Trump praises ‘good friend’ Putin at Iowa campaign event – live

Donald Trump praised his “good friend” Vladimir Putin at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr Trump told an audience in Waterloo that the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch, while attacking Joe Biden’s “weak” leadership.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’. I can’t tell you what I told him,” Mr Trump said.

“He said ‘no way you would do that there’s no way’. I said ‘way’.”

Earlier, Mr Trump attacked CNN anchor Erin Burnett in an early morning rant hours after she compared his xenophobic remarks about migrants to Adolf Hitler.

Mr Trump had been under fire for saying immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in an interview earlier this week.

On CNN’s Outfront on Friday, Ms Burnett said that the reference to “poisoning the blood” was a phrase that was “used repeatedly by Hitler”.

In a 1.40am post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Ms Burnett was “constantly and very boringly reporting false and semi-inflammatory stories about your favorite President”.

Key Points

• Trump blabbed nuclear sub secrets to Australian billionaire member of Mar-a-Lago club, report claims

• Trump files 50-page motion to dismiss federal January 6 case citing presidential immunity

• Trump tries to have New York hush money criminal case tossed

• Trump’s outbursts outside court get attention – but may have serious consequences

• Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

• Florida rep asks Palm Beach County to tax Mar-a-Lago at Trump’s valuation

Trump’s first week in court can’t stop a trial with his business at stake

22:00 , Bevan Hurley

As he left in the middle of the third day of a trial he was voluntarily attending, Donald Trump held another one of his hallway press conferences inside a Manhattan courthouse in front of two rows of cameras staged outside the third-floor courtroom’s door.

“I’m here, stuck here, and I can’t campaign,” he said.

He wasn’t, and he could have, but after stewing in frustration from the defence table for roughly 12 hours across the first three days of a trial on allegations of fraud, he unloaded his grievances and claimed once again that the latest legal threat against him – one that could imperil his business empire – joins a far-reaching political conspiracy to keep him away from the White House.

After he left, New York Attorney General Letitita James – who sued Mr Trump, his adult sons, chief associates and business entities – told reporters that “the Donald Trump show is over”.

Alex Woodward reports from court.

Trump’s first week in court can’t stop a trial with his business at stake

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

20:59 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump praised his “good friend” Vladimir Putin during a rambling speech at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr Trump repeated one of his favourite stories to the audience in Waterloo, claiming that the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’,” Mr Trump said.

“He said, ‘No way you would do that, there’s no way’. I said, ‘Way’,” drawing a laugh from the crowd as he appeared to mimic a line from the 1992 Mike Myers comedy Wayne’s World.

Elsewhere, Mr Trump boasted of appointing the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v Wade while baselessly accusing Democrats of wanting to “execute” babies.

Full story below.

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

White House official accuses GOP senator JD Vance of ‘shameful lies’

20:30 , Bevan Hurley

A White House official has slammed Republican senator JD Vance for spreading “shameful lies” that US taxpayer dollars had funded a wave of unprecedented attacks by Palestinian militants that have claimed at least 200 Israeli lives.

Top Republicans sought to blame the Biden administration for Hamas’ deadly raids by linking it to the $6bn in frozen oil profits that were released to Iran in August for humanitarian purposes in exchange for the release of five Americans who were detained in the country.

Mr Vance, a first-term Ohio senator, repeated false claims by Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump who claimed without evidence that the US had funded the wave of attacks on Israel.

Full story below.

White House official accuses JD Vance of ‘shameful lies’ over Hamas attack

Pence accuses Trump, DeSantis and Ramaswamy of ‘appeasement’ over their isolationism

20:00 , Bevan Hurley

Mike Pence led the charge for the foreign interventionist wing of the 2024 Republican primary against their isolationist rivals this weekend as new hostilities erupted between Israel and the Hamas militants of the occupied Gaza Strip.

It was a banner weekend for that wing of the GOP, whose members among the 2024 primary field spent their hours one-upping each other with rhetoric endorsing an unmitigated Israeli response against the Palestinian militant group that launched attacks across the country.

Mr Pence made his remarks in Iowa, where he is battling for a surprise victory (or at least a decent-enough showing) in the first-in-the-nation caucuses. Calling out Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis by name, he accused them of supporting America’s retreat from a global military, diplomatic and economic footprint he argued was previously responsible for tamping down on unrest around the world.

John Bowden has the full story.

Pence accuses Trump, DeSantis and Ramaswamy of ‘appeasement’ over their isolationism

Voices: Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

19:30 , Bevan Hurley

Eric Garcia writes:

Should he become speaker, he would be the highest-ranking elected Republican in the country and every Republican would immediately be tied with him. That might give Republicans who are from swing districts pause and ultimately lead to them not choosing Mr Jordan, regardless of what Mr Trump says.

At this point, the fact the House GOP conference has a slim majority goes without explanation. But for the most part, the focus has stayed on the 15 to 20 conservatives who at any given moment could sink Mr McCarthy or Republican legislative priorities.

Fewer people realise that Republicans have about just as many Republicans from swing districts who would not want to be associated with Mr Jordan or his antics, from leading a subcommittee on the “weaponisation of the federal government,” to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to his questioning of the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in his state who sought an abortion in Indiana, to his vociferous defences of Mr Trump.

Continued...

Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Trump’s first week in court can’t stop a trial with his business at stake

19:00 , Bevan Hurley

As he left in the middle of the third day of a trial he was voluntarily attending, Donald Trump held another one of his hallway press conferences inside a Manhattan courthouse in front of two rows of cameras staged outside the third-floor courtroom’s door.

“I’m here, stuck here, and I can’t campaign,” he said.

He wasn’t, and he could have, but after stewing in frustration from the defence table for roughly 12 hours across the first three days of a trial on allegations of fraud, he unloaded his grievances and claimed once again that the latest legal threat against him – one that could imperil his business empire – joins a far-reaching political conspiracy to keep him away from the White House.

After he left, New York Attorney General Letitita James – who sued Mr Trump, his adult sons, chief associates and business entities – told reporters that “the Donald Trump show is over”.

Alex Woodward reports from court.

