Yahoo Movies Trump news – live: Mo Brooks says then-president asked him to rescind 2020 election and put him back in office
Donald Trump has withdrawn his endorsement from Alabama congressman and Senate candidate Mo Brooks, citing his longtime ally’s “horrible mistake” of suggesting that Republicans need to move on from the claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
Mr Trump accused the congressman of “going woke” in a lengthy statement this morning. He raised the possibility of retracting his endorsement in a recent interview, after which Mr Brooks released an ad boasting of his appearance at the rally outside the White House before the 6 January Capitol riot.
And on another front, Mr Trump and his children Donald Jr and Ivanka have filed an appeal in their fight against the New York attorney general’s attempt to depose them as part of a civil investigation into the Trump Organization.
Ms Trump has stepped up in the effort to support Ukrainian refugees by sending 1 million meals to Poland for distribution through charitable partners and aid workers on the ground there and in Ukraine.
Finally, in an unexpected development over the weekend, disgraced ex-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who has links to Russia, was stopped from taking a flight from Miami to Dubai because of an invalid passport.
Key points
‘Cowboys for Trump' founder convicted of Jan 6 misdemeanour charge
Trump lawyers claim judge abused discretion in forcing testimony
Secret Service confirms Pence spent Jan 6 at underground Senate loading dock
Stormy Daniels refuses court order to pay Trump’s legal bills
Eric Trump ridiculed for Biden bike comments
Alex Jones breaches court order by failing to show for Sandy Hook deposition
19:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has breached a court order by failing to show up for a deposition in a lawsuit over his false claims about the Sandy Hook massacre, after a judge rebuffed claims that he was too sick to appear.
The Infowars host was scheduled to appear in person at 9am local time in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday to be questioned under oath as part of settlement proceedings in defamation cases he lost against the families of victims killed in the 2012 mass shooting.
Rachel Sharp has the story.
Alex Jones breaches court order in Sandy Hook case
What did Brooks say Trump asked him to do?
19:07 , Oliver O'Connell
Mo Brooks hit back at Donald Trump in a statement today after the former president withdrew his endorsement for his run to be a senator for Alabama.
Regarding the 2020 election and the events leading up to 6 January 2021, Mr Brooks wrote:
I have not changed. I am the only proven America First candidate in this Senate race. I am the only candidate who fought voter fraud and election theft when it counted, between November 3 and January 6.
I repeat what has prompted President Trump’s ire. The only legal way America can prevent 2020’s election debacle is for patriotic Americans to focus on and win the 2022 and 2024 elections so that we have the power to enact laws that give us honest and accurate elections.
President Trump asked me to rescind the 2020 elections, immediately remove Joe Biden from the White House, immediately put President Trump back in the White House, and hold a new special election for the presidency. As a lawyer, I’ve repeatedly advised President Trump that January 6 was the final election contest verdict and neither the U.S. Constitution nor the U.S. Code permit what President Trump asks. Period.
I’ve told President Trump the truth knowing full well that it might cause President Trump to rescind his endorsement. But I took a sworn oath to defend and protect the U.S. Constitution. I honor my oath. That is the way I am. I break my sworn oath for no man.
Mo Brooks
Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s under threat from transgender ‘biological men'
18:54 , Oliver O'Connell
Far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has complained she feels “threatened” that transgender women, whom she labeled “biological men”, are replacing women like herself in society.
Ms Greene’s statements, which came from a series of tweets fired off from her Twitter account on Tuesday, are false, but align closely with anti-LGBT sentiments that the unabashed conspiracy theorist has traipsed in before.
Johanna Chisholm reports.
Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s under threat from transgender women
Madeleine Albright, first woman Secretary of State, dies at 84
18:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Madeleine Albright, first woman to serve as US Secretary of State, dies at 84
Graham rebuked for trying to blame Ketanji Brown Jackson for Kavanaugh hearing
18:32 , Oliver O'Connell
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham used his second round of questions for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson to air grievances about the years-old confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
Lindsey Graham rebuked for blaming Ketanji Brown Jackson for Kavanaugh hearing
Outrage as Marjorie Taylor Greene backs Madison Cawthorn and calls Zelensky a ‘thug’
18:23 , Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Green said she agrees that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky is a “thug” and that his government is “corrupt”.
She made the comments during a town hall meeting where an audience member asked if she agreed with Republican colleague Madison Cawthorn.
“Yes and yes. That’s an easy one,” she said, according to Politico.
Justin Vallejo reports.
Marjorie Taylor Greene backs Cawthorn and calls Zelensky ‘thug’ despite GOP outrage
Ivanka Trump sending 1 million meals to Poland for Ukrainian refugees
18:18 , Oliver O'Connell
Ivanka Trump has purchased 1 million meals to deliver to people in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees on the Poland-Ukraine border, Fox News has learned.
Former President Trump’s eldest daughter personally contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars for the 1 million meals, which amounted to 158,400 pounds of food to Europe, a source familiar told Fox News.
Trump worked to connect several nonprofit organizations, including CityServe, City of Destiny and Mercy Chefs to help package shelf-stable meals of oatmeal and goulash. The choices of meals came from advised food preferences of aid workers in Ukraine.
Trump had been coordinating with the UPS Foundation, and her partners – City Serve, City of Destiny, the Pentecostal European Fellowship and several local church organizations – to deliver the food to Warsaw, Poland.
From there, local partners, including hundreds of volunteers from the local community and faith-based organizations, are set to deliver the meals to Ukrainians seeking refuge in Poland, as well as to families still inside Ukraine.
Mo Brooks says Trump is being “manipulated"
18:11 , Andrew Naughtie
Alabama Congressman and Senate candidate Mo Brooks today lost Donald Trump’s endorsement, a precious thing in Republican primaries across the US – and in a statement issued today, he has given up pleading with the former president and instead attacked him, accusing him of being “manipulated” by Mitch McConnell and insisting he will stay in the race.
NEW from Mo Brooks: "It’s disappointing that, just like in 2017, President Trump lets Mitch McConnell manipulate him again."
He's staying in the race.
"There’s only one conservative option in this race," he says in statement.https://t.co/I08SnGD2W3— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) March 23, 2022
For now, Mr Brooks’s campaign Twitter feed still bears the name “Mo Brooks - Endorsed By President Trump”.
Donald Jr takes strange shot at Ketanji Brown Jackson
17:40 , Andrew Naughtie
Ever the quick tweeter, Donald Trump Jr has blasted out what seems like a shot at Ketanji Brown Jackson’s intelligence as she sits through Republican attacks on Capitol Hill. It isn’t clear exactly what he means, and he’s already being ridiculed for it.
1 + 1 = ??? I have no idea what the answer is… I’m not a mathematician!!! #JudgeKetanjiBrownJackson
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 23, 2022
ICYMI: Paul Manafort prevented from leaving the US
17:10 , Andrew Naughtie
It has emerged Paul Manafort, the disgraced former Trump campaign manager whose dealings in Russia landed him in severe legal trouble and became the centre of the FBI investigation into Donald Trump’s Russian connections, has been prevented from boarding a plane to the Middle East and had his US passport revoked.
Gustaf Kilander has more on the developing story...
Disgraced ex-Trump aide with links to Russia stopped from boarding flight to Dubai
Palin’s quest for victory over NYT continues
16:41 , Andrew Naughtie
Sarah Palin, who recently teased a run for Congress, is taking another run at the New York Times, which she unsuccessfully sued for defamation over an article that she said accused her of helping incite the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords.
Law & Crime’s Adam Klasfeld reports that in her effort to secure another court battle, Ms Palin is going after the judge in the recent case and a potential juror who was ultimately not selected.
Sarah Palin attacks Judge Rakoff in her quest for a new trial against the Times.
To paint him as "partial," Palin claims he suggested her lawyers tried "dumbing down the jury"—and hesitated before striking a candidate who said this.
https://t.co/rohJ7fuYra @lawcrimenews pic.twitter.com/iWyH8xj3sI— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) March 23, 2022
Ketanji Brown Jackson reiterates that “presidents are not kings"
16:07 , Andrew Naughtie
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson is currently going through her confirmation hearings, and was this morning asked to comment on a famous 2019 ruling in which she declared that “presidents are not kings”. The widely quoted sentence came in her opinion rejecting claims that former White House counsel Donald McGahn could not assert absolute immunity from a subpoena to testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s obstruction of justice probe into Mr Trump.
Asked to elaborate on her thinking today, she said:
“The framers decided, after experiencing monarchy, tyranny, and the like that they were going to create a government that would split the powers of a monarch in several different ways. One was federalism. It was vertical, they would split the powers between the federal government and states. Another was to prevent the federal government from itself becoming too powerful from having all of the authorities from having legislative, executive and judicial authority concentrated in one place.
“The separation of powers is crucial to liberty. It is what our country is founded on. And it's important as consistent with my judicial methodology for each branch to operate within their own sphere.”
Mr Trump, meanwhile, recently said at a rally that if he returns to the presidency, he wants to change the law so that the president can unilaterally fire any executive branch employee.
Read more below.
Jackson addresses slapdown in Trump case: ‘Presidents are not kings’
Alex Jones loses bid to postpone Sandy Hook deposition
15:15 , Andrew Naughtie
Alex Jones, the far-right shock jock who played a key role in disseminating conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, has failed in a bid to delay a deposition in yet another lawsuit related to his remarks about the massacre.
Mr Jones claimed that he was too sick to appear, but subsequently hosted an episode of his notorious InfoWars show. Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis then ordered that the deposition go ahead as planned, suggesting that Mr Jones’ legal team “unknowingly misled” the court with its attempts to postpone it over his mystery illness.
Rachel Sharp has the story.
Alex Jones’ claim he’s too sick for Sandy Hook deposition denied after he hosted show
Indicted former Trump aide denied flight to Dubai
14:27 , Andrew Naughtie
Paul Manafort, whose foreign dealings were at the centre of investigations into contacts between the Trump team and Russian interests, has been denied exit from the US by authorities, who removed him from a flight to Dubai and revoked his US passport.
Officials with Miami-Dade police confirmed that Manafort was denied travel by the Customs and Bureau Protection at Miami International Airport. Police said he could not take the flight and his U.S. Passport was revoked. https://t.co/fMfuaS0Vih
— Eugene Wilkie (@ResusCGMedia) March 23, 2022
Former Trump campaign aide
14:11 , Andrew Naughtie
Brad Parscale, the sometime Trump campaign manager who was fired after the ex-president’s disastrous rally in Tulsa in 2020, is returning to the dark arts of electoral politics with a new digital project that NBC’s Jonathan Allen reports “could become the GOP’s answer to Democrats’ edge in the digital arena, supplanting a series of service providers — most notably the customer relationship and management giant Salesforce — that Republicans now view as hostile to conservatives.”
Brad Parscale’s new ‘Nucleus’ program aims to arm GOP campaigns — from local level to WH — with data and AI.
“A guy running for state legislature can have the same power as a presidential campaign,” Parscale said. “We’re leveling the playing field.”https://t.co/7d8TEXKLkX— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) March 23, 2022
Mr Parscale was notorious both for spending vast sums of money on perks like private jets and for his belligerent attitude while running the Trump campaign, during which time he referred to the re-election effort’s advertising strategy as the “death star”.
Trump’s Brooks statement, in perspective
12:45 , Andrew Naughtie
While Donald Trump’s abandonment of Mo Brooks appears sudden, many are pointing out that the statement he’s cited as the reason for turning on his longtime supporter is hardly recent. The ex-president is, more likely, manoeuvring himself away from the reality that another of his endorsees is struggling in a primary where he expected them to excel.
In #alsen news, Trump says he is withdrawing his endorsement of Mo Brooks, contending Brooks — who led the charge to overturn the election results on Jan. 6 — has gone “woke” about the 2020 election. Brooks had been struggling and Trump has made his displeasure known for months.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2022
The whole statement is not tethered to reality. Brooks has been struggling for awhile and this is an attempt to save face. https://t.co/gBadT57Epb
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 23, 2022
Trump here cites the trigger as Mo Brooks saying “recently” that people should put the 2020 election “behind you.”
Brooks said this in August, literally more than 7 months ago. https://t.co/MqO7KimecS— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) March 23, 2022
Trump withdraws Mo Brooks endorsement
12:13 , Andrew Naughtie
Donald Trump has withdrawn his endorsement from Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks in the state’s Senate race. Having recently described his longtime supporter as a “disappointment” for suggesting that the Republicans needed to “move on” from campaigning on claims that the 2020 election was stolen, Mr Trump has now apparently been pushed too far.
Here’s the full text of his statement, in which he accuses the congressman of making a “horrible mistake” and claims that Mr Brooks’s remarks tanked his poll numbers:
Mo Brooks of Alabama made a horrible mistake recently when he went “woke” and stated, referring to the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, “Put that behind you, put that behind you,” despite the fact that the Election was rife with fraud and irregularities. If we forget, the Radical Left Democrats will continue to Cheat and Steal Elections. Just look at what is happening in Wisconsin, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and elsewhere, but tremendous progress has been made that will help us in 2022 and 2024. The 2020 Election was rigged, and we can’t let them get away with it.
When I endorsed Mo Brooks, he took a 44-point lead and was unstoppable. He then hired a new campaign staff who “brilliantly” convinced him to "stop talking about the 2020 Election.” He listened to them. Then, according to the polls, Mo’s 44-point lead totally evaporated all based on his “2020” statement made at our massive rally in Cullman, Alabama. When I heard his statement, I said, “Mo, you just blew the Election, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Very sad but, since he decided to go in another direction, so have I, and I am hereby withdrawing my Endorsement of Mo Brooks for the Senate. I don’t think the great people of Alabama will disagree with me. Election Fraud must be captured and stopped, or we won’t have a Country anymore. I will be making a new Endorsement in the near future!
Mark Meadows’s wife may have filed three false voter registration documents
11:40 , Andrew Naughtie
Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, who played a key role in disseminating the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen, is already under investigation over allegations of registering to vote at an address where he did not live. And now, according to the Washington Post, it has emerged that Mr Meadows’s wife Debra may have filed as many as three incorrect voting documents.
As the paper writes:
The New Yorker first reported that Mark and Debra Meadows submitted voter registration forms that listed as their home a mobile home with a rusted metal roof that sold for $105,000 in 2021, even though they had never lived there. North Carolina officials announced last week that Mark Meadows is under investigation for potential voter fraud.
The Fact Checker’s reporting shows that in 2020 Debra Meadows signed three forms — a voter registration form, an absentee ballot request for her husband and the one-stop application — that warned of legal consequences if falsely completed and signed. She also cast a ballot in a 2020 primary runoff using an address that was no longer valid for voting. Mark Meadows appears only to have signed a voter registration form; he did not vote in the primary.
Read the report below.
Debra Meadows appears to have filed three false voter forms - The Washington Post https://t.co/pYYzEqbwHX
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) March 23, 2022
Voices | One place where Trump was right
10:54 , Andrew Naughtie
The Independent’s Sean O’Grady writes that for all he got wrong during his presidency, Donald Trump was right to call out Germany for becoming too dependent on Russian energy supplies. That accusation was dismissed by Angela Merkel, and as a result, he writes, the Russian attack on Ukraine is proving harder to combat.
Here’s his take.
Trump was right, Merkel wrong – it’s made it harder to save Ukraine | Sean O’Grady
Kinzinger on Greene’s Zelensky comments
09:15 , Andrew Naughtie
Extremist Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has circulated various conspiracy theories around the invasion of Ukraine, was recently filmed at a town hall event agreeing that Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian government are corrupt, and specifically whether she agreed with her colleague Madison Cawthorn, who has been widely condemned for calling Mr Zelensky a “thug”.
Ms Greene said she was on board with Mr Cawthorn’s assessment. That in turn has seen Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy slated for not standing up to Ms Greene over her remarks, as he has failed to do on multiple previous occasions.
What does @GOPLeader think? He definitely took sides against Liz Cheney so surely he has an opinion on this? He should be asked no question other than this until he directly answers. https://t.co/lupFEYgwMq
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 23, 2022
ICYMI: Eric Trump ridiculed for trying to mock Biden
08:39 , Namita Singh
Eric Trump was quickly ridiculed after he criticised Joe Biden for going for a bike ride while spending the weekend at his beach house in Delaware amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Here you have Biden on this beach cruiser with this big ridiculous reflector on the front of it. It might as well have had a little horn on it as well,” Mr Trump told Fox News on Monday as compared the president to his father “giving speeches in front of F-35s, talking about how he’s building the greatest military the world has ever seen”.
However, many social media users noted that Donald Trump was often seen playing golf as president.
Read the details here.
Eric Trump ridiculed for trying to mock Biden for riding a bike
Hillary Clinton tests positive for Covid-19
06:53 , Namita Singh
Hillary Clinton announced she has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing “mild cold symptoms” but is “feeling fine”.The former secretary of state said former president Bill Clinton tested negative.
Her husband is “quarantining until our household is fully in the clear”, she announced on Twitter. “Movie recommendations appreciated!”
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee added that she is “more grateful than ever for the protection vaccines can provide against serious illness” and encouraged Americans to get vaccinated.
Read the details in this report by Alex Woodward.
Hillary Clinton tests positive for Covid-19 with ‘mild cold symptoms’
Capitol riot suspect granted refugee status in Belarus
06:26 , Namita Singh
A Capitol riot suspect who fled the US has reportedly been granted asylum in Belarus.
Evan Neumann, 48, a resident of California, is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for his role in the 6 January 2021 insurrection, when former president Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol Hill to oppose Joe Biden’s election as president.
Mr Neumann sold his house and left the US after he got wind of the charges. He fled first to Ukraine and then crossed over on foot to Belarus in August.
“US citizen Evan Neumann has received refugee status in Belarus,” Belarus’ state-owned news agency Belta said in a tweet on Tuesday.
“The document was handed to him today in the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Brest Regional Executive Committee.”
Read the details in this report by Sravasti Dasgupta.
Capitol riot suspect granted refugee status in Belarus
US ends Trump-era tariffs on UK steel
06:15 , Namita Singh
The US and Britain ended a four year dispute over US steel and aluminum tariffs on Tuesday as they pledged to work together.
In a joint statement, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the deal would protect steel and aluminum companies - and their workers - in both countries, allowing the allies to focus on what they say are “China’s unfair trade practices.”
The Trump administration had imposed the tariffs of 10 per cent on aluminum and 25 per cent on steel in March 2018 under the Section 232 national security law to protect US producers from a flood of subsidized imports.
‘Hanging with Trump is awesome’ says Kid Rock to Tucker Carlson
05:37 , Namita Singh
Gushing about his friendship with former president Donald Trump, American singer-songwriter Kid Rock told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that it was a blast to hang out and play golf with the former president.
Kid, born Robert James Ritchie, said after he met Mr Trump at the White House and “we ended up becoming buddies”.
“Spend a lot of time [together] at the golf course now. It’s really weird to get phone calls from him and stuff. It’s kind of mind-blowing,” he told Carlson.
To spend time with Mr Trump is “awesome, so much fun,” said Kid whose new album Bad Reputation dropped Monday. “He just knows how to have fun. Doesn’t take it too seriously. He’s engaging.”
Guiliani ‘absorbed lesson of Russian disinformation’ from Trump, says Yovanovitch
05:07 , Namita Singh
Rudy Giuliani “completely absorbed the lesson of Russian disinformation” while working for then-president Donald Trump ahead of the 2020 US election, wrote former ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch in her new memoir, reported Business Insider.
“Giuliani saw [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s interest in meeting with Trump as an opportunity to move forward with his plan to portray Joe Biden as corrupt,” she wrote in her book Lessons from the Edge, in an apparent reference to Mr Trump’s attempt of extorting the Ukrainian president for political dirt on Joe Biden.
The revelation that the then-president was secretly linking military aid to opening an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden, his son, led to Mr Trump’s first impeachment by the House of Representatives.
“If Ukraine’s president would announce that his government planned to investigate Biden, Trump and Giuliani could run with the narrative that Biden must be corrupt; why else would Ukraine be investigating,” she wrote.
“What was becoming clearer too was that Giuliani was focused on the announcement of an investigation rather than an actual investigation.”
“Apparently, he had completely absorbed the lesson of Russian disinformation: the allegation can be just as damaging as the action, and it’s easier, quicker and cheapest to deploy.”
‘Cowboys for Trump’ founder complains Marjorie Taylor Greene didn’t attend trial
04:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Couy Griffin, the New Mexico county commissioner convicted Tuesday for trespassing on Capitol grounds during the January 6 riot, is unhappy with Marjorie Taylor Greene and other far-right representatives for missing his brief trial in Washington.
Abe Asher reports.
Cowboys for Trump founder hits out at Marjorie Taylor Greeen for missing his trial
Eric Trump ridiculed for Biden bike comments
04:25 , Oliver O'Connell
Eric Trump was quickly ridiculed after he criticised Joe Biden for going for a bike ride while spending the weekend at his beach house in Delaware amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Eric Trump ridiculed for trying to mock Biden for riding a bike
'Cowboys for Trump’ founder convicted of misdemeanour charge in Capitol riot
04:02 , Oliver O'Connell
“Cowboys for Trump” founder Couy Griffin has been found guilty of a misdemeanour charge stemming from the January 6 capitol riot.
Footage presented in Judge Trevor McFadden’s courtroom showed Mr Griffin, an Otero County commissioner, climbing a bike ramp as he made his way towards the Capitol. Mr Griffin faces up to a year in prison for trespassing on restricting capitol grounds, though Mr McFadden acquitted him on a separate charge of disorderly conduct.
Cowboys for Trump founder convicted in Capitol riot trial
Stormy Daniels: ‘I will go to jail before I pay a penny’
03:45 , Oliver O'Connell
After losing her defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump, adult film star Stormy Daniels is refusing a federal court’s order for her to pay the former president’s legal bills.
“I will go to jail before I pay a penny,” Ms Daniels vowed on Twitter.
Nathan Place reports.
Stormy Daniels refuses court order to pay Trump’s legal bills
Trump lawyers claim judge abused discretion in forcing testimony
03:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s lawyers say a New York judge abused his discretion with a decision last month requiring the former president to answer questions under oath in a civil investigation into his business practices.
In papers filed Monday in a state appeals court, Trump’s lawyers said Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron failed to properly weigh constitutional and ethical concerns that they’d raised about New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation.
Lawyers for Trump and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., want the appellate division of the state’s trial court to overturn Engoron’s Feb. 17 ruling and invalidate James’ subpoenas seeking their testimony.
Trump lawyers: Judge abused discretion in forcing testimony
Secret Service confirms Pence spent Jan 6 at underground Senate loading dock
02:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Vice President Mike Pence was taken to an underground Senate loading dock after rioters breached the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and spent four to five hours there under guard with his wife and daughter, the Secret Service confirmed Monday for the first time.
Pence spent Jan 6 at underground Senate loading dock, Secret Service confirms
Chris Christie says Trump Putin comments ‘wrong’ and ‘dangerous’
02:15 , Oliver O'Connell
Former Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has condemned Donald Trump for his comments praising Vladimir Putin at the start of the Ukraine invasion.
“Do we want to send admiring words to someone [Putin] who as we speak this morning is directing the slaughter of women and children in the Ukraine without any conscience?” Mr Christie asked during a New Hampshire speech on Monday.
Jade Bremner reports.
Chris Christie calls Trump’s comments praising Putin ‘dangerous’
Biden causes conspiracy theory uproar with use of phrase ‘new world order’
01:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Joe Biden caused a stir on Monday during a gathering of business leaders at the White House when he alluded to a coming “new world order” in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, apparently not stopping to consider the awkward legacy of the phrase.
Addressing the Business Roundtable’s CEO Quarterly Meeting, which included the bosses of General Motors, Apple and Amazon, Mr Biden concluded his remarks by saying: “Now is a time when things are shifting. We’re going to – there’s going to be a new world order out there, and we’ve got to lead it. And we’ve got to unite the rest of the free world in doing it.”
The phrase quickly began trending on Twitter, with commentators wasting no time in gloating over what they saw as the president’s presumably accidental invocation of a well-worn conspiracy theory claiming that an elite globalist cabal operating from the shadows is plotting to carve up the world and impose totalitarian rule.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
What is the ‘New World Order’ and why has Joe Biden caused uproar by mentioning it?
ICYMI: Trump ignores his own social media platform
00:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The launch of Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social was supposed to be a major event in social media, finally presenting conservatives with a place to gather where their speech wouldn’t be censored (although the site’s terms and conditions contain clauses banning various things).
However, the app’s troubled launch has been followed by flaccid signups and engagement. And now, it is clear that the president himself has little or no inclination to join in; in fact, he has yet to post on Truth Social at all.
Nathan Place has the story.
Trump hasn’t posted on his own social media app since its launch
Flailing pro-Trump congressman targets Mitch McConnell
00:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Mo Brooks, the Alabama Congressman who is struggling to retain Donald Trump’s endorsement in his Senate run, has picked up a new line of attack in his campaign, promising to “fire” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell if he’s elected.
Mr McConnell has become one of Mr Trump’s most hated enemies, largely because he has refused to sign up to the lie that the 2020 election was stolen and declined to take the side of those trying to rewrite the history of the 2021 insurrection.
Since Mr Trump called him a “disappointment” in a recent interview, Mr Brooks has also boasted of his participation in the rally that preceded the 6 January riot.
Read more:
Pro-Trump Mo Brooks says he will ‘fire’ Mitch McConnell if he’s elected to Senate
Will Trump really end up facing criminal charges?
Tuesday 22 March 2022 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell
One of the greatest hopes for those who want to see Donald Trump kept away from the presidency is that at least one of the multiple legal cases in which he’s embroiled will result in a criminal indictment and a guilty verdict. However, writing in The Atlantic, Paul Rosenzweig, who served as a senior counsel in the investigation that led to Bill Clinton’s impeachment, has another, less optimistic perspective:
I don’t see it happening. Please don’t misunderstand; I am as convinced as anyone of the criminality of Trump’s conduct, and nothing would please me more than to see him get his deserved comeuppance. He should, and very well may, be indicted in one or more of these jurisdictions. And the civil suits against him may have legs.
But years of experience prosecuting fraught political cases (and defending others) has taught me that the criminal law is a blunt tool for achieving justice and a poor means of resolving political issues. In my judgment, the chances that Trump will be convicted of any crime are slim to none. And though I am no political analyst, my guess is that a failure to convict will only embolden him and his followers.
Read his full argument below.
Donald Trump is probably not going to jail. This is a fact that will seem obvious to a lot of people, and absolutely impossible to accept for others. https://t.co/xfHzL9bcNq
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) March 22, 2022
Bannon chides Trumpist Senate candidate over Ohio debate incident
Tuesday 22 March 2022 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Ohio US Senate candidate Josh Mandel, who has run an extremely caustic right-wing campaign in a crowded primary field, has been roundly criticised for a literal face-off with another candidate at a debate last week. The encounter ended with Mr Mandel calling his rival a “p***y” before the two had to be separated - and it seems to have been too much even for some of the most hardcore right-wingers out there.
Mr Mandel found himself being chastised by none other than Steve Bannon, who has a well-earned reputation for far-right incitement.
Keep the content as hot as you can. Say, you made this money but to tone down the personal animosity so that people can actually hear these debates and hear what people have to say. If you disagree with the guy, chop him up then. Would you commit to not having these things throw down to some type of physical confrontation?
Read more via Mediaite below:
Bannon advocating a more high-minded debate here… https://t.co/GMMaTD41V1
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 21, 2022
Voices: Lindsey Graham’s made-for-TV tantrum should remind everyone of what’s at stake
Tuesday 22 March 2022 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell
While the first Black woman in history to be nominated for the Supreme Court answered questions at her hearing, Graham — a white man from South Carolina — was the one who wanted to rant about perceived discrimination and personal grievance writes Michael Arceneaux.
Lindsey Graham’s made-for-TV tantrum was shameful and pathetic | Michael Arceneaux
Missouri GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens refuses to step aside despite abuse allegations
Tuesday 22 March 2022 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell
The ex-wife of former Missouri governor and current leading Senate candidate Eric Greitens accused him of a range of physically abusive and unstable behaviors in newly released court records that could dent his chances of replacing outgoing Senator Roy Blunt.
Mr Greitens has not shown any indication that he plans on exiting the race.
Abe Asher reports.
Missouri Senate candidate Greitens refuses to step aside after ex-wife alleges abuse
Alaska sets special election dates to fill Don Young’s seat
Tuesday 22 March 2022 21:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Officials in Alaska have set the timetable for the special election to fill the seat of the late-representative Don Young.
The process will be conducted primarily by mail ballot and will occur on the same day as the state’s regularly scheduled primary date, 16 August.
Will be a primarily mail ballot election.
Aug. 16 will be the state’s first full test of its new voting system: an open primary (candidates appear on the ballot regardless of party affiliation) followed by ranked choice voting in the general election w/the top four vote-getters.— aaron navarro (@aaronlarnavarro) March 22, 2022
Don Jr wades into Ohio GOP senate race in defence of JD Vance
Tuesday 22 March 2022 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump Jr has weighed in on the race in Ohio to be the Republican Party candidate for senator.
He tweeted: “I haven’t commented previously, but I’m getting tired of watching the neocons in #OHSen running dishonest ads calling JD VAnce a never-Trumper. It’s BS. A lot of conservatives were skeptical of DJT in 2016 and got won over when they saw him in action. JD is 100% America First.”
And this isn’t an endorsement either, but enough is enough with the lies being told about this guy from his opponents.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 22, 2022
Mr Trump added: “And this isn’t an endorsement either, but enough is enough with the lies being told about this guy from his opponents.”
‘Cowboys for Trump’ founder complains Marjorie Taylor Greene didn’t attend trial
Tuesday 22 March 2022 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell
Couy Griffin, the New Mexico county commissioner convicted Tuesday for trespassing on Capitol grounds during the January 6 riot, is unhappy with Marjorie Taylor Greene and other far-right representatives for missing his brief trial in Washington.
Abe Asher reports.
Cowboys for Trump founder hits out at Marjorie Taylor Greeen for missing his trial
Palin: ‘I have nothing to lose’ says former governor considering Alaska congressional run
Tuesday 22 March 2022 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Sarah Palin has said she is considering a congressional run to fill the seat vacated last week by representative Don Young.
The former Alaska governor said on Monday she is ready to throw her hat into the ring as one of the contenders to replace Young, who died on 18 March at the age 88, adding she had “nothing to lose”.
Appearing on Newsmax TV’s The Balance, Ms Palin said she would be “humbled and honoured” to fill Young’s seat.
Stuti Mishra reports.
Sarah Palin outlines congressional run to replace late Don Young
Jimmy Kimmel teases Republicans over Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings
Tuesday 22 March 2022 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Jimmy Kimmel has teased the Republicans over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson that began on Monday (21 March).
On his late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host joked that the hearings “give a number of our Republican senators a chance to compete in one of their favourite events: the subtle racism jamboree”.
Inga Parkel reports.
Jimmy Kimmel teases Republicans over Ketanji Brown Jackson
Jen Psaki tests positive for Covid-19
Tuesday 22 March 2022 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell
White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she has tested positive for Covid-19 and will now not travel with Joe Biden to Europe this week.
Ms Psaki said she had been in “two socially-distanced” meetings with the president on Monday, but that he “is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance.”
Graeme Massie reports.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki tests positive for Covid-19
Eric Trump mocked over Biden bike comments
Tuesday 22 March 2022 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell
Eric Trump was quickly ridiculed after he criticised Joe Biden for going for a bike ride while spending the weekend at his beach house in Delaware amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Eric Trump ridiculed for trying to mock Biden for riding a bike
Gunman with AK-47 filmed aiming at Texas border patrol helicopter
Tuesday 22 March 2022 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Unnerving footage from a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter appears to show a man in Mexico pointing a gun directly at the aircraft.
The video, which was obtained by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, shows an aerial view of Starr County, Texas as the copter flies over it. At one point, the camera zooms into a red vehicle on the Mexico side of the border, where a man is standing outside the passenger door with a rifle in his hands. Suddenly, he hoists it up and aims straight at the camera.
Nathan Place reports.
Gunman with AK-47 filmed aiming at Texas border patrol helicopter
‘The most VEEP thing we’ve seen in at least a few weeks’
Tuesday 22 March 2022 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Kamala Harris has once again been mocked by Republicans and meme-creators for repeating the same expression four times in quick succession.
The vice president, who was speaking on Monday in Sunset, Louisiana, repeated the same phrase, “the significance of the passage of time”, four times in a row.
Gino Spocchia reports.
Kamala Harris repeats same expression four times in speech loop
Lindsey Graham ridiculed for storming off after ranting at Ketanji Brown Jackson
Tuesday 22 March 2022 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham used his time meant to question Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday to air a litany of grievances before storming off in a huff, drawing mockery from attorneys and political figures.
His actions were described as “simply bizarre”.
Lindsey Graham mocked for storming off after ranting at Ketanji Brown Jackson
Jimmy Kimmel rips ‘Cancun Karen’ Ted Cruz for airport meltdown
Tuesday 22 March 2022 17:22 , Oliver O'Connell
Jimmy Kimmel has mocked Ted Cruz after the Texas senator was apparently involved in a confrontation at a Montana airport.
In the 21 March edition of his late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! the comedian joked about the incident in which it is alleged that Cruz became “angry and confrontational” with airport staff at a check-in desk.
Kimmel wisecracked: “He should stay out of airports, right?” and then called him “Cancun Karen”, a reference to when Cruz went on holiday to Mexico during an energy crisis in February 2021, when millions of Texans were left without power and water amid freezing temperatures.
Sam Moore reports.
Jimmy Kimmel mocks Ted Cruz’s alleged airport meltdown
‘Cowboys for Trump' founder convicted of Jan 6 misdemeanour charge
Tuesday 22 March 2022 16:53 , Oliver O'Connell
“Cowboys for Trump” founder Couy Griffin has been found guilty of a misdemeanor charge stemming from the January 6 capitol riot.
Footage presented in Judge Trevor McFadden’s courtroom showed Griffin, a New Mexico county commissioner, climbing a bike ramp as he made his way to the capitol.
Griffin faces up to a year in prison for trespassing on restrictied Capitol grounds, though McFadden acquitted him on a separate charge of disorderly conduct.
Abe Asher reports.
Cowboys for Trump founder convicted in Capitol riot trial
Stormy Daniels refuses court order to pay Trump’s legal bills
Tuesday 22 March 2022 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell
After losing her defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump, adult film star Stormy Daniels is refusing a federal court’s order for her to pay the former president’s legal bills.
“I will go to jail before I pay a penny,” Ms Daniels vowed on Twitter.
The pledge comes after a stinging defeat in the actress’ years-long legal battle against Mr Trump.
Nathan Place has the story.
Stormy Daniels refuses court order to pay Trump’s legal bills
Secret Service confirms Pence spent Jan 6 at underground Senate loading dock
Tuesday 22 March 2022 16:28 , Oliver O'Connell
Vice President Mike Pence was taken to an underground Senate loading dock after rioters breached the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
He spent four to five hours there under guard with his wife and daughter, the Secret Service confirmed on Monday for the first time.
Pence spent Jan 6 at underground Senate loading dock, Secret Service confirms
Kid Rock says Trump asked him for help with North Korea and Isis
Tuesday 22 March 2022 16:05 , Oliver O'Connell
Kid Rock says Trump asked him for help with North Korea and Isis
Trump dismisses climate change and sea level rise — what does that mean for Mar-a-Lago?
Tuesday 22 March 2022 15:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Low-lying southern Florida, where Mar-a-Lago is located, is already impacted by rising tides and storm surges, writes Louise Boyle.
Trump claims sea level rise means more homes by the ocean. Let’s look at Mar-a-Lago
Eric Trump mocked for criticising Biden for riding a bike
Tuesday 22 March 2022 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Former President Donald Trump’s second son Eric is facing ridicule for criticising President Joe Biden for riding a bike at the weekend on a visit to his beach home in Delaware.
He claimed that his father would have been making speeches in front of fighter jets as a show of strength while Russia’s war against Ukraine rages.
People were quick to remind Mr Trump that his father was on the golf course 307 days of his presidency — approximately one-fifth of it — and often during international crises.
Well, actually there are literally hundreds of videos of Donald Trump golfing during periods of grave domestic and international upheaval. https://t.co/V97qZCQRXt
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) March 22, 2022
Kid Rock: Hollywood is full of ‘closeted’ Trump supporters
Tuesday 22 March 2022 15:17 , Oliver O'Connell
Pro-Trump musician Kid Rock has claimed there are “a ton” of prominent people in Hollywood who are “closeted” supporters of the former president.
Kid Rock, known offstage as Robert James Richie, was speaking during an interview with far-right Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday night.
Io Dodds reports.
Hollywood is full of ‘closeted’ Trump supporters, claims Kid Rock to Tucker Carlson
Voices: Trump was right, Merkel was wrong
Tuesday 22 March 2022 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell
In 2018, the-then US president said that the Germans were getting over-reliant on Russia for energy, and weren’t spending enough on their own defence, writes Sean O’Grady.
Trump was right, Merkel wrong – it’s made it harder to save Ukraine | Sean O’Grady
DC police investigating claim trucker convoy hit pedestrian
Tuesday 22 March 2022 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell
The Washington, DC Metropolitan Police are investigating allegations that a member of the so-called People’s Convoy protesting Covid-19 public health measures struck a pedestrian.
The incident is reported to have taken place on Sunday as the convoy made its way through downtown DC.
Nathan Place reports for The Independent.
