Will Hurd claims he 'expected' to get booed through Lincoln Working day Meal around Trump remarks

Asher Notheis

July 30, 08:14 PM July 30, 08:14 PM

2024 Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd said he "envisioned" for people to dislike his criticism of previous President Donald Trump through a speech he built on Friday, although he also famous that he was not predicted to acquire applause from other audience associates.

Hurd, a former Texas Congressman, has been 1 of the most vocal critics of the previous president amid his fellow most important candidates. He stated during the current Lincoln Working day Dinner that Trump was only running for president in 2024 "to stay out of prison," eliciting boos from some occasion-goers.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES Check HOW Significantly THEY CAN GO IN CRITICIZING TRUMP

“Of class, it was as expected," explained Hurd through an visual appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. "I understood there have been likely to be individuals that didn’t like it, but what I didn’t anticipate was there were being a great deal of persons that in fact clapped, and then there were being additional folks that just sat there politely and most likely recognize and knew what I was expressing was the reality."

Hurd included that the objective of his speech was, "to speak to the men and women that consider in individual responsibility," and to the folks who think the United States, "has a function in the world."

“Those had been the people today that I was going to talk to, and also to confirm to the relaxation of the subject that we’re working for an election, and if you’re scared to talk about Donald Trump or chat about his baggage, then you are not completely ready to be president of the United States."

The former Congressman is just one of two Republicans in the 2024 presidential race who have been the largest critics of Trump — the other staying former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Before this month, Christie call Trump "a liar and a coward" around Trump calling his indictment a "badge of honor."

A Monmouth University poll, released Tuesday, showed a combined 69% of Republican voters believe Trump is the strongest nominee to compete with President Joe Biden, with the variety being divided amongst 45% who voted “definitely strongest,” and 24% who chose “probably strongest.”

When pitted head to head with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the similar poll, Trump arrived out on top at 55% support from GOP voters, when DeSantis bought 35%.

Donald Trump demo: Who Jack Smith has questioned in Jan. 6 inquiry

Ashley Oliver

July 28, 07:00 AM July 28, 07:01 AM

Special counsel Jack Smith has sought testimony from dozens of men and women as aspect of an investigation into the certification of the 2020 election, and his grand jury carries on to fulfill with witnesses as the prospect of a 3rd presidential indictment looms.

Smith, appointed distinctive counsel in November, has proven fascination in individuals closest to former President Donald Trump, including family members users, prime aides, and attorneys, and these Trump might have blamed or pressured in the aftermath of the election.

TRUMP Guide In excess of Key OPPONENTS Holds Constant, BIDEN GAINS Aid: POLL

While some others could see indictments from the investigation, details that has surfaced about the key grand jury's subpoenas and meetings with prosecutors alerts the previous president is Smith's key suspect. A target letter Trump introduced he received final week strengthened that notion.

The letter, which prosecutors usually send forward of a nearing indictment, extended a courtesy to Trump to meet with the grand jury inside four days, Trump said in a lengthy statement.

The Office of Justice “effectively issued a third indictment and Arrest of Joe Biden’s Range 1 POLITICAL OPPONENT,” Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential front-runner, wrote.

Hinting at charges laid out in the letter, Trump included, “I have the proper to protest an Election that I am totally convinced was Rigged and Stolen, just as the Democrats have accomplished in opposition to me in 2016.”

Smith was tasked specifically by Legal professional Normal Merrick Garland with continuing the DOJ's ongoing investigation into "whether or not any human being or entity violated the legislation in connection with attempts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power next the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral Faculty vote."

Speculation swirled that Smith's Washington, D.C.-based mostly grand jury could supply an indictment Thursday, but it never arrived. That similar day, Trump wrote on Truth Social his attorneys had a "effective conference" with DOJ and that "no indication of recognize was given through the conference."

Below are some of those people Smith has discovered as suitable in the circumstance.

Spouse and children users

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, testified to the grand jury in reaction to a subpoena in June that he believed Trump really imagined the election was “stolen,” in accordance to the New York Instances. The grand jury was seeking for data about whether Trump privately believed he dropped the election while publicly maintaining he received it, the outlet documented.

Ivanka Trump, Kushner’s wife and the former president’s eldest daughter who frequently worked in an advisory purpose in the White Home, was also subpoenaed but has not testified, in accordance to the outlet.

White Dwelling and marketing campaign aides

Previous Vice President Mike Pence testified in advance of the grand jury in April, a resource familiar verified. Pence, who turned a prime focus on for Trump in his allies in the aftermath of the election, presided about the Senate as members voted to certify the final results of the Electoral College or university on Jan. 6, 2021. Pence, who is now working against Trump for president, at very first remained reasonably peaceful about his decision to allow the Senate method to enjoy out in the experience of vocal objections from Trump. The former vice president has due to the fact embraced the selection, denouncing Trump for refusing to accept the election effects publicly.

Previous New York Town Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump lawyer who himself is caught up in an election-connected defamation lawsuit in Ga, reported this thirty day period he voluntarily complied with Smith's ask for for an interview and that he compliantly gave answers other than the place he deemed them privileged. He mentioned Wednesday, "Of program I'm not cooperating against Donald Trump," including Trump is "harmless" and "they are framing him."

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser and speechwriter in the Trump White Home, testified just before the grand jury in April, the 2nd time for him to do so, according to many studies.

Mark Meadows, Trump's former main of employees, and Dan Scavino, his previous deputy chief of personnel, have the two testified to the grand jury, in accordance to various experiences.

