Court orders adult film actress, Stormy Daniels, to pay ex-US president Trump $300,000 in legal fees

American adult film actress Stormy Daniels has been ordered by a federal court to pay US former president, Donald Trump the sum of $300,000 in attorney fees after it rejected her appeal to another court ruling in her defamation case against Trump.

The ruling by the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit followed an earlier ruling by a lower court that rejected Daniels’ defamation suit against Trump after he refuted her claims that they had s3x in 2006.

Daniels had claimed Trump cheated on his wife, Melania with her in 2006 and then paid her off to try and secure his 2016 election victory.

Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer for ten years, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for, among other offenses, paying Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.

The payment to keep Daniels quiet was made shortly before the 2016 president election, and it violated campaign finance laws.

In a statement issued on Monday night, March 21, Trump said that “all I have to do is wait for all of the money she owes me.

“The lawsuit was a purely political stunt that never should have started, or allowed to happen, and I am pleased that my lawyers were able to bring it to a successful conclusion after the court fully rejected her appeal”, Trump said, according to CNBC.

The Ninth Circuit US court of appeals ruled on Monday that it had no jurisdiction over Daniel’s appeal as she missed a 30-day deadline to appeal after a lower court first ordered her to pay the attorney fees to Trump.

Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, has since written a book about Trump and embarked on nationwide stripping tours.

Biden is a disaster, I will have no choice but to rescue America in 2024 -Trump

Former United States President Donald Trump, has described his successor, Joe Biden, as a “total disaster” and “an incompetent leader”.

He said he (Trump) would have no choice but to run for presidency in 2024 to save the country from collapse.

Trump, in an interview with Fox News aired on Monday, said the country is “getting to a point where we really have no choice” but for him to run for president again.

Asked about his plans for a potential White House bid in 2024, Trump said:

“I don’t think we’re going to have a choice. It is disgraceful.”

Trump went on to bill the Biden administration’s withdrawal of U.S. military assets from Afghanistan as the “greatest embarrassment in the history of our country.”

“When you look at Afghanistan and what happened, and the death for no reason, just for no reason,” Trump said, adding that military “parents – they want to speak with me – they don’t want to speak with Biden.”

“They’re just devastated. It is getting to a point where we really have no choice,” he added.

Trump went on to slam President Biden as “an incompetent person as the leader of our country” and called his administration “divisive.”

“They keep telling everyone how they want to get together, to be inclusive – they’re not inclusive. They are very, very dividing and divisive.”

Capitol Police officers sue Trump, allies, over insurrection

United States Capitol Police officers who were attacked and beaten during the January 6, 2021, riots, have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, his allies and members of far-right extremist groups, accusing them of intentionally sending a violent mob to disrupt the congressional certification of the election.

The suit filed on Thursday at the Federal Court in Washington, alleges that Trump “worked with white supremacists, violent extremist groups, and campaign supporters to violate the Ku Klux Klan Act, and commit acts of domestic terrorism in an unlawful effort to stay in power.”

The suit which was filed on behalf of the officers by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, named Trump, his campaign team, Trump’s ally, Roger Stone, and members of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were present at the Capitol and in Washington on the date, as defendants.

Two other similar cases have been filed in recent months by Democratic members of Congress, alleging that the actions of Trump and his allies led to the “violent siege of the Capitol that injured dozens of police officers, halted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s electoral victory and sent lawmakers running for their lives, as rioters stormed into the seat of American democracy, wielding bats, poles and other weapons.”

A House committee has started in earnest to investigate what happened that day, sending out requests for documents from intelligence, law enforcement and other government agencies. Their largest request so far was made to the National Archive for information on Trump and his former team.

Committee members are also considering asking telecommunications companies to preserve phone records of several people, including members of Congress, to try to determine who knew about the unfolding riot and when they knew it.

Trump, in turn, has accused the committee of violating “long-standing legal principles of privilege,” but his team had no immediat

Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of my administration and the Patriots who worked beside me, but on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our Nation,” Trump said in a written statement.

Trump makes $100m from fundraising

Former United States President, Donald Trump, has raised $100 million through a fundraising initiatives put together by his political organisations.

The funds were generated in the first six months of this year by the ex-President’s two political action committees – Save America, a leadership PAC, and Make America Great Again.

He said the funds were contributed by supporters who were unhappy with his defeat in last year’s presidential election and are hoping for a “change.”

This is the first time an ex-President is amassing such figures at any stage of an election cycle.

Trump, who spoke on the development in a statement, said the donations were the citizens’ demonstration of their support for his efforts at getting justice on the “flawed election.”

Trump said: “The donations are signs that millions of Americans “share my outrage and want me to continue to fight for the truth.”

“We are taking the intelligence seriously” —The US Capitol Police

Security has been ramped up at the US Capitol in response to “a possible plot to breach” the building.

The move was prompted by intelligence that an unnamed militia group planned the attack for 4 March – the day US presidents used to be inaugurated.

The House of Representatives cancelled Thursday’s session, but the Senate will continue with its agenda.

The threat comes two months after the deadly attack on the building by a mob loyal to former President Donald Trump.

They breached the Capitol building in January while lawmakers were inside moving to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. Mr Trump still refuses to admit losing the election.

The riot saw five people including a police officer killed and shook the foundations of American democracy. The head of the Capitol police force later resigned.

Supporters of an unfounded conspiracy theory believe Mr Trump will return to the White House on 4 March.

What does the intelligence say?

“As of late February, an unidentified group of militia violent extremists discussed plans to take control of the US Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers on or about 4 March and discussed aspirational plans to persuade thousands to travel to Washington, DC, to participate,” a new intelligence bulletin issued by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security says.

Following that assessment, the US Capitol Police referred in a statement to “a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4”.

“We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers.

“Due to the sensitive nature of this information, we cannot provide additional details at this time.”

Why is Thursday significant?

Supporters of an extremist conspiracy theory known as QAnon falsely believe Thursday will mark Mr Trump’s return to the White House for a second term.

They have latched onto this date because before the 20th amendment of the US Constitution – adopted in 1933 – moved the swearing-in dates of the president and Congress to January, American leaders took office on 4 March.

QAnon is a wide-ranging and completely unfounded theory which says that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media.

Security services were aware of online QAnon discussions surrounding 4 March, but did not “have any indication of violence or a specific, credible plot at this time”, an FBI official had told The Washington Post last week.

Capitol riot aftermath

The US justice department has charged more than 300 people with participation in the 6 January attack. Those arrested include members of the right-wing militia groups the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

Democrats said the attack amounted to an insurrection and the House voted to impeach Mr Trump for allegedly inciting the mob. The former president – the first in US history to be impeached twice – was later acquitted in the upper chamber, the Senate, with many Republican senators sticking by him.media captionWhen a mob stormed the US capitol

In late February Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told Congress that the Trump supporters behind the January attack want to “blow up” the Capitol and kill lawmakers.

Leon Panetta, a former US Defence Secretary and CIA chief, told the BBC that police would take no chances following January’s attack.

“We have got to have constant intelligence on domestic terrorists, have to track their possible efforts to again repeat what happened on January sixth and I think that’s what you’re seeing now, is an abundance of caution to make sure that we are properly prepared to react, if in fact any group attempts any kind of armed attack again on the United States Capitol,” he said.

Trump ‘unremorseful’ over Capitol riot – Report

Former United States President, Donald Trump, is reportedly not showing any remorse for the riot that broke out at the Capitol Building on January 6.

Trump had allegedly incited his supporters to disrupt Congress sitting to ratify the victory of President Joe Biden on November 3, 2020 election.

At his impeachment trial on Thursday, Senators were told that the ex-President has not expressed any regret over the violent incident and his lack of remorse could influence wavering members.

A congress source reported that Trump was unmoved by the footage while watching the trial from his home in Florida.

Mr. Trump was in a really good mood during the second day of his impeachment trial as shocking footage from the Capitol riots was shown.

“So far, he has not shown any remorse or contrition,” the source said.

Former Vice President, Mike Pence, who was seen in footage being ushered away by the Secret Service with his family as the mob attacked the Capitol, has reportedly still not repaired his relationship with Trump over the incident.

At the resumed sitting on Thursday, prosecutors will conclude their arguments for the impeachment of Trump while a verdict could be out as early as Friday.

