Trump news – live: DoJ ‘very close’ to indicting ex-president as he claims FBI stole medical records

Donald Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr was asked on Fox News for his thoughts on the unfolding scandal of the Mar-a-Lago secret documents, noting that the inclusion of personal papers in the trove linked the former president to the classified materials.

Asked what he thought about the possibility of Mr Trump being indicted by the Department of Justice, Mr Barr said: “I think they’re getting very close to that point, frankly.”

Mr Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday morning to complain that the FBI had stolen his personal medical records in the search of his Palm Beach property, though the warrant stated that anything around the classified material could also be seized and then returned.

Meanwhile, far-right agitator Steve Bannon is expected to surrender to New York state prosecutors on Thursday to face his own new criminal indictment, according to reports.

Mr Bannon faces new charges reportedly linked to his part in an effort to raise funds for a wall on the US-Mexico border, an allegedly fraudulent scheme for which he faced federal charges last year before being pardoned by Mr Trump.

Key points

• Barr: Trump indictment looking likely

• Trump falsely accuses FBI of ‘improperly’ seizing medical records

• Steve Bannon facing new trial in New York

• Trump had top secret papers about foreign nation’s nuclear defences at Mar-a-Lago, report says

• Bill Barr rips ‘deeply flawed’ special master ruling by Trump-appointed judge

Profile: Michael Flynn — From government insider to holy warrior

07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Michael Flynn, 63, has used public appearances to energise voters, along with political endorsements to build alliances and a network of nonprofit groups — one of which has projected spending $50 million — to advance the movement, an investigation by The Associated Press and the PBS series Frontline has found.

He has drawn together election deniers, mask and vaccine opponents, insurrectionists, Proud Boys, and elected officials and leaders in state and local Republican parties. Along the way, the AP and Frontline documented, Flynn and his companies have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for his efforts.

Michael Flynn: From government insider to holy warrior

What are the new charges against Steve Bannon?

06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former White House chief strategist and the ex-editor of Breitbart, is expected to face a new criminal indictment and to surrender to New York state prosecutors on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

Bannon and three other men were charged with fraud in August 2020 following a federal investigation into the “We Build the Wall” fundraising initiative, intended to generate the capital needed to pay for the president’s signature US-Mexico border wall to block illegal immigration.

Joe Sommerlad has the details.

What are the new charges against Steve Bannon and what do they mean?

Barr says DoJ should appeal ‘wrong’ special master ruling

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s former attorney general says the recent ruling to appoint an outside arbiter for the documents in the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation won’t get the former president out of legal jeopardy.

“I don’t think the appointment of the special master is going to hold up, but even if it does, I don’t see it fundamentally changing the trajectory,” Bill Barr told Fox News on Tuesday.

He had more to say on Wednesday morning, indicating that the likelihood of an indictment was getting close:

Hillary Clinton reiterates she won’t run for president again

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Hillary Clinton has once again confirmed she will never run for president again, calling instead on the Republican Party to take responsibility for making sure Donald Trump does not return to the White House.

Ms Clinton, who won the 2016 popular vote by approximately 3 million but lost in the Electoral College after falling short in three key states, reiterated her position in a CBS interview – in which she also declared that Donald Trump was guilty of a major crime against the US government.

Asked at the outset whether she would run again, Ms Clinton put it bluntly: “No. No. But I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure that we have a president who respects our democracy and the rule of law and upholds our institutions.”

Andrew Naughtie has the story.

Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump is guilty of ‘seditious conspiracy’

Trump falsely claims FBI of ‘improperly’ seized medical records showing his ‘absolutely perfect’ health

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump on Wednesday accused the FBI agents who executed a court-authorised search of his Palm Beach, Florida home and office of taking his personal medical and tax records without proper cause.

According to the warrant authorising the 8 August search of the twice-impeached ex-president’s property, which a federal magistrate judge approved after finding probable cause to believe evidence of multiple federal crimes would be found at his property, FBI agents were ordered to search Mr Trump’s office, as well as “all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available to be used by FPOTUS and his staff and in which boxes or documents could be stored” at his Mar-a-Lago club.

Andrew Feinberg reports on the former president’s claims.

Trump falsely accuses FBI of ‘improperly’ seizing his medical and tax records

Why did Donald Trump block the Obamas portrait ceremony?

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Portraits of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, and first lady Michelle Obama were finally unveiled at the White House today after their presentation was blocked by his successor in the Oval Office, Donald Trump.

The Obamas were in attendance for the ceremony and hosted by Joe Biden, the 46th president and Mr Obama’s own former deputy.

Mr Trump, notoriously jealous of his Democratic forerunner’s achievements, refused to host such an event honouring him, leaving the first Black president to go unacknowledged in the corridors of power, which are otherwise adorned with the likenesses of every commander-in-chief in American history, from George Washington in the East Room onwards.

Why did Donald Trump block the Obamas’ portraits?

Eric Trump says father is too ‘neat’ to leave top secret papers lying around

01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Trump claims his father is too “neat” to keep papers lying around after it was revealed that some of the seized classified documents taken from Donald Trump’s Florida had contained details of the nuclear capabilities of a foreign country.

“I think the judge is 100 per cent right,” Eric Trump told Fox News on Tuesday, referring to the 45th president being granted the request of a special master to view the documents.

“You literally have the FBI spending more time leaking stuff to the press,” he added.

“These pictures, do you think my father happens to just leave documents all over his office floor? I can tell you my father is a very, very neat guy. He doesn’t leave documents staged all over an office floor. It is crazy.”

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.

Eric Trump says father Donald too is ‘neat’ to leave top secret papers lying around

ICYMI: Video fills in details on alleged Georgia election breach

Thursday 8 September 2022 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Two months after the 2020 presidential election, a team of computer experts traveled to south Georgia to copy software and data from voting equipment in an apparent breach of a county election system. They were greeted outside by the head of the local Republican Party, who was involved in efforts by then-President Donald Trump to overturn his election loss.

A security camera outside the elections office in rural Coffee County captured their arrival. The footage also shows that some local election officials were at the office during what the Georgia secretary of state’s office has described as “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment.

Security footage from two weeks later raises additional alarms — showing two people who were instrumental in Trump’s wider efforts to undermine the election results entering the office and staying for hours.

Video fills in details on alleged Georgia election breach

Trump spokesman says paper ‘colluded’ with FBI over nuclear secrets claims

Thursday 8 September 2022 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s spokesperson has accused The Washington Post of ”colluding” with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after it reported that the former president kept details of a foreign country’s nuclear capabilities at his Florida home.

Taylor Budowich, the former president’s communications director, alleged the Post “continues to serve as the propaganda arm of the Biden administration” without denying the report.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Trump spokesman reacts to nuclear secrets claims by saying paper ‘colluded’ with FBI

Trump and JD Vance mocked for scheduling rally during Ohio State football game

Wednesday 7 September 2022 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, for Republican Senate candidate JD Vance.

There’s just one problem: The rally takes place at 7:00 pm, which is the same time that the Ohio State University will play the University of Toledo.

Eric Garcia reports on the scheduling snafu.

Trump and JD Vance schedule rally at same time as Ohio State football game

Takeaways from the AP/Frontline Michael Flynn investigation

Wednesday 7 September 2022 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and onetime national security adviser to President Donald Trump, has been systematically building a political movement based on Christian nationalist ideas.

Flynn was a leader of the “Stop the Steal” effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Flynn sat in the front row at a rally near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, when then-President Trump urged his supporters to march on the Capitol.

In the years since, Flynn has traversed the United States, trying to assemble his own political support.

An investigation by The Associated Press and the PBS series Frontline found that Flynn has used public appearances to energise voters, made political endorsements to build alliances and amassed a network of nonprofit groups to advance the movement. Along the way, Flynn and his companies have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for his efforts.

The AP and Frontline spoke with dozens of people, reviewed campaign finance records, corporate and charity filings, social media posts and similar open-source information, and attended several public events where Flynn appeared. Reporters examined dozens of Flynn’s speeches, interviews and public appearances.

Flynn himself sat down for a rare on-camera interview with what he calls the mainstream media.

Here are the key takeaways from the investigation:

Takeaways from the AP/Frontline Michael Flynn investigation

Michelle Obama has dig at Trump over 2020 election obstinance

Wednesday 7 September 2022 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former first lady Michelle Obama had a thinly-veiled dig at Donald Trump during powerful remarks at the unveiling of her official White House portrait on Wednesday.

Speaking about the significance of the moment and the importance of “participating in and watching our democracy” she referred to the “peaceful transition of power” in a clear reference to the final months of the Trump presidency.

She further said, that those in power work and serve “for as long as we can, as long as the people choose to keep us here,” adding: “once our time is up, we move on”.

Read more of the former first lady’s remarks:

Michelle Obama has a dig at Donald Trump in White House portrait remarks

Blake Masters defended 9/11 conspiracies and called Unabomber ‘underrated’, emails show

Wednesday 7 September 2022 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell

A trove of emails Trump-backed Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters sent while in college have been made public, revealing he called the US “fascist” and defended conspiracy theories around the September 11 terror attacks.

