Trump news - live: Trump’s lawyers acknowledge he could face criminal charges over Mar-a-Lago files

Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden for being seated in the 14th-row for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London after he did not receive an invite to the ceremony in London, attended by world leaders and royals.

Writing on Truth Social on Monday night, the former president wrote: “This is what’s happened to America in just two short years. No respect!” He continued by calling other nations represented at the event “Third World countries”.

Mr Trump had earlier attacked FBI agents for allegedly ruining his bedroom carpet at Mar-a-Lago during the execution of a search warrant last month, as he returned to his estate in southern Florida on Sunday.

Speaking in a weekend interview, Mr Biden said that the FBI’s discovery of top-secret documents at Mar-a-Lago raised concerns that sensitive data was compromised by Mr Trump, and called it “irresponsible”.

An Axios report meanwhile revealed why his lawyers had chosen Raymond Dearie, a rumoured FBI “skeptic”, as special master in the case brought by the Justice Department against him.

Key points

• Trump mocks Biden for 14th row seats at Queen’s funeral

• Bedroom carpets at Mar-a-Lago ruined by FBI, Trump claims

• Former president’s lawyers wanted FBI ‘skeptic’ as special master, report alleges

• Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago raise concerns, Biden says

• Trump under fire for QAnon display at Ohio rally

Trump favourability rating at recent low

13:35 , Gino Spocchia

A new NBC News poll shows former president Donald Trump’s popularity hitting a new low amongst registered voters just ahead of the midterm elections.

Mr Trump’s favorability rating dropped two points on August to 32 per cent, which the poll released on Sunday said was the lowest for more than a year for the Republican

Republican consulting firm Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research Associates surveyed 1,000 registered voters between 9 September and 13 September. The poll had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Eric Garcia has more:

Trump approval rating sinks to lowest level in more than a year, poll shows

Lawyers for Trump appear to acknowledge possible charges

12:55 , Gino Spocchia

Donald Trump’s legal team have appeared to acknowledge that the Justice Department investigation into classified documents at Mar-a-Lago could lead to criminal charges, as they voiced opposition to him answering questions about the “declassification” of the files retrieved from Mr Trump’s Florida home.

According to a report in The Washington Post on Tuesday, the former president’s lawyers said they do not want Judge Raymond J Dearie, who they proposed as a special master in the case, to ask how the files obtained by FBI agents and the Justice Department came to be “declassified”, as Mr Trump has claimed as his defence.

Nor did his legal team want Judge Dearie to force Mr Trump to “fully and specifically disclose a defence to the merits of any subsequent indictment without such a requirement being evident in the District Court’s order”.

That statement appeared to acknowledge that there was at least some risk of criminal charges stemming from the long-running investigation into documents held and retrieved from Mar-a-Lago, the Post reported.

Mr Dearie has until 30 November to review about 11,000 documents, including those marked classified and top secret.

Trump raging about DeSantis over migrant flights

12:15 , Gino Spocchia

Donald Trump is privately raging at fellow Republican Ron DeSantis over the governor’s decision to authorise flights carrying roughly 50 migrants last week from the southern border to Martha’s Vineyard, Rolling Stone reported.

Ttwo inside sources close to the twice-impeached president told the outlet they heard him vent about the Republican governor taking the limelight ahead of a potential bid for the White House in 2024.

Neither Mr DeSantis nor Mr Trump have made public commitments to run however.

Trump rages that DeSantis’s Martha’s Vineyard stunt was his ‘idea’

Trump dismisses George investigation into 2020 lies

11:15 , Gino Spocchia

Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at the Georgia prosecutor who is overseeing a grand jury probe into efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the Peach State.

In a statement released by his political action committee, Mr Trump accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of “spending almost all of her waking hours” on “attempting to prosecute a very popular president, Donald J Trump” rather than focusing on violent crime in Atlanta.

Speaking in an interview with The Washington Post, Ms Willis called the allegations under investigation “very serious” and said “people are facing prison” if they are indicted and convicted as a result of her work.

Continue reading below:

Trump rages at Fulton County prosecutor as Georgia election probe continues

Fox News segment amiss over Biden health claims

10:15 , Gino Spocchia

A doctor threw off a Fox News segment for a brief moment at the weekend after anchor Anita Vogel suggested that US President Joe Bidenhad experienced mental decline while visiting London.

Ms Vogel commented on Mr Biden’s signing of a book of condolence in London on Sunday when she said the Democrat had shown signs of “cognitive decline”.

The 79-year-old, who has faced similar claims from Republicans and his processor Donald Trump, had been filmed by television cameras asking his wife where they were going after signing the book of condelence in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death last week.

Doctor refuses to back Fox anchor’s theory on Biden’s mental state

Biden says classified documents at Mar-a-Lago raise concerns

09:15 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden says the discovery of top-secret documents at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate raised concerns that sensitive data was compromised and called it “irresponsible.”

Biden, who rarely does interviews, spoke to CBS’ “60 Minutes” in a segment that aired Sunday. He said that when he heard about classified documents taken from the White House, he wondered how “anyone could be that irresponsible.”

Biden added: “And I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?”

Biden: Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago raise concerns

Is Trump fans’ ‘weird’ one-finger salute at rally a QAnon tribute?

07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s supporters raised their fingers in a bizarre straight-arm salute as the former president spoke at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio to boost Republican Senate nominee JD Vance.

As dramatic music played in the background, Mr Trump delved further into the depths of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory.

What’s behind Trump fans’ ‘weird’ one-finger salute at rally

Trump remains quiet about Queen’s funeral after failing to get invited

06:26 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump has spent the past twelve hours on Truth Social railing against electric cars, the FBI, “fake news” and patting himself on the back after a recent rally, but Queen Elizabeth’s funeral apparently isn’t on his mind.

As of Monday afternoon, Mr Trump hasn’t made any mention of the queen’s funeral. While there is no obligation for him to do so, staying quiet is unusual as he is a former head of state.

On Monday, former President Barack Obama issued a statement calling the queen “kind” and “no-nonsense” with a “clear understanding of her role as a symbol for a nation.”

Read the full story here:

Trump remains quiet about Queen’s funeral after failing to get invited

Biden warns US democracy threatened, but how can he save it?

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden is finding it’s easier to call out attacks on democracy than it is to stop them.

His fundamental rationale for running for president was that America’s democratic traditions were in jeopardy. Now, 20 months into his presidency, the dangers are worse, Biden’s warnings are more dire -- and the limits of his own ability to fix the problem are clearer.

Biden warns US democracy threatened, but how can he save it?

Trump mocks Biden for 14th row seating at Queen’s funeral

04:50 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden on Monday for his 14th-row seating assignment at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service in Windsor Castle.

“This is what’s happened to America in just two short years. No respect!” the former president wrote on Truth Social on Monday. “However, a good time for our President to get to know the leaders of certain Third World countries.”

“In Real Estate, like in Politics and in Life, LOCATION IS EVERYTHING,” Mr Trump added.

President Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden arrived in London over the weekend to pay their respects during the Queen’s memorials.

Read the full story here:

Trump mocks Biden for 14th row seating at Queen’s funeral: ‘Location is everything’

Republican senators want special status for Hunter Biden prosecutor

04:25 , Arpan Rai

A large group of Republican senators have asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to grant “special counsel” status to the Delaware federal prosecutor who has been overseeing a long-running investigation into President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.

In a letter signed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Texas Senator John Cornyn and more than 30 other GOP members, the senators asked Mr Garland to name Delaware US Attorney David Weiss as a special counsel, a status normally reserved for prosecutors brought in from outside the Department of Justice to investigate matters involving an incumbent administration.

Read the full story here:

Republican senators want special status for Hunter Biden prosecutor

Trump compares JD Vance to Kim Jong-un in bizarre rally speech

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump gave a rambling speech to an under-capacity crowd of 6,000 people in Ohio’s Youngstown on Saturday, during which he dished out a series of humiliating jibes to mock venture capitalist JD Vance, his own pick for the state’s tight US Senate race.

The former president compared the Republican candidate to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at one point and said “JD is kissing my a**” now for support.

Trump compares his own Senate candidate to Kim Jong-un in bizarre rally speech

ICYMI: Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens to defund Education Department

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to “defund” the Department of Education to prevent teachers from “brainwashing” American children.

The right-wing lawmaker from Georgia made the bizarre threat as she warmed up the crowd at the Donald Trump rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Saturday night.

Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens to defund Education Department

Ted Cruz forced to admit trafficking migrants to Martha’s Vineyard is illegal

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ted Cruz was forced to admit by Sean Hannity that the transportation of undocumented migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard by Ron DeSantis was likely illegal.

The Florida governor has been widely criticised for flying two planeloads of Venezuelans to the upscale island, where Barack Obama has a $12m home, as part of a Republican immigration publicity stunt.

Mr Cruz, a US Senator from Texas, cast doubt on the legality of the move when he appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show.

Ted Cruz forced to admit trafficking migrants to Martha’s Vineyard is illegal

Arizona GOP returns to far-right roots

01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Simmering discontent among a segment of Arizona Republicans over John McCain‘s famous penchant for bucking his party boiled over in the winter of 2014 with the censure of the longtime U.S. senator.

McCain’s allies responded with an all-out push to reassert control over the Arizona Republican Party. Censure proponents were ousted or diminished, and McCain went on to defeat his far-right challenger in a blowout during the 2016 primary.

Less than a decade later, the right wing forces that McCain marginalized within the Arizona GOP are now in full control, with profound implications for one of the nation’s most closely matched battlegrounds. Arizona Republicans have traded McCain for Donald Trump.

Once McCain's party, Arizona GOP returns to far-right roots

Greg Abbott’s lead over Beto O’Rourke stretches to nine points in new poll

Tuesday 20 September 2022 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s lead over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke has stretched to nine points, according to a new poll.

Exactly 50 days before voters across the country cast ballots in the 2022 midterms election, a poll suggests that one of the most closely-watched races is becoming less competitive and that the gap between the candidates is getting bigger.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

Texas Gov Greg Abbott’s lead over Beto O’Rourke stretches to nine points in new poll

From Truman to Biden: The Queen’s relationship with each US President

Monday 19 September 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Over her 70 years as monarch, Queen Elizabeth II met every sitting US president, with the notable exception of President Lyndon Johnson.

Even before she ascended to the throne, she met President Harry Truman when she was heir and also met President Herbert Hoover when she was monarch, 20 years after he had left office.

Against the backdrop of the Cold War, the economic crises, societal changes, scientific breakthroughs, and military campaigns that have shaped the bond between the US and the UK, the Queen has been a constant and friendly soft power figure that was an important part of the special relationship.

Here are some of the notable moments of her meetings with US presidents.

The Queen’s relationship with each US president during her 70-year reign

Trump under fire for QAnon display at Ohio rally

Monday 19 September 2022 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has come under fire for his descent into the QAnon conspiracy theory movement during his Youngstown, Ohio rally in support of Republican Senate candidate JD Vance.

“This is the week when Trump became Qanon. This isn’t a political statement; it just is, however disturbing. Week began with images of Trump on Truth Social wearing a Q pin and promoting their slogans; it ends with Q music and the Q ‘one’ sign by crowd at his rally,” CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem tweeted on Saturday.

Read more:

Trump under fire for QAnon display at Ohio rally: ‘He has gone completely insane’

JD Vance’s dangerous assumption about the Ohio electorate

Monday 19 September 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ohio’s Senate race is anyone’s game, but the two men running to claim the seat have starkly different ideas about how to win.

That was evident on Saturday evening in Youngstown, where Republican candidate and Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance once again sought the “Trump bump” and faced a crowd of thousands clad in Maga hats and “Let’s Go Brandon” T-shirts.

John Bowden attended the Save America rally and filed this report:

Republican JD Vance’s dangerous assumption about the Ohio electorate

Poll: Trump approval rating sinks to lowest level in more than a year

Monday 19 September 2022 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A new NBC News poll shows that voters are evenly split about whether they want Democrats or Republicans to control Congress while President Joe Biden’s approval rating inched up and former president Donald Trump’s took a dip.

Republican consulting firm Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research Associates surveyed 1,000 registered voters between 9 September and 13 September. The poll had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Eric Garcia has the details.

Trump approval rating sinks to lowest level in more than a year, poll shows

Senior GOP official in Arizona warns of Trump attempts to steal future elections

Monday 19 September 2022 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican whose career in the Arizona state legislature will end after he defied Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election agrees that the efforts of Maga Republicans to seize control of voting systems and the power to declare election results invalid are “fascism”.

