(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s senior aides plan to meet with Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan on Thursday, as he continues to face sharp criticism from those groups — as well as some progressive and younger voters — for his response to the Israel-Hamas war.
A source familiar with Biden’s plans confirmed the upcoming meeting, which will include Steve Benjamin, the administration’s public engagement director; Mazen Basrawi, the liaison between the White House and American Muslim communities; the U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, Samantha Power; the principal deputy national security adviser, Jon Finer; and Tom Perez, the intergovernmental affairs director.
Jaime Citron and Dan Koh, other top Biden aides, will also attend, the source added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that the administration is focused on outreach.
“The president has met with Americans with varying opinions about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. … Officials at the White House are also in regular contact with Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan, across the country,” she said.
The planned meeting comes as the president has had to repeatedly contend with pro-Palestinian protestors who have been vocal in their opposition to how he has handled the American response since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel sparked a war, in which Israel has been bombarding Gaza as it targets Hamas fighters.
More than 27,000 people have been killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health; 1,200 people have died in Israel, the prime minister’s office said.
Biden has faced demonstrators interrupting his speeches in recent weeks, including last month when he was interrupted some 14 times in Virginia. Protester chants included “Genocide Joe” and “cease-fire now.”
Both the president and other administration officials have sought to stress their support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas while publicly urging Israel to take more care to lower civilian casualties. Biden said during a private meeting with some advocates in October that he needed to do a better job showing empathy after being accused of not caring more for Palestinians.
Though Michigan includes notable Muslim and Arab communities, Biden did not meet with leaders there last week when he made his first visit to the swing state since the war began.
His visit was met instead with protests, with pro-Palestinian demonstrations taking place outside two of his campaign stops in the Detroit area. One led to a tense standoff with riot police.
Protestors there were calling on voters to cast “uncommitted” ballots in the state’s Democratic primary, later this month, to embarrass the president.
Thursday’s scheduled meeting with senior White House advisers also follows an attempt from Biden’s campaign to meet with Muslim and Arab American leaders in the state last month — which was largely rebuffed.
Abdullah H. Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, a Detroit suburb, was one of the many leaders who rejected a meeting with Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez. Last week, a source familiar with the mayor’s thinking told ABC News that Hammoud would be open to meeting with White House officials who can affect change, rather than with the campaign.
A spokesperson then confirmed on Wednesday that he will be at Thursday’s meeting.
“Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud has been clear that this is not the time for electoral politics. He has remained open to meeting with senior policy officials, predicated on the Biden Administration’s willingness to change course in Gaza,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding, “Mayor Hammoud will engage in conversation about policy change, centering on the lived experiences of the people of Gaza and amplifying the demands of the Dearborn community.”
Michigan is a critical battleground that Biden narrowly won in 2020 and that his campaign is working to win again in a likely November rematch with former President Donald Trump, who carried the state in a close race in 2016.
Michigan also has the largest population of Middle Eastern or North African descent of all the battleground states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Wayne County, home to Dearborn and Detroit, has the largest of any county.
Over the weekend, Biden reacted to a controversial Wall Street Journal opinion article that called Dearborn “America’s Jihad Capital.”
“Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “That’s exactly what can lead to Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate, and it shouldn’t happen to the residents of Dearborn – or any American town. We must continue to condemn hate in all forms.”
Hammoud said his city was increasing its police presence at places of worship, citing the “inflammatory” article. He also said there had been an “alarming increase” in anti-Arab sentiment online targeting the city since the op-ed was published.
The opinion article’s author has defended his work, telling NPR, “Hate against anybody is terrible, of course. And I don’t accept that this article is inciting to that.”
(LAS VEGAS) — Following a bruising defeat in the Nevada’s Republican primary on Tuesday, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley sought to brush off the fact that she came in second to “none of these candidates” — her third straight loss in the presidential race so far — and said her campaign focus is on other, bigger states.
She also reiterated that she never saw much point in seriously competing against former President Donald Trump in Nevada, which is holding two different nominating contests: the primary she ran in, which didn’t award delegates to earn the GOP nomination, and the party-run caucuses on Thursday, which will.
“We always knew Nevada was a scam,” Haley said on Fox Business on Wednesday. “Trump had it rigged from the very beginning. There are multiple press stories on that. … They wanted us to pay $55,000 to just participate in their caucus. So we didn’t spend a day or $1 there. We weren’t even worried about it.”
Haley’s campaign previously called the caucuses “rigged,” an allegation the Nevada Republican Party has repeatedly denied.
Haley said on Fox Business that her current focus is on South Carolina, Michigan and Super Tuesday, on March 5, when many states will vote simultaneously.
Olivia Perez-Cuba, a spokeswoman for the Haley campaign, released a statement on Tuesday following the former governor’s loss, echoing Haley’s sentiments.
“Even Donald Trump knows that when you play penny slots the house wins,” she said, adding, “We’re full steam ahead in South Carolina and beyond.”
Haley had largely skipped campaigning in Nevada altogether. Instead of being in the state on Tuesday, she attended fundraisers in California, where she is also hosting campaign events throughout the day on Wednesday.
Though she still trails Trump in both polling and delegates, Haley has said it’s early in the primary season — and she’s not going anywhere.
Her campaign schedule reflects that. Following her swing in California this week, she’ll head back to South Carolina, where she’ll hold two campaign events this weekend in the lead-up to the Feb. 24 primary there.
ABC News’ Nicholas Kerr and Soo Rin Kim contributed to this report
(WASHINGTON) — As expected, the Senate’s vote to advance the bipartisan national security supplemental bill with the negotiated border provisions failed on Wednesday. It’s the first of two votes Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is forcing on the bill — the second of which removes the border provisions, but maintains foreign aid measures.
In the procedural vote, the Senate voted 49-50 to proceed with the national security supplemental bill, which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan as well as the new border policy deal. Sixty votes were needed to advance the legislation.
Republicans in the Senate had signaled that they would sink the national security supplemental bill — despite pleas from key negotiators just before the vote. The Senate will soon vote on the second option Schumer presented, which is a procedural vote on whether to begin debate on a national security package that includes the foreign aid but none of the border provisions or funds. It is unclear whether that will get the 60 votes necessary to advance to debate.
In the first vote, several senators crossed party lines with Republican Sens. James Lankford, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voting to move forward with the bill while the rest of Republicans voted against it. Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Alex Padilla, and Independent Bernie Sanders voted against moving forward. The rest of the Democrats voted in favor of moving forward.
Schumer switched his vote to a no at the end of the vote — a procedural move that allows him the opportunity to call the bill back up for reconsideration at a later date if he so chooses.
Schumer spoke to reporters about the Republican flip-flop on the border deal, noting that his GOP colleagues insisted on border provisions as a condition to passing Ukraine aid before changing their tune and suggesting moving forward on a package that drops the border provisions.
“So first Republicans said they would only do Ukraine and Israel humanitarian aid with border. Then they said they would not do it with border. Well, we’re going to give them both options,” Schumer said. “We’ll take either one. We just hope they can come to yes on something.”
It could be another blow to congressional Republicans who suffered two disappointing losses in the House Tuesday: the failure to pass the GOP-led impeachment efforts against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the defeat of the Israeli aid package.
Schumer said he began devising a Plan B for the border supplemental when former President Donald Trump began weighing in and it became clear Republicans were turning on the package.
