Trump news – live: New accuser says Trump groped her at Melania interview as court hears Access Hollywood tape

Former People magazine journalist Natasha Stoynoff gave evidence in the New York civil trial hearing accusations that former president Donald Trump sexually assaulted writer E Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s.

Ms Stoynoff told the court Mr Trump had forcibly kissed her in 2005 when she was at his home to interview his wife Melania. She alleged that the then-businessman and future president had taken her aside into a separate room before trying to kiss her.

“I hear the door shut behind me, by the time I turn around he has his hands on my shoulder, pushing me up against the wall and he starts kissing me,” she told the jury.

The court was also shown the notorious 2005 Access Hollywood tape which recorded Mr Trump boasting to presenter Billy Bush on a hot mic about sexually assaulting women.

Earlier it was revealed that Mr Trump’s lawyers will not present a defence case at the E Jean Carroll trial.

Mr Trump’s expert witness won’t be testifying in the proceedings, Ms Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said in court, meaning that the former president has no witnesses on his side.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump appeared on GB News in an interview with Nigel Farage, in which he hit out at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for being “disrespectful” to the late Queen Elizabeth.

Key points

• Second Trump accuser shares harrowing experience from Mar-a-Lago

• Judge says trial is on course to end 'shortly after lunch tomorrow’

• ‘It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story. It’s just made up,’ Trump says in recorded deposition

• Trump claims he could ‘end the Ukraine war in one day'

• Trump goes after Fox for Dominion settlement ‘insult’ to election deniers

Law & Order parallel plot lines

05:00 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

Seeking to undermine Ms Carroll’s allegations, Mr Tacopina questioned her about a 2012 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on the third day of testimony on Monday 1 May.

Titled Theatre Tricks, the episode’s plotline depicts a male character who fantasises about bursting in on a woman trying on lingerie in a dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store, the jury was told.

Mr Tacopina showed the jury a 2019 email sent to Ms Carroll by her friend Grace Brophy weeks after she went public with the allegations in New York magazine.

Ms Brophy warned the writer that “Trumpsters will use this against you”.

Ms Carroll replied to her friend that she hadn’t seen the episode, but was only surprised that “this sort of plot is not seen more often”.

Ms Carroll testified that she was a “big fan” of Law & Order, but didn’t like the SVU spinoff as it was too violent.

Asked by Mr Tacopina why she wasn’t surprised at the similarities, she told the court that the crime drama was “very good at keying into the psyche of their viewers”.

“That was amazing to me,” she said when she learned about the episode.

Mr Tacopina appeared incredulous, and asked if she meant it was an “amazing coincidence”.

“Astonishing,” she shot back.

Questioned later by her attorney Mr Ferrara, Ms Carroll said she had never seen the episode or heard about it prior to 2019.

“Are you making up your accusation based on what happened in a popular TV show?” he asked.

“No,” she replied.

Trump lawyers will not present a defence case at E Jean Carroll trial

04:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump’s lawyers will not present a defence case at the E Jean Carroll trial.

Mr Trump’s expert witness won’t be testifying in the proceedings, Ms Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said in court, meaning that the former president has no witnesses on his side.

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina later confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the defence team would not put forward a case, according to Law & Crime.

Mr Tacopina went on to mention the Carroll legal team including the “Billy Bush tape” in their case.

“We all know what you’re talking about,” Judge Lewis Kaplan said, referring to the Access Hollywood tape released during the 2016 campaign in which Mr Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women.

Read more:

Trump lawyers will not present a defence case at E Jean Carroll trial

‘Wave of slime’

04:00 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

Under questioning from her attorney Mr Ferrara on Thursday 27 April, Ms Carroll told how she would be inundated with a “wave of slime” every time Mr Trump commented or posted about her allegations.

“It’s very hard to get up in the morning and receive those messages, that you are way too ugly to go on living.”

Ms Carroll said she had “peeked” at Twitter prior to coming to court on that morning, and was met with a familiar stream of abusive and threatening messages.

“There it was again, the onslaught,” she said. “It’s not a great way to start the day.”

Ms Carroll added: “I like attention, there is no question. I don’t like attention because I’m suing Donald Trump, getting attention for being raped is hard.”

The court was given a sample of the vulgar messages sent to Ms Carroll by supporters of the former president.

After the allegations were first made in a book excerpt in New York magazine in June 2019, Mr Trump angrily denied it in an official White House statement.

Mr Trump repeated the denials days later in Oval Office interview with The Hill, saying: “Number one, she’s not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?”

Ms Carroll testified that “not my type”, had meant she was “too ugly” to be sexually assaulted.

Ms Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump alleging he had damaged her reputation, substantially harmed her professionally, and caused emotional pain.

She filed a second suit for battery and defamation after Mr Trump posted defamatory statements in October 2022 where he called her a “complete con job”.

Ms Carroll said fear of reprisals from Mr Trump was a significant factor in remaining silent over so many years.

“I was afraid that Donald Trump would retaliate, which is exactly what he did,” she said. “My biggest fears came absolutely true.”

E Jean Carroll suffered panic attack watching The Apprentice and now sleeps with loaded gun, trial hears

03:30 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll suffered a panic attack that left her unable to talk the first time she watched The Apprentice, a jury in Donald Trump’s civil rape and defamation trial was told on Wednesday.

Dr Leslie Lebowitz, a clinical psychologist hired by Ms Carroll’s legal team, testified that the former Elle columnist had gone to pitch a new TV show with a friend at an unnamed network when an executive showed them a clip from the Trump-hosted reality series.

“She became so flooded with memories, with a sense of panic, that she lost her capacity to speak,” Dr Lebowitz said. “The person she was with had to pitch the show.”

Dr Lebowitz was asked about Ms Carroll not being afraid in New York, to which the psychological expert said it’s because she feels comfortable and safe in the city.

But she added that in her cabin away from the city, she “sleeps with a loaded gun” because of worries about her security following her stepping forward with her allegation against Mr Trump, according to Law & Crime.

Read more:

E Jean Carroll suffered panic attack after watching The Apprentice for the first time

MeToo and Harvey Weinstein

03:00 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

Ms Carroll told the court that when she began work on her memoir, she hadn’t intended to write about the alleged assault by Mr Trump.

Seeking inspiration, she took a “feminist road trip” across the United States in 2017 seeking to answer the question: “What do we need men for?”

Around the same time, sexual assault allegations against the disgraced filmmaker Harvey Weinstein became public during the initial wave of the MeToo movement.

She decided she couldn’t remain silent any longer.

“I was not a pioneer, I am a follower,” she said during cross-examination on Thursday 27 April.

“I saw other women coming forward after Harvey Weinstein and I thought, ‘who am I to stay silent’. Also I was 78 or 79, I had been silent for too long.”

In her book What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal, Ms Carroll also alleged she had been sexually assaulted by the disgraced former CBS CEO and president Les Moonves.

In a heated exchange with Mr Tacopina, Ms Carroll said that she had not sued Mr Moonves for defamation because he had simply denied the claim.

“He didn’t call me names, he didn’t grind my face into the mud like Donald Trump did.”

Biden physically incapable of attending coronation, Trump suggests

02:30 , Liam James

Joe Biden is not physically up to the job, according to his predecessor Donald Trump, as he accused the US president of being “disrespectful” for not attending the King’s coronation.

Mr Trump, who was defeated by Mr Biden in the US presidential election in 2020, told GB News: “I don’t think he can do it physically, actually.

“I think that it’s hard for him to do it physically ... getting over here for him.

“He’s got a lot of things going and a lot of strange things happen. But certainly he should be here as a representative of our country.

“I was surprised when I heard that he wasn’t coming.” He added: “I think it’s very disrespectful for him not to be (at the coronation).”

In a clip aired before the interview, he suggested Mr Biden, whose wife is attending on his behalf, would be “sleeping” through Saturday’s coronation ceremony.

Six memorable moments from E Jean Carroll’s testimony: George Conway

02:00 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

Ms Carroll was questioned in court how she had come to the decision to sue Mr Trump.

She testified that she had been asked in interviews by several journalists whether she was planning to pursue legal action against the then-president.

The idea had “crystalised” during a conversation with George Conway, the constitutional legal expert, at a party at author Molly Jong-Fast’s home in 2019, she said.

The event, attended by Kathy Griffin, former Hillary Clinton aide Philippe Reines and broadcaster Soledad O’Brien, was described in the New York Times as “Resistance Twitter come to life”.

Mr Trump’s attorneys have attempted to portray Ms Carroll as being motivated by a staunch anti-Trump political ideology.

Asked about the meeting for a second time under cross-examination, Ms Carroll said that Mr Conway had talked her through the differences between a civil and criminal trial.

He had also recommended famed civil rights attorney Roberta Kaplan to her as legal counsel. She testified that two days after the party, she retained Ms Kaplan.

Mr Conway, who is divorcing Mr Trump’s former senior White House counsel Kellyanne Conway, emerged as one of the former president’s leading critics during his term in office.

He also had a major hand in the impeachment of another former president, Bill Clinton.

In 2018, Mr Conway told Yahoo News how he helped bring the Monica Lewinsky scandal to light after being outraged at the Democratic president’s sexual misconduct while in office in the 1990s.

He wrote anonymous legal briefs for the attorneys of Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee who accused Mr Clinton of sexual harassment, which contributed to his impeachment for “high crimes and misdemeanours” in 1998.

Transgender athletes ‘very unfair’, says Trump

01:30 , Liam James

Nigel Farage asked what Donald Trump considered a woman and whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in competitive sport.

Mr Trump replied: “When I see men participating in women’s sports and records being broken... I think it’s very unfair. I think it’s very disrespectful to women.

“We will not allow men to compete in women’s sports. It’s so unfair. It’s totally disrespectful... I think it’s a very bad thing.”

Incapable of finding love

01:00 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

Ms Carroll described how she had led a dual existence since the alleged 1996 rape.

There was her public persona, as a confident, successful Ask E Jean advice columnist, author and television presenter.

And then there was the private E Jean who “can’t admit out loud that there has been any suffering”, she said during testimony.

She had publicly brushed off the 1996 encounter with Mr Trump as not having caused her any lasting damage.

Ms Carroll would write in her 2019 memoir that she suffered “very little” from the alleged assault. She explained in court that was her “invincible” public self, never wanting to admit weakness.

If she ever received a message from a reader who had been sexually assaulted, Ms Carroll said she would always advise them to go to the police and see a therapist.

But she admitted she had not taken her own advice on board, and the alleged sexual assault had caused her to privately suffer waves of crippling anxiety attacks and left her incapable of forming relationships, she said.

She testified that she has not had a romantic partner since the alleged assault.

Sturgeon doesn’t love Scotland, says Trump

Thursday 4 May 2023 00:30 , Liam James

Donald Trump said he did not think that former Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon loved her country.

Asked by Nigel Farage on GB News about Ms Sturgeon’s handling of the Isla Bryson case, the transgender woman who was convicted of raping two women before her transition from a man, the former US president said: “I think a lot of countries have had enough of it, what’s going on.

“I know that case, and I thought it was terrible, and I guess it helped ruin her career.

“I think she had other reasons also, but I just felt she didn’t love Scotland.”

The former White House incumbent denied he was “anti-Muslim” following comments he had previously made about London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Trump rape case explained: How a chance department store meeting led to a court case decades later

Thursday 4 May 2023 00:00 , Andrew Feinberg

Decades after she was allegedly raped by a New York real estate mogul who would go on to be the 45th President of the United States, E Jean Carroll is getting her day in court.

Ms Carroll, a writer and former advice columnist for Elle magazine, is the plaintiff in a pair of civil lawsuits against former president Donald Trump.

One of those lawsuits is now being presented in a New York City federal courtroom under the supervision of US District Judge Lewis Kaplan. The proceedings began on 25 April.

The jurors in the trial will remain anonymous on Judge Kaplan’s orders due to the risk of threats, intimidation or outright violence against anyone seen as an enemy by Mr Trump and his supporters as they hear evidence of allegations made by Ms Carroll against the twice-impeached and indicted ex-president.

Ms Carroll has claimed that Mr Trump raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s.

Read more:

Trump on trial: What to know about the E Jean Carroll rape case

Second Trump accuser shares harrowing experience from Mar-a-Lago

Wednesday 3 May 2023 23:38 , Josh Marcus

A journalist wept as she told a jury how she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Donald Trump while on assignment to cover the former president’s first wedding anniversary at Mar-a-Lago in 2005.

Natasha Stoynoff took the witness stand at Mr Trump’s civil rape and defamation trial on Wednesday to support writer E Jean Carroll, who alleges she was raped by Mr Trump at department store Bergdorf Goodman in 1996.

The former People writer told the jury that Mr Trump asked to show her a room at his Palm Beach club in between conducting interviews for the magazine with him and his wife Melania, who was pregnant with their son Barron at the time.

“I hear the door shut behind me, by the time I turn around he has his hands on my shoulder, pushing me up against the wall and he starts kissing me,” she said.

Bevan Hurley reports the latest from New York.

Second accuser says Trump sexually assaulted her on his first wedding anniversary

Boris Johnson went ‘far-left’ in office, says Trump

Wednesday 3 May 2023 23:30 , Liam James

Donald Trump said Boris Johnson “changed a lot in office”, suggesting policies under the former prime minister’s Conservative administration were “far-left”.

The former US president told GB News the Tories “really weren’t staying Conservative.”

“They were going - I mean they were literally going far-left,” he continued.

“It never made sense. I’m saying this as an insider looking in, they were going far-left. What were they doing?

“And now maybe Labour’s in the lead, maybe they’re not. I don’t know who’s in the lead.

“But I can tell you they were not Conservative policies in the end.”

Former ‘People’ writer describes alleged Trump attack during Melania assignment

Wednesday 3 May 2023 23:02 , Josh Marcus

The E Jean Carroll rape trial against Donald Trump has involved other accusers coming forward, including Jessica Leeds, who described a horrifying alleged encounter with the businessman on a flight to New York in the 1970s.

Trump accuser speaks to The Independent after describing alleged sex attack in court

On Wednesday, former People magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff described another alleged assault at the hands of Donald Trump.

In 2005, she told the jury, she was sent to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to write an article about the billionaire’s first wedding anniversary with Melania Trump.

While on assignment, Mr Trump allegedly attacked her while Melania was changing in a nearby room.

“I followed him and we went in through these back doors and down the hall and turned right into a room,” Ms Stoynoff testified, per ABC News. “I’m looking around, I’m thinking, ‘Wow, really nice room,’ wondering what he wants to show me, and I hear the door shut behind me.”

“By the time I turn around, he has my hands on my shoulders and he pushes me against the wall and he starts kissing me,” she continued, describing how she attempted to shove Mr Trump away.

The writer said the attack left her speechless, feeling “ashamed and humiliated at what had happened,” only deciding to publicly describe the experience in 2016 after the the “Access Hollywood” tape went public.

Who is E Jean Carroll? The writer and TV host taking on Donald Trump

Wednesday 3 May 2023 23:00 , Bevan Hurley

E Jean Carroll has been a trailblazing figure in New York’s journalism, entertainment and literary scenes for decades.

Born in Detroit and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the one-time Miss Indiana University beauty queen began pitching her ideas to magazines at the age of 12.

After graduating from college, she got her breakthrough by landing her first published article in Esquire, a “witty literary quiz she concocted” about Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald.

From there, writing assignments at Rolling Stone and Playboy began to “trickle in”, she told Indianapolis Monthly in 1996.

While living in Montana with her first husband Steve Byers and their dog, she came to New York City in 1983 to interview Fran Leibowitz for a cover article in Outside magazine.

Read more:

E Jean Carroll: The author and TV talkshow host who took on Donald Trump

Audio captures Trump demanding NBC reporter be kicked off plane for asking about hush money probe

Wednesday 3 May 2023 22:30 , John Bowden

Former President Donald Trump grew angry with a correspondent for NBC News this spring and ordered that they be kicked off his plane for asking about his ongoing hush money probe.

The incident reportedly occurred on 25 March, according to Vanity Fair, and resulted from repeated questions from NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard about the case that was at that time nearing an official indictment. The ex-president would go on to be charged with 32 criminal counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush money scheme.

According to audio obtained by Vanity Fair, Hillyard questioned Mr Trump during a gaggle aboard “Trump Force One” as it sat on the ground in Waco, Texas, following the president’s rally there on 25 March. After suggestions that he was growing frustrated or anxious about the probe, Mr Trump grew visibly incensed and ordered Hillyard to stop asking questions.

“We did nothing wrong...This is fake news, and NBC is one of the worst. Don’t ask me any more questions,” Mr Trump said.

But Hillyard returned to the questions about 10 minutes later into the informal gaggle, according to Vanity Fair, which drew the ex-president’s anger.

Read more:

Audio captures Trump demanding NBC reporter be kicked off plane

What are the allegations in E Jean Carroll’s rape case against Donald Trump?

Wednesday 3 May 2023 22:00 , Bevan Hurley

The encounter, as recalled by E Jean Carroll, was friendly at first.

Ms Carroll, then a magazine feature writer and TV host, bumped into Donald Trump in the upmarket New York department store Bergdorf Goodman.

As Ms Carroll wrote in her 2019 memoir What Do We Need Men For?, he recognised her as “that advice lady”. She knew him as “that real-estate tycoon”.

Mr Trump supposedly told her that he was there to buy a gift for “a girl”, and asked for help to choose an appropriate item.

She placed the incident in either late 1995 or early 1996, when the future president was married to Marla Maples.

Read more:

What are the allegations at the centre of E Jean Carroll’s rape case against Trump?

Judge says trial is on course to end 'shortly after lunch tomorrow’

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:49 , Gustaf Kilander

‘It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story. It’s just made up,’ Trump says in recorded deposition

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:49 , Gustaf Kilander

The recorded deposition of Mr Trump was played in the courtroom on Wednesday afternoon.

In the footage, the former president struggled to remember when he was married to his second wife, Marla Maples, according to Law & Crime.

Mr Trump said he went to the Berghof Goodman department store “very rarely”.

“I went there very seldom, almost, if ever,” he said.

Growing angry, Mr Trump rejected the notion that he raped Ms Carroll on “a major floor of a major store.”

“It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story. It’s just made up,” he said.

Trump claims he could ‘end the Ukraine war in one day'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:45 , Liam James

Donald Trump said he would be able to put a stop to the war in Ukraine in a single day if he were re-elected to the White House.

Speaking to Nigel Farage on GB News in an interview recorded during his visit to Scotland, Mr Trump said: “If I were president, I will end that war in one day. It’ll take 24 hours. I will get that ended. It would be easy.

“That deal would be easy. A lot of it has to do with the money. That war has to be stopped. It is a disaster.”

