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Former Trump aide says Trump "gleefully" watched footage of the Capitol riot on 6 January
Former President Donald Trump has defended his “perfect” phone call with Georgia officials regarding election fraud in the state. Earlier on Thursday, the Fulton County district attorney requested a special grand jury as part of the investigation into Mr Trump’s interference in the 2020 election results.
Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump, his eldest daughter and one-time White House adviser, has been invited to meet with the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
In a public letter that reveals some of the information that the committee has gathered to date, chair Bennie Thompson said they would like to question Ms Trump on her knowledge of various White House conversations relating to that day, as well as her father’s state of mind.
Mr Trump’s former press secretary Stephanie Grisham has previously told the committee about “off-the-books” secret meetings before January and has provided the names of aides who may know the details.
The former president was dealt a blow by the Supreme Court on Wednesday when justices rejected his bid to block the release of White House documents about the riot in an 8-1 decision. Diaries, visitor logs, and other materials will no longer be kept confidential under executive privilege.
Recommended Supreme Court allows Jan. 6 committee to get Trump documents Ivanka Trump hits back at Jan 6 committee request saying she didn’t ‘speak at the rally’ Georgia prosecutor requests special grand jury in Trump investigation
Key points Supreme Court allows release of January 6 Trump White House docs Trump held secret meetings ahead of capitol riot, former press secretary claims Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor calls for grand jury Hannity urged White House aides to end ‘stolen election talk’ Ivanka Trump could complete portrait of what happened on 6 January, says Raskin
Show latest update 1642742837 Ivanka Trump a critical figure, says Raskin
We are closing in on the target, said Rep Jamie Raskin, hours after the US congressional panel asked the daughter of the former president and one-time White House adviser Ivanka Trump to voluntarily testify about last year’s Capitol riot.
“Ivanka Trump is a critical figure because she was there. We believe she was there when [Donald] Trump was trying to twist Mike Pence’s arm. She was also a key figure to pull Trump back, apparently,” he told MSNBC.
“She could, perhaps, complete the portrait on what happened on 6 January,” Mr Raskin said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 January 2022 05:27
1642740650 ICYMI: Trump did not want to tweet ‘stay peaceful’ during Capitol riot
Former president Donald Trump initially refused to tweet the words “stay peaceful” when his supporters laid siege at the Capitol building on 6 January last year, according to a former aide.
The anonymous source told CNN that Mr Trump was “very reluctant to put out anything when it [the Capitol riot] was unfolding”.
It took Mr Trump almost 20 minutes to urge people to stay peaceful as the unprecedented chaos ensued, in which lawmakers scrambled to save their lives.“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful,” he finally tweeted.
Shweta Sharma reports.
Trump did not want to tweet ‘stay peaceful’ during 6 January riot, ex-aide says Aide says Donald Trump did not want to tweet the words ‘stay peaceful’ and was ‘letting it play out’
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 January 2022 04:50
1642739435 Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor calls for grand jury
Donald Trump insists he “didn’t say anything wrong” on a phone call with Georgia’s top elections official in which the former president appeared to pressure him to “find” votes that would overturn Joe Biden’s definitive victory in the state.
“My phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia was perfect, perhaps even more so than my call with the Ukrainian President, if that’s possible,” the former president said in a statement through his spokesperson.
“I knew there were large numbers of people on the line, including numerous lawyers for both sides,” he said. “Although I assumed the call may have been inappropriately, and perhaps illegally, recorded, I was not informed of that. I didn’t say anything wrong in the call, made while I was president on behalf of the United States of America, to look into the massive voter fraud which took place in Georgia.”
The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story.
Trump defends ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call as prosecutor requests special grand jury Former president lashes out at Fulton County probe and amplifies baseless election fraud claims
Justin Vallejo 21 January 2022 04:30
1642738852 Trump tries to twist Biden’s words to justify his 2020 election claims
Despite failing to support his claim multiple times, Donald Trump tried to twist president Joe Biden’s words to falsely argue that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
“President Biden admitted yesterday, in his own very different way, that the 2020 election may very well have been a fraud, which I know it was,” the former president said in a statement on 20 January, the anniversary of his last day in office.