It’s not at all clear whether a national security supplemental without border provisions will get the 60 votes it needs to advance, but Schumer said he’d be willing to offer Republicans the opportunity to amend the package, if so.
A frustrated Lankford, who spent four months negotiating the border provisions with other senators, spoke on the floor before the votes and said that border security is a “problem that needs to be solved” and said bipartisan collaboration is needed to pass border provisions.
“We need a change in law — I understand we have differences, but we’ve got to sit down together to figure out how we will solve this problem because the American people sent us here to do that.”
The Oklahoma Republican said he remains willing to sit down with anyone who is interested in solving the problem at the border, because Americans are “ticked off” at the crisis and at congressional inaction.
“What I hear from most Oklahomans is ‘Do something. Don’t just sit there, do something — make progress but don’t allow this to keep going. Stop it where you can.’ So that’s what we worked to do,” Lankford said.
If the bill without border provisions does passing in the Senate, it’s unclear whether House Speaker Mike Johnson might bring the bill to the floor. Schumer said he hopes Johnson does.
“The House is in chaos it doesn’t behoove the speaker well to block everything because 30 hard-right-wing people just want chaos like Donald Trump does,” Schumer said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said “in principle” he supports a national-security-only aid package without border provisions if the Senate can pass one.
“it’s certainly something that I support because we have to move forward in a comprehensive way to address our national security issues. After extreme Republicans have held our national security issues hostage around the border for months, and now have abandoned their own position,” Jeffries said at his weekly news conference.
Jeffries said “there are several Republicans who are not in leadership” who have voiced “willingness” to work together to advance a national security package. He did not name any specific Republicans.
Jeffries said he hopes the House can advance a national security supplemental when the chamber returns next week.
ABC News’ Lauren Peller and Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — More than 100 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.
The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel’s founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 07, 5:00 PM
Blinken: Hamas counteroffer has ‘clear nonstarters,’ but there’s ‘space for agreement’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believes a hostage deal is still within reach, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s earlier comments rejecting Hamas’ counteroffer.
“We had an opportunity to discuss with the Israeli government the response that Hamas sent last night to the proposal that the United States, Qatar and Egypt have put together to bring the remaining hostages and extend the humanitarian pause,” Blinken said at a news conference in Israel Wednesday. “What I can tell you about these discussions is that while there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.”
Blinken later added, “These things are always negotiations. It’s not flipping a light switch.”
Blinken said he plans to meet with the families of hostages on Thursday.
As for Israel’s growing offensive in Gaza, Blinken stressed that “any military operation that Israel undertakes needs to put civilians first and foremost in mind.”
Blinken said he had outlined specific measures the U.S. expected to see during his “extensive” talks with Netanyahu and Israeli national security leaders.
He said Israel should open a border crossing between Israel and northern Gaza to help improve the flow of humanitarian aid.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 07, 3:23 PM
Freed hostages react to Netanyahu rejecting deal
Freed Israeli hostages and families of those still being held hostage by Hamas are speaking out, pleading for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a hostage deal, after the prime minister on Wednesday rejected the current proposed deal.
Netanyahu called the deal “delusional,” and described it as a “surrender” that would lead to another massacre.
Adina Moshe, who was released after being held hostage for 49 days, said Wednesday, “We love our country. … But I want my country back and its morality that is gone.”
“I fear for the lives and fates of the hostages,” Moshe said. “I’m afraid we’ll have nothing to pass on to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Please, prime minister: If you continue on this path, there will be no more hostages to release. Restore our trust — release them now.”
Sahar Calderon, a 16-year-old who was released after being held hostage for 54 days, said, “Every hour there was hell. . … A terrorist glared at me for 24 hours with murder in his eyes, and every minute I feared being raped.”
Calderon’s father is still being held hostage.
“I am grateful to the government for bringing me back, but what about my father, who is abandoned anew every day, uncertain if he will live or die?” she said. “Bring him back — do not make me lose faith in our country a second time.”
Feb 07, 1:45 PM
Israeli prime minister rejects hostage deal proposal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected the current proposed hostage and cease-fire deal, calling it “delusional,” and describing it as a “surrender” that would lead to another massacre. But Netanyahu did not say negotiations were closed.
To the families of the hostages, Netanyahu said in Hebrew, “Your loved ones are always standing before my eyes. … We do not stop working for the release of our abductees — even now.”
“The continuation of military pressure is a necessary condition for the release of the abductees,” he said. “Surrendering to the delusional demands of Hamas … not only will not lead to the release of the abductees, it will only invite another massacre.”
Netanyahu also said it would be “a matter of months” to reach Israel’s objectives and achieve “total victory” of completely dismantling Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said he told Secretary of State Antony Blinken in their meeting Wednesday, “We are within touching distance of a complete victory, which will also be the victory of the entire free world — not only of Israel.”
Netanyahu also said the Israeli military operation will expand to the city of Rafah, where thousands of Gaza residents have fled and are living in makeshift shelters.
-ABC News’ Anna Burd and Jordana Miller
Feb 07, 12:20 PM
New round of hostage negotiations to take place in Cairo: Egyptian state TV
Egypt and Qatar will co-host a new round of negotiations on the proposed hostage and cease-fire deal on Thursday in Cairo, Egyptian state TV reported.
Feb 07, 10:41 AM
Blinken meets with Netanyahu on latest trip to Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
First, Netanyahu and Blinken “held a long and in-depth meeting in private” before having “an extended meeting” with other Israeli and U.S. officials, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, Blinken reaffirmed Israel’s right to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas and the need to protect civilians in Gaza, according to the State Department. Blinken also stressed the importance of a two-state solution — a prospect Netanyahu has vocally opposed.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since Oct. 7 when war erupted between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules the neighboring Gaza Strip. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, has been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Shannon Crawford and Morgan Winsor
Feb 07, 7:22 AM
Blinken meets with Netanyahu on latest trip to Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
First, Netanyahu and Blinken “held a long and in-depth meeting in private” before having “an extended meeting” with other Israeli and U.S. officials, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since Oct. 7 when war erupted between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules the neighboring Gaza Strip. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, has been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
Feb 06, 7:33 PM
US House fails to pass Israel aid bill
The U.S. House failed to pass a $17.6 billion standalone bill to provide aid to Israel.
The bill failed 250-180 during a vote Tuesday evening.
The GOP measure was being considered under suspension, which required a two-thirds majority to pass.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who unveiled the standalone bill over the weekend, blamed President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for its failure.
“The decision by President Biden and Leader Schumer to torpedo this bill to aid the Israeli people in their fight against Hamas is a disappointing rebuke to our closest ally in the Middle East at their time of great need,” Johnson said in a statement following the vote.
The Biden administration had issued a veto threat to the bill on Monday, saying it “strongly opposes” the measure after a bipartisan group of senators came to an agreement on a national security supplemental that includes Israel aid.
Schumer said he was against the bill and wanted Israel aid coupled with aid for Ukraine, Taiwan and the border.
Feb 06, 4:50 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
However, after receiving the response from Hamas, Israeli officials indicated a deal is still “far off,” according to Israeli political sources.
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
Feb 06, 4:02 PM
31 hostages are dead and remain in captivity in Gaza, Israeli sources say
The bodies of 31 hostages remain in Gaza, according to Israeli sources. The 31 hostages either died while being held captive by Hamas or were killed on Oct. 7, the sources said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Feb 06, 1:31 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 06, 9:48 AM
Blinken meets with Egypt’s president amid push for new truce
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s ongoing war in the neighboring Gaza Strip.
