Trump news – live: Ivanka distances herself from family legal woes as Hope Hicks meets Manhattan prosecutors

Donald Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump has asked for a delay in bringing the $250m fraud lawsuit filed against her, her brothers, her father and their family’s eponymous real estate company to trial.

Her lawyers argue that the fraud complaint filed last year “does not contain a single allegation that Ms Trump directly or indirectly created, prepared, reviewed, or certified any of her father’s financial statements”.

“Other individuals were responsible for those tasks,” they added.

In news about Mr Trump’s other legal issues, it emerged his former aide Hope Hicks had met with Manhattan prosecutors investigating the former president’s alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The former White House communications director visited the office of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg with her lawyers on Monday. This comes as prosecutors ramp up the long-running investigation into the payments to Daniels leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump is praising Fox News host Tucker Carlson for airing footage of the January 6 Capitol riot falsely depicting it as a peaceful process. He has called for the prosection of the House select committee that investigated the attack on Congress.

Key points

• Trump mocked over ‘half full’ CPAC crowd

• Fact check: Trump’s lies at CPAC

• Trump says criminal charges won’t derail his 2024 bid

• Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign

• Larry Hogan rules himself out of 2024 race

Voices: Why Kevin McCarthy really gave Tucker Carlson the Jan 6 videos

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

The conservative movement and right-wing media has never really trusted Kevin McCarthy. They often see him as a chameleon devoid of any real ideology who has shifted as his party has changed. Indeed, last year, Mr Carlson said in private Mr McCarthy “sounds like an MSNBC contributor” and called him “a puppet of the Dem Party” after The New York Times revealed recordings of his conversations with House GOP leadership after the January 6 riot.

Read on:

Why Kevin McCarthy really gave Tucker Carlson the Jan 6 videos

Watch: The five most bizarre lines from CPAC 2023

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The five most bizarre lines from CPAC 2023

Voices: Trump’s Jan 6 song is as bad as you’d expect... It’s also dangerous

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes:

On Friday at midnight, Donald Trump dropped a new song with the J6 Prison Choir. No, that’s not an Onion headline. That just happened. Who needs SNL when we have reality?

According to Forbes staff writer Zach Everson, Trump, in partnership with former Trump Admin official Kash Patel and former Fox News Host Ed Henry, collaborated with January 6 insurrectionists awaiting trial in a DC jail.

I’ll save you time. The song is as bad as you’d expect.

Read on:

Trump’s new Jan 6 song is as bad as you’d expect. It’s also dangerous

Trump uses Tucker Carlson tapes to call for Jan 6 prisoners to ‘go free’

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has used the January 6 insurrection surveillance footage released to Fox News host Tucker Carlson to call for prisoners to “go free”.

The decision by Speaker Kevin McCarthy to release around 40,000 hours of security footage from the attack on the Capitol has been blasted by critics.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on Tuesday that Monday night’s broadcast by Mr Carlson was “one of the most shameful hours of television”.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump uses Tucker Carlson tapes to call for Jan 6 prisoners to ‘go free’

Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after being extensively mocked

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump went on the defensive bright and early on Monday morning as he chafed over coverage of his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington DC over the weekend.

He claimed the room was packed. The reality was a little different...

Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after mockery over empty seats

Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) concluded on Saturday with a speech from former President Donald Trump, still considered the heavy favourite (especially by this crowd) for the 2024 GOP nomination.

But while Republicans attending the three-day Trumpfest at Maryland’s National Harbor were certain of who should be at the top of the ticket — even breaking out into chants of “Trump! Trump!” during a speech by his competitor, Nikki Haley — they were far less certain about who the former president should pick as his running mate should he secure his party’s nomination.

John Bowden and Eric Garcia filed this report from the conference.

CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?

Kristol alarmed as Trump ‘all in for the insurrection’ and Republicans silent

17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Bill Kristol, Conservative commentator and editor-at-large of The Bulwark, voiced his alarm that the Republican Party seems incapable of denouncing the January 6 insurrection.

Posting Trump’s praise of Tucker Carlson and Kevin McCarthy, he wrote on Twitter: “Trump is all in for the insurrection. His Republican competitors won’t denounce the insurrection. The Republican Party is half insurrectionist and half anti-anti-insurrectionist.”

He added: “I am alarmed.”

This morning in Trump Truth Social posts

16:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump began his morning on Truth Social with a big ALL-CAPS thank you to Tucker Carlson and Kevin McCarthy for the airing of the US Capitol surveillance tapes reframed to make the attack on Congress look peaceful and raising the ire of Democrats and the family of Brian Sicknick who died soon after.

The former president posted: “LET THE JANUARY 6 PRISONERS GO. THEY WERE CONVICTED, OR ARE AWAITING TRIAL, BASED ON A GIANT LIE, A RADICAL LEFT CON JOB. THANK YOU TO TUCKER CARLSON AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE KEVIN McCARTHY FOR WHAT YOU BOTH HAVE DONE. NEW VIDEO FOOTAGE IS IRREFUTABLE!!!”

More than 1,000 people have now been charged with crimes committed

Turning his attention to Florida Governor Ron De Santis, Mr Trump wrote: “FLORIDA WAS DOING GREAT FOR MANY YEARS, LONG BEFORE RON DESANCTUS GOT THERE. THE SUNSHINE AND OCEAN ARE WONDERFUL THINGS TO HAVE!”

After a series of reposts concerning debunked 2020 election fraud conspiracy theories, Mr Trump took up the topic of Hunter Biden and his laptop, writing: “Everything is exposed on Hunter Biden’s Laptop from Hell, including massive crime by Joe and Hunter — But nothing happens, they just keep coming after me. The good news is that AMERICA WON’T TAKE IT ANY LONGER!”

He then took a moment to praise former aide Steve Bannon for his speech at CPAC: “He tells it like it is!!!”

Mr Trump rounded off the morning with another post on the topic of the Capitol surveillance footage: “Tucker Carlson a MUST WATCH tonight. Releasing more VIDEO which was “HIDDEN BY THE CROOKED J 6 UNSELECT COMMITTEE.” They should be prosecuted for their lies and, quite frankly, TREASON!”

Five takeaways from CPAC

16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The latest Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington DC proved that former President Donald Trump remains firmly in control of the Republican Party going into the 2024 election.

Eric Garcia presents his key takeaways from the conference.

Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race

Trump asserts his dominance over GOP in CPAC speech

15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump delivered the closing speech of the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference, where he targeted his enemies not just in the Democratic Party and the media, but also the Republican Party.

The former president spoke in grave terms before a crowd at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland on the third full day of the gathering of right-wing elected officials and activists.

“This is the final battle,” Trump told the crowd at CPAC of the 2024 presidential race and the fate of the country itself. “This is it.”

Eric Garcia filed this report over the weekend.

Trump asserts his dominance over GOP in CPAC speech and calls 2024 ‘final battle’

Fact checker spots at least 23 lies in Trump’s CPAC speech

15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump made at least 23 false statements during his CPAC speech over the weekend, a fact check has found.

CNN’s Daniel Dale noted that this was “far from the total,” adding that the speech was full of “wildly inaccurate claims”.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Trump sparks outrage as fact checker spots at least 23 lies in CPAC speech

DoJ reaches 1,000 January 6 arrests in just over two years since riot

14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

At least 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on the US Capitol more than two years after a mob fuelled by Donald Trump’s false election claims breached the halls of Congress to forcibly disrupt the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Alex Woodward reports.

More than 1,000 people arrested in connection with January 6

Larry Hogan rules himself out of 2024 race

14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ruled himself out of the 2024 race, after saying that he will not go head-to-head with Donald Trump.

The Republican, who has become one of the party’s fiercest critics of Mr Trump, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that he will not challenge the former president.

“I would never run for president to sell books or position myself for a Cabinet role,” he wrote.

“I have long said that I care more about ensuring a future for the Republican Party than securing my own future in the Republican Party. And that is why I will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president.”

While he said he appreciated “all those around the nation who have for many years encouraged me to run for president, after eight years of pouring my heart and soul into serving the people of Maryland, I have no desire to put my family through another grueling campaign just for the experience”.

Hope Hicks meets with Manhattan prosecutors over Stormy Daniels hush money

13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump’s former aide Hope Hicks has met with Manhattan prosecutors investigating the former president’s alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

The former White House communications director visited the office of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg with her lawyers on Monday – spending several hours there before they were spotted leaving.

This comses as prosecutors ramp up the long-running investigation into the payments to the adult film star leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Ms Hicks is only the latest in a growing number of people who were in Mr Trump’s inner circle at the time.

Mr Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen and former political adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke to prosecutors about the probe last week.

CPAC’s sea of empty seats: Trumpworld celebs address half-empty ballroom

13:00 , John Bowden

If the audience of CPAC 2023 was evidence of one thing, it was the increasingly rightward tilt of both the American Conservative Union which hosts the event, as well as the broader GOP activist base.

What could have been a massive “big tent” gathering of DC Republicans and their nationwide grassroots allies instead appeared to be more of a muted affair held to celebrate the glory of Donald Trump and his dominant but still incomplete segment of the Republican Party.

The split was evident in the crowd sizes at the event on Friday, when many big-name speakers including Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump Jr., and others were slated to speak. All of the above spoke to half-empty ballrooms which struggled to reach the same tenor and excitement of your average Trump rally.

John Bowden has more from the ground at CPAC:

Trumpworld celebs address half-empty CPAC as mainstream Republicans shy away

VOICES: Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP

12:31 , John Bowden

“In his keynote CPAC speech, Donald Trump once again demonstrated why his leadership of the Republican Party has led to electoral loss after electoral loss. His rambling speech was unlikely to appeal to anyone not already firmly ensconced in the conservative bubble. When he did settle into a coherent statement, it was more often than not a vicious attack on his Republican rivals.

“The combination is a looming nightmare for the GOP. Trump has no vision for the future himself and is determined to torch the party if it attempts to move on from him. The media loves Democrats in disarray stories, but Trump makes it clear that there is an almost limitless potential for Republican dysfunction in 2024.”

Noah Berlatsky writes for The Independent:

Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP

Larry Hogan rules himself out of 2024 race

11:31 , John Bowden

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ruled himself out of the 2024 race, after saying that he will not go head-to-head with Donald Trump.

The Republican, who has become one of the party’s fiercest critics of Mr Trump, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that he will not challenge the former president.

“I would never run for president to sell books or position myself for a Cabinet role,” he wrote.

“I have long said that I care more about ensuring a future for the Republican Party than securing my own future in the Republican Party. And that is why I will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president.”

While he said he appreciated “all those around the nation who have for many years encouraged me to run for president, after eight years of pouring my heart and soul into serving the people of Maryland, I have no desire to put my family through another grueling campaign just for the experience”.

CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?

10:31 , John Bowden

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) concluded on Saturday with a speech from former President Donald Trump, still considered the heavy favourite (especially by this crowd) for the 2024 GOP nomination.

But while Republicans attending the three-day Trumpfest at Maryland’s National Harbor were certain of who should be at the top of the ticket — even breaking out into chants of “Trump! Trump!” during a speech by his competitor, Nikki Haley — they were far less certain about who the former president should pick as his running mate should he secure his party’s nomination.

It’s a unique question for the once-president. He obviously cannot run again with his former vice president, Mike Pence, who is mulling his own 2024 bid and has publicly broken with his ex-boss on Mr Trump’s most important issue: The certainty of their shared 2020 defeat to Joe Biden. The former president also has far fewer ties with the GOP establishment than he had the last go around or even was able to forge in 2016, meaning that his hypothetical pick for several reasons could likely end up being someone with much stronger ties to the GOP’s far-right activist base.

John Bowden and Eric Garcia take a look at the possible choices, and gauge the enthusiasm at CPAC:

CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign before they aired

09:31 , John Bowden

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News’ parent company are being sued over claims that they shared campaign strategy from Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential run with Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The suit filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by progressive activist group Media Matters on Friday alleges Fox made an illegal contribution to the Trump campaign when they shared his opponent’s ads before they had aired on the network.

“(Fox’s) actions are not only an egregious violation of the (Federal Election Campaign) Act and the Commission’s regulations, but also a nefarious attempt by people in power to operate a press entity as a political organisation, in blatant disregard of the rules that govern our elections and democracy,” Media Matters CEO and president Angelo Carusone writes in the filing, which was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has the full story:

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign

SNL cold open slays Fox News over Dominion defamation lawsuit

08:31 , John Bowden

Saturday Night Live’s cold open went after Fox News over its conspicuous silence about damning revelations in a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems.

Internal communications and sworn depositions in the court battle have revealed that Fox’s star anchors and executives knew that Donald Trump’s false 2020 election fraud claims were bogus.

Since the allegations were made public in unsealed court filings last week, Fox News has barely acknowledged them.

Watch the sketch here:

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch and Alex Murdaugh

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and husband are divorcing

07:31 , John Bowden

A senior presidential adviser in the Trump White House, Kellyanne Conway, and her husband, attorney George Conway, a prominent critic of the former president, say they are divorcing.

The news marks the end of one of Washington’s strangest power couples.

Read more in The Independent:

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and husband are divorcing

Ex-Trump aide Hope Hicks meets Manhattan prosecutors

06:55 , Stuti Mishra

Former senior adviser to Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, was spotted entering the Manhattan district attorney’s office yesterday in a signal of a possible escalation of the investigation into the former president’s alleged involvement in hush money payments to a porn star during his presidential campaign.

Prosecutors from district attorney Alvin Bragg’s office have been presenting evidence to a grand jury since January, with Ms Hicks being the seventh witness to meet with them, the New York Times reported.

It remains unclear whether she was simply answering questions or will be asked to testify before the grand jury.

Mr Trump has labelled the investigation a “witch hunt,” and it is unknown whether the district attorney will seek an indictment against him.

Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race

06:31 , John Bowden

The latest Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington DC proved that former President Donald Trump remains firmly in control of the Republican Party going into the 2024 election.

CPAC 2023 was the first in the nation’s capital since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The gathering has long been a cattle call for potential Republican presidential nominees and other rising stars in the party. And it sets the tone for what conservatives will likely focus on in the next election.

Eric Garcia dives in to what we can learn from the conference:

Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race

Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race

04:31 , John Bowden

The latest Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington DC proved that former President Donald Trump remains firmly in control of the Republican Party going into the 2024 election.

The latest CPAC gathering was the first in the nation’s capital since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The gathering has long been a cattle call for potential Republican presidential nominees and other rising stars in the party. And it sets the tone for what conservatives will likely focus on in the next election.

Eric Garcia breaks down what we can learn from this year’s Trumpfest:

Five takeaways from CPAC and what it means for the 2024 race

Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after Chris Christie led mockery over empty seats

03:31 , John Bowden

Donald Trump went on the defensive bright and early on Monday morning as he chafed over coverage of his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington DC over the weekend.

The former president contended that “you couldn’t get into the building” as he insisted that seating for his speech was filled and that his supporters had flocked to CPAC to see him.

In reality, any delays getting in to the massive Gaylord hotel and convention centre were likely caused by the security screenings put in place by the US Secret Service — while the main ballroom notably filled up moreso than it had for smaller-name speakers like Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley, it was far from a “standing room only” event like the rallies Mr Trump became known for in 2016 and, to a lesser extent, in 2020.

Read more in The Independent for an exclusive on-the-ground look into CPAC 2023:

Defensive Trump insists CPAC speech was packed after mockery over empty seats

Brick suits, lawsuits, insults and pillows: The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC

02:31 , John Bowden

Where else on earth but the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) can you see a pillow salesman treated like royalty, with his own security detatchment? Or see Sebastian Gorka, former White House official, yelling at The Bulwark’s Tim Miller that he was “f***ing fake news” and should “go to hell”?

Take a trip to National Harbor, Md, and catch up on the rage that infects the right-wing media sphere following Donald Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Read more:

The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC as Trump waits in the wings

Russell Brand rails against Rachel Maddow, MSNBC and Fox News ‘propaganda’ in viral rant

01:31 , John Bowden

Actor Russell Brand ranted against MSNBC and claimed that the left-leaning network is an equal source of “propaganda” to Fox News, the conservative news network which now faces a massive defamation lawsuit over amplifying Donald Trump’s election lies in 2020.

The episode of Real Time with Bill Maher on which Mr Brand made his remarks aired on Saturday evening, after which the clip was spread widely around social media, largely by conservatives celebrating Brand’s comments.

Read more:

Russell Brand rails against Rachel Maddow and Fox News ‘propaganda’ in viral rant

Michelle Obama reveals why she was ‘uncontrollably sobbing’ after Donald Trump’s inauguration

00:31 , John Bowden

Michelle Obama has reflected on former US President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day and revealed why she was sobbing after it.

The former first lady discussed her and her husband’s, former President Barack Obama, time in the White House during the first and upcoming episode of Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast.

Learn more in The Independent:

Michelle Obama reveals why she was ‘sobbing’ after Donald Trump’s inauguration

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Happy Purim’ message greeted with reminders of antisemitism scandals

Monday 6 March 2023 23:30 , John Bowden

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “Happy Purim” message was greeted on Twitter Monday with reminders of her past statements which have drawn accusations of antisemitism.

The Jewish holiday commemorates Jews from Persia being saved from annihilation following a decree put in place by Haman, an Achaemenid Empire official. The story was outlined in the Book of Esther, the third book of the Jewish Tanakh – the Hebrew Bible.

Ms Greene is one of a handful of members of Congress who have met publicly with Nick Fuentes, one of America’s most infamous white nationalists. She has defended her presence at his past events by claiming she did not know who he was.

Read The Independent for more:

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Happy Purim’ message greeted with scandal reminders

Oversight committee Republicans won’t sign Democrats’ letter denouncing white supremacy

Monday 6 March 2023 22:32 , John Bowden

Democratic members on the House Oversight Committee asked their Republican colleagues to sign a two-sentence statement that plainly rejects white supremacy, white nationalism, and a far-right conspiracy theory that suggests politicians are intentionally seeking to displace white Americans by loosening immigration.

All 26 Republicans on the GOP-led committee have signalled that they will not sign the statement, which a committee spokesperson characterised in a statement to The Independent as a distraction.

Some Republican members of Congress (to varying degrees) have been accused of using rhetoric similar to that espoused by “Great Replacment” theory advocates in their own anti-immigration messages. The accusation has drawn strong backlash from some of those same Republicans, like House Republican caucus chair Elise Stefanik.

Alex Woodward has more:

Oversight GOP won’t sign Democrats’ statement denouncing white supremacy

Ex-Trump campaign chairman agrees to pay $3.15m to settle case over failure to report foreign bank accounts

Monday 6 March 2023 21:29 , John Bowden

Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has agreed to pay $3.15m to settle a lawsuit brought by the US Department of Justice.

The case stems from Mr Manafort’s failure to report the ownership of bank accounts in other countries in a timely fashion. It’s just the latest legal snafu Mr Manafort since he was pardoned by Donald Trump for crimes uncovered during the Mueller investigation.

The DOJ sued Mr Manafort last year in US District Court in Southern Florida for $2.9m, alleging that he did not report money he made from his consulting work in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 that was deposited into bank accounts opened on his behalf in Cyprus, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United Kingdom.

Read more:

Paul Manafort agrees to pay $3.15m to settle case with Department of Justice

Ron DeSantis is engaging in ‘fascism’, says Florida Democrat

Monday 6 March 2023 21:00 , John Bowden

Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticised his home state Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, saying the potential Republican presidential candidate is engaging in “fascism”.

The freshman Democratic congressman, who is currently the youngest member of the House of Representatives, spoke on CNN with Jim Acosta about Mr DeSantis’s plan to ban the use of preferred pronouns and gender studies in the state of Florida.

“He isn’t acting on education, we have to be clear,” Mr Frost said. “He’s acting on scapegoating vulnerable communities due to his failures.”

Eric Garcia has more:

Ron DeSantis is engaging in ‘fascism’, says Florida Democrat

Trump launches new 3am Truth Social rant at Rupert Murdoch

Monday 6 March 2023 20:31 , John Bowden

Former President Donald Trump was up late into the night — or perhaps very early in the morning — seething at FoxCorp founder Rupert Murdoch over the continued fallout from the massive lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.

Testimony and evidence uncovered by the lawsuit and made public as a result has been astonishingly embarassing for Mr Trump, who continues to insist that the 2020 election was stolen from him even after failing to produce any hard evidence in his multiple legal fights to overturn state results and his own attorney admitting that his team didn’t have any to speak of.

Read more:

Trump launches new 3am Truth Social rant at Rupert Murdoch

CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?

Monday 6 March 2023 20:00 , John Bowden

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) concluded on Saturday with a speech from former President Donald Trump, still considered the heavy favourite (especially by this crowd) for the 2024 GOP nomination.

But while Republicans attending the three-day Trumpfest at Maryland’s National Harbor were certain of who should be at the top of the ticket — even breaking out into chants of “Trump! Trump!” during a speech by his competitor, Nikki Haley — they were far less certain about who the former president should pick as his running mate should he secure his party’s nomination.

Kari Lake, former candidate for governor, won the event’s veepstakes poll with just 20 per cent of the vote. The Independent spoke with prominent Republicans who attended the conference and heard their thoughts on Donald Trump’s selection of a new running mate.

CPAC veepstakes: Who does Trumpworld want to replace Mike Pence?

Trump's deputy national security adviser says he won't support his old boss in 2024

Monday 6 March 2023 19:36 , John Bowden

One of Donald Trump’s former top deputies has just revealed that he will not support the former president in 2024.

Matthew Pottinger, former deputy White House national security adviser, revealed his thoughts about his ex-boss running a third time during a Washington Post interview.

"Well, I'm likely to support other candidates this time around," he said.

Trump scorches Larry Hogan after ex-governor says he won’t run in 2024

Monday 6 March 2023 19:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump had nothing nice to say about Larry Hogan, the popular former Republican governor of Maryland, on Monday after Mr Hogan released a statement announcing that he would not seek the presidency in 2024. Mr Hogan had been strongly hinting at a run for months.

“Too bad Larry Hogan, the RINO Former Governor of Maryland, is dropping out of the Presidential Race. While he didn’t stand a chance, he would have been fun to practice on!” Mr Trump quipped on Truth Social.

Polls showed Mr Hogan, despite his popularity at home, winning only a few per cent of the vote in a hypothetical 2024 GOP primary matchup against Mr Trump and other candidates.

Donald Trump mocked for ‘half full’ CPAC event: ‘It’s TPAC, Trump PAC’

Monday 6 March 2023 18:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has been mocked by Chris Christie over the poor turn out at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend.

Mr Christie, the one-time president’s former ally, reacted to the event in an interview on ABC’s This Week on Sunday.

“You saw the scenes at CPAC, that room was half full,” said the former New Jersey governor.

“What got him upset on January 6th? The crowd size. What got him upset on January 20th 2017? The crowd size. He measures that as an example of his own power and own authority, and I don’t think he has it anymore,” Mr Christie added.

Read more:

Donald Trump mocked for ‘half full’ CPAC event: ‘It’s TPAC, Trump PAC’

CPAC speaker sparks alarm with call for trans people to be ‘eradicated’

Monday 6 March 2023 17:16 , John Bowden

Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire sparked widespread condemnations and disgust on Saturday with his anti-trans rhetoric made during his speech at CPAC.

“If [transgenderism] is false, then for the good of society, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely,” he said.

John Knefel of Media Matters called it “eliminationist, genocidal rhetoric”. Adam Vary of Variety urged people to “pay attention. This is genocidal. That is not hyperbole or alarmist; this rhetoric is calling for the eradication of a group of people for who they are”.

Mr Knowles, through a spokesperson, has since denied that he was speaking about violence against individuals, though he did not explain how “eradicating” transgenderism could be done without “eradicating” transgender people.

Read more:

CPAC speaker sparks alarm with call for transgenderism to be ‘eradicated’

Brick suits, lawsuits, insults and pillows: The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC

Monday 6 March 2023 16:00 , John Bowden

Where else on earth but the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) can you see a pillow salesman treated like royalty, with his own security detatchment?

Take a trip to National Harbor, Md, and catch up on the rage that infects the right-wing media sphere following Donald Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Read more:

The otherworldly atmosphere at CPAC as Trump waits in the wings

CPAC’s sea of empty seats: Trumpworld celebs address half-empty ballroom

Monday 6 March 2023 15:00 , John Bowden

If the audience of CPAC 2023 was evidence of one thing, it was the increasingly rightward tilt of both the American Conservative Union which hosts the event, as well as the broader GOP activist base.

What could have been a massive “big tent” gathering of DC Republicans and their nationwide grassroots allies instead appeared to be more of a muted affair held to celebrate the glory of Donald Trump and his dominant but still incomplete segment of the Republican Party.

The split was evident in the crowd sizes at the event on Friday, when many big-name speakers including Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump Jr., and others were slated to speak. All of the above spoke to half-empty ballrooms which struggled to reach the same tenor and excitement of your average Trump rally.

John Bowden has more from the ground at CPAC:

Trumpworld celebs address half-empty CPAC as mainstream Republicans shy away

SNL cold open slays Fox News over Dominion defamation lawsuit

Monday 6 March 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Saturday Night Live’s cold open went after Fox News over its conspicuous silence about damning revelations in a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems.

Internal communications and sworn depositions in the court battle have revealed that Fox’s star anchors and executives knew that Donald Trump’s false 2020 election fraud claims were bogus.

Since the allegations were made public in unsealed court filings last week, Fox News has barely acknowledged them.

Read the full story here:

SNL cold open slays Fox News over Dominion defamation lawsuit

Larry Hogan rules himself out of 2024 race

Monday 6 March 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ruled himself out of the 2024 race, after saying that he will not go head-to-head with Donald Trump.

The Republican, who has become one of the party’s fiercest critics of Mr Trump, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that he will not challenge the former president.

“I would never run for president to sell books or position myself for a Cabinet role,” he wrote.

“I have long said that I care more about ensuring a future for the Republican Party than securing my own future in the Republican Party. And that is why I will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president.”

While he said he appreciated “all those around the nation who have for many years encouraged me to run for president, after eight years of pouring my heart and soul into serving the people of Maryland, I have no desire to put my family through another grueling campaign just for the experience”.

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign before they aired

Monday 6 March 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News’ parent company are being sued over claims that they shared campaign strategy from Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential run with Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The suit filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by progressive activist group Media Matters on Friday alleges Fox made an illegal contribution to the Trump campaign when they shared his opponent’s ads before they had aired on the network.

“(Fox’s) actions are not only an egregious violation of the (Federal Election Campaign) Act and the Commission’s regulations, but also a nefarious attempt by people in power to operate a press entity as a political organisation, in blatant disregard of the rules that govern our elections and democracy,” Media Matters CEO and president Angelo Carusone writes in the filing, which was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has the full story:

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News sued for sharing Biden’s ads with Trump campaign

WATCH: The five most bizarre lines from CPAC

Monday 6 March 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

VOICES: Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP

Monday 6 March 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

“In his keynote CPAC speech, Donald Trump once again demonstrated why his leadership of the Republican Party has led to electoral loss after electoral loss. His rambling speech was unlikely to appeal to anyone not already firmly ensconced in the conservative bubble. When he did settle into a coherent statement, it was more often than not a vicious attack on his Republican rivals.

“The combination is a looming nightmare for the GOP. Trump has no vision for the future himself and is determined to torch the party if it attempts to move on from him. The media loves Democrats in disarray stories, but Trump makes it clear that there is an almost limitless potential for Republican dysfunction in 2024.”

Noah Berlatsky writes for The Independent:

Donald Trump’s CPAC speech proves why he is a problem for the GOP

Fact check: Trump’s lies in CPAC speech

Monday 6 March 2023 11:50 , Rachel Sharp

During Donald Trump’s speech at CPAC over the weekend, he continued to spew a series of lies.

A CNN fact check tallied up at least 23 falsehoods covering topics including crime, the war in Ukraine, the border wall – and of course the 2020 election.

“I won the second election, OK, won it by a lot. You know, when they say, when they say Biden won, the smart people know that didn’t [happen],” he claimed.

Of course, Mr Trump did not win the 2020 election. He lost by more than 7 million votes.

Other lies included his claim that he “completed” the construction of the border wall between the US and Mexico – something which is irrefutably untrue.

Donald Trump vows ‘retribution’ and will stay in 2024 race if he faces criminal charges

Monday 6 March 2023 11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is vowing to stay in the 2024 presidential race even if he is indicted in any of the multiple criminal investigations bearing down on him.

“Absolutely, I wouldn’t even think about leaving,” the former president told reporters ahead of his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, speculating that being the target of a criminal indictment could even “enhance” his poll numbers.

During his remarks, Mr Trump vowed to take revenge against Democrats, the media, and even fellow Republicans who opposed him.

“In 2016, I declared: I am your voice,” he told the crowd. “Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.”

The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:

Donald Trump vows to stay in 2024 race if he faces criminal charges

Trump wins huge majority in CPAC 2024 straw poll

Monday 6 March 2023 11:35 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump was the overwhelming winner of the CPAC 2024 straw poll on Saturday, taking 62 per cent of the vote at the gathering of his loyalists on the Potomac.

The result was a predictable certain; the three-day Trumpfest was little more than a gathering of Trump campaign and former administration personnel and many attendees were draped in Trump campain attire, official or otherwise.

The former president’s team immediately blasted out the results of the straw poll to their supporters, writing that Mr Trump had “dominated” the field.

Read the full story here:

Trump wins huge majority in CPAC 2024 straw poll as DeSantis trails in distant second

Trump is mocked over ‘half full’ CPAC crowd

Monday 6 March 2023 11:27 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is facing mockery over the “half full” crowd which showed up to hear him speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday.

Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and onetime close ally of Mr Trump, poked fun at the size of the crowd who attended the former president’s speech at the weekend.

“You saw the scenes at CPAC, that room was half-full,” Mr Christie said on ABC’s “This Week.” “The reason I don’t think the rallies are going on… I don’t think the rallies would be nearly as big as they were before.”

He added: “There are lots of indicators here, that he’s not what he used to be, in most respects, you’re talking about and so we’re going to see how that plays out.”

Mr Trump gave a headline speech at CPAC, where he spewed his election lies and vowed to stay in the 2024 race even if he is criminally charged.

Yet, the room was not even close to full capacity.

Mr Christie has become a vocal critic of Mr Trump.

The two men were once close allies with Mr Christie working on the former president’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns before their relationship soured.

Monday 6 March 2023 11:22 , Rachel Sharp

Welcome toThe Independent’s liveblog where you can find all the latest developments in Trumpworld.

Justice Department notes 1,000 January 6 defendants milestone

Monday 6 March 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

The Department of Justice on Monday marked an important milestone into the investigation into the January 6 attack on Congress. The agency has now charged 1,000 people with crimes stemming from the riot.

Speculation continues to persist about whether Donald Trump or his inner circle will face any charges resulting from the attack as well.