Trump news: President's ally Roger Stone banned from speaking about case after Instagram post of judge
The updates from Washington as they happened on Thursday
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Your support makes all the difference.FBI special counsel Robert Mueller could hand in his report into allegations members of the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 US presidential election as early as next week, according to reports on Wednesday.
As that report was hypothesised about, Donald Trump’s former confidant, the flamboyant political consultant Roger Stone, appeared in court after posting an image on Instagram appearing to threaten a US district judge overseeing his criminal trial, itself instigated by Mr Mueller’s investigation.
The judge, who he repeatedly apologised to, then issued a full gag order on him and warned him that he would not be given another chance to keep his freedom as he awaits trial.
House Democrats will meanwhile file a resolution tomorrow against Mr Trump’s controversial decision to declare a national emergency over illegal immigration from the southwestern border in order to bypass Congress and get his wall built.
As all of that Washington drama swirled, Mr Trump weighed in on a number of issues on Thursday, including the case of Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who was charged in Chicago on Thursday for filing a false police report.
"What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?" the president tweeted, referring to Smollett's claims that he was attacked by two men who told him he was in "MAGA country", referring to the president's popular slogan. Chicago police have said that Smollett's attack was staged and orchestrated by the actor.
The White House also detailed on Thursday the president's upcoming trip to Vietnam, where he will have his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
That summit is scheduled for next week.
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Government watchdog group CREW has posted the following report about a former White House official who still has access to a government run Twitter account. He now works at a lobbying firm:
A Moscow-based American entrepreneur believed to have helped coordinate meetings and potential business deals between Donald Trump and Russian officials in the 1990s could provide Senate investigators crucial information into the president’s relationship with Russia.
The investigators are hoping to speak with David Geovanis, a US businessman who has held a Russian passport since 2014 and was last seen by his family in the US in 2017, about his relationship with Mr Trump, according to a new report.
Lobbying groups are launching massive efforts to help Donald Trump win his re-election in 2020, according to a new report published by the Daily Beast:
Donald Trump’s former opponent in the 2016 elections Hillary Clinton has shared a report from the Texas Civil Rights Project on new findings surrounding the White House zero tolerance policy, calling the separation policy “outrageous.”
Here's the latest on Roger Stone, his questionable Instagram post, and what that means for the political operative. From the Associated Press:
Trump confidant Roger Stone is appearing in court after he posted a photo on Instagram of a judge and what appeared to be the crosshairs of a gun.
The political operative and self-described dirty trickster has pleaded not guilty to charges he lied to Congress, engaged in witness tampering and obstructed a congressional investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wants Stone to show why she shouldn't modify or revoke his bail or implement a full gag order in his case.
On Monday, Stone posted a photo of Jackson with what appeared to be crosshairs near her. The 66-year-old Stone has apologized and said the picture has been "misinterpreted."
Democrats will introduce a resolution on Friday to end Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on border security, according to aides to Representative Joaquin Castro.
So far, 92 lawmakers have joined Mr Castro in backing the legislation, which under House rules could advance within weeks to a debate by the full chamber, which is controlled by Democrats.
Trump declared a national emergency last week in order to take money Congress had appropriated for other activities and use it to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Reuters
Roger Stone has claimed that he is not the only person with access to his Instagram account, and that his phone sometimes is picked up by others.
He has been a bit unclear to the judge about the circumstances leading up to the posting of the photo that included the judge and a set of crosshairs. He suggested that volunteers in his home may have posted it. He said there were roughly five volunteers in his home that day.
The judge considering Roger Stone's case is taking a break to consider everything she has heard in court so far.
She should be back in about 10 minutes or so.
As Democrats plan to introduce resolution blocking Donald Trump’s border wall, a majority of the country believes his national emergency declaration will be struck down in court according to a new poll:
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