Donald Trump has declined to endorse any candidate for House Speaker, leaving the House GOP without a clear frontrunner. This situation is reminiscent of 1998, when the scandal-ridden House elected Denny Hastert by affirmation in a rush to return to calm. Trump has weighed in on the race, but it is unclear how much of an impact his endorsement would have.
Former President Donald Trump reacted to lawyer Sidney Powell's plea deal with Georgia prosecutors, defending her involvement in his "Stop the Steal" efforts while attempting to distance himself from her. Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit election interference, a major blow to Trump's attempts to overturn the election results and a reminder that he and his associates are still facing legal consequences.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) spoke on NBC's "Meet The Press" about why he has not yet endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election, citing current issues such as the open Southern border and war in the Middle East. Meanwhile, aid convoys have been making their way into Gaza and the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Middle East to help defend Israel. Humanitarian groups have applauded the aid, but say it falls short of what is needed to help civilians on the ground.
The House of Representatives has been without a speaker since October 3rd, when former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said the disorder gripping the House was a direct result of Kevin McCarthy's alliance with former President Donald Trump. This week, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) failed to win the speaker’s gavel in a House floor vote for the third time, and Republicans voted against him in a secret ballot. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) said the House is unable to move forward with business due to the lack of a speaker, leaving the House in a state of limbo with no clear path forward.
Donald Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday for violating a partial gag order in his New York civil fraud case, which relates to his failed business venture, Trump University. The order required Trump to remove a post trashing the judge's law clerk on social media, which he failed to do. Judge Arthur Engoron of the New York Supreme Court imposed the fine and reserved the right to hold Trump in contempt and possibly even put the 2024 Republican front-runner in jail if he again violates the limited gag order.
Former President Donald Trump has been granted a temporary stay on a limited gag order issued by Judge Tanya Chutkan in the 2020 election conspiracy criminal case. The order, which was issued on Monday, barred Trump from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff, and potential witnesses. Judge Chutkan agreed to the stay on Friday, allowing Trump to speak freely while the parties submit appeal briefs in the coming weeks. A final ruling on the matter is yet to be issued.
Kenneth Chesebro, a former legal adviser to Donald Trump's campaign, has pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to file false documents in the Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney's office's 2020 election interference case. He has agreed to testify against any and all co-defendants and to turn over any related emails and text messages. Chesebro is the second defendant to reach a plea deal in the past two days, and the case is ongoing with no other plea deals announced so far.
Former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial took an unexpected turn when the spotlight shifted to his son Eric, who was actively involved in appraisals he has since said he doesn't remember. Judge Arthur Engoron issued a limited gag order on Trump and asked his lawyers why he shouldn't impose sanctions for violating the order. The trial is ongoing and it is unclear what impact Eric's testimony and documents will have on the case.
