Trump says there were no documents found at Mar-a-Lago, just ‘cool’ empty folders marked classified
Donald Trump has hosted the conservative creators of the “Libs of TikTok” and Babylon Bee social media accounts at Mar-a-Lago.
NBC News reports that it is part of a charm offensive by the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, whose campaign has its first event this weekend in South Carolina.
Earlier this week, Mr Trump leaped to Mike Pence’s defense after it emerged that classified documents had been found in the former vice president’s Indiana home.
In a Truth Social post, Mr Trump called Mr Pence an “innocent man” and urged people to “leave him alone”.
It’s a marked difference from his response to the discovery of classified documents at President Joe Biden’s Wilmington home and an office he used in Washington DC.
Now, classified documents have been found at the homes of Mr Trump, Mr Biden, and Mr Pence, prompting investigations into the matters.
Meanwhile, a Georgia prosecutor said that a decision was “imminent” around whether or not to bring charges against Mr Trump and his allies over their efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
On Tuesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis suggested that the special grand jury had recommended multiple indictments.
Ted Cruz blasted for wildly different reactions to Pence and Biden document scandals
Texas Senator Ted Cruz is being blasted for his two very different reactions to the discoveries of classified documents at the homes of President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Oliver O’ConnellJan 25, 2023 9:14 p.m.
Leaders are meant to keep state secrets…but not at home
Democrats responded with aggravated fury when former President Donald Trump was found in possession of classified documents that should have been turned over to the government when he left office. Then disclosures that President Joe Biden also mishandled secret papers set loose a Republican “well, what about” roar.
Now, with another discovery of classified documents, this time at the home of Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence, the partisan finger-pointing seems to be melting into a chorus of mortification from Democrats and Republicans.
The highest US secrets, it now appears, are not necessarily safe with the highest officials.
Oliver O’ConnellJan 25, 2023 8:40 p.m.
ICYMI: New Trump photo with monster surfaces
A photo taken during the summer of 2022 shows a grinning former president Donald Trump flashing a thumbs up gesture while posing with John Alite, a podcaster and motivational speaker who was once a hitman for the Gambino crime family.
Alite, who confirmed the authenticity of the photo in a phone interview with The Independent, described himself as a political independent who supported Mr Trump’s push for criminal justice reform, and said his support for the ex-president is well known.
Andrew Feinberg has the story.
Oliver O’Connell25 January 2023 20:10
House GOP push for info on Hunter Biden’s art sales
House Republicans renewed their investigation Wednesday into the art dealings of Hunter Biden, pushing for details on who is purchasing his work as part of the party’s long-promised probe into President Joe Biden and his family.
Rep. James Comer, new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, asked for a transcribed interview with Georges Bergès, the art dealer who has been showcasing Hunter Biden’s work in New York and Los Angeles galleries since 2021.
He requested communications between the gallery and the White House, citing Republican concerns the younger Biden is trading in on his father’s name.
Oliver O’ConnellJan 25, 2023 7:40 p.m.
Trump hosts Libs of TikTok and Babylon Bee influencers
Donald Trump has hosted the conservative creators of the “Libs of TikTok” and Babylon Bee social media accounts at Mar-a-Lago.
NBC News reports that it is part of a charm offensive by the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, whose campaign has its first event this weekend in South Carolina.
Despite launching in mid-November 2022, the former president’s campaign has been slow to gain any traction or momentum and Mr Trump has barely left his Palm Beach home.
Citing a source with knowledge of the strategy, the network says Trump met with Seth Dillon, founder of the conservative political satire website Babylon Beeand had dinner with Chaya Raichik, owner of the “Libs of TikTok” Twitter account.
Mr Trump plans to meet with other social media influencers, the source told NBC.
Ms Raichik posted a photo of herself with the former president.
Oliver O’ConnellJan 25, 2023 7:22 p.m.
Democrats sidestep on Kyrsten Sinema challenger
Democratic discomfort was on display as senators kept mum on Representative Ruben Gallego’s decision to run against Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, despite her defection from the party last month.
Eric Garcia reports on the reaction in Congress.
Oliver O’Connell25 January 2023 19:11
McCarthy loses his cool at reporters over George Santos questions
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.
CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber .
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC, on what was said.
Oliver O’ConnellJan 25, 2023 6:40 p.m.
After years of resistance, Trump has discovered texting, report says
According to reporting by Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman in The New York Timesformer president Donald Trump has discovered text messaging.
Despite long being famous for his unfiltered tweets (now Truths?) in the public sphere, Mr Trump has long avoided communicating by email or text in private, something that may have helped him avoid worse legal jeopardy than he is currently in.
Citing three people with knowledge of his new habit, Swan and Haberman report that messages from the former president have shown up on the phone of surprised recipients.
A lack of written electronic communication from the one-time president was notable in the January 6 investigation when other Trumpworld figures’ texts and emails were key to building the case against him.
To date, Mr Trump’s texts are described as innocuous and have included new year greetings and political comments.
Oliver O’ConnellJan 25, 2023 6:20 p.m.
Watch: De La Cruz voices anger over DirecTV ditching Newsmax
Oliver O’Connell25 January 2023 18:00
McCarthy targets Biden over documents – despite new revelations about Pence
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy attempted to draw a distinction between the documents found at former vice president Mike Pence’s home and those discovered at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware.
The Independent asked Mr McCarthy about CNN’s report that Mr Pence found documents at his home in Carmel, Indiana and promptly returned them.
Eric Garcia reports on how the speaker responded to his question.
Oliver O’Connell25 January 2023 17:40