Their “meeting focused on developments in unyielding efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, exchanging detainees and providing access of needed relief aid to end the severe humanitarian catastrophe in the sector,” according to a readout from Egypt’s presidency.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
Feb 05, 11:54 AM
UN secretary-general opens independent review into UNRWA
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced Monday that he has appointed an independent review group to determine whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is “doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.”
The probe comes amid Israel’s allegations that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attack.
“These accusations come at a time when UNRWA, the largest U.N. organization in the region, is working under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance to the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who depend on it for their survival amidst one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world,” Guterres said in a statement.
The independent review group will begin its work on Feb. 14 and will provide an interim report by late March. A final report is due April 2024, according to Guterres.
The probe is separate from an investigation the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight is conducting into the allegations.
UNRWA has said it is investigating the allegations and took swift action against those accused of participating in the attack. However, the United States and other top donors have suspended their funding to the agency, which is the biggest humanitarian aid provider in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 8:43 AM
Food convoy hit by Israeli naval gunfire in Gaza, UNRWA says
A food aid convoy waiting to move into the north of the Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli naval gunfire on Monday morning, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“Thankfully no one was injured,” Tom White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 03, 4:52 PM
House plans vote on standalone Israel aid bill next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Saturday the House will vote on a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package next week.
“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets. The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally,” Johnson said in a letter to colleagues obtained by ABC News.
This news is a major reversal after House Republicans previously approved a $14.3 billion Israel funding package that included cuts to IRS funding. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not bring this legislation to the floor for vote because of Democrats’ opposition to IRS funding cuts.
Johnson again emphasized the Senate negotiated supplemental will face an uphill battle in the House and attacked Senators for excluding him and the House from the bipartisan talks.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Feb 03, 3:21 PM
IDF deploys 3 divisions to northern border amid Hezbollah attacks
The Israeli military has deployed three divisions to the northern border amid Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference Saturday.
He said the IDF is working to “reshape the security reality” on the northern border, so that some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks can return to their homes.
“We do not choose war as our first option but are certainly ready, and preparing for it all the time, if need be,” Hagari said.
The IDF has struck more than 150 cells, killing some 200 terror operatives, mostly members of Hezbollah, and targeted more than 3,400 Hezbollah sites since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to Hagari.
(MOSCOW) — Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News anchor and right-wing media personality, has recorded an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin and Carlson.
The interview, which has yet to air, would be the first interview Putin has granted to a Western journalist since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
Carlson’s presentation of the interview has drawn intense criticism from independent Russian journalists who have called it a propaganda victory for the Kremlin and accused Carlson of whitewashing Putin’s crackdown on media and freedom of speech in Russia since the invasion.
In a video teasing the interview posted on X Tuesday night, Carlson said he was interviewing Putin to hear his perspective on the war, claiming that the Russian leader has been ignored by major Western media organizations. Carlson falsely claimed Western media organizations had “not bothered” to interview Putin since the start of the invasion.
“Since the day the war in Ukraine began, American media outlets have spoken to scores of people from Ukraine and they have done scores of interviews with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. But not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview the president of the other country involved in this conflict, Vladimir Putin,” Carlson said.
In reality, many major international outlets regularly make requests to interview Putin, but the Kremlin has declined to accept them since the invasion. Putin for many years has also refused to give interviews to independent Russian journalists apart from those working for state and pro-Kremlin media.
The Kremlin itself on Wednesday contradicted Carlson, saying Putin receives many interview requests from Western media but has no desire to speak with them.
“Mr. Carlson is not correct. In fact, there’s no way he could know this. We receive numerous requests for interviews with the president,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. But, he said, “there’s no desire to communicate with this kind of media” because of what he said was its failure to be “impartial.”
Peskov said the Kremlin had chosen to speak with Carlson because his position “stands in sharp contrast” to the rest of Western media.
Carlson has long expressed positions that often align with the Kremlin’s, saying before the invasion that he was “rooting for Moscow.”
“By any actual reality-based measure, Vladimir Putin is not losing the war in Ukraine. He is winning the war in Ukraine and Joe Biden looks at that and says we won’t stop until you proffer an unconditional surrender,” Carlson claimed in August 2022, shortly before a Ukrainian counteroffensive liberated much of the north east Kharkiv region.
Carlson has also been a critic of the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine, arguing that Putin is not a threat to the United States and suggesting the U.S. has stoked the conflict. Carlson has disparaged Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who he has called a “dictator,” “rat-like” and “sweaty.”
On Tuesday, Carlson said his team had also requested an interview with Zelenskyy.
Carlson’s positions have long attracted positive attention in Russia, with his clips aired on state media, which portrays him as a truth-teller. After he was abruptly fired from Fox last year, the state channel Russia 24 even aired a trailer for an imagined Russian show anchored by Carlson.
His arrival in Moscow has been met with breathless coverage in pro-Kremlin and state media, which has closely tracked his visit. A photo captured of Carlson at the Bolshoi ballet theater has circulated widely on Russian social media, and some news agencies even carried photos and reports of him visiting a supermarket.
One talk show compared Carlson’s visit to Jane Fonda’s anti-war trip to Vietnam in 1972. On Tuesday, the Evening Moscow newspaper carried a photo of Carlson on its front page with the headline: “Carlson, who lives in America, but speaks the truth.”
In his teaser video, Carson said his interview was a defiant demonstration of “freedom of speech,” alleging there was an effort to silence him and accusing Western media outlets of being “corrupt” and creating propaganda to promote Zelenskyy.
“Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now. They’ve never heard his voice. That’s wrong,” Carlson said.
Many prominent independent Russian journalists, however, accused Carlson of acting as a propaganda mouthpiece for the Kremlin and expressed outrage at his free speech claims, given the intense crackdown by Putin’s government on independent media and dissent during the war.
“Unbelievable! I am like hundreds of Russian journalists who have had to go into exile to keep reporting about the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine. The alternative was to go to jail,” Yevgenia Albats, a well-known liberal journalist and editor of The New Times, wrote on X responding to Carlson’s video. “And now [Carlson] is teaching us about good journalism,” she wrote, using an expletive about the former Fox anchor.
Since early 2022, the Kremlin has introduced draconian laws criminalizing criticism of the war. Virtually all independent media organizations have been closed or driven abroad, along with hundreds of journalists. Reporters, activists and ordinary citizens who have spoken against the war have been arrested and some given lengthy prison sentences.
Two American reporters — Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal and Alsu Kurmasheva of Radio Free Liberty — are currently detained by Russia on charges widely condemned as politically motivated.
Albats and others said Putin’s willingness to speak with Carlson — but not other international news organizations or independent Russian journalists — showed the Kremlin saw it as an opportunity to use him as a sympathetic mouthpiece to broadcast its message to millions of Americans.
The Russian media’s excitement around Carlson’s visit has also irritated some pro-war Russian nationalists, who see it as an embarrassing veneration of Americans.
“I am watching an amazing thing with interest: How people who ridicule Ukrainians for their subservient prostration before European politicians and public figures are meticulously recording Tucker Carlson’s every move and sneeze in Moscow,” Andrei Medvedev, a Moscow City Duma deputy and former state TV presenter, wrote on his Telegram account.
