Trump shares threatening video as midnight deadline to appear before Jan 6 grand jury closes in - live

Donald Trump could be indicted by a grand jury investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot as early as today.

The Independent learned that a possible indictment could be handed down as soon as Thursday or Friday, charging the former president in his third criminal case.

Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him that he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation.

The target letter cites three statutes under which he could be charged including conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant, multiple outlets reported.

William Russell, a former White House aide who now works for the Trump presidential campaign and spent much of January 6 with the then-president, is scheduled to testify before the grand jury when it meets today.

The former president was given until today to testify but is not expected to make an appearance at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC.

Key points

• Jan 6 grand jury to hear testimony from aide who was with Trump during Capitol riot

• Trump insists Jan 6 indictment doesn’t ‘frighten’ him

• Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

• Trump says he is about to be arrested again after letter confirms he’s target of Jan 6 grand jury

• Exclusive: Senior ex-intel official says second Trump term could be fatal for US

• Trump Organization employee target for obstruction of documents probe

New Jersey con artist pardoned by Trump is arrested again for fraud

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A New Jersey con man who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump has been arrested and is accused of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars.

Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein was charged alongside four others with a number of crimes, including conspiring to defraud investors of more than $35m and conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to a statement from the office of the US attorney for New Jersey. Each of the five defendants was charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Convicted con artist pardoned by Trump is arrested again for fraud

QAnon Shaman loses bid to have conviction thrown out

20:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Jacob Chansley, the January 6th rioter who famously wore a horned helmet and became known as the QAnon Shaman, has had a federal judge deny his bid to have his conviction thrown out. The basis of effort was to cite videos aired in February by then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Politico reports:

US District Court Judge Royce Lamberth said the videos aired by Carlson, which showed Chansley roaming the halls of the Capitol, occasionally alongside outnumbered Capitol Police officers, were devoid of meaningful context, especially when contrasted with the extraordinary volume of evidence of Chansley’s crimes.

In fact, if Chansley, who pleaded guilty in September 2021 to obstructing Congress’ proceedings, were sentenced today, Lamberth wrote in a 35-page opinion on Thursday, he might be inclined to sentence him to a lengthier prison term than the 41 months he received.

Biden again touts Marjorie Taylor Greene’s support

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

“As you may have seen, apparently 40 million people watched, Marjorie Taylor Greene, said, Biden is doing things like Roosevelt and creating these jobs. I never had an endorsement from her before,” said President Joe Biden today at a Bidenomics-themed event in Philadelphia.

Watch:

Here’s the full story concerning her apparent endorsement of the presdient:

Biden’s latest campaign video is a Marjorie Taylor Greene speech

As midnight deadline for Trump response ticks closer, ex-president not expected to testify

19:49 , Oliver O'Connell

When Donald Trump received the target letter from special counsel January 6th grand jury investigation on Sunday night, he was given four days in which to report to give testimony.

As we reported earlier in the week:

A source familiar with the special counsel’s probe and Department of Justice operating procedures told The Independent that the earliest an indictment could be handed down is late Thursday or Friday, after the deadline prosecutors set for Mr Trump to avail himself of their invitation to testify before the grand jury investigating crimes relating to the Capitol attack.

The clock is now ticking down toward midnight and it is looking increasingly unlikely that the former president is going to speak to the grand jury — though his aide William Russell, who spent much of January 6th with him, is testifying this afternoon.

On Sunday Mr Trump posted on Truth Social:

“On Sunday night, while I was with my family...HORRIFYING NEWS for our country was given to me by my attorneys,” said Mr Trump. “Deranged Jack Smith...sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.”

It later transpired that the letter he received listed three federal statutes that could constitute charges against him over the Jan 6 riots.

The three federal statutes mentioned in the letter by Mr Smith, according to several reports, are conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

Mr Trump is the sole individual mentioned in the letter and there are no other names mentioned, according to a source with knowledge of the matter cited by Rolling Stone magazine.

Alex Woodward explains how the whole federal investigation into the former president fits into the wider set of legal troubles facing the former president.

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

Trump reposts fan video of mob-like threat on Truth Social

19:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has reposted a fan-made video of him threatening his enemies by saying: “If you f*ck around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are going to do things to you that have never been done before.”

The mob-like sentiment aside, the audio used in the video is actually from when he called into Rush Limbaugh’s radio show in October 2020 after recovering from Covid-19 and the topic being discussed in which he dropped the expletive was... Iran.

Here’s our coverage from the time:

Trump drops expletive when talking about Iran on radio show

Democrat lawmaker gives blistering takedown of RFK Jr’s most outrageous claims

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s really been a banner week for House Republicans with posterboards of amateur porn on Wednesday, and anti-vax conspiracies and Nazi comparisons on Thursday.

Still, some are pushing back as new lows are reached. Rep Stacey Plaskett, who represents the US Virgin Islands and is the top Democrat on the select subcommittee on the weaponisation of the government, excoriated her GOP colleagues for giving a platform to presidential candidate and vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr in this morning’s hearing.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Democrat lawmaker gives blistering takedown of RFK Jr’s most outrageous claims

Marjorie Taylor Greene doubles down having reached a ‘new low’ in Congress

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was “uncomfortable” showing graphic, sexually explicit photos of Hunter Biden to Congress, but insisted that “the American people deserve to see” the photos.

The stunt drew expected criticism from Congressional Democrats, many who offered scathing rebukes of the congresswoman’s judgement.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Majorie Taylor Greene doubles down on showing Hunter Biden nudes to Congress

Important lunchtime post: The meaning of Jack Smith’s Subway sandwich

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

ICYMI earlier this week, when news of the target letter to Donald Trump swamped the news cycle, Special Counsel Jack Smith emerged from his office to go and grab lunch from a nearby Subway sandwich outlet.

Was this a hungry man taking a moment to get food? Or was it a message to Donald Trump as this CNN panel appears to believe?

Slate notes that Subway discontinued its $5 footlong sub promotion in 2018 and the least expensive sandwich is now $6.39.

At contentious House hearing, RFK Jr baselessly claims he’s never been anti-vaccine

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr baselessly claimed in a congressional hearing on Thursday that he has never been anti-vaccine.

Mr Kennedy testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government where House Republicans had invited him to testify about being censored by the Biden administration and tech companies.

Mr Kennedy, currently a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president against the incumbent Joe Biden, denied that he opposed vaccines.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

RFK Jr baselessly claims he’s never been anti-vaccine at contentious House hearing

Trump gives backing to Jason Aldean’s controversial music video

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has weighed into the controversy over country music singer Jason Aldean’s latest music video.

He posted on Truth Social in the middle of the night: “Jason Aldean is a fantastic guy who just came out with a great new song. Support Jason all the way. MAGA!!!”

Joe Sommerlad explains why the song and video are controversial:

Why Jason Aldean’s new music video is so controversial

What happens next in the January 6 probe?

16:50 , AP

It’s unclear when Smith’s investigation may wrap up. Trump said he was invited to appear before the grand jury this week, though targets of investigations don’t have to testify and rarely agree to do so. The grand jury, which meets in secret, would ultimately vote on whether there is enough evidence to charge him with a crime. Federal grand juries are made up of about 16 to 23 people, and at least 12 must agree in order to hand down an indictment.

Among the potential charges legal experts have said Trump could face are conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of an official proceeding: Congress’ certification of Biden’s electoral victory. Hundreds of the more than 1,000 people accused of federal crimes in the January 6 riot have been charged with the obstruction offence, which carries up to 20 years in prison.

If charged in the January 6 case, Trump could face a challenging jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Washington, whose residents — many of whom work on Capitol Hill — had a front-row seat to the chaos that unfolded after Trump urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”

Many January 6 rioters have tried unsuccessfully to get their trials moved out of the nation’s capital, saying Trump supporters can’t get a fair trial there. Only two defendants have been acquitted of all charges after trials, and those were trials decided by a judge, not a jury. In the most serious January 6 cases brought so far, juries have convicted the leaders of two far-right extremist groups — the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — of seditious conspiracy and other charges for what prosecutors described as plots to block the transfer of power from Trump to Biden. More than 600 other January 6 defendants have pleaded guilty to federal crimes.

What is the focus of the special counsel’s Trump January 6 probe?

16:30 , AP

The team led by Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November, has questioned a host of former White House officials, Trump allies, lawyers and state election officials both in voluntary interviews and before the grand jury that has been meeting behind closed doors in Washington. Those who have testified before the grand jury — which would ultimately hand down any indictment — include Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, who has spoken extensively in public about the former president’s efforts to pressure him into rejecting President Joe Biden‘s electoral victory.

Smith’s team appears to be interested in a late-night 18 December 2020, White House meeting one aide has called “unhinged” in which Trump’s private lawyers suggested he order the US military to seize state voting machines in an unprecedented effort to pursue his false claims of voter fraud. In videos shown by the US House Committee that investigated the January 6 attack, one White House lawyer said he thought the idea was “nuts.” Judges — including some appointed by Trump — uniformly rejected his claims of voter fraud.

Smith has also questioned witnesses about schemes by Trump associates to enlist electors in battleground states to sign certificates claiming that Trump — instead of Biden — had won their states. The fake electors’ certificates were mailed to the National Archives and Congress, where some Republicans used them to try to justify delaying or blocking certification of the election.

Smith’s team has also shown interest in the story of a Georgia election worker, Ruby Freeman, who along with her daughter has recounted living in fear following death threats after Trump and his allies falsely accused them of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase in Georgia. That interest is according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal probe.

Jan 6 grand jury to hear testimony from aide who was with Trump during Capitol riot

16:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Per NBC News:

A federal grand jury deciding whether to indict Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election is set to meet Thursday and hear testimony from an aide who was with the former president for much of the day on Jan. 6, 2021.

William Russell, a former White House aide who now works for Trump's presidential campaign, is scheduled to testify before the grand jury convened by special counsel Jack Smith. Russell has previously testified before the grand jury, which is investigating the Jan. 6 riot and efforts to "interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election."

Donald Trump, who received a target letter from the special counsel on Sunday, was given until today to testify before the grand jury, but is not expected to make an appearance at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC.

White House sees opportunity in Marjorie Taylor Greene

16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Biden administration’s policy towards Marjorie Taylor Greene used to be that it would not dignify her remarks with a response. Now, things have changed as this week’s new campaign ad shows, she could be an electoral asset:

Biden’s latest campaign video is a Marjorie Taylor Greene speech

Per RealClear Politics:

If the White House was hesitant before, Biden World now sees in Greene a target of opportunity, especially as the election looms and as the president touts his economic agenda across the country.

“We knew her feelings about Medicare and Social Security since the Republican Study Committee she belongs to just proposed even more cuts to earned benefits,” a senior Biden adviser explained. “Attacking us for trying to end ‘rural poverty’ was more of a surprise.”

“Then again, she has been trying to deprive her constituents of the high-paying Bidenomics jobs that just arrived,” the adviser continued. “So, I guess we should have seen that coming. Maybe next week, she’ll be coming after our insulin price cap.”

“Wait, she already is,” the adviser added.

Marjorie Taylor Greene sparks outrage by showing explicit photos of Hunter Biden in Congress

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

During a Republican-led oversight committee hearing regarding IRS whistleblowers connected to a probe into President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene showed explicit photos of the president’s son on posters.

The Georgia Republican held up a series of posters with images of Hunter Biden naked and photos of him engaging in sexual acts at the Congressional hearing on Wednesday.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene is literally showing dick pics at our Oversight Hearing,” California congressman Robert Garcia tweeted.

Imagine going back in time and explaining this to someone...

