Trump praises Putin and denigrates US leaders at CPAC
Donald Trump and a lawyer who assisted with his re-election campaign were part of a “criminal conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election, according to a court filing from the congressional 6 January US Capitol riot investigation.
“The facts we’ve gathered strongly suggest that Dr (John) Eastman’s emails may show that he helped Donald Trump advance a corrupt scheme to obstruct the counting of electoral college ballots and a conspiracy to impede the transfer of power,” representatives Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney, who chair the 6 January investigation committee, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump has once again declined an opportunity to criticise Vladimir Putin directly. Speaking to Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, the president said the war Russia has launched in Ukraine “is a holocaust.”
“This is a horrible thing that’s happening, you’re witnessing. I mean, you’re seeing it on television every night,” he said.
However, his overriding verdict was that “the biggest problem we have is that our president and our country is no longer respected,” and that the solution to Russia’s assault on Ukraine is to “work out a deal”.
Earlier this week, former White House aide and Russia expert Fiona Hill claimed in an interview with Politico that Vladimir Putin once tried to make Mr Trump take notice of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, but that the ex-president didn’t understand what the Russian leader was telling him.
Meanwhile, the 45th president remained mostly quiet during Joe Biden’s State of the Union last night, leaving it to Donald Trump Jr attacked transgender children shortly after president Joe Biden extended his support during the State of the Union address, saying “I’ll always have your back”.
Trump hails Texas candidate victories
Donald Trump is happy at the way the Texas primaries played out for the 33 candidates he endorsed.
They all won or “are substantially leading”.
“Big night! How will the Fake News make it look bad?”
Oliver O’Connell2 March 2022 21:40
Republicans still fundraising for members who appeared at white nationalist event
Judd Legum, who covers the flow of political fundraising cash for Popular Informationpoints out that Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar are still in the fundraising mix for the Republicans’ fall campaign – days after they appeared at a full-on white nationalist event.
Andrew Naughtie1 March 2022 18:50
Trump slams Biden’s energy policies amid Russia-Ukraine war
Donald Trump warned that the United States should “stop buying Russian oil” and also encouraged the country to “open up your own oil.”
During his SOTU address, Joe Biden had said that “America will lead that effort, releasing 30 million barrels of oil Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We are prepared to do more united with our allies.”
He had said that “these steps will help blunt gas prices here at home.”
But the former president countered this by saying that “our country is run by fools.” He added that the war in Ukraine would have “never happened if he were president, especially since the US would have been exporting oil to all countries.
He argued that that “would have kept it from happening in itself because Russia wouldn’t have been making a fortune on oil.”
“It’s crazy, and we have more oil than they do,” Mr Trump added.
Maroosha Muzaffar3 March 2022 07:01
ICYMI: Mitch McConnell clears up ‘confusion’ about Putin
In an appearance on Fox News, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that “there should be no confusion about Vladimir Putin. There has been some confusion lately. He is a thug. He is a killer. He has been on a rampage and this will not end well for him.”
The senator’s comments come on the back of praise heaped on Mr Putin by former President Donald Trump, who called the Russian leader “savvy” and a “genius” for his invasion of Ukraine.
At CPAC last weekend he called the US a “stupid country” and called Mr Putin “smart”.
Maroosha Muzaffar3 March 2022 06:26
Trump says Taiwan is next as Xi ‘watching with glee’
Donald Trump has said Taiwan will be invaded by China next as “President Xi is watching with glee” the developments of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Speaking with Fox Businessthe former president said that “President Xi happens to be a man with a high intelligence level, and he looks at what happened in Afghanistan … He saw the way that we left Afghanistan … left American citizens there – is still trying to get out – he sees that, and this is his opportunity to do what he wants to do.”
“Taiwan is going to be next. Just watch Taiwan; President Xi is watching with glee,” he said.
He added: “Ukraine has put up a very good fight against Russia, far better than most people thought possible. Many people are dying, and we’re allowing this to happen. It would have never happened [if I was still president]. It should have never happened.”Mr Trump continued: “Putin never would have done it with me. I can tell you that.”
Maroosha Muzaffar3 March 2022 06:08
Former US solicitor general calls court filing ‘incredibly powerful’
The former US Solicitor General Neal Katyal reacted to the news of Donald Trump and his lawyer John Eastman being a part of the “criminal conspiracy” by saying that this was “big.”
He wrote on Twitter: “The House has just slammed John Eastman for invoking the privilege. It’s an incredibly powerful brief, arguing that Eastman looks like he committed crimes and cannot assert attorney/client privilege.”
According to a court filing from the congressional 6 January investigation, Mr Trump and a lawyer who assisted with his re-election campaign were part of a “criminal conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election.
The documents, filed on Wednesday, come as the House special committee seeks to gain access to emails from John Eastman, a lawyer who helped lead Mr Trump’s “war room” challenging Joe Biden’s election win.
Maroosha Muzaffar3 March 2022 05:46
Smugglers have been sawing through Trump’s wall
Nick Miroff of The Washington Post reports that smugglers in Mexico have sawed through Donald Trump’s border wall 3,272 times over the past three years.
The figure comes from Customs & Border Patrol maintenance reports obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
Repairs have reportedly cost $2.6m to date.
Maroosha Muzaffar3 March 2022 05:00
Mitch McConnell clears up ‘confusion’ about Putin
In an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday morning, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell felt he needed to address the recent “confusion” about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Said Mr McConnell: “There should be no confusion about Vladimir Putin. There has been some confusion lately. He is a thug. He is a killer. He has been on a rampage and this will not end well for him.”
The senator’s comments come on the back of praise heaped on Mr Putin by former President Donald Trump, who called the Russian leader “savvy” and a “genius” for his moves on Ukraine prior to the unprovoked invasion.
At CPAC last weekend he called the US a “stupid country” and called Mr Putin “smart”.
Oliver O’Connell3 March 2022 04:15
Trump and lawyer accused of ‘criminal conspiracy’ to overturn election by January 6 committee
Donald Trump and a lawyer who assisted with his re-election campaign were part of a “criminal conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election, according to a court filing from the congressional 6 January US Capitol riot investigation.
Read the full story here:
Maroosha Muzaffar3 March 2022 03:26
All the drama – The six most memorable moments of the State of the Union
Just over a year into his presidency — and with nine months until the midterm elections — President Joe Biden delivered his first official State of the Union message to Congress.
With the House of Representatives’ mask mandates gone, Mr Biden’s speech was delivered to a packed, albeit socially distant, House chamber, with most of Congress, the Supreme Court, his cabinet, and a First Lady’s box full of guests including Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova.
Andrew Feinberg reports on the standout moments.
Oliver O’Connell3 March 2022 03:15
