Donald Trump reveals plan after claiming he would end Ukraine war ‘in 24 hours’
Donald Trump has claimed he is “not frightened” about his third potential indictment on criminal charges – after he revealed that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The former president took to Truth Social on Tuesday morning to say that he had been told to report to a grand jury over the January 6 Capitol riot, which he pointed out “almost always means an Arrest and Indictment”.
The Independent has learned that the indictment could be handed down as soon as this week.
Mr Trump spoke out about the potential looming indictment to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, admitting that “it bothers me”.
“They want to try to demean and diminish and frighten people. But they don’t frighten us because we’re going to make America great again. That’s all there is,” he said.
Meanwhile, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced criminal charges against 16 people who signed certificates falsely declaring Mr Trump won the 2020 election, part of a nationwide scheme to upend the results in states that the former president lost to Joe Biden.
Trump legal team scrambles to ascertain scope of possible indictment
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers and advisers are trying to figure out if there is evidence and witnesses they are unaware of that are bolstering special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to multiple sources familiar with Trump team’s legal conversation.
The potential charges listed in the target letter suggest the special counsel will prosecute a bigger case against Trump than the former president’s team was expecting, given the evidence they are aware of. That has led to questions if there is evidence or testimony they don’t know about, the sources said.
Trump’s team of lawyers and advisers have tried to keep close tabs on the investigation. The former president’s political action committee has underwritten legal costs for multiple witnesses, which has given them some insight into what has been shared with Smith’s team.
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 22:20
Meanwhile on Truth Social…
Donald Trump has posted again, ranting at the process of justice as a third likely indictment looms over him. He claims that it is the legal system itself and not him that is under siege.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, LAWYERS, AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM ITSELF, ARE UNDER SIEGE…ALL A GIFT FROM CROOKED JOE BIDEN, MERRICK GARLAND, AND DERANGED PROSECUTOR, JACK SMITH!!!
THE DEMOCRAT PROSECUTORS WAITED YEARS TO BRING CHARGES SO THAT THEY COULD INTERFERE WITH THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THEY ARE GETTING, HOWEVER, BIG BLOWBACK!!!
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 22:08
Months after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $787m over false election claims, the network chose to air a portion of a pre-taped town hall with former President Donald Trump where he made false election claims.
Mr Hannity asked Mr Trump at a Fox town hall in Iowa whether he now embraced “early voting, vote by mail, and legal ballot harvesting?”
Kelly Rissman reports on the former president’s answer.
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 22:00
Voices: Republicans gave away their credibility in criticising Democrats on antisemitism by touting RFK Jr
Amid all of the concerns about the American right courting antisemites, Republicans should have had a perfect opportunity to turn the tables on Democrats and accuse them of having an antisemitism problem.
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 21:40
…and what about Ivanka Trump?
Rep Robert Garcia also had some thoughts on Ivanka Trump and the “Trump crime family”.
And he wasn’t done there:
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 21:33
AOC accuses Trump of ‘exerting an influence campaign in Congress’
Speaking at the IRS whistleblower hearing in the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon, Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that the hearing into Hunter Biden was only taking place because of an “influence campaign” being waged by former president Donald Trump. She added that perhaps the committee should similarly open an investigation into Mr Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka.
“We are here today because Donald Trump is exerting an influence campaign in Congress when he is no longer president … if this committee is gonna go there, that they be willing to open investigations into the dismissal of charges against Ivanka Trump.”
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 21:29
Is Marjorie Taylor Greene in favour of Trump prosecutions after all?
From her comments in the House of Representatives today it would appear that Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is in favour of Donald Trump being prosecuted.
The Georgia lawmaker said: “I would also like to say that when evidence and proof of a crime is presented, no prosecution should be denied no matter who the person is.”
People were quick to point out what her statement implied and noted it might make another good campaign ad for the Democrats.
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 21:24
Trump attempt to move Manhattan hush money case to federal court rejected by judge
A federal judge has shot down Donald Trump’s attempt to move his Manhattan criminal charges into US District Court, sending the case stemming from hush money payments back to state court in New York City.
In June, Manhattan prosecutors charged the former president with 34 counts of falsifying business records, alleging an effort to silence news of Mr Trump’s alleged affairs as campaigned for the presidency in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty.
The order from US District Judge Alvin K Hellerstein on 19 July argued that the former president failed to show that any of the conduct in the indictment related to his actions as president and remanded the case back to state court.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 21:20
Veteran who stormed Capitol with loaded pistol on Jan 6 sentenced to seven years
A military veteran who stormed the US Capitol with a loaded pistol, metal-plated body armour and a gas mask was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison, one of the longest among hundreds of January 6 riot cases.
CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane notes that Alberts’s case “knocks down claims Jan 6 wasn’t an ‘armed insurrection’”.
Alberts had a 9-millimetre pistol loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition and an additional bullet in the chamber, according to prosecutors.
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 21:00
Watch: Morning Joe hosts discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene’s accidental endorsement of Biden
Oliver O’Connell19 July 2023 20:40