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The Biden administration on Monday urged states to slow down their purge of Medicaid rolls, citing concerns that large numbers of lower-income people are losing health care coverage due to administrative reasons. The nation's Medicaid rolls swelled during the coronavirus pandemic as states were prohibited from ending people's coverage. But that came to a halt in April, and states now must re-evaluate recipients' eligibility — just as they had been regularly required to do before the pandemic. In some states, about half of those whose Medicaid renewal cases were decided in April or May have lost their coverage, according to data submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and obtained by The Associated Press. The primary cause is what CMS describes as “procedural reasons,” such as the failure to return forms. “I am deeply concerned with the number of people unnecessarily losing coverage, especially those who appear to have lost coverage for avoidable reasons that State Medicaid offices have the power to prevent or mitigate,” Health and Human Services Secretary Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote in a letter Monday to governors. Instead of immediately dropping people who haven't responded by a deadline, federal officials are encouraging state Medicaid agencies to delay procedural terminations for one month while conducting additional targeted outreach to Medicaid recipients. Among other things, they're also encouraging states to allow providers of managed health care plans to help people submit Medicaid renewal forms. Nobody "should lose coverage simply because they changed addresses, didn’t receive a form, or didn’t have enough information about the renewal process,” Becerra said in a statement. States are moving at different paces to conduct Medicaid eligibility determinations. Some haven't dropped anyone from their rolls yet while others already have removed tens of thousands of people. Among 18 states that reported preliminary data to CMS, about 45% of those whose renewals were due in April kept their Medicaid coverage, about 31% lost coverage and about 24% were still being processed. Of those that lost coverage, 4-out-of-5 were for procedural reasons, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Arkansas, Florida, Idaho and Oklahoma, about half or more of those whose eligibility cases were completed in April or May lost their Medicaid coverage, according data reviewed by the AP. Those figures may appear high because some states frontloaded the process, starting with people already deemed unlikely to remain eligible. CMS officials have specifically highlighted concerns about Arkansas, which has dropped well over 100,000 Medicaid recipients, mostly for not returning renewal forms or requested information. Arkansas officials said they are following a timeline under a 2021 law that requires the state to complete its redeterminations within six months of the end of the public health emergency. They said Medicaid recipients receive multiple notices — as well as texts, emails and phone calls, when possible — before being dropped. Some people probably don't respond because they know they are no longer eligible, the state Department of Human Services said. Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has dismissed criticism of the state’s redetermination process, saying Arkansas is merely getting the program back to its pre-pandemic coverage intentions. But health care advocates said it's particularly concerning when states have large numbers of people removed from Medicaid for not responding to re-enrollment notices. "People who are procedurally disenrolled often are not going to realize they’ve lost coverage until they show up for a medical appointment or they go to fill their prescription and are told you no longer have insurance coverage,” said Allie Gardner, a senior research associate at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. __ Associated Press writer Andrew DeMillo contributed from Little Rock, Arkansas. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Speaker McCarthy eyes new commission to tackle nation's debt, but many Democrats are wary Connecticut to adjourn largely bipartisan session in contrast to rancor in other states Missouri governor signs ban on transgender health care, school sports

After a grand jury recommended criminal charges against Donald Trump, federal prosecutors issued a sweeping 37-count indictment charging the former president with obstruction and the unlawful retention of national defense information for allegedly storing dozens of sensitive government documents at his Florida home and refusing to turn them over to federal authorities. The former president’s second indictment follows criminal charges in Manhattan earlier this year for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments in an effort to kill stories about his alleged affairs during the 2016 presidential election. Mr Trump turned himself into authorities in New York City on 4 April and sat for a brief arraignment hearing in criminal district court before returning to his Mar-a-Lago home to deliver a speech to supporters. Law enforcement agencies are now preparing for his arrival in Miami, where he will make a first appearance in federal court to formally hear the charges against him in his first-ever federal case. The case – stemming from the US Department of Justice special counsel investigation into classified documents, and whether he intentionally obstructed the government’s efforts to return them – is separate from the Justice Department’s probe into Mr Trump’s role in the events surrounding