Trump news – live: Trump could be indicted for a third time as soon as this week in Jan 6 probe

Oliver O'Connell and Alex Woodward

Donald Trump has claimed that he has “effectively” been indicted on charges for a third time – this time over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The former president took to Truth Social on Tuesday morning to claim that he had been informed that he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation by special prosecutor Jack Smith.

“On Sunday night, while I was with my family...HORRIFYING NEWS for our country was given to me by my attorneys,” said Mr Trump. “Deranged Jack Smith...sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.”

His announcement came on the same day Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced criminal charges against 16 people who signed certificates falsely declaring that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election, part of a nationwide scheme to upend the results in states that the former president lost to Joe Biden.

In addition, the first hearing took place in the federal classified documents case. A trial date is still to be set.

Key points

Megyn Kelly calls her row with Trump ‘nonsense’

09:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist Megyn Kelly suggested the ongoing – and very public – feud between herself and Donald Trump was “nonsense”, despite the former president having once made a crude reference about her being on her period.

Ms Kelly said the pair had buried the hatchet after having a private conversation ahead of their individual speeches at the Turning Point Action conference in Florida.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Megyn Kelly calls row with Trump ‘nonsense’ despite fury over period comment

Earlier: Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could ask a grand jury to return an indictment against Donald Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

A source familiar with the special counsel’s probe and Department of Justice operating procedures told The Independent that the earliest an indictment could be handed down is late Thursday or Friday, after the deadline prosecutors set for Mr Trump to avail himself of their invitation to testify before the grand jury investigating crimes relating to the Capitol attack.

Andrew Feinberg filed this report from Washington, DC.

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Not just classified papers, Trump reportedly hoarding Israeli antiquities... and they want them back

07:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It appears that government-owned White House records and highly classified documents aren’t the only government property being stored at former president Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence in Florida.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “senior Israeli figures” have spent the past three years attempting to arrange for the return of a set of priceless antiquities that were lent to the White House for a 2019 Hannukah celebration.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump is hoarding Israeli antiquities at Mar-a-Lago, report claims

Crowded 2024 GOP primary field vies for the Christian Zionist vote

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When John McCain was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, he was forced to reject megachurch pastor John Hagee’s endorsement after a sermon surfaced that was derided as antisemitic.

But as the 2024 campaign for the White House intensifies, Hagee and his organization, Christians United for Israel, are welcome presences within the GOP.

Read more...

Crowded GOP field vies for the Christian Zionist vote as Israel's rightward shift spurs protests

'So incandescently stupid I couldn’t laugh’

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump once allegedly proposed a plan in which ranchers would have to use ladders to transport their cattle over the border wall, according to a new book by a former Trump administration official.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the story.

Trump wanted to put cattle on ladders over border wall, ex aide reveals

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russian war on Ukraine

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Months after claiming he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, former president Donald Trump has finally offered an explanation for why he thinks it’d be so simple for him.

Mr Trump was asked for his specific plan to bring the war to an end in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” over the weekend.

He asserted that it would boil down to his established relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

Recap: Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could ask a grand jury to return an indictment against Donald Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an attempt from Donald Trump to shut down key parts of a probe from state officials investigating him for potential interference in the 2020 election.

The high court found in a unanimous ruling that the former president hadn’t shown the kind of “extraordinary circumstances” that would require the Georgia Supreme Court to intervene in the case and toss out key portions of evidence.

Josh Marcus has the details.

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation

Bannon and Flynn subpoenaed in Smartmatic lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax

01:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Steve Bannon and Michal Flynn have been subpoenaed by voting software firm Smartmatic as part of its defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax for spreading lies about the 2020 election.

Smartmatic served the two Trump allies with orders to sit for interviews under oath that could happen as soon as this week, according to court filings in Delaware and New York seen by CNN.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn subpoenaed in Smartmatic lawsuits

‘She loves our country’: Trump praises judge overseeing classified documents case

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump praised a judge he appointed as he awaits to hear about his request to delay the trial in the classified documents case until after the 2024 election.

“I know it’s a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,” Mr Trump said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, referring to federal Judge Aileen Cannon.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump praises judge overseeing classified documents case: ‘She loves our country’

George Santos received donations from only three residents in his district

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Only three residents of Representative George Santos’s Long Island, New York district have donated to the freshman Republican since the beginning of the year, filings with the Federal Election Commission show.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

George Santos received donations from only three residents in his district

Ramaswamy lists Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee as possible Supreme Court picks

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Biotech entrepreneur and Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday released a list of 16 people he’d nominate to the US Supreme Court or federal appellate courts if he becomes president, making him the first in the party’s field to itemize his possible top judicial appointments.

Ramaswamy’s list includes Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah as possible nominees for the nation’s top court, as well as elevating federal judges who struck down President Joe Biden‘s airplane mask mandate and the FDA’s two-decade-long approval of the abortion pill.

GOP presidential hopeful lists conservative pool of Supreme Court picks

Voices: Republicans are not ready for the next act of the Trump show

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Tuesday provided the perfect split screen of the Republican presidential primary. In Columbia, South Carolina, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis had his second big policy rollout where he pledged to “rip the woke out” of the US military, criticising things like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and ending drag shows at US military bases. Later in the day, Mr DeSantis sat for an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper – all in an effort to rehabilitate a campaign that has underdelivered.

Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill hoped to keep the attention on Rep Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) after she called Israel a “racist state”. On the GOP side, some Republicans have invited Robert F Kennedy Jr to testify fresh on the heels of his antisemitic remarks. In addition, they also will begin trying to put pressure on the Democrat-controlled Senate to stomach many parts of the defence spending bill they passed last week.

But all of that went out the window when former president Donald Trump announced that Special Counsel Jack Smith had informed him that he is a target of the investigation regarding the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. If charges are brought, Mr Trump would face his third indictment since April.

Read more from Eric Garcia in Washington, DC.

Republicans are not ready for the next act of the Trump show

Second Trump term could fatally destabilise US, intelligence official warns in new book

Tuesday 18 July 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The former number two official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has offered a dire prediction about America’s future should Donald Trump or another like-minded Republican succeed in winning next year’s presidential election, according to a new book by a former Trump administration homeland security aide.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Senior ex-intelligence official warns second Trump term could fatally destabilise US

DeSantis pushes AI-generated attack ad featuring fake Trump voice

Tuesday 18 July 2023 23:20 , Oliver O'Connell

A new ad being unveiled by Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’s Never Back Down PAC features the AI-generated voice of Donald Trump — quite possibly the first use of such technology by a major presidential campaign.

John Bowden has the story.

DeSantis pushes AI-generated attack ad featuring fake Trump voice

ICYMI: Pentagon leak suspect uses Trump classified documents case to argue for release

Tuesday 18 July 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Pentagon leak suspect has contested a judge’s ruling for his continued detention and used Donald Trump’s classified documents case to argue for his release.

Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who is alleged to have leaked secret military papers, told the judge on Monday of the contrasting treatment received by him and Mr Trump.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the details.

Pentagon leak suspect uses Trump classified documents case to argue for release

Indicting Donald Trump for Jan 6 would be ‘criminalising political differences’, says DeSantis

Tuesday 18 July 2023 22:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday suggested that indicting former president Donald Trump for any crime stemming from his attempt to remain in office against the wishes of voters after losing the 2020 election would mean the Department of Justice is “criminalising political differences” and going after Mr Trump because prosecutors dislike him.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

DeSantis says charging Trump for Jan 6 is ‘criminalising political differences’

Lawmakers demand update from Homeland Security on Oath Keepers and militias in government

Tuesday 18 July 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A letter from more than 60 Democratic members of Congress demands federal law enforcement provide an urgent update after reports found hundreds of current and former agents with connections to the Oath Keepers and other far-right extremist groups.

Sixty-five lawmakers have pressed US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to outline the steps the agency has taken in the wake of its own internal reviews to address the state of domestic violent extremism within the ranks of federal authorities.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Congress demands update from DHS on Oath Keepers and militias in government

GOP under fire for hosting Robert F Kennedy Jr on the Hill in wake of antisemitism claims

Tuesday 18 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise defended a decision to bring Robert F Kennedy Jr to testify on Capitol Hill despite the noted anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and presidential candidates’s antisemitic remarks.

Mr Kennedy will testify before the the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government that House Republicans set up earlier this year. The hearing is ostensibly about examining “federal government’s role in censoring Americans” and “Big Tech’s collusion with out-of-control government agencies to silence speech.”

This comes despite the fact that during the weekend, Mr Kennedy, currently a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, came under fire for saying that the Covid-19 was “ethnically targeted” to attack caucasians and Black people while it mostly spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.

Eric Garcia reports from Capitol Hill.

Republicans under fire for hosting Robert F Kennedy Jr in wake of antisemitism claims

Full story: Michigan AG charges 16 Trump-backing fake electors in scheme to overturn 2020 election

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:48 , Oliver O'Connell

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced criminal charges against 16 people who signed certificates falsely declaring that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, part of a nationwide scheme to upend the results in states that the former president lost to Joe Biden.

The outcomes of presidential elections rest on slates of electors who decide their votes based on the outcome of their states’ popular vote. As then-President Trump sought a spurious legal effort to reject the outcome, his allies arranged slates of “alternate” electors in several states to cast their votes for him, despite his loss.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump-backing fake electors charged in scheme to overturn election results

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Jack Smith the Democrats ‘little b****'

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene has lampooned yet another of her perceived opponents with the “little b***h” insult she appears to be growing increasingly fond of – this time lambasting Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Marjorie Taylor Greene attacks Jack Smith as ‘little b****’ for Democrats

Watch: Michigan AG explains charges against 16 ‘fake electors'

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Michigan AG announces indictments for 16 ‘fake electors’ in 2020 plot

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced indictments for 16 fraudulent electors in her state.

The fake electors signed certificates falsely claiming President Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2020 election and tried pushing their way into the state Capitol in Lansing.

Each fake elector faces eight charges including multiple felonies and possibly decades in prison.

President Joe Biden won the state by 154,188 votes.

Christie wants to see indictment before commenting on latest Trump case

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has spoken about the latest developments in Donald Trump’s legal woes.

He tweeted:

As a former prosecutor, I want to see any potential indictment before I talk about the case against Donald Trump.

That said, let me be clear: his conduct on January 6th proves he doesn’t care about our country & our Constitution.

Trump adviser Will Russell to appear before grand jury on Thursday

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:04 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump adviser Will Russell is expected to appear before a grand jury in Washington, DC, on Thursday in the special counsel’s investigation into Trump, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

He has already appeared at least twice.

Gaetz says he will introduce bill to defund Jack Smith investigation

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida said on his podcast Tuesday morning that he will in the coming days introduce a bill to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump.

Abe Asher reports.

Matt Gaetz says he will offer bill to defund Jack Smith investigation into Trump

First classified documents hearing concludes in Florida

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:56 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first hearing in the federal classified documents case against former president Donald Trump, Judge Aileen Cannon pushed back on the proposed trial timeline saying it seemed “compressed”, CNN reports.

“She is clearly very open to delaying this,” it was reported by the network of the Trump-appointed judge, saying that she also pushed back on both sides and there did not appear to be political bias.

The defence team said they believed they could complete discovery in November.

Judge Cannon did not rule on a trial date but appeared to brush off the suggestion that a jury could not be picked before the election, MSNBC reports. She appeared to be sympathetic to allowing for more time based on the volume of evidence.

A written ruling will be prepared.

Co-defendant and Trump valet Walt Nauta was seen exiting the courthouse after the hearing. Mr Trump did not attend.

Bannon confronted about ‘We Build the Wall’ fraud campaign

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Steve Bannon, once a senior adviser to Donald Trump, was confronted by a Ron DeSantis supporter who demanded to know when the far-right podcaster would pay back money he allegedly collected in a fraudulent fundraiser aimed at funding the construction of a southern border wall.

The supporter, Chris Nelson, is a known right-wing provocateur who is vocal in his support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s 2024 presidential run.

Graig Graziosi has the details.

Steve Bannon confronted about ‘We Build the Wall’ fraud campaign at conference

Officials from seven 2020 battleground state interviewed in DoJ probe

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors have now interviewed officials from seven 2020 battleground states targeted by former president Donald Trump and his allies in the special counsel investigation into efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

Watch: Taylor Swift will speak out against Trump

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia governor has not met with special counsel

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:05 , Oliver O'Connell

NBC News’s Frank Thorp V reports that he spotted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in the US Capitol this afternoon after a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The governor says he has not met with Jack Smith’s team regarding the investigations into Donald Trump: “I have not talked to anybody from the special counsel’s office, no.”

He described his meeting with Mr McConnell as “good”. When asked if he was interested in running for the Senate in the future, he said: “I am focused on ’24, winning Georgia in ’24, the road to the White House is coming through Georgia.”

Trump would consider two of his GOP 2024 rivals as running mate

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump, who is leading the polls for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, said he would consider allowing one of his Republican rivals in the race to “possibly” join his ticket.

On Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Mr Trump specifically pointed out entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen Tim Scott from the crowded GOP field. Awkwardly, there was no mention of his former Vice President Mike Pence.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump says he would consider two of his Republican 2024 rivals as his running mates

Trump reaching out to congressional allies, report says

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has reached out to some of his top allies on Capitol Hill to strategise how they’re going to defend him and go on the offence against Jack Smith’s special counsel probe, CNN reports.

The former president is said to have spoken with both House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.

Watch: Gaetz says he will introduce bill to defund Jack Smith probe

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Arizona governor has responded to special counsel election probe

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:39 , Oliver O'Connell

Jack Smith’s team has contacted former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who Donald Trump pressured to overturn the 2020 election, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reports.

A spokesperson for Governor Ducey confirms the contact and says he’s been responsive, Collins reports.

“Yes, he’s been contacted. He’s been responsive, and just as he’s done since the election, he will do the right thing,” a spokesman for Ducey told CNN.

In 2020, then-president Trump called Mr Ducey while he was literally in the middle of certifying Arizona’s election results. The governor looked at his phone (which was playing a ringtone version of Hail to the Chief) silenced the call and didn’t answer.

Arizona governor ignored call from White House as he certified election results

Recap: Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

A source familiar with the special counsel’s probe and Department of Justice operating procedures told The Independent that the earliest an indictment could be handed down is late Thursday or Friday, after the deadline prosecutors set for Mr Trump to avail himself of their invitation to testify before the grand jury investigating crimes relating to the Capitol attack.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Eastman lawyer says client hasn’t received target letter

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Donald Trump legal adviser John Eastman’s attorney John Burnham released a statement about

“Our client has received no target letter, and we don’t expect one since raising concerns about illegality in the conduct of an election is not now and has never been sanctionable.”

Megyn Kelly calls her 2016 row with Trump ‘nonsense’

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist Megyn Kelly suggested the ongoing – and very public – feud between herself and Donald Trump was “nonsense”, despite the former president having once made a crude reference about her being on her period.

Ms Kelly said the pair had buried the hatchet after having a private conversation ahead of their individual speeches at the Turning Point Action conference in Florida.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Megyn Kelly calls row with Trump ‘nonsense’ despite fury over period comment

Watch: Schiff calls McCarthy response to looming Trump indictment ‘pathetic'

Tuesday 18 July 2023 18:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Christie mocks Trump’s ‘top secret’ plan for ending Ukraine war

Tuesday 18 July 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie has mocked rival Donald Trump’s take on ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, quipping: “Move over Churchill”.

The former president announced he had a “one-day” plan for ending the war in Ukraine, stating in an interview with Fox News that he knew the leaders of Ukraine and Russia “very well” and that he would “have the deal done in one day”.

But Mr Trump’s comments were ridiculed by Mr Christie, who invoked British wartime leader Winston Churchill in his mockery of his foe.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Chris Christie mocks Trump’s secret plan for ending Ukraine war: Move over Churchill

Latest New Hampshire poll

Tuesday 18 July 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The latest University of New Hampshire poll for the first primary state shows Donald Trump with a commanding lead, though not as large as in either national polls or those in other states.

Of note is that among the clump of candidates in the five to eight per cent range — behind Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump — is former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum whose candidacy has been characterised as a longshot by many but who is ahead of both Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy and tied with Chris Christie.

Jack Smith declines to comment on DC street

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Special Counsel Jack Smith did not offer any comments regarding the target letter sent to Donald Trump when asked by reporters as he exited a Washington, DC, branch of Subway.

Democrats voice appreciation for Justice Dept investigation

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrat lawmakers have been voicing their appreciation for the diligent work of the Justice Department in its investigation into former President Donald Trump.

House January 6 select committee member Rep Pete Aguilar of California said: “We’re appreciative of the work of the Department of Justice... they’re focused on staying true to finding the facts and holding people accountable ... No matter where they are, no matter who they are.”

Rep Dan Goldman of New York, who prosecuted one of the impeachment cases against the former president, said: “The Special Counsel has clearly done an incredibly exhaustive investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.”

He added: “This appears to be the culmination of it and I expect Donald Trump to be indicted in the near future.”

Watch: House GOP react to likely Trump Jan 6 indictment

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Not just classified papers, Trump also hoarding Israeli antiquities, report says

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

It appears that government-owned White House records and highly classified documents aren’t the only government property being stored at former president Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence in Florida.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “senior Israeli figures” have spent the past three years attempting to arrange for the return of a set of priceless antiquities that were lent to the White House for a 2019 Hannukah celebration.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Trump is hoarding Israeli antiquities at Mar-a-Lago, report claims

Watch: McCarthy says Biden administration weaponising government against Trump

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump unleashes all-caps reaction

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:05 , Oliver O'Connell

As day follows night, here’s Donald Trump’s Truth Social reaction to the news (that he broke) that he is likely about to be indicted for a third time in the midst of the 2024 Republican primary.

WITCH HUNT!!! CROOKED JOE BIDEN & HIS INJUSTICE DEPARTMENT WANT TO INDICT & ARREST HIS PRESUMED POLITICAL OPPONENT (ME!), WHO IS LEADING HIM IN THE POLLS IN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024. SUCH A THING HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTRY BEFORE…AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAMPAIGN??? ELECTION INTERFERENCE & PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!!!

Trump 2024 rivals urge him to bow out of race amid news of likely new indictment

Tuesday 18 July 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Candidates in the Republican Party primary field have given their initial reaction to the news that lead 2024 contender Donald Trump has been notified by the Department of Justice of his status as a target of the investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot.

Read on...

2024 GOP primary candidates react to Trump Jan 6 probe special counsel target letter

Watch: Georgia Governor Brian Kemp asked about timing of Jan 6 and Georgia probes of Trump

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:53 , Oliver O'Connell

“It’s certainly a distraction from us beating Joe Biden.”

Breaking: Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:39 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could ask a grand jury to return an indictment against Donald Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Hutchinson again calls for Trump to suspend campaign

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Asa for America campaign released the following statement in regard to the news that Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has notified Donald Trump that he is a target of the January 6th investigation.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has previously called on the former president to drop out of the 2024 Republican primary race.

I have said from the beginning that Donald Trump’s actions on January 6 should disqualify him from ever being President again. As a former federal prosecutor, I understand the severity of Grand Jury investigations and what it means to be targeted by such an investigation. Donald Trump has confirmed that he is a target of this investigation and will likely be indicted once again. While Donald Trump would like the American people to believe that he is the victim in this situation, the truth is that the real victims of January 6th were our democracy, our rule of law, and those Capitol Police officers who worked valiantly to protect our Capitol. Anyone who truly loves this country and is willing to put the country over themselves would suspend their campaign for President of the United States immediately. It is disappointing that Donald Trump refuses to do so.

Ex-aide reveals Trump wanted to put cattle on ladders over border wall

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

A Trump plan “so incandescently stupid I couldn’t laugh”, writes the former Trump staffer.

Trump wanted to put cattle on ladders over border wall, ex aide reveals

Watch: Scalise says target letter ‘attack by Biden administration'

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene calls target letter ‘absolute bulls***'

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump’s legal team yet to respond to target letter

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:03 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins confirms that Donald Trump’s attorneys, including Todd Blanche, received the target letter Sunday.

Mr Trump’s legal team has not formally responded to the invitation to testify before the grand jury, which the letter provides, but it’s largely expected that the former president will decline to do so.

Speaking on CNN, Collins says the target letter caught the Trump legal team off guard, but: “When they started bringing in people like Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks, it changed the calculus for some of the people reading the tea leaves.”

Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge Georgia 2020 election investigation

Tuesday 18 July 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an attempt from Donald Trump to shut down key parts of a probe from state officials investigating him for potential interference in the 2020 election.

The high court found in a unanimous ruling that the former president hadn’t shown the kind of “extraordinary circumstances” that would require the Georgia Supreme Court to intervene in the case and toss out key portions of evidence.

