Trump makes fresh plea to toss 2020 election case in late-night appeal filing: Live

Donald Trump’s lawyers filed a request to a federal appeals court late on Saturday night, asking to throw out the 2020 election interference case against the former president – citing his presidential immunity.

The 55-page filing was submitted just two days after the Supreme Court refused to rule on Mr Trump’s presidential immunity appeal in the case.

Mr Trump’s lawyers reiterated much of their previous argument in the filing to the DC circuit for the Court of Appeals, saying that the former president’s decisions were made under his official acts, which are protected according to the Constitution.

The filing also leaned on the fact that Mr Trump was acquitted by the Senate for “the same and closely related conduct” and hinted that the indictment could have a chilling effect on future presidents.

It is the latest in a back-and-forth between Special Counsel Jack Smith and Mr Trump’s legal team in the fight to keep the indictment moving forward. Mr Smith has asked the court of appeals to expedite the process of hearing the immunity appeal.

The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump PAC, released a foul ad doubling down on allegations that former president Donald Trump smells.

Claims around the former president’s alleged odor erupted earlier this week when former Illinois Republican representative Adam Kinzinger tweeted, “I’m genuinely surprised how people close to Trump haven’t talked about the odor. It’s truly something to behold. Wear a mask if you can.”

The Lincoln Project seized upon the resulting social media firestorm with a video advertisement on Saturday, with the caption: “Is that you Donald? #TrumpSmells.”

The ad begins with scenes of dumps, waste, and dung — with flies swarming around it — and is punctuated by a chorus of coughs, sniffles, and vomiting.

Then, while featuring the facade of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, a reporter’s voice booms, “Claiming the former president smells bad.”

Comedian Kathy Griffin can then be heard saying, “The Donald has a distinct smell. It’s like body odor with a scented makeup product.”

While showing other smelly products, like moldy cheese, someone can be heard sniffing before saying, “Ew, Donald. Is that you?”

The ad is called “Limburger,” a cheese known for its pungent odor.

As the 2024 presidential primaries draw closer and Donald Trump remains the Republican frontrunner, it is becoming increasingly likely the former president could end up in the White House again.

But a former Trump administration cabinet member is raising concerns that another Trump presidency could be even more tumultuous than the first.

Former attorney general Bill Barr told Fox News’s Neil Cavuto on Friday that Mr Trump’s “chaotic” style of governance could lead to some problems and, unlike his first term, he may not have an administration to keep him in line.

“His style of governance, his continuing to pander to anger and frustration versus a constructive approach to solving our problem is going to be chaotic and not going to accomplish very much,” Mr Barr said.

He said the former president “needs people around him who will push back and help keep him on the straight and narrow”.

But, Mr Barr said he’s concerned that a second term in office will leave little room for those people to negotiate with the former president.

“During his first term, the main way that could be was by pointing out to him how this would hurt his prospects for a second term. Once he wins a second term I don’t know what considerations can be used to push back bad ideas,” Mr Barr revealed.

The former attorney general said that if Mr Trump were to be re-elected he would likely have no problem filling a cabinet but it’s the type of the people he fills it with that raises questions.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has quickly tried to slow down any efforts for the state to follow in Colorado’s footsteps and remove Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot.

“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy,” Mr Newsom said on Friday.

“But in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction.”

His comments arrive after California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued a letter urging the California Secretary of State to explore legal options to remove Mr Trump from the ballot.

Social media has not taken kindly to the discovery of the two black rectangular pads spotted under the former president’s shoes while he was speaking at Mar-a-Lago.

Now, speculation has erupted over why Donald Trump is using two black rectangular pads under his feet.

Donald Trump is doubling down on his innocence, again. This time, by seemingly calling out a comment made by former attorney general Bill Barr about the position the former president was in when he allegedly made an effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Joining Fox News on Saturday, Mr Barr said that federal prosecutors will argue Mr Trump did not have presidential immunity because “he was acting as a candidate not really as president” since he lost the election.

But on Sunday morning, Mr Trump took to his social media site to defiantly claim “I wasn’t campaigning.”

“ I was doing my duty as President to expose and further investigate a Rigged and Stolen Election. It was my obligation to do so, and the proof found is voluminous and irrefutable. Therefore, among other reasons, of course I am entitled to IMMUNITY,” Mr Trump wrote.

His comments come just after his legal team submitted an appeal to a district court, asking that they throw out the 2020 federal election interference indictment against him.

Overnight, lawyers for former president Donald Trump asked an appeals court to dismiss a federal indictment against him by claiming he had presidential immunity, just days after the Supreme Court declined to rule on the matter.

The appeal cites historical precedent that presidents are not prosecuted for acts made officially during their presidency – an argument Mr Trump’s lawyers have long attempted to make.

Mr Trump’s lawyers claim that allowing the indictment could set a precedent for “politically motivated prosecution” and asked the US District Court for DC to dismiss the case.

Mr Trump was charged with four counts related to his alleged efforts to overturn 2020 election results in his favor and making statements that fueled anger ultimately used in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The US Supreme Court has declined to weigh in on Donald Trump’s “presidential immunity” defence until an appeals court reviews the case.

The refusal on Friday from the nation’s highest court follows a request from special counsel Jack Smith to make a swift and “definitive” ruling on whether the former president can claim “immunity” from prosecution for crimes allegedly committed while in office.

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on the “immunity” defence on 9 January.

A federal grand jury indictment charges Mr Trump for his alleged attempts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, including his failure to stop a mob of his supporters from breaking into the US Capitol to stop the certification of the results on January 6.

The federal judge overseeing the case has rejected Mr Trump’s arguments, and Mr Trump has vowed to appeal.

“New York Times/Siena College poll dropped on Tuesday, meaning that Democrats either fretted about President Joe Biden’s low poll numbers and the fact he is losing narrowly to former president Donald Trump or soothed themselves by noting the election is still 11 months away.

The poll does show some alarming numbers, including a whopping 58 per cent disapproval rating for Mr Biden. Nearly three-quarters of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 disapprove of how Mr Biden has handled the war between Israel and Hamas, and now 49 per cent say they would back Mr Trump compared to 43 who say they would back Mr Biden.

All of this should worry Democrats. No incumbent president has had an approval rating below 40 per cent at this stage. The US exit from Afghanistan, persistent frustration with stubbornly high prices at the grocery store and questions about Mr Biden’s advanced age all compound his struggle to win another four years.”

Congress, particularly the House of Representatives, has had a turbulent 2023.

From the start, members of Congress struggled to find common ground on a speaker of the House, setting the tone for a year filled with near-physical brawls and verbal spats over GOP leadership after Republicans won a narrow majority in the midterm elections last year.

Infighting, especially between the right-wing flank of the GOP and the more establishment wing, led to scowls, cries, screams and – at times – even spit.

What the year showed is how the conservative party is slowly being split due to extremism that has arisen in part thanks to former president Donald Trump.

As we reflect on the chaotic year, here are some of the most memorable moments from the 118th US Congress.