Bigboii
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Need a less disruptive POTUS
There was more to what he represented than you are giving him credit for...
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Contact the PP Team
Donald Trump - President of the USA's legal troubles
- Thread starter Abdullah719
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Need a less disruptive POTUS
There was more to what he represented than you are giving him credit for...
Robert
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I can’t think of anything, except telling some European states to start paying 2% into defence as part of NATO. That was the one thing I agreed with.
Moving the embassy to Jerusalem, encouraging Nazis, cozying up to authoritarians and thereby encouraging them, pulling out of the Paris Agreement - all bad.
sweep_shot
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sweep_shot
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The New York attorney general's office says it is investigating the Trump Organization "in a criminal capacity".
A spokesman for the state's top prosecutor, Letitia James, said the inquiry into Mr Trump's property company was "no longer purely civil".
Ms James has been scrutinising the ex-Republican president's financial dealings before he took office.
The Trumps deny wrongdoing and say the inquiry by a Democratic prosecutor is a political vendetta.
Ms James' spokesman, Fabien Levy, told the BBC on Tuesday: "We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the Organization is no longer purely civil in nature.
"We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment."
The statement did not say what turned the inquiry from civil to criminal in nature, or whether the former president himself might be personally implicated in any allegations.
Six legal battles looming for Trump
Ms James launched a civil inquiry in March 2019 into claims that Mr Trump had inflated the value of his assets to banks when seeking loans, and understated them to lower his taxes.
Her office has also been seeking documents on four Trump Organization properties in Manhattan, upstate New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said in court documents last August that his office was investigating alleged "protracted criminal conduct" at the Trump Organization.
Mr Vance's legal filing cited newspaper articles about purported bank and insurance fraud at the company.
The Manhattan district attorney has also been investigating whether any of Mr Trump's financial records were doctored to cover up hush-money payments to two women in 2016 who say they had affairs with him.
Mr Vance's office said in February it had obtained Mr Trump's tax returns as part of the investigation, after a long legal battle.
Throughout his presidency, Mr Trump resolutely refused to reveal his tax returns, despite coming under great pressure to do so.
BBC
A spokesman for the state's top prosecutor, Letitia James, said the inquiry into Mr Trump's property company was "no longer purely civil".
Ms James has been scrutinising the ex-Republican president's financial dealings before he took office.
The Trumps deny wrongdoing and say the inquiry by a Democratic prosecutor is a political vendetta.
Ms James' spokesman, Fabien Levy, told the BBC on Tuesday: "We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the Organization is no longer purely civil in nature.
"We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment."
The statement did not say what turned the inquiry from civil to criminal in nature, or whether the former president himself might be personally implicated in any allegations.
Six legal battles looming for Trump
Ms James launched a civil inquiry in March 2019 into claims that Mr Trump had inflated the value of his assets to banks when seeking loans, and understated them to lower his taxes.
Her office has also been seeking documents on four Trump Organization properties in Manhattan, upstate New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said in court documents last August that his office was investigating alleged "protracted criminal conduct" at the Trump Organization.
Mr Vance's legal filing cited newspaper articles about purported bank and insurance fraud at the company.
The Manhattan district attorney has also been investigating whether any of Mr Trump's financial records were doctored to cover up hush-money payments to two women in 2016 who say they had affairs with him.
Mr Vance's office said in February it had obtained Mr Trump's tax returns as part of the investigation, after a long legal battle.
Throughout his presidency, Mr Trump resolutely refused to reveal his tax returns, despite coming under great pressure to do so.
BBC
Technics 1210
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Indeed - and his parking violation will make headline news worldwide.
The media will not admit it, they miss Trump.
OMB
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Trump got away with everything before and went on to become the POTUS. not sure what can they do to him now?
James
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Even if wrongdoing could be attributable to Former President Trump, he will be protected and there will be some flunky or other that will take the fall for him and get thrown under the bus.
Mueller had 22 lawyers working for him trying to frame Trump and failed spectacularly, investigations are usually done without the media trying to sell evidence to the public for the prosecution. If Trump has committed a crime then take him to court and present the evidence to a judge and let justice take its course, its not a good look when the trial is in the media.
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Donald Trump has said he is being "unfairly attacked", as the former US president's family business becomes the subject of a criminal investigation.
The Trump Organization has been the focus of a civil probe by the New York attorney general over whether it falsely reported property values to secure loans and obtain economic and tax benefits.
But on Wednesday, the office of Letitia James announced that it was "no longer civil in nature", adding: "We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA."
In response, Mr Trump referred to himself in the third person as he accused Ms James, who is a Democrat, of having "literally campaigned on prosecuting Donald Trump even before she knew anything about me".
Writing on his blog (he remains banned from Twitter), the Republican said: "She said that if elected, she would use her office to look into 'every aspect' of my real estate dealings.
"She swore that she would 'definitely sue' me.
"She boasted on video that she would be, and I quote, 'a real pain in the a**'."
He also stated that the investigation is "corrupt" and a "desperate search for a crime", as he accused the district attorney's office of "going after me for years".
"Our movement, which started with the great election win of 2016, is perhaps the biggest and most powerful in the history of our country," Mr Trump added. "But the Democrats want to cancel the Make America Great Again movement, not by Making America First, but by Making America Last."
"No President has been treated the way I have," he continued. "With all of the crime and corruption you read about with others, nothing happens, they only go after Donald Trump."
Mr Trump had previously branded the inquiry a "witch hunt".
Ms James is looking into whether The Trump Organization falsely reported real estate values to get loans and receive tax and economic benefits.
This includes inflating the value of assets to secure higher lending and undervaluing properties to get tax breaks.
Among the properties in question are two in New York - his northern Manhattan estate and his eponymous tower.
Others include a hotel in Chicago and a Los Angeles golf course.
Manhattan's district attorney Mr Vance, also a Democrat, has been investigating Mr Trump's pre-presidency business dealings for more than two years.
While the exact nature of that probe is not known due to US grand jury rules, Mr Vance's office has revealed in court filings that it was investigating "possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct" at The Trump Organization, including tax and insurance fraud and falsification of business records.
Mr Vance's investigation started after Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly paid two women to be silent about claimed sexual relationships with Mr Trump in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Vance has sought evidence from the former daughter-in-law of The Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg
SKY
The Trump Organization has been the focus of a civil probe by the New York attorney general over whether it falsely reported property values to secure loans and obtain economic and tax benefits.
But on Wednesday, the office of Letitia James announced that it was "no longer civil in nature", adding: "We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA."
In response, Mr Trump referred to himself in the third person as he accused Ms James, who is a Democrat, of having "literally campaigned on prosecuting Donald Trump even before she knew anything about me".
Writing on his blog (he remains banned from Twitter), the Republican said: "She said that if elected, she would use her office to look into 'every aspect' of my real estate dealings.
"She swore that she would 'definitely sue' me.
"She boasted on video that she would be, and I quote, 'a real pain in the a**'."
He also stated that the investigation is "corrupt" and a "desperate search for a crime", as he accused the district attorney's office of "going after me for years".
"Our movement, which started with the great election win of 2016, is perhaps the biggest and most powerful in the history of our country," Mr Trump added. "But the Democrats want to cancel the Make America Great Again movement, not by Making America First, but by Making America Last."
"No President has been treated the way I have," he continued. "With all of the crime and corruption you read about with others, nothing happens, they only go after Donald Trump."
Mr Trump had previously branded the inquiry a "witch hunt".
Ms James is looking into whether The Trump Organization falsely reported real estate values to get loans and receive tax and economic benefits.
This includes inflating the value of assets to secure higher lending and undervaluing properties to get tax breaks.
Among the properties in question are two in New York - his northern Manhattan estate and his eponymous tower.
Others include a hotel in Chicago and a Los Angeles golf course.
Manhattan's district attorney Mr Vance, also a Democrat, has been investigating Mr Trump's pre-presidency business dealings for more than two years.
While the exact nature of that probe is not known due to US grand jury rules, Mr Vance's office has revealed in court filings that it was investigating "possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct" at The Trump Organization, including tax and insurance fraud and falsification of business records.
Mr Vance's investigation started after Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly paid two women to be silent about claimed sexual relationships with Mr Trump in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Vance has sought evidence from the former daughter-in-law of The Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg
SKY
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Former US President Donald Trump's company and its finance chief have been charged with tax-related crimes.
Allen Weisselberg, 73, turned himself in to New York authorities on Thursday. He was later charged with concealing $1.7m (£1.2m) worth of income.
Prosecutors say the 15-year-long scheme helped executives evade taxes by giving benefits, such as rent and school fees, that were hidden from the authorities.
Lawyers for the firm and Mr Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty to tax fraud.
No charges were brought against Mr Trump personally, though prosecutors said the former president had signed some of the cheques at the centre of the case.
The Trump Organization is a family holding company that owns hotels, golf clubs and other properties - and the cornerstone of a global brand that encompassed book deals, TV shows and Trump-emblazoned skyscrapers.
The criminal charges are the first to arise from long-running investigations into alleged fraud by both the Manhattan district attorney and the state attorney general.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57669976
Allen Weisselberg, 73, turned himself in to New York authorities on Thursday. He was later charged with concealing $1.7m (£1.2m) worth of income.
Prosecutors say the 15-year-long scheme helped executives evade taxes by giving benefits, such as rent and school fees, that were hidden from the authorities.
Lawyers for the firm and Mr Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty to tax fraud.
No charges were brought against Mr Trump personally, though prosecutors said the former president had signed some of the cheques at the centre of the case.
The Trump Organization is a family holding company that owns hotels, golf clubs and other properties - and the cornerstone of a global brand that encompassed book deals, TV shows and Trump-emblazoned skyscrapers.
The criminal charges are the first to arise from long-running investigations into alleged fraud by both the Manhattan district attorney and the state attorney general.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57669976
Last Monetarist
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New York's attorney general has issued subpoenas to Donald Trump and his two eldest children in connection with a civil probe into the former president's business practices and family company.
The subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump to testify in the investigation were disclosed in a filing with a New York state court in Manhattan on Monday.
Letitia James also subpoenaed Mr Trump to give evidence.
The subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump to testify in the investigation were disclosed in a filing with a New York state court in Manhattan on Monday.
Letitia James also subpoenaed Mr Trump to give evidence.
Stewie
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Trump is a massive crook. He has defrauded people out of their money, has been engaged in shady business practices all his life, is a morally and ethically corrupt individual. He has cheated on his wife several times and has proven time and again he has no respect for women.
AND YET.... there are people here who think "they" are out to get him. LOL
AND YET.... there are people here who think "they" are out to get him. LOL
Robert
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But Trump himself is not charged as yet.
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Donald Trump's family business misrepresented the value of some of its biggest assets by hundreds of millions of dollars, according to documents filed by the New York attorney general.
Letitia James accuses the Trump Organization of using "fraudulent or misleading asset valuations" to get loans, insurance and tax breaks.
It is Ms James' strongest language yet, as she tries to get Mr Trump to testify in her civil investigation.
Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing.
The former president, a Republican, has called the investigation into his business practices a politically motivated witch-hunt by Ms James, who is a Democrat.
She opened a civil inquiry in 2019 into claims that - before he took office - Mr Trump had inflated the value of his assets to banks when seeking loans.
Mr Trump's lawyers are trying to stop Ms James from questioning the former US president and his children, and he has sued her to try to halt the probe.
Ms James's civil case is separate to an ongoing criminal investigation in Manhattan into the organisation's business practices.
Her latest court filing on Tuesday is the first time the allegations being levelled at the Trump Organization have been detailed with specific examples.
They involve six of his properties in New York and Scotland, and the "Trump brand".
For example, his large property in Westchester county, north of Manhattan, was valued by the Trump Organization at $291m in 2012 (£189m at the time), however an appraisal in 2016 valued it far lower, at just $56m, the court filing says.
