Trump news – live: Georgia grand jury could weigh conspiracy charge as ex-NYPD boss hands docs to Jan 6 probe

Donald Trump has shared a QAnon post on his Truth Social platform as he continues to lash out at President Joe Biden, special counsel Jack Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland ahead of his third potential looming criminal indictment.

The former president reTruthed a post from a QAnon supporter which showed an image of Mr Trump along with the ominous message: “Nothing can stop what is coming. Nothing.”

Mr Trump has gone on the attack in recent days over the grand jury investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

In one of the clearest signs Mr Trump could face federal charges in the case, the former president said last week that he had received a letter saying he is a target of a grand jury investigation.

Court documents revealed on Monday that former New York City Police Department commissioner Bernie Kerik, who collected spurious evidence of alleged voter fraud and manipulation for Mr Trump’s campaign, has agreed to turn over hundreds of documents to the DOJ as part of its probe.

Mr Kerik was working for Rudy Giuliani and had previously refused to share the evidence.

Key points

• Mike Pence ‘not convinced’ yet that Donald Trump’s Jan 6 actions were criminal

• Judge sets May 2024 date for Trump classified documents trial

• Trump demands cameras in courtroom for expected federal case

• Trump taunts Republican enemies and says Christie hopes ‘as dead as his stomach band’

• Deadline for Trump to give evidence in Jan 6 probe passes as third indictment looms

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

DeSantis in car crash as he heads to Tennessee campaign event

14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis was in a car crash while on his way to a campaign event in Tennessee.

The Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate was uninjured in the Tuesday morning incident, ABC News reported.

Gustaf Kilander has the latest on this developing story.

Ron DeSantis in car crash as he heads to Tennessee campaign event

Fulton County DA eyeing criminal solicitation and conspiracy crimes in Trump 2020 election probe

14:12 , Oliver O'Connell

The Fulton County investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia has been weighing several potential statutes under which to charge the former president, The Guardian reports.

Among those charges being considered are criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and conspiracy to commit election fraud, as well as solicitation of a public or political officer to fail to perform their duties, and solicitation to destroy, deface or remove ballots, the outlet reports, citing two people briefed on the matter.

Identifying a list of potential charges suggests Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis and her team of prosecutors are on course to ask a grand jury to return indictments next month, as expected.

Ms Willis is also seeking to charge at least some of the Trump operatives who were involved in accessing voting machines and copying sensitive election data in Coffee County, Georgia, in January 2021 with computer trespass crimes.

The charges could be done individually or the possibility still exists that they could be folded into a wider racketeering case, as Alex Woodward reports below:

How prosecutors could charge Trump with racketeering in Georgia case

Giuliani 2020 election fraud team hands over hundreds of documents to Trump Jan 6 investigation

13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The former New York City Police Department commissioner who collected spurious evidence of alleged voter fraud and manipulation for Donald Trump’s campaign has agreed to turn over hundreds of documents, according to court filings.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Jack Smith receives hundreds of documents from Giuliani team

Profile: Fani Willis

13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Her first day as the chief prosecutor for Fulton County came with news that then-President Donald Trump attempted to pressure Georgia’s top election officials to reverse his loss in the state during the 2020 presidential election.

A phone call between Mr Trump and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was published by The Washington Post late at night on 3 January 2021.

Hours later, Fani Willis would walk into her first day on the job as Fulton County’s district attorney, an office that is now spearheading a criminal investigation into Mr Trump, with the phone call serving as a central damning piece of evidence against him.

Read more...

Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump

How might Georgia prosecutors charge Trump with racketeering?

12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The Georgia prosecutor investigating Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state is reportedly weighing a racketeering indictment against the former president and others.

Alex Woodward reports.

How prosecutors could charge Trump with racketeering in Georgia case

DeSantis has already blown 40 per cent of his campaign donations

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’s campaign advisers took the rare (and sometimes fatal) step of acknowledging mismanagement of the Florida governor’s presidential bid this weekend, as reports revealed that he is burning through cash with little to show for it.

John Bowden has the story.

Ron DeSantis has already blown 40 per cent of his campaign donations

Unanswered questions about Trump’s looming third indictment

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is widely expected to be hit with his third indictment of the year this week over his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 US presidential election and his role in the ensuing Capitol riot of 6 January 2021.

Joe Sommerlad looks at what we don’t know yet about the potential indictment.

Unanswered questions about Trump’s looming January 6 indictment

Legal woes: The status of all the lawsuits and criminal charges involving Trump

11:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s what you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump:

All the investigations Trump still faces following his second arrest

Trump shares QAnon post on Truth Social

10:50 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has shared a QAnon post on his Truth Social platform as he continues to lash out at President Joe Biden, special counsel Jack Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland ahead of his third potential looming criminal indictment.

The former president reTruthed a post from a QAnon supporter which showed an image of Mr Trump along with the ominous message: “Nothing can stop what is coming. Nothing.”

‘I gave $1 to you and $20 to Biden’

10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum is offering $20 gift cards to donors who give $1 to his campaign — but some supporters of Joe Biden say they have been funnelling the gift card money to the president’s re-election campaign.

Kelly Rissman has the story of the ruse.

Biden supporters exploit Republican’s $1 cashback campaign pledge

Voices: Is Donald Trump a legal unicorn?

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Benedict Cosgrove writes:

As the legal troubles facing Donald Trump grow, many of us are torn by conflicting responses to the spectacle of a former president facing multiple felony criminal indictments.

Yes, we’re grateful that the most depraved, transparently autocratic president in US history is facing justice. But our satisfaction is tempered by the knowledge that, like any mob boss, Trump sees the indictments as a badge of honor, and countless MAGA die-hards see them that way, too.

Read on...

Is Donald Trump a legal unicorn?

Which presidential candidates have met the criteria to join first RNC debate?

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Six Republican presidential candidates have met the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) new criteria to participate in the first GOP debate on 23 August.

Ariana Baio reports.

The presidential candidates who have so far met criteria to join first RNC debate

Haley leads DeSantis in South Carolina, Fox poll shows

07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia has the latest as the home state candidate Nikki Haleuy bests Ron DeSantis for the number two spot behind Donald Trump in South Carolina.

Nikki Haley leads Ron DeSantis in South Carolina: Fox poll

ICYMI: Jack Smith has contacted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has given insight into the possible scope of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The Republican governor - who survived a Trump-backed attempt to oust him from office last year - told USA Today on Sunday that Mr Smith’s office had contacted him.

However, it is unclear what stage Mr Smith’s investigation has reached or whether Mr Kemp’s office had provided, or agreed to provide, evidence or testimony.

John Bowden reports.

Jack Smith has contacted Brian Kemp over Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election

How Trump is gaining an advantage in the battle for delegates

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Set aside the polls, the fundraising numbers or Donald Trump’s name recognition as metrics of his early dominance of the Republican presidential contest. He has what could prove to be the most important advantage in the race: a leg up in winning the delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

How Trump is gaining an advantage in the nitty-gritty battle for delegates

Nervous GOP candidates turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

They acknowledge Donald Trump‘s dominance, but weary Republicans across New Hampshire — even inside the governor’s office — are fighting to stop the former president from winning the first-in-the-nation primary.

For now, however, they’re relying on little more than hope and prayers.

Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump

The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Florida district judge assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s classified documents case is attracting criticism given that it was Mr Trump himself who elevated her to the bench three years ago.

Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida overseeing the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice case against Mr Trump, has rejected the disgraced ex-president’s bid to delay his trial until after the 2024 election.

Judge Cannon issued an order on 21 July granting the government’s request to set a speedy trial date and schedule for pretrial motions, with a start date of 20 May 2024.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

Explained: Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports on how a sprawling Justice Department probe into Donald Trump and his allies could result in several criminal charges against the former president.

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

Voices: Ron DeSantis is caught in a death spiral of his own making

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

At this point, almost everyone, including his fans, acknowledges Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign has severely underperformed its expectations. He failed to raise more money than former president Donald Trump and his campaign has burned through cash, which has led to him shedding staff.

This weekend, two polls from Fox Business offered a double body blow to Mr DeSantis, with one showing that Mr Trump leads the governor by 30 points while Sen Tim Scott (R-SC) is biting at his heels. Even more brutally, a poll in South Carolina shows he now trails the state’s former Gov Nikki Haley by one point.

Read on...

Ron DeSantis is caught in a death spiral of his own making

DeSantis has already blown 40 per cent of his campaign donations

Tuesday 25 July 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’s campaign advisers took the rare (and sometimes fatal) step of acknowledging mismanagement of the Florida governor’s presidential bid this weekend, as reports revealed that he is burning through cash with little to show for it.

The Florida governor’s top staff and advisers were in Utah on Sunday where, according to Politico, they appeared in front of dozens of restless campaign donors who have expressed concern about a return on their investments and the overall trajectory of Mr DeSantis’s bid for the White House.

John Bowden reports.

Ron DeSantis has already blown 40 per cent of his campaign donations

Could prosecutors charge Trump with racketeering in Georgia case?

Tuesday 25 July 2023 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward explores the possibility that the Fulton County grand jury could lead to racketeering charges against former president Donald Trump.

How prosecutors could charge Trump with racketeering in Georgia case

Nervous GOP candidates turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump

Monday 24 July 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

They acknowledge Donald Trump‘s dominance, but weary Republicans across New Hampshire — even inside the governor’s office — are fighting to stop the former president from winning the first-in-the-nation primary.

For now, however, they’re relying on little more than hope and prayers.

Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump

Man who beat officer with flagpole during Capitol riot is sentenced

Monday 24 July 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

An Arkansas truck driver who beat a police officer with a flagpole attached to an American flag during the US Capitol riot was sentenced Monday to more than four years in prison.

Read on...

Man who beat officer with flagpole during Capitol riot is sentenced to over 4 years in prison

ICYMI: Jack Smith has contacted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

Monday 24 July 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has given insight into the possible scope of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The Republican governor - who survived a Trump-backed attempt to oust him from office last year - told USA Today on Sunday that Mr Smith’s office had contacted him.

However, it is unclear what stage Mr Smith’s investigation has reached or whether Mr Kemp’s office had provided, or agreed to provide, evidence or testimony.

John Bowden reports.

Jack Smith has contacted Brian Kemp over Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election

GOP’s Hunter Biden gambit jeopardises national security, say House Oversight Democrats

Monday 24 July 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee issued a memo saying that Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Sen Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) release of an unclassified document related to their probe of Hunter Biden jeopardises national security.

Mr Grassley released what is called an FD-1023 form, which includes claims that a confidential informant made about President Joe Biden’s son Hunter’s work with Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

The informant claimed that they were told by officials at Burisma about their relationships with then-vice president Biden and his son Hunter. But top Republicans admit they cannot verify the claims in the form.

But a memo from the Democratic members of the committee characterised the claims, which were memorialised “second-hand” from Ukrainian Oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma, to the FBI by a confidential source, as coming “years after the fact.”

Eric Garcia has the latest from Capitol Hill.

House Oversight Committee Democrats call out GOP for jeopardising national security

How Trump is gaining an advantage in the battle for delegates

Monday 24 July 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Set aside the polls, the fundraising numbers or Donald Trump’s name recognition as metrics of his early dominance of the Republican presidential contest. He has what could prove to be the most important advantage in the race: a leg up in winning the delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

While the delegate count won’t begin taking shape until voting begins next January, Trump’s edge in the race to win their votes is years in the making.

Read on...

How Trump is gaining an advantage in the nitty-gritty battle for delegates

Pennsylvania mayor seeking reimbursement of costs from Trump as he prepares another rally

Monday 24 July 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Erie-Times News reports that the city of Erie is once again seeking reimbursement from the Trump campaign for any costs incurred by the taxpayer as a result of the former president’s rally planned for Saturday.

The president did not repay more than $35,000 to the city to cover the costs of a rally in 2018.

Erie Mayor Joe Schember’s administration will once again seek reimbursement from former President Donald J. Trump’s campaign for any taxpayer-funded, employee related costs incurred as a result of Trump’s planned Saturday rally at Erie Insurance Arena.

Schember told the Erie Times-News Monday morning that the city plans to pursue reimbursement from the Trump campaign, despite the fact that the former president's campaign committee did not repay more than $35,000 to the city in relation to a Trump rally which took place at Erie Insurance Arena almost five years ago.

‘I gave $1 to you and $20 to Biden’

Monday 24 July 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum is offering $20 gift cards to donors who give $1 to his campaign — but some supporters of Joe Biden say they have been funnelling the gift card money to the president’s re-election campaign.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Biden supporters exploit Republican’s $1 cashback campaign pledge

Giuliani team that tried to find evidence of 2020 fraud hands over hundreds of documents to Jan 6 probe

Monday 24 July 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The former New York City Police Department commissioner who collected spurious evidence of alleged voter fraud and manipulation for Donald Trump’s campaign has agreed to turn over hundreds of documents, according to court filings.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Jack Smith receives hundreds of documents from Giuliani team

Watch: Miles Taylor reveals Trump ‘desperately wanted to create his own armed mercenary group'

Monday 24 July 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House staffer Miles Taylor revealed in an interview that former president Donald Trump desperately wanted to create an American version of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Wagner Group.

Voices: Is Donald Trump a legal unicorn?

Monday 24 July 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Benedict Cosgrove writes:

As the legal troubles facing Donald Trump grow, many of us are torn by conflicting responses to the spectacle of a former president facing multiple felony criminal indictments.

Yes, we’re grateful that the most depraved, transparently autocratic president in US history is facing justice. But our satisfaction is tempered by the knowledge that, like any mob boss, Trump sees the indictments as a badge of honor, and countless MAGA die-hards see them that way, too.

Read on...

Is Donald Trump a legal unicorn?

Watch: Christie says Trump threat to suspend Constitution should disqualify him from 2024 race

Monday 24 July 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

What does the Kerik evidence mean for the next Trump indictment?

Monday 24 July 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Referencing The Daily Beast reporting, MSNBC’s Katie Phang notes what the evidence handed over by former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik could mean for the special counsel investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged election interference, and the likely third indictment of the former president.

"Smith is expected to now receive nearly 2,000 pages of material describing how Kerik looked into bogus fraud allegations. The records could prove pivotal for federal prosecutors, who are seeking evidence of Trump’s decision-making process..."

"Kerik has agreed to sit down with the feds for a formal interview sometime in mid-August, Kerik said. That timing could indicate that Smith isn’t as close to indicting Trump as the former president has recently suggested..."

"...but Smith could also conduct the Kerik interview after an indictment. Investigators typically wrap up interviews and collect a full picture of evidence before asking a grand jury to vote on criminal charges."

Unanswered questions about Donald Trump’s looming third indictment

Monday 24 July 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is widely expected to be hit with his third indictment of the year this week over his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 US presidential election and his role in the ensuing Capitol riot of 6 January 2021.

Mr Trump took to Truth Social last Tuesday (18 July) to gripe to his followers about receiving a letter from Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith informing him that he is the target of a grand jury investigation, adding to his ever-mounting legal woes at a time when he is attempting to secure the Republican Party’s backing to be its candidate for the White House in 2024.

The development comes after he was arraigned in New York on 4 April over the alleged misrepresentation of business records to conceal hush money payments during the 2016 campaign and again in Florida on 13 June over the alleged mishandling of classified documents belonging to the US government in the aftermath of his presidency.

Mr Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and, despite these setbacks, his popularity with his supporters remains largely undimmed: he leads the field in the quest for the GOP nomination to challenge Joe Biden and has turned adversity to his advantage by raising campaign funds off the back of his insistence that he is really the victim of political persecution by his enemies and a Justice Department “weaponised” against him by the Biden administration.

Read more...

Unanswered questions about Trump’s looming January 6 indictment

Haley leads DeSantis in South Carolina, poll shows

Monday 24 July 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Two new polls from Fox Business show that Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s numbers in the Republican presidential primary continue to tumble in Iow in South Carolina, where the state’s former governor Nikki Haley has eclipsed him.

Eric Garcia reports.

Nikki Haley leads Ron DeSantis in South Carolina: Fox poll

Former NYPD commissioner hands Trump records to special counsel, report says

Monday 24 July 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Per The Daily Beast:

Bernie Kerik, the former NYPD commissioner who collected evidence of supposed election fraud for the Trump campaign in 2020, has cut a deal to turn over records to Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of the investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Smith previously sought the documents, which are related to Kerik’s role as the former president’s on-the-ground investigator looking into eventually disproven conspiracy theories about ballot stuffing and fake voters. However, Kerik’s legal team had refused to turn those documents over, citing attorney-client privilege stemming from the fact that Kerik was working on behalf of Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

But on Friday, Trump himself waived that privilege and agreed to have the documents turned over, according to Kerik’s defense lawyer, Timothy Parlatore.

Watch: Trump alleged 2020 election interference was drama in three acts

Monday 24 July 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Voices: What Donald Trump’s trial date means for the 2024 election

Monday 24 July 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Another day, another wrench thrown into the Republican presidential primary. On Friday, US District Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order announcing Donald Trump’s court date for his trial for charges related to the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice will take place on 20 May 2024.

Read on...

What Donald Trump’s trial date means for the 2024 election

Watch: Haley says she will support Trump if he is nominated but adds he cannot win a general election

Monday 24 July 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Which presidential candidates have met criteria to join first RNC debate?

Monday 24 July 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Six Republican presidential candidates have met the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) new criteria to participate in the first GOP debate on 23 August.

Read on...

The presidential candidates who have so far met criteria to join first RNC debate

Trump shares meme calling Jan 6 a ‘government staged riot’ even though he was in power

Monday 24 July 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump reposted a meme on Truth Social that suggested the government led the Capitol riot on January 6, despite the fact that he was president at the time.

The meme, which Mr Trump “re-truthed,” said: “January 6 will go down in history as the day the government staged a riot to cover up the fact that they certified a fraudulent election.”

The meme has been liked nearly 9,000 times and shared 2,400 times as of Monday. In reaction to Mr Trump’s repost, journalist Aaron Rupar sarcastically wrote on Twitter: “rubbing my last 2 brain cells together as I try to remember who ran the government on January 6.”

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump confuses by sharing meme blaming government for Jan 6 despite holding office

Judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

Monday 24 July 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A Florida district judge assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s classified documents case is attracting criticism given that it was Mr Trump himself who elevated her to the bench three years ago.

Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida overseeing the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice case against Mr Trump, has rejected the disgraced ex-president’s bid to delay his trial until after the 2024 election.

Judge Cannon issued an order on 21 July granting the government’s request to set a speedy trial date and schedule for pretrial motions, with a start date of 20 May 2024.

Read on...

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

The many lawsuits and criminal charges involving Donald Trump and where they stand

Monday 24 July 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump has continued to face a cloud of lawsuits and investigations, which could frustrate his hopes to win back the presidency in 2024.

The Independent’s US news team has been closely following the former president’s legal woes.

Here’s a summary of where each of the cases against him stands:

All the investigations Trump still faces following his second arrest

Is Trump going to prison?

Monday 24 July 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg explains.

Is Donald Trump going to prison?

When will Trump next be indicted?

Monday 24 July 2023 15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Despite leading the race to be the Republican Party’s next presidential candidate, Donald Trump’s legal woes continue to mount.

Last week, Mr Trump was informed by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith that he is the target of a grand jury investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his role in the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021.

This comes after he has already been indicted twice this year – once over hush money payments allegedly made during his 2016 election campaign and second over his alleged mishandling of classified documents since leaving the White House.

Rachel Sharp takes a look at what might happen next.

When is Donald Trump’s next indictment?

Explained: The Trump federal investigation

Monday 24 July 2023 15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports on how a sprawling Justice Department probe into Donald Trump and his allies could result in several criminal charges against the former president.

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

Jack Smith: The prosecutor overseeing the Trump federal investigations

Monday 24 July 2023 15:20 , Oliver O'Connell

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

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

The first mission was to consider, “whether any person or entity violated the law in connection with efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the electoral college vote held on or about January 6, 2021”.

The second, which led to Mr Trump being indicted and arraigned in 37 federal charges, was about whether the former president had violated US laws prohibiting unlawful retention of national defence information and obstruction of justice.

Read on...

Who is Jack Smith, the prosecutor overseeing the Trump probes

Pelosi slams ‘pathetic’ McCarthy for ‘playing politics’ with plans to expunge Trump impeachments

Monday 24 July 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed her successor Kevin McCarthy for plans to expunge former president Donald Trump’s two impeachments, in an interview with CNN on Sunday.

Ms Pelosi presided over both impeachments of Mr Trump, the first in 2019 when Mr Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden’s son Hunter in exchange for military aid to the country, and the second in 2021 for the January 6 riot.

“The president was impeached because we had no choice,” she said on CNN’s State of the Union. “He had undermined our national security, jeopardised our wellbeing of our country.”

Ms Pelosi said she was very cautious about bringing forward the two impeachments.

Eric Garcia reports.

Nancy Pelosi slams ‘pathetic’ Kevin McCarthy for plans to expunge Trump impeachments

Marjorie Taylor Greene addresses conspiracy theory linking her to Jan 6 pipe bomber

Monday 24 July 2023 14:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken to social media to address “one of many absolutely stupid conspiracy theories” linking her to the January 6 pipe bomber.

Back on 6 January 2021, authorities identified two pipe bombs in the Washington DC area — one each outside of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill.

The devices were discovered just minutes before Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, prompting concerns that they were planted as a distraction ahead of the chaos.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene addresses online conspiracy linking her to Jan 6 pipe bomber

Trump demands Senate act to thwart ‘most corrupt President in the history of the United States'

Monday 24 July 2023 14:23 , Oliver O'Connell

In a post-breakfast Monday morning Truth Social post, Donald Trump demanded that Republican leadership in the Senate rebukes “Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats, Fascists, and Marxists for their criminal acts against our Country”.

Here’s the full post:

Joe Biden is the most corrupt President in the history of the United States, which is being undeniably proven in the House of Representatives every single day. But with all of these horrible revelations and facts, why hasn’t Republican “leadership” in the Senate spoken up and rebuked Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats, Fascists, and Marxists for their criminal acts against our Country, some of them against me. How long does America have to wait for the Senate to ACT?

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged’ Jack Smith in Sunday night Truth Social rant about legal woes

Monday 24 July 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump lashed out at Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, US Attorney General Merrick Garland and his own successor President Joe Biden in his latest tirade on Truth Social on Sunday night, where he once again claimed to be the victim of a “coordinated HOAX” orchestrated by his enemies to rob him of a return to the White House.

Mr Trump was informed by Mr Smith last week that he is the target of a grand jury investigation into his role in the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 and in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in his favour.

He could be charged as soon as this week, having already been indicted twice this year over hush money payments allegedly made during his 2016 election campaign and over his alleged mishandling of classified documents in the aftermath of his presidency.

Read the story here:

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged’ Jack Smith in nighttime rant about legal woes

Trump demands cameras in courtroom for potential federal trial

Monday 24 July 2023 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s new lawyer will ask a judge to allow cameras in a federal courtroom if the one-term president is indicted with January 6 election fraud charges by the Department of Justice.

Mr Trump has said that he received a target letter from special counsel Jack Smith who could be set to bring criminal charges against the GOP front-runner within days.

“I would hope that the Department of Justice would join in that effort so that we can take the curtain away and all Americans can see what’s happening,” Mr Lauro said in an appearance on Fox News.

There’s a major obstacle in the way though, as Graeme Massie reports.

Trump demands cameras in courtroom for potential election fraud case

WATCH: Nancy Pelosi slams 'pathetic' Kevin McCarthy for 'playing politics' with plans to expunge trump impeachments

Monday 24 July 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Judge says ex-president did ‘rape’ columnist E Jean Carroll

Monday 24 July 2023 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s sexual abuse case brought by columnist E Jean Carroll has denied his bid to toss the jury’s verdict, and let the air out of his legal team’s argument.

Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled this week that a jury’s award of $2m to Ms Carroll over its finding that Mr Trump had indeed sexually abused her was not excessive, given that while the actions alleged by his accuser did not fit the legal definition of rape, they certainly fit the colloquial meaning of the word.

John Bowden reports.

Trump bid to toss E Jean Carroll ruling backfires as judge says he did ‘rape’ her

Jack Smith has contacted Georgia Governor over Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election

Monday 24 July 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has given insight into the possible scope of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The Republican governor - who survived a Trump-backed attempt to oust him from office last year - told USA Today on Sunday that Mr Smith’s office had contacted him.

However it is unclear what stage Mr Smith’s investigation has reached or whether Mr Kemp’s office had provided, or agreed to provide, evidence or testimony.

Read more here:

Jack Smith has contacted Brian Kemp over Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election

Trump classified documents trial set for May 2024

Monday 24 July 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Florida federal judge overseeing the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice case against former president Donald Trump has rejected the disgraced ex-president’s bid to delay his trial until after the 2024 election.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon on Friday issued an order granting the government’s request to set a speedy trial date and schedule for pretrial motions, with a start date of 20 May 2024.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Judge sets May 2024 date for Trump classified documents trial

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged’ Jack Smith in Sunday night rant at legal woes

Monday 24 July 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has gone on the attack over the grand jury investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election – as he could be indicted on criminal charges as soon as this week.

In a Truth Social rant on Sunday night, the former president lashed out at special counsel Jack Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland claiming that the investigations are a “coordinated Hoax” and a ploy to “STEAL ANOTHER ELECTION through PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT at levels never seen before in the U.S.”.

“Just think of it! Between Mueller, Deranged Jack Smith, and Congressional Committees, over 100 Million Dollars has been spent investigating me since I came down the escalator in Trump Tower,” Trump fumed.

“Biden is a criminal, and almost no money, by comparison, has been spent investigating him. Get smart, Republicans, they are trying to steal the Election from you!”

How might prosecutors charge Trump with racketeering in Georgia case?

Monday 24 July 2023 10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Georgia prosecutor investigating Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state is reportedly weighing a racketeering indictment against the former president and others.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could rely on evidence tied to Mr Trump’s infamous call to the state’s top elections official to “find” votes for him, as well as the breach of voting machines by a group of Trump-connected operatives, according to The Guardian, citing two people briefed on the matter.

Prosecutors are reportedly reviewing a racketeering indictment including statutes related to influencing witnesses and computer trespass.

An indictment is expected within the first two weeks of August.

Alex Woodward reports.

How prosecutors could charge Trump with racketeering in Georgia case

Explained: Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election

Monday 24 July 2023 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

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

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

How Trump is gaining an advantage in the nitty-gritty battle for delegates

Monday 24 July 2023 07:54 , Shweta Sharma

Set aside the polls, the fundraising numbers or Donald Trump’s name recognition as metrics of his early dominance of the Republican presidential contest. He has what could prove to be the most important advantage in the race: a leg up in winning the delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

While the delegate count won’t begin taking shape until voting begins next January, Trump’s edge in the race to win their votes is years in the making.

Many state Republican parties made changes to their rules ahead of the 2020 election by adding more winner-take-all contests and requiring candidates to earn higher percentages of the vote to claim any delegates.

DeSantis says he’d accept Trump being prosecuted for a ‘traditional crime’

Monday 24 July 2023 07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a scenario in which Gov Ron DeSantis would applaud the prosecution of former President Donald Trump — but only if Mr Trump were to do a “traditional crime” like “robbing a bank.”

“Look, nobody is above the law,” Mr DeSantis said in an appearance on Newsmax.

“If Donald Trump or any big political person gets caught robbing a bank or doing things that we know are traditional crimes that people get prosecuted for every day, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.”

Abe Asher reports on the governor’s comments.

DeSantis says he’d accept prosecution of Trump for a ‘traditional crime’