Trump news - live: Trump caught on tape revealing he kept classified papers after presidency, report says

Donald Trump turned on his former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Tuesday night for allegedly sharing inaccurate poll numbers on Fox News. Ms McEnany, who served as the former president’s fourth press secretary, was known as one of his most loyal aides and staunch defenders.

Nevertheless, the former president complained about a segment in which he claims she misreported his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, saying the “globalists” could have her and the network should hire “REAL stars”.

Meanwhile, as more Republican contenders join the party’s primary race, Mr Trump has promised a year-long celebration of America to mark 250 years of independence if he wins the presidency again.

Elsewhere, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of the former president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss is now examining his firing of cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs, whose office said the vote was secure, The New York Times reports. Mr Krebs was dismissed by Mr Trump shortly after the election.

Mr Smith is also investigating the former president’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort home after leaving office. That probe is believed to be coming to a head.

Key Points

• Trump pledges to end birthright citizenship

• Ex-president’s lawyer ‘discouraged from searching office for documents'

• Trump rebukes ‘Milktoast’ Kayleigh McEnany over Fox report on his DeSantis poll lead

• Florida governor to blame for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’, Trump says

• Prosecutors have recording of Trump speaking to witness in hush money criminal case

Trump caught on tape talking about classified records he kept after presidency, report says

21:07 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN reports:

Federal prosecutors have obtained an audio recording of a summer 2021 meeting in which former President Donald Trump acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran, multiple sources told CNN, undercutting his argument that he declassified everything.

The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. On the recording, Trump’s comments suggest he would like to share the information but he’s aware of limitations on his ability post-presidency to declassify records, two of the sources said.

More follows...

Kayleigh McEnany and Donald Trump: Where did it all go wrong?

20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In a moment that shocked some — but came as no surprise to others — Donald Trump turned on his former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Tuesday night for allegedly sharing inaccurate poll numbers.

Ms McEnany, who served as the former president’s fourth press secretary, was known as one of his most loyal aides and staunch defenders, something she continued when she joined Fox News as a contributor after he lost the 2020 election and left office.

Nevertheless, the former president pulled no punches in a Truth Social Post, complaining about a segment in which he claims she misreported his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Why has he soured on Ms McEnany?

Why did Donald Trump turn on Kayleigh McEnany?

Trump touts plans for celebration of 250 years of American Independence

20:25 , Oliver O'Connell

In a new campaign-style video, Donald Trump says if elected president in 2024 he will throw the USA the “most spectacular” birthday party to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence.

The former president is proposing a year-long “Salute to America 250” celebration, including a “Great American State Fair,” featuring pavilions from all 50 states. He also wants nationwide high school sporting contests.

In a revival of one of his 2020 election plans, Mr Trump also wants to build the “National Garden of American Heroes” with statues of important figures in American history such as Frederick Douglass and Amelia Earhart — a plan enshrined in a Trump presidency executive order but scrapped when Joe Biden won the election.

The celebration would be organised by a task force formed on the first day of his presidency and will last from Memorial Day 2025 through until 4 July 2026.

The fair he proposed he even suggests could be held at the Iowa State Fairground — coincidentally where he is currently heading for a two-day tour as the 2024 campaign gets going in the first caucus state.

“I will work with all 50 governors, Republican and Democrat alike, to create the Great American State Fair, a unique one-year exhibition featuring pavilions from all 50 states. It’ll be something. The Great American State Fair will showcase the glory of every state in the Union, promote pride in our history, and put forth innovative visions for America’s future,” he says.

“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa state fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special one-time festival,” Mr Trump says. “Together we will build it, and they will come.”

Special counsel probing Trump firing of cybersecurity official, report says

20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

A US special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss isexamining his firing of a cybersecurity official whose office said the vote was secure, The New York Times said on Wednesday.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is also probing Trump’s handling of classified documents, has subpoenaed former Trump White House staff as well as interviewed Christopher Krebs, who oversaw the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under Trump, the Times said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

Trump fired Krebs in November 2020, days after the CISA issued a statement calling the November 3, 2020, election “the most secure in American history” at a time of the then-president’s unsupported accusations the vote had been rigged.

CISA, part of the Department of Homeland Security, works to protect US elections from hackers but drew Trump’s ire at the time, leading Krebs to tell associates at the time that he expected to be fired.

Representatives for Smith’s office declined to comment on the report. Representatives for Krebs and Trump could not immediately be reached for comment.

Reuters

Capitol rioter who threatened to hang Nancy Pelosi is sentenced

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Pennsylvania restaurant owner who screamed death threats directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while storming the US Capitol was sentenced on Tuesday to more than two years in prison.

Pauline Bauer was near Ms Pelosi’s office suite on 6 January 2021 when she yelled at police officers to bring out the California Democrat so the mob of Donald Trump supporters could hang her.

Read more...

Capitol rioter who threatened to hang Nancy Pelosi is jailed for over two years

Pence officially joining 2024 race on 7 June, report says

19:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Per NBC News:

Mike Pence plans to enter the GOP presidential nomination fray June 7 with a campaign video and a kickoff speech in Des Moines, Iowa, according to a person familiar with his launch schedule.

The former vice president, a longtime advocate of the priorities of traditional conservatives on social and economic issues, will join the race at a time when his onetime boss, former President Donald Trump, claims a majority in most national polls and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in a clear second place.

House GOP majority cut by one after shock resignation

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The impending resignation of Utah Representative Chris Stewart will give House Speaker Kevin McCarthy approximately 20 per cent less room to manoeuvre when trying to cobble together enough GOP votes to pass legislation in the closely-divided House.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

House Republican majority cut by one after shock resignation of congressman

Chris Christie to enter the GOP primary fray

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Chris Christie, the pugnatious ex-New Jersey governor and ally turned critic of former president Donald Trump, is set to enter the 2024 Republican presidential primary and challenge the man he endorsed after failing to gain traction in the GOP field nearly eight years ago.

According to multiple reports, Mr Christie will announce his candidacy at a town hall to be held on Tuesday at St Anselm College in New Hampshire.

Andrew Feinberg and Ariana Baio report.

Chris Christie set to announce 2024 bid next week

Nikki Haley’s husband to deploy with National Guard to Africa

18:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Nikki Haley’s husband will soon begin a yearlong deployment with the South Carolina Army National Guard to Africa, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of his wife’s campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

A formal deployment ceremony will likely happen in the next few weeks, a person with knowledge of Michael Haley’s deployment told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

This spring, the South Carolina National Guard called officers with his skill set to deploy in support of U.S. Africa Command, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the deployment and spoke on condition of anonymity.

It will be his second active-duty deployment since he joined the Guard as an officer in 2006.

AP

What’s in the cliffhanger deal ceiling deal struck by Biden and McCarthy

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Weeks of sniping back-and-forth between the White House and the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has finally yielded a deal: America will not default on its debt obligations, should Congress successfully pass the legislation on Wednesday 31 May.

But what exactly has been agreed?

John Bowden explains.

What’s in the cliffhanger deal struck by Biden and McCarthy to raise the debt limit?

Voices: Conservatives bark after the debt limit deal. Will they actually bite McCarthy?

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Nobody should be surprised at the rage House conservatives feel after the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced their deal to raise the debt limit.

The debt limit was always going to be a massive hurdle for Mr McCarthy, who made a number of concessions back in January to secure the speaker’s gavel. Any potential deal, no matter how conservative, would inevitably anger the members of his conference who initially opposed him.

That anger was palpable during a press conference for the House Freedom Caucus, the group of hellraisers that has historically poked House Republican leadership and usually succeeded in either pummeling them into submission or outright making a House speaker quit.

Read more...

Conservatives bark after the debt limit deal. Will they actually bite McCarthy?

DeSantis called out for ‘ignoring’ Hollywood beach shooting

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced criticism on Tuesday for failing to issue a statement about the mass shooting in Hollywood, Florida that left nine people, including four children, injured.

Mr DeSantis, who announced his campaign for US president last week, made no mention of the victims or event on his social media nearly a day after the shooting.

Five adults and four children, including a one-year-old, suffered gunshot wounds after two groups of people engaged in gunfire at the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk on Monday.

Ariana Baio reports.

Ron DeSantis called out for ‘ignoring’ Hollywood beach shooting: ‘He doesn’t care’

Pence to launch 2024 campaign within two week, report says

16:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Vice President Mike Pence is set to launch his 2024 run for the White House within the next two weeks, according to reporting by The Messenger. The outlet cites four sources familiar with the planning.

Mr Pence will join an increasingly crowded Republican primary field and will be running against his one-time boss, former President Donald Trump among others.

The Georgia GOP announced in an email that Mr Pence will no longer be the keynote speaker at an event on 9 June (he is being replaced by Kari Lake) but was forced to reschedule “because of a televised national town hall at which he will be making an announcement regarding his future plans”.

Mr Pence is scheduled to take part in a CNN town hall in Iowa on 7 June, his 64th birthday.

What happens next with the debt ceiling agreement?

16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia explains:

The bipartisan agreement to raise the debt limit cleared a key hurdle on Tuesday evening despite vehement criticism from many House Republicans.

The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 to advance the legislation that codifies the bipartisan agreement struck between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s team and negotiators from President Joe Biden’s administration. The rule will now go to the full House floor before the agreement comes to a full House vote.

Read more...

Debt limit agreement clears first hurdle. Here’s what happens next

As House debt ceiling vote looms, Biden and McCarthy move to shore up support

16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Hard-fought to the end, the debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward a crucial US House vote as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assemble a coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans to push it to passage over fierce blowback from conservatives and some progressive dissent.

Biden is sending top White House officials to meet early Wednesday at the Capitol to shore up support ahead of voting. McCarthy is working furiously to sell sceptical fellow Republicans, even fending off challenges to his leadership, in the rush to avert a potentially disastrous US default.

Read more...

Ahead of House debt ceiling vote, Biden shores up Democrats and McCarthy scrambles for GOP support

Who in the GOP is supporting DeSantis?

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

According to the latest data from Morning Consult, 22 per cent of potential Republican primary voters support Ron DeSantis, while 56 per cent support former President Donald Trump. This has remained largely unchanged since the DeSantis 2024 launch last week, with support for the Florida governor increasing by just one percentage point.

Mr DeSantis enjoys good name recognition and is well-known compared with other current and potential GOP candidates besides Mr Trump, but a notable share of GOP voters do not know how they feel about him when asked about a range of personal traits. This could provide an opportunity when voters get to know him better, Eli Yokley of Morning Consult reports.

Regarding the issues, Mr DeSantis trails Mr Trump on voter trust to handle a range of topics but is strongest on education and race relations than other areas of voter concern.

But if there is a DeSantis base from which he could build, what does it look like? According to Morning Consult:

DeSantis’ backing is still strongest among groups such as self-described conservatives (25%), suburbanites (25%), voters over the age of 65 (26%) and college-educated whites (29%) — but he still trails Trump in all of those demographics.

These groups had helped fuel DeSantis’ early competitiveness in the nascent stage of the Republican primary, giving him a base to compete with the former president’s dominance among the party’s youngest voters and the white working class. But any special status DeSantis had with higher-educated and older voters has been erased in recent months as Trump has grown stronger with a wider range of the party’s voters.

Trump attacks ‘DeSaster’ over ethanol and trade as he heads to Iowa

15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has attacked GOP primary rival Ron DeSantis over support for ethanol as he heads to Iowa for a two-day swing through the first caucus state.

He wrote on Truth Social:

Will be heading to the Great State of Iowa this afternoon for two days. I strongly defended and backed Ethanol, Ron "DeSaster” has ALWAYS been strongly against Ethanol, just like he voted 3 times to cut Social Security (and raise the minimum age to 70!), obliterate MediCare, and charge everyone a National Sales Tax of 23%. Remember, I terminated the worst trade deal in USA history, NAFTA, and replaced it with the best, USMCA. Also got China to pay our great FARMERS 28 Billion Dollars in damages!

Mr DeSantis kicked off his in-person campaign events last night with a rally in Iowa as he embarks on a 12 city, three-state tour of early voting caucus and primary states, also taking in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Former President Trump also couldn’t help having a jab at his once favourite network Fox News, also posted: “FoxNews is really pushing De Sanctimonious. He can’t win!”

Here are some key takeaways from Mr DeSantis’s first major campaign speech since the launch of his 2024 run.

Five takeaways from Ron DeSantis’s 2024 launch in Iowa

Watch: Bartiromo says ‘disheartening’ GOP having ‘very little luck’ in Biden probes

15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Six years ago today...

15:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump posted one of the most famous tweets of his presidency six years ago today and introduced the world to a new word: “covfefe”.

Elon Musk is ‘testing waters’ to interfere in 2024 election, warns AOC

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has issued a warning that Twitter owner Elon Musk is “testing the waters” to possibly interfere in the 2024 election.

The New York progressive representative slammed the Tesla CEO for blocking dissident accounts ahead of the Turkish election.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

AOC warns Elon Musk is ‘testing waters’ to interfere in 2024 election

Former Trump press secretary warns: ‘He. WILL. Turn. On. You.’

15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

After former President Donald Trump hit out at his one-time White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, another of his former press aides from his time in office was quick to jump into the conversation.

“He. WILL. Turn. On. You. There is only loyalty to HIM - not the country, the constitution, his constituents, or anything/anyone else,” she tweeted.

Her tweet was also reposted by another Trump administration veteran, now co-host of The View, Alyssa Farah Griffin.

Chris Christie planning to launch GOP presidential campaign next week

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to launch his second campaign for the Republican nomination for president next week in New Hampshire.

Christie is planning to make the announcement at a town hall Tuesday evening at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, according to a person familiar with his thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm Christie’s plans.

The timing, which was first reported by Axios, comes after several longtime Christie advisers started a super political action committee to support his expected candidacy.

Read more...

Ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie planning to launch GOP presidential campaign next week

Watch: Asa Hutchinson says defending January 6 ‘indefensible'

14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

DeSantis vows to ‘destroy leftism’

14:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Ron DeSantis has made clear what he believes the purpose of his 2024 candidacy to be: The utter destruction of the Democratic Party and its ideology.

The Florida governor spoke on Fox & Friends on Monday and made the bold claim that not only would he win the general election should Republican voters nominate him in the primary, but added that he would “destroy leftism in this country” if allowed to serve in the White House.

John Bowden reports.

Ron DeSantis vows to ‘destroy leftism’ if he wins 2024 race

Nevada becomes latest to enhance penalties for election worker intimidation after statewide exodus

13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Those who harass, intimidate or use force on election workers performing their duties in Nevada could soon face up to four years in prison under a new law signed by the Western swing state’s Republican governor on Tuesday.

The law is meant to deter attacks against those in state and local election offices who have faced increased scrutiny for doing their jobs, Democratic secretary of state Cisco Aguilar said on Tuesday.

Threats and initimidation of election workers had ramped up significantly in Nevada and across the country amid falsehoods and conspiracy theories about foul play denying former president Donald Trump victory in the 2020 presidential race.

Other states have taken similar steps to better protect election officials in recent years, including Maine, Vermont, Washington and New Mexico.

Here’s more.

Nevada becomes latest to enhance penalties for election worker intimidation after statewide exodus

AOC threatens to leave Twitter as Musk promotes ‘disgusting’ account

13:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has threatened to quit Twitter after Elon Musk promoted a “sick” account impersonating the Democratic politician.

The New York congresswoman said that she was “assessing” what to do after the billionaire interacted with the fake account on his social media platform.

“FYI there’s a fake account on here impersonating me and going viral. The Twitter CEO has engaged it, boosting visibility,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Tuesday.

“It is releasing false policy statements and gaining spread. I am assessing with my team how to move forward. In the meantime, be careful of what you see.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez reacted after Mr Musk, with whom she has had a series of public spats on Twitter, responded with a flames emoji to the fake AOC account tweeting, “This might be the wine walking but I’ve got a crush on Elon Musk).”

Graeme Massie has more.

AOC threatens to leave Twitter after Musk promotes account impersonating her

Donald Trump’s legal team and Manhattan prosecutors spar over where he will stand trial

12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Ten months before Donald Trump is scheduled to stand trial in his historic New York City criminal case, Manhattan prosecutors are turning the former president’s words against him in a tug of war over precisely where he will be tried.

Trump’s lawyers have spent weeks angling to have the hush money case moved to federal court. The Manhattan district attorney’s office responded on Tuesday that the case should remain in the state court where it originated, citing old Trump tweets that they say undermine his lawyers’ jurisdictional challenge.

Here’s more on that spat.

Donald Trump’s legal team and Manhattan prosecutors spar over where he will stand trial

Five takeaways from Ron DeSantis’s 2024 launch in Iowa

12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Ron DeSantis landed in the early caucus state of Iowa on Tuesday to give voters a preview of what his campaign will look like.

What that shaped up to be in Des Moines was largely what analysts had expected for months: a bid for higher office that leans into Republican culture war battles and as far away from direct confrontation with the incumbent de facto leader of the party Donald Trump.

Mr DeSantis spoke to an enthusiastic crowd that cheered enthusiastically at his vows to score major wins on those issues like LGBT+ rights and “critical race theory”, but less for his veiled shots at the former president, who was never mentioned by name for obvious fear of losing the audience.

The governor instead heaped his criticism on Joe Biden and the administrative state which he hinted that Mr Trump had failed to rein in.

He was joined by his wife, Casey, and a handful of state-level elected officials — a preview of the battle that is no doubt shaping up in the state where the governor will have his first (and potentially only) real chance to prove that he can credibly compete with the former president, who has turned his fire wholly on his top rival in recent weeks amid continued polling showing the governor falling further behind him.

John Bowden has five things to remember about Tuesday night’s rally going forward into the 2024 primary season.

Five takeaways from Ron DeSantis’s 2024 launch in Iowa

Trump still dominates in first 2024 GOP poll since DeSantis launch

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first Republican Party 2024 primary poll conducted since Ron DeSantis officially entered the race, Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead over the other candidates.

More details here...

Trump still dominates in first 2024 GOP poll since DeSantis announcement

Republicans shocked as Donald Trump turns on Kayleigh McEnany

11:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump turned on former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany for allegedly sharing inaccurate poll numbers, in a move that has left Republicans shocked.

Ms McEnany, 35, served as the former president’s fourth press secretary and was touted to be one of his most loyal aides before joining Fox News as a contributor.

“Kayleigh ‘Milktoast’ McEnany just gave out the wrong poll numbers on Fox News,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social, incorrectly spelling the term milquetoast.

“I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up. While 25 is great, it’s not 34,” the one-time president said, using his nickname for Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

“She knew the number was corrected upwards by the group that did the poll. The RINOS & Globalists can have her. FoxNews should only use REAL Stars.”

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has this report.

Republicans shocked as Trump turns on former White House aide Kayleigh McEnany

Woman who threatened Pelosi with hanging during Capitol riot sentenced

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Pennsylvania restaurant owner who screamed death threats directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while storming the US Capitol was sentenced on Tuesday to more than two years in prison.

Pauline Bauer was near Pelosi’s office suite on 6 January 2021 when she yelled at police officers to bring out the California Democrat so the mob of Donald Trump supporters could hang her.

Read more...

Woman who threatened Nancy Pelosi with hanging during Capitol riot gets over 2 years in prison

Trump pledges to end birthright citizenship

10:36 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump has vowed to end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented migrants born on American soil, as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.

Speaking in his latest campaign video as he again seeks the Republican presidential nomination, Mr Trump said: “As part of my plan to secure the border on Day One, I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic US citizenship.”

Member of DeSantis Disney governing board quits role

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of Gov Ron DeSantis’ Disney oversight board has resigned just three months into his tenure, Spectrum News 13 first reported.

Michael Sasso, an Orlando-based attorney, was one of five people Mr DeSantis appointed to the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District after the state seized control of Walt Disney World’s special tax district earlier this year.

Abe Asher has the details.

Member of Ron DeSantis’ Disney governing board quits role

Peter Navarro to go on trial in September in January 6 contempt case

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro will stand trial in September on contempt of Congress charges filed after he refused to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

US District Judge Amit Mehta set a 5 September trial date during a court appearance on Tuesday in Washington.

Read more...

Ex-Trump White House official Peter Navarro to go on trial in September in Jan. 6 contempt case

Chris Christie allies launch super PAC ahead of expected 2024 campaign

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Allies of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have launched a new super PAC to support his expected candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

Christie has painted himself as the only potential candidate willing to directly take on former President Donald Trump, who is currently leading the GOP field by wide margins. The former governor and federal prosecutor was a longtime friend and adviser to Trump, but broke with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election, and has emerged as a leading Trump critic in the years since.

Read more...

Christie allies launch super PAC ahead of expected 2024 campaign for the GOP presidential nomination

Report: As documents probe closes in, Trump attorneys worry some may snitch to feds

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As the probe into whether former President Donald Trump or his advisers broke the law in their retention of documents including some potentially classified material from the White House nears its end, Mr Trump’s legal team is said to be fearing disloyalty.

The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that the former president’s attorneys supposedly worry that some among them may decide to start talking to the Department of Justice, becoming witnesses in the case, as the attention of the agency turns to the actions of the legal team themselves.

Read more...

Trump attorneys worry some may snitch as documents probe closes in, report claims

Report: Trump lawyer discouraged from searching Mar-a-Lago office for documents

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Donald Trump’s attorneys has said he was “waved off” from searching the former president’s office for classified documents in the weeks before FBI agents found more than 100 such records during a court-authorised search.

According to The Guardian, Evan Corcoran has told associates that several of the ex-president’s aides had told him he needed only to look in a storage room at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club when conducting a search so he could respond to a subpoena for the documents on Mr Trump’s behalf.

Read more...

Trump lawyer was discouraged from searching office for documents

Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis

03:17 , Graeme Massie

Vocal Maga supporter Kimberly Guilfoyle on Saturday claimed that Ron DeSantis would “get hurt and damaged badly” by the Florida governor’s 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump, the father of her boyfriend.

Sheila Flynn reports.

Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged’

All the major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Lawsuits and investigations hung over Mr Trump throughout his business career and then his political one, including actions like the bombshell $250m lawsuit from New York attorney general Letitia James against Mr Trump and three of his children for a host of allegedly fraudulent business practices, a suit which joins an estimated 4,000 cases Mr Trump has faced in his lifetime.

Things haven’t only gotten more complicated now that he’s a private citizen without the backing of the Justice Department. No former president has ever been indicted for criminal conduct.

The usually blustery ex-president may finally be feeling the heat, after reportedly telling an associate that since leaving office, he’s worried people across the country are going to be “suing me for the rest of my life.”

Here’s what you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump.

Donald Trump under arrest: All the other major lawsuits he is also facing

Utah Republican Chris Stewart planning to resign from Congress

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

US Rep Chris Stewart, R-Utah, is planning to leave Congress due to his wife’s illness by the end of this year, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The six-term Utah Republican will announce on Wednesday that he will likely leave office by the end of the year, leaving an open Republican seat on the House Appropriations and Intelligence committees. The person familiar with the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly prior to the planned announcement.

Read more...

Utah Republican Chris Stewart planning to resign from Congress, AP source says

DeSantis takes swipe at Trump for cancelling his Iowa event

02:02 , Graeme Massie

Trump boasts about poll numbers against DeSantis during rally

01:46 , Graeme Massie

“Kayleigh “Milktoast”McEnany just gave out the wrong poll numbers on FoxNews,” the one-term president wrote on Truth Social.

I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up. While 25 is great, it’s not 34. She knew the number was corrected upwards by the group that did the poll. The RINOS & Globalists can have her. FoxNews should only use REAL Stars!!!”

Scenes from first Ron DeSantis campaign rally

01:31 , Graeme Massie

DeSantis hits familiar targets of Fauci, Disney and ‘wokeism’ and illegal immigration in first rally as 2024 candidate

01:20 , Graeme Massie

Florida governor begins quest for GOP nomination without mention of Donald Trump.

John Bowden has all the details.

DeSantis hits familiar targets of Fauci, Disney and ‘wokeism’ in first 2024 rally

DeSantis slams Disney again in first campaign rally

01:12 , Graeme Massie

Pictures from the first Ron DeSantis campaign rally in Iowa

Wednesday 31 May 2023 00:56 , Graeme Massie

Pictures from DeSantis rally in Iowa

Wednesday 31 May 2023 00:51 , Graeme Massie

DeSantis hits out at vaccine mandates and Hunter Biden in first rally as candidate

Wednesday 31 May 2023 00:43 , Graeme Massie

“If Hunter had been a Republican he would have been in prison years ago,” claimed the Florida governor, repeating Donald Trump’s well-worn attacks on the president’s son.

Fox News host suggests Pentagon may have DeSantis war crimes pictures

Wednesday 31 May 2023 00:05 , Graeme Massie

“I’m sure the Pentagon probably has a picture of him stacking up Iraqi bodies in a Baghdad prison cell,” said Jesse Watters on the right-wing news channel.

Ron DeSantis vows to ‘destroy leftism’

Tuesday 30 May 2023 23:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has made clear what he believes the purpose of his 2024 candidacy to be: The utter destruction of the Democratic Party and its ideology.

The Florida governor spoke on Fox & Friends on Monday and made the bold claim that not only would he win the general election should Republican voters nominate him in the primary, but added that he would “destroy leftism in this country” if allowed to serve in the White House.

John Bowden reports.

Ron DeSantis vows to ‘destroy leftism’ if he wins 2024 race

Trump blames DeSantis for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting'

Tuesday 30 May 2023 23:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has criticised Ron DeSantis for not taking on Disney sooner, suggesting his main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination could have prevented the entertainment giant from becoming – in his words – “woke” and “disgusting”.

Mr Trump lashed out at both Disney and Mr DeSantis on Sunday as the Florida governor remains locked in a feud with one of America’s best-loved brands, after it opposed his so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Read more...

Trump says DeSantis to blame for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’

The more GOP rivals, the better for Trump?

Tuesday 30 May 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

When Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign for the White House last week, the notoriously prickly former President Donald Trump welcomed his new competitor with open arms.

There were no accusations of disloyalty or nasty nicknames from the GOP front-runner like the barrage he unleashed when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered his leading rival, joined the race two days later with a bungled Twitter announcement.

Read more...

Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him

Tonight: DeSantis hits presidential campaign trail in Iowa

Tuesday 30 May 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis is kicking off his presidential campaign in Iowa this evening, the start of a busy week that will take him to 12 cities in three states as he tests his pitch as the most formidable Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump.

The Florida governor’s two-day trip to the leadoff caucus state — starting at a suburban Des Moines megachurch and ending at a Cedar Rapids racetrack — comes after a stumbling online announcement last week that formalised his long-anticipated entry into the growing Republican field. It will be followed by stops in early primary states New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Read more about what the governor has planned and stay tuned as we cover tonight’s first event at Eternity Church in Clive.

DeSantis kicks off presidential campaign in Iowa as he steps up criticism of Trump

Voices: Fair-weather DeSantis’ climate change rejection is ‘politicization’ at its finest

Tuesday 30 May 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

David Callaway writes:

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis wasted no time cementing his role as climate-denier-in-chief last week when on the first day of his campaign he boldly stated that he rejected the “politicization of weather.”

Stoking the culture wars that are certain to form the bedrock of his campaign, DeSantis fell back on the familiar denier’s claim that climate change is normal and that environmental actions are nothing more than a sinister, “woke,” political effort to slash American freedoms.

Read more...

Fair-weather DeSantis’ climate change rejection is ‘politicization’ at its finest

DeSantis and Trump poll closer on favourability

Tuesday 30 May 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

While Donald Trump still dominates the Republican field of primary candidates, Ron DeSantis is close behind him in favourability amongst Republican voters.

The former president has a 77 per cent to 17 per cent favourable to unfavourable rating, whereas the Florida governor is right behind him, rated as 73 per cent to 12 per cent.

