Trump news – live: Georgia grand jury recommends indictments for perjury as Trump targets Nikki Haley

The grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia has released some of its findings.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney had ordered the release of the report’s introduction, conclusion and concerns the jury had about witnesses lying under oath. The report recommends indictments for any witnesses who allegedly committed perjury before the panel.

The report is the result of a two-year investigation into the actions of Mr Trump and his campaign back in 2020 when the one-term president lost the state to President Joe Biden.

Infamously, Mr Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021 asking him to “find” enough votes to swing the election in his favour.

The release of the probe’s findings comes as it emerged that Mr Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has been subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating the former president’s role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

A source told CNN that Mr Meadows received the subpoena last month, the latest sign that special counsel Jack Smith is ramping up his investigation into the former president.

Key points

• Georgia grand jury investigating Trump’s 2020 election meddling to release findings today

• Mark Meadows subpoenaed in Jan 6 probe

• Judge rejects Trump’s offer to supply DNA in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

• Trump wants to bring back firing squads, execute drug dealers en masse

• Special counsel probes ramp up with former NSA chief and Mike Pence subpoenaed

Fulton county district attorney is encouraged to seek further indictments

22:30 , John Bowden

In the report’s conclusion, the grand jury noted that no election law experts were presnt among the group and asserted that the Fulton County district attorney could seek further indictments beyond charges of perjury as she sees fit.

“If this report fails to include any potential violations of referenced statutes that were shown in the investigation, we acknowledge the discretion of the District Attorney to seek indictments where she finds sufficient cause. Furthermore this Grand Jury contained no election law experts or criminal lawyers. The majority of this Grand Jury used their collective best efforts, however, to attend every session, listen to every witness, and attempt to understand the facts as presented and the laws as explained.”

The grand jury report proved what everyone – including Trump – already knew

Trump claims he made Nikki Haley UN ambassador because she was a bad South Carolina governor

22:27 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump has claimed he made Nikki Haley UN ambassador because of the bad job she was doing as governor of South Carolina.

The one-term president took a swing at his 2024 rival for the Republican nomination for president in a post on Truth Social the day after she announced she was running against him.

“The greatest thing Nikki Haley did for our Country, and the Great State of South Carolina, was accepting the position of United Nations Ambassador so that the incredible then Lieutenant Governor, Henry McMaster, could be Governor of South Carolina, where he has done an absolutely fantastic job,” Mr Trump wrote.

Read more:

Proud Boys lawyers demand Trump come and testify at their Jan 6 sedition trial

21:45 , John Bowden

Members of the Proud Boys on trial for their alleged roles inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol are launching a long-shot bid to get Donald Trump to testify.

“At all times relevant, Trump was president of the United States, and it’s the government’s obligation to produce him,” attorney Norm Pattis said in court Thursday.

Attorneys for the five men on trial – Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola and Joseph Biggs – have argued that it was Mr Trump who lit the spark of the January 6 conspiracy, not them.

Josh Marcus has the story:

Proud Boys lawyers demand Trump come and testify at their Jan 6 sedition trial

VOICES – The grand jury report proved what everyone – including Trump – already knew

21:00 , John Bowden

The release of some of the evidence heard by a Georgia grand jury investigating the actions of Trump and others, came to the same conclusion as the committee investigating January 6, that there was no election fraud, writes The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe.

Read on in The Independent’s Voices section:

The grand jury report proved what everyone – including Trump – already knew

Nikki Haley’s bid might not hurt Trump, but it could be fatal to Ron DeSantis

20:15 , John Bowden

Former South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley’s entrance into the 2024 presidential race isn’t bad news for her former boss, Donald Trump, who is currently the only other prominent announced candidate.

Instead, it’s a bad sign for Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who is already presumed to be the popular anti-Trump alternative for the contest even though he remains publicly vague about whether he will run, writes The Independent’s Eric Garcia.

Read more:

Nikki Haley’s bid might not hurt Trump, but it could be fatal to Ron DeSantis

Grand jury recommends perjury indictment(s)

19:45 , John Bowden

The most important information included in Thursday’s report: One or more witnesses were suspected of lying to the grand jury.

What does this mean? In public statements, District Attorney Fani Williams has indicated that the grand jury recommended more than one indictment.

A number of Mr Trump’s lawyers including John Eastman, currently facing an effort by the California State Bar to punish him as well, could be targeted with indictments for lying under oath. But there’s no information about what specifically the witness or witnesses in question lied about, nor any recommendations for crimes actually related to an effort to overturn the results.

Read more:

Four key takeaways from the partial release of Fulton County grand jury report

Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump?

19:15 , John Bowden

A phone call between Mr Trump and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger 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.

The closely watched case against the former president could result in racketeering charges similar to those that Ms Willis has made a career out of bringing against dozens of others.

Alex Woodward profiles Fulton County’s top law enforcement official for The Independent:

Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump

Proud Boys lawyers seek Trump testimony at trial

19:12 , David Taintor

Lawyers representing the Proud Boys members on trial in Washington DC have requested former President Donald Trump give testimony in the case. Needless to say, the request is unlikely to be accommodated.

No widespread fraud in Georgia

18:45 , John Bowden

More than two years since voters in Georgia decided to serve Mr Trump an upset defeat, his allies are still claiming that the 2020 election was rigged in states across the country, including Georgia.

But they had their shot – once again – to prove their case before Fulton County’s grand jury, and it didn’t go so well, according to portion of the report released on Thursday.

“The Grand jury heard extensive testimony on the subject of alleged election fraud from poll workers, investigators, technical experts, and State of Georgia employees and officials, as well as from persons still claiming that such fraud took place. We find by unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election,” reads the report.

Four key takeaways from the partial release of Fulton County grand jury report

The Georgia phone call that could bring down Donald Trump: ‘I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break’

18:43 , Josh Marcus

By the end of 2024, Donald Trump could be facing two very different prospects: he could be sitting in the White House – or a Georgia prison.

That’s because, since February 2021, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating the former president’s attempts to influence the state’s election results. In January, a grand jury convened by Ms Willis concluded its work, leaving the prosecutor in the unprecedented position of deciding whether Donald Trump will be the first former president in US history to be prosecuted for a criminal offence.

On Thursday, portions of the grand jury’s work became public, offering new clues about the former president’s fate in Georgia.

Read more on the backstory of the phone call below:

‘I need 11,000 votes’: The Georgia phone call that could bring down Donald Trump

Trump responds to Georgia grand jury report

17:49 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has responded to the partial release of the Fulton County grand jury report, which recommended that one or more witnesses be charged with perjury.

In a statement, he repeated his long-held belief that he committed no crimes when he repeatedly asked Georgia’s secretary of State to “find” nearly 12,000 votes in his name.

“The long awaited important sections of the Georgia report, which do not even mention President Trump’s name, have nothing to do with the President because President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong,” reads the statement from his office.

“The President participated in two perfect phone calls regarding election integrity in Georgia, which he is entitled to do - in fact, as President, it was President Trump’s Constitutional duty to ensure election safety, security, and integrity. Between the two calls, there were many officials and attorneys on the line, including the Secretary of State of Georgia, and no one objected, even slightly protested, or hung up. President Trump will always keep fighting for true and honest elections in America!” it continued.

Trump repeats claim of ‘perfect’ call after Fulton County grand jury report release

Four key takeaways from the partial release of Fulton County grand jury report

17:25 , John Bowden

Fulton County’s grand jury investigation into Donald Trump and his legal team’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia has concluded with recommendations for perjury charges against one or more witnesses who submitted testimony.

The nine-page document has been long awaited in the world of politics as it was set to be the first sign of whether Donald Trump and his allies will face serious legal consequences for attempts to overturn the election results in the key state.

Thursday’s release is likely to be the entirety of the document that will see the light of day; a judge has ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fanni Willis is not required to release the full document. There are key omissions from the document, and, notably, prosecutors are not actually bound to follow the recommendations from the grand jury.

Dive into the report below:

Four key takeaways from the partial release of Fulton County grand jury report

Trump slurs Letitia James as ‘racist in reverse’ and attacks her for NRA suit

17:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump turned his fire (once again) on New York’s attorney general in a Truth Social post Thursday morning.

The ex-president has long chafed at Ms James’s efforts to hold his company accountable for alleged financial crimes.

On Thursday, he dubbed her a “racist in reverse” and slammed her for going after the National Rifle Association in a lawsuit meant to break up the gun lobby.

“Everybody has to step up and support the National Rifle Association (NRA) against the ’Racist In Reverse’ New York State Attorney General, Letitia James, who is fighting with every ounce of her strength, which shouldn’t be much, to destroy the NRA, and the Republican Party along with it,” he said.

“Her ‘Office’ is consumed with the NRA (and me), with massive amounts of time, money, and effort devoted to this as opposed to stopping the record setting VIOLENT and other crimes in New York State!!!” Mr Trump added.

Grand jury report does not name names

16:58 , John Bowden

Notably, the grand jury report does not name any individuals that panel members believed may have committed crimes. A total of 75 people had testified before the grand jury. The names are not included because the investigation is ongoing and it would hamper any criminal probe to have public allegations before any indictment are unsealed.

Grand jury unanimously agrees there was no widespread voter fraud in Georgia

16:53 , John Bowden

The biggest takeaway from the Georgia grand jury materials is that the panel unanimously agreed that no widespread voter fraud took place in the state’s 2020 election. Donald Trump, of course, tried to pressure local officials into overturning the results, claiming without evidence that fraud was committed.

“The Grand jury heard extensive testimony on the subject of alleged election fraud from poll workers, investigators, technical experts, and State of Georgia employees and officials, as well as from persons still claiming that such fraud took place. We find by unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election.”

Trump has yet to weigh in on the report’s release

16:41 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has so far not weighed in on the partial Georgia grand jury report, but he has found the time to go after longtime foe Don Lemon of CNN.

“The Dumbest Man on Television!” Mr Trump said on Truth Social.

Key findings from Georgia grand jury report

16:26 , Alex Woodward

The partial grand jury report presents a few key findings:

• The panel unanimously agreed that “no widespread fraud took place” in Georgia’s election following interviews with election officials, analysts and poll workers.

• “One or more” witnesses may have committed perjury while speaking to the grand jury, and the report recommends DA Fani Willis’ office seek indictments against anone who may have lied to the panel.

• The report says it is up to Ms Willis on whether to “seek indictments where she finds sufficient cause”.

• The report does not name witnesses who testified before the grand jury

Read more:

Judge releases partial Georgia grand jury report on Trump election interference

Fulton County grand jury report released

16:17 , John Bowden

Officials in Georgia have released parts of a grand jury report detailing their investigation into Donald Trump and his team’s efforts to change the state’s results in the weeks and months after the 2020 election.

Read the report here:

Why Donald Trump’s phone call seeking to overturn Georgia election results was so damaging

15:45 , John Bowden

Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, on Thursday will release a partial grand jury report detailing their investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

A conference call between the White House, Mr Trump’s lawyers, and Georgia state officials on 2 January 2021 has now become a crucial piece of evidence in the grand jury investigation into Mr Trump and his legal team after it first sent shockwaves through the media and political class.

Let’s take a look at exactly why the call was so damaging for Mr Trump’s credibility on the issue of his 2020 election fraud claims:

Why Trump’s phone call seeking to overturn Georgia election results was so damaging

‘We can’t let that ever happen again’: Nikki Haley’s stunning reversals on Donald Trump

15:12 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, was blistering in her words following the January 6 insurrection in Washington

“We need to acknowledge he let us down. He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again,” she said at the time.

But just a few weeks later, the ex-Trump official was already trying to finegle her way back in to her old boss’s good graces.

Follow her unique journey to the 2024 field in The Independent:

From Trump ambassador to ‘sellout’: What is Nikki Haley doing in the 2024 race

The Georgia phone call that could bring down Donald Trump: ‘I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break’

14:00 , Rachel Sharp

By the end of 2024, Donald Trump could be facing two very different prospects: he could be sitting in the White House – or a Georgia prison.

That’s because, since February 2021, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating the former president’s attempts to influence the state’s election results.

In January, a grand jury convened by Ms Willis concluded its work, leaving the prosecutor in the unprecedented position of deciding whether Donald Trump will be the first former president in US history to be prosecuted for a criminal offence.

On Thursday, portions of the grand jury’s work will become public, offering new clues about the former president’s fate in Georgia.

The investigation has focused on an infamous 2 January, 2021, phone call Mr Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, urging the top official to “find” enough votes for him to overturn his defeat in the state, but has expanded to cover a wide-ranging influence campaign Mr Trump and his allies exerted in Georgia.

The Independent’s Josh Marcus outlines what you need to know about the call, and the investigation that followed in its wake:

‘I need 11,000 votes’: The Georgia phone call that could bring down Donald Trump

Police officer fed Proud Boys lead information before Jan 6

13:40 , Rachel Sharp

A police officer frequently provided Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio with internal information about law enforcement operations in the weeks before other members of his far-right extremist group stormed the US Capitol, according to messages shown Wednesday at the trial of Tarrio and four associates.

A federal prosecutor showed jurors a string of messages that Metropolitan Police Lt. Shane Lamond and Tarrio privately exchanged in the run-up to a mob’s attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Lamond, an intelligence officer for the city’s police department, was responsible for monitoring groups like the Proud Boys when they came to Washington for protests.

Less than three weeks before the Jan. 6 riot, Lamond warned Tarrio that the FBI and US Secret Service were “all spun up” over talk on an Infowars internet show that the Proud Boys planned to dress up as supporters of President Joe Biden on the Democrat’s inauguration day.

Justice Department prosecutor Conor Mulroe asked a government witness, FBI Special Agent Peter Dubrowski, how common it is for law enforcement to disclose internal information in that fashion.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Dubrowski said.

Tarrio was arrested in Washington two days before the Capitol attack and charged with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. He was released from jail before the riot and wasn’t in Washington on Jan. 6.

In a message to Tarrio on Dec. 25, 2020, Lamond said Metropolitan Police Department investigators had asked him to identify Tarrio from a photograph. He warned Tarrio that police may be seeking a warrant for his arrest.

Later, on the day of his arrest, Tarrio posted a message to other Proud Boys leaders that said, “The warrant was just signed.”

Before the trial started in January, Tarrio’s attorneys said Lamond’s testimony would be crucial for his defense, supporting Tarrio’s claims that he was looking to avoid violence. Mulroe said Lamond has asserted his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.

Tarrio’s attorneys have accused prosecutors of bullying Lamond into keeping quiet by warning the officer he could be charged with obstructing the investigation into Tarrio, a Miami resident who was national chairman of the Proud Boys. Prosecutors deny that claim.

Sabino Jauregui, one of Tarrio’s attorneys, said other messages show Tarrio routinely cooperated with police and had provided Lamond with useful information. Jauregui said prosecutors “dragged (Lamond’s) name through the mud” and falsely insinuated he is a “dirty cop” who had an inappropriate relationship with Tarrio.

“That was their theme over and over again,” Jauregui told U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly during a break in testimony.

Lamond was placed on administrative leave by the police force in February 2022, according to Mark Schamel, an attorney for the officer. Schamel has said Lamond is a “decorated veteran” of the police department and “doesn’t share any of the indefensible positions” of extremist groups.

Tarrio and his four lieutenants are charged with seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was a plot to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power and keep former President Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 presidential election. Thousands of rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, disrupting a joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College vote.

With Wires

Mark Meadows subpoenaed in Jan 6 probe

13:20 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has been subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating the former president’s role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

A source told CNN that Mr Meadows received the subpoena last month, the latest sign that special counsel Jack Smith is ramping up his investigation into the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in his favour.

On the day of the Capitol riot, Mr Meadows was Mr Trump’s chief of staff and one of his closest advisers.

During the House Select committee hearings investigating the riot, Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to Mr Meadows, testified that he told her things might get “real, real bad” on 6 January 2021.

He was also involved in the infamous leaked phone conversation between Mr Trump and Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger in January 2021 during which the former president urged Mr Raffensperger to “find” him enough votes to win the state.

JD Vance slammed for delayed reaction to Ohio train derailment: ‘Gibberish’

13:00 , John Bowden

Ohio Senator JD Vance is facing criticism for taking 10 days to issue a statement about a train derailment near East Palestine that forced thousands of residents to flee their homes due to a toxic chemical spill.

