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As it happenedended

Trump news: Judge says ‘plausible’ ex-president incited Jan 6 riot as Mar-a-Lago docs referred to DoJ

Follow the latest on Donald Trump and the White House

Oliver O'Connell
Saturday 19 February 2022 08:24 EST
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Related Video: Hilary Clinton knocks Donald Trump being in ‘trouble’

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It has been a difficult week for the former president and his family.

The 15 boxes of White House records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence contained classified national security information, the National Archives. The Justice Department has been informed as this puts Mr Trump in violation of a number of federal criminal statutes.

Meanwhile, former first lady Melania Trump has attacked the press for covering a Florida investigation into a charity event she hosted. And in Washington, the 6 January committee investigating the Capitol riot is reportedly also considering a subpoena for Ivanka Trump if she doesn’t cooperate with its inquiry.

Meanwhile, in a major turn in the New York authorities’ long-running investigation into Mr Trump’s affairs — a probe he described as “racist” and a “political witch hunt” — a judge on Thursday refused to quash subpoenas and depositions filed against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and Ivanka Trump in the New York probe into the Trump Organization’s business practices, meaning all three will have to testify.

Further to that, on Friday afternoon, a federal judge has rejected Mr Trump’s bid to toss out conspiracy lawsuits against him for allegedly sparking the Capitol riot, saying the allegations were “plausible”.

As far as Mr Trump, the right-wing media and much of the GOP are concerned, however, the real scandal is a debunked story that Hillary Clinton “spied” on him. In a speech yesterday, Ms Clinton derided the story: “It is one thing to have political disagreements, those are natural and healthy. But it is an entirely different thing altogether to lose a shared sense of truth, facts and reality itself.”

DC police officer suspended over alleged contact with Proud Boys

A lieutenant in the Washington, DC, police intelligence branch has been put on administrative leave, as federal officials investigate whether he had improper contacts with the extremist Proud Boys gang.

Washington police chief Robert J Contee II declined to name the officer during a Wednesday news conference, but said the police department, as well as the FBI and Justice Department, are looking into whether the allegations are true.

Josh Marcus has the story.

Longtime DC police officer suspended over alleged contact with Proud Boys

The DC police have not named officer under scrutiny

Oliver O'Connell18 February 2022 03:20

Trump accuses Hillary Clinton of ‘breaking into the White House’

Former president Donald Trump, in a seemingly furious statement in reaction to a significant court defeat, accused Hillary Clinton of breaking into the White House.

“In other words, she can spy on a Presidential candidate and ultimately, the President of the United States—and the now totally discredited Fake News Media does everything they can not to talk about it,” he said.

The former president alleged that Ms Clinton broke into “my apartment, buildings I own, and my campaign” as well.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

Trump accuses Hillary Clinton of ‘breaking into the White House’

Judge says former president and two eldest children must testify in civil probe into business organisation

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 04:00

ICYMI: Trump lawyers tell NY judge that ex-president is in ‘protected class’

Lawyers for former president Donald Trump said on Thursday that New York state attorney general Letitia James is targeting the former president because they think that he can win another presidential campaign in 2024, Law & Crime reported.

Alina Habba made the statements in a hearing with the Manhattan Supreme Court along with other attorneys Ron Fischetti and Alan Futerfas. The court will determine whether Mr Trump and his two children Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump would have to comply with subpoenas for a civil investigation into the Trump Organization, according to CNBC.

Ms Habba made the argument that Mr Trump was part of a “protected class,” which was met with scepticism from the judge.

Eric Garcia reports.

Trump lawyers tell NY judge ex-president is in ‘protected class’ of people

Former president’s attorneys say he is in a ‘protected class’ of people who should not be made to testify in court

Oliver O'Connell18 February 2022 04:20

Biden-critic Musk says he's being targetted in SEC ‘harassment campaign’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has accused the SEC of a “harassment campaign” aimed at chilling “his exercise of First Amendment rights”.

Mr Musk’s lawyers claimed that his client was being targeted by the SEC because he is an outspoken critic of the government.

The CEO believes the SEC is investigating him to shut him up.

Graig Graziosi has more.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 04:37

Judge says Trump, Don Jr and Ivanka must testify in New York probe of business

A judge has ruled that former president Donald Trump as well as his children Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump must testify in an investigation into his business practices being conducted by the New York attorney general’s office.

Eric Garcia reports.

Judge says Trump and two of his children must testify in New York investigation

Comes after a heated legal argument earlier on Thursday.

Oliver O'Connell18 February 2022 05:01

Pascrell slams Republicans for voting to make Trump 'a dictator'

Rep Bill Pascrell, the Democrat who represents New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, on Thursday slammed Republicans for voting to make former president Donald Trump “a dictator”.

He wrote on Twitter: “407 days ago insurrectionists ransacked the US Capitol and *hours later* 138-of-202 (68 per cent) House republicans voted to make Trump a dictator.”

“They tried to finish the rioters’ job and end democracy. Never forget it,” he added.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 05:19

Fox News cuts away from Clinton speech as she attacks Trump

Fox News was set to broadcast Hillary Clinton’s speech to the New York state Democratic Party convention on Thursday, but those plans appeared to quickly change once the 2016 candidate actually began speaking.

Netizens on Twitter noticed that the network cut away from coverage of her speech while Ms Clinton was in the middle of a blistering attack on former president Donald Trump and the Republican Party, where she declared that the GOP supported rioters who battled police officers and sought to conduct an insurrection.

John Bowden reports.

Fox News quickly cuts away from Clinton speech as she attacks Trump’s Big Lie

Hosts mentioned coverage of speech more than three dozen times across two networks

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 05:54

Trump's app opens to hundreds of testers ahead of launch

An early version of former president Donald Trump’s social media app ‘Truth Social’ is being tested out by at least 500 people.

The testing of the platform comes a year after Mr Trump was banned from Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet’s YouTube.His new media and technology venture, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), has pledged to deliver an “engaging and censorship-free experience” on the app.

By late Wednesday, the former president’s account on Truth Social had 317 followers, Reuters reported.

An almost replica of microblogging platform Twitter, Mr Trump’s Truth Social allows users to post and share a “truth” the same way they would do so with a tweet.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 06:47

Is Hillary Clinton staging a comeback?

After years of keeping a relatively low profile, the Democratic grandee who nearly became America’s first woman president is staging a political comeback.

After two failed efforts, there is even talk of another run for president in 2024, writes Richard Hall.

Is Hillary Clinton staging a comeback?

As the former secretary of state and defeated 2016 presidential candidate returned to the national stage, her main target was a familiar foe. Could this mean a new role – and perhaps even another tilt at the White House, asks Richard Hall

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 07:23

Trump endorses Republican accused of abusing a minor

Former president Donald Trump on Thursday endorsed Republican congressional candidate Monica De La Cruz, who has been accused of abusing her stepdaughter.

“Monica De La Cruz will be an incredible Congresswoman for the people of Texas’ 15th Congressional District!” Mr Trump wrote in a statement.“A successful small businesswoman, Monica will fight hard to Grow our Economy, Secure our Military and Vets, and Defend the Second Amendment,” the statement read.

Ms De La Cruz has been accused of verbal and physical abuse against her 14-year-old stepdaughter.

Her estranged husband Johnny Hernandez, in a divorce petition, accused MsDe La Cruz of being “cruel and aggressive” towards his daughter and claimed that the woman had once pinched the girl to stop her from crying, Washington Post reported.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 February 2022 08:20

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