John Bowden has the story.

Senior GOP official in Arizona warns of Trump attempts to steal future elections

Trump bizarrely blames Biden for close of ‘Phantom of the Opera'

Monday 19 September 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump interrupted a string of politically themed posts on his social media website to blame the Biden administration for the closure of the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump bizarrely tries to pin ‘Phantom of the Opera’ closure on Biden administration

Trump claims CNN changed background to Biden speech ‘to make it look better’

Monday 19 September 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden from red to pink “to make it look better” during a bizarre rally speech in Ohio.

“I watched Biden the other day,” he said before claiming CNN changed the lighting on Mr Biden’s 1 September speech in which he shared his worries for US democracy against a deep red background. Mr Trump claimed the broadcaster – a frequent target of his over the years – had changed the background from red to pink “to make it look better”.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump claims CNN changed background to Biden speech ‘to make it look better’

Protester removed from Trump’s Ohio rally for waving banner blaming him for factory closure

Monday 19 September 2022 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A man was walked out of Donald Trump’s rally in Youngstown, Ohio on Saturday after unfurling a banner that blamed the former president for the closure of a major manufacturing centre.

Chucky Dennison told The Independent in an interview before the event that a personal connection drove him to the rally on Saturday.

John Bowden reported from the event.

Protester expelled from Trump’s Ohio rally after waving banner

Trump remains quiet about Queen’s funeral

Monday 19 September 2022 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has spent the past twelve hours on Truth Social railing against electric cars, the FBI, “fake news” and patting himself on the back after a recent rally, but Queen Elizabeth’s funeral apparently isn’t on his mind.

As of Monday afternoon, Mr Trump hasn’t made any mention of the queen’s funeral. While there is no obligation for him to do so, staying quiet is unusual as he is a former head of state.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Trump remains quiet about Queen’s funeral after failing to get invited

Trump: Death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers ‘very humane’

Monday 19 September 2022 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump said that the death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers is “very humane” during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio.

Speaking on Saturday, the former president said that “much of the crime wave is caused by drug dealers who during the course of their lives, will kill an average of 500 American citizens not to mention the destruction of millions of American families who are so devastated by drugs”.

Read more:

Trump says death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers is ‘very humane’

Poll: Trump’s popularity sinks to new low

Monday 19 September 2022 18:12 , Oliver O'Connell

A new national NBC News poll finds that while President Joe Biden’s popularity has grown, Donald Trump’s favorability has ticked down to one of the lowest levels of his post-presidency.

According to the poll, 34 per cent have a positive view of the former president, versus 54 per cent who have a negative view (-20).

Mr Trump’s net score is down slightly from August (when it was 36 per cent positive, 54 per cent negative) and May (36 per cent positive, 51 per cent negative), and is at its lowest since April 2021 (32 per cent positive, 55 per cent negative).

By comparison, Mr Biden’s favorability score in the new poll is 42 per cent positive, 47 per cent negative (-5).

Trump claims he invented the word ‘caravans’

Monday 19 September 2022 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump claimed that he invented the word “caravans” to describe groups of migrants as he dubbed them “murderers and rapers” in a rally speech in Ohio.

The former president appeared to recount a previous conversation, saying that “you won’t take these horrible convicts and other people that you released into our country illegally and you put them in caravans”.

“I came up with that term by the way,” Mr Trump claimed. “That was my term and fake news and lots of other terms we came up with.”

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump claims he invented the word ‘caravans’ to describe groups of migrants

Trump rages that Ron DeSantis’s Martha’s Vineyard stunt was his ‘idea’

Monday 19 September 2022 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is privately raging at fellow Republican Ron DeSantis over the governor’s decision to authorise flights carrying roughly 50 migrants last week from the southern border to Martha’s Vineyard, Rolling Stone reported.

The Florida governor patted himself on the back over the weekend while delivering a speech in Wisconsin to stump for GOP candidates, announcing that he intended to tap “every penny” from the $12m “Freedom First” budget allocated to the Florida Department of Transportation’s efforts to “transport unauthorised aliens.”

Joanna Chisholm reports.

Trump rages that DeSantis’s Martha’s Vineyard stunt was his ‘idea’

Monday 19 September 2022 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s supporters raised their fingers in a bizarre straight-arm salute as the former president spoke at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio to boost Republican Senate nominee JD Vance.

As dramatic music played in the background, Mr Trump delved further into the depths of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

What’s behind Trump fans’ ‘weird’ one-finger salute at rally

Biden flies out of London two hours after end of Queen’s funeral

Monday 19 September 2022 16:38 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden departed London’s Stansted Airport en route to Washington, just hours after he joined myriad heads of state and government at Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr Biden, accompanied first lady Jill Biden, boarded Air Force One for the flight to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with the president’s plane taking off at 9.30 am ET (2.30 pm local time) on Monday. His departure from London came roughly two and a half hours after the end of the late Queen’s funeral service.

Joe Biden flies out of London two hours after end of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

Trump gives bizarre, rambling response to Jon Voight in Newsmax interview

Monday 19 September 2022 16:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump gave a rambling response to Jon Voight in an interview on Newsmax.

“We love the country, the country’s in trouble, it’s got to be solved fairly quickly,” he told the former Hollywood actor. “There is no choice but to solve the problem, but it’s a big problem, it’s a big problem... and I hope it continues forward and we love Israel and we hope everything’s going to be OK.”

“A lot of good moves have to be made or it’s not going to be OK. We say god bless you and good luck,” the former president said.

Voight closed out the interview grovelling that he hoped the interview was worthy of Mr Trump.

Trump thanks supporters for Florida greeting

Monday 19 September 2022 15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump thanked his supporters for greeting him in Florida on Sunday night as he made his return to his Mar-a-Lago home for the first time since the FBI search of the property for classified files.

He wrote on Truth Social: “Thank you to all of the many people who greeted me last night on my way from the Airport to Mar-a-Lago. I will never forget the great people of this Country. MAGA!!!”

Biden in London for Queen’s funeral

Monday 19 September 2022 15:10 , Gino Spocchia

After Joe Biden appeared in an CBS 60 Minutes interview calling his predecessor “totally irresponsible” for the handling of classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago, the US President was in London on Monday attending the funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr Trump was not invited to the service, but could appear at a remembrance event in DC on Wednesday after a reported invitation from the British embassy. That remains to be seen however.

Furvah Shah reports:

Biden joins world leaders at Westminster Abbey for Queen’s state funeral

JD Vance gets lukewarm reception from rallygoers

Monday 19 September 2022 14:30 , Gino Spocchia

On Saturday, the majority of rally attendees who spoke to The Independent expressed significant enthusiasm for Mr Trump’s widely-expected 2024 presidential run, while precious few said they felt a similar ardour for Republican senate nominee JD Vance.

The event has since come under attacked for Mr Trump’s apparent embrace of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which has widely been associated with the far right and his supporters – as well as the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Read more:

Trump claims his supporters are threatened with jail for refusing to denounce him

Trump lawyers believe special master a FBI ‘skeptic’, report says

Monday 19 September 2022 13:50 , Gino Spocchia

Judge Raymond Dearie’s time on the the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is reportedly one reason why Mr Trump’s lawyers selected his as special master in the case brought by the Justice Department, Axios reports.

The former president’s lawyers and advisers are said to believe that Mr Dearie is a deep skeptic of the FBI because of a warrant he approved against a former Trump campaign aid during the FBI’s probe into Russian interference.

While this remains to be confirmed or commented on, however, Mr Dearie is now due to conduct the reviews of 11,000 documents seized by the FBI before 30 November.

Bedroom carpets at Mar-a-Lago ruined by FBI, Trump claims

Monday 19 September 2022 13:10 , Gino Spocchia

Donald Trump lambasted FBI agents for allegedly walking on his bedroom carpet at Mar-a-Lago with their shoes on last month, hours after he arrived into Florida on Sunday night.

Writing in a series of Truth Social posts on Monday morning, the former president went on to challenge the FBI and Justice Department’s investigation into classified documents found at his Florida estate, which he said “will never be the same” after it was “ransacked”.

He wrote: “It was ‘ransacked,’ and in far different condition than the way I left it. Many Agents - And they didn’t even take off their shoes in my bedroom. Nice!!!”