“He flew in, he ate, he drank tea. How wonderful, an American has come to visit us! How happy we are. Comrades, do you feel bipolar?” Medvedev added.
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York in a $370 million civil lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel Trump to the White House.
Trump, his sons Eric Trump and and Donald Trump Jr., and other top Trump Organization executives are accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of engaging in a decade-long scheme in which they used “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” to inflate Trump’s net worth in order get more favorable loan terms. The trial comes after the judge in the case ruled in a partial summary judgment that Trump had submitted “fraudulent valuations” for his assets, leaving the trial to determine additional actions and what penalty, if any, the defendants should receive.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and his attorneys have argued that Trump’s alleged inflated valuations were a product of his business skill.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 07, 4:54 PM
NY AG says Weisselberg plea should not affect case
New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Wednesday that the potential guilty plea of former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg should have no bearing on the outcome the civil fraud case against former President Trump.
The attorney’s general’s office said it is unaware whether Weisselberg committed perjury while testifying in the case, but does not believe “this development should result in any delay of a final decision.”
Judge Arthur Engoron had asked the parties to weigh in after it was publicly reported that Weisselberg was engaged in plea talks with the Manhattan district attorney’s office to resolve a potential perjury charge.
“In sum, the fact that a defendant who lacks credibility and has already been to prison for falsifying business documents may have also perjured himself in this proceeding or the preceding investigation is hardly surprising,” the AG’s office said in a filing Wednesday, adding that “it should not delay a final decision and judgment imposing remedial measures in this law enforcement proceeding.”
Weisselberg testified during the trial that he was only peripherally involved in certifying the size of Trump’s Fifth Avenue apartment, but on the witness stand he was confronted with email suggesting otherwise.
Feb 06, 12:20 PM
Judge requests info about ex-CFO’s potential perjury
Judge Arthur Engoron is requesting more information about potential perjury committed by defendant Allen Weisselberg, the former Trump Organization CFO, according to an email shared on the court’s docket.
As ABC News has reported, Weisselberg is in plea talks with the Manhattan district attorney’s office to resolve a potential perjury charge, according to sources familiar with the matter.
“As the presiding magistrate, the trier of fact, and the judge of credibility, I of course want to know whether Mr. Weisselberg is now changing his tune, and whether he is admitting he lied under oath in my courtroom at this trial,” Engoron wrote in an email he sent to the parties on Monday.
Engoron requested both parties to send him a letter by Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET detailing “anything you know about this that would not violate any of your professional ethics or obligations.”
“I would also appreciate knowing how you think I should address this matter, if at all, including the timing of the final decision,” Engoron added.
The judge is still weighing his decision in the $370 million fraud case, which he originally indicated would come by the end of January.
Jan 29, 6:29 PM
Trump attorney criticizes independent monitor’s report
Trump attorney Clifford Robert on Monday blasted a report issued last week by the former judge appointed to monitor the Trump Organization as an inaccurate depiction of the firm’s finances intended to justify the continued oversight of the company.
Robert, in his letter Monday to Judge Arthur Engoron, said the report from independent monitor Barbara Jones “twists immaterial accounting items into a narrative favoring her continued appointment, and thereby the continued receipt of millions of dollars in excessive fees,” arguing that her report represented an “unacceptable level of disingenuity.”
“This is truly a joke,” Trump attorney Chris Kise told ABC News in a statement. “Indeed, it is shocking that President Trump has been forced to pay millions for a Monitor to prove what he has said from the outset, namely, there is no financial reporting misconduct, no fraud and simply no basis for this abusive process to continue.”
Jan 27, 6:55 PM
Trump Organization monitor flags financial misstatements
A report issued Friday by the former judge appointed to serve as the Trump Organization’s independent monitor by Judge Arthur Engoron found that the company has been cooperative, implemented some changes, and issued necessary corrections to financial statements; however, the report also outlined multiple errors and misstatements observed by the monitor over her 14 months in the role.
The report, by independent monitor Barbara Jones, was issued at the request of Judge Engoron ahead of his expected ruling in Trump’s civil fraud trial.
“It is important to note that the Trump Organization acknowledged the disclosure issues described after I brought them to its attention and has been open to recommendations to improve accuracy and transparency,” Jones wrote in her report.
However, Jones wrote, “Absent steps to address the items above, my observations suggest misstatements and errors may continue to occur, which could result in incorrect or inaccurate reporting of financial information to third parties.”
Jan 24, 4:11 PM
Trump attorney calls NY AG’s ‘Pharma Bro’ comparison ‘irresponsible’
A day after New York Attorney General Letitia James cited a ruling involving “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli to support a lifetime real estate ban for Donald Trump, a defense lawyer responded in a letter to the court calling the comparison “misplaced and irresponsible.”
The New York AG said Tuesday that a federal appeals court decision upholding a lifetime industry ban for Shkreli should convince Judge Arthur Engoron to impose a lifetime real estate ban on Trump.
Defense attorney Clifford Robert, in response, wrote Wednesday that “the absurdity of the Attorney General’s latest effort would be almost comical but for the sobering future consequences of her shameless abuse of power.”
Robert argued that Trump’s fraud case lacks witnesses, complaints, and victims compared to Shkreli’s case.
In a statement to ABC News, Trump attorney Chris Kise said the ruling in Trump’s case could have far-reaching implications for the New York business community.
“This is not just about President Trump. Every major bank CEO and every Wall Street participant should speak out now before the Attorney General’s shocking and tyrannical interference in the capital markets places all New York business transactions at risk,” Kise said.
Jan 23, 7:43 PM
NY AG cites ‘Pharma Bro’ ruling in seeking lifetime ban for Trump
The New York attorney general’s office says a federal appeals court decision upholding a lifetime industry ban for disgraced “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli should convince Judge Arthur Engoron to impose a lifetime real estate ban on Donald Trump.
In a letter to Judge Engoron, state attorney Colleen Faherty cited Tuesday’s decision in the Shkreli case to justify the NY AG’s request to ban the former president from the New York real estate industry for life.
According to Faherty, New York State Executive Law 63(12) — which was used in the NY AG’s lawsuits against both Trump and Shkreli — gives the court the ability to “issue a permanent and plenary ban in a particular industry.”
“63(12) is the Swiss Army knife of the AG’s Office,” said Tristan Snell, a former lawyer with the New York attorney General’s office who used the law to sue Trump over the now-defunct real estate seminar called Trump University. “If you don’t have laws like this in place, that you basically allow lies and misrepresentations to be endemic.”
A final decision in Trump’s civil fraud case is expected later this month.
Jan 19, 12:47 PM
James releases video of Trump’s April 2023 deposition
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday released video of former President Trump’s April 2023 deposition in the case.
Video of the deposition, the transcript of which was released by the attorney general in August 2023, was released as part of a public records request.
As ABC News reported in August, Trump in the deposition called his real estate portfolio “the Mona Lisa of properties” and suggested his assets were worth far more than what appeared in his statements of financial condition that are at the center of the New York AG’s case.
The videotaped deposition proved to be a preview of Trump’s testimony at trial earlier this month, in which he bragged about his finances and declared himself “an innocent man.”
Jan 16, 8:07 PM
Court of Appeals upholds limited gag order
New York’s highest court has upheld the limited gag order in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.
“On the Court’s own motion, appeal dismissed, without costs, upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved. Motion for a stay dismissed as academic,” New York’s Court of Appeals said in a two-sentence ruling issued Tuesday.
The gag order barred Trump and his lawyers from commenting on Judge Arthur Engoron’s staff during the former president’s 11-week civil fraud trial.
A decision in the case is expected later this month, after closing arguments wrapped up last week.
Jan 11, 5:34 PM
‘This case has never been about politics,’ James says
New York State Attorney General Letitia James, speaking to reporters outside court following the conclusion of closing arguments, dismissed the idea that her case against Donald Trump is about politics.
“This case has never been about politics, personal vendetta, or about name calling. This case is about the facts and the law, and Mr. Donald Trump violated the law,” James said.
James thanked her team, the judge, and Trump’s lawyers before repeating her confidence that “justice will be done” in the case.
“No matter how powerful you are, no matter how rich you are, no one is above the law,” she said.
Jan 11, 5:15 PM
Closing arguments conclude, ruling expected by Jan. 31
Judge Arthur Engoron asked state attorney Kevin Wallace to conclude the day’s proceedings by comparing Trump’s fraud to the actions of financier Bernie Madoff, who defrauded clients out of tens of billions of dollars in the 1990s and 2000s.
“How would you compare the fraud you are alleging to the Madoff Ponzi scheme?” Engoron said.
During a meandering response, Wallace acknowledged that Trump’s fraud was smaller, but “significant given the dollar amounts involved.”
“If you are rich enough, you going to be allowed to do it. You’ll get away with it,” Wallace said.
Engoron concluded the day by estimating that he would issue an opinion in the case by Jan. 31.
He then ended the proceedings.
Jan 11, 4:45 PM
The buck stopped at Trump, state lawyer says
The buck stopped at Donald Trump, and the court should hold him responsible for his company’s actions, according to state attorney Andrew Amer.
“The buck stopped with him, so he was responsible for all the conduct I just reviewed,” Amer said about Trump’s conduct between 2011 and 2015, before his sons took over the company when Trump won the White House.
Though defense attorneys have repeatedly criticized the testimony of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, Amer highlighted that Trump’s lawyers never questioned the former president about his testimony that Trump instructed Cohen and then-CEO Allen Weisselberg to “reverse engineer” his financial statement to increase his net worth.
“Based on their decision not to question Mr. Trump on this critical point, the court should infer that the reverse engineering instructions were given by Mr. Trump, just as Mr. Cohen described,” Amer said.
Amer also highlighted what he said was Eric Trump’s inconsistent testimony about his knowledge of his father’s statement of financial condition.
“He went to great lengths to conceal from this court that he was fully aware that his father had a personal financial statement,” Amer said, claiming that Eric Trump and his brother Donald Trump Jr. “approved of and perpetuated those schemes with the intent to defraud.”
Judge Engoron, however, appeared skeptical of Amer’s argument about Trump’s adult sons — particularly Donald Trump Jr. — and interrupted the summation to question Amer.
“What evidence do you have — I just haven’t seen it — that they knew there was fraud?” Engoron said.
Amer responded that the sons should have known about the fraud given their role in the company, and that their inaction amounted to “sticking their heads in the sand.”
“They can’t say they didn’t bother paying attention to it. That is just not a defense,” Amer contended.
Jan 11, 3:40 PM
‘Cash crunch’ drove Trump to fraud, state alleges
The competing obligations between the costs of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and his business obligations created a “cash crunch” at the Trump Organization that motivated the former president to commit fraud, state attorney Kevin Wallace argued during his summation.
Wallace’s theory about the motivation for the alleged fraud, which he articulated for the first time, attempted to explain Trump’s motive for the alleged conduct as well as justify levying a fine against Trump in order to regulate the marketplace.
According to Wallace, the hundreds of millions of dollars saved by the Trump Organization through fraud allowed the company to “stay afloat” during a major “cash crunch” during the 2010s.
During the first half of the decade, the Trump Organization spent roughly $775 million to renovate properties including its Doral and Turnberry golf courses, as well as the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., Wallace said. The idea that the company could have funded these expenses with cash alone was a “fantasy,” according to Wallace.
“By the time you get to 2017, Mr. Trump was becoming president, and the company was getting low on cash,” Wallace said. Faced with the chance of a negative cash flow, the company opted to embrace fraud, according to Wallace.
“They didn’t have to choose between their priorities,” Wallace said about the company’s business expenses and Trump’s presidential campaign.
Trump attorney Chris Kise objected to the argument, suggesting the theory was nothing more than conjecture — which prompted a heated exchange with Wallace.
“Chris. Stop. We didn’t interrupt the defendants’ presentation at all,” Wallace shouted while facing Kise.
“I think I agree with Mr. Kise,” Judge Engoron responded, but he allowed the presentation to continue.
Jan 11, 3:05 PM
State attorney says defense provided ‘no new facts’
“We’re back to hearing the same arguments,” Kevin Wallace, an attorney with the New York state AG’s office, began his closing statement following closing arguments from Trump’s defense team.
“Donald Trump is rich, banks like rich people,” Wallace said. “What we have not heard from defendants is any new facts.”
Wallace said the defense failed to assert that any of the alleged fraud was a mistake, other than the overvaluation of the Trump Tower penthouse, and that the defense did not argue the numbers Trump used on his statements of financial condition were accurate.
“If you look at it across time, it becomes clear that fraud was central to the operation of the Trump Organization’s business,” Wallace said.
Wallace took aim at the testimony of defense expert witnesses, calling them a “murderer’s row of experts” who Trump collectively paid at least $2.5 million.
“None of the experts actually presented evidence that is helpful to the court as a fact-finder,” Wallace claimed.
Defense attorney Chris Kise stood up to interject, calling Wallace’s murderer’s row reference “outrageous.” Wallace joked he was referring to the 1927 Yankees.
Jan 11, 1:48 PM
Trump, outside court, says ‘it’s been a pretty successful trial’
Moments after delivering his closing statement, Donald Trump exited the courtroom to criticize the trial as politically motivated.
“This is a political witch hunt the likes of which nobody’s ever seen before. They owe me damages for what they’ve done,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the case against him would scare businesses away from New York.
Nevertheless, the former president appeared pleased with his defense.
“It’s been a pretty successful trial,” said. “I don’t know that we’re going get a fair ruling. But everybody knows what I just said — this is a sham and it’s a shame,” Trump said.
With the defense team’s closings concluded, the state’s closing is scheduled to begin following a break.
Jan 11, 1:34 PM
‘Not how this should have been done,’ judge says of Trump statement
Judge Engoron mostly kept his head down for the duration of Donald Trump’s closing summation, which Trump delivered from his seat at the defense counsel table.
“This is not how this should have been done,” Engoron said seconds before Trump launched into his statement, which contained several accusations that Engonron had tried to prohibit Trump from making.
Calling the state attorneys “disgraceful” and the statute used against him “vicious,” Trump repeated many of his lawyer’s claims before arguing that he is the only victim of fraud in the case.
Trump also criticized Engoron himself, claiming that the judge would not listen to him.
“You can’t listen for one minute,” Trump said.
“Mr. Kise please control your client,” Engoron said while attempting to reign in Trump. But Trump continued.
“I did nothing wrong. They should pay me for what we had to go through,” Trump said. “She sued me to try to get publicity,” he said of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Engoron then held up his phone screen to signal to Trump that he had run out of time for his remarks, then the judge called for a break.
