Related video: Trump blasts Jan. 6 committee subpoena in 14-page letter
Donald Trump will today give a deposition in a defamation case brought by writer E Jean Carroll, who claims the former president raped her in a New York department store in the 1990s.
Mr Trump denies the allegation and has been trying for years to fight off the lawsuit, in which Ms Carroll claims he defamed her by accusing her of lying about the alleged incident. When a judge decided last week that Mr Trump could not avoid being deposed, he restated his claim on Truth Social, thus repeating the behaviour she is suing him for.
Meanwhile, a key source of the infamous Steele dossier on the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged links to Russia has been cleared of lying to the FBI.
The acquittal of Igor Danchenko means the inquiry into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation has failed to secure a single significant conviction, with a Fox News host suggesting the probe was “imploding”.
On another front, audio has been released revealing that Mr Trump allowed veteran journalist Bob Woodward access to letters between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The then-president can be heard saying: “Don’t say I gave them to you, okay?”
ICYMI: Trump boasts of locking former staff into NDAs
Journalist Bob Woodward, one of the reporters behind the Watergate revealations in the 1970s, is publishing an audiobook that includes recordings of the former president, some of which have been shared with CNN ahead of the book’s release.
The Trump Tapes include eight hours of recorded interviews with Mr Trump, according to CNN.
One conversation on the tapes includes Mr Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr speaking about NDAs.
“I do have non-disclosure deals with,” Mr Trump says. “Corey has one, Hope has one, to do so I won’t even ask one question even as I have,” Mr Trump adds.
“I don’t [have] one [and] I’m in the middle of a book…” Mr Trump Jr states jokingly.
“He’s the one I’m most worried about,” Mr Trump says.
Read more from Gustaf Kilander.
Trump heard on tape boasting about his ‘airtight’ non-disclosure agreements
‘I respect Putin. I think Putin likes me. I think I like him,’ former president says
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 14:45
Trump’s latest target: SNL
Donald Trump had a frenzied day on Truth Social yesterday, mostly “retruthing” other users’ bizarre and false memes about election fraud and “deep state” conspiracies. But he also had time to fire off a bilious truth or two of his own – including this one attacking Saturday Night Live:
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 14:00
Pelosi: Trump not brave enough to come to Capitol on Jan 6
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has responded to footage taken of her during the January 6 riot in which she said she wanted to punch the president in the face if he actually showed up.
Speaking on MSNBC, she stood by her remarks.
“I said I would’ve punched him out, I would’ve gone to jail, and I would’ve been happy to do so for our country,” said Ms Pelosi.
“Would you have done it?” Ms Mitchell pressed the speaker.
Ms Pelosi hesitated for a moment, then answered: “He wouldn’t have had the courage to come to the Hill. He’s all talk.”
Pelosi says Trump didn’t have ‘courage’ to come to Capitol on Jan 6: ‘He’s all talk’
Speaker responds to Jan 6 committee footage
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 13:30
Trump to be deposed today in Carroll lawsuit
Having spent years trying to fight off a defamation lawsuit from E Jean Carroll, who claims he raped her in the 1990s, Donald Trump is scheduled to be deposed in the case today.
He recently restated his claim that she is lying about her allegation – the same claim that she is suing him over, and which he previously argued he could not be sued for because he made it while president.
Catch up on the case with this read from Megan Sheets and Clémence Michallon.
What we know about E Jean Carroll’s rape allegations against Donald Trump
Journalist, author and columnist alleges former president raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 13:06
ICYMI: Audio reveals Trump showed Kim Jong-Un letters to Bob Woodward: ‘Don’t say I gave them to you’
A recording from a new audiobook by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward reveals that former President Donald Trump gave the journalist copies of letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“Nobody else has them, but I want you to treat them with respect,” Mr Trump says on the recording. “And don’t say I gave them to you, okay?”
Read the full story here:
Audio reveals Trump showed Kim Jong-Un letters to Bob Woodward
‘I want you to treat them with respect,’ the former president told Mr Woodward
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 12:30
Trump legal team accused of ‘judge shopping’ in taking extraordinary steps to land favourite judge
Donald Trump’s legal team got extremely lucky with the assignment of their case against the Justice Department to a judge appointed to the bench by Mr Trump who has made a name for herself with rulings that have baffled legal experts.
The former president’s legal team is now facing accusations from outside legal experts of “judge shopping” as the special master process to determine whether any of the documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate and resort were actually protected by attorney-client privilege.
Read the full story by John Bowden here:
Trump legal team accused of ‘shopping’ to land friendly judge
Low chance of landing specific judge has some crying foul
Maroosha Muzaffar19 October 2022 12:00
Kevin McCarthy pours cold water on Biden impeachments
Speaking to Punchbowl News, House minority leader and putative speaker-in-waiting Kevin McCarthy has tried to minimise the possibility that a Republican majority could seek to impeach Joe Biden or members of his cabinet. Here’s what he told the outlet:
“I think the country doesn’t like impeachment used for political purposes at all. If anyone ever rises to that occasion, you have to, but I think the country wants to heal and … start to see the system that actually works. What we’ve done in the Commitment to America, but we’re really focused on the economy, on crime and the border. [Voters] don’t want you to focus on it. We focus on accountability.”
Mr McCarthy’s remarks might appeal to the more moderate voters his party needs to win if he is to take control of the House, but should he win only a small majority, he will not be able to easily assuage the extreme members calling for the president to be hauled down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 11:30
Above the law? How right-wing sheriffs are using their powers to back the Trump agenda
A growing movement of so-called ‘constitutional sheriffs’ believe they are the final word on the law on issues like Covid, guns, and the 2020 election, Josh Marcus reports:
How right-wing sheriffs are using their powers to back the Trump agenda
A growing movement of so-called ‘constitutional sheriffs’ believe they are the final word on the law on issues like Covid, guns, and the 2020 election, Josh Marcus reports
Maroosha Muzaffar19 October 2022 11:00
Pelosi says Trump ‘wouldn’t have had the courage’ to come to Capitol during Jan 6 riot: ‘He’s all talk’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has responded to footage taken of her and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during the January 6 riot.
The Democratic leader spoke on MSNBC in an interview with Andrea Mitchell after the House select committee investigating January 6 played footage of her responding to news that Donald Trump wanted to come down to the Capitol during the deadly riot started by his supporters.
Read the full story here:
Pelosi says Trump didn’t have ‘courage’ to come to Capitol on Jan 6: ‘He’s all talk’
Speaker responds to Jan 6 committee footage
Maroosha Muzaffar19 October 2022 10:00
Trump showed Bob Woodward Kim Jong-un letters
A recording from a new audiobook by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward reveals that former President Donald Trump gave the journalist copies of letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“Nobody else has them, but I want you to treat them with respect,” Mr Trump says on the recording. “And don’t say I gave them to you, okay?”
Audio reveals Trump showed Kim Jong-Un letters to Bob Woodward
‘I want you to treat them with respect,’ the former president told Mr Woodward
Oliver O’Connell19 October 2022 09:15
