Donald Trump is supposedly writing a book on how presidency was stolen from him
As the 6 January committee prepares for a summer of what promise to be shocking and disturbing hearings about the Capitol riot, Donald Trump has laid into committee member Liz Cheney, claiming that she has taken her opposition to him to insane extremes.
“From what people tell me, from what I hear from other congressmen, she’s like a crazed lunatic, she’s worse than anyone else,” he told the Washington Post in an interview. “From what I’ve heard, she’s worse than any Democrat.”
The committee’s first public hearing since last year is set for 9 June.
Meanwhile, one of the key figures in the many 6 January-related cases underway is due to appear in a virtual court hearing today. Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the extremist Proud Boys group, is seeking release from pre-trial detention while he awaits trial on conspiracy charges related to the Capitol attack.
Trump administration unlawfully retaliated against whistleblower, Pentagon inspector general report finds
The report finds that then-Lt. Col. Vindman “was the subject of unfavorable personnel actions from administration officials” after he alerted his concerns about the former president’s attempts to withhold military aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rival Joe Biden.
Officials “reprised against him because he made protected communications and because of his association with his twin brother’s protected communications to Members of Congress,” according to the report’s findings.
Their actions violated statutes regarding “protected communications; prohibition of retaliatory personnel actions,” the report found.
The report not recommend any punishment against Trump-era officials, because they have since left the White House.
Alex Woodward18 May 2022 18:27
After the 2020 election, in which Biden won Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano was one of 10 Republican state senators to call for delaying certification of the Electoral College and also said that the state legislature in Pennsylvania had the “sole power” to nominate electors.
He declared victory in his gubernatorial campaign last night within moments of the race call from news networks.
The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe asks: What changed? Why do Mastriano and all the other previous deniers who won their races now believe the election process is fair?
Alex Woodward18 May 2022 18:07
Trump whines about elections and says ally Dr Oz should declare victory in Pennsylvania primary
Trump has suggested that his preferred candidate in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary – Dr Mehmet Oz – should simply declare victory in the Republican contest despite the race being too close to call.
“It makes it much harder to cheat with the ballots they ‘just happened to find.’”
Clearly, that is not how elections work, or how the ballot-counting process works in Pennsylvania, which Trump has suggested has been marred by fraud despite no evidence whatsoever.
Alex Woodward18 May 2022 17:47
Poll: Should Trump be allowed back on Twitter?
Elon Musk’s plan to take over Twitter has hit some road bumps lately, with the sometimes-erratic tech billionaire indicating he may not be happy with the originally agreed $44bn price tag and questioning whether the company’s estimate of the number of spam accounts is accurate. But for now, he insists the buyout is going ahead – and he has also said that Donald Trump should have his account restored.
Mr Trump so far insists he will remain on Truth Social, which has struggled to retain users since its botched launch earlier this year. Do you think Trump should be allowed to return to Twitter? Vote in the poll below and feel free to let us know what answer you chose and why in the comments.
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 17:30
ICYMI: DOJ asks Jan 6 committee for transcripts
The Department of Justice has reportedly asked the 6 January committee to provide it with copies of transcripts from its many witness interviews – apparently because the interviews may have yielded “information relevant to a criminal investigation we are conducting”. The identity of the subject (or subjects) of that investigation is not yet clear.
The department’s slowness to act on potential criminal charges related to the insurrection has caused consternation among many Trump critics, though some have cautioned that acting rashly could set a bad precedent of the department being abused to investigate presidents’ enemies.
Andrew Feinberg has the story.
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 17:00
“BIG MESS”: Trump enraged by close PA result
Donald Trump is awake and posting on Truth Social – and as some have predicted, he is furious at the possibility that his chosen candidate, Dr Mehmet Oz, might lose the Pennsylvania Senate primary because of his rival Dave McCormick’s possible strength in the mail-in vote:
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 15:57
Thompson says Jan 6 committee likely won’t ask Trump to testify
As the 6 January select committee prepares for the kickoff of its summer hearings, chair Bennie Thompson told reporters yesterday that the panel probably will not ask or compel Donald Trump to testify, explaining that “We’re not sure that the evidence that we receive can be any more validated with his presence. I think the concern is whether or not he would add any more value with his testimony.”
Read more below from Abe Asher.
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 14:55
Leading Proud Boy to ask court for pre-trial release
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and other crimes related to the 6 January riot – and today, he will be apperaring virtually to ask a court for release from pre-trial detention.
According to CBS’s Scott MacFarlane, it seems Mr Tarrio’s legal team have lately visited the target of the attack.
Catch up on the details of Mr Tarrio’s indictment here.
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 14:01
Watch: Dr Oz thanks Hannity for help with campaign
The days when Fox News worked hard to present itself as “fair and balanced” are long gone, but there is at least still some pretense among the network’s highest-profile stars that they remain outside politics looking in.
The latest incident to dispel that image came last night with Dr Mehmet Oz’s speech after the Pennsylvania primary, in which he explicitly thanked Sean Hannity for making a difference “behind the scenes” of his Trump-endorsed campaign – “giving me advice on late night conversations, again, the kinds of things that true friends do for each other”.
The Trump-endorsed Dr Oz appeared on Mr Hannity’s show multiple times during the campaign without these chats being mentioned.
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 13:15
Jan 6 panel talking to Trump admin witnesses again
It seems the 6 January select committee is reaching back out to key witnesses from the Trump administration. Appearing today will be press secretary-turned-critic Stephanie Grisham, who has spoken to the panel before.
The committee’s public hearings are set to begin on 9 June.
Andrew Naughtie18 May 2022 12:13