Trump calls Biden ‘lying machine’ and ‘fact checker’s dream’ as CNN debate looms: Live

Donald Trump has baselessly claimed that Joe Biden should be thrilled there are no fact-checkers in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, and branded the president a “lying machine”.

The former president is also being ridiculed after claiming hysterically in a fundraising email to supporters that he was “tortured” at his Georgia arraignment last August while taking the opportunity to sell coffee cups bearing the very same image.

On Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s recent New York hush money trial, partially lifted the gag order imposed on the defendant, empowering him to resume attacking key witnesses like Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Republican presidential contender suggested he may name his 2024 running mate ahead of Thursday’s presidential debate, having previously said he would announce who would join him on the GOP ticket at the party’s convention in Milwaukee next month.

Trump and his conservative media allies have continued to suggest in advance that the CNN debate will not be a fair fight, arguing without evidence that moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will be biased and that Biden will be using performance-enhancing medication.

Key Points

• Trump mocked for claiming he was ‘tortured’ when Georgia mugshot taken

• New York hush money trial judge rolls back Trump’s gag order

• Trump says indictments a ‘badge of honor’

• Republican may announce running mate ahead of Thursday’s CNN debate

• Supreme Court will soon decide if Trump is immune from prosecution

• Trump calls Biden a “LYING MACHINE, and a Fact Checker’s DREAM”.

Trump could see an easy win in the polls after the first debate

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican felon may see a bump in the polls after Thursday’s first debate because of a long-running trend: incumbents tend to do worse in the first debate of any presidential election season.

Historian Alan Schroeder explained to NBC News that a president’s life exists in a “protected bubble” and the first encounter tends to take them outside of that bubble where they are forced to face off against a pumped up opponent who’s been itching for a showdown.

Here’s more from Gustaf Kilander.

Why Trump has an advantage over Biden in their first debate of 2024 election season

DOJ responds to Trump motion to dismiss classified documents case over ‘spoliation of evidence'

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:42 , Oliver O'Connell

The Department of Justice has filed a response in opposition to Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss the classified documents case against him based on “spoliation of evidence in violation of due process”.

Defendant Trump does not offer the Court a single case at any level, at any time, from anywhere in the country, in which the disruption of the precise order of documents gathered in the execution of a search warrant provided support for a spoliation claim.

The special counsel further defends the handling of the documents found at Mar-a-Lago, writing:

Trump personally chose to keep documents containing some of the nation’s most highly guarded secrets in cardboard boxes along with a collection of other personally chosen keepsakes of various sizes and shapes from his presidency—newspapers, thank you notes, Christmas ornaments, magazines, clothing, and photographs of himself and others. At the end of his presidency, he took his cluttered collection of keepsakes to Mar-a-Lago, his personal residence and social club, where the boxes traveled from one readily accessible location to another – a public ballroom, an office space, a bathroom, and a basement storage room. After they landed in stacks in the storage room, several boxes fell and splayed their contents on the floor; and boxes were moved to Trump’s residence on more than one occasion so he could review and pick through them.

Against this backdrop of the haphazard manner in which Trump chose to maintain his boxes, he now claims that the precise order of the items within the boxes when they left the White House was critical to his defense, and, what’s more, that FBI agents executing the search warrant in August 2022 should have known that. But neither the law nor the facts provide any basis whatsoever for the Court to find bad faith or spoliation in the unsurprising reality that the order of some of the items may have shifted since then. To the contrary, the FBI agents who conducted the search did so professionally, thoroughly, and carefully under challenging circumstances, particularly given the cluttered state of the boxes and the substantial volume of highly classified documents Trump had retained.

Pelosi attacks Trump and ‘rogue’ Supreme Court

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s the veteran former House speaker telling Anderson Cooper that Trump is an “indicted, impeached convicted loser” and offering a vote of no confidence in the Supreme Court ahead of its upcoming verdict on his spurious presidential immunity defence.

Liz Cheney trolls Trump with Taylor Swift video

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Wyoming Republican representative Liz Cheney shared a video of a Swift concert yesterday to mock Trump’s obsession with the pop superstar and his own rally attendance figures.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Liz Cheney trolls Trump with Taylor Swift video: ‘What a sold out crowd looks like’

Hillary Clinton warns of Trump’s debate stage chaos

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Kelly Rissman reports:

Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump’s meanadering statements make him “nearly impossible” to debate as she issues stark warnings and analysis ahead of Thursday’s first presidental debate for the 2024 election.

President Joe Biden is set to square off with his Republican rival, Trump, on Thursday night in Atlanta. Clinton - who lost to Trump in the 2016 election - provided her view on the upcoming debate in a Tueday New York Times op-ed.

“It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr. Trump’s arguments like in a normal debate. It’s nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are.” Clinton wrote, noting she debate both men in election campaigns. “He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather.”

Read on...

Hillary Clinton previews Trump-Biden debate: ‘He starts with nonsense’

Trump changes tune on Biden debate performance

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump appears to have changed his tune regarding Joe Biden’s past performances in presidential or primary debates, moving away from calling him the “WORST debater” toward calling him a “worthy debater”.

NBC News reports that the move appears to be about managing expectations ahead of Thursday’s first presidential debate.

In mid-May he wrote on Truth Social:

“Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced — He can’t put two sentences together!”

Days later he told the Minnesota Republican Party in a speech: “He can’t talk. He can’t walk. Can’t find his way off a stage. Can’t put two sentences together.”

However, last week, he said in an interview with the All-In Podcast: “He beat Paul Ryan pretty badly. And I assume he’s going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater. I would say I don’t want to underestimate him.”

Trump has long characterized Biden as both a senile old man and a criminal mastermind — alternating between the two when it suits him.

How are Biden and Trump preparing for Thursday’s debate?

Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Read the latest from The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg...

How Biden and Trump insiders say they are preparing for the debate

Full story: Prosecutors release new photos of ‘highly guarded secrets’ in messy boxes at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Special counsel Jack Smith has defended federal law enforcement’s handling of documents discovered at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, sharing images in a new court filing that show how the former president stashed “top secret” materials and government “secrets” in a cluttered collection of clothing, Christmas ornaments, newspapers and photographs of himself.

The former president has argued that the charges in his classified documents case should be dropped on grounds that investigators failed to preserve evidence in the order in which they were found.

Alex Woodward reports.

New photos show ‘highly guarded secrets’ in messy boxes at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Watch: ‘There are no Fortune 500 CEOs who are supporting Trump'

Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump as he coins a new nickname

Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:15 , Kelly Rissman

Donald Trump is well-known for a lot of things: his divisiveness, his career in real estate, The Apprentice, his lawsuits, for being the only president to be impeached twice. But perhaps nothing has infiltrated society more than Mr Trump’s unique linguistic style.

