Trump news – live: McCarthy calls for no protests over indictment or arrest as Cohen critic to testify today

Kevin McCarthy has called on Americans not to protest if Donald Trump is arrested as part of a grand jury investigation into his alleged role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Mr Trump has 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.

House majority leader Mr McCarthy responded to Mr Trump’s call on Sunday, saying: “I don’t think people should protest this stuff.”

It comes as a one-time ally turned critic of Michael Cohen - Manhattan prosecutors’ star witness in the case - will testify before the grand jury today.

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 cast doubts on Cohen’s credibility.

Cohen also revealed he was 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 Mr Trump.

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

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

14:48 , John Bowden

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

Trump supporters angry at ‘radio silent’ Ron DeSantis over former president’s potential arrest

13:50 , Rachel Sharp

Ron DeSantis is under fire from a number of Republicans and right-wing figures for his silence after Donald Trump called on supporters to speak out over his anticipated arrest in New York.

Nearly two days after Mr Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he could be arrested on Tuesday, the conservative Florida governor has not spoken out about the one-time president’s claims as several of his ardent supporters announced plans to protest or simply spoke out against the possibility.

Mr DeSantis is widely expected to confirm his run for the 2024 presidential elections and challenge Mr Trump.

The Independent’s Shweta Sharma reports:

Trump supporters angry at ‘radio silent’ Ron DeSantis over potential arrest

WATCH: Trump attorney claims rich people pay hush money regularly

13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Kevin McCarthy calls on Americans not to protest Trump indictment

13:10 , Rachel Sharp

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has called on Americans not to protest or turn to violence if or when Donald Trump is criminally indicted over the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Speaking at a press conference at the House GOP issues retreat on Sunday, the House majority leader broke rank with the former president after he claimed his arrest was imminent and called on the American people to “take our nation back”.

“I don’t think people should protest this stuff,” Mr McCarthy said.

He went on to suggest that Mr Trump was not speaking “in a harmful way” but was calling for his followers “to educate people about what’s going on”.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Kevin McCarthy calls on Americans not to protest Trump indictment

Will Fox News settle the Dominion defamation lawsuit?

12:50 , Alex Woodward

Embarrassing and potentially reputation-damaging behind-the-scenes revelations, stitched together in Dominion’s sprawling case alleging a media empire that relies on lying to its audience, may be compelling evidence, but they are not necessarily enough to reach the high bar in a billion-dollar defamation case, according to legal analysts.

Has the voting machine company at the centre of right-wing conspiracy theories met the extremely high bar for proving defamation by the press? Maybe, but the network says losing the case would be a blow to all media.

Will Fox News settle with Dominion? First Amendment experts aren’t so sure

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

12:30 , 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

ICYMI: Trump will hold his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco

12:10 , 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.

Trump announces first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas

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

11:50 , 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?

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

11:30 , 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 what he predicted would be his arrest on Tuesday.

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

Trump hush money grand jury to hear testimony from Michael Cohen critic Robert Costello

11:10 , Rachel Sharp

A one-time ally turned critic of Michael Cohen will testify today before the grand jury investigating Donald Trump over his alleged involvement in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Robert Costello, who once worked as a legal adviser to Cohen, told CNN that he will appear before the Manhattan grand jury on Monday at the request of the former president’s legal team.

A source told the outlet that it was Mr Costello who had reached out to both Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office and Mr Trump’s legal team to offer evidence in the case.

Mr Costello, who has previously represented Mr Trump allies Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani, is expected to contradict public statements Cohen has made about the payments to Ms Daniels and cast doubts on his credibility.

Cohen, Mr Trump’s former “fixer” and the prosecutors’ star witness in the case, also revealed that he has been asked to make himself available as a rebuttal witness on Monday.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Trump grand jury to hear testimony from Michael Cohen critic Robert Costello

Nancy Pelosi and Democrats condemn Trump’s ‘reckless’ statement as he stokes unrest over indictment

10:50 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s critics 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.

Read this weekend’s reactions from Democratic officials and current and former Republicans:

Nancy Pelosi and Democrats condemn Trump’s ‘reckless’ statement stoking unrest

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

10:30 , 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?

Kevin McCarthy calls on Americans not to protest Trump indictment

10:10 , Rachel Sharp

GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has called on Americans not to protest or turn to violence if or when Donald Trump is criminally indicted over the hush money payments.

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

His comments come after Mr Trump claimed on Saturday that 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.

Mr McCarthy suggested that Mr Trump was not speaking “in a harmful way” but was calling for his followers “to educate people about what’s going on”.

“He’s not talking in a harmful way. Nobody should harm one another,” said the GOP leader.

“And this is why you should really make law equal because if that was the case, nothing would happen.”

He added: “If was this to happen, we want calmness out there.”

Michael Cohen critic Robert Costello to testify today

09:50 , Rachel Sharp

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.

A source told the outlet that it was Mr Costello who reached out to both Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office and Mr Trump’s legal team to offer evidence in the case which would go against Cohen’s public statements about the 2016 payments.

Mr Costello, who has also represented Mr Trump allies Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani, 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.

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.”