Trump news – live: Vance slated for ‘kissing Trump’s ass’ as new details of McCarthy’s Jan 6 call emerge

Former president’s chosen Ohio Senate candidate was once among his most aggressive critics

Tim Ryan calls JD Vance an ‘ass-kisser’ after Trump remarks

Trump-backed Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance was ridiculed by his opponent last night for “kissing ass” to get the former president’s endorsement.

In a televised debate, Mr Vance’s Democratic opponent Tim Ryan quoted Mr Trump himself describing how Mr Vance had gone about securing his support.

Accusing Mr Vance of a “lack of courage,” Mr Ryan declared: “I’m from Ohio I don’t kiss anyone’s ass like him. Ohio needs an ass-kicker, not an ass-kisser.”

Meanwhile, an extract from an upcoming book on the GOP’s support for Mr Trump has revealed new details of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s infamous call with Mr Trump during the January 6 Capitol attack.

According to Politico, when Mr Trump told Mr McCarthy that the people storming the building were “more upset” than his party about the supposed theft of the election, Mr McCarthy responded: “More upset? They’re trying to f***ing kill me!”

Key points

• JD Vance slated for “kissing Trump’s ass"
• McCarthy told Trump Jan 6 rioters were trying to kill him – report
• Cassidy Hutchinson is ‘cooperating’ with Atlanta judge’s probe of Trump
• Trump claims Bill Clinton ‘lost’ the nuclear codes
• Report: Trump lawyer Christina Bobb cooperating with Justice Department

[18 October 2022 22:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump boasted about ‘airtight NDAs with former aides, new audio reveals

Donald Trump has been heard on tape boasting about his “airtight” non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with former aides and various other subjects in excerpts from a new audiobook.

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.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

[18 October 2022 22:19 · Oliver O'Connell]

Durham probe: Special counsel issues familiar statement after Danchenko acquittal

Special counsel John Durham issued the following statement following the acquittal of Igor Danchenko over his involvement in the Steele dossier : “While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognise and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case.”

Kyle Cheney, senior legal affairs analyst for Politico, notes that it is an identical statement to the one given after the Michael Sussman acquittal.

Defence attorney Stuart Sears told reporters outside the courthouse: “We’ve known all along that Mr. Danchenko was innocent. We’re happy now that the American public knows that as well.”

[18 October 2022 22:07 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump lawyers accused of ‘judge shopping’

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.

It’s an accusation that, like most hurled at the former president, will not result in any consequences but illustrates the frustration with which Judge Aileen Cannon’s orders and rulings are being received by independent legal minds.

John Bowden reports for The Independent.

[18 October 2022 21:55 · Oliver O'Connell]

Durham probe: ‘Great expectation here. It’s just fizzled’

[18 October 2022 21:47 · Oliver O'Connell]

Durham probe: Analyst acquitted at trial over discredited Trump dossier

A jury on Tuesday acquitted on all counts a think tank analyst accused of lying to the FBI about his role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump.

The case against Igor Danchenko was the third and possibly final case brought by Special Counsel John Durham as part of his probe into how the FBI conducted its own investigation into allegations of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

The first two cases ended in an acquittal and a guilty plea with a sentence of probation.

[18 October 2022 21:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Jury acquits Steele dossier Russian analyst over lying to FBI

In a big defeat for special counsel John Durham’s probe into the origins of the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation, a federal jury has acquitted Russian analyst Igor Danchenko on four counts of lying to the FBI about how and where he obtained info that ended up in the infamous Steele dossier.

[18 October 2022 21:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Voices: Trump shows the dangers of antisemitism directed at the diaspora

Noah Berlatsky writes:

Trump and his base think Jewish people don’t belong in the US. We remain, supposedly, on their sufferance, which means that they are entitled to our gratitude and our obeisance.

[18 October 2022 21:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Amidst deepening antisemitism controversy, Trump defends Kanye West

Donald Trump has defended Kanye West amid the rapper’s deepening antisemitism controversy, insisting that the rapper has always “been great to me.”

Mr Trump, whose daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and grandchildren are all Jewish, was asked by Salem News’s Larry O’Connor how he felt about West’s recent attacks.

Graeme Massie reports.

[18 October 2022 20:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘I was touched’: Ghislaine Maxwell praises Trump for backing her

Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, the one-time girlfriend and confidant of infamous child abuser Jeffrey Epstein, told a filmmaker that the support of men including Donald Trump and Prince Andrew gave her a “big boost” in prison.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

[18 October 2022 20:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

'I would’ve gone to jail, and I would’ve been happy to do so for our country’

In an appearance on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was asked about her statement in the recently released video of her on 6 January 2021 that she would punch then-President Donald Trump for his role in the Capitol riot if he had come to Congress that day.

“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.

Watch below: