Trump fumes at lawyer for losing E Jean Carroll case: Live

Donald Trump has blamed bad legal advice for losing a civil sexual assault trial brought by E Jean Carroll earlier this year.

Mr Trump was ordered to pay the former Elle relationship columnist $5m after he was found liable for sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s and then defaming her after she went public.

Mr Trump did not appear at the trial held in New York in May, and has now claimed that his failure to testify was due to his attorneys.

“I was asked by my lawyer not to attend—’It was beneath me, and they have no case.’ That was not good advice,” he ranted on Truth Social.

Mr Trump also attacked LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, who helped fund Ms Carroll’s legal claim and recently donated $250,000 to Nikki Haley, his rival in the Republican presidential primary.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump was back in court on Thursday at the Trump Organization’s civil fraud trial as defence testimony nears its conclusion. Mr Trump will testify again on Monday — while still under a gag order.

In a lighter moment, the former president stopped to speak with the courtroom sketch artists and, inspecting their work, noted he should lose some weight.

Key Points

• Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

• NY fraud trial: Bartov earning almost $900k for Trump defence testimony

• Trump says he will be a dictator ‘on day one’ if elected

• Megyn Kelly: ‘No question Trump has lost a step’

• Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

• Judge denies Trump’s attempt for quick appeal on gag order

Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

21:54 , Bevan Hurley

A federal appeals court has upheld key parts of a gag order that blocks Donald Trump from attacking witnesses in his election conspiracy case.

The gag order put in place by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan prohibited the former president from launching a “pretrial smear campaign” as he seeks the 2024 Republican nomination for president, the judge wrote in October.

Story continues

Alex Woodward has the full story.

Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

Trump gaffes ‘not intentional’ and ‘no question’ he has ‘lost a step’, says Megyn Kelly

20:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Following her return as a moderator on 6 December, Megyn Kelly called into Glenn Beck’s show to talk about the fourth Republican debate and the current state of the GOP field.

After praising the performance of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for having “his best debate yet” and saying that Nikki Haley did not do well because “she shrunk away” and giving her take on the more divisive figures of Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie, Kelly was then asked about Donald Trump.

Beck asked whether the former president and current frontrunner in the race to be the Republican Party’s nominee for 2024 “has faded from where he was in 2020”.

Here’s how she responded:

Megyn Kelly says Trump gaffes intentional, ‘no question’ he has ‘lost a step’

Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

17:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A federal appeals court has upheld key parts of a gag order that blocks Donald Trump from attacking witnesses in his election conspiracy case.

The gag order put in place by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan prohibited the former president from launching a “pretrial smear campaign” as he seeks the 2024 Republican nomination for president, the judge wrote in October.

Federal appellate court judges in Washington DC on Friday agreed that some of Mr Trump’s public statements “pose a significant and imminent threat to the fair and orderly adjudication of the ongoing criminal proceeding, warranting a speech-constraining protective order,” but said that the initial order “sweeps in more protected speech than is necessary.”

Mr Trump’s attorneys argued that the order unconstitutionally interferes with his “core political speech” as he runs for president while defending himself from several lawsuits and four criminal prosecutions, including two cases surrounding his alleged attempts to unlawfully overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

Watch: Home Depot founder says time for Trump ‘has come and gone’

16:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Fox News star admits GOP has no ‘concrete evidence’ to impeach Biden

16:02 , Bevan Hurley

Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy has admitted on air that House Republicans have no “concrete evidence” to impeach President Joe Biden.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Fox News star admits GOP has no ‘concrete evidence’ to impeach Biden

Watch: Trump lawyer Alina Habba previews Trump’s testimony on Monday

15:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Prosecutors want to use Trump’s embrace of rioters at his DC trial

14:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Federal prosecutors have given notice that they plan to introduce evidence of former president Donald Trump’s embrace of and support for charged and convicted January 6 rioters as a way to demonstrate what he intended to happen when a riotous mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol to prevent certification of his 2020 election loss.

In a court document filed on Tuesday, prosecutors working under special counsel Jack Smith said that some of the evidence they intend to present is from before or after the criminal conspiracy in which the ex-president is charged with participating, but stressed that the evidence is admissible under rules allowing the government to use it to “establish his motive, intent, preparation, knowledge, absence of mistake, and common plan”.

In particular, prosecutors say they will use evidence that predates the alleged conspiracy at issue to demonstrate Mr Trump’s “encouragement of violence,” including his now-infamous exhortation to the extremist group known as the Proud Boys that they should “stand back and stand by” during his 29 September 2020 debate with now-president Joe Biden.

Prosecutors want to use Trump’s embrace of rioters at his DC trial

If Trump wasn’t running, Biden isn’t sure he would run again

11:30 , Oliver O’Connell

President Joe Biden has told a group of Democratic donors on Tuesday that he might not have decided to stand for re-election at 81 years of age if former president Donald Trump wasn’t seeking to reclaim the presidency in next year’s general election.

Mr Biden, the oldest person to ever serve as America’s chief executive, is looking to be elected to serve another four-year term in the White House, which would end when he is 86 years old. He announced his candidacy for re-election in April, approximately six months after Mr Trump launched his campaign for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination against the man he lost to three years ago.

The 46th president’s advanced age has led a small number of Democrats to call for him to stand aside in favour of a younger, presumably more vigorous candidate who, in his critics’ telling, would easily best Mr Trump.

But while speaking at a fundraiser outside Boston on Tuesday, Mr Biden said Mr Trump’s persistence on the political scene is why he is not stepping aside in favour of a new generation.

“If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running. But we cannot let him win,” he said.

Biden ‘not sure’ he’d run in 2024 if Trump wasn’t running: ‘We cannot let him win’

Analysis: Nikki Haley’s star is rising. But can she catch up to Trump?

07:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Nikki Haley is known for a lot of firsts — the first Asian American woman to serve as governor in US history, the first Indian American member of a presidential Cabinet, the first woman of colour to run for the GOP nomination — but will she become the first woman to serve as US president?

Few think so.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Nikki Haley’s star is rising. But can she catch up to Trump?

Timeline: Donald Trump’s rivalry with Ron DeSantis

03:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A shaky start to Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign has continued to disappoint even though he was predicted to be ex-president Donald Trump’s primary challenger for the Republican nomination.

Mr DeSantis has seemingly failed to rise to the occasion of challenging Mr Trump after months of an increasingly tense back-and-forth.

But there was a time when the two got along swimmingly.

During his own tenure in the White House in 2018, Mr Trump loudly cheered Mr DeSantis’s bid for the governor’s mansion, throwing his weight behind the former congressman and appearing at rallies to stump for him.

But as Mr DeSantis rose through the ranks and was soon perceived as a potential 2024 candidate, Mr Trump changed his tune.

The ex-president has yelled a steady stream of insults and barbed nicknames, most of which Mr DeSantis wisely allowed to pass without public comment, though in more recent months he’s returned a comeback.

Here is a timeline of their disintegrating relationship

Democrat megadonor throws in with Haley to help thwart Trump

01:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Just a week after JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon urged even liberal Democrats to help Nikki Haley’s campaign to give Republicans an alternative to Donald Trump, one Democrat megadonor has done just that.

Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, donated $250,000 to a super PAC supporting the former UN ambassador’s 2024 campaign to be the GOP nominee in 2024.

The New York Times confirmed the donation had been made with Dmitri Mehlhorn, a political adviser to Mr Hoffman.

Democrat megadonor gives to Nikki Haley super PAC to help thwart Trump

Friday 8 December 2023 23:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Explained: When are the Iowa caucuses and why are they so important?

Friday 8 December 2023 23:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Gustaf Kilander writes:

The reason why the Iowa caucuses matter is the same reason why money has value: Because people believe it does.

Over just a few decades, the Iowa caucuses went from a local affair to a national circus, with some presidential candidates gambling their entire campaigns on their fortunes in the corn-covered Hawkeye State. The next iteration of the is set to take place on 15 January 2024.

Read on…

When are the Iowa caucuses and why are they so important?

Watch: Trump lawyer Alina Habba previews Trump’s testimony on Monday

Friday 8 December 2023 22:45 , Oliver O’Connell

‘That face’: Megyn Kelly panel caught on hot mic mocking DeSantis

Friday 8 December 2023 22:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, one of the moderators of the fourth Republican presidential primary debate, was caught on a hot mic appearing to mock the appearance of Florida governor Ron DeSantis alongside her panellists.

Josh Marcus reports.

Megyn Kelly panel caught on hot mic mocking Ron DeSantis after GOP debate

Watch: Home Depot founder says time for Trump ‘has come and gone’

Friday 8 December 2023 22:23 , Oliver O’Connell

Friday 8 December 2023 22:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Congressman mocks Santos, McCarthy, McHenry [and others] with ‘In Memoriam’ video

Friday 8 December 2023 21:39 , Oliver O’Connell

RNC pauses participation in GOP primary debates

Friday 8 December 2023 21:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The Republican National Committee has paused its participation in the 2024 GOP primary debates.

a 16-member internal group made the decision on Friday. Any further debates will be hosted by networks without the committee’s involvement.

ABC and CNN have debates scheduled in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of their respective caucus and primary.

“We have held four successful debates across the country with the most conservative partners in the history of a Republican primary. We have no RNC debates scheduled in January and any debates currently scheduled are not affiliated with the RNC,” the RNC’s Committee on Presidential Debates said in a statement. “It is now time for Republican primary voters to decide who will be our next President and candidates are free to use any forum or format to communicate to voters as they see fit.”

Trump reacts to DC gag order

Friday 8 December 2023 21:06 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has reacted to a Washington DC court’s decision to largely uphold the gag order imposed on those involved in his federal election interference case trial.

The former president took to Truth Social on Friday afternoon to complain and restate his claim about the January 6 House select committee’s supposed deletion of evidence.

He wrote:

An Appeals Court has just largely upheld the Gag Order against me in the ridiculous J6 Case, where the Unselect January 6th Committee deleted and destroyed almost all Documents and Evidence, saying that I can be barred from talking and, in effect, telling the truth. In other words, people can speak violently and viciously against me, or attack me in any form, but I am not allowed to respond, in kind. What is becoming of our First Amendment, what is becoming of our Country? We will appeal this decision!

There was a more sober reaction from Steven Cheung, his official spokesperson: “Today, the DC Circuit Court panel, with each judge appointed by a Democrat President, determined that a huge part of Judge Chutkan’s extraordinarily overbroad gag order was unconstitutional. President Trump will continue to fight for the First Amendment rights of tens of millions of Americans to hear from the leading Presidential candidate at the height of his campaign. The Biden-led witch hunts against President Trump and the American people will fail.”

Nevada indicts six Republicans over fake elector plot

Friday 8 December 2023 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell

A grand jury in Nevada has voted to indict six Republicans, including the party’s state chair, after they falsely pledged the state’s electoral votes to Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford announced felony charges on Wednesday, marking another round of state-level criminal charges against participants of a so-called “fake elector” plot that sought to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, a scheme central to federal and state charges against the former president.

“When the efforts to undermine faith in our democracy began after the 2020 election, I made it clear that I would do everything in my power to defend the institutions of our nation and our state,” Mr Ford said in a statement.

“We cannot allow attacks on democracy to go unchallenged,” he added. “Today’s indictments are the product of a long and thorough investigation, and as we pursue this prosecution, I am confident that our judicial system will see justice done.”

Alex Woodward reports:

Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

ICYMI: Hunter Biden hit with new criminal charges by DOJ

Friday 8 December 2023 20:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The president’s son Hunter Biden has been hit with a set of nine new tax-related federal charges on Thursday.

According to court documents, the new charges were filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California by Special Counsel David Weiss.

Mr Weiss and his team are alleging violations of three separate portions of the US tax code, including failure to pay taxes, failure to file, evading assessment, and filing a fraudulent form.

According to the indictment, Mr Biden allegedly “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019” and “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills”

Read on…

Hunter Biden hit with new criminal charges by Department of Justice

Friday 8 December 2023 20:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump diagnoses another case of ‘derangement syndrome’

Friday 8 December 2023 19:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Former president Donald Trump — who should never be mistaken for a medical professional — has diagnosed another case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, having previously identified former Republican Rep Liz Cheney as suffering from the disease.

On Friday lunchtime he wrote on Truth Social:

Sloppy Chris Christie is not fit to run for President. He is suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. According to all, he came in LAST in the debate, and I came in FIRST, as I have in all of the debates, without even being there. MAGA!

Symptoms are believed to include frequent bouts of common sense, truth, and incredulity.

BREAKING: Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

Friday 8 December 2023 19:27 , Oliver O’Connell

A federal appeals court has upheld key parts of a gag order that blocks Donald Trump from attacking witnesses in his election conspiracy case.

The gag order put in place by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan prohibited the former president from launching a “pretrial smear campaign” as he seeks the 2024 Republican nomination for president, the judge wrote in October.

Mr Trump’s attorneys argued that the order unconstitutionally interferes with his “core political speech” as he defends himself from several lawsuits and four criminal prosecutions, including two cases surrounding his alleged attempts to unlawfully overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Alex Woodward has the details of the ruling by the court:

Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order in election conspiracy case

Trump’s fake electors in Wisconsin agree he lost in 2020

Friday 8 December 2023 19:00 , Oliver O’Connell

A group of 10 Republicans who acted as “fake electors” in the 2020 presidential election and signed official-looking paperwork claiming Donald Trump won Wisconsin have settled a lawsuit against them.

They have agreed to withdraw their inaccurate filings, acknowledge Joe Biden won the presidency and not serve as presidential electors in 2024 or in any election where Trump is on the ballot.

The 10 fake electors will send a statement to the government offices that received the Electoral College votes saying that their actions were “part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results”.

Read the full article

The ‘most obnoxious blowhard in America’ — and no, it’s not the former president…

Friday 8 December 2023 18:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Chris Christie branded Vivek Ramaswamy the “most obnoxious blowhard in America” as he angrily slammed his Republican rival during the party’s latest debate.

The former New Jersey governor lost his cool and attacked Mr Ramaswamy over his stance on ending Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, claiming he wanted to appease Vladimir Putin and trusted Moscow over China.

Graeme Massie has the story.

Christie dubs Ramaswamy ‘most obnoxious blowhard in America’ in GOP debate

Megyn Kelly says ‘America will burn’ if Trump is jailed before election

Friday 8 December 2023 18:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Towards the end of her discussion with Glenn Beck on his show, Megyn Kelly was asked if she thought Donald Trump was going to jail.

Here’s her reply:

I’m starting to worry. I didn’t — he definitely will get convicted, in multiple jurisdictions. But Andy McCarthy, who is very smart on these things, was pointing out that Judge Chutkan in DC, in the federal case, on J6, you know she hates him. In DC, the jury is going to hate them.

That he thinks there’s a — there’s some pretty good odds, she will not release him from jail, pending appeal after his lengthy conviction.

Asked what that would do to the system, Kelly said that was why Republicans need “an undercard”, to which Beck added: “Somebody has to run all the way to the end”.

He then asked: “Is that just chaos in the streets?”

Kelly responded:

America will burn if they put Trump in jail before this election. It will burn. I don’t want it.

…

I just see the reality, the same as you do. And we will need the National Guard city to city. You know, MAGA is going to rise up. And there will be a lot of sympathizers who understand it, and won’t try to stop it.

They cannot be allowed to do that.

What did we learn from the fourth GOP debate?

Friday 8 December 2023 18:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The fourth Republican debate is over, and what did we learn? Not much, beyond how little these people seem to like each other.

Wednesday night’s showdown in Alabama touched on issues which previous debates skipped over — most glaringly, the GOP’s culture war against transgender Americans. But the main feature of the last meetup of the four underdog Republican candidates seems to have been the animosity which spilled out into view at multiple points.

Obviously, the frontrunner, Donald Trump, was once again absent. So none of this really mattered in the grand scheme of the 2024 Republican primary; he is the wide favourite to win the nomination, and remains so after tonight. But what tonight’s debate really did was illustrate the greater state of the modern Republican Party, and what kind of candidate everyone who is not Donald Trump, the Republican insiders, believe their party wants to see — if not now, then in 2028.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the last Republican debate of the year, and probably the election cycle, as we prepare for the Iowa caucuses next month.

Key takeaways from GOP debate: Ramaswamy branded a ‘blowhard’ and Haley under attack

NY fraud trial: Bartov earning almost $900k for testimony

Friday 8 December 2023 17:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Eli Bartov, the accounting professor testifying as an expert for Donald Trump’s defence at his New York fraud trial, says he charges $1,350/hour and has worked on the civil fraud case for approximately 650 hours.

That means he’s getting at least $877,500 for his work, paid for by the Trump Organization and Trump’s Save America PAC.

Mike Sisak of the Associated Press notes that the meter is still running as cross-examination by counsel for the New York Attorney General’s office has only just begun.

Mr Bartov will return to the stand on Tuesday after Mr Trump testifies again on Monday.

Megyn Kelly: ‘No question Trump has lost a step’

Friday 8 December 2023 17:36 , Oliver O’Connell

Following her return as a debate moderator on Wednesday, Megyn Kelly called into Glenn Beck’s show to talk about the debate and who won and who lost (Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley respectively).

Asked by Beck whether former president Donald Trump “has faded from where he was in 2020”, Kelly responded:

Yeah. I do.

I mean, I would take him over Joe Biden any day of the week.

I don’t think he will fill out this term, never mind the second.

But there’s no question that Trump has lost a step. Or multiple steps. He is confusing Joe Biden from Obama.

I know he’s saying, he intentionally did that. Go back and look at the clips. It wasn’t intentional. Anyone could have a slip of the tongue. It’s happened to him repeatedly.

The reference about how someone will get us into World War II.

Confusing countries. Confusing cities where — it’s happening more and more. With all due respect to Trump. This is what happens when you’re 77 years old. Trump seems inhuman, but he’s not inhuman. He’s a human. He’s a man. DeSantis didn’t lie — Father Time spares no one —was a good one.

So, look, if it’s between Trump and Biden, I don’t think there’s any question who is more fit, more capable.

But are we really going to pretend that Donald Trump is just as vibrant and mentally sharp as he was [in 2016]? Well, okay.

‘Politically homeless’ Kinzinger will vote for Biden if Trump wins GOP nomination

Friday 8 December 2023 17:19 , Oliver O’Connell

Via The Takeout podcast from CBS News:

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger describes himself as politically “homeless,” at odds with a party he views as “anti-constitutionalist.” He believes former President Donald Trump will be the 2024 Republican nominee — and if that’s the case, Kinzinger intends to vote for President Biden.

…

“If a run as an independent for Liz Cheney damages Donald Trump, then I think it’s smart. Go for it, right?” Kinzinger said. “The only concern I have, and this is with any third-party attempt is, you know, are you going to just take away from Joe Biden?…Donald Trump is the big threat to the country in 2024.”

…

Asked about Trump’s sizable polling lead in the race for GOP nominee, Kinzinger said, “If I was betting Vegas odds right now, I would put all my money [that] Donald Trump will be the nominee.”

DC Circuit sets deadline for Trump team to file appeal paperwork

Friday 8 December 2023 16:49 , Oliver O’Connell

The District of Columbia Circuit clerk sets a 26 December 2023 deadline for filing various key pieces of paperwork in Donald Trump’s appeal of Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision denying his motions to dismiss Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case.

This is important considering the scheduled 4 March 2024 trial date and the timing of any appeal or Supreme Court case.

Here’s the background to the Trump team’s efforts to dismiss or delay the case:

Trump is running out of ways to stall his federal election trial

Could Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the 2024 ballot?

Friday 8 December 2023 16:15 , Oliver O’Connell

A legal effort to disqualify Donald Trump from Colorado’s ballots in 2024 elections could end up in front of the US Supreme Court after arguments in front of the state’s highest court on Wednesday.

The case in Colorado is among dozens of legal challenges across the country that throw Mr Trump’s eligibility into question, pointing to a constitutional amendment that prohibits anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office.

So far, no courts have found Mr Trump ineligible. But after a week-long trial last month, a state judge in Colorado ruled that while the former president supported the insurrection, a ban from office doesn’t apply to presidents.

An appeal to the state’s Supreme Court, where all seven justices are Democratic appointees, challenges not only whether the former president was responsible for provoking his supporters to riot at the US Capitol on January 6, but also whether that should make him ineligible for returning to the White House.

Alex Woodward reports.

Can Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the ballot?

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump

Friday 8 December 2023 15:50 , Kelly Rissman

Donald Trump is well-known for a lot of things: his divisiveness, his career in real estate, The Apprentice, his lawsuits, for being the only president to be impeached twice. But perhaps nothing has infiltrated society more than Mr Trump’s unique linguistic style.

Whether he’s posting on Truth Social, speaking at a campaign rally, or testifying in court, Mr Trump never seems to be at a loss for words — and sometimes, he even makes up new ones.

From uttering gaffes to tweeting typos (like “covfefe”) to misreading words (like “Nambia”) to dismissing his opponent with a harsh nickname, his terminology quickly turns iconic.

Here, The Independent offers a dictionary guide to the Mr Trump’s most memorable phrases:

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump

Jimmy Kimmel pranks George Santos into making hilarious Cameo videos

Friday 8 December 2023 15:26 , Oliver O’Connell

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has pranked former congressman George Santos into making some hilarious Cameo videos.

Mr Santos has taken to posting videos on Cameo, the site where celebrities offer short greetings for a fee, following his expulsion from Congress last week.

The former congressman initially set an asking price of $75 per video. The value of his videos has since more than quadrupled, with Mr Santos surpassing his congressional salary of $174,000 in his first 48 hours on the platform, according to Semafor.

He is now asking for $400 per video, something Mr Kimmel deemed a “dilemma” on his show on Thursday night.

“On one hand, you hate to give money to a guy like George Santos but on the other, eh, pretty good chance he has your credit card information already,” he quipped.

Read on…

Jimmy Kimmel pranks George Santos into making hilarious Cameo videos

Watch: Christie says Trump unfit for presidency due to age and temperament

Friday 8 December 2023 15:00 , Oliver O’Connell

ICYMI: Exit McCarthy, stage right

Friday 8 December 2023 14:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced his retirement from Congress after he was ousted from the top job in the House of Representatives just several weeks ago.

“I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways,” he wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

Beginning the piece by calling himself an “optimist” Mr McCarthy went on to note that he spent 17 years representing the same congressional seat where he once was “denied an internship”.

“Only in America,” he wrote. “I helped lead Republicans to a House majority—twice. We got more Republican women, veterans and minorities elected to Congress at one time than ever before. I remained cheerfully persistent when elected speaker because I knew what we could accomplish.”

On 3 October, Mr McCarthy became the only speaker in US history to be removed following the filing of a motion to vacate.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story.

Kevin McCarthy to retire weeks after being ousted as House speaker

NY fraud trial: Trump revels in testimony of ‘highly acclaimed finance expert’

Friday 8 December 2023 14:39 , Oliver O’Connell

Here’s Donald Trump’s take on what happened in court yesterday in Lower Manhattan:

I hope everyone is watching the Kangaroo Court Witch Hunt taking place against me, led by a totally corrupt and Racist A.G., and a highly partisan Judge who made his decision before the trial even started, and before he knew anything about the case. Mar-a-Lago worth $18,000,000? Yesterday, a highly acclaimed finance EXPERT powerfully stated that I did NOTHING WRONG, AND THAT I BUILT A GREAT COMPANY. The case should be dropped. No business will ever move to New York after watching this charade, and many will be leaving. I was not allowed a jury. SO UNFAIR. The Judge knows we are not guilty of anything but creating thousands of jobs and building a GREAT COMPANY!

The former president will not be in court today to hear the rest of Eli Bartov’s testimony but will be back on Monday for his final appearance on the witness stand.

Trump is running out of ways to stall his federal election trial

Friday 8 December 2023 14:30 , AP

Former President Donald Trump is appealing a ruling that found he is not immune from criminal prosecution as he runs out of time to delay or even derail an upcoming trial on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Lawyers for the 2024 Republican presidential primary frontrunner filed a notice of appeal Thursday indicating that they will challenge U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision rejecting Trump’s bid to derail the case headed to trial in Washington, DC, in March. The one-page filing was accompanied by a request from the Trump team to put the case on pause so the appeals court could take up the matter.

The one-page filing, the first step in a process that could potentially reach the Supreme Court in the months ahead, was accompanied by a request from the Trump team to freeze deadlines in the case while the appeals court considers the matter.

Full story:

Trump is running out of ways to stall his federal election trial

Trump town hall trumped in ratings by Newsom-DeSantis and GOP debate

Friday 8 December 2023 14:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Uh oh… 😬

John Bowden writes:

Donald Trump is not the candidate he was in 2016.

Don’t just take it from Ron DeSantis.

The former president appeared for a town hall with Fox’s Sean Hannity on Tuesday, a day before the fourth GOP primary debate attended by his lower-polling rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination. But while Mr Trump remains in clear control of the Republican primary electorate, according to all available polling, he is objectively not pulling the same kind of audiences and presenting the same kind of spectacle that he could during his first presidential run.

Read on to find out how the three broadcasts stacked up.

Sarcasm: Trump’s explanation for his gaffes

Friday 8 December 2023 14:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has once again argued that his increasing number of gaffes is simply an expression of sarcasm.

The former president has repeatedly raged at the suggestion that he, at the age of 77, is not as sharp as he used to be.

During a Fox News town hall on Tuesday night, Mr Trump said: “I’ll say our real president is Barack Hussein Obama – they’ll say ‘he doesn’t know who the president is, he thinks it’s Barack Hussein’ – no, I’m being sarcastic.”

Just last week, Mr Trump claimed that he deliberately mixes up Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s names as he angrily denied that he is “cognitively impaired”.

Trump doubles down on claim that his gaffes are sarcastic

After seeing courtroom sketch, Trump says he needs to lose weight

Friday 8 December 2023 13:45 , Oliver O’Connell

There are only two defence witnesses left in Donald Trump’s fraud trial, and the former president is one of them.

He returned to New York County Supreme Court on Thursday for the first time in more than a month, but not as a witness. He sat with his attorneys inside Judge Arthur Engoron’s courtroom in lower Manhattan to watch testimony intended to bolster his defence – his first courtroom appearance since leaving his own chaotic day on the witness stand on 6 November.

After a morning break, Mr Trump paused to chat with two courtroom sketch artists seated behind the team of lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose fraud lawsuit against the former president, his two oldest sons and their chief business associates launched a trial that is now in its 10th week.

The artists, hired by news organisations to capture the inside of the no-photos-allowed courtroom, got his approval. “Nice,” he said.

He told them “it looks like I need to lose some weight” as he gestured to his neck, they told The Independent.

Alex Woodward reports from the court in Lower Manhattan on developments in the trial on Thursday.

Trump tells court artists he should lose weight as he returns to his fraud trial

Analysis: Republicans know January 6 is a political loser. So they’re trying to rewrite history

Friday 8 December 2023 13:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Nearly three years since the violence, Republicans are seeking to rewrite the narratives around January 6 to frame it either as a normal peaceful protest in part of the American tradition or as a set-up by federal law enforcement. It also comes as the de facto leader of the party, Mr Trump, has said if he is re-elected, he would pardon inmates, even as he faces a federal investigation for his role in the riot and efforts to overturn the election.

Read the full article

Nevada: Six Republicans charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

Friday 8 December 2023 12:45 , Oliver O’Connell

A grand jury in Nevada has voted to indict six Republicans, including the party’s state chair, after they falsely pledged the state’s electoral votes to Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford announced felony charges on Wednesday, marking another round of state-level criminal charges against participants of a so-called “fake elector” plot that sought to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, a scheme central to federal and state charges against the former president.

“When the efforts to undermine faith in our democracy began after the 2020 election, I made it clear that I would do everything in my power to defend the institutions of our nation and our state,” Mr Ford said in a statement.

“We cannot allow attacks on democracy to go unchallenged,” he added. “Today’s indictments are the product of a long and thorough investigation, and as we pursue this prosecution, I am confident that our judicial system will see justice done.”

Read on…

Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

Could Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the 2024 ballot?

Friday 8 December 2023 12:15 , Oliver O’Connell

A legal effort to disqualify Donald Trump from Colorado’s ballots in 2024 elections could end up in front of the US Supreme Court after arguments in front of the state’s highest court on Wednesday.

The case in Colorado is among dozens of legal challenges across the country that throw Mr Trump’s eligibility into question, pointing to a constitutional amendment that prohibits anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office.

So far, no courts have found Mr Trump ineligible. But after a week-long trial last month, a state judge in Colorado ruled that while the former president supported the insurrection, a ban from office doesn’t apply to presidents.

An appeal to the state’s Supreme Court, where all seven justices are Democratic appointees, challenges not only whether the former president was responsible for provoking his supporters to riot at the US Capitol on January 6, but also whether that should make him ineligible for returning to the White House.

Alex Woodward reports.

Can Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the ballot?

Wisconsin fake electors settle lawsuit (and agree that Biden won in 2020)

Friday 8 December 2023 11:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A group of 10 Republicans who acted as “fake electors” in the 2020 presidential election and signed official-looking paperwork claiming Donald Trump won Wisconsin have settled a lawsuit against them.

They have agreed to withdraw their inaccurate filings, acknowledge Joe Biden won the presidency and not serve as presidential electors in 2024 or in any election where Trump is on the ballot.

The 10 fake electors will send a statement to the government offices that received the Electoral College votes saying that their actions were “part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results”.

Read the full article

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump over dictator comments

Friday 8 December 2023 10:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has roasted Donald Trump after the former president vowed to be a “dictator” on day one of his presidency if reelected in 2024.

During his show on Wednesday night, Mr Kimmel recalled what he described as the remarkable moment when Mr Trump “somehow managed to swing and miss at the softest of all balls” during his Fox News’ town hall the previous night.

During the event, hosted by Sean Hannity in Davenport, Iowa, the former president was pressed on whether he would abuse presidential power to seek revenge against his political opponents if relected.

Bizarrely, Mr Trump declared he would not abuse power “except for day one”.

Martha McHardy has the story.

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump for saying he will be ‘day one’ dictator

Even Fox News has had enough of Ramaswamy

Friday 8 December 2023 09:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade didn’t go easy on biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy the morning after the fourth Republican debate, slamming his “naive” Ukraine policy.

Mr Ramaswamy appeared on Fox News from a Tuscaloosa diner, the Alabama city where the debate had taken place the previous evening.

In the hour before the interview, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy had called Mr Ramaswamy’s debate performance “embarrassing.”

“You sound so naive!” Mr Kilmeade told Mr Ramaswamy.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Even Fox News has had enough of Ramaswamy as host slams ‘naive’ Ukraine policy

Key takeaways from the fourth Republican primary debate

Friday 8 December 2023 08:30 , John Bowden

The fourth Republican debate is over, and what did we learn? Not much, beyond how little these people seem to like each other.

Wednesday night’s showdown in Alabama touched on issues which previous debates skipped over — most glaringly, the GOP’s culture war against transgender Americans. But the main feature of the last meetup of the four underdog Republican candidates seems to have been the animosity which spilled out into view at multiple points.

Obviously, the frontrunner, Donald Trump, was once again absent. So none of this really mattered in the grand scheme of the 2024 Republican primary; he is the wide favourite to win the nomination, and remains so after tonight. But what tonight’s debate really did was illustrate the greater state of the modern Republican Party, and what kind of candidate everyone who is not Donald Trump, the Republican insiders, believe their party wants to see — if not now, then in 2028.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the last Republican debate of the year, and probably the election cycle, as we prepare for the Iowa caucuses next month

Read the full article

Jan 6 rioter tries more traditional route to getting into Congress

Friday 8 December 2023 06:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A New York man who took part in the January 6 Capitol riot is running for the Long Island and Queens congressional seat that was represented by ex-Rep George Santos until his expulsion.

At his trial, Philip Sean Grillo made the bizarre admission during his testimony that he didn’t know that Congress convened inside the US Capitol.

The Queens resident was found guilty on Tuesday of obstruction of an official proceeding – a felony – in relation to the riot that temporarily ground the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory to a halt.

Grillo was also found guilty of several misdemeanours such as entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, a DoJ press release stated. He was detained on 23 February 2021.

Jan 6 rioter running for Santos’ House seat made jarring comment about Congress

As he’s jailed for 11 years, ex-police chief charged over Jan 6 riot spouts conspiracies

Friday 8 December 2023 04:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Former California police chief Alan Hostetter went on a conspiratorial rant moments before a federal judge sentenced him to more than 11 years in prison for conspiring to bring weapons to the US Capitol during the January 6 riot.

The 58-year-old, who represented himself at trial, told the court on Thursday that the January 6 insurrection was an “obvious set up” that was faked by “crisis actors,” and claimed that Ashli Babbitt, a rioter killed by a police officer at the Capitol, was actually still alive.

Josh Marcus reports.

Ex-police chief charged in Jan 6 riot spouts conspiracies as he’s jailed for 11 years

Who won the fourth Republican debate?

Friday 8 December 2023 03:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A few weeks after the Iron Bowl, Republican presidential candidates descended on Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to tussle for the second-place spot in the race for the White House.

NewsNation hosted the fourth and final 2023 debate of the 2024 primary campaign, none of which frontrunner Donald Trump has attended. Florida Gov Ron Desantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy launched attacks at former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley while all but ignoring Mr Trump.

Ms Haley aggressively pushed back on broadsides while also continuing her feud with Mr Ramaswamy, whom she called “scum” in their last face-off. She emerged from the debate mostly unscathed, and her campaign has racked up key endorsements and donations recently. Still, Mr Trump’s position as the clear frontrunner remains unchanged, and the debate amounts to a campaign for runner-up.

With the Iowa caucuses a month away, the clock is running out for any of these candidates to prove they can at least put up a formidable fight against Mr Trump, let alone challenge President Joe Biden.

Here are the winners and losers from the fourth GOP primary debate.

DeSantis says his favourite president is… Calvin Coolidge?

Friday 8 December 2023 02:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis surprised some when asked during the fourth Republican debate who he would draw inspiration from as president and his response was President Calvin “Silent Cal” Coolidge.

Mr DeSantis chose the 30th president as his lodestar on Wednesday night while former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie picked President Ronald Reagan, the 40th commander-in-chief, while former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley went all the way back to the first, citing President George Washington. Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy pointed to Thomas Jefferson, the third president.

Mr Coolidge got his nickname “Silent Cal” for his reserved and quiet manner in social situations, with at least two people allegedly reacting to his death with questions like “How can they tell?” and “How do they know?”

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

DeSantis says his favourite president is Calvin Coolidge at GOP debate

Will Trump go to prison?

Friday 8 December 2023 01:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Love him or loathe him, America wants to know!

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Jamaal Bowman censured for setting off US Capitol fire alarm

Friday 8 December 2023 00:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The House has voted to censure New York Rep Jamaal Bowman for setting off a fire alarm in a US Capitol office building without there being an emergency.

The vote fell almost exclusively on party lines, with 214 members voting to censure Mr Bowman and 191 members voting against it. Three Democrats voted to censure Mr Bowman, including Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez of Washington.

Mr Bowman defended himself in a speech on the House floor on Wednesday evening, saying that the resolution showed how unserious House Republicans are.

Read the full article

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump

Thursday 7 December 2023 23:30 , Kelly Rissman

Donald Trump is well-known for a lot of things: his divisiveness, his career in real estate, The Apprentice, his lawsuits, for being the only president to be impeached twice. But perhaps nothing has infiltrated society more than Mr Trump’s unique linguistic style.

Whether he’s posting on Truth Social, speaking at a campaign rally, or testifying in court, Mr Trump never seems to be at a loss for words — and sometimes, he even makes up new ones.

From uttering gaffes to tweeting typos (like “covfefe”) to misreading words (like “Nambia”) to dismissing his opponent with a harsh nickname, his terminology quickly turns iconic.

Here, The Independent offers a dictionary guide to the Mr Trump’s most memorable phrases:

C is for Covfefe: The ABCs of Donald Trump

Trump town hall trumped in ratings by Newsom-DeSantis and GOP debate

Thursday 7 December 2023 22:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Uh oh… 😬

John Bowden writes:

Donald Trump is not the candidate he was in 2016.

Don’t just take it from Ron DeSantis.