Mr Trump said he “got along great” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, adding: “Putin never would have gotten into Ukraine if it weren’t for the incompetence of this administration, this current administration.

“Putin was not going in, it was never mentioned and I knew him very well.”

Trump repeats claim China invented Covid-19

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:30 , Liam James

Former US president and businessman Donald Trump repeated his claim that China was behind the emergence of coronavirus, calling it a “gift” from Beijing.

During an interview with GB News, he said: “It came out of Wuhan, I said that right from the beginning, from day one I said that.

“And I had reasons to say it, but it came out of Wuhan. But the question is, did they do it on purpose or not?

“I think it was incompetence. They blew it and they’re suffering. Then they had it. They did hide it. Yeah, they tried to hide it.”

Mr Trump said the Chinese government should pay reparations for the alleged so-called virus leak, but added that they can “never pay” the full damage international economies and populations had suffered.

‘I just felt very upset that he was lying to the American people'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:27 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Stoynoff said she was “sick to my stomach” when she saw the Access Hollywood tape.

Then she thought: “Oh, he does this to a lot of women. It’s not just me. It’s not something I did.”

Becoming tearful, she added: “I worried that because I didn’t say anything at the time that other women were hurt by him,” according to Law & Crime.

Regarding Mr Trump calling the tape “locker room talk” during a debate in 2016, she said, “I just felt very upset that he was lying to the American people”.

Trump goes after Fox for Dominion settlement ‘insult’ to election deniers

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:25 , John Bowden

Donald Trump fumed at Fox News on Wednesday in his first public comments discussing the Dominion Voting Systems settlement with a reporter.

The ex-president was speaking with British broadcaster and onetime politician Nigel Farage in an interview when the two broached the subject, typically a topic that conservative newscasters shy away from when speaking to the former president.

As he lambasted the network for the “insult” of reaching a settlement with Dominion, the ex-president complained that Rupert Murdoch was “wrong” to believe that he could not successfully defend the conspiratorial nonsense that the Trump campaign was spreading in 2020 (and which Mr Trump continues to push) in court.

“The election was rigged, and Rupert Murdoch should have talked about it,” Mr Trump insisted.

“But Rupert Murdoch doesn’t believe he can win a court case on that,” his interviewer responded.

Read more:

Trump goes after Fox for Dominion settlement ‘insult’ to election deniers

‘I did not want to cause trouble for the magazine'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Stoynoff told the court that she didn’t tell anyone at People magazine about the alleged assault by Mr Trump.

“I was worried that they would kill the story,” she said, according to Law & Crime.

She added that she was concerned about Mr Trump retaliating.

“I did not want to cause trouble for the magazine,” she said.

She noted that she’s a polite Canadian and that Mr Trump’s alleged assault changed how she condfucts interviews.

“Maybe being so smiling and nice brought that on,” she said she thought previously, adding that she knows now it wasn’t her fault.

Ms Stoynoff said she’s apolitical, having voted for Democrats in the US and conservatives in Canada.

But she acknowledged that she may have tweeted about Mr Trump and that she could have called him the “enemy of the people”.

Trump shies away from saying he’d win in 2024

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:15 , Liam James

The ordinarily boastful Donald Trump said he has only “a very good chance” of winning in 2024.

He was asked about his prospects in the next US presidential election in an interview with Nigel Farage for GB News.

The former president, who plans to run against Joe Biden once more, said: “I think we have a very good chance.”

He went on: “The economy’s not good, I’ll make it good. Everyone knows that.”

Donald Trump claims transgender issue helped ‘ruin’ career of Nicola Sturgeon

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Stoynoff recounts 2005 Mar-a-Lago incident

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:49 , Gustaf Kilander

Natasha Stoynoff became emotional as she testified in the E Jean Carroll civil rape trial about Mr Trump’s alleged sexual assault of her at Mar-a-Lago in late 2005.

“He starts kissing me, and he’s against me,” she said, her voice quaking, according to Law & Crime.

“No words came out of me. I tried,” she added.

When asked if she screamed, Ms Stoynoff said no. She added that the incident was interrupted when a butler entered the room.

“Don’t forget what Marla said. Best sex she ever had,” Ms Stoynoff said Mr Trump told her afterwards.

Trump calls King Charles a ‘wonderful guy’ in Farage interview

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:45 , Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll’s sister says they would ‘never’ speak about romantic issues

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:43 , Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll’s sister Cande Carroll said on the stand on Wednesday afternoon that they would “never” speak about romantic issues.

She said they were “not particularly” close but that they “shared a room,” according to Law & Crime.

Cande Carroll said they became closer when they grew older, but she later added that she became aware of Mr Trump’s alleged assault on her sister only when she went public with the story in the excerpt from the book What Do We Need Men For? in 2019.

But she said she wasn’t surprised she wasn’t told beforehand, because they didn’t talk about issues like that.

The sister said Ms Carroll sent her family a link to the story in an email.

Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime tweeted: “The significance of this testimony is, E. Jean Carroll told the jury that she grew up in the ‘silent generation’ in the shadow of World War II in Indiana. This, her attorneys argue, explains why she kept her story to herself for decades. Her sister backs this up.”

E Jean Carroll suffered panic attack watching The Apprentice and now sleeps with loaded gun, trial hears

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:37 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll suffered a panic attack that left her unable to talk the first time she watched The Apprentice, a jury in Donald Trump’s civil rape and defamation trial was told on Wednesday.

Dr Leslie Lebowitz, a clinical psychologist hired by Ms Carroll’s legal team, testified that the former Elle columnist had gone to pitch a new TV show with a friend at an unnamed network when an executive showed them a clip from the Trump-hosted reality series.

“She became so flooded with memories, with a sense of panic, that she lost her capacity to speak,” Dr Lebowitz said. “The person she was with had to pitch the show.”

Dr Lebowitz was asked about Ms Carroll not being afraid in New York, to which the psychological expert said it’s because she feels comfortable and safe in the city.

But she added that in her cabin away from the city, she “sleeps with a loaded gun” because of worries about her security following her stepping forward with her allegation against Mr Trump, according to Law & Crime.

Read more:

E Jean Carroll suffered panic attack after watching The Apprentice for the first time

Next witness in E Jean Carroll trial: Natasha Stoynoff

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:35 , Gustaf Kilander

People magazine sent correspondent Natasha Stoynoff to Mar-a-Lago in late 2005 to write a wedding anniversary story about Donald Trump, who had then recently married Melania Knauss.

Almost two decades later, her experience of the future president allegedly “forcing his tongue” down her throat could prove essential testimony in the E Jean Carroll civil rape trial that began on 25 April in a federal court in New York City.

Ms Stoynoff took the stand at the Manhattan courthouse on 3 May.

Before joining People magazine, Ms Stoynoff was a reporter and photographer at The Toronto Star, a columnist at The Toronto Sun, and a freelancer for Time Magazine. She then worked for People magazine for almost 20 years. She now lives in New York, where she writes books and screenplays, according to her bio on Goodreads.

The Trump legal team failed to stop the inclusion of Ms Stoynoff’s testimony in the trial.

Read more:

Who is Natasha Stoynoff? The journalist whose testimony could bring down Trump

Donald Trump ‘surprised’ Prince Harry invited to coronation

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:30 , Liam James

Donald Trump gave his opinion on Prince Harry’s relationship with the other royals.

Speaking to Nigel Farage about the coming coronation of King Charles, Mr Trump said: “I was actually surprised that Harry was invited.”

He went on: “He said some terrible things ... and the book [‘Spare’] was just horrible.”

Trump lawyers will not present a defence case at E Jean Carroll trial

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump’s lawyers will not present a defence case at the E Jean Carroll trial.

Mr Trump’s expert witness won’t be testifying in the proceedings, Ms Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said in court, meaning that the former president has no witnesses on his side.

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina later confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the defence team would not put forward a case, according to Law & Crime.

Mr Tacopina went on to mention the Carroll legal team including the “Billy Bush tape” in their case.

“We all know what you’re talking about,” Judge Lewis Kaplan said, referring to the Access Hollywood tape released during the 2016 campaign in which Mr Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women.

Read more:

Trump lawyers will not present a defence case at E Jean Carroll trial

Trump blasts Biden for not attending coronation: ‘Disrespectful’

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:15 , Gustaf Kilander

In an interview with GB News, Donald Trump said that President Joe Biden can’t physically make the trip to the UK as he accused Mr Biden of being “disrespectful” for not going to the coronation of King Charles.

“I don’t think he can do it physically, actually,” Mr Trump said. “I think that it’s hard for him to do it.”

“He’s got a lot of things going and a lot of strange things happen. But certainly, he should be here as a representative of our country,” Mr Trump told Nigel Farage about the coronation on Saturday. “I was surprised when I heard that he wasn’t coming.”

“I think it’s very disrespectful for him not to be” at the coronation, he said, according to PA newswire.

Mr Trump suggested that Mr Biden would be “sleeping” through the proceedings on 6 May.

First Lady Jill Biden will attend the coronation.

Former FBI agent arrested for Jan 6 involvement, accused of calling police Nazis and encouraging mob

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Former FBI agent Jared L Wise was arrested on Monday (1 May) and charged with four misdemeanors related to his alleged attendance and participation in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Federal prosecutors say Mr Wise, a former FBI special agent and bureau supervisor, illegally entered the Capitol building and called police officers “Nazis” while encouraging the mob to “kill ‘em” on 6 January 2021.

According to an affidavit filed in Washington DC District Court, Mr Wise, 51, can be seen on Capitol CCTV footage entering the building, walking around then exiting the building through a window.

The former FBI agent can also be seen and heard on Metropolitan Police Department body-worn cameras, yelling at police officers, “You’re disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo.”

Later, Mr Wise is seen encouraging rioters after they knocked police over, according to law enforcement. Mr Wise allegedly yelled, “Yeah, f*** them! Yeah, kill ’em!”

Read more:

Former FBI agent arrested for Jan 6 involvement accused of calling police Nazis

E Jean Carroll suffered panic attack after watching The Apprentice for the first time, jury hears

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:39 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll suffered a panic attack that left her unable to talk the first time she watched The Apprentice, a jury in Donald Trump’s civil rape and defamation trial was told on Wednesday.

Dr Leslie Lebowitz, a clinical psychologist hired by Ms Carroll’s legal team, testified that the former Elle columnist had gone to pitch a new TV show with a friend at an unnamed network when an executive showed them a clip from the Trump-hosted reality series.

“She became so flooded with memories, with a sense of panic, that she lost her capacity to speak,” Dr Lebowitz said. “The person she was with had to pitch the show.”

Ms Carroll had previously testified she was a “big fan” of The Apprentice, but didn’t enjoy watching the conclusion where Mr Trump fired contestants.

Read more:

E Jean Carroll suffered panic attack after watching The Apprentice for the first time

Trump lawyers will not present a defence case at E Jean Carroll trial

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump’s expert witness won’t be testifying in the trial, Ms Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said on Wednesday afternoon, meaning that the former president has no witnesses on his side.

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina later confirmed that the defence would not out forward a case.

‘Sure, some people scream. It’s a good idea'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump tells evangelical channel the Bible is ‘even better’ than his own book

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:30 , John Bowden

Donald Trump is clearly attempting to shore up his support among evangelicals as he pushes into the 2024 campaign season.

The president was speaking on 24 April with the Victory Channel’s Gene Bailey at Mar-a-Lago. During the interview, he spoke about his own Christian upbringing, and claimed that he regularly attended Sunday school.

He also joked that the Bible blew his own book — a coffee table book of pictures released after he left the White House — “out of the water”, a comment that drew praise from Bailey.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” the right-wing host said reassuringly.

Read more:

Trump tells evangelical channel the Bible is ‘even better’ than his own book

Carroll ‘lost her capacity to speak’ amid panic attack from watching The Apprentice

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:03 , Bevan Hurley

E Jean Carroll suffered a panic attack that left her unable to talk the first time she watched an episode of The Apprentice, a jury in Donald Trump’s civil rape and defamation trial was told on Wednesday.

Dr Leslie Lebowitz, a psychologist hired by Ms Carroll’s legal team, testified that the former Elle columnist had gone to a TV network to pitch a new show with a friend when they were shown a clip from the reality series hosted by Mr Trump.

“She became so flooded with memories, with a sense of panic, that she lost her capacity to speak,” Dr Lebowitz said.

Ms Carroll had previously testified she was a “big fan” of The Apprentice.

“I had never seen such a witty competition on television,” Ms Carroll said under cross-examination on Monday, adding that she had written a glowing Facebook post about The Apprentice because she wanted to “boost” two friends who were appearing on it.

Judge ‘testy’, rebuking both sides

Wednesday 3 May 2023 17:47 , Gustaf Kilander

Lebowitz says Carroll is ‘exuberant’ when asked about Apprentice ‘fandom'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 17:27 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Seigel asked Dr Lebowitz if Ms Carroll told her “that she said on social media that she’s a ‘massive’ fan of” The Apprentice.

“No, but that’s not inconsistent. She’s exuberant,” Dr Lebowitz said, according to Law & Crime.

The Trump lawyer then asked about the expert saying that Mr Carroll doesn’t have PTSD.

“If you’re asking me if E. Jean Carroll meets full criteria of a major mental illness, the answer is no,” she said.

Expert asked about pay and test used in Depp v Heard 2022 trial

Wednesday 3 May 2023 16:57 , Gustaf Kilander

A lawyer for Mr Trump, Chad Seigel, asked Dr Lebowitz to share her pay for her expertise.

She said it’s $600 an hour.

Expert witnesses tend to be compensated, and that pay isn’t unusual, Law & Crime noted.

Mr Seigel then turned to the issue of “malingering” or lying.

He referenced a test known as the MMPI.

Dr Lebowitz said she doesn’t use this method.

It’s the same test that the expert hired by Johnny Depp used to attempt to discredit Amber Heard in the defamation trial between the former couple last year.

‘I think she’s an extremely resilient person'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 16:23 , Gustaf Kilander

When asked if everyone responds to trauma the same way, Dr Lebowitz said, “absolutely not”.

Speaking about Ms Carroll not using the words “rape victim,” the psychological expert said, “Carroll, like most of us, doesn’t want to be a victim, doesn’t want to be pitied”.

Dr Lebowitz said that Ms Carroll more than others, want to be perceived as someone giving advice to others.

“Stiff upper lip – Take an action, and put it behind you,” Dr Lebowitz said, according to Law & Crime.

“I think that if you ask her what she believes is true – she would say ‘no, I don’t think a woman’” should be held responsible for being raped, Dr Lebowitz said.

But her feelings on the issue may be different.

“That’s how humans work,” she said.

“I think she’s an extremely resilient person,” she said about Ms Carroll.

Speaking about Ms Carroll kept going to the Berghof Goodman where the alleged rape took place, Dr Lebowitz said, “She didn’t feel that Bergdorf Goodman raped her. She didn’t blame the store. She blamed herself.”

The psychological expert went on to say that Ms Carroll watched The Apprentice, which was hosted by Mr Trump, because she didn’t want her professional life to be affected.

“To not watch The Apprentice in her social and professional circle at the time would stand out,” she said

Psychological expert says it’s ‘unbelievably common for people to feel it is their fault'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:52 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Carroll’s counsel asked Dr Lebowitz: “Ms Carroll thought she had died but was still alive. Can you understand?”

“This is common among survivors of rape,” the expert said, according to Inner City Press.

“What does the phrase self-blaming mean?” the attorney asked.

“In sexual assault, it is unbelievably common for people to feel it is their fault. One reason is that the experience of being raped is one of losing control. So self-blaming reclaims control,” Dr Lebowitz said.

The lawyer asked about the negative impacts on Ms Carroll.

“Diminishment in her ability to feel good about herself, and lack of intimate romantic life which has led to deep feelings of loss. She blamed herself, she felt she had been stupid,” Dr Lebowitz responded.

‘Intrusive memories are like flags that are planted where unresolved and traumatic memories lie'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:36 , Gustaf Kilander

Dr Lebowitz said that “people with trauma tend to hyper-attend to certain elements, and ignore other ones”.

She added that people may also have detailed recollections of what happened at the start of an incident, but that they may forget how they exited the situation, according to Law & Crime.

Speaking about memories detailing the time and place of traumatic incident fading over time, Dr Lebowitz said that “those kind of details are context. They’re the other things. Our brain doesn’t hold on to things that at the time didn’t seem important”.

She said the brain holds onto things that appear to be “salient” or “life-threatening”.

“Intrusive memories are like flags that are planted where unresolved and traumatic memories lie,” she said. “You don’t choose to think about it – it just enters.”

Asked about triggers for intrusive memories, Dr Lebowitz said, “I think most of us would assume that there’s some sort of a trigger, but one does not always know what it is”.

Dr Lebowitz mentioned the example of a combat veteran having a panic attack but not knowing what the trigger may have been.

A veteran of the Vietnam War may pass a Vietnamese restaurant and the smell of the food may serve as the trigger, but they may not be aware of it, she said.

Trump lawyers confirm he will not testify at civil rape trial after second woman accuses him of assault

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:30 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump’s attorneys have confirmed he will not testify at the E Jean Carroll civil rape and defamation trial.

At the conclusion of the fifth day of the trial in New York on Tuesday, Judge Lewis Kaplan asked the former president’s legal team for confirmation about his possible appearance as a defence witness.

“So Mr Trump will not be coming?” Judge Kaplan asked, according to Law & Crime.

“That’s right, your honour,” his lawyer Joe Tacopina replied.

Mr Trump’s no-show had been widely anticipated after he had claimed in pre-trial arguments that he didn’t want to place “logistical burdens” on New York through street closures and security lockdowns.

Read more:

Trump lawyers confirm he will not testify at E Jean Carroll civil rape trial

Dr Lebowitz says Carroll showed symptoms of PTSD

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:20 , Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll’s psychological expert Dr Leslie Lebowitz returned to the stand on Wednesday.

Roberta Kaplan, an attorney for Ms Carroll, noted that Dr Lebowitz’s testimony yesterday ended on the issue of PTSD.

Dr Lebowitz said that a “high level of harm” is required for such a diagnosis.

“You’re talking about a pretty severe mental illness, which is often chronic,” she said, according to Law & Crime.

While Dr Lebowitz said she didn’t diagnose Ms Carroll with PTSD, she said that she has symptoms connected to it, but that she didn’t fulfil all the requirements.

“What happens to a person’s brain when they experience trauma?” counsel asked.

“When your brain is flooded with stress hormones, our normal functioning is altered,” Dr Lebowitz said, adding that Ms Carroll testifying about adrenaline going through her body is consistent with that.

She added that the brain being affected by stress hormones can take over other usual reactions.

“They don’t scream, even if they’re being raped” in a fitting room, Dr Lebowitz said, Law & Crime reported.

E Jean Carroll case could go to jury early next week

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:12 , Gustaf Kilander

Audio captures Trump demanding NBC reporter be kicked off plane for asking about hush money probe

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:05 , John Bowden

Former President Donald Trump grew angry with a correspondent for NBC News this spring and ordered that they be kicked off his plane for asking about his ongoing hush money probe.

The incident reportedly occurred on 25 March, according to Vanity Fair, and resulted from repeated questions from NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard about the case that was at that time nearing an official indictment. The ex-president would go on to be charged with 32 criminal counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush money scheme.

According to audio obtained by Vanity Fair, Hillyard questioned Mr Trump during a gaggle aboard “Trump Force One” as it sat on the ground in Waco, Texas, following the president’s rally there on 25 March. After suggestions that he was growing frustrated or anxious about the probe, Mr Trump grew visibly incensed and ordered Hillyard to stop asking questions.

“We did nothing wrong...This is fake news, and NBC is one of the worst. Don’t ask me any more questions,” Mr Trump said.

But Hillyard returned to the questions about 10 minutes later into the informal gaggle, according to Vanity Fair, which drew the ex-president’s anger.

Read more:

Audio captures Trump demanding NBC reporter be kicked off plane

Donald Trump due to visit his golf resort in Ireland

Wednesday 3 May 2023 15:00 , Rob Freeman

Former US president Donald Trump is expected to follow President Joe Biden, his successor at the White House, by visiting Ireland on Wednesday.

Preparations were underway and security increased on Tuesday at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel just outside the town of Doonbeg in Co Clare, although staff remained tight-lipped about the proposed visit.

He last visited the 400-acre resort, which he bought in 2014, while president in 2019.

Mr Trump, accompanied by his son Eric, has spent the last two days in Scotland, breaking ground on a new golf course at his Menie Estate near Aberdeen before playing a round at his Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire.

During his time in Scotland, he gave an interview with Nigel Farage which will be broadcast on GB News at 7pm GMT on Wednesday.

Read more:

Donald Trump due to visit his golf resort in Ireland

How to watch Donald Trump’s interview with Nigel Farage

Wednesday 3 May 2023 14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump is currently visiting Scotland and has granted the only interview of his trip to former Ukip and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.

The one-on-one exchange will air live on GB News at 7pm on Wednesday evening as part of Mr Farage’s regular programme and will be viewable on the channel, its website and via the broadcaster’s YouTube channel.

Mr Trump, who is planning to run again for the US presidency in 2024, has recently been dogged by legal entanglements relating to his business practices, apparent attempts to interfere in 2020 vote counting in Georgia and a historic allegation of sexual assault.

Stepping away momentarily to visit his golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire before jetting down to Ireland, Mr Trump will be reunited with his fellow right-wing populist, whom he can be seen greeting in a brief trailer tweeted out by the channel.

In the clip, he tells his entourage: “Everyone know Nigel? We’re doing a little minor interview tomorrow.”

Read more:

How to watch Donald Trump’s interview with Nigel Farage

E Jean Carroll arrives at courthouse as sister set to testify

Wednesday 3 May 2023 14:26 , Gustaf Kilander

CNN under fire for hosting Trump town hall: ‘A little odious’

Wednesday 3 May 2023 14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

CNN has come under fire following its announcement that the network will host a town hall with former president Donald Trump.

Mr Trump has slammed CNN as “fake news” for years, but he’s now set to appear on the network on 10 May in New Hampshire.

“The former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate will take questions from [anchor Kaitlan] Collins and a live audience of New Hampshire Republican and undeclared voters who say they intend to vote in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary,” CNN said in a statement on Monday.

The announcement was quickly criticised by several media figures.

“The transparent attempt to goose their ratings does feel at least a little odious. But all the more reason that they need to get this right,” the head of the watchdog Media Matters for America, Angelo Carusone, said, according to The Guardian.

Popular Information newsletter author Judd Legum tweeted: “First, CNN systematically purged anyone on the network who was deemed too anti-Trump. Now this.”

“Ratings-starved CNN is doing a Trump town hall next week. I can’t remember the last time Trump did anything with a network he often derides as ‘fake news.’ The way it’s handled will be very telling,” journalist Aaron Rupar added.

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann slammed Chris Licht, who became the CNN chief executive Chris Licht in 2022.

“I think we can say Chris Licht’s conversion of CNN into a political and journalistic whorehouse is complete,” he tweeted.

What happened yesterday in E Jean Carroll civil rape trial?

Wednesday 3 May 2023 13:40 , Rachel Sharp

A woman who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her on a plane in the late 1970s told a Manhattan jury that it felt like the former president had “40 zillion hands”.

Jessica Leeds, 81, testified on Tuesday on behalf of writer E Jean Carroll in her civil rape and defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump.

Ms Leeds recalled she had been moved from the economy cabin to an aisle seat in first class on the flight to New York’s LaGuardia Airport in about 1979.

Mr Trump had introduced himself, and they engaged in small talk, before having a meal, she said.

Read the rest of the story here:

Trump accuser tells court it felt like ex-president had ‘40 zillion hands’

WATCH: Trump accuser Jessica Leeds hopes to ‘never’ testify again after E Jean Carroll trial

Wednesday 3 May 2023 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

Can Biden win again? Here's how past incumbents fared

Wednesday 3 May 2023 13:00 , AP

No president wants to give up the power and prestige that comes with the office after only one term, and Joe Biden is no exception. He’s pushing forward even though polls show a majority of Americans don’t want to see him run again.

We went back to look at when modern presidents announced their decisions to seek a second term, what their Gallup approval ratings were at the time and how things turned out for them.

One theme: Primary battles are a sign of whether a president will win reelection. That’s good news for Biden, who appears to have avoided any significant challengers.

Read more:

Can Biden win again? Here's how past incumbents fared

Trump to be interviewed by Nigel Farage today

Wednesday 3 May 2023 12:40 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is currently visiting Scotland and has granted the only interview of his trip to former UKIP and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.

The one-on-one exchange will air live on GB News at 7pm on Wednesday evening as part of Mr Farage’s regular programme and will be viewable on the channel, its website and via the broadcaster’s YouTube presence.

Mr Trump, who is planning to run again for the US presidency in 2024, has recently been dogged by legal entanglements relating to his business practices, apparent attempts to interfere in 2020 vote counting in Georgia and a historic allegation of sexual assault.

Stepping away momentarily to visit his golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire before jetting down to Ireland, Mr Trump will be reunited with his fellow right-wing populist, whom he can be seen greeting in a brief trailer tweeted out by the channel in which he rather unhelpfully undersells the event by telling his entourage: “Everyone know Nigel? We’re doing a little minor interview tomorrow.”

Speaking to the GB News website, Mr Farage said: “We’ll talk about the President’s view on the state of Scotland; the Royal Family ahead of the Coronation; his personal legal issues in the United States; his take on British politics, especially on Rishi Sunak’s leadership so far, and of course his future political plans.”

He continued: “I first met Mr Trump in 2014 and became firm friends in 2016 when I joined him on his successful presidential campaign trail.”

“The political elite underestimated him back then, so we’ll discuss how he plans to win back the White House.”

Audio captures Trump demanding NBC reporter be kicked off plane

Wednesday 3 May 2023 12:20 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump was caught on camera demanding that an NBC reporter be kicked off a plane after he asked about the hush money case.

The incident unfolded on 25 March as the former president was flying back from a campaign rally in Waco, Texas.

Audio, obtained by The Washington Post, reveals NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard suggesting that Mr Trump was “frustrated” with the Manhattan DA’s probe.

Mr Trump grew irate demanding that the reporter must not ask “any more questions” and saying that he is “not a nice guy”.

“I’m not frustrated by anything,” he insists.

“What am I, frustrated? I just did a speech for two hours. I’m not frustrated by it. It’s a fake investigation. We did nothing wrong. I told you that. … It’s the exact opposite. This is fake news, and NBC is one of the worst at it. Don’t ask me any more questions,” he said.

He adds: “I heard you’re a nice guy from NBC, but you’re not.”

Sometime later, the journalist tries to ask another question, to which Mr Trump responds: “I don’t want to talk to you. You’re not a nice guy.”

As the journalist continued, Mr Trump is said to have grabbed the reporter’s phones and thrown them before telling his team to “get him out of here”.

“Let’s go, get him out of here. Out of here. Out of here,” he says.

Dominion appears to claim credit for Fox News firing Tucker Carlson

Wednesday 3 May 2023 12:00 , Graeme Massie

Dominion Voting Systems executives have taken credit for Fox News firing Tucker Carlson and say they want all of the messages revealed in their $787.5m defamation lawsuit to be made public.

The right-wing host exited the channel just days after Rupert Murdoch agreed to the massive settlement over claims that personalities on his channel had promoted Donald Trump’s election lies even though they knew them to be false.

As part of discovery in the case, Dominion’s lawyers found text messages in which Fox News hosts seemingly acknowledged that Mr Trump’s fraud claims were false, but gave them airtime anyway.

“Dominion did not insist on them firing Tucker Carlson as part of the settlement,” said the company’s lawyer Stephen Shackelford told Axios.

“But the very fact that that’s what resulted out of all of this, and it’s traceable from the work that Dominion set in motion ... of course I know what’s in the redacted stuff and I can’t say anything about it.”

Read more:

Dominion appears to claim credit for Fox News firing Tucker Carlson

WATCH: Trump poses for photographers to get perfect shot as he plays golf in Scotland

Wednesday 3 May 2023 11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Biden invites House and Senate leaders to White House as debt limit crisis looms

Wednesday 3 May 2023 11:00 , Andrew Feinberg and John Bowden

President Joe Biden will convene a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to discuss how best to stave of a catastrophic default on America’s sovereign debt by raising the government’s statutory debt limit.

The White House said Mr Biden invited Mr McCarthy and Mr McConnell — the top Republicans in the House and Senate — to the meeting in separate phone calls to each GOP leader on Monday.

The meeting, which is set to take place on 9 May, was announced by the White House just hours after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to House and Senate leaders warning that the US could suffer an unprecedented default on its’ debt as soon as 1 June.

Ms Yellen urged Congress “to protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as possible” to raise the statutory debt limit, which was first enacted more than a century ago to make it easier for the government to issue bonds without needing specific congressional authorisations each time it does so.

Read more:

Biden invites House and Senate leaders to White House as debt limit crisis looms

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: Harry Truman

Wednesday 3 May 2023 10:00 , AP

HARRY TRUMAN

He was vice president when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in 1945, near the end of World War II. Truman decided to run for a full term of his own, and he announced his candidacy on March 8, 1948. He had an approval rating of 53% in a poll conducted two months earlier. Truman was expected to lose the general election to Thomas Dewey, a Republican, but he pulled off a narrow victory.

Truman announced on March 29, 1952, that he would not seek a second full term after losing in the New Hampshire primary to Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee. His approval rating had sunk to 22% amid economic trouble and the Korean War.

Trump PAC complaint against DeSantis rejected in Florida

Wednesday 3 May 2023 09:00 , AP

A Florida ethics board has dismissed a complaint that allies of former President Donald Trump filed against Republican rival Gov. Ron DeSantis, finding no legal basis for allegations that the governor violated campaign finance laws with a “shadow” run for the White House.

The Florida Commission on Ethics rejected the complaint in an order filed last week.

The Trump-supporting super PAC MAGA Inc. filed the complaint against DeSantis in March and asked the commission to investigate the governor for allegedly leveraging his office to enrich his national profile.

The ethics panel, which is appointed by DeSantis and the leaders of the state House and Senate, who are both allies of the governor, found no legal basis for the complaint’s allegations.

Read more:

Trump PAC complaint against DeSantis rejected in Florida

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: Dwight Eisenhower

Wednesday 3 May 2023 08:00 , AP

DWIGHT EISENHOWER

Eisenhower, a Republican, had an approval rating of 75% shortly before he announced his reelection campaign on Feb. 29, 1956. He had suffered a heart attack months earlier at age 64, leading to questions over whether he would run.

As the former supreme allied commander during World War II, Eisenhower convinced Americans that he was the right leader on the world stage. He defeated Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson.

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: LBJ

Wednesday 3 May 2023 07:00 , AP

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

Johnson was vice president at the time of Kennedy’s death, and he swiftly ran for his first full term in 1964, winning a landslide victory over Republican Barry Goldwater. However, the Democrat’s popularity slipped badly over the Vietnam War and domestic turmoil.

It became clear that Johnson was at risk of losing his party’s nomination in 1968 after Eugene McCarthy’s strong showing in the New Hampshire primary. Soon after, Johnson shocked the country by announcing on March 31, 1968, that he would not seek a second term. His approval rating was only 36% that month.

CNN slammed for Trump town hall

Wednesday 3 May 2023 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

CNN has been slammed for holding a town hall with Donald Trump on 10 May.

“CNN is doing a town hall with indicted Donald Trump on May 10, because they’ve learned absolutely nothing. No one should watch this trash,” journalist Scott Dworkin said. “This is absolutely ludicrous. There is no reason to give the biggest pathological liar in politics a platform to spread his bullshit. Trump doesn’t belong on television. He belongs in prison.”

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan said “they’re giving a live primetime platform to an indicted insurrection-inciter, who also incited violence against their network. I was asked multiple times on my recent book tour whether the US media had learned lessons from 2016 and 2020. Clearly some in our media have not.”

“Listen. Our media is absolutely addicted to Donald Trump and the ratings and money his chaos creates,” wrote Jared Yates Sexton. “This is a broken system, through and through, and we have to stop expecting these corporations to value democracy or people’s lives over their own bottom line.”

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: Nixon and Ford

Wednesday 3 May 2023 05:00 , AP

RICHARD NIXON

Nixon had an approval rating of 50% when he announced his reelection campaign on Jan. 7, 1972. The Watergate break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters occurred that summer, but the scandal didn’t gain enough momentum to drag him down.

Nixon, a Republican, defeated George McGovern, a Democrat, in a landslide. However, he would not finish his second term, resigning in 1974 after revelations about Watergate caught up with him.

GERALD FORD

Ford, a Republican, became president when Nixon stepped down, and he announced that he would run for a full term of his own on July 8, 1975. He had a 52% approval rating the month before.

He faced discontent over inflation and controversy from his decision to pardon Nixon, and he lost the election to Jimmy Carter, a Democrat.

‘She’s not a victim. She doesn’t want anybody’s pity'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 04:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Birnbach said Ms Carroll’s 2019 book also included other sexual assault allegations, which she said she had never heard about before.

She said she wasn’t surprised that Ms Carroll didn’t tell her about those allegations because Ms Carroll is “a very up person”.

“She’s not a victim. She doesn’t want anybody’s pity,” she said, according to Law & Crime. “Instead of wallowing, she puts on lipstick, dusts herself off and moves on.”

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: Carter and Reagan

Wednesday 3 May 2023 04:00 , AP

JIMMY CARTER

Carter announced his reelection campaign on Dec. 4, 1979. His approval rating had just hit 51%. However, the American people had grown weary of inflation, an energy crisis and a hostage crisis in Iran. Carter was wounded by a primary challenge from Sen. Ted Kennedy, and he was ultimately defeated by Ronald Reagan, a Republican.

RONALD REAGAN

Reagan announced his reelection bid on Jan. 29, 1984. His approval rating was 52% that month. Despite concerns about his age — he was 73 and the oldest president in history at the time — Reagan handily defeated Walter Mondale, a Democrat.

Carroll’s friend became target of ‘pretty awful, antisemitic messages'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 03:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Birnbach said that she thought the book Ms Carroll was writing in 2017 was a “travelogue”.

She added that she became aware that it included Ms Carroll’s thoughts on her life when Ms Carroll sent the excerpt which included the alleged rape by Mr Trump in 2019, according to Law & Crime.

Ms Birnbach said Ms Carroll told her that fact-checkers from the magazine publishing the excerpt would contact her.

She added that Ms Carroll’s book said she called a friend after the incident, but Ms Birnbach’s name wasn’t mentioned. Ms Birnbach remembered telling Ms Carroll that she was brave and that the piece was good.

Ms Birnbach said she requested to stay out of the book to avoid the rage of Trump supporters.

She added that she agreed to be named by The New York Times as she thought Ms Carroll’s version of events would be stronger if she agreed to be identified.

Ms Birnbach said she then received “pretty awful, antisemitic messages” on Twitter from supporters of Mr Trump.

“The book made me a bit uncomfortable, and I never said it to her,” she said.

She noted that there was a stark contrast between Ms Carroll’s “hair-raising” experiences and the “breezy” writing style.

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: HW Bush and Clinton

Wednesday 3 May 2023 03:00 , AP

GEORGE H.W. BUSH

Bush’s popularity skyrocketed after the Gulf War, when U.S. forces pushed Iraq out of Kuwait. However, his approval rating had subsided to 65% by the time he announced his reelection campaign on Oct. 11, 1991.

Pat Buchanan challenged Bush in the Republican primary. Although Bush won the nomination, his shot at a second term dimmed amid an economic downturn. He ultimately lost to Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

BILL CLINTON

Clinton’s approval rating was 47% when he announced that he would run for reelection on April 14, 1995. Democrats had suffered a wipeout midterm election in 1994, leading some to question whether Clinton would be a one-term president. But he rebounded with the help of a growing economy, and he defeated Bob Dole, a Republican.

Birnbach was ‘surprised and upset’ at Trump 2016 win

Wednesday 3 May 2023 02:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Carroll’s counsel asked Ms Birnbach about her political affiliations, saying that she donated money to Hillary Clinton.

Asked about her whereabouts on election night 2016, she said she was at her apartment with 25 friends, including Ms Carroll, according to Inner City Press.

Ms Birnbach said she was “surprised and upset” at Mr Trump’s victory, according to Law & Crime.

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: W Bush and Obama

Wednesday 3 May 2023 02:00 , AP

GEORGE W. BUSH

The Sept. 11 attacks of 2001 led Bush, a Republican, to invade Afghanistan, followed by another war in Iraq. One month after U.S. forces entered Baghdad, Bush announced he would run for reelection on May 16, 2003. His approval rating was 69% that month. He defeated John Kerry, a Democrat.

BARACK OBAMA

Obama, a Democrat, had a 48% approval rating when he announced his reelection campaign on April 4, 2011. He struggled to convince Americans that the economy was improving after the financial collapse and subsequent recession, but he ultimately defeated Mitt Romney, a Republican.

‘He pulled down my tights. He pulled down my tights'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 01:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Birnbach spoke about her reaction to hearing that Ms Carroll joined Mr Trump in the lingerie department of the Berghof Goodman.

“I was surprised that she did that. I thought it was kind of nutty. I didn’t think it was dangerous because I had just spent a few days with him. He didn’t strike me as dangerous,” she said, according to Law & Crime.

According to Ms Birnbach, Ms Carroll repeatedly said, “He pulled down my tights. He pulled down my tights”.

The friend and witness said Ms Carroll seemed to be processing what had happened in real-time.

She added that Ms Carroll told her that Mr Trump penetrated her with his penis.

Ms Birnbach told the court that she told Carroll: “He raped you. I’ll take you to the police.”

According to Ms Birnbach, Ms Carroll replied: “We had a fight.”

Regarding the word “rape,” Ms Birnbach said Ms Carroll “did not like that word. She didn’t want me to say that word”.

“She said: ‘Promise me that you will never speak of this again, and promise me you’ll tell no one.’ And I promised her both of those things,” Ms Birnbach said.

Describing her current relationship with Ms Carroll, Ms Birnbach said: “We are very close, close, close friends.”

She added that she didn’t speak about the episode again with Ms Carroll until 2019 when Ms Carroll shared her allegation publically.

Can Biden win again? Here’s how past incumbents fared: Trump

Wednesday 3 May 2023 01:00 , AP

DONALD TRUMP

Trump, a Republican, announced that he would run for reelection on June 18, 2019. The previous month, his approval rating was 41%. He was impeached for the first time at the end of the year, and then the coronavirus pandemic stalled the economy. Joe Biden, a Democrat, defeated Trump, who tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

JOE BIDEN

Biden announced his reelection campaign on April 25. His approval rating was 40% the previous month. Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term, leading to fears that he’s too old to keep such a demanding job.

However, Biden has not drawn any significant primary challengers. The only Democrats running are Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Meanwhile, Trump is leading in Republican primary polls as he seeks the party’s nomination, raising the potential for a rematch with Biden.

‘Lisa, you’re not going to believe what happened’’

Wednesday 3 May 2023 00:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Describing the moment that Ms Carroll called her about the alleged assault by Mr Trump, Ms Birnhbach said the call came between 6pm and 7pm and that she was feeding her children, aged three and seven, at the time of the call, according to Inner City Press.

“She said, ‘Lisa, you’re not going to believe what happened’. She was breathing hard. It sounded like she had a surge of adrenaline ... She told me her story, how they ended up in the lingerie department. I was surprised,” Ms Birnbach said.

She added that she thought it was “kinda nutty. She told me she told Donald Trump, ‘why don’t you try it on?’ They were in the dressing room and he slammed her against the wall and he slammed his arm and shoulder against her and pulled down her tights”.

CNN hit with backlash for hosting Trump town hall: ‘They learned absolutely nothing’

Wednesday 3 May 2023 00:00 , Namita Singh

CNN was hit with swift criticism on social media after the network announced it was hosting Donald Trump in a town hall forum next week in New Hampshire.

The event will be held May 10 at St Anselm College, where Mr Trump will take questions from New Hampshire Republicans and voters who plan to participate in the 2024 presidential primary, the network said.

Anchor Kaitlan Collins will moderate the session. The surprise appearance of the former president on the channel, which was often his favourite target for criticism, has left the internet divided.

While several Twitter users called out the network for providing a platform to the former president, accused of baselessly claiming that 2020 presidential elections were rigged, some commentators have seen this as an attempt by Mr Trump to reach out to a wider audience ahead of the 2024 elections.

Read more:

CNN hit with backlash for hosting Trump town hall: ‘They learned absolutely nothing’

Birnbach stayed at Mar-a-Lago

Tuesday 2 May 2023 23:30 , Gustaf Kilander

When she was asked if she knew who Donald Trump was at the time, Ms Birnbach said, “Of course!”

“He was a fixture of New York tabloid life,” she added, according to Law & Crime.

Ms Birnbach said Mr Trump contacted her about a story regarding his plans for Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club. She stayed at the property for two nights.

“I carried a small tape recorder and lots and lots of cassettes,” she said.

Don Jr moans that Fox News hasn’t invited him on air in months

Tuesday 2 May 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

The eldest son of former President Donald Trump is griping about supposedly receiving the cold shoulder from Fox News as the network faced a historic legal fight as a result of the lies and misinformation spread by Mr Trump’s team in late 2020 and early 2021.

Donald Trump Jr outlined his complaints on his podcast, which is likely the driving motivating factor behind his desire for exposure itself. Since his father’s departure from the White House, Mr Trump Jr has worked to maintain his own political profile through his program, while filling his pockets — he signed a seven-figure deal with Rumble in January.

“I used to be on Fox three, four, five, six, 10 times a week. I haven’t been on in nine months. Not a call, not an invite, not anything,” he told his listeners, while trying to make the issue political in nature: “You saw what Fox did to Tucker Carlson last week, and the week before that, it was Dan Bongino, and, you know, the people who would actually question some of that narrative like: Is it a brilliant plan to send $130 billion to Ukraine, one of the most corrupt nations in the world?”

Read more:

Don Jr moans that Fox News hasn’t invited him on air in months

Lisa Birnbach, a Carroll witness, takes the stand

Tuesday 2 May 2023 22:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Lisa Birnbach took the stand in the courtroom in New York on Tuesday morning – she is one of two people that Ms Carroll testified that she told about the alleged rape by Mr Trump. The other is Carol Martin.

Ms Birnbach, the author of 22 books, began her testimony by saying that she has known Ms Carroll for more than three decades. She said she “admired” Ms Carroll’s “stylish” writing.

She said Ms Carroll told her about the supposed rape, about “five to five minutes” after it had taken place, according to Law & Crime.

She said she thinks it happened in the spring of 1996, according to Inner City Press.

“We concocted a pilot together with TV producers and directors,” she said when speaking about working with Ms Carroll.

Trump lawyers confirm he will not testify at civil rape trial after second woman accuses him of assault

Tuesday 2 May 2023 22:16 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump’s attorneys have confirmed he will not testify at the E Jean Carroll civil rape and defamation trial.

Trump lawyers confirm he will not testify at E Jean Carroll civil rape trial

Donald Trump plays golf at his Turnberry course during Scottish visit

Tuesday 2 May 2023 22:00 , Rebecca McCurdy

Former US president Donald Trump enjoyed a round of golf at his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire on the second day of his visit to Scotland.

Mr Trump took the wheel of a golf buggy as he travelled around the resort on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Trump Turnberry staff lined the steps and waved hats which said “we make Turnberry great again” as they greeted Mr Trump on his arrival.

Wearing a red baseball cap emblazoned with the words “Make America Great Again”, Mr Trump shook hands and chatted with some of those waiting to welcome him.

The former US head-of-state arrived in Scotland on Monday, landing at Aberdeen airport before travelling to his Menie Estate golf course near Aberdeen.

Read more:

Donald Trump plays golf at his Turnberry course during Scottish visit

Trump won’t attend trial, Carroll legal team to wrap up case by Thursday

Tuesday 2 May 2023 21:54 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said on Tuesday afternoon after the end of the day’s proceedings that Mr Trump wouldn’t be attending the trial.

Ms Carroll’s legal team said they would be resting their case by midday on Thursday.

“I’ll do the charging conference either Friday or Monday, I’ll let you know,” Judge Kaplan said before leaving for the day, according to Inner City Press.

‘She struck me as unusually vivacious and extroverted'

Tuesday 2 May 2023 21:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Dr Lebowitz testified that she spent between 20 and 22 hours with Ms Carroll ahead of the trial during three longer interviews and a number of shorter interactions.

When asked what makes something traumatic, she said, “It has to do with what it feels like and what it means to us”.

She mentioned instances such as losing a partner, according to New York Daily News.

“It requires that how you think about yourself and the world has to adjust,” Dr Lebowitz said.

“She struck me as unusually vivacious and extroverted,” she said before the proceedings ended for the day with direct examination set to continue on Wednesday, according to Law & Crime.

Psychologist says Carroll is not ‘very psychologically minded’ or ‘introspective’

Tuesday 2 May 2023 21:24 , Gustaf Kilander

In her expert opinion for Ms Carroll, Dr Lebowitz said that “She has suffered from painful memories. A diminishment in how she thought about herself” as well as “avoidance symptom, curtailing her romantic intimate life,” according to Inner City Press.

“She has suffered from painful intrusive memories for many years,” she said, according to Law & Crime.

“While she’s a very smart, intelligent woman, she’s not a very psychologically minded, introspective woman,” Dr Lebowitz said about Ms Carroll. “She’s action-oriented, more than anything else. And none of us is aware of the things that we avoid.”

Next witness: Clinical psychologist Dr Leslie Lebowitz

Tuesday 2 May 2023 21:09 , Gustaf Kilander

The next witness to take the stand is clinical psychologist Dr Leslie Lebowitz, who has been active in the field since 1984.

She told the court her speciality is psychological trauma, defining it as “some kind of event that is so painful and emotionally overwhelming” that it goes beyond an individual’s ability to cope.

She first served as a legal expert in 1994.

“I’ve worked in civil cases, such as this. I’ve worked in military cases” as well as in criminal cases, she said, according to Law & Crime.

She added that she’s usually on the plaintiff’s side in civil cases and that she’s been on both sides in criminal cases.

Dr Lebowitz said she has declined to work on a case and that at times, her findings haven’t been hlpful for the individual looking to hire her.

“A few of them had been prosecutions for rape, but I did not feel confident that what happened met that criteria,” she said.

‘Lingerie was a destination department'

Tuesday 2 May 2023 20:40 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Salerno said he has never met Ms Carroll or Mr Trump, but that he did spot the future president inside the store.

He added that he doesn’t think there were surveillance cameras on the sixth floor, where the alleged assault took place.

Mr Salerno said the technology was far worse at that time and that the cameras would be relying on tapes, which he thinks were maintained for “not very long,” according to Law & Crime.

He said that “at least two” people would have been able to fit in the fitting rooms, but not more.

“A lot of the time the doors were not locked,” he said. “They kept them open, or they propped them open.”

“Lingerie was a destination department,” he said, adding that Berghof Goodman wasn’t Victoria’s Secret, meaning that if customers visited that part of the store, they were looking for it.

Trump accuser Jessica Leeds hopes to ‘never’ testify again after E Jean Carroll trial

Tuesday 2 May 2023 20:30 , Josh Marcus and Bevan Hurley

Jessica Leeds, who testified on Tuesday about Donald Trump allegedly attacking her as part of writer E Jean Carroll’s rape case against the former president, said she never hopes to share her experience again.

“I’m exhausted, I’m above it all and I hope I never have to tell my story again,” she told The Independent as she left the Manhattan courtroom.

Ms Leeds told jurors about how on a flight to New York in the late 1970s, Mr Trump allegedly violently sexually assaulted her when she was seated next to him in first class. He denies this took place.

“I’d like to express my support for E Jean Carroll, her story rings true to me,” Ms Leeds added. “And also I’d like to encourage anyone who has suffered sexual aggression to know they are not alone, and they can speak up.”

At the end of April, a federal court began hearing the case against Mr Trump from Ms Carroll, a well known advice columnist and former Elle magazine writer, who alleges the former president raped her in a New York department store in the 1990s.

Read more:

Trump accuser speaks to The Independent after describing alleged sex attack in court

Jessica Leeds tells reporters E Jean Carroll’s story 'rings true’

Tuesday 2 May 2023 20:22 , Bevan Hurley

In a statement to media outside court, Ms Leeds, 81, said: “First I’d like to thank the lawyers who represented me. They’ve taken good care of me.

“I’d like to express my support for E Jean Carroll, her story rings true to me. And also I’d like to encourage anyone who has suffered sexual aggression to know they are not alone, and they can speak up.

“We’ve seen how society and perpetrators don’t get the message of how damaging aggression is until it becomes apparent”.

“It’s so rampant. Go ask your mothers, your wives, your sisters, your daughters and your sons. Thank you.”

Asked what it was like testifying, Ms Leeds said it was “nerve-wracking”.

“It’s not fun, it’s not fun, and I hope I never have to tell my story again.”

Former department store executive says fitting rooms were big enough to hold fax machines

Tuesday 2 May 2023 20:15 , Gustaf Kilander

The next witness on the stand is Robert Salerno, who served as a senior vice president at Berghof Goodman between 1995 and 1998.

He’s now retired.

Asked by Ms Carroll’s attorney how many floors the store had at the time, he said, “10 – eight accessible by escalator to the public”.

Asked about the fitting rooms by lawyer Shawn Crowley, Mr Salerno said they were “Large. On the fourth floor, they had fax machines. Jackie Kennedy used to come and do business there,” according to Inner City Press.

He added that the escalators were “walled off”.

Before ending his questioning, Mr Crowley asked if Mr Salerno ever spotted Mr Trump in the store.

“Once or twice,” Mr Salerno said.

Six memorable moments from E Jean Carroll’s testimony during Trump rape trial

Tuesday 2 May 2023 20:00 , Bevan Hurley and Gustaf Kilander

E Jean Carroll withstood a barrage of intensely personal questions and inflammatory accusations during more than 13 hours on the witness stand in her civil battery and defamation trial against former president Donald Trump.

The former Elle advice columnist was quizzed about years of emails, text messages, deposition statements, articles and social media posts by Mr Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina as he tried to sow doubt in the minds of the nine jurors who will determine whether she was raped by Mr Trump in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in Manhattan in 1996.

Read more:

Six memorable moments from E Jean Carroll’s testimony during Trump rape trial

Jessica Leeds says ‘I hope I never have to tell my story again’

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:58 , Bevan Hurley

Coming out of the court following her testimony on Tuesday, Jessica Leeds told The Independent: “I’m exhausted, I’m above it all and I hope I never have to tell my story again.”

‘I think he was just bored'

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:56 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Leeds was asked by Mr Ferrara why she called what Mr Trump allegedly did to her ‘a pass’?

“It’s easier to think of it that way,” she said, according to Inner City Press.

“To be clear, do you now consider it a pass?” Mr Ferrara asked.

Mr Tacopina objected to the question as being “leading,” but Judge Kaplan overruled.

“No, it was not a pass,” Ms Leeds said.

“Do you think you brought on what he did?” Mr Ferrara asked.

“No. I don’t know what he perceived. I think he was just bored,”

‘Too bad, how about lunch?’

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:50 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Tacopina ended his cross-examination of Ms Leeds by pressing her for an exact date or to name witnesses of Mr Trump’s alleged assault on the plane.

Ms Leeds has said it could have taken place between 1978 and 1980 but hasn’t been able to pinpoint an exact date.

During re-direct with Carroll lawyer Michael Ferrara, Ms Leeds was asked why she didn’t tell her bosses about what happened.

“My boss would say, ‘too bad, how about lunch?’” Ms Leeds said, according to Inner City Press.

‘Random guy on a plane’: Leeds had no idea who Trump was at the time of alleged plane assault

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:39 , Gustaf Kilander

During cross-examination by Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, Ms Leeds said that she had no idea who Mr Trump was at the time of the alleged assault on the plane, calling him a “random guy on a plane”.

“He started putting his hand up my skirt,” she said, according to Law & Crime.

She added that the episode “probably” only lasted for a few seconds.

Mr Tacopina noted that when speaking to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, she said it went on for 15 minutes.

Ms Leeds responded that she had never thought of it before and her answer was made in the moment.

She said she didn’t say anything about it to her family or her friends.

Who is Jessica Leeds? The Trump accuser testifying about alleged plane assault at E Jean Carroll trial

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:30 , Joe Sommerlad

E Jean Carroll, the former Elle magazine columnist, has been given evidence at the Moynihan federal courthouse in Manhattan, New York, during a civil trial in which she accuses the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, of rape.

Ms Carroll alleges that Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the changing rooms of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s, an accusation he has denied.

The veteran writer is one of at least 26 women who have made historic sexual assault allegations against Mr Trump.

Another accuser who offered her testimony in court is Jessica Leeds, a businesswoman who has said the former president attacked her on a flight from Dallas or Atlanta to New York in 1978 or 1979, when she was 37.

Ms Leeds – originally from Springfield, Missouri, the daughter of an Oscar Mayer cattle buyer and the executive secretary to the city manager – was based in Connecticut at the time and worked as a travelling salesperson for a company that supplied paper to other businesses.

Read more:

Who is Jessica Leeds? Trump accuser may testify about plane assault at Carroll trial

Trump’s comment ‘was like cold water over me,’ Leeds says

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The direct examination of Ms Leeds ended shortly after lunch on Tuesday, with Ms Leeds saying that she had seen Mr Trump at a fundraising gala sometime after the alleged assault on the plane.

He allegedly told her: “I remember you. You’re that c*** from the airplane,” according to Law & Crime.

Ms Leeds said the gala took place in 1981.

“I had a nice dress. Trump and Ivana, pregnant, came up,” she said, according to Inner City Press.

She said Mr Trump’s comment “was like cold water over me. He walked away and I went home”.

Don Jr moans that Fox News hasn’t invited him on air in months

Tuesday 2 May 2023 19:00 , John Bowden

Don Jr moans that Fox News hasn’t invited him on air in months

The eldest son of former President Donald Trump is griping about supposedly receiving the cold shoulder from Fox News as the network faced a historic legal fight as a result of the lies and misinformation spread by Mr Trump’s team in late 2020 and early 2021.

Donald Trump Jr outlined his complaints on his podcast, which is likely the driving motivating factor behind his desire for exposure itself. Since his father’s departure from the White House, Mr Trump Jr has worked to maintain his own political profile through his program, while filling his pockets — he signed a seven-figure deal with Rumble in January.

“I used to be on Fox three, four, five, six, 10 times a week. I haven’t been on in nine months. Not a call, not an invite, not anything,” he told his listeners, while trying to make the issue political in nature: “You saw what Fox did to Tucker Carlson last week, and the week before that, it was Dan Bongino, and, you know, the people who would actually question some of that narrative like: Is it a brilliant plan to send $130 billion to Ukraine, one of the most corrupt nations in the world?”

Read more:

Don Jr moans that Fox News hasn’t invited him on air in months

Donald Trump plays golf at his Turnberry course during Scottish visit

Tuesday 2 May 2023 18:30 , Rebecca McCurdy

Former US president Donald Trump enjoyed a round of golf at his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire on the second day of his visit to Scotland.

Mr Trump took the wheel of a golf buggy as he travelled around the resort on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Trump Turnberry staff lined the steps and waved hats which said “we make Turnberry great again” as they greeted Mr Trump on his arrival.

Wearing a red baseball cap emblazoned with the words “Make America Great Again”, Mr Trump shook hands and chatted with some of those waiting to welcome him.

The former US head-of-state arrived in Scotland on Monday, landing at Aberdeen airport before travelling to his Menie Estate golf course near Aberdeen.

Read more:

Donald Trump plays golf at his Turnberry course during Scottish visit

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