The 3 February crash sparked a large fire and left hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, a volatile odorless gas, and phosgene seeping into the water supply.

Ten days later, Mr Vance said in a statement released on his Twitter page that he was “horrified” by the crash. But many Twitter users took issue with the lack of specific promises for action in the text. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has yet to comment on the crash at all, despite joining Mr Vance at a rally in the region just a few months ago.

Bevan Hurley has more:

JD Vance slammed for delayed reaction to Ohio train derailment: ‘Gibberish’

Trump-appointed World Bank president accused of denying climate crisis to step down

12:45 , Rachel Sharp

World Bank president David Malpass who faced accusations of being a climate crisis denier has resigned from his post a year before his term was supposed to end.

Mr Malpass, a Donald Trump appointee, had last year refused to confirm he believed in the science behind global heating.

He announced his resignation in a LinkedIn blog post on Thursday.

“This afternoon, I shared with the World Bank Group’s Board of Directors my intention to step down by the end of the World Bank’s fiscal year,” he wrote.

The Independent’s Stuti Mishra has more:

World Bank president accused of denying climate crisis to step down

Officials to release parts of Georgia grand jury report on Trump election schemes today

12:30 , John Bowden

Today, prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia will release parts of a grand jury report on efforts by former president Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in the Peach State.

The members of the special purpose grand jury had asked the Fulton County Superior Court to allow the release of their full work product, which was commissioned at the request of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

But Judge Robert McBurney on Monday ordered that parts of the report remain sealed, including a list of individuals against whom the special purpose grand jury recommended indictments.

Andrew Feinberg has more:

Judge orders partial release of Georgia grand jury report on Trump election schemes

Why Donald Trump’s phone call seeking to overturn Georgia election results was so damaging

12:15 , Rachel Sharp

Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, on Thursday will release a partial grand jury report detailing their investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Much like the city of Detroit, also a target of Mr Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, Fulton County’s population is majority-Black and was a key region for the Biden campaign’s voter turnout efforts throughout 2020. The surge of Democratic votes in those regions were enough to flip two states, Georgia and Michigan, that voted for Mr Trump in 2016 – a costly blow in the former president’s fight for the Electoral College.

But it was Republican officials, including Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who were the target of Donald Trump’s overtures in the days following the 2020 election as he desperately sought to change the results. A conference call between the White House, Mr Trump’s lawyers, and Georgia state officials on 2 January 2021 has now become a crucial piece of evidence in the grand jury investigation into Mr Trump and his legal team after it first sent shockwaves through the media and political class.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

Why Trump’s phone call seeking to overturn Georgia election results was so damaging

Support for a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024 dwindling with both Democrats and Republicans, new poll shows

12:00 , John Bowden

Voters in both major US political parties are looking for fresh faces to run for president in 2024, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll

A majority of Democratic voters, at 52 per cent, do not want Mr Biden to seek a second term, while 40 per cent of Republican voters do not want Mr Trump to seek another term in 2024.

Eric Garcia has more:

Support for a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024 dwindling with Democrats and Republicans

Georgia grand jury investigating Trump’s 2020 election meddling to release findings today

11:45 , Rachel Sharp

The grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia will release some of its findings on Thursday – which could shed light on whether or not the former president will face criminal charges for his actions.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney has ordered the release of the report’s introduction, conclusion and concerns the jury had about witnesses lying under oath.

The report is the result of a two-year investigation into the actions of Mr Trump and his campaign back in 2020 when the one-term president lost the state to President Joe Biden.

Infamously, Mr Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021 asking him to “find” enough votes to swing the election in his favour.

Fox News loses bid to dismiss $2.7bn defamation suit over Trump election-rigging claims

11:30 , John Bowden

Fox News lost an attempt Tuesday to shut down a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit that accuses the network of spreading lies that a voting-technology company helped “steal” the 2020 election from then-president Donald Trump.

The company that brought the case, Smartmatic, has said it played a valid and small role in the election. It hailed the ruling as a step toward holding Fox News accountable for amplifying unsupported and damaging claims from Trump’s lawyers.

Fox executives have complained that the lawsuit is meant to stifle free speech; however, the network continues to host personalities like Tucker Carlson who continue even now to sow doubt about the integrity of US elections.

Read more in The Independent:

Fox News loses bid to toss $2.7bn defamation suit over Trump election-rigging claims

Judge rejects Trump’s offer to supply DNA in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

10:30 , John Bowden

A judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s offer to provide DNA in the defamation case against writer E Jean Carroll.

Federal New York Judge Lewis Kaplan said the offer came too late after years of legal fights in the lawsuit by the writer, who alleges that Mr Trump defamed her when he rejected her claim that he raped her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, according to CNBC.

The judge said that the trial is set to start in less than three months. The part of the process where evidence may be exchanged has ended.

Read more:

Judge rejects Trump’s offer to supply DNA in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Justice Department won’t charge Matt Gaetz for sex trafficking

09:30 , John Bowden

Justice Department officials have reportedly said they will not seek sex trafficking charges against Florida Representative Matt Gaetz after a multi-year probe into whether he violated US law by allegedly paying for sex with underage girls.

Citing “a source familiar with the matter,” CNN reported on Wednesday that the department had informed a witness who testified in the probe that charges against the Florida Republican would not be forthcoming.

Andrew Feinberg is following this story for The Independent:

Justice Department won’t charge Matt Gaetz for sex trafficking

Nikki Haley’s bid might not hurt Trump, but it could be fatal to Ron DeSantis

08:30 , John Bowden

Former South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley’s entrance into the 2024 presidential race isn’t bad news for her former boss, Donald Trump, who is currently the only other prominent announced candidate.

Instead, it’s a bad sign for Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who is already presumed to be the popular anti-Trump alternative for the contest even though he remains publicly vague about whether he will run, writes The Independent’s Eric Garcia.

Read more:

Nikki Haley’s bid might not hurt Trump, but it could be fatal to Ron DeSantis

Kellyanne Conway dismisses concerns about Biden’s age

07:30 , John Bowden

Kellyanne Conway, who served as Counselor to the President under former president Donald Trump from 2017 to 2020, said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday that Mr Biden’s age isn’t something voters will have problems with in 2024, when Mr Trump — who announced his candidacy for president in November — hopes to challenge Mr Biden for a second term in the White House.

It’s an interesting statement that could preempt attacks from her former boss on an issue that the right fixated on in 2020.

Read more:

Kellyanne Conway says Biden’s age won’t be an issue in 2024 campaign

Resurfaced footage shows Nikki Haley saying states can secede after announcing 2024 launch

06:30 , John Bowden

Footage has resurfaced of Nikki Haley saying that states can secede from the US.

Ms Haley announced her 2024 launch on Tuesday, making her the first Republican to take on Donald Trump.

Not long after the announcement, Patriot Takes shared a video from 2010 of Ms Haley speaking about potential secession.

“I think that they do,” she said of states having the right to secede.

“I mean, the constitution says that.”

Trump blasts Nicola Sturgeon as ‘failed woke extremist’ in furious rant after Scottish leader steps down

05:30 , John Bowden

Former president Donald Trump blasted Nicola Sturgeon as the Scottish First Minister announced she would resign in a transphobic rant that cited his properties in the country.

Mr Trump made the remarks after Ms Sturgeon announced that she would resign as the head of Scotland’s government on Wednesday. The former president is of Scottish heritage on his mother’s side and owns properties in the country.

Eric Garcia has the story:

Trump blasts Nicola Sturgeon in furious rant after Scottish leader steps down

‘We can’t let that ever happen again’: Nikki Haley’s stunning reversals on Donald Trump

04:30 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, was blistering in her words following the January 6 insurrection in Washington

“We need to acknowledge he let us down. He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again,” she said at the time.

But just a few weeks later, the ex-Trump official was already trying to finegle her way back in to her old boss’s good graces.

Follow her unique journey to the 2024 field in The Independent:

From Trump ambassador to to ‘sellout’: What is Nikki Haley doing in the 2024 race

Trump wants to bring back firing squads, execute drug dealers en masse

03:30 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has a new issue at the centre of his third bid for the White House: killing drug dealers, according to Rolling Stone.

A new piece on the inner deliberations of Trumpworld from Rolling Stone reveals that Donald Trump is making the death penalty — specifically, expanding its use in America — a centre point of his flagging 2024 campaign. According to several sources close to the former president who spoke with the magazine, Mr Trump is putting energy behind the idea of widely expanding the death penalty to make drug offences eligible for capital punishment.

The former president is said by aides to also be discussing the possibility of launching a political effort to reintroduce firing squads to the US justice system, apparently due to their flashy nature.

John Bowden has more:

Trump is planning to bring back firing squads if re-elected

Mike Pence to fight special counsel subpoena

02:30 , John Bowden

Former Vice President Mike Pence will fight a subpoena from the Justice Department for his testimony in the investigation surrounding Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Axios reported the news on Tuesday, citing a source close to Mr Pence.

Mr Pence is supposedly set to address the issue this week when he appears in Iowa, site of the first 2024 GOP caucus. That could indicate that Mr Pence will also go through with plans for a presidential campaign, which have been widely reported.

Read more:

Pence to fight special counsel subpoena on 2020 election

Trump again insists that he only took empty ‘classified’ folders

01:30 , John Bowden

Donald Trump again argued on Tuesday that many of the supposedly classified documents taken from his Mar-a-Lago residence were actually empty folders, which he says he took for keepsakes.

The former president’s resort and residence in Florida was raided last September by agents with the FBI after he and his team resisted for months their efforts to collect the documents he had retained without permission from the National Archives.

“Many of the so-called “documents” that the “Gestapo” took in the Raid of Mar-a-Lago, unlike the”No Raids of Biden,” were merely inexpensive and very common folders with words such as “Presidential Reading,” “Confidential,” “Classified,” or other words stamped on the front cover,” wrote Mr Trump in a Truth Social post.

“There was nothing inside of the folders because, during meetings where information was passed out, say at the Oval Office, when finished the papers inside were taken back, but the empty folders were left behind...I would put them in a pile and keep them as momentous. Nothing wrong with that, but sounds to me that the Injustice Department views these as DOCUMENTS - They are not!”

Nancy Mace mocks Trump and George Santos for respective lies

00:30 , John Bowden

It may be a bit awkward for Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace at the next House GOP get-together.

That’s because the South Carolina representative took several opportunities at Wednesday night’s Washington Press Club dinner to skewer her own fellow conservatives during a short comedy routine that had attendees guffawing.

Perhaps her top lines of the night were two not-so-subtle digs at Donald Trump, who endorsed against her in the 2022 midterm season only to see Ms Mace triumphantly coast to reelection.

The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:

Nancy Mace mocks George Santos and Trump for lying about volleyball and 2020

Three Trump attorneys appear before classified documents grand jury probe

00:00 , John Bowden

Three of Donald Trump’s attorneys have now appeared before a grand jury investigating the discovery of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House.