Whether he’s posting on Truth Social, speaking at a campaign rally, or testifying in court, Mr Trump never seems to be at a loss for words — and sometimes, he even makes up new ones.

From uttering gaffes to tweeting typos (like “covfefe”) to misreading words (like “Nambia”) to dismissing his opponent with a harsh nickname, his terminology quickly turns iconic.

Here, The Independent offers a dictionary guide to the Mr Trump’s most memorable phrases:

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump as he coins a new nickname

Trump made ‘Nazi ovens’ jokes around Jewish executives, former employee says

Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A former Trump confidant claims Donald Trump made Nazi jokes about “remembering the ovens” around Jewish executives.

Barbara Res, a former Trump Organization executive vice president, was asked on MSNBC if Trump’s odd rants seen at some of his rallies were something new. She said Trump was a little “saner” in the 1990s but added that he would at times make “ridiculous remarks.”

She told a story about when the organization hired a German residential manager when he made a joke about the Holocaust.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Ex-Trump Org VP says Trump made ‘Nazi ovens’ jokes around Jewish executives

Trump military aides say they’ve given him detailed plan for Ukraine

Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has been presented with a plan to bring an end to the war in Ukraine by two key advisers that would require Kyiv to sit down for peace talks with Russia or receive no further US weapons.

The strategy, which would only be actionable in the event that the Republican presidential contender beats Joe Biden to the White House in November, would conversely see Moscow threatened with increased American support for Ukraine if it refused to participate in the negotiations.

Joe Sommerlad has the details.

Trump military aides give him plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin

Liz Cheney trolls Trump with Taylor Swift video

Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Republican Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney shared a video of a Taylor Swift concert to mock former President Donald Trump’s rally attendance.

“Thank you @taylorswift13 for giving us a million reasons to smile. PS- @realDonaldTrump this is what a sold out crowd actually looks like,” Cheney wrote on X on Sunday night.

Trump has long posted about the size of crowds at his rallies, but faced criticism on social media over the weekend as his rallies in Philadelphia showed half-filled arenas.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Liz Cheney trolls Trump with Taylor Swift video: ‘What a sold out crowd looks like’

Judge agrees to roll back Trump’s hush money gag order, lifting protections against witnesses and jurors

Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:53 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Juan Merchan has agreed to partially lift the gag order he imposed on Donald Trump for the duration of his hush money trial.

The order prohibited Trump from attacking witnesses, court staff, the jury, and their families.

He wrote in part:

“… circumstances have now changed. The trial portion of these proceedings ended when the verdict was rendered, and the jury discharged. Therefore, Paragraph (a) is terminated without opposition by the People. As to Paragraph (c), while it would be this Court’s strong preference to extend those protections, the Court cannot do so on what is now a different record than what the appellate courts relied upon when they rendered their rulings. Therefore, Paragraph (c) must be terminated. Nonetheless, there is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors. Therefore, the protections set forth in this Court’s Protective Order of March 7,2024, Regulating Disclosure of Juror Information will remain in effect until further order of this Court.”

Read the full order here

Here’s Alex Woodward’s previous reporting on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arguing for an extension:

Manhattan DA points to chilling bomb threats as he asks to extend Trump gag order

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN host boots Trump’s spokesperson off show for attacking colleague

Full story: Trump’s hush money judge rolls back gag order to let convicted ex-president attack witnesses and jurors

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is free to speak out against witnesses and jurors in his hush money trial after the judge presiding over the case agreed to roll back protections intended to shield them from his attacks.

The narrowly tailored gag order intended to address the “significant concerns” about the now-criminally convicted former president compromising the trial’s integrity, as he routinely lashed out at people involved in the case and fueled abuse and harassment aimed at judges, prosecutors and their families.

But “circumstances have now changed,” Justice New York Justice Juan Merchan wrote on Tuesday.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Trump’s hush money judge rolls back gag order protections for witnesses and jurors

Trump spokesperson attacks judge after gag order rollback

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump communications director Steven Cheung released the following statement after Judge Juan Merchan partially lifted the hush money trial gag order imposed on Donald Trump:

“Today’s order by Acting Justice Merchan leaves in place portions of the unconstitutional Gag Order, preventing President Trump from speaking freely about Judge Merchan’s disqualifying conflicts and the overwhelming evidence exposing this whole Crooked Joe Biden - directed Witch Hunt. This is another unlawful decision by a highly conflicted judge, which is blatantly un-American as it gags President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election during the upcoming Presidential Debate on Thursday. President Trump and his legal team will immediately challenge today’s unconstitutional order.”

‘Well, what does God say?’

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Televangelist Paula White-Cain has claimed Donald Trump asked her for God‘s opinion over his run for the presidency.

White-Cain, who previously served as Trump’s spiritual adviser and helped lead the Evangelical advisory board during his presidency in 2016, made the remarks during the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference at the Washington Hilton, telling the audience that her first conversation with the former president was long before he even started thinking about politics.

Martha McHardy reports.

Paula White-Cain says Trump asked her what God thought about his presidential run

Milwaukee begins preparations for Republican National Convention

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Nobel Prize economists have dire warning about second Trump presidency

Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A group of Nobel Prize-winning economists issued a stark warning to voters saying a Donald Trump win could mean an unstable U.S. economy with higher inflation.

“While each of us has different views on the particulars of various economic policies, we all agree that Joe Biden’s economic agenda is vastly superior to Donald Trump,” the 16 economists wrote in a letter obtained by Axios.

Ariana Baio has the details.

Nobel prize economists warn a Trump win will lead to even higher inflation

Trump repeats claim ‘they’ are after ‘YOUR freedom’ by indicting him

Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president wrote on Truth Social this afternoon:

Every time the Radical Left Democrats, Marxists, Communists, and Fascists indict me, I consider it a GREAT BADGE OF HONOR. I’m being indicted for YOU. Never forget—our enemies want to take away MY freedom because I will never let them take away YOUR freedom! They want to silence ME because I will never let them silence YOU. In the end, they’re not after me, they’re after you—and I’m just standing in their way! From the very first day that we take back the White House from Crooked Joe Biden, I believe we are going to have the four greatest years in the history of our Country!

Classified documents hearing adjourns

Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Aileen Cannon has adjourned the classified documents hearing for today. She expressed deep skepticism at the Trump legal team’s argument that the search of Mar-a-Lago was unconstitutional.

Ex-Trump lawyer accuses classified docs judge of ‘playing right into the defense’s hands’

Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A former Trump lawyer argued this week that the judge in the classified documents case is “playing right into the defense’s hands” by essentially slow-walking the proceedings.

Michael van der Veen, who defended the former president at his second impeachment trial following the January 6, 2021, insurrection, said during an appearance on CNN on Monday night that Judge Aileen Cannon is taking “longer than is possibly necessary,” showing a bias towards the man who appointed her to the federal bench. Other legal observers have also noted that some of Cannon’s rulings appear to favor Trump.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Ex-Trump lawyer accuses Mar-a-Lago judge of ‘playing right into the defense’s hands’

Trump may announce running mate ahead of debate

Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Follow this developing story...

Trump may announce running mate ahead of debate

Analysis: Julian Assange’s plea deal is more about Biden and Trump than justice

Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Kim Sengupta writes:

The secret negotiations which led to Julian Assange ending the prospect of being sentenced to up to 170 years in an American supermax prison gathered pace five months ago with the US Justice Department indicating for the first time that they would accept a plea bargain deal.

Assange had to plead guilty to a single felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security material. In return he would face no more jail time after spending five years in custody without trial.

In January, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese stressed that Assange, an Australian citizen, had spent far too long in limbo. About the same time Joe Biden stated that he favoured a resolution to the case which had led to widespread international protests.

Prolonged negotiations then followed on the charges, the venue for his court appearance, and the seeking of guarantees from Assange’s support team that he would not face fresh charges in the future, and whether he may gain a pardon later down the line over his conviction.

What unfolded has as much to do with US politics as the legal process.

Continue reading...

Julian Assange’s plea deal is more about Biden and Trump than justice

Trump changes tune on Biden debate performance

Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump appears to have changed his tune regarding Joe Biden’s past performances in presidential or primary debates, moving away from calling him the “WORST debater” toward calling him a “worthy debater”.

NBC News reports that the move appears to be about managing expectations ahead of Thursday’s first presidential debate.

In mid-May he wrote on Truth Social:

“Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced — He can’t put two sentences together!”

Days later he told the Minnesota Republican Party in a speech: “He can’t talk. He can’t walk. Can’t find his way off a stage. Can’t put two sentences together.”

However, last week, he said in an interview with the All-In Podcast: “He beat Paul Ryan pretty badly. And I assume he’s going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater. I would say I don’t want to underestimate him.”

Trump has long characterized Biden as both a senile old man and a criminal mastermind — alternating between the two when it suits him.

Who are the frontrunners to be Trump’s vice president?

Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump says he has picked his vice president after a report revealed he was focusing on four potential candidates earlier this month.

Trump has picked his running mate but ”nobody knows” who it is yet, he told reporters at a campaign event on Saturday. The former president said his pick will be attending the first presidential debate on June 27.

Trump said he will likely announce his candidate at the Republican National Convention next month, where he will be named the GOP presidential nominee.

Graeme Massie and Katie Hawkinson report on the candidates still in the running.

Trump whittles down VP picks - here’s the frontrunners

Trump leading Biden in Georgia ahead of first presidential debate in key swing state

Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump holds a slight lead over President Joe Biden in Georgia according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s CNN debate, widely expected to be one of the pivotal moments of the 2024 presidential election.

The poll of likely voters shows Trump leads Biden by five points — 43 per cent to 38 per cent — just outside the margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is not yet on the Georgia ballot but is expected to qualify, has 9 per cent of the vote with another 8 per cent of those surveyed undecided.

Tuesday 25 June 2024 22:05 , Oliver O'Connell

What happened the last time Trump and Biden faced off in 2020?

CNN cuts interview with Trump spokesperson after she calls debate ‘hostile environment'

Tuesday 25 June 2024 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN anchor Kasie Hunt abruptly ended a live interview with Donald Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt after she repeatedly attacked the host’s coworkers and Thursday’s debate.

“President Trump is well prepared ahead of Thursday’s debate. Unlike Joe Biden, he doesn’t have to hide away and have his advisors tell him what to say. President Trump knows what he wants to say,” Leavitt told Hunt about the former president’s strategy.

Leavitt argued the CNN debate would be a “hostile environment” for Trump, saying that moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have been “biased” in their coverage of the former president.

Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.

CNN takes Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt off the air during interview

Watch: Trump voter explains why former president no longer has his support

Tuesday 25 June 2024 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Classified documents case: Will Trump face another gag order?

Tuesday 25 June 2024 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s classified documents case snapped at prosecutors twice within 20 minutes during a hearing on whether to put a limited gag order on the former president for his false claims that have fueled threats against officials.

Special counsel Jack Smith’s office has repeatedly warned that Trump’s rhetoric and bogus statements about the FBI’s use of deadly force has opened the door for harassment against the officials prosecuting him.

During a tense hearing in Florida on Monday, federal prosecutor David Harbach argued that merely redacting officer names from court documents is not enough to protect them.

Alex Woodward reports.

Will Trump face another gag order? His Mar-a-Lago judge isn’t convinced

‘This is what a sold out crowd actually looks like’”: Cheney trolls Trump with Taylor Swift video

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Republican Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney used a video of a Taylor Swift concert to mock former President Donald Trump’s rally attendance.

Read on...

Liz Cheney trolls Trump with Taylor Swift video: ‘What a sold out crowd looks like’

Trump military aides say they’ve given him detailed plan for Ukraine

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has been presented with a plan to bring an end to the war in Ukraine by two key advisers that would require Kyiv to sit down for peace talks with Russia or receive no further US weapons.

The strategy, which would only be actionable in the event that the Republican presidential contender beats Joe Biden to the White House in November, would conversely see Moscow threatened with increased American support for Ukraine if it refused to participate in the negotiations.

Joe Sommerlad has the details.

Trump military aides give him plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin

‘He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather’: Hillary Clinton warns of Trump’s debate stage chaos

03:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump’s meanadering statements make him “nearly impossible” to debate as she issues stark warnings and analysis ahead of Thursday’s first presidental debate for the 2024 election.

President Joe Biden is set to square off with his Republican rival, Trump, on Thursday night in Atlanta. Clinton - who lost to Trump in the 2016 election - provided her view on the upcoming debate in a Tueday New York Times op-ed.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Hillary Clinton previews Trump-Biden debate: ‘He starts with nonsense’

New photos show highly guarded secrets’ in messy boxes at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

05:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Special counsel Jack Smith has defended federal law enforcement’s handling of documents discovered at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, sharing images in a new court filing that show how the former president stashed “top secret” materials and government “secrets” in a cluttered collection of clothing, Christmas ornaments, newspapers and photographs of himself.

The former president has argued that the charges in his classified documents case should be dropped on grounds that investigators failed to preserve evidence in the order in which they were found.

Alex Woodward has the details.

New photos show ‘highly guarded secrets’ in messy boxes at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Ex-Trump lawyer accuses classified docs judge of ‘playing right into the defense’s hands’

07:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A former Trump lawyer argued this week that the judge in the classified documents case is “playing right into the defense’s hands” by essentially slow-walking the proceedings.

Michael van der Veen, who defended the former president at his second impeachment trial following the January 6, 2021, insurrection, said during an appearance on CNN on Monday night that Judge Aileen Cannon is taking “longer than is possibly necessary,” showing a bias towards the man who appointed her to the federal bench. Other legal observers have also noted that some of Cannon’s rulings appear to favor Trump.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Ex-Trump lawyer accuses Mar-a-Lago judge of ‘playing right into the defense’s hands’

Trump mocked for claiming he was ‘tortured’ when Georgia mugshot taken

09:03 , Joe Sommerlad

Even for the ever-blustering Donald Trump, this is insane.

He’s been complaining to his supporters in his latest fundraising email that he was “tortured” during his arraignment at Fulton County jail in Georgia last summer, a processing formality at which his infamous mugshot photo was taken, an image he has continued to profit from handsomely ever since.

Trump actually has an interesting relationship with that word, disrespecting people who have literally been tortured while incarcerated, like the late John McCain and Alexei Navalny, while claiming that his allies like Paul Manafort or Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh are the real victims of “torture” whenever they have suffered repercussions or scrutiny that they have not enjoyed.

Trump’s hush money judge rolls back gag order

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The convicted felon is now free to speak out against witnesses and jurors in his hush money trial after the judge presiding over the case agreed to roll back protections intended to shield them from his attacks.

The narrowly tailored gag order was intended to address the “significant concerns” about the former president compromising the trial’s integrity, as he routinely lashed out at people involved in the case and fueled abuse and harassment aimed at judges, prosecutors and their families.

But “circumstances have now changed,” Justice New York Justice Juan Merchan wrote on Tuesday, liberating Trump to attack the likes of Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen.

He has yet to do so, but how long will he be able to resist?

Trump is still to be sentenced after his conviction on all 34 felony counts and his lawyer Alina Habba is not ruling out jail time.

Alex Woodward reports on Judge Merchan’s latest ruling.

Trump’s hush money judge rolls back gag order protections for witnesses and jurors

Truth Social: Trump says indictments a ‘badge of honor’, cheers Boebert and hails 'fearless’ son

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A typically mixed bag on social media this morning as Trump talks tough on criminal indictments, cheers his Republican primary winners and says his eldest son Don Jr is a very brave and special boy for unwisely posing for a photo brandishing a rattlesnake.

Trump tells Newsmax ‘hundreds of thousands’ dying at southern border

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican gave an interview to the conservative cable news outlet last night in which he claimed he had been preparing for his debate with Biden “my whole life” and pushed further exaggerated nonsense about the state of the US border with Mexico (not much wall talk these days, is there?)

Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt (yep, her again) says this is the sort of engagement with “hostile” media that keeps Trump sharp, although he was talking here to (checks notes) his own former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

Trump may announce running mate ahead of Thursday’s debate

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Sources close to the Republican presidential contender have suggested he may name his 2024 running mate ahead of Thursday’s presidential debate against Biden, the candidate having previously said he would announce who would join him on the GOP ticket at the party’s convention in Milwaukee next month.

Trump and his conservative media allies have continued to suggest in advance that the CNN debate will not be a fair fight, arguing without evidence that moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will be biased and that Biden will be using perfomance-enhancing medication.

Here are the latest examples...

...And here’s Gustaf Kilander’s latest on the veepstakes.

Trump could unveil VP pick in splash announcement ahead of Thursday’s debate: Report

Supreme Court will soon decide if Trump is immune from prosecution

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The US Supreme Court is expected to rule imminently on whether Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

His defense has already been shot down by the federal judge overseeing the election interference case against him as well as a unanimous panel of appeals court judges, who wrote that Trump’s attempts to stay in power were “an unprecedented assault on the structure of our government.”

The question is now in the hands of the nation’s highest court.

An answer – expected by the end of this week – could have profound consequences for holding former presidents accountable for crimes committed while in office.

But the court’s decision to take up the case – and wait until the final days of its current session to issue a ruling – ensures that voters will not see a verdict in the trial to determine if he unlawfully conspired to overturn an election before they cast their ballots in the next one this November.

The court also is expected to soon decide whether Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6 2021 can be charged with obstruction, adding to the politically volatile decisions from the court’s conservative majority-dominated bench and its three Trump-appointed justices.

Alex Woodward reports.

Is Trump immune from prosecution? Supreme Court will soon decide major question

New photos show ‘highly guarded secrets’ in messy boxes at Mar-a-Lago

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has defended federal law enforcement’s handling of documents discovered at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, sharing images in a new court filing that show how the former president stashed “top secret” materials and government “secrets” in a cluttered collection of clothing, Christmas ornaments, newspapers and photographs of himself.

The former president has argued that the charges in his classified documents case should be dropped on grounds that investigators failed to preserve evidence in the order in which they were found.

In photographs attached to a 33-page filing on Monday night, documents marked “secret” and “top secret” or bearing the White House emblem are seen stuffed in cardboard boxes alongside piles of golf shirts, sitting on top of old newspapers, and next to crates of Diet Coke.

One image shows a closet with newspapers and other documents spilling out on the floor from tipped-over boxes.

Alex Woodward reports.

New photos show ‘highly guarded secrets’ in messy boxes at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Ex-Trump lawyer accuses docs judge of ‘playing into defense’s hands’

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

A former Trump lawyer argued this week that the judge in the classified documents case is “playing right into the defense’s hands” by essentially slow-walking the proceedings.

Michael van der Veen, who defended the former president at his second impeachment trial following the January 6 2021 insurrection, said during an appearance on CNN on Monday night that Judge Aileen Cannon is taking “longer than is possibly necessary,” showing a bias towards the man who appointed her to the federal bench.

Other legal observers have also noted that some of Cannon’s rulings appear to favor Trump.

“Judge Cannon has scheduled all these hearings, this is now day two of this hearing. Is she just dragging this thing out?” anchor Abby Phillip asked Van der Veen on Monday night.

“She certainly seems to be taking a lot longer than is possibly necessary. She’s a fairly new judge, of course, and she’s a smart lady,” he said.

“She has a great temperament in the courtroom, but the decisions aren’t coming quick enough. She’s asking too many other people to come in and give their opinions... It’s just very unusual.”

He added: “It’s really important when on the bench to give your decisions well-reasoned, but also timely and to continue to give people time to supplement the arguments and supplement evidence isn’t doing the justice any good. It’s really playing right into the defense’s hands.”

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Ex-Trump lawyer accuses Mar-a-Lago judge of ‘playing right into the defense’s hands’

Clinton warns debating Trump means facing blizzard of ‘nonsense’ and ‘blather’

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Hillary Clinton has said Trump’s meanadering statements make him “nearly impossible” to debate as she issued a stark warning to Joe Biden and her own insights ahead of Thursday’s first presidental debate of the 2024 election.

President Biden is set to square off with his Republican rival on Thursday night in Atlanta.

Clinton provided her view on the upcoming debate in a Tuesday New York Times op-ed.

