Trump

Grand jury investigating ex-president over hush money payment to an adult film star appears poised to complete its work soon.

The testimony came two days after Trump said he expected to be indicted and arrested and urged supporters to act, directing particularly hostile rhetoric towards Bragg. The protester’s sign echoed, if while misspelling “George”, Republican attacks on “Soros-funded prosecutors” which itself echoes [antisemitic invective](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/20/trump-soros-desantis-bragg/). [Manhattan criminal courthouse](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dcas/business/dcasmanagedbuildings/manhattan-criminal-courthouse.page) in the lower part of the island. So were reporters and [protesters](https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/1638165080356388866/photo/4). Pleading guilty, Cohen said the payments were directed by Trump. Monday’s testimony to the grand jury came from Robert Costello. Trump is due to hold his first large-scale rally of the 2024 Republican primary in Waco, Texas, on Saturday. “But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence.” His representatives later said he was citing media reports and leaks and there was no indication his prediction would come true. [Michael Cohen](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michael-cohen), the former Trump lawyer who became a key witness in the Manhattan investigation. Media outlets reported a likely surrender to authorities in [hearing from a witness favourable to Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/20/donald-trump-robert-costello-testimony-stormy-daniels), presumably so prosecutors could ensure the panel had a chance to consider testimony that could be seen as exculpatory.

Donald Trump's allies have been going after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for how he has responded to the possibility that the former president might get ...

This month, the main pro-Trump super PAC [filed a complaint](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-hit-ethics-complaint-trump-super-pac-rcna74977) with the Florida Commission on Ethics accusing DeSantis of breaking the law via his "shadow presidential campaign." and still look for a new leadership that can kind of do the things we need to do to truly drain the swamp and truly get this government back on the side of the American people," he said. In response to the complaint, Taryn Fenske, his communications director, described it as a "frivolous and politically motivated" attack. "It's already a two-horse race," said Dan Eberhart, a longtime DeSantis donor who is backing him in the primaries. "No one is voting for 11 months," said an adviser to another potential contender. The remark about Daniels, who Trump denies slept with him, was "a cheap shot from the cheap seats," he said. "He's already seen slippage the past couple of weeks," said Stefanik, an early Trump backer. "Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future, as he gets older, wiser and better known, when he's unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman, even classmates that are 'underage' (or possibly a man!)," Trump wrote. "Hush money" and "porn star," he added, repeating the allegation against Trump. [his brief time as a high school teacher](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/05/us/desantis-high-school-teacher-georgia.html) more than 20 years ago. But DeSantis added: "I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. [Trump took to Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110056905834442204) to say it would be unfair if DeSantis were attacked for grooming young girls or being gay.

With a decision looming from a New York grand jury and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) regarding an indictment of Donald Trump, ...

Capitol, McCarthy on Sunday [urged](https://nypost.com/2023/03/20/republicans-allay-trumps-calls-for-protest-of-his-possible-arrest/) Trump supporters to stay home. 6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/january-6-capitol-riot/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9), 2021, assault on the U.S. [shrunk](https://www.axios.com/2022/12/15/trump-republican-favorability-polls), and it’s logical to assume that GOP primary voters nervous about reelecting Trump would hardly be assuaged if he were indicted in this case or perhaps other, [more serious](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61084161) ones. His poll numbers might spike, but that says little about his ability to navigate through a primary season under the shadow of a criminal case, and possibly civil or criminal charges stemming from other current investigations. Taking a step back, the “this will only help him” view is a bizarre way of converting a story about serious matters such as the rule of law and the lies Trump is accused of making to get elected into a morally neutral, albeit baseless, election prediction exercise. “But, being indicted I don’t think ever helps anybody.” This view should be taken seriously, coming from a former prosecutor and longtime observer of Trump’s psyche. That raises the possibility of a temporary self-fulfilling boost for Trump. Perhaps recognizing the echoes of Trump’s “will be wild” [invitation ](https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-florida-donald-trump-conspiracy-congress-040a763522081e592af10fae682fda70)before the [Jan. A handful of loud MAGA Republicans taking Trump’s side isn’t convincing evidence that the base as a whole is rallying to his side. [call for protests](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/03/18/trump-protest-arrest-new-york/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9) if he is arrested, as the former president predicted. However, the governor seemed to delight in repeating the charge that Trump had paid hush money to an adult-film star. Congressional MAGA hotheads Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), along with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Sen.

Dilemma — The conundrum that confronts Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis if he runs for president against one-time ally Donald Trump was on full display Monday. Asked ...

Florida is going after venue anyway](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article273247175.html#storylink=mainstage_card),” by Miami Herald’s Nicholas Nehamas and Ana Ceballos: “The Dec. — WHERE’S RON? [Florida six-week abortion bill clears Senate committee with one Republican voting no](https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/20/florida-six-week-abortion-ban-clears-committee-with-1-republican-no-vote/70028421007/),” by USA Today Network-Florida’s Kathryn Varn: “A Republican is breaking ranks on the proposed six-week abortion ban advancing through the Florida legislature. Timing — Polston will resign at the end of this month, meaning that he will step down before the court is expected to decide the fate of a contentious 15-week ban on abortion that is being challenged. — Nothing official for Gov. The election has seen its fair share of negative television ads, lawsuits and finger-pointing with a lot of it coming between Davis and another Republican — LeAnna Cumber — who is on the Jacksonville City Council. DNC CHAIR COMING TO TALLY — Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison is swinging into Tallahassee on March 29th for an evening reception being hosted by Brice and Houston Barnes. Yes, but — So far, DeSantis has avoided open confrontation with Trump. Response — Suffice to say, these comments did not assuage Trump world … Going places — But DeSantis also threw in a cover of references to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Asked and answered — After getting pressure over the weekend from Trump allies, the Republican governor responded to the prospect of Trump getting indicted by ripping into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. DeSantis called him a “Soros DA” — a reference to billionaire Democratic donor George Soros — who was part of a group of prosecutors who are a “menace to society” and ignore real issues around crime.

Former President Donald Trump set an unenviable record while occupying the White House, becoming the first president to be impeached twice by the House of ...

[interfere with the 2020 presidential election](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-02-16/georgia-special-grand-jury-report-on-2020-election-fraud-released). Capitol](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-01-04/the-jan-6-attack-on-the-u-s-capitol-one-year-later). Fani Willis has not yet acted on the recommendations from the grand jury, which [called for multiple indictments](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-02-21/inside-georgia-grand-jury-trump-election-meddling). Constitution requires](https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/#:~:text=No%20Person%20except%20a%20natural,been%20fourteen%20Years%20a%20Resident) only that a president be at least 35 years old, a “natural born citizen” and a resident of the U.S. [demanded that Bragg testify before their committees](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3908625-house-republicans-seek-testimony-from-manhattan-da-on-trump-hush-money-probe/?email=9a382056d4cc2f0b28ff2ce5caae9e29c0217982&emaila=f9581a54ed295155b7c9e622bae8a60c&emailb=496cab7c892d716bea0fc157d896b5e696d046b91384b56859186c6f2e9391a3&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=03.20.23%20KB%20The%20Hill%20-%20News%20Alert%20-%20House%20gop), as soon as possible. Previously, they obtained guilty pleas from the Trump Organization’s longtime financial chief, Allen Weisselberg, on [felonies](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-08-18/trump-cfo-weisselberg-plea-deal-prosecution-witness) related to the scheme. The [special counsel, Jack Smith,](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-02-07/what-we-know-about-the-trump-special-counsel-investigation) is also examining Trump’s role in the Jan. [keeping some classified documents](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-02-10/ap-source-trump-team-turns-over-items-marked-as-classified) after leaving the presidency. Bannon on [fraud charges](https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-and-district-attorney-bragg-announce-indictment-steve) for allegedly diverting donations that were supposed to be used to build a wall on the Mexican border. But James referred the matter to the IRS and the Justice Department for possible criminal charges, alleging that Trump The point of the scheme, the lawsuit alleges, was to help Trump obtain loans and insurance policies on better terms. Also, the clock stops when the defendant spends an extended amount of time away from New York, as Trump did while he was in the White House.

Officials in New York and Washington are taking preemptive security measures in case a potential indictment of former President Donald Trump leads to ...

While Washington police are [similarly preparing](http://www.cnn.com/2023/03/20/politics/capitol-police-intelligence-assessment-trump-arrest/index.html), the US Capitol Police force “is not currently tracking any direct or credible threats to the US Capitol,” according to a department intelligence assessment obtained Monday by CNN. An indictment could come at any time, and law enforcement officials involved in the discussions have stressed the need to adequately prepare for the complex choreography of a Trump surrender and court appearance. A source close to the Trump legal team told CNN that should Trump be indicted, they do not expect any arrest or initial appearance to happen before next week. Law enforcement officials told CNN that although Tuesday is a “high alert day,” there is currently no credible threat. Watch “CNN Primetime: Inside the Trump Investigations” Tuesday, March 21 at 9 p.m. CNN takes a closer look at the legal drama surrounding Donald Trump.

New York City took steps to gird itself from any violence that could accompany the unprecedented prosecution of a former president.

Since then, he has been a vociferous Trump critic, testifying before Congress and then to the Manhattan grand jury. He was invited by prosecutors to appear after saying that he had information to undercut the credibility of Michael Cohen, a former lawyer and fixer for Trump who later turned against him and then became a key witness in the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation. Costello briefly acted as a legal adviser to Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018. The testimony came two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged supporters to protest his possible arrest. In a news conference after his grand jury appearance, Costello told reporters that he had come forward because he did not believe Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and served time in prison, could be trusted. Trump over the weekend claimed without any evidence that he would be arrested on Tuesday, with his representatives later saying he was citing media reports and leaks.

The looming indictment of Donald Trump on charges he paid hush money to an adult film actor has put Ron DeSantis in an awkward position, forced to choose ...

thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority, I think it just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country,” Pence He also denied that the state would resist any sort of extradition of Trump from Florida to New York, as some of the former president’s allies have urged, saying he didn’t want to get involved in a “manufactured circus.” Even Pence, who only a week earlier condemned the former president for his role in the Jan. Capitol, offered a full-throated defense of Trump only when asked over the weekend about the charges. DeSantis’ allies have already sought to present the governor as a like-minded alternative to Trump, who shares his vision for the country but wins more elections and produces less drama. “I can’t speak to that.”

Once all the witnesses have testified, prosecutors must explain the criminal charges they are seeking to the jury of 23 Manhattan residents before asking them ...

Because of the nature of the potential charges against Mr. Trump, the defendant, in the thick of his campaign. But because of Mr. Law enforcement agencies around New York have also had discussions about how to prepare for the prospect of protests, which Mr. While it is clear that Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating the role Mr. Mr. However, there is some chance that Mr. Bragg will opt not to seek an indictment (or that he will seek one and grand jurors will vote to reject it). Trump would almost certainly be sealed, and the charges would be kept secret from the public after the grand jurors vote. Trump, who lives at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, would travel to the city and turn himself in at the district attorney’s office in Lower Manhattan. The earliest that could happen is Wednesday afternoon. Bragg, must ask the grand jury that has been hearing evidence about the former president to vote on whether to charge him.

Federal officials, including those at the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, are monitoring what they say has been an uptick in violent rhetoric ...

Law enforcement and security experts told CNN they are not seeing large groups animating around Trump’s Truth Social post calling for protest at any level near what they saw at January 6. The memo also cautioned that while Trump’s influence with moderate conservatives has “waned since he left office, some of his most ardent supporters continue to condone political violence and continue to be willing to fight on behalf of the former president.” Jones, president of Advance Democracy, a not-for-profit research organization, told CNN. Officials in Washington are preparing for demonstrations surrounding any indictment of Trump that could erupt into violence, a district official told CNN on Monday. A key difference two years after January 6, sources tell CNN, is the threat of arrest has risen in the minds of many potential protesters. Some posts from influential right-wing figures in recent days have seemingly been more geared at creating chaos than at sparking violence.

Police in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles are prepared to mobilise if Trump is arrested.

But legal analysts say it could be upgraded to a more serious felony charge, which carries prison time, if prosecutors argue the lie was used in order to violate campaign laws. His office is evaluating how the former president reimbursed Mr Cohen. He claimed Mr Cohen, whom he used to work with, had once told him that Mr Trump was not aware of the payment to Ms Daniels. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a Trump ally named Robert Costello who was called by the Trump team to undermine the prosecution's star witness, Mr Cohen. The Secret Service agents assigned to protect Mr Trump are expected to stay with him in the event of an arrest. US intelligence officials have detected an uptick in online threats against legal and government officials since Mr Trump wrote online on Saturday that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday.

Trump in a social media post said he expects to be arrested in the criminal probe, where a grand jury is eyeing a payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen gave Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

"This is is a politicization of our justice system frankly," she said. [It] would be a great mistake to indict President Trump." [Donald Trump](https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/) is "sad" but not afraid about the possibility of being criminally [charged](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/18/trump-says-he-will-be-arrested-tuesday-calls-on-supporters-to-protest-.html) in [New York City](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/21/trump-grand-jury-live-updates-expected-indictment-in-payoff-to-porn-star-stormy-daniels.html) over a hush money payment to a [porn star](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/21/trump-probe-porn-star-stormy-daniels-will-dance-if-he-is-jailed.html), one of his lawyers said Tuesday. Trump in a social media post over the weekend said he expected to be arrested Tuesday on an indictment in the criminal probe by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. - Trump in a social media post said he expects to be arrested in the criminal probe, where a grand jury is eyeing a payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen gave Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. - Former President Donald Trump is "sad" but not afraid about the possibility of being charged criminally by New York City prosecutors over a hush money payment to a porn star, one of his lawyers said.

NEW YORK — With Donald Trump expected to be indicted in the coming days, his supporters, critics, New York law enforcement officials and a variety of other ...

Whenever he comes to New York, he and his attorney will report to the district attorney’s office where Trump will be arrested and booked, which means he’ll be finger-printed and have his mug shot taken. It is possible that he’ll be handcuffed when he is transported from the district attorney’s office to court — a short walk away within the same building. And then he’ll be released, because the charges he is likely to face are non-bailable. Because the case is white-collar, the district attorney’s office will ask Trump’s attorney when he plans to come to New York to be arraigned. Once the indictment is stamped, the district attorney’s office will notify an attorney for Trump that he has been indicted. In many ways, the mechanics of indicting Trump are likely to be the same as they would be for any other defendant charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The former president could become the first to face criminal charges. Here's what possibly lies ahead.

If Mr Trump were convicted on the felony charge, he would face a maximum sentence of four years in prison, although some legal experts predict a fine is more probable, and that any time behind bars is highly unlikely. Mr Trump would then wait in a holding area or cell until his appearance before a judge. Once inside, however, Mr Trump will be fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken like all defendants in criminal cases. The decision on whether to file charges rests with New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Prosecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Ms Daniels was motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her. However, when Mr Trump reimbursed Mr Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees.

Former President Donald Trump wasn't arrested by early evening Tuesday, but U.S. House Republicans criticized any such move as a prosecutorial abuse.

chooses to go back many, many years ago to try and use something about porn star hush money payments, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office.” “The Radical Left is trying to use this latest witch hunt to intimidate you,” an email from the National Republican Congressional Committee said. Trump, who lost reelection in 2020 after one term in office, was the first major candidate to announce he was running for the GOP nomination for president in 2024. House Republicans followed Trump’s lead in criticizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for what they said was an unfair prosecution of the former president that would undermine confidence in the next presidential election. “But what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who … He used the specter of his indictment to galvanize his supporters, calling for protests. Capitol, the site of the Jan. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We need every single patriot to immediately condemn this witch hunt.” The grounds surrounding the U.S. Echoing Trump’s criticisms, the House members accused Bragg of “searching for a basis — any basis” to prosecute the former president. A bicyclist rode across the East Front plaza, children played nearby and a dog was having a photo shoot.

To try to convict the former president of a felony, prosecutors might attempt to connect state election law to a federal election.

That crime could be a violation of election law, under the theory that the payout served as a donation to Mr. Bragg’s office has ways to extend that statute of limitations to cover the events stemming from the 2016 payment. They ultimately concluded that it was too risky to use a federal election law violation as the second crime. But there are exceptions to federal pre-emption contained in regulations from the Federal Election Commission, known as the F.E.C. One of the lawyers recently argued in television interviews that Mr. If his office uses a federal election violation as the second crime, Mr. Trump’s lawyers have said that the theory that the money amounted to a campaign donation is fatally flawed. Bragg’s office is likely to build the case around that charge, according to people with knowledge of the matter and outside legal experts. Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, handled reimbursing Mr. The case could hinge on the way Mr. Trump directed him to pay off the porn star, Stormy Daniels, and that the former president reimbursed Mr. Bringing an untested case against anyone, let alone a former president of the United States, carries the risk that a court could throw out or narrow the case.

Former President Donald Trump exiting an SUV while two service men hold the door open. Photograph: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images.

[almost unfathomable](https://www.wired.com/story/deepfakes-getting-better-theyre-easy-spot/) that the average person would soon be able to fabricate photorealistic deepfakes of world leaders at home. “So very famous people are rendered extremely well, while less famous people are usually a bit wonky.” For more peace of mind about the algorithm’s ability to re-create your face, it might be worth thinking twice before posting a photo dump of selfies after a fun night out with friends. For example, the police wear badges, hats, and other documents that appear to have lettering, at first glance, in the fake images of officers arresting Trump. Keep in mind that world leaders, celebrities, social media influencers, and anyone with large quantities of photos circulating online may appear more convincing in deepfaked photos than AI-generated images of people with less of a visible internet presence. Even though it’s obvious now, it’s possible that the algorithm might be able to avoid peculiar-looking body parts with more training and Does the rest of the image appear to be an afterthought?

In an interview with Piers Morgan, the Florida governor sought to strike a clear contrast with Donald Trump, calling himself a low-drama “winner.”

Mr. His comments to Mr. When Mr. Trump, slammed Mr. Morgan, Mr. “The approach to Covid was different,” Mr. Morgan asked Mr. Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Mr. DeSantis also highlighted Mr. After that event, Mr. DeSantis was and of his choice of interviewer: Mr. Bragg, who is expected to indict Mr.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is no longer veiling his presidential ambitions or his criticism of former President Trump, taking a new gloves-off approach in a ...

"Truth is essential," DeSantis responded when asked if there’s been a departure from the truth being a key component of leadership. - "I don’t know how to spell the sanctimonious one. Trump's escalating attacks on his former ally have become more personal in recent weeks — and now DeSantis is punching back. - "I mean you can call me whatever you want, just as long as you also call me a winner because that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida, is put a lot of points on the board and really take this state to the next level." - "At the end of the day as a leader, you really want to look to people like our Founding Fathers," DeSantis said when Morgan asked if personal conduct in a leader matters. [igniting outrage in Trumpworld](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/donald-trump-ron-desantis-indictment-cold-war-turns-hot-rcna75804) with a shot at Trump over the former president's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, DeSantis told Morgan that the "underlying conduct" in the Manhattan DA's investigation is "outside my wheelhouse."

Former President Donald Trump is in Florida, waiting out the possibility of criminal charges in New York City — as the city braces for disruptions that ...

Since then, he has been a vociferous Trump critic, testifying before Congress and then to the grand jury. Costello briefly acted as a legal adviser to Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018. In a news conference after his grand jury appearance, Costello told reporters he had come forward because he did not believe Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and served time in prison. Costello was invited by prosecutors to appear after saying he had information to undercut the credibility of But a city mindful of the riot by Trump loyalists at the U.S. NEW YORK (AP) — Facing the possibility of criminal charges, Donald Trump waited it out in Florida on Tuesday as New York braced for disruptions that could follow an indictment.

In a TV interview, the Florida Republican takes shots at his possible rival's leadership style.

"That is purported to be it, and the reality is that's just outside my wheelhouse. Donald Trump Jr, the former president's eldest son, accused Mr DeSantis of "pathetically" attacking Mr Trump "on orders" from the Republican "establishment". On the topic of a former Trump fixer's hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, Mr DeSantis said there had been "a lot of speculation about what the underlying conduct is".

He responded to the former president's wave of social media attacks during an interview with Piers Morgan.

“I think the person is more about how you handle your public duties and the kind of character you bring to that endeavor.” “He’s exposing himself as 100% Controlled Opposition!” [Morgan was quick to respond](https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1638300428931670022): “He’s been attacking DeSantis for months,” he wrote. I can’t speak to that,” DeSantis said, adding that he has no interest in getting involved in the investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. But during a press conference Monday, DeSantis took an indirect shot at Trump while addressing the investigation into Trump over hush money that Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Though DeSantis has yet to say whether or not he intends to launch a campaign in 2024, he is already viewed as a front-runner in a GOP primary that so far includes Trump, former South Carolina Gov. DeSantis addressed the new nickname during the interview.

The Justice Department has convinced a federal judge that former President Donald Trump used one of his defense attorneys in furtherance of a crime or fraud ...

There are signs that case is nearing an end and Trump and his advisers are [awaiting a potential indictment](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/21/politics/trump-awaits-potential-indictment/index.html). But Corcoran also was ordered to hand over a number of documents, including handwritten notes and notes transcribed of a verbal conversation. The court order doesn’t explain any further what’s happened with documents. It also underscores how critical the testimony of Trump’s defense lawyers would be in the federal grand jury investigation. On Tuesday, Trump’s team sought emergency intervention from the appeals court. And Howell ruled that prosecutors met the burden to overcome Trump’s right to shield discussions with his lawyers normally protected under attorney-client privilege.

Behind the gilded doors of Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump has toyed with the idea of creating a media spectacle around his potential indictment, ...

In a separate development in a distinct probe, the Justice Department has [convinced a federal judge](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/21/politics/corcoran-trump-testimony/index.html) that Trump used one of his defense attorneys in furtherance of a crime or fraud related to the existence of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, sources familiar with the matter told CNN Tuesday evening. Over the weekend, Trump on his social media page called for protests of what he said was his impending arrest. Ethics experts said the impact that the disclosure will have on the case will depend on the circumstances and the substance of the communications. And Howell ruled that prosecutors met the burden to overcome Trump’s right to shield discussions with his lawyers normally protected under attorney-client privilege. The exchanges – said to date back to 2018, when Daniels was seeking representation – raise the possibility that the Trump attorney, Joe Tacopina, could be sidelined from Trump’s defense. Already a 2024 candidate for the White House, Trump has both celebrated how an indictment would help him politically and complained about how “unfair” it would be.

Donald Trump stands on a stage at night at an outdoor rally last year, in. The case in Manhattan is one of four criminal investigations facing former President ...

Mr. By Saturday afternoon, Mr. But Mr. By June, Mr. Seeing Mr. These voters have turned on Mr. The experience has intensified Mr. When Mr. If Mr. And then years later in 2021, Mr. That notion, according to legal experts, is highly unlikely, but Mr. Another person who has spoken with Mr.

Former President Trump is taking advantage of his possible indictment coming this week by sending out numerous fundraising emails asking his supporters to ...

[Alvin Bragg](https://thehill.com/people/alvin-bragg/) [Donald Trump](https://thehill.com/tag/donald-trump/) [Stormy Daniels](https://thehill.com/people/stormy-daniels/) [Trump 2024 campaign](https://thehill.com/tag/trump-2024-campaign/) [Trump indictment](https://thehill.com/tag/trump-indictment/) Many [Republicans](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3909320-looming-trump-arrest-puts-gop-lawmakers-in-uncomfortable-spot/) have flocked to Trump’s defense, decrying that the probe into the hush-money payment is politically motivated. This potential charge would likely be a misdemeanor, as it could prove difficult to upgrade it to a felony charge. “If media leaks are correct, this could be the last time I write to you before a possible indictment comes down. The email added that Trump knows “true vindication” will come on Election Day in 2024, when he says he will take back the White House. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has signaled that he is prepared to bring charges against the former president in connection to a hush-money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from exposing an alleged affair during the 2016 election.

Ex-president attempts to capitalize on anticipated charges over hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

The Books a Million website lists several books authored by Trump as [out of stock](https://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=trump&filter=authors%3ATrump%2C+Donald+J.&sort=date). Donald Trump Jr, Trump’s son, is [the co-founder](https://45books.com/pages/about-us) of Winning Team Publishing, which, like Books a Million, is offering Trump’s upcoming book, Letters To Trump, for sale on its website. It also spent thousands of dollars advertising on Facebook and Newsmax, the rightwing news channel which champions Trump on a near-daily basis, while book purchases accounted for a surprising amount of expenditure. The committee had just $3.8m cash on hand at the end of 2022, according to its [two](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202210159536888052) [purchases](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202210159536888051), on books from the Books a Million retailer alone. Between 15 November 2022, when Trump announced his run for president, and 31 December 2022 Trump’s campaign said he had raised $9.5m, or $201,600 a day. “These are truly dark times …” began an email sent by Trump on Monday. Each ends with a plea for donations, the language used changing slightly each time. Trump’s pleas for money could make sense given his relatively poor fundraising so far. [$47,689.40 worth of books](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202207159521741960) from Winning Team Publishing in May 2022. [$1,696 payment](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202207159521741960) to Trump Hotel Collection. [around the Manhattan criminal courthouse](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/21/new-york-prepares-for-possible-unrest-if-donald-trump-is-indicted) in New York City, an email from Trump’s re-election campaign shared a photo of the scene in another fundraising email, asking supporters to: “Please make a contribution to stand with President Trump at this critical moment.”

A federal judge ruled the special counsel has presented evidence that Donald Trump may have broken the law in his handling of classified documents, ...

Sources told ABC News that Howell ordered Little's testimony as well, with the exception of one of the topics for which she sought to assert attorney-client privilege. At one point she described Trump's interactions with officials from the National Archives as a "dress rehearsal," sources said, for his later efforts at misdirection in response to the grand jury subpoena. But two months later, when FBI agents [raided the premises](https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-mar-lago-raided-fbi-agents/story?id=88116571), they found more than 100 additional documents marked classified -- some of which were located outside of the storage room, including in Trump's office desk, prosecutors said. [separate indictment](https://abcnews.go.com/US/nyc-prepared-protests-related-potential-trump-indictment-mayor/story?id=97992036) against Trump over hush payments he allegedly paid to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 presidential election. district court's chief judge, wrote last week that prosecutors in special counsel Jack Smith's office had made a "prima facie showing that the former president had committed criminal violations," according to the sources, and that attorney-client privileges invoked by two of his lawyers could therefore be pierced. In reaching the so-called prima facie standard to pierce Corcoran's privilege, Howell agreed prosecutors made a sufficient showing that on its face would appear to show Trump committed crimes.

People close to former president said to be unsure whether he is serious about wanting to do a perp walk.

But Trump has rejected that approach and told various allies over the weekend that he didn’t care if someone shot him – he would become “a martyr”. Trump later reimbursed Cohen with $35,000 checks using his personal funds, which were recorded as legal expenses to Cohen. Trump’s increasing insistence that he wants to be handcuffed behind his back for a perp walk appears to come from various motivations, including that he wants to project defiance in the face of what he sees as an unfair prosecution and that it would galvanize his base for his 2024 presidential campaign.

Former President Donald Trump has told advisors he wants his potentially imminent arrest to be a public “spectacle” including handcuffs and a “perp walk” to ...

It’ll then probably take a while before his case goes to trial, as legal experts cited by [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump-could-be-charged-any-day-what-happens-next-2023-03-19/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Daily-Docket&utm_term=032023) noted Manhattan criminal cases typically take more than a year to go to trial—potentially setting Trump up to be convicted during the 2024 election. Trump allegedly reimbursed his ex-attorney Michael Cohen for the $130,000 in payments to Daniels, but labeled the payments as legal fees, and it’s expected prosecutors will charge Trump with falsifying business records as a result. In New York, that can be a felony if it’s used to cover up another crime—as prosecutors are expected to argue was the case here—and legal experts cited by [Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-risks-zero-to-4-years-jail-ny-hush-money-2023-1?r=US&IR=T) speculate Trump could face a prison sentence of up to four years if he’s convicted. The grand jury that will vote on his indictment will meet on Wednesday and more information about Trump’s indictment could come out after they meet, though it’s still unclear if they could vote then on whether he should be indicted. [Trump is arrested](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/03/20/heres-what-will-happen-if-trump-is-arrested/?sh=f5dad6175d51), he’s expected to appear in person in Manhattan, where he would be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken before being arraigned and pleading not guilty to the charges against him. If the jury does vote on Trump’s indictment, his arrest would not come immediately after, as prosecutors and Trump’s legal team would likely then have to arrange the logistics of his surrender. [Trump wants to be handcuffed for court appearance in Stormy Daniels case, sources say](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/22/trump-wants-to-be-handcuffed-for-court-appearance-in-stormy-daniels-case-sources-say) (The Guardian) [Trump at Mar-a-Lago: Magical Thinking and a Perp-Walk Fixation](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/us/politics/trump-pending-indictment.html) (New York Times) [Here’s What Will Happen If Trump Is Arrested (Yes, He’ll Probably Get A Mugshot)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/03/20/heres-what-will-happen-if-trump-is-arrested/?sh=f5dad6175d51) (Forbes) [“hush money” payments](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/nyregion/trump-stormy-daniels-felony-charges.html) made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election to cover up an alleged affair. [arrested Tuesday](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/03/21/will-trump-be-arrested-tuesday-heres-what-we-know-but-its-unlikely/?sh=561db8684909)—which his attorneys later clarified was speculation—that did not come to pass. “He wants to be defiant — to show the world that if they can try to do this to him, they can do it to anyone,” a source who spoke to Trump told the Times. Trump’s desire for his arrest to be a “spectacle” appears to be because he wants to fire up his base and “project defiance,” the Guardian notes, reporting he’s “deeply anxious” that more muted proceedings would “make him look weak or like a loser.” Trump has told associates that he “wants to be handcuffed” when he’s arraigned in court after being indicted, the Guardian reports based on anonymous sources, noting the ex-president’s “increasing insistence that he wants to be handcuffed behind his back for a perp walk.”

His electoral triumph in 2016 continues to confound election experts. But it's hardly just an academic question.

But that does not mean that those high in racial resentment are now even more likely to vote for Republicans or that there are more people high in resentment. Racist appeals can win votes, but it is critical to remember that this number is smaller than the votes gained by speaking on economic concerns of moderate white voters (many of whom were uncomfortable with Trump’s racist rhetoric and were voting solely based on economic policy). The limitation in Sides-Vavreck-Mason-Jardina is that they find a strong relationship between racial attitudes and Trump support, but while predictive of individual vote choice these results lead to relatively few total votes for Trump. Also, the meaning of the racial resentment scale changes over time in ways that are not independent of politics, and especially of presidential politics. minor methodological and measurement critique is that this sort of analysis has to take seriously what the racial resentment scale actually means. The paper makes just this clarifying point, noting, for instance, that White Democrats low in racial resentment were even more influential in contributing votes to Clinton in 2016 than to Obama in 2012. “It is a nice reminder for scholars and, especially, the media, that it is important to think carefully about base rates.” Several pieces of research into the 2016 election, including our book, “Identity Crisis,” and this interesting paper by Grimmer, Marble and Tanigawa-Lau, find that people’s vote choices in that election were more strongly related to their views on “identity-inflected issues” than they had been in prior elections. Trump’s surprising win in 2016 was not due to a large increase in Republican votes among the most racially resentful Americans. At the same time, the number of people scoring at moderate levels of racial resentment increased. This result holds despite the fact that the relationship between vote choice and racial resentment was stronger in 2016 and 2020 than in other elections. Hillary Clinton argued that Trump supporters could be placed in a “basket of deplorables.” And election-night pundits and even some academics have claimed that Trump’s victory was the result of appealing to white Americans’ racist and xenophobic attitudes.

ABC News' Aaron Katersky reports on signs that the Manhattan district attorney is wrapping up an investigation into former President Donald Trump's involvement ...

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is mulling whether to charge Trump with falsifying business records, after the Trump Organization allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the payment then logged the reimbursement as a legal expense, sources have told ABC News. White collar criminal defendants in New York are typically allowed to negotiate a surrender. The Constitution provides the right to peaceably assemble. "What we see before us is a political game being played by a local. A grand jury will reconvene on Wednesday to continue to weigh charges against former President Donald Trump in connection with the Manhattan district attorney's probe into the 2016 hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. "Every American has the right to let their voice be heard.

Interesting timing — The potential indictment of former President Donald Trump is poised to be the biggest political story of the moment — if not the year or ...

Department of Housing and Urban Development and former legislator ... [After DeSantis tussle, Disney World will host a major summit on gay rights](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article273376315.html?ac_cid=DM777497&ac_bid=-1845827855),” by McClatchy D.C.’s Michael Wilner and Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas: “The Walt Disney Company will host a major conference promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the workplace in Central Florida this September, gathering executives and professionals from the world’s largest companies in a defiant display of the limits of Florida Gov. — WHERE’S RON? Comas: “A state court of appeal Tuesday upheld a circuit judge’s ruling that Seminole’s voter-approved charter amendment that established the county’s rural boundary is constitutional, likely marking the end of developer Chris Dorworth’s legal efforts against Seminole to build his controversial River Cross mega-development.” — Nothing official for Gov. Joe Harding, the Republican lawmaker who last year sponsored the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed “Don’t say Gay bill,” pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection to fraudulently obtaining $150,000 in federal Covid-19 relief loans. [How Rick Scott became the senator Washington loves to hate](https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-rick-scott-became-the-senator-washington-loves-to-hate),” by the Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey: “To hear him tell it though, taking all that incoming—praise from the right, gloating from Democrats, seething from the GOP establishment—is the cost of sticking to his principles. A proposed State Board of Education rule, scheduled for a vote next month, says teachers in grades 4 to 12 ‘shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction’ on either topic, expanding the prohibition in last year’s law that critics dubbed ‘don’t say gay.’” “Just as radical Dems are indicting Trump & destroying the fabric of our nation with their Police State tactics, DeSantis pathetically runs to the liberal media on orders from his RINO establishment owners to attack my father,” Donald Trump Jr. Assertions — Morgan also contends that DeSantis took more pointed jabs at Trump than before in his interview, including hitting him over his management style as well as Covid-19 and saying he would have fired Anthony Fauci. Highlights — Now much of what DeSantis told Morgan in what’s been released so far echoes what the Republican governor has said elsewhere and does not constitute a huge revelation. Interesting timing — The potential indictment of former President Donald Trump is poised to be the biggest political story of the moment — if not the year or more.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took direct shots at the competence and character of Donald Trump — his likely rival for the '24 GOP nomination — after months of ...

[DeSantis told Morgan](https://nypost.com/2023/03/21/i-can-win-presidency-desantis-tells-piers-morgan-how-he-can-beat-biden/): "If I were to run ... [The Courage to Be Free](https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/desantisbook)." Times columnist Carlos Lozada [writes](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/opinion/ron-desantis-donald-trump-courage-free.html) that DeSantis' case against Trump is scattered throughout the pages: "You just need to squint through a magnifying glass to find it." You can’t win with just Republicans." "I had no desire to be flattered." "I don't really know what it means ... [honors Yale grad](https://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-history/florida-governors/ronald-dion-desantis/)told Piers Morgan. [DeSantis opens Pandora's box](https://www.axios.com/2023/03/22/desantis-piers-morgan-interview-trump) [I]t's not saying that you don't ever make a mistake in your personal life. [still calling him](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110058073597402708) "Ron DeSanctimonious." Post](https://nypost.com/2023/03/21/ron-desantis-opens-fire-on-trumps-character-chaotic-style/)). [many top Republicans](https://www.axios.com/2023/03/18/mccarthy-trump-manhattan-da-probe) — even some [possible '24 rivals](https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-republican-desantis-2024-ecba40f2ec9f56732ff0476f3842e23a) — are rallying to Trump ahead of his expected indictment.

A New York grand jury was expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn ...

The court system should not be perceived to be involved in the political process," Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, told reporters. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. One such email, on Tuesday, was titled, “Barricades arrive at Manhattan Criminal Court” and included a picture that appeared to show a metal barrier being unloaded from an NYPD truck. If charges were filed, Trump would have to travel to New York from his Florida home for a mug shot and fingerprinting. [investigating](/legal/trump-hush-money-charges-would-bring-zombie-case-back-life-2023-03-22/) $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Tuesday, the day Trump had predicted he would be arrested, came and went without action.

Trump is gaming out how best to surrender if he is indicted—both for legal reasons and his political aspirations.

“If and when this thing comes to DeSantis’s office, it’ll be interesting to see if Ron DeSantis signs this right away, or lays on this for a while,” Bernstein said. “If some governor wanted to go off the rails… That’s because cops in one state seeking to arrest a suspect in another always need the second state’s governor to sign off and approve. Curiously, though, if Trump decides to make Mar-a-Lago his Alamo, he’ll force the Manhattan DA to seek interstate extradition—a legal process that suddenly puts Trump’s top political Republican nemesis in a position of power: Florida Gov. “What you don’t want is for things to become such a circus that people lose confidence in the legal system’s ability to reach a fair outcome.” But the situation, if it comes, would give DeSantis the ability to speed up Trump’s arrest—or to delay it. It would be inequitable to put a lot of strain on the clerks and court officers trying to get out on time to deal with this dog and pony show,” Bernstein said. The outcome you want is for the legal process to reach that conclusion in the ordinary course,” Adler continued. The DA’s office felt compelled to issue a statement this week saying, “We will not be intimidated.” Having law enforcement show up at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home to take him into custody “helps from a political standpoint, absolutely,” said Jackson Lahmeyer, founder of Pastors for Trump. 6, 2021 insurrection, when then-President Trump infamously called on his supporters to rally in the nation’s capital for what would turn into a violent assault on Congress. From a political standpoint, there are advantages and drawbacks to both options.

People close to former president said to be unsure whether he is serious about wanting to do a perp walk. Plus, eight things the world must do to avoid the ...

The species exhibits “extreme polygyny”, in which a small proportion of the largest and most dominant males – known as beachmasters – control harems of breeding females. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published the “synthesis report” of its sixth assessment report (AR6) on Monday. They include restoring other degraded land, and stopping it being turned to agriculture, stopping deforestation, changing agriculture, and changing the way we eat. Eight years in preparation, this mammoth report encompasses the entire range of human knowledge of the climate system, compiled by hundreds of scientists from thousands of academic papers, and published in four parts, in August 2021, February and April 2022, and March 2023. Pittman’s plan was to place the buses on the land, transform one into a living space, and turn the other two into mobile salons. In a 52-page witness statement published yesterday, he wrote: “I accept that the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the rules and guidance had been followed completely at No 10. In 2022 there were more deaths than births in the Chinese capital, resulting in a natural population growth of minus 0.05 per 1,000 people. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attempts to advance into the centre of the small eastern city of Bakhmut yesterday. He later added that if he got shot, he would probably win the presidency in 2024, the sources said. Trump told various allies over the weekend that he didn’t care if someone shot him – he would become “a martyr”. If the committee decides he “recklessly” misled MPs, he faces being suspended from parliament. But above all, people close to Trump said, he was deeply anxious that any special arrangements – such as making his first court appearance by video link or skulking into the courthouse – would make him look weak or like a loser.

At issue is whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence of a crime to force a lawyer for Donald J. Trump to testify to a grand jury and turn over documents ...

One of the men was Waltine Nauta, a White House aide who went to work for Mr. Among the subjects that Mr. The search yielded three classified documents in desks inside Mr. [cited the crime-fraud exception](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/us/politics/trump-lawyer-classified-documents-investigation.html) when they asked Judge Howell last month to force Mr. The litigation surrounding Mr. Corcoran that he had to give the government a trove of documents connected to the legal work he did for Mr. [appointed Jack Smith](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/us/politics/trump-special-counsel-garland.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-trump-raid&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc), a longtime prosecutor, to take over the inquiry. That suggests that Mr. Trump in the documents investigation, to answer questions before a grand jury. Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump’s handling of classified documents has prompted a pitched behind-the-scenes legal battle, with a federal appeals court poised to weigh whether prosecutors have provided sufficient evidence of a crime to force one of Mr. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a temporary stay of a decision by a lower court last week that allowed prosecutors to pierce assertions of attorney-client privilege and compel M.

The extraordinary legal peril surrounding Donald Trump is reaching a fever pitch at the same time the former president is forging ahead in a 2024 Republican ...

Amid the uncertainty over how the yearslong investigation will wrap, several advisers to the former president expressed frustration at the lack of information around a potential indictment and the logistical complications that would come with an appearance in New York, where Trump would be arraigned. Trump’s attorneys this week asked a judge to toss the final report and evidence from a special grand jury in Fulton County. Meanwhile, Trump is the focus of a separate investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith over the handling of classified documents.

A Manhattan grand jury could decide whether to indict Donald J. Trump as early as Wednesday, potentially touching off a sequence of events that could ...

Because of the nature of the potential charges against Mr. Trump, the defendant, in the thick of his campaign. But because of Mr. While it is clear that Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating the role Mr. Law enforcement agencies around New York have also had discussions about how to prepare for the prospect of protests, which Mr. Mr. Bragg will opt not to seek an indictment (or that he will seek one and grand jurors will vote to reject it). However, there is some chance that Mr. Trump would almost certainly be sealed, and the charges would be kept secret from the public after the grand jurors vote. Trump, who lives at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, would travel to the city and turn himself in at the district attorney’s office in Lower Manhattan. The earliest that could happen is Wednesday afternoon. Bragg, must ask the grand jury that has been hearing evidence about the former president to vote on whether to charge him.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) took his most wide-ranging shots at former President Trump in an interview this week with Fox News's Pier Morgan, ...

“I want other Republicans to do well,” DeSantis said. “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. “I want them to eclipse me. DeSantis said Trump “changed his tune” when he won reelection overwhelmingly last year. So, the way we run the government, I think, is no daily drama, focus on the big picture and put points on the board.” Tim Scott, have largely dodged questions about what separates them from Trump, DeSantis, who is seen as the main rival to the former president for the GOP nomination, pointed to Trump’s leadership style as a difference between the two. “It’s not accomplishing anything for the people I represent. “It’s not important for me to be fighting with people on social media,” DeSantis said. Until now, DeSantis has remained coy on Trump as he mulls an expected entry into the 2024 presidential race. “I also think just in terms of my approach to leadership, I get personnel in the government who have the agenda of the people and share our agenda,” he said. Nikki Haley and current Sen. “I don’t know how to spell the sanctimonious one,” DeSantis said in the interview with Morgan, which was detailed in the

While prosecutors have signaled that an indictment of the former president is likely, its specific timing remains unclear, and grand juries conduct their ...

With the grand jury not meeting on Wednesday, the earliest that is likely to happen is Thursday afternoon. Bragg’s prosecutors must ask the grand jury to vote whether to charge him. A majority of the 23 jurors must agree to do so. Cohen, in the run-up to the 2016 election. Trump for the hush-money payment that was made by his former fixer, Michael D. The Manhattan grand jury that has been hearing evidence about Donald J.

Senior Republicans are eager to find a candidate who can bring back the independent and moderate Republican voters they lost in 2020 and 2022.

Scott Walker’s presidential campaign, may be inclined to pursue a role in the administration, according to a Wisconsin GOP lawmaker and another Republican who was granted anonymity to speak openly about their private conversations with Gallagher. [rushed to defend the former president](https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/20/house-republicans-florida-retreat-trump-00087858) through letters and on Twitter. Republicans in Wisconsin expect the former president to campaign there around the time of the state GOP convention in June, if not earlier. Should a Republican other than Trump win the White House in 2024, Gallagher, a one-time foreign policy aide to former Wisconsin Gov. Wisconsin Republicans close to the congressman describe him as “whip smart,” but also “incredibly risk averse” and “extremely deliberative,” sometimes to a point where he’s slow to make decisions. And an impending indictment in a hush-money case has compelled many in the party to rally around the former president once more. In Wisconsin, where Ted Cruz beat Trump in the 2016 GOP primary, DeSantis led Trump in a hypothetical 2024 matchup with Biden, according to a The person noted that the congressman didn’t vote to impeach Trump or approve an independent commission to investigate the attack on the U.S. One Wisconsin Republican close to Gallagher, who was granted anonymity to talk about their private conversations with him, brushed off the notion that his public break with Trump would hurt him significantly in a future GOP primary. His nomination would be a strong indication the party is shifting gears and learning the lessons from 2022. The 39-year-old former Marine is widely viewed as a rising star in the GOP thanks to his vocal stance on China policy and prolific fundraising. A public break with former President Donald Trump has been career suicide for many an ambitious GOP lawmaker in recent years.

AI-generated images of Donald Trump's arrest spread across social media as speculation surrounding the former president's potential indictment continues.

“The younger generations will have no problem recognizing AI imagery due to art, memes, and overexposure. “But that appears not to have stopped some people passing them off as genuine, which highlights that lack of critical thinking skills in our educational system.” “It’s like that special frequency of sound only teenagers can hear. But he also acknowledges the services’ potential to take jobs away from artists. Some of the images are photorealistic, while some feel more like CGI from a video game. For instance, Trump’s face looks realistic in most of the fakes, but his body proportions look contorted and almost melted or surreal. [Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-tell-fake-ai-images-donald-trump-arrest/), even while image generators are getting smarter, they still make mistakes in the smaller details. Hugging Face, a French company that focuses on AI technology, has a Additionally, online tools for AI-detection are becoming more accessible. [Ryan Evans](https://www.inquirer.com/business/technology/lensa-app-ai-avatars-artificial-intelligence-dalle-20221205.html) value the new tools for the ability to streamline the [art](https://www.instagram.com/rydeas/) he’s already making and open up new possibilities. Higgins disclosed that his images were fake, captioning the Twitter thread “Making pictures of Trump getting arrested while waiting for Trump’s arrest.” He and others made the art as a form of [wait to see](https://www.inquirer.com/news/donald-trump-indictment-arrest-manhattan-courthouse-attorneys-office-20230321.html) if Trump will be [indicted](https://www.inquirer.com/politics/nation/donald-trump-indictment-arrest-stormy-daniels-payments-20230320.html), AI-generated [images](https://twitter.com/williamlegate/status/1637858095811502080?s=20) depicting his [arrest](https://twitter.com/MeghUpdates/status/1638461675631431681?s=20) are spreading online, raising questions and concerns over media literacy and [deepfakes](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/13/what-are-deepfakes-and-how-can-you-spot-them) as the tools to create them become more accessible.

NEW YORK — The Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence in the criminal investigation of Donald Trump's alleged role in a scheme to pay hush money to a porn ...

The grand jury typically meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, one of the people familiar with the matter said, and it heard from witnesses earlier this week. “The grand jury has been told to stay home today. NEW YORK — The Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence in the criminal investigation of Donald Trump’s alleged role in a scheme to pay hush money to a porn star won’t meet Wednesday as regularly scheduled, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Manhattan prosecutors postponed a grand jury session in an investigation into Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

The development comes amid mounting signs that the grand jury is nearing the completion of its work. The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the development, which was earlier reported by Business Insider. [Major Investigations Into Donald Trump](https://time.com/6212677/donald-trump-investigations-explained/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) [Who Should Be on the 2023 TIME100?](https://time.com/time100-reader-poll-2023/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202)Vote Now Trump himself has been railing against the investigation and claiming his arrest is imminent, and law enforcement officials have accelerated security preparations in the event of unrest accompanying an unprecedented charge against a former U.S. The reason for the cancellation of Wednesday’s sessions was not immediately clear, though it comes as the grand jury has been hearing from final witnesses. When the grand jury next meets, it may hear from yet another witness, according to a person familiar with proceedings that appear to be nearing a decisive vote on whether or not

Manhattan grand jury on standby about meeting on Thursday as adjournment sparks flurry of speculation among Trump allies.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges, some connected to the payments. The grand jury, which meets in the afternoons on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, is not required to meet three times every week. On Monday, prosecutors allowed a Trump-aligned lawyer, Robert Costello, to testify before the grand jury. In recent days, Trump has been resigned to the fact that he will face criminal charges in the hush-money case, and has repeatedly insisted to advisers that he wants to be handcuffed when he makes an appearance in court, The case centers on the $130,000 Trump paid Daniels through Cohen in the final days of the 2016 election. [Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump) over his role in the payment of hush money to the adult film star Stormy Daniels will not meet on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter, and is on standby about meeting on Thursday.

Despite a near-constant swirl of legal problems, former President Donald Trump has managed to avoid indictment so far. But one prosecutor seems poised to ...

[Republicans rushed to Trump’s defense](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/09/politics/republicans-congress-reaction-trump-fbi-search-warrant/index.html) — much as they’re doing now as the threat of an indictment in the Stormy Daniels case looms. But many of the charges (including insurrection) [could be hard to prove in court](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/us/politics/trump-investigations.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare), and the committee itself doesn’t seem to have made a huge impact on public opinion. This part of the investigation is clearly going strong — earlier this month, [Smith’s team subpoenaed](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/16/politics/mar-a-lago-trump-subpoenas/index.html) dozens of Mar-a-Lago staff to testify in front of the grand jury that’s looking into the way Trump handled classified documents after he left the presidency, and Smith is [reportedly trying to interview](https://abcnews.go.com/US/investigators-seek-question-attorney-phone-call-trump-classified/story?id=97909853) one of Trump’s attorneys about potential obstruction, in spite of claims of attorney-client privilege. [potential charges](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071) that Trump could face is concealment or destruction of official documents, which includes a ban on holding federal office (and up to three years in prison per offense). On the other hand, though, Trump could be politically damaged if charges are filed, [since voters report](https://morningconsult.com/2023/01/05/jan-6-will-continue-to-haunt-republicans-politically/) that the Jan. The investigation [quickly expanded beyond the phone call](https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-grand-jury-report-recommends-perjury-charges-in-election-investigation/HYHHWS7KRJEEBG7J7ANN3KYPPI/) to a broader probe into whether Trump allies tried to convene an alternate slate of electors in an effort to overturn the result of the election. In early February, he issued a subpoena for [former Vice President Mike Pence](https://abcnews.go.com/US/mike-pence-subpoenaed-special-counsel-overseeing-trump-probes/story?id=97018886), which Pence is [not challenging in its entirety](https://abcnews.go.com/US/pence-challenge-aspects-special-counsels-subpoena-details-emerge/story?id=97966196). But [his efforts to tie Bragg to the broader Democratic Party](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/us/politics/trump-indictment-stormy-daniels-bragg.html) — and by extension, President Biden — could be harder to pull off. When [she was asked](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/22/trump-election-2020-grand-jury-georgia) whether Trump was among them, the jury foreperson said, “You’re not going to be shocked. An invitation for an investigation’s target to testify is [usually one of the last steps before an indictment](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/nyregion/trump-potential-criminal-charges-bragg.html), which means that charges could drop soon. [claimed (with no evidence)](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/18/1164524389/trump-claims-arrest-stormy-daniels) that he would be arrested on Tuesday. [appears to be focusing](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/us/politics/trump-investigations.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare) on a New York law that prohibits the falsification of business records — a misdemeanor that could become a felony if the records were falsified in service of another crime.

Former President Donald Trump's defense attorney Evan Corcoran is scheduled to testify Friday before the grand jury investigating classified documents found ...

The Justice Department has successfully argued in court that prosecutors have enough evidence that Trump’s interactions with the lawyer were part of a possible crime that they can pierce the confidentiality of the conversations between the two. The announcement from a panel of three judges in the appeals court – less than a day after Trump sought to put Corcoran’s testimony on hold – adds momentum to the special counsel investigation as it seeks to secure evidence that could make or break a federal criminal case against Trump. In response to the decision, a Trump spokesperson said, in part, that “there is no factual or legal basis or substance to any case against President Trump” and that “prosecutors only attack lawyers when they have no case whatsoever.”

Trump's legal team had appealed a lower court ruling that attorney-client privilege should not shield attorney from interview by special counsel ...

Pence also plans to fight the subpoena for his testimony on separation of powers grounds, telling reporters on Wednesday, "I believe that the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution, and expressing what is known as the Speech and Debate Clause, is an enormously important element of the Constitution." Prosecutors have said they have reason to believe efforts were made to "obstruct" their investigation into how those records were able to leave White House grounds without permission from the National Archives, which in part prompted the execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago in August. District Court ended on Friday, the same day she issued the order — ruled the so-called "crime-fraud exception" should be applied to Corcoran's testimony on specific issues. Tuesday showed filing deadlines for the dueling parties and ordered Trump's team to highlight specific documents at issue. Trump's legal team could appeal the ruling to higher courts, but a person familiar with the case says that's not likely at this point. Trump has maintained he's innocent and denied all wrongdoing in the case.

Former President Trump set off a frenzy a few days ago when he declared – without any official word – that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but the case ...

The jury on Monday heard from Robert Costello, a former legal adviser to Cohen, who sought to rebut his testimony at the request of Trump’s lawyers. Cohen is expected to play a major role in any future trial. In lower Manhattan, authorities set up metal barriers and prepared for the possibility of demonstrations. And while he’s railed against the case, including attacking Bragg, in several social media updates, his posts in recent days have veered from touting an upcoming rally in Texas to promoting a new book while also taking shots at potential 2024 contender Ron DeSantis. [State Watch](https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/) [Senate](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/) [Court Battles](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/) [Court Battles](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/) [See All](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/) history to face an indictment. [See all Hill.TV](https://thehill.com/hilltv) [See all Video](https://thehill.com/video) [Senate](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/) [Campaign](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/) [News](https://thehill.com/homenews/) [Court Battles](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/) [See All](https://thehill.com) They’ll move if and when ready, not a moment before.” For such a high-profile case, they’ll want to get it right. [tweeted](https://twitter.com/NoahBookbinder/status/1638585772935659521?s=20) Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “It could be in the DA’s office, or the grand jury, or Trump could be trying to do something – or none of the above,” said Alan Morrison, a law professor at George Washington University. Former President Trump set off a frenzy a few days ago when he declared – without any official word – that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but the case against him in Manhattan has yet to turn up an indictment, lending an air of mystery to if and when the former president will be charged.

Major blow to ex-president as Evan Corcoran loses legal bid to avoid giving notes and audio transcripts to investigators.

But before he complied with her order, the Trump legal team appealed the ruling, and the appeals court granted a temporary stay. But, according to court filings, the justice department developed evidence that more documents that were marked as classified remained at the resort, along with “evidence of obstruction”. ABC News reported Howell also found evidence that Trump intentionally misled or lied to his lawyers. That was after documents he returned earlier to the National Archives included 200 that were classified. [motion to compel testimony from Corcoran](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/09/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-papers-grand-jury) on a range of subjects he discussed with Trump with respect to the obstruction element of the investigation. [Mar-a-Lago](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/mar-a-lago) and produced about 30 documents with classified markings to the justice department, and had another Trump lawyer, Christina Bobb, sign a certification that attested to compliance with the subpoena “based on the information provided to me”.

A court has rejected former President Trump's effort to block Trump attorney Evan Corcoran from having to testify in the special counsel's classified ...

That certification was later discovered to be false, prompting the eventual [court-authorized search](https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-mar-lago-raided-fbi-agents/story?id=88116571) of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in which FBI investigators recovered more than 100 classified documents -- including some located in Trump's personal office, according to previously released court documents. He also was ordered to provide testimony on why he believed all documents with classification markings were held in Mar-a-Lago's storage room, as he had allegedly confirmed to a top DOJ official when investigators visited the estate in June of last year. "There is no factual or legal basis or substance to any case against President Trump," a Trump spokesperson told ABC News. The real story here is that prosecutors only attack lawyers when they have no case whatsoever." District Court, who determined the government had made a prima facie case that Corcoran's legal services were likely used by Trump [attorney-client privilege](https://abcnews.go.com/US/doj-citing-crime-fraud-exception-seeks-compel-trump/story?id=97208666) on that topic said that the government had characterized the conversation as furthering "a different stage" of Trump's "ongoing scheme" to prevent the government from retrieving all classified documents from Mar-a-Lago.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has stylized himself as a political brawler willing to take on all comers, from Disney and the corporate media to high school ...

To many Republican primary voters, Trump and DeSantis are viewed as politically aligned, leaving voters with a choice centered on electability and less on policy differences. In a recent CNN poll of potential GOP voters, 40% say they would most likely back Trump and 36% would vote for DeSantis. Once an outspoken proponent of arming Ukraine as a member of Congress, DeSantis recently characterized Russia’s aggression in Eastern Europe as a “territorial dispute,” aligning himself with Trump. His moves against so-called “wokeness” in society are the ripples from Trump’s 2016 gripes against political correctness. DeSantis suggested that is unlikely to change even as he and Trump appear headed for a collision course. “It gets to the point where you’re a candidate by default and you have to engage,” one DeSantis adviser told CNN. He clearly made the calculus it was time to push back.” Trump, meanwhile, has for weeks escalated attacks on DeSantis, characterizing the governor and former ally as ungrateful, disloyal and a mediocre political talent boosted by Florida’s sunshine. He went on to tout the no-nonsense management of his administration, pandemic response and 19-point victory last fall – encouraging a contrast with Trump’s chaotic four years in office that culminated with a loss to Joe Biden. Trump adviser and spokesman Jason Miller tweeted that DeSantis “has finally shown his true colors. [That changed this week](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/20/politics/desantis-trump-indictment/index.html) when DeSantis for the first time leaned into the burgeoning rivalry in earnest. DeSantis until now has mostly brushed off questions about his 2024 aspirations even as he makes moves toward a likely campaign for president.

A federal appeals court in a sealed order has directed a lawyer for Donald Trump to turn over to prosecutors documents in the investigation into the former ...

Howell ruled in the Justice Department’s favor shortly before stepping aside as chief judge Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to discuss a sealed proceeding and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The inquiry is one of multiple legal threats Trump faces, including probes in Atlanta and Washington over his efforts to undo the election result and a grand jury investigation in New York over hush money payments. The case is sealed, and none of the parties in the dispute is mentioned by name. A Justice Department investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith and his team of prosecutors is examining whether Trump or anyone in his orbit obstructed its efforts to recover all the classified documents, which included top-secret material, from his home. The order was reflected in a brief online notice by a three-judge panel of the U.S. It suggests the court has sided with prosecutors who have argued behind closed doors that Trump was using his legal representation to further a crime.