List of All Articles with Tag 'politics'

Speaker Kevin McCarthy deflected questions about the additional charges filed Thursday against former President Donald Trump in the case alleging mishandling of classified documents during his time in the White House, instead pointing to President Joe Biden.

Donald Trump is widely expected to be indicted imminently by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith over his efforts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election result and his role in inciting the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021. Should that happen and he is brought to trial in Washington DC, Mr Trump would appear before a judge selected at random to oversee the case in accordance with the local rules. However, since he was the 45th president of the United States, Mr Trump stands a one-in-three chance of coming up against a jurist he personally appointed. Four of the 12 district judges currently active in DC – Judges Timothy Kelly, Trevor McFadden, Dabney Friedrich and Carl Nichols – were elevated to their current positions during the Republican’s four years in the White House between 2017 and 2021, meaning, at least at that point, he believed them to be politically sympathetic to his own values. Both Judge McFadden and Judge Nichols have raised eyebrows since then through their handling of January 6 defendants, the former delivering the only acquittal in a bench trial resulting from the failed insurrection and attempting to waive grand jury secrecy in court and the latter finding himself in disagreement with no fewer than 10 of his peers when he ruled that the Justice Department could not charge the accused rioters with obstruction of an official. The remaining eight active justices were appointed by either Barack Obama or Joe Biden, which, following the same logic, suggests they are likely to have more Democratic leanings. The ranks of DC’s senior judges, meanwhile, include veterans appointed during the Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush administrations, two of whom – Emmet Sullivan and Amy Berman Jackson – have a recent track record of making enemies of Trumpworld luminaries. Judge Sullivan told Mr Trump’s short-lived first national security adviser Michael Flynn in 2018 that might have been charged with “treason” over his undeclared lobbying on behalf of the Turkish government, drawing the ire of the MAGA movement, while Judge Jackson attracted headlines when she issued a gag order against self-styled Republican political fixer Roger Stone after he posted a picture of her on Instagram with a rifle’s crosshairs zeroing in on her forehead. As for DC’s juror pool, citizens of the nation’s capital have distinguished themselves in recent years through their careful and considered handling of January 6 cases, despite voting overwhelmingly for Mr Biden at the ballot box and witnessing the violence of that ignominious day first-hand on their own doorsteps. For all that, Brandon Van Grack, a former federal prosecutor who worked on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Mr Trump’s alleged ties to Russian election meddling in 2016, argues that too much emphasis is placed on a justice’s supposed political affiliations, especially among the conspiracy-minded. “There are so many exceptions to it,” he told The Messenger. “I think it’s just too much shorthand for people who don’t know the court and who don’t know the judges.” Read More Trump news – live: Trump and aides charged with plotting to delete security footage in classified docs case Trump slams Jack Smith’s superseding indictment in classified docs case as ‘election interference’ Trump’s election fraud claims were always bogus. Will his history of lies finally catch up to him? What is an indictment? Donald Trump facing third of 2023 over Capitol riot Trump says he’ll run for president from jail if convicted on any indictments Trump calls additional charges in Jack Smith’s superseding indictment ‘harassment’

Moderate Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota has been receiving encouragement to consider challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination and will travel to New York City next week to discuss the possibility with donors, Phillips confirmed to CNN.

New details reveal that California Rep Eric Swalwell did not hold back when criticising Speaker Kevin McCarthy last month, reportedly calling him a “p****” on the House floor. According to The Daily Beast, the heated exchange stemmed from the events of 21 June, when Republicans voted to censure California Democratic Rep Adam Schiff. As Democrats chanted “Shame!” at their colleagues across the aisle, Mr Swalwell, standing near the speaker’s podium, had something to say to one Republican in particular – Mr McCarthy. “This is pathetic,” Mr Swalwell allegedly said to the House speaker, according to two members of Congress who spoke to the outlet. “You’re weak. You’re a weak man.” Mr McCarthy looked like “he had a vein popping out of his forehead,” one lawmaker told the outlet. Another said the House speaker stared down Mr Swalwell for roughly 10 seconds before deciding to walk away. The next day, the beef between the two lawmakers intensified. Just before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a joint address to Congress, Mr Swalwell was right outside the chamber on the Republican side when Mr McCarthy reportedly spotted him. “McCarthy said, ‘If you ever say something like that to me again, I’m gonna kick the s*** out of you,’” one member told The Daily Beast. Another lawmaker expanded on this, recalling: “They were in each other’s faces. Basically nose-to-nose. And Rep Swalwell said something like, ‘Are we really gonna do this?’” The House speaker then allegedly threatened the California Democrat: “Call me a p**** again, and I’ll kick your a**.” Both lawmakers speaking to the outlet apparently recalled the next words from Mr Swalwell identically: “You. Are. A. P****.” But Mr McCarthy did not fulfill his promise, and instead the two congressmen stared each other down before McCarthy stepped to the side. The Independent has reached out to the offices of Speaker McCarthy and Mr Swalwell for comment. The bad blood between the Californians has been spilled before; back in January, shortly after McCarthy became speaker, he booted Mr Swalwell – as well as Mr Schiff – from the House Intelligence Committee. This also isn’t the first documented instance of name-calling in the recent past among Congress members. Georgia Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene called Colorado Republican Rep Lauren Boebert a “little b****” last month on the House floor. Read More ‘Shame!’McCarthy booed and heckled on House floor after ‘phony’ censure against Democrat Adam Schiff White House attacks McCarthy’s impeachment gambit as ‘ridiculous, baseless stunt’ Marjorie Taylor Greene attacks special counsel Jack Smith as ‘little b****’ for Democrats Republican-led committee calls off vote to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contempt White House attacks McCarthy’s impeachment gambit as ‘ridiculous, baseless stunt’ Biden is welcoming far-right Italian Prime Minister Meloni for White House talks

The new charges against former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents were outlined in what's known as a superseding indictment.

One of the frequent instances in which Senator Dianne Feinstein has appeared confused and unsure of the business of the Senate at hand has been caught on camera, a day after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze at a press conference and was ushered away after appearing unable to talk. The Democratic senator from California was attending a meeting Thursday of the Senate Appropriations Commitee, where during votes she appeared to lose track of the proceedings and began to motion for a vote that was already in progress. The beginning of her speech prompted a fellow Democratic senator, Patty Murray, to lean in and tell her: “Just vote ‘aye’”. It was a concerning moment made all the more relevant by the display of Mr McConnell a day earlier; after pressing from reporters throughout the afternoon and into the evening, it was eventually born out that the Senate GOP leader, who suffered a concussion after a fall this past spring, was the victim of another fall just a few weeks ago at DC’s Reagan airport. The incident was branded “awkward” by NBC’s congressional reporter Sahil Kapur, and it drew the issue of the Senate’s graying membership back into the headlines for a second day in a row. A spokesperson for the senator offered this explanation to Fox News: “Trying to complete all of the appropriations bills before recess, the committee markup this morning was a little chaotic constantly switching back and forth between statements, votes, and debate and the order of bills. The senator was preoccupied, didn’t realize debate had just ended and a vote was called.” "She started to give a statement, was informed it was a vote and then cast her vote,” they continued. Ms Feinstein, 90, is one of the chamber’s oldest members and has long been the subject of stories and anecdotes wherein she appears unsure or confused about her immediate surroundings or the proceedings of the Senate. The concerns have escalated to the point where there are now persistent calls for her retirement on social media, something that the senator has pledged to do at the end of her term. A crowded field has already emerged to vie for her seat next year; California US House members Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter are all contending to succeed her in what is expected to be one of the most expensive statewide races in 2024. The senator returned to work earlier this year after a two-and-a-half month absence, related to illness; the void left by her leave prevented the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Democratic majority from compelling Supreme Court Justice John Roberts to testify at a hearing called to discuss ethical issues plaguing the nation’s highest judicial authority. Read More AP Week in Pictures: North America Mitch McConnell leaves press conference abruptly after appearing unable to speak Mitch McConnell’s abrupt silence spurs fresh calls for term limits

Security barricades have been placed outside of the Superior Court of Fulton County in downtown Atlanta, where former President Donald Trump and his allies are being investigated for violating the law in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The US is expected to announce a weapons package for Taiwan valued at more than $300 million, two US officials tell CNN, a move that is likely to anger Beijing at a time when the US has been attempting to reset the relationship with China.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina pushed back Thursday against Republican rival Ron DeSantis over his state's new Black history curriculum, which says middle school students should be taught that enslaved people learned some skills they later used to their benefit.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to serve the rest of the 118th Congress as the GOP leader, the Kentucky Republican's office said in a statement Friday.

President Joe Biden will sign an executive order Friday amending the Uniform Code of Military Justice by transferring key decision-making authorities outside the military chain of command in cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, murder and other serious crimes.

Donald Trump was hit with a new set of federal charges on Thursday related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents since leaving the White House in January 2021. Mr Trump and his aide Walt Nauta had already been charged in Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the retention of government documents at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. Now, the new superseding indictment brings fresh charges against the two men and also makes a formal allegation against a third man – Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira. Prosecutors have accused the three men of plotting to deleting security footage from Mar-a-Lago in order to conceal potential evidence of misconduct. The fresh charges come at a time when Mr Smith is also pursuing another probe into Mr Trump over his efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election and his role in the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021. Here you can read the superseding indictment in the classified documents case in full: Read More Trump news – live: Trump hit with new charges in classified documents case as Mar-a-Lago aide indicted Trump hit with more charges as Mar-a-Lago worker added to documents case Carlos De Oliveira: Who is second Trump aide now charged in Mar-a-Lago secret documents case Is Donald Trump going to prison?