biden’s ‘war’ on guns: ‘What they’re doing is crazy’

Friday 14 April 2023 22:46 , Graeme Massie

The former president said he would remain a ‘loyal friend and fearless champion’ of the much-maligned group.

Trump tells NRA conference he will end Biden’s ‘war’ on guns

Marjorie Taylor Greene should lose her security clearance after defending Pentagon leaker, Liz Cheney says

Friday 14 April 2023 22:34 , Graeme Massie

The far-right MAGA lawmaker from Georgia has been widely criticised for coming to the defence of Airman Jack Teixeira following his arrest by the FBI in Massachusetts.

Liz Cheney attacks Marjorie Taylor Greene over defence of Pentagon leaker

Michael Cohen says he may file countersuit to Trump’s $500m case: ‘I can’t believe how stupid he was’

Friday 14 April 2023 21:46 , Graeme Massie

“It’s possibly one of the most important cases for our democracy. I can’t believe how stupid he was to have actually filed it,” Mr Cohen said.

Michael Cohen says he may file countersuit to Trump’s $500m case

Trump leaves Trump Tower after New York deposition

Friday 14 April 2023 20:59 , Graeme Massie

Trump’s ‘crying’ court staff claim? ‘Absolute BS’

Friday 14 April 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s bizarre claim that New York court staff were “crying” when he was arrested and arraigned is “absolute BS”, according to a report.

Graeme Massie reports on the contradiction to the former president’s claim that surprised literally no one.

Trump’s ‘crying’ court staff claim is ‘absolute BS’ say law enforcement

MAGA Inc releases stomach-turning anti-DeSantis pudding ad

Friday 14 April 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Not what you want to see during the morning news shows (especially while on a treadmill at the gym).

Enjoy!

LinkedIn founder is helping to fund E Jean Carroll rape case against Trump

Friday 14 April 2023 13:55 , Rachel Sharp

LinkedIn co-founder and major Democratic donor Reid Hoffman is helping to fund E Jean Carroll’s rape case against Donald Trump, it has been revealed.

Ms Carroll has claimed that Mr Trump raped her in the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the 1990s.

On Thursday, Mr Trump’s attorneys made court filings accusing Ms Carroll of intentionally failing to disclose that Mr Hoffman was funding her case.

A federal judge ruled that Mr Trump’s attorneys can question his rape accuser about the funding when the case heads to trial.

The judge also rejected a request from the former president’s team to delay the trial start date – after they claimed there needed to be a cooling off period after Mr Trump’s arrest in the hush money case.

Michael Cohen considers countersuing Trump

Friday 14 April 2023 13:25 , Rachel Sharp

Michael Cohen has suggested he will file a countersuit against Donald Trump, who he said should have listened to lawyers who told him that doing so would be “a mistake”.

The former president had slapped a $500m lawsuit on Wednesday against his former lawyer Mr Cohen alleging a breach of his attorney-client relationship and unjust enrichment, among other claims.

On Thursday’s Political Breakdown podcast, Mr Cohen weighed in on the lawsuit against him.

“This will be a civil suit that’s brought by him, with a countersuit. So, could you imagine, in a case that you’re the plaintiff on, despite the fact that you’ll be technically a defendant in the countersuit, that you’re now not going to answer questions?”

“That’s fantastic,” Mr Cohen said sarcastically.

Mr Cohen also dubbed the former president’s lawyers “the clown show, crackerjack lawyers” and dubbed the new case as a “David and Goliath” story.

The lawyer referred to himself as David and “the big, 3,000 pound gorilla over there” as Goliath.

“At the end of the day, I’m gonna hit him again with another rock right in the forehead, because the documents are stupid. They don’t make any sense,” Mr Cohen said.

“He’s gonna get countersued, there’s no doubt about that one, for what he’s doing.”

Andy Biggs introduces legislation to strip Bragg’s office of federal funds

Friday 14 April 2023 12:25 , John Bowden

An Arizona congressman and fierce Trump ally has announced a bill aimed at stripping Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office of any federal funding in revenge for the prosecution of Donald Trump by Mr Bragg. It faces a steep road to passage in House, which is controlled by a thin GOP majority. It will not pass the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

“District Attorney Alvin Bragg ran on a campaign pledge to indict President Trump. Bragg took the unprecedented action of converting alleged minor business misdemeanors to 34 individual felonies in an attempt to put President Trump behind bars and humiliate him and his supporters,” he told The Daily Caller.

In video: Trump claims courthouse staff ‘were crying’ when he was indicted

Friday 14 April 2023 11:55 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has claimed that court officials “were crying” when he was indicted on charges of business fraud.

The ex-US president has become the first former US president to face criminal charges after the indictment on 30 March by a Manhattan grand jury in a probe over hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

During a fawning interview this week with Fox’s Tucker Carlson, Mr Trump described the courtroom staff as “incredible.”

Watch below:

Trump claims he spent deposition ‘educating’ Letitia James about his ‘American success story'

Friday 14 April 2023 10:55 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has claimed that he spent his seven-hour deposition “educating” New York Attorney General Letitia James about his “American success story”.

The former president appeared for a deposition in New York on Thursday in the civil case brought against him, his adult children and the Trump Organization claiming that they gave lenders false financial statements overvaluing assets over a decade of deals.

During seven hours of testimony, Mr Trump “spent nearly seven hours today describing in detail his extraordinary business success,” according to his lawyer Chris Kise.

“This is an American success story. Last I checked, capitalism is still legal in America.“

His willingness to answer questions comes after he pleaded the Fifth more than 400 times when he sat for his first deposition in the case in August.

His appearance marked his first return to New York since he was arraigned on a 34-count indictment in the hush money case last week.

Jim Jordan to hold ‘field hearing’ of House Judiciary Committee on Bragg’s home turf

Friday 14 April 2023 08:25 , John Bowden

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan will host a “field hearing”, likely to be attended by the committee’s Republican members, in New York next week as he continues his efforts to try and politically punish District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

Mr Jordan plans to highlight victims of crime in New York City as he tries to argue that the Manhattan DA is ignoring his responsibilities to prosecute street crime as his office pursues charges against Mr Trump. Mr Bragg has fiercely denied this, and decried Mr Jordan’s efforts as blatant political intimidation.

Republican Tim Scott launches exploratory 2024 committee

Friday 14 April 2023 07:24 , John Bowden

The Senate’s lone Black Republican member is entering the 2024 race.

Sen Tim Scott on Wednesday announced the launch of an exploratory political campaign for the Republican nomination; in doing so, he also previewed what is likely to be the defining weakness of his campaign. His announcement interview carried no mention of Donald Trump and reflected little of the actual realities of today’s modern-day GOP.

Read more:

Republican Senator Tim Scott launches exploratory committee

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money case that led to Trump’s arrest

Friday 14 April 2023 05:24 , John Bowden

The origins of Donald Trump’s current legal woes date all the way back to his first bid for the presidency, when he faced Hillary Clinton as a mostly-untested political newcomer and was (at the time) facing a barrage of criticism over revolting sexist remarks made on a leaked Access Hollywood tape.

With the US now facing the historic prospect of a former president being prosecuted as a criminal in open court, let’s go back to the beginning, and look at the major milestones of the Stormy Daniels saga and how it led to this moment:

What did Donald Trump do?