HuffPost obtained the emails signed by Mr Masters, a Republican candidate funded by libertarian businessman and Donald Trump ally Peter Thiel, while he was attending Stanford University in 2006.

Graig Graziosi has the details.

Blake Masters defended 9/11 conspiracies, unearthed Stanford emails reveal

Hillary Clinton says again she won’t run for president and Trump guilty of ‘seditious conspiracy’

Wednesday 7 September 2022 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Hillary Clinton has once again confirmed she will never run for president again, calling instead on the Republican Party to take responsibility for making sure Donald Trump does not return to the White House.

Ms Clinton, who won the 2016 popular vote by approximately 3 million but lost in the Electoral College after falling short in three key states, reiterated her position in a CBS interview – in which she also declared that Donald Trump was guilty of a major crime against the US government.

Andrew Naughtie reports.

Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump is guilty of ‘seditious conspiracy’

Dr Oz says uninsured ‘don’t have right to health’, suggesting 15-minute check-ups

Wednesday 7 September 2022 20:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr Mehmet Oz has said he does not believe Americans have a right to health care, but he thinks the uninsured should have access to 15-minute checkups in a “festival-like setting”.

The celebrity doctor made the eyebrow-raising comments while speaking at the National Governors Association winter meeting.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Dr Oz says uninsured Americans ‘don’t have the right to health’

Elected officials, military and law enforcement on leaked Oath Keepers list, report finds

Wednesday 7 September 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A leaked membership list from an American far-right, anti-government militia group whose members are charged in connection with the Jan 6 attack on the US Capitol includes the names of hundreds of law enforcement officials, members of the military and elected officials.

The list, reviewed by the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism, includes at least 81 people who are currently holding public office or are candidates in upcoming elections, from local leadership – including mayors and school board members – to state representatives and senators.

Membership lists also include more than 370 people currently working in law enforcement agencies and more than 100 active military members, according to the report.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Elected officials, military and police on leaked Oath Keepers list, report finds

What are the new charges against Steve Bannon?

Wednesday 7 September 2022 20:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former White House chief strategist and the ex-editor of Breitbart, is expected to face a new criminal indictment and to surrender to New York state prosecutors on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

Joe Sommerlad examines what the new charges mean.

What are the new charges against Steve Bannon and what do they mean?

Steve Bannon expected to surrender to face new indictment in New York case

Wednesday 7 September 2022 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon is reportedly expected to surrender to New York state prosecutors on Thursday to face a new criminal indictment.

This comes just weeks after a federal jury convicted him of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for intentionally defying a subpoena related to the assault on the US Capitol last year.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports.

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to face new indictment in New York case

Trump spokesperson says paper ‘colluded’ with FBI over nuclear secrets but fails to address accusation

Wednesday 7 September 2022 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s spokesperson has accused The Washington Post of ”colluding” with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after it reported that the former president kept details of a foreign country’s nuclear capabilities at his Florida home.

Taylor Budowich, the former president’s communications director, alleged the Post “continues to serve as the propaganda arm of the Biden administration” without denying the report.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.

Trump spokesman reacts to nuclear secrets claims by saying paper ‘colluded’ with FBI

Eric Trump says father too ‘neat’ to leave top secret papers lying around

Wednesday 7 September 2022 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Trump claims his father is too “neat” to keep papers lying around after it was revealed that some of the seized classified documents taken from Donald Trump’s Florida had contained details of the nuclear capabilities of a foreign country.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Eric Trump says father Donald too is ‘neat’ to leave top secret papers lying around

Meanwhile at the White House...

Wednesday 7 September 2022 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Portraits of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, and first lady Michelle Obama are finally about to be unveiled at the White House, with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden acting as hosts. Their presentation was previously blocked by Mr Obama’s successor, Donald Trump.

Here’s the background to the ceremony that is about to get underway:

Why did Donald Trump block the Obamas’ portraits?

Trump-backed candidate floated 9/11 conspiracy theories

Wednesday 7 September 2022 17:50 , Andrew Naughtie

Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters is one of a number of Republican nominees struggling badly in ostensibly winnable races thanks in part to his history of strange and extreme positions.

That impression will only be further cemented by the release of a batch of emails sent by Mr Masters in the mid-2000s, including these ones focusing on the question of whether the 9/11 attacks were staged by the US government.

Why the FBI did not “steal” from Trump

Wednesday 7 September 2022 17:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump earlier today accused the FBI agents who executed a court-authorised search of his Palm Beach, Florida home and office of taking his personal medical and tax records without proper cause. However, the warrant for their search contradicts him.

According to the warrant, FBI agents were ordered to search Mr Trump’s office, as well as “all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available to be used by FPOTUS and his staff and in which boxes or documents could be stored” at his Mar-a-Lago club.

In addition to authorising the FBI to seize all “physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed in violation of” parts of the US criminal code outlawing unauthorised possession of national defence information and obstruction of justice plus “any physical documents with classification markings, along with any containers/boxes (including any other contents) in which such documents are located,” US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart also ordered agents to seize “any other containers/boxes that are collectively stored or found together” with the boxes containing classified documents.

Andrew Feinberg writes:

Trump falsely accuses FBI of ‘improperly’ seizing his medical and tax records

Top Oath Keeper in court seeking trial delay

Wednesday 7 September 2022 16:50 , Andrew Naughtie

This afternoon will see a key hearing in the case of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who faces some of the most serious charges brought against any 6 January rioter so far.

Mr Rhodes is seeking to delay his trial in the basis that his relationship with his legal team has fallen apart. The Oath Keepers’ own counsel, Kellye SoRelle, has herself been indicted on multiple offences connected with the riot.

Read more from Alex Woodward.

Oath Keepers attorney arrested and charged in Capitol riot case

Barr: Trump indictment looking likely

Wednesday 7 September 2022 16:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Once Donald Trump’s dogged defender when serving as his attorney general, Bill Barr has not held back on explaining that his former boss may be facing extremely severe consequences for his transportation of documents at Mar-a-Lago.

Appearing on Fox News this morning, he not only explained why it is in fact appropriate for the FBI to have seized personal documents of the former president’s that were intermingled with classified documents, but also said that while he doesn’t want to see Mr Trump indicted as a former president, things may well be headed in that direction:

Bombshells in leaked Oath Keepers membership list

Wednesday 7 September 2022 15:50 , Andrew Naughtie

A new report has recealed that according to a leaked membership list, the far-right Oath Keepers militia group counts among its followers hundreds of serving law enforcement officers, military servicemembers and elected officials.

According to the Anti-Defamation League Centre on Extremism, more than 80 people serving in office or running for it this year as of early August showed up on the database, which contains some 38,000 names.

Read more:

Elected officials, police chiefs on leaked Oath Keepers list

Analysis: Trump still dictating tone of GOP Senate campaign

Wednesday 7 September 2022 15:20 , Andrew Naughtie

In today’s Inside Washington dispatch, Eric Garcia looks at Donald Trump’s continuing influence on the Republican Party’s Senate campaign – which has seen several of his preferred candidates struggling to catch up with their opponents:

Read the full analysis here.

As GOP Senate candidates struggle, it’s cleanup on aisle Trump

Rubio pushes back on latest documents story with complaint about leaks

Wednesday 7 September 2022 14:55 , Andrew Naughtie

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who serves as ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, appeared on Fox News this morning to discuss the report that among the documents taken by Donald Trump to his residence was highly classified information about a foreign country’s nuclear weapons capability.

Mr Rubio responded with a long exegesis on the dangers of leaking information from the investigation, which he said is being done to “politicise” the affair. This is a misleading rendering of events; most of what is known about what happened during the raid stems from the affidavit, warrant and inventory released by the DoJ, and attacks on the integrity of the institutions from the right have been so intense that agents and other officials have had to take enhanced security measures against violent threats.

Watch his remarks below:

Trump wakes up to truth

Wednesday 7 September 2022 14:30 , Andrew Naughtie

Posting on Truth Social this morning, Donald Trump is reiterating several falsehoods about the FBI search of his residence at Mar-a-Lago (including that the agents who carried it out “stole” his passports, which were expired and have now been returned to him), this while comparing the US to the Soviet Union and describing himself as a “perfect physical specimen”:

Clinton: Trump guilty of seditious conspiracy

Wednesday 7 September 2022 14:05 , Andrew Naughtie

Hillary Clinton’s new CBS News interview has yielded its fair share of news, as well as the former secretary of state’s latest assurance that she will never run for president again (as she has repeatedly insisted since her loss in 2016).

But among her bluntest pronouncements was that Donald Trump was the leader and fomenter of a “seditious conspiracy” against the US government, which as she noted is a specific an extremely serious crime.

Trump lawyer declines to explain empty classified document folders at Mar-a-Lago

Wednesday 7 September 2022 13:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Adding to a string of cackhanded media appearances by Donald Trump’s current legal team, attorney Alina Habba appeared on pro-Trump outlet Newsmax yesterday to discuss some of the recent turns in the saga.

Breaking with the strategy of bombarding the public with contradictory explanations for what was found at the former president’s residence, she had nothing to say on one of the most alarming recent developments: