Trump news – live: Trump trolls Rihanna’s Super Bowl show and dubs DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron’
Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Rihanna over her highly-applauded Super Bowl half-time show at Sunday night’s Super Bowl.
The former president took to his Truth Social platform to fume: “EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history.
“This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language. Also, so much for her ‘Stylist!’”
The rant came after a 2020 image of the music icon spray painting “F*** Trump” on a car resurfaced ahead of the show.
Beyond Rihanna, Mr Trump also reportedly has a new harsh nickname for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – widely seen as his main 2024 rival – with the former president calling him “Meatball Ron” behind closed doors, reported The New York Times.
While he continues to attack others, Mr Trump is once again in hot water after it emerged a new classified briefing folder was located at Mar-a-Lago and turned over to the Justice Department.
The empty manilla folder marked “Classified Evening Summary” was found in the one-term president’s bedroom, Mr Trump’s attorney Timothy Parlatore told CNN.
Key points
Trump trolls Rihanna’s Super Bowl show
Classified folder from Mar-a-Lago to DOJ
Trump’s attorney offers bizarre explanation for classified folder
Former president brands Ron DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron'
Trump to testify in E Jean Carroll defamation case
Special counsel probes ramp up with former NSA chief and Mike Pence subpoenaed
Trump legal team hands over more classified material found at Mar-a-Lago
21:30 , John Bowden
Donald Trump’s attorneys have turned over a new batch of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago to federal prosecutors, according to reports.
An empty folder marked “classified evening briefing,” and a document marked classified were located at the former president’s Florida resort in December, sources told CNN.
A laptop belonging to a current aide of Mr Trump’s was also handed over to the Justice Department, reports stated.
Read the full story here:
Trump legal team hands over more classified material found at Mar-a-Lago
VOICES – Murdoch and Musk’s Super Bowl confab gives the game away
20:28 , John Bowden
Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch were spotted sitting together and chatting at the Super Bowl.
This shouldn’t be that surprising. Murdoch is the owner of Fox and Musk is the owner of Twitter; they’re both in the media industry. And, of course, they’re both obscenely rich. Even after his disastrous tenure at Twitter, Musk is estimated to be the second richest person in the world, with a net worth of around $146 billion. Murdoch has around $19 billion, which makes him the 31st wealthiest person on earth.
The sighting was newsworthy, though, because the two men have different branding. Murdoch mostly stays out of the spotlight; he’s a typical staid businessman who sits behind the scenes and rakes in cash.
Murdoch and Musk’s Super Bowl confab gives the game away
Donald Trump denies coming up with ‘Meatball Ron’ nickname for DeSantis
19:57 , John Bowden
Donald Trump is denying ownership of the latest un-savoury nickname for the man shaping up to be his biggest rival in the Republican party.
After The New York Times reported that Mr Trump has taken to calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “Meatball Ron”, the ex-president released a statement on his Truth Social platform denying the story.
Rachel Sharp has the story:
Donald Trump denies coming up with ‘Meatball Ron’ nickname for DeSantis
Chuck Schumer says GOP-led proposals to ban TikTok should be ‘looked at’
18:45 , John Bowden
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said that a ban on TikTok in the United States “should be looked at” as tensions with China escalate.
The Beijing-based company Bytedance owns the popular social media app. Former president Donald Trump explored the idea of banning TikTok and Republicans like Senator Josh Hawley have supported doing so.
“It's something that should be looked at,” Mr Schumer said in an interview with ABC News. “We do know there's Chinese ownership of the company that owns TikTok.”
Mr Schumer said some members of the Senate Commerce Committee were exploring the idea.
Eric Garcia has more:
Chuck Schumer says GOP-led proposals to ban TikTok should be ‘looked at’
Voices: On Rihanna at the Superbowl, Donald Trump may have finally gone too far
18:15 , John Bowden
“Just imagine, for a moment, how this global fame, infamy and influence could be used for good. He could ask folk to donate a little money to the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, having taken the lead with a substantial donation of his own. He could encourage people to take the Covid vaccines, and reject the dangerous anti-science conspiracy theories embraced by so many of his disciples. He could back Ukraine’s right to defend itself,” writes Sean O’Grady for The Independent.