Marjorie Taylor Greene faces backlash after showing explicit photos of Hunter Biden

RECAP: All the lawsuits and criminal charges involving Trump and where they stand

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s US news team has catalogued everything you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump:

All the investigations Trump still faces following his second arrest

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as today

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could ask a grand jury to return an indictment against Donald Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

A source familiar with the special counsel’s probe and Department of Justice operating procedures told The Independent that the earliest an indictment could be handed down is late Thursday or Friday, after the deadline prosecutors set for Mr Trump to avail himself of their invitation to testify before the grand jury investigating crimes relating to the Capitol attack.

Stay tuned...

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Don Jr says it will be ‘the end of civilisation’ if his father is charged over Jan 6

14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump being charged over the January 6 insurrection would mark the end of civilisation – that is, according to his eldest son.

Donald Trump Jr made the comment during an interview with rightwing broadcaster Real America’s Voice, also suggesting that civilisation was actually due to end soon anyway.

Which begs the question why his father is bothering to run for president... 🤔

Donald Trump Jr says January 6 charges will be ‘end of civilisation’

Watch: Robert F Kennedy Jr testifies on Capitol Hill

14:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Warning: This stream may contain misinformation.

Watch live as Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy Jr testifies before a House Judiciary subcommittee on the “weaponisation of the Federal Government”.

The hearing is ostensibly about examining the “federal government’s role in censoring Americans” and “Big Tech’s collusion with out-of-control government agencies to silence speech”.

Watch live as presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy Jr testifies on Capitol Hill

Voices: The walls are closing in on Donald Trump

13:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes:

The former president of the United States, who took an oath to uphold the Constitution, could be imminently indicted for seeking to destroy it.

Read more...

The walls are closing in on Donald Trump

The January 6 federal investigation into Trump, explained

13:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward explains how the sprawling Justice Department probe into the former president and his allies could result in several criminal charges against him.

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

Fox News chooses to air Trump’s false election claims AGAIN

12:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Months after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $787m over false election claims, the network chose to air a portion of a pre-taped town hall with former President Donald Trump where he made false election claims.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Fox chooses to air Trump’s false election claims again despite $787m Dominion payout

DeSantis mocked for referencing ‘pudding’ in CNN interview after bizarre food story

12:10 , Oliver O'Connell

It was an unfortunate reference that Ron DeSantis viewers everywhere picked up on almost immediately.

In response to a question from CNN’s Jake Tapper in one of his first mainstream media interviews, the Florida governor said of his electability that “the proof is in the pudding”.

This immediately recalled a viral story from earlier this year in which The Daily Beast reported that Mr DeSantis once ate a pudding cup with his fingers while on a private jet.

Read on...

Ron DeSantis mocked for referencing ‘pudding’ in CNN interview reviving viral story

Trump attempt to move Manhattan hush money case to federal court rejected by judge

11:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has shot down Donald Trump’s attempt to move his Manhattan criminal charges into US District Court, sending the case stemming from hush money payments back to state court in New York City.

In June, Manhattan prosecutors charged the former president with 34 counts of falsifying business records, alleging an effort to silence news of Mr Trump’s alleged affairs as campaigned for the presidency in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty.

Alex Woodward has the latest.

Judge rejects Trump attempt to move Manhattan hush money case to federal court

Don Jr says it will be ‘the end of civilisation’ if his father is charged over Jan 6

11:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump being charged over the January 6 insurrection would mark the end of civilisation – that is, according to his eldest son.

Donald Trump Jr made the comment during an interview with rightwing broadcaster Real America’s Voice, also suggesting that civilisation was actually due to end soon anyway.

Yikes.

Donald Trump Jr says January 6 charges will be ‘end of civilisation’

Jack Smith: The prosecutor overseeing the Trump probes

10:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Jack Smith, the experienced war crimes prosecutor who unveiled an unprecedented federal indictment against former US president Donald J Trump, is no stranger to high-profile probes of public figures.

The Department of Justice veteran returned to the US last November after being appointed a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Andrew Feinberg profiles the man being watched by everyone in Washington.

Who is Jack Smith, the prosecutor overseeing the Trump probes

Voices: Republicans gave away their credibility in criticising Democrats on antisemitism by touting RFK Jr

09:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Amid all of the concerns about the American right courting antisemites, Republicans should have had a perfect opportunity to turn the tables on Democrats and accuse them of having an antisemitism problem.

Read on...

Republicans gave away all their credibility on antisemitism by inviting RFK Jr

Is Trump going to prison?

08:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Amid the swirl of criminal cases and investigations with former president Donald Trump at the centre, the ultimate question for most people is whether or not he might actually end up in prison.

Is Donald Trump going to prison?

Are Republican claims of Biden family ‘corruption’ being undermined by their own whistleblowers?

06:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg believes so, writing:

House Republicans’ efforts to paint President Joe Biden and his family as corrupt influence peddlers are being undermined by the very people they’ve touted as whistleblowers against the Bidens over the first six months of their investigation.

Read more of his report form Washington, DC:

GOP claims of Biden family ‘corruption’ undermined by their own whistleblowers

Can Trump still run in 2024 with another possible indictment?

04:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is now the subject of two criminal cases after being arrested over a state case in New York and a federal case in Miami – at a time when he is hot on the trail for another stint in the White House.

A third indictment may be looming this week.

Can he still run for another term in the White House?

Can Donald Trump run for president in 2024 after arrest?

Trump insists he is not frightened by Jan 6 indictment

03:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Hours after former President Donald Trump announced that he was a “target” in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Mr Trump told Sean Hannity that he was “bothered” by the news but it doesn’t “frighten” him.

Mr Trump was speaking to Mr Hannity in a pre-recorded town hall interview on Fox News. The former president faces a potential third indictment over the events of January 6 – on top of other ongoing criminal cases.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Trump insists Jan 6 indictment doesn’t ‘frighten’ him

E Jean Carroll tells Trump to pay up

02:40 , Oliver O'Connell

E Jean Carroll has called on Donald Trump to pay up after losing his bid for a new trial in a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by the advice columnist.

In a decision released on Wednesday, Judge Lewis Kaplan said the jury did not reach a “seriously erroneous result” when it found the former president liable for sexual assault and defamation and ordered him to pay $5m.

The verdict was not a “miscarriage of justice,” as Mr Trump’s lawyers had claimed, Judge Kaplan wrote.

Bevan Hurley reports on the latest development.

E Jean Carroll tells Trump to pay up her $5m after judge denies motion for mistrial

CCTV from Georgia 2020 ballot counting centre reportedly subpoenaed by Trump probe

Thursday 20 July 2023 00:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The Department of Justice used a grand jury subpoena to obtain CCTV security footage from the Atlanta, Georgia arena where ballots were counted following the 2020 election, indicating that federal prosecutors are examining some of the same matters as the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney who may soon bring charges against former president Donald Trump and others in his orbit.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump probe ‘subpoenaed CCTV from Georgia 2020 ballot counting centre’

Recap: All the lawsuits and criminal charges involving Trump and where they stand

Wednesday 19 July 2023 23:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s news team has catalogued the current status of all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump. Here’s what you need to know:

All the investigations Trump still faces following his second arrest

Outrage: Marjorie Taylor Greene shows explicit photos of Hunter Biden at congressional hearing

Wednesday 19 July 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

When you think you’ve seen everything, somehow House Republicans somehow continue to push the boundaries of societal norms and conduct.

Kelly Rissman has the story of a bizarre afternoon on Capitol Hill in which Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene produced poster boards showing explicit photos of Hunter Biden during a congressional committee hearing.

Perhaps the Georgia lawmaker should stick to making campaign ads for President Joe Biden rather than showing “dick pics” to her colleagues and viewers of C-Span and Fox News.

Marjorie Taylor Greene faces backlash after showing explicit photos of Hunter Biden

Voices: The walls are closing in on Donald Trump

Wednesday 19 July 2023 22:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes:

The former president of the United States, who took an oath to uphold the Constitution, could be imminently indicted for seeking to destroy it.

Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith has sent a target letter to Donald Trump in his probe of the plot to overturn the 2020 election. This has been confirmed by multiple news outlets citing law enforcement sources and Trump’s own unhinged Truth Social posts on Tuesday. Trump said he was given four days’ notice to testify before the DC Grand Jury. The sentiment is widespread among legal experts that this means Trump is almost certainly about to face imminent indictment, again. This would be Trump’s third, and most damning, indictment thus far.

Read on...

The walls are closing in on Donald Trump

Trump legal team scrambles to ascertain scope of possible indictment

Wednesday 19 July 2023 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Per CNN:

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers and advisers are trying to figure out if there is evidence and witnesses they are unaware of that are bolstering special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to multiple sources familiar with Trump team’s legal conversation.

The potential charges listed in the target letter suggest the special counsel will prosecute a bigger case against Trump than the former president’s team was expecting, given the evidence they are aware of. That has led to questions if there is evidence or testimony they don’t know about, the sources said.

Trump’s team of lawyers and advisers have tried to keep close tabs on the investigation. The former president’s political action committee has underwritten legal costs for multiple witnesses, which has given them some insight into what has been shared with Smith’s team.

Meanwhile on Truth Social...

Wednesday 19 July 2023 22:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has posted again, ranting at the process of justice as a third likely indictment looms over him. He claims that it is the legal system itself and not him that is under siege.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, LAWYERS, AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM ITSELF, ARE UNDER SIEGE…ALL A GIFT FROM CROOKED JOE BIDEN, MERRICK GARLAND, AND DERANGED PROSECUTOR, JACK SMITH!!!

He then added:

THE DEMOCRAT PROSECUTORS WAITED YEARS TO BRING CHARGES SO THAT THEY COULD INTERFERE WITH THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THEY ARE GETTING, HOWEVER, BIG BLOWBACK!!!

Wednesday 19 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Months after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $787m over false election claims, the network chose to air a portion of a pre-taped town hall with former President Donald Trump where he made false election claims.

Mr Hannity asked Mr Trump at a Fox town hall in Iowa whether he now embraced “early voting, vote by mail, and legal ballot harvesting?”

Kelly Rissman reports on the former president’s answer.

Fox chooses to air Trump’s false election claims again despite $787m Dominion payout

Voices: Republicans gave away their credibility in criticising Democrats on antisemitism by touting RFK Jr

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Amid all of the concerns about the American right courting antisemites, Republicans should have had a perfect opportunity to turn the tables on Democrats and accuse them of having an antisemitism problem.

Read on...

Republicans gave away all their credibility on antisemitism by inviting RFK Jr

...and what about Ivanka Trump?

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Robert Garcia also had some thoughts on Ivanka Trump and the “Trump crime family”.

Watch below:

And he wasn’t done there:

AOC accuses Trump of ‘exerting an influence campaign in Congress'

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaking at the IRS whistleblower hearing in the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon, Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that the hearing into Hunter Biden was only taking place because of an “influence campaign” being waged by former president Donald Trump. She added that perhaps the committee should similarly open an investigation into Mr Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka.

“We are here today because Donald Trump is exerting an influence campaign in Congress when he is no longer president ... if this committee is gonna go there, that they be willing to open investigations into the dismissal of charges against Ivanka Trump.”

Watch below:

Is Marjorie Taylor Greene in favour of Trump prosecutions after all?

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:24 , Oliver O'Connell

From her comments in the House of Representatives today it would appear that Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is in favour of Donald Trump being prosecuted.

The Georgia lawmaker said: “I would also like to say that when evidence and proof of a crime is presented, no prosecution should be denied no matter who the person is.”

People were quick to point out what her statement implied and noted it might make another good campaign ad for the Democrats.

Trump attempt to move Manhattan hush money case to federal court rejected by judge

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has shot down Donald Trump’s attempt to move his Manhattan criminal charges into US District Court, sending the case stemming from hush money payments back to state court in New York City.

In June, Manhattan prosecutors charged the former president with 34 counts of falsifying business records, alleging an effort to silence news of Mr Trump’s alleged affairs as campaigned for the presidency in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty.

The order from US District Judge Alvin K Hellerstein on 19 July argued that the former president failed to show that any of the conduct in the indictment related to his actions as president and remanded the case back to state court.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Judge rejects Trump attempt to move Manhattan hush money case to federal court

Veteran who stormed Capitol with loaded pistol on Jan 6 sentenced to seven years

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A military veteran who stormed the US Capitol with a loaded pistol, metal-plated body armour and a gas mask was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison, one of the longest among hundreds of January 6 riot cases.

CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane notes that Alberts’s case “knocks down claims Jan 6 wasn’t an ‘armed insurrection’”.

Alberts had a 9-millimetre pistol loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition and an additional bullet in the chamber, according to prosecutors.

Read more...

Military veteran who stormed Capitol with loaded pistol is sentenced to 7 years in prison

Watch: Morning Joe hosts discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene’s accidental endorsement of Biden

Wednesday 19 July 2023 20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Jack Smith: The prosecutor overseeing the Trump probes

Wednesday 19 July 2023 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Jack Smith, the experienced war crimes prosecutor who unveiled an unprecedented federal indictment against former US president Donald J Trump, is no stranger to high-profile probes of public figures.

The Department of Justice veteran returned to the US last November after being appointed a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Andrew Feinberg profiles the man at the centre of the federal probes into Donald Trump.

Who is Jack Smith, the prosecutor overseeing the Trump probes

Watch: McConnell refuses to comment on new potential Trump indictment

Wednesday 19 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

“I’m not gonna comment on the various candidates for the presidency,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

GOP claims of Biden family ‘corruption’ are being undermined by their own whistleblowers

Wednesday 19 July 2023 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

House Republicans’ efforts to paint President Joe Biden and his family as corrupt influence peddlers are being undermined by the very people they’ve touted as whistleblowers against the Bidens over the first six months of their investigation.

The latest episode in this half-year-long drama was set to air on Wednesday, when a pair of federal law enforcement agents were scheduled to give evidence before the GOP-led House Oversight Committee.

One witness, IRS agent Gary Shapley, has already accused Justice Department and IRS leaders of kneecapping his multi-year probe into Hunter Biden, a lawyer and lobbyist who is set to plead guilty to misdemeanour tax charges in the coming weeks.

Mr Shapley and another still-anonymous law enforcement officer, who the committee is calling “Witness X,” were set to testify before the panel on Wednesday. But the alleged law enforcement whistleblowers who are claiming that political interference on the Bidens’ behalf short-circuited their efforts to bring more serious charges against the president’s son, have already undercut the testimony they were expected to deliver before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

GOP claims of Biden family ‘corruption’ undermined by their own whistleblowers

Trump loses bid to move New York hush money case to federal court

Wednesday 19 July 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid to move the “hush money” indictment brought in state court by the Manhattan district attorney to federal court in New York.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein had already strongly suggested he intended to deny the move after a hearing in late June in which Mr Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, argued for the change of venue.

His ruling also shuts down the Trump team claims of immunity and that the indictment is politically motivated: “But there is no reason to believe that the New York judicial system would not be fair and give Trump equal justice under the law. Trump fails to make a case of protective jurisdiction.”

This case was the first indictment of the former president and the first of any president. A grand jury convened by District Attorney Alvin Bragg voted in March to indict Mr Trump on 34 counts related to the reimbursement of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, for hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is the first former president arrested on federal charges. Can he still run in 2024?

Wednesday 19 July 2023 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

With potential convictions and judgments in state and federal indictments and multi-million dollar lawsuits, what will that mean for Donald Trump’s political future?

Can he still run for president?

Can Donald Trump run for president in 2024 after arrest?

Watch: Former US Attorney Barbara McQuade breaks down federal statures in Trump target letter

Wednesday 19 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

‘Autocrat envy'

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Political commentator David Axelrod mocks Donald Trump for having “autocrat envy” as the former president praises Chinese President Xi Jinping.

DeSantis mocked for referencing ‘pudding’ in CNN interview

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

It was an unfortunate reference that Ron DeSantis viewers everywhere picked up on almost immediately.

In response to a question from CNN’s Jake Tapper in one of his first mainstream media interviews, the Florida governor said of his electability that “the proof is in the pudding”.

This immediately recalled a viral story from earlier this year in which The Daily Beast reported that Mr DeSantis once ate a pudding cup with his fingers while on a private jet.

Read on...

Ron DeSantis mocked for referencing ‘pudding’ in CNN interview reviving viral story

Shockingly, Chris Christie would not be Trump’s VP

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

“I spoke to Mike Pence, the job doesn’t look too great.”

GOP presidential candidate Will Hurd says Trump must be beaten in primary

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:22 , Oliver O'Connell

“Donald Trump is a threat to our national security,” GOP presidential candidate Will Hurd said on The View today. “If we want to be rid of Donald Trump, we have to beat him in the Republican primary. Full stop.”

Watch the longshot candidate’s remarks below:

Lunchtime long read: The January 6 federal investigation of Donald Trump, explained

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward explains how a sprawling Justice Department probe into the former president and his allies could result in several criminal charges against him.

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

Watch Live: Hunter Biden investigation continues in Congress

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu not running for re-election in 2024

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:36 , Oliver O'Connell

New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Chris Sununu has announced that he will not run for re-election in 2024.

“Public service should never be a career, and the time is right for another Republican to lead our great state,” he wrote in an email to supporters. “Be assured we will keep working.”

Mr Sununu assumed office in January 2017. Prior to that, he was a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 onwards.

He is the son of John H Sununu, former New Hampshire governor and White House Chief of Staff for George HW Bush, and is the younger brother of former US representative and senator John E Sununu.

Trump adamant Jan 6 indictment doesn’t ‘frighten’ him

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Hours after former President Donald Trump announced that he was a “target” in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Mr Trump told Sean Hannity that he was “bothered” by the news but it doesn’t “frighten” him.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump insists Jan 6 indictment doesn’t ‘frighten’ him

Trump says any attorney to represent him is ‘a fool’?

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s the latest from former president Donald Trump on Truth Social:

These vicious Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Democrats have attacked my lawyers at a level never seen before, and yet I keep on winning. Any attorney that represents me is either a fool, or a Great American Patriot that History will love and cherish!

What a great pep talk for the legal team.

E Jean Carroll tells Trump to pay up

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

E Jean Carroll has called on Donald Trump to pay up after losing his bid for a new trial in a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by the advice columnist.

In a decision released on Wednesday, Judge Lewis Kaplan said the jury did not reach a “seriously erroneous result” when it found the former president liable for sexual assault and defamation and ordered him to pay $5m.

The verdict was not a “miscarriage of justice,” as Mr Trump’s lawyers had claimed, Judge Kaplan wrote.

Bevan Hurley reports from New York.

E Jean Carroll tells Trump to pay up her $5m after judge denies motion for mistrial

What you need to know: All the lawsuits and criminal charges involving Trump and where they stand

Wednesday 19 July 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s what you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump as catalogued by The Independent’s US news team.

All the investigations Trump still faces following his second arrest

Don Jr says it will be ‘the end of civilisation’ if his father is charged over January 6

Wednesday 19 July 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Today in overly dramatic statements...

Former president Donald Trump being charged over the January 6 insurrection would mark the end of civilisation – that is, according to his eldest son.

Donald Trump Jr made the comment during an interview with rightwing broadcaster Real America’s Voice, also suggesting that civilisation was actually due to end soon anyway.

Read on to find out how much longer Don Jr thinks we have left...

Donald Trump Jr says January 6 charges will be ‘end of civilisation’

Trump mocked for vague non-answer to question from Iowa voter

Wednesday 19 July 2023 16:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump is being mocked for a vague, “I didn’t read the book for my book report” style answer to a question from an Iowa voter, in which he promised there was a plan in place and he was ready to enact it.

Watch below:

Marjorie Taylor Greene stars in new Biden 2024 campaign ad

Wednesday 19 July 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

When Georgia Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to criticise President Joe Biden by comparing his programmes to those of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, the White House took it as a compliment.

“Caught us. President Biden is working to make life easier for hardworking families,” the official White House account tweeted.

Later, the Democratic president went a step further and released the video as a campaign ad.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Biden’s latest campaign video is a Marjorie Taylor Greene speech

Watch: RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says she had tried to convince Trump to participate in GOP debate

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Giuliani is denying claims he flipped on Trump

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Long-time Donald Trump ally Rudy Giuliani has denied accusations that he may have flipped on his close friend.

This comes on the heels of the former president’s announcement that he is readying himself for an indictment related to the Jan 6 riots and the revelation of three federal statutes, including conspiracy and obstruction, that could form the basis of fresh charges against him.

“Any speculation that mayor Rudy Giuliani ‘flipped’ against president Donald Trump is as false as previous lies that America’s mayor was somehow a Russian agent,” tweeted Mr Giuliani’s adviser Ted Goodman.

Arpan Rai has the story.

Rudy Giuliani is denying claims he flipped on Trump

DoJ Trump probe ‘subpoenaed CCTV from Georgia 2020 ballot counting centre’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:20 , Oliver O'Connell

The Department of Justice used a grand jury subpoena to obtain CCTV security footage from the Atlanta, Georgia arena where ballots were counted following the 2020 election, indicating that federal prosecutors are examining some of the same matters as the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney who may soon bring charges against former president Donald Trump and others in his orbit.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump probe ‘subpoenaed CCTV from Georgia 2020 ballot counting centre’

Watch: John Kennedy believes DoJ making sure Trump is GOP nominee

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:10 , Oliver O'Connell

DeSantis blasts Trump for not behaving more ‘forcefully’ on Jan 6

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis accused former President Donald Trump of not doing enough on January 6, saying he should have acted more “forcefully,” hours after the news broke that Mr Trump could be federally indicted once again.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Ron DeSantis blasts Trump for not behaving more ‘forcefully’ on Jan 6

E Jean Carroll’s lawyer releases statement

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Robbie Kaplan, attorney for E Jean Carroll, released the following statement following the judge’s decision to deny former president Donald Trump a new trial:

“Now that the court has denied Trump’s motion for a new trial or to decrease the amount of the verdict, E Jean Carroll looks forward to receiving the $5 million in damages that the jury awarded her in Carroll II. She also looks forward to continuing to hold Trump accountable for what he did to her at the trial in Carrol I, which is scheduled to begin on January 15, 2024.”

Full story: Judge denies Trump’s motion for a mistrial in E Jean Carroll sexual assault civil case

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has lost his bid for a new trial in a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by E Jean Carroll.

In a decision released on Wednesday, Judge Lewis Kaplan said the jury did not reach a “seriously erroneous result” when it found the former president liable for sexual assault and defamation and ordered him to pay $5m.

Bevan Hurley has been following the case brought against Mr Trump by Ms Carroll and filed this report.

Judge denies Trump’s motion for a mistrial in E Jean Carroll sexual assault case

Wisconsin elections official interviewed by federal investigators

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:48 , Oliver O'Connell

NBC News confirms that Wisconsin’s top elections administrator was interviewed this spring by federal investigators as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election by former president Donald Trump and his allies.

Report: Trump ‘faces Jan 6 charges of conspiracy, obstruction and civil rights violations’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The letter Donald Trump said he had received from special counsel Jack Smith reportedly listed three federal statutes that could constitute charges against him over the Jan 6 riots.

The three federal statutes mentioned in the letter by Mr Smith, according to several reports, are conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

Mr Trump is the sole individual mentioned in the letter and there are no other names mentioned, according to a source with knowledge of the matter cited by Rolling Stone magazine.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports.

Trump ‘faces Jan 6 charges of conspiracy, obstruction and civil rights violations’

Federal judge denies Trump new E Jean Carroll trial

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:21 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has denied Donald Trump’s motion for a new trial in the E Jean Carroll case, as well as his request to reduce the $5m verdict against him.

Judge Lewis Kaplan said that the jury in the case did not reach “a seriously erroneous result” and the verdict is not “a miscarriage of justice”.

How did fellow Republican candidates react to latest Trump probe news?

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Candidates in the Republican Party primary field have given their initial reaction to the news that lead 2024 contender Donald Trump has been notified by the Department of Justice of his status as a target of the investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot.

It is the first real confirmation that he could face criminal charges for his role in the 2021 siege of Capitol Hill.

Read on...

Trump 2024 rivals urge him to bow out of race amid news he’s set to be indicted again

Gaetz launches bill to defund Jack Smith probe

Wednesday 19 July 2023 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida said on his podcast Tuesday morning that he will in the coming days introduce a bill to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump as Mr Trump reportedly asks Capitol Hill allies for help as he faces another indictment.

Abe Asher has the details.

Matt Gaetz launches bill to defund Jack Smith probe as Trump asks Capitol allies help

‘Little b****’ for Democrats

Wednesday 19 July 2023 13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene has lampooned yet another of her perceived opponents with the “little b***h” insult she appears to be growing increasingly fond of – this time lambasting Special Counsel Jack Smith.

The Georgia Republican representative was previously removed from the House after referring to her GOP colleague Lauren Boebert as a “little b***h” – but this time aimed her verbal abuse at the special counsel responsible for investigating former president Donald Trump’s alleged retention of classified documents and role in the January 6 insurrection.

Gustaf Kilander has story.

Marjorie Taylor Greene attacks Jack Smith as ‘little b****’ for Democrats

Trumpwould consider two of his GOP 2024 rivals as his running mate

Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump, who is leading the polls for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, said he would consider allowing one of his Republican rivals in the race to “possibly” join his ticket.

On Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Mr Trump specifically pointed out entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen Tim Scott from the crowded GOP field. Awkwardly, there was no mention of his former Vice President Mike Pence.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump says he would consider two of his Republican 2024 rivals as his running mates

Chris Christie mocks Trump’s ‘top secret’ plan for ending Ukraine war

Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie has mocked rival Donald Trump’s take on ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, quipping: “Move over Churchill”.

The former president announced he had a “one-day” plan for ending the war in Ukraine, stating in an interview with Fox News that he knew the leaders of Ukraine and Russia “very well” and that he would “have the deal done in one day”.

But Mr Trump’s comments were ridiculed by Mr Christie, who invoked British wartime leader Winston Churchill in his mockery of his foe.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Chris Christie mocks Trump’s secret plan for ending Ukraine war: Move over Churchill

Don Jr says he wouldn’t have got away with having cocaine at White House

Wednesday 19 July 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House resident Donald Trump Jr has weighed in after the Secret Service closed its investigation into the discovery of cocaine in the building - suggesting he would not have “gotten away with that”.

The eldest son of former president Donald Trump made the comments at the Turning Point Action Conference on Sunday, when he assured the crowd that snorting cocaine was not his “thing”.

Read more...

Donald Trump Jr says he wouldn’t have gotten away with cocaine at White House

ICYMI: Trump says he is about to be arrested again

Wednesday 19 July 2023 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump revealed on Tuesday that he has been notified by the Department of Justice of his status as a target of the investigation into the January 6 attack, the first real confirmation that he could face criminal charges for his role in the hourslong siege of Capitol Hill.

Mr Trump wrote in a lengthy statement delivered via his Truth Social platform that special counsel Jack Smith had notified him via letter on Sunday about the development; The Independent had previously reported that Mr Smith was preparing a superseding indictment for the former president related to the Jan 6 attack.

Read more from The Independent’s team in Washington, DC.

Trump says he is about to be arrested as letter confirms he’s target of Jan 6 probe

Trump insists he’s ‘not frightened’ by Jan 6 grand jury probe – but he is ‘bothered’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 10:20 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has claimed he is “not frightened” about his third potential indictment on criminal charges – but admitted that he is “bothered”.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump revealed that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The Independent has learned that the indictment could be handed down as soon as this week.

Mr Trump spoke out about the potential looming indictment to Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a pre-recorded interview which aired on Tuesday night.

When Mr Hannity opened the interview fawning that despite “all these never-ending attacks... it doesn’t seem to bother you like I think it would bother so many other people”.

But, Mr Trump didn’t quite agree, admitting that “it bothers me”.

“No, it bothers me. It bothers me for everybody in this incredible sold-out audience,” he said, before launching into his usual unfounded claims of “election interference”.

“They want to try to demean and diminish and frighten people,” he said. “But they don’t frighten us because we’re going to make America great again. That’s all there is.”

Lawmakers demand update from Homeland Security on Oath Keepers and militias in government

Wednesday 19 July 2023 10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A letter from more than 60 Democratic members of Congress demands federal law enforcement provide an urgent update after reports found hundreds of current and former agents with connections to the Oath Keepers and other far-right extremist groups.

Sixty-five lawmakers have pressed US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to outline the steps the agency has taken in the wake of its own internal reviews to address the state of domestic violent extremism within the ranks of federal authorities.

Alex Woodward reports.

