Trump news – live: Ex-Trump press secretary says she saw him show documents to Mar-a-Lago guests
Former Trump administration press secretary Stephanie Grisham has claimed that she saw Donald Trump showing off documents to guests at Mar-a-Lago, as she slammed his lack of respect for the nation’s secrets.
“I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio,” Ms Grisham told MSNBC.
“He has no respect for classified information [and] never did.”
Her comments come after the former president was charged with 37 felonies last month over his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House.
While his legal troubles are heating up, a conservative billionaire network is reportedly working to ensure he doesn’t win the 2024 Republican primary, according to a new report.
Americans for Prosperity Action, a network of political organisations created by Charles and David Koch, will spend money for the first time on the Republican presidential primary. It has already raised more than $70million to fund races that officials hope will help the Republican party move past Mr Trump, according to The New York Times.
Key Points
Exclusive — Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Trump makes Georgia probe prediction in latest grievance-laden rant
Ex-Trump aide reportedly joins Giuliani in cooperating with special counsel
Trump’s latest defence in the classified documents case: ‘Bravado’
CNN plays tape of Trump appearing to show off military documents that he says are still classified
Ex-Trump press secretary says she watched him show documents to guests at Mar-a-Lago
09:40 , Rachel Sharp
Former Trump administration press secretary Stephanie Grisham has claimed that she saw Donald Trump showing off documents to guests at Mar-a-Lago, as she slammed his lack of respect for the nation’s secrets.
“I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio,” Ms Grisham told MSNBC.
“He has no respect for classified information [and] never did.”
Her comments come after the former president was charged with 37 felonies last month over his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House.
.@glennkirschner2 .@CheriJacobus .@BadBradRSR .@PamKeithFL .@MalcolmNance Do you think it's plausible that Trump showed classified docs to unauthorized people? "The short answer is yes, he never had respect for classified information." - Stephanie Grisham pic.twitter.com/71Ui7EoOxG
— ChattJazz 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 ☮️ 🌻 (@ChattJazz) July 1, 2023
‘Weird apocalyptic’ campaign video earns Trump more mockery
08:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has been mocked for a bizarre, black and white campaign video where he gives a “weird apocalyptic” message about taking the country back in 2024.
Click through to watch:
Trump mocked for ‘weird apocalyptic’ campaign video
Ex-Trump aide reportedly joins Giuliani in cooperating with special counsel
06:15 , Oliver O'Connell
A former Trump campaign aide has joined Rudy Guiliani in cooperating with the special counsel in the Department of Justice’s2020 election probe, according to a new report.
Mike Roman, a senior adviser on Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign in charge of Election Day operations, is cooperating with federal prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith in the criminal investigation reviewing the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to CNN.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Ex-Trump aide joins Giuliani in cooperating with special counsel in election probe
Trump loses bid to throw out E Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit
03:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has lost his bid to throw out the first defamation lawsuit brought against him by E Jean Carroll.
On Thursday, US district judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan rejected the former president’s claims that he had absolute presidential immunity from the civil case, paving the way for the magazine columnist to pursue around $10m in damages from him.
Rachel Sharp reports.
Trump loses bid to throw out E Jean Carroll lawsuit
Angry onlookers shout ‘dog killer’ at George Santos
01:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Angry protesters called congressman George Santos a “dog killer” on Friday as the Republican made an appearance at a Long Island federal court house, his first hearing since pleading not guilty last month to a 13-count indictment related to fraud and money laundering charges.
Josh Marcus reports.
Onlookers shout ‘dog killer’ at George Santos as he arrives for fraud hearing
ICYMI: SCOTUS strikes down Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts
Sunday 2 July 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The US Supreme Court has struck down President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts for millions of Americans, reversing his campaign-trail promise as borrowers prepare to resume payments this summer.
Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the 6-3 decision from the court’s conservative majority on 30 June.
Alex Woodward filed this report:
Supreme Court strikes down Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts
DeSantis hits back at Trump disloyalty claim
Sunday 2 July 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday hit back at former president Donald Trump’s allegation that the Sunshine State executive is betraying him by mounting a presidential campaign of his own during an appearance on Fox News.
Mr DeSantis, who currently trails the twice-impeached, twice-indicted ex-president by a wide margin in most polls of likely GOP primary voters, told Fox host Jesse Watters that no politician — even a former president such as Mr Trump — is entitled to support from anyone after Watters raised Mr Trump’s criticisms during a televised interview.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
DeSantis hits back at Trump disloyalty claim: ‘Politicians have to earn support’
The ‘fake’ gay marriage case in the middle of the Supreme Court’s latest threat to LGBT+ rights
Sunday 2 July 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes about how a crucial piece of evidence in the case appears to have been fabricated.
A man who is named throughout the case, and whose phone number and email address were attached in court filings, claims he has nothing to do with it.
The ‘fake’ gay marriage case in the Supreme Court’s latest threat to LGBT+ rights
Republicans are planning a national abortion ban says senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood warns
Sunday 2 July 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell
When a draft of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade leaked in May of last year, US Senator Tina Smith had only three words.
“This is bulls***,” the Minnesota Democrat tweeted. She had similar words when Walgreens announced in March of this year it would not dispense abortion pills in states where abortion remained legal.
She spoke with Eric Garcia of The Independent.
Senator who worked at Planned Parenthood warns of an abortion ban if the GOP wins
Koch to fund Trump’s primary opponents
Sunday 2 July 2023 15:55 , Graig Graziosi
The network of political organisations established by brothers Charles and David Koch will continue to fund conservative causes — so long as they aren’t backing Donald Trump.
The Kochs’ network, Americans for Prosperity Action, is reportedly funding candidates that will help the Republican party move past Mr Trump, a spokesperson told The New York Times.
The network has already raised more than $70m.
This will be the first year the network will take on a primary race, with the group’s intent reportedly aimed at stopping Mr Trump — the clear Republican front-runner — from winning the primary. The Times reports that a top official in the network, Emily Seidel, wrote to the group’s donors that it was time to “have a president in 2025 who represents a new chapter.”
Despite recent rulings, Biden says it would be ‘a mistake’ to expand Supreme Court
Sunday 2 July 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden has said it would be a mistake to expand the Supreme Court, despite its recent rulings against affirmative action in higher education, LGBT+ rights, and student loan debt forgiveness.
The high court overturned decades of policies when it ruled this week that race-based admissions were not constitutional, preventing universities from considering race as a factor in student applications.
Read more...
Biden says expanding Supreme Court would be ‘mistake’, despite recent rulings
RFK Jr says he is ‘proud’ to have Trump’s praise
Sunday 2 July 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Yes, he’s running as a “Democrat”...
Robert F Kennedy Jr says he is ‘proud’ to have Trump’s praise
SCOTUS allows Colorado designer to deny LGBT+ customers
Sunday 2 July 2023 11:15 , Oliver O'Connell
A wedding website designer may refuse to create work for people in the LGBT+ community if it conflicts with their religious beliefs, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday.
In a 6-3 decision, the conservative majority of the court ruled in favour of Lorie Smith, a Colorado-based website creator, who wanted to refuse service to same-sex couples but couldn’t as it was a violation of a public accommodation law.
Read more...
Supreme Court allows Colorado designer to deny LGBT+ customers in ruling
Even as indictment loomed, Trump demanded to get ‘my boxes’ back from feds
Sunday 2 July 2023 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell
As Donald Trump’s lawyers began preparing for a federal indictment, the ex-president was allegedly still hoping to get the documents and boxes seized from Mar-a-Lago back, according to a report.
Mr Trump referred to the classified material as “my boxes” and “my documents” and asked his lawyers to retrieve the material, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Rolling Stone.
Read more...
Trump demanded to get ‘my boxes’ back from feds as indictment loomed
'Oh God, I try not to think about that’
Sunday 2 July 2023 05:15 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden summed up perhaps most foreign policy experts’ thoughts when asked if he thought Mr Trump would have tipped off Russian President Vladimir Putin to the abortive coup attempt waged by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin over last weekend.
“Oh God, I try not to think about that,” Mr Biden said.
Biden groans when asked if Trump would have tipped Putin off to coup attempt
Did DeSantis break the law with Texas border trip?
Sunday 2 July 2023 02:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The presidential campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been accused of breaking the law after the team shared an image on Twitter of the candidate exiting a helicopter that records show is owned by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Gustaf Kilander explains why that might be an issue.
DeSantis accused of breaking the law with Texas border trip
Pence meets with Zelensky in Ukraine
Saturday 1 July 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former vice president Mike Pence visited with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a sign of solidarity with Ukraine even as many Republicans sour on support for Ukraine, CNN first reported.
Read more...
Mike Pence meets with Zelensky in Ukraine
Trump celebrates Supreme Court decision on affirmative action
Saturday 1 July 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to reject affirmative action programmes at US colleges and universities on Wednesday morning, calling it a “a great day for America.”
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said that the ruling was “amazing.”
Trump celebrates Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action: ‘The way it should be!’
DeSantis’ earnings jump due to book advance
Saturday 1 July 2023 15:41
Republican presidential hopeful and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis saw his earnings spike this year from a book deal.
He earned $1.25million as an advance for the memoir he released earlier this year, according to an annual financial disclosure form, significantly boosting his net worth.
The book titled The Courage to be Free was published by HarperCollins in February and made the New York Times bestsellers list the following month.
House GOP expand their Hunter Biden investigation
Saturday 1 July 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell
House Republicans on Thursday requested voluntary testimony from nearly a dozen Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of President Joe Biden‘s son Hunter as GOP lawmakers widen their scrutiny into what they claim is improper interference by the agency.
Read more...
Republicans expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor
Three investors charged in $22m Trump Media insider trading case
Saturday 1 July 2023 13:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Three investors in the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that took Trump Media public have been indicted for insider trading concerning the deal, making $22m in alleged illegal trades.
Read more...
Trump Media investors charged in $22m insider trading case
Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Saturday 1 July 2023 10:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former New Jersey governor and presidential Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie told CNN that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was right in his initial assessment about whether former president Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden in a general election contest.
Earlier this week, Mr McCarthy said he was not sure that Mr Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Mr Biden.
Eric Garcia reports.
Chris Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
DeSantis says if elected he would abolish education, energy and IRS agencies
Saturday 1 July 2023 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida said in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday morning that he supports eliminating multiple federal government agencies including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
To fight “woke ideology”...
DeSantis says he would abolish education and energy departments and IRS
Trump’s GOP support dips slightly after second indictment
Saturday 1 July 2023 05:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump‘s criminal indictment on charges of mishandling government secrets appears to have dented his popularity among Republicans — but only slightly —- according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Read more...
Trump's GOP support dips slightly after his indictment over classified documents, AP-NORC poll finds
Voices: Kevin McCarthy knows he crossed the line with Donald Trump
Saturday 1 July 2023 03:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Few people embody Republicans’ relationship and acquiescence to Donald Trump more than House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Eric Garcia charts the latest developments in their relationship.
Kevin McCarthy knows he crossed the line with Donald Trump
New DeSantis-backed laws in Florida address immigration, guns and more
Saturday 1 July 2023 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Employers who hire immigrants in the country illegally will face tough punishments and gun owners will have more freedoms when more than 200 new Florida laws take effect Saturday, many of which Gov. Ron DeSantis will highlight as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination.
Read more:
Florida's new DeSantis-backed laws address immigration, guns and more
Biden blames GOP for student loan ruling
Saturday 1 July 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden insisted Friday that “this fight is not over” after the Supreme Court struck down his $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan. Biden blamed Republicans’ opposition, aiming to direct the ire of millions of borrowers toward them rather than his own party in next year’s elections.
The president planned an afternoon address to lay out a series of actions to provide continued relief to 43 million student loan borrowers, and in the meantime tried to stay on the political offensive against the GOP.
Biden blames GOP for student loan ruling as 2024 political consequences loom
Biden: It would be ‘a mistake’ to expand Supreme Court
Friday 30 June 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden has said it would be a mistake to expand the Supreme Court, despite its recent rulings against affirmative action in higher education, LGBT+ rights, and student loan debt forgiveness.
Read more...
Biden says expanding Supreme Court would be ‘mistake’, despite recent rulings
Voices: The Supreme Court just made me a second-class citizen
Friday 30 June 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Skylar Baker-Jordan reacts to today’s Supreme Court ruling.
The Supreme Court just made me a second-class citizen
Trump: ‘They got me on nothing’
Friday 30 June 2023 22:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump: "It turns out with me I did nothing wrong...They got me on nothing. Got me on nothing and all of the things that they do have. It's like the pundits are saying, 'Wow, that's nothing.'" pic.twitter.com/3YIo38pJpz
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) June 30, 2023
Watch: Trump receives a warm welcome in Philadelphia
Friday 30 June 2023 22:26 , Oliver O'Connell
"F**k you traitor!" - screams heard as Donald Trump arrived at #MomsForLiberty conference in Philadelphia
Video by Olga Fe Desk@freedomnews.tv to license pic.twitter.com/UZFi7WZfly— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) June 30, 2023
Republicans are planning a national abortion ban, warns senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood
Friday 30 June 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell
When a draft of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade leaked in May of last year, US Senator Tina Smith had only three words.
“This is bulls***,” the Minnesota Democrat tweeted. She had similar words when Walgreens announced in March of this year it would not dispense abortion pills in states where abortion remained legal.
Eric Garcia spoke with Ms Smith for The Independent.
Senator who worked at Planned Parenthood warns of an abortion ban if the GOP wins
Full story: Biden reveals ‘new path’ to student debt relief
Friday 30 June 2023 21:55 , Oliver O'Connell
President Biden on Friday hit out at the Republican state officials and legislators who supported the lawsuit which enabled the Supreme Court to strike down his student debt forgiveness initiative, accusing many of them of hypocrisy for taking money from pandemic-era relief programmes while opposing relatively meager relief for student loan borrowers.
“Some of the same elected Republicans, members of Congress who strongly opposed relief for students, got hundreds of thousands of dollars themselves ... several members of Congress got over a million dollars — all those loans are forgiven,” he said.
“The hypocrisy is stunning,” he said.
Andrew Feinberg in Washington, DC, and Alex Woodward in New York filed this report.
Biden reveals ‘new path’ to student debt relief
Trump makes Georgia probe prediction in latest grievance-laden rant
Friday 30 June 2023 21:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Here’s what the twice-indicted, twice-impeached former president posted to Truth Social at lunchtime today:
I predict that the Racist District Attorney in Atlanta, with the per capita WORST crime record in the Country, Fani Willis, where murderers “get away with murder,” and are seldom charged and almost never prosecuted, will be dropping all charges against me for lack of a case. I made a PERFECTLY LEGAL PHONE CALL, AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ABOUT AN ELECTION THAT I STRONGLY FEEL WAS RIGGED AND STOLLEN. NONE of the MANY LAWYERS on the call minded my words, or even hinted at wrongdoing. SCAM!
Lawyer Ron Filipkowski noted the odd timing of the prediction:
This makes me think that he, or his lawyers, were told something. Maybe not, but this seems rather random for him to make this prediction today. pic.twitter.com/VakCVDFnVD
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 30, 2023
Friday 30 June 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Watch live: Karine Jean-Pierre holds White House briefing
Watch: Biden announces new path for student debt relief
Friday 30 June 2023 21:14 , Oliver O'Connell
Biden: I'm announcing today a new path consistent with today's ruling to provide student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible. We will ground this new approach in a different law than my original plan with the higher education act. pic.twitter.com/d70zEDIPf4
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 30, 2023
Biden outlines new path to student loan forgiveness after SCOTUS decision
Friday 30 June 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell
BREAKING: President Biden announces he will seek student loan forgiveness through an alterative legal authority -- the Higher Education Act of 1965 -- after the SCOTUS defeated his plan today.
— Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) June 30, 2023
Latest Trump campaign video mocked for ‘weird apocalyptic’ tone
Friday 30 June 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell
While the footage was posted on Mr Trump’s own Truth Social site, it was later posted on Twitter where it was roundly ridiculed by social media users.
Rachel Sharp reports.
Trump mocked for ‘weird apocalyptic’ campaign video
Three charged in $22m Trump Media insider trading case
Friday 30 June 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Three investors in the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that took Trump Media public have been indicted for insider trading concerning the deal, making $22m in alleged lillegal trades.
Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick were named in a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday (29 June) in Manhattan federal court.
All three were charged with trading in securities of Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC) based on non-public information about the company’s planned business combination with Trump Media & Technology Group — founded by former President Donald Trump — the parent company of social media platform Truth Social.
They were arrested on Thursday morning in Florida.
Trump Media investors charged in $22m insider trading case
DeSantis hits back at Trump disloyalty claim
Friday 30 June 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday hit back at former president Donald Trump’s allegation that the Sunshine State executive is betraying him by mounting a presidential campaign of his own during an appearance on Fox News.
Mr DeSantis, who currently trails the twice-impeached, twice-indicted ex-president by a wide margin in most polls of likely GOP primary voters, told Fox host Jesse Watters that no politician — even a former president such as Mr Trump — is entitled to support from anyone after Watters raised Mr Trump’s criticisms during a televised interview.
Andrew Feinberg reports on the rest of the Florida governor’s remarks.
DeSantis hits back at Trump disloyalty claim: ‘Politicians have to earn support’
Fox reaches $12m settlement with former producer Abby Grossberg
Friday 30 June 2023 19:53 , Oliver O'Connell
Fox Corporation has reached a $12m settlement in a lawsuit from a former Fox New producer who alleged a culture of misogyny at the network and accused Fox lawyers of pressuring her into making misleading statements in a blockbuster defamation case from a voting machines company.
Alex Woodward has the latest.
Fox reaches $12m settlement over ‘toxic’ workplace lawsuit from former producer
DeSantis slammed for backing use of radioactive waste in road study
Friday 30 June 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis is under fire after giving the go-ahead to the study of “radioactive” mining waste in the use of road-building projects.
On Thursday, the Florida governor greenlit a bill adding phosphogypsum, which has been linked to cancer, to a list of materials that can be studied by the Florida Department of Transportation and used in road construction in the state.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
DeSantis slammed after backing use of radioactive waste in road study
Angry onlookers shout ‘dog killer’ at George Santos
Friday 30 June 2023 19:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Angry protesters called congressman George Santos a “dog killer” on Friday as the Republican made an appearance at a Long Island federal court house, his first hearing since pleading not guilty last month to a13-count indictment related to fraud and money laundering charges.
Onlookers shout ‘dog killer’ at George Santos as he arrives for fraud hearing
Trump makes Georgia probe prediction in latest grievance-laden rant
Friday 30 June 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Here’s what the twice-indicted, twice-impeached former president posted to Truth Social at lunchtime today:
I predict that the Racist District Attorney in Atlanta, with the per capita WORST crime record in the Country, Fani Willis, where murderers “get away with murder,” and are seldom charged and almost never prosecuted, will be dropping all charges against me for lack of a case. I made a PERFECTLY LEGAL PHONE CALL, AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ABOUT AN ELECTION THAT I STRONGLY FEEL WAS RIGGED AND STOLLEN. NONE of the MANY LAWYERS on the call minded my words, or even hinted at wrongdoing. SCAM!
Lawyer Ron Filipkowski noted the odd timing of the prediction:
This makes me think that he, or his lawyers, were told something. Maybe not, but this seems rather random for him to make this prediction today. pic.twitter.com/VakCVDFnVD
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 30, 2023
Watch: SCOTUS decisions activates young people to speak out and vote, says Psaki
Friday 30 June 2023 19:25 , Oliver O'Connell
"All of this is going to have a huge impact I suspect on the courts and popularity of the courts. These type of decisions are something that activates young people. Activates them to speak out, to vote, to have their voice heard."@jrpsaki on SCOTUS decisions w/ @mitchellreports pic.twitter.com/2qeO83ubNY
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) June 30, 2023
Sources: Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges
Friday 30 June 2023 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell
The Department of Justice is prepared to seek indictments against multiple figures in former president Donald Trump’s orbit and may yet bring additional charges against the ex-president in the coming weeks, The Independent has learned.
Andrew Feinberg filed this exclusive report for The Independent.
Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Geraldo Rivera praises affirmative action in final Fox News appearance
Friday 30 June 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Geraldo Rivera used his final appearance on Fox News to praise affirmative action amid the Supreme Court ruling against colleges considering race in their admissions process.
The Fox News host revealed on Thursday that he was quitting the network after he claimed that he had been fired from The Five.
Gustaf Kilander and Shweta Sharma have the story.
Geraldo Rivera praises affirmative action in final Fox News appearance
Watch: LAAD president slams SCOTUS ruling in favour of a Christian web designer who opposed same-sex weddings
Friday 30 June 2023 18:25 , Oliver O'Connell
“I think that this is an open license to discriminate against LGBTQ people in America.” https://t.co/Ebc8JosA0A
— The Recount (@therecount) June 30, 2023
Supreme Court deals major blow to LGBT+ rights
Friday 30 June 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell
A wedding website designer may refuse to create work for people in the LGBT+ community if it conflicts with their religious beliefs, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday.
In a 6-3 decision, the conservative majority of the Court ruled in favor of Lorie Smith, a Colorado-based website creator, who wanted to refuse service to same-sex couples but couldn’t as it was a violation of a public accommodation law.
The Court argued that the public accommodation law in Colorado impedes Ms Smith’s First Amendment right to deny conveying messages she disagrees with.
Ariana Baio reports on today’s decision.
Supreme Court allows Colorado designer to deny LGBT+ customers in ruling
Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Friday 30 June 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former New Jersey governor and presidential Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie told CNN that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was right in his initial assessment about whether former president Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden in a general election contest.
Earlier this week, Mr McCarthy said he was not sure that Mr Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Mr Biden.
Eric Garcia reports.
Chris Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Report: Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map
Friday 30 June 2023 20:18 , Oliver O'Connell
The identity of an aide to Donald Trump whose voice was heard in an audio recording wherein the former president can be heard brandishing a paper he explicitly claims is classified has been revealed.
Read more...
Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map, report says
Hours before arrest, Jan 6 fugitive shared Trump post revealing Obama’s address
Friday 30 June 2023 16:55 , Oliver O'Connell
A January 6 rioter on the run from the law who was arrested outside the Washington DC home of former President Barack Obama shared a social media post by ex-president Donald Trump revealing his predecessor’s address hours before he was detained.
Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested on Thursday on charges stemming from his activities during the Capitol riot in early 2021. But he was also discovered to have several firearms and the materials needed to make a Molotov cocktail in the neighbourhood of the US capital where the Obamas live.
The matter is being reviewed by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Jan 6 fugitive shared Trump post revealing Obama’s address hours before arrest
RFK Jr says he is ‘proud’ to have Trump’s praise
Friday 30 June 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Robert F Kennedy Jr., the longshot presidential candidate and latest scion of the storied Kennedy political dynasty, appears to be leaning in to the “Democrat in name only” label that is beginning to follow his campaign.
John Bowden explains.
Robert F Kennedy Jr says he is ‘proud’ to have Trump’s praise
US envoy for Iran has security clearance suspended
Friday 30 June 2023 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The US special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, had his security clearance suspended pending a review of allegations he may have mishandled classified information, said US officials.
Namita Singh has the details.