Former New York Police Section Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who labored for the Trump campaign to collect proof of alleged voter fraud, explained this thirty day period that Smith subpoenaed him for paperwork “several months ago” and that he complied once he obtained waivers from Trump’s lawful team to release the documents.

“No just one is providing out Trump or Giuliani. This is about giving the Specific Counsel the proof that the lawful crew collected underneath the supervision of [Giuliani], and was reviewing in the aftermath of the 2020 election relating to voter/election fraud, and improprieties in that election,” Kerik explained.

Steve Bannon, a essential strategist for Trump through his time in office environment, was convicted of contempt for not complying with the Democratic-led Jan. 6 committee’s subpoena past 12 months. Smith recently subpoenaed Bannon for paperwork and testimony, NBC News claimed.

Prime Office of Homeland Protection officers who served whilst Trump was in business office, including Ken Cuccinelli and Chad Wolf, testified to prosecutors or the grand jury about White Household officials inquiring them if DHS could seize voting devices. They testified that they adamantly mentioned the section could not, in accordance to CNN.

Previous Trump nationwide safety adviser Robert O’Brien also spoke about the matter with prosecutors this yr, the outlet documented.

William Russell, a shut aide to Trump, appeared in advance of the grand jury last 7 days, the most new of several appearances, in accordance to the Washington Put up.

Point out officers

Ga Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who Trump told in a now-famous leaked mobile phone connect with to "discover" nearly 12,000 votes, verified to a community Atlanta affiliate he fulfilled with federal prosecutors for hours and that he furnished them with Condition Farm Arena election night time surveillance footage. Trump and his lawyers claimed the footage confirmed officers pulling faulty ballots out of suitcases. The suitcase claim was debunked by way of numerous investigations.

Arizona GOP Property Speaker Rusty Bowers, who was censured by his state celebration last calendar year for his testimony to the Jan. 6 committee, verified to CNN host Kaitlan Collins this month that he met with federal investigators in the situation.

"I am hesitant to communicate about any subpoenas, and so forth., but I have been interviewed by the FBI," Bowers claimed.

Arizona Democratic Secretary of Point out Adrian Fontes gained two subpoenas for files, which includes one as lately as Could, in accordance to the Arizona Republic. Smith served as Maricopa County recorder, overseeing a part of the 2020 election procedure in one of the most closely viewed and afterwards most greatly scrutinized jurisdictions in the region. The subpoenas, the Arizona Republic mentioned, sought details about lawsuits filed by Trump's marketing campaign and previous Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward.

Smith subpoenaed county clerks in November in selected battleground states, like Arizona and Wisconsin, for any communication “to, from, or involving” Trump or his marketing campaign. The subpoena, released by NBC News, also sought communication involving any of 19 figures who are or utilized to be in Trump’s orbit, together with John Eastman, who crafted a memo bullet-pointing causes he believed Pence could reject the Electoral Faculty success in January 2021.

The subpoena also named amid the 19 Kerik and Giuliani, as well as Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, the duo who notoriously inspired Ga voters to stay residence in the 2021 runoffs because, they claimed, the state’s election process was faulty.

Trump misses final deadline to testify in E. Jean Carroll defamation trial

Emily Jacobs

May 07, 11:22 PM May 07, 11:22 PM

Former President Donald Trump has declined the opportunity to testify at his civil trial for a defamation suit brought by author E. Jean Carroll.

Carroll's case centers around her 2019 claim that Trump raped her in a New York City department store dressing room in 1996 and the former president's subsequent denial — calling the allegations a "hoax," which she argues is defamatory. Trump's attorneys had told U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan that their client did not intend to testify, but Kaplan offered the former president a three day window to reconsider after he said in Ireland last week that he was heading back to the United States to "probably attend" the trial.

DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE WILL PROBABLY ATTEND E. JEAN CARROLL DEFAMATION TRIAL

“I have to go back for a woman that made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile,” Trump told reporters from the golf course at his namesake Ireland property earlier this month. “And I’m going to go back, and I’m going to confront this. This woman is a disgrace, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen in our country.”

“If he has second thoughts, I’ll at least consider it,” Kaplan said while ordering the three day extension.

Trump's legal team had until 5 p.m. EST on Sunday to inform the court of a decision. As expected, nothing was filed.

The trial now moves to the closing arguments phase, which will begin on Monday. The columnist is seeking unspecified damages, meaning Trump could be on the hook for millions in damages if the court rules in Carroll's favor.

Carroll testified that she and Trump met by chance at Bergdorf Goodman in the spring of 1996, while he was still married to his second wife Marla Maples. She said that the encounter began as fun and flirtatious as he convinced her to help him shop for a gift for another woman.

Carroll testified that the two ended up in the store's lingerie section, where they teased each other to try on a risque bodysuit, before moving to a dressing room. She alleges that Trump then violently slammed her up against a wall and raped her until she kneed him and fled the store.

Trump adamantly denied the allegations in a filmed deposition, saying, "It didn't take place. She is a sick person, in my opinion. Really sick. There is something wrong with her."

“It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story,” he said at a later point. “It was just made up.”

Raskin says Jack Smith likely mulling seditious conspiracy charges against Trump

Brady Knox

May 07, 06:57 PM May 07, 06:57 PM

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said that Special Counsel Jack Smith may "absolutely" be considering leveling seditious conspiracy charges against former President Donald Trump.

In an appearance on "Inside with Jen Psaki" on MSNBC, Raskin argued that Smith should be charged with seditious conspiracy charges, which is a conspiracy to overthrow the government. He pointed to the latest Proud Boys trial and convictions under the charge as setting a good precedent, stipulating that Trump may have been part of the conspiracy.