Trump’s first week in court can’t stop a trial with his business at stake

Mike Pence calls out GOP’s ‘retreat’ after Israel attacks

18:30 , Bevan Hurley

Mike Pence has gone after his Republican presidential primary rivals for their isolationism policies after the deadly Hamas attacks in Israel.

“This is what happens when we have leading voices like Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ron DeSantis signaling retreat from America’s role as leader of the free world. When I’m President of the United States, we’ll lead from American Strength,” Mr Pence told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.

Nikki Haley criticises Trump’s Milley remarks

18:00 , Bevan Hurley

Nikki Haley has criticised Donald Trump for calling for former Joint Chairman Chief Mark Miller to be executed for treason.

In an interview on Meet The Press, Ms Haley was asked about Mr Trump accusing the recently-retired general of going behind his back to communicate with China during the final months of his administration

“I just think it’s irresponsible. You don’t need to say things like that. Any man or woman who has served out country deserves the highest respect,” Ms Haley said.

The Republican party is in meltdown again – but this time the impact could be felt in Ukraine

17:30 , Bevan Hurley

Jon Sopel writes for The Independent:

“The story of Kevin McCarthy is the parable of the appeaser; the man who keeps feeding morsels to the crocodile hoping it will eat sufficiently well that it won’t gobble him up in its deadly jaws, but – snap – eventually it does.

“And with one sickening crunch on Tuesday afternoon the teeth of the ultra-Maga Republicans in the House of Representatives sunk into McCarthy – and he was done; well and truly chewed up and spat out by the people he’d spent nine months bowing down to, accommodating, and trying to please.

“Unlike the UK system where the speaker is essentially a kind of referee – the neutral umpire upholding the Commons’ rules – it is more instructive to think of the speaker of the House of Representatives as akin to our prime minister. You are responsible for deciding what legislation to introduce, directing what the House committees investigate – and just like the PM, the speaker is chosen by the party that holds a majority. And after the 2022 midterms that was the Republicans (with the squeakiest of majorities). McCarthy’s long-cherished dream was within sight.”

The Republican party is in meltdown again – and it could impact Kyiv | Jon Sopel

White House official accuses GOP senator JD Vance of ‘shameful lies’

17:00 , Bevan Hurley

A White House official has slammed Republican senator JD Vance for spreading “shameful lies” that US taxpayer dollars had funded a wave of unprecedented attacks by Palestinian militants that have claimed at least 200 Israeli lives.

Top Republicans sought to blame the Biden administration for Hamas’ deadly raids by linking it to the $6bn in frozen oil profits that were released to Iran in August for humanitarian purposes in exchange for the release of five Americans who were detained in the country.

Mr Vance, a first-term Ohio senator, repeated false claims by Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump who claimed without evidence that the US had funded the wave of attacks on Israel.

Full story below.

White House official accuses JD Vance of ‘shameful lies’ over Hamas attack

Trump endorses Jim Jordan for House speaker

16:30 , Bevan Hurley

Former president Donald Trump is officially backing Ohio representative Jim Jordan to succeed Kevin McCarthy as House speaker after hinting that he could accept the role for himself “if necessary”.

Mr Trump announced his support for the House judiciary committee chairman and his ally on Truth Socialon Friday at midnight, stating that he had his “complete and total endorsement”.

Full story below.

Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague

16:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump attacked CNN anchor Erin Burnett in an early morning rant hours after she compared his xenophobic remarks about migrants to Adolf Hitler.

Mr Trump came under fire for claiming that immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in an interview earlier this week, the latest in a series of unhinged statements as he faces a high-profile fraud trial in New York and four criminal indictments.

On CNN’s Outfront on Friday, Ms Burnett, during an interview with Republican Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, said that the reference to “poisoning the blood” was a phrase that was “used repeatedly by Hitler”.

Full story below

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague Erin Burnett

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

15:30 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump praised his “good friend” Vladimir Putin during a rambling speech at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr Trump repeated one of his favourite stories to the audience in Waterloo, claiming that the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’,” Mr Trump said.

“He said ‘no way you would do that, there’s no way’. I said ‘way’,” drawing a laugh from the crowd as he appeared to mimic a line from the 1992 Mike Myers comedy Wayne’s World.

Full story below.

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

Trump explains why he ‘loves Hannibal Lecter'

15:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump told a campaign rally in Iowa on Saturday that he loves Hannibal Lecter, the fictitious serial killer made famous by Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.

“Hannibal Lecter how great an actor was he. You know why I like him because he said on television ‘I love Donald Trump’ so I love him, I love him.

“He said that a long time ago and once he said that I was in his camp, I was in his camp. I don’t care if he was the worst actor, he was great to me.”

Pence rips into Trump in Iowa comments

14:25 , Bevan Hurley

Former vice president Mike Pence has gone after Donald Trump as a “voice of appeasement” after Hamas attacks in Israel killed hundreds of civilians.

In comments at a campaign event in Iowa, Mr Pence said America had retreated from the world stage in part due to the Republican Party’s isolationism.

Addressing his rivals in the GOP presidential primary, Mr Pence said “voices of appeasement like Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis that I believe have run contrary to the tradition in our party that America is the leader of the free world,” according to Politico.

He also accused President Joe Biden of “projecting weakness on the world stage” at the campaign stop in Glenwood.

Fox News host claims Democrats will put Trump supporters in ‘camps’

14:00 , Bevan Hurley

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld has claimed that Democrats plan to target Trump supporters by sending them to camps for “deprogrammming” after the 2024 election.

In a lengthy rant on The Five, Gutfeld said Maga supporters were rightly fearful because of “a group of elites that are already placing targets on people’s backs”.

His comments came after Hillary Clinton told CNN that Donald Trump’s base would need “deprogamming” from his “cult” in a wide-ranging interview about extreme polarisation.

Gutfeld claimed that Mr Trump had gone after “people in power” during his presidency, while Ms Clinton was targeting voters.

Full story below.

Fox News host claims Democrats will put Trump supporters in ‘camps’

Trump’s first week in court can’t stop a trial with his business at stake

13:00 , Bevan Hurley

As he left in the middle of the third day of a trial he was voluntarily attending, Donald Trump held another one of his hallway press conferences inside a Manhattan courthouse in front of two rows of cameras staged outside the third-floor courtroom’s door.

“I’m here, stuck here, and I can’t campaign,” he said.

He wasn’t, and he could have, but after stewing in frustration from the defence table for roughly 12 hours across the first three days of a trial on allegations of fraud, he unloaded his grievances and claimed once again that the latest legal threat against him – one that could imperil his business empire – joins a far-reaching political conspiracy to keep him away from the White House.

After he left, New York Attorney General Letitita James – who sued Mr Trump, his adult sons, chief associates and business entities – told reporters that “the Donald Trump show is over”.

Alex Woodward reports from court.

Trump’s first week in court can’t stop a trial with his business at stake

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

12:00 , Bevan Hurley

An appellate judge at the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan has blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to pause a blockbuster civil trial on fraud allegations while he continues to challenge a judge’s sweeping order that threatens to cancel his business licenses in the state.

The order issued on 6 October rejected the former president’s attempts to halt the trial, which entered its fifth day on Friday, but the judge agreed to stay a ruling that cancels his business certificates, a sanction that came in a surprise order from Judge Arthur Engoron last week finding Mr Trump liable for fraud.

Full story below.

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

He’s ‘lost the zip’ on his fastball: DeSantis takes dig at Trump’s age

11:00 , Bevan Hurley

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday took a swing at Donald Trump’s age and stamina, saying we don’t need “any more presidents” who have “lost the zip on their fastball.”

At a campaign event in his own state, the Florida governor blamed the former president for his defeat in by Joe Biden 2020 and suggested Mr Trump lacked the energy to lead the country again.

“We don’t need any more presidents that have lost the zip on their fastball,” Mr DeSantis said.

He added that the party’s nomination contest shouldn’t be a coronation, especially for “anybody that couldn’t even stop Joe Biden.”

He’s ‘lost the zip’ on his fastball: DeSantis takes dig at Trump’s age

Trump responds to accusation he shared nuclear sub secrets with Mar-a-Lago member

10:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump has posted a response to allegations he shared nuclear submarine secrets with an Australian billionaire member of Mar-a-Lago.

The former president wrote on Truth Social:

The ridiculous story put out today about me talking to a Mar-a-Lago member about U.S. Submarines, is false and ridiculous, other than the fact that I will often state that we make the best Submarines and Military Equipment anywhere in the World—A pretty well known fact! These fake stories are put out by corrupt prosecutors trying to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, and based on the polling, where I am 60 points up on Republican Candidates, and 11 points up on Crooked Joe Biden, the people of our Country aren’t buying it. With that being said, I will always promote the Greatness of America—and its Military Equipment. The alternative would be for Allies, and others, to buy from Russia, China, or elsewhere. I like creating jobs in America, which was one of my most successful achievements as President!

Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s report on the story that broke on Thursday evening:

Trump blabbed nuke sub secrets to foreigner Mar-a-Lago member, report claims

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

09:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump praised his “good friend” Vladimir Putin during a rambling speech at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr Trump repeated one of his favourite stories to the audience in Waterloo, claiming that the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’,” Mr Trump said.

“He said ‘no way you would do that, there’s no way’. I said ‘way’,” drawing a laugh from the crowd as he appeared to mimic a line from the 1992 Mike Myers comedy Wayne’s World.

Full story below.

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague

08:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump attacked CNN anchor Erin Burnett in an early morning rant hours after she compared his xenophobic remarks about migrants to Adolf Hitler.

Mr Trump came under fire for claiming that immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in an interview earlier this week, the latest in a series of unhinged statements as he faces a high-profile fraud trial in New York and four criminal indictments.

On CNN’s Outfront on Friday, Ms Burnett, during an interview with Republican Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, said that the reference to “poisoning the blood” was a phrase that was “used repeatedly by Hitler”.

Full story below

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague Erin Burnett

Fox News host claims Democrats will put Trump supporters in ‘camps’

07:00 , Bevan Hurley

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld has claimed that Democrats plan to target Trump supporters by sending them to camps for “deprogrammming” after the 2024 election.

In a lengthy rant on The Five, Gutfeld said Maga supporters were rightly fearful because of “a group of elites that are already placing targets on people’s backs”.

His comments came after Hillary Clinton told CNN that Donald Trump’s base would need “deprogamming” from his “cult” in a wide-ranging interview about extreme polarisation.

Gutfeld claimed that Mr Trump had gone after “people in power” during his presidency, while Ms Clinton was targeting voters.

Full story below.

Fox News host claims Democrats will put Trump supporters in ‘camps’

The Republican party is in meltdown again – but this time the impact could be felt in Ukraine

06:00 , Bevan Hurley

Jon Sopel writes for The Independent:

“The story of Kevin McCarthy is the parable of the appeaser; the man who keeps feeding morsels to the crocodile hoping it will eat sufficiently well that it won’t gobble him up in its deadly jaws, but – snap – eventually it does.

“And with one sickening crunch on Tuesday afternoon the teeth of the ultra-Maga Republicans in the House of Representatives sunk into McCarthy – and he was done; well and truly chewed up and spat out by the people he’d spent nine months bowing down to, accommodating, and trying to please.

“Unlike the UK system where the speaker is essentially a kind of referee – the neutral umpire upholding the Commons’ rules – it is more instructive to think of the speaker of the House of Representatives as akin to our prime minister. You are responsible for deciding what legislation to introduce, directing what the House committees investigate – and just like the PM, the speaker is chosen by the party that holds a majority. And after the 2022 midterms that was the Republicans (with the squeakiest of majorities). McCarthy’s long-cherished dream was within sight.”

The Republican party is in meltdown again – and it could impact Kyiv | Jon Sopel

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague Erin Burnett

05:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump attacked CNN anchor Erin Burnett in an early morning rant hours after she compared his xenophobic remarks about migrants to Adolf Hitler.

Mr Trump came under fire for claiming that immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in an interview earlier this week, the latest in a series of unhinged statements as he faces a high-profile fraud trial in New York and four criminal indictments.

On CNN’s Outfront on Friday, Ms Burnett, during an interview with Republican Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, said that the reference to “poisoning the blood” was a phrase that was “used repeatedly by Hitler”.

In a 1.40am post on Truth Social, Mr Trump ripped into Ms Burnett for “constantly and very boringly reporting false and semi-inflammatory stories about your favorite President”.

Recalling his past life as a reality TV presenter, Mr Trump claimed that the CNN anchor “used to call me, over and over again, in my prior, beautiful, and very simple life”, to try to get on The Apprentice.

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague Erin Burnett

Trump endorses Jim Jordan for House speaker

04:00 , Bevan Hurley

Former president Donald Trump is officially backing Ohio representative Jim Jordan to succeed Kevin McCarthy as House speaker after hinting that he could accept the role for himself “if necessary”.

Mr Trump announced his support for the House judiciary committee chairman and his ally on Truth Socialon Friday at midnight, stating that he had his “complete and total endorsement”.

Read more:

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

03:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump praised his “good friend” Vladimir Putin during a rambling speech at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr Trump repeated one of his favourite stories to the audience in Waterloo, claiming that the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’,” Mr Trump said.

“He said ‘no way you would do that, there’s no way’. I said ‘way’,” drawing a laugh from the crowd as he appeared to mimic a line from the 1992 Mike Myers comedy Wayne’s World.

Full story below.

Trump gets laugh at rally with Wayne’s World joke about his ‘good friend’ Putin

Trump responds to accusation he shared nuclear sub secrets with Mar-a-Lago member

02:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump has posted a response to allegations he shared nuclear submarine secrets with an Australian billionaire member of Mar-a-Lago.

The former president wrote on Truth Social:

The ridiculous story put out today about me talking to a Mar-a-Lago member about U.S. Submarines, is false and ridiculous, other than the fact that I will often state that we make the best Submarines and Military Equipment anywhere in the World—A pretty well known fact! These fake stories are put out by corrupt prosecutors trying to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, and based on the polling, where I am 60 points up on Republican Candidates, and 11 points up on Crooked Joe Biden, the people of our Country aren’t buying it. With that being said, I will always promote the Greatness of America—and its Military Equipment. The alternative would be for Allies, and others, to buy from Russia, China, or elsewhere. I like creating jobs in America, which was one of my most successful achievements as President!

Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s report on the story that broke on Thursday evening:

Trump blabbed nuke sub secrets to foreigner Mar-a-Lago member, report claims

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

01:00 , Bevan Hurley

A judge at the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan has blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to pause a blockbuster civil trial on fraud allegations while he continues to challenge a judge’s sweeping order that threatens to cancel his business licenses in the state.

The order issued on 6 October rejected the former president’s attempts to halt the trial, which entered its fifth day on Friday, but the judge agreed to stay a ruling that cancels his business certificates, a sanction that came in a surprise order from Judge Arthur Engoron last week finding Mr Trump liable for fraud.

Full story below.

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

Voices: Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Sunday 8 October 2023 00:00 , Bevan Hurley

Eric Garcia writes:

Should he become speaker, he would be the highest-ranking elected Republican in the country and every Republican would immediately be tied with him. That might give Republicans who are from swing districts pause and ultimately lead to them not choosing Mr Jordan, regardless of what Mr Trump says.

At this point, the fact the House GOP conference has a slim majority goes without explanation. But for the most part, the focus has stayed on the 15 to 20 conservatives who at any given moment could sink Mr McCarthy or Republican legislative priorities.

Fewer people realise that Republicans have about just as many Republicans from swing districts who would not want to be associated with Mr Jordan or his antics, from leading a subcommittee on the “weaponisation of the federal government,” to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to his questioning of the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in his state who sought an abortion in Indiana, to his vociferous defences of Mr Trump.

Continued...

Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Picture: Trump holds campaign rally in Iowa

Saturday 7 October 2023 23:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump praised his “good friend” Vladimir Putin at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr Trump told an audience in Waterloo that the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch, while attacking Joe Biden’s “weak” leadership.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’. I can’t tell you what I told him,” Mr Trump said.

“He said ‘no way you would do that there’s no way’. I said ‘way’.”

Mr Trump played up his support for farmers during his speech to the gathered faithful in Waterloo. He held a second campaign event in Cedar Rapids on Saturday afternoon.

White House official accuses GOP senator JD Vance of ‘shameful lies’ after he blamed Biden for Hamas attack

Saturday 7 October 2023 22:15 , Bevan Hurley

JD Vance echoed a baseless attack by Donald Trump accusing the Biden administration of funding Hamas after US reached deal with Iran to release frozen oil money in exchange for US prisoners.

“As we watch this horrible situation in Israel unfold, Americans must face a stark truth: our tax dollars funded this,” Mr Vance wrote on X/Twitter.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates responded by accusing the senator of fuelling misinformation.

Mr Bates wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that no taxpayer money was involved in the Iran deal, none of the $6bn had been spent yet, and that the funds could only be used by private actors to “provably buy food and medicine”.

Earlier, GOP presidential frontrunner Mr Trump claimed that “American taxpayer dollars (had) helped fund these attacks” in a statement.

Trump says he has a better body than Biden

Saturday 7 October 2023 21:52 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump boasted of having a better physique than Joe Biden during a campaign rally in Iowa on Saturday.

“I have a much better body than him,” Mr Trump said at the event in Waterloo.

“But I’m not sure I want to expose it.”

Trump due to hold second campaign event in Cedar Rapids

Saturday 7 October 2023 21:14 , Bevan Hurley

Mr Trump is now heading to Cedar Rapids for his second campaign event in Iowa on Saturday.

Trump repeats false claim that US taxpayer money funded Hamas attack

Saturday 7 October 2023 21:05 , Bevan Hurley

Mr Trump has just wrapped up his campaign event in Waterloo.

In a rambling speech, he repeated bogus claims that US taxpayer money had funded Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel.

“We agreed to free up $6bn, that is an absolute disaster. I would not be at all surprised if part of that tremendous wealth that they just accumulated went into this level of aggression.”

He later asked the crowd: “Does anyone know what a billion is?”

Trump calls NY Attorney General ‘evil'

Saturday 7 October 2023 20:52 , Bevan Hurley

Mr Trump is hitting some familiar themes in a rambling speech in Iowa.

He repeated his attacks New York Attorney General Letitia James, describing her as an “evil” person.

“She goes after Trump, but she doesn’t go after murderers.”

Mr Trump is being sued by Ms James in New York for fraudulently inflating the values of his businesses for insurance and bank loans.

Trump baselessly claims Democrats want to ‘execute’ babies

Saturday 7 October 2023 20:45 , Bevan Hurley

Mr Trump is boasting about appointing the three Supreme Court justices that voted to overturn Roe vs Wade.

He baselessly claims that Democrats wanted to “execute” babies if the mother doesn’t want it after its born.

Trump says he told his ‘good friend’ Vladimir Putin not to attack Ukraine

Saturday 7 October 2023 20:41 , Bevan Hurley

Trump told the audience in Iowa that he had told his “good friend” Vladimir Putin not to invade Ukraine.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, you and I are friends. We’re good friends. But if you go in, we’re gonna hit real hard’. I can’t tell you what I told him,” Mr Trump said.

“He said ‘no way you would do that there’s no way’. I said ‘way’.”

Trump slams Biden for resuming construction on border wall

Saturday 7 October 2023 20:34 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden for resuming construction of a wall on the southern border during a campaign speech in Iowa on Saturday.

“Now, he said let’s go out and build a wall. You believe this guy?” Mr Trump said in a speech to GOP primary voters.

“When foreign countries watch all of this they can’t believe it. The stupidity of Afghanistan is one of the reasons that Putin went in (to Ukraine), and that China is so aggressive all of a sudden.”

Trump is speaking at a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa

Saturday 7 October 2023 20:26 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump has taken the stage at a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, as he seeks to shore up support in the Republican presidential primary.

Mr Trump has taken aim at Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis while boasting about his assistance for farmers during his first term.

Addressing the Hamas attacks on Israel, Mr Trump said: “The Israeli attack was made because we are perceived as being weak and ineffective and with a really weak leader.”

The Republican party is in meltdown again – but this time the impact could be felt in Ukraine

Saturday 7 October 2023 20:05 , Bevan Hurley

Jon Sopel writes for The Independent:

“The story of Kevin McCarthy is the parable of the appeaser; the man who keeps feeding morsels to the crocodile hoping it will eat sufficiently well that it won’t gobble him up in its deadly jaws, but – snap – eventually it does.

“And with one sickening crunch on Tuesday afternoon the teeth of the ultra-Maga Republicans in the House of Representatives sunk into McCarthy – and he was done; well and truly chewed up and spat out by the people he’d spent nine months bowing down to, accommodating, and trying to please.

“Unlike the UK system where the speaker is essentially a kind of referee – the neutral umpire upholding the Commons’ rules – it is more instructive to think of the speaker of the House of Representatives as akin to our prime minister. You are responsible for deciding what legislation to introduce, directing what the House committees investigate – and just like the PM, the speaker is chosen by the party that holds a majority. And after the 2022 midterms that was the Republicans (with the squeakiest of majorities). McCarthy’s long-cherished dream was within sight.”

The Republican party is in meltdown again – and it could impact Kyiv | Jon Sopel

Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

Saturday 7 October 2023 19:45 , Bevan Hurley

Former president Donald Trump has officially backed Ohio representative Jim Jordan to succeed Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, after hinting that he might accept the role for himself “if necessary”.

Mr Trump announced his support for the House judiciary committee chairman and his ally on Truth Social on Friday at midnight, stating that Mr Jordan had his “complete and total endorsement”.

“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, DC, representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

Saturday 7 October 2023 19:15 , Bevan Hurley

An appellate judge at the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan has blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to pause a blockbuster civil trial on fraud allegations while he continues to challenge a judge’s sweeping order that threatens to cancel his business licenses in the state.

The order issued on 6 October rejected the former president’s attempts to halt the trial, which entered its fifth day on Friday, but the judge agreed to stay a ruling that cancels his business certificates, a sanction that came in a surprise order from Judge Arthur Engoron last week finding Mr Trump liable for fraud.

Full story below.

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

Who is Anthony Pratt?

Saturday 7 October 2023 18:45 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump is alleged to have shared sensitive nuclear information with Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, who reportedly then shared the details with several former Australian prime ministers.

The former president is claiming that he never disclosed highly classified information about American nuclear-powered submarines and their weaponry to the wealthy Australian who pays for a membership at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago social club.

Mr Pratt is the chair of paper and packaging giants Visy and Pratt Industries, with the former firm being the foundation of the family’s wealth after decades of work by Mr Pratt’s father Richard Pratt, who passed away in 2009, leaving his son in charge.

Full story below

Who is Anthony Pratt? Trump alleged to have told Australian sensitive information

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague

Saturday 7 October 2023 18:15 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump attacked CNN anchor Erin Burnett in an early morning rant hours after she compared his xenophobic remarks about migrants to Adolf Hitler.

Mr Trump came under fire for claiming that immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in an interview earlier this week, the latest in a series of unhinged statements as he faces a high-profile fraud trial in New York and four criminal indictments.

On CNN’s Outfront on Friday, Ms Burnett, during an interview with Republican Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, said that the reference to “poisoning the blood” was a phrase that was “used repeatedly by Hitler”.

Full story below

Trump rants about CNN anchor and ex-Apprentice colleague Erin Burnett

Trump says Israel has 'every right to defend itself with overwhelming force’

Saturday 7 October 2023 17:45 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump has called the ongoing Hamas attacks on Israel a “disgrace”.

In a statement, the former president said that Israel “has every right to defend itself with overwhelming force.”

“Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration,” Mr Trump said, without providing any evidence of the claims.

“We brought so much peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, only to see Biden whittle it away at a far more rapid pace than anyone thought possible. Here we go again,” he added.

Fox News host claims Democrats will put Trump supporters in ‘camps’

Saturday 7 October 2023 17:15 , Bevan Hurley

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld has claimed that Democrats plan to target Trump supporters by sending them to camps for “deprogrammming” after the 2024 election.

In a lengthy rant on The Five, Gutfeld said Maga supporters were rightly fearful because of “a group of elites that are already placing targets on people’s backs”.

His comments came after Hillary Clinton told CNN that Donald Trump’s base would need “deprogamming” from his “cult” in a wide-ranging interview about extreme polarisation.

Gutfeld claimed that Mr Trump had gone after “people in power” during his presidency, while Ms Clinton was targeting voters.

Full story below.

Fox News host claims Democrats will put Trump supporters in ‘camps’

A conservative hellraiser in the House, now Jim Jordan is Trump’s top choice for speaker

Saturday 7 October 2023 16:45 , Bevan Hurley

Once called a ‘legislative terrorist’ who helped Trump try to overturn the 2020 election, Jim Jordan is now an odds-on favourite to replace Kevin McCarthy.

Eric Garcia filed this profile of the Ohio Republican for The Independent.

Who is Jim Jordan, the conservative hellraiser and Donald Trump’s choice for speaker

Trump to appear at Iowa rallies on Saturday

Saturday 7 October 2023 16:15 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump will appear at two campaign events in Iowa on Saturday as he tries to shore up support in the leadoff caucus state.

Mr Trump is expected to hold rallies in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, the Associated Press reported.

Caucuses are scheduled to be held in Iowa on 15 January.

Trump rants about CNN anchor

Saturday 7 October 2023 15:30 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump attacked CNN host Erin Burnett in an early morning post on Truth Social on Saturday.

In a 1.40am post, Mr Trump described Ms Burnett as a “ratings challenged” host who was “constantly and very boringly reporting false and semi-inflammatory stories about your favorite President”.

He accused the longtime CNN anchor of constantly calling him to ask to appear on The Apprentice in his “prior, beautiful, and very simple life”.

“The fact is she was not smart, and very boring, much like she is today on her soon to be canceled (???) show - put it to sleep! Anyway, just sayin’.”

Trump’s New York civil fraud trial: What happened in court on Friday?

Saturday 7 October 2023 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

With Donald Trump not present in the Lower Manhattan courthouse, the media circus has largely moved on from the civil fraud case brought against the former president, his sons, his associates, and his eponymous company. Nevertheless, the case continues.

On the stand on Friday morning was former Trump Organization controller and co-defendant Jeffrey McConney​ for his second day of testimony.

Andrew Amer, counsel for the attorney general, questioned Mr McConney who was involved in the year-to-year valuation of Trump’s assets — mostly real estate — and who supervised the preparation and approved the information given to Mazars, the accountants.

Mazars then prepared the “statements of financial condition” provided to banks and insurers with whom Mr Trum was doing business.

The prosecution says Mr McConney was key in vastly overvaluing Trump properties using a number of techniques.

For example, Seven Springs, the Westchester County estate owned by Trump was appraised and valued at $30m in 2006, but in the financial statements from 2011 onwards it was valued as high as $291m.

“Is it correct that you included in your valuation for some of the golf clubs starting in 2013, a 30 per cent brand premium?” Mr Amer asks, to which Mr McConney replies in the affirmative.

He confirms this was decided by him and co-defendant Allen Weisselberg and they later increased the premium to 50 per cent.

The pair decided that the property and others had “brand premium” meaning that they could say they are worth more because Trump is Trump.

Later, the questioning moved on to Mar-a-Lago. A chart shows that in 2011 it was valued by Mr McConney at $426.5m and then after the Trump presidency in 2021 at $612.1m.

According to the New York attorney general’s office, the property is worth much less as it has restrictions on its use — it can only be used as a social club, and not as a private residence. This would significantly impact the valuation, but the Trump Organization was valuing it as if there were no restrictions.

Mr McConney says he wasn’t aware of the restrictions at the time, however, Mr Amer introduced a 2007 appraisal of Mar-a-Lago into evidence that included a 2002 deed which outlines the restrictions.

The defendant admitted he had the 2007 appraisal in his possession but still valued it as if it were a private resident.

Changing tack, Mr Amer asks if Allen Weisselberg — Mr McConney’s boss at the time — had asked him to assist him in committing fraud, to which the defendant said no.

Mr Amer then brings up a transcript of his testimony from the Trump Organization criminal trial, in which Mr McConney admits processing a payroll check for Mr Weisselberg’s wife so she could get social security benefits, which he knew to be illegal.

Asked if he had aided Mr Weisselberg in illegal acts because he was afraid of getting fired if he did not, Mr McConney replies: “Correct”.

Voices: Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Saturday 7 October 2023 13:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Should he become speaker, he would be the highest-ranking elected Republican in the country and every Republican would immediately be tied with him. That might give Republicans who are from swing districts pause and ultimately lead to them not choosing Mr Jordan, regardless of what Mr Trump says.

At this point, the fact the House GOP conference has a slim majority goes without explanation. But for the most part, the focus has stayed on the 15 to 20 conservatives who at any given moment could sink Mr McCarthy or Republican legislative priorities.

Fewer people realise that Republicans have about just as many Republicans from swing districts who would not want to be associated with Mr Jordan or his antics, from leading a subcommittee on the “weaponisation of the federal government,” to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to his questioning of the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in his state who sought an abortion in Indiana, to his vociferous defences of Mr Trump.

Continued...

Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

Saturday 7 October 2023 22:55 , Bevan Hurley

Former president Donald Trump has officially backed Ohio representative Jim Jordan to succeed Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, after hinting that he might accept the role for himself “if necessary”.

Mr Trump announced his support for the House judiciary committee chairman and his ally on Truth Social on Friday at midnight, stating that Mr Jordan had his “complete and total endorsement”.

“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, DC, representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

DeSantis takes dig at Trump’s age

Saturday 7 October 2023 11:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Martha McHardy reports:

“We don’t need any more presidents that have lost the zip on their fastball,” Mr DeSantis said.

He added that the party’s nomination contest shouldn’t be a coronation, especially for “anybody that couldn’t even stop Joe Biden.”

Mr DeSantis also used the event as an opportunity to undercut ongoing lies from the former president and his supporters that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

He said in 2020, people were “voting against Trump.”

“Let’s just be honest, he energised Democrats,” said Mr DeSantis. “You could have John Kennedy walk through the door right now and he wouldn’t energise Democrats as much as Donald Trump does.”

Read more...

[Editorial note for UK readers: It’s a baseball term, and it’s not good.]

A conservative hellraiser in the House, now Jim Jordan is Trump’s top choice for speaker

Saturday 7 October 2023 10:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Once called a ‘legislative terrorist’ who helped Trump try to overturn the 2020 election, Jim Jordan is now an odds-on favourite to replace Kevin McCarthy.

Eric Garcia filed this profile of the Ohio Republican for The Independent.

Who is Jim Jordan, the conservative hellraiser and Donald Trump’s choice for speaker

Voices: Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Saturday 7 October 2023 22:51 , Bevan Hurley

Eric Garcia writes:

Should he become speaker, he would be the highest-ranking elected Republican in the country and every Republican would immediately be tied with him. That might give Republicans who are from swing districts pause and ultimately lead to them not choosing Mr Jordan, regardless of what Mr Trump says.

At this point, the fact the House GOP conference has a slim majority goes without explanation. But for the most part, the focus has stayed on the 15 to 20 conservatives who at any given moment could sink Mr McCarthy or Republican legislative priorities.

Fewer people realise that Republicans have about just as many Republicans from swing districts who would not want to be associated with Mr Jordan or his antics, from leading a subcommittee on the “weaponisation of the federal government,” to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to his questioning of the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in his state who sought an abortion in Indiana, to his vociferous defences of Mr Trump.

Continued...

Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Nikki Haley rises in polls to become Trump’s top GOP rival

Saturday 7 October 2023 09:50 , Graig Graziosi

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s bid for the Republican nomination just got a little more real – she’s beating Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the polls for the first time.

Mr DeSantis and Donald Trump have been the only two names to pull significant numbers in polling since the Republican presidential primary began. While Mr Trump commands a significant lead over Mr DeSantis, the Florida governor was still the clear favorite among candidates who sought to challenge the former president.

For a short time, the party seemed to be warming to anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, but polling has cooled, and likely due in no small part to the lashing he received at the hands of Ms Haley.

Continued...

Nikki Haley emerges as Trump’s top GOP rival in new poll

Giuliani has failed to pay nearly $550,000 in taxes, IRS reveals

Saturday 7 October 2023 08:50 , Kelly Rissman

Rudy Giuliani’s home in Palm Beach, Florida, has been placed under a federal tax lien by the IRS, as the former mayor owes over half a million dollars in unpaid taxes, records reveal.

The notice of a federal tax lien — in the amount of $549,435.26 — was filed on 1 September, according to Palm Beach County records. Mr Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, reacted to the reports by saying: “Mayor Giuliani is suing Joe Biden for defamation, and I get asked about a potential tax issue. You just can’t make this stuff up.”

He later told CNN: “Giuliani, through his accountant, has a formal agreement with the IRS to pay off the liability.”

Palm Beach County Property Appraiser records show Mr Giuliani’s Palm Beach condo to have a value of more than $3m.

The lien placed on his Palm Beach property is the latest indicator that the man once known as “America’s Mayor” is swamped in financial troubles amid a series of legal battles.

Read the full story.

Florida congressman asks Palm Beach County to tax Mar-a-Lago at Trump’s valuation

Saturday 7 October 2023 07:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic Rep Jared Moskowitz has written to Palm Beach officials regarding the valuation of Donald Trump’s home and private members’ club, Mar-a-Lago.

He is calling for an increase in taxes on the former president’s home after Mr Trump and his family became publicly incensed at its supposed valuation in the New York fraud trial that began this week.

The Florida lawmaker represents the state’s 23rd congressional district, which consists of a major part of Broward County and southern Palm Beach County and is adjacent to the 21st district, home to Mar-a-Lago.

According to court documents, the property — sometimes called the Winter White House and owned by Mr Trump since 1985 when he bought it for under $10m — is now worth between $18m to $28m, according to real estate experts.

“Donald Trump & his family have argued all week in his fraud trial that Mar-a-Lago is actually worth a billion dollars, even though its taxable value is listed as $18 million,” Mr Moskowitz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“So I wrote to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser that it’s time for Trump to pay more in taxes.”

Florida rep asks Palm Beach County to tax Mar-a-Lago at value claimed by Trump

Trump followers need ‘deprogamming from his cult’, says Hillary Clinton

Saturday 7 October 2023 06:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Hillary Clinton ripped into Donald Trump on Thursday, saying that his supporters need “deprogamming” from his “cult”.

In an interview with CNN, the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee discussed the polarisation in the Republican party and the recent threat of a government shutdown.

She said that “clearly” there were some Republicans with common sense who voted with Democrats to keep the government open.

But those Republican congress members are “intimidated” by Mr Trump’s MAGA extremism, she said.

Martha McHardy has the story.

Hillary Clinton says Trump followers need ‘deprogamming from his cult’

Hard times for MyPillow CEO as lawyers quit Dominion case en masse

Saturday 7 October 2023 05:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Lawyers representing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell in three separate defamation cases are set to sever ties with the 2020 election denier over millions of dollars in unpaid legal fees.

Law firm Parker Daniels Kibort LLC said in new court filings that Mr Lindell and his pillow company are several months behind on their legal bills in the three cases.

Now, the lawyers claim they can no longer afford to represent the notorious Donald Trump supporter in the absence of any payment.

“At this time, Defendants are in arrears by millions of dollars to PDK,” the filing said.

“PDK is a small litigation and trial firm in Minneapolis, MN and cannot afford to finance Defendants’ defense in the Litigations.”

Read the full story.

MAGA firebrand Jim Jordan wins Trump endorsement for House speaker

Saturday 7 October 2023 04:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump has officially backed Ohio representative Jim Jordan to succeed Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, after hinting that he might accept the role for himself “if necessary”.

Mr Trump announced his support for the House judiciary committee chairman and his ally on Truth Social on Friday at midnight, stating that Mr Jordan had his “complete and total endorsement”.

“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, DC, representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

“He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”

Read more...

Trump endorses MAGA Republican Jim Jordan for House speaker

Earlier: Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

Saturday 7 October 2023 03:50 , Oliver O'Connell

An appellate judge at the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan has blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to pause a blockbuster civil trial on fraud allegations while he continues to challenge a judge’s sweeping order that threatens to cancel his business licenses in the state.

The order issued on 6 October rejected the former president’s attempts to halt the trial, which entered its fifth day on Friday, but the judge agreed to stay a ruling that cancels his business certificates, a sanction that came in a surprise order from Judge Arthur Engoron last week finding Mr Trump liable for fraud.

By cancelling business certificates in New York held by the former president and his co-defendants — his sons, associates, and the Trump Organization — Judge Engoron effectively directed that those companies be dissolved by the end of October.

Justice Peter Moulton said at the outset of oral arguments on Friday afternoon that he was unlikely to halt the trial.

Trump’s attempt to halt New York fraud trial denied by appeals judge

Trump ‘temporarily’ drops $500m case against Michael Cohen

Saturday 7 October 2023 02:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has decided to temporarily drop his $500m lawsuit against his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen.

A spokesperson for the former US president confirmed the decision to drop the case on Thursday, although Mr Trump has not waived his right to sue again.

This move comes as Mr Cohen has become a key witness in a criminal case against the one-time president.

The lawsuit was originally filed in response to Mr Cohen’s public statements about hush-money payments made to women during Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Stuti Mishra reports.

Trump’s Georgia codefendant Ken Chesebro wants case tossed over paperwork error

Saturday 7 October 2023 01:50 , Oliver O'Connell

An attorney for Donald Trump is hoping a Hail Mary legal maneuver will allow him to escape criminal charges stemming from the Trump team’s effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Kenneth Chesebro, one of several former attorneys for Mr Trump charged by Fulton County prosecutors with breaking the law as part of that effort, has filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him based on a technical error — the apparent failure of one of the special prosecutors on the case to go through an official swearing-in process before they began work for the prosecution.

It’s an error that one Georgia legal expert noted to ABC News will likely be a meaningless factor in the case, given that the state’s Supreme Court has ruled that such an error would not invalidate the entire indictment against Mr Chesebro or any of Mr Trump’s other codefendants.

Nevertheless, it’s a sign of the desperation that many of Mr Trump’s allies are feeling as the criminal proceedings against them have grown exponentially more tangible in the past few months. The legal fees are already putting serious strain on a number of the former president’s inner circle, including others charged in the Georgia case such as Rudy Giuliani.

Sidney Powell, another Trump attorney and Georgia codefendant, sought unsuccessfully to have her case dismissed on Thursday.

Read on...

Trump’s Georgia codefendant wants case tossed over paperwork error

Full story: Trump claims ‘presidential immunity’ in Jan 6 election subversion case

Saturday 7 October 2023 00:50 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump’s legal team is attempting to have his federal election subversion case dismissed in a Washington DC federal court on the basis of presidential immunity, arguing that all of his actions were within the “outer perimeter” of his work as the top public official in the US.

“The acts alleged in the indictment lie firmly within the ‘outer perimeter’ of the President’s official responsibility. Therefore, they cannot form the basis of criminal charges against President Trump,” the lawyers wrote in the motion to dismiss filed on Thursday.

The former president has pleaded not guilty to four counts in the case brought by the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith, including conspiring to defraud the United States and to obstruct an official proceeding.

Read more...

ICYMI: Trump denies sharing classified submarine details with Mar-a-Lago member

Saturday 7 October 2023 00:50 , Andrew Feinberg

Former president Donald Trump is claiming that he never disclosed highly classified information about American nuclear-powered submarines and their weaponry to a wealthy Australian who pays for a membership at the ex-president’s Mar-a-Lago social club.

Mr Trump, who in June was charged with multiple counts of unlawful retention of national defence information, conspiracy and obstruction of justice for allegedly hoarding highly classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida property, allegedly shared the information about US nuclear-powered submarines — typically considered among the US Navy’s most highly-guarded secrets, with an Aussie billionaire called Anthony Pratt.

According to ABC News, Mr Pratt reportedly shared the same information with “scores” of other people not authorised to have it, including “more than a dozen foreign officials” and journalists of unknown nationality.

Continued...

Trump denies sharing classified submarine details with Mar-a-Lago member

Legal experts divided over whether Trump can be banned from 2024 presidential race

Friday 6 October 2023 23:50 , John Bowden

As Donald Trump looks increasingly likely to be the 2024 Republican nominee for president, it continues to look more and more plausible that there could be a serious effort to keep him off the ballot entirely.

Following his presidency ending in a bloody battle on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump remains the de facto leader of the Republican Party, at least among its primary voting electorate.

Recent polls show the ex-president supported by as many as six in 10 of GOP primary voters nationally, while he also continues to hold commanding leads in early primary and caucus states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

But winning a primary election is one thing; winning a general election is another. And as Mr Trump consolidates his support within the GOP, some politicians and constitutional law experts alike are growing more vocal about the possibility of simply denying the Republican Party’s candidate from appearing on the ballot next November at all.

Can Trump be banned from 2024 race? Legal experts explain 14th amendment arguments

Voices: Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Friday 6 October 2023 23:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Should he become speaker, he would be the highest-ranking elected Republican in the country and every Republican would immediately be tied with him. That might give Republicans who are from swing districts pause and ultimately lead to them not choosing Mr Jordan, regardless of what Mr Trump says.

At this point, the fact the House GOP conference has a slim majority goes without explanation. But for the most part, the focus has stayed on the 15 to 20 conservatives who at any given moment could sink Mr McCarthy or Republican legislative priorities.

Fewer people realise that Republicans have about just as many Republicans from swing districts who would not want to be associated with Mr Jordan or his antics, from leading a subcommittee on the “weaponisation of the federal government,” to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to his questioning of the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in his state who sought an abortion in Indiana, to his vociferous defences of Mr Trump.

Continued...

Would a Speaker Jim Jordan doom the House GOP majority?

Who is Anthony Pratt, who Trump allegedly told secrets?

Friday 6 October 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is alleged to have shared sensitive nuclear information with Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, who reportedly then shared the details with several former Australian prime ministers.

The former president is claiming that he never disclosed highly classified information about American nuclear-powered submarines and their weaponry to the wealthy Australian who pays for a membership at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago social club.

The workings of the nuclear-powered submarines are typically considered among the US Navy’s most highly-guarded secrets.

Read more...

Who is Anthony Pratt? Trump alleged to have told Australian sensitive information