Accused rioters blame Trump for ‘inspiring’ Capitol invasion

The former President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has been blamed by accused rioters who invaded Capitol Hill on the 6th of January for ‘inspiring’ the action.

Brandi Harden, the lawyer of one of the accused identified as Emanuel Jackson, who court filings describe as a “recently homeless”, wrote in a filing on Monday calling for pretrial release stating that Trump “roused the crowd by telling them ‘we will stop the steal’ and ‘you’ll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength, and you have to be strong … if you don’t fight like hell you are not going to have a country any more’”.

As such, “the nature and circumstances of this offense must be viewed through the lens of an event inspired by the President of the United States”, Harden wrote.

Other defendants who accused Trump of inspiring the invasion include; Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, the “QAnon Shaman” who donned a horned headdress and face paint during the attack, and Dominic Pezzola, a member of the Proud Boys right-wing group who is accused of shattering a window in the Capitol with a stolen police shield so rioters could enter.

This came days after the newly elected President of the United States of America, Joe Biden said in a US media interview that Trump should not continue to receive intelligence briefings normally available to former presidents because of his “erratic” behaviour.

Biden says Trump should not get US Intel briefings due to ‘erratic conduct’

The newly elected President of the United States of America, Joe Biden said in a US media interview of Friday that Donald Trump should not continue to receive intelligence briefings normally available to former presidents because of his “erratic” behaviour.

“I just think that there is no need for him to have intelligence,” President Biden said in an interview with CBS Evening News yesterday.

“What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all other than the fact he might slip and say something,” Biden added.

Speaking further during the interview, Biden said Trump was “unfit” to be president and cited Trump’s “erratic behaviour unrelated to the insurrection”, a reference to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by Trump political supporters.

Asked by the interviewer whether Trump should continue to receive top-level US intelligence, Biden said, “I think not.”

Biden sacks heads of govt media agencies appointed by Trump

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has sacked the heads of US media organizations appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Those affected in the mass sack on Saturday, include the acting chief of the US Agency for Global Media, and the directors of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, The Independent reports.

Before now, Biden had also forced Trump’s pick to run the USAGM to resign within hours of resuming office, a move political analysts say was meant to start on a new footing without having any of Trump’s appointees around him.

The latest changes come just a day after the director of Voice of America and his deputy were removed and the chief of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting stood down.

The now former head of the USAGM, Michael Pack, had been accused by Democrats of trying to turn the networks into pro-Trump propaganda outfits.

All of those fired by the acting CEO of USAGM, Kelu Chao, were appointed by Pack in December after he claimed that its newsrooms were filled with anti-Trump journalists.

It is unclear if the firings of Victoria Coates of MEBN, Stephen Yates of RFA and Ted Lipien of RFE, will be subject to legal challenges but Chao was quoted as saying in a memo to staff before the sackings:

“We have a lot of work ahead of us: reaffirm the firewall, the highest standards of professionalism, and the sacred editorial independence and journalistic integrity; and ensure the safety and security of our journalists.”

Biden official withdraws last-minute Trump LGBT memo.

President Biden’s administration on Friday revoked a last-minute memo issued by former President Trump’s Justice Department that sought to limit the scope of a landmark Supreme Court decision on workplace discrimination against the LGBTQ community. 

Greg Friel, the acting head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, on Friday issued a memo revoking a Trump administration directive in response to the Supreme Court’s June 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. The justices ruled in a 6-3 decision that the country’s laws on sex discrimination in the workplace also apply to discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump Justice Department’s 23-page memo dated Sunday said the court’s ruling should not extend to areas where gender-based policies on bathrooms and sports teams are relevant. The memo also indicated that employers could cite religious beliefs as justification for discrimination against LGBTQ employees. 

However, Friday’s move, first reported by Politico, revoked the Trump administration’s memo, with Friel arguing that the directive conflicted with a Wednesday executive order from Biden that committed the federal government to preventing any type of discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. 

“I have determined that this memorandum is inconsistent in many respects with the E.O.,” Friel wrote in his Friday directive to civil rights division colleagues, according to Politico. “I plan to confer with Department leadership about issuing revised guidance that comports with the policy set forth in the E.O. As part of that process, we will seek the input of Division subject matter experts.”

Biden’s executive order, one of several actions taken on his first day in office, calls on federal government agencies to review current policies against sex discrimination to make sure they prohibit discrimination toward members of the LGBTQ community. 

“Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love,” the order states. “Adults should be able to earn a living and pursue a vocation knowing that they will not be fired, demoted, or mistreated because of whom they go home to or because how they dress does not conform to sex-based stereotypes.” 

“All persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation,” the order adds.

Sunday’s memo from former acting Assistant Attorney General John Daukas, released publicly one day before Trump left office, sided with Justice Samuel Alito’s dissent in the Bostock case. 

“We must hesitate to apply the reasoning of Bostock to different texts, adopted at different times, in different contexts,” Daukas wrote. 

“Unlike racial discrimination, the Supreme Court has never held that a religious employer’s decision not to hire homosexual or transgender persons ‘violates deeply and widely accepted views of elementary justice’ or that the government has a ‘compelling’ interest in the eradication of such conduct,” the memo added, according to the Journal.

Trump’s impeachment trial begins February 8

The impeachment trial of former President of the United States, Donald Trump, will begin on February 8, making it the first time a former president will face such charges after leaving office.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who announced the schedule on Friday evening after reaching an agreement with Republicans in the Senate, said the delay in commencing the trial was to give Trump a chance to organize his legal team and prepare a defense on the sole charge of “incitement of insurrection” emanating from the Capitol Building riots on January 6.

According to Schumer, the February 8 start date would also allow the Senate more time to confirm President Joe Biden’s cabinet nominations and consider his proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package which are top priorities of the new White House agenda that could become stalled during trial proceedings.

While addressing lawmakers, Schumer said:

“We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation’s history behind us. But healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide.”

Schumer added that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment late Monday, with Senators sworn in as jurors on Tuesday.

Pelosi also said the nine House impeachment managers, or prosecutors, are “ready to begin to make their case” against Trump while Trump’s team will have had the same amount of time since the House impeachment vote to prepare.

Democrats say they have to hold Trump to account even as they pursue Biden’s legislative priorities, “because of the gravity of what took place, a violent attack on the U.S. Congress aimed at overturning an election.”

If Trump is convicted, the Senate could vote to bar him from holding office ever again, potentially ending his chances for a political comeback.

The urgency for Democrats to hold Trump responsible was complicated by the need to put Biden’s government in place and start quick work on his coronavirus aid package.

Republicans were eager to delay the trial, putting distance between the shocking events of the siege and the votes that will test their loyalty to the former president who still commands voters’ attention.

Biden reverses Trump’s policies on immigration, climate change, others

The new President of United States, Joe Biden, has signed a string of executive actions reversing key policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

A few hours after his inauguration, Biden headed to the White House and reversed the so-called immigration policy which banned citizens of Muslim nations from entering the US, rejoined the Paris Climate accord, and terminated the process for withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The president, who told journalists in the Oval Office that there was “no time to waste,” signed at least 15 executive actions.

Biden said: “Some of the executive actions I’m going to be signing today are going to help change the course of the COVID crisis. We are going to combat climate change in a way that we haven’t done so far and advance racial equity and support other underserved communities.”

During his inaugural address, Biden urged the nation to unite around defeating the COVID-19 which he described as the deadliest pandemic in a century.

‘We did what we came here to do. No US president matched my achievement,’ Trump boasts in farewell address

The outgoing United States President, Donald Trump, said on Tuesday his team did what Americans elected him to do about five years ago.

Trump, who was elected in 2016, lost his re-election bid after he was defeated by Joe Biden in last year’s presidential election in the US.

His tenure officially ends on Wednesday with Biden expected to take over as the country’s 46th president later in the day.

In a farewell address released on Tuesday, Trump celebrated his legacy in the four years he was in power, saying no president achieved what he was able to achieve.

Though he wished the new administration of Biden and his Vice Kamala Harris success in the years ahead, he did so without acknowledging his successor by name.

Before a sudden change of heart, the president had refused to offer a full concession to Biden who secured 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.

In a recorded address, he said:

“We did what we came here to do, and so much more. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices, because that’s what you elected me to do.

“This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous.

“We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck – a very important word.

“The greatest danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves, a loss of confidence in our national greatness.”

While also taking on Twitter and other social media platforms for suspending his accounts following the January 6 Capitol Building insurrection, Trump added:

“Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions

“America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree.”

The outgoing president also had strong words for China with whom he was involved in a long-drawn war all through his four years in the White House.

He also noted that the Middle East peace deals his administration brokered helped in a great way to bring peace to the region

“We revitalized our alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before.

“I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.

“Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning.

“I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart and optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come,” Trump concluded.

Inauguration Day 2021: Schedule of events as US move from Trump to Biden

President-elect, Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday as the 46th president of the United States alongside Kamala Harris who will be sworn in as the country’s first female vice-president.

The inauguration theme, “America United,” according to the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) “reflects the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together, and creates a path to a brighter future.”

However, due to COVID-19 restrictions and security concerns over the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building, the inauguration will be much different from those held in past years with it being mostly virtual, while the crowd will be kept to a bare minimum as 20,000 National Guard troops have been deployed around Washington, D.C.

The PIC has installed a public art display called “Field of Flags,” at the National Mall to represent the people unable to travel to the city for the ceremonies.

Here is a schedule of what has been planned for the inauguration:

8:00 a.m.: Outgoing President Donald Trump has planned a sendoff at an airfield at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where he is expected to make remarks, then board Air Force One for the last time as he heads to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: The livestream event “Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans” will be hosted by actress Keke Palmer.

The event will act as an explainer for young Americans before and during the ceremony. It will feature incoming first lady Jill Biden and historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Erica Armstrong Dunbar.

The event will also include a trivia portion with questions produced by the Library of Congress and a segment on presidential pets produced by Nickelodeon.

11:00 a.m.: The inauguration ceremony begins.

12:00 p.m.: Biden and Harris will be sworn in at the US Capitol building. US Supreme Court Chief, Justice John Roberts, will administer the oath of office to Biden.

Then, US Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, will swear in Harris.

Biden will deliver his inaugural address. He is expected to discuss the pandemic and the unification of the nation.

Other participants will include:

Invocation: Father Leo J. O’Donovan, a Jesuit priest and spiritual mentor to Biden.

Pledge of Allegiance: Capt. Andrea Hall, the City of South Fulton, Ga. fire captain.

National Anthem: Lady Gaga

Poetry Reading: Amanda Gorman, the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles and the country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate.

Musical Performances: Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks

Benediction: Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman, the Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Del.

12:30 p.m.: Biden, Harris and their spouses, Dr. Jill Biden and Douglas Emhoff who will be addressed as Second Gentleman, will participate in a Pass in Review with every branch of the military.

Afterward, all four will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

3:15 p.m.: The two couples will receive a presidential escort to the White House, accompanied by the military and the drumlines from Biden and Harris’s alma maters.

The televised event, “Parade Across America,” will be hosted by Tony Goldwyn and will feature performances by Earth, Wind and Fire, TikTok star Nathan Apodaca, and comedian Jon Stewart.

8:30 p.m.: Another televised event, “Celebrating America” hosted by Tom Hanks, will include appearances from Biden, Harris, Kerry Washington, and Eva Longoria. Featured performances by Ant Clemons, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, and Justin Timberlake are planned.

Trump plans to offer last minute pardon to over 100 people —Report

Reports say outgoing President of the United States, Donald Trump, is expected to offer pardon to more than 100 Americans as his tenure winds down on Wednesday, January 20, when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in.

According to Washington Post, Trump had, on Sunday, held a “meeting with his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and other aides to discuss possible pardons and commutations.”

At the meeting, Trump reportedly mooted the idea of granting widespread pardons or commutting of sentences of more than 100 people in his final hours in office, and could announce the decisions today, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

One of the sources said Trump and other aides spent a significant portion of the meeting reviewing a long list of pardon requests, as well as lingering questions about their appeals

“The president was personally engaged with the details of specific cases.

“In the past few weeks, the President has been particularly consumed with the question of whether to issue preemptive pardons to his adult children, top aides and himself,” the source said.

The other source who was present at the meeting said Presidential aides no longer expect a preemptive self-pardon or pardons for any family members, but the situation could always change with a “volatile and mercurial president like Trump.”

“Neither President Trump nor his children have been charged with crimes, and they are not known to be under federal investigation.

But the question of a presidential self-pardon has become more urgent and controversial since the January 6 storming of the Capitol by Trump’s supporters.”

Trump has been besieged by lobbyists and lawyers for well-heeled clients who are seeking to have their criminal convictions pardoned, as well as by advocates for criminal justice reform who argue that their clients were wrongly convicted or were given unfair sentences and deserve to be freed from prison.

While some aides believe Trump could face criminal liability for inciting the crowd, others think a self-pardon, never before attempted by a president, would be of dubious constitutionality, which could anger Senate Republicans preparing to serve as key jurors at Trump’s impeachment trial and would amount to an admission of guilt that could be used against him in potential civil litigation related to the Capitol attacks.

One person who is said to be under consideration for a pardon is rapper and music executive, Lil Wayne, who was charged with carrying a loaded handgun from California to Florida on his private jet.

He was barred from owning the gun because of past felony convictions, including a weapons charge.

Lil Wayne later met with Trump and posed for photos five days before the November 3, 2020 election, and in the process, got sticks from other musicians and activists for posting the photo to social media and crediting Trump with helping the Black community.

So far, Trump has granted pardon to 94 people, mostly friends and political allies, including 49 in the week before Christmas.

They have included people convicted in the special counsel investigation that dominated his first two years in office, such as his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime confidant Roger Stone.

Just before Thanksgiving, Trump pardoned Michael Flynn, who had briefly served as his first national security adviser and later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during its investigation of Russian interference in Trump’s 2016 election win.

Other pardons issued in the closing weeks of Trump’s time in office have gone to Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, as well as three Republican former members of Congress and four military contractors involved in the killing of unarmed civilians during the Iraq War.

Donald Trump balloon: Baby blimp acquired by Museum of London

The Donald Trump baby blimp, which flew over Parliament Square during the US president’s visit to the UK, has found a new home.

The Museum of London has bought it so it can rest in its protest collection.

The 6m-high (19.7ft) inflatable, blimp was flown over Parliament Square during the US President’s working visit to the UK in July 2018.

The Museum of London said the blimp was an “extraordinary and imaginative idea” and a “response from Londoners”.

The huge inflatable depicts the US president wearing a nappy and clutching a mobile phone.

Following a global tour it will now be conserved by the museum and could go on display in the future.

In a statement, the effigy’s creators said they hoped it would be “a reminder of the politics of resistance that took place during Trump’s time in office”.

The Museum of London’s director, Sharon Ament, said the museum was “not political and does not have any view about the state of politics in the States”, but the balloon had touched on the typical British response of satire.

“We use humour a lot. And we poke fun at politicians. This is a big – literally – example of that,” she said.

Donald Trump is in the final days of his presidency with Joe Biden’s inauguration set to take place on Wednesday.

Palm Beach County seeks way to end lease with Trump golf course.

A Florida county is seeking to find a way to end its lease with on of President Trump’s golf courses. 

Chief assistant county attorney Howard Falcon told The Palm Beach Post that an unnamed county commissioner on Wednesday asked him if it was possible for the county to terminate its lease with the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

“My initial reaction is it would be a stretch,” said Falcon, according to the Post. The Trump Organization pays $88,338 a month to rent the property in Florida. 

A lawyer for Trump’s golf course said there would be “no basis for canceling the lease,” according to the news source. 
The contract between President Trump and the county does not contain a “bad boy” clause, according to Falcon. A “bad boy” clause allows a contract to be canceled if there is bad behavior from the tenet that is laid out in the contract. This behavior normally includes fraud or criminal matters, according to the Post.

Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course has been used to golf with foreign diplomats and members of Congress and his administration. 

The county is seeking termination of the contract after the Capitol riots last Wednesday that left five dead, including a Capitol Police officer. Before the violent mob descended on the Capitol, Trump gave a speech from the National Mall encouraging his supporters to gather at building to demand Congress stop the count to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College win. 

The riots that ensued damaged parts of the building and caused Vice President Pence and members of Congress to evacuate from their respective chambers to undisclosed locations. 

News from the count comes as several entities – both private and public – have sought to cut ties with the Trump Organization. PGA of America decided not to host its championship event at one of Trump’s golf courses in Bedminster, N.J. 

Several banks that have done business with the president are distancing themselves, New York City is trying to end contracts with the Trump Organization, and Shopify has taken Trump’s official store off their platform.

APC Knocks Trump, Urges Him To Emulate Buhari

The All Progressive Congress (APC) urged United States President, Donald Trump, to emulate his Nigerian counterpart on how to handle defeat after losing an election.

In a statement by the party’s Secretary of Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, John Akpanudoedehe, titled, ‘The integrity of a leader is as important as strong institutions’, the party condemned the US Capitol Building riot by pro-Trump protesters. 

The APC also faulted Trump’s refusal to concede defeat in the United States 2020 presidential election stressing that President Muhammadu Buhari contested and lost in elections several times but followed due process through to the Supreme Court.

The statement read, “The events of the past 72 hours in the United States of America are to say the least condemnable. Over time, the elections of the US have been used as a touchstone for elections in other democracies.

“It is settled that strong institutions are fundamental to the sustenance of democracies. However, this US election saga strongly underscores the fact that the integrity of the country’s leader essentially complements the workings of institutions.

“President Muhammadu Buhari contested and lost elections a number of times and followed the process through to the Supreme Court on all accounts. This is an outstanding credential of a true democrat.

“Upon ultimately gaining victory in 2015, the APC-led administration has carried out fundamental reforms to strengthen our institutions.

“For instance, non-interference in the functions of the Independent National Electoral Commission. The APC has contested elections; won some, lost some without splitting hairs. In fact, at some point, the APC lost over five states to the Peoples Democratic Party, yet we allowed democracy to prevail. We have remained resolute in our belief that in every electoral contest, popular will must prevail.”

The opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had earlier written to the APC to stop ‘unpatriotic practice of putting narrow partisan interests above the national interest’.

Akpanudoedehe, in the statement, also faulted the position of the PDP, stating that it was merely designed to gain political mileage and reinforce disinformation.

He said, “This is a far-cry from the days of the do-or-die politics of the PDP, where civilians took control of the security apparatus to subvert the people’s will and determine the outcome of elections.

“Electoral reform is a core plank of the programmes of the APC-led administration and a legacy that Mr. President has promised to bequeath to Nigerians.

“Therefore the statements by the PDP are merely designed to gain political mileage and they only reinforce the disinformation on all issues, which the PDP constantly and laboriously pursues at all times. The positions taken by the PDP governors against these institutional reforms are in the public domain.”

I will not attend Biden’s inauguration – Trump

Embattled United States President, Donald Trump has disclosed that he will not be attending the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden.

Mr Trump who until yesterday refused to concede the 2020 election, is currently facing impeachment following the invasion of Capitol Hill by some of his supporters.

The 45th POTUS has consistently claimed that the election was rigged without providing evidence. His claims of rigging got him suspended on major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

On Friday, Mr Trump tweeted that he will not be attending the inauguration.

“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” he tweeted.

Twitter suspended the ban on his account after a 12hours suspension for violating Twitter rules.

Iraqi Court Orders Trump Arrest Over Drone Strike On Iran General.

In this file photo taken on December 3, 2020 US President Donald Trump speaks before awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retired football coach Lou Holtz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC.

A Baghdad court has issued a warrant for the arrest of US President Donald Trump as part of its investigation into the killing of a top Iraqi paramilitary commander.

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq’s largely pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network, died in the same US drone strike that killed storied Iranian general Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport on January 3 last year.

The strike on their motorcade was ordered by Trump, who later crowed that it had taken out “two (men) for the price of one”.

The UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, has described the twin killings as “arbitrary” and “illegal”.

Iran already issued a warrant for Trump’s arrest in June, and asked Interpol to relay it as a so-called red notice to other police forces around the world, a request that has so far gone unmet.

The court for east Baghdad issued the warrant for Trump’s arrest under Article 406 of the penal code, which provides for the death penalty in all cases of premeditated murder, the judiciary said.

The court said the preliminary inquiry had been completed but “investigations are continuing in order to unmask the other culprits in this crime, be they Iraqis or foreigners.”

In the run-up to Sunday’s anniversary of the twin killings, pro-Iran factions stepped up their rhetoric against Washington and Iraqi officials deemed to have colluded with it.

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