List of All Articles with Tag 'politics'

Former President Donald Trump released a four-plus minute video on Truth Social on Thursday decrying the “woke” military, spreading baseless conspiracy theories about electoral politics, and announcing that the United States is “going to hell” as he prepares to be indicted by the Justice Department. Mr Trump posted to the social media platform earlier on Thursday that will be indicted over his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency, and, as that post and the subsequent video show, he’s not happy with the news. “It’s election interference at the highest level,” Mr Trump said. There’s never been anything like what’s happened. I’m an innocent man, an innocent person.” That very much remains to be seen. Mr Trump, who earlier this year became the first ever former president to be indicted when he was charged in New York over his role in the alleged payment of hush money to adult film Stormy Daniels, is now facing even more legal trouble as he attempts to reclaim the White House next winter. In his video response to the news, Mr Trump aired a long list of familiar grievances — including that he is being persecuted because he has strong poll numbers and that all of the evidence complied against him is a “hoax.” “We’re leading against Biden by a lot, a tremendous amount,” Mr Trump said. “And we went up to a level where the figured the way they’re going to stop us is by using what’s called warfare. And that’s what it is. This is warfare for the law. And we can’t let it happen. We can’t let it happen. Our country is going to hell, and they come after Donald Trump.” Mr Trump’s rambling video also included a claim that the military was not “woke” when he was president — one of a number of purported accomplishments he lists. “When you look at what’s happened to our country in the last three years, we were energy independent, we had a military that wasn’t woke, we were doing so well, we were respected all over the world, we had the biggest tax cuts in history, biggest regulation cuts in history, and what do you do? You have a president where the election was taken,” Mr Trump said. The Justice Department has been building its case against Mr Trump for his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House since at least last summer, when FBI agents searched the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence and removed a number of potentially classified documents from the premises. Read More Trump news – live: Trump says he is ‘an innocent man’ as he’s being indicted over secret documents case

Former President Donald Trump has made numerous false and unsupported claims about the federal investigation into his handling of government documents, a probe he announced Thursday has resulted in his indictment.

Former president Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba said on Fox News that she is “ashamed” and “embarrassed” to be a lawyer after the former president was indicted. Ms Habba spoke on Jesse Watters’s show amid news that a federal grand jury indicted Mr Trump on charges related to his allegedly unlawful retention of national defence information. Mr Trump’s attorney said the indictment was a distraction from supposed impropriety on behalf of President Joe Biden, pointing to the fact that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer was planning to hold FBI Director Christoper Wray, whom Mr Trump nominated to lead the bureau in 2017, in contempt of Congress for supposedly withholding documents. But Mr Comer retracted the contempt vote after the FBI agreed to share documents, The New York Times reported. “Every single time there is a coordinated dance that is becoming obvious to the American people because they are smart,” she said. Ms Habba said that the indictments of the twice-impeached former president were the equivalent of a “shiny ball” meant to distract people. “I'm embarrassed to be a lawyer at this moment,” she said. “Honestly, I am ashamed. I'm ashamed to be a lawyer. I'm ashamed that this is the state of our country.” Ms Habba said the indictment showed the United States had a two-tiered system of justice. “And it is so obvious that there's this dual-system of justice,” she said. “This is selective prosecution, selective persecution. It is absolute persecution. It is Russia third world stuff, and it should not be happening.” Mr Trump first broadcast the indictment on his Truth Social networking platform on Thursday, one day after The Independent had reported that federal prosecutors planned to ask a grand jury to indict Mr Trump. “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election,” Mr Trump said, denying his guilt and proclaiming he is an “innocent man.” Mr Trump said he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday by 3.00 pm ET. Read More Trump indictment - live: Trump says he’s ‘an innocent man’ as he faces seven charges in documents case Donald Trump has been indicted in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case 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