The attorney general also alleges that Mr Trump's lavish three-storey penthouse in New York's Trump Tower was valued based on a size of 30,000 sq ft (2,800 sq m), but it is in fact 10,996 sq ft.
The court filing claims that at least two false statements were made to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - the main tax body in the US - that "substantially overstated" the value of two properties to get a tax break.
Ms James says this is evidence that the Trump Organization "used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations to obtain a host of economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions."
The latest court documents are part of legal action the New York attorney general is taking against the former president, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr and his daughter Ivanka Trump to force them to testify and answer questions as part of the civil investigation.
In a statement, Ms James said "the Trumps must comply with our lawful subpoenas... because no one in this country can pick and choose if and how the law applies to them."
The initial summons prompted Mr Trump's lawyers to sue Ms James in an attempt to stop the investigation, accusing her of violating his constitution rights by pursuing a partisan inquiry.
Ms James says she wants to question his children in particular because Donald Trump Jr helps to run the family business and has certified the company's financial statements, while Ivanka Trump "negotiated and secured financing" for Trump properties.
She has already questioned another of Mr Trump's sons, Eric Trump, who partly took over control of the company when his father became president in 2017.
Letitia James's inquiry into Donald Trump's dealings is a civil investigation, meaning it could result in a fine or lawsuit.
The criminal investigation into the Trump Organization is now being run by the new Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg. He is using some of the evidence Ms James's team says it has uncovered.
In July, the Trump Organization and its finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, were charged over an alleged 15-year-long scheme of helping executives evade taxes by giving benefits, such as rent and school fees, that were hidden from the authorities.
Lawyers for the firm and Mr Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty to tax fraud.
BBC
Letitia James accuses the Trump Organization of using "fraudulent or misleading asset valuations" to get loans, insurance and tax breaks.
It is Ms James' strongest language yet, as she tries to get Mr Trump to testify in her civil investigation.
Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing.
The former president, a Republican, has called the investigation into his business practices a politically motivated witch-hunt by Ms James, who is a Democrat.
She opened a civil inquiry in 2019 into claims that - before he took office - Mr Trump had inflated the value of his assets to banks when seeking loans.
Mr Trump's lawyers are trying to stop Ms James from questioning the former US president and his children, and he has sued her to try to halt the probe.
Ms James's civil case is separate to an ongoing criminal investigation in Manhattan into the organisation's business practices.
Her latest court filing on Tuesday is the first time the allegations being levelled at the Trump Organization have been detailed with specific examples.
They involve six of his properties in New York and Scotland, and the "Trump brand".
For example, his large property in Westchester county, north of Manhattan, was valued by the Trump Organization at $291m in 2012 (£189m at the time), however an appraisal in 2016 valued it far lower, at just $56m, the court filing says.
The attorney general also alleges that Mr Trump's lavish three-storey penthouse in New York's Trump Tower was valued based on a size of 30,000 sq ft (2,800 sq m), but it is in fact 10,996 sq ft.
The court filing claims that at least two false statements were made to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - the main tax body in the US - that "substantially overstated" the value of two properties to get a tax break.
Ms James says this is evidence that the Trump Organization "used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations to obtain a host of economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions."
The latest court documents are part of legal action the New York attorney general is taking against the former president, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr and his daughter Ivanka Trump to force them to testify and answer questions as part of the civil investigation.
In a statement, Ms James said "the Trumps must comply with our lawful subpoenas... because no one in this country can pick and choose if and how the law applies to them."
The initial summons prompted Mr Trump's lawyers to sue Ms James in an attempt to stop the investigation, accusing her of violating his constitution rights by pursuing a partisan inquiry.
Ms James says she wants to question his children in particular because Donald Trump Jr helps to run the family business and has certified the company's financial statements, while Ivanka Trump "negotiated and secured financing" for Trump properties.
She has already questioned another of Mr Trump's sons, Eric Trump, who partly took over control of the company when his father became president in 2017.
Letitia James's inquiry into Donald Trump's dealings is a civil investigation, meaning it could result in a fine or lawsuit.
The criminal investigation into the Trump Organization is now being run by the new Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg. He is using some of the evidence Ms James's team says it has uncovered.
In July, the Trump Organization and its finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, were charged over an alleged 15-year-long scheme of helping executives evade taxes by giving benefits, such as rent and school fees, that were hidden from the authorities.
Lawyers for the firm and Mr Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty to tax fraud.
BBC
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In the heady days between Donald Trump’s defeat in November 2020 and the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, an executive order was prepared. It commanded the defense secretary to seize voting machines in battleground states, as part of Trump’s “big lie” that the vote was rigged.
The draft executive order, obtained and published by Politico, was never sent and its author is unknown. It was part of a cache of documents handed over to the House committee investigating the January 6 violence, after the supreme court ruled this week that Trump could not shield himself from oversight on grounds of executive privilege.
The disclosure of the draft order adds to evidence of the lengths to which Trump and his close advisers were prepared to go to keep him in the White House, against the will of the American people. Under the draft order, the defense secretary would have been required to carry out an assessment of the voting machines “no later than 60 days from commencement of operations”.
That would have pushed the chaos that Trump assiduously attempted to sow around Joe Biden’s legitimate victory well beyond the handover of power at the inauguration on 20 January.
The publication of the document will provoke intense speculation as to who wrote it. Politico pointed out that at the time the draft order was dated, 16 December 2020, the idea of seizing voting machines in key states was being vigorously promoted by Sidney Powell, a controversial lawyer who had Trump’s ear at the time.
The document outlines the seizure of voting machines by the Pentagon under federal emergency powers. That would in itself have been incendiary, as it would have amounted to a dramatic display of federal over state power of the sort normally fiercely resisted by Republicans.
The author of the draft order seeks to justify such a contentious move by regurgitating conspiracy theories. For example, pointing to voting machines, the document says there is “evidence of international and foreign interference in the November 3, 2020, election”.
It names Dominion Voting Systems, a leading provider of voting machines that has become the target of rightwing conspiracy theorists and big lie merchants. Dominion has sued several purveyors of false claims that its products were used to swing the election from Trump to Biden.
“Dominion Voting Systems and related companies are owned or heavily controlled and influenced by foreign agents, countries, and interests,” the draft order falsely claims.
The draft also singles out Antrim county, Michigan. Claims that voting machines in that county were compromised have been thoroughly rebutted, including by state election authorities.
A second document was also leaked to Politico from the new mountain of paperwork received by the January 6 committee. Titled Remarks on National Healing, it appears to be the text of a speech Trump never delivered.
The tone of the speech is striking because it stands in stark contrast to the approach Trump actually adopted in the wake of the Capitol violence. Still president for two weeks, he attempted to belittle the significance of the day.
Had this alternative speech been given, Trump would have sent out a very different message. It describes January 6 as a “heinous attack” that left him “outraged and sickened by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem”.
The text added: “The Demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/21/donald-trump-voting-machines-draft-executive-order
The draft executive order, obtained and published by Politico, was never sent and its author is unknown. It was part of a cache of documents handed over to the House committee investigating the January 6 violence, after the supreme court ruled this week that Trump could not shield himself from oversight on grounds of executive privilege.
The disclosure of the draft order adds to evidence of the lengths to which Trump and his close advisers were prepared to go to keep him in the White House, against the will of the American people. Under the draft order, the defense secretary would have been required to carry out an assessment of the voting machines “no later than 60 days from commencement of operations”.
That would have pushed the chaos that Trump assiduously attempted to sow around Joe Biden’s legitimate victory well beyond the handover of power at the inauguration on 20 January.
The publication of the document will provoke intense speculation as to who wrote it. Politico pointed out that at the time the draft order was dated, 16 December 2020, the idea of seizing voting machines in key states was being vigorously promoted by Sidney Powell, a controversial lawyer who had Trump’s ear at the time.
The document outlines the seizure of voting machines by the Pentagon under federal emergency powers. That would in itself have been incendiary, as it would have amounted to a dramatic display of federal over state power of the sort normally fiercely resisted by Republicans.
The author of the draft order seeks to justify such a contentious move by regurgitating conspiracy theories. For example, pointing to voting machines, the document says there is “evidence of international and foreign interference in the November 3, 2020, election”.
It names Dominion Voting Systems, a leading provider of voting machines that has become the target of rightwing conspiracy theorists and big lie merchants. Dominion has sued several purveyors of false claims that its products were used to swing the election from Trump to Biden.
“Dominion Voting Systems and related companies are owned or heavily controlled and influenced by foreign agents, countries, and interests,” the draft order falsely claims.
The draft also singles out Antrim county, Michigan. Claims that voting machines in that county were compromised have been thoroughly rebutted, including by state election authorities.
A second document was also leaked to Politico from the new mountain of paperwork received by the January 6 committee. Titled Remarks on National Healing, it appears to be the text of a speech Trump never delivered.
The tone of the speech is striking because it stands in stark contrast to the approach Trump actually adopted in the wake of the Capitol violence. Still president for two weeks, he attempted to belittle the significance of the day.
Had this alternative speech been given, Trump would have sent out a very different message. It describes January 6 as a “heinous attack” that left him “outraged and sickened by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem”.
The text added: “The Demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/21/donald-trump-voting-machines-draft-executive-order
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Washington: Documents ripped up, stuffed down the toilet or carted off to Florida -- the list of former US leader Donald Trump's alleged flouting of laws on preserving presidential papers grew longer and more bizarre Thursday.
Trump's shredding of many previously accepted norms of presidential decorum was part of his populist attraction to Republican supporters. But now the National Archives, which is in charge of preserving presidential records, reportedly wants Trump investigated over, among other things, his habit of literally tearing up White House papers while in office.
According to The Washington Post, the Archives requested the Justice Department open a probe into Trump's practices.
This came after the government records office confirmed Monday that it had recovered 15 boxes of documents from Trump's Florida estate, taken with him when he left Washington following his reelection defeat.
Among the documents were official correspondence with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un -- "love letters," as Trump described them at the time. Similarly included in the Florida stash was a letter outgoing president Barack Obama had left for Trump in the Oval Office.
Last week, the Archives confirmed reports that Trump had torn up documents, some of which have since been taped back together.
Under the 1978 Presidential Records Act (PRA), which was passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, US presidents are required to transfer all emails, letters and other work documents to the National Archives.
Trump denies any wrongdoing. In a statement Thursday, he characterized his dealings with the Archives as "without conflict and on a very friendly basis."
"The media's characterization of my relationship with NARA (National Archives) is Fake News. It was exactly the opposite! It was a great honor to work with NARA to help formally preserve the Trump Legacy."
Down the toilet
But on Thursday, a new twist developed.
A new book on Trump's time in office claims that a White House toilet would jam after attempts to flush away office papers, Axios reported.
The upcoming book "Confidence Man," by New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, says that "staff in the White House residence periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet -- and believed the president had flushed pieces of paper," according to an exclusive preview by Axios.
The book, based in part on Haberman's post-presidential interviews with Trump, reports that the Republican has told people he remains in touch with North Korea's Kim.
Trump likewise denied the toilet story.
"Also, another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book," he wrote.
Haberman's book is set to be published October 4. The veteran Times journalist has been on the Trump beat for a decade and long had unrivaled access among journalists to the property tycoon-turned-politician's inner circle.
The controversy is gaining traction in the Democratic-controlled Congress, where a special committee investigating the January 6, 2020 assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters is struggling to obtain the ex-president's records.
On Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in Congress announced it was opening its own investigation into the wandering records.
"I am deeply concerned," committee chairwoman, Representative Carolyn Maloney, said. "I am also concerned by recent reports that while in office, President Trump repeatedly attempted to destroy presidential records, which could constitute additional serious violations."
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/tru...papers-down-white-house-toilet-report-2761660
Trump's shredding of many previously accepted norms of presidential decorum was part of his populist attraction to Republican supporters. But now the National Archives, which is in charge of preserving presidential records, reportedly wants Trump investigated over, among other things, his habit of literally tearing up White House papers while in office.