January 6 and a Georgia prosecutor’s investigation into his attempts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 election in that state. Here, we explain what the day could look like: Where and when is Trump going to court? There are 94 district courts around the US, and generally a defendant will be tried in the district where the crimes are alleged to have been committed. Mr Trump will travel to a federal court in the Southern District of Florida, the jurisdiction for his Mar-a-Lago property. Mr Trump flew by private plane from his Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey on 12 June. He will stay overnight at his Trump National Doral resort in Miami before his makes his appearance at the federal courthouse, roughly 12 miles from the hotel. His arraignment at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr United States Courthouse in Miami is scheduled for 3pm ET on 13 June. Will Trump be handcuffed? Probably not. He will surrender to the authorities, go through processing, and then enter the courtroom for his first appearance before the judge. It is unlikely that he will be in handcuffs for any part of that process. What about a mugshot? That is also unlikely. US Secret Service officers will guide Mr Trump to the courthouse, where US Marshals and probation officers will begin pretrial services, including electronic fingerprinting and formal booking. What will happen during the hearing? Mr Trump will be formally presented with the charges against him and be informed of his rights. He may also enter a plea; he is expected to plead “not guilty” based on the months-long claims that the investigations against him are a politically motivated “hoax” and a “witch hunt.” And what happens after? There is a theoretical possibility that Mr Trump will remain in custody after his arraignment, but it is highly unlikely a judge would order this, and he is not considered a flight risk. He was released on his own recognizance following his arraignment in a Manhattan criminal court in April. The former president is scheduled to return to his Bedminster club to deliver remarks before a fundraising event. He similarly returned to his Mar-a-Lago property hours after he appeared in Manhattan criminal court in April, where he lambasted District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge overseeing the case, as well as the judge’s family members. Who is on Trump’s legal team? Following news of the indictment, two lawyers who represented Mr Trump in the months leading up to the charges resigned from his legal team over his handling of classified documents quit working for him on Friday morning. The attorneys, Jim Trusty and John Rowley, issued a joint statement stating that it was the “logical moment for us to step aside” and let other attorneys handle the case. Neither attorney wil represent Mr Trump in the other federal investigation stemming from Mr Trump’s alleged interference in Georgia. Todd Blanche, who represented Mr Trump in his Manhattan criminal case, will accompany Mr Trump in his federal case; a notice from Judge Cannon reminded him and others involved with the case that they are not members of the Southern District of Florida Bar. Another attorney, Christopher Kise, who is licenced in Florida, also is expected to accompany Mr Trump. Who is the judge? US District Judge Aileen Cannon – who was appointed by the former president in 2020 and previously ruled in his legal team’s favour in a series of court decisions surrounding the investigation – will handle the case. Last year, she appointed a “special master” to review materials seized by federal law enforcement and restricted the FBI from using those documents as part of the investigation until she completed a review, effectively freezing the US Department of Justice probe. That order was ultimately thrown out entirely by a federal appeals court, which roundly criticised her decision. If she does not recuse herself from the case and she remains a trial judge, she could play a potentially critical role in the case’s development, from setting a trial date to overseeing jury selection, the admission of certain evidence, and sentencing, if there is a conviction. Magistrate Judge John Goodman will oversee Mr Trump’s arraignment. The judge then will have the option to remand Mr Trump on bail or release him on his own recognizance before adjourning for a future date. Will there be a trial? Following a plea, the federal judge will adjourn the case and allow attorneys an opportunity to review the indictment and make motions regarding the case. It is expected that Mr Trump’s legal team will want the case dismissed. The district is known as a “rocket docket” court, where judges adhere to a speedy trial schedule that processes case to trial within 70 days. Special counsel Jack Smith also said prosecutors will push for a speedy trial “consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused,” he said during brief public remarks announcing the indictment. “It’s very important for me to note that the defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” he said. How will this impact his presidential campaign? Mr Trump remains the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, and he has insisted that he will remain in the race regardless of any outcome in the criminal cases against hime. He has relied on the investigations and indictments to raise money for his campaign, which netted millions of dollars in the days after his charges were announced in his New York case. But the timeframe for the federal investigation – and, potentially, other pending cases that could result in criminal charges this year – could complicate his campaign ambitions. A first debate among Republican candidates is set for 23 August. A trial for the New York attorney general lawsuit targeting Mr Trump, his adult children and his business is slated to begin in October. And he is scheduled to return to Manhattan Criminal Court on 25 March – days after voting begins in primary states. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump leaves Bedminster ahead of Miami arraignment as Bill Barr calls him ‘toast’ How Trump’s second indictment unfolded: A timeline of the investigation into Mar-a-Lago documents What a Florida grand jury and judge means for Trump’s indictment ‘This is war’: Police monitoring online far-right threats and pro-Trump protests with federal indictment Conspiracy, false statements and retaining national defence documents: The federal charges against Trump Jack Smith defends Trump indictment: ‘We have one set of laws and they apply to everyone’

A vengeful Donald Trump swore that he’d get even with Joe Biden on Monday as he boarded a private jet to Miami where he is set to face his second criminal indictment this year. The ex-president ranted on Truth Social that he planned to use the power of the federal government, should he be elected to the presidency in 2024, to personally target Mr Biden’s family. “I WILL APPOINT A REAL SPECIAL “PROSECUTOR” TO GO AFTER THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, JOE BIDEN, THE ENTIRE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY, & ALL OTHERS INVOLVED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR ELECTIONS, BORDERS, & COUNTRY ITSELF!” fumed Mr Trump in an all-caps rant posted around noon. It was a stunning declaration that throws the future of America’s justice system into question as such a move would wholly eliminate the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice, should he be successful. Mr Trump is set to be charged with 37 criminal counts related to his handling of presidential records in the wake of his departure from the White House in January 2021. More follows... Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Miami mayor Francis Suarez says his city is braced for right-wing protests with Donald Trump set to make his first appearance there on secret document criminal charges. Mr Suarez told reporters on Monday that people had the right to protest in Miami but that law enforcement was ready to deal with any violence. “People should have the right to express themselves, but we also believe in law and order, and we know that — we hope that tomorrow will be peaceful,” said Mr Suarez.

Former president Donald Trump spent much of the day before his first appearance as a criminal defendant in federal court in search of experienced legal representation, but without much in the way of results. Mr Trump, who departed on Monday afternoon from the resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he primarily resides during the summer months to travel to Miami aboard his bespoke Boeing 757, has spent much of the last year and a half cycling through a rotating cast of criminal defence attorneys as he has contended with the Department of Justice probe that resulted in his unprecedented indictment under the Espionage Act last week. Two of the more experienced criminal defence lawyers in his stable, James Trusty and John Rowley, quit the ex-president’s team on Thursday, just hours after a Florida grand jury voted to charge him with 37 separate counts stemming from alleged violations of the Espionage Act and other portions of the US criminal code. Another lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, left Mr Trump’s employ roughly a month ago, citing conflicts with a longtime aide to the ex-president, Boris Epshteyn. Yet another of the criminal defence attorneys who once represented Mr Trump in the documents probe, Evan Corcoran, had to step away from that role in the wake of a court ruling ordering him to give evidence against the ex-president before a grand jury and turn over notes and recordings he’d made, citing a rarely-used exception to the attorney-client privilege used in case where an attorney’s advice is found to have been used to commit crimes. Mr Corcoran’s testimony and evidence figured heavily in the 39-page indictment against the ex-president, which detailed Mr Trump’s reaction after he was served with a subpoena compelling him to return all documents in his possession which bore classification markings. Now, with his arraignment just one day away, Mr Trump is scrambling to secure more experienced defence counsel to help him fend off charges which, if he is convicted, could theoretically land the 78-year-old ex-president in prison for the rest of his natural life. But although the Southern District of Florida is known to have a particularly strong defence bar, many of its most prominent practitioners are declining entreaties to join Mr Trump’s legal team. The Independent has learned that one well-known attorney, David Markus, has already declined to represent the ex-president. Mr Markus, a Harvard Law School graduate and former federal public defender, helped former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum beat federal corruption charges earlier this year. While most lawyers would ordinarily jump at the chance to represent a former president of the United States, Mr Trump has long presented a challenge for those he’s asked to stand up for him in court. The ex-president is known to routinely disregard legal advice and is prone to making incriminating statements in public settings, two traits which have long dogged his attempts to find competent jurists to defend him in both civil and criminal matters, both during and after his