DeSantis news – latest: Conservative and independent millionaires back Florida governor over Trump, says poll

Javier Salazar, the sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, is recommending criminal charges against those involved with flights that sent 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants from El Paso to Martha’s Vineyard last year, what was widely derided as a political stunt orchestrated by Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

A statement from the sheriff’s office says it has completed an investigation launched last September and recommended several counts of unlawful restraint, both misdemeanours and felonies, to the office of the Bexar County district attorney.

Meanwhile, Casey DeSantis, Florida’s first lady and the wife of the aspiring Republican presidential candidate, has been branded a “Walmart Melania” after she wore a leather jacket emblazoned with a map of the Sunshine State, an alligator and the legend “Where woke goes to die” during a campaign stop in Iowa to promote her husband.

Elsewhere, a Vice documentary about the candidate’s earlier career as a US Navy lawyer serving at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba has been mysteriously dropped from Showtime’s schedules, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with no explanation given.

Key Points

• Casey DeSantis labelled ‘Walmart Melania’ over jacket stunt

• Showtime documentary on DeSantis’s Guantanamo Bay career mysteriously dropped

• DeSantis wraps up first early states tour with attack on Biden

• Florida governor defines ‘woke’ after Trump claims ‘half the people can’t’

• California investigating whether DeSantis involved in flying asylum-seekers from Texas to Sacramento

21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors ready to ask for Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges

20:53 , Andrew Feinberg

The Department of Justice is preparing to ask a Washington, DC grand jury to indict former president Donald Trump for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice as soon as Thursday, adding further weight to the legal baggage facing Mr Trump as he campaigns for his party’s nomination in next year’s presidential election.

The Independent has learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Mr Trump for violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”.

Read more:

Prosecutors seeking Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges

Ex-Trump aide appears at Miami court to testify before federal grand jury

20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A former top aide to Donald Trump appeared Wednesday in federal court in Miami for testimony to a grand jury investigating potential classified-document mishandling and obstruction at the ex-president’s Palm Beach property, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Taylor Budowich, who had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency and now runs a pro-Trump super PAC, was to testify before a grand jury that is separate from a panel that has been meeting in Washington for months to consider charges against Trump over the retention of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and potential obstruction of the government’s efforts to reclaim the records.

The person who confirmed Budowich’s appearance spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secretive grand jury proceedings.

It is not clear why prosecutors are using an additional grand jury beyond the one in Washington or what testimony Budowich was expected to offer, though the existence of the Florida panel could be an indication that prosecutors are considering bringing charges there.

Read more...

Ex-Trump aide appears at Miami court to testify before federal grand jury., AP source says

20:25 , Oliver O'Connell

ICYMI: Trump suggests he is about to be charged over Mar-a-Lago classified documents

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump on Monday suggested he will soon face criminal charges in the long-running federal probe into his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information at his Palm Beach, Florida property.

Writing on his Truth Social website, Mr Trump asked how the Department of Justice could “possibly charge” him for having hoarded classified documents at his home and office when similarly classified documents have been found at locations linked to other prominent figures, including President Joe Biden.

He also suggested he should not face charges because his 2016 election opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was not indicted for having received emails containing information later deemed to have been classified on a private email service she used during her time in government service.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Trump suggests he is about to be charged in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case

Watch: Newsom not pulling punches in attack on DeSantis

19:52 , Oliver O'Connell

19:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Barr: Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ DOJ

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Attorney General Bill Barr has weighed in on Donald Trump’s legal problems relating to the trove of classified documents found at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.

Mr Barr told CBS Mornings that the former president’s problems are of his own making and the case against him and any probe of his retention of secret papers would have gone nowhere if he had just returned them.

Read more...

Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ DOJ says Bill Barr

Trump wails about ‘fake investigations’ in middle of campaign

18:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s the latest from Truth Social from former president Donald Trump:

Wow, this is turning out to be the greatest & most vicious instance of ELECTION INTERFERENCE in the history of our Country. Remember, I’m leading DeSanctimonious BIG in the Polls but, more importantly, I’m leading Biden by a lot. Also, & perhaps most importantly, they are launching all of the many Fake Investigations against me RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAMPAIGN, something which is unheard of & not supposed to happen. DOJ, FBI, NEW YORK A.G., NEW YORK D.A., ATLANTA D.A. FASCISTS ALL!

Pence announces 2024 run with video calling for ‘different leadership’

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former vice president Mike Pence on Wednesday announced that he is entering the running for the 2024 presidential election, setting up a heated competition for the Republican nomination with former presidentDonald Trump.

In a launch video for his campaign, Mr Pence said a “different leadership” could turn the country around to prevent the American dream from being “crushed”.

“Today our party and our country need a leader that will appeal, as Lincoln said, to the better angels of our nature,” Mr Pence continued.

While the video highlights Mr Pence’s work as vice president, it avoids making a single mention of the man he served during that period – Mr Trump.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Mike Pence announces 2024 run with video calling for ‘different leadership’

18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Mike Pence launches 2024 presidential campaign in Iowa

Trump ridicules Christie’s weight in edited 2024 video

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump fired off a nasty buffet video of Chris Christie after the former governor attacked Ivanka Trump at his 2024 campaign launch.

The former president shared a video created by Twitter users @NautPoso and @drefanzor which was crudely edited to make it appear as if the ex-New Jersey governor was starting his campaign at an all-you-can-buffet holding a plate of food.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump ridicules Chris Christie’s weight in edited 2024 campaign launch video

Mark Meadows has testified to grand jury in special counsel investigations

17:41 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s former chief of staff testified before a grand jury in Washington DC, according to multiple media reports, in the surest sign in weeks that the Department of Justice’s investigation into January 6 has reached the highest levels of the White House.

His testimony, and the general topics it touched on, was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by CNN; it remains unclear, however, exactly when Mr Meadows spoke to the grand jury or the extent of the information he gave. However, a spokesperson for the former White House chief of staff for the Trump administration seemed to indicate that Mr Meadows had given up some information.

John Bowden has the latest.

Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows Mark Meadows has testified to federal grand jury

Watch: Governor Doug Burgum joins the 2024 race

17:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls grand jury testimony ‘harassing’ Trump staff

17:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene has slammed the process of testifying under oath in a grand jury as “harassing President Trump’s staff” and part of a “deranged effort to sway the 2024 election”.

Here’s what she wrote on Twitter in response to Taylor Budowich’s post:

The weaponized government must end.

Harassing President Trump’s staff in their deranged effort to sway the 2024 election while totally ignoring Biden, Pence, Obama, Bush and every other President’s documents is proof of how badly these people are abusing their power.

ICYMI: Trump celebrates ‘big, beautiful, and glamorous’ deal for golf

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is celebrating the “big, beautiful, and glamorous” merger between the PGA, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour.

The former president took to Truth Social on Tuesday as news of the landmark deal broke.

Some of Mr Trump’s branded golf courses have recently hosted LIV Golf events.

Read more...

Donald Trump celebrates ‘big, beautiful, and glamorous’ PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger

Budowich responds to reports of Trump grand jury testimony

16:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump aide and Head of MAGA Inc Taylor Budowich has confirmed reports that he appeared before a grand jury in Florida this morning concerning the Department of Justice’s Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation being led by special counsel Jack Smith.

He wrote on Twitter:

Today, in what can only be described as a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to “get” Trump, I fulfilled a legal obligation to testify in front a federal grand jury and I answered every question honestly.

America has become a sick and broken nation—a decline led by Joe Biden and power hungry Democrats. I will not be intimidated by this weaponization of government. For me, the need to unite our nation and make America great again has never been more clear than it is today.

That starts with re-electing President Donald J. Trump, a purpose I will not be deterred from pursuing.

More details about the second grand jury can be found here:

Ex-Trump aide appears at Miami court to testify before federal grand jury., AP source says

Betrayal is textbook Trump, former aide says — what does that mean for Pence and others?

16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump “uses” people, said Stephanie Grisham, commenting on the former president’s harsh words against Kayleigh McEnany, her successor in the White House.

Speaking to CNN’s Jim Acosta on Sunday, the former White House press secretary said Mr Trump’s derogatory remarks against Ms McEnany were not surprising.

“This is what he does,” Ms Grisham said. “He uses you until there is no use for you anymore, or until you dare to say something that could possibly be construed against him.”

Stephanie Grisham says ex-president’s Kayleigh McEnany betrayal is textbook Trump

Southern Baptists survey the Republican candidate field

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Southern Baptists form a core part of the white evangelical Christian bloc that has reliably and overwhelmingly voted Republican in recent elections, and is expected to again in 2024.

But Southern Baptists are weighing their options in the GOP presidential primary field — some already lining up behind Donald Trump, others wary of the former president, whom most evangelical voters supported in previous elections despite his vulgar language, serial marriages and sexual bravado. Some are looking at what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or other candidates might offer.

But even critics of many Baptist voters’ embrace of hard-right politics have little doubt where this is headed in November 2024 — support for whichever candidate emerges from the GOP nomination process. The only question is the extent of the fervor they bring to the polls.

Read more...

For many Southern Baptists, the only campaign question is which Republican candidate to support

Christie targets his ‘divisive’ former friend Trump

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The battle for the Republican nomination just got a whole lot messier.

That was the defining message of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s campaign launch on Tuesday: get ready for blood.

Calling out his opponents by name, deconstructing their campaign slogans and clever quips — Chris Christie was in prime form on Tuesday evening at St Anselm College in New Hampshire, where he addressed a small crowd of voters in a town hall-style event and put his sights clear on his top rival, Donald Trump.

John Bowden reports as the Christie campaign gets underway.

Chris Christie targets his former friend Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle

Doug Burgum announces White House run [he’s the governor of North Dakota]

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Doug Burgum, the little-known governor of North Dakota, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president on Wednesday morning, further crowding the Republican field.

Mr Burgum, who won re-election in staunchly Republican North Dakota last year, will make his announcement official on Wednesday morning. In a preview video released on Tuesday, he mostly focused on the economy, with a tagline saying “a new leader for a changing economy.”

Eric Garcia reports.

Doug Burgum, little-known governor of North Dakota, announces White House run

Key Trump aide seen arriving at Miami grand jury courthouse

14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump aide Taylor Budowich has been seen arriving at a federal courthouse in Miami to appear before the Florida grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents.

Florida grand jury involved in Trump documents probe by DoJ, reports say

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal prosecutors are using a grand jury in Florida as part of their investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach property, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.

The grand jury is in addition to a separate panel that has been meeting in Washington for months to consider charges against Trump over the retention of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and potential obstruction of the government’s efforts to reclaim the records.

It is not clear why prosecutors are using an additional grand jury, which was described to The Associated Press by a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss secret proceedings, or which witnesses might be testifying before it.

A variety of witnesses, including lawyers for Trump, close aides to the former president and officials with the Trump Organization, have appeared over the last year before the grand jury in Washington. But the use of a different grand jury in Florida suggests that prosecutors may also be eyeing at least some potential charges in that state.

AP

CEO Chris Licht out at CNN days after devastating expose

14:33 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN CEO Chris Licht has been ousted from the network after just 16 months in the job, according to reports.

The reported axing comes just days after a devastating expose in The Atlantic revealed he had lost the confidence of the newsroom.

The news was first reported by PuckNews, and quickly matched by CNN’s own media reporter Oliver Darcy, who had written a series of scathing newsletters about his former boss.

Here’s the moment CNN announced the news:

Bevan Hurley has the latest.

CNN boss Chris Licht out days after devastating expose

Recap: Trump suggests he is about to be charged in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case

14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Former president Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he will soon face criminal charges in the long-running federal probe into his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information at his Palm Beach, Florida property.

Writing on his Truth Social website, Mr Trump asked how the Department of Justice could “possibly charge” him for having hoarded classified documents at his home and office when similarly classified documents have been found at locations linked to other prominent figures, including President Joe Biden.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump suggests he is about to be charged in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case

Tucker Carlson issues anti-Semitic slur against Volodymyr Zelensky as he launches new Twitter TV show

13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Ousted Fox host Tucker Carlson described Ukraine’s Jewish leader as “rat-like”, questioned the official story about 9/11 and claimed definitively that aliens are visiting Earth as he launched his new TV show on Twitter.

The far-right former Fox News anchor opened the next act of his career with a pro-Kremlin rant claiming that it was “obvious” Ukrainian forces were responsible for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on Tuesday.

He referred to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as “sweaty and rat-like”, “a persecutor of Christians” and in bed with American investment bankers.

Tucker Carlson calls Ukraine’s Jewish leader ‘rat-like’ in new Twitter show

Giuliani denies sex abuse claims and says accuser trying to stir ‘media frenzy’

13:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani says a woman’s lawsuit alleging he coerced her into sex and owes her nearly $2 million in unpaid wages is “a large stretch of the imagination” filled with exaggerations and salacious details “to create a media frenzy.”

Giuliani said in court papers that he had a consensual relationship with Noelle Dunphy “for a few months” in 2019, during his time as former president Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, but denied she ever worked for him or that he pressured her into sex.

Dunphy’s lawsuit, filed last month in state court in New York, “contains a blunderbuss of contradictory allegations,” Giuliani said in his written response last Friday.

Her “singular objective” is to defame him, he said.

Giuliani denies claims he coerced woman to have sex, says she's trying to stir 'media frenzy'

Florida officials share video boasting of role in California migrant flights amid calls to charge DeSantis

12:47 , Joe Sommerlad

Florida officials have shared footage of migrants that the state helped shuttle to California on private jets amid calls for kidnapping charges to be brought against Governor Ron DeSantis.

A video shared by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) compiled two minutes and 21 seconds of clips showing migrants dancing to music on a bus, signing waivers and smiling as they posed for photos on a plane.

The video followed a statement by the agency on Tuesday confirming its involvement in two recent flights that carried migrants from New Mexico to California’s capital of Sacramento.

FDEM communicationsdirector Alecia Collins said that the relocation was “voluntary” and the migrants were taken to a non-profit organisation.

“Through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to go to California,” Ms Collins wrote. “A contractor was present and ensured they made it safely to a third party NGO. The specific NGO, Catholic Charities, is used and funded by the federal government.”

The video shared by the organisation appeared aimed at refuting claims that the migrants had been “kidnapped” against their will.

Florida officials share video boasting of role in California migrant flights

Mike Pence next to declare his presidential aspirations

12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Former US vice president Mike Pence, the once-loyal sideman to twice-impeached ex-president Donald Trump, will kick off his own attempt to win election to the nation’s top job when he formally announces his campaign at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday.

Mr Pence’s pre-empted that unveiling with a video posted to social media in which he channelled Abraham Lincoln by saying the nation required “different leadership” appealing to “the better angels of our nature”, coming just days after he made his candidacy official by filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.

The ex-Indiana governor’s presidential ambitions are nothing new, Mr Pence having teased a presidential run for months during a string of public appearances.

But the advent of an actual campaign changes the Republican landscape by putting him in direct competition with Mr Trump, his former running-mate, with whom he fell out definitively over the events of 6 January 2021.

Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now he wants his old boss’s job in 2024

Christie launches long-shot 2024 presidential bid

11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

As we’ve already heard, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie has filed the necessary paperwork to launch his 2024 presidential bid and kicked off his campaign last night during a town hall in New Hampshire.

But Mr Christie is facing some mighty long odds in the competition for the GOP nomination.

John Bowden reports.

Chris Christie files paperwork to launch long-shot 2024 bid

Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ Justice Department

11:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Former US attorney general Bill Barr has weighed in on Donald Trump’s legal problems relating to the trove of classified documents found at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.

Mr Barr told CBS Mornings that the former president’s problems are of his own making and the case against him and any probe into his retention of secret papers would have gone nowhere if he had just returned them.

You can read more below.

Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ DOJ says Bill Barr

Trump celebrates ‘big, beautiful, and glamorous’ deal for golf

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

As the Department of Justice’s investigation into the classified documents held at his Mar-a-Lago home continues, Mr Trump turned his attention to Tuesday’s major golf merger, bringing together the PGA, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour, calling it a “big, beautiful, and glamorous” deal.

Donald Trump celebrates ‘big, beautiful, and glamorous’ PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger

Trump lashes out at Chris Christie

10:16 , Joe Sommerlad

As he launched his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination, last night former New Jersey governor Chris Christie hit out at Trump in surprisingly personal style.

“The grift from this family is breathtaking. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Kushner walk out of the White House, and months later, it turns out, they get $2 billion from the Saudis? That makes us a banana republic,” he declared.

As you might have expected, Trump was hardly likely to take an attack like that lying down.

Here’s what he had to say by way of a response in his latest feverish post to Truth Social:

“How many times did Chris Christie use the word SMALL? Does he have a psychological problem with SIZE? Actually, his speech was SMALL, and not very good. It rambled all over the place, and nobody had a clue of what he was talking about. Hard to watch, boring, but that’s what you get from a failed Governor (New Jersey) who left office with a 7% approval rating and then got run out of New Hampshire. This time, it won’t be any different!”

Gaetz pushes resolution to hold former NYC prosecutor in contempt

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Matt Gaetz introduced a resolution to hold a former New York City prosecutor in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify about charges against former president Donald Trump.

The resolution requests that Mark Pomerantz, who worked in the New York County District Attorney’s office before resigning, be held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Gaetz pushes resolution to hold former NYC prosecutor in contempt over Trump charges

ICYMI: Judge says trio who put up $500k bail for George Santos must be revealed

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Embattled congressman George Santos has been told by a judge that the identities of the trio who paid his $500,000 bail must be publicly revealed.

Mr Santos, a Republican from New York, pleaded not guilty last month to federal charges of defrauding his campaign supporters, lying to obtain unemployment money and making false statements on congressional disclosure forms.

Magistrate Judge Anne Shields ruled on Tuesday that Mr Santos has until 12pm on Friday to appeal her decision at which point the names would be unsealed. She also sealed her decision, keeping the names a secret until the deadline.

Graeme Massie reports.

Santos’s mystery backers to be named despite offer to go to jail to protect them

New Jersey Oath Keeper who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6 pleads guilty

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of the Oath Keepers extremist group from New Jersey who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and bragged about it in text messages pleaded guilty on Tuesday to obstructing Congress.

James Breheny, who is also known as Seamus Evers, of Little Ferry, pleaded guilty in Washington’s federal court to a felony charge of obstructing Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden‘s electoral victory over former President Donald Trump.

Read more...

New Jersey Oath Keeper who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 pleads guilty to felony charge

Federal judge blocks Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has partially struck down Florida’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors in a ruling that condemns anti-trans bigotry and debunks bogus claims from state officials.

The ruling from US District Court Judge Robert Hinkle on 6 June grants a preliminary injunction that blocks enforcement of a law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and rules that prevent a group of trans youth who sued the state from accessing widely accepted care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, as their legal challenge plays out.

Alex Woodward has the latest.

Federal judge blocks DeSantis ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth

Newsom suggests kidnap charges over DeSantis’s migrant flights

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested he may be considering kidnapping charges against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the 2024 GOP primary candidate flew a group of migrants from Texas to Sacramento on allegedly false pretences.

Mr Newsom called Mr DeSantis a “small, pathetic man” in a tweet on Monday, and then provided a snippet of the state’s laws regarding kidnapping.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Gavin Newsom suggests kidnap charges over Ron DeSantis’s migrant flights

Trump threatens former lawyer who told CNN he expected indictment

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump threatened to hold his former lawyer Ty Cobb “legally responsible” for weighing in with his opinion on the ongoing classified documents probe into Mr Trump, claiming the attorney used “angry, nasty, and libelous” words.

Ariana Baio has the story.

Trump threatens former lawyer who told CNN he expected him to be indicted

Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now the ex-vice president wants his old boss’s job in 2024

Wednesday 7 June 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Vice President Mike Pence, the onetime loyal sideman to twice-impeached ex-president Donald Trump, will kick off his own attempt to win election to the nation’s top job this week when he formally announces his campaign at a Des Moines, Iowa event on Wednesday.

Mr Pence’s announcement will come just days after he made his candidacy official by filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now he wants his old boss’s job in 2024

Trump attorneys say defamation claim by E Jean Carroll must fail because jury agreed he never raped her

Tuesday 6 June 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A New York writer who won a $5 million jury verdict against ex-President Donald Trump can’t win a pending defamation lawsuit against him because the jury agreed with Trump that he never raped her, his lawyers told a judge Monday.

The lawyers urged Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to reject columnist E. Jean Carroll’s bid to win $10 million or more in a second judgment by rewriting the 4-year-old lawsuit against Trump to conform with the findings of the jury that last month concluded Trump sexually abused Carroll but did not rape her.

Read more...

Trump’s lawyers say defamation claim must fail because jury agreed he never raped her

New Jersey Oath Keeper who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6 pleads guilty

Tuesday 6 June 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of the Oath Keepers extremist group from New Jersey who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and bragged about it in text messages pleaded guilty on Tuesday to obstructing Congress.

James Breheny, who is also known as Seamus Evers, of Little Ferry, pleaded guilty in Washington’s federal court to a felony charge of obstructing Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden‘s electoral victory over former President Donald Trump.

Breheny’s attorney said his client, a Navy veteran, entered the guilty plea to “make amends for a lack of good judgement on January 6, 2021.”

Read more...

New Jersey Oath Keeper who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 pleads guilty to felony charge

Second grand jury in Florida revealed in Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe

Tuesday 6 June 2023 22:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Per The New York Times:

The latest twist in the inquiry into former President Donald J Trump’s handling of classified documents is the surprise revelation that a previously unknown federal grand jury in Florida has recently started hearing testimony in the case.

The grand jury in Florida is separate from the one that has been sitting for months in Washington and has been the center of activity for prosecutors as they investigate whether Mr Trump mishandled classified documents after leaving office or obstructed efforts to retrieve them. Among those who have appeared before the Washington grand jury in the past few months or have been subpoenaed by it, people familiar with the investigation said, are more than 20 members of Mr Trump’s Secret Service security detail.

Trump threatens former lawyer who told CNN he expected indictment

Tuesday 6 June 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump threatened to hold his former lawyer Ty Cobb “legally responsible” for weighing in with his opinion on the ongoing classified documents probe into Mr Trump, claiming the attorney used “angry, nasty, and libelous” words.

Ariana Baio reports.

Trump threatens former lawyer who told CNN he expected him to be indicted

Newsom suggests kidnap charges over Ron DeSantis’s migrant flights

Tuesday 6 June 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested he may be considering kidnapping charges against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the 2024 GOP primary candidate flew a group of migrants from Texas to Sacramento on allegedly false pretences.

Mr Newsom called Mr DeSantis a “small, pathetic man” in a tweet on Monday, and then provided a snippet of the state’s laws regarding kidnapping.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Gavin Newsom suggests kidnap charges over Ron DeSantis’s migrant flights

Voices: Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Tuesday 6 June 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Mr Christie has announced another quixotic White House run. As an elected official who left his office in disgrace and who has not held a position for years in a radically changed GOP, Mr Christie is unlikely to win. But most observers see his run as an attempt to stop Mr Trump from winning again.

Republicans are about as likely to receive his message warning about the perils of another Trump presidency as they would be likely to receive the message from Liz Cheney.

Read more...

Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now the former vice president wants his old boss’s job

Tuesday 6 June 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Sommerlad writes:

Former Vice President Mike Pence, the onetime loyal sideman to twice-impeached ex-president Donald Trump, will kick off his own attempt to win election to the nation’s top job this week when he formally announces his campaign at a Des Moines, Iowa event on Wednesday.

Mr Pence’s announcement will come just days after he made his candidacy official by filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.

Read more...

Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now he wants his old boss’s job in 2024

Watch: Jim Jordan predicts Trump indictment coming

Tuesday 6 June 2023 21:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Full story: Chris Christie files paperwork to launch long-shot 2024 bid

Tuesday 6 June 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has filed paperwork to launch his 2024 presidential bid.

Mr Christie, who faces long odds in the competition for the GOP nomination, is expected to formally kick off his campaign during a town hall in New Hampshire.

Read more...

Chris Christie files paperwork to launch long-shot 2024 bid

Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault, says Barr

Tuesday 6 June 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Attorney General Bill Barr has weighed in on Donald Trump’s legal problems relating to the trove of classified documents found at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.

Mr Barr told CBS Mornings that the former president’s problems are of his own making and the case against him and any probe of his retention of secret papers would have gone nowhere if he had just returned them.

Read more...

Trump secret papers crisis is his own fault for ‘jerking around’ DOJ says Bill Barr

Chris Christie files paperwork for presidential run after promising to directly take on Donald Trump

Tuesday 6 June 2023 20:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has filed paperwork for his 2024 presidential run after promising to directly take on Donald Trump.

Trump accuses DeSantis of plagiarising his speech

Tuesday 6 June 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has accused his GOP presidential primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, of “blatantly” stealing a line from one of his speeches, despite the fact that the line dates back to former President Ronald Reagan.

During Mr DeSantis’s glitchy presidential bid announcement on Twitter, he invoked the phrase “Great American Comeback,” which Mr Trump furiously claimed in a campaign statement that the governor stole from him.

Read more...

Trump accuses Ron DeSantis of ‘blatantly’ plagiarising his speech

Gaetz pushes resolution to hold former NYC prosecutor in contempt

Tuesday 6 June 2023 19:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Matt Gaetz introduced a resolution to hold a former New York City prosecutor in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify about charges against former president Donald Trump.

The resolution requests that Mark Pomerantz, who worked in the New York County District Attorney’s office before resigning, be held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena.

Eric Garcia reports from Capitol Hill.

Gaetz pushes resolution to hold former NYC prosecutor in contempt over Trump charges

Trump celebrates LIV Golf merger

Tuesday 6 June 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is celebrating the “big, beautiful, and glamorous” merger between the PGA, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour.

The former president took to Truth Social on Tuesday as news of the landmark deal broke.

Some of Mr Trump’s branded golf courses have recently hosted LIV Golf events.

In his usual all-capitalised ebullience, he wrote: “Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf.”

He added: “Congrats to all!!!”

Read more...

Trump celebrates ‘big, beautiful, and glamorous’ LIV Golf PGA merger

North Dakota governor edges closer to Republican presidential race

Tuesday 6 June 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took another step toward entering the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, posting a YouTube video on Monday touting his rise from a small town boy to a self-made software entrepreneur and a successful governor who has cut red tape and taxes.

Read more...

With new video, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota edges closer to Republican presidential race

Judge orders identities of George Santos bail funders must be revealed

Tuesday 6 June 2023 19:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Embattled congressman George Santos has been told by a judge that the identities of the trio who paid his $500,000 bail must be publically revealed.

Graeme Massie reports.

Judge says trio who put up $500k bail for George Santos must be revealed

David Furnish hits out at DeSantis for policies against LGBTQ+ people

Tuesday 6 June 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has “weaponised sexuality” and is “harnessing the hate of a vocal minority of extremists and pandering to fringe voters in a bid to gain power,” according to David Furnish.

The filmmaker and husband of Sir Elton John argued in an opinion piece in The Independent that the Republican governor has implemented a wave of anti-LGTBQ+ policies seeking to roll back the gains in acceptance and quality made during Mr Furnish’s lifetime.

Read more...

David Furnish slams Ron DeSantis for ‘diabolical’ ant-LGBTQ+ policies

California officials probe ‘state-sanctioned kidnapping’ of migrants

Tuesday 6 June 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A group of migrants who crossed the border into Texas were rounded up and flown via private jet to California in the latest example of immigration hardliners using humans as political props.

More than a dozen migrants were left outside the Diocese of Sacramento‘s facility after they arrived in California on Saturday, reportedly with “no prior arrangement or care in place,” according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Graig Graziosi reports.

California officials probe ‘kidnapping’ of migrants flown in on private jet

Pence files paperwork to jump into crowded 2024 GOP primary race

Tuesday 6 June 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Mike Pence, the ex-Indiana governor who spent four years as then-president Donald Trump’s loyal vice President until he became persona non grata in MAGA circles for certifying their defeat in the 2020 election, has officially declared himself a candidate for the GOP nomination in next year’s Republican presidential primary.

Mr Pence on Monday filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to register his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, capping months of speculation over whether Mr Trump’s former right-hand man would challenge his old running mate, who is seeking to reclaim his former place at the head of the executive branch amid multiple criminal probes into his conduct.

Read more...

Mike Pence files paperwork to jump into crowded 2024 GOP primary race

Judge blocks Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth

Tuesday 6 June 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge has partially struck down Florida’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors in a ruling that condemns anti-trans bigotry and debunks bogus claims from state officials.

The ruling from US District Court Judge Robert Hinkle on 6 June grants a preliminary injunction that blocks enforcement of a law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and rules preventing trans youth from accessing widely accepted care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, as a legal challenge plays out.

Alex Woodward reports.

Federal judge blocks Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth

Barr: ‘Not a case of the DOJ conducting a witch hunt’

Tuesday 6 June 2023 17:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Worker who flooded Mar-a-Lago records room becomes focus of investigators

Tuesday 6 June 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Federal investigators have reportedly trained their attention on an employee at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, who, in the process of draining a swimming pool on the property last year, flooded a room where computer servers containing video surveillance logs were stored.

According to reporting by CNN, investigators have asked at least one witness in the investigation into Mr Trump’s handling of classified documents about the flooding of the server room. It is as of yet unclear whether the room was flooded intentionally or on accident.

Read more...

Trump investigators ‘zone in’ on worker who flooded Mar-a-Lago records room

RFK Jr comes out against gun control

Tuesday 6 June 2023 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic presidential candidate and anti-vaccine advocate Robert F Kennedy Jr said during a Twitter Spaces event on Monday that he would not take away people’s guns as a solution to reducing mass shootings and instead pointed the finger at pharmaceutical drugs.

Read more...

RFK Jr comes out against gun control and blames school shootings on ‘drugs’

California investigating whether DeSantis involved in flying asylum-seekers from Texas to Sacramento

Tuesday 6 June 2023 16:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Officials were investigating Tuesday whether Florida‘s Gov. Ron DeSantis was behind a flight that picked up asylum-seekers on the Texas border and flew them — apparently without their knowledge — to California’s capital, even as faith-based groups scrambled to find housing and food for them.

About 20 people ranging in age from 21 to 30 were flown by private jet to Sacramento on Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. It was the second such flight in four days.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and faith-based groups who have been assisting the migrants scheduled a news conference Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom lashed out at DeSantis as a “small, pathetic man” and suggested the state could pursue kidnapping charges.

Read more...

California investigating whether DeSantis involved in flying asylum-seekers from Texas to Sacramento

Trump suggests he is about to be charged in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case

Tuesday 6 June 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump on Monday suggested he will soon face criminal charges in the long-running federal probe into his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information at his Palm Beach, Florida property.

Writing on his Truth Social website, Mr Trump asked how the Department of Justice could “possibly charge” him for having hoarded classified documents at his home and office when similarly classified documents have been found at locations linked to other prominent figures, including President Joe Biden.

Read more...

Trump suggests he is about to be charged in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case

DNC statement on Pence's 2024 run

Tuesday 6 June 2023 15:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement in response to Mike Pence’s entrance into the 2024 Republican primary:

Texas sheriff recommends criminal charges over DeSantis migrant flights

Tuesday 6 June 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The sheriff of Bexar County, Texas is recommending criminal charges against those involved with flights that sent 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants from El Paso to Martha’s Vineyard last year, what was widely derided as a political stunt orchestrated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

A statement from the sheriff’s office says it has completed an investigation launched last September and recommended several counts of unlawful restraint, both misdemeanours and felonies, to the office of the Bexar County district attorney.

Read more...

Texas sheriff recommends criminal charges over DeSantis migrant flights

Trump says case against him is ‘all about election interference'

Tuesday 6 June 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In his latest rant on Truth Social, former president Donald Trump claims the investigations against him are designed to interfere in the 2024 election.

He wrote:

The Marxists and Fascists in the DOJ & FBI are going after me at a level and speed never seen before in our Country, and I did nothing wrong. Joe Biden kept (keeps) thousand of documents, in many locations, some illegally taken from skiffs while he was a Senator, a big portion of which were classified. He didn’t want to give them back, and still doesn’t. Nothing happens to him, with same reasonable prosecutor who correctly exonerated Mike Pence. I have a much different prosecutor, a Trump hater!

It’s all about ELECTION INTERFERENCE. They don’t want to run against me. I ran twice, I did much better the second time, getting millions and millions more votes than the first, a record for a sitting President, and am leading Biden in the polls, by a lot. They are the Party of Disinformation! They are using the DOJ & FBI against me to Rigg the 2024 Election. They’ll hit Hunter with something small to make their strike on me look “fair.” Nothing about these Fascists is fair or honest. FIGHT!

They are also going after me as RETRIBUTION for the Republicans in Congress going after them. The difference is, they have created major crimes, I have created none!

ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!! Don’t let it happen.

Mike Pence files paperwork to enter 2024 race

Tuesday 6 June 2023 14:15 , John Bowden

Mike Pence, the ex-Indiana governor who spent four years as then-president Donald Trump’s loyal vice President until he became persona non grata in MAGA circles for certifying their defeat in the 2020 election, has officially declared himself a candidate for the GOP nomination in next year’s Republican presidential primary.

Mr Pence on Monday filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to register his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, capping months of speculation over whether Mr Trump’s former right-hand man would challenge his old running mate, who is seeking to reclaim his former place at the head of the executive branch amid multiple criminal probes into his conduct.

Read more in The Independent:

Mike Pence files paperwork to jump into crowded 2024 GOP primary race

Trump and DeSantis must pledge to support eventual White House nominee as first debate announced

Tuesday 6 June 2023 13:45 , John Bowden

Donald Trump and leading rival Ron DeSantis must pledge to support the eventual Republican presidential nomination if they want to take part in the party’s first primary debate.

The Republican National Committee will insist on the condition for any candidate to be on stage at the event, which it announced will take place on 23 August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Independent has the story:

Trump and DeSantis must pledge to support eventual White House nominee

ICYMI: DeSantis defines ‘woke’ after Trump claimed ‘half the people can’t'

Tuesday 6 June 2023 13:15 , John Bowden

Ron DeSantis has finally responded - days after Donald Trump said “half the people” can’t define the word “woke”.

“Look, we know what woke is, it’s a form of cultural Marxism,” Mr DeSantis told NBC News journalist Dasha Burns on a campaign stop in Iowa on Saturday.

“It’s about putting merit and achievement behind identity politics, and it’s basically a war on the truth. And as that has infected institutions, and it has corrupted institutions. So, you’ve got to be willing to fight the woke, we’ve done that in Florida, and we proudly consider ourselves the state where woke goes to die.”

Two days earlier, Mr Trump took a veiled shot at the Florida governor by criticising overuse of the Republican buzzword at his own campaign event in Iowa on Thursday.

“I don’t like the term ‘woke’ because I hear, ‘Woke, woke, woke.’ It’s just a term they use, half the people can’t even define it, they don’t know what it is,” Mr Trump said at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale, Iowa.

DeSantis defines ‘woke’ after Trump claimed ‘half the people can’t’

Wisconsin judge: Don't delete records from probe into 2020 Trump loss

Tuesday 6 June 2023 12:45 , John Bowden

A Wisconsin judge on Monday declined to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to ensure that no records are deleted from a now-closed state office created to investigate former President Donald Trump‘s loss in 2020.

The lawsuit was one of several filed by liberal watchdog group American Oversight against former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman and the office of special counsel that he led. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hired Gableman to lead that offie in 2021 under pressure from Mr Trump and conservative Republicans in Wisconsin who were pushing for the state to decertify Joe Biden’s win.

Read more in The Independent about the far-reaching fallout from that now-shuttered effort:

Wisconsin judge: Don't delete records from probe into 2020 Trump loss

Chris Christie set to launch 2024 presidential bid

Tuesday 6 June 2023 12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Yesterday Mike Pence made his first steps towards announcing a tilt at the White House.

This evening, it looks like former New Jersey governor Chris Christie will launch his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination at a town hall gathering in New Hampshire.

The campaign will be the second for Mr Christie, who lost to Donald Trump in 2016 and went on to become a close on-and-off adviser before breaking with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election. He has cast himself as the only candidate willing to directly take on the 45th president.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie set to launch 2024 presidential bid at New Hampshire town hall