Trump news – live: Ivanka to appear before Jan 6 committee today as Elon Musk asked to revoke Twitter ban
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Less than a week after husband Jared Kushner voluntarily testified before the House committee investigating the 6 Jan Capitol riot, Ivanka Trump is reportedly set to appear in front of the same panel Tuesday, according to NBC News who were told by three sources familiar with the matter.
Having purchased a 9.2 per cent stake in Twitter, Tesla founder and billionaire Elon Musk is receiving entreaties from Trump allies and supporters to somehow get the former president’s account reinstated.
Among those asking him to intervene is Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who asked whether as the “majority shareholder” (which he is not) Mr Musk would “return freedom of speech to Twitter”.
Meanwhile, six weeks after its launch, Donald Trump’s Truth Social app has lost two senior executives. Launched on Presidents’ Day, the app has been beset by tech problems and about 1.5 million people remain on the waiting list to join, unable to use it.
Mr Trump has also filed a new legal motion seeking to have a judge dismissed in a lawsuit he has filed against Hillary Clinton. His only basis is that the judge, Donald M. Middlebrooks, was nominated to the bench by Ms Clinton’s husband in 1997.
The lawsuit focuses on debunked claims that Ms Clinton conspired with some 50 other people to advance false claims about his dealings with Russian contacts during the 2016 election. It is not thought to have much chance of success.
Key Points
Gaps in Trump’s phone logs during Capitol riot are ‘suspiciously tailored to the heart of the events’
Ex-police officer faces jury trial on Capitol riot charges
Lindsey Graham: If GOP controlled Senate, Jackson would not have gotten hearing
Trump continues to avoid own platform as top executives resign from Truth Social
Report: Ivanka to appear before Jan 6 committee today
14:49 , Johanna Chisholm
Ivanka Trump is reportedly expected to appear in front of the Jan 6 committee investigating the violent Capitol riot today, according to NBC News who were told by three sources familiar with the matter.
Ivanka Trump is expected to appear before the January 6th committee later today, three sources familiar tell NBC News. via @GarrettHaake @haleytalbotnbc @ryanjreilly
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) April 5, 2022
The former US president’s daughter testimony would arrive less than a week after her husband, Jared Kushner, provided a voluntary testimony that lawmakers sitting on the panel described as “helpful” and “really valuable”.
NBC also reported that it was unclear at this time whether Ms Trump’s testimony would follow the same format as her husband’s, who testified voluntarily through a virtual meeting, or if she’d attend in-person.
Report: Trump aide voted twice in 2016, possibly illegally
14:35 , Andrew Naughtie
Even as the GOP focuses as heavily as ever on the myth of rampant Democratic-friendly voter fraud, one Republican congressional candidate who served as an aide to Donald Trump is in hot water over reports that he voted in two separate states in the 2016 presidential primary.
According to voting records, Matt Mowers, who is running against a Democratic congressman in New Hampshire, appears to have voted both in that state and in New Jersey, where he re-registered under his parents’ address.
Read more courtesy of the Associated Press:
A former Trump administration official now running for Congress in New Hampshire voted in two states in 2016https://t.co/5O0BgegVSL
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 5, 2022
Read Trump’s demand to get Clinton lawsuit judge disqualified
14:16 , Andrew Naughtie
As he goes about trying to sue Hillary Clinton and 50 other people for supposedly conspiring to confect hoax claims accusing him having links to Russia, Donald Trump has filed to get the judge assigned to the lawsuit thrown out – on the basis that he was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1997.
Funnily enough, Mr Trump’s lawyers openly concede that they have no evidence the judge is in fact compromised.
The Plaintiff is unaware of the exact extent of the relationship between Judge Middlebrooks and the Defendant, HILLARY CLINTON who acted as First Lady of the United States, during the time of the Judge’s nomination to Federal Court Judge.
The Plaintiff is also unaware if the Judge has current relationship with either the Defendant, HILLARY CLINTON, or her husband, and how far back the relationship has existed.
You can read the filing here.
Elon Musk joining Twitter board
13:59 , Andrew Naughtie
Fresh off buying a 9 per cent share in Twitter, Elon Musk has reportedly joined the company’s board – news that will up certain Republicans’ hopes (and other people’s fears) that Donald Trump could return to the platform. The sometimes erratic Mr Musk’s attitude to the former president has not been consistently clear, however.
Elon Musk given position at Twitter after buying huge stake in company
Marjorie Taylor Greene slated for praising Viktor Orban
13:26 , Andrew Naughtie
The appeal of Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orban to the American right has only grown in recent years. Donald Trump endorsed his recent successful re-election attempt, and Fox News’s Tucker Carlson visited him in Budapest in a strange attempt to prove that his increasingly illiberal government should be a model for the US. Now he’s been granted a fourth term, Mr Orban is still receiving praise from the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene – who like him has indulged in antisemitic conspiracy theories about the supposed machinations of George Soros.
Read more:
Greene condemned for praising ‘autocrat’ Viktor Orban’s election win
Hardcore Republicans rush to define the category of “woman"
12:50 , Andrew Naughtie
As the more intense elements of the Republican Party continue to exploit transgender issues as a wedge issue, two of the GOP’s more extreme members of Congress have weighed in with their own verdicts on what constitutes a woman.
First up was Madison Cawthorn, who used a speech on the House floor gave a definition that was simultaneously base and twee:
Madison Cawthorn mocked for defining a woman as someone with ‘no tallywhacker’
Also weighing in is Marjorie Taylor Greene, who told the Georgia Republican Assembly that “We came from Adam’s rib. God created us with his hands. We may be the weaker sex, we are the weaker sex, but we are our partner’s, our husband’s wife.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked over her definition of a woman
Jan 6 committee chair: Panel doesn’t need Mike Pence’s testimony
12:15 , Andrew Naughtie
Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chair of the 6 January select committee, has told CBS News that his panel has gathered such detailed information about the events of the Capitol riot that Mike Pence’s testimony is no longer necessary.
.@BennieGThompson told my colleague @elliskkim the January 6th Committee has no plans to subpoena former VP Pence given all the other testimony they have —> pic.twitter.com/n42DkCHbg8
— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) April 5, 2022
Key to understanding Mr Pence’s role in the events under investigation are his communications with Mr Trump on 6 January itself, when he was pressured by various Trump allies and the then-president himself to overturn the election result while presiding over the certification process in Congress.
That said, just because the committee doesn’t expect to subpoena him doesn’t mean he will not voluntarily contribute anything to its inquiry. And as Politico’s Kyle Cheney points out, it is clear there are still some things only Mr Pence seems to know...
Whether the committee decides to call Pence or not, there is one specific piece of info only he can provide: What he said to Trump during their last phone call on Jan. 6.
Aides told the committee Pence was alone for that call and never briefed them on it.
1/4— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 5, 2022
For example, Pence chief of staff Marc Short recalled Pence being on the phone for 15-20 minutes but said Pence never told him about the discussion. Even after reports emerged that Trump called him a “pussy.” Short said Pence never “felt the need” to discuss it …2/4 pic.twitter.com/ANimViXE8E
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 5, 2022
Pence’s counsel Greg Jacob told the committee Pence had a practice of never disclosing details of his conversations with Trump. That included the details of this specific call … 3/4 pic.twitter.com/LFMd8I0hyK
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 5, 2022
We do have some details from the Trump side of the call from Keith Kellogg, who was in the Oval Office with Trump’s family while Trump spoke to Pence. But we still don’t know how Pence responded to any of this…4/4 pic.twitter.com/nl50GsKZEK
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 5, 2022
Former impeachment lawyer: Why DOJ is moving so slowly on Jan 6 cases
11:40 , Andrew Naughtie
Frustration is building among Trump critics who worry that the Department of Justice – and specifically Attorney General Merrick Garland – is moving too slowly as it investigates Donald Trump and his allies’ potentially criminal efforts to subvert the 2020 election result after the then-president lost it.
According to Daniel S. Goldman, who served as the lead counsel on the House of Representatives first impeachment inquiry into Mr Trump’s actions, provided that Mr Garland does his job, the deliberate pace of his decision-making process could in fact bolster his department’s reputation after years in which its independence from the presidency has been in jeopardy.
“The fact that it has taken so long has a good explanation,” he said. “The question now is how quickly do they move.”
"The question now is how quickly do they move, and they do need to move quickly because memories fade, documents get lost or destroyed, and investigations get a lot more difficult the further you get from the time of the conduct" - @danielsgoldman w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/nEQLjqG4UM
— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) April 4, 2022
DOJ knows enough about Trump’s effort to overturn the election.
Congress needs to leave DOJ alone. A criminal referral will only make it more difficult for DOJ to pursue charges. https://t.co/l19jOh3hFC— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) April 4, 2022
What happened to Truth Social?
11:05 , Andrew Naughtie
Truth Social, Donald Trump’s bespoke social media network, was promoted by him and his family with gusto – but after a disastrous launch marred by technical hitches, it has failed to live up to whatever promise it held, with downloads plummeting and top executives leaving while pro-Trump users decline to make the leap from other platforms. And the former president himself, whose uncensored presence was supposedly one of Truth Social’s biggest selling points, has yet to make an appearance.
Here, Vishwam Sankaran takes a look at what’s gone wrong.
As Truth Social is branded ‘disaster,’ what went wrong for Trump’s new platform?
Voices | Don’t give up on your Fox News-addled family
10:30 , Andrew Naughtie
Writing for The Independent, Skylar Baker-Jordan reflects on the findings of a new study that paid Fox News viewers for a month to watch CNN instead, and found that they became markedly more skeptical and less likely to buy into fake news narratives.
I began talking to the Trump voters in my life. I found a grandmother who was sympathetic to Black Lives Matter. A sister troubled with the state of healthcare. An uncle who wanted to decriminalize marijuana. We didn’t agree on much, but we found common ground. We found a shared humanity. And we found our way to living in the same reality...
This seems not only possible, but easier than many of us imagined. It requires no magic beans, no all-powerful spell. It just requires patience, empathy, and a willingness to engage. It just requires love.
Read his piece below.
