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Donald Trump is expected to give a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago on election integrity with House Speaker Mike Johnson making a visit.
“Election integrity” is a phrase that Trump often uses to describe the lie that the 2020 election was rigged and unfounded concerns about future mass voter fraud. It comes as Johnson faces an ongoing threat to his job from Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican firebrand.
Trump has lost three last-ditch bids in three days to delay his hush money trial – with the landmark case looming in a matter of days.
On Wednesday, a New York appeals court judge rejected his latest effort to stall the case based on arguments of New York Justice Juan Merchan’s “refusal” to recuse himself or to hear Mr Trump’s argument of “presidential immunity”.
Jury selection is set to begin on Monday 15 April.
Meanwhile, Judge Aileen Cannon, overseeing Mr Trump’s criminal case over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, has sided with special counsel Jack Smith’s office and agreed that the names of government witnesses in the case should remain secret, due to concerns for their safe
Trump begins his day with Truth Social posting spree
Donald Trump has posted, reposted, or shared articles thirty times so far this morning on Truth Social.
The former president began with this gem:
And closed out the spree by writing:
I am so proud of Truth Social, because I believe it represents the Make America Great Again Movement, and it shows the Spirit and Love of our Country. If people who believe in putting America First and want to Make America Great Again, support TRUTH, we will be your Voice like never before, and a Real Voice is what our Country needs, because we are in decline, and must bring America to Greatness. Think of this as a Movement, the Greatest Movement in the History of our Country. We are going to Save our Country, and Make America Great Again, GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!
What is in decline is the share price of Truth Social’s parent company Trump Media & Technology Group, which has fallen from a high of almost $80 down to just above $30 today.
Trump asks Democrats to vote for RFK Jr in bizarre video
Mr Trump called Mr Kennedy Jr “the most radical left candidate in race” but insisted that he was “a better man” than his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.
“But he’s got some nice things about him, I happen to like him,” Mr Trump added, before referencing RFK Jr’s one-time support for the so-called “Green New Scam”, a reference to the Democrat-proposed Green New Deal that aimed to tackle climate change.
Mr Trump went on to say that Mr Kennedy Jr should “take votes away from crooked Joe Biden”.
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Biden campaign pours scorn on Trump-Johnson meeting
Ammar Moussa, director of Joe Biden’s rapid response team, made the following comments regarding Speaker Mike Johnson’s meeting with Donald Trump:
“It should come as no surprise that two losers – one trying to keep his job, one trying to get his old job – are teaming up to spread lies and misinformation to throw red meat to their base, but all [today] will do is serve as a reminder that Trump and his MAGA allies are too extreme and dangerous to be anywhere near the Oval Office.”
Biden vows to defend Philippines from China
“The United States’ defence commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad,” the US president said during his first-ever trilateral summit with the leaders from both the Asian nations.
Arpan Rai reports:
Hush money trial: How does jury selection work?
The first criminal trial of a former US president will begin with jury selection on Monday.
The hush money case surrounds 34 charges of business fraud following allegations that Donald Trump instructed staff that hush money payments be logged as legal expenses.
Steve Duffy at Trial Behavior Consulting tells The Independent that because of the demographics of Manhattan, where the trial is taking place, the jury is likely to be left of centre as well as fairly well off and more educated than the country at large.
“One thing to understand, and this is true about a lot of things about the jury system, is that it’s different everywhere,” he says, noting that judges have a lot of discretion on how to conduct the process. “Every state, really every county has different specific procedures for just about everything.”
Gustaf Kilander explains what will happen next week:
Rule for FISA bill passes
The rule for FISA bill passed in a 213-208 party-line vote after changes were made to appease the 19 conservatives who tanked the earlier procedural vote. It will instead be reauthorised for just two years should it pass. It is a program deemed by most to be fundamental to national security, including stopping the flow of fentanyl into the US, as well monitoring terrorist threats.
Rep Tim Burchett of Tennessee tweeted: “I voted for the rule to bring FISA reauthorization to a vote because there are amendments on the table that could address its greatest problems. It wasn’t a vote to pass the bill. We should vote for these amendments that would bring us closer to a bill that could get my vote.”
One amendment tabled by a coalition of lawmakers from both parties would bar warrantless surveillance of US citizens. It is backed by Andy Biggs, Pramila Jaypal, Jerry Nadler, Warren Davidson, Zoe Lofgren, and Jim Jordan.
Biden to visit Pennsylvania
Per the White House:
President Joe Biden to Travel to Pennsylvania
From Tuesday, April 16 to Wednesday, April 17, the President will travel to Scranton, Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, April 17, he will travel to the Pittsburgh-area of Pennsylvania. The President will then return to the White House. On Thursday, April 18, he will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
House to send Mayorkas articles of impeachment to Senate on Tuesday
The House will send articles impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on Tuesday, NBC News reports citing House Homeland Security chairman and impeachment manager Rep Mark Green.
Transmitting the articles was delayed nearly a week at the behest of some Republican senators.
Hush money trial: Secret Service, NYPD and New York courts ready to protect Trump’s case
The US Secret Service, the New York City Police Department, and the New York State Unified Court System have spoken about security arrangements ahead of the start of Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Monday 15 April.
“The US Secret Service is prepared to effectively carry out our protective mission here in New York. While operational security precludes us from going into specifics, the US Secret Service will not seek any special accommodations outside of what would be required to ensure the continued safety of the former president. We have the utmost trust and confidence in our law enforcement partners, including the NYPD and New York State Unified Court System, and appreciate their continued dedication and professionalism.”
Special Agent in Charge Patrick J Freaney, US Secret Service’s New York Field Office
“Planning for high-profile security events is very familiar ground for the New York City Police Department. Our longstanding relationships with each of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, including the US Secret Service and the New York State Unified Court System, will help secure the courthouse and everyone inside, facilitate peaceful assembly outside the building, and maintain the safe flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the surrounding areas for the duration of the proceedings.”
Police Commissioner Edward A Caban, New York City Police Department
“The safety and security of all who enter our New York State courthouses is paramount. The New York State Court Officers corps is highly trained and experienced in managing high-profile trials. In coordination with the US Secret Service and the NYPD, we stand ready and able to protect the safety of everyone in the courthouse during this trial, maintaining a secure and safe courtroom environment in facilitating the needs of the court, the trial participants, the media, and the general public.”
Chief of Department Michael Magliano, New York State Unified Court System
Trump and Johnson really, really want to make sure non-citizens are sure they can’t vote (they can’t)
Amelia Neath reports:
Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are planning to push a bill to ban non-citizens from voting during an appearance at Mar-a-Lago – something which is already illegal.
Mr Johnson is set to hold a press conference at the former president’s residence on Friday, part of longstanding Republican attack lines against Democrats. There is little evidence to suggest that non-citizen voting is a widespread issue throughout the different states. In a study of the 2016 election by the Brennan Center, researchers found that just 0.0001 per cent of voters across 42 jurisdictions, encompassing 23.5m votes, were suspected to be non-citizens who managed to vote – that is an estimated 30 incidents in total.
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Source: independent.co.uk
