Trump news – live: Trump considers two of his Republican 2024 rivals as running mate

Donald Trump is considering his Republican 2024 rivals as potential running mates should he win the GOP nomination.

The former president told Fox News on Sunday that his running mate could “possibly” be among those in the 2024 field saying there are “some very talented people” in the race.

He said that Vivek Ramaswamy has “done a very good job” and Senator Tim Scott is a “very good guy” but stopped short of saying who he would pick if the time came.

Over the weekend, Mr Trump headlined the first of a two-day conference hosted by right-wing political activist group Turning Point USA alongside far-right lawmakers, candidates and pundits, including Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz.

In his rambling Saturday night address condemned investigations and criminal indictments against him while telling Ron DeSantis to “get home to Florida,” accusing his rival for the Republican nomination for president of neglecting the governor’s office.

The campaign for Mr DeSantis, meanwhile, reported raising more than $20m in the first six weeks of his campaign, but roughly a dozen staffers were recently fired in a shakeup as his polling numbers trail the former president’s.

Key points

• Marjorie Taylor Greene launches anti-trans speech at Turning Point conference

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

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

• Trump Organization employee target for obstruction of documents probe

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

Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene accidentally films ad for Biden reelection

15:44 , Oliver O'Connell

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

15:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump branded the US a “third-world hellhole” run by “perverts” and “thugs” in his latest 2024 campaign speech, a rambling, nearly two-hour long set of remarks to close out a right-wing conference in Florida.

The one-term president told the Turning Point Action Conference on 15 July that the American dream was “dead” under Joe Biden as he relentlessly mocked his successor and painted a bleak picture of a nation in decline.

“The election will decide whether your generation will inherit a fascist country or a free country,” Mr Trump told the right-wing activist conference.

Graeme Massie and Alex Woodward report.

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

Trump praises the federal judge he appointed who is now overseeing the Mar-a-Lago case

14:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump appointed US District Judge Aileen Cannon to the southern district in Florida in 2020.

Now, she is overseeing the federal case against him on charges of illegally retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property after leaving the White House.

His legal team has also pressed the judge to issue a continuance in the trial as he seeks to indefinitely delay the case. The filing is awaiting a decision from Judge Cannon.

Asked on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News whether he believes the judge will grant the motion, the former president said he didn’t know.

“I know it’s a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,” he said.

“I’m very proud to have appointed her,” he added. “But she’s very smart and very strong, and loves our country. We need judges that love our country so they do the right thing.”

Asa Hutchinson met with jeers at Turning Point

13:30 , Alex Woodward

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, was met with boos and “Trump” chants at the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida, where the crowd has effectively coronated the former president in his run for the White House.

The ex-president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr later said on the stage that at least Mr Hutchsinson “had the b****” to show up to the conference, unlike the “absentee” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is not appearing at the event.

Notably, Trump did not attend a Tucker Carlson-led evengelical summit on Friday, where the former Fox News pundit grilled the other candidates. Carlson later appeared at the Turning Point event, where there is unanimous support for the former president.

Unsurprisingly, Trump dominates Turning Point Action’s straw poll

13:00 , Alex Woodward

With the exception of the candidates running against him (except for Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump booster who said he is not running “against” anyone), speaker after speaker at the Turning Point Action conference pledged their loyalty to Donald Trump.

The results of a straw poll are no surprise, then, with the former presdent getting 85.7 per cent of attendees’ votes.

Ron DeSantis, considered his main rival for the 2024 nomination, received 4.3 per cent.

The top picks for Mr Trump’s running mate include failed candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake (30.8 per cent), US Rep Byron Donalds (24 per cent), and Mr Ramaswamy (22 per cent).

Trump suggests he won’t participate in first GOP debate: ‘It’s actually not fair’

12:30 , Alex Woodward

Trump has suggested he will not participate in the first debate among candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, telling Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that it’s “not fair” for candidates who are polling well to be asked questions alongside lower-polling candidates.

He added: “Why would you be doing a debate? It’s actually not fair. Why would you let someone that’s [polling] at zero, or one, or two, or three, you know, be popping you with questions.”

Trump suggests he won’t participate in first GOP debate

Trump knows he lost 2020 election but ‘ego’ won’t let him admit it, Chris Christie says

12:00 , Alex Woodward

Trump knew he was losing the 2020 presidential election while asserting a baseless narrative that the results were rigged against him, according to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Mr Christie, who is running against Mr Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2024, told ABC News host George Stephanopouls on 16 July that Mr Trump told him “directly” that he had lost in 2020.

His comments follow reports that federal prosecutors investigating the former president’s attempts to upend the results of a democratic election have questioned several witnesses in recent weeks to determine whether he privately acknowledged losing the election he continues to publicly insist otherwise.

Trump knows he lost 2020 but ‘ego’ won’t let him admit it, Chris Christie says

Far-right pundits and lawmakers evangelise and crown Trump and Tucker at Turning Point’s Florida conference

11:30 , Alex Woodward

On the stage of an influential activist group’s two-day conference, far-right conspiracy theorists, Republican presidential candidates and members of Congress veered into Christian nationalist evangelising, QAnon-adjacent conspiracy mongering and a bleak picture of an America in rapid decline under Democratic leadership.

The guest speakers at Turning Point USA’s inaugural Turning Point Action Conference in Florida repeatedly denied the existence of transgender people, claimed that support for Ukraine is built on a lie, and characterised President Joe Biden as both a frail and incapable stooge and the most corrupt politician of all time.

And they professed their loyalty to both Donald Trump, who delivered rambling remarks in primetime on 15 July, and to Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News pundit celebrated by Turning Point guests as the key figure who can articulate their long list of grievances.

More from this weekend’s conference:

Far-right pundits and lawmakers crown Trump and Tucker at Turning Point conference

After starring in a Fox News conspiracy, Ray Epps is now suing the network

10:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Ray Epps says his life was ruined by a conspiracy theory amplified on Fox News. He’s now suing the network for defamation

Alex Woodward has more:

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

Trump considers Republican 2024 rivals as potential running mates

10:26 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is considering his Republican 2024 rivals as potential running mates should he win the GOP nomination.

The former president told Fox News on Sunday that his running mate could “possibly” be among those in the 2024 field saying there are “some very talented people” in the race.

“You have some good people on the stage actually. I think you have some very talented people. I’ve been impressed by some of them. Some of them I’m very friendly with, actually,” he said, adding: “I think you have good potential Cabinet members, too.”

He said that Vivek Ramaswamy has “done a very good job” and Senator Tim Scott is a “very good guy” but stopped short of saying who he would pick if the time came.

Donald Trump brands US a ‘third-world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’ in grim, rambling Turning Point speech

10:00 , Alex Woodward

In his nearly two-hour-long headlining remarks to the Turning Point Action Conference on 15 July, Trump said that the American dream was “dead” under Joe Biden as he relentlessly mocked his predecessor and painted a bleak picture of a nation in decline.

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

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

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The $72m brought in by the president’s re-election campaign is more than double the $35m raised by former president Donald Trump’s campaign during the full 90-day period running from 1 April to 30 June, and more than triple the $25m which Mr Trump’s closest primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, raised during the second quarter.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

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

Why Casey DeSantis matters to the 2024 race

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Kelly Rissman writes:

Casey DeSantis has quickly become the face of Gov Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign. The Florida first lady has been credited for everything from her fashion sense, local celebrity, and ability to baby proof the governor’s mansion, to serving as a humanizing contrast to her husband.

But is her rising profile enough to turn her husband’s campaign around? Some have criticized her up to her eyebrows — literally — while others think she is a vital asset to the DeSantis campaign.

Read on...

‘Walmart Melania’, ‘America’s Karen’: Why Casey DeSantis matters to the 2024 race

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

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

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

Read on...

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

Tucker Carlson and Pence clash over Ukraine

04:45 , Alex Woodward

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

Andrew Feinberg has more:

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

They spent roughly half of their discussion sparring over Mr Pence’s view of the nearly 18-month-old war, which the ex-vice president described in stark terms based on his two visits to the region.

When he addressed the Turning Point conference on Saturday night, Carlson continued his attacks on the former president and boosted a narrative of Ukraine that has shaped an element of the Republican Party and its base while earning accolades from Russian state media.

“If you’re a Christian leader and Christians are going to jail for their views, you are required to say something,” said Carlson, reviving a misleading narrative that accuses Ukraine’s Jewish leader Volodymyr Zelensky of persecuting Christian priests. “And if you don’t, you’re not much of a Christian leader.”

“How thankful are we for Tucker Carlson revealing true snakes … who do not have our best interests in mind,” said right-wing commentator Benny Johnson, between cackling over viral clips of President Biden and “boos” directed at Mr Pence.

Tim Scott agrees with Tucker Carlson’s dismissal of Russia threat

02:45 , Oliver O’Connell

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

Eric Garcia has more:

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

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

Monday 17 July 2023 00:45 , Oliver O’Connell

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

Kelly Rissman reports:

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

Far-right pundits and lawmakers evangelise and crown Trump and Tucker at Turning Point’s Florida conference

Monday 17 July 2023 00:00 , Alex Woodward

On the stage of an influential activist group’s two-day conference, far-right conspiracy theorists, Republican presidential candidates and members of Congress veered into Christian nationalist evangelising, QAnon-adjacent conspiracy mongering and a bleak picture of an America in rapid decline under Democratic leadership.

The guest speakers at Turning Point USA’s inaugural Turning Point Action Conference in Florida repeatedly denied the existence of transgender people, claimed that support for Ukraine is built on a lie, and characterised President Joe Biden as both a frail and incapable stooge and the most corrupt politician of all time.

And they professed their loyalty to both Donald Trump, who delivered rambling remarks in primetime on 15 July, and to Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News pundit celebrated by Turning Point guests as the key figure who can articulate their long list of grievances.

More from this weekend’s conference:

Far-right pundits and lawmakers crown Trump and Tucker at Turning Point conference

Trump praises the federal judge he appointed who is now overseeing the Mar-a-Lago case

Sunday 16 July 2023 23:45 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump appointed US District Judge Aileen Cannon to the southern district in Florida in 2020.

Now, she is overseeing the federal case against him on charges of illegally retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property after leaving the White House.

His legal team has also pressed the judge to issue a continuance in the trial as he seeks to indefinitely delay the case. The filing is awaiting a decision from Judge Cannon.

Asked on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News whether he believes the judge will grant the motion, the former president said he didn’t know.

“I know it’s a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,” he said.

“I’m very proud to have appointed her,” he added. “But she’s very smart and very strong, and loves our country. We need judges that love our country so they do the right thing.”

Turning Point straw poll puts Ramaswamy, not DeSantis, as top No. 2 pick if there’s no Trump

Sunday 16 July 2023 23:14 , Alex Woodward

Turning Point Action’s attendees notably did not pick Ron DeSantis as a No 2 pick for the Republican nomination in a weekend straw poll.

Even though they were asked to pick a different candidate than the first round, which overwhelmingly went for Trump, attendees also picked Trump as a No 2.

But Vivek Ramaswamy – a Trump booster who told the crowd that he wasn’t running “against” any candidate – received 51. 2 per cent of the second-choice vote.

Unsurprisingly, Trump dominates Turning Point Action’s straw poll

Sunday 16 July 2023 23:10 , Alex Woodward

With the exception of the candidates running against him (except for Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump booster who said he is not running “against” anyone), speaker after speaker at the Turning Point Action conference pledged their loyalty to Donald Trump.

The results of a straw poll are no surprise, then, with the former presdent getting 85.7 per cent of attendees’ votes.

Ron DeSantis, considered his main rival for the 2024 nomination, received 4.3 per cent.

The top picks for Mr Trump’s running mate include failed candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake (30.8 per cent), US Rep Byron Donalds (24 per cent), and Mr Ramaswamy (22 per cent).

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Read more...

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

Tommy Tuberville’s military blockade over abortion jeopardises national security, US Army veteran senator says

Sunday 16 July 2023 21:05 , Alex Woodward

Democratic US Senator Tammy Duckworth has warned that Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville’s ongoing and “distressing” blockade against the promotions of hundreds of military officials risks jeopardising national security.

Ms Duckworth, a US Army veteran of the Iraq War, has joined Democratic criticism against the Alabama senator and member of the Armed Services Committee who is holding up promotions in protest of US Department of Defense policy to reimburse travel costs for service members seeking abortion care.

House Republicans have also advanced a draft of a critical national defence spending bill that would prohibit spending on travel expenses for abortion care, regardless of whether service members are stationed – even in states where care is effectively illegal.

GOP senator ‘jeopardises national security’ with anti-abortion military blockade

Report: Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee over alleged obstruction

Sunday 16 July 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Eric Garcia has the story.

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

Asa Hutchinson greeted with jeers at Turning Point

Sunday 16 July 2023 19:36 , Alex Woodward

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, was met with boos and “Trump” chants at the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida, where the crowd has effectively coronated the former president in his run for the White House.

The ex-president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr later said on the stage that at least Mr Hutchsinson “had the b****” to show up to the conference, unlike the “absentee” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is not appearing at the event.

Notably, Trump did not attend a Tucker Carlson-led evengelical summit on Friday, where the former Fox News pundit grilled the other candidates. Carlson later appeared at the Turning Point event, where there is unanimous support for the former president.

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

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

Trump knows he lost 2020 election but ‘ego’ won’t let him admit it, Chris Christie says

Sunday 16 July 2023 17:17 , Alex Woodward

Trump knew he was losing the 2020 presidential election while asserting a baseless narrative that the results were rigged against him, according to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Christie, who is running against Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2024, told ABC News host George Stephanopouls that the former president told him “directly” that he had lost in 2020.

His comments follow reports that federal prosecutors investigating the former president’s attempts to upend the results of a democratic election have questioned several witnesses in recent weeks to determine whether he privately acknowledged losing the election he continues to publicly insist otherwise.

Trump knows he lost 2020 but ‘ego’ won’t let him admit it, Chris Christie says

Ron DeSantis open to ‘make changes’ to Social Security for people in their 30s and 40s

Sunday 16 July 2023 16:50 , Alex Woodward

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Ron DeSantis said “of course” he would protect Social Security for seniors, if elected.

“That goes without saying,” he added. “When people say we’re going to somehow cut senior Social, that’s totally not true.”

But when it comes to the future of the program for people who are in their 30s and 40s and hope to retire in the coming decades, “that’s a much different thing,” he said, casting doubt on the viability of the program for other generations.

“Talking about making changes for people in their 30s or 40s … that’s a much different thing, and that’s something I think there’s going to need to be discussions on,” he said.

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

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

Trump insists he can end the war in Ukraine as soon as he enters office. He can’t explain how

Sunday 16 July 2023 15:56 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump has continued to insist that he can end Russia’s war in Ukraine if he is elected into office, but he hasn’t ever explained how, exactly, he would.

Asked directly on Fox News by host Maria Bartiromo, the former president says he has a good relationship with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.

“That’s not going to be enough for Putin to stop bombing,” she interrupted.

This is how he explained what his negotiation would look like: “I would tell Zelensky, ‘No more, you gotta make a deal.’ I would tell Putin, ‘if you don’t make a deal, we’re gonna give them a lot, we’re gonna give them more than they ever got, if we have to.’ I will have the deal done in one day.”

Trump suggests he won’t participate in first GOP debate: ‘It’s actually not fair’

Sunday 16 July 2023 15:45 , Alex Woodward

Trump seems unlikely to participate in the first debate among candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, telling Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that it’s “not fair” for candidates who are polling well to be asked questions alongside lower-polling candidates.

“Why would you be doing a debate? It’s actually not fair,” he said. “Why would you let someone that’s [polling] at zero, or one, or two, or three, you know, be popping you with questions.”

Trump suggests he won’t participate in first GOP debate

Just in: Ron DeSantis to be interviewed by CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday

Sunday 16 July 2023 15:17 , Alex Woodward

CNN will air an interview from anchor Jake Tapper with Ron DeSantis on Tuesday.

The interview will air on CNN’s The Lead at 4pm ET on 18 July, days after the Florida governor’s presidential campaign let a dozen staffers go as his polling numbers trail his 2024 GOP rival Donald Trump.

Marjorie Taylor Greene launches anti-trans speech at Turning Point conference

Sunday 16 July 2023 14:56 , Alex Woodward

Far-right US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene launched into a transphobic speech using Jeff Foxworthy-style setups to accuse Democratic officials and voters of being pedophiles for supporting transition healthcare.

She called the Democratic party the “party of pedophiles” in her remarks to the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida on Sunday morning.

Trans youth, Bud Light and Target have been frequent targets on the stage all weekend, with host Charlie Kirk spelling out explicitly that anti-trans attacks are a “winner politically for Republicans.”

Former Fox News personality Megyn Kelly said on Saturday that she no longer has empathy for people experiencing gender dysphoria. “There should be a healthy measure of ridicule,” she told Kirk during a lengthy discussion about trans people and the erasure of trans rights, which Kirk said is a “winner politically for Republicans.”

“These people are freaks. They’re perverts, by the way, if they go into a women’s locker room,” Kirk said.

Asked how she feels about being labeled transphobic, Kelly said: “OK, whatever, honestly I’ve been called worse … Let them call you whatever you want. Who gives a damn.”

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Rachel Sharp reports on what was said.

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

ICYMI: Ron DeSantis campaign fires staff as Florida governor trails Trump in the polls

Sunday 16 July 2023 14:13 , Alex Woodward

The presidential campaign for Ron DeSantis has dismissed a number of staffers in an effort to trim costs months after the Florida governor entered the crowded 2024 GOP field.

Ron DeSantis campaign fires staff as Florida governor trails Trump in the polls

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Ariana Baio has the story.

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

Hunter Biden lawyers warn Trump to end attacks

Sunday 16 July 2023 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Will he listen?

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

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Click through for the details:

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

Giuliani knew claims about Georgia election workers were false, court docs show

Sunday 16 July 2023 06:45 , Alex Woodward

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

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

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

‘No reason’ to delay Trump documents trial until after 2024 election, prosecutors say

Sunday 16 July 2023 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

In an 11-page filing submitted on Thursday, Mr Smith’s team said Mr Trump and Mr Nauta have provided no valid legal justification for their request to delay any trial until a to-be-determined date set for sometime after the 2024 presidential election, and noted that such an open-ended request violates the 1974 Speedy Trial Act’s requirement that courts establish a “date certain” for trial “at the earliest practicable time” after consulting with both prosecution and defence counsel.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

Prosecutors say ‘no reason’ to delay Trump documents trial until after 2024 election

After hosting her book event, Kari Lake claims Arizona brewery is getting death threats

Sunday 16 July 2023 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Graeme Massie reports.

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

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 02:20 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 01:53 , Alex Woodward

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

DeSantis campaign reportedly fires a dozen staffers

Sunday 16 July 2023 01:48 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 01:00 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday 16 July 2023 00:40 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

Matt Gaetz wants to introduce a bill creating school prayer time

Sunday 16 July 2023 00:21 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 23:51 , Alex Woodward

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

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

The crowd started to laugh and cheer.

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

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

Vivek Ramaswamy blames ‘censorship’ for January 6

Saturday 15 July 2023 22:28 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turning Point speakers turn up anti-trans agenda

Saturday 15 July 2023 21:50 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 20:45 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

Lincoln Project airs new ad calling Tuberville ‘a traitor’

Saturday 15 July 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Watch the ad below:

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Andrew Feinberg reports.

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

Glitter really does get everywhere...

Saturday 15 July 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

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

Read on...

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 15:30 , Alex Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Read more...

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Read on:

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

Broadway actor cleared over Jan 6 role

Saturday 15 July 2023 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

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

Maroosha Muzaffar has the details.

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

DeSantis rules out being Trump’s running mate

Saturday 15 July 2023 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

Abe Asher reports:

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Graeme Massie reports.

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

Bob Woodward: Trump sees democracy as ‘enemy territory’

Saturday 15 July 2023 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

Abe Asher has the story.

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

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

Saturday 15 July 2023 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

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

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

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