Critics of Donald Trump mocked the former president on Twitter on Thursday night after it was revealed a grand jury chose to indict Mr Trump on charges stemming from a Department of Justice investigation into his handling of classified materials. “Trump will cry witch-hunt, and play the victim again. He is not,” Illinois representative Adam Kinizinger tweeted. He added: “He is corrupt If in fact he was the victim (he’s not) he would be one of the weakest men ever, since he just continually gets victimized and can’t stop it. But he’s a criminal not a victim.” Mr Kinizinger’s tweet comes just moments after CNN reported that Mr Trump will face seven charges regarding the investigation. In response to the news, Mr Trump took to Truth Social where he asserted he was an “innocent man”. Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election.” This is the second time Mr Trump has been indicted, the first being in New York earlier this year. But the first time he will face a federal indictment. Peter Strzok, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who led the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election tweeted a photo of handcuffs following the news. Michael Steele, the former chairperson for the Republican National Committee, tweeted: “Remember: he is in this position because of his own actions; there was no “witch-hunt”; a federal judge ruled there was probable cause Trump committed a crime. HE owns this.” More follows Read More Trump indictment - live: Trump says he’s ‘an innocent man’ as he faces seven charges in documents case Trump says he’s been indicted again: Here are all of the major lawsuits and investigations he is facing Donald Trump has been indicted in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case 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

Special counsel Jack Smith's monthslong investigation into Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents has entered a new chapter with a grand jury voting to indict the former president, sources familiar told CNN Thursday.

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in the special counsel's classified documents probe, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, a stunning development that marks the first time a former president has faced federal charges.

The former president says he has been summoned to appear in court in Miami on Tuesday.

Former president Donald Trump on Thursday said his lawyers have been told he has been indicted on charges related to his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information at his Palm Beach, Florida home. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the ex-president wrote: “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax”. The ex-president followed the bombshell claim with a series of allegations against his successor in the White House, President Joe Biden, stemming from the discovery documents bearing classification markings at several locations linked to the sitting president. In a subsequent post, Mr Trump said he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, 13 June, at 3.00 pm ET. “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election,” he said, adding that he is “an innocent man”. “This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America. We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!” he added. More follows... Read More Trump says he is ‘an innocent man’ as he’s being indicted over secret documents case James Watt, sharp-tongued and pro-development Interior secretary under Reagan, dies at 85 Funeral director thought to be Capitol rioter dubbed ‘#BlackBonoHelmet’ is arrested

Ukraine and its allies will be at the whim of American voters once again next year if the winner of the US election is not as enthusiastic about defending democracy on the European continent as President Joe Biden has been over the last fifteen months.

Months after his identity was gleaned by online sleuths working to track down the names of those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, a Long Island funeral home director has been arrested. The arrest of Peter Maloney – of Bayport, New York – was announced on Wednesday in a press release from the Department of Justice, which accused him of “spray[ing] police officers with ... insecticide” on at least two occasions, and also helping other rioters gang up on and violently assault persons who they mistook for news reporters. He was dubbed #BlackBonoHelmet online by the group, which has identified other Americans yet to be arrested in connection to the attack He faces two felony counts and five misdemeanors for his participation in the assault; the felony charges include assault of a police officer, a more serious charge than many others who simply followed the mob into the Capitol, illegally, before leaving would later receive. It’s a far lighter list of charges than members of the far-right Oathkeepers militia received, however; leaders of that group were charged with seditious conspiracy against the United States. FBI agents who compiled evidence against him argued that Mr Maloney’s decision to come equipped with insecticide and body armour showed his intent to commit violence before the attack even began. His arrest coincides with a much more high-profile nabbing of a January 6 conspirator this week — Bob’s Burgers and Arrested Development fans reacted with disbelief and disgust as actor Jay Johnston, known for his roles on the shows, was arrested and charged with felony obstruction of peace officers among several misdemeanors. He was previously fired from the former show after being ID’d online by Sedition Hunters, the very same group responsible for sniffing out Mr Maloney’s identity. Apparently indicating the limits of the Justice Department’s capabilities, spokespersons for the group noted on Twitter just last month that it had been more than two years since Mr Maloney’s identity had been confirmed positively by the website’s sleuths. Read More Bank records raise questions about home remodel in Texas Attorney General Paxton's impeachment Trump knew how to correctly declassify documents, White House official tells prosecutors Bob’s Burgers actor arrested and charged in connection with Jan 6 Capitol riot

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating January 6, 2021, according to a person familiar with the matter.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment to normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia as he wrapped up his first solo visit to the Kingdom.