Trump says he will be arrested in Georgia on Thursday as he rants about 'election interference' – latest

Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump says he will be arrested in Georgia on Thursday on charges of trying to interfere with the results of the 2020 election there.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the former president revealed he would surrender to authorities the day before his deadline for reporting to the Fulton County jail.

He made a series of accusations against district attorney Fani Willis and against the Joe Biden administration, saying he was being arrested “not for “Murder,” but for making a PERFECT PHONE CALL! “, referring to a notorious call in January 2021 in which he can be heard trying to bully Georgia’s secretary of state to “find” an extra 11,780 votes for the defeated president.

Earlier it emerged that Mr Trump will remain free on $200,000 bail after he is officially arrested and booked in Fulton County, according to court documents.

The former president has also confirmed he will be skipping the upcoming GOP presidential primary debate scheduled for Wednesday.

Mr Trump had been discussing a number of debate counterprogramming options, including sitting for an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been hosting a show on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.

According to the New York Times the interview set to air on Wednesday has already been taped.

Key points

Larry Elder intends to sue RNC to stop first debate after exclusion

15:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Conservative radio host Larry Elder, who is running for the Republican Party nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has said he will sue the Republican National Committee to halt Wednesday night’s debate after he was excluded from participating.

“I intend to sue the RNC to halt Wednesday's presidential debate,” Mr Elder said on Twitter. “I said from the beginning that it appeared the rules of the game were rigged, little did we know just how rigged it is. For some reason, the establishment leaders at the RNC are afraid of having my voice on the debate stage. Just as I had to fight to successfully be on the ballot in the California recall election, I will fight to be on that debate stage because I fully met all of the requirements to do so.”

John Eastman surrenders in Fulton County

15:24 , Oliver O'Connell

John Eastman has surrendered to Fulton County according to jail records. He was originally expected to do so tomorrow.

Upon his self-surrender, Mr Eastman released the following statement through lawyers.

I am here today to surrender to an indictment that should never have been brought. It represents a crossing of the Rubicon for our country, implicating the fundamental First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances. As troubling, it targets attorneys for their zealous advocacy on behalf of their clients, something attorneys are ethically bound to provide and which was attempted here by “formally challeng[ing] the results of the election through lawful and appropriate means.” – An opportunity never afforded them in the Fulton County Superior Court.

Each Defendant in this indictment, no less than any other American citizen, is entitled to rely upon the advice of counsel and the benefit of past legal precedent in challenging what former Vice President Pence described as, “serious allegations of voting irregularities and numerous instances of officials setting aside state election law” in the 2020 election. The attempt to criminalize our rights to such redress with this indictment will have – and is already having – profound consequences for our system of justice.

My legal team and I will vigorously contest every count of the indictment in which I am named, and also every count in which others are named, for which my knowledge of the relevant facts, law, and constitutional provisions may prove helpful. I am confident that, when the law is faithfully applied in this proceeding, all of my co-defendants and I will be fully vindicated.

Constituent spotted giving the finger to Marjorie Taylor Greene in video she shared

15:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene shared a video on social media which seems to include a constituent giving her the finger.

The Republican representative shared footage of her entering a stage in her district in northwest Georgia to a standing ovation, but one person appears to hold up their middle finger instead.

Sitting at the back and declining to stand and applaud, the constituent can be seen at the beginning of the video, which was posted on 1 June, as the rest cheer Ms Greene.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene appears to capture constituent giving her the finger in video

Trump claims $200,000 bond was set so he doesn’t ‘fly to Russia'

15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has claimed that he was slapped with a high bond in his Georgia election interference case so that he doesn’t fly to Russia to “share a gold-domed suite” with Vladimir Putin.

Read more...

Trump claims bond set at $200k so he won’t flee to Russia to be with Putin

Fox News won’t let Trump aides into post-debate ‘spin room’

14:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News has punched back at Donald Trump after the former president refused to participate in this week’s Republican primary debate. The network has restricted Mr Trump’s aides from participating in the traditional post-debate “spin room”, according to Axios.

Fox, which is hosting the debate in Milwaukee, will limit post-debate spin room appearances to aides of those candidates who are actually participating in the debate.

Read more...

GOP candidates want Trump surrogates banned from Fox News debate spin room

BREAKING: Scott Hall becomes first Trump co-defendant to surrender for arrest in Georgia

14:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Scott Hall has become the first co-defendant of Donald Trump to surrender to authorities on Georgia to face charges over their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.

Fulton County Jail records reveal that Mr Hall was arrested on Tuesday 22 August by Fulton County Sheriff’s Office on seven charges.

Scott Hall becomes first Trump co-defendant to surrender for arrest in Georgia

DOJ objects to Trump's proposed April 2026 date for DC trial

14:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors objected Monday to the April 2026 trial date proposed by lawyers for Donald Trump in the case accusing the former president of scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Members of special counsel Jack Smith‘s team said in a court filing that Trump’s lawyers last week had exaggerated the amount of material that they would need to sift through in order to be ready for trial.

Read more...

Justice Department objects to Trump's proposed April 2026 date for DC trial

Full story: Trump granted $200,000 bail in Georgia

13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump will remain free on $200,000 bail after he is officially arrested and booked in Fulton County, Georgia later this week, according to court documents.

Andrew Feinberg has the full story.

Trump granted bail and warned on ‘direct or indirect’ threats in Georgia case

GOP candidates want Trump surrogates banned from debate spin room, report says

13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

As Republican candidates ready themselves for the first primary debate of the 2024 election season, some of their staffers are reportedly pushing to ban surrogates for Donald Trump from the event’s spin room.

Read more...

GOP candidates want Trump surrogates banned from Fox News debate spin room

Trump claims he was hit with $200k to stop him fleeing to be with Putin

12:50 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has claimed that he was slapped with a $200,000 bond in his Georgia election interference case so that he doesn’t fly to Russia to “share a gold-domed suite” with Vladimir Putin.

The former president took to Truth Social late on Monday to rail against his bond and sarcastically claim he was a flight risk as he could flee to join the Russian president.

“The failed District Attorney of Fulton County (Atlanta), Fani Willis, insisted on a $200,000 Bond from me,” he wrote.

“I assume, therefore, that she thought I was a “flight” risk - I’d fly far away, maybe to Russia, Russia, Russia, share a gold domed suite with Vladimir, never to be seen or heard from again.”

The bizarre rant came after Mr Trump agreed to his bond being set at $200,000 as he announced that he plans to surrender to Fulton County officials to be arrested on Thursday over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.

Debate shines spotlight on one of the few remaining swing states

12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

When Republican candidates for president gather for their first debate Wednesday in Milwaukee, the spotlight will not only be on them, but Wisconsin‘s role as one of a shrinking handful of genuine battleground states.

Republicans chose Milwaukee not just for the first debate but the national convention in just 11 months largely because of Wisconsin’s well-earned status as a swing state. Four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point here, with Donald Trump winning narrowly in 2016 before losing by a similar margin in 2020.

Read on...

GOP debate puts spotlight on one of the few remaining swing states

After indictments Trump and his allies double down on election lies

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal indictment and one in Georgia charging Donald Trump with lying about the 2020 election to overturn President Joe Biden’s win have done nothing to slow the geyser of election falsehoods flowing from the former president and his supporters.

Just two days after the Georgia indictment, one of Trump’s most enthusiastic backers took the stage at a conference in Missouri to again spread election misinformation. Mike Lindell, the owner of MyPillow who is a vocal promoter of the myth that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, kicked off an event on purported election crimes with a video about fraud.

Read on...

Trump and his allies double down on election lies following indictments

GOP senator calls Trump’s classified documents case a ‘slam dunk’

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

One of the Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot has described the criminal case regarding the former president’s handling of classified documents as a “slam dunk”.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) spoke to Kasie Hunt on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday where he said that Mr Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

Eric Garcia reports.

Republican senator calls Trump’s classified documents case a ‘slam dunk’

Analysis: Trump’s barely veiled ‘riggers’ dog whistle underlines former president’s history of racist statements

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence.

His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said he is the “least racist” person, but his statements surrounding the criminal cases against him are seen as some of his most explicit and most desperate racist attacks yet, following decades of bigoted statements.

Read on...

Trump’s barely veiled ‘riggers’ dog whistle underlines history of racist statements

ICYMI: Trump confirms he will not attend GOP debate

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump on Sunday said he doesn’t need to participate in any debates as he seeks his party’s nomination for next year’s presidential election, as nearly a dozen of his Republican primary rivals prepare to square off on Wednesday.

Writing on his own social media platform, Mr Trump said the US electorate “knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had”.

He added: “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump confirms he will not attend GOP debate even as his own kids take part

Trump should ‘serve time’ if convicted, says Bush AG

07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump already faces prison time for his latest criminal indictment stemming from the effort to overturn the 2020 election, but now a former US attorney general is arguing that he should face that same potential punishment at the federal level.

Alberto Gonzales, who served as US attorney general for two years under George W Bush, said this weekend that should Mr Trump be convicted on any of the four counts brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith over the campaign to alter the election results, the ex-president should be sent to prison.

Read more...

Former US attorney general says Trump should ‘serve time’ if convicted

DeSantis slips further back as Trump extends lead, new poll shows

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is seeing his support in the Republican primary race crater as rivals gain ground against him while former President Donald Trump’s dominance over the party appears to be holding steady.

A new CBS News poll of likely Republican primary voters across the country shows Mr DeSantis trending downwards, currently at 16 per cent after dropping seven percentage points over a two-month span. In the time since CBS polled voters in June, the governor has slipped from 23 per cent while businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has surged into third place.

John Bowden has the details.

Trump extends lead among Republicans as DeSantis slips further back, new poll shows

Trump was ‘unhinged’ and ‘terrifying’ during his final days in office, filmmaker says

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A British filmmaker who interviewed Donald Trump on the eve of the attack on the Capitol has opened up about the former president’s “unhinged” demeanour at the time.

Alex Holder documented the days leading up to January 6 and its fallout for Unprecedented, a movie about the last months of Mr Trump’s presidency. The film was released last summer, months before the Department of Justice subpoenaed Mr Holder for any raw footage related to the movie.

Andrea Blanco reports.

British filmmaker says Trump was ‘unhinged’ during his final days in office

Pence backs up claim that Trump didn’t declassify documents

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that he wasn’t aware of any effort by Donald Trump or White House staff to declassify documents in the final months of the Trump presidency, backing up a claim made by Mark Meadows and casting further doubt on Mr Trump’s defence ahead of the ex-president’s criminal trial.

Johmn Bowden reports.

Pence backs up Meadows claim that Trump didn’t declassify documents

Final defendants go on trial three years after failed plot to kidnap Michigan governor

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A militia plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, was foiled by the FBI, and the 14 men involved were arrested just weeks before the November 2020 election. Now, almost three years later, the last three members of the scheme to be tried will plead their cases in court.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Final Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping defendants face trial

Experts warn ex-president is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump should really keep his mouth shut.

That’s the advice that experienced litigators of all stripes are giving the former president as he faces a tide of criminal investigations into his conduct both as president and during the 2016 election.

Read on...

Experts warn Trump is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

Trump says he will be arrested on Thursday

01:40 , Phil Thomas

Donald Trump says he will be arrested in Georgia on Thursday. His deadline for reporting to Fulton County Jail on charges of trying to interfere with the result of the 2020 election in the state is Friday. The former president is charged alongside 18 co-defendants.

In a furious rant on his Truth Social platform, the former president denounced the district attorney bringing the case against him as well as the Biden administration, which he has accused of a politically-motivated “witch hunt” against him.

He claimed again that his notorious phone call to Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, in which he tried to coerce him into “finding” an extra 11,780 votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, was a “PERFECT CALL!”

The charges against him represent his fourth criminal indictment. In all he faces 91 criminal charges.

GOP candidates want Trump surrogates banned from Fox News debate spin room

Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As Republican candidates ready themselves for the first primary debate of the 2024 election season, some of their staffers are reportedly pushing to ban surrogates for Donald Trump from the event’s spin room.

Read more...

GOP candidates want Trump surrogates banned from Fox News debate spin room

DOJ objects to Trump’s proposed April 2026 date for DC trial

Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors objected Monday to the April 2026 trial date proposed by lawyers for Donald Trump in the case accusing the former president of scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Members of special counsel Jack Smith‘s team said in a court filing that Trump’s lawyers last week had exaggerated the amount of material that they would need to sift through in order to be ready for trial.

Read on...

Justice Department objects to Trump's proposed April 2026 date for DC trial

Will Trump go to prison?

Monday 21 August 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

America wants to know...

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Where do all the Trump lawsuits and criminal charges currently stand?

Monday 21 August 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump has continued to face a cloud of lawsuits and investigations, which could frustrate his hopes to win back the presidency in 2024.

Here’s the current status of each of the major cases against him.

All of Trump’s lawsuits and criminal charges - and where they stand

Report: European diplomats ‘terrified’ at prospect of Trump winning in 2024

Monday 21 August 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

European diplomats are not overlooking the possibility that Donald Trump might secure a second term in the Oval Office if he is re-elected in 2024, and are actively formulating back-up strategies in case this scenario materialises, according to a report.

The prospect of Mr Trump returning to the White House has become an important topic of discussion in private conversations, with some calling it “terrifying”, The New York Times reported.

Read on...

European diplomats ‘terrified’ at prospect of Trump winning in 2024, report says

Evangelical tells fellow Christians to ‘wake up’ and see Trump for hoax he is

Monday 21 August 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A Christian writer in the Charlotte Observer has called out his fellow believers who still remain loyal to former President Donald Trump despite his history of alleged criminal activity and general un-Christ-like behaviour.

Isaac Bailey said his brothers and sisters in faith were being duped into believing that Mr Trump shared any of their alleged values by the former president and the GOP, admonishing them to “wake up.”

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Evangelical tells fellow Christians to ‘wake up’ and see Trump for hoax he is

Voices: Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

Monday 21 August 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Jay Black writes:

“They purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me”, the former President “truthed”, presumably as store-brand ketchup dripped from the walls around him, “especially the big ‘orange’ one with my chin pulled way back.”

Like most people, my initial reaction to Donald Trump’s rant was incredulity: does he think there are GOOD pictures of him?

Read on...

Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

Trumpworld goes for blood after Ron DeSantis ‘listless vessels’ comment

Monday 21 August 2023 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell

“Basket of deplorables”, meet the “listless vessels” of Maga.

Donald Trump’s latest bid for the Republican presidential nomination — so far, on course to end in the exact same manner, with his nomination — just gave the American voting public another taste of nostalgia for the 2016 race.

Speaking with a right-wing Floridian news outlet, Governor Ron DeSantis, who has firmly remained in second place behind Mr Trump in polling of the 2024 GOP field, took one of his first real swings at Trumpworld.

John Bowden reports.

Trump granted bail and warned on ‘direct or indirect’ threats in Georgia case

Will Trump be punished for attacks on judges?

Monday 21 August 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

In a normal criminal case, the defendant doesn’t talk to the public or openly speak about the proceedings at all. If anyone says anything public-facing, it’s the lawyer. In a normal criminal case, the defendant certainly wouldn’t appear to be trying to publicly threaten or influence the lawyers, witnesses, prosecutors, and judges at the heart of a case. And in a normal criminal case, if a defendant took the extremely ill-advised step of making such a threat, they could face jail time for contempt of court or even worse, additional criminal charges.

But Donald Trump, who is facing four serious criminal indictments across courts in four states, and seems to lash out at those involved in these prosecutions on a near-daily basis, is not a normal defendant, and he’s certainly not facing ordinary charges.

Read more by Josh Marcus...

Trump attacks on judges are ‘crossing the line’. Will he be punished?

Full story: Trump granted $200,000 bail in Georgia

Monday 21 August 2023 21:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump will remain free on $200,000 bail after he is officially arrested and booked in Fulton County, Georgia later this week, according to court documents.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Trump granted bail and warned on ‘direct or indirect’ threats in Georgia case

Trump ordered by Fulton County to make 'no direct or indirect threats against the community’

Monday 21 August 2023 21:11 , Oliver O'Connell

“Defendant shall make no direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community or to any property in the community; The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media”

What is the net worth of each GOP presidential candidate?

Monday 21 August 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahead of Wednesday’s showdown, here’s a guide to the personal wealth of those taking part, with a brief outline of how they made their fortunes.

Fellow candidates Will Hurd, Perry Johnson, Francis Suarez and Larry Elder have not been included as, at the time of writing, they had not met the threshold to earn spots on the debate stage.

What are the Republican presidential candidates’ net worths?

Trump legal team agrees $200,000 bond with Fulton County DA

Monday 21 August 2023 20:59 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN reports that former president Donald Trump has agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions after his lawyers met with the Fulton County District Attorney’s office on Monday.

Mr Trump and several co-defendants in the sweeping Georgia racketeering case were expected to work out the terms of their bond today with the district attorney’s office.

John Eastman’s bond was confirmed earlier.

DeSantis appears on edge in viral video ahead of debate

Monday 21 August 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

GOP presidential hopeful and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has once again found himself made a punching bag online after he was caught in an embarrassing video on the campaign trail.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

DeSantis appears on edge in viral video questioning his debate leaks

Swing state Wisconsin in spotlight ahead of GOP debate

Monday 21 August 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

When Republican candidates for president gather for their first debate Wednesday in Milwaukee, the spotlight will not only be on them but Wisconsin‘s role as one of a shrinking handful of genuine battleground states.

Read on...

GOP presidential debate puts spotlight on Wisconsin, one of the few remaining swing states

Abortion rights: What the GOP candidates have said

Monday 21 August 2023 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The issue of abortion rights in the United States is staring the 2024 GOP presidential candidates in their faces as they prepare to kick their campaigns into high gear.

Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark case Roe v Wade (1973) last summer, abortion has become a top concern for many voters.

Ariana Baio looks at what each of the Republican candidates for president has said about abortion rights.

What the GOP candidates have said about abortion rights

Trump classified docs case a ‘slam dunk’, says GOP senator

Monday 21 August 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

One of the Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot has described the criminal case regarding the former president’s handling of classified documents as a “slam dunk”.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) spoke to Kasie Hunt on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday where he said that Mr Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Republican senator calls Trump’s classified documents case a ‘slam dunk’

John Eastman gets $100,000 bail in Georgia election case

Monday 21 August 2023 19:46 , Oliver O'Connell

John Eastman, the former Chapman University law professor who was indicted along with former president Donald Trump and 17 other co-conspirators by a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury last week, has been allowed to remain free pending trial on $100,000 bail.

Judge Scott McAfee on Monday granted Mr Eastman’s request for bond, and set an amount of $20,000 on the charge that he allegedly violated Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, with $10,000 bond for each of the remaining eight counts he faces on criminal solicitation, conspiracy, and filing false documents charges.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Trump co-defendant John Eastman gets $100,000 bail in Georgia election case

FBI searching for Proud Boy who went on run days before Jan 6 sentencing

Monday 21 August 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of the Proud Boys who was convicted on multiple charges for his actions in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol was scheduled to be sentenced on Friday – but he has gone missing.

Christopher Worrell, 52, of Naples, Florida, was found guilty of dispersing pepper spray gel on police officers as the mob stormed the Capitol in 2021 while Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory.

Read more...

Manhunt underway to find Proud Boy who was gone on run days before Jan 6 sentencing

Trump ‘unhinged’ and ‘terrifying’ during his final days in office, British filmmaker says

Monday 21 August 2023 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

A British filmmaker who interviewed Donald Trump on the eve of the attack on the Capitol has opened up about the former president’s “unhinged” demeanour at the time.

Alex Holder documented the days leading up to January 6 and its fallout for Unprecedented, a movie about the last months of Mr Trump’s presidency. The film was released last summer, months before the Department of Justice subpoenaed Mr Holder for any raw footage related to the movie.

Andrea Blanco reports.

British filmmaker says Trump was ‘unhinged’ during his final days in office

New poll shows DeSantis slipping further behind as Trump extends lead

Monday 21 August 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is seeing his support in the Republican primary race crater as rivals gain ground against him while former President Donald Trump’s dominance over the party appears to be holding steady.

John Bowden has the details.

Trump extends lead among Republicans as DeSantis slips further back, new poll shows

Will Trump’s apparent decision to not fund legal fees of Georgia co-defendants have consequences?

Monday 21 August 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

If you can’t fund a legal defence, you might be more inclined to cooperate with the prosecution or arrange a plea deal.

Bush attorney general says Trump should ‘serve time’ if convicted

Monday 21 August 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump already faces prison time for his latest criminal indictment stemming from the effort to overturn the 2020 election, but now a former US attorney general is arguing that he should face that same potential punishment at the federal level.

Alberto Gonzales, who served as US attorney general for two years under George W Bush, said this weekend that should Mr Trump be convicted on any of the four counts brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith over the campaign to alter the election results, the ex-president should be sent to prison.

John Bowden reports.

Former US attorney general says Trump should ‘serve time’ if convicted

What can we expect from Wednesday’s debate?

Monday 21 August 2023 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump hails Des Moines Register poll

Monday 21 August 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president is celebrating another poll showing his commanding lead over other Republican contenders for the party’s nomination.

He wrote on Truth Social:

The highly anticipated Des Moines Register Poll of Iowa Voters is just out: “DONALD TRUMP HOLDS COMMANDING LEAD In First Test of 2024 Republican Caucus Field.” Remember, I got the Farmers 28 Billion Dollars from China, the USMCA Trade Deal (& many others!), saved Ethanol, Social Security, and MediCare, & got Iowa “First In the Nation” status. Nobody else could have done this. Anyway, I’m at 51%, a 31 Point lead over “farmer hating” DeSanctimonious, with the others gaining on him, but not on me!

Marjorie Taylor Greene to attend GOP presidential primary debate

Monday 21 August 2023 18:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Jack Smith to file response to Trump request for April 2026 trial date

Monday 21 August 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office has notified DC federal judge Tanya Chutkan that he would like to file a “reply” to Donald Trump’s request for an April 2026 trial date in the federal election interference case.

Mr Smith wants to file a response in advance of the Monday 28 August hearing at which Chutkan will set the date of the trial.

Watch: Fox News panel argues why Trump should appear at debate

Monday 21 August 2023 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump and his allies double down on election lies

Monday 21 August 2023 17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal indictment and one in Georgia charging Donald Trump with lying about the 2020 election to overturn President Joe Biden’s win have done nothing to slow the geyser of election falsehoods flowing from the former president and his supporters.

Just two days after the Georgia indictment, one of Trump’s most enthusiastic backers took the stage at a conference in Missouri to again spread election misinformation. Mike Lindell, the owner of MyPillow who is a vocal promoter of the myth that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, kicked off an event on purported election crimes with a video about fraud.

Read more...

Trump and his allies double down on election lies after indictments for trying to undo 2020 results

Analysis: Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

Monday 21 August 2023 17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports on how the former president’s ‘dog-whistle’ statements add to decades of racially driven attacks.

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

With Trump a no-show at GOP debate, family steps in to represent him

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

Donald Trump Jr and fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle will attend the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election cycle despite former president Donald Trump’s absence.

Per The Daily Caller:

“We’re excited to see all of our friends in Milwaukee on Wednesday in support of President Trump. We’re confident that in 2024, GOP voters will reject the RINO establishment and re-nominate President Trump in a landslide,” Trump Jr and Guilfoyle told the Caller.

The pair are going to do media for the former president and will be promoting their Rumble shows.

Final trial set to begin three years after foiled plot to kidnap Michigan governor

Monday 21 August 2023 16:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Nearly three years after authorities foiled a bizarre plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the last defendants accused of taking part go on trial today.

Eric Molitor and brothers William Null and Michael Null were among 14 men, described by prosecutors as anti-government extremists, charged in the scheme weeks before the November 2020 election. They were angered by Whitmer’s COVID-19 policies, which shut down schools and restricted the economy, investigators said in court filings.

The plotters were members of paramilitary groups and spoke of attacking the state Capitol and police to ignite civil war, the documents said.

Nine men so far have been convicted in state or federal court, including four who pleaded guilty. Two others were acquitted at trial.

Three years after a foiled plot to kidnap Michigan's governor, the final trial is set to begin

Mary Trump believes former president will regret having cameras in Georgia courtroom

Monday 21 August 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s niece Mary Trump believes the former president will regret pushing for cameras to be allowed in the courtroom when he stands trial in Georgia — as is permitted.

“I think it’s going to have an enormous impact, because even for people who are his supporters and who think that this is a miscarriage of justice, this will be must-see TV,” Ms Trump, a clinical psychologist and author, told MSNBC’s Katie Phang on Sunday.

“And Donald has always told them not to believe their lying eyes ― only to believe him,” she added. “However, when he’s the one they’re looking at, it’s going to be very difficult for him to spin away from what’s actually happening in front of our eyes.”

Here’s another clip from the interview:

Watch: Scholars agree 14th Amendment bars Trump from running for office

Monday 21 August 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

This morning on Truth Social...

Monday 21 August 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump began the week with a bang on Truth Social with liberal use of the caps lock, posting:

WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE RIGGING THE ELECTION FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN. UNLESS IT IS QUICKLY STOPPED, ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS WILL FOLLOW THE SAME PATH!

The former president must surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia this week. He is currently expected to do so on Thursday or Friday.

Later in the morning, Mr Trump posted a Fox News article about how Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has not received any evidence that State Senator Colton Moore has the necessary majority to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as he has claimed.

The former president wrote:

Governor Kemp of Georgia is fighting hard against the Impeachment of the crooked, incompetent, & highly partisan D.A. of Fulton County, Fani Willis, who has allowed Murder and other Violent Crime to MASSIVELY ESCALATE. Crime in Atlanta is WORST IN NATION. She should be impeached for many reasons, not just the Witch Hunt (I did nothing wrong!). Willis should focus on out of control Murder, not “I will get TRUMP” over a Perfect Phone Call. Georgia does not deserve this GIANT MURDER WAVE!

Monday 21 August 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump must turn himself in by noon on Friday.

The deadline for his voluntary surrender in Fulton County, Georgia, the latest of four jurisdictions to pursue criminal prosecutions of America’s 45th president, is fast approaching as Mr Trump and his legal team calibrate their responses to the latest series of charges to come down on the ex-president’s shoulders. He’s charged with 13 counts, including a violation of the organised crime under the state’s RICO statute.

And all indications are as of now that Mr Trump will cooperate with authorities. Attorneys for the ex-president were reported to have been in contact with Fulton County in the middle of last week, just a matter of hours after the indictment was formally handed down.

John Bowden reports on the logistical struggle ahead for the former president.

Trump attorneys discussing ex-president’s surrender with Georgia DA as deadline nears

Trump refuses to attend any debates

Monday 21 August 2023 15:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump on Sunday said he doesn’t need to participate in any debates as he seeks his party’s nomination for next year’s presidential election, even as nearly a dozen of his Republican primary rivals prepare to square off on Wednesday.

Writing on his own social media platform, Mr Trump said the US electorate “knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had”.

He added: “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Trump refuses to attend debates as GOP rivals prepare for Wednesday clash

Former US attorney general says Trump should ‘serve time’ if convicted

Monday 21 August 2023 12:00 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump already faces prison time for his latest criminal indictment stemming from the effort to overturn the 2020 election, but now a former US attorney general is arguing that he should face that same potential punishment at the federal level.

Alberto Gonzales, who served as US attorney general for two years under George W Bush, said this weekend that should Mr Trump be convicted on any of the four counts brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith over the campaign to alter the election results, the ex-president should be sent to prison, as John Bowden reports from Washington DC.

Former US attorney general says Trump should ‘serve time’ if convicted

GOP presidential debate puls spotlight on Wisconsin

Monday 21 August 2023 11:30 , Namita Singh

When Republican candidates for president gather for their first debate Wednesday in Milwaukee, the spotlight will not only be on them, but Wisconsin‘s role as one of a shrinking handful of genuine battleground states.

Republicans chose Milwaukee not just for the first debate but the national convention in just 11 months largely because of Wisconsin’s well-earned status as a swing state.

Four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point here, with Donald Trump winning narrowly in 2016 before losing by a similar margin in 2020.

More here:

GOP presidential debate puts spotlight on Wisconsin, one of the few remaining swing states

Trump doubles down on claims Putin wouldn’t have launched war if Trump was US president

Monday 21 August 2023 11:00 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

Monday 21 August 2023 10:30 , Namita Singh

Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence.

His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

Ken Chesebro was at Capitol with Alex Jones on Jan 6

Monday 21 August 2023 10:00 , Namita Singh

Kenneth Chesebro, a Donald Trump ally and the alleged mastermind of the scheme to subvert the results of the 2020 election through the use of fake electors, was at the US Capitol on January 6, accompanying conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Video and photos taken on the grounds of the Capitol on the day Trump loyalists stormed the building, reviewed and reported on first by CNN, clearly show the attorney, now at the heart of the criminal case concerning the plot to overturn the election, wearing a red Trump 2020 hat and filming Jones with his phone.

Read more...

Alleged Trump fake electors plotter Ken Chesebro pictured at Capitol on Jan 6

After pro-Trump doxxing campaign, Georgia police investigate online threats to jurors

Monday 21 August 2023 09:30 , Namita Singh

Police in Georgia are investigating online threats to members of a grand jury that voted to indict Donald Trump and 18 of the former president’s allies accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in a sprawling criminal case.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is “aware that personal information from members of the jury” has been shared across social media platforms, the agency announced on 17 August, less than three days after a sweeping charging document was unsealed.

Alex Woodward reports.

Georgia police investigating online threats to Trump grand jury

What have the GOP candidates said about January 6?

Monday 21 August 2023 09:00 , Namita Singh

The insurrection on January 6, 2021, has become yet another litmus test for Republican presidential candidates and how they respond to questions about the subject may provoke the ire of frontrunner Donald Trump, who’s now facing legal action over his role in the Capitol riot.

Here’s what they’ve said so far...

What the Republican candidates have said about January 6

The man who backed the Iowa winner three times gives his 2024 prediction

Monday 21 August 2023 08:30 , Namita Singh

If a Republican presidential candidate wants to win the Iowa caucus, with its heavily white, heavily evangelical and churchgoing population, they need to win over Bob Vander Plaats.

Few people have had a front-row seat to Iowa’s evangelical politics than Bob Vander Plaats. In 2008, he served as Mike Huckabee’s state party chairman when he pulled off an improbable win in the Iowa caucus. Then in 2012, he endorsed Rick Santorum before he pulled off a squeaker against Mitt Romney in the first in the nation contest. In 2016, he backed Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) before the senator pulled off a victory against Donald Trump.

Here’s what he think of the 2024 race.

This man backed the Iowa winner three times – here is his 2024 prediction

Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

Monday 21 August 2023 08:08 , Namita Singh

Former president Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he will be skipping Wednesday’s first Republican presidential primary debate.

“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he plans to boycott every primary debate or just those that have currently been scheduled.

The former president and early GOP frontrunner had said for months that he saw little upside in joining his GOP rivals on stage when they gather for the first time in Milwaukee, given his commanding lead in the race. And he had made clear to those he had spoken to in recent days that his opinion had not changed.

Report:

Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

What has each GOP candidate said about the war in Ukraine?

Monday 21 August 2023 06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who’ll listen, “This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party”.

One of the issues where that’s becoming more evident by the day is Ukraine.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine

‘Reagan didn’t’: Trump takes to Truth Social to give excuse for why he won’t join GOP debate

Monday 21 August 2023 04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is still insisting he will not participate in the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his lead over his opponents and the precedent set by former President Ronald Reagan.

Mr Trump made his proclamation in a typical rambling post on his Truth Social platform.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Trump gives excuse for why he won’t join GOP debate: ‘Reagan didn’t’

Trump to skip first GOP debate for Tucker Carlson interview

Monday 21 August 2023 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump will skip the first Republican debate of the 2024 primaries and attempt to upstage his rivals for the party’s nomination by instead sitting down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, according to a report.

Citing multiple people briefed on the matter, The New York Times reports that the former president made up his mind to miss the Fox News-hosted GOP debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Read more...

Trump to skip first GOP debate for Tucker Carlson interview, report says

Ken Chesebro was at Capitol with Alex Jones on Jan 6

Monday 21 August 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Kenneth Chesebro, a Donald Trump ally and the alleged mastermind of the scheme to subvert the results of the 2020 election through the use of fake electors, was at the US Capitol on January 6, accompanying conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Video and photos taken on the grounds of the Capitol on the day Trump loyalists stormed the building, reviewed and reported on first by CNN, clearly show the attorney, now at the heart of the criminal case concerning the plot to overturn the election, wearing a red Trump 2020 hat and filming Jones with his phone.

Read more...

Alleged Trump fake electors plotter Ken Chesebro pictured at Capitol on Jan 6

Trump extends lead among Republicans as DeSantis slips further back, new poll shows

Sunday 20 August 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is seeing his support in the Republican primary race crater as rivals gain ground against him while former President Donald Trump’s dominance over the party appears to be holding steady.

A new CBS News poll of likely Republican primary voters across the country shows Mr DeSantis trending downwards, currently at 16 per cent after dropping seven percentage points over a two-month span. In the time since CBS polled voters in June, the governor has slipped from 23 per cent while businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has surged into third place.

Take a look at how this poll illuminates the latest dynamics of the 2024 presidential race:

Trump extends lead among Republicans as DeSantis slips further back, new poll shows

‘Frivolous’: Judge rejects Trump’s fourth attempt to block E Jean Carroll case

Sunday 20 August 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has once again dismissed Donald Trump’s attempts to stall litigation from writer E Jean Carroll, who was awarded a $5m jury verdict earlier this year finding the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation after speaking publicly about it.

His fourth attempt, along with his previous attempts, have not provided a “single reason” to show any likelihood that he will succeed on appeal, according to US District Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Alex Woodward reports.

Judge rejects Trump’s ‘frivolous’ fourth attempt to block E Jean Carroll case

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

Sunday 20 August 2023 22:00 , John Bowden

Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence.

His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

British filmmaker says Trump was ‘unhinged’ and ‘terrifying’ during his final days in office

Sunday 20 August 2023 21:35 , John Bowden

A British filmmaker who interviewed Donald Trump on the eve of the attack on the Capitol has opened up about the former president’s “unhinged” demeanour at the time.

Alex Holder documented the days leading up to January 6 and its fallout for Unprecedented, a movie about the last months of Mr Trump’s presidency. The film was released last summer, months before the Department of Justice subpoenaed Mr Holder for any raw footage related to the movie.

Appearing on CNN’s Newsroom with host Jim Acosta on Saturday, Mr Holder delved into Mr Trump’s state of mind during interviews recorded just before the attack.

Read more:

British filmmaker says Trump was ‘unhinged’ during his final days in office

Pence backs up Meadows claim that Trump didn’t declassify documents

Sunday 20 August 2023 21:06 , John Bowden

Mike Pence has just made a statement that seriously contradicts the claims being used by Donald Trump and his team to defend his handling of a trove of classified documents found in his home at Mar-a-Lago.

Up until now, Mr Trump and his allies in the Trumpworld media circle have claimed that the ex-president had a “standing order” to declassify any documents being taken by his team from the White House. But no White House staffers have emerged to back that up, and proof of an order has not been found either.

Read more:

Pence backs up Meadows claim that Trump didn’t declassify documents

Trump makes bizarre remarks about his relationship with Putin

Sunday 20 August 2023 21:00 , Andrea Blanco

Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

The Independent reports:

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Analysis: Biden’s awkward silence on Trump’s legal woes – and what it could mean for 2024

Sunday 20 August 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

All signs point to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

But despite their likely inevitable round two face-off, and the fact that the former president actively schemed to try and prevent Mr Biden from occupying the Oval Office, the incumbent president has stayed mostly silent when it comes to Mr Trump’s mounting legal woes.

But how much longer can Mr Biden afford to keep quiet on his chief rival’s criminal culpability?

Eric Garcia investigates.

Biden’s awkward silence on Trump’s legal woes – and what it could mean for 2024

Trump will now have to answer in court for making life hell for two Black women election workers

Sunday 20 August 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

They were compared to drug dealers. They were flooded with racist abuse. The sitting president of the United States accused them of rampant fraud. People showed up at their homes. They were bullied, harassed, and forced to change their appearances and go into hiding.

Alex Woodward explains why the experiences of Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss after the 2020 election are so central to the charges against Donald Trump in Fulton County, Georgia.

Trump made life hell for two Black women. He will have to answer for it in court

Voices: Trump may be down, but he isn’t out – yet

Sunday 20 August 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Mary Dejevsky writes that a televised trial of the former president could make a great spectacle – but it won’t stop Trump from securing the Republican nomination.

Trump may be down, but he isn’t quite out – yet | Mary Dejevsky

After pro-Trump doxxing campaign, Georgia police investigate online threats to jurors

Sunday 20 August 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Police in Georgia are investigating online threats to members of a grand jury that voted to indict Donald Trump and 18 of the former president’s allies accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in a sprawling criminal case.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is “aware that personal information from members of the jury” has been shared across social media platforms, the agency announced on 17 August, less than three days after a sweeping charging document was unsealed.

Alex Woodward reports.

Georgia police investigating online threats to Trump grand jury

Even though Trump attacks on judges may be ‘crossing the line,’ experts say he'll avoid punishment

Sunday 20 August 2023 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In a normal criminal case, the defendant doesn’t talk to the public or openly speak about the proceedings at all. If anyone says anything public-facing, it’s the lawyer. In a normal criminal case, the defendant certainly wouldn’t appear to be trying to publicly threaten or influence the lawyers, witnesses, prosecutors, and judges at the heart of a case. And in a normal criminal case, if a defendant took the extremely ill-advised step of making such a threat, they could face jail time for contempt of court or even worse, additional criminal charges.

But Donald Trump, who is facing four serious criminal indictments across courts in four states, and seems to lash out at those involved in these prosecutions on a near-daily basis, is not a normal defendant, and he’s certainly not facing ordinary charges.

Josh Marcus reports.

Trump attacks on judges may ‘cross the line,’ but experts say he’ll avoid punishment

Check you calendars: Trump wants to go to trial in April... 2026

Sunday 20 August 2023 10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump wants his federal trial for allegedly trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election to be postponed until April 2026, according to a court filing.

Lawyers for the former president asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to push the trial back more than two years later than special counsel Jack Smith’s proposed date of January 2024.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump proposes date for trial for subverting 2020 election – in three years

In sudden twist, Trump cancels press conference to refute Georgia claims against him

Sunday 20 August 2023 08:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has abruptly cancelled his proposed news conference at which he claimed he was going to unveil a report that would clear him of any wrongdoing and charges he tried to interfere with the presidential election in Georgia.

The former president took to Truth Social on Thursday evening to say that he would not be going through with the Friday media event – scheduled for 11am est – at the advice of his lawyers.

Graeme Massie filed this report on Thursday night.

Trump cancels press conference to refute Georgia claims against him

Voices: Donald Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

Sunday 20 August 2023 05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Jay Black writes:

“They purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me”, the former President “truthed”, presumably as store-brand ketchup dripped from the walls around him, “especially the big ‘orange’ one with my chin pulled way back.”

Like most people, my initial reaction to Donald Trump’s rant was incredulity: does he think there are GOOD pictures of him?

Read on...

Trump wants Fox to stop using ‘big orange’ photos of him. It’s about more than vanity

DOJ seeks 33 years in prison for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan 6 case

Sunday 20 August 2023 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Tarrio, who once served as national chairman of the far-right extremist group, and three lieutenants were convicted by a Washington jury in May of conspiring to block the transfer of presidential power in the hopes of keeping Republican Donald Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 election.

Read more...

Justice Department seeks 33 years in prison for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan. 6 case

Experts warn Trump is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

Sunday 20 August 2023 01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump should really keep his mouth shut.

That’s the advice that experienced litigators of all stripes are giving the former president as he faces a tide of criminal investigations into his conduct both as president and during the 2016 election.

John Bowden reports.

Experts warn Trump is going to Truth Social himself into trouble

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

Saturday 19 August 2023 22:36 , Andrea Blanco

Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence.

His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Trump’s history of racist statements collides with threats of political violence

‘Karma is about to crush him’: Mobsters prosecuted by Giuliani with RICO statute are ‘thrilled’

Saturday 19 August 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The world of organised crime is reportedly “thrilled” that Trump associate Rudy Giuliani is now facing racketeering charges in Georgia. As a New York prosecutor in the 1980s, Mr Giuliani became nationally known for using so-called RICO statutes to go after members of the Mafia.

“You can quote me to say, ‘They’re f***ing thrilled,’” Murray Richman, a lawyer who has represented organised crime figures including former Lucchese crime family boss Carmine Tramunti, told The Messenger.

Josh Marcus reports.

Mobsters Giuliani prosecuted with RICO law are ‘thrilled’ at charges

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Saturday 19 August 2023 20:34 , Andrea Blanco

Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

The Independent reports:

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Trump effort to attack Biden backfires

Saturday 19 August 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s almost like you shouldn’t believe everything you read on social media...

Trump’s effort to blast Biden backfires as meme he shared was from his own presidency

‘He can’t speak, he can’t walk’: Trump says Biden’s gaffes will lead to nuclear war

Saturday 19 August 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has suggested that President Joe Biden’s frequent gaffes will lead to nuclear war.

The former president was speaking to Larry Kudlow, who worked in the Trump administration, on Fox Business Network when he returned to his often-used talking point that Mr Biden will lead America into armageddon.

Gustaf Kilander watched the interview which could give us a preview of Mr Trump’s planned sitdown with Tucker Carlson instead of participating in the GOP debate on Wednesday.

Trump says Biden’s gaffes will lead to nuclear war: ‘He can’t speak, he can’t walk’

‘Inexcusable’ attacks on judges could ‘imperil’ his cases, Trump warned

Saturday 19 August 2023 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump’s “inexcusable” online attacks on judges overseeing his legal battles could “imperil” his cases, a retired judge said.

“The former president’s comments and attacks on the federal judiciary and on the specific individual judges who will preside over his trials are unprecedented in American history,” J Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge told CNN.

“They are a grave disservice to the nation. They are inexcusable,” he continued. “And they imperil the former president himself in the defence of his actions on January 6th before the juries that will hear his case.”

Kelly Rissman reports.

Ex-federal judge warns Trump that his attacks on judges could ‘imperil’ his cases

Christie calls Trump ‘certified loser, verified coward’ after decision to skip debate

Saturday 19 August 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie didn’t hold back (as usual) in his criticism of Donald Trump, this time over his decision to not join his rivals on stage in the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election.

“Surprise, surprise… the guy who is out on bail from four jurisdictions and can’t defend his reprehensible conduct, is running scared and hiding from the debate stage,” Mr Christie wrote on X.

“Trump - certified loser, verified coward,” he added.

The former president has already been accused of skipping the debate because he is “scared of Chris Christie” as we reported earlier this week.

Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’

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