Jan 11, 1:13 PM
Trump, ignoring judge’s warning, tells court he’s an ‘innocent man’
Before Judge Arthur Engoron could even get Trump to agree to the terms the judge had laid down for the delivery of Trump’s closing statement, the former president launched into a five-minute address while seated at the defense table.
It began when defense attorney Christopher Kise asked the judge to reconsider his decision and allow Trump to speak, and Engoron asked Trump if he would stay within the bounds of his closing argument.
Trump pressed immediately on.
“Well I think, your honor, this case goes outside the facts,” Trump said. “The financial statements were perfect. The banks got all their money back. They were as happy as can be.”
Ignoring the judge’s prohibition regarding delving into politics, Trump said, “This is a political witch hunt that should be set aside. We should receive damages for what we’ve gone through.”
He also attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“I’m an innocent man. I’ve been persecuted by someone running for office,” Trump said. “This statute is vicious. It doesn’t give me a jury. It takes away my rights.”
He said the tripling of the square footage of his Trump Tower penthouse on his statement of financial condition was a mistake — “an honest mistake” that was corrected.
Trump declared, “This is a fraud on me. What’s happened here sir is a fraud on me.”
Jan 11, 1:00 PM
Lawyer says no evidence implicates Trump’s sons
Defense attorney Clifford Robert rounded out the defense summations by repeating claims that no evidence implicates his clients Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
“There is not one witness who says that Eric Trump or Donald Trump Jr. had nothing more than peripheral involvement with the statement of financial condition” that’s at the heart of the case, Robert said. He added that even former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen — who he described as “the biggest liar on the face of the planet” — failed to implicate his clients.
Delivering his summation from the far side of the courtroom as if he was addressing the courtroom’s jury box, Robert frequently pointed to the courtroom’s gallery where Eric Trump sat in the first row.
“They have their futures ahead of them,” Robert implored Judge Engoron, warning that the case could result in a professional “death penalty” for Trump’s two eldest sons and could harm their families.
Like his co-counsel, Robert criticized the case as politically motivated.
“This is a press release wrapped up in a lawsuit,” he quipped.
Robert concluded his statement by requesting that all the causes of action alleged against Trump’s sons be dismissed.
Jan 11, 12:48 PM
Trump lawyer calls case ‘political agenda,’ drawing rebuke
The second of three defense attorneys to present closing arguments, Alina Habba, began her statement with accusations of political motives.
Habba, who also serves as Trump’s legal spokesperson, said, “This case started before Ms. James took office,” referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James. “You are now being dragged through a political agenda.”
The accusation prompted an interjection from Judge Engoron, who earlier in the week instructed Trump’s attorneys via email that Trump — should be participate in the closings — would have to abide by the same rules lawyers must adhere to when delivering a closing statement, namely “commentary on the relevant, material facts that are in evidence, and application of the relevant law to those facts.”
Habba pivoted, declaring that Trump “is worth billions” and arguing that there could be no fraud. She said the Trump Organization and its executives relied on the company’s outside accounting firm, Mazars USA, to flag any impropriety with asset valuations and how they were calculated.
“We have wasted years, you and me, your honor, and for what?” Habba said.
Jan 11, 12:16 PM
Trump attorney warns ruling ‘impacts every corporation in NY’
Trump attorney Chris Kise wrapped up his closing statement by warning that the upcoming ruling in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial “impacts every corporation in New York.”
“This decision is not just about President Trump,” Kise said.
“What you do, judge, impacts every corporation in New York. The commercial marketplace would cease to exist as we know it,” Kise warned.
Kise repeated his claim that the alleged fraud lacks any witnesses, allegations of fraud, and lost money; instead, the case is simply the “weaponization” of New York Executive Law 63(12), he argued.
“You cannot allow the attorney general to pursue a victimless fraud and enforce the corporate death penalty,” Kise said.
Jan 11, 12:03 PM
‘You can’t just make up a number,’ Trump lawyer says of $370M fine
Trump’s attorney Chris Kise hammered away at the New York attorney general’s request for a fine of $370 million, calling the request “pure speculation” in his closing argument.
“You can’t just make up a number in the sky,” Kise argued, criticizing the New York AG for stepping into private transactions.
“The attorney general is going to come along ten years later because she does not like Donald Trump,” Kise said.
Arguing that Trump’s main lender at Deutsche Bank was happy to do business with the Trump Organization despite accusations that Trump overvalued his assets, Kise said that the state is attempting to rely on expert testimony due to a lack of testimony from bankers alleging wrongdoing.
Judge Engoron intervened twice during Kise’s argument to cast doubt on the claim that happy bankers mean there was no wrongdoing.
“If the bank doesn’t say it’s material, then it’s simply not material,” Kise responded.
“That’s not logically correct,” Engoron said. “You can’t just get a witness to say it was not material to us, so it was not material.”
Kise also spent a significant portion of his closing statement criticizing former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who he argued was the only witness to support the attorney general’s claim of a conspiracy to defraud lenders.
“We have an individual who comes into the courtroom and lies right in front of you, and the attorney general wants you to find him credible,” Kise said regarding Cohen reversing his testimony during the trial.
Jan 11, 10:58 AM
Trump lawyer says case ‘manufactured to pursue a political agenda’
Defense attorney Chris Kise began his closing argument by reciting the greatest hits of Trump’s defense case, highlighting the lack of victims, intent, and claims of wrongdoing.
According to Kise, Trump’s net worth is higher than claimed in his statement of financial condition, and the entire case was “manufactured to pursue a political agenda” by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“There is no testimony from anyone as to how the defendant’s conduct allegedly harmed the marketplace,” Kise said with Donald Trump looking on from three feet behind him.
Kise then touted the testimony of the former president, who he praised for “shaping the skyline of New York,” as evidence that he and his sons committed no wrongdoing.
“There are few people in the world who have succeeded in the real estate industry this well, that have been this successful,” Kise said of Trump.
Kise instead placed the blame for the case on Trump’s deputies at the Trump Organization and his accountants at Mazars USA.
“President Trump relied on multimillion-dollar accountants at Mazars,” Kise said. “Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, and Donald Bender were the three most principally involved in the presentation and preparation of the statements of financial condition. Guess which one is a CPA? Bender.”
Jan 11, 10:22 AM
Closings underway with no mention of Trump’s role
Trump attorney Chris Kise began his closing argument after Judge Engoron opened the proceedings without addressing Trump’s desire to deliver part of the defense’s closing statement.
Trump is seated in his usual seat at the defense counsel table, sandwiched between his attorneys.
Engoron lobbed jokes while the pool cameras prepared to enter the courtroom.
“Lining them up — are they going to be shot or something?” the judge quipped. “I see the usual mixture of anticipation and dread out there. Trust me, this will be painless.”
Jan 11, 10:12 AM
‘I want to speak,’ Trump says on way into courtroom
Speaking to reporters before entering the courtroom, Donald Trump said he still hopes to deliver a portion of the closing statement despite Judge Engoron denying that request yesterday after Trump’s lawyers declined to agree with the rules Engoron set restricting Trump from making political statements and criticizing those involved in the trial.
“I want to speak, I want to make the summation,” Trump told reporters. “At this moment, the judge is not letting me make the summation because I’ll bring up things that he doesn’t want to hear.”
