Trump news – live: Trump suggests White House concealing security footage over cocaine scandal as Don Jr branded ‘big baby’

Donald Trump is continuing to relish the news that cocaine was discovered at the White House, moving on from suggesting that it belonged to his successor Joe Biden and the latter’s son Hunter Biden, who has spoken out frankly about his past struggles with addiction, to claiming that the Biden administration is withholding the CCTV footage that might reveal the truth.

“Where are the White House SECURITY TAPES, like the ones I openly and happily gave to Deranged Jack Smith, which will quickly show where the Cocaine in the White House came from???” he asked on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday evening.

“They already know the answer, but probably don’t like it!”

Meanwhile, the former president’s own son, Donald Trump Jr, has been branded “a big baby” by Australian home minister Clare O’Neil after he cancelled a planned speaking tour of the country, citing visa issues.

“Geez, Donald Trump Jr is a bit of sore loser,” Ms O’Neill wrote in a series of posts on Twitter that were later deleted.

“Donald Trump Jr has been given a visa to come to Australia. He didn’t get cancelled. He’s just a big baby, who isn’t very popular.”

Key Points

• Trump suggests White House concealing security footage over cocaine scandal

• Don Jr branded ‘big baby’ over cancelled Australian tour

• Senator warns Republicans planning national abortion ban

• 'Parental rights' group Moms for Liberty plans nationwide strategy for school board races in 2024

• The 2024 Republican presidential field keeps growing. So why aren't there more women?

Trump suggests White House concealing security footage over cocaine scandal

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the latest from The Desk of Donald, who is now suggesting on Truth Social that the White House may actually be withholding the security footage that might reveal the owner of the cocaine discovered near the Oval Office.

“They already know the answer, but probably don’t like it!” he insinuates, hinting none-too-subtly at a major criminal coverup based on precisely no evidence.

Hawley tweets fake Founding Father quote

09:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Josh Hawley drew criticism from historians and teachers of US government over the July 4 holiday after he posted a tweet incorrectly ascribed to Patrick Henry which asserted that America was founded as a specifically Christian nation.

Aside from the fact that the Constitution explicitly lays out that America will never have an official state religion, Mr Hawley’s message falsely attributed a quote from a biography of Henry, one of America’s Founding Fathers, to the man himself.

John Bowden has the story.

Josh Hawley tweets fake Founding Father quote claiming US was founded on Christianity

Oath Keepers leader issues warning to Trump

07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Stewart Rhodes, the disbarred attorney and founder of the far-right extremist group known as the Oath Keepers, believes the strategy prosecutors used to convict him on rarely used seditious conspiracy charges will be repeated by special counsel Jack Smith in a future trial of former president Donald Trump.

Read more...

Oath Keepers leader issues warning to Trump amid ex-president’s legal woes

White powder found at White House confirmed as cocaine

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The white, powdery substance that prompted a brief evacuation of the White House over the weekend has been confirmed to be cocaine by laboratory testing, The Independent has learned.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Tests show white powder found at White House is cocaine

Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump kicked off his Independence Day activities early on Tuesday by resharing a vulgar meme attacking Joe Biden and the people who voted for him.

Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden

Truth Social’s merger partner reaches SEC settlement

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A financial firm linked to Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform has reached an $18m settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to bring an end to the investigation into its merger with the company.

Truth Social’s merger partner reaches $18m settlement with SEC

Trump posted what he said was Obama's address, prosecutors say. An armed man was soon arrested there

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform what he claimed was the home address of former President Barack Obama on the same day that a man with guns in his van was arrested near the property, federal prosecutors said Wednesday in revealing new details about the case.

Read more:

Trump posted what he said was Obama's address, prosecutors say. An armed man was soon arrested there

Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' wins primary, nearly assuring seat on NYC Council

Thursday 6 July 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated “Central Park Five,” has won the Democratic primary, all but assuring him a seat on the New York City Council. It’s an improbable feat for a political novice who was wrongly accused, convicted and imprisoned as a teenager for the rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park.

Read more...

Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' wins primary, nearly assuring seat on NYC Council

Why aren’t there more women in the GOP 2024 field?

Wednesday 5 July 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As Republicans keep jumping into the 2024 race for president, one demographic group seems notably lacking: women.

More than a dozen candidates are seeking the nomination, including several long shots who announced their bids in recent weeks, in what is the party’s most diverse presidential field ever. Yet Nikki Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, is the only woman among the bunch.

Read more...

The 2024 Republican presidential field keeps growing. So why aren't there more women?

Voices: Florida man Ron DeSantis has no juice

Wednesday 5 July 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

After the 2022 midterm elections, Florida Gov DeSantis emerged as nearly bulletproof. As he likes to tell voters on the stump, his nearly 20-point re-election victory served as a bright spot in an otherwise rough election night for Republicans.

But despite kicking off his 2024 presidential campaign in a glitchy Twitter conversation with SpaceX executive Elon Musk, the former GOP golden boy has failed to launch. His candidacy has been riddled with stories of awkward retail politicking and losing endorsements to former president Donald Trump. Now there is also evidence that his campaign is on the downturn.

Read more:

Florida man Ron DeSantis has no juice

ICYMI: Trump leaned on Arizona governor to flip state’s election results after 2020 loss, report says

Wednesday 5 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump reportedly tried to push Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to flip the state’s 2020 election results in his favour, according to a new report.

The latest allegations against Mr Trump claim the former president wanted Mr Ducey to find enough votes to overturn his loss, according to The Washington Post.

Anonymous sources, “familiar” with the call, toldThe Post that the former president also tasked his vice president Mike Pence with calling Mr Ducey and pushing him to find evidence back Mr Trump’s false claims of voter fraud.

Mr Pence reportedly called Mr Ducey several times to discuss the election but did not follow up on Mr Trump’s alleged demands.

Read more:

Trump leaned on Arizona governor to flip election results after 2020 loss: report

Voices: Forget everything else, these four states will decide the presidency

Wednesday 5 July 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

The intelligent folks at Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics compiled a list of four swing states. The list does not mean that these are the only states where candidates should campaign. But it is to say that these are the most evenly split states. Let’s take a look...

Forget everything else: These four states will decide the presidency

Man arrested near Obama home threatened other prominent lawmakers, officials say

Wednesday 5 July 2023 21:25 , Oliver O'Connell

The armed man arrested near the home of former President Barack Obama also threatened other lawmakers, according to federal prosecutors.

Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested in the Kalorama neighbourhood of Washington DC on 29 June after making online threats against Mr Obama. Materials to make Molotov cocktails were located in his vehicle. Mr Taranto is also alleged to have suggested that he was going to attempt to enter Mr Obama’s home via “tunnels”.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Man arrested near Obama home threatened other prominent lawmakers, officials say

Pence claims Biden is rehabilitating Iran nuclear deal

Wednesday 5 July 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Vice President Mike Pence was a surprise guest this weekend at a rally in Paris, France, hosted by Iranian dissidents in support of overthrowing Iran’s regime.

Mr Pence, who’s running in the increasingly crowded 2024 Republican primary, railed against the authoritarian government in Tehran and what he claimed were efforts by the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran, the US, and several European countries. That deal was abandoned by the Trump administration who accused Tehran of violating the deal “in spirit”.

“Now, a new administration is threatening to unravel all of the progress we made in marginalising the tyrannical regime in Tehran,” Mr Pence claimed.

John Bowden has the story.

Mike Pence claims Biden is rehabilitating the Iran nuclear deal

Trump weighs in on White House cocaine story

Wednesday 5 July 2023 21:11 , Oliver O'Connell

After news broke that a white powder found in the West Wing of the White House was indeed cocaine, it didn’t take long for former president Donald Trump to weigh in, baselessly claiming the drug was for the use of President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, before calling special prosecutor Jack Smith a “crackhead”.

Here’s what he wrote on Truth Social:

Does anybody really believe that the COCAINE found in the West Wing of the White House, very close to the Oval Office, is for the use of anyone other than Hunter & Joe Biden. But watch, the Fake News Media will soon start saying that the amount found was “very small,” & it wasn’t really COCAINE, but rather common ground up Aspirin, & the story will vanish. Has Deranged Jack Smith, the crazy, Trump hating Special Prosecutor, been seen in the area of the COCAINE? He looks like a crackhead to me!

And here’s our coverage of the story so far:

Tests show white powder found at White House is cocaine

Jack Smith subpoenas Arizona Secretary of State’s office in January 6 probe

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Special Counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed Arizona’s Secretary of State’s Office as part of its investigation into the January 6 riot as early as May, The Arizona Republic reported.

President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in 2020 by 10,457 votes, the narrowest margin in the nation. Almost immediately, former president Donald Trump and his supporters began to contest the results.

Eric Garcia reports.

Jack Smith subpoenas Arizona Secretary of State’s office in January 6 probe

Buttigieg takes down Ron DeSantis over ‘strange’ anti-LGBT campaign video

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had the perfect takedown for Ron DeSantis over the weekend, after the Republican presidential hopeful posted an anti-LGBT+ campaign video.

The video, posted on Friday, was described as homophobic by a number of LGBT+ members of the Republican party, as well as by critics on the other side of the aisle.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Pete Buttigieg takes down Ron DeSantis over ‘strange’ anti-LGBT campaign video

Trump: DeSantis campaign in ‘total disarray'

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:26 , Oliver O'Connell

The latest musings of the former president on Truth Social:

Ron DeSanctimonious is getting absolutely “demolished” for yesterday’s performance in New Hampshire. No crowds, no enthusiasm, no interest. His Campaign is in total disarray. He’s hurting himself very badly for 2028. See, loyalty does matter with Patriots!

Hawley tweets fake Founding Father quote

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Josh Hawley drew criticism from historians and teachers of US government over the July 4 holiday after he posted a tweet incorrectly ascribed to Patrick Henry which asserted that America was founded as a specifically Christian nation.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Josh Hawley tweets fake Founding Father quote claiming US was founded on Christianity

Trump 2024 fundraising powers ahead despite indictments

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Per Politico:

Donald Trump nearly doubled his fundraising during the second quarter of 2023 — an indication that his legal troubles are propelling his campaign financially.

The former president’s joint fundraising committee raked in more than $35 million, according to a campaign official. That figure is about twice the $18.8 million the committee raised during the first quarter of the year. The joint fundraising committee is split between two entities: Trump’s official campaign, and his political action committee, Save America.

Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about 'shouting match'

Wednesday 5 July 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors are nearing a decision on whether to charge Donald Trump and his associates with crimes related to their efforts to overturn the 2020 election and recently interviewed the former president’s top attorney for that project as their investigation winds down.

John Bowden has the details.

Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about ‘shouting match’ in fight to overturn election

Attorney key to Trump’s election conspiracies retires from legal practice

Wednesday 5 July 2023 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

L. Lin Wood, a Georgia attorney who was part of the legal team that attempted to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election, has said he will retire from the practice of law.

Mr Wood sent a letter to top officials at the State Bar of Georgia on Tuesday asking that he be permitted to transfer to “Retired Status” effective immediately.

Abe Asher reports.

Trump attorney who was key to election conspiracies retires from legal practice

Oath Keepers leader issues warning to Trump

Wednesday 5 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Stewart Rhodes, the disbarred attorney and founder of the far-right extremist group known as the Oath Keepers, believes the strategy prosecutors used to convict him on rarely used seditious conspiracy charges will be repeated by special counsel Jack Smith in a future trial of former president Donald Trump.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Oath Keepers leader issues warning to Trump amid ex-president’s legal woes

Christie reacts to ‘control freak’ Trump’s classified documents comments

Wednesday 5 July 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Chris Christie has stepped up his verbal attacks on Donald Trump as the former president faces fresh scrutiny over his handling of classified documents.

The former New Jersey governor told the New York Times that Mr Trump was likely to become increasingly erratic as he tried to avoid being sent to prison.

“He’s scared,” Mr Christie told the Times.

Chris Christie reacts to Trump’s classified documents comments: ‘He’s scared’

Trump’s own words come back to haunt him

Wednesday 5 July 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump may be coming to regret the statements he has made in the past – with a comment on the indictment of a president “grinding government to a halt” surely coming back to haunt him.

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

What is Bidenomics?

Wednesday 5 July 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has long struggled to neatly summarize his sprawling economic vision.

It’s been hard for voters to digest the mix of roads-and-bridges spending, tax hikes on big companies, tax credits for parents, tax breaks for renewable energy, grants to build computer chip factories, insulin price caps and slogans like “Build Back Better.”

And that barely covers the full breadth of what the administration is doing and trying to do.

Last week, the president gave a speech on “Bidenomics” in hopes that the term will lodge in voters’ minds ahead of the 2024 elections. But what is Bidenomics?

What's 'Bidenomics'? The president hopes a dubious nation embraces his ideas condensed into the term

New details of Trump Mar-a-Lago search warrant expected

Wednesday 5 July 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Following a court petition from news organizations, a Florida judge has agreed that the Department of Justice should make public a less heavily redacted version of the search warrant affidavit that led to the discovery of multipleclassfifed and top secret documents at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

Don Jr’s Australia tour postponed due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump Jr’s “anti cancel culture tour” of Australia has been postponed after a petition calling for him to be denied a visa reached 22,000 signatures.

The former president’s eldest son had been due to speak in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne beginning later this week, but event organisers Turning Point Australia announced the “landmark” tour had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Don Trump Jr’s Australia tour postponed due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’

Pence looks forward to debating Trump

Wednesday 5 July 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump mocked for bizarre July 4 AI image

Wednesday 5 July 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump has been mocked after he posted an AI-generated image of himself in place of George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Eric Garcia has the story.

Trump mocked for July 4 AI image: ‘He’d sell us out faster than Benedict Arnold’

Mike Pence and Liz Truss among VIPs who speak at Iranian dissident rally despite pressure from Tehran

Wednesday 5 July 2023 14:00 , John Bowden

Thousands of Iranian dissidents crowded the streets of a Paris neighbourhood on Saturday while western opponents of the government in Tehran gathered for a politically star-studded event aimed at poking a finger in the eye of the Ayatollah’s supporters.

Despite warnings from French authorities and the US Embassy in Paris that alleged threats of a terror attack made a large outdoor event unwise, there were no incidents over the weekend as Iranian dissident activists mingled with prominent current and former officials from the US, UK and other European nations — and heard remarks from top former officials in the Trump administration, such as ex-Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The Independent has more:

Mike Pence and John Bolton among VIPs at Iranian dissident rally

Biden's upcoming European trip is meant to boost NATO against Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on

Wednesday 5 July 2023 13:40 , John Bowden

President Joe Biden will head to Europe at week’s end for a three-country trip intended to bolster the international coalition against Russian aggression as the war in Ukraine extends well into its second year.

The main focus of Biden’s five-day visit will be the annual NATO summit, held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania. Also planned are stops in Helsinki, Finland, to commemorate the Nordic country’s entrance into the 31-nation military alliance in April, and Britain, the White House announced Sunday.

Biden will begin his trip next Sunday in London, meeting with King Charles III. The president did not attend Charles’s coronation in May, sending first lady Jill Biden to represent the United States. In June, Biden hosted British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the White House, where the two leaders pledged continued cooperation in defending Ukraine.

The NATO meeting comes at the latest critical point in the war. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says counteroffensive and defensive actions against Russian forces are underway as Ukrainian troops start to recapture territory in the southeastern part of the country, according to its military leaders.

Read more:

Biden's upcoming European trip is meant to boost NATO against Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on

Trump brands Biden a ‘very dangerous idiot in the White House’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 13:10 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump branded President Joe Biden a “very dangerous idiot in the White House” in a series of Truth Social rants on the July 4 holiday on Tuesday.

“When Biden said that Putin is “losing the war in Iraq,” twice, everybody knew, through confirmation, that we have a confirmed, and very dangerous, Idiot in the White House,” he posted.

“The USA cannot have this go on!”

The tirade was just one of a series of angry Truth Social posts from the former president on the Independence Day holiday.

In another post, he reshared a vulgar message reading: ““F**k Biden and f**k you for voting for him.”

Mr Trump also posted a bizarre image of himself imposed into the Revolutionary War, prompting social media users to suggest the former president is more like Benedict Arnold – the infamous US traitor – than the Founding Fathers.

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

Wednesday 5 July 2023 12:40 , John Bowden

Former president Donald Trump may be coming to regret the statements he has made in the past – with a comment on the indictment of a president “grinding government to a halt” surely coming back to haunt him.

Of course, Mr Trump did not imagine his comments about indicted presidents would apply to him – he made them when speaking in 2016 about his then-rival Hillary Clinton.

“We could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and ultimately a criminal trial,” he told a rally in November 2016. “It would grind government to a halt.”

At another rally, Mr Trump mentioned the email server probe that dogged much of Ms Clinton’s presidential campaign, also suggesting that a potential indictment would wreak havoc in the White House.

Read more:

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

Ted Cruz accuses new Barbie movie of ‘pushing Chinese propaganda’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 12:10 , Rachel Sharp

Ted Cruz is accusing the highly anticipated Barbie film of “pushing Chinese propaganda,” after a trailer for the Warner Bros release appeared to show a map referencing China’s disputed claims to the South China Sea.

“Senator Cruz has been fighting for years to prevent American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring their content to appease the Chinese Communist Party,’ a spokesperson for the Texas Republican told The Daily Mail.

The issue stems back to the so-called “nine-dash line” used on Chinese maps, illustrating what it claims are its posessions within the South China Sea.

Read the story here:

Ted Cruz accuses new Barbie movie of ‘pushing Chinese propaganda’

Chris Christie reacts to ‘control freak’ Trump’s classified documents comments: ‘He’s scared’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 11:40 , John Bowden

Chris Christie has stepped up his verbal attacks on Donald Trump as the former president faces fresh scrutiny over his handling of classified documents.

The former New Jersey governor told the New York Times that Mr Trump was likely to become increasingly erratic as he tried to avoid being sent to prison.

“He’s scared,” Mr Christie told the Times.

“Look, a guy like him, the last place you ever want to be in life is in jail because you give up all control, and he’s a complete control freak.”

Mr Christie spoke out after the ex-president was heard in a leaked tape bragging that he had kept documents about a military strike on Iran after leaving office that he knew were classified.

Read more:

Chris Christie reacts to Trump’s classified documents comments: ‘He’s scared’

Trump likened to American traitor Benedict Arnold as he posts bizarre 4th of July AI image

Wednesday 5 July 2023 11:13 , Rachel Sharp

Impeachment lawyer says Trump ‘likely exposed himself to criminal liability’ after calls to Georgia and Arizona leaders

Wednesday 5 July 2023 10:40 , John Bowden

Norm Eisen, a former US ambassador to the Czech Republic and a co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, says that Mr Trump likely made himself criminally liable for pressuring both Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the 2020 election.

What's 'Bidenomics'? The president hopes a dubious nation embraces his ideas condensed into the term

Wednesday 5 July 2023 09:40 , John Bowden

President Joe Biden has long struggled to neatly summarize his sprawling economic vision.

It’s been hard for voters to digest the mix of roads-and-bridges spending, tax hikes on big companies, tax credits for parents, tax breaks for renewable energy, grants to build computer chip factories, insulin price caps and slogans like “Build Back Better.”

And that barely covers the full breadth of what the administration is doing and trying to do.

Last week, the president gave a speech on “Bidenomics” in hopes that the term will lodge in voters’ minds ahead of the 2024 elections. But what is Bidenomics? Let’s just say the White House definition is different from the Republican one — evidence that catchphrases can be double-edged.

Biden says his economic philosophy is the opposite of a Republican approach that favors broad tax cuts to spur growth. He sees the government as using the tax code in a more targeted fashion and fashioning other programs to foster investment in new technologies, create jobs and boost upward mobility. He wants to do more to educate workers and foster competition within the U.S. economy in hopes of reducing prices.

Read more:

What's 'Bidenomics'? The president hopes a dubious nation embraces his ideas condensed into the term

Chris Christie says both Trump and Biden are 'past their sell-by dates'

Wednesday 5 July 2023 08:40 , John Bowden

Chris Christie has said that both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are “past their sell-by dates” as he prepares to take on both in the 2024 race.

The former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential candidate had harsh words for both candidates in a The New York Times op ed published on Saturday.

“I think he’s beyond his sell-by date,” Mr Christie said of Mr Biden.

“And I think Trump is, too, by the way.”

Of Mr Biden, he added: “I think his family should let him go home. Are they actually motivated by love for this guy, or is it motivated by the grift?”

Pence ‘doesn’t believe’ racial inequality exists in schools as he celebrates SCOTUS affirmative action ban

Wednesday 5 July 2023 07:40 , John Bowden

Mike Pence cheered the end of affirmative action in US colleges and universities on Sunday in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing the practice.

The former vice president discussed the issue on CBS’s Face the Nation and said that the time for policies aimed at improving outcomes for minority students in general had passed. A candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Mr Pence is up against his former boss, Donald Trump, and other conservatives like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

His comments came as activists and authorities in the higher education field vowed to keep fighting to ensure that diversity would remain a core value in student recruiting.

“Fundamentally, do you believe that there are racial inequities in the education system in the United States?” asked host Margaret Brennan.

“I really don’t believe there is [racial inequality in US schools]. I believe there was,” Mr Pence said.

Read more:

Pence ‘doesn’t believe’ racial inequality exists in schools

For presidents, July Fourth is a day to chill or strut or get an earful of red, white and boo

Wednesday 5 July 2023 05:40 , John Bowden

Through history, the Fourth of July has been a day for some presidents to declare their independence from the public. They’ve bailed to the beach, the mountains, the golf course, the farm, the ranch. In the middle of the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt was sailing to Hawaii on a fishing and working vacation.

It’s also been a day for some presidents to insert themselves front and center in the fabric of it all.

Teddy Roosevelt drew hundreds of thousands for his July Fourth oratory. In 2019, Donald Trump marshaled tanks, bombers and other war machinery for a celebration that typically avoids military muscle.

Richard Nixon enraged the anti-war masses without even showing up. As the anti-Nixon demonstrations of 1970 showed, Independence Day in the capital isn’t always just fun and games. It has a tradition of red, white and boo, too.

In modern times, though, presidents have tended to stand back and let the people party.

Read more:

For presidents, July Fourth is a day to chill or strut or get an earful of red, white and boo

Slim majority of Americans support Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling, but most believe politics rules the court

Wednesday 5 July 2023 04:50 , John Bowden

More than half of Americans believe US Supreme Court justices decide cases largely on the basis of their partisan political views, a figure that has shot up 10 percentage points from January 2022.

That figure – 53 per cent – appears to be driven by the gulf between perceptions of the conservative supermajority court among Republican and Democratic voters following several controversial rulings at the end of its latest term, according to new polling from ABC News/Ipsos.

Roughly three-quarters of Republican voters and 26 per cent of Democratic voters support the court’s decision to reject affirmative action in university admissions. Sixty-eight per cent of Republicans approve of the decision to allow businesses to deny services to same-sex couples. And 71 per cent of Republicans support the court’s ruling against President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts, compared to just 17 per cent of Democrats.

Overall, a bare majority of Americans (52 per cent) support the court’s decision against race-conscious admissions in higher education.

That majority includes majorities among white (60 per cent) and Asian (58 per cent) Americans, while 52 per cent of Black Americans disapprove of the ruling.

Read more:

Most Americans believe Supreme Court justices rule by politics, poll finds

Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden and ominous 2024 message

Wednesday 5 July 2023 03:56 , John Bowden

Former President Donald Trump kicked off his Independence Day activities early on Tuesday by resharing a vulgar meme attacking Joe Biden and the people who voted for him.

Mr Trump took to his Truth Social website at roughly 2am to “re-truth” a post by another user consisting of an image containing the words: “81 million votes …. and I’ve never seen a pro Biden hat, shirt or flag in my life.”

The message repeats a common theme among the ex-president’s supporters, who frequently claim that he could not have lost the election because there were fewer open displays of mass support for the man who defeated him during the 2020 campaign.

Read more from Andrew Feinberg in The Independent:

Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

Wednesday 5 July 2023 01:33 , John Bowden

Former president Donald Trump may be coming to regret the statements he has made in the past – with a comment on the indictment of a president “grinding government to a halt” surely coming back to haunt him.

Of course, Mr Trump did not imagine his comments about indicted presidents would apply to him – he made them when speaking in 2016 about his then-rival Hillary Clinton.

“We could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and ultimately a criminal trial,” he told a rally in November 2016. “It would grind government to a halt.”

At another rally, Mr Trump mentioned the email server probe that dogged much of Ms Clinton’s presidential campaign, also suggesting that a potential indictment would wreak havoc in the White House.

Read more:

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

Democrats' new primary calendar remains unresolved. The party insists that's OK

Wednesday 5 July 2023 00:30 , John Bowden

New Hampshire is in open rebellion. Georgia is all but out.

South Carolina and Nevada are on board but face stiff Republican pushback. Michigan’s compliance may mean having to cut the state legislative session short, despite Democrats controlling both chambers and the governor’s mansion.

Then there’s Iowa, which is looking for ways to still go first without violating party rules.

Months after the Democratic Party approved President Joe Biden‘s plan to overhaul its primary order to better reflect a deeply diverse voter base, implementing the revamped order has proven anything but simple. Party officials now expect the process to continue through the end of the year — even as the 2024 presidential race heats up all around it.

“Despite the fact that it looked like relatively smooth sailing for the president when he proposed it ... the kind of backlash you’re hearing, the reactions, are exactly what we would have expected,” said David Redlawsk, chair of the political science department at the University of Delaware and co-author of the book “Why Iowa? How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nominating Process.”

Read more:

Democrats' new primary calendar remains unresolved. The party insists that's OK

Trump returns to campaign rallies, draws thousands to small South Carolina city

Tuesday 4 July 2023 23:33 , John Bowden

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday marked a return to the large-scale rallies of his previous presidential campaigns, speaking to thousands gathered in the streets of a small South Carolina city on a blazing day ahead of the July 4 holiday.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be to kick off the Fourth of July weekend than right here on Main St., with thousands of hardworking South Carolina patriots who believe in God, family and country,” Trump said to a roaring crowd standing on asphalt as temperatures climbed into the 90s.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people had gathered in the streets of downtown Pickens, a small city in South Carolina’s conservative Upstate of around 3,400 residents. Law enforcement officials told some media outlets that around 15,000 people had gathered by 11 a.m., two hours before Trump’s remarks.

The heavily Republican area is a popular one for GOP hopefuls as they aim to attract support for South Carolina’s first-in-the-South presidential primary. In recent months, other candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have all held events in the Upstate, as well as the two South Carolinians in the race: former Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott.

Read more:

Trump returns to campaign rallies, draws thousands to small South Carolina city ahead of July 4

Trump-appointed judge blocks Biden agencies from communicating with social media platforms

Tuesday 4 July 2023 22:28 , John Bowden

The White House has responded after a federal judge blocked key agencies within President Joe Biden’s administration from communicating with social media companies about certain online speech in an extraordinary ruling as part of an ongoing case that could have profound impacts on the First Amendment.

The preliminary injunction granted by Donald Trump-appointed US District Judge Terry A Doughty in Louisiana on 4 July prohibits the FBI and the US Department of Health and Human Services, among others, from speaking with platforms for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

Read the White House’s response in The Independent:

Judge blocks Biden agencies from communicating with social media platforms

'Parental rights' group Moms for Liberty plans nationwide strategy for school board races in 2024

Tuesday 4 July 2023 21:45 , John Bowden

Moms for Liberty, a “parental rights” group that has sought to take over school boards in multiple states, is looking to expand those efforts across the country and to other education posts in 2024 and beyond. The effort is setting up for a clash with teachers unions and others on the left who view the group as a toxic presence in public schools.

The group’s co-founder, Tiffany Justice, said during its annual summit over the weekend in Philadelphia that Moms for Liberty will use its political action committee next year to engage in school board races nationwide. It also will “start endorsing at the state board level and elected superintendents.”

Her comments confirm that Moms for Liberty, which has spent its first two years inflaming school board meetings with aggressive complaints about instruction on systemic racism and gender identity in the classroom, is developing a larger strategy to overhaul education infrastructure across the country.

As the group has amassed widespread conservative support and donor funding, its focus on education ensures that even as voters turn their attention to the 2024 presidential race, school board elections will remain some of the most contentious political fights next year.

Read more:

'Parental rights' group Moms for Liberty plans nationwide strategy for school board races in 2024

Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case denies retaliating against IRS agent who talked to House GOP

Tuesday 4 July 2023 21:15 , John Bowden

The federal prosecutor leading the investigation of President Joe Biden‘s son Hunter is pushing back against claims that he was blocked from pursuing criminal charges in Los Angeles and Washington and denies retaliating against an IRS official who disclosed details about the case.

In a two-page letter to House Republicans on Friday, U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware defended the lengthy investigation into Hunter Biden‘s financial dealings that ended last month with a plea with the Justice Department that likely spares Biden from time behind bars.

Weiss, who was named to that post by President Donald Trump and was kept on by the Biden administration, said in his letter that the department “did not retaliate” against Gary Shapley, an IRS agent who said the prosecutor helped block Shapley’s job promotion after the tax agency employee had reached out to congressional investigators about the Biden case.

Shapley is one of two IRS employees interviewed by Republicans pursuing investigations into nearly every facet of the younger Biden’s business dealings.

One of the investigating committees, the House Ways and Means Committee, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimony from the IRS employees shortly after the plea deal was announced June 20.

Read more:

Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case denies retaliating against IRS agent who talked to House GOP

Mike Pence claims Biden is rehabilitating the Iran nuclear deal

Tuesday 4 July 2023 20:35 , John Bowden

Former Vice President Mike Pence was a surprise guest this weekend at a rally in Paris, France, hosted by Iranian dissidents in support of overthrowing Iran’s regime.

Mr Pence, who’s running in the increasingly-crowded 2024 Republican primary, railed against the authoritarian government in Tehran and what he claimed were efforts by the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran, the US, and several European countries. That deal was abandoned by the Trump administration who accused Tehran of violating the deal “in spirit”.

“Now, a new administration is threatening to unravel all of the progress we made in marinalising the tyrannical regime in Tehran,” Mr Pence claimed.

“They are working overtime to restore the Iran Nuclear Deal, putting Tehran back on the fast track to obtaining nuclear weapons.” The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment on those comments.

Read more:

Mike Pence claims Biden is rehabilitating the Iran nuclear deal

Ex-New York congressman pardoned by Trump is planning to run again in Florida

Tuesday 4 July 2023 19:20 , John Bowden

A former New York congressman who was pardoned by former president Donald Trump is reportedly contemplating a run for the House once again, this time in Florida.

The former representative, Chris Collins, plead guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. He told WGRZ’s Scott Levin that he is planning to run for the seat currently held by Rep Byron Donalds should Mr Donalds vacate it to make a run for higher office.

If Mr Collins were to win election to the House in Florida, he would be the first person to represent two different states in Congress in more than five decades.

Read more:

Ex-New York congressman pardoned by Trump is planning to run again in Florida

Rudy Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about 'shouting match' in fight to overturn election

Tuesday 4 July 2023 18:32 , John Bowden

Federal prosecutors are nearing a decision on whether to charge Donald Trump and his associates with crimes related to their efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and recently interviewd teh former president’s top attorney for that project as their investigation winds down.

Rudy Giuliani spoke to investigators in a voluntary interview in recent weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, and is likely to be among the DoJ’s eventual targets for a criminal indictment if the agency goes forward with a case.

The Independent has more:

Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about ‘shouting match’ in fight to overturn election

Truth Social’s merger partner reaches $18m settlement with SEC

Tuesday 4 July 2023 17:38 , John Bowden

A financial firm linked to Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform has reached an $18m settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to bring an end to the investigation into its merger with the company.

The SEC had been looking into whether DWAC held talks with Truth Social’s parent company before going public, which would be a violation of certain antifraud provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

Oliver O’Connell has the story:

Truth Social’s merger partner reaches $18m settlement with SEC

Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden and ominous 2024 message

Tuesday 4 July 2023 17:01 , John Bowden

Former President Donald Trump kicked off his Independence Day activities early on Tuesday by resharing a vulgar meme attacking Joe Biden and the people who voted for him.

Mr Trump took to his Truth Social website at roughly 2am to “re-truth” a post by another user consisting of an image containing the words: “81 million votes …. and I’ve never seen a pro Biden hat, shirt or flag in my life.”

The message repeats a common theme among the ex-president’s supporters, who frequently claim that he could not have lost the election because there were fewer open displays of mass support for the man who defeated him during the 2020 campaign.

Read morefrom Andrew Feinbergin The Independent:

Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

Tuesday 4 July 2023 15:03 , John Bowden

Former president Donald Trump may be coming to regret the statements he has made in the past – with a comment on the indictment of a president “grinding government to a halt” surely coming back to haunt him.

Of course, Mr Trump did not imagine his comments about indicted presidents would apply to him – he made them when speaking in 2016 about his then-rival Hillary Clinton.

“We could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and ultimately a criminal trial,” he told a rally in November 2016. “It would grind government to a halt.”

At another rally, Mr Trump mentioned the email server probe that dogged much of Ms Clinton’s presidential campaign, also suggesting that a potential indictment would wreak havoc in the White House.

Read more:

Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him

Trump returns to campaign rallies, draws thousands to small South Carolina city ahead of July 4

Tuesday 4 July 2023 14:00 , AP

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday marked a return to the large-scale rallies of his previous presidential campaigns, speaking to thousands gathered in the streets of a small South Carolina city on a blazing day ahead of the July 4 holiday.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be to kick off the Fourth of July weekend than right here on Main St., with thousands of hardworking South Carolina patriots who believe in God, family and country,” Trump said to a roaring crowd standing on asphalt as temperatures climbed into the 90s.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people had gathered in the streets of downtown Pickens, a small city in South Carolina’s conservative Upstate of around 3,400 residents. Law enforcement officials told some media outlets that around 15,000 people had gathered by 11 a.m., two hours before Trump’s remarks.

The heavily Republican area is a popular one for GOP hopefuls as they aim to attract support for South Carolina’s first-in-the-South presidential primary. In recent months, other candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have all held events in the Upstate, as well as the two South Carolinians in the race: former Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott.

Read more:

Trump returns to campaign rallies, draws thousands to small South Carolina city ahead of July 4

Democrats' new primary calendar remains unresolved. The party insists that's OK

Tuesday 4 July 2023 13:00 , AP

New Hampshire is in open rebellion. Georgia is all but out.

South Carolina and Nevada are on board but face stiff Republican pushback. Michigan’s compliance may mean having to cut the state legislative session short, despite Democrats controlling both chambers and the governor’s mansion.

Then there’s Iowa, which is looking for ways to still go first without violating party rules.

Months after the Democratic Party approved President Joe Biden‘s plan to overhaul its primary order to better reflect a deeply diverse voter base, implementing the revamped order has proven anything but simple. Party officials now expect the process to continue through the end of the year — even as the 2024 presidential race heats up all around it.

“Despite the fact that it looked like relatively smooth sailing for the president when he proposed it ... the kind of backlash you’re hearing, the reactions, are exactly what we would have expected,” said David Redlawsk, chair of the political science department at the University of Delaware and co-author of the book “Why Iowa? How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nominating Process.”

Read more:

Democrats' new primary calendar remains unresolved. The party insists that's OK

Truth Social's merger partner reaches $18m settlement with SEC

Tuesday 4 July 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) which has agreed to acquire Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform and take it public has reached a tentative settlement to pay $18m to the SEC.

Digital World Acquisition Corp announced on Monday that it had agreed to pay the penalty and revise some regulatory filings to settle the probe into the planned merger with Truth Social’s parent company Trump Media & Technology Group.

The SEC has been investigating whether merger talks were held between the two parties before the IPO process – against regulation.

The settlement comes days after three investors in the SPAC were indicted for insider trading concerning the deal, making $22m in alleged illegal trades.

Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick were named in a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday (29 June) in Manhattan federal court.

All three were charged with trading in securities of DWAC based on non-public information about the company’s planned business combination with Trump Media & Technology Group.

Harvard sued over ‘legacy admissions’ after Supreme Court targets affirmative action

Tuesday 4 July 2023 12:00 , Alex Woodward

Days after the US Supreme Court struck down race-conscious university admissions, civil rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit targeting so-called “legacy” admissions at Harvard University.

The lawsuit, alleging widespread discrimination at the college in violation of the Civil Rights Act, is the latest challenge to the practice of prioritising university admissions for the children of alumni.

“There’s no birthright to Harvard. As the Supreme Court recently noted, ‘eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.’ There should be no way to identify who your parents are in the college application process,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights, which filed the complaint on 3 July.

“Why are we rewarding children for privileges and advantages accrued by prior generations?” he said in a statement. “Your family’s last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process.”

The group filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network.

Read more:

Harvard sued over ‘legacy admissions’ after Supreme Court targets affirmative action

Senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood warns that Republicans are planning a national abortion ban

Tuesday 4 July 2023 11:00 , Eric Garcia

When a draft of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade leaked in May of last year, US Senator Tina Smith had only three words.

“This is bulls***,” the Minnesota Democrat tweeted. She had similar words when Walgreens announced in March of this year it would not dispense abortion pills in states where abortion remained legal.

Ms Smith told The Independent in a phone interview that she knew the consequences of overturning the enshrined constitutional right to seek an abortion from her time working at Planned Parenthood as the Minnesota branch’s executive vice president for external affairs. She said her time working there taught her about the effects restrictions have on women’s lives.

“The first thing I realized is that for women facing a decision about what to do about an unplanned pregnancy, a pregnancy that they don’t want, this is a purely personal decision for them,” she said. “As a policymaker, why do Republicans in the Senate and in state legislators around the country think that they know better than those women whose stories they’ll never know? Why do they think that they should be the ones who decide? It’s those women’s decisions.”

Read more:

Senator who worked at Planned Parenthood warns of an abortion ban if the GOP wins

Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case denies retaliating against IRS agent who talked to House GOP

Tuesday 4 July 2023 10:00 , AP

The federal prosecutor leading the investigation of President Joe Biden‘s son Hunter is pushing back against claims that he was blocked from pursuing criminal charges in Los Angeles and Washington and denies retaliating against an IRS official who disclosed details about the case.

In a two-page letter to House Republicans on Friday, U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware defended the lengthy investigation into Hunter Biden‘s financial dealings that ended last month with a plea with the Justice Department that likely spares Biden from time behind bars.

Weiss, who was named to that post by President Donald Trump and was kept on by the Biden administration, said in his letter that the department “did not retaliate” against Gary Shapley, an IRS agent who said the prosecutor helped block Shapley’s job promotion after the tax agency employee had reached out to congressional investigators about the Biden case.

Shapley is one of two IRS employees interviewed by Republicans pursuing investigations into nearly every facet of the younger Biden’s business dealings.

One of the investigating committees, the House Ways and Means Committee, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimony from the IRS employees shortly after the plea deal was announced June 20.

Read more:

Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case denies retaliating against IRS agent who talked to House GOP

'Parental rights' group Moms for Liberty plans nationwide strategy for school board races in 2024

Tuesday 4 July 2023 09:00 , AP

Moms for Liberty, a “parental rights” group that has sought to take over school boards in multiple states, is looking to expand those efforts across the country and to other education posts in 2024 and beyond. The effort is setting up for a clash with teachers unions and others on the left who view the group as a toxic presence in public schools.

The group’s co-founder, Tiffany Justice, said during its annual summit over the weekend in Philadelphia that Moms for Liberty will use its political action committee next year to engage in school board races nationwide. It also will “start endorsing at the state board level and elected superintendents.”

Her comments confirm that Moms for Liberty, which has spent its first two years inflaming school board meetings with aggressive complaints about instruction on systemic racism and gender identity in the classroom, is developing a larger strategy to overhaul education infrastructure across the country.

As the group has amassed widespread conservative support and donor funding, its focus on education ensures that even as voters turn their attention to the 2024 presidential race, school board elections will remain some of the most contentious political fights next year.

Read more:

'Parental rights' group Moms for Liberty plans nationwide strategy for school board races in 2024

The 2024 Republican presidential field keeps growing. So why aren't there more women?

Tuesday 4 July 2023 08:00 , AP

As Republicans keep jumping into the 2024 race for president, one demographic group seems notably lacking: women.

More than a dozen candidates are seeking the nomination, including several long shots who announced their bids in recent weeks, in what is the party’s most diverse presidential field ever. Yet Nikki Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, is the only woman among the bunch.

America has never had a female commander in chief and Republicans historically have focused less on electing female candidates in general than the Democratic Party. And while women make up more than 50% of the population, they are underrepresented in public office, whether at city halls, state legislatures or in Washington.

In recent years, multiple organizations have helped women win election in higher numbers and capture races at the same rate as men. But they are still much less likely than men to run for office, even if they are equally qualified, research shows.

Women accounted for roughly 21% of the major party candidates for U.S. Senate last year and about 31% of U.S. House candidates, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. That follows election cycles in which each party had a record number of women elected. Women constitute less than one-third of the U.S. House and Senate and 31% of statewide elected offices, even with a record 12 female governors after last year’s midterms.

Read more:

The 2024 Republican presidential field keeps growing. So why aren't there more women?

For presidents, July Fourth is a day to chill or strut or get an earful of red, white and boo

Tuesday 4 July 2023 07:00 , AP

Through history, the Fourth of July has been a day for some presidents to declare their independence from the public. They’ve bailed to the beach, the mountains, the golf course, the farm, the ranch. In the middle of the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt was sailing to Hawaii on a fishing and working vacation.

It’s also been a day for some presidents to insert themselves front and center in the fabric of it all.

Teddy Roosevelt drew hundreds of thousands for his July Fourth oratory. In 2019, Donald Trump marshaled tanks, bombers and other war machinery for a celebration that typically avoids military muscle.

Richard Nixon enraged the anti-war masses without even showing up. As the anti-Nixon demonstrations of 1970 showed, Independence Day in the capital isn’t always just fun and games. It has a tradition of red, white and boo, too.

In modern times, though, presidents have tended to stand back and let the people party.

Read more:

For presidents, July Fourth is a day to chill or strut or get an earful of red, white and boo

Melania Trump hawks $50 NFTs to ‘celebrate our great nation’ ahead of July 4

Tuesday 4 July 2023 06:00 , Bevan Hurley

Melania Trump is launching a collection of $50 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring US landmarks in time for the 4th of July.

The former first lady’s “1776 Collection” includes images of Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell, set to patriotic-themed music.

Ms Trump’s office said in a statement that each NFT was designed to celebrate the “foundations of American ideals”.

“The 1776 Collection of artwork draws inspiration from several iconic landmarks of our nation, which I had the privilege of visiting during the time I served as first lady,” Ms Trump said.

“I am proud to celebrate our great nation and remain inspired by the words contained within the Declaration of Independence.”

Read more:

Melania Trump hawks $50 NFTs to ‘celebrate our great nation’ ahead of July 4

Pence ‘doesn’t believe’ racial inequality exists in schools as he celebrates SCOTUS affirmative action ban

Tuesday 4 July 2023 05:15 , John Bowden

Mike Pence cheered the end of affirmative action in US colleges and universities on Sunday in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing the practice.

The former vice president discussed the issue on CBS’s Face the Nation and said that the time for policies aimed at improving outcomes for minority students in general had passed. A candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Mr Pence is up against his former boss, Donald Trump, and other conservatives like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

His comments came as activists and authorities in the higher education field vowed to keep fighting to ensure that diversity would remain a core value in student recruiting.

“Fundamentally, do you believe that there are racial inequities in the education system in the United States?” asked host Margaret Brennan.

“I really don’t believe there is [racial inequality in US schools]. I believe there was,” Mr Pence said.

Read more:

Pence ‘doesn’t believe’ racial inequality exists in schools

Michael Cohen says Trump lawyer is like a ‘little lap dog trying to figure out how to get close to Donald’s leg'

Tuesday 4 July 2023 04:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Michael Cohen appeared on MSNBC on Sunday, saying that Trump lawyer Boris Epshteyn is a “moron”.

“Sadly when Boris became a part of the [Trump] campaign... He was like the little lap dog trying to figure out how to get close to Donald’s leg,” he added.

Mike Pence claims Biden is rehabilitating the Iran nuclear deal

Tuesday 4 July 2023 03:45 , John Bowden

Former Vice President Mike Pence was a surprise guest this weekend at a rally in Paris, France, hosted by Iranian dissidents in support of overthrowing Iran’s regime.

Mr Pence, who’s running in the increasingly-crowded 2024 Republican primary, railed against the authoritarian government in Tehran and what he claimed were efforts by the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran, the US, and several European countries. That deal was abandoned by the Trump administration who accused Tehran of violating the deal “in spirit”.

“Now, a new administration is threatening to unravel all of the progress we made in marinalising the tyrannical regime in Tehran,” Mr Pence claimed.

“They are working overtime to restore the Iran Nuclear Deal, putting Tehran back on the fast track to obtaining nuclear weapons.” The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment on those comments.

Read more:

Mike Pence claims Biden is rehabilitating the Iran nuclear deal

Chris Christie says both Trump and Biden are 'past their sell-by dates'

Tuesday 4 July 2023 03:00 , Rachel Sharp

Chris Christie has said that both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are “past their sell-by dates” as he prepares to take on both in the 2024 race.

The former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential candidate had harsh words for both candidates in a The New York Times op ed published on Saturday.

“I think he’s beyond his sell-by date,” Mr Christie said of Mr Biden.

“And I think Trump is, too, by the way.”

Of Mr Biden, he added: “I think his family should let him go home. Are they actually motivated by love for this guy, or is it motivated by the grift?”

Slim majority of Americans support Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling, but most believe politics rules the court

Tuesday 4 July 2023 02:15 , Alex Woodward

More than half of Americans believe US Supreme Court justices decide cases largely on the basis of their partisan political views, a figure that has shot up 10 percentage points from January 2022.

That figure – 53 per cent – appears to be driven by the gulf between perceptions of the conservative supermajority court among Republican and Democratic voters following several controversial rulings at the end of its latest term, according to new polling from ABC News/Ipsos.

Roughly three-quarters of Republican voters and 26 per cent of Democratic voters support the court’s decision to reject affirmative action in university admissions. Sixty-eight per cent of Republicans approve of the decision to allow businesses to deny services to same-sex couples. And 71 per cent of Republicans support the court’s ruling against President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts, compared to just 17 per cent of Democrats.

Overall, a bare majority of Americans (52 per cent) support the court’s decision against race-conscious admissions in higher education.

That majority includes majorities among white (60 per cent) and Asian (58 per cent) Americans, while 52 per cent of Black Americans disapprove of the ruling.

Read more:

Most Americans believe Supreme Court justices rule by politics, poll finds

Impeachment lawyer says Trump ‘likely exposed himself to criminal liability’ after calls to Georgia and Arizona leaders

Tuesday 4 July 2023 01:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Norm Eisen, a former US ambassador to the Czech Republic and a co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, has said that Mr Trump likely made himself criminally liable for pressuring both Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the 2020 election.

Chris Christie reacts to ‘control freak’ Trump’s classified documents comments: ‘He’s scared’

Tuesday 4 July 2023 00:45 , Bevan Hurley

Chris Christie has stepped up his verbal attacks on Donald Trump as the former president faces fresh scrutiny over his handling of classified documents.

The former New Jersey governor told the New York Times that Mr Trump was likely to become increasingly erratic as he tried to avoid being sent to prison.

“He’s scared,” Mr Christie told the Times.

“Look, a guy like him, the last place you ever want to be in life is in jail because you give up all control, and he’s a complete control freak.”

Mr Christie spoke out after the ex-president was heard in a leaked tape bragging that he had kept documents about a military strike on Iran after leaving office that he knew were classified.

Read more:

Chris Christie reacts to Trump’s classified documents comments: ‘He’s scared’

Despite promises, attorneys are scarce as the US resumes speedy asylum screenings at border

Monday 3 July 2023 18:15 , AP

As the Biden administration prepared to launch speedy asylum screenings at Border Patrol holding facilities this spring , authorities pledged a key difference from a Trump-era version of the policy: Migrants would be guaranteed access to legal counsel.

Nearly three months and thousands of screenings later, the promise of attorney access appears largely unfulfilled, based on advocacy group reports and interviews with people directly involved, some of whom spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the effort publicly.

A coterie of involved attorneys estimate that perhaps 100 migrants have secured formal representation, and only hundreds more have received informal advice through one-time phone calls ahead of the expedited screenings.

Jones Day, one of the world’s largest law firms, has partnered with the administration to provide free legal advice to migrants. Its phone bank handled 460 informal phone consultations, each one typically lasting about two hours, as of June 21, according to one of the people who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Jones Day itself had only two formal clients, the person said.

Four other advocacy groups that offer free advice and whose names are posted on the immigration court system’s website have handled far fewer phone consultations, partly because they started much later, the person said.

Read more:

Despite promises, attorneys are scarce as the US resumes speedy asylum screenings at border