Allies of former president Donald Trump quickly came to his defence on Thursday after he revealed he was facing a federal indictment related to a Department of Justice investigation into his mishandling of classified documents. The indictment comes after a months-long investigation into whether Mr Trump knowingly kept sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago home and / or misled investigators looking into the matter. According to reports, Mr Trump will face seven charges related to the federal indictment. On Twitter, allies of Mr Trump remained loyal to him and downplayed the severity of the indictment. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) claimed the indictment was a form of “election interference” on Twitter “This phony Boxes Hoax indictment against President Trump reflects the most severe election interference on the part of the federal government that we have EVER seen!” he tweeted. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said the indictment came because Democrats fear Mr Trump will win re-election. "Democrats must literally shake with sweats when they see amazing packed out Trump rallies and overwhelming winning poll numbers week after week," she tweeted. "They must awake in the night with panic at the thoughts of us winning in 2024." Ms Greene added that the indictment was meant to distract from Mr Biden’s supposed crimes, for which she provided debunked claims or those with little evidence. She also noted how Mr Biden currently faces an investigation from Special Counsel Robert Hur for having classified documents at multiple locations, including his private residence. "Joe Biden has classified documents everywhere," she tweeted. "Literally on the garage floor next to the garage door that opens and closes, but the corrupt and complicit FBI and DOJ do nothing." Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted: "There is no limit to what these people will do to protect their power & destroy those who threaten it, even if it means ripping our country apart & shredding public faith in the institutions that hold our republic together.” In a statement posted to her Twitter, Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) echoed other GOP congressional members’ statements, saying the indictment was an interference with Mr Trump’s campaign. Right-wing activist Mike Cernovich tweeted: “This is the JFK assassination all over again - they are killing Trump by other means.” In another post he said: “The deep state killed JFK with bullets. Now they are using briefcases to assassinate those who stand in their way.” The indictment comes as Mr Trump is seeking a third bid for the White House. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), one of the leaders of the insurgent House Freedom Caucus, railed against the Justice Department for the indictment "We ought to defund and dismantle the DOJ," he tweeted. "I stand with President Trump." Additional reporting by Eric Garcia Read More ‘A criminal not a victim’: Trump critics mock his cries of ‘witch-hunt’ as he is indicted over secret papers Trump indictment - live: Trump says he’s ‘an innocent man’ as he faces seven charges in documents case Will Donald Trump be arrested and jailed after classified documents indictment? Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

One of David Ross's former assistants turned down jobs with the Cubs, but has since been hired by the New York Mets.

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 12, 2023--

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys expected to see old nemesis Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets in their home opener

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 21, 2023--

The boy, who was declared dead on the spot, had markings on his neck that were consistent with physical strangulation

Today on The Whiteboard, we examine NBA Draft prospects, Ja Morant's suspension and the disastrous legacy of Michael Jordan as an NBA owner.This morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski announced that Michael Jordan had reached an agreement to sell his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets...

Organisers of the Las Vegas Grand Prix are facing a class action lawsuit following the farcical start to this weekend’s race on the strip. Formula One sold the sport’s Sin City comeback after four decades away as the greatest show on Earth. But fans witnessed just eight minutes of practice on Thursday after a drain cover broke free and tore a hole into the underbelly of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. The second running was delayed by two-and-a-half hours, and took place in front of vacant grandstands as furious fans were ejected to comply with local employment laws. Practice finished at 4am on Friday morning. Spectators who held a 200 US dollar (£160) general admission ticket for Thursday’s two practice sessions have since been offered a voucher for the same amount to be redeemed on merchandise. But those in attendance on a three-day pass – the cheapest of which is 500 US dollars (£400) – will not receive any compensation. On Friday, Nevada-based Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting filed a lawsuit with the Nevada District Court seeking damages for the 35,000 paying spectators. “We will vindicate the rights of the fans that travelled great distances and paid small fortunes to attend, but were deprived of the experience,” said Dimopoulos Law Firm owner Steve Dimopoulos in a statement. A spokesperson for Las Vegas Grand Prix said: “We cannot comment on the litigation. “Our focus is on ensuring that our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment which is always our top priority.” Earlier, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali stopped short of issuing an apology in a 650-word joint statement with CEO of the Las Vegas race, Renee Wilm. “We have all been to events, like concerts, games and even other Formula One races, that have been cancelled because of factors like weather or technical issues,” they said. “It happens, and we hope people will understand.” The maiden race on the Las Vegas strip gets underway at 10pm local time on Saturday (6am GMT on Sunday). Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 2023 season race schedule: When is the Las Vegas Grand Prix? Verstappen criticises Vegas GP: ‘Monaco is Champions League, this is National League’