“So I hope to speak, and to help my lawyers reveal all of the defects of this case,” said Trump, who called the case “very unfair” and “very bad for New York state companies.”
Jan 11, 9:34 AM
Trump, James arrive at courthouse for closing arguments
Donald Trump has arrived via motorcade at the lower Manhattan courthouse where closing arguments are scheduled to take place.
The former president pulled up shortly after New York Attorney General Letitia James arrived.
Traffic around the courthouse was briefly disrupted about half an hour before Trump’s arrival by a group of protesters chanting “No dictators in the USA” as they waved signs and displayed a large banner.
Jan 11, 8:38 AM
Judge receives bomb threat ahead of closing arguments
Judge Arthur Engoron received a bomb threat at his New York home this morning, just hours before closing arguments are scheduled in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, according to a court official.
In light of the threat, the court is adding additional security for the judge, the court official said.
Nassau County Police bomb technicians responded to Engoron’s home out of an abundance of caution. Nassau County Police notified the court system of the threat, which they say they have determined to be unfounded.
Today’s court proceedings are expected to proceed as planned.
Jan 11, 8:23 AM
Trump to attend court, still hopes to present closing statement
Donald Trump is set to attend his civil fraud trial today, where he still hopes to participate in the defense’s closing statement despite Judge Arthur Engoron rejecting that request yesterday.
The former president last night dismissed the idea that spending time in the courtroom is impacting his campaign ahead of Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
“No — we’re leading by record numbers,” Trump told ABC News.
The defense team’s closings are scheduled to take place from 10:15 a.m. ET to 12:45 p.m. ET, while the state’s closing is scheduled from 2:15 p.m. ET to 4:30 p.m. ET.
The defense plans to use most of its allotted time, and the attorney general’s office has indicated their closing statement would run roughly one hour, according to emails shared on the court’s docket yesterday.
Mengshin Lin for The Washington Post via Getty Images
(HONOLULU) — A new bill in Hawaii aims to ban foreigners from purchasing land in the Aloha State.
State Sen. Brenton Awa, who introduced the bill, says it could address concerns about the ongoing housing crisis in the state.
“During the pandemic, right before I got into office here, we saw the home prices jump up $400,000 within a year, and that was because people outside were coming in,” Awa told local news outlet KHON-TV. “When they’re coming in with cash and our salaries over here are less than those of the people who are ready to retire, we can’t compete.”
The legislation reads: “At the time of purchase, a buyer of real property or an interest in real property shall provide an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury attesting that the buyer is not a foreign principal.” The legislation defines a “foreign principal” in part as “any person who is domiciled in a foreign country and is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.”
In this Feb. 19, 2010 file photo, a homeless encampment is seen on the west side of Oahu, Hawaii.
Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE
Residents have long complained about the impact of tourism and luxury home and resort development on housing accessibility, as well as the lack of affordable housing and rentals for residents. Hawaii residents have some of the highest housing costs in the nation — 2.5 times higher than the national average — according to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization.
The Maui wildfires burned thousands of structures in August 2023, including many affordable housing units, exacerbating the housing crisis.
State Attorney General Anne Lopez expressed concern about the bill’s “constitutionality and legality.”
She said the bill has potential, as written, to “subject the State to litigation and to cause the State to incur substantial monetary liability,” as well as its potential to violate the 14th Amendment, Fifth Amendment and Fair Housing Act.
A bill with similar language was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but it has been partially blocked amid a legal challenge against the state. That bill specifically restricts Chinese buyers who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from purchasing land in the state.
After signing the bill into law, DeSantis stated the law is intended “to counteract the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the state of Florida.”
Federal appeals judge Nancy Abudu, in her decision, called the law “a blanket ban against Chinese noncitizens from purchasing land within the state” and said it “blatantly violates the 14th Amendment’s protection against discrimination” in her decision.
Awa’s bill in Hawaii is one of several proposed solutions to the housing issue as state officials scramble to implement housing policy amid outrage and calls for action from residents.
In January, Gov. Josh Green signed an emergency proclamation to work with federal and county agencies on measures to speed construction of tiny village communities that could offer shelter to unhoused residents.
“As long as we are in a housing crisis, we will treat it like an emergency,” said Green. “This emergency proclamation streamlines the construction process for housing, removing unnecessary red tape, and enables our community partners to tackle homelessness and the housing shortage head-on.”
Green has also implemented emergency declarations to restrict price gouging on necessities, including rent, food and water, as Lopez investigated dozens of reports of rent hikes and evictions following the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen proposed amending the County Code to exempt short-term vacation rentals, timeshares, and non-owner-occupied housing from paying real property taxes while they rent to Maui residents who have been displaced by the Aug. 8 tragedy.
Across Hawaii, homes have been converted to short-term rentals, taking up large swaths of potential long-term rental units.
Owners of properties assessed at over $1 million who choose not to rent their property to displaced victims would see an increase in their property taxes, according to Bissen.
“I believe that a shared sacrifice is necessary at this time,” Bissen said in a statement. “Owners who help our disaster-impacted families by making their units available will receive a tax waiver. While those who choose not to can help by contributing more in taxes to make up for the loss of tax revenue.”
(NEW YORK) — More than 100 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.
The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel’s founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 07, 1:24 PM
Israeli prime minister rejects hostage deal proposal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected the current proposed hostage and cease-fire deal, calling it “delusional,” and describing it as a “surrender” that would lead to another massacre. But Netanyahu did not say negotiations were closed.
Netanyahu also said it would be “a matter of months” to reach Israel’s objectives and achieve “total victory” of completely dismantling Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu also said the Israeli military operation will expand to the city of Rafah, where thousands of Gaza residents have fled and are living in makeshift shelters.
ABC News’ Anna Burd and Jordana Miller
Feb 07, 12:20 PM
New round of hostage negotiations to take place in Cairo: Egyptian state TV
Egypt and Qatar will co-host a new round of negotiations on the proposed hostage and cease-fire deal on Thursday in Cairo, Egyptian state TV reported.
Feb 07, 10:41 AM
Blinken meets with Netanyahu on latest trip to Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
First, Netanyahu and Blinken “held a long and in-depth meeting in private” before having “an extended meeting” with other Israeli and U.S. officials, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, Blinken reaffirmed Israel’s right to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas and the need to protect civilians in Gaza, according to the State Department. Blinken also stressed the importance of a two-state solution — a prospect Netanyahu has vocally opposed.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since Oct. 7 when war erupted between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules the neighboring Gaza Strip. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, has been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Shannon Crawford and Morgan Winsor
Feb 07, 7:22 AM
Blinken meets with Netanyahu on latest trip to Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
First, Netanyahu and Blinken “held a long and in-depth meeting in private” before having “an extended meeting” with other Israeli and U.S. officials, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since Oct. 7 when war erupted between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules the neighboring Gaza Strip. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, has been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
Feb 06, 7:33 PM
US House fails to pass Israel aid bill
The U.S. House failed to pass a $17.6 billion standalone bill to provide aid to Israel.
The bill failed 250-180 during a vote Tuesday evening.
The GOP measure was being considered under suspension, which required a two-thirds majority to pass.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who unveiled the standalone bill over the weekend, blamed President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for its failure.
“The decision by President Biden and Leader Schumer to torpedo this bill to aid the Israeli people in their fight against Hamas is a disappointing rebuke to our closest ally in the Middle East at their time of great need,” Johnson said in a statement following the vote.
The Biden administration had issued a veto threat to the bill on Monday, saying it “strongly opposes” the measure after a bipartisan group of senators came to an agreement on a national security supplemental that includes Israel aid.
Schumer said he was against the bill and wanted Israel aid coupled with aid for Ukraine, Taiwan and the border.
Feb 06, 4:50 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
However, after receiving the response from Hamas, Israeli officials indicated a deal is still “far off,” according to Israeli political sources.
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
Feb 06, 4:02 PM
31 hostages are dead and remain in captivity in Gaza, Israeli sources say
The bodies of 31 hostages remain in Gaza, according to Israeli sources. The 31 hostages either died while being held captive by Hamas or were killed on Oct. 7, the sources said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Feb 06, 1:31 PM
Qatari prime minister: Hamas has responded to hostage deal framework
Hamas has formally responded to the proposed framework for a deal exchanging hostages remaining in Gaza for an extended cease-fire, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Tuesday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” he said via a translator. “However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”
Hamas in a statement did not say they had agreed to the deal but said they “dealt with” the proposed hostage deal “with a positive spirit.”
While Blinken didn’t express the same level of optimism as the Qatari prime minister, he maintained that a hostage deal was within reach, saying now that they had a response from Hamas, negotiators would be “intensely focused on that.”
“We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the government of Israel tomorrow,” Blinken said. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed, essential, and we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.”
When asked about the amount of time it took for Hamas to deliver an answer, the Qatari prime minister said “communication was presenting some challenges” and that “it took some time to get them to a place where we get that response,” adding, “we are hoping to see it yielding very soon.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 06, 9:48 AM
Blinken meets with Egypt’s president amid push for new truce
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s ongoing war in the neighboring Gaza Strip.
Their “meeting focused on developments in unyielding efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, exchanging detainees and providing access of needed relief aid to end the severe humanitarian catastrophe in the sector,” according to a readout from Egypt’s presidency.
It’s Blinken’s fifth trip to the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been involved in negotiations between the warring sides.
Feb 05, 11:54 AM
UN secretary-general opens independent review into UNRWA
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced Monday that he has appointed an independent review group to determine whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is “doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.”
The probe comes amid Israel’s allegations that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attack.
“These accusations come at a time when UNRWA, the largest U.N. organization in the region, is working under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance to the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who depend on it for their survival amidst one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world,” Guterres said in a statement.
The independent review group will begin its work on Feb. 14 and will provide an interim report by late March. A final report is due April 2024, according to Guterres.
The probe is separate from an investigation the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight is conducting into the allegations.
UNRWA has said it is investigating the allegations and took swift action against those accused of participating in the attack. However, the United States and other top donors have suspended their funding to the agency, which is the biggest humanitarian aid provider in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 8:43 AM
Food convoy hit by Israeli naval gunfire in Gaza, UNRWA says
A food aid convoy waiting to move into the north of the Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli naval gunfire on Monday morning, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“Thankfully no one was injured,” Tom White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 03, 4:52 PM
House plans vote on standalone Israel aid bill next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Saturday the House will vote on a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package next week.
“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets. The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally,” Johnson said in a letter to colleagues obtained by ABC News.
This news is a major reversal after House Republicans previously approved a $14.3 billion Israel funding package that included cuts to IRS funding. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not bring this legislation to the floor for vote because of Democrats’ opposition to IRS funding cuts.
Johnson again emphasized the Senate negotiated supplemental will face an uphill battle in the House and attacked Senators for excluding him and the House from the bipartisan talks.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Feb 03, 3:21 PM
IDF deploys 3 divisions to northern border amid Hezbollah attacks
The Israeli military has deployed three divisions to the northern border amid Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference Saturday.
He said the IDF is working to “reshape the security reality” on the northern border, so that some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks can return to their homes.
“We do not choose war as our first option but are certainly ready, and preparing for it all the time, if need be,” Hagari said.
The IDF has struck more than 150 cells, killing some 200 terror operatives, mostly members of Hezbollah, and targeted more than 3,400 Hezbollah sites since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to Hagari.
(NEW YORK) — A teenager was shot and killed by a police officer conducting a welfare check at a residence in Nebraska, state police said.
The Nebraska State Patrol said it is investigating the shooting, which occurred Tuesday afternoon in Columbus, a city located about 90 miles west of Omaha.
“The Columbus Police Department was conducting a welfare check on a subject following a report of potential self-harm,” Nebraska State Patrol said in a press release.
During the response, an officer shot the 17-year-old boy, state police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Columbus Police Department contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to conduct the “in-custody death investigation,” which is ongoing, state police said.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave, state police said.
There is no active threat to the community, Columbus police said.
No additional details on the shooting are being released at this time by the Nebraska State Patrol and Columbus Police Department.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A pod of orcas that appeared to be trapped by drift sea ice off Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido has seemingly escaped the icy enclosure, according to a local official.
Officials from the town of Rausu conducted a land-based search for the whales for about two hours on Wednesday, but the 10-plus orcas were nowhere to be found, Ryoji Onuma told ABC News.
“It seems they’ve escaped, but we can’t be certain,” said Onuma, who’s leading the response for Rausu. Their team got within a kilometer of the last known spot of the orcas, Onuma said, while press helicopters buzzed above and locals piloted drones, capturing the scene.
Onuma confirmed to ABC News that with the ice melting away and the situation looking up, there’s no need for further rescue efforts. “It’s a wrap for us,” Onuma said.
“Although we can’t confirm for sure, I’m confident these whales have found their way out, made their way free from the ice. We certainly hope they have,” Onuma added.
Wildlife organizations from as far as the United States and Russia had stepped forward to help, but Onuma said direct human intervention into the area would have put both man and beast in danger.
Tuesday night was a tough situation, Onuma said.
“We were down there before nightfall. They just didn’t have enough space. They couldn’t get out,” Onuma said of the whales.
Onuma described the animals’ coordinated struggle as the sun set, telling ABC News: “It seemed like they were taking turns breathing, like they had an order in which they were going in.”
The Japan Coast Guard was also on board to help, Onuma said.
“We discussed having ice breakers coming in to free the creatures. There was a possibility the ice breakers could’ve pushed the ice in, crowding them even more,” Onuma said. This approach could’ve inadvertently harmed the orcas, potentially covering their breathing hole, Onuma said.
“We really appreciate all of the ideas and support that came in,” Onuma added, acknowledging the widespread concern.
Onuma, while clarifying his nonexpert status, told ABC News: “These animals each have distinct characteristics and natural, identifiable marks. They have a long range. It is possible that someone somewhere down the road in a sightseeing boat […] will spot and recognize one of these animals from the images circulated, proof that they escaped with their lives.”
On Tuesday, Wildlife Pro LLC shared drone footage, filmed by Seiichiro Tsuchiya, of the then-trapped orcas on Facebook, where viewers could see the orcas bobbing their heads in and out of the icy water. Tsuchiya said the orcas appeared to be struggling to breathe and were unable to swim free.
“I saw about 13 killer whales with their heads sticking out of a hole in the ice,” Tsuchiya told Japanese public broadcaster NHK. “They seemed to be struggling to breathe, and it looked like they included three or four calves.”
A similar incident happened in Rausu in 2005, according to NHK, where nine orcas reportedly died after being trapped in drift ice.
ABC News’ Anthony Trotter contributed to this report.