“It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr Trump’s arguments like in a normal debate. It’s nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are.” Clinton wrote, noting she has debated both men in election campaigns.

“He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather.”

“It is nearly impossible to focus on substance” with Trump on the stage, the former US secretary of state and first lady continued, citing her experiences of listening to his “blizzard of interruptions, insults and lies that overwhelmed the moderators and did a disservice to the voters”.

Kelly Rissman has more.

Hillary Clinton previews Trump-Biden debate: ‘He starts with nonsense’

House speaker forced to row back Trump joke about Biden being ‘on cocaine’ at debate

13:21 , Joe Sommerlad

Mike Johnson joined Kaitlan Collins on CNN last night and found himself forced to laugh off Trump’s recent rally suggestion that the president is “gonna be so pumped up” for their debate on Thursday, followed by an insinuating reference to a small bag of cocaine that was discovered at the White House.

“Look, there’s a lot of things that are said in jest,” Johnson told Collins.

“Of course, no one expects that Joe Biden will be on cocaine.”

Conservatives have been working hard to make Trump’s case that Biden is too old at 81 to serve another term and in a state of cognitive decline, reviving baseless speculation from the State of the Union address earlier this year that the president will rely on medication to ensure he remains sharp.

“The question is, is can he stay for 90 minutes on that stage and go toe-to-toe with President Trump, who is, you know, goes to rallies and talks for two hours without notes,” Johnson said on that theme in the same interview.

“So, it’ll be a very interesting thing to see.”

Trump has amplified calls by Texas congressman and former White House physician Ronny Johnson Ronny Jackson for Biden to take a drug test, offering to follow suit if Biden agrees.

Nobel Prize economists issue dire warning over second Trump presidency

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

A group of Nobel Prize-winning economists issued a stark warning to voters saying a Trump win in November could mean an unstable US economy with higher inflation.

“While each of us has different views on the particulars of various economic policies, we all agree that Joe Biden’s economic agenda is vastly superior to Donald Trump,” the 16 economists wrote in a letter obtained by Axios.

Ariana Baio has the details.

Nobel prize economists warn a Trump win will lead to even higher inflation

Kinzinger endorses Biden and warns Trump ‘threatens the future of America'

13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the former Republican’s endorsement video for the president this morning, no surprise given his break with the GOP over the Capitol riot but well said all the same.

How are Biden and Trump preparing for the debate?

14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Andrew Feinberg looks at two very different approaches to debate preparation.

How Biden and Trump insiders say they are preparing for the debate

Veepstakes: Usha Vance joins JD Vance for Fox News interview

14:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump claims he will bring home Evan Gershkovich if reelected as reporter’s trial begins in Russia

14:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has claimed that if he is reelected, illegally detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will be released from Russia before he takes office.

The former president wrote on Truth Social this morning:

EVAN GERSHKOVICH, the young Wall Street Journal reporter who is being harshly detained in Russia as his ESPIONAGE TRIAL is about to begin, will be released prior to my taking office if I WIN the Election on NOVEMBER 5th. Crooked Joe can’t do anything right, although it is likely that he will pay $BILLIONS, which continues a very bad “Biden Precedent,” to get Evan home. I got a record 58 hostages brought home, paying next to nothing. Putin has no respect for Biden - and that’s the way it goes!!! Fear not, Evan, I will get you home soon, and you will be safe while there!!!

Here’s the full story of Gershkovich’s detention in Russia as his sham trial begins:

Closed-door trial of US journalist begins in Russia as case denounced as sham

Pot calls kettle black

14:37 , Oliver O'Connell

At 6.25am this morning, Donald Trump took to Truth Social for a jaw-dropping moment of projection in which he called Joe Biden a “LYING MACHINE, and a Fact Checker’s DREAM”.

He then suggested: “Maybe we should call him ‘Lyin’ Joe’ in addition to Crooked?”

Here’s the full text:

Crooked Joe Biden’s “Handlers” are loudly and profusely complaining that there will be no Fact Checkers during the Debate on Thursday. Actually, that is just DISINFORMATION - They could not be happier, because there is nobody that’s as loose with the TRUTH as Crooked Joe. From the 51 Fake Intelligence Agents, to Russia, Russia, Russia, to the Fake “Suckers and Losers Story” he created about our beloved Military, to cheating in College and saying he was first in his Law School Class when he was actually LAST, to claiming he marched for Civil Rights, drove trucks, and has a 6.2 Handicap (He can’t hit the Golf Ball 10 yards, but that’s a minor detail!), and so many more falsehoods, the man is a walking LYING MACHINE, and a Fact Checker’s DREAM. Maybe we should call him “Lyin’ Joe” in addition to Crooked?

Impressive.

Watch: The last time Trump and Biden faced off

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s a look back at the ill-tempered presidential debates of 2020 from IndyTV.

What happened the last time Trump and Biden faced off in 2020?

Is Trump immune from criminal prosecution? Supreme Court will soon decide major question

14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Welcome to the first day of Supreme Court rulings this week.

Here’s Alex Woodward with what you need to know about the big Trump one we’re all waiting on that could come down from the justices today, tomorrow, or Friday...

Is Trump immune from prosecution? Supreme Court will soon decide major question

Watch: JD Vance explains why he had such a dramatic U-turn about Trump

15:23 , Oliver O'Connell

JD Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist turned Ohio senator, once said of Donald Trump:

I’m a Never Trump guy.

I never liked him.

My god what an idiot.

He also referred to Trump as “noxious” and “reprehensible” and mulled voting for Hillary Clinton.

Now he’s in the running to be Trump’s running mate and potential vice president. Funny how things work out...

Recap: Trump mocked after claiming he was ‘tortured’ in Georgia jail booking after turning himself in voluntarily

15:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s another look at our top story today – the latest utterly ludicrous claim from the Republican’s fundraising arm.

Trump mocked after claiming he was ‘tortured’ in Georgia jail

Watch: Morning Joe mocks Republican idea Biden will be ‘jacked up’ on Mountain Dew

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump

16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump is well-known for many traits: his divisiveness, his glitzy taste in real estate, The Apprentice, his lawsuits, for being the only president to be impeached twice and now his felony conviction.

But perhaps nothing has infiltrated society more than his unique linguistic style.

Whether he’s posting on Truth Social, speaking at a campaign rally or testifying in court, Trump never seems to be at a loss for words — and sometimes, he even makes up new ones.

From uttering gaffes and trash talking opponents to tweeting typos (like “covfefe”) or inventing entire nations (hello “Nambia”), his terminology often becomes iconic.

Here, Kelly Rissman offers a dictionary guide to Trump’s most memorable phrases.

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump

Watch: Lincoln Project imagines Trump’s debate prep

16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Most Americans plan to watch the Biden-Trump debate, AP-NORC poll finds

16:44 , AP

Most US adults plan to watch some element of Thursday’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Both men remain broadly unpopular as they prepare to face off for the first time since 2020, although Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, maintains a modest enthusiasm advantage with his base compared to Biden, the Democratic incumbent.

