Trump news - live: Trump tries to quash Georgia grand jury report as employee accused of lying to prosecutors

Former President Donald Trump has asked courts in Georgia to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from investigating him for election interference and to quash the final report of a special purpose grand jury that recommends people be indicted.

Trump’s attorneys filed similar petitions in both the Georgia Supreme Court and Fulton County Superior Court. This week a grand jury was sworn in to hear evidence in the case regarding alleged interference in the 2020 election on the part of the then-president.

Elsewhere, the special counsel investigating the former president threatened potential criminal charges against a Trump Organization employee suspected of lying to investigators, according to sources of ABC News.

Jack Smith transmitted a letter to a staffer that indicated that he might have perjured himself in an appearance before the federal grand jury that ultimately indicted Mr Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents, the sources said.

The letter appears to signal Mr Smith’s interest in the handling of surveillance footage and efforts to avoid sharing footage with investigators.

Meanwhile, many of Mr Trump’s 2024 Republican opponents spent Friday taking part in one-one interviews with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa.

Key points

• Trump asks Georgia Supreme Court to quash grand jury indictment report

• Trump Organization employee target for obstruction of documents probe

• Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks have testified in front of grand jury investigating Trump, reports say

• No reason to delay Trump trial in documents case, prosecutors say

• Special counsel has interviewed senior state official in Michigan in Trump probe, report says

• Trump prosecutors met with Pennsylvania and New Mexico officials in 2020 election probe

Donald Trump brands US a ‘third-world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’ in rambling, threatening remarks

02:20 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s remarks – rambling, full of falsehoods, exaggerations, threats to democratic institutions and inflammatory statements targeting communities across the country – have concluded in Florida, where another lineup of Republican lawmakers and pundits will return to the Turning Point stage for more campaign-building speeches tomorrow.

Donald Trump brands US a ‘third -world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’

Trump outlines extreme ‘America First’ immigration plan that would end birthright citizenship and begin mass deportations

01:53 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump has proposed reintroducing an even wider ban on people from majority Muslim countries from entering the US, the mass deportations of people living in the country, and ending birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the US without legal permission.

DeSantis campaign reportedly fires a dozen staffers

01:48 , Alex Woodward

Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign has fired roughly one dozen staffers, and more firings are expected in the coming weeks, according to NBC News.

Despite bringing in $20m within the first six weeks of the year, the campaign is looking to bring costs down, according to sources speaking with the outlet.

Those close to the campaign are reportedly blaming his campaign manager Generra Peck while polling is showing the campaign lagging behind frontrunner Donald Trump.

Trump calls indictments ‘bulls***’ and continues bogus election laims

01:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump once again called the indictments against him a “continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time” and “election interference” that deny his election to the presidency in 2024, as he faces criminal charges for falsifying business records and a multimillion dollar fraud lawsuit in New York, federal charges for illegally withholding classified documents in Florida, and potential charges stemming from 2020 election interference.

He said the indictments are “making people go through hell” and “destroying their families”.

The former president falsely stated that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him, and claims that the investigations against him are an attempt to “rig” next year’s election as he seeks another term in the White House.

“This is an attempt to win the 2024 election, but so far … it’s had the opposite effect. It’s lifted us to new heights. People know it’s all bull****,” he said.

Trump’s campaign raised $35m in the second quarter of 2023, nearly double the $18.8m he raised during the first three months of the year.

Joe Biden, meanwhile, has raised $72m during the second quarter.

Trump paints apocalyptic picture of US ‘hellhole’ in Turning Point remarks

00:40 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump called the US a “third-world hellhole” ruled by “perverts” and “thugs”, depicting a collapsing nation where the American dream is “dead” under his successor President Joe Biden.

He pointed to invisible “sick” and “sinister forces” that are “trying to destroy the nation from within,” he said in his grim remarks from the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida on Saturday.

He said he will use the power of the executive branch, if elected, to “reclaim” colleges and “choke off the money” to schools that are launching a “Marxist assault” on “Western civilization itself.”

“The days of subsidizing communist indoctrination … are over,” he said.

Matt Gaetz wants to introduce a bill creating school prayer time

00:21 , Alex Woodward

Students can pray in school whenever they’d like. Far-right US Rep Matt Gaetz, however, says he plans to introduce legislation “so that in every classroom in America, there will be time for students to pray if they want to,” a measure that could appear to violates the establishment clause of the US Constitution and mandate Christian prayer in schools.

He said that “beautiful” US Supreme Court “that Trump gave us” might end up upholding it, should it ever become law.

Tucker Carlson jokes that he was fired from Fox News for questioning January 6 and legitimacy of the 2020 election

23:51 , Alex Woodward

In a largely rambling speech around censorship to a crowd at the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida, Tucker Carlson joked that he was fired from Fox News for questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and the attack on the US Capitol.

He said there was never a national “conversation” about what happened in the election and its aftermath, and that anyone who questioned the outcome and the attack was “basically hounded out of public life in America,” whether they were “deplatformed,” jailed or fired from their jobs.

The crowd started to laugh and cheer.

“Pretty funny,” Carlson said, laughing. “Sorry, I was so into it I lost self-awareness for a minute.”

Carlson was fired from the network shortly after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787m to avert a blockbuster defamation trial. A former producer for his program also recently settled with the network for $12m, and the network also was sued by a man who was the subject of dozens of segments on his program accusing him of being a federal agent who incited the riots.

A loyal Fox viewer’s lawsuit strikes at the network’s ‘egregious lies’

23:00 , Alex Woodward

For the past two years, Ray Epps has been living a surreal nightmare, one born out of the same conspiracy theory universe that launched a riot in the halls of Congress, hundreds of criminal investigations, and a blockbuster defamation lawsuit against one of the most influential cable networks in the country.

The man in the middle of the right-wing conspiracy theory surrounding January 6 has accused Tucker Carlson of amplifying a “fantastical” story that has destroyed his family and his business, accusations that echo an historic $787m settlement between Fox and Dominion Voting Systems, which accused the network of spreading defamatory statements about the company in the election’s aftermath.

“It certainly is possible for us to prove a pattern of disregard for the truth,” attorney Michael Teter tells The Independent.

“I believe that this case is ripe for punitive damages, not just because of the willfulness on the part of lying about Ray and the egregious lies but also because there’s a past conduct here of disregard for the truth,” he says.

