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☆ A Tough Question for Chris Christie: Would Hillary Clinton Have Been Better Than Trump?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Trip Gabriel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After several gray-haired attendees asked Mr. Christie about Medicare, prescription drug prices and the like, a 15-year-old audience member named Quinn Mitchell — who had also heard Mr. Christie strike similar themes a month earlier in New Hampshire — spoke up. hopeful willing to attack Mr. Trump. Chris Christie’s Answer“Hillary Clinton, in many, many ways, was a huge detriment to our democracy too. So I still would’ve picked Trump.”The SubtextMr. Christie’s answer was revealing. As much of a threat to democracy as he had just declared Mr. Trump to be, Mr. Christie, the former New Jersey governor, could not bring himself to say that Hillary Clinton would have been the better choice to preserve democracy.

☆ Trump holds wide lead over DeSantis among Georgia GOP voters in a 2024 primary poll despite the ex-president's endorsement flops against top state Republicans last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump holds a wide lead over Ron DeSantis in a new Georgia GOP presidential poll. Trump led DeSantis 51%-30% with all candidates in the race and led 51%-41% in a one-on-one matchup. Ron DeSantis of Florida in a recent 2024 presidential poll of Georgia Republican voters. The results show the ex-president's continued dominance over the party despite his high-profile endorsement misfires against GOP Gov. In a poll conducted by the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, Trump led DeSantis 51%-30%, with 4% backing former Gov.

☆ Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a 'brilliant man' and said there is no one in Hollywood with the good looks or brains to play him in a movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump gushed about Chinese leader Xi Jinping's looks and brains in an interview on Fox News. Trump also called Xi's translator a "beautiful female interpreter." If you went all over Hollywood to look for somebody to play the role of President Xi, you couldn't find it. "A beautiful female interpreter, she was very beautiful," Trump said. Xi, in return, called Trump his "friend" at an economic forum in Russia in 2019, per Reuters.

☆ Jack Smith is investigating the Trump White House meeting with Sidney Powell where a plan to seize voting machines was discussed: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Special Counsel Jack Smith is investigating a December 2020 meeting at the Trump White House, per CNN. At the meeting, participants, including Sidney Powell, discussed a plan to seize voting machines. Of particular interest to Smith is a December 18, 2020 meeting at the White House where Trump was joined by attorney Sidney Powell, who was falsely claiming that electronic voting machines were hacked by foreign adversaries, sources told CNN. Flynn, prior to the meeting, had for weeks been pushing the idea of seizing voting machines, arguing that Trump could unilaterally demand it be done. O'Brien told prosecutors that he "had made clear there was no evidence of foreign interference affecting voting machines," according to the outlet.

☆ Trump spent the Saturday before his indictment 'blowing off steam' by himself on his driving range: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Days before the indictment, Trump spent time "blowing off steam" on the driving range, per The New York Times. People close to Trump told the outlet that he appeared "subdued" and "pensive" ahead of his arrest. The Times report cited half a dozen people close to Trump who interacted with him in the days leading up to his self-surrender. Trump spent Saturday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he often enjoys a a round before eating lunch at the club. But over the weekend — just days before he flew to New York for the hearing — Trump instead took his time at the driving range, according to the Times.

☆ Video shows no one held the door for Donald Trump before he was arraigned in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald Trump had to open a door for himself on his way to be arraigned. A video shows Trump moving through the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week, a first for an ex-president. The video, posted on Twitter by The Associated Press, captures the moment Trump entered the courtroom for his arraignment. Unlike his time as president, or the presumed treatment he gets at Mar-a-Lago, no one held the door open for Trump.

☆ The only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump will pose for a mugshot ahead of his Tuesday arraignment in New York City. But don't expect his mugshot to be released; under New York law, mugshots are not public record. Trump's mugshot won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself. It's possible that Trump's mugshot could be leaked as other prominent figures' booking photos have been in the past. Meanwhile, fake artificial intelligence-generated images of Trump's mugshot and bogus photos of the former president's arrest have already spread like wildfire across social media.

☆ You can run for president from prison. Here's what happened when 2 candidates campaigned from behind bars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two previous candidates, Eugene V. Debs in 1920, and Lyndon LaRouche in 1992, both ran from prison. If Trump is convicted, it's possible he could run for president from behind bars. Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran from behind bars over 100 years agoThe socialist party 1904 Eugene V. Debs and Ben Hanford. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn 1920, Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for the Oval Office from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, where he was known as "prisoner 9653," according to Smithsonian Magazine. Alex Brandon/File/APWhile Debs and LaRouche were both unsuccessful in their campaigns, they both were still able to run for president while behind bars.

☆ These are the best memes of Trump's indictment, from 'Succession' references to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The news produced many memes, from "Succession" references to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Here are some of the best memes of Trump's indictment. While the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media. From references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons, here are the best memes of Trump's indictment. —Mister Oh my God that Joey's shameless (@SpiceBoyJoey) March 30, 2023Other memes made references to various television shows and movies—The Wire out of context (@WireCaps) March 30, 2023—no context succession (@nocontextroyco) March 31, 2023And Trump indictment memes aren't just an American thingChinese social media users hit the former President's indictment as well.

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump on felony charges. In a statement, Trump characterized the criminal charges from a grand jury as a political attack. The indictment's specific contents have not yet been made public, even to the defense team, as is common in state criminal cases. The district attorney's office subsequently brought David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, to testify for a second time in front of the grand jury. That post was quickly taken down; Trump attorney Joe Tacopina called it "ill-advised" and said "one of his social media people" put it up.

☆ Why is the Trump 'hush-money' grand jury taking so @#$%& long? Wrong question, experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An uncanny lack of secrecy surrounds the secret Trump 'hush money' grand jury now underway in NY. Grand jury witnesses, lawyers, and Trump himself are shouting about each other on TV and online. The right question may be, "Why is this supposedly secret grand jury such a honking, spotlit spectacle?" On Friday, an envelope of white powder was sent to Bragg at the office building where the grand jury sits. The grand jury was not there that day, and the powder proved non-hazardous.

☆ The Manhattan DA's likely case against Trump would be far from a 'slam dunk conviction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

New York state prosecutors have never brought an election law case involving a federal campaign, per NYT. If the DA's office brings a criminal case against Trump, it would be far from a "slam dunk conviction," one ex-prosecutor said. Among the charges Trump could face is violating New York's business records statute, which bars individuals from falsifying business records with an intent to defraud. Some legal experts have pointed out that New York has a long history of bringing felony prosecutions based on falsifying business records. If Trump is charged with falsifying business records, "expect to see this defense."

☆ Here's why Trump rejected the Manhattan DA's invitation to testify before the New York 'hush-money' grand jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump has rejected the Manhattan district attorney's invitation to testify before a grand jury this week. Anything the witness says in the grand jury can also later be used against them should the case go to trial. Cohen left the lower Manhattan office building where the grand jury is meeting shortly after 5 p.m. local time. He said he expects to continue his grand jury testimony on Wednesday. A spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg has declined to comment on the case or the grand jury proceeding.

☆ Trump bashes the GOP lawmakers who want to 'destroy our great Social Security' by raising the retirement age to 70
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some GOP lawmakers are reportedly eyeing raising the retirement age for Social Security to 70. Trump has previously called out Republicans for considering cuts to the program in debt ceiling talks. Independent Sen. Angus King and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy are reportedly eyeing raising the retirement age to 70 as part of their plan to reform Social Security. Save Social Security, don't destroy it." As Trump referenced, some Republican lawmakers had previously expressed the intent to cut Medicare and Social Security as a way to cut spending overall.

A new national Quinnipiac University poll shows some striking fault lines emerging in the still-early 2024 Republican presidential race. But it’s the stark GOP divides in GOP support between Trump and DeSantis that stand out in the poll. Among just self-identified Republicans, Trump gets 48% versus 31% for DeSantis. And among white Republicans with four-year college degrees, DeSantis is ahead of Trump, 51%-22%. When Biden was matched up against DeSantis, it was DeSantis 47%, Biden 46%.

☆ Trump's return to social media could help him reach more people, but that could actually hurt him by highlighting his volatility — especially compared to a more composed Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump will soon be allowed on all the major social media platforms he was previously banned from. It's still unclear if Trump will return to Facebook or Twitter, but his use of social media has always been polarizing, even among his own supporters. Unlike Trump, DeSantis is rarely, if ever, making headlines for something he wrote on Twitter. He's not unpredictable on social media and large swaths of his supporters are not calling for him to put down his phone. Essentially, DeSantis has tapped into the same exact grievances as Trump but does so through policies instead of constant tweeting.

☆ Mike Pompeo says Trump had a 'nutty' plan for him to serve as both secretary of defense and secretary of state simultaneously: book
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pompeo said Trump floated the idea of him serving as secretary of state and defense secretary, per his new memoir. In July 2020, Trump told Mark Meadows that he wanted his secretary of state to have a "dual hat," per Pompeo. Pompeo made the revelation as he explores a potential 2024 White House campaign against his ex-boss. According to Pompeo's book, Trump told Meadows that Esper was "not going to make it" for much longer while helming the Defense Department. That July, Trump told Meadows that he wanted his secretary of state to have a "dual hat" and "take on leading the department of defense as an additional duty," per Pompeo.

☆ Mitt Romney could face a 'divisive' re-election campaign in 2024 after backing both Trump impeachments and breaking with conservatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Mitt Romney is perhaps the most anti-Trump Republican senator and has often broken with the GOP. Romney voted to convict the former president during both of his impeachments, first on abuse of power charges in 2020 and then incitement of an insurrection in 2021. If Romney chooses to run again, he'll have to explain all of that to Republican primary voters back home. The Utah senator told Insider at the Capitol last month that he had not yet decided whether to run, but was "keeping my options open." In Washington, Romney can count on the backing of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who told Politico that it's "important for the Republican Party and the country" that the Utah Republican seek re-election.

☆ An Alabama 'election denier' is leading efforts in the state to withdraw from a national organization that combats voter fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Alabama's top elections official is withdrawing the state from a nonprofit known as ERIC. Founded in 2012, ERIC began as a collaboration by election officials in seven states, four of them Republican. A powerful outlierOfficials, including Republicans, have credited the organization with helping clean up their voter lists and prevent fraudulent votes. A former state legislator, Allen was dubbed an "election denier" by the States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan group that promotes election integrity, over his support for overturning the results of the 2020 election. With or without Alabama, he said, ERIC will continue to focus on "improving the accuracy of America's voter rolls and increasing access to voter registration for all eligible citizens."

☆ Prosecutors in Georgia are fast approaching a decision on whether to charge Trump. Here's how it would go down.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Over the past year, she empaneled a grand jury and fought court battles to ensure testimony from Gov. Two other high-profile witnesses who fought grand jury subpoenas, Mark Meadows and Newt Gingrich, have their cases before appeals courts. A regular grand jury, which sits for two months, would probably move swiftly, Carlson said, since it would have all the evidence painstakingly compiled by the special grand jury. "The reason it'll go very fast is the regular grand jury will have a transcript from the testimony of a laundry list of witnesses that have already testified to the special grand jury," Carlson said. The case in Georgia, Carlson pointed out, is especially potent because of how uniquely strong the evidence is and how reliable the witnesses would be.

☆ Trump hits 7-year low in new national poll as Biden approval climbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Just 31% of registered voters surveyed hold a favorable view of Trump, versus 59% who have an unfavorable opinion of him, the poll found. That's the lowest rating Trump has received since July 2015, shortly after he launched his first presidential bid, according to Quinnipiac. Trump's declining marks were even worse among independent voters, the poll showed. Majorities of registered-voter respondents told Quinnipiac they would not like to see Trump or Biden as a 2024 presidential nominee. Asked for comment, a source close to Trump noted that a recent Morning Consult poll showed Trump holding court as the frontrunner, backed by 49% of potential GOP primary voters compared with 31% who favored DeSantis.

☆ After Trump Org tax-fraud conviction, will Trump only get a slap on the wrist or could he face new NY charges?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NY law limits the penalties Trump faces to $250K per tax count and $10K per crime. But the conviction could embolden the Manhattan DA's office to pursue more cases against the former president and his company, insiders say. The tax-fraud case against the Trump Organization has been that probe's only indictment to date. That victory — and the apparent willingness of Manhattan residents to hit hard — may embolden the DA's office to go after Trump himself. "He has 500 subsidiaries" he said of the Trump Organization.

☆ How Trump Org's tax fraud conviction could bar Trump from federal contracts, even for Secret Service
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Laura Italiano | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Trump Organization was found criminally liable of tax fraud on Tuesday after a six-week trial. A ban could end his 'exorbitant' billing of Secret Service agents who protect him at his resorts. At the Trump Organization headquarters in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the cars, apartments, and tuition were considered part of Weisselberg's $940,000-a-year income, prosecutors said. Secret Service a tough targetWatchdogs concede that Trump's Secret Service billing is a tough target. Barring the unlikelihood of a cash-free solution — Trump letting the Secret Service "stay at our properties for free," as Eric Trump once promised, or forgoing Secret Service protection voluntarily, as Richard Nixon did — Trump's Secret Service spigot may well remain open, watchdogs acknowledge.

☆ Mike Lindell is running to lead the Republican National Committee and unseat longtime foe Ronna McDaniel
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is running for RNC chair against incumbent Ronna McDaniel. "With all my due diligence and in prayer, I am 100% running for RNC chairman against Ronna McDaniel," Lindell said. Former President Donald Trump, Lindell's longtime ally, hasn't yet publicly supported his bid against McDaniel. Lindell told Insider that he hasn't spoken to Trump about the matter yet. As for McDaniel, she has signaled that she plans to run for another term as RNC chair, per Politico.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected former President Donald Trump's last-ditch plea to block the release of his tax records to House Democrats, paving the way for their possible disclosure to the lawmakers. Earlier this month, Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked the Ways and Means panel from accessing Trump’s tax records while the court decided how to act on Trump’s request. House Democrats, as well as the Biden administration, urged the court to reject Trump's request, saying their demand for the tax documents reflected a valid legislative purpose. Democrats have been calling for Trump to release his tax returns ever since the 2016 presidential campaign. While no law requires presidential candidates to release their tax returns, it has become the norm for both Democrats and Republicans to do so.

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