Trump goes after judge in Jan 6 indictment as Pence undermines key defence – latest news

Donald Trump and his attorneys spent much of the weekend attempting to discredit his latest federal indictment and attacking the people involved in it – just days after being arraigned on four federal charges related to his alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. On Truth Social , Mr Trump criticised Judge Tanya Chutkan , who will be overseeing his case, saying he does not think he will get a ‘fair trial.’ ‘WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ASKING FOR RECUSAL OF THIS JUDGE ON VERY POWERFUL GROUNDS, AND LIKEWISE FOR VENUE CHANGE, OUT IF D.C.’ Mr Trump wrote on Sunday. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s attorney, John Lauro, went on several network news shows where he argued that the ex-president only exercised his First Amendment right to claim the election was stolen. Mr Lauro claimed that Mr Trump only asked then-vice president Mike Pence to ‘pause the counts and allow the states to weigh in’ in the days leading up to 6 January. But Mr Pence disputed this. ‘They were asking me to overturn the election,’ Mr Pence told CNN. He said attorneys for Mr Trump asked him ‘outright’ to reject votes. Key points Lincoln Project posts mocking montage of Trump attorney 04:30 , Namita Singh Trump calls for Senate to save him from indictment 04:00 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump was in attack mode as he spoke to supporters Saturday evening in Columbia, South Carolina. The former president, not known for holding back against his enemies, was more combative than ever as he spoke at a South Carolina Republican Party fundraiser in the wake of his indictment on criminal charges related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. While some moments were clearly scripted and focused his rage against President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice, others were not as he veered into attacks against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republicans tied to leadership in the Senate who have resisted his calls to use their power to help him – both on January 6, and now, as he faces criminal prosecution. ‘These guys, what they’re doing with this election interference … the Senate needs to step up. The House is doing a lot of things…They have something on Mitch McConnell,’ the former president argued, presumably meaning either Democrats or the Department of Justice, or both. ‘There’s no way he’s doing this. They got something on Mitch McConnell.’ Poll: Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch 02:00 , Ariana Baio The 2024 election looks set to be a rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump. Despite his mounting legal problems, Mr Trump is by far the most popular candidate in the Republican field. Only Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reached double digits but he remains miles behind Mr Trump. ICYMI: Bill Barr dismisses Donald Trump’s First Amendment defence following indictment Monday 7 August 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio Mike Pence and Trump’s lawyer share opposite stories of what ex-president said ahead of Jan 6 Sunday 6 August 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump’s defence attorney, John Lauro, claimed the ex-president never asked then-vice president Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 elections – but Mr Pence says differently. Mr Lauro went on several network news shows on Sunday to defend Mr Trump, claiming he was within his First Amendment right when he asked Mr Pence to ‘pause the counts and allow the states to weigh in,’ in the days before 6 January. But Mr Pence’s recount of those events was slightly different. Mr Pence said the former president’s attorneys approached him and asked him to ‘reject votes outright.’ ‘They were asking me to overturn the election,’ Mr Pence told CNN. ‘I had no right to overturn the election.’ Trump goes on kooky rant about how long it takes to wash his ‘gorgeous head of hair’ Sunday 6 August 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio With a trio of indictments looming overhead, Donald Trump took time to assure his voters that he was focused on what really matters heading into 2024 – his shower’s water pressure. During the keynote speech of a GOP dinner in South Carolina on Saturday, Mr Trump told the crowd that modern water pressures just weren’t getting the job done. Though Mr Trump has proven in past speeches that he does not need segues – preferring instead to crash from topic to topic without regard for logic or causality – he did lead into his shower rant, sort of, by complaining about regulations. Graig Graziosi reports: Trump goes on kooky rant about how long it takes to wash his ‘gorgeous head of hair’ Pence skirts crucial questions about Trump’s election indictment Sunday 6 August 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio Mike Pence was evasive when answering questions from a CBS reporter in a new interview touching upon Donald Trump’s indictment on charges related to the effort to overturn the 2020 election. The former vice president, whom Mr Trump’s team has spoken openly about cross-examining in the ex-president’s upcoming trial, has largely remained on Mr Trump’s side when it comes to the barrage of legal threats now facing him. But he has not reserved that same loyalty amid Mr Trump’s newest criminal charges, on which he refused to take a side. Speaking with Major Garrett, Mr Pence dodged questions about whether the prosecution of Mr Trump specifically was ‘politicised’ – a charge the Trump team has levelled -while making those same gratuitous swipes at the Justice Department over unrelated issues, like the ongoing prosecution of Hunter Biden. ‘I don’t want to prejudge this indictment. I don’t know whether the government has the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to support this case,’ said the former vice president, who was at the very centre of the events now being examined for prosecution by the Department of Justice. Michael Cohen claims Jared Kushner ‘probably a cooperating witness’ in probe Sunday 6 August 2023 21:30 , Oliver O’Connell Michael Cohen , the former attorney and fixer for former president Donald Trump , claims the ex-president’s son-in-law and former adviser is one of the witnesses who has given evidence about him to the prosecutors who will seek to convict and imprison him next year. Andrew Feinberg reports. Michael Cohen claims Trump’s son-in-law is ‘probably a cooperating witness’ in probe Trump wants venue of case moved out of Washington DC Sunday 6 August 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump says will be asking for Judge Tanya Chutkan to recuse overseeing his 2020 election fraud conspiracy and January 6 case and look to move the case out of Washington DC. Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social that there is ‘no way’ he can receive a fair trail with Judge Chutkan assigned and so his team will be looking for a different judge and a venue change. ‘THERE IS NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL WITH THE JUDGE ‘ASSIGNED’ TO THE RIDICULOUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH/FAIR ELECTIONS CASE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS, AND SO DOES SHE!’ Mr Trump said. ‘WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ASKING FOR RECUSAL OF THIS JUDGE ON VERY POWERFUL GROUNDS, AND LIKEWISE FOR VENUE CHANGE, OUT IF D.C.’ Lawyer for Trump says they are preparing for Georgia indictment Sunday 6 August 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi Sunday 6 August 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump is on the defence after his third criminal indictment was handed to him this past week, lashing out at several people, including Nancy Pelosi, for providing commentary on his federal charges. The ex-president didn’t hold back against Ms Pelosi in a post on Truth Social on Sunday after the ex-speaker of the house said Mr Trump looked like a ‘scared puppy’ attending his arraignment last week. ‘I purposely didn’t comment on Nancy Pelosi’s very weird story concerning her husband, but now I can because she said something about me, with glee, that was really quite vicious,’ Mr Trump wrote. ‘She is a Wicked Witch whose husbands journey from hell starts and finishes with her. She is a sick & demented psycho who will someday live in HELL!’ Mr Trump continued. Sunday 6 August 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump is calling on his supporters to determine whether or not he goes to the Republican National Committee’s first official debate in the 2024 presidential race. The ex-president sent a campaign email to supporters asking if he should go to the debate which is set to take place in August. ‘President Trump is polling his top supporters on whether he should debate or whether he should instead focus all of his resources and time on firing Crooked Joe, who is trying to JAIL him for life as an innocent man,’ the description of the poll read. It included two options: ‘Yes.’ ‘No – let all of the many other candidates attack each other while President Trump unites the rest of our party to focus on the important battle of beating Biden.’ So far, Mr Trump has said he does not plan to go to the debate, though he has qualified. Trump attorney plays defence on several network news programmes Sunday 6 August 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio John Lauro, one of Mr Trump’s attorneys in the election conspiracy indictment, was in defensive mode on Sunday as he joined several network news programmes to defend his client. Mr Lauro went on CNN, Fox News, ABC, CBS and NBC on Sunday to speak about Mr Trump’s indictment. In each interview, Mr Lauro claimed Mr Trump was being charged unfairly, indicated they wanted to change the venue where Mr Trump will go to trial and claimed the First Amendment was a protection against Mr Trump’s action. Trump attacks Pence over key role in election indictment: ‘Gone to the dark side’ Sunday 6 August 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump attacked Mike Pence as ‘delusional’ days after the former vice president was revealed to play a central role in the latest federal indictment against him. Mr Trump appeared to be trying to do damage control on Truth Social after he was charged with four federal charges related to his alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent attack on the Capitol. After attacking Special Counsel Jack Smith and the Department of Justice, Mr Trump turned his attention to his former vice president and current 2024 White House opponent. ‘Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side,’ Mr Trump wrote on Saturday. ‘I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution or that Mike was ‘too honest.’ He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy,’ Mr Trump added. The ex-vice president and 2024 candidate has begun selling merchandise that says ‘Too honest’ – something Mr Trump allegedly told Mr Pence after he refused to engage in a scheme to unlawfully decertify election results. Then in a statement released after Mr Trump’s third criminal indictment, Mr Pence said: ‘Today’s indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States.’ Judge Chutkan denies Trump attorneys request for extension Sunday 6 August 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Donald Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy case, denied the ex-president’s request to extend his response date from Monday until Wednesday. The final decision comes after a day’s worth of back and forth between prosecutors in the Department of Justice (DoJ) and Mr Trump’s attorneys. Prosecutors filed a request for a protective order on Friday night after Mr Trump posted a seemingly threatening statement to Truth Social. Judge Chuktan gave Mr Trump’s legal team until Monday at 5pm ET to which, Mr Trump’s team asked for an extension. Judge Chutkan denied their request on Saturday evening. after ruling against him Sunday 6 August 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump has called for the judge in his most recent federal indictment to be removed from the case after she issued a ruling against him. The ex-president launched his attack on District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Sunday morning, days after he appeared before her in court to plead not guilty to four federal charges stemming from a Department of Justice investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent January 6 attack on the Capitol. Ariana Baio and Megan Sheets report: Trump looking to play First Amendment card Sunday 6 August 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump and his attorneys are looking to use the First Amendment as a defence against the indictment which charged the ex-president with four federal charges. Last week, Mr Trump’s attorney went on several network news shows to explain that Mr Trump’s words after the 2020 election and leading up to the January 6 insurrection were protected by the First Amendment right to free speech and therefore cannot be illegal. On Truth Social, Mr Trump wrote: ‘THERE IS NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL WITH THE JUDGE ‘ASSIGNED’ TO THE RIDICULOUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH/FAIR ELECTIONS CASE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS, AND SO DOES SHE! WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ASKING FOR RECUSAL OF THIS JUDGE ON VERY POWERFUL GROUNDS, AND LIKEWISE FOR VENUE CHANGE, OUT IF D.C.’ In the indictment, prosecutors acknowledged that Mr Trump had the right to say whatever he wanted but his actions were allegedly unlawful as he tried to use several people, including the vice president, to exercise power they were not authorised to in order to change results. Trump rants about indictment on Truth Social claiming it is a ‘Bidin opponent case’ Sunday 6 August 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio Sunday morning Donald Trump took to Truth Social to rant about the most recent federal indictment against him which he claims is an act of political retaliation. ‘DERANGED JACK SMITH AND OUR HIGHLY PARTISAN, AND VERY CORRUPT, DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE, COULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS BIDIN ‘OPPONENT’ CASE YEARS AGO, BUT CHOSE TO WAIT AND BRING IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ELECTION CAMPAIGN,’ Mr Trump wrote. The ex-president believes President Joe Biden encouraged the indictment which charged Mr Trump with four federal charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith in the Department of Justice (DoJ) has been investigating Mr Trump for his actions that led up to the January 6 insurrection. Trump goes on erratic tangent about washing his hair Sunday 6 August 2023 14:30 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump gave a speech in South Carolina on Saturday night that included a long-winded tangent about washing his ‘gorgeous head of hair’ and water pressure. The ex-president spoke at the Silver Elephant Gala where he spoke about his recent federal indictment, the economy and jobs.