According to The Washington Post, the Archives requested the Justice Department open a probe into Trump's practices.
This came after the government records office confirmed Monday that it had recovered 15 boxes of documents from Trump's Florida estate, taken with him when he left Washington following his reelection defeat.
Among the documents were official correspondence with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un -- "love letters," as Trump described them at the time. Similarly included in the Florida stash was a letter outgoing president Barack Obama had left for Trump in the Oval Office.
Last week, the Archives confirmed reports that Trump had torn up documents, some of which have since been taped back together.
Under the 1978 Presidential Records Act (PRA), which was passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, US presidents are required to transfer all emails, letters and other work documents to the National Archives.
Trump denies any wrongdoing. In a statement Thursday, he characterized his dealings with the Archives as "without conflict and on a very friendly basis."
"The media's characterization of my relationship with NARA (National Archives) is Fake News. It was exactly the opposite! It was a great honor to work with NARA to help formally preserve the Trump Legacy."
Down the toilet
But on Thursday, a new twist developed.
A new book on Trump's time in office claims that a White House toilet would jam after attempts to flush away office papers, Axios reported.
The upcoming book "Confidence Man," by New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, says that "staff in the White House residence periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet -- and believed the president had flushed pieces of paper," according to an exclusive preview by Axios.
The book, based in part on Haberman's post-presidential interviews with Trump, reports that the Republican has told people he remains in touch with North Korea's Kim.
Trump likewise denied the toilet story.
"Also, another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book," he wrote.
Haberman's book is set to be published October 4. The veteran Times journalist has been on the Trump beat for a decade and long had unrivaled access among journalists to the property tycoon-turned-politician's inner circle.
The controversy is gaining traction in the Democratic-controlled Congress, where a special committee investigating the January 6, 2020 assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters is struggling to obtain the ex-president's records.
On Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in Congress announced it was opening its own investigation into the wandering records.
"I am deeply concerned," committee chairwoman, Representative Carolyn Maloney, said. "I am also concerned by recent reports that while in office, President Trump repeatedly attempted to destroy presidential records, which could constitute additional serious violations."
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/tru...papers-down-white-house-toilet-report-2761660
Clinton campaign paid tech workers to dig up Trump-Russia connections: Report
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign paid an internet company to “infiltrate” servers at Trump Tower and the White House in order to link Donald Trump to Russia, a bombshell new legal filing alleges.
The Friday filing from a Department of Justice prosecutor tasked with investigating the origins of the FBI’s Russian probe served to throw cold water on Democrats’ longstanding allegations of collusion.
Special Counsel John Durham filed a motion related to potential conflicts of interests in connection with the case of Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, who is charged with lying to the feds, according to Fox News.
Sussmann allegedly told the FBI he was not working on behalf of Clinton when he presented the agency with documents that supposedly linked the Trump Organization to a Kremlin-tied bank two months before the election.
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign paid an internet company to “infiltrate” servers at Trump Tower and the White House in order to link Donald Trump to Russia, a bombshell new legal filing alleges.
The Friday filing from a Department of Justice prosecutor tasked with investigating the origins of the FBI’s Russian probe served to throw cold water on Democrats’ longstanding allegations of collusion.
Special Counsel John Durham filed a motion related to potential conflicts of interests in connection with the case of Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, who is charged with lying to the feds, according to Fox News.
Sussmann allegedly told the FBI he was not working on behalf of Clinton when he presented the agency with documents that supposedly linked the Trump Organization to a Kremlin-tied bank two months before the election.
Records showed he “repeatedly billed the Clinton Campaign for his work on the Russian Bank-1 allegations,” which involved an investigative firm, a tech executive, cyber researchers and numerous employees at internet companies, the motion reportedly stated.
SEE ALSO
Trump denies claim he flushed WH records as House panel opens probe
In 2017, Sussmann provided “an updated set of allegations” about then-President Trump’s Russian connection to another government agency, the motion said, according to the outlet.
Among the accusations leveled at that time was that suspicious DNS lookups by Russian-affiliated IP addresses “demonstrated Trump and/or his associates were using supposedly rare, Russian-made wireless phones in the vicinity of the White House and other locations,” the motion reportedly said.
The allegations “relied, in part, on the purported DNS traffic” that Tech Executive-1 and others “had assembled pertaining to Trump Tower, Donald Trump’s New York City apartment building, the EOP, and the aforementioned healthcare provider,” according to Fox’s report.
Durham said his office found “no support for these allegations,” claiming the supposed evidence Sussmann provided was incomplete and skewed.
Trump said he was vindicated by Durham’s filing in a Saturday evening statement, adding there was a time that Sussmann’s alleged crime “would have been punishable by death.”
https://nypost.com/2022/02/13/hilla...rs-to-dig-up-donald-trump-russia-connections/
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign paid an internet company to “infiltrate” servers at Trump Tower and the White House in order to link Donald Trump to Russia, a bombshell new legal filing alleges.
The Friday filing from a Department of Justice prosecutor tasked with investigating the origins of the FBI’s Russian probe served to throw cold water on Democrats’ longstanding allegations of collusion.
Special Counsel John Durham filed a motion related to potential conflicts of interests in connection with the case of Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, who is charged with lying to the feds, according to Fox News.
Sussmann allegedly told the FBI he was not working on behalf of Clinton when he presented the agency with documents that supposedly linked the Trump Organization to a Kremlin-tied bank two months before the election.
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign paid an internet company to “infiltrate” servers at Trump Tower and the White House in order to link Donald Trump to Russia, a bombshell new legal filing alleges.
The Friday filing from a Department of Justice prosecutor tasked with investigating the origins of the FBI’s Russian probe served to throw cold water on Democrats’ longstanding allegations of collusion.
Special Counsel John Durham filed a motion related to potential conflicts of interests in connection with the case of Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, who is charged with lying to the feds, according to Fox News.
Sussmann allegedly told the FBI he was not working on behalf of Clinton when he presented the agency with documents that supposedly linked the Trump Organization to a Kremlin-tied bank two months before the election.
Records showed he “repeatedly billed the Clinton Campaign for his work on the Russian Bank-1 allegations,” which involved an investigative firm, a tech executive, cyber researchers and numerous employees at internet companies, the motion reportedly stated.
SEE ALSO
Trump denies claim he flushed WH records as House panel opens probe
In 2017, Sussmann provided “an updated set of allegations” about then-President Trump’s Russian connection to another government agency, the motion said, according to the outlet.
Among the accusations leveled at that time was that suspicious DNS lookups by Russian-affiliated IP addresses “demonstrated Trump and/or his associates were using supposedly rare, Russian-made wireless phones in the vicinity of the White House and other locations,” the motion reportedly said.
The allegations “relied, in part, on the purported DNS traffic” that Tech Executive-1 and others “had assembled pertaining to Trump Tower, Donald Trump’s New York City apartment building, the EOP, and the aforementioned healthcare provider,” according to Fox’s report.
Durham said his office found “no support for these allegations,” claiming the supposed evidence Sussmann provided was incomplete and skewed.
Trump said he was vindicated by Durham’s filing in a Saturday evening statement, adding there was a time that Sussmann’s alleged crime “would have been punishable by death.”
https://nypost.com/2022/02/13/hilla...rs-to-dig-up-donald-trump-russia-connections/
James
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<b>Truth Social: Banned from Twitter, Trump returns with a new platform</b>
Donald Trump's social-media platform, Truth Social, has launched, in a limited form, on the US Apple App Store.
The app had similarities to Twitter, commentators noted - Mr Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube last year.
And some early users had difficulties registering accounts.
Project lead and former congressman Devin Nunes said it was expected to be fully operational by the end of March.
Some of those trying to register had been told: "Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist," the Reuters news agency reported.
Created by the year-old Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), Truth Social had previously been made available to about 500 beta testers.
Last week, Donald Trump Jr shared a screenshot of his father's first "truth" on the social network: "Get ready. Your favourite president will see you soon."
Truth Social has already had one update for "bug fixes", according to the App Store, and is now on version 1.0.1.
Last autumn, pranksters discovered a test version of the app website and, according to the Washington Post, adopted the username donaldjtrump.
Twitter banned the former president following the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riot, saying he had broken its rules on the glorification of violence.
And commentators have highlighted, among other things, Truth Social buttons that resemble those relating to Twitter's reply, retweet and "like" functions.
On its website, Truth Social describes itself as a "'big tent' social-media platform that encourages an open, free and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology".
Mr Trump wants Truth Social to champion "free speech" and eschew the "censorship" of sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
It is a common view among conservatives that Silicon Valley social-media companies are curtailing free speech by removing posts and users.
"We cannot use any of the big tech companies," Mr Nunes, who resigned from Congress in December to become TMTG's chief executive, told the conservative Newsmax network.
"So we're having to build this from scratch."
Mr Nunes has vowed Truth Social will be a "censorship-free experience".
But any social-media platform on the App Store, and Google Play, has to remove content that breaks the rules.
And a truly uncensored platform would soon be frozen out.
At his zenith on Twitter, Mr Trump had more than 88 million followers.
But none of the other alternative platforms presenting themselves as censorship free, such as Gettr, Parler, Gab and Rumble, has attracted audiences comparable to those of the big social networks.
Companies such as Twitter "have had years to develop their platforms and build their audiences", points out Darrell West, a senior technology innovation fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank.
"I just think he's going to discover it's a lot harder than he realises," he said.
"If this were easy, I think he would have done this six months ago."
Last year, Apple and Google removed Parler from their stores, for failing to take down posts they said threatened violence and contained illegal activity.
It was allowed back but only once it had agreed to Apple and Google's terms of service.
"There simply is no way to avoid big tech," Mr West says.
"Even if he has his own platform, if he's violating their terms of service, they could basically push his app out of their app store, which would make it very difficult for him to build an audience."
Gettr, which also advocates "free speech" and looks like Twitter, was founded last year by Mr Trump's former adviser and spokesman Jason Miller.
"It's not like there's the dummies' guide to creating a social-media platform," he told BBC News.
"You've got to find good talent.
"And quite frankly, there are a lot of people who are just scared... because people worry what it's going to be like if I have something on my resume that challenges one of the big tech companies."
Truth Social will also have to be robust enough to repel hackers.
"We have so many people who don't want to see us be successful... even foreign governments and other bad actors,'' Mr Nunes said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-60419008
Donald Trump's social-media platform, Truth Social, has launched, in a limited form, on the US Apple App Store.
The app had similarities to Twitter, commentators noted - Mr Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube last year.
And some early users had difficulties registering accounts.
Project lead and former congressman Devin Nunes said it was expected to be fully operational by the end of March.
Some of those trying to register had been told: "Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist," the Reuters news agency reported.
Created by the year-old Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), Truth Social had previously been made available to about 500 beta testers.
Last week, Donald Trump Jr shared a screenshot of his father's first "truth" on the social network: "Get ready. Your favourite president will see you soon."
Truth Social has already had one update for "bug fixes", according to the App Store, and is now on version 1.0.1.
Last autumn, pranksters discovered a test version of the app website and, according to the Washington Post, adopted the username donaldjtrump.
Twitter banned the former president following the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riot, saying he had broken its rules on the glorification of violence.
And commentators have highlighted, among other things, Truth Social buttons that resemble those relating to Twitter's reply, retweet and "like" functions.
On its website, Truth Social describes itself as a "'big tent' social-media platform that encourages an open, free and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology".
Mr Trump wants Truth Social to champion "free speech" and eschew the "censorship" of sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
It is a common view among conservatives that Silicon Valley social-media companies are curtailing free speech by removing posts and users.
"We cannot use any of the big tech companies," Mr Nunes, who resigned from Congress in December to become TMTG's chief executive, told the conservative Newsmax network.
"So we're having to build this from scratch."
Mr Nunes has vowed Truth Social will be a "censorship-free experience".
But any social-media platform on the App Store, and Google Play, has to remove content that breaks the rules.
And a truly uncensored platform would soon be frozen out.
At his zenith on Twitter, Mr Trump had more than 88 million followers.
But none of the other alternative platforms presenting themselves as censorship free, such as Gettr, Parler, Gab and Rumble, has attracted audiences comparable to those of the big social networks.
Companies such as Twitter "have had years to develop their platforms and build their audiences", points out Darrell West, a senior technology innovation fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank.
"I just think he's going to discover it's a lot harder than he realises," he said.
"If this were easy, I think he would have done this six months ago."
Last year, Apple and Google removed Parler from their stores, for failing to take down posts they said threatened violence and contained illegal activity.
It was allowed back but only once it had agreed to Apple and Google's terms of service.
"There simply is no way to avoid big tech," Mr West says.
"Even if he has his own platform, if he's violating their terms of service, they could basically push his app out of their app store, which would make it very difficult for him to build an audience."
Gettr, which also advocates "free speech" and looks like Twitter, was founded last year by Mr Trump's former adviser and spokesman Jason Miller.
"It's not like there's the dummies' guide to creating a social-media platform," he told BBC News.
"You've got to find good talent.
"And quite frankly, there are a lot of people who are just scared... because people worry what it's going to be like if I have something on my resume that challenges one of the big tech companies."
Truth Social will also have to be robust enough to repel hackers.
"We have so many people who don't want to see us be successful... even foreign governments and other bad actors,'' Mr Nunes said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-60419008
James
World Star
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- Jan 8, 2006
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- 50,859
- Post of the Week
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<b>Donald Trump being fined $10,000 per day over failure to supply documents to court</b>
<I>The former US President's business practices are being investigated by the New York attorney general, who says she has found "significant evidence" the Trump Organization relied on "misleading valuations" for more than a decade.</I>
Donald Trump is being fined $10,000 for every day he fails to supply documents requested in the civil case into his business.
The former president was found in contempt of court on Monday in New York for not producing the documents subpoenaed in the state attorney general's civil probe of his business practices.
He has been ordered to pay $10,000 (£7,600) a day until he gives the attorney general the documents.
Mr Trump was unsuccessful in quashing the subpoena then failed to hand over the documents by a court-ordered 3 March deadline, which was then extended to 31 March at his lawyers' request.
Justice Arthur Engoron ruled Mr Trump was in contempt because there were "repeated failures" to hand over materials and it was not clear the ex-president had conducted a thorough search for the documents.
"Mr Trump, I know you take your business seriously, and I take mine seriously. I hereby hold you in civil contempt," the judge told the courtroom, although Mr Trump was not present.
State Attorney General Letitia James is investigating whether the Trump Organization misstated the values of its properties to obtain favourable loans and tax deductions.
She said she has found "significant evidence" suggesting the Trump family company's financial statements for more than a decade "relied on misleading asset valuations and other misrepresentations to secure economic benefits".
How the Trump Organization valued the Trump brand and properties, including golf clubs in Scotland and New York, and his own penthouse flat in Midtown Manhattan's Trump Tower, have all been questioned by the attorney general.
Mr Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, said the Trump Organization was "right on schedule" with its production of documents.
She insisted she went to great lengths to comply with the subpoena and even travelled to Florida to ask the former president specifically whether he had any documents that would comply with the demand.
"The contempt motion is inappropriate and misleading," she said.
"He complied. There are no more documents left to produce by President Trump."
Ms Habba said the investigation was a "fishing expedition".
"This is a political crusade," Ms Habba said. "The attorney general's investigation has seemingly become aimless."
Mr Trump has called the investigation a politically motivated "witch hunt".
A criminal investigation is running alongside the civil probe by the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg.
https://news.sky.com/story/donald-t...failure-to-supply-documents-to-court-12598987
<I>The former US President's business practices are being investigated by the New York attorney general, who says she has found "significant evidence" the Trump Organization relied on "misleading valuations" for more than a decade.</I>
Donald Trump is being fined $10,000 for every day he fails to supply documents requested in the civil case into his business.
The former president was found in contempt of court on Monday in New York for not producing the documents subpoenaed in the state attorney general's civil probe of his business practices.
He has been ordered to pay $10,000 (£7,600) a day until he gives the attorney general the documents.
Mr Trump was unsuccessful in quashing the subpoena then failed to hand over the documents by a court-ordered 3 March deadline, which was then extended to 31 March at his lawyers' request.
Justice Arthur Engoron ruled Mr Trump was in contempt because there were "repeated failures" to hand over materials and it was not clear the ex-president had conducted a thorough search for the documents.
"Mr Trump, I know you take your business seriously, and I take mine seriously. I hereby hold you in civil contempt," the judge told the courtroom, although Mr Trump was not present.
State Attorney General Letitia James is investigating whether the Trump Organization misstated the values of its properties to obtain favourable loans and tax deductions.
She said she has found "significant evidence" suggesting the Trump family company's financial statements for more than a decade "relied on misleading asset valuations and other misrepresentations to secure economic benefits".
How the Trump Organization valued the Trump brand and properties, including golf clubs in Scotland and New York, and his own penthouse flat in Midtown Manhattan's Trump Tower, have all been questioned by the attorney general.
Mr Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, said the Trump Organization was "right on schedule" with its production of documents.
She insisted she went to great lengths to comply with the subpoena and even travelled to Florida to ask the former president specifically whether he had any documents that would comply with the demand.
"The contempt motion is inappropriate and misleading," she said.
"He complied. There are no more documents left to produce by President Trump."
Ms Habba said the investigation was a "fishing expedition".
"This is a political crusade," Ms Habba said. "The attorney general's investigation has seemingly become aimless."
Mr Trump has called the investigation a politically motivated "witch hunt".
A criminal investigation is running alongside the civil probe by the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg.
https://news.sky.com/story/donald-t...failure-to-supply-documents-to-court-12598987
James
World Star
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Breaking News: Elon Musk said that if his deal to buy Twitter closes he would “reverse the permanent ban” of Donald Trump, calling the decision to block him “morally wrong.” <a href="https://t.co/12r8gOAJMq">https://t.co/12r8gOAJMq</a></p>— The New York Times (@nytimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1524086738137800709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump says he wont go back on twitter.
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- 217,987
Donald Trump has described the most recent US school shooting as a "savage and barbaric atrocity" but has criticised those who have called for stricter gun laws.
The former US president was a guest speaker at the convention in Houston of the National Rifle Association, a gun rights group.
The convention was taking place just a few days after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at a primary school in the city of Uvalde, Texas.
The school attack came 10 days after a shooting in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead - the two tragedies being the latest in a long line of mass killings to intensify debate over gun laws.
Mr Trump said: "The terrible murder of 19 innocent children and two adult teachers, with many badly injured, was a savage and barbaric atrocity that shocks the conscience of every American, so horrible."
He then called for a "brief moment of silence as I read the names of these beautiful people", before he recited a list of the victims from Uvalde, each name followed by the chime of a bell.
But, like many of the convention's other speakers, Mr Trump refused to see any connection between their deaths and the ease with which 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was able to access the AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle that killed them.
He criticised the "now familiar parade of cynical politicians seeking to exploit the tears of sobbing families to increase their own power and take away our constitutional rights" and the "grotesque effort by some in our society to use the suffering of others to advance their own extreme political agenda".
He described their "rush to shift blame away from the villains who commit acts of mass violence" and "to place that blame onto the shoulders of millions of peaceful law-abiding citizens who belong to organisations such as our wonderful NRA".
He added: "When (US president) Joe Biden blamed the gun lobby, he was talking about Americans like you. This rhetoric is highly divisive and dangerous and, most importantly, it's wrong and has no place in our politics."
Mr Trump also said it should be easier to confine "violent and mentally deranged" people in institutions, although Ramos had no criminal record or history of mental illness.
State hosts weapons convention promising '14 acres of guns' just days after massacre
He also pushed for the elimination of school gun-free zones, saying that these left victims with no way to defend themselves.
He said: "As the age-old saying goes, the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
"The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens."
As he spoke, about 500 protesters stood outside the hall, some holding placards and shouting: "NRA go away" and "shame, it could be your kids today".
SKY
The former US president was a guest speaker at the convention in Houston of the National Rifle Association, a gun rights group.
The convention was taking place just a few days after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at a primary school in the city of Uvalde, Texas.
The school attack came 10 days after a shooting in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead - the two tragedies being the latest in a long line of mass killings to intensify debate over gun laws.
Mr Trump said: "The terrible murder of 19 innocent children and two adult teachers, with many badly injured, was a savage and barbaric atrocity that shocks the conscience of every American, so horrible."
He then called for a "brief moment of silence as I read the names of these beautiful people", before he recited a list of the victims from Uvalde, each name followed by the chime of a bell.
But, like many of the convention's other speakers, Mr Trump refused to see any connection between their deaths and the ease with which 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was able to access the AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle that killed them.
He criticised the "now familiar parade of cynical politicians seeking to exploit the tears of sobbing families to increase their own power and take away our constitutional rights" and the "grotesque effort by some in our society to use the suffering of others to advance their own extreme political agenda".
He described their "rush to shift blame away from the villains who commit acts of mass violence" and "to place that blame onto the shoulders of millions of peaceful law-abiding citizens who belong to organisations such as our wonderful NRA".
He added: "When (US president) Joe Biden blamed the gun lobby, he was talking about Americans like you. This rhetoric is highly divisive and dangerous and, most importantly, it's wrong and has no place in our politics."
Mr Trump also said it should be easier to confine "violent and mentally deranged" people in institutions, although Ramos had no criminal record or history of mental illness.
State hosts weapons convention promising '14 acres of guns' just days after massacre
He also pushed for the elimination of school gun-free zones, saying that these left victims with no way to defend themselves.
He said: "As the age-old saying goes, the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
"The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens."
As he spoke, about 500 protesters stood outside the hall, some holding placards and shouting: "NRA go away" and "shame, it could be your kids today".
SKY
James
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Unless somebody shoots him (God forbid) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DonaldTrump?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DonaldTrump</a> will be the next President of the United States. Some people better start factoring that in to their infernal calculations...</p>— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) <a href="https://twitter.com/georgegalloway/status/1530335044392390656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Ivana Trump, Donald Trump's first wife and mother of three of his children, has died aged 73.
"She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life," Mr Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
Ms Trump, who was born in the Czech Republic, married the former president in 1977. They divorced 15 years later in 1992.
They had three children together - Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump.
The pair were notable public figures in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, and their split was the subject of intense public interest.
After their separation, Ms Trump went on to launch her own lines of beauty products, clothing and jewellery.
She also described raising the three Trump children in her 2017 memoir Raising Trump.
She wrote then that her relationship with Mr Trump had improved since their divorce, and said she spoke to him about once a week.
BBC
"She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life," Mr Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
Ms Trump, who was born in the Czech Republic, married the former president in 1977. They divorced 15 years later in 1992.
They had three children together - Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump.
The pair were notable public figures in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, and their split was the subject of intense public interest.
After their separation, Ms Trump went on to launch her own lines of beauty products, clothing and jewellery.
She also described raising the three Trump children in her 2017 memoir Raising Trump.
She wrote then that her relationship with Mr Trump had improved since their divorce, and said she spoke to him about once a week.
BBC
daytrader
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Fox News Banning Trump From Network
The New York Times reported Friday that Fox News has not had Donald Trump on its network in over 100 days, which the paper said was part of a larger strategy to eliminate the former president as a major GOP player.
Trump's last appearance on Fox News came April 13 on "Hannity."
But, The Times noted, even Trump has complained his longtime friend "doesn't seem to be paying him much attention anymore."
The paper said Trump believes Fox's strategy of shunning him is an effort in "effectively displacing him" from the news cycle and as de facto leader of the Republican Party.
