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Trump news – as it happened: Order to seize voting machines revealed as Ivanka ‘isolated’ from Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump’s order - in which he instructed the defence secretary to seize voting machines - was based on an unfounded conspiracy theory, a new report claims.

A draft of a presidential order to seize voting machines appears to be largely based on blatantly false theories espoused by one of Mr Trump’s attorneys.

The three-page document, dated 16 December 2020, would have ordered the Secretary of Defence to “seize, collect, retain and analyze” voting equipment and electronic records.

The draft “presidential finding,” the contents of which were first reported by Politico, is one of the more than 750 documents that the National Archives and Records Administration turned over to the House select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka is reportedly frustrated at being dragged into the Jan 6 investigation on account of her time working in the White House.

According to a new report in The Daily Beast, Ms Trump’s displeasure stems from the fact that the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, is seeking testimony from her, while the Select Committee Investigating the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol is also asking for cooperation.

“Investigators working very different probes are increasingly looking to pressure the same person: Ivanka Trump,” The Beast noted.

Key points

  • Supreme Court allows release of January 6 Trump White House docs

  • Trump held secret meetings ahead of capitol riot, former press secretary claims

  • Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor calls for grand jury

  • Hannity urged White House aides to end ‘stolen election talk’

  • Ivanka Trump could complete portrait of what happened on 6 January, says Raskin

Committee seeks Ivanka’s testimony on whether Trump held up National Guard deployment

Thursday 20 January 2022 17:46 , Oliver O'Connell

From the letter to Ms Trump:

Third, the Select Committee is evaluating whether the President did or did not give any order to deploy the National Guard to respond to the violence on January 6th. Acting Secretary Chris Miller, who was in the chain of command and reported directly to the President, has testified under oath that the President never contacted him at any time on January 6th, and never, at any time, issued him any order to deploy the National Guard. Miller did speak with Vice President Pence on January 6th, but not with President Trump. The Committee is aware that certain White House staff devoted time during the violent riot to rebutting questions regarding whether the President was attempting to hold up deployment of the guard, and that Press Secretary McEnany issued a tweet that afternoon suggesting that the guard would be deployed (this occurred hours later). But the Committee has identified no evidence that President Trump issued any order, or took any other action, to deploy the guard that day. Nor does it appear that President Trump made any calls at all to the Department of Justice or any other law enforcement agency to request deployment of their personnel to the Capitol.

The Select Committee respectfully requests that you share any information you may have on this topic.

Prosecutors want to ask Ivanka Trump about NY apartment

Thursday 20 January 2022 17:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office want to talk to Ivanka Trump about a Park Avenue apartment she leased from her family’s eponymous real estate company that was offered to her for purchase at a price far lower than the unit’s public valuation, court documents reveal.

In a motion asking a New York state judge to order Ms Trump to appear for a deposition with investigators from the attorney general’s office, the prosecutors allege she “obtained apparently extraordinarily favourable terms” for renting an apartment at the Trump Park Avenue condominium building, with her monthly payments at “a mere fraction” of what the general public would have paid.

Prosecutors want to talk to Ivanka Trump about deal on luxury apartment

Ivanka Trump letter includes texts between Sean Hannity and Kayleigh McEnany

Thursday 20 January 2022 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The committee is also keen to ask Ms Trump about her father’s state of mind during this period and Sean Hannity’s efforts to stop the president from talking about a “stolen election”.

A text conversation between Mr Hannity and then-White House Press Secretary Kayeigh McEnany on the day after the Capitol riot is included in the letter. It lays out a five-point approach for conversations with the president.

The first item is “No more stolen election talk”, the second is “Yes, impeachment and 25th amendment are real, and many people will quit…”

Ms McEnany responds: “Love that. Thank you. That is the playbook. I will help reinforce…”

The press secretary also agreed with Mr Hannity’s recommendation to keep Mr Trump away from certain people. “No more crazy people,” said the Fox News presenter underlining it as “Key now”.

Ms McEnany replied: “Yes 100%”.

Ivanka Trump invited to meet committee in early February

Thursday 20 January 2022 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Bennie Thompson suggests an early February meeting for Ivanka Trump to be questioned by the Capitol riot select committee:

We would like to meet with you soon, but we also want to accommodate your schedule. We propose meeting with you on February 3 or 4, 2022. Please let us know whether one of those dates will fit with your schedule, or connect us with your counsel so we can coordinate on scheduling. If you are unavailable on those dates, we can arrange a time during the week of February 7, 2022.

Special grand jury requested by Georgia prosecutor in Trump investigation

Thursday 20 January 2022 18:25 , Oliver O'Connell

The chief prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia has requested a special grand jury as part of her investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the state’s results in the 2020 presidential election.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who launched her probe nearly one year ago, follows the former president’s phone call with Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he appeared to pressure him to “find” votes that would overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state.

Alex Woodward reports.

Georgia prosecutor requests special grand jury in Trump investigation

Ivanka Trump spokesperson gives statement on committee request

Thursday 20 January 2022 18:25 , Oliver O'Connell

A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump tells NBC’s Peter Alexander:

“Ivanka Trump just learned that the January 6 Committee issued a public letter asking her to appear. As the Committee already knows, Ivanka did not speak at the January 6 rally.”

“As she publicly stated that day at 3:15pm, ‘any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful.’”

Trump says everyone wanted vaccine when he was president

Thursday 20 January 2022 18:51 , Oliver O'Connell

In an interview last night, former President Donald Trump claimed that everyone wanted to be vaccinated against Covid-19 when he was president, but after Joe Biden came into office some people won’t get the vaccine because they do not trust him.

Hannity urged White House aides to end ‘stolen election talk’

Thursday 20 January 2022 19:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News host Sean Hannity sent a post-Capitol riot text message to then-White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany urging her and other top aides to then-president Donald Trump to stop “stolen election talk” and keep “crazy people” away from him.

Mr Hannity’s 7 January message laid out what Ms McEnany called a “playbook” for conversations with Mr Trump during his final days in office.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

New Sean Hannity texts to White House aides after Jan 6 revealed

Trump hits back at Georgia county DA’s investigation into 2020 election

Thursday 20 January 2022 19:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has released a statement through his spokesperson regarding his “perfect” call to the Secretary of State of Georgia following the 2020 election.

He continues to allege “massive voter fraud” and says that the Civil Special Grand Jury requested by Fulton County DA Fani Willis should instead focus on that and not his “perfect phone call” in which he tells Georgia’s Brad Raffensperger he needs to find 11,780 votes.

He signs off with: “No more political with hunts!”

Read more below.

Georgia prosecutor requests special grand jury in Trump investigation

Trump tries to twist Biden’s words in 2020 election fraud argument

Thursday 20 January 2022 19:53 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has tried to twist President Joe Biden’s words to falsely argue that the 2020 election was fraudulent, despite having no evidence to support the repeated claims.

“President Biden admitted yesterday, in his own very different way, that the 2020 election may very well have been a fraud, which I know it was,” the former president said in a statement on 20 January, the anniversary of his last day in office. “I’m sure his representatives, who work so hard to make it look legit, are not happy.”

Gustaf Kilander in Washington, DC has the details.

Trump tries to twist Biden’s words to falsely argue that 2020 election was ‘a fraud’

Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor calls for grand jury

Thursday 20 January 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump insists he “didn’t say anything wrong” on a phone call with Georgia’s top elections official in which the former president appeared to pressure him to “find” votes that would overturn Joe Biden’s definitive victory in the state.

Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor requests special grand jury

Is Pence fighting back against the MAGA mob?

Thursday 20 January 2022 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Supporters of Donald Trump erected a gallows for Mike Pence during the attack on the Capitol, but now he may be cooperating with the committee investigating the attack, writes Andrew Feinberg

The MAGA mob came for Mike Pence on January 6. Is he finally fighting back?

Ivanka Trump is first family member to be invited by Jan 6 committee

Thursday 20 January 2022 20:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Ivanka Trump, who served as an adviser in her father’s White House, will be among the next targets of the January 6 committee.

John Bowden reports.

Ivanka Trump hits back at Jan 6 committee request

Raskin says he looks forward to Ivanka Trump’s testimony

Thursday 20 January 2022 20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who acted as lead impeachment manager for the second impeachment of Donald Trump, says he looks forward to Ivanka Trump’s testimony.

He tweets: “If the former president has no executive privilege to hide evidence of an attempted coup or insurrection, neither do his family or friends. If Ivanka Trump was with Donald Trump as the attack unfolded, she is a material fact witness. I look forward to her testimony.”

Trump, Sanders, and America’s most progressive generation

Thursday 20 January 2022 20:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Two rival septuagenarians - Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders - unknowingly combined to help create the most progressive generation in modern American history, according to a new accoun, writes Andrew Buncombe.

How Trump and Sanders curiously combined to create the most progressive generation

Anger as McConnell refers to ‘African-Americans’ and ‘Americans’ separately

Thursday 20 January 2022 21:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Mitch McConnell caused many jaws to drop on Twitter when he responded to a question from a journalist about concerns of voters of colour.

The Senate minority leader was speaking alongside members of Republican leadership at a press conference on Wednesday evening when he was asked by Latino Rebels correspondent Pablo Manriquez about his message to voters afraid that without voting access protections that would be in place if the Democrats’ voting rights legislation were to pass, they will be unable to vote.

His response elicited a wave of criticism on Twitter for a choice of words that appeared to establish a difference between “African-Americans” and “Americans”, referring to white people.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

McConnell sparks anger by saying Black Americans voting at same rate ‘as Americans’

Why is the SCOTUS decision on Trump documents so significant?

Thursday 20 January 2022 21:07 , Oliver O'Connell

California Democrat representative and January 6 committee member Peter Aguilar sums it up:

“The former president did not want these records out there, and we’re gonna find out exactly why.”

Damage control: Biden says Russia will pay ‘heavy price’ for Ukraine invasion

Thursday 20 January 2022 21:23 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden walked back his remarks about Russia and Ukraine at Wednesday’s press conference, warning that Russian president Vladimir Putin would face consequences if the nation invaded Ukraine under any circumstances.

Mr Biden made the remarks during a meeting with his infrastructure implementation team.

“I’ve absolutely clear with President Putin, he has no misunderstanding, if any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion,” he said.

Mr Biden said an invasion would be met with a “severe economic response” coordinated with allies.

“But there is no doubt – let there be no doubt at all, that if Putin makes this choice, Russia will pay a heavy price,” he said.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Biden does damage control on Ukraine saying Putin will pay ‘heavy price’

‘Driving a stake through the heart of the federal republic'

Thursday 20 January 2022 21:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Another text message in the possession of the January 6 committee as revealed in the letter to Ivanka Trump is from a member of the House Freedom Caucus to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, warning that if President Trump’s plans for Mike Pence to not certify the results of the election go ahead, it would be “driving a stake through the heart of the federal republic”.

The committee would like to know if Ms Trump discussed that or similar concerns with the White House Chief of Staff? Or with the Vice President or his staff?

Conservative group launches billboard campaign against McCarthy

Thursday 20 January 2022 21:44 , Oliver O'Connell

A political ad campaign from a group of Republicans and conservatives is singling out GOP House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy over his refusal to cooperate with an investigation into the events leading up to and surrounding the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.

The Republican Accountability Project – formerly Republican Voters Against Trump, a project of conservative anti-Donald Trump organisation Defending Democracy Together – is paying for 50 billboards in Washington DC and in Mr McCarthy’s California district, asking, “What are you hiding, Kevin McCarthy? Testify about January 6th.”

Alex Woodward has the story.

Republican group’s billboard campaign targets McCarthy’s rejection of Jan 6 committee

Lara Trump pressures DeSantis to back former president

Thursday 20 January 2022 22:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump has put pressure on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to back the former president if he chooses to run for the White House again in 2024.

After Ms Trump claimed that there’s no “bad blood” between Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis, Fox Business Network host Stu Varney said, “DeSantis says asking him to support Trump in 2024 is too much to ask. He’s denying your father-in-law support”.

“Well, let’s give him another opportunity,” Ms Trump suggested. “Perhaps he did not mean exactly how those words are being interpreted. Let’s wait and see. I have not spoken to Ron DeSantis myself about that.”

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Lara Trump puts pressure on DeSantis to back Trump in 2024

Trump campaign officials coordinated ‘fake electors’, say reports

Thursday 20 January 2022 22:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Reporting by The Washington Post and CNN says that Trump campaign officials, led by Rudy Giuliani, oversaw efforts to put forward illegitimate alternate sets of electors from seven states that Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden.

Sources say that members of the Trump 2020 campaign team were very involved in the plan that was part of a broader scheme to overturn the Biden victory when Congress certified the counting of electoral votes on 6 January 2021.

The plot involved state-by-state planning and coordination between the Trump campaign and Republican state operatives, according to sources, with supporters selected to fill the fake elector slots.

Coordination of the plot was as detailed as booking meeting rooms in statehouses and making drafts of fake certificates.

The scheme was active in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada, and New Mexico.

The plan is now under the scrutiny of state attorneys general and the House select committee on January 6 to evaluate if any laws were broken.

Committee chair Bennie Thompson told reporters on Thursday that they are looking into whether this is part of a broader conspiracy relating to January 6, describing it as “a concern”.

The committee’s subpoena letter to Mr Giuliani specifically references his efforts to convince state legislatures to overturn election results.

Psaki corrects Biden election claims, says he was talking about Trump

Thursday 20 January 2022 22:51 , Justin Vallejo

White House press secretary walked back suggestions from Joe Biden that the upcoming midterm elections may not be legitimate if his bill to change voting laws is not passed.

Well, actually, the president was talking about Donald Trump in 2020, according to Jen Psaki.

"First I’ve talked to the president a lot about this and he absolutely is not predicting that the 2022 elections would be illegitimate," Psaki said.

“The point he was making is that the former president asked a number of states, seven or more in fact, to overturn the outcome of the election. Obviously, if there’s an effort to do that we’ve got to fight against that.”

Biden had earlier been directly asked about the new legislation currently being debated, and whether he believed the upcoming election would be fairly conducted and its results will be legitimate

This was his response: “Well, all depends on whether or not we’re able to make the case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election”.

Watch the full exchange below:

Is the world ready for a Trump v Biden 2024 rematch?

Thursday 20 January 2022 23:15 , Justin Vallejo

Survey says… NO!

Less than 3 in 10 people want to see the rematch of the 2020 election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Only 28 per cent want to see Trump throws his hat in the ring if Biden doesn’t his hat out of it, according to an AP poll from the past week.

Among Democrats, less than half, or just 48 per cent, want to see them go at it a second time.

Now, how about Trump v Hillary?

What’s a special grand jury and how does it work?

Thursday 20 January 2022 23:40 , Justin Vallejo

A prosecutor who’s investigating possible attempts by former President Donald Trump and others to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia on Thursday called for a special grand jury to help move the case along.

A special grand jury, or special purpose grand jury, is impaneled specifically to investigate any alleged violation of the laws of the state of Georgia.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR GRAND JURY?

A regular grand jury in Georgia is seated for a limited duration, one term of court — in Fulton County that’s two months. Grand jurors hear everything from felony shoplifting to murder cases and then decide whether to issue an indictment.

A special grand jury has no set term and focuses on a single topic. Unlike a regular grand jury, a special grand jury can subpoena the target of an investigation to appear before it, former Gwinnett County district attorney Danny Porter said. When the investigation is done, a special grand jury produces a report on its findings but can’t issue an indictment.

WHY USE A SPECIAL GRAND JURY?

Special grand juries are used for an expansive topic that takes longer than a single term of court to investigate and often has to do with public corruption, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia executive director Pete Skandalakis said.

The election case would be ideal for a special purpose grand jury because it’s likely a complex case with a lot of witnesses and potential logistical concerns that will take more time and focus than a regular grand jury is able to spend, he said. - Associated Press

Five takeaways from the Capitol riot committee’s request for Ivanka Trump’s testimony

00:05 , Justin Vallejo

Thursday marked the first time a member of President Donald Trump’s own family officially became roped into the Capitol riot committee’s investigation of the January 6 attack.

Ivanka Trump, eldest daughter of the former president, was notified that the committee will seek her voluntary testimony regarding the events of January 6 and the actions taken by her father as the riot unfolded.

As a White House adviser who joined the Trump White House in early 2017, Ms Trump is one of the longest-serving Trump aides whose testimony has been requested. She issued a defiant statement in response which sought to minimise her participation and suggested that she would resist the committee’s request absent a subpoena.

The committee’s request, as well as Ms Trump’s own statement in response to their letter, revealed a number of important details not just about the current scope and focus of lawmakers on the panel but Ms Trump’s mindset and potentially the feelings of other members of the ex-president’s inner circle.

The Independent’s John Bowden looks at the five things learned from the request for Ivanka Trump’s testimony.

Five takeaways from the Capitol riot committee’s request for Ivanka Trump’s testimony

Are Americans expecting too much from Joe Biden?

00:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Andrew Buncombe asks if Biden deserves more credit a year into his presidency.

Is America expecting too much from Joe Biden?

Fraud case against Trump? Not a slam dunk, experts say

00:55 , Justin Vallejo

Lawyers who examined the details of the allegations said that while Attorney General Letitia James could potentially bring a lawsuit alleging fraud, she will face two major hurdles: proving both an intent to deceive and that banks that loaned Trump money were actually fooled.

“Were you sloppy, lazy or over-optimistic about your prospects? If you were, that may be bad business, but it doesn’t necessarily rise to fraud,” said Will Thomas, an assistant professor of business law at the University of Michigan.

One important question is whether any misrepresentations in the company’s financial statements “were intentional, knowing and intended to deceive,” said David S. Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor who reviewed the evidence for AP.

Intent is difficult to prove with real estate because it is an illiquid asset whose value, unlike publicly traded shares, isn’t being set by different investors constantly buying and selling, but by estimates, and often flawed ones.

“Even experts applying the same set of valuation tools might reasonably disagree about the ultimate valuation,” Thomas said.

Associated Press

GOP rep called hypocrite for lauding infrastructure funding she voted against

01:30 , Oliver O’Connell

US Representative Ashley Hinson is being called a hypocrite after praising and taking credit for infrastructure funding allocated to her region, despite having voted against the bill that made it possible.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Republican blasted for taking credit for bill she voted against and called socialism

Ivanka Trump hits back at Jan 6 committee request saying she didn’t ‘speak at the rally’

02:32 , Justin Vallejo

Ivanka Trump, who served as an adviser in her father’s White House, will be among the next targets of the January 6 committee.

“Ivanka Trump just learned that the January 6 Committee issued a public letter asking her to appear. As the Committee already knows, Ivanka did not speak at the January 6 rally,” said a spokesperson for Ms Trump.

“As she publicly stated that day at 3:15pm, ‘any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful,’” the spokesperson noted.

The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:

Ivanka Trump hits back at Jan 6 committee request

ICYMI: Trump held ‘secret meetings’ in days before riots

03:30 , Justin Vallejo

Donald Trump held secret meetings in the days before the 6 January Capitol riots, according to former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. Jade Bremner reports.

Trump held ‘secret meetings’ before 6 January, says former press secretary

Rudy Giuliani led Trump officials in effort to overturn election - report

03:42 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Rudy Giuliani, former president Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, led campaign officials in an effort in December 2020 to put forward illegitimate electors from seven states where Mr Trump had lost, it has been reported.

Sources told CNN that members of Mr Trump’s campaign team were far more involved than previously known in the plan, a part of the broader initiative to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential victory.

The House panel investigating the Capitol riot have issued a subpoena to Mr Giuliani.

Trump tries to twist Biden’s words to justify his 2020 election claims

04:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Despite failing to support his claim multiple times, Donald Trump tried to twist president Joe Biden’s words to falsely argue that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

“President Biden admitted yesterday, in his own very different way, that the 2020 election may very well have been a fraud, which I know it was,” the former president said in a statement on 20 January, the anniversary of his last day in office.

During his first press conference of 2022, Mr Biden was asked if he believes the upcoming midterms will be fairly conducted.

The president responded saying: “it all depends on whether or not we’re able to make the case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election”.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Trump tries to twist Biden’s words to falsely argue that 2020 election was ‘a fraud’

Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor calls for grand jury

04:30 , Justin Vallejo

Donald Trump insists he “didn’t say anything wrong” on a phone call with Georgia’s top elections official in which the former president appeared to pressure him to “find” votes that would overturn Joe Biden’s definitive victory in the state.

“My phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia was perfect, perhaps even more so than my call with the Ukrainian President, if that’s possible,” the former president said in a statement through his spokesperson.

“I knew there were large numbers of people on the line, including numerous lawyers for both sides,” he said. “Although I assumed the call may have been inappropriately, and perhaps illegally, recorded, I was not informed of that. I didn’t say anything wrong in the call, made while I was president on behalf of the United States of America, to look into the massive voter fraud which took place in Georgia.”

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story.

Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor requests special grand jury

ICYMI: Trump did not want to tweet ‘stay peaceful’ during Capitol riot

04:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Former president Donald Trump initially refused to tweet the words “stay peaceful” when his supporters laid siege at the Capitol building on 6 January last year, according to a former aide.

The anonymous source told CNN that Mr Trump was “very reluctant to put out anything when it [the Capitol riot] was unfolding”.

It took Mr Trump almost 20 minutes to urge people to stay peaceful as the unprecedented chaos ensued, in which lawmakers scrambled to save their lives.“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful,” he finally tweeted.

Shweta Sharma reports.

Trump did not want to tweet ‘stay peaceful’ during 6 January riot, ex-aide says

Ivanka Trump a critical figure, says Raskin

05:27 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

We are closing in on the target, said Rep Jamie Raskin, hours after the US congressional panel asked the daughter of the former president and one-time White House adviser Ivanka Trump to voluntarily testify about last year’s Capitol riot.

“Ivanka Trump is a critical figure because she was there. We believe she was there when [Donald] Trump was trying to twist Mike Pence’s arm. She was also a key figure to pull Trump back, apparently,” he told MSNBC.

“She could, perhaps, complete the portrait on what happened on 6 January,” Mr Raskin said.

Hannity urged White House aides to end ‘stolen election talk’

06:11 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Fox News host Sean Hannity sent a post-Capitol riot text message to then-White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany urging her and other top aides to Donald Trump to stop “stolen election talk” and keep “crazy people” away from him.

Mr Hannity’s 7 January message laid out what Ms McEnany called a “playbook” for conversations with the former president during his final days in office.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

New Sean Hannity texts to White House aides after Jan 6 revealed

Man charged with sedition jailed until trial

06:51 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A judge on Thursday refused to release from prison a member of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers.

Eleven members of the group were charged with seditious conspiracy over allegations they helped plan the 6 January insurrection.

Magistrate Judge John Boyle concluded that 63-year-old Edward Vallejo posed a danger to the community and will remain behind bars until his trial.

Prosecutors argued that Mr Vallejo coordinated “quick reaction force” teams that kept guns at a hotel in nearby Arlington, Virginia, and were prepared to bring the weapons into Washington.

Lara Trump puts pressure on DeSantis to back Trump in 2024: ‘Give him another opportunity’

11:58 , Thomas Fenton

Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump has put pressure on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to back the former president if he chooses to run for the White House again in 2024.

After Ms Trump claimed that there’s no “bad blood” between Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis, Fox Business Network host Stu Varney said, “DeSantis says asking him to support Trump in 2024 is too much to ask. He’s denying your father-in-law support”.

“Well, let’s give him another opportunity,” Ms Trump suggested. “Perhaps he did not mean exactly how those words are being interpreted. Let’s wait and see. I have not spoken to Ron DeSantis myself about that.”

Gustaf Kilander reports:

Lara Trump puts pressure on DeSantis to back Trump in 2024

ICYMI - Giuliani oversaw state effort to send fake electors to declare Trump victory in 2020

13:00 , Thomas Fenton

Rudy Giuliani and other Trump campaign officials were involved in overseeing efforts in December 2020 to put forward illegitimate electors in seven states, according to US media reports.

The news comes just days after the House select committee investigating the 6 January Capitol riot issued a subpoena to Mr Giuliani.

CNN and The Washington Post, citing party leaders and campaign officials who wished to remain anonymous, reported on Thursday on the steps the Trump campaign had taken to try and overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US presidential elections.

An anonymous Trump campaign staffer with knowledge of the matter told CNN that Mr Giuliani was “calling the shots”. The former Mayor of New York City reportedly participated in at least one call between Trump campaign officials and GOP state officials.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

Rudy Giuliani oversaw efforts to send fake electors to declare Trump victory in 2020

Ivanka Trump ‘frustrated and annoyed’ by latest legal compliance requests

13:30 , Thomas Fenton

As Former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles continue to mount, his daughter Ivanka is seemingly growing frustrated at being dragged into such investigations due to her time working with her father.

According to a new report in The Daily Beast, Ms Trump’s displeasure stems from the fact that the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, is seeking testimony from her, while the Select Committee Investigating the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol is also asking for cooperation.

“Whether it’s the lawmakers on Capitol Hill plumbing the depths of last year’s failed coup, or prosecutors in New York putting former President Donald Trump’s sprawling family business under a microscope, investigators working very different probes are increasingly looking to pressure the same person: Ivanka Trump,” The Beast noted.

The outlet also spoke to one source who has known Ivanka for years, who said: “She is somebody who, to her core, believes she still has so much to offer the world...to be hassled with investigation after investigation is not where she wanted to be at this chapter in her life.”

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Joe Scarborough: ‘this is a really really bad week’ for Trump

14:00 , Thomas Fenton

The severity of Donald Trump’s legal issues in both Georgia and New York were outlined on Thursday by Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough.

Discussing the investigations, Mr Scarborough told his audience (via Raw Story), “I’m sure somebody out there has had a worse week than Donald Trump.”

“But when you look back and you see the New York attorney general, Ron DeSantis insulting him and the Supreme Court of the United States just slapping him down 8-1 — he would say his Supreme Court completely just rejecting his claim and all of this information which is, it is bad as it gets.”

The MSNBC host continued: “All of his henchmen are going to lie, but the documents don’t lie. Now Georgia — I mean this is a really, really bad week.”

Five intriguing takeaways from the Jan 6 committee Ivanka development

15:11 , Thomas Fenton

Thursday marked the first time a member of President Donald Trump’s own family officially became roped into the Capitol riot committee’s investigation of the January 6 attack.

Ivanka Trump, eldest daughter of the former president, was notified that the committee will seek her voluntary testimony regarding the events of January 6 and the actions taken by her father as the riot unfolded.

As a White House adviser who joined the Trump White House in early 2017, Ms Trump is one of the longest-serving Trump aides whose testimony has been requested. She issued a defiant statement in response which sought to minimise her participation and suggested that she would resist the committee’s request absent a subpoena.

John Bowden has the latest:

Where was Jared? Five intriguing takeaways from Ivanka’s Jan 6 committee moment

Trump dismisses rumoured feud with DeSantis as ‘Totally Fake News’

16:01 , Thomas Fenton

During a Fox News phone interview on Thursday night, Former President Trump described the reported friction between himself and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as “total B.S.”

“I get along great with Ron [DeSantis],” Mr Trump told Sean Hannity during the broadcast, via mediaite.com.

The 75-year-old went on to say that Governor DeSantis “was very good on the Mueller hoax,” referring to decrying the special counsel investigation by former FBI Director Robert Mueller over whether the 2016 Trump campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in that year’s presidential election.

“It’s totally fake news,” Trump continued. “[DeSantis has} done a really terrific job in Florida and, I think, you know, Ron has been very good. He’s been a friend of mine for a long time.”

Several reports have claimed there is friction between Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis as the former wants the latter to state publicly that he won’t run for President in 2024.

NARA confirms it has delivered hundreds of pages of Trump White House records to the Jan. 6 committee

16:37 , Thomas Fenton

The Jan 6 committee now has over 750 pages of Trump White House files, including files from Mark Meadows, Kayleigh McEnany, Stephen Miller and others.

“Yesterday evening NARA provided the Select Committee with all the records at issue in the litigation. NARA continues to respond to the Select Committee’s request on an ongoing basis,” an agency spokesperson told Politico.

Trump may endorse rival GOP candidates for midterms - ‘I get two chances to win’

17:14 , Thomas Fenton

Donald Trump is toying with the idea of dishing out dual endorsements in some of the key midterm races later this year, as he becomes increasingly suspicious of his advisers who are pushing competing candidates.

As Politico reports, the former president has grown so distrustful of all the advice he’s getting from various aides — and so wary of being lured into picking the wrong horse — that he’s floated an idea that would essentially dilute his endorsement.

“He feels like he’s being penned in,” said a person close to the 75-year-old, explaining that Mr Trump’s logic is that dual endorsements would mean, “I get two chances to win.”

Another source told Politico: “He isn’t clear about which advisers have significant personal or financial ties to the candidates they’re bending his ear about.”

“He’s at times suspicious of the recommendations that people give him when he knows they’re being paid,” an adviser to the former president added. “He’s been asking who is paying who.”

DeSantis still refusing to disclose booster status after Trump’s indirect dig

17:51 , Thomas Fenton

Ron DeSantis is sticking to his guns over his refusal to say if he’s got the booster – days after Trump accused any politician who refused to answer of being a “coward.”

The Florida Governor, who is has been tipped to challenge Mr Trump for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2024, is one of several politicians who still hasn't revealed whether they’ve received the booster vaccine.

During a press conference on Thursday, when asked whether he had indeed been vaxxed, Mr DeSantis stood his ground by saying, “I’m not gonna let that be a weapon for people to use.”

The pair have also denied persistent rumours of an ongoing rift in light of recent reports to the contrary.

Trump order that instructed defense secretary to seize voting machines was based on conspiracy theory

18:30 , Thomas Fenton

A draft of a presidential order to seize voting machines appears to be largely based on blatantly false theories espoused by one of former President Donald Trump’s attorneys in the days following his 2020 election loss.

The three-page document, dated 16 December 2020, would have ordered the Secretary of Defence to “seize, collect, retain and analyze” voting equipment and electronic records and gave the secretary “discretion to determine the interdiction of national critical infrastructure supporting federal election”.

The draft “presidential finding,” the contents of which were first reported by Politico, is one of the more than 750 documents that the National Archives and Records Administration turned over to the House select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection on Thursday.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Draft Trump order to seize voting machines cited Sidney Powell’s crackpot theories

ICYMI - Trump White House records are now in the hands of Jan 6 committee

19:00 , Thomas Fenton

The House select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection is now in possession of more than 750 pages of Trump White House records it requested as part of its probe into the worst attack on the Capitol since the 1814 Burning of Washington.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Archives and Records Administration (Nara) said the agency “provided the Select Committee with all the records at issue in the litigation” on Thursday evening.

The spokesperson added that Nara will continue producing documents in response to the committee’s request “on an ongoing basis”.

The committee of seven Democrats and Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger has already reviewed thousands of documents and has had more than 400 witnesses give evidence since it was charged with investigating the Capitol insurrection last summer.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Trump White House records are now in the hands of Jan 6 committee

Trump-appointed judge blocks Biden vaccine mandate

19:26 , Io Dodds

A federal judge appointed by Mr Trump has blocked President Joe Biden‘s attempt to force government workers to get the Covid vaccine.

Judge Jeffrey Brown of the Southern District of Texas issued a ruling on Friday that Mr Biden’s federal worker vaccine mandate was likely to be defeated in court and may not be enforced in the meantime.

Mr Biden imposed the mandate on more than 3.5 million federal workers in November, with some exemptions for religious or medical reasons. Those who refused could be fired.

But Judge Brown said he was sceptical that the President "can, with the stroke of a pen and without the input of Congress, require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment".

He concluded: "That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far."

Giuliani's Ukraine fixer jailed for channelling foreign cash

20:00 , Io Dodds

A Belorus-born businessman who helped Rudy Giuliani gather damaging information about Joe Biden's son has been jailed for channeling foreign cash to US politicians.

Igor Fruman, 56, was sentence to one year in prison by a Manhattan judge today, according to the Associated Press, having previously pled guilty to soliciting illegal campaign contributions.

The donations reportedly related to a legal cannabis business, with the unknown foreign national sending two $500,000 payments to build support for it.

More news on this one as we get it.

Igor Fruman admits soliciting illegal donations from Russian businessman

20:47 , Io Dodds

Here’s my colleague Greg Graziosi on the jailing of Igor Fruman.

In his plea, Fruman admitted to soliciting a million dollars from Russian businessman Andrey Muraviev to be used as donations to Republicans in Nevada, Florida and other states to gain their backing for a recreational cannabis business.

Fruman also acted as a go-between for Mr Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Ukranian officials and business leaders in an attempt to dig up dirt on Mr Biden’s son Hunter.

None of the men involved in that scheme have faced related charges from federal prosecutors, who opted instead to focus on campaign finance violations.

Read the full story here.

Giuliani and Flynn to be stripped of honorary degrees

21:15 , Io Dodds

Trump aides Rudy Giuliani and Michael Flynn will be stripped of their honorary degrees by the University of Rhode Island.

The institution's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to uphold a committee's recommendation to to revoke the pair's honours.

Action was taken because university officials believe both men, who have supported Mr Trump’s false stolen election claims, “no longer represent the highest level of our values and standards.”

Read the full story here.

Thanks for reading

21:25 , Io Dodds

That’s the end of our live blog for today. Thanks for tuning in, and have a good weekend.