RASKIN SAYS HE’LL TAKE THE MONTH OF MAY TO DECIDE ON SENATE BID

"Trump could very much have been part of the Proud Boys or the Oathkeepers conspiracy, or he might have been involved in an overlapping concentric ring conspiracy with those conspiracies," Raskin said. "So we don't have a system of justice, I hope, as I said at the January 6 hearings, where the foot soldiers and the ringleaders down below go to jail and the ringleaders above get a free pass and get to continue their insurrectionist assault on democratic institutions."

The Maryland Democrat went on to praise the work of the Department of Justice, pointing to the number of arrests and convictions as proof that an insurrection took place.

"So we've seen a lot of justice take place here," Raskin said. "The Department of Justice has been doing an excellent job. More than 1000 arrests. Hundreds of convictions have taken place. More than a dozen people have been convicted of seditious conspiracy completely refuting those who said well how could this be an insurrection if nobody was trying to overthrow the government? Well, now they have their answer. More than a dozen people have been convicted of that."

He also pointed to the unsuccessful second impeachment of the president as evidence that Trump had taken part in an insurrection.

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"And Donald Trump, of course, was impeached by a 232 vote margin in the House for inciting insurrection against the union and 57 of 100 senators agreed that he had incited an insurrection against the union," Raskin said. "We didn't reach the magic two-thirds number to convict the president, and yet we have robust concurrent majorities of both houses of Congress declaring that that's precisely what he did. As a matter of constitutional fact."

Raskin served as a member of the Jan. 6 Committee, repeatedly arguing that Trump had led an insurrection against the United States government, and should likewise be charged as such.

Trump financial disclosure reveals how the former president is profiting

Asher Notheis

April 15, 01:26 PM April 15, 01:30 PM

Former President Donald Trump's financial disclosure has been released to the public, showing how much money he has made from his recent endeavors, including Truth Social and his non-fungible tokens.

The financial disclosure, which was filed as a requirement for candidates running for federal office, was filed after Trump received two 45-day extensions, with the former president risking a $200 fine if he further delayed the filing. The filing revealed that Trump's NFT series, initially mocked upon its reveal, was actually quite profitable for Trump, earning him somewhere between $100,000 and $1 million, according to Business Insider.

BILL MAHER CAUTIONS DEMOCRATS ABOUT TRUMP INDICTMENT BACKFIRING: 'SEX SCANDALS DON'T WORK ON PRESIDENTS'

The Trump NFT cards, showing the former president dressed in different attire, such as a cowboy costume, an astronaut suit, and a sports coach, were originally priced at $99 each. However, despite the high asking price, the collection sold out within hours of release, with digital currency website CoinDesk reporting at the time the collection brought in over $1 million.

Trump's launch of a social media website, Truth Social, was nowhere near as lucrative as his NFT collection, the filing revealed, as Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, has made less than $201, according to the filing. Truth Social, where the former president issues public statements, was created after he was banned from sites including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

It was also revealed that the former president has made more than $5 million in speaking fees and somewhere between $100,000 and $1 million for his 1987 book The Art of the Deal. The filing did not provide specifics, as it only requires him to report information in broad ranges.

The filing comes as Trump is seeking public office again, running for the Republican candidacy in the 2024 presidential election. President Joe Biden told the press during the annual White House Easter egg roll that he plans on running for reelection but added, "We’re just not prepared to announce it yet."

Donald Trump arrest: Former president arrives at Manhattan courthouse for arraignment in hush money case

Cami Mondeaux

April 04, 01:24 PM April 04, 01:36 PM

Former President Donald Trump arrived at the courthouse in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday to surrender himself to District Attorney Alvin Bragg before his arraignment is scheduled to take place later in the afternoon.

Trump emerged from Trump Tower just after 1 p.m. wearing a suit and red tie while pumping his fist to the crowd gathered outside the building. He then got into his motorcade along with his security detail to make the drive to lower Manhattan.

TRUMP’S GAME PLAN TO SLOW DOWN CRIMINAL CASE

Trump arrived at Bragg’s office at 1:25 p.m. to be escorted to Judge Juan Merchan, who will hand down the former president’s criminal charges. The streets were lined with dozens of journalists and Trump supporters in the hours before his arrival, with some camping out in front of the courthouse overnight.

Trump posted on his Truth Social account just minutes before he surrendered to New York authorities, calling the moment "surreal."

"Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse," he wrote. "Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can't believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"

Trump is scheduled to appear before Merchan around 2:15 p.m. in a proceeding that is expected to be quick and understated, as he is not expected to be placed in handcuffs or have a mugshot taken. However, the arraignment marks a historic moment as Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges — a precedent that has riled up much of his base, who decry the charges as being politically motivated.

The former president is expected to address reporters before he enters the courtroom, where he'll make his first public statements since arriving in New York for his arraignment.

The scene outside the courthouse got particularly heated in the hours ahead of Trump's arrival, as a group of Trump supporters clashed with some counterprotesters prompting a response from law enforcement. The group of counterprotesters held a large banner reading, "Trump lies all the time," which caused a supporter of the former president to charge the group and begin ripping the sign.

Police were able to disperse the altercation and began conducting additional security sweeps outside the courthouse.

It’s not yet clear whether Trump will need to post bail on Tuesday afternoon. Merchan will make that decision after announcing the charges.

Trump’s indictment has remained sealed since being announced on Thursday, but it’s been reported that he faces at least 34 criminal counts including falsifying business records. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has said he will plead not guilty.

Trump arrived in New York just before 4 p.m. on Monday afternoon before he headed to Trump Tower for the night ahead of his Tuesday arraignment. The former president released a statement on his Truth Social account just hours after his arrival, accusing Bragg of leaking the details of his indictment to the press.

"Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote. "This means that he MUST BE IMMEDIATELY INDICTED. Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF."

Law enforcement in New York have increased security detail around the courthouse ahead of Trump's appearance, with Mayor Eric Adams warning protesters not to get too rowdy — specifically calling out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who will lead a protest outside the courthouse on Tuesday.

“While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves,” Adams said.

Greene shot back at Adams, accusing the New York mayor of using intimidation tactics to silence opposition.

“Delusional [Eric Adams] is trying to intimidate, threaten, and stop me from using my 1st amendment rights to peacefully protest the Democrat’s unconstitutional weaponization of our justice system against our top Republican Presidential candidate, President Trump,” she said in a tweet. “Should I be the one concerned that the mayor of NYC will weaponize his government or maybe his thugs like DA Alvin Bragg against me?”

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was also seen outside the courthouse hours before Trump's arraignment began as he denounced the charges, noting it sets a dangerous precedent.

"What stops the next prosecutor in two years?” he told reporters.

Trump’s surrender comes after a grand jury in Manhattan voted on Thursday to indict the former president on charges related to a hush money case that emerged during his first White House bid in 2016.

Reports of a looming indictment emerged after former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury multiple times earlier this month. Cohen was convicted in 2018 after pleading guilty to paying two women who accused Trump of sexual affairs to be silent, including adult film star Stormy Daniels.

As part of the scheme, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 and was later reimbursed by the Trump Organization.

Manhattan prosecutors later opened an investigation into whether Trump falsified business records to list the reimbursement as a legal expense. Such a crime is a misdemeanor in New York but could be increased to a felony if Bragg's office argues the fraud was intended to conceal a second crime.

At the time of Cohen’s trial, federal prosecutors did not press charges against Trump due to guidance from the Justice Department that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. However, prosecutors revived discussions about possible charges shortly before Trump left office in 2021. They ultimately declined to charge him.

Donald Trump indicted: Poll shows DeSantis losing significant 2024 support since charges

Emily Jacobs

April 01, 09:16 PM April 01, 09:49 PM

Former President Donald Trump's lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among 2024 Republican presidential primary voters has tripled since news of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's indictment, a new poll found.

The Yahoo-YouGov poll, conducted from Thursday to Friday and released Saturday, showed Trump ahead of DeSantis 57% to 31%, respectively. The 26 point difference is three times the eight percent lead Trump held in the same poll when it was conducted two weeks ago. In that survey, the former president was beating the Florida governor 47% to 39%. DeSantis was ahead of Trump 45% to 41% when the poll was conducted in February.

DONALD TRUMP INDICTED: CAN HE TURN MANHATTAN GRAND JURY VOTE INTO 2024 GOLD?

When the two GOP frontrunners are pitted against a wider, 10 candidate field of declared and potential challengers, Trump maintains steady support while DeSantis's numbers plunge. The former president holds 52% support in the larger primary field, up from 44% in the last poll. DeSantis, meanwhile, dropped from 28% to 21%.

No other declared or potential candidate included in the survey, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, polled in the double digits. Haley had 5% support and Pence had 3%, a far cry from Trump's 54% and DeSantis's 21%.

Of the Republicans and GOP-leaning independents polled, 54% chose Trump as their preferred nominee in 2024, while only a third said they would prefer a different candidate. That is a three point jump from the 51% who said they preferred the former president in the last survey. Results were more split when respondents who weren't aligned with Republicans were included, however.

The surge in support appears to indicate what many political observers had predicted after Trump revealed the looming indictment earlier this month: that the former president being charged would boost his 2024 candidacy, especially with Republicans.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who has a complicated relationship with the former president, called the indictment an "enormous political gift" for Trump.

Speaking during an episode of his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast on Friday, the Texas senator lamented Bragg's indictment as "devastating to the rule of law [and] to the confidence the American people will have in our justice system" before remarking that if he were a Democrat, he "might well report Alvin Bragg to the Federal Election Commission for making the single greatest in kind contribution to a presidential campaign in history."

"Look, Trump put out almost two weeks ago that he was about to get arrested, and he said he was gonna get arrested the next day," he said. "And Bragg delayed and delayed and delayed. A lot of national Democrats were freaking out and were pressuring Bragg, ‘Don't do this, don't do this, don't do this. This will help Trump.’"

Bragg, a Democrat who has refused to prosecute a number of offenses since taking office last January, indicted the former president Thursday on charges related to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. The indictment marks the first time a former U.S. president has been criminally charged.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, testified before Congress in 2019 that he paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 during the 2016 campaign to prevent her from going public about an affair she claimed to have with Trump in 2005. Cohen, who pleaded guilty and served time over the alleged payment, told lawmakers Trump reimbursed him in monthly installments.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight the charges.

Indictment offers temporary 'unifier' between Trump and DeSantis as 2024 looms

Katherine Doyle

April 01, 07:00 AM April 01, 07:00 AM

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) defense of former President Donald Trump after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had indicted the former president is expected to ease tensions between the Republican rivals.

“It’s almost a little bit of a unifier right now,” said one Florida GOP operative as the two Republican leaders orient their fire at the elected Democrats prosecuting Trump. “There’s a pause on the beating up of each other. How long does that pause last? I don’t know.”

TRUMP INDICTED: BRAGG TELLS HOUSE GOP TO CEASE 'UNLAWFUL POLITICAL INTERFERENCE' IN CASE

Republicans have largely rallied behind Trump after his indictment by a grand jury in Manhattan in a hush money case. The news marked the first time a former president has been hit with criminal charges.

For months, DeSantis has mostly refrained from firing back at Trump, whose attacks on the governor have sought to paint him as an establishment favorite who can’t be trusted.

Trump’s allies have chastised DeSantis for coming to the former president’s defense ahead of the indictment with a reference to “porn star hush money.” And when DeSantis accused the “Soros-backed” Manhattan district attorney of waging a political vendetta against Trump, the governor took heat for failing to use the former president’s name.

That pushback from Trump’s closest followers is to be expected, but DeSantis is targeting a broader audience, the operative said.

“I thought it was a very strong response, to be honest,” this person said, noting it was “playing well” with Republicans in Trump’s home state.

DeSantis’s pledge that his state “will not assist in an extradition request” did not go unnoticed, striking some as opportunistic since Trump has given no indication that he intends to fight extradition.

However, one operative said it would likely prove effective by inoculating the governor against criticism that he had not sufficiently defended the former president. Trump is set to be arraigned on Tuesday.

“If you take yourself out of Florida and you’re a Republican in Iowa or New Hampshire or Nevada or California, what the governor of the state of Florida said is perfectly on point,” this person said.

Still, when the indictment came, this person added that Trump’s team was caught off guard, some raising speculation that the former president’s warnings had accelerated the time frame.

The brief detente between Trump and DeSantis may not last long.

When FBI agents descended on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in search of classified documents last year, DeSantis slammed what he called “the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents,” arriving at the former president’s defense.

“The Mar-a-Lago raid put a pause on it. And now the indictment has put a pause on it,” the GOP operative said. “But it was only maybe a month after the Mar-a-Lago raid that things resumed.”

Trump faces other legal peril that could complicate the dynamic.

A grand jury in Georgia is investigating the former president for his alleged interference in the 2020 election. A Justice Department special counsel is investigating his alleged mishandling of classified documents and role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, among other inquiries.

“It’s the one-two-three punch,” said the GOP campaign strategist. “This is the first.”

Trump ally Bryan Lanza said the indictment, which has come under criticism from former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, would prove “a disaster” for Democrats. Lanza pointed to Cuomo, who said in a recent radio interview that prosecutors bringing “partisan” cases confirm people’s “cynicism.”

In a sign that DeSantis may be moving closer to an announcement, Florida lawmakers on Thursday introduced draft legislation needed to change the state’s resign-to-run law, a requirement if the governor intends to make a presidential bid before his term expires.

Mike Pence reveals what he think is his greatest strength if he runs in 2024

Asher Notheis

March 04, 03:48 PM March 04, 03:48 PM

Former Vice President Mike Pence has revealed what he thinks is his greatest strength if he chooses to run for president in the 2024 election.

Pence, who served as vice president under former President Donald Trump, argued that his advantage in a hypothetical 2024 run is that he thinks "the American people know the Pences," according to an interview he did with WHD News Digital.

TRUMP TRIES TO BLOCK PENCE TESTIMONY IN JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION

"By and large, they know our story and our career, and some are getting to know it better every day," Pence said. "So, we think we have time to be discerning, to be reflective, to listen."

Pence added that he and his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, "both believe that we’ll have a clear sense of our call this spring."

The former vice president discussed his 2024 advantage during a donor retreat hosted by the conservative group the Club for Growth. During a speech Pence made at the event, he argued that "Republicans and conservatives cannot abandon our commitment to fiscal responsibility and reform, and that includes commonsense reforms to Social Security and Medicare."

The topic of reforming Social Security and Medicare has become divisive within the GOP, with Trump warning Republicans to avoid getting involved with adjusting the programs.

The White House race currently has three major candidates among the Republicans: Trump, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Pence avoided backing his former boss when asked about it on Wednesday, saying, "I think we'll have better choices."

As of Saturday, President Joe Biden has not made an official announcement yet on if he will seek reelection. Liberal Democrat Marianne Williamson announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Saturday with an attack on the U.S. economic system.

Kinzinger thinks Justice Department will 'do the right thing' and charge Trump

Jack Birle

January 01, 12:44 PM January 01, 12:44 PM

Outgoing Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) believes former President Donald Trump will be criminally charged by the Justice Department for his role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Kinzinger, who served as one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee, shared his belief that Trump acted criminally on CNN's State of the Union Sunday.

WATCH: ADAM KINZINGER SAYS GOP IS SHELTERING ‘RACISTS’ IN FAREWELL SPEECH

"As we've gotten into this, I look, and I'm like if this is not a crime, I don't know what is. If a president can incite an insurrection and not be held accountable, then really there's no limit to what a president can and can't do," Kinzinger said.

The committee sent four criminal referrals to the DOJ regarding Trump last month, with all nine committee members unanimously voting for all four referrals.

"I think the Justice Department will do the right thing. I think he will be charged, and I frankly think he should be," Kinzinger said.

He also shared that he personally believes Trump should be charged and convicted of the crimes referred to by the committee.

"If he is not guilty of a crime, I frankly fear for the future of this country," Kinzinger said.

Jan. 6 committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) has also said he is "convinced" that the Department of Justice will charge Trump. The DOJ has moved its investigation of Trump to a special counsel after he announced a run for president in 2024.

Last week the Jan. 6 committee withdrew its subpoena of Trump as the investigation was completed, and the select committee will be dissolved by the next Congress.

'Shame on you': Journalists and celebrities revolt at Trump's reinstatement to Twitter

Cami Mondeaux

November 21, 08:55 AM November 21, 08:55 AM

Several celebrities and prominent journalists are hitting out against billionaire Elon Musk for his decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, with many leaving the platform in protest.

Musk restored access to Trump’s account on Saturday after a Twitter poll overwhelmingly voted in favor of doing so, resurrecting the page after nearly two years of inactivity after the former president was banned in the fallout of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The decision was met with mixed reactions as some praised the return and others denounced it. Meanwhile, Trump said he has no plans to sign back on.

ELON MUSK REINSTATES TRUMP’S BANNED TWITTER ACCOUNT

“I don’t see any reason for it,” Trump said. “Truth Social has taken the place for a lot of people, and I don’t see them going back onto Twitter.”

Trump’s account was suspended in January 2021 during the fallout of the Capitol riot, prompting criticism from many on the platform once his account was revived.

"Idk man, last time he was here this platform was used to incite an insurrection, multiple people died, the Vice President of the United States was nearly assassinated, and hundreds were injured but I guess that's not enough for you to answer the question. Twitter poll it is," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in a tweet.

The decision also drew criticism from the NAACP, who called on advertisers to pull their support from the platform in response to the decision.

“In Elon Musk’s Twittersphere, you can incite an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which led to the deaths of multiple people, and still be allowed to spew hate speech and violent conspiracies on his platform,” the organization said in a statement. “If Elon Musk continues to run Twitter like this, using garbage polls that do not represent the American people and the needs of our democracy, God help us all.”

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who serves as the vice chairwoman of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, also responded to Trump’s reinstatement, encouraging her followers to remember the former president’s conduct during the Capitol riot.

"With Trump back on Twitter, it’s a good time to watch this Jan 6 hearing,” she said in a tweet. “It covers each of Trump’s tweets that day, including those that have been deleted, and features multiple Trump WH staff describing his inexcusable conduct during the violence."

Some prominent journalists also reacted to the news, criticizing Musk’s decision as “meaningless” and potentially affected by foreign agents.

"I think these polls are mostly a gimmick, and I would argue the people haven’t spoken, the GRU has spoken," said Scott Galloway, an author and public speaker, on CBS News’s Face the Nation, referring to a Russian military intelligence service. "Twitter has become a playground for bad actors and fake bots, this poll is meaningless, this decision is meaningless."

Others who were fed up with the reinstatement decided to leave the platform altogether, announcing they would be deleting their accounts in response.

"Shame on you for giving [Trump] and other professional liars the platform you are now in control of, and shame on anyone who does," musician Jack White wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, announcing he would deactivate the Twitter account of his record label Third Man Records. "And shame on you if you think it's no big deal. It is."

Over Don: Republicans slam Trump for 2024 announcement that is splitting party

Cami Mondeaux

November 17, 08:30 AM November 17, 08:30 AM

As former President Donald Trump gears up for a third White House bid, Republicans on Capitol Hill are split on whether to back the former president for another term or to seek other options.

While several of Trump’s most loyal supporters have already endorsed the former president as the GOP nominee, others have remained quiet — either insisting it’s too early to endorse a candidate or avoiding the question altogether. Others have taken the step to look beyond Trump, sniffing out candidates who could serve as an alternative option.

THIRD EDITION: TRUMP ANNOUNCES 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID

The discord among the Republican Party comes just days after Trump announced at his Mar-a-Lago home on Tuesday that he plans to seek a third White House bid, eliciting some frustration from Republicans who argue the announcement may have come too soon.

“I thought the timing was off. I mean, for many of us, we’re just still trying to figure out — we still have races that aren’t declared yet,” Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), whose own race was called on Monday, told the Hill. “I thought that was a bit inappropriate.”

Other Republicans have expressed concerns his announcement could hurt GOP chances in races that have yet to be called, such as the Senate race in Georgia between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Republican Herschel Walker that has advanced to a Dec. 6 runoff.

Others have begun looking to other contenders, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who had a strong performance in his own reelection bid.

“What’s nice is that the Republicans actually have a bench for once,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) told the outlet.

Still, a handful of other Republicans have declined to weigh in.

“You guys are crazy,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters asking about whether he'd endorse Trump earlier this week.

However, support for the former president may serve as a wedge that threatens to divide the Republican Party ahead of the 2024 cycle, particularly as McCarthy vies to become the House speaker. McCarthy faces a challenge from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who has already thrown his support behind Trump’s reelection bid.

That could prove to be a challenge for McCarthy, who has struggled to garner the support of some House Republicans who consider themselves close allies of Trump.

“I do think that Kevin McCarthy needs to — if he wants to have a chance at being speaker, he needs to be much more declarative that he is supporting President Trump,” Jason Miller, a former senior adviser to Trump, told the Hill. “It’s gonna be a MAGA-centric caucus for the Republicans in the House and even for the Senate. We need leadership to match.”

Trump is the first Republican to announce his intent to run for the White House in 2024, but several others are expected to join the race, setting the stage for what could be a contentious primary cycle.

DeSantis leads Trump by double digits in key states, conservative polling memo shows

Asher Notheis

November 14, 07:13 PM November 14, 07:13 PM

Polls conducted for a prominent conservative organization show Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) boasting a large lead over former President Donald Trump in hypothetical one-on-one matches in several key states.

A polling memo from WPA Intelligence, which performed the surveys on behalf of Club for Growth Action, found Trump trailing DeSantis by double digits in the Iowa caucus, New Hampshire primary, Florida primary, and Georgia primary.

The biggest leads for DeSantis are in Florida, with 56% compared to Trump's 30%, and in Georgia, at 55% against Trump's 35%. In all four states, the numbers have only gotten better for DeSantis, while support for Trump has waned.

“Republicans need to be united behind a strong candidate and a platform that shows voters real solutions to beat Biden and the Democrats in 2024," said a statement from Club for Growth President David McIntosh. "Our polling shows that Republican primary voters recognize Trump’s insults against Republicans as hollow and counterproductive, and it’s taking a significant toll on his support."

MICHELLE OBAMA WITHHOLDS ENDORSEMENT OF BIDEN 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID

Iowa and New Hampshire stand out as the early voting states, while Florida is where both men now reside, and Georgia is the location of a coming Georgia run-off election between Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA). in Georgia, Trump “could help Republicans” by delaying an announcement for the 2024 election until afterwards, McIntosh told the Washington Examiner.

The polls were conducted among 508 likely Iowa Republican caucus voters, 401 likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters, 1,044 likely Florida Republican primary voters, and 843 likely Georgia Republican primary voters. The data was collected from Nov. 11 through Nov. 13, and the margins of error were 4.4 percentage points for Iowa, 4.9 points for New Hampshire, 3 points for Florida, and 3.4 points for Georgia.

Trump is slated to make an announcement from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday night, and it is widely expected that this will be his declaration of a 2024 presidential bid. President Joe Biden, who beat Trump in the 2020 presidential election, has not announced a reelection bid but has said he intends to run again.

DeSantis, who just handily won reelection as Florida governor, has not made any announcement about the 2024 presidential election but is seen by many as a top contender if he does. Several people close to Trump have stated that DeSantis should not run for president in 2024.

A spokesman for Trump issued a defiant statement in response to the polling. Taylor Budowich, who heads MAGA, Inc., said polling from the Club for Growth is "consistently wrong" and insisted, “When they cross Trump, they lose, and that’s not going to change,” according to Politico.

Trump lawyer says DeSantis needs to 'stay in Florida' amid 2024 speculation

Asher Notheis

November 07, 11:43 PM November 07, 11:43 PM

A lawyer for former President Donald Trump says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is not ready to run for president in 2024.

Alina Habba, Trump's lawyer, issued the warning on Monday night as tensions between the two GOP powerhouses appear to be growing.

“DeSantis is DeSantis because of Trump,” Habba said during an interview on the Right Side Broadcasting Network while awaiting Trump at a rally in Ohio. “I think I like what DeSantis is doing in Florida, but he needs to stay in Florida."

WATCH: EX-STAFFER GOES OFF ON TRUMP, 'DOES NOT CARE ABOUT HELPING REPUBLICANS'

Christina Bobb, another Trump lawyer who conducted the interview, said she “100% percent” agrees, adding that she voted for DeSantis for governor and that he has a great shot in four years if he stands down for the time being.

“Just stay where you are. You are doing a great job in Florida," Habba said before both women agreed about DeSantis: "Don’t jump the gun." Habba added: "He’s not ready yet.”

Trump has not yet announced if he will run in the 2024 presidential election, though has hinted at running again several times since leaving the White House. The former president announced on Monday night that he will be making "a very big announcement" on Nov. 15 at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

DeSantis has said he is focused on winning reelection on Tuesday, though his name has been suggested for the presidency by several high-profile people, including Elon Musk and Joe Rogan. Trump took a swipe at DeSantis at a recent rally, calling him, Ron "DeSanctimonious."

President Joe Biden, who beat Trump in the 2020 presidential election, has not formally announced a reelection, but says he intends to run again.

How Devin Nunes sees John Durham receiving a 'lifeline' to keep digging

Daniel Chaitin

October 30, 07:30 AM October 30, 07:31 AM

Reports signaling the demise of John Durham's special counsel investigation are greatly exaggerated, says Devin Nunes, who believes Republicans winning back power in the midterm elections will provide the prosecutor's endeavor a new lease on life.

After two high-profile defeats in court and no other prosecutions in sight, the conventional wisdom among Durham's critics, and even some supporters, was that his yearslong effort to root out misconduct surrounding the FBI's Russia inquiry was a dud and nearing its end. Undergirding this view is the statute of limitations and reporting by the New York Times that said Durham is expected to prepare his final report by the end of the year, before the Justice Department makes a decision on releasing its findings to the public.

Nunes stands out as one of Durham's more unflappable advocates, along with former Attorney General William Barr, who appointed Durham to the task in 2019. After a jury in northern Virginia dealt Durham a blow this month in his case against a leading source for disgraced former British spy Christopher Steele's infamous anti-Trump dossier, Barr suggested the special counsel's report will "leave a very good foundation for pursuing it further on the Hill." Nunes took that idea one step further, with an eye toward the GOP winning back power in Congress next month.

"If Republicans have a good day in two weeks, I think that will at least give Durham more of a lifeline to continue," Nunes said in a podcast this past week. "And I would say that I think it's really important for the future of this country for Durham to continue this investigation."

Nunes is now CEO of Donald Trump's media venture, Trump Media and Technology Group, and has taken the lead in boosting the former president's Twitter alternative Truth Social. Before his foray into the social media sphere, Nunes was a member of Congress from California, and was chairman and then ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. In his closing act, during which he clashed with his Democratic counterparts, Nunes led a congressional investigation into the Russia matter stemming from the 2016 election and sent more than a dozen criminal referrals to the Justice Department.

‘BRING ON THE DURHAM REPORT’: GOP SAYS TRUMP-RUSSIA INVESTIGATION REPORT WILL REVEAL FBI ABUSE

Although he is out of Congress, Nunes remains very much engaged in the conversation around the so-called Russiagate controversy, and has high hopes for his former Republican colleagues in the House not only to support Durham, but also open up a new front.

"If Republicans do gain control of Washington — of Congress — they're going to have to put in a 9/11-style commission or a Church commission that was created back in the 1970s to fix this whole problem with the DOJ and the FBI," he told host Dinesh D'Souza. Key to this undertaking would be subpoena power and a broader purview than what individual committees have with their set jurisdictions for oversight, Nunes stressed, as he believes there is corruption that stretches far beyond the justice system — into the wider intelligence community and outside of government, including Big Tech and the media.

It remains to be seen whether GOP leadership is up for such a task, however there is a push among some, particularly Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), to investigate wider allegations of politicization in the FBI after the emergence of more than a dozen whistleblowers. And Democrats are sure to push back, with the view that Republicans are simply eager to inflict damage on Trump's political foes and undermine Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation.

Durham has secured one conviction, but has lost two cases in court. One was in Washington, D.C., this summer against lawyer Michael Sussmann, who was charged with lying to the FBI about whom he was representing when, in September 2016, he presented internet data that suggested a now-discredited link between Trump and Russia's Alfa-Bank. In particular, Sussmann was indicted on charges of concealing his clients — Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and “Tech Executive-1,” known to be former Neustar executive Rodney Joffe — from FBI general counsel James Baker. The jury in sided with Sussmann.

Then, this month, a jury in Alexandria, Virginia, found Russian national Igor Danchenko not guilty of making false statements to the FBI about his contributions to Steele's now-discredited dossier, ending a trial in which Durham had personally taken the reins.

Critics piled on, including Andrew Weissmann, a former Justice Department official and FBI general counsel who was a leading prosecutor for Mueller in his special counsel investigation into links between Trump and Russia that spun out of the FBI's inquiry under scrutiny by Durham. "Durham has shot all his credibility — 12 jurors unanimously rebuked him," he tweeted about the Danchenko acquittal. Matthew Miller, who was director of the Justice Department's public affairs office from 2009 to 2011 during the Obama administration, suggested on MSNBC that Durham should not have the final say on the matter because he might "unfairly tarnish some people at the FBI."

Among Durham's cheerleaders, frustration boiled over.

"We've been waiting and waiting and told [to] hold our breath there's more coming — just be patient, be patient. This is — I don't even think disappointing does justice to how bad this is," Trump's first White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said on his Newsmax show. "This is just — after everything that the Right has been through and all of the misallegations and misappropriation and the 'Russia, Russia, Russia' that was taken us through the first couple years of this Trump administration. To see this all go down the tubes, and all of the faith put into this special counsel, John Durham, unbelievably disappointing."

D'Souza, a conservative commentator, said Durham appears to have a "spotty record" thanks to his loses in court, but Nunes took heart with how the special counsel criticized the FBI during the Danchenko trial and a scarcity of leaks from the investigation. "He's now exposed the FBI and he almost had to put them on trial," Nunes said. "And I will say this — and this is why I have trust in Durham: All my time 20 years in the swamp I never saw an investigation that was going on that didn't have massive leaks all over the place, right?"

Admitting that all outsiders such as himself can do is "read the tea leaves," Nunes remains optimistic that with congressional Republicans in charge after the midterm elections, there will be ample time to root out what he sees as a criminal conspiracy that extends from the Democrats to even the Mueller team, and they will serve as a roadblock against the Biden administration — though it has so far only openly signaled that it would not impede Durham's work — against shutting the prosecutor down.

"The rumor is, but it's only rumor. He's supposed to be writing a report. Everybody in the fake news are speculating, 'Well Durham's done. He's just writing a report.' We don't know that right now," Nunes said. "And I think Durham's just going to continue to investigate. Obviously, if Republicans do well, I think that gives them a little bit of a life line because it's not — they can't just get rid of him."

Trump PAC pays around $1 million to attorney in New York investigation

Brady Knox

September 21, 10:37 PM September 21, 10:38 PM

Former President Donald Trump's political action committees have paid more than $1 million in service fees to his lawyer in the New York investigation, Alina Habba.

Most of this dollars, $943,000, has been paid considering the fact that April by Trump's Save The us PAC, according to marketing campaign finance disclosures, ABC News claimed. The payments are established to boost dramatically in gentle of New York Attorney General Letitia James's sweeping Wednesday lawsuit in search of $250 million.

Trump's PACs have paid a considerable total in authorized resources, with the Help save America PAC by itself paying out $7 million given that its launch in 2020, according to the outlet.

'ART OF THE STEAL': NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES UNVEILS FRAUD LAWSUIT Versus TRUMP AND Children

James's newest lawsuit statements that Trump and his corporation "regularly and persistently manipulated the price of assets to induce financial institutions to lend funds to the Trump Corporation on a lot more favorable phrases than [what] would or else have been available to the corporation."

Trump has fervently denied the accusations.

"It is abundantly clear that the Legal professional General’s Place of work has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken area," Habba explained in a assertion obtained by the Washington Examiner. "We are self-assured that our judicial technique will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we glance ahead to defending our consumer."

James has also engendered criticism within just her very own party, with previous New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, submitting a lawsuit accusing her of improperly handling the investigation into his alleged sexual assaults of many gals, stating she utilized it to additional her personal vocation.