Trump rages over special counsel’s 2020 election filing as Melania breaks with GOP on abortion rights: Live

Donald Trump has lashed out at Special Counsel Jack Smith after he outlined a sprawling criminal case against the Republican presidential nominee over his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Smith’s latest filing in a Washington DC federal court was unsealed by Judge Tanya Chutkan on Wednesday and detailed, for the first time, the former president’s “increasingly desperate efforts” to cling to power with “knowingly false claims of election fraud”.

Trump intentionally lied to voters, election officials and his own vice president Mike Pence as part of a criminal effort to stay in power, Smith alleges, culminating in his failure to stop the mob that laid seige to the US Capitol.

Responding on Truth Social, Trump raged: “The release of this falsehood-ridden, Unconstitutional, J6 brief immediately following Tim Walz’s disastrous Debate performance, and 33 days before the Most Important Election in the History of our Country, is another obvious attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to undermine and Weaponize American Democracy, and INTERFERE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.”

Meanwhile, it has emerged that former first lady Melania Trump offers vocal support for abortion rights in her new memoir, despite her own husband’s pivotal role in rolling back protections.

Key Points

• Donald Trump ‘pursued multiple criminal means to overturn election’ new special counsel filing claims

• Trump posts furious and defiant reaction to election subversion filing

• Melania defends ‘fundamental’ right to abortion in memoir despite Trump bringing about demise of Roe v Wade

• JD Vance again refuses to answer 2020 question as Tim Walz presses his advantage

• New polling shows Kamala Harris leading or tied with Trump in six battleground states

Vance drops nice guy act to resume attacks on Harris and Walz

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Just hours after attracting congratulatory headlines for the “cordial” and “collegiate” manner in which Tuesday night’s VP debate was conducted, Vance was back out there mocking Walz, calling Harris “an absolute disgrace” and “very insecure” (who does that remind you of ?) and reverting to his anti-intellectual guise to bash economists who “don’t know what the hell they’re talking about”.

His no-inflation-under-Trump argument rather overlooks a little affair you might recall known as the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the total shutdown of the entire world and which Trump, then the president of the United States of America, entirely mismanaged.

JD Vance again refuses to answer 2020 question as Tim Walz presses his advantage

10:40 , Joe Sommerlad

On the campaign trail in Auburn Hills, Michigan, yesterday, Trump’s running mate again declined to admit that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election fairly, instead preferring to – you guessed it – attack the media.

Over in York, Pennsylvania, his Democratic rival Tim Walz addressed the same issue he raised at the close of their debate and said Vance’s refusal to answer so simple a question should “absolutely disqualify” him and his boss from higher office.

Trump says he will ‘absolutely’ revoke temporary protection status for Springfield’s Haitian migrants

10:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Also taking to the airwaves last night was the Republican nominee himself, keen to air his grievances against Jack Smith to NewsNation’s Ali Bradley.

He again called the Justice Department Special Counsel “a deranged person”, said his latest filing amounted to “pure election interference” and its unsealing by Judge Chutkan nothing less than the “weaponization of the government”.

Of course it is.

More worryingly, he also pledged to deport Springfield’s Haitian migrant population should he return to the White House.

There are around 15,000 Haitians in Springfield, for the record, at least 12,000 of whom are in the United States legally, as the CBS fact-checkers reminded JD Vance during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate.

Melania surprised it took so long for husband to be impeached as rivals feared his ‘peace through strength’

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Speaking of the former first lady, she was interviewed by Fox News’s Sean Hannity last night, during which this interesting exchange took place.

“What stunned me is when you actually said that when they first impeached him, ‘I’m surprised it took so long’,” Hannity said, alluding to a passage in her new memoir.

“I did because I saw how they treat him, how the media was against him. I think they are afraid of his strength – he was leading this country with peace through strength,” she responded.

“So as soon as he announced that he’s running for president, everything changed. I saw it and I said, ‘You know, this will not be very pleasant,’ but I knew that he’s into it, what he’ll need to deal with.

“And as soon as they announced his presidency, and then when he won, they start already talking about impeachment… I always said to him, ‘What is next?’

“Every event that happened, I’m thinking, ‘What is next? What are they trying to do?’You always fear the worst, and that happened.”

Here’s more from James Liddell.

Melania Trump reveals her reaction when Donald announced he was running for president

Melania defends ‘fundamental’ right to abortion in memoir despite Trump bringing about demise of Roe v Wade

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The former first lady reportedly offers vocal support for abortion rights in her “deeply personal” new memoir, despite her own husband’s instrumental role in rolling back abortion protections.

“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” Melania Trump writes in the forthcoming Melania, according to a review copy obtained by The Guardian.

“A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”

Josh Marcus has more.

Melania defends ‘fundamental’ right to abortion in memoir despite Trump stance

Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election: The federal investigation explained

09:03 , Joe Sommerlad

A sprawling Justice Department probe into the former president and his allies yielded four criminal charges in a stunning indictment outlining a path to power at whatever cost, Alex Woodward reports.

The federal investigation into Trump and January 6, explained

‘What does injured mean?’: Fury as Trump downplays severity of brain injuries suffered by 109 US soldiers

08:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump is facing backlash for downplaying the traumatic brain injuries suffered by 109 U.S. service members after an Iranian ballistic missile attack in 2020.

The Republican presidential candidate made the remarks at a campaign press event on Tuesday after a reporter asked him if he should have been “tougher” on Iran during his time in the White House following the attack that left troops injured.

“First of all, injured, what does injured mean?” Trump replied. “You mean because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort.”

Ariana Baio reports.

Fury as Trump downplays severity of brain injuries suffered by 109 US soldiers

Full story: Trump ‘pursued multiple criminal means to overturn election’ new special counsel filing claims

07:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Special counsel Jack Smith has outlined a sprawling criminal case against Donald Trump for his attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, detailing for the first time the former president’s “increasingly desperate efforts” to cling to power with “knowingly false claims of election fraud.”

Trump intentionally lied to voters, election officials, and his own vice president Mike Pence in what amounted to a criminal effort to stay in office, culminating in his failure to stop a mob that tried to do it with violence, according to the document filed in federal court in Washington DC on Wednesday.

Alex Woodward has been closely following the case for The Independent and has the details.

Jack Smith outlines Trump’s ‘multiple criminal means’ to overturn 2020 election

Trump posts furious and defiant reaction to election subversion filing

06:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Former president Donald Trump has posted a furious and defiant reaction to the publication of the redacted Jack Smith filing in the election interference case brought against him — saying that it was an “obvious attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to undermine and Weaponize American Democracy, and INTERFERE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.”

There is no evidence of any coordination between the White House and Smith.

The Republican nominee posted on Truth Social:

The release of this falsehood-ridden, Unconstitutional, J6 brief immediately following Tim Walz’s disastrous Debate performance, and 33 days before the Most Important Election in the History of our Country, is another obvious attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to undermine and Weaponize American Democracy, and INTERFERE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. Deranged Jack Smith, the hand picked Prosecutor of the Harris-Biden DOJ, and Washington, D.C. based Radical Left Democrats, are HELL BENT on continuing to Weaponize the Justice Department in an attempt to cling to power. “TRUMP” is dominating the Election cycle, leading in the Polls, and the Radical Democrats throughout the Deep State are totally “freaking out.” This entire case is a Partisan, Unconstitutional, Witch Hunt, that should be dismissed, entirely, just like the Florida case was dismissed!

He added:

WHETHER NOW THE FULLY DEBUNKED RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, IRAN, IRAN, IRAN, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, 51 INTELLIGENCE AGENTS, SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, IMPEACHMENT HOAX NUMBER ONE, IMPEACHMENT HOAX NUMBER TWO, OR ANY OF THE OTHER SCAMS, THIS ILLEGAL ACTION TAKEN BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THEIR RAID ON MAR-A-LAGO FOR A CASE THAT WAS DISMISSED, WILL END JUST LIKE ALL OF THE OTHERS – WITH COMPLETE VICTORY FOR “PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.” MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

The former president wasn’t done there:

Democrats are Weaponizing the Justice Department against me because they know I am WINNING, and they are desperate to prop up their failing Candidate, Kamala Harris. The DOJ pushed out this latest “hit job” today because JD Vance humiliated Tim Walz last night in the Debate. The DOJ has become nothing more than an extension of Joe’s, and now Kamala’s, Campaign. This is egregious PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, and should not have been released right before the Election. The Democrat Party is turning America into a Third World Country that tries to censor, harass, and intimidate their Political Opponents. What they have done to our Justice System is one of the Great, All Time, Tragedies….

….The Democrat Party is guilty of the Worst Election Interference in American History. They are trying to DESTROY OUR DEMOCRACY, allowing millions of people to enter our Country illegally. They are determined to stop us from winning back the White House, sealing the Border, and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. BUT THEY WILL FAIL, AND WE WILL SAVE OUR NATION!

Vance is a better debater than Trump, Gretchen Whitmer says – but still thinks Walz triumphed

05:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer weighed in following the vice presidential debate on Tuesday and believes that JD Vance outperformed running mate Donald Trump when it comes to debating skills.

“JD Vance was a better debater than Donald Trump,” Whitmer said, during an appearance on late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, on Tuesday evening. “Donald Trump should have taken some lessons from him.”

Ariana Baio reports.

Vance is a better debater than Trump, Gretchen Whitmer says

Vance-Walz debate attracts 20m fewer viewers than 2020 face-off between Harris and Pence

04:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Just under 39 million people tuned in across eight networks to watch Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz, falling 20 million people short of the audience draw when Vice President Kamala Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence debated in 2020.

Graig Graziosi has the details.

Polling shows the vice presidential debate was a draw — that’s good news for JD Vance

03:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Most political pundits declared that Republican Senator JD Vance got the better of Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz during the sole vice presidential debate on Tuesday evening. Walz made a few slip-ups, such as when he accidentally said he befriended school shooters and had to own up to the fact he had not been in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China.

Many were also surprised by the fact that Vance presented a more restrained and less awkward version of himself than has been seen on the campaign trail so far.

Put together, these facts have made commentators likely to say that Vance was the winner.

The truth is a bit more complicated than that.

Continue reading…

Polls show the debate was a draw — that’s good news for JD Vance

Latest poll updates: Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump?

02:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Alicja Hagopian looks at the latest polling.

Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump? Latest poll updates from the 2024 election

Vance’s debate performance has Republicans hopeful he can shake off ‘weird’ label

01:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The Trump-Vance campaign is hopeful the vice presidential candidate’s debate performance last night will improve his “weird” image and could kick-start the campaign for the Republican ticket, according to reports.

For months, JD Vance has struggled to shirk off the “weird” label given to him by his Democratic opponent Tim Walz early on in the 2024 presidential campaign.

But last night could mark a turning point. Trump’s aides believe Vance “reset the narrative over his image”.

Rhian Lubin reports.

Republicans hopeful Vance’s debate performance has helped shake off ‘weird’ label

Cybersecurity head says no chance foreign country could change election results in November

01:00 , Ariana Baio, AP

The United States’s election systems are so secure that Russia, Iran or any other foreign adversary would be able to alter the outcome of the presidential election, the director of the nation’s cybersecurity agency said on Wednesday

“Malicious actors, even if they tried, could not have an impact at scale such that there would be a material effect on the outcome of the election,” Jen Easterly, the director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told the Associated Press.

Continue reading…

Cybersecurity head says no chance a foreign adversary can change election results

Scandal-hit Mark Robinson blows off voting for North Carolina hurricane relief

Thursday 3 October 2024 00:30 , Oliver O’Connell

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson did not vote to pass an emergency relief declaration as Hurricane Helene barrelled towards the state, public records have shown.

Robinson, who has been rocked by public scandal in recent weeks, skipped out on a vote on September 25, shortly before the storm arrived, leaving communities devastated and at least 160 people dead across multiple states.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Tuesday that his office was working with the state’s information and referral service to determine the number of missing, but that “more fatalities” were expected.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Scandal-hit Mark Robinson blows off voting for North Carolina hurricane relief

Trump raised $160m in September

Thursday 3 October 2024 00:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The Trump-Vance campaign says it ended September having raised over $160m (96 per cent of which was small dollar donations). They also have $283m cash on hand across the campaign and authorized committees.

“President Trump continues to inspire millions of everyday Americans to join his America First movement and help fuel the campaign with their hard-earned money. In September, nearly 2.5 million donations under $200 were made. These supporters have allowed us to bank the funds we need as we move into the campaign’s final weeks. Our momentum continues to grow from supporters and donors across the country as we enter the homestretch toward victory,” said Brian Hughes, Trump Campaign Senior Advisor.

The figure appears to be almost $90m less than they raised in September 2020 as the then-president sought re-election.

Trump rallygoers fume after late change denies them access to speech

Wednesday 2 October 2024 23:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s supporters were left confused when a last-minute change of plan dashed their hopes of catching a glimpse of the former commander-in-chief.

Dozens of supporters, some of whom had traveled overnight, were eagerly waiting outside the planned campaign event at the Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just to be told by US Secret Service officials that the previously billed public rally would be a closed press conference due to security and capacity concerns.

Michelle Del Rey reports.

Trump rallygoers fume after late event change means they miss out

RECAP: Trump ‘pursued multiple criminal means to overturn election’ new special counsel filing claims

Wednesday 2 October 2024 23:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Special counsel Jack Smith has outlined a sprawling criminal case against Donald Trump for his attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, detailing for the first time the former president’s “increasingly desperate efforts” to cling to power with “knowingly false claims of election fraud.”

Trump intentionally lied to voters, election officials, and his own vice president Mike Pence in what amounted to a criminal effort to stay in office, culminating in his failure to stop a mob that tried to do it with violence, according to the document filed in federal court in Washington DC on Wednesday.

Alex Woodward has been closely following the case for The Independent and has the details.

Jack Smith outlines Trump’s ‘multiple criminal means’ to overturn 2020 election

Special counsel filing details attempts by Pence to get Trump to accept election loss

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:55 , Oliver O’Connell

ICYMI: Biden directs military personnel to help in North Carolina

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Meanwhile, in Augusta, Georgia…

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris is distributing food and posing for selfies with those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

…he wasn’t finished

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:39 , Oliver O’Connell

The former president has posted again…

Democrats are Weaponizing the Justice Department against me because they know I am WINNING, and they are desperate to prop up their failing Candidate, Kamala Harris. The DOJ pushed out this latest “hit job” today because JD Vance humiliated Tim Walz last night in the Debate. The DOJ has become nothing more than an extension of Joe’s, and now Kamala’s, Campaign. This is egregious PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, and should not have been released right before the Election. The Democrat Party is turning America into a Third World Country that tries to censor, harass, and intimidate their Political Opponents. What they have done to our Justice System is one of the Great, All Time, Tragedies….

….The Democrat Party is guilty of the Worst Election Interference in American History. They are trying to DESTROY OUR DEMOCRACY, allowing millions of people to enter our Country illegally. They are determined to stop us from winning back the White House, sealing the Border, and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. BUT THEY WILL FAIL, AND WE WILL SAVE OUR NATION!

Trump posts furious and defiant reaction to election subversion filing

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:33 , Oliver O’Connell

Former president Donald Trump has posted a furious and defiant reaction to the publication of the redacted Jack Smith filing in the election interference case brought against him — saying that it was an “obvious attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to undermine and Weaponize American Democracy, and INTERFERE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.”

There is no evidence of any coordination between the White House and Smith.

The Republican nominee posted on Truth Social:

The release of this falsehood-ridden, Unconstitutional, J6 brief immediately following Tim Walz’s disastrous Debate performance, and 33 days before the Most Important Election in the History of our Country, is another obvious attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to undermine and Weaponize American Democracy, and INTERFERE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. Deranged Jack Smith, the hand picked Prosecutor of the Harris-Biden DOJ, and Washington, D.C. based Radical Left Democrats, are HELL BENT on continuing to Weaponize the Justice Department in an attempt to cling to power. “TRUMP” is dominating the Election cycle, leading in the Polls, and the Radical Democrats throughout the Deep State are totally “freaking out.” This entire case is a Partisan, Unconstitutional, Witch Hunt, that should be dismissed, entirely, just like the Florida case was dismissed!

He added:

WHETHER NOW THE FULLY DEBUNKED RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, IRAN, IRAN, IRAN, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, 51 INTELLIGENCE AGENTS, SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, IMPEACHMENT HOAX NUMBER ONE, IMPEACHMENT HOAX NUMBER TWO, OR ANY OF THE OTHER SCAMS, THIS ILLEGAL ACTION TAKEN BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THEIR RAID ON MAR-A-LAGO FOR A CASE THAT WAS DISMISSED, WILL END JUST LIKE ALL OF THE OTHERS – WITH COMPLETE VICTORY FOR “PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.” MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Coach praises Tim Walz’s son for helping protect other kids after shooting

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:30 , AP

When the issue of gun violence came up at the vice presidential debate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a personal story to tell: His teenage son, Gus, had been at a sports center last year when a shooting took place.

Gus Walz was at volleyball practice at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in St. Paul the afternoon of Jan. 18, 2023, when a 16-year-old was shot and seriously wounded outside.

It wasn’t the first time Tim Walz had spoken about his son’s brush with gun violence, and the shooting itself was widely publicized locally. But the Democrat’s remarks Tuesday night at his debate with Republican JD Vance, as the public is still getting to know both vice presidential candidates, offered the biggest stage yet to personalize an issue that has deeply affected many American families.

Continue reading…

Coach praises Tim Walz’s son for helping protect other kids after shooting

Harris tells first responders ‘take care of yourselves’, thanks Georgia governor

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris thanks Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp for “his leadership and his close coordination” with the White House and federal authorities in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

“There’s a lot of work that’s going to need to happen over the coming days, weeks and months, and the coordination that we have dedicated ourselves to will be long-lasting to get families, to get residents to get neighborhoods back up and running,” she said.

“We are at our best when we work together and coordinate resources, coordinate our communities to the maximum effect for the community.”

Harris added: “Today, I’m also announcing that the President has approved the governor’s request for 100% federal reimbursement of local costs.”

Former Pence aide reacts to Trump’s disregard for safety of vice president

Wednesday 2 October 2024 22:04 , Oliver O’Connell

Alyssa Farah Griffin, former aide to then-vice president Mike Pence, says: “To this day it makes me sick to read about Trump’s pressure campaign against Pence & the subsequent disregard for his safety on [January 6].”

She pleads: “Republicans — it’s never too late to admit what we all know: Trump is wholly unfit for office.”

Trump-endorsed Maryland senate candidate slams Republican nominee for refusing to back Ukraine

Wednesday 2 October 2024 21:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump-endorsed Republican senate candidate Larry Hogan attempted to further distance himself from the Republican presidential nominee by criticizing the ex-president for refusing to say whether he wants Ukraine to defeat Russia.

Speaking at a campaign press conference at the Washington headquarters of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Hogan, the former Maryland governor running for US Senate, slammed Trump for exhibiting what he described as a “lack of moral clarity” during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month.

John Bowden and Andrew Feinberg report.

Trump-endorsed candidate slams Republican nominee for refusing to back Ukraine

Watch: Walz reminds crowd why he wasn’t debating Mike Pence last night

Wednesday 2 October 2024 21:36 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump makes claims about Pelosi saying Jan 6 case should be dismissed

Wednesday 2 October 2024 21:32 , Oliver O’Connell

As the political and legal world pours over the special counsel filing arguing that Donald Trump’s actions relating to overturning the result of the 2020 election were those of a private citizen and not covered by presidential immunity, the former president is trying to deflect attention on Truth Social.

Trump posted:

He added:

These MAJOR revelations and the fact, as recently confirmed by the Great John Solomon and the STRONG work of Congressman Barry Loudermilk and Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, that the Deep State chose to DISREGARD my direct authorization of at least 10,000 National Guard Troops to ensure that Washington, D.C., was safe and secure on January 6th, automatically END the Sham J6 Civil Hoaxes and the lawless D.C. Case brought by Deranged Jack Smith, which has already been DEMOLISHED by the United States Supreme Court’s Historic Immunity and Fischer Decisions. I called for everyone to act PEACEFULLY and PATRIOTICALLY, and demanded that D.C. be PROTECTED. We have to END the Witch Hunts and restore our broken Justice System!

Wednesday 2 October 2024 21:19 , Oliver O’Connell

Special Counsel Jack Smith on Donald Trump’s efforts to stay in office

Trump ‘pursued multiple criminal means to overturn election’ new special counsel filing claims

Wednesday 2 October 2024 21:08 , Oliver O’Connell

Special counsel Jack Smith has outlined a sprawling criminal case against Donald Trump for his attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, detailing for the first time the former president’s “increasingly desperate efforts” to cling to power with “knowingly false claims of election fraud.”

Trump intentionally lied to voters, election officials, and his own vice president, Mike Pence, in what amounted to a criminal effort to stay in office, according to the document filed in federal court in Washington DC on Wednesday.

“When the defendant lost the 2020 presidential election, he resorted to crimes to try to stay in office,” the filing says. “With private co-conspirators, the defendant launched a series of increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he had lost.”

Alex Woodward reports.

Hurricane Helene: Harris briefed on impact of storm on Augusta, Georgia

Wednesday 2 October 2024 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris joined a meeting at a utility building near downtown Augusta, Georgia, where the mayor and other officials briefed her on the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Helene.

“These are very difficult times,” she says, “and in a moment of crisis, I think that really does bring out the best in us.”

“I’m here to thank you and to listen,” she added.

BREAKING: Judge unseals Jack Smith’s redacted motion on presidential immunity in federal case against Trump

Wednesday 2 October 2024 20:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Federal judge Tanya Chutkan has unsealed Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 165-page redacted motion on presidential immunity with regards to the 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump.

Read the full document here.

This is a developing story, more follows…

Watch: Vance dodges question on 2020 election

Wednesday 2 October 2024 20:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Why has Trump pulled out of his ‘60 Minutes’ interview?

Wednesday 2 October 2024 20:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump pulled out of an election season interview with CBS News’s 60 Minutes that was set to air Monday, with the Republican’s camp citing fact-checking provisions and a long-running dispute over the Hunter Biden laptop story as reasons why.

60 Minutes announced the cancellation over X/Twitter, where many likened it to President Joe Biden’s decision to duck the traditional Super Bowl interview earlier this year triggering speculation about his cognitive abilities among conservative commentators and the MAGA faithful.

Josh Marcus reports.

Trump pulls out of ‘60 Minutes’ interview, after storming out of 2020 episode

Watch: Walz asked about ‘school shooter’ gaffe

Wednesday 2 October 2024 20:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Recap: Vance and Walz remain civil in policy-driven debate but Trump is inescapable

Wednesday 2 October 2024 20:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump was not the elephant in the room. He was the room.

During Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, his running mate JD Vance was tasked with wrangling policy positions out of Trump’s chaos, while Walz sought to make the case why the former president should never be elected again, even quoting his opponent’s statement that he once believed Trump “unfit” for higher office.

Alex Woodward reports.

Vance and Walz remain civil in policy-driven debate but Trump is inescapable

Trump makes bizarre comparison when speaking about Middle East conflict

Wednesday 2 October 2024 20:05 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump compares Israel and Hezbollah to ‘two kids fighting in the schoolyard’

Who is JD Vance’s mother?

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:55 , Oliver O’Connell

JD Vance often mentions her on the campaign trail, Amy Adams plays her in a movie and her Alcoholics Anonymous meeting attendees just know her as “Bev.”

Vance’s mother Beverly Aikins has been a fixture of the Ohio Senator’s life since he entered politics, and he mentioned her struggles again during the vice presidential debate on Tuesday night.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Who is JD Vance’s mom? Nurse Beverly Aikins’ journey of addiction and redemption

Hurricane Helene: Harris arrives in Georgia

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:51 , Oliver O’Connell

Hurricane Helene: Biden to travel to Florida and Georgia to survey damage

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:47 , Oliver O’Connell

On Thursday, October 3rd, President Joe Biden will travel to Florida and Georgia.

He will tour areas impacted by Hurricane Helene and meet with affected communities.

Watch: Vance lays into Walz over school shooter gaffe

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Here’s Kelly Rissman’s report on that moment:

Walz faces backlash after saying he has made friends with school shooters in debate

Biden says he doesn’t back Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:40 , Oliver O’Connell

President Joe Biden said he would not support strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to retaliate against Tehran for the ballistic attacks that were largely repelled on Tuesday.

Asked on Wednesday whether he would endorse Israel going after Iranian facilities as he boarded Air Force One, Biden told reporters: “The answer is no.”

He also reiterated what he described as “full solidarity and support to Israel and its people” on the part of the United States.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Biden says he doesn’t back Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities

Harris issues statement on dockworkers strike

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris issued the following statement on the International Longshoremen’s Association strike:

“This strike is about fairness. Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown. The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.

“Donald Trump, on the other hand, wants to pull us back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize. As President, he blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers, he appointed union busters to the NLRB – and just recently, he said striking workers should be fired.

“Donald Trump makes empty promise after empty promise to American workers, but never delivers. He thinks our economy should only work for those who own the big skyscrapers, not those who actually build them. As President, I will have workers’ backs and finally pass the PRO Act. And I will fight for an opportunity economy – where every person has the chance not just to get by but to get ahead.”

Harris campaign calls out Vance for deleting ‘end abortion’ page from website

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:10 , Oliver O’Connell

The Harris-Walz campaign is calling out Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance for his shifting stance on abortion.

During last night’s debate, the Ohio senator said: “I never supported a national ban [on abortion].”

However, the vice president’s campaign posted a page from what appears to be Vance’s Senate campaign website prominently titled: “END ABORTION.”

The campaign says it has since been deleted.

Rhian Lubin and Alex Woodward took a look at the truth behind Vance’s claim.

JD Vance claims he never supported national abortion ban. Here’s the truth

Trump’s MAGA Senate candidates are trailing him in key battles

Wednesday 2 October 2024 19:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s allies running for Senate in must-win states, and several swing states, are polling far behind the GOP presidential nominee, a warning for Mitch McConnell and other Republican leadership fighting to take control of the upper chamber of Congress.

Polling averages collected by Axios show potentially make-or-break gaps between Trump and his allies, signaling that even a close Trump victory in crucial swing states will not guarantee a victory for the candidates he endorsed.

That could mean voters are looking to split their tickets this fall — backing Trump in the presidential race and Democrats in down-ballot races.

Alex Woodward has the latest.

Kari Lake and Trump’s MAGA Senate candidates are trailing him in key battles

Harris, Biden fanning out across Southeast as devastation from Hurricane Helene grows

Wednesday 2 October 2024 18:50 , AP

Over the past four years, President Joe Biden has jetted off to survey damage and console victims after tornadoes, wildfires and tropical storms. It’s not a role that Kamala Harris has played as vice president.

But on Wednesday, they will both fan out across the Southeast to grapple with the damage from Hurricane Helene, seeking to demonstrate commitment and competence in helping devastated communities after Donald Trump’s false claims about their administration’s response. Biden is heading to North Carolina and South Carolina, while Harris is going to Georgia.

Harris’ stop will also serve as a political test in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. She’s trying to step into the role for which Biden is best known — showing the empathy that Americans expect in times of tragedy — in the closing stretch of her campaign for president.

She last visited scenes of natural disasters as a California senator, including when she went to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and when she walked through charred wreckage in Paradise, California, after the Camp Fire in 2018.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris’ campaign manager and former state director in her Senate office, said the vice president uses her experience consoling victims as a courtroom prosecutor to connect with people after tragedies.

She said the trip to Georgia was a chance for Harris “to continue to show her leadership and her ability to get things done, versus Donald Trump and JD Vance who want to dismantle the basic services and the role that the government should play.”