During his first press conference of 2022, Mr Biden was asked if he believes the upcoming midterms will be fairly conducted.
The president responded saying: “it all depends on whether or not we’re able to make the case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election”.
Gustaf Kilander has more.
Trump tries to twist Biden’s words to falsely argue that 2020 election was ‘a fraud’ President ‘absolutely is not predicting that the 2022 elections would be illegitimate,’ press secretary says
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 January 2022 04:20
1642736528 Rudy Giuliani led Trump officials in effort to overturn election - report
Rudy Giuliani, former president Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, led campaign officials in an effort in December 2020 to put forward illegitimate electors from seven states where Mr Trump had lost, it has been reported.
Sources told CNN that members of Mr Trump’s campaign team were far more involved than previously known in the plan, a part of the broader initiative to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
The House panel investigating the Capitol riot have issued a subpoena to Mr Giuliani.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 January 2022 03:42
1642735835 ICYMI: Trump held ‘secret meetings’ in days before riots
Donald Trump held secret meetings in the days before the 6 January Capitol riots, according to former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. Jade Bremner reports.
Trump held ‘secret meetings’ before 6 January, says former press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the 6 January Committee that off-the-books meetings were organised by the former president in the lead up to the insurrection
Justin Vallejo 21 January 2022 03:30
1642732355 Ivanka Trump hits back at Jan 6 committee request saying she didn’t ‘speak at the rally’
Ivanka Trump, who served as an adviser in her father’s White House, will be among the next targets of the January 6 committee.
“Ivanka Trump just learned that the January 6 Committee issued a public letter asking her to appear. As the Committee already knows, Ivanka did not speak at the January 6 rally,” said a spokesperson for Ms Trump.
“As she publicly stated that day at 3:15pm, ‘any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful,’” the spokesperson noted.
The Independent’s John Bowden has the story:
Ivanka Trump hits back at Jan 6 committee request Daughter of former president is first Trump family member to be targeted
Justin Vallejo 21 January 2022 02:32
1642728614 GOP rep called hypocrite for lauding infrastructure funding she voted against
US Representative Ashley Hinson is being called a hypocrite after praising and taking credit for infrastructure funding allocated to her region, despite having voted against the bill that made it possible.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Republican blasted for taking credit for bill she voted against and called socialism The response to the Republican’s post began trending on Twitter under the phrase “YOU VOTED AGAINST IT”
Oliver O’Connell 21 January 2022 01:30
1642726535 Fraud case against Trump? Not a slam dunk, experts say
Lawyers who examined the details of the allegations said that while Attorney General Letitia James could potentially bring a lawsuit alleging fraud, she will face two major hurdles: proving both an intent to deceive and that banks that loaned Trump money were actually fooled.
“Were you sloppy, lazy or over-optimistic about your prospects? If you were, that may be bad business, but it doesn’t necessarily rise to fraud,” said Will Thomas, an assistant professor of business law at the University of Michigan.
One important question is whether any misrepresentations in the company’s financial statements “were intentional, knowing and intended to deceive,” said David S. Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor who reviewed the evidence for AP.
Intent is difficult to prove with real estate because it is an illiquid asset whose value, unlike publicly traded shares, isn’t being set by different investors constantly buying and selling, but by estimates, and often flawed ones.
“Even experts applying the same set of valuation tools might reasonably disagree about the ultimate valuation,” Thomas said.
Associated Press
Justin Vallejo 21 January 2022 00:55
1642725014 Are Americans expecting too much from Joe Biden?
Andrew Buncombe asks if Biden deserves more credit a year into his presidency.
Is America expecting too much from Joe Biden? The president’s approval ratings are nowhere close to where the White House would want them – but, asks Andrew Buncombe, does Biden deserve more credit?
Oliver O’Connell 21 January 2022 00:30
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