Trump news – live: Michael Cohen critic to testify today as GOP leader tells US not to protest indictment

A one-time ally turned critic of Michael Cohen will testify today in the grand jury investigation into Donald Trump’s role in the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Robert Costello, who once worked as a legal adviser to Cohen, told CNN he will appear before the grand jury at the request of the former president’s legal team. He is expected to testify against Cohen and cast doubts on his credibility.

Cohen – who has been Manhattan prosecutors’ star witness in the case – also revealed that he had been asked to appear as a possible rebuttal witness.

It is not clear if the pair will be the final witnesses before the grand jury votes on whether to criminally indict the former president.

On Saturday, Mr Trump claimed he will be arrested on Tuesday and called for protests to “take our nation back” in language that drew comparisons to his rhetoric leading up to the January 6 Capitol riots.

But, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has called on Americans not to protest or become violent should an indictment materialise.

“I don’t think people should protest this stuff,” the House majority leader said in a press conference on Sunday.

Key Points

• Robert Costello – critic of Michael Cohen – to testify today in grand jury probe

• Michael Cohen to appear as rebuttal witness Monday

• Republican leader Kevin McCarthy calls for no protests, violence

• Trump demands that his supporters ‘protest’ his imminent ‘arrest'

• Manhattan prosecutor responds to Trump's call for protest as charges loom

• Law enforcement planning security for possible Trump indictment

ICYMI: Manhattan DA warns of threats to investigators after Trump’s call to protest impending arrest

09:30 , Alex Woodward

Manhattan’s district attorney issued a private message to his staff over the weekend, writing that his office would not “tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York”.

He continued: “Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment.”

Manhattan DA warns of threats to investigators after Trump’s call to protest

Trump’s chilling warning of what will happen after his indictment

09:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s recent remarks echo his calls to supporters that fuelled the attack on the US Capitol and his apocalyptic visions of America from his time in office and on the campaign trail, depicting his us-versus-them political stakes and a brewing civil war with grim conclusions – rhetoric that has gripped the GOP in the wake of Mr Trump’s candidacy.

Trump’s chilling warning of what will happen after his indictment

Mike Pence is giving ‘serious consideration’ to running for president

08:30 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pence, speaking with Jon Karl for ABC’s This Week from election stomping grounds in Iowa, said he is “getting closer” to make an announcement about running for president.

“We’re giving serious consideration to it ... We’re getting a lot of encouragement,” he said.

“I think now is a time for all of us who care about this country to consider our part, play a part, and make sure we elect leadership that will turn this country around in 2024 and beyond,” he added.

Everything you need to know about the Stormy Daniels case

08:00 , Alex Woodward

The story of the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels that could result in charges against Donald Trump

Alleging that a hush agreement was invalid because Trump had not signed it, adult film star Stormy Daniels sued him and triggered what would become a years-long investigation into whether the scheme was legal at all points.

That question remains unanswered today, as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is reportedly considering charges against the former president and possibly others as part of the long-running probe into the 2016 payment.

The Independent’s John Bowden has this timeline of the Trump-Stormy relationship and the cases surrounding it:

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money payment that could lead to first Trump charges

Trump’s rhetoric intends to intimidate prosecutors and poison a jury pool, former DoJ official says

07:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s “incendiary rhetoric” and attempt to “intimidate local prosecutors” could “poison” a jury pool in his hometown of New York, according to a former Justice Department official.

“What I think is happening here is [Trump] trying to, number one, intimidate local prosecutors and number two, I think it also has the effect of poisoning a jury pool,” according to Anthony Cole, who used to lead the agency’s department of public affairs, speaking to MSNBC on Sunday.

He said the former president’s “incendiary rhetoric” is most troubling. Trump has invoked images of burning cities and World War III in his all-caps posts, echoing similarly apocalyptic and autocratic statements across his 2024 campaign and news of potential indictments.

“The thing that troubles me the most about what we saw over the last 24 hours is this type of incendiary rhetoric,” he said. “It’s … something we have of course seen before on January 6 leading into the violent attack on the Capitol.”

Hakeem Jeffries: MAGA Republicans ‘have not learned their lesson’ by endorsing violent extremism

06:00 , Alex Woodward

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric stoking unrest and demanding that his followers “protest” his predicted “arrest.”

In a statement on Saturday, as Democratic leaders rejected the former president’s alarming statements, the New York congressman said that “right-wing extremists who fan the flames of political violence with inflammatory rhetoric are not fit to serve”.

“The extreme MAGA Republicans as a group want to defund the FBI, investigate and intimidate law enforcement and continue to coddle violent insurrectionists who tried to overthrow the government,” Mr Jeffries told MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki on Sunday.

“They clearly have not learned their lesson, and they are doubling and tripling down on their extremism, even when that extremism could have potentially deadly and violent consequences,” he said.

Who is Alvin Bragg? The Manhattan district attorney who could criminally prosecute Donald Trump

04:00 , Alex Woodward

Alvin Bragg has been tight-lipped about the case and his office’s work, ensuring in his recent memo that, “as with all of our investigations, we will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate.”

But he could make history with a looming indictment against the former president, potentially the first to ever face criminal charges.

Right-wing opponents, meanwhile, have bombarded Mr Bragg’s office with claims of election interference or raised baseless conspiracy theories, including antisemitic and racist attacks, that accuse Mr Bragg of leading a politically motivated case against the 2024 candidate for president.

Alvin Bragg: The district attorney who could criminally prosecute Donald Trump

Trump lashes out at Biden in evidence-free rant as he frets about impending charges

03:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump lashed out at Joe Biden on Sunday as he appears to be consumed with anger and concern over the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into a hush payment his attorney made to an adult film star on his behalf in 2016.

In his latest rant, the former president accused the Biden administration of working hand in hand with Alvin Bragg, the DA who empaneled a grand jury investigation in January that now appears to be nearing criminal charges.

Trump lashes out at Biden in evidence-free rant as he frets about impending charges

House Dem leader Hakeem Jeffries: ‘Mike Pence has embarrassed himself’

02:00 , Alex Woodward

After former vice president Mike Pence criticised a potential criminal indictment of Donald Trump rather than the former president’s language stoking unrest, which mirrored his remarks surrounding January 6, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Mr Pence has “embarrassed himself.”

The New York congressman, appearing on Jen Psaki’s new MSNBC programme, said the former vice president “knows better.”

“No one is above the law. That is a defining principle of the republic and has been the cast for 247 years,” he added. “I would just urge everyone to allow the prosecutors to do their job ... and we’ll see where these investigations lead.”

Trump’s chilling warning of what will happen after his indictment

01:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s business was convicted of criminal charges less than three weeks after the November announcement of his 2024 campaign, fuelled by grievances and his failure to overturn the election he lost just two years ago, and seen by his opponents as an attempt to shield himself from looming criminal prosecutions.

In the weeks that followed, Trump has repeatedly invoked a darkly pessimistic view of America, warning his followers that the country will enter World War III if he is not elected, and vowing “retribution” against their political opponents if he is.

Trump’s chilling warning of what will happen after his indictment

Former Trump adviser is ‘anti-protest’ after former president’s demands but stresses ‘no one is above the law’

00:00 , Alex Woodward

Former Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn said he is “anti-protest” after his former boss demanded that his supporters “protest, protest, protest” what he said was his incoming arrest in New York following investigations from the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

“I’m anti-protest, so I don’t think we should be protesting anything,” he told CBS Face The Nation on Sunday. “I hope that America has learned from what has happened in the past and I hope whatever happens next week, we just have a very peaceful set of events.”

The investigation has been fiercely rejected by Republican officials as politically motivated, though no one has seen any still-unreleased indictments or evidence documents to make such claims, while others have urged for the legal process to play out unobstructed.

“When it comes to this, no one is above the law,” Mr Cohn said. “But there also may be some politics involved, so both of those things may be true.”

Elizabeth Warren: ‘There’s no reason to protest this. This is the law operating as it should without fear or favor for anyone’

Sunday 19 March 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s calls for protests are another case of “Donald Trump just trying to advance the interests of Donald Trump,” said Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren, who urged that investigations involving the former president move forward without interruption.

“No one is above the law, not even the former president of the United States,” she told ABC’s This Week on Sunday. “If there has been an investigation, that investigation should be allowed to go forward appropriately. If it’s time to bring indictments, then they’ll bring indictments. That’s how our legal system works.”

She added that “there’s no reason to protest this.”

“This is the law operating as it should without fear or favor for anyone,” she said.

Trump claims he’s about to be charged. What happens next?

Sunday 19 March 2023 22:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump is expected to face charges filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office dove back into the case in 2022, and empaneled a grand jury only as recently as January in the investigation.

So what happens next in this unprecedented case? The Independent’s John Bowden explains:

What are the potential charges against Trump?

Michael Cohen stresses that Trump’s potential indictment is for ‘his own dirty deeds,’ not politics

Sunday 19 March 2023 21:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen stressed to MSNBC on Sunday that his former client’s likely prosecution “is about Donald Trump being held accountable for his own dirty deeds,” not because of his politics.

“I don’t want to see anyone, and that includes Donald Trump, indicted, prosecuted, convicted, incarcerated, because I fundamentally, or the country, fundamentally disagrees with so much of what comes out of his mouth,” he added.

He said he “absolutely” believes Trump will be fingerprinted and photographed in custody, but he said he does not want to see him in handcuffs, an image that he said would be humiliating for the institution of the presidency and be weaponised by American adversaries.

“I don’t want to see Donald handcuffed and paraded through … because it’s an embarrassment to our country,” Cohen said. “Could you imagine our allies and our adversaries, how they could either enjoy this or despise us as a direct result?”

Mike Pence is ‘disappointed’ in Trump over January 6 but mum on ex-president’s trustworthiness

Sunday 19 March 2023 20:30 , Alex Woodward

A conversation between the former vice president and ABC’s Jonathan Karl on Sunday quickly centred around the issue of whether Mike Pence generally trusts the words and public pronouncements of his former boss as he looks currently poised for a dominant performance in the upcoming 2024 GOP primary.

And under repeated questioning from Karl on the issue of Trump’s statement in the hours before the January 6 attack claiming falsely that Pence would aid in his effort to overturn the 2020 election, the former vice president would only say that he was “disappointed” in the former president, not that he did not trust him. He would not even specifically say that Trump had lied.

The Independent’s John Bowden reports:

Pence ‘disappointed’ in Trump’s rhetoric around Jan 6 but mum on the man himself

Michael Cohen to return to DA’s office in Monday as ‘rebuttal witness’

Sunday 19 March 2023 20:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen will return to the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Monday to appear as a rebuttal witness, though he told MSNBC that to whom or what he is addressing is unclear.

Cohen – who was convicted in a federal case involving Trump’s hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, a transaction allegedly central to a reported indictment against the former president – told MSNBC on Sunday that he was asked by the DA’s office to make himself available on Monday.

“I don’t know who the person is. Obviously once I find out who the person is I’ll know what the issue is because I was personally involved,” he said. “Again, I don’t know. It’s a little premature for me to be answering any questions on a topic that I, again, I don’t know who the person is and whether or not that person is or is not going to tell the truth.”

Hakeem Jeffries: MAGA Republicans ‘have not learned their lesson’ by endorsing violent extremism

Sunday 19 March 2023 19:40 , Alex Woodward

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric stoking unrest and demanding that his followers “protest” his predicted “arrest.”

In a statement on Saturday, as Democratic leaders rejected the former president’s alarming statements, the New York congressman said that “right-wing extremists who fan the flames of political violence with inflammatory rhetoric are not fit to serve”.

“The extreme MAGA Republicans as a group want to defund the FBI, investigate and intimidate law enforcement and continue to coddle violent insurrectionists who tried to overthrow the government,” Mr Jeffries told MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki on Sunday.

“They clearly have not learned their lesson, and they are doubling and tripling down on their extremism, even when that extremism could have potentially deadly and violent consequences,” he said.

House Dem leader Hakeem Jeffries: ‘Mike Pence has embarrassed himself'

Sunday 19 March 2023 19:20 , Alex Woodward

After former vice president Mike Pence criticised a potential criminal indictment of Donald Trump rather than the former president’s language stoking unrest, which mirrored his remarks surrounding January 6, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Mr Pence has “embarrassed himself.”

The New York congressman, appearing on Jen Psaki’s new MSNBC programme, said the former vice president “knows better.”

“No one is above the law. That is a defining principle of the republic and has been the cast for 247 years,” he added. “I would just urge everyone to allow the prosecutors to do their job ... and we’ll see where these investigations lead.”

Trump’s rhetoric intends to intimidate prosecutors and poison a jury pool, former DoJ official says

Sunday 19 March 2023 19:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s “incendiary rhetoric” and attempt to “intimidate local prosecutors” could “poison” a jury pool in his hometown of New York, according to a former Justice Department official.

“What I think is happening here is [Trump] trying to, number one, intimidate local prosecutors and number two, I think it also has the effect of poisoning a jury pool,” according to Anthony Cole, who used to lead the agency’s department of public affairs, speaking to MSNBC on Sunday.

He said the former president’s “incendiary rhetoric” is most troubling. Trump has invoked images of burning cities and World War III in his all-caps posts, echoing similarly apocalyptic and autocratic statements across his 2024 campaign and news of potential indictments.

“The thing that troubles me the most about what we saw over the last 24 hours is this type of incendiary rhetoric,” he said. “It’s … something we have of course seen before on January 6 leading into the violent attack on the Capitol.”

‘No crime, period’: Trump proclaims innocence and suggests ‘prosecutorial misconduct’ and election inferference

Sunday 19 March 2023 18:26 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump has baselessly suggested that the long-running investigation into his business and allegations of fraud are “prosecutorial misconduct and interference with an election” as it appears one of those probes has now resulted in a potential indictment and his arrest as he campaigns for the 2024 presidential election.

“There was no ‘misdemeanor’ here either,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “There was no crime, period.”

He claimed that “many Democrat law enforcement officers ... took a pass” on his case, but that Alvin Bragg “changed his mind.”

“Gee, I wonder why?” he said.

The story of the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels that could result in charges against Donald Trump

Sunday 19 March 2023 18:02 , Alex Woodward

Alleging that a hush agreement was invalid because Trump had not signed it, adult film star Stormy Daniels sued him and triggered what would become a years-long investigation into whether the scheme was legal at all points.

That question remains unanswered today, as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is reportedly considering charges against the former president and possibly others as part of the long-running probe into the 2016 payment.

The Independent’s John Bowden has this timeline of the Trump-Stormy relationship and the cases surrounding it:

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money payment that could lead to first Trump charges

Just in: Trump lashes out at Biden in evidence-free rant as he frets about impending charges

Sunday 19 March 2023 17:25 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump lashed out at Joe Biden on Sunday as he appears to be consumed with anger and concern over the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into a hush payment his attorney made to an adult film star on his behalf in 2016.

In his latest rant, the former president accused the Biden administration of working hand in hand with Alvin Bragg, the DA who empaneled a grand jury investigation in January that now appears to be nearing criminal charges.

Trump lashes out at Biden in evidence-free rant as he frets about impending charges

Kari Lake said she spoke with Trump: ‘He sounds incredible'

Sunday 19 March 2023 17:10 , Alex Woodward

Failed far-right candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake, reportedly among a pool of potential running mates alongside Donald Trump in his 2024 campaign, said she spoke with the former president last night.

“He sounds incredible, despite the endless political persecution,” she said. (The former president is being investigated across several criminal and civil investigations with mounting allegations of fraud and conspiracy.)

Trump supporters float ‘Patriot Moat’ to protect ex-president as charges loom

Sunday 19 March 2023 17:00 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s supporters have called for a so-called “patriot moat” to surround the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate to prevent his predicted arrest.

Mr Trump could make history this week if he is indicted over alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election.

The former president made the arrest prediction in a furious all-caps post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday morning and called on his supporters to protest any arrest and to “take our nation back.”

Trump supporters float ‘Patriot Moat’ to protect ex-president as charges loom

Another witness testifying before Manhattan grand jury ahead of potential Trump indictment, report says

Sunday 19 March 2023 16:40 , Alex Woodward

Another witness is reportedly still on a list for a Manhattan grand jury to review this week, with testimony expected on Monday afternoon.

The Independent’s John Bowden has the latest:

Another witness testifying before grand jury ahead of potential Trump indictment

Former Trump adviser is ‘anti-protest’ after former president’s demands but stresses ‘no one is above the law'

Sunday 19 March 2023 16:20 , Alex Woodward

Former Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn said he is “anti-protest” after his former boss demanded that his supporters “protest, protest, protest” what he said was his incoming arrest in New York following investigations from the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

“I’m anti-protest, so I don’t think we should be protesting anything,” he told CBS Face The Nation on Sunday. “I hope that America has learned from what has happened in the past and I hope whatever happens next week, we just have a very peaceful set of events.”

The investigation has been fiercely rejected by Republican officials as politically motivated, though no one has seen any still-unreleased indictments or evidence documents to make such claims, while others have urged for the legal process to play out unobstructed and underscored that no one is above the law.

“When it comes to this, no one is above the law,” Mr Cohn said. “But there also may be some politics involved, so both of those things may be true.”

Mike Pence will ‘respect the court’s decision’ over his Jan 6 testimony after refusing subpoena

Sunday 19 March 2023 16:00 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pence will respect a court’s decision that could compel his testimony to a federal grand jury investigating January 6, he told ABC’sThis Week on Sunday.

The former vice president has so far refused to willingly comply with a subpoena from Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading probes into the events surrounding the attack on the US Capitol and efforts to subvert the 2020 election.

But the former vice president said he is not relying on executive privilege to exempt his testimony. He is instead arguing that he is protected under the US Constitution’s speech and debate clause, which blocks lawmakers from being held legally accountable for their words in official legislative proceedings.

“I’ve directed my attorneys to make a strong case in defense of my role as president of the Senate, presiding over a joint session of Congress on that day and in the preparation for that, and we’ll let the courts sort it out,” Pence said in an interview with BC.

“But I’ve actually never asserted that other matters unrelated to January 6, would otherwise be protected by speech and debate,” he said, adding that he would “respect the decisions of the court.”

Elizabeth Warren: ‘There’s no reason to protest this. This is the law operating as it should without fear or favor for anyone'

Sunday 19 March 2023 15:45 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s calls for protests are another case of “Donald Trump just trying to advance the interests of Donald Trump,” said Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren, who urged that investigations involving the former president move forward without interruption.

“No one is above the law, not even the former president of the United States,” she told ABC’s This Week on Sunday. “If there has been an investigation, that investigation should be allowed to go forward appropriately. If it’s time to bring indictments, then they’ll bring indictments. That’s how our legal system works.”

She added that “there’s no reason to protest this.”

“This is the law operating as it should without fear or favor for anyone,” she said.

Will Pence support Trump if he’s the GOP’s nominee in 2024?

Sunday 19 March 2023 15:30 , Alex Woodward

In his interview with ABC’s This Week, former vice president Mike Pence said he is giving “serious consideration” to running for president in 2024, with a Republican field that so far includes only Nikki Haley and Donald Trump.

But asked if he will support the former president if he wins the party’s nomination, Pence replied: “I think that’s yet to be seen … I think we’ll have better choices.”

House Republican calls possible Trump indictment ‘one of the worst uses of the justice system we’ve ever seen’

Sunday 19 March 2023 15:06 , Alex Woodward

Republican US Rep Byron Donalds told Fox News personality Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that the possibility of Donald Trump’s arrest is “one of the worst uses of the justice system we have ever seen.”

Neither Bartiromo or Donalds yet have an indictment or evidence on which to base those claims. News of Trump’s “arrest” was announced by the former president himself. They also did not mention what Trump has been accused of, or what the case against him entails.

Yet Donalds called Trump’s potential indictment evidence of a “gotcha mentality with the criminal justice system” that is “flat-out wrong.”

“Just going after your political adversary ... is not going to make you some pillar of virtue,” he added, echoing other baseless claims among prominent Republicans that Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg is pursuing a politically motivated investigation.

Mike Pence is giving ‘serious consideration’ to running for president

Sunday 19 March 2023 14:45 , Alex Woodward

Mike Pence, speaking with Jon Karl for ABC’s This Week from election stomping grounds in Iowa, said he is “getting closer” to make an announcement about running for president.

“We’re giving serious consideration to it ... We’re getting a lot of encouragement,” he said.

“I think now is a time for all of us who care about this country to consider our part, play a part, and make sure we elect leadership that will turn this country around in 2024 and beyond,” he added.

Mike Pence hoped Trump would ‘come around’ to rejecting Jan 6 violence and bogus conspiracy theories. But ‘he hasn’t’

Sunday 19 March 2023 14:27 , Alex Woodward

In an interview with ABC’s This Week, Mike Pence listened to audio of Donald Trump effectively justifying threats against his vice president when he presided over the certification of the 2020 presidential election that the former president falsely insists was fraudulent.

“There was no excuse for the violence that took place. ... I’ll never diminish it, as long as I live,” Mr Pence responded. “The president’s wrong. He was wrong that day. I actually hoped that he would come around in time. ... He hasn’t done so.”

Trump surrounded himself with a “cadre of legal advisers” had “led him astray.”

He said that Trump’s ongoing baseless narrative is “one of the reasons that the country is ready for a fresh start.”

GOP senator who refused to convict Trump over Jan 6 says decision is ‘now up to the courts'

Sunday 19 March 2023 14:07 , Alex Woodward

Republican Senator Mike Rounds would not say whether he regrets voting against convicting Donald Trump when he was impeached for inciting the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, a move that could have barred him from holding public office in the future.

He said such a move is “now up to the courts.”

When pressed by NBC’s Meet the Press host Chuck Todd whether he believes Trump’s call for his supporters to protest his potential indictment and arrest was appropriate, Mr Rounds said: “There’s a difference between the former president and what he did on January 6 ... versus an individual person, today, asking people to show up to protest.”

Mr Todd asked Mr Rounds if he believed the rhetoric from Trump – who is not merely an individual but running for president in 2024 – is “fomenting distrust.”

“I don’t know if he’s fomenting distrust or not ... Clearly, he’s following some leaks, apparently, that are coming out of the DA’s office that should not happen. But most certainly you don’t wanna have any threats towards the implementation or attempts to implement justice,” noting that’s whether they’re an individual or a former president, Mr Rounds said.

Media outlets had previously reported that the former president could face possible criminal charges in New York; Trump did not publicly announce whether he had been informed by law enforcement about any charges. His spokesperson later clarified that there “has been no notification” of any such charges or plans for an arrest.

But Trump appears to have been the only person to have “leaked” news of his arrest. He made similar claims during a federal law enforcement search of his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, publicising that a “raid” was underway before law enforcement agencies did.

Fox & Friends amplifies racist and antisemitic conspiracy theory that George Soros is funding Trump’s prosecution

Sunday 19 March 2023 13:56 , Alex Woodward

Fox & Friends hosts suggested that Black prosecutor Alvin Bragg is prosecuting Donald Trump at the expense of Black lives killed by gun violence in New York City, then suggested that Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros – the subject of countless far-right antisemitic conspiracy theories – is financially supporting Mr Bragg’s investigation.

A host also invoked an antisemitic dogwhistle, saying Mr Trump’s campaign is a “threat to the globalist agenda”, and said that Mr Bragg “has to pay his master back” by prosecuting Mr Trump.

Full story: Manhattan DA warns of threats to investigators after Trump’s call to protest impending arrest

Sunday 19 March 2023 13:37 , Alex Woodward

An internal message from Manhattan’s district attorney Alvin Bragg to his staff says that the office will not “tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York”.

“Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment,” he added.

His email did not mention Donald Trump by name but referenced the “public comments surrounding an ongoing investigation by this office.”

Manhattan DA warns of threats to investigators after Trump’s call to protest

‘No one is above the law’: Critics condemn Trump’s ‘reckless’ statement as he stokes unrest over indictment

Sunday 19 March 2023 13:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s rcitics and activist groups have condemned his inflammatory rhetoric and a statement from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as Republicans quickly rallied to the former president’s defense against possible criminal prosecution.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned Mr Trump’s “reckless” announcement predicting his arrest, which she said has been used to “keep himself in the news and to foment unrest among his supporters” as he continues to use apocalyptic rhetoric around his 2024 campaign and potential criminal indictments.

The Republican leader issued a statement accusing the Manhattan district attorney’s office of an “outrageous abuse of power” and announced that he will direct House committees to “immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.

Democratic US Rep Ted Lieu struck back at Mr McCarthy’s suggestion that New York prosecutors are “subverting democracy” with their criminal investigation.

“Do you even know what the charges are? Have you seen any of the grand jury evidence? No,” Mr Lieu wrote. “You are being a craven, partisan politician who doesn’t respect the rule of law. In America, no one is above the law, including the person to whom you bend your knee.”

Critics condemn Trump’s ‘reckless’ statement stoking unrest

Manhattan prosecutor responds to Trump's call for protest as charges loom

Sunday 19 March 2023 12:55 , David Taintor

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has responded to Donald Trump’s call for protest ahead of potential criminal charges against the former president.

“Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment,” Mr Bragg wrote to staff in his office, according to reports.

Read Mr Bragg’s full statement below:

Trump claims he’s about to be charged. What happens next?

Sunday 19 March 2023 12:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump is now expected face charges filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office has reportedly burrowed into the Stormy Daniels case and empaneled a grand jury only as recently as January in the investigation.

So what happens next in this unprecedented case?

Trump claims he’s about to be charged. What happens next?

Can Donald Trump still be elected president if he’s indicted?

Sunday 19 March 2023 11:00 , Alex Woodward

What happens to the 2024 race, and Donald Trump’s ability to participate in it, if he comes under criminal indictment?

The short answer is, not much.

The Independent’s John Bowden explains:

Can Donald Trump still be elected president if he’s indicted?

Trump’s chilling warning of what will happen after his indictment

Sunday 19 March 2023 09:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s recent remarks echo his calls to supporters that fuelled the attack on the US Capitol and his apocalyptic visions of America from his time in office and on the campaign trail, depicting his us-versus-them political stakes and a brewing civil war with grim conclusions – rhetoric that has gripped the GOP in the wake of Mr Trump’s candidacy.

Trump’s chilling warning of what will happen after his indictment

The Stormy Daniels case, explained

Sunday 19 March 2023 08:00 , Alex Woodward

A five-year story finally looks to be nearing some kind of conclusion. The Independent’s John Bowden takes a look at the saga that may lead to criminal charges against Donald Trump:

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money payment that could lead to first Trump charges

Trump lawyer must give evidence on conversations with ex-president in Mar-a-Lago probe, judge rules

Sunday 19 March 2023 07:00 , Alex Woodward

The chief judge of the Washington, DC federal district court has ordered Evan Corcoran – who represented Trump in the weeks leading up to last year’s FBI search at Mar-a-Lago – to give evidence before a grand jury regarding conversations he had with the former president about efforts to find and return classified documents to the US government.

Trump lawyer must give evidence on conversations with ex-president

Republicans rush to defend Trump after ex-president teases arrest next week

Sunday 19 March 2023 06:00 , Alex Woodward

Leading Republican politicians were quick to defend Trump, despite the legal difficulties he appears to be facing from still-unannounced charges.

The lawmakers rushing to defend the ex-president have done so without awareness or knowledge of any potential indictment; Republicans are fighting a public relations battle intended to undermine any criminal case against the former president, the man who is still most likely to be the GOP’s 2024 nominee.

Republicans rush to defend Trump after ex-president teases arrest next week

ICYMI: Judge who could decide Trump’s fate once lived with Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh

Sunday 19 March 2023 03:00 , Alex Woodward

The new chief judge at the District Court in Washington, DC who will oversee the special counsel investigations into former President Donald Trump by the Department of Justice was once a roommate of Trump Supreme Court appointee Brett Kavanaugh while they were at law school.

Judge who could decide Trump’s fate once lived with Brett Kavanaugh

ICYMI: NYPD and FBI planning security for possible Trump indictment as former president calls for protests

Sunday 19 March 2023 01:00 , Alex Woodward

Law enforcement agenices at the local, state and federal levels are reportedly preparing for the possibility that Donald Trump may be indicted as early as next week in relation to the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

Preliminary security assessments are being conducted, and officials are discussing potential security plans in the vicinity of the Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street in case Mr Trump appears in person to face charges, according to NBC News, citing five senior officials familiar with the preparations.

NYPD and FBI prepare as Trump calls for protests around arrest

ICYMI: Trump rages on Truth Social as he courts donations from supporters

Saturday 18 March 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward

After soliciting donations from his supporters through his Truth Social account, Donald Trump has once again invoked inflammatory and apocalyptic rhetoric around his 2024 campaign and potential criminal indictments after he predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday.

Another all-caps post on Saturday – roughly 45 minutes after asking supporters to “send your contribution” to his campaign – called on his supporters to “protest, protest, protest” to “save America.”

That post followed his other all-caps post urging his followers to “protest” after that he would be arrested next week.

In a follow-up post, he once again claimed that the US is being “led into World War III” while the Biden administration is “killing our nation.”

A spokesperson for Mr Trump said he wrote his posts without any direct knowledge of the timing of any arrest.

‘No one is above the law’: Critics condemn Trump’s ‘reckless’ statement as he stokes unrest over indictment

Saturday 18 March 2023 22:30 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s rcitics and activist groups have condemned his inflammatory rhetoric and a statement from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as Republicans quickly rallied to the former president’s defense against possible criminal prosecution.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned Mr Trump’s “reckless” announcement predicting his arrest, which she said has been used to “keep himself in the news and to foment unrest among his supporters” as he continues to use apocalyptic rhetoric around his 2024 campaign and potential criminal indictments.

The Republican leader issued a statement accusing the Manhattan district attorney’s office of an “outrageous abuse of power” and announced that he will direct House committees to “immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.

Democratic US Rep Ted Lieu struck back at Mr McCarthy’s suggestion that New York prosecutors are “subverting democracy” with their criminal investigation.

“Do you even know what the charges are? Have you seen any of the grand jury evidence? No,” Mr Lieu wrote. “You are being a craven, partisan politician who doesn’t respect the rule of law. In America, no one is above the law, including the person to whom you bend your knee.”

Critics condemn Trump’s ‘reckless’ statement stoking unrest

Will there be protests?

Saturday 18 March 2023 21:45 , Alex Woodward

Across far-right social media, where QAnon influencers and Christian nationalists collide, debate over Marjorie Taylor Greene’s relevance and whether Donald Trump is the savior of a nation and Republican party in decline, the former president’s announcement that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday was the evidence they needed that the Biden administration has weaponised the federal government against him.

Mr Trump has called on his supporters to “protest, protest, protest,” but unlike the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, which was organised openly across social media platforms, discussion of Mr Trump’s potential arrest has largely revolved around denouncing the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation and echoing similar inflammatory and dramatic rhetoric about the state of the US.

QAnon accounts with large followings on Truth Social have echoed their accelerationist “trust the plan” slogan believing that Mr Trump’s potential arrest would trigger a national downfall. Others said his arrest would make him a martyr that his supporters would rally around.

QAnon influencer The Patriot Voice said the most effective protest would be wearing red “MAGA” hats. Laura Loomer told supporters not to show up outside Mar-a-Lago because streets will likely be shut down; she instead told people to show up at his first 2024 campaign rally in Texas on 25 March.

Ali Alexander, one of the organizers of the Stop the Steal rallies who is now campaigning alongside white supremacist Nick Fuentes for Kanye West, wrote: “Previously, I had said if Trump was arrested or under the threat of a perp walk, 100,000 patriots should shut down all routes to Mar-a-Lago. Now, I’m retired. I’ll pray for him though!”

He also said he spoke to Alex Jones and “he’s not protesting either.”

Mike Pence: 'This is what the Manhattan DA says is their top priority?’

Saturday 18 March 2023 20:12 , Alex Woodward

After denouncing Trump’s behaviour surrounding January 6, former Vice President Mike Pence came to his former boss’s defense on Saturday following his prediction that he will be arrested next weekw.

His told SiriusXM radio that New York prosecutors’ potentioal indictment “reeks of the kind of political prosecution that we endured back in the days of the Russia hoax,” referring to the GOP’s shorthand for the investigation into 2016 Russian interference in that year’s elections, with reports revealing a web of ties between the Trump campaign and Russian actors, none of which has a hoax.

“This is what the Manhattan DA says is their top priority?” Mr Pence added.

Trump announces first 2024 campaign rally in Waco as Texas city marks 30th anniversary of cult siege

Saturday 18 March 2023 19:39 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump will hold his first 2024 presidential campaign rally in Waco, Texas, on 25 March, within the 30th anniversary period of the deadly 51-day law enforcement siege at the compound of the Branch Davidians religious cult.

A statement from the Trump campaign announcing the rally points to his support among Texas Republican voters in recent polling from a right-wing media firm, finding that the former president leads in the state against potential 2024 rival Ron DeSantis.

Trump announces first 2024 campaign rally in Waco

Nancy Pelosi: ‘No one is above the law'

Saturday 18 March 2023 18:47 , Alex Woodward

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned Donald Trump’s “reckless” announcement predicting his arrest, which she said has been used to “keep himself in the news and to foment unrest among his supporters.”

“Whatever the decision is of the Grand Jury, its consideration of this case makes clear: no one is above the law, not even a former President of the United States,” she said in a statement on Saturday.

“He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence. Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable,” she added.

Manhattan DA and Secret Service reportedly engaged in delicate talks about handling potential arrest

Saturday 18 March 2023 18:41 , Alex Woodward

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is reportedly engaged in “delicate negotiations with the Secret Service” about how to handle over how to handle Trump’s potential arrest, according to Yahoo News.

“The chief question at the moment is how to work out procedures for an extraordinary and unprecedented scenario: how to arrest, fingerprint – per standard procedure – handcuff a defendant who happens to be a former president and is protected by a group of Secret Service agents,” chief investigative correspondent Michael Isikoff reported.

Trump could be facing felony charges involving hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, reportedly the subject of an investigation from New York prosecutors.

His former attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to a federal charge relating to a $130,000 payment to Daniels in 2016 to allegedly keep her quiet about her claim that she had sex with Mr Trump.

Cohen was allegedly later repaid the money he gave to her in payments described by Trump’s business as “legal fees,” which could be grounds for felony falsification of business records. Cohen appeared before a grand jury in New York this week for a second time.

Republicans rush to defend Trump after ex-president teases arrest next week

Saturday 18 March 2023 18:24 , Alex Woodward

Despite not having seen any charges or evidence involving the still-unannounceed indictment against him, leading Republican figures were quick to defend Trump on Saturday after he predicted he would be arrested.

Republicans rush to defend Trump after ex-president teases arrest next week

McCarthy slammed for using House Speaker role to ‘stop justice from taking place'

Saturday 18 March 2023 17:43 , Alex Woodward

As Republicans dutifully rally around the former president to defend him from possible criminal prosecution before reviewing any evidence or the still-unannounced indictment, lawmakers and activist groups have condemned Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s statement accusing the Manhattan district attorney of an “outrageous abuse of power”.

Mr McCarthy also said he is directing House committees to “immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.”

A statement from the Congressional Integrity Project’s Brad Woodhouse said Mr McCarthy “is using his power as speaker of the House of Representatives to attempt to stop justice from taking place, threatening and intimidating those investigating Trump’s alleged wrongdoings with investigations of their own.”

“Kevin McCarthy has turned his speakership over to Trump, election deniers, white nationalist sympathizers and the cult of MAGA and he has lost the moral high ground to lead,” he added.

Top GOP official accuses prosecutors of ‘dangerous new low’ with comparisons to ‘socialist dictators'

Saturday 18 March 2023 17:22 , Alex Woodward

House Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik said “illegal leaks” about Trump’s arrest – which were announced by Trump himself – are “unAmerican” and claimed that the “radical Left has reached a dangerous new low of Third World countries.”

In a statement full of randomly capitalised words, Ms Stefanik claimed that the “Radical Left will now follow the lead of Socialist dictators and reportedly arrest President Trump, the leading Republican candidate for President of the United States,” because “they cannot beat President Trump at the ballot box.”

“What these corrupt Leftist prosecutors like Alvin Bragg and their Socialist allies fail to understand is that America First Patriots have never been so energized to exercise their constitutional rights to peacefully organize and VOTE..to save our great republic,” she added.

Her remarks follow other top Republican officials who rushed to defend the former president without seeing an indictment or prosecution filings outlining the potential allegations and evidence against Mr Trump.

‘No one is above the law’: Reactions as Trump claims he’ll be arrested next week

Saturday 18 March 2023 17:01 , Alex Woodward

Celebrities from across the world of culture have reacted to the latest news concerning former US president Donald Trump. The Independent’s Louis Chilton reports:

Stephen King and other celebrities react as Trump claims he’ll be arrested on Tuesday

Trump rages on Truth Social as he courts donations from supporters

Saturday 18 March 2023 16:50 , Alex Woodward

After soliciting donations from his supporters through his Truth Social account, Donald Trump has once again invoked inflammatory and apocalyptic rhetoric around his 2024 campaign and potential criminal indictments after he predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday.

Another all-caps post on Saturday – roughly 45 minutes after asking supporters to “send your contribution” to his campaign – called on his supporters to “protest, protest, protest” to “save America.”

He once again claimed that the US is being “led into World War III” while the Biden administration is “killing our nation.”

A spokesperson for Mr Trump said he wrote his posts without any direct knowledge of the timing of any arrest.

New York City mayor’s office ‘always remains prepared’ as law enforcement braces for Trump indictment

Saturday 18 March 2023 16:43 , Alex Woodward

A spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams did not elaborate on security measures that the city and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are reportedly mulling in advance of a potential indictment against Donald Trump.

In a statement to Gothamist, he said the city always remains prepared for any potential significant events.

“In coordination with other local, state, and federal law enforcement, the NYPD always remains prepared to respond to events happening on the ground and keep New Yorkers safe,” he said on Saturday.

‘There won’t be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago'

Saturday 18 March 2023 16:00 , Alex Woodward

An attorney for Donald Trump says the former president will not refuse to surrender to authorities if he is indicted in the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into the Stormy Daniels hush-money payment during his 2016 campaign.

“There won’t be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DA’s office,” Joe Tacopina told The New York Daily News.

“Most people would collapse under the weight of this,” he said. “He seems to turn everything into a positive and everything into a boost for his campaign, so I’m sure this will just join that long list of things that people think no one could overcome, but he will.”

Trump lawyer says he’ll surrender if indicted and avoid a ‘stand-off at Mar-a-Lago’

Congressman to McCarthy: ‘Do you even know what the charges are? No'

Saturday 18 March 2023 15:40 , Alex Woodward

Democratic US Rep Ted Lieu hit back at House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s baseless suggestion that New York prosecutors are “subverting democracy” with a criminal investigation into Donald Trump

“Do you even know what the charges are? Have you seen any of the grand jury evidence? No,” Mr Lieu wrote.

“You are being a craven, partisan politician who doesn’t respect the rule of law. In America, no one is above the law, including the person to whom you bend your knee,” he added.

‘Here we go again’: Speaker McCarthy condemns potential indictment and directs House committees to investigate

Saturday 18 March 2023 15:36 , Alex Woodward

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has accused the Manhattan district attorney’s office of an “outrageous abuse of power” following claims from Donald Trump that he will be prosecuted and arrested on still-unannounced charges.

“Here we go – an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump,” the California congressman said on Twitter.

“I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions,” he added.

Can Donald Trump still be elected president if he’s indicted?

Saturday 18 March 2023 15:16 , Alex Woodward

Should Trump actually be charged with a crime, it would be the first time an investigation into his inner circle (of which there have been several, with the most famous leading to multiple indictments for figures connected to the 2016 campaign) prosecuted the president himself.

What happens to the 2024 race, and Trump’s ability to participate in it, if he comes under criminal indictment?

John Bowden explains:

Can Donald Trump still be elected president if he’s indicted?

Trump claims he’s about to be charged. What happens next?

Saturday 18 March 2023 15:00 , Alex Woodward

Two years after Donald Trump left office following a bloody attack on the nation’s capital, he may be about to face criminal charges.

The looming charges, wholly unrelated to the attack on the seat of Congress which left dozens of police injured and traumatised, stem instead from a 2016 payment his then-attorney made to a porn star who has alleged that she and Mr Trump had an affair.

The Independent’s John Bowden explains:

Trump claims he’s about to be charged. What happens next?

ICYMI: Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors this week

Saturday 18 March 2023 14:45 , Alex Woodward

Adult film star Stormy Daniels confirmed on Wednesday that she had met with prosecutors with Manhattan’s district attorney’s office as part of the ongoing investigation into a hush payment she received from Donald Trump’s lawyer in 2016.

Clark Brewster, an attorney representing Ms Daniels, confirmed the news on Wednesday afternoon.

“At the request of the Manhattan DA’s office Stormy Daniels and I met with prosecutors today. Stormy responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed,” he wrote.

Stormy Daniels meets with prosecutors in Trump hush money investigation

Committee finds Trump didn’t report $300k of gifts and some remain missing

Saturday 18 March 2023 14:30 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump and his family failed to report nearly $300,000 dollars worth of gifts from foreign leaders, some of which still haven’t been located, according to a congressional panel.

The House Oversight Committee found that the former president didn’t notify the State Department of extravagant gifts from nations like Saudi Arabia, China, and El Salvador, a violation of federal law.

The Independent’s Josh Marcus reports:

Trump didn’t report $300k of gifts to State Department, committee says

Trump spokesperson clarifies that there has been ‘no notification’ of forthcoming charges or arrest after outburst

Saturday 18 March 2023 14:17 , Alex Woodward

A spokesperson for Trump clarified in a statement following the former president’s furious early-morning prediction that he will be arrested on Tuesday to say that there “has been no notification, other than illegal leaks from the Justice Dept. and the DA’s office, to NBC” and other news outlets.

The statement added: “President Trump is rightfully highlighting his innocence and the weaponization of our injustice system. He will be in Texas next weekend for a giant rally. Make America Great Again!”

Elon Musk predicts Trump will win reelection in ‘landslide victory’ if he’s indicted

Saturday 18 March 2023 14:10 , Alex Woodward

Elon Musk has predicted that Donald Trump would be reelected in a “landslide victory” if the former president is criminally charged.

Elon Musk predicts Trump will win reelection in ‘landslide victory’ if he’s indicted

NYPD and FBI planning security for possible Trump indictment as former president calls for protests

Saturday 18 March 2023 14:00 , Alex Woodward

Law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels are reportedly preparing for the possibility that former president Donald Trump may be indicted as early as next week in relation to the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

Preliminary security assessments are being conducted, and officials are discussing potential security plans in the vicinity of the Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street in case Mr Trump appears in person to face charges, according to NBC News, citing five senior officials familiar with the preparations.

The former president has urged his supporters to “protest” his imminent “arrest” in the Manhattan case, he said in a furious Truth Social post on 18 March, claiming that “illegal leaks” have indicated his arrest on 21 March.

Law enforcement planning security for possible Trump indictment as early as next week

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Trump will ‘win even bigger’ if he’s indicted

Saturday 18 March 2023 13:50 , Alex Woodward

Far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a zealous Trump ally seen as a potential pick for his running mate, claims that the former president will “ultimately win even bigger than he is already” if he is indicted.

“And those Republicans that stand by and cheer for his persecution or do nothing to stop it will be exposed to the people and will be remembered, scorned, and punished by the base,” she said in posts across her social media channels.

“President Trump did nothing wrong and has always fought for the American people, and we all know it, which is why we love him,” she added, echoing Mr Trump’s claims of innocence.

“And any Republican who thinks the Democrats will stop this madness once Trump is out of the way is fooling themselves,” she said.

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money payment that could lead to first Trump charges

Saturday 18 March 2023 13:40 , Alex Woodward

A five-year story finally looks to be nearing some kind of conclusion. The Independent’s John Bowden takes a look at the saga that may lead to criminal charges against Donald Trump:

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money payment that could lead to first Trump charges