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Trump arrest - live: Violent threats surge as Trump team readies for Stormy Daniels hush money indictment

Donald Trump could be indicted as soon as Wednesday as Manhattan prosecutors investigating hush money payments to Stormy Daniels conclude their probe.

In anticipation of their decision, there has been a surge in online threats directed at government targets and political officials, with plans for what one commenter called January 6 times ten, with guns.

While there have been lacklustre turnouts at rallies in support of the embattled former president — with one in New York so sparsely attended that it was estimated the ratio of journalists to protesters was five to one — the Trump 2024 campaign is using the moment to fundraise.

On his own social media platform, Mr Trump posted a scathing, late-night video on Monday attacking the four ongoing criminal investigations into his actions. He took aim at what he calls the “most disgusting witchhunt in the history of our country” telling his followers that he will “stand in their way” of their political “enemies”.

Mr Trump’s troubles don’t end in New York. The special counsel’s office in Washington reportedly has evidence the former president misled his own attorneys about the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, potential eliminating Mr Trump’s attorney-client privilege defences.

Key Points

ICYMI: Late night hosts pour scorn on Trump amid arrest claims

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

“You’ve got to give it to him. It’s not often that someone sends out a save-the-date for their own arrest.”

Late-night hosts pour scorn on Trump amid arrest claims

How did a porn star become one of the most powerful people in politics?

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels is again at the centre of a national firestorm as New York state prosecutors are reportedly preparing to bring charges against Mr Trump, which would be the first criminal prosecution against a former president in US history.

Io Dodds explains how Daniels ended up as such a crucial figure in contemporary US politics.

How porn star Stormy Daniels became one of the most powerful people in politics

Tucker Carlson team put pictures of Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit around the office, former producer says

01:15 , Josh Marcus

A former Fox News producer has claimed in a lawsuit that members of the staff of Tucker Carlson’s show put images of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit up throughout their office to mock her for her appearance.

Abby Grossberg, the former producer, filed a discrimination suit against Fox News, Carlson, and several other executives and producers in a Manhattan court on Monday.

Ms Grossberg, who started working at Tucker Carlson Tonight in September 2022, said she was stunned upon starting her job “to be greeted by many large and blown-up photographs of Nancy Pelosi in a plunging bathing suit revealing her cleavage”.

Abe Asher reports.

Tucker Carlson team put up pictures of Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit, suit alleges

If he’s arrested and indicted, can Trump still be president?

00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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

John Bowden reports.

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

Tucker Carlson ‘enraged’ after Trump texts leak and claims to ‘love’ ex-president

00:23 , Josh Marcus

Despite leaked text messages that show Tucker Carlson describing how he “passionately” hates Donald Trump, the Fox News host is claiming it’s quite the opposite.

“Oh, let’s see. I spent four years defending his policies and I, I’m going to defend them again tonight,” Mr Carlson told WABC radio. “And actually, and I’m pretty straight forward, I’m um I love Trump. Like, as a person, I think Trump is funny and insightful.”

Mr Trump has also insisted the two have a good relationship.

“He doesn’t hate me, or at least, not anymore!” Mr Trump claimed earlier this month.

‘He doesn’t hate me’: Trump says Tucker Carlson is still a fan despite legal filings

Mr Carlson said he “passionately” hated Donald Trump and fantasised in 2021 about the day he would no longer have to cover his fellow conservative, according to new messages released as part of a defamation lawsuit against Fox News.

Tucker Carlson said he ‘passionately’ hated Trump, new Fox News lawsuit filings show

“We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights,” Carlson told an unknown Fox News employee just two days before the January 6 Capitol riot, according to the court documents. “I truly can’t wait.”

“I hate him passionately,” he added.

What is the process for indicting Donald Trump on criminal charges?

Tuesday 21 March 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The looming criminal indictment now widely expected to be coming down on Donald Trump’s shoulders has left many, including seasoned legal experts and journalists who have followed the justice system for years wondering exactly what to expect when it actually happens.

John Bowden looks at how things would likely play out.

Mugshot, fingerprints, handcuffs? The process for indicting Trump

Did Donald Trump mislead his own lawyers over Mar-a-Lago documents?

Tuesday 21 March 2023 23:27 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump knowingly misled his own attorneys about his handling of classified documents after leaving office, according to the contents of a sealed filing in the special counsel investigation of the former president, ABC News reports.

The federal special counsel investigating Mr Trump presented a Washington court with evidence that the former president committed “criminal violations” and deliberately misled his lawyers, former DC district court chief judge Beryl Howell wrote in a Friday filing, a source told the broadcaster. (Judge Howell stepped down the same day as the reported filing.)

As a result of the alleged misconduct on Mr Trump’s part, Judge Howell ordered Trump attorney Evan Corcoran to comply with a grand jury subpoena and offer records and testimony in the investigation, which he had previously avoided by claiming attorney-client privilege.

Attorney-client privilege doesn’t apply to conversations relating to carrying out or concealing a crime.

More details in our full story here.

Judge considers whether Fox News v Dominion case goes to trial

Tuesday 21 March 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Attorneys for Dominion Voting Systems told a judge in Delaware that Fox News personalities and executives knew that baseless allegations of vote manipulation in the 2020 presidential election were false but continued to air those claims and host the people who made them.

Both parties are seeking summary judgment, each asking the judge to declare them the winner without having to proceed toward a jury trial as scheduled next month.

Alex Woodward has the latest.

Fox News and Dominion face off in court as judge decides whether case goes to trial

Rand Paul condemns perceived abuse of power by advocating real abuse of power

Tuesday 21 March 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

After tech issues derail interview, Trump jokes ‘radical left’ to blame

Tuesday 21 March 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s interview with radio host Jackson Lahmeyer as part of a gathering of pastors hoping to pray for the president’s success in his ongoing criminal investigations was derailed on Monday by persistent audio issues which left the ex-president joking about sabotage from his political enemies.

John Bowden has the story.

Trump jokingly blames ‘radical left’ after tech issues derail interview

ICYMI: Robert Costello claims he destroyed Michael Cohen’s credibility before grand jury

Tuesday 21 March 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump ally Robert Costello has claimed that he sought to destroy Michael Cohen’s credibility as he testified before the Manhattan grand jury investigating the former president’s role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Mr Costello – a one-time ally turned critic of Mr Trump’s former “fixer” Cohen – gave testimony before the grand jury on Monday as a possible indictment draws ever nearer for the former president.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Trump ally claims he destroyed Michael Cohen’s credibility before grand jury

Trump accuses DeSantis of... changing the pronunciation of his own name?

Tuesday 21 March 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump shared a video on Truth Social showing his top 2024 rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seeming to change the pronunciation of his name over time.

Mr Trump shared a post from Twitter user Johnny Maga, who asked on 16 March: “Who changes the pronunciation of their own last name in their 40s? Is there anything genuine about this guy?”

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

DeSantis accused of changing pronunciation of his own name

‘You can call me whatever you want’: DeSantis doubles down Trump attacks before indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 21:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has doubled down on his attacks on Donald Trump ahead of the former president’s predicted indictment and their likely 2024 clash for the Republican presidential nomination.

The Florida governor told Piers Morgan in an interview that he was not phased by Mr Trump’s mocking and branding of him as “Ron DeSanctimonious” in recent attacks.

“I don’t know how to spell the sanctimonious one. I don’t really know what it means, but I kinda like it, it’s long, it’s got a lot of vowels. We’ll go with that, that’s fine,” he told Morgan on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

Graeme Massie reports on this developing story.

Ron DeSantis doubles down Trump attacks ahead of indictment

Trump rants there is ‘no nothing’ there other than Cohen’s lies

Tuesday 21 March 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In a late afternoon Truth Social screed by the former president, Donald Trump writes:

Reports, and almost everybody, says, even after in-depth legal study and review, that there was NO CRIME, NO AFFAIR, NO BOOKKEEPING ERROR OR MISDEMEANOR, NO “NOTHING,” OTHER THAN NOW PROVEN LIES BY MICHAEL COHEN, A CONVICTED FELON AND PERJURER, AND THE STRONG LIKELIHOOD OF AN EXTORTION PLOT AGAINST ME. So, after getting CRUSHED yesterday by Cohen’s highly respected attorney, with the case against me FULLY DISPROVEN, why is the D.A. searching for yet another “witness?” TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME!

Unexpectedly, he then praises former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, with whom he has had a checkered relationship, for purportedly schooling Donna Brazile on DA Alvin Bragg’s “hypocrisy” on crime.

Surge in online threats as police prepare for possible Trump indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Violent threats and rhetoric have exploded online ahead of Donald Trump’s potential indictment in a New York hush money investigation, according to intelligence officials.

According to intelligence reports from the US Capitol Police in Washington, the federal DC Fusion Center and the Federal Highway Administration obtained by Rolling Stone, officials have been monitoring worrying online chatter, including one anonymous user who said the former president’s arrest would result in “Jan 6*10 + Guns.”

Josh Marcus has the details.

Online threats surge as law enforcement prepares for potential Trump indictment

Swing voters won’t give Trump ‘thumbs up’ over hush money scandal, says Democrat rep

Tuesday 21 March 2023 21:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrat Rep Jeff Jackson of North Carolina weighed in on the political implications of a Trump indictment during an appearance on Fox News.

“I don’t think there’s any universe in which [swing voters] see this underlying behavior, with respect to the affair, and the hush money, and potentially criminal conviction, and give a thumbs up,” the red-state Democrat said.

As clashes with Trump get nasty, DeSantis polling drops

Tuesday 21 March 2023 21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ support in a potential Republican presidential primary has dropped to its lowest yet as he faces a torrent of criticism from establishment Republicans for his remarks on Ukraine and attacks from Donald Trump, according to a new poll.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

DeSantis drops to lowest support in GOP polls after mocking Trump over indictment

Democrats ‘love this dog and pony show we are putting on'

Tuesday 21 March 2023 20:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Rightwing commentator Tomi Lahren has decried Republican infighting centred around Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, which this week has taken on a nastier tone.

“So the corrupt Manhattan DA goes after Donald Trump and y’all point the cannons at Ron DeSantis?!” she wrote on Twitter.

“The Democrats are cracking up. They love this dog and pony show we are putting on.”

Giuliani mocked over bizarre Cameo nursery thyme clip

Tuesday 21 March 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City Mayor and ex-personal lawyer to former President Donald Trump, is facing mockery after appearing in a video on the site Cameo reciting the nursery rhyme I’m A Little Teapot.

Mr Giuliani has been on the video greeting site since August 2021, where users can pay him $325 for a personal message tailored to their requests.

Gustaf Kilander reports on another bizarre moment from the man once referred to as “America’s mayor”.

Rudy Giuliani mocked over bizarre Cameo clip recounting nursery rhyme

Tuberville: Trump indictment will look like ‘political assassination'

Tuesday 21 March 2023 20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Four-year sentence for Capitol rioter who attacked police

Tuesday 21 March 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A Virginia man who assaulted police with a stolen baton and used a flashing strobe light to disorient officers trying to defend the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in prison.

Geoffrey Sills of Mechanicsville, Virginia, was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon, obstruction of Congress and robbery for his role in the violence at the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace tunnel, where police were beaten and crushed as as they tried to beat back the angry mob of President Donald Trump supporters.

The 31-year-old has already served a year and a half behind bars since his June 2021 arrest.

Read more:

Man gets 4 years for attacking police at Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Trump’s niece mocks uncle for wanting protests

Tuesday 21 March 2023 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

How Trump is fundraising over his own ‘arrest’ prediction

Tuesday 21 March 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump fuelled a media firestorm with his all-caps prediction of his own arrest, a claim apparently based on reports of a looming indictment from a criminal investigation in New York. His own team followed up to clarify that he did not receive any indications from prosecutors that he had yet been charged or would be imminently arrested.

Alex Woodward explains how this was then parlayed into a moneyspinner for his 2024 campaign.

How Donald Trump is fundraising over his own ‘arrest’ prediction

Trump’s payoff to a porn actress is ‘ordinary in America’, says Tucker Carlson

Tuesday 21 March 2023 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News’s resident Trump cheerleader Tucker Carlson was back at it again on Monday in defence of the former president, this time as Donald Trump faces a looming criminal indictment.

In a segment on Monday evening the primetime host spun a narrative about the hush payment Mr Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, days before the presidential election, which would go on to be classified as an illegal campaign contribution and land Mr Cohen in prison.

John Bowden unpacks what he said.

Tucker Carlson says Trump’s payoff to a porn actress is ‘ordinary in America’

Judge rejects Trump attempts to delay NY AG civil suit against family and company

Tuesday 21 March 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A judge has declined to move the trial date for a $250m civil lawsuit filed against former President Donald Trump, his eldest children, and his company the Trump Organization, ABC News reports.

The suit was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James against the family and company alleging that they altered the value of their real estate portfolio to dupe banks and insurers.

Judge Arthur Engoron said there was no need to postpone what he called a "seemingly simple case" of whether Trump's disclosures to his lenders and insurers, known as statements of financial condition, were accurate or not.

“The issue is whether the statements were false,” Engoron said. “This case is complex, but it is not complicated.”

The trial is still scheduled to start on 2 October.

The Trumps have denied wrongdoing and the former president has said the lawsuit as politically motivated by the New York attorney general.

Ivanka Trump has separately filed for a delay as a defence arguing that she wasn’t responsible for fraudulent financial statements issued by the company will take more time to prepare.

Ivanka Trump throws brothers and father under bus in New York fraud suit

Ted Cruz jumps on the indictment fundraising bandwagon

Tuesday 21 March 2023 19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Melania adviser calls ‘BS’ on report she left Trump over Stormy Daniels revelations

Tuesday 21 March 2023 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the former adviser to Melania Trump in the early days of her time as first lady, has called out reporting that the revelations about Stormy Daniels in early 2018 caused a split between the Trumps.

Melania Trump didn’t leave president over Stormy Daniels affair ex-aide says

Schumer says to comment on Trump indictment ‘premature'

Tuesday 21 March 2023 19:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump lawyer once blasted hush money payments as possibly ‘illegal’ and ‘fraud’

Tuesday 21 March 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The lawyer representing former President Donald Trump in the hush money payments probe appeared on CNN in 2018 and seemed to criticise the payments as potentially “illegal” and a “fraud”.

Joe Tacopina is representing Mr Trump, making a number of recent media appearances defending him in relation to the investigation by the Manhattan DA.

Gustaf Kilander reports:

Trump lawyer blasted hush money payments as possibly ‘illegal’ and ‘fraud’ in 2018

Tucker Carlson producer alleges culture of misogyny at Fox News

Tuesday 21 March 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The day before a key hearing in the network’s legal battle with a voting machine company suing Fox News for defamation, a pair of lawsuits from a female producer at the network allege that Fox fosters a “toxic workplace” where “truth remains a fugitive,” depicting an environment where women are routinely verbally violated “by a poisonous and entrenched patriarchy.”

A federal lawsuit filed on 20 March from a producer for Tucker Carlson Tonight describes a workplace that “subjugates women based on vile sexist stereotypes, typecasts religious minorities and belittles their traditions, and demonstrates little to no regard for those suffering from mental illness.”

Alex Woodward reports.

Lawsuits from Tucker Carlson producer depict culture of ‘systemic chauvinism’ at Fox

Tuesday 21 March 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House staffer and host of ‘The View’ worries about implications of Trump indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a current host of The View on ABC and one-time White House staffer in the Trump administration, worries about the possible implications of not having a rock-solid case against her former boss.

Ms Farah, who became a determined anti-Trumper after the January 6th Capitol riot, posted on Twitter: “I want to see Trump held accountable. But I worry that an indictment over a 7 yr old crime, that may only be a misdemeanor, will be widely perceived as political, & will undermine the much more serious cases (DOJ & Fulton county) he’s facing.”

She added: “The law is the law and no one is above it. But taking the unprecedented step to indict a former president should be done only if the case is rock-solid. Otherwise it risks undermining other critical investigations that should preclude him from ever holding office again.”

Don Jr unloads on DeSantis after he failed to back his father

Tuesday 21 March 2023 17:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump Jr’s son Donald Trump Jr blasted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for not defending his father enough as the former president faces indictment and potential extradition from the state.

“That’s what it is guys, by the billionaire donors, 100 per cent controlled opposition,” Mr Trump said on his show Triggered with Don Jr.

Eric Garcia reports.

Donald Trump Jr unloads on Ron DeSantis after he failed to back his father

Tuesday 21 March 2023 17:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Meanwhile, on Truth Social…

Tuesday 21 March 2023 17:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump began his day by blasting out a couple of Truth Social posts about his one-time righthand man, Michael Cohen.

In the history of our Country there cannot have been a more damaged or less credible witness at trial than fully disbarred lawyer and felon, Michael Cohen. The Southern District of New York (SDNY) wrote a scathing assessment of him,  including, “Michael Cohen is a lawyer who, rather than setting an example of respect for the law, instead chose to break the law, repeatedly over many years & in a variety of ways…Each of his crimes involved deception,” & deception & lying is what he is doing here!

Followed by:

Remember, Michael Cohen was a lawyer who also represented clients other than me, and who did business transactions for himself, like Taxi Cab Medallions, etc. I had nothing to do with his outside businesses. On three separate occasions, Cohen asked me to grant him a Presidential Pardon on events having to do with these outside interests. I said, correctly, “NO.” Sometime after that he became a Fake Storyteller, and began to lie about events!

By lunchtime he had turned his attention to New York Attorney General Letitia James, posting:

Page 1: While Congress is at it, they should look at the Corrupt Attorney General of New York State, Letitia James, who got elected solely on a “I WILL GET TRUMP” platform, without knowing anything about me. She then brought a completely bogus lawsuit, which is presided over by an A.G. picked, Trump hating Judge, a political hack whose Court this case should not be in - It shoud be in the Commercial Division, but he wouldn’t let go, is pushing it hard, and knows exactly what he wants to do….

Yes, he’s labeling his posts with page numbers again.

Page 2: The Chief Judge of New York State should remove this ridiculous case to the Commercial Division, where it belongs. Legal professionals are asking why this hasn’t happened long ago? It is DISGRACEFUL!

Disgraceful.

‘Anything exciting going on today?’ wonders well-known adult film star

Tuesday 21 March 2023 17:19 , Oliver O'Connell

A little bit of Stormy Daniels snark on Twitter today.

Manhattan civil courthouse shut down by bomb threat

Tuesday 21 March 2023 17:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Manhattan’s civil courthouse was briefly shut down by a bomb threat on Tuesday as prosecutors next door continue their work on the investigation into Donald Trump’s hush payment to Stormy Daniels.

The threat, called into the local 911 dispatchers, did not mention the former president by name, nor did it specifically target the criminal courthouse out of which District Attorney Alvin Bragg has his office — located just across Centre Street in downtown Manhattan.

John Bowden has the latest.

Manhattan civil courthouse shut down by bomb threat as Trump indictment looms

Ex-MI6 spy who wrote Trump dossier records vulgar message for him

Tuesday 21 March 2023 16:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Christopher Steele, the former head of the MI6 Russia desk who authored a controversial opposition research report on Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election, has offered a pointed message to the disgraced former US president ahead of his possible indictment by a New York City grand jury.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steeler records vulgar message for Donald Trump

Trump campaign continues to fundraise off preparations for possible violence

Tuesday 21 March 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump launches petition and asks for donations over arrest rumours

Tuesday 21 March 2023 16:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump launched a plea for donations on Monday which condemned the criminal investigations closing in on him as a means of intimidating Republican voters.

The email urged supporters to sign a petition, which was really just a link to the former president’s fundraising page. A message appears stating that the recipient’s name has been added to the petition, though the document does not appear elsewhere on the website and there does not appear to be any way to view the signatures.

The fundraising page, meanwhile, suggests donations as high as $3,000 to help the twice-impeached and likely soon-to-be-criminally charged former president retake the White House in 2024.

John Bowden has the story.

Trump fundraises off arrest rumours and launches ‘petition’ over charges

Fox News hosts stunned as Trump launches lewd attack on DeSantis

Tuesday 21 March 2023 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News anchors were stunned when former President Donald Trump launched a lewd attack on his expected 2024 rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over his reaction to Mr Trump’s possible upcoming indictment.

Anchors Bret Baier and Marth MacCallum spoke about Mr Trump’s jab against Mr DeSantis, with Ms MacCallum saying that it’s an important “moment in the battle that’s clearly ongoing between these two men who are the top two contenders, at least at this moment, for the GOP nomination”.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Fox News hosts stunned as Trump launches lewd attack on DeSantis over indictment

Late-night hosts have field day pouring scorn on Trump’s arrest claims

Tuesday 21 March 2023 15:55 , Oliver O'Connell

“You’ve got to give it to him. It’s not often that anyone sends out a save-the-date for their own arrest,” said Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

Late-night hosts pour scorn on Trump amid arrest claims

Sad! Pro-Trump rally in New York ‘outnumbered five to one by journalists’

Tuesday 21 March 2023 15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

A rally in support of embattled former president Donald Trump in New York on Monday afternoon was so sparsely attended that one reporter at the scene estimated the ratio of journalists to protesters was five to one.

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

Pro-Trump rally in New York ‘outnumbered five to one by journalists’

Chris Rock compares indicting Donald Trump to arresting Tupac Shukar

Tuesday 21 March 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Chris Rock has joked that arresting former US President Donald Trump would strengthen his social status.

While on stage at a Sunday (19 March) event honouring Adam Sandler with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour, Rock took a moment to crack a few gags about the ongoing political drama in the US.

Inga Parkel has the story.

Chris Rock compares indicting Donald Trump to arresting Tupac

Trump called for protests, those wanting him indicted showed up

Tuesday 21 March 2023 15:11 , Oliver O'Connell

New poll still has Trump as lead GOP nominee by big margin

Tuesday 21 March 2023 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

The latest Morning Consult poll of the 2024 Republican primary field shows Donald Trump still leading the pack by a large margin as support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dips.

Full poll results can be found here.

The polling group published its key takeaway from the full data set:

Trump Continues to Lead DeSantis: As Trump awaits potential indictment on charges related to a 2016 hush money scheme with adult film star Stormy Daniels, he has posted one of his largest polling leads in the 2024 Republican primary. The latest survey shows 54% of potential primary voters support the former president, compared with 26% who are backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tying his expected opponent’s lowest level of support since tracking began in December.

GOP Base Divided Over Ukraine Policy: Potential primary voters are slightly more likely than not to say that supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia is not vital to U.S. interests, aligning with Trump and DeSantis. But it’s clearly a divisive issue, as Matt Kendrick writes here in his latest.

Pence’s Popularity Takes Hit: Former Vice President Mike Pence’s favorability rating among potential primary voters declined from 60% to 55% during a week that featured news coverage of his condemnation of Trump’s behavior surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Over the same time period, the share who said they’d recently heard something negative about Pence, who is polling at 7% in the nominating race, increased from 15% to 24%.

Earlier: Trump posts scathing late-night Truth Social video

Tuesday 21 March 2023 14:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump posted a video on Truth Social on Monday night attacking the four criminal investigations into his actions – as a possible indictment over the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels looms.

In the scathing late-night video – where the former president looking exceptionally tanned stood against a backdrop of the US flag – he took aim at what he claimed to be the “most disgusting witchhunt in the history of our country”.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Trump posts scathing video attacking four criminal probes as indictment looms

Trump tries to discredit Michael Cohen in last-ditch Truth Social posts as indictment looms

Tuesday 21 March 2023 14:02 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump has issued two posts on his Truth Social account in an attempt to discredit Michael Cohen, his former lawyer who pleaded guilty to federal crimes tied to a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating the former president’s role in those crimes with Cohen as a star witness to a grand jury considering charges, though Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Trump said that “there cannot have been a more damaged or less credible witness” in “the history of our country” than his former attorney.

He said that Cohen asked for a presidential pardon on “three separate occasions” involving a taxi medallion operation.

“Sometime after that he became a Fake Storyteller, and began to lie about events!” Trump claimed.

‘Republicans play the Trump indictment waiting game'

Tuesday 21 March 2023 13:50 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s announcement of his own arrest “served as a stark reminder that beyond any policy goal – more than tax cuts, anti-immigration sentiments or spreading fear about teenages transitioning their gender – defending the twice-impeached former president is an article of faith for the modern-day GOP,” writes The Independent’s Eric Garcia:

Republicans play the Trump indictment waiting game

Alvin Bragg’s office responds to House Republicans

Tuesday 21 March 2023 13:36 , Alex Woodward

A letter from House Republicans challenging New York County district attorney Alvin Bragg accused the Manhattan prosecutor of launching a “politically motivated prosecutorial decision” by investigating and potentially indicting Donald Trump.

Republicans on the House Oversight committee accused the prosecutor of “an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority.”

In response, a spokesperson for his office said “we will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process.

“Many false claims have been lobbed out, so let’s set the record straight,” the statement added. “New York remains one of the safest big cities in the US.”

Trump ally Robert Costello claims he destroyed Michael Cohen’s credibility before grand jury

Tuesday 21 March 2023 13:15 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump ally Robert Costello has claimed that he sought to destroy Michael Cohen’s credibility as he testified before the Manhattan grand jury investigating the former president’s role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Mr Costello – a one-time ally turned critic of Mr Trump’s former “fixer” Cohen – gave testimony before the grand jury on Monday as a possible indictment draws ever nearer for the former president.

After more than two hours of testimony, the attorney emerged and told reporters outside Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office that he had contradicted public statements Cohen has made about the payments and cast doubts on his credibility.

“If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence then so be it,” he said.

“But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Trump ally claims he destroyed Michael Cohen’s credibility before grand jury

Pro-Trump rally in New York ‘outnumbered five to one by journalists’

Tuesday 21 March 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

A rally in support of embattled former president Donald Trump in New York on Monday afternoon was so sparsely attended that one reporter at the scene estimated the ratio of journalists to protesters was five to one.

Mr Trump is under investigation by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg over a $130,000 hush money payment allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels on his behalf in 2016 to stay silent about a sexual encounter the pair allegedly had a decade earlier.

The Republican luxury property tycoon has denied the affair and insisted the money was paid to his estranged former attorney Michael Cohen to cover unrelated legal expenses and was not intended to pay off Ms Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford).

Read the story here:

Pro-Trump rally in New York ‘outnumbered five to one by journalists’

Trump loses bid to have key evidence dismissed from E Jean Carroll rape trial as one of two cases postponed

Tuesday 21 March 2023 12:45 , Rachel Sharp

Former President Donald Trump’s effort to keep key evidence out of his civil rape trial next month was rejected by a federal judge on Monday.

Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ruled that key witnesses will be allowed to testify and misogynistic remarks Mr Trump made about women in 2005 when he apparently didn’t realise he was being recorded can be played for a jury that will hear quarter-century-old rape allegations made by a former magazine columnist.

A trial in the case filed by E. Jean Carroll is scheduled to start 25 April. Both Ms Carroll and Mr Trump are expected to testify.

Ms Carroll said in a 2019 memoir that she was raped by Trump in the mid-1990s in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, an upscale Manhattan department store.

Read the full story:

Trump loses bid to have key evidence dismissed from E Jean Carroll rape trial

‘Guilty as sin’: James Corden speaks out on Trump arrest claims as legal charges expected

Tuesday 21 March 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

James Corden has addressed the latest sensational developments surrounding former US president Donald Trump.

Last week, Trump claimed that he would be arrested on Tuesday 21 March, calling on his followers to “protest” and “take our nation back”.

Former Gavin & Stacey star Corden discussed the news on his US chat show The Late Late Show, joking to the studio audience: “You know it’s bad when a former president announces he’s going to be arrested, and the general response is: ‘For which crime?’

“If you’re keeping track, that’s two times Stormy Daniels has screwed Donald Trump,” Corden added.

The Independent’s Louis Chilton has the story:

‘Guilty as sin’: James Corden speaks out on Trump arrest claims

What Robert Costello says he told the grand jury:

Tuesday 21 March 2023 12:15 , Rachel Sharp

Robert Costello – a Mr Trump ally and critic of MichaelCohen – gave testimony before the grand jury on Monday.

Mr Costello, an attorney who once worked as a legal adviser to Cohen who has previously represented Mr Trump allies Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani, testified at the request of the former president’s legal team.

After more than two hours of testimony, Mr Costello told reporters outside the DA’s office in Manhattan that he contradicted public statements Cohen has made about the payments to Ms Daniels and cast doubts on his credibility.

“If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence then so be it,” he said.

“But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence.”

In an interview withThe New York Times, he said he told the grand jury that Cohen “couldn’t tell the truth if you put a gun to his head”.

Trump’s Truth Social rampage

Tuesday 21 March 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump went on a late-night Truth Social rampage on Monday night as a possible indictment over the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels looms.

In a scathing video he attacked the four criminal investigations into his actions and claimed that he was “standing in their way” of political “enemies” for his supporters.

In other posts, he reTruthed several of his own posts from earlier on Monday.

He also shared several clips of Fox News hosts – such as Tucker Carlson – condemning his potential indictment.

Stormy Daniels ridicules ‘Tiny’ Trump ahead of possible indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, a long-time thorn in the side of Donald Trump, ridiculed the former president in a string of savage tweets on Sunday night.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Stormy Daniels ridicules ‘Tiny’ Trump ahead of possible New York indictment

Another witness to testify in Manhattan grand jury Wednesday

Tuesday 21 March 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

Another witness is expected to testify on Wednesday before the Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s role in hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

A source told Fox News that the panel will hear from another witness mid-week, pushing back a possible indictment.

It is not clear who the witness is.

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

He told MSNBC on Sunday that he will return to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s offices but said he was unsure if this means he will be testifying before the grand jury or in an interview with the DA.

John Oliver mocks Trump’s new campaign advert

Tuesday 21 March 2023 11:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Comedian John Oliver has mocked the latest campaign advertisement from former US president Donald Trump.

The beleagered Trump has maintained his intention to run for the country’s highest office again in 2024.

A video posted by the former president last week was probably not intended to be as funny as many saw it.

Have fun.

John Oliver ruthlessly mocks Trump’s new campaign advert

Trump posts scathing late-night Truth Social video attacking four criminal probes as indictment looms

Tuesday 21 March 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump posted a late-night video on Truth Social on Monday night attacking the four criminal investigations into his actions – as a possible indictment over the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels looms.

In the scathing video – where the former president looking exceptionally tanned stood against a backdrop of the US flag – he took aim at what he claimed to be the “most disgusting witchhunt in the history of our country”.

“These four horrible radical left Democrat investigations of your all time, favourite president – me – is just a continuation of the most disgusting witchhunts in the history of our country,” he fumed.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Trump posts scathing video attacking four criminal probes as indictment looms

McCarthy says Trump’s calls to protest indictment are not ‘harmful’ but advises against it

Tuesday 21 March 2023 10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Kevin McCarthy calls on Americans not to protest Trump indictment

Will Trump be arrested today?

Tuesday 21 March 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that he was going to be arrested on Tuesday in connection to the Manhattan grand jury investigating the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

His legal team later walked back the timeline confirming that they have not been notified that he will be indicted – or given a time for if or when it does happen.

However, Politico reported on Monday night that the grand jury will not return until Wednesday – which means that an indictment will not come until Wednesday at the earliest.

Three people involved in the deliberations told the outlet that an indictment by the grand jury is expected soon.

WATCH: NYPD sets up barricades near Manhattan court ahead of possible Trump indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 10:15 , Rachel Sharp

Trump posts late-night Truth Social video attacking four criminal probes

Tuesday 21 March 2023 10:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump posted a late-night video on Truth Social on Monday night attacking the four criminal investigations into his actions.

In the video – where the former president looking exceptionally tanned stood against a backdrop of the US flag – he took aim at what he claims to be the “most disgusting witchhunt in the history of our country”.

“These four horrible radical left Democrat investigations of your all time, favourite president – me – is just a continuation of the most disgusting witchhunts in the history of our country,” he fumed.

“It’s an absolute disgrace. Whether its the Mar-a-Lago raid, the unselect-Committee hoax, the perfect Georgia phone call that was absolutely perfect, or the Stormy ‘horseface’ Daniels extortion plot... They’re all sick and it’s fake news.”

Mr Trump vowed to “defeat” the investigations and claimed that he was “standing in their way” of political “enemies” for his supporters.

“They are not coming after me – they are coming after you. I’m just standing in their way. And I always will stand in their way,” he said.

How did a porn star become one of the most powerful people in politics?

Tuesday 21 March 2023 09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Io Dodds explains how Stormy Daniels landed in the middle of a political firestorm.

How porn star Stormy Daniels became one of the most powerful people in politics

Trump loses bid to keep key evidence out of E. Jean Carroll rape trial

Tuesday 21 March 2023 09:30 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump’s effort to keep key evidence out of his civil rape trial next month was rejected by a federal judge Monday.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in Manhattan ruled that key witnesses will be allowed to testify and misogynistic remarks Trump made about women in 2005 when he apparently didn’t realize he was being recorded can be played for a jury that will hear quarter-century-old rape allegations made by a former magazine columnist.

A trial in the case filed by E. Jean Carroll is scheduled to start April 25. Carroll and Trump are expected to testify.

Carroll said in a 2019 memoir that she was raped by Trump in the mid-1990s in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, an upscale Manhattan department store. She said a chance encounter filled with lighthearted banter turned violent when they entered a small room while teasing one another about who would try on a piece of lingerie.

Trump has repeatedly insisted he never met Carroll at the store and that he didn’t know who she was. During an October deposition, he misidentified a decades-old photograph of her as one of his ex-wives.

In the deposition, Trump was dismissive of Carroll’s claims, saying: “Physically she’s not my type.”

Kaplan had previously ruled that taped remarks Trump made in an “Access Hollywood” tape could be used in a defamation case Carroll brought against him before she filed a rape claim against him in November, when a temporary law took effect allowing adult rape victims to sue their abusers, even if attacks happened decades ago.

He also ruled that two women who made sexual abuse claims in circumstances similar to those alleged by Carroll could testify at trial.

The Access Hollywood tape was revealed just weeks before Trump won the November 2016 presidential election.

In the tape, he said that sometimes when he sees beautiful women: “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.” And he added that, “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” including grabbing women between their legs.

Afterward, he issued a rare apology, saying the comments were “locker room banter” caught on a hot mic.

Lawyers for Trump and Carroll had agreed that the defamation claim, made in a separate lawsuit, could be tried along with the rape claim, but the judge rejected that proposal Monday, saying the defamation lawsuit could be tried separately or not at all if the Justice Department successfully replaces Trump as a defendant with the United States.

In an order Monday, Kaplan ruled specifically that he would allow the “Access Hollywood” tape and testimony by two other women who say Trump attacked them sexually to be included in next month’s trial, repeating his rulings from the defamation case.

“There is no reason, and Mr. Trump has made no persuasive argument, for me to rule differently,” he wrote.

He also said he will allow testimony from two individuals who worked at the department store at the time of the alleged rape to testify, even though Trump’s lawyers objected, saying they hadn’t been notified in a timely fashion of the testimony and hadn’t had a chance to depose the witnesses.

The judge said lawyers for Carroll had notified them of the witnesses in a timely fashion.

Lawyers for Trump and Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

All NYPD officers ‘told to wear full uniform on Tuesday’ ahead of possible Trump indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 09:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

All New York Police Department (NYPD) officers have reportedly been ordered to wear their full uniform on Tuesday in the event of a possible indictment of Donald Trump.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

NYPD officers ‘to wear full uniform on Tuesday’ ahead of possible Trump indictment

Trump asks court to toss entire Georgia grand jury probe

Tuesday 21 March 2023 08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Attorneys for former president Donald Trump have asked a Georgia court to toss out any evidence gathered by the months-long special purpose grand jury empaneled last year to investigate his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss, and to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting him.

In a 50-page motion filed with the Fulton County Superior Court, Mr Trump’s legal team claims the Georgia law authorising the establishment of special purpose grand juries — which are investigative in nature but cannot issue indictments — is unconstitutional because it does not specify whether such grand juries are civil or criminal in nature.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump asks court to toss entire Georgia grand jury probe

In Trump case, NY grand jury appears near end of its work

Tuesday 21 March 2023 08:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

A New York grand jury investigating Donald Trump over a hush money payment to a porn star appears poised to complete its work soon as law enforcement officials make preparations for possible unrest in the event of an indictment.

Read this report by the Associated Press:

In Trump case, NY grand jury appears near end of its work

House GOP demand Alvin Bragg be hauled to Congress over Trump indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Republicans have rallied in Donald Trump’s defence after the one-term president predicted that he will be arrested on Tuesday, with a trio of House committee chairs threatening to haul New York City’s top prosecutor in front of Congress to explain himself.

In a letter sent to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, and House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil accused the Democratic prosecutor of being “about to engage in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority” by indicting Mr Trump.

“In light of the serious consequences of your actions, we expect that you will testify about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision,” they said.

Graeme Massie and Andrew Feinberg report.

House Republicans demand Alvin Bragg be hauled to Congress over Trump indictment

Trump supporters ‘plan run on banks’ to protest his arrest

Tuesday 21 March 2023 07:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Some Trump supporters are planning a bank run protest in the event that the former president gets arrested in Manhattan this week.

According to the George Washington Initiative (GWI), an organisation that highlights disinformation, Donald Trump’s supporters have increasingly advocated for a bank run in recent days as a “nonviolent form of social disobedience”.

Read more:

Trump supporters ‘plan run on banks’ to protest his arrest

Trump lashes out at DeSantis over Stormy Daniels jibe

Tuesday 21 March 2023 06:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Donald Trump has lashed out at Ron DeSantis for a muted response to the potential indictment against him in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

In a Truth Social post, the former president wrote: “Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future, as he gets older, wiser, and better known, when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!). I’m sure he will want to fight these misfits just like I do!”

Earlier the Florida governor an expected GOP criticised the investigation against Mr Trump but also threw one of his first jabs at the former president.

“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair,” Mr DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City on Monday.“I can’t speak to that.”

Read the full story here:

Trump launches lewd attack on DeSantis over dig at possible Stormy Daniels indictment

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

Tuesday 21 March 2023 06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump appears to be at the centre of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s grand jury investigation into a hush payment made to a porn star by Mr Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen in 2016.

The investigation entered a new phase in recent weeks, and now Mr Bragg’s office has contacted the president’s lawyers to offer an opportunity for voluntary testimony, a sign that multiple sources close to the investigation told The New York Times means that an indictment or multiple indictments are likely in the works. Mr Trump himself predicted on 18 March that he would be arrested the following week.

John Bowden looks at what that means for his 2024 campaign to return to the Oval Office.

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

Police and public safety officials prepare for possible Trump indictment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels have met to discuss the possibility that Donald Trump may be indicted as early as next week over a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, after the former president urged supporters to protest if he is arrested.

More than a dozen senior figures in the New York Police Department and two public safety aides to the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, held a virtual meeting on Sunday, the New York Times reports.

Read more:

Police and public safety officials prepare for possible Trump arrest

Uproar at White House press briefing as reporters turn on journalist who shouted down press secretary

Tuesday 21 March 2023 04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A visit to the White House by the cast of AppleTV’s Ted Lasso was interrupted when a journalist began shouting down press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The outburst eventually resulted in other reporters remonstrating with the heckler, saying he was impeding their ability to work.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Reporter disrupts White House press briefing featuring Ted Lasso cast

Lawyers and rights groups want examination of DeSantis’s Guantanamo record

Tuesday 21 March 2023 03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Lawyers and human rights activists have called for greater scrutiny of Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s time serving as a Navy JAG lawyer at Guantanamo Bay, amid accusations from former detainees that he observed their torture.

The calls come as a former detainee at the camp, Mansoor Adayfi, claimed in an interview with The Independent that Mr DeSantis witnessed his force-feeding, a practice he described as torture.

Mr DeSantis served at Guantanamo between March 2006 and January 2007, a time when the notorious prison camp was rocked by riots, hunger strikes and death.

Richard Hall reports for The Independent.

Lawyers and rights groups calls for greater scrutiny of DeSantis’s Guantanamo record

Indictment of Trump would be unprecedented historical moment

Tuesday 21 March 2023 02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The decision whether to indict former President Donald Trump over hush-money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign lies in the hands of a Manhattan grand jury that has been hearing evidence in secret for weeks.

An indictment of Trump, who is seeking the White House again in 2024, would be an unprecedented moment in American history, the first criminal case against a former US president.

Law enforcement officials are bracing for protests and the possibility of violence after Trump called on his supporters to protest ahead of a possible indictment.

Trump indictment would be unprecedented moment in US history

ICYMI: Trump's call for protests get muted reaction from supporters

Tuesday 21 March 2023 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump’s calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.

Read more:

Trump's call for protests get muted reaction from supporters

Voices: Republicans play the Trump indictment waiting game

Tuesday 21 March 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Republicans are now anticipating whether former president Donald Trump will actually be indicted and how to proceed accordingly.

The former president took a sledgehammer to the best laid plans this weekend when he alleged that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office would indict him based on supposedly paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels money to keep quiet about their affair on Tuesday and called on his supporters to protest.

His announcement served as a stark reminder that beyond any policy goal – more than tax cuts, anti-immigration sentiments or spreading fear about teenages transitioning their gender – defending the twice-impeached former president is an article of faith for the modern-day GOP.

Read on:

Republicans play the Trump indictment waiting game

Who is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg?

Tuesday 21 March 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump fired out three furious all-caps posts on his Truth Social page on 18 March, invoking images of burning cities and World War III while stoking unrest with a call for his supporters to “protest, protest, protest” what he predicted would be his arrest in New York.

Alvin Bragg – the Manhattan district attorney whose office is overseeing a criminal investigation into the former president’s business practices following long-running allegations of fraud – issued a memo to his staff in response, stressing that he does “not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York.”

His internal message did not mention the former president by name or his incendiary rhetoric, but he referred to “public comments surrounding an ongoing investigation by this office.”

Alex Woodward reports.

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

Trump issues a chilling warning of what could happen if he is indicted

Monday 20 March 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

On 18 March, [Donald Trump] demanded that his supporters “protest” his imminent “arrest” in New York in a furious all-caps social media post typical of his violent visions of America in chaos: a “dying” and “third world” country where “leftist thugs” are “killing and burning with no retribution”.

His 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.

Read on:

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

Monday 20 March 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The president and the porn star: A timeline of the Stormy Daniels case

Monday 20 March 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has been out of office for two years, and is already itching to go back.

But one figure from his first run for president has refused to go away, and may end up being a major headache for him as he pursues a third White House bid.

We’re talking, of course, about adult film star Stormy Daniels, also known by her real name, Stephanie Clifford. Ms Daniels made headlines in 2018 when she came forward with an allegation that she had been in a romantic extramarital relationship with the president in 2006, and had been threatened and later bribed to keep her mouth shut.

That story may now be coming to a head as John Bowden explains.

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

Does Ron DeSantis have the power to stop Trump’s arrest?

Monday 20 March 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis finds himself in a bind: as of right now, he is by far the person with the best possible chance of beating former president Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president.

But does he, as some have supposed, have the power as governor of Florida to stop the former president from answering any out-of-state charges?

Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg report from Washington, DC.

Could Ron DeSantis stop Trump’s arrest?

Trump ally Costello says Cohen not reliable witness on which to base indictment

Monday 20 March 2023 21:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Robert Costello, the attorney who previously represented Trump allies like Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani, has spoken with reporters after testifying before the grand jury in New York.

Mr Costello spoke to the jury for nearly three hours on Monday afternoon after appearing at the request of the former president’s legal team. He said he brought a catalogue of emails with him to show the jury, but only a small number were submitted.

Mr Costello accused his former client Michael Cohen of having a “lie, cheat, steal” mindset and called him an unreliable witness on which to base an indictment of former President Donald Trump.

“I’m trying to tell the truth to the grand jury. If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence then so be it. Michael Cohen is not solid evidence,” Mr Costello said.

Earlier, Lanny Davis, attorney for Mr Cohen, says his client would not be asked to testify again having already sat for two days of questioning.

“Mr Cohen was available for over two hours today, but we are pleased to report Mr Cohen was not needed. Once again we repeat — the facts and documents speak for themselves. Facts do matter.”

What is the process for indicting Donald Trump on criminal charges?

Monday 20 March 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

The looming criminal indictment now widely expected to be coming down on Donald Trump’s shoulders has left many, including seasoned legal experts and journalists who have followed the justice system for years wondering exactly what to expect when it actually happens.

Sources close to the investigation told Politico on Monday that an indictment could be coming as soon as later that day; a possibility that led to law enforcement officials erecting barricades outside of the Manhattan courthouse where Mr Trump’s arraignment would occur.

Several questions remain about the step-by-step process for criminally indicting a former president, including the logistics of actually carrying out the task of bringing Mr Trump to the courtroom. Some of the decisions are admittedly still up in the air: “We’ll be discussing how we bring Trump in,” one person involved in the planning told Politico on Monday, adding somewhat cryptically: “No decisions have been made yet.”

Many of those questions likely centre around how much of this process will be carried out in person, a time-consuming and complicated endeavour given Mr Trump’s ongoing Secret Service protection and status as an active candidate for the 2024 GOP nomination.

Let’s break down what we do know:

What is the process for indicting Donald Trump on criminal charges?

Four Oath Keepers associates found guilty of conspiracy in Jan 6 trial

Monday 20 March 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Four people associated with the Oath Keepers were convicted on Monday of conspiracy and obstruction charges stemming from the attack on the US Capitol in the latest trial involving members of the far-right antigovernment extremist group.

A Washington DC jury found Sandra Parker, of Morrow, Ohio; Laura Steele, of Thomasville, North Carolina; William Isaacs, of Kissimmee, Florida and Connie Meggs, of Dunnellon, Florida guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and other felony charges.

In a rare loss for prosecutors, Sandra Parker’s husband, Bennie Parker, was acquitted of obstruction as well as one conspiracy charge, and a sixth defendant — Michael Greene, of Indianapolis, Indiana — was acquitted of two conspiracy charges.

Read on:

Four Oath Keepers associates found guilty of conspiracy in latest Jan 6 trial

More fury from former president as Trump lashes out at Cohen and Bragg

Monday 20 March 2023 20:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has continued to angrily post at a range of foes throughout the afternoon, posting a video attacking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, before taking a shot at his former fixer Michael Cohen.

Here’ the video:

And here’s what he had to say about Mr Cohen: “If disbarred and fully discredited lawyer Michael Cohen is not indicted for PERJURY, THEN PERJURY DOES NOT EXIST!”

Voices: Trump is going to drag the entire Republican party down with him

Monday 20 March 2023 20:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Noah Berlatsky writes:

“If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it,” South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham famously tweeted in 2016.

Donald Trump won in 2016, and Graham has become one of his most ardent supporters. But his tweet has nonetheless been prescient. The GOP lost elections in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Now former President and current 2024 candidate Trump faces multiple indictments for a range of illegal activities. And he’s made it clear that he intends to force the GOP to tie itself to his rapidly sinking garbage scow.

Read on:

Trump is going to drag the entire Republican party down with him

Trump furiously attacks DeSantis

Monday 20 March 2023 20:18 , John Bowden

After the Florida governor addressed the possibility that Mr Trump would be criminally indicted this week, the former president resurfaced a picture of Mr DeSantis from his teaching days and insinuated that the governor’s political enemies would suggest some kind of wrongdoing in his past.

Uproar at White House press briefing as reporters turn on journalist who held up Ted Lasso cast appearance

Monday 20 March 2023 19:07 , John Bowden

The White House press briefing was interrupted several times on Monday by reporter Simon Ateba of Africa News Today.

Ateba interrupted Karine Jean-Pierre at several points, exclaiming that the US was “not China” and claiming that he was being suppressed from being allowed to ask questions.

Other reporters in the room grew visibly agitated as Ateba’s outbursts continued, and Ms Jean-Pierre was eventually forced to threaten to end the briefing.

Read more:

Reporter disrupts White House press briefing featuring Ted Lasso cast

Eric Trump says DeSantis ‘not the guy I [thought] he was'

Monday 20 March 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Responding to a tweet about the muted response from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to “political persecution” of Donald Trump, the former president’s second son Eric, tweeted: “Until that day where they do the exact same thing to him, his friends and his family… at which time he will neither have the backbone, nor the resources, to fight off the corrupt system. He’s not the guy I [thought] he was…”

Trump reposts longer version of deleted attack on DeSantis

Monday 20 March 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president presumably needed a moment to finesse his below-the-belt attack on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, reposting a longer version and doubling down with his accusations of his alleged partying with “classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!)”

Don Jr slams DeSantis as ‘pure weakness’ and ‘100% controlled'

Monday 20 March 2023 17:59 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president’s oldest son also stepped up to attack Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, tweeting: “So DeSantis thinks that Dems weaponizing the law to indict President Trump is a ‘manufactured circus’ & isn't a ‘real issue’."

“Pure weakness. Now we know why he was silent all weekend. He's totally owned by Karl Rove, Paul Ryan & his billionaire donors. 100% Controlled Opposition.”

Trump snaps back at DeSantis

Monday 20 March 2023 17:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has followed his spokesperson Liz Harrington in snapping back at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for his comments on the grand jury investigation in to the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

The former president posted on Truth Social: “Ron will probably find out about this sometime in the future when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman (or possibly a man!) with false accusations.”

He then deleted the post...

Insiders now say Trump indictment is imminent

Monday 20 March 2023 17:39 , John Bowden

More news sites, including most recently Politico, are reporting that Donald Trump’s indictment could come as early as this afternoon.

Barricades are being set up outside of the courthouse in Manhattan as officials brace for potential protests.

Trump spokeswoman excoriates DeSantis

Monday 20 March 2023 17:07 , John Bowden

Liz Harrington, a spokeswoman for the former president, let Ron DeSantis have it after he responded to a question about the grand jury investigation into Donald Trump’s hush payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels.

Ms Harrington went after the governor on Twitter, apparently incensed that he had attacked the Manhattan district attorney but at the same time referred to the alleged affair with Ms Daniels in a mocking manner.

Ron DeSantis responds to reports of impending Trump indictment

Monday 20 March 2023 16:27 , John Bowden

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis was asked on Monday about the growing likelihood that Donald Trump will face criminal charges for the hush money payment his lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

Watch his response below:

Trump asks court to toss entire Georgia grand jury probe and disqualify district attorney

Monday 20 March 2023 15:59 , John Bowden

Attorneys for former president Donald Trump have asked a Georgia court to toss out any evidence gathered by the months-long special purpose grand jury empaneled last year to investigate his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss, and to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting him.

It’s Mr Trump’s Hail Mary attempt to quash the criminal investigation that looks to be nearing the possibility of charges for him and/or members of his legal team.

Andrew Feinberg has the story:

Trump asks court to toss entire Georgia grand jury probe

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

Monday 20 March 2023 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

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website