Jamie Raskin working to ban insurrectionists from office after Supreme Court ruling
Donald Trump’s attorneys are arguing that he should be granted a new trial in the case brought against him by E Jean Carroll, which saw him found guilty of defaming the former magazine columnist after she accused him of sexual assault and ordered to pay $83.3m by a New York jury in January.
In a new court filing, lawyers for Mr Trump are pusing for a fresh trial, arguing that the original’s verdict was “infected” by errors.
They allege that Judge Lewis Kaplan did not allow the jury to consider Mr Trump’s testimony about his “state of mind” when he defamed Ms Carroll, which, his lawyers argue, “almost certainly influenced the jury’s verdict, and thus a new trial is warranted”.
In other legal news, Mr Trump could be sued by his former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to recoup around $2m in unpaid legal fees, a step the ex-New York City mayor is reportedly reluctant to take but which could be insisted upon by his creditors.
Elsewhere, the Republican cemented his dominance over the party’s presidential race on Super Tuesday and is projected to win all but one of the 15 states in contention, quashing rival Nikki Haley.
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Trump’s ‘conclusive’ Super Tuesday win hides an awkward truth
For Independent Premium, Jon Sopel joins a thousand jubilant Republicans in Florida as Donald Trump declares himself invincible in the race for the party’s presidential nomination.
But his rival Nikki Haley has a couple of options – one thermonuclear – that could yet derail him.
Joe Sommerlad6 March 2024 12:15
Nikki Haley expected to pull out of the Republican presidential race on Wednesday
We’re now hearing that Haley will announce her exit from the race later today, finally conceding that she has no path to victory in a 10am EST (3pm GMT) speech in Charleston, South Carolina.
The challenger’s campaign was left in the dust by Trump on Tuesday night, although she did pull off a shock by winning Vermont.
Here’s John Bowden on her brave but futile resistance.
Joe Sommerlad6 March 2024 11:45
Super Tuesday: Trump storms toward Republican nomination as Haley’s hopes dwindle
However, if you’re just looking for a quick summary, this is how things stand on the morning after the night before:
Donald Trump continued his march towards the Republican nomination with victories in California, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and a host of other Super Tuesday contests while rival Nikki Haley picked up a rare victory in Vermont.
The twice-impeached and four-times-indicted ex-president scored a near clean sweep on the most significant primary night of the campaign, trouncing the former South Carolina governor and edging closer to securing the delegates he will need for the Republican nomination.
Republicans held primary contests in 15 states on Super Tuesday – including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia – as well as caucuses in Alaska and Utah.
The date typically marks the halfway point in primary contests and the candidates who dominate on typically go on to win the nomination of their party.
This is how the delegate count now looks in the Republican corner, where 1,215 is needed to win the nomination:
Here’s more from Eric Garcia on a night not exactly packed with surprises.
Joe Sommerlad6 March 2024 11:15
Rudy Giuliani could be forced by creditors to sue Trump for unpaid legal fees
In other legal news, Trump could be sued by his former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to recoup around $2m in unpaid legal fees, a step the ex-New York City mayor is reportedly reluctant to take but which could be insisted upon by his creditors.
Kelly Rissman and Alex Woodward have this report.
Joe Sommerlad6 March 2024 10:45
E Jean Carroll case: Trump lawyers request new trial in bid to overturn $83.3m verdict
Donald Trump’s attorneys are arguing that he should be granted a new trial in the case brought against him by E Jean Carroll, which saw him found guilty of defaming the former magazine columnist after she accused him of sexual assault and ordered to pay $83.3m by a New York jury in January.
In a new court filing, lawyers for Mr Trump are pusing for a fresh trial, arguing that the original’s verdict was “infected” by errors.
They allege that Judge Lewis Kaplan did not allow the jury to consider Trump’s testimony about his “state of mind” when he defamed Carroll, which, his lawyers argue, “almost certainly influenced the jury’s verdict, and thus a new trial is warranted”.
Julia Reinstein has this report.
Joe Sommerlad6 March 2024 10:15
Republicans’ hysterical ‘migrant crime’ election narrative skewered by Jon Stewart
On Monday night’s The Daily Show, the host rolled a plethora of media clips of lawmakers condemning migrants, baselessly calling them “illegal invaders” and “criminals, rapists, murderers, child predators”, among other things.
Oliver O’Connell6 March 2024 09:45
Trump says he will order mass deportations if elected into White House
Donald Trump has said he will order mass deportations if he is elected into the White House in 2024. The former president, 77, told Newsmax’s The Chris Salcedo Show that he wants to grant police officers immunity, giving them authority to deport migrants en masse. “We’ll start with the bad ones, and you know who knows who they are? Local police,” Trump said. “Local police have to be given back their authority and they have to be given back their respect and immunity. We’re going to give them the immunity.”
Oliver O’Connell6 March 2024 08:45
Trump ‘not as sharp’ as he was during 2016 election says former aide
It comes as questions about the mental fitness of Mr Trump, 77, and President Joe Biden, 81, continue to swirl. Despite this an all-but-certain rematch between the two men looms in November.
Mike Bedigan has the story:
Oliver O’Connell6 March 2024 06:45
Trump celebrated Supreme Court ruling in his own unique way…
…with a bizarre rant broadcast live from Mar-a-Lago.
Oliver O’Connell6 March 2024 04:45
Analysis: The Supreme Court just gave insurrectionists a free pass to overthrow democracy
The US Supreme Court’s reversal of a landmark court decision in Colorado will keep Donald Trump on the state’s presidential election ballots and on the ballots in a handful of other states where he was also disqualified from the presidency under a constitutional clause barring insurrectionists from office.
It was a unanimous 9-0 decision from the justices, on its face. They agreed that individual states can’t unilaterally remove candidates for federal office from their ballots. But that’s about as far as they got to being on the same page.
Instead, what emerged was a 5-4 conservative majority decision that went far beyond that of the liberal minority, stating that only Congress can decide whether insurrectionists are disqualified from federal office. Any candidate who tries to overthrow the government can still get elected to the presidency – just so long as they have the support of the controlling political party in Congress.
Oliver O’Connell6 March 2024 02:45