Trump news – live: Michael Cohen to testify today before grand jury in hush money probe as charges loom

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.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has also invited Mr Trump to testify in the probe this week – an invitation he is unlikely to accept but which sends the clearest signal yet that he could be criminally indicted.

While the investigation ramps up, Mr Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence has also hit out at him over his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Speaking at the white-tie annual Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington DC on Saturday, Mr Pence said that Mr Trump’s “reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

The former president 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

Trump aims sexist attack at Morning Joe co-host

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

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

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

13:15 , Rachel Sharp

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

Will Trump testify in hush money probe?

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’

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

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.

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

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

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”

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

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

Former Trump official launches PAC urging DeSantis 2024 run

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

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

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

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.

AP

Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

“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.”

‘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

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 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.

“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 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.

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

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.

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

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

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list as Trump touts new book

Sunday 12 March 2023 04:59 , 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

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”...

🤔

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:

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

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

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.

AP

Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

Saturday 11 March 2023 23:00 , 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

Saturday 11 March 2023 22:00 , 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

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

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

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.

“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.

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.

“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’

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.

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

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.

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:

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

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.

Trump team hits out at possible indictment over Stormy Daniels pay-off

Watch: Joe Biden calls Donald Trump the ‘former president and maybe future president'

Saturday 11 March 2023 10:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump official launches PAC urging DeSantis 2024 run

Saturday 11 March 2023 09:50 , Oliver O'Connell

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

DeSantis memoir tops bestseller list as Trump touts new book

Saturday 11 March 2023 07:50 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Don Jr suggests Mitch McConnell is ‘insane’ for not siding with Tucker Carlson

Saturday 11 March 2023 05:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump Jr has hit out at Sen Mitch McConnell after the Senate Minority Leader criticised Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s presentation of the Capitol riot on his television programme this week.

Abe Asher reports.

Donald Trump Jr suggests Mitch McConnell is ‘insane’ for siding with Capitol police

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

Saturday 11 March 2023 04:10 , Oliver O'Connell

“I was trying to encourage him”...

🤔

Read the full explanation here:

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

Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot, Feds say

Saturday 11 March 2023 02:40 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Trump lawyer called out for mocking Mitch McConnell after fall

Saturday 11 March 2023 01:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s newly-censured lawyer Jenna Ellis has been called out for mocking Mitch McConnell with a tumbling tortoise video.

The Senate minority leader was hospitalised on Wednesday night after falling and injuring himself at a private dinner at a Washington DC hotel.

Graeme Massie has the story.

Censured Trump lawyer called out for mocking McConnell fall with tortoise video

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

Saturday 11 March 2023 00:40 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Friday 10 March 2023 23:40 , 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

Friday 10 March 2023 22:40 , Oliver O'Connell

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

No Trump colour scheme for Air Force One

Friday 10 March 2023 22:16 , Oliver O'Connell

The new Air Force One planes will be sticking with the classic look first chosen by First Lady Jackie Kennedy and not the colour scheme chosen by former president Donald Trump while in office.

Here’s what Mr Trump chose:

DeSantis buzz in Iowa ‘reminiscent’ of GW Bush (to an extent)

Friday 10 March 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’ visit coincided with a trip to the state by former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who announced her 2024 candidacy last month. Donald Trump’s stop on Monday will be his first visit to the state since launching his latest presidential bid.

In recent weeks, DeSantis’ team has begun holding conversations with a handful of prospective campaign staffers in key states. Late last month, he gathered privately with donors, elected officials and national conservative activists to discuss his views, which include limiting how race and sexuality are taught in schools.

DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy in late spring or early summer, after the conclusion of the Florida legislative session in mid-May.

The anticipation is reminiscent, to an extent, of the support in Iowa for George W Bush ahead of the 2000 election, though with significant differences, said veteran Iowa GOP activist David Oman.

DeSantis is seen, as Bush was, as a next-generation, big-state Republican governor who won reelection resoundingly, said Oman, who was among Iowa Republicans who helped recruit Bush to run.

Bush swooped into Iowa amid fanfare in June 1999 and sailed to victory in the Iowa caucuses the following year en route to the 2000 GOP nomination and the White House. Not insignificantly, Bush enjoyed the hands-on campaign outreach in Iowa of his father, former President George HW Bush, who had built lasting relationships during his 1980 and 1988 Iowa caucus campaigns.

“There’s another former president in this cycle. Only he is not interested in helping a first-time candidate,” Oman said, referring to Trump. “W was the overwhelming favorite in Iowa. I believe there is not an overwhelming favorite this time.”

AP

White House: GOP war against ‘woke’ due to lack of policy proposals

Friday 10 March 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

What do Iowans think of DeSantis?

Friday 10 March 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Sandy Bodine said she was impressed with DeSantis as the ballroom emptied out after Friday’s morning event.

“He’s very articulate, uses common sense it seems in governing,” the retired human resources worker for 3M Co. said.

Bodine would consider attending the 2024 caucuses and supporting DeSantis, though she is registered to neither major political party and has never caucuses before. Regardless, Trump is out of the running for Bodine, who is from nearby Clinton.

“I don’t like Trump,” she said. She “unfortunately” voted for Biden in 2020, she said. “He’s not a statesman and we need a statesman. I can see DeSantis as a statesman.”

But others in the crowd suggested they would stick with the former president. Retiree Al Greenfield, of Davenport, said he came out of curiosity but “I don’t particularly care for” the Florida governor. “He doesn’t have the experience,” said Greenfield, who’s 70. “He doesn’t know the swamp.”

Greenfield is ardently for Trump and plans to caucus for him next year.

Nearby stood Diana Otterman, of Bettendorf, who was still considering her options.

“Governor DeSantis is a wonderful man. I’m for DeSantis, but I’m also for Trump. I haven’t decided yet,” the 70-year-old retiree said. “So we’ll see how God works it out and how the people vote.”

While DeSantis was making his presence known in Iowa, several prominent former Trump supporters called on him to take the next step and announce he’s running.

“More than ever our country needs strong leadership, someone that gets things done & isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right,” tweeted former Pennsylvania Rep. and Republican gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta. “Come on, Ron, your country needs you!”

Barletta had accused Trump of disloyalty after the former president endorsed a rival in his gubernatorial primary.

AP

Lara Trump: 2020 election part of God’s plan to open people’s eyes to ‘spiritual warfare that is taking place in our country'

Friday 10 March 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Lara Trump appeared on the Elijah Streams program on Friday where she said the outcome of the 2020 election was all part of God’s plan “to open people’s eyes to the true spiritual warfare that is taking place in our country”.

She said the battle was not between Democrat versus Republican or Left versus Right — “It is good vs evil.”

Ms Trump added that people would not have been able to see that if her father-in-law had remained as president, “as much as I wanted to see that”.

Watch below:

DeSantis visits Iowa as interest in likely Trump rival rises

Friday 10 March 2023 20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

AP

Trump snipes at DeSantis’s ‘very small’ crowd

Friday 10 March 2023 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

NBC News estimated Florida Governor Ron De Santis spoke before “roughly 700 people in a spacious ballroom at the Rhythm City Casino Resort”, other estimates said the crowd was a little larger.

Guess what former president Donald Trump had to say?

Very small crowds for Ron DeSanctimonious in Iowa. He’s against Farmers, Social Security, and Medicare, so why would people show up - other than Fake stories from the Fake News!

Mr Trump will speak on education policy in Davenport, Iowa, at 6.15pm on Monday.

With DeSantis in Iowa, Trump reaches out to farmers on Truth Social

Friday 10 March 2023 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president posted late on Thursday night:

Remember FARMERS, I got China to pay you 28 Billion Dollars as an adjustment for how unfairly they treated you. This was part of the great Trade Deal I made for you with China (Biden is not properly enforcing it!). No other President could have done this. No other President was as PRO FARMER as me. Tell that to Ron DeSanctimonious when he shows up to your door, hat in hand. Tell him to go home!

Proud Boys deployed foot soldiers in sedition plot

Friday 10 March 2023 19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Friday 10 March 2023 19:05 , Oliver O'Connell

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 team hits out at prosecutors’ hint he may be indicted over Stormy Daniels pay-off

Friday 10 March 2023 18:44 , 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 begins.

Read more here:

Trump team hits out at possible indictment over Stormy Daniels pay-off

ICYMI: New York prosecutors warn Trump of possible indictment, report says

Friday 10 March 2023 18:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office have taken action that suggests Donald Trump could soon be indicted for his role in paying hush money to an adult film star during the closing days of the 2016 presidential election, making him the first former president in US history to face criminal charges.

Andrew Feinberg filed this report last night.

New York prosecutors warn Trump of possible indictment, report says

20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

Friday 10 March 2023 18:04 , Oliver O'Connell

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

What you need to know about E Jean Carroll’s case against Trump

Friday 10 March 2023 17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s what you need to know about the writer’s case against the former president.

What we know about E Jean Carroll’s rape allegations against Donald Trump

Watch: Former president of ‘the investigations capital of the world’ decries investigations

Friday 10 March 2023 17:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Peter Navarro ordered to turn over Trump-era emails to National Archives

Friday 10 March 2023 16:52 , Oliver O'Connell

A Washington DC federal judge has ordered former Trump White House aide Peter Navarro to turn over to the National Archives and Records Administration numerous emails he sent and received from his personal email account during his time in government, ending a lawsuit the Department of Justice filed against the ex-White House trade adviser last year.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Mr Navarro to begin “immediate compliance” with her ruling, which granted a government motion for summary judgment in the case.

Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent from Washington, DC, on the latest in an avalanche of bad legal news for the former president.

Ex-White House aide Peter Navarro ordered to turn over Trump-era emails

Two other Trump accusers and Access Hollywood tape can be introduced in E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Friday 10 March 2023 16:35 , 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 reports on the latest in the former president’s intensifying legal woes.

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

Background: DeSantis in Iowa as 2024 GOP race ramps up

Friday 10 March 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

DeSantis’ planned appearances in Davenport and Des Moines mark his first trip to the leadoff voting state and come as anticipation over his expected White House campaign has been building. With the Iowa caucuses less than a year away, Republicans in the state are ready to take a harder look at DeSantis, a top-tier presidential prospect viewed as a rival to former President Donald Trump.

Read more:

Trump rival DeSantis heads to Iowa as Republican 2024 race ramps up

Federal judge rules E Jean Carroll can use ‘Access Hollywood’ tape in case against Trump

Friday 10 March 2023 16:10 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has ruled that writer E Jean Carroll may introduce the Access Hollywood tape as evidence in her lawsuit against Donald Trump.

The infamous tape surfaced before the 2016 election includes Mr Trump making lewd comments about women and bragging about alleged instances of sexual assault.

Today the judge ruled: “In this case, a jury reasonably could find, even from the Access Hollywood tape alone, that Mr Trump admitted in the Access Hollywood tape that he in fact has had contact with women's genitalia in the past without their consent, or that he has attempted to do so. And that conclusion is supported by the other evidence discussed below.”

Having claimed that Donald Trump raped her in a New York department store in the late 1990s, Ms Carroll has spent years trying to sue Donald Trump for defamation after he publicly accused her of lying about the alleged incident.

However, Mr Trump’s most recent attempt to delay Ms Carroll’s defamation lawsuit failed, meaning he had to sit for a deposition on 19 October, 2022 and answer questions under oath.

Here’s everything we know about the case:

What we know about E Jean Carroll’s rape allegations against Donald Trump