List of All Articles with Tag 'us politics'

One of Donald Trump’s most loyal champions in the House of Representatives battled a CNN reporter on Sunday over whether all the documents retained without the consent of the National Archives at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate were declassified. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Oversight Committee, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union for an interview with Dana Bash. During the interview, the two disagreed over whether Mr Trump himself had admitted that some of the documents he retained were still classified, which statements cited by the Justice Department in his indictment suggest was the case. “In this indictment, he states on at least one occasion that he did not declassify the information,” Bash told the Republican congressman in the interview. Mr Jordan responded, however, by pointing to numerous public statements by the former president insisting otherwise, an apparent contradiction of the statements cited by the DoJ in the agency’s investigation. “Dana, he has said time and time again that he declassified all this material,” Mr Jordand responded. He later added: “I go on the president's word and he said he did.” It’s an interesting defence of the former president’s remarks, given that Mr Trump has a long and well-documented history of spreading false claims and misinformation. Most recently, the twice-impeached ex-president has been reported, according to The New York Times, to have told supporters at his events at Mar-a-Lago that he will be reinstated as president in some sort of vindication of his (also false) claims that the 2020 election was rigged. Mr Jordan has long been a defender of the former president amid his various legal escapades, a role more establishment-aligned Republicans (especially those in the Senate) have shunned. In recent weeks he has sought to use his powerful chairmanship of the Oversight Committee to impose an investigation on the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in response to that office’s prosecution of Mr Trump for falsifying business records in connection to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Mr Trump was charged with 34 criminal counts in that case earlier this year; he now additionally faces 37 felony counts brought by the US Department of Justice. Read More Trump news – latest: Trump defiant at post-indictment speeches as Florida judge he appointed set to keep case Kimberly Guilfoyle joins chorus of violent rhetoric over Trump indictment Trump-appointed judge will stay on Mar-a-Lago documents case unless she recuses What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing Jonathan Turley tells Fox News the Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’ Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in outrage at Trump indictment over secret papers

Kimberly Guilfoyle, former Fox News host and Trump adviser — and also fiancé to Donald Trump Jr — has joined the chorus of violent rhetoric that has erupted from the right following the indictment of the former president. Known for her bombastic presentation style, Ms Guilfoyle is often one of the most vocal supporters of Donald Trump. After the indictment of the former president on 37 charges relating to the trove of classified documents he retained following his time in office and refused to return to the federal government, Ms Guilfoyle did not hold back. On Instagram, she posted a picture of Mr Trump at his arraignment in New York after his first indictment with the ominous words: “Retribution is coming.” She captioned the picture: “The compromised DOJ and the corrupt FBI will not stop President Trump from Making America GREAT once Again! 🇺🇸” Further parts of the post included screenshots of tweets from other Trump loyalist personalities including her fiancé, as well as Elon Musk. Another picture of the former president is included in the post and shows him dramatically pointing toward the camera with text reading: “In reality they’re not after me they’re after you,” followed by: “I’m just in the way.” Among the other rightwing personalities issuing threats over the indictment of Mr Trump is Kari Lake, the GOP nominee and election denier who lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election. She issued an incendiary warning to the Biden administration on Friday that those wishing to go after Mr Trump would have to go through her and all those who supported Mr Trump in the 2020 election – 75 million people. Ms Guilfoyle’s most notorious moment in her time advising then-president Trump was at the 2020 Republican National Convention when she gave a recorded speech that was widely lampooned for rising to a crescendo in which she exclaimed with arms outstretched: “The best is yet to come!” In much of the speech she denounced Democrat-run California — notable because she was previously married to Gavin Newsom, then Mayor of San Francisco, now the current governor of the state. Read More ‘This will escalate’: Kari Lake called out over incendiary threat to Biden admin after Trump indictment Some in Georgia GOP seek purity test as Trump appears at convention in aftermath of indictment Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in outrage at Trump indictment over secret papers Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

A federal judge appointed to the bench by Donald Trump and previously scrutinised for rulings that were solidly in Mr Trump’s favour was assigned to preside over his prosecution in a Florida court under normal procedures, denying the possibility that the case will be reassigned. That was the explanation from the chief clerk of the court in a statement to The New York Times this weekend as many raised their eyebrows and speculated about the effect that Ms Cannon’s rulings could have in the upcoming criminal trial of the former president. Mr Trump is charged with 37 felony counts related to mishandling of presidential records, including national defence information. He has claimed innocence in postings on social media, though images have been released purporting to show records stacked in boxes and crammed into a Mar-a-Lago bathroom. In emailed correspondence with the Times, chief clerk Angela Noble explained that Ms Cannon was randomly assigned to the case under the court’s normal procedures, meaning that the case would only be assigned to a different judge were Ms Cannon to recuse herself voluntarily. “Normal procedures were followed,” Ms Noble told the Times. But those “random” assignments are far from a mathemetician’s definition of the word. Different judges at the US Court for the Southern District of Florida take cases from different areas in the state, and according to Ms Noble, Ms Cannon “draws 50 per cent of her cases from West Palm Beach, increasing her odds.” Two other judges on the court are also not accepting new assignments from that part of the state, further raising the likelihood that Ms Cannon would have been assigned the case. All in all, it’s as favourable a situation as the former president could reasonably hope for as his second criminal proceeding begins. Ms Cannon previously oversaw another iteration of the Justice Department’s investigation into Mr Trump’s handling of classified records when she was appointed to preside over the dispute that arose as a result of the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago. At the time, Ms Cannon ruled that a special master be appointed to review the documents and temporarily forbade the DoJ from viewing the classified materials seized from Mar-a-Lago; that latter ruling was overturned by an appeals court. Read More Trump delivers defiant speech after indictment in North Carolina DeSantis argues he's top Trump alternative even as ex-president's indictment overshadows 2024 race Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech with bizarre claim ‘This will escalate’: Kari Lake called out over incendiary threat to Biden admin after Trump indictment Jonathan Turley tells Fox News the Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’ Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in outrage at Trump indictment over secret papers

Former president Donald Trump spoke at two Republican state conventions on Saturday in Georgia and North Carolina, just one day after he was indicted for keeping highly-classified information at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. The 49-page, 38-count indictment was unsealed on Friday after Mr Trump released a series of social media posts revealing that he has been indicted by a grand jury under the supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith. The indictment details the charges against Mr Trump and Walt Nauta, a former US Navy noncommissioned officer who left government service to work for Mr Trump after his term ended in January 2021. The former president has fumed online about the charges and lashed out at Mr Smith calling him a “deranged lunatic”. The special counsel for his part gave a brief explanation of the sweeping indictment and reiterated that in America, the law applies to everyone. Mr Trump repeated his attacks on Mr Smith onstage in Georgia before flying up to his second event. On the flight, he told Politico he would not quit the 2024 primary race even if convicted. Read More What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing Trump indicted in classified documents case in a historic first for a former president Conspiracy, false statements and retaining national defence documents: The federal charges against Donald Trump Trump has been caught on tape. Congratulations, Donald – you played yourself Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith as startling secret papers charges revealed

The evidence in the indictment against Donald Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office can seem "jaw-dropping". So just how will this new indictment play on the campaign trail? Let's just say we should be, at least initially, skeptical that Trump will be penalized in the polls.

President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House for a delayed Pride Month celebration aiming to demonstrate his administration’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Advocates have recently been warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses. The event, which the administration described as the largest Pride event hosted at the White House, was initially scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed because of poor air quality from hazardous air flowing in from Canadian wildfires. But the haze that blanketed a huge swath of the East Coast this past week had lifted over the nation's capital, allowing the president and first lady Jill Biden to hold their South Lawn party. “So today, I want to send a message to the entire community — especially to transgender children: You are loved. You are heard. You belong,” Biden said. Pride Month is being celebrated this year as state lawmakers have introduced at least 525 bills and enacted 78 bills that whittle away at LGBTQ+ rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights. That tally includes a recent flurry of bills that affect transgender people, including legislation recently passed by Republican governors vying for the 2024 presidential nomination. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill into that bans gender-affirming medical care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy for transgender youths. Earlier in the week, a federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a law that DeSantis signed shortly before announcing that he was running for president. In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum last month signed a bill that prohibits public schools and government entities from requiring teachers and employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use. Burgum, who like DeSantis has made culture issues a central part of his tenure as governor, joined the White House primary field. Josh Helfgott, an LGBTQ+ activist and social media influencer from New York City, said marking Pride Month at the White House felt like one of the most important moments of his life. But he said the tide of legislation added another layer to this year’s celebrations. “Pride this year is so important because we cannot be silent when faced with hate and bigotry,” Helfgott said “The other side is so loud, incredibly loud. ” Anjali Rimi of San Francisco attended the White House event with her mother, who recently immigrated from India. Rimi came to the United States more than 20 years ago because, she said, she was shunned by family and society as a transgender person. Times were tough in the United States, too, she said. She was pushed out of a job after she came out, was homeless for a time, and took asylum in Canada for about a decade before returning to the United States. “It’s a moment that we are going to cherish for a lifetime,” said Rimi, an activist in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. "This is a joyful moment, but it’s also one that reminds us that we have so much work to do.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide AP News Digest 5:40 a.m. Trump pledges to endorse Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor US confirms China has had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019

When Chief Justice John Roberts began reading his decision in a voting rights dispute from the Supreme Court bench on Thursday, few would have expected the significant turn he was about to take favoring Black voters in Alabama.

The North Carolina Republican Party voted to formally censure Sen. Thom Tillis at the party's annual convention in Greensboro on Saturday, with at least one delegate citing Tillis' support for LGBTQ+ rights and immigration reform for the decision.

Former president Donald Trump delivered a defiant speech in North Carolina on Saturday night despite being indicted just days before, taking swipes at the Justice Department, the investigation that led to the indictment and even his Republican opponents. Mr Trump took the stage at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro for the North Carolina GOP Convention, where he received an overwhelming reception despite his increasing legal woes. The Independent first reported that the Justice Department was ready to seek an indictment agianst Mr Trump, who now faces 37 charges related to his improper handling of classified materials. A federal grand jury under the supervision of special c ounsel Jack Smith indicted Mr Trump on on a slew of charges, including showing highly classified information to unauthorised people on two separate occasions. Mr Trump proclaimed his innocence onstage in North Carolina, calling the indictment a plot by “the radical left Democrats” and their “lawless partisan prosecutors.” “They say, well, we want to run against Trump, in the meantime, we got 5,000 prosecutors after us because they don’t want to run against us,” he said. “We beat them the first time, we did much better the second time.” The speech was Mr Trump’s second in the day at a state party convention. Earlier in the day, he spoke at Georgia’s state party convention, where he excoriated Mr Smith and the probe that led to the former president’s second criminal indictment. Mr Trump called the indictment a “witch hunt,” like the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as well as his first and second impeachment. “It’s called election interference,” he said. “Remember, it’s not me they’re going to go after when you think of it.” Mr Trump then used his indictment to make the case that he is the best-qualified Republican because he’s able to absorb the blows and scrutiny, arguing that other GOP hopefuls would not be able to stand the onslaught. “That person will not be able to withstand the fire,” he said. “And they come to me, ‘How do you stand this?’ And I usually look at them and say, ‘In a sick way I sort of enjoy it.” The former president criticised the media for not focusing on supposed corruption from President Joe Biden and his administration or the fact that President Joe Biden president found classified documents at the Biden Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and his private residence in Delaware. The difference between the incumbent president and his predecessor is that Mr Biden and his legal team quickly alerted the US government of the records and expedited their return. Mr Trump, according to prosecutors, went to great lengths to prevent the handover of classified material in his possession. As the 2024 GOP races comes into focus, Mr Trump also used the speech to attack his main rival for the Republican nomination, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, whom he has taken to calling “Ron DeSanctimonious” or DeSantus for short. “We are leading Desanctimonious by massive numbers,” he said. “He’s heading south quickly. No personality. You gotta have a personality to win. He’s got no personality.” The former president credited himself with getting Mr DeSantis elected governor in 2018 as he endorsed the then-congressman in the Republican gubernatorial primary that year. Mr Trump’s words came despite the fact that Mr DeSantis decried the indictment of the former president, arguing that it showed a two-tiered system of justice. Earlier in the day, former president Mike Pence addressed a much smaller ballroom here, accusing Mr Trump of backing down from the fight against abortion despite the fact he nominated the justices who overturned Roe v Wade. But Mr Trump took credit for the victory of the conservative and anti-abortion movement. “What I did by killing Roe v Wade, which everyone said was impossible,” he said. “Number one, we got it sent back to the states. And number two, and very importantly, I gave you power to negotiate. You had no power before.” The former president repeated some of his more popular lines such as banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth and railing against vaccine mandates in schools. Mr Trump ended his speech with a defiant tone ahead of his court date in Miami next week. “These radical left lunatics want to interfere with our elections using law enforcement,” he said. “It’s totally corrupt and we can’t let it happen. This is the final battle.” Read More Trump news – latest: Trump rages at ‘joke’ indictment and says DeSantis can’t win 2024 with ‘no personality’ Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech with bizarre claim Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

China has been operating military and intelligence facilities in Cuba since at least 2019 and is continuing to expand its intelligence gathering capabilities around the world, a Biden administration official and two other sources told CNN Saturday.

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earned his first gubernatorial endorsement Saturday from Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt.

During his first public remarks since the unsealing of the 49-page, 37-charge indictment against him, Donald Trump again lashed out at special counsel Jack Smith the lead prosecutor in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe. Speaking at the state Republican Party convention in Columbus, Georgia, the former president and current presidential candidate gave a meandering stump speech weaving in his apparent incredulity regarding the charges levied against him. As with all of his foes, political or judicial, Mr Trump has already veered into personal attacks against the individuals concerned on his social media platform Truth Social but relished his first opportunity to talk to a large, enraptured crowd of followers. After calling the indictment a “political hit job” and claiming “Republicans are treated far differently at the Justice Department than Democrats”, Mr Trump pondered whether Mr Smith had changed his name. “You know I’m talking about Jack Smith. What do you think his name used to be? I don’t know … Sounds so innocent. He’s deranged.” The former president didn’t stop there. He continued: “Deranged Jack Smith and I watched him yesterday go up and talk. He talked for about two and a half minutes. He was shaking. He was so scared. He didn’t want to be there. Because ultimately, these are cowards. They’re cowards.” He added: “And he’s a big Trump hater, openly he’s a Trump hater. And his wife is even more of a Trump hater. I wish her a lot of luck. But he’s a bad Trump hater and she’s a Trump hater.” Mr Trump returned to the topic of his indictments a couple of times during the speech which went on for much longer than expected as he revelled in the applause from the crowd, who booed and jeered at the mention of his political opponents. The federal indictment against the former president outlines 37 counts related to retaining classified information, willfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and more. The indictment was unsealed on Friday afternoon (9 June), revealing the Department of Justice’s findings after a nearly year-long investigation into Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Last August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized boxes of documents from Mr Trump’s home, some of which included top-secret records detailing a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities. As the former president raged against the indictment online on Friday, Mr Smith gave a televised speech from the Justice Department — as referenced by Mr Trump in Saturday’s remarks. Mr Smith stressed that laws intended to “protect national defence information are critical to the safety and security of the United States. And they must be enforced.” “Violations of those laws put our country at risk. Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice and our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world,” he added. “We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.” Read More Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies including CIA, DoD, and NSA Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith as startling secret papers charges revealed Pence won’t say whether he’s read Trump indictment after calling for its release Trump indictment: Ex-president kept nuclear and military papers and showed some to unauthorised people A timeline of events leading to Donald Trump's indictment in the classified documents case