List of All Articles with Tag 'us politics'

Dozens of the most generous donors to super PACs that supported Donald Trump's reelection bid in 2020 cycle have skipped giving to the new crop of super PACs backing Trump and his rivals in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, a CNN analysis shows.

Former prosecutor Renato Mariotti has claimed Jack Smith is using insights he gained from his role at the Hague to bring Donald Trump to justice for his role in the 2020 efforts to overturn the election. Mr Mariotti cited Mr Smith’s stint in the Hague, where he played a role in prosecuting authoritarian leaders prior to becoming the special counsel in the cases against Mr Trump. “I think he understands the way an authoritarian can use these soft methods of increasing their power and staying in power,” Mr Mariotti said on Thursday on MSNBC to anchor Ari Melber. “I think his experience prosecuting a sitting head of state, as you highlighted a moment ago, really prepared him for a moment like this. It shows when someone is desperate to stay in power, it’s important, ultimately, to find the way to bring him to account quickly, and I think that’s what he’s trying to do here.” “Autocrats use propaganda,” Melber earlier said. “That’s been true even as the nature of distribution has changed in many different eras. And propaganda is dangerous, precisely because you don’t have to physically oppress people. You don’t need weaponry if you trick enough of them into this or that position, whether that’s hating authoritarianism or groups. “I want to play that other piece of footage where he [Jack Smith] makes a point – again, who could see how things echo. “People have a choice of what they want to repost on Facebook or whatever platform they use. And I thought this was so striking that in a related context of both authoritarianism and ethnic hate, he talked about the ethical people who chose not to perpetuate things. Take a listen,” he said. Melber then played the video clip. “The accused, in committing their crimes, tried to amplify the damage they caused by exhorting the media in Kosovo to publish. The ethical journalists refused to publish the documents they provided them,” Mr Smith be heard saying in the clip. “This question is as much societal as it is legal. I’m not talking about a repost or publisher’s liability. I’m asking you the deeper question about why you’re a prosecutor, why you care about justice, which is, what do you think of his appeal of how we all exercise our choices in the face of propaganda matters and how that relates at home right now?” Melber continued. “It’s pretty profound,” Mr Mariotti replied. “I have to say, I’m struck by the way in which he has an understanding of some of the softer ways in which people can exercise power. “It’s such an interesting, different approach to Robert Mueller. Robert Mueller was very old school. He saw things, I think, in the way that – in a very black-and-white way that the Justice Department traditionally has. “Jack Smith... he’s from a different generation. I think he understands the way an authoritarian can use these soft methods of increasing their power and staying in power.” Read More Jack Smith uses Trump lawyer’s media statements against him in latest 2020 election case filing Trump reacts with fury to proposed 2 January trial date in special counsel’s 2020 election case Trump and one co-defendant plead not guilty in superseding Mar-a-Lago indictment Trump furious at proposed 2 January trial date in special counsel 2020 election case Special Counsel requests January 2024 trial in Jan 6 case - latest Judge Chutkan to hear arguments in protective order fight in Trump's 2020 election conspiracy case

After a week of bitter court filings, federal prosecutors and Donald Trump's defense lawyers are scheduled to appear in Washington, DC, federal court Friday morning for the first hearing before the judge assigned to oversee the special counsel's election subversion case against the former president.

Ukraine backers on Capitol Hill are itching for President Joe Biden to step up his case for why the US should send more money to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, as warning bells sound about the American public's support for Kyiv.

The Biden administration will announce on Friday its first major investment to kickstart the US carbon removal industry -- something energy experts say is key to getting the country's planet-warming emissions under control.

If special counsel Jack Smith has his way, Donald Trump will be spending his weekdays in January in a Washington, DC, courtroom rather than barnstorming ice-bound Iowa and New Hampshire with his closing arguments before the critical first 2024 nominating contests.

Several civil and voting rights groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Republican Gov. Bill Lee and other state officials over Tennessee's congressional and state Senate maps, which they allege are discriminatory and violate the constitutional rights of voters of color.

Some Republican 2024 contenders are still scrambling to qualify for the party's first presidential debate later this month in Milwaukee.

Donald Trump said he would refuse to sign a Republican National Committee loyalty pledge required by any candidate wishing to participate in the party's first primary debate. He made the comments to Eric Bolling during an appearance on the Maga-friendly television network Newsmax, which had to end the interview with an awkward disclaimer reminding viewers that it accepts the results of the 2020 election. “I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have certain people as somebody that I would endorse,” Mr Trump said, refusing to specify which of the candidates he would not endorse. The pledge requires signatories to agree to support whichever candidate becomes the Republican party nominee in 2024, according to The Hill. Mr Trump has said on several occasions that he may skip the first debate, which is scheduled for 23 August in Milwaukee. He has questioned why he should bother with the debate since he is the clear frontrunner, suggesting it would simply open opportunities for the other candidates to attack him an an attempt to boost their own polling. He told Newsmax that he would announce next week if he will participate. "I've already decided, and I'll be announcing something next week," Mr Trump said. "I haven't totally ruled it out." Mr Trump similarly refused to commit to backing the eventual Republican candidate during his campaign in 2015. During a primary debate that year, the candidates were asked to raise their hands if they would back the nominee. Mr Trump was the only candidate to not raise his hand. The former president eventually relented and signed a loyalty pledge later that year. Mr Trump is not the first one to balk at the requirement; his opponent, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, told CNN last month that he would take the pledge "just as seriously as Donald Trump took it in 2016." At the end of the segment Newsmax was forced to issue a disclaimer reminding viewers that they were not contesting the results of the 2020 elections. "Alright folks," Mr Bolling said. "Now, just as a note: Newsmax has accepted the election results as legal and final." Newsmax began shying away from commenters who pushed 2020 election conspiracy theories after the company was sued by Dominion Voting Systems for defamation. The network ultimately settled the lawsuit and began pulling the plug on interviews with election deniers like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Mr Trump still insists, without evidence, that the election was stolen. Read More Trump complains world has ‘never been nastier than it is now’ as cases against him proceed Trump and one co-defendant plead not guilty in superseding Mar-a-Lago indictment Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds Wisconsin judge allows civil case against fake Trump electors to proceed Iran transfers 5 Iranian-American prisoners to house arrest in step toward deal for ultimate release FEC moves toward potentially regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads

Sen. Joe Manchin, the moderate West Virginia Democrat who has yet to decide whether to run for reelection next year or mount a long-shot third party bid for the White House, said Thursday that he's "thinking seriously" about becoming an independent.

The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Purdue Pharma from going forward with bankruptcy proceedings, which the Biden administration has called an "unprecedented" arrangement that would ultimately offer the Sackler family broad protection from opioid-related civil claims.

President Joe Biden is asking Congress for more than $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs as he works to sustain support for the war amid signs of softening support among Americans.