1704202236Trump to hold rally in Iowa on third anniversary of Capitol riotThe former president will hold a “Commit to Caucus Rally” in Newton, Iowa, on 6 January 2024, precisely three years after a mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol, resulting in five deaths.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection to the riot and more than 500 have been sentenced.
Here’s Katie Hawkinson on a less-than-sensitive bit of scheduling.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 13:30
1704200436Trump attorney says voters mustn’t think he has legal problemsOne of the Republican’s attorneys says that his supporters should not be made to believe that he has legal problems, following a decision to have the former president’s name taken off the Republican ballot in Maine.
Christina Bobb accused Trump’s opponents of putting out “propaganda” to harm his 2024 presidential run.
It comes after her client was removed from the ballot in Colorado last month under the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists holding public office.
The decision to also block him from the ballot in Maine was handed down on Thursday by state secretary Shenna Bellows.
Speaking to Newsmax on Sunday, Bobb suggested that Bellows be impeached for her decision and accused her of election interference.
Mike Bedigan has more.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 13:00
1704198600The Electoral College is a ‘bad’ and ‘undemocratic’ system. So why does the US still use it?Since George HW Bush won the presidency in 1988, Republican candidates have received the majority of the American people’s votes in only one presidential election.
In fact, it was the election that Bush’s own son, George W Bush, won in 2004.
But despite the party’s dismal results, the GOP has still managed to claim the White House almost as many times as the Democrats.
Following the departure of the elder Bush and before the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January 2021, Democrats and Republicans were exactly tied in Oval Office occupants with two presidents each.
Democrat Bill Clinton won the popular vote to take the presidency in 1992 and 1996. Bush managed to become president in the 2000 election despite Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore, getting more votes overall.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the US entrance into Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush Jr managed to win by the popular vote in 2004 before Barack Obama did so in both 2008 and 2012.
In the 2016 election, it was Hillary Clinton who won the popular vote with almost three million more votes than Donald Trump. But the showboating businessman ended up in the West Wing regardless.
To put it simply, in the most powerful democracy in the world, two of the nation’s last four leaders have been the less popular option among voters – due to an Electoral College system that many feel is undemocratic and needs to change.
Gustaf Kilander has more.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 12:30
1704196836Trump says Melania’s mother is ‘very ill’Conspicuous by her absence from the Trump New Year’s Eve festivities was the former US first lady, who was at her mother’s hospital bedside, according to the Republican.
Here’s Graig Graziosi with the latest.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 12:00
1704195000Watch: Frowning Trump rings in the new year at Mar-a-LagoIn case you missed it, this was the scene at Donald Trump’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve at Mar-a-Lago, where the entertainment laid on for paying guests was Vanilla Ice (who is now 56 and labours under the real name Rob Van Winkle), a dancing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and an Elvis impersonator.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 11:30
1704193236Trump to face new civil trial for duping investors with failed phoneA matter of hours into the new year and the Republican is already reportedly facing yet another civil trial, this time for allegedly duping investors into putting money into a failed video phone.
The trial relates to the activities of ACN Inc, a multilevel marketing firm, and is scheduled to start on 29 January, though the case might be pushed to a later date, Newsweek reports.
Four anonymous plaintiffs in the proposed class action have accused Trump, his children Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka and an affiliate of the Trump Organization of promoting ACN in exchange for millions of dollars in secret payments from 2005 to 2015.
The plaintiffs said Trump’s endorsement, including on episodes of his TV show The Celebrity Apprentice, conned them into thinking their investments would pay off.
Namita Singh has more.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 11:00
1704191436Trump attacks ‘American Disaster’ Liz Cheney, ‘Crazy’ Nancy Pelosi and ‘Deranged’ Jack SmithIn amongst the usual mess of reheated praise from MAGA Republicans, favourable Gateway Pundit puff-pieces and MyPillow adverts, Trump is attacking Liz Cheney and other enemies once again on Truth Social.
Read on, if you dare.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 10:30
1704189636Trump now leads Biden among young and Hispanic voters, new poll findsDonald Trump is now leading President Joe Biden among young and Hispanic voters, according to a new poll.
The USA Today/Suffolk University survey found that 39 per cent of Hispanic voters now back the former president compared to 34 per cent supporting his Democratic successor.
Mr Trump also has a four percentage point lead among voters under 35, with 37 per cent to Mr Biden’s 33 per cent.
These demographics typically vote Democrat so the findings spell potential trouble for the incumbent going into the 2024 presidential race, even as his GOP rival faces a slew of criminal trials.
Eric Garcia has more.
Joe Sommerlad2 January 2024 10:00
1704187800Santos vows to drive critics ‘insane’Mr Santos, who was ousted from the House last month, had posted the poll the previous day asking his 120,000 followers whether or not he should remain in the Republican party.
On Monday he revealed that 26,000 people had responded to the poll, and that an “overwhelming majority” had said he should leave.
Mike Bedigan has the story:
Oliver O’Connell2 January 2024 09:30
1704184200Green Day swap American Idiot lyrics in Donald Trump swipe during New Year’s Eve showThis is the moment Green Day changed the lyrics to one of their most well-known songs in a swipe at Donald Trump live on air. The band made the change during a televised New Year’s Eve performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest on Sunday (31 December). Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong swapped the line “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” for “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda” in the hit song American Idiot.
Oliver O’Connell2 January 2024 08:30
