Trump marked Memorial Day with scathing message to ‘Human Scum’: Live updates

Donald Trump faces a crucial week as his hush money trial draws to a close at the Manhattan Criminal Court after 16 days of testimony and 22 witnesses.

Closing arguments will be presented by both the defence and prosecution on Tuesday before the 12 members of the jury who will decide the former president’s fate begin deliberations. A verdict could come as soon as Wednesday…

Meanwhile, Mr Trump marked the Memorial Day holiday by posting a scathing message on Truth Social to the “Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country”.

The former president has also insisted on the social media platform that his appearance at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night was a success, despite his being loudly booed and jeered. Mr Trump was mocked and insulted when he appealed to Libertarians to support him.

“Maybe you don’t want to win, only do that if you want to win,” the former president retaliated. “If you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting three per cent every four years.”

Mr Trump also attended the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race in Concord, North Carolina, on Sunday.

Key Points

• Trump wishes everyone, including ‘Human Scum’, a Happy Memorial Day

• Trump tries to spin Libertarian Convention speech as success after boos

• Republican furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians over nomination

• Trump waves to non-existent crowd at NASCAR race in North Carolina

• Defendant resumes attacks on judge and DA as hush money trial approaches crescendo

Trump campaign sends cease and desist letter to block release of biopic The Apprentice

Friday 24 May 2024 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s attorneys have reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice, seeking to prevent the unauthorized biopic from gaining a release in the United States.

The film, directed by Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump and Succession’s Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn. Stan is best known for playing the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May, and its producers are currently seeking a distribution deal.

Kevin EG Perry reports from Los Angeles:

Trump sends cease and desist letter to stop release of biopic The Apprentice

How big was Trump’s Bronx rally?

Saturday 25 May 2024 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

How big was Donald Trump’s first rally in New York state in eight years?

Not yuge.

While there are supporters on social media claiming somewhere between 30,000-40,000 people showed up, they are either lying or being willfully misled.

For starters, the permit was for 3,500 people. Second, here’s an aerial shot, with Mr Trump on the stage and the local news report from which it was taken:

That’s a lot of green space left to fill.

The part of the Bronx in which Crotona Park sits is the tenth most Democrat constituency in the country.

US Rep Ritchie Torres was blunt about what he saw in the crowd that did attend, noting that many appeared to be “transplants” from outside the district.

An estimated 30,000 people showed up to see the former president at Wildwood on the Jersey Shore on May 11, though wild estimates circulated that the crowd was nearer 80,000-100,000. This turned out to be an estimate of the number of visitors to the town that day, not attendees of the rally.

Watch: Jeffries says ‘everything we care about’ is on ballot in November

Saturday 25 May 2024 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Hush money trial: Comey says ‘zero chance of an acquittal’ for Trump

Saturday 25 May 2024 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former FBI director James Comey says that there is “zero chance” that Donald Trump will be acquitted by the jury in his New York City hush money trial.

Mr Comey, who served as director of the FBI from 2013 until 2017, said that prosecutors built a “very strong circumstantial case” by tying together evidence like documents, checks, phone calls, messages and Mr Trump’s words to prove their allegations.

“There’s an overwhelming chance of a conviction, a significant, but much smaller chance, of a hung jury and zero chance of an acquittal,” Mr Comey told host NewsNation Dan Abrams on Wednesday.

Ariana Baio reports:

Ex-FBI director James Comey says ‘zero chance’ of Trump being acquitted

Watch: Trump claims he will win New York and ‘take over the country'

Saturday 25 May 2024 02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Hush money trial: What does the prosecution need to prove?

Saturday 25 May 2024 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

In 20 days over five weeks, after 22 witnesses and more than 200 documents, Manhattan prosecutors and defense attorneys have rested their cases in Donald Trump’s hush money trial.

The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records – misdemeanor crimes on their own, but “stepped up” to more serious felony charges that Mr Trump committed fraud with the intent to commit or conceal another crime.

Next week, New York Justice Juan Merchan will give jurors crucial instructions that will frame how they think about the testimony and evidence, and they will start deliberating as soon as 29 May, setting in motion what could potentially be the first-ever criminal verdict against a US president.

Read on...

What prosecutors need to prove for a jury to convict Donald Trump

Garland refutes Trump’s ‘false and extremely dangerous’ assassination attempt lie

Saturday 25 May 2024 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:

US Attorney General Merrick Garland has taken the rare step of directly refuting a claim made by Donald Trump.

The AG appeared at a Thursday press conference in Washington, where he took a question from a reporter on the 2024 presidential candidate’s claim that FBI agents were “authorized” by Joe Biden to use “deadly force” against him when they raided his estate and resort at Mar-a-Lago in August of 2022.

Mr Trump made the claim on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday after newly unsealed court filings showed that four additional classified documents were discovered in the former president’s bedroom in the months following the initial search.

Read the full article...

Garland refutes Trump’s ‘false and extremely dangerous’ assassination attempt lie

Hush money trial: Stephen Colbert takes jab at Trump over ego-boosting tactic

Saturday 25 May 2024 06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Amelia Neath reports:

Stephen Colbert has taken a swipe at Donald Trump over his aide carrying around a portable printer to quickly provide him with hard copies of flattering news articles about himself outside his hush money trial.

Throughout his trial – with the former president denying all charges – Mr Trump has spoken to reporters outside the courthouse, often been armed with a stack of print-outs in hand to aid his remarks.

On Thursday’s Late Show, Colbert asks his audience if they know about “those weird pieces of paper that Donald Trump always carries around and reads flattering quotes about him from?”

Read on...

Stephen Colbert takes jab at Trump over ego-boosting tactic at hush money trial

Hush money trial: Could Trump see the inside of a prison cell?

Saturday 25 May 2024 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

With the jury set to begin its deliberations in a matter of days, Mr Trump could soon learn his fate.

If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison on each of the 34 Class E felony counts.

But what would his imprisonment look like?

James Liddell reports:

What would jail be like for Donald Trump?

Was Trump ‘hotter’ before or after being president?

Saturday 25 May 2024 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

He really did ask the crowd at his Bronx rally this.

James Liddell has the story:

Trump brazenly asks Bronx crowd if he was ‘hotter’ before or after presidency

Saturday 25 May 2024 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Veepstakes: New frontrunner emerges to be Trump running mate — it’s not who you’d think...

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC:

Former president Donald Trump is reportedly considering Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton to be the Republican nominee for vice president in this year’s general election, a move that could outrage some Democrats but would bring an experienced, low-drama personality onto the GOP ticket.

According to The New York Times, Mr Trump began discussing Mr Cotton as a vice presidential contender in recent weeks, adding to a mix of candidates that include three other Republicans from the upper chamber: Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Ohio’s JD Vance.

Read on...

There’s a new frontrunner on Trump’s VP shortlist. And it’s not who you’d think

Trump met goes on anti-migrant rant at Bronx rally

Saturday 25 May 2024 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump was met with chants of “build the wall” on Thursday evening as he rehashed his anti-immigrant rhetoric during a campaign rally in the Bronx.

Speaking in Crotona Park in the South Bronx – a Democratic stronghold with a large Hispanic and Black population – the former president baselessly sought to paint migrants from China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other nations as a threat to the United States.

In a particularly xenophobic moment, he baselessly claimed that migrants are “building an army” to attack the US from inside its borders.

Gustaf Kilander reports:

Trump met with ‘build the wall’ chants as he goes on anti-migrant rant at Bronx rally

‘How do you put your pants on?’

Saturday 25 May 2024 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president didn’t elaborate on the meaning behind the peculiar anecdote, telling the crowd: “I’ll explain it to you someday.”

Huh?

Joe Sommerlad tries to make sense of it all...

Bizarre question Trump claims people always ask him: ‘How do you put your pants on?’

Trump’s hush money trial enters its final stage. The Independent answers your questions

Saturday 25 May 2024 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is approaching its final phase, with the 12-person jury soon set to determine the former president’s fate.

This trial has brought a parade of intriguing figures to New York, both inside and out of the courtroom — from the trial witnesses such as porn star Stormy Daniels and Mr Trump’s former “fixer” Michael Cohen to surprise visits from MAGA loyalists, including Colorado Rep Lauren Boebert and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The Independent has been covering the historic trial live from the courthouse each day.

Ahead of closing arguments, senior reporter Alex Woodward and general news reporter Ariana Baio held a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forum to answer your questions about the case:

Trump’s trial enters final stage. The Independent answers your questions

Trump hush money trial: All the celebrity names dragged through testimony

Saturday 25 May 2024 20:45 , Joe Sommerlad

A string of famous faces have found themselves unwittingly dragged into Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial.

In courtroom testimony poured over by much of America, prosecution witnesses name-dropped celebrities from sports stars Serena Williams and Tiger Woods to Hollywood elite Mark Wahlberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about an alleged sexual encounter she claims she had with Mr Trump in 2006 ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The defendant denies both the affair and any wrongdoing, pleading not guilty to all of the charges against him.

None of the celebrities named are accused of any wrongdoing in connection to the case.

Here’s a look at some of the famous faces who have unexpectedly been mentioned in trial testimony:

Arnie, Serena and Wahlberg: The celebrities dragged into Trump’s hush money trial

Who’s who in Trump’s hush money case?

Saturday 25 May 2024 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ariana Baio of The Independent breaks down who’s who in the trial:

These are the key players in Trump’s hush money trial

Hush money trial: How will jurors decide Trump’s fate? Legal experts weigh in

Sunday 26 May 2024 00:45 , Gustaf Kilander

After weeks of at times bombshell testimony, the fate of Donald Trump will soon be in the hands of the 12 New Yorkers chosen to sit on the jury in his first criminal trial.

Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over a $130,000 hush money payment, which was designed to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 election about an alleged affair she had with Mr Trump in 2006.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Trump’s former “fixer” Michael Cohen made the initial payment on behalf of his boss and Mr Trump then reimbursed him in a series of payments that were falsely labeled as “legal expenses” for a retainer that did not exist.

Mr Trump denies the charges and the sexual encounter with Ms Daniels.

Throughout the trial, the panel of jurors heard from a string of witnesses connected to the allegations, including both Ms Daniels and Cohen. Meanwhile, Mr Trump chose not to testify – despite toying with the idea for weeks.

The jury will get the case in the coming days after hearing closing arguments from both sides on Tuesday.

So what will the 12 jurors be looking at as they weigh the verdict and decide whether to make history and convict a former US president on criminal charges?

The Independent speaks to legal experts to find out:

What will jurors consider when deciding Trump’s fate? Legal experts weigh in

Watch: Trump wants revenge — Robert De Niro voices latest Biden ad

Sunday 26 May 2024 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Could Kamala Harris be the key to locking up swing state votes for Biden?

Sunday 26 May 2024 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg writes:

An increasingly large percentage of voters in key swing states say they are confident in Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to serve as president if President Joe Biden is unable to serve out his term for any reason, potentially neutralizing a Republican attack line over Mr Biden’s age.

According to a poll commissioned by Bloomberg News and conducted by Morning Consult earlier this month, nearly half of swing state voters — 48 per cent — now trust Ms Harris to take over the presidency in Mr Biden’s stead.

The survey results on that topic are the most positive set of responses for Ms Harris since voters were first asked about their confidence in her last October.

Continue reading...

Could Kamala be the key to locking up swing state votes for Biden?

Democrat senators want meeting with chief justice over Alito 2020 election cases

Sunday 26 May 2024 06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, have sent a letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts imploring him to take appropriate steps to ensure Justice Samuel Alito recuses himself from cases concerning the 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection.

The senators’ letter comes on the heels of two reports from The New York Times that Justice Alito flew at two separate residences MAGA battle flags that were carried by insurrectionists at the Capitol on January 6th.

“By displaying the upside-down and ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flags outside his homes, Justice Alito actively engaged in political activity, failed to avoid the appearance of impropriety, and failed to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary. He also created reasonable doubt about his impartiality and his ability to fairly discharge his duties in cases related to the 2020 presidential election and January 6th attack on the Capitol. His recusal in these matters is both necessary and required,” wrote Whitehouse and Durbin.

The senators’ letter repeated their call for Justice Roberts to implement an enforceable code of conduct at the court and requested a meeting with him to discuss the Supreme Court’s worsening ethics crisis.

Read the full letter here

Here’s our earlier reporting on the flag incidents at Justice Alito’s home:

Justice Samuel Alito ‘hung another Jan 6 flag outside his second home’

Trump campaign sends cease and desist letter to block release of biopic The Apprentice

Sunday 26 May 2024 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s attorneys have reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice, seeking to prevent the unauthorized biopic from gaining a release in the United States.

The film, directed by Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump and Succession’s Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn. Stan is best known for playing the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May, and its producers are currently seeking a distribution deal.

Kevin EG Perry reports from Los Angeles:

Trump sends cease and desist letter to stop release of biopic The Apprentice

Watch: Ritchie Torres says Biden should have ‘laser-sharp focus’ issues concerning communities of color

Sunday 26 May 2024 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump furious that media refused to cover ‘STARTLING’ Bronx rally — except everyone did...

Sunday 26 May 2024 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Referring to media coverage of his Bronx rally on Thursday evening, Donald Trump railed on Truth Social:

THIS WAS A BIG, IMPORTANT, AND EVEN STARTLING EVENT, AND YET MUCH OF THE LAMESTREAM NETWORK MEDIA REFUSED TO COVER IT. Gee, I wonder why???

Except that everyone did, from cable news to local news, from print to online-only media outlets... ??

He then somewhat undermined his point by posting an article from Right Side Broadcasting Network that opens with the line: “President Donald J. Trump held a major rally in the South Bronx that blew expectations out of the water and completely dominated media coverage.”

While RSBN wildly claimed that 25,000 people attended the event (and others claimed more), the permit was for just 3,500 people and aerial photos of the site show a relatively small crowd as Trump spoke on stage.

Daily Show host mocks Trump’s assassination paranoia

Sunday 26 May 2024 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The Daily Show host Michael Kosta has ridiculed Donald Trump’s latest false claim that the FBI was authorized to assassinate him when its agents raided his Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022 in search of the classified documents he refused to return to the National Archives after leaving the White House.

Joe Sommerlad has the full story:

Daily Show host ridicules Trump’s absurd assassination paranoia

Trump furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians for winning ‘3%’ in elections at their convention

Sunday 26 May 2024 21:52 , Graig Graziosi

Audible boos clashed with impassioned cheers at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC on Saturday as former President Donald Trump took the stage before what was certainly the most skeptical if not outright hostile crowd of his bid for the White House this year.

Donald Trump was jeered multiple times within the first few minutes of his speech to a rowdy crowd of roughly a thousand people Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton, where just a few weeks ago his 2024 election opponent Joe Biden spoke at the White House Correspondent’s Association’s (WHCA) annual dinner.

The angry yells from the audience were so constant at parts that it was difficult to tell whether the crowd were booing the incumbent president Trump was rallying against, or the speaker in front of them. At other points, it was plainly obvious: a chant of “we want Trump!” was roundly drowned out by an angry response.

READ MORE:

Trump furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians at their convention in speech

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Sunday 26 May 2024 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump faces four criminal indictments in four separate jurisdictions at a time when he is campaigning to take the White House.

His first criminal trial in New York is now drawing to a close, with the former president staring down the possibility of a conviction on charges connected to a hush money payment to a porn star.

Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a secret $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential campaign to silence her over an alleged sexual encounter in 2006. Mr Trump denies the affair and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

READ MORE:

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Former Trump attorney says jurors in hush money trial should have been sequestered over holiday weekend

Monday 27 May 2024 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

Alina Habba, a former Donald Trump attorney, told Fox News that she believes the jurors in the former president’s hush money trial should have been sequestered over the holiday weekend to avoid coming down with “Trump derangement syndrome,” a cheeky name conservatives have given to anyone who criticises the GOP leader.

“In my opinion, these jurors are handling something that is completely unprecedented,” she said. “I have worries about them going back to whatever friends might have ‘Trump derangement syndrome,’ forgetting all sense of reality, and coming back and sitting in that box and saying, you know what, I have got to take one for the DNC [Democratic National Committee].”

Trump’s ‘unified Reich’ video is traced back to graphic designer in Turkey

Monday 27 May 2024 01:00 , Graig Graziosi

The Trump campaign stirred up controversy this week when it posted a video about the former president with an old-fashioned newsreel style.

On a mock-up newspaper, with the headline, “What’s next for America?,” text could be seen reading, “Industrial strength significantly increased drive by the creation of a unified Reich.”

The former president, it seemed, was openly invoking the history of Nazi Germany as part of his campaign, and he was swiftly condemned by the White House.

READ MORE:

Trump’s ‘unified Reich’ video is traced back to graphic designer in Turkey

Libertarians or not? Trump serves up a conundrum for third-party voters

Monday 27 May 2024 02:00 , Graig Graziosi

On Saturday, the Libertarian Party’s convention in Washington will welcome a decidedly non-Libertarian speaker: Donald Trump, presumed Republican nominee for president.

His speech to the right-leaning third party will be a historic one, as no current or former president has ever been granted a speaking slot at the party’s convention, nor has Donald Trump seemingly attended a Libertarian event or convention. Yet here we are.

The odd relationship being forged between Mr Trump’s campaign and the Libertarians presents several opportunities for both the GOP politician and the “ungovernable” Libertarians — as well as potential pitfalls for the two groups.

READ MORE:

Libertarian or not, Trump takes the convention stage to convince third-party voters

Trump insults and attacks everyone. Can a new gag order make him stop lying about FBI agents?

Monday 27 May 2024 03:00 , Graig Graziosi

The FBI joins the long list of presidents, judges, and investigators who have been attacked by Donald Trump, and a judge may have to — once again — demand that the former president keep his mouth shut.

On Friday, federal prosecutors asked a Florida judge to implement a gag order against the former president speaking out about the law enforcement who searched Mar-a-Lago.

But will another gag order actually stop Mr Trump from saying what he wants when fines barely make a dent in his wallet and an army of GOP surrogates stands ready to speak for him?

READ MORE:

Can a new gag order make Trump stop lying about FBI agents?

Trump campaign sends cease and desist letter to block release of biopic The Apprentice

Monday 27 May 2024 04:00 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump’s attorneys have reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice, seeking to prevent the unauthorized biopic from gaining a release in the United States.

The film, directed by Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump and Succession’s Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn. Stan is best known for playing the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May, and its producers are currently seeking a distribution deal.

However, Variety reports that Trump’s legal team have warned them in the new cease and desist letter not to pursue such a deal.

READ MORE:

Trump sends cease and desist letter to stop release of biopic The Apprentice

Lara Trump is shaping the Republican National Committee in her father in law’s image – not everyone is happy

Monday 27 May 2024 04:59 , Graig Graziosi

The direction of the Republican National Committee is clear from the last name of its new second-in-command.

“My No. 1 goal is making sure that Donald Trump is the 47th president,” said Lara Trump, the RNC co-chair, in an s interview with Associated Press.

It’s one more step in solidifying Trump‘s hold over the Republican Party. The daughter-in-law of the former president has wasted no time in rebranding the typically staid committee in Trump‘s image, embracing her own version of his pugilistic politics and brash management style in ways that affirm his sway over the Republican establishment.

READ MORE:

Lara Trump is shaping the RNC in her father in law’s image – not everyone is happy

Republican AGs ask Supreme Court to block climate change lawsuits brought by several states

Monday 27 May 2024 07:00 , Graig Graziosi

Republican attorneys general in 19 states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block several Democratic-led states from pursuing climate change lawsuits against the oil and gas industry in their own state courts.

The unusual request comes as dozens of states and local governments have filed lawsuits alleging that fossil fuel companies deceived the public about the risks of their products contributing to climate change. The lawsuits claim billions of dollars of damage from such things as severe storms, wildfires and rising sea levels.

The Republican action specifically seeks to stop lawsuits brought by California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island, though lawsuits also have been filed by other states, tribes, counties and cities.

READ MORE:

Republican AGs ask Supreme Court to block climate change lawsuits brought by several states

Truth Social: Trump tries to spin Libertarian Convention speech as success after boos

Monday 27 May 2024 08:49 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump has been working overtime on Truth Social to insist his appearance at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC on Saturday night was a success, despite his being loudly booed and jeered by the audience.

The Republican presidential contender talked up “the enthusiasm of the crowd” as he insisted he could have won the party’s nomination for the White House if he had wanted it and derided rival independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr by saying he has “destroyed everything he’s touched” and adding: “Only a FOOL would vote for him!”

Trump was the first president, either current or former, to attend one of the third party conferences when he spoke in DC but was mocked and insulted when he appealed to Libertarians to support him.

“Maybe you don’t want to win, only do that if you want to win,” Trump retaliated. “If you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting three per cent every four years.”

Trump furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians at their convention

Monday 27 May 2024 09:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s John Bowden’s report on Trump’s appearance in DC, which was rather less well received than the man himself would have you believe.

Trump furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians at their convention in speech

Trump waves to non-existent crowd at NASCAR race in North Carolina

Monday 27 May 2024 09:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican attended the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, North Carolina, on Sunday, flying past Charlotte Motor Speedway in “Trump Force One” beforehand and going on to meet Gold Star families as part of his latest grip-and-grin operation.

But even that was not entirely as it seems…

Truth Social: Trump resumes attacks on Judge Merchan and DA Bragg as hush money trial approaches crescendo

Monday 27 May 2024 10:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Ahead of closing statements at Manhattan Criminal Court tomorrow, the defendant continued to lash out at the judge and prosecutor on his social platform over the weekend.

New York hush money trial: Trump’s court case is coming to an end. Here’s what to expect

Monday 27 May 2024 10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican presidential candidate’s fate could be in the hand of the jury as soon as Wednesday this week.

Here’s how we can expect the week to play out, courtesy of IndyTV.

What to expect as Donald Trump’s hush money trial comes to an end

New York hush money trial: How will jurors decide Trump’s fate? Legal experts weigh in

Monday 27 May 2024 11:15 , Joe Sommerlad

So what will the 12 jurors be looking at when they weigh their verdict and decide whether to make history by convicting a former US president on criminal charges?

Gustaf Kilander spoke to the legal experts to find out.

What will jurors consider when deciding Trump’s fate? Legal experts weigh in

New York hush money trial: 'It’s crunch time for Trump – but will he go to jail or be a free man?’

Monday 27 May 2024 11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Jon Sopel’s take on what promises to be a momentous week.

It’s crunch time for Trump – but will he go to jail or be a free man? | Jon Sopel

Florida classified documents case: Jack Smith wants Trump ban on statements endangering law enforcement

Monday 27 May 2024 12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The Justice Department special counsel has asked Judge Aileen Cannon, overseeing the classified documents case against Trump, to bar him from public statements that “pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents” participating in the prosecution of the classified documents case.

The request to Judge Cannon follows a false claim by Trump last week that the FBI agents who searched his home in August 2022 were “authorized to shoot me” and were “locked and loaded ready to take me out and put my family in danger”.

Jack Smith wants Trump ban on statements endangering law enforcement

Florida classified documents case: Can a new gag order make Trump stop lying about FBI agents?

Monday 27 May 2024 12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The FBI joins the long list of presidents, judges and investigators who have been attacked by Trump and a judge may have to — once again — demand that the former president keep his mouth shut.

But will another gag order actually stop him from saying what he wants when fines barely make a dent in his wallet and an army of Republican surrogates stands ready to speak for him?

Graig Graziosi takes a look.

Can a new gag order make Trump stop lying about FBI agents?

Truth Social: Trump posts Memorial Day tribute to fallen soldiers

Monday 27 May 2024 13:09 , Joe Sommerlad

A rather tasteful message for American’s Armed Forces from the Republican today, who has not always been so respectful to those who have served their country.

Daily Show host mocks Trump’s assassination paranoia

Monday 27 May 2024 13:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Late-night’s Michael Kosta joined the ridicule of Trump’s latest false claim that the FBI was authorized to assassinate him when its agents raided Mar-a-Lago in search of the classified documents he refused to return to the National Archives after leaving the White House.

Here’s what he had to say.

Daily Show host ridicules Trump’s absurd assassination paranoia

Toadying Tim Scott leaves out some key context in latest Trump cheerleading effort

Monday 27 May 2024 13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The increasingly-brainwashed South Carolina senator appeared on CNN’s State of the Union yesterday to join Trump in insisting the Libertarian National Convention speech had been a roaring success, but left out some important background information in doing so...

New York hush money: Alina Habba in last-ditch Trump defence ahead of closing arguments

Monday 27 May 2024 14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

More desperate stuff from Trump’s legal spokesperson ahead of a crunch week:

Trump tries to rewrite what happened at Libertarian Convention after he was booed on stage

Monday 27 May 2024 14:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s our report on the Republican’s attempts to firefight Saturday night’s fairly disastrous speech in DC.

Trump tries to rewrite story of Libertarian Convention after he was booed on stage

Trump subjected to ‘squeaky chicken’ protest at Libertarian convention

Monday 27 May 2024 15:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The Secret Service had to confiscate rubber chickens with the slogan “Debate Bobby!” written on them before Trump’s speech at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, although some were snuck in anyway.

They apparently came from the pro-RFK Jr PAC American Values and were intended to goad Trump into debating their man.

Love it.

Trump sends cease-and-desist letter to block release of The Apprentice

Monday 27 May 2024 15:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The former president’s always-busy attorneys have reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice, seeking to prevent the unauthorized biopic from gaining a release in the United States.

The film, directed by Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump and Succession’s Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.

The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May and its producers are currently seeking a distribution deal.

Here’s Kevin EG Perry on the Trump camp’s objections and efforts to stop that happening.

Trump sends cease and desist letter to stop release of biopic The Apprentice

Trump wishes everyone, including ‘Human Scum’, a Happy Memorial Day

Monday 27 May 2024 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s how Donald Trump is marking today’s federal holiday:

Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION.” She didn’t know when the so-called event took place - sometime in the 1990’s - never filed a police report, didn’t have to produce the “dress” that she threatened me with (it showed negative!), & sung my praises in the first half of her CNN Interview with Alison Cooper, but changed her tune in the second half - Gee, I wonder why (UNDER APPEAL!)? The Rape charge was dropped by a jury! Or Arthur Engoron, the N.Y. State Wacko Judge who fined me almost 500 Million Dollars (UNDER APPEAL) for DOING NOTHING WRONG, used a Statute that has never been used before, gave me NO JURY, Mar-a-Lago at $18,000,000 - Now for Merchan!

Ms Carroll’s lawyers are doubtless paying close attention to posts like this...

Trump booed during speech at Libertarian National Convention

Monday 27 May 2024 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump ‘unified Reich’ video traced back to graphic designer in Turkey

Monday 27 May 2024 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The Trump campaign stirred up controversy last week when it posted a video about the former president with an old-fashioned newsreel style.

On a mock-up newspaper, with the headline, “What’s next for America?,” text could be seen reading, “Industrial strength significantly increased drive by the creation of a unified Reich.”

Trump, it seemed, was openly invoking the history of Nazi Germany as part of his campaign, and he was swiftly condemned by the White House.

His campaign, for its part, insisted a staffer reposted an outside video without noticing the text on the image and now the story has a new wrinkle: the “unified Reich” phrase, along with the entire mock newspaper setup, was part of a motion graphics template created by a Turkish graphic designer.

Enes Simsek, who lives near Istanbul, told CNN he made the template last May and listed it on an online marketplace. The “unified Reich” line was placeholder text, drawn from a description of WWI-era Germany.

Josh Marcus has more.

Trump’s ‘unified Reich’ video is traced back to graphic designer in Turkey

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

Monday 27 May 2024 17:42 , Oliver O'Connell

With closing arguments looming, former President Donald Trump took time out of his Memorial Day weekend to blast the judge who presided over his hush money trial in a rant on Truth Social.

The former president trotted out familiar attack lines against Judge Juan Merchan, whom he has regularly accused of being biased against him.

Eric Garcia and Alex Woodward report:

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

Democrats demand Alito recuse himself from Trump, Jan 6 cases

Monday 27 May 2024 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Senate Democrats are demanding that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recuse himself from certain cases and have called for a meeting with Chief Justice John Roberts to discuss ethics in the court after news broke that Mr Alito had flown flags used by Capitol riot participants.

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin requested a meeting with Mr Roberts to discuss their concerns about Mr Alito’s impartiality, CBS News reports.

Read on...

Democrats demand Alito recuse himself from Trump, Jan 6 cases, citing bias concerns

Libertarian candidate reveals he took an edible before bashing ‘buffoonish’ Trump

Monday 27 May 2024 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Libertarian presidential candidate Dr Michael Rectenwald has revealed that he took an edible before taking to the stage at the party’s convention to give a speech where he laid into “buffoonish” Donald Trump.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee had given a speech at the convention in Washington DC on Saturday evening and was booed and jeered by the audience when he urged them to vote for him.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Libertarian candidate says he took an edible before rebuking Trump at convention

ICYMI: Trump furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians at their convention

Monday 27 May 2024 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Audible boos clashed with impassioned cheers at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC on Saturday as former President Donald Trump took the stage before what was certainly the most skeptical if not outright hostile crowd of his bid for the White House this year.

Donald Trump was jeered multiple times within the first few minutes of his speech to a rowdy crowd of roughly a thousand people Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton, where just a few weeks ago his 2024 election opponent Joe Biden spoke at the White House Correspondent’s Association’s (WHCA) annual dinner.

John Bowden reports from the scene:

Trump furiously jeered as he taunts Libertarians at their convention in speech

Trump’s fate rests on credibility of convicted liar

Monday 27 May 2024 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

During Donald Trump’s hush money trial, Michael Cohen did what the 19 other prosecution witnesses could not: directly tie the former president to the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels that is at the heart of the criminal case against him. But will jurors buy his story?

Alex Woodward reports:

The credibility of a convicted liar could determine Trump’s fate

After being booed on stage, Trump tries to rewrite what happened at Libertarian Convention

Monday 27 May 2024 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has been working overtime to spin a new story about what happened at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC, after being loudly booed and jeered by the audience.

The Republican presidential contender confidently told the crowd at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night that “the Libertarian Party should nominate Trump for president,” only for howls of derision to ring out.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Trump tries to rewrite story of Libertarian Convention after he was booed on stage

Libertarian Party names presidential nominee (and it’s not RFK Jr or Trump)

Monday 27 May 2024 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The Libertarian Party has chosen Chase Oliver as their 2024 presidential nominee ahead of Robert F Kennedy Jr and Donald Trump, who failed to qualify.

The 38-year-old, who has run numerous times for Congress in Georgia, was elected after seven rounds of voting at the party’s convention in Washington DC, on Sunday, beating the likes of Michael Rectenwald and Mike ter Maat to the nod.

Mr Oliver told CNN after his victory that speaking to “as many people as possible” would be key to making an impact in a contest all but certain to be dominated by President Joe Biden and Mr Trump and pledged to be “a fly in the ointment of the two-party system”.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Libertarian Party names presidential nominee after RFK Jr and Trump hit the rocks

What is Trump’s net worth?

Monday 27 May 2024 20:30 , Ariana Baio & Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump is having an expensive year.

Nearly six months into 2024, the former president is on trial in Manhattan in his first criminal case, where he could be hit with hefty fines if convicted.

This comes after two civil case rulings with multi-million dollar penalties. In January, a New York judge ordered Mr Trump to pay writer E Jean Carroll $83.3m after he was found liable for defaming her.

One month later, he was found liable for financial fraud in New York and ordered to pay more than $350m – though the bond was later brought down to $175m .

While Forbes estimated Mr Trump’s net worth at $2.6bn in September 2023, the pile-up of legal judgements poses a substantial risk to his bottom line.

Here’s what Mr Trump’s financial situation looks like:

What is Donald Trump’s net worth?

Can a new gag order make Trump stop lying about FBI agents?

Monday 27 May 2024 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The FBI joins the long list of presidents, judges, and investigators who have been attacked by Donald Trump, and a judge may have to — once again — demand that the former president keep his mouth shut.

On Friday, federal prosecutors asked a Florida judge to implement a gag order against the former president speaking out about the law enforcement who searched Mar-a-Lago.

But will another gag order actually stop Mr Trump from saying what he wants when fines barely make a dent in his wallet and an army of GOP surrogates stands ready to speak for him?

Graig Graziosi has the story:

Can a new gag order make Trump stop lying about FBI agents?

Here’s what to expect as Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close

Monday 27 May 2024 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The first-ever criminal trial of an American president is now drawing to a close in Manhattan Criminal Court after five weeks of extraordinary testimony and courtroom antics.

Donald Trump is accused of 34 charges of the illegal falsification of business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels one month before the 2016 presidential election, to ensure her silence about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.

Mr Trump denies both the liaison and the charges against him.

Joe Sommerlad reports on what to expect as the trial nears its end...

Trump’s hush money trial is coming to an end. Here’s what to expect

How Trump’s historic hush money trial will come to an end

Monday 27 May 2024 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward, who has attended every day of the trial, writes:

A verdict in Donald Trump’s hush money trial could arrive as soon as Wednesday.

Closing arguments in the former president’s criminal trial in Manhattan begin on Tuesday, and Manhattan prosecutors and Mr Trump’s defense team are expected to spend the day delivering their final statements to the jury before deliberations begin.

Then, after 16 days of testimony from 22 witnesses spread out over five weeks, a group of 12 jurors in Manhattan will determine whether Mr Trump is guilty of falsifying business records as part of a conspiracy to corruptly influence the 2016 presidential election.

Jurors will review dozens of documents, including emails, text messages, encrypted chats and the allegedly false documents at the center of the case.

Those include company ledger entries, invoices and checks that form the paper trail of Mr Trump’s reimbursement payments to his former attorney Michael Cohen, who paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels weeks before Election Day so she wouldn’t go public with a story about having sex with Mr Trump.

On Sunday, near the end of his six-day break between trial dates, the former president once again lashed out at the judge and the chief prosecutor leading the case against him.

Read on...

The final countdown: How Trump’s historic hush money trial will come to an end

Four secretaries of state say they’ve received death threats since 2020 election

Monday 27 May 2024 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Four secretaries of state said they’ve received death threats for doing their jobs — namely overseeing elections — since Donald Trump left office in 2021.

During an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said the death threats amount to “domestic terrorism.”

Graig Graziosi reports:

Four secretaries of state say they’ve received death threats since 2020 election

Trump told donors he’ll deport pro-Palestinian protesters

Monday 27 May 2024 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump told campaign donors that, should he return to the White House in November, he would deport pro-Palestinian student demonstrators in order to get them to “behave”.

The former president promised a crackdown on campus protests – that have swept across the country over the past few months – as he spoke at a roundtable event in New York earlier this month.

Mike Bedigan reports:

Trump told donors he’ll deport pro-Palestinian protesters

‘I’ve never heard Biden sound so cool in my life!’: Daily Show host mocks Trump’s assassination paranoia

Monday 27 May 2024 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The Daily Show host Michael Kosta has ridiculed Donald Trump’s latest false claim that the FBI was authorized to assassinate him when its agents raided his Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022 in search of the classified documents he refused to return to the National Archives after leaving the White House.

Read on...

Daily Show host ridicules Trump’s absurd assassination paranoia

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

Monday 27 May 2024 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

With closing arguments looming, former President Donald Trump took time out of his Memorial Day weekend to blast the judge who presided over his hush money trial in a rant on Truth Social.

The former president trotted out familiar attack lines against Judge Juan Merchan, whom he has regularly accused of being biased against him.

Eric Garcia and Alex Woodward report:

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

Watch: ‘Boy is that going to come back to bite them’

Monday 27 May 2024 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s what to expect as Trump’s hush money trial comes to an end

Monday 27 May 2024 23:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The first-ever criminal trial of an American president is now drawing to a close in Manhattan Criminal Court after five weeks of extraordinary testimony and courtroom antics.

Donald Trump is accused of 34 charges of the illegal falsification of business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels one month before the 2016 presidential election, to ensure her silence about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.

Mr Trump denies both the liaison and the charges against him.

Since 15 April, jurors have heard testimony from a string of colorful characters connected to the case, including Mr Trump’s former “fixer” Michael Cohen, ex-tabloid boss David Pecker and Ms Daniels herself.

Meanwhile, outside the court, the American public has heard Mr Trump give daily remarks to reporters, railing against the case and those involved.

But, when it came to Mr Trump’s chance to speak up on the witness stand, he backed out.

Now, both the prosecution and defense have rested their cases, with closing arguments set for Tuesday 28 May.

The jury will then begin deliberations to decide the fate of the former president.

With the trial nearing its end, here’s what to expect:

Trump’s hush money trial is coming to an end. Here’s what to expect

What is Trump’s net worth?

Tuesday 28 May 2024 00:15 , Ariana Baio & Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump is having an expensive year.

Nearly six months into 2024, the former president is on trial in Manhattan in his first criminal case, where he could be hit with hefty fines if convicted.

This comes after two civil case rulings with multi-million dollar penalties. In January, a New York judge ordered Mr Trump to pay writer E Jean Carroll $83.3m after he was found liable for defaming her.

One month later, he was found liable for financial fraud in New York and ordered to pay more than $350m – though the bond was later brought down to $175m .

While Forbes estimated Mr Trump’s net worth at $2.6bn in September 2023, the pile-up of legal judgements poses a substantial risk to his bottom line.

Here’s what Mr Trump’s financial situation looks like:

What is Donald Trump’s net worth?

Watch: Prosecution will take jury through how conspiracy was formed

Tuesday 28 May 2024 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

With closing arguments looming, former President Donald Trump took time out of his Memorial Day weekend to blast the judge who presided over his hush money trial in a rant on Truth Social.

The former president trotted out familiar attack lines against Judge Juan Merchan, whom he has regularly accused of being biased against him.

Eric Garcia and Alex Woodward report:

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

How Trump’s historic hush money trial will come to an end

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

A verdict in Donald Trump’s hush money trial could arrive as soon as Wednesday.

Closing arguments in the former president’s criminal trial in Manhattan begin on Tuesday, and Manhattan prosecutors and Mr Trump’s defense team are expected to spend the day delivering their final statements to the jury before deliberations begin.

Then, after 16 days of testimony from 22 witnesses spread out over five weeks, a group of 12 jurors in Manhattan will determine whether Mr Trump is guilty of falsifying business records as part of a conspiracy to corruptly influence the 2016 presidential election.

Continue reading...

The final countdown: How Trump’s historic hush money trial will come to an end