Trump news – live: Judge rules redacted FBI raid affidavit can be released as Trump declares he’s ‘innocent’

Florida Judge Bruce Reinhart says the affidavit behind the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, with the proposed redactions from the Department of Justice, can be released today by noon . He says the DoJ met its burden of showing a compelling reason to keep parts sealed.

Earlier, Donald Trump took to Truth Social for a multi-part tirade against federal law enforcement, the Democratic Party, and Joe Biden, claiming once again that the raid on his home was nothing but an act of political persecution.

Proclaiming himself “innocent as a person can be”, Mr Trump insisted that “Radical Left Democrat prosecutors” are trying to “circumvent” the Presidential Records Act, which he is accused of violating by removing hundreds of pages of sensitive government documents.

He also implied that his successor was somehow involved. Mr Biden has categorically denied that he received any advance warning of the raid on Mr Trump’s Florida property. “None. Zero. Not one single bit,” he told reporters.

A report from the Wall Street Journal claims that FBI agents found papers “lying in unsecured areas” during the search of Mar-a-Lago – contradicting assurances from Mr Trump’s team that any sensitive documents were kept locked away.

Key Points

• Judge orders release of redacted Mar-a-Lago search affidavit

• Trump launches Truth Social rant about Mar-a-Lago case

• Mar-a-Lago papers found lying in unsecured areas – report

• Biden insists he had no forewarning of FBI raid

• Over 700 pages of classified records found at Mar-a-Lago, letter reveals

Former Fox News political editor says senator wanted him fired after calling Arizona for Biden

06:00 , Alex Woodward

A former Fox News editor claims that a US senator tried to get him fired after the network correctly called Arizona for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Chris Stirewalt went on air to defend the call, which Fox News made long before other media organisations, enraging Trump and Republicans.

“I had one US senator call for my firing and said we were engaged in a coverup,” he told CNN on Thursday. I thought, ‘Are there ballots under the table I haven’t looked at? What are you talking about?’”

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has more:

Former Fox News political editor says senator wanted him fired after Arizona call

Biden shuts down speech heckler at campaign launch: ‘Ignorance knows no boundaries’

05:45 , Shweta Sharma

Joe Biden had sharp words for a heckler who interrupted a midterm fundraiser and rally in Maryland on Thursday night.

Witnesses said a man interrupted the president’s speech at Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland, yelling, “You stole the election!”

The outburst prompted a rain of boos from the crowd, and the president said, “Let him go,” and “That’s OK,” before offering a comeback.

“Folks, ignorance knows no boundaries, but we never gave up,” Mr Biden said to applause. “We never gave in, and we’re delivering for the American people.”

Josh Marcu brings you details.

Biden shuts down heckler at campaign launch: ‘Ignorance knows no boundaries’

White House reminds Marjorie Taylor Greene of their forgiven loans after criticism

05:31 , Shweta Sharma

The White House on Thursday hit back at Marjorie Taylor Greene after she criticised Joe Biden’s plan to forgive some student loans.

On the official Twitter handle of the White House, the administration reminded Ms Greene of getting her Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven.

The post was accompanying a video of Ms Greene knocking the just-announced debt cancellation in a Newsmax interview as “completely unfair.”

“Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had $183,504 in PPP loans forgiven,” the White House wrote.

The administration referred to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was extended to help small businesses stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jamie Foxx stuns fans with hilarious ‘spot on’ Donald Trump impersonation

05:16 , Shweta Sharma

Jamie Foxx has delivered an impressive impression of Donald Trump.

In a recent interview, the actor casually slipped into a voice reminiscent of the former US president’s signature hushed tone.

Foxx proceeded to recite a number of Trump’s famous catchphrases.

Read Annabel Nugent’s story for The Independent.

Jamie Foxx stuns fans with hilarious ‘spot on’ Donald Trump impersonation

Biden says Trump is not just ex-president but ‘defeated former president’

05:12 , Shweta Sharma

Following his firey Maryland rally speech, Joe Biden tweeted to improve Americans to gain vote to save democracy in midterm elections.

“ In 2020, 81 million Americans voted to save our democracy,” he said.

“That’s why Donald Trump isn’t just a former president. He’s a defeated former president. Now, you need to vote to save democracy again.”

Georgia prosecutor seeks testimony from ex-Trump-aides

05:06 , Shweta Sharma

A Georgia prosecutor investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election is seeking to compel his former aides to give testimony, court filings released on Thursday showed.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked the judge to order former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and other close allies, to appear before a special grand jury next month to question them about MrTrump’s attempts to reverse his loss in Georgia.

Georgia was a battleground state that helped propel Democrat Joe Biden to the presidency.

“The Witness actively participated and spoke on the call, and the Special Purpose Grand Jury’s investigation has revealed that the Witness was involved in setting up the call,” Ms Willis wrote in her petition on Thursday.

She is seeking testimony from other Trump allies: Sidney Powell, retired Army colonel James “Phil” Waldron and former Trump campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn.

Two Florida residents plead guilty to giving Ashley Biden’s stolen diary to Project Veritas

05:00 , Alex Woodward

Aimee Harris stole a diary belonging to Joe Biden’s daughter from a house in Florida where she temporarily left behind some of her belongings, then traveled to New York City with co-defendant Justin Kurlander to meet with the far-right activist group Project Veritas, according to federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors said the pair then returned to Florida, retrieved more of Ashley Biden’s property, then turned that stolen property over to a Project Veritas employee. Each of them was later paid $20,000 by the group.

They both pleaded guilty to the scheme.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg reports:

Man and woman plead guilty to giving Ashley Biden’s stolen diary to Project Veritas

Biden lambasts Maga Republicans for 'embracing hate' at Maryland rally

04:43 , Shweta Sharma

Giving a spirited speech to kick off a Democratic rally, president Joe Biden lashed out at what he called “ultra-Maga Republicans” who are embracing violence and hatred, in one his his harshest condemnation.

He said they have edged toward “semi-fascism” while hailing the success his administration has had in climate change, guns, jobs and the Covid pandemic.

“Trump and the extreme Maga Republicans have made their choice: to go backwards, full of anger, violence, hate and division,” Mr Biden said the audience of about 2,400 people at the Maryland high school gym.

“But we’ve chosen a different path: forward, the future, unity, hope and optimism.”

He spoke about economic upheaval and the future of China and was strongly critical of the direction of the Republican Party.

“We’re seeing now either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA agenda,” Mr Biden said, referring to former President Donald Trump‘s “Make America Great Again” slogan. “It’s not just Trump. ... It’s almost semi-fascism,” he said.

“If the MAGA Republicans win control of the Congress, it won’t matter where you live. Women won’t have the right to choose anywhere, anywhere,” Mr Biden said,

“Let me tell you something. If they take it back and they try and pass it, I will veto it.”

04:00 , Alex Woodward

Three months after persistent GOP outrage and right-wing media attacks on a federal agency meant to combat the rise of disinformation and its impacts to national secueity, the programme quietly was dissolved.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg reports:

US government shuts down disinformation board that GOP criticised

Why was Trump let off during the Russia probe?

03:00 , Alex Woodward

A recently uncovered nine-page memo – prepared by two Justice Department official for Trump’s attorney general William Bar – offers a legal analysis on whether the former president criminally obstructed a probe into Russian interference in 2016 elections.

Why was Trump let off during Russia probe? Nine-page memo offers new insight

Mitch McConnell asked to comment on Trump’s attacks on his wife

02:00 , Alex Woodward

The GOP Senate Minority Leader declined to comment on Trump’s attacks on his wife Elaine Chao, the former transportation secretary.

Trump attacked Mitch McConnell after he suggested that the Senate GOP “candidate quality” could cost them in midterm elections.

“Why do Republicans Senators allow a broken down hack politician, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage hard working Republican candidates for the United States Senate,” the former president said on Truth Social over the weekend.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has more on their feud:

Mitch McConnell asked to comment on Trump’s attacks on his wife

Biden’s approval rating hits highest point since June in new poll

01:00 , Alex Woodward

With the administration leaning into the Dark Brandon era, Joe Biden’s approval ratings are at their highest all summer.

Biden approval rating hits highest point since June in new poll

Mike Pompeo might be running for president in 2024 – despite his former boss potentially entering the race

Friday 26 August 2022 00:00 , Alex Woodward

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has not ruled out a presidential campaign while speaking in South Carolina.

Asked whether he would stand aside if Trump declares his candidacy, he replied: “We’re going to make our decision based on if we think this is the right place for us to serve”.

Mike Pompeo hints he may run for president regardless of Trump

The full story: The public release of the affidavit in the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago is coming

Thursday 25 August 2022 23:00 , Alex Woodward

A two-page order from the judge who approved the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home has ordered the release of a redacted version of the affidavit that FBI agents used for a search warrant.

Judge Bruce Reinhart has ordered the government to submit a redacted version of the affidavit by noon EST on Friday, at which point it will be available to the public.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg reports:

Judge orders release of redacted affidavit in FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home

House Judiciary Committee GOP claim Facebook hid still-visible post

Thursday 25 August 2022 22:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have claimed that Facebook censored one of their posts about Joe Biden’s student debt relief announcement, pointing to it as another example of “big tech” censorship.

However, the post remains visible on the GOP members’ Facebook feed – underneath another describing the alleged action as “unbelievable”.

Andrew Naughtie has the story.

House Judiciary Committee Republicans claim Facebook hid still-visible post

‘Respect your colleagues’

Thursday 25 August 2022 22:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Karine Jean-Pierre scolded a White House reporter as they shouted over each other in chaotic scenes at the White House.

The press secretary attempted to allow a reporter in the back of the room to ask a question but another reporter kept speaking over him.

“You’re not being respectful... to your own colleagues,” she told the reporter.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Karine Jean-Pierre blasts White House reporters shouting over each other

Georgia Rep Greene claims her home was ‘swatted again’

Thursday 25 August 2022 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claims she was “swatted” a second time after police responded to an earlier “swatting” incident at her home early on Wednesday morning.

“Swatted again last night,” she announced on Twitter on 25 August.

Alex Woodward has the latest.

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims her home was ‘swatted again’

‘As innocent as a person can be’ — Donald Trump

Thursday 25 August 2022 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump declared himself “as innocent as a person can be” in a Thursday rant after the FBI raided his home earlier this month.

Mr Trump made the remarks on his networking platform Truth Social on Thursday, where he spouted off many tidbits of right-wing talking points and outright misinformation.

Eric Garcia reports on the former president’s latest social media gripe.

Trump declares himself ‘as innocent as a person can be’ in Truth Social rant

Trump claims student loan plan comes out of pockets of working-class Americans

Thursday 25 August 2022 20:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is angrily denouncing the Biden administration’s plan to forgive student loans, as announced by the president yesterday.

The former president claimed on Truth Social that it was an “election enhancing money grab” that was “right out of the pocket of working-class Americans”:

Former President Donald Trump

Thursday 25 August 2022 20:46 , Oliver O'Connell

West Palm Beach Judge Bruce Reinhart says the affidavit behind the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, with the proposed redactions from the Department of Justice, can be released.

They have been instructed to file it by noon tomorrow.

He says the Justice Department met its burden of showing a compelling reason to keep parts sealed.

Judge orders release of redacted Mar-a-Lago search affidavit

Thursday 25 August 2022 20:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Bruce Reinhart has ruled that the redacted version of the affidavit underlying the search warrant for Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home can be made public.

Andrew Feinberg reports on this breaking news...

Judge orders release of redacted affidavit in FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home

Dr Oz claims McConnell comment on ‘candidate quality’ not about him

Thursday 25 August 2022 20:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Pennsylvania Senate hopeful Dr Mehmet Oz wants everyone to know that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell‘s lament about “candidate quality” in the GOP midterms was not a dig at him.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Dr Oz insists Mitch McConnell’s ‘candidate quality’ comment was not about him

Filmmaker says Eric Trump is scared of brother Don Jr

Thursday 25 August 2022 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump documentary filmmaker Alex Holder has said that Eric Trump is scared of his older brother Donald Trump Jr.

The man behind the Unprecedented documentary took part in a “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit on Tuesday.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Eric Trump is scared of brother Don Jr, filmmaker reveals

Thursday 25 August 2022 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Two plead guilty to giving Ashley Biden’s stolen diary to Project Veritas

Thursday 25 August 2022 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Two Florida residents have pleaded guilty to charges that they conspired to transport stolen property belonging to President Joe Biden’s daughter across state lines and sell it to the right-wing organisation Project Veritas.

According to criminal information filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Aimee Harris stole Ashley Biden’s diary from a Delray Beach, Florida house where she’d temporarily left behind some of her belongings, before travelling to New York City with co-defendant Justin Kurlander to meet with Project Veritas representatives.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Man and woman plead guilty to giving Ashley Biden’s stolen diary to Project Veritas

What has Trump been doing since FBI search of Mar-a-Lago?

Thursday 25 August 2022 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Over two weeks after the FBI searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, the former president has remained unflinching as he attended political events and squeezed in some time for golf as well, according to a new report.

The FBI search at his Florida residence could potentially be a politically embarrassing moment for the former president, but life has gone on, as usual, reported Politico on Thursday.

Mr Trump has stationed himself at his Bedminster office and held meetings with his aides and lawyers. At the same New Jersey property, he has played golf too.

Arpan Rai reports.

What Trump has been doing since FBI searched his home?

Former Fox News political editor claims senator wanted him fired for election call

Thursday 25 August 2022 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt has claimed a US senator tried to get him fired after the network correctly called Arizona for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Mr Stirewalt went on air to defend the call, which Fox News made long before other media organisations. It signalled Donald Trump had lost a key state in his quest for re-election.

“The viewers of Fox News were incredibly angry,” Mr Stirewalt told CNN Tonight on Thursday.

Bevan Hurley has the story.

Former Fox News political editor says senator wanted him fired after Arizona call

Trump goes after McConnell (again)

Thursday 25 August 2022 18:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump has fired off a fresh salvo in his war of words with Mitch McConnell, calling the Republican Senate leader a “pawn” who must be replaced “immediately”.

“Mitch McConnell is not an Opposition Leader, he is a pawn for the Democrats to get whatever they want,” the former president said in a post to Truth Social.

“He is afraid of them, and will not to what has to be done. A new Republican Leader in the Senate should be picked immediately.”

Read more from Bevan Hurley:

Trump calls for ‘pawn’ Mitch McConnell to be replaced as Senate leader

Pompeo hints at running for president – regardless of Trump’s plans

Thursday 25 August 2022 17:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo does not appear to be deterred from potentially seeking Donald Trump’s old job, even as Mr Trump regularly teases his intent to seek a return to the job American voters fired him from in 2020.

Mr Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman who served as Mr Trump’s CIA director before being elevated to the top of the State Department, did not rule out mounting his own 2024 campaign during an appearance at South Carolina Representative Jeff Duncan’s Faith and Freedom Barbeque

Asked whether he would stand aside if Mr Trump declares his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, Mr Pompeo replied: “We’re going to make our decision based on if we think this is the right place for us to serve”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Mike Pompeo hints he may run for president regardless of Trump

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims she was “swatted” again

Thursday 25 August 2022 17:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claims she was “swatted” a second time after police responded to an earlier “swatting” incident at her home early on Wednesday morning.

“Swatted again last night,” she announced on Twitter on 25 August.

“Swatting” typically involves a fake emergency call to 911 operators that dispatches heavily armed and armoured law enforcement teams as an extreme prank or form of harassment.

The congresswoman previously reported that her home was swatted after 1am on Wednesday. The Rome Police Department later reported that officers responded to a 911 call reporting that a person was “shot multiple times at an address within the city limits.”

“When officers responded they discovered this was the home of Marjorie Taylor Greene,” according to a statement from the department. “She assured the officers there was no issue and the call was determined to be a false call commonly known as ‘swatting’.”

Alex Woodward has the story.

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims her home was ‘swatted again’

Trump calls student loan relief “election enhancing money grab"

Thursday 25 August 2022 16:37 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump saves his longer statements for his email lists of supporters, who have just been treated to a rant about the Biden administration’s student loans relief plan announced yesterday. As with all Trump emails, the message comes with a “donate” button.

Mr Biden’s plan to cancel up to $10,000 of student debt for graduates making $125,000 a year has met with relief from progressives, disdain from conservatives and unease from centrist Democrats. Alex Woodward explains what it entails.

What you need to know about Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts

“Innocent as a person can be”: Trump busy on Truth Social

Thursday 25 August 2022 16:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump is awake and “truthing” – and whereas he usually takes his foot off the gas for a day here and there, it’s already been a frantic morning, reminiscent of his old Twitter habits.

Here’s a sample of what Mr Trump, who claims he is “innocent as a person can be”, has been raging about.

Read more from Eric Garcia.

Trump declares himself ‘as innocent as a person can be’ in Truth Social rant

Controversial disinformation board shut down

Thursday 25 August 2022 16:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Three months after conservative outrage led the Department of Homeland Security to suspend a new effort to combat disinformation spread with the aim of harming US national security, the programme has been officially cancelled.

Though DHS officials repeatedly stressed that the board was to have no role in policing speech of any kind, the idea that the federal government would have any role in fighting disinformation — even disinformation spread by drug and human smuggling cartels or foreign nations intent on interfering in US elections — was seized on by conservatives who claimed DHS would weaponise the board to “target” Republican politicians.

Andrew Feinberg has more:

US government shuts down disinformation board that GOP criticised

The “pro-fish” Democrat taking on Sarah Palin

Thursday 25 August 2022 15:10 , Andrew Naughtie

The race for Alaska’s only House seat is seldom a close-run affair. It was held by Republican Don Young for nearly 50 years until his death earlier this year sparked a special election.

But when the first round results of that election were announced last week, they showed a Democrat out in front. Mary Peltola, 48, is currently ahead of her closest rival, former vice presidential candidate and reality TV star Sarah Palin.

Ms Peltola, a Native Yup’ik, has given Democrats hope of a stunning upset in a deep red state. In a year that promises a challenging national outlook for her party, can she buck the trend?

Richard Hall has this interview.

She’s pro-choice, pro-fish and pro-worker and she’s beating Sarah Palin

Kinzinger vs Gaetz on how the GOP should “govern"

Thursday 25 August 2022 14:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee despite being under federal investigation over sex trafficking allegations (which he denies), has given his pitch for what the GOP should do if it takes over the House of Representatives after the midterm elections, as it remains favoured to do.

His prescription: “converting” every House committee into a machine for relentlessly “investigating” political enemies. Hunter Biden, “wokeism” in the military, “vaccine injuries” – his list is long, and it has little if anything to do with actually legislating.

His retiring Republican colleague Adam Kinzinger is unimpressed.

Is Oz catching up in Pennsylvania?

Thursday 25 August 2022 14:10 , Andrew Naughtie

After a torrid month of campaign missteps and crudité-related mockery, Mehmet Oz looked to be falling badly behind John Fetterman in his effort to keep Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat in Republican hands. But despite the mounting problems, a new poll shows him within striking distance of his Democratic opponent – and there’s still more than two months to go...

Republican feed complains still-visible post has been hidden

Thursday 25 August 2022 13:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have claimed that Facebook censored one of their posts about Joe Biden’s student debt relief announcement, pointing to it as another example of “big tech” censorship.

However, the post remains visible on the GOP members’ Facebook feed – underneath another describing the alleged action as “unbelievable”.

Read more:

House Judiciary Committee Republicans claim Facebook hid still-visible post

Defeated Republican extremist rails against primary rival

Thursday 25 August 2022 13:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Laura Loomer, a notorious Islamophobe who lost her Florida congressional primary to a less extreme Republican on Tuesday, has refused to concede her race, levelling nonspecific allegations that the election was stolen from her. And in a new post, she has raged against her erstwhile rival, sitting Congressman Daniel Webster, demanding that he resign his office “because everyone knows he is beyond unfit to serve” and claiming that “his health is worse than Joe Biden’s”.

ICYMI: FBI found documents in “unsecure places” at Mar-a-Lago

Thursday 25 August 2022 12:40 , Andrew Naughtie

When FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, they found classified documents sitting in unsecured locations despite assurances from Donald Trump’s team that any such files taken from the White House had been placed under lock and key.

That new revelation comes from The Wall Street Journal, which cited “people familiar with the matter”. If true, it’s another nail in the coffin being constructed by the Justice Department for whoever is ultimately deemed responsible for the illegal storage of classified files at Mr Trump’s private residence and resort, should the files be judged not to be protected by executive or attorney-client privilege.

The proper storage of classified documents, especially those related to defence matters, is a matter that carries felony criminal liability.

John Bowden has more.

FBI found documents ‘lying in unsecure places’ at Mar-a-Lago, report says

Biden insists he had no warning of Mar-a-Lago raid

Thursday 25 August 2022 12:10 , Andrew Naughtie

President Joe Biden said he had no advance warning of the FBI’s raid of Donald Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida.

After announcing his student loan forgiveness plan, Mr Biden was asked if he received a heads up before the FBI’s raid at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.

“I didn’t have any advance notice. None. Zero. Not one single bit,” Mr Biden said, making a hand gesture to emphasise the point.

The White House has repeatedly denied any prior knowledge of plans for the 8 August search of the ex-president’s home.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden says he had ‘not one single bit’ of advance notice of FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid

Newly elected congressman: I’d be in jail if I hid classified documents

Thursday 25 August 2022 11:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Pat Ryan, a Democrat who won a tossup seat in New York state on Tuesday night, appeared yesterday on MSNBC to discuss his victory and the state of politics – and he had this to say about the standard being applied by Republicans to Donald Trump and the documents he kept at Mar-a-Lago:

Why did Bill Barr let Donald Trump off after the Mueller report?

Thursday 25 August 2022 11:10 , Andrew Naughtie

The US Justice Department on Wednesday released a memo which stated that Donald Trump was not prosecuted during the Russia investigation because his actions did not amount to obstruction of justice.

The nine-page memo, which was prepared by two senior Justice Department officials for then-attorney general William Barr, offered a legal analysis on whether Mr Trump had criminally obstructed the probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Mr Barr ultimately decided to clear the former president of charges, a move that met with severe backlash from Democrats and former justice department attorneys who accused Mr Barr of protecting his boss.

While parts of the memo that informed Mr Barr’s decision had been previously made public, some portions which were earlier retracted by the Justice Department now offer details about how two senior officials arrived at their decision to clear Mr Trump of charges.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Why was Trump let off during Russia probe? Nine-page memo offers legal analysis

Trump documentary maker Alex Holder says Eric is scared of Don Jr and their father is ‘very insecure’

Thursday 25 August 2022 10:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Trump documentary filmmaker Alex Holder has said that Eric Trump is scared of his older brother Donald Trump Jr.

The man behind the Unprecedented documentary took part in a “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit on Tuesday.

He said former President Donald Trump seemed to be “a very insecure man who depends on external adoration and can’t comprehend why he doesn’t get it. He also wears a huge amount of make up”.

“I think he finds it difficult to understand that there are people who actually don’t like him. This bothers him a lot. He is fine with people not liking him if he doesn’t like them first ... but other than that he thinks he should be loved by everyone,” Mr Holder added in response to a separate question.

Trump documentary maker Alex Holder says Eric is scared of Don Jr

Trump-aligned Herschel Walker branded a hypocrite for attack on opponent Raphael Warnock

Thursday 25 August 2022 10:00 , John Bowden

Hershel Walker is facing derision in Georgia for trying to paint questions over whether his opponent owns a dog as a sign of dishonesty while he himself has been accused by his own campaign staff of lying to them about, among other things, the fathering of chilren secretly out of wedlock. Mr Walker is known for his public criticism of absentee fathers.

The Trump-aligned Georgia candidate for US Senate is seen by Republicans nationally as a threat to their efforts to retake the Senate from Democrats, who currently have a razor-thin 51-50 majority counting the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Read more in The Independent from Andrew Naughtie:

Herschel Walker branded a hypocrite for attack on opponent Raphael Warnock

John Fetterman responds to vicious attack from Trump-backed candidate about his stroke

Thursday 25 August 2022 09:00 , John Bowden

Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman rebuked his opponent’s campaign for what he insinuated was a classless shot at his personal health struggles made by desperate political operatives.

Trump-backed Dr Mehmet Oz’s spokesperson was roundly criticised on Twitter after she issued a statement suggesting that a recent stroke Mr Fetterman suffered before returning to the campaign trail was due to him having never eaten a vegetable. The staffer was pilloried for the callousness of the remark as well as Dr Oz’s own history of pushing pseudoscience on his popular TV show.

Mr Fetterman himself responded on Twitter, writing: “I had a stroke. I survived it. I’m truly so grateful to still be here today. I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges.”

Read more in The Independent from Maroosha Muzaffar:

Fetterman hits back at Dr Oz for mocking him over his stroke

Thursday 25 August 2022 08:00 , John Bowden

Rough news for Republicans as new polls indicate that Joe Biden’s approval rating is rebounding as gas prices and other inflationary pressure abates across the country.

The news has some analysts questioning if the president’s party can hold on to the US Senate — and potentially even the House of Representatives — in the fall’s midterm elections should current trends hold steady.

Read more from The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg:

Biden approval rating hits highest point since June in new poll

Trump-aligned Republican candidates allege voter fraud after losing primaries in New York and Florida

Thursday 25 August 2022 07:00 , John Bowden

Taking a page out of their dear leader’s playbook, far-right GOP candidates like Laura Loomer are refusing to concede after defeats in Tuesday evening’s primary elections.

Political and civics experts have been warning since November 2020 that the new strategy on the far right going forward will be to sow doubt in the legitimacy of US elections and use the threat of violence to try and get their way.

One candidate in Tuesday’s elections celebrated alongside well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes and vowed a “hostile takeover” of the GOP as she was defeated on Tuesday.

Read more in The Independent from Andrew Naughtie:

Extreme GOP candidates allege voter fraud after losing primaries

Biden names new Secret Service director amid Jan. 6 scrutiny

Thursday 25 August 2022 06:00 , John Bowden

Joe Biden has named a new director of the US Secret Service amid claims that the agency failed to cooperate with an investigation into January 6 being headed up by Congress.

The president on Wednesday named Kim Cheatle, a veteran Secret Service official, to the position of director as the agency seeks to explain why text messages sent by agents on January 6 were deleted after the agency was explicitly instructed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General to preserve them.

Read more in the Associated Press:

Biden names new Secret Service director amid Jan. 6 scrutiny

Biden kicks off midterm rally in Maryland

Thursday 25 August 2022 05:23 , Shweta Sharma

Joe Biden will begin rallying in Maryland’s Rockville on Thursday to turn legislative accomplishments into political energy.

The event, in the safely Democratic Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland, is meant to ease Mr Biden into what White House aides say will be an aggressive season of championing his policy victories and aiding his party’s candidates.

It comes as Democrats have seen their political hopes rebound in recent months amid a legacy-defining burst of action by Mr Biden and Congress.

John Anzalone, Mr Biden’s pollster, said Democrats are “in a better position to compete because Joe Biden put us there.”

“It doesn’t mean that the wind’s at our back,” he added. “But we have more of a breeze than what felt like a gale hurricane in our face.”

Thursday 25 August 2022 05:00 , John Bowden

A government watchdog group has successfully sued for the memo that led to the Justice Department clearing Donald Trump of criminal wrongdoing in the Russia investigation.

The document, prepared for Attorney General William Barr by attorneys working on the case, illuminates in particular the role of two Justice Department officials in determining that the DoJ would clear Mr Trump’s on accusations of obstructing justice even though Robert Mueller had declined to do the same.

Read more in the Associated Press:

Memo sheds light on decision to clear Trump in Russia probe

Trump calls for Mitch McConnell to be booted as GOP leader

Thursday 25 August 2022 04:56 , Shweta Sharma

Donald Trump yesterday called on Republicans to “immediately” oust senator Mitch McConnel from his post of Senate minority leader, accusing him of giving “trillions of dollars” to the “Radical Left”.

Mr Trump said, citing a story from The Federalist, that Mr McConnel and his wife Elaine Chao allegedly have ties to China and called him a “pawn for Democrats”.

“Mitch McConnell is not an Opposition Leader, he is a pawn for the Democrats to get whatever they want,” Mr Trump said in his statement. “He is afraid of them, and will not do what has to be done. A new Republican Leader in the Senate should be picked immediately!”

Mr Trump has unleashed attacks on Mr McConnel, who he calls “old crow” and his wife after the senator leader called out the former president for his role in 6 January 2021 attack on US Capitol.

He said Mr McConnel allegedly gave “Radical Left the Trillions and Trillions of Dollars that they constantly DEMAND” and blamed him for failing to stop the passage of the landmark tax, climate and healthcare law known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

Trump is exacerbating GOP’s mounting fundraising troubles, says ex-senator

Thursday 25 August 2022 04:39 , Shweta Sharma

Former US senator from Missouri Claire McCaskill has said that all the “grassroots money is all going to Donald Trump” as his loyalists have directed all the money towards funding his potential 2024 run for presidential elections.

Mr McCaskill said it is making it harder for senate Republicans to raise money for the upcoming midterm elections.

“There’s a whole lot of people that became active in my state for the first time around Donald Trump,” said Mr McCaskill on MSNBC.

“They remain slavishly loyal to him... one of the reasons the Republicans are struggling in campaign donations, candidate donations, is the grassroots money is all going to Trump. Not to Marco Rubio or Dr Oz or JD Vance,” he added, referring to key senate candidates.

“When they are putting $20m of dark money into help, you know, in Ohio, you know they are very worried.”

Trump appears to admit some documents seized by FBI were unlawfully held at Mar-a-Lago, expert says

Thursday 25 August 2022 04:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump appeared to admit in a court filing that he was in possession of presidential records at Mar-a-Lago without the consent of the National Archives.

In a motion filed on Monday the president claimed that at least some of the hundreds of pages reportedly seized in at least two batches from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI were protected by “executive privilege”, meaning they concerned private conversations of Executives Branch staff including the president.

That would appear to mean that they were government records, and not personal documents protected by Mr Trump’s attorney-client privilege.

Read more in The Independent from Gino Spocchia:

Trump appears to admit some documents were unlawfully taken from White House

DeSantis says ‘woke’ 5 times in 19 seconds in culture war laden primary speech

Thursday 25 August 2022 03:00 , John Bowden

Ron DeSantis is leaning in to his role as the GOP’s new culture war champion.

The Florida governor celebrated his primary win Tuesday evening with a speech that hammered home what his target would be for the general election: Democrats and their “woke” agenda.

Read more from John Bowden in The Independent:

DeSantis says ‘woke’ 5 times in 19 seconds in culture war laden primary speech

Jan 6 figure blames Trump advisers, Gaetz for defeat of Laura Loomer

Thursday 25 August 2022 02:00 , John Bowden

Ali Alexander, the Stop the Steal activist investigated for his role in rallying Trump supporters outside the Capitol before the January 6 attack began, is none to happy about the defeat of Florida congressional hopeful Laura Loomer.

In a post to Telegram, Mr Alexander shared his thoughts on the figures surrounding Donald Trump who he blamed for Ms Loomer’s narrow defeat to incumbent Congressman Daniel Webster. Ms Loomer has not conceded, baselessly alleging fraud.

Trump documentary maker Alex Holder says Eric is scared of Don Jr and their father is ‘very insecure’

Thursday 25 August 2022 01:00 , John Bowden

Alex Holder, the documentarian whose footage was subpoenaed by the January 6 committee, dished on the Trump family’s dynamics during a Reddit AMA this week.

Among the topics discussed was a claim made by Mr Holder that Eric Trump, the younger of Mr Trump’s two adult sons, is “scared” of his older brother.

Read more from The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander:

Trump documentary maker Alex Holder says Eric is scared of Don Jr

Who is Rebekah Jones, the ‘Covid whistleblower’ challenging Matt Gaetz in Florida?

Thursday 25 August 2022 00:00 , John Bowden

A so-called “Covid whistleblower” is challenging Matt Gaetz for his US House seat in November after winning her congressional primary on Tuesday.

Rebekah Jones was fired from the Florida state health department and alleged that her firing came from her refusal to manipulate data to paint a rosier picture of Ron DeSantis’s response to the pandemic. But officials who looked into the matter said there was no evidence to substantiate her claims.

Read more in The Independent about this Democrat hoping to oust a top ally of Donald Trump in his newfound state of residence.

Rebekah Jones, the whistleblower challenging Matt Gaetz in Florida?

DeSantis unleashes shocking attack on Fauci saying he wants to see ‘that little elf’ thrown ‘across the Potomac’

Wednesday 24 August 2022 23:00 , John Bowden

The right’s bizarre war against public health guidelines continued on Wednesday as Florida’s Gov Ron DeSantis quipped that the retiring NIAID chief should be thrown “across the Potomac” River in Washington DC.

Mr DeSantis is seen as the spearhead of the GOP’s culture war turn and is thought therefore to be a likely candidate for the Republican nomination in 2024. He has not announced any plans to run.

Dr Fauci’s status as the public face of the federal government’s Covid response made him a target of hatred on the far right. He has been the target of countless conspiracy theories — just days ago, a member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggested that he had “started Covid”.

Mr DeSantis rarely buys in to such nonsense explicitly, but plays into the furor nonetheless while espousing milder criticism of concerns about constitutional rights when challenged.

Read more from The Independent’s Graeme Massie:

DeSantis unleashes attack on Fauci saying he wants him thrown ‘across the Potomac’

Mitch McConnell asked to comment on Trump’s attacks on his wife

Wednesday 24 August 2022 22:34 , John Bowden

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell faced questions on Wednesday as Donald Trump unleashed his latest round of attacks criticising Elaine Chaoe, Mr McConnell’s wife and Mr Trump’s ex-secretary of Transportation.

Ms Chao, like many other former Trump administration officials, publicly broke with Mr Trump after the shocking events of January 6 and earned his ire in the process.

Mr Trump is widely thought to be preparing to support a challenge to Mr McConnell’s status as majority leader should Republicans take control of the Senate. That bid is unlikely to succeed — Mr McConnell has an iron grip on the GOP Senate caucus.

Read more from The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander:

Mitch McConnell asked to comment on Trump’s attacks on his wife

FBI found documents ‘lying in unsecure places’ at Mar-a-Lago, report says

Wednesday 24 August 2022 21:50 , John Bowden

A new report from The Wall Street Journal reveals that the FBI found boxes of classified documents lying outside of the designated secured area where they were thought to be stored during their 8 August raid of Mar-a-Lago.

The news is a bad sign for supporters of Donald Trump who have argued against the assertion that classified materials being held at Mar-a-Lago were being treated with care, as federal law would require even if they were taken through the proper channels.

Read more from The Independent’s John Bowden:

FBI found documents ‘lying in unsecure places’ at Mar-a-Lago, report says

Trump will appoint Judge Jeanine as attorney general if he’s re-elected, former aide Peter Navarro predicts

Wednesday 24 August 2022 21:09 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s ex-trade adviser and continued loyalist Peter Navarro predicted this week that Fox’s Judge Jeanine would be named attorney general if Donald Trump were to win reelection in 2024.

Mr Navarro quipped that the brash and conspiracy-embracing Fox primetime opinion host would be a “kind of fun” choice for the role during an interview with Clay Clark.

The role of attorney general requires Senate confirmation, and it’s hard to imagine the often-ridiculed Pirro would make it through the grueling process with even a single Democratic vote; she would also likely be a hard sell to many establishment Republicans.

Read more from The Independent’s Johanna Chisholm:

Trump will appoint Judge Jeanine as AG if re-elected, Peter Navarro predicts

Jared Kushner denies Mary Trump’s ‘outlandish’ Mar-a-Lago mole speculation

Wednesday 24 August 2022 20:08 , John Bowden

Jared Kushner is firing back on all cylinders after Mary Trump, his cousin-in-law, suggested that it was possible that Mr Kushner could have been the so-called “mole” that tipped the Justice Department off to the existence of classified materials at Mar-a-Lago.

I read the article and I thought, ‘This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,’” said Mr Kushner, reacting to the story on a podcast.

Many within Donald Trump’s inner circle have speculated about whether a member of Mr Trump’s own political team alerted the FBI to the presence of sensitive information at the private Florida resort and estate where the ex-president moved after leaving the White House.

Read more from The Independent’s Graig Graziosi:

Kushner denies Mary Trump’s ‘outlandish’ Mar-a-Lago mole speculation

GOP 2024 poll shows Trump soaring – and Cheney beating Cruz

Wednesday 24 August 2022 19:14 , Andrew Naughtie

The latest poll of the hypothetical 2024 Republican presidential primary field is notable not just because 57% of its respondents are supportive of Donald Trump – this after the Mar-a-Lago raid – but also because of how badly some of the other members of the field are doing.

While Ron DeSantis remains in second place, he’s only on 18 per cent. Nikki Haley, who has spent years trying to carve out a niche as a Trump administration alumna relatively uncontaminated by the worst of his tenure, is on 3 – tied with Liz Cheney – and Ted Cruz, who ran Mr Trump close to the end of the 2016 primary and remains one of the most visible Republicans in the country, is behind even them with a paltry 2.

Check out the results below.

“Pathetic”: Former Navy pilot ridicules Ron DeSantis ad

Wednesday 24 August 2022 18:44 , Andrew Naughtie

Ken Harbaugh, who once flew US Navy reconnaissance missions over the western Pacific and Middle East, said Mr Desantis had been guilty of “Navy pilot cosplay” and of “appropriating the honour of others” in an advert playing on the US Navy and Top Gun film.

“We all knew guys like that in the Navy who pretended to be something they weren’t,” he said.

“We did a pretty good job putting them in their place. In that spirit, I think Ron DeSantis is due for a call sign upgrade, or maybe a downgrade.”

Read more from Gino Spocchia:

Former Navy pilot brands Ron DeSantis ‘Top Gun’ advert ‘pathetic’

Analysis: What last night’s primaries tell us about the midterms

Wednesday 24 August 2022 18:14 , Andrew Naughtie

The calculus of this year’s midterms has shifted noticeably in the last couple of months, starting with the overturning of Roe v Wade and accelerating through the passage of major Democratic legislation as well as the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago and Republicans’ bitter response to it.

Last night saw two of the largest states in the country holding their congressional primaries, which were some of the year’s last – and some of its most important.

Eric Garcia is here to take you through what they mean.

Read his analysis below.

The winners and losers from last night’s primaries are especially telling

Giuliani’s ex-wife shares unedifying Mar-a-Lago anecdote

Wednesday 24 August 2022 17:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Rudy Giuliani retreated to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to recover from a bout of depression and a drinking bender after losing the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, a new book claims.

The former New York mayor’s ex-wife, Judith Giuliani, told political reporter Andrew Kirtzman in his soon-to-be published book, Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor, that the pair left for Mr Trump’s Palm Beach estate after an embarrassing defeat that saw Mr Giuliani secure just one delegate.

Johanna Chisholm has more:

Giuliani recovered from drink and depression at Mar-a-Lago after 2008 election loss

Graham’s trust issues miss the point

Wednesday 24 August 2022 17:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Lindsey Graham was on Fox News this morning, talking to Brian Kilmeade about the latest on the Mar-a-Lago files – specifically the news that as many as 700 pages of classified documents may have been found at Donald Trump’s residence.

Mr Graham – who wants to see the affidavit underpinning the raid released despite the potential risk for witness tampering and the implications for the safety of people involved in the search – responded by comparing the coverage of the scandal to that of the long-running investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russian interests.

But as Aaron Rupar points out, the problem is that the story Mr Graham was complaining about didn’t come from the mainstream media in the first place.

Georgia probe: Fulton County DA slates governor in court filing

Wednesday 24 August 2022 16:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Lindsey Graham is not the only Republican official trying to avoid testifying to the Fulton County grand jury probe. No less than Georgia Governor Brian Kemp – who resisted Donald Trump’s entreaties to endorse the false narrative of a stolen election – is also moving to quash a subpoena for his testimony, claiming that he is being called for “improper political purposes”.

The Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, has now responded to his motion – and she begins by pointing out some flaws...

Read her whole filing here.

Extreme Republicans imply their primaries were stolen

Wednesday 24 August 2022 16:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Two of the most extreme Republican candidates who lost their congressional primaries on Tuesday are following Donald Trump’s example and blaming their defeats on electoral fraud – without providing any evidence for it.

Laura Loomer and Carl Paladino, who competed in Florida and New York, respectively, both came within single digits of their more mainstream opponents. Both have spent years chasing controversy, and have run for various high-ranking public offices without success.

Read more:

Extreme GOP candidates allege voter fraud after losing primaries

Kushner gives Trump lukewarm defence on Mar-a-Lago docs

Wednesday 24 August 2022 15:53 , Andrew Naughtie

Jared Kushner’s book tour around right-wing media outlets continued this morning with an appearance on Fox News – in which Donald Trump’s son-in-law had little to say – besides that his father-in-law “governed in a very peculiar way”, and that he assumes Mr Trump “did what he thought was appropriate”.

Trump puts a foot wrong on Mar-a-Lago docs

Wednesday 24 August 2022 15:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump has appeared to admit that documents taken from his Mar-a-Lago home were held by him unlawfully in a motion challenging the FBI‘s review of the files.

Writing in a motion filed in Florida on Monday, lawyers for the former US president argued for the appointment of a neutral special master to review the documents seized by FBI agents on 8 August to determine which ones could be covered by executive privilege.

But one expert says the privilege argument could indicate that some of the documents were in fact official records that Mr Trump was not authorised to keep post-presidency.

Gino Spocchia reports:

Trump appears to admit some documents were unlawfully taken from White House

Lindsey Graham files (another) attempt to escape Georgia subpoena

Wednesday 24 August 2022 15:13 , Andrew Naughtie

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has been fighting hard to resist a subpoena from the grand jury investigation that’s examining the attempt to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia in Donald Trump’s favour.

And now, having been granted a temporary reprieve by an appeals court judge on Monday, he has filed a new motion asking the court to “bar questioning on all the topics sought by the District Attorney and this subpoena”:

Shortly after the election, Mr Graham placed a call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he inquired whether Mr Raffensperger had the ability to unilaterally discard the results of mail-in ballots counted in certain counties. He claims that this call is covered by the “speech and debate” clause of the US Constitution, but that is hotly disputed by the Fulton County prosecutors conducting the investigation.

Several of Mr Trump’s closest associates in the election overthrow effort have been subpoenaed or interviewed for the grand jury, – among them a recalcitrant Rudy Giuliani.

Read more from Andrew Feinberg.

Graham wants Georgia DA barred from asking about calls with election officials

Raskin: witnesses and informants are driving investigations

Wednesday 24 August 2022 14:45 , Andrew Naughtie

The 6 January select committee has largely gone quiet for the summer, but is expected to hold further hearings next month thanks to a reported deluge of evidence and testimony sent its way as its primetime hearings took place earlier in the year.

Speaking on CNN, member Jamie Raskin said that his select committee’s investigations are indeed being driven forward by people coming forward “on a daily basis” to fill in details.

Watch below:

Trump on trees: “liberal s***"

Wednesday 24 August 2022 14:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Jared Kushner’s new memoir has shed new light on Donald Trump’s well-known disdain for environmental protection.

“What is this trillion trees bulls***?” Mr Trump demanded, while looking through a keynote speech he was set to make at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January 2020.

Mr Kushner explains that his father-in-law had come across a line in the speech that pledged America’s support for an initiative to plant one trillion trees around the world by 2050.

“Are you trying to push more liberal s*** on me?” Mr Trump then asked.

Read more from climate correspondent Louise Boyle:

Kushner reveals Trump’s thoughts on trillion trees project: ‘What is this bulls***?’

ICYMI: Two guilty in Whitmer kidnap plot

Wednesday 24 August 2022 13:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Two men have been found guilty of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer in a 2020 plot that government prosecutors said was designed to spark a second US civil war.

A jury found Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr guilty of not just conspiring to kidnap Ms Whitmer, but also to obtain a weapon of mass destruction — a bomb they planned to use to blow up a bridge to hold off police if they were able to kidnap Ms Whitmer at her vacation home in northern Michigan.

The plot ultimatley failed. The FBI infiltrated the paramilitary group that planned the kidnapping, using both informants and undercover agents to foil the plot against Ms Whitmer in one of the highest profile domestic terrorism investigations the bureau has been responsible for in recent years.

When the plot was first revealed, Ms Whitmer gave a press conference in which she explicitly drew a line between the proliferation of violent extremism and the sort of rhetoric indulged in by Donald Trump.

Abe Asher has more.

Two far-right paramilitaries guilty of plot to kidnap Michigan governor

Analysis: What next for the Mar-a-Lago papers?

Wednesday 24 August 2022 13:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Amid all the hullaballoo about who knew what and when about the documents stored at Mar-a-Lago and the raid that saw the FBI seize them for government scrutiny, Andrew Feinberg takes a look at what lies ahead for the papers themselves.

Read his full analysis below.

What happens next to the documents seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home?