Dani Carvajal insists Real Madrid have nothing to fear heading to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final next week. The tie is delicately poised at 1-1 after a pulsating draw in the first meeting between the sides at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. Vinicius Junior fired holders Real into the lead with a stunning strike in the first half but Kevin De Bruyne levelled with an equally brilliant effort in the second period. Real right-back Carvajal said: “They have world-class players, they move the ball very well, they’re tactically very well worked – but I don’t think we saw a City side that are superior to Madrid. “The team goes home knowing that we played well and that if we get things right, if we take our chances in Manchester, we have a chance of going through. “We go there with nothing to fear. We have to go there to win, to play our game, and the team believes in it.” City dominated early on at the Bernabeu but it was Real that took the lead against the run of play when Vinicius lashed home from 25 yards on 36 minutes. From then on the hosts did their best to disrupt City’s flow by employing some rough tactics. Carvajal particularly pushed things to the limit and was involved in a running battle with Jack Grealish. At one point he barged the England midfielder into the advertising hoardings and then fell to the ground theatrically when Grealish reacted angrily. “It’s a semi-final, everyone is playing to the limit, every challenge is a war,” the Spain international said. City drew level on 67 minutes, during a period when Real had been dominating, when De Bruyne connected with a fierce drive from a similar range to Vinicius. The draw was the least the Premier League leaders deserved but Real did have a gripe over the equaliser, with suggestions the ball may have gone out of play in the build-up. Real manager Carlo Ancelotti was booked for his protestations as De Bruyne celebrated. Carvajal said: “In general I think the referee (Portugal’s Artur Dias) was good, he controlled it pretty well. It’s complicated to referee a Champions League semi-final. “We have to congratulate him for that but if the ball did go out then that’s an error that could cost us the tie.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Arsenal to increase number of Women’s Super League games at Emirates Stadium Katie Zelem keen to do club and family proud with Manchester United triumph Sale out to ‘enjoy and embrace’ Premiership play-off challenge – Alex Sanderson

Kodak Black is an artist whose stature in the world of music extends far beyond what his shorter physical stature suggests

Major League Baseball's pitch clock has made games go faster, but players and coaches believe it also is leading to better fielding

Before KSI, there was Olajide Olatunji – “JJ” for short. Before the YouTuber, gamer, rapper, boxer, promoter and energy drink magnate, there was the affable class clown in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. “I remember we did a production of Sweeney Todd,” one of his schoolmates tells The Independent. “He played the judge, and when he died at the end, he was twitching and doing the worm across the stage. Everyone was in stitches. He was funny, a nice guy – everybody liked him for that. He was popular, but not like, ‘I’m the s***’; he was confident but also a nerdy, endearing, sweet guy.” With those qualities, JJ was tailor made for YouTube, where he launched his channel ‘KSIOlajideBT’ in 2009 – four years after the platform’s inception. Fifteen years old at the time, JJ quickly garnered a following by filming himself playing Fifa – the famous football video game – at his parents’ house in Watford. His bewitching cackle was a key feature in each upload. “He always had that very distinctive laugh,” his schoolmate recalls. “I remember that. He would laugh at something during morning registration, and the teachers would be like, ‘JJ, please!’” By the end of 2009, Olatunji had amassed 1,000 subscribers. That number had tripled by the end of 2010, and Olatunji’s growth accelerated at a startling pace in 2011, as he reached 150,000 subscribers, and in 2012, when he crossed the million mark. JJ had become KSI – standing for ‘Knowledge Strength Integrity’ – and he would soon become arguably the most famous YouTuber in Britain. “When he started getting big on YouTube, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone,” this schoolmate says, “but you’d hear from certain people that knew him: ‘Oh, he’s definitely got a bit of an ego now. He’s not as sweet anymore, there’s an arrogance there, he talks about himself a lot. He used to be more engaged when he would talk to people.’” If the YouTube venture “made sense” to his peers, then so did his next move, when he released his first rap song in 2015. “I remember he’d written a rap to learn every element on the periodic table, and all the teachers were so impressed,” his schoolmate adds, but it was singing about supercars, after dropping out of school, that demonstrated how drastically KSI’s life had changed. His debut single “Lamborghini”, featuring P Money, peaked at No 30 in the UK chart. It has since been followed by numerous EPs and two studio albums. KSI’s next endeavour was less predictable, however. KSI ushers in the era of ‘influencer boxing’ “He was so sweet that no one would’ve said, ‘Oh, he’s gonna fight when he’s older,’” says his schoolmate. “When he did, it was like: ‘Oh, jeez. Well, I guess he can, so who’s gonna stop him?’” Popularity is not the synonym for likeability that some think it is, and KSI has long had his detractors. Wisely, however, he began to weaponise a widespread desire to watch him get punched in the face. In 2018, KSI fought in his first amateur boxing match, beating fellow British YouTuber Joe Weller via TKO inside three rounds, following a build-up that saw KSI mock his opponent for opening up on experiences with depression. KSI later apologised for his comments. Next for the Briton was Logan Paul, who in some ways appeared to be his American equivalent, and the pair fought to a draw in a sold-out Manchester Arena. The fight did a reported 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, leading to a professional rematch in 2019 – held at Los Angeles’ famed Staples Center, streamed on Dazn, promoted by Eddie Hearn, and won by KSI on points. Fighting on the undercard were world champions Billy Joe Saunders and Devin Haney, the latter of whom defends his undisputed lightweight titles against Vasily Lomachenko this month. The dynamic was disconcerting for most boxing fans, who accused the YouTubers of making a mockery of the sport, yet pop star Justin Bieber was present as the likes of Haney and Saunders were exposed to an entirely new audience – one that they would have otherwise never reached. Hearn, the most recognisable promoter in boxing, recognised that. Alongside Paul and the American’s younger brother Jake, KSI had ushered in the era of ‘influencer boxing’. KSI flourishes as new-age entrepreneur KSI, for his part, has mastered the art of self-promotion, but he is now trying to turn that outwards, too. Now 29, with more than 30 million subscribers, seven billion views and a reported net worth of over $25m, KSI returned to boxing in August. At London’s O2 Arena, he stopped rapper Swarmz and pro boxer (in loose terms) Luis Alcaraz Pineda on the same night. Notably, the event was the first staged by Misfits Boxing – a promotion created by KSI in partnership with the established Wasserman Promotions and streaming platform Dazn. Another more unlikely partnership followed, as the mutually antagonistic KSI and Logan Paul launched the energy drink Prime together. For reasons that – beyond the international awareness of the YouTubers – are difficult to discern, the drink flooded through the nation and off shelves, selling out in many stores and ultimately being banned in some schools in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and South Africa. It has, however, attracted sponsorship deals with Arsenal FC, the UFC and WWE, with KSI appearing alongside Paul at this year’s WrestleMania. Trying the drink on Heart radio, Gordon Ramsay said: “Oh, Jesus. It’s like swallowing perfume. What would I give it out of 10? A zero.” KSI came under starker criticism just last month for his use of a racial slur in a YouTube video, which led the 29-year-old to apologise and visit a Mosque in Bradford – an effort to educate himself on the matter. “There’s no excuse, no matter the circumstances,” he wrote on Twitter. “I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry. I’ve always said to my audience that they shouldn’t worship me or put me on a pedestal, because I’m human. I’m not perfect, I’m gonna mess up in life, and lately I’ve been messing up a lot.” Fighting into the future Fans will hope that KSI’s preparations for his next fight will keep him out of such trouble, though his progress has been gradual. His form is lacking, but his power is impressive. This weekend, he will test his attributes against Joe Fournier. The 40-year-old, a former pro boxer with a 9-0 record and an exhibition defeat by David Haye in 2021, got his start in the fitness industry before moving into the nightclub business. Perhaps those are areas for KSI to conquer one day; it would not be a surprise. For now, however, his boxing endeavour takes priority and takes him back to the O2 Arena. JJ had his school in stitches during a rendition of Sweeney Todd; KSI will hope to have Fournier’s head in stitches come Saturday night. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI vs Fournier live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Mark Zuckerberg wins first jiu-jitsu tournament, takes home multiple medals Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained When is the KSI vs Fournier fight? Start time, undercard and more How to watch KSI vs Fournier online and on TV this weekend What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout?