Trump news: Judge says ‘plausible’ ex-president incited Jan 6 riot as Mar-a-Lago docs referred to DoJ
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Your support makes all the difference.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.”
Melania Trump lashes out at press for coverage of Florida charity probe
Melania Trump on Friday lashed out at the press for reporting on a Florida department of consumer services investigation into whether a charity organisation she purportedly raised funds for was properly registered with authorities.
In a rare statement, the former first lady accused reporters of “[canceling] the hopes and dreams of children by trying to cancel [her]”.
The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg reports:
Melania Trump calls press ‘dream killers’ for reporting on Florida charity probe
Ms Trump claims media reports on a Florida probe into a charity event she promoted are part of an attempt to ‘cancel’ her
Stanford students protest Pence
Mike Pence was met with protests yesterday when he arrived to give a speech at Stanford University. Student gathered to shout slogans defending science and defying bigotry while he delivered his address.
Among the topics he hit upon was, naturally, the truth about 6 January – on which point he defended the RNC’s recent resolution describing protesters as engaged in “legitimate political discourse”. As the former vice president told it, the resolution was intended to protect “a whole range of people that have been set upon” by the select committee set up to investigate the insurrection.
As the Washington Post reports:
“I just don’t know too many people around the country, including my friends at the RNC, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, who have any different view than it was tragic day, that the people that ransacked the Capitol were wrong and should be held to account in the law,” Pence said. “And I think they made a very clear statement, after the fact, that said, ‘We were talking about what’s happening in Washington today, with the January 6th committee’ … and I believe them. They’re good people, and I believe that’s what they meant.”
Committee member Adam Kinzinger was unimpressed, if unsurprised.
Republicans row over vote to avert government shutdown
Right-wing Texas Congressman Chip Roy has laid into 19 of his Senate colleagues for voting to avoid a government shutdown. Specifically, he is angry that they did so after the failure of a non-starter amendment tabled by Utah’s Mike Lee that would have defunded vaccine mandates.
But one of Mr Roy’s own state’s senators is not taking the criticism lying down...
Melania Trump versus the “dream killers"
Melania Trump has hit out in response to reports that fundraising for charitable initiatives “Fostering the Future” and “Be Best” might have violated Florida law, calling the claims “inaccurate, misleading, and outright incorrect” and accusing reporters of “trying to cancel her” and the children she is trying to help.
Andrew Feinberg has the news:
Melania Trump calls press ‘dream killers’ for reporting on Florida charity probe
Ms Trump claims media reports on a Florida probe into a charity event she promoted are part of an attempt to ‘cancel’ her
GOP senator on need to safeguard the Electoral Count Act
Maine Senator Susan Collins, one of the seven Republicans who voted to convict Donald Trump in his post-6 January impeachment, has penned an op-ed making the case for reform to the Electoral Count Act – the piece of legislation that helps prevent unilateral interference by the executive branch in the certification of elections.
Of the bipartisan effort to strengthen the law, Ms Collins writes:
We do not know if we will succeed, but we are trying to fix a serious problem. The senators working on this legislation have philosophical, regional and political differences. When we disagree, we attempt to persuade one another – we cajole, haggle and even argue – but we do so with an eye on a common goal. That is the way it is supposed to work in a democracy. Maybe we could refer to the process as “legitimate political discourse.”
Read the full piece below.
Jan 6 rioter gives up on politics
Robert Schornak, a Michigan man who has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the 6 January attack on the Capitol, is in the process of being sentenced for his conduct, which includes stealing a US flag from the building.
Scott MacFarlane reports from the courtroom...
Biden to give speech on Ukraine
The White House has announced that Joe Biden will soon address the country on the crisis in Ukraine. Andrew Feinberg has the story:
Biden to address nation on Russia Ukraine tensions today
Mr Biden will speak on ‘continued efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy and Russia’s buildup of military troops on the border of Ukraine’
Republican rift in Utah?
Perry Bacon Jr. reports that Utah Senator Mitt Romney, one of the GOP’s leading Trump critics, may be considering leaving his colleague Mike Lee – a right-winger elected during the Tea Party wave – to the mercy of challenger Evan McMullin, who ran as a third-party candidate in the state in 2016.
Capitol rioter released from jail immediately resumes sharing conspiracy theories
One of the most infamous of the 6 January rioters who attacked the US Capitol has been released from jail after serving her sentence – and has immediately returned to social media to share angry conspiracy theories about the state of the US.
Jenna Ryan, a Texas realtor who flew to Washington on a private jet to take part in the protest against Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and sentenced to 60 days in jail.
This sentence was handed down despite a tweet in which she insisted: “Definitely not going to jail. Sorry I have blonde hair, white skin, a great job, a great future, and I’m not going to jail. Sorry to rain on your hater parade. I did nothing wrong.”
Andrew Naughtie reports.
Infamous Capitol rioter immediately resumes conspiracy theory posts after release
Trump supporter’s prolific social media presence have made her one of 6 January’s most recognisable names
Pence avoids Trump talk in Stanford speech and mocks ‘woke’ protestors
Former vice president Mike Pence addressed students at Stanford University, mocking protesters who opposed his visit to the campus while at the same time avoiding talking about former president Donald Trump but defending the Republican Party’s censure of Reps Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
Mr Pence’s address was entitled “How to save America from the woke Left,” which in turn met led to protesters on Stanford’s campus chant “We are the woke left” and other chance expressing their displeasure with the former vice president speaking.
Eric Garcia reports.
Pence tells Stanford ‘woke left’ killing US. Students reply ‘we are the woke left’
Pence also defended his actions on January 6.
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