I publicly said I’d disown my Trump-voting relatives. This study proves I was wrong
Greene ripped by Kinzinger after calling the left “child predators"
09:55 , Andrew Naughtie
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has said she will explore introducing a federal version of Florida’s notorious “Don’t Say Gay” bill, recently went on a rant about the supposed perversity of educating children about sexuality and gender – or as she called it, “sexual immoral filth” into which the “child predators” of the left – including Disney – want to see the next generation “indoctrinated”.
The response from her more moderate, anti-extremist colleague Adam Kinzinger, who is retiring in November, speaks volumes about the direction of the two representatives’ party.
The daily outrage. Now Disney is the devil, guess we’ve moved on from Dr. Seuss. Glad to know these serious lawmakers are focused on serious priorities for the serious job they have. Seriously what is wrong with these people. https://t.co/Tn78ONGtdG
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) April 5, 2022
Trump endorses Sarah Palin's bid to run for Congress from Alaska
09:15 , Andrew Naughtie
Former president Donald Trump has endorsed Sarah Palin, the former Republican governor from Alaska, in her bid to fill replace representative Don Young who had died earlier.
“Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot,” a statement from Mr Trump’s political action committee said.
A total 51 candidates signed up by the Friday deadline to run in a special primary following Young’s death on March 18 at age 88.
Read more.
Trump endorses Palin in bid for Alaska's sole House seat
Demands to reinstate Trump's Twitter account increase after Elon Musk announcement
08:04 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Republicans and conservatives are urging Elon Musk to bring back former president Donald Trump on Twitter, following the billionaire’s announcement that he had acquired a 9.2 per cent stake in the social media platform.
Mr Trump’s Twitter account was permanently suspended due to concerns over “the risk of further incitement of violence” in the wake of the 6 January Capitol riots.
“Great job Elon Musk! Now reinstate President Trump!” tweeted conservative author Brigitte Gabriel.
Great job Elon Musk!
Now reinstate President Trump!!— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) April 4, 2022
“Elon Musk is now the largest shareholder of Twitter. Time to get this platform back to its former glory. Step one - bring back President Trump!,” tweeted Errol Webber, a Republican candidate running for a California House seat.
.@ElonMusk is now the largest shareholder of Twitter.
Time to get this platform back to its former glory.
Step one - bring back President Trump!
Step two - give everyone who has been banned a second chance.
Step three - end all forms of political and other censorship.— Errol Webber (@ErrolWebber) April 4, 2022
“Will the new majority shareholder return freedom of speech to Twitter?” tweeted Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Will the new majority shareholder return freedom of speech to Twitter?
It will require courage bc the regime is heavily investing in a certain industry and threats will undoubtedly come.
Yet the freedom of speech restored will enable us all to defeat them.@elonmusk— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 4, 2022
Boebart asks Musk to bring back Trump on Twitter
07:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Now that @ElonMusk is Twitter’s largest shareholder, it’s time to lift the political censorship.
Oh… and BRING BACK TRUMP!— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) April 4, 2022
Election will fill US House seat left by Trump ally
06:23 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Californian voters will elect a new candidate for a congressional seat on Tuesday after it was left vacant when Republican senator Devin Nunes resigned in the middle of his term to lead former president Donald Trump’s media company.
The seat in the state’s Central Valley, which is often touted to be the nation’s salad bowl, is expected to stay with the Republicans.
Mr Nunes’ unexpected departure in January created an unusual situation for his former constituents: the winner of the election will serve only months in Congress, and the district will vanish next year because of redrawn boundaries.
Read more.
Election will fill US House seat left by Trump ally Nunes
Lindsey Graham: If GOP controlled Senate, Jackson would not have gotten hearing
05:45 , Oliver O'Connell
South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Monday that if Republicans controlled the Senate, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson would not have received a hearing.
Mr Graham made the remarks during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation vote for Judge Jackson weeks after her confirmation hearing. The South Carolina Republican noted how this would be the first time that he would vote against a Supreme Court nominee, having voted to confirm Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both of whom Barack Obama appointed.
“If we get back the Senate and we’re in charge of this body and there’s judicial openings, we will talk to our colleagues on the other side, but if we were in charge she would not be before the committee,” Mr Graham said during the confirmation vote hearing. “You would have had someone more moderate than this.”
Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Capitol Hill.
Lindsey Graham says if GOP controlled the Senate, Jackson would not have a hearing
Congresswoman falsely tells rally Trump caught Osama bin Laden
05:35 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A Republican congresswoman falsely claimed at a rally that former president Donald Trump “caught” Osama bin Laden.
The gaffe was made by Michigan Republican Lisa McClain before Trump spoke at the rally held during the weekend as she compared his leadership to current president Joe Biden.
“While President Trump was in office, we didn’t have a war and I think he made three peace treaties,” Ms McClain, endorsed by Trump in 2020, said during her speech.
Justin Vallejo reports from New York.
GOP congresswoman tells rally Trump caught Osama bin Laden
Trump urges Clinton-appointed judge recuse himself from lawsuit
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump’s attorneys have asked that a judge appointed by former president Bill Clinton recuse himself from the lawsuit accusing Hillary Clinton of being part of a conspiracy claiming his 2016 campaign was colluding with Russia.
Mr Trump’s attorneys Alina Habba and Peter Ticktin argued that judge Donald Middlebrooks could give a biased verdict because Mr Clinton appointed him to the court in 1997, The Hill reported.
“There is no question that judge Middlebrooks’ impartiality would be questioned by a disinterested observer, fully informed of the facts, due to the judge’s relationship with the defendant, either individually, or by the very nature of his appointment to the Federal Bench, by the defendant’s husband,” their motion said.
Trump continues to avoid own platform as top executives resign from Truth Social
04:59 , Oliver O'Connell
Two top executives at Donald Trump‘s social media platform, Truth Social, have resigned after a month of misfires and a lack of interest from the former president.
Reuters reports that Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, Truth Social’s chiefs of technology and product development, have resigned. They left the company less than a year after joining and just before a critical phase in the platform’s life kicks off - app development and release.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Top executives resign from Trump’s Truth Social as ex-president avoids own platform
Roger Stone complains he’s being ‘censored’ by Trump’s Truth Social
04:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Roger Stone, the longtime ally of Donald Trump and former “dirty trickster” for ex-President Richard Nixon, says he’s being censored on the social media platform launched by the 45th president.
On Saturday, Mr Stone took to the platform to complain that the site’s auto-moderating ai system had slapped a “sensitive content” warning on an image post by the conservative operative that merely depicted an old Trump presidential campaign button.
John Bowden reports.
Roger Stone complains he’s being ‘censored’ by Trump’s Truth Social
Republicans ask Elon Musk to reinstate Trump’s Twitter account
03:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Republicans are asking Elon Musk to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account after the Tesla founder became the majority shareholder in the social media platform.
“Will the new majority shareholder return freedom of speech to Twitter?” Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene asked. “It will require courage bc the regime is heavily investing in a certain industry and threats will undoubtedly come. Yet the freedom of speech restored will enable us all to defeat them.”
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.
Republicans ask Elon Musk to reinstate Trump’s Twitter account
Report: Fox viewers transformed after watching CNN for 30 days
02:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Fox News viewers who were paid to watch CNN for 30 days eventually became more skeptical and less likely to buy into fake news, according to a new study.
The study titled “The manifold effects of partisan media on viewers’ beliefs and attitudes: A field experiment with Fox News viewers” by David E Brockman and Joshua L Kalla was conducted in September 2020 and published last week.
Sravasti Dasgupta reports.
Fox viewers transformed after watching CNN for 30 days, report finds
Trey Gowdy calls on Cawthorn to name names
02:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Trey Gowdy has hit out at Madison Cawthorn dedicating 10 minutes of his Sunday night Fox News show to excoriating the congressman for his allegations about cocaine use and invitations to orgies amongst Republican lawmakers.
The former South Carolina representative is the latest to express his anger at the current North Carolina lawmaker over the allegations, demanding that he name names.
Trey Gowdy says Madison Cawthorn should name names or stop making things up
Matt Gaetz says Americans with diabetes should lose weight
01:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Matt Gaetz, one of the 193 House Republicans who voted against capping the price of life-saving insulin at $35 a month for most Americans last week, has justified his vote by saying that diabetes sufferers who use the live-saving medicine should lose weight.
Johanna Chisholm has the story.
Gaetz says diabetes sufferers should lose weight after vote against insulin price cap
Donald Trump attacks John McCain again while endorsing Sarah Palin
Tuesday 5 April 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Former US President Donald Trump said Sunday in a statement that he is throwing his support behind Sarah Palin in her bid for Alaska’s US House seat.
The endorsement comes after reports surfaced last week that the former running mate in John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign had spoken with Mr Trump ahead of her throwing her name in the race for the Alaska seat.
Johanna Chisholm reports.
Donald Trump attacks John McCain again while endorsing Sarah Palin’s bid for Congress
ICYMI: Donald Trump Jr helps fundraise for hardcore GOP candidate
Monday 4 April 2022 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell
JD Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and sometime Trump critic who has morphed into a merciless right-wing culture warrior for the purposes of the Ohio Senate primary, has struggled to rise to the top of the field despite his relatively high profile – but last night, he got the backing of a high-end supporter...
👀per source familiar - @DonaldJTrumpJr made a surprise appearance at a @JDVance1 fundraiser in Palm Beach last night. pic.twitter.com/OFrupEiz94
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) April 4, 2022
ICYMI: Marjorie Taylor Greene resumes attack on school shooting survivors
Monday 4 April 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Before she was ever elected, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was known for spreading conspiracy theories about the Parkland school shooting and haranguing the young survivors campaigning for new gun safety laws. And over the weekend, she did it again.
In a Twitter back-and-forth with survivor and campaigner David Hogg, she admonished him: “You should try hanging out with actual deer hunters.
“It will help you learn to be more masculine and you will appreciate how we will get our food supply when Biden’s inflation makes buying food unaffordable.”
Read more:
Marjorie Taylor Greene accused of ‘rancid hate’ in attack on Parkland’s David Hogg
GOP congresswoman tells rally Osama bin Laden caught by Trump
Monday 4 April 2022 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell
A GOP congresswoman claimed at a rally that Donald Trump “caught” Osama bin Laden when, in well-documented reality, the September 11 terrorist was killed under Barack Obama.
Justin Vallejo has the story.
GOP congresswoman tells rally Trump caught Osama bin Laden
Lindsey Graham: If GOP controlled Senate, Jackson would not have gotten hearing
Monday 4 April 2022 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell
South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Monday that if Republicans controlled the Senate, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson would not have received a hearing.
Mr Graham made the remarks during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation vote for Judge Jackson weeks after her confirmation hearing. The South Carolina Republican noted how this would be the first time that he would vote against a Supreme Court nominee, having voted to confirm Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both of whom Barack Obama appointed.
“If we get back the Senate and we’re in charge of this body and there’s judicial openings, we will talk to our colleagues on the other side, but if we were in charge she would not be before the committee,” Mr Graham said during the confirmation vote hearing. “You would have had someone more moderate than this.”
Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Capitol Hill.
Lindsey Graham says if GOP controlled the Senate, Jackson would not have a hearing
New York City erects billboards in Florida opposing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law
Monday 4 April 2022 21:35 , Oliver O'Connell
A series of New York City billboards across Florida takes aim at the state’s co-called “Don’t Say Gay” law while promoting the city as a welcome place for LGBT+ people.
Alex Woodward reports.
NYC sponsors billboards in Florida opposing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law
Donald Trump attacks John McCain again while endorsing Sarah Palin
Monday 4 April 2022 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Former US President Donald Trump said Sunday in a statement that he is throwing his support behind Sarah Palin in her bid for Alaska’s US House seat.
The endorsement comes after reports surfaced last week that the former running mate in John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign had spoken with Mr Trump ahead of her throwing her name in the race for the Alaska seat.
Johanna Chisholm has the story.
Donald Trump attacks John McCain again while endorsing Sarah Palin’s bid for Congress
Report: Book ban attempts reach highest level in 20 years
Monday 4 April 2022 21:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Attempts to ban books reached a two-decade high in the US last year, a new report shows.
The American Library Association (ALA) monitored attempts to ban books in libraries, schools, and universities in 2021 and found 729 such challenges.
Those challenges resulted in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals, the ALA noted in a report released on Monday (4 April), noting that “most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons.”
Clémence Michallon reports.
Book ban attempts reach highest level in 20 years, new report finds
Trump continues to avoid own platform as top executives resign from Truth Social
Monday 4 April 2022 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Two top executives at Donald Trump‘s social media platform, Truth Social, have resigned after a month of misfires and a lack of interest from the former president.
Reuters reports that Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, Truth Social’s chiefs of technology and product development, have resigned. They left the company less than a year after joining and just before a critical phase in the platform’s life kicks off - app development and release.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Top executives resign from Trump’s Truth Social as ex-president avoids own platform
Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned for praising ‘autocrat’ Viktor Orban
Monday 4 April 2022 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene has been condemned for praising Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, who was re-elected at the weekend despite close ties to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, the Republican praised the Hungarian leader and said Mr Orban, who has been branded an “autocrat” by critics, was an example for Americans to follow.
Gino Spocchia reports.
Greene condemned for praising ‘autocrat’ Viktor Orban’s election win
Lara Trump blames ‘too safe’ playgrounds for reckless spring break behaviour
Monday 4 April 2022 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Lara Trump decided to take aim at the playground industry by drawing a shaky line between the structures being constructed nowadays and a recent incident where crowds of spring breakers overwhelmed Santa Barbara balconies to dangerous levels.
Ms Trump appeared as a contributor on the Fox News program The Big Sunday Show alongside a panel to discuss recent news stories from the week, including the war in Ukraine, carjackings in America and one particular story that caught the attention of the daughter-in-law to the former US president: a deck that was swarmed by hundreds of “out of control spring break crowds”, as the Fox chyron labelled them.
Johanna Chisholm reports.
Lara Trump blames ‘too safe’ playgrounds for reckless spring break behaviour
Cawthorn mocked for defining a woman as someone with ‘no tallywhacker’
Monday 4 April 2022 20:04 , Oliver O'Connell
Far-right Congressman Madison Cawthorn is showing no signs of ceasing his barrage of controversial or offensive comments and on Monday took his rhetoric a step further with an odd choice of words used to define a biological woman during a speech on the House floor.
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.
Madison Cawthorn mocked for defining a woman as someone with ‘no tallywhacker’
Roger Stone complains he’s being ‘censored’ by Trump’s Truth Social
Monday 4 April 2022 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Roger Stone, the longtime ally of Donald Trump and former “dirty trickster” for ex-President Richard Nixon, says he’s being censored on the social media platform launched by the 45th president.
On Saturday, Mr Stone took to the platform to complain that the site’s auto-moderating ai system had slapped a “sensitive content” warning on an image post by the conservative operative that merely depicted an old Trump presidential campaign button.
John Bowden reports.
Roger Stone complains he’s being ‘censored’ by Trump’s Truth Social
Republicans ask Elon Musk to reinstate Trump’s Twitter account
Monday 4 April 2022 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Republicans are asking Elon Musk to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account after the Tesla founder became the majority shareholder in the social media platform.
“Will the new majority shareholder return freedom of speech to Twitter?” Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene asked. “It will require courage bc the regime is heavily investing in a certain industry and threats will undoubtedly come. Yet the freedom of speech restored will enable us all to defeat them.”
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.
Republicans ask Elon Musk to reinstate Trump’s Twitter account
Report: Fox viewers transformed after watching CNN for 30 days
Monday 4 April 2022 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Fox News viewers who were paid to watch CNN for 30 days eventually became more skeptical and less likely to buy into fake news, according to a new study.
The study titled “The manifold effects of partisan media on viewers’ beliefs and attitudes: A field experiment with Fox News viewers” by David E Brockman and Joshua L Kalla was conducted in September 2020 and published last week.
Sravasti Dasgupta reports.
Fox viewers transformed after watching CNN for 30 days, report finds
Trey Gowdy calls on Cawthorn to name names
Monday 4 April 2022 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Trey Gowdy has hit out at Madison Cawthorn dedicating 10 minutes of his Sunday night Fox News show to excoriating the congressman for his allegations about cocaine use and invitations to orgies amongst Republican lawmakers.
The former South Carolina representative is the latest to express his anger at the current North Carolina lawmaker over the allegations, demanding that he name names.
Trey Gowdy says Madison Cawthorn should name names or stop making things up
Matt Gaetz says Americans with diabetes should lose weight
Monday 4 April 2022 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Matt Gaetz, one of the 193 House Republicans who voted against capping the price of life-saving insulin at $35 a month for most Americans last week, has justified his vote by saying that diabetes sufferers who use the live-saving medicine should lose weight.
Johanna Chisholm reports.
Gaetz says diabetes sufferers should lose weight after vote against insulin price cap
Monday 4 April 2022 17:19 , Andrew Naughtie
With Donald Trump lending his backing to Sarah Palin in the upcoming Alaska congressional election, David Weigel gives a heads-up that the state’s newly overhauled voting system promises to make the race more confusing than any before it.
Don't think the Palin hype cycle has processed just how confusing the Alaska elections will be.
The all-party primary for the special is June 11. The top four will go to an Aug. 16 ranked-choice runoff, the same day as the all-party primary which will set the Nov. 8 runoffs.— David Weigel (@daveweigel) April 4, 2022
Add to this that Alaska is a big state with lots of mail ballots that take forever to count - and that was true before the ranked-choice system, which will take even longer.
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) April 4, 2022
The good thing is that no one will look at this confusion and delay and assume the deep state is trying to steal the election from Palin.
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) April 4, 2022
Here’s a catch-up on the Trump-Palin reunion.
Donald Trump attacks John McCain again while endorsing Sarah Palin’s bid for Congress
Ted Cruz gets involved in Ohio Senate primary
Monday 4 April 2022 16:50 , Andrew Naughtie
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has thrown the weight of his endorsement into the Republican Ohio Senate primary, one of the most hard-fought races of this year’s midterms so far. He has chosen as his endorsee Josh Mandel, who has run a culture war-centric red-meat campaign directly targeting the Trumpist base.
Sen. Ted Cruz endorses Josh Mandel in #OHSen — adding to the list of national GOP figures choosing sides in this expensive race.
— Henry J. Gomez (@HenryJGomez) April 4, 2022
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Cruz endorses Josh Mandel in Ohio's crowded Senate primary (from @AP) https://t.co/iRghFJRqKJ
— Julie Carr Smyth (@jcarrsmyth) April 4, 2022
Truth Social loses two top executives
Monday 4 April 2022 16:01 , Andrew Naughtie
A report from Reuters breaks the news that Truth Social, Donald Trump’s benighted social media platform, has lost two of its top executives just over a month after its disastrous launch.
Josh Adams and Billy Boozer - the company’s chiefs of technology and product development - joined the venture last year and quickly became central players in its bid to build a social-media empire, backed by Trump’s powerful brand, to counter what many conservatives deride as “cancel culture” censorship from the left.
Less than a year later, both have resigned their senior posts at a critical juncture for the company’s smartphone-app release plans, according to two sources familiar with the venture.
Read more:
"Two key tech execs quit Truth Social after troubled app launch"https://t.co/kL0HWtOOso
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 4, 2022
Donald Trump Jr helps fundraise for hardcore GOP candidate
Monday 4 April 2022 15:05 , Andrew Naughtie
JD Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and sometime Trump critic who has morphed into a merciless right-wing culture warrior for the purposes of the Ohio Senate primary, has struggled to rise to the top of the field despite his relatively high profile – but last night, he got the backing of a high-end supporter...
👀per source familiar - @DonaldJTrumpJr made a surprise appearance at a @JDVance1 fundraiser in Palm Beach last night. pic.twitter.com/OFrupEiz94
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) April 4, 2022
Marjorie Taylor Greene resumes attack on school shooting survivors
Monday 4 April 2022 14:40 , Andrew Naughtie
Before she was ever elected, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was known for spreading conspiracy theories about the Parkland school shooting and haranguing the young survivors campaigning for new gun safety laws. And over the weekend, she did it again.
In a Twitter back-and-forth with survivor and campaigner David Hogg, she admonished him: “You should try hanging out with actual deer hunters.
“It will help you learn to be more masculine and you will appreciate how we will get our food supply when Biden’s inflation makes buying food unaffordable.”
Read more:
Marjorie Taylor Greene accused of ‘rancid hate’ in attack on Parkland’s David Hogg
Trump uses Palin endorsement to attack McCain again
Monday 4 April 2022 14:02 , Andrew Naughtie
While endorsing Sarah Palin’s run for Congress – which he reportedly encouraged her into – Donald Trump took yet a potshot at the late John McCain, who fatefully chose Ms Palin as his running mate in 2008.
Mr McCain was a thorn in Mr Trump’s side for years until his death in 2018, and Mr Trump was not invited to his funeral. That was unsurprising given he had repeatedly denigrated Mr McCain as a failure because he spent years being tortured in jail in Vietnam, something for which he was long recognised as an American hero.
Read more:
Donald Trump attacks John McCain again while endorsing Sarah Palin’s bid for Congress
ICYMI: Trump still repeating false “Man of the Year” story
Monday 4 April 2022 13:36 , Andrew Naughtie
At his Michigan rally on Saturday, Donald Trump told a story he’s been repeating for years: a claim that he was once given a prize in the state that it seems does not even exist.
“They named me the Man of the Year in Michigan,” Mr Trump said, describing an event that it is not clear ever happened. “I got up and I said, ‘They’re stealing your car business,’” the president told the rally on Saturday. “And, I was really rebuked. That said that wasn’t a very nice thing to say. But, it’s the truth that I was right. That was a long time ago, Man of the Year in Michigan. We’ve been doing this stuff a long time actually.”
According to a Detroit News fact check, Mr Trump has been repeating the claim since 2016, and may be embellishing or confusing a story related to a dinner he attended in May 2013.
Read more:
Trump repeats false claim that he won nonexistent Michigan ‘Man of the Year’ award
Democratic congressman: Merrick Garland “failing the United States of America”
Monday 4 April 2022 13:02 , Andrew Naughtie
Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro yesterday voices the same thought that many Trump critics increasingly share: that while Merrick Garland is a morally sound and well-qualified attorney general, he is falling badly short when it comes to investigating the former president for his various alleged crimes.
“Look, I think many people believe that Merrick Garland is a good person with a good heart, with a good head on his shoulders, but so far, Merrick Garland is failing the United States of America.
“How many crimes does somebody have to commit to get prosecuted in this country?”
Watch Mr Castro’s full remarks below.
Rep. Castro: How many crimes does someone have to commit to get prosecuted in this country? You would think that the DOJ would take up one of those things and it’s just shocking that the AG and DOJ have failed this badly… pic.twitter.com/I8dIFBgU8F
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 3, 2022
Police officer who participated in Jan 6 riot on trial
Monday 4 April 2022 12:30 , Andrew Naughtie
A former police officer, Thomas Robertson, will this week go on trial to face multiple charges in connection with the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
NEW: Facebook post feds seek to show at this week's Jan 6 trial of former police officer Thomas Robertson
"I've spent the last 10 years fighting an insurgency in Iraq and then Afghanistan. I'm prepared to start one here and know a bunch of like minded and trained individuals" pic.twitter.com/b3UoBZQGFo— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) April 3, 2022
He is the first law enforcement-connected person to go on trial over the riot, but a number of current and former police officers and military servicemembers have been arrested and charged. Also facing charges are members of the Oath Keepers, a group known for its efforts to recruit members of the police.
Jan 6 committee member grateful for Jared Kushner’s testimony
Monday 4 April 2022 12:03 , Andrew Naughtie
While many members of Donald Trump’s inner circle have fought hard to avoid testifying before the 6 January committee – with some of those who have pleading the Fifth Amendment to scores of questions – Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner last week offered up his own testimony without having to be subpoenaed in the first place.
And surprisingly for some, the committee’s members have described his testimony as useful and expressed satisfaction with his participation.
Here’s panel member Zoe Lofgren.
Jan 6. Committee Member @RepZoeLofgren on Kushner's "precise" testimony last week: "He was not combative. He was precise, and he didn't volunteer anything, but he did answer questions." pic.twitter.com/dHghBHWQu1
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 3, 2022
Read Trump’s endorsement of “wonderful patriot" Sarah Palin
Monday 4 April 2022 11:20 , Andrew Naughtie
Having reportedly encouraged Sarah Palin to run for the late Don Young’s congressional seat, Donald Trump went one further and lent the former governor his endorsement.
Ms Palin of course came out in Mr Trump’s support relatively early in his 2016 campaign, delivering a 20-minute speech that was bizarre even by her standards.
Here’s the text of his endorsement:
Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin of Alaska just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot to replace the late and legendary Congressman Don Young. Sarah shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big. Now, it’s my turn! Sarah has been a champion for Alaska values, Alaska energy, Alaska jobs, and the great people of Alaska. She was one of the most popular Governors because she stood up to corruption in both State Government and the Fake News Media. Sarah lifted the McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps despite the fact that she had to endure some very evil, stupid, and jealous people within the campaign itself. They were out to destroy her, but she didn’t let that happen. Sarah Palin is tough and smart and will never back down, and I am proud to give her my Complete and Total Endorsement, and encourage all Republicans to unite behind this wonderful person and her campaign to put America First!
What wrent wrong for Truth Social?
Monday 4 April 2022 10:45 , Andrew Naughtie
Donald Trump’s bespoke social media platform, Truth Social, was ostensibly meant to hoover up his millions of followers into one concentrated user base where the president could communicated with them directly. Instead, the app has struggled with technical difficulties, with more than 1.5 million users languishing on a “waiting list” – and the president has yet to post to it.
In a sign that turning the platform’s performance around may be impossible, one analysis recently found that installs have dropped by 93 per cent since its first week. Mr Trump has reportedly griped to his aides about the negative coverage Truth Social has received, and his disappointment may explain why he isn’t participating.
Vishwam Sankaran has this report looking at what went wrong.
As Truth Social is branded ‘disaster,’ what went wrong for Trump’s new platform?
Far-right congressman distances himself from racist conference
Monday 4 April 2022 10:10 , Andrew Naughtie
Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar, whose associations with extreme figures and use of violent imagery have seen him formally sanctioned, this weekend claimed that a video message he recorded that was shown at a white nationalist conference was sent to the event in error by his staff.
Mr Gosar appeared in the clip at the AFPAC conference, an annual event organised by the out-and-out white nationalist Nick Fuentes, to whom the Arizona congressman has been linked before. Among the in-person speakers at the event was Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has yet to face concrete consequences for her participation.
Read more:
Paul Gosar blames video appearance at white nationalist conference on staff error
Report: Trump encouraged Sarah Palin to run for Congress
Monday 4 April 2022 09:35 , Andrew Naughtie
Former Alaska governor and sometime vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has joined a huge field of candidates vying to succeed her state’s only congressman, Don Young, who recently died. And according to Fox News, she was encouraged to throw her hat in the ring by Donald Trump himself.
Graeme Massie has the story.
Donald Trump encouraged Sarah Palin to run for Congress, report says
When Trump endorsed Viktor Orbán
Monday 4 April 2022 09:00 , Andrew Naughtie
Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán was re-elected for another term last night, this despite new criticism of his warmth towards Vladimir Putin. In his victory speech, he described how his party had defeated an “overwhelming force” comprised of “the left at home, the international left all around, the Brussels bureaucrats, the Soros empire with all its money, the international mainstream media, and in the end, even the Ukrainian president”.
And of course, earlier this year, Mr Orbán was endorsed by Donald Trump.
Trump endorses Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orban for reelection
Fox viewers transformed after watching CNN for 30 days, report finds
Monday 4 April 2022 08:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Fox News viewers who were paid to watch CNN for 30 days eventually became more skeptical and less likely to buy into fake news, according to a new study.
The study titled “The manifold effects of partisan media on viewers’ beliefs and attitudes: A field experiment with Fox News viewers” by David E Brockman and Joshua L Kalla was conducted in September 2020 and published last week.
Read the full story here:
Fox viewers transformed after watching CNN for 30 days, report finds
Trump repeats false claim that he won nonexistent Michigan ‘Man of the Year’ award
Monday 4 April 2022 08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump boasted of an award that no news organisation has been able to confirm actually exists.
The former president said at the Michigan Stars Sports Centre in Washington Township that he had won a ‘Man of the Year’ award in the state two years ago.
“They named me the Man of the Year in Michigan,” Mr Trump said.
Read the full story here:
Trump repeats false claim that he won nonexistent Michigan ‘Man of the Year’ award
Gaps in Trump’s phone logs during Capitol riot are ‘suspiciously tailored to the heart of the events’
Monday 4 April 2022 07:03 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Democrat Jamie Raskin from Maryland has said that the former president’s phone logs on the day of the Capitol riots “suspiciously” coincide with the “heart of events.”
Mr Raskin said: “It’s a very unusual thing for us to find that suddenly everything goes dark for a seven-hour period in terms of tracking the movements and the conversations of the president.”
During an interview with CBS News, Mr Raskin said the House select committee investigating the Capitol riots of 6 January 2021 has been able to “piece together” phone calls that the former president was on.
He added: “But we have no comprehensive, fine-grained portrait of what was going on during that period, and that’s obviously of intense interest to us.”
“We have no comprehensive, fine-grained portrait of what was going on during that period. And that is obviously of intense interest to us,” Rep. Jamie Raskin says of the gap in Pres. Trump’s call logs on Jan. 6.
“The gaps are suspiciously tailored to the heart of the events.” pic.twitter.com/mQr1Ig6lDt— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) April 3, 2022
Ex-police officer faces jury trial on Capitol riot charges
Monday 4 April 2022 07:02 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A trial starts this week for a former Virginia police officer — charged with storming the US Capitol with a fellow officer who has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.
The former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson will be the third among hundreds of people charged in the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol.
Jury selection for Mr Robertson’s trial is scheduled to start on Monday in Washington, DC.
Read the full story here:
