Trump news – live: Trump calls prosecutors ‘maniacs’ as he tears into Republican rival Ron DeSantis

Donald Trump tore into his Republican rival Ron DeSantis at a rally in Iowa on Monday, calling him “sanctimonious” and comparing him to Mitt Romney.

The former president claimed Mr DeSantis had “strongly opposed ethanol” in the past and “wanted to decimate social security”, which Mr Trump himself promised not to do.

He also said Mr DeSantis had been “a disciple of Paul Ryan – a RINO loser who is currently destroying Fox”, concluding: “To be honest with you, Ron reminds me of Mitt Romney.”

Mr DeSantis is one of Mr Trump’s foremost rivals for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, having made a national name for himself as a crusader against so-called “woke” ideology and LGBT+ rights.

The mercurial tycoon also hit out at the New York state investigation into hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election, having earlier on Monday declined an invitation to testify before the grand jury.

"We stand up to the crooked Democrat prosecutors all over the country,” Mr Trump vowed. “Nobody's ever weaponised like this group of people. They're maniacs.”

Mr Trump is also under fire following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank – the biggest US bank failure since 2008 – after he watered down regulations during his time in office.

Key Points

Michael Cohen to testify today in hush money probe
Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse
Two other Trump accusers can testify in E Jean Carroll rape defamation
Trump ignores Tucker Carlson’s texts saying he ‘passionately hates’ him
Trump says criminal charges won’t derail his 2024 bid

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen insists he’s not seeking ‘revenge’ before testifying in hush money probe

07:15 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is set to testify before a grand jury in Manhattan looking into the hush money payments he made on behalf of Mr Trump.

Mr Cohen is set to testify regarding Mr Trump’s involvement in payments made during the 2016 campaign to women who alleged he had had affairs with them.

“My goal is to tell the truth,” he told the assembled press outside the courthouse, according to the Associated Press.

“This is not revenge,” he added. “This is all about accountability. He needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds.”

Gustaf Kilander has more:

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen insists he’s not seeking ‘revenge’ in hush money probe

Justice Department shoots down claims that Tucker Carlson footage of QAnon Shaman exonerates Jan 6 rioters

06:15 , John Bowden

Federal prosecutors have shot down any suggestion that footage aired on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News programme has in any way exonerated the so-called QAnon Shaman who joined a mob that stormed the halls of the US Capitol on January 6.

Jacob Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison after he was convicted of a felony count of obstructing an official proceeding before Congress. An attorney for another rioter charged with seditious conspiracy argued in court filings that the footage showing Chansley interacting with officers directing him to leave the building was “exculpatory”.

“Chansley was not some passive, chaperoned observer of events for the roughly hour that he was unlawfully inside the Capitol,” prosecutors replied.

“He was part of the initial breach of the building; he confronted law enforcement for roughly 30 minutes just outside the Senate Chamber; he gained access to the gallery of the Senate along with other members of the mob … and he gained access to and later left the Senate floor only after law enforcement was able to arrive en masse to remove him,” they continued.

Read more:

Prosecutors hit back at claims that Tucker Carlson footage exonerates Jan 6 rioters

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse

05:15 , John Bowden

Critics looking to assign blame for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank have found possible culprits in Donald Trump and Republican senators.

Though little known outside of Silicon Valley, the SVB was the leading lender to tech firms and startups before it crumbled on Friday.

SVB announced on Wednesday that it had sold a number of securities at a loss, and that it planned to sell $2.25bn in new shares to help right its balance sheet.

Read the full story:

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for cutting down financial regulations

Mitch McConnell discharged from the hospital

04:15 , John Bowden

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was discharged from the hospital on Monday after suffering a fall and a concussion. He is set to return to the Senate in the coming days, after returning from inpatient physical therapy.

The top-ranking Senate Republican also suffered a fractured rib, according to his office’s statement Monday afternoon.

Donald Trump is a long-running critic of the GOP Senate leader, who whipped his caucus against supporting Mr Trump’s objections to the certification of the 2020 election. But the former president has wished his rival a speedy recovery.

Trump attacks testimony of Michael Cohen

03:16 , John Bowden

Donald Trump issued a furious response on Monday when asked by reporters about his former fixer, Michael Cohen, testifying to a New York grand jury about a hush payment he made to Stormy Daniels on Mr Trump’s behalf in 2016.

“ He's a sick person. He's a convicted felon. He's a convicted liar. Lied before Congress said the greatest things about me too, by the way, you know, then all of a sudden one day he went crazy because he wanted to make a deal for him,” said Mr Trump, according to CBS News.

Mr Cohen is set to testify to the grand jury again on Tuesday after spending three hours behind closed doors offering his take on Monday.

Mike Pence says ‘history will hold Trump accountable’

02:15 , John Bowden

Mike Pence said he knows history will hold Donald Trump accountable over the Jan 6 insurrection and also made jokes at the expense of his former boss about the secret documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

The former vice president and Trump loyalist’s comments are some of the harshest he has made about the one-time president.

Mr Pence, who once seemed reluctant to confront Mr Trump, made the remarks on Saturday evening during the white-tie annual Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington, DC.

“President Trump was wrong,” he said at the event attended by politicians and journalists.

“I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

Read more:

‘History will hold Trump accountable,’ Mike Pence says in sharpest rebuke yet

Trump would make aides call Fox to get them to ‘fix’ poor coverage

01:15 , John Bowden

A former official in the Trump administration said the one-term president kept such close ties with Fox News that he would sometimes have aides call the network to pressure employees to turn whatever was irking him into news stories.

Stephanie Grisham, the former White House Communications Director under Donald Trump, recalled her interactions with Fox News during an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta.

During the discussion, Acosta said he recalled seeing Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham being openly invited in to meet with White House officials despite the fact they were ostensibly members of the press.

Read the full story here:

Ex-Trump staffer says former president was ‘very cozy’ with Fox News

Rally is over

00:56 , Io Dodds

Mr Trump's rally has now concluded.

Trump refers to trans swimmer as a 'monster' in extended mockery routine

00:54 , Io Dodds

A second audience question about trans rights gave Mr Trump the perfect opportunity to engage in his trademark cruel mockery.

The former president's derisive impressions of rivals and disabled people have adapted pretty well to trans people. Here he targeted an unnamed swimmer who is presumably a trans woman, though Mr Trump simply referred to her as a man throughout.

"[She's] a monster," he said, mocking various features of her body such as her supposed height.

He didn't name whoever he was talking about, though it's possible he was referring to trans swimming champion Lia Thomas. An analysis by The Independent last year found little evidence that she had any unfair advantage.

'We have to do something about Mitch McConnell'

00:45 , Io Dodds

Mr Trump says it should be a priority for Republicans to depose Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, prompting cheers from the audience.

"We do have to do something about Mitch McConnell. He's a disaster. He gets his ten guys and they give Biden whatever they want. There's something going on, it doesn't make sense," he says in response to an audience questions.

Other questions have stuck largely to Mr Trump's key talking points from his speech (perhaps because they were selected by aides on that basis).

A member of the conservative lobby group Moms For Liberty, which has sought to ban certain books about Black civil rights and LGBT+ life from schools, asked how he would stop schools "sexualising our children" and go "back to basics".

Another question was about the rising price of fuel and fertiliser, as well as the "activist" Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and climate activists who have "demonised" farmers. Mr Trump said he would bring the prices down and rein in the EPA "so fast your head will spin".

‘We will end woke. We will crush the deep state'

00:36 , Io Dodds

Mr Trump has now finished the main section of his speech, and is taking questions.

“We will end woke. We will crush the deep state. We will save our economy. We will defend our farmers. We will evict Joe Biden from the White House, and we will make America great again.”

Obligatory attacks on trans healthcare

00:35 , Io Dodds

It wouldn't be a modern GOP rally without a section on transgender rights, and Mr Trump has embraced the topic with gusto this year.

Vowing to cut all federal funding for schools that teach "critical race theory" or trans rights, he vilified consensual transition healthcare for minors as "mutilation" and said he would "keep men out of women's sports".

"If I was a basketball coach, I'd be the greatest coach in history. I'd have a woman's team but I'd have all men," he said. "I'm not a fan of LeBron James, I don't like LeBron, but I'd say, 'hey LeBron, you ever think of becoming a woman?'"

Since announcing his 2024 run, Mr Trump has positioned himself to the right of even many red states on trans children, claiming he would push Congress to pass a nationwide ban on all transition treatments for under-18s.

Vows to crack down on 'Marxist' prosecutors

00:25 , Io Dodds

Mr Trump promises to direct the Department of Justice to "go after Marxist prosecutors to make them pay for their illegal race-based enforcement of the law".

That seems to be a reference to left-wing prosecutors that he sees as soft on crime, whom he has previously accused of "abolishing cash bail and refusing to charge criminals".

It could also be a nod to the various investigations against him and the January 6 rioters, which he has often criticised.

‘I will prevent World War 3'

00:16 , Io Dodds

Trump declares that he will "prevent World War 3" – something he’s said before at previous rallies.

That, at least, is a campaign promise anyone can get behind (or at least most people).

All 20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

00:15 , John Bowden

Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump has continued to face a cloud of lawsuits and investigations, which could frustrate his hopes to win back the presidency in 2024.

Most recently, New York prosecutors are reportedly closing in on an indictment against the former president for hush money payments to an adult film star during the 2016 election.

Of course, this is nothing new for the real estate billionaire.

Read more:

Here are all 20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

'Inflation destroys countries like cancer'

00:14 , Io Dodds

Inflation time. Mr Trump claims that we could be on the brink of a recession due to "rampant" price hikes and the general "shambles" Joe Biden has made of the US economy.

"If you look at what inflation over 200 years has done to countries that have suffered, it destroys the country like cancer," he says.

He then tells a story about a voter who told him that he'd always gotten stick from his wife for being an awful investor, but that under Trump she gave him the biggest kiss in years because their 401k plan was up by 59 per cent during the remarkable bull market of 2020 and 2021.

Trump claims he could end Ukraine war in 24 hours

00:07 , Io Dodds

Donald Trump has claimed once again that he will end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of becoming president.

"Shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the disastrous war between Russia and Ukraine settled. That will take 24 hours, if it's not done before," he claimed.

"It's a horrible thing taking place. I could get that thing settled. It would have never happened if I were president – zero chance."

He claims that he used to talk about it with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who was "never going to do that, until I left".

Mr Trump then pivoted to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he called a "horror show".

Trump turns to the Mexico border

Monday 13 March 2023 23:50 , Io Dodds

Mr Trump promises to end the supposed "invasion" of the US via its southern border, referring to people attempting to claim asylum.

A woman shouts out something from the crowd. "Thank you," he laughs. "I don't know what she said, but whatever she said sounded good."

He apraises Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, saying: "I really like the president of Mexico. He's a socialist, but he's a great guy. He's a friend of mine... it's not an easy country, it's a very, very tough country, Mexico."

He also claims, dubiously, that "we took MS-13 out by the tens of thousands". The sprawling cross-national street gang is was last estimated to have up to 10,000 members in the entire US, though that was back in 2009. Is he just referring to all undocumented immigrants?

Trump tears into his rival Ron DeSantis

Monday 13 March 2023 23:48 , Io Dodds

Now MrTrump is getting into the real spicy material: tearing into his Republican rival Ron DeSantis.

Catching himself as he mispronounced the Florida governor's name, Mr Trump joked: "Ron DeSanctis? Ron DeSanctimonious!"

He claimed that Mr DeSantis "strongly opposed ethanol" in the past, "wanted to decimate social security" (Mr Trump promised not to cut it), and was "a disciple of Paul Ryan – who is a RINO loser who is currently destroying Fox".

Then he added a withering coup de grace: "To be honest with you, Ron reminds me of Mitt Romney." Me-ow.

‘I will stop Biden brutalising farmers'

Monday 13 March 2023 23:44 , Io Dodds

Absolutely huge cheers and chants of "USA! USA!" as Trump promises to prioritise Iowa farmers if he gets a second term.

"We are laying out a bold, forward-looking vision for what we will do when we take the oath of office and we get back into that beautiful, beautiful white house, and we become the 47th president of the United States," he said.

"Within hours of my inauguration I will cancel every Biden policy that’s brutalising our farmers."

Prosecutors investigating him are ‘crooked’ and ‘maniacs’, Trump says

Monday 13 March 2023 23:36 , Io Dodds

Trump has attacked the prosecutors who are closing in on him in various Democratic states as "crooked" and "maniacs".

Vowing to oppose "all the evil and sinister forces trying to destroy America's future", he said: "We stand up to the crooked Democrat prosecutors all over the country...

"Nobody's ever weaponised like this, group of people. They're maniacs. We stand up to the RINOS [Republicans In Name Only], the Communists, and the anti energy extremists."

The "group of people" in this case appeared to mean the New York grand jury that is investigating hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2017 residential election.

Trump has so far refused to testify before that jury, with his layer saying on Monday: "We have no plans on participating in that proceeding... we'll wait and see".

'I stood up to China like no administration has done before'

Monday 13 March 2023 23:28 , Io Dodds

Trump is bigging up his legacy on foreign policy, saying he delivered dividends for Iowa farmers and factories by standing up to China and other nations.

He cites the tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports, an enormous amount of which were paid out directly to US farmers. The Trump administration paid out $28 billion in 2018 and 2019, with another $33 billion in 2020, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Did anybody get a check in this room?" he asked, apparently prompting some hands up. "Yes, good. Not as many as I would have thought."

But that money did not actually come from China. It came from US companies who imported goods from China, making it more of a redistribution of US wealth. Trump aides at the time argued that China was paying for this indirectly, such as by having to offer US firms discounts to offset the new duties.

Trump begins speaking in Iowa

Monday 13 March 2023 23:18 , Io Dodds

Donald Trump has now begun speaking.

“Does anybody here not like their children?” he asks the audience to widespread laughter. It’s part of a warm-up routine he’s doing about inheritance taxes and farmers.

Trump gears up for Iowa rally

Monday 13 March 2023 23:15 , John Bowden

Donald Trump will speak Monday evening at his first campaign-style rally since his faction’s disappointing 2022 midterm performance.

The rally will take place in Iowa, site of the first 2024 GOP primary contest. Mr Trump is set to speak at 7:15 pm eastern.

Watch below on YouTube:

Trump issues scathing attack at DeSantis, says he regrets endorsement

Monday 13 March 2023 22:45 , John Bowden

Donald Trump went even further on his warpath against Ron DeSantis on Monday, according to Politico, which reports that the former president trashed the governor to a small group of reporters during a flight to Iowa in preparation for a campaign rally.

“He was dead as a dog, he was a dead politician. He would have been working perhaps for a law firm or doing something else,” the ex-president reportedly said on Monday.

He was then asked if he regretted endorsing Mr DeSantis in 2022, and responded: “Yeah maybe, this guy was dead. He was dead as a doornail…I might say that.”

Nikki Haley, Trump have dueling rallies on Monday

Monday 13 March 2023 21:59 , John Bowden

While Donald Trump is set to speak in Iowa, his only prominent announced challenger Nikki Haley will speak in her home state of South Carolina.

It kicks off at 6pm. Watch here:

Video shows Trump signing girl’s hand at Mar-a-Lago

Monday 13 March 2023 21:45 , John Bowden

A video of Donald Trump signing a young girl’s hand attracted some off-colour comments on Twitter overnight Monday.

Posted Sunday evening by the account Patriot Takes, part of a Democratic-leaning political group, the video shows Mr Trump signing the youngster’s hand with one of his signature black markers.

The girl’s mom then jokes that her daughter can never wash the hand again, to which the former president responds: “You have no idea.”

Video shows Trump signing girl’s hand at Mar-a-Lago

Trump reveals a spatter of mini campaign videos

Monday 13 March 2023 21:14 , John Bowden

Donald Trump went on the offensive against Florida Gov Ron DeSantis on Monday with a new video in which the former president, talking directly to camera, denies that people are moving to Florida out of any love for the governor or his policies.

It was an odd line of attack that seemed to reveal Mr Trump’s own worries about his likely 2024 rival’s ability to run on the success of his term in office.

Watch below:

Tucker Carlson calls Trump ‘a little bit autistic’ and knocks ex-president’s claim he would end Ukraine war

Monday 13 March 2023 19:25 , John Bowden

Fox host Tucker Carlson could have picked a better time to go on the podcast circuit.

The primetime conservative commentator was already facing mockery and open scorn for newly released text messages which revealed that he had privately derided Donald Trump’s attorney as a liar while letting her spread false conspiracies about the 2020 election on his show. Those texts were released as part of Dominion Voting Systems’s $1.6bn lawsuit targeting Carlson’s network.

Now, Carlson is back in the headlines again for comments he made not in private but publicly, to the hosts of the Full Send podcast.

John Bowden has more in The Independent:

Tucker Carlson mocks ‘autistic’ Trump’s claim he could end Ukraine war

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen insists he’s not seeking ‘revenge’ before testifying in hush money probe

Monday 13 March 2023 18:09 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is set to testify before a grand jury in Manhattan looking into the hush money payments he made on behalf of Mr Trump.

Mr Cohen is set to testify regarding Mr Trump’s involvement in payments made during the 2016 campaign to women who alleged he had had affairs with them.

“My goal is to tell the truth,” he told the assembled press outside the courthouse, according to the Associated Press.

“This is not revenge,” he added. “This is all about accountability. He needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds.”

Gustaf Kilander has more:

Tucker Carlson producer describes his audience as ‘dumb’ and ‘terrorists’

Monday 13 March 2023 17:23 , John Bowden

More than a million pages of internal Fox messages have revealed that a producer for Fox News host Tucker Carlson described the show’s audience as “especially dumb” and “terrorists” who sleep with their cousins.

The files were released in connection to the $1.6bn defamation lawsuit against the company by Dominion Voting Systems.

After Carlson had publically rebuked some of the outlandish claims pushed by Donald Trump’s lawyer Sydney Powell, which prompted pushback from her and other rightwing figures, a Fox executive texted a producer for Carlson about finding a middle ground and possibly taking time on the show to address her baseless claim that she had an affidavit linking Dominion and Venezuela.

Read more about the exchange that followed:

Tucker Carlson producer describes his audience as ‘dumb’ and ‘terrorists’

Donald Trump’s lawyer says he has ‘no plans’ to testify in Stormy Daniels hush money probe

Monday 13 March 2023 16:25 , John Bowden

Donald Trump will not testify before a grand jury investigating the hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election, according to his attorney.

Joe Tacopina told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday that Mr Trump has “no plans” to participate in the probe – as possible criminal charges against the former president loom.

“We have no plans on participating in that proceeding,” he said.

“Decision needs to be made still. There’s been no deadline set, so we’ll wait and see.”

Rachel Sharp has more:

Donald Trump has ‘no plans’ to testify in Stormy Daniels hush money probe

Justice Department shoots down claims that Tucker Carlson footage of QAnon Shaman exonerates Jan 6 rioters

Monday 13 March 2023 15:34 , John Bowden

“Chansley was not some passive, chaperoned observer of events for the roughly hour that he was unlawfully inside the Capitol,” prosecutors replied.

Read more:

Prosecutors hit back at claims that Tucker Carlson footage exonerates Jan 6 rioters

Trump aims sexist attack at Morning Joe co-host

Monday 13 March 2023 14:49 , John Bowden

Donald Trump returned to one of his favourite punching bags on Monday: MSNBC’s flagship morning newscast, Morning Joe.

And in doing so, he ventured into the realm of sexism with a bizarre mispelling of co-host Mika Brzezinski’s name.

“MSNBC can barely float, it is a ratings disaster. Morning Joe and his sidekick, ‘Mike,’ are getting pummeled. All of these Fake News Cable shows are. My CPAC speech was just announced as #1 on all of Cable. That’s because it was not Fake News!” wrote the former president on Truth Social.

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse

Monday 13 March 2023 14:15 , Rachel Sharp

Critics looking to assign blame for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank have found possible culprits in Donald Trump and Republican senators.

Though little known outside of Silicon Valley, the SVB was the leading lender to tech firms and startups before it crumbled on Friday.

SVB announced on Wednesday that it had sold a number of securities at a loss, and that it planned to sell $2.25bn in new shares to help right its balance sheet.

Read the full story:

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for cutting down financial regulations

Trump celebrates as Jan 6 choir’s song tops iTunes chart

Monday 13 March 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump took to Truth Social late on Sunday night to celebrate that the Jan 6 Prison choir’s song had topped the iTunes chart over the weekend.

The former president’s song with the J6 Prison Choir called “Justice for All” reached number one on iTunes’ Top 100 list on Saturday, bumping Miley Cyrus and her hit “Flowers” down to second place.

Mr Trump celebrated, writing “Wow!” on his social media platform.

Trump celebrated the success of the Jan 6 Prison Choir’s song (Truth Social)

Trump would make aides call Fox to get them to ‘fix’ poor coverage

Monday 13 March 2023 13:15 , Rachel Sharp

Stephanie Grisham, the former White House Communications Director under Donald Trump, recalled her interactions with Fox News during an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta.

Read the full story here:

Ex-Trump staffer says former president was ‘very cozy’ with Fox News

Will Trump testify in hush money probe?

Monday 13 March 2023 12:45 , Rachel Sharp

Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office invited Mr Trump to testify in the grand jury investigation into the hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.

While it’s an invitation he is unlikely to accept, it sends the clearest signal yet that he could be criminally indicted over the matter.

Under New York law, a person has a right to appear before a grand jury before a prosecutor asks the grand jury to indict them on charges.

If prosecuted, Mr Trump would become the first former president in US history to face criminal charges.

Mike Pence says ‘history will hold Trump accountable’

Monday 13 March 2023 12:15 , Graig Graziosi

Mike Pence said he knows history will hold Donald Trump accountable over the Jan 6 insurrection and also made jokes at the expense of his former boss about the secret documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

The former vice president and Trump loyalist’s comments are some of the harshest he has made about the one-time president.

Mr Pence, who once seemed reluctant to confront Mr Trump, made the remarks on Saturday evening during the white-tie annual Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington, DC.

“President Trump was wrong,” he said at the event attended by politicians and journalists.

“I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

Read more:

‘History will hold Trump accountable,’ Mike Pence says in sharpest rebuke yet

Trump claims he ‘loves dogs’ - despite being one of the only presidents without pets

Monday 13 March 2023 11:45 , Graig Graziosi

President Donald Trump recently told a crowd at a charity event that he “loves dogs,” though the claim seems dubious considering he has not pets of his own and frequently likens negative actions to dogs.

Trump at Lara Trump’s dog charity event: “You know, I happen to love dogs. I love dogs.” pic.twitter.com/aUKPgy1xNI
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) March 12, 2023

The Washington Postcompiled a collection of his numerous dog-related comments. The include phrases like “Choked like a dog,” “fired like a dog,” and “sweat like a dog.”

He’s also directly called people dogs, and not in a way that suggests he’s especially fond of the animals.

When referring to former Apprentice contestent-turned-White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman’s firing, he said “good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!”

His first wife, Ivana Trump, wrote in her memoir that she wanted to bring her dog, Chappy, to New York. Mr Trump simply replied “no.”

He is one of the only presidents — and the only president in more than a century — to have no pets.

Trump would make aides call Fox to complain about poor coverage and get them to ‘fix it’, ex-press secretary says

Monday 13 March 2023 11:15 , Graig Graziosi

Stephanie Grisham, the former White House Communications Director under Donald Trump, recalled her interactions with Fox News during an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta.

“It almost seemed as though there was a pretty cozy relationship between the White House and Fox News,” Acosta said before asking Ms Grisham if she had similar experiences.

She laughed and said recalling those times was like “PTSD”, before she said it was a “very cozy relationship” and claimed the network’s star personalities tattled on her if she didn’t give them what they wanted immediately.

Read more:

Ex-Trump staffer says former president was ‘very cozy’ with Fox News

Michael Cohen to testify today in hush money probe

Monday 13 March 2023 10:44 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen is expected to testify today before a grand jury investigating hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.

Two sources told The Associated Press that Cohen will appear before the Manhattan grand jury on Monday as possible criminal charges against the former president loom.

Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office also invited Mr Trump to testify in the probe sometime this coming week.

While it’s an invitation he is unlikely to accept, it sends the clearest signal yet that he could be criminally indicted for his role in paying hush money to Daniels.

Mr Trump fumed about the matter on Truth Social writing: “I did absolutely nothing wrong, I never had an affair with Stormy Daniels, nor would I have wanted to have an affair with Stormy Daniels.

“This is a political Witch-Hunt, trying to take down the leading candidate, by far, in the Republican Party.”

If prosecuted, Mr Trump would become the first former president in US history to face criminal charges.

GOP Senator says Republicans “are in desperate need of some new leadership”

Monday 13 March 2023 10:00 , Graig Graziosi

Senator Kevin Cramer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the Republican Party needs to focus not on “who they love the most” but who can win an election for Republicans.

“Donald Trump’s not going to take advice from the party or from me, but I think what will happen is if he’s indicted, that becomes one of the factors [on] whether he wins primaries or not. The other factor is who else is in the race and who may make the best case,” Mr Cramer said. “At the end of the day what is most important for primary voters to think about is not just who they love the most, but who can win for the country and who can win for the party because we’re in desperate need of some new leadership.”

20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

Monday 13 March 2023 09:00 , Graig Graziosi

Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump has continued to face a cloud of lawsuits and investigations, which could frustrate his hopes to win back the presidency in 2024.

Most recently, New York prosecutors are reportedly closing in on an indictment against the former president for hush money payments to an adult film star during the 2016 election.

Of course, this is nothing new for the real estate billionaire.

Read more:

Here are all 20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

Donald Trump’s lawyer says he has ‘no plans’ to testify in Stormy Daniels hush money probe

Monday 13 March 2023 22:13 , John Bowden

Donald Trump will not testify before a grand jury investigating the hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election, according to his attorney.

Joe Tacopina told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday that Mr Trump has “no plans” to participate in the probe – as possible criminal charges against the former president loom.

“We have no plans on participating in that proceeding,” he said.

“Decision needs to be made still. There’s been no deadline set, so we’ll wait and see.”

Rachel Sharp has more:

Donald Trump has ‘no plans’ to testify in Stormy Daniels hush money probe

Former Trump official launches PAC urging DeSantis 2024 run

Monday 13 March 2023 08:00 , Graig Graziosi

A former White House official who helped implement Donald Trump‘s hardline immigration policies is breaking ranks with the former president and instead encouraging Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to pursue the presidency in 2024.

Read more:

Former Trump official launches PAC urging DeSantis to run

Full story: The Trumpworld attorneys facing professional sanctions over spurious lawsuits and election lies

Monday 13 March 2023 07:00 , Graig Graziosi

Alex Woodward writes:

Several members of the legal team that advanced Donald Trump’s bogus claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him are facing professional sanctions and ethics violations for their spurious attempts to overturn the results.

Attorneys for the now-former president repeatedly and falsely asserted that the election was fraudulent while pushing lawsuits to subvert the outcome in states that he lost.

Read more:

The Trumpworld attorneys facing professional sanctions for spreading election lies

Monday 13 March 2023 05:00 , Graig Graziosi

Two other Trump accusers can testify in E Jean Carroll rape defamation

E Jean Carroll can use the Access Hollywood tape of former President Donald Trump as evidence in her defamation lawsuit, a judge has ruled.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan also ruled that the testimony of two other women alleging that Mr Trump has sexually assaulted them may be entered into evidence at the civil trial.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Two other Trump accusers can testify in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

ICYMI: DeSantis visits Iowa as interest in likely Trump rival rises

Monday 13 March 2023 03:59 , Graig Graziosi

Ahead of a widely expected presidential campaign, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis introduced himself to an eager audience of Iowa Republicans on Friday with a message that leaned into the antagonism toward the left that has made him a popular figure among conservatives.

“We will never surrender to the woke mob,” he said at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport. “Our state is where the woke mob goes to die.”

With the Iowa caucuses less than a year away, Republicans in the state are taking a harder look at DeSantis, who is emerging as a leading rival to Donald Trump. The former president, who is mounting his third bid for the White House, will be in Davenport on Monday as early signs warn that some Republicans may be looking for someone else to lead the party into the future.

DeSantis appeared alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and was heading to the capital city of Des Moines later in the day to meet with a small contingent of GOP lawmakers and to promote his newly released book, The Courage to be Free.

The visit is an early test of DeSantis’ support in the state that will kick off the contest for the Republican nomination next year. Trump remains widely popular among Iowa Republicans, though positive views of the former president have slipped somewhat since he left the White House. Now, 80 per cent say they have a favorable rating of him, down slightly from 91 per cent in September 2021, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released on Friday. Eighteen per cent have unfavorable views of Trump.

The poll’s movement suggests Iowa Republicans are not singularly committed to Trump for 2024 and are open to considering other candidates. Though slightly behind the well-known Trump, DeSantis gets a rosy review from Iowa Republicans — 74 per cent favorable rating. Notably, DeSantis has high name recognition in a state over 1,000 miles away from his own; just 20 per cent say they aren’t sure how to rate him.

Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

Monday 13 March 2023 03:00 , Graig Graziosi

Federal prosecutors are employing an unusual strategy to prove leaders of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group orchestrated a violent plot to keep President Joe Biden out of the White House, even though some of the defendants didn’t carry out the violence themselves.

Read more:

Feds: Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list... oh, and Trump has a book out too

Monday 13 March 2023 02:00 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump still may have a narrow edge on Ron DeSantis in the polls of a hypothetical matchup for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, but the Florida governor has one over on his former ally in another area: the New York Times bestseller list.

Josh Marcus has the details.

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list as Trump rolls out new $99 photo book

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for watering down financial regulations

Monday 13 March 2023 01:00 , Graig Graziosi

Critics looking to assign blame for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank have found possible culprits in Donald Trump and Republican senators.

Though little known outside of Silicon Valley, the SVB was the leading lender to tech firms and startups before it crumbled on Friday.

Howard Forman, a professor at Yale, shared a list of Republican senators who voted to reduce regulatory oversight on SVB in 2018. That legislation was then signed into law by Mr Trump.

The list includes names like Senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul, and Mitch McConnell, as well as a few Democrats, including Senators Joe Manchin and Tim Kaine.

Read more:

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for cutting down financial regulations

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to testify in Stormy Daniels case

Monday 13 March 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is set to testify on Monday about an alleged payment of hush-money to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The money was allegedly meant to keep a rumoured affair between her and the former president quiet.

Mr Cohen has been regularly meeting with Manhattan prosecutors for the last several weeks, according to the Associated Press.

The New York Times also reported, citing anonymous sources. that Mr Trump was offered a chance to testify.

Trump called out on allegedly trying to delay his lawsuits by playing judges against each other

Sunday 12 March 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Attorney Roberta Kaplan has warned a pair of judges that Donald Trump may be trying to play them against each other in an attempt to delay his cases in both courts.

“Donald Trump has a history of leveraging his presidential-campaign activities to delay and avoid judicial proceedings,” Ms Kaplan wrote in a letter sent to both judges, according to The Daily Beast. “We anticipated that, should the case schedule run into 2024, Mr. Trump will begin to argue that his campaign obligations must take precedence over his participation in this case, including at trial.”

In this case, Mr Trump’s team allegedly tried to double book cases so that trials would occur on the same day, resulting in a delay of one or both trials.

Elon Musk calls Steve Bannon ‘evil’ as ex-Trump aide denounces him as ‘owned by the Chinese communist party’

Sunday 12 March 2023 21:30 , Graig Graziosi

Although Twitter CEO Elon Musk and former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon tend to sit on the same side of the political aisle, the two men don’t seem to like each other very much.

Tim Pool, a right-wing podcaster, recently asked Bannon to comment on the CEO of Razer, Min-Liang Tan, encouraging Mr Musk to buy the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank. The tech-focused lender crumbled on Friday, making it the second-largest bank failure in US history.

Mr Musk replied that he was “open to the idea”.

Mr Bannon scoffed at the idea, which Mr Pool called “a bit silly”, and launched into a rant about the Tesla CEO’s alleged deference to Beijing.

Read Bannon’s full comments below:

Steve Bannon says ‘phony’ Elon Musk ‘owned’ by Chinese government

Trump claims he ‘loves dogs,’ despite being one of the only presidents without pets and frequently using ‘dog’ as an insult

Sunday 12 March 2023 20:42 , Graig Graziosi

Trump at Lara Trump’s dog charity event: “You know, I happen to love dogs. I love dogs.” pic.twitter.com/aUKPgy1xNI
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) March 12, 2023

The Washington Post compiled a collection of his numerous dog-related comments. The include phrases like “Choked like a dog,” “fired like a dog,” and “sweat like a dog.”

He’s also directly called people dogs, and not in a way that suggests he’s especially fond of the animals.

When referring to former Apprentice contestent-turned-White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman’s firing, he said “good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!”

His first wife, Ivana Trump, wrote in her memoir that she wanted to bring her dog, Chappy, to New York. Mr Trump simply replied “no.”

He is one of the only presidents — and the only president in more than a century — to have no pets.

Trump spokesman says Democrats are telling ‘desperate lies’ when blaming Trump for SVB collapse, East Palestine rail disaster

Sunday 12 March 2023 20:07 , Graig Graziosi

A Donald Trump spkesman told Fox News that “out of control” Democrats are lying as they point to Trump-era deregulation as the root cause of a bank collapse and train derailment.

“Out of control Democrats and the Biden administration have pathetically continued to try to blame President Trump for their failures with desperate lies, such as the CCP spy balloons, the train derailment in East Palestine, and now the collapse of SVB,” Mr Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, told Fox News Digital.

Democrats — and some conservative commentators — have pointed to Mr Trump’s 2018 rollback of Dodd-Frank banking regulations as laying the groundwork for the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

They have also pointed to Trump-era rollbacks of rail safety regulations as contributing to the East Palestine train disaster, though the NTSB is still investigating that incident. The agency has pointed out that, under the previous law, the train in East Palestine would not have met the conditions requiring electronic brakes that regulation made mandatory.

Donald Trump feels DeSantis pressure after governor’s Iowa visit, says he will win ‘farmer’ vote

Sunday 12 March 2023 19:24 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump appears to be feeling the pressure following Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ visit to Iowa last week.

Mr DeSantis, who has not announced a 2024 presidential run but is widely expected to do so, visited Iowa on Friday, where he was met with a largely supportive crowd.

Since his appearance, Mr Trump has been adamant that he has done more for farmers than anyone else, and has announced his own trip to Iowa this week.

“Nobody, in history, did more for the FARMERS of our Country than I did. Even got them 28 Billion Dollars from China based on how unfairly they were treated, before me, by the Chinese Government. People couldn’t believe it. Nobody’s going to win with the Farmers but ‘Donald J. Trump.’ Will be in Iowa on Monday,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Big crowd!”

Donald Trump finally addresses SVB collapse ... and blames it on Biden

Sunday 12 March 2023 18:14 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump has finally addressed the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which he blamed on Joe Biden.

“With what is happening to our economy, and with the proposals being made on the LARGEST AND DUMBEST TAX INCREASE IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, TIMES FIVE, JOE BIDEN WILL GO DOWN AS THE HERBERT HOOVER OF THE MODRRN AGE. WE WILL HAVE A GREAT DEPRESSION FAR BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT OF 1929. AS PROOF, THE BANKS ARE ALREADY STARTING TO COLLAPSE!!!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

In 2018, 50 Republican Senators and 17 Democratic Senators approved legislation that rolled back the post-Great Recession Dodd-Frank banking regulations that may have gave forewarning that an SVB collapse was coming. Mr Trump signed that bill into law.

Trump would make aides call Fox to complain about poor coverage and get them to ‘fix it’, ex-press secretary says

Sunday 12 March 2023 17:09 , Graig Graziosi

Stephanie Grisham, the former White House Communications Director under Donald Trump, recalled her interactions with Fox News during an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta.

“It almost seemed as though there was a pretty cozy relationship between the White House and Fox News,” Acosta said before asking Ms Grisham if she had similar experiences.

Read more:

Ex-Trump staffer says former president was ‘very cozy’ with Fox News

GOP Senator says Republicans “are in desperate need of some new leadership"

Sunday 12 March 2023 16:11 , Graig Graziosi

Senator Kevin Cramer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the Republican Party needs to focus not on “who they love the most” but who can win an election for Republicans.

‘History will hold Trump accountable,’ Mike Pence says and mocks him over classified documents

Sunday 12 March 2023 13:51 , Graig Graziosi

Mike Pence said he knows history will hold Donald Trump accountable over the Jan 6 insurrection and also made jokes at the expense of his former boss about the secret documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

The former vice president and Trump loyalist’s comments are some of the harshest he has made about the one-time president.

Mr Pence, who once seemed reluctant to confront Mr Trump, made the remarks on Saturday evening during the white-tie annual Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington, DC.

“President Trump was wrong,” he said at the event attended by politicians and journalists.

“I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

Read more:

‘History will hold Trump accountable,’ Mike Pence says in sharpest rebuke yet

20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

Sunday 12 March 2023 13:00 , Graig Graziosi

Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump has continued to face a cloud of lawsuits and investigations, which could frustrate his hopes to win back the presidency in 2024.

Most recently, New York prosecutors are reportedly closing in on an indictment against the former president for hush money payments to an adult film star during the 2016 election.

Of course, this is nothing new for the real estate billionaire.

Here are all 20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

Sunday 12 March 2023 12:00 , Graig Graziosi

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for watering down financial regulations

Critics looking to assign blame for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank have found possible culprits in Donald Trump and Republican senators.

Though little known outside of Silicon Valley, the SVB was the leading lender to tech firms and startups before it crumbled on Friday.

Howard Forman, a professor at Yale, shared a list of Republican senators who voted to reduce regulatory oversight on SVB in 2018. That legislation was then signed into law by Mr Trump.

The list includes names like Senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul, and Mitch McConnell, as well as a few Democrats, including Senators Joe Manchin and Tim Kaine.

Read more:

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for cutting down financial regulations

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to testify in Stormy Daniels case

Sunday 12 March 2023 11:00 , Graig Graziosi

Mr Cohen has been regularly meeting with Manhattan prosecutors for the last several weeks, according to the Associated Press.

The New York Times also reported, citing anonymous sources. that Mr Trump was offered a chance to testify.

Trump called out on allegedly trying to delay his lawsuits by playing judges against each other

Sunday 12 March 2023 10:00 , Graig Graziosi

Attorney Roberta Kaplan has warned a pair of judges that Donald Trump may be trying to play them against each other in an attempt to delay his cases in both courts.

In this case, Mr Trump’s team allegedly tried to double book cases so that trials would occur on the same day, resulting in a delay of one or both trials.

Elon Musk calls Steve Bannon ‘evil’ as ex-Trump aide denounces him as ‘owned by the Chinese communist party’

Sunday 12 March 2023 09:00 , Graig Graziosi

Although Twitter CEO Elon Musk and former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon tend to sit on the same side of the political aisle, the two men don’t seem to like each other very much.

Mr Musk replied that he was “open to the idea”.

Mr Bannon scoffed at the idea, which Mr Pool called “a bit silly”, and launched into a rant about the Tesla CEO’s alleged deference to Beijing.

Read Bannon’s full comments below:

Steve Bannon says ‘phony’ Elon Musk ‘owned’ by Chinese government

Donald Trump, Republican deregulation blamed for SVB collapse

Sunday 12 March 2023 08:00 , Graig Graziosi

Fingers are pointing after the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, and many are aimed at Donald Trump and the Republican deregulation machine.

Critics are pointing out that Republicans in the Senate voted to reduce regulatory oversight at the SVB in 2018, and that Mr Trump signed that legislation into law once it passed.

Here is the list of Senators who voted to REDUCE the regulatory oversight of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in 2018, signed into law by then President Trump. Maybe ask them why they did this?

cc: @marcorubio @LindseyGrahamSC @RandPaul @MarkWarner pic.twitter.com/MNerJbgPxc
— (((Howard Forman))) (@thehowie) March 11, 2023

Watch: Mitch McConnell hits out at Tucker Carlson segment on January 6

Sunday 12 March 2023 07:00 , Graig Graziosi

Former Trump official launches PAC urging DeSantis 2024 run

Sunday 12 March 2023 06:00 , Graig Graziosi

Read more:

Former Trump official launches PAC urging DeSantis to run

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list as Trump touts new book

Sunday 12 March 2023 04:59 , Graig Graziosi

Mr DeSantis’s memoir, The Courage to Be Free, which came out in February, is number one on the nonfiction charts, though the Times notes the ranking may be due to bulk ordering, which publishing houses sometimes use to boost their own ratings.

The book is widely seen as the Florida Republican’s most direct indication yet he’s starting to campaign on the national stage, though he still hasn’t announced any formal intention to seek the White House.

Josh Marcus has the story.

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list as Trump rolls out new $99 photo book

ICYMI: Drag ban-backing Republican explains why he liked gay man’s racy Instagram photos

Sunday 12 March 2023 04:00 , Graig Graziosi

“I was trying to encourage him”...

ð¤

Read the full explanation here:

Drag ban backing Republican explains why he liked gay man’s racy Instagram photos

Full story: The Trumpworld attorneys facing professional sanctions over spurious lawsuits and election lies

Sunday 12 March 2023 03:00 , Graig Graziosi

Alex Woodward writes:

Attorneys for the now-former president repeatedly and falsely asserted that the election was fraudulent while pushing lawsuits to subvert the outcome in states that he lost.

Read more:

The Trumpworld attorneys facing professional sanctions for spreading election lies

Two other Trump accusers and ‘Access Hollywood’ tape allowed in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Sunday 12 March 2023 02:00 , Graig Graziosi

E Jean Carroll can use the Access Hollywood tape of former President Donald Trump as evidence in her defamation lawsuit, a judge has ruled.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan also ruled that the testimony of two other women alleging that Mr Trump has sexually assaulted them may be entered into evidence at the civil trial.

Gustaf Kilander has the details:

Two other Trump accusers can testify in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Voices: Trump legal woes pile on while Ron DeSantis ventures to Iowa

Sunday 12 March 2023 01:00 , Graig Graziosi

The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes from Washington, DC:

Many Republicans, from corporate donors to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would like to move on from Mr Trump, not just because of the [Capitol] riot but because they see him as a loser who has cost them winnable elections. Even [Tucker] Carlson, if his communications in Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox News are to be believed, said he “truly can’t wait” until the days he could ignore Mr Trump most days.

This explains why many in the conservative establishment want to get behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. On Friday, Mr DeSantis made his first venture to Iowa of 2023, often a tell-tale sign that he is considering a White House bid since it holds the first nominating contest in 2024 on the GOP side. In Iowa, he pulled out his favorite punching bag and warned against “an oppressive woke-ocracy.”

Read more:

Trump legal woes pile on while Ron DeSantis ventures to Iowa

DeSantis visits Iowa as interest in likely Trump rival rises

Sunday 12 March 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

“We will never surrender to the woke mob,” he said at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport. “Our state is where the woke mob goes to die.”

Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

Saturday 11 March 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Read more:

Feds: Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list... oh, and Trump has a book out too

Saturday 11 March 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

Josh Marcus has the details.

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list as Trump rolls out new $99 photo book

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for watering down financial regulations

Saturday 11 March 2023 20:40 , Graig Graziosi

Critics looking to assign blame for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank have found possible culprits in Donald Trump and Republican senators.

Though little known outside of Silicon Valley, the SVB was the leading lender to tech firms and startups before it crumbled on Friday.

Howard Forman, a professor at Yale, shared a list of Republican senators who voted to reduce regulatory oversight on SVB in 2018. That legislation was then signed into law by Mr Trump.

The list includes names like Senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul, and Mitch McConnell, as well as a few Democrats, including Senators Joe Manchin and Tim Kaine.

Read more:

Trump blamed over Silicon Valley Bank collapse for cutting down financial regulations

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to testify in Stormy Daniels case

Saturday 11 March 2023 20:07 , Graig Graziosi

Mr Cohen has been regularly meeting with Manhattan prosecutors for the last several weeks, according to the Associated Press.

The New York Times also reported, citing anonymous sources. that Mr Trump was offered a chance to testify.

Trump called out on allegedly trying to delay his lawsuits by playing judges against each other

Saturday 11 March 2023 17:12 , Graig Graziosi

Attorney Roberta Kaplan has warned a pair of judges that Donald Trump may be trying to play them against each other in an attempt to delay his cases in both courts.

In this case, Mr Trump’s team allegedly tried to double book cases so that trials would occur on the same day, resulting in a delay of one or both trials.

Trump called out on allegedly trying to delay his lawsuits by playing judges against each other

Saturday 11 March 2023 17:11 , Graig Graziosi

Attorney Roberta Kaplan has warned a pair of judges that Donald Trump may be trying to play them against each other in an attempt to delay his cases in both courts.

In this case, Mr Trump’s team allegedly tried to double book cases so that trials would occur on the same day, resulting in a delay of one or both trials.

Elon Musk calls Steve Bannon ‘evil’ as ex-Trump aide denounces him as ‘owned by the Chinese communist party’

Saturday 11 March 2023 16:45 , Graig Graziosi

Although Twitter CEO Elon Musk and former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon tend to sit on the same side of the political aisle, the two men don’t seem to like each other very much.

Mr Musk replied that he was “open to the idea”.

Mr Bannon scoffed at the idea, which Mr Pool called “a bit silly”, and launched into a rant about the Tesla CEO’s alleged deference to Beijing.

Read Bannon’s full comments below:

Steve Bannon says ‘phony’ Elon Musk ‘owned’ by Chinese government

Donald Trump, Republican deregulation blamed for SVB collapse

Saturday 11 March 2023 16:19 , Graig Graziosi

Fingers are pointing after the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, and many are aimed at Donald Trump and the Republican deregulation machine.

Critics are pointing out that Republicans in the Senate voted to reduce regulatory oversight at the SVB in 2018, and that Mr Trump signed that legislation into law once it passed.

Here is the list of Senators who voted to REDUCE the regulatory oversight of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in 2018, signed into law by then President Trump. Maybe ask them why they did this?

cc: @marcorubio @LindseyGrahamSC @RandPaul @MarkWarner pic.twitter.com/MNerJbgPxc
— (((Howard Forman))) (@thehowie) March 11, 2023

Two other Trump accusers can testify in E Jean Carroll rape defamation

Saturday 11 March 2023 14:10 , Oliver O'Connell

E Jean Carroll can use the Access Hollywood tape of former President Donald Trump as evidence in her defamation lawsuit, a judge has ruled.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan also ruled that the testimony of two other women alleging that Mr Trump has sexually assaulted them may be entered into evidence at the civil trial.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Two other Trump accusers can testify in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Voices: Trump legal woes pile on while Ron DeSantis ventures to Iowa

Saturday 11 March 2023 13:35 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes from Washington, DC:

Trump legal woes pile on while Ron DeSantis ventures to Iowa

Watch: Tucker Carlson claims BLM protest was ‘antifa’ plot against Trump

Saturday 11 March 2023 12:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump team hits out at prosecutors’ hint he may be indicted

Saturday 11 March 2023 11:50 , Oliver O'Connell

A spokesperson for former President Donald Trump called the notion that he may be indicted over his alleged role in a scheme to pay off adult film star Stormy Daniels “simply insane.”

“The Manhattan District Attorney’s threat to indict President Trump is simply insane,” the statement reads. “For the past five years, the DA’s office has been on a Witch Hunt, investigating every aspect of President Trump’s life, and they’ve come up empty at every turn — and now this. The fact that after their intensive investigation the DA is even considering a new political attack is a clear exoneration of President Trump in all areas.”

Abe Asher has the full story.