He was a loyal Fox viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now he’s suing

Vivek Ramaswamy blames ‘censorship’ for January 6

22:28 , Alex Woodward

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump booster among Republican candidates vying for the 2024 Republican nomination, painted an apocalyptic vision of the state of the contry in his remarks to a lackluster crowd at the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida on Saturday.

The 37-year-old far-right figure blamed “wokeism, transgenderinism and climatism” for the “poison” that fills what he characterized as a void in American society.

“At a time in our national history, when the things that used to fill our void, faith, patriotism, hard work, family, these things have disappeared, and that leaves a black hold in its wake,” he said.

His remarks largely echoed other speakers at the conference and statements from other far-right pundits who deny the accelerating climate crisis and scapegoat trans people for what he believes is American decline.

Ramaswamy also invented a baseless narrative about the January 6 attack, which he did not blame on bogus conspiracy theories or the actions of people who refused to accept the outcome of a democratic election.

“The truth is this: January 6 was the result of a pervasive culture of censorship across this country,” he said. “When you tell people they can’t scream, that’s when they start tearing things down.”

Turning Point speakers turn up anti-trans agenda

21:50 , Alex Woodward

The speaking lineup at Turning Point USA’s Turning Point Action conference in Palm Beach, Florida wasted no time targeting transgender rights in their laundry list of grievances to rally attendees and tee up 2024 campaigns.

Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who unsuccessfully ran for chair of the Republican National Committee, opened the speaking lineup with a series of inflammatory claims about trans people and their families.

Ms Dhillon claimed that schools are “inflicting powerful psychological indoctrination on vulnerable children” and compared doctors who provide gender-affirming healthcare to Nazis.

She called transition healthcare the “Mengele-like experimentation on America’s children”.

Republican US Rep Byron Donalds also falsely claimed that the “radical left” wants to “drive a wedge” between parents and children” by affirming childrens’ genders.

Tucker Carlson turns his Christian summit with GOP hopefuls into platform for Putin

20:45 , Alex Woodward

Tucker Carlson returns to the political stage at the Tuning Point Action conference one day after a evangelical-hosted Republican presidential showcase for the former Fox News pundit, who spoke with several Republican candidates who are not Donald Trump.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated the event, as Carlson pressed the candidates with a line of questioning that questioned whether Ukraine was the aggressor and adopted a position that appeared to stand alongside Putin’s.

He will return to the stage this evening just before Trump delivers headlining remarks at the far-right Turning Point USA-hosted conference.

More from his Friday event from Josh Marcus and Ariana Baio:

Support for US-Ukraine alliance divides 2024 GOP hopefuls at Tucker Carlson forum

Lincoln Project airs new ad calling Tuberville ‘a traitor’

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Anti-Trump Republican group The Lincoln Project has blasted Senator Tommy Tuberville for blocking Senate confirmations of all senior military officers to protest a Defense Department policy that pays for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care.

Thanks to the senator, the US Marine Corps is without a leader for the first time in 150 years. In a new ad by the group, the Lincoln Project says the Marines’ proud legacy is being tarnished by Mr Tuberville, labelling him a “domestic enemy and a “traitor”.

Watch the ad below:

Biden calls out Tuberville’s ‘ridiculous’ block on military promotions

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Thursday hit out at Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong effort to block the upper chamber from advancing hundreds of promotions for military officers and nominations for key positions in the US armed services, calling the Republican lawmaker’s position “ridiculous” and a threat to national security.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden calls out GOP senator’s ‘ridiculous’ block on military promotions

Glitter really does get everywhere...

16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican lawmaker has a bizarre new label for Hunter Biden – glitter.

Speaking at a House Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday, Rep Wesley Hunt compared President Joe Biden’s son to the sparkly stuff.

“Hunter Biden to me, is like glitter. He is on everything and you cannot get rid of him,” he fumed.

Read on...

GOP lawmaker compares Hunter Biden to glitter: ‘You cannot get rid of him’

New Mexico’s top election official met with federal prosecutors for special counsel probe

15:30 , Alex Woodward

The top election official in New Mexico is among several statest officials who have talked with federal prosecutors as part of the special counsel’s probe into the 2020 election.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver spoke with prosecutors at some point over the last few months, as Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith investigates Donald Trump’s pressure campaign to overturn election results in states that he lost.

Prosecutors have subpoenaed election officials several states and correspondence with Trump-linked officials.

New Mexico’s election official met with prosecutors for 2020 special counsel probe

Cassidy Hutchinson, key witness at January 6 hearings, lands book deal

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A former White House aide to President Donald Trump who became a prominent congressional witness against him and his allies in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol has a book deal. Cassidy Hutchinson‘s “Enough” will be released Sept. 26 by Simon & Schuster.

“With ‘Enough,’ she provides a riveting account of her extraordinary experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis,” according to the publisher’s announcement.

Read more...

Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, a key witness at Jan. 6 hearings, has a book deal

Weak GOP midterm showing and recent court ruling put US House majority in play in 2024

12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

After an anaemic showing in the midterms, Republicans have virtually no cushion in their quest to retain control of the House, which was made all the more complicated by a surprise U.S. Supreme Court decision last month that will likely bring two new safely Democratic districts. Democrats need to pick up just five seats to control the House.

Read on:

The US House majority is in play next year after a weak GOP midterm showing and recent court ruling

Broadway actor cleared over Jan 6 role

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A former actor and Broadway star has been cleared of all charges related to his involvement in the Jan 6 Capitol riots.

James Beeks, a member of the Oath Keepers, was facing charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder.

He was acquitted of both charges on Wednesday, but his co-defendant Donovan Crowl was convicted on both counts.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the details.

Broadway star cleared over Jan 6 role after his own lawyer argues he was a ‘wannabe’

DeSantis rules out being Trump’s running mate

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis, who is trailing Donald Trump in the race for the Republican nomination for president, has said he is not interested in becoming Mr Trump’s running mate.

Abe Asher reports:

Ron DeSantis rules out being Trump’s running mate: ‘I’m not a number two guy’

Report: Special counsel has interviewed senior state official in Michigan in Trump probe

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Justice Department investigators have interviewed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as part of their investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Ms Benson’s meeting with prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith took place last month and lasted for “several hours”, a source told CNN.

Graeme Massie reports.

Special counsel has interviewed senior state official in Michigan in Trump probe

Bob Woodward: Trump sees democracy as ‘enemy territory’

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Longtime Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward said he believes former President Donald Trump “looks at democracy as enemy territory” during an interview on MSNBC.

“The problem with Trump is, I think he looks at democracy as enemy territory, to be quite frank,” Mr Woodward told the network’s Ari Melber on Tuesday.

Abe Asher has the story.

Trump sees democracy as ‘enemy territory’ says journalist who helped bring down Nixon

Voices: House Republicans proved they are not serious about defending the country

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes that the GOP is engaged in virtue signaling and is not in the business of passing serious policy.

Read on:

House Republicans proved they are not serious about defending the country

After losing immunity in E Jean Carroll case, Trump fumes about ‘crooked’ DOJ

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump reacted with fury to news that the US Department of Justice no longer considers him immune from a defamation lawsuit from E Jean Carroll.

Ms Caroll is suing Mr Trump for denying that he sexually assaulted her in Manhattan during the 1990s. In 2019, while serving as president, Mr Trump said that Ms Carroll was “not my type,” and that the alleged assault “never happened.”

If a federal employee is sued for defamation over actions connected to their job, the DOJ can step in as the defendant and effectively stop the lawsuit from proceeding on the grounds that the federal government cannot be sued for defamation.

Abe Asher explains why Mr Trump can no longer rely on the federal government to defend him.

Trump fumes about DOJ after losing immunity in E Jean Carroll case

Mounting pressure for GOP hopefuls to stop Trump in Iowa

Saturday 15 July 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As the six-month sprint to the Iowa caucuses begins, the sprawling field of Republican presidential candidates is facing growing pressure to prove they can become serious challengers to former President Donald Trump.

The urgency is particularly acute for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who entered the race in May with expectations that he would quickly become Trump’s top rival.

That has not happened. Read on...

GOP White House hopefuls face mounting pressure to stop Trump in Iowa

Poll: Americans are widely pessimistic about democracy in the United States

Friday 14 July 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults give high ratings to the way democracy is working in the United States or how well it represents the interests of most Americans, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Read the breakdown of the polling:

Americans are widely pessimistic about democracy in the United States, an AP-NORC poll finds

Trump snubbed by major evangelical group

Friday 14 July 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump was not invited to a gathering of evangelical and Jewish leaders, Christians United for Israel, scheduled for this weekend.

“While he has been invited in the past, former President Donald Trump was not invited to this year’s summit,” a senior adviser to CUFI told The Messenger on Friday. CUFI is a group of Christian Right activists and Jewish leaders, which is hosting a number of GOP 2024 hopefuls.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump snubbed as major evangelical group declines to invite him to conference

Trump asks top Georgia court to quash election probe grand jury report and disqualify prosecutor

Friday 14 July 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are asking Georgia‘s highest court to prevent the district attorney who has been investigating his actions in the wake of the 2020 election from prosecuting him and to throw out a special grand jury report that is part of the inquiry.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating since early 2021 whether Trump and his allies broke any laws as they tried to overturn his narrow election loss in Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden. She has suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case from a grand jury next month.

Read more...

Trump asks top Georgia court to disqualify election probe prosecutor and toss grand jury report

2020 election probe: New Mexico's top election official met with federal prosecutors

Friday 14 July 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The top state election official in New Mexico has spoken with federal prosecutors as part of the special counsel’s probe into the 2020 election, the official’s spokesman said Friday.

The meeting with New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver occurred sometime in the past few months, according to spokesman Alex Curtas, who declined further comment.\

Read more...

New Mexico's top election official met with federal prosecutors for 2020 special counsel probe

DeSantis to become first GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary

Friday 14 July 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plans to file his 2024 candidacy for South Carolina‘s Republican presidential primary when he’s in the first-in-the-South voting state next week, becoming the first GOP hopeful to do so.

DeSantis will file his paperwork at the state GOP headquarters in Columbia on Tuesday, his campaign told The Associated Press on Friday.

Read on...

DeSantis to become 1st GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary during visit next week

Order limiting Biden administration contact with social media companies paused by appeals court

Friday 14 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal appeals court Friday temporarily paused a lower court’s order limiting executive branch officials’ communications with social media companies about controversial online posts.

Biden administration lawyers had asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to stay the preliminary injunction issued on July 4 by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty. Doughty himself had rejected a request to put his order on hold pending appeal.

Friday’s brief 5th Circuit order put Doughty’s order on hold “until further orders of the court.” It called for arguments in the case to be scheduled on an expedited basis.

Read more...

Appeals court pauses order limiting Biden administration contact with social media companies

Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash over Ukraine

Friday 14 July 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson on Friday appeared to lose his patience with former vice president Mike Pence after the 2024 presidential candidate refused to back down from his support for arming Ukraine’s defence forces.

Mr Pence and Carlson, who spoke for approximately 26 minutes as part of a GOP candidate forum in Iowa sponsored by Blaze Media and the Family Leader social conservative organisation, spent roughly half of their discussion sparring over Mr Pence’s view of the nearly 18-month-old war.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum

Ex-Secret Service agent ‘not surprised’ by White House cocaine find

Friday 14 July 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A day after the Secret Service reached an end to its investigation into the presence of cocaine in the White House, former Secret Service agent Evy Poumpouras said she wasn’t shocked that the drug was able to get into the White House.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Ex-Secret Service agent says she’s ‘not surprised’ by White House cocaine scandal

Bannon ‘We Build the Wall’ co-defendant loses bid for new trial

Friday 14 July 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Timothy Shea, one of the three co-defendants of Steve Bannon convicted in the “We Build the Wall” fraud case, has lost his bid for a new trial before his sentencing.

GOP pushes through defense bill limiting abortion access and halting diversity efforts

Friday 14 July 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The House passed a sweeping defense bill Friday that provides an expected 5.2% pay raise for service members but strays from traditional military policy with Republicans add-ons blocking abortion coverage, diversity initiatives at the Pentagon and transgender care that deeply divided the chamber.

Democrats voted against the package, which had sailed out of the House Armed Services Committee on an almost unanimous vote weeks ago before being loaded with the GOP priorities during a heated late-night floor debate this week.

Read more...

House Republicans push through defense bill limiting abortion access and halting diversity efforts

Fox News beset by culture of ‘fear’, says Geraldo

Friday 14 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera believes a culture of fear has taken hold at the right-wing network after the $787.5m payout to Dominion Voting Systems for spreading lies about the 2020 presidential election.

In a wide-ranging interview on The View on Thursday, Mr Rivera, 80, was asked by host Alyssa Farah Griffin about morale among “actual journalists” at Fox and whether executives would protect them.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Fox News beset by culture of ‘fear’ after $787.5m defamation payout, ex-host says

Biden trips on Air Force One steps... again

Friday 14 July 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden appeared to stumble on the stairs of Air Force One again after a “watch your step” warning was spotted on the jet’s steps earlier this week.

Watch your step, Mr President.

Biden trips on Air Force One stairs again after ‘watch your step’ sign added

More bad news for DeSantis...

Friday 14 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, whose promotion of BudLight led to conservatives to boycott the beer, has a higher favourability rating than Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who has enacted anti-LGBTQ+ policies, separate polls suggest.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Dylan Mulvaney has a significantly higher favourability rating than Ron DeSantis

Texas judge cites SCOTUS ruling to claims she can refuse to perform same sex weddings

Friday 14 July 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A justice of the peace in Waco, Texas, has been arguing against performing same-sex weddings for years. Now, she’s citing a recent anti-LGBT+ ruling from the Supreme Court to claim she has the right to refuse.

Judge Dianne Hensley recently filed a brief to the Supreme Court of Texas claiming the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling in 303 Creative LLC v Elenis gives Ms Hensley the right to refuse to perform same-sex weddings as it violates her right under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Ariana Baio reports.

Texas judge cites SCOTUS ruling to argue against performing same-sex weddings

2020 election probe: Trump prosecutors met with Pennsylvania and New Mexico officials

Friday 14 July 2023 18:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors under supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith have reportedly spoken with top election officials in Pennsylvania and New Mexico as part of the Justice Department probe into Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election.

According to CNN, Mr Smith’s team has in recent months conducted interviews of Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, with both officials providing information on “matters related to the 2020 election”.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Prosecutors met with Pennsylvania and New Mexico officials in 2020 election probe

Prosecutors add firearms charges against Jan 6 defendant found near Obama home

Friday 14 July 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors have added two firearms charges against January 6 defendant Taylor Taranto for the guns he was found with lin June near former president Barack Obama’s Washington, DC, home.

Report: Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee

Friday 14 July 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The special counsel investigating former president Donald Trump threatened potential criminal charges against a Trump Organization employee suspected of lying to investigators, according to sources of ABC News.

Eric Garcia has the latest.

Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee, report says

Trump asks Georgia Supreme Court to quash grand jury indictment report

Friday 14 July 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Former President Donald Trump on Friday returned to Georgia’s courts in his effort to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from investigating him for election interference and to quash the final report of a special purpose grand jury that recommends people be indicted.

Trump’s attorneys filed similar petitions in both the Georgia Supreme Court and Fulton County Superior Court. The filing in Georgia’s highest court said such a motion is typically disfavored but “extraordinary circumstances” justify it.

“Even in an extraordinarily novel case of national significance, one would expect matters to take their normal procedural course within a reasonable time,” the motion said. “But nothing about these processes have been normal or reasonable. And the all-but-unavoidable conclusion is that the anomalies below are because petitioner is President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump not alone in GOP as Scott agrees with comments dismissing threat of Russia

Friday 14 July 2023 17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Sen Tim Scott appeared to agree with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s assertion that Mexico poses a bigger threat to the US than Russia in a chummy 2024 campaign trail forum.

The South Carolina senator joined many other Republican presidential candidates - save for former president Donald Trump - to appear at the forum hosted by Blaze Media, run by former Fox News host Glenn Beck, and the Iowa Family Leader, a socially conservative organisation that candidates frequently court.

Mr Carlson, who frequently criticised US support for Ukraine against Russia, said Russia was not as big of a threat as Mexico.

Eric Garcia reports.

Tim Scott agrees with Tucker Carlson comments dismissing threat posed by Russia

Trump lashes out at Biden’s support for allies

Friday 14 July 2023 17:27 , Oliver O'Connell

On Thursday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order approving the mobilisation of select reserve forces with up to 3,000 personnel, augmenting the armed forces in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve — an ongoing operation that began in the wake of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea.

The operation is designated as a contingency operation according to Army Lt Gen Douglas Sims II, joint staff director of operations.

“This new designation benefits troops and families with increases in authorities, entitlements and access to the reserve component forces and personnel,” Mr Sims said.

"This [executive order] reaffirms the unwavering support and commitment to defend Nato's eastern flank in the wake of Russia's illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine.”

The move will ensure long-term resilience in United States European Command’s continued heightened level of presence and operations. This will not change current force-posture levels in Europe.

Biden signs order adding 3,000 reservists to presence in Europe amid Ukraine war

Former President Donald Trump had his own alarmist perspective of the move. In a statement released by his 2024 campaign, he said:

Joe Biden's decision to mobilize reserve forces proves that his reckless escalation in Ukraine is straining the US military to the point of disaster. Just last week, Biden shockingly admitted that our arsenals are so badly depleted that the United States is running out of ammunition. Now, we see the ranks are growing so thin that reserve troops are being forced to support Biden's calamitous policy in Europe, while our own borders remain undefended.

Joe Biden can't even walk up the steps of Air Force One without tripping. The last thing this incompetent administration should be doing is pushing us further toward World War Three.

Yet Biden has proclaimed that he will continue sending American treasure and weaponry to fuel endless war in Ukraine for “as long as it takes”. When I am reelected, it will take 24 hours. This conflict must end. Not one American mother or father wants to send their child to die in Eastern Europe. We must have PEACE.

As President, I will AGAIN rebuild America's military and restore the readiness and deterrence that Joe Biden has so dangerously squandered, and I will return to a foreign policy that puts AMERICA FIRST, so that we can once again have PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.

Quoting President Ronald Reagan at the end of the statement, a champion of Nato who took an especially hard line against the USSR, is particularly ironic given Mr Trump’s indifferent attitude toward US allies and ambivalence about the territorial ambitions of Russia:

Trump boasts he told Nato members he wouldn’t protect them from Russia

Trump Organization employee target for obstruction of documents probe

Friday 14 July 2023 17:19 , Oliver O'Connell

In a letter, Special Counsel Jack Smith told a Trump Organization employee that he is a target for obstruction of the documents prosecution, threatening potential charges for being suspected of lying to investigators, ABC News reports.

The employee is believed to have perjured himself during a May appearance before the federal grand jury hearing evidence in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe.

When reached on Thursday by ABC News, the employee declined to answer questions about the possible target letter and his discussions with investigators.

He said only: “It's none of your business.”

The network says the letter (which was described to ABC News) signals Mr Smith’s growing interest in the Trump Organization’s handling of the surveillance footage and potential efforts to avoid sharing it with investigators.

Watch: McCarthy says Crane comments ‘not acceptable’, believes he misspoke

Friday 14 July 2023 17:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News analyst under fire for speculating about Biden death in second term

Friday 14 July 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News has been criticised for speculating on the likelihood of President Joe Biden dying during a second term in office.

At the age of 80, Mr Biden is the oldest serving president and would beat his own record for the oldest person to be elected president if he is successful in the 2024 election.

Fox News medical analyst Marc Siegel said Mr Biden’s age by the end of a second term (86) would put him at risk of falls, while other health issues suggested there was a 50 per cent chance he “wouldn’t survive”.

Read on...

Fox News analyst under fire for speculating probability of Biden dying in second term

Rep Crane ‘deeply regrets’ using racist term on House floor

Friday 14 July 2023 16:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Olivia Beavers of Politico reports that Rep Eli Crane deeply regrets using the term “coloured people” on the House floor on Thursday.

He says he misspoke and is mad at himself.

Geraldo Rivera grilled about friendship with ‘crazy, racist, misogynistic’ Trump

Friday 14 July 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera faced a grilling from panelists on The View about his past friendship with “crazy”, “racist” and “misogynistic” Donald Trump.

Mr Rivera appeared on the talk show on Thursday – just weeks after he revealed in a Twitter video that he had been fired from Fox News’ show The Five after 23 years with the right-wing network.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Ex-Fox News host grilled about friendship with ‘crazy, racist, misogynistic’ Trump

Biden 2024 campaign raised twice as much Trump in 2Q 2023

Friday 14 July 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

A furious Truth Social post might be emanating from Bedminster, New Jersey, sometime soon, because [say it in a Biden whisper]:

The $72m brought in by the president’s re-election campaign is more than double the $35m raised by former president Donald Trump’s campaign during the full 90-day period running from 1 April to 30 June, and more than triple what Mr Trump’s closest primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, raised during the second quarter.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Andrew Feinberg has the details:

Biden campaign raised twice as much as Trump in 2nd quarter of 2023

‘You are exhausting!’: Democratic lawmaker loses his cool with Matt Gaetz

Friday 14 July 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Thinking back to the 15 rounds of voting to make Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House, it’s possible this sentiment would be echoed by a portion of Mr Gaetz’s own party.

Rachel Sharp has the story.

Democratic lawmaker screams at ‘exhausting’ Matt Gaetz on House floor

‘Racist and repugnant’: Republican sparks outrage with ‘coloured people’ remark on House floor

Friday 14 July 2023 15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Is this 1953 or 2023?

Unbelievable.

Republican sparks outrage with ‘racist and repugnant’ remark on House floor

Lincoln Project airs new ad calling Tuberville 'a traitor’

Friday 14 July 2023 15:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Anti-Trump Republican group The Lincoln Project has blasted Senator Tommy Tuberville for blocking Senate confirmations of all senior military officers to protest a Defense Department policy that pays for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care.

Thanks to the senator, the US Marine Corps is without a leader for the first time in 150 years. In a new ad by the group, the Lincoln Project says the Marines’ proud legacy is being tarnished by Mr Tuberville, labelling him a “domestic enemy and a “traitor”.

Watch the ad below:

Report: Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks have testified in front of grand jury investigating Jan 6

Friday 14 July 2023 15:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results have questioned his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, among other witnesses to see if the former president acknowledged he had lost.

Mr Kushner testified to a grand jury in Washington DC last month, according to a report from The New York Times.

Ariana Baio has the details.

Jared Kushner has testified in front of grand jury investigating Jan 6, reports say

Warning of potential for violence, Hunter Biden lawyers tell Trump to end attacks

Friday 14 July 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Lawyers for the president’s son Hunter Biden sent Donald Trump a cease-and-desist letter on Thursday, alleging that the former president’s frequent hostile comments about Mr Biden are defamatory and likely to inspire violence.

“We are just one such social media message away from another incident,” the letter, obtained by Law360, claims, citing the violent attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband as a cautionary tale of the dangers of online rhetoric.

Josh Marcus reports.

Hunter Biden demands end to Trump attacks and says they may inspire violence

In-depth: He was a loyal Fox News viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now Ray Epps is suing

Friday 14 July 2023 14:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward spoke with attorneys representing Ray Epps about how the ongoing right-wing conspiracy theories about their clients have led to a defamation case against Fox News for helping amplify those claims.

He was a loyal Fox viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now he’s suing

Report: Arizona prosecutors probing GOP efforts to overturn 2020 election

Friday 14 July 2023 14:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Arizona’s chief law enforcement officer has tasked a team of attorneys with looking into alleged efforts by GOP figures to reverse the results of the 2020 election in the state after Donald Trump became the first Republican in decades to lose Arizona’s electoral votes.

Citing two sources familiar with the probe, The Washington Post reported that Attorney General Kris Mayes assigned a team of prosecutors and investigators to the case two months ago, with the prosecutors already having spoken to a number of pro-Trump figures as part of the investigation.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Arizona prosecutors probing GOP efforts to overturn 2020 election, report says

Voices: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s antics show that the 2024 election will be about America’s role in the world

Friday 14 July 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Politics very rarely offers a symmetric split-screen image between Democrats and Republicans. But this week provided a perfect contrast in how Democrats and Republicans approach international affairs, with President Joe Biden preaching the virtues of the liberal international order while the loudest voices in the GOP talked about America retreating from the world.

Read more...

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s antics add another wrinkle to 2024

Cruz proposes bill to help detect if your house is spying on you

Friday 14 July 2023 13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is attempting to rally support for a bill that would reveal to Americans if their household devices are spying on them.

Mr Cruz took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to rally support for the Informing Consumers about the Smart Devices Act — warning that as more and more Americans bring smart devices into their homes, the result could be a loss of privacy.

Abe Asher reports.

Ted Cruz proposes bill to help detect if your house is spying on you

Senators take another run at barring future US withdrawal from Nato

Friday 14 July 2023 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing for legislation that would prevent any US president from pulling America out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation without approval from the upper chamber.

Andrew Feinberg explains how they’re doing it.

Senators renew effort to bar future US withdrawal from Nato

Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe

Friday 14 July 2023 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The US Secret Service ended its investigation into the source of cocaine that was found at the White House after no fingerprints or DNA were found on the small bag, CNN reported.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Secret Service ends probe into mysterious bag of cocaine found in White House

Jim Jordan attempts to explain why he ‘drew a blank’ on Fox News

Friday 14 July 2023 11:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Jim Jordan paused in the middle of a sentence and began spouting an incomprehensible statement: “The decision the – when it came to the, the decision with Mr–”

Here’s what he says happened:

Jim Jordan blames earpiece for stumbling over words in Fox interview

Biden calls out Tuberville’s ‘ridiculous’ block on military promotions

Friday 14 July 2023 10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Thursday hit out at Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong effort to block the upper chamber from advancing hundreds of promotions for military officers and nominations for key positions in the US armed services, calling the Republican lawmaker’s position “ridiculous” and a threat to national security.

Read more...

Biden calls out GOP senator’s ‘ridiculous’ block on military promotions

Amid threats from the GOP, Biden says US and Nato will ‘stay connected’

Friday 14 July 2023 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Thursday said the US will remain a part of the Nato alliance in the future despite the threat of a second term in the White House for Donald Trump, who has reportedly expressed a desire to pull America out of the transatlantic alliance.

Speaking along Sauli Niinistö at the Finnish presidential palace in Helsinki, Mr Biden was asked by a Finnish reporter about the US Senate’s failure to pass legislation barring US presidents from ordering a unilateral withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty.

Pressed on what actions he will take to assure Finns that America would remain a reliable member of the alliance, he replied: “I absolutely guarantee it. There is no question”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden says US and Nato will ‘stay connected’ amid threats from GOP

In-depth: How conservatives turned Ray Epps into a Capitol riot scapegoat

Friday 14 July 2023 06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Ray Epps, now 61, arrived in Washington DC in early January, 2021, he believed he was answering the call of his president.

Mr Epps was one of the thousands of MAGA loyalists who believed former President Donald Trump‘s lie that the 2020 election had been stolen. He also thought he and a throng of conservative allies would protest the election’s certification.

The night before the Capitol riot on Jan 6, Mr Epps told a crowd of fellow Trump supporters that they should enter the Capitol. This exchange was caught on video. He did not call for violence, and later claimed that he was encouraging a peaceful protest inside the building.

Nearly 900 people have been arrested for their participation in the failed insurrection that occurred the following day. Though Mr Epps is not among that number, he has nonetheless become the focus of a MAGA-world conspiracy theory placing the blame for the entire debacle squarely on his shoulders.

Graig Graziosi explains how Mr Epps came to be at the centre of a conspiracy theory.

How conservatives turned Ray Epps into a Capitol riot scapegoat

DoJ challenges prison sentences for Oath Keepers convicted on January 6 charges

Friday 14 July 2023 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The US Department of Justice appears to be seeking longer prison sentences for eight members of a far-right anti-government militia group convicted of treason-related charges in connection with the January 6 attack.

Federal prosecutors have filed brief documents in the cases of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and other members of the group whose prison sentences were set below what the government asked a judge to impose.

Alex Woodward reports.

Justice Department challenges length of prison sentences for Oath Keepers

RFK Jr press dinner screaming match over climate crisis ends... well, you’ll see...

Friday 14 July 2023 03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Arguments at a press dinner for Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign became – literally and figuratively – explosive.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

RFK Jr press dinner screaming match over climate crisis ends with host farting

Glitter, it just gets everywhere...

Friday 14 July 2023 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican lawmaker has a bizarre new label for Hunter Biden – glitter.

Speaking at a House Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday, Rep Wesley Hunt compared President Joe Biden’s son to the sparkly stuff.

“Hunter Biden to me, is like glitter. He is on everything and you cannot get rid of him,” he fumed.

Any readers out there who have spent time with drag queens will know this to be a fact.

Rachel Sharp reports.

GOP lawmaker compares Hunter Biden to glitter: ‘You cannot get rid of him’

Hunter Biden lawyers tell Trump to end attacks warning they’re ‘one social message away’ from causing violence

Friday 14 July 2023 02:10 , Graeme Massie

Letter from Hunter Biden’s lawyers mentions Paul Pelosi attack.

Hunter Biden demands end to Trump attacks and says they may inspire violence

Hunter Biden’s lawyer warns Trump of “inciting violence"

Friday 14 July 2023 02:01 , Graeme Massie

Hunter Biden’s lawyer has given Donald Trump a cease-and-desist warning, telling him to not “incite” violence against the president’s son on social media.

Abbe Lowell sent Mr Trump’s lawyers a letter which warned that his rhetoric against Hunter Biden could lead to another Paul Pelosi-style attack, saying “We are just one such social media message away from another incident.”

Broadway actor cleared over Jan 6 role

Friday 14 July 2023 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A former actor and Broadway star has been cleared of all charges related to his involvement in the Jan 6 Capitol riots.

James Beeks, a member of the Oath Keepers, was facing charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder.

He was acquitted of both charges on Wednesday, but his co-defendant Donovan Crowl was convicted on both counts.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the story.

Broadway star cleared over Jan 6 role after his own lawyer argues he was a ‘wannabe’

Fox News host fondly recalls one of the diplomatic low points of the Trump administration

Friday 14 July 2023 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News’s Jesse Watters longs for a simpler time when the world watched in astonishment and horror as a grown man shoved an allied leader out of the way during a photo op.

Shweta Sharma reports.

Fox host complains Biden doesn’t push other world leaders out of the way like Trump

Weak GOP midterm showing and recent court ruling put House majority in play in 2024

Friday 14 July 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

After an anemic showing in the midterms, Republicans have virtually no cushion in their quest to retain control of the House, which was made all the more complicated by a surprise US Supreme Court decision last month that will likely bring two new safely Democratic districts. Democrats need to pick up just five seats to control the House.

Read more...

The US House majority is in play next year after a weak GOP midterm showing and recent court ruling

Report: Special counsel has interviewed senior state official in Michigan in Trump probe

Thursday 13 July 2023 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Justice Department investigators have interviewed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as part of their investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Ms Benson’s meeting with prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith took place last month and lasted for “several hours”, a source told CNN.

Eric Garcia has the story.

Special counsel has interviewed senior state official in Michigan in Trump probe

Kari Lake claims Arizona brewery is getting death threats for hosting her event

Thursday 13 July 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Kari Lake has claimed that an Arizona brewery has received death threats after it hosted her book event.

The far-right Republican attended the event at the Firetruck Brewing Company venue in Tucson to promote her book, Unafraid: Just Getting Started.

Graeme Massie has the details.

Kari Lake claims Arizona brewery is getting death threats after hosting her event

Complaint filed in Arizona against No Labels over donor secrecy

Thursday 13 July 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Arizona Democratic Party is looking to force new political party No Labels to disclose its donors or lose its status as a political party, an escalation of Democrats’ efforts to block a group they worry will boost Donald Trump‘s chances of returning to the White House.

Read more:

Arizona Democrats file complaint against No Labels over donor secrecy

Prosecutors: No reason to delay Trump trial in documents case

Thursday 13 July 2023 22:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors working under the supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith have urged Judge Aileen Cannon to reject former president Donald Trump’s request to indefinitely postpone his trial on charges that he allegedly unlawfully retained national defence information and conspired with his aide Walt Nauta to obstruct justice.

Andrew Feinberg has the details on the 11-page filing submitted to the court today.

No reason to delay Trump trial in documents case, prosecutors say

Full story: Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks have testified in front of grand jury investigating Trump, reports say

Thursday 13 July 2023 22:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors investigating Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results have questioned his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, among other witnesses to see if the former president acknowledged he had lost.

Ariana Baio has the story.

Jared Kushner has testified in front of grand jury investigating Trump, reports say

Voices: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s antics show that the 2024 election will be about America’s role in the world

Thursday 13 July 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Politics very rarely offers a symmetric split-screen image between Democrats and Republicans. But this week provided a perfect contrast in how Democrats and Republicans approach international affairs, with President Joe Biden preaching the virtues of the liberal international order while the loudest voices in the GOP talked about America retreating from the world.

Read more...

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s antics add another wrinkle to 2024

Growing number of Trump admin figures have testified to Jan 6 grand jury

Thursday 13 July 2023 22:23 , Oliver O'Connell

A growing number of Trump administration figures have been confirmed as having testified before the Special Counsel grand jury investigation the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

The list of names now includes Jared Kushner, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Hope Hicks.

Melania Trump was paid $155,000 in 2021 by Trump-linked Super PAC

Thursday 13 July 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump’s most recent financial disclosure form shows that a super PAC linked to him made a $155,000 payment to his wife, Melania Trump, in December 2021.

The disclosure form listed the 2 December 2021 payment to Ms Trump as compensation for a speaking engagement from the Make America Great Again, Again political action committee, which was the main super PAC connected to his political operation until last year.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump-linked Super PAC paid Melania Trump $155,000 in 2021

Report: Arizona prosecutors probing GOP efforts to overturn 2020 election

Thursday 13 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Arizona’s chief law enforcement officer has tasked a team of attorneys with looking into alleged efforts by GOP figures to reverse the results of the 2020 election in the state after Donald Trump became the first Republican in decades to lose Arizona’s electoral votes.

Citing two sources familiar with the probe, The Washington Post reported that Attorney General Kris Mayes assigned a team of prosecutors and investigators to the case two months ago, with the prosecutors already having spoken to a number of pro-Trump figures as part of the investigation.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Arizona prosecutors probing GOP efforts to overturn 2020 election, report says

Trump weighs into White House cocaine scandal and makes it all about him

Thursday 13 July 2023 21:41 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump has once again weighed in on the investigation into the cocaine found in the White House, once again making it about himself. Though at least this time he didn’t suggest the sitting president is a “crackhead”.

Here’s what he wrote this afternoon:

It has just been announced that the “investigation” of Cocaine in the White House has ended. Despite all of the cameras pointing directly at the “scene of the crime,” and the greatest forensics anywhere in the World, they just can’t figure it out? They know the answer, and so does everyone else! In the meantime, they continue to target and investigate me, for years, in what has been called the greatest Witch Hunt of all time - Over NOTHING!!! ELECTION INTERFERENCE & a Two Tier Level of Justice.

First Amendment group sues Greg Abbott over the Texas TikTok ban on official devices

Thursday 13 July 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A First Amendment group sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott and others on Thursday over the state’s TikTok ban on official devices, arguing the prohibition – which extends to public universities – is unconstitutional and impedes academic freedom.

The complaint was filed by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a free speech group in New York that’s suing on behalf a coalition of academics and researchers who study technology’s impact on society.

Read more...

First Amendment group sues Texas Governor and others over the state's TikTok ban on official devices

Senators renew effort to stop US withdrawal from Nato in future

Thursday 13 July 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing for legislation that would prevent any US president from pulling America out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation without approval from the upper chamber.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Senators renew effort to bar future US withdrawal from Nato

Ted Cruz proposes bill to help detect if your house is spying on you

Thursday 13 July 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is attempting to rally support for a bill that would reveal to Americans if their household devices are spying on them.

Mr Cruz took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to rally support for the Informing Consumers about the Smart Devices Act — warning that as more and more Americans bring smart devices into their homes, the result could be a loss of privacy.

Abe Asher reports.

Ted Cruz proposes bill to help detect if your house is spying on you

Damning court papers show Giuliani knew claims about Georgia election workers were false

Thursday 13 July 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A court filing from the mother-and-daughter pair of Georgia election workers who are suing ex-New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani for defaming them, shows that Mr Giuliani had no evidence that either woman was involved in any manner of election fraud when he passed surveillance footage of them to former president Donald Trump’s advisers as they scrambled to justify claiming the election had been stolen from the then-president.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Damning court documents reveal Giuliani knew claims about election workers were false

‘I drew a blank’

Thursday 13 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) stumbled over his words during a rant on Fox News’ show Hannity on Wednesday evening creating a discombobulated sentence.

Mr Jordan began by commenting on Christopher Wray, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, testifying to the House Judiciary Committee.

Ariana Baio reports on what he attempted to say.

Jim Jordan blames earpiece for stumbling over words in Fox interview

This lunchtime on Truth Social

Thursday 13 July 2023 19:39 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump spent his lunchtime lashing out at Ron DeSantis as “cold as ice” and spelling out the central tenets of Trumpism on Truth Social.

He began:

Financial Times wrote a story, “The great Ron DeSantis campaign train wreck.” Actually, they’re being nice by comparison to how he really campaigns!

Ouch. Next up:

“TRUMPISM,” as some call AMERICA FIRST, is very simple: Low Taxes and Regulations, the most powerful Military, Tariffs & Taxes on other countries who have taken advantage of the United States and which will make the USA rich and debt free again (if countries want to “take” from the U.S., they must pay for the privilege!), protection of our under siege 2nd Amendment, GREAT Healthcare, Low Energy Prices through Energy Independence, PARENTAL POWER on School Boards, “LIFE,” STRONG Borders, & more!

Should we be analysing his use of the CAPS lock to show his campaign priorities?

He then wrote:

DeSanctimonious Polls are getting worse & worse as the public gets to know him. The Democrats would have a field day with Ron. He’s cold as ICE, and only hurting the Republican Party. We have a 49 Point Lead, and should be getting even better than that!!!

He didn’t forget the actual opponents in the 2024 election:

I’m beating Biden in the Polls by the biggest margins ever. I assume that means there’ll be another Indictment & Arrest coming down the tracks very soon. These Radical Left Democrats, Communists, Marxists, and Fascists are destroying our Country but, have no fear, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

If only it wasn’t for those “sick government ‘thugs’”...

I never thought I would say that, as the leading political opponent of Crooked Joe Biden, getting Indicted and Arrested by sick government “Thugs” would be my great honor. I am doing it for our Country, to show how evil and sinister a place it has become. MAGA!!!

Biden calls out GOP senator’s ‘ridiculous’ block on military promotions

Thursday 13 July 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Biden on Thursday hit out at Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong effort to block the upper chamber from advancing hundreds of promotions for military officers and nominations for key positions in the US armed services, calling the Republican lawmaker’s position “ridiculous” and a threat to national security.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Biden calls out GOP senator’s ‘ridiculous’ block on military promotions

‘No fingerprints or DNA’ on bag of cocaine found in White House

Thursday 13 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The US Secret Service ended its investigation around a bag of cocaine that was found at the White House after no fingerprints or DNA were found on the bag, CNN reported.

The Secret Service reportedly looked through the visitor logs and surveillance footage to see who entered the White House on the days leading up to the discovery. But the agency ultimately could not identify a suspect, a source told CNN.

Eric Garcia has the story.

‘No fingerprints or DNA’ on bag of cocaine found in White House as probe ends

Amid threats from GOP, Biden says US and Nato will ‘stay connected’

Thursday 13 July 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Thursday said the US will remain a part of the Nato alliance in the future despite the threat of a second term in the White House for Donald Trump, who has reportedly expressed a desire to pull America out of the transatlantic alliance.

Speaking along Sauli Niinistö at the Finnish presidential palace in Helsinki, Mr Biden was asked by a Finnish reporter about the US Senate’s failure to pass legislation barring US presidents from ordering a unilateral withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden says US and Nato will ‘stay connected’ amid threats from GOP

Watch: Biden says Tuberville being ‘irresponsible’ over block on military promotions

Thursday 13 July 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

RFK Jr dinner gets explosive

Thursday 13 July 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Arguments at a press dinner for Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign became – literally and figuratively – explosive.

The dinner, held at Tony’s in New York City, descended into a screaming match when a guest asked the Democratic hopeful about the environment, Page Six reported. Mr Kennedy served as the former senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and founded the Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of environmental organisations aiming to protect the world’s water.

You’ll want to read what happens next:

RFK Jr press dinner screaming match over climate crisis ends with host farting

Trump to host screening of child-trafficking movie ‘Sound of Freedom’

Thursday 13 July 2023 17:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump will host a screening of the controversial, QAnon-linked movie Sound of Freedom at his Bedminster golf club.

Here’s our coverage of the movie, purported to be based on a true story.

The controversial child trafficking movie that’s become summer’s unlikely hit

Biden ‘serious’ about Russia prisoner exchange for Wall Street Journal reporter

Thursday 13 July 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden says he is seriously considering a prisoner exchange with Russia for jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Mr Biden said efforts were underway to free Mr Gershkovich, who has been detained for more than 100 days on bogus espionage charges, at a joint press conference with Finnish president Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki on Thursday.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Biden says he’s ‘serious’ about prisoner exchange for Wall Street Journal reporter

Biden heads home after Europe trip and Nato summit

Thursday 13 July 2023 17:25 , Oliver O'Connell

DoJ challenges prison sentences for Oath Keepers convicted on January 6 charges

Thursday 13 July 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The US Department of Justice appears to be seeking longer prison sentences for eight members of a far-right anti-government militia group convicted of treason-related charges in connection with the January 6 attack.

Federal prosecutors have filed brief documents in the cases of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and other members of the group whose prison sentences were set below what the government asked a judge to impose.\

Alex Woodward has the details.

Justice Department challenges length of prison sentences for Oath Keepers

What you need to knwo about know about Ray Epps, the man conservatives blame for the Capitol riot

Thursday 13 July 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

When Ray Epps, now 61, arrived in Washington DC in early January, 2021, he believed he was answering the call of his president.

Mr Epps was one of the thousands of MAGA loyalists who believed former President Donald Trump‘s lie that the 2020 election had been stolen. He also thought he and a throng of conservative allies would protest the election’s certification.

The night before the Capitol riot on Jan 6, Mr Epps told a crowd of fellow Trump supporters that they should enter the Capitol. This exchange was caught on video. He did not call for violence and later claimed that he was encouraging a peaceful protest inside the building.

Nearly 900 people have been arrested for their participation in the failed insurrection that occurred the following day. Though Mr Epps is not among that number, he has nonetheless become the focus of a MAGA-world conspiracy theory placing the blame for the entire debacle squarely on his shoulders.

Read on...

How conservatives turned Ray Epps into a Capitol riot scapegoat

Glitter, it just gets everywhere...

Thursday 13 July 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican lawmaker has a bizarre new label for Hunter Biden – glitter.

Speaking at a House Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday, Rep Wesley Hunt compared President Joe Biden’s son to the sparkly stuff.

“Hunter Biden to me, is like glitter. He is on everything and you cannot get rid of him,” he fumed.

Any readers out there who have spent time with drag queens will know this to be a fact.

Rachel Sharp reports.

GOP lawmaker compares Hunter Biden to glitter: ‘You cannot get rid of him’

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website