presidency. Additionally, Mr Trump has a long history of refusing to pay for services rendered by skilled professionals, dating back to his days as a New York real estate developer. The involvement of Mr Epshteyn, a Georgetown Law School graduate who styles himself as Mr Trump’s in-house counsel despite the fact that he has never once appeared in any court on behalf of any client, has presented another stumbling block in the ex-president’s efforts to secure competent representation. According to sources familiar with the matter, Mr Epshteyn’s role in the ex-president’s orbit of late has been to coordinate the different teams of lawyers representing him in civil and criminal cases against him throughout the country. But some people who’ve been involved in those efforts say Mr Epshteyn has used his position to act as a gatekeeper and prevent Mr Trump’s lawyers from delivering candid advise or bad news, though spokespersons for Mr Trump have denied such claims and have described him as a valuable member of the ex-president’s team. As it stands now, Mr Trump is expected to be represented at his arraignment by Christopher Kise, a former Florida Solicitor General who joined the ex-president’s team in the wake of the 8 August 2022 search of his Palm Beach, Florida property by FBI agents, as well as Todd Blanche, a veteran New York-based criminal defence lawyer who has previously appeared for Mr Trump after a Manhattan grand jury indicted him for falsifying business records earlier this year. Mr Kise, a veteran Sunshine State practitioner who is licensed to appear in the Southern District of Florida — the venue where Mr Trump now faces charges — is not known as an experienced criminal defence attorney, as he was first brought on to handle Mr Trump’s failed effort to block the Department of Justice from using the evidence recovered during the search of his home and office. Though Mr Blanche is not licensed to practice by the Florida State Bar or the Southern District of Florida, he can appear for Mr Trump on Tuesday if an attorney licensed to practice in the district such as Mr Kise is willing to vouch for him. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump leaves Bedminster ahead of Miami arraignment as Bill Barr calls him ‘toast’ Lindsey Graham is lying for Trump. And it shows the real issue with the Republican party Morning Joe host shouts down Republicans backing Trump to appease ‘weirdos and freaks’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Vice President Kamala Harris will take over President Joe Biden’s schedule on Monday as the president undergoes a root canal after he experienced dental pain. A letter from Kevin O’Connor, the physician to the president, said that Mr Biden had experienced dental pain in his lower right premolar. “Our Presidential Dental Team from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was able to perform an examination, to include x-rays, in the White House Dental Operatory,” the letter said. As a result, the team decided a root canal was appropriate. “He is experiencing further discomfort this morning, which was anticipated,” the letter said. “The endodontal specialty team from Walter Reed will complete the President's root canal today, at the White House.” As a result, Ms Harris will assume the president’s schedule. She will host College Athlete Day with both the men and women’s 2022-2023 NCAA Championship teams. It is unclear whether the president’s root canal is considered an emergency procedure or how long it will last or when it will take place. This would not be the first time that the vice president has taken on the president’s itinerary for health reasons. In November 2021, Mr Biden temporarily transferred power to Ms Harris when he invoked the 25th amendment of the US Constitution as he underwent a prostate exam. But the president will not undergo anesthesia and the 25th amendment will not be invoked during the root canal. Read More Biden to undergo root canal, will miss collegiate athletics event at White House US vice president announces more than $100M to help Caribbean during official visit to Bahamas Trump praises evangelical leader Pat Robertson after his death despite 2020 criticism

Republican delegates in North Carolina voted Saturday at their annual convention to censure Thom Tillis, the state’s senior US senator, for backing LGBT+ rights, immigration and gun violence policies. As Sen Tillis has gained influence in Congress for his willingness to work across the aisle, his record of supporting some key policies has raised concerns among some state Republicans that the senator has strayed from conservative values. Several delegates in Greensboro criticised Mr Tillis, who has held his seat in the Senate since 2015, for his work last year on the Respect For Marriage Act, which enshrined protections for same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law. Both the state and national GOP platforms oppose same-sex marriage. But Mr Tillis, who had opposed it earlier in his political career, was among the early supporters of the law who lobbied his GOP colleagues in Congress to vote in favor of it. Others criticised him for challenging former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and for supporting a measure that provided funds for red flag laws, which allow state courts to authorize the temporary removal of firearms from people who they believe might pose a danger to themselves or others. The North Carolina senator initially opposed Mr Trump’s plan to use military construction dollars to build a wall along the nation’s southern border, but he eventually shifted his position. Tillis spokesperson Daniel Keylin defended the senator’s voting record, writing in an email to The Associated Press that he “keeps his promises and delivers results.” “He will never apologize for his work passing the largest tax cut in history, introducing legislation to secure the border and end sanctuary cities, delivering desperately-needed funding to strengthen school safety and protecting the rights of churches to worship freely based on their belief in traditional marriage,” Mr Keylin said. While the vote Saturday, which took place behind closed doors, cannot remove Mr Tillis from office, supporters said they hope it sends a firm message of dissatisfaction. A two-thirds majority of the state party’s 1,801 voting delegates was needed for the resolution to pass, party spokesperson Jeff Moore said. “We need people who are unwavering in their support for conservative ideals,” said Jim Forster, an 81-year-old delegate from Guilford. “His recent actions don’t reflect the party’s shift to the right — in fact, they’re moving in the exact wrong direction.” Several state legislators, including Sen Bobby Hanig of Currituck County, criticised the decision, saying it’s a bad idea to create more divisions within the party ahead of an election year when party unity will be paramount. “I believe that a mob mentality doesn’t do us any good,” Mr Hanig said. “Senator Tillis does a lot for North Carolina, he does a lot for the coastal communities, so why would I want to make him mad?” State Sen Jim Burgin of Harnett County said the vote to censure Mr Tillis sets a dangerous precedent and does not allow enough flexibility for individual interpretation of party values. Burgin questioned whether his own vote last month for North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban would similarly put him at risk of being censured because it’s out of line with the Republican platform, which states that life begins at conception. “I don’t think we need to be attacking our own,” he said. “You don’t shoot your own elephants.” Read More ‘We’re here to love each other in the face of hatred:’ Colorado Springs celebrates first Pride since Club Q massacre ‘I don’t hold my husband’s hand in the street’: The sobering reality of being a queer parent Biden marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month with White House South Lawn celebration Scott rolls out dozens of South Carolina lawmakers and local leaders endorsing his presidential bid North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment Trump pledges to endorse Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor

Former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr gave a devastating analysis of the indictment against Donald Trump, his former boss, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Mr Barr said that if even half of what is alleged in the 49-page, 37-count document is true, then the former president is “toast”. Host Shannon Bream asked the former attorney general about the argument from Trump loyalists that the case should have been handled under the Presidential Records Act and not under the Espionage Act. Mr Barr explained that this all began under the Presidential Records Act with the National Archives trying to retrieve the documents that Mr Trump had no right to have. However, it quickly became apparent that the government was particularly worried about how sensitive the classified documents were. He continued by saying that their sensitivity and how many there were shocked him, and that because Mr Trump had wilfully retained those materials that made the counts under the Espionage Act “solid”. “If even half of it is true, he is toast,” the former attorney general told Bream. “I mean, it’s a very detailed indictment, and it’s very, very damning.” Mr Barr also demolished claims that Mr Trump is some kind of victim being politically persecuted in a Democrat-led witch hunt. “This idea of presenting Trump as a victim here or a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous,” he said. “Yes, he’s been a victim in the past. His adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims. And I’ve been at his side defending against them when he is a victim. But this is much different. He’s not a victim here.” Mr Barr continued: “He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents. Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has. They have to be in the custody of the archivist. He had no right to maintain them and retain them.” The former attorney general then reminded viewers of his history of sticking up for Mr Trump despite the current hostility the former president now has for him. “He’s been angry with me for a while,” Mr Barr told Bream. “But you know, I defended the president on Russiagate. I stood up and called out Alvin Bragg’s politicised hit job. And I have spoken out for 30 years about the abuse of the criminal justice process to influence politics.” He continued: “But this is simply not true. In this particular episode of trying to retrieve those documents, the government acted responsibly. And it was Donald Trump who acted irresponsibly.” In further remarks, he said that the entire classified documents case came about because of the reckless conduct of the former president, something he has said before. Mr Barr also noted: “There are two big lies that are out there right now. One is that: ‘oh, these other presidents took all these documents’ ... and the second thing is this idea that the president has complete authority to declare any document personal is facially ridiculous.” The former attorney general’s remarks did not go unnoticed by his former boss, who took to Truth Social calling him a “gutless pig” and telling his followers to turn off Fox News whenever Mr Barr is on as a guest. Virtually everyone is saying that the Indictment is about Election Interference & should not have been brought, except Bill Barr, a “disgruntled former employee” & lazy Attorney General who was weak & totally ineffective. He doesn’t mean what he’s saying, it’s just MISINFORMATION. Barr’s doing it because he hates “TRUMP” for firing him. He was deathly afraid of the Radical Left when they said they would Impeach him. He knows the Indictment is Bull…. Turn off FoxNews when that “Gutless Pig” is on! @realDonaldTrump Mr Barr had previously drawn the former president’s ire by predicting he would face charges over the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. He also described it as a crisis of his own making. Mr Trump lashed out at him for those comments calling him “sloppy” and “weak”. The former attorney general has also warned that Mr Trump getting a second term as president would “deliver chaos” to the country. “If you believe in his policies, what he’s advertising as his policies, he’s the last person that could actually execute them and achieve them,” Mr Barr said at a City Club of Cleveland luncheon in Ohio in early May. Read More Trump news – latest: Trump heads to Miami ahead of arraignment as Bill Barr says ex-president is ‘toast’ Trump savages Bill Barr three times in sprawling interview with Roger Stone Trump’s favourability rises in poll despite indictment Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

A GOP senator used a bit of alternative history to paint the Justice Department’s decision to prosecute Donald Trump as improper and politically motivated on Sunday. Ron Johnson was speaking on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo when he made the claim that the twice-impeached former Republican president had, in fact, decided against directing the Justice Department to prosecute Hillary Clinton, the opponent he famously vowed to “lock up” countless times on the campaign trail. "[President Gerald] Ford decided it was best for America to not pursue prosecution against [President Richard] Nixon. President Trump pretty much made the same decision, decided not to pursue any kind of prosecution of Hillary Clinton,” said Mr Johnson. “Joe Biden could have made the same decision. He didn't,” added the senator. There were a couple of important issues with Mr Johnson’s assertion, however. Number one, Mr Ford did not direct the Justice Department to end a criminal investigation into his predecessor; instead, he pardoned Mr Nixon for any crimes he committed while in office, making a prosecution moot. Mr Trump hardly extended that same gesture to Ms Clinton. In fact, the Department of Justice closed the investigation into the Democratic secretary of State on two separate occasions, both before Mr Trump ever took office. The final end to that probe occurred two days before Mr Trump’s 2016 election victory, after the FBI had made the controversial decision to reopen the investigation with just days to go in the race. Mr Johnson’s apparent assertion that Mr Biden should consider pardoning Mr Trump for crimes he may have committed is the latest in an emerging line of half-hearted defences of the former president by Republicans aligned with the party’s establishment. Others, like Ohio’s new senator, JD Vance, have rejected the idea that any crimes could have been committed at all. Those more forceful arguments align more closely with the former president’s own; Mr Trump has loudly insisted that he is not guilty of the numerous allegations levied against him in the DoJ’s indictment, including witness tampering and violations of the Espionage Act. He also faces a separate set of criminal charges in New York stemming from a scheme to pay hush money to an adult film star, Stormy Daniels. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty in that case. Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement Lindsey Graham ties himself in knots trying to defend Trump over classified documents indictment ‘It’s making them angrier’: North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences

After attacking his former attorney general on Truth Social earlier in the day for his assessment that he is “toast” following his federal indictment, Donald Trump lashed out at Bill Barr three times during a sprawling interview on Roger Stone’s first radio show. Having called him a “gutless pig” online and told his followers to switch off Fox News anytime Mr Barr is a guest, the former president kept the attacks going during his chat with Mr Stone on WABC. Mr Barr gave a devastating assessment of the indictment of the president in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case during an appearance on Fox News earlier on Sunday 11 June. Speaking about the indictment, the former president took his first shot at Mr Barr: “This thing is a disgrace and virtually everybody other than a lowlife like Bill Barr, who, as you know, I terminated because he was gutless. He wouldn’t do what you’re supposed to do. But everybody says this is a disgraceful indictment.” Mr Stone asked a little later in the interview: “Do you believe that former Attorney General Bill Barr is in fact part of the Deep State?” Mr Trump demurred from calling his former attorney general that, but said: “I think he’s a coward who didn’t do his job.” He added: “We had unbelievable people, as you know, in the administration. But we also had some that we got wrong. And Bill Barr was a mistake.” As usual, Mr Trump got personal with his criticism of one of his chief detractors who made a point of noting in his interview on Fox News Sunday that he had defended the former president on numerous occasions. Said