US envoy for Iran has security clearance suspended amid probe
Trump demanded get ‘my boxes’ back from feds
Friday 30 June 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell
As Donald Trump’s lawyers began preparing for a federal indictment, the ex-president was allegedly still hoping to get the documents and boxes seized from Mar-a-Lago back, according to a report.
Mr Trump referred to the classified material as “my boxes” and “my documents” and asked his lawyers to retrieve the material, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Rolling Stone.
Ariana Baio reports.
Trump demanded to get ‘my boxes’ back from feds as indictment loomed
Biden groans when asked if Trump would have tipped Putin off to coup attempt
Friday 30 June 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell
President Biden on Thursday said he tries not to consider the national security issues that would’ve been in play had Donald Trump defeated him in the 2020 election and remained in the White House during Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Biden groans when asked if Trump would have tipped Putin off to coup attempt
Ex-Trump aide reportedly joins Giuliani in cooperating with special counsel
Friday 30 June 2023 15:08 , Oliver O'Connell
A former Trump campaign aide has joined Rudy Guiliani in cooperating with the special counsel in the Department of Justice’s2020 election probe, according to a new report.
Mike Roman, a senior adviser on Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign in charge of Election Day operations, is cooperating with federal prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith in the criminal investigation reviewing the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to CNN.
Gustaf Kilander has the details.
Ex-Trump aide joins Giuliani in cooperating with special counsel in election probe
Trump loses bid to throw out E Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit
Friday 30 June 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has lost his bid to throw out the first defamation lawsuit brought against him by E Jean Carroll.
On Thursday, US district judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan rejected the former president’s claims that he had absolute presidential immunity from the civil case, paving the way for the magazine columnist to pursue around $10m in damages from him.
The former president had claimed that he had absolute presidential immunity from the lawsuit and that many of his statements about the magazine columnist were protected under free speech rights because they were his opinion.
Read the full story here:
Trump loses bid to throw out E Jean Carroll lawsuit
Trump deadline to respond to trial date set for 10 July
Friday 30 June 2023 14:58 , Oliver O'Connell
A Florida federal judge is giving Donald Trump’s defence team until 10 July to respond to special counsel Jack Smith’s request to delay his federal criminal trial until December.
New: Trump deadline to respond to DOJ request to have trial starting in December pushed back to July 10 after Trump valet Walt Nauta had his arraignment postponed until next Thursday, per minute order from Judge Cannon — delays already starting to add up on this docket.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) June 30, 2023
Watch: Ron DeSantis talks about his war on ‘woke’ text books
Friday 30 June 2023 14:47 , Oliver O'Connell
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on "woke" textbooks at Moms for Liberty summit:
“We've been actively involved in rejecting textbooks that have ideological indoctrination … And guess what happens, because we’re an 800-pound gorilla, they make the appropriate changes to the textbooks.” pic.twitter.com/Q5ph34zy0U— The Recount (@therecount) June 30, 2023
Moms for Liberty gathering draws Trump, DeSantis
Friday 30 June 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the main rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, are speaking today at the annual gathering of Moms for Liberty, a two-year-old group that has fiercely opposed instruction related to race and gender identity in the nation’s classroom.
Trump, DeSantis among 2024 GOP hopefuls set to appear at Moms for Liberty gathering
Exclusive: Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Friday 30 June 2023 14:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The Department of Justice is prepared to seek indictments against multiple figures in former president Donald Trump’s orbit and may yet bring additional charges against the ex-president in the coming weeks, The Independent has learned.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the department has made preparations to bring what is known as a “superseding indictment” — a second set of charges against an already-indicted defendant that could include more serious crimes — against the ex-president, and could do so in a number of different venues, depending on how prosecutors feel the case they have brought against him in a Florida federal court is proceeding.
Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent.
Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
ICYMI: Paul Ryan says former president is only GOP candidate who would lose to Biden
Friday 30 June 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan says he believes any 2024 Republican presidential candidate could beat incumbent president Joe Biden provided they are not named Donald Trump, but that it will be “a disaster if we nominate Trump”.
Mr Ryan, a Trump adversary and member of the board of Fox News’s parent company, made the remarks in an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday morning.
Read more...
Paul Ryan says Trump is only Republican candidate who would lose to Biden in 2024
‘We’re electing idiots’: Cheney lays out damning problem with US politics
Friday 30 June 2023 13:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Rep Liz Cheney of Wyoming took aim at the state of American politics, telling a crowd at the 92nd Street Y in New York that the country is “electing idiots.”
“Look, I think that the country right now faces hugely challenging and fundamentally important issues,” Ms Cheney said during an appearance at the community center, in quotes reported by The Hill. “What we’ve done in our politics is create a situation where we’re electing idiots.”
Abe Asher reports on what else the former representative had to say.
Liz Cheney lays out damning problem with US politics: ‘We’re electing idiots’
Ron DeSantis hits back at Trump claims he’s disloyal: ‘Politicians have to earn support’
Friday 30 June 2023 12:45 , Rachel Sharp
DeSantis on Trump claims that he’s disloyal: Politicians have to earn support. They’re not entitled to it. No more excuses on the issues Americans care about, I’m here to get stuff done. pic.twitter.com/Eji1cuY26i
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) June 30, 2023
Report says top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map
Friday 30 June 2023 12:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The identity of an aide to Donald Trump whose voice was heard in an audio recording wherein the former president can be heard brandishing a paper he explicity claims is classified has been revealed.
John Bowden reports on the aide’s identity.
Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map, report says
Trump loses bid to throw out E Jean Carroll case
Friday 30 June 2023 11:45 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump has lost his bid to throw out the first lawsuit brought against him by E Jean Carroll.
The former president had claimed that he had absolute presidential immunity from the lawsuit and that many of his statements about the magazine columnist were protected because they were his opinion.
He argued that Ms Carroll “consented” to his statements by purposely waiting decades to go public, until he was in the White House, leaving him “no choice” but to defend himself.
Ultimately, he said the case should be thrown out.
On Thursday, US district judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan rejected this claim saying there was no merit to his argument.
Joe Biden gives emphatic response to question on Hunter Biden texts
Friday 30 June 2023 11:15 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden is facing increasing pressure to answer questions — in detail — about his son Hunter Biden and a concerning text message that has been unearthed as the questions surrounding the latter’s business activities are growing more serious.
And on Wednesday, the president bristled at a reporter who asked him about it, just days after Karine Jean-Pierre, his press secretary, was inundated with questions on the topic at her daily news briefing.
Mr Biden was boarding Marine One as he began a trip to Chicago to tout his administration’s economic record when a reporter questioned him about one message in which the younger Biden appears to directly put pressure on an individual named Henry Zhao to resolve an unknown matter — while explicitly naming his father as an interested party.
John Bowden has the story.
Biden gives emphatic response to question about troubling Hunter text
WATCH: Trump releases bizarre ‘apocalyptic’ campaign video
Friday 30 June 2023 10:45 , Rachel Sharp
Weird apocalyptic video posted by Trump on Truth Social tonight: “This is the final battle …” pic.twitter.com/lBzgqCRYz3
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 30, 2023
Top Democrat says GOP had evidence disproving Biden bribery claims in 2019
Friday 30 June 2023 10:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has released evidence that casts significant doubt on GOP claims that the FBI ignored evidence that President Joe Biden accepted a bribe from a Ukrainian energy mogul during his time as vice president.
In a letter to House Oversight Committee chair James Comer, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin reminded his GOP counterpart that Congress has had evidence “that directly contradicts the allegations” levied against Mr Biden in an FBI form which Republicans have claimed to be proof of alleged corruption on the part of the president.
Andrew Feinberg has the details.
GOP had evidence disproving Biden bribery claims in 2019, top Democrat says
Ex-Trump official joins Guiliani in cooperating in 2020 election probe
Friday 30 June 2023 09:45 , Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s legal troubles appear to be heating up, with his former campaign official Mike Roman reportedly cooperating with investigators probing the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Two sources told CNN on Thursday that Mr Roman has taken a proffer agreement to cooperate with special counsel Jack Smith’s office in its investigation.
Mr Roman was involved in Mr Trump’s scheme to put forward fake electors to certify the election in his favour in states that President Joe Biden had won.
This revelation comes after it was reported that Rudy Guiliani had also taken such an agreement.
Under a proffer agreement, an individual shares information with investigators on the agreement that that information cannot be used against them in court.
House GOP expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor
Friday 30 June 2023 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell
House Republicans on Thursday requested voluntary testimony from nearly a dozen Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of President Joe Biden‘s son Hunter as GOP lawmakers widen their scrutiny into what they claim is improper interference by the agency.
Read more...
Republicans expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor
Pence meets with Zelensky in Ukraine
Friday 30 June 2023 06:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former vice president Mike Pence visited with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a sign of solidarity with Ukraine even as many Republicans sour on support for Ukraine, CNN reported.
Eric Garcia reports on the 2024 candidate’s visit.
Mike Pence meets with Zelensky in Ukraine
Did DeSantis break the law with Texas border trip?
Friday 30 June 2023 04:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Gustaf Kilander reports.
DeSantis accused of breaking the law with Texas border trip
Three charged with insider trading in Trump Media deal
Friday 30 June 2023 03:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Three investors in the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that took Trump Media public have been indicted for insider trading concerning the deal, making $22m in alleged lillegal trades.
Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick were named in a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday (29 June) in Manhattan federal court.
All three were charged with trading in securities of Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC) based on non-public information about the company’s planned business combination with Trump Media & Technology Group — founded by former President Donald Trump — the parent company of social media platform Truth Social.
They were arrested on Thursday morning in Florida.
Trump Media investors charged in $22m insider trading case
Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Friday 30 June 2023 02:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former New Jersey governor and presidential Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie told CNN that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was right in his initial assessment about whether former president Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden in a general election contest.
Earlier this week, Mr McCarthy said he was not sure that Mr Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Mr Biden.
Eric Garcia reports.
Chris Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Trump’s GOP support dips slightly after his indictment, poll finds
Friday 30 June 2023 01:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump‘s criminal indictment on charges of mishandling government secrets appears to have dented his popularity among Republicans — but only slightly —- according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Sixty percent of Republicans now have a favorable view of Trump, down slightly from April, when 68% of Republicans said they had a favorable view of the 2024 GOP presidential front-runner. The poll found 38% of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Trump, an uptick from 30% in April.
Read more...
Trump's GOP support dips slightly after his indictment over classified documents, AP-NORC poll finds
Exclusive: Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Friday 30 June 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell
The Department of Justice is prepared to seek indictments against multiple figures in former president Donald Trump’s orbit and may yet bring additional charges against the ex-president in the coming weeks, The Independent has learned.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the department has made preparations to bring what is known as a “superseding indictment” — a second set of charges against an already-indicted defendant that could include more serious crimes — against the ex-president in the Southern District of Florida.
But prosecutors may also choose to bring additional charges against Mr Trump in a different venue, depending on how they feel the case they have brought against him in is proceeding.
Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent.
Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Biden is wrapping a campaign fundraising blitz aimed at making a bold early statement
Thursday 29 June 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden has cozied up to high-dollar donors at posh Upper East Side penthouses and on West Coast decks gussied up with floral arrangements and flags in recent weeks. He has two more fundraisers in New York on Thursday that will close out an end-of-quarter campaign blitz his team believes will put him on strong financial footing for a contest they expect to set new spending records.
Friday’s events will be Biden’s 9th and 10th fundraising receptions of the past two weeks, numbers that have been matched by Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. The Biden campaign has been mum on how much he has raised at the often free-wheeling events, but it is broadcasting confidence in the size of the haul ahead of the July 15 reporting date.
Read more...
Biden is wrapping a campaign fundraising blitz aimed at making a bold early statement
Trump celebrates Supreme Court decision on affirmative action
Thursday 29 June 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to reject affirmative action programmes at US colleges and universities on Wednesday morning, calling it a “a great day for America.”
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said that the ruling was “amazing.”
Abe Asher has the story.
Trump celebrates Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action: ‘The way it should be!’
Biden groans when asked if Trump would have tipped Putin off to coup attempt
Thursday 29 June 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell
President Biden on Thursday said he tries not to consider the national security issues that would’ve been in play had Donald Trump defeated him in the 2020 election and remained in the White House during Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Specifically, Mr Biden told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace that he actively attempts to keep such thoughts out of his head when Wallace asked if he thought Mr Trump would have tipped off Russian President Vladimir Putin to the abortive coup attempt waged by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin over the weekend.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Biden groans when asked if Trump would have tipped Putin off to coup attempt
Trump says DeSantis campaign ‘like a rock heading to Hell’
Thursday 29 June 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Another day, another potshot at Ron DeSantis’s 2024 campaign. Here’s what former president Donald Trump had to say today:
The DeSanctimonious campaign is DEAD! His polls are dropping like a rock heading to Hell, and the DOJ/FBI are continuing their illegal and outrageous weaponization against me only because I am leading Biden by so much. It’s called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and they have NO FEAR against DeSanctus - He’s the one that they are dying to run against, dispute their DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN!
Watch: Biden says ‘there’s still a lot of really good Republicans'
Thursday 29 June 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell
President Biden: "By the way, there's still a lot of really good Republicans."@NicolleDWallace: "Out in the country?"
Biden: "No, and in the Senate!" pic.twitter.com/YrSSgVWxED— The Recount (@therecount) June 29, 2023
Report: Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map
Thursday 29 June 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The identity of an aide to Donald Trump whose voice was heard in an audio recording wherein the former president can be heard brandishing a paper he explicity claims is classified has been revealed.
John Bowden has the story.
Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map, report says
Watch: Biden defends poll numbers
Thursday 29 June 2023 21:28 , Oliver O'Connell
"I know the polling numbers are not good, but they were the same way when I ran and won — everybody thought I was gonna get clobbered in the primary; I got 80 million votes in the last election."
— President Biden to @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/TIYTHZMnbp— The Recount (@therecount) June 29, 2023
Trump to deliver remarks in Iowa on 7 July
Thursday 29 June 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump will deliver remarks at an event in Council Bluffs, Iowa on 7 July.
45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump to Deliver Remarks in Council Bluffs, Iowahttps://t.co/BFZes2AzgF pic.twitter.com/GJ5FuxNaVC
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) June 29, 2023
Lev Parnas reacts to Raskin evidence
Thursday 29 June 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Lev Parnas took to Twitter in reaction to Rep Jamie Raskin’s release of evidence that casts doubt on Republican claims that the FBI ignored evidence the President Biden accepted a bribe from a Ukrainian energy mogul.
He wrote:
Ranking Member Jamie Raskin introduces evidence that I provided to the @OversightDems that debunks the lies and conspiracy theories that Rudy Giuliani, @RepMTG, @RepJamesComer and their corrupt cohorts in the @GOP have been pushing on the American people.
@RepRaskin - “Despite being interviewed as part of a campaign by Mr. Giuliani and his proxies in 2019 and 2020 to procure damaging information about the Biden family, Mr. Zlochevsky explicitly and unequivocally denied those allegations. Specifically, Mr. Zlochevsky denied (1) that anyone at Burisma had ‘any contacts’ with then former Vice President Biden or his representatives while Hunter Biden served on the Burisma board, and (2) that former Vice President Biden or his staff ‘in any way’ assisted Mr. Zlochevsky or Burisma,”.
Ranking Member Jamie Raskin introduces evidence that I provided to the @OversightDems that debunks the lies and conspiracy theories that Rudy Giuliani, @RepMTG, @RepJamesComer and their corrupt cohorts in the @GOP have been pushing on the American people. @RepRaskin - “Despite…
— Lev Parnas (@levparnas) June 29, 2023
Raskin: GOP had evidence disproving Biden bribery claims in 2019
Thursday 29 June 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has released evidence that casts significant doubt on GOP claims that the FBI ignored evidence that President Joe Biden accepted a bribe from a Ukrainian energy mogul during his time as vice president.
In a letter to House Oversight Committee chair James Comer, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin reminded his GOP counterpart that Congress has had evidence “that directly contradicts the allegations” levied against Mr Biden in an FBI form which Republicans have claimed to be proof of alleged corruption on the part of the president.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
GOP had evidence disproving Biden bribery claims in 2019, top Democrat says
Watch: Bannon rages at Comer over Fox interview
Thursday 29 June 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Steve Bannon is fuming after another feckless interview this morning on Fox by James Comer, who looked like a fool again trying to answer questions on the Hunter Biden investigation: “Your staff has to have you ready! You’re not serious. It’s all performative.” pic.twitter.com/63lDJyl9eZ
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 29, 2023
DeSantis mocked for apparently photoshopped campaign photo
Thursday 29 June 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has been ridiculed for a seemingly photoshopped campaign photograph that has resurfaced as the Republican presidential primary begins to take shape.
The image was taken for Mr DeSantis’s brief campaign for Senate in 2015 ahead of the 2016 election when incumbent Florida Senator Marco Rubio was running for president before campaigning for re-election to the upper chamber.
Read on...
DeSantis mocked for apparently photoshopped resurfaced campaign photo
EXCLUSIVE: Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Thursday 29 June 2023 19:18 , Oliver O'Connell
The Department of Justice is prepared to seek indictments against multiple figures in former president Donald Trump’s orbit and may yet bring additional charges against the ex-president in the coming weeks, The Independent has learned.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the department has made preparations to bring what is known as a “superseding indictment” — a second set of charges against an already-indicted defendant that could include more serious crimes — against the ex-president, and could do so in a number of different venues, depending on how prosecutors feel the case they have brought against him in a Florida federal court is proceeding.
Read the full story by The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg in Washington, DC.
Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say
Federal grand jury still investigating aspects of classified documents case, report says
Thursday 29 June 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Three weeks after Donald Trump was indicted on charges of illegally retaining classified national security documents and obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim them, a federal grand jury in Miami is still investigating aspects of the case, The New York Times reports, citing people familiar with the matter.
Per the Times:
In recent days, the grand jury has issued subpoenas to a handful of people who are connected to the inquiry, those familiar with it said. While it remains unclear who received the subpoenas and the kind of information prosecutors were seeking to obtain, it is clear that the grand jury has stayed active and that investigators are digging even after a 38-count indictment was issued this month against Mr. Trump and a co-defendant, Walt Nauta, one of his personal aides.
Prosecutors often continue investigating strands of a criminal case after charges have been brought, and sometimes their efforts go nowhere. But at other times post-indictment investigations result in additional charges against people who have already been accused of crimes in the case. The investigations can also be used to bring new charges against new defendants.
Watch: Would Chris Christie pardon Donald Trump?
Thursday 29 June 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell
The former New Jersey governor weighs in on the power of the president to pardon people and whether it would apply to Donald Trump were he convicted of the various crimes of which he is accused.
'I don't think I would pardon him,' says Chris Christie, one of Donald Trump's most outspoken critics in the 2024 GOP primary field, in regards to Trump's ongoing prosecution over the DOJ's classified documents probe pic.twitter.com/NGaq9xXxLY
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 29, 2023
Joe Biden gives emphatic response to question about troubling Hunter text
Thursday 29 June 2023 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden is facing increasing pressure to answer questions — in detail — about his son Hunter Biden and a concerning text message that has been unearthed as the questions surrounding the latter’s business activities are growing more serious.
And on Wednesday, the president bristled at a reporter who asked him about it, just days after Karine Jean-Pierre, his press secretary, was inundated with questions on the topic at her daily news briefing.
John Bowden in Washington, DC, reports on what the president has said so far.
Insider trading: Trump Media investors charged in $22m case
Thursday 29 June 2023 18:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Three investors in the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that took Trump Media public have been indicted for insider trading concerning the deal, making $22m in alleged lillegal trades.
Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick were named in a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday (29 June) in Manhattan federal court.
All three were charged with trading in securities of Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC) based on non-public information about the company’s planned business combination with Trump Media & Technology Group — founded by former President Donald Trump — the parent company of social media platform Truth Social.
They were arrested on Thursday morning in Florida.
Full story here:
Trump Media investors charged in $22m insider trading case
Trump hails Supreme Court decision on affirmative action
Thursday 29 June 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump hails Supreme Court decision on affirmative action as “a great day for America”.
The former president posted on Truth Social:
This is a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded. This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for and the result was amazing. It will also keep us competitive with the rest of the world. Our greatest minds must be cherished and that’s what this wonderful day has brought. We’re going back to all merit-based—and that’s the way it should be!
Here’s our coverage of the ruling:
Supreme Court bans colleges from considering race in admissions
Did DeSantis break the law with Texas border trip?
Thursday 29 June 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell
The presidential campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been accused of breaking the law after the team shared an image on Twitter of the candidate exiting a helicopter that records show is owned by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Mr DeSantis was in Eagle Pass, Texas on Monday to visit the US-Mexico border when the campaign shared the photo with the caption “MISSION: Stop the invasion STATUS: Critical LEAD: @RonDeSantis”.
Legal experts now say that the use of Texas government resources in a political ad is a campaign finance violation.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
DeSantis accused of breaking the law with Texas border trip
Pence meets with Zelensky in Ukraine
Thursday 29 June 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former vice president Mike Pence visited with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a sign of solidarity with Ukraine even as many Republicans sour on support for Ukraine, CNN reported.
Eric Garcia has the latest:
Mike Pence meets with Zelensky in Ukraine
Is Rudy Giuliani negotiating a plea deal over efforts to overturn 2020 election?
Thursday 29 June 2023 16:55 , Oliver O'Connell
Slate has followed up on reporting by CNN and The New York Times this week that Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York and Donald Trump’s personal attorney during his administration, has voluntarily met with investigators from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office as part of a “proffer agreement”.
This raises the possibility that he might flip against his former boss ex-president Trump.
Per Robert Katzberg, former federal prosecutor who has defended high-profile white-collar criminal cases for more than four decades, writing in Slate:
While the Times was not specific about what Giuliani’s voluntary interview means, such proffer sessions are almost always the final step towards a plea deal. If one is consummated in Smith’s investigation of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election—which were spearheaded by Giuliani—it would both be a deeply ironic end for one of the country’s most bulldog former prosecutors and also a devastating blow to the former president.
As someone deeply enmeshed in the New York City white collar criminal defense world during Giuliani’s tenure as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, reports that he sat for an extensive proffer session with prosecutors investigating the events surrounding the Jan 6 riot boggles the mind.
He further explains the process:
Once counsel concludes the client has something valuable to offer prosecutors and that the client can be an effective witness, the next step can be taken. Counsel contacts the prosecutors and arranges an “attorney’s proffer,” in which the lawyer, without the client, meets prosecutors to outline the general contours of what the client can provide. If the contours are unacceptable, say the client wants an agreement he will not be prosecuted for providing evidence against a lesser target, the session ends quickly. If, however, both sides see the prospect for getting something they want without giving up too much, the session gets more and more specific. It is only if the attorney’s factual representations offer enough for prosecutors to offer sufficiently reduced criminal exposure, and thus, a realistic deal may be available, that the next to last step, the client proffer, is taken. Giuliani has reportedly now taken that step.
You can read the full piece here.
Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Thursday 29 June 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Former New Jersey governor and presidential Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie told CNN that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was right in his initial assessment about whether former president Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden in a general election contest.
Earlier this week, Mr McCarthy said he was not sure that Mr Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Mr Biden.
Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.
Chris Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website