The decision to shun Trump has been made at "the highest levels" of Fox's parent company, and is backed by its billionaire chairman, Rupert Murdoch, and his son, company CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
Both are Republicans, but are said to have to developed a strong distaste for Trump.
Earlier this month, the Murdoch-owned newspapers the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal published harsh rebukes of Trump's actions regarding Jan. 6 while strongly opposing a Trump bid for president in 2024.
The Times said Trump's failure to accept the 2020 election result was at the root of the Murdochs' criticism of the former president, a view shared by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Trump has not hidden his new distaste for Fox News.
Shortly after his loss to Joe Biden, Trump blamed the network's negative coverage of his presidency for his 2020 election loss.
And, this week, Trump blasted "Fox & Friends" on his Truth Social account for being "terrible" and having "gone to the dark side."
Trump suggested former House Speaker Paul Ryan's sitting on Fox Corp.'s board of directors is behind the shadow banning of Trump.
Meanwhile, The Times said Fox has sought to displace Trump with other GOP 2024 contenders, notably Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A recent FoxNews.com report featured man-on-the-street interviews with Trump "supporters" who did not want him to run again and "unanimously" backed DeSantis for 2024.
"I spent 11 years at Fox, and I know nothing pretaped hits a Fox screen that hasn't been signed off on and sanctioned at the very top levels of management — especially when it has to do with a presidential election," Newsmax host Eric Bolling said in a monologue this week.
Dick Morris, a former Fox News Analyst who is currently with Newsmax, said The Times' report should not surprise anyone who has been watching Fox.
"Lachlan Murdoch and the network's leadership wants Fox to be more like CNN," Morris said.
"The Fox ban of Trump is a politically motivated decision, not based on news value, because Trump completely dominates the Republican Party and is still the biggest newsmaker in politics," Morris added.
Recent polls show Trump crushing all potential opponents in a Republican primary.
A recent Harvard-Harris poll had Trump pulling 56% of the vote against a field of seven GOP rivals, including DeSantis with 16%.
Morris is out with a new book, "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback," that argues Trump will easily win the upcoming Republican primary, but is the only GOP candidate who can win against the Democrats in 2024.
"There's a reason millions of former Fox News viewers are watching Newsmax now," Morris said. "They cover real news, including the former — and future — president."
https://www.newsmax.com/us/fox-news-donald-trump-republican-leader/2022/07/30/id/1081040/
The New York Times reported Friday that Fox News has not had Donald Trump on its network in over 100 days, which the paper said was part of a larger strategy to eliminate the former president as a major GOP player.
Trump's last appearance on Fox News came April 13 on "Hannity."
But, The Times noted, even Trump has complained his longtime friend "doesn't seem to be paying him much attention anymore."
The paper said Trump believes Fox's strategy of shunning him is an effort in "effectively displacing him" from the news cycle and as de facto leader of the Republican Party.
The decision to shun Trump has been made at "the highest levels" of Fox's parent company, and is backed by its billionaire chairman, Rupert Murdoch, and his son, company CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
Both are Republicans, but are said to have to developed a strong distaste for Trump.
Earlier this month, the Murdoch-owned newspapers the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal published harsh rebukes of Trump's actions regarding Jan. 6 while strongly opposing a Trump bid for president in 2024.
The Times said Trump's failure to accept the 2020 election result was at the root of the Murdochs' criticism of the former president, a view shared by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Trump has not hidden his new distaste for Fox News.
Shortly after his loss to Joe Biden, Trump blamed the network's negative coverage of his presidency for his 2020 election loss.
And, this week, Trump blasted "Fox & Friends" on his Truth Social account for being "terrible" and having "gone to the dark side."
Trump suggested former House Speaker Paul Ryan's sitting on Fox Corp.'s board of directors is behind the shadow banning of Trump.
Meanwhile, The Times said Fox has sought to displace Trump with other GOP 2024 contenders, notably Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A recent FoxNews.com report featured man-on-the-street interviews with Trump "supporters" who did not want him to run again and "unanimously" backed DeSantis for 2024.
"I spent 11 years at Fox, and I know nothing pretaped hits a Fox screen that hasn't been signed off on and sanctioned at the very top levels of management — especially when it has to do with a presidential election," Newsmax host Eric Bolling said in a monologue this week.
Dick Morris, a former Fox News Analyst who is currently with Newsmax, said The Times' report should not surprise anyone who has been watching Fox.
"Lachlan Murdoch and the network's leadership wants Fox to be more like CNN," Morris said.
"The Fox ban of Trump is a politically motivated decision, not based on news value, because Trump completely dominates the Republican Party and is still the biggest newsmaker in politics," Morris added.
Recent polls show Trump crushing all potential opponents in a Republican primary.
A recent Harvard-Harris poll had Trump pulling 56% of the vote against a field of seven GOP rivals, including DeSantis with 16%.
Morris is out with a new book, "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback," that argues Trump will easily win the upcoming Republican primary, but is the only GOP candidate who can win against the Democrats in 2024.
"There's a reason millions of former Fox News viewers are watching Newsmax now," Morris said. "They cover real news, including the former — and future — president."
https://www.newsmax.com/us/fox-news-donald-trump-republican-leader/2022/07/30/id/1081040/
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Ex-US President Donald Trump has said his Florida home was "raided" by the FBI, and that agents broke open a safe.
Mr Trump said in a statement that Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach was "occupied by a large group of FBI agents".
The search was reportedly connected to an investigation into Mr Trump's handling of official papers.
The dramatic escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of Mr Trump comes as he prepares for a possible third presidential run in 2024.
According to CBS News, the BBC's US partner, Mr Trump was in Trump Tower in New York City at the time of Monday's reported raid.
"These are dark times for our Nation," Mr Trump's statement began.
He said he had co-operated with all relevant government agencies and so the "unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate".
Mr Trump said it amounted to "prosecutorial misconduct" and "the weaponisation of the Justice System" to prevent him from running for the White House again.
"Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries," he said. "Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before.
"They even broke into my safe!"
Mar-a-Lago is a private members club as well as the Trump family's winter getaway.
Eric Trump, the president's second-oldest son, told Fox News that the FBI's execution of the search warrant on Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate was related to an investigation into the handling of National Archives records.
In February, the National Archives, the US government agency that manages the preservation of presidential records, asked the justice department to investigate Mr Trump for his handling of official papers.
The National Archives said it had retrieved 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago, some of which contained classified records.
US presidents are required by law to transfer all of their letters, work documents and emails to the National Archives.
But officials say the former president illegally ripped up many documents.
Some of them had to be taped back together, the Archives said. Mr Trump at the time rejected reports that he had mishandled official records as "fake news".
A senior Trump adviser in Palm Beach told CBS that the search by federal agents on Mar-a-Lago was about the presidential records.
"This is about the PRA [Presidential Records Act]," said the Trump source, who only agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
"When have you ever heard about a raid because of PRA?"
The source added: "They [the FBI] just left and they left with very little."
A federal search warrant must be signed by a judge. Law enforcement agencies must have evidence the search is likely to find evidence of illegality.
An unnamed law enforcement official told CBS that the Secret Service was notified shortly before the warrant was served around 10:00 (14:00 GMT), and that agents protecting Mr Trump helped the FBI investigators.
Several boxes were taken away, the source said, adding that no doors were kicked down and that the raid had concluded by the late afternoon.
In a forthcoming book, Confidence Man, New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman will report that staff at the White House residency sometimes found wads of paper clogging a toilet, and that they believed Mr Trump was the flusher.
Ms Haberman has obtained photos which she says show paper in a toilet bowl at the White House.
A senior White House official has told CBS the West Wing was given no notice of the FBI raid on Mr Trump's home.
"No advance knowledge," said the senior official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter. "Some learned from old media, some from social media."
US President Joe Biden's White House has said it is limiting its interactions with top justice department officials to avoid any hint of political pressure or impropriety.
Mr Biden pledged during his White House campaign to stay out of justice department affairs. The president and his family are also waiting to see whether federal prosecutors will indict his son, Hunter Biden, on tax evasion or other federal charges.
In addition to the National Archives inquiry, a US House of Representatives select committee is investigating Mr Trump's actions surrounding the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021 - when a horde of his supporters rioted at Congress as lawmakers met to certify Mr Biden's election victory.
The US justice department is examining Mr Trump's challenge to the results of the 2020 presidential election. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said he intends to hold "everyone" accountable.
And a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, is also investigating whether Mr Trump and his associates tried to interfere in that state's results from the 2020 election.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62472908
Mr Trump said in a statement that Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach was "occupied by a large group of FBI agents".
The search was reportedly connected to an investigation into Mr Trump's handling of official papers.
The dramatic escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of Mr Trump comes as he prepares for a possible third presidential run in 2024.
According to CBS News, the BBC's US partner, Mr Trump was in Trump Tower in New York City at the time of Monday's reported raid.
"These are dark times for our Nation," Mr Trump's statement began.
He said he had co-operated with all relevant government agencies and so the "unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate".
Mr Trump said it amounted to "prosecutorial misconduct" and "the weaponisation of the Justice System" to prevent him from running for the White House again.
"Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries," he said. "Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before.
"They even broke into my safe!"
Mar-a-Lago is a private members club as well as the Trump family's winter getaway.
Eric Trump, the president's second-oldest son, told Fox News that the FBI's execution of the search warrant on Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate was related to an investigation into the handling of National Archives records.
In February, the National Archives, the US government agency that manages the preservation of presidential records, asked the justice department to investigate Mr Trump for his handling of official papers.
The National Archives said it had retrieved 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago, some of which contained classified records.
US presidents are required by law to transfer all of their letters, work documents and emails to the National Archives.
But officials say the former president illegally ripped up many documents.
Some of them had to be taped back together, the Archives said. Mr Trump at the time rejected reports that he had mishandled official records as "fake news".
A senior Trump adviser in Palm Beach told CBS that the search by federal agents on Mar-a-Lago was about the presidential records.
"This is about the PRA [Presidential Records Act]," said the Trump source, who only agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
"When have you ever heard about a raid because of PRA?"
The source added: "They [the FBI] just left and they left with very little."
A federal search warrant must be signed by a judge. Law enforcement agencies must have evidence the search is likely to find evidence of illegality.
An unnamed law enforcement official told CBS that the Secret Service was notified shortly before the warrant was served around 10:00 (14:00 GMT), and that agents protecting Mr Trump helped the FBI investigators.
Several boxes were taken away, the source said, adding that no doors were kicked down and that the raid had concluded by the late afternoon.
In a forthcoming book, Confidence Man, New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman will report that staff at the White House residency sometimes found wads of paper clogging a toilet, and that they believed Mr Trump was the flusher.
Ms Haberman has obtained photos which she says show paper in a toilet bowl at the White House.
A senior White House official has told CBS the West Wing was given no notice of the FBI raid on Mr Trump's home.
"No advance knowledge," said the senior official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter. "Some learned from old media, some from social media."
US President Joe Biden's White House has said it is limiting its interactions with top justice department officials to avoid any hint of political pressure or impropriety.
Mr Biden pledged during his White House campaign to stay out of justice department affairs. The president and his family are also waiting to see whether federal prosecutors will indict his son, Hunter Biden, on tax evasion or other federal charges.
In addition to the National Archives inquiry, a US House of Representatives select committee is investigating Mr Trump's actions surrounding the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021 - when a horde of his supporters rioted at Congress as lawmakers met to certify Mr Biden's election victory.
The US justice department is examining Mr Trump's challenge to the results of the 2020 presidential election. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said he intends to hold "everyone" accountable.
And a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, is also investigating whether Mr Trump and his associates tried to interfere in that state's results from the 2020 election.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62472908
Robert
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Trump says his house in Florida has been raided by the Feds and his safe broken into.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62472908
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62472908
daytrader
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump personally picked the current FBI director <a href="https://t.co/EAkCLchRp4">pic.twitter.com/EAkCLchRp4</a></p>— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1556781765909516291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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sweep_shot
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Killing of Al-Qaeda leader, Pelosi visiting Taiwan, and now this.