Congress demands update from DHS on Oath Keepers and militias in government

Megyn Kelly calls her row with Trump ‘nonsense’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 09:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist Megyn Kelly suggested the ongoing – and very public – feud between herself and Donald Trump was “nonsense”, despite the former president having once made a crude reference about her being on her period.

Ms Kelly said the pair had buried the hatchet after having a private conversation ahead of their individual speeches at the Turning Point Action conference in Florida.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Megyn Kelly calls row with Trump ‘nonsense’ despite fury over period comment

Earlier: Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Wednesday 19 July 2023 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could ask a grand jury to return an indictment against Donald Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

A source familiar with the special counsel’s probe and Department of Justice operating procedures told The Independent that the earliest an indictment could be handed down is late Thursday or Friday, after the deadline prosecutors set for Mr Trump to avail himself of their invitation to testify before the grand jury investigating crimes relating to the Capitol attack.

Andrew Feinberg filed this report from Washington, DC.

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Not just classified papers, Trump reportedly hoarding Israeli antiquities... and they want them back

Wednesday 19 July 2023 07:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It appears that government-owned White House records and highly classified documents aren’t the only government property being stored at former president Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence in Florida.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “senior Israeli figures” have spent the past three years attempting to arrange for the return of a set of priceless antiquities that were lent to the White House for a 2019 Hannukah celebration.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump is hoarding Israeli antiquities at Mar-a-Lago, report claims

Crowded 2024 GOP primary field vies for the Christian Zionist vote

Wednesday 19 July 2023 05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When John McCain was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, he was forced to reject megachurch pastor John Hagee’s endorsement after a sermon surfaced that was derided as antisemitic.

But as the 2024 campaign for the White House intensifies, Hagee and his organization, Christians United for Israel, are welcome presences within the GOP.

Read more...

Crowded GOP field vies for the Christian Zionist vote as Israel's rightward shift spurs protests

'So incandescently stupid I couldn’t laugh’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump once allegedly proposed a plan in which ranchers would have to use ladders to transport their cattle over the border wall, according to a new book by a former Trump administration official.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the story.

Trump wanted to put cattle on ladders over border wall, ex aide reveals

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russian war on Ukraine

Wednesday 19 July 2023 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Months after claiming he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, former president Donald Trump has finally offered an explanation for why he thinks it’d be so simple for him.

Mr Trump was asked for his specific plan to bring the war to an end in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” over the weekend.

He asserted that it would boil down to his established relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

Recap: Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Wednesday 19 July 2023 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could ask a grand jury to return an indictment against Donald Trump relating to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election

Wednesday 19 July 2023 02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an attempt from Donald Trump to shut down key parts of a probe from state officials investigating him for potential interference in the 2020 election.

The high court found in a unanimous ruling that the former president hadn’t shown the kind of “extraordinary circumstances” that would require the Georgia Supreme Court to intervene in the case and toss out key portions of evidence.

Josh Marcus has the details.

Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation

Bannon and Flynn subpoenaed in Smartmatic lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax

Wednesday 19 July 2023 01:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Steve Bannon and Michal Flynn have been subpoenaed by voting software firm Smartmatic as part of its defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax for spreading lies about the 2020 election.

Smartmatic served the two Trump allies with orders to sit for interviews under oath that could happen as soon as this week, according to court filings in Delaware and New York seen by CNN.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn subpoenaed in Smartmatic lawsuits

‘She loves our country’: Trump praises judge overseeing classified documents case

Wednesday 19 July 2023 01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump praised a judge he appointed as he awaits to hear about his request to delay the trial in the classified documents case until after the 2024 election.

“I know it’s a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,” Mr Trump said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, referring to federal Judge Aileen Cannon.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump praises judge overseeing classified documents case: ‘She loves our country’

George Santos received donations from only three residents in his district

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Only three residents of Representative George Santos’s Long Island, New York district have donated to the freshman Republican since the beginning of the year, filings with the Federal Election Commission show.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

George Santos received donations from only three residents in his district

Ramaswamy lists Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee as possible Supreme Court picks

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Biotech entrepreneur and Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday released a list of 16 people he’d nominate to the US Supreme Court or federal appellate courts if he becomes president, making him the first in the party’s field to itemize his possible top judicial appointments.

Ramaswamy’s list includes Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah as possible nominees for the nation’s top court, as well as elevating federal judges who struck down President Joe Biden‘s airplane mask mandate and the FDA’s two-decade-long approval of the abortion pill.

GOP presidential hopeful lists conservative pool of Supreme Court picks

Voices: Republicans are not ready for the next act of the Trump show

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Tuesday provided the perfect split screen of the Republican presidential primary. In Columbia, South Carolina, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis had his second big policy rollout where he pledged to “rip the woke out” of the US military, criticising things like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and ending drag shows at US military bases. Later in the day, Mr DeSantis sat for an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper – all in an effort to rehabilitate a campaign that has underdelivered.

Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill hoped to keep the attention on Rep Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) after she called Israel a “racist state”. On the GOP side, some Republicans have invited Robert F Kennedy Jr to testify fresh on the heels of his antisemitic remarks. In addition, they also will begin trying to put pressure on the Democrat-controlled Senate to stomach many parts of the defence spending bill they passed last week.

But all of that went out the window when former president Donald Trump announced that Special Counsel Jack Smith had informed him that he is a target of the investigation regarding the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. If charges are brought, Mr Trump would face his third indictment since April.

Read more from Eric Garcia in Washington, DC.

Republicans are not ready for the next act of the Trump show

Second Trump term could fatally destabilise US, intelligence official warns in new book

Tuesday 18 July 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The former number two official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has offered a dire prediction about America’s future should Donald Trump or another like-minded Republican succeed in winning next year’s presidential election, according to a new book by a former Trump administration homeland security aide.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Senior ex-intelligence official warns second Trump term could fatally destabilise US

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website