First Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in Georgia election case – live

The first of Donald Trump’s 18 co-defendants listed in the Georgia election interference case has pled guilty to five charges.

Scott Hall, a bail bondsman pleaded guilty to five misdemeanour counts on Friday as part of a negotiated deal.

Hall, who was accused of tampering with electronic voting machines in Coffee County, will serve five years probation, 200 hours of community service and pay of $5,000 as part of his sentencing agreement.

The development in the Georgia case comes as Mr Trump’s own legal troubles continue to unfold with the New York civil trial stemming from a multi-million dollar fraud lawsuit targeting the ex-president, his adult sons and chief associates likely to begin next week –after an appeals court rejected a last-ditch attempt to stall the hearings.

Both the prosecution and defence teams revealed their proposed witness lists on Thursday, including a slew of employees and business contacts of the Trump Organization as well as members of the family and former associates including Michael Cohen.

Key Points

• Trump’s fraud trial will begin on Monday after appeals court rejects attempts to delay

• Trump sues ex-British spy Christopher Steele over infamous Russia dossier

• Here’s how Trump rated each of his GOP rivals in the second GOP debate

• Trump ally Kari Lake to announce Arizona senate run against Kyrsten Sinema

On the brink of a government shutdown, the Senate tries to approve funding but it's almost too late

15:00 , Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves

The U.S. is on the brink of a federal government shutdown after hard-right Republicans in Congress rejected a longshot effort to keep offices open as they fight for steep spending cuts and strict border security measures that Democrats and the White House say are too extreme.

Come midnight Saturday with no deal in place, federal workers will face furloughs, more than 2 million active duty and reserve military troops will work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast will begin to face shutdown disruptions.

The Senate will be in for a rare Saturday session to advance its own bipartisan package that is supported by Democrats and Republicans and would fund the government for the short-term, through Nov. 17.

But even if the Senate can rush to wrap up its work this weekend to pass the bill, which also includes money for Ukraine aid and U.S. disaster assistance, it won’t prevent an almost certain shutdown amid the chaos in the House. On Friday, a massive hard-right revolt left Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s latest plan to collapse.

“Congress has only one option to avoid a shutdown — bipartisanship,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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Current House GOP shutdown plan to fund troop pay, FAA, and flood insurance

14:58 , Gustaf Kilander

There’s no path to fund the government through a Continuing Resolution (CR), the Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer has told his caucus, according to Punchbowl News.

There are currently six no’s on any CR.

“We’re not going to sit back and do nothing, we have legislation in case of an impasse, we will pay our troops,” Steve Scalise, the majority leader, said.

The current plan is to fund troop pay, an extension for the FAA, and flood insurance.

Special Counsel mentions Trump’s Milley threat and gun store visit in push for gag order

14:46 , Gustaf Kilander

The office of Special Counsel Jack Smith mentioned both former President Donald Trump seemingly threatening the life of recently retired Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley and his visit to a South Carolina gun store in a Washington, DC legal filing pushing for a gag order.

The prosecutors have been trying for some time to place limits on Mr Trump’s public speech to stop him from threatening possible witnesses or tainting the pool of possible jurors.

The prosecutors noted that if Mr Trump had bought a firearm, he would have been in violation of his release conditions in the election subversion case.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign wrote in a social media post that Mr Trump had bought a gun, only to later remove the post and say that the ex-president hadn’t bought a gun, but had only said that he wanted to.

Attorneys from the office of the Special Counsel mentioned the gun store visit and Mr Trump’s targeting of Gen Milley as they argued that federal Judge Tanya Chutkan should place additional restrictions on Mr Trump and what he can say ahead of the trial.

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Biden says shutdown isn't his fault. Will Americans agree?

14:30 , Josh Boak, Chris Megerian

Staring down a likely government shutdown, the White House wants to make sure any blame falls at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue — specifically on House Republicans.

After all, it’s House Republicans who have been paralyzed by their inability to pass a funding package, and Republicans who don’t want to uphold a bipartisan spending agreement from earlier this year.

President Joe Biden is hoping the rest of the country will see things the same way. It’s a murky proposition at a time of extreme political polarization, with many Americans dug into their partisan corners regardless of the facts of the matter.

A shutdown would arrive at a tenuous moment for Biden, who already faces low poll numbers and concerns about the economy as he seeks a second term in office, partially on the pitch that he offers steady stewardship in Washington.

If no spending bill passes Congress by the end of Saturday, federal workers stop getting paid, air travel could be ensnarled by staffing shortages and food benefits will pause for some of the country’s most vulnerable families.

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Inside the madness of the Republican presidential debate

14:00 , Ariana Baio

The first Republican debate was marked by its gracious realignment to the ideals of the party’s past: a focus on small-government, compassionate conservatism, and, blessedly, a fierce rejection of the bigotry and anti-intellectualism of the Trump years…

…is what I would be saying if we lived on a sane planet. Unfortunately, however, we do not.

Jay Black reports:

Inside the madness of the Republican presidential debate | Jay Black

VIDEO: Mark Milley makes reference to Trump as ‘wannabe dictator’ at retirement ceremony

13:33 , Gustaf Kilander

House rejects GOP-authored spending bill as shutdown looms

13:00 , Andrew Feinberg, Eric Garcia

The House of Representatives rejected a Republican-authored attempt at a short-term spending bill that would have kept the federal government from shutting down, making it much more likely that federal employees will be furloughed or forced to work without pay and many government programmes will be shuttered when the fiscal year ends at midnight on 30 September.

The bill would have provided a 31-day extension to government funding while enacting massive cuts in domestic programmes and new immigration restrictions that were opposed by Democrats.

Democratic Rep Maxwell Frost (D-FL) said Republicans have failed to fix the internal problems that caused a fight to name a speaker at the beginning of the year.

Read more here

Watch: GOP lawmaker accidentally creates hilarious new nickname for Trump

12:00 , Ariana Baio

ICYMI: Trump’s fraud trial will begin on Monday

11:00 , Alex Woodward

A civil trial stemming from a multi-million dollar fraud lawsuit targeting Donald Trump, his adult sons and chief associates will likely proceed next week after a New York appeals court rejected a last-ditch attempt to stall the hearings amid a mountain of criminal and civil cases facing the former president.

The two-page appellate court decision on 28 September dismissed Mr Trump’s lawsuit against the judge presiding over his case in an effort to stall the civil trial’s start date on 2 October.

A ruling comes just days after the judge’s blockbuster decision finding Mr Trump and others liable for more than a decade of fraud after a years-long investigation from the state attorney general.

Read more here

Trump declares he won’t pick any Republican vying for nomination as running mate

10:00 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump says he will not pick any of the Republicans running against him for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination to be his running mate if wins the primary.

The former president skipped the second GOP debate and poked fun at the “job candidates” taking part during his own competing speech at a Michigan auto parts factory.

“We are competing with the job candidates, they are all running for a job. They are all job candidates. They will do anything, secretary of something, they even say VP. Has anyone seen a VP in that group? I don’t think so,” Mr Trump told the crowd at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township.

And he added: “They don’t have a crowd like we have, thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in.”

The former president visited the battleground state the day after Joe Biden joined the UAW picket line to support striking workers.

Donald Trump suing ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele at High Court

09:00 , Jess Glass

Donald Trump is suing a former MI6 officer and the intelligence consultancy he founded, High Court records show.

The former US president is bringing a data protection claim against Orbis Business Intelligence and its founder Christopher Steele, who previously ran the Secret Intelligence Service’s Russia desk.

According to a court order published on Thursday, a two-day hearing in Mr Trump’s legal action is set to start on October 16, which is thought to be the first hearing in the claim.

No other details of the case have been made available, but Mr Trump is not expected to attend.

Mr Steele was the author of the so-called Steele dossier, which included allegations that Mr Trump had been “compromised” by the Russian security service, the FSB.

The dossier, leaked to BuzzFeed in 2017, also alleged that Mr Putin “supported and directed” an operation to “cultivate” Mr Trump as a presidential candidate for “at least five years”.

Mr Trump denied the claims.

Did Trump fake union turnout at his Michigan rally?

08:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump’s speech to a crowd in Clinton Township, Michigan, could not have contrasted with the day-earlier visit by his likely 2024 opponent to any greater degree.

While Joe Biden was on the picket line and making a name for himself as the most pro-labour president since at least FDR, if not in history, Donald Trump was preparing for a much different visit to the Rust Belt — one that was in many ways very typical of a politician like him.

For days leading up to Mr Trump’s Wednesday visit, a cascade of news stories highlighted his plans to “speak to union autoworkers”. The Detroit Free Press, New York Times and other reputable media outlets ran with the claim that Mr Trump would speak to an audience of 500 “former and current” union autoworkers, based on details released by the Trump campaign on day four of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike.

John Bowden reports:

Did Trump fake union turnout at his Michigan rally?

Second GOP debate drew in lowest TV ratings since Trump

07:00 , Martha McHardy

The second GOP primary debate drew in the lowest number of TV viewers since Donald Trump first became a presidential candidate back in 2016.

Less than 10 million people tuned in to watch the Republican primary debate, which was not attended by Mr Trump, on Wednesday night, according to the Nielsen ratings service.

Meanwhile, streaming platforms attracted around 200,000 viewers, as reported by Fox News.

That is compared to the 12.8 million people who tuned in to watch the first of GOP primary debate at the end of August, also shunned by the former president.

The figures mark the lowest TV audience for any Republican presidential debate since January 2016, when Trump initially entered the race, and the Fox Business debate that same month drew in just over 11 million viewers.

ICYMI: Mark Milley calls Trump a ‘wannabe dictator’ at his retirement ceremony

06:00 , Ariana Baio

Outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley seemed to refer to former president Donald Trump as a “wannabe dictator” in remarks made at his retirement ceremony.

Mr Milley, who steps down from the role after a four-year term, first hailed the US military as “unique among the world’s armies” during his speech.

“We don’t take an oath to a country,” he continued. “We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a religion.”

And then he appeared to take a swing at the ex-commander-in-chief.

“We don’t take an oath to a king, or queen, or a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don’t take an oath to an individual.”

It comes after Mr Milley confirmed he was taking “adequate safety precautions” in response to apparently threatening language used by Mr Trump in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Gen Milley’s charisma and outspokenness initially endeared him to then-President Trump, who rejected his Pentagon leaders’ choice for chairman and chose Mr Milley.

Mike Bedigan reports:

Mark Milley calls Trump a ‘wannabe dictator’ at retirement ceremony

ICYMI: Here’s how Trump rated each of his GOP rivals in the second GOP debate

05:00 , Oliver O’Connell

After posting a slew of bizarre campaign videos on Thursday morning, Donald Trump was back on Truth Social later in the day complaining that the Republican Party debates were a “complete waste of time”.

In addition to admonishing the Republican National Committee for going ahead with the showdown between the seven candidates who took to the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, he said that they should instead be fighting against election interference.

The former president also offered both praise and scathing reviews of each of his rivals for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — who are substantially behind him in every poll taken so far.

Read more here

Trump says he will not try to have his Georgia election interference case moved to federal court

04:00 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump says he will not try to have his Georgia election interference case moved from state to federal court.

Lawyers for the former president notified a Fulton County court that he would not seek to switch the location of the sweeping Rico case in which he and 18 others are charged.

The move came three weeks after Mr Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had his bid to move his case to federal court denied by a judge.

Mr Trump and all of the other defendants, including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, have pleaded not guilty to charges that they plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. Mr Trump faces 13 felony charges in the Rico case.

His filing on Thursday stated that his decision came down to his “well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia.”

The court filing added: “President Trump now notifies the Court that he will NOT be seeking to remove his case to federal court.”

Ex-Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark can't move Georgia case to federal court, a judge says

03:00 , AP

A judge on Friday rejected a request by former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark to move the Georgia election subversion charges against him from state court to federal court.

Clark was one of five defendants who sought to have the charges against him moved from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled against Clark after rejecting a similar request from Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. The judge is weighing the same question from three Georgia Republicans who falsely certified that then-President Donald Trump won in 2020.

The indictment says Clark wrote a letter after the election that said the Justice Department had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia” and asked top department officials to sign it and send it to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and state legislative leaders. Clark knew at the time that that statement was false, the indictment alleges.

Read more here

First co-defendant pleads guilty in Trump’s election subversion case in Georgia

02:00 , Ariana Baio

A bail bondsman charged alongside Donald Trump and 17 others in a sprawling election interference case in Georgia has pleaded guilty.

Scott Graham Hall, among a group of Trump loyalists charged with breaching voting machines in the state, agreed to a plea deal on 29 September that includes a sentence of five years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 200 hours of community service.

Hall was the first among the former president’s co-defendants to turn himself into Fulton County jail last month after a grand jury indictment charged Mr Trump and others under the state’s anti-racketeering statute, alleging a criminal enterprise to unlawfully overturn Mr Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election.

He was charged under Georgia’s RICO Act and faced two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to commit computer theft, conspiracy to commit computer trespass, conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy and conspiracy to defraud the state.

Alex Woodward reports:

First co-defendant pleads guilty in Trump’s election subversion case in Georgia

Jack Smith’s gag order request scheduled for 16 October

01:00 , Ariana Baio

Judge Tanya Chutkan has scheduled a gag order request hearing for federal prosecutor Jack Smith.

The hearing will take place on 16 October at 10am.

Mr Smith requested the gag order after Donald Trump went on a rant about Mr Smith and the several federal indictments against him.

Mr Smith said the gag order was needed to ensure a fair trial and an impartial jury. It would include drafting a “narrowly tailored order” that restricts “certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements” from Mr Trump.

Biden denounces Trump as ‘extremist’ and ‘dangerous’

Saturday 30 September 2023 00:00 , Stuti Mishra

Joe Biden lashed out at Donald Trump on Thursday, delivering his sharpest condemnation of the former president since he took office.

Speaking in the battleground state of Arizona, the US president called Mr Trump – who could be his 2024 opponent – “extremist” and “dangerous” and his “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” movement a direct threat to American democracy.

“This MAGA threat is a threat to the brick and mortar of our democratic institutions,” Mr Biden said. “It’s also a threat to the character of our nation that gives our constitution life, that binds us together as Americans, a common cause.”

“None of this is surprising, though. They’ve tried to govern that way before. Thank God they failed. But they haven’t given up,” he said.

The speech marked a major shift in his tone as Mr Biden has generally avoided taking the name of the former president or directly addressing him. This time he cited examples of what Mr Trump said in his speeches.

Melania Trump ‘quietly’ renegotiates prenup agreement

Friday 29 September 2023 23:00 , Kelly Rissman

As former President Donald Trump vies for another term in the White House — and faces a series of potential financial setbacks in court — Melania Trump has reportedly been “quietly” renegotiating her prenuptial agreement, according to a bombshell report.

A source spoke to Page Six about the former first couple’s arrangement: “Over the last year, Melania and her team have been quietly negotiating a new ‘postnup’ agreement between herself and Donald Trump.”

The source added, “This is at least the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marital agreement,” but the source added that it’s not because the former first lady is going anywhere.

Donald Trump, 77, and Melania Trump, 53, have been married since 2005. They share one son, 17-year-old Barron Trump.

“Melania is most concerned about maintaining and increasing a substantial trust for their son”, the insider told the outlet.

This new agreement centres around both money and property, the source said, adding that the new arrangement was prompted by Mr Trump’s 2024 run as well as his recent legal challenges.

What charges did Scott Hall plead guilty to?

Friday 29 September 2023 22:30 , Alex Woodward

Scott Graham Hall, a bail bondsman charged alongside Donald Trump and 17 others in the Georgia election interference case, agreed to a plea deal on Friday that includes a sentence of five years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 200 hours of community service.

He was initially charged under Georgia’s RICO Act and faced two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to commit computer theft, conspiracy to commit computer trespass, conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy and conspiracy to defraud the state.

A plea arrangement before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. included guilty pleas for five counts of “conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties,” a misdemeanor.

A charging document filed in connection with the plea arrangement includes his admission that he “aided, abetted and encouraged” employees of a firm hired by election conspiracy theorist and Trump-linked lawyer Sidney Powell in “willfully tampering with electronic ballot markers and tabulating machines” in Coffee County.

After Mark Milley’s ceremony, Trump lashes out

Friday 29 September 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

After Mark Milley, seemingly, made a comment about ex-president Donald Trump during his retirement ceremony, Mr Trump couldn’t help but comment on him once again.

In a Friday afternoon Truth Social post, Mr Trump called Mr Milley a “moron” for having a conversation with China behind Mr Trump’s back at the end of his administration.

“Slow moving and thinking Mark Milley should never have made those calls to China’s Military Leadership. Does this moron, together with WOKE FOOL Mark Yesper (Esper!) who said “yes” to everything, have any idea how dangerous a situation he put our Country in?” Mr Trump wrote.

“Look at his words – STUPID & VERY DANGEROUS!”

The remarks come after Mr Milley seemingly referred to the ex-president as a “wannabe dictator” while addressing US military members in his retirement speech.

First Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in Georgia election case

Friday 29 September 2023 21:35 , Ariana Baio

Scott Hall, a bail bondsman pleaded guilty to five misdemeanour counts on Friday as part of a negotiated deal in the Georgia election interference case.

He is the first of the 18 co-defendants listed with Donald Trump to plead guilty.

Hall, who was accused of tampering with electronic voting machines in Coffee County, will serve five years probation, 200 hours of community service and pay of $5,000 as part of his sentencing agreement.

The deal allows Hall to avoid jail time.

As part of his deal, Hall will be required to testify to any further proceedings – including any of his co-defendants’ trials.

GOP lawmaker accidentally creates hilarious new nickname for Trump

Friday 29 September 2023 21:30 , Mike Bedigan

A Republican lawmaker inadvertently created a hilarious new nickname for Donald Trump by making a verbal slip while speaking on the floor of the US House of Representatives.

Representative Andy Ogles made the mistake while addressing the US House of Representatives, saying, “April 15, 2019 under the leadership of President Chump… Trump.”

The unfortunate mix-up was quickly posted online, with users branding the line as an “excellent Freudian slip”.

“Sir, you had it correct the first time,” one user wrote.

It comes as Mr Trump, who is known for creating names such as “Ron DeSanctimonius”, continues to be derided by his fellow candidates for the Republican nomination after failing to appear at the second GOP debate on Wednesday.

During the debate in California, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said that if he continued to dodge the events, he would become known as “Donald Duck”.

Mark Milley appears to call Trump ‘wannabe dictator'

Friday 29 September 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Mark Milley, the outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, gave a speech on Friday to mark the end of his time in the position for nearly four years.

Speaking at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia for his retirement ceremony, Mr Milley addressed members of the US military.

“We don’t take an oath to a country, we don’t take an oath to a tribe, we don’t take an oath to a religion, we don’t take an oath to a king, or queen, or tyrant or a dictator – and we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” Mr Milley said.

Though he did not exactly state who he was referring to, it seems Mr Milley was speaking about the former president, Donald Trump, as the “wannabe dictator”.

Mr Trump appointed Mr Milley to the position in 2019, but since leaving office in 2021, the two have had a rocky relationship.

Recently, Mr Trump lashed out at Mr Milley on Truth Social, seemingly threatening him for going behind his back with China at the end of the Trump administration. Mr Milley said he was taking precautions to protect himself and his family after the post.

In Friday’s speech, Mr Milley continued: “We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.

Chris Christie continues onslaught of Donald Duck memes to troll Trump

Friday 29 September 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

Apparently pleased with his new nickname for Donald Trump, which he coined during Wednesday’s Republican debate, Chris Christie has continued to troll the former president with a comparison to Donald Duck.

The former New Jersey governor took to X on Friday to post a cartoon image of the Disney character wearing a suit with a red tie and sporting a shock of coiffed blonde hair, two well-known trademarks of Mr Trump.

During the second GOP debate in California on Wednesday, which Mr Trump did not attend, the other candidates blasted him for not appearing to debate them live on stage.

“He’s ducking these things,” said Mr Christie, who worked as Mr Trump’s transition manager in 2016.

“Donald, I know you’re watching… If you keep doing that, no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. They’re gonna call you Donald Duck.”

Mike Bedigan reports:

Chris Christie continues onslaught of Donald Duck memes to troll Trump

Majority of voters support removing Trump from ballot: poll

Friday 29 September 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

More than 50 per cent of US voters support the effort to disqualify Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot using the 14th Amendment, a new poll from POLITICO and Morning Consult found.

Approximately 51 per cent of 1,967 respondents polled online said they support the effort.

Several groups across the country have filed lawsuits in an attempt to remove the former president from running citing the 14th Amendment which prohibits people from seeking office who have incited or participated in a rebellion or insurrection.

It is unclear if the push to remove Mr Trump from ballots would work given he has not been charged with inciting an insurrection. Though many consider his connection to the January 6 attack on the Capitol to be enough grounds.

Just 34 per cent of respondents said they do not support the effort.

The survey from POLITICO and Morning Consult has a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

Judge denies Kenneth Chesebro’s motion to supress evidence

Friday 29 September 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

It’s a bad day to be Kenneth Chesebro.

Judge Scott McAfee denied Mr Chesebro’s request to conceal any emails obtained from his Microsoft Network account to be used as evidence in the Fulton County, Georgia election interference case.

Mr Chesebro, who is a co-defendant along with Donald Trump and 16 other people, asked the judge to prevent emails from being brought into evidence claiming they were protected by attorney-client privilege and improperly searched and seized.

“After reviewing the motion and assuming the relevant proffered facts to be true, the Court nevertheless finds that the motion fails to raise sufficient questions of law or fact that would require an evidentiary hearing and DENIES the motion,” Judge McAfee wrote.

The statute that Mr Chesebro cited only protects emails between attorneys and clients so long as the attorney “is not a criminal suspect.”

It clearly states: “This Code section shall not impair the ability to serve search warrants in cases in which the search is directed against an attorney if there is probable cause to suspect such attorney has committed a crime.”

McCarthy launches last-ditch plan to keep government open but there’s a catch...

Friday 29 September 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is rushing Friday into a last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open — but with steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions demanded by his hard-right flank though with almost no chance in the Democratic Senate.

McCarthy announced the legislation ahead of a morning procedural vote that will test whether the embattled speaker has the support he needs from his slim Republican majority. So far, the right flank has rejected his efforts as they push McCarthy closer to their demands, threaten his ouster and risk a government shutdown.

The Republican speaker all but dared his hold-out colleagues a day before Saturday’s almost certain shutdown. The bill would keep operations open through 31 October.

Read more...

How did Trump rate each of his GOP rivals in the second GOP debate?

Friday 29 September 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

After posting a slew of bizarre campaign videos on Thursday morning, Donald Trump was back on Truth Social later in the day complaining that the Republican Party debates were a “complete waste of time”.

In addition to admonishing the Republican National Committee for going ahead with the showdown between the seven candidates who took to the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, he said that they should instead be fighting against election interference.

The former president also offered both praise and scathing reviews of each of his rivals for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — who are substantially behind him in every poll taken so far.

Oliver O’Connell reports:

Here’s how Trump rated each of his GOP rivals in the second GOP debate

Judge denies Kenneth Chesebro’s motion to dismiss Georgia election interference case

Friday 29 September 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton County, Georgia, rejected Kenneth Chesebro’s motion to dismiss his charges in the Georgia election interference case saying his reasoning was “flawed” and “unsupported.”

Mr Chesebro, one of the 17 co-defendants listed alongside Donald Trump in the case, asked Judge McAfee to dismiss the indictment against him per the Supremacy Clause which prohibits states from interfering with the federal government’s exercise of constitutional powers.

However, Judge McAfee said Mr Chesebro misunderstood the law because it only applies when a federal officer is held in a state court to answer for a federal law.

“Any inquiry as to whether the Defendant is entitled to Supremacy Clause immunity should end almost as soon as it begins: the Defendant is not, was not, and never has been federal officer,” Judge McAfee wrote.

Trump lashes out at Nikki Haley calling her ‘birdbrain'

Friday 29 September 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump took aim at his former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, on Friday calling her an unloyal “birdbrain.”

“MAGA, or I, will never go for Birdbrain Nikki Haley. No loyalty, plenty of lies!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Mr Trump’s attack on his opponent in the 2024 presidential election comes just after the second GOP debate, which he skipped. On stage, Ms Haley criticised Mr Trump for skipping the debates.

Prior to her run for election, Ms Haley had a good relationship with Mr Trump and was thought to be a potential vice president.

But seemingly, the former president is now viewing Ms Haley as a threat.

Citing Ms Haley’s own words, Mr Trump reminded people that at one time Ms Haley said she wouldn’t run for president only to change her mind later.

“Birdbrain doesn’t have the TALENT or TEMPERAMENT to do the job,” Mr Trump wrote.

Marjorie Taylor Greene asked not to show porn at Biden impeachment inquiry

Friday 29 September 2023 17:00 , Kelly Rissman

During the first hearing of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene was interrupted for a specific request – to not show pornography.

Ms Greene said at the House Oversight Committee hearing, “It is sad that my Democratic colleagues pretend to care about women’s rights while allowing Hunter Biden to exploit women.” She was holding up a blown-up photo of a plane ticket and a photo of a nearly-naked woman for whom Hunter Biden allegedly purchased the ticket.

Democratic Rep Jamie Raskin challenged the use of Ms Greene’s exhibit.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is asked not to show porn at Biden impeachment hearing

Democratic rising stars rally around Biden's reelection. They're also eyeing 2028 bids of their own

Friday 29 September 2023 16:30 , AP

Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov Josh Shapiro is set to address presidential primary voters in New Hampshire on Saturday.

Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer is working to strengthen Democratic parties across the Midwest.

And California Gov Gavin Newsom was the Biden campaign’s surrogate during the second Republican presidential debate this week — and he’s agreed to a one-on-one debate against a top GOP presidential contender.

As Biden faces concerns, including from voters in his own party, about his prospects in a gruelling reelection campaign, a new generation of high-profile Democrats are fanning out for the 80-year-old president. Those close to the ambitious Democrats insist they are focused squarely on the 2024 campaign when Biden may face a tough rematch against Donald Trump. But in building their national profiles, they’re also positioning themselves for what could be a contentious 2028 primary — and giving the party something of an insurance policy in case they are suddenly needed next year.

Continued...

Analysis: GOP debate sees pursuing pack in angry holding pattern as Trump spoiler highlights their irrelevance

Friday 29 September 2023 16:00 , Andrew Feinberg

Republican presidential candidates spent two hours on live television late on Wednesday hurling insults and shouting at each other — often through switched-off microphones — at a presidential debate that was most notable for the continued absence of the candidate who currently leads the field, former president Donald Trump.

GOP debate: Angry holding pattern as Trump absence shows up irrelevance

Biden applauded for three word takedown of GOP debate

Friday 29 September 2023 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Biden mocked the second GOP debate with a three-word takedown of leading Republican candidate Donald Trump, who did not even bother to show up for it.

The president took to X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, to repost a video of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis complaining that Mr Trump had again refused to debate his 2024 rivals.

“[Donald Trump] owes it to you to defend his record where they added 7.8 trillion to the debt. That set the stage for the inflation that we have now,” Mr DeSantis said on the stage on Wednesday night. “Couldn’t agree more,” Mr Biden’s personal account wrote above the video.

Users of X were quick to applaud the president’s quick-fire response and mocking Republican complaints that an intern was posting for the president.

Continued...

How did Trump rate each of his GOP rivals in the second GOP debate?

Friday 29 September 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

After posting a slew of bizarre campaign videos on Thursday morning, Donald Trump was back on Truth Social later in the day complaining that the Republican Party debates were a “complete waste of time”.

In addition to admonishing the Republican National Committee for going ahead with the showdown between the seven candidates who took to the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, he said that they should instead be fighting against election interference.

The former president also offered both praise and scathing reviews of each of his rivals for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — who are substantially behind him in every poll taken so far.

Earlier in the week Mr Trump offered a damning condemnation of his fellow Republicans by saying he did not believe he would find his running mate for the party’s 2024 ticket among the other candidates.

Continued...

Here’s how Trump rated each of his GOP rivals in the second GOP debate

Trump declares he won’t pick any GOP rival as running mate

Friday 29 September 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump says he will not pick any of the Republicans running against him for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination to be his running mate if wins the primary.

The former president skipped the second GOP debate and poked fun at the “job candidates” taking part during his own competing speech at a Michigan auto parts factory.

“We are competing with the job candidates, they are all running for a job. They are all job candidates. They will do anything, secretary of something, they even say VP. Has anyone seen a VP in that group? I don’t think so,” Mr Trump told the crowd at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump declares he won’t pick any Republican vying for nomination as running mate

Trump’s fraud trial will begin on Monday after appeals court rejects attempts to delay

Friday 29 September 2023 14:00 , Alex Woodward

A civil trial stemming from a multi-million dollar fraud lawsuit targeting Donald Trump, his adult sons and chief associates will proceed next week after a New York appeals court rejected a last-ditch attempt to stall the hearings amid a mountain of criminal and civil cases facing the former president.

The two-page appellate court decision on 28 September dismissed Mr Trump’s lawsuit against the judge presiding over his case in an effort to stall the civil trial’s 2 October start date.

A ruling comes just days after the judge’s blockbuster decision finding Mr Trump and others liable for more than a decade of fraud after a years-long investigation from the state attorney general.

A bench trial will begin as scheduled on Monday. Judge Arthur F Engoron will preside without a jury.

His scathing order on 26 September granted a partial judgment in favour of Letitia James, whose blockbuster lawsuit alleges Mr Trump and his business empire defrauded banks and insurers by grossly overvaluing assets and exaggerating his net worth on documents to secure deals and financing.

Read more

ICYMI: Trump posts string of chaotic videos

Friday 29 September 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump had an unusual response to his Republican presidential rivals hitting out at him during the second GOP debate.

Late on Wednesday night, the former president took to his Truth Social platform to post a string of bizarre, chaotic videos featuring montages of movie clips including Kill Bill: Vol. 2 and clips of him meeting controversial figures including Kanye West and Kim Jong-Un.

One video, lasting 1 minute 38 seconds, begins with spliced clips from several iconic movies including Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, Napoleon Dynamite of moments where people gathered around the TV screens.

But instead of watching the likes of a spaceship taking off, the viewers are of course watching Mr Trump.

Read on...

Trump posts string of chaotic videos featuring movie clips montage

Antony Blinken sings and plays electric guitar on Muddy Waters cover at State Department event

Friday 29 September 2023 13:00 , William Mata

Antony Blinken surprised guests at a black-tie gala event when he picked up a guitar and joined the house band to sing a Muddy Waters classic.

The US secretary of state sang “Hoochie Coochie Man” on Wednesday night to launch the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative – a project to use music for promoting peace and democracy internationally.

And just hours later, Mr Blinken played a role in delivering sanctions as part of efforts to help democracy flourish in Sudan and Liberia.

“I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy,” he tweeted afterwards alongside a video. “Was a pleasure to launch @StateDept’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative.”

Mr Blinken describes himself on the social media network as “husband, dad, (very) amateur guitarist, and the 71st Secretary of State”. And his followers were impressed.

Read more

Trump reviews GOP rivals in second Republican Party debate report card

Friday 29 September 2023 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum

“Doug Burgum did a very good job, solid & smart!”

Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie

“Sloppy Chris Christie was a DISASTER, A TRUMP DERANGED LUNATIC!”

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley

“Nikki ‘Birdbrain’ Haley was exposed for her caustic DISLOYALTY & LIES about the Republican Party, and me. Doesn’t have what it takes, NEVER DID!”

Former Vice President Mike Pence

“Lyin’ Mike Pence has lost a lot of his energy. Very flat, needs me badly! Actually, quite sad to watch, but he’ll get better. Too much J-6!”

Senator Tim Scott

“Tim Scott stepped it up. Wonderful guy. Looking forward to getting his Endorsement!”

Vivek Ramaswamy

“Vivek said I was a great President. Thank you. Good Job!”

Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis

“Ron DeSanctimonious had a bad night. He can feel the end is near. Dropping like a rock!”

Retired US general likens Trump’s attacks on military to Nazi Germany

Friday 29 September 2023 12:00 , Mike Bedigan

A retired US general has said that attacks by Donald Trump and his Maga-supporting Republicans on the US military are similar to “the 1930s in Nazi Germany”.

Gen Barry McCaffrey said that the movement, which has been branded as “extremist” by president Joe Biden, was a “lawless cult and a major threat to the armed forces” in the US and national security.

It comes following comments made online last week by former president Trump, in which he suggested that outgoing chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, should be executed for treason.

Discussing the remarks, which were made on Mr Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, Gen McCaffrey told MSNBC: “During the follow-on to Trump’s lost election he actually made moves which… to run a coup against the United States government.

“What we are seeing is a parallel to the 1930s in Nazi Germany.”

Read more

Second GOP debate drew in lowest TV ratings since advent of Trump

Friday 29 September 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The second GOP primary debate drew in the lowest number of TV viewers since Donald Trump first became a presidential candidate back in 2016.

Fewer than 10 million people tuned in to watch the Republican primary debate, which was not attended by Mr Trump, on Wednesday night, according to the Nielsen ratings service.

Meanwhile, streaming platforms attracted around 200,000 viewers, as reported by Fox News.

That is compared to the 12.8 million people who tuned in to watch the first GOP primary debate at the end of August, also shunned by the former president.

Read more...

Second GOP debate drew in lowest TV ratings since Trump became candidate in 2016

GOP witness admits no evidence to impeach Biden at first impeachment hearing

Friday 29 September 2023 11:00 , Andrew Feinberg

House Republicans’ first effort to justify the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden demanded by former president Donald Trump and far-right members of the GOP conference ended without a single piece of evidence presented linking Mr Biden to any wrongdoing whatsoever.

The panel’s chairman, Representative James Comer of Kentucky, opened the hearing by claiming that his GOP colleagues had assembled “a mountain of evidence” that will show that the president “abused his public office for his family’s financial gain,” adding later that his committee would “follow the money and the evidence to provide accountability” for Mr Biden’s alleged wrongdoing.

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the oversight committee’s top Democrat, derided the panel’s efforts as “an impeachment drive based on a long debunked and discredited lie” and said the Republicans “don’t have a shred of evidence against President Biden for an impeachable offence”.

The all-day session before the House Oversight Committee took place just days before the federal government is set to run out of operating funds at the end of the 2023 fiscal year, and focused largely on widely-discredited and long-ago debunked conspiracy theories about Mr Biden and his son, attorney and former lobbyist turned artist Hunter Biden.

The allegations against the 46th president, which centre around the younger Mr Biden’s work on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, were first prolmugated by disgraced former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 2018 and 2019, and formed the basis of Mr Trump’s attempt to extort Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky during a now-infamous July 2019 phone call — an incident which led to the first of Mr Trump’s two impeachment trials.

Read more

Last night on Truth Social: Trump reviews GOP rivals’ debate performances

Friday 29 September 2023 10:35 , Oliver O'Connell

After posting a slew of bizarre campaign videos on Thursday morning, Donald Trump was back on Truth Social later in the day complaining that the Republican Party debates were a waste of time and reviewing the performances of his GOP rivals.

The former president began his post: “I’m up 56 Points, so the Debates would seem to be a complete waste of time. I’m also up 10 on Crooked Joe! What is the RNC doing? They should be fighting against Election Interference & the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Scam. The Debates should be ENDED, BAD for the Republican Party!”

He continued: “I was in Michigan last night with Autoworkers & others. Watched Debate = REPORT CARD: Doug Burgum did a very good job, solid & smart! Sloppy Chris Christie was a DISASTER, A TRUMP DERANGED LUNATIC! Nikki ‘Birdbrain’ Haley was exposed for her caustic DISLOYALTY & LIES about the Republican Party, and me. Doesn’t have what it takes, NEVER DID! Lyin’ Mike Pence has lost a lot of his energy. Very flat, needs me badly! Actually, quite sad to watch, but he’ll get better. Too much J-6! Tim Scott stepped it up. Wonderful guy. Looking forward to getting his Endorsement! Vivek said I was a great President. Thank you. Good Job! Ron DeSanctimonious had a bad night. He can feel the end is near. Dropping like a rock!”

Mr Trump then continued by taking another shot at former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: “Do people realize that Sloppy Chris Christie only had an 8% Approval Rating when he was Governor of New Jersey. His Financial and Economic Results were even WORSE. In other words, he was TERRIBLE! Why would the great people of the USA want a Governor to run our very troubled Country, when he couldn’t even run his own State. Chris is a loser, he always was, and always will be. Very BAD for the Republican Party!”

In a pair of posts slightly later in the evening, he asked for more praise from New Gingrich: “’Trump is a phenomenon like nobody I’ve ever seen!’ Newt Gingrich on The Ingraham Angle. Thank you Newt, but couldn’t you be just a little bit more praiseworthy???”

And had a go at Fox News for the low viewership of Wednesday’s debate: “The second Republican Primary Debate on FoxNews had the Lowest Viewership since 2016. Their overall Ratings are down 30%. FOX NEEDS MAGA, THEY JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET. STOP WITH THE BAD DEBATES & NEGATIVE ADS, NO MORE. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! DJT”

Bank that handles Infowars money appears to be cutting ties with Alex Jones' company, lawyer says

Friday 29 September 2023 10:00 , Dave Collins

A bank recently shut down the accounts of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones‘ media company, citing unauthorized transactions — a move that caused panic at the business when its balances suddenly dropped from more than $2 million to zero, according to a lawyer for the company.

The action last week by Axos Bank also exposed worry and doubt at the company, Free Speech Systems, about being able to find another bank to handle its money.

Jones, a conservative provocateur whose Infowars program promotes fake theories about global conspiracies, UFOs and mind control, is seeking bankruptcy protection as he and his company owe $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.

The debt is the result of the families winning lawsuits against Jones for his calling the massacre that killed 26 people a hoax and his supporters threatening and harassing the victims’ families.

A lawyer for Free Speech Systems, Ray Battaglia, told a federal bankruptcy judge in Houston on Tuesday that Axos Bank had shut down the company’s accounts on Aug. 21 “without notice or warning.”

Read more

Michael Cohen says he may not testify against Trump because of the threats the ex-president is generating

Friday 29 September 2023 09:00 , Graig Graziosi

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said he may not testify against his former boss because he’s scared of the blowback from the former president’s loyalists.

Cohen made the comments on MSNBC on Wednesday. He said Donald Trump’s rhetoric needs to be checked before he gets witnesses in his criminal cases hurt or killed.

The New York State court system has increased its security after a ruling found this week that Mr Trump and his adult sons are liable for civil fraud.

“Let me tell you something, I think it’s incumbent now upon government — I listen again to a lot of pundits on the various different stations talking about how they have to do something to curb Donald Trump’s language,” Cohen said. “What, are we going to wait until something, God forbid, happens, and then everyone is going to say thoughts and prayers to the family?”

Cohen added that Mr Trump should “not be permitted to do what he’s doing.”

Read more

Chris Christie doubles down on ‘Donald Duck’ nickname for Trump

Friday 29 September 2023 08:00 , William Mata

Chris Christie has doubled down on his “Donald Duck” jibe against Donald Trump, claiming he “lives in the head” of the former president.

Using language often employed by Mr Trump, the Republican candidate took aim at his former ally on Thursday after mocking him during the GOP debate on Wednesday night.

Mr Trump is the runaway leader for the Republican nomination to take on Joe Biden in next year’s US election but did not take part in the televised event. This left the floor open for Mr Christie, who worked as Mr Trump’s transition manager in 2016, to call him “Donald Duck”.

“He’s ducking these things,” Mr Christie said. “Donald, I know you’re watching… If you keep doing that, no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. They’re gonna call you Donald Duck.”

Mr Trump is a big fan of giving playground nicknames to his rivals, with Sleepy Joe Biden, Crooked Hilary Clinton and Lyin’ Ted Cruz being three of his favourites. He had previously called the former New Jersey governor Sloppy Chris Christie. The former president said of the comparison to the Disney character that anyone who made a joke like that “should not be running for president”.

Read more

AOC undermines GOP’s Biden impeachment with one simple question

Friday 29 September 2023 07:00 , Hayden Vernon

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez undermined the suitability of the Republican witnesses at the House Oversight Committee’s first hearing on the impeachment inquiry of U.S. President Joe Biden with one simple question.

“In your testimony today, are you presenting any first-hand witness account of crimes committed by the president of the United States?” Ocasio-Cortez asked Jonathan Turley, the conservative legal scholar who the Republicans have called as a witness.

“No, I’m not,” he replied.

Ocasio-Cortez asked the same question to the two other Republican witnesses - Bruce Dubinsky and Eileen O’Connor - and received the same answer from both, immediately undermining their usefulness as witnesses in the case against Biden.

Mark Milley finally responds to Trump’s suggestion he should be ‘executed’ for ‘treason’

Friday 29 September 2023 06:00 , Martha McHardy

Outgoing chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said he is taking “adequate safety precautions” after Donald Trump suggested he should be executed for treason.

In comments made last week on Truth Social, the former president said the top general should face the death penalty for a conversation he had with his Chinese counterpart.

He claimed Mr Milley went behind his back to communicate with China during the final months of the Trump administration.

“This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States,” Mr Trump wrote. “This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH! A war between China and the United States could have been the result of this treasonous act.”

His comments prompted former House speaker Nancy Pelosi to say Mr Trump should be barred from public office.

Read more

Republicans on Biden ‘impeachment’ panel refuse to say they believe laws should apply to Trump

Friday 29 September 2023 05:30 , Kelly Rissman

During the first hearing in the impeachment hearing against President Joe Biden, a Democrat on the House Oversight panel asked whether Republicans on the panel would hold the president’s son — whose business dealings are at the heart of the inquiry — and former President Donald Trump to the same standard.

Texas Democratic Rep Greg Casar asked the committee: “Will members of the Oversight Committee please raise your hand if you believe both Hunter and Trump should be held accountable for any of the indictments if convicted of a jury of their peers?”

Only the Democrats could be seen raising their hands. Some even laughed at the question, to which Mr Casar said, “No it’s serious. This is a serious matter.”

“If y’all need to think about it, we can take a moment and think about it,” he added, before repeating the question. Still, Republicans kept their hands down.

The Texas Democrat then added, “Raise your hand if you think that equal justice under the law applies and if Trump should be held accountable.”

Read more

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Friday 29 September 2023 05:00 , John Bowden

Donald Trump faces four criminal indictments in three separate jurisdictions. Nearly 100 felony criminal charges are leveled against the former president, who remains the odds-on favourite to win the 2024 Republican primary.

As his legal battles grow more complex by the day, a serious question has emerged: Whether Mr Trump will win the nomination and campaign for the general election as a convicted criminal.

That possibility, in turn, raises another, simpler question: Will the 45th President of the United States go to prison?

Between his 91 felony counts, Mr Trump faces a total of roughly seven centuries in total jail time, spread between dozens of various charges of differing seriousness. Obviously, Mr Trump is not going to be sealed inside a federal penitentiary for all eternity, but the increasingly wide range of actions for which he is now being prosecuted is slowly chipping away at the likelihood that he will evade the inside of a cell forever.

Here, we take a look at the four prosecutions Mr Trump currently faces, and how each affects his chances of campaigning behind bars next year.

When will the next US presidential election be held?

Friday 29 September 2023 04:15 , Joe Sommerlad

US President Joe Biden formally announced his intention to seek a second term in the White House on 25 April, shrugging off concerns about his advanced age to set up a possible rematch with Donald Trump next year.

Mr Biden, 80, reaffirmed his commitment to fighting for freedom and democracy in a video posted to social media, just months after Mr Trump announced his candidacy.

The short film opened with footage of the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 and warned against the threat posed by “MAGA extremists”, whom he cautioned are hell-bent on cutting social security while offering tax breaks to the wealthy and assaulting abortion rights, oppressing LGBT+ values, limiting voting access and banning books.

The campaign clip also offered a defiant vision of a more tolerant, multicultural America, clearly establishing a positive alternative narrative for the nation at odds with the apocalyptic forecasts of Mr Trump, 77, and his supporters.

While current polling might indicate that a majority of the American public has little appetite for a rematch between the ageing Mr Biden and Mr Trump in 2024, that is beginning to look like the most likely outcome.

Read more

House Republicans release trove of 700 pages of documents in Hunter Biden whistleblower probe

Friday 29 September 2023 03:30 , John Bowden

The House Ways and Means Committee has released hundreds of pages of documents related to the Hunter Biden investigation as it seeks to cement the far-right’s case for impeaching President Joe Biden.

In the pages released by the panel, investigators can be seen discussing the case against the younger Biden that would eventually lead to misdemeanour tax charges and three felony gun charges. The former would later be dismissed, but are expected to be refiled. The communications depict a routine multi-agency investigation that has led to the first criminal indictment of a sitting president’s family member in many years.

They also include communications between Hunter Biden and his associates, including instances in 2017, when his father was not in government, where Hunter referred to access to his father as an asset.

Rep Jason Smith, the committee’s chairman, said on Wednesday that the documents “show a clearer connection between Joe Biden, his public office, and Hunter Biden’s global influence peddling scheme that resulted in over $20 million in payments to the Biden family.”

“This evidence makes clear Hunter Biden’s business was selling the Biden ‘brand’ and that access to the White House was his family’s most valuable asset – despite official claims otherwise,” Mr Smith said in a prepared statement.

Read more

‘Long arm, but little hands of Donald Trump all over this impeachment,’ Democrat argues

Friday 29 September 2023 02:45 , Gustaf Kilander

New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury asked on Thursday, “What is this hearing actually about?” during the first proceedings of the GOP impeachment of Joe Biden.

“It’s a campaign strategy. It’s a misuse of official resources. It is this committee and loyalists of Donald Trump doing his bidding to bolster his chances of winning back the White House and securing their majority in the next election,” she argued.

“And in the process, to diminish the name of impeachment which is enshrined in the US Constitution, which we take an oath to uphold and to make Donald Trump’s crimes including his two impeachments and his 91 criminal indictment counts look like they’re not serious crimes,” she added.

“When you think about it, it’s chilling. It’s truly chilling. It’s another attack on our democracy and our institutions. It’s another attack on fair and free elections and the use of this committee to try to carry it out. So I just want to say I think it’s obvious who the grand puppet master is here. He tweeted about it on his own social and we see the long arm, but little hands of Mr Donald Trump, whose fingerprints are all over this hearing and this sham impeachment,” she added.

“But we know that the American people are smart, that they’re not going to be fooled by what’s happening here today, and especially as they shut the government down in two days with catastrophic impacts for our communities,” Ms Stansbury said.

Did Trump fake union turnout at his Michigan rally?

Friday 29 September 2023 02:23 , Graeme Massie

Ex-president’s claim to have organised an audience of ‘hundreds’ of union members remains unlikely.

Did Trump fake union turnout at his Michigan rally?

Republicans refuse to say if Trump and Hunter Biden should be held accountable for crimes

Friday 29 September 2023 02:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The Republicans on the panel refused to say if Donald Trump and Hunter Biden should be held accountable for any crimes they may have committed.

Rep Greg Casar of Texas asked: “Will members of the oversight committee raise their hands if you believe both Hunter and Trump should be held accountable for any of indictments if convicted?”

While the Democrats raised their hands, the Republicans remained still.

Donald Trump suing ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele at High Court

Friday 29 September 2023 01:15 , Jess Glass

Donald Trump is suing a former MI6 officer and the intelligence consultancy he founded, High Court records show.

The former US president is bringing a data protection claim against Orbis Business Intelligence and its founder Christopher Steele, who previously ran the Secret Intelligence Service’s Russia desk.

According to a court order published on Thursday, a two-day hearing in Mr Trump’s legal action is set to start on October 16, which is thought to be the first hearing in the claim.

No other details of the case have been made available, but Mr Trump is not expected to attend.

Mr Steele was the author of the so-called Steele dossier, which included allegations that Mr Trump had been “compromised” by the Russian security service, the FSB.

The dossier, leaked to BuzzFeed in 2017, also alleged that Mr Putin “supported and directed” an operation to “cultivate” Mr Trump as a presidential candidate for “at least five years”.

Mr Trump denied the claims.

Mr Steele and Orbis Business Intelligence were previously sued for libel by Russian national Aleksej Gubarev over the publication of the dossier, claiming they were legally responsible for BuzzFeed publishing the dossier.

However, in a judgment in October 2020, Mr Justice Warby dismissed the claim.

Michael Cohen says he may not testify against Trump because of the threats the ex-president is generating

Friday 29 September 2023 00:52 , Graeme Massie

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said he may not testify against his former boss because he’s scared of the blowback from the former president’s loyalists.

Cohen made the comments on MSNBC on Wednesday. He said Donald Trump’s rhetoric needs to be checked before he gets witnesses in his criminal cases hurt or killed.

The New York State court system has increased its security after a ruling found this week that Mr Trump and his adult sons are liable for civil fraud.

“Let me tell you something, I think it’s incumbent now upon government — I listen again to a lot of pundits on the various different stations talking about how they have to do something to curb Donald Trump’s language,” Cohen said. “What, are we going to wait until something, God forbid, happens, and then everyone is going to say thoughts and prayers to the family?”

Cohen added that Mr Trump should “not be permitted to do what he’s doing.”

Read more

Trump says he will not try to have his Georgia election interference case moved to federal court

Friday 29 September 2023 00:24 , Graeme Massie

Former president and 18 other defendants have all pleaded not guilty in sprawling Fulton County Rico case.

Trump says he will not try to have Georgia election case moved to federal court

Elon Musk confirms he is cutting election integrity staff from X/Twitter ahead of 2024

Thursday 28 September 2023 23:45 , Graeme Massie

Elon Musk has cut staff from the X team that combats election disinformation claiming they were actually “undermining election integrity.”

The platform, formerly known as Twitter, got rid of half of the global team, including four people at its Dublin office and its head, sources told The Information.

Mr Musk later confirmed the move on X, stating: “Oh you mean the ‘Election Integrity’ Team that was undermining election integrity? Yeah, they’re gone.”

With the 2024 US presidential election just over a year away, the team may now have only six staff members, most of them in North America, reported The Messenger.

The Independent has reached out to the platform for comment on the cuts and received a message back stating, “Busy now, please check back later.”

Read more

Michael Cohen says Trump ordered by judge to give deposition 3 October

Thursday 28 September 2023 23:35 , Graeme Massie

Who attended Trump’s rally for striking auto workers? It may not have been striking auto workers...

Thursday 28 September 2023 23:00 , Martha McHardy

Donald Trump skipped the second GOP debate to hold a rally for auto workers on strike in Michigan - but the crowd has come under suspicion after some attendees reportedly revealed they don’t fit in that category.

Mr Trump visited Drake Enterprises, a non-unionized auto parts factory, on Wednesday night while seven of his rivals in the 2024 election faced off in California.

In a speech during his visit, Mr Trump claimed “thousands of people” had gathered to meet him in Michigan.

But the composition of the audience is now under scrutiny after a report by The Detroit News claimed one attendee holding a “union members for Trump” sign admitted that she is not in a union, while another holding an “auto workers for Trump” sign said he was not an auto worker.

Read the full story...

Trump attacks ‘bum’ Chris Christie over ‘boring’ GOP debate

Thursday 28 September 2023 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump took aim at former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, his one-time ally now major foe and Republican rival for the 2024 nomination, following the party’s second primary debate on Wednesday night.

Mr Christie had hit out at Mr Trump for skipping the debate – avoiding answering questions on his record as president.

The former president didn’t take kingly to the criticism levelled against him and attacked the former New Jersey governor on Truth Social going after his record as a Republican governor of a blue state.

Trump takes aim at ‘bum’ Chris Christie over ‘boring’ GOP debate

Trump sues ex-British spy Christopher Steele over infamous Russia dossier

Thursday 28 September 2023 22:00 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump is suing an ex-British spy over the Steele dossier which made a string of explosive claims against the former president and his alleged links to Russia.

Mr Trump has brought a data protection claim against Christopher Steele and his company Orbis Business Intelligence in the UK’s High Court, records show.

The dossier was published by Buzzfeed just 10 days before Mr Trump took office in January 2017 after beating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election.

Mr Steele, who used to work on MI6’s Russia desk, was hired to put together the dossier by Washington DC-based research firm Fusion GPS.

Perkins Coie, the law firm for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, later acknowledged its role in funding the dossier by retaining Fusion GPS.

Read more

Thursday 28 September 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

‘Good night, sweet prince’: Trump team responds to DeSantis’ one-on-one debate dare

Ron DeSantis challenged Donald Trump to a one-on-one showdown on Wednesday as he skipped the second GOP debate - drawing mockery from the former president’s team.

The Florida governor, who is currently second in the polls behind Mr Trump, slammed the former president for being “missing in action”, saying he “owes it to” Republican voters to show up.

“You know what, maybe we can say since the former president didn’t come here, maybe he’d be willing to do one with you and I,” Mr DeSantis told Fox News’ Sean Hannity after the second GOP primary debate.

“I think he owes it to our voters to come and make the case,” Mr DeSantis argued. “Let’s do it right … one’s entitled to anything.”

Martha McHardy reports on how Team Trump responded...

DeSantis still insists campaign is on track... despite 37-point gap with Trump

Thursday 28 September 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has refused to throw in the towel on his campaign to be the Republican pick for the next election, despite being given a sober look at the current polling numbers.

The governor of Florida was informed by Laura Ingraham on the right-wing Fox News network that he faces a 37-point deficit to Donald Trump in one early primary state.

On her show, Ms Ingraham said: “Now, governor, the latest CBS poll out of New Hampshire shows that you’re in second, albeit a distant second behind Trump ... You’re at 13 per cent, he’s at 50 per cent.”

Despite the charges against him and his loss in the 2020 vote, Mr Trump is the heavy favourite to be the GOP nominee, but Mr DeSantis says he has not given up hope.

William Mata reports.

DeSantis says campaign is not over as Fox host reveals 37-point poll gap to Trump

Trump’s Michigan rally for union auto workers may have drawn the wrong crowd

Thursday 28 September 2023 20:54 , Martha McHardy

Donald Trump skipped the second GOP debate to hold a rally for auto workers on strike in Michigan - but the crowd has come under suspicion after some attendees reportedly revealed they don’t fit in that category.

Mr Trump visited Drake Enterprises, a non-unionized auto parts factory, on Wednesday night while seven of his rivals in the 2024 election faced off in California.

In a speech during his visit, Mr Trump claimed “thousands of people” had gathered to meet him in Michigan.

But the composition of the audience is now under scrutiny after a report by The Detroit News claimed one attendee holding a “union members for Trump” sign admitted that she is not in a union, while another holding an “auto workers for Trump” sign said he was not an auto worker.

The event drew a crowd of about 400-500 Trump supporters, according to The Detroit News, while Drake Enterprises only has around 150 employees.

Read more

Trump’s fraud trial will begin on Monday after appeals court rejects attempts to delay

Thursday 28 September 2023 20:46 , Alex Woodward

A civil trial stemming from a multi-million dollar fraud lawsuit targeting Donald Trump, his adult sons and chief associates will proceed next week after a New York appeals court rejected a last-ditch attempt to stall the hearings amid a mountain of criminal and civil cases facing the former president.

The two-page appellate court decision on 28 September dismissed Mr Trump’s lawsuit against the judge presiding over his case in an effort to stall the civil trial’s 2 October start date.

A ruling comes just days after the judge’s blockbuster decision finding Mr Trump and others liable for more than a decade of fraud after a years-long investigation from the state attorney general.

A bench trial will begin as scheduled on Monday. Judge Arthur F Engoron will preside without a jury.

His scathing order on 26 September granted a partial judgment in favour of Letitia James, whose blockbuster lawsuit alleges Mr Trump and his business empire defrauded banks and insurers by grossly overvaluing assets and exaggerating his net worth on documents to secure deals and financing.

Read more

Trump ally Kari Lake to announce Arizona senate run against Kyrsten Sinema

Thursday 28 September 2023 20:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Kari Lake is set to announce a Senate run, taking on Arizona’s Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema following the former broadcaster’s failed run for governor of the state in 2022.

Ms Lake told The Wall Street Journal that she will officially announce her candidacy on 10 October. The race is set to be a three-way battle between a Republican, likely to be Ms Lake; incumbent and former Democrat turned Independent Ms Sinema; and US House Representative Ruben Gallego who’s set to campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Ms Lake is still falsely claiming that fraud cost her the 2022 gubernatorial election.

But, despite repeated efforts, she has been unable to prove her claims – much like former president Donald Trump and his false claims over the 2020 presidential election.

Continued...

Scott attacks Haley over expensive curtains installed when she was Trump’s UN rep... but there’s more to it

Thursday 28 September 2023 19:40 , Ariana Baio

Among the numerous heated arguments that transpired between Republican presidential candidates on the debate stage, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and South Carolina senator Tim Scott got into a particularly frivolous argument over expensive curtains.

While addressing government spending, Mr Scott claimed Ms Haley was “someone who has never seen a federal dollar she doesn’t like”, opening the door for the two to verbally spar.

With a coy smile, Ms Haley welcomed Mr Scott’s accusations, saying: “Bring it, Tim.”

Read more...

Chris Christie doubles down on ‘Donald Duck’ nickname for Trump

Thursday 28 September 2023 19:19 , Graeme Massie

Former Trump apprentice takes on master of nicknames with latest jibe.

Chris Christie doubles down on ‘Donald Duck’ nickname for Trump

Analysis: How the far-right of the GOP is sending US hurtling towards a government shutdown

Thursday 28 September 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg report on how far-right-wing Republicans could lead to a government shutdown and the ousting of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

How far-right arm of the Republicans are sending US towards a government shutdown

GOP candidates refuse to say who should be voted ‘off the island’

Thursday 28 September 2023 18:20 , Martha McHardy

The Republican candidates faced a Survivor-style elimination ceremony on Wednesday night during the second GOP primary debate.

The seven candidates were asked by moderator Dana Perino who should sacrifice themselves in order to defeat the party’s current frontrunner Donald Trump – but each and every one of them refused to answer.

“So which one of you onstage tonight should be voted off the island?” Ms Perino asked, asking the candidates to each name the individual they most think should drop out of the race.

Leading the charge, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed the question outright.

Republican candidates refuse to answer ‘Survivor’ question at debate

Kill Bill, Kim Jong-Un and more feature in string of chaotic Trump videos on Truth Social

Thursday 28 September 2023 17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump had an unusual response to his Republican presidential rivals hitting out at him during the second GOP debate.

Late on Wednesday night, the former president took to his Truth Social platform to post a string of bizarre, chaotic videos featuring montages of movie clips including Kill Bill: Vol. 2 and clips of him meeting controversial figures including Kanye West and Kim Jong-Un.

One video, lasting 1 minute 38 seconds, begins with spliced clips from several iconic movies including Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, Napoleon Dynamite of moments where people gathered around the TV screens.

But instead of watching the likes of a spaceship taking off, the viewers are of course watching Mr Trump.

Among the movie footage, Mr Trump has thrown himself into the mix.

More...

Trump goes on incoherent and incorrect rant on electric vehicles

Thursday 28 September 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump went on an incoherent and inaccurate rant about electric cars as he gave a speech to a non-union auto parts factory in Michigan and avoided the second Republican debate.

The former president visited the 2024 battleground state the day after Joe Biden joined the United Auto Workers union picket line to support striking workers there.

Mr Trump accused the president of a “cruel and ridiculous” policy on electric vehicles that would be the death of the American car industry, despite Tesla being the highest-valued company in the industry,

He told workers at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township, that EVs were actually bad for the environment.

Read on...

Trump goes on incoherent and incorrect rant on electric vehicles in Michigan speech

Trump defence team in New York fraud case proposes 127 witnesses

Thursday 28 September 2023 16:57 , Oliver O'Connell

...and the Trump team has released its list of 127 defence witnesses.

Which you can read here.

New York attorney general releases proposed witness list for Trump fraud trial

Thursday 28 September 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

New York Attorney General Letitia James has released her proposed witness list for Donald Trump’s fraud trial.

Included are Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and Eric Trump, as well as Ivanka Trump, Michael Cohen, Allen Weisselberg, various Trump Organization employees, and representatives of finance, insurance, and property firms that had dealings with the company.

The extensive list of 28 witnesses is supplemented by an additional 25 who could be called on as rebuttal witnesses if necessary.

Read the full list

Full story: Trump ally Kari Lake to announce Arizona senate run against Kyrsten Sinema

Thursday 28 September 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Kari Lake is set to announce a senate run in Arizona against Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema following the former broadcaster’s failed run for governor in 2022.

Ms Lake told The Wall Street Journal that she will officially announce her candidacy on 10 October. The race is set to be a three-way battle between the Republicans, likely represented by Ms Lake, Ms Sinema, the incumbent and a former Democrat, and US House Representative Ruben Gallego who’s set to campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Ms Lake is still claiming that fraud lost her the 2022 gubernatorial election but she has been unable to prove it, much like former President Donald Trump in his similar quest regarding the 2020 presidential election.

Read on...

Kari Lake to announce Arizona senate run against Kyrsten Sinema

‘Good night, sweet prince’: Trump team responds to DeSantis’ one-on-one debate dare

Thursday 28 September 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis challenged Donald Trump to a one-on-one showdown on Wednesday as he skipped the second GOP debate - drawing mockery from the former president’s team.

The Florida governor, who is currently second in the polls behind Mr Trump, slammed the former president for being “missing in action”, saying he “owes it to” Republican voters to show up.

“You know what, maybe we can say since the former president didn’t come here, maybe he’d be willing to do one with you and I,” Mr DeSantis told Fox News’ Sean Hannity after the second GOP primary debate.

“I think he owes it to our voters to come and make the case,” Mr DeSantis argued. “Let’s do it right … one’s entitled to anything.”

Martha McHardy reports on how Team Trump responded...

Who attended Trump’s rally for striking auto workers? It may not have been striking auto workers...

Thursday 28 September 2023 15:30 , Martha McHardy

Donald Trump skipped the second GOP debate to hold a rally for auto workers on strike in Michigan - but the crowd has come under suspicion after some attendees reportedly revealed they don’t fit in that category.

Mr Trump visited Drake Enterprises, a non-unionized auto parts factory, on Wednesday night while seven of his rivals in the 2024 election faced off in California.

In a speech during his visit, Mr Trump claimed “thousands of people” had gathered to meet him in Michigan.

But the composition of the audience is now under scrutiny after a report by The Detroit News claimed one attendee holding a “union members for Trump” sign admitted that she is not in a union, while another holding an “auto workers for Trump” sign said he was not an auto worker.

Read on...

Trump’s Michigan rally for union auto workers may have drawn the wrong crowd

Trump attacks ‘bum’ Chris Christie over ‘boring’ GOP debate

Thursday 28 September 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump took aim at former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, his one-time ally now major foe and Republican rival for the 2024 nomination, following the party’s second primary debate on Wednesday night.

Mr Christie had hit out at Mr Trump for skipping the debate – avoiding answering questions on his record as president.

The former president didn’t take kingly to the criticism levelled against him and attacked the former New Jersey governor on Truth Social going after his record as a Republican governor of a blue state.

Trump takes aim at ‘bum’ Chris Christie over ‘boring’ GOP debate

Kill Bill, Kim Jong-Un and more feature in string of chaotic Trump videos on Truth Social

Thursday 28 September 2023 14:45 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump had an unusual response to his Republican presidential rivals hitting out at him during the second GOP debate.

Late on Wednesday night, the former president took to his Truth Social platform to post a string of bizarre, chaotic videos featuring montages of movie clips including Kill Bill: Vol. 2 and clips of him meeting controversial figures including Kanye West and Kim Jong-Un.

One video, lasting 1 minute 38 seconds, begins with spliced clips from several iconic movies including Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, Napoleon Dynamite of moments where people gathered around the TV screens.

But instead of watching the likes of a spaceship taking off, the viewers are of course watching Mr Trump.

Among the movie footage, Mr Trump has thrown himself into the mix.

More...

Trump posts string of chaotic videos featuring movie clips montage

GOP candidates refuse to say who should be voted ‘off the island’

Thursday 28 September 2023 14:30 , Martha McHardy

The Republican candidates faced a Survivor-style elimination ceremony on Wednesday night during the second GOP primary debate.

The seven candidates were asked by moderator Dana Perino who should sacrifice themselves in order to defeat the party’s current frontrunner Donald Trump – but each and every one of them refused to answer.

“So which one of you onstage tonight should be voted off the island?” Ms Perino asked, asking the candidates to each name the individual they most think should drop out of the race.

Leading the charge, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed the question outright.

Read more...

DeSantis says Trump ‘missing in action’ from debate stage

Thursday 28 September 2023 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida governor Ron DeSantis tore into Donald Trump on Wednesday for skipping the second 2024 Republican presidential debate, complaining the former president was “missing in action.”

“Where’s Joe Biden,” he said. “He’s completely missing in action from leadership. You know who else is missing in action? Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight.”

“He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt,” he added. “That set the stage for the inflation we have now.”

Josh Marcus reports.

DeSantis hits out at Trump for not attending GOP debate: ‘Missing in action’

Trump says he won’t pick any Republican 2024 rivals as running mate

Thursday 28 September 2023 13:30 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump says he will not pick any of the Republicans running against him for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination to be his running mate if wins the primary.

The former president skipped the second GOP debate and poked fun at the “job candidates” taking part during his own competing speech at a Michigan auto parts factory.

“We are competing with the job candidates, they are all running for a job. They are all job candidates. They will do anything, secretary of something, they even say VP. Has anyone seen a VP in that group? I don’t think so,” Mr Trump told the crowd at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township.

And he added: “They don’t have a crowd like we have, thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in.”

Continued...

Donald Trump calls Joe Biden a ‘wretched old vulture’

Thursday 28 September 2023 13:01 , Graeme Massie

Donald Trump calls Joe Biden a ‘wretched old vulture’ as he skips GOP debate

Trump rails against electric vehicles and windmills in Michigan

Thursday 28 September 2023 12:33 , Graeme Massie