Quite a coincidence that these are happening right before midterm election.
Quite a coincidence that these are happening right before midterm election.
Robert
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Not a political decision in the Trump raid case. A judicial decision. As Jon Sopel points out, a senior judge would have to sign off on it, then the FBI Director (a Trump appointee) then the Attorney General. Blimey.
There is no doubt whatsoever this was a political decision. Just like the Russian collusion was a political investigation and the two impeachment trials were political witch hunts.
Mad Trump supporters think the election was rigged and Trump deranged people think Trump is a criminal.
Robert
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You don't think fomenting a revolt against his own government is impeachable? If the GOP had any honour and decency he would be in jail.
My opinion is that with all the protests encouraged by democrats that turned into burning down shops and looting it just become part of protesting to engage in destructive behavior.
No one cared when it was store owners that were the targets of protests, no one cared when people trashed cars and set fire to police stations. Its only when the protests affected the politicians that it suddenly becomes an issue.
Technics 1210
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) Save the nonsense. Hillary Killary never adhered to classified documentation rules and there is PROOF of this with the tranche of classified emails sent via her personal account. Why wasn',t her residence raided by the FBI? There is no proof let alone evidence Trump broke the rules on classified docs.
The only truth here is the Liberals and Democrats are scared of Trump's return in 2024.
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Trump thrives as a disrupter railing against the Washington establishment
By Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor
The FBI visit to Mar-a-Lago brings Donald Trump legal peril but also potential political gain.
For authorities to carry out such an unprecedented act on a former president's home they must have been hunting evidence of a significant breach of law, experts seem to agree.
They must also have believed he would not willingly hand over such evidence since they had to seek a warrant from a judge to carry out the search.
The former president must have something serious to hide, is one conclusion, something that could land him in deep legal trouble.
Donald Trump is at the centre of several investigations all of them threatening potentially serious legal jeopardy. But there are no signs any of them are anywhere close to bringing charges.
Politically though the implications are immediate and potentially in Trump's favour.
Donald Trump's appeal as a populist is as an anti-politician. He thrives as a disrupter railing against the Washington establishment whose elites are despised by millions.
They blame them for multiple failings. The war in Iraq, the 2008 financial crash, the impact of globalisation, the loss of jobs and the end of the American dream in communities across the country, the lethal opioid crisis, and so on.
Trump's supporters also hold the FBI in contempt and suspicion. They see its agents as the long arm of those Washington elites and in league with the Democratic party.
The spectacle of federal agents descending on Trump's home is part of the script he and his cohorts have prepared supporters for. Once again he is the victim they say of a bent criminal justice system and its political patrons.
As soon as it happened his acolytes condemned the weaponisation of the justice department. A fresh fundraising drive was launched off the back of the news.
If the move brings with it potential political gain, it begs the question did Donald Trump try and make it happen? Could he have refused to hand over documents in the hope it would lure the FBI to act as it has, taking the bait?
It is not out of the question even if that is an extraordinary state of affairs for a former US president.
Millions of Americans will of course be horrified by yet another act tarnishing the highest office in the land. Even if the suspicions that provoked it prove unfounded the raid will confirm many in their contempt for Donald Trump and what he has done to the highest office in the land.
The last election showed a majority of Americans were tired of his shenanigans. Recent polls suggest even half of Republicans want anyone else but him to stand as their candidate in 2024.
But Joe Biden's popularity is woefully low. Inflation and economic downturns loom and once again America is spending billions supporting a war in faraway lands. If Trump is planning a comeback the Mar-a-Lago raid might persuade him the time is right to announce his candidacy.
He would be raising the stakes and upping the ante. The sooner the better might be his legal advice too. To investigate and potentially indict a former president is complicated enough for the Justice Department, to do the same with a current presidential candidate will be even more challenging.
SKY
By Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor
The FBI visit to Mar-a-Lago brings Donald Trump legal peril but also potential political gain.
For authorities to carry out such an unprecedented act on a former president's home they must have been hunting evidence of a significant breach of law, experts seem to agree.
They must also have believed he would not willingly hand over such evidence since they had to seek a warrant from a judge to carry out the search.
The former president must have something serious to hide, is one conclusion, something that could land him in deep legal trouble.
Donald Trump is at the centre of several investigations all of them threatening potentially serious legal jeopardy. But there are no signs any of them are anywhere close to bringing charges.
Politically though the implications are immediate and potentially in Trump's favour.
Donald Trump's appeal as a populist is as an anti-politician. He thrives as a disrupter railing against the Washington establishment whose elites are despised by millions.
They blame them for multiple failings. The war in Iraq, the 2008 financial crash, the impact of globalisation, the loss of jobs and the end of the American dream in communities across the country, the lethal opioid crisis, and so on.
Trump's supporters also hold the FBI in contempt and suspicion. They see its agents as the long arm of those Washington elites and in league with the Democratic party.
The spectacle of federal agents descending on Trump's home is part of the script he and his cohorts have prepared supporters for. Once again he is the victim they say of a bent criminal justice system and its political patrons.
As soon as it happened his acolytes condemned the weaponisation of the justice department. A fresh fundraising drive was launched off the back of the news.
If the move brings with it potential political gain, it begs the question did Donald Trump try and make it happen? Could he have refused to hand over documents in the hope it would lure the FBI to act as it has, taking the bait?
It is not out of the question even if that is an extraordinary state of affairs for a former US president.
Millions of Americans will of course be horrified by yet another act tarnishing the highest office in the land. Even if the suspicions that provoked it prove unfounded the raid will confirm many in their contempt for Donald Trump and what he has done to the highest office in the land.
The last election showed a majority of Americans were tired of his shenanigans. Recent polls suggest even half of Republicans want anyone else but him to stand as their candidate in 2024.
But Joe Biden's popularity is woefully low. Inflation and economic downturns loom and once again America is spending billions supporting a war in faraway lands. If Trump is planning a comeback the Mar-a-Lago raid might persuade him the time is right to announce his candidacy.
He would be raising the stakes and upping the ante. The sooner the better might be his legal advice too. To investigate and potentially indict a former president is complicated enough for the Justice Department, to do the same with a current presidential candidate will be even more challenging.
SKY
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Former US Vice President Mike Pence has called on US Attorney General Merrick Garland to give a "a full accounting" to the public of why the search warrant was carried out at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
In a series of Tweets, Pence - who has distanced himself from Trump amid speculation he may launch a 2024 presidential run - said that he shares "a deep concern" over the "unprecedented" search of Trump's property.
"No former President of the United States has ever been subject to a raid of their personal residence in American history," he wrote.
Additionally, Pence said that the search "undermines public confidence in our system of justice."
"Attorney General [Merrick] Garland must give a full accounting to the American people as to why this action was taken and he must do so immediately," he added.
In a series of Tweets, Pence - who has distanced himself from Trump amid speculation he may launch a 2024 presidential run - said that he shares "a deep concern" over the "unprecedented" search of Trump's property.
"No former President of the United States has ever been subject to a raid of their personal residence in American history," he wrote.
Additionally, Pence said that the search "undermines public confidence in our system of justice."
"Attorney General [Merrick] Garland must give a full accounting to the American people as to why this action was taken and he must do so immediately," he added.
James
World Star
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Let’s be honest, there is always going to be a political element to any decision that is linked with Washington. Even if it’s not officially political, it is likely to be so on an unofficial level.
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Furious allies of former President Donald Trump are demanding an explanation for the FBI's raid on his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.
The FBI and Department of Justice have yet to comment on the search, which Mr Trump disclosed on Monday evening.
It is reportedly linked to an investigation into his handling of classified and sensitive material.
It was the first time a former US president's home has ever been searched by law enforcement.
Reports suggest the FBI activity is connected to an investigation into whether Mr Trump, a Republican, removed classified records from the White House and took them to Mar-a-Lago.
The search was approved at the highest levels of the Department of Justice (DoJ), an unnamed US official told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
Republicans have depicted the investigation as politically motivated, with leading figures demanding a briefing from Attorney General Merrick Garland, head of the DoJ.
Mr Trump's former Vice-President, Mike Pence, who has subtly distanced himself amid speculation they may both launch 2024 White House runs, called on the attorney general to give "a full accounting" of why the search warrant was carried out.
"No former President of the United States has ever been subject to a raid of their personal residence in American history," he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Trump's allies in Congress, meanwhile, vowed to launch an investigation if they win back control of the House of Representatives and Senate in November's mid-term elections, when the balance of power in Washington will be decided.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that President Joe Biden was given no advance notice by the FBI of the raid, and that he "learned about this from public reports".
"The president was not briefed and was not aware of it. No-one at the White House was given a heads-up," she said.
She told reporters that Mr Biden had gone to great lengths to preserve the independence of the justice department, adding: "President Biden believes in the rule of law."
The raid was first announced on Monday evening in a statement by the former president, who was at Trump Tower in New York City.
Lindsey Halligan, a lawyer for Mr Trump, said she had received a call around 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) that the FBI had a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and that she should come to the property.
She said she saw 30 to 40 gloved FBI agents, some in suits and others dressed casually, and around 10 to 15 FBI vehicles, including a rental truck.
Ms Halligan told CBS she and another lawyer for Mr Trump were barred from entering the complex, and that the search was divided into three sections: a bedroom, office and storage area.
"Complete overkill," she said. "If they needed documents, they could have asked."
The Secret Service agents protecting Mr Trump were notified shortly before the warrant was served, an unnamed law enforcement official told CBS.
In a fundraising email to supporters on Tuesday, Mr Trump - who is currently at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club - said he and other Republicans were being targeted because of his political influence and "my dominance in all polls".
"They are trying to stop the Republican Party and me once more," he said, adding: "The lawlessness, political persecution, and Witch Hunt, must be exposed and stopped."
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell released a statement on Tuesday saying the justice department "should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately".
While many Democrats welcomed the raid, several urged the DoJ to provide more information. Some aired concerns that it could boost support for the former president.
"This could be very useful to him as many people rally around him during this time," Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach, where Mar-a-Lago is based, told the BBC. "Trump will use this to regain his martyr status."
Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she first learned of the "visit" by FBI agents through public reports on her phone.
"To have a warrant, you need justification," she told NBC News. "And that says that no-one is above the law, not even a president or former president of the United States."
BBC
The FBI and Department of Justice have yet to comment on the search, which Mr Trump disclosed on Monday evening.
It is reportedly linked to an investigation into his handling of classified and sensitive material.
It was the first time a former US president's home has ever been searched by law enforcement.
Reports suggest the FBI activity is connected to an investigation into whether Mr Trump, a Republican, removed classified records from the White House and took them to Mar-a-Lago.
The search was approved at the highest levels of the Department of Justice (DoJ), an unnamed US official told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
Republicans have depicted the investigation as politically motivated, with leading figures demanding a briefing from Attorney General Merrick Garland, head of the DoJ.
Mr Trump's former Vice-President, Mike Pence, who has subtly distanced himself amid speculation they may both launch 2024 White House runs, called on the attorney general to give "a full accounting" of why the search warrant was carried out.
"No former President of the United States has ever been subject to a raid of their personal residence in American history," he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Trump's allies in Congress, meanwhile, vowed to launch an investigation if they win back control of the House of Representatives and Senate in November's mid-term elections, when the balance of power in Washington will be decided.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that President Joe Biden was given no advance notice by the FBI of the raid, and that he "learned about this from public reports".
"The president was not briefed and was not aware of it. No-one at the White House was given a heads-up," she said.
She told reporters that Mr Biden had gone to great lengths to preserve the independence of the justice department, adding: "President Biden believes in the rule of law."
The raid was first announced on Monday evening in a statement by the former president, who was at Trump Tower in New York City.
Lindsey Halligan, a lawyer for Mr Trump, said she had received a call around 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) that the FBI had a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and that she should come to the property.
She said she saw 30 to 40 gloved FBI agents, some in suits and others dressed casually, and around 10 to 15 FBI vehicles, including a rental truck.
Ms Halligan told CBS she and another lawyer for Mr Trump were barred from entering the complex, and that the search was divided into three sections: a bedroom, office and storage area.
"Complete overkill," she said. "If they needed documents, they could have asked."
The Secret Service agents protecting Mr Trump were notified shortly before the warrant was served, an unnamed law enforcement official told CBS.
In a fundraising email to supporters on Tuesday, Mr Trump - who is currently at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club - said he and other Republicans were being targeted because of his political influence and "my dominance in all polls".
"They are trying to stop the Republican Party and me once more," he said, adding: "The lawlessness, political persecution, and Witch Hunt, must be exposed and stopped."
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell released a statement on Tuesday saying the justice department "should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately".
While many Democrats welcomed the raid, several urged the DoJ to provide more information. Some aired concerns that it could boost support for the former president.
"This could be very useful to him as many people rally around him during this time," Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach, where Mar-a-Lago is based, told the BBC. "Trump will use this to regain his martyr status."
Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she first learned of the "visit" by FBI agents through public reports on her phone.
"To have a warrant, you need justification," she told NBC News. "And that says that no-one is above the law, not even a president or former president of the United States."
BBC
There is no proof let alone evidence Trump broke the rules on classified docs.
The only truth here is the Liberals and Democrats are scared of Trump's return in 2024.
This is completely untrue.
There is a claim that Hillary Clinton copied emails to a personal server, but the claim that she destroyed or concealed classified communications was proven to be unfounded while Trump was President.
In contrast, multiple officials in the Trump administration have confirmed that he used to rip up classified communications which by law had to be archived, and that he took others away with him and failed to return them.
That is why there is criminal investigation into Trump's mishandling of official communications, while Clinton was exonerated by the Trump administration of any such offences.
He did, and at huge cost to the nation.
By the way, I lean towards (normal not crazy) Republicans in the USA and I definitely don't want Trump to run.
He lost the popular vote to Clinton by 2 million votes.
He got impeached twice, and lost to Biden by 7 million votes.
Now everybody has seen in the January 6 hearings:
1) His cowardice,
2) His disloyalty to Vice President Pence and
3) His treachery in trying to overturn the election result.
It's absolutely obvious that Trump would lose by a lot more than 7 million votes next time - probably closer to 20 million.
And in the unlikely event that he were to be nominated, the first impeachment would come back to destroy him. He would be painted as Putin's ally against Ukraine.
Last edited:
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Cut out personal attacks on posters.
You are free to talk about issues or his arguments but do not make personal remarks.
You are free to talk about issues or his arguments but do not make personal remarks.
Technics 1210
Test Debutant
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Bush also lost the popular vote to Gore, and until the Senate impeach Trump, he will run again for President.
Technics 1210
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From your beloved MSM sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/27/politics/hillary-clinton-personal-email-server/index.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31806907
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hil...3000-emails-secretary-state/story?id=42389308
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...partment-democrats-release-read-a7231371.html
I could go on an on.
Seriously, do you even verify your claims before posting them?
Of course I doubt you can now answer the hypocrisy displayed by DoJ and FBI towards Clinton and Trump!
Technics 1210
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Robert
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Hmm. To take Trump off the board in 2024? I think DeSantis is more likely to defeat Biden than Trump. Maybe the Dems want Trump running again, particularly as all the legislative action against him drags on and on.
IMMY69
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The one thing that intrigues me with Trump and his supporters.
Is the only reason they support him because he is anti establishment?
He is a billionaire on paper who inherited his fortune and would actually be better off now had he just stuck the money in stocks rather than into many business failures.
He has actually ruined peoples lives with his failed university and other ventures.
He has massive loans that he allegedly keeps rolling over due to inflated valuations of his properties.
A proven misogynist who has had multiple women claim he touched them inappropriately plus there is the famous 'locker room' tape.
He has no real education behind him. A man who said injecting bleach in to your veins could fight off covid.
He insults everyone and can turn against his best friends in a heartbeat.
The list goes on and on.
Is what are the reasons?
I'd love to know.
Is the only reason they support him because he is anti establishment?
He is a billionaire on paper who inherited his fortune and would actually be better off now had he just stuck the money in stocks rather than into many business failures.
He has actually ruined peoples lives with his failed university and other ventures.
He has massive loans that he allegedly keeps rolling over due to inflated valuations of his properties.
A proven misogynist who has had multiple women claim he touched them inappropriately plus there is the famous 'locker room' tape.
He has no real education behind him. A man who said injecting bleach in to your veins could fight off covid.
He insults everyone and can turn against his best friends in a heartbeat.
The list goes on and on.
Is what are the reasons?
I'd love to know.
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Robert
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He is very good at identifying the legitimate grievances of white blue-collar workers, particularly from the Rust Belt whose jobs were exported due to globalisation.
His people blast a load of social media messages over a local area intended to inflame this level of grievance.
They he turns up and holds a rally. He says he hears the people, and using hypnotic language makes himself appear to be the solution to their problems without really saying how.
For example: "Make America Great Again". This sentence presupposes that America used to be great, but now it is not. Greatness has been taken away. Who took it? Those Others over there. Vote for me and the great days will come back.
This is why his supporters are so fanatical. They don't know why, they just feel he is on their side when he is just using them.
This is populism in a nutshell. No solutions to problems, just promises that never have to be delivered on because they are never specified. Like, say.... Brexit.
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"Make America Great Again" was actually coined by none other than - Ronald Reagan. He used the phrase during his Presedential campaigns if youbare old enough to remember.
Who took away Amreeka's greatness before the 80s? No one. It was populist politics back then, and it is populist politics now.
As for character of Trump, so what, he has flaws. Churchill was an Alcoholic, womaniser, beater, racist, he didn't just ruin lives, but was responsible for the death of Millions, and responsible for ushering the Cold War era, but all is ok, we will anoint him for sainthood because he fought against the Nazis.
The decline of the West is has many reasons, hypocrisy is right up there.
Who took away Amreeka's greatness before the 80s? No one. It was populist politics back then, and it is populist politics now.
As for character of Trump, so what, he has flaws. Churchill was an Alcoholic, womaniser, beater, racist, he didn't just ruin lives, but was responsible for the death of Millions, and responsible for ushering the Cold War era, but all is ok, we will anoint him for sainthood because he fought against the Nazis.
The decline of the West is has many reasons, hypocrisy is right up there.
IMMY69
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Sorry I forgot to add the following question,
Why do some people feel they have to behave like Trump too?
Why do some people feel they have to behave like Trump too?
KingKhanWC
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The reason I would prefer Trump to senile Biden or any other democrats or even conservative neo-cons is Trump doesn't want war with anyone.
He was the only leader who hasnt started some sort of war in the recent memory.
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Not to mention he actually reached out to Putin and North Korea for peace, but the liberals, and democrats, just didn't support him because peace means no war economy or votes.
The last 5 years have really exposed liberalism and democratics as fascist ideologies.
There is always a silver lining. I wish we had someone of Trump's gravitas in the UK.
KingKhanWC
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No doubt if Trump was leader this conflict would never have taken place. The plans for a proxy war in Ukraine has been in the pipline for a decade. Easily proven by statements of proxy war made by US politicians many years ago.
Trump came along, threw a spanner in the works because he wanted a good relationship with Russia. Trump realises unlike Nato cheerleaders, you cannnot win a war ,even a proxy war with such a huge power.
Brits are even more brainwashed so will always choose anyone who is fed to them by the media.
IMMY69
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Well he ordered the assassination of the Iranian General who was working with the Allied forces against iSIS.
He also took the US out of the Iranian Nuclear Agreement.
Under his watch Afghanistan was bombed using the biggest bomb that ever landed there.
Under his watch the law was changed so that the US no longer had to report how many drone attacks were instigated by them.
Then there is the lovely show he put on in Singapore, hugging Kim and giving him a fantastic presentation of how North Korea can benefit from tourism.
Those are just some of the foreign policies, not to forget his use of words against the Pakistani parents of a US soldier etc etc etc
Biden is a lame duck, his time came too late... but does this mean they should go back to Trump?
KingKhanWC
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No war was started, those are incidents. Trump was pressured to attack , go to war with Iran, instead he choose to kill one of their commanders to keep the wolves happy. I dont agree with dropping any bomb in Afghanistan or any attack but its better than Biden wanting a war with Russia and now China.
Americans must go back to Trump when World War 3 is a possibility to the senile old people such as Biden and Pelosi triggering such an event.
IMMY69
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I agree that we should move on from Biden/Pelosi but I also think that Trump is an opportunist and a narcissist and surely the Americans do better then him.
KingKhanWC
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Tbh the whole of the western world could do better.
We have clowns in charge of UK, Germany, Finland, France, Italy. We have fake idiots in charge of NZ and Aus. Ironically Pakistan is one of the few lands where a genuine leader came into power, IK. Most of the world has puppets or elites, big companies in charge. Their donors pay them huge sums, in return they fulfull their policies once in office. If they dont, they are attacked , got rid of. There is no democracy as it seems.
JaDed
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While that is true i can guarantee you 100% a section of media would had found conspiracies if FBI had done the same against Hunter Biden during trump era.
It’s really unfortunate the bias level of media across nowadays.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hunter...w-york-times-post-media-bias-2020-11648076107
JaDed
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Pakistan might had had a genuine leader but he was also brought in by Establishment if anything that was proved in last 4 months.
It’s silly to think Elites and Establishments don’t rule in countries very rarely is that seen.
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This is why I firmly believe only Trump has the skill and talent to defuse and resolve the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
The people have to support him and in order to achieve this, they have to block the MSM narrative.
KingKhanWC
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I never suggested they didnt, I was pointing to an event which is rare where a genuine leader wanted by the people actually took power.
People power if in mass numbers will always trump any force or media. Pakistan is a rare country which has occurred. IK will return no doubt, no army or foreign power can ensure otherwise, due to the mass numbers of people behind him.
KingKhanWC
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Yes if Trump came to power tomorrow by the end of August this conflict would end. Problem is by 2024 it might be too late.
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It's a problem for Europe, not USA. Plus Oil companies like Shell and BP are raking it in!
KingKhanWC
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Biden and his masters will realise Trump returning cannot be stopped so in desperation will cause somesort of huge event, possibly inspiring Ukranians to attack a nuclear site in Russia or Taiwan to attack Chinese boats. We cannot take these evil people lightly, they have secure bunkers , we dont.
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Biden has exposed the cowardice of NATO. Fast tracked Finland and Sweden while Ukraine is at the back of the queue!
Trump called it years ago, he warned Germany of its reliance on Nord 1 & 2. He even threatened to pull out of NATO and the so called largest political and economic union, the EU, rushed for the begging bowl on its knees.
Turns out Trump was spot on, and he is now vindicated!
I reckon Biden and his AIPAC master will draft a plan, some kind of biological threat!
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Donald Trump has hinted that the FBI could have been "planting" evidence at his Mar-a-Lago resort during a raid on Monday.
Writing on his social media site Truth Social on Wednesday, the former president criticised the search at his Florida residence.
FBI agents reportedly seized a dozen boxes as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents.
Mr Trump said the agency wouldn't "let anyone, including my lawyers, be anywhere near the areas that were rummaged and otherwise looked at during the raid".
"Everyone was asked to leave the premises, they wanted to be left alone, without any witnesses to see what they were doing, taking or, hopefully not, 'planting'," he said.
"Why did they STRONGLY insist on having nobody watching them, everybody out? Obama and Clinton were never 'raided,' despite big disputes!"
In a separate statement, Mr Trump hit out at Attorney General Letitia James, whom he claims has launched a "political attack on me, my family and my great company in her despicable attempt to fulfil that cynical and very corrupt promise".