About 6 in 10 US adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.

The poll suggests tens of millions of Americans are likely to see or hear about at least part of Thursday’s debate despite how unusually early it comes in the campaign season. Both Biden and Trump supporters view the debate as a major test for their candidate — or just a spectacle not to miss.

16:49 , AP

“I think it’s super important,” said Victoria Perdomo, a 44-year-old stay-at-home mom and a Trump supporter in Coral Springs, Florida. “It shows America what you’re going to see for the next four years.”

Nic Greene, a libertarian who is a registered independent, said he’ll likely vote for Trump as the “least worst candidate.” He doesn’t think debates do much to help voters make decisions, but he’s expecting to be entertained and plans to listen to post-debate analysis on podcasts.

“I think the majority of people have their minds made up with or without these debates,” he said. “It’s a circus.”

Both sides see the debate as important, AP-NORC poll finds

16:56 , Oliver O'Connell

About half, 47%, of Americans say the debate is “extremely” or “very” important for the success of Biden’s campaign and about 4 in 10 say it’s highly important for Trump’s campaign. About 3 in 10 Americans say it is at least “very” important for both campaigns.

Most Democrats, 55%, think the upcoming debate is extremely or very important for the success of the Biden campaign. About half of Republicans, 51%, say the same thing about the importance of the debate for the Trump campaign. Only about one-third of independents say the debate, taking place at a CNN studio in Atlanta, is highly important for either campaign.

Arthur Morris, a 40-year-old operations manager at a major financial firm, is an undecided voter open to Biden, Trump or a third-party option such as independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He, along with a significant share of Americans, has doubts about the mental capabilities of the aging candidates, and sees Biden’s debate performance as an important test.

“I need Biden to demonstrate to me that he’s cogent enough to be able to hold this office and execute to the level that we need him to,” Morris said.

Trump, meanwhile, needs to show he can be trusted after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in which Trump supporters disrupted the certification of his 2020 loss to Biden and Trump’s recent conviction in a hush money scheme, said Murray, of Lewiston, Ohio.

About 4 in 10 say they are likely to watch or listen to some or all of the debate live, while a similar share say they will watch or listen to clips later. Another 4 in 10, roughly, expect to consume commentary about the debate and candidate performance in the news or on social media. Republicans and Democrats are more likely than independents to be following debate coverage in some capacity.

Voters are still unhappy about their options, AP-NORC poll finds

17:00 , AP

Biden and Trump are each entering the debate with low favorability ratings. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Biden, and a similar number have a negative view of Trump.

Most Americans, 56%, say they are “very” or “somewhat” dissatisfied with Biden being the Democratic Party’s likely nominee for president, and a similar majority are dissatisfied with Trump as the likely GOP nominee. The poll indicates that Republicans continue to be more satisfied with a re-nomination of Trump than Democrats are with an anticipated Biden re-nomination. Six in 10 Republicans are satisfied with Trump as a nominee; just 42% of Democrats say that about Biden.

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults are dissatisfied with both Trump and Biden as their party’s likely nominees – with independents and Democrats being more likely than Republicans to be dissatisfied with both.

17:06 , AP

Republicans and Democrats are more likely to have a negative view of the opposing party’s candidate than they are to have a positive view of their own.

About 9 in 10 Republicans have an unfavorable view of Biden, and about 9 in 10 Democrats have a negative view of Trump. By comparison, roughly 7 in 10 Democrats have a favorable view of Biden, and about 7 in 10 Republicans have a positive view of Trump.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, in line with where that number has stood for the past two years. Biden’s approval rating among U.S. adults on handling the economy is similar, as is his handling of abortion policy. Only 3 in 10 approve of his approach to immigration.

“I do believe there has been some progress under Biden, but I believe it’s Congress who is the one stalling on any of the policies that Biden wants to proceed with,” said Jane Quan-Bell, 70, a school librarian from Chico, California, and a Democrat.

The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is an especially vulnerable spot for Biden. With only 26% of U.S. adults approving of his handling of the issue, it’s well below his overall approval rating. Nearly 6 in 10 Democrats disapprove of his approach.

The poll of 1,088 adults was conducted June 20-24, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

Report: Trump could unveil his VP pick in splash announcement ahead of Thursday’s debate

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump may announce his running mate ahead of Thursday night’s debate.

Four people familiar with the planning told NBC News that the former president could share his VP pick sometime this week.

Trump has previously said that he would announce his running mate just before or during the Republican National Convention set to take place next month.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Trump could unveil VP pick in splash announcement ahead of Thursday’s debate: Report

In pictures: Debate stage takes shape as Biden-Trump showdown nears

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

And here’s a sneak peek at the stage:

‘Will you shut up, man’

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden and Trump debated four years ago at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29 and again at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22, with another scheduled in between but canceled after the Republican tested positive for the coronavirus and then refused to participate remotely.

Joe Sommerlad brings us the highlights from those face-offs.

The best jabs from Biden-Trump debates in 2020

SCOTUS backs Biden administration’s push to restrict misinformation on social media

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The government can ask social media companies to take down content they perceive as harmful misinformation, the Supreme Court said on Thursday in a ruling that declined to intervene in a case about Covid misinformation.

In a 6-3 decision, justices threw out a lower court ruling that limited the Biden administration’s ability to communicate with social media companies, declaring the plaintiffs failed to show standing.

Ariana Baio reports.

SCOTUS backs Biden administration’s push to restrict misinformation on social media

SCOTUS set to allow abortions in medical emergencies, briefly-published opinion shows

18:40 , Ariana Baio & Alex Woodward

The Supreme Court is poised to allow abortions in medical emergencies, an opinion briefly published on the court’s website and obtained by BloombergLaw revealed.

Wednesday morning, a draft opinion in the consolidated cases Moyle v US and US v Idaho was published as the court issued two other opinions but quickly removed.

This is a developing story...

Supreme Court to allow abortions in emergencies, briefly-published opinion shows

‘Man is a walking LYING MACHINE’: Trump goes off on Biden ahead of debate

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has baselessly claimed that Joe Biden should be thrilled there are no fact checkers in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, and branded the president a “lying machine.”

Trump appeared to be projecting in his early morning screed on Truth Social on Wednesday, and accused Biden of spreading “falsehoods”.

Kelly Rissman unpacks the former president’s latest rant.

Trump calls Biden ‘a walking LYING MACHINE’ in early morning screed ahead of debate

Inside Trump ally Lauren Boebert’s teary victory party

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden reports for The Independent from Windsor, Colorado.

As the sunset disappeared over the Rockies on Tuesday evening, it had already become clear that Lauren Boebert had won.

At a venue called The Grainhouse located on “Hoedown Hill” in Windsor, Boebert watched results pour in — not in some back room like your usual politician but largely in front of the crowd, where she mingled with friends and supporters.

“Thank you... thank you for doing this,” one weepy younger supporter told the congresswoman, who went in for a hug.

Campaign officials were in a jubilant mood.

Continue reading...

‘I don’t know who my dad is’: Inside Lauren Boebert’s teary hoedown victory party

Watch: Trump calls into ‘Barber Shop Roundtable’ to say Black voters love him because of his mug shot

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden’s personal attorney plays Trump in debate prep

19:54 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden’s personal attorney, Bob Bauer, has been standing in for Donald Trump during mock debates at Camp David, CNN reports.

He used a podium as a prop in the same way Biden has been. Bauer previously played Trump in 2020 so he is familiar with the role.

“You want to find some balance between recreating the experience and not attempting to, if you will, audition for Saturday Night Live,” he told CNN.

Bauer has been described as having a knack for capturing the “relentless” side of Trump.

Justice Alito slams Biden in Supreme Court’s Covid disinformation case

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito blasted the Supreme Court for rejecting claims that President Joe Biden unlawfully coerced social media companies to remove disinformation on their platforms.

Alito, whose dissent was joined by justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, argued that the Biden administration impeded on the “free marketplace of ideas” by preventing “dissenting views” on Covid-19, posing a “serious threat” to the First Amendment.

In her opinion in Murthy v Missiouri for the court’s majority on Wednesday, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Republican-led states and social media users had failed to show they were harmed by any government actions.

Alex Woodward reports.

Alito slams Biden for ‘inflammatory’ speech in Supreme Court’s Covid disinfo case

Trump pulls ahead in presidential race but 16% open to changing choice, new polls says

20:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Just a day before President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump face off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle, Trump has a slight lead over Biden 49-45 per cent in a head-to-head matchup, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll of registered voters released today.

This is a small change from Quinnipiac University’s May 22 poll when the race was too close to call with Biden receiving 48 percent support and Trump receiving 47 percent support.

In today’s poll, Republicans (93-4 per cent) and independents (51-41 per cent) back Trump, while Democrats (94-4 per cent) back Biden.

In a six-way hypothetical race that includes other candidates, Trump leads with 43 per cent support, Biden receives 37 per cent support, independent candidate Robert F Kennedy, Jr. receives 11 per cent support, Green Party candidate Jill Stein receives 2 per cent support, independent candidate Cornel West receives 2 per cent support, and Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver receives 1 per cent support.

More than 7 in 10 voters (73 per cent) think it is likely that they will watch the televised debate between Biden and Trump tomorrow night on CNN, while 25 per cent of voters think it is unlikely that they will watch.

When voters who chose a candidate were asked whether they would be open to the possibility of changing their choice for president based on the debate performances, 16 per cent said they were open to the possibility, while 82 per cent said they were not.

Thirteen per cent of voters supporting Biden, 12 per cent of voters supporting Trump, and 32 per cent of voters supporting Kennedy say they are open to the possibility of changing their choice for president based on the debate performances.

Kinzinger endorses Biden, warning Trump ‘threatens America’s future’

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Adam Kinzinger, the former Illinois Republican congressman, has announced he is endorsing Joe Biden for the presidency in 2024 and attacked the incumbent’s Republican challenger Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy.

Describing himself as a “proud conservative” in a new social media video explaining his decision, the former representative sought to carve out a path for other anti-Trump Republicans to follow his example and reject the GOP contender at the ballot box in November.

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

Ex-Republican congressman endorses Biden and says Trump ‘threatens America’s future’

Preserving democracy tops Quinnipiac poll on election issues

20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Voters were asked how important each of eight issues is in their decision of who to support in the election for president...

• preserving democracy in the United States: 51 percent say extremely important, 31 percent say very important, 12 percent say somewhat important, 2 percent say not so important, and 3 percent say not important at all;

• the economy: 45 percent say extremely important, 41 percent say very important, 12 percent say somewhat important, 1 percent say not so important, and 1 percent say not important at all;

• the United States Supreme Court: 38 percent say extremely important, 34 percent say very important, 17 percent say somewhat important, 4 percent say not so important, and 5 percent say not important at all;

• immigration: 35 percent say extremely important, 33 percent say very important, 22 percent say somewhat important, 5 percent say not so important, and 4 percent say not important at all;

• abortion: 29 percent say extremely important, 28 percent say very important, 20 percent say somewhat important, 8 percent say not so important, and 12 percent say not important at all;

• Donald Trump’s felony conviction in New York City: 23 percent say extremely important, 16 percent say very important, 11 percent say somewhat important, 10 percent say not so important, and 38 percent say not important at all;

• climate change: 21 percent say extremely important, 25 percent say very important, 21 percent say somewhat important, 12 percent say not so important, and 20 percent say not important at all;

• the Israel - Hamas war in Gaza: 18 percent say extremely important, 32 percent say very important, 30 percent say somewhat important, 8 percent say not so important, and 9 percent say not important at all.

Most Americans say they can’t look away from Biden-Trump debate

21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Most US adults plan to watch some element of Thursday’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Both men remain broadly unpopular as they prepare to face off for the first time since 2020, although Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, maintains a modest enthusiasm advantage with his base compared to Biden, the Democratic incumbent.

About 6 in 10 US adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.

Read more...

Most Americans say they can’t look away from Biden-Trump debate - for better or worse

Could we see a disciplined Trump on the debate stage?

21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

What version of Donald Trump will show up on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday night? We’re all used to the angry, bombastic, grievance-driven persona that comes across through social media — and the more jokey version that shows up at rallies — but what if he acts professionally and disciplined?

The Biden team has been considering that, per CNN:

Biden aides are gearing up for what they believe is the very real possibility that “a very disciplined” Trump may step onto the debate stage, one senior adviser involved in the preparations told CNN, in what would mark a stark contrast from the unhinged former president that created chaos during the first Biden-Trump debate four years ago.

In that face-off in September 2020, Trump memorably unleashed a torrent of insults, interruptions and long-winded rambling answers that made it, at times, nearly impossible for the moderator to keep the debate under control.

But as this one Biden adviser put it, the president’s team believes that Trump’s presidential campaign has been far more disciplined this time around than in 2020 or 2016, in no small part at the direction of political operatives like Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, and that that could result in Trump being relatively restrained on Thursday.

Most voters don’t think Trump should be sentenced to prison over hush money case

21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Per Quinnipiac University’s latest poll of registered voters:

A majority of voters (55 per cent) think Donald Trump should not be sentenced to prison based on the guilty verdict in the New York City criminal trial against him in connection to charges of falsifying business records, including a hush money payment to an adult film actress, while 40 per cent think he should be sentenced to prison.

Republicans (92 - 4 per cent) and independents (59 - 36 per cent) think Trump should not be sentenced to prison based on this guilty verdict, while Democrats (79 - 17 per cent) think he should be sentenced to prison.

Voters were asked how it would impact their vote if Trump were given a prison sentence. Among Trump voters, a majority (59 per cent) say if he were given a prison sentence it would not make a difference to their vote, 36 per cent say they would be more likely to vote for him, and 4 per cent say they would be less likely to vote for him.

It’s a different story for Hunter Biden though...

Fifty-one per cent of voters think President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, should be sentenced to prison after a jury found him guilty of lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs, while 38 per cent think he should not be sentenced to prison.

Republicans (61 - 28 per cent) and independents (50 - 39 per cent) think Hunter Biden should be sentenced to prison based on this guilty verdict. Among Democrats, 48 per cent think he should not be sentenced to prison, while 42 per cent think he should be sentenced to prison.

FBI arrests another Proud Boy for role in Jan 6 Capitol riot

21:28 , Oliver O'Connell

The FBI has arrested Troy Garrett for his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

He marched with Proud Boys leaders that morning in Washington, DC, and later was captured on video shoving a police officer while others tried to take his riot shield.

GOP lawmaker claims Trump told him he would will only pardon non-violent Jan 6 criminals

21:35 , Oliver O'Connell

...but CNN’s Boris Sanchez isn’t buying it.

House GOP leaders go to bat for Bannon in bid to keep him out of jail

21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Donald Trump adviser and far-right streamer Steve Bannon is getting help from House Republicans as he tries to avoid jail time.

At least one House Republican has gone directly to the Supreme Court to support Bannon’s last-ditch appeal to avoid having to turn himself into federal prison authorities on July 1.

House Speaker Mike Johnson — whom Bannon once called a “revolting loser” — also is working with GOP leadership to file a brief to a federal appeals court to undermine Bannon’s conviction for contempt of Congress, after he defied a subpoena from a congressional committee investigating January 6.

Alex Woodward reports.

House GOP leaders go to bat for Bannon to try to keep him out of jail

Watch: Trump attacks Biden as ‘most unpopular president in history’

22:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrats remind voters of Trump’s attacks on democracy

22:17 , Oliver O'Connell

The Democratic National Committee is seeking to remind voters ahead of tomorrow’s debate the Donald Trump has attacked American democracy.

Here’s what the DNC had to say in a statement released this afternoon:

Tomorrow, President Biden and convicted felon Donald Trump will lay out their visions for America’s future on the debate stage. President Biden’s vision is one where working families don’t have to worry about putting dinner on the table, where prescription drugs and health care are accessible and affordable, where women have more rights than their grandmothers did, not fewer, and where the rights of American voters are safeguarded and our democracy is protected. On the other hand, Trump’s vision is one of revenge and retribution, where violent insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol are called “patriots,” and where he will always put himself ahead of American voters and American democracy.

DNC Spokesperson Maddy Mundy released the following statement:

“Donald Trump wants power for himself, full stop. Over and over, Trump has sought to undermine trust in American democracy for his personal gain. Trump can’t admit that voters rejected him in favor of a candidate who answers to them, not to billionaire donors. Not only did Trump inspire the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, he spent months campaigning on election conspiracies because he was afraid of another rejection at the polls. In 2024, he has doubled down on this dangerous strategy, fanning the flames with violent rhetoric, promising to be a dictator on ‘day one,’ and spewing unhinged conspiracies. A Trump presidency represents a dangerous threat to our constitution and American democracy. In November, voters will remember this as they cast their ballots for President Biden.”

Lincoln’s wax head melts

22:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Possibly a metaphor for how we’ll all feel around 10.30pm tomorrow?

Abraham Lincoln’s wax head melts off in DC heat wave

Is Trump immune from criminal prosecution?

22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

We should find out pretty soon, as Alex Woodward reports.

Is Trump immune from prosecution? Supreme Court will soon decide major question

Supreme Court set to allow abortions in medical emergencies

22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The Supreme Court is poised to allow abortions in medical emergencies, a draft opinion briefly published on the court’s website and obtained by Bloomberg Law revealed.

A draft opinion was “inadvertently” published as the court issued other opinions on Wednesday morning. It was quickly removed.

Ariana Baio and Alex Woodward have been closely following the court’s rulings for The Independent.

Supreme Court accidentally posts opinion allowing abortions in medical emergencies

‘Will you shut up, man’

23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden and Trump debated four years ago at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29 and again at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22, with another scheduled in between but canceled after the Republican tested positive for the coronavirus and then refused to participate remotely.

Joe Sommerlad looks at the highlights from those face-offs.

The best jabs from Biden-Trump debates in 2020

Trump mocked after claiming he was ‘tortured’ in Georgia jail

23:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is being ridiculed on social media after claiming in a fundraising email to supporters that he was “tortured” at his Georgia arraignment last August.

“I want you to remember what they did to me,” the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign wrote in its latest mail-out.

“They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what? I put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE!”

Sure.

Trump mocked after claiming he was ‘tortured’ in Georgia jail

‘Man is a walking LYING MACHINE’

23:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has baselessly claimed that Joe Biden should be thrilled there are no fact checkers in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, and branded the president a “lying machine.”

Trump appeared to be projecting in his early morning screed on Truth Social on Wednesday, and accused Biden of spreading “falsehoods”.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump calls Biden ‘a walking LYING MACHINE’ in early morning screed ahead of debate

Kinzinger endorses Biden, warning Trump ‘threatens America’s future’

00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Adam Kinzinger, the former Illinois Republican congressman, has announced he is endorsing Joe Biden for the presidency in 2024 and attacked the incumbent’s Republican challenger Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy.

Describing himself as a “proud conservative” in a new social media video explaining his decision, the former representative sought to carve out a path for other anti-Trump Republicans to follow his example and reject the GOP contender at the ballot box in November.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Ex-Republican congressman endorses Biden and says Trump ‘threatens America’s future’

Most Americans say they can’t look away from Biden-Trump debate

00:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Most US adults plan to watch some element of Thursday’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Both men remain broadly unpopular as they prepare to face off for the first time since 2020, although Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, maintains a modest enthusiasm advantage with his base compared to Biden, the Democratic incumbent.

About 6 in 10 US adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.

Most Americans say they can’t look away from Biden-Trump debate - for better or worse

Biden’s personal attorney plays Trump in debate prep

00:35 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden’s personal attorney, Bob Bauer, has been standing in for Donald Trump during mock debates at Camp David, CNN reports.

He used a podium as a prop in the same way Biden has been. Bauer previously played Trump in 2020 so he is familiar with the role.

“You want to find some balance between recreating the experience and not attempting to, if you will, audition for Saturday Night Live,” he told CNN.

Bauer has been described as having a knack for capturing the “relentless” side of Trump.