Trump news – live: Grand jury indictment looms as Trump protests innocence over classified documents
The Department of Justice is preparing to ask a Washington DC grand jury to indict Donald Trump for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice over the discovery of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, the latest setback to hit his 2024 presidential campaign.
The Independent has learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment as soon as Thursday accusing the former president of violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”.
Mr Trump reacted angrily to the news on Wednesday, insisting: “No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong.”
The dramatic development comes as Mark Meadows, Mr Trump’s former White House chief of staff, has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to several federal charges.
Meanwhile, the Republican front-runner is facing further competition in his quest to return to the White House in 2024 as his estanged vice president Mike Pence and ex-New Jersey governor Chris Christie join an increasingly crowded field.
Key Points
Prosecutors ready to ask for Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges
Pence calls on DoJ not to indict Trump but stops short of saying he’d pardon him if elected in 2024
Trump aide Taylor Budowich responds to reports of Florida grand jury testimony
Pence accuses Trump of treating abortion issue as an ‘inconvenience’
Investigators ‘looking at swimming pool worker who flooded Mar-a-Lago records room'
Special counsel prosecutor seen at Miami courthouse
15:12 , Oliver O'Connell
Per NBC News, David Harbach, a prosecutor working with the special counsel's classified documents investigation, has been spotted heading into the grand jury meeting room at the federal courthouse in Miami, Florida.
NBC News: David Harbach, a prosecutor working with the special counsel's classified documents investigation, has been spotted heading into the grand jury meeting room at the federal courthouse in Miami. @MSNBC
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 8, 2023
Rishi Sunak not seeking meeting with Donald Trump because of ‘busy schedule’
15:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Rishi Sunak has suggested a “busy schedule” is the reason behind his not seeking a meeting with Donald Trump while visiting the US.
The British prime minister will meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday and has already held talks with senior political figures in Congress.
Mr Trump is widely seen as the front-runner to secure the Republican nomination to run for president again in 2024, with Florida governor Ron DeSantis viewed as his main rival.
Mr DeSantis met two members of Mr Sunak’s Cabinet – James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch – during a trip to the UK in April, forcing Downing Street to deny any favouritism for the Florida governor over the former president.
Read on below for more.
Rishi Sunak not seeking meeting with Donald Trump because of ‘busy schedule’
Separate grand jury meeting in Florida has also been hearing evidence
14:30 , Andrew Feinberg
It is understood that prosecutors intend to ask grand jurors to vote on the indictment of Donald Trump on Thursday, but that vote could be delayed as much as a week until the next meeting of the grand jury to allow for a complete presentation of evidence, or to allow investigators to gather more evidence for the presentation of necessary.
A separate grand jury that is meeting in Florida has also been hearing evidence in the documents investigation.
That grand jury was empanelled in part to overcome legal issues posed by the fact that some of the crimes allegedly committed by Mr Trump took place in that jurisdiction, not in Washington.
Under federal law, prosecutors must bring charges against federal defendants in the jurisdiction where the crimes took place.
‘Why is so much of the Washington press hellbent on propping up Pence?'
14:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Republicans know who Mike Pence is and what he believes. It’s just that they don’t like it, writes Eric Garcia for Indy Voices.
Most Republicans who consider themselves devotees of Donald Trump will likely never forgive Mr Pence for not overturning the election. Conversely, many Republicans who might otherwise not like Mr Trump (or at least think that he would lose were he to be the Republican nominee again) will likely see Mr Pence as too tied to the former president.
So with all of this evidence showing that he will likely fold and not have even amount to a long shot contender, why is so much of the Washington press so hellbent on propping him up?
A major reason for this is that the political media ecosystem needs to broadcast to viewers that some rational Republicans have not given in to the vices of extremism. The Washington press fears nothing more than the right working the referees to complain that they are biased against them.
Mike Pence isn’t even a contender for 2024. Why are we pretending?
Trump’s ex-adviser Steve Bannon 'subpoenaed by Jack Smith’s Jan 6 probe’
13:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump’s former White House adviser Steve Bannon has reportedly been subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of a grand jury in his investigation into the 6 January 2021 insurrection.
The Washington DC grand jury is separate from the investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home after he left the White House.
The subpoena is for both documents and testimony and was sent out in late May, sources told NBC News.
Bannon was convicted in July 2022 on two charges of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the congressional January 6 committee.
In October, US District Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Bannon to four months in federal prison, but the sentence was suspended while he appeals his conviction.
Trump’s ex-adviser Steve Bannon subpoenaed by Jack Smith’s Jan 6 probe, says report
Pence polls at only 5.4 per cent
13:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Mike Pence should at least be running closely with Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis.
He’s a former vice president to a chief executive most Republican voters love, a staunchly conservative former congressman and governor of a solidly Republican state.
He’s long called himself “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican in that order.”
But FiveThirtyEight shows that while Mr Pence places third, on average, among the present crop of candidates, polling at only 5.4 per cent, while Mr Trump is at 53.7 per cent and Mr DeSantis is at 21.3 per cent.
That is a disappointing number for a candidate with nearly-universal name recognition, which in and of itself is half the game – indeed, Mr Trump and President Joe Biden won their respective nominations largely because people knew who they were.
Pence calls on DoJ not to indict Trump but stops short of saying he’d pardon him if elected in 2024
12:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Mike Pence has called on the Department of Justice (DoJ) not to prosecute Donald Trump for his handling of classified documents but refused to say he would pardon the former president if he won the White House.
The former vice president told a CNN town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, that he viewed the handling of classified material as “a very serious matter” but told host Dana Bash that federal prosecutors should leave Mr Trump alone.
“I would hope not, I really would,” he said when asked if the DoJ special counsel Jack Smith should indict Mr Trump over the documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
“I think it would be terribly divisive to the country at a time when the American people are hurting. This kind of action by the DoJ would only fuel further division in the country and send a terrible message to the wider world… I hope the DoJ thinks better of it and resolves this in a better way than an indictment,” he continued.
Despite that, Mr Pence told the audience that “no one is above the law” and also admitted that he himself had no business having some classified documents at his home in Indiana.
Read the full story by Graeme Massie here:
Pence calls on DoJ not to indict Trump but stops short of saying he’d pardon him
Furious Trump rant about Mark Meadows is widely shared – but it’s a convincing fake
12:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Former Republican representative Adam Kinzinger was among those who appear to have been taken in by a fake social media post that purported to show Donald Trump raging at his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
“OH MEADOWS TURNED,” Mr Kinzinger tweeted along with a screenshot of the fake Trump post, before deleting it shortly after.
But the post was doctored to look similar to Mr Trump's routine rants on Truth Social, although a quick scroll through the former president's social media page confirmed the post was never actually shared by Mr Trump.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.
Furious Trump rant about Mark Meadows widely shared – but it’s a convincing fake
Trump reacts with fury at news of possible indictment in classified documents case: ‘I’ve done NOTHING wrong’
11:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Former president Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share his furious reaction to the news that he may soon be indicted.
The Independent reported earlier on Wednesday that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Mr Trump for violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”.
“No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the ‘No Collusion’ Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS. A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE & ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS MUST MAKE THIS THEIR # 1 ISSUE!!!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.
It is understood that prosecutors intend to ask grand jurors to vote on the indictment on Thursday, but that vote could be delayed as much as a week until the next meeting of the grand jury to allow for a complete presentation of evidence, or to allow investigators to gather more evidence for presentation if necessary.
Millionaires support Ron DeSantis but Trump support growing, says poll
11:00 , Graeme Massie
The Florida governor is the favourite GOP candidate among millionaires, but support for Donald Trump among the wealthy is growing, according to a new poll.
The CNBC Millionaire Survey shows that 32 per cent of Republicans with that status support the Florida governor, a drop from 54 per cent at the end of 2022.
Mr Trump now has the support of 28 per cent of Republican millionaires, up from 17 per cent last year, says the poll.
ICYMI: Trump has been indicted: Here are the other major lawsuits and investigations he is also facing
10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Former president has fumed that the investigations – and now his criminal indictment – are politically motivated:
Donald Trump under arrest: All the other major lawsuits he is also facing
Pence likely sealed his fate as a presidential candidate on January 6
10:00 , Eric Garcia
Mr Pence likely sealed his fate as a presidential candidate not when he filed the paperwork to become a contender this month, but on January 6, when he made the correct decision to break from Mr Trump and his advisers’ cockamamie scheme to overturn the election. Mr Pence mentioned this during his announcement speech, excoriating the president for inciting the mob that wanted to lynch him and putting American democracy in peril.
“On that fateful day, President Trump’s words were reckless, they endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol,” he said. “But the American people deserve to know that on that day President Trump also demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice.”
Mr Pence deserves credit for not subverting democracy. But it also means that he is almost certainly not going to be president of the United States. Almost every indicator shows that Republican voters have soundly rejected him and likely will continue to do so as the 2024 campaign begins in earnest.
Prosecutors ready to ask for Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges
09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The Department of Justice is preparing to ask a Washington, DC grand jury to indict former president Donald Trump for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice as soon as Thursday, adding further weight to the legal baggage facing Mr Trump as he campaigns for his party’s nomination in next year’s presidential election.
The Independent has learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Mr Trump for violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”.
The use of Section 793, which does not make reference to classified information, is understood to be a strategic decision by prosecutors that has been made to short-circuit Mr Trump’s ability to claim that he used his authority as president to declassify documents he removed from the White House and kept at his Palm Beach, Florida property long after his term expired on 20 January 2021.
Prosecutors seeking Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges
Trump reacts with fury at news of possible indictment in classified documents case: ‘I’ve done NOTHING wrong’
09:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share his furious reaction to the news that prosecutors are ready to ask a Washington, DC grand jury to indict him for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice.
The charges may drop as soon as tomorrow, further complicating Mr Trump’s 2024 campaign for the White House.
“No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the ‘No Collusion’ Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS. A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE & ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS MUST MAKE THIS THEIR # 1 ISSUE!!!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.
Read more:
Trump says ‘no one has told me I’m being indicted’ in classified documents case
Pence accuses Trump of treating abortion issue as an ‘inconvenience’
08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Former Vice President Mike Pence said he plans to make the expansion of abortion bans a central plank of his 2024 campaign as he launched his bid for the GOP nomination on Wednesday.
The white-haired conservative Republican spoke in Ankeny, Iowa, on Wednesday as he officially began his quest for the White House. His campaign launch came less than 24 hours after another Republican, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, entered the race as well.
In Iowa, Mr Pence spoke about his longtime opposition to abortion rights and accused his former boss of backing away from the issue in the wake of the political fallout from the Dobbs decision that ended federal protections for abortion rights.
“After leading the most pro-life administration in American history, Donald Trump and others in this race are retreating from the cause of the unborn,” the former VP said.
“The sanctity of life has been our party’s calling for half a century — long before Donald Trump was ever a part of it. Now he treats it as an inconvenience, even blaming election losses on overturning Roe v Wade.”
Full story by John Bowden here:
Pence accuses Trump of treating abortion issue as an ‘inconvenience’
VOICES: Mike Pence isn’t even a contender for 2024. Why are we pretending?
08:00 , Eric Garcia
Former vice president Mike Pence announced his candidacy for president on Wednesday with more attention from the press than it likely will receive from Republican voters.
On Wednesday night, he will appear on CNN for a town hall, and this weekend, he will venture to North Carolina to speak at the state party’s convention that will also feature the two top contenders for the GOP nomination, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and his old boss, former president Donald Trump.
Of course, like any presidential candidate, Mr Pence has been setting himself up for a run, releasing a memoir last year and campaigning for various Republican candidates in the 2022 midterms.
Earlier this year, at the Gridiron Dinner, that formal gathering of the press and politicians that is sequestered from the public eye that I’m never cool enough to get an invitation for, he praised the media while lambasting the former president, attempting to once again separate himself from his former political benefactor.
Read more:
Mike Pence isn’t even a contender for 2024. Why are we pretending?
Pence calls on DoJ not to indict Trump but stops short of saying he’d pardon him if elected in 2024
07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Mike Pence has called on the Justice Department to not prosecute Donald Trump for his handling of classified documents but refused to say he would pardon the former president if he won the White House.
The former vice president told a CNN town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, that he viewed the handling of classified material as “a very serious matter” but told host Dana Bash that federal prosecutors should leave Mr Trump alone.
“I would hope not, I really would,” he said when asked if the DoJ special counsel Jack Smith should indict Mr Trump over the documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
“I think it would be terribly divisive to the country at a time when the American people are hurting. This kind of action by the DoJ would only fuel further division in the country and send a terrible message to the wider world … I hope the DoJ thinks better of it and resolves this in a better way than an indictment,” he continued.
Despite that, Mr Pence told the audience that “no one is above the law”, and also admitted that he himself had no business having some classified documents at his home in Indiana.
Read the full story by Graeme Massie here:
Pence calls on DoJ not to indict Trump but stops short of saying he’d pardon him
Grand jurors have heard testimony from numerous associates of ex-president
07:00 , Andrew Feinberg
A source familiar with the matter has said Mr Trump’s team was recently informed that he is a “target” of a Justice Department probe, which began in early 2022 after National Archives and Records Administration officials discovered more than 100 documents bearing classification markings in a set of 15 boxes of Trump administration records retrieved from Mar-a-Lago, the century-old mansion turned private beach club where Mr Trump maintains his primary residence and post-presidential office.
Over the course of the last year, grand jurors have heard testimony from numerous associates of the ex-president, including nearly every employee of Mar-a-Lago, former administration officials who worked in Mr Trump’s post-presidential office and for his political operation, and former high-ranking administration officials such as his final White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
Millionaires support Ron DeSantis but Trump support growing, says poll
06:30 , Graeme Massie
The Florida governor is the favourite GOP candidate among millionaires, but support for Donald Trump among the wealthy is growing, according to a new poll.
The CNBC Millionaire Survey shows that 32 per cent of Republicans with that status support the Florida governor, a drop from 54 per cent at the end of 2022.
Mr Trump now has the support of 28 per cent of Republican millionaires, up from 17 per cent last year, says the poll.
GOP conservatives shutter House to protest McCarthy-Biden debt deal, setting up next budget brawl
06:00 , AP
In fallout from the debt ceiling deal, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is suddenly confronting a new threat to his power as angry hard-right conservatives bring the House chamber to a halt, reviving their displeasure over the compromise struck with President Joe Biden and demanding deeper spending cuts ahead.
Barely a dozen Republicans, mainly members of the House Freedom Caucus, shuttered House business for a second day Thursday in protest of McCarthy’s leadership. Routine votes could not be taken, and a pair of pro-gas stove bills important to GOP activists stalled out. Some lawmakers asked if they could simply go home.
McCarthy brushed off the disruption as healthy political debate, part of his “risk taker” way of being a leader — not too different, he said, from the 15-vote spectacle it took in January for him to finally convince his colleagues to elect him as speaker. With a paper-thin GOP majority, any few Republicans have outsized sway.
Read more:
GOP conservatives shutter House to protest McCarthy-Biden debt deal, setting up next budget brawl
Grand jurors have heard testimony from numerous associates of ex-president
05:30 , Andrew Feinberg
A source familiar with the matter has said Mr Trump’s team was recently informed that he is a “target” of a Justice Department probe, which began in early 2022 after National Archives and Records Administration officials discovered more than 100 documents bearing classification markings in a set of 15 boxes of Trump administration records retrieved from Mar-a-Lago, the century-old mansion turned private beach club where Mr Trump maintains his primary residence and post-presidential office.
Over the course of the last year, grand jurors have heard testimony from numerous associates of the ex-president, including nearly every employee of Mar-a-Lago, former administration officials who worked in Mr Trump’s post-presidential office and for his political operation, and former high-ranking administration officials such as his final White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
Separate grand jury meeting in Florida has also been hearing evidence
05:00 , Andrew Feinberg
It is understood that prosecutors intend to ask grand jurors to vote on the indictment on Thursday, but that vote could be delayed as much as a week until the next meeting of the grand jury to allow for a complete presentation of evidence, or to allow investigators to gather more evidence for presentation of necessary.
A separate grand jury that is meeting in Florida has also been hearing evidence in the documents investigation. That grand jury was empaneled in part to overcome legal issues posed by the fact that some of the crimes allegedly committed by Mr Trump took place in that jurisdiction, not in Washington. Under federal law, prosecutors must bring charges against federal defendants in the jurisdiction where the crimes took place.
Trump’s ex-adviser Steve Bannon subpoenaed by Jack Smith’s Jan 6 probe, says report
04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump’s former White House adviser Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of a grand jury in his investigation into the January 6 insurrection, says a report.
The Washington DC grand jury is separate from the investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home after he left the White House.
The subpoena is for both documents and testimony and was sent out in late May, sources told NBC News.
Bannon was convicted in July 2022 on two charges of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the congressional January 6 committee.
In October, US District Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Bannon to four months in federal prison, but the sentence was suspended while he appeals his conviction.
Trump’s ex-adviser Steve Bannon subpoenaed by Jack Smith’s Jan 6 probe, says report
Rishi Sunak not seeking meeting with Donald Trump because of ‘busy schedule’
04:00 , David Hughes
Rishi Sunak not seeking meeting with Donald Trump because of ‘busy schedule’
Rishi Sunak has suggested a “busy schedule” meant he was not seeking a meeting with Donald Trump while in the US.
The Prime Minister will meet President Joe Biden, who defeated Mr Trump in 2019, at the White House on Thursday and has already held talks with senior political figures in Congress.
Mr Trump is widely seen as the frontrunner to secure the Republican nomination to run for president again in 2024, with Ron DeSantis viewed as his main rival.
Mr DeSantis met two members of Mr Sunak’s Cabinet – James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch – during a trip to the UK in April, forcing Downing Street to deny any favouritism for the Florida governor over the former president.
Mr Sunak was asked why he was not seeking a meeting with Mr Trump during his visit to Washington.
Read more:
Rishi Sunak not seeking meeting with Donald Trump because of ‘busy schedule’
Prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Trump
03:00 , Andrew Feinberg
The Independent has learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Mr Trump for violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”.
The use of Section 793, which does not make reference to classified information, is understood to be a strategic decision by prosecutors that has been made to short-circuit Mr Trump’s ability to claim that he used his authority as president to declassify documents he removed from the White House and kept at his Palm Beach, Florida property long after his term expired on 20 January 2021.
That section of US criminal law is written in a way that could encompass Mr Trump’s conduct even if he was authorised to possess the information as president because it states that anyone who “lawfully having possession of, access to, control over, or being entrusted with any document ...relating to the national defence,” and “willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it on demand to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it” can be punished by as many as 10 years in prison.
Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment
02:30 , Graeme Massie
A Fox News host has apologised after making a barbed remark about Chris Christie’s weight and his ability to down a milkshake.
John Roberts mocked the former New Jersey governor as he discussed his entry into the 2024 presidential race on the right-wing channel’s show America Reports.
Roberts made the comment as he compared the fight for the Republican nomination to two milkshakes, one being drunk by Donald Trump and the other by the remaining candidates.
“The other milkshake, which represents the non-Donald Trump part of the Republican Party, has how many straws in it now? And now we’re gonna have Chris Christie’s straw in there, and judging by Chris Christie’s physical stature, he could drink a lot of the milkshake if he wanted to. But you’re not affecting the Donald Trump milkshake,” he said.
Read more:
Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment
How the botched effort to drag CNN to the right ended with Chris Licht’s own stunning downfall
02:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Bevan Hurley writes:
Everybody told Chris Licht not to take the job.
The 51-year-old was axed as CNN chief executive and chairman on Wednesday 7 June after a chaotic 13-month reign at the network.
Under his leadership, the cable channel had seen ratings plummet, attracting fewer viewers than right-wing minnow Newsmax in May, its newsroom was in open rebellion, and staff morale was at “rock-bottom”.
His departure had been expected, but still marked a stunning downfall for the powerful television executive who prior to CNN had enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks of broadcast journalism.
Read more...
Chris Licht out at CNN after botched attempt to drag network right
Actor known for 'Bob's Burgers' character arrested on Capitol riot charges
01:30 , AP
An actor known for his roles on the comedy television shows “Bob’s Burgers” and “Mr. Show with Bob and David” was arrested Wednesday on charges that he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in confronting police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot, court records show.
Jay Johnston was arrested in Los Angeles on charges including civil disorder, a felony. He is expected to make his initial court appearance in California on Wednesday. Online court records don’t list an attorney for Johnston.
Video footage captured Johnston pushing against police and helping rioters who attacked officers guarding an entrance to the Capitol in a tunnel on the Lower West Terrace, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit. Johnston held a stolen police shield over his head and passed it to other rioters during the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, the affidavit says.
Read more:
Actor known for 'Bob's Burgers' character arrested on Capitol riot charges
Barr: Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ DOJ
01:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Attorney General Bill Barr has weighed in on Donald Trump’s legal problems relating to the trove of classified documents found at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.
Mr Barr told CBS Mornings that the former president’s problems are of his own making and the case against him and any probe of his retention of secret papers would have gone nowhere if he had just returned them.
Read more...
Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ DOJ says Bill Barr
Pence accuses Trump of treating abortion issue as an ‘inconvenience’
Thursday 8 June 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Vice President Mike Pence plans to make the expansion of abortion bans a centre plank of his 2024 campaign, and made that clear as he launched his bid for the GOP nomination on Wednesday.
John Bowden reports.
Pence accuses Trump of treating abortion issue as an ‘inconvenience’
Trump ridicules Chris Christie’s weight
Wednesday 7 June 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump fired off a nasty buffet video of Chris Christie after the former governor attacked Ivanka Trump at his 2024 campaign launch.
The former president shared a video created by Twitter users @NautPoso and @drefanzor which was crudely edited to make it appear as if the ex-New Jersey governor was starting his campaign at an all-you-can-buffet holding a plate of food.
Read more...
Trump ridicules Chris Christie’s weight in edited 2024 campaign launch video
Wednesday 7 June 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell
.@GovChristie: "Back in 2015 and '16, I played a conventional game...that's not the politics today...It was a mistake, in 2016, not confront Donald Trump early, because I knew that so much of what he said was complete baloney." pic.twitter.com/arVLsjkUme
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 7, 2023
How the botched effort to drag CNN to the right ended with Chris Licht’s own stunning downfall
Wednesday 7 June 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Bevan Hurley writes:
Everybody told Chris Licht not to take the job.
The 51-year-old was axed as CNN chief executive and chairman on Wednesday 7 June after a chaotic 13-month reign at the network.
Under his leadership, the cable channel had seen ratings plummet, attracting fewer viewers than right-wing minnow Newsmax in May, its newsroom was in open rebellion, and staff morale was at “rock-bottom”.
His departure had been expected, but still marked a stunning downfall for the powerful television executive who prior to CNN had enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks of broadcast journalism.
Read more...
Chris Licht out at CNN after botched attempt to drag network right
Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows has testified to grand jury
Wednesday 7 June 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s former chief of staff testified before a grand jury in Washington DC, according to multiple media reports, in the surest sign in weeks that the Department of Justice’s investigation into January 6 has reached the highest levels of the White House.
John Bowden reports.
Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows Mark Meadows has testified to federal grand jury
DeSantis makes first border visit as 2024 candidate
Wednesday 7 June 2023 21:50 , Graeme Massie
The Florida governor travelled to Arizona on Wednesday where he was due to hold a roundtable event in Sierra Vista with Cochise County Sheriff Mark Daniels, a vocal critic of Joe Biden’s border policy.
The trip came a day after Mr DeSantis took credit for two flights which carried migrants from Texas to California, leaving them at a church in Sacramento.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC’s TODAY show on Tuesday that he believes Florida officials broke the law in sending the migrants to the state.
DeSantis accused of plagiarising Trump speech
Wednesday 7 June 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has accused his GOP presidential primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, of “blatantly” stealing a line from one of his speeches, despite the fact that the line dates back to former President Ronald Reagan.
Graig Graziosi has the story.
Trump accuses Ron DeSantis of ‘blatantly’ plagiarising his speech
Trump reacts with fury at news of possible indictment in classified documents case: ‘I’ve done NOTHING wrong’
Wednesday 7 June 2023 21:29 , Gustaf Kilander
Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share his furious reaction to the news that prosecutors are ready to ask a Washington, DC grand jury to indict him for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice.
The charges may drop as soon as tomorrow, further complicating Mr Trump’s 2024 campaign for the White House.
“No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the ‘No Collusion’ Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS. A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE & ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS MUST MAKE THIS THEIR # 1 ISSUE!!!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.
Read more:
Trump says ‘no one has told me I’m being indicted’ in classified documents case
Millionaires support Ron DeSantis but Trump support growing, says poll
Wednesday 7 June 2023 21:14 , Graeme Massie
The Florida governor is the favourite GOP candidate among millionaires, but support for Donald Trump among the wealthy is growing, according to a new poll.
The CNBC Millionaire Survey shows that 32 per cent of Republicans with that status support the Florida governor, a drop from 54 per cent at the end of 2022.
Mr Trump now has the support of 28 per cent of Republican millionaires, up from 17 per cent last year, says the poll.
Wednesday 7 June 2023 21:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Prosecutors ready to ask for Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges
Wednesday 7 June 2023 20:53 , Andrew Feinberg
The Department of Justice is preparing to ask a Washington, DC grand jury to indict former president Donald Trump for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice as soon as Thursday, adding further weight to the legal baggage facing Mr Trump as he campaigns for his party’s nomination in next year’s presidential election.
The Independent has learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Mr Trump for violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”.
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Prosecutors seeking Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges
Ex-Trump aide appears at Miami court to testify before federal grand jury
Wednesday 7 June 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell
A former top aide to Donald Trump appeared Wednesday in federal court in Miami for testimony to a grand jury investigating potential classified-document mishandling and obstruction at the ex-president’s Palm Beach property, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Taylor Budowich, who had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency and now runs a pro-Trump super PAC, was to testify before a grand jury that is separate from a panel that has been meeting in Washington for months to consider charges against Trump over the retention of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and potential obstruction of the government’s efforts to reclaim the records.
The person who confirmed Budowich’s appearance spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secretive grand jury proceedings.
It is not clear why prosecutors are using an additional grand jury beyond the one in Washington or what testimony Budowich was expected to offer, though the existence of the Florida panel could be an indication that prosecutors are considering bringing charges there.
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Ex-Trump aide appears at Miami court to testify before federal grand jury., AP source says
Wednesday 7 June 2023 20:25 , Oliver O'Connell