The former president appeared for a town hall with Fox’s Sean Hannity on Tuesday, a day before the fourth GOP primary debate attended by his lower-polling rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination. But while Mr Trump remains in clear control of the Republican primary electorate, according to all available polling, he is objectively not pulling the same kind of audiences and presenting the same kind of spectacle that he could during his first presidential run.

Read on to find out how the three broadcasts stacked up:

Trump’s Fox News town hall drew in lower ratings than DeSantis-Newsom debate

Coming up next week: Rudy Giuliani’s defamation trial

Thursday 7 December 2023 22:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Justice Beryl Howell, the federal judge overseeing Rudy Giuliani’s trial to determine damages after defaming the mother-daughter election workers from Georgia, has posted the rules for next week’s trial.

Her filing also includes a summary of the case:

This is a civil case. Plaintiffs, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ArShaye (“Shaye”) Moss, claim that Defendant Rudolph W. Giuliani defamed them, intentionally inflicted emotional distress on them, and engaged in a conspiracy with others to do the same.

Plaintiffs served as election workers at the State Farm Arena in Fulton County, Georgia during the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Giuliani is the former mayor of New York City, an attorney who has practiced law for decades, and a current media personality with his own radio shows and podcasts. Mr. Giuliani headed the Trump Campaign legal team during former President Donald J. Trump’s unsuccessful bid for re-election in 2020, and was part of the campaign to undermine the legitimacy of that election in battleground states like Georgia.

Mr. Giuliani publicly and falsely accused plaintiffs of committing various acts of election fraud, including: illegally excluding poll watchers under false pretenses; sneaking in and hiding illegal ballots in suitcases under tables; illegally counting ballots multiple times; and passing a USB drive with the intent of changing the vote count in the voting tabulation devices. Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss allege that Mr. Giuliani’s actions have caused them to suffer and continue to suffer extensive emotional and reputational harm, including because Mr. Giuliani’s actions made them targets for profane and vile threats.

The Court has already determined that Mr. Giuliani is liable for defamation per se, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy, and that Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss are entitled to receive compensation, including in the form of punitive damages, for Mr. Giuliani’s willful conduct. The only issue remaining in this trial is for the jury to determine any amount of damages Mr. Giuliani owes to Plaintiffs for the damage caused by his conduct.

Read the full filing here.

Here’s Alex Woodward’s most recent report outlining the case:

Election workers who sued Giuliani awarded default judgment in defamation case

Thursday 7 December 2023 21:55 , Oliver O’Connell

We just several minutes trying to figure out how to ask Mr Barkov what a “misstatement” is “from an accounting perspective,” with both the judge and attorney general’s counsel trying to come up with a better way to ask.

“It’s hard to find a synonym but that’s what it’s called, a misstatement,” Judge Engoron said.

Mr Bartov answered by saying essentially that a misstatement… is a misstatement. The answer is important because a misstatement could indicate fraud. Mr Bartov said he believes that “there was no evidence of intentional misstatements, i.e., fraud,” which again, the attorney general’s office is saying falls way outside the bounds of his testimony. He can’t speak to “intent”.

After more back-and-forth debate on intent, court concludes for the day.

The trial resumes at 10am on Friday.

NY fraud trial: Bartov to resume testimony tomorrow

Thursday 7 December 2023 21:38 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward reports from the courtroom:

We’re getting to the end of today’s testimony and it looks like Mr Bartov will be back on the stand tomorrow.

The New York attorney general’s team has once again objected to testimony that goes “beyond the scope of what the witness was qualified for” as well as what he was asked about.

Judge Engoron agrees. He’s been inclined to let testimony roll over into tangents without interrupting for the sake of the defence’s argument when they inevitably appeal everything.

That also means cross-examination from NY AG Letitia James’ team [perhaps without Trump watching?] will also have to wait until tomorrow.

Trump is no doubt ready to declare, again, incorrectly, that he has won the case when Judge Engoron has already ruled he is liable for fraud.

As he’s jailed for 11 years police chief charged over Jan 6 riot spouts conspiracies

Thursday 7 December 2023 21:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Former California police chief Alan Hostetter went on a conspiratorial rant Thursday moments before a federal judge sentenced him to over 11 years in prison for conspiring to bring weapons to the US Capitol during the January 6 riot.

The 58-year-old, who represented himself at trial, told the court the January 6 insurrection was an “obvious set up” that was faked by “crisis actors,” and claimed that Ashli Babbitt, a rioter killed by a police officer at the Capitol, was actually still alive.

The former chief of the La Habra Police Department was convicted in July on four felony counts, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and carrying a dangerous or deadly weapon onto Capitol grounds.

Josh Marcus reports.

Ex-police chief charged in Jan 6 riot spouts conspiracies as he’s jailed for 11 years

Full story: Trump tells court artists he should lose weight as he returns to his fraud trial

Thursday 7 December 2023 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell

There are only two defence witnesses left in Donald Trump’s fraud trial, and the former president is one of them.

He returned to New York County Supreme Court on Thursday for the first time in more than a month, but not as a witness. He sat with his attorneys inside Judge Arthur Engoron’s courtroom in lower Manhattan to watch testimony intended to bolster his defence – his first courtroom appearance since leaving his own chaotic day on the witness stand on 6 November.

After a morning break, Mr Trump paused to chat with two courtroom sketch artists seated behind the team of lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose fraud lawsuit against the former president, his two oldest sons and their chief business associates launched a trial that is now in its 10th week.

The artists, hired by news organisations to capture the inside of the no-photos-allowed courtroom, got his approval. “Nice,” he said.

He told them “it looks like I need to lose some weight” as he gestured to his neck, they told The Independent.

Continued…

Trump tells court artists he should lose weight as he returns to his fraud trial

Media threatened with criminal charges in second Trump presidency

Thursday 7 December 2023 20:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s campaign of retribution and political prosecution is not merely “rhetoric” but a “dead serious” threat to his opponents and the media, according to his own allies.

On his War Room podcast on Tuesday, former White House adviser and far-right activist Steve Bannon asked Trump loyalist Kash Patel whether he can “deliver the goods” and “get rolling on prosecutions” should Mr Trump win election in 2024.

“And I want the Morning Joe producers that watch us and all the producers to watch us – this is not just rhetoric. We’re absolutely dead serious,” Bannon said.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump allies threaten criminal charges against media if elected

NY fraud trial: Court takes afternoon break

Thursday 7 December 2023 20:33 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s legal team is all smiles as they leave the courtroom during a brief afternoon break, Alex Woodward reports. Today’s testimony appears to be exactly what they wanted to hear from the witness.

Meanwhile, the Trump 2024 campaign sent out an email blast falsely claiming that the former president has been forced to attend court.

Patriot,

In just 39 days, the first vote of 2024 will be cast in Iowa.

But instead of being in Iowa today, President Trump was forced into a courtroom in New York City to defend himself from a $250 million vicious witch hunt incited by Crooked Joe’s Democrats.

This is Election Interference – plain and simple. It’s a sad day for our country. But even during these dark times, President Trump will NEVER SURRENDER our mission to save America.

NY fraud trial: Trump’s court appearance draws attention to expert witness

Thursday 7 December 2023 20:24 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward reports from the courtroom:

All this testimony in blunt terms is meant to bolster Team Trump’s long-running defence that the way the statements of financial condition were created, and how banks treated them, was business as usual, and the attorney general’s office has been fishing for fraud where there is none.

The attorney general’s team hasn’t interrupted, letting Mr Bartov spout off on the case and allegations in testimony that veers off course from the questions he’s asked.