Two sources told The Guardian that Evan Corcoran, Christina Bobb and Alina Habba made appearances before the federal grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation.

All three are among the group of people who searched Mar-a-Lago and uncovered a trove of papers containing classified markings – including some which were labelled top secret.

Nikki Haley and Donald Trump trade barbs as Republican nominating contest heats up

Wednesday 15 February 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

New Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley did not mention former President Donald Trump by name during her campaign kickoff event in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday morning — but there was little mistaking what she meant when she said that the country’s politicians are past their primes.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, is making no attempt at subtlety: On Wednesday, his office published a blistering memo accusing Ms Haley (among other things) of fondness for Hillary Clinton, the former president’s bitter 2016 rival.

Read more in The Independent from Abe Asher:

Nikki Haley and Donald Trump trade barbs as Republican nominating contest heats up

From Trump ambassador to ‘sellout’: What is Nikki Haley doing in the 2024 race?

Wednesday 15 February 2023 22:30 , John Bowden

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley had a unique journey from the governor’s mansion in Columbia to the 2024 primary field, which she entered on Tuesday as only the second prominent Republican, behind Donald Trump.

Once beloved by the GOP’s moderate wing and now painted with the same “sellout” label that those same NeverTrumpers stuck to Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and others, the nation’s second-most prominent Indian-American politician (behind VP Kamala Harris) is hoping that the GOP establishment’s desire to move on from Trumpism will be the wind in her sails that carries her campaign to the nomination.

She joined the 2024 race officially on Tuesday, following months of dropping hints; The Independent’s John Bowden takes a look at her long road through Trumpworld:

From Trump ambassador to to ‘sellout’: What is Nikki Haley doing in the 2024 race

Trump blasts Nicola Sturgeon as ‘failed woke extremist’ in furious rant after Scottish leader steps down

Wednesday 15 February 2023 21:45 , John Bowden

Former president Donald Trump blasted Nicola Sturgeon as the Scottish First Minister announced she would resign in a transphobic rant that cited his properties in the country.

Mr Trump made the remarks after Ms Sturgeon announced that she would resign as the head of Scotland’s government on Wednesday. The former president is of Scottish heritage on his mother’s side and owns properties in the country.

Eric Garcia has the story:

Trump blasts Nicola Sturgeon in furious rant after Scottish leader steps down

Resurfaced footage shows Nikki Haley saying states can secede after announcing 2024 launch

Wednesday 15 February 2023 21:00 , John Bowden

Footage has resurfaced of Nikki Haley saying that states can secede from the US.

Ms Haley announced her 2024 launch on Tuesday, making her the first Republican to take on Donald Trump.

Not long after the announcement, Patriot Takes shared a video from 2010 of Ms Haley speaking about potential secession.

“I think that they do,” she said of states having the right to secede.

“I mean, the constitution says that.”

Trump scorches Nicola Sturgeon upon her resignation

Wednesday 15 February 2023 20:18 , John Bowden

Donald Trump had words for Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday as the SNP leader announced her resignation from both government and the leadership of her party in a surprising move.

Ms Sturgeon is the longest-serving Scottish first minister in history.

"Good riddance to failed woke extremist Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland! This crazed leftist symbolizes everything wrong with identity politics. Sturgeon thought it was OK to put a biological man in a women’s prison, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Sturgeon fought for a “Gender Recognition Reform Bill” that would have allowed 16-year-old children to change their gender without medical advice,” fumed the former president.

He then added: “I built the greatest Golf properties in the World in Scotland, but she fought me all the way, making my job much more difficult. The wonderful people of Scotland are much better off without Sturgeon in office!"

Justice Department won’t charge Matt Gaetz for sex trafficking

Wednesday 15 February 2023 19:30 , John Bowden

Justice Department officials have reportedly said they will not seek sex trafficking charges against Florida Representative Matt Gaetz after a multi-year probe into whether he violated US law by allegedly paying for sex with underage girls.

Citing “a source familiar with the matter,” CNN reported on Wednesday that the department had informed a witness who testified in the probe that charges against the Florida Republican would not be forthcoming.

Andrew Feinberg is following this story for The Independent:

Justice Department won’t charge Matt Gaetz for sex trafficking

Fox News loses bid to dismiss $2.7bn defamation suit over Trump election-rigging claims

Wednesday 15 February 2023 19:00 , John Bowden

Fox News lost an attempt Tuesday to shut down a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit that accuses the network of spreading lies that a voting-technology company helped “steal” the 2020 election from then-president Donald Trump.

The company that brought the case, Smartmatic, has said it played a valid and small role in the election. It hailed the ruling as a step toward holding Fox News accountable for amplifying unsupported and damaging claims from Trump’s lawyers.

Fox executives have complained that the lawsuit is meant to stifle free speech; however, the network continues to host personalities like Tucker Carlson who continue even now to sow doubt about the integrity of US elections.

Read more in The Independent:

Fox News loses bid to toss $2.7bn defamation suit over Trump election-rigging claims

Donald Trump responds to Nikki Haley campaign announcement

Wednesday 15 February 2023 18:15 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s team has responded to the decision of Nikki Haley, his former UN ambassador, to run against him for the 2024 nomination.

The president’s office released a statement on Wednesday accusing Ms Haley of being “inspired by Hillary Clinton” and attaching her name to politically toxic efforts to impose cuts on Social Security and Medicare, which Joe Biden has spent the past week hanging around the necks of House and Senate Republicans.

Wednesday 15 February 2023 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s offer to provide DNA in the defamation case against writer E Jean Carroll.

Federal New York Judge Lewis Kaplan said the offer came too late after years of legal fights in the lawsuit by the writer, who alleges that Mr Trump defamed her when he rejected her claim that he raped her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, according to CNBC.

The judge said that the trial is set to start in less than three months. The part of the process where evidence may be exchanged has ended.

Read more:

Judge rejects Trump’s offer to supply DNA in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Support for a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024 dwindling with both Democrats and Republicans, new poll shows

Wednesday 15 February 2023 17:20 , John Bowden

Voters in both major US political parties are looking for fresh faces to run for president in 2024, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll

A majority of Democratic voters, at 52 per cent, do not want Mr Biden to seek a second term, while 40 per cent of Republican voters do not want Mr Trump to seek another term in 2024.

Eric Garcia has more:

Support for a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024 dwindling with Democrats and Republicans

Trump unloads on Nikki Haley

Wednesday 15 February 2023 17:50 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s team is out with their official response to the campaign launch of Nikki Haley, his former UN ambassador and now current rival for the 2024 nomination.

A blistering memo from Mr Trump’s office on Wednesday accused Ms Haley of being “inspired by Hillary Clinton” and attached her name to the politically-toxic calls for cuts to Social Security and Medicare which Joe Biden has spent the last week hanging around the necks of House and Senate Republicans.

Nikki Haley’s bid might not hurt Trump, but it could be fatal to Ron DeSantis

Wednesday 15 February 2023 16:40 , John Bowden

Former South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley’s entrance into the 2024 presidential race isn’t bad news for her former boss, Donald Trump, who is currently the only other prominent announced candidate.

Instead, it’s a bad sign for Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who is already presumed to be the popular anti-Trump alternative for the contest even though he remains publicly vague about whether he will run, writes The Independent’s Eric Garcia.

Read more:

Nikki Haley’s bid might not hurt Trump, but it could be fatal to Ron DeSantis

Tim Scott preparing presidential bid, report claims

Wednesday 15 February 2023 16:00 , John Bowden

As Nikki Haley becomes the second prominent Republican to enter the 2024 race, the Senate’s lone Black GOP member is reportedly planning on joining her.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Mr Scott is making plans and preparations for an official announcement. He would become the first current elected lawmaker to officially announce a bid for the nomination.

Read more at the Journal:

‘We detected it’: Biden White House says Trump officials failed to detect Chinese army balloon programme

Wednesday 15 February 2023 15:20 , John Bowden

Pressured by criticism from Republicans and questions from reporters about a sudden series of efforts to shoot down a Chinese surveillance balloon and several other unidentified craft, the Biden White House on Monday blamed the Trump administration for failing to detect similar craft in US airspace between 2017-2021.

According to a spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC), the reason for this sudden effort by the US military was simply that balloons similar to the first object shot down in early February off the coast of South Carolina had only recently been detected. It wasn’t initially clear how the US now knew that those craft were active during the Trump presidency.

“It was operating during the previous administration, but they did not detect it. We detected it,” said John Kirby.

Read more about the White House’s latest statements regarding the Chinese spy craft shot down over South Carolina:

Biden White House says Trump’s team failed to detect Chinese army balloon programme

Donald Trump denies coming up with ‘Meatball Ron’ nickname for DeSantis

Wednesday 15 February 2023 14:46 , John Bowden

Donald Trump is denying ownership of the latest un-savoury nickname for the man shaping up to be his biggest rival in the Republican party.

After The New York Times reported that Mr Trump has taken to calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “Meatball Ron”, the ex-president released a statement on his Truth Social platform denying the story.

Rachel Sharp has the story:

Donald Trump denies coming up with ‘Meatball Ron’ nickname for DeSantis

Resurfaced footage shows Nikki Haley saying states can secede after announcing 2024 launch

Wednesday 15 February 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Footage has resurfaced of Nikki Haley saying that states can secede from the US.

Ms Haley announced her 2024 launch on Tuesday, making her the first Republican to take on Donald Trump.

Not long after the announcement, Patriot Takes shared a video from 2010 of Ms Haley speaking about potential secession.

“I think that they do,” she said of states having the right to secede.

“I mean, the constitution says that.”

The video also features an unnamed neo-Confederate group.

Three Trump attorneys appear before classified documents grand jury probe

Wednesday 15 February 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Three of Donald Trump’s attorneys have now appeared before a grand jury investigating the discovery of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House.

Two sources told The Guardian that Evan Corcoran, Christina Bobb and Alina Habba made appearances before the federal grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation.

All three are among the group of people who searched Mar-a-Lago and uncovered a trove of papers containing classified markings – including some which were labelled top secret.

Nancy Mace mocks Trump and George Santos for respective lies

Wednesday 15 February 2023 13:00 , John Bowden

It may be a bit awkward for Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace at the next House GOP get-together.

That’s because the South Carolina representative took several opportunities at Wednesday night’s Washington Press Club dinner to skewer her own fellow conservatives during a short comedy routine that had attendees guffawing.

Perhaps her top lines of the night were two not-so-subtle digs at Donald Trump, who endorsed against her in the 2022 midterm season only to see Ms Mace triumphantly coast to reelection.

The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:

Nancy Mace mocks George Santos and Trump for lying about volleyball and 2020

Kellyanne Conway dismisses concerns about Biden’s age

Wednesday 15 February 2023 12:30 , John Bowden

Kellyanne Conway, who served as Counselor to the President under former president Donald Trump from 2017 to 2020, said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday that Mr Biden’s age isn’t something voters will have problems with in 2024, when Mr Trump — who announced his candidacy for president in November — hopes to challenge Mr Biden for a second term in the White House.

It’s an interesting statement that could preempt attacks from her former boss on an issue that the right fixated on in 2020.

Read more:

Kellyanne Conway says Biden’s age won’t be an issue in 2024 campaign

Trump wants to bring back firing squads, execute drug dealers en masse

Wednesday 15 February 2023 12:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has a new issue at the centre of his third bid for the White House: killing drug dealers, according to Rolling Stone.

A new piece on the inner deliberations of Trumpworld from Rolling Stone reveals that Donald Trump is making the death penalty — specifically, expanding its use in America — a centre point of his flagging 2024 campaign. According to several sources close to the former president who spoke with the magazine, Mr Trump is putting energy behind the idea of widely expanding the death penalty to make drug offences eligible for capital punishment.

The former president is said by aides to also be discussing the possibility of launching a political effort to reintroduce firing squads to the US justice system, apparently due to their flashy nature.

John Bowden has more:

Trump is planning to bring back firing squads if re-elected

Nikki Haley in Trumpworld: Key moments that led up to former governor’s 2024 bid

Wednesday 15 February 2023 11:30 , John Bowden

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley had a unique journey from the governor’s mansion in Columbia to the 2024 primary field, which she entered on Tuesday as only the second prominent Republican, behind Donald Trump, in the field.

Once beloved by the GOP’s moderate wing and now painted with the same “sellout” label that those same NeverTrumpers stuck to Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and others, the nation’s second-most prominent Indian-American politician (behind VP Kamala Harris) is hoping that the GOP establishment’s desire to move on from Trumpism will be the wind in her sails that carries her campaign to the nomination.

Let’s take a look at how Nikki Haley got here, and how the thin line she has threaded between the pro- and anti-Trump wings of the party could leave her high and dry come the Iowa caucus next year:

Nikki Haley in Trumpworld: Key moments that led up to former governor’s 2024 bid

Mike Pence to fight special counsel subpoena

Wednesday 15 February 2023 11:00 , John Bowden

Former Vice President Mike Pence will fight a subpoena from the Justice Department for his testimony in the investigation surrounding Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Axios reported the news on Tuesday, citing a source close to Mr Pence.

Mr Pence is supposedly set to address the issue this week when he appears in Iowa, site of the first 2024 GOP caucus. That could indicate that Mr Pence will also go through with plans for a presidential campaign, which have been widely reported.

Read more:

Pence to fight special counsel subpoena on 2020 election

WATCH: Nikki Haley’s full announcement video

Wednesday 15 February 2023 10:30 , John Bowden

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is officially the first prominent Republican to get in the race against Donald Trump for president.

Watch her campaign announcement video here, and read more about her bid for the presidency in The Independent:

Nikki Haley officially announces 2024 presidential run

Trump again insists that he only took empty ‘classified’ folders

Wednesday 15 February 2023 10:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump again argued on Tuesday that many of the supposedly classified documents taken from his Mar-a-Lago residence were actually empty folders, which he says he took for keepsakes.

The former president’s resort and residence in Florida was raided last September by agents with the FBI after he and his team resisted for months their efforts to collect the documents he had retained without permission from the National Archives.

“Many of the so-called “documents” that the “Gestapo” took in the Raid of Mar-a-Lago, unlike the”No Raids of Biden,” were merely inexpensive and very common folders with words such as “Presidential Reading,” “Confidential,” “Classified,” or other words stamped on the front cover,” wrote Mr Trump in a Truth Social post.

“There was nothing inside of the folders because, during meetings where information was passed out, say at the Oval Office, when finished the papers inside were taken back, but the empty folders were left behind...I would put them in a pile and keep them as momentous. Nothing wrong with that, but sounds to me that the Injustice Department views these as DOCUMENTS - They are not!”

JD Vance slammed for delayed reaction to Ohio train derailment: ‘Gibberish’

Wednesday 15 February 2023 09:00 , John Bowden

Ohio Senator JD Vance is facing criticism for taking 10 days to issue a statement about a train derailment near East Palestine that forced thousands of residents to flee their homes due to a toxic chemical spill.

The 3 February crash sparked a large fire and left hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, a volatile odorless gas, and phosgene seeping into the water supply.

Ten days later, Mr Vance said in a statement released on his Twitter page that he was “horrified” by the crash. But many Twitter users took issue with the lack of specific promises for action in the text. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has yet to comment on the crash at all, despite joining Mr Vance at a rally in the region just a few months ago.

Bevan Hurley has more:

JD Vance slammed for delayed reaction to Ohio train derailment: ‘Gibberish’

What we know about Chinese spy balloons that flew over US during Trump administration

Wednesday 15 February 2023 08:00 , John Bowden

A recovery operation is underway after a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on 4 February.

President Joe Biden’s administration and senior military officials revealed that similar crafts had flown above the US in previous years, including at least three times during former president Donald Trump’s administration, as part of what national security officials have described as a years-long Chinese global surveillance programme.

”It is something that they’ve been working on for many years, and that they have tried to improve … in terms of capability, range [and] communication,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in a phone briefing on 6 February.

At least three similar balloons were above the US at some points during the Trump administration, which began in January 2017 and ended in January 2021, according to the White House and military officials.

Mr Kirby said that those balloons were likely in the US for shorter periods of time compared to the recent balloon incident.

Here’s what we know about the spy balloons during the Trump administration:

What we know about Chinese spy balloons that flew over US during Trump administration