“But he’s decided to have a go at Rihanna instead. Nothing speaks more loudly to Trump’s essential childishness and triviality than his social media rants, and especially this latest lash out. Still marooned on his personal channel Truth Social, for commercial reasons, the not very statesmanlike former president told the world: “EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history.”
Read on in The Independent’s Voices:
On Rihanna, Donald Trump may have finally gone too far | Sean O’Grady
Donald Trump’s latest unsavoury nickname for Ron DeSantis revealed: ‘Meatball Ron’
17:28 , John Bowden
Donald Trump’s latest un-savoury nickname for the man shaping up to be his biggest rival in the Republican party has come to light.
Mr Trump has now taken to calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “Meatball Ron”, according to a new report from The New York Times.
The former president, who does not appear to have called Mr DeSantis the derogatory name in public, is said to be taking aim at him behind closed doors in an “apparent dig” at the governor’s appearance.
Read more about Mr Trump’s efforts to head off a potential 2024 fight with the Florida governor:
Donald Trump’s latest unsavoury nickname for Ron DeSantis revealed
Kellyanne Conway says Biden’s age won’t be an issue in 2024 campaign
16:45 , John Bowden
A former senior aide to the second-oldest man to serve as president of the United States says the age of the oldest man to serve as president won’t be an issue in next year’s election.
Kellyanne Conway, who served as Counselor to the President under former president Donald Trump from 2017 to 2020, said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday that Mr Biden’s age isn’t something voters will have problems with in 2024, when Mr Trump — who announced his candidacy for president in November — hopes to challenge Mr Biden for a second term in the White House.
It’s an interesting statement that could preempt attacks from her former boss on an issue that the right fixated on in 2020.
Read more:
Kellyanne Conway says Biden’s age won’t be an issue in 2024 campaign
Judge orders partial release of Georgia grand jury report on Trump election schemes
16:07 , John Bowden
A Georgia judge has ordered the partial release of a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury report on efforts by former president Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in the Peach State.
The members of the special purpose grand jury had asked the Fulton County Superior Court to allow the release of their full work product, which was commissioned at the request of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
But Judge Robert McBurney on Monday ordered that parts of the report remain sealed, including a list of individuals against whom the special purpose grand jury recommended indictments.
Andrew Feinberg has more:
Judge orders partial release of Georgia grand jury report on Trump election schemes
Trump legal team hands over more classified material found at Mar-a-Lago
14:55 , John Bowden
Donald Trump’s attorneys have turned over a new batch of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago to federal prosecutors, according to reports.
An empty folder marked “classified evening briefing,” and a document marked classified were located at the former president’s Florida resort in December, sources told CNN.
A laptop belonging to a current aide of Mr Trump’s was also handed over to the Justice Department, reports stated.
Read the full story here:
Trump legal team hands over more classified material found at Mar-a-Lago
ICYMI: FBI finds document with classified markings at Pence home
14:00 , Rachel Sharp
Special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered one document bearing classification markings during a search of the Carmel, Indiana, home of former vice president Mike Pence on Friday, a spokesperson for Mr Pence has said.
In a statement, Pence adviser and spokesperson Devin O’Malley said the Department of Justice “completed a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours” at Mr Pence’s home.
Mr O’Malley said agents took possession of “one document with classified markings and six additional pages without such markings that were not discovered in the initial review by the vice president’s counsel”.
Read more here:
FBI finds document with classified markings at Pence home
What we know about E Jean Carroll’s rape allegations against Donald Trump
13:41 , Rachel Sharp
Having claimed that Donald Trump raped her in a New York department store in the late 1990s, E Jean Carroll has spent years trying to sue Donald Trump for defamation after he publicly accused her of lying about the alleged incident.
However, Mr Trump’s most recent attempt to delay Ms Carroll’s defamation lawsuit failed, meaning he had to sit for a deposition on 19 October, 2022 and answer questions under oath.
Roberta Kaplan, Ms Carroll’s attorney, said in a statement: “We are pleased that Judge Kaplan agreed with our position not to stay discovery in this case.”
Here’s what you need to know about the case:
What we know about E Jean Carroll’s rape allegations against Donald Trump
Trump still silent on Facebook and Instagram
13:20 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump is still silent on his Facebook and Instagram accounts – despite being welcomed back to the platforms last week.
Meta restored the former president’s accounts last Thursday after he was banned more than two years ago for his actions on January 6 2021, when his supporters staged a violent insurrection on the US Capitol.
The social media giant announced in January that the one-term president would have his suspension lifted “in the coming weeks” with Sir Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister who is now Meta’s president for global affairs, saying the decision was made after assessing “whether the serious risk to public safety that existed in January 2021” had “sufficiently receded”.
As of around 7am ET on Monday, Mr Trump was yet to make a return to the accounts – with the last posts on the page still being his final posts on January 6 2021.
Nancy Mace mocks Trump and George Santos for respective lies
13:00 , Rachel Sharp
It may be a bit awkward for Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace at the next House GOP get-together.
That’s because the South Carolina representative took several opportunities at Wednesday night’s Washington Press Club dinner to skewer her own fellow conservatives during a short comedy routine that had attendees guffawing.
Perhaps her top lines of the night were two not-so-subtle digs at Donald Trump, who endorsed against her in the 2022 midterm season only to see Ms Mace triumphantly coast to reelection.
The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:
Nancy Mace mocks George Santos and Trump for lying about volleyball and 2020
What we know about Chinese spy balloons that flew over US during Trump administration
12:40 , Rachel Sharp
A recovery operation is underway after a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on 4 February.
President Joe Biden’s administration and senior military officials revealed that similar crafts had flown above the US in previous years, including at least three times during former president Donald Trump’s administration, as part of what national security officials have described as a years-long Chinese global surveillance programme.
”It is something that they’ve been working on for many years, and that they have tried to improve … in terms of capability, range [and] communication,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in a phone briefing on 6 February.
At least three similar balloons were above the US at some points during the Trump administration, which began in January 2017 and ended in January 2021, according to the White House and military officials.
Mr Kirby said that those balloons were likely in the US for shorter periods of time compared to the recent balloon incident.
Here’s what we know about the spy balloons during the Trump administration:
What we know about Chinese spy balloons that flew over US during Trump administration
Trump’s ex-national security adviser subpoenaed in special counsel probes
12:20 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s former national security adviser has been subpoenaed in special counsel probes investigating the former president, according to reports – which came just hours after it emerged a subpoena had been served to former vice president Mike Pence.
Robert O’Brien, who served as national security advisor from 2019 to 2021 under the Trump administration, was served a subpoena by special counsel Jack Smith in both his investigation into the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago and the probe into Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN that Mr O’Brien has so far been asserting executive privilege in declining to provide some of the information that prosecutors are asking of him.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Trump’s ex-national security adviser subpoenaed in special counsel probes
Trump’s attorney offers bizarre explanation for why a folder with classified markings was found in the former president’s bedroom.
12:00 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s attorney has offered a bizarre explanation for why a folder with classified markings was found in the former president’s bedroom.
Timothy Parlatore told CNN that Mr Trump was using the manilla folder to block a pesky light on his nightstand which was getting in the way of him getting his 40 winks.
“He has one of those landline telephones next to his bed and it has a blue light on it and it keeps him up at night,” he claimed.
“So he took the manilla folder and put it over so it would keep the light down so he could sleep at night.”
Mr Parlatore described the saga as “one of the more humorous aspects of this whole thing” and insisted that the folder was empty.