NY AG counsel Kevin Wallace said: “At some point, the witness needs to follow the rules like everyone else.”

Judge Engoron agreed. He turned to the professor and reminded him he was not in a classroom or lecture hall.

“You need to answer questions,” he said.

Mr Bartov is one of the first witnesses to explicitly say, in Trump-friendly terms, that the case should be thrown out, so it’s easy to see why Trump picked this day of all days to attend, drawing media to the courtroom to hear it.

But there aren’t that many reporters here. It’s the usual crowd.

Jan 6 rioter running for George Santos’ House seat made jarring comment about Congress on day of attack

Thursday 7 December 2023 20:15 , Oliver O’Connell

A New York man who took part in the January 6 Capitol riot is running for the Long Island and Queens congressional seat that was represented by ex-Rep George Santos until his expulsion.He stormed the halls of Congress to, in his words, “stop the steal.” He was found guilty of felony obstruction this week.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has more from Washington:

Jan 6 rioter running for Santos’ House seat made jarring comment about Congress

NY fraud trial: Expert witness says ‘impossible’ for any bank to make decisions on financial statements alone

Thursday 7 December 2023 19:58 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward reports from the courtroom:

Eli Bartov is repeatedly stating that it would be “impossible” for any financial institution to make any kind of decision about financial terms on financial statements alone.

“It’s impossible to argue … that Deutsche Bank, or any bank, or any lender, would make decisions on the basis of the statement of financial condition,” he said. “They should close the book on this case.”

Donald Trump has notably been more relaxed and in a better mood today than his eight other court appearances.

Mr Bartov has called the case and charges “absurd” and “obvious” and all kinds of other adjectives that the former presdient has echoed in his own statements about the case.

Meanwhile, he has also said the statements of financial condition contain an “awesome” amount of information. He said he’s never seen a statement that “provides so much detail and is so transparent” as one of the statements he’s shown on the stand.

Trump allies rushed to defend his ‘day one’ dictatorship. Critics are warning against ‘normalised fascism’

Thursday 7 December 2023 19:45 , Alex Woodward

Trump was offered a chance to shut down warnings about his increasingly violent and authoritarian vision for his potential administration. Instead, he embraced it.

During an event on Fox News billed as a town hall on Tuesday, host Sean Hannity gave him a chance to clarify that “under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody.”

“Except for day one,” Mr Trump replied.

His supporters and campaign have framed his comments as a joke to attack his critics, a defence that has tried to rewrite and undermine his own words and actions over the last several months, including his explicit promises of a campaign of retribution and political vengeance against his rivals.

Trump allies defend his ‘day one’ dictatorship: ‘All he needs’

‘Most obnoxious blowhard in America’

Thursday 7 December 2023 19:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Chris Christie branded Vivek Ramaswamy the “most obnoxious blowhard in America” as he angrily slammed his Republican rival during the party’s latest debate.

The former New Jersey governor lost his cool and attacked Mr Ramaswamy over his stance on ending Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, claiming he wanted to appease Vladimir Putin and trusted Moscow over China.

“That’s not my deal, that’s not my deal,” Mr Ramaswamy said in response to the allegation.

“You do this every time,” countered Mr Christie as he wagged his finger towards him.

“Don’t interrupt me, I don’t interrupt you,” he continued as Mr Ramaswamy said “Go ahead send those kids to die” in reference to young American soldiers sent overseas.

“You do this at every debate. You go out on the stump and say something, all of us see it on video, we confront you on the debate stage, you say you didn’t say it and then you back away,” Mr Christie said.

As Mr Ramaswamy accused him of “spewing nonsense” Mr Christie, growing visibly more annoyed, loudly replied, “I’m not done yet.”

Read the full interaction between the two at last night’s debate

As Trump appeals denial of motion to dismiss, is his federal election trial start date also in jeopardy?

Thursday 7 December 2023 19:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump is appealing the decision by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan to reject his attempt to dismiss the federal election interference case on the grounds of presidential immunity.

In addition to appealing Judge Chutkan’s denial of his motion to dismiss, the former president has moved for a stay of all district court proceedings pending resolution of his appeal. If the judge does not grant a stay within seven days, Mr Trump requests a temporary stay of administrative proceedings while he pursues relief from the Court of Appeals.

Such an appeal could be the one thing that delays the trial. While Judge Chutkan is determined to start on 4 March 2024, but a stay could push things back. While the Circuit courts move quickly, appeals courts do not.

Further time could be added if the appeal goes all the way to the Supreme Court. A March start date is starting to look ambitious.

Trump tells court sketch artists he should lose weight

Thursday 7 December 2023 18:57 , Alex Woodward

After walking back inside the courtroom during a morning break, Trump paused to chat with two courtroom sketch artists seated behind the attorney general’s team.

The artists, hired by news organisations to capture the inside of the no-photos-allowed courtroom, told The Independent that he approved their work. “Nice,” he said.

He also pointed to a sketch of himself, saying “it looks like I need to lose some weight” as he gestured to his neck, they told The Independent.

Trump continues to claim he is being ‘sarcastic’ when he makes gaffes

Thursday 7 December 2023 18:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has once again argued that his increasing number of gaffes is simply an expression of sarcasm.

The former president has repeatedly raged at the suggestion that he, at the age of 77, is not as sharp as he used to be.

During a Fox News town hall on Tuesday night, Mr Trump said: “I’ll say our real president is Barack Hussein Obama – they’ll say ‘he doesn’t know who the president is, he thinks it’s Barack Hussein’ – no, I’m being sarcastic.”

Just last week, Mr Trump claimed that he deliberately mixes up Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s names as he angrily denied that he is “cognitively impaired”.

Read on…

Trump doubles down on claim that his gaffes are sarcastic

Will Trump go to prison?

Thursday 7 December 2023 18:00 , Oliver O’Connell

America wants to know…

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Witness fires back at lawyers for the New York attorney general: ‘Shame on yourself’

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:52 , Alex Woodward

A defence witness for Trump and his co-defendants snapped at counsel with the office of New York attorney general after suggesting that he was merely being paid to say what Trump’s team wanted.

“You make up allegations that never existed,” said NYU accounting professor Eli Bartov.

“I’m here to tell the truth,” he said. “Shame on yourself, talking to me like that.”

Judge Arthur Engoron told Mr Bartov to settle down before breaking the courtroom for lunch.

The hearing will resume this afternoon. Stay tuned with The Independent.

Just in: New York appeals court extends pause of pretrial ruling in fraud case

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:47 , Alex Woodward

A state appeals court on Thursday has declined to stop Donald Trump’s fraud trial, extending an earlier decision that allows the case to continue while blocking key sanctions outlined in Judge Arthur Engoron’s blockbuster pretrial ruling.

Trump, meanwhile, is back in court for the first time in a month t owatch testimony from the second-to-last defence witness.

The former president is the final witness. He’ll return to the stand on Monday.

Just in: Trump will try to dismiss election subversion case in appeals court

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:21 , Alex Woodward

The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s election subversion case roundly rejected his attempts to dismiss the charges on the grounds of presidential immunity.

Now, his lawyers tell the judge they’ll appeal that ruling.

Read why US District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected his motion last week:

Judge in Trump election conspiracy case rules he does not have presidential immunity

Another challenge to Trump’s 2024 eligibility filed in Oregon

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Another legal challenge to Donald Trump’s eligibility has been filed, this time in the state of Oregon.

As with the other cases, it seeks to disqualify him from state ballots under section 3 of the 14th Amendment: “This is an action to prevent Donald J Trump … from appearing on the 2024 presidential primary or general election ballots because, having sworn an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, he has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof” and is therefore disqualified from public office.”

You can read the full filing here.

And here’s Alex Woodward’s reporting on the Colorado case, which has now reached the state’s Supreme Court:

Can Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the ballot?

‘What is GAAP?’

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:10 , Alex Woodward

“Generally accepted accounting principles” provide the framework for creating statements of financial condition, the documents that are at the heart of the case against Trump and his business.

His sons and co-defendants Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump testified that they didn’t know much about GAAP. Neither did Ivanka Trump.

In his taped deposition earlier this year, NYU accounting professor Eli Bartov said he told Trump’s legal team that he also is “not really familiar” with GAAP.

Before he resumed his testimony after a morning break, giant screens next to the witness stand showed a slide titled “Financial reporting and GAAP” with definitions of what that is, exactly.

The attorney general’s office objected to that. Trump attorney Chrtiopher Kise called the slide “just for lack of a better word a teaching aid.”

“What we don’t want is for this to be up on the screen during witness testimony,” AG counsel Louis Solomon said.

The screens were off when Bartov returned, and the first question from Trump attorney Jesus Suarez was “what is GAAP?”

Trump chats with courtroom sketch artists

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:05 , Alex Woodward

On his way back into the courtroom following a morning break, Trump stopped to chat with the two courtroom sketch artists. I’m a bit too far away to make out what he was saying, but he was smiling with them and gestured to their canvases.

He then took his seat with his defence attorneys to hear more testimony from Eli Bartov, an accounting professor at NYU.

Key takeaways from the fourth GOP primary debate

Thursday 7 December 2023 17:00 , John Bowden

The fourth Republican debate is over, and what did we learn? Not much, beyond how little these people seem to like each other.

Wednesday night’s showdown in Alabama touched on issues which previous debates skipped over — most glaringly, the GOP’s culture war against transgender Americans. But the main feature of the last meetup of the four underdog Republican candidates seems to have been the animosity which spilled out into view at multiple points.

Obviously, the frontrunner, Donald Trump, was once again absent. So none of this really mattered in the grand scheme of the 2024 Republican primary; he is the wide favourite to win the nomination, and remains so after tonight. But what tonight’s debate really did was illustrate the greater state of the modern Republican Party, and what kind of candidate everyone who is not Donald Trump, the Republican insiders, believe their party wants to see — if not now, then in 2028.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the last Republican debate of the year, and probably the election cycle, as we prepare for the Iowa caucuses next month:

Key takeaways from GOP debate: Ramaswamy branded a ‘blowhard’ and Haley under attack

Watch: Trump speaks at morning break after initial testimony from Bartov

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:47 , Oliver O’Connell

Watch: Christie says Trump unfit for presidency due to age and temperament

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Voices: Chris Christie is spot on calling Trump ‘he who shall not be named’

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Andrew Feinberg writes:

Asked by ex-Fox News star turned NBC News flameout turned right-wing podcast host Megyn Kelly about his dismal approval ratings among the Republican voters who he would need to successfully court in order to displace former president Donald Trump as the party’s nominee in next year’s election, Mr Christie pointed out — quite accurately — that the bizarre scene playing out at the University of Alabama on NewsNation television network was a ridiculous farce.

Not only was Mr Trump snubbing the Republican National Committee-sanctioned debate for the fourth time this election cycle, but three-quarters of the also-rans who were on the stage that night seemed content to attack each other as if Mr Trump didn’t exist.

Read on…

Chris Christie’s Harry Potter reference to Trump was spot on

Expert witness: ‘There is no evidence whatsoever of any accounting fraud’

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:29 , Oliver O’Connell

It is starting to become apparent as to why Donald Trump chose to be here in court and why Christopher Kise said the New York Attorney General’s office is “terrified” of Mr Bartov’s testimony.

The NYU professor is telling the court that he went through NY AG Letitia James’s complaint “allegation by allegation” to “try to find at least something, some proof, that would provide some basis” for the charges.

“Most of their claims were simply unsupported,” he said. “My main finding is that there is no evidence whatsoever of any accounting fraud.”

Judge Engoron pauses to note that there were “certainly things the professor said that were not responsive to the question” but he’s not blocking testimony.

Kevin Wallace with the NY AG’s office notes that he gave an “extensive speech about the complaint with no discussion with actual evidence” and said his testimony so far has some “relevance issues” that don’t acknowledge any of the evidence presented thus far, not to mention the judge’s pretrial judgment that found defendants liable for fraud based on the complaint itself.

NY fraud trial: Judge overrules objections from NY AG’s office

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:20 , Alex Woodward

Eli Bartov, who was twice asked to speak slower by Judge Engoron, is asked about his credentials to establish him as an expert witness for the defence.

According to his deposition transcript, Mr Bartiv was initially tapped as an expert witness to talk about GAAP (though he said “I am not really familiar with GAAP”) and had been paid, at that time, roughly $370,000 from both the Trump Organization and Save America PAC to participate, based on an hourly rate of $1,350.

It’s not unusual for expert witnesses to be paid for their testimony, but noting that the money is coming from the company being sued and the GOP frontrunner’s campaign. Other witnesses have had similar arrangements.

After some objections from the NY AG’s office to Mr Bartov’s ability to speak to credit analysis, he is accepted as an expert witness and questioning from Trump lawyer Jesus Suarez gets underway.

After another objection from the AG’s office, Mr Bartov is briefly excused.

“There have been more objections to this witness over the last 10 minutes … which tells me that they’re terrified of this witness,” Trump attorney Christopher Kise says.

Louis Solomon, a counsel with the AG’s office, blurts out: “C’mon.”

Judge Engoron overruled the objections and questioning resumes.

Watch: Heated back and forth between Ramaswamy and Kilmeade on Fox & Friends over Ukraine

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:12 , Oliver O’Connell

Full story: Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

Thursday 7 December 2023 16:00 , Oliver O’Connell

A grand jury in Nevada has voted to indict six Republicans, including the party’s state chair, after they falsely pledged the state’s electoral votes to Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford announced felony charges on Wednesday, marking another round of state-level criminal charges against participants in a so-called “fake elector” plot that sought to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, a scheme central to federal and state charges against the former president.

“When the efforts to undermine faith in our democracy began after the 2020 election, I made it clear that I would do everything in my power to defend the institutions of our nation and our state,” Mr Ford said in a statement.

“We cannot allow attacks on democracy to go unchallenged,” he added. “Today’s indictments are the product of a long and thorough investigation, and as we pursue this prosecution, I am confident that our judicial system will see justice done.”

Alex Woodward reports for The Independent.

Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

Analysis: Can Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the ballot?

Thursday 7 December 2023 15:45 , Oliver O’Connell

A legal effort to disqualify Donald Trump from Colorado’s ballots in 2024 elections could end up in front of the US Supreme Court after arguments in front of the state’s highest court on Wednesday.

The case in Colorado is among dozens of legal challenges across the country that throw Mr Trump’s eligibility into question, pointing to a constitutional amendment that prohibits anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office.

Alex Woodward has been following the course of the case for The Independent.

Can Colorado’s highest court kick Trump off the ballot?

Watch: Court gets underway with Trump at defence table

Thursday 7 December 2023 15:21 , Oliver O’Connell