Trump news – live: DoJ asks Supreme Court to stay out of Mar-a-Lago classified documents case

A report in The Washington Post reveals that half of the money raised by Donald Trump’s Save America political action committees has been spent on his legal bills and two nonprofits employing former members of his administration rather than Republican congressional campaigns.

The group has contributed about $8.4m so far directly to Republican campaigns and committees while devoting $7m to the former president’s lawyers and another $2m to the two nonprofits.

Meanwhile, an extract from an upcoming book on the GOP’s support for Mr Trump has revealed new details of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s infamous call with Mr Trump during the January 6 Capitol riot.

According to Politico, when Mr Trump told Mr McCarthy that the people storming the building were “more upset” than his party about the supposed theft of the election, Mr McCarthy responded: “More upset? They’re trying to f***ing kill me!”

Key points

• DoJ asks Supreme Court to stay out of Trump Mar-a-Lago document case

• McCarthy told Trump Jan 6 rioters were trying to kill him – report

• Cassidy Hutchinson is ‘cooperating’ with Atlanta judge’s probe of Trump

• Trump claims Bill Clinton ‘lost’ the nuclear codes

• Report: Trump lawyer Christina Bobb cooperating with Justice Department

DoJ asks Supreme Court to stay out of Trump Mar-a-Lago document case

21:49 , Oliver O'Connell

The Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to refrain from intervening in an ongoing dispute between the government and former president Donald Trump over classified documents found during the 8 August search of his Mar-a-Lago property.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Justice Department asks Supreme Court to stay out of Trump document case

Where in the world is Madison Cawthorn?

21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Madison Cawthorn appears to be done with Congress, both in the electoral and literal senses.

The first-term House member from North Carolina lost his primary to Chuck Edwards, a member of the state’s Senate, after a series of embarrassing videos leaked and Mr Cawthorn lost the support of his party’s leaders in the House and Senate thanks to comments he made about his colleagues supposedly using drugs and having sex parties.

Now, The Washington Post reports that Mr Cawthorn has virtually ceased operations in his district office, which is described as no longer being regularly staffed, including vital constituent work which includes the more mundane but still important duties like helping residents of his district obtain federal services or report problems in the area.

John Bowden reports.

Madison Cawthorn goes AWOL. Where is the GOP rep as his term in Congress ends?

Jared Kushner suggested Kanye West-led White House ‘healing church service’ after George Floyd killing

21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump‘s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, reportedly suggested having a “healing church service” led by Kanye West to ease tensions after the killing of George Floyd, a new book claims.

The New York Times‘ Maggie Haberman details the strange suggestion in her book “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.”

The exchange happened in the weeks after Mr Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Graig Graziosi has the details.

Jared Kushner suggested ‘healing church service’ after George Floyd killing

Everything you need to know about the January 6 hearings so far

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

With the next House select committee hearing on the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol scheduled for Thursday lunchtime, here is everything you need to know about what has transpired so far.

The Jan 6 hearings so far: Everything you need to know

Ahead of Eagles NFL matchup, Fetterman needles Dr Oz over Dallas Cowboys fandom

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman is not backing down from his meme offensive.

Even as the race tightens and Mr Fetterman faces a surge of attacks from Fox News hosts and other GOP-aligned sources, the brash lieutenant governor is pressing on with his efforts to paint his opponent as a carpetbagging New Jerseyan.

The latest salvo from Mr Fetterman comes in the form of a billboard placed outside of Lincoln Financial Field in south Philadelphia. The message, viewable from I-95, declares that his opponent Dr Mehmet Oz is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys (rivals of Philadelphia’s Eagles) and urges voters to “elect a real Pennsylvanian”.

John Bowden has the story.

Fetterman needles Dr Oz over Dallas Cowboys fandom ahead of Eagles NFL matchup

John Bolton claims US could assassinate Putin if nuclear weapon used

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The United States could assassinate Vladimir Putin if Russia uses a nuclear weapon in its conflict with Ukraine, former National Security Adviser John Bolton has claimed.

Mr Bolton, a Republican who served under Donald Trump, made the claims during an interview with Andrew Marr on UK radio station LBC News.

Graeme Massie has the story.

US could assassinate Putin if Russia uses nuclear weapon in Ukraine, says John Bolton

Trump shares bizarre nature documentary voiceover video of himself

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has shared a bizarre video clip of himself during his presidential days – but with a voiceover imitating a nature documentary valorising the lion.

The clip, roughly one minute and 20 seconds long, was posted on his Truth Social account late on Monday and shows him waving to people while the narrator can be heard saying, “This lion, he’s the king of the jungle... huge mane, he’s so big, he’s so hot”.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports.

Trump shares bizarre nature documentary video about himself

Ideas for Trump response to George Floyd murder included Kanye West church service

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by police officers in May 2020, White House staff wanted to show that then-president Donald Trump was engaged in the broader national conversation about racial discrimination, according to Maggie Haberman’s new book.

This reportedly included the suggestion that Kanye West lead a “healing church service on the South Lawn” of the White House.

Chief of Staff Mark Meadows pushed back saying that Trump supporters did not like the rapper, Haberman writes, and so the idea went nowhere.

Save America PAC spends almost half funds on Trump lawyers, report says

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Washington Post reports that half of the money raised by Donald Trump’s Save America PAC has been spent on his legal bills and two nonprofits employing former members of his administration rather than Republican congressional campaigns.

Per the Post:

The group has contributed about $8.4 million so far directly to Republican campaigns and committees, while devoting $7 million to Trump’s lawyers and another $2 million to the nonprofits, which employ former members of his administration, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Legal fees are expected to climb, Trump advisers say, as he employs a growing retinue of lawyers to fend off federal, state and county-level investigations.

Christina Bobb: a perspective

17:30 , Andrew Naughtie

The news that Trump lawyer Christina Bobb has talked to investigators probing the Mar-a-Lago documents came with a crucial detail: the false statement she signed included a disclaimer that the information she was testifying to had been “provided” to her, rather than coming from her directly.

This has left many onlookers pointing out that Ms Bobb would not have insisted this be added just in case it became relevant...

More on the Clinton nuclear codes story

17:00 , Andrew Naughtie

As the documents found by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago are reviewed by a court-appointed special master, Mr Trump has turned to another line of defence: pointing to former presidents’ supposed mishandling of sensitive documents.

His latest claim, or rather the latest he has recirculated, is an old story alleging that Bill Clinton briefly mislaid the nuclear codes at the end of his presidency.

Mr Trump shared the story on Truth Social in the form of a tweet from Buzz Patterson, who served as a senior military aide to Mr Clinton from 1996 to 1998, during which time he was one of a handful of people who carried the so-called “nuclear football”.

But is the story true – and if it is, what bearing, if any, does it have on the current imbroglio?

Read more:

Did Bill Clinton really ‘lose’ the nuclear codes as Trump claimed?

ICYMI: Trump lawyer has talked to feds in Mar-a-Lago probe

16:30 , Andrew Naughtie

According to NBC News, one of Donald Trump’s attorneys, Christina Bobb, met with federal investigators on Friday to provide information on two other attorneys who had a hand in submitting a false statement to the government.

The Friday meeting reportedly ended with Ms Bobb naming Mr Trump’s previous lead counsel, Evan Corcoran, as the person who drafted a false certification telling the Department of Justice that the ex-president had turned over all classified documents in his possession.

Ms Bobb, who was one of Mr Trump’s official custodians of records at the time, also named Trump lawyer Boris Epshteyn as having been involved in the discussions leading up to submission of the false statement but did not have a role in drafting it.

Andrew Feinberg has more:

Trump lawyer cooperating with Justice Department on missing documents case

Trump-backed candidate apparently flailing as Libertarian rises

16:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Among the several Trump-backed candidates who are struggling to pull even in supposedly winnable races is Arizona’s Blake Masters, who has become a controversial figure thanks to his history of racist online posts and extreme positions.

Now, a new poll has shown that his support has still not improved – and that instead, Libertarian Party candidate Marc Victor is apparently gaining ground.

Even assuming that all of Mr Victo’s voters are in fact reluctant Republicans who will “come home” to Mr Masters in November, the 15 points he garners in the poll would only just put Mr Masters ahead of his Demcoratic rival, incumbent Mark Kelly.

Kinzinger backs state-level Democratic candidates

15:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans sitting on the January 6 select committee, has issued a batch of endorsements – and is backing a list of Democrats.

Specifically, he is getting behind nominees for secretary of state posts and governorships, the two offices that in every state carry the most power when it comes to overseeing and influencing the execution and certification of election results.

Among the states where Mr Kinzinger is weighing in is Pennsylvania, whose GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano attended Donald Trump’s 6 January rally and has repeatedly propagated conspiracy theories about the “theft” of the 2020 election.

Cassidy Hutchinson reportedly testifies in Georgia election probe

14:30 , Andrew Naughtie

The former White House aide whose bombshell testimony gave House January 6 committee members a window into former president Donald Trump’s actions on the day of the Capitol riot is reportedly cooperating with a Georgia-based criminal probe into Mr Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election there.

According to CNN, former Mark Meadows assistant Cassidy Hutchinson is now aiding Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney Fani Willis’ ongoing probe into whether Mr Trump or his associates violated Georgia election laws by pressuring Peach State officials to throw out ballots after Mr Trump became the first Republican to lose there in decades.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson reportedly testifies in Georgia election probe

GOP trying to weaken Democrats’ grip on Texas border

14:00 , Andrew Naughtie

As Democrats embark on another October blitz in pursuit of flipping America’s biggest red state, Republicans are taking a swing of their own: making a play for the mostly Hispanic southern border on 8 November after years of writing off the region that is overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats.

Read more:

GOP makes push to weaken Democrats' grip on Texas border

The story behind Trump’s claim that Bush senior stashed documents in a bowling alley

13:30 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump accused former president George HW Bush of hiding classified documents in a “bowling alley” during a rally in Arizona on Sunday.

Mr Trump claimed that many former presidents had stored millions of pages of documents in warehouses “with damaged main doors”.

The former president said that senior Bush “took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant”.

“They put them together. And it had a broken front door and broken windows. Other than that it was quite secure,” Mr Trump added.

Maroosha Muzaffar has more.

The story behind Trump’s claim that Bush senior stashed documents in a bowling alley

Report: Trump lawyer now cooperating with DoJ on missing documents case

13:00 , Andrew Naughtie

The right-wing TV anchor-turned-attorney for former president Donald Trump, who signed a false certification telling the Department of Justice that the ex-president had turned over all classified documents in his possession, is now cooperating with federal prosecutors in the investigation into Mr Trump.

According to NBC News, attorney Christina Bobb met with federal investigators and provided information on two other attorneys who had a hand in submitting the statement to the government.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

Trump lawyer cooperating with Justice Department on missing documents case

The most important races to watch in the midterm elections

12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Election Day is less than a month away and the 2022 midterm races are entering their final sprint.

Republicans are still hope that Americans’ frustration with inflation and the economy, as well as rising crime, will obfuscate their concerns about the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade.

Conversely, Democrats hope to make abortion a centrepiece of the election, but also hope to point “MAGA Republicans” as threats to democracy and highlight the January 6 insurrection.

Here are the most important elections to watch this cycle.

Most important midterm election a month out from Election Day 2022

McCarthy told Trump Jan 6 rioters were trying to kill him

12:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Politico earlier dropped a new nugget from an upcoming book, Robert Draper’s Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind, which looks at the Republican Party’s support for Trump. Specifically, the outlet shared a previously unreported line from a now-infamous phonecall Kevin McCarthy made to Donald Trump during the January 6 riot.

As reported in this morning’s Playbook:

Ryan derides Vance as “ass-kisser"

11:39 , Andrew Naughtie

Representative Tim Ryan threw back former president Donald Trump’s words at his Republican opponent JD Vance in their debate for Ohio’s open Senate seat on Monday evening.

Toward the end of the debate, Mr Ryan hit out at Mr Vance for seeking Mr Trump’s endorsement. During a rally in Youngstown last month, Mr Trump pointed to Mr Vance, who he has endorsed, for courting him.

“JD is kissing my ass, he wants my support so much,” Mr Trump said at the time.

“And that’s bad, because that means JD Vance is going to do whatever he wants,” Mr Ryan said.

Eric Garcia has more.

Tim Ryan calls JD Vance an ‘ass-kisser’ after Trump remarks in Ohio Senate debate

Book reveals McCarthy claimed Trump was unaware of Jan 6 violence

11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly told two police officers who were injured during the January 6 attack on the Capitol that then-president Donald Trump had no idea that a riotous mob of his supporters was storming the US legislature to prevent certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent.

McCarthy claimed Trump didn’t know about January 6 violence, book reveals

Jimmy Kimmel makes a prison wish for Trump

11:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Jimmy Kimmel on Monday called Mr Trump a “spam come to life” for making outlandish claims and spreading bizarre conspiracy theories at his rallies.

“Some idiot tells him something, and he runs with it,” Mr Kimmel said.

“The whole thing is him priming the pump to get people to riot when he inevitably goes to prison,” Mr Kimmel said, adding: “Which I... hold on a second.”

He then pauses his monologue for a moment of prayer. “I’ll save it for tonight.”

Maggie Haberman accused of withholding information on Trump for her book

10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Maggie Haberman has been accused of withholding information concerning former President Donald Trump for her new book Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.

Zeinab Badawi of BBC Radio asked the New York Times journalist if she had put “profits before principles”.

Speaking on Sunday, Ms Badawi asked Ms Haberman why she hadn’t reported information included in the book concerning Mr Trump’s refusal to accept his 2020 election loss.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Maggie Haberman accused of withholding information on Trump for her book

Jeb Bush hits back at Trump for accusing his father of hiding White House documents

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Jeb Bush struck out to defend his late father, George H W Bush, after Donald Trump initiated calls to investigate the 41st president.

At a rally in Arizona on Sunday, Trump attacked several former presidents for being guilty of the same act that earned him a visit from federal agents this past summer at his Mar-a-Lago resort: storing classified documents after their tenure in office.

Johanna Chisholm reports.

Jeb Bush calls out Trump for accusing his father of stealing classified documents

Trump shares bizarre nature documentary voiceover video of himself

09:26 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Donald Trump has shared a bizarre video clip of himself during his presidential days – but with a voiceover imitating a nature documentary valorising the lion.

The clip, roughly one minute and 20 seconds long, was posted on his Truth Social account late on Monday and shows him waving to people while the narrator can be heard saying, “This lion, he’s the king of the jungle... huge mane, he’s so big, he’s so hot”.

“Now when the lion comes, they start messing with him, biting his tail, biting his ears. He doesn’t do anything. The lioness, she starts messing with him, coming over, making trouble. Still, nothing,” the voiceover continues, as the clip shows Melania Trump with him during his oath-taking ceremony.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports.

Trump shares bizarre nature documentary video about himself

What’s behind Trump’s claim that George HW Bush stashed documents in a bowling alley?

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump accused former president George HW Bush of hiding classified documents in a “bowling alley” during a rally in Arizona on Sunday.

The former president said that senior Bush “took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant”.

Maroosha Muzaffar takes a look at the bizarre claims by Mr Trump.

The story behind Trump’s claim that Bush senior stashed documents in a bowling alley

Trump woos Christian right in newly released tape

07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump are heard wooing Christian right leaders ahead of the 2016 election in a newly unearthed audio recording.

The tape is featured in the new documentary Battleground, directed by Cynthia Lowen, which takes a close look at anti-abortion activists.

According to the documentary, the audio was taken during a closed-door meeting between Trump and leaders of the Christian right, 40 days before the 2016 election.

Mr Trump was reported to have met with conservative Christians in June of that year. The audio in the documentary was recorded during a different meeting, on 29 September 2016.

The aim was to discuss how Trump would “fulfil the Christian right’s legislative and cultural priorities,” per Battleground.

Unidentified participants are first heard chatting as they await Trump’s arrival. He then enters the meeting, greets its attendees, and comments: “This is serious power.”

Clémence Michallon reports.

Donald and Ivanka Trump woo Christian right in newly released tape

Trump supporter throws beer can at comedian for voting for Biden

06:27 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A Donald Trump supporter in New Jersey threw a can of beer at a comedian while she was performing over the weekend after discovering that she hadn’t voted for the former president in 2020.

Ariel Elias shared a video clip of the viral incident on her personal Twitter account, which occurred on Saturday night when she was doing a set at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach.

“To answer the most obvious question, yes, I did pick up what was left of the beer and chug it,” tweeted the New York City-based comedian, who describes herself in her online bio as a “Kentucky Jew”.

Johanna Chisholm has more.

Comedian who was attacked by Trump supporter mid-set has perfect clapback moment

Ex-White House aide reportedly cooperating in Trump probe

06:08 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson is reportedly cooperating in an investigation into former president Donald Trump and his allies’ effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Ms Hutchinson, who was a key witness during the hearing for the House Select Committee investigating the 6 January insurrection at Capitol Hill, is cooperating with the inquiry led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, CNN reported, citing sources.

Marjorie Taylor Greene: From fringe to front row

06:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Once shunned as a political pariah for her extremist rhetoric, the Georgia congresswoman who spent her first term in the House stripped of institutional power by Democrats is being celebrated by Republicans and welcomed into the GOP fold. If Republicans win the House majority in the November election, Greene is poised to become an influential player shaping the GOP agenda, an agitator with clout.

Read more:

From fringe to front row: Congresswoman Greene rises in GOP

Donald Trump claims he ‘destroyed’ Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert

05:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Donald Trump claimed that he’s behind the decreasing ratings of late-night programmes hosted by the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Trevor Noah, and congratulated Greg Gutfeld, Fox News’ late-night host, for his recent viewing figures.

“It was my great honour to have destroyed the ratings of Late Night ‘Comedy’ shows. There is nothing funny about the shows, the three hosts have very little talent,” Mr Trump wrote of the hosts of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show, and The Daily Show.

Mr Trump didn’t name the hosts or shows, but his post on his social media platform Truth Social was connected to a Fox News story featuring the three hosts.

The former president’s mockery came shortly after Mr Noah announced his departure from Comedy Central to spend more time doing stand-up.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Trump takes credit for a late night host’s success, claims he ‘destroyed’ Colbert

Trump claims Bill Clinton ‘lost’ the nuclear codes in Truth Social post

04:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Donald Trump claimed Bill Clinton lost the nuclear codes while in office as federal investigators continue to probe which White House materials the 45th president took to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

On Monday evening, Mr Trump reposted a statement on Truth Social from former Clinton military aide Robert “Buzz” Patterson, who wrote: “Just a reminder, but Bill Clinton actually LOST the nuclear codes during my tenure with him. We weren’t raided.”

Mr Patterson, as well as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hugh Shelton, both claimed in books they wrote that the “biscuit,” an ID card used to access the “football,” an attache case carrying the nuclear codes, was misplaced during the Clinton administration, though the former claims the incident occured in 1998 and the latter in 2000.

Josh Marcus reports.

Donald Trump claims Bill Clinton ‘lost’ the nuclear codes

Can Trump run again in 2024?

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump made history in becoming the first president in US history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. But while losing to Joe Biden in November 2020 may have dented the one-term president’s pride and fuelled 18-months of lies about rigged ballot boxes, it now seems almost certain that Mr Trump will run again for the White House in 2024.

Graeme Massie takes a look at what, if anything, could stop him.

Can Trump run again in the 2024 election?

Poll: Trump foe Gretchen Whitmer on course for easy reelection victory

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrats are on course to hold on to the governor’s mansion in Michigan as Tudor Dixon’s campaign is failing to pick up steam in the race’s crucial home stretch, a CBS New/YouGov poll finds.

The poll, published on Sunday, shows Gretchen Whitmer six points ahead of her GOP opponent. It mirrors other polls of the race, including one from the GOP-aligned Trafalgar Group in late September which found the same gap between the candidates. Other recent surveys have even shown Ms Whitmer’s lead to be in the double digits as recently as late last month.

John Bowden has the details.

Gretchen Whitmer on course for easy reelection victory, poll finds

Trump brags about his crowd size on January 6

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump boasted about the size of the crowd that gathered to hear him speak on January 6 during a campaign rally on Saturday night.

“You know the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen? January 6. And you never hear that,” the former president told the rally in Minden, Nevada. “They were there largely to protest a corrupt and rigged and stolen election.”

Bevan Hurley reports.

Trump brags about his crowd size on January 6: ‘The biggest crowd I’ve ever seen’

JD Vance diverts debate question on abortion of Ohio rape victim, 10, by blaming ‘illegal’ migrant

01:45 , Josh Marcus

Republican Senate candidate JD Vance diverted when he was asked in a debate on Monday evening about a ten-year-old who was raped in Ohio who sought an abortion and blamed illegal immigration for the girl being raped.

Moderators asked Mr Vance and Representative Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee, a story that made national headlines wherein a ten-year-old girl was raped and had to go to Indiana to seek an abortion. Ohio limits abortion after six weeks and at the time, Indiana had more lax abortion laws.

“I have said repeatedly on the record, that I think that that girl should be able to get an abortion if she and her family soon choose to do so,” Mr Vance said.

But Mr Vance diverted the question and focused on the person who allegedly committed the rape.

Eric Garcia has the full story.

Vance diverts question on abortion of Ohio rape victim, 10, blames ‘illegal’ migrant

New Hampshire GOP candidate says women’s reproductive choices belong to lawmakers

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican Senate nominee told supporters that women’s reproductive choices belong to lawmakers at the state level.

Don Bolduc, the GOP Senate candidate for New Hampshire, made the controversial remarks at a town hall on Wednesday in Auburn, the HuffPost first reported.

Andrea Blanco reports.

NH GOP Senate nominee says women’s reproductive choices ‘belong to state lawmakers’

Donald Trump claims Bill Clinton lost nuclear codes in office

Tuesday 11 October 2022 00:53 , Josh Marcus

As scrutiny continues to escalate over Donald Trump’s handling of top secret documents he took to Mar-a-Lago, the former president is hitting out at his predecessor Bill Clinton’s handling of sensitive materials.

On Monday evening, Mr Trump reposted a statement from former Clinton military aide Robert ‘Buzz’ Patterson, who wrote on Truth Social that, “Just a reminder, but Bill Clinton actually LOST the nuclear codes during my tenure with him. We weren’t raided.”

Mr Patterson, as well as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hugh Shelton, both claimed that the “biscuit,” an ID card used to access the “football” briefcase containing the nuclear codes, was misplaced during the Clinton administration, though the former claims the incident occured in 1998 and the latter in 2000.

The White House has not confirmed whether the codes were lost, and Mr Clinton has since declined to comment on media reports about the alleged loss of the codes.

One key difference here between the Trump and Clinton scandals is that the federal government is investigating whether Mr Trump intentionally took White House documents to his Florida estate, then intentionally kept them from being retrieved by government archivists as per federal law.

Both former officials describe Mr Clinton as unintentionally mishandling the codes, and they differ on whether the president was aware they had gone missing.

Donald Trump claims Bill Clinton lost nuclear codes in office

Tuesday 11 October 2022 00:44 , Josh Marcus

As scrutiny continues to escalate over Donald Trump’s handling of top secret documents he took to Mar-a-Lago, the former president is hitting out at his predecessor Bill Clinton’s handling of sensitive materials.

On Monday evening, Mr Trump reposted a statement from former Clinton military aide Robert ‘Buzz’ Patterson, who wrote on Truth Social that, “Just a reminder, but Bill Clinton actually LOST the nuclear codes during my tenure with him. We weren’t raided.”

Mr Patterson, as well as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hugh Shelton, both claimed that “biscuit,” an ID card used to access the nuclear football, was misplaced during the Clinton administration, though the former claims the incident occured in 1998 and the latter in 2000.

The White House has not confirmed whether the codes were lost, and Mr Clinton has since declined to comment on media reports about the alleged loss of the codes.

One key difference here between the Trump and Clinton scandals is that the federal government is investigating whether Mr Trump intentionally took White House documents to his Florida estate, then intentionally kept them from being retrieved by government archivists as per federal law.

Both former officials describe Mr Clinton as unintentionally mishandling the codes, and they differ on whether the president was aware they had gone missing.

Trump speaks at global far-right rally via video link

Tuesday 11 October 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Spain’s far-right in a video shown at a rally in Madrid that also featured messages by the leading stars of Europe’s populist right like Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.

In a recording that lasted under 40 seconds made while Trump was on an airplane, Trump thanked Spain’s far-right Vox party and its leader Santiago Abascal for what he called the “great job” they do.

Read more:

Trump speaks via video at rally of global far-right in Spain

ICYMI: Only 27 people showed up to pro-Trump rally in Washington DC

Monday 10 October 2022 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Merely 27 people attended a pro-Trump rally in Washington DC this week.

Event organisers toldThe Daily Beast that the extremely low turnout at the rally on Capitol grounds was the result of several factors, but it was still a “success.”

Andrea Blanco has the story.

Only 27 people showed up to pro-Trump rally in Washington DC

Most Americans don’t trust Supreme Court

Monday 10 October 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A new survey shows that more than half of Americans do not trust the Supreme Court as it begins a new term.

An Annenberg Public Policy Center poll found that 53 per cent of American adults do not trust the Supreme Court, with the same number of Americans saying they disapprove of the job the court is doing.

Eric Garcia takes a look at the latest polling.

Majority of Americans don’t trust the current Supreme Court

Trump claims he ‘destroyed’ Kimmel and Colbert

Monday 10 October 2022 22:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump claimed that he’s behind the decreasing ratings of late-night programmes hosted by the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Trevor Noah, and congratulated Greg Gutfeld, Fox News’ late-night host, for his recent viewing figures.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump takes credit for a late night host’s success, claims he ‘destroyed’ Colbert

Lauren Boebert mocked for ‘two words’ anti-Biden tweet

Monday 10 October 2022 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Lauren Boebert’s attempted jab and President Joe Biden appeared to backfire as some people missed his gaffe referenced by the Colorado Republican.

“Two Words: Let’s Go Brandon!” Ms Boebert tweeted on Saturday, employing a euphemism used by conservatives meaning “f*** Joe Biden”.

While many mocked Ms Boebert for using three words instead of her stated two, her supporters noted that this was likely an attempt to ridicule Mr Biden who had just made that mistake in a speech on Friday.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Lauren Boebert mocked as her ‘two words’ anti-Biden tweet backfires

Key races: Which are the most crucial contests to watch in the midterms?

Monday 10 October 2022 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Election Day is less than a month away and the 2022 midterm races are entering their final sprint.

Republicans are still hope that Americans’ frustration with inflation and the economy, as well as rising crime, will obfuscate their concerns about the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade.

Conversely, Democrats hope to make abortion a centrepiece of the election, but also hope to point “MAGA Republicans” as threats to democracy and highlight the January 6 insurrection.

Eric Garcia takes a look at the most important elections to watch this cycle.

Most important midterm election a month out from Election Day 2022

Trump woos Christian right in newly released tape

Monday 10 October 2022 21:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump are heard wooing Christian right leaders ahead of the 2016 election in a newly unearthed audio recording.

The tape is featured in the new documentary Battleground, directed by Cynthia Lowen, which takes a close look at anti-abortion activists. According to the documentary, the audio was taken during a closed-door meeting between Trump and leaders of the Christian right, 40 days before the 2016 election.

Clémence Michallon has the story.

Donald and Ivanka Trump woo Christian right in newly released tape

Trump brags about his crowd size on January 6

Monday 10 October 2022 21:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump boasted about the size of the crowd that gathered to hear him speak on January 6 during a campaign rally on Saturday night.

“You know the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen? January 6. And you never hear that,” the former president told the rally in Minden, Nevada. “They were there largely to protest a corrupt and rigged and stolen election.”

Bevan Hurley reports.

Trump brags about his crowd size on January 6: ‘The biggest crowd I’ve ever seen’

Trump bashes ratings of late-night comedy shows

Monday 10 October 2022 20:46 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump is taking credit for reported poor ratings of late-night comedy shows, while praising Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld.

He wrote on Truth Social: “It was my great honor to have destroyed the ratings of Late Night “Comedy” shows. There is nothing funny about the shows, the three hosts have very little talent, and when Jimmy Fallon apologized for having humanized “Trump,” and his ratings soared, the Radical Left forced him to apologize—that was effectively the end of The Tonight Show. In any event, congratulations to Greg Gutfield!”

Voices: Maggie Haberman Derangement Syndrome

Monday 10 October 2022 20:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Stephen Lyons writes that the ubiquity of New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman and her new book on Trump raises questions about the ethics of modern journalism.

Maggie Haberman Derangement Syndrome: It’s a 12-step program

Report: Former Trump staffer Cassidy Hutchinson testifies in Georgia election probe

Monday 10 October 2022 20:21 , Oliver O'Connell

The former White House aide whose bombshell testimony gave House January 6 committee members a window into former president Donald Trump’s actions on the day of the Capitol riot is reportedly cooperating with a Georgia-based criminal probe into Mr Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election there.

According to CNN, former Mark Meadows assistant Cassidy Hutchinson is now aiding Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney Fani Willis’ ongoing probe into whether Mr Trump or his associates violated Georgia election laws by pressuring Peach State officials to throw out ballots after Mr Trump became the first Republican to lose there in decades.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson reportedly testifies in Georgia election probe

Can Trump run again in 2024?

Monday 10 October 2022 20:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump made history in becoming the first president in US history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. But while losing to Joe Biden in November 2020 may have dented the one-term president’s pride and fuelled 18-months of lies about rigged ballot boxes, it now seems almost certain that Mr Trump will run again for the White House in 2024.

Graeme Massie looks at his prospects.

Can Trump run again in the 2024 election?

Behind Trump’s claim that George HW Bush stashed documents in a bowling alley

Monday 10 October 2022 19:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump accused former president George HW Bush of hiding classified documents in a “bowling alley” during a rally in Arizona on Sunday.

Mr Trump claimed that many former presidents had stored millions of pages of documents in warehouses “with damaged main doors”.

The former president said that senior Bush “took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant”.

If you’re confused, you’re not alone.

Maroosha Muzaffar explains what on earth the former president was talking about.

The story behind Trump’s claim that Bush senior stashed documents in a bowling alley

Report: Trump lawyer Christina Bobb cooperating with Justice Department

Monday 10 October 2022 19:03 , Oliver O'Connell

The right-wing TV anchor-turned-attorney for former president Donald Trump, who signed a false certification telling the Department of Justice that the ex-president had turned over all classified documents in his possession, is now cooperating with federal prosecutors in the investigation into Mr Trump.

According to NBC News, attorney Christina Bobb met with federal investigators and provided information on two other attorneys who had a hand in submitting the statement to the government.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest.

Trump lawyer cooperating with Justice Department on missing documents case

Marjorie Taylor Greene: From fringe to front row

Monday 10 October 2022 18:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Once shunned as a political pariah for her extremist rhetoric, the Georgia congresswoman who spent her first term in the House stripped of institutional power by Democrats is being celebrated by Republicans and welcomed into the GOP fold. If Republicans win the House majority in the November election, Greene is poised to become an influential player shaping the GOP agenda, an agitator with clout.

Read more:

From fringe to front row: Congresswoman Greene rises in GOP

Outrage as House Judiciary GOP champions Kanye West on Twitter

Monday 10 October 2022 18:08 , Oliver O'Connell

The House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have been blasted for keeping up a tweet simply saying “Kanye. Elon. Trump.” in reference to rapper Kanye West, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, despite Mr West’s suspension from Twitter and Instagram for antisemitic posts.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

House Judiciary GOP sparks outrage with tweet championing Kanye West

New poll: Ron Johnson sees advantages over Mandela Barnes

Monday 10 October 2022 17:38 , Oliver O'Connell

A new poll of the two races to watch in Wisconsin reveals a serious problem for Democrats, particularly Senate candidate Mandela Barnes.

The CBS News/YouGov poll was released on Sunday. Analyzing the Wisconsin Senate and governor’s races, the poll found both races deadlocked: Mr Barnes trails incumbent Sen Ron Johnson by just one percentage point, while Gov Tony Evers, a Democrat, is tied with his GOP opponent Tim Michels.

John Bowden takes a look as the midterms approach.

Ron Johnson sees advantages over Barnes in new Wisconsin poll

McCarthy claimed Trump didn’t know about Jan 6 violence

Monday 10 October 2022 17:08 , Oliver O'Connell

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly told two police officers who were injured during the January 6 attack on the Capitol that then-president Donald Trump had no idea that a riotous mob of his supporters was storming the US legislature to prevent certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

McCarthy claimed Trump didn’t know about January 6 violence, book reveals

Maggie Haberman accused of withholding information on Trump for her book

Monday 10 October 2022 16:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Maggie Haberman has been accused of withholding information concerning former President Donald Trump for her new book Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.

Zeinab Badawi of BBC Radio asked the New York Times journalist if she had put “profits before principles”.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Maggie Haberman accused of withholding information on Trump for her book

Trump supporter throws beer can at comedian

Monday 10 October 2022 16:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Excellent response from comedian Ariel Elias. Cheers 🍻.

Comedian who was attacked by Trump supporter mid-set has perfect clapback moment

Kristi Noem: Balancing big ambitions and reelection in South Dakota

Monday 10 October 2022 15:38 , Oliver O'Connell

If Kristi Noem has ambitions beyond her state, she must first take care of political business back home: winning a second term in November.

Noem's balancing act: Big ambitions, South Dakota reelection