Trump news - live: Fulton County election fraud grand jury concludes probe as Trump silent on Brazil unrest

A grand jury convened in Fulton County, Georgia, has concluded its work hearing testimony and evidence regarding whether Mr Trump and his legal team committed crimes in their effort to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. The county’s district attorney will now decide whether to file charges.

Over a weekend of multiple posts on Truth Social, Donald Trump has remained silent regarding the attack on the Brazilian presidential palace and national Congress that mirrored the events of 6 January 2021 when supporters of the former president stormed the US Capitol.

Hundreds of people have been arrested after supporters of Brazil‘s former president Jair Bolsonaro broke through a blockade set up by security forces and invaded ministries and the Congress building in the capital Brasília on Sunday.

Instead, Mr Trump congratulated himself for his part in helping Kevin McCarthy finally win the 15th vote to select the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In a post on Monday morning, the former president also lashed out at Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators, calling for them all to be challenged in primary elections as well as again using a racial slur against Mr McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao.

Key points

• Trump silent on Brazil attack by Bolsonaro supporters

• Trump calls for primary challenges to Senate Republicans

• Georgia grand jury concludes investigation into election fraud

Judge rejects Trump’s claim that New York fraud lawsuit is ‘witch hunt’

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A New York judge has swatted down Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss a $250m fraud lawsuit against him and his family, saying the president’s repeated claims he’s been singled out in a political “witch hunt” are “frivolous.”

In September, New York attorney general Letitia James accused the former president, and his children Donald Trump, Jr, Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump, of manipulating the value of Trump Organization assets on the order of billions of dollars to receive undue insurance and loan benefits.

On Friday, New York Supreme Court justice Arthur F Engoron overruled Mr Trump’s arguments that Ms James was acting out of political bias and lacked standing to bring the bombshell civil suit, which seeks to bar the Trumps from being an officer in any company registered to do business in the state.

Josh Marcus reports.

Judge rejects Trump’s claim that $250m fraud lawsuit against him is ‘witch hunt’

Rep Mike Rogers steps down from committee role after lunging at Matt Gaetz

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A GOP lawmaker who was at the centre of an awkward clash on the House floor is stepping down from a major committee after issuing an apology.

Mike Rogers of Alabama was seen being physically restrained by a colleague, Richard Hudson, as he spoke to Matt Gaetz on the floor of the House last Friday. The shocking moment ended after just a few seconds, but the fallout is apparently continuing.

John Bowden reports.

Mike Rogers steps down from committee role after lunging at Matt Gaetz

Key differences between the Jan 6 and Brazil riots

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Sommerlad explains what differentiates the events in Brasilia over the weekend with what happened at the US Capitol two years and two days before.

What are the key differences between the Jan 6 and Brazil riots?

Sanders prepares to take office as governor

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

After running a campaign heavily focused on national politics and her time as President Donald Trump‘s spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she wants to keep her attention on Arkansas as she takes charge as the state’s 47th governor.

Sanders will be sworn in Tuesday, becoming the first woman governor of Arkansas, her home state. She also is ascending to the post her father, Mike Huckabee, held for more than a decade.

Sanders, who served nearly two years as White House press secretary, is the best-known former Trump official to assume elected office.

Read more:

From Trump to governor: Sanders prepares to take on new role

Kemp aims to steer GOP past Trump

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is done being underestimated.

Having vanquished both a Donald Trump-backed Republican challenger and Democratic star Stacey Abrams to win reelection, Kemp is looking to expand his influence in his second term, free from the caricature of the gun-toting, pickup-driving, migrant-catching country boy that emerged during his first campaign for governor.

A new vision of Kemp steering his party toward a non-Trumpian conservatism made its debut in his November victory speech after it became clear that he had defeated Abrams by a much larger margin in their rematch than he had in their tight 2018 matchup.

Read more:

Kemp done being underestimated, aims to steer GOP past Trump

Trump ally calls Bolsonaro protesters ‘freedom fighters'

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon lauded supporters of Brazil’s former president and Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro who stormed the Congress and other government buildings in capital Brasilia.

Thousands of people attacked the country’s Congress, supreme court and the presidential palace in violence reminiscent of the US Capitol insurrection that took place two years ago.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.

Steve Bannon calls Bolsonaro protesters ‘freedom fighters’

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro admitted to hospital

17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital in Orlando, Florida, with “abdominal pain,” reports say – a day after some of his hardcore supporters stormed the presidential palace and a number of other federal buildings in capital city of Brasilia.

Chris Stevenson has the latest.

Jair Bolsonaro admitted to hospital in Florida with abdominal pain, reports say

Full story: Georgia grand jury concludes investigation

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A grand jury convened in Fulton County, Georgia, has concluded its work hearing testimony and evidence regarding whether Donald Trump and his legal team committed crimes in their effort to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.

The decision regarding whether to charge any members of the ex-president’s inner circle or Mr Trump himself now rests in the hands of Fulton County’s district attorney, who will file charges (or not) based on the grand jury’s recommendations.

John Bowden reports.

Georgia grand jury investigating Trump and his legal team concludes work

What is happening now in Brasilia?

17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Hundreds of Brazilian police in riot gear have surrounded a camp of supporters of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro outside Brasilia’s military headquarters, as authorities seek to punish those who stormed the presidential palace and other federal buildings on Sunday.

Authorities, including president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have promised swift retribution for the violence, with Bolsonaro supporters having launched the assault on the congressional building, the Supreme Court and the Planalto Presidential Palace to protest against Lula.

The Independent’s Chris Stevenson reports.

Images reveal Brazil riot damage as police clear pro-Bolsonaro supporter camps

Trump silent on Brazil attack by Bolsonaro supporters

16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A conservative candidate loses re-election and attacks the integrity of the election system while refusing to fully concede defeat as many of the candidate’s supporters protest and storm the capital.

Owing to recent events, this timeline can now hold true for either Donald Trump or his far-right ally in South America, former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro.

On Sunday, masses of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the national congress building and other official sites in capital Brasília, part of the movement’s continued, oftentimes violent, protests against Mr Bolsonaro’s election loss to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Josh Marcus reports.

Donald Trump silent as supporters of ally Bolsonaro storm capital in Jan 6-style riot

Trump hits out at late night network shows

16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump hit out at late night network talk shows on Monday morning calling the hosts “untalented fools” and claiming they are a wing of the Democratic Party.

He wrote: “Wow, those TRUMP Hating Late Night Network “Shows” are doing really badly…The worst ratings that those time slots have had (in Television History!). Why are the untalented fools who “host” paid so much? Does the DNC make a $contribution as a wing of the Democrat Party? They are all a total joke - Not Talent, No Laughs!”

Mr Trump has been a target of barbed jokes from the hosts of the various late-night shows on the major networks since he descended the Trump Tower escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president.

Georgia special grand jury completes 2020 election probe

15:32 , Oliver O'Connell

The special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies committed any crimes while trying to overturn his defeat has finished its work.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who was overseeing the panel, issued an order on Monday dissolving the special grand jury. The order says the grand jurors completed a final report and that a majority of the county’s superior court judges voted to dissolve the special grand jury.

Over the course of about six months, the special grand jury has heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including numerous close Trump associates and assorted high-ranking Georgia state officials. The case is among several around the country that threaten legal peril for the former president as he seeks a second term in 2024.

Special grand juries in Georgia cannot issue indictments but instead can issue a final report recommending actions to be taken. It is then up to the district attorney to decide whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.

AP

Trump calls for primary challenges to Senate Republicans

15:25 , Oliver O'Connell

In a Truth Social post congratulating Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump blasted Senator Mitch McConnell for what the former president sees as his role in allowing Democrat-led legislation to pass.

As well as once again using a racist nickname for Mr McConnell’s wife Elaine Chao — once his own transportation secretary — Mr Trump called for primary challenges to Republican senators who align themselves with Mr McConnell.

He wrote: “Great job Kevin! We must now stop Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow. It’s as though he just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want. The $1.7 TRILLION quickly approved Bill of the week before was HORRIBLE. Zero for USA Border Security. If he waited just ten days, the now “United Republican Congress” could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT. Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!”

Trump silent on Brazil attack widely compared to Jan 6

15:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Over a weekend of multiple posts on Truth Social, Donald Trump has remained silent regarding the attack on the Brazilian presidential palace and national Congress that mirrored the events of 6 January 2021 when supporters of the former president stormed the US Capitol.

Over 400 people were arrested on Sunday after supporters of Brazil‘s former president Jair Bolsonaro broke through a blockade set up by security forces and invaded ministries and the Congress building in the capital Brasília.

Instead, Mr Trump congratulated himself for his part in helping Kevin McCarthy finally win the 15th vote to select the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as lashing out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, his wife Elaine Chao, and late-night network shows.