Jan 6 hearings – live: Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s trial begins as Committee chair contracts Covid

Oliver O'Connell,Sravasti Dasgupta and Andrew Naughtie
·34 min read
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Jan 6 select committee chair Bennie Thompson has tested positive for Covid-19, it has been announced. The Democratic congressman says he is suffering only mild symptoms, and the panel’s primetime hearing on Thursday is expected to go ahead as planned.

The hearing will reportedly feature two former White House aides who will testify as to what the ex-president was doing while a mob of his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol.

The hearing, which committee member Jamie Raskin said would be a “moment of reckoning” for the US, is set to focus on Mr Trump’s inaction during the attack. The panel has already showcased witness testimony about the former president’s behaviour during the riot, including that he refused to send a tweet calling the crowd off and that he may have suggested they were right to call for Mike Pence to be hanged.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s ally Steve Bannon faces the start of his trial on criminal contempt of Congress. The former president’s longtime lieutenant and hardcore right-wing agitator refused to comply with the House select committee’s subpoena, and his various last-ditch efforts to head off or delay the trial have failed.

Key Points

National Archives instruct Secret Service to investigate deleted texts

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The National Archives has instructed the Secret Service to investigate the “potential unauthorised deletion” of text messages from 5-6 January 2021.

The agency has 30 days to submit a report on the deletion.

What will the Jan 6 report look like, and where will you be able to get it?

17:05 , Andrew Naughtie

The Jan 6 select committee has been clear that it does not forsee a hard stop to its work, not least since its public hearings this summer have invited a deluge of new witnesses and evidence. However, the panel’s leaders have long said they expect to release a written report - and commercial publishers are getting ready to launch it.

As a government document, the report will be in the public domain, meaning anyone can print a copy of it. And according to Axios, “Twelve Books, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, will announce Tuesday that it plans to publish ‘The January 6 Report’ in partnership with the New York Times.

“The edition will include ‘exclusive reporting, eyewitness accounts and analysis ... from New York Times reporters who’ve covered the story from the beginning.’”

What has the committee been doing?

16:25 , Andrew Naughtie

Bennie Thompson’s Covid-19 diagnosis has people asking where he and other panel members have been in recent days, with an eye to others who may have been accidentally exposed to the virus...

Bannon still fighting to delay trial

15:55 , Andrew Naughtie

Having tried time and again to forestall his contempt of Congress trial, Steve Bannon’s lawyers are still trying - even after the judge just rejected a request to push it back one month.

Thursday hearing still on, despite chair’s Covid diagnosis

15:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Despite chair Bennie Thompson’s positive Covid-19 test, Thursday’s prime time January 6 committee hearing will go ahead as planned.

A spokesperson for the committee says: “While Chairman Thompson is disappointed with his Covid diagnosis, he has instructed the Select Committee to proceed with Thursday evening’s hearing. Committee members and staff wish the Chairman a speedy recovery.”

Jan 6 chair tests positive for Covid

15:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Rep Bennie Thomson, the chair of the House January 6 Committee, has tested positive for Covid-19. He tweeted that he is experiencing mild symptoms and is fully vaccinated and boosted.

Dr Oz warns that Maga movement is “dying"

14:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Despite having a Trump endorsement to trade on, Dr Mehmet Oz is still unpopular with many grassroots conservatives, something that has been reflected in his surprisingly anaemic fundraising since winning Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate primary.

He is now trying to catch up by striking fear into the hearts of potential supporters, and even going so far as to warn them that their beloved movement is on its deathbed:

Opening arguments to start in Bannon trial

14:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress trial is set to kick off imminently, with opening arguments to be laid out in front of a newly selected jury.

The former Trump adviser tried to avert the start of the trial by offering to speak to the Jan 6 committee and arguing that the committee’s hearings could be prejudicial, but the judge disagreed.

Watch: Trump-backed candidate in bizarre FBI ramble

13:41 , Andrew Naughtie

Senior Republicans remain worried that various of Donald Trump’s chosen candidates could lose winnable Senate races this year, costing them control of the chamber. Among the most concerning on the list is Herschel Walker, the party’s nominee in Georgia, who aside from a history of partner violence has also lied about his educational achievements and how many children he has.

Along with that dubious record, Mr Walker has many times regaled TV and live audiences with extremely odd monologues about various subjects. The most recent of these strange performances saw him claim to have trained at the FBI’s headquarters before telling a story about picking up a gun to shoot someone while hearing voices in his head:

Who is Jan 6 witness Matthew Pottinger?

13:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Former deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger is likely to testify on Thursday before the House committee probing the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

He is slated to appear alongside former deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, reported CNN. The committee is, however, yet to publicly confirm the same.

Mr Pottinger was the highest-ranking White House official to have stepped down immediately after the riot.

According to video testimony played by the committee during a hearing early in June, he said he decided to resign after former president Donald Trump tweeted saying that the then vice president Mike Pense should have shown more courage.

“I read that tweet. And made a decision at that moment to resign,” Mr Pottinger had said. “That’s where I knew that I was leaving that day, once I had read that tweet.”

Namita Singh has more:

Trump security aide will be star witness at primetime hearing, report says

DeSantis catching up with Trump – in Michigan

12:35 , Andrew Naughtie

The rise of Ron DeSantis as the GOP’s natural Trump alternative continues steadily, and now there’s more polling to back it up. The Detroit News has a new poll out putting the Florida governor and the former president head-to-head in a crucial swing state, and the news is not good for Mr Trump:

In the July 13-15 poll of 500 registered voters who said they are likely to vote in the Republican primary in August, most signaled they would support another potential re-election campaign by Trump, valued his endorsement in the Michigan GOP gubernatorial primary and trusted his assessment of the 2020 election more than that of Michigan Senate Republicans, whose investigations found no evidence of widespread fraud.

Read more below.

Trump-backed Dr Oz complains Democrats are raising money off issues

12:07 , Andrew Naughtie

Appearing on Fox News last night, GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz – a TV doctor viewed with deep suspicion by many conservatives – explained that the reason his Democratic rival John Fetterman is so much better-funded than he is is that the Democrats have been able to point to crises like the demise of Roe v Wade to rake in fundraising dollars.

In his telling, this is somehow dubious or unedifying, rather than a typical if particularly potent example of political mobilisation.

The extremely wealthy Dr Oz has been mocked by Democrats for owning multiple homes while possibly not living in Pennsylvania at all.

Ex-Trump aides prepare to testify

11:31 , Andrew Naughtie

This week’s Jan 6 committee hearing will feature the testimony of two Trump White House veterans: former deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger and former press staffer Sarah Matthews.

The two are taking part in the panel’s eighth hearing this summer, a session that is expected to focus on Donald Trump’s “dereliction of duty” on the day of the Capitol riot.

Here’s more on what to expect from their appearance:

Former White House aides to testify at next Jan. 6 hearing

Bad news for Liz Cheney in Wyoming

11:02 , Andrew Naughtie

Liz Cheney may be earning plaudits for her work on the January 6 committee investigation, but her future in Congress appears precarious after two polls show her badly losing her WyomingGOP primary.

Ms Cheney trailed her Trump-endorsed challenger Harriet Hageman by 22 points in a Casper Star-Tribune poll released on Friday.

A separate poll for the Club for Growth conservative organisation obtained by NBC News showed likely primary voters favouring Ms Hageman by 59 per cent to 31 per cent.

Bevan Hurley has more:

New poll spells bad news for Liz Cheney’s primary in Wyoming

Star Jan 6 witness seeking re-election looks for “miracle"

10:30 , Andrew Naughtie

Rusty Bowers, the Republican Arizona House speaker who nearly came to tears when testifying to the Jan 6 committee recently, has given an interview to NBC News where he describes the headwinds facing him in his November re-election effort, which he acknowledges it will take a “miracle” for him to win given the pro-Trump opposition:

A recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award this year, Bowers said the response in his district to the testimony has been mixed.

“Among my friends and people that I know personally in the district, it’s been good,” he said. “But generally, it is not seen as good. It’s been: ‘There you go. The traitor.’”

He also disagrees with people who tell him his decision to testify took courage.

“I don’t see me having some courageous Don Quixote-esque [moment]. Maybe that’s it, but certainly not a Joan of Arc,” Bowers said. “But I did what I had to do. I knew that there might be consequences, and in some cases, I knew that it would end relationships. But I have to tell the truth. That’s it. Beyond that, nothing else.”

Read the full report below.

Thursday’s primetime hearing will construct ‘minute-by-minute’ account of Trump’s Jan 6 actions

10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The January 6 committee’s second primetime hearing will take place on Thursday and feature a “minute-by-minute” account of Donald Trump’s actions while Capitol Hill was being stormed by his supporters, a panel member said on Sunday.

Three members of the House select committee - Zoe Lofgren, Elaine Luria and Adam Kinzinger - appeared on Sunday shows to discuss the hearing. Republican Congressman Kinzinger also signaled that it may not be the last time the panel presents findings to the public.

John Bowden has more on what to expect from Thursday’s hearing.

Jan 6 panel says next hearing will be ‘minute-by-minute’ account of Trump’s actions

Kinzinger hits out at Secret Service over ‘very conflicting’ statements on deleted texts

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican congressman and January 6 committee member Adam Kinzinger has accused the Secret Service of contradicting statements on whether text messages sent during the deadly attack on the US Capitol were still accessible.

Last week, the bipartisan committee was informed by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (OIG) that the Secret Service was delaying efforts to hand over materials related to that day, and had apparently deleted relevant text messages.

Mr Kinzinger said on Sunday that the agency claimed it had lost all or some of the texts requested by the panel - then declared all “relevant” messages were turned over to the OIG.

John Bowden reports.

Kinzinger says Secret Service made ‘very conflicting’ statements on deleted texts

NRA slams Trump's Wisconsin candidate over false endorsement

09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The National Rifle Association on Monday issued a stinging rebuke of former President Donald Trump‘s pick for Wisconsin governor, accusing him of misleading its members after his campaign falsely claimed the gun advocacy group had endorsed him.

NRA slams Trump's Wisconsin candidate over false endorsement

Prince Harry condemns the ‘rolling back of constitutional rights’

08:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Prince Harry has criticised the “rolling back of constitutional rights” in the United States in a keynote address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday.

“The few weaponising lies and disinformation at the expense of the many,” Harry said in a thinly-veiled critique of the US Supreme Court’s decision to end abortion rights during a speech marking Nelson Mandela International Day.

“And from the horrific war in Ukraine to the rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States, we are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom, the cause of Mandela’s life.”

Bevan Hurley reports:

Prince Harry condemns the ‘rolling back of constitutional rights’ in UN speech

Jody Hice refusing to comply with subpoena in Georgia Trump election criminal probe

08:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Representative Jody Hice is refusing to comply with a subpoena ordering him to give evidence before the Georgia special grand jury investigating former president Donald Trump’s attempt to pressure Peach State officials into overturning Joe Biden’s 2020 election win there.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Georgia Rep Jody Hice refusing to honour subpoena in Trump election criminal probe

Paul accuses McConnell of cutting a 'secret deal' with White House

08:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Senator Rand Paul accused Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of cutting “a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” on Monday further exposing the long simmering tensions between Kentucky’s two Republican senators.

Mr Paul blamed a lack of communication by his fellow Kentuckian Mr McConnell for the failure of a federal judicial nomination for anti-abortion lawyer Chad Meredith, reported Associated Press.

“Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” Mr Paul said.

Paul blames 'secret deal' for sinking judicial nomination

Jan 6 hearing to show Trump’s ‘dereliction of duty’ during Capitol riot

07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A House committee’s prime-time hearing Thursday will offer the most compelling evidence yet of then-President Donald Trump’s “dereliction of duty” on the day of the Jan. 6 insurrection, with new witnesses detailing his failure to stem an angry mob storming the Capitol, committee members said Sunday.

“This is going to open people’s eyes in a big way,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a member of the House committee investigating the riot who will help lead Thursday’s session with Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va. “The president didn’t do anything.”

Panel: Hearing to show Trump 'dereliction of duty' on Jan 6

No major problems with ballot drop boxes in 2020, survey reports

07:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The expanded use of drop boxes for mailed ballots during the 2020 election did not lead to any widespread problems, according to an Associated Press survey of state election officials across the U.S. that revealed no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft that could have affected the results.

The findings from both Republican- and Democratic-controlled states run contrary to claims made by former President Donald Trump and his allies who have intensely criticized their use and falsely claimed they were a target for fraud.

No major problems with ballot drop boxes in 2020, AP finds

Twitter flags Marjorie Taylor Greene for ‘hateful content’

06:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Twitter flagged a tweet by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as hateful content after she misgendered Dr Rachel Levine, who is transgender and serves as assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms Greene posted a video of Dr Levine in which she said she wanted to “support and empower” transgender young people and not limit their participation in sports or their ability to receive gender-affirming treatment in their state.

“We must do everything we can to prevent Dr. Dick Levine’s pre-teen #WeenieChop”, Ms Greene tweeted.

The Independent’s Eric Garcia has the story:

Twitter flags Marjorie Taylor Greene for ‘hateful content’ after transphobic tweet

Two former White House aides to testify at next hearing

06:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Matthew Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, and Sarah Matthews, a former press aide, are expected to testify at the House January 6 committee’s hearing on Thursday.

The two former White House aides testimony will come as the panel examines what Donald Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol, a person familiar with the plans said to Associated Press.

The two had resigned immediately after last January’s insurrection.

Read this report by the Associated Press:

Former White House aides to testify at next Jan. 6 hearing

Pollster says more Republicans are prepared to turn away from Trump

05:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Sarah Longwell, a long-time GOP activist and political strategist, who opposed former president Donald Trump’s nomination to be the Republican presidential candidate back in 2016 has said that an increasing number of Republicans are now ready to “move on” from the former president, and throw their support behind another candidate.

Ms Longwell said she has the data, in the form of focus group meetings of Republicans that she has been conducting for years.

“The Jan 6 hearings are creating a lot of ambient noise about all the stuff Trump makes people defend that they don’t like. They want to be talking right now about why Biden’s so bad, about inflation. They want to talk about why the world is in such a bad place because of the ‘socialist Democrats’. That’s what Trump voters want to talk about. And Trump wants to keep relitigating the 2020 election.”

The insights from Longwell are supported by other data, most recently a poll commissioned by the New York Times that found about half of Republicans were ready to vote for someone other than Trump.

Andrew Buncombe reports:

Pollster says more Republicans ready to turn away from Trump amid Jan 6 hearings

Congress to vote on protections for contraception and marriage equality

05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

This week, the House of Representatives will vote on a pair of bills – the Right to Contraception Act and the Respect for Marriage Act – anticipating state-level attempts to undermine marriage equality and access to birth control after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade on 24 June.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said that the House “will not sit back and allow extremist Republicans and their judicial appointees to limit Americans’ access to contraception.”

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Congress to vote on protections for contraception and marriage equality

Pulitzer Prize board dismisses Trump complaints

05:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The Pulitzer Prize board released a statement on Monday which rejected criticism of its decision to award a past iteration of the prize to news outlets that covered the Trump-Russia investigation.

Mr Trump’s complaints “prompted the Pulitzer Board to commission two independent reviews of the work submitted by those organizations to our National Reporting competition. Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,” stated the board.

“The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes,” the board’s statement concluded.

“The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”In 2018 it awarded Pulitzers to reporters at the Washington Post and New York Times involved in the effort to report out the investigation launched by the Justice Department into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Donald Trump or his campaign had anything to do with it.

John Bowden reports:

Pulitzer Prize board knocks down Trump complaints about Russiagate coverage

Wisconsin Democratic debate focuses on GOP Senator Johnson

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Top Democrats running for the chance to take on U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin largely kept their focus on the Republican opponent during the first and only televised debate Sunday, while the only female candidate faulted the men for not doing more to advocate for abortion rights.

The debate bringing together five candidates came just over three weeks before the Aug. 9 primary. The winner will advance to face Johnson, who is seeking a third term, in what is expected to be one of the most costly and hotly contested races in the country with majority control of the Senate at play.

Top Wisconsin Democrats focus on Sen. Johnson in debate

What to watch in Maryland's primary elections

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Republican race for Maryland governor in Tuesday’s primary election pits a candidate backed by outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan against a rival endorsed by Donald Trump.

It’s an early showdown on Hogan’s home turf as he weighs a 2024 White House bid, potentially against the former president.

On the Democratic side, the crowded candidate field includes the former head of the national Democratic Party, a bestselling author, the current state comptroller, and a former US education secretary.

2022 midterms: What to watch in Maryland's primary elections

Push grows to block Trump ally in Arizona gubernatorial race

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has already helped block one of former President Donald Trump’s allies from winning the Republican nomination for governor in a crucial battleground state. Now he’s hoping for a repeat in his own backyard.

Ducey is part of a burgeoning effort among establishment Republicans to lift up little-known housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson against former television news anchor Kari Lake, who is backed by Trump. Other prominent Republicans, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have also lined up behind Robson in recent days.

GOP establishment steps up push to block Trump ally in Ariz.

Former Jan 6 lawyer on track for Missouri US Senate run

01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A former senior investigator for the U.S. House committee probing the Jan. 6 insurrection on Monday said he has enough signatures to get on the ballot as an independent candidate for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat.

John F. Wood said he has the 10,000 signatures needed to appear on the ballot for retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt ’s seat.

Ex-Jan. 6 panel lawyer on track for Missouri US Senate run

Bannon accused of treating trial as theatre arriving for court in three shirts

Tuesday 19 July 2022 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Jury selection is underway in the trial of Steve Bannon, the right-wing activist and one-time adviser to former president Donald Trump, who was indicted on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the events leading up to and during the 6 January Capitol riot.

Steve Bannon accused of treating trial as theatre arriving for court in three shirts

Senator Cruz says Supreme Court ‘clearly wrong’ to legalise gay marriage

Monday 18 July 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Ted Cruz has claimed that the US Supreme Court should never have legalized gay marriage.

The conservative also suggested that Republican-led states would push to overturn the precedent established by the Supreme Court protecting gay marriage rights across the country, following their successful campaign to overturn Roe v Wade which ended federal abortion rights.

John Bowden reports.

Ted Cruz says Supreme Court was ‘clearly wrong’ to legalise gay marriage

Monday 18 July 2022 23:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Pence bucks Trump with endorsement in Arizona governor’s race

Monday 18 July 2022 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former vice president Mike Pence once again broke from former president Donald Trump as he endorsed a challenger to Mr Trump’s preferred candidate in Arizona’s gubernatorial primary.

Mr Pence announced his endorsement of Karrin Taylor Robson to replace term-limited Governor Doug Ducey on Monday morning.

Eric Garcia reports.

Pence bucks Trump with endorsement in Arizona governor’s race

Twitter flags Marjorie Taylor Greene post for ‘hateful content’

Monday 18 July 2022 22:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Twitter flagged a tweet by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as hateful content after she misgendered a transgender Biden administration official and called the official by her deadname.

Eric Garcia reports.

Twitter flags Marjorie Taylor Greene for ‘hateful content’ after transphobic tweet

Betsy DeVos wants to abolish Education Department that she once led

Monday 18 July 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos headlined a gathering of right-wing education activists who are seeking to reshape the US education system to fit conservative values over the weekend – and she declared her support for abolishing her former agency entirely.

John Bowden has the story.

Trump admin education secretary Betsy DeVos wants to abolish Education Department

GOP Senate candidate arrest for filing false child trafficking report

Monday 18 July 2022 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican candidate running for the US Senate in Maryland was arrested for allegedly filing a false human trafficking report.

Police said Ryan Dark White, who also goes by Dr Jon McGreevey, falsely claimed on Friday that a man in an adult bookstore was forcing a girl between the ages of 10 and 12 to participate in sex acts with male customers.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Republican Senate candidate arrested for filing false child trafficking report

Ivana Trump funeral to be held on Wednesday

Monday 18 July 2022 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The funeral of Ivana Trump will reportedly take place on Wednesday at a church in New York City following her death last week.

The 73-year-old ex-wife of former president Donald Trump will be laid to rest following a service at the St Vincent de Ferrer Catholic Church on Lexington Avenue.

Gino Spocchia reports:

Ivana Trump funeral to be held Wednesday at NYC church

Pulitzer Prize Board knocks down Trump complaint about Russiagate coverage

Monday 18 July 2022 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The Pulitzer Prize Board has responded to former President Donald Trump’s complaints about The Washington Post and The New York Times’ coverage of Russian interference in the US election and connection to the 2016 Trump campaign that went on to wine the 2018 National Reporting Prize.

A statement from the board reads:

The Pulitzer Prize Board has an established, formal process by which complaints against winning entries are carefully reviewed. In the last three years, the Pulitzer Board has received inquiries, including from former President Donald Trump, about submissions from The New York Times and The Washington Post on Russian interference in the U.S. election and its connections to the Trump campaign--submissions that jointly won the 2018 National Reporting prize.

These inquiries prompted the Pulitzer Board to commission two independent reviews of the work submitted by those organizations to our National Reporting competition. Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other. The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.

The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.

Kinzinger hits out at Secret Service over ‘very conflicting’ statements on deleted texts

Monday 18 July 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican congressman and January 6 committee member Adam Kinzinger has accused the Secret Service of contradicting statements on whether text messages sent during the deadly attack on the US Capitol were still accessible.

John Bowden has the story:

Kinzinger says Secret Service made ‘very conflicting’ statements on deleted texts

Hice refusing to comply with subpoena in Trump Georgia election criminal probe

Monday 18 July 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Representative Jody Hice is refusing to comply with a subpoena ordering him to give evidence before the Georgia special grand jury investigating former president Donald Trump’s attempt to pressure Peach State officials into overturning Joe Biden’s 2020 election win there.

The grand jury was empaneled earlier this year at the request of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest on the unfolding investigation.

Georgia Rep Jody Hice refusing to honour subpoena in Trump election criminal probe

Gingrich slammed for saying Harris can’t be president because of ‘really weird laugh’

Monday 18 July 2022 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been slammed for saying that Vice President Kamala Harris can’t be president because she has a “really weird laugh”.

Mr Gingrich appeared on Fox & Friends on Fox News on Monday morning to take part in a discussion about a Washington Post piece analyzing the top 10 possible Democratic 2024 presidential candidates.

Gustaf Kilander reports on what was said.

Gingrich slammed for saying Harris can’t be president because of ‘really weird laugh’

Bad news for Liz Cheney in new primary polls

Monday 18 July 2022 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Liz Cheney may be earning plaudits for her work on the January 6 committee investigation, but her future in Congress appears precarious after two polls show her badly losing her Wyoming GOP primary.

Ms Cheney trailed her Trump-endorsed challenger Harriet Hageman by 22 points in a Casper Star-Tribune poll released on Friday.

A separate poll for the Club for Growth conservative organisation obtained by NBC News showed likely primary voters favouring Ms Hageman by 59 per cent to 31 per cent.

Bevan Hurley reports.

New poll spells bad news for Liz Cheney’s primary in Wyoming

Prosecutors seek 15-year sentence for armed Capitol rioter Guy Wesley Reffitt

Monday 18 July 2022 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors are seeking a 15-year prison sentence for a Texas man who was convicted of storming the US Capitol with a holstered handgun, calling him a militia group member who took a central role in the pro-Trump mob’s attack, according to a court filing Friday.

If a judge accepts the Justice Department‘s recommendation, Guy Wesley Reffitt’s prison sentence would be nearly three times longer than any of the more than 200 other defendants who have been sentenced for crimes related to the 6 January 2021 riot in the nation’s capital.

Prosecutors seek 15-year sentence for armed Capitol rioter

GOP congressman subpoenaed by Georgia grand jury

Monday 18 July 2022 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Jody Hice, a serving GOP congressman from Georgia, has been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury investigation in Fulton County, Georgia, and is now fighting to have his case moved to federal court instead.

The grand jury is investigating Donald Trump and his associates’ efforts to pressure Georgia officials into overturning the result of the 2020 election in the state. Of the various cases against Mr Trump advancing through different courts and jurisdictions, it has long been considered one of the more threatening to the former president.

Could fury over Roe could scupper Trump’s revenge plan against Republican who voted to impeach him?

Monday 18 July 2022 22:07 , Oliver O'Connell

A Democratic businesswoman looking to flip a much-watched House seat claims anger and outrage over the scrapping of Roe has led to a surge of interest in her campaign – enough to make the race “eminently winnable”.

Washington’s 3rd congressional district is currently held by Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who first won it in 2010 and has been re-elected five times.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

How fury over Roe decision could scupper Trump’s revenge plan

Bannon’s multi-shirt day in court

Monday 18 July 2022 17:25 , Oliver O'Connell

As Steve Bannon attends court for jury selection in his contempt of Congress trial, the fashion police are out in force, monitoring the notoriously strange far-right agitator’s characteristic layering style...

Former White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration Steven Bannon arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, DC, on 18 July 2022 (EPA)
Former White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration Steven Bannon arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, DC, on 18 July 2022 (EPA)

Kinzinger “wouldn’t put it past” Trump to lie under oath

Monday 18 July 2022 16:25 , Andrew Naughtie

One of the two Republican members of the House January 6 select committee says there may not be much point to compelling former president Donald Trump to give evidence before the nine-member panel because Mr Trump would most likely lie, even under oath.

Speaking on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger said Mr Trump’s well-documented propensity for falsehoods significantly limits his utility as a witness.

“Donald Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t mind not telling the truth. Let’s just put that mildly. He lies all the time. I wouldn’t put it past him to even lie under oath, so I’m not sure what the value is there,” he said.

Andrew Feinberg writes:

Kinzinger says Trump would likely lie under oath in testimony to Jan 6 committee

Notorious Jan 6 rioter in court

Monday 18 July 2022 15:47 , Andrew Naughtie

One of the various Capitol rioters now facing court proceedings is Bigo Barnett, a man infamously photographed putting his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk as Trump supporters pillaged her office.

He has proven one of the more belligerent defendants among the hundreds arrested, and earlier this year said he would not shave his beard until all the other people arrested in connection with the attack were freed.

Pence v Trump in Arizona

Monday 18 July 2022 15:05 , Andrew Naughtie

Former vice president Mike Pence once again broke from former president Donald Trump as he endorsed a challenger to Mr Trump’s preferred candidate in Arizona’s gubernatorial primary.

Mr Pence announced his endorsement of Karrin Taylor Robson to replace term-limited Governor Doug Ducey on Monday morning.

Mr Trump has supported former news anchor Kari Lake, who has been one of the biggest promoters of his lie that the election was stolen. Pence adviser Marc Short told Politico in a text message that Ms Lake is “perpetrating a fraud on Arizona Republican primary voters who ultimately will not be distracted by a parade of clowns at the circus.”

Eric Garcia has the story.

Pence bucks Trump with endorsement in Arizona governor’s race

Bannon arrives for trial

Monday 18 July 2022 14:34 , Andrew Naughtie

As jury selection gets underway in his contempt of Congress trial, Steve Bannon has been pictured arriving at court in Washington, DC.

Arpan Rai has more on the circumstances of the trial and the significance of its timing.

Steve Bannon braces for trial as Jan 6 committee awaits deleted Secret Service texts

Kinzinger trails next hearing

Monday 18 July 2022 13:51 , Andrew Naughtie

Speaking to CBS News yesterday, Adam Kinzinger joined his colleagues in teeing up the next Jan 6 committee hearing, which is scheduled for primetime this Thursday.

Report: Trump might run again just to save himself

Monday 18 July 2022 13:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Rolling Stone reports that for all the stories that Donald Trump is champing at the bit to run for president again, there is another detail to the story that few have picked up on: his urge to protect himself from potential criminal charges:

In recent months, Trump has made clear to associates that the legal protections of occupying the Oval Office are front-of-mind for him, four people with knowledge of the situation tell Rolling Stone.

Trump has “spoken about how when you are the president of the United States, it is tough for politically motivated prosecutors to ‘get to you,” says one of the sources, who has discussed the issue with Trump this summer. “He says when [not if] he is president again, a new Republican administration will put a stop to the [Justice Department] investigation that he views as the Biden administration working to hit him with criminal charges — or even put him and his people in prison.”

Read the article below.

Ex-Pence staffer on Trump ‘24

Monday 18 July 2022 12:15 , Andrew Naughtie

There’s been more speculation recently about whether Donald Trump is on the verge of announcing a 2024 presidential run. The same story has one way or another cropped up about once a month since last summer, when the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan reportedly made the ex-president think the time was right to officially set himself up as Joe Biden’s opponent.

But not long after Mr Trump himself told New York magazine that he has already made up his mind (though not which way), a former staffer to his own vice president openly reflected this weekend about whether or not the ex-president’s announcement of another run would mean he was actually serious about it.

Mike Pence himself seems to be entertaining the prospect of a campaign of his own, though he has so far insisted he hasn’t yet decided.

Stefanik complains Jan 6 committee has no Republican-appointed members

Monday 18 July 2022 11:30 , Andrew Naughtie

Elise Stefanik, who took Liz Cheney’s senior role in the House GOP leadership after she was kicked out for criticizing Donald Trump, this weekend appeared on Fox News to rail against the Jan 6 “sham committee” because it has no appointed Republicans on it.

What she did not say is that this is only true because her own leader, Kevin McCarthy, pulled out of the process, pulling three of his own nominees who had been accepted onto the panel because Nancy Pelosi refused to seat two others.

One of the reasons given for refusing to seat the two congressmen, Jim Jordan and Jim Banks, was that at least one of them might be called as a material witness to the events the panel is investigating. Sure enough, both have since been subpoenaed by the committee.

Various reports have said Donald Trump is increasingly furious that there is no-one on the committee to fight his corner as witness after witness from his administration comes forward to give excruciatingly detailed accounts of his behaviour leading up to and during the Capitol riot.