Trump news – live: Trump’s new nicknames for Ron DeSantis revealed as he considers Kari Lake for running mate
Donald Trump has reportedly been trying out some new nicknames for Ron DeSantis as he eyes the Florida governor as his key Republican rival in the 2024 White House race.
The former president – who is known for giving his political foes derogatory monikors – is said to be mulling possibilities including Ron DisHonest”, “Tiny D” and “Ron DeEstablishment” for Mr DeSantis, Bloomberg News reported.
While Mr DeSantis is yet to announce his bid for the presidential race, Mr Trump is “strongly” considering picking conspiracy theorist and failed Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake as his running mate, according to Axios.
In other Trumpworld happenings, Ivanka Trump has asked for a delay in bringing the $250m fraud lawsuit against her, her brothers, her father and their family’s eponymous real estate company to trial.
Her lawyers argue the fraud complaint “does not contain a single allegation that Ms Trump directly or indirectly created, prepared, reviewed, or certified any of her father’s financial statements”.
“Other individuals were responsible for those tasks,” they added.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump is praising Fox News host Tucker Carlson for airing footage of the January 6 Capitol riot falsely depicting it as a peaceful process.
Key points
Trump ignores Tucker Carlson’s texts saying he ‘passionately hates’ him
Ivanka Trump throws brothers and father under bus in New York fraud suit
Trump ‘strongly’ considering Kari Lake as running mate
Trump says criminal charges won’t derail his 2024 bid
The damning Dominion revelations: Fox News, Rupert Murdoch and backstage Trump whispers
22:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Here is a brief overview of some of the claims in several bombshell Dominion Voting Systems v Fox News court documents, which collect sworn depositions and internal messages from prominent Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham and owner Rupert Murdoch discussing coverage of the 2020 election’s aftermath.
Fox News, the Murdochs and backstage Trump whispers: The damning Dominion revelations
In rant about TikTok, Trump claims to have been right about everything (again)
21:50 , Oliver O'Connell
In his latest claim to have been “right about everything”, former president Donald Trump has waded into the debate about the future of TikTok.
He posted on Truth Social: “Has anybody noticed that everyone wants to go after, and destroy, TIKTOK due to China influence and National Security. When I wanted to disable TIKTOK 3 years ago, I was met with opposition from RINOS to Democrats to everyone else. They actually went to court in an effort to stop me. Now they realize I was right, and have changed their tune. Sadly, I’ve been right about everything!”
Capitol Police chief accuses Tucker Carlson of pushing agenda with ‘cherry-picked’ Jan 6 footage
21:25 , Oliver O'Connell
Capitol Police chief says Carlson using ‘cherry-picked’ Jan 6 footage
Watch: Trump vows to fight ballot harvesting with... ballot harvesting
21:10 , Oliver O'Connell
Bannon wanted Fox anchor Bartiromo to run for Senate, new texts reveal
21:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Steve Bannon worked to console Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election and urged her to run for Sen Chuck Schumer’s seat in New York.
The messages between Mr Bannon and Bartiromo was made public this week as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6bn defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
Abe Asher has the details.
Steve Bannon wanted Maria Bartiromo to run for Senate, new texts reveal
Dominion lawsuit: All the embarrassing things Tucker Carlson has said about Trump
20:30 , Oliver O'Connell
In a lawsuit that has produced a wealth of revelations about the internal working of the Fox News network, some of the most interesting parts have been the unfiltered opinions of the on-air talent about the 2020 election and former president Donald Trump.
Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights from Tucker Carlson regarding Mr Trump.
What has Tucker Carlson said about Trump?
Jimmy Kimmel has quite an item on his bucket list
20:00 , Oliver O'Connell
In an interview with Rolling Stone ahead of hosting the Oscars this Sunday, TV talkshow host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel was asked whether there was something he really wanted to do when his current contract with ABC for Jimmy Kimmel Live! ends in 2026.
Here’s how the interview wrapped up:
I know Jimmy Kimmel Live! takes up a lot of your time, but is there something you really want to do after? Anything on your bucket list?
Yes, there is one thing on my bucket list that I want to do. It just popped into my head when you asked the question. I want to visit Donald Trump in prison and interview him from jail.
Read the full interview in Rolling Stone.
Gretchen Carlson calls out former network over Jan 6 ‘lies’
19:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Fox host Gretchen Carlson is joining the pile-on against her old network after its star opinion host Tucker Carlson predictably used exclusive access to security footage from January 6 to falsely depict the attack on Congress as a peaceful protest.
Ms Carlson, who bears no relation to her former colleague, furiously denounced the network and criticised the channel’s journalists for covering Mr Carlson’s remarks and the resulting backlash as if they are somehow unattached from the situation.
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.
Former Fox News star furiously calls out network over Tucker Carlson’s Jan 6 ‘lies’
Watch: Bannon echoes Trump call to charge Jan 6 committee with treason
19:15 , Oliver O'Connell
“Trump demands January 6 Committee members are tried for treason...I think I am in total 100 percent agreement with that,” says Steve Bannon.
Steve Bannon echos Trump’s dangerous call to charge Jan. 6 Committee members with treason:
"Trump demands Jan. 6 Committee members are tried for treason...I think I am in total 100 percent agreement with that." pic.twitter.com/fvkYNvBiaP— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) March 8, 2023
Voices: Tucker Carlson ‘passionately’ hates Donald Trump. But that’s not all
19:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Noah Berlatsky writes:
I think it’s a mistake, though, to see Carlson solely as a man who knows better, but who is driven by the nonpartisan lure of money. He has an extensive history of hateful statements and of mangling of the truth. Dominion has found evidence of Tucker deceiving his audience in order to secure his bottom line. But that doesn’t mean he’s solely motivated by his bottom line, or that he never believes the ugly ideology he presents on air.
Read on:
Tucker Carlson ‘passionately’ hates Donald Trump. But that’s not all
Ivanka Trump distances herself from family in New York fraud suit
18:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of former president Donald Trump, has asked for a delay in bringing the $250m fraud lawsuit filed against her, her brothers, her father and their family’s eponymous real estate company to trial.
Her lawyers say a defence arguing that she wasn’t responsible for fraudulent financial statements issued by the company will take more time to prepare.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Ivanka Trump throws brothers and father under bus in New York fraud suit
ICYMI: Hope Hicks meets with NY prosecutors
18:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s former spokesperson Hope Hicks met Monday with Manhattan prosecutors who are investigating hush-money payments made on the ex-president’s behalf — the latest member of the Republican’s inner circle to be questioned in the renewed probe.
Hicks and her lawyer, Robert Trout, spent several hours inside the Manhattan district attorney’s office and, afterward, were seen walking to a waiting SUV. They didn’t say anything to reporters as they got into the vehicle.
Read on:
Hope Hicks meets with NY prosecutors investigating Trump
Trump calls for Jan 6 prisoners to ‘go free’ after Tucker Carlson’s ‘peaceful' depiction of riot
17:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has used the January 6 insurrection surveillance footage released to Fox News host Tucker Carlson to call for Capitol riot prisoners to “go free”.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump uses Tucker Carlson tapes to call for Jan 6 prisoners to ‘go free’
Trump reportedly workshopping lewd new nickname for DeSantis
17:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has reportedly been testing out new nicknames for Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to challenge him for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
One is reportedly a little below the belt, even by Trump’s standards.
Trump reportedly workshopping lewd new nickname for Ron DeSantis
Trump ignores Tucker Carlson’s texts saying he ‘passionately hates’ him
16:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump avoided addressing the revelation that Fox News host Tucker Carlson once wrote that he “passionately” hates Mr Trump as the former president praised Mr Carlson over his misleading coverage of the insurrection on January 6, 2021.
Gustaf Kilander has the latest from Washington, DC.
Trump ignores Tucker’s texts saying he ‘hates’ him in Truth Social Jan 6 rant
What did Trump think of Tucker Carlson’s second Jan 6 footage show?
16:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Unsurprisingly, he loved it, again calling for the release of everyone charged for their role in the storming of the Capitol, despite the well-documented evidence of their crimes and, in many cases, guilty pleas.
Murdoch thought Fox hosts may have gone ‘too far’ in coverage of Trump’s election lies
15:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Rupert Murdoch thought Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham went “too far” in backing Donald Trump’s election lies on the right-wing channel, bombshell new legal filings reveal.
Mr Murdoch also said that he believed that the 2020 election was free and fair and not stolen from Mr Trump, documents reveal.
Graeme Massie has the details.
Murdoch thought Fox hosts may have gone ‘too far’ in covering Trump’s election lies
...as it’s revealed he ‘passionately’ hated Donald Trump
15:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Tucker Carlson said he “passionately” hated Donald Trump and fantasised in 2021 about the day he would no longer have to cover his fellow conservative, according to new messages released as part of a defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
“We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights,” Mr Carlson told an unknown Fox News employee just two days before the January 6 Capitol riot, according to the court documents. “I truly can’t wait.”
“I hate him passionately,” he added.
The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment.
Tucker Carlson said he ‘passionately’ hated Trump, new Fox News lawsuit filings show
Tucker Carlson offers little new in second part of Jan 6 video ‘scoop’
14:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday hit back at senators from both parties who’ve condemned his attempts to whitewash the January 6 attack on the Capitol with selectively-released video excerpts of Capitol surveillance footage from the day of the attack.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Tucker Carlson attacks critics but offers little new in second part of Jan 6 ‘scoop’
Trump ‘strongly’ considering Kari Lake as running mate
14:00 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump is said to be “strongly” considering picking conspiracy theorist and failed Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake as his running mate, according to a report by Axios.
The former president announced his 2024 bid in November but is yet to reveal who he hopes to join him as vice presidential candidate.
He is said to be looking at a short list of female candidates which he hopes will help him gain more votes from white suburban women.
Ms Lake was endorsed by Mr Trump in her failed run for Arizona governor in the November midterms.
She has consistently sided with the former president in peddling the lie that the 2020 election was stolen – and also tried to falsely claim she lost the gubernatorial race due to fraud.
Ivanka Trump distances herself from family in New York fraud suit
13:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of former president Donald Trump, has asked for a delay in bringing the $250m fraud lawsuit filed against her, her brothers, her father and their family’s eponymous real estate company to trial.
Her lawyers say a defence arguing that she wasn’t responsible for fraudulent financial statements issued by the company will take more time to prepare.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Ivanka Trump throws brothers and father under bus in New York fraud suit
Hope Hicks meets with NY prosecutors
13:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s former spokesperson Hope Hicks met Monday with Manhattan prosecutors who are investigating hush-money payments made on the ex-president’s behalf — the latest member of the Republican’s inner circle to be questioned in the renewed probe.
Hicks and her lawyer, Robert Trout, spent several hours inside the Manhattan district attorney’s office and, afterward, were seen walking to a waiting SUV. They didn’t say anything to reporters as they got into the vehicle.
Read on:
Hope Hicks meets with NY prosecutors investigating Trump
Trump uses Tucker Carlson tapes to call for Jan 6 prisoners to ‘go free’
12:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has used the January 6 insurrection surveillance footage released to Fox News host Tucker Carlson to call for Capitol riot prisoners to “go free”.
The decision by Speaker Kevin McCarthy to release around 40,000 hours of security footage from the attack on the Capitol has been blasted by critics.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on Tuesday that Monday night’s broadcast by Mr Carlson was “one of the most shameful hours of television”.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump uses Tucker Carlson tapes to call for Jan 6 prisoners to ‘go free’
New texts reveal Tucker Carlson ‘hates’ Trump
12:00 , Rachel Sharp
Fox News host Tucker Carlson told a colleague that he “passionately” hated Donald Trump, according to bombshell new text messages released as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6bn defamation lawsuit against the network.
New court filings on Tuesday revealed a message Carlson sent to a Fox News employee just two days before the January 6 Capitol riot.
“We are very very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can’t wait,” he wrote.
“I hate him passionately, I blew up at Peter Navarro today in frustration. I actually like Peter. But I can’t handle much more of this.”
The messages are the latest to emerge showing how the coverage and opinions presented by Fox News and its personalities on air was directly at odds with what they said and thought behind the scenes.
Top 5 takeaways from CPAC as the GOP gears up for 2024
11:30 , Oliver O'Connell
The latest Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington DC proved that former President Donald Trump remains firmly in control of the Republican Party going into the 2024 election.
The latest CPAC gathering was the first in the nation’s capital since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The gathering has long been a cattle call for potential Republican presidential nominees and other rising stars in the party. And it sets the tone for what conservatives will likely focus on in the next election.
Eric Garcia reports on what the top takeaways were.
Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race
Trump’s new nicknames for Ron DeSantis revealed
11:01 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump has reportedly been trying out some new nicknames for Ron DeSantis as he eyes the Florida governor as his key Republican rival in the 2024 White House race.
The former president – who is known for giving his political foes derogatory monikors – is said to be mulling possibilities including Ron DisHonest”, “Tiny D” and “Ron DeEstablishment” for Mr DeSantis, Bloomberg News reported.
But, Mr Trump’s favourite still continues to be “Ron DeSanctimonious” – a name he tried and tested at a rally in November.
Last month, a report said that he was also said to be considering the name “Meatball Ron” – something he quickly took to Truth Social to deny.
While Mr DeSantis is yet to announce his bid for the presidential race, Mr Trump is “strongly” considering picking conspiracy theorist and failed Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake as his running mate, according to Axios.
DOJ reaches 1,000 January 6 arrests more than two years after Capitol attack
10:15 , Oliver O'Connell
At least 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on the US Capitol more than two years after a mob fuelled by Donald Trump’s false election claims breached the halls of Congress to forcibly disrupt the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
The US Department of Justice notes that roughly one-third of all defendants are charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement, including more than 100 people charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious injury to an officer.
Roughly 140 officers with the US Capitol Police and Washington DC’s Metropolitan Police Department were injured in the attack.
Alex Woodward reports on the latest figures.
More than 1,000 people arrested in connection with January 6
Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?
09:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) concluded on Saturday with a speech from former President Donald Trump, still considered the heavy favourite (especially by this crowd) for the 2024 GOP nomination.
But while Republicans attending the three-day Trumpfest at Maryland’s National Harbor were certain of who should be at the top of the ticket — even breaking out into chants of “Trump! Trump!” during a speech by his competitor, Nikki Haley — they were far less certain about who the former president should pick as his running mate should he secure his party’s nomination.
John Bowden and Eric Garcia filed this report from CPAC.
CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?
Fact checker spots at least 23 lies in Trump CPAC speech
07:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump made at least 23 false statements during his CPAC speech over the weekend, a fact check has found.
CNN’s Daniel Dale noted that this was “far from the total,” adding that the speech was full of “wildly inaccurate claims”.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump sparks outrage as fact checker spots at least 23 lies in CPAC speech
ICYMI: Trump launches 3am Truth Social rant at Rupert Murdoch
06:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump was up late into the night — or perhaps very early in the morning — seething at FoxCorp founder Rupert Murdoch over the continued fallout from the massive lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.
John Bowden has the details.
Trump launches new 3am Truth Social rant at Rupert Murdoch
Dominion lawsuit latest: Fox News, Rupert Murdoch and backstage Trump whispers
14:42 , Oliver O'Connell
The right-wing media giant Fox News is facing a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, a Denver-based manufacturer of voting machines, over the network’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election and Donald Trump’s bogus claims that the contest was “rigged”.
In a 192-page court filing published on 16 February containing private messages from many of the network’s biggest stars, Dominion argues: “From the top down, Fox knew ‘the Dominion stuff’ was ‘total bs’.”
“Yet despite knowing the truth – or at minimum, recklessly disregarding that truth – Fox spread and endorsed these ‘outlandish voter fraud claims’ about Dominion even as it internally recognised the lies as ‘crazy’, ‘absurd’ and ‘shockingly reckless’,” the filing said.
Joe Sommerlad and Alex Woodward have the latest details as the case develops.
Fox News, the Murdochs and backstage Trump whispers: The damning Dominion revelations
DeSantis is engaging in ‘fascism’, says Florida Democrat
04:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticised his home state Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, saying the potential Republican presidential candidate is engaging in “fascism”.
The freshman Democratic congressman, who is currently the youngest member of the House of Representatives, spoke on CNN with Jim Acosta about Mr DeSantis’s plan to ban the use of preferred pronouns and gender studies in the state of Florida.
“He isn’t acting on education, we have to be clear,” Mr Frost said. “He’s acting on scapegoating vulnerable communities due to his failures.”
Eric Garcia has the story.
Ron DeSantis is engaging in ‘fascism’, says Florida Democrat
Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after mockery over empty seats
03:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump went on the defensive bright and early on Monday morning as he chafed over coverage of his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington DC over the weekend.
The former president contended that “you couldn’t get into the building” as he insisted that seating for his speech was filled and that his supporters had flocked to CPAC to see him.
John Bowden reports.
Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after mockery over empty seats
Voices: Trump’s new Jan 6 song is as bad as you’d expect. It’s also dangerous
02:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Ahmed Baba writes:
On Friday at midnight, Donald Trump dropped a new song with the J6 Prison Choir. No, that’s not an Onion headline. That just happened. Who needs SNL when we have reality?
According to Forbes staff writer Zach Everson, Trump, in partnership with former Trump Admin official Kash Patel and former Fox News Host Ed Henry, collaborated with January 6 insurrectionists awaiting trial in a DC jail.
I’ll save you time. The song is as bad as you’d expect.
Read on:
Trump’s new Jan 6 song is as bad as you’d expect. It’s also dangerous
CPAC: We asked conservatives at CPAC what ‘woke’ means
01:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The fact is that conservatives don’t like the concept of “woke” these days.
Many struggle to define the concept, as Eric Garcia discovered at CPAC over the weekend.
We asked conservatives at CPAC what ‘woke’ means. Their replies were revealing
Voices: Why Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves he is a problem for the GOP
00:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Noah Berlatsky writes:
In his keynote CPAC speech, Donald Trump once again demonstrated why his leadership of the Republican Party has led to electoral loss after electoral loss. His rambling speech was unlikely to appeal to anyone not already firmly ensconced in the conservative bubble. When he did settle into a coherent statement, it was more often than not a vicious attack on his Republican rivals.
Read on:
Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP
Trump mocked for ‘half full’ CPAC event
Tuesday 7 March 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has been mocked by Chris Christie over the poor turn out at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend.
The annual conservative event this year was witness to guests lobbing a number of casual attacks against transgender Americans, jokes at their expense and even thretening to strip them of their healthcare and remove them from public life.
Former president Trump, in his keynote speech at the event, said the 2024 presidential elections were a “final battle” and that “we no longer have a country” if he lost.
Arpan Rai reports.
Donald Trump mocked for ‘half full’ CPAC event: ‘It’s TPAC, Trump PAC’
Fox libel defense at odds with top GOP presidential foes
Tuesday 7 March 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Fox News is on an unlikely collision course with two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination over the rights of journalists.
In defending itself against a massive defamation lawsuit over how it covered false claims surrounding the 2020 presidential election, the network is relying on a nearly 60-year-old Supreme Court ruling that makes it difficult to successfully sue media organizations for libel.
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, two favorites of many Fox News viewers, have advocated for the court to revisit the standard, which is considered the foundational case in American defamation law.
Read on:
Fox libel defense at odds with top GOP presidential foes
Trump vows ‘retribution’ and will stay in 2024 race if he faces criminal charges
Tuesday 7 March 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump is vowing to stay in the 2024 presidential race even if he is indicted in any of the multiple criminal investigations bearing down on him.
“Absolutely, I wouldn’t even think about leaving,” the former president told reporters ahead of his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, speculating that being the target of a criminal indictment could even “enhance” his poll numbers.
During his remarks, Mr Trump vowed to take revenge against Democrats, the media, and even fellow Republicans who opposed him.
John Bowden and Josh Marcus report.
Donald Trump vows ‘retribution’ and will stay in 2024 race if he faces charges
Jan 6 rioters on the run after removing ankle monitors
Tuesday 7 March 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Two Capitol riot defendants are being sought by the FBI after going missing.
A Florida woman disappeared before she was set to stand trial on Monday after being charged in relation to her actions during the insurrection in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021, when supporters of former President Donald Trump attempted to violently stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Last week, a Washington federal judge issued bench warrants for the arrest of Joseph Hutchinson III and Olivia Pollock following the revelation that they had tampered with or removed the ankle monitors used to track them, according to the Associated Press.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Two Jan 6 rioters are on the run after removing ankle monitors
Ex-Trump aide Hope Hicks meets Manhattan prosecutors
Tuesday 7 March 2023 06:55 , Stuti Mishra
Former senior adviser to Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, was spotted entering the Manhattan district attorney’s office yesterday in a signal of a possible escalation of the investigation into the former president’s alleged involvement in hush money payments to a porn star during his presidential campaign.
Prosecutors from district attorney Alvin Bragg’s office have been presenting evidence to a grand jury since January, with Ms Hicks being the seventh witness to meet with them, the New York Times reported.
It remains unclear whether she was simply answering questions or will be asked to testify before the grand jury.
Mr Trump has labelled the investigation a “witch hunt,” and it is unknown whether the district attorney will seek an indictment against him.
Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race
Tuesday 7 March 2023 06:31 , John Bowden
The latest Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington DC proved that former President Donald Trump remains firmly in control of the Republican Party going into the 2024 election.
CPAC 2023 was the first in the nation’s capital since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The gathering has long been a cattle call for potential Republican presidential nominees and other rising stars in the party. And it sets the tone for what conservatives will likely focus on in the next election.
Eric Garcia dives in to what we can learn from the conference:
Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race
Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race
Tuesday 7 March 2023 04:31 , John Bowden
The latest Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington DC proved that former President Donald Trump remains firmly in control of the Republican Party going into the 2024 election.
The latest CPAC gathering was the first in the nation’s capital since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The gathering has long been a cattle call for potential Republican presidential nominees and other rising stars in the party. And it sets the tone for what conservatives will likely focus on in the next election.
Eric Garcia breaks down what we can learn from this year’s Trumpfest:
Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race
Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after Chris Christie led mockery over empty seats
Tuesday 7 March 2023 03:31 , John Bowden
Donald Trump went on the defensive bright and early on Monday morning as he chafed over coverage of his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington DC over the weekend.
The former president contended that “you couldn’t get into the building” as he insisted that seating for his speech was filled and that his supporters had flocked to CPAC to see him.
In reality, any delays getting in to the massive Gaylord hotel and convention centre were likely caused by the security screenings put in place by the US Secret Service — while the main ballroom notably filled up moreso than it had for smaller-name speakers like Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley, it was far from a “standing room only” event like the rallies Mr Trump became known for in 2016 and, to a lesser extent, in 2020.
Read more in The Independent for an exclusive on-the-ground look into CPAC 2023:
Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after mockery over empty seats
Brick suits, lawsuits, insults and pillows: The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC
Tuesday 7 March 2023 02:31 , John Bowden
Where else on earth but the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) can you see a pillow salesman treated like royalty, with his own security detatchment? Or see Sebastian Gorka, former White House official, yelling at The Bulwark’s Tim Miller that he was “f***ing fake news” and should “go to hell”?
Take a trip to National Harbor, Md, and catch up on the rage that infects the right-wing media sphere following Donald Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
Read more:
The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC as Trump waits in the wings
Russell Brand rails against Rachel Maddow, MSNBC and Fox News ‘propaganda’ in viral rant
Tuesday 7 March 2023 01:31 , John Bowden
Actor Russell Brand ranted against MSNBC and claimed that the left-leaning network is an equal source of “propaganda” to Fox News, the conservative news network which now faces a massive defamation lawsuit over amplifying Donald Trump’s election lies in 2020.
The episode of Real Time with Bill Maher on which Mr Brand made his remarks aired on Saturday evening, after which the clip was spread widely around social media, largely by conservatives celebrating Brand’s comments.
Read more:
Russell Brand rails against Rachel Maddow and Fox News ‘propaganda’ in viral rant
Michelle Obama reveals why she was ‘uncontrollably sobbing’ after Donald Trump’s inauguration
Tuesday 7 March 2023 00:31 , John Bowden
Michelle Obama has reflected on former US President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day and revealed why she was sobbing after it.
The former first lady discussed her and her husband’s, former President Barack Obama, time in the White House during the first and upcoming episode of Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast.
Learn more in The Independent:
Michelle Obama reveals why she was ‘sobbing’ after Donald Trump’s inauguration
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Happy Purim’ message greeted with reminders of antisemitism scandals
Monday 6 March 2023 23:30 , John Bowden
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “Happy Purim” message was greeted on Twitter Monday with reminders of her past statements which have drawn accusations of antisemitism.
The Jewish holiday commemorates Jews from Persia being saved from annihilation following a decree put in place by Haman, an Achaemenid Empire official. The story was outlined in the Book of Esther, the third book of the Jewish Tanakh – the Hebrew Bible.
Ms Greene is one of a handful of members of Congress who have met publicly with Nick Fuentes, one of America’s most infamous white nationalists. She has defended her presence at his past events by claiming she did not know who he was.
Read The Independent for more:
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Happy Purim’ message greeted with scandal reminders
Oversight committee Republicans won’t sign Democrats’ letter denouncing white supremacy
Monday 6 March 2023 22:32 , John Bowden
Democratic members on the House Oversight Committee asked their Republican colleagues to sign a two-sentence statement that plainly rejects white supremacy, white nationalism, and a far-right conspiracy theory that suggests politicians are intentionally seeking to displace white Americans by loosening immigration.
All 26 Republicans on the GOP-led committee have signalled that they will not sign the statement, which a committee spokesperson characterised in a statement to The Independent as a distraction.
Some Republican members of Congress (to varying degrees) have been accused of using rhetoric similar to that espoused by “Great Replacment” theory advocates in their own anti-immigration messages. The accusation has drawn strong backlash from some of those same Republicans, like House Republican caucus chair Elise Stefanik.
Alex Woodward has more:
Oversight GOP won’t sign Democrats’ statement denouncing white supremacy
Ex-Trump campaign chairman agrees to pay $3.15m to settle case over failure to report foreign bank accounts
Monday 6 March 2023 21:29 , John Bowden
Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has agreed to pay $3.15m to settle a lawsuit brought by the US Department of Justice.
The case stems from Mr Manafort’s failure to report the ownership of bank accounts in other countries in a timely fashion. It’s just the latest legal snafu Mr Manafort since he was pardoned by Donald Trump for crimes uncovered during the Mueller investigation.
The DOJ sued Mr Manafort last year in US District Court in Southern Florida for $2.9m, alleging that he did not report money he made from his consulting work in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 that was deposited into bank accounts opened on his behalf in Cyprus, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United Kingdom.
Read more:
Paul Manafort agrees to pay $3.15m to settle case with Department of Justice
Ron DeSantis is engaging in ‘fascism’, says Florida Democrat
Monday 6 March 2023 21:00 , John Bowden
Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticised his home state Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, saying the potential Republican presidential candidate is engaging in “fascism”.
The freshman Democratic congressman, who is currently the youngest member of the House of Representatives, spoke on CNN with Jim Acosta about Mr DeSantis’s plan to ban the use of preferred pronouns and gender studies in the state of Florida.
“He isn’t acting on education, we have to be clear,” Mr Frost said. “He’s acting on scapegoating vulnerable communities due to his failures.”
Eric Garcia has more:
Ron DeSantis is engaging in ‘fascism’, says Florida Democrat
Trump launches new 3am Truth Social rant at Rupert Murdoch
Monday 6 March 2023 20:31 , John Bowden
Former President Donald Trump was up late into the night — or perhaps very early in the morning — seething at FoxCorp founder Rupert Murdoch over the continued fallout from the massive lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.
Testimony and evidence uncovered by the lawsuit and made public as a result has been astonishingly embarassing for Mr Trump, who continues to insist that the 2020 election was stolen from him even after failing to produce any hard evidence in his multiple legal fights to overturn state results and his own attorney admitting that his team didn’t have any to speak of.
Read more:
Trump launches new 3am Truth Social rant at Rupert Murdoch
CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?
Monday 6 March 2023 20:00 , John Bowden
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) concluded on Saturday with a speech from former President Donald Trump, still considered the heavy favourite (especially by this crowd) for the 2024 GOP nomination.
But while Republicans attending the three-day Trumpfest at Maryland’s National Harbor were certain of who should be at the top of the ticket — even breaking out into chants of “Trump! Trump!” during a speech by his competitor, Nikki Haley — they were far less certain about who the former president should pick as his running mate should he secure his party’s nomination.
Kari Lake, former candidate for governor, won the event’s veepstakes poll with just 20 per cent of the vote. The Independent spoke with prominent Republicans who attended the conference and heard their thoughts on Donald Trump’s selection of a new running mate.
CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?
Trump's deputy national security adviser says he won't support his old boss in 2024
Monday 6 March 2023 19:36 , John Bowden
One of Donald Trump’s former top deputies has just revealed that he will not support the former president in 2024.
Matthew Pottinger, former deputy White House national security adviser, revealed his thoughts about his ex-boss running a third time during a Washington Post interview.
"Well, I'm likely to support other candidates this time around," he said.
Trump scorches Larry Hogan after ex-governor says he won’t run in 2024
Monday 6 March 2023 19:00 , John Bowden
Donald Trump had nothing nice to say about Larry Hogan, the popular former Republican governor of Maryland, on Monday after Mr Hogan released a statement announcing that he would not seek the presidency in 2024. Mr Hogan had been strongly hinting at a run for months.
“Too bad Larry Hogan, the RINO Former Governor of Maryland, is dropping out of the Presidential Race. While he didn’t stand a chance, he would have been fun to practice on!” Mr Trump quipped on Truth Social.
Polls showed Mr Hogan, despite his popularity at home, winning only a few per cent of the vote in a hypothetical 2024 GOP primary matchup against Mr Trump and other candidates.
Donald Trump mocked for ‘half full’ CPAC event: ‘It’s TPAC, Trump PAC’
Monday 6 March 2023 18:00 , John Bowden
Donald Trump has been mocked by Chris Christie over the poor turn out at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend.
Mr Christie, the one-time president’s former ally, reacted to the event in an interview on ABC’s This Week on Sunday.
“You saw the scenes at CPAC, that room was half full,” said the former New Jersey governor.
“What got him upset on January 6th? The crowd size. What got him upset on January 20th 2017? The crowd size. He measures that as an example of his own power and own authority, and I don’t think he has it anymore,” Mr Christie added.
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Donald Trump mocked for ‘half full’ CPAC event: ‘It’s TPAC, Trump PAC’
CPAC speaker sparks alarm with call for trans people to be ‘eradicated’
Monday 6 March 2023 17:16 , John Bowden
Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire sparked widespread condemnations and disgust on Saturday with his anti-trans rhetoric made during his speech at CPAC.
“If [transgenderism] is false, then for the good of society, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely,” he said.
John Knefel of Media Matters called it “eliminationist, genocidal rhetoric”. Adam Vary of Variety urged people to “pay attention. This is genocidal. That is not hyperbole or alarmist; this rhetoric is calling for the eradication of a group of people for who they are”.
Mr Knowles, through a spokesperson, has since denied that he was speaking about violence against individuals, though he did not explain how “eradicating” transgenderism could be done without “eradicating” transgender people.
Read more:
CPAC speaker sparks alarm with call for transgenderism to be ‘eradicated’
Brick suits, lawsuits, insults and pillows: The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC
Monday 6 March 2023 16:00 , John Bowden
Where else on earth but the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) can you see a pillow salesman treated like royalty, with his own security detatchment?
Take a trip to National Harbor, Md, and catch up on the rage that infects the right-wing media sphere following Donald Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
Read more:
The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC as Trump waits in the wings
CPAC’s sea of empty seats: Trumpworld celebs address half-empty ballroom
Monday 6 March 2023 15:00 , John Bowden
If the audience of CPAC 2023 was evidence of one thing, it was the increasingly rightward tilt of both the American Conservative Union which hosts the event, as well as the broader GOP activist base.
What could have been a massive “big tent” gathering of DC Republicans and their nationwide grassroots allies instead appeared to be more of a muted affair held to celebrate the glory of Donald Trump and his dominant but still incomplete segment of the Republican Party.
The split was evident in the crowd sizes at the event on Friday, when many big-name speakers including Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump Jr., and others were slated to speak. All of the above spoke to half-empty ballrooms which struggled to reach the same tenor and excitement of your average Trump rally.
John Bowden has more from the ground at CPAC:
Trumpworld celebs address half-empty CPAC as mainstream Republicans shy away
SNL cold open slays Fox News over Dominion defamation lawsuit
Monday 6 March 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp
Saturday Night Live’s cold open went after Fox News over its conspicuous silence about damning revelations in a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems.
Internal communications and sworn depositions in the court battle have revealed that Fox’s star anchors and executives knew that Donald Trump’s false 2020 election fraud claims were bogus.
Since the allegations were made public in unsealed court filings last week, Fox News has barely acknowledged them.
Read the full story here:
SNL cold open slays Fox News over Dominion defamation lawsuit
Larry Hogan rules himself out of 2024 race
Monday 6 March 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ruled himself out of the 2024 race, after saying that he will not go head-to-head with Donald Trump.
The Republican, who has become one of the party’s fiercest critics of Mr Trump, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that he will not challenge the former president.
“I would never run for president to sell books or position myself for a Cabinet role,” he wrote.
“I have long said that I care more about ensuring a future for the Republican Party than securing my own future in the Republican Party. And that is why I will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president.”
While he said he appreciated “all those around the nation who have for many years encouraged me to run for president, after eight years of pouring my heart and soul into serving the people of Maryland, I have no desire to put my family through another grueling campaign just for the experience”.
Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign before they aired
Monday 6 March 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp
Rupert Murdoch and Fox News’ parent company are being sued over claims that they shared campaign strategy from Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential run with Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The suit filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by progressive activist group Media Matters on Friday alleges Fox made an illegal contribution to the Trump campaign when they shared his opponent’s ads before they had aired on the network.
“(Fox’s) actions are not only an egregious violation of the (Federal Election Campaign) Act and the Commission’s regulations, but also a nefarious attempt by people in power to operate a press entity as a political organisation, in blatant disregard of the rules that govern our elections and democracy,” Media Matters CEO and president Angelo Carusone writes in the filing, which was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has the full story:
Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign
WATCH: The five most bizarre lines from CPAC
Monday 6 March 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp
VOICES: Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP
Monday 6 March 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp
“In his keynote CPAC speech, Donald Trump once again demonstrated why his leadership of the Republican Party has led to electoral loss after electoral loss. His rambling speech was unlikely to appeal to anyone not already firmly ensconced in the conservative bubble. When he did settle into a coherent statement, it was more often than not a vicious attack on his Republican rivals.
“The combination is a looming nightmare for the GOP. Trump has no vision for the future himself and is determined to torch the party if it attempts to move on from him. The media loves Democrats in disarray stories, but Trump makes it clear that there is an almost limitless potential for Republican dysfunction in 2024.”
Noah Berlatsky writes for The Independent:
Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP
Fact check: Trump’s lies in CPAC speech
Monday 6 March 2023 11:50 , Rachel Sharp
During Donald Trump’s speech at CPAC over the weekend, he continued to spew a series of lies.
A CNN fact check tallied up at least 23 falsehoods covering topics including crime, the war in Ukraine, the border wall – and of course the 2020 election.
“I won the second election, OK, won it by a lot. You know, when they say, when they say Biden won, the smart people know that didn’t [happen],” he claimed.
Of course, Mr Trump did not win the 2020 election. He lost by more than 7 million votes.
Other lies included his claim that he “completed” the construction of the border wall between the US and Mexico – something which is irrefutably untrue.
Donald Trump vows ‘retribution’ and will stay in 2024 race if he faces criminal charges
Monday 6 March 2023 11:40 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump is vowing to stay in the 2024 presidential race even if he is indicted in any of the multiple criminal investigations bearing down on him.
“Absolutely, I wouldn’t even think about leaving,” the former president told reporters ahead of his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, speculating that being the target of a criminal indictment could even “enhance” his poll numbers.
During his remarks, Mr Trump vowed to take revenge against Democrats, the media, and even fellow Republicans who opposed him.
“In 2016, I declared: I am your voice,” he told the crowd. “Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.”
The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:
Donald Trump vows to stay in 2024 race if he faces criminal charges
Trump wins huge majority in CPAC 2024 straw poll
Monday 6 March 2023 11:35 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump was the overwhelming winner of the CPAC 2024 straw poll on Saturday, taking 62 per cent of the vote at the gathering of his loyalists on the Potomac.
The result was a predictable certain; the three-day Trumpfest was little more than a gathering of Trump campaign and former administration personnel and many attendees were draped in Trump campain attire, official or otherwise.
The former president’s team immediately blasted out the results of the straw poll to their supporters, writing that Mr Trump had “dominated” the field.
Read the full story here:
Trump wins huge majority in CPAC 2024 straw poll as DeSantis trails in distant second
Trump is mocked over ‘half full’ CPAC crowd
Monday 6 March 2023 11:27 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump is facing mockery over the “half full” crowd which showed up to hear him speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday.
Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and onetime close ally of Mr Trump, poked fun at the size of the crowd who attended the former president’s speech at the weekend.
“You saw the scenes at CPAC, that room was half-full,” Mr Christie said on ABC’s “This Week.” “The reason I don’t think the rallies are going on… I don’t think the rallies would be nearly as big as they were before.”
He added: “There are lots of indicators here, that he’s not what he used to be, in most respects, you’re talking about and so we’re going to see how that plays out.”
Mr Trump gave a headline speech at CPAC, where he spewed his election lies and vowed to stay in the 2024 race even if he is criminally charged.
Yet, the room was not even close to full capacity.
Mr Christie has become a vocal critic of Mr Trump.
The two men were once close allies with Mr Christie working on the former president’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns before their relationship soured.
Monday 6 March 2023 11:22 , Rachel Sharp
Welcome toThe Independent’s liveblog where you can find all the latest developments in Trumpworld.
Justice Department notes 1,000 January 6 defendants milestone
Monday 6 March 2023 23:00 , John Bowden
The Department of Justice on Monday marked an important milestone into the investigation into the January 6 attack on Congress. The agency has now charged 1,000 people with crimes stemming from the riot.
Speculation continues to persist about whether Donald Trump or his inner circle will face any charges resulting from the attack as well.