“When DOJ found out about it they went crazy. They gave me a subpoena to say ‘give us over this empty folder that means nothing.’ Everything we have done as part of the search has been in the spirit of full cooperation and compliance,” he said, adding: “Now the president has to find a different way to keep the blue light out of his eyes.”
Trump to testify in E Jean Carroll defamation case
11:40 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump is slated to defend himself during testimony he will give in the defamation case brought against him by author E Jean Carroll.
New court filings show that both Ms Carroll and Mr Trump will be called for testimony when the trial begins on 25 April.
Mr Trump’s lawyers also apparently plan to call CNN‘s Anderson Cooper as a witness.
Read the full story:
Trump to testify in E Jean Carroll defamation case
VOICES: Donald Trump doesn’t have proper conservative values
11:31 , Rachel Sharp
“As an American and as a millennial, I have never wanted to associate myself with a party that supports Trump.
“But in America, we still get separated into two outdated labels: either you’re a conservative Republican or a liberal-minded Democrat.
“So, where does this leave me?”
Hope Howard writes for The Independent:
Donald Trump doesn’t have proper conservative values
Trump’s latest un-savoury nickname for rival
11:25 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s latest un-savoury nickname for the man shaping up to be his biggest rival in the Republican party has been revealed.
Mr Trump has now taken to calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “Meatball Ron”, according to a new report from The New York Times.
The former president does not appear to have called Mr DeSantis the derogatory name in public but is said to be referring to him as such behind closed doors in an “apparent dig” at the governor’s appearance.
Another takedown Mr Trump is said to be testing out is “Shutdown Ron” – this one in reference to the Covid-19 restrictions Mr DeSantis rolled out in Florida at the start of the pandemic.
Mr Trump’s strategy for attacking his political rivals has for a long time resorted to childish and offensive namecalling.
Most recently he has sought to brand Mr DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” as the Florida governor appears to be a firm favourite in GOP circles to take on the former president in 2024.
While Mr Trump has confirmed his intentions to run, Mr DeSantis is yet to announce his bid.
Trump was subpoenaed for folder with classification markings
11:20 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s latest batch of documents turned over to the US Justice Department came after another subpoena was issued for the material, according to a new report.
The Guardian reported on Saturday that Mr Trump’s handover of a laptop as well as an empty folder marked “classified evening briefing” and one document marked classified occurred after at least one of the items, the folder, was observed by an FBI source in the former president’s private residence.
That would likely mean the materials were not secured in the same fashion that others taken from a storage area and Mr Trump’s private office were held; if so, it could potentially mean that prosecutors looking into whether Mr Trump or others mishandled classified materials have more ammunition to use.
Read the full story here:
Trump was subpoenaed for folder with classification markings before turning it over
Trump legal team hands over more classified material found at Mar-a-Lago
11:14 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s attorneys have turned over a new batch of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago to federal prosecutors, according to reports.
An empty folder marked “classified evening briefing,” and a document marked classified were located at the former president’s Florida resort in December, sources told CNN.
A laptop belonging to a current aide of Mr Trump’s was also handed over to the Justice Department, reports stated.
Read the full story here:
Trump legal team hands over more classified material found at Mar-a-Lago
Trump attacks pregnant Rihanna in bizarre rant about Super Bowl show
11:08 , Rachel Sharp
Former president Donald Trump lashed out at pop superstar Rihanna after her widely acclaimed halftime performance at the 2023 Super Bowl.
Mr Trump posted on Truth Social: “EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history.”
He continued: “This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language.”
In a final attack, he wrote: “Also, so much for her ‘Stylist!’”
The “foul and insulting language” Mr Trump refers to is likely a reference to a photo taken in August 2020 in which Rihanna posed in front of a piece of art that featured a car with the words “F*** Trump” painted on it.
The Independent’s Oliver O’Connell has the story:
Trump attacks pregnant Rihanna in bizarre rant about Super Bowl halftime show
Follow all the latest updates from Trumpworld
11:06 , Rachel Sharp