They are both significantly ahead of Nikki Haley, Mike Pence and Tim Scott who are clustered together in the mid-forties range on favourable, but have quite divergent unfavourable ratings.

The poll, conducted nationally by Monmouth, took place between 18-24 May, ahead of the DeSantis 2024 announcement.

Trump still dominates in first 2024 GOP poll since DeSantis announcement

Tuesday 30 May 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first Republican Party 2024 primary poll conducted since Ron DeSantis officially entered the race, Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead over the other candidates.

The former president has a substantial lead over the Florida governor, with Mr Trump ahead with 43 per cent of the vote and Mr DeSantis in second place with 18 per cent.

Commissioned by American Greatness, the poll of 500 likely South Carolina Republican primary voters was conducted by National Research Inc.

Read more...

Trump still dominates in first 2024 GOP poll since DeSantis announcement

Watch: Gaetz threatens McCarthy speakership over debt ceiling compromise

Tuesday 30 May 2023 21:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis vows to ‘destroy leftism’ if he wins 2024 race

Tuesday 30 May 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has made clear what he believes the purpose of his 2024 candidacy to be: The utter destruction of the Democratic Party and its ideology.

The Florida governor spoke on Fox & Friends on Monday and made the bold claim that not only would he win the general election should Republican voters nominate him in the primary, but added that he would “destroy leftism in this country” if allowed to serve in the White House.

John Bowden has the full story.

Ron DeSantis vows to ‘destroy leftism’ if he wins 2024 race

Asa Hutchinson says no pardon for Trump if he’s elected

Tuesday 30 May 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Arkansas Governor and GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson has said he would not offer former President Donald Trump a pardon if he was elected in 2024.

In an appearance on ABC’s The View on Tuesday morning, Mr Hutchinson was asked by co-host Joy Behar if there he would offer a pardon to Mr Trump as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would.

“No,” Mr Hutchinson said, chuckling.

Earlier in the day during an appearance on Fox & Friends, Mr Hutchinson had avoided committing to a Trump pardon.

Mr Hutchinson also told The View : “I think you're defending the indefensible if you try to defend January 6. It was wrong, it was an attack on our democracy and it shouldn't have happened.”

Watch:

First 2024 poll since DeSantis announcement shows Trump still in lead of GOP candidates

Tuesday 30 May 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first Republican Party 2024 primary poll conducted since Ron DeSantis officially entered the race, Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead over the other candidates.

The former president has a substantial lead over the Florida governor with Mr Trump ahead with 43 per cent of the vote and Mr DeSantis in second place with 18 per cent.

Commissioned by American Greatness, the poll of 500 likely South Carolina Republican primary voters was conducted by National Research Inc.

The results were published on 26 May and have South Carolina Senator Tim Scott in third place with 12 per cent of the vote and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in fourth place with 10 per cent.

As with Mr DeSantis, Senator Scott only declared his candidacy last week on 22 May, with the Florida governor officially announcing his run for the White House on 24 May in an glitchy and much derided Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk.

“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The former president has been taking aim at Mr DeSantis for months, attacking him on a number of issues including his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in his state, and insisting he would not have been elected without a Trump endorsement.

Since his campaign launch, Mr DeSantis has blitzed rightwing media with appearances and has now hit the campaign trail with stops scheduled in 12 cities across three early voting states this week — Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Four other GOP candidates failed to make much of an impression in the American Greatness poll, with Asa Hutchinson, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Chris Sununu each getting one per cent of the vote.

On the question of favourability, Mr Trump leads Mr DeSantis by only six points, with 72 per cent to 66 per cent.

However, slightly more of those polled had an unfavourable opinion of Mr Trump versus the Florida governors, at 25 per cent to 24 per cent.

Member of DeSantis’ Disney governing board quits role

Tuesday 30 May 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of Gov Ron DeSantis’ Disney oversight board has resigned just three months into his tenure, Spectrum News 13 first reported.

Michael Sasso, an Orlando-based attorney, was one of five people Mr DeSantis appointed to the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District after the state seized control of Walt Disney World’s special tax district earlier this year.

Abe Asher has the story.

Member of Ron DeSantis’ Disney governing board quits role

AOC threatens to leave Twitter over ‘disgusting’ account impersonating her

Tuesday 30 May 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alexia Ocasio-Cortez has threatened to quit Twitter after Elon Musk promoted a “sick” account impersonating the star Democratic politician.

The New York congresswoman said that she was “assessing” what to do after the billionaire interacted with the fake account on his social media platform.

Graeme Massie reports.

AOC threatens to leave Twitter after Musk promotes account impersonating her

Tuesday 30 May 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Woman who threatened Pelosi with hanging during Capitol riot sentenced

Tuesday 30 May 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A Pennsylvania restaurant owner who screamed death threats directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while storming the US Capitol was sentenced today to more than two years in prison.

Pauline Bauer was near Pelosi’s office suite on 6 January 2021, when she yelled at police officers to bring out the California Democrat so the mob of Donald Trump supporters could hang her.

Read more...

Woman who threatened Nancy Pelosi with hanging during Capitol riot gets over 2 years in prison

Christie allies launch super PAC ahead of expected 2024 campaign

Tuesday 30 May 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Allies of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have launched a new super PAC to support his expected candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

Christie has painted himself as the only potential candidate willing to directly take on former President Donald Trump, who is currently leading the GOP field by wide margins. The former governor and federal prosecutor was a longtime friend and adviser to Trump, but broke with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election, and has emerged as a leading Trump critic in the years since.

Read more...

Christie allies launch super PAC ahead of expected 2024 campaign for the GOP presidential nomination

Trump hits DeSantis on Covid deaths

Tuesday 30 May 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump has hit out at Republican 2024 candidate and rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over his state’s record with death from Covid-19 during the pandemic.

Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social:

Under Ron DeSanctimonious as Governor, Florida was the third WORST State in Deaths by Covid. So why do they say that DeSanctus did a good job? New York had fewer deaths! Also, he shut down the State, and even its beaches (unlike other Republican Governors).

This is not the first time he has brought up the governor’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in his state.

LGBTQ people are fleeing Florida in ‘mass migration’

Tuesday 30 May 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Anti-LGBT+ laws put in place by Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis have triggered a “mass migration” out of the state, a Pride organiser has said.

This comes as several transgender people are reportedly taking to GoFundMe to solicit donations to move out of the state.

Several Pride groups in the Sunshine State have cancelled their celebrations that were set to take place during the month of June after the new laws have left the community worried about possible blowback.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

LGBTQ people are fleeing Florida in ‘mass migration’ with some fundraising onGoFundMe

Report: Trump lawyer was discouraged from searching office for documents

Tuesday 30 May 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Donald Trump’s attorneys has said he was “waved off” from searching the former president’s office for classified documents in the weeks before FBI agents found more than 100 such records during a court-authorised search.

According to The Guardian, Evan Corcoran has told associates that several of the ex-president’s aides had told him he needed only to look in a storage room at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club when conducting a search so he could respond to a subpoena for the documents on Mr Trump’s behalf.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Trump lawyer was discouraged from searching office for documents

Trial date set for Peter Navarro

Tuesday 30 May 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro will stand trial on 5 September on contempt of Congress charges for defying a subpoena from the January 6 committee, Judge Amit Mehta said in court today.

Watch: House GOP Freedom Caucus unhappy with debt ceiling deal

Tuesday 30 May 2023 17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

“This deal fails, fails completely… we will do everything in our power to stop it and end it now,” says Republican Rep Scott Perry.

Report: Trump attorneys worry some among them may snitch to feds

Tuesday 30 May 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

As the probe into whether former President Donald Trump or his advisers broke the law in their retention of documents including some potentially classified material from the White House nears its end, Mr Trump’s legal team is said to be fearing disloyalty.

The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that the former president’s attorneys supposedly worry that some among them may decide to start talking to the Justice Department, becoming witnesses in the case, as the attention of the agency turns to the actions of the legal team themselves.

John Bowden reports.

Trump attorneys worry some may snitch as documents probe closes in, report claims

Biden laughs off idea of Trump pardon

Tuesday 30 May 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Monday scoffed at the idea of granting his predecessor, former president Donald Trump, a pardon absolving him of any crimes he may have committed during or after his presidency.

Mr Biden was asked if he’d consider a reprieve for Mr Trump as he departed the White House en route to his Delaware home on Monday.

Read more...

Biden laughs off idea of Trump pardon after DeSantis pledges to consider it

Ted Cruz faces bipartisan ire for criticism of Uganda’s new anti-LGBT+ law

Tuesday 30 May 2023 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ted Cruz is facing backlash on Twitter from both sides of the political spectrum following his criticism of Uganda’s stringent new anti-LGBT+ laws.

On Monday, the Republican senator responded to a New York Times article on Twitter which described Uganda’s new legislation as “among the most restrictive of its kind in the world”.

Sravasti Dasgupta looks at the reaction:

Ted Cruz faces bipartisan fire for criticising Uganda’s new anti-LGBT+ law

Trump says he will end automatic citizenship for children of illegal aliens

Tuesday 30 May 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump has posted a video promising to end automatic citizenship for the children of those who cross into the US illegally. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “As part of my plan to Secure the Border, on day one of my new term in office — I will sign an Executive Order ending automatic citizenship for the children of illegal aliens.”

Mr Trump claims twice in the video that many of those coming over the border are coming from “mental institutions”. He says that by ending automatic citizenship he will choke off a major incentive for those coming into the US illegally.

Watch below: