Rolling coverage of the former president’s latest legal woes
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Jen Psaki says Democrats ‘love to be opposed’ to Donald Trump ahead of midterms
A Florida judge has appointed Donald Trump’s nominee as special master in the FBI investigation into top secret papers seized by agents from his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Judge Raymond Dearie will now review materials seized during the raid of the former president’s estate in August after Mr Trump successfully demanded one be appointed.
US district judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday also rejected the justice department’s request to resume its criminal investigation into the seized classified documents. Judge Cannon said that she was not willing to accept the government’s assertions that nearly 100 documents taken from Mr Trump’s estate were classified.
“The court does not find it appropriate to accept the government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” the judge said in the ruling.
Earlier, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly complied with a Justice Department subpoena tied to the investigation into the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot. He is the most senior member of the Trump administration to comply which such an order.
Former president Donald Trump on Thursday hinted that his supporters could engage in a protracted campaign of violence if he were to be indicted for any crimes discovered in the myriad criminal investigations into his conduct.
Speaking on the conservative broadcaster Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, Mr Trump said an indictment would not deter him from running for president because he would have “no prohibition against running”.
“But I think if it happened, I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps, we’ve never seen before. I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it,” he added.
Asked what kinds of problems he was predicting if he were to be charged with a crime, Mr Trump added ominously: “I think you’d have big problems — big problems”.
Andrew Feinberg reports on the former president’s threat to the stability of the US.
Mr Trump warned that the US would have ‘big problems’ if he were to be charged with any crimes
Donald Trump once offered Jordan’s King Abdullah II control of the West Bank, which he characterised at the time as being a “great deal”, according to a forthcoming book on behind-the-scenes accounts of the Trump White House.
When Abdullah II received the message from Mr Trump, he reportedly told an American friend: “I thought I was having a heart attack.”
Understandable.
The Jordanian king said of the January 2018 offer from the former president that he ‘thought I was having a heart attack’
President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have improved from their lowest point this summer, according to a new poll.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed the president’s approval ratings increased to 45 per cent from 36 per cent in July.
Sravasti Dasgupta reports.
Poll shows economy continues to be a source of weakness for the president
Former president Donald Trump says in a new book that he will not pick his former vice president Mike Pence to serve as his running mate if he launches another White House bid in 2024.
Mr Trump made the remarks in The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, written by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker, The Guardian reported. Mr Baker and Ms Glasser interviewed Mr Trump in April and November of last year.
Eric Garcia reports.
The former president’s remarks appear in an upcoming book
The Independent’s Richard Hall reports on how John Fetterman, a very different kind of Democrat, is hoping to chip away at Trump’s support in rural Pennsylvania.
Trump dominated in the rural area of Pennsylvania in the last two elections. John Fetterman, a different kind of Democrat, is hoping to chip away at that support. Richard Hall reports from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, was reportedly so disturbed by her husband’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic that she took to characterising his response as “screwing up”.
The news of one of the former president’s closest confidants, among others, expressing doubts in his ability to handle critical geopolitical issues comes from a forthcoming book from New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker and New Yorker staff writer and CNN global affairs analyst Susan Glasser.
CNN obtained an early copy of the book.
In one of the book’s more damning passages, the pair of veteran reporters cite interviews with Trump insiders who were able to confirm that the one-term president’s partner was concerned with how his administration was responding to the pandemic.
Johanna Chisholm reports.
The former first lady reportedly made the damning remarks during a phone call with one of her husband’s initial backers, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
The state of New York’s chief law enforcement officer may soon file a civil lawsuit against former president Donald Trump, his eponymous real estate and licensing conglomerate, and at least one of his adult children after the twice-impeached ex-president’s proposed settlement that would have ended a years-long probe into whether his companies defrauded state tax authorities was rejected.
Andrew Feinberg has the details.
Mr Trump’s company goes on trial for tax crimes next month in an unrelated case
Former president Donald Trump on Thursday hinted that his supporters could engage in a protracted campaign of violence if he were to be indicted for any crimes discovered in the criminal investigations into his conduct.
Speaking on the conservative broadcaster Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, Mr Trump said an indictment would not deter him from running for president because he would have “no prohibition against running”.
“But I think if it happened, I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps, we’ve never seen before. I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it,” he added.
Asked what kinds of problems he was predicting if he were to be charged with a crime, Mr Trump added ominously: “I think you’d have big problems — big problems”.
“I just don’t think they [his supporters] would stand for it. They will not,” he said. “They will not sit still and stand for this ultimate of hoaxes”.
Andrew Feinberg has more.
Mr Trump warned that the US would have ‘big problems’ if he were to be charged with any crimes
President Joe Biden has nominated a Miami litigator and longtime government lawyer to serve as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, the office currently involved in the Justice Department‘s investigation of classified records at former President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Markenzy Lapointe would replace Juan Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, who has been a top prosecutor in Southern Florida involved in the investigation of the classified records and the debate over whether a judge should appoint a special master to review the documents taken by FBI in the search.
President Joe Biden has nominated a Miami litigator and longtime government lawyer to serve as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, the office currently involved in the search warrants at the Mar-a-Lago home of former President Donald Trump
Democrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, pulling back just days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.”
Democrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, a blow for the legislation that comes days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.”
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