Donald Trump faces four criminal charges over attempts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election results – live – The Guardian US

<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"64c97f968f089238fc2e1980","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.DocumentBlockElement","embedUrl":"https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/23893938-govuscourtsdcd25814910_2/?embed=1","height":905,"width":700,"title":"Trump Indictment Aug 1","isMandatory":true,"isThirdPartyTracking":false,"source":"DocumentCloud","sourceDomain":"embed.documentcloud.org","elementId":"32d00264-fff5-4215-a88d-577b51aa6dc5"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1690926998000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"17.56 EDT","blockLastUpdated":1690927112000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"17.58 EDT","blockFirstPublished":1690927038000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"17.57 EDT","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"17.57","title":"Read the full indictment","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT"},{"id":"64c97e2f8f08374acbaf9ff6","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

The indictment lists six co-conspirators but does not name them. They are:

“,”elementId”:”9b3e914a-4347-4c62-a5c7-79688bee162f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• Co-Conspirator 1: An attorney who was willing to spread knowingly false claims and pursue strategies that the Defendant’s 2020 re-election campaign attorneys would not.

n

• Co-Conspirator 2: An attorney who devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the Vice President’s ceremonial role overseeing certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election.

n

• Co-Conspirator 3: An attorney whose unfounded claims of election fraud the Defendant privately acknowledged to others sounded “crazy.” Nonetheless, the Defendant embraced and publicly amplified Co-Conspirator 3’s disinformation.

n

• Co-Conspirator 4: A Justice Department official who worked on civil matters and who, with the Defendant, attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations and influence state legislatures with knowingly false claims of election fraud.

n

• Co-Conspirator 5: An attorney who assisted in devising and attempting to implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.

n

• Co-Conspirator 6: A political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.

n

“,”elementId”:”95a143ad-6e35-4f4a-af72-c08f4facc936″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins writes that the co-conspirator 1 will likely be Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump’s attorney at the time in the wake of his 2020 presidential election loss.

“,”elementId”:”5fed65c7-ddf2-488d-bac1-1bea302624a2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

While he is not named and has not gotten a target letter yet, it is clear Rudy Giuliani is co-conspirator 1 in the indictment, given it cites a conversation Rusty Bowers had with Giuliani, including having no evidence but "lots of theories."

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 1, 2023

n”,”url”:”https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1686494649563623424″,”id”:”1686494649563623424″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”24ddaef6-a493-44c1-8649-789310624f66″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Politico’s Kyle Cheney writes that the second co-conspirator appears to be John Eastman, who was in the vanguard of lawyers plotting schemes involving “fake electors” and other ploys to help Trump thwart Joe Biden’s win in 2020.

“,”elementId”:”69f1c5eb-611a-4c75-abdd-cd4440490049″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

Coconspirator 5 appears to be Ken Chesebro pic.twitter.com/fOdPbFECVK

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 1, 2023

n”,”url”:”https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1686495289023025153″,”id”:”1686495289023025153″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”c4105902-f5b9-4636-9d60-b3526b175692″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690926639000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”17.50 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690926955000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”17.55 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690926956000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”17.55 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”17.55″,”title”:”Indictment includes six co-conspirators”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c97d368f08374acbaf9fe8″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump has been summoned to appear before a federal magistrate judge on Thursday in Washington, after the former president was charged by the justice department for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“,”elementId”:”4ebcf189-b52d-4de3-9e90-0a778c6f78e1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump is expected to be arraigned at the DC district court before magistrate judge Moxila A Upadhyaya.

“,”elementId”:”35587d62-a258-4747-b626-68baea3f7d18″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690926390000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”17.46 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690926554000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”17.49 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690926554000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”17.49 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”17.49″,”title”:”Trump summoned to appear in court on Thursday”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c97ad68f089238fc2e1963″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump has been indicted on four counts involved with trying to overturn the 2020 election by special counsel Jack Smith.

“,”elementId”:”cbd8d466-139c-4818-874d-c51fe4eb6b82″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The former president faces the charges:

“,”elementId”:”89ade930-3c1e-49a2-b5f9-d4ef8cd0eb9e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

1. Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

n

2. Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding

n

3. Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding

n

4. Conspiracy Against Rights

n

“,”elementId”:”a9a07bd5-7a9b-49be-8334-e0ec96f2e502″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The indictment lists six co-conspirators but does not name them: four attorneys, a justice department official and a political consultant.

“,”elementId”:”a4dba19a-5358-408a-a9f3-0cdc31917531″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

You can read the full indictment here.

“,”elementId”:”439f2874-57d7-4c56-96a6-7823a5abd0fc”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:true,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690925782000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”17.36 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690926118000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”17.41 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690926118000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”17.41 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”17.41″,”title”:”Trump indicted on four charges”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c9728d8f083f2fac7d6c0b”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A federal grand jury hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election has voted to indict the former president, according to a court document.

“,”elementId”:”507153c2-b6cc-48a5-b933-0cbc6d9e7217″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Smith has been looking into Trump’s efforts to remain in office following his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden, including the deadly 6 January 2021 riot in which his supporters overran the Capitol building in Washington DC.

“,”elementId”:”eeef5ec6-f704-4bb9-9a8a-cf1a86bb069c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump is already facing criminal charges in Florida for illegally hoarding classified documents from his presidency, and prosecution in New York for a hush-money payment to an adult movie star. He is also expected to face state charges in Georgia over Trump’s efforts there to reverse his defeat to Biden in the 2020 election.

“,”elementId”:”a6447613-b1ef-4604-8159-a4098801f82a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump currently leads in polling for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination by a wide margin.

“,”elementId”:”30b21ca7-6fb8-44d1-bc20-8bc0cce5f16f”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690923661000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”17.01 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690925683000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”17.34 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690925684000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”17.34 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”17.34″,”title”:”Donald Trump indicted over efforts to overturn 2020 presidential election”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c975ea8f08374acbaf9fb8″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The federal grand jury hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election has handed up an indictment in the federal courthouse.

“,”elementId”:”031bbd9d-fff1-4f68-a8a3-38180be648d2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The indictment was sealed. From Politico’s Josh Gerstein:

“,”elementId”:”a13826db-d6e7-4589-ad05-527dc4385123″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

BREAKING: A grand jury just returned an indictment against a defendant who was not identified publicly even by initials or grand jury number. Was put under seal. A prosecutor who handles Jan. 6 matters, Molly Gaston, submitted what is believed to be Trump indictment.

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) August 1, 2023

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/joshgerstein/status/1686485399550500868″,”id”:”1686485399550500868″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”29e90415-fb7d-4cf2-acfc-946200b3ce99″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690924522000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”17.15 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690925516000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”17.31 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690924571000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”17.16 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”17.16″,”title”:”Indictment issued in Trump 2020 election interference investigation but judge seals content”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c96ecf8f08374acbaf9f7d”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump said he expects to be indicted at 5pm EST today as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

“,”elementId”:”7c58b008-19d2-4f25-9a8b-7e6adc35813b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump posted to Truth Social:

“,”elementId”:”797c781f-ff9b-4eb8-9c49-f6a04e607f76″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

I hear that Deranged Jack Smith, in order to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, will be putting out yet another Fake Indictment of your favorite President, me, at 5:00 P.M. Why didn’t they do this 2.5 years ago? Why did they wait so long? Because they wanted to put it right in the middle of my campaign. Prosecutorial Misconduct!

n

“,”elementId”:”e726d76e-320a-47f3-8c2c-d1925f730c5a”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690922703000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”16.45 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690923112000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”16.51 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690922781000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”16.46 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”16.46″,”title”:”Donald Trump says he expects to be indicted today over attempts to overturn 2020 election”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c95ec48f083f2fac7d6ba0″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Two Republican allies of Donald Trump in Michigan, including an ex-state lawmaker and a former candidate for attorney general, are facing charges over tampering with voting machines used in the 2020 election, the Associated Press reports.

“,”elementId”:”47ab59bb-0081-4a53-aa34-5d83cbd4d361″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A blue-leaning swing state, Trump managed to carry Michigan when he won the White House in 2016, while Joe Biden claimed it, and the presidency, in 2020. Trump then worked with local Republicans in an unsuccessful attempt to use an alternate slate of electors to stop Biden from claiming the state’s electoral votes. Last month, Michigan’s Democratic attorney general Dana Nessel charged 16 of those electors with felonies related to their participation in the scheme.

“,”elementId”:”b2755747-2d19-48ca-ad35-170aecfff052″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s more on the latest criminal fallout from the 2020 election, as told by the AP:

“,”elementId”:”220514e3-bb65-4322-81cd-b9ef809c3fd4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

Matthew DePerno, a Republican lawyer who was endorsed by Trump in an unsuccessful run for Michigan attorney general last year, was charged with undue possession of a voting machine and conspiracy, according to Oakland County court records.

n

Daire Rendon, a former Republican state representative, was charged with conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine and false pretenses.

n

Both were arraigned remotely Tuesday afternoon, according to Richard Lynch, the court administrator for Oakland County’s 6th Circuit.

n

Those charged in Michigan are the latest facing legal consequences for alleged crimes committed after embracing Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

n

The charges come as the former president is investigated for election interference in Georgia. Separately, Trump said in mid-July that he is a target of a federal investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

n

DePerno, whose name was incorrectly listed as “DeParno,” in court records, was named as a “prime instigator” in the case. He could not be reached by phone immediately for comment but has previously denied wrongdoing and has accused the state attorney general of “weaponizing her office.”

n

Five vote tabulators were taken from three counties in Michigan to a hotel room, according to documents released last year by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office. Investigators found that the tabulators were broken into and “tests” were performed on the equipment. They said that DePerno was there.

n

“,”elementId”:”2d906a09-698e-47c9-b5ae-0dff93d0bb1c”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690918596000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”15.36 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690919163000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”15.46 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690919163000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”15.46 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”15.46″,”title”:”Trump allies face charges in Michigan for tampering with 2020 election voting machines”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c955fc8f083f2fac7d6b7c”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Meanwhile in Florida, Kamala Harris has rejected an invitation from Republican governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis to discuss the state’s controversial African-American studies curriculum, which will teach students that enslaved people learned some useful skills.

“,”elementId”:”304103fc-97c2-416a-9644-a273b8c451b8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The vice-president’s comments came during her appearance at the 20th Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Quadrennial Convention in Orlando. Here’s what Harris had to say:

“,”elementId”:”fd16aad5-c3f4-4b17-a452-68f898e235b9″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

"I'm here in Florida and I will tell you there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact: There were no redeeming qualities of slavery."

— VP Harris responds to Gov. DeSantis (R-FL) inviting her to discuss Black history standards pic.twitter.com/flLsGuP1Lo

— The Recount (@therecount) August 1, 2023

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1686450256462966785″,”id”:”1686450256462966785″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”08f5a779-0785-42ef-b472-f2f273906da9″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690916348000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”14.59 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690916832000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”15.07 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690916636000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”15.03 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”15.03″,”title”:”Harris rejects DeSantis invitation to hash out differences over teaching slavery”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c94c408f089238fc2e1855″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump and his advisers have spent today and Monday preparing for his potential indictment over the campaign to overturn the 2020 election, CNN reports:

“,”elementId”:”67722b45-642e-4b4b-bb60-0835256ccde4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump and his advisers spent Monday and Tuesday morning preparing for an indictment to be filed in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the 2020 election, sources familiar with their plans tell CNN.

— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) August 1, 2023

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/alaynatreene/status/1686423892003377167″,”id”:”1686423892003377167″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”bee354be-fd53-452e-84d7-85e62d7418aa”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Trump campaign has lined up surrogates, influencers and allies to immediately respond to new charges once they are filed, and have also prepared a series of pre-written statements and videos defending the former president's actions in the lead up to and on January 6, 2021

— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) August 1, 2023

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/alaynatreene/status/1686423897078485002″,”id”:”1686423897078485002″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”34b5ee96-25d6-4e2f-8e18-0c9a6b683947″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Meanwhile, NBC News reports grand jurors empaneled by special counsel Jack Smith for his investigation have left the Washington DC courthouse where they were sitting:

“,”elementId”:”0037d609-79df-4b63-80f2-4e230fdf0669″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

The grand jury appears to have left for the day https://t.co/uIuJrMd5mE

— Daniel Barnes (@dnlbrns) August 1, 2023

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/dnlbrns/status/1686439639257665563″,”id”:”1686439639257665563″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”b2b9df5b-1543-4785-9aca-edb8ec693875″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690913856000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”14.17 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690914085000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”14.21 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690913983000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”14.19 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”14.19″,”title”:”Trump preparing for indictment – report”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c938b58f089238fc2e179c”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Grand jurors are meeting again at a federal courthouse in Washington DC, as special counsel Jack Smith edges toward announcing charges over the January 6 insurrection, potentially against Donald Trump. There’s no saying when a decision will be made or who will be indicted, but Smith has told Trump he is a target of the investigation. The legal trouble – which would be Trump’s third indictment, if it happens – appears not to have dented his standing with Republicans, nor even his general election prospects. A new poll out today shows Trump and Joe Biden tied in the general election, which would be bad news for Democrats, if it holds.

“,”elementId”:”931e695c-f31e-4721-b5de-c7431b43b128″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s what else has happened today so far:

“,”elementId”:”4d038824-8ef8-4da5-b6f9-9330f70a4444″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• The White House and Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville are squabbling on Twitter over the Republican lawmaker’s blockade of military promotions.

n

• The Mountain Valley Pipeline is expected to be constructed by the end of the year, the firm behind the controversial natural gas pipeline announced.

n

• Trump and Biden’s general election tie is a sign Democrats need to get to work, a top political analyst said.

n

“,”elementId”:”7f3b4671-d3a1-4b0b-8de6-8a50c86f191d”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690908853000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”12.54 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690909417000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”13.03 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690909417000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.03 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.03″,”title”:”The day so far”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c915388f08374acbaf9c07″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Joe Biden and Donald Trump are tied in a New York Times/Siena College poll released today, while the president has consolidated his support among Democrats.

“,”elementId”:”cb0dd4cc-2c46-4202-a313-d630a3d2ee0b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A caveat before we get into the numbers: the November 2024 election is more than a year away, and will likely be decided by a handful of swing states, particularly Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. So for all the headlines this poll might generate, keep in mind that things can change dramatically between then and now.

“,”elementId”:”9df7727a-23c9-468d-960e-53e9f6b0f818″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Back to the Times/Siena data, it finds Biden and Trump tied with 43% support if the presidential election were held today. But it also indicates many Democrats have gotten over their hesitancy towards Biden. Last year, two-thirds wanted a different candidate, but now, that number has dropped to about half.

“,”elementId”:”636e7374-e9c4-41a6-b675-125001f006b5″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s more on the numbers, from the Times:

“,”elementId”:”2d1da405-1845-4a00-b961-1af5ac4f82ca”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

Still, warning signs abound for the president: Despite his improved standing and a friendlier national environment, Mr. Biden remains broadly unpopular among a voting public that is pessimistic about the country’s future, and his approval rating is a mere 39 percent.

n

Perhaps most worryingly for Democrats, the poll found Mr. Biden in a neck-and-neck race with former President Donald J. Trump, who held a commanding lead among likely Republican primary voters even as he faces two criminal indictments and more potential charges on the horizon. Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump were tied at 43 percent apiece in a hypothetical rematch in 2024, according to the poll.

n

Mr. Biden has been buoyed by voters’ feelings of fear and distaste toward Mr. Trump. Well over a year before the election, 16 percent of those polled had unfavorable views of both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, a segment with which Mr. Biden had a narrow lead.

n

“Donald Trump is not a Republican, he’s a criminal,” said John Wittman, 42, a heating and air conditioning contractor from Phoenix. A Republican, he said that even though he believed Mr. Biden’s economic stewardship had hurt the country, “I will vote for anyone on the planet that seems halfway capable of doing the job, including Joe Biden, over Donald Trump.”

n

To borrow an old political cliché, the poll shows that Mr. Biden’s support among Democrats is a mile wide and an inch deep. About 30 percent of voters who said they planned to vote for Mr. Biden in November 2024 said they hoped Democrats would nominate someone else. Just 20 percent of Democrats said they would be enthusiastic if Mr. Biden were the party’s 2024 presidential nominee; another 51 percent said they would be satisfied but not enthusiastic.

n

A higher share of Democrats, 26 percent, expressed enthusiasm for the notion of Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee in 2024.

n

“,”elementId”:”d4f858f2-3f4e-4219-a43e-fdd21f3ce5ef”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690899768000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”10.22 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690900215000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”10.30 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690900216000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”10.30 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”10.30″,”title”:”Biden, Trump neck-in-neck in general election poll”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c900c78f08374acbaf9b45″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump’s multiplying legal troubles are taking a toll on his campaign finances as he spends more and more on lawyers, the New York Times reports.

“,”elementId”:”da186819-fe53-4ba6-a98d-d473946536c0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump’s Pac, Save America, has less than $4m in its account, down from the $105m it began last year with, the Times reports, citing federal records. So bad have its finances become that it has requested back $60m that it sent to a pro-Trump Super Pac, Make America Great Again Inc, which was supposed to spend the money on television ads.

“,”elementId”:”9a7631d5-b57f-431a-84c8-3e9bc19cc12f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Since the start of the year, Trump has been indicted by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg on state charges of falsifying business records, and by special counsel Jack Smith for breaking federal law by allegedly keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, and by conspiring to keep them out of the hands of government archivists.

“,”elementId”:”0108e6d3-a863-4fea-8a79-da82b95053b0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump has been told Smith may bring new charges against him related to his involvement in the January 6 insurrection, while, in Georgia, Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis said she will announce indictments in her investigation of Trump and his allies’ attempt to overturn the 2020 election sometime before September. The stage is set for Trump to continue paying huge legal fees for months, but he has one good thing going for him: his massive lead among Republican presidential candidates, which potentially could alleviate some of the damage done if he has to pullback on campaign spending.

“,”elementId”:”88c61113-ea4f-4723-b35c-2e549a5c9496″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s more on his dire finances, from the Times:

“,”elementId”:”fd7c340c-8b51-490f-af96-150843253ceb”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

The super PAC, which is called Make America Great Again Inc., has already sent back $12.25 million to the group paying Mr. Trump’s legal bills, according to federal records — a sum nearly as large as the $13.1 million the super PAC raised from donors in the first half of 2023. Those donations included $1 million from the father of his son-in-law, Charles Kushner, whom Mr. Trump pardoned for federal crimes in his final days as president, and $100,000 from a candidate seeking Mr. Trump’s endorsement.

n

The extraordinary shift of money from the super PAC to Mr. Trump’s political committee, described in federal campaign filings as a refund, is believed to be larger than any other refund on record in the history of federal campaigns.

n

It comes as Mr. Trump’s political and legal fate appear increasingly intertwined. The return of money from the super PAC, which Mr. Trump does not control, to his political action committee, which he does, demonstrates how his operation is balancing dueling priorities: paying lawyers and supporting his political candidacy through television ads.

n

Save America, Mr. Trump’s political action committee, is prohibited by law from directly spending money on his candidacy. When Save America donated $60 million last year to Mr. Trump’s super PAC — which is permitted to spend on his campaign — it effectively evaded that prohibition.

n

It is not clear from the filing exactly when the refund was requested, but the super PAC did not return the money all at once. It gave back $1 million on May 1; $5 million more on May 9; another $5 million on June 1; and $1.25 million on June 30. These returns followed Mr. Trump’s two indictments this year: one in Manhattan in March, and one last month in federal court.

n

“,”elementId”:”7f72cb9a-e9b5-4443-965e-685e60505b4e”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690895102000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.05 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690898352000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”09.59 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690896562000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”09.29 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”09.29″,”title”:”Trump’s legal troubles leaving campaign broke – report”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”},{“id”:”64c8fa2f8f089238fc2e14c3″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Good morning, US politics blog readers. The wait continues to find out whether special counsel Jack Smith will indict Donald Trump over his involvement in the January 6 insurrection, and there are signs this morning a decision could come soon. CNN spotted grand jurors arriving at a federal courthouse in Washington DC where they’re considering evidence in the case, but there’s no telling when a decision could come.

“,”elementId”:”3438a896-a162-4535-b4bd-bfa9ad5da7a3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Signs that Trump could be charged have been mounting. Last week, the former president said he had received a target letter from Smith, a step typically taken before someone is indicted. And yesterday, Trump said he expected charges to be filed “any day now”. But the winding legal saga has yet to dent his standing in the GOP, or even in the presidential race at large. New polling from the New York Times shows him crushing every other Republican candidate in the presidential nomination race, and tied with Joe Biden in the general election.

“,”elementId”:”95b99d6a-d8ed-4399-aba5-7178d946f7b8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s what else is happening today:

“,”elementId”:”ebc8dd55-d456-4d9f-bd22-59b281ff3be1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• Kamala Harris is heading to Orlando to address the 20th Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Quadrennial Convention at 2.15pm eastern time. We’ll keep an eye open if she reiterates her criticism of Florida’s new Ron DeSantis-backed school curriculum, which implies that slavery wasn’t so bad.

n

• Biden, meanwhile, continues his beach vacation in Delaware. He has no public events scheduled.

n

• Alabama lawmakers are raging over Biden’s decision to cancel US Space Command’s planned move to the state, Punchbowl News reports. The decision came amid Republican senator Tommy Tuberville’s ongoing blockade of military promotions in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy.

n

“,”elementId”:”5cd32eee-a7de-448f-a9e5-6fa6a9b863bf”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1690895102000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.05 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1690894833000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”09.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1690895102000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”09.05 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”09.05″,”title”:”Federal grand jury considering charging Trump over January 6 reconvenes ahead of potential indictment”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 1 Aug 2023 18.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Tue 1 Aug 2023 09.05 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”format”:{“display”:0,”theme”:0,”design”:11},”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”}”>

Key events