He claims that Ms James has campaigned on a policy of "Get and Destroy Trump".
Sky News has contacted the FBI, the US Department of Justice and Ms James's office for comment.
'Dark times for our nation'
On 8 August, FBI agents entered Mr Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago with a search warrant, and a senior US official said agents were at the estate in Palm Beach for the "majority" of Monday.
The US Justice Department has been investigating the discovery of boxes of records containing classified information that were taken to the property after Mr Trump's presidency ended.
They were retrieved in January by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which then asked the Justice Department to examine whether Mr Trump's handling of White House records violated federal law.
It noted that some of the boxes contained items "marked as classified national security information".
Mr Trump later gave details of the operation, claiming the action represented "dark times for our nation" and was "not necessary or appropriate".
His lawyer Christina Bobb, who said she was there during the search, told NBC News some papers had been seized.
Ms Bobb said Mr Trump and his team have been "co-operative with FBI and DOJ officials every step of the way", adding that the bureau "did conduct an unannounced raid and seized paper".
Any search of a private residence would have to be approved by a judge.
The search is also likely to have been approved by FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and his boss, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by President Joe Biden.
"This is as big a deal as you can have, and... every single person in the chain would have had to sign off on this," Phillip Halpern, a former federal prosecutor, said.
Hours before agents searched the premises, the FBI notified the Secret Service about the bureau's plans to execute the warrant, according to a Secret Service official.
The Secret Service facilitated access to the property, the official said, but did not take part in any aspect of the search.
The White House said it was not given a heads-up about the search.
"We did not have notice of the reported action and would refer you to the Justice Department for any additional information," an official said.
SKY
Writing on his social media site Truth Social on Wednesday, the former president criticised the search at his Florida residence.
FBI agents reportedly seized a dozen boxes as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents.
Mr Trump said the agency wouldn't "let anyone, including my lawyers, be anywhere near the areas that were rummaged and otherwise looked at during the raid".
"Everyone was asked to leave the premises, they wanted to be left alone, without any witnesses to see what they were doing, taking or, hopefully not, 'planting'," he said.
"Why did they STRONGLY insist on having nobody watching them, everybody out? Obama and Clinton were never 'raided,' despite big disputes!"
In a separate statement, Mr Trump hit out at Attorney General Letitia James, whom he claims has launched a "political attack on me, my family and my great company in her despicable attempt to fulfil that cynical and very corrupt promise".
He claims that Ms James has campaigned on a policy of "Get and Destroy Trump".
Sky News has contacted the FBI, the US Department of Justice and Ms James's office for comment.
'Dark times for our nation'
On 8 August, FBI agents entered Mr Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago with a search warrant, and a senior US official said agents were at the estate in Palm Beach for the "majority" of Monday.
The US Justice Department has been investigating the discovery of boxes of records containing classified information that were taken to the property after Mr Trump's presidency ended.
They were retrieved in January by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which then asked the Justice Department to examine whether Mr Trump's handling of White House records violated federal law.
It noted that some of the boxes contained items "marked as classified national security information".
Mr Trump later gave details of the operation, claiming the action represented "dark times for our nation" and was "not necessary or appropriate".
His lawyer Christina Bobb, who said she was there during the search, told NBC News some papers had been seized.
Ms Bobb said Mr Trump and his team have been "co-operative with FBI and DOJ officials every step of the way", adding that the bureau "did conduct an unannounced raid and seized paper".
Any search of a private residence would have to be approved by a judge.
The search is also likely to have been approved by FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and his boss, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by President Joe Biden.
"This is as big a deal as you can have, and... every single person in the chain would have had to sign off on this," Phillip Halpern, a former federal prosecutor, said.
Hours before agents searched the premises, the FBI notified the Secret Service about the bureau's plans to execute the warrant, according to a Secret Service official.
The Secret Service facilitated access to the property, the official said, but did not take part in any aspect of the search.
The White House said it was not given a heads-up about the search.
"We did not have notice of the reported action and would refer you to the Justice Department for any additional information," an official said.
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Former US President Donald Trump has declined to answer questions as part of a New York state investigation into his family's business practices.
Mr Trump had sued in an effort to block the interview at the New York attorney general's office on Wednesday.
State officials accuse the Trump Organization of misleading authorities about the value of its assets in order to get favourable loans and tax breaks.
Mr Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the civil probe a witch hunt.
An hour after he was pictured arriving at the Manhattan office where he was questioned under oath, Mr Trump released a statement in which he criticised New York Attorney General Letitia James and the broader investigation.
"Years of work and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this long simmering saga, and to no avail," he said. "I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution."
Ms James' office confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday and that "Mr Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination".
"Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead," the statement added. "Our investigation continues."
His deposition comes just days after the FBI executed an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation that is reportedly linked to his handling of classified material.
While the attorney general's investigation is a civil one, a parallel investigation is being carried out by the Manhattan District Attorney's office which could result in criminal charges.
Legal analysts suggest Mr Trump may have declined to answer questions on Wednesday because his answers could have been used against him in that criminal investigation. The former president invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to be a witness against themselves in a criminal case.
Trump on people pleading the Fifth Amendment: 'Disgraceful'
The questioning lasted around four hours, and included lengthy breaks, his lawyer Ronald Fischetti told US media.
Mr Trump began by reading a statement into the record condemning the attorney general and her investigation and invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.
He proceeded to say "same answer" to every question he was asked.
Ms James' office has said that the depositions - a legal term that means testimony not given in court - were among the last remaining investigative procedures to be carried out.
Once the investigation concludes, the state attorney general could decide to bring a lawsuit seeking financial penalties against Mr Trump or his company.
Ms James had sought Mr Trump's deposition - and that of two of his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr - for more than six months while the family resisted subpoenas through the New York court system.
Lawyers for Mr Trump had also attempted to sue Ms James in a bid to prevent her from questioning the former president and his children.
But in February, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that all three must sit for depositions. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr were questioned earlier this month.
The judge said the investigation had uncovered "copious evidence of possible financial fraud" giving the attorney general a "clear right" to question under oath the former president and two of his children involved in the business.
Ms James hailed the judge's decision as a victory, saying that "justice has prevailed".
The investigation, which was first opened in 2019, seeks to prove that Mr Trump and the Trump Organization misrepresented the value of assets in order to obtain favourable loans and tax breaks. The alleged fraud is said to have taken place before Mr Trump took office.
BBC
Mr Trump had sued in an effort to block the interview at the New York attorney general's office on Wednesday.
State officials accuse the Trump Organization of misleading authorities about the value of its assets in order to get favourable loans and tax breaks.
Mr Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the civil probe a witch hunt.
An hour after he was pictured arriving at the Manhattan office where he was questioned under oath, Mr Trump released a statement in which he criticised New York Attorney General Letitia James and the broader investigation.
"Years of work and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this long simmering saga, and to no avail," he said. "I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution."
Ms James' office confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday and that "Mr Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination".
"Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead," the statement added. "Our investigation continues."
His deposition comes just days after the FBI executed an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation that is reportedly linked to his handling of classified material.
While the attorney general's investigation is a civil one, a parallel investigation is being carried out by the Manhattan District Attorney's office which could result in criminal charges.
Legal analysts suggest Mr Trump may have declined to answer questions on Wednesday because his answers could have been used against him in that criminal investigation. The former president invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to be a witness against themselves in a criminal case.
Trump on people pleading the Fifth Amendment: 'Disgraceful'
The questioning lasted around four hours, and included lengthy breaks, his lawyer Ronald Fischetti told US media.
Mr Trump began by reading a statement into the record condemning the attorney general and her investigation and invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.
He proceeded to say "same answer" to every question he was asked.
Ms James' office has said that the depositions - a legal term that means testimony not given in court - were among the last remaining investigative procedures to be carried out.
Once the investigation concludes, the state attorney general could decide to bring a lawsuit seeking financial penalties against Mr Trump or his company.
Ms James had sought Mr Trump's deposition - and that of two of his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr - for more than six months while the family resisted subpoenas through the New York court system.
Lawyers for Mr Trump had also attempted to sue Ms James in a bid to prevent her from questioning the former president and his children.
But in February, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that all three must sit for depositions. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr were questioned earlier this month.
The judge said the investigation had uncovered "copious evidence of possible financial fraud" giving the attorney general a "clear right" to question under oath the former president and two of his children involved in the business.
Ms James hailed the judge's decision as a victory, saying that "justice has prevailed".
The investigation, which was first opened in 2019, seeks to prove that Mr Trump and the Trump Organization misrepresented the value of assets in order to obtain favourable loans and tax breaks. The alleged fraud is said to have taken place before Mr Trump took office.
BBC
Trump being the guy who says he “gave” Jerusalem to Israel. Who recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Trump who refused to negotiate with any Palestinians.
That Trump?
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The point is Trump did not start a war, not whether he moved an embassy. 
Robert
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No US President since Bush 43 has started a war. Obama, Trump and Biden all withdrew more and more troops from Afghanistan. Obama started this process and Biden finished it.
But it’s revealing that Trump - clearly the biggest Zionist of the lot due to appeasing Israel and the Bible Belt Christians in the ways you mention - gets preference.
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U.S. military forces have been at war for all eight years of Obama’s tenure, the first two-term president with that distinction. He launched airstrikes or military raids in at least seven countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan.
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The US Attorney General has said he "personally approved" to seek a search warrant on Donald Trump's Florida residence.
In a statement made in Washington DC, Merrick Garland said the Justice Department did "not take the decision lightly".
The search on Monday in Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate was reportedly linked to an investigation into his handling of classified material.
The Justice Department has faced pressure since the raid to provide a public explanation for the search of Mr Trump's home.
Mr Garland added that the warrant will be made public due to "substantial public interest".
SKY
In a statement made in Washington DC, Merrick Garland said the Justice Department did "not take the decision lightly".
The search on Monday in Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate was reportedly linked to an investigation into his handling of classified material.
The Justice Department has faced pressure since the raid to provide a public explanation for the search of Mr Trump's home.
Mr Garland added that the warrant will be made public due to "substantial public interest".
SKY
KingKhanWC
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Trump has no influence of policies set by Zionists via US/UK which have been around for decades. Do you think Biden is better, hes worse. Sleepy senile Joe recently applauded the Zionists for killing 3 children, a 5 year old girl included, which I assume you approve of too?
My advice here is for you to please read carefully. The point was Trump has not started a war, unlike every other President of the US for decades.
Stopping a world war is the biggest challenge facing leaders of big nations today.
KingKhanWC
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Whatever we think of Trump, this is a powerful election ad. Very well made. This alone will win millions of voters.
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Contrary to popular belief, Trump was against Zionism, it was his son-in-law (Kushner) that somehow convinced Trump to move the embassy to Jerusalem, and to bail from the Iran nuclear deal, in exchange for peace in the ME. In true Zionist style, Kushner side renaged on the promises.
Trump refused to succumb to Zionist demands of waging war in the ME, he absolutely destroyed the Zionist controlled media by calling them fake news, and he dissed the banking system controlled by the Zionists. This is why the ZMSM went on a media rampage to discredit Trump.
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If I was an Amreekan patriot, I'd vote for him based on this video alone.
I recall when the anti Trump brigrade (on PP too) were desperate foe Biden to win, how the fallen have been forgotten.
KingKhanWC
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Trump also had concerns on the official jackanory of 911. His comments early on have now vanished from the internet.
There is a Deep state in the US, basically CIA and Mossad together. Its impossible for any President to take a big stand, remember what happened to JFK?
The AD is genuis, very simple, direct numbers. Starts in black and white and ends in colour.
This next election will be the most fascinating in world history, not because Biden can match Trump but because they will go to some serious desperate levels to ensure Trump doesnt win. It will also be one of the most important in history, if Biden or any other zombie wins, expect huge world events. It will probably be best to have a plan B to move to for all Europeans and Americans.
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