Josh Marcus reports.

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation

Watch: Haley says Trump target letter ‘further distraction’ and ‘we can’t keep dealing with this drama'

Tuesday 18 July 2023 15:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Coming up this afternoon...

Tuesday 18 July 2023 15:41 , Oliver O'Connell

A Florida judge who issued a court ruling last year that critics said was unduly favorable to Donald Trump is set to preside Tuesday over the first pretrial conference in his landmark criminal case concerning the mishandling of classified documents.

Prosecutors and defence lawyers are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to discuss the rules and procedures that will govern how classified evidence is used in the case.

It’s a routine subject for any prosecution that concerns classified information, but it’s notable because it will be Cannon’s first time hearing arguments in the case since the former president’s indictment last month.

Read more and stay tuned at 2pm ET...

Trump's classified documents case set for first pretrial conference hearing before Judge Cannon

What charges is Trump facing?

Tuesday 18 July 2023 15:22 , Rachel Sharp

The exact number of charges Donald Trump may face related to the DoJ’s January 6 probe is not yet known, nor is the extent of the criminal accusations he may face. The House’s select committee investigating January 6 previously recommended a handful of charges at the conclusion of their hearings in 2022, including the charge of giving comfort to an insurrection.

But the committee’s recommendation was little more than a suggestion, given that the DoJ was pursuing its own investigation and does not take into account the statements of Congress. Investigators including Attorney General Merrick Garland were, however, thought to be following the committee’s hearings and the testimony of witnesses to the panel.

The onset of new criminal charges against him would likely further add to the strain on Mr Trump’s budget his existing legal problems have already created. His campaign has sought to manage the ex-president’s myriad court cases by funneling money to lawyers through his Save America PAC, the TrumpWorld vessel for outside spending. In the past few months, it was reported by multiple news outlets including The Independent that the Trump campaign had begun quietly diverting a greater share of donations through its WinRed fundraising platform to the PAC.

Trump fumes about ‘very unfair’ Jan 6 grand jury

Tuesday 18 July 2023 15:07 , Rachel Sharp

Read his full rambling statement:

Trump’s Truth Social rant about Jan 6 grand jury (Truth Social)
Trump’s Truth Social rant about Jan 6 grand jury (Truth Social)
Trump’s Truth Social rant about Jan 6 grand jury part 2 (Truth Social)
Trump’s Truth Social rant about Jan 6 grand jury part 2 (Truth Social)

BREAKING: Donald Trump says he’s been named by DoJ special counsel Jack Smith as target of Jan 6 investigation

Tuesday 18 July 2023 14:55 , Rachel Sharp

Former President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that he has been notified by the Department of Justice of his status as a target of the investigation into the January 6 attack, the first real confirmation that he could face criminal charges for his role in the hourslong siege of Capitol Hill.

Mr Trump wrote in a lengthy statement delivered via his Truth Social platform that special counsel Jack Smith had notified him via letter on Sunday about the development; The Independent had previously reported that Mr Smith was preparing a superceding indictment for the former president related to the Jan 6 attack.

Read the full story here:

Trump says he is about to be arrested as letter confirms he’s target of Jan 6 probe

Trump claims he has ‘effectively’ been indicted for a third time

Tuesday 18 July 2023 14:49 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has claimed that he has “effectively” been indicted on charges for a third time – this time over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The former president took to Truth Soocial on Tuesday morning to claim that he has received a letter from special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him that he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation.

Mr Smith has been leading the investigations into the attempts by Mr Trump and his allies to overturn the election in his favour.

Voices: Is DeSantis campaign dead in the water? The money says yes

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

Eric Garcia writes:

Republican presidential candidates had to release their quarterly finance reports on Friday. Given that there will be no real contests until February of 2024, fundraising and polling tend to be the most accurate barometers for how a candidate is doing in this early stage. In the same token, a strong first fundraising quarter tends to show that a candidate can last for the long haul.

Read on...

Is DeSantis campaign dead in the water? The money says yes

ICYMI: Don Jr says he wouldn’t have got away with having cocaine at White House

Tuesday 18 July 2023 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House resident Donald Trump Jr has weighed in after the Secret Service closed its investigation into the discovery of cocaine in the building - suggesting he would not have “gotten away with that”.

The eldest son of former president Donald Trump made the comments at the Turning Point Action Conference on Sunday, when he assured the crowd that snorting cocaine was not his “thing”.

Read on:

Donald Trump Jr says he wouldn’t have gotten away with cocaine at White House

Exclusive: Senior ex-intelligence official says second Trump term could fatally destabilise US, new book says

Tuesday 18 July 2023 11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The former number two official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has offered a dire prediction about America’s future should Donald Trump or another like-minded Republican succeed in winning next year’s presidential election, according to a new book by a former Trump administration homeland security aide.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

Senior ex-intelligence official warns second Trump term could fatally destabilise US

White House claps back at Marjorie Taylor Greene after she inadvertently compliments Biden’s record

Tuesday 18 July 2023 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Although Georgia Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to criticize President Joe Biden by comparing his programs to those of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, the White House took it as a compliment.

“Caught us. President Biden is working to make life easier for hardworking families,” the official White House account tweeted.

Kelly Rissman reports.

White House blasts Marjorie Taylor Greene’s criticism of efforts to aid US families

Trump finally reveals his plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

Tuesday 18 July 2023 09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Months after claiming he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, former president Donald Trump has finally offered an explanation for why he thinks it’d be so simple for him.

Mr Trump was asked for his specific plan to bring the war to an end in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” over the weekend.

His asserted that it would boil down to his established relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

Vivek Ramaswamy lists Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee as possible Supreme Court picks

Tuesday 18 July 2023 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Biotech entrepreneur and Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday released a list of 16 people he’d nominate to the US Supreme Court or federal appellate courts if he becomes president, making him the first in the party’s field to itemize his possible top judicial appointments.

Ramaswamy’s list includes Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah as possible nominees for the nation’s top court, as well as elevating federal judges who struck down President Joe Biden‘s airplane mask mandate and the FDA’s two-decade-long approval of the abortion pill.

Read on...

GOP presidential hopeful lists conservative pool of Supreme Court picks

Manchin fuels speculation around third-party 2024 run with No Labels event

Tuesday 18 July 2023 06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Sen Joe Manchin is continuing to feed speculation about his political future by appearing at an event with No Labels as he weighs whether to make a third-party run for president.

The West Virginia Democrat will appear at the event on Monday night in New Hampshire, which holds one of the first presidential nominating contests and is a crucial swing state in the general election. No Labels, a centrist organisation, has pushed for a third-party candidate for president.

But some Democrats have feared that a No Labels-backed candidacy would siphon votes away from President Joe Biden and enable former president Donald Trump to win another term as president.

In May, the organisation said it opposed Mr Trump’s candidacy.

Eric Garcia reports.

Joe Manchin fuels speculation around third-party 2024 run with No Labels event

Bartiromo shocks by pushing back on Trump: ‘You didn’t drain the swamp’

Tuesday 18 July 2023 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Fox News host pressed former President Donald Trump on how he hired staffers, saying he didn’t “drain the swamp like you said you would”.

Maria Bartiromo asked Mr Trump on Sunday Morning Futures whether he would do things differently if he were re-elected.

“The mistake would be people,” Mr Trump said. He called out a few individuals in particular.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo pushes back on Trump: ‘You didn’t drain the swamp’

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

Tuesday 18 July 2023 03:45 , 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.

Read on...

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

Tension between Boebert and Greene could lead to ‘fistfight’ lawmakers warn

Tuesday 18 July 2023 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

After an ongoing feud between Republican Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, a Republican lawmaker said the standoff between the two Congress members could result in a fistfight.

“A fistfight could break out at any moment,” Republican Tennessee Rep Tim Burchett told The Daily Beast.

Kelly Rissman reports.

GOP lawmakers predict ‘fistfight’ between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation over vote call

Tuesday 18 July 2023 02:09 , Phil Thomas

Georgia's Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an attempt from Donald Trump to shut down key parts of a probe from state officials investigating him for potential interference in the 2020 election.

The high court found in a unanimous ruling that the former president hadn't shown the kind of "extraordinary circumstances" that would require the Georgia Supreme Court to intervene in the case and toss out key portions of evidence.

"(Trump) has not shown that this case presents one of those extremely rare circumstances in which this Court's original jurisdiction should be invoked, and therefore, the petition is dismissed," the ruling states.

Josh Marcus has the full story:

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation

Kim Reynolds embraces role as a key player in Republican presidential race

Tuesday 18 July 2023 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds seized the spotlight from a half dozen Republican presidential contenders on Friday by signing a restrictive abortion measure into law at an event meant to showcase the candidates, she embraced her front-and-center role in the 2024 presidential election.

The standing ovation she received from some 2,000 conservative Christians gathered in Des Moines only reinforced the influence she wields, not just in Iowa but increasingly on a national stage.

Read more...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds embraces role as a key player in Republican presidential race

A GOP campaign to stop a new FBI headquarters is revving up after Trump probes

Tuesday 18 July 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested recently he might stop the FBI from relocating its downtown headquarters to a new facility planned for the Washington suburbs, it was more than idle thinking about an office renovation.

The nod from the Republican speaker is elevating a once-fringe proposal to upend the FBI in the aftermath of the federal indictment of Donald Trump over classified documents and the Justice Department’s prosecution of his allies, including some of the nearly 1,000 people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Moving from far-right corners into the mainstream, the emerging effort to overhaul the nation’s premier law enforcement agency is rooted in increasingly forceful conservative complaints about an overly biased FBI that they claim is being weaponized against them.

Read more...

GOP vs. FBI: A Republican campaign to stop a new FBI headquarters is revving up after Trump probes

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

Monday 17 July 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald 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 Stephanopoulos on 16 July that Mr Trump told him “directly” that he had lost in 2020.

Alex Woodward has the story.

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

White House condemns RFK Jr’s ‘vile’ anti-semitic Covid conspiracy claim

Monday 17 July 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The White House on Monday condemned anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr’s claim that the virus which causes Covid-19 was somehow engineered to target white and Black people while sparing Asians and Jews of Eastern European descent as an example of anti-semitism that puts Americans at risk.

During a press event in New York City on 11 July, Mr Kennedy baselessly stated that “there is an argument to be made” that the disease is “ethnically targeted” and claimed that the Sars-CoV-2 virus was “targeted to attack Cucasians and Black people” even as “those who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

White House condemns RFK Jr’s ‘vile’ antisemitic Covid conspiracy claim

Democratic PAC unveils ‘steamy and horrifying’ ad with GOP lawmaker interrupting couple in bedroom

Monday 17 July 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Progressive Action Fund launched a new ad attacking crackdowns on reproductive rights ahead of an Ohio ballot measure, featuring an elderly Republican congressman in a couple’s bedroom.

Democratic PAC shows ‘steamy and horrifying’ ad with GOP lawmaker in couple’s bedroom

Voices: Is DeSantis campaign dead in the water? The money says yes

Monday 17 July 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Republican presidential candidates had to release their quarterly finance reports on Friday. Given that there will be no real contests until February of 2024, fundraising and polling tend to be the most accurate barometers for how a candidate is doing in this early stage. In the same token, a strong first fundraising quarter tends to show that a candidate can last for the long haul.

Read more:

Is DeSantis campaign dead in the water? The money says yes

Watch: Pence says he and Carlson ‘had a good joust’ at Blaze Media summit

Monday 17 July 2023 22:08 , Oliver O'Connell

In-depth: Patriot Front planned to disrupt a Pride event in Idaho. One year later, members are on trial

Monday 17 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

More than one year later after their arrest on 11 June, 2022 – a disruption that prevented possible violent chaos on the last day of Coeur d’Alene’s annual Pride in the Park – several members of Patriot Front will face trial on charges of conspiracy to riot.

Alex Woodward reports.

Patriot Front planned to disrupt Pride in Idaho. One year later, members are on trial

Watch: White House condemns RFK Jr’s racist comments

Monday 17 July 2023 21:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Yellen reportedly ate hallucinogenic mushrooms at restaurant during China visit

Monday 17 July 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reportedly ate an order of potentially hallucinogenic mushrooms at a restaurant during a visit last week to Beijing.

Josh Marcus has the story.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reportedly ate magic mushrooms during China visit

Flynn and Bannon subpoenaed in Smartmatic lawsuit against Fox News and Newsmax

Monday 17 July 2023 21:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Per CNN:

Trump allies Michael Flynn and Steve Bannon have been subpoenaed by Smartmatic as part of the voting technology company’s massive defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax over their promotion of 2020 election lies.

Court filings made public last week in New York and Delaware indicate that Flynn and Bannon were hit with subpoenas, demanding that they sit for depositions and answer questions under oath. The depositions were initially scheduled for this week, though timing can change based on negotiations and other developments in the lawsuits.

Bannon is also required to turn over subpoenaed documents to Smartmatic, including any communications with top officials from Fox News, the Trump campaign and the Trump administration about the 2020 presidential election, according to court filings.

Don Jr says he wouldn’t have got away with having cocaine at White House

Monday 17 July 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House resident Donald Trump Jr has weighed in after the Secret Service closed its investigation into the discovery of cocaine in the building - suggesting he would not have “gotten away with that”.

The eldest son of former president Donald Trump made the comments at the Turning Point Action Conference on Sunday, when he assured the crowd that snorting cocaine was not his “thing”.

Read on...

Donald Trump Jr says he wouldn’t have gotten away with cocaine at White House

Watch: Megyn Kelly says ‘nonsense’ between her and Trump is ‘under the bridge'

Monday 17 July 2023 20:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine

Monday 17 July 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Months after claiming he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, former president Donald Trump has finally offered an explanation for why he thinks it’d be so simple for him.

Mr Trump was asked for his specific plan to bring the war to an end in an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo over the weekend.

His asserted that it would boil down to his established relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

GOP lawmakers says ‘fistfight’ possible between Boebert and Greene

Monday 17 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The ongoing feud between Republican Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert appears to be reaching new heights (or depths?) as a Republican lawmaker said the standoff between the two members of Congress could result in a fistfight.

Kelly Rissman has the details.

GOP lawmakers predict ‘fistfight’ between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert

Governor Kim Reynolds to hold “fair-side chats” with 2024 GOP candidates at Iowa State Fair

Monday 17 July 2023 19:41 , Oliver O'Connell

White House claps back at Marjorie Taylor Greene

Monday 17 July 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Although Georgia Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to criticize President Joe Biden by comparing his programs to those of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, the White House took it as a compliment.

“Caught us. President Biden is working to make life easier for hardworking families,” the official White House account tweeted.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

White House blasts Marjorie Taylor Greene’s criticism of efforts to aid US families

Exclusive: Senior ex-intelligence official says second Trump term could fatally destabilise US

Monday 17 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The former number two official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has offered a dire prediction about America’s future should Donald Trump or another like-minded Republican succeed in winning next year’s presidential election, according to a new book by a former Trump administration homeland security aide.

In Blowback, author Miles Taylor recounts an October 2020 conversation he had with Sue Gordon, a 25-year US intelligence community veteran who served as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence from 2017 to 2019, shortly after news broke that the FBI had disrupted a plot by Michigan-based right-wing extremists to kidnap Wolverine State governor Gretchen Whitmer.

According to a copy of the book obtained by The Independent ahead of its Tuesday release, Taylor recalls how the news of the kidnapping plot prompted him to telephone Ms Gordon, who he says spent “decades” at the CIA monitoring foreign governments for signs of instability, and ask the former deputy DNI how America’s “democratic stability” would be impacted by a second term in the White House for Mr Trump or a “Maga successor”.

Andrew Feinberg spoke with Miles Taylor.

Senior ex-intelligence official says second Trump term could fatally destabilise US

Watch: Fox News host hits out at Trump for not wanting to debate other GOP candidates

Monday 17 July 2023 18:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Manchin fuels speculation around third-party 2024 run with No Labels event

Monday 17 July 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Sen Joe Manchin is continuing to feed speculation about his political future by appearing at an event with No Labels as he weighs whether to make a third-party run for president.

The West Virginia Democrat will appear at the event on Monday night in New Hampshire, which holds one of the first presidential nominating contests and is a crucial swing state in the general election. No Labels, a centrist organisation, has pushed for a third-party candidate for president.

But some Democrats have feared that a No Labels-backed candidacy would siphon votes away from President Joe Biden and enable former president Donald Trump to win another term as president.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Joe Manchin fuels speculation around third-party 2024 run with No Labels event

Watch: Former Governor Jon Hunstman denies No Labels event is campaign

Monday 17 July 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Iowa governor embraces role as a key player in GOP 2024 presidential race

Monday 17 July 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

When Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds seized the spotlight from a half dozen Republican presidential contenders on Friday by signing a restrictive abortion measure into law at an event meant to showcase the candidates, she embraced her front-and-center role in the 2024 presidential election.

The standing ovation she received from some 2,000 conservative Christians gathered in Des Moines only reinforced the influence she wields, not just in Iowa but increasingly on a national stage.

Read on...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds embraces role as a key player in Republican presidential race

Watch: Trump confronted that he ‘didn’t drain the swamp'

Monday 17 July 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

‘Stoned’ DeSantis canvasser’s lewd rant caught on doorbell camera

Monday 17 July 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’ campaign is facing a number of obstacles just months into the Florida governor’s efforts to make himself stand out among the crowded 2024 GOP field.

Over the last week, Mr DeSantis’ campaign has dismissed a number of staffers in an effort to trim costs just as a canvasser, working on behalf of a super PAC, has come under fire.

On Friday, a canvasser advocating for Mr DeSantis’ campaign through Never Back Down was captured on a Ring doorbell using vulgar language while claiming they were under the influence of drugs.

Read on...

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

RNC chair asked if she has problem with party nominating convicted felon

Monday 17 July 2023 17:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Anchor Chris Wallace bluntly asked RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel if she’s comfortable with the Republican Party nominating a convicted felon on this week’s episode of the Max/CNN series Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace.

The veteran interviewer pushed the leading Republican on the prospect of Donald Trump winning the GOP 2024 primary at the same time as possibly being convicted of federal or state charges.

Ms McDaniel said it remained a hypothetical and quickly deflected to talking about Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden.

Here’s the transcript of their exchange via Mediaite.

CHRIS WALLACE: Let me ask you a question. Do you have any problem with the Republican Party nominating somebody who’s under federal indictment?

RONNA MCDANIEL: I think the presumption of innocence stands. And I think there’s a lot of Republicans who are very troubled.

At the end of the day, Chris, though, it’s not up to me. It’s up to the voters. They’re going to make their decision. They’re going to hear this and they’re going to decide if this is an issue for them come November or come the primary process.

I’m not seeing this in the polling right now creating an issue.

CHRIS WALLACE: Do you have any problem with the Republican Party nominating a convicted felon?

RONNA MCDANIEL: That’s hypothetical. We’re not even close to that. So I don’t think we’re even there…

CHRIS WALLACE: Well, I understand that.

RONNA MCDANIEL: I get the, I understand this trap of, well, what if this happens? I think a lot of people are very concerned. Republicans especially, I hear this every day. Why is there one side of justice for Hillary Clinton, a different one from Donald Trump, different for Hunter Biden?

Republican campaign to stop a new FBI headquarters is revving up after Trump probes

Monday 17 July 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

When Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested recently he might stop the FBI from relocating its downtown headquarters to a new facility planned for the Washington suburbs, it was more than idle thinking about an office renovation.

The nod from the Republican speaker is elevating a once-fringe proposal to upend the FBI in the aftermath of the federal indictment of Donald Trump over classified documents and the Justice Department’s prosecution of his allies, including some of the nearly 1,000 people charged in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Moving from far-right corners into the mainstream, the emerging effort to overhaul the nation’s premier law enforcement agency is rooted in increasingly forceful conservative complaints about an overly biased FBI that they claim is being weaponised against them.

GOP vs. FBI: A Republican campaign to stop a new FBI headquarters is revving up after Trump probes

Ohio’s Republican secretary of state launches his campaign for US Senate

Monday 17 July 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Ohio‘s Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, launched a bid for the U.S. Senate on Monday, joining GOP efforts to try to unseat Democrat Sherrod Brown next year.

LaRose, 44, is in his second term as Ohio’s elections chief, one of the state’s highest-profile jobs. He managed to walk a delicate line between GOP factions divided by falsehoods sewn by former President Donald Trump over election integrity to score a convincing 59% of the statewide vote in his 2022 reelection bid.

He first took office in 2019, with just over 50% of the vote, and previously spent eight years as a state senator and did a turn as a US Army Green Beret.

Ohio's Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, launches his campaign for US Senate

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

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