Hours after he was criminally charged with 34 courts of falsifying business records in New York City, Donald Trump retreated to his Mar-a-Lago resort to lambast the “Trump-hating” judge presiding over his case in Manhattan criminal court. Now, lawyers for the former president and frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination are pressing Judge Juan Merchan to recuse himself from the case, pointing to his daughter’s political consulting work and small-dollar campaign donations. A court filing made public on 2 June – days after Mr Trump’s virtual court appearance for a hearing to abide by a court order prohibiting his sharing of evidence in the case – also took issue with Mr Merchan’s role in a case involving convicted former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to 15 tax violations in what prosecutors called a years-long fraud scheme. In April, Mr Trump was criminally charged in connection with repayments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen in an alleged hush-money scheme to prevent the release of potentially damaging stories about Mr Trump and his alleged affairs. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty. Attorney for Mr Trump argued that the judge’s daughter’s political consulting work could be seen as an actual or perceived conflict of interest for the judge, and his potential role in the case could “result in a financial benefit” for his daughter who “stands to profit from negative rulings or a conviction” against Mr Trump. Mr Trump’s lawyers also want Mr Merchan to “put on the record relevant information surrounding what appear to be certain political contributions.” Mr Merchan appears to have donated $15 to President Joe Biden campaign and $20 to two advocacy groups in 2020, according to federal campaign finance records. Mr Trump, Cohen and the former owner of the National Enquirer David Pecker allegedly worked in concert to “identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects” leading up to the 2016 presidential election, according to prosecutors. The alleged payments were used to cover up sex scandals as part of a “conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election,” according to prosecutors. Hours after he first appeared in criminal court on 4 April, and after the judge warned him against making any incendiary remarks or personal attacks, Mr Trump immediately flew back to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he went on to do just that. “I have a Trump-hating judge, with a Trump-hating wife and family,” he said that night. He called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “a local failed district attorney” and a “criminal” who should resign. Prosecutors have argued that a protective order was necessary to keep Mr Trump – who already has repeatedly lashed out at the judge and prosecutors – from broadcasting information about the case before a jury has been selected and a trial begins. Last month, the former president made his first appearance in court since his indictment, appearing on a video screen in front of two American flags with golden fringes seated next to his attorney. Mr Trump, who continues to rely on his online bully pulpit with an audience of obedient followers to broadcast veiled threats and insults at his perceived enemies, is prohibited from disseminating “covered materials” on social media platforms “including, but not limited, to Truth Social, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, or YouTube, without prior approval from the court,” according to a protective order issued last month. A trial is set to begin on 25 March 2024 – days after voting begins in presidential primaries. Read More Trump news - live: Classified document noted on tape is reportedly missing as Trump reacts to no Pence charges Trump investigation in Georgia could include other states in sweeping racketeering case, report says Trump and DeSantis must pledge to support eventual White House nominee as first debate announced Trump reacts to report Pence won’t face charges for classified documents: ‘I’m at least as innocent as he is’

Ron DeSantis has wrapped up his first tour of early-voting states that took him to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. At a campaign event in New Hampshire, there was a bizarre moment when a woman interrupted the governor’s speech to claim that her son’s murder was being covered up by the state of Florida. Video captured the unidentified woman being escorted out of the event by security as she threw a DeSantis hat to the ground and pulled out one supporting Donald Trump. The incident came hours after Mr DeSantis snapped at a reporter who persisted in asking him why he was posing for pictures with local voters but not taking their questions. “Are you blind?” Mr DeSantis snarled, insisting he was making himself available. The exchange was leapt upon Mr Trump, who branded his top 2024 rival “angry” at a Fox News town hall event in Iowa on Thursday evening. Back in the Sunshine State, a federal judge disqualified himself from overseeing a court case brought against Mr DeSantis by Disney. The governor is also facing mounting criticism over a sweeping new immigration law coming into effect on 1 July. Read More DeSantis lashes out at reporter on New Hampshire campaign visit: ‘Are you blind?’ Woman interrupts DeSantis speech to claim her son’s murder was covered up in Florida DeSantis says ‘petty and juvenile’ Trump can thank his own behaviour for 2020 loss

Donald Trump’s attorneys have been unable to find the classified document described in a recording of a 2021 conversation that is now in the possession of prosecutors, CNN reports. Earlier this week, the network broke the news that a recording existed of the former president acknowledging that he had held onto a classified Pentagon document outlining a potential attack on Iran. Citing two sources, CNN now reports that attorneys for Mr Trump could not find the document he referred to when they turned over material in mid-March in response to a federal subpoena relating to the investigation. Prosecutors sought “any and all” documents and materials related to Mark Milley, Mr Trump’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Iran, including maps or invasion plans, the sources say. Another subpoena was sent to at least one other attendee of the recorded meeting at Bedminster, New Jersey, in July 2021, another source told the network. Prosecutors reportedly made it clear that they wanted the specific document referred to in the recording after they had issued the subpoena, as well as any other material referencing classified documents still in the possession of the former president. The report adds credence to prosecutors’ scepticism that all classified materials retained by Mr Trump after he left office have been returned. Dozens of documents of varying classification levels were retrieved from the former president’s home at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida when the FBI searched the premises in August 2022. The recording of Mr Trump was created during the summer of 2021, approximately six months after the ex-president had left office. It reportedly captures a discussion during which Mr Trump was reacting to the publication of a story in The New Yorker regarding how Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley took actions to ensure the outgoing president issued no illegal orders. In the article, journalist Susan Glasser reported that Mr Milley was concerned that Mr Trump “might set in motion a full-scale conflict that was not justified” by ordering military action against Iran. The former president was reportedly recorded as he waved a document and said it would undermine what Mr Milley had said if he could legally show it to anyone. CNN reported that the audio recording contains the sound of paper rustling as if Mr Trump was waving a document around. The recording also reportedly captured laughter after the ex-president noted that he was not permitted to show the document to anyone. The July 2021 meeting took place long before Mr Trump’s aides sent 15 boxes of records from his Florida home to the National Archives. That January 2022 transfer of documents led Archives officials to discover multiple classified documents among the records sent back from Mr Trump’s residence, leading the agency to notify the Department of Justice about the discovery. The Justice Department’s probe into Mr Trump’s alleged unlawful retention of national defence information is being overseen by a special prosecutor, Jack Smith. Mr Smith has reportedly obtained other evidence which shows Mr Trump made efforts to obstruct the investigation by concealing documents from the government, even after he was served a grand jury subpoena compelling him to return all classified documents in his possession. The investigation is reportedly in its final stages and could result in charges against Mr Trump as soon as this summer. 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 Justice Department says it won't charge Pence over handling of classified documents Trump rages that Pence won’t face charges for classified documents Georgia Trump investigation could include other states in racketeering case: report

The Department of Justice will not charge former vice president Mike Pence for any potential mishandling of classified documents and has closed its investigation, CNN reported. The department sent a letter saying it will not charge Mr Pence after the former vice president’s attorney found classified documents in his home in Indiana. Mr Pence had asked his attorney to search his home after news reports that President Joe Biden had classified documents at his own personal residence. Mr Pence immediately turned the documents over to the FBI and the bureau and the Justice Department launched an investigation into how the documents landed in Mr Pence’s home.

Rather than being invented by Big Donut, the 2 June celebration traces its roots to World War One.

Donald Trump sat down with Sean Hannity for a town hall in Iowa on Thursday evening to answer questions from local voters, although almost all of the questions came from the Fox News host himself. Before a raucous and adoring crowd, the Republican former president was asked about domestic and foreign policy topics, claiming he would solve most within six months of retaking office, boasting of his tough stance towards Russia and Iran. When other GOP primary candidates like Ron DeSantis and Asa Hutchinson were brought up, he dismissed the threat they posed as his audience booed and jeered the very mention of their names. But there was no mention whatsoever of Fox’s recent $787m settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over the former’s coverage of Mr Trump’s bogus claims that the 2020 presidential election fraud was “rigged” against him by a vast Democrat-led conspiracy to deprive him of a second term. Mr Trump did use the opportunity provided to try to shoot down the latest allegations that he knowingly stored classified Pentagon documents from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, insisting: “I don't know anything about it. All I know is everything did was right.” Read More Trump’s Fox and CNN town halls expose media’s inability to fact-check a fountain of nonsense Trump plays down legal threat of secret papers recording at Fox News town hall Trump surprises crowd by mocking people who say ‘woke’ – including his own son who runs businesses off it

The Senate has passed a bipartisan agreement forged by US president Joe Biden and House speaker Kevin McCarthy to raise the $31.4 trillion US debt ceiling after the deal survived a Republican rebellion in the House of Representatives. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will also implement new federal spending cuts, cleared the lower chamber with 314 votes in favour and 117 against on Wednesday night. The narrowness of its passage through the House was made possible through the support of Democrats, who stepped in to thwart a Republican rebellion that badly undermined Speaker McCarthy’s claims to control over his increasingly divided party. On Thursday, the Senate rejected 11 proposed amendments before passing the bill 63 for to 36 against. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer will now send the bill to President Biden’s desk for his signature. Full congressional approval was required before Monday 5 June, when the Treasury Department was expected to run out of funds to pay its debts for the first time in American history. Read More Underestimated McCarthy emerges from debt deal empowered as speaker, still threatened by far right Lauren Boebert didn’t turn up to vote on debt ceiling deal she furiously campaigned against What’s next for Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling deal as Senate races to beat default deadline?

Clashes between police and supporters of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko left nine people dead, the government said Friday, with authorities issuing a blanket ban on the use of several social media platforms in the aftermath of the violence. The deaths occurred mainly in the capital, Dakar, and Ziguinchor in the south, where Sonko is mayor, Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome said in a statement. Some social media sites used by demonstrators to incite violence, such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter have been suspended, he said. “The state of Senegal has taken every measure to guarantee the safety of people and property. We are going to reinforce security everywhere in the country,” Diome said. Sonko was convicted Thursday of corrupting youth but acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. The court sentenced Sonko to two years in prison. He didn't attend his trial in Dakar, and was judged in absentia. His lawyer said a warrant hadn't been issued yet for the politician’s arrest. Sonko came in third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. His supporters maintain his legal troubles are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election. Sonko is considered President Macky Sall’s main competition and has urged Sall to state publicly that he won't seek a third term in office. Corrupting young people, which includes using one’s position of power to have sex with people under the age of 21, is a criminal offense in Senegal that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to more than $6,000. Under Senegalese law, his conviction would bar Sonko from running in next year’s election, said Bamba Cisse, another defense lawyer. “The conviction for corruption of youth hinders his eligibility, because he was sentenced in absentia, so we can’t appeal,” Cisse said. However, the government said that Sonko can ask for a retrial once he is imprisoned. It was unclear when he would be taken into custody. Shortly after the verdict was announced Thursday, clashes erupted throughout the country with Sonko’s PASTEF party calling for people to take to the streets. In Dakar, protesters threw rocks, burned vehicles and in some places erected barricades while police fired tear gas. Plumes of black smoke and the sound of tear gas being fired were seen and heard throughout the city. Those who weren't protesting stayed indoors, leaving much of Dakar a ghost town with boarded-up shops and empty streets as people feared the violence would escalate. “The verdict cements the criticism that Sall’s government is weaponizing the judiciary to eliminate prominent rivals that could shake his rule,” said Mucahid Durmaz, senior analyst at global risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft. “Despite being presented as a beacon (of) democracy, the Sonko cases demonstrate the structural issues Senegal grapples with. The court decision and the prospect of Sall’s bid for a third term in the election next year will fuel fierce criticism around erosion of judicial independence and democratic backsliding,” Dumaz said. Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana said that the damage caused by months of demonstrations has cost the country millions of dollars. “These calls (to protest), it’s a bit like the anti-republican nature of all these movements that hide behind social networks and don’t believe in the foundations of democracy, which are elections, freedom of expression, but also the resources that our (legal) system offers,” Fofana said. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide US reopens embassy in Seychelles after 27-year absence US expands slots for asylum app at land crossings as demand overwhelms supply Restoration lags for Syria's famed Roman ruins at Palmyra and other war-battered historic sites

Jeffrey Epstein had unsuccessfully tried to reach out to another high-profile paedophile via a letter that was eventually returned to sender, a new trove of documents about the disgraced billionaire financier has revealed. The previously unreported letter was penned to Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in jail for abusing more than 150 women and young girls in the biggest sexual abuse scandal in sports history. The letter was found returned in the jail’s mailroom weeks after Epstein’s death, according to the more than 4,000 pages of documents reported by the Associated Press on Thursday. New details in the documents shed light on Epstein’s behaviour during his 36 days in jail, his death and its chaotic aftermath. Epstein, who was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy died in a prison cell of Metropolitan Correctional Center on 10 August 2019 as he awaited trial. The contents of the letter to Nassar were not included in the documents turned over to the news agency. “It appeared he mailed it out and it was returned back to him,” the investigator who found the letter told a prison official by email, according to documents. “I am not sure if I should open it or should we hand it over to anyone?” The documents were handed over by the Bureau of Prisons under the Freedom of Information Act and included a detailed psychological reconstruction of the events leading to Epstein’s controversial death, his health history, internal agency reports, emails, memos and other records. Just two weeks before he died by suicide, Epstein was seen sitting in a corner of his jail cell with his hands covering his ears as he desperately tried to muffle the sound of a toilet that kept running. After once living a life of luxury and comfort, Epstein complained of struggling to adapt to his new life behind bars and called himself a “coward” at one point. He remained agitated at times and was unable to sleep, the documents revealed. Epstein was on a suicide watch for 31 hours after a suicide attempt that left his neck bruised and scraped. He, however, insisted to a jail psychologist that he had a “wonderful life” and it “would be crazy” to end it. The night before his death, Epstein excused himself from a meeting with his lawyers and said he needed to make a call to his family. He told a jail attendant he was calling his mother, who had been dead for 15 years by then, according to a memo from a unit manager. His death came as a federal judge had unsealed about 2,000 pages of documents in a sexual abuse lawsuit against him just a day before he died. That event combined with the erosion of social connections, lack of significant interpersonal connections and “the idea of potentially spending his life in prison were likely factors contributing to Mr Epstein’s suicide,” officials wrote. The documents also exposed lapses in the management of the Bureau of Prisons and the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center. The guards who were on duty for Epstein that night were sitting on their desks just 15ft away from Epstein’s cell as they shopped online for furniture and motorcycles and did not make required rounds every 30 minutes, prosecutors alleged. The two guards, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, were charged with lying on prison records after they said they made the required checks before Epstein’s body was found. Both appeared to be asleep during a two-hour period that night, according to their indictment. After arriving at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on 6 July 2019, Epstein complained about having to wear an orange jumpsuit like a “bad guy” and requested a brown uniform instead for his near-daily visits with his lawyers. He said during his initial health screening that he had 10-plus female sexual partners within the previous five years. According to records, he tried to make adjustments to his new lifestyle. He had signed up for a Kosher meal and sought permission to exercise outside. Just two days before he was found dead, he bought $73.85 worth of items from the prison commissary. The items included a radio and headphones. If you are a child and you need help because something has happened to you, you can call the NSPCC free of charge on 0800 1111. You can also call the NSPCC if you are an adult and you are worried about a child, on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331 Read More JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says he never heard of Jeffrey Epstein until after his 2019 arrest How Donald Trump’s sex abuse verdict is paving the way for countless women to hold powerful men to account Elon Musk subpoenaed by US Virgin Islands in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit

Donald Trump returned to a familiar refrain on Thursday, insisting once again that he had done nothing wrong even as new challenges pop up seemingly every day for the ex-president who faces a bevy of criminal and civil investigations. Mr Trump returned to his favoured cable network, Fox News, for a town hall-style event moderated by primetime opinion host Sean Hannity, who is now the Fox star probably closest to the former president given the firing of Tucker Carlson, the network’s star pundit. And confronted with a new leaked recording indicating that Mr Trump knew that he was retaining classified materials after his presidential term ended, he once again insisted that he had done nothing wrong. “News broke yesterday there might be a tape recording where you acknowledged that you understood that these were classified documents [at Mar-a-Lago],” the Fox News host began. While asking also if the ex-president knew who had leaked the recording of the phone call, he questioned: “Do you know anything about this?” “No, I don’t know anything about it,” Mr Trump responded. “All I know is this: Everything I did was right. We have the Presidential Records Act, which I abided by 100 per cent.” He then moved on to attack President Joe Biden, before claiming: “I have the right to declassify as president.” The explanation was nothing new. Mr Trump has long claimed that any classified materials seized by investigators at Mar-a-Lago were in fact previously declassified by him during his presidency — though he has shown no evidence of an order to do so. And notably, the nod to the Presidential Records Act was another mistruth. The law does not allow for ex-presidents to retain original copies of presidential records after their terms end without the express consent of the National Archives, an agency that the former president has roundly denounced. Nonetheless, it was a familiar claim for the one-term president who escaped two impeachment proceedings despite bipartisan support for his removal; Mr Trump has long asserted that any investigation or civil suit filed against him is merely the work of his political foes in an attempt to block him from power. More follows... Read More Republicans want Biden to trip up – literally E Jean Carroll, Mary Trump, and Jennifer Taub are co-writing a romance novel Woman interrupts DeSantis speech to claim her son’s murder was covered up in Florida 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

Gov Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire was interrupted by a woman who claimed that her son’s murder had been covered up in Florida. The woman who made the accusation was led out of the facility where the rally was being held. As she was walking out of the event, the woman threw down a DeSantis hat she was holding and vowed to replace with a hat representing former President Donald Trump. Mr DeSantis made his first swing through the Granite State on Thursday, making headlines at an earlier stop for snapping at a reporter who asked him why he hadn’t taken questions from voters at the preceding event. There were several Trump supporters at the DeSantis event in Manchester in red shirts with the words “Union Carpenters for President Trump 2024” on them. Mr DeSantis trailed Mr Trump by more than 20 points in a mid-May poll of New Hampshire, the first primary state on the Republican calendar in 2024. 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

President Joe Biden fell on stage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation Thursday and the White House said he was “fine” after tripping over a sandbag. Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes, and turned to jog back toward his seat when he fell. He was helped up by an Air Force officer as well as two members of his U.S. Secret Service detail. Onlookers, including some members of the official delegation on stage, watched in concern before Biden, who at age 80 is the oldest president in U.S. history, returned to his seat to view the end of the ceremony. “He’s fine,” tweeted White House communications director Ben LaBolt. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.” Two small black sandbags were on stage supporting the teleprompter used by Biden and other speakers. Biden has been dogged by questions about his age and his fitness to serve, and his missteps have become fodder for political rivals as he campaigns for a second term in 2024. He has stumbled before going up the stairs and onto Air Force One and he once got caught up in his bike pedals while stopping to talk to reporters near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Biden’s personal doctor said after the president’s most recent physical exam in February that Biden “remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.” Dr. Kevin O’Connor also documented the president's stiffened gait, which O'Connor said was the result of spinal arthritis, a previously broken foot and neuropathy in the Biden's feet. Biden is far from the first national political figure to stumble in public. President Gerald Ford fell down while walking off Air Force One in 1975. GOP Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, the GOP presidential nominee at the time, fell off the stage at a campaign rally in 1996. President Barack Obama tripped walking up the stairs to a stage at a 2012 event. “I was so fired up, I missed a stair” he told the crowd. President Donald Trump's gingerly walk down a ramp at the 2020 West Point commencement also sparked concerns about his health. Trump, 76, was campaigning in Iowa when he heard about Biden's stumble and alluded to his own episode. “He actually fell down? Well I hope he wasn’t hurt,” Trump said after an audience member told him about what had happened to Biden. “The whole thing is crazy. You gotta be careful about that ... 'cause you don’t want that, even if you have to tiptoe down a ramp.” The audience laughed as Trump recounted slowly inching his way down what he said had been a slippery ramp at the U.S. Military Academy graduation. “If he fell, it’s too bad,” the former president said. “We gotta just get this thing back on track. That’s a bad place to fall when you’re making, I think it was the Air Force Academy, right? That’s not inspiring.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Drag shows on US military bases canceled by Pentagon after Republican criticism US retaliates for Russia's suspension of New START treaty by revoking visas of nuclear inspectors Trump and Maga allies mock Biden for Air Force graduation fall