Mr Trump: “And now he goes and he sits down — if they can find a chair for him, because it’s not that easy — and he sits down and he just bloviates and it’s disgraceful.” “It’s actually unpatriotic. It’s so bad for our country, just so bad. But, you know, he’s got a lot of hatred,” he added. Before the end of the 45-minute interview, which covered a wide range of topics from UFOs to Melania Trump to Ron DeSantis, in addition to the indictment, the former president got one more shot in. He said: “When I talk about a slob like Bill Barr, just a stupid person in a lot of ways, this is really not the standard. We’ve had tremendously successful people. But some we haven’t and you know, we cannot afford to have cowards. We need strong people, because our country is going to hell.” Mr Stone and Mr Trump both made a point of telling the former president’s supporters to protest peacefully if they come to the courthouse on Tuesday for his first hearing. Read More ‘If even half of it is true, he is toast’: Bill Barr gives devastating view of Trump indictment on Fox News Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences Jim Jordan rejects Trump’s statement suggesting Mar-a-Lago papers weren’t declassified Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again ally in the Senate issued a half-hearted defence of the former president on Sunday as Republicans across Washington issued varied responses to the federal indictment against the former president. Sen Lindsey Graham was on ABC’s This Week, where he received a grilling by host George Stephanopoulos about the allegations in the Justice Department’s 37-count indictment, unsealed last week. In one exchange, the South Carolina senator blew up and demanded that he be allowed to finish his remark after Stephanopoulos, attempting to get him back on track, interrupted his spiel about Hillary Clinton and a private email server she used to store data during her time as secretary of State, in violation of federal rules. “You didn't answer the question," Stephanopoulos shot back. "Well, yeah, I'm trying to answer the question from a Republican point of view. That may not be acceptable on this show,” Mr Graham complained in response. He would go on to argue that many Republicans, including apparently Mr Graham himself, see the Justice Department as applying two different standards to Donald Trump and his Democratic rivals like Joe Biden, who was found to have a small trove of classified documents dating back to his time as vice president at his home and office, as well as Ms Clinton, who was investigated by the FBI for her use of the private server. "Most Republicans believe we live in a country where Hillary Clinton did very similar things, and nothing happened to her,” he argued. "Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit espionage," Mr Graham continued. "He is not a spy. He's overcharged. Did he do things wrong? Yes, he may have. He will be tried about that. But Hillary Clinton wasn't." There are a few facts that undermine the assertion that Mr Trump and his Democratic allies are (or should be) on the same playing field. For one, all indications point to the idea that Mr Trump and his team delayed and fought federal authorities for months after the trove of documents was discovered, only yielding the bulk of them during an FBI raid. Secondly, as secretary of state, Ms Clinton’s records would not fall under the authority of the Presidential Records Act. And thirdly, the FBI investigated Ms Clinton for months in a politically damaging probe that is widely thought to have contributed to her defeat to Donald Trump in 2016, even if it did not eventually end in criminal charges. There are also the other serious allegations that Mr Graham did not discuss, including witness tampering, which only tangentially relate to the ex-president’s choice to retain records and documents from his administration. Mr Graham went on in the interview to reassert that he was still supporting Mr Trump’s third bid for the presidency, even though he would not defend the specific behaviour alleged in the Justice Department’s indictment which he appeared to dismiss entirely as a hit job. His comments are just the latest in a long line of defences for Mr Trump, whose political future he has also vocally opposed on at least two separate occasions, including in the runup to the 2016 Republican nominating convention as well as the immediate aftermath of January 6. The South Carolina senator is considered a case study of the Republican Party’s evolution under Mr Trump, which continues to force many of the ex-president’s former detractors to return to his embrace in order to protect their political futures. Read More What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing ‘If even half of it is true, he is toast’: Bill Barr gives devastating view of Trump indictment on Fox News Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences

Any thought that Donald Trump’s latest would dampen Republican primary voters’ enthusiasm for his candidacy was quickly dispelled by the overwhelming reception the former president received at the North Carolina Republican Convention in Greensboro. Before Mr Trump took to the stage, a video montage highlighted how the former president had faced multiple investigations, which it called persecution. When he took the stage at the Koury Convention Center on Saturday evening, he received a standing ovation. And rather than waving to the crowd or giving a thumbs up as he normally does, Mr Trump seemed to stand still as if to take in the wellspring of support from the GOP faithful. More tables were added to the ballroom for his speech than the night before, when Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, his chief 2024 GOP rival, spoke at the same event. Mr Trump has been on a pre-arraignment tour of sorts, having spoken in Georgia earlier on Saturday before his appearance in North Carolina. Mr Trump baselessly argued that Joe Biden’s administration indicted him because Democrats do not want the current to run against him, despite the fact Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith to independently lead the investigation of Mr Trump specifically because he would be a future political candidate. “They say well, we want to run against Trump,” Mr Trump said. “In the meantime, we got 5,000 prosecutors after us, because they don’t want to run against me.” The speech came days after a federal grand jury voted to indict the former president. The unsealed indictment accused Mr Trump of showing highly classified information to unauthorised people on two separate occasions – first with a author and publisher who was writing a book with his former chief of staff, and a second time involving a map of an unnamed country and staff for his political action committee. But throughout the weekend, Mr Trump’s supporters said the indictment made them all the more likely to rally around him, just as the earlier indictment in New York City energised his base. “It’s the same old racket the Democrats have been pulling for him,” Jim Forster told The Independent. “They have never had a good thing to say about anybody.” Patricia Koluch of Pender County told The Independent that she already supported Mr Trump but the indictment would make her more likely to get behind him. “Oh, absolutely, 110 per cent now,” she said and said it would get more Republicans behind him. “It already has.” So far, Mr Trump’s numerous legal troubles have weighed down his political prospects. After the federal indictment, scores of Republican lawmakers attacked the Justice Department and crowed about a two-tiered system of justice. Mr Trump’s poll numbers did not drop after his arraignment in Manhattan in April for charges related to his payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Nor did they deflate after a jury in New York found him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E Jean Carroll last month. Mr Trump on Saturday decried the investigation as tampering with elections. “They just tried to stop our movement, they want to do anything they can to thwart the will of the American people – it’s called election interference,” Mr Trump told the crowd. Telia Kivett, the chairwoman of the Sampson County Republican Party, told The Independent that as a county party leader, she had to be neutral but she loved both Mr Trump and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis. But she said that the indictment if anything made Republicans more likely to support Mr Trump. “The Democrats think that this is going to suppress voters, but it actually will embolden them,” she said. “It’s making them angrier. It’s making them see the government for what it really is.” Ms Kivett said she thought that Mr Trump would be the next president. “That’s why they’re so against Trump, that he’s put out everything, you know, as far as what was going on with the FBI, the Department of Justice, CIA, all of that,” she said. “That’s why they do not want Trump to run.” Other elected officials threw their support behind Mr Trump. Rep Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said he endorsed the former president, citing the fact that his wife worked in Mr Trump’s administration. Similarly, the two other presidential candidates who appeared at the convention, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and former vice president Mike Pence, criticised the Justice Department for their pursuit of Mr Trump. “Is there a different standard for a Democrat secretary of state versus a former Republican president,” Mr DeSantis said during his speech on Friday evening. “I think there needs to be one standard of justice in this country.” Meanwhile, despite the fact Mr Pence attempted to draw a line between himself and Mr Trump, particularly when it came to Mr Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, Mr Pence criticised the Justice Department and Mr Smith’s prosecution. “Now, as I said earlier this week, I had hoped the Department of Justice would see its way clear to resolve the issues involving the former president without an indictment and I’m deeply troubled to see this indictment move forward,” he said, warning about “its capacity to further divide our country at a time when the American people are stronger as never before.” Throughout the weekend, many attendees continued to wear Trump memorabilia, and Mr Trump’s endorsement continues to be coveted, as he said he planned to endorse Lt Gov Mark Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign at a later date. Mr Trump’s indictment also comes as a number of other Republicans have announced their candidacies. This week, Mr Pence, North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie all announced their campaigns for president of the United States, adding to an already crowded GOP field. But few voters seemed to express interest in other candidates and Mr Trump was introduced as the next president of the United States at the North Carolina event, despite the fact that several of his challengers also appeared over the weekend. Read More Trump indictment: Ex-president kept nuclear and military papers and showed some to unauthorised people ‘Everybody needs to support Trump’: Ex-president’s indictment overshadows DeSantis in North Carolina Pence